Full Commitment to Christ

Overview of the Background

Hebrews is perhaps one of the books in the New Testament in which we know the least about it’s authorship and or people in which it was written. The authorship is unknown. Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Luke, Philip, Priscilla, Aquila, and Clement of Rome have all been suggested by different scholars as possible authors. However, the vocabulary, style, and various literary characteristics do not clearly support any particular claim.

It is worth noting that the writer includes himself among those people who had received confirmation of Christ’s message from others (2:3). That would seem to rule out someone like Paul, who claimed that he had received his confirmation directly from God and not from men (Gal. 1:12). Plus the literary style and lack of Paul’s typical greeting are missing from this letter.

Hebrews is written in a pastors voice as a sermon who is exhorting the word to address converts from Judaism under the pressure to revert back to their Jewish faith.

There is a beautiful tapestry of biblical theology grafted into Hebrews with the aim of exalting the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

We also wish we knew more about the recipients, were they in Rome? Jerusalem? Colossae? Were they Gentiles? Jews? A mixture? We can only guess at the answers to these questions.

The one current geographical reference in the book mentions Italy. Possible other locations include Palestine, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Greece. The community that was the primary recipient may have circulated the epistle among those of Hebrew background in neighboring areas and Churches.

Clement of Rome quotes Hebrews in a letter sometime around the first century, also, the present tense of the references in Hebrews in regard to the sacrificial system would lead us to believe that it was still an active part of religious life. The best guess we have is sometime around 70 A.D.

John MaCarthur suggests that emphasis on the Levitical priesthood and on sacrifices, as well as the absence of any reference to the Gentiles, supports the idea that Hebrews was primarily written to a community of Hebrew converts to Christ.

One thing is evident in Hebrews and that is the imminent intensifying persecution that was taking place.

Central Theme of Hebrews

Jesus Christ is better

The words “better,” “more,” and “greater” appear a combination 25 times). In many ways, the glory of God as revealed in Jesus Christ is the gravitational center for the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1-12 outlines a powerful argument for the

Superiority of Christ above all created things

Having a special focus on encouraging its readers to persevere in the faith that has Christ at its center. The response that is highlighted as always appropriate in relationship to Christ is our worship.

NOTE: The generation of those receiving the epistle of Hebrews had practiced the Levitical sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem.

Since the Levitical priesthood is a running theme throughout Hebrews, an understanding of the book of Leviticus is essential in our understanding of Hebrews.

Levitical Priesthood

Israel’s sinfulness had continued to interrupt God’s fellowship with His chosen covenant people, Israel.

God’s grace was shown towards his people by setting up a sacrificial system for his people.

The sacrifices represented the inner repentance of sinners and His divine forgiveness.

The need for sacrifice never ended because the people and priest continued to sin.

The need of all humankind was for a perfect priest and a perfect sacrifice that would actually remove sin.

God’s provision was for that perfect priest and sacrifice in Jesus Christ.

The epistle of Hebrews is a study in contrast, between the imperfect and incomplete sacrifices of the Old Covenant, given under Moses, and the infinitely better provisions of the New Covenant offered by the perfect High Priest, God’s only Son and the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

So, God’s people now have a better hope, witness, promise, sacrifice, substance, country, resurrection.

Key Theological Themes

All believers now have direct access to God under the New Covenant of Grace, therefore, we can approach the throne boldly (4:16; 10:22).

Our hope is in the very presence of God because of Christs sacrifice for us.

Because of the perfect sacrifice through Jesus Christ, we now have the perfect High Priest who makes everything new and better than under the old covenant of law.

Distinct groups of Jews being Addressed

Believers

Unbelievers who were intellectually convinced of the Gospel.

Unbelievers who were attracted by the gospel and the person of Christ but who had reached no final conclusion about Him.

The primary group being addressed were Hebrew Christians who suffered rejection and persecution by fellow Jews, although none as yet had been martyred.

The second group were Jewish unbelievers who understood the basic truths of the gospel but who had not placed their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

The third group addressed were Jewish unbelievers who were not convinced of the gospel’s truth, but had had some exposure to it. Chapter 9 is largely devoted to them.

Hebrews 1:1–4 (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, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

ILLUSTRATION We Want Our Mechanic and Our Doctor to Speak the Truth Imagine picking your car up from the shop after a routine tune-up, and the technician says, "This car is in great shape. Clearly you have an automotive genius to take great care of your car." Later that day, your brakes don't work. You find out you were out of brake fluid. You could have died.

You go back to the shop, and you say, "Why didn't you tell me?" The technician replies, "Well, I didn't want you to feel bad. Plus, to be honest, I was afraid you might get upset with me. I want this to be a safe place where you feel loved and accepted." You'd be furious! You'd say, "I didn't come here for a little fantasy-based ego boost! When it comes to my car, I want the truth."

Or imagine going to the doctor's office for a check-up. The doctor says to you, "You are a magnificent physical specimen. You have the body of an Olympian. You are to be congratulated." Later that day while climbing the stairs, your heart gives out. You find out later your arteries were so clogged that you were, like, one jelly doughnut away from the grim reaper.

You go back to the doctor and say, "Why didn't you tell me?" The doctor says, "Well, I knew your body is in worse shape than the Pillsbury dough-boy, but if I tell people stuff like that, they get offended. It's bad for business. They don't come back. I want this to be a safe place where you feel loved and accepted." You'd be furious! You'd say to the doctor, "When it comes to my body, I want the truth!"

Obviously, when something matters to us, we do not want illusions and comfort based on pain avoidance. We want truth

Big Idea: God will answer all of our questions in one way and one way only, by showing us more of His son.

1. Our God is a God who speaks

Do you want to hear God Speak?

have you ever said in a moment of desperation in your life, oh God if you would only speak then I would believe. If I could only hear your voice, if you would only break your silence and make yourself known.

God is not silent, God is not withdrawn, God does not keep us waiting forever.

GOD HAS SPOKEN IN 2 PHASES

1)Before the coming of the son of God into the world.

2)Through the son of God’s coming into the world.

“God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.”

NOTE: We live in a society that recognizes the importance of communication. Millions of dollars are spent each year on effective advertising. In the political and diplomatic landscape understand the immense danger when there is a breakdown in communication. The breakdown of marriage occurs when couples may be talking to each other but they are failing to communicate.

Communication Fail: The FBI's Guide to Internet Slang

The Washington Post ran an article with this long and funny title: "The FBI maintains an 83-page glossary of Internet slang. And it is hilariously, frighteningly out of touch." In a taxpayer-funded study, the FBI has compiled a glossary of Internet slang—at least what they think are the slang phrases to know. FBI operatives need to understand Internet slang because, increasingly, that's where crime goes down these days. But here are some of the head-scratching terms the FBI considers "can't-miss Internet slang": BOGSAT ("bunch of guys sitting around talking"), GIWIST ("gee, I wish I said that"), HCDAJFU ("he could do a job for us"), SOMSW ("someone over my shoulder watching"), and YKWRGMG ("you know what really grinds my gears"?). It's a good lesson on the hard work and potential perils of trying to communicate—across cultures, generations, worldviews, genders, and so forth. It's easy to think we understand what someone is saying, but alas, we might be HOOT ("hopelessly out of touch")

The first phrase of the Bible is punctuate by “And God Said”. God speaks from the very beginning of His creative process. In the N.T. one of the great titles of Jesus is “The Word.”

NOTE: People understood without a doubt that God had spoken in the past, this is the only way that humanity would have known what God is like.

IN CHRIST GOD HAS CLOSED THE GREATEST GAP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN A HOLY GOD AND SINFUL MANKIND.

THE FINALITY OF JESUS

Suppose God wants to send a message to the world today? How would he go about doing it? I have had people over the years give the following responses to such a question.

1) God is revealing his plans to prominent Christian leaders. Usually someone who believes this will give me a name.

2) God is sending a message through Angels. The angels are trying to protect us, guide us, or just get our attention.

3) God reveals Himself through various random coincidences in our lives.

These answers promote confusion for us for the following reasons.

* They often believe that God has not been speaking to people until recently.

* They confuse a fresh understanding of God’s will, with some kind of new revelation never heard before. Allot of insights from God are fresh discoveries of truths God revealed centuries ago.

* They ignore the fact that in Jesus God has spoken all of the truth that He will ever communicate. Jesus is Gods final word to His people.

What do you mean when you say that in Jesus God acted in finality?

When Jesus died and rose from the grave and then after 40 days here on earth ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, all of the work that needed to be accomplish to make our Salvation possible was done.

NOTE: Because of this reality we do not expect more scripture or revelation from God in addition to what He has already revealed to us in His word.

The final act is coming when Christ returns in all of His glory to consummate, complete the work of restoring the Church back to himself once and for all.

*God Speaks Through His divine Revelation

Revelation is an active intrusion of God into this world and not a passive one.

God moves the powers, God causes the sun to rise, God shakes the foundations, God breaks the chains, God labors in the world; all of God’s activity in His creation reveals the character of God in His divine speech.

NOTE: This is not a simply an awareness of God’s holiness, this is an act of God towards humanity. Revelation is not what we do to find God but it’s all about what God does towards us to seek, save, and restore his creation. The glory of God is not grad concealed thing that has not been revealed to mankind.

But we serve a speaking God who talks to his people throughout the Bible. We are sons and daughters of a loving Father, who wants relationship with his children. We are the bride of Christ, and husbands and wives talk to each other. We aren’t employed as slaves or servants but welcomed as friends, and friends talk to each other. We are the sheep of our great shepherd, and sheep know their Master’s voice.

1) God speaks in many fragments

The word of God is not unbroken chatter like an all night radio show, but episodes with breaks with seasons of silence.

For example when God spoke to Samuel in the Temple it was after a long period of silence by God. When Jesus appeared in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago it was after a 400 year period of silence.

The 400 years of silence refers to the time between the Old Testament and New Testament, during which God did not speak to the Jewish people. The 400 years of silence began with the warning that closed the Old Testament: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6) and ended with the coming of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner.

2) God speaks in many ways.

NOTE: My ADHD brain is so glad that God did not choose to speak to us in only one way. What if God had only spoken to us in one way and we did get it, we would just be out of luck.

The infinite way that God’s speech and activity are made know to mankind.

God speaks through visions

God speaks through political movements and shaking of powers

God speaks through a pillar of fire

God speaks through a still small voice

Sometimes God speaks in powerful moments and sometimes in spiritual awe and wonder. God speaks in the voice of the saints in song and in the star dusted heavens on a clear summer night.

God’s speech is almost always mediated. When God wants to speak to human beings about someone or something, a burning bush, or an angel from heaven, or a Moses, or Jeremiah is summoned to do the talking on God’s behalf.

The writer is not only referring to the written text that he has brought to mankind but also to the human vehicle God has chosen to use to bring this revelation to bear on his creation.

TRANSITION: So in a single powerful opening the preacher has brought us into the whole interpretation of the Old Testament witness of God.

2. Our God is a God who speaks a new word

Do you want to see God Speak?

God spoke creation into existence, God spoke calling Abraham to leave his fathers house and he would make him a great nation; God spoke calling Moses to be the liberator of God’s people and the one to deliver the law to the people at mt. Sinai;

Hebrews A New Word (1:2a)

Through Isaiah and Ezekiel, Amos and Joel, Hosea and Jeremiah, God spoke, nurturing and disciplining, provoking and redeeming the people Israel. “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors.…”

SUDDENLY NOW THE PREACHER STOPS THE READER IN THEIR TRACTS WITH THE SMALL YET POWERFUL WORD, “BUT”.

But what? Long ago God spoke to you through the prophets but...................

This now changes everything, it separates how God communicated with countless generations and how he communicates with His people today.

