Pastor Jeff on the Radio

Guest (Male): We're glad you've joined us for today's program. Pastor Jeff Ministries is the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Jeff Swarzentraub, senior pastor of Brave Church in Denver, Colorado. Today, Pastor Jeff begins his message Sacrificing for Growth from the series The Greatest and challenges you to consider what you're willing to surrender in order to grow spiritually. Pastor Jeff will get started in just a moment, but first, did you know there's a wealth of resources to help you grow in your walk at pastorjeff.com? When you visit pastorjeff.com, you'll find sermons, articles, and other resources designed to strengthen your faith.

And be sure to sign up for Pastor Jeff's weekly devotional emails when you visit pastorjeff.com. Now, here's today's program.

Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub: I've had many teachers over my life. One of my favorite teachers of all time was Dr. Howard Hendricks, who taught at Dallas Seminary for the majority of his career. He was one of the most incredible teachers I'd ever been around. He was one that could engage a classroom whether it was five people or whether it was 150 people. And I remember one of my first classes at Dallas Seminary, I sat in his class to learn how to study God's word. And everybody that was in that class was riveted. There there wasn't any talking, there weren't any paper shuffling.

Everybody was taking notes. When he told a joke, everybody laughed. When he said something serious, everybody was connecting with him. He had that special gift as a teacher that very few people have. And I remember asking him one time like, how how are you so good at what you do? Because he was the kind of teacher, and we've all had different kinds of teachers. Some of the teachers they they know their stuff, they're scholars, they teach it. But when you leave, you feel small. Like, I'll never learn any of this stuff. Howard Hendricks had a way of teaching in such a way that when I would leave his class, I remember thinking to myself, I can do this.

I can learn this book. I I I think I can actually teach this book. And I remember asking him, how are you so skilled at what you do? And he told me about how he dedicated time every single day, not only to the study of God's word, but how to teach it. And I said, well, how long? He said, and this was when he was in his 80s, I study the word every morning for at least an hour. And I thought that's incredible because I was in my 20s at the time, and I remember thinking, well, I thought I went to seminary to study the Bible and I study it for four years then I know it and just teach it.

And here's this man in his 80s, he's still studying the Bible. And he said if I don't get it in in the morning, I find time in the afternoon. I make that a priority in my life. And isn't it true in all the areas of life that we want to grow, we continue our education? I mean, doctors and teachers, they do continuing education so that they can continue to be certified and continue to grow in their trade. Musicians and athletes, they train, they practice over and over again. Financial advisors study the stock market so they can be aware of trends and what's going on because they realize the more that they understand, the better that they're going to be.

And even when you see somebody that's extremely gifted at what they do, if you really peel back the curtain, you'll realize they also really really really worked at it. Even if it's an Olympic athlete or professional athlete, there's a lot of talented people. But when you get to that level, it's the ones that go over, above, and beyond. And do you know the same thing is true spiritually? That if you're going to grow in Christ, there's some things and ways that you need to sacrifice in order to get to where you're going to go. I remember asking Professor Hendricks one time I'm like, prof, I said, how is it that you find time every single day?

And he said, because I don't do what you do. And I said, well, what do you mean? He said, well, what did you do this weekend? And I told him about I was a youth pastor at the time and hanging out with students and he's like, yeah, I didn't do that. And I said, we went to see a movie. He goes, I didn't do that. I'm like, well, what did you do? He goes, I studied the word and I prayed. So, that makes sense. Oftentimes we think that growth in the Christian life is automatic that once we accept Christ and have the Holy Spirit in us, it's his job if he wants to grow us.

But we have also 100% responsibility too to partner with who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit is doing in our life. And there's some sacrifices or changes that we may need to make in order to grow in Christ. There may be some things that we need to lay aside that are important and good in order to have the best with Jesus. As we've been studying the book of Hebrews, we've learned about how Jesus Christ is the greatest, the greatest prophet, the greatest priest, the greatest king, greater than the angels, greater than Moses, greater than anyone who's ever lived.

