WEBVTT 00:00:01.562 --> 00:00:16.573 I'm going to read the first four verses of this book Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1 to 4. 00:00:16.573 --> 00:00:24.792 Long ago, god spoke to our ancestors by the prophets, at different times and in different ways. 00:00:24.792 --> 00:00:28.899 God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 00:00:28.899 --> 00:00:31.082 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. 00:00:31.082 --> 00:00:35.828 God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 00:00:35.828 --> 00:00:45.310 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 00:00:45.310 --> 00:00:50.328 After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. 00:00:50.328 --> 00:00:57.707 So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs. 00:00:57.707 --> 00:01:02.494 Lord, we want to see Christ. 00:01:02.494 --> 00:01:03.624 It's our prayer. 00:01:03.624 --> 00:01:05.228 Lord, show us your glory. 00:01:05.228 --> 00:01:11.653 Show us your glory in the face of your son, that we might be satisfied in knowing him more deeply. 00:01:11.653 --> 00:01:14.027 What a glorious book this is. 00:01:14.027 --> 00:01:16.168 All the scripture is given and it's profitable for us. 00:01:16.168 --> 00:01:19.569 So let us find great profit in this book tonight. 00:01:19.569 --> 00:01:30.460 In Jesus' name, amen, name, amen. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:35.052 If you're struggling to read the book of Leviticus, take the book of Hebrews and read that alongside the book of Leviticus. 00:01:35.052 --> 00:01:38.179 If you're struggling to read the book of Leviticus. 00:01:38.179 --> 00:01:41.789 To read the book of Hebrews, you got to read the whole Old Testament. 00:01:41.789 --> 00:01:57.492 The writer of Hebrews we don't know who the writer is, but the writer of Hebrews does a masterful job of showing readers how all the Old Testament scriptures are pointing forward to Christ and to his greatness. 00:01:57.492 --> 00:02:09.325 And the writer mentions you don't have to turn over there right now, but the writer mentions in chapter 13, verse 22, that he's writing a message of exhortation. 00:02:09.325 --> 00:02:14.814 What is that message of exhortation in the book of Hebrews? 00:02:14.814 --> 00:02:26.534 Here it is in a nutshell Because Jesus is greater than everything else, we should keep trusting in him. 00:02:26.534 --> 00:02:37.094 Because Jesus is greater than everything else, we should keep trusting in him. 00:02:37.094 --> 00:02:48.324 So we're going to look first at the greatness of Jesus and then we'll consider several of these exhortations throughout the letter to keep trusting in him. 00:02:48.324 --> 00:02:55.663 So here's how I have it broken down and there's more complex outlines that you could look up and find. 00:02:55.663 --> 00:03:14.685 But I have chapter 1, verse 4, through chapter 2, chapter 2, verse 18, as Jesus greater than the angels. 00:03:14.685 --> 00:03:25.317 Then especially chapter 3, verse 2, to chapter 4, verse 11 Jesus as greater than the priests. 00:03:25.317 --> 00:03:28.206 So first angels. 00:03:30.241 --> 00:03:35.372 If you look there at verse number four, I just read verses one through four of Hebrews, chapter one. 00:03:35.372 --> 00:03:52.792 It says that he became superior to the angels, he inherited a name more excellent than theirs, unless we think, okay, so Jesus was a human and then he did such a great job that God gave him a raise, so to speak. 00:03:52.792 --> 00:04:15.370 That's not what the writer is saying, because if you look down to verse number 8, to the Son, this is what the Father says your throne, god, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 00:04:15.370 --> 00:04:21.944 So Jesus is greater than the angels because only Jesus is equal with God. 00:04:21.944 --> 00:04:32.456 He is a son to the Father, a son to the Father from eternity past, a son to the Father renewed and announced in his work. 00:04:32.456 --> 00:04:40.089 In coming into the world as the God-man, as the human mediator, an angel didn't take on human flesh. 00:04:40.089 --> 00:04:51.548 An angel's not equal with God, an angel's not the Son of God in the way that Jesus himself is the son of God and, importantly, angels don't redeem. 00:04:51.548 --> 00:04:55.021 Jesus is greater than angels because only he can redeem. 00:04:55.541 --> 00:04:56.803 Look over in chapter two. 00:04:56.803 --> 00:05:03.334 There the writer speaks of Jesus as the preeminent human. 00:05:03.334 --> 00:05:20.362 Jesus as the preeminent human, still God, from chapter 1, but now taking on this role of Adam in subduing the earth, and you see Jesus crowned with glory and honor in verse number 9 of chapter 2, suffering death. 