Who's in the House?
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Good Morning Church! Today we’re in Hebrews 3:1-6, and I want to do something a little different, something to keep you on your toes, something a little bit old school - so let’s all stand and read today’s passage together:
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
You all sounded awesome. Let’s pray.
Now we’ve been through the first 2 chapters of Hebrews, and we’ve made it to chapter 3. And we’ve discussed how Jesus is better - better high priest, better sacrifice, better than the angels, and today the passage that is set before us reminded the Hebrews that Jesus is superior to Moses.
Moses was like the greatest Hebrew that had ever lived to them. He was better to them than Michael Jordan at basketball, Moses was better at building cars than Carrol Shelby, better at preaching than Billy Graham. Like He was here, and all of the other prophets were here in their mind.
God had miraculously protected him as a baby and personally provided for his burial, and between his birth and death was miracle after miracle. He was the man that God spoke directly to face to face.
he had seen all of the glory of God and lived, and he even glowed in the dark - and not in a nuclear kind of way. Look with me at Exodus 34:29
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.
He led Israel out of the land of Egypt. The Jews had a huge amount of confidence in the law, and the commandments and rituals were their life, and to them Moses equals Law. Even in the New Testament we see this as it was not the Law of God, but look with me at Luke 2:22:
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
The “Law of Moses”. Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from the mountain, he wrote the entire Pentateuch which is Genesis through Deuteronomy and lays out the levitical and ceremonial laws that governed everything the Jews did, and it was Moses who gave the plans for the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.
As a matter of fact, there were some Hebrews that thought Moses was greater than the angels. God spoke to the other prophets in visions, but Moses was a face to face encounter. God spoke to Moses in a burning bush, directly from heaven, and from mount Sinai - to them, Moses was God’s right hand man.
And in these 6 verses from Hebrews 3 that we just read, the writer uses house seven times. We know from scripture that God lived with Adam on the earth, but the first record of a dwelling built for God’s habitation was the tabernacle that Moses built. Moses was given the pattern for it on Mount Sinai, and God’s shekinah, which was God’s glory cloud, hovered above the Holy of Holies that housed the Ark.
And the same pattern was used in the building of all of the Temples - Solomon’s Temple, Ezra’s Temple, and Herod’s Temple. The Temple was God’s house, where God chose to dwell on the earth. Exodus 40 speaks of God in the Tabernacle, and 2 Chronicles 7 speaks of God in the Temple.
And later God moved out of those houses that were built by men into and came down in a new house, as Jesus Christ. God was in Christ - look with me at 2 Corinthians 5:19:
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
He was the place God lived on earth as never before, and on the day when Jesus became sin for us, and that house was desecrated by our sin, the Father moved out, look 3 verses later:
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
And in Matthew 27 we see Jesus cry out as God had to leave:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And now, the Bible teaches us that we are God’s house. Look with me at Hebrews 13:5:
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
And today we’re going to look at three words that describe those of us that God dwells inside, starting with number one:
1. OBSERVATION v.1
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
“Consider” Carefully consider or call to attention. What we see here in chapter 3 is a call to compare and contrast Jesus versus Moses. The writer calls for us to place our thoughts and minds on Jesus and let it remain there. Stay there and understand just who He is and what He wills.
“Therefore” - the consideration is based on the first 2 chapters - remember, all of the new testament were letters that were meant to originally be read all at once, so we have to have the first 2 chapters in perspective.
So His recovering man’s lost destiny, the humbling Himself, becoming our substitute, our author of salvation, our sanctifier. Remembering how He defeated the Devil, He’s our sympathizer, remembering all of that - that’s what the therefore’s there for. And remembering all of that is where the author of Hebrews is at - remember all of that, and now consider this.
A. OUR IDENTIFICATION AS SAINTS .
Look with me at Hebrews 2:11
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
We are set apart as saints. We are brothers and sisters in the family of God. As verse one put it, we “share in a heavenly calling”. Its a calling from heaven, and it means that we all have something in common that brings us together, and it’s not this building. The author is talking about all Christians who form that capital C Church, no matter the denomination or the location, if you call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior you are a part of that capital C church.
And social status doesn’t change that either. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, doctor or laborer - none of that matters either, because we who are in Christ are all given the same source, look with me at 2 Peter:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Judaism was an earthly calling with an earthly inheritance. It was tied to a place, Canaan.
Christianity is a spiritual and heavenly calling with a spiritual and heavenly inheritance and is tied to Christ.
B. THE IMPLICATIONS OF OUR SAVIOR .
Moses was called and commissioned “by” God, but Jesus was sent “as” God. Just look at all of these verses that John wrote on who Jesus is as Savior:
To Nicodemus in chapter 3:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John the Baptist speaking of Jesus:
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
Jesus to the Jews in chapter 5:
But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
To the crowd at Capernaum in chapter 6:
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
In the Temple in chapter 7:
I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
and in chapter 8:
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
And just before He’s arrested in chapter 17:
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Jesus represented and radiated God to Man in everything He did. He told of the provisions of the Father in the Son.
Jesus is the Great Hight Priest, Hebrews 4:14:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Jesus as High Priest represents us to the Father. He pleads our case before the Father.
When we see the word priest we think mediator or bridge builder between God and man. Jesus is our High Priest, in that He built the bridge between God and us, because He alone can touch God in His deity and man in His humanness. He is our bridge.
Number 2:
2. OPPORTUNITYv.2-4
who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
The opportunity is not to go back to Moses, but to imitate Moses and be faithful in your calling.
The word house in verse 2 refers to a household, a people, not a building or a dwelling place here.
Moses’ household for example was Israel, because they were the group that followed the Law of Moses.
Jesus’ household is the capital “C” Church, the body of believers worldwide who call upon His name.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
And so we see in these verses the opportunity to A:
A. TO EXAMINE THE PAST.
who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
Moses was faithful to give us the Law, to build the Tabernacle, to give the first five books of the Bible with all the shadows and types that point to Christ. He confronted Pharaoh and led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses was faithful and committed to God.
And all of that gives us the opportunity to B:
B. TO EXPERIENCE THE PRESENT.
Moses was part of the house of Israel, but Jesus made the house.
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Verse 4 reminds us of John 1:3:
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus is the Builder, and we as humans are the instruments that He uses. The builder is greater than any of His tools.
A magnificent building brings attention to the builder. Jesus, through Calvary, brought into existence a house-hold of faith. He brings us into the family fo God. We, who are the building, ought to call attention to the building.
As I was preparing the message today, I thought of a tv show that could represent us. And the show that came to mind is about these people, who have a home, and they’ve just filled it with stuff. And it was a beautiful home, but now it’s just filled with stuff so much that it’s dangerous and some of them can’t even live in their house. If you haven’t figured out the show yet it’s called Hoarders.
And if we have Christ as our Lord and Savior, I can’t help but think that some of us are just like that show. We’ll take this little bit of sin and place it here, this little bit of guilt and place it here, this little bit of hatred or jealousy and put it here. This is where I’ll keep the things that I may need later on in life to do this or to get back at so and so or to enjoy later. And pretty soon all of those things begin to take over the house that God built and before long, your house looks like a dump.
And as we look at that show, there’s always someone else called in, because the person who owns the dump doesn’t want to let go of those things and if left on their own will just hold on tight to all of it - they may let a thing here and there go, but they don’t clean the house out of the majority of their junk, and it just sits there.
And the world sees either religion or hypocrisy because we aren’t reflecting freedom in Christ.
We have to have help, we have to surrender all of that junk in our lives to Jesus, because He’s the one we need to be reflecting, He’s the builder of this house, and the big “C” church house.
The Hebrews were still wanting to reflect the Law that no one could keep, and no matter how hard they tried they still had all of the baggage of not being able to live up to those standards. The Law was just a shadow of why Jesus had to come. Look at Hebrews 10:1:
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that only had to occur once, and all we have to do is let Him do the work and reflect His work to the world! Will we be perfect? No, but then, that was the wrong question. Is He perfect? Yes, and that’s why we strive to serve Him.
And that’s point 3:
3. OBEDIENCE v.5-6
And the first thing we should be obedient as is
A. AS A SERVANT.
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,
As a servant it means one who has affection of the Master. It speaks of the dignity and freedom that Moses had to testify - look with me at John 5:46 and Deuteronomy 18:
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
Moses was given the freedom to testify about Christ before the people even entered the promised land.
Next we see the obedience
B. OF A SON.
Verse 6
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Moses was a servant in the house, but Jesus is the Son over the house. Think about that for a moment - Moses was a servant, and servants will come and go, but Sons are sons forever.
“And we are His house” - those in Christ have God dwelling inside them. We are His spiritual house.
Look at 1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
And 1 Peter 2:5
you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We trust Christ and become the dwelling place of God.
As Moses was faithful in his house, and Jesus is faithful over His house, we are to be faithful as His house.
We’re told in Ephesians 3:17
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
There’s a hymn, The Savior is waiting to enter your heart, why don’t you let Him come in - and the message here in these verses and here in this hymn are this - your heart can become His home, but He’s not going to force His way in. He only comes by way of invitation.
The last thing we see in verse 6 is the obedience
C. OF A SAINT.
As saints in Christ we are called to be steadfast in our faith because as we hold fast to our faith in our times of temptation and trouble and the hard times that is evidence of our faith in Him and our salvation.
Steadfast is a nautical term, it’s keeping things on course and securing things from the dangers of the seas. It’s verb that means once for all. A person is part of the household of God if he has once and for all possessed the secure faith in Jesus Christ.
The writer isn’t suggesting that we are able to keep ourselves saved, what the author is telling us is that those who hold fast in their confidence and hope are proving that they are in Christ, that they are born again and following Him.
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
True saints persevere to the end, but look at those that are not secure in their faith:
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Perseverance through those trying times - that’s our evidence, and instead of the world pointing fingers the world sees that perseverance and the hope that it brings and it says “give me some of that”.
Because we are able to be steadfast, we have confidence and boldness to speak without fear or restraint of the hope that we have in Christ, and we are able to rejoice even in the times of trouble. Because of our confidence in Christ and because we have confessed Jesus as Lord, we experience the Joy and Hope that only He can bring.
So, Who is in your house?
Let’s pray.
Father God thank you for this message today. Thank you for dwelling in our lives and Lord we ask that you are reflected through us and that you can use us to spread your Word of your redeeming Grace. Thank you for the Word that tells us of your glory and how you set it aside to come to suffer for us to have a relationship with you.
As you keep praying today, I want you to really take a moment and just think of your house. Does your house reflect Jesus, or would you say that it looks more like those homes on hoarders. Have you given it all to Him, have you surrendered to His will for your life? Are you experiencing freedom, or has your house got you locked in a closed from all of the baggage? Today, give it all to Him. The altar is here, there are people who will pray with you if you like, or you can simply pray by yourself, but today, give it all to the only one who can clean that house.
Father, help us to have pure hearts and clean our houses of all of the sin, the shame, the guilt and hatred we harbor. Help us to reflect you in our lives, and Lord speak boldly through us to proclaim your message that you are THE way and THE truth and THE life, and that we can live our lives fully devoted to your current and coming Kingdom.
And as you remain in prayer there are some here that may have realized that they don’t have a relationship with Christ. Christ doesn’t dwell in you, so your house is owned by someone else.
The bible tells us that if you don’t have Christ as your Lord, you have satan as your lord. And that king of lies is telling you that you’re ok, you’ve been a churchgoer for years, you’re a good person, you’re not like those people that do evil things in the world - but the problem is that you can never be good enough or do enough to save you or clean the house. Or maybe something has occured and you’re here because something or someone brought you to this point, and you don’t know God personally. Maybe you’ve been trying to “find God” on your own, maybe your family were believers or took you to church. Maybe you’ve always looked at God in the past and never really looked at Him as ever present and as the ruling King, and you feel like there’s something missing - you’re tired, you’re looking for a savior, and the way to that Savior is a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Savior is waiting to enter your heart, why don’t you let Him come in.
And there are those of you who Christ desires to reveal Himself to today. So today, call on His name, Jesus, the Son of God who to save you was born in a manger without an earthly father so He didn’t inherit the sin nature, so that He could be your Savior, becoming sin on the cross, shedding His blood, dying, and being raised to life so that anyone who calls on His name will be saved. That’s why you’re here.
If that’s you, if God is calling to you to draw into a relationship with Jesus, answer Him today. If you don’t know how it’s as simple as ABC. A- admit to God that you are a sinner, B-believe that Jesus came to redeem you through that sinless life, death, and resurrection, and C- confessing Christ as Lord and Savior with your mouth, choosing to follow Him. if you don’t know how to start, you can simply pray something like this:
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. Lord I believe that you came to free me from the bonds of sin and hell, and Lord I thank you for what only you could do. Lord I choose you, to follow in all that you are and to walk in the Spirit in a relationship with you, and to spend eternity with you. In Jesus name, amen.
Father, thank you again for this body, and Father as you are speaking to those here today, I pray that they will follow you where you lead, that they will see you revealed, and that we will follow in your presence today.
The altar is open, if you need someone to pray with you come forward and myself or one of the leaders will come to pray with you. Don’t delay, don’t let this moment pass you by, answer His call today, come as He leads, as the music plays, this is your moment.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
1. The title and real question of the week is who is in YOUR house? Is Jesus locked in a closet, or does He reside there?
2. It’s springtime, and in the spring people usually have a spring cleaning. What in your house needs to be cleansed the most, and who is doing the cleaning? Allow Jesus to clean the house and trust Him to get rid of the things that are holding you back.