WEBVTT 00:00:00.340 --> 00:00:07.600 I'm going to invite you to the Book of Hebrews as we dive into our series on looking at how Jesus was greater through the Book of Hebrews. 00:00:08.100 --> 00:00:10.700 This is the second week that we've been in this series together. 00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:17.820 We're going to be Chapter One and we are really going to tackle a chapter at a time as we move forward at least for the next several chapters 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:19.270 as it relates to this Book. 00:00:19.900 --> 00:00:27.000 Hebrews is a very significant Book for us to consider as it relates to your faith, the identity of Jesus and what 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:28.550 all that means for you. 00:00:29.110 --> 00:00:31.320 We put Hebrews last week. 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:38.980 We only look at the first three verses and tried to put it in its proper context as to why this Book was written so we can make the best application to 00:00:38.980 --> 00:00:40.200 our lives. 00:00:41.040 --> 00:00:45.280 One of the things I told you last week was that Hebrews was written by Paul. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:48.530 Everyone that disagrees with me is wrong and when we get to Heaven we'll all learn that together. 00:00:49.220 --> 00:00:50.320 I'm teasing. 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:52.700 Most likely, I think it's Paul written Hebrews Book. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:01:00.600 The reason I say that is a few, but Hebrews written to the Jewish people, under persecution. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:06.180 A few things aren't talked in Hebrews that would be significant in a historical timeline if it had happened. 00:01:06.460 --> 00:01:08.620 That would be the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:10.760 If you are going to write to Jews, you probably want to mention that. 00:01:11.080 --> 00:01:11.920 You're Temple is destroyed. 00:01:13.240 --> 00:01:16.760 Then, the persecution of Nero which breaks out in the middle of the 60s A.D. 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:21.800 Likely what's happening is the author of Hebrews knows that persecution is about to take place. 00:01:21.860 --> 00:01:28.880 The reason we know that is because in Hebrews 13, he is writing from Italy, the capital where Rome is located and that dominates the 00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:29.620 Roman Empire. 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:31.340 Everything transcends from Rome. 00:01:31.360 --> 00:01:31.960 The influences. 00:01:32.060 --> 00:01:32.960 The culture around them. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.730 During his time period, early 60s, we see the Apostle Paul and Peter both martyred. 00:01:38.860 --> 00:01:40.340 They're both looked at as the leaders of the church. 00:01:40.440 --> 00:01:43.800 You think if you take the head off you can kill the rest of the body. 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:45.380 They're preparing. 00:01:45.380 --> 00:01:51.770 Whoever is writing Hebrews is preparing the people in pursuit of Jesus what their lives, knowing that it could cost them. 00:01:52.720 --> 00:01:59.400 This author is writing in order to encourage us in our faith in pursuit of who God is. 00:02:00.580 --> 00:02:02.230 We go through adversity in our lives. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:09.800 The tendency is it's a real quick means of helping us figure out what really matters. 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:17.780 You go through hard things and you sort of let go of the peripheral things that you pretended to like were really important and then all of a sudden you realize in the grand scheme of life it doesn't matter a hill of beans when 00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:18.550 you get to the end of the days. 00:02:19.480 --> 00:02:20.340 So, what matters in your life? 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:22.340 Persecution has a tendency to do that. 00:02:23.040 --> 00:02:30.660 When you read the Book of Hebrews, if Paul wrote it towards the end of his life, the stand that he is taking in Jesus literally cost 00:02:30.660 --> 00:02:31.500 him his life. 00:02:32.480 --> 00:02:39.560 He is writing this Book as if to say to you, when you face persecution, when you face pressure in life, you really want to make sure that the 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:40.960 hill you're about to die on matters. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:43.780 Is this going to support me? 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:45.900 At the end of the day, is this what life is all about? 00:02:46.480 --> 00:02:49.560 Does this even make a difference in the lives of people? 00:02:49.580 --> 00:02:50.680 Is this really truth? 00:02:50.700 --> 00:02:53.500 Do I really need to sacrifice for this? 00:02:54.180 --> 00:03:01.520 The author of Hebrews is writing to us to encourage us in that way to recognize the significance 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.640 of who Jesus is. 00:03:03.660 --> 00:03:09.500 If I said it this way, everyone seeks a treasure in life. 00:03:12.260 --> 00:03:14.540 What you treasure will lead your heart. 00:03:16.540 --> 00:03:19.420 What guides your heart will control your life. 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:28.340 The author of Hebrews wants us to see the rightful place for which Jesus should have control 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:28.780 of our hearts. 00:03:30.720 --> 00:03:37.980 How He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and He's called you into relationship with Him, and He's given you the purpose for why 00:03:37.980 --> 00:03:41.870 you exist and what He's called you to in this world. 00:03:43.540 --> 00:03:48.680 When the Book starts off in the Book of Hebrews, the first three verses, the author I think intentionally does this. 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:56.120 He in this context says some of the most shocking things that he could think to say about Jesus in order to wake up our 00:03:56.120 --> 00:04:00.670 ears and our minds and to help us understand exactly what he is trying to communicate. 00:04:01.040 --> 00:04:08.240 He spends the rest of this Book articulating for us why he can make this claim about Jesus in the first three verses and why 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.040 you should let your heart lean into this Christ. 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:16.040 Why, when persecution happens, why this Jesus can be your foundation. 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:24.900 He makes this statement, in Verse 1 he says, God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the province, and many portions and in many ways, 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:28.540 in these last days has spoken to us in His son. 00:04:29.940 --> 00:04:37.200 Remember, we talked about, if you were here last week, we talked about the significance of this statement because if you wanted to hear from God in the Old Testament, 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:39.580 God spoke through His prophets. 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:47.720 We looked at this historically that after Malachi, Jewish writers continue to state, until the New Testament came about, they stated 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:53.080 for this 400 year period, from Malachi to the New Testament that God wasn't speaking through His prophets anymore. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.480 They said that God was silent and they couldn't wait to hear from God again. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:01.080 The Book of Baruch and the Book of Maccabees and the historian Josephus. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:04.600 All commenting on how God had been silent for hundreds of years to His prophets. 00:05:05.540 --> 00:05:11.030 Now, all of a sudden, this author is saying okay, God spoke in times past through His prophets and now today, He is speaking. 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:19.940 If you were a Jew knowing that God spoke to His prophets and they're telling you now, written to the Hebrews, written to the Jews, that God is speaking again, you would immediately ask 00:05:19.940 --> 00:05:23.560 the questions, where and what gives this person the authority? 00:05:24.880 --> 00:05:26.100 Where can I hear from God again? 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:29.550 It tells us in this passage, in these last days, He is speaking to us and His son. 00:05:29.880 --> 00:05:32.880 So, it's saying very plainly, in the past, God spoke to His prophets. 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:41.660 I said very pointedly last week and today, I am not following the prophets, because in time past that's who God spoke to, but today, who does 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:42.700 He speak to us through? 00:05:43.640 --> 00:05:46.590 The most intimate of His revelation of which He has given, that is Jesus. 