Pursue Peace and Holiness

All right, well, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. I almost said this devotions. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are at Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12. And we're going to be starting at verse 12 and going to verse 17. So Hebrews chapter 12, verses 12 through 17. And we're going to talk about spiritual vitality.
Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's word. I think Judah wants to talk to people. He keeps wanting to grab the microphone, so we moved it way above his head today. Okay, let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day. Thank you for the blessing of your word and for time together. Thank you for the joy of your salvation and for the hope we have in Jesus, Lord. We pray that we would follow after you and love you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Hebrews chapter 12 beginning at verse 12. So Debra has a little dude on her lap today so I have it up here on the screen kind of behind you guys a little bit and so if Debra is looking off camera that's what's going on. So Debra why don't you read verses 12 through 13 and I'll read 14 through 17. Sound good?
Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up to cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright, For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
So we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this? About. B, what's the? Best first to summarize. And C, what are we? Called to do. All right. So what is this about? What do you think? About, um, uh... uh... sometimes when we read something our eyes might get it, our ears might listen but we're being more passive than active isn't that true? especially when we have cute little babies in our laps yeah so let's work through it so we can figure that out okay so therefore Whenever you see something like, therefore, it means you need to look above it. What was just talked about.
What was just talked about is the Lord chastening His children because He loves them. And so, since God is disciplining us, chastening us because He loves us and He wants us to partake in His holiness, therefore strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed." Right? So if God is chastening us, if God is disciplining us, does he want us to be weak and disjointed and like hobbling around?
Nope. Does he want us to be like that rooster we had who got frostbite on its foot and walked like a pirate? No. No. What's he want? For us to be healed. Yeah, to be healed and to be strong and to run the race with endurance. Right? And so that's what we're going for. So how do we run that race? Well, part of it is, verse 14, pursue peace with all people. Right? So there's one of the things that we try to do is we try to pursue peace. Another thing we try to do is we try to pursue holiness.
And you know what he says without peace and holiness? Look at verse 14. What's the very last part of verse 14 say? Without which no one will see the Lord. Will you see the Lord without holiness? Will you see the Lord if you're nothing but a person who's constantly making war and fighting with people and not gracious or forgiving? Nope. What if you're the type of person who gets bitter and envious and resentful and mad and mean at people? Does that look like Christ? No. No, right?
And so I think that this pursuing peace with all people and holiness, I think they're tied together. Because I think holiness, that us being separated, different, sanctified, looks like us being the type of people who are showing the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.
And it talks about Esau, right? And Esau, he wanted to kill his brother. He didn't care about the covenant, right? Why do I care about this? I'm starving out here and just give me the blessing. Or give me the birthright. I don't care, whatever. Give me the bowl of soup and I'll sell you the birthright for it.
Did he care about God? Nope. Did he care about the blessing? Nope. No. Then later he's like, why did I do that? Yeah. Right. And then when his brother Jacob tricks him, both the birthright and the blessing, then he tries to find a way to kill his brother. Right. And I think this is the Lord using this as an object lesson. Right.
Live at peace now. Have faith now, be strong in the Lord now. Because at the end of the day, you don't want to be like Esau. When Jesus Christ comes again, for he's appointed for every man to die once, and after this the judgment, you don't want to be at the judgment thinking, oh, I wish, I wish somehow I could actually have the birthright. You have the opportunity now. We have the opportunity now.
To walk by faith. To pursue peace and holiness. So what do you think this is about? You're going to walk out of here and grandma's going to say, Debra, what in the world did you go in there and do coffee and devotions with your dad? What are you going to say it was about? Um, getting ready for the last day. Oh, okay. Getting ready for the last day or maybe living today, knowing the last day is coming. Maybe.
Uh, what do you think is the best verse to underline? What would you underline in your Bible? Um, Probably 14. 14, okay, good. You know, for some reason I have verse 16 underlined in my Bible about Esau and the birthright, but I think I might actually, if I was to go back, I think I might underline 14 as well.
All right, so last, let's talk about seek calling. How does this show us Jesus Christ, or the covenant, or what is it calling you to do? What do you think? Well, to, Get ready for the last day Okay, yeah to pursue peace and holiness, but I think peace and holiness is trying to be more like Jesus Yeah.
Hey, let's go ahead and pray while we still got Judah for a few more minutes before he wants more attention. Lord, we thank you so much for this day. Lord, we do pray that you would help us pursue holiness and peace. As long as it depends upon us, Lord, we pray that we would live at peace with all men. Father, please care for us. Please let us be loving and loving you in Jesus's name. Amen. Well, may the Lord bless you. May you follow after Jesus Christ. May you pursue peace and may you pursue the holiness that comes from being more and more like Jesus as you abide in Him. And we'll see you next time. You want to say bye? Bye! Bye!