1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,000 Good morning family. 2 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,000 Thank you. 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Turn to Hebrews chapter one. 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:27,000 We have gone through quite a bit of letters so far and this is the letter to the Hebrews. 5 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000 A couple of things before we dig in. 6 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,000 They really do not know who the author of this letter is. 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:43,000 It's written probably between AD 67 to maybe 69. 8 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,000 It was written by a person in Italy. 9 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,000 That's in chapter 13. 10 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Based on the language that's in this, and I encourage you not only to read it but listen to it. 11 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 I can't help but to think it's Paulian in its writings. 12 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000 There's so many phrases used. 13 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:11,000 And if there's anyone who would be qualified enough to be able to write this in the form that it's written would be Paul. 14 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:17,000 It is written with some Greek terminology. 15 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000 So that would also qualify Paul. 16 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:27,000 But there is no definitive understanding of who exactly wrote it. 17 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,000 And the mystery is important. 18 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000 And I'll explain that now. 19 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:40,000 The reason why I think we don't know, because typically in all the letters, whether it's written by John or Peter or Paul or anybody else, 20 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 they usually say Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. 21 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:51,000 This letter has no recognition of whoever the apostle was or whoever the person is that wrote it. 22 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,000 And I think there's a reason. 23 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 And here's why. 24 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:05,000 Because when you read this letter, you cannot help but understand that what God is saying through this letter is there is no one better. 25 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,000 There is nothing better than Christ. 26 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:17,000 And so I think the absence of the individual author, the hand that wrote this or penned this letter, 27 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:22,000 isn't there because Christ is the true author of this letter. 28 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,000 And you're going to see it clearly right in the first chapter. 29 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:34,000 The first chapter is a definitive statement on Christ is the better, period. 30 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,000 And you're going to have a clear, you'll see it clearly as we go through verse by verse. 31 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,000 I want you to just enjoy this wonderful letter. 32 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:52,000 See the Jewishness of this letter, the Old Testament scriptures that is used to clarify in its history of the supremacy 33 00:02:52,000 --> 00:03:03,000 and the reality that out of all the things, whether it's priests, king, prophets, sacrifice, covenant, high priest, Christ is the better. 34 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000 And that's what we're going to be on over these next several months. 35 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:16,000 There'll be going through Hebrews and then through Hebrews we will go and reconcile some of that, some of Hebrews with Old Testament scripture, 36 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,000 which is saturated through this letter. 37 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:24,000 You'll see scripture interpreting scripture, context upon context, precept upon precept. 38 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,000 It's a very amazing written letter. 39 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:33,000 And it's just the amount of information that's in here is going to shock you. 40 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,000 Just that's how good it is. 41 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:41,000 To me, when you read Romans, Romans and Galatians are really kind of hand in hand letters. 42 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:54,000 But when you read Romans, you see the detail of the reality of Christ and his sacrifice and him being king and over all things sovereign, over everything. 43 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:02,000 And in Hebrews, you see the reality of Christ, the better and the details that just saturate this letter of that. 44 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,000 So I hope you enjoy it. I'm enjoying it and I enjoy it. 45 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,000 So just really cool. 46 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 That being said, I want to pray and we're going to start diving in immediately. 47 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 OK, Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness. 48 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,000 Thank you. You are holy and true. 49 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:31,000 You are the only God, the complete and total sovereign, the supreme being of all things that you literally hold all things together by the very word of your power or in the power of your word. 50 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,000 We give you glory, honor and praise. 51 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:42,000 Help us to see the better that all the things that have ever been given to mankind, there is no one better. 52 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,000 There is nothing better than Christ. 53 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Lord, we praise you and thank you for your love, your mercy and grace. 54 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,000 May the full counsel of your words be spoken. 55 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Lord, help me, Lord, so that your words are honored and glorified and you are high and lifted up and that you would draw all men unto you as you have promised. 56 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 We praise you and thank you in Jesus name. Amen. 57 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 All right. Christ, the better messenger. 58 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:10,000 Now, most of the time when you read Hebrews, there's this idea that Christ is the supreme. 59 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,000 And that's true. 60 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,000 The supremacy of Christ is all over this letter. 