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Hebrews 3:12-19, Luke 16:19-31 & Numbers 14:26-35
MYTHBUSTERS
The generation that escaped the bondage of Egypt was legendary. They
literally made movies about these folks! They participated in the largest mass slave
deliverance ever & saw God’s miracles time & again in Egypt, at Mt. Sinai, & in the
dessert. When we think of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament, still today, we list
the burning bush, the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillars of fire & cloud,
& the manna & quail. Despite witnessing these super-natural events first hand, this was
a rebellious generation, as fearful, doubtful, & disbelieving as any. They were so bad
that only two of them made it to the Promised Land flowing with milk & honey, called
Canaan.
Bible trivia question: who were those two persons? Joshua & Caleb. Even Moses
& Aaron didn’t make it.
The unknown author of The Letter to the Hebrews uses this ancient “greatest
generation” as a backdrop for what he writes in chapter 3.1 A common Jewish
preaching technique, called midrash, took a well-known story from history & applied it
to current life. It’s still used in sermons to explain the relevance of scripture by
confronting today’s difficulties in an indirect way. It’s kinder & gentler to incite correct
behavior by saying “Remember when this bad thing happened?” rather than engage
in “Stop it or burn!” finger-pointing.
When this letter was written (& it’s really more of a sermon than a letter), our firstcentury Christian ancestors were discouraged & drifting away from Christ & the church.
The culture was becoming increasingly difficult for them to live their faith. They
questioned whether God really loved them, whether Jesus really saved them, whether
the Holy Spirit was really alive & working. The author reminded his readers about a
previous generation during the age of Moses when joy also turned into fear & doubt &
outright rebellious disbelief.
We learn that the Hebrews, these Jewish Christians to whom our lesson is
addressed, were motivated by myths. 2,000 years later, these same untruths haunt
many of us, too. Our lesson from Hebrews couldn’t be more relevant.
How many of you have watched the cable TV show, “Mythbusters”? How many
of you have used the on-line resource, “Snopes”? The program & the website both
have as their goal the dissemination of correct information in order to debunk common
& popular myths.
I said that many Jewish Christians in the first century & many Christians in the 21st
century hold the same myths – myths which discourage & cause dejection & drifting
away from God & the faith. Let’s look at three of them.
Myth #1 – “I have time.”
As we learned the past two weeks, one of the major issues for early Christians
was the fact that Jesus had not returned as soon as people thought he would. Some
folks said that made him a liar. Others gratefully said, “We have time to get our acts
together & prepare for his second coming.”
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The Hebrews author especially draws on Numbers 14.
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Hebrews 3:12-19, Luke 16:19-31 & Numbers 14:26-35
Our problem today is that since Jesus hasn’t returned in 2000 years, some tend to
doubt whether he ever will (return), or if he does, it will not be in our lifetime. And
history, we argue, is on our side. Consequently, we live like there’s no tomorrow,
disregarding the way to live as Jesus taught.
Whether Jesus returns even as I speak or in another 2000 years from now, the fact
is that the life Jesus modelled really is the best. It has extraordinary merit. It’s kind,
peaceful, generous, loving, humble, balanced, forgiving, & gracious. He truly is the
perfect model of the perfect life. Don’t we want to strive for such a life for ourselves &
for the sake of the people we love?
There’s a corollary to the “I have time” myth, a version which we personalize to
mean “I’m not going to die anytime soon.” Three decades in the fire service & time
serving as a chaplain at a trauma center dispel that myth quickly. You, too, know of
friends & family members who die unexpectedly.
“I have time,” operates in different ways, but one thing’s for sure, it’s a myth or,
at least, a Russian roulette brand of gambling.
Myth #2 – “Seeing is believing.”
People often state that they would “get” faith, if they could witness a miracle, or
some divine epiphany, like seeing Jesus face to face.
As we know, the generation freed from Egyptian bondage had seen it all. They
saw life at its worst & God at God’s best. They saw, but they still didn’t believe, or they
only believed for a short time, until the next challenge came along & put them into
spiraling doubt, questioning, fear, & outright rebellion, once again. Seeing is not
necessarily believing, a fact confirmed by research in perceptual psychology.
Jesus, himself, says as much. “Blest are those who have not seen, yet come to
believe,” he tells Thomas (John 20:29). Jesus essentially says the same thing in our
gospel story about Lazarus, the poor beggar & the rich Dives.
If seeing is not believing, then what should one do? Let me paraphrase a line
told to John Wesley before he was convinced of Christ’s salvation: “Act like Jesus until
you have faith, then act like Jesus because you have faith.” Although Jesus is the one
who saves, each of us has to work out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12). So, act like
Jesus & see what happens! And let me know.