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:47.880 God in the flesh come to us. 00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:54.340 God has spoken a very personal way, that God has become flesh that we could know Him and see Him. 00:05:54.340 --> 00:05:58.820 That's why Jesus said, He who has seen Me has seen the Father. 00:05:58.840 --> 00:05:59.440 It's one and the same. 00:05:59.460 --> 00:06:03.260 That's why He goes on further from this and makes this comment in the second half of Verse 2. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:07.020 Talking about Jesus, whom He has appointed heir of all things. 00:06:07.020 --> 00:06:09.100 Through Him He has also made the world. 00:06:09.460 --> 00:06:11.860 He is the radiance of God's glory. 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:17.660 The exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. 00:06:18.520 --> 00:06:23.520 When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:26.440 If you ask the question, okay, God in the past spoke to these prophets. 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:27.700 Today He speaks to Jesus. 00:06:27.960 --> 00:06:30.440 On what authority should I even care what Jesus has to say? 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:34.960 The author is saying it's because He's God and He is ruling and reigning. 00:06:36.080 --> 00:06:37.760 Jesus made all of this. 00:06:38.320 --> 00:06:40.000 Jesus sustains all of this. 00:06:40.820 --> 00:06:46.900 When you think about the attributes of the Father, Jesus is the exact representation in the flesh. 00:06:47.260 --> 00:06:51.980 He who has seen the Son has seen the Father, because the nature of the Father is in the Son. 00:06:51.980 --> 00:06:53.020 God has become flesh. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.580 We looked at all sorts of passages related to this last week. 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:04.640 I don't have time to go through them all, but Jesus really doesn't give us the opportunity to say one thing that most of culture says about 00:07:04.640 --> 00:07:06.660 Jesus today, and that is He is a good moral teacher. 00:07:08.320 --> 00:07:15.320 When you study the teachings of Jesus, particularly what Jesus even said about himself in the Gospels, Jesus gave you no room to say you're 00:07:15.320 --> 00:07:16.480 a good moral teacher Jesus. 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:18.040 Thank you for being such a great prophet. 00:07:19.380 --> 00:07:23.720 What this passage is saying is Jesus is greater than prophets and the reason why is because He is God. 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:27.080 Jesus didn't give us the place to say oh, you're just a good moral person. 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:33.560 Jesus gave you two places on the spectrum of qualifying and categorizing Him. 00:07:33.780 --> 00:07:38.160 Either He is an insane loony person or He is God Himself. 00:07:38.220 --> 00:07:38.700 That's it. 00:07:39.200 --> 00:07:43.880 I mean, those are the two places that when you conceive about Jesus that you can sort of put your labels on Him. 00:07:44.620 --> 00:07:48.440 You don't say the kind of things Jesus said unless you're crazy or you're God. 00:07:49.520 --> 00:07:52.820 I mean, Jesus said in John 8:58, before Abraham was, I am. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.900 Not that I existed, but that He is the self-existent one. 00:07:57.200 --> 00:08:01.320 In John 8:58, they go to stone Jesus for blasphemy for calling himself to be God. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:03.300 In John 10:30, the same thing. 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:05.480 Jesus calls himself God. 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:07.880 John 20:28, Thomas calls Him God. 00:08:08.080 --> 00:08:09.580 We looked at John 7 last week. 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:16.640 At the end of that chapter when Jesus stands in the Temple at a celebration with Jews were made to go to the Temple. 00:08:16.840 --> 00:08:21.020 Every year, the Jews have three celebrations to celebrate, and they have to go to the Temple too. 00:08:21.080 --> 00:08:22.800 That's God requirement in the law. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:23.900 One is the Feast of Booths. 00:08:24.320 --> 00:08:27.950 At the end of the Feast of Booths, which is a week long feast, the Jews live in tents. 00:08:28.320 --> 00:08:35.220 During the time of living in tents, they praise and worship God for His provision over their people and wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:42.679 As they came out from slavery in Egypt, God put them on a journey for 40 years and God provided for them. 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:46.340 From that time, they celebrated the Feast of Booths for God's provision. 00:08:46.920 --> 00:08:50.240 At one point I that wilderness experience, they were out of water. 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:53.640 God tells them to strike a rock and provides water. 00:08:54.280 --> 00:08:56.320 Living water for them to sustain life in the desert. 00:08:58.160 --> 00:09:06.140 It's during this Feast of Booths, the last night and remembering of that rock that brought life to the people if Israel that 00:09:06.140 --> 00:09:10.220 they're pouring out this drink offering and remembering what God has done. 00:09:10.640 --> 00:09:17.700 When all of the nation is here at this Temple celebrating, Jesus stands up in the midst of the crowd and says I am that 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:18.640 living water. 00:09:18.880 --> 00:09:21.770 He who drinks of me will never thirst again. 00:09:22.780 --> 00:09:28.060 It's like the water in the garden was good for a few days, but then you needed water again, but I am the representation. 00:09:28.820 --> 00:09:29.820 I am that water. 00:09:30.880 --> 00:09:33.400 Only God can satisfy like that or he's crazy. 00:09:34.280 --> 00:09:41.580 I mean, what friend do you know in his right mind would stand up in a group of thousands upon thousands people declaring themselves as the one who can satisfy 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:42.230 everyone? 00:09:43.280 --> 00:09:45.960 He needs to get his head checked or He is God. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.400 That's what the author of Hebrews is saying to us in this passage. 00:09:50.900 --> 00:09:54.380 The reason that Jesus could claim that He's greater than the prophets. 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.060 That He is the greatest prophet, but even beyond that is because He is God Himself. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:04.200 If you look a little deeper in this passage, it tells us at the end of the verse, He is sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 00:10:05.280 --> 00:10:09.880 Meaning, this is a picture of a king on a throne ruling and reigning. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:10.760 That is where He's sitting. 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:12.200 What is His rear end on? 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:13.520 The throne. 00:10:13.520 --> 00:10:14.620 I'm not talking about the toilet. 00:10:14.800 --> 00:10:15.240 You know? 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:16.380 Somebody might think it way. 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:20.140 He literally has a throne and He is ruling and reigning from it. 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:24.400 Jesus is God King. 00:10:25.940 --> 00:10:26.760 He is Warrior King. 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:29.820 What is He warring for? 00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:31.960 You. 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:34.360 You. 00:10:35.640 --> 00:10:37.620 You think in the context of why Hebrews is written. 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:41.110 Hebrews is talking to a church, a group about to go through persecution. 00:10:43.280 --> 00:10:46.500 They're going to find out if their faith really is in Jesus during this time. 00:10:46.540 --> 00:10:51.710 If they really see Him as the one who sustains them, but He is going to build them up in this and on what basis. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:59.420 He is the glorious ruling Warrior King for you. 00:11:00.900 --> 00:11:08.960 Categorically, this would cause a problem for the Jews, because they've 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:12.540 been taught theologically there is only one God. 00:11:15.680 --> 00:11:22.740 The Old Testament is written to a society that by all intents and purposes is polytheistic, which 00:11:22.760 --> 00:11:23.780 means they believe in many gods. 00:11:25.640 --> 00:11:32.860 When God writes the New Testament, especially when you start in the very beginning of Genesis with the creation story, every statement that God makes about the creation story is honestly 00:11:32.860 --> 00:11:34.660 a statement against a deity during that day. 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:40.860 What you find as you read throughout the Old Testament, it is heavily monotheistic. 00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:42.060 There is only one God. 