61 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:21,000 But I think the letter is really written in comparison. 62 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,000 There's this and then there's Christ. 63 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,000 So it's this compared to Christ. 64 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Priest, high priest, Christ. 65 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Priest, Christ. King, Christ. 66 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Covenant, Christ. 67 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 And you see this throughout this letter. 68 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,000 It's an amazing, amazing walk. 69 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:46,000 And I can't help but look at this chapter and go, he starts off this chapter with a with a home run like this. 70 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,000 There is there's a clear understanding of what is being said here. 71 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,000 Christ is the better messenger. 72 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,000 And in verse one, it's clarified. 73 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,000 So let's go. 74 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 It says the message came from God. 75 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 OK, the message came. 76 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,000 Here it is. 77 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Long ago, at many times, in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. 78 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:25,000 But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 79 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,000 Let's go through this. 80 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Verse one. 81 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Long ago, a long time ago. 82 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:49,000 As a matter of fact, before before the earth was even created, before God created everything and enduring that time of creation, once he established the earth and the people on it, there were many times and in many ways God spoke. 83 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,000 To the fathers by the prophets. 84 00:06:52,000 --> 00:07:00,000 So this this amazing gospel, this message was set in time before time began. 85 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:07,000 And then once God established time, there are many times and through many ways, God spoke. 86 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,000 This word spoke is the Leo. 87 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:21,000 This word, Leo, interesting enough, means to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts. 88 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:38,000 So when God is speaking, what he's doing is he is declaring his mind and his thoughts to you concerning all things pertaining to life and godliness, especially concerning his son and the gospel. 89 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:39,000 Isn't it interesting? 90 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:55,000 Leo is the word he uses here. God, Leo, to our fathers by the prophets. Now that kind of clarify some things that this could not have been Luke, a Gentile writer. 91 00:07:55,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Because this individual writer associates himself with the Jews, meaning to our fathers by the prophets. 92 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:10,000 So I can't help it. Like I said, at this point, I'm kind of thinking through going, OK, Paul can say that. 93 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 If you remember, Paul says I'm a Pharisee of Pharisees, right? 94 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:21,000 I'm a I am a Jew of Jews. There's no one like in reality, I'm a I'm a Benjamin. 95 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,000 Like he can clarify those things. 96 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Either way, there's no there's no real understanding of that. 97 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,000 But I can't help but think about that. 98 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Now, the word by the prophets here, the word prophets means prophetess. 99 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:46,000 So prophetess is a man filled by the spirit who pleads the cause of God, a spokesman or messenger. 100 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,000 That's what prophetess means. It's interesting. 101 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:55,000 He's using these particular terms to clarify the message or the messenger. 102 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:08,000 So God spoke through men, prophetess, who were spokesmen and messengers for him in many times and in many ways. 103 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:14,000 The second he said, he says, but in these last days, ouch. 104 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Last days when when Jesus was on the earth, when Jesus resurrected, when Jesus ascended, he is the word. 105 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,000 In the beginning was the word words with God and the word was God. 106 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:30,000 He is the word he spoke in the these last days. 107 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:39,000 And that's what it says here. But in these last days, he has the Leo to us by his son. 108 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,000 I want you to get that. He is the spokesman. 109 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:54,000 God spoke. He Leo'd. He gave us his mind and his thoughts through his son. 110 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,000 OK, to whom he appointed. 111 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:04,000 In other words, Christ, the whole reason why Christ came was to bring the message to the world. 112 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Behold, the kingdom of God is at hand. Who is the kingdom? 113 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 He is repent and believe the gospel. What is the gospel? 114 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,000 Christ died on the cross was buried rose again on the third day. 115 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,000 What is the message of the kingdom? 116 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,000 So you clearly see this over and over and over again. 117 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:30,000 Now, this word appointed, it's not as if someone had been called to. 118 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:35,000 It means to to set to fix or establish. 119 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,000 That's what this word means. 120 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Establish. What did he establish? He established that the sun is the heir of all things through whom also the sun he created the world. 