Recently, I had the special privilege of addressing a group of Boy Scouts during a Sunday service at Big Woods Church. The young men were accompanied by their parents, grandparents, families and friends. They also had with them the men who lead their troop, Boy Scout Troop 849, which is chartered by Big Woods Church.
For the morning's message, we turned to
Hebrews 10:19-25, which reads in the
English Standard Version:
"19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."First, we learned that anything that God tells us is possible for we as people to accomplish is possible only because of Jesus Christ. For instance, in verse 19, the Bible says,
"since we have confidence...by the blood of Jesus..." and in verse 21, we read,
"and since we have a great priest..." Both point directly to Jesus Christ whose sacrifice and resurrection empower those who know Him to act confidently in His name and by His power and authority. Jesus Christ, we learned, has all authority, all glory and all power in all the universe, and because of His holy magificence is entirely worthy of all praise and honor.
The young men were then challenged to apply four biblical principles to their lives from
Hebrews 10:22:
1.
Live with a true heart. This simply means that we don't live as fakes. Know who we are in Christ and live purposefully in Christ. Each of these young men will be faced with decisions throughout their lives. Every decision will reflect on their character. If they remember to stand firm and live with a true heart honestly, their integrity will be solid. The late Craig Phillips was recently remembered at his funeral by a colleague as a man who was the same in his roles as husband, father, businessman, churchman and volunteer. When you met Craig, you knew that he lived with a true heart, and what he said in one place was consistent with what he said everywhere. Craig lived with a true heart.
2.
Live with a true faith. The only way to know that you're on solid footing in your faith is to know and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Anything else is shaky ground. When I was in Marine Corps boot camp, we had to camp on a mountainside on a night that was threatening to rain. We could not go to the top of the mountain, so we had to find ground that was reliable not to be washed away with the rain. We looked for a place where there was plenty of grass and shrubbery whose roots had preserved the ground from mudslides and avalanches. There, on that firm foundation, we pitched our tents. Then we dug a trench around our tents so that the rain water coming down the mountain would run around our tents and not deteriorate the ground upon which we would sleep. These precautions prevented us from slipping down the mountainside as the rains came. Likewise, firmly planting our faith on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ prevents us from slipping down a mountainside when the rains of life come our way. We each should strive to live with a true faith.
3.
Live with a clear conscience. Even though we are living with a true heart and a true faith, we all will face times of challenge where we slip in our decision-making and it will be reflected in poor choices and behaviors. For a person pursuing godliness, this will challenge our consciences. Keeping a short account with God and with the people we know, keeps our consciences clear. It's not always easy to admit mistakes, but it is in honestly evaluating, confessing and seeking forgiveness for our mistakes that develops our character.
John 1:9 promises that
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." By keeping a short account of our sins with God and with those we offend will allow us to live with a clear conscience.
4.
Live with a pure body. The challenges for our youths today to step into the raging river of immorality are overwhelming. As these young men grow into men, nearly every influence around them will try to draw them into immorality and impurity of body. The day we spoke was Superbow Sunday (
Congratulations, Saints!). During the Super Bowl telecast, there would be numerous television commercials that would entice youths and adults alike to make decisions that would lead to impurity of body and soul. There also would be tremendous influences for good and proper decision-making. The young men were encouraged to focus on the positive influences in their lives so that they would live with a pure body.
I thank the Lord for the opportunity to speak His truth into the lives of the Boy Scouts of Troop 849. I trust Him to be glorified through each of their lives.
Blessings!
Pastor Bill
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