Myth #3 – “Once saved, always saved.”
Some of my warmest relationships are with people whom I disagree. That’s not
an approach to friendships modelled by our culture, is it? Our culture teaches this
uncompromising standard that if we disagree on things, especially important matters,
we cannot be friends.2 Many of my friends are proof that the culture is wrong. Love &
grace trump even our most strident opinions.
I served on a church staff with a woman who was a staunch conservative
Baptist. She wasn’t as staunch as she liked to believe about herself, but on one matter,
she was most resolute: “Once saved, always saved.”
My friend steadfastly believed that when an individual accepts Jesus as “Lord &
Savior,” there was nothing that could ever alter one’s salvation status in Christ. Her
belief was almost magical, more than faithful or biblical. As long as one recited the
There is an intolerance taught by our culture. It’s like extreme religious fundamentalism, insisting
that we agree on absolutely everything. In order to be friends, even one belief cannot diverge
from the “established” standard as we march in lock step. Well, only in heaven will relationships
be so perfect. For now, we must deal with relational brokenness & sin in loving, merciful ways.
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Hebrews 3:12-19, Luke 16:19-31 & Numbers 14:26-35
formulaic, “magic words” contained in the “Sinner’s Prayer” & invited Jesus into one’s
heart, one was forever saved. Tah-dah!
It sounds nice, but there are a few problems with that theology.
First, we must presume that “loving Christ as Christ loves you” is done in perfect
conditions, without coercion, manipulation, peer pressure, etc. Even if one’s pledge is
sincere, Jesus talks about seeds (of faith) that are planted, but do not perennially
blossom.3 Many die because of poor conditions like rocky or sandy soil, choking weeds,
burning sun – metaphors for the fact that we can lose our salvation.
Let me be clear, I’m not talking about losing our salvation over a few sins &
careless mistakes. I’m referring to continual, willful, hurtful, even monstrously evil acts
that flout God’s grace. Although our good acts don’t save us, the good acts we do
are fruits demonstrating our salvation & the love of Christ in us. In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven…. I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’”
(Matthew 7:21). That’s rather clear!
My friend, you see, had a child who was dealing hard drugs to children & youth.
She knew that fact & it broke her heart, understandably. The results were horrible, as
you can imagine. You can also imagine a parent’s pain & why a parent wants the best
for his/her child, especially the gift of salvation. This child’s promise to God was broken
again & again in major ways. There was no confession, no remorse, no worship, no cry
for help, no sincerity to love as Jesus loved. There was just more & more evil, along with
a huge dose of wishful thinking on Mom’s behalf. Tragic!
God is not a fairy godmother working magic, granting our every wish. Instead,
God respects the free will we’re given. God’s mercy & justice follow through on the gift
we have to choose good or evil, right & wrong. If we want to love & serve God, God
honors that choice. If we refuse to love God & neighbor, God honors that, too. God
doesn’t force anyone into heaven. Neither is heaven automatically gained by wishful
thinking. God loves us, always, but we must love God & others, as Jesus taught.
I know that people today operate as though these myths are true. I know that
many people question whether they are saved & will see Jesus someday. Many lack
that blessed assurance of an inner witness & don’t voice those concerns. They just
quietly disappear from the pews. They haven’t moved away. They weren’t angered
by anyone here. They had doubts & questions – honest doubts & questions that date
back two millennia! – ones that they are afraid to admit, afraid to confront & seek
counsel. It’s scary for them.
This is where Wesley & the early Methodists did it right. The old Methodist class
system set up accountability partners. There was a small, trusted group which shared
the joys & challenges of daily life, their faith life. They experienced genuine spiritual
intimacy that kept them & their belief on track & growing. They learned together,
listened to one another, talked to one another, prayed for one another, cared,
supported, & served one another, & served others, too. The Methodists didn’t just leave
the parish clergy in charge of souls, but expected laypersons to be caring &
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See Mt. 13: 1-23, Mk. 4:1-20, & Lk. 8:4-15.
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Hebrews 3:12-19, Luke 16:19-31 & Numbers 14:26-35
accountable to one another, as the Bible teaches.4 We wouldn’t lose so many persons
who drift away from this sacred fellowship.
If you desire such a walk with Jesus & friends, to grow your faith in a genuine,
scriptural way that will take your spirit to a new level with God & neighbor, see me.
You’re not alone. There are folks here who desire the same.
Do away with the myths. Get real with God, with one another, & with faith.
In the Name….
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Copyright 2014 by G.D.Knerr at Lansdale, Pa. All rights reserved.
“Confess to one another,” St. James writes in 5:16.
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