Unshakeable Faith: Don't Shrink Back

September 28th, 2025/Seventh Day Adventist

Hey, Pinewood Church, are you ready for the Word today?

We’re starting a brand new mini series called Unshakeable Faith. C’mon, look at your neighbor and say, “I’m not shaky." Now let em’ know “I have unshakeable faith!”

Why this series? Because life can feel shaky sometimes. Can I get a witness?!

Some of you are experiencing symptoms of shaky faith and you didn’t even realize that is why. You’re walking around angry, anxious, run down, defeated, hurried, blurried, and worried and the root of the symptoms you’re experiencing could be shaky faith.

You know what I mean. What can cause shaky faith?

Some of you have lost relationships because you decided to follow Jesus. Maybe it was a friend you have known since high school, maybe it was a sibling. And when you chose Christ, they did not understand. You thought they would cheer you on, but instead they distanced themselves. And that loss hurts.

Others of you are carrying the weight of a son or daughter who is far from God. You have prayed, you have begged, you have cried yourself to sleep. You see them running and you wonder, “Will they ever come back?” That can shake your faith.

Some of you are walking into your office every day under immense pressure. Deadlines. Quotas. A boss who does not seem to notice your effort. You are thinking about the future: layoffs, bills, retirement, and it feels like standing on shaky ground.

Others of you are in the quiet ache of grief. You have lost someone you love deeply. Maybe it was sudden, maybe you saw it coming, but either way the grief lingers. You can laugh with friends, you can put on a smile, but when you are alone you still find yourself weeping. You thought time would heal, but the sorrow is still close.

And then there are the everyday things. Parenting that feels harder than you ever imagined. A marriage that feels strained. Anxiety that creeps in at night. Bills that never stop. Doctor’s appointments that never end. Loneliness that you do not want to admit out loud.

Can we be honest? Some of you are here this evening and your faith feels shaky.

You believe, but you are tired.

You trust, but you are worn down.

You want to keep going, but you are not sure how much longer you can.

And if it is not you right now, it will be someday. Because life has a way of shaking us.

But here is the good news: Hebrews tells us that even when life is shaky, there is a way to live with unshakeable faith.

Not because life stops shaking.

Not because the pain goes away.

Not because everything gets easy.

But because we have someone, who is steady when everything else is falling apart.

Somebody who does not move when the world moves.

Somebody who does not bend when the pressure mounts.

Somebody who does not walk away when everyone else does.

His name is Jesus.

And Hebrews 10:19–25 tells us how to live steady in a shaky world. How to build unshakeable faith when everything else is fragile.

So let’s read it together.

Passage: Hebrews 10:19-25 CSB

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high 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 in pure water.

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Pray:

Background:

You know what’s interesting about Hebrews? We don’t actually know who wrote it. Some people have guessed Paul. Others say Barnabas. A few think maybe Apollos. And one of the early church fathers, a guy named Origen, he just threw his hands up and said, “Only God knows.”

But here’s what we do know: the book was written to a group of Jewish believers who were under pressure. Life was hard. Their faith was costing them. And some of them were tempted to drift back to what felt safe, what was familiar.

So the writer of Hebrews steps in to remind them of one big truth: Jesus is better.

He’s better than angels. He’s better than Moses. He’s better than the priests. He’s better than the old sacrifices. He’s better than anything you’re tempted to run back to.

The first nine chapters unpack that in detail. It’s like one long sermon saying again and again, “Don’t forget, Jesus is better.”

And then in chapter 10, there’s a shift. It’s like the writer says, “Okay, if He really is better, then here’s how we live in light of it.”

And that’s where we land today. Hebrews 10 gives us three “let us” statements. Three practical ways to live out an unshakeable faith.

Title: Don’t Shrink Back

Big Idea: Unshakeable faith draws near to God with confidence, holds on to His promises with hope, and shows up in community to stir one another toward love and good works.

Main Points: Three “Let Us” Statements

1. Confidence With God

   1. So what do we do when life feels shaky?
   2. Hebrews says the first step is this: we draw near to God.

   3. Verse 19: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus…”

      1. Notice that word, confidence. Somebody say “confidence”.

      2. That’s the opposite of how most of us feel when life is shaking. We feel hesitant. We feel ashamed. We feel like God is distant. But Hebrews says because of the blood of Jesus, the way is open.