00:05:20.362 --> 00:05:23.247 And then look at verse number 10. 00:05:23.247 --> 00:05:31.771 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, so we can be a son of God, not in the same divine sense that Jesus is, but truly in him. 00:05:31.771 --> 00:05:49.149 It was entirely appropriate that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings, of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 00:05:49.149 --> 00:05:50.956 So Jesus is the pioneer of salvation. 00:05:50.956 --> 00:05:51.399 Only he redeems. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:55.541 Verse number 13,. 00:05:55.541 --> 00:05:55.963 I will trust in him. 00:05:55.963 --> 00:05:56.846 Here I am with the children God gave me. 00:05:56.846 --> 00:05:57.730 Jesus came with this mission of redemption. 00:05:57.730 --> 00:05:58.031 Verse 14,. 00:05:58.031 --> 00:06:12.442 Since the children have flesh and blood in common, jesus also shared in these so that through his he might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by fear of death. 00:06:12.442 --> 00:06:14.004 Verse 17,. 00:06:14.004 --> 00:06:16.430 He had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way. 00:06:16.430 --> 00:06:24.262 He had to become human in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest, and we're already moving ahead to that third way. 00:06:24.343 --> 00:06:26.569 Jesus is greater than the priest. 00:06:26.569 --> 00:06:28.696 We'll come back to that in a few minutes here. 00:06:28.696 --> 00:06:34.331 But just note right now he did it to make atonement, verse 17, for the sins of the people. 00:06:34.331 --> 00:06:38.642 So we have Jesus greater than angels. 00:06:38.642 --> 00:06:44.694 I've never had a direct encounter with an angel, that I was at least aware of. 00:06:44.694 --> 00:06:55.110 Whenever that happens in scripture, they're awesome, awe-inspiring creatures, and yet Jesus is more awesome and awe-inspiring than even the greatest angel. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:02.851 Second category of examples of things that Jesus is great he's great in everything. 00:07:02.851 --> 00:07:08.062 Angels things that Jesus is greater he's greater than everything. 00:07:08.062 --> 00:07:08.644 Angels also prophets. 00:07:08.644 --> 00:07:09.747 God says it at the beginning here. 00:07:09.747 --> 00:07:16.911 In this contrast, in the opening verses, I read chapter 1, verse 1, he spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times, in different ways. 00:07:16.911 --> 00:07:19.766 Isaiah we're going through on Sunday morning, very important prophet. 00:07:19.766 --> 00:07:25.550 And yet verse 2, in these last days he's spoken to us by his son. 00:07:25.550 --> 00:07:27.625 Do you hear how it heightens? 00:07:27.625 --> 00:07:28.862 There's the prophets. 00:07:28.862 --> 00:07:30.608 As great as they are, christ is greater. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.326 Look over to chapter 3. 00:07:32.326 --> 00:07:43.668 Jesus is faithful chapter 3, verse 2, to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was in all God's household. 00:07:43.668 --> 00:07:48.350 Moses, great man, faithful, prophet of God. 00:07:48.350 --> 00:07:58.142 And then the writer goes on to say in verse 5, moses was faithful as a servant in all God's household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. 00:07:58.142 --> 00:08:09.072 But Christ was faithful as a son over the household, servant son, lesser, greater. 00:08:09.072 --> 00:08:12.475 It's all God's plan, it's all God's house. 00:08:12.475 --> 00:08:15.117 But Jesus is greater than Moses. 00:08:15.117 --> 00:08:23.709 This goes all the way back to Deuteronomy where the Lord said even through Moses, I'll raise up a prophet like you from among your brothers. 00:08:23.709 --> 00:08:24.567 You'll listen to him, looking ahead to Christ, who fulfills that. 00:08:24.567 --> 00:08:25.012 So he's greater than Moses. 00:08:25.012 --> 00:08:25.415 I'll raise up a prophet like you from among your brothers. 00:08:25.415 --> 00:08:27.826 You'll listen to him, looking ahead to Christ, who fulfills that. 00:08:27.826 --> 00:08:29.550 So he's greater than Moses. 00:08:30.052 --> 00:08:35.912 And then, as the writer goes on, he describes the history of Israel going into the promised land under Joshua. 00:08:35.912 --> 00:08:42.623 Joshua not spoken of quite as directly as a prophet, but a leader of the people, one who was giving God's word to the people at different times. 00:08:42.623 --> 00:08:49.614 And so the whole nation, under the guidance of leaders and prophets, is going into the promised land. 00:08:49.614 --> 00:08:53.303 And yet they struggled to find their true rest. 00:08:53.303 --> 00:09:06.951 And the contrast in chapter 4 is Joshua who, as a great spokesman and leader of God, he gives partial rest, temporary rest in the land, but not the final rest. 00:09:07.751 --> 00:09:09.294 So look at chapter 4, verse 1. 