121 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,000 So he is the established one. 122 00:10:52,000 --> 00:11:03,000 So literally right in the first two verses, you have the messengers, meaning the prophets, and the messenger, meaning Christ, and that Christ is the supreme prophet. 123 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:12,000 He is the better prophet, and he has established all things through him who created the world. 124 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,000 Pretty pretty clear so far. 125 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:26,000 So what you get right off the bat in verses one and two is the clear establishment of Christ being the one who brings the message. 126 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,000 He is the messenger. 127 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,000 God is the messenger. Hebrews three, one, three and four. 128 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:40,000 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. 129 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. 130 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:57,000 And after making purification of for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much superior to the angels as the name. 131 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:04,000 He has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 132 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Wow. I mean, there's some clear statements here. 133 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:21,000 You get this huge, gigantic statement concerning the reality and the supremacy of Christ and the and the betterness of Christ compared to the prophets and the angels. 134 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:27,000 And then what you what you see in the comparison in the rest of the chapter is here's Christ. 135 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000 Here's the angels. Here's Christ. 136 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Here's the angels. 137 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,000 So I want you to see this. 138 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Let's go. 139 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:38,000 Verse three, he is Christ is the radiance of the glory of God. 140 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,000 He is the kind of glory. 141 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000 He is the full glory of the Godhead. 142 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:49,000 And the exact imprint of his essence. 143 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,000 In other words, if you were to see Jesus, you would see the father. 144 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000 He states that, did he not? 145 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Jesus says, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. 146 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:02,000 And he even says, if you reject me, you reject the father. 147 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Jesus is the exact identical in every way of the father. 148 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:16,000 There is no there is no misunderstanding when you see the father, the son, the Holy Spirit. 149 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,000 They are identical in every way down to the very essence of their being. 150 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:26,000 I said early in the first service, you know, when I first got here, it was hard for me to pick out Sal and Steve Mariano. 151 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,000 It's very difficult. 152 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,000 They're identical twins. 153 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Right. But now, after being around them so much, I know I can tell. 154 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,000 You won't be able to sell with Jesus. 155 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,000 Jesus is the father. 156 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,000 The father is Christ and Holy Spirit. 157 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,000 They are Yahweh. 158 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,000 And they are distinct in persons. 159 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,000 They are clearly persons of God. 160 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:56,000 And God in his wisdom, being three distinct persons, it's an amazing fault that the very will, desire, 161 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:03,000 essence of the son is the same exact imprint of the will and desire and essence of the father. 162 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000 And so is the spirit. 163 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:16,000 It is mind boggling to see the triune God at work in the persons of who he is. 164 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:23,000 To try to explain that, I don't have enough time in all of eternity to explain it. 165 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,000 We are limited based on our humaneness to be able to understand that. 166 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:38,000 Just know it is absolutely true that God is triune and exactly as he says he is in all three persons of who he is. 167 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,000 It is amazing. 168 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:45,000 That being said, here Jesus is the exact imprint of his nature. 169 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:52,000 In his very essence, Christ is God in every way. 170 00:14:52,000 --> 00:15:00,000 And so much so that God says that he, Christ, upholds the universe by the word of his power. 171 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,000 So I want you to hear that. 172 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,000 Okay? 173 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,000 There's a lot going on in the world. 174 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Right? 175 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,000 A whole lot going on. 176 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,000 I've been, you know me, stuff drives me nuts. 177 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,000 I shouldn't watch YouTube. 178 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,000 I just, there's all kinds of things going on. 179 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 You know what tomorrow is. 180 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,000 Everybody knows. 181 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:31,000 I mean in 2017 the eclipse went through and hit seven salums and there are seven, seven, God said seven times, piece, piece, piece. 182 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000 And now it's going to be seven Ninevahs. 183 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 Seven opportunities to repent. 184 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:43,000 It happens to be the cross and I'm like you got to be kidding me. 185 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,000 Are we serious? 186 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:50,000 You're so focused on the event and not focused on the one who controls the event. 