Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Hebrews chapter 1.
While you're getting there, just a little aside, a little over a week ago I turned 39, and I'm feeling that.
But then I realized that I got an extra short haircut.
I sat down with the barber and said, do whatever you want to, which I think is the kind of attitude you should have when you're 39.
And this is the haircut he gave me.
And then I got contacts, which I realize that many of you have never seen me without glasses.
It's been a while.
The reason I got contacts is because I used to always wear contacts, but we had a baby, and we just paid him off.
He's almost three, and I felt like I could afford contacts once again.
I just, I want you all to know that I am not having a midlife crisis.
It just kind of all happened at the same time, so I'm okay.
I can't guarantee what will happen next January, but at least for now.
Our text for today is Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, and the first half of verse 2.
It's my intention, although we know how this goes, to preach a brief sermon this morning as an introduction to the book of Hebrews.
But this brief sermon, I hope, is going to be a brief sermon with a long introduction.
So I just want you to hang tight on Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 and 2, as I work to give you some background to the book of Hebrews.
The book of Hebrews is a gorgeous book of the Bible.
It is extremely well written.
And we'll talk a bit more about that soon.
As such, it can also be a bit perplexing.
If you've ever taken up the task of studying the book of Hebrews, you know exactly what I mean.
As we work through it in this next year, I'm sure I'll feel that more than I even do now.
I have a wonderful commentary by a man named William Lane, who's a contemporary, highly respected New Testament authority.
And he wrote this in his introduction to his commentary.
Hebrews is a delight for the person who loves puzzles.
Its form is unusual.
Its setting in life is uncertain.
And its argument is unfamiliar.
It invites engagement in the task of defining the undefined.
Undefined are the identity of the writer, his conceptual background,
the character and location of the community addressed,
the circumstances and date of composition,
the nature of the crisis to which the document is a response,
the literary genre,
and the purpose and plan of the document as a response.
Although these undefined issues continue to be addressed and debated vigorously,
no real consensus has been reached.
It's encouraging because we begin a study of the book of Hebrews, is it not?
There is probably no other book of the Bible of which more has been written
and more opposition exists because we're laboring to define the undefined.
There's some things that are unclear about this book.
So, Lane then goes on to do a very careful work
to give us what I like to call the probabilities and the likelies.
So, you'll hear me use those words quite a bit to say probably.
So, we're going to talk about the writer of Hebrews
because we don't actually know.
We don't have a confidence in who wrote the book of Hebrews.
But we could say something like probably so-and-so or such-and-such,
which I won't really do.
But we may do that in some other areas,
the probabilities and the likelies.
There is, though, one matter without contention.
The theme of Hebrews is
the supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
The supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
Christ is greater than.
You can fill in anything in that blank.
Christ is greater than.
And the writer of Hebrews makes the case
that Christ is greater than angels.
Christ is greater than priests.
And Christ is greater than any old covenant institution.
Christ is supreme.
And Christ is the final word.
God has spoken by His Son.
We'll see in our text this morning.
And we need now no new revelation.
God spoke in Christ and in the New Testament
that gives witness to Christ.
So, Jesus is also final in this way.
The supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.
Now, let's talk about some things we can know
and maybe guess at
about the author,
about the audience,
and about the occasion of this writing.
Now, the author is presumably
within the circle of Paul.
Pauline's circle, missionary band.
You remember that Paul would travel around.
He'd pick up a disciple
and leave a disciple behind.
They were constantly in this melee
of joining and splitting apart.
Although, with fair confidence,
we can say that the author was not Paul.
So, we can see that he was part of the circle of Paul
because in Hebrews 13, verse 23,
he says,
you should know that our brother,
Timothy,
has been released,
with whom I shall see you
if he comes soon.
So, he often has the intention
of coming back and joining this people,
and he anticipates
that Timothy will join him.
And this is the Timothy we know
as Paul's compatriot.
Right?