00:09:09.294 --> 00:09:15.145 Since the promise to enter his rest remains. 00:09:15.145 --> 00:09:20.601 Let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 00:09:20.601 --> 00:09:54.366 So he takes the promise from the Old Testament and says that's still applicable for you people that I'm writing to the rest, there still remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God and he it's a bit of a complicated argument, but he's reading his Bible and putting in order God's history of dealing with his people and he says well, wait, if David says in Psalms later, after Joshua there's rest, that even though Joshua did get them into the land and the land was called the place of rest, they got in there. 00:09:54.366 --> 00:09:59.461 But David later is saying about rest, so that means Joshua couldn't have given him the final rest. 00:09:59.461 --> 00:10:19.341 Aha, there's a pattern of rest from the creation of the world to Joshua, to David, to the greater son, jesus Christ, and, as he says in chapter four, those who verse 10, enter into Christ's rest rests from their own works. 00:10:19.341 --> 00:10:22.712 We believe and trust the words of Jesus. 00:10:22.712 --> 00:10:27.197 Come in here, come unto me all you that labor and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. 00:10:27.197 --> 00:10:31.256 He's greater than Joshua, greater than Moses, greater than all these Old Testament prophets. 00:10:31.256 --> 00:10:34.797 He's also greater than the priests. 00:10:35.269 --> 00:10:40.475 A good chunk of Hebrews is taken up with Jesus as the final and great high priest. 00:10:40.475 --> 00:10:52.710 Look at chapter 5, verse 1. 00:10:52.710 --> 00:10:58.179 Every high priest taken from among men is appointed, in matters pertaining to God, for the people to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 00:10:58.179 --> 00:11:06.759 And this is where, in this section of Hebrews for sins, and this is where, in this section of Hebrews Leviticus, you know why all these sacrifices, why all these animals being slaughtered. 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:15.023 Hebrews helps to give us a theological accounting, a divine interpretation of why those events were necessary. 00:11:15.684 --> 00:11:24.384 But if you're just reading through your New Testament Bible and you just read Hebrews, you might be a little confused as to what priest, what sacrifices. 00:11:24.384 --> 00:11:27.700 Well, that's going back to the whole Old Testament structure. 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:43.508 So in the Old Testament, in the Old Covenant, god established various human priests through the line of Levi and they were a kind of mediary, a go-between between the nation of Israel and God. 00:11:43.508 --> 00:11:46.174 People would bring gifts and sacrifices. 00:11:46.174 --> 00:11:48.039 The people would offer those on their behalf. 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:51.979 They would communicate in different ways God's blessing to the people. 00:11:51.979 --> 00:11:53.634 The Lord bless you and keep make his face shining. 00:11:53.634 --> 00:11:56.350 So these priests were go-betweens, and it says that there. 00:11:56.350 --> 00:11:59.222 And it says that there. 00:11:59.970 --> 00:12:09.529 And then it says in verse number three that those old covenant priests had to make an offering for their own sins as well as for the people. 00:12:09.529 --> 00:12:15.014 As important as the priests were, you couldn't. 00:12:15.014 --> 00:12:20.738 In the Old Testament it wasn't like you know, johnny from the tribe of Benjamin, what do you want to do when you grow up? 00:12:20.738 --> 00:12:22.899 I really think I'd like to be one of those priests. 00:12:22.899 --> 00:12:24.320 I'm going to train for that. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.160 That wasn't an option. 00:12:26.160 --> 00:12:30.703 You had to get called and selected by God and it was really only one tribe. 00:12:30.703 --> 00:12:34.447 So this is a special group of people, but as special as they were. 00:12:34.927 --> 00:12:42.433 You read through Leviticus, other parts of the Old Testament. 00:12:42.433 --> 00:12:44.830 They couldn't presume to stand between people and God as though they were a pure channel of connection. 00:12:44.830 --> 00:12:46.897 They had to purify themselves. 00:12:46.897 --> 00:12:49.158 They had to offer sacrifices for themselves. 00:12:49.158 --> 00:12:55.840 So already in the Old Testament there were signs that these priests are not all that's necessary. 