WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.379 We open the Word of God together to Hebrews, 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:07.360 the first chapter this morning, where our text 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:15.419 will be in verse 6. I am not given to quoting 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:17.600 Harry Truman because that can get a preacher 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:21.859 into trouble. But on Harry Truman's desk was 00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:26.600 a little motto which came into use a number of 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:30.899 times in his presidency. The little motto simply 00:00:30.899 --> 00:00:35.859 said, the buck stops here. He was willing to 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:39.000 take the full responsibility for his office as 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:41.500 president and the decisions that he had to make. 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.740 We can appreciate that grasp of what leadership 00:00:45.740 --> 00:00:49.340 is all about, especially when that same statement, 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:51.679 the buck stops here, seems to have a different 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.240 meaning to some contemporary politicians. The 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:59.659 office of president pales, however, in comparison 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:03.659 to the authority which belongs to another supreme 00:01:03.659 --> 00:01:09.439 and superior preeminent one who is above everyone 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:12.480 and everything, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:16.879 He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:21.340 He is the final authority over all other authorities. 00:01:21.900 --> 00:01:25.900 That idea of supremacy and preeminence is in 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:30.939 the theme of Hebrews. Hebrews tells us about 00:01:30.939 --> 00:01:35.280 the superiority of Jesus Christ. It was written, 00:01:35.299 --> 00:01:39.219 of course, to Christians from a Jewish background. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.900 Some of them were apparently tempted to return 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:47.040 to their Judaism and to abandon their faith in 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.019 Jesus. And so the writer of this book gives them 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:54.959 what he calls in chapter 13, verse 22, a word 00:01:54.959 --> 00:02:00.390 of exhortation. to encourage them to stick with 00:02:00.390 --> 00:02:04.730 it and to endure, to go on to maturity in their 00:02:04.730 --> 00:02:09.050 faith. The content of the book of Hebrews illustrates 00:02:09.050 --> 00:02:12.789 the superiority of Christ over anything that 00:02:12.789 --> 00:02:16.729 Judaism had to offer. Did Judaism have its prophets? 00:02:17.750 --> 00:02:21.669 Christianity has the Son. The prophets were partial, 00:02:21.830 --> 00:02:25.169 but the Son is the final and full revelation 00:02:25.169 --> 00:02:28.879 of God. Did Judaism have a covenant delivered 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:34.319 by the angels? Christianity has Jesus, in whose 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.099 blood the final covenant has been established. 00:02:37.500 --> 00:02:41.780 The angels were but servants. Jesus Christ is 00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:46.919 the enthroned Son. Did Judaism have Moses? Indeed. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:51.219 And Moses was faithful in all his house. But 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:55.039 Christianity has the Son, who is faithful over. 00:02:55.639 --> 00:03:00.900 all his house, including Moses. Did Judaism have 00:03:00.900 --> 00:03:04.479 a priesthood? Of course. But it was a priesthood 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:08.219 that was limited in duration and effect. It was 00:03:08.219 --> 00:03:12.360 a priesthood on the order of Aaron. But Christianity 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:17.900 has the Son, whose priesthood is forever, for 00:03:17.900 --> 00:03:20.780 he ever lives to intercede for those who come 00:03:20.780 --> 00:03:24.659 to God through him. and his priesthood is based 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:28.419 upon the order of Melchizedek. Did Judaism have 00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:32.400 sacrifices? Yes, many of them, daily offered 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.340 in the temple on earth. But Christianity has 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:42.199 the Son, one priest, one sacrifice, made forever, 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:46.180 and now he appears in the Holy of Holies in heaven 00:03:46.180 --> 00:03:50.639 on our behalf. And so you see the book of Hebrews 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:54.460 is about the preeminence of Jesus Christ. It 00:03:54.460 --> 00:03:57.840 is an argument regarding the Son's superiority. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:02.719 In the first part of the book, he speaks about 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.580 the Son's superiority over the angels. And it 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:10.080 is in that context that we find this word, this 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:12.259 title that we've been looking at, firstborn. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:18.430 He says in chapter 1, verse 6, The firstborn 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:23.470 into the world, he says, let all the angels of 00:04:23.470 --> 00:04:28.829 God worship him. Remember that this name firstborn 00:04:28.829 --> 00:04:33.829 has nothing to do really with time, nor is it 00:04:33.829 --> 00:04:37.750 really a word describing created order as though 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:41.329 Jesus were the first created thing. But as we 00:04:41.329 --> 00:04:46.019 have seen, the title firstborn refers to the 00:04:46.019 --> 00:04:51.180 chief one, the one who is above everyone else, 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:56.680 the one who is preeminent. Jesus Christ is the 00:04:56.680 --> 00:05:01.139 only Son of the Father, the firstborn of God. 00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:07.019 As the firstborn of God, He is in the first place 00:05:07.019 --> 00:05:13.079 preeminent as the Word of God. How do we know 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:17.360 about God? Well, the answer is by revelation. 00:05:18.899 --> 00:05:21.579 Whether it be natural revelation in the world 00:05:21.579 --> 00:05:27.060 around us or the personal revelation in Jesus 00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:30.420 Christ or the written revelation of this book, 00:05:30.579 --> 00:05:35.120 the way that we know about God is by revelation. 00:05:36.899 --> 00:05:42.019 God is not discovered by man. God reveals himself 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:45.180 to man. The finite cannot discover the infinite, 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:50.259 but the infinite can reveal himself to the finite, 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:54.779 and that he has done. In the first few verses 00:05:54.779 --> 00:05:58.819 of this marvelous first chapter of Hebrews, he 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:02.300 speaks about revelation and the fact that God 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:10.129 spoke. God has spoken. God is not a silent God 00:06:10.129 --> 00:06:13.509 who has been wound up the universe and then gone 00:06:13.509 --> 00:06:18.329 off somewhere else to tend to other things. God 00:06:18.329 --> 00:06:22.250 has spoken. You will notice in these first verses, 00:06:22.410 --> 00:06:27.730 verses 1 and 2, several couplets that are really 00:06:27.730 --> 00:06:32.430 contrasting couplets. He tells us in the first 00:06:32.430 --> 00:06:37.300 place that God spoke long ago. But God has spoken 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:41.839 again in these last days. Long ago, in these 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:46.420 last days. In times past, the Old Testament times. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:50.180 But then in these last days, once again, God 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:55.100 has spoken. These Messianic times. He says God 00:06:55.100 --> 00:06:59.939 has spoken to the forefathers and to us. Another 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:03.000 couplet. The forefathers referring to the Old 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:07.269 Testament believers. to us, referring to believers 00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:09.990 in that first century, but by way of extension 00:07:09.990 --> 00:07:14.750 to us as well in their writings. God has spoken 00:07:14.750 --> 00:07:19.230 in the prophets. God has spoken in His Son. Another 00:07:19.230 --> 00:07:22.949 couplet. The prophets refers to the Old Testament 00:07:22.949 --> 00:07:26.389 prophets who were special instruments of the 00:07:26.389 --> 00:07:28.910 Holy Spirit, pointing to the coming of Christ. 00:07:29.829 --> 00:07:34.819 But, likewise, God has spoken in His Son. the 00:07:34.819 --> 00:07:38.139 one whose nature is that of being a son. And 00:07:38.139 --> 00:07:42.439 in the son, he has fully revealed himself. This 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:44.759 does not mean that what the prophets said was 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:47.959 of no consequence, but rather it was foundational. 00:07:48.579 --> 00:07:51.779 And now God has completed what the prophets began. 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.420 God has spoken in many portions and in many ways 00:07:57.420 --> 00:08:01.899 in times past. But now he has spoken finally. 