Think Carefully About This Jesus

August 11, 2019 · Hebrews

Series · Hebrews · Week 9 of 69

Scripture referenced 15 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Psalm 34 opened the service with 'taste and see that the Lord is good'

1 I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.
3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
6 This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Depart from evil, and do good. seek peace, and pursue it.
15 Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry.
16 Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
20 He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.

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Psalm 42

quoted to illustrate worshiping through hills and valleys, 'why am I discouraged, why is my heart so sad, I will put my hope in God'

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

5 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

6 My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.

8 Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.

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John 14:2

quoted before a song to remind the congregation that this life is temporary and our real home is with the Lord

2 In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.

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Proverbs 3:5-6

quoted before a song, 'trust in the Lord with all your heart, don't lean on your own understanding'

5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

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Hebrews 2:10

part of the ramp-up context showing Jesus was perfected through sufferings as author of salvation

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

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Hebrews 2:11-12

Jesus who sanctifies and those sanctified are from one Father; He is not ashamed to call them brothers, with reference to Psalm 22

11 For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

12 saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

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Psalm 22

cited as the source of 'I will proclaim your name to my brethren in the midst of the congregation'

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

2 My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them.

5 They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,

8 “He trusts in Yahweh. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”

9 But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts.

10 I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.

11 Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

13 They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.

14 I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

17 I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.

18 They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.

19 But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help: hurry to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you.

23 You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.

25 Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him.

26 The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever.

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s. He is the ruler over the nations.

29 All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord.

31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.

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Isaiah 8:17

cited as the source of 'I will put my trust in him'

17 I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

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Isaiah 8:18

cited as the source of 'behold, I and the children whom God has given me'

18 Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.

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Hebrews 2:14-15

Jesus partook of flesh and blood so that through death He might render powerless the devil and free those enslaved by fear of death

14 Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

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Hebrews 2:16-18

Jesus did not help angels but descendants of Abraham, had to be made like His brethren to become a merciful and faithful high priest and make propitiation

16 For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham.

17 Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

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Hebrews 3:1-6

the main passage preached, comparing Jesus and Moses and calling believers to consider Jesus the apostle and high priest

1 Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus;

2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.

3 For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.

4 For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

5 Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,

6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.

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Numbers 12:5-8

God speaks from the pillar of cloud declaring Moses faithful in all His house, speaking mouth to mouth with him, used to show how highly Moses was regarded

5 Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward.

6 He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream.

7 My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house.

8 With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Yahweh’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

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Deuteronomy 18

Moses told the people to look for a prophet like himself, cited to show Moses knew his own unique standing

1 The priests the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion.

2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. Yahweh is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.

3 This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

4 The first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.

5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in Yahweh’s name, him and his sons for ever.

6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh shall choose;

7 then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.

9 When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you.

13 You shall be perfect with Yahweh your God.

14 For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you so to do.

15 Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.

16 This is according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again Yahweh my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”

17 Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

19 It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”

21 You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?”

22 When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.

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Matthew 16:13-18

Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus says upon this rock He will build His church

13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Blake preached through Hebrews 3:1-6, asking the congregation to consider Jesus carefully and completely, and showing why that matters for anyone tempted to settle for less. The passage puts Jesus alongside Moses, the greatest figure in Hebrew history, and argues that Jesus surpasses him the way a builder surpasses the house he built. The sermon closed with communion, letting the congregation sit with that comparison before the Lord's table.

What was said

Pastor Blake had ended the previous week's message on the phrase "think carefully about this Jesus" from the New Living Translation of Hebrews 3:1, and he picked up there. Before working through the passage itself, he backed up into chapter two to show the chain of "therefore" statements holding the letter together, landing on the fact that Jesus had to share fully in human flesh and blood so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest and break the power of the one who held death. That background is what makes the "therefore" in 3:1 land with weight.

The Greek word order of verse one puts "consider" at the center of the sentence, with "holy brothers and sisters" and "partakers of a heavenly calling" on one side and "the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus" on the other. Pastor Blake worked through the verb "katanoeō," which he described as thinking something all the way down to a firm and clear conclusion, not a passing or tentative opinion. The whole letter, he said, is written to people who have heard the gospel and latched on to it, and the writer is urging them to think about Jesus with that kind of settled, decisive attention.

