0:03
Speaker 1How are you? Good. Hey. Good. Would you all stand up and join?
0:09
I'm gonna invite Scott if he'll come forward if he's in the room, and we'll praise him, praise him. It's hymn number 12. If you want to look at your hymnal but you can look at the wall and Blake will track with us as we go through. How do you feel this morning? That first service was sleepy.
0:23
I just have to be honest. Sleepy and hot. But y'all alright? Everybody good? Wonderful.
0:29
Praise him. Praise him. Hymn number 12.
0:37
Speaker 2Praise him praise him Jesus our blessed redeemer sing all earth his wonderful love proclaim hail him hail him highest archangels and glory, strength and honor, give to his holy name, like a shepherd, Jesus will guard his children in his arms. He carries them all day long. Praise him. Praise him. Tell of his excellent greatness.
1:21
Praise him. Praise him. Ever in joyful song praise him praise him Jesus our blessed redeemer for our sins he suffered and bled and died Crown him, crown him, prophet and priest and king. Christ is coming over the world victorious power and glory unto the Lord belong praise him praise him tell of his excellent greatness praise him
3:02
Speaker 3praise him ever in joyful song
3:08
Speaker 1Amen. Thank you. Y'all sound like you mean it. That's good. It's really good.
3:12
Savior like a shepherd lead us. It's hymn number six eighty eight. How many of know this song? Oh, very good because we had to look up to put the words up on the wall. We had to look it up.
3:21
I know it but I just wondered how many of y'all know. We haven't sung it in the last seven years apparently because it we didn't have the words for it on the wall. So, here we are. Hymn number six eighty eight. Really good one.
3:41
Speaker 2Savior like a shepherd
5:43
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Have a few announcements this morning. Not a ton of announcements but there are some important ones. Monday nights at First B is on.
5:52
Monday nights, more songs and Psalms which is great. Carl, our worship leader for the 09:00 service and pastor for the Monday night service is going through songs and Psalms and they have been wonderful. It's been really really encouraging and filling for me. So, thank you for that. We'll have meal, music, and a message 06:00 tomorrow night in the fellowship hall.
6:12
Immigrant Hope is still collecting shoes to send all over the world apparently because they need 25,000 pairs of shoes. It's like a lot of shoes but keep on bringing em if you would. First B camp out. So, first B is going to do a camp out up at the Culture Bay Group Site Number 6. It's a site big enough for a 100 people, they tell us.
6:33
So we are expecting a lot of people to go on this. If we need another site, we'll get another one. But we want as many people as Will to join in for the Culture Bay 1st B Campout, group Site Number 6, August 22 through the twenty fifth. So, you can come for a little while or the whole time. We've invited folks who have boats to go out fishing and skiing and tubing and all of the things that you do from boat on the lake.
6:58
We've invited other folks that may be able to entertain in other ways and so some of us will go up and not sleep outside because sorry, that's me but I'll go up during the daytime and encourage and have fun but I'll go home to sleep at night in my bed. Youth group trip. A youth group trip is going to Lagoon, August the ninth and the tenth. So, they'll meet here at the church at 06:00 in the morning and head down to Salt Lake City to go to this amusement park, spend the night in the campground next door to Lagoon and then come on back the next day but it's the ninth and the August 10 coming up quickly. That's always a fun time and I do usually spend the night outside on that trip usually.
7:40
If you miss a message, you can find it on the internet. I don't think that's a surprise to anybody but firstbjackson.org for the audio or you can go to our Facebook page for live streaming if you're going to miss and you know it. Connect hour to help us keep connected happens between services and y'all know that. It's at about 10:00 until about 11:00 and for any other announcements, they should be in your bulletin. I feel like I'm forgetting two.
8:06
Do y'all know what they are? The trip was wonderful but I talk about that in the sermon. Thank you very much. We went to Gillette this week. I've been announcing that for several weeks.
8:15
So, I'll talk about that at the at the sermon time. Seems like there's one other. Did I forget something, Carl? The first service, you made the announcement in the first one. Church at the fair.
8:25
That's it. Thank you very much. So, the Teton County Fair Board has asked us if we will do church under the big top again. So, in two weeks, we will meet there instead of here. We'll have one service instead of two and we'll meet when they tell us that we're supposed to meet.
8:39
I think it's 10:00 but I'll be sure next week, okay? And so, we'll meet the Lions Club breakfast is immediately before and then we will get a chance to do hopefully very evangelistic and loving. Raucous good time with the band from the 09:00 and then we're going to present God's word for church at the fair on the twenty eighth under the big top. Anything else? One more.
