WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:02.380 We're going to start a new series this morning. 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:06.540 I'm glad you're here with us because this section of Scripture we're going to be in is the Book of Hebrews. 00:00:07.300 --> 00:00:14.380 And for me, I think I shared with you last week if you were here, if you put me on some deserted island somewhere and you told me I could only pick one book of the Bible to take with 00:00:14.380 --> 00:00:16.710 me, it would be the Book of Hebrews. 00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:21.790 Hebrews, it's a great book I think, especially for us to study in the summer. 00:00:23.060 --> 00:00:30.140 A few of the reasons I should tell you that I like Hebrews is because Hebrews, each chapter, really for the first eight chapters especially takes 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:35.700 a theme of Old Testament and shows us how everything culminates together in Christ. 00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:43.180 It's kind of like taking the pieces of what the Bible is, and now it's answering the question, "Now how does this even make sense?" Like when I look at the tattaglia 00:00:43.180 --> 00:00:47.240 Scripture, what God shared is this all disjointed? 00:00:47.400 --> 00:00:48.740 Or does it come together in some way? 00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:52.980 Is there some soft of broad picture to how the Bible comes together. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:58.580 And I want you to know when we look at this book, we're going to answer the question, "Why did God create a temple? 00:00:58.620 --> 00:00:59.620 What's the purpose of that? 00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:00.570 Why is there a Sabbath? 00:01:00.780 --> 00:01:01.580 What's the purpose of that? 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:02.390 Why was there law? 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:03.440 What's the purpose of that? 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:10.300 Prophet, priest, kings, sacrifice, everything in the Old Testament, every picture in the Old Testament; what in the world it means? 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:17.600 How it culminates for us in our faith, and how we're to respond to it?" If you looked at those stories or as God has unfolded his Revelation 00:01:17.600 --> 00:01:22.490 in the Bible, you've seen how God has revealed himself in the practices, especially in the Old Testament. 00:01:23.240 --> 00:01:26.040 And then you get to this New Testament, you're trying to figure out how this all ties together. 00:01:26.500 --> 00:01:28.460 Hebrews does that beautifully. 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:36.020 I think this is an important book, not only for your faith, but I think here in Utah, if you're a person that shares about what 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:43.020 God has done in your life, which I think God calls all of us to do, the concepts and teachings of Hebrews are I think 00:01:43.020 --> 00:01:48.400 not only pertinent to our faith, but are especially helpful in communicating why we believe what we believe. 00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:56.940 But you know, there's also in just seeing those ideas taught in Scripture, there's also another reason I think Hebrews is important for us and 00:01:56.940 --> 00:01:59.980 why were spending the summer just going through this book. 00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:03.780 Summer time for many of us is a season of change. 00:02:04.580 --> 00:02:11.860 There's lots of vacation, moving, life changing events that take kinda place in the summer 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:18.920 and the focus of Hebrews is really about the sufficient of Christ in all 00:02:18.920 --> 00:02:19.040 things. 00:02:21.040 --> 00:02:28.120 And as you think about the summer and you know your family might have some plans and you might be in and out for meeting with the body of Christ, really my prayer for our church 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:35.260 this summer is that we just back to the simplicity, back to the simplicity of just knowing Jesus and making him known in 00:02:35.260 --> 00:02:35.740 our lives. 00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:44.680 For me, there's no book that really ties the beauty of that together more then the book of Hebrews and seeing the sufficiency of 00:02:44.820 --> 00:02:51.920 Christ in all things and seeing how God, from the beginning, has orchestrated all of this together to 00:02:52.320 --> 00:02:53.740 point us to Jesus. 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:59.300 Everything I just named to you: prophet, priest, temple, law, Sabbath, king... 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:00.780 You pick a theme in the Old Testament. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:06.580 The intentions were to be a foreshadowing ultimately of what Jesus would satisfy. 00:03:08.340 --> 00:03:12.120 For us this book, just points us to the simplicity of who Christ is. 00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:21.220 And I think the author of Hebrews, his intentions was to help the church focus on what is 00:03:21.220 --> 00:03:22.470 important. 00:03:23.380 --> 00:03:30.380 If I just kinda lay a backdrop just for a minute on why this book exists, you know I talked about these minor things, but I think there's a 00:03:30.380 --> 00:03:37.500 greater significance in Jesus, a greater significance happening historically in the first century when this was written as to 00:03:37.600 --> 00:03:39.040 why this book exists. 00:03:40.100 --> 00:03:44.380 I think it starts with the identity, a little bit of the identity of the author at least. 00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:51.480 I'll tell you that this book, out of all the New Testament's books, this book is a debated book as to who wrote it. 00:03:52.540 --> 00:03:56.620 Scholars have varying ideas as to who wrote it. 00:03:57.180 --> 00:04:04.930 I think what's most important to recognize regardless of who you think wrote the book of Hebrews is just to simply acknowledge that it's Holy Spirit inspired. 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:10.080 Sp the Holy Spirit wrote it, but he wrote it I think specifically through an individual. 00:04:10.220 --> 00:04:16.360 Now if you guys know, I like to joke sometimes and to just rub things for fun. 00:04:16.700 --> 00:04:21.300 That's why I like to say from the pulpit every once in a while, I'm a Patriots fan, and if you don't like it, you're wrong. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.980 I like to hear the groans that happen, but you had your chance, and there you lost it. 00:04:25.060 --> 00:04:25.910 The Patriots are the best. 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:26.440 You know? 00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:27.590 It's fun to do that sometimes. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:28.940 I like to do this with the book of Hebrews. 00:04:29.100 --> 00:04:35.260 I like to say, when it comes to the book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul wrote it, and if you don't agree with me, you're wrong. 00:04:35.260 --> 00:04:35.720 Right? 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:42.400 I only like to do that because I know if you got some kind of Bible nerd beside you, they'll immediately turn and start to make some sort of snarky... 00:04:42.580 --> 00:04:44.360 "Paul didn't write that." They've got their opinion on it. 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:48.640 I just get to irritate for fun, but I have reasons for thinking Paul wrote it. 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:52.330 I think it historically relates to this book and where it sits in history. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:05:01.340 Just so you have a way of historical understanding, my basis for saying Paul wrote it is more than just rubbing 00:05:01.340 --> 00:05:05.380 you raw, but whoever wrote Hebrews is definitely well versed in Judaism. 00:05:05.380 --> 00:05:07.730 It has to be a Jew, and they know their stuff. 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:10.800 They can explain to us the purpose for its existence. 00:05:11.500 --> 00:05:18.600 Historically when you look at the book of Hebrews written, we have thousands of Papyrus have been discovered in the New Testament, this is 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:21.760 one of them that dates back to as early as 175 A.D. 00:05:22.260 --> 00:05:27.100 This set of Papyrus is actually called P46, which stands for Papyrus 46. 00:05:27.580 --> 00:05:30.300 It was a series of letters that were discovered. 00:05:30.780 --> 00:05:35.440 All of the letters contained in P46 were written by the Apostle Paul. 00:05:36.280 --> 00:05:43.490 So when you go back and you study this manuscript, you see 175 A.D., the intentions of this person, whoever collected these manuscripts in the second century, 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:45.840 they were just intentionally trying to get Paul's writings. 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:48.520 And so you go back and you look at all these writings. 00:05:48.520 --> 00:05:56.100 And one of the writings that exist within this context is the book of Hebrews, so whoever this individual is collected these Papyrus of Paul's writings, they 00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:58.060 got the 13 books of Paul. 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:00.860 Then they add the book of Hebrews with it. 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:06.380 Early church history, some of the early father's accredited Paul in writing this book. 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:11.480 [inaudible 00:06:06] Alexander, origin as having written this. 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:15.160 It's most likely written in Rome as well. 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:22.320 If you go to the end of this book, you'll see in Hebrews chapter 13, I think verses 34, 35, the person sends their greetings. 00:06:22.320 --> 00:06:29.340 It says from Italy, but most scholars think that it's actually from the city of Rome in Italy, and that it talks about Timothy sending his greetings as well. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.580 The one that we know that traveled with Timothy so often was Paul. 00:06:34.440 --> 00:06:39.640 Paul already written most of, a good majority of our New Testament. 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:48.040 He's addressing this to the Hebrews, which there's something interesting about saying that Paul wrote this because Paul's called the Apostle to the Gentiles. 00:06:48.840 --> 00:06:56.140 He tells us in Philippians that "he is the Hebrew or all Hebrews."So he was the up-and-coming star of his people. 00:06:56.660 --> 00:07:00.540 He was the Jew of Jews, but God calls him into the Gentile world. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.120 Well, it's something interesting when you read the New Testament. 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:04.540 You see in Romans Chapter 10. 00:07:05.400 --> 00:07:07.780 As Paul writes in Romans, he's talking about the Gospel there. 00:07:07.780 --> 00:07:08.880 He's unfolding the Gospel. 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:10.640 He gets to chapter 10. 00:07:10.840 --> 00:07:12.700 He kinda really opens up his heart a little bit. 00:07:12.700 --> 00:07:16.640 He goes, "Brother, my heart's desire and prayer for Israel is for their salvation. 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:24.220 Though they have a zeal for God, it's not according to knowledge." Paul shows even from Romans 10, Verses 1 and 2, he recognizes 00:07:24.220 --> 00:07:30.180 his own people, even though he's apostle to the Gentiles; his own people and his desire for them to know God. 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:33.960 He sees such as zeal for a God, but they're not following after the true God. 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.340 And so his prayer for them is for them to know God. 00:07:37.420 --> 00:07:44.440 Now think, he's writing this book of Hebrews as an appeal for us just understand how all of what God has written comes 00:07:44.440 --> 00:07:44.890 together. 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:53.840 Now historically, when you go through this book, there are some significant events that took place in early Christianity that 00:07:53.840 --> 00:07:58.350 if these events have had happened, you would have likely found 'em written in the Book of Hebrews. 00:07:58.460 --> 00:08:01.660 Meaning in 70 A.D., the temple is destroyed. 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:07.670 This book takes time to talk about the temple and what takes place in the temple. 00:08:08.020 --> 00:08:11.070 If the temple had been destroyed, you think it would have been addressed in this book. 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:16.900 In the mid-60s A.D., Nero starts persecuting Christians. 00:08:17.020 --> 00:08:18.820 He sets them on fire in his gardens. 00:08:18.860 --> 00:08:21.940 He literally uses Christians as torches to light his fire. 00:08:22.260 --> 00:08:29.360 He blamed Christians for a fire that took place in Rome, which was a false accusation, but he used that as a means to 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:30.040 persecute them. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:34.940 You don't find any of those statements found in this book historically as having happened. 00:08:35.400 --> 00:08:41.120 Most likely this book predates those events taking place in history. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:48.180 Most likely this book is written somewhere in the mid-60s A.D., which kinda leads into 00:08:48.180 --> 00:08:55.460 why the author is writing this book and the sufficiency of Jesus for us in 00:08:55.460 --> 00:08:55.560 Scripture. 00:08:57.040 --> 00:09:04.080 When you study Christianity and the spread of Christianity, early after the crucifixion 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:09.440 of Jesus, the church starts to proclaim around Jerusalem Judea, the Gospel. 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:13.250 In Acts chapter 8, something interesting happens. 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:16.140 Steven is martyred. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:18.480 He becomes the first martyr in Christian history. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:26.080 It actually ends at the end of chapter 7, and in the beginning of chapter 8, it tells us that Paul goes out to persecute the church. 00:09:26.800 --> 00:09:28.960 What happens is the church starts to spread. 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:32.640 It then leaves Jerusalem Judea and goes out into the other most parts of the Earth. 00:09:33.070 --> 00:09:37.460 Christianity is on the move throughout the Roman Empire, starting in Acts Chapter 8. 00:09:38.800 --> 00:09:40.920 But what happens when you get to about the 60s A.D. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:44.300 is that the Christianity has now spread all the way to Rome. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:51.480 Now Rome is starting to join in the persecution of the Jews and against Christianity. 00:09:51.540 --> 00:09:53.540 It's like it goes out in waves from Jerusalem. 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:54.570 Now it goes all the way to Rome. 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:58.600 Now the persecution is now coming all the way back through to Jerusalem again. 00:09:58.680 --> 00:10:00.030 It's like it goes out and comes back. 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:08.080 The author of Hebrews, he starts to write this letter and he says, "You guys have gone through persecution," but 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.380 really this isn't anything compared to what's about to take place. 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:21.080 This author is a little bit privy to understand that he can see the tide turning in the tone of Rome 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:22.120 against Christianity. 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:25.850 Now when I think about the author of Hebrews... 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:33.140 This is a little bit of speculation here, but when it comes to Rome, running from Rome, and when it comes to understanding what's taking place in Christianity, 00:10:33.260 --> 00:10:40.580 I can only really think of two figures in early church history that were somewhere around the power of Caesar to understand 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:43.000 what was about to happen. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:47.520 One is Peter, who was about to be crucified upside down during this time period. 00:10:47.520 --> 00:10:51.280 The other was Paul, who was about to have his head cut off during Nero's persecution. 00:10:53.020 --> 00:10:59.910 I think Paul and Peter both know that their end is likely coming soon because of the tone of what's taking place in Rome. 00:11:00.180 --> 00:11:01.120 Paul visited there. 00:11:01.180 --> 00:11:03.760 Paul had opportunity to make influence in Caesar's household. 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:06.520 Paul knows the minute... 00:11:06.820 --> 00:11:11.740 Peter and Paul go down, who are leading the church in this first century, it's going to smash the early church. 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:13.370 How are they gonna respond? 00:11:15.140 --> 00:11:19.530 Paul's helping them to anticipate what's about to take place. 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:24.660 If I just gave you maybe a theme verse of Hebrews, I would point to this. 00:11:24.760 --> 00:11:26.720 This is a pinnacle place in the book. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:35.020 It says this, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful." Let 00:11:35.020 --> 00:11:37.780 us consider how to stimulate one another to love in good deeds. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:41.940 Hebrews Chapter 10 is a pinnacle point in the book. 00:11:41.940 --> 00:11:45.880 For the first 10 chapters, it's theology in our lives. 00:11:45.880 --> 00:11:50.000 The last few chapters, the chapter 10-13 is the application for us. 00:11:50.880 --> 00:11:51.780 What does it all mean? 00:11:52.820 --> 00:12:00.020 And in the middle of this transition, this book, this is where this author, Paul, gives this theme of 00:12:00.020 --> 00:12:01.400 really what the book's about. 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:09.020 I think they understand that the tone of the church is about to take a heavier blow now because Rome is intentionally gonna come against 00:12:09.020 --> 00:12:12.560 Christianity under the authority of Nero. 00:12:13.260 --> 00:12:16.920 Once you take the head off, you can go after the rest of the body. 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:26.140 Really when you study church history for the first 250 years of its existence, 125 of those years, if you claim to follow 00:12:26.140 --> 00:12:28.540 Jesus, could have cost you your life. 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:37.880 The author of this book wants us to recognize that in the season of change and the adversity that we face and all that 00:12:37.880 --> 00:12:45.140 goes on in our lives, there is one truth that all of it culminates in, that if we can find ourselves resting 00:12:45.140 --> 00:12:50.890 in it, which is Christ, we find ourselves secure. 00:12:53.860 --> 00:13:00.960 Hebrews Chapter 1 Verse 1, starts off with this very 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:05.740 bold claim. 00:13:06.560 --> 00:13:14.460 It says, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in 00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:25.140 many portions and in many ways, in these last days he has spoken to us in His Son." Really 00:13:25.140 --> 00:13:29.020 this morning, I really want to just set the backdrop to the intentions of this book. 00:13:30.020 --> 00:13:33.890 We're going to unfold the rest of chapter 1 this week, but I just wanna look at the first three verses. 00:13:36.680 --> 00:13:43.820 The author in bringing us all down to this focal point, spoke 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:50.960 long ago, God did, "to the fathers in the prophets in many portions in many ways, in these last days 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:59.080 he has spoken to us in His Son." I'll read the rest of it in just a moment, but what the author is doing in drawing 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:02.760 everything down to Jesus, he's making a truth claim. 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:04.400 Right? 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:12.200 You know when you face hardships in your life, you get back to the place where you begin to ask the question, "Okay. 00:14:12.280 --> 00:14:12.860 What's true? 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:13.740 What matters? 00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:20.400 What's the foundation of which I need to rest myself in so I can move forward in the midst of this mess? 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:27.880 And stand for what's right and understand the reason for which I exist because through it all, if I can just sustain on that 00:14:27.880 --> 00:14:33.860 truth is what holds me up in the midst of anything else that might crumble around me. 00:14:33.940 --> 00:14:34.980 So, where is my hope? 00:14:35.300 --> 00:14:42.840 Where is my foundation?" The author of Hebrews starts of this pointed thought for us to get us to really eliminate everything 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:45.500 else to just drive back to what the target it. 00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:54.740 They say for those who fail to plan a life and really fail 00:14:54.740 --> 00:15:01.750 to hit the target for which you're created, but in this passage, he wants to just funnel our thinking down to this singular 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:09.540 place of where truth is revealed and the foundation for us to find ourselves sustained in 00:15:09.540 --> 00:15:14.470 God; the singularity of truth. 00:15:15.540 --> 00:15:17.780 The first 10 chapters of the book plays it out theologically. 00:15:18.400 --> 00:15:25.640 Hebrews Chapter 12, Verse 2, I think even says, "Jesus being the author and perfecter of faith." In John 14:6 00:15:25.640 --> 00:15:27.320 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, the life. 00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:34.570 No one comes to the Father, but by me." This singular thought of this truth play. 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:39.140 And to embrace this truth is to eliminate all other claims. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:42.600 The author wants us to hone in on this point. 00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:48.140 This singular thought is important for us just to reflect on right now. 00:15:48.180 --> 00:15:55.220 Just a broader picture, I want to get to the details of what he's saying here and why it's so powerful, but if you think about the broader 00:15:55.220 --> 00:15:58.160 statement of what is being said here. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:06.580 In our culture today, we have all sorts of ways of how we address truth and I think most of which are unhealthy 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:09.530 and some of which are self-defeating in their own statements. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:16.100 One of which, if I just picked on one, is one that I heard this week in talking about the Lord with some people. 00:16:17.020 --> 00:16:22.110 They kind of culminate all faiths down to this idea: as long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:22.460 Right? 00:16:23.640 --> 00:16:26.130 At the end of the day, you talk about faith. 00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:28.060 You discuss things with one another. 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:34.420 People like to just summarize it in this way: as long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:41.250 I would say that would be wonderful to believe as a follower of Christ, if the Bible said that at all. 00:16:42.160 --> 00:16:48.640 But, Hebrews Chapter 12, Verse 2: "Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith." He authored faith. 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:50.500 He perfected faith. 00:16:50.520 --> 00:16:50.620 Right? 00:16:50.640 --> 00:16:54.940 If you want to find faith, I would say, the author would be a good place to start. 00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:57.600 Or Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and life. 00:16:57.620 --> 00:17:04.800 No one comes to the Father, but by me." That's what Hebrews 1 is focusing on here in this passage is this 00:17:04.800 --> 00:17:11.960 idea of "it's not as long as you're good, that's all that matters, but there is the singularity from which truth originates itself and which God proclaims 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:20.160 that truth to us, and we find it culminating in Christ." Let me just talk about for minute phrases in our culture 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:27.220 today like, "As long as you're good, that's all that matters." I like some of the 00:17:27.220 --> 00:17:34.480 sentiments related to a statement like that because I think what it's trying to communicate is, "Hey, we have some differences 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:37.120 here, but let's love one another." Right? 00:17:38.090 --> 00:17:41.160 Let's try to be cordial to each other, which is great. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:44.960 I think that's a wonderful basis, but here's what we don't want to do. 00:17:46.260 --> 00:17:53.420 We don't want to stand on such a statement at the sacrifice of a truth because what the Bible 00:17:53.420 --> 00:18:01.380 says is "truth sets you free." That's 00:18:01.380 --> 00:18:03.510 where you find the purpose for your existence. 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:12.120 The reason really I love Scripture, it's what Paul says in Ephesians Chapter 4, Verse 15 that "We are to speak the truth 00:18:12.120 --> 00:18:19.180 in love." That because the truth sets us free, that we are to serve people with it and love 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:26.480 them in it and share that and to be humble and communicating to people and find people where they are 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:34.000 and be able to love them in the truth in that, but we don't use truth to bash people, but to find people free and to restore 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.620 them and to encourage them. 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:42.820 It's why Paul writes in 1 Timothy Chapter 1, Verse 5, he says this, "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good 00:18:42.820 --> 00:18:49.980 conscience and a sincere faith." We talk about claims like this. 00:18:50.060 --> 00:18:57.100 I want us to know that this claim really does, it eliminates all other claims in this world because the singularity 00:18:57.100 --> 00:18:57.320 of Jesus. 00:18:59.100 --> 00:19:05.720 The danger in taking a statement and saying, "As long as you're good, that's all that matters," it really undermines what Jesus accomplished. 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:13.120 Really, if there is another way, then why in the world would Jesus even do what Jesus did? 00:19:13.860 --> 00:19:16.420 That's way too much of a sacrifice and a cost, right? 00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:20.780 The author's pointing us to this. 00:19:20.780 --> 00:19:24.060 Not to create division, but to point us to truth and freedom. 00:19:25.340 --> 00:19:33.160 When we talk about all of Hebrews, I want us to know this that we're gonna talk about truth, but 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:37.480 my attitude isn't to drag people down. 00:19:37.540 --> 00:19:41.660 It's not to divide; rather to help us find freedom. 00:19:45.540 --> 00:19:52.700 When we think about our church, there are plenty of people in the world that take what they call truth, and they really just use 00:19:52.700 --> 00:20:00.380 it as a excuse to beat up on other people, but when I think about our church family, I 00:20:00.380 --> 00:20:07.080 want our church not to be a curse to our culture, but a gift of truth and love. 00:20:09.600 --> 00:20:16.740 If people disagree with what you claim, it's more reason to love them deeply, and 00:20:16.740 --> 00:20:20.720 they could see the love of Christ being made known in your life because of the truth that you believe. 00:20:22.340 --> 00:20:28.080 If you make a truth claim, I think it's also important to just make sure you're right. 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:30.560 Let me just say this about this passage. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:34.930 When God's talking, Hebrews chapter 1, he says that he spoke to the prophets. 00:20:36.840 --> 00:20:40.490 If you take this thought of God speaking to the prophets, and you just go back into the Old Testament. 00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:44.860 You look at what God says to his prophets, Deuteronomy chapter 13, Deuteronomy chapter 18. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:52.240 He told Israel if a prophet says something, claims to be a prophet and they say something and it does not come true, 00:20:53.520 --> 00:20:53.800 stone 'em. 00:20:57.560 --> 00:20:59.220 God considered his truth sacred. 00:21:01.320 --> 00:21:04.840 He don't want people just half haphazardly just representing him. 00:21:06.820 --> 00:21:13.980 When we make a truth claim, we wanna know it's true, but at the same time, we wanna do it with humbleness because we 00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:18.270 know if not by the grace of God, we would never have such truth to proclaim. 00:21:20.320 --> 00:21:23.820 As long as you're good, that's all that matters. 00:21:24.040 --> 00:21:25.730 How do you respond? 00:21:25.860 --> 00:21:33.180 If you talk about truth in this world, if you go out from these doors and you just start discussing about Jesus in the this world, I promise 00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:38.120 you, it's probably gonna take just one conversation before someone makes that kind of statement. 00:21:38.520 --> 00:21:40.090 How do you respond to that? 00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:42.700 You see the assertions at Hebrews chapter 1. 00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:45.120 How do you respond to that? 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:46.860 Well, let me just say this. 00:21:48.300 --> 00:21:55.300 If all that matters is that you're good, you have a contradiction when you read 00:21:55.300 --> 00:21:55.940 Scripture. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:57.500 Let me just look at this passage for a minute. 00:21:57.500 --> 00:22:01.450 In 2 Corinthians 11, Verse 14, it gives you this warning about Satan. 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:06.860 It says, "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 00:22:07.900 --> 00:22:15.020 Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness." When the Bible talks about 00:22:15.020 --> 00:22:19.460 light, is not the representation of light in Scripture typically good? 00:22:19.940 --> 00:22:20.040 Right? 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:25.090 When you think about righteousness, you often think about righteousness in terms of being good. 00:22:26.620 --> 00:22:31.580 Now what this passage is getting us just to begin to recognize is just because you're good doesn't make it Godly. 00:22:32.020 --> 00:22:39.000 What God is definitely not saying to us is if you're good, that's all that matters because Satan has no problem with appearing good. 00:22:40.260 --> 00:22:41.520 He appears as an angel of light. 00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:46.740 Even his servants appear as messengers of righteousness. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:53.600 If being good is all that mattered, then we have not conflict with this. 00:22:54.060 --> 00:22:58.620 We'd be like, "Satan's good." He appears as an angel of light. 00:22:58.940 --> 00:22:59.820 I mean that's pretty good. 00:22:59.960 --> 00:23:04.160 God is light, and Satan's duplicating the appearance of God who is light. 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.280 Therefore, Satan's good because if you're good, that's all that matters. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:09.070 Or just think about this for a minute. 