The comparison between Jesus and Moses is the heart of the passage. The writer first draws a near-equal sign between them: both were faithful to God who appointed them. For a Jewish audience, that was a startling opening move, because Moses occupied a category almost by himself. Pastor Blake read from Numbers 12, where God himself defends Moses against Aaron and Miriam, saying that with Moses he speaks mouth to mouth, openly, and that Moses beholds the form of the Lord.

Having established how high Moses stands, the letter then says Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, and it uses the analogy of a builder and a house to explain the distance. The builder deserves more honor than the house, every house implies a builder, and the builder of all things is God. Moses was faithful as a servant inside the house; Christ is faithful as a Son over the whole house. Pastor Blake used a story about his grandfather's timber land and hunting lease to press that distinction home: there is a real difference between someone who has made a deal to be on the property and someone who is a son of the family that owns it.

The passage closes with the phrase "whose house we are," followed by a condition. Pastor Blake was direct about it: the writer of Hebrews is telling these people not to drift back to the old covenant or to whatever they had before, because the old covenant was always pointing toward Jesus. Holding fast to confidence and hope in Christ is the fitting response to everything that has just been said about who he is. The sermon moved from there into communion, which Pastor Blake framed as its own act of carefully considering Jesus, looking back on the cross the way those earlier believers looked forward to it.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Blake read from Numbers 12 where God says of Moses, 'Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my household. With him I speak mouth to mouth.' Given how highly God spoke of Moses, what does it mean to you personally that Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses?
Blake said the Greek word translated 'consider' means to think all the way through to a definite conclusion, not just a passing thought. What does it look like in practice to consider Jesus that thoroughly and decisively in your daily life?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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0:00 Good morning, everyone. How are you? Beautiful day out. What do

0:03 you say

0:03 we? We sing people's way in here. Sing our way to the Lord. Psalm 34, taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him.

0:15 Let's sing of it. Let's stand up together.

0:27 Alright. I sought the Lord. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from every field. Those who look on him are radiant. They'll never be ashamed.

0:53 They'll never be ashamed. And this poor man cried, and the Lord heard me and saved me from my enemies of the

3:08 And let's sing, let's bless the Lord.

3:12 And let us bless the Lord night never ending praise may our insins rise and let us bless the Lord every day and night on his name

4:34 Y'all can have a seat. I love that, man. I love that song. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34.

4:41 Wow. Monday nights at first B. What's happening?

4:44 Yeah, we're on songs and psalms and tamales tomorrow.

4:49 So please join us 06:00. Songs, psalms, tamales. We have music and a message. Fantastic. That sounds good.

4:56 06:00 down the hall in the fellowship hall. If you want to give to First Bead through Old Bills, you can. It's available through our website or through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole and that's possible and available and coming up fast. It's the first full weekend in September, I think. First B campout is before that, August 23 through the twenty fifth.

5:18 Anybody here that wants to make that stand up impromptu announcement? Alright, they're probably tired from the trip. There he is. There you are. I knew that you were around somewhere.

5:28 You have anything you wanna add to it? So that's the guy. If you wanna know more about it, that's the guy to ask about it. First B's camp out, August twenty third, twenty fourth, the night seven, then coming home on the twenty fifth. Alright.

5:59 Dancy, here we go. Come on up. Okay. There you go. Alright.

6:05 So Awana's coming up. I know we're a

6:07 whole month out, but it takes that long to prepare. And a lot of it is just getting committed faithful leaders involved. And I just wanna say, some of y'all might not know here. Yeah. This is the first one.

6:19 So if you're looking forward to an opportunity to share the gospel with kids who are actually eager to hear it, then come on Monday nights because this whole church is just like a beehive going crazy. And sometimes there's a 100 kids here who actually came to the church to hear the gospel. So if you're looking for an opportunity to minister to children, you don't have to go across the world. You just come here on Monday nights, and they wanna hear from you. So it's really exciting.

6:46 God's already moving. You just get to jump in and see God work, and it's a lot of fun and super rewarding. So we have kids now starting all the way from two years old. This is the new Puggles group. We're gonna start a two and three year old group, just to show a lot of love.

7:03 But, honestly, this one is more of a ministry to the parents. I know Monday night's going on. There's a lot going on. We also wanna give parents a date night. When we were young parents, that was huge for us.

7:17 We took a year or two when our kids were little, put them in cubbies, and we took Monday nights as a date night. It's really awesome for marriages. So we wanna make this a ministry to all the family. So we're gonna start and have a very consistent nursery there. So go worship if you have little ones.

7:33 Go out on a date night. Go to the grocery store, whatever you need to do. But we're gonna have kids all the way from infants to three year olds, singing and hearing the word of God, and then, all the way up through fifth or sixth grade. Also, if you have a junior high or high schooler, bring them in to serve. This is a great way for them to jump in and serve in the body of Christ because they are also part of our body.

7:58 So there is a sign up table by the fellowship hall. You can either register your kid. I ask you to register early. That helps us order all the materials we need. So you can register your child, but there's also a sign up for if you wanna come and serve on that night, you can check where you think you best fit or just talk to Dan back there in the back, and he can help plug you in or myself and I'm Dancy.

8:23 Thanks.

8:23 Thank you, Dancy. Appreciate that. So Awana is always awesome. It typically follows the school year calendar pretty much. So when school starts up, Awana starts up.

8:32 Connect hour happens between services down the fellowship hall. That's a good time with coffee and donuts and whatnot. Is there anything I forgot? If there is, it'll be in the bulletin because they don't usually forget to put the stuff in the bulletin. So, it's prayer request and other announcements will be in the paper bulletin.

8:50 You're handed on the way in. You sure nobody has anything? Alright. Yes, you may. You go right ahead.

9:05 As a lot of you know, that, three years ago, last weekend was Bonnie's anniversary of her accident. And we've been having visitations with our grandson and and bringing him here, and he loves it. And he can't wait to go downstairs and be with Crystal and all the rest of them. And we had him last weekend, he went down and pulled grandpa's arm to take him down. And and that later that afternoon, his Crystal called, and and she said, did you know Hayden accepted Jesus this morning?

9:52 And, so as soon as we got off the phone, I went over to Hayden, I said, Hayden, did you ask Jesus in your heart? And he smiled. He says, yes. I did. And so I just wanna let all of you know that, he's now a newborn Christian and all of you that can help with helping us have him grow in the Lord when he's with and he's here, we would really appreciate it.

10:24 Thank you, Yvonne.

10:25 Thank

10:25 you. Thank you.

10:33 Serving the kids and serving the church really does make a difference. Thank you, Yvonne, for that testimony. Would y'all stand and greet one another and we'll bring you back together with a song.

11:22 Check. Check. How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord has laid for your faith in his excellent work. What more can he say than to you he has said? To you who forever reached to Jesus and fret him.

11:44 Fear not. Fear not. He's with us, so be not dismayed for he is our God, our sustainer and strength. He'll be our defender and cause us to stand upheld by his mercy for almighty and how firm our foundation how firm our foundation how sure soul that is. The soul that is trusting in Jesus is Lord.

12:40 Can press on enduring in darkest of storm. Our foundation how sure our salvation and we will not be shaken Jesus burn foundation. Let's say age to age he stands. Age to age he stands

14:19 Lord, we sing to you truly as our rock, our place of refuge, the place that is. We are sure footed when we build our foundation, and we thank you for being the cornerstone of our faith, for being our God, our rock, our redeemer. We sing to you. Amen.

14:49 I count on one thing. The same God that never fails will not fail me now. And you won't fail me now and in the waiting. The same God who's never late is working on things out, working all things out. Yes, I will.

15:14 And, yes, I will lift you high in the lowest valley. Yes, I will. I count on one thing, The same God that never fails will not fail me now. You won't fail me now and in the waiting. The same God who's never late is working all things out is working all things out.

16:14 And, yes, I will lift you high in the lowest valley. Yes, I will glorify but nothing can against me I choose to praise him to glorify glorify the name of all names

17:42 From Psalm 42. Listen to how the Psalmist listen how he worships his way through life. That that would be my encouragement to all of us to be worshiping our way through life through both hills and valleys. Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?

18:00 Have you ever been in that place? And and you're speaking to yourself going, why am I so discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? Listen to what he says. I will put my hope in God.

18:11 I will praise him again, my savior, my God. I choose to praise. I choose to glorify. We do have a choice in the heaviness of heart and in our trials. We have a choice to turn our face toward the Lord and to sing to him.

18:28 And my encouragement is is that we that we would. Next song here. Let me let me share a verse first. In my father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you for I go to prepare a place for you, thinking that this is our just our temporary home.

18:47 It's a great place, but it's a temporary place. Our real home is with the Lord.

21:21 Who the sun says free. Oh, he's free indeed. I'm a child of God. Yes.

22:22 Y'all can have a seat. Imma invite the frontline team forward. Would you pray with me? God, we thank you for this beautiful morning. We thank you for the ability to sing songs of praise.

22:32 Lord, for those people who write these songs and for those who figure out the music and get ahead of us and lead us into worship in your presence, lord. We're amazed. We stand amazed in the presence. Your Holy Spirit here guiding us lord. I pray that we'd never brace ourselves against the wind of the Holy Spirit and that we'd never quench that fire.

22:55 God, I pray that you would accept these offerings that we give, lord. Freewill offering. It's been sticking in my head all day long. Free will. It's free will, lord.

23:08 But when we know you, we feel we just are right there, right there, and wanting to see everyone else know you too. So God, would you prompt us and would you bless and multiply these gifts to do your kingdom's work, lord. From here in this little community right here, but to the uttermost parts. May we all, lord, throughout this world, give our praise to you. In Jesus name, we thank you.

23:41 Amen.

23:44 Proverbs three, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he'll make your path straight.

24:12 My life is in hands of the maker of it. I lead not on my own understanding. My hands wide open. Will climb this mountain with my wide. There's nothing I hold on to.

26:09 There's nothing I hold There's nothing I hold on on to. To. There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on to.

26:25 There's nothing I hold on to. There's nothing I hold on to. I lean. I lean not on my own understanding. Something beautiful out of me.

27:07 To I'm giving it all to you, God. Trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me.

27:37 Amen. It's time for children's church downstairs. There they go. Amen. Hebrews three one through six.

28:06 So, last week, we got up halfway through verse one and I said, bag it, Blake. We're going to skip those last four and a half verses. Five and a half verses. We we are here. Hebrews three one through six.

28:20 We're going going through the New Testament in order and I am really really thorough and enjoying Hebrews. There is so much background for this though. It's a temptation for me to go too far. Last week, I just ended on think carefully about this Jesus. That's the New Living Translation of the Bible right there.

28:39 New Living Translation says, and so dear brothers and sisters, who belong to God and our partners with those who with those called to heaven. Think carefully about this Jesus. So, that's what I left you with. There were some imperatives throughout the rest of the text but thinking careful about this this Jesus it says in the New Living what I want to do this morning in order to think carefully about Jesus, I'm going to go through I don't usually read the whole service or the whole passage before I preach through it but I'm going to do that this morning. I'm going read it in the new living.

29:10 It's a little bit easier translation to understand, a little less cumbersome in some ways but then I want to go back through in the New American Standard and pick it apart bit by bit. So, just so you know, yeah, I heard that already this morning. You're to hear it twice this morning, alright? And so, dear brothers and sisters, who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, Think carefully about this Jesus. This Jesus whom we declare to be God's messenger and high priest.

29:40 That'll come up in a minute. For he was faithful to God who appointed him and just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God's entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder but the one who built everything is God. Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant.

30:12 This is Hebrews, right? Don't say anything bad about Moses. I preached about Moses a few weeks ago and the text was about him striking that rock and kind of misplacing some of his aggression. Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths that God would reveal later but Christ, as the son, is in charge of God's entire house and we are God's house.

30:39 If we keep our courage and we remain confident in our hope in Christ. God, would you help us understand exactly what you've written this little perfect paragraph this morning? I pray lord that it would inspire us to consider Jesus. So, Hebrews three one through six, it will go through it now in the New American Standard. I'm going to go little slower.

31:00 Therefore, oh gracious, whenever you hit it there for, you gotta go back and see what it's there for. That's just the normal pastor's thing to do but if you go back to the next what it's there for, that also starts with therefore. And if you go beyond that, it also starts with therefore. And if you go beyond that, it starts with something else. So we'll go back and I will do instead of a ramp up to it, like I've said before, this is like dropping into a half pipe, alright?

31:25 We're going to ramp down and back up into it. For it was fitting for him. For whom are all things? That's Jesus. It's talking about and through whom are all things?

31:34 That's Jesus and bringing many sons to glory to perfect, the author of their salvation through sufferings. Jesus had to go through sufferings. For both, he who sanctifies, that's Jesus and those who are sanctified, that's us, who believe in him are all from one father. For which reason, he's not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, brethren, saying, I will proclaim your name to my brother in the midst of the congregation. I will sing your praise.

