"5 For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?
6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7 And of the angels He says,
“Who makes His angels winds,
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
11 They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will become old like a garment,
12 And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Welcome to worship this Lord's Day! We
are so thankful to have our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ with
us today, thank you for joining us, we are so glad that you're here.
I believe that there is an unhealthy fascination with angels among many Christians today. There are some, who even go so far as
to deify the angels and worship them. Yet, clearly tells us, angels are never to be
worshiped. Our focus must always be on the Lord Jesus Christ for God has
given His Son, a more excellent name than that of the angels. The Bible teaches of their existence, and certainly many believers have benefited from their ministry. Angels are God's special messengers, who worship the Son and do His bidding. Angels minister to the heirs of salvation.
Angels are rather a hot topic in our world today. If you were to do a search of the
Internet, for articles relating to angels, you find more than 600,000,000 of them. Obviously I do not have time to investigate what each of those websites had to say about angels, or I'd still be reading them. However, this much I do know,
that while the subject of angels may be an intriguing one, it is one of which most people are largely ignorant.
Most people base their knowledge of angels on a movie or television show written to appeal to the broadest possible audience and
to offend no one. The premise of most of these show is that God loves you and allow me to say, that
is true. However, many of them also suggests the idea that it does not matter what you
believe. There is certainly nothing wrong with collecting angels figurines as long as they remain just figurines. We are not to worship them!
Angels are supernatural creatures, who were created by God, even before the creation of
the world. Before the creation of man, the angels existed; for
when the foundations of the world were laid, the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.Angels can be the swiftest of rescuers, as well as the fiercest of warriors.
However, I believe what should be obvious, is that by providing sound doctrinal instruction concerning
the Person of Christ, we will equip
the saints for a godly life, enabling them to answer those who would question
whether Jesus is God in human flesh. Furthermore, providing the teaching
of the Word concerning Who Christ is, will perhaps open the heart of
many unbelievers to look to the Savior and therefore, they will be saved. I believe that such teaching is a good and necessary practice.
The message of the angel is that this is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, this is a very, very powerful portion of Scripture. Allow me remind you of the opening verses: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son. whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." We need to understand, that this introduces Christ as the
ultimate Prophet, whose revelation transcends that of the Old Testament
prophets. This prophet is the heir of all things, He is the one Who indeed, created the world.
It is important that we understand, that He is also the one who best reveals God because He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His very nature. He is the Prophet who revealed God, because He is God. He is the Priest
who reconciled to God by providing a satisfactory sacrifice on behalf of
His people. And He is the King who reigns with God. He is God.
Let us bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Father, we are so grateful for Your Word. You ordained by Your Holy Spirit. Lord, we pray that You would seal these truths to every heart, that they may
they understand that Jesus Christ the preeminent One, the perfect
Prophet, Priest, and King, is the Living Savior. He is the only Savior. Father, we pray that no one who hears this, message, would not harden their heart to the truth and suffer the judgment that is to come. Lord, we pray for those who do not yet believe, even those within my own family, that today might well be that day, that they to would no longer deny the gospel, and would receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.Father, I pray that You will continue to use me, so that the gospel will continue to go forth, and many, many more will hear the truth about Christ.
In His name we pray
Amen
Today's Message: The Essence of God
The angels are servants, while Jesus is the Son of God. To be a son in a family
is far greater, far more superior than being a servant. The Lord Jesus Christ is the unique, only Son of
God. As a footnote, I'd like you to notice the number of times He is called "Son" in this chapter. The whole epistle of Hebrews is a presentation to the Jewish people, as indicated by its title, of the preeminence of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The whole point of this entire book of thirteen
chapters is to show how Jesus is preeminent, how He is superior to
everyone who has ever lived or will ever live.
The obvious intention of the writer of this epistle is this; he is going to validate the Son of
God by making sure you understand His relationship to angels. He is far
better than angels, and He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Furthermore, angels are worshipers, the Son of God, is the object of their
worship. The object of our worship is the One Who is greater than
ourselves. The angels worship Christ Who is greater than the they. The writer wants you to understand magnitude of this very powerful truth. God has given His Son a more excellent name, higher than any name in all of
creation. And, since God has given Jesus a more excellent name than any other
name, including even the angels, we must yield our lives to His Lordship.
