WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 Take hold of your Bible or the one in the pew 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.160 back there in front of you and open up to. The 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:12.359 book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter one. We started 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:17.320 a new sermon series just three Sundays ago on 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:19.980 this book, and we spent two Sundays on the first 00:00:19.980 --> 00:00:23.199 three verses. Today we will look at verses four 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.500 through 14. Again, Hebrews is New Testament. 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:30.230 It's following the letters of Paul. just before 00:00:30.230 --> 00:00:35.329 the book of James. And so would you give special 00:00:35.329 --> 00:00:38.649 careful close attention to the reading of God's 00:00:38.649 --> 00:00:47.030 holy word Hebrews 1 4 through 14. Having become 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:51.850 as much superior to angels as the name he has 00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:56.560 inherited is more excellent than theirs. For 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.359 to which of the angels did God ever say, you 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:03.140 are my son? Today I've begotten you. Or again, 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.140 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to 00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:10.599 me a son. And again, when he brings the firstborn 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:14.920 into the world, he says, let all angels, God's 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:18.659 angels, worship him. Of the angels, he says, 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:22.420 he makes his angels winds and his ministers a 00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:26.349 flame of fire. But of the Sun he says your throne 00:01:26.349 --> 00:01:31.689 Oh God is forever and ever The scepter of uprightness 00:01:31.689 --> 00:01:35.290 is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved 00:01:35.290 --> 00:01:38.849 righteousness and hated wickedness Therefore 00:01:38.849 --> 00:01:42.989 God your God has anointed you with the oil of 00:01:42.989 --> 00:01:47.430 gladness beyond your companions and You Lord 00:01:47.430 --> 00:01:50.069 laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning 00:01:50.069 --> 00:01:53.579 and the heavens are the work of your hands they 00:01:53.579 --> 00:01:58.420 will perish, but you remain. They will all wear 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:01.620 out like a garment. Like a robe, you will roll 00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:04.659 them up. Like a garment, they will be changed, 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:08.659 but you are the same, and your years will have 00:02:08.659 --> 00:02:12.460 no end. And to which of the angels has he ever 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:15.960 said, sit at my right hand until I make your 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:19.639 enemies a footstool for your feet? Are they not 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:23.349 all ministering spirits? sent out to serve for 00:02:23.349 --> 00:02:26.449 the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. 00:02:28.090 --> 00:02:33.689 Friends, this is God's word. Let's pray. Blessed 00:02:33.689 --> 00:02:37.090 Lord, who caused all of holy scripture to be 00:02:37.090 --> 00:02:39.330 written for our learning, would you grant that 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:43.449 we may in some way hear these words, read them, 00:02:43.949 --> 00:02:47.939 mark them, learn them. and inwardly digest them 00:02:47.939 --> 00:02:50.539 that by patience and the comfort of your word 00:02:50.539 --> 00:02:55.180 we may embrace and ever hold fast to the blessed 00:02:55.180 --> 00:02:58.639 hope of everlasting life which you have given 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:02.479 us through Christ our Lord in whose name we do 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:12.580 pray amen. When I was about 10 I started playing 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:16.639 baseball and I loved it. And I hope you love 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:21.319 baseball, too. And that year, I played on my 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:24.039 first Little League baseball team, and we were 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:28.000 called the Angels after the California Angels. 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:34.879 Well, that was about 1994. And that same year, 00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:38.240 a movie came out that you may have seen. It was 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:42.699 called Angels in the Outfield. And to this day, 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.159 Angels in the Outfield is still one of my favorite 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.759 baseball movies. And if you remember the premise 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:50.939 of the movie, there's a little boy named Roger. 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:56.219 Roger likes baseball too. But Roger is in foster 00:03:56.219 --> 00:03:59.979 care because his father has given him over to 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:02.439 the state of California. His father has said 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:06.349 to him, I can't take care of you. And so Roger 00:04:06.349 --> 00:04:09.289 comes under the care of a sweet older lady named 00:04:09.289 --> 00:04:13.750 Maggie, the foster mother. And one day Roger's 00:04:13.750 --> 00:04:18.550 dad comes to visit him. And Roger says something 00:04:18.550 --> 00:04:22.610 to the effect of, Dad, when are we going to be 00:04:22.610 --> 00:04:26.730 a family again? And his dad responds to him and 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:31.490 he says, the way I see it, when the angels win 00:04:31.490 --> 00:04:34.540 the pennant. Now that might not mean a lot to 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:36.600 you, but you should know that in the movie the 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:40.939 angels are depicted as Being terrible they're 00:04:40.939 --> 00:04:42.879 the worst baseball team in the league and so 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:44.939 what the dad is essentially saying to his father 00:04:44.939 --> 00:04:49.100 is kid It's not happening. We're never gonna 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:52.779 be a family now you can understand how that would 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:56.779 impact a young boy and So that night he lies 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:59.300 down on his bed. He puts his head on his pillow, 00:04:59.300 --> 00:05:01.730 and he doesn't know what to do He doesn't know 00:05:01.730 --> 00:05:03.850 what he's doing, but he begins to pray. He doesn't 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:08.529 know how to pray, but he prays. And he prays 00:05:08.529 --> 00:05:11.529 to be reunited with his dad, to be a family again. 00:05:11.529 --> 00:05:13.910 And he prays along the lines, because again, 00:05:13.930 --> 00:05:16.569 he's like 10 years old, just like me at that 00:05:16.569 --> 00:05:19.930 time. He prays along the lines of what his father 00:05:19.930 --> 00:05:24.829 has said to him. And so he prays. Again, this 00:05:24.829 --> 00:05:27.949 is very fictitional. He prays for the angels 00:05:27.949 --> 00:05:30.779 to win the pennant. in order that he and his 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:35.560 dad would be a family again. How does God respond 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:39.699 to that prayer? Again, in fiction, God sends 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:43.579 angels to play for the California Angels baseball 00:05:43.579 --> 00:05:47.120 team, and suddenly the angels are there ministering 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.879 to the baseball players, and they can hit, and 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:51.879 they can throw, they can pitch, they can run, 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:54.019 they can field, and all of those things, and 00:05:54.019 --> 00:05:58.779 they become very, very good. Now, We look at 00:05:58.779 --> 00:06:02.160 that and we say, well, actually, when I say it, 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:04.959 it sounds kind of a silly premise. And indeed, 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:07.420 it's not theologically accurate. It's made by 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:11.160 Hollywood. And yet there is some truth in there 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:18.360 that God does send angels to minister and to 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:21.040 serve. Look at verse 14. Again, I'll read it. 00:06:21.779 --> 00:06:26.259 Are they not all ministering spirits? Send out 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:29.160 to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:35.120 salvation. What I want us to see today is two 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:37.939 functions of angels and they're created to do 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:40.339 more but just two functions of angels today. 00:06:41.139 --> 00:06:46.899 One, angels were created to worship God and two, 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.540 angels were created to serve God. And yet at 00:06:51.540 --> 00:06:53.959 the same time, as I say this, please hear me. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:58.860 This passage is not firstly about angels. It 00:06:58.860 --> 00:07:02.420 is about Christ. And so here's the main point. 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:07.500 Christ Jesus is the Son of God and the eternal 00:07:07.500 --> 00:07:11.600 King. And just like the angels, we too are to 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:14.939 worship and serve. And really, this is kind of 00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:17.339 the pattern of the book that we have seen and 00:07:17.339 --> 00:07:20.819 that we will continue to see that Christ is superior. 00:07:21.220 --> 00:07:24.060 Christ is preeminent. We've already seen that 00:07:24.060 --> 00:07:26.680 Christ Jesus is the better word. He is the better 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.879 prophet, the better priest, the better king. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:33.459 Christ we're going to see is greater than Moses. 00:07:33.819 --> 00:07:37.139 Christ Jesus is greater than Joshua the high 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:41.319 priest. And yes, Christ is greater than the angels. 