However,
we do not believe that he is Paul
because the language of Hebrews
constitutes the finest Greek
in the New Testament.
Now, you might think,
gosh, but Paul's writing.
And yes, I agree with you on that.
But even as we say that,
we have to go,
oh, but the writer of Hebrews.
It is the finest Greek
in the New Testament.
Right?
We don't really have a standard
for that as American Christians.
So, we have to look to scholars
to help us with it.
Again,
William Lane says
that the writer of Hebrews,
Greek,
is far superior
to the Pauline standard.
And,
it contains within it
very distinctive imagery.
Ship Adrift,
chapter 2, verse 1.
An anchor gripping the seabed,
chapter 6, verse 19.
A double-edged sword,
chapter 4, verse 12.
And these are all images
that are foreign to Pauline usage.
He never again,
he never picks these things up,
I shouldn't say again.
He never does use any of this imagery.
And it's wonderful imagery.
If you stick with me for very long,
you'll hear me use the same imagery
because when I find one that works,
I use it.
Right?
And Paul doesn't do that
in any of his letters.
And so,
this man,
I think with fair certainty,
we can say,
was in the circle of Paul,
but was not Paul.
We also,
with some fair certainty,
can know that he was a
Hellenistic Jewish Christian.
That is to say,
he was Jewish
in his ethnic descent,
but he was Hellenistic,
it means he's a Greek-speaking Jew.
He had been part of dispersion
and his family had been spread abroad
and then had come down through.
So,
the Hellenistic Jews
were those who were primarily,
predominantly,
Greek-speaking Jews.
Hebrews.
And we can presume this
because the book of Hebrews
is full,
it is,
it is just chock full
of Old Testament references,
but they are exclusively
from the Septuagint.
The Septuagint,
the Septuagint was the Greek translation
of the Old Testament.
This would have been the Old Testament
of the Hellenistic Jews.
Much like we pick up our English copies
of the text,
they would have picked up
a Greek copy,
a translated Greek copy
of the text.
It's called the Septuagint.
And all of his citations
are from that text.
So,
maybe he knew his audience
so well,
who were also most likely
Hellenistic Jewish Christians,
that he was using their text,
but his familiarity with it
probably means that it was also his.
It was the text that he himself
would have learned from.
The book of Hebrews
is a work of eloquent rhetoric.
Eloquent rhetoric.
So, the author makes a case
and then spends the letter
defending that case.
Because of that,
I like Apollos as the writer.
I can't know this for sure,
but I just like him.
If I was going to say,
I've got to pick one,
that's my guy
I'm going to pick.
And this is because,
and this is as complicated
as my argument will be,
and then I'll move on.
Luke writes in Acts 18,
verse 24,
Now a Jew named Apollos,
a native of Alexandria,
Hellenistic Jewish Christian,
came to Ephesus.
He was an eloquent man,
competent in the Scriptures.
And this phrase eloquent man
was used to describe somebody
who had been trained in rhetoric.
So, we know that Apollos
was a Hellenistic Jew.
He was a Christian.
And he had been trained in rhetoric.
And Luke then tells us,
verse 24,
that he was competent
in the Scriptures.
What would have been
Apollos' Scriptures?
The Septuagint,
that Greek translation
of the Old Testament.
That's it.
That's why I like him for it.
And not beyond.
So, I will not refer to Apollos
as the author.
I will just say
the writer of Hebrews.
Now, this eloquence
that's here used to describe Apollos
can most certainly be used
to describe the writer of Hebrews
is persuasive speech or writing.
I think we really quickly think
of eloquence as beautiful speech.
And it can be that.
The book of Hebrews is that.
But moreover,
the word means persuasive writing.
Sometimes beautiful writing
is persuasive.
But that's the point,
is that the author of Hebrews
is an eloquent writer.
Has made the case
very carefully
and very well
for the supremacy
and finality
of Jesus Christ.
It's very likely
that the writer of Hebrews
was a trained man.
He'd been trained in this art
of being persuasive
with words.
But at the end of it all,
he is unknown
and obscure.
We're just not sure.
Let's talk a little bit
about his audience.
Again, as I said,
I believe that these were
Hellenistic Jewish Christians
because of the use
of the Septuagint.
They were Greek-speaking Christians
of Jewish descent.
And these were
Hellenistic Jewish Christians
that had not seen Jesus
but had heard the gospel
and believed.
This was a church
that had been
formed by
those who had gone out
to preach the good news
of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2, verse 1.
The writer says,
Therefore,
we must pay much closer attention
to what we have heard
lest we drift
away from it.
In other places
in the New Testament,
Paul will say things like
what we have seen
and heard.
So it's most likely
that they hadn't seen
but they had heard.
They had heard this good news
and believed it
and became Christians
as such.
We also believe,
with the kind of certainty
that we can have,
that this group of Christians
had an Italian
locust,
location,
the center.
They were somewhere
in the realm
of Italy.
And there's some clues
in the text
that they were in
an urban environment
and so many will say
likely they were somewhere
in or around Rome.
Hebrews 13, 24,
the writer says,
Greet all your leaders
and all the saints.
Those who come from Italy
send you greetings.
But we think
he's referring to people
who had been sent
from them,
who knew them,
right,
or sent from them
to where he was
are simply saying,
oh hey,
you're writing a letter
back to them?
Please let them know
we said hello.
So it's likely
this is where
they're located
but once again,
unknown
and obscure.
We're not really
sure.
Now we know
a little bit more
about the occasion
but not the specifics
of it.
Why is the writer
of Hebrews
writing?
Why is it that he
thinks it's so important
to develop
such a beautiful work
to convince them
of the supremacy
and finality
of Jesus Christ?
We know a bit
about what was
going on
with them.
We believe
that this was
a first century letter
likely written
before A.D. 70
which is when
the temple in Jerusalem
was destroyed.
And we believe
this because
he uses language
speaking of the
sacrificial system
as if it's still
happening.
He doesn't speak
of it in past tense.
He speaks of it
in present tense.
And in A.D. 70
when the temple
was destroyed
that service
stopped.
It no longer
existed
at that point.
So Hebrews
chapter 7
verse 27
and 28
he says
he has no need
speaking of Christ
like those high
priests
to offer
sacrifices daily
first for his
own sins
and then for
those of the
people
since he did
this once for
all when he
offered up
himself.
For the law
appoints men
in their weakness
as high priests
but the word
of the oath
which came later
than the law
appoints a son
who has been
made perfect
forever.
So you see
that present
feeling to the
text that he's
writing there.
So it likely
happened
this letter
was written
before the
temple was
destroyed.
It also
likely happened
we don't know
but probably
after the
Christian persecution
under the
Roman emperor
Claudius.
The Roman
historian
Suetonius
wrote in
Life of the
Deified
Claudius
quote
there were
riots in
the Jewish
quarter
at the
instigation
of
Crestus
as a result
Claudius
expelled
the Jews
from Rome.
Modern
historians
widely agree
that
Crestus
is a
reference
to Christ.
It's a
mishearing
it's a
Romanization
of the
word
Christ.
And so
this Roman
historian
tells us
that there
was a
time we
think
around
AD
49
when
Jewish
Christians
were
expelled
from Rome.
So that
may place
this group
having already
bore up
under some
persecution
as we'll
see in a
moment
sent out
of Rome
possibly
living still
in an
urban
environment
on the
edges
of
their
suburban
Christians.
They were
a suffering
group of
Christians
and they
would
suffer
further.
It's the
purpose of
the very
writing of
this letter.
It's a
very pastoral
work.