187 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Who do you worship? 188 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,000 The event or the God of the event? 189 00:15:54,000 --> 00:16:01,000 And the event doesn't do anything but speak to the reality of the gospel of Christ because that's the point of all creation. 190 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,000 So don't be bugging out going oh this is it. 191 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 They got, they got five red cows over in Israel. 192 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,000 They're going to sacrifice one of them. 193 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:19,000 There's a, there's a, there's going to be a, you know, an eclipse and the moon's going to turn to blood and we're going to be raptured like tomorrow morning. 194 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,000 Every day you should be living like the rapture is happening. 195 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:31,000 Every second, the very moment we should be living right now at this very moment, at moment as if Christ is going to return. 196 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,000 Stop focusing on the events and start focusing on the King. 197 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,000 But that's the point here. 198 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:49,000 When he says that he upholds the universe by the word of his power, no eclipse happens, no earthquake happens without God's permission. 199 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:57,000 The waves will not even go beyond the border by which God sets it unless he says so. 200 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:03,000 It's not some natural, in reality it's not the naturalness of an earthquake that causes a tsunami. 201 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,000 It's God says go ahead and do the tsunami. 202 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,000 Like God is sovereign to the detail. 203 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,000 You've got to understand that. 204 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:15,000 If God was not sovereign over his kingdom, he would not be the God of the universe. 205 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,000 Right? 206 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 And what you're seeing here is this. 207 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,000 He upholds the universe by the word of his power. 208 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,000 The very fact that we exist is because he says so. 209 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000 God can at any moment decide, you know what? 210 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,000 Nah. 211 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,000 It's all over. 212 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:32,000 I'm done. 213 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,000 If he does that, run while you're not going to because you're going to all of us will be dust. 214 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:37,000 Right? 215 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,000 So we have to really understand the power of our God. 216 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:45,000 He is either all powerful, omnipotent, or he's not. 217 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000 We can't pick and choose. 218 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000 I say he is. 219 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:59,000 That being said, let all the eclipses and all the earthquakes and all the other stuff happen because God says he will keep his righteous ones. 220 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000 Look what it says in verse four. 221 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,000 I mean it continues in verse three. 222 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:16,000 After making purification of sin, after he gave his life to satisfy the wrath of God and cleanse us of our sin, he purifies us of our sin. 223 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:22,000 And the consequences of our sin, he, Christ, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. 224 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,000 Now I want you to understand something. 225 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,000 This isn't that Christ at one time didn't have power. 226 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:31,000 This isn't that Christ at one time wasn't in charge. 227 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:39,000 What it means is that when Christ came and did what he was supposed to do, fulfill the plan, Ephesians chapter one, 228 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:50,000 what you end up really coming to understand is he then sets him up as the faithful ruler of all things. 229 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,000 He is the one in authority. 230 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,000 He sat down at the right hand. 231 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:01,000 The word right hand here means the authority of God, of the majesty on high. 232 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,000 If you have any questions about that, read Ephesians. 233 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,000 I mean read Philippians chapter two. 234 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:13,000 Verse four says having become as much superior to the angels. 235 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,000 This word having become is an important word. 236 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,000 It's not that Jesus wasn't. 237 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,000 This word having become is genomai. 238 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Now genomai means to arise or appear in history or to come upon the stage. 239 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:39,000 In other words, in the same way that he came upon the stage in creation, Genesis one, right, 240 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,000 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 241 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,000 And God said, let there be light coming upon the stage. 242 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,000 He does the same thing when it comes to our salvation. 243 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:57,000 He steps into world history, puts on flesh so that he could save his people. 244 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,000 He appears in history. 245 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,000 He comes on stage. 246 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:10,000 And it says that as much, that word as much means the greatest, longest or unmeasurable. 247 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,000 You cannot measure the reality of who he is. 248 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,000 He is the greatest. 249 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,000 He is the longest. 250 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,000 He is unmeasurable in every way. 251 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:25,000 So the one who came upon the stage is the greatest of all. 252 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Now he uses this word superior. 