00:07:41.420 --> 00:07:44.819 For as great as the angels of God are, be it 00:07:44.819 --> 00:07:47.720 as ministering spirits or turning a double play, 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:52.899 Christ is greater. And verse four shows us where 00:07:52.899 --> 00:07:58.560 this is going. Look there. Having become as much 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:02.319 superior to angels as the name he has inherited, 00:08:02.649 --> 00:08:07.310 is more excellent than theirs. Christ has the 00:08:07.310 --> 00:08:10.610 more excellent name. And we would all agree with 00:08:10.610 --> 00:08:13.870 that. And perhaps this has something to do with 00:08:13.870 --> 00:08:17.750 what the names of Christ mean. Christ, meaning 00:08:17.750 --> 00:08:19.829 the anointed one that we're actually going to 00:08:19.829 --> 00:08:22.810 see a little further down in the passage or Jesus, 00:08:23.069 --> 00:08:27.069 meaning Yahweh saves. There is greatness in this 00:08:27.069 --> 00:08:29.629 name. But at the same time, I actually think 00:08:29.629 --> 00:08:33.789 the text wants us to see Christ and the name 00:08:33.789 --> 00:08:36.490 being the Son of God, because that's where verse 00:08:36.490 --> 00:08:41.570 five and verse six are going. This is referring 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:45.129 to His sonship. Christ has the more excellent 00:08:45.129 --> 00:08:50.330 name because He is the Son of God, the Son of 00:08:50.330 --> 00:08:53.289 the Father, and as such He is equal with the 00:08:53.289 --> 00:08:57.450 Father in power and in glory, and therefore Christ 00:08:57.450 --> 00:09:01.220 is to be worshiped. And so here we have that 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:05.659 function of the angels, that they are to worship 00:09:05.659 --> 00:09:08.940 God, and they are to worship the Son. Look in 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:14.279 verse six. Let all God's angels worship Him. 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:17.600 What you're seeing in this portion of Hebrews 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.879 chapter one is that the writer of Hebrews is 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:24.639 taking you back to all sorts of Old Testament 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.759 scriptures. You can see all of them that is here. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.679 But verse five and verse six especially seem 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:34.519 to be pointing to some texts like Deuteronomy 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:39.399 32 and Psalm 97, making it clear to us that the 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:44.700 angels were created to worship. That we are not 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:48.379 to worship the angels. The angels are the ones 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:50.820 who are doing worshiping. And I want to take 00:09:50.820 --> 00:09:54.460 you to a text that's not recorded here, but I 00:09:54.460 --> 00:09:56.879 think might help us to understand this point. 00:09:57.340 --> 00:10:02.659 Isaiah chapter six. And I think some of you may 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:07.779 know at least portions of this text, Isaiah six, 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:17.379 one through three. It reads like this. In the 00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:21.720 year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:26.110 upon a throne high and lifted up. the train of 00:10:26.110 --> 00:10:29.889 his robe filled the temple above him stood the 00:10:29.889 --> 00:10:34.370 seraphim each had six wings with two he covered 00:10:34.370 --> 00:10:37.909 his face and with two he covered his feet and 00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:41.610 with two he flew and one called to another and 00:10:41.610 --> 00:10:46.409 said holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the 00:10:46.409 --> 00:10:51.669 whole earth is full of his glory And so what 00:10:51.669 --> 00:10:54.289 are the seraphim, these angelic beings, what 00:10:54.289 --> 00:10:59.629 are the seraphim doing in the passage? They are 00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:03.549 worshiping God. R .C. Sproul comments here, they 00:11:03.549 --> 00:11:08.149 are, as it were, the heavenly choir celebrating 00:11:08.149 --> 00:11:12.210 the transcendent majesty of the creator by singing 00:11:12.210 --> 00:11:16.710 of his splendor and saying, holy, holy, holy. 00:11:17.870 --> 00:11:21.629 This should remind us of other places in which 00:11:21.629 --> 00:11:26.950 we see holy holy holy written places like Revelation 00:11:26.950 --> 00:11:30.549 4 and Revelation 5 if you were to study those 00:11:30.549 --> 00:11:33.570 passages what you get and this is metaphorical 00:11:33.570 --> 00:11:36.850 but God it's like God is opening up a window 00:11:36.850 --> 00:11:40.490 whereby we can glimpse up into the heavens and 00:11:40.490 --> 00:11:45.090 see his heavenly worship surrounded by angelic 00:11:45.090 --> 00:11:49.350 beings Let me read some of this for you from 00:11:49.350 --> 00:11:53.529 Revelation 4 and 5. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord 00:11:53.529 --> 00:11:59.710 God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Worthy 00:11:59.710 --> 00:12:03.250 is the lamb who was slain to receive power and 00:12:03.250 --> 00:12:06.110 wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory 00:12:06.110 --> 00:12:08.409 and blessing. And then down into chapter 5 verse 00:12:08.409 --> 00:12:13.730 11, to him who sits on the throne and to the 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:18.289 lamb. be blessing and honor and might forever 00:12:18.289 --> 00:12:24.190 and ever. The angelic host is worshipping the 00:12:24.190 --> 00:12:28.230 lamb who is slain, which obviously is Jesus. 