For this Communion Sunday, if you will, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews,
chapter 6, verse 19.
Hebrews, chapter 6, verse 19.
Now often in the academic world we say that the professors live in ivory towers and they
have no understanding of what goes on in the real world.
And I think some of that is true.
But not when it comes to our understanding of Christianity.
Christianity is not an ivory tower religion.
It is a religion that deals with life in a fallen world.
And I just think about that verse from the hymn we just sang.
Through many dangerous toils and snares I have already come.
Which is grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
We need to have hope.
We need to have encouragement from God's Word because we live in a sin-filled world where
things don't go our way.
And that was true for believers in the book of Hebrews who were tempted to fall away from
the true faith.
And Paul gives them hope.
And that's what we want to read about.
In verse 19, we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.
And I'm going to go on and read verse 20, where our forerunner Jesus had entered on
our behalf.
He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
Let's pray.
Our Lord Jesus this morning, encourage our hearts with the stability of the gospel.
Love us to have hope, eternal hope, one of the great virtues of the Christian religion
along with faith and love.
Give us hope this morning.
I'm going to be praying his name.
Amen.
If you have been reading the local newspapers, you have probably heard we're getting a cruise
ship.
It's going to be the cruise ship that's going to take you to the Bahamas.
Now they're going to sink it.
It is the USS United States.
If we get it, it's going to be a tourist attraction so that divers can go down and see what is
really a famous ship.
I mean, it holds the world record for crossing the Atlantic.
You know where that ship has been for more than a decade?
It has been anchored in Philadelphia, rusting away through storms, changes of seasons.
It's been right there, securely anchored.
It has gone nowhere.
And that is what an anchor does.
It keeps vessels secure, tied up.
Now that's not the only way we use the word anchor, is it?
For example, if you go repelling, that is where you do that crazy sport of jumping off
the side of a cliff, what keeps you from falling to your death is a metal stake that is stuck
in the ground.
It anchors you so that you do not plunge to your death.
And those repellers put a lot of faith and hope into a very small metal stake that gives
them security.
Do you realize that's how Scripture describes the security and salvation that we have?
It's like an anchor that keeps us secure.
And what the author of Hebrews is telling us this morning is that you too can have that
type of secure relationship with God.
We have security like an anchor.
You will not be moved, despite the doubts that you may have.
And let's be honest, ancient world, time when this book was written, there were certainly
hardships for God's people.
There were multiple religions and cults.
Probably many Christians were saying, why should I believe in Jesus when there are all
these other religions around?
There was persecution, challenges to the faith.
But what this passage is telling us, if you believe in Jesus Christ, if you have faith
in Him, you have security like an anchor.
Now there are some here today who may question that.
You may say, oh, nothing challenges my faith.
Blowny.
If you live in a fallen world, you're going to face challenges and doubts.
We all do.
Stop denying your humanity.
That's why this passage was written.
Or there may be Psalm who say there's no such thing as eternal security.
That's what you Presbyterians believe.
That's not what the Bible teaches.
But if you read what we just read, it points out that God's people are secure in the hands
of God.
So this morning, let's explore this passage to see what it says about our anchor.
The anchor of our soul.
And when you think of an anchor, think of God's holy word.
That is certainly an anchor for our soul.
It's something we can believe in.
I got to take today.
Words are cheap.
People will take vows and they will not uphold those vows.
People will take marriage vows till death do us part.
And if you're paying to the text of the news, I guess that does not apply to Ben Affleck
and his former wife.
Or we have the diplomat who will say, oh, our country is not going to invade this other
country than what do they do?
They invade.
They invade vows, promises, criminals who will go before the judge and say, I'll never
do that again.
But then they turn around and break their word.
It's hard for us to think that our words can mean anything.
But what this passage tells us in context is that God's word is the source of our security.
And what kind of words are these?
Well, let's look at verse 13.
That's what it says, when God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater
for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, I will surely bless you and give you
many descendants.
The author of Hebrews brings this up because if you go back into the book of Genesis, Abraham
was promised in chapter 15 to be a great nation.
He's an old man and his wife is old as well.
How are they going to have all these kids?
Because God took an oath in Genesis chapter 15.
Later on, that promise is repeated when his one son, Isaac, was taken to a mountain to
be sacrificed.
When God provides the ram and Isaac lives, and once again the promises of descendants
is repeated.
And as we look at biblical history, God did fulfill his promise.
He took an oath.
He said, this is going to be what happens.
And if you look in verse 16, notice what it says there.
People swear by someone greater than themselves, and that oath confirms what is said and puts
all arguments to an end.
And you go down to verse 18.
God did this so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we have fled to take hold of a hope set before us, maybe greatly encouraged.
What is the source of our hope?
It's the word of God.
How can you trust all that God says because God doesn't lie and God made an oath, an oath
to redeem you, to save you?