         4. Verse 22: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”

      3. When everything else is fragile, the place you run first is not back to old habits, not to distraction, not to numbing yourself. You run into the presence of God. And you do it with confidence.

      4. You don’t have to come pretending. You don’t have to put on a filter. Instagram is for filters, not your prayer life.

      5. God is not asking for perfection. He is asking for honesty.

         5. Illust: This is like when I was teaching my kids to snowboard. If you have ever done that, you know it will test every fruit of the Spirit. You are halfway down the mountain, one glove is missing, there are tears, there is yelling, “Dad, I hate this sport!” And you are thinking, “Why did I pay two hundred dollars for this?”

      6. But here is the thing: as long as my hand was holding them steady, as long as I was in front of them, they had confidence to keep going.

      7. That is the picture Hebrews gives us. You don’t draw near because you are steady. You draw near because He is steady.

         6. App: So this week, when the shakiness hits, take 10 minutes a day to draw near. Bible open. Honest prayer. Thank Him for access.

      8. When shame says, “stay away,” Hebrews says, “draw near.”

      9. He tore the veil so you could drop the mask.

2. Cling To His Promises

   1. So what happens when you do not see the breakthrough yet? When you have prayed and the healing has not come? When your son or daughter is still running? When the grief has not lifted? When the pressure at work has not gone away?
   2. Hebrews says the next move of unshakeable faith is this: you hold on to hope.
   3. Verse 23: “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.”
      1. Hold on. White-knuckle faith. Don’t let go.
      2. And notice it says “without wavering.” That literally means unbending. Do not tilt under pressure. Do not fold when the wind blows.
   4. Illust: Have you ever driven Loveland Pass in the middle of a snowstorm? That is white-knuckle driving. You are gripping the wheel, praying in tongues, making promises to God you know you cannot keep. “Lord, if you get me down this mountain alive, I will serve in kids ministry forever.”
      1. That is what Hebrews is saying. Grip the promises of God like that.
      2. And why? Because He who promised is faithful.
      3. Our hope is not optimism. It is not wishful thinking. It is not “manifest it into the universe.” Our hope is in a Promise-Keeper.
   5. Illust: When Jess and I planted Pinewood, there were months we had more bills than money. More questions than answers. But we had one promise: “He who promised is faithful.” And time and time again, God came through.
   6. App: So what does it look like to cling to hope this week? It looks like grabbing hold of specific promises from God’s Word and refusing to let go. Here are just a few:
      1. When you feel alone or abandoned: “I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5, CSB)
      2. When you feel weak and overwhelmed: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, CSB)
      3. When you feel anxious about tomorrow: “Cast all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7, CSB)
      4. When you’re grieving: “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, CSB)
      5. When you are waiting for your son or daughter to come home (Paul said this first to the jailer in Philippi, and it shows us God’s heart for whole families): “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, CSB)
      6. When you feel crushed by the pressure of life: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, CSB)
      7. When you doubt your future (God said this first to Israel in exile, and it shows us His heart for His people): “For I know the plans I have for you—this is the Lord’s declaration—plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, CSB)
      8. When you’re afraid: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Timothy 1:7, CSB)
   7. Call to Action
      1. Write one of these promises on a card. Put it on your bathroom mirror. Pray it morning and night.
      2. Before you scroll the news, scroll the Scriptures. Let His promises frame your perspective.
      3. Share your testimony. Someone else’s hope may be hanging on your story.
      4. Hope does not deny the storm. Hope ties you to the Rock.