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.139 Even they themselves need redemption. 00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:04.956 Verse number five and this is the humility of our Lord. 00:13:04.956 --> 00:13:14.618 Even Christ himself did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God said to him you are my son. 00:13:14.618 --> 00:13:20.897 Today I become your father, and also in another place, you are a priest forever. 00:13:20.897 --> 00:13:34.580 According to the order of Melchizedek, jesus didn't come from the tribe of Levi, so he must be disqualified from being God's priest. 00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:35.735 Not so fast. 00:13:35.735 --> 00:13:46.437 The writer again is reading his Old Testament so carefully and saying, yes, during the old covenant time the priests were from this specific tribe. 00:13:46.437 --> 00:13:50.432 But is that all that the Old Testament has to say about priests? 00:13:50.432 --> 00:13:52.779 What about this guy, melchizedek? 00:13:52.779 --> 00:13:54.946 And you might miss it. 00:13:54.986 --> 00:14:03.514 It's a story in Genesis that doesn't get pages and pages of attention, although the name of Melchizedek is brought up later in Psalms. 00:14:03.514 --> 00:14:15.953 So there's a repeated already in Scripture, this pattern of biblical writers, like the psalmist in Psalm 110, looking back to Melchizedek and saying there was a picture there of something greater. 00:14:15.953 --> 00:14:24.605 So he summarizes some of these events of God's work through Melchizedek in chapter 7. 00:14:24.605 --> 00:14:51.852 And if you go back and look at the story, there's a battle and then, after the battle, this man, this priest of the Most High God, this king of Salem, a king and a priest, this royal priestly figure, melchizedek, comes out to bless Abraham and then he kind of goes off the scene and we don't know exactly where he came from or where he's going. 00:14:52.774 --> 00:15:03.032 And the writer makes a comparison, an analogy to Jesus and says that Melchizedek, we never learned who his parents were, we never learned about his death. 00:15:03.032 --> 00:15:10.015 I don't think the writer is saying that he wasn't a human being, but, just in the way the story is told, he's just there. 00:15:10.015 --> 00:15:20.600 Well, jesus, in a much greater way than Melchizedek, truly never had a beginning, truly will never, ever have an end. 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:24.885 So the old covenant priests kept dying. 00:15:24.885 --> 00:15:29.859 That's why they had to get more people, because they would serve for a time. 00:15:29.859 --> 00:15:36.716 Then death Jesus himself died, but he didn't remain dead. 00:15:36.716 --> 00:15:39.541 He's even at God's right hand. 00:15:39.802 --> 00:15:46.018 So if you look over to chapter 10, look at verse 19. 00:15:46.018 --> 00:15:58.673 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain, that is, through his flesh. 00:15:58.673 --> 00:16:08.442 There was a curtain that divided the most holy place from the rest of the temple complex when Jesus died. 00:16:08.442 --> 00:16:15.592 This curtain is torn in two and we have access into the true sanctuary of heaven, the spiritual place where God dwells, to have communion with him. 00:16:15.592 --> 00:16:26.159 Again, let us draw near with a full heart and full assurance of faith, and then he'll go on, and I'll come back to this exhortation. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:31.182 But Jesus has ascended to the true tabernacle of heaven. 00:16:31.182 --> 00:16:36.721 That's the original copy of which that old covenant temple was just a shadow. 00:16:36.721 --> 00:16:39.339 He's ascended there living forever. 00:16:39.870 --> 00:16:41.951 How much greater is he than the priest that he lives forever? 00:16:41.951 --> 00:16:48.663 And he offers a sacrifice not of lambs, bulls, goats. 00:16:48.663 --> 00:16:53.221 He's greater than the priest because he offers a sacrifice of himself. 00:16:53.221 --> 00:17:00.049 Go back, if you will, to chapter eight. 00:17:00.049 --> 00:17:01.072 Go back, if you will, to chapter 8. 00:17:01.072 --> 00:17:08.811 The main point of what is being said is this this is verse 1. 00:17:08.811 --> 00:17:19.075 We have this kind of high priest who sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven, verse 6. 00:17:19.075 --> 00:17:34.064 But Jesus has obtained a superior ministry and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant which has been established on better promises. 00:17:34.064 --> 00:17:42.503 Chapter 10 emphasizes he's offered a perfect sacrifice, without blemish, without spot. 00:17:42.503 --> 00:17:44.115 So he lives forever. 00:17:44.115 --> 00:17:47.239 He's offered the perfect sacrifice. 