253 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,000 The word superior is criton in the Greek. 254 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:39,000 The word criton means more useful, serviceable, advantageous or excellent. 255 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,000 Now do you see why I challenge you all the time? 256 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,000 Do your word studies. 257 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,000 If you don't do your word studies, you're not going to really come to understand the 258 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,000 deepness of your God. 259 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,000 I could easily just preach a really nice happy message. 260 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,000 I can tickle your ears. 261 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,000 But it won't teach you about the reality of God, of Christ. 262 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Christ is the one who appeared into all of world history and came upon the stage of world 263 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,000 history. 264 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,000 Why? 265 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Because he's the greatest of all things. 266 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:19,000 In order to show you that he is more useful, serviceable, advantageous and more excellent 267 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,000 than the angels. 268 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,000 In other words, if you were to look at the hierarchy of God and God's economy, there's 269 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,000 God. 270 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Then God created angels. 271 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,000 And the scripture says that he created man little less than the angels. 272 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,000 That's how it works. 273 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:43,000 And Christ made himself less than the angels to save you. 274 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,000 Think about that. 275 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:52,000 And that reality, he is more useful, serviceable and advantageous and excellent than all the 276 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:57,000 angels he's ever created. 277 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Mind blowing. 278 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,000 It's amazing. 279 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,000 What's interesting is this word angels, angelos means messenger. 280 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000 That's all it means. 281 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:13,000 So out of all of the heavenly messengers, he is the greatest. 282 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:20,000 Now, because of that very act, him being more useful, more serviceable, more advantageous 283 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:30,000 and excellent, he has a name that he has inherited which is more excellent than theirs. 284 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,000 So Christ is more excellent than Gabriel. 285 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000 Christ is more excellent than Michael. 286 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,000 So if a Jehovah's Witness comes in and says, well, guess what? 287 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,000 Jesus is just like his brother, Gabriel and Michael. 288 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000 They totally have not read this. 289 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,000 Because there is no greater name. 290 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:57,000 The angels' names can't even compare to the supremacy of the name of Jesus, of Yeshua. 291 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,000 There is no greater name. 292 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:09,000 Now, that being said, the word inherited, it's not that he had to wait or be given a name. 293 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:14,000 This word inherited means he obtained by right. 294 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:19,000 The name that is his by right is his alone. 295 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:24,000 No one in all of creation has that name. 296 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:31,000 What's interesting is we know that he's been given the name Yeshua, Joshua in the Greek 297 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000 or Jesus in the English. 298 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:40,000 And you can go through all kinds of names based on the language. 299 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:45,000 But there is a name that's written on his thigh that no one knows. 300 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,000 Curious to know what that name is. 301 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,000 But there is no name greater than his name. 302 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:57,000 And that's what it says here in Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 that even the name of Yeshua, 303 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:06,000 even the name of Jesus says in 2 9, it was bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 304 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:11,000 that at the name of Jesus, at the name of Yeshua, every knee shall bow and every tongue 305 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,000 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 306 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,000 It is no other name. 307 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:30,000 He is the only one who has the right to bear that name, the name above all names that saves his people. 308 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,000 That's what this means. 309 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:39,000 Now, who would have thought that we would have gone through four verses and it would have been that much? 310 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 It's a lot of information. 311 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,000 Now, we haven't even gotten into all the doctrine, but that's a lot of doctrine for you to know. 312 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:53,000 So what this writer does so that you understand the importance of verses 1 through 4, 313 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:59,000 he clarifies with impact the reality of these truths. 314 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:04,000 And this is what it says, the comparison of the messengers of position and of authority. 315 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,000 Those are the two things you'll see here. 316 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,000 One is position, the next is authority. 