The Anchor Holds -- Hebrews 6:9-20 - Dr. Rich Danson

In this message from Hebrews 6:9-20, we explore what it means to live with confident hope in the promises of God. The passage opens with the word "beloved," and the preacher anchors the entire sermon there: everything that follows, the call to diligence, the warning against sluggishness, the illustration of Abraham, flows from the fact that God loves his people unconditionally. Key stops along the way: God's love motivates service (v. 9-10). It was not nails that held Jesus to the cross. It was love. When that settles into a person, the question shifts from "what do I get?" to "how can I serve?" Diligence is a duty and a delight (v. 11-12). Spiritual sluggishness has a diagnosis: malnourishment. The cure is the Word. Start the day with it. Two real patients, Stuart the dying preacher and a newly saved woman, illustrate what it looks like when someone is fully alive to God regardless of circumstance. God's promises are immutable (v. 13-18). When God swore to Abraham, he swore by himself because there is no higher authority. That same unchanging purpose applies to every believer. The nation of Israel exists as a standing miracle of God keeping his word. Hope is a soul anchor (v. 19-20). An anchor does not stop the rocking. It stops the drifting. Christ, our forerunner and high priest, has already entered the holy place on our behalf and intercedes there with full compassion for whatever we bring. The sermon closes with an invitation to personal faith and a call to anyone who has drifted to return. Scripture: Hebrews 6:9-20