Living Truth Today
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Opening prayer, dedication
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#66 To God Be the Glory (1,2)
#101 His Name is Wonderful
In the Hands of Christ My King
Word of God - Hebrews 2:5-9
Message: “Living Truth Today”
As we continue our study of Hebrews today, I want us to think about “truth”
What is “truth”?
How do we define truth and how do we live in a way that demonstrates truth?
There is one word that is so very powerful for the living of our lives, and it occurs at the very beginning of our text in Hebrews 2:5
The word we see as “for”
The word used is actually “gar” which means “because” or “for (this reason)”
Much like the “therefore” that I always say we need to know what the “therefore is there for”
We need to know what this conjunction “gar” or “because” is connected with or to
In fact, “Gar” or because is directly related to the title of our message today, “Living Truth Today”
Scholars disagree on how far back the connection goes
It is clear to me that the answer is clearly stated next couple verses (Heb. 2:6-8) which are a reference back to Psalm 8:4-6
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
Suffice it to say that it is because of the argument of the previous section which talks about the Supremacy of Christ as a whole
Because Jesus was more than an angel
Because Jesus became less than an angel
And Because Jesus is NOW more than an angel again
All of this is connected then, to the rest of verse 5, which says Hebrews 2:5
5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
Because of the supremacy of Jesus, God made all things subject to, or under the authority of, Jesus
The question for us today is what does this truth mean for the living of our lives today
The first point I would make is that every story has a timeline
In this case, something happened before the author of Hebrews wrote this passage
And something would happen after the author wrote
We are currently living in what the author referred to as “the world to come”
This is what it means to us
God subjected EVERYTHING that we know in our world today to the power of Jesus
That means there is NOTHING in your life that is not under the power and control of Jesus
There is nothing too big or too small to give over to Jesus’ control
In fact, that’s what Jesus is waiting for
Jesus literally wants us to submit to this truth and let Him lift these burdens from us
Takeaway
Everything is subject to Jesus
I would be wrong to stop there
It’s too superficial
The audience of this epistle, these Israelites were like us
They were looking for something better to come
They were looking for a homeland where their views would be accepted and the “norm”
14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Don’t we all want and look forward to a time and place where the “old has been set aside and the new has come?”
As Believers, we become a new person in Christ and want the same for others
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
In this new world or existence to come, that’s where Hebrews 2:8 (a) is truly seen
Hebrews 2:8 (ESV)
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
We look forward to a world and time when EVERYTHING is not only subject to Jesus’ desires and control
We look forward to everyone being fully submitted to Jesus,
or do we?
If we look forward to this time, why aren’t we personally living that way today?
Have YOU submitted all parts of your life to Jesus?
This is our second takeaway
Takeaway
Everything is Subject to Jesus
Fully Subject Yourself to Jesus
What does it mean to “Fully subject Yourself”?
The simple answer is found in Hebrews 2:8 where it says “nothing is outside His control”
Let me put this into the form of a question
What are you keeping control over?
Everything is either under Jesus’ control or not
Nothing is under joint control
“Is Jesus in control of your remote control?”
“Is Jesus in control of your tongue?”
Is Jesus in full control of your email and social media?
Is Jesus in control of your bank accounts?
Is Jesus in complete control of your thoughts?
A bit of truth, self-disclosure and hope
NONE of us are perfect in all these areas
I am not perfect in all of these areas
I want to draw your attention to Paul’s Second letter tot he Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
If we are truly and fully a new creation
Then we are no longer holding on to the past
Then we no longer hold a grudge
Have you ever heard the expression “new car smell”?
There is a unique smell that comes from a new car, especially a car with leather seats
I recall being at a car wash service years ago and seeing a little “dangly” to put on your mirror to give your car that “new car smell”
Does that little “dangly” make your car new?
No, masks the smell of the fries that escaped under your seat and the rotting apple or whatever
It’s fake-It covers up
That is where Believers are when they fail to fully submit or subject themselves to Jesus
They may appear to be good on the outside
But something is rotting away inside
And one day the smell will be obvious
So, as we claim to want the new better world to come
Are we being honest about our willingness to let go of those things that God wants to control?
I believe there are enemies to our full submission for all of us
I believe our peace in Christ will not be full and complete until we identify those areas and release them to god
I believe we do not even see ourselves fully, which is why it is not intentional sin
Look at 1 Corinthians 15:25
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
I believe we must identify those pieces of our lives that we have not turned over to Jesus’ control
We must treat these “holdouts” as enemies of our peace
and I believe that we must openly offer them to Jesus
Which is our acknowledgment that we are subject to Jesus
Where Hebrews 2:8 says that “nothing is outside [Jesus’] control”
This is a TRUTH of the Scripture for everyone
So, we must make sure that we live in that knowledge
It is a mark of our spiritual maturity when we identify these areas of our lives and release them to Jesus
Clearly, Hebrews tells us that we do NOT see everything now
Yet, we are to actively search for and find areas of hold-out and release them to God
Understanding this message titled, “Living Truth Today” requires understanding that Hebrews 2:9 is foundational for appreciating the Gospel
9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
To fully understand and appreciate the gift of God’s Grace and us being saved from the eternal price for our sins
We must know the entirety of what Jesus did for each of us
You see, if we are capable of being “good enough “ to get into Heaven on our own
Then, we don’t need a Savior
If we aren’t sinners
Then, we don’t need a Savior
If we can “earn” our way into Heaven by good works
Then, we don’t need grace and we don’t need a Savior
In fact, if any of that stuff was true
Then Jesus suffered and died for NO reason at all
I’ll put it simply in the form of our third takeaway
Takeaway
Everything is subject to Jesus
Fully Subject Yourself to Jesus
God’s Word is true
We lived in a confused culture
a culture that has embraced the concept that truth is relative
Where what is true for you may not be true for others
Where what is legal and moral for one does not apply to another
Straight from the headlines
Stealing is okay, if it’s not too much
Destroying property of others is okay if you are making an important point
You are free to have your own opinion as long as you don’t share it with anyone who disagrees
Your gender or sex can change with your thoughts, feelings or mood
These are all examples of how the culture has allowed us to distort what should be binary
Things that either are or are not
Isn’t it weird that we live in a digital culture
where all the computers understand only “1’s” and “zero’s”
We call it “binary”
Yet the culture teaches that there is no “absolute truth”
I guess except that we should all be subjects to the little-g god of ones and zeros
If we do not stand firmly that ALL of God’s Word is true
Then everyone can pick apart the Word of God and use it however they want
Maybe then there is no rule
to not steal if you need whatever you tool
to not commit murder if they made you mad
to not commit adultery if the other person was mean or “hot”
And if we can pick our own rules
Maybe Jesus didn’t pay the price for all sinners who would repent
Maybe only those who were circumcised on YouTube are “really” saved
That is NOT the world as it truly exists, right?
5 Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
This is how we will live, knowing that God’s Word is truth
We will learn God’s Word together and live it out as the truth that we know
We will be sanctified or set apart just as John 17:17 promises
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Since God’s Word is fully true
then we know that as our first Takeaway says, all things are subject to Jesus’ control
And for Believers, our 4th Takeaway should be how we “live in Truth”
Takeaway
Everything is Subject to Jesus
Fully Subject Yourself to Jesus
God’s Word is true
Live by God’s Word
Because we know that Jesus truly
Came from Heaven to save us
Jesus truly died on the cross for each of us
Jesus was truly resurrected for each of us
Jesus truly is ready for us to submit every corner of our lives to His full control
All for the Glory of God
AMEN
Closing Hymn/Invitation:
#342 Just As I Am (1,3,5)
Pastoral prayer/Benediction