God Has Spoken by His Son — Hebrews 1-3

0:00 Well, they should start talking here so they can adjust this. It's just such a beautiful day out there with this fall weather, and I'm just... I'm amazed that the grace of God that that he didn't... When curse, when sin came in the world, he didn't just curse everything and make it all brown with no color at all and still left us with beautiful fall and so much beauty out there. I just thank the lord for his mercy.

0:24 I really enjoyed Josh's presentation last week. I learned a lot. I got to admit that I didn't even know how to spell exegesis until he gave a lesson last week. But we're going be on a little bit lower level this week. But it was very good.

0:40 And at the end I was saying, man, is the time up already? So I really appreciated message last week and said a lot of things that very good and encouraging. And one thing that you mentioned also is hermeneutics. And, if I wrote my notes right, I'll just... The definition again of hermeneutics is a branch of knowledge dealing with interpretation or understanding.

1:05 Did I get that right? And then exegesis is the critical explanation or meaning. And then, isoagogics. Now, that's one I definitely, I don't think I'd ever heard of that one. But that is introductions, the study of textual introductions, who, what, when, where, and why.

1:29 And he also mentioned that that Hebrews was written to help struggling Christians. And I can identify with that. World today. Before we go any further, let's just ask the lord's blessing on this time. Father, we thank you for your word.

2:01 Thank you for these hymns we've been singing. We thank you for your love to us. Loving us so much, you sent your son into the world, the lord Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins and we just thank you for that. We pray that you would bless each one here. Give us understanding and clarity and help us to discern what your message is for us today.

2:21 Pray that you would just speak through this earthen vessel. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Well, today's message is going to be a little bit maybe more gospel oriented. I realize that if I get too far beyond that, I can get over my head pretty easily but my heart's desire is to bring the gospel out and that's where I really if I have a passion for anything, it's a passion to just share the gospel of of Christ and how much he loves us and that's so clearly shown out if we can open our Bibles now to Hebrews chapter one.

2:57 Hebrews one and we're going to read through this text I suppose it would help if I put my glasses on here. Hebrews chapter one, we'll read through this and we may not get to comment on every verse, but we'll see how it goes here. God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

4:04 And again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to be a son. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he say it, and let all the angels of god worship him. And of the angels, he said, who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire? But unto the son, he say it, thy throne, oh god, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy kingdom.

4:31 Thou has loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore, god, even thy god hath anointed thee with oil, the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And thou lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.

4:58 But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them for them who shall be heirs of salvation? I'll just read the first verse of the next chapter. Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

5:52 Now, Hebrews were Jewish believers. Jewish believers. They were familiar with the law and the prophets. So, as we read through this book and will be in the coming weeks, there's a lot of references back to the Old Testament sacrifices and how much better the sacrifice of Christ is and you know, they were familiar with all those teachings. Scholars, there's a definition here.

6:18 Scholars believe Hebrews was written for Jewish Christians who lived at Jerusalem. Its purpose was to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. And there's reference to that in Hebrews ten thirty four. Just refer to this one minute here. Hebrews ten thirty four.

6:46 For you had compassion of me and my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Yet compassion in me and my bonds, took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Well, reminds me, though we don't know for sure that apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Some feel he do and I can feel that he did and I can understand how they could come to that conclusion reading a little snippet in Harry Ironside's book but one thing he mentioned and you don't have to say, you know, this is just the way it is but if you look at how Paul signed off in all of his letters, he always signed off with the grace of the lord be with you all. If you trace back, you can do this on your own time but look at how Paul ended all his letters and it was always like, grace be with you all and this person who wrote this was also a associate of Timothy which was brought out last week but everyone of Paul's epistles ends with something statement like that, grace be with you all.

8:04 Anyway, we know that god inspired his word and god preserved his word for us and if I mistakenly say, Paul said this or that. You know, you'll bear with me here. I can understand how somebody could come to that conclusion though if they're looking just at that, the way Paul signed off his letters, it's very very similar in the end of Hebrews here. But they were going through some trials and there was a need for them and we'll get further in our chapter but I want to read one other verse, couple other verses in Hebrews chapter three. It was mentioned that Hebrew is is a book for...

