Sermon Notes for Sunday, 12.15.13, on Hebrews 12.1-3

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday, December 15th, on Hebrews 12.1-3, as part of the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy.  You can get these notes in PDF and the sermon audio at sermons.heritagepark.org.  You can also download the audio via our podcast on iTunes.

Christmas 2013

Third Sunday of Advent:  Joy

Hebrews 12.1-2

God is after our JOY

·      God desires your JOY for His glory

·      God commands JOY for all sorts of people

·      God pursues JOY for all sorts of people – Beatitudes

Jesus acted for His JOY

·      Jesus made the trade of heaven for earth in the Incarnation

·      Jesus endured the trial of the cross in His crucifixion

Application

The promise of joy helps us make good trades (v.1)

Two Good Trades:

1.     Trading for something we need (whether or not we know it)

2.     Trading for something we want

Two Good Reasons:

1.     What He Promises

2.     Who is Promising

The promise of joy helps us endure hard trials (v.2-3)

·      With Jesus as our example, we are called to endure trial

·      Staying faithful in the trial is possible because we know the joy promised

·      Joy of Lord is strength