00:17:47.239 --> 00:17:53.999 He's this once for all, great high priest in the order of Melchizedek and he brings in a whole better covenant. 00:17:53.999 --> 00:17:59.843 The old covenant was administered by those priests. 00:17:59.843 --> 00:18:14.212 So the writer's logic here in these chapters if there's a change in the priesthood, now, this eternal order of Mechazik, this Christ, there's going to be a change of the covenant that the priests administered and the new covenant is better than the old covenant. 00:18:14.232 --> 00:18:19.775 The writer takes the words of Jeremiah and says it's here it's been inaugurated and begun in Jesus Christ. 00:18:19.775 --> 00:18:22.942 It's true, and it's not just, as we heard this morning, for Jews. 00:18:22.942 --> 00:18:29.200 It's true for all who turn in faith and repent and believe and trust in Christ's sacrificial work on their behalf. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.596 So look at chapter 8. 00:18:31.596 --> 00:18:35.154 You can see this, verse number 7. 00:18:35.154 --> 00:18:38.856 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one. 00:18:38.856 --> 00:18:49.096 But finding fault with his people, he says the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. 00:18:49.679 --> 00:18:57.438 And then he goes on to speak of forgiveness of sins, of intimate knowledge of the Lord, of hearts being written and engraven with the law. 00:18:57.438 --> 00:19:00.782 Without Christ, none of this is possible. 00:19:00.782 --> 00:19:10.751 Without Christ we'd have remembrance of sins year after year, temporary passing over, but in Christ we have fullness, we have joy. 00:19:10.751 --> 00:19:33.313 So Jesus, this one who is greater than angels, greater than prophets, greater than priests, and of course the covenant he brings in is greater in its effectiveness and the ministry of the Spirit and the power of work in our hearts. 00:19:33.313 --> 00:19:38.063 These are examples of the main point the writer is making. 00:19:38.063 --> 00:19:39.994 How marvelous is the Lord. 00:19:40.958 --> 00:19:42.451 We think of the words of John's gospel. 00:19:42.451 --> 00:19:50.396 Time would fail to tell of even more ways that Jesus is greater than prophets and priests, ways that he's greater than kings. 00:19:50.396 --> 00:19:54.094 That's not focused on as much in the book of Hebrews, it's more of a priestly focus. 00:19:54.094 --> 00:19:57.182 But he's greater than everything else, everything you could imagine. 00:19:57.182 --> 00:20:00.375 And so what do we do with that? 00:20:00.375 --> 00:20:02.971 We should keep trusting in him. 00:20:02.971 --> 00:20:10.263 The logic is not merely it's the right thing for you to do, just to trust, that's true. 00:20:10.263 --> 00:20:12.555 But he's giving you all these reasons. 00:20:12.555 --> 00:20:16.571 He's painting this portrait of, in light of the glory of Christ. 00:20:16.571 --> 00:20:18.998 How would you not want to keep trusting in him? 00:20:19.900 --> 00:20:22.332 So let's survey a few of these words of exhortation. 00:20:22.332 --> 00:20:27.282 Go back to chapter 2, verse 1. 00:20:27.282 --> 00:20:36.256 For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we've heard, so that we will not drift away. 00:20:36.256 --> 00:20:50.904 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression, disobedience, received the just punishment, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? 00:20:50.904 --> 00:21:08.414 We must pay attention all the more to the words that we hear, to the words that we hear when we hear scripture being read. 00:21:08.414 --> 00:21:10.598 It's not tradition, it's not merely to give us a moral compass. 00:21:10.598 --> 00:21:20.821 It's the words of the living God that are bringing our souls along to glory and helping inform and fuel and motivate our faith. 00:21:20.821 --> 00:21:22.565 Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word. 00:21:22.950 --> 00:21:23.951 Let's go over to chapter three. 00:21:23.951 --> 00:21:33.932 Another example of this he's talked about how Israel was largely unbelieving. 00:21:33.932 --> 00:21:49.587 They didn't get to enter the promised land because of unbelief Verse 12, watch out, brothers and sisters, so there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 00:21:49.587 --> 00:21:54.807 He's he's giving a sincere warning. 00:21:54.807 --> 00:22:00.442 He's not trying to make people believe they're not saved when they are. 00:22:00.442 --> 00:22:03.048 He is trying to encourage them. 00:22:03.048 --> 00:22:08.104 Christ's greatness doesn't mean you should be less urgent about your faith. 00:22:08.104 --> 00:22:10.807 That means you should be even more urgent about your faith. 