Hebrews
chapter 10
verse 32
and following
but recall
the former
days
possibly
these
days
under
Claudius
when
after you
were
enlightened
you
endured
a hard
struggle
with
sufferings
sometimes
being publicly
exposed to
reproach
and affliction
and sometimes
being partners
with those
so treated
for you
had compassion
on those
in prison
and you
joyfully
accepted
the plundering
of your
property
since you
knew that
you
yourselves
had a
better
possession
and
an
abiding
one.
Part of
his
writing
to convince
them of
the supremacy
of Christ
is to
remind
them
that they
also
believed
in the
supremacy
of Christ.
That they
had suffered
and in the
process of
suffering
had lost
property.
Possibly
they were
driven
out of
Rome
altogether.
And then
they would
suffer
further.
The author
writes
Hebrews
chapter 12
verse 4
In your
struggle
against sin
you have
not yet
resisted
to the
point of
shedding
your blood.
It would
seem
there's a
hint
there
that no
one had
yet been
martyred
for their
faith
but that
this was
coming
their way.
So we
see there's
a great
deal of
suffering
that has
happened
to these
Hellenistic
Jewish
Christians
and we're
going to
see in
our study
of it
that the
temptation
for them
then was
to simply
go back
to Judaism.
This had
been accepted
by Rome
and there
was no
persecution
for those
who worshipped
God in
that way.
It was
Christ followers
who were
being persecuted.
It was
Christ followers
as Jesus
said
who were
suffering
the way
he suffered.
They were
the ones
who were
filling up
what was
lacking
in the
afflictions
of Christ.
So there
was this
temptation
to say
oh but
the old
ways
weren't
too far
off the
mark
were they?
And the
writer of
Hebrews
says
absolutely
you cannot
go back
you know
this Christ
and he is
supreme
and he is
final.
So
at the end
though we
don't know
the specific
circumstances
verses
and so
it is
still a
bit
unknown
and
obscure.
Even the
literary
genre
of this
letter
is a
bit of
a
head
scratcher.
I would
suggest
to you
that it is
written
more
as a
sermon
than as
a letter.
In fact
it kind of
starts out
that way.
You see
all of
Paul's
letters
begin
with a
greeting.
This
does not.
There is
no greeting
whatsoever.
It just
launches
right in
to the
discourse.
And it
remains
at this
pace
almost
to the
very
end.
All the
way through
chapter 13
and verse
21.
And then
there seems
to be this
postscript
added to
it.
Like,
oh and
by the
way,
goodbye.
Seems
to be the
way that
it's
written.
So this
man who's
most likely
trained in
this
rhetoric,
unable to
be with
them and
speak these
words,
wrote the
words down.
It's like
a sermon
manuscript.
And I
am so
encouraged by
that possibility
because most
of the
preaching we
have recorded
in the
Bible are
very short
presentations.
Oh,
I love
that there's
a 13
chapter one
now.
It's
pretty
fantastic.
It helps
me preach
longer than
45 minutes
to make a
case for
such a
thing.
Again,
there's a
thesis,
right?
The supremacy
and finality
of Jesus
Christ,
which he
lays out
in verses
one through
four.
And then he
goes on
through the
rest of
the text
to defend
what he's
saying in
those first
four verses.
And then he
ends with
chapter 13
and verse
22,
I appeal to
you brothers,
bear with my
word of
exhortation,
for I have
written to
you briefly.
So he
even calls
what he's
written a
word of
exhortation.
He uses
the Bible
to make
his case.
Very
sermon-esque
in that
sense.
He is
appealing to
what we
now call
the Old
Testament,
what was
their
scripture
in their
day.
And in
doing so,
he exposes
both the
unity and
the disunity
of the
old and
new
covenants.
We don't,
as New
Testament
Christians,
disregard the
Old Testament.
There's much
continuity between
the two.
There's also
discontinuity.
And we
should be
careful and
think through
this very
carefully.
I think the
book of
Hebrews is
going to
serve us
well as
we work
on that
together.
William Lane
again.
Hebrews is
impregnated
with the
Old Testament.