9:01
That's it. That's the one. So, there's an all church worship gathering. So, we've invited all churches in Jackson to be a part. Anybody who wants to come from any congregation and we're the our band is going to lead and we've got tribe's band is going to be here and somebody from the press church.
9:17
We've got several bands that will be up and leading an all church congregational worship night in the evening. Supper before that and so it's a full day. The fair is in town. That's the way it always is, right? We'll do church at the fair and then we'll come back here later in the day and do supper and then worship.
9:36
That's it. Those were the two. Thank you. Anything else? Anybody else?
9:41
How many y'all like the Shaky Shake hand time? Doing an informal poll right now. That's what I thought. We're going to do it anyway.
9:50
Speaker 2How about that?
9:52
Speaker 1Alright, we'll we'll make a decision between there and next week. If you would stand and greet one another, we'll bring you back together with the song.
10:09
Speaker 2Alas and did my savior bleed and did my sovereign die would he devote that sacred head or sinners such as I at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away it was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day the and now I am happy all the day thus my I hide my blushing face while Calvary's my sight and now and the burden of my heart it was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the Amen.
13:39
Speaker 1This next one we get from first second Timothy, sorry. Second Timothy one twelve says, I know whom I have believed. It's I know not how. This is a great song. I know not why God's wondrous grace.
13:53
To me, he hath made known nor why unworthy Christ in love redeem me for his own but I know whom I have believed. Oh, it's so good. So good. I don't know how he did it. I just know that he did it.
14:03
I know whom I believe. Would y'all sing it out? Hymn number five twenty
14:07
Speaker 2seven. I know not why God's one trust grace to me nor why unworthy Christ in love whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him I know not how this saving faith
16:59
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat but I'm going to invite the frontline team to come forward. Would y'all pray with me? God, thank you for this beautiful morning. Oh, in this beautiful place and God seeing the state of Wyoming crossing back from Gillette yesterday. I just the expanse of it blows my mind lord and that's just one state and one country on this big blue ball.
17:23
Yet, lord, you are omnipresent and you are omniscient. You know all and you're there and you sense all and you direct lord. All. In Jesus name, oh, through your son. I just pray that we would be faithful to spreading the message of forgiveness of sins and abundant life that is available in but one place just through Jesus.
17:53
In Jesus name, we seek to do your will, oh Lord, on earth as it is. In heaven, would you do your will and your way through our obedience, lord. I pray that you'd accept these gifts that are given and that you'd multiply em to do your kingdom work here in this community and to the uttermost parts. In Jesus name, amen.
18:19
Speaker 3Praise God we are here worshiping God through music. Amen? And by the way, thank you for adapting to my style when I play piano. You guys follow me so good now. Thank you.
18:30
Take the name of Jesus with you. Last night when the pastor preached, he said, Jesus is better than anything else, and I like that. So that'll get kind of stuck with with me. We're gonna sing a a verse in the in the chorus in Romanian and then in English.
20:24
Speaker 2Name of Jesus here as a
21:49
Speaker 3Amen. Praise God.
21:56
Speaker 1Amen. Thank you. So, we're up to Hebrews one four through 14 is what I plan to cover. Actually, I'm going to go three verses further than that but these will have to wait just a minute. I want to tell you a little bit about the mission trip.
22:10
I feel like word indeed, word indeed. It's always word indeed. Scott Eichen who was the pastor here, one of the pastors when Rich was here and the first summer that I came in as an intern, Scott was here. So, some of y'all know them and you know him well and you love Scott. I know that.
22:26
Some of you don't but Scott Eichen for the last eight years has been working, helping to reboot churches with Calvary churches out of Denver and they have over the course of this time, Calvary, Inglewood, Calvary, Littleton, Calvary, lots of different ones. They are each individually started by families who are willing to do this and it's a church plant. It's not a broadcaster satellite situation and they're not dependent upon forever the the mother church but Scott and Pam, his wife, and their kids have moved to Gillette, Wyoming. They moved there in January in hopes of planning a church. They had a building and that is the building that they kind of inherited.
23:13
It has been sitting empty for four years, almost four years. So, they didn't have services there and you know what happens to a building that sits empty for four years? It kind of runs down. That's what happens And it was a kind of rundown before that apparently too, but it was a building and it's pretty nice. It's not it's a mile from a Home Depot.
23:32
That was really nice for a team that was going to do construction there. It's in a pretty place up on hill, city on hill, right? Can't be hidden, but it was just empty and so, they invited us several months back before Scott came and preached while Carl and I and Tanya and Pascal were in Africa. Scott invited us to come over and maybe do a mission trip to help him. So, that's the what it started out Wednesday morning when we arrived.
23:56
That's what we arrived and saw. Wednesday morning, I should say. We left here at 06:45AM. We got there about three in the afternoon and that's what we came upon and there were weeds that were covering all this rock right there and they were growing up under the lap board of the building And there were some of those vines that were 30 feet long, all entwined up in the lap board. When we got there and started surmising the situation, they had not planned on us working that day, but just starting the next morning.
24:22
And we immediately that's Jacob right there that's pulling that weed and Tom Stanfield is back in the back. Shauna Pearson right there. They started pulling those vines and weeds. Gary and I were talking about what's gotta be done, where do we go, where do we go from here? Went to Home Depot.
24:37
We came back. All the weeds were pulled. There are couple guys, Darryl Bass and Chris Darren and Michael Adams were there. That's Mark Hall and Felix and Oscar that are putting up like a decorative panel behind the stage which we were building the stage but you know what? I'm going to let y'all watch that while I look up what what actually happened.
25:02
So, they said when we were coming that they had some exterior painting that needed to be done. Chad Anderson from over on the other side that comes to church here. He comes from Driggs and Tetonia over that direction and he came and brought his sprayer. That's might be that's helping him and they sprayed this building the first day that we were active, taped off, masked off that first day while other people were pulling weeds and other people were sanding the baluster rails and they did that. We had trim painters.
25:31
We had people that were designing. That's Gary repainting the signpost out front. We all got together and prayed. I actually just wanna read what what happened. So Wednesday, Exodus from first be at 06:45, remove weeds and intensive invasive vines from church ground, killed all the weeds in the parking lot, sanded the balusters and top rails and floorboards of all the old flaky stain on both decks, front and back, and their stairs, removed and replaced the sanctuary lighting, patched a lot of holes and cracks in the sheetrock.
26:01
60 something feet of cracks We're patched and prepped, prepped for paint, prioritized list, built and painted new stage, complete with air conditioning ducts, installed. It was 95 by the way, while we're there, 95 degrees. Installed decorative panel wall treatment stage area and back wall wainscoting, shored up the foundations for the post and realigned and solidified the handrails for the floorboards for the ADA access ramp, and deck in the front replaced deck handrails and leveled and secured the stairs out back for safety, cleaned out and reorganized the storage shed, made multiple dump runs to haul off construction debris and cast off, textured the ceiling and all of the cracks repairs, replaced several broken shingles, added interior lighting and wiring to the storage shed shop, repaint wired that shop, repainted the entire exterior including caulking and painting for all trim for both the main church and the storage shed out back in both decks and access ramps, repainted all but two rooms on the inside of the church because they wanted to do a mural and some Bible verses in those rooms. We don't do that. We drew the line right there, alright?
27:11
Repaired all old window screens, replaced all of them, thoroughly washed the windows, mounted two television screens for praise and worship lyrics and PowerPoints, landscaped the front beds including adding rocks and pulling the fence rails. You know when you put in a new tree and it's about this big and you put in the little fence rails right there and you tie the tree to it and it. They did that in 2003 and never removed those fence rails. And so the tree grew up all around it. We pulled those things out and re landscaped all the front.
27:43
Sorry, getting to the end of the list here. Removed and replaced overhead exterior lighting in the photo cells for the front and rear entrances light up the parking lot and all access. Made lunch and supper for the whole 30 person crew Thursday and Friday. Restriped the parking lot. Vacuumed our way out the door, and loaded up tools and came home.
28:05
Speaker 3Crazy.
28:08
Speaker 1So, how how great thou art? How awesome is God and the right people, right time, and if you want to go next time, come on go with us. Can I get a witness? Daryl, Stacy, Tanya, there are lots of people that, yeah, just saying yes. It's amazing what God can do.
28:26
So, this is what it looked like before and that's what it looks like now. Yep and they launched the 20. So, while we're at the tent at the fair, they're going to be having their first service. Actually, they're doing their first service at 03:48PM. 03:48PM and it's Psalm thirty four eight is taste and see that the Lord is good.
28:46
Now, I want you to pray for em because it's hard to start a church but I also want you to pray for em because they're starting a church in Gillette and if you read the paper, Gillette has coal mines all around it and 500 something people just lost their job just this week and this church is starting two weeks from now and there are lot of people that are connected to that industry and just pray that Scott and Pam would be the joyful encouragement that people need and would be able to help direct. Florine, would you mind praying for that? Just stand and pray. Whatever you want to do. Barry, would you translate?
29:18
I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Go ahead. Amen. Thank you very much.
29:57
I knew there was an interpreter present. Alright, here we go. So, that's the team actually that went. Those are the folks that went with Scott and Pam over to the side and their kids over here and Tom and Barbie too. Ask any of em.
30:08
Ask em how how it went and then next time we say, hey, who wants to go with us? Go with us, alright? It'll be amazing to see what God has done. So, Hebrews one, here we are. Last week, we covered the Exordium which is the beginning or the introduction to a treaties.
30:24
I believe it's a treaties. It does end like a personal letter but it's very systematic in the way that it presents. Hebrews is very systematic in the way that it presents Jesus. So, last week, we covered this. I'm just going to read it again.
30:38
This is the exortium, the introduction. God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways, actually, God having spoken in many portions and in many ways to our fathers in these last days has now spoken to us in his son. His son whom he appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the world and he is the radiance of his glory. That's Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purification of sins, that's what Jesus did.
31:19
When Jesus had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much better or so much better than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. That's the introduction of this and I color coded it for you last week like this to help you see a scheme and it's an ABCD CBA scheme. It is thoroughly Hebrew. That's the way the Old Testament Hebrew reads a lot of time. It's called a kioskic construction.
31:53
That's a Greek word talking about what's important and the arrangement is different than what we would understand. The very most important part is the center of that D, the green part. So, and he, Jesus, is the radiance of God's glory and he is the exact representation, the imprint of his nature and he upholds all things by the word of his power, by his enabling word. That's an amazing statement. Three amazing statements in the middle clause of one long Greek sentence.
32:28
Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. Do you know how we feel the heat from the sun? It's the radiance of the sun that that we feel, right? Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. There is no more exact representation of God than Jesus.
32:48
He's it. He is God and he is human hypostatic union, right? Bob's favorite. Yeah. He is both divine and he was human.
32:58
So, we see him and we see what God is like. If you've seen me, you've seen the father, Jesus says and he upholds all thing by his enabling word. In the beginning was what? The word. The word was God.
33:12
Word was with God and the word was God. So, Hebrews one three is the central truth of the book of Hebrews that Jesus is better than everything else. That's the short sentence. This is what Hebrews is about. Jesus is better than everything else.
33:30
Now, it is obviously written by the author of Hebrews, two people who are Old Testament aficionados and believers. They know the Old Testament. They know it very well. He doesn't quote chapter and verse. He quotes the scripture from Psalms and Isaiah and lots of different places and when he does, they already know that.
33:51
They've already signed on that that's true and it's unalterable and unchanging. He just presents it like, you already know this. So, it's to the Hebrews, Pros Hebreos. That's the beginning introduction to the book. It's just to the Hebrews.
34:06
He is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of nature, upholds all things by the word of his power. Jesus is better than anything else. So, the Exordium, we just covered again very quickly and then we have chapters one and two are kind of a group saying, Jesus is better than what? Angels and Torah. It already got into that.
34:27
The last verse of that exordium said, he haven't become so much better or as much better than they because he's got a better name more exalted than theirs and it's talking about angels and for us, for me, I think, why angels? Why would you have to start with that? Who cares about angels? But there are people who do and at this time, in history, people who were from a Hebrew background or believe the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures had gotten fascinated by angels and it was one of those things that they were beginning to pay more attention to the messengers than the message that they were bringing. This might throw you a little bit because it's a little subtext but for to which of the angels starts off, for to which of the angels and I just want to say, angels, it means angels.
35:22
But angels, I'm glossed, the word angels means messenger, one who carries a message. Deuteronomy thirty three two is a statement. You know, Deuteronomy is the second statement of the law and he said, the Lord came from Sinai and he dawned on them from Sayir and he shone forth from Mount Paran and he came from the of 10,000 holy ones. This is an English translation of the Hebrew from Deuteronomy. Now, in the Greek translation of Deuteronomy, the Septuagint translation, holy ones there is angels.
35:57
That's what they are. They're holy ones. They listen to God and they do what he says. They worship him. They worship Jesus but they listen to.
36:06
They are the holy ones that are God's messengers. We'll get to that in a minute. He came from the midst of ten, zero angels. At his right hand, there was flashing lightning for them. If you think, it still seems weird that they would have such a great theology for such an obscure thing.
36:22
That barely even says anything about angels. Well, there are lots of instances of angels and carrying a message in the Old Testament and these people had been waiting for four hundred years. This is during the time of, you know, they they were coming out of, I should say, the intertestamental silence from the last time that God authoritatively spoke through the prophets, Malachi and the other prophets and then, he says, they he did it various ways and at various times, then, but now, he's spoken through his son and this is the final and authoritative word. This is the way, the truth, the life. Why would it be hung up on angels?
36:59
It seems odd but I want to examine a couple different places from the New Testament where Paul in Galatians says, why the law then? He's having that law versus grace sort of discussion with the Galatians and he said, don't turn back. Same thing that the author of Hebrews is saying, don't turn back and go back to that legalistic nonsense that was pointing towards something else. Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions.
37:24
It was let you see your sin. Having been ordained through angels. Like, you just skip right over that sometimes. It was ordained through angels. Well, it was given by God but that was the message that was given by God and the messengers, the angels, he ordained through the angels by the agency of a mediator.
37:45
I think that ought be a capital M. Jesus is the mediator Until the seed, capital S would come to whom the promise had been made. Everything before Jesus was pointing towards him. But it was done through angels, Paul says. Now, y'all looking confused.
38:02
Are you with me so far? Yes. Are you hot and tired? As sore as I am? My goodness.
38:08
I did a lot of work I hadn't done in a long time in the past four days. Acts, you remember Stephen's speech? Oh, it's my favorite soliloquy in the whole Bible. I hate that he had to die but it did scatter the church. Jesus said, you'll be my, this, you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and they were all huddled up in Jerusalem until the stoning of Stephen and then God spread them out.
38:34
But during his speech, this is Stephen speaking as the guys are holding the stones and Saul, unconverted Paul, Saul is holding their coat and approving of the stoning and Stephen is speaking to him and he says, you men who are stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? Think about that.
39:09
Everyone of the prophets that we've got and the people were dismissing them and blasting them and killing them in some cases. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the righteous one. Whose betrayers and murderers you now have become. Stephen says to these guys, you who receive the law as ordained by angels.
39:37
Angels were a big part of the theology of the Jewish people during this time and they had gotten to be that way because they stopped paying attention to the message and they started paying attention to the messenger and you know, we have a plumb line. Let's say, we did construction this week and history is the plumb line of theology and if you start paying too much attention on angels, it's gotta swing back, right? It's gotta swing back and then, history will show that that is an errand theology and what the author of Hebrews is saying, you have focused on the wrong thing. You're missing the message for the messenger. Y'all have heard the saying, don't shoot the messenger.
40:14
You know, I'm just a messenger. Don't shoot me. I'm just saying what it says, you know, or I'm just saying what the king said. Don't don't shoot the messenger. What the author of Hebrews, not Paul but what the author of Hebrews is saying is, don't worship the messenger.
40:27
Don't worship the messengers. They're angels but don't worship the messengers. Pay attention to their message. And here we go forward. This is the verse five.
40:38
To for to which of the angels did he, God ever say, you are my son. Today, I have begotten you. It's alright. It's alright. It's happened to everyone of us.
40:52
For to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son. Today, I have begotten you. Now, you might see that and go, this is kind of weird. The begotten sounds like born. Where exactly did that happen?
41:04
Well, Jesus, divine and eternal being was born into a human body at a certain time, in a certain place. On the cross, he had the experience of paying for the sins of the world. Some people think it's at his human birth. Some people think it's at the cross. Some people think it's at the resurrection.
41:23
Some people think it's at the ascension and some people think it's at the session. I don't care. What you think? It is today I have begotten you. He's using this and this is a Psalm that we cover a couple weeks ago.
41:35
It's written a thousand years before time. It always confused the commentators and they argued about it all the time as to who could this possibly fit. Well, when Jesus came, it fits. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord and he said to me, you are my son and you see the capitalization there. God says, to Jesus, you, Jesus, are my son.
41:59
Today, I have begotten you. I have brought you into this world to redeem this world. Today, I begotten you. You in the line of David and this was a Davidic or royal Psalm. We covered it two or three weeks ago.
42:11
I will surely tell you of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son. Today, I have begotten you. That's confusing except that Jesus is both God and man. He goes on from there and actually, I don't like proof texting sermons.
42:29
I really don't and so I try not to do it. I try to stick to the text that we're in. Sometimes, I go to wherever they go and that's what I'm going to do today but Hebrews is different than most of the other books we've covered. Most of the books that we cover, I preach what the guys have said in the New Testament book. Hebrews author is using the Old Testament and preaching a sermon and he is proof text and one after another after another, things that they didn't know how to deal with and he's presenting them in their full light.
