God Has Spoken

READ Hebrews 1:1-2 > Pray

INTRODUCTION

This morning as we begin our study of the book of Hebrews, I’m going to take some time introducing the book as a whole before getting to our first two verses this morning.

Hebrews is a deeply theological and doctrinal book. Lots and lots of deep things to study, in chapter 13 the writer of Hebrews sums up this work as a “Word of Exhortation”.

Doctrine that does not lead to a life lived more fully for Christ is worthless. This is doctrinal, but its purpose is to EXHORT us to live for Christ.

So as we turn to Hebrews, we’re going to have to work to not just be intellectually engaged, we need to focus on the person of Christ and learn this doctrine, ultimately, from him so we can be more passionately committed to him and his work, and UN-MOVING in our faith!

OK, so now just before we get to the introduction let me give a general series caveat.

Hebrews has some very difficult passages. I am going to do my best to understand this as well as I can, with the time I have each week, but I won’t be able to plumb every depth, or always be certain of every detail,

but what I will endeavor to do and what I know God will help us do, is to understand the main and clear points of God’s Word. So I’m trusting that the Holy Spirit will help us as we dig into this challenging and rich exhortation for us.

So what do we know about the writing of the book of Hebrews? Not Much.

The text that has been passed down does not provide us with any specific information about the author, recipients, location or destination.

We know the author was a close friend of Timothy, we know that he knew is Greek VERY WELL. This is some of the most literary and polished Greek in all of the New Testament. We know that he knew his Old Testament very well.

But we don’t know much more beyond that. There is some evidence that this is written to with Jewish Christians in mind. Much of the argument deals with the details of the old covenant Temple worship that seems best applied to those who have left it, encouraging them to see Christ as far better that the old covenant system.

That could include some Gentile God fearers who had participated in Jewish worship before coming to know Christ. – Of course the first hearers would not have all been Jewish but it does have something of that focus.

I think we can make some general assumptions about Date and some general ideas about some of their situation.

Hebrews is quoted extensively in 1 Clement which is dated around 96 AD. So, we are already clearly in the first century. But even more, the writer’s discussion of temple sacrifices and High Priests all point to those activities still taking place.

The Temple was destroyed in AD 70, so this was almost certainly written before then.

A little more history, Nero’s bloody persecution happened in the mid 60s but before that there was the persecution of Claudius which was more financial.

The many calls to hold on and the allusions to suffering probably puts this between these two persecutions, they were feeling the current hardships of following Christ and more hardships, even more severe hardships were on the horizon.

There was a lot of pressure to fall away. And there may have been some significant pressure to fall back towards the larger culture of the Jewish Old Covenant religion. When pressure comes going back to what was safe would have been strong.

Purpose:

Exhortation to cling to Christ. Calling the readers to faith in the face of suffering and isolation.

There are strong doctrinal arguments made for why they should hold fast to Christ, and not go back to the Law:

Christ is the greater than the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than the priesthood, greater than the high priests! The New Covenant is greater than the old covenant! The promise has been fulfilled so don’t go back!

We’ll see those throughout our study, but there are also significant warnings and encouragements to hold fast!

Warning –

Hebrews 4:11 (ESV) — 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Encouragement:

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) — 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Or think of chapter 2

Hebrews 2:3–4 (ESV) — 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Warning – don’t neglect this salvation! Hold fast!!

Encouragement – it is a great salvation! It has been declared by many witnesses - we heard them, we know them - this is an apostolic letter, we’ve seen the miracles and gifts!

We’ll see this pattern through out the book. A call to suffering Christians to be careful not to fall away, and be encouraged that God’s Love surrounds you, and his hand upholds you!!

I believe this will be a timely word for us today. As Christians in America, we are not a tiny community like these early Christians, but we are facing increasing cultural isolation, financial pressures are already being felt by some.

Some occupations are practically closed to openly professing orthodox Christians. The Academy or Entertainment have real difficulties unless you are functioning in the Christian Sub-culture in those groups.

In other occupations there is financial risk to openly professing your faith, or making choices as directed by your faith.

Medical professionals that do not want to participate in the killing of unborn babies will increasingly be at risk,

bakers and florists, photographers and others that do not want to participate in Same-sex weddings are increasingly at risk.

Schools and other business unwilling to follow the culture regarding the trans gendered revolution will be increasingly at risk. The pressure is already being felt.

Social media mobs, and unjust laws, and shocking lack of any toleration for opposing views. Even as things are changing so rapidly!!

Things seem to be getting worse, and will likely get worse for Christians in America. This is not new. This is the way the world has often been. Our experience in America has been the exception, not the norm.

Jesus taught us to expect persecution. We don’t belong here, and the world will tolerate us only so long.

What is the Biblical exhortation in the face of persecution and suffering? In the face of isolation and social pressure? HOLD ON TO CHRIST, keep loving him and loving others, keep following him on the path of righteousness,

doing good to those who hate you, loving and praying for those who persecute you! And that is what we’ll see in this book of Hebrews.

Cling to Christ and keep living for him and doing good.

If all the world is shifting. Norms of life – male/female, basic gender reality, the foundation of family, if these are shaking, if the world is being rocked by wave after wave of insanity and sin.

What is our hope? What is our foundation? When irrational persecution comes – the unbridled hatred of Satan loosed upon God’s people through the blind and captive actions of the people trapped in this world.

You can’t reason with this hatred. What can we rest in? where is our foundation? The Book of Hebrews begins with the starting place. GOD HAS SPOKEN.

Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…

I) God Has Spoken

Now, the big idea here, is that God has spoken through the greater person of the very Son of God. We’ll get to that in moment, But the foundational reality that we don’t want to miss, is that GOD HAS SPOKEN!

This, by itself, is a great act of amazing grace. If God did not reveal himself to us, we could not know him. We could know some thigns about him. All nature declares the glory of God and God’s nature and power can be seen in what he has made, for those willing to see it.

But the person of God is outside of his creation, he is the creator and we could not know him, we could not have relationship with him if he had not spoken. You can’t force God into a relationship! You could think of Jacob, wrestling with God! he forced God to bless him!

Jacob wrestled with God and got a blessing from God, but that was only because God revealed himself to Jacob to enter into this relationship with him! God has to act!! God must speak if we are to know him!

And God does speak so that we can know him that is an astounding privilege. Has that become stale to us that WE KNOW the TRUE and LIVING GOD and He LOVES US!

As god created the world through his word, that word now comes to us, in the language he created, so that we could Know him and experience him!! God’s powerful word, his creative, life-giving word comes to us.

And it has been passed down to us in our Bibles. All of Scripture is the breathed out word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) — 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Isn’t that something?! This bible is the breath of God. Recorded for us. This is something! God’s word!

The writer of Hebrews sees this as well. Look at Chapter 2 verse 11 & 12 (verse 8 makes it clear he is writing about Jesus)

Hebrews 2:11–12 (ESV) — 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he (Jesus) is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Do you see what he did, he quotes Psalm 22, as Psalm of David but he attributes this to Jesus. Jesus said this. Or in Chapter 3:

Hebrews 3:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,

Here again the writer quotes for Psalm 95 but here attributes this to the Holy Spirit. God spoke through this his word.

And though God spoke and those words are written down thousands of years ago, these words are not dead. Notice that as we just saw in Heb 3: 7 the Holy Spirit SAYS. Through God’s word the Holy Spirit is still speaking to us!

Why is that so important? The word of God is our stable foundation, it comes from the creator God who knows everything. Our words come from our limited perspective, our limited point of view.

We have assumptions we’re not aware of, we have flaws in our thinking. God’s word is Stable. Jesus said:

Luke 21:33 (ESV) — 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV) — 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

God’s word has authority – the morality of humans change and warp. Our points of view easily skew our thinking of what is right and wrong, God’s word stands as the unchanging authority. So we must study it, think deeply about it, this is GOD’S WORD.

So, the world may call evil good and good evil, so we must look to the word of God. Evil has always had a self-righteous veneer. In the early church the Romans considered the Christians atheists because they would not worship their pantheon of God’s. they thought the Christians were immoral for refusing to bow to their God’s and their Caesar.

Those Christians had to rest on the certainty of the unchanging authority of the word of God. The same goes for today. The world is increasingly, flagrantly immoral, and increasingly self-righteous about it.

If feels good to be on the side of righteousness, to be fighting the powers of oppression! That feels good! I think it is the work of Satan to confuse together issues of true justice – with wickedness and call it the same thing.

Issues of true justice – where innocent people are convicted of crimes they did not commit because they did not have the money to properly defend themselves (that is a real justice issue) is mixed calling abortion -reproductive justice as if it is unjust to stop the killing of an innocent human baby.

Mixing that with trans-justice as if it is unjust to not allow a child to make life-altering decisions that will mutilate their bodies.

You mix all that together and that is a heady brew, it feels powerful, you’re fighting for justice - but you are actually working against Justice! all the self-righteous assurance of doing what you think is right with all the approval of the world! we should understand how powerful this delusion is and be filled with pity and love!

To stand in the face of that we must rest in the unchanging WORD of GOD. That is the authority, it defines true justice for us, in that justice we can work for the rights of the poor, and we can advocate for the innocent without being pulled into the madness of our sinful age.

God has spoken and his word is the AUTHORITY!

God’s word is always relevant - Because these are God’s words they are not constrained by the setting of the original author or audience, God spoke these words for the first hearers, for the hearers a thousand years later, and for us.

This is the wonder of the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) — 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Holy Spirit speaks through the BIBLE in every generation. This is something to wonder at. To marvel at the majesty of God’s word.

The writer begins here, I believe, because if he is to encourage his readers to stand in the face of trials and suffering he must rest on something more substantial that our opinions

He rests on the WORD of GOD. There is our starting place! The writer observes that this word of God has come to us in two main stages, to groupings… Long ago and in these last days.

II) God Spoke Long Ago – By the Prophets

Hebrews 1:1 (ESV) — 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

In the OLD Covenant, long ago, God spoke through his prophets. The Old Testament Is God’s word, breathed out for us. Yes! But it was not complete.

It came in many times and in many ways, God Spoke - progressively revealing more and more. God spoke in the fire on the mountain with Moses, God spoke through Dreams to Joseph. God spoke through the Still Small Voice to Elijah.

God spoke through the Law, through the stories and the histories, the poems and proverbs.

God spoke! Through his prophets.

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV) — 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

So, for those that have suggested we just focus on the new Testament we’re missing that the Old Testament is God’s word too! Those are the words of the Holy Spirit and vitally important!

That is not our covenant, but that is God’s word and it is still important, authoritative and relevant today. We just have to read it through the lens of Christ.

But the point that the writer is making is that we have something now even better.

III) God Spoke in These Last Days By His Son

In these “Last Days”. The writer is beginning this book comparing these two great epochs defined by the two great covenants (that is how Robert Martin put it) – the Old Covenant - former days and now the New Covenant, last days.

These last days were inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are the days of the New Covenant where we wait for Christ to return and make all things right!

One commentator, FF BRUCE writes:

These two stages of divine revelation correspond to the Old and New Testaments respectively. Divine revelation is thus seen to be progressive—but the progression is not from the less true to the more true, from the less worthy to the more worthy....

The progression is one from promise to fulfilment

The promises of the old covenant are fulfilled in Christ, and in his New Covenant. So, the writer’s point is not that the New Covenant is somehow more authentically God’s word, but is the completion of God’s word.

Moses’ words were God’s Words, David’s words were God’s Word.. Jesus’ words are God’s word. But Jesus’ words are the final words through which we understand all the rest. The most clear, the most complete.

Paul would say in Galatians 3…

Galatians 3:24–25 (ESV) — 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

The final clear and complete word has come! The veil has been lifted what was unclear is not made known!

But I think the main idea that we are meant to get is that more than the focus on the words, the focus is on the PERSON through whom the WORD COMES. This last word came through the SON!

The Prophet’s heard God’s word and wrote those words down. Jesus Christ, the SON IS the VERY WORD OF GOD!

The one who brought this final word is far, far greater than all those other prophets. An ambassador is important and speaks for the king, but when the KING COMES and speaks for himself! That is something far more significant!

And the writer is encouraging us… LISTEN TO HIM! The KING HAS SPOKEN, the very Son of GOD!

On the Mount of transfiguration in when Peter was so awed that Christ met with Moses and Elijah, GOD SPOKE -

Mark 9:7 (ESV) — 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Jesus Christ, the Son of God – who brings this word to us, is not just telling to us ABOUT the way and the truth and the life, HE IS the very WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.

As the WAY he comes and through his words he shows us the way of hope and forgiveness and peace in this world of confusion and sin and brokenness. FOLLOW HIM!!

As the TRUTH -he shows us what is right and good in the face of such error and sin. BELIEVE HIM!!

As the LIFE – he offers us life when we deserve death, if we rest in him, believe in him and find our life in him. He is life. LIVE IN HIM.

GOD SPOKE THROUGH HIS SON!! LISTEN TO HIM!

This one, the one who is far above all others, who was the instrument of creation and in whose hand all things hold together, this one spoke to us. He brought us the word of God. and his word is life and hope and joy and peace it is GOOD NEWS. Not condemnation!!

There is forgiveness and life to all who come to him!

How will we respond? Christian how do you respond to God’s word? are you listening? are you believing? are you trusting? this is the word of God.

If you have not yet believed, how will your respond, this is the WORD OF GOD, come believe on Jesus, follow him and live!

Pray

Call the men up to serve the Lord’s Table

Sing: Beautiful Savior

We are One in Christ. One Body

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 (ESV) — 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Family we are ONE in CHRIST HOLY and BELOVED! This table shows us the love of God in Christ, and it empowers us to be changed so that we can BE HOLY, to take his yoke upon us and live for him!! To Live for the Glory of God, in all things. That is what the GOSPEL Is for.

So, the Supper is a time to EVALUATE and CELEBRATE.

We evaluate our selves, we see our need for change, we have sin, we have failed. We have not loved God as we ought. We have tried to earn our own way, diminishing the gospel. We have taken God’s word for granted, we haven’t clung to Christ as we should.

In repentance, then we turn to find help. And at the table we remember, there is boundless help for us in Christ Jesus. There is help, so we CELEBRATE! WE REJOICE We are not defeated, we are victorious in Christ. We are at PEACE!! We are not BEYOND GOD’s Power to change! so from that GOSPEL Power we move forward together in peace, for the glory of God.

THIS is for DISCIPLES of CHRIST

“Our understanding of being a disciple of Christ in the New Testament is one who has been transformed through FAITH in Christ, has been baptized into Christ and into his church, and continues to be committed to and serving CHRIST in the body of Christ – a local church. The Lord’s Supper is the fellowship meal for the covenant family of Jesus Christ.”

For those who are not Christians, and this is not for you. This is not for you, you have said no to this, with your life. No to this community, no to Christ. but this SALVATION is for you, Jesus is for you! You’ll see the emblems passing you by… don’t let salvation pass you by again. Make no more excuses, take hold of Christ and live!

Children – boys and girls. I know some of you are believing on Christ, as you wait to take that public step of baptism, and openly commit to be a disciple of Christ, it is good for you to wait to take the Lord’s Supper. For you, feed on Christ as this passes you by, think to yourself, I won’t let this day pass me by without Christ, and call out to him, and then turn and follow Jesus. I know your mom and dad would be delighted to talk with you about what that might look like. Believe on Jesus and live.

BREAD

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (ESV) — 23 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, 24 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.”

CUP

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 (ESV) — 25 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.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

731 Doxology

2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) — 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.