The writer
makes vital
use of the
Old Testament
text in
developing
his persuasive
sections as
well as
those that
are more
theologically
oriented.
Every chapter
is marked
by explicit
or implicit
references to
the biblical
text.
The writer's
use of
scripture
expresses his
conviction
of the
continuity
between God's
speaking and
action under
the Old and
New Covenants,
which had
urgent implications
for Israel
and for the
church.
He
presupposes
both an
essential
unity and
a development
between the
old and
new economies
of redemption.
A detailed
knowledge of
the Old
Testament is
indispensable for
understanding what
the writer of
Hebrews is
endeavoring to
say.
He assumes
on the part
of his
audience a
deep
familiarity
with our
contents.
I don't
know that we
could say of
us that we
have a deep
familiarity
with the
Old Testament
text.
Hebrews is
going to help
us to become
more familiar
with it.
We're going to
have to do
some work
together because
the writer of
Hebrews assumes
a deep
familiarity.
He knows his
audience and
he knows that
he can both
explicitly and
implicitly quote
the Old Testament
text and just
keep right on
moving.
This would have
been read as
a single
sitting.
This was a
sermon.
And we're
going to
break it
up over a
year and
a half.
We've got
some work
out ahead of
us to
wring out
all that the
writer of
Hebrews intends
by God's
good hand
for us to
understand.
So imagine
for a moment
with me,
likely a
small church,
likely meeting
in a home
on the edge
of Rome,
having been
kicked out of
the city,
being tired,
beat down,
beleaguered in
their pursuit
of Christ.
They had
already suffered
much,
feeling a
temptation to
walk away from
this faith.
Some of them
we'll see in
Hebrews chapter
10 had already
stopped gathering
together with the
church.
They had just
ceased doing it
altogether.
This is a
tired group
of Christians.
And the word
goes out.
Hey, we
received a
letter from
the author
of Hebrews.
And so
they're gathered
together,
eager
expectation.
What is the
word that he's
bringing to
us?
We want to
hear.
God seems
to be silent.
What would you
say to us
from the text
to help us
at this time?
And somebody
stands up and
opens the
letter and
says,
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.
Beloved,
this is God's
word to
us.
It was
written for
his glory
and our
good.
We would
all do
well to
listen to
it in
order to
believe
its
promises
and obey
its commands.
Christians.
The writer of
Hebrews,
out of a
great love
for this
little
beat-down
beleaguered
church,
employs
his eloquence
to speak
of the
eloquence
of God.
Our
God
is a
God
who
speaks.
He is
not
silent.
In
Hebrews,
he uses,
our
God uses,
an
unknown
author
writing to
an
unknown
audience.
He uses
an
obscure
author
and an
obscure
church
to make
much
of
himself.
Our
God
is a
God
who
communicates
and he
communicates
convincingly
about
himself
that we
would
know
him.
What an
astounding
reality.
May we
make much
of him
as we
consider
this
little bit
of text
this
morning.
First,
let's
consider
the
eloquence
of God
in the
past.
The writer
of Hebrews
says,
long ago,
many times
and in
many ways,
God
spoke to
our fathers
by the
prophets.
God
says,
now I
don't
think the
writer of
Hebrews
intends to
leave this
little point
out,
but I
just want
to add,
not only
is there
a prophetic
eloquence,
God's
people to
hear from,
but there's
also a
cosmic
eloquence.
God
spoke the
world into
existence
and he
designed it
in such
a way
to say,
look at
me.
Here's the
creation
and it
exists to
worship
the
Creator.
Psalm 19
verses 1
through 4,
the heavens
declare the
glory of
God,
His
greatness,
His
grandeur,
and the
sky above
proclaims
His
handiwork.
Day to
day it
pours out
speech
and night
to night
reveals
knowledge.
There is
no speech,
nor are
there words
whose voice
is not
heard.
Their voice
goes out
through all
the earth
and their
words to
the end
of the
world.