8:45 It's a word of exhortation. A word of exhortation here. In Hebrews chapter three verses twelve and thirteen and this is some good advice for all of us today really. In this world we live in, it's so easy to be caught up in the things going on around us. It says, take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

9:12 But exhort one another daily while it's called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Don't we need to really encourage one another? I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've been encouraged by others just praying for me or saying, you know, here's a a word for you or just something. Just to know that somebody's praying for you. And the world we live in today is just changing so fast.

9:37 We were talking about this last night. We're just amazed at how fast things are going down, downhill. But so much the more we need to be encouraging each other. We need to be exhorting one another. And that means that if you love somebody, you can go to them in a in a humble way and say, you know, maybe you should really consider what you're doing.

10:00 You know, consider that and and that is something that we all need to do and we need the Lord's encouragement. I just... Because his restoring grace to me is as great as his saving grace. I know Christian just came back from a conference down in Florida and the theme was revival down there, wasn't it? Talking about revival.

10:18 We need a revival in this country today. And it's gotta start with us and I'm willing to have it start with me. A revival where we just are willing to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and and return back to him. That's just a real a good word for all of us and any of you that are struggling like I do, we need the daily, you know, let's exhort one another, not every so often, it says exhort one another daily. So we daily need that exhorting, that encouragement.

11:32 God has spoken to us by his son in these last days. If you were to do a study of that phrase, the last days, we would see that mentioned a lot in scripture. What do we know about the last days? We know from second Timothy three that in the last days, perilous times will come. People, men will be lovers of their own selves and and just a decline.

11:56 We know from second Peter that in the last days, scoffers will come walking after their own lust and you know, but that whole chapter of second Timothy three, if you want to see the a description of things in the last days and I can remember the first time I read that a number of years ago and I thought, wow, that's for today. But that was over twenty years ago. But it's still, I believe we're in a period of time. How long it is? I don't know.

12:21 But the last days, in the last days, but god has spoken to us by his son, whom he had appointed heir of all things. And then there's this little phrase here, by whom also he made the worlds. I mean, just to think of god making the worlds through the lord Jesus Christ, using him to create the worlds, to bring things into existence. Let's hold that thought and go back to John chapter one for reference right there. John chapter one.

13:06 Let's just read the first few verses here. John chapter one, in the beginning was the word, the word was with god, and the word was god. The same was in the beginning with god. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was a light of men.

13:29 And verse 10, he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. So speaking of the lord Jesus Christ as the one that god used to create the worlds. And there's just so much in these verses here that... And this this third verse especially, as I as I look at that, I think you could probably have... I don't know how many messages just on that one verse.

13:57 You could go on and on. There's so much in verse three. It's just... We'll look at it. We'll try to go through some of the parts of it but I just I'm amazed at just how much can be said in one verse.

14:10 Speaking about the lord Jesus Christ as who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of god. I just look at that expression. I just think, wow. I mean, how do you how do you fully comprehend that? How does anybody fully comprehend that?

14:39 The Lord Jesus is the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person. The lord says in back in John, he that has seen me has seen the father. You remember when Thomas said to him, how can we know the way? Turn back in John 14, unless I misquote it, John 14. John 14 and verse nine.

15:21 Let's see. I'll read verse six verse five. Thomas said to him, lord, we know not whether thou goest, how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me.

15:38 If he had known me, he should have known my father also. From henceforth, you know him and have seen him. But Philip said to him, I was wrong. It wasn't Thomas Philip. Show us the father and it suffices us.

15:51 Jesus said to him, have I been so long a time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the father. How sayest thou then, show us the father? In another place, he says, I, my father, are one. He's expressed image of his person.

16:10 And John 12... See if I have this reference right. John 12 verse 44 Jesus cried and and said, he that believeth on me, believeth not on me but on him that sent me and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world and whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness. So he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

17:01 There was just a little small picture of the glory of the lord Jesus Christ. Express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power. Imagine just him being in control of everything and yet being willing to go to the cross. We've heard this mentioned number of times. He could've put a stop to it.