He's the superior sacrifice. He's the king of kings. He's the Lord of lords. And because of this, we should all continue to persevere and grow in our faith. And he's been talking to this Jewish community of professing believers, some of whom genuinely had a relationship with Christ, some who it was just lip service telling them to go in all the way. And if you're all in, don't go back to your religious practices, just keep on persevering. And here at the end of this book in chapter 13, he exhorts us. He gives us some challenges to stay the course and keep on going.

And as I was putting this together this week, I thought, you know, I can tell you what they are cuz you'll see them here. They'll they'll they'll they'll fall right off in your lap as we read through the text. But I want to ask five diagnostic questions, five personal questions that you can take with you and you can ask, is this where I'm at and is this what God's doing in my life? Because the reality is every one of us wants to grow. I mean, as a pastor, I'll talk to people and they'll say, hey, help me understand how my marriage can be better as a Christian man or a Christian woman or hey, how can my singleness flourish as a Christian man or a Christian woman or how can I be a better parent as a Christian man or a Christian woman?

How can I be better in my job? How can I be better with my finances? What's it look like for me to do the things God wants me to do? And here in this text, he's going to unpack some things for us that if you truly want to grow in your relationship with Christ, here's some ways that you can do it. So, I invite you this morning to open up your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13. We're going to be taking a look at verses 10 through 24. And then like I said, I'll ask five diagnostic questions.

I'm going to make them personal for you that you can ask of yourself. And I promise you if you write these down, they may not be completely applicable right now, but over the time of your journey with Christ, you'll find that all of them are helpful. Let's hear the word of the Lord from Hebrews chapter 13 verses 10 to 24 and then we'll unpack them together. He says, we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.

Therefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people through his own blood suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to him outside the camp bearing his reproach. For we For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to his name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.

Let them do this with joy and not grief for this would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us for we are sure that we have a good conscience desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. And I urge you all the more to do this so that I may be restored to you all the sooner. Now, 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 you 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. But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation for I have written to you briefly. Take note that our brother Timothy has been released with whom if he comes soon, I will see you. Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet greet you. Grace be with you all. And here as he concludes his letter to this group of people, this community of professing Jewish believers, some of who of whom are converted, some of whom haven't gone all the way in, telling them to stay the course, he gives them some exhortation and what they need to sacrifice in order to grow with the Lord.

So, I want to ask those five questions of you right now and I want you to write them down and my goal is not necessarily that you remember all five today. Perhaps there's one specific question that the Holy Spirit wants to ask you and see how you would respond. And the first question is this. Am I living like the world lives or as one distinctly set apart unto Christ? Listen, this is your question you're asking yourself. Am I living like the world lives or as one distinctly set apart unto Christ? Now, verses 10 through 14 admittedly are difficult to translate and different Bible translators take it different ways.

It starts off by saying we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. The question is who's the we? Is the we we Christians or is the we we as a community that I'm talking to, you Jews know? Here's what he says. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Is he saying we as Christians have an altar that those who serve the tables, those who work in the tabernacle don't have a right?

In other words, if we believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and Jesus is our Lord, that's the only way into heaven, not your religious practices? Or is he saying we understand as Jews that we have a a tabernacle? And we understand that at the tabernacle when the sin offering happened, the priests were not allowed to eat the sin offering. They could eat of the animals for the other offering, but on the day of atonement, that animal was burned outside the camp. Why? Because the sin offering had to be taken away from the people.

Sin had to be taken out from the people. We understand how it had to be that way. That's why he says in the same way Jesus was crucified outside the city. Jesus had to be taken away because he was going to bear the sin of the entire world. Sin needs to be removed from the community of God. So, no matter how you translate this, no matter how you understand God's word, I believe verse 13 gives us the insight that we need. It says this. So, let us go out to him outside the camp bearing his reproach.

It means this. Am I willing to identify with Jesus Christ? Am I willing to separate from the world that I live in in such a way that the world would see that my pure identity and whom I'm aligning with is Jesus even if and especially when it costs me something.

