Christ Superiority Over Angels (Part A)

Is more to Jesus Christ and the Jesus aren't we glad that is so so the only uncreated one straight from the father not made but made visible to see the distinction Christ is God made visible. The look of a been with you so long did not know that he was seen me has seen the father put those words in the mouth of anybody else you've got blast from this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Hebrews chapter 1 as he begins a new study called Christ's superiority over angels. Hebrews chapter 1 Hebrews chapter 1 will take verses five through the end which is 14 or to which of the angels did he ever say you are my son today. I've gotten you again.

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world. He says let all the angels of God worship him and of the angels.

He says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire, but to the son he says your throne of God is for ever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions and you Lord in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth and heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish with you. Remain, they will all grow old like a garment like a cloak you will fold them up. They will be changed, but you are the same in your years will not fail to which of the angels has he ever said sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. This section of Scripture has to do with Christ being superior over the angels. We have a critical introduction before we begin to open the text role of the pastor is not only to teach the word from the pulpit but is to share and point out whatever God has shared, and point out the context of of what he is going to be discussing this morning we are discussing the superiority of Christ. It is a critical doctrine. It is an essential doctrine still the focus of our taxes on Christ is deity from the Scripture. Now when we say his deity remains at the did means that he is God is God the son, and hopefully I can point out why we get tripped up with that sometimes or made may have some doubts or shadows of Delta why others may get tripped up by what it is very important. As I mentioned an essential doctrine now an essential doctrine is something we will divide over nonessentials. We know we know what color you paint the church is get a steeple, not those of nonessentials, but an essential doctrine is something that we will not budge on. It's clearly taught in Scripture to embraced those who disagree depart from the faith.

That's how we as Christians see it so to reject Christ is deity or to add another to the deity see a Christ is God the son, but also some other created being, is also God is civil. Who does that those who pray to Mary do that. For example, those who pray to Simon Peter, for example, these things are forbidden in Scripture to reject the deity of Christ is to not be a Christian that is critical doctrine to put any created being on the level of Jesus demands that we reject that and if given the chance and grace. We corrected it is again your reconcilable and ear irreconcilable difference of opinion about what the Bible says and we must depart for many church that departs from this truth or excuses it in others. Christ, he comes to us with shouts of grace which is more significant because of who he is. I can come to you with shouts of grace, but I can't take away your guilt, he can, he can say I know your sin. I know you fallen short. I know you fail, but I love you the power you will enjoy for all eternity. I can't do that you cannot do that, but he does do it, especially those of you who love the Lord and laden with guilt.

He will never leave you nor forsake you. He always has grace where I sitting in a church and heard the preacher reject the deity of Christ.

I would not be doggone.

I'd be long gone instantly.

I would get up and leave and knock the dust off my feet and why Christians do not do that.

I can only suggest maybe they're not Christians that's why this passage of Scripture is going up pile drive this truth home a piledriving you know that's a you you want to put a structure up at the ground is too soft to support the structure. If you just build it it it will start sinking so you drive piles down you drive these holes or pipes you could say holes and then fill the pipe for concrete auto however you want to do it what you put still sonic youth till they go down deep enough to hit bedrock or some some soil that is strong enough to support structure. If you ever heard of piledriver work, especially in Manhattan, for example, where the bedrock is hundreds of feet down they drive those piles all day long. He gets in your head. Here it is you gonna subway it had piledriver banging away. That's what this passage of Scripture. This section of Scripture going to do with the truth of Jesus Christ going to drive it drive it drive it if you don't get it. You had it when it comes to judgment.

If you leave this world rejecting his deity. Now I've got a back this up with scripture as does the writer of Hebrews backs up everything he says would Scripture Ephesians 5 have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Maybe I have a family member who I love care about that. They do not accept that Christ is God the son, and there is no human being or angel created being near equal to him anymore than they are equal with the father then II can still live with them course.

Love them but I cannot fellowship in the faith with them. I can pray for them that I am not going to pray with them will bring with them to. When I bring to the same God, I can't join hands and pray with a Hindu or a Mormon or any other false faith as I see it was a Christian brother who accepts the essential doctrine Christian sister. Of course I can pray with them. They think Christians don't get that in the All-Star yard that we know we should all get along is really no sin in the world or something, no there there is big sin in the world and we are at war with that sin and we cannot pretend that calls for anything less than truth. Christianity is not the pursuit of truth is the realization of truth. Going forward is that the quest for truth with God in Jesus that I am the way the truth and lie.

We have them.

John, in writing his second letter he had this problem with a group called the Gnostics they were going around trying to undo the believer's faith in who Jesus is and declares himself to be and this is what John said this, I want you to treat those boys. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ. That's what we're talking about. That's what John is talking about is does not have God deal abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son reported Simon equal platform with God Almighty, the father because he is the son he says if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine do not receive him in your house nor greet him and I have to pause there, the Jehovah's Witnesses show up and they want to debate and argue and when you over.

Do you let them in your house. Yes, if you going to deal with them if you going to straighten them out, but you do not let them in if you going to be buddy with them and because you have mono ports shivering, which we could go in the house so I could stare Christ is at the point John is making on in those days talking about the churches that met in houses you don't bring these people into the flock so they can destroy the sheep like ravenous wolves.

You point them out and identify them and you keep your distance.

He then says in second John verse 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil nullity mean by this. Deuteronomy 23 six, Jews were entering into the land of Canaan to keep their distance from those who worshiped idols.

He says you shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever is a curse upon them is a curse on them. You bring them the light we can do that we can love them. But when it comes to spiritual matters. We are distinct and be very clear about Revelation 18, four and I heard of another voice from heaven saying come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins less you receive her plagues with God's very serious about separation being distinct and so we who believe cannot lose sight of that and now we look at the fifth verse, understanding are I've given this introduction because this is where the writer is going is going to insist to his audience that there is no one like Christ and he starts with the Angels. He will occupied the remainder of this chapter, and much of the next chapter because the Jews had a problem they really thought that the angels were near to you normals one step to God. They held them in such high esteem.

He has to deal with this and this foundation to everything else is going to say throughout this Hebrew document so he starts off to for to which of the angels did he ever say you are my son answer real quick non-none. Not one according to the Scripture. Scripture alone is our authority. What we believe spiritual things.

For if you want to go, by closing want to buy a brown belt or black belt and you don't need to Scripture to help you. There, but how we shall live and what we shall believe about the unseen and seeing universe, how we shall behave what God expects from us.

We come to the Scripture, that is our sole source of authority and the Angels.

They do not have this status as son.

This single verse in the is will throughout this the rest of this chapter demolishes the Mormon teaching that Jesus is somehow an angel created being his superiority to all is what this Hebrew letter is insisting upon as has the Gospels as has Paul's writings and Peter's and all of those in the New Testament establishes this truth with no less than seven Old Testament quotations of Scripture. It's the word he's going to again something that many who claim Christ are afraid of their freight of the Scripture. Evidently do not want to come under its authority. They just want to receive its its benefits was going to talk about the relationship of God to the sun, which the Angels do not have the superiority over angels. Of course, and the sharing of the of the throne of God. None of the Angels get that no human being gets this.

He says you are my son. Now the Jews understood that Jesus said that he was God when he walked the earth. They were so sure that he claimed to be equal with God the father that they were going to kill him for John's gospel chapter 5 verse 18, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. How is it that the Jehovah witnesses can't see that there come to you and those safe will he never said he was garbled the Jews that he did and they were so sure they were going to kill him. As I mentioned at the start, it's clear he did claim this.

There are no degrees in deity. This not God first class God second-class God, third class the Godhead there equal three distinct persons not three distinct God's not three different gods one God in three personalities all belonging to one. So here he quotes Psalm two, which is the song that says Messiah would deal with his enemies, but this portion he says Yahweh has said to me you are my son, today I have begotten you.

So the writer of Hebrews writing to the Jews were confused about their faith is trying to straighten them out on this instrument, he got upset.

He says, to which of the Angels has Yahweh ever said this only to a son is not done with it today have begotten you. He continues in verse five. This is in his role as incarnate Messiah.

And if you miss that. Then you start getting shadows and confused about why does the Bible seem to refer to Jesus as less than equal with God in some sections and then other sections as in right equal with God. We discussed this last session. One reason the main reason is the Bible is presenting the Messiah. We know to be Jesus in his role as Messiah and his humanity, but it never loses sight. Also of his eternal deity. He was God the son, long before he came through a virgin and became the Jesus who walked in Nazareth. There's a bunch more to him is more to Jesus Christ than the Jesus who walked the earth.

Aren't we glad that is so so the only uncreated one straight from the father not made but made visible to see the distinction Christ is God made visible. Philip ever been with you so long if not known, he was seen me has seen the father put those words in the mouth of anybody else you've got blasphemy.

Mary couldn't say that none of the Angels could ever say that Paul could not say that only only this, begotten son as God.

Jesus himself well let me put it this way as man in the role of Messiah. He worshiped and adhered to his father in heaven. But as God, he is worshiped. We understand that when he became human. He laid aside his sovereignty she would never allow them to crucify, but he never laid aside his deity. He was always God and so is a man, he worshiped the father publicly and privately, and he grew out in his humanity's role as Messiah into his sense of deity right before our eyes. So, in the latter days toward the crucifixion we have him making it clearer and clearer to to us through the Scripture. And so God does not want us as the writer of Hebrews did not want his audience to trust the instinct to our instincts or our feelings or our intellect, our ability to study and deduce into reason is not enough is gotta be something above those things.

Something has to bring those things in order. That is the Scripture.

And if you say well that's not so then you follow the pattern of all the cults. All the false religions of the world. They just insist upon what they believe will someone told me I'm a spiritual feature to back it up to support it. Peter said we got prophecy we can support it again. He lives look over at Israel and is this prophecy fulfilled right from your eyes. No one else has these things and that's not the only one we have. So we believe because God has declared these things in his word Paul when he was preaching looking to make converts to Jesus Christ, he says, as it is also written in the second Psalm, you are my son today have begotten you.

And so there it is being used elsewhere, the same way. The point to Christ to get the folks to understand that God came in in human form is humanity's role as Messiah but he is God Almighty, the son he says again at the bottom of verse five and again I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son's exclusive relationship is already scalding second Samuel 14. I will be his father and he should be son. As I mentioned the writers not think of his audience.

I want his reason with you proves that are too big to refute is doing that, but what he is saying is, and they come from Scripture, and that is our authority.

You either yield to the authority of Scripture or you fall under the judgment in your heart. Now ways.

You know what we were going to stumble. We don't agree with the things we do wrong. That's what.also just determined that we are Christians we hate the longer we do because we love the Christ who saved us world can have other motives for hating their wrongs not the same thing we are again to maintain this degree of distinction. That's with the word Christian comes from where like Christ was separated, the Jews were hated before us from before being distinct they did to this day for being distinct in their worship and their adherence to their understanding of the Scripture verse six but when he again brings the firstborn into the world. He says that all the angels of God worship him. We clearly told it is to be worship. Worship is not to be extended to any created being.

How do you reconcile this with the first commandment thou shall have no other gods before me.

Clearly he is a God, not a God. As I mentioned in three different gods, but he clearly he is God the son.

Otherwise he could not be worshiped. The firstborn here is this again is where we often get to living. Why is he firstborn of his God. God is eternal firstborn in order of coming into this world with its prominence it's rank it's title is above all this non-higher in his humanity, there's none higher in his deity. You don't even have to say we already understand is not in order of time. It is not a start. It is a distinction that is what he is saying he is before the Angels and everybody else. Christ was not the first to be born on earth. Evidently, Adam was not the first to be born on earth was created out of the clay. Eve came from the side and then there were children after them. Cain and Abel and many others.

So he is superior. He is sovereign. John John's gospel chapter 7 Jesus is praying to the father and now father, glorify me together with yourself. Who can say that what a human being what Angel can say glorify me to you with with God. Christ said it is is with the glory I had with you before the world was. You see this more to him than when he first came to begin fiercely clear on these things. I love this conscription is we talk about.

We want to meet Christ introduce somebody who is he who do men say that I am he asked his disciples, some say this. Some say that Peter said you are the Christ of the Christ is the son of God which we start opening up all the Yahweh sections of the Old Testament applied to Yahweh to Jesus how do you do that unless he is worthy says here in verse six he says, God the father. Let all the angels of God worship him. The wisemen worshiped him lepers. They were cleansed, worshiped him, the disciples worshiped him, even in the book of Revelation, we see them in heaven. The 24 elders bowing down and worshiping the Lamb of Jesus Christ. This quote let all the angels of God worship him in the Old Testament is assigned to Yahweh or Jehovah Yahweh is likely the closer to the proper pronunciation than Jehovah but now part of our understanding and you can so many articles written that way did something wrong to say Jehovah. But anyway, here it is applied in the New Testament to Jesus Christ. How do you do that, how can you take an Old Testament verse that is talking about Yahweh and applied to you. You can't say pastor you driving this home I opened up with the piledriver. I warned you, because this should not be a Christian on earth does not understand this. That's what an essential doctrine is there's no margin here.

It is an all or nothing, and the consequences are severe. If you reject that's why it's essential. It has everything to do with the damning of the soul.

If you want to say I think Jesus wore black sandals and not brown sandals that will damn your soul make you look little goofy but that will damn you, but if you say yeah he was God the son. You can also pray to someone else now you are running into serious problems and doesn't matter if I say these things if I don't bring them out, but will get to them as we move forward forward he says let all the angels worship him. Deuteronomy 3243 now the writer as we opened up we said the writer quotes exclusively from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and that is where these courts are coming from. That means if you take your English Bible which does not quote the Greek translated Hebrew but quote what quotes the Hebrew from Hebrew into English you going to see some differences, this leeway in the verses and the translation of words. For instance, one of one translator may use the word messenger. Another may use the literal word Angel Angel means messenger.

In the context… Know if he's from the spiritual realm of the physical realm. Most of the time, move you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio