God’s Final Word

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer, subject of faith dominates this book is not something you always feel the present moment is now that you know one day you could be glad you did.

Faith is the way right now. But you know one that you were glad Pastor author and legend JD Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits you picked a great day to join us.

We're starting a new teaching series in the book of Hebrews called Christ is better this complex and complicated but but it overflowing with rich and vibrant truth that will change your life and it'll help you draw closer to Jesus Christ and today were also offering a new resource to go along with our teaching so stick around for more information about valuable study coming your way. So let's get started on this journey through Hebrews with the message Pastor JD titled God's final word, the Bible, I would invite you to take it out and she opened the book of Hebrews. It was about two thirds the way through the New Testament. I will use this opportunity of us beginning a new series to invite you to do this to begin what Christians call a quiet time with God, which for the record is one of the dumbest names that Christians have ever come up with quiet times is a good trouble what you submariner you know God, you yell at your something, but quiet times means a daily time that you set aside to swim with God talking to him. Hearing from him reading his word.

I would encourage you to invite your me out on this one. I would encourage you to set aside 45 minutes a day. At some point during the day that you could do this now.

What I'm about to say next. I actually am a little torn about saving but I'm of the website. Anyway, if you like. I just can't do 45 minutes to part of me wants to berate you and ask you what in the world you think your you know you're so important you gets reported by mass with God.

That's part of me, but then another part of his value. That's fine just her 20 minutes right to start a 20 minutes start somewhere and just let it grow out from there to minister the Bible 10 minutes in prayer. Why not use this series as a catalyst to begin what will become the most important spiritual discipline that you've ever engaged okay right right so I reserve the theme of the book of Hebrews is that Christ is better Christ is better the letter to the Hebrews and that's what it is a letter to a group of churches his birth in a concert. The writer of Hebrews wants to urge these people that he's writing to the go all the way with Jesus you see these people had had this initial conversion experience, but then things got tough.

Some of them if you read the book, you'll see there facing some pretty severe persecution their loved ones are suffering, they have friends you were departing the faith, and of course another system of moral temptations that they went through and then they discovered this whole set of things that were really difficult to believe. Now I want to mentor you know you were okay with the Jesus loves you and wants to take you to heaven. But, you now know what he believes these kind of things you're talking about. That's difficult and I'm having a hard time with that. So they were like you will wait a minute with this is supposed to be a lot easier than this. This is supposed to be a lot easier one for us to be this hard. And they're starting to lag behind.

Now some of you know exactly what that's why don't you if you're honest, some of you many of you and your struggling with faith. You thought you would accept Jesus and then everything would just become piece of loving group revives right if you're a single girl that Mr. Wright would just come swooping in right on his white horse. The perfect blend of toughness and tenderness like an ultimate fighting Jesus or something like that to sweep you away and you guys would I go to bed every night after he strums Chris Tomlin tunes on the heartbeat, he was beside his bed and wake up with visions of rapture number sit on your side and he always built the spirit overflowing with joy. But that's not happening.

Visit some of you for some of you your marriage partner doesn't seem to be getting better. You thought you win them over and they were the result of stopping okay but not anything they think that set against frustrating you spiritually and temptations for you are getting more tempting not less tempting not go about your temptations like lose their power, turn your eyes on Jesus in the veins of our diverse range lift that I didn't them to meet her get more appealing for some of you and you like you. It's harder to walk with God or your lonely about that one. Your lonely like I am still not positive on this community and this is hard to feel close to God when you're lonely it really is. It's hard to feel close to God in your lonely or you're in pain and I don't care what anybody says it is hard to fill spiritual when you are in pain. You start lagging behind right and that's what this book is about. It has one basic message. The writer is saying these people don't give up because Christ is better go all the way with him. The subject of faith dominates this book. Faith is not something you always feel in the present moment. Faith is acting in a way.

Now that you know one day you can be glad you did. Faith is acting in a way right now that you know one day you are glad that you did not. What this book is all about. Not one word of warning before we dive you this is a very difficult book William Barklay as a scholar. I refer to a lot because this will be most difficult book in the entire New Testament William Lane. Another scholar I consult a lot agrees, he says, but if you will press into this book. It will become one of the most rewarding books in the whole Bible. And I very much agree with that you were not even sure who wrote this because Barnabas you know other people. It was Apollo's because he was eloquent. The Bible says in the book is pretty eloquent. People like Paul because this coupling theology all over it like no it's not Paul be Lucas got to be Timothy.

Honestly, we don't know the origin, the church father in the third century said, we have not the foggiest idea to write this book and if he did know in the third century. I don't think I'm in a figure it out in the 21st century what we do know is that this book came out of the apostolic community and that it was regarded as authoritative from the very beginning in the church right some of that is an introduction Hebrews chapter 1 verse one. Let's look at how the writer introduces the whole book long ago, long ago. He says that many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets think about all the ways that God spoke in the Old Testament God revealed himself to visions and dreams. He delivered messages through angels.