God can't lie.
That is the promise that is given here.
And we think of taking an oath, when you and I take an oath or make a promise, we're sinful.
We're imperfect.
But when God takes an oath, there is no one greater, no one who is more holy than him.
So you can trust him because of his greatness and who he is.
And I can't find this story.
I don't know if it's true or not.
I think it is one of these things that they talk about in a police precinct.
One time the Pope came to New York City.
And the Pope wanted to drive in New York City traffic.
So he hops in a car and drives the wrong way down one of the streets.
There was a rookie police officer.
And he radiated it in to the chief of the police.
He said, look, we've got a problem here.
There's a very important person.
They're driving the wrong way on one of our streets.
And the police chief says, well, is the president?
No.
Is it the mayor?
No.
Is it a city councilman?
No.
Well, who is it?
Policeman said, I don't know, but the Pope is driving him around.
Now, why do I tell you that silly story?
Because greatness, greatness, it's something we can look at and admire.
And it is also something that we can trust in as well.
And here's the implication of what I'm saying to you.
Now, why is it that we endure?
Why is it that we can have hope?
Because we trust in the Word of God.
Now, you may say to yourself, but I want something tangible.
I want some sort of evidence.
Maybe if I had a dream, that would convince me.
Well, remember what happened in Scrooge when he has a dream?
After the dream, he says, well, maybe it was just some potato soup I had that didn't sit
well in my stomach.
If you had a dream from God, you'd dismiss it.
What do you want, a letter?
But he has given you a letter.
It's called the Bible.
But I'll tell you, he's given us something else as well, his promise, the promise of
a holy God.
He has given us that and he won't change his mind the way you and I do.
Think about what Scripture says.
In James, for instance, he doesn't change like shifting shadows.
In Malachi, it says, I the Lord do not change.
Why are we told that?
Because people do change, but not our Lord God.
The words that he spoke have come true.
And I want you to think about that for a minute.
I want you to think about original promise to Abraham.
Look at Christianity today, millions and millions of followers throughout the world.
The church, despite its weakness, continues to go off.
Despite challenges from science to the enlightenment to unbelief, sin, it continues.
Why?
Why has it gone the way of all the other ancient religions?
Because of the promises of God to his people.
He's not going to forget his word to you.
He makes a promise and he acts.
But let me tell you one other thing we've got to keep in mind before we come to the
table of the Lord.
It has to do with a holy priest as well.
Holy word?
Holy priest.
And we are tied to the Lord Jesus Christ just as much as the ocean liner is tied to its
anchor or to a dock.
And here's what it's talking about here.
In chapter six, we're given a picture of the holy of holies in heaven.
Now the earthquake, temple and tabernacle were merely copies and pictures of what was
going on in the heavenly realms.
And you may remember that in the Old Testament, the high priest once a year would go into
the holy of holies, making sacrifice for himself because he was sinful and for the people of
God.
But all that was to show God's people what really was going to happen.
That Jesus Christ was going into the holy of holies.
He was there as our high priest to enter seed for us.
And why could he do that?
Because he lived a perfect life and he died a perfect death.
And so he could go into the throne room of God.
And here's what we've got to keep in mind.
When he died on the cross, he sanctified us and then he went into the heavenly realms
where he now dwells with God.
And do you realize that right now we have our high priest in heaven who is interceding
for us and is made away into heaven?
And now back in colonial era times in early American history, Lewis and Clark forged away
into the West.
So Jesus Christ as our high priest has made a place for us in the heavenly realms.
And we sometimes think that God is not for us.
God despises us.
But do you realize Jesus Christ is in the holy of holy of heaven interceding for you
saying they are my people.
I love them and they're going to make it to be here with me.
I am not going to give up on them.
You have an advocate.
You try to get a job today.
It's almost as if you got to know someone.
Have the connections.
You got the connections.
You got the son of God.
And he is saying have good courage people of God because you're mine.
And the new heavens and the new earth is yours.
That is the security that we have and that God is not going to turn his face ever against
us.
Yes, you may be disciplined for your sins, but you are not cast off.
God is for you.
And think of that hymn that we sometimes saying, blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a taste of glory divine.
Well, now as we come to the Lord's table, you can have that blessed assurance, that
hope, that anchor of your salvation who gave his body for you and is now ascended into
heaven and is there interceding for you along with the Holy Spirit.
And if you want any confidence, focus on what is true.
Let's pray.
Our Heavenly Father, we ask now that you will be with us as we come into your presence.
May we remember as we take the Lord's Supper that this is not just an average, everyday
meal, but it is a sign and symbol of the security we have because of Jesus.
In our hearts, may we come before you, confessing our sins, our God, realizing that you will
not give up on us.
Encouraging us though to come to you just as the prodigal did to his Heavenly Father.
Be with us now, O Lord.
Protect us and encourage our souls.
Amen.