00:22:10.807 --> 00:22:21.192 And then he brings in, at more than one place in this book, the importance of our work together to be trusting in the Lord. 00:22:21.192 --> 00:22:22.885 Look at verse 13 of Hebrews. 00:22:22.905 --> 00:22:23.126 3. 00:22:23.126 --> 00:22:26.669 Encourage each other daily. 00:22:26.669 --> 00:22:30.749 Yes, we should read the Bible on our own. 00:22:30.749 --> 00:22:32.086 Yes, we've got access to it. 00:22:32.086 --> 00:22:40.948 But part of this walk of faith is grabbing someone else's hand and saying let's walk in faith together today. 00:22:40.948 --> 00:22:46.269 When you're discouraged, letting someone else take your hand and say let's walk in faith together today. 00:22:46.269 --> 00:22:49.205 I want to keep trusting in Jesus, don't you want to keep trusting in Jesus? 00:22:49.205 --> 00:23:03.423 Over to chapter six. 00:23:03.463 --> 00:23:04.065 Let's go to chapter six. 00:23:04.065 --> 00:23:08.229 Well, let's go to chapter four first. 00:23:08.229 --> 00:23:10.631 Chapter four first, verse 14,. 00:23:10.631 --> 00:23:25.502 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 00:23:25.502 --> 00:23:30.133 That's not just the words that we articulate, that's the heart expression of what's true about Jesus and our trust in him. 00:23:30.133 --> 00:23:33.065 He's perfected in glory. 00:23:33.065 --> 00:23:36.321 We're going to meet him, keep confessing him and trusting him. 00:23:36.321 --> 00:23:44.469 Just like Walter gave us a wonderful example of that with his ride with the tow truck driver, we want to keep that confession before us. 00:23:44.469 --> 00:23:53.983 And then he goes on to say we do not have a high priest who's unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but has been tempted in every way, as we are yet without sin. 00:23:53.983 --> 00:23:56.628 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace. 00:23:56.628 --> 00:23:59.755 We need help in our walk of faith. 00:23:59.755 --> 00:24:02.188 We're called to continue believing. 00:24:02.188 --> 00:24:04.528 We need grace to continue believing. 00:24:04.528 --> 00:24:07.205 So ask for grace to continue trusting in God. 00:24:07.205 --> 00:24:08.328 And he gives it. 00:24:08.328 --> 00:24:10.825 He's generous, he doesn't chide us. 00:24:10.825 --> 00:24:13.768 Okay, now let's go over to chapter six. 00:24:24.020 --> 00:24:33.318 Chapter six and this is a passage there's a couple of these in Hebrews that are particularly sobering and they can trouble Christians sometimes that are particularly sobering and they can trouble Christians sometimes. 00:24:33.318 --> 00:24:48.226 But he says here in verse number four of chapter six it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God's good word and the powers of the coming age. 00:24:48.226 --> 00:24:51.769 It's impossible to renew them to repentance. 00:24:51.769 --> 00:24:56.603 Is the writer saying someone who's truly saved can lose their salvation? 00:24:56.603 --> 00:24:58.749 No, he's not saying that. 00:24:58.749 --> 00:25:06.825 We know that because of so many other scriptures, including scriptures right here in Hebrews, that when we're in Christ's hands we can't be taken out of his hands. 00:25:06.825 --> 00:25:09.029 He's the author and finisher of faith. 00:25:09.029 --> 00:25:16.183 But I do think we want to put warnings like this together with the rest of the warnings of Hebrews. 00:25:16.183 --> 00:25:24.192 I don't think this is a different thing than the regular staccato pattern he's given throughout the book of keep trusting, keep trusting. 00:25:24.192 --> 00:25:30.041 I believe better things, he's going to say even in chapter six I believe better things of you, things that accompany salvation, keep trusting. 00:25:30.041 --> 00:25:41.133 So these warnings, and this very serious warning is meant to urge us on to believe, not to make us think man, I'm probably not a believer. 00:25:42.961 --> 00:25:47.112 This is how Spurgeon talks about some of these passages, this one in particular. 00:25:47.112 --> 00:25:55.972 Charles Spurgeon says that someone might say well, you say they cannot fall away. 00:25:55.972 --> 00:26:00.919 In other words, a true Christian will never completely abandon Christ once and for all. 00:26:00.919 --> 00:26:02.122 They won't lose their salvation. 00:26:02.122 --> 00:26:10.103 What is the use Spurgeon says, of putting in this if, if it's like a ghost that has no existence? 00:26:10.103 --> 00:26:12.209 My friend God has put it in. 00:26:12.209 --> 00:26:13.352 He has wise reasons. 00:26:13.352 --> 00:26:17.619 It is put in if you do this, you won't, et cetera. 00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:21.590 It is put in to keep you from falling away. 00:26:21.590 --> 00:26:27.813 God preserves his children, but he keeps them by the use of means. 