Join me, won't you, to read Hebrews.
It's going to be up on the screens if you would prefer to read it that way.
But let's open God's word.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.
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.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.
And he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
This is the word of God.
Well, good morning, everyone.
It's good to be back from holidays with you all.
And I can see a few visitors in the crowd.
So a warm welcome to you.
My name is David.
I'm the pastor here.
And I can also see Dave and Alison.
Welcome back, guys.
And you'll be with us for a while.
So that's lovely to have you back with us.
All right.
Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?
Father, as Hebrews says, your word is living and active, that you are presently speaking to us through your word.
And so I pray that you would help us be ready to hear you speak.
Give us every help to understand what you're saying.
And may it just overwhelm us with whatever we're facing.
May what you say be bigger and greater.
I ask for your help as I try to speak truthfully and clearly.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, I wonder, if you know the book of Hebrews, if you've heard of it before, what comes to mind?
What's the book about?
What's in it?
I think for many, one of the first things, if you're like me, you think of is it's known for its strong warnings.
Don't fall away from Christ.
Is that?
I'm trying to gauge body language here.
But that's one of the first things I think people think of in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews, a quick skim of its contents, even the verses we're looking at today, it is, you're just swimming in the Old Testament.
Which is one of the reasons why the elders, we want to do Hebrews now, because we've just finished Exodus.
But these Christians seem to have come out of Judaism.
They'd initially shown great commitment to Jesus, even to the point of suffering, real loss.
But something's happened.
Over time, their zeal has, it's fading.
And they seem to be asking a question.
Is this really it?
If we're meant to be so blessed by God in Christ, why is life so hard?
You read the end of the book, and it's about, it's encouraging.
The faithful of old had to endure a lot.
You're not alone in this.
You hear of discipline, being the loving hand of the Father.
Why is life so hard?
They're in danger of just, let's just slip back into Judaism.
Let's just come under the safety of Judaism again.
It offers a long history of God's people.
Religion is, you can taste it.
You can smell worship of God.
You can bring your animal sacrifice.
You can go to a human.
I shouldn't touch myself.
I don't think I'm a priest.
Go to a human, a real living priest.
It's religion you can touch and see and smell.
It's safe.
You'll be accepted in society.
I don't know.
I don't know any of you who are tempted to go back into Judaism.
I won't ask for hands to be raised.
I'm not tempted to go back into Judaism.
So why should you and I listen to Hebrews?
Because I think we all ask that question they're asking.
If God really is so committed to us who believe in Jesus,
why is life so hard?
Is this really it?
I love church.
Is this it?
We can ask that question.
I'm not tempted to go to Judaism.
I'm not tempted to revert back to ancestral worship.
My mind does not think of that because I didn't grow up in that world view.
I'm not tempted to think of karma.
I'll tell you what I am tempted.
To just go slip back into the materialism.
My mind just goes there all the time.
That what is here in the present, the past doesn't matter,
the future doesn't matter here, this is what matters.
That's what I'm tempted.
What is real is what you can eat, what you can buy,
what I can achieve.
My mind dreams of these big projects that when I stop and reflect,
I think I'm just trying to build my own name if I pursue those projects.
That's what I'm tempted to go back into.
It can be lots of things that can make us start to doubt that Jesus is the full thing.
He's it.
A bit of hardship, a bit of doubt,
and some are just starting to weigh up the pros and cons.
Is your marriage really worth that effort?
You want to change jobs, you want to change churches,
because you think it's going to satisfy your soul.
You find the achievements and applause in your workplace way more exciting than what's happening right now.
That home renovation, you can see it.
Isn't that more exciting than getting stuck into Hebrew?
Whatever it is, I don't know what it is for you.
I know my own heart better.
But we're all tempted to just revert to what our culture says will give us life.
So we need to hear Hebrews.
It's such an encouraging book.
And yes, there's strong warnings.
But I don't think the strong warnings are the main message.
They're just the negative side of the coin.
Now David's back.
I'm going to use his coin illustration.
It's just the negative side of the positive message of the book.
The message of the book is endure.
Endure in faith and hope.
Why?
Because there's a key word that goes throughout Hebrews.
Better.
Jesus is better.
It comes up repeatedly.
He's better than Moses to bring you to God.
He's better than Joshua to bring you into rest.
He's better than the city you're living in.
There's a better city coming.
He's the better high priest.
He's the better sacrifice.
He's really dealt with your sin.
He's the better covenant, better promises.
That's what Hebrews is about.
He's better.
Endure.
He's better.
Anything else promising meaning and purpose and hope and joy,
it's an imitation.
It's alluring you away from what's better.
I think that's what Hebrews is about.
And I need to hear it.
I hope you're starting to be convinced you need to hear it too.
We all need Hebrews.
And in this punchy opening, like, it's kind of a letter,
but it's kind of not.
The author just, he doesn't have time for saying, hey, how are you doing?
He just, he goes, he puts a bomb underneath the people going,
Jesus is better.
What we're going to see in these opening verses is the son of God is God's full and final word to us.
Now, why is he the full and final word?
Well, verses two and three, just look at who he is,
by virtue of who he is and what he's done and what he's doing.
You can't add anything to him.
So that's where we're going.
So if you want to open your Bibles with me,
let's look at verse one and the first part of verse two.
God is a speaking God.
We saw that in Exodus, didn't we?
He wants to be known.
He has spoken his will for your life.
He's spoken, not specifics of his will,
but we have all we need to live a godly life.
He's spoken his will for history.
This is such good news, that God is a speaking God.
We can know him.
I'm no scientist and I always fear when I use these illustrations,
one of you is going to correct me afterwards.
Correct me afterwards, not right now.
But if you study an atom, apparently the size of it,
the nuclei compared to the electrons,
the distance of that, the relative distance,
is like a fly in the middle of a basketball stadium.
You study that, that's incredible.
You should bow down and worship whoever made that.
You're not going to find God there.
You're not going to find his will for you and for history.
You're not going to find it in coincidence and providence.
People read the star signs and people look for answers
in interpreting political events and interpreting,
oh, I bumped into so-and-so, maybe I should marry them.
People, you won't find God's will in providence.
You will find it in his word.
You won't find it inside you, in your conscience.
It's too, you'll find something there of God's will,
but it's too vague.
I think the sin, absorption of self, it's too messed up.
It's such good news.
God is a speaking God.
We can know him.
We can know his will.
We'd be utterly lost if he didn't speak.
He has spoken.
And we're told here he's spoken in two stages.
Notice the contrast between verses 1 and 2.
Long ago, in these last days, there's two stages.
At many times, in many ways, God spoke to our fathers.
He has spoken to us by the prophets, by his son.
There's two stages.
You consider all the privileges Moses had as a prophet
and the prophet, other prophets are measured by.
He had a visible, audible call of God.
He saw the plagues.
He saw the manifestation of God and heard his voice.
He saw the presence on Mount Sinai.
He met with God as a friend speaks face-to-face
in the tent of meeting.
His glory filled the tabernacle.
And not even Moses could go inside.
He just hit the deck and worshipped.
All that incredible revelation of who God is,
his desire to save and come into covenant relationships,
so much of his will.
And yet, this author is saying, it's partial.
The entire Old Testament revelation, at many times, many ways,
that's just saying it's fragmentary.
It's partial.
That's stage one.
Stage two is better.
Now, we don't have the word better here,
but that's the point of this passage.
It's better.
This isn't saying the Old Testament is less true
and the New Testament more true.
It is a unified word from a unified God.
It's not saying less true and more true.
It's the progression from partial to full
or promise to delivering on that promise.
That's the progression.
It's not true and false.
It's promise to here it is.
Or to use Hebrew's language, shadow to reality.
Chapter 10, verse 1.
When Joshua led the people of God into the promised land,
that is a literal land.
But Hebrews are saying, that's just a shadow.
It's a copy.
It's the real thing is in the sun.
We are in the days of reality.
The real thing has come.
We've been in the last days for 2,000 years.
The last days is the fullness.
The reality has come.
God has spoken to us.
Isn't that incredible?
Sometimes we get discouraged, though, don't we?
We want another word from God.
We know Jesus is meant to be the answer.
If you've been to church long enough,
we know Jesus is meant to be the answer.
We want God to give us a third word.
Give us a third stage.
So many people crave this.
We crave this.
Give me some human institution
to give me something on top of what the word of God says.
Give me a human teacher on YouTube
or someone you've met,
someone who seems impressive,
to give me more.
I think sometimes we seek pastoral advice.
I remember seeking pastoral advice
and you kind of get frustrated
because they keep pushing you back to Jesus,
these pastors.
