Persevere

Today on Summit life with JD Greer seen the glory of Jesus breath of the truth of his resurrection, only to return intentionally vomit. What else is there (site, what could possibly be more convincing than Jesus death and resurrection life after JD Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits after JD is tackling a big question when Christians have debated for hundreds of years.

Once you've been saved your secure forever and you can't ever lose that salvation right or can you pastor Jenny talks about this important question. Describing the proof of true saving faith. It may not be the most comfortable topic absolutely essential for each of us to evaluate where we stand with God today pastor Jenny titled this message persevere about about pointing April 21 just a one-on-one game of the guy in the guy was. You decide.

Lisa's very rough character.

He had a long ponytail came down to the small of his back yet so many tattoos on his face that I honestly did not know what the original color of his skin was. He cursed every other word is like everyone came out of his mouth.

He said you asked before it made sense to him.

He bragged the entire time about girls sleeping with now. This is not to say that I have anything against Gaza ponytails or tattoos or piercings about the point that, but just to say that the sky did not fit the profile about normal church person profile of the unchurched, the sky would be pretty much what you would think about. About halfway through the game started to share my testimony with him about how I'd come to Christ what you would share with somebody who's never managers report that about three sentences into my story. He grabs the basketball pieces do. Are you trying to witness to me and threw me off a little bit. First of all that he just knew the word witness emails.

I went to church where I try to witness me so awesome he says nobody try to witness to me in several years because the first part anymore similarly to you little bit about my background. I grew up in a church for my grandmother church and the vacation Bible schools and I was always insert is about 14 years old I went to middle school student Sediment. A preacher got there and he preached the killer sermon and I was so convicted about my sin came forward to the response time, not afraid and I asked Jesus to come into my heart that I must've cried a thousand years.

He said I got baptized at the end of the week. Sorry to read my Bible every day started about FCA group on my school campus is going to youth group all the time.

I went on mission trips I memorize verses five and led to my friends a Chrysler first two years after I become a Christian is my 16th year of high school or 660 year when I was in high school he said about his words were I discovered sex. He said discovered sex outside.

I like sex and I didn't want God tell me when I get upset when I will be good enough sex is published about with God on hold for a little while. This should not have went to college them.

When I got the college.

He said I just believe in God anymore. He said you got a slave yet. He says the reason I probably started to believe that God exists is that it wanted to exist. He says, but you know, however, now he says I don't even believe there's a God, he says I live. However, I want he said. He said that is such a faint and distant memory for me to submit here is what is awesome.

He said I was raised as a church that I was saved in the Southern Baptist Church said may have this doctrine called eternal security, which believes that once you been saved always saved.

He said he said that he said aren't you aren't you a Baptist. No awkward silence for me and say anything. He said he said he said I think I remember you something like a church good is about is her. He said he said he said so here's what's awesome. Even if you're right.

Even if there is a God. Jesus is the only way I'm still copper because I say because clearly I got a minute as I pray this really sincere prayer, Jesus freak like two years.

This is so even if you're right, there is a… All I'm still okay. I'm still government that often like yours and maybe look at your shot.

Know what you say back to a person like that please say honey just for the record, I do believe the Bible teaches eternal security and here he had asked to pray that season was hard. All indications were that he was sincere. He showed immediate fruit getting excited about Jesus getting busy for him like a set I believe the Bible teaches eternal security. Also you that your just a minute. So what's the right was right.

Can't he because he made a decision that someone in the past with the assurance that he is saved forever regardless of how you live now really a passage of Scripture today that addresses that very question is Hebrews chapter 6 of you have a Bible would like to take it out and opened it to Hebrews 66 as you're turning their let me first explain to you why it is that I do believe in what Christian theologians call eternal security which is again the idea that once you been saved by Christ. You are saved forever. Here's why believe that John chapter 6, verse 37.

I will give you a couple of verses. You may just jot the references Downing study more in depth later. John 637 all about the economy. Whoever comes me I will address a lot better never cast out. This is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he is given me, but raised all of them up on the last day, although the father gives to Jesus will come all the come or say you have ever lost right. John 10 127 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jesus gives receive eternal life. He says here they never perish in the enemy.