00:08:02.699 --> 00:08:05.259 That word is not used, but that is implied in 00:08:05.259 --> 00:08:09.300 the tense of the verb when it says, God has spoken 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:14.879 to us in verse 2. God has spoken finally and 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:18.339 fully. The point is this, that we should expect 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:22.420 no further revelation from God than that which 00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:26.600 He has given. He has now fully addressed Himself 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:33.409 to us in His Son. All additional so -called revelations 00:08:33.409 --> 00:08:39.809 after the Son are spurious and fraudulent. However 00:08:39.809 --> 00:08:45.889 sincere the worshipers of Allah be, Muhammad 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:51.210 was not the prophet of God. Jesus Christ was 00:08:51.210 --> 00:08:55.450 the final prophet of God. We expect no further 00:08:55.450 --> 00:08:58.889 revelation from him, and because of his preeminence, 00:08:59.850 --> 00:09:04.769 As the Word of God, He is the firstborn of God, 00:09:04.990 --> 00:09:09.029 the firstborn of God to whom we must give heed. 00:09:10.210 --> 00:09:13.289 He is not only preeminent as the firstborn of 00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.289 God in the Word of God, but He is preeminent 00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:21.149 in the work of God. Notice beginning in verse 00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:26.610 2 and on down through verse 3, He lists seven. 00:09:27.569 --> 00:09:31.269 marvelous aspects of the work of God in His Son, 00:09:31.470 --> 00:09:35.750 the firstborn. He says in the first place that 00:09:35.750 --> 00:09:40.690 He has been appointed heir of all things. This 00:09:40.690 --> 00:09:44.470 word heir is an interesting word. In the linguistic 00:09:44.470 --> 00:09:47.730 key to the Greek New Testament, we have this 00:09:47.730 --> 00:09:50.889 helpful couple of sentences. It says this word 00:09:50.889 --> 00:09:54.909 is derived from the term lot. and referred to 00:09:54.909 --> 00:09:57.269 a situation in which lots were drawn to divide 00:09:57.269 --> 00:10:00.870 property or to select a winner. The one who drew 00:10:00.870 --> 00:10:04.929 the lot was the heir. The word came to be used 00:10:04.929 --> 00:10:07.009 for dividing the property that a father left 00:10:07.009 --> 00:10:10.769 to his children when he died. When there was 00:10:10.769 --> 00:10:14.909 only one son, there would be only one heir. Christ 00:10:14.909 --> 00:10:19.950 is the heir of all things precisely because God 00:10:19.950 --> 00:10:26.159 has only one son. and only one heir. So as the 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:30.100 firstborn of God, He has been appointed the heir 00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:35.899 of everything. All things have been given to 00:10:35.899 --> 00:10:40.580 Him because He is the Son. Everything is His 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:46.559 lawful possession. The marvelous thing is that 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.480 those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ and 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:53.669 who have been joined to Him by faith, are called 00:10:53.669 --> 00:10:59.009 joint heirs. We are called the joint heirs of 00:10:59.009 --> 00:11:02.769 Jesus Christ, of all things. All things belong 00:11:02.769 --> 00:11:07.730 to us in him. That term joint heirs means that 00:11:07.730 --> 00:11:11.990 Jesus cannot claim his inheritance unless you 00:11:11.990 --> 00:11:17.870 are there with him to claim it. And when he claims 00:11:17.870 --> 00:11:23.029 what is his alone, we all will share in it, equally 00:11:23.029 --> 00:11:29.730 because we are His joint heirs. A second work 00:11:29.730 --> 00:11:33.350 of God that we see here in the firstborn is that 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:36.289 He was the origin of the world. Literally, the 00:11:36.289 --> 00:11:41.149 word world in verse 2 is ages. It's a word that 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:43.110 has to do with more than time, though. It refers 00:11:43.110 --> 00:11:47.090 to the whole universe. It means time and space 00:11:47.090 --> 00:11:50.789 and matter. Everything that is, He was the origin 00:11:50.789 --> 00:11:56.240 of it. He is the planner of human history. And 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:00.120 all of the events of history are moving toward 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:04.460 a purposed culmination. History is not out of 00:12:04.460 --> 00:12:08.320 control. It's in His control. He is the origin 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.820 of it. And as we saw in Colossians, He's the 00:12:10.820 --> 00:12:13.419 beginning. And we saw in Revelation that He's 00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:17.080 also the ending. So where history and the universe 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:20.279 began, history and the universe will culminate. 00:12:21.419 --> 00:12:27.500 In Jesus Christ, the firstborn of God. Thirdly, 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:30.080 we see that he is the radiance of God's glory. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.779 The outshining of God's glory, the great brightness, 00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:40.340 the splendor, the Shekinah, if you please, of 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:47.779 God. That brilliant display of his deity that 00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:51.899 men were able to see on occasion. in the Old 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:56.539 Testament. It is a light that no man can look 00:12:56.539 --> 00:13:03.500 at, really. That radiance of God's deity is in 00:13:03.500 --> 00:13:07.399 Jesus Christ, veiled in flesh, to be sure, but 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:11.620 there, and as you know, once seen through his 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:16.419 flesh at the transfiguration. The writer goes 00:13:16.419 --> 00:13:18.440 on to say that he is the exact representation 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:24.110 of God's nature. He is the character of God. 00:13:25.470 --> 00:13:29.129 It's as though the invisible God impressed himself 00:13:29.129 --> 00:13:34.210 in human flesh, and the form that was left is 00:13:34.210 --> 00:13:38.889 the person of Jesus Christ. When it says that 00:13:38.889 --> 00:13:41.789 he is the exact representation of God, it's the 00:13:41.789 --> 00:13:49.470 word for a stamp. Jesus Christ... is the exact 00:13:49.470 --> 00:13:52.350 reproduction, if you please, of all that God 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:55.909 is so that we can see it down where we live. 00:13:56.850 --> 00:14:01.909 He is deity impressed in humanity so that we 00:14:01.909 --> 00:14:05.289 might see the likeness of what is invisible. 00:14:06.990 --> 00:14:11.289 He is the essence of the infinite in flesh and 00:14:11.289 --> 00:14:17.779 blood. It goes on to say that he upholds All 00:14:17.779 --> 00:14:21.080 things by the word of his power. The idea here 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:24.759 is that he carries everything forward on its 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:28.799 appointed course. When you see he upholds everything, 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:33.159 you might in your mind picture Atlas, who in 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:36.740 the Greek and Roman mythology bears the world 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:41.779 upon his back. A static figure, frozen in stone, 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:45.480 who holds the world. That is not the picture 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:50.610 here. It is a dynamic picture of the Son of God, 00:14:50.730 --> 00:14:54.730 the firstborn, who bears up everything and carries 00:14:54.730 --> 00:14:59.909 it forward to its appointed end. The totality 00:14:59.909 --> 00:15:05.730 of the universe is born on toward its goal by 00:15:05.730 --> 00:15:10.990 the firstborn, the Son of God. It tells us further 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:14.909 in the context that he made purification of sins. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:19.440 Why is he preeminent in the work of God? Because 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:23.139 he is the one who made purification. He himself, 00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:29.019 no other. He provided cleansing of sin in a single 00:15:29.019 --> 00:15:33.559 act at the cross where he sacrificed himself. 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:39.720 That is God's catharsis for the removal of sin. 00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:45.019 It is futile for human beings to seek a cleansing, 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:48.899 From any other source, there is none. For he 00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:53.139 himself and he alone has made purification of 00:15:53.139 --> 00:15:58.580 sins. All the stain and all the pollution of 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:04.580 sin is removed by the work of the firstborn. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:09.600 And then it says, finally, that he sat down at 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:15.450 the right hand of God. The majesty on high. In 00:16:15.450 --> 00:16:18.210 sitting down, it signifies that his work was 00:16:18.210 --> 00:16:22.509 finished in redemption. His work was completed 00:16:22.509 --> 00:16:25.710 at the cross. He said, it is finished, and it 00:16:25.710 --> 00:16:28.610 was. And when he got into the presence of the 00:16:28.610 --> 00:16:31.090 Father after his ascension, the Father said, 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:34.169 sit right here. Why did Jesus sit? Because he 00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:37.970 was done with his work. He had accomplished on 00:16:37.970 --> 00:16:41.889 the earth the work he was sent to do in providing 00:16:41.889 --> 00:16:47.559 the only sacrifice. for our sin and notice where 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:50.840 he's seated at the right hand of the father that 00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:54.179 is the place of supreme authority and highest 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:59.220 