Sonship and Lordship

†CALL TO WORSHIP Based on Psalm 108:1-4

Steven Hoffer, Elder

Minister: Our hearts are ready, O Lord, our hearts are ready!

Congregation: We will sing and make melody! We will awaken the dawn!

Minister: We will give thanks to you, O Lord, we will sing praises to you among the nations.

Congregation: For your steadfast love is great above the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

†PRAYER OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION

†OPENING HYMN OF PRAISE #241

“O God Beyond All Praising”

†CONFESSION OF SIN & ASSURANCE OF PARDON

based on I Tim. 1:15; I Pet. 2:24

Minister: Man is humbled, and each one brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

Congregation: Forgive us our sins, O Lord. Forgive us the sins of our youth and the sins of our age. Forgive the sins of our hearts and the sins of our hands. Forgive our secret and our whispering sins, and our presumptuous and our careless sins. Forgive the sins we have done to please ourselves, and the sins we have done to please others. Forgive us the sins that we know, and the sins that we know not. Forgive them, O Lord. Forgive them all, through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

CONTINUAL READING OF SCRIPTURE 2 Thess. 1:1-12 // Pastor Austin Prince

2 Thessalonians 1:1–12 ESV

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE OFFERING OF TITHES AND OUR GIFTS

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”” (Luke 6:38, ESV)

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

†HYMN OF PREPARATION #202

“Here, O My Lord, I see Thee Face to Face”

SERMON Hebrews 1:5-14 // Jesus is Lord

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Your word, O God, is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as to the division of soul and spirit. Break us down with thy word so that by abandoning ourselves we might find Christ. Amen.

Text Hebrews 1:5-14

Hebrews 1:5–14 ESV

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” 13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

AFTER SCRIPTURE

As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is flawless.

Intro

We probably all know the scene at the beginning of The Lion King where Mufasa takes Simba out for a view of the pride lands. At one point, they get on a high place and Mufasa tells Simba that one day, all that he sees, all that the light touches, will be his to rule. It will be rightfully his because he is the heir, the son. What belongs to the Father will come to him. All of Simba’s life is going in that direction. And when he finally ascends up pride rock at the end of the movie, when he comes into that inheritance, all does come under his dominion and rule — it’s under his command. He is the Son who becomes the King.

Hebrews 1:5-14 similarly emphasizes those two key ideas: the unparalleled superiority of Christ's sonship and His realization of His inheritance—His Lordship. It portrays all of history as building toward this moment, with everything pointing in this direction.

This text does this in two unique ways. First, it quotes several texts of the old testament, drawing to our attention that, as they have been fulfilled in Christ, this is where they were headed all along. This is where they culminate and crescendo. And second, it also highlights Christ’s superiority, that he is better, by comparing Him with the Angels.

It’s a classic biblical "lesser-to-greater" argument: if you accept the first point (the authority of the Old Testament or the majesty of angels), how much more should you embrace what exceeds it—Christ Himself?

So the listeners and readers would have heard and believed the old testament texts that were referenced and they would nod their head in approval and understanding. And they would have heard you talk about the greatness of angels and they would nod their head in approval and understanding. And then you would lead them up into the what was greater, what surpassed the things they already believed.

That’s so much of what Hebrews is doing— that’s so much of what I’m trying to do. For us to look at the things that we do trust and believe, and go further up and further in to what is better: namely, Christ’s Sonship and Lordship.

Let’s start with a note about the angels:

When Hebrews is comparing Christ over the angels we need to remember what angels are like in the Bible. They aren’t baby cherubs or soft, precious moments dolls. They are mighty, formidable, and most of the time frightening. They draw near to comfort God’s people and minister to them, they deliver messages from God to the prophets, they execute God’s decrees at times in battle and wipe out whole armies. Generally, when anyone meets an angel the first words that they must say to them is, “fear not” because that’s the natural impulse to seeing an angel.

And so the argument goes something like this: You know how fearsome and awesome angels are? (Well, now look at v.5)

“For to which of the angels did God ever say,…

And from there it draws out our two key distinctions of Christ’s superiority. For which of the angels can it be said that they are the son? For which can it be said that they are the Lord?