3. Committed To Community

   1. So what happens when life feels shaky and you are tempted to pull back? When the pressure makes you want to isolate? When the grief makes you want to stay in bed on Sunday? When the shame tells you, “You don’t belong”?
      1. Hebrews says unshakeable faith does not walk alone. It commits to community.
      2. “I’m good… I don’t need church today” FLIP THE SCRIPT. Someone needs you in church today.
   2. Verse 24: “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works.”
      1. That word consider means stop thinking only about yourself. Look around. See the people God has placed in your life.
      2. And the word provoke means to incite, to stir up, even to agitate. Yes, you actually have biblical permission to be annoying… as long as it is toward love and good deeds!
   3. Verse 25: “…not neglecting to meet together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
      1. This is why the gathering matters. It is not optional. It is not just tradition. It is a lifeline!
   4. Why Sunday?
      1. Jesus rose on the first day of the week (John 20:1).
      2. The disciples gathered on the first day (John 20:19, 26).
      3. Pentecost came on the first day (Acts 2).
      4. Acts 20:7: “On the first day of the week, we gathered to break bread.”
      5. 1 Corinthians 16:2: “On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside.”
      6. Revelation 1:10: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.”
      7. From the very beginning, the people of God gathered on Sunday. Every Sunday is resurrection day.
   5. The Early Church
      1. Didache (c. 100): “On the Lord’s Day, gather, break bread, confess your sins.”
      2. Justin Martyr (c. 150): “On Sunday we all assemble. Scripture is read. The one presiding exhorts. We pray. We share bread and cup. The wealthy give to the poor.”
      3. Two thousand years later, we are still doing the same thing: Word, prayer, the Table, generosity.
      4. What the early church understood is that gathering was not a convenience, it was a conviction. It was not about squeezing God into the margins of life. It was about centering life around God and His people.

   6. Illust: When we neglect the gathering, when we try to do this alone, we lose the very strength that has sustained the church for centuries.

      1. It makes me think of the redwood trees in California. These are the tallest trees in the world, some of them over 350 feet tall. But what is surprising is that their roots do not go very deep. On their own, they could never survive the storms that come off the Pacific.
      2. The reason they stand is because their roots spread wide and intertwine with the roots of other redwoods. They hold each other up. One tree alone would fall. Together, they are unshakeable.

      3. That is the church. By yourself, your roots are shallow. Your faith will not withstand the storms of life. But when your roots are intertwined with the family of God, you can stand tall. Together, we become a forest that cannot be moved.

         7. App: So here is what this looks like in real life:

      4. Make Sunday the anchor of your week, not the leftover.

      5. Do not just come for you. Come for someone else. Somebody needs your encouragement.
      6. Come early, stay late, build relationships.
      7. Remember: We do not gather to check a box. We gather because grace has made us family.
         8. The Why Behind It All
      8. Why push this so hard? Verse 25 says: “…and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
      9. The closer we get to Jesus’ return, the darker the world gets. And the darker it gets, the more we need each other.
      10. You will not make it on your own. That is why we need each other.
      11. Someone here is going to make it through the storm because you spoke courage into them. Someone else is going to keep going because you refused to let them quit. This is what a community looks like. This is why Hebrews says, “Don’t neglect to meet together… encourage one another.”
      12. Unshakeable faith is not just me and God. It is us and God. Together, we are steady when the world shakes.

And how is that possible? Because of the gospel.

Verse 22 says: “Our hearts sprinkled clean, our bodies washed with pure water.”

That is what Jesus has done for us. His blood cleanses our hearts. His Spirit makes us new. He is the reason we can draw near with confidence, cling to hope, and stand together as His family.

So maybe today is your moment to respond. Maybe you need to stop standing at a distance and start drawing near. Maybe you need to say, “Jesus, I give you my life.”

Here’s the beautiful part: you do not have to do it alone. This church is a family, and when someone takes a step of faith, we take it together.

So if you are ready to follow Jesus, I want you to pray this with me. We are going to pray out loud as one church family. Because it is not the prayer that saves you, it is faith in Jesus Christ. But this prayer is our way of declaring together: “Jesus, you are Lord of my life.”

Let’s pray this together…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free

Baptism
And some of you today, your next step is baptism. You’ve been holding back, waiting for the perfect moment. Don’t wait. Today is your day. We’ve got everything you need to help you take that step today. Step out as we worship.

Communion
This bread is His body, broken for you. This cup is His blood, poured out for you. We don’t come trembling. We come with confidence.

Final Charge

So what do we do?
We draw near with confidence.
We hold fast to hope.
We spur one another on every Lord’s Day.

This is unshakeable faith.

The world is shaking. But we are not.
We are unshakeable.

Somebody shout amen!