privilege and he alone occupies that seat at 00:16:59.220 --> 00:17:01.419 the right hand does that mean that god has a 00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:04.559 right hand that god is in a body no it's but 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.240 an expression that simply means he's in that 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:12.480 place of supreme authority in the heavens over 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:17.049 the earth And so he is the preeminent one as 00:17:17.049 --> 00:17:20.309 the firstborn of God. Preeminent as the Word 00:17:20.309 --> 00:17:23.250 of God. There is no revelation that will surpass 00:17:23.250 --> 00:17:26.529 him. He completed what God had to say to us. 00:17:27.529 --> 00:17:31.910 He is preeminent in the work of God. From creation 00:17:31.910 --> 00:17:36.349 all the way to the end of history, he is supreme. 00:17:37.450 --> 00:17:40.190 And finally, we see that he is preeminent in 00:17:40.190 --> 00:17:44.380 the worship of God. One of the basic principles 00:17:44.380 --> 00:17:48.220 of God is that none other can be worshipped but 00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:51.440 God alone. That's one of the Ten Commandments, 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:59.160 isn't it? You shall worship God only. God cannot 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:03.539 be worshipped without worshipping the firstborn. 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:09.740 It is impossible. We see four acts regarding 00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:12.680 Jesus Christ here in the rest of the chapter 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:16.000 that we're going to look at very quickly. Four 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:20.119 acts of God that show to us that He must be preeminent 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:24.700 in the worship of God. I repeat, one cannot worship 00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:27.720 God unless he worships God through the firstborn. 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:32.119 Notice that the first act is in this verse quoted 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:37.710 in Hebrews 1 .6. It is a verse... taken from 00:18:37.710 --> 00:18:41.150 the Old Testament, the book of Deuteronomy, and 00:18:41.150 --> 00:18:45.509 it says, Let all the angels of God worship him. 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:51.829 Notice that God himself commands that the angels 00:18:51.829 --> 00:18:57.730 worship the firstborn, the Son of God. If the 00:18:57.730 --> 00:19:02.690 firstborn were not God, then God would be contradicting 00:19:02.690 --> 00:19:07.700 himself. Because God has told us that he alone 00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:11.599 must be worshipped. And yet he commands worship 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:17.279 of the firstborn by the angels of heaven. And 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:20.779 then notice in verse 8 that God himself calls 00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:28.059 the firstborn God. Of the Son, he says, thy throne, 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:33.109 O God, is forever and ever. and the righteous 00:19:33.109 --> 00:19:37.970 scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. Notice 00:19:37.970 --> 00:19:42.970 that God the Father speaks regarding his firstborn, 00:19:43.109 --> 00:19:48.910 his only begotten Son, and he says to him, Thy 00:19:48.910 --> 00:19:55.490 throne, O God. Why is it that Jesus Christ is 00:19:55.490 --> 00:19:57.869 preeminent in the worship of God? Because he 00:19:57.869 --> 00:20:02.319 is God himself. And we cannot worship God and 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:08.980 reject Jesus Christ as full deity. Notice further 00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:15.700 that he attributes to the Son both the work and 00:20:15.700 --> 00:20:19.740 the character of God. What is the work of God? 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:23.619 Creation. He goes back to that in verse 10. God 00:20:23.619 --> 00:20:26.359 is speaking and he says again, Thou, Lord, in 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:29.440 the beginning... didst lay the foundation of 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:33.019 the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy 00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:40.480 hands. And so to the firstborn once again, we 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:46.720 see attributed the work of God in creation. He 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:49.579 says, you laid the foundations of the earth, 00:20:49.779 --> 00:20:52.539 and the heavens themselves are but the works 00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:57.579 of your hands. But he goes on. Not only the work 00:20:57.579 --> 00:21:00.240 of deity, but the character of deity is in the 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.720 firstborn, because he says, they will perish, 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:07.799 that is the heavens, but thou remainest, and 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.559 they all will become old as a garment, as a mantle 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:15.099 thou wilt roll them up, as a garment they will 00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:18.339 also be changed, but thou art the same, and thy 00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:22.579 years will not come to an end. Here we have the 00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:25.259 attribute of God that is called immutability. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:31.200 That is, God cannot change. God does not grow 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:38.920 old as human beings grow old. God does not change. 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:43.160 He does not weaken with time. He does not gain 00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:46.980 strength with time. He cannot, for all power 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:51.359 is His. He is immutable. He is unchangeable. 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:56.880 And so that attribute is accorded to... the firstborn, 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.160 the son. Why is it that we declare that the firstborn 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:05.599 is preeminent in the worship of God? Because 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:08.940 as God, he created everything, and as God, he 00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:13.299 is unchangeable. But then again, in verse 13, 00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:17.579 we find a fourth act of God. God placed him in 00:22:17.579 --> 00:22:22.519 a position of highest honor. He says, sit at 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:28.140 my right hand. There is no place in the universe 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:33.500 higher than that. You draw out all of the organizational 00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:36.400 charts you want to draw out. Ultimately, all 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:39.920 of those lines and responsibilities come to one 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:43.779 place in the universe, the right hand of God. 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:49.180 And there is one who has been appointed to sit 00:22:49.180 --> 00:22:53.920 there, and that is the firstborn Son of God. 00:22:54.920 --> 00:23:02.519 He is preeminent as the Word of God. He is preeminent 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:09.920 in the work of God. He is preeminent in the worship 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:15.119 of God. But what does all of that mean to us? 00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:22.339 We who, like these first century people, claim 00:23:22.339 --> 00:23:26.339 to be Christians. and profess faith in this firstborn 00:23:26.339 --> 00:23:31.299 Son of God. What does it mean to us that He is 00:23:31.299 --> 00:23:38.460 superior, that He is supreme above all? Well, 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:42.079 He tells us as He begins chapter 2. Notice carefully. 00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:52.019 For this reason, we must pay much closer attention. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:57.440 to what we have heard. That's what it means. 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:03.680 It is so easy for us, raised in a culture as 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:08.119 we have been, where we hear God language and 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:12.579 God speech, songs with familiar words that grow 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:16.799 old, it is easy for us not to pay close attention 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:20.900 any longer. As it may have been easy for these 00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:26.319 Jewish, Christians in the first century to do 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:30.900 the same. But because of the uniqueness of the 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:36.859 one whom we claim to trust, because of his uniqueness 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:42.940 as the firstborn of God, we must pay much closer 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:48.059 attention to what we've heard, lest we drift 00:24:48.059 --> 00:24:58.609 away. Drift away. Drift away from salvation? 