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:45.880 He wants Israel to see very plainly there is only one God. 00:11:45.900 --> 00:11:47.380 I mean, we read passages to you last week. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:49.400 Isaiah 43 verse 10. 00:11:49.420 --> 00:11:50.880 Isaiah 44 verse 6 and 8. 00:11:51.400 --> 00:11:53.840 Plainly say, there is only one God. 00:11:53.900 --> 00:11:55.740 There has only ever existed one God. 00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:57.280 There will only ever be one God. 00:11:57.280 --> 00:12:00.040 Before Him there was no god formed, either will be a god after Him. 00:12:00.040 --> 00:12:01.120 There is only one God. 00:12:01.380 --> 00:12:04.640 The great Shamal, which Israel reads to themselves every day. 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:07.440 Every morning, every night a good Jew recites the Shamal. 00:12:07.560 --> 00:12:08.080 Hear oh Israel. 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:09.160 Shamal [inaudible 00:12:07]. 00:12:09.540 --> 00:12:09.960 Hear oh Israel. 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:13.080 The Lord your God is one. 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:15.440 There is only one God. 00:12:16.020 --> 00:12:18.030 They are a solely monotheistic society. 00:12:19.400 --> 00:12:22.240 Now, all of a sudden, we are saying Jesus is God. 00:12:23.640 --> 00:12:24.300 How does that work? 00:12:25.400 --> 00:12:27.180 No doubt, we are getting into the Trinitarian teaching here. 00:12:27.180 --> 00:12:28.620 I'm going to dive more into that next week. 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:33.000 They're trying to figure out, now how does Jesus fit into this. 00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:36.310 They begin to speculate. 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:44.360 Well, He's definitely a messenger of God because He said some godly things so maybe He is angelic by nature, showing divine possession 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:45.680 but not really God Himself. 00:12:46.040 --> 00:12:48.660 In Hebrews 1:4, though, the author starts to argue this for us. 00:12:48.660 --> 00:12:56.440 He says, having become as much better than the angels as He has inherited a more excellent 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:58.260 name than they. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:02.100 Jesus isn't just a glorified being. 00:13:03.300 --> 00:13:05.550 He doesn't just have this angelic holy power. 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.120 I mean, the Jews revered angels in their day. 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:16.620 In fact, when you read the Old Testament, you see in Deuteronomy 33 at the beginning of Deuteronomy when God gives the law at Mount Sinai. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.820 He is surrounded by the myriad of His angels blazing with fire. 00:13:22.380 --> 00:13:24.160 They highly revered angels. 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.480 Angels were God's messengers sent to carry out His work in this world. 00:13:27.900 --> 00:13:34.900 Maybe then, if we're trying to think about how Jesus fits into this that maybe He's more of an angelic being. 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:43.260 One of the beauties of seeing the nature of God in the Old Testament and the fact that it is so heavily monotheistic and helping us understand that there is 00:13:43.260 --> 00:13:44.080 only one God. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:45.600 There will only ever be one God. 00:13:45.920 --> 00:13:52.960 That when you read the nature of this God in the Old Testament, you can see the nature of that God being played out in the New 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:53.060 Testament. 00:13:55.480 --> 00:14:00.970 That's why the author of Hebrews says the exact representation of His being. 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:04.640 To look at Jesus is to behold the nature of God. 00:14:06.260 --> 00:14:10.270 He is God in the flesh which, if that's true, you know what that says to us? 00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:16.860 How personable, real, tangible this God comes for you. 00:14:18.070 --> 00:14:21.260 What kind of love is displayed in that God that sacrifices so much? 00:14:23.540 --> 00:14:31.080 The Jews are just trying to think through, how does this fit that He's calling Jesus God in this passage, but yet there's only one God. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.560 You think in this society, the kind of pressure that would be placed on them. 00:14:39.330 --> 00:14:46.540 If you're a Jew, first century, the Book of Acts, Chapter 8 tells us the persecution 00:14:46.540 --> 00:14:47.860 of the church starts in Jerusalem. 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:52.020 Stephen's martyred. 00:14:52.140 --> 00:14:56.860 The fear of that persecution and further martyred in the church out of Jerusalem begins to spread throughout the new world. 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:05.380 Then, it gets all the way to Rome where Caesar is and Nero is about to take Christians and light them on fire to light up his gardens at night. 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:10.800 Are you sure that Jesus is God? 00:15:14.860 --> 00:15:18.580 I mean, the society around Him would say, hey, about you just say Jesus is a good moral teacher. 00:15:18.640 --> 00:15:24.510 How about you just say, Jesus is a spiritual being and you're spiritual so you pursue Him for spirituality. 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:28.000 Just do anything with Jesus, but just don't call Him God. 00:15:28.220 --> 00:15:30.860 If you don't call Him God, your family will love you. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.960 Your society will not kill you and Rome will embrace you. 00:15:37.660 --> 00:15:43.440 I mean, you could imagine the pressure on the first century just to renounce the teaching of Jesus in the early church. 00:15:46.800 --> 00:15:53.880 Coming from Rome, coming from other Jewish family members, just the cost of what it means to pursue 00:15:53.880 --> 00:15:54.360 Christ. 00:15:56.540 --> 00:16:03.540 Now, if you're interested in things, if you want to study angels, it contrasts in this chapter, verses on angels. 00:16:03.560 --> 00:16:05.710 I'm not going to highlight this when I walk through this passage. 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:11.000 Just so you know, if you want to look at the verses related to angels, verse 7, verse 14 talk about it. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:16.360 It says in verse 7 of the angels he says, who makes His angels wind and His ministers a flame of fire. 00:16:17.400 --> 00:16:19.080 So, it's saying angels are made. 00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:21.490 The word wind is also spirit. 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:25.260 So, it's saying angels are spirit beings and they minister with holiness for God. 00:16:25.280 --> 00:16:28.520 So, God uses them to accomplish things in this world. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:34.570 Verse 14, are they not all ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? 00:16:35.020 --> 00:16:39.440 So, it's literally saying God's people have guardian angels. 00:16:40.160 --> 00:16:41.420 Some of you overwork yours. 00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:41.860 Give them a break. 00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:42.040 No. 00:16:42.040 --> 00:16:42.330 I'm just kidding. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:47.860 God's people have angelic beings or guardian angels. 00:16:47.860 --> 00:16:49.120 Now, don't pray to them. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.940 I'm not saying pray to them. 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:54.120 It's saying God creates angels to carry out His work in this world. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:01.390 There's a drastic contrast between created and calling something God, because God is not created. 00:17:02.920 --> 00:17:03.320 God is. 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:12.380 The author of Hebrews in making this claim, this is what he says about thinking about angels, thinking about Jesus and His identity. 00:17:12.380 --> 00:17:19.800 In verse 40, it says, having become as much better than the angels as He has inherited a more excellent 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:21.079 name than they. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:29.000 This idea of name now, from verse 4 on, he is going to build for us this excellent name that is Jesus. 00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:31.670 What does it mean that Jesus has an excellent name? 00:17:32.620 --> 00:17:35.270 In our culture, we're a little bit different than Jewish cultures. 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:37.340 Sometimes we just pick names because they sound cool. 00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:38.380 Right? 00:17:38.860 --> 00:17:42.960 In Jewish culture, name had everything to do with Jesus' identity. 00:17:43.560 --> 00:17:46.300 That's why today we'll say and we pray in Jesus' name. 00:17:47.120 --> 00:17:47.540 In the name of Jesus. 