Sermon: I'm not going to Tell you Again

Title: I'm not going to Tell You Again
Purpose: To serve as an introduction to the message of Hebrews, Revival!

Intro:

New Series on Hebrews
Hebrews in normally avoided, so much theology. Doesn’t seem practical
Hebrews is actually written to a specific group of people with specific needs
he Big theme of Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus Christ. They needed a reminder:
1. 2:1-4 - They were in danger of drifting away
2. 3:12 - They were in danger of hardening their hearts and falling away
3. 5:11 - They had become dull of hearing
4. 5:12-14 - They had stopped maturing
5. 6:4-8 - They were in danger of falling away and being lost
6. 10:23 - They were not holding fast their confession
7. 10:25 - They were forsaking the assembling of themselves together
8. 10:35 - They were in danger of losing their confidence
9. 12:1 - They lacked endurance
10. 12:16 - They were neglecting to do good
Text: Hebrew 1
Jesus is the superior revelation of God.

I. Because He is God’s Final Word (v.1-2)

God spoke progressively up until Christ
The passage:
1. He spoke long ago to the Fathers in the Prophets - A prophet was a forthteller
2. In many portions and many ways
  1. Old Testament revelation was progressive
  2. It came in many portions and in many ways -History, Events, Prophesy, Dreams, Types & Antitypes
3. However, Jesus is Gods final revelation
4. There is a certain finality to Jesus
  1. He is the culmination of Old Testament eschatology (the last days)
  2. He died once for all (his blood offered once for all)
  3. We appointed to die once, then comes judgement, by his words (Jn 12:48)
I used to test my Dad
1. I learned what it meant when he said “I’m telling you for the last time”
2. He spanked me and I played crippled
3. He then told me I’d better get to my room or get another spank
4. It was a miracle, I was healed!
God has told the word “for the last time” in Jesus
1. There are no more new revelations coming
2. Jesus is God’s final message, we are now in the last days
3. People were ready for Jesus to come back when Hebrews was written
4. They waited and waited, but Jesus didn’t come
  1. In the meantime, these Hebrews faced persecution at the hands of
    - Fellow Jews. Many were put out of the synagogue
    - Romans.
      - It grew worse when it was recognized that Christianity was not a “sect” of Judaism. They were rejected by Jews.
      - At this point, Christianity became an illegal religion
  2. Christians grew weary and began to lapse back into their former ways
  3. The Hebrews were going back to Judaism (it was easier)
5. Don’t worry if you are getting weary, HE IS COMING FOR YOU

II. Because He is God’s clearest word

Since the beginning, God’s will had unfolded until Jesus, who made God crystal clear
Jesus is described in two ways:
1. The radiance of His glory
  1. Glory: synonymns - “honor, fame, renown, splendor, granduer”
  2. Radiance:
    - synonymns - “brightness, brilliance, glow, shine”
    - antonyms - “dullness, darkness, shade”
  3. Jesus radiated, or “made bright” what God is like
    - What did God mean by “be holy as I am holy”? Look to Jesus
    - My Grandma’s floor furnace “radiated” heat. We all were attracted to it
    - Jesus radiated God’s truth, justice, grace and love
    - People could feel it and followed him - They were hungry for God, not hairsplitting arguments of law
2. The second phrase- “the exact representation of His nature” (or “express image”)
  1. Grk: “charakter”
    - Originally meant the imprint of a die or a seal
    - The imprint can tell you the shape of the die that made it
    - Can know the “shape” of God from the image of God, Jesus
  2. Jn 14:9 - “He who has seen me has seen the Father”
My first day on the job (after tech school)
1. I didn’t do anything (I wasn’t allowed until I “signed off” on the equipment)
2. I followed my trainer around and watched until I learned
3. The book knowledge wasn’t enough, it wasn’t until I followed a person around and was “trained” that I was considered a technician
If you want to know exactly how God wants you to act, look to Jesus
1. He is not a law book, but a person
2. God’s final word was a person, not more words, not another law book.
3. God expects us to be more than a law book.
4. Jesus wants his imprint on us
5. I’m tempted to go out and buy w.w.j.d. bracelets for everyone!

III. Because He is God’s Purifying Word

Purification of sins came through Jesus
It is so significant (but we can grow dull of hearing it after awhile)
1. In the Old Testament, provisions for purification were temporary
2. The blood of bulls and goats can not take away sins
3. Jesus carried his own blood to the mercy seat
  1. What is significant about the blood?
  2. Could Jesus have went to a blood bank and donated some?
  3. The life of flesh in the blood, it belongs to God.(it was never consumed)
4. I Cor 15:20-28 - Jesus gave up so much more than we realize (Phil 2:5-8)
5. Purity can only come through the cross
  1. Some people come to the cross and wait....and after a time leave
  2. This book is a call back to the cross
To suggest something is a sin is a sin in today’s world
1. Look at the problem the president is in right now
2. The response of the people? - “well, everyone does it”
3. The problem is not just the president, but with the people of America.
There is only one thing you can do to receive purification, accept Jesus as Lord
1. Some have confessed him as Lord, but are sliding back
2. This letter is a call back to our Lord Jesus
3. You must maintain your confession in Him as Lord....

IV. Because He is God’s exalted word

People reference Jesus, meek and lowly, but that is not how he is portrayed here
The chapter affirms the superiority of Christ over all
1. He is superior to the Prophets (he IS God’s final word, not just tells the word)
2. He is superior to Angels
  1. He created the world (lit. the “ages”)
  2. He sat down at God’s right hand (highest honor in the Kingdom)
  3. He inherited a more excellent name than they
    - What name? - SON OF GOD
    - Romans 1:4 - Declared to be the Son of God with Power
  4. He is worshipped by Angels
  5. He rules (v. 8 he has a sceptor)
  6. He is creator
  7. Angels are servants of the redeemed, (v.14) and Jesus is ruler
Song- “Jesus is Lord”
1. That is a confession
2. Confession is “unto Salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10)
Think about your confession, are you still upholding it when you walk out those doors

Conclusion:

Jesus is God’s superior revelation, Final, Clearest, Purifying, Exalted

Notice the chapter is theology, where is the practical application?

Remember that this is written to a tired, apathetic church.

Where do you start when dealing with this?

As with all problems, you start with JESUS
Even in I Corinthians, Paul began (chap 1&2) and ended (chap 15) the letter with Jesus

What happens when we take our focus off of the cross?

Other issues begin to crowd it out
I believe this is why Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper

I’m reminded of the train conducter who got on the train and began to take tickets

He met the first passenger, and after looking at his ticket, told him he was on the wrong train, and directed him off of the train.
He met the 2nd passenger, the same thing happened
The third passenger said “the brakeman told me to get on this train”
The conductor said that he would check into it.
Come to find out, the conductor found that HE was on the wrong train
Many have a false faith today. Not really fully listened to God’s word - they are so busy telling others what to do, they fail to examine their own situations

The study of Hebrews is a practical one, one of self examination

Where are you at?
1. Do you fell that Jesus is truly Lord in your life?
2. Will he be your Lord
  - During quiet time, when there is opportunity to read the Bible
  - When you are asked to work overtime, and miss church
  - When you see an opportunity to serve Him, but pass it up?
3. It’s time to take a good look at yourself.