32:00 Psalm 22 reference and again, I will put my trust in him. Isaiah eight seventeen. And again, behold, I and the children whom God has given me. Eight eighteen, Isaiah. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself, likewise, also partook of the same.

32:18 This is explaining the divinity but also the full humanity of Christ. Therefore, since the children of God share in flesh and blood, he himself last wise also partook of the same that through death, he might render powerless. Him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For surely, he does not give help to angels. This is in the section that's about Jesus's superiority to angels.

32:49 Jesus is better than the angels but he gives help to the descendant of Abraham and Abraham was he who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Still the gift of God but he believed him. Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things. Jesus was tempted and tried in every way that we're tempted to try yet without sin. He had to be made like his brethren in all things so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.

33:18 I told you we're going to get to that in a minute. He calls him the author of Hebrews calls Jesus a messenger and high priest in that version that we read, the New Living. So that he might become a merciful and faithful, high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation the payment for the sins of the people for since he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered. He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Therefore, okay.

33:46 Was it worth it? I hope so. Holy brethren, therefore, holy brethren, he's addressing people who have put their faith in Christ. Or have heard the message and they're they've latched on to the good news of the gospel. They've heard the message of the cross and they said, yeah, I'll go with that.

34:06 Therefore, holy brethren. This is the only place in the New Testament where we're called holy brethren. We're called holy in a lot of place. We call brothers and sisters in a lot of places but this one is the only place where it's. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling.

34:22 This is those of you who have heard the message and responded. Holy brethren, partakers of heavenly column. That's an appositive. It's the same people. It's not two different groups of people.

34:34 If I were to say, I don't know why I always think of this one but Jose Conseco, the baseball player, right? That's an appositivist. It's the same guy. This is holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. Consider Jesus.

34:48 Think about this Jesus. Think carefully about this Jesus is what the New Living says. Consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. The New Living said, messenger instead of apostle, it's apostle, apostolos, one who is sent and high priest is just that high priest of our confession.

35:09 But I want you to look

35:09 at the Greek word order here if you don't mind. It's in English but it's the word order in Greek because there's a a kind of a perfect little symmetry to it that I think it is pretty and it's helpful. So, brethren, brothers and sisters, unless it's qualified by the context. Brothers and sisters, holy ones, Hagios, Adel Hagioi, Adelfor. Brethren holy, partakers of a calling heavenly.

35:37 Consider. That verb is right there and then, it gives a couple more names. There, it's not an opposite. These are two things. These are two features of the same person and then it does give.

35:49 Clarification at the end. Brethren, holy, partakers of the call in heavenly, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession. Jesus. So, think about this. Jesus is the way that it said.

36:04 The word order makes it emphatic. It doesn't say this but the where it says it is why it says, please consider or please think about this Jesus. Who's he writing to? The Hebrews. How many Joshua's and Jesus's were they running around?

36:19 Probably almost as many as Mexico. I don't know. There are a lot of em. Consider this Jesus, this one, the apostle and high priest of our calling. Consider this guy and consider the verb is at the very center of that.

36:33 It's we're out there upfront called holy and we're made holy because of Jesus and we're called partakers of a heavenly calling. He's the one who brought the message. Apostle sent out, brings the message, and lives that message. So that he can be the high priest and because of that, we are partakers in a calling, heavenly calling. Consider this, the word for consider right there, kata no e sate.

37:01 It's the aorist act of imperative, second person plural, kata no e o, if that matters to you. But think about this. Properly, it is to think about from up to down. Kata is down or according to and no E is to think your mind. It's about your mind.

37:20 Metanoeo is a repent, turn around, turning a changing of your mind. Kata no Eo. Properly is to think from up to a conclusion, to come all the way out to a conclusion, to consider exactly and attentively and decisively come down. Now, the writer of Hebrews is trying to convince these folks who have put their faith in Christ not to go back to their former way of the Old Covenant lifestyle of Judaism but to stick with Jesus and so to is to consider him carefully all the way through and decisively to concentrate by fixing one's thinking to perceive clearly. So, it expresses real comprehending, not just a passing.

38:04 Oh, I guess so. I'll hear you again on that later. Maybe. I don't know. Not sure.