Guest (Male): This is Pastor Jeff Ministries with Dr. Jeff Swarzentraub. And today, Pastor Jeff begins his message Sacrificing for Growth from the series The Greatest challenging you to consider what you're willing to surrender in order to grow spiritually. We'll return to Pastor Jeff in just a moment. But before we do, we'd like to help you discover how praying with someone grows you closer to God and makes you more like Jesus with Pastor Jeff's 21 Days of Prayer, a team prayer journal to help you grow with God and others. This resource is our thank you for your gift to help reach more people with the gospel through Pastor Jeff Ministries.

To request your copy, go to pastorjeff.com and give a gift to keep teachings like this one going strong. Again, that's pastorjeff.com. Now, let's return to today's teaching.

Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub: Sin needs to be removed from the community of God. So, no matter how you translate this, no matter how you understand God's word, I believe verse 13 gives us the insight that we need. It says this. So, let us go out to him outside the camp bearing his reproach. It means this. Am I willing to identify with Jesus Christ? Am I willing to separate from the world that I live in in such a way that the world would see that my pure identity and whom I'm aligning with is Jesus even if and especially when it costs me something.

That's what it means. Because it's easy to become a Christian and oftentimes in North America, we stop preaching the gospel. We We tell people how to get in that if you believe Jesus died and rose and repent and believe you're in, that that's the end when that's really just the beginning. That once you come to Christ, you're a babe in Christ. You're a new creation in Christ. And from that moment on, you begin to live much like when a family, a wife gives birth to a child, they don't just leave the child at the hospital and cheer that they gave birth.

They They bring the child home, they grow the child up. They're excited about what the child's going to become. In the same way when you come to Christ, God's excited about who you're going to become. And oftentimes in America, in North America, in the West, we tend to teach like this. You're a Christian, don't worry about how you live. Don't worry about what you do. Grace covers all that. So, you know you're going to heaven, so just live like you want to live. You will not find that teaching anywhere in the New Testament. It's not that you're in, it's that you have a relationship with Jesus and you want to grow to the full.

So, what's it look like to separate yourself unto the world and to identify yourself with Christ? See, if you're really seeking the Lord and asking him like David asked in Psalm 139 verses 23 and 24, search me, oh Lord, and know my anxious heart heart. See if there's any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. What was he praying? He was praying this way. And this is how we need to pray. Lord, is there any way in which I am living aligned with the world? Is there any way in which I am not bringing pleasure to you?

Is there anything in my life that needs to change? Are there any attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs that I need to reorient and realign so that when people see me, they will know that I am truly identified with you? What's that look like? I mean, that's a question that if you're willing to ask and you'll boldly pray, the Lord will show you. Now, I'm I'm here to tell you I've been a Christian for 30 some years. I mean, I I I tell you there's certain times in our lives where the Lord may not have an answer to that question.

I I can tell you there's certain times in my life where I feel like I don't know what else I can possibly give you. And it's okay to be in a season like that. When I was a young believer, I remember when I went into the ministry and I started tithing and I was doing everything. I remember honestly saying to people, I don't know what else I could give the Lord. I I I think I've given him everything. But as I journeyed, I realized, oh, you want that too and you want that and you want that and you I mean, God has a way of growing us in such a way that even when we're in a place where God is pleased with where we're at, he's never going to leave us where we are cuz you never graduate from the School of Discipleship.

If you're really open to what the Spirit of God may do in your life, we don't arrive. And what often happens in the West is we think that there's some pinnacle of what it means to be a godly man or woman. And once we get kind of close to there, then we kind of coast. You cannot coast. You are either green and growing or you're ripe and rotting. Right? And so for us, the question is are you living in such a way that the world would see you in all the facets of your life and say, I know they're a believer.

There's no doubt about it. Now, if you're a Christian, it means the Holy Spirit's in you. So, we're all going to have some evidences of that. What we want is more growing evidences of that. It means not just here in church. I think church is the place that you can be the most aligned with who Jesus is or at least pretend that way. I'm asking what it's like at work and school and at the mall and on the golf course and a different sporting events and where you are. Do you live in such a way where people would see you and say, that's distinctly Christian.