Give me something more.
And some look for this additional direct word
from the Holy Spirit.
We're tempted to look for this third stage.
And a pastor in America,
a lot of you would have heard his name,
John Piper,
he had a really searching question for himself
that I found really, really helpful.
He asked himself,
is the aching of my soul
and the confusion of my mind
really owing to the fact
that I have exhausted this word of Jesus?
Have I exhausted who Jesus is
and the implications of all he's done
and the promises?
And have I exhausted that
and that's why I'm discouraged?
And then John Piper goes on to reflect
on what he thinks God the Father might respond to us.
Is my word, Jesus Christ,
so short, so simple,
so thin
that you're done with it?
You've got it all.
It has shaped your mind.
It has moulded you
so that now you think his thoughts after him.
You're done with that
and you want a third word?
Jesus is the full and final word.
We are expecting Jesus to come back.
We are not expecting any more word.
We don't need one
because he's full and he's final.
We don't need one.
And verses two to three
show us why.
Why is the son full and final?
I'm going to leave verse four,
even though it was read this morning,
I'm going to leave it for next week
because I think it connects
into the detail of next week better.
If you're confused by angels,
join the club first of all,
but have a think this week.
It's along the lines that
the Old Testament revelation was mediated,
was given through angels.
So just think on that during the week,
but we'll look at it more next week.
We're going to focus on two to three,
verses two to three.
Apparently mountain climbers
who go way up in altitude,
the air pressure is so low.
Again, I'm going to say something scientific
that I don't understand.
And inside your head,
the pressure's higher.
So they're known for getting nosebleeds,
is my point.
Mountain climbers are so high up,
they're known for getting nosebleeds.
And one pastor called this
nosebleed Christology.
Like the theology here,
we are going so high up,
you should be getting a nosebleed.
And the problem with that,
and the problem I found preparing,
to my shame I think,
is it doesn't feel relevant.
I want,
I want saying,
more practical,
the everyday life,
but
don't,
please don't be fooled
that this is irrelevant.
Don't come to church
for a quick fix
of the problems you're facing.
What we really need
is a nosebleed.
We need to go up.
We need a nosebleed view of the sun.
I've only,
unfortunately I've only got
Mount Kosciuszko to,
that's my experience
I can draw on,
but
why do we linger at the top?
Not for practical use.
You linger
because you're blown away.
You're just looking
as far as the eye can see
and you're just,
you're blown away,
aren't you?
With such a view.
That's the point of these verses.
If you're starting to doubt,
is Jesus really that great?
Oh,
let's,
let's climb.
Let's go up.
There's something of a
mirror image chiasm here.
People see chiasms everywhere,
but verses two to three
where the points kind of radiate out
and the central point
is the central point.
So I'm going to start there
and start at verse three.
Who the sun is,
is why he's
full and final.
He is the radiance
of the glory
of God
and the exact imprint
of his nature.
We shouldn't be thinking of the sun
as representing God
like a painting
represents
the person.
because they're two different things.
Don't think of representing
like an ambassador
representing a president.
They're two different,
they're two different things.
A better illustration is
the light coming in
from the sun
arrived eight,
oh,
arrived,
no,
arrived now,
but was,
came from the sun
eight minutes ago or so.
That's light,
that radiates
from the sun.
Are we seeing the sun?
Yes.
It's of the same stuff.
It is the same essence
radiating out.
That is who the sun is.
All the glory of God
is radiating,
is light
coming from the father.
That is who the sun is.
If you have seen me,
you have seen the father,
Jesus says.
You read the gospels
and he is the full display
of the character of God.
He's not
approximating God.
He's not just similar
in essence,
he is the same
character,
he's the same
essence.
Moses
never
claimed
such a thing.
Scripture
never says
anything like this
about
someone like Moses.
Either Jesus
is so
far above
any
prophet
or
religious
authority,
if this is true,
he's so far above
anyone else.
If it's not true,
he
he's so far below.
It just,
what a ridiculous
claim if it's not true.
You've got to make a choice.
He's way above
any other
authority
or he's,
just disregard him.
Don't choose
anything in the middle.
He's not simply
describing God,
he's not pointing away
saying there's God
over there,
he's,
he's radiating,
he is the radiating
glory of God.
You can't add
anything to him
because of who he is.
He's full.
You can't add
to that.
And because of who he is,
that's why he
does what he does.
I hope you're getting
just a little bit
of a blood trickle
so far,
but it's going to get worse.
Verse 2,
through whom
he,
God,
created the universe.
World here
for ESV translation,
it feels too narrow
for the word
in Greek.
Everything exists
in the ages
of history.
Through whom
he made
all things.
an unbelieving
physicist,
Dr.
Brian Green
describes the
wonder of
the universe.
Now,
he's not a
Christian,
and here we go
talking about
something scientific
I don't understand
again,
but entropy.
Everything
that exists,
everything in
matter,
has entropy.
It goes from
order to
disorder,
and not the
other way.
Here's his point.
Dr.
Green says,
you'd think that
entropy must have
been lower
in the past.
It would suggest
that at the Big Bang,
entropy was in a
really low value,
really ordered
state.
Now,
that's confusing
because,
A,
we don't really
know how the
universe came
into existence.
That's a
physicist saying
that.
B,
if it's so
ordered,
you ask
yourself,
how did it
get so
ordered?
I mean,
when the
books on the
shelf are
alphabeticalised,
I can't even
say that word,
we know how
they get
ordered.
Some
intelligent
being came
along,
you or me
or my kid,
and put the
books in
alphabetical order.
But if the
moment of
creation was so
highly ordered,
the question is,
who did that?
Or what did
that?
Or what's the
origin of this
order?
I was really
struck by
Hebrews 11,
3,
preparing for
this series.
By faith we
understand that
the universe was
created by the
word of God,
so that what is
seen was not
made out of
things that are
visible.
My house,
my coffee
machine,
my body,
institutions,
countries,
they feel so
solid.
They feel like
that's real,
that's,
and spiritual
stuff,
but all those
things can be
shaken.
It can be,
it can come to
an end.
Entropy will
have the last
word.
God,
there's something
more foundational
than stuff,
and the
son is
it.
He was there
in the
beginning.
He was with
God in
creating all
things.
He was not
only in the
beginning,
but he
upholds the
universe by
the word of
his power.
I'm going to,
if,
apparently,
if a sheet of
paper,
the thickness,
not that
thickness,
but the side
view of a
sheet of paper
was the
distance between
the earth and
the sun,
then the
distance between
the earth and
the nearest star
would be a
stack of
paper,
21 metres
high,
the nearest
star.
So that's
cricket pitch,
for those who
love cricket.
That's the
closest star.
And the
distance across
our Milky
Way galaxy,
on this
scale,
is New
Castle to
Canberra,
plus 50
k's.
That's just
our galaxy.
I know
this is
doing justice,
but if
someone is
holding all
that together
and he's not
straining,
going,
whoa,
this is a
burden,
just by the
word of his
power,
he is
upholding.
That is
not the
kind of
person you
ask into
your life
to be your
personal
assistant.
That is
not the
kind of
person
whose word
to you,
you go,
hmm,
I really
like that
bit,
I'm going
to pick
and choose.
That's not
the kind
of person
you doubt
that he
knows what
life is
all about.
If he
withdrew his
word of
David
bought
existing,
you'd have
no,
you wouldn't
see a cloud
of smoke,
I just,
I don't
know,
nothing.
It's not
just my
heart keeping
me going,
he's upholding
me and
everything by
the word of
his power.
Is your
nose bleeding
yet?
I know
I'm not
doing it
justice.
of course
he can
declare
God's
full and
complete
will for
our lives
and the
will for
all history
because he
holds it
all together
which means
he can
progress
history to
God's
end.
Verse 3,
there's one
main verb
in verse 3.
Everything else
is kind of
detailed to
say why
it's so
fitting that
Jesus sat
down.
He sat
down,
he's
enthroned
at the
right hand
of the
majesty in
heaven.
Why is
that so
fitting?
Because he
is the
radiance of
the glory
of God.
Because he
is the
one upholding
the universe.
He created
all things.
Who else
should be
sitting at
God's right
hand?
And to
think that
this one
also is
the one
who made
purification
for sins.
Such a
glorious one
came and
dealt with
my
rebellion
against such
a one.
He came
and dealt
with all
my sin.
And look
at the
tense
there.
He's not
making
purification.
It's not
he will
make.
It's past
tense.
He's made
purification
and he's
sat down.
Every other
priest has
to stand
up and
keep offering
guilt
offerings.
Not
Jesus.
His offering
by his
own blood.
It's done.
the sin
you commit
on your
last day
on your
deathbed.
If you
trust in
Jesus,
if you're
in him
by faith,
he's already
purified it.
It's done.
And so
he sat
down.
Who else
is worthy
to occupy
that place
at God's
right hand
but him
but the
son?
he's
heir of
all things.
He's
reigning.
He's
over the
devil.
He's
reigning
over the
devil.
He's
reigning
over our
bodies.
He's
reigning
over all
politics.
He's
reigning
over the
weather.
I struggle
to imagine,
I don't know
about you,
I struggle
to imagine
a new
earth
sometimes
and new
bodies.
I believe
it,
don't get
me wrong,
you're
probably
worried
about your
past now
but I
believe it
but sometimes
it's hard
to imagine
is it
not?
How can
I know
that the
son can
come good
on such
a promise
that a
city of
God is
coming?
When he
says,
blessed are
the meek,
not the
self-seeking
but blessed
are the
meek
who
inherit
the
earth?
How can
he promise
that?
How can
I know
that?
How can
the son
guarantee
that?
Because
he's the
heir.
It's
his.
It's
his to
give.
The
new
creation
is
his.
How can
I know
that nothing
in all
creation
can
separate
me from
the love
of God
in Christ
because
he's
the
heir.
It's
all
his.
He's
going to
use all
that
sickness
for your
glory not
to destroy
you.
Knowing
he's the
heir is
so important.
It
guarantees
our hope.
He's the
anchor of
our soul
as Hebrews
will describe
later.
I hope
your nose
is gushing.
I can't
see any
physically but
I hope
your spiritual
nose is
gushing.
You can't
add anything
to this
guy.
How do
we finish?
Chapter 2
verse 1
Therefore we
must pay much
closer attention
to what we
have heard
lest we
drift away
from it.
How do
you endure
in faith?
Be
obsessed
with the
Son.
Be
fanatical.
Not in
violence of
course.
None of
this lukewarm
stuff with
Jesus.
Be a
fanatic
about him.
God
you are
known by
this one
if you
trust him.
He knows
you.
He's with
us in
this room
right now
by his
spirit.
You are
caught up
in his
will for
history and
into the
eternal
ages.
we have
to pay
much
closer
attention
to this
one.
Let's
not go
looking for
a third
word.
We don't
need one.
We don't
need one.
We don't
need one.
I want
to come
right down
from
altitude to
put our
feet in
the dust
for a
second.
Probably
give us
vertigo or
whatever it
is by
doing this
but what
strategies are
you putting
in place?
Start of
the new
year.
I get
out of
habits.
I'm in
bad habits
at the
moment.
What
habits are
we putting
in place
to pay
much
closer
attention
to the
sun?
Are you
specific
strategies?
What are
you going
to read?
How are
you going
to read
it?
When?
With
who?
How are
you going
to get
your teeth
stuck into
Hebrews?
Don't let
sermons be
enough.
Re-listen to
the sermons.
There's so
many good
resources.
Don't go
googling it
but come
talk to us
for good
resources.
How are
you going
to get
stuck
into
Hebrews
in this
series?
Start of
the new
year,
I would
love to
see every
person in
a small
group.
Is that
I don't
think that's
unrealistic.
If medically
we can do
it, we
need each
other.
Hebrews is
going to
talk about
this.
I need
you.
I have
blind
spots.
This
temptation
in my
life, it
blinds me
to the
glory of
Jesus and
I need
you to
keep going.
So please
make specific
plans for
small groups.
who knows
what's really
going on in
your life?
There was a
sin I've been
convicted of
recently.
You're all
wondering what
it is now.
Emma asked
the question,
who are you
going to
talk to?
Great
question.
Great
question.
Make a
plan.
Who knows
you well
enough that
they see
you and
they love
you?
He's
worthy of
paying much
closer
attention.
Don't let
anything let
you drift away
from him
because he's
better.
He's
better.
He's
worthy of
our
obsession.
Will you
pray with me?
Let's pray.
Father, we
look forward
to when you
send your
son to
return and
restore all
things so
that we can
know you
face to
face.
But thank
you in the
meantime that
you've given
your word and
you are speaking
through your
word about
your son.
Lord, may
you fill us
with your
spirit that we
might pay
closer attention
to your
son as a
church family.
In Jesus'
name I
pray.
Amen.