17:29 He could've said, no, I'm not going to go to the cross. Could've said, you know, all the men fall dead that are right around the cross here, whatever. They mocked him. They mocked him and said, if you're the son of god, come down from the cross. Save yourself.

17:46 But thank god he didn't do that. He didn't do that. He stayed on the cross for you and for me and fully paid for our sins on the cross. As it says right here, when he had by himself purged our sins. Just amazing.

18:05 I don't know how to describe it really, but purge means to cleanse, and that was what the lord Jesus did on the cross. Shed his precious blood for us. That blood that it speaks of in the word of god that cleanses us from all sin, from all sin. He shed his precious blood for you and for me because of his amazing love. And as we read on here, we'll get into a little bit.

18:37 Now, we're before we get to that, When he had by himself purged our sins, we're not done with that verse yet. He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. The lord Jesus is exalted at the father's right hand right now. What an exalted place. How can we describe that?

18:58 There's other references to that. He's been given a name. It's above every name. The name of Jesus, every knee should bow and we see him in scriptures, exalted at the father's right hand, seated, and this one reference back in Hebrews a little farther. I know we'll get into this later on in the study but The the tenth chapter, Hebrews 10 verses 11.

19:31 Remember these believers there? They were familiar with the Old Testament sacrifices and the priesthood and so on. Every priest standeth daily ministering and offering often times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of god. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

20:03 For by one offering it perfected forever, them that are sanctified. It's just really, I keep using the word amazing but I don't know how to put this, how to describe it. Just all that the lord Jesus has done, one sacrifice for our sins, fully paid the penalty that our sins deserve. By one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And he's still working today.

21:04 They were fairly loud, so it wasn't hard to hear them. And thought, well, I just mind my own business here. Then as time went on I thought, maybe I should go over and just say something to them or just have some comment. And I tried to get up the courage. I finally said, alright, I'll go over.

21:20 And said, you mind if I join you? And they said, no, come on, sit down. So, that's been six or seven years ago now. Still meet on Saturday mornings but the reason of bringing it up is Don, one of the guys who goes there was in his younger days, He was a wrestler for Saint Ed's that some of you know and he went to Cleveland State. He was a very good wrestler.

21:44 There's a plaque on the wall but but Don was like one of those guys that wanted to be the life of the party And he just, you know, got caught up in the scene of a lot of young people and college aged kids where they drank a lot and had parties a lot. And he was... He referred himself as a life of the party. But there were some guys on that team that were Christians. And he called them...

22:10 These are his words. He called them the Baptist brothers. Anyway, they didn't participate in a lot of those things. I mean, they they went to some of the events, the team events, but they didn't drink and party with the guys there. But but they were, no doubt, praying for Don.

22:26 And as time went on, he began to feel like, what am I doing to myself? You know, I'm drinking to the point where I just get sick and I'm just, you know, I'm tearing myself down and just, what's going to happen to me if I don't change my ways? Was just, see, my god was speaking to him. Well, these brothers said to Don, and this is something we could all say, they said to him, why don't you check out John three? That was their...

22:55 That's all they said. Why don't you check out John three? And they said it more than one time, different occasions. Why don't you check out John three, Don? And so finally, finally he did.

23:06 He started reading in John chapter three and got to the part where it talks about being born again. You must be born again. And he read it again and again. And finally realized that God was speaking to him and he was born again. He surrendered his life to the Lord.

23:25 But just amazing how God speaks in different ways. He's still working today. He's still working today in this dark day that we live in, still drawing people to himself. And I I thank God for that. It may not be a booming voice.

23:38 Maybe somebody just gave you a little track sometime. I know Christians told a story about someone left. I heard it last night mentioned at the city mission how someone left a track in an envelope on the bar of the restaurant where he was playing at and it was had his name on it and it was a gospel track and Christian read it and the lord used that to bring him to himself. I have one other story here about a track Chris was here a couple weeks ago and he mentioned that track, The Four Spiritual Laws, written by Bill Bright. And some of you may have seen it, maybe you've read it.