00:17:47.860 --> 00:17:48.540 Amen. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.620 You'll hear people say that. 00:17:50.100 --> 00:17:50.660 What does that mean? 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:56.880 It's not like this voodoo curse you put at the end because you magically say Jesus' name and all of a sudden it happens. 00:17:57.500 --> 00:17:59.160 What it's saying is you're praying with His authority. 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:00.240 His identity. 00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:03.540 The nature of who He is represented in that prayer. 00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:06.840 That's the only reason you're even able to pray, because of what Jesus has done. 00:18:07.560 --> 00:18:09.030 Name has to do with identity. 00:18:09.520 --> 00:18:10.640 It represents nature. 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:18.300 They're about to show us why Jesus' name is much more excellent than just an angelic being. 00:18:18.340 --> 00:18:21.460 If I just threw this out, and you're going to see this tossed around in this passage. 00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:23.420 It's like in our culture today. 00:18:23.620 --> 00:18:27.300 We get the idea of name related to God with Son. 00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:33.320 We have a hard time in seeing how Jews refer to name and then Jesus is called the Son of God and what that even means. 00:18:33.540 --> 00:18:40.640 People that phrase Son and they make it mean as literal as possible, because Jesus is called the Son of the Father, that the Father 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:42.440 then had a kid and Jesus is His Son. 00:18:43.740 --> 00:18:45.990 That's not what scripture is talking about at all. 00:18:47.740 --> 00:18:50.880 It's the way of mimicking the reflection of or the nature of. 00:18:51.080 --> 00:18:53.480 If I just gave you some examples, just think through this. 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:53.580 Okay? 00:18:54.180 --> 00:19:00.360 In the New Testament, when you read the work Son, Judas is called for example, the Son of Perdition. 00:19:01.860 --> 00:19:03.100 Perdition means hell. 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.120 Hell didn't have a baby. 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:08.560 James and Jude are called the Sons of Thunder. 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:14.180 The Son of Thunder doesn't mean thunder had a kid. 00:19:15.120 --> 00:19:17.720 The representation of thunder is demonstrated in their character. 00:19:18.180 --> 00:19:19.770 Barnabas is called the Son of Encouragement. 00:19:21.060 --> 00:19:22.860 It's not telling us that encouragement had a baby. 00:19:24.040 --> 00:19:26.460 It's telling us that Barnabas represents what is encouragement. 00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:33.310 In our culture today, we use the same phrase as son of, but we usually say bad words about people after that. 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:40.840 What we're saying about them is that they irritate the snot all over you and you're trying to express that in a very ungodly way, so don't do that. 00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:41.040 Right? 00:19:42.380 --> 00:19:44.140 You get what I'm saying? 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:47.560 When it's talking to us about scripture, it's not saying that Jesus was born. 00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:51.640 I'll tell you why in a little bit later, but Jesus can't be born. 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:52.100 It's nature. 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.400 If He's going to be God, because He would be less than deity. 00:19:55.500 --> 00:19:57.130 I'll explain to you why in a little while. 00:19:58.080 --> 00:20:03.140 The phrase Son of as it relates to Jesus is helping us to recognize the nature of God is in Him. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.900 That's why it tells us Colossians 2:9, the fullness of God dwells in Him in bodily form. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:11.280 That God became flesh and dwelt among us. 00:20:12.380 --> 00:20:17.280 John 1:1-14, and we beheld His glory, the glory is the only begotten full of grace and truth. 00:20:18.020 --> 00:20:25.140 If we're being honest, when it talks about Jesus being the Son of God, in verse 18 of John 1, it says He is the only 00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:25.540 begotten. 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:29.180 Meaning, it's not trying to teach us that we can all become sons of God. 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:30.400 That's not what it's teaching us at all. 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:33.720 What it's saying He's the only begotten Son. 00:20:33.800 --> 00:20:35.160 It's saying that He is the only one. 00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:38.720 It literally means in Greek, He is the only one of this kind or class. 00:20:40.020 --> 00:20:43.240 He is the only one in flesh that you could ever look at and say that is God in the flesh. 00:20:44.540 --> 00:20:46.060 Jesus is in the category all to His own. 00:20:47.800 --> 00:20:49.400 The nature of God is in Him. 00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:53.860 That's what this more excellent name is. 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:58.080 If you are going to put your life down on this, you need to know it's dependable. 00:20:58.780 --> 00:21:04.310 The author of Hebrews goes through this in context in verse 5 and on. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:07.860 This is written to Jews. 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:09.940 The Jews had a beautiful way in studying scripture. 00:21:11.620 --> 00:21:15.180 They didn't just tell you to embrace something because. 00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:16.110 They built it on a foundation. 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:24.560 What you see, if you have the Book of Hebrews open, if you look at verse 5 down to verse 13, most translations take this section of scripture and what they do is 00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:26.960 they actually indent it multiple times. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:32.300 The reason they indent it is because they want you to know the author of Hebrews is drawing from something. 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:33.400 Where is he drawing from? 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:34.580 The Old Testament. 00:21:35.260 --> 00:21:36.800 This is what the Jews call a [inaudible 00:21:38]. 00:21:37.620 --> 00:21:40.990 He is taking a picture from the Old Testament and he is making his argumentation. 00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:43.680 He is saying in verses 1 to 4, this is who Jesus is. 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:45.960 If you ask the question, okay, well, then prove it. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:46.720 I want to know. 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:48.600 How do you know that this is who Jesus is? 00:21:48.760 --> 00:21:53.640 Well, let me go back to the Old Testament and show you that this is a foundation that God has laid from the beginning. 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:56.160 God's not looking at this and like oh, man. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.900 These people are messed up. 00:21:58.520 --> 00:22:00.000 What are we going to do about this? 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:00.460 I don't know. 00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:01.780 Angels, what do you think? 00:22:02.360 --> 00:22:03.620 We should probably rescue them. 00:22:03.620 --> 00:22:04.020 Okay. 00:22:04.020 --> 00:22:05.680 Let's send Jesus I guess. 00:22:06.260 --> 00:22:06.960 That's not how this worked. 00:22:07.940 --> 00:22:12.120 What he is saying in the Old Testament is that God has orchestrated this throughout history. 00:22:12.620 --> 00:22:15.120 Let me just show you how the hand of God has been in this all along. 00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:17.770 How Jesus has been declared from the beginning. 00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:20.740 He goes back into the Old Testament and he quotes these [inaudible 00:22:19]. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:27.800 I want to tell you, this takes a little bit of time to do this in the Bible, but if you do this in scripture, it is so much more beautiful. 00:22:28.120 --> 00:22:31.800 It helps you to not rip portions of the Bible out of its context. 00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:40.160 If you can see when the Bible indents passages like this or quotes from the Old Testament, if you go back to that section and you read the context from 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:47.280 when it was written, why it was written, man, it adds such enormous beauty to scripture to help you see how God has orchestrated this from beginning to end. 00:22:47.360 --> 00:22:49.200 His divine hand for you. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.180 Warrior King for you. 00:22:52.980 --> 00:22:56.440 What he does in Hebrews Chapter 1 verse 5, he begins to quote. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.100 Let me read it to you. 00:22:57.840 --> 00:23:01.280 For to which of the angels did he ever say you are my son. 00:23:01.280 --> 00:23:02.200 Today I have begotten you. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:07.080 Again, I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. 00:23:08.040 --> 00:23:09.020 Now, I want you to know this. 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:15.000 When Jews quoted Old Testament, they didn't have chapter and verse divisions like we do today. 00:23:15.080 --> 00:23:15.710 They had letters. 00:23:15.760 --> 00:23:16.130 They had scrolls. 00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:16.940 They rolled it out. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:17.420 They read it. 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:17.640 It was wonderful. 00:23:18.260 --> 00:23:18.360 Right? 00:23:19.260 --> 00:23:19.760 Beautiful. 00:23:19.760 --> 00:23:21.070 God's word to them. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:28.260 When they would quote a section of scripture, they're not just saying and this is exactly the words I mean. 00:23:28.260 --> 00:23:32.120 They want you to look at these words, but what they want us to recognize is there's a context here. 00:23:33.280 --> 00:23:33.380 Right? 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:41.200 They want you to recognize that this passage, this thought, this phrase, is ripped out in entire context and it means something to the Jews. 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:49.720 When he's quoting here in verse 5, he takes what I think are two of the most important passages in the Old Testament and he starts off 00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:50.850 with the identity of Jesus. 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:52.420 In the first part, you're My Son today. 00:23:52.520 --> 00:23:53.140 I have begotten you. 00:23:53.760 --> 00:23:54.280 Psalm 2. 00:23:54.620 --> 00:23:57.560 The second part, I will be a father to Him and He shall be a son to Me. 00:23:57.900 --> 00:23:59.180 2 Samuel Chapter 7. 00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:00.720 Let me just explain to you why this is important. 00:24:02.380 --> 00:24:04.580 Psalm Chapter 2 was a kingship Psalm. 00:24:05.620 --> 00:24:06.590 Not just kingship. 00:24:06.780 --> 00:24:09.230 The Jews also understood it as a Messianic kingship. 00:24:10.060 --> 00:24:17.180 Meaning, when they read Psalm Chapter 2 and this is verse 7, when you look at the context of this verse, you realize a mere man, a mere 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:19.240 king, in flesh, can't fulfill this. 00:24:20.260 --> 00:24:25.300 That while it's talking about the kings of Israel, it has to be something more divine than just the kings of Israel. 00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:28.140 That a mere man cannot qualify here. 00:24:29.320 --> 00:24:35.520 In fact, I would say that this section of scripture is so important, that this passage is quoted several times in the New Testament. 00:24:36.300 --> 00:24:40.080 The first two times it's quoted, it's by God the Father over Jesus. 00:24:41.080 --> 00:24:48.160 When Jesus is baptized, Matthew Chapter 3 verse 17, at the transfiguration of Jesus where He reveals His glory to His inner circle 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:48.840 of disciples. 00:24:49.300 --> 00:24:53.060 In Matthew Chapter 17 verse 5, the Father says it twice to Jesus. 00:24:53.800 --> 00:24:55.640 You are My beloved Son, whom I am well pleased. 00:24:55.640 --> 00:24:57.320 Today I have begotten You. 00:24:57.760 --> 00:25:04.320 What the Father is doing is He's showing His approval of Jesus being anointed for the position as saving king in this world. 00:25:06.040 --> 00:25:06.880 Jesus is baptized. 00:25:06.980 --> 00:25:08.550 That's His anointing for the ministry. 00:25:09.460 --> 00:25:10.370 Jesus is transfigured. 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:17.920 That's His anointing recognizing His authority to die on the cross for our sins, but it's a Messianic kingship 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:22.260 Psalm identifying for us exactly who this Jesus is. 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:29.400 In fact, Peter quotes the same verse again in 2 Peter 1:17 when he reflects back over what Jesus has accomplished. 00:25:31.360 --> 00:25:33.940 Then he goes on from there and he quotes 2 Samuel 7. 00:25:35.380 --> 00:25:40.320 2 Samuel 7:14-16 is an important verse for Jewish history. 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:47.680 It's one of those, it's so important if you were a Jew and you wanted a tattoo, this verse would be one you would consider, because what it says in this passage of 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:49.900 scripture, it's a promise to King David. 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:56.700 He says to King David, your throne David will be forever and forever. 00:25:58.020 --> 00:26:05.220 Now, if you look in Jewish history today and you look at that and you take that physical, literal, there is no King David or anyone of King David's throne 00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:07.640 ruling and reigning today in this world. 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:12.370 When you read this phrase, your throne oh David will be forever and ever. 00:26:12.420 --> 00:26:18.290 I mean, you can just ask the question, what dynasty has ever accomplished that? 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:23.640 What individual has even held any amount of duration in his ruling? 00:26:24.600 --> 00:26:26.020 Every leader comes to an end. 00:26:26.040 --> 00:26:27.880 Every dynasty comes to an end. 00:26:28.340 --> 00:26:34.000 How can someone rule forever and ever unless he be God? 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:43.940 What this individual is doing, he's going back in Hebrews Chapter 1 verse 5 and he's saying look at this Messianic Psalm. 00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:48.140 You guys would sing this over your king, but you ultimately knew the Messiah would fulfill this. 00:26:48.300 --> 00:26:55.160 Look at this statement in 2 Samuel 7 that talks about the kingdom of David ruling forever and ever and Jesus is of the kingdom of David. 00:26:55.540 --> 00:26:58.680 There is no one that can fulfill this lest God become flesh. 00:26:58.780 --> 00:27:02.080 That is the only way someone could rule on a throne forever and ever. 00:27:02.080 --> 00:27:03.820 Immortal he would have to be. 00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:12.400 Then, he goes on in verse 6, and when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says and let all the angels of God worship Him. 00:27:13.120 --> 00:27:14.140 Firstborn is another one. 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:15.220 Jimminy Christmas. 00:27:15.300 --> 00:27:19.000 We read that and we think, God had a kid. 00:27:19.020 --> 00:27:19.580 He was the firstborn. 00:27:20.580 --> 00:27:27.680 Then, you got to get into some theological hurdles if you want to hold to that view, because Jesus obviously came 2000 years ago, and there's people 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:28.740 that have existed before that. 00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:33.220 How in the world could He be firstborn, unless you take a biblical understanding of what firstborn means. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:34.740 Okay? 00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:38.320 There is the word firstborn that can literally mean your firstborn child. 00:27:39.780 --> 00:27:42.440 Then, there's this idea of firstborn that means the pre-eminent one. 00:27:43.560 --> 00:27:44.470 The one who has the authority. 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:51.880 In Israel's history, the father, the patriarch, when he would pass on, they would hand 00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:57.680 the inheritance off to the kids, but one of the children received double portion to carry the family name on. 00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:04.280 The person that carried that family portion or carried the portion of the family on in the future was considered the firstborn. 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:07.430 Sometimes, it could literally be the firstborn, but not always. 00:28:08.840 --> 00:28:10.260 Psalm 89 verse 27. 00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:12.040 Solomon was like the tenth born to David. 00:28:13.100 --> 00:28:17.840 In Psalm 89 verse 27, Solomon is called the firstborn. 00:28:19.260 --> 00:28:19.860 What does that mean? 00:28:21.060 --> 00:28:24.840 Not that he's literally firstborn, but that he is the pre-eminent one. 00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:27.400 He carries the family forward. 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:33.740 Jesus in this passage is referred to as the firstborn to help us see He is the pre-eminent one. 