38:09 Jury's still out on that one. It is, I stand firm on this. Jesus is the Christ. Son of the living God and it's only in him that I would ever be able to be made righteous before God. It is thinking decisively to a definite and clear understanding.

38:28 So, brethren holy, brothers and sisters, holy ones, partakers, you have chosen Jesus. It's through the grace of God that he gave you faith in the first place and consider it. Think about it every way that you can. The apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus. He was faithful to him who appointed him.

38:57 Back back up to apostle and high priest for just a second. Apostle is one who has sent out and a priest, the high priest especially, is the one who can make a way for those who are unworthy away to a holy God who is absolutely worthy. So, the priest is a mediator between those two. The apostle and the high priest of our confession is Jesus and so, he is a message from God but he is a priest for us. So, it's looking at it from both perspectives.

39:32 He's both things. He was faithful to him who appointed him. So, he was faithful to him. That is Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him, Jesus. This gets a little confusing with the pronouns here because it's about to move on from Jesus and God to Moses.

39:51 He was he was faithful to him who appointed him. Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him as Moses or the New Living says, just as or in the same way that just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. Jesus was faithful to God who appointed Jesus as Moses was also in all God's house. The as also was. That's a high, that's that's almost like an equal sign right there.

40:21 It's an equal sign saying, Jesus and Moses, Jesus is faithful and Moses is faithful. Jesus was faithful to what God gave him to do and so was Moses and for New Testament Christians, especially Southern Baptist from Georgia. Look at that and go, how in the world could he even start down that path? I know Jesus is superior, supreme. Well, I know it because of stuff like this.

40:44 The Bible says so. Moses though, when you're speaking to the Hebrews, who is there like Moses? And then he goes on and he says, or the author of Hebrews goes on and says, for he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. So Jesus has been counted of more glory than Moses. Do I have to explain glory?

41:10 I don't I don't think I do. The first little section of Hebrews was Jesus is better than the angels. This section is Jesus is better than Moses and then there are whole bunch of quotes from the Old Testament. We're not going to get to those quotes today that back up what he's saying about it and use Moses' story and the people of God's story. Jesus is better than Moses.

41:33 This is where it says so but look at this. So, if you might come from a New Testament Christian background in this century, you might think, yeah, Moses is just a Bible character. Jesus is Jesus. Yes, you're right but for these folks, they're like, there's plenty by better than Moses and you know how they got that? Listen to this.

41:49 This is from numbers 12. Numbers 12, a Aaron and Miriam were grumbling. They were brothers and brother and sister to Moses, right? And they're grumbling about their brother, Moses. Murmur, murmur, murmur, murmur, it says, and then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and he stood at the doorway of the tent, the tabernacle, tent of meeting and he called Arian and Miriam.

42:10 Who had been murmuring against his servant Moses? And when they had both come forward, he said, now this is God almighty that's speaking from a pillar of cloud in front of the tabernacle to Aaron and Miriam and he said, hear now my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make myself known to him in a vision and I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant, Moses. He is faithful in all my household.

42:42 With him, I speak mouth to mouth. Even openly and not in dark sayings and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant against Moses? Moses is way up there. There's not anybody else like Moses.

43:01 Moses actually said in Deuteronomy 18, he said, be looking for a prophet, someone like me. Oh my goodness. He knew it. He knew that he was and and he he humbly accepted it. It's a difficult thing to take that on but he did and he walked it out and this writer of Hebrews says, he walked out faithfully.

43:19 He doesn't mention the striking the rocker, some of those other little things, you know? Does no murmuring against Moses. He speaks about the faithfulness. Numbers twelve five through eight right there. Not so with my servant Moses.

43:31 He serves faithfully in all my house. Writer Hebrews picks that up. It's an illusion to it but he picks it up and just minute after for he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Now, glory, I I think in a sports saturated society, we probably understand glory. Glory is that right there.

43:50 The guy in the middle on the gold platform is doing this which is funny to me. This is a ski jump guy. One, two, and three. It's gold, silver, and bronze. Right?

44:03 And which one's more glory? Gold. Yeah. Which one's more glory than bronze? Silver.

44:12 It is said though that first and third are easier because first, you're first. Third, you got a medal. Second, you're like, oh, just could've knocked that guy off. Glory, I think we get from that. If you wanted to look up the deck's definition, you Google it.