NOTE: What God has spoken in the Son, now continues, and discontinues the Old Testament that has been disclosed to mankind. “In these last days,” now links the old with the new. Of all of the forms and ways that God has spoken to his creation, now the final and better way, the Greater Prophet Jesus has now come to lead us to our final destination. God’s complete revelation to mankind is now complete. There is nothing left to reveal it has all been given.

1)Jesus is God’s final prophetic voice in creation

Ezekiel portrayed the Glory of God - But Christ reflected it

Isaiah portrayed the nature of God as holy, righteous and merciful - But Christ manifested it.

Jeremiah described the power of God - But Christ Displayed it

2)Jesus is God’s author and perfecter of His creation

Proverbs 8:22–31 ESV

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

John 1:1–3 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Jesus Ministry is highlighted in three ways

BY HIM . FOR HIM . IN HIM

Colossians 1:15–17 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

NOTE: This perspective gives a new dimension to the Christmas story.

“Low in a manger lay, He who built the starry skies” or

“Hands that flung stars into space now to cruel nails surrendered grace.

3)Jesus is God’s appointed heir

Note: The Lord Jesus Christ will not only inherit the world but the entire universe and everything in it. We are also promised in Romans 8:17 that we will be join heirs with Christ in His kingdom.

Romans 8:17 (ESV)

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The 17th century commentator John Trap say’s, “Be married to Christ and have it all.”

Hebrews 10:12–13 ESV

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

Christ took His seat as the active ruling heir of all things by virtue of His death and resurrection. He can make good on his word because he is God, because He is creator, because he is triumphant over sin and death.

4) Jesus is God’s Creative Agent

All of this is closely tied with the idea of inheritance. Surely a Christ whose hands shaped the universe and summoned the galaxy of stars into being can deal with these Jewish Christians in days of testing. This also means he can deal with the struggles and problems of your daily life here on earth.

TRANSITION:

Though many deny His authority and continue to reject him. He must ultimately triumph.

3. Our God is a God who displays the radiance of His Glory

Do you want to experience God Speak?

How do we experience God speaking?

We experience Him through the radiance of His Son.

EXPERIENCE 1a: direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge b: the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation.

Jesus is the radiance of God or the direct imprint of the Father. “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” We were created to reflect the Glory of God.

If there is a God, as I believe there is, and if he rules the world in his sovereignty, as the Bible says he does, and if he will bring human history to a close according to his plan and appoint to every person his eternal destiny, as Jesus taught that he will, then two of the most important questions for any human being to answer are these:

1. What is God’s goal in creating and governing the world?

2. How can I bring my life into alignment with that goal?

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD IS LIKE LOOK AT HIS SON!

He continues to....

Sustain His creation

Order events of History by the same power with which he brought everything into existence.

Note: This makes it possible for us to enjoy everything that God has made possible for His children in the last days.

The Message of Hebrews 5. Jesus Is God’s Personified Glory

For the Hebrew people the glory of God was a visible and outward expression of the majestic presence of God. When the law was given at Sinai ‘the glory of the Lord’ settled on the mountain. Likewise, the glory of God became manifest at ‘the tent of meeting’; it was a visible sign to God’s people of his continuing presence.

Later when the ark of the covenant was captured, the glory of the Lord departed and the people lamented the departure of the glory of God. Now the author say’s in the last days the radiance of the Glory of God has returned to His creation in the person of Jesus Christ. Nowhere has the glory of God been more perfectly displayed than in the person of Jesus Christ.

We experience God through the radiance of His glory

WHAT IS THE GLORY OF GOD?

Intrinsically holy, and the whole earth is full of his glory — from which I stab at a definition, by saying that

The glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness.

It is the going-public of his holiness. It is the way he puts his holiness on display for all people to see. So, the glory of God is the holiness of God made manifest.

The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.

I am focusing on the manifestation of his character and his worth and his attributes. All of his perfections and greatness are beautiful as they are seen, and there are many of them. That is why I use the word manifold. Here it is in another sentence: the glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of his manifold perfections.