Try as he may not even be enemy can snatch them all from the hand of Jesus run a separate verse 29 for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified. Again, there is not one shred of room for anybody to be lost in that chain say some of those he predestined he went on to justify the sum of any glorified what you got got a pretty good recidivism right and once you start the process. He got like 90% that night.

He said all once God put you on that train. You never get off the conductor.

Make sure that you make it all the way to the station. So although she predestined a call there that want to justify in all the want to justify their the ones that he glorified. That's why believe in eternal security. But with that knowledge with that knowledge, knowing that we believe that when I believe that I was to read a warning in Hebrews 6 it seems on the surface at least, like it sits like it saying the opposite number 644 for it is impossible, in the case of those who have been once enlighten who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come minute fall away. It's impossible to restore them again to repentance, since are crucifying once again the son of God to their own heart and holding him up to contempt's now before we unpack that verse that set of verses. Let's make sure that you understand the context. Is it always helps to have your interpreting any burst into the context of members. Lastly, I told you that the author of Hebrews brings up in chapter 5 of Hebrews a pretty obscure Old Testament prophet by the name of Mel says that's right. And right after he brings him up member I told you that the author seems to get hacked.

All that the people he's writing to will already understand the stuff about Melchizedek. After all, these are Hebrew people. The Old Testament had been written in their language.

They were the ones that were supposed to not only understand it, to teach the rest of the world that you know it's written in Hebrew people because the name is Hebrews that's how we know right so they were supposed to understand that they were supposed to teach everybody else understand all by that's what gets really hot. All these people is goes off on this rant stored in verse 11, chapter 5 about this Melchizedek got much to say and it's hard to explain that you people become so dull of hearing further.

By this time you want to be teachers, you need somebody to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God when he starts talking about the difference between milk and meat.

He says to them that by this point in their lives. They really ought to be eating spiritual meat, but they still need to be bottle-fed milk when you're an infant at all. You did is milk and puréed food that you're 15 years old. Your monster cut up your hot dog for you or your still nursing at 15 by mass not that's crazy. It's okay if you're an infant but if you're old, you're still doing that is a problem. He's like you know here you are not supposed to be have been thinking more in your still happens. You can even take solid we gotta keep bottlefeeding you milk two jet researchers one therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God's instructions about washings laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead eternal judgment. Now look like she don't misinterpret that.

He's not saying that we need to move on from Christ right because up till just before the spiritual growth is never broke beyond Christ does grow deeper into Christ writing.

Keep in mind what he saying is all you want them to go to Melchizedek to see how he is all the Old Testament points of Christ not talk about going beyond Christ talk about going to see Christ did everything you never really grow to maturity beyond the gospel he's talking about getting beyond the elementary things are you getting today will get right back to her teaching in just a moment here on Senate life Jeannie Greer you know we work hard here at Senate life to stay engaged, you are faithful listeners and one way to be sure to stay plugged in following Pastor Katie on social media, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, these are all tools that can help spread the good news of the gospel each and every day with daily encouragement and shareable with them.

You can send a message of hope to those you love simply by following today search for pastor Jeannie Greer on all your social platforms or visit our website for links to have daily content. Now let's return to her teaching for some more wisdom from God's word.

Once again, here's verse three this we will do if God permits. So he's going back to discussing Melchizedek at this point, such as, but then he says this first four almost in passing those like you know what will mental note, we call that stream of consciousness verse four for it is impossible, in the case of those you been once enlighten tasted the heavenly gift generally smeared the Lord God of our lives, and then they found a way to restore them again repentance are crucifying once again, some got the wrong or mold about the wow what does that mean there's another problem for theirs versus Dr. C at first it sounds like you can lose your salvation. You can fall away. Second, it sounds like if you do lose it, you can never get back impossible to renew them again to repentance, so the first question people ask about this passage is talking to busy talking to say people result in unsafe people and some people say well he's got to be talking to unsafe people because truly say people cannot lose their salvation. Yet it sure sounds like he's talking about a say person.net living enlighten tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit tasted the goodness of the word of God.

The powers of the age to come, that sounds like a say person teaching that people have been saved can loser salvation, and that if you lose it you can never get back. What can be true because there are too many other places in the Bible but teach exactly the opposite from that I start when I study the Bible. Also, the assumption of the Bible contradict itself because I believe that the Bible is written by one author gives 40 different human authors but one ought to do all of them and I believe that one author never contradicts himself trustworthy assumption that what looks like a contradiction is not a contradiction.

What I will tell you is this. In those places where you see an apparent contradiction in the Bible. Those are the places that when you press on them.

You'll find that the deepest riches. Truth is usually underneath what looks like a contradiction, so I encourage you to press into it. That's what you see here for me. Having studied the Bible now for nearly 20 years. I will tell you that the Bible discovering the Bible to me is like like discovering a huge body of water first thing that you would notice me, what about your waters stepping out all wet stiffer than the ground. I was walking on that if you pick up in your hands. You see it secure. Then, you know, if you go out into you see it's deep.

And then you go all the way around that. You see it's all connected. It's all one body of water told the same stuff. Study the Bible is like that. You're the first thing that I can about the Bible's wildest different is the word of God may not be admitted and then I encounter. It's pure it does something for my soul and won't stay forever thought and then after I study the Bible and like it's all interconnected. It's all told one story is the gospel that keeps me put forward everywhere.

It's the Holy Spirit speaking from Genesis to Revelation say the same thing.

So this is I don't think these things contradict having what you can find is that they harmonize beautifully and show you some unbelievably important stuff about the nature of true faith. So to give you kind of a thesis statement that if you take notes and I highly encourage you to take notes. I think statistically, I can prove that you're much less likely to go to hell if you take notes if you don't write so I would encourage you to write this down.

This passage does not teach that you can lose your salvation, but it does teach you something important about the nature of saving faith, that is, it endures to the end. This passage does not teach that you can lose your salvation, but it does teach you something very important about the nature saving faith, namely that it endures to the end nominate two observations about this passage that again I would encourage you to write out this first one. Different actual Senate so I'm going to give you is my first point might be the longest point I've ever given at the summit church right and I know that anybody was a speech teacher here will say this is not your first two short, punchy points. I tried to shortness when I couldn't do it number one number one the writer is not trying to make a definitive statement about anyone person salvation is giving a general pastoral warning to a congregation made up of both genuine and superficial believers.

What I read again the writer is not trying to make a definitive statement about anyone person salvation rather he is giving a general pastoral warning to a congregation made up of both genuine and superficial believers.

See, I believe those words enlightened, shared in the Holy Spirit tasted the goodness of God's word. I believe that these are more descriptions of the movement as a whole than they are of any one particular person as people who are part of this movement.

They have all shared, at least in some aspect. In each of those things you see in every congregation including this one.

There are people who get caught up in the movement but never really deal with Jesus Christ. They participate externally. They come they get excited to learn the songs they pray a sinner's prayer.

They get baptized they maybe join a small group maybe even on a mission trip, but it never represents for them a deep embrace of Jesus Christ and what the author is saying to them is essentially best walk.

If you seen the glory of Jesus, and you been convinced of the truth of his resurrection, only to return intentionally to the vomit of your sin. What else is there left for me to say what could possibly be more convincing the Jesus death and resurrection. What greater argument is there that God could use besides the fact that you deserve to go to hell because you would defy the living at Almighty God came and stood in the way of his own justice to take it into his body was humiliated and tortured for you. If that does not move you what else is there left for me to say you see the analogy given the next verse good on number seven for land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated that receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles worthless near to being cursed, and in is to be burned. In other words, if you have a piece of ground in your farm and after you plow the ground you fertilize the ground after use properly see the ground and watered and the environment is right that piece of ground only produces thorns and thistles. What else you conclude within that piece of ground is worthless and just need to be thrown away to be cast out in the same way he says write it up for hearing the gospel only more thorns of rebellion are produced in your heart. What else can God do what else can I say he's exasperated, you will really like what else is there left for me just to say it doesn't move you if you can hear the story about God who took on his own route for you and that this is a move uses is nothing left. I can understand I understand there's a viewing here don't really believe the gospel. That's what you walk away.

