The Coming One Is a Better Possession

If you’re one of the rare people who thinks that a marathon isn’t challenging enough, I’d like to introduce you to the “arctic-ice ultra-marathon.” It’s a race, about 5.5 marathons long in the arctic circle. Their description says,

“Experiencing day time temperatures as low as -40 degrees, you will battle across snowfields, Arctic tundra and frozen lakes. This Arctic ultra marathon is both challenging and exposed, putting physical and mental endurance to a painful test. Be ready to take on the conditions that the Arctic Circle can throw at you. As darkness descends, you will feel like the only person on the planet.”

Does that sound appealing to anyone?

Ok, so what does an ultra-marathon have to do with Hebrews 10? Well, our text, Hebrews 10:32-39 is about endurance. And specifically, an encouragement for Christian endurance. And it has endurance-athlete like undertones, that, once we look at who these Christians are and what they had endured, make a lot of sense. The picture that comes to mind is of being about 4 marathons into something like an ultra-marathon, looking at the cost, and getting discouraged… starting to wonder: is following Jesus worth it?

This encouragement also comes on the heels of a dreadful warning against abandoning Jesus. This week Pastor David Mathis has written to our church, reflecting on the sober warning in the verses before our passage on the result of apostasy. No matter who you are, you need to hear the warning: Walking away from Jesus (abandoning the Christian faith) will result in you facing the full judgment and wrath of God.

“It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

You do not want to end up there. It’s a dreadful warning we all need to hear. 

But here, in verses 32-39 the author follows up his warning with an encouragement to these particular Christians for their endurance. And as we look at his encouragement today, my prayer is that we too would be encouraged in our faith, and would grow in encouraging one another through his example.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for revealing yourself to us through it. And this morning, wherever we’re coming from, I pray that you would prepare our hearts to receive your word and that by your Spirit you would deepen our faith, and our joy, and that we would run with endurance; looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.  We ask this in Christ’s precious name, Amen.

The sermon outline this morning is a three-part encouragement that fuels enduring faith: a past confidence, a better possession, and a promised return.

Verses 32-34,

“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach & affliction and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property.”

The author’s encouragement to these christians begins with 

1) Reminding them of their past confidence. 

If you remember, in the parable of the sower… A farmer sowed a bunch of seeds, some fell on the road and were immediately snatched away, some fell on rocky soil and didn’t have the roots to survive the heat of persecution, and some fell in thorns and were choked out by the worries of life and deceitfulness of riches. 

Well the author of Hebrews, in recalling the background of these Christians, reminds them that none of those describe them. He says, when I look back on your early days of walking with Jesus, and what you endured for the sake of Christ, I see real, enduring faith. And here, we get our best glimpse at the background of these Christians; and it’s pretty incredible: These were not baby Christians. They were veterans, who had lived faithfully through severe persecutions, and the author makes a point of that for their encouragement. He reminds them that when they were first “enlightened” (when they first saw the light of the Gospel and trusted in Jesus) their faith was evident through their transformed life. And that transformation was especially clear in their suffering. 

For one, becoming a Christian made them unpopular – and that’s an understatement. The text says they were “publicly exposed to reproach.” They were openly ridiculed. Whether it was their friends or family or coworkers, the people around them were not happy about their new faith, but mocked them for being Christians. Later we see that things escalated, and pretty severely, because some of these Christians were even arrested and sent to prison for their faith. And because prisons back then were not like our prisons, where you get food and blankets, these prisoners were now dependent on their loved ones to bring them food just to survive… which must have led to a challenge for their community group: who’s signing up for that meal train?

If you go and bring aid to your fellow Christians in prison, you’ve now got a target on your back. And that means you risk getting thrown in prison yourself, or as we see later, in verse 34, you risk losing your possessions. It’s not clear if this was official confiscation or angry mobs, but either way, the outcome is the same, imagine your stuff, gone. Your house, your car, your savings, wiped out. 

And here the author teases out a distinction. There was direct suffering that individual Christians experienced as a result of their faith, and, there was the voluntary stepping into the suffering of other Christians, by the rest of the Christian community. The church acted: with compassion and by taking risks (often at great cost to themselves) fueled by love towards their fellow Christians. These Christians suffered together. Think less Gladiator, and more like “Band of Brothers” -  a community of Christians enduring together, with love and compassion.

And how did these Christians fare? Well it says they endured. And endured here means they persisted in faith, as evidenced by their life of faith despite their suffering. And they didn’t just survive, they flourished! When it came to their own suffering and loss: it says they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property. They counted the cost and gladly said Jesus is worth it. And when it came to indirect suffering, the whole Christian community stood boldly and publicly united. The church did not splinter or fall apart. Their unity was evident through their practical and tangible support. 

It’s important not to dismiss these Christians as just being of a different, unrelatable sort. They weren’t superheroes that could tap into something unavailable to us, and they weren’t stoics, unaffected by suffering. These are real people, like you and I. They had families to support, children to look out for, bills to pay, and they worked just as hard to earn their living as you and I. They felt the sting of rejection and ridicule like you and I do. Yet, they didn’t waver. They did not back out or hide. They also didn’t become bitter, cynical or angry at God.

A note on testimonies 

The author, in writing to this particular group of Christians, encourages them through positive examples from their own past, testimonies from their own church – to draw strength and encouragement for their present endurance. 

And if we just stop and reflect on what we have in this room, right now, it’s incredible! You are surrounded by hundreds of Christians who have experienced the same transforming power of the gospel that’s described here. I would encourage us all to make opportunities to hear and share one another’s stories of the power of the gospel in our lives. Our testimonies, of God’s faithfulness and our endurance, especially through suffering. Maybe it’s a conversation over dinner with friends and family, life groups, or community groups. We need to hear of the transforming power of the gospel and of the legacies of past faithfulness not just in biographies, but especially from one another. The church needs to be reminded of past faithfulness to draw strength and encouragement for our present endurance. 

And I’d love to share a glimpse... a day from my own story back in college. I had grown up in a Christian home, I had heard the gospel often, and made early professions of faith, but in college I remember just feeling stuck. A cloud of doubt and skepticism surrounded me that I could not break out of, for years. I doubted everything about God, including his very existence, and then one day, sitting in the college hallway, I was reading Foxe's Book of Martyrs, a collection of true stories from the early church. And I got to the story of Denisa, who the author says was “a young woman of only 16 years old.” Denisa was standing in a crowd, and witnessed a man renouncing his faith under torture. And instead of hiding or blending in, she spoke up and publicly rebuked the man saying:

“O unhappy wretch, why would you buy a moment’s ease at the expense of a miserable eternity!"

And 16 year old Denisa, avowing herself to be a Christian, was beheaded soon after. Both her rebuke and the realness of her faith stirred my heart deeply; and I remember pleading with God, saying “God, I want that kind of faith. Why can’t I have what she has? Why is my heart so hard? Would you please remove this doubt and give me faith like hers? And he did. 

In that moment, Jesus was more real to me than any of the students walking past me in the hallway. I will never forget the peace, the joy and love that filled my heart and transformed my life going forward. And looking back on my past confidence has been a deep source of encouragement in my faith. 

You are surrounded by hundreds of unique stories of the transforming power of the gospel, and examples of enduring faithfulness. Let’s hear and share evidence of God’s work in our lives for one another’s encouragement and endurance. That’s what the author is doing here by reminding them of their past confidence. 

A note on Confidence

Faith and Confidence are often used synonymously, as they are here, and it’s important to recognize that the foundation of our faith is not how confident we are. Christian faith is always personal, but it’s not subjective. It’s like running across a frozen lake. You don’t step onto a frozen lake because you feel confident in yourself. You step onto the lake because the ice is solid enough to hold you. If it can’t hold you, then you will fall through regardless of how confident you are. That’s why Paul says, if Christ isn’t raised from the dead, our faith is useless and we’re still in our sins. Our faith stands or falls on the object it rests on: the perfect person and work of Jesus on our behalf. That’s why we sing: On Christ the solid rock I stand. He is our confidence. At the same time, that objective confidence has to become your own. Faith is personal. You’ve got to believe! That’s why the author speaks of “your” confidence. Real Christian faith is taken to heart and lived. It’s not standing on the shore thinking about how solid the ice is. It’s putting your weight on it and running.

The secret to their enduring faith was not how confident they were, but the substance, the foundation, that their confidence rested on. And that’s what the author focuses in on in the second part of his encouragement:

2) He reminds them that their confidence was rooted in a better possession.

Verses 34-36,

“For you had compassion on those in prison. And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”

After reminding them of their past faith, he then reflects on the substance of that faith. The way he does this is by intentionally lingering on the theme of possessions. He reminds them that the reason they joyfully accepted the plundering of their possessions is because they had a better possession. What they had in Christ was infinitely more valuable than what they were giving up. And the revealing word here is joyfully. Their own joy testified to the reality that Jesus was more valuable than their stuff, their possessions, or their money.

And our money matters. Jesus talked about money a lot, because our money habits both reveal and shape what we value most. Matthew 6:19,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, … 21 For where your treasure is [where your money is], there your heart will be also.”

There’s a reinforcing cycle: The more we value something, the more we invest our money in it. And the more invested we get, the more valuable it becomes to us. Jesus says: store up for yourself treasures in heaven, and your heart will follow. Invest your money where you want your heart to go.

For example: Do you want your heart to be more excited about God’s work in global missions? Invest in global missions. Do you want your heart to more fully embrace God’s work through the mission of your local church? Invest in your local church. 

There’s a book that I’ve found really helpful on this called The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn, I’d highly recommend reading it. 

Don’t wait until your possessions are threatened to discover what your heart values most. For these Christians, what their hearts valued most was Jesus. He was their better possession. 