00:25:01.210 --> 00:25:05.150 To possess it and then lose it? Well, there are 00:25:05.150 --> 00:25:07.230 those who interpret Hebrews that way. That is 00:25:07.230 --> 00:25:11.210 not my interpretation of the book. I think a 00:25:11.210 --> 00:25:13.630 consistent interpretation of Hebrews disallows 00:25:13.630 --> 00:25:17.490 that, in fact. But what does he mean then by 00:25:17.490 --> 00:25:25.369 drifting away? The picture is of a boat. A boat 00:25:25.369 --> 00:25:28.549 that is pushed away from the shore out into the 00:25:28.549 --> 00:25:35.670 river toward a goal on the opposite bank. But 00:25:35.670 --> 00:25:39.190 what happens? Does the boat simply go across 00:25:39.190 --> 00:25:45.049 the river? Oh, no. The boat, if it has no movement, 00:25:45.089 --> 00:25:48.970 no energy, no power of its own, will hit the 00:25:48.970 --> 00:25:52.009 current of the stream. And instead of ending 00:25:52.009 --> 00:25:55.000 up on the opposite bank at the goal, will go 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:01.099 down the stream somewhere else. The point of 00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:03.180 the writer of Hebrews is that we are like that 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:07.440 boat, and we have been pushed off from the bank, 00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:10.160 as it were, by our faith in Christ, out into 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:14.819 the stream. And the opposite shore is the goal 00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:21.880 of maturity in Christ, steadfastness, knowing 00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:26.519 the deep things of God. living a godly life. 00:26:29.539 --> 00:26:32.339 But it's possible for us not to start the engine 00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:35.359 in that boat, or not to put the oars in the water, 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:38.640 and the result is that when we hit the currents 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:43.279 of life, instead of going to the opposite shore 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:49.859 to maturity, we just drift along. And the writer 00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:51.900 of the book is saying that that is dangerous 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:58.359 for us. He says, if God recompensed judgment 00:26:58.359 --> 00:27:06.579 to those Jews in the Old Testament who did not 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:10.619 esteem the covenant that was given to them and 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:17.599 treasure it, how shall we escape God's judgment 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:21.660 if we neglect so great a salvation as we have 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:32.160 in the firstborn? A strong warning that we should 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:38.619 avoid drifting in our faith. Drifting leads to 00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:44.259 dullness of heart, coldness, and other dangers 00:27:44.259 --> 00:27:46.799 that are delineated for us in the book of Hebrews. 00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:51.039 But it begins by just drifting with the current. 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:57.430 You cannot drift. And grow toward maturity as 00:27:57.430 --> 00:28:03.990 a Christian. Part of growing to maturity is exerting 00:28:03.990 --> 00:28:08.690 the energy and the drive and the discipline that 00:28:08.690 --> 00:28:11.869 it takes to cut across the current of the world 00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:17.809 and of life. If we simply let go of the oars, 00:28:17.829 --> 00:28:24.859 we will go downstream and miss God's goal. Oh, 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:27.740 that we should understand the preeminence of 00:28:27.740 --> 00:28:31.940 the one that we trust and of the gospel that 00:28:31.940 --> 00:28:35.259 he has brought to us through his once -for -all 00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:38.779 sacrifice and determine that having left the 00:28:38.779 --> 00:28:43.400 shore of faith, we will now oar, row on with 00:28:43.400 --> 00:28:48.099 diligence and discipline toward maturity on the 00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:54.069 opposite bank. Jesus Christ, as the firstborn 00:28:54.069 --> 00:28:59.069 of God, fulfills all the offices of Messiah, 00:28:59.369 --> 00:29:03.309 prophet, priest, and king. As the prophet, he 00:29:03.309 --> 00:29:06.230 is the one through whom God has finally spoken. 00:29:07.430 --> 00:29:10.990 As the priest, he is the one in whom perfect 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:13.910 redemption has been accomplished. As the king, 00:29:14.109 --> 00:29:16.750 he is the one who sits enthroned at the right 00:29:16.750 --> 00:29:22.250 hand of God in awesome majesty. Because Jesus 00:29:22.250 --> 00:29:27.690 Christ is preeminent above all as the firstborn, 00:29:27.930 --> 00:29:34.170 he alone is God's way of salvation. He alone 00:29:34.170 --> 00:29:39.470 can be trusted not to fail us. And if he is rejected, 00:29:39.690 --> 00:29:45.329 how can one escape certain judgment? God has 00:29:45.329 --> 00:29:49.559 spoken. Now, as it were, the ball is in your 00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:54.819 court and in mine. What are we going to say to 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:58.099 God in response to what He has said in His Son? 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:03.799 There is only one appropriate response, and that 00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:10.380 is the response of an obedient faith, one that 00:30:10.380 --> 00:30:14.799 trusts in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:25.220 then goes on. to maturity. Let's pray. Our heads 00:30:25.220 --> 00:30:27.700 are bowed as we bring the service to a close. 00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:30.660 I wonder if there is someone or some ones who 00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:36.420 would say before God in your heart, I am adrift. 00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:42.839 And I acknowledge it. There is not the determination 00:30:42.839 --> 00:30:46.640 and the discipline in my soul that is taking 00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:51.380 me on to maturity. But the currents of life have 00:30:51.380 --> 00:30:58.720 captured me, and I am floating downstream. But 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:04.440 by the grace of God, I desire to begin again. 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:14.930 And this morning I acknowledge my drifting. and 00:31:14.930 --> 00:31:17.849 determined by faith that I will begin disciplining 00:31:17.849 --> 00:31:23.150 myself and putting energy into my Christian life 00:31:23.150 --> 00:31:31.089 again, that I might go on to maturity. Is that 00:31:31.089 --> 00:31:33.390 your decision this morning? Tell God so if it 00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:40.049 is. Father, I thank you for what you have said 00:31:40.049 --> 00:31:43.859 to us in Christ. May we never take it lightly, 00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:48.960 but understand rather the preeminence of the 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:53.680 firstborn and what our awesome responsibility 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:59.019 is to you in light of who he is and what he's 00:31:59.019 --> 00:32:09.539 done on our behalf. Amen. If we can be of aid 00:32:09.539 --> 00:32:12.589 to you spiritually and you desire counsel, Our 00:32:12.589 --> 00:32:16.549 pastors are available during the week. If you 00:32:16.549 --> 00:32:18.390 can catch us on Sunday, we're available then 00:32:18.390 --> 00:32:21.670 too. But during the week, we can set up an appointment 00:32:21.670 --> 00:32:24.910 with you to sit down and talk. And we invite 00:32:24.910 --> 00:32:28.410 you to phone in this week. If you need to trust 00:32:28.410 --> 00:32:32.069 Jesus Christ as your Savior, please do not neglect 00:32:32.069 --> 00:32:37.109 the salvation. If you're drifting, determine 00:32:37.109 --> 00:32:39.789 that this begins a new week for you in your walk 00:32:39.789 --> 00:32:43.980 with God. Before we close, we want to extend 00:32:43.980 --> 00:32:46.019 a right hand of fellowship this morning to a 00:32:46.019 --> 00:32:48.160 number who've joined our church in recent weeks. 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:51.720 As I call your name, I ask you please just to 00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:53.440 stand up where you are and come right here to 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:55.700 the front and be in a line in front of these 00:32:55.700 --> 00:32:58.400 steps so that our church family can come by afterward 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:05.519 and greet you. Bassem Abu Zaid, did I get that 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:10.500 right or did I murder it? Well, apparently... 00:33:10.829 --> 00:33:13.690 I'll find out next hour. Mark and Gail Berg, 00:33:13.990 --> 00:33:19.150 Doug Burton, Irv and Irene Carlson, Ben Dahl, 00:33:19.329 --> 00:33:25.930 Vicki Egan, Doug and Melanie Gilquist, Karen 00:33:25.930 --> 00:33:29.349 Gwynn, Rob and Angela Hackett, Chet and Dorothy 00:33:29.349 --> 00:33:33.289 King, and Charles Myrie. Would you please come? 00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:38.180 We are glad for these that God has brought. We'll 00:33:38.180 --> 00:33:40.220 welcome the rest of them next hour, but don't 00:33:40.220 --> 00:33:43.039 you miss an opportunity to come by and warmly 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:45.779 welcome each of these officially into our church 00:33:45.779 --> 00:33:48.740 family. Let's stand together now, please, as 00:33:48.740 --> 00:33:53.460 we are dismissed in prayer. Father, thank you 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:55.940 for those that you are bringing to be a part 00:33:55.940 --> 00:34:00.700 of this body of Jesus Christ. For these who stand 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:03.259 before us, we give thanks, and we pray that you 00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:05.779 will add to them as you already have in meaningful 00:34:05.779 --> 00:34:10.219 ways. Strengthen, we pray, our church, that we 00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:13.519 might go on ourselves to maturity and to become 00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:18.960 all that you want us to be. As we leave here 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:21.619 this morning, may Jesus Christ be preeminent 00:34:21.619 --> 00:34:26.320 not only in the universe, but in our hearts as 00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:29.750 well. In his name we pray, amen.