Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 1: Why Study Hebrews?

Introduction The confession of a coward I have lots of company The time has come to study Hebrews The approach of this lesson Why should we study Hebrews? How will I approach this study? Why do people avoid Hebrews? Conclusion

Why should we study Hebrews? Hebrews takes up where we left off last Sunday Hebrews connects the dots between the Old Testament and the New Hebrews exalts Christ and fixes our eyes on Him Hebrews challenges us to confess our complacency and to press on to deeper waters Hebrews challenges us to live by faith Hebrews is an exposition of the high priestly ministry of our Lord on our behalf Hebrews exalts the authority of the Scriptures and their importance to us

Hebrews warns us of the dangers that threaten us, and exhorts us to press on Hebrews focuses our attention and affections toward Christ Hebrews challenges us to deal with a lethargic, self-centered life by focusing our attention on Christ and on His Word Hebrews instructs us as to how and why we are to abide in Christ

How shall we study the Book of Hebrews? Seek to track the main argument, and to avoid getting lost in details Deal with the argument of larger logical sections first, then with smaller segments Invite and utilize more input and interaction Seeking the assistance and involvement of others Seeking interaction with others Soliciting questions (by e-mail), and responding to those most generally applicable

Why don’t we study Hebrews? Preaching cowardice Little popular demand – so we avoid it Hebrews may appear to be so Jewish-centered that it seems to have little application or relevance to Gentile believers Hebrews is a hard book to understand Hebrews seems to be shrouded in mystery Authorship The recipients of this letter Place of origin, and the destination The date of writing Those difficult warning texts The author’s use of Scripture

Conclusion Controversy and disagreement. It is difficult to trace the argument of Hebrews. Conclusion Copyright © 2008 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 1 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for July 13, 2008. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.