317 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:10,000 Are you ready? 318 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,000 Here we go. 319 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:18,000 Verse 5 through 6, here is position of Christ concerning Christ and his position. 320 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:24,000 For which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I've begotten you. 321 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Today I have ganao, I've caused to rise or to arise. 322 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,000 I have caused you to arise. 323 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,000 You are. 324 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,000 That's what that word begotten. 325 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:42,000 Begotten is not that he had to come into being. 326 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:48,000 What it means is that he arose from what he already was, God. 327 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,000 I have begotten you. 328 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000 That comes from Psalm chapter 2 verse 7. 329 00:25:52,000 --> 00:26:01,000 Or again, he says, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. 330 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,000 That comes from 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 14. 331 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:10,000 And again, this is number 3, to clarify Christ's position. 332 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:18,000 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him. 333 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:27,000 The word firstborn here means the root word comes from protas. 334 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:38,000 And I think that's the important thing, because the word that's used here in the original, it just says of Christ being the first. 335 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:47,000 To give you an understanding of what that root word comes from, it comes from this understanding that he is first in time or space or first in rank. 336 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:51,000 So it's not that he's the firstborn of God like the only one and the first one. 337 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,000 No, it is he is first in rank. 338 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,000 No one outranks him. 339 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,000 That's what this means. 340 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:05,000 He is the firstborn into the world, as he said, let all God's angels worship him. 341 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:14,000 No one in all of creation has been commanded besides Christ that they should worship him. 342 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 The angels must worship him. 343 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,000 And we see that in the birth of Jesus. 344 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:22,000 Right? 345 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,000 Everybody knows that little Christmas song. 346 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Deuteronomy chapter 32 and 43 in Psalm 97 verse 7. 347 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 That's just Jesus. 348 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:41,000 So we have three Old Testament references, predominantly Psalms, where God says he is the one in position. 349 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000 And then he gives one verse concerning the angels. 350 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,000 Just one. 351 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,000 He says, Hebrews 7. 352 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Angels, he says, he makes his angels wins and ministers of flame of fire. 353 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,000 And his ministers a flame of fire. 354 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,000 That's what it says. 355 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,000 In other words, your position is to do what I tell you. 356 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,000 Christ's position, supreme. 357 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,000 Angels, servants. 358 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,000 That's position. 359 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,000 So when you want to look at the reality of the Christ the true and better, he is the better messenger. 360 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,000 OK? 361 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,000 So here's a comparison concerning authority of Christ. 362 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Here's the authority. 363 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,000 Verse 8 through 12. 364 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,000 Again, three more scriptures. 365 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,000 Actually two. 366 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000 Two large scriptures. 367 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:34,000 But of the son, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. 368 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:40,000 The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 369 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,000 I mean, that's kind of like right from the beginning. 370 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,000 You, the son, are the king. 371 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,000 Your throne, O God, is forever. 372 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,000 One, the son is God. 373 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,000 Two, it's his throne. 374 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,000 OK? 375 00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:00,000 He rules with a scepter of uprightness and it's the scepter of his kingdom. 376 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:04,000 In other words, he rules with uprightness and he rules from his kingdom. 377 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Now, you have loved righteousness concerning Christ. 378 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,000 Jesus, you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. 379 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:22,000 Therefore, God, Elohim, your Elohim, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond companions. 380 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:27,000 In other words, out of all things, you are the anointed one. 381 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,000 Wow. 382 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,000 I mean, that's a pretty big statement. 383 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,000 That's actually Psalm 45, 6 through 7. 384 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,000 And again, he carries on. 385 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,000 This writer knows his stuff. 386 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:44,000 You, Lord, laid the foundations of the earth in the beginning. 387 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,000 And the heavens are the work of your hands. 