I understand that there's you veteran here who are like a horse. I believe that God came and died for my sin. Of course I believe I deserve the wrath of God. Of course I believe that there is one God who created everything and read it all into existence as focal the word of his mouth holds up all by the word of his power and and holding molecules.

My body together. He was and is and is a common course. I believe that I deserve help, God came in and was ripped to shreds and humiliated for my sake, so that I could be say. I believe all that it is a movie that much. That is, it make any sense to me at all since the writer either is like, what else is there left for God to say, if you believe that move you the gospel is that you were so bad that Jesus had to die for you but that you were see was so loving that he was glad to die for you and only one of two responses is appropriate to that for you to walk out indefinable even say that's not true, or for you to fall at your feet your fall at his feet in abject worship only one of those two responses makes any sense at all.

So I interpret this passage is the author giving a bewildered general warning to a congregation I congregation that like all congregations like this one is filled with the genuine and superficial believers, not a description of one particular person is not attempting to lay out the mechanics of individual salvation. If you were doing that he might abuse different terms so enlightened become partakers of the Holy Spirit tasted the goodness of God's word. These are statements about the movement as a whole, and everyone who has shared in that movement as tasted of those things, at least to some degree because my first observation about the passage.

Here is my second number two in this passage we see that the faith that saves is the faith that endures to the end. In this passage we see that the faith that saves is the faith that endures to the end. You see, the Bible teaches that once you been truly saved, you cannot lose it, but it also teaches that one of the signs of genuine faith is that it endures forever. That's a big theme throughout the book of Hebrews we have come to share Christ else. We hold our original confidence firm to the end.

It was 1215 see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, but no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled or destroyed bitterness and unforgiveness can grow up in somebody's heart and killed her faith. I watch that happen several times at this church, and it causes you to fail to obtain the grace of God through September 30 eight. My righteous one God says shall live by faith. But if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed but of those who have faith and per and PERT preserve their souls than Hebrews chapter 6 of chapter you're in right now to Numbers 11 verse 11 we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end you see that you will have the full assurance of hope, you endure to the end you will have the full assurance of hope, only if you endure to be so on the one hand, I believe that once saved always saved, but on the other hand, that only those who endure to the end will be saved shrink back or fall away, you will not be saved. The only way that both of those can be true that once saved always saved in verse rather Hebrews and there's return to the only way they can both be true is one of the signs of truly saving faith is that pain endures.

How does your endurance today with a message about the importance of perseverance listening to Senate life with pastor Jeannie Greer seeking our newest resource that we are actually offering completely free of charge to you.

Don't you get up in the morning.

I thought the first thing you could use if you're like me, some encouragement from God's word about his promises, his faithfulness and how when you feel overwhelmed and you feel defeated. He never feels that way and that he's only secure the victory. And so we have a new daily email devotional that will align with what your your learning and in hearing here on on the program Summit life ill just reinforcing the concepts gives you some Scriptures to to begin your day meditating on what great way to start the day. I don't like access email but when somebody's gonna put in front of the God's Word and God's promises.

That's a great way to start the day. So I'd love for you to go to Shady Grove.com and sign up for this daily devotional. Great way to tête-à-tête to catalyze that daily quiet time, so again Senate for this free resource@jdgreer.com/resources. Please sign up for pastor Jeannie three daily devotional look at our beautiful new Bible study through the book of Hebrews 10 part Bible study based on our current teaching theory, our way of saying thank you and you donate today to support the ministry of Senate life suggested metal $35 or more fixate 33 550 T training for getting your new resource online.com I'm only made events tomorrow were continuing assurance of salvation persevere with us to the end of the weekend Thursday right my TV