These Christians remind me of the parable of the man who found a treasure in a field, who then, in order to get that field, gladly sold everything he had. No one reads that parable and thinks, man, what a poor guy having to give up all his stuff… No, he discovered a better treasure! He found a deeper joy! And the whole book of Hebrews has been arguing that Jesus is better. Piling up the arguments: Better than angels, better than Moses, better than the old covenant sacrifices, and here, definitely the most relatable comparison for modern readers: He’s better than all of our possessions. 

People often ask: What would you do if you won the lottery? We talk about it like it’s the best thing that could happen to someone. Would you quit your job? Buy a nice house on the beach? Travel the world with your family? No more worries about paying your bills? Whatever your answer is to that question, Jesus is better than that. 

God made you to be satisfied in Him, for eternity. Nothing else will satisfy. Everything else either disappoints, or it doesn’t last. Jesus is the deepest and most lasting treasure in the universe, and when we trust in Him he becomes our greatest possession. When we believe in Jesus, we receive… Him! Not only the complete forgiveness of your sins, but an eternity of life with him: living face to face in the presence and enjoyment of Jesus. In your presence there is fullness of Joy! At your right hand are pleasures forevermore! There is no greater joy than the joy promised to those who trust in Jesus. And there’s a link here, between present and future. There is a better possession, that they already possess, linked to the promise of a future reward. A fulfillment. And that future fulfillment takes the author into the third and final part of his encouragement:

3) He invites them to look to the Returning Jesus. 

And he does this by quoting Habakkuk chapter 2,

37 For,“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

For some context, Habakkuk was an old testament prophet who, looking around at the injustice and the suffering in Israel, brings a complaint to God: Why is there so much wickedness that seems to go unchallenged? Does God see? Does God care? How long will God let this go on? 

And God answers him by saying, I do see, and I am doing something about it: For one, I’m preparing the Chaldeans to invade, as a judgment on Israel for their wickedness.

And Habakkuk is not satisfied with that answer: How is that any better? What kind of resolution is that? They’re more wicked than we are! What’s the big picture? What’s God’s game plan? Where’s the definitive judgment and the resolution? God I’m watching and I’m waiting.

And God says, the things I promised will come to pass. Write them down. Their fulfillment is coming. It won’t be according to our timeline, but in God’s perfect timing. But as for you, Habakkuk, (and this is the famous line) the righteous shall live by faith.

Paul, quotes that line in Romans 1 to show us the foundational link between our justification and faith. We are justified, (counted righteous) not by our works, not by anything we do or deserve, but only by trusting in Jesus: The substance of our confidence is the perfect and complete work of Jesus on the cross, in our place.

“Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.”

And the author of Hebrews has been clear on that foundation throughout the whole book. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in Jesus: our perfect high priest, and his perfect sacrifice for the complete forgiveness of all our sins and unrestricted access to God for eternity. We are saved by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. 

But here, looking at Habakkuk 2, the author highlights an application for those who, like Habakkuk, are living between God’s promise and it’s final fulfillment. As we look to the returning Jesus:

It’s by highlighting the link between faith and live. How do the righteous endure as they wait for the final fulfillment of God’s promises? They Live by Faith. Faith is not only a moment in the past of trusting in Jesus, it’s a life of leaning in and drawing near. We don’t shrink back. We continue to look to him by faith, until he returns. The application here, drawn out from Habbakuk 2 is “Let us live, by faith! With our eyes fixed on Jesus as we wait for the final fulfillment of God’s promises at Christ’s return.

Jesus is coming back, God gave us his word. And with Christ’s return, will come the eternal reward, the final fulfillment of all God’s Promises. Our text says “the coming one, is coming, and will not delay. That’s about as emphatic as he can be. Jesus is coming. God’s plan was in action in the days of Habakkuk, and its fulfillment is that much closer today. Jesus was coming when you first became a Christian, and He’s that much closer today. So don’t give up! Jesus is so close! So don’t walk away! This is the main exhortation here: Do not throw away your confidence! 

The author concludes confidently in Verse 39:

“We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

As another translation says: we’re of those who have faith, for the safekeeping of the soul. Our endurance, our safekeeping, is tied to the reality that our faith rests on Jesus. It’s who we are; our very identity. There are no alternatives to go back to.

The Table

Walking away from Jesus is a dead end road that leads to destruction. That’s not us. And I love that the author speaks in the present tense, and includes himself here. We are those who have faith. Right now. The most important question for everyone in this room is: are you believing in Jesus? Right now. If you are, keep believing. Do not look away. Keep your eyes fixed on him, as you live by faith, waiting for His return.

And this brings us to the table. Every Sunday, at the table we look to Jesus together. 1 Corinthians 11 says that when we eat the bread and drink the cup we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Every Sunday when we reach out to take the bread and the wine we remind ourselves and one another – He is sufficient (He is our greatest possession) and he is coming back, like he promised.