00:26:27.813 --> 00:26:32.426 There is a deep precipice. 00:26:32.426 --> 00:26:38.601 There is a deep precipice. 00:26:38.601 --> 00:26:40.344 What is the best way to keep anyone from going down there to the deep precipice? 00:26:40.344 --> 00:26:40.424 Why? 00:26:40.424 --> 00:26:44.571 To tell him, if he did, he would inevitably dash to pieces. 00:26:44.571 --> 00:26:47.242 You understand the logic of what he's saying there. 00:26:47.242 --> 00:26:50.330 He's not saying well, what if I really went down there? 00:26:50.330 --> 00:26:52.304 Would I really be killed because god says I couldn't be? 00:26:52.304 --> 00:26:54.468 It's not to give you that kind of reasoning. 00:26:54.468 --> 00:26:59.105 There's the precipice If you go down there, you'll be dashed to pieces. 00:26:59.105 --> 00:27:01.741 Well, I don't want to go down there, I want to keep trusting in Jesus. 00:27:01.741 --> 00:27:03.185 That's what he's doing here. 00:27:03.185 --> 00:27:05.672 He's motivating our faith, encouraging us on in the Lord. 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:19.384 Over to chapter 10. 00:27:19.384 --> 00:27:26.994 One more example of this word of exhortation that the greatness of Jesus over everything means we should keep trusting in him. 00:27:26.994 --> 00:27:28.336 Chapter 10, verse 23. 00:27:28.336 --> 00:27:29.959 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope. 00:27:29.959 --> 00:27:32.286 The second time that language of holding on to the confession has been used here. 00:27:32.286 --> 00:27:41.493 The confession of our hope, without wavering, since he who promised is faithful, tied back into God's faithfulness. 00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:47.131 The writer never says you've got strength on your own to persevere in the faith. 00:27:47.131 --> 00:27:51.246 He says God's faithful and he's worth trusting in continually. 00:27:51.246 --> 00:27:58.223 And then, once again, the writer brings us back to the need of one another, christians, in our life. 00:27:58.223 --> 00:27:59.942 Verse 24,. 00:27:59.942 --> 00:28:08.535 Let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works. 00:28:08.535 --> 00:28:18.031 Have you thought this week how could I provoke love in someone else? 00:28:18.031 --> 00:28:24.588 We do a good job of provoking other things besides love, don't we? 00:28:24.588 --> 00:28:28.521 But it takes intentionality right. 00:28:28.521 --> 00:28:30.167 That doesn't happen just accidentally. 00:28:30.167 --> 00:28:37.711 You've got to make it your aim and ambition to have Christian friends, that you're going to provoke them to love and good works. 00:28:37.711 --> 00:28:47.950 And the whole context these letters that were written, or perhaps this was even a sermon, some of the justice that was written down, but these were read aloud in churches. 00:28:49.092 --> 00:28:55.512 Church is a very basic and first place to be able to express these one another commands. 00:28:55.512 --> 00:29:15.030 So if you really want to keep trusting in Jesus, you're going to want to be committed to a church, you're going to want to be regularly gathering with the saints to worship, to encourage, to exhort to comfort, to speak about the glories of Christ the King, to exhort to comfort, to speak about the glories of Christ the King. 00:29:15.030 --> 00:29:21.819 So that would be a part of what it means to provoke to love. 00:29:21.819 --> 00:29:29.669 If you're very eager to speak to someone when they're out of line in your eyes, but you're not eager to speak about the greatness of Jesus, then you miss the flow of Hebrews. 00:29:29.669 --> 00:29:39.093 We're always pouring out the greatness of Jesus and then, in light of the greatness of Jesus, there are going to be occasions where we say look, this is how great Jesus is. 00:29:39.093 --> 00:29:43.310 Don't go that direction, keep following Christ, keep trusting in him. 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:57.845 Chapter 11 gives us these amazing examples of people who have trusted in Jesus and his greatness, and there's actually some encouragement here. 00:29:57.845 --> 00:30:07.692 There's some people we think of as great saints, but then some, like you know, aren't mentioned, and some that are mentioned kind of like whoa. 00:30:07.692 --> 00:30:10.143 That was a saint News to me. 00:30:10.143 --> 00:30:12.528 It mentions Samson. 00:30:12.528 --> 00:30:23.395 You read the Old Testament and judges you think it wasn't exactly a burning and shining light of wonderful, consistent faith, but there was some kind of seed of true faith in his heart. 