Let’s start at v.5

Examine the sonship of Christ

“For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?” (Hebrews 1:5, ESV)

The first comparison between Christ and the angels is relationship to the Father. Christ is the heir — Christ is the Son. The angels serve as God’s messengers — and that’s what the word angel means, messenger — but Christ is the better and clearer message. While angels deliver God’s words, Christ is the Word. He is the exact imprint of God’s nature and the radiance of His glory.

Which of the angels can that be said of them? To the readers of this book, it would sound like this: these messengers that you revere, that you find authoritative, they are not as good as the Son. To recall back to v.1, “in many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but now he has spoken to us by the Son.”

Our access to God, our mediator, is better. What sources we look to for comfort and hope and revelation are not as comforting and hopeful and clear as Christ. He is the Son. He alone has that unique position. We don’t need ask Mary to reveal the Father, we have the Son. We don’t endlessly search and navigate our feelings for what is true, we have the word of the Son. We need not search under rock and hill for some insight into God’s character, we see the face of the Son. When we aren’t sure what to do with our guilt and shame, we have a good and clear word of how to come to the Father from the Son. When our anxieties bear us down, we have a word of comfort from the very top, through the Son.

We would look to a myriad of things to guide us, to be authoritative. Just to pick one—on the subject of our security and value, we would look to our talents, our achievements, our income, our reputations to tell us an authoritative word on who we are, but what does the Son say? How much greater than our peers is the word of God? How much greater than our fears and emotions is the word of the Son? How much more stable is the opinion of the Son over our achievements?

Summarize:

Whatever trust we give to the messengers in our lives, which of them as a title like Christ’s? Which of them has the right to speak to us over the right of the Son of God? They don’t. We should trust the message of the Son above all. He is the better word with a better name.

The Son as the Firstborn from the Dead

The text continues: “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” (Hebrews 1:6, ESV)

At first, this might seem to describe Jesus’ birth, with angels worshipping Him as He enters the world incarnate. However, the context reveals a deeper meaning. The term "firstborn" points to His inheritance and authority, particularly as "the firstborn from the dead." This is not only about His eternal divine sonship or His earthly birth but His triumph over death and His ascension to the throne.

Scripture reinforces this idea:

“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Colossians 1:18, ESV)

“And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth…” (Revelation 1:5, ESV)

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

Picture Simba ascending Pride Rock after reclaiming his place—Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation mark the completion of His work. And what is that work? He reconciles those far from God, bringing them into His family as sons and daughters. Through His Sonship, we gain sonship; through His inheritance, we receive an inheritance; through His exaltation, we are exalted.

The Son doesn’t just offer a better word because of His relationship—He wields supreme authority to draw us into rest, security, salvation, and eternal life— to draw us into that relationship. He is both the Son and the Lord.

This is the second key focus of the passage: Christ’s unique sonship and His victorious reign.

Lordship

Hebrews contrasts further: (starting in v.7)

“Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.’ But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom’” (Hebrews 1:7-8, ESV). Later, it adds, “And to which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?” (Hebrews 1:13, ESV).

The angels may be messengers that fly on the wind and bring a ministry like a flame of fire, but they are not to be worshipped like the Son. He is the Lord and His throne is forever.

The force of this text is that Jesus is not just the Son with a unique and superior word; He is the Lord. And He is not just the Lord one day, some far off second coming. No, He is the Lord right now. He upholds the universe by the word of His power right now.

His ability to comfort you or save you or help you is now. Our message for the world is not that they should turn to Christ because he will one day come into his inheritance. Our message to the world is to be reconciled to the King now. “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”, we pray. He is the Lord now.

And there is a temptation for us to miss and overlook this aspect of His present Lordship.

There is a dynamic where we can like Him as the Son, this unique advocate for us, but we don’t like Him so much as the Lord.

We like Him as redeemer, but we don’t like him so much as King.

We are glad that he is Lord over our enemies and over our world, but not so much over us.

Forgiveness of sins is wonderful — that feels good, but sometimes giving the sin up itself and future access to it, is unwelcome. As a Redeemer, Jesus is a lot of gain to us. But having Him as Lord, it feels like giving things up. It feels like loss. We can like the advocacy of the Sonship, but not the responsibilities to His Lordship.

But Hebrews is quick to remind us that Christ’s reign is anointed with the oil of gladness (v.9).

Christ’s lordship is better. His reign is a joyful reign. When I yield to no one but myself, when I lean on my own understanding, I am lost and untethered. I am dead. When I yield to another lord, I am pulled around as a slave. But the reign of Christ is rest. The rule of Christ is joy. He is the Lord who forgives in full. He is the friend closer than a brother. He is the one who exalts us in our weakness. Is unashamed to call us brother. Who brings us into oneness and the joy that dwells with Himself and the Father—we inherit His inheritance. In his right hand are pleasures forevermore and in his presence is the fullness of joy.

We must not call him lord and then look miserable as we follow him. Our lives and families shouldn’t have a ‘crawl over broken glass’ christianity. Our church rejoices in His lordship. We are not to model that prayer is a drudge or worship or the sabbath or fellowship with the saints. Christ’s rule as Lord is good. It’s great. It’s fantastic.

When we are going to take communion shortly, it signifies not only that we have fellowship at the table of the Son but that it is a table of gladness. It is a table of provision and feasting — God Himself being the meal. It is a table set by the Lord, the invite comes from the Lord, and the meal is the Lord.

Again, Hebrews is forcing us to ask ourselves, isn’t this better?

Our testimony should be a resounding and enthusiastic, yes.

But are we His footstool? Does Christ have Lordship over us? Do we demonstrate a yielding in our beliefs and behaviors because of Him? And do we do it with contented gladness? A growing gladness?

This text reveals a wisdom that recognizes its own role and trusts in a forward-looking faith. Much like the Old Testament references that consistently pointed toward Christ, the true Son, we can now observe the Lordship of Christ and understand its ultimate direction. He is actively subduing all His enemies and bringing them under His authority. Imagine a farmer gazing at the young, green buds of his crop: they may appear small and immature now, but as they bloom, he’ll realize, “This was always the plan. I should have seen it coming.” Similarly, Christ’s lordship over the world and your life is guiding you somewhere—higher and deeper—toward conformity to His image and the renewal of creation. What seems insignificant or fragile in the present will mature in ways that astonish you, prompting you to say, “Of course, that’s where it was heading all along.”

When I surrender to Christ—when I hold my tongue, turn from anger, or choose love even when it feels like sacrificing my rights and pride—God’s lordship is shaping something remarkable within me. In time, I’ll look back in awe at what He’s accomplished and recognize, “Yes, that’s the direction it was always taking.”

Do you see that the sonship of Christ is better? Do you see that it is His word that matters most? It speaks above what we find authoritative and convincing here. It speaks above our efforts and emotions and insecurities and sins. The Son’s word is what we want. And He draws us into that very sonship with himself.

Do you see that the lordship of Christ is better? Do you see your world, yielding to his commands, is a world of life and gladness, an abundant life of freedom and goodness?

As the Son, we should lean on him above any other authority. He gets primacy of place today and this week to tell us who we are and where our help comes from. And as the Lord, He gets primacy of place to tell us today and this week on what to do. As we yield to Him, we find that the law of the Lord is like gold, like fine gold. His rule is the rule of gladness. He is the Lord, not just in the future, but today.

And 1 Peter tells us that even the angels are longing to look into the mystery of these things.

†HYMN OF RESPONSE #299

“Joy to the World! The Lord is Come”

†THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Minister: Lift up your hearts!

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise!

Congregation is seated. Tell them to turn to the Apostles’ creed (851) in Trinity Hymnal.

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

// ad hoc invitation – use below if needed //

At some point during the service of worship every Sunday, each of us is hopefully reminded about the redemption we have in Christ and how we are washed clean by his blood. Perhaps it’s in the sermon, or maybe a hymn, or the prayers, and certainly the confession. We know that Jesus has died and that his death and resurrection have made us clean and able to live for him in righteousness.

Yet as we examine our own lives, or even just hear the law read aloud, we are very aware of the continuing presence of sin. Just as it can be easy to take God’s forgiveness for granted, we can also easily get discouraged with the progress we’re making in holiness.

It is a blessing of the Christian life that God is so patient with us and uses many means to call us to repentance and to remind us of his call to holiness.

Likewise, God uses different means to remind us of the forgiveness he offers to the repentant and the righteousness he provides for us in Christ. No matter how sanctified we become or how serious about obedience we are, no one can come to this table as a worthy recipient of God’s gifts. We strive to be like our savior and to live after his holy way, but those who come to this table recognize that in themselves they are entirely unworthy to receive it. Yet we come. We come because as we repent from that unworthiness, we trust by God’s grace that we are welcomed here on account of Christ’s righteousness and not by our own merit.

This meal provides a witness to the power of God’s love for sinners in the death and resurrection of his son. It provides the promise of grace to all who believe. It provides a means whereby his children, in public reception of these elements, and in response to the great gifts of God conveyed by them, can show forth their faith in God by offering themselves to Him in love and praise.

// ad hoc invitation – use above if needed. Always use below. //

This table welcomes all who confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and who have the hope of salvation brought forth by his life, death, and resurrection. It is for all who belong to Christ through repentance, faith, baptism, and continuing union with his Church.

This meal cannot make you righteous; no human action can. But this meal can covey the grace of God to you and unite you, by faith, in the one who is righteous. By the power of the Spirit, who meets with God’s people here; we, though still sinners, can endeavor by that same Spirit to live holy lives before God. Come, you who desire to be followers of God – taste and see that the Lord is good.

Let’s confess our faith together. Christians, what do you believe?

CONFESSION OF FAITH

The Apostles’ Creed p. 851

THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS

SHARING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

The body of the Lord, broken for you, take and eat.

The blood of the Lord, shed for the forgiveness of sins. Take and drink.

PRAYER

†OUR RESPONSE #572

“Gloria Patri”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen, amen.

†BENEDICTION: GOD’S BLESSING FOR HIS PEOPLE

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Peace be to all of you who are in Him, now and forevermore. Amen.

Grace Notes Reflection

Hebrews 1:5-14 promotes the Sonship and the Lordship of Christ as superior to even the most dramatic and glorious beings in creation, namely the angels. As the Son, Jesus speaks to us the most clear and authoritative message from the Father. Not only does He have the right and inheritance of all the the Father gives Him, He is also drawing us into that inheritance with Him, making us sons, too. It is this word, the word of the Son, that should have primacy of place in our lives. We are a searching people, looking all over for help, aid, security, wisdom, self-assurance, but there is no other word that matters as much as the Sons. Maybe the most dramatic and glorious messenger in your life isn’t an angel, maybe it’s just the opinion of others, or achievements, or a feeling. Hebrews would have you take stock of what speaks authoritatively in your life. Can you see that the word of the Son, the creator, sustainer, and redeemer of life is better? Can you see that His word would be a complete and whole word for that troubles you will have? His word to us should be sweeter than the honey comb and above fine gold (Ps. 19).

As the Lord, Jesus is reigning now. He will not gain our attention and allegiance on some far off day, nor do we pay him lip-service now as “king”, but in theological definition only. He is the Lord who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). He is the Lord of India, Gaza, and The Sudan, now. He is the one who is building His church among the nations, putting all of His enemies under His footstool. It is a kingdom that is ruled by a joyful king, whose anointing was the oil of gladness. We may be in submission to Him, but we do so gladly. A life in submission to Christ is gain, not loss. We are often glad to receive his forgiveness but somewhat sad to have him as lord, thinking that his lordship means giving away the access and pleasure of sin. But what we find when we lay our sins down is that it is the laying down of burdens and the reaping of joy one-hundred fold. The Lordship of Christ is better than our attempts at independence. The lordship of Christ is better than being the word’s slave. The Lordship of Christ is marked by a glad freedom.