HSS_2022_Q1_EP07

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

I'm excited today; we're continuing

a series on The Message to the Hebrews,

today's topic, Jesus, the Anchor
for Your Soul,

the Anchor for my soul.

It's such an encouraging topic.

I know you'll be blessed,

and I'm glad you're with us today.

And welcome to the team.

What have we learned?

The book of Hebrews is all about...?

(Team) Jesus!

(Derek) It's all about Jesus, yes,

and we're going to be so blessed

as we study today.

We've not only got

our team here in the studio,

but we've got some

of our remote team members joining us.

Good to see Heide again

from South Carolina,

good to see you, Heide.

And Puia from Hawaii,

great to have you with us, Puia.

And Shaina from Maine,

so good to have you with us, Shaina.

We just love our remote team members

joining us here because it just expands

our discussion and the stories

that we can share.

Remember, I said it's all about Jesus,

The Message to the Hebrews?

We have a special gift

for you this series,

and I know that thousands of you

will write in for it

because you say, "Derek, I'd like

to learn more about Jesus,"

who He was and what He taught.

We've got a special resource for you.

It's a gift; all you have to do

is go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.

Right in the center of the screen

you'll find a "Free Gift" button.

It's that simple; click on it.

You can either get a digital audiobook

or a PDF where you can learn more

about who Jesus was and what He taught,

not only for yourself but to share

that good news with others.

So, take advantage of that free gift.

And we're glad you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

Well, here are some emails

we received from around the world.

Brenda, writing from South Africa,

Brenda, if you are watching today,

thanks for writing to us.

She writes and says, "I enjoy

Hope Sabbath School every Saturday.

I love the in-depth, interactive study,

and I switch on my TV

to Hope Channel early

so I can understand the Bible study.

And when our on-line service begins,

I can make a contribution.

Thanks for Hope Sabbath School."

Well, Brenda, we're glad

you've got a local church,

even if, right now,

there are some restrictions for gathering.

But we're glad, also, you're part

of our Hope Sabbath School family.

Here's a note from Tasmania.

I don't remember the last time,

but I think we've heard

from Tasmania before.

Ben and Isabel write and say,

"Hello, Hope Sabbath School team."

(Team) Hello.

(Derek) Got the wave.

"My wife and I watch

Hope Sabbath School every single week.

You make the study enjoyable

and easy to understand.

You are indeed a blessing to many.

May God bless you all."

Well, Ben and Isabel,

thanks for writing to us,

and we're praying that our study today

on Jesus, the Anchor for Your Soul

will also be so clear,

but more than that, that we'll accept

that Anchor for our soul,

and we'll be rejoicing together today.

Here's a note, we get notes

every once in a while, not just emails.

This one is from a donor

in Brooklyn, New York,

in the United States of America,

and the donor says,

"Greetings in Jesus' name.

I've been watching you

during the pandemic.

It's a blessing to study with you all.

I understand the Bible so much better

than when I was alone.

Praise God for your knowledge

and your happy, bubbly team.

I'm blessed that I found

Hope Sabbath School.

Thank you for your ministry.

I enjoy the soothing songs

at the beginning of the study.

May the Lord continue

to bless Hope Sabbath School

as you spread God's Word to all the world.

Looking forward to our soon-coming King,"
what do you say?

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) "Just a little gift

to help spread God's Word,"

and a gift of 500 dollars

to help Hope Sabbath School.

We just want to say thank you.

You're joining the impact movement

that's sharing the love of God
with the world.

And by the way, we want

to thank every donor.

You are all part of this miracle.

You can go to hopetv.org/donate,

and say, "I want to be part

of this great miracle,

sharing God's good news with the world."

Thank you for all you do.

Francis writes to us from Kenya.

You know, we have a Hope Channel in Kenya

called HCK, Hope Channel Kenya.

"I'm Francis from Nairobi.

I feel blessed every time I follow

your interactive study of the Word of God.

I have realized new ways

to search the Scriptures,

and I've been blessed immensely.

Thank you, and may God bless

the entire Hope Sabbath School family

and all the people who watch the programs

all over the world."

Well, thank you, Francis,

for writing to us from Kenya.

I know we've got a lot

of Hope Sabbath School members there.

And one last note, from Florida

in the United States of America.

Florence writes, and she says,

"My church is French-speaking.

My husband and I have to study

from the French study guide

because as a Sabbath School teacher,

he has to teach mostly in Creole.

Hope Sabbath School, though,

is a great blessing because we found

a lot of answers and clarifications

on a lot of things

that seemed difficult for us.

In addition, my son," Florence writes,

"who doesn't have any French

or Creole education,

he enjoys studying

Hope Sabbath School with us.

When we tried to share

with some of our members

about Hope Sabbath School, guess what?