42:59
Are you with me? Okay, because it's going to be about 14 of em right now, okay? So it'll be white words up here for stuff that we haven't covered yet on a black screen, and then there'll be yellow words for stuff that I mean, the white words are stuff we're covering right now, but the yellow words are stuff from Psalms that's backing material. So it's going go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The the colors help me to know what I'm talking about.
43:22
I hope they help you too. And again, I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. That's from second Samuel. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. Now, that was presented and you see there, the H is small and the H is small and the him and the he because it was just another verse.
43:42
He's pulling it up and saying, this fits Jesus. It's down the line from this guy that was a human person that was going to be born. This is down the line but it's God and man. So, it goes, I'll be a father to him and he'll be a son to me and again, he brings the firstborn into the world. He says, and let all the angels of God worship him.
44:04
Now, we're saying Jesus is better than the angels. Now, here come up angels again. For which of the angels did he ever say, you're my son today. I've begotten you. Jesus is special and different and elevated above all of them.
44:17
We saw that in the Exordium already and I will be a father to him. Jesus continually entrusted himself to him who judges rightly his father. Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit. And he shall be a son to me and when he again brings the firstborn into the world, there it is. Hypostatic union.
44:38
Again, it's Jesus, divine, empties himself and takes on the nature of a servant and was found in every way just as we are found human. Yet, he was without sin. He, when he again brings the firstborn in the world, he says, and let all the angels of God worship him. Psalm ninety seven seven, let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols, worship him all you small G gods. Small G gods, celestial beings, spiritual beings that are not almighty God and it's saying to worship him, Jesus, who is almighty God, the son.
45:22
Worship him all you gods and of the angels he says, so to which of the angels did he ever say? So, all those things are about Jesus and then he says, and of the angels, he says this, he says, he makes his angels wins and his ministers workers, a flame of fire. Psalm one hundred four four, he makes the winds his messengers and flaming fire his ministers. That reverses the order but it's the same thing. He uses spiritual beings to do his will.
45:53
When we pray, have your will on earth. As it is in heaven. The angels don't listen to God and say, nope, not doing that. All of those have been cast out. Anybody who is disagreeable, any angels who are disagreeable have been cast out and the ones that are continually serving God.
46:15
Don't question it. I use it often. You can say either, yes, lord or you can say no but you can't say no, lord, alright? He makes the winds as messengers, flaming fires, ministers but of the sun, there's a contrast. He says, your throne, oh God, it is forever and ever and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom.
46:38
That comes from Psalm forty five six. Your throne, oh God, is forever and ever a scepter of uprightness and that is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. This is about Jesus he's talking about. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.
46:56
Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you, capital Y because it's talking about Jesus with the oil of gladness above all of your companions. Psalm forty five seven, you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with all of the oil of joy or gladness above all of your fellows. Jesus is different from everyone else and he is better and that's what the author of Hebrews is trying to present and he's doing it with scriptural backing on every single point and every single line. He's not going off course and for us, New Testament believers, we look at the New Testament and see the confirmation and the unveiling of what that was veiled at the time.
47:39
Look at Isaiah 61. The spirit of God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me. Messiah means the anointed one. Christ is just a translation of Messiah, anointed one. The spirit of the Lord, God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted.
47:57
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion. Giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness, same phrase. Translated same way in the Septuagint, the Greek, the oil of gladness. Instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting so that they will be called oaks of righteousness. The planting of the Lord so that he may be glorified.
48:34
That's Isaiah 61. That's a suffering servant passage. Now, the way that the people took this in the first century, '60 so, sixty seven AD, the folks who are sticking with the synagogue and going to stay in Judaism as they had known it growing up. The ones who are sticking with it would take the suffering servant to be the nation of Israel. The Jews as a people.
48:57
Not those who put their trust in Messiah. Although some of them may have been looking forward to that. The way that they read this text from Isaiah was that this is the nation, the collective of all of Israel. But when Jesus stood up for his first recorded sermon in Nazareth, his hometown, this is an interesting passage. This is one he chose.
49:19
It's interesting where it started. It's interesting where he stopped. And if you notice here that M in me is lowercase for this Old Testament. It's Old Testament. It it's it is what it is.
49:32
It's put out there but look at Jesus in his first recorded sermon in Nazareth and the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him and he opened the book and he found the place where it was written So, he looked for it, found it. Isaiah 61. The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Capital M. He's taken that on his self.