388 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,000 They will perish, but you will remain. 389 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,000 They will wear out like a garment, like a robe. 390 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,000 You will roll them up like a garment. 391 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000 They will be changed. 392 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,000 But you are the same and your years will have no end. 393 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,000 What does that tell you? 394 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,000 That Jesus is the Lord who created all things. 395 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000 He's laid the foundation by the work of his hands. 396 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,000 He will remain and everything else will fade away. 397 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,000 He alone is king and he is eternal. 398 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,000 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 399 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,000 And to his years, there is no end. 400 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,000 He doesn't have years. 401 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Wow. 402 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 And he gives one verse, little one, concerning the angels. 403 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,000 Are you ready? 404 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,000 Hebrews 13 and 14. 405 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,000 Hebrews 1, 13 and 14. 406 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:43,000 And to which of the angels has he ever said? 407 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:44,000 And that's a statement. 408 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:48,000 What he's saying is he's never said this to any of the angels. 409 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:50,000 He never will say this to any of the angels. 410 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:59,000 And the angels will never have the opportunity nor the thought of having this said to them. 411 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:05,000 Because it only is reserved for one king, Jesus. 412 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:12,000 To which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? 413 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:18,000 You see, the angels are his ministers of flame of fire. 414 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 Jesus commands the angels. 415 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,000 That's Psalm 110 verse 1. 416 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:31,000 And he ends this little statement so you understand clearly what the angels' purposes are. 417 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Why does God, why has God created angelic beings? 418 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,000 Are you ready? 419 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,000 For one reason. 420 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,000 One reason. 421 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:47,000 Besides serving and worshiping the God of all creation, here it is. 422 00:31:47,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Are they not all, are not all ministering spirits sent out to serve the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? 423 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:09,000 All angelic beings, all ministering spirits are sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. 424 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:14,000 The whole purpose of an angelic being is for the purpose of the gospel. 425 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,000 That is it. 426 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:21,000 Their job is to bring the message of the gospel, to talk about the king of the gospel, 427 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:25,000 so that the glory of the gospel of Christ is proclaimed among all the earth. 428 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 That is their job. 429 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,000 What more do you want? 430 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,000 We're more enamored with the reality of an angel appearing before us, 431 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:39,000 but we're not enamored with the reality of the presence of the living God. 432 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:44,000 We should be broken before him right now. 433 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:52,000 So when we look at this on chapter 1, he is the better messenger. 434 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,000 He is the supreme messenger of his own word and his gospel. 435 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,000 No one else can say it like he can. 436 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:08,000 He clarifies this in chapter 2, and that's for next week. 437 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:09,000 Okay? 438 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:14,000 Now, I hope you had some fun with that. 439 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:21,000 Go home, read it, listen to it, highlight, write in your Bibles, 440 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:27,000 get your Bible all nice and marked up. Mine's not. I preach from it. 441 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,000 I have a bunch of Bibles. 442 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:34,000 So I want you to really be thinking about the reality of the better messenger. 443 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,000 There is none. 444 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:40,000 The prophet and the angels, out of all the messengers, he's the best. 445 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,000 Okay? 446 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:46,000 Now, let's pray, and then we'll get into our last song, 447 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:50,000 and then hopefully we'll see you guys on Wednesday for Bible study. 448 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,000 All right? 449 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,000 Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness. 450 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,000 Thank you for your word. 451 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,000 What an amazing opening to a letter. 452 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:04,000 What an amazing declaration of the reality of the better messenger. 453 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,000 Out of all of creation, there is no one better. 454 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,000 You deserve it. You have the right to it. 455 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:14,000 It's your name. It's your gospel. It's your word. It's your ways. 456 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:20,000 We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.