00:30:23.395 --> 00:30:25.462 That must have lasted, Otherwise he wouldn't have been put in here. 00:30:25.462 --> 00:30:31.342 So hey, we're weak, we're going to falter, we're going to stumble, get up and keep walking. 00:30:31.342 --> 00:30:32.826 Altar, we're going to stumble, get up and keep walking. 00:30:32.826 --> 00:30:35.872 And in this chapter they're hoping. 00:30:35.872 --> 00:30:44.141 Not in the near term. 00:30:44.141 --> 00:30:44.943 It's all oriented towards the future. 00:30:44.943 --> 00:30:46.126 They knew they would attain a better resurrection. 00:30:46.126 --> 00:30:50.009 Moses yeah, there was treasures in Egypt, but he wanted to suffer with the people of God because he was looking ahead to the reward. 00:30:50.009 --> 00:30:53.384 They were looking for a city that has foundations as builder and maker, as God. 00:30:53.384 --> 00:31:01.665 As you read through this chapter all throughout, it's future, future, future, better resurrection, better hope, better city, better glory to come. 00:31:04.601 --> 00:31:05.144 Chapter 12. 00:31:05.144 --> 00:31:18.473 We're going to be winding down and conclude here, but really I think the whole book of Hebrews is nicely summed up in chapter 12, verse 2. 00:31:18.473 --> 00:31:29.434 Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. 00:31:29.434 --> 00:31:32.420 How great is Jesus who began the good work? 00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:35.123 How great is Jesus that he's going to complete it? 00:31:35.123 --> 00:31:36.887 Where else can we go? 00:31:36.887 --> 00:31:38.230 Lord, you have the words of eternal life. 00:31:38.230 --> 00:31:40.041 Who else can I look to besides you? 00:31:40.041 --> 00:31:46.731 That's our focus, the place, and I want to. 00:31:47.373 --> 00:31:58.911 I'm not going to take more time with this, but just read Hebrews 12 sometime, maybe even this week, and it talks about us coming to the heavenly Mount Zion, some of those things Isaiah talked about. 00:31:58.911 --> 00:32:00.782 That's beginning now. 00:32:00.782 --> 00:32:03.971 It's not just future, but it's beginning now. 00:32:03.971 --> 00:32:12.188 And then the writer wonderfully leaves the people with this reminder again of what Jesus has accomplished. 00:32:12.188 --> 00:32:25.567 So if you look down to verse 12, jesus Hebrews 13, jesus also suffered outside the gate that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. 00:32:25.567 --> 00:32:30.092 Let us then go to him. 00:32:31.080 --> 00:32:40.191 There might be opposition, that comes along with it, but if we're standing next to Jesus, we can't be in any better place. 00:32:40.191 --> 00:32:48.888 He's verse 20, the great shepherd of the sheep. 00:32:48.888 --> 00:32:56.344 If you had Moses as your pastor, shepherd of the sheep, if you had Moses as your pastor, how great would that be. 00:32:56.344 --> 00:32:58.366 If you had David, as you know, your king, how great might that be. 00:32:58.366 --> 00:33:03.621 But we have Jesus as our prophet, priest and king. 00:33:03.621 --> 00:33:07.644 We have Jesus as the great shepherd who never sleeps. 00:33:07.644 --> 00:33:12.891 You might have trouble sleeping because you're worried. 00:33:12.891 --> 00:33:31.693 Jesus doesn't sleep because he's not worried in the sense that we are, but he is caring, he's watching over his people day and night, and a fundamental way that he's watching over us is to keep us in the faith, firm to the end. 00:33:31.693 --> 00:33:33.704 So keep trusting in him. 00:33:34.267 --> 00:33:34.627 Let's pray. 00:33:34.627 --> 00:33:44.788 Lord, how awesome are your works, how awesome is the son who's the radiance of your very glory, who reveals the image of God to us? 00:33:44.788 --> 00:33:50.070 And Lord, we have in Jesus the greatest of all shepherds. 00:33:50.070 --> 00:34:11.110 Thank you for our Lord, who has come to sacrifice himself, who has opened up this new and living way, that even now we're spiritually in the heavenly Jerusalem, alongside redeemed saints like Marge, who can worship before you in unhindered glory. 00:34:11.110 --> 00:34:16.931 Lord, give us a sense and an experience, a taste of eternal things. 00:34:16.931 --> 00:34:20.804 Forgive us for looking back at Egypt. 00:34:20.804 --> 00:34:27.661 Forgive us for listening to the tempter and, at times, to our own hearts. 00:34:27.661 --> 00:34:32.331 Lord, we want to grow strong in faith, giving glory to you. 00:34:32.331 --> 00:34:41.411 We want to never underestimate the greatness of our Christ, but to speak of him, to love him, to trust him. 00:34:41.411 --> 00:34:54.472 And, lord, let this be a regular pattern of our life, not a once a week pattern, not a once, even a once a day pattern, but the meat and drink and breathing of our souls would be. 00:34:54.472 --> 00:34:58.871 Christ is all in all, and we ask this in Jesus' name Amen.