Sabbath School Class Week 5
Introduction: This week we are starting chapter 3. We are going to take it verse by verse, because each one has a great message.
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
1. Therefore who?
2. Who share in what?
Is it important that he call out or clearly state who he is talking to? Why would the author start this
way?
In the Message bible it says: So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights,
Remember the author is writing to a group of people who believed once in Jesus and then decided to go back to living as a Jew for many reasons I'm sure one of which undoubtedly was to be part of the community they had been part of for so long. The way the author starts this is to identify them as a group of people with a common ground. He put them in a group, not unlike the identity of being a Jew. Jews were a special set apart people. As the author starts this chapter he once again makes them a special called people.
1. Are we a special called people? Are we this group? Are we Holy brothers and sisters who share
in a heavenly calling?
2. Who are we?
3. Christians, UCSDA Members, Seventh-day Adventists? Who should we be?
Now to the meat of this first verse. "fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest."
1. Do what?
2. How did he label Jesus as what?
Jews saw the high priest as having the greatest authority. He was the highest. The Christians saw the apostle as directly sent by God. So labeling Jesus both covered it all. He was it. No one was higher etc.
Now back to the whole "fix your eyes on Jesus".
1. What does that look like?
2. How do I make sure I am keeping my eyes fixed.
Today while walking on the beach, we watched a group of men para surfing. If you have never seen anyone para surf I highly recommend it. It was amazing to watch. One of the men lost his surf
board and was just hanging onto his sail. He asked a guy who worked for him to help him retrieve his surf board. His worker started running down the beach with his eyes glued on the water. We finally got a glimpse of the board. Once he saw it he ran along the beach with his eyes glued to it. He didn't stop until it was close enough for him to jump in the ocean and retrieve it. While he was doing this the board would disappear and behind a wave and then you would see it reappear. If you didn't keep your eyes glued to the same location even when you couldn't see the board you could potentially loose it for good. However if you kept you eyes fixed on that same spot in the rolling ocean waves it would come up over the top of the next wave.
I think too many times we think keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus only means when we see him. Too many times life gets hard, or we just don't seem to see the evidence of him and we turn and walk the other way. Instead let's keep our eyes fast on him, and sometimes that might mean keeping our eyes fixed where we have seen him before, in our bible study, in our church, through our friends, music etc. just because we don't see him this second, don't turn away, keep your eyes fixed and I know he will come rolling over the next wave.
How can you this week keep fixed on Jesus?
What has worked for you in the past?
How as a class, as a church can we encourage each other to stay fixed on Jesus?
1. Therefore who?
2. Who share in what?
Is it important that he call out or clearly state who he is talking to? Why would the author start this
way?
In the Message bible it says: So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights,
Remember the author is writing to a group of people who believed once in Jesus and then decided to go back to living as a Jew for many reasons I'm sure one of which undoubtedly was to be part of the community they had been part of for so long. The way the author starts this is to identify them as a group of people with a common ground. He put them in a group, not unlike the identity of being a Jew. Jews were a special set apart people. As the author starts this chapter he once again makes them a special called people.
1. Are we a special called people? Are we this group? Are we Holy brothers and sisters who share
in a heavenly calling?
2. Who are we?
3. Christians, UCSDA Members, Seventh-day Adventists? Who should we be?
Now to the meat of this first verse. "fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest."
1. Do what?
2. How did he label Jesus as what?
Jews saw the high priest as having the greatest authority. He was the highest. The Christians saw the apostle as directly sent by God. So labeling Jesus both covered it all. He was it. No one was higher etc.
Now back to the whole "fix your eyes on Jesus".
1. What does that look like?
2. How do I make sure I am keeping my eyes fixed.
Today while walking on the beach, we watched a group of men para surfing. If you have never seen anyone para surf I highly recommend it. It was amazing to watch. One of the men lost his surf
board and was just hanging onto his sail. He asked a guy who worked for him to help him retrieve his surf board. His worker started running down the beach with his eyes glued on the water. We finally got a glimpse of the board. Once he saw it he ran along the beach with his eyes glued to it. He didn't stop until it was close enough for him to jump in the ocean and retrieve it. While he was doing this the board would disappear and behind a wave and then you would see it reappear. If you didn't keep your eyes glued to the same location even when you couldn't see the board you could potentially loose it for good. However if you kept you eyes fixed on that same spot in the rolling ocean waves it would come up over the top of the next wave.
I think too many times we think keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus only means when we see him. Too many times life gets hard, or we just don't seem to see the evidence of him and we turn and walk the other way. Instead let's keep our eyes fast on him, and sometimes that might mean keeping our eyes fixed where we have seen him before, in our bible study, in our church, through our friends, music etc. just because we don't see him this second, don't turn away, keep your eyes fixed and I know he will come rolling over the next wave.
How can you this week keep fixed on Jesus?
What has worked for you in the past?
How as a class, as a church can we encourage each other to stay fixed on Jesus?
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