24:20 In my teenage years, I went to a fair, the Summit County Fair, and I wasn't saved. Went with a friend of mine and we were just there just goofing around, hanging out. Anyway, there was a tent set up there, and I've shared this before, but there was a tent set up and it said campus life on the outside of this tent. Well, he wanted to go in there. I was just kind of skeptical.

24:43 I said, I don't know if I want to go in there or not. But anyway, we went in to this tent and he was pulled aside and sat down and talked to someone. And I was pulled aside and sat down and talked to someone. And they started to ask spiritual questions, things like, are you a Christian? You know, and I I didn't go to the fair to talk to anybody about any spiritual issues.

25:06 But but I had, I guess, my way of thinking at the time, I had a religion. I had a religion. I had experiences where... And I thank God as I look back that my parents took us to church services when I was a child all the way up through those teenage years. But no, you get to a point where you you think you know better than your parents or everybody else and you just kind of kind of drift away.

25:33 And an event happened my senior year in high school. My dad died suddenly of a stroke and then I kind of used that as an excuse, you know, to do my own thing and stop going to church services where we went. So this young man asked me if I was a Christian and I said, well, I used to be, but I'm not anymore. Because my understanding at the time was, well, to be a Christian, you've got to go to church services. You've got to be involved in that.

26:01 And I said, well, I'm not going anymore, so I must not be. Anyway, long story short, about two weeks after that, I get a letter from this fellow. I still have it to this day, and this is forty four years ago. I still have the letter. And he said, are you sure you have...

26:20 Is Christ your Lord and Savior? Is the Lord Jesus Christ... Is he your Lord and Savior? And he was a little skeptical of my answers talking to me in that tent there. And with that letter, he sent a little tract, the four spiritual laws.

26:36 And that's probably one of the only tracts I think I ever got before I was saved. But it was... I can remember to this day, just bear with me a little bit, we'll go back to Hebrews. Looking at that and then description was everybody either has self on the throne of their life or Christ is on the throne of your life. And I can remember seeing those little dots, you know, the interest and this little throne is supposed to represent your heart and then self is right there.

27:04 I thought, that's me. I got self on the throne in my life and it was just one of those things that god used that later on when he brought me to that place of repentance and just brought me to the place of crying out to him to forgive me and it's amazing really. The grace of god but god is still working Whether it be somebody picking up the Bible and says, oh, I'm gonna read this. And I'm gonna read this until I understand or get something out of it or or maybe someone shared a track with you or something. The question is today, where where are you at today?

27:42 Are you one that can say that I have trusted Christ as my savior? I hope you can say that. There's a loving savior just wants you to trust in him. He wants you to come to him. And that has a power.

27:59 You know, we can get away from the sound of scriptures but god can find us no matter where we are and he wants us to come to him. Put our trust in him. Well, looking back here again at at Hebrews, there's a lot in this chapter about angels and angel means messenger. But it's emphasized so much here that Jesus is made so much better than the angels. I want to stress that.

29:03 He is exalted. He is much better than the angels. He is the son of god, god the son and god never said to any of the angels, you're my son. This day have I begotten thee and I was listening and I'd like to encourage you too. I was listening this, I guess it's been maybe six, eight months ago now.

29:24 You ever listened to David Jeremiah on WCRF? I don't know when he's on now because they changed their time schedule around but he was doing a series on angels and he brought out more stuff about angels than I ever realized. The the word angel is it mentioned in the scriptures 283 times. So, there's a lot in the Bible about angels. A 108 times in the Old Testament, 175 times in the New Testament.

29:53 So, there's there's things in there that, you know, we could really learn about angels and I just he's written a whole book about angels. You can get for, I saw it online. You can get it for like $3 or something. I got a little paperback book but I never realized in listening to that series how much you can bring out about angels. And just how they are are used by god and and his messengers.

30:19 In one case in the Old Testament, an angel slew a 185,000. Second Kings, I believe, six. Turn back to there briefly. Second Kings chapter six verse 17. In this case, this has to do with a servant of Elisha.