The author of Hebrews, had written this letter to believers who were being tempted to compromise their beliefs. If they
would just agree that Jesus was merely an angel, perhaps even the greatest of
angels, but not God, they would be accepted back into the synagogue.
Despite any distortion of the Word by charlatans who deliberately
deceive the thoughtless, or even by those who would unwittingly
deceive the unwary, what I believe is abundantly evident from our text is that God
does speak. I'd like you to mark this truth in your minds; God has spoken!
This is not
just some trivial acknowledgement, some pious admission; this is an
absolute affirmation of confidence in what is written in the text and elsewhere
throughout the Word of God. God has spoken, and He has spoken through
the written Word, throughout the pages of your Bible.
The writer is looking back to the writings
that today, we commonly identify as being the Old Testament. He is acknowledging that God
communicated to man through the prophets. The fathers, those forebears to whom
the Jewish people looked as progenitors of the race, who had delivered the
written Word as the very Words of the Living God. Those of us who now read the
Bible, the words that have been written down and received as the Old
Testament and the New Testament, are reading what God the Father has
given. We are reading the very words of God. There is no need to seek
further revelation; we have the revealed mind of God which is ours in
the Bible.
The Apostle Peter said, in II Peter 1:16-21, "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
However, even if God had never given His Word, He would have been heard! In
Psalm 19:1-4, David wrote, "
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun."
I am certain that most of you are familiar with the argument that the Apostle Paul makes in the opening words of his Letter to Roman Christians. No need for you to turn there, I'll just read it to you, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
I would think that it would evident to everyone, there is a God, if only by looking at the world around us. It is perplexing to me, that anyone, would find themselves actually
believing that this world, and some complex interchange of life and
environment simply just appeared. That this world, and all of creation is by some accident, and that you and I, have no purpose other than
serving as mere filler for a demigod called "nature." It is unthinkable to me, that anyone can believe, that we are no more
essential to this world than is a bird or a mouse. I just cannot imagine
anyone thinking that! Yet, there are some, who indeed, believe such ineffable deception.
Open your Bibles with me if you would to the book of Hebrews chapter 1, as we continue in our study of this wonderfully rich epistle, we will attempt to finish this first chapter, however, I am never certain as to just how far we will get, as we must allow the Holy Spirit to speak, and guide us through each message. But we will try.
I would encourage you to follow along with me as I read to you from our text, Hebrews 1:5-14. "For to which of the angels did He ever say,“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?
And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
And of the angels He says,
“Who makes His angels winds,
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will become old like a garment,And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”
But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"
Wherever Christians gather, you will often hear some earnest soul
assert that, "The Lord spoke to me," or at least some variation of that. Obviously, an individual making such a statement is likely claiming to have received a
message from God, and they no doubt feel they must share what they have heard. I
am hopeful that the majority of believers, who make such an assertion, are implying
nothing more than that for the first time they have recognized some
truth through carefully study the Scriptures. Tragically,however, this is not always
the case. It is beyond reasonable conclusion, to think that anyone can discover some "new" revelation from
reading the Word.
We can therefore, discount any expectation that anything new
will be learned from our own reading of Word. I believe, that the old adage still
prevails: "If it is new; it isn’t true. If it is true; it isn’t new." However, allow me to again say, it may well be new information to that particular believer, as revealed to them by God. God certainly reveals more of Himself through His Word to each of us, at times of His own choosing. I believe that its safe to say, that we have all experienced that, at least to some degree.
I would hope that they were implying that they were dependent upon the Lord
for whatever they faced, that they were seeking His will as they make
important decisions. However, there are some who actually mean to imply that God
has spoken in some audible manner, directly to them.. It is these individuals who likely wish to
convey the sense that they have some supernatural ability or capacity, in order to actually receive
direct, specific communication from God. However, what is often obvious from
such souls is that they actually believe their message is mandatory for
fellow worshipers. Allow me to share a word of caution, that any such impression is not a definite
word from God. God has spoken audibly in the past; and it is certainly within His capability, however, we know from the Holy Scriptures, it is clearly the
exception and not the rule.
God frequently speaks through creation, that no one may say they do not
know He exists or that they cannot know of His mercy and grace. However,
it is through His Word that God has chosen to communicate with mankind.
Through the Word of God, the Lord God continuously communicates with
His creation, mankind so that we are without excuse! Allow me to assure you, that in no uncertain terms, God does still speak today through His Word. And, I would like to urge every Christian to hear what God says. Whenever you hear the Word proclaimed aloud, whenever you hear the declaration of God's Word, He will speak to your soul.
In verse 5, the author of Hebrews quotes two Old Testaments passages to show that Jesus also has been given the title "Son of God," however, in His case His Authority fair exceeds that of the angels. The first citation is from Psalm 2:7 and the second is from II Samuel 7:14. The passage in II Samuel is so important to understanding Who Jesus is that I think we should read it for ourselves. "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."
In this prophecy, David is being told that he will have a Greater Son, whose kingdom will last forever. At first glace, it appeared that Solomon might be the anticipated "Greater Son," however, his sinfulness proved otherwise and his kingdom surely did not last. What then follows, is one failure after another of the kings of Judah. The final failure was the Babylonian exile. All of this taught the people to look for a coming Messiah to come from the "fallen tent of David."
In verses 6-7, "And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says, "Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire." The angels, in their majesty, are so glorious you would be tempted to worship them if you saw one.
In fact, I am sure you will recall, that in Revelation 19, the Apostle John is granted access to heaven in a vision. It was there he encounters an angel, in verse 10, he describes what happened; "Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
While it is true, that the angels have the ability to veil their glory, in Hebrews 13:2, we're told even to the point that it is possible to entertain an angel in your home and be completely unaware of it. However, we must never forget that even in their unveiled state, they are breathtakingly glorious. However, even these glorious beings bow down in worship when the Son of God came into this world, therefore, validating that Jesus is Superior.
The author of Hebrews turns to another truth we often forget about angels, as we'll discover in the next six verses, in order to teach us an even greater truth about Jesus. And that is, that two of the most powerful forces know to man, are wind and fire. Consider for a moment, just how much of our media’s attention has been devoted to the destructive power of wind and fire that last several decades. The winds of hurricanes Harvey, Erma, Maria, and the devastating wildfires of California in the west.
In fact, according to verse 8, this is the type of power angel’s have. I want you to understand why it is so dangerous to treat angels disrespectfully. They can quite literally "blow you away!" Yet, for all of their power, Jesus is more powerful!
In verse 8,But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." We clearly see, that Jesus is called "God."
For those who would question the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus, please carefully consider this verse! This is no other way to interpret this verse! "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever"
And, just in case
this is not enough, the author of Hebrews, also quotes Psalm 102 to remind us that Jesus not only created the universe, but He will outlast it! "Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same,And Your years will not come to an end." Soon, Jesus is going to roll up this present universe, cast it off like an old garment and replace it with a New Heaven and New Earth!
In verse 9, we see the angels are the servants of God and the servants of the Son of God,
and the Son is God. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. His scepter means
that He will reign in the eternal kingdom. He is the one who, as God,
is perfect, "You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions. " Beloved, it is here that we see the anointed statement!
He is sinless, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, He loves righteousness, He hates lawlessness. These are two inseparable truths, Christ’s deity is established, this is the perfection of the Anointed One.
Verses 11-12, refer back to
Psalm 102 again, "
They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end."
Then in verse 13, the writer refers to
Psalm 110:1, which says "
The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." Never has that been said to an angel. They have never been exalted so high, to the majestic throne. Verse 14, explains why, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"
In Closing..
Beloved, it is not our guardian angels whom we should trust to protect us from the forces of darkness, but our Lord, our Warrior King Jesus Christ, will never cease to defend us! Jesus won the decisive victory on the cross. In in Colossians 2:15, Paul says "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him."
I would like to leave you with these words from
Hebrews 2:1-4, to meditate on,
"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
It is my prayer that if you do not know Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior, you will do so today, that you will heed the warnings to come to Christ.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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