00:12:28.470 --> 00:12:32.090 Yes, it's true, friends. Angels were created 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:36.389 to worship. And one day we too, united in faith 00:12:36.389 --> 00:12:43.080 to Christ, will join that heavenly choir. But 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:46.799 we don't have to wait until then, do we? We don't 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.440 have to wait to worship God. We are doing it 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:53.879 right here and right now. It's such that every 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:57.639 time, every Lord's Day that we gather for worship, 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:01.759 we are preparing ourselves for our heavenly home. 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:07.909 Every time we sing a good hymn or a psalm, We 00:13:07.909 --> 00:13:10.990 are preparing to join that heavenly choir. Every 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:14.070 time we take the Lord's Supper, we are preparing 00:13:14.070 --> 00:13:18.190 for the marriage supper of the Lamb. And every 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:22.029 time that we read the Word, or we hear the Word 00:13:22.029 --> 00:13:25.570 read, or we hear it preached, we are preparing 00:13:25.570 --> 00:13:28.710 ourselves to meet the one who has called the 00:13:28.710 --> 00:13:32.110 Word face to face. Every time we do what we are 00:13:32.110 --> 00:13:37.759 doing right now, we are getting ready. for heaven. 00:13:39.620 --> 00:13:43.100 You see, worship is not just something that you 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:48.980 do. Worship is who you are, and we are worshipers 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:54.600 of the one true God, the one who is holy, holy, 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:58.279 holy, and the one who is triune, like the angels 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:02.710 we have been created to worship. I hope that 00:14:02.710 --> 00:14:05.110 you really thought about the lyrics of Holy, 00:14:05.149 --> 00:14:10.169 Holy, Holy as we sang it. Verse two, all the 00:14:10.169 --> 00:14:14.389 saints adore thee. You are the saints casting 00:14:14.389 --> 00:14:17.990 down their golden crowns around the glassy sea. 00:14:18.610 --> 00:14:22.250 Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before thee, 00:14:22.429 --> 00:14:25.809 which work and art and evermore shall be. That 00:14:25.809 --> 00:14:30.080 is you. And that is me and that is all of the 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:34.279 heavenly host worshiping Father, Son, and Holy 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:44.779 Spirit. And yet sometimes people forget who they 00:14:44.779 --> 00:14:48.139 are worshiping. At times in the scriptures people 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:52.240 have fallen down, not before God, but before 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.899 angels to worship. And yet whenever you see somebody 00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:59.259 bowing down before an angel in worship, you see 00:14:59.259 --> 00:15:05.340 that angel saying, stop, don't do that. Revelation 00:15:05.340 --> 00:15:10.039 19 10, then I, this being John, fell down at 00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:13.259 his, his being the feet of an angel to worship 00:15:13.259 --> 00:15:17.019 him. But he said to me, you must not do that. 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:20.360 I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers. 00:15:20.669 --> 00:15:24.149 who hold to the testimony of Jesus, worship God. 00:15:24.409 --> 00:15:27.929 The angels are not to be worshiped. The angels 00:15:27.929 --> 00:15:31.730 are to worship, for they are special ministers. 00:15:32.409 --> 00:15:35.110 They're ministers of the Son, but they are not 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:38.330 the Son. The angels are not God. And so look 00:15:38.330 --> 00:15:41.429 at verse five. To which of the angels has God 00:15:41.429 --> 00:15:45.429 ever said, today you are my son, I've begotten 00:15:45.429 --> 00:15:48.789 you? To which of the angels has God ever said 00:15:48.789 --> 00:15:53.779 that? The implied answer is obvious to none of 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:58.820 them. And yet we may wonder when it says today, 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:04.539 what does that mean? When did Christ become the 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:09.000 son of the father? When did Christ become worthy 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:15.519 of the worship of angels? Well, there's a simple 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.080 answer to that, always. Christ has always been, 00:16:20.100 --> 00:16:23.559 and he's always been worthy of worship, but there 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:26.559 does seem to be an emphasis on when, that word 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:29.360 today or down into verse six, when he brings 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:31.940 the firstborn into the world. And so really, 00:16:32.100 --> 00:16:35.279 when does Christ become worthy? He's always been, 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:39.519 but at what point does it become obvious? Well, 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.919 when it says firstborn, perhaps we are to think 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:47.500 here of the incarnation. What were the angels 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:50.879 doing when Christ was born? Well, they were the 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.519 ones who announced the birth, weren't they? And 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:55.379 they were the ones who are worshiping. And so 00:16:55.379 --> 00:17:00.740 perhaps that's in play. However, I also think 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:04.099 that there's a little more going on here too. 00:17:04.660 --> 00:17:07.619 That possibly this is looking beyond the incarnation. 