49:53
He is the divine God, man, Jesus. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel, the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set free those who are oppressed and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, close quotations, and he closed the book and he gave it back to the attendant and he sat down and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. You know why? He stopped.
50:23
He he presented the good part up here about proclaiming all that but if you go on in that suffering servant passage, it says, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, we are the ones that carry the message of almighty God. He can't do it any other way. We as a people are it and if they don't accept to grant to proclaim the favorable year lord, the day of vengeance of our God and they held on to that as a nationalistic pride. Anybody that's against us, God will smite. And Christ, when he presented in his first sermon, he stopped at, I'm proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord.
51:01
The time is now. The ministry of God is upon me and he's claiming release for captive, recovery of sight to the blind, setting free those who are oppressed. Who is oppressed? We all are. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, for our transformation, for our cleansing from sin.
51:24
He closed the book. He gave it back to the tent and he sat down. I like the imagery in Hebrews where it says that he sat down the right hand of the father. He sat down and all of the eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him and while he was seated, he says, today, the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and what they want to do? Throw him off of Nazareth Ridge because he had announced the favorable year for the rest of the world to come into the family of God but he held off on the vengeance and he is holding off on the judgment and vengeance until he comes again but he was, time is now.
52:01
Here we go. Proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord. Back to the Hebrews text. You have loved righteousness and you hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with the all of gladness above your companions.
52:13
There's no one like Jesus. Jesus is better than everyone else and you, lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of your hands. Psalm one zero two twenty five, of old, you founded the earth and heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish but you remain and they all will become old like a garment. Psalm one hundred two twenty six, even they will perish but you will endure and all of them will wear out like a garment.
52:41
Like clothing, you will change them and they will be changed. Isaiah 51, lift up your eyes to the sky and then look to the earth beneath for the sky will vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants will die in like manner but my salvation will be forever and my righteousness will not wane. It is an eternal thing. But you are the same and your years will not come to an end. Even they will perish but you will endure and all of them will wear out like a garment and like clothing, you will change them and they will be changed but you are the same and your years will not come to an end.
53:21
All of them accepted Psalms. They had the hymn book. They believed this hymn book and not only that but but when I started savior like a shepherd lead us, I know the next line of that song and I hadn't sung it in years but I know it and when they start with Psalm 102, whether it's the first verse of the twenty sixth verse, I'm like, I know that song and it calls to the remembrance everything that is in that Psalm. So, they've got even more information than y'all have. I don't know Psalms nearly as well as most of the ancient Hebrews did.
53:52
You are the same Your years will not come to an end. So, this is Hebrews one still. Hebrews 13 is the last chapter in this book and it, the whole book of Hebrews is kind of a kiosk to construction where similar topics are hit at both ends and it gets more and more important towards the middle, builds towards the middle also. Your years will not come to an end. The other end of Hebrews says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
54:22
Amen. That's a biblical concept of testaments but to which of the angels has he ever said? So, Jesus is different. He is better than. Consider this, which of the angels has ever God said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.
54:41
Oh my goodness. In the exordium, he said, Jesus is seated at the right hand of Megalosune, the majesty on high. Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Psalm one hundred ten one, the Lord says to my lord, how does that make any sense? How does that make any sense?
55:00
The Lord God almighty says to my lord, Jesus Christ, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Right here. When the time is right, again, you will go. Last verse of this chapter says, are they not all ministering spirits? That they there as angels are not the angels all just ministering spirits that were sent out from God to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.
55:29
Think about that. Angolas is messenger. They are the ones who carry God's message. Are they not? Spirits that are carrying a message to minister.
55:44
They're sent out to render service. That's what they do. They exist day and night to worship God and do his will. Well, that's why we would pray. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
56:00
They're all ministering spirits. They're sent out to render service for the sake of all those who will inherit salvation. So, God does have angels and the plumb line of theology is, yes, God does have angels but pay attention to God. If you swing too far and like start trusting in the angels, just listen to their message. In fact, I'll go ahead on the scripture and tell you why I think that.
56:19
Psalm one zero three twenty says this, bless the Lord you his angels, messengers. Bless the Lord you his angels, mighty in strength. They are stronger than we are. We're a little lower than the angels. Bless the Lord, you his angels, mighty in strength, you who perform his word.
56:37
Jesus upholds all things by his word. The word of power, his enabling word but they are the ones who carry these things out. They are just the messenger instrument. Bless the Lord, you as angels, mighty in strength, who perform his word, obeying the voice of his word. Jesus, bless the Lord all you his hosts, host of heaven.
