Before the Throne: Living with Certainty in the Presence of God

Date: 8/28/22
Preacher: Trent Chambers
Scripture: Hebrews 6:11-20

Main Sermon Points
1. HOPE fuels faith (v.11-12) - there is danger of drifting, so pursue hope.
2. How do we stir up hope? We remember:
• God’s commitment to his name (v.13-14) - God is for us because he is for himself and his glory.
• God’s unchangeable nature (v.17-18) - it is impossible for him to lie or fail.
• Christ, our anchor (v.19-20) - our hope is secure in the presence of God.
3. HOPE fuels faith…pull tight the ANCHOR - the stronger the current, the tighter the line.
4. Practice: BOASTING in our HOPE (Hebrews 3:6) - find ways to celebrate who Christ is and what he’s done.

Psalm
Psalm 12 (When singing or praying this Psalm, first we echo David’s lament over the faithlessness and falsehood all around us (v.1-2) and follow his lead in asking God to judge rightly against prideful boasting and lying (v.3-4). Then, we ask God to arise and bring justice (v.5)! Just as in this week’s passage in Hebrews, we declare that God’s word is trustworthy and we can rely on his promises (v.6). Jesus is our anchor in the presence of God; and he keeps us safe despite the storms around us (v.7-8).

Read the Passage
Read the Scripture passage aloud as a group. When you’re done reading, take some time to share observations about the passage. Try not to move into interpretation or application yet. Just spend some time observing what the text says.

Discussion
As Trent said, hope fuels our faith but it’s not the origin of faith. The Gospel births faith in us: “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Think about the interplay between faith and hope.
1. Why is it significant that faith precedes hope? And how does hope work to strengthen and preserve faith?

We learned (see the Sermon Recap above) three truths to consider that should stir up our hope: God’s commitment to his name (v.13-14), God’s unchangeable nature (v.17-18), and Christ as our anchor (v.19-20).
2. Which of these reasons to hope lights up your heart the most? Can you explain why it fills you with hope?

Read verses 19-20 of this week’s passage again.
3. Think about what it is like to be constantly aware that the center and foundation of your security is in Christ–who is right now in the presence of God, as your assurance of acceptance with God. If you were conscious of this truth in every moment of the day this week, how would your life, with your hopes and your doubts, change?

With Christ as our “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (v.19), Trent encouraged us to rest in our hope and pull tight against the anchor. The stronger the current against a watercraft, the tighter the anchor line. The gathering of the church–Sunday mornings, and Community Groups–is time to pull that tether tightly and make sure it’s strong.
4. Thinking of your own life and where you struggle to hope in Christ, what can we do right now as a group, and during the week to help each other, in making sure we’re pulling tightly on our connection to Christ, our anchor?

Closing
This week we added the practice of Christian BOASTING: finding ways to celebrate who Christ is and what he’s done.
1. Practice boasting one at a time: celebrate something meaningful to you about who Christ is or what he’s done.