00:17:08.089 --> 00:17:11.069 This might be looking beyond the birth of Christ, 00:17:11.490 --> 00:17:14.829 because actually as you see that scripture there 00:17:14.829 --> 00:17:17.410 in verse 5, you are my son, today I've begotten 00:17:17.410 --> 00:17:20.390 you, this comes from Psalm 2. Or the next one 00:17:20.390 --> 00:17:25.650 comes from 2 Samuel 7. When the New Testament, 00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:29.269 outside of this passage here, Hebrews, when the 00:17:29.269 --> 00:17:33.309 New Testament uses these scriptures like in Acts 00:17:33.309 --> 00:17:37.779 chapter 13, it's actually talking about the resurrection, 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:44.160 and the ascension of Jesus. And those texts, 00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:48.700 Old Testament texts, point to a forever king, 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:52.460 a king that could not be held by death or by 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:55.819 the grave, a king who ascended to the right hand 00:17:55.819 --> 00:17:59.279 of the Father, where he now rules and reigns 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:02.019 forever. But he had to go through the cross, 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:05.559 didn't he? And verse eight shows us why, if you 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:09.839 look there. Eight and nine, your throne, O God, 00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:12.799 is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:16.460 is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:21.660 righteousness and hated wickedness. God loves 00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:24.660 righteousness and hated wickedness, and therefore, 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:28.359 in order for us to have this righteousness, we 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.559 needed somebody else's. We needed the righteousness 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:35.410 of Christ. Because prior to our conversion, all 00:18:35.410 --> 00:18:38.069 of our work, all of our efforts are like filthy 00:18:38.069 --> 00:18:41.710 rags. We're totally depraved. And so we need 00:18:41.710 --> 00:18:45.490 Christ's righteousness here because God loves 00:18:45.490 --> 00:18:50.289 it and God hates wickedness. And yet God is a 00:18:50.289 --> 00:18:53.450 just God and therefore all of sin had to be punished. 00:18:53.809 --> 00:18:56.410 But Christ, to quote a commentator, holds out 00:18:56.410 --> 00:19:00.190 that scepter in mercy and grace to his people, 00:19:00.730 --> 00:19:05.599 declaring their pardon. the basis of his costly 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:10.220 sacrifice and so Christ Jesus goes through the 00:19:10.220 --> 00:19:16.240 cross For us that we might have his righteousness 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:22.940 and You can see here that he going through all 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:28.319 of that is anointed with the oil of gladness 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:34.000 Look at verse 9 Therefore, God your God has anointed 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:36.960 you with the oil of gladness. This is quoting 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.700 from Psalm 45, which is actually a wedding song, 00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:44.519 which might seem a curious song to choose here. 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:47.880 But the writer of Hebrews shows us that the full 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:51.799 interpretation of that song is Jesus, that he 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.880 is the anointed one. And if you keep looking 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:58.700 there in verse eight, that Christ Jesus is identified 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:04.579 as God. but also anointed by God. Your throne, 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:08.019 O God, this says. This is referring to Jesus' 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:10.279 throne. And so what are we really getting at 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:14.039 here? We are seeing the relationship of the Father 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:21.089 to the Son. Jesus is not a lesser God. He is 00:20:21.089 --> 00:20:25.130 again equal in power and glory with the Father. 00:20:25.190 --> 00:20:28.730 And so he is anointed as such. And if you kind 00:20:28.730 --> 00:20:31.170 of know your ancient history, especially Israelite 00:20:31.170 --> 00:20:34.289 history, you know that as new kings were established, 00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:38.470 they were established by anointing. And so Christ 00:20:38.470 --> 00:20:44.950 is anointed and he is the King of all time. But 00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:48.529 also look at the end of verse 9. After it says 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:51.869 the oil of gladness, it says beyond your companions. 