44:26 This is what you get. High renowned or honor won by notable achievements, renowned, fame, prestige, honor, distinction, kudos, eminence, preeminence, acclaim, acclamation, celebrity praise, accolades, laurels, recognition, note, notability, credit, reputation, repute, name, illustriousness, luster, and there are more. I don't think I need to go. Magnificence or great beauty, second definition, both of those fit, Jesus and most of those fit Moses but Jesus has been counted as worthy of more glory than Moses. To the Hebrews, this is a big big thing and it says, how much more though?

45:08 Was it gold to bronze, gold to silver? Was it Moses that place? Well, considering his audience, is it just by this much? Just by as much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. Okay.

45:24 I've got architects and builders in here and the fact that you have a beating heart and a soul, a house is a house. It's great house, nice house, good design but that happened in somebody's mind. That happened by the gift of a creative God to a creative soul that was able to get put these things together in just such an arrangement to make it a glorious place. So, Jesus is compared to Moses and just that way it says, that's kind of a soft way of saying way better. Way, way, way better.

45:57 I want you to consider this. It's a little bit longer story. Imma concentrate on what's underlined right there. Now, when Jesus came, this is Matthew sixteen thirteen. Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea, Philippi, he was asking his disciples, who do people say that the son of man is?

46:16 And they said, well, some say it's John the Baptist and some say, Elijah but still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets and he said, but who do you say that I am? Who do you, the folks who've been following me around? Learning from me, seeing me every single day up in the morning, down at night, for sleep, human, and divine. He said, to them, but who do you say that I am? And Simon, Peter, Impecus one always speaks first just about.

46:47 You're the Christ. You're the son of the living God and Jesus said to him, blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah. That's his old name, right? Simon, son of Jonah. Simon Bar Jonah.

46:56 Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you. But my father who is in heaven I also say to you that you are now Peter and upon this rock, you're the Christ, the son of the living God. The foundation is trust in Christ. Upon this rock, I will build my church. I will build my, in this context, it says, church but the house of God.

47:26 Christ is the one who's building the house of God. I say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock, confession of the Christ. I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower. We'll be crashed in the very gates of hell. Just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than that house.

47:48 Christ, we're the continuing body of Christ but Christ is preeminent. Without him, there's no head to this continuing body. By just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house for every house is built by someone. That's a good point right there. Every house is built by someone.

48:07 Houses don't build themselves. Peter says that we're being built up as living stones to be a household for people of God, right? We are being built up. Houses don't build themselves. So, the presence of a house implies that there was a builder and probably more than that, a builder, an architect, a lot of different people specialized skills, gathering materials, all that.

48:32 Houses don't build themselves to the present of house implies there was a builder. For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God. He skips back beyond that. Builder of all things is God. All that is didn't just happen either.

48:49 Creation implies that there was at least a creator and is a creator. I think it implies that too. Now, the whole book of Hebrews is connected by those therefore therefore ands, nows, however buts. It's connected in a continuous string. The whole book For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God.

49:10 Now, Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant. That's why went back to numbers. He really was. We might not think of him that way but that's because of the twenty centuries of history that have happened. Moses was faithful as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later.

49:33 How many things do we teach in the New Testament go back and grab an Old Testament example of the way that God works or the way that God has foreshadowed. It's all over the place especially in the wilderness and Moses and that's where we're going in verse seven. That's what we get to but we're only going to six today. A testimony of those things which were to be spoken later but Christ was faithful as a son over his house. So, Moses was faithful as a servant.

49:58 Christ was faithful as a son. I I've hesitated to use this example. I'm going do it anyway. So, my name is Ray McDaniel named after my grandfather, Raymond McDaniel and he owned sawmill and you all heard that before. He had a lot of land because you buy little tracks of timber and little there and he bought some land together and to pay the taxes on the land, eventually, he leases it out to Fulton County Dog Slayers.

50:24 I'm sorry. They were people that came down from Atlanta to hunt deer. They ended up shooting a lot of people's dogs for some reason but not those particular ones on our hunting lease But there's a hunting lease on the land, and those guys came down, and they were there. And they did put out a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and they put up their buses and the campers and things. And they stayed there, and they kind of sojourned on the land during hunting season, and they sat around campfires and did stuff.

50:51 But it wasn't their land, right? And so my brother and I and other people would go down because it is our land and he wrote it into the lease that it's our land. And so any of us get to go wherever we want to whenever we want to and we did, you know. My brother was down. He's a couple years younger than me and had a cousin with him and both grandsons of my grandfather, Raymond Rex, my gang and one of the guys on the hunt and he said, y'all can't be around here and kind of chased him off.

51:16 Brandished a gun, chased him off. And so we got back home. My brother said to my granddaddy, he said, I was down on the in the bottoms. We called the bottoms. Down in the bottoms.

51:26 And a fellow with a gun told me I couldn't be there. And it made my granddaddy pretty mad. And he said, alright. You head on back down there. Go right where you were.

51:39 He said, he had a gun. He goes, you tell that man, I'm a Mac Daniel. That's the way they pronounce it in Georgia. He said, I'm a McDaniel. Can't you say sir?

51:51 Because if he couldn't, he didn't belong on that land. Does that make sense? It's a close one to the heart right there. It makes a difference whether you're somebody Come along that's made a deal or if you're the son and Moses at that point, Christ had not come but he's looking forward to what God had for me. He spoke to him.

52:10 He understood it probably better than anybody. Isaiah after him understood it pretty well but it's not the same thing to be a part of the house and a servant of the house as it is to be a son or grandson in our our case, right? Moses served faithfully as a servant. No one like Moses, not so. Face to faith, mouth to mouth, he sees my form.

52:31 I know him but Christ is God. Then we go into whose house we are. We're going to go into a time of communion right now and I'll come back to this verse next week and we'll start from here this little section and jump into the Old Testament quotes after it. Whose house we are? This is we are a part of the house of God.

52:54 Christ is the son of God. He is faithful over the entire house. He has made the way. He has made us holy and offered the heavenly calling that if you have answered, he is making you a partaker of. It is all about Jesus and consider him carefully all the way to the end of it and we are his house.

53:16 There's a big if right after that. It says, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end, don't go back to this old covenant because that old covenant was pointing towards Jesus. Don't go back to whatever it was that you had in mind originally as what was right, wrong. Go to Jesus. If you put your faith in him, stick with him.

53:41 That's what the writer of Hebrews is trying to convince them and us to do. So, we're going to carefully consider Jesus right now. I'm going to invite the elders forward and band, you want to

53:54 come up or what do we do usually? Let Florine play a little bit.

53:57 Play something pretty, please. God almighty, we thank you for giving us your son. There is a redeemer as we sang last week. Jesus, God's own son. Faithful over the entire house of God, did everything that was necessary to build that house.

54:18 Designer, he upholds all things by the enabling word of his power. Let us thoroughly consider this Jesus. Lord God, our faithful brother, Moses, before him, was great. Did you say so? We believe you.

54:39 But Jesus is just so much better than him just like the designer and builder of a house is better than that house. I'm glad to be a part of the house of God alongside my brother, Moses and Abraham, Isaiah, so many that look forward to that column. We're looking back on it lord and what we look back on is the cross, the perfect life of Jesus represented in the bread and the sacrificial death and atonement represented in the cup. Lord God, we ask you if you would bless right now that you would confirm our choosing and resolve to stay firm until the end and we celebrate your death and the new life given through the new covenant. At this time, lord, would you bless bread as we distribute it and lord, would you bless each who partakes and if there be anyone here who doesn't, lord, I pray that you would soften their hearts to receive your word.

59:22 On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after he had given thanks, he broke it and he said to his disciples, this is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat. Do it in remembrance of me. I pray Lord Jesus that we would thoroughly consider everything that we know of your life and everything that your spirit is speaking into ours. Thank you for making that sacrificial payment Thank you for emptying yourself of all the glories of heaven and coming in, taking a humble position in order to be able to do that.

1:00:16 Thank you God for receiving that offering in our on our behalf. We now lord, go to the time of the cup where we consider the the sacrifice in Jesus' blood. Innocent blood was shed so that our guilty, guilty, guilty souls be set free. In Jesus name, we ask your blessing on this cup. Amen.

1:06:20 Paul says, we, when we do this, we proclaim his death until he comes again. Would you stand with me and we're going to Carl's not up here. Are we going to sing the doxology, Carl? Alright, let's do that. Would you just sing with me?

1:06:35 A sung benediction this morning. Praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here below praise him above you heavenly host praise father son and holy ghost. Amen.

1:07:11 Amen.

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