Faithful to the Faithful One SAM 9/6

If you lock your wife in the trunk of the car for 5 hours and you lock your dog in the trunk of the car for 5 hours, which one of them is happy to see you when you open the truck the dog or the wife, but of course the dog, that's why they're Man's Best Friends when the kids were little and Caleb was in the kind of cry-it-out phase Riley that the fluffier one of the two on the screen behind me Riley would get all concerned because Caleb was crying and she would come to our door and start whimpering. Like are you going to parent this kid or am I going to have to and if we didn't do anything she'd run and should go sleep underneath his crib because she had that instinct to protect him and got the kids wanted to sleep in the basement last night in the reason they want to sleep in the basement is the dogs aren't allowed to sleep upstairs. So if they want to sleep with the dogs, they sleep downstairs with less than I've been canoeing. This is terrible thing to happen. So she'll get out in the middle of the lake. In the dogs will come out to the lake and they will start swimming in circles to check on her. They don't want to get far away from her and they'll swim and they'll swim until they look like they're really about to drown. What's the catch their breath. They go back out and stay close to her again. I go out to the middle of the lake and they just look at me on the side to Leslie and the kids. I don't know that I should tell you this. But I like most dogs are better than most people Haim heat because I've never had a dog gossip about me or insult me in a church for your mean about me on Facebook or write me an anonymous letter. I have you been to Walmart again. Would you rather go to the pound or Walmart and the other and I'm not sure which is which if you gave me the choice, I would probably vote for a dog for president this fall. If a dog would run for Congress, I might go for it. Did you know it in the town of Talkeetna Alaska for about eighteen years a cat with the mayor and things worked for 18 years, but if you want to write somebody in I don't have a whole lot of hard and fast rules for life outside of scripture, but one of my hard and fast rules for life is I will not watch that dog movies. You cannot make me I think I still carry some emotional Trauma from when dad showed me Old Yeller is a child and in fourth grade when they made us read Where the Red Fern Grows Leslie was a cruel and terrible wife one day and she put Marley and Me on in the car while I was driving and I couldn't help but hear it and that's been about eight years and I still haven't forgiven her because I don't do sad dog movies. What is it about dogs? You might say the sermon has gone to the dogs. And so it has but what is it about them? They seem like loyal companions Man's Best Friend their faithfulness. I think touches our hearts. That's the picture. I want you to have in your brain not a great picture, but it's the best I can do is we approach our tax in Hebrews 3 today. When we pick up in Hebrews 3, I want you to notice the first word of highlighted inverse Wonder therefore if you've been around many Bible teachers, usually they tell you something like if you see if there for in scripture you need to look and see what it's there for its. It's a logical term that connects two passages. It's kind of the too long didn't read introduction marker of the Bible. Whatever comes after that. Therefore is kind of the point of all the stuff that came before it. This is kind of the second or third major therefore in Hebrews and Hebrews chapter one, we talked about the angels and how incredible and how powerful they work and how Jesus is superior to them. Then at the end of Hebrews chapter 1 chapter 2 verse 1 actually says since the Jesus message is even greater than the Angels message. Therefore we ought to listen to Jesus even more carefully chapter 2 how Jesus is totally in charge of everything no matter what it looks like no matter how much pain it is. No matter what Jesus is in charge and the fact that he suffered doesn't say that that's not true. It's actually evidence that it is. Proof that he went through what we went through and then you get to chapter 3 verse 1 therefore. What were you supposed to do on the basis of all of chapter 1 all of chapter two boils down to two words and therefore consider Jesus considered Jesus, by the way, this is the first direct imperative of the book Hebrews doesn't use a single direct command in chapter 1 and chapter 2. The first one is here. So this is the first instruction. The Hebrews gives you Hebrews says, hey, hey you wake up. Look at Jesus such a simple little looking at it right on the table this do in remembrance of me. It sounds like such an obvious thing that a book of the Bible would say, I think about Jesus Jeffrey. What's the answer to every question and Sunday school Jesus. There you go speak about Jesus. But before you read past these words to quickly. I want to ask how well do we do really looking at Jesus this word by the way is not an i word. It's a brain word. It's the word that means think on top of turn it over in your brain same or did in the gospels when the chief priests in the Pharisees tried to set Jesus up with some trick questions you member the times that happened Jesus perceived in them the wickedness of their hearts that that phrase perceived in them is the same word that it's using right here perceive in Jesus the text just telling us look at Jesus a whole lot of people never have a really kind of two-dimensional flat picture of Jesus Jesus.

I mean a lot of people have a version of Jesus it is so vanilla. So harmless so Meek and so mild that they don't understand how he could possibly have gotten crucified. He's basically mr. Rogers with blonde hair blue eyes a white guy in a white dress in a blue Sash and he floats everywhere. He goes That's not the Bible picture of fuses. Of course, if you grew up in another picture in your head of the Jesus who is impossible to please and that's not quite the biblical picture of Jesus either consider Jesus. Look at him closely. See all of the things that have to do with who he is, but our text tells us to consider Jesus and in particular, it's calling us to notice one attribute about him to see it in this text consider Jesus the Apostle and high priest of our confession who was faithful to him who appointed him just as Moses was also faithful in all God's house. What called does think about to see they're really get the faithfulness of Jesus and to do that. The book of Hebrews is going to help us look at Moses. What is faithfulness? I mean, I could give you a dictionary definition. I could tell you that it means trustworthy or reliable or Dependable. But the picture I showed you of my two dogs checking on my wife and my kids is actually a pretty good picture to Jesus was Dependable. He was faithful to his father. He never denied him. He never betrayed him. He never let him down. He always did what he said he was going to do the text goes on to say that Moses was faithful and this is the basis of our comparison this morning. I don't know what you think of when you think of me I think of Charlton Heston and let my people go there a lot of things that I think about when I think about Moses, but the text calls us to see Jesus as faithful in the way that Moses is faithful. What is that mean? I think about the story of Moses in this is stuff that if you grew up in church, you kind of learned in Sunday school Moses didn't give up. He didn't give up when things got tough. He didn't cut a side deal with fair for a little money or something like that. Even when his own sister. Miriam was stirring up trouble against him. He didn't betray her that I think will help you say that it's an Exodus chapter 32. Remember the story of the golden calf. Moses goes up on the Mountain of God, right? And it's this incredible experience that the mountain is thunder and lightning and earthquake Moses is radioactive and he is in the very presence of God being given the law guide remember the scene he comes down from from the mountain with two tablets and they weren't made by Apple. They were written by God you remember that. He has the Ten Commandments and laws from God down to the people in when he approaches the camp when he was there. He sees this golden calf Aaron in the people had made it wasn't bad enough that they made this golden cabinets what they said about the God of Egypt Moses you are just in the presence of the real deal. You were just in the presence of God himself and you come down and you are incense. You are mad. You are Furious you remember what he does. He smashes those those stones and he just about loses it and he turns around and he goes back up on the mountain for a powwow with God now, here's what God says. This is Exodus 39. I think she's been 32 starting 2 verse 9 says to Moses. I have seen this people in the whole it is a stiff-necked people. Let me alone against them and I may consume them in order that I may make a great nation out of you. Did you hear what God just did? Just said to Moses. Give me 5 minutes, buddy. You stay right here and I'm going to go right off this mountain. I'm going to go right down to that camp and I'm going to Nuke those creeps and you and me. We're going to start us a new religion or just start us and your nation. We're going to be done with those losers.

your Moses you're in this conversation. How do you respond?

Chemosis, he start thinking God said he'd make a new nation out of me and I wouldn't have to put up with any of those people. Do you see how that could be attractive every now and then when I'm having a rough week, I think you know, it'd be nice just to go live in a cave. Me and God and be pretty cool and you have that realization that the person who causes all of your problems would still be in the cave with you. So that's real problematic, but I get how it's desirable right and frankly. That's a lot of the religious landscape in the United States the largest growing religious group in the United States right now are the nuns and I don't mean the people who wear black dresses in a gas. Like I mean the people who say that I have none to the list of church church relationships, they believe but they don't have any sort of church relationship. That's people who want to have God but not other people Moses man, I get it. Do you get how the sound attractive if Moses took this option? Sorry Jeff, he would have never had to go to an Elders deacons meeting again. This sounds like heaven. This is amazing. Sign me up your Moses. You're getting an opportunity to get rid of all of these ungrateful. Jerk. Do you remember what Moses has been through up to this point? Right when he showed up in Egypt and said, I'm going to deliver you that I got mad at him when the plagues came they got mad at him when they cross the Red Sea they got mad at him when they got the other side of the Red Sea now, it's not we're going to get killed this we're going to starve now that God provided Manna and quail. We don't like the opportunity to get out of Dodge. Of course, you'd want that opportunity gears Moses does look at the very next verse. Sorry. It's a small in the spring. But Moses implored the Lord his God and said a Lord. Why does your Rathburn hot against your people who you have brought us out of the land of Egypt? Remember Abraham and Isaac and Israel your servant to whom you swore by your own self and said to them I will multiply your offspring's the stars of Heaven verse 14 in the Lord relented from the disaster bringing on his people. Do You Hear What Moses just yet He was faithful to these people. Moses had every reason to say God, you know, that sounds like a great idea.

What does he say? Oh God, calm down. These are your people remember your promise. Let's keep working with him Moses was incredibly faithful. I could I can imagine that story going a whole lot of different ways. Can she get you imagine some kind of slimy politician who who sees this as an opportunity for self-advancement or someone who's just tired of all of the beat downs, but that's not what Moses did it this isn't Moses on an extraordinary good that you know, how I know that I know that because this story actually happens a second time and numbers 14 that time it's after the 12 Spies go to look at the promised land remembered I see how good it is a huge it is but ten of the spies come back and they said no we can't do it. The people are grasshoppers when we go over there and now they start saying we don't want Moses anymore. We don't want to we just want to go back to Egypt. Give us a new leader. And God says the same thing to Moses A gift just say the word Moses and alls I have them but Moses intercedes for his people. Is faithful to his people it made his life harder, but it's saved. There's I don't think Israel ever had a clue how close to death. They came had it not been for the faithfulness of their friend Moses. No. was Moses perfect You know the answer to that Jeffrey said the answer is Jesus is not perfect. He made mistakes. He sent you disobeyed God you member that whole beat the Rock thing there that there is some other stories. Maybe you can look that time that God nearly killed him in the wilderness. That's a pretty significant story was Moses. Perfect. now was he faithful? Yes Hebrews 3 says that Moses was faithful in God's house. I would say so. First three Hebrews chapter 3 says that Jesus has been counted worthy of more Glory than Moses as much more Glory at the Builder the house has in the house itself. His faithfulness is incredible. It is really impressive. But Jesus is a whole order of magnitude higher. It is incomparable how much more faithful illustration Miss vs. You're impressed with the house. Don't be be impressed with the guy who built it you're impressed with the artwork. No, no don't be impressed with the artwork be impressed with the artist who can make Moses was faithful. Yeah, but Jesus is the artist of faithfulness. He is the architect of this all along listen to the last half of her six Christ is Faithful over God's house is a son and we are his house if we did hold fast our confidence and are both sitting in our hope how much more faithful is Jesus.

If Moses was that faithful as a servant is hired help how much more faithful is Jesus as where his family members. When you hear a sermon about faithfulness most of the time we think of versus like this, we think about Revelation 2 verse 10 you get this message that says be faithful unto death and you'll receive a Crown of Life and then we start to think about what does it mean to be faithful and we think, you know, maybe that means Church attendance, or maybe that means being good Bible readers. Maybe that means answering all the right questions with the word Jesus. Maybe that means eating at Chick-fil-A. I don't know what your definition of faithfulness is, but it's something that's important. That's one of the major messages of Hebrews be faithful, but if you are going to hear the message of Hebrews be faithful, there is a message that you need to hear before that. There's a message. You have to hear first you need to hear that God is faithful to you. My charge to you to be faithful people is meaningless, unless you understand that God is faithful to you first your ability to hold on to God to be faithful to him is infinitesimally small compared to his ability to hold on to you. I don't think that you're getting this and I don't think that you hear it. We're not used to faithfulness. Maybe that's why we like our dogs so much. It feels like the only place we can get it. Let's face. The reality. Most of us don't work for employers who are faithful. Now, you can work somewhere 20 or 30 years. But as soon as the labor gets a little bit cheaper in another city or Another Place. Another contract would happen to you. Here's the door. Here's your watch. Okay, you know our grandparents generation generally grew up working a career at one or two employers. Most of my generation is lucky to work a career that spanned half a decade. Seriously. That's what the numbers seem to indicate. Our families don't experience the type of faithfulness. We wish they did families are breaking up more often and in more ways and they are because someone somewhere breaks faith in that although it create so much pain so many kids who suffer so many couples who suffer even our friendships fade. It's time and circumstances separate us. Even our dogs eventually die. We don't know how to live in a world where faithfulness is a real idea the concept of someone who is truly completely unbreakable oil is inconceivable to us, but hear this this morning, Todd is that God is faithful. God is a sort of God. If you have become a prodigal you said that I wish you were dead so I can have your money and you go and you waste all of that on hookers and drugs when you show back up. He says I'm so glad you're home. Faithfulness. Jesus is the sort of Lord who when he says something he means it. We don't even know what to do with fact-checkers anymore. Do we have that check your shift fact check the fact Checkers or leave it so hard right now, but when Jesus said it you could count on it and there wasn't an updated statement three days later. Jesus is faithful later on in Hebrews, 10:23. We get this encouragement. Let us hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering for he who promised is what where does that faithful? Do you hear how even in Hebrews 10:23 when the author is encouraging people to be faithful he does it on the basis of the faithfulness of Jesus. Hold fast the confession. Because he's holding fast to you. He's faithful. It's all over scripture when you're tempted member 1st Corinthians, 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except it's common to man. But God is faithful and provides a way out 2nd Thessalonians 3:3. The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one 2nd Timothy 2:13, if we are faithless, he remains faithful. He does not deny himself Paul feed a reminder the church with those who suffer according to God's Will and trust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. God is faithful Jesus Will Never Let You Down he is never tired of you and he will never trade you in for a younger model. That's more attractive. He doesn't fail his people. There's a scene in virtually every action movie that looks something like this. Maybe I'm on top of the tower or skyscraper a cliff and one goes over the edge and he's he's hanging on with everything. He's got right and what happens when does Tyrell or you know their sweaty hand, right?

The partner comes in and reaches down and grabs his hand and somehow in a superhuman active strength. He pulls him up Over the Hedge. That's a picture of the faithfulness of Jesus. Someone told me that when you cross the street with your kids, you don't let them hold your hand you hold their hand because if you let them hold your hand they can let go tomorrow.

Because you're stronger and you are protecting them. I got a really good picture for the Hebrews 3 picture. We're not holding God's hand. He's holding hours. His hand is so much stronger than mine. I'll never let go.

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