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:18.100 This statement, if good is all that matters, this is a mission statement from a religious group. 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:21.200 This is not to just bash people or hate people in this group. 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:24.420 I do not hate people in this group if people were from this group were in our church. 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:29.420 I would love them as Jesus would want me to love them in church growth, but this is their mission statement. 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:36.920 It says this: "to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical 00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:44.960 common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will." I promise you, this 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:51.840 group I'm about to tell you, if you get on their website right now and you read the purpose for their existence, the "About us," this is the first phrase you'll read. 00:23:53.900 --> 00:24:01.060 All that they're after, in this phrase, we look at this, you just say, "These are good people," and if being good is all that matters, then this is great 00:24:01.060 --> 00:24:04.850 because they're just like what I would think is important and being good. 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:12.000 Well, until you read who wrote this 'cause this is the mission statement of The Satanic Temple. 00:24:14.860 --> 00:24:15.960 Now wait a minute, right? 00:24:16.260 --> 00:24:21.300 Christianity and satan, that's like the archnemisis of what we're about here. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:27.850 How in the world proclaiming to follow satan and yet here it is, the benevolence of all people. 00:24:28.060 --> 00:24:31.800 If being good was what God was after, if that's all that mattered. 00:24:35.410 --> 00:24:36.400 Think about this first a minute. 00:24:38.380 --> 00:24:41.940 Have you ever considered the difference between obedience and faith? 00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:42.720 What's the difference? 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:43.380 Let me ask you this. 00:24:43.380 --> 00:24:45.360 What is the difference between obedience and faith? 00:24:47.160 --> 00:24:49.100 Is there a difference between obedience and faith? 00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.150 They're two different words. 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:53.800 There has to be a difference between obedience and faith? 00:24:53.840 --> 00:24:56.480 What is the difference between obedience and faith? 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:06.800 If you're just obedient without faith, what we're saying is, "You can be good 00:25:06.800 --> 00:25:13.020 all day long and never know God." Or you can really never love God. 00:25:15.260 --> 00:25:22.260 It's possible just to do good and never be connected to God, but if you have genuine faith 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:29.720 and you see the love of God for you, then the desire of faith would be to obey the 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:32.350 one who loved you by showing your love to him. 00:25:35.600 --> 00:25:37.320 Jesus wanted us to understand this. 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:45.860 I think in the book of Matthew chapter 7, he says this, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:53.120 he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." And look at this, Verse 22, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy 00:25:53.120 --> 00:26:00.220 in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles?" You see in verse 22, this people just listing all the 00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:00.940 good things that they did. 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:09.620 Then Jesus says this, "Then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice 00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:17.520 lawlessness.’" What Jesus is driving at here is being 00:26:17.520 --> 00:26:18.660 good isn't all that matters. 00:26:21.300 --> 00:26:23.950 God didn't primarliy create you just to be good. 00:26:25.100 --> 00:26:28.720 The Bible isn't written just so you can get through and read it and figure out how to be good. 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:33.980 What the author is saying in Hebrews chapter 1 is how you know God. 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:38.960 The primary reason God has created you is that you would know him. 00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:47.800 When you see this loving God, the way he's communicated himself to you in order to set you free, your response in your life is 00:26:47.800 --> 00:26:49.150 the love him in return. 00:26:50.760 --> 00:26:55.480 The driving force of us this morning in worship isn't just to figure out how to be good and walk out and just try to be better people. 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:04.740 The desire of our heart is to be Godly people, God's people, to worship, to know him more, to draw near to him, let him conform 00:27:04.820 --> 00:27:05.740 us in his image. 00:27:08.520 --> 00:27:15.660 When people say, "As long as you're good, that's all that matters," that doctrine, that teaching, 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:24.440 it doesn't agree with God, but rather it agrees with satan because even he appears as a an angel of 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:24.890 light. 00:27:26.080 --> 00:27:28.500 God created you for so much more then that. 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:30.380 You're not just a machine to perform. 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:35.720 In fact, I wouldn't say that's not your primary purpose at all, but it is to know him. 00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:42.760 This author of Hebrews drives us to this idea of knowing God and when he does it, he does it in this 00:27:43.120 --> 00:27:43.800 shocking statement. 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:44.370 Look what he says. 00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:51.580 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, 00:27:51.780 --> 00:27:59.180 whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." In the Jewish mind, 00:27:59.320 --> 00:28:01.580 first century, this is book of Hebrews written to the Jews. 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:09.280 this statement would have been so shell shocking because historically what's happened here is God 00:28:09.280 --> 00:28:12.180 has been silent for 400 years. 00:28:15.060 --> 00:28:19.650 In fact, historically, you can go back through Israel's history. 00:28:20.080 --> 00:28:26.880 Starting with the ending of the Book of Malachi, God go silent for 400 years. 00:28:27.100 --> 00:28:28.240 The Jews kept writing. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.580 They kept writing during this period, but they knew what they were writing wasn't Scripture. 00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:37.720 In fact, in the Book of 1 Maccabees in chapter 4, chapter 9, chapter 14, they talk about this. 00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:39.960 In Chapter 14, verse 41, let me just read this. 00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:48.000 It says, "Simon was made priest over Israel, until a trustworthy prophet should arise." 00:28:48.080 --> 00:28:56.360 Then earlier in chapter 4, Verse 46, it says this, "There was sorrow in Israel, such as there has not been since the prophets ceased 00:28:56.360 --> 00:28:58.620 to appear." In the... 00:28:59.040 --> 00:29:06.060 2 Book of Barat, chapter 85, Verse 3, it says this, "The prophets have fallen 00:29:06.060 --> 00:29:13.220 asleep." Flavio Giuseppe, a first century Jewish historian wrote a book called "Against Apion," chapter 1, 00:29:13.360 --> 00:29:14.960 verse 8 says the same thing. 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:17.720 That the succession of the prophets have ceased. 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:24.260 Historically in this time period, the Jews knew that God was not talking to them again. 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:27.280 Or God had not been speaking to them. 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:28.680 God had been silent. 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:37.800 Now all of a sudden, the author of text is saying to us that God is no 00:29:37.800 --> 00:29:39.320 longer silent. 00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:42.250 Now he's speaking. 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:48.360 This would immediately begin to perk the ears of God's people. 00:29:48.800 --> 00:29:51.620 We've been waiting for this for hundreds of years. 00:29:51.720 --> 00:29:53.960 Where do I go to hear the voice of God? 00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:58.160 It's saying in former times, in various God spoke to his people through the prophets. 00:29:58.740 --> 00:30:01.020 No doubt when you study Old Testament, you see that picture. 00:30:02.600 --> 00:30:04.400 God speaks in various ways. 00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:06.000 I would say not just various. 00:30:06.020 --> 00:30:07.360 If I was right now, I would just say crazy ways. 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:09.900 He spoke in crazy ways to people. 00:30:10.040 --> 00:30:12.300 He talked to one guy in a fish. 00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:15.620 He talk to another guy through an angel and donkey to this person. 00:30:15.820 --> 00:30:17.780 He told one dude to walk around naked for years. 00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:21.180 He told another person to cook over human feces. 00:30:21.540 --> 00:30:23.880 God talks in various ways. 00:30:24.180 --> 00:30:25.580 I see it as crazy ways. 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:27.600 He spoke in a burning bush. 00:30:28.020 --> 00:30:29.260 Try to convince people of that. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.080 God spoke. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:36.510 What's important there is God spoke. 00:30:39.060 --> 00:30:46.240 In special revelation, saying to us that God desires to connect with you, so 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:47.230 God spoke. 00:30:50.060 --> 00:30:52.280 Now it tells us again, he's speaking. 00:30:54.060 --> 00:30:55.880 The question for the Jews would be like, "Oh, really? 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:57.000 Because we've been waiting for this. 00:30:57.040 --> 00:30:59.180 Now where is it going to happen?" Then he tells us. 00:30:59.180 --> 00:31:01.620 In these last days, he's spoken to us in his son. 00:31:04.360 --> 00:31:11.190 Here first, this is the last days in Scripture in the New Testament refers to even the day that we're still in today is the last days until the return of Christ. 00:31:11.300 --> 00:31:12.260 This is the last days. 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:19.400 If you wanna hear from God, the answer is Jesus. 00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:27.520 God became flesh. 00:31:29.300 --> 00:31:36.500 In John Chapter 1, Verse 18, actually John beginning in 1, "The Word was with God, and the Word was 00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:36.800 God. 00:31:36.800 --> 00:31:43.900 The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory is the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." And it says this, that in 00:31:43.900 --> 00:31:46.920 verse 18, that the son has explained the father. 00:31:48.300 --> 00:31:50.780 It's literally saying he's the exposition of the father. 00:31:50.780 --> 00:31:53.020 He is the sermon on display. 00:31:53.060 --> 00:31:55.110 If you want to know what God's like, look at Jesus. 00:31:55.300 --> 00:32:02.580 This is why says, "He who has seen me, has seen the father." That's why Colossians 2:9 says, "In him the fullness of God dwells 00:32:02.580 --> 00:32:03.420 in bodily form. 00:32:04.900 --> 00:32:12.120 It's why doubting Thomas in John chapter 20, Verse 28, "he 00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:19.540 bows down before Jesus and says, 'My Lord and my God.'" The Bible tells us in Isaiah Chapter 42, 00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:26.960 Verse 8 that "God's glory he will give to no other." Yet at the end of the Book of John, you see Thomas bowing down before 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:34.340 Jesus and calling him "Lord and God, glory belonging to him." What 00:32:34.340 --> 00:32:37.440 it's saying in this passage is God is speaking. 00:32:37.580 --> 00:32:45.060 If you want to see in a tangible way, God speaking into your lives, just look to 00:32:45.060 --> 00:32:48.000 Jesus. 00:32:49.420 --> 00:32:50.400 God has make it known. 00:32:53.960 --> 00:32:58.220 Just for us to I understand the idea of "prophet." In the Old Testament, there were these pictures of prophet and priest. 00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:02.760 The priest was the represent of the people before God. 00:33:03.120 --> 00:33:04.920 He represented the people of God, before God. 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.080 But the prophet represented God to the people. 00:33:10.220 --> 00:33:17.740 God knew greater in being on display then when God himself becomes flesh, dwells among us and demonstrates himself in 00:33:17.740 --> 00:33:18.460 this world. 00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:22.960 That's what it's saying in this passage for us. 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:23.720 If you just read further. 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:26.120 He says, talking about Jesus... 00:33:26.120 --> 00:33:33.200 "He is the exact radiance of his glory, the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of His 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:33.680 power. 00:33:33.900 --> 00:33:44.480 When He had made purification of sin, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." That 00:33:44.580 --> 00:33:47.250 God has spoken and revealed himself in Christ. 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:53.360 Prophetically, to know God is to know Jesus. 00:33:55.100 --> 00:33:58.740 Jesus even said in John chapter 14, Verse 26... 00:33:58.740 --> 00:34:05.300 The diciples were freaking out about everything that Jesus had taught them, how they're gonna remember all that and how they're gonna walk with him, how they're gonna know what to do. 00:34:05.760 --> 00:34:07.740 Jesus says this about the Holy Spirit. 00:34:07.800 --> 00:34:16.280 He says, "He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." The 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:20.800 goal of the Holy Spirit isn't about just prophetically revealing new truths in our lives. 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:24.380 The what this passage is communicating to us is everything culminates in Jesus. 00:34:24.659 --> 00:34:26.050 The whole point of it was about Jesus. 00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:31.840 The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to remind us everything that Jesus had already taught and how the picture was created in Christ. 00:34:35.860 --> 00:34:36.830 It tells us in this passage. 00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:43.400 That Jesus now sits on the throne, ruling and reigning. 00:34:46.179 --> 00:34:53.280 That Jesus is in this position of authority, as King of kings and Lord of 00:34:53.280 --> 00:34:53.940 lords. 00:34:56.679 --> 00:35:04.080 All of it now historically has culminated in Christ 'cause 00:35:04.140 --> 00:35:07.740 what this passage is saying to us is we're not waiting for any more truth. 00:35:10.280 --> 00:35:11.080 The truth is Jesus. 00:35:13.380 --> 00:35:14.820 Your place is Jesus. 00:35:16.380 --> 00:35:18.580 Jew chapter 3, the Bible tells us this. 00:35:19.740 --> 00:35:19.940 That the... 00:35:21.640 --> 00:35:25.220 faith, I should say, says this. 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:29.170 It's been once and for all handed down to the saints. 00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:39.280 The faith that we believe in has now once and for all been handed down to saints, God's 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:41.360 people. 00:35:41.740 --> 00:35:43.410 It all culminates in Christ. 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:50.610 The New Testament writers had this picture that God knew that he wanted us to know him. 00:35:51.460 --> 00:35:54.080 God created you to know him. 00:35:54.400 --> 00:36:00.680 He expositions that beautifully in Christ that you could see him in very flesh walking this Earth. 00:36:01.160 --> 00:36:05.420 Today Jesus isn't walking this Earth so, for us, in order to know him, where do we go? 00:36:07.780 --> 00:36:08.320 Scripture. 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:12.180 Go to the Scripture in order to know God. 00:36:12.260 --> 00:36:16.400 The New Testament author had this picture that it's not about just you're interpretation. 00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:17.660 I hear this a lot with people. 00:36:18.340 --> 00:36:23.180 You share something about God and they're like, "Well, that's just your opinion or your interpretation." No. 00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:29.800 New Testament writers had this crazy idea that you could actually look at Scripture and see what it says and walk away with the truth. 00:36:30.860 --> 00:36:33.900 You could read Hebrews chapter 1 today and see what it plainly says about Christ. 00:36:34.160 --> 00:36:41.340 "The exact radiance of his glory and representation of his nature upholds all things in His power sitting on the throne, making purification's of sin," that's the identity 00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:41.960 of Jesus. 00:36:43.080 --> 00:36:44.740 Don't argue with it. 00:36:45.060 --> 00:36:45.750 That's what it says. 00:36:47.980 --> 00:36:49.500 Let me just give you another example. 00:36:49.820 --> 00:36:51.240 Just take minute and read these passages. 00:36:56.280 --> 00:37:01.480 Isaiah chapter 43, Verse 10, "Understand that I am He. 00:37:01.520 --> 00:37:08.540 Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me." Isaiah 44, Verse 6, "Thus say the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the 00:37:08.540 --> 00:37:09.040 Lord of hosts. 00:37:09.140 --> 00:37:25.000 "I am the first, I am the last; there is no God besides me."" So 00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:25.520 I haven't told you what to believe about this passage yet, but how many God's are there? 00:37:25.520 --> 00:37:25.520 How many Gods will ever exist? 00:37:25.520 --> 00:37:25.520 How many Gods have ever existed? 00:37:25.520 --> 00:37:25.660 One! 00:37:25.660 --> 00:37:26.660 One, one, one, one, one. 00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:26.940 Right? 00:37:27.540 --> 00:37:30.880 I'm not telling you to believe that, you can read it and see it. 00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:31.280 Right? 00:37:32.520 --> 00:37:35.160 So we talk about Jesus being very God. 00:37:35.160 --> 00:37:38.660 It's the one God becoming flesh for us. 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:43.180 How do we know truth? 00:37:45.980 --> 00:37:53.420 Jesus, what this passage is communicating to us? 00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:58.760 Really is Jesus is greater than the prophets. 00:38:01.820 --> 00:38:07.180 And I told you the theme of Hebrews, is take all these Old Testament pictures and point it back to one truth. 00:38:07.860 --> 00:38:09.100 The sufficiency of Christ in all things. 00:38:11.580 --> 00:38:17.420 So it's saying, in times past and in various crazy ways God spoke to the father's through the prophets. 00:38:18.170 --> 00:38:20.960 So he spoke to them then, through this means. 00:38:22.980 --> 00:38:27.360 And today, to you he's brought it all down to this one place. 00:38:29.940 --> 00:38:31.130 Because he's become flesh. 00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:34.580 It's Jesus. 00:38:37.580 --> 00:38:40.360 So what it's saying to us that Jesus isn't just a prophet. 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:44.180 Jesus is greater than the prophet's. 00:38:46.940 --> 00:38:49.840 You don't say, people today will claim that Jesus was a great teacher. 00:38:51.540 --> 00:38:56.700 I want you to know that when he read scripture, Jesus doesn't give you an opportunity to take that position. 00:38:57.940 --> 00:39:01.760 You don't say the types of things Jesus said and just be a good moral teacher. 00:39:04.040 --> 00:39:07.100 Jesus really gives you two choices when you study what Christ says in scripture. 00:39:07.740 --> 00:39:09.980 Either he's insane or he's God. 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:12.640 Those are really the only two roads you have with Jesus. 00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:15.240 He's crazy and off his rocker or he's God. 00:39:16.020 --> 00:39:20.540 I mean Jesus says in John 8, verses 58, 59, you can look at this later if you want. 00:39:20.820 --> 00:39:27.860 He's coming before the Jewish people and he says "I have seen Abraham's day." And they're like "How have you seen Abraham when you lived hundreds and hundreds of years before you?" 00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:30.480 And Jesus then says, "Before Abraham was, I am. 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:35.120 Not that I existed but he was self existent, I am." Which is a name for God. 00:39:35.460 --> 00:39:42.610 It's tells you in John chapter 8 verse 59, "The Jews picked up stones to stone him." In John 10:30 it did the same thing and 00:39:42.720 --> 00:39:49.800 he just said "I and the father are one." And then it tells us "The Jews immediately picked up stones to stone him." Because when declares a false prophecy claiming 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:51.280 to be a prophet, that's what you did. 00:39:51.520 --> 00:39:53.620 You killed them cause God's truth was more important. 00:39:53.920 --> 00:40:01.260 And Jesus says to them, "for which of these are you going to kill me?" And he says "for none of the laws that you've broken, but you being a mere man, make yourself out to be God." 00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:05.280 He was crazy or he was God. 00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:12.400 One of my favorite stories of Christ, John chapter 7. 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:19.940 Jesus is in Jerusalem, this is one of the last, I think it's the last feast that the Jews celebrate on their calender. 00:40:20.680 --> 00:40:26.400 They had three feast on their calender a year, which the Jewish men were commanded to go to Jerusalem to celebrate. 00:40:26.760 --> 00:40:29.660 The last one is the feast of booth's just a few days after the day of atonement. 00:40:30.420 --> 00:40:33.320 This feast started on a Sunday, ended on a Sunday. 00:40:34.200 --> 00:40:39.460 The feast of booth's was a time Israel would gather together and they would remember what God did for them the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness. 00:40:39.940 --> 00:40:42.180 How God provided for them all those years. 00:40:43.380 --> 00:40:50.420 And for those eight days they would create tents, they would live in those tents and it would remind them of how God provided for them in the midst 00:40:50.500 --> 00:40:52.860 of their nomadic lifestyle for those 40 years. 00:40:54.580 --> 00:40:55.930 It was a way of remembering God's hand. 00:40:55.980 --> 00:41:03.280 And on the eight day, there was a special thing that they would do at the closing ceremonies of this celebration of 00:41:03.320 --> 00:41:05.400 what God had done for them for those 40 years. 00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:07.240 They would pour a drink offering. 00:41:09.520 --> 00:41:16.600 And the drink offering was to remember the time that they were in the wilderness when God caused the water to flow from the rock and he kept them alive. 00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:18.880 God was living water. 00:41:20.260 --> 00:41:25.920 Now you can imagine if God requires the Jewish men, and they would travel with their families, not always, but they would. 00:41:26.640 --> 00:41:28.360 How many people would be in Jerusalem right now? 00:41:28.400 --> 00:41:35.660 I mean this place would be packed and now this is the last night of the last celebration, so everyone's there at this temple, at this 00:41:35.660 --> 00:41:39.780 final sacrifice of this water representing God as the living water. 00:41:39.780 --> 00:41:46.800 And Jesus stands in the middle of this moment with everyone around him and he says this statement, "If anyone thirst, let him 00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:48.020 come to me and drink. 00:41:48.240 --> 00:41:55.640 He who believes in me as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." What 00:41:55.640 --> 00:41:57.040 man would say that? 00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:00.240 That is crazy, right? 00:42:01.740 --> 00:42:10.440 The only way you could possibly satisfy every soul that turns to you in faith, is if you're God. 00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:18.580 And Jesus, in the middle of the ceremony stands in front of everyone and just makes this declaration of 00:42:18.580 --> 00:42:21.570 the sufficiency of who he is. 00:42:23.460 --> 00:42:24.860 So let me just give you a conclusion here. 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:30.520 What you're seeing in this passage guys is special revelation. 00:42:32.260 --> 00:42:36.660 There's two types of revelations theologians will talk about, one's general revelation, one's special revelation. 00:42:36.680 --> 00:42:40.760 General revelations, you go outside and you look at the moments and you're like, there has to be a divine hand to this. 00:42:43.100 --> 00:42:49.680 Look at the birth of my new child, don't know how that happened but there's, well I do know how that happened, but there's a divine hand in this, right? 00:42:51.960 --> 00:42:52.930 And then there is special revelation. 00:42:55.280 --> 00:43:00.960 That says to you that God has defined and identified himself in a specific way for you to know him. 00:43:03.040 --> 00:43:04.000 That's what Hebrews one is. 00:43:06.280 --> 00:43:09.380 God has revealed himself to you. 00:43:09.560 --> 00:43:10.340 That you can know him. 00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:15.390 And for the first century Jew, this would have blown them out of the water. 00:43:17.180 --> 00:43:18.390 God's speaking again. 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:21.940 God's speaking again so that I can know him. 00:43:22.120 --> 00:43:25.680 God is communicating again that I can know him, how is that happening? 00:43:26.980 --> 00:43:32.360 And then with this proclamation in the beginning it would just begin to tease the ears saying I need to know if this is true. 00:43:32.520 --> 00:43:39.720 I got to know, I've got to look at this, I've gotta at least take a shot in seeing if what is being communicated here is accurate and how God 00:43:39.720 --> 00:43:41.620 is speaking to his people again. 00:43:41.660 --> 00:43:48.760 How it's culminated in Christ but then I think guys, even in our situation, like special revelation in Jesus and that's beautiful. 00:43:49.400 --> 00:43:50.460 God wants to know you. 00:43:50.520 --> 00:43:56.060 He's spoken to us today in Christ but not only that way, the way that we know this Jesus is through his word. 00:43:57.080 --> 00:44:01.620 Now if you just think for a minute how sacred this, hold this word, how sacred it is for you. 00:44:01.700 --> 00:44:05.800 The printing press didn't even exist until what the last 600 years. 00:44:08.340 --> 00:44:14.760 And when you have the bible, the old testament, new testament, there wasn't books that you could go and find all put together. 00:44:14.760 --> 00:44:17.190 The new testament wasn't formed this way, it was written all over the Roman Empire. 00:44:17.520 --> 00:44:19.600 I mean you were fortunate if you could have just a letter or two. 00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:21.960 But here you are, special revelation. 00:44:22.300 --> 00:44:24.500 God has communicated himself that you can know him. 00:44:24.500 --> 00:44:29.910 And now, and just this time period and history all of it put together that you can see him. 00:44:29.960 --> 00:44:37.340 And when I just, I think about this for just a minute, how God is communicating, how all is accommodated in Christ and this point in history, just have the opportunity, 00:44:37.700 --> 00:44:38.660 the grace to hold this. 00:44:40.060 --> 00:44:46.680 When I even think of what it took for us, even in english, to have an english bible for you to be able to read. 00:44:47.160 --> 00:44:51.520 My mind and gratitude just goes back historically to the 1300's. 00:44:51.560 --> 00:44:52.900 There was a man the name of John Wycliffe. 00:44:53.780 --> 00:44:55.680 That's his beautiful portrait there. 00:44:56.380 --> 00:44:57.350 Man can grow a beard right? 00:44:58.100 --> 00:45:00.960 Or couldn't afford a pair of scissors or something. 00:45:00.960 --> 00:45:06.690 But John Wycliffe he believed that Christian's should be able to hold the bible in their language. 00:45:07.060 --> 00:45:10.990 So he started this movement of writing the bible in english in a time when it was illegal. 00:45:12.440 --> 00:45:16.520 One of his followers, Jan Hus when Wycliffe died, picked up the torch and ran with it. 00:45:18.080 --> 00:45:24.560 He wanted you to have the bible in english and Jan Hus because it was illegal eventually it caught up to him. 00:45:24.560 --> 00:45:31.580 And they took Jan Hus, put him at a stake and burned him alive and to start the fire that killed Jan Hus, they used the bible 00:45:31.580 --> 00:45:34.820 that John Wycliffe had translated into english. 00:45:34.920 --> 00:45:38.420 They took copies of it, lit the fire beneath Jan Hus and burned him alive. 00:45:40.040 --> 00:45:44.360 But then a few decades later, a man by the name of William Tyndale does the same thing. 00:45:44.360 --> 00:45:47.800 He continues the translation work in english, that you can have a copy of the bible. 00:45:48.200 --> 00:45:49.860 They take him out to a stake, burn him alive. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:54.730 Persecution begins under Queen Mary, you know here as bloody Mary. 00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:58.440 Christians being persecuted, they flee to this place called Geneva, Switzerland. 00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:03.780 They finally write a bible called "The Geneva Bible." And it's the first bible to have study notes in it. 00:46:03.860 --> 00:46:05.080 It predates to King James. 00:46:05.640 --> 00:46:09.200 And these people, they write under persecution, fear of what can happen to them. 00:46:09.400 --> 00:46:11.480 They start to record scripture in english. 00:46:11.860 --> 00:46:16.880 Those people from Geneva, Switzerland end up getting on a boat, we call them the Pilgrims. 00:46:17.860 --> 00:46:20.600 They come to America, they land in Plymouth Rock. 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:24.240 Geneva Bible in hand. 00:46:25.120 --> 00:46:27.540 A 102 of them set sail across the ocean. 00:46:27.860 --> 00:46:31.420 By the time the first winter ended, over 40 of them had died. 00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:34.880 So you have over a 40 plus percent chance of dying, why? 00:46:36.420 --> 00:46:38.170 Because they believed in the power of God's word. 00:46:41.660 --> 00:46:42.480 Special revelation. 00:46:44.740 --> 00:46:48.240 They wanted a place where people could know, God. 00:46:51.520 --> 00:46:55.000 Giving their lives, why? 00:46:55.520 --> 00:46:56.870 Because if you're good that's all that matters? 00:46:59.000 --> 00:46:59.420 No. 00:47:01.880 --> 00:47:06.740 Because of the purity of what's spoken, here. 00:47:07.980 --> 00:47:12.700 That as God has made himself known, you may know him. 00:47:14.380 --> 00:47:17.820 God has been working throughout history so that can know him. 00:47:19.220 --> 00:47:22.380 God has given you special revelations so that you can know him. 00:47:24.840 --> 00:47:29.600 These people risking their lives, not so that you could just be good. 00:47:31.760 --> 00:47:35.660 But so that you could know God. 00:47:38.580 --> 00:47:44.260 Lay the foundation for us for Hebrews but here's my desire guys. 00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:53.420 That the truth of his word, as we go through this book together, we just watch our [inaudible 00:47:53]. 00:47:54.840 --> 00:48:02.840 I can tell you just personally in studying this book there has been no book that has done greater delight in my life to know God personally, than 00:48:02.840 --> 00:48:03.590 the book of Hebrews.