00:20:52.029 --> 00:20:55.589 And so you might think, who are Jesus's companions 00:20:55.589 --> 00:20:58.829 in this passage? Naturally, since I've been talking 00:20:58.829 --> 00:21:00.950 about angels, you might think, well, this is 00:21:00.950 --> 00:21:03.869 referring to angels, that the companions of Christ 00:21:03.869 --> 00:21:08.769 are angels. I actually don't think, I actually 00:21:08.769 --> 00:21:12.130 don't think that's what's going on. Because throughout 00:21:12.130 --> 00:21:14.210 the book of Hebrews, you're actually going to 00:21:14.210 --> 00:21:18.480 see this talk about believers as the brothers 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.539 of Christ. And so because that is true, I think 00:21:23.539 --> 00:21:26.579 that actually what this is doing is talking about 00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:30.640 you. It's talking about you as the companions 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:34.400 of Christ. It's talking about how Christ is our 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:37.500 brother and you are his brothers and his sisters. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:39.779 You see, what Christ has secured for us among 00:21:39.779 --> 00:21:44.500 many things is family. If you remember my opening 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:48.829 illustration about Roger, All he wanted was a 00:21:48.829 --> 00:21:53.089 family. And that's what we get in Christ Jesus. 00:21:53.089 --> 00:21:56.650 We are adopted into God's family. And I know 00:21:56.650 --> 00:22:01.309 some of us have had difficult paths, difficult 00:22:01.309 --> 00:22:04.509 families, difficult parents, difficult brothers, 00:22:04.750 --> 00:22:08.569 difficult sisters. We have lost loved ones. What 00:22:08.569 --> 00:22:15.089 we get in Christ Jesus is union with Him and 00:22:15.089 --> 00:22:19.960 adoption into God's family. family. And friends, 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.900 as those who are united to Christ and in God's 00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:27.140 family, we need to be about what Christ is about. 00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:29.339 And Christ, according to this passage, is all 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:32.779 about uprightness and righteousness, and he hates 00:22:32.779 --> 00:22:36.119 wickedness. And so does that characterize who 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:40.960 we are? Remember, the angels are sent to serve. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.740 And so let me ask you, are you serving God? With 00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:48.880 your gifts, your talents, your abilities, your 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:52.059 lips, your actions, your mind, are you serving 00:22:52.059 --> 00:22:57.039 and are you loving righteousness? Friends, the 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.740 very same things that are ascribed to the angels 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:02.240 about their functions are also talking about 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:07.680 us. We were made to worship and we were made 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:11.920 to serve. But thankfully, God does not leave 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:15.230 us on our own to figure out how to worship. or 00:23:15.230 --> 00:23:18.170 to figure out how to serve, He has given us His 00:23:18.170 --> 00:23:21.890 infallible, forever Word. And so we should read 00:23:21.890 --> 00:23:25.230 it. We should be in it. We should hear it read 00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:28.549 in order that we would know how to rightly worship 00:23:28.549 --> 00:23:33.069 and to serve. For we, as I said, are like the 00:23:33.069 --> 00:23:35.779 angels in that regard. But there's also something 00:23:35.779 --> 00:23:38.660 else, look in verse 10, not only are we like 00:23:38.660 --> 00:23:40.940 the angels and that we are to worship and serve, 00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:43.940 but we are like the angels and that we are created 00:23:43.940 --> 00:23:49.799 beings. You see the angels were created in verse 00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:53.480 10 and 11 are really getting back to this creator 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:57.640 created dynamic. Whereas the sun is eternal, 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:00.640 the angels were created. And this is quoting 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:04.640 from Psalm 102. And it shows us the angels were 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:09.839 created and also shows us that Christ is eternal. 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:13.279 But as I said, we were created to do something 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:15.660 just like those angels. And so one commentator 00:24:15.660 --> 00:24:19.980 says here, the angels as creatures can function 00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:23.119 only within the limits for which they were created. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:27.740 That is to carry out the wishes of their creator. 