30:50 I'll read the other reference a little bit later here. A servant of Elisha, and there was a great multitude going against them. And the servant, Elisha said to his servant, fear not. Verse 16. Second Kings six.

31:07 He answered, fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. You know, there was a great army coming against him. Verse 14, there were horses and chariots and a great host and they came by night and compassed the city around. And when the servant of the man of god was risen early and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And the servant said to him, alas, master, how shall we do?

31:38 So this is kind of a... You wonder what was going through his mind when Elisha said to him, those that be with us are more than they that be with them. I mean, you know, he probably looked around and said, what are you talking about? You know, just... We can rationalize that.

31:55 But Elisha, verse 17, prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha, and so on. You know, so there was an unseen host there. I believe an angelic host could have been an angelic host. Second Kings 19 verse 35.

32:34 Second Kings 19 verse 35 verse 34 says, I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake and it came to pass that night that the angel of the lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a 100 and fourscore and 5,000, 185,000 when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpse. Well, that was just a small example of some of the power that god had given to angels. Well, just try to wrap things up here a little bit, but I've got a few more verses I want to go over here back in Hebrews. Sorry. Time gets away sometimes here.

33:50 But unto the sun, he saith, thy throne, o god, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy kingdom. Jesus... This is one of the verses that just proves also the deity of Christ. Thy throne, oh god, is forever and ever.

34:11 Very clear statement about that. And verse nine gives us the the character of god and this hasn't changed today even though we're in 2014. The house loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore, god addressed to the lord Jesus, even thy god hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And thou lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands.

34:41 They shall perish but thou remainest, and they all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same, and the years shall not fail. Really, the character of god, he's righteous and holy. He's loved righteousness and hated iniquity but yet, he loves a sinner. He hates a sin but he loves a sinner.

35:08 He loves you and he loves me Beyond what we can I can even describe, really? Scripture says, greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends and Jesus has laid on his life for you and for me. He was sent here by the father and this this verse was mentioned this morning in the breaking of bread. First John four fourteen. First John four fourteen, three two.

35:51 Okay. And we have seen and do testify that the father sent the son to be the savior of the world. The father sent the son to be the savior of the world. Is he your savior? I trust that you can say that today.

36:13 Back in John three, also talks about the son being sent, John chapter three that we mentioned. John three sixteen and seventeen. Most people actually have committed John three sixteen to memory. A lot of people have. For god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

36:49 For god sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. One of those verses that John that Don Foldasy was reading as he was checking out John chapter three that touched his heart, and God used it to bring him to himself. Well, I think we're gonna have to have Don go over a few things next week and he has my permission to clarify things that I didn't get to, things that I said that were maybe out there somewhere but the lord will not change and but this world is going to perish. This world is going to perish but what we need to make sure we're we're right with god and how do we get right with god? We just need to come to him in simple faith and and ask him to save us.

37:48 As it says in scripture, whosoever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved. I gave you an example of Don that called on the lord. Others here, I know, would tell you the same thing. It was when I when I called on the Lord to save me from my sins that he heard that prayer. He heard that prayer and it was a process.

38:09 So, that mean it was a steps here and a step there that at the time, I didn't realize it was god speaking to my heart. You know, I just it's going on but really it all fit together. It was the lord working and and he is working in your life. I know. If there's someone here that doesn't know him, he is working to draw you to himself and he wants you to come.

38:32 This is amazing grace. Absolutely amazing grace and there's no one that's too bad to be saved. No matter what sin we may be involved in, it says the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, from all sin. Well, what can we do if we feel like we've wandered from the lord, we can turn back to him and just acknowledge that as believers. And if we haven't trusted Christ, again, I'd like to say, just come to him today.

39:05 Ask him to save you. It's a simple thing. It doesn't have to be a complicated thing at all. But just ask him to save you if you're not sure. If you're not sure, he he will hear that prayer.

39:41 We just thank you that you preserved your word for us and and that you desire that each and everyone of us would trust in you would be saved. So, just pray for your blessing on each one here. Pray that they might leave here today with something from from you, lord, from your word. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.