In
them He
has set
a tent
for the
Son.
Our
God
speaks
cosmically
that we
would know
Him.
There's a
cosmic
eloquence
to our
God.
There's
also this
prophetic
eloquence.
At
many times
and in
many ways
God
spoke to
our
fathers
by the
prophet.
God
spoke to
Moses
at
Sinai
in
thunder
and
lightning
and
with
a
trumpeting
voice.
God
spoke
to
Elijah
at
Horeb
in
a
still
small
voice.
God
spoke
to
Ezekiel
in
visions.
God
spoke
to
Daniel
in
dreams.
God
appeared
to
Abram
in
human
form
and
to
Jacob
as
an
angel.
God
spoke
by
the
law,
by
warning,
by
exhortation,
by
type,
and
by
parables.
He
spoke
in
many
ways.
When the
prophets
prophesied,
they used
as many
varied
forms.
Direct
oracles,
questions
and answers,
bizarre
symbolic
acts,
sermons
and
mysterious
signs.
At
many
times
and
in
many
ways,
God
has been
declaring
to the
world,
I
am.
And
He
has been
telling
the
world
how
it
is
that
we
can
know
Him.
And
He
has
been
doing
this
in
the
Old
Testament
and
now
on
into
the
New
progressively.
He
has
been
revealing
Himself
ever
more
across
the
text
with
now
the
great
fulfillment,
the great
finality
in the
person
and
work
of
Jesus
Christ.
Many
times
and
in
many
ways.
And
consider
these
Hellenistic
Jewish
Christians
who had
this
Old
Testament
text
that
God
had
been
silent
for
many
years.
God
did
not
have
a
prophet.
The
book
was
closed
in
a
sense
and
then
with
Christ
it
reopened
and
God
roars
into
the
world
again.
Know
me
by
my
Son.
So
let's
consider
the
eloquence
of
God
in
the
present.
The
writer
of
Hebrews
says
but
in
these
last
days
He
has
spoken
and
there's
this
precious
conjunction
pay
attention
when you
see
the
conjunction
but
in
these
last
days
God
spoke
in
this
way
at
time
many
times
and
in
many
ways
but
no
more
now
God
has
spoken
in
his
son
God
spoke
he has
spoken
and
he
is
now
today
speaking
in
his
son
I
came
across
trying
to
search
for
the
lyrics
of
an
entirely
different
song
the
lyrics
to
a
hymn
that
we
should
probably
learn
called
God
is
spoken
by
the
prophets
by
a man
named
George
W
Briggs
please
somebody
tell me
if you
know
him
and
we
shouldn't
sing
a
song
I
love
the
lyrics
of
this
three
verses
he wrote
God
has
spoken
by
the
prophets
spoken
the
unchanging
word
each
from
age
to
age
proclaiming
God
the
one
the
righteous
Lord
mid
the
world's
despair
and
turmoil
one
firm
anchor
holding
fast
God
eternal
reigns
forever
God
the
first
and
God
the
last
second
verse
God
is
spoken
by
Christ
Jesus
Christ
the
everlasting
son
brightness
of
the
father's
glory
with
the
father
ever
one
spoken
by
the
word
incarnate
God
of
God
ere
time
was
born
light
of
light
to
earth
descending
Christ
as
God
in
human
form
verse
three
God
is
speaking
by
the
spirit
speaking
to
our
hearts
again
in
the
age
long
word
declaring
God's
own
message
now
as
then
through
the
rise
and
fall
of
nations
one
sure
faith
is
standing
fast
God
abides
the
word
unchanging
God
the
first
and
God
the
last
good
he's
spoken
to
us
in
the
present
in
these
days
by
his
son
and
now
the
spirit
testifies
through
the
scripture
to
his
son
we
have
such
a
treasure
!
in it
God
and
so
lastly
the
eloquence
of
God
in
the
person
of
Christ
he
has
spoken
in
the
last
days
by
his
son
this
could
be
translated
in
his
son
a
familiar
text
to you
may be
John
chapter
one
verses
one
and
two
and
then
I'll
read
verse
fourteen
in the
beginning
was
the
word
and
the
word
was
with
God
and
the
word
was
God
he
was
in
the
beginning
with
God
in
verse
fourteen
and
the
word
became
flesh
and
dwelt
among
us
and
we
have
seen
his
glory
as
of
the
only
son
from
the
father
full
of
grace
and
truth
here
in
our
English
text
the
word
translated
word
is
the
Greek
word
!
It's
a
manifestation
of
it's
a
representation
of
the
thing
that
it
speaks
to
you
could
think
also
in
terms
of
word
being
a
good
word
to
put
in
this
place
but
you
could
also
think
in
terms
of
communication
or
eloquence
God
has
spoken
by
his
son
he
has
communicated
to
us
eloquently
by
his
son
God's
desire
to
make
himself
known
he
did
most
fully
he
communicated
that
to
us
in
Jesus
Christ
and
so
I
just
want
to
reread
John
chapter
1
verse
1
and 2
and
verse
14
and
I'm
going
to
replace
the
word
with
the
words
the
phrase
eloquent
communication
I
just want
you to
hear it
this
way
just
Christ
in
the
beginning
was
the
eloquent
!
the
eloquent
!
communication
was
with
God
and
the
eloquent
communication
was
God
he
was
in
the
beginning
with
God
and
the
eloquent
communication
became
flesh
and
dwelt
among
us
and
we
have
seen
his
glory
as
of
the
only
son
from
the
father
full
of
grace
and
truth
see
beloved
we
are
created
for
worship
this
intrinsic
it
is
built
into
us
worship
is
inevitable
you
will
worship
something
things
you'll
worship
others
we
have
a
whole
culture
built
on
that
people
are
famous
for
being
famous
you'll
worship
yourself
all the
various
manifestations
of
who
you
think
you
should
be
or
what
you
deserve
you'll
worship
a
job
you'll
worship
a sports
team
you'll
worship
a
political
ideology
worship
is
inevitable
but
worship
that
is
not
placed
fully
on
God
himself
the
creator
is
called
idolatry
it's
called
idolatry
the
worship
of
lesser
things
and
it
is
damning
for
us
and
it
is
heartbreaking
to
God
we
were
created
to
be
worshipers
of
God
his
creation
singing
his
praise
as
the
rest
of
creation
does
but
we
as
humans
marred
by
sin
turn
away
from
the
creator
God
and
turn
to
lesser
worship
there
is
no
higher
good
for
man
than
he
would
worship
the
one
who
created
him
God
gives
this
to
us
in
so
many
ways
communicates
it
to
us
in
so
many
ways
because
he
loves
us
he
knows
the
best
thing
for
us
is
to
orient
our
worship
as
it
should
be
oriented
fix it
firmly
on
him
Jonathan Edwards
once wrote
and this is on the front of your bulletin
in very tiny font
thank you Andy for making this fit
he wrote
God is the highest
good
of the reasonable
creature
the enjoyment
of him
is our
proper
and this
the only
happiness
with which
our souls
can be
satisfied
all of the
idols
will fail
us
at some
point
God
is the
only
one
that
will
satisfy
to
go
to
heaven
fully
to enjoy
God
is
infinitely
better
than the
most
pleasant
accommodations
here
better than
fathers and mothers
husbands
wives or
children
or the
company
of any
or all
earthly
friends
these
are but
shadows
but the
enjoyment of
God
is the
substance
these
are but
scattered
beings
but God
is the
sun
these
are but
streams
but God
is the
fountain
these
are but
drops
but God
is the
ocean
infinitely
greater
infinitely
worthy
of all
of our
worship
I want
to read
now
John
chapter
1
verse
18
no one
has ever
seen
God
the only
God
he's talking
about the
word
there
the eloquent
!