00:24:28.519 --> 00:24:30.920 Both angels and servants have a very different 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:35.170 function from the sun. their task is one of service, 00:24:35.470 --> 00:24:40.869 but the son's task now is one of rule. And so 00:24:40.869 --> 00:24:43.930 you see, as great as the angels are, they are 00:24:43.930 --> 00:24:47.210 created beings and they are created with a purpose. 00:24:47.849 --> 00:24:49.710 They are created, yes, for worship, but they 00:24:49.710 --> 00:24:52.509 are created to do something. Look at verse 14. 00:24:55.109 --> 00:24:58.809 They are ministering spirits sent out to serve. 00:24:58.970 --> 00:25:02.509 for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. 00:25:04.349 --> 00:25:06.730 Now, as you look at this, you might say, well, 00:25:06.849 --> 00:25:11.529 how do the angels serve? Well, interestingly 00:25:11.529 --> 00:25:14.349 enough, the writer of Hebrews doesn't tell us 00:25:14.349 --> 00:25:16.930 a lot here, does he? He doesn't go into a big 00:25:16.930 --> 00:25:20.349 long explanation of what it means that the angels 00:25:20.349 --> 00:25:24.849 are sent to serve. And so maybe all we can say 00:25:24.849 --> 00:25:28.680 is that the angels are sent I like how John Owen 00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:32.980 puts this. He says, these blessed angels specially 00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:36.319 minister to the church and have us under their 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:42.140 constant care. Maybe one day, maybe one day, 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:46.440 we'll know all of the ways in which the angels 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:50.119 were protecting or in which the angels were serving. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:54.980 But we are largely kept in the dark to that, 00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:58.299 aren't we? And yet I feel like, since I've already 00:25:58.299 --> 00:26:01.539 mentioned angels in the outfield, that the 90s 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:04.500 were kind of a heyday for fascination with angels. 00:26:04.619 --> 00:26:06.579 I'm sure at other points in history they were. 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:09.059 But in the 90s, you had some movies and you had 00:26:09.059 --> 00:26:11.079 some shows. Anybody ever watch Touched by an 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:14.460 Angel before? Yeah, some heads nodding, right? 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.740 There has become a great fascination with angels. 00:26:19.339 --> 00:26:21.940 And there's even become this kind of theology 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:25.640 of angels in which some people believe that every 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:29.180 single person has a guardian angel. Now I know 00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:33.079 the biblical text that people use for that. And 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:37.019 I actually think it doesn't go far enough. For 00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:41.079 occasionally in scripture, we are given a glimpse 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:46.250 into what angels really do. 2 Kings 6, and if 00:26:46.250 --> 00:26:48.109 you're in the Fellowship Sunday School class, 00:26:48.269 --> 00:26:51.170 you have heard this taught recently. 2 Kings 00:26:51.170 --> 00:26:55.109 6 describes the situation in which Israel and 00:26:55.109 --> 00:26:59.170 Syria are at war. And the Syrians surround an 00:26:59.170 --> 00:27:01.750 Israelite city. I think the city is called Dothan. 00:27:03.029 --> 00:27:07.309 Elisha is there, the prophet, but also Elisha's 00:27:07.309 --> 00:27:10.470 servant. And the servant rises early in the morning. 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:13.500 And he goes out from where they are staying and 00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:17.099 he sees that the city is surrounded by the Syrians. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.779 And he is distraught. He's upset. He's scared, 00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:25.660 petrified. And so he runs to Elisha and he says, 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:28.720 what are we going to do? We are surrounded. And 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:31.799 Elisha, you got to love him. He says, do not 00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:36.640 be afraid. For those who are with us are more 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:40.069 than those who are with them. And then the prophet 00:27:40.069 --> 00:27:44.529 prays, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may 00:27:44.529 --> 00:27:47.789 see. And the Lord opens the servant's eyes and 00:27:47.789 --> 00:27:52.390 behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots 00:27:52.390 --> 00:27:58.049 of fire all around Elisha. You see there was 00:27:58.049 --> 00:28:02.650 not just one angel there for each person. There 00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:08.609 was a host of angelic beings. too great to be 00:28:08.609 --> 00:28:14.710 numbered, taking care of God's people. Most of 00:28:14.710 --> 00:28:19.029 us are like Elisha's servant. Sometimes we lack 00:28:19.029 --> 00:28:22.369 trust in God, and certainly we don't seem to 00:28:22.369 --> 00:28:25.109 understand all of the angelic activity going 00:28:25.109 --> 00:28:29.569 on, but friends, it's there. Even if it's behind 00:28:29.569 --> 00:28:32.609 the scenes, Hebrews 13 2 says, do not neglect 00:28:32.609 --> 00:28:36.289 to show hospitality to strangers for thereby 00:28:36.289 --> 00:28:39.990 some have entertained angels unawares. We're 00:28:39.990 --> 00:28:45.109 mostly unaware of what angels are doing. But 00:28:45.109 --> 00:28:48.029 that's indeed how they work. But if you really 00:28:48.029 --> 00:28:52.009 want to understand angels, then I would suggest 00:28:52.009 --> 00:28:56.700 you study the life of Christ. For you remember 00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:59.740 as I've already said the angels were there announcing 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:03.440 the birth of Jesus and the angels were there 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:08.279 Worshipping Christ and the angels are there Every 00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:11.359 step of the way with Christ for you might remember 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:17.859 the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness At 00:29:17.859 --> 00:29:23.230 one point Satan takes Jesus to the temple And 00:29:23.230 --> 00:29:26.509 the scriptures record that Jesus is set on the 00:29:26.509 --> 00:29:29.950 pinnacle of the temple and Satan says to Jesus, 00:29:29.990 --> 00:29:33.529 and this is my paraphrase, throw yourself down. 00:29:34.009 --> 00:29:37.710 Don't you know that the angels will catch you. 00:29:37.789 --> 00:29:40.309 They will not allow your foot to be dashed against 00:29:40.309 --> 00:29:44.390 a rock. Just go ahead Jesus, throw yourself down. 00:29:45.890 --> 00:29:48.329 What does Jesus say? You shall not put the Lord 00:29:48.329 --> 00:29:50.769 your God to the test. And so of course he doesn't 00:29:50.769 --> 00:29:55.809 fall for that. And Luke says that Satan went 00:29:55.809 --> 00:30:00.430 out from there until a more opportune time. But 00:30:00.430 --> 00:30:04.109 as Satan used scripture to try and tempt Jesus, 00:30:04.890 --> 00:30:08.410 he twists the scripture as he says the angels 00:30:08.410 --> 00:30:10.970 are gonna catch you. But that's not the only 00:30:10.970 --> 00:30:15.170 mention of the angels in those passages. For 00:30:15.170 --> 00:30:21.269 Matthew and Mark both say the angels were ministering. 00:30:21.289 --> 00:30:25.190 to Jesus. The angels are right there with Jesus 00:30:25.190 --> 00:30:30.109 in the temptation, in the wilderness, and they 00:30:30.109 --> 00:30:33.690 are with him every step of the way through the 00:30:33.690 --> 00:30:37.430 birth, through the temptation, through the crucifixion, 00:30:37.609 --> 00:30:40.329 through the resurrection and through the ascension, 00:30:40.509 --> 00:30:43.690 where Acts chapter one says, as Jesus was lifted 00:30:43.690 --> 00:30:48.349 up, two men in white robes stood by the disciples 00:30:48.349 --> 00:30:51.930 and said, men of Galilee, Why do you stand looking 00:30:51.930 --> 00:30:55.170 up into heaven? This Jesus who has taken up from 00:30:55.170 --> 00:30:58.470 you into heaven will come in the same way as 00:30:58.470 --> 00:31:01.470 you saw him go into heaven. These angels act 00:31:01.470 --> 00:31:06.109 as the escorts of Jesus up into the heavenly 00:31:06.109 --> 00:31:09.910 places in order that he would sit down at the 00:31:09.910 --> 00:31:13.369 right hand of the Father. Look in verse 13. In 00:31:13.369 --> 00:31:17.549 order that Jesus would sit at the right hand. 00:31:17.880 --> 00:31:22.680 To which angel has God ever given that seat to 00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:28.559 none? It has Jesus' name written all over it. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.380 Now you might say as I begin to conclude, why 00:31:33.380 --> 00:31:36.420 stress the superiority of Jesus over the angels? 00:31:36.539 --> 00:31:40.640 Isn't that obvious? It seems obvious and yet 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:43.920 sometimes we look for help in all of the wrong 00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:47.779 places. Sometimes we give our worship to all 00:31:47.779 --> 00:31:50.859 of the wrong things or to all of the wrong people. 00:31:51.819 --> 00:31:54.660 But the angels show us what we really should 00:31:54.660 --> 00:31:59.400 be doing. We should be worshiping Father, Son, 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:03.500 and Holy Spirit. And we should be serving God 00:32:03.500 --> 00:32:05.759 with everything that we have got. And this is 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:09.500 indeed the pattern of the book. That Christ is 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:12.359 greater. Yes, it's true. The angels were sent 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:17.079 to serve but notice how verse 14 is written They 00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:21.700 are sent and why are they sent? It says to those 00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:25.140 who are to inherit salvation the angels are sent 00:32:25.140 --> 00:32:30.619 for you And the angels do not do so on their 00:32:30.619 --> 00:32:36.119 own accord They are sent by God to you and to 00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:43.250 me But it's true the one who sends is Greater 00:32:43.250 --> 00:32:46.369 than the one who is sent and so this passage 00:32:46.369 --> 00:32:50.009 once again is Reminding us of the preeminence 00:32:50.009 --> 00:32:52.670 of Christ that he is before that he is above 00:32:52.670 --> 00:32:55.710 and he is greater than all of the Created being 00:32:55.710 --> 00:32:59.049 and Jesus right now is at the right hand of the 00:32:59.049 --> 00:33:05.930 father Being worshipped by you and by the angels 00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:08.019 Amen.