That's different than the way I live. Singles, do you live in such a distinct way that when people see you, they say, that's just weird. Married people and families, do you live in such a way that some of your neighbors that don't follow the Lord would say, you prioritize weird? Right? Cuz what I find that God wants to do is grow us in such a way taking baby step after baby step after baby step to say, are you going to identify more with me or are you going to identify more with the world? Are Are you going to grow with me or are you going to listen to where mainstream says you should be?

And even in the church when God starts pulling us towards greater holiness, there's oftentimes even people in the church, well-meaning people that want us to stay where we're at. And God says, no, I want you to press on to holiness. Now, God declares at the moment of salvation that we're already holy, but then we spend the rest of our life growing into the holiness that he wants us to get into. And none of us, pastor included, none of us have ever achieved the fullness of the holiness that God requires in all areas of our life.

He's always working on our hearts. He's always wanting to grow us. So, I'll ask you the question again. Am I living like the world lives or as one distinctly set apart unto Christ? When Paul writes the Colossians church in Colossians chapter three, he says in verse 17 and then again in verse 23 almost the same thing, he says, whatever you do that means everything. In word or indeed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks through him to God the Father. That means whether you speak or no matter what you do, no matter where you're at, do it all for the reputation of Jesus.

And then he says in verse 23, whatever you do, do your work heartedly as for the Lord rather than for men. In other words, here's what he's saying. For those of you who have trusted in Jesus Christ, he's taking you on an eternal journey. He's growing you into holiness because the world that is to come is going to look like that. And when we pray, let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we're saying, God, start with me. Let me live your kingdom values and your kingdom principles in such a way on the earth that if I were living in heaven right now, I wouldn't need to change anything because I'm honoring you.

It's a tough question to ask and answer, isn't it? Because for many of us, no matter where we are in our journey, there's a pull away from the world and there's a deeper identification with Christ. It It's going outside the gate. It's bearing the reproach of Christ. It's Are you going to identify with us? You're going to identify with us, our our friends, our our money, our stuff, or are you going to go your own path? That's what he's saying. Who are you willing to identify with? Are you living like the world lives? Are you identifying with the world?

When people see you outside these walls, would they say, yeah, I know you're a Christian, but we're pretty much the same? Or would they say, there's something different about you. Why are you making that choice? Why are you making this hard on us? Why are you going that way? God is always growing us in identity with him. And honestly, that's what worship looks like. Worship is our entire life giving glory to God in every area. We are to be living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. It means no matter where we are, we represent the king, we represent his reputation.

We've been ambassadors that have been sent from his throne to be godly men and women, godly boys and girls all for his glory. So, there can't be an area of life that God's not going to touch. Question is, is there any area of your life that you don't let God touch? God, you can have everything, but you can't have my money, my dating life, my marriage, my kids, my job. God has it all. And he's growing you in it in such a way that you would live out the values that you say that you believe in every facet of your life.

And for all of us, that's a question that we need to routinely ask. We need to ask because God is constantly growing us in our sanctification. Am I living like the world lives or am I distinctly set apart unto Christ? That's question one. Let me give you a second diagnostic question. Question number two. Do I desire to give the Lord more praise and do I desire to become more generous? Do I desire to give the Lord more praise and do I desire to become more generous generous? In verse 14, he says, for we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

In other words, the Jews were seeking Jerusalem. Jerusalem's the place. It's the religious place that they're going to serve and love the Lord. We're not seeking that. We're seeking the new Jerusalem, the one that's going to descend from heaven like a bride, the one that's going to be there forever and ever. Amen. That's what we're seeking. And now he says this, because of that and because of who Christ is, do you desire to give more praise and do you desire to be more generous with all the things that God has entrusted you to? Notice verse 15.

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to his name. Do you know that God wants us to praise him? If worship is our life in every area of our life, then part of what we do is we praise him with our lips. We give thanks to him for all that he's done. And oftentimes in church when it comes to praise, we start thinking only music. And then we start to say, do I like that genre of music? And guys, here's what we sometimes do that ask for the women to do.

That's kind of a motive. Just give me the word. Now, God wants us to praise him because you know what? He's worthy of our praise. Now, why would he be worthy of our praise? Here's just a couple reasons. Because he created everything in the whole universe out of nothing in six literal days. He puts you together in your mother's womb. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. He sustains the whole world and sustains you. He has purpose for your life. God the Father loved you so much. He sent his son to be the savior of the world.

The savior came and fulfilled the law that you couldn't fulfill. He died on the cross and took all of his Father's wrath that was going to be intended for you. Took it all himself and took it all to the grave. Three days later, he rose from the dead and offered everyone life who would repent of their sin and didn't want their sin and wanted life. And when you trusted in Christ, he gave you the very life of his spirit who will be with you always forever in the day forever and ever. Amen. Who desires to grow you in holiness and you have access to the throne room of God every single day.

What do you have going on in your life that's any better than that? He's so worthy of our praise and yet oftentimes even when we come into church it's like, I don't know if I like that song. I'm kind of tired. I haven't had my coffee yet, you know. Jesus Christ got out of the grave for you. He died for you. He's alive living in you through his spirit. He's worthy. Can we just give him a praise clap this morning cuz he's so worthy? If you read through the Psalms, all sorts of Psalms tell us to praise the Lord.

Psalm 150 tells us to praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise him in the sanctuary. Praise him with timbrel. Praise him with the lyre. Praise him with instruments. It ends by saying this, let everything that has breath do what? Praise the Lord. Now, it's not just in church, but do you really look to praise the Lord when good things happen in your life? Like when a friend of yours gives birth to a child and they're super excited about the child, do you say, praise the Lord. God did a great work there.

Isn't that incredible? Or are you like, hey, good vibes. Right? And I'm not talking about being funny. I'm not talking about being inauthentic. Different ones of us are different ways. I'm not telling you to run around and be like, oh, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Be authentically genuinely you, but let's give thanks and praise to the one who's actually doing the work. Amen. Let's praise the Lord. He's worthy of our praise. Now, I had to grow on this over my journey. That was not the first thing the Lord began to do in my heart.

As a matter of fact, even when I became a youth pastor and I was getting trained to become a youth pastor and I went through eight weeks of training, one of the things that they were doing was teaching us how to lead worship, teaching us how to lead praise songs. Well, they'd already taught us how to delegate so I knew I was never going to have to worry about that. And I didn't like the praise songs. Some of the songs we sang today, I didn't like those songs. I didn't like doing song books. I didn't like singing to guitar.

So, they would start every session with a couple of songs they would sing. I didn't like that part. I'd hang out and get a donut or a glass of juice or something and kind of walk in late cuz I didn't enjoy that. And I knew when I got to the church that they were going to take me to, somebody there could do that and I wouldn't have to ever worry about that part again. Wouldn't you know it when God sent me to the church of 100 people with four youth and we began to put together a Saturday night youth service and began to talk about how we were going to do praise and worship, guess how many people knew how to lead worship?

Zero. And as I was praying to the Lord and asking, Lord, find somebody. You got to bring a kid in that knows, bring a college student, the Lord said, I want you to lead it.

Guest (Male): Thanks for listening to Pastor Jeff Ministries. That was Pastor Jeff with his message Sacrificing for Growth from the series The Greatest challenging you to consider what you're willing to surrender in order to grow spiritually. Before you go, be sure to request Pastor Jeff's new resource 21 Days of Prayer, a team prayer journal to help you grow with God and others when you give to support Pastor Jeff Ministries today. To request your copy, go to pastorjeff.com and give to help reach more people through these teachings. And remember to sign up for email updates from Pastor Jeff Ministries so you never miss new resources designed to equip you for courageous living.

That's pastorjeff.com. Thank you for joining us today.