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.230 He is ruling and reigning. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:43.100 Into the world, He says, and let all the angels of God worship Him. 00:28:43.280 --> 00:28:50.340 The author of Hebrews is going back again into Psalm 97 which is again kingship Psalm of God's creation 00:28:50.340 --> 00:28:54.440 and how the angels are called to worship Him. 00:28:56.280 --> 00:29:03.400 Then, it goes in Psalm 107, it says, quoting from Psalm 107, or 104, excuse me, verse 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:10.440 7, it says, and of the angels, He says, who makes His angels winds and His ministers of flame of fire, but of the Son He says, 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:14.760 your throne oh God is forever and ever and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 00:29:14.760 --> 00:29:21.980 You have loved righteousness, hated lawlessness, therefore God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness 00:29:23.120 --> 00:29:23.600 above Your companions. 00:29:26.570 --> 00:29:29.740 What it's saying in this Psalm, it's contrasting the angel and God here. 00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:32.520 In Psalm 104, it's talking about creator God. 00:29:32.520 --> 00:29:35.580 That's what's quoted in verse 7 and how God made these angels. 00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:41.960 Then, it contrasts the angels who were simply ministers to the Son who was the One who rules. 00:29:42.340 --> 00:29:49.700 In verse 8, he's quoting in this passage of scripture, excuse me, Psalm 45. 00:29:51.020 --> 00:29:53.400 Psalm 45 again is a kingship Psalm. 00:29:54.340 --> 00:29:58.440 Israel would sing this Psalm over their kings when they were married. 00:29:59.960 --> 00:30:06.980 Psalm 45 is a kingship Psalm at a marriage celebration which Israel would sing about the lineage of this king wanting 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:08.520 his throne to be forever and ever. 00:30:08.560 --> 00:30:11.040 They're thinking about the promise of 2 Samuel 7. 00:30:12.560 --> 00:30:19.560 When Israel would sing this Psalm, they wanted to see that king in his marriage, that family to move forward, and so they would sing this Psalm, 00:30:19.560 --> 00:30:21.700 but here's what they ultimately knew in this kingship Psalm. 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:27.440 It was also Messianic and the reason they knew it was Messianic is because no king could rule forever and ever. 00:30:31.040 --> 00:30:37.400 Every king's rule came to an end, but who could rule forever? 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:40.260 God. 00:30:42.600 --> 00:30:45.060 It says this interesting phrase about Him. 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:46.520 It describes this king. 00:30:47.320 --> 00:30:49.060 We've looked at the description of this king in multiple ways. 00:30:49.320 --> 00:30:53.560 Ruling, reigning, creating all things, subduing all things, upholding all things. 00:30:53.560 --> 00:30:58.600 Hebrews 1 describes all of that, but in verse 9, it says this, that God the Father says therefore God. 00:30:58.600 --> 00:31:01.320 Your God has anointed You with oil of gladness above Your companions. 00:31:04.760 --> 00:31:07.360 God the Father is looking to Christ and calling Him God. 00:31:07.400 --> 00:31:09.540 I realize I could into Trinitarian teaching here. 00:31:09.620 --> 00:31:11.130 I'm not going to quite do that today. 00:31:11.600 --> 00:31:13.240 I'm going to save some of that for next week. 00:31:13.600 --> 00:31:17.620 I want us to just see this for a minute, because this is an interesting phrase. 00:31:18.320 --> 00:31:21.240 If you think in Israel's day, their singing to their kings and they're calling them God. 00:31:23.280 --> 00:31:24.420 How in the world can they do that? 00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:25.580 Right? 00:31:26.040 --> 00:31:29.380 The Bible plainly says, there's only one God and there will only ever be one God. 00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:36.240 What's important to recognize is that this phrase God in this passage is actually Elohim. 00:31:37.500 --> 00:31:38.680 Elohim is a generic word. 00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:41.680 In the Old Testament, Elohim could mean anything. 00:31:42.460 --> 00:31:44.080 It could mean a judge who is ruling. 00:31:44.380 --> 00:31:45.760 Anyone that's exercising authority. 00:31:45.780 --> 00:31:47.240 It could be a judge that's ruling. 00:31:47.360 --> 00:31:48.510 It could be a king that's ruling. 00:31:49.060 --> 00:31:49.960 It could be a president. 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:50.990 It could be a whatever. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:52.440 Anyone with any authority. 00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:53.720 They could be referred to as an Elohim. 00:31:54.460 --> 00:31:58.500 Even God Himself could oftentimes be referred to as an Elohim. 00:31:59.820 --> 00:32:03.210 They could sing this Psalm talking about their king, because all they're saying is Elohim. 00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:04.020 Elohim. 00:32:04.120 --> 00:32:04.220 Elohim. 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:13.020 Ultimately, they knew that this didn't exactly fit the description of their king because this phrase says forever and ever. 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.660 When it comes to the nature of God and we talk about Him being an Elohim, what does this mean? 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:28.000 I want us to know that it doesn't mean that Jesus became a God, because it violates the nature of what scripture says. 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:32.220 Scripture plainly says there is only one God. 00:32:33.800 --> 00:32:34.900 Isaiah 43:10. 00:32:35.260 --> 00:32:36.820 Isaiah 44 verse 6 and 8. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:39.900 Deuteronomy Chapter 6 verse 4. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:40.880 There is only God. 00:32:40.900 --> 00:32:42.160 There will only ever be one God. 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:43.380 That's all that there ever has been. 00:32:43.740 --> 00:32:46.960 It tells us in Malachi 3:6, His nature never changes. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:51.020 God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. 00:32:51.500 --> 00:32:53.950 It tells us that in Hebrews Chapter 13 verse 8 about Jesus. 00:32:54.340 --> 00:32:57.540 Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. 00:32:57.580 --> 00:33:01.880 It's not saying Jesus became a God, but Jesus is God. 00:33:01.980 --> 00:33:03.600 Why do I say Jesus can't become a God? 00:33:04.800 --> 00:33:05.160 Well, one. 00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:06.360 It violates what we just said. 00:33:06.860 --> 00:33:10.400 The Bible tells you there's only one and there only will ever be one. 00:33:11.580 --> 00:33:14.550 I want you to even think about this in a philosophical sense. 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:20.580 When you think about the identity of God, the Bible tells us that he is the great I Am. 00:33:21.860 --> 00:33:25.410 I Am literally translates as the self-existent one. 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:28.180 Now, people sometimes will ask the question, where did God come from? 00:33:29.520 --> 00:33:35.580 You know, it operates under the basis that everything had to come from somewhere because all things have a point of origin for which they exist. 00:33:36.600 --> 00:33:39.490 Do you know when it comes to the idea of God, you can't answer that question. 00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:46.440 The reason is because in order to exist as we understand existence, you need time, space and matter. 00:33:47.520 --> 00:33:53.210 You need a time from which to exist, and a space from which to come, and matter from which to sustain on that you can exist in. 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:54.000 Right? 00:33:55.260 --> 00:33:57.800 When it comes to the idea of God, God created all of those things. 00:33:58.980 --> 00:34:00.860 God is outside of time, space and matter. 00:34:01.540 --> 00:34:05.220 Therefore, He has no place and time and place of origin from which to come from. 00:34:06.260 --> 00:34:06.780 He is. 00:34:08.120 --> 00:34:12.000 He is the one from which all things find its purpose and meaning and its existence. 00:34:12.739 --> 00:34:16.260 That's why when God gives Himself a name, He says I Am. 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:17.520 I Am the self-existent one. 00:34:17.520 --> 00:34:23.300 When Moses asked Him what His name was in the burning bush, He says His name is I Am, which defines everything else in creation. 00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:25.320 Everything that exists finds its purpose in God. 00:34:26.260 --> 00:34:27.679 Its origin begins in God. 00:34:28.500 --> 00:34:34.679 God is the only being which finds His existence within Himself because He is the sustaining one. 00:34:36.060 --> 00:34:40.040 What it says in a nutshell is God is not inadequate in any way. 00:34:41.560 --> 00:34:42.300 Think about it like this. 00:34:43.940 --> 00:34:44.570 This is fun. 00:34:44.659 --> 00:34:46.949 Let's see if our minds crack open here. 00:34:49.639 --> 00:34:50.659 Does God think? 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:53.000 Have you ever considered that? 00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:54.060 Does God think? 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:06.360 In order to think, it implies that there is something you need to know because you do not know. 00:35:08.060 --> 00:35:09.560 Is there anything that God does not know? 00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:11.080 No. 00:35:12.660 --> 00:35:13.650 It would make Him inadequate. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:16.800 It would make Him in some degree incapable. 00:35:18.380 --> 00:35:22.020 There isn't anything God doesn't already know, therefore, God doesn't think. 00:35:22.080 --> 00:35:23.000 He doesn't have to think. 00:35:23.300 --> 00:35:23.780 He is. 00:35:25.140 --> 00:35:27.320 All things find their origin of existence in Him. 00:35:28.080 --> 00:35:29.660 That's why it's impossible to become a god. 00:35:30.560 --> 00:35:39.600 If you look at that categorically in history, if you go read Isaiah 14 and you see the fall of Satan in Isaiah 14, do you know why Satan 00:35:39.600 --> 00:35:40.100 fell? 00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:41.580 The fall of Satan is in Isaiah 14. 00:35:43.240 --> 00:35:47.680 Satan fell because it tells us Satan desired to become like God. 00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:54.140 When you read in the Book of Genesis in Chapter 1, when Satan comes to the Garden of Eden, he talks to Adam and Eve. 00:35:55.120 --> 00:35:57.300 Do you know what lie Satan perpetrates with Adam and Eve? 00:35:58.080 --> 00:36:02.580 Eat of the fruit, because on the day you do, you shall surely become like God. 00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:06.000 I could never be God. 00:36:08.760 --> 00:36:09.100 I'm inadequate. 00:36:12.380 --> 00:36:19.380 Even if I continue to grow as a being, I can never sustain what it means 00:36:19.380 --> 00:36:20.540 to be all adequate. 00:36:20.660 --> 00:36:28.010 That's why I say, if you think about polytheism and people believe in a duration of gods, I just ask the question, 00:36:28.540 --> 00:36:33.620 whatever god exists today that people might find authority in, I would say well, what god created that god? 00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:36.240 What god created that god and what god created that god? 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:42.400 Wherever it started, the point of origin, that's the God I want to worship because that's the one that has the power to do it all anyway. 00:36:44.020 --> 00:36:51.040 When it comes to Christianity, it starts off monotheistic and it just simply explains it as only being one God because the nature of God can only exist in one being to begin 00:36:51.040 --> 00:36:53.030 with and He has created all of this. 00:36:53.960 --> 00:37:01.120 When it talks about this idea of Elohim to the Jews in the Old Testament, they could read it as a ruler, but ultimately they knew it didn't 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:06.340 completely satisfy in just a being because this God is described as forever and ever. 00:37:06.640 --> 00:37:07.620 Completely adequate. 00:37:07.620 --> 00:37:08.520 Always adequate. 00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:09.600 Never lacking in nature. 00:37:09.640 --> 00:37:10.360 Never changing. 00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:12.260 There's only one God and only ever will be one God. 00:37:16.100 --> 00:37:19.560 Then, it goes on. 00:37:20.640 --> 00:37:26.600 In Psalm 110 and 102 are recorded in the rest of the section. 00:37:26.660 --> 00:37:27.580 102 is the first part. 00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:34.940 Verses 10 to 12, he says, Lord, You Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the 00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:35.780 works of Your hands. 00:37:35.900 --> 00:37:37.590 They will perish but You remain. 00:37:38.640 --> 00:37:39.980 They all will become old like a garment. 00:37:41.020 --> 00:37:42.460 Like a mantle You'll roll them up. 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:47.960 Like a garment they will also be changed, but You are the same and Your years will not come to an end. 00:37:49.720 --> 00:37:55.360 Then he goes on, but to which of the angels have You ever said, sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? 00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:58.520 You see this in Jesus. 00:37:58.740 --> 00:37:59.100 Right? 00:37:59.180 --> 00:38:03.080 He's quoting this relating verse 10 to 12 to Jesus, that Jesus is adequate. 00:38:04.740 --> 00:38:05.500 He doesn't lack. 00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:08.140 The nature of God is in Him. 00:38:09.140 --> 00:38:10.310 He's controlling all things. 00:38:10.740 --> 00:38:17.860 He has the authority to roll them up and to carry forth from the world and He doesn't change, though the rest 00:38:17.860 --> 00:38:19.120 of life will change. 00:38:21.380 --> 00:38:22.880 Then, he describes His throne. 00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:29.260 That all this will be laid at Your feet because You are God ruling and reigning. 00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:33.760 Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. 00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:37.670 What does this mean for us? 00:38:40.700 --> 00:38:46.790 I get to the end of this and just seeing the nature of Christ just laid out, how do you relate any of this to us? 00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:57.900 You consider the theme of Hebrews, the writer starts off with this prophetic idea that Jesus is the 00:38:58.180 --> 00:38:58.780 ultimate prophet. 00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:00.160 Why? 00:39:01.320 --> 00:39:02.160 Because, he's God King. 00:39:04.100 --> 00:39:07.100 Warrior King coming for you forever and ever. 00:39:07.100 --> 00:39:10.540 2 Samuel Chapter 7 and Psalm 45. 00:39:11.700 --> 00:39:16.260 Hebrews 12:28 goes on to say this, that now in Christ you serve a kingdom that is unshakable. 00:39:17.640 --> 00:39:24.330 When you think about the cost of following Jesus and the way it affects relationships around you, how do you rest secure? 00:39:24.720 --> 00:39:26.400 Well, this King rules forever and ever. 00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:28.300 In fact, He's on that throne right now. 00:39:29.500 --> 00:39:32.310 He is sitting at the right hand of the Father ruling right now. 00:39:33.800 --> 00:39:35.320 That kingdom is unshakable. 00:39:35.620 --> 00:39:42.740 In fact, when Jesus in the Book of Mark Chapter 1, when He shows up, verse 14, He says in verse 14, 00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:45.200 this declaration that the kingdom of God is at hand. 00:39:45.540 --> 00:39:46.170 Repent and believe. 00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:46.920 Return to Him. 00:39:47.680 --> 00:39:50.550 Then, at the very end of the Book of Mark, look at what He says to us. 00:39:50.680 --> 00:39:54.140 This is the last real teaching He is giving His disciples before the crucifixion. 00:39:54.600 --> 00:39:56.260 Look at what He says in verse 23. 00:39:56.260 --> 00:40:03.360 When He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them and they drank from it and He said to them, this is My body of the covenant which is poured out for 00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:03.860 many. 00:40:04.020 --> 00:40:07.000 This Warrior King, fighting this battle against sin, for you. 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:13.460 Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 00:40:15.540 --> 00:40:18.820 How can you be a king unless you possess a kingdom? 00:40:18.820 --> 00:40:18.920 Right? 00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:26.960 When we partake of communion, like we're going to do here in just a minute, Jesus gave that as a symbol of a king who is ruling and reigning, who sacrifices life for you 00:40:27.260 --> 00:40:31.560 on the promise of yes, He is ruling and reigning right now, but the fullness of the kingdom isn't here yet. 00:40:31.560 --> 00:40:38.310 That the fullness of the kingdom will arrive when the King returns for His people and we will celebrate it together in a kingdom that is unshakable. 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:44.380 But, there's still today. 00:40:47.040 --> 00:40:48.560 There's still the battle being waged. 00:40:51.160 --> 00:40:52.810 How do you find encouragement in the King? 00:40:54.360 --> 00:40:57.090 I think in scripture there are a couple of passages that I've loved. 00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:01.420 Isaiah 6 and seeing the glory of God being made known with His angels. 00:41:02.560 --> 00:41:05.680 One that I really like is in 2 Kings Chapter 6. 00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:08.900 2 Kings 6. 00:41:09.060 --> 00:41:11.080 The story of Elijah is being told. 00:41:12.340 --> 00:41:14.420 The King of Aram comes against Israel. 00:41:16.200 --> 00:41:23.360 As he desires to come against Israel, every time he goes to fight a battle, Israel already knows where that battle is going to take place and they are already prepped before the king even 00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:23.990 gets there. 00:41:24.060 --> 00:41:25.610 The King of Aram starts to get mad. 00:41:25.680 --> 00:41:29.430 He's like, we have to have a spy in our kingdom that's reporting this to Israel. 00:41:29.540 --> 00:41:31.510 The warriors for King Aram just say, wait a minute. 00:41:31.520 --> 00:41:34.470 It's not that we have a spy, it's that Israel has a prophet. 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:37.480 That prophet is telling the king what's going to happen before it happens. 00:41:38.060 --> 00:41:39.700 So, the King of Aram is like, let's get rid of this prophet. 00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:40.500 Where does he live? 00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:42.840 Well, his name is Elijah and he lives in Dothan. 00:41:42.920 --> 00:41:47.600 So, they bring this entire army down on this town to kill this one individual. 00:41:48.220 --> 00:41:53.460 As the story is told in 2 Kings 6, that Elijah is there with his servant. 00:41:53.460 --> 00:42:00.960 You can imagine, if you're in this moment and you're just these two individuals and an entire army comes to crush you, you're like Elijah, did 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:02.180 you know that this was going to happen? 00:42:02.180 --> 00:42:09.190 You've managed to tell the king every battle that's about to take place before it takes place and now all of a sudden we're surrounded on every corner of the mountain around us. 00:42:09.260 --> 00:42:10.530 How in the world are we going to escape this? 00:42:10.680 --> 00:42:11.560 I hope you wrote your Will. 00:42:11.620 --> 00:42:13.000 Did you tell your good byes to everyone? 00:42:13.080 --> 00:42:13.940 Oh my gosh, we're going to die. 00:42:14.260 --> 00:42:15.680 That's the kind of demeanor he's got. 00:42:15.720 --> 00:42:15.820 Right? 00:42:17.460 --> 00:42:19.900 That's the kind of demeanor we get when life is difficult. 00:42:22.140 --> 00:42:22.800 Does God love me? 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:23.370 Does God care? 00:42:23.500 --> 00:42:24.080 Where is He? 00:42:24.140 --> 00:42:25.450 This battle, it's too much. 00:42:26.140 --> 00:42:27.320 Where is Warrior King? 00:42:30.310 --> 00:42:32.360 Then, Elijah prays for his servant. 00:42:34.300 --> 00:42:40.140 He says this, open his eyes Lord so that he may see. 00:42:42.160 --> 00:42:48.120 Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes and he looked and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elijah. 00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:52.400 I kept thinking about this passage and I thought about my kids. 00:42:54.740 --> 00:42:56.980 God, they need to know how worthy You are. 00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:02.180 God open their eyes that they may see. 00:43:04.740 --> 00:43:11.800 Now, I'm not telling you and I don't want to pray this prayer in a very literal sense like, I'm not going to tell you take this verse, apply it to your life and all 00:43:11.800 --> 00:43:13.260 of a sudden you're going to see angels everywhere. 00:43:13.890 --> 00:43:19.970 If that's possible this morning, I'm telling you, I don't want to see it happen, because you'll watch someone urinate right on stage. 00:43:20.020 --> 00:43:22.200 Like, man, it's too much for me to handle. 00:43:22.200 --> 00:43:22.460 Okay? 00:43:23.080 --> 00:43:28.780 Here's the point of what this narrative is saying, is that unaware to us, there is a battle taking place. 00:43:28.780 --> 00:43:30.980 You've already seen it in Hebrews Chapter 1 verse 14. 00:43:31.460 --> 00:43:32.760 Who do God's angels fight for? 00:43:35.200 --> 00:43:37.440 His people. 00:43:37.580 --> 00:43:38.040 His people. 00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:43.530 Peter, I'll tell you about this guy in just a minute. 00:43:43.580 --> 00:43:47.200 In the Book of 1 Peter, Peter talks about angels and prophets this way. 00:43:47.200 --> 00:43:54.880 He says this, it was revealed to them, talking about the prophets, that they were not serving themselves but 00:43:54.880 --> 00:43:55.160 you. 00:43:57.280 --> 00:44:04.380 These things which now have been announced to you through those who have preached the gospel about Christ, to 00:44:04.380 --> 00:44:10.600 you by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, look at this, things and which angels look and long to see. 00:44:12.500 --> 00:44:13.540 What it's saying is this about angels. 00:44:16.220 --> 00:44:19.470 Angels are looking at God's divine hand taking place in history. 00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:22.690 They're looking at humanity. 00:44:23.400 --> 00:44:24.460 They're looking back at God. 00:44:25.980 --> 00:44:27.070 They're looking down at humanity. 00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:30.800 They're looking back at the glory of God. 00:44:31.780 --> 00:44:33.910 They're watching guys do stupid things on earth. 00:44:34.700 --> 00:44:39.400 They're looking back at this great God and they're like why does God love them? 00:44:41.860 --> 00:44:44.700 Why did God become flesh to die for them? 00:44:45.880 --> 00:44:47.220 Why would such a glorious God do that? 00:44:47.260 --> 00:44:49.280 I mean, if you asked me today, why does God love us? 00:44:49.380 --> 00:44:52.340 Honestly, I've given Him no reason. 00:44:52.700 --> 00:44:55.020 There's nothing I'm going to do to impress God. 00:44:55.100 --> 00:44:58.220 I can't explain that kind of love, but yet He's done it and I just take it. 00:44:58.220 --> 00:44:59.280 I just embrace it. 00:44:59.280 --> 00:44:59.400 Right? 00:45:00.100 --> 00:45:06.420 It's saying angels right now in this room thinking about the glory of God being a new gathering to worship this God. 00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:10.450 Your treasure of your heart looking at all of this playing out in the history. 00:45:10.700 --> 00:45:11.560 How great that is. 00:45:11.560 --> 00:45:13.280 Even today, it still happens. 00:45:13.320 --> 00:45:15.020 This isn't something that was just told of old. 00:45:15.020 --> 00:45:18.300 This is told of right now because that King still rules and reigns. 00:45:18.640 --> 00:45:21.000 One of my favorite stories about a missionary. 00:45:21.260 --> 00:45:21.480 John G. 00:45:21.700 --> 00:45:21.800 Patton. 00:45:23.540 --> 00:45:25.360 He goes to the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. 00:45:26.680 --> 00:45:27.120 1800s. 00:45:29.160 --> 00:45:30.240 Vanuatu is cannibalistic. 00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:37.020 He and his wife move there thinking oh, we might get a couple days to share Jesus with them and then we'll be lunch. 00:45:37.860 --> 00:45:38.520 Literally. 00:45:40.160 --> 00:45:45.760 They tell a story early on in their experience where they're living in their hut and they're trying to minister to this village. 00:45:46.380 --> 00:45:54.280 Early on one night, as they get ready for bed, surrounding their hut is 00:45:54.340 --> 00:45:54.780 a tribe. 00:45:56.640 --> 00:45:59.200 They begin to panic because they know they're there to take their lives. 00:45:59.320 --> 00:46:00.220 They're about to be eaten. 00:46:01.680 --> 00:46:04.120 So, the family just runs inside and starts to pray. 00:46:05.860 --> 00:46:07.440 The next morning comes and they're still safe. 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:09.560 They're blown away. 00:46:10.680 --> 00:46:11.580 They thought this was the end. 00:46:13.820 --> 00:46:19.390 A year later, the chief of that tribe that surrounded his home came to know Christ. 00:46:21.060 --> 00:46:28.080 Now, having that relationship with Him, John Patton felt it appropriate just to talk to him about that night and ask him why did you guys not kill us? 00:46:28.120 --> 00:46:29.090 Why did you not eat us? 00:46:30.560 --> 00:46:31.440 He said, we wanted to. 00:46:32.800 --> 00:46:38.540 That's why we came there, but we couldn't get past the army of men that was standing around your house. 00:46:38.760 --> 00:46:40.040 John Patton's like, what army? 00:46:40.860 --> 00:46:41.230 I don't know. 00:46:41.240 --> 00:46:42.580 Whatever army you brought with you. 00:46:42.640 --> 00:46:43.460 We just couldn't get by. 00:46:43.780 --> 00:46:50.860 The village chief describes them as shimmering with swords drawn pacing back and forth in front of this house 00:46:50.860 --> 00:46:54.000 and they are unable to penetrate past to get to the people that they wanted to devour. 00:46:56.460 --> 00:46:57.790 John Patton knew. 00:46:59.380 --> 00:47:03.340 The God of Angel Armies standing by my side. 00:47:06.400 --> 00:47:08.520 Now, I'm not going to tell you that's going to be every one of your experiences. 00:47:11.560 --> 00:47:14.640 What I'm saying is Warrior King stands for you. 00:47:16.700 --> 00:47:20.320 The reason he is able to do this is because of the nature which he possesses. 00:47:20.580 --> 00:47:22.200 He is God. 00:47:25.260 --> 00:47:30.520 At the end of the day, with all the pressure you face in following Jesus, is it worth it? 00:47:31.860 --> 00:47:32.140 Yeah. 00:47:33.020 --> 00:47:33.420 Why? 00:47:34.980 --> 00:47:39.060 Because, the God of Angel Armies stands with you.