He spoke in audible voices were. He whispered out of whirlwinds. He wrote on the walls. He appeared in burning bushes. The inspired worship songs and peppy one-liners. The book of Proverbs. He put messages in the mouths of donkeys even inspired a book of erotic poetry and song of Solomon. All these ways that God spoke various ways. In times past. Verse two but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son in Greek. For those of you that have your Greek New Testament out there that whole group of you that have an open all right. You will notice it says literally inside got a spoke and was in son that's not a great English translation, but that is exactly what he is saying the previous prophets had given the word of God. You see, Jesus was the word of God to speak by his son. He spoke in his son Jesus was himself the word of God. It was the imperfect embodiment of the message of the father noticed that little phrase in these last days. This is the last revelatory act. You kind of think of God's revelation come in three major acts. The person you got creation.

God creates world gives instructions right and then you got the second act will be Israel were God reveals himself to Abraham and his descendents would do all these prophets you got 1/3 actor to talk about here, which is the where the son himself, reveals God not the final act. That's really really helpful.

That little phrase when you're talking to, say, a Mormon or a Muslim who wants to tell you that there's been another act that came later were some other profit came along and conduct did the real message of…. Jesus was great, but the real one was Mohammed in the seventh century, the real one was Joseph Smith when he showed up major Moron I gives glasses of gold plates and cleared everything up. The writer of Hebrews is absolutely not in these last days spoken to us by his son.

That was the last revelation God gave guys, now you know are on board and it will about the apostles. They were after Jesus yet but the apostles Rocco prophets. They were called witnesses is very important because prophets are tell you something new. Witnesses are simply telling you what is Artie been set as of the witnesses to Jesus, the apostles were really clarifying and reporting what Jesus had revealed in these last days, God spoke by a Sunburst to begin, whom he appointed the heir of all things, the heir of all things now. The writer starts to show you how Jesus is superior to the prophets, the first thing he says is Jesus is the heir heir of course means the one that it's all coming to the writer's is G all the prophets. They were the servants all the angels were servants, but Jesus was what it was all prepared for everything that God created everything God did on earth. All of those forth for Jesus is the prophets were pointing to something Jesus was the one they were pointing to. He was the point is always been the point through whom also he created the world and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Nothing about that is a distinction between the prophets. What which of the other prophets would you ever say that about right there. We created all everything you see your body.

The universe sometimes I get overwhelmed right big public spaces to get overwhelmed.

Think about the size of the universe. You protect yourself outside like a clear starry night you look up and just have one of his feelings were like you just so big you start to feel so small there something incredible about that feeling that you are proud of you constructing your own back deck on the back your house rebuild your old company you know you made your own portfolio you wrote a book open Harry deal right and he created the universe and he holds all together by the word of his power, his creations on a slightly different plane than any of bank member that scientific head trees to cling to you as you go about your day today will get right back to today's teaching with Pastor JD and Justin, first let me tell you about daily email devotional available to our son and my family. I know we'll get spammed with the staff that we simply don't care about the wind that you'll not only come to appreciate actually experiencing growth from as a result, the devotional even follow along with our current teaching here on the program so you can stay plugged into these messages regardless of your schedule to sign up for this free resource visit@jeanniegreer.com/resources. You can also learn more about our brand-new monthly resource available starting today. When you visit Thanksgiving when this now let's get back to the final moments of today's message is Pastor JD verse three is the radiance of the glory of God. Think about when you look at the sun you just you see this radiance so bright that it hurts your eyes last Sunday from an open church I started to watch one of the many nerd channels that I frequent and there was a special on the sun and the sun is this high density, high pressure, your ball of energy were these unities.

These atoms use together and they commit this radiance of heat and light is 93 million miles away, it can still burn our skin. If we are closer to sports the whole you're about to go the whole planet. That's the word that he chooses for Jesus looking at Jesus was like looking at the radiance of God's glory that it makes you ask a question measuring. How did Jesus not kill us all. When he was here me every time. In the Old Testament somebody saw God, they died standing in the presence of God with sin is like is like a tissue paper touching the surface of the sun that's not going to well. Here Jesus is. He shows up, but he doesn't tell everybody he heals people is the radiance of God's glory. I'll come back to that use the exact imprint of his nature.

Everything that God was Jesus was everything.

So when you see Jesus, you see, God is giving you incredible insight into the Trinity. By the way, I told you. You're the best analogy for the Trinity that I've ever heard is the word analogy which John the apostle uses, which is really what will the writer of Hebrews is going on here either the word I told you like this when I'm up you're talking to you on having thoughts in my mind. And then I am putting them into words in English and then my vocal cords or vibrating hearing hearing those words to your ears.

So once and she got three separate things you thought you got words and you got vibrations but you would never separate those because they're all wanting the same for all the process of you hearing me, Jesus was the word of the father.

He was the perfect expression of the father so that in hearing him you hear God and you would never separate those the other two analogies he draws in your say the exact same thing is radiance.

He is the exact imprint of God's nature is the whole point that he's making is this Jesus is God and here Jesus is that here God which means when you hear somebody say I'm in the God but not in the Jesus what you talking about you can't you can't separate the sun from its radiance. You can't separate my thoughts, my words.