So I ask, “Do you see it? Do you love it?” You were made for this, deep down in your heart. If you are a totally disinterested person, sitting here this morning just eager for the service to be over, there will come a day (and I hope it’s this morning) when enough of the crust is scraped off that you will say,

“I am made for this. This is why I exist: to see that. Everything is pointing to that. All the glory that I thought was so attractive is going there. This is all husks and ashes. He was right. The Bible was right. Jesus was right.”

I hope it will not be too late when that happens for you.

We experience God through the imprint of His nature

In the ancient world you did not have printing presses or today computer technology to reproduce things, however, the equivalent would have been the making of coins. The emperor would employ an engraver who carved the royal portrait, and suitable words or abbreviations, on a stamp, or die, made of hard metal. The engraver used the stamp to make a coin, so that the coin gave the exact impression, indeed expressions, of what was on the stamp.

The same could also be seen in the royal seals that would be stamped on edicts of documents. Once these documents were stamped they had the seal or approval of the one whose seal was on the document.

The writer of Hebrews begins the letter with this idea. It is as though the exact imprint of the Father’s very nature and glory has been precisely reproduced in the soft metal of the Son’s nature.

People in the past looked through dimly lit glasses but now we see God face-to-face.

The preacher knows that all people deep down in side hunger to know God. We are on a desperate search for information about our heritage, intimate knowledge about the one who has given us birth. All spiritual quests are an attempt to ask. “What can you tell me about my Father? What do you know? What do you remember?”

The answer that Hebrews offers is that when we have seen the son, we have seen the father. He is portrayed working in human history holding all things together by a definite act of cross having renewed the brokenness of his creation.

The Imago Dei of God

Man was created in the very beginning to be the imprint or image barriers of God. If you want to see God work, then we need to start being and doing what He created us to be and do.

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Images are created to image. If you create an image, if you make a sculpture of someone, you do it to display something about that someone. You put it in the square in the middle of town, and you want people to look at it, notice it, think about that person, think something about them every time you look on it, that they were noble, or strong or courageous.

Now what would it mean if you created seven billion statues of yourself and put them all over the world? It would mean you would want people to notice you. God created us in his image so that we would display or reflect or communicate who he is, how great he is, and what he is like.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FALL

At the fall the Satan convinced man that his reflection was more beautiful than God. The mirror got turned back on ourselves, and ever since we have been chasing a vain attempt at beauty in ourselves. When you think beauty what do you think of? Do you see God’s absolute beauty reflected in your life or do you see your own attempt to glorify yourself through your own beauty.

WHAT HAPPENS AT SALVATION

At Salvation the mirror get’s turned back around and we see the glory of God again. We not only see the glory of God again we see ourselves as we truly are, wretched and wicked, seeking our own self-pleasure and beauty.

So I think being created in the image of God means that we image God. We reflect God. We live in a way, we think in a way, we feel in a way, we speak in a way that calls attention to the brightness of the glory of God.

CONCLUSION

What are you imaging in your life today?

Remember God will answer all of the questions in your life, but only through the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

Do This! I want you to write down this morning one image in your life right now that you find yourself more drawn towards? Now I want you to think how often this is more appealing in your life than Christ.

THE THING THING THAT YOU FIND MOST BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR LIFE IS WHAT YOU WILL IMAGE.

The thing that you find more beautiful in your life than Christ.

Remember

you hear God speak the loudest through His Word

you see God speak the loudest through His Son.

you experience God speak the loudest through his glory.

The best way to recapture the radiant beauty of God in your life is to constantly be in the word, constantly focus on the Son of God, and constantly reflect His glory in your life.

Grace Greater than We Know

Why do we call grace amazing? Grace is amazing because it works against the grain of common sense. Hard-nosed common sense will tell you that you are too wrong to meet the standards of a holy God; pardoning grace tells you that it's all right in spite of so much in you that is wrong.

Realistic common sense tells you that you are too weak, too harassed, too human to change for the better; grace gives you power to send you on the way to being a better person. Plain common sense may tell you that you are caught in a rut of fate or futility; grace promises that you can trust God to have a better tomorrow for you than the day you have made for yourself