We were surprised to find out

a lot of them were watching it already.

We're trying to see if all

of our Sabbath School teachers can use

the same interactive style
in their classes.

God bless you abundantly

for this wonderful work that you are doing

by the power of God."

Well, Florence, thanks for writing to us.

Isn't that amazing,

a French-speaking church there in Florida?

And we're so thankful, Florence,

that your son is also joining us

as part of Hope Sabbath School.

Well, right now we need your help to sing.

We'd like to sing in the studio,

but we've got some restrictions right now.

But you sing really well,

and our theme song,

taken from Psalm 103,

is full of joy and praise to God.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul;

and all that is within me,

bless His holy name!"

Let's sing it together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Let's pray together.

Father in heaven, I just want

to thank You for the study today.

We're continuing our series

on the Message to the Hebrews,

and today, Jesus, the Anchor of Our Soul.

I just pray that Jesus would be lifted up

in all of His power to save,

and the Holy Spirit would guide,

as we study today,

Hope Sabbath School members

all around the world, maybe someone

joining for the very first time,

that someone would find eternal salvation

by trusting in Jesus.

Guide us in our study.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) We're starting

in Hebrews, chapter 6,

in what some might consider

to be a controversial text

in the book of Hebrews.

But, I think embedded in the text

is some word of hope for us.

So, we're in Hebrews, chapter 6,

verses 4 and 5, and, Brittany,

would you start our study today?

And the first words
are a little challenging,

but we'll get to them in just a minute.

But let's see some of the blessings,

listen carefully as Brittany reads.

What are some of the blessings

that were received by those

who received the message of Jesus

with a receptive heart?

Hebrews, chapter 6, verses 4 and 5.

(Brittany) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Middle of the sentence

because it's going to talk

about whether or not they can be renewed,

but we'll come to that in a minute.

Let's focus on some of the blessings

that first came when they received

the word with a receptive heart.

Did you hear, Shaina, did you hear a word

that jumped out, a blessing that came

when they received the word about Jesus?

(Shaina) Yes, so those people

would become partakers of the Holy Spirit.

(Derek) Okay, that's a big one, isn't it?

Because if you read the teaching of Jesus,

that's really the greatest gift
that God gives.

If you give good gifts,

Pedro, to your daughter,

how much will the Lord, the Father,

give the Holy Spirit, right?

So, thank you, Shaina.

What's another blessing that came, Jason?

(Jason) They will be enlightened,

meaning they will have understanding;

they'll have realization,

both personally, intellectually

and I would say probably experientially.

(Derek) I like that word "enlightened"

because in the Scripture we speak

about "shall not walk in darkness,

but have the light of life,"

talking about Jesus, light of life.

Brittany, something else?

(Brittany) I love how it says

"tasted the heavenly gift,"

so we can experience Jesus.

It's not just Someone we hear about

but Someone we actually "taste"
in a way

that our senses can taste food;

we can experience Jesus

and have a relationship.

(Derek) Livinia, can you think of a text,

I'm putting you on the spot,

but can you think of a text

that also talks about tasting?

It's in the Psalms, isn't it?

(Livinia) "Taste and see

that the Lord is good"?

(Derek) That's right!

That's, I think, is it Psalm 34

and verse 8, "Taste and see

that the Lord is good."

So, Brittany, you'd say

they've tasted the heavenly gift, namely,

they experienced the goodness of God.

So, "partakers of the Holy Spirit,"

Puia, what else do you see?

What other blessing had they experienced?

(Puia) Jason mentioned it already,

but for me, the word "enlightened"

also jumped out because I understand that

as to mean that when we are converted,

our eyes are open to the character
of God as love.

We no longer worship Him

through fear but through love,

and being enlightened

to the true character of God is powerful.

(Derek) You've seen the beauty of God.

There's so much, Heide,

packed into this little...

I don't know if you looked down

at some of the others.

Which ones haven't we mentioned yet,

a blessing that comes or that came

to when they heard about Jesus?

(Heide) Another one mentioned

was that they've tasted

the good Word of God.

(Derek) I like that one, too.

You know, the Bible says, "All Scripture

is given by inspiration of God."

And doesn't the Psalmist say,

"Your word is a lamp to my feet,"

back to being enlightened,

"and a light to my path."

So, they've not just been taught
earthly fables,

but they've been taught

the living Word of God.

I think there's one more.

Was there one more?

(Sabina) Yes, there is one more.

(Derek) What was it, Sabina?

(Sabina) I see here they also experienced

"the powers of the age to come."

(Derek) What does that mean?

(Sabina) It means, to me, Pastor Derek,

that the power of God

is different than human power.

Human power is usually based

on money and strength.

Those are some of the things

that people can have clout

over situations or other people.

But the power of God is love;

and I think that once you have experienced

this power of love,

it is something that changes

everything in you; it's very powerful.

(Derek) And I'm thinking, too,

when they would go up and say,

"In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk."

Or Peter would stretch out

on a lifeless body and say, "Let this..."

What did he do with Dorcas?

Didn't he...I forget, he raised her
from the dead.

Did he say, "Arise"?

I mean, they had experienced
the power of God.

You'll find that in Acts, chapter 9.

So, I'm going to give you
a testimony here.

And, Puia, I'll come to your comment.

Maybe you can start, Puia,

because I know you've got a testimony.

This sounds amazing, when we hear

the truth about Jesus,

all of these blessings - enlightened,

tasting the heavenly gift,

partakers of the Holy Spirit,

tasting the good Word of God, experiencing

the powers of the age to come.

When you first personally surrendered

your heart to Jesus,

what was the gift that became

most apparent to you just right away?

I mean, all these gifts are coming.

(Puia) Yes, for me personally, I would say

my understanding of God's love

has been a gradual experience
where I continue -

even until now, I don't claim

to know everything about God's love,

but I'm continuing to grow,

and I believe what I have appreciated

so much is my understanding

of the character of God has shifted.

I have had a paradigm shift

where I no longer relate to God

as Someone who is only happy

when I perform good, you know?

But I now see God as Someone

who loves me with an unending love,

so that has been powerful.

And to also add onto what Sabina

was saying about experiencing

the power of the age to come,

I believe this can also mean that when
it says,

"the age to come," that's talking

abouthe future Kingdom of God.

And when Jesus said, "The Kingdom

of Heaven is at hand...Thy Kingdom come,"

I believe this is also meaning to say

that as believers we can now begin

to experience Heaven.

Heaven starts now, and I think
that's just beautiful.

(Derek) So, we might say...

And, Heide, I'll come to your point.

We might say that Puia

has been enlightened, right?

Light has come to him.

He's tasted the heavenly gift.

And if the Holy Spirit's the One

who leads us into all truth,

he's also become a partaker

of the Holy Spirit.

But all of that has helped

a paradigm shift in his mind.

And he's smiling while he's sharing that.

He's excited because something

supernatural has happened in his life.

Heide, what became the most precious gift

that you became aware of as you entered

into that personal relationship
with Jesus?

(Heide) Well, I was raised

in a Christian home,

and I first started to have a relationship

and seek out God in my teen years.

And maybe when I was about 19

I began to really surrender
my heart to Him

and to spend time in prayer,

a great deal of time in prayer.

And I remember before that,

I didn't notice it,

but I never felt good enough.

And when I started to pray

and spend time with God,

I remember consciously realizing

a few months later that I no longer felt

like I wasn't good enough.

I had changed my perception of myself

because my value wasn't in how I looked

or my degree or my job or my grades.

My value was now in the fact

that I am the daughter

of the Most High God.

That was just invaluable to me.

(Derek) That's so beautiful.

I'm going to come

to a challenging question

after Shaina's comment

because I'm saying if there are

so many blessings that come

as we accept who Jesus is,

our Great High Priest, our Savior

and soon-coming King,

why would anyone want

to turn away frm that relationship?

Shaina, your comment first.

(Shaina) Yes, I'm thinking

of particularly the "became a partaker

of the Holy Spirit,"

and I'm thinking of the fruit
of the Spirit

when I truly experience Jesus for myself

and not based on what others

painted Jesus to be like.

Taking in all the things

that are going on in the world

and watching the news

could put you in a state of depression,

but I have peace, and that's one

of the fruit of the Spirit.

And so, becoming a partaker

of the Holy Spirit, I'd say,

is one of the gifts that I have received.

(Derek) And you've experienced

the powers of the age to come

if you're experiencing the peace

of God, too, right?

I'm going to ask Livinia if you'd read

Hebrews 10:32,33 because it may

partially answer the question,

at least back in the early -

these Hebrew Christians.

Why would anyone turn away from Jesus

when so many blessings,

even ones we've shared together...

Here may be at least one reason, Livinia.

Would you read for us

Hebrews 10, verses 32 and 33?

(Livinia) Certainly, reading

from the New Living Translation:

(Derek) Can you think of any times

in the New Testament,

even during the earthly ministry of Jesus,

when people appeared to back away

because of ridicule or persecution
or hardship?

Anybody, Sabina, can you think of someone?

(Sabina) Pastor Derek, I'm thinking

about a text in John.

I was trying to survey in my mind

exactly the address of this text.

And that's when Jesus

has just finished a sermon,

and the Bible says that many people

started turning away from Him.

(Derek) The end of John chapter 6.

(Sabina) Exactly, the end

of John chapter 6.

So, He's coming, in the book of John,

from doing miracle after miracle
after miracle,

yet He does have a message

that is calling people to repentance,

that is calling people

to a change in their lives.

And that's not always an easy message.

And also including people

who had believed that Jesus

was coming not only as the Messiah

but that the Messiah would be a King

and change their immediate situation,

which was not necessarily the case

because we know that for some of them

they still had to endure

a lot of suffering, as we are seeing.

And then Peter turns to Him,

and there is a dialogue

between Peter and Jesus...

(Derek) Why don't you turn to that for us.

I think the Holy Spirit

is leading us there, John, chapter 6.

Would you start in verse 66?

John 6 and verse 66 and perhaps

you could read down through verse 69,
John 6:66-69.

And the context, of course, is Jesus

has just fed 5,000, and they've come back

for more free sandwiches.

And Jesus says, "I am the bread of life."

And pick up the story, if you would,

in John 6, verse 66 through 69.

It may help answer the question,

why would people turn away from Jesus

after so many blessings

that we've highlighted have come to them?

(Sabina) Exactly, so here we have John 6,

from verse 66 through 69, and I'm reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) So, why did many, it says,

at that time many turned away

and didn't walk with Him anymore.

Why did they do that, anybody?
Yes, Livinia?

(Livinia) Because prior to that exchange,

Jesus said to them,

"Anyone who eats My flesh

and drinks My blood has eternal life,

and I will raise that person
at the last day."

And many of the disciples said,

"This is a hard saying,

hard to understand; who can accept it?"

(Derek) They were hoping He'd say,

"You can get more free fish sandwiches,

just stop by each morning."

They were wanting the physical benefits,

like, "I don't think He's the Messiah

that we wanted Him to be," but there may

have been many other reasons.

But for some reason,

whether because He's not

who they thought or disappointment,

"many of His disciples."

The word "many" means...?

(Team Member) A lot?

(Derek) A lot, the majority,

that He even turns

to the 12 and says what?

"Will you also go away?"

Shaina, you had a comment?

(Shaina) I'm thinking specifically

of one of the twelve who walked with Him

who ended up betraying Him, Judas.

He literally walked with Jesus
for three years

of His whole entire ministry and saw Him

and saw all the things that He did,
and fell away.

But I'm thinking that it was because they

weren't truly anchored in Jesus.

It was a superficial following.

There was no true heart conversion,

which when the wind came and blew,

it blew them out.

(Derek) That's a good point, Shaina,

but let's remember that Simon Peter

also buckled to the pressure.

You know, you read about the persecution

of the Hebrew Christians,

but he also was ridiculed.

That was the word, mocked or ridiculed.

And for a moment, what happened?

He wavered and fell, didn't he?

Well, we're going to go back to the text.

Brittany, since you read verses 4 and 5,

I'm going to ask you to read them again,

but now read on through verse 6,

because it gives us

a very difficult passage.

We want to wrestle with it,

because I think we would all recognize,

am I right, that we've all

had times when we've wavered?

This appears to say - well, let's listen

to what the author of Hebrews says.

Hebrews 6, verses 4 through 6.

(Brittany) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Hebrews, chapter 6, verse 4:

(Derek) Now, whatever this text is saying,

I'd like you to first do a scan

of the Bible, okay?

And, Puia, I'm going to ask you

to go first, just short answers.

Think of someone in the Bible

who, to use Brittany's language, fell;

they fell away, but they were restored.

Can you give us a name, Puia,

of someone who fell away,

and they were restored again.

(Puia) Previously you mentioned Peter.

I believe Peter is one example who fell,
but he was restored.

(Derek) Shaina's got her hand
raised, too. Shaina?

(Shaina) I'm also thinking of Samson.

(Derek) Samson is another.

Heide, you've got your hand raised.

(Heide) I was also going to say Samson,

but another one was Jacob who fell,

and yet the Lord blessed him greatly
in the future.

(Derek) We don't have to think
very hard, do we?

Brittany, another one?

(Brittany) King David.

(Derek) King David is a great example,

who commits adultery and deception
and murder. Jason?

(Jason) Adam and Eve?

(Derek) You took us back

to the beginning, right,

Adam and Eve who fell and were restored.

The Bible is full of people

who fell away and were restored, right?

Now, that doesn't mean,

"Well, let's just sin because we can

always be restored," because there's

something in this text that says

you can't come back in a certain
situation.

But, give me some Bible texts

that would support the fact

that you may fall away,

but God will welcome you back.

You can be restored

to be part of His family.

Anybody, what's a text

that comes to your mind, Livinia?

(Livinia) "For There is

now therefore no condemnation

to those who are in Christ Jesus."

(Derek) Alright, so you would say...

Do you want to read that text for us?

That's in Romans, I believe

chapter 8, right, and verse 1,

Romans, chapter 8 and verse 1.

By the way, some people might say,

"Derek, how do you keep remembering

where those texts are?"

Well, there's a promise in the Bible

that, "The Helper, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in My name,

He will teach you all things,

and bring to your..."?

(Derek, Team) "Remembrance."

(Derek) And by the way, if I

can't quite remember, I can always ask

the Hope Sabbath School team,

and you will help me, right?

But let's read it just so that we know

that you're reading it

out of the Scripture here.

Romans 8 and verse 1, what does it say?

(Livinia) So, reading

from the New Living Translation:

(Derek) Now, that's interesting
because how many have sinned

and fallen short of the glory of God?

(Team) All.

(Derek) So, how many are condemned?

(Pedro) Everyone.

(Derek) So, everyone can be restored.

That's what it's saying, right? Yes?

(Travis) I was thinking of Ezekiel 33:11,

and can I read that?

(Derek) Yes, of course you can.

Ezekiel 33 and verse 11.

Ezekiel, a prophet contemporary

of Daniel in Babylon,

and he's down the river in Susa,

and Jeremiah back in Jerusalem.

And what does he say in Ezekiel 33:11?

(Travis) It says, and I'm reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) That's the Lord speaking, right?!

So, we ought to have no doubt

that a person who falls into sin,

if she turns, if he turns,

isn't there the text in 1 John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to..."?

(Derek, Team) "Forgive us."

(Derek) "...and to...?

(Team) "Cleanse us."

(Derek) From how much?

(Derek, Team) "All unrighteousness."

Now if someone said, "Pastor Derek,

you don't know the bad things I've done,"

well, Shaina, I need you to read

a text for us in 1 Corinthians 6,

verses 9 through 11.

Someone says, "You don't know...

That may be for holy people like you,

but I have done things that are so bad

that I cannot be restored."

And by the way, you don't say that

with joy in your heart.

But I've got good news for you.

If you are even feeling

a desire to be restored,

the Holy Spirit is still speaking.

Listen to the amazing text

Shaina's going to read

from 1 Corinthians, chapter 6,

verses 9 through 11.

(Shaina) And I will be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) Somebody ought to say, "Amen."

That is good news.

And by the way, don't judge someone,

"Well, that's bad," because there are

a lot of things there like extortioners,

that people think they're clever

to extort money from people
by selling things

for more than they're worth

or for buying things

for less than they should.

We all need forgiveness, don't we?

But restoration can come.

So, with that in mind,

let's go back to that text

that Brittany read for us

which says it's impossible.

Let's just read verse 6, Brittany, again,

because we've got to wrestle with this.

There's something here that makes

this turning away fatal.

Let's see what the text says again.

(Brittany) In Hebrews, chapter 6,

verse 6, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) When I fall, Pedro,

and run to Jesus, what do I find?

When I fall, and I run to Jesus,
what do I find?

(Pedro) Repentance?

(Derek) Mercy and grace, right?

Because I come in repentance.

But this is saying, "If you crucify

the Son of God afresh and" (what?)

"bring Him to open shame."

Let's look at another verse.

Heide, could you read for us

in Hebrews, chapter 10,

verses 26 through 29?

This is so important because someone

might be saying, "Derek,

I think I've gone too far.

I don't think there's any hope for me."

Well, I'm telling you, if you're

watching Hope Sabbath School,

and your heart is at all responding,

there is hope for you.

But let's see what this fatal mistake is

from which it's impossible

to turn back. Heide?

(Heide) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Derek) What are the strong words there

that impact you, Jason?

(Jason) The last part there

"insulted the Spirit of grace,"

so rejecting the Holy Spirit.

(Derek) Who's the One that leads us

to repentance and also, Brittany?

(Brittany) I was just thinking

what Jason was saying.

In Matthew Jesus talks

about this very thing in chapter 12,

and He said, "Any sin

will be forgiven you

except the sin against the Holy Spirit."

So, it's almost like the same reflection

of the end of this verse.

It's like, "What did Jesus
say about this?"

(Derek) So, when we crucify Jesus afresh,

there was another idea there,

of "trampling on the Son of God."

I mean, I don't even...That's such

an offensive thought, isn't it?

You trample on the Son of God.

If you throw the Savior away,

you've thrown away any hope.

There is only one way of salvation.

It's impossible to be restored

without Jesus. Is that right?

(Team) Yes.

(Derek) If you're saying, "Jesus, help me.

I have made a mess; I've been King David.

I've committed adultery and murder;
Jesus, help me,"

it is not impossible to be restored!

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) But if you trample

on the Son of God

and bring Him open shame,

and what did he do to the Spirit of truth?

(Team Member) Insult.

(Derek) You insult the Spirit of truth,

you are in a deadly situation. Pedro?

(Pedro) We see here that those

that wouldn't receive any forgiveness,

are those that are not asking
for forgiveness.

We see that God is trying,

pursuing us, to go after Him,

and those that decide not to accept

or have rejected or trample over,

are those who will be receiving damnation.

(Derek) So, how do we safeguard ourselves

against that fatal mistake?

We have received all of the blessings

just like the Hebrews did.

And the author of Hebrews is saying,

"Don't do this!" right?

"Don't trample on the Son of God."

"Don't crucify the Son of God afresh."

How do I safeguard, Sabina, against that?

(Sabina) Pastor Derek, I think

that a key element here in the text

in verse 26 is when he's saying

that if we sin willfully.

So, it does have to do with our wills

and the things that we work in our hearts

on whether to do for life or for death.

So, I think that a way

to safeguard ourselves

is to submit our will to God.

And one of the ways to submit

our will to God is to consider Scripture

and His teaching in the Law,

the prophets and everything

that was left for us as a resource

to consult with God.

If our will is aligned with His,

and if we're not willfully going

against His will for our lives.

(Derek) But someone might say,

"But I do that, Sabina.

I do at times willfully transgress God."

I want to read an encouraging text
with you.

Puia, could you go

right before the book of Revelation

to the book of Jude.

It's only one chapter,

but verse 25 of Jude.

Jude, most Bible scholars would believe,

is a stepbrother of Jesus,
brother of James,

leader of the church in Jerusalem,

so he's one of the ones

who was in the upper room, remember,

and "with Mary and His brothers."

He's a follower of Jesus.

What word does he give us, Puia,

in verse 25 of that short letter

right before the book of Revelation?

(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) So, I realize, Puia,

I need you to read verse 24 as well,

but thank you for reading verse 25.

That was my mistake, and maybe we

just needed to know to praise God, too.

But would you go back,

and would you read verse 24 and 25?

Obviously, the Spirit wants

both of those heard.

(Puia) Sure, verse 24:

(Derek) Can I say no one will be lost

because she is weak?

(Team Member) Yes, that's right.

(Derek) No one will be lost
because he's weak.

We will be lost because we don't run

to the Savior of our souls.

"Jesus, help me!" "Jesus, save me!"

That is a choice, isn't it?

(Sabina) It is.

(Derek) Now, lest we get discouraged

and say, "Oh, boy, that's heavy duty,"

the author to the Hebrews

brings some good news.

And, Pedro, I'm going to ask

if you would read back in Hebrews 6,

verses 9 through 12.

And I would say to all of us,

we need to give people warnings,

but we also need to give them hope,
are you with me?

So, let's hear some hope

in Hebrews 6, verses 9 through 12.

(Pedro) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
Hebrews 6:9-12:

(Derek) Now, before we look

at the specifics of the appeal,

all of us, when we decide

to surrender wholly to Jesus,

we're under attack by the enemy.

Temptations will come, right?

I mean, if you think

when you make a commitment to Jesus,

no temptation will come, think again.

It will happen, right?

But we know where we need to run.

Why is it important,

that just like the author

to the Hebrews here,

we speak words of encouragement

to people on their journey?

Why is that important?

We're not denying the danger,

still giving the warning.

Brittany, why is it important

to give words of encouragement?

(Brittany) I think especially today,

everywhere you look, you turn on the TV,

you look at your computer,

you read the newspaper,

everywhere you look, there's no good news.

And we need encouragement

in this world today.

People are suffering from depression

and anxiety and so much difficulty.

But we need to know

that there is a God who loves us so much,

and He says, "Just look up, look up to Me;

don't look at your surroundings

and what you're going through.

Look to Me; I've walked that same road

that you're on right now.

I'm going to hold your hand.

I'm going to help you through this."

(Derek) So, we know

the challenges are real,

but those words of encouragement,

I was thinking, where it talked

about not forsaking the assembling

but exhorting one another,

that's not like beating each other.

That's a loving encouragement.
Yes, Travis.

(Travis) So, I'm thinking

about the love of God, right?

It's obvious that God believes in us.

He wouldn't have come and died

if He wouldn't have had faith

in even who we could become.

And so, if we're going

to go around condemning people,

they're probably going to only go
as far as...

You know, if someone

is always telling you,

"You're not going to be this,"

and, "You're not going to be that,"

you'll probably rise no higher than that.

But if you can encourage them

and tell them, "God even believes

in what you can become,"

you can lift their spirit,

and they can see in Jesus

there is something much higher.

And if you keep encouraging, encouraging,

I know that from experience,

when people have encouraged me

instead of condemning me,

when they should or could have
condemned me,

my response was, "I don't

even want to go back to that place."

And it's caused me to climb higher

and higher and higher.

(Derek) And it's especially true

if they'll say, "Let's walk
together," right?

"By the way, let me just remind you

I'm not perfect either," right,

"but let's walk together on the journey."

Now, it also says "lest you become...,"

my Bible, I think, said sluggish.

Do you have another translation?

That's kind of an Old English word,

sluggish; what does that mean,
in verse 12?

(Brittany) Lazy.

(Derek) Lazy. Let's talk about that.

Heide, lest you become lazy.

Lazy about what, do you think?

(Heide) I'm not sure if it means

lazy, just like neglecting

your relationship with God

or also neglecting your purpose,

you know, the mission that you have

when you come to know God.

I would think it's both, though.

(Derek) Alright, so I've got

a few hands raised here, Livinia.

It's not just talking

about getting up late in the morning,
lazy right?

But be careful, lest you become lazy,

What do you think?

(Livinia) I think that

the New Living Translation

sheds some light on that.

(Derek) Alright, and you'll read

for us again then, verse 12

of Hebrews, chapter 6?

Alright, let's hear it
in your translation.

(Livinia) Okay:

(Derek) "Spiritually dull

and indifferent," lazy.

I think we would agree

that this laziness is talking,

I think as Heide alluded to,

being spiritually lazy,

which would mean that I

would neglect what? Anybody?

What would I neglect

if I'm spiritually lazy?

(Pedro) A relationship.

I look into the aspect

here in the verses,

but the others who have patience,

or they are finding assurance

in the hope until the end,

that we see here,

continue to press forward.

Matthew 24:13 says, "Those

who endure to the end shall be saved."

So, continue to endure.

I can say that I've been married

for 15 years because I have endured,

or I have chosen every day to be married.

The moment I choose not to be,

I have become lazy or dull

in my relationship with God.

(Derek) And your wife

has also endured to the end, right?

(Pedro) Amen.

(Derek) So there's that commitment
of holding fast.

But this spiritual laziness,

let's say someone's watching and saying,

"Maybe I'm spiritually...," what would be

some red flags, so to speak, warning signs

of becoming spiritually dull

and indifferent? Sabina?

(Sabina) I think, for instance,

if you decide to stop reading the Bible

or lose the interest of sharing

the Word of God with other people,

maybe just you stop praying,

things that are part

of our spiritual discipline of the day.

(Derek) I was at a university

where I had the privilege of studying,

and I was back there,

and a man came up to me.

He had been a pastor.

I said, "Where are you serving?"

"I'm not a pastor anymore."

He said, "I didn't pray for two years,

and then I finally abandoned my work."

That's becoming spiritually lazy.

But you say, "Well, what if he

doesn't feel like praying?"

Answer? Pray anyway, right?

Run to Jesus and say, "Jesus,

I don't know what's happening here,

but I need to be...," what's the word?

(Brittany) Revived.

(Derek) Revived, "I need to be revived,

and I'm not going to be revived

by hiding from You," right?

"I'm going to run to You.

You said time in Your Word, in prayer,

fellowship with other Christians." Sabina?

(Sabina) And then I really like the word

that he uses in the previous verse

when he's talking about the diligence
that they had been showing

to the work of God.

So this word "diligence," I think, is key.

That everything that we do in life,
it doesn't need

to be just our spiritual journey;

just think about your work

or when you are studying

or if you have a relationship

with a family member,

everything takes work,
right, Pastor Derek?

We need to spend time,

we need to dedicate, separate,

you know, some money

to invest in certain things.

You need to separate time.

You need to separate your thoughts even

to dedicate to certain things.

And that's not different

than our relationship with God.

So, we need to be intentional

about the things that we are doing,

including our relationship with Jesus.

(Derek) Well, we're getting
in chapter 6 now.

Puia, could you read for us

in Hebrews 6, verses 17 to 20,

because this is where it talks

about the anchor.

Now, what is the anchor for our soul?

Let's see, normally with Hebrews,

if you're not sure of the answer,

just say "Jesus," okay?

But let's listen carefully,

Hebrews, chapter 6:17-20.

We would recognize many blessings come

when we hear and embrace

the truth about Jesus and accept Him.

Persecution, ridicule could cause us
to turn away,

but now Puia is going to read to us

about the anchor; thank you, Puia.

(Puia) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) So, what's the anchor

of our soul there?

Or maybe there's more than one answer.

What's the anchor of our soul?

Jason, what did you hear?

(Jason) Well, we have Jesus

as a key anchor of our soul.

(Derek) Right, what did

it say in the text?

(Sabina) It's hope.

(Derek) It's the hope that we have,

but that hope is not detached

from a Person.

That hope is embedded in the One who has

already gone beyond the veil, right?

He's already there; I've got my hope,

but it's anchored in the One

who is my living hope, right;
He is the One.

Why is it important to remember

that Jesus is the anchor of our soul?

He is our living hope.

Whatever we're facing, why is that

so important that we remember that?

Like the early Hebrew Christians

who were being ridiculed, persecuted,

thrown in prison, having all of their...

You go home tomorrow,

and all of your goods are taken away

because you're a follower of Jesus.

Why is it important to have Jesus

as the anchor of your soul?

Anybody, what do you say? Sabina?

(Sabina) I would respond

just like Peter responded, Pastor Derek.

He alone, Jesus alone,

has the words of life everlasting.

So, if anything is falling apart
in this world,

even if you are menaced in your life,

if your life is at risk,

ultimately that's the one last resource

that we have, is going to Jesus

because He's the only One

that of all things can provide
this life eternal.

(Derek) So, we come to Jesus,

and we say, "Lord, they've taken my home,

they've fired me from my job,

I'm no longer able to buy and sell.

I don't have anything left."

And the Lord says to us,

"Will you also go away?"

And we would quote Peter.

"Will you also go away," Shaina?

And we will quote Peter

who says, "Lord...," Jason?

(Jason) "Where would we go?

We only have You."

(Derek) "Where should we go?

We know that You have the words..."

(Sabina) "The words of life eternal."

(Derek) "...of eternal life."

So, that is the anchor

when everything else falls apart. Travis?

(Travis) I'm just thinking, you know,

an anchor is something

used in boating, right,

and I was thinking, in the book of James

when you were saying this

about being blown, tossed about

by every wind and doctrine.

Of course, we could be tossed about

by just trials that you

just have mentioned.

But the thing about an anchor

is it holds us in one place.

And while this is coming

and that is coming,

we're able to stay the course

because the anchor,

He's the lamp to our feet

and a light to our path, right, His words,

and we can just stay the course

because He's the One who holds us fast.

(Derek) So, give me,

in the closing minutes

to give you a scan everybody,

our remote team members are ready

and our team here in the studio,

give me a promise that brings you comfort,

a promise of God that brings you comfort,

that even if everything else crumbles,

you have an anchor for your soul

and that Jesus will be faithful

to His promises. Brittany?

(Brittany) One of my favorite promises

is found in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5

and verses 23 and 24.

(Derek) Do you know that was the text

that was read at my baptism?

That's a very special text,

1 Thessalonians, chapter 5.

(Brittany) Verses 23 and 24.

(Derek) 23 and 24, and you would say

this brings great comfort,

that the Lord is the anchor of our soul.

Let's see how that reads.

(Brittany) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Derek) I'd like to hear that

in Livinia's translation.

I realize...That's the one

I had memorized that you have there;

that's beautiful, but, Livinia,

do you have that also

in your translation of the Bible?

Let's hear that powerful text

(thank you, Brittany, for sharing that),

1 Thessalonians 5:23,24.

(Livinia) Yes, reading

from the New Living Translation:

(Derek) That's a text worth writing down,

1 Thessalonians 5:23,24.

We've got time for one more,

just a text of encouragement

that we might share. Heide.

(Heide) I heard this

during a children's story in my church;
it's Isaiah 49:15.

(Derek) Isaiah 49 and verse 15.

(Heide) Yes, and I'll be reading it

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

That means so much to me

as a mother having my own children,

as a daughter who has, praise God,

one of the most wonderful moms
in the world,

that there is Someone who is at a level

even higher than that,

than the love of a mother,

that will never leave me

and never leave any of us.

(Derek) Jesus is the anchor of our soul,

and our hope in Him is the anchor

that will hold us fast

when everything else around us
is crumbling.

So, my appeal to you today,

you may say, "I've experienced Jesus,

but I'm feeling the pull away,"
run to Jesus.

Run to Him and say, "Jesus,

hold me close to You"; He loves you

with an immeasurable and unfailing love.

If you're hearing His voice

coming by the Spirit of God, run to Him.

Ask Him to strengthen you,

to cleanse you of your sin

and to hold you close to Him

and to be the anchor of your soul

that He longs to be.

Let's pray; Father in Heaven,

oh, we bless Your name

for this precious truth that Jesus

is indeed the Anchor of our soul.

We have been blessed.

God, forgive us if we've

even thought of turning away.

We run to Jesus even today,

and we thank You for our precious Savior.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

I'm so thankful, in the storms of life

that we have an anchor for our soul.

When everything else falls away,

Jesus your Savior is there with you.

Share that good news

with those around you.

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