57:00
Bless the Lord all you as host. You serve him doing his will. Bless the Lord all you works of his created beings. These are angels. They are works of his.
57:11
They're not the eternal son of God. Bless the Lord all you works of his in all places of his dominion and he's almighty. There aren't any places where it's not his dominion, right? In all places of his dominion, bless the Lord, oh my soul. That's Psalm one zero three twenty three twenty two.
57:32
The chapter headings, titles, and the numbers are not divinely inspired. I've told you a whole bunch of stuff and for me so far, Hebrews author has done a proof texting sermon of his point and that's good because I like to have scriptural basis for everything you do. I like for it also to have application. So, here we go. The first three verses of this chapter will give us application for everything he said since the exhortium.
57:57
For this reason, oh, that is the rationale. Because of all these things that I've just stated, for this reason, we must pay closer attention to what we've heard. That's the exhortation. That is an encouragement towards the good. Pay closer attention to the good news rather than the messenger.
58:18
Pay attention to the message. We must pay closer attention to what we have heard. Why? Here's the why. So that we do not drift away from it.
58:31
So, I I heard Piper say one time, John Piper that in the Christian gearbox, there is only forward or reverse. There is no neutral. And if you consider and many of us do that we are swimming upstream in the culture whether you're swimming upstream in Jackson, you feel like the culture of this place to be a Christian, you're swimming upstream all the time and it's work and you're constantly going forward seeking to bow and submit your will to God, you are actively engaging and swimming but in this world, you are swimming upstream. What happens when you stop paddling? You float downstream.
59:09
So that we do not drift away from it. That's the point. That's the imagery actually. The drifting away is a water term. That's two one so that we do not drift away from the message that we've heard.
59:23
Don't drift away from the gospel. The blood of Christ. He is the solid, firm foundation. He's the only way. Here we go forward.
59:34
For if the words spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, do you agree that that's true? The word just as it was delivered is unalterable. What did Jesus say about the law? Not one jot nor tittle will ever be abandoned from it. The mountains will crumble and the sea will roar but not one jot or tittle will be taken from it.
1:00:01
If the word spoken through God's messengers, the angels proved unalterable and it has and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty and it does. It has it and so who's who sits under that penalty? Everyone of us. Until we accept. Here's the warning.
1:00:20
Great salvation that's available. Here is the warning and you'll see this symbol a lot in Hebrews. We've got lots of em. At least five of em, maybe six. The warning comes right after that.
1:00:31
It says, for if the word spoken through the angels proved unalterable and every transgression and disobedience receives a just penalty. Everyone of his readers would have said, yes, that's true. Even if he was preaching this in a synagogue to the Hebrews, they would have said, yeah, that's true. He says, then, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Everything was pointing towards Jesus.
1:00:53
He is the anointed one. Without him, warning, warning, you will die in your sins. He is the way, the truth, and the life. So, this is the takeaway right here. After all that, this is the takeaway.
1:01:09
For this reason, we must pay closer attention to the message, to what we have heard so that we don't drift away from it. I think that's it. We're going to sing Rock of Ages. Would you come on forward? No, no, no.
1:01:25
Yeah. You thought I was going to do the doxology, didn't you? Scott, would you come forward? Let's listen to the words of this and think, we don't want to get far away from this rock of ages. It's cleft for me.
1:01:36
If you personalize this sermon and think, well, this wasn't just written to the Hebrews of two thousand years ago. This is written to encourage me not to fall away from Christ, not to drift away, to keep on swimming, to keep on striving towards him, submitted to his spirit, and walking out the life. Rock of ages, hymn number three forty two, would you stand? And we'll sing. All three verses.
1:02:06
Speaker 2Rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in thee let the water and the blood in my hand oh price I bring simply to the cross I cling on the last while I draw this fleeting breath when mine eyes shall close in death when I rise to worlds unknown and behold thee on thy throne rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself
1:03:16
Speaker 1in thee If anything in this sermon and if anything in this passage, if anything in this week has prompted your heart to lean into Christ, to lean into God's only way. Would you please come see me about it? Let me know. You can do it right after the service but you can do it all week long. I'm not hard to find.
1:03:42
I'm going to pronounce this blessing, I guess, the benediction of you. It's a Trinitarian thing. We see God, father, and son over and over and over and over and over in Hebrews and the Holy Spirit is always right there present. So, today's benediction is this, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, unmerited favor of Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit may be with you all in Jesus name. It's my prayer.
1:04:07
Amen.
