Jesus is Better

Introduction

Opening Story/Illustration: This last week my mother-in-law tasked me with helping her find one of those robotic vacuum cleaners for her house. So I went to the internet to search reviews. I read a bunch of reviews and watch several videos that all said why this model was better than that model. Why I should buy this one and not that one.

Biblical Background: I want to think of the book of Hebrews for a moment tonight as a sort of “product review” the author is going to argue - Whatever else stands in comparison to Him, Jesus is better. You see in the book of Hebrews, the word “better” is the theme of the book. The people that the author was writing to had come out of Judaism - the Jewish religion - and they were tempted to go back to it. The author of Hebrews says there is nothing to go back to - Jesus is Better. He urges them to move forward and grow in their faith. In Hebrews 11 he highlights the faith of those who had gone before and urges his readers to follow their example.

Biblical Content - Let’s look at a few verses from Hebrews this evening. Hebrews 11:23-27

Hebrews 11:23–27 ESV

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Bridge - What if the book of Hebrews were written today - To us in 21st Century America. Most of us did not come from a Jewish background - so we don’t struggle with returning to that - but what would he, write to us that Jesus was better than?

Would he say that Jesus is better than Buddhism or Islam or Hinduism?

I think perhaps he would hit at our culture a little harder. Most of us in this room didn’t come out of religions like that - and we aren’t tempted to go back and serve them. Before we were saved, most of served some God’s that looked a little different - and the temptation to return to them is still there.

So this evening, I want to talk about this idea - “Jesus is better than….”

As we read this passage in Hebrews regarding Moses, I think it paints a clear picture of some of the gods in our own culture and how Jesus is better.

Before we get started, let’s give you some background on this guy Moses. If you don’t remember the story you can go home and read it in Exodus 2. But here’s the just of it:

The people of Israel were slaves in Egypt and the King of Egypt didn’t like the way their population was growing. So he commands that every boy born to a Hebrew must be thrown into the river to drown. He doesn’t want their male population growing strong and overthrowing him.

Moses parents give birth to a baby boy and name him moses and the Bible says that they saw there was something special about this baby boy - so they hid him. When they could hid him no longer they made a basket and placed Moses in it and floated him out onto the Nile River.

Pharaoh - the King - His daughter comes down the Nile to Bathe and ends up finding the baby. She takes him in as her own and he becomes a grandson to the King of Egypt. In an interesting twist Pharaoh’s daughter allows Moses’ actual mother to nurse the Baby for her and she pays her to do it.

So here we have Moses now - Raised in the household of the King of all of Egypt. This is the dream of every little boy and every little girl - to be a Prince or a Princess. He’s got access to money, educational opportunities, women, power, food, and pleasure that surpassed just about anyone of that time - and he walks away from all of it! Why?

Jesus is better than Wealth - Hebrews 11:26 - 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

He looked at and saw all the treasures of Egypt and decided that it would be better to serve God.

From a worldly standpoint, his decision looks crazy, but from a spiritual standpoint, Moses is a smart man.

We live in a culture that idolizes money. It can become easy for us as Christians to do the same.

We begin to say things like, “If I just had more money, I would be happy.”

We can, even as Christians, begin to look to money to make us secure and complete.

The Bible tells us here that Moses walked away from all of those things because serving God was better.

If Money brought real and lasting happiness why are so many rich people depressed and so many poor people happy?

Illustration: I remember on my first missions trip coming in contact with people who had nothing but Jesus and they were fulfilled and happy!

Does this mean that money is bad?

NO! Money itself has no moral value - it’s just a tool.

But when we begin to look to this tool for our salvation and security instead of Jesus, we have a problem.

It’s a tool that must be used in the right way. Here’s just a few thoughts regarding money and why Jesus is better:

When you love money, you never have enough

When you worship money it becomes addictive - It’s like a drug - and one hit is never enough.

Illustration - I was watching a show one night with my wife called “intervention” where they follow these people who are heavily addicted to drugs. They have an “intervention” to try and save them. But you would watch at the beginning of the show as these people would do anything for their drugs - many of them were robbing from their families, neglecting their children, etc. In one particular case a girl had a father who was ill - like could die- ill. And she snuck into his room while he was sleeping and stole his medicine.

Many people do the same thing with money. How many parents neglect their kids for more money? How many people rob and cheat and steal all for more money?

How many Christians slowly stop attending Church, serving Jesus, and loving God, all because of the allure of more money?

One day your money will leave you or you will leave it

Everyone’s going to die - and you can’t take your money with you!

All it takes is one layoff or a bad day on the stock market - and all your money and security is gone!

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother He is always with you When you die you don’t lose him - you just grow closer to him.

Moses understood one important thing - Wealth is temporary - But when you serve God, his reward is eternal.

He wasn’t stupid - He made a wise Choice - he traded something that couldn’t last for something that can never fade!

Jesus is better than Power or Fame - Hebrews 11:24 - 24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

The author of Hebrews tells us here that Moses gives up his title, his prestige, and his position. He refuses it.

He understood that serving God was more important than any amount of fame or power the world could offer him!

He willingly gives up his title and all the power and prestige that comes with it. If fame and power really brought lasting peace, why do so many famous people commit suicide? Why are so many strung out on drugs?

Why do so many have deep problems and addictions?

Illustration - I grew up in Memphis, TN and if you know anything about that place you know that this is the home of Elvis Presley. For those of you who may not know, Elvis grew up Assembly of God. I have friends who grew up with him and went to Church with him at First Assembly in Memphis. One of those Friends was about the same age as Elvis and they would go to Sunday school class together. My friends dad would taught the class - and they remember when Elvis started missing Sunday school because he began playing and singing around Memphis on Saturday nights and he would be out too late and couldn’t get up in the morning. It was a gradual decline. He didn’t just decide one day that he wasn’t going to church any longer or serve God any longer - it was a slow decline because he wanted fame and fortune and success. He got the fame, fortune, and success that he wanted - but at what cost?

I often wonder - when we look at men like him and we see their life and we say things like, “What a great life. Look at all he achieved” - I often wonder when we get to heaven and we have some perspective how much our opinion of such men will change.

Power and fame will not bring you peace - Jesus is better because Jesus brings lasting peace.

The Music and entrainment industry are littered with people who began in Church singing praises to God - and they walked away so that they could be “Successful” - but at the end of the day success doesn’t bring peace or happiness and at the end of your life your power or fame isn’t going to matter. What will matter is what your relationship with God.

Moses understood that His title and his pedigree didn’t really matter - He traded what really didn’t matter for something that will matter for eternity!

Jesus is better than Pleasure - Hebrews 11:25 - He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

This word pleasure here isn’t just sensual stuff

Imagine all the fun you could have as the grandson of the king! The vacations, the food, the people you get to meet, the women you could impress, on and on we could go.

He would be having all this fun while the Hebrews were outside his door suffering unjustly.

He made a decision that this wasn’t right - He knew that eventually all the pleasure would run and be empty - but honoring God is what would last.

We live in a world that often serves the God of “If it feels good do it.”

This is dangerous for many reasons The Bible never once tells us to follow our feelings - it tells us to listen to the voice of the Lord!

Think about how often people say things like -

I did it because I felt like it. It just feels right, how can it be wrong?

You need to do whatever you can just make yourself happy We live in a culture that idolizes pleasure

We go in to debt for pleasure

We see that new item at the store we just have to have - so we rack up the credit card debt just to get it - knowing that we can’t afford it.

People risk their marriages and families for one night of pleasure

We risk our health and overeat for pleasure

Everything is excessive and if it feels good you need to do it! Is our mantra.

And the reverse of that - IF IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD, IGNORE IT, SUPPRESS IT, FORGET IT!

Jesus wants to give you deeper joy and pleasure in life then you will ever experience anywhere else.

Jesus offers you log-term solutions while you and I continue to search for the next short-term fix.

Jesus offers real peace and sin offers temporary peace! Moses understood that sin is fun for a little while - But long-term Jesus is better.

Illustration - There was a study done of Children where they brought them in and set them down in a room and gave them a cookie - they told them they could eat the cookie now or wait until the researcher came back. If they waited until he researcher came back, they would get two cookies. They then left the room and watched to see what the kids would do. Some of them ate the first cookie immediately. Others tried to wait and couldn’t. Others waited the whole time - the ones that waited they looked at later on in life and they were more successful -

The lesson - Sin says I want it now. The future doesn’t matter - it’s all about fun now. We often trade real peace, real joy, and a lasting fulfillment for one moment of fun or pleasure.

He was trading temporary fun for eternal peace and joy.

Conclusion

Jesus is better - He’s better than wealth, he’s better than power, he’s better than pleasure.

Jeremiah 10:1-5

Moses traded gods he would have to carry, for a God that would carry Him!

This morning you may have notice another theme - Between long-term solutions and short-term ones. Money, fame, pleasure - are all fun and satisfy for a little while - but the real peace you’re searching for is only found in Jesus. Why not make the right decision this morning - and stop putting bandaid on your life and let’s really fix it. Stop with the temporary fixes and let’s find a real solution to your problems. Let’s get a real solution to the emptiness you feel inside.