Sermon Tone Analysis

What do you have goin?

“To whom or what should we listen in order to find out what to believe and how to order our lives?”

Some answer the question by turning to the occult.

Psychic hotlines, a joke just a few years ago in comedy routines, now rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars from those who call the appropriate 900 numbers.

Most bookstores have extensive sections on “New Age” and “Easter Religion.”

To many, however, this spirituality abandons any notion of authority or self-authentication.

Others look to science as the savior of humanity.

Science will save us from cancers and (diseases), we pray, and eventually will unlock the mysteries of the universe.

Still others look to religious leaders or gurus who interpret God and reality for them.

Even within the Christian church confusion exists over the nature and authority of Scripture and the nature and authority held by church leadership.

Some of you may be saying, say, I like my horoscopes, or my scientific reasoning, or whatever it is?

Kids do you believe in Santa Claus?

What do you have goin?

The message here of the book of Hebrews is not to slam all of these things per say, but simply say, you know what.

Jesus is Better, he is a better way.

What did his Audience have Goin?

Jewish Christians who were feeling the pressure to give up on Jesus and return to Judaism.

Throughout the Book the Author of Hebrews wants his audience to know, that Judaism without Jesus is insufficient.

He is going to tackle Judaism’s focus on Angels, on Moses, on Priests, on Sacrifice, On the Temple, and say, all of these things are good, but they aren’t better than Jesus.

They have a purpose, and that is to point to the better thing, which is Jesus.

So, some things you have goin, are not worth doing, because something better is here, some things maybe not stop, but know that it has a role in pointing you to what is Better, that is Jesus, or some things actually point us away from Jesus.

Jesus is better than anything you have goin?

-Jesus is Better because he is very nature God.

To see Jesus is to see God.

-Jesus is better than the Angels because He is God’s only begotten Son.

-Jesus is better than the Angels because the Angels worship Him.

-The Angels take Commands from God and their purpose is to give glory to God, Jesus gives the commands and is the glory of God.

-None of the Angels were a part of creating everything.

-None of the Angels were given the task of defeating Evil and have all authority in Heaven and Earth.

(God’s enemies)

So in Judaism there was a fascination with Angels, and in Gnostic Christianity there was as well - a desire to know the hierarchy of Angels as a special knowledge that helped to save someone.

The Author says, well don’t stop believing in Angels, they are real, but who are Angels really?

They are servants sent by God for the sake of those who inherit salvation.

The are created beings to serve God, and point people to Jesus.

Jesus is God who sends the Angels who point us to Him.

This Christmas where is your focus, what do you have going.

Science - God’s servant to help us explore his creation that he created through Jesus.

Test the Spirits of this age.

- So for example, the Angels that announced Jesus’ birth sent the Shepherds to Jesus who came in the flesh.

- The Astronomy/Astrology of the Magi, brought them to see and worship King Jesus in the flesh.

- Any spiritual beings or Astrology that wants to guide your life or tell you who you are apart from Jesus, and does not point you to Jesus is false.

- Really the simple Answer is this.

Jesus is the best revelation of God.

If you want to know God, if you want to know who you are to God, if you want real guidance in life.

Go to the manger, go to the cross, go to the resurrected Jesus.

He is better than anything else you have goin.

Conclusion: