Hebrews

September 22, 2025

A Genesis Overview

The God of Genesis is a God who loves deeply, who creates and restores, who rescues and guides, who redeems evil. He is the Bringer of hope. He is the God who blesses—blessing is mentioned more in Genesis than anywhere else in the Bible. He is gracious and merciful. But He is also just, and He will punish those who reject Him.

Genesis begins with a man in a garden enjoying perfect fellowship with God—it ends with a man in a coffin awaiting his return to the land—a haunting picture of the terrible consequences of sin introduced when we revolted against our Maker. Death has invaded our world and made captives of us all. Yet hope remains alive because of the faith of the man in the coffin. God would one day send a Hero to rescue us and provide a way back to the garden and perfect fellowship with Him. 

The good news—the Hero that God promised has come.

Jesus, God’s only Son, came and lived a perfect life — a life totally in tune and dependent on His Father. He died a sacrificial death. He was raised on the third day, proving that He had conquered both sin and death, so that by believing in Him, the Bible says we, like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, can be saved—not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus did. He is the Genesis 3:15 Head-crushing Seed of the woman—the Innocent who died for the guilty so that the guilty could be declared innocent.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Exodus series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

July 8, 2024

Farewell

Hebrews 13.15-25

And so we come to the end of the book of Hebrews. A word of exhortation. An encouragement and a warning. Patiently endure persecution. Hold fast to the faith. Don’t give up and don’t give in. No matter the circumstances. Why? Because Jesus is greater.

Jesus is greater. As both the Son of God and the Son of David. The radiance of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of His nature, through whom everything was created, and by whose Word everything is upheld. Worshiped by the angels. Savior and Redeemer. The perfect sacrifice. The heir of all things. The great High Priest. Defeater of death and the devil. Our resurrected King. Jesus is greater.

So, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to Him, the fruit of our lips that confess His name. And let us do good and be generous with one another. Loving God and loving others.

Let us remember, in the midst of our suffering, that God is at work. Like a father disciplining his children whom he loves, so God is our Father who disciplines us for our good, working in us to make us more like Him…to share His holiness, so that it might produce in us the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip us in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

July 1, 2024

An Acceptable Service

Hebrews 13.1-14

What does an acceptable service to God look like? Loving others, trusting God, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, angling toward the kingdom. Living by faith.

Simple…but not easy. That’s why it’s good to have not only the examples of the ancient faithful we find in Scripture, but also the examples of those who led us and taught us the Word of God. Our own cloud of witnesses. Who is that for you? (Parent, friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor, children or youth leader, VBS volunteer, camp counselor, Sunday school teacher, pastor) Maybe the one who led you to trust in Jesus or who has helped you grow in your faith? It’s good to remember those folks and to reflect on the impact that their walk of faith had on you. And then imitate it.

The flip side of that is…others are watching you. Do you have a faith worthy of imitation? Are you trusting in the LORD no matter your circumstances? Do you patiently endure in the hard times? If not, it’s never too late to start. But you will have to be intentional. We don’t accidentally walk by faith. We don’t fall into spiritual maturity. Got to put in the work. One foot in front of the other.

The camp in the wilderness defined who was in or out. Clear lines. Going to Jesus outside the camp means we are fully identifying ourselves with Him. A clean break. Suffering the same reproach He did. The same should be true for our lives today. No blurring of the lines. No one foot in and one foot out. No two masters. Only One. The One who promised never to leave us or forsake us. So, let’s be all in…and let’s be all in together.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

June 24, 2024

The Unshakable Kingdom

Hebrews 12.18-29

Copies and shadows vs. the Substance. The Old vs. the New. The anticipation that awaits the Fulfillment. Sinai vs. Zion. The unapproachable or the Approachable. Why go back?

Paul’s final warning and encouragement…strange that they go together…points us once again to what we’ve seen throughout Hebrews. Jesus is greater. And the destiny that awaits us who have trusted in Him is far greater than anything that we could return to. But we have to keep our eyes on the prize. If we focus on our circumstances, it’s easy to get distracted and drift away or fall back. But if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus no matter our circumstances, then we have a shot at patiently enduring.

Jesus is coming back. And when He does, there will be a whole lot of shaking going on. For those of us who are ready to welcome Him back as King, we will be welcomed into a kingdom that cannot be shaken. For those who are not…a very different story. Jesus will either be your King or your Judge. You can make Him your King today.

It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. If you would like to talk more about that I’ll be up at the front after the service.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

June 17, 2024

Follow the Example of Jesus

Hebrews 12.1-17

We are not alone in this thing called the Christian life. We are surrounded by those who have gone before who bear witness to the faithfulness of God. We have the LORD as a constant companion. And we have each other to lean on and support along the way.

So, our job is to live with intentionality. To run the race we’ve been given to run. To run it well. To run it with endurance. The only way to do that is by leaving behind the things that trip us up and fixing our eyes on Jesus, helping each other along the way.

Suffering is never fun, but when we recognize our suffering as the tool the LORD is using to make us more like Himself…as the discipline of a loving Father who is shaping and molding our character to reflect His…then our suffering produces in us the peaceful fruit of rightness. If not…watch out for the root of bitterness that is sure to spring up.

Dads, you have the awesome responsibility of leading your family in these things…which means you have to go before them because you can’t lead your family where you’re not going. It starts with spending time in the Word, time in prayer, time with other men…learning to reflect the character of your Heavenly Father.

Then, it’s shepherding your family well, providing for them, protecting and serving them. Leading them and guiding them. Nurturing them. Fighting for them. According to Deuteronomy 6, the faith that you have you are to to pass on to your sons/daughters. To do that, it goes back not only to teaching it to them, but also to modeling it for them.

Finally, it’s acknowledging that sometimes life is hard, but remembering that Jesus is greater. And Dads, thank you for being here this morning. For many men it’s not easy going to church. But by being here today you’re showing your family what it looks like to follow Jesus in the day to day. Sometimes in our walk with the LORD we just need to show up. We live in a culture that has so devalued the role of husbands and fathers, the world…this community…this church…your family…needs you to step up and be the man of God that the LORD has created, gifted, called and saved you to be.

So, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. And let’s do it together.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

June 10, 2024

By Faith: Part 3

Hebrews 11.32-40

By faith…these folks did some incredible things. Faith that gave them the ability to act in confidence, trusting God, “seeing” beyond their circumstances, and so do and accomplish what might otherwise seem unexplainable and even impossible.

Important to note…it was God who acted. These folks just trusted that God would do what He said He would do. I think sometimes we confuse faith and make it more about us, putting ourselves at the center as if our faith “made” something happen rather than our faith being the confidence in our God who makes things happen. Super important distinction.

And while it’s easy to celebrate the great triumphs of faith…what even the world would call “winning”, the truly great triumphs of faith occur when we patiently endure in the midst of suffering never wavering in our confidence in the LORD despite the lack of circumstantial evidence to the contrary…when, in the eyes of the world, it looks like we are losing.

Living by faith is not easy…it takes practice, and we won’t always get it right. We will fail more often than we succeed in the beginning. But when we do, we don’t give up. We go at it again, asking the LORD for help to trust Him more and to patiently endure with our eyes fixed on the kingdom and our feet firmly planted on Torah Road, pursuing after Jesus, anxiously awaiting the return of our King.

BTW if you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

June 3, 2024

By Faith: Part 2

Hebrews 11.17-31

By faith…the only way to patiently endure…the only way to live a life that is pleasing to God… is by faith.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped. It’s the reality behind our confident expectation. It’s the proof…the conviction…of the things we cannot see. The Substance behind the shadows. And this faith becomes visible through our actions. When we do what God calls us to do despite what our circumstances may say to the contrary. Resting in the confidence that God always keeps His Word…He will never leave us or forsake us. He will complete the work He’s begun in us and through us.

Living by faith is not easy, and we won’t always get it right. But when we mess up (because we will), we don’t give up. Instead we get up and get back on Torah road, patiently enduring with our eyes fixed on the kingdom, pursuing after Jesus, anxiously awaiting the return of our King…by faith.

BTW if you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

May 27, 2024

By Faith: Part 1

Hebrews 11.1-16

By faith…the only way to patiently endure is by faith. Following the example of the ancient faithful.

Faith is not a leap in the dark. It’s the assurance of things hoped. It’s the reality behind our confident expectation. It’s the proof…the conviction…of the things we cannot see. The Substance behind the shadows. Faith is required if we are going to please God…faith that He is and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Faith (unseen) becomes visible through our actions. Our obedience to what God calls us to do, and our patient endurance in the midst of suffering. Just like these Hebrew Christians.

And like the ancient faithful, we too are to live as strangers and sojourners in this world, with our eyes fixed on the kingdom and our feet firmly planted on Torah Road, pursuing after Jesus, anxiously awaiting the return of our King. Not always easy to do…that’s why it’s by faith.

BTW if you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and that you too can live by faith. 

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

May 6, 2024

A Terrifying Thing…

Hebrew 10.26-39

Endure. Hold fast your confidence. Keep trekking down Torah Road. Live the life that you were saved for. Invest your mina well.

If not…the picture is pretty grim. The LORD will discipline His people. Guaranteed. Why? Because He saved us for a reason. And He redeemed us with the blood of His own Son. So we dare not turn back, but press on.

But why might we be tempted to turn back? Because following Jesus is hard. Giving up the life we once knew. Suffering persecution. Loss of friends and family. Wanting to go back to Egypt. Back to the good ole days. We fool ourselves into thinking that life was so much simpler then. Less friction. Less resistance. Really? Yeah, I’m not buying it. There’s a reason you chose to trust in Jesus. Because Egypt was death. Your old life wasn’t life at all. No hope and without God in the world…but so soon we forget.

We were saved on purpose for a purpose. That we might bear fruit for the kingdom. That we might endure suffering for the faith and hold fast our confession firm until the end. That we wouldn’t shrink back, but boldly move forward, storming the gates of hell and rescuing the captives. Going in for just one more.

So, let us not be those who shrink back, but those who, with confidence, forge ahead in our pursuit of Jesus. Let’s continue down Torah Road. And let’s do it together.

pro rege,

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

April 29, 2024

Drawing Near to God

Hebrews 10.19-25

Because of Jesus we can draw near to God in full assurance of faith. Let that sink in for just a minute. Because of Jesus, we have full access to the Father. No longer is that access limited to one person, one time a year and only with the blood of bulls and goats. But because of Jesus’ once for all sacrifice of Himself for our sins, we need not fear but confidently step through the veil. Because of Jesus.

So let us do those things…provoke each other to love and good works, continually draw near to God, and hold fast our confession without wavering. May we be a light and a beacon of hope in this valley, as we anxiously await the return of our King. And may we do it together.

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. You too will have the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.