communication
Jesus
Christ
who is
at the
father's
side
he
has
made
him
known
we can
know
God
and we
can worship
him rightly
because
God has
spoken to
us in
these last
days
by
his
son
my
hope
for our
study
of
Hebrews
I
hope
that we
would
greater
appreciate
both
the
continuity
and
the
discontinuity
of the
old
and new
covenants
and
therefore
the
old
and
new
testaments
that the
scripture
would become
more
precious
to us
because
God
has
spoken
to us
by it
it is
this
book
that gives
testimony
to who
Christ
is
we don't
worship
the Bible
but we
worship
the
Christ
of
the
Bible
it's
a
precious
thing
to those
who
follow
Jesus
secondly
I hope
that we
would
greater
love
the
risen
Christ
that we
would
greater
love
the
risen
Christ
that we
would
so
love
the
risen
Christ
that we
would
worship
him
with
greater
fervor
in the
face
of
opposition
that we
would be
a people
who
persevere
to the
end
for the
glory
of God
this
is
the
goal
of the
writer
of
Hebrews
he
is
saying
to
these
people
Christ
is
better
he
is
supreme
don't
give
up
press
on
to
the
end
there's
a
great
glory
that
awaits
you
don't
look
for
ease
and
comfort
in
this
world
look
for
Christ
because
in
him
God
has
spoken
I
want
to
conclude
with a
small
anecdote
I'm
reading
now to
our
boys
the
Chronicles
of
Narnia
we've
read
the
Lion
the
Witch
and
the
Wardrobe
and
we've
just
finished
reading
Prince
Caspian
and
yes
in
that
order
because
it's
the
published
order
and
it's
the
right
way
to
read
it
I
stand
by
that
without
apology
and
in
Prince
Caspian
the
Pevensies
the
children
if
you're
not
familiar
with
the
story
I'm
going
to
totally
confuse
you
there's
four
children
and
their
siblings
the
Lion
Witch
the
wardrobe
they're
drawn
back
to
Narnia
and
it's
many
thousands
of
years
on
the
throne
and
it's
very
far
into
the
book
it's
a little
over
halfway
into
the
book
before
the
character
in
C.S.
Lewis'
writing
that
represents
Christ
shows up
and his
name
is
Aslan
and he
is
a
lion
right
Lewis'
writing
is
just
fantastic
my
heart
skips
a beat
when I
see the
name
on
the
page
it
stands
out
on
the
page
oh
good
Aslan
is
on
this
page
this
is
fantastic
wonderful
writing
Aslan
doesn't
show up
until
much
later
in
the
story
and
it's
the
youngest
of
the
Pimansi
children
that
notices
him
first
she
sees
him
the
others
don't
see
him
finally
she
actually
encounters
him
and I
just
want
to
read
a
little
bit
to
you
Lewis
writes
she
rushed
do
was
that
she
was
kissing
him
and
putting
arms
as far
around
his
neck
as
she
could
and
burying
her
face
in
the
beautiful
rich
silkiness
of
his
mane
Aslan
dear
Aslan
sobbed
Lucy
at
last
the
great
beast
rolled
over
on
his
side
so
that
Lucy
fell
half
sitting
and
half
lying
between
his
front
paws
he
bent
forward
and
just
touched
her
nose
with
his
tongue
his
warm
breath
came
all
around
her
she
gazed
up
into
the
large
wise
face
welcome
child
he
said
Aslan
said
Lucy
you're
bigger
that
is
because
you
are
older
little
one
answered
he
not
because
you
are
said
Lucy
I
am
not
but
every
year
you
grow
you
will
find
me
bigger
not
good
for
a
time
she
was
so
happy
this
is
happy
I
promise
I'm
not
having
a
midlife
crisis
for
a
time
she
was
so
happy
that
she
did
not
want
to
speak
but
Aslan
spoke
let's
pray
together