I love to hear JD talk I just like his words. What make any sense. Jesus was the word of God. The point that he's making here is it is essentially this Jesus was of a fundamentally different nature than any other prophet in that he didn't just give the word of God.

He was the word of God. Verse four and skip the verse I coming back verse four. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs for which of the angels that God ever say you're my son. And today I begotten you will again I will be to have a father and he will be to me a son. Eunice quotes around this phrase is right is a quote from the Old Testament. In this case there the first one is from Psalm to the second window from second Samuel chapter 7 but as the first, 269 different quotes. The book of Hebrews, the Old Testament that your survey so most people read this quote to go back to the place where it was recorded in the Old Testament, and they read that section. Follow me and they say know what a minute. Obviously the writer in the second signal seven was not talking about Jesus talking about somebody else and that's what you find a psycho same in chapter 7. Clearly the writer. There is talk about David's son Solomon when he teaches something about how the New Testament writers understood the Old Testament chapter 24. Jesus been raised from the dead, and he takes a couple of disciples walks down the road with them and he explains to them. Every story every verse, every proverb everything in the Old Testament was ultimately about him not to happen in two major ways. The first way is what we call direct prophecy where were the writer speaking specifically of the Messiah and gives a prophecy that is only about him there on thinking of like Micah 52, says the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem and they go to Genesis 48 which is a come of the tribe of Judah is a 53 to be crucified.

Have his in his hands and feet Piersall 22 is a direct prophecy's, then there's a whole another set of prophecies in the Old Testament that are shadows and stories that Jesus would ultimately fulfill these things in the Old Testament all the stories are like shadows that point you to Jesus, they would give you a partial picture Jesus would be beautiful one. Solomon was like that, David's son Solomon was a man of world-renowned wisdom who would build a beautiful temple where the glory of God would dwell but Solomon would also be foolish very 700 women.

This temple would end up being Rob plundered and torn down God's ultimate son.

However, Jesus would be the real temple of God were God would dwell among us permanently. And even when he was torn down. He raised from the dead, so that God could dwell with us forever. Solomon gave you a dim picture of the son of God rebuilt Temple Jesus was the fulfillment of that picture because he was the son and the temple himself to see the author sees in that story and every Old Testament story sketches and pictures and shadows. The Jesus would one day embody and fullness. So he says Jesus is superior to all profits and all angels because while they were only messengers he was the message they gave the word of God.

He was the word of God.

They were the servants. He was the heir. They told us what the creator wanted. He was the creator himself right there is more like verse three verse three after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high that now comes the really amazing thing.

Not only was Jesus of a fundamentally different nature than the other prophets. The kind of ministry he had was of a fundamentally different kind is the other prophets gave instructions about what we must do to be reconciled to God. Jesus, on the other hand they work on our behalf.

He did for us what we could not do for ourselves, namely may purification for sins, and then it says he sat down. You sit down when there's nothing left to do the Jewish people had a sacrifice system to cover over their sins. It was a great picture of what Jesus would do, but it was never complete. Sacrifices were offered daily. Each family had to participate at least yearly. The priest was always standing by the altar. Imagine what that altar look like hundreds of thousands of animals. Blood had been spilled on it over 100 years or so. Hundreds of years Jesus offered himself one time for all is the perfect sacrifice for sins, and many sat down with no priest was ever allowed to run the altar.

He sat down wife is nothing left to do.

It may purification for sins forever and it was done so this first chapter basically has one point Christ is superior to all profits. All angels and any other spiritual authority. In case you got a miss of the biggest did you two reasons. Also the type of people I just didn't want to write out right. Here's what you should write down number one prophets of angels gave the word of God.

Jesus was the word of God. That which the prophets pointed falsely Jesus and body perfectly.

It's always church. It's always all the story all it's always been about him. Tim Keller says it is what we have. This Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden, and whose obedience is now imputed to us.

Jesus was the true and better Isaac who is not just offered up by his father on the Mount. He was actually sacrifice for us. Jesus is the truer and better. Moses stands in the gap between the people in the Lord who mediates a new and better covenant. Jesus is the truer and better Job the truly innocent sufferer who intercedes for his stupid friends.

Jesus is the truer and better. David, whose victory over the giant of death became ours. Even though we never lifted a stone to helping Jesus is the truer and better. Samson crushed under the weight of the wicked world to conquer our enemies and to save us. He is the truer and better. Jonah was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in these the real Passover lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless lane so that the angel of death could pass over us the true temple. The true prophet true priest the true king true sacrifice. The true lamp. The true light, true bread. In the end, the Bible is really not all about you it's about him is always been about him and that affects how you read the Bible, but I told you before that we read a lot of the Bible, especially the Old Testament incorrectly. We read the stories of the Bible is at their collection of hero tales that give us people that we should try to emulate minimum are your sons will basically should follow God like Abraham. Abraham left everything will follow.you should do that or defeat your giants like David did Salazar let out a dollar judge got little David you got your guys outweigh the use of lead like Nehemiah Lee like Nehemiah memos great leader is why God gave us a little learn from it bear to be a Daniel. Daniel Dufresne electric like Daniel did see the lives that is, are you there to be a Daