Preparing for the Lord's Day
Jesus is Better
Dmitri was scheduled to be executed that very day. Seventeen years earlier he had been arrested by Soviet authorities for his Christian faith. During his time in prison, he was held under the harshest of conditions and risked severe punishment if he ever shared his faith. Nevertheless, each morning he would rise and sing praises to God. He would secretly share the gospel with his fellow prisoners. And every time he found a scrap piece of paper, he would write down a bit of scripture he had memorized and paste it onto the prison wall. Several times Dmitri was ridiculed for his worship and beaten for his evangelism. Yet he continued to be faithful to God’s commands.
As Dmitri was led out of his cell to be executed something amazing happened. His fellow prisoners who had witnessed his faithfulness stood at the door of their cells and began to sing praises to God. In a show of solidarity, these men displayed that despite their imprisonment there was freedom in Christ. The guards were so moved by the moment that they stayed for his execution but eventually, Dmitri was released. His unwavering faith amidst oppression powerfully mirrors the faith of Moses. Like Moses, who faced immense challenges and uncertainties, Dmitri showed steadfast faith that led to spiritual freedom beyond his physical circumstances (Story from Nik Ripken's "The Insanity of God.").
In our passage for this Sunday morning, we continue our study of Hebrews chapter eleven where we will see the power of faith to bring freedom. The people of Israel were held as slaves in the land of Egypt and yet through faith in the promises of God, they were freed. The Lord raised the man Moses to lead them from captivity to freedom. And yet each step toward freedom took faith. Moses and the people of Israel had to have faith to look to the unseen, to keep the command of God, and to step into the unknown. And, what we see is to have freedom, we must in faith follow the Lord Jesus Christ. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Hebrews 11:27-29, Exodus 11:1-5; 14:13-14, Luke 9:3, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 5:1, Colossians 1:15-20, and this article on Communion and the Passover.
This week we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine we look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. As we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits. Our hymns for this week include “Give to Our God Immortal Praise,” “There Is a Redeemer” and “The Communion Hymn.”
Sermon Information:
Text: Hebrews 11:27-29
Title: The Faith to be Free
Outline:
- Every Christian Must Look to the Unseen (v. 27)
- Every Christian Must Keep the Command (v. 28)
- Every Christian Must Step into the Unknown (v. 29)