Never Will I Leave You (Part 5)

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

The following is adapted from a sermon by Dennis Johnson on Hebrews 13:5-14 that deals with change and I thought it would be appropriate for us to consider as we transition from Phil (who was with us for 28 years) to a new Lead Pastor. 

So far we've taken a look at incorrect ways to respond to change based on Hebrews.Today we'll conclude with our last point from Hebrews. (You can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 here.)

When your faith is firmly fixed in Jesus, you can grow when human leaders change.

The bottom line is found in Hebrews 13:7

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Let's be honest: when our new pastor comes in July, he won't be exactly like Phil, whom we came to love and trust over the course of 28 years. He'll have different strengths and different vision. But check out what God's Word says we are to remember about our leaders: they "spoke the word of God to you" and "by faith they lived the word they spoke."

1. Remember the real source of your past leader's effectiveness: the Word of God.

God didn't use your previous leaders because of their humor or their good looks or the fact that they rooted for the Tarheels. God used them because they brought you the good news of Jesus Christ, the Gospel.

2. Reproduce their faith-formed example. "Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."

"As we remember our pastor, who has spoken the Word of God to us, and as we await our next under-shepherd that Jesus the Great Shepherd has prepared for us, our memories of the care we've been given should trigger in our hearts a longing to grow in faith."

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Never Will I Leave You (Part 4)

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

The following is adapted from a sermon by Dennis Johnson on Hebrews 13:5-14 that deals with change and I thought it would be appropriate for us to consider as we transition from Phil (who was with us for 28 years) to a new Lead Pastor. 

So far we've taken a look at incorrect ways to respond to change based on Hebrews.Today we'll take a look the correct way to respond to change: We should respond to change in the following way: Focus our thoughts and rest our hearts on Jesus, our ever-living, never-leaving leader. (You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 and Part 3 here.)


1. Jesus is an Ever-Living Leader.

Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

This statement from the author of Hebrews directly follows a reminder of the church's leaders who have left for various reasons. While they have left the congregation, Jesus has not!

Jesus is the same yesterday: When he created the universe, when he endured temptation, when he gave his life on the cross and rose again on the third day--He is the same. He was tempted in every way, yet was without sin--he knows what it's like to face change that is threatening! He is the Shepherd of the sheep (that would be us!) who shed his blood of the eternal covenant to make an "unbreakable bond" between us and the Father.

Jesus is the same today: He constantly intercedes for us! "He is able to save completely and forever those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." (Hebrews 7:25) Our former pastor might still pray for us as he did when he was with us, but Jesus' prayers are deeper, more compassionate, wiser and more effective. Jesus preaches to us today! "Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 4:7) Through our leaders and pastors, Jesus speaks to us through His Word, calling us to persevere and promising the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the same forever: He leads us into the future--the enduring city to come (Hebrews 13:14). The city of the Living God. He is the pioneer of our faith and has secured our victory (Hebrews 12:1-3). We have hope for the future because of his triumph. 

2. Jesus is a Never-Leaving Leader.

Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

This is a promise that God has made to his people repeatedly in Scripture. Check out Genesis 28:15, Joshua 1:5 or Matthew 28:20. And Jesus' presence with us isn't just him holding our hand through our trials, it is POWERFUL. His presence gives us endurance, courage, and fearlessness.

The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. (Hebrews 13:6)

As followers of Jesus we can respond to change "not with fear, but with calm confidence that our Savior is an ever-present help" in uncertain times! 

(Next week, we'll conclude Part 5 with our last point from Hebrews: If our faith is firmly fixed in Jesus, we can grow when human leaders change.)

Never Will I Leave You (Part 3)

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

The following is adapted from a sermon by Dennis Johnson on Hebrews 13:5-14 that deals with change and I thought it would be appropriate for us to consider as we transition from Phil (who was with us for 28 years) to a new Lead Pastor. 

In this installment we'll take a deeper look at the second of two wrong ways to respond to change based on Hebrews. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.


The second incorrect way to respond to change is trying to insulate ourselves from change through money. This response is addressed by the author of Hebrews in 13:5-6:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

There are many reasons why people love money. We like the things that we can buy. We like to feel important and comfortable. But in Hebrews God warns us against loving money "as a source of security." Why? Because money may never say to you what God can: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

In chaotic times it's tempting to think that money can be a shield for us. That it can protect us from the hardships of change. But money doesn't last, in fact, Jesus' parable in Luke 12:13-21 is a perfect illustration of this truth. A farmer had no place to put all of his grain and so he he said, "I'll build bigger barns, and then relax and celebrate! I'll be secure for years!" But God said, "You fool! Tonight, your life is mine!" And the farmer died, unable to enjoy all of his money.

Hebrews tells us to not place our faith or our hope of security in money. Or in love and relationships, for that matter. So, if we can't look to those things for certainty during change where can we look? That's where we'll go in Part 4!

Never Will I Leave You (Part 1)

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

The following is adapted from a sermon by Dennis Johnson on Hebrews 13:5-14 that deals with change and I thought it would be appropriate for us to consider as we transition from Phil (who was with us for 28 years) to a new Lead Pastor.

Change is difficult. It takes us out of our comfort zone and ushers in the unknown. Even for the self-professed "change lovers" (like me!) there is still stress involved whether the change is pleasant or painful.

In fact, psychologists have assigned numeric value to the stress caused by different kinds of change. It doesn't matter whether it's getting married, losing a loved one, buying a new home, having a new baby or going through a divorce--all change involves some sort of stress. And if we rack up enough of those "stress points" we start to go into melt-down.

The book of Hebrews was written to a congregation of Jewish Christians who were going into melt-down because of change. They were experiencing change in two different ways:

1. They had grown up in Judaism with its temple centered worship and now they were Christians with Jesus centered worship. (They could no longer touch and feel and see the sacrifices. They were now being fed by the Word of God as their pastors proclaimed the Good News into their lives.) Because of this change, or conversion, they were also experiencing persecution from their family and friends. They were shunned because they believed Jesus was the Messiah.
2. This Hebrew congregation was also experiencing a change in leadership. There was a shift happening from one generation of leaders to the next. And evidently, this new generation of leadership was not receiving the respect of the congregation, which their office deserved. Perhaps the people were saying things like, "We like how Pastor so-and-so used to do things back in the day." Or, "These new guys don't do things like we've always done them." Whatever the reason, there was conflict in the midst of a change of leadership.

So, in the book of Hebrews the Holy Spirit tells us how we should respond to change and how we should not respond to change as a fellowship or a local church.

We should not respond to change in two ways based on the text:

1. Retreat from change by clinging to the past.
2. Try to insulate ourselves from change through money.

We should respond to change in the following way: Focus our thoughts and rest our hearts on Jesus, our ever-living, never-leaving leader.

(In the next installment we'll take a deeper look at the two wrong ways to respond to change based on Hebrews.)