05/31/2026
The First Word on Worship: I’ve mentioned before that there are two key structural elements in this letter to the Hebrews. First, the book centers on the exposition of six important Old Testament passages. That makes sense because this is a written sermon—the writer calls it his “word of exhortation” (Heb 13:22). This morning’s passage (and the next section, 4:1-13) focuses on Psalm 95:7-11. But second, the book moves from exposition to application repeatedly. In this section, we find the explanation and exhortation all mingled together as the writer warns his people.
That’s what we should hear this morning: a warning that it might be possible for those who are part of God’s visible people to prove faithless. To be sure, we’ve been baptized, we come to church, we give our tithe, but none of that is saving. We might even have professed our faith at one time, repeating words that others taught us, but there was no inner reality to what we said.
Yet there is good news for us—we have today. Today is the day to examine our hearts, to take ourselves to Jesus, to call upon his name, to believe and repent, to rest from our labors. And there is yet more good news—even if we find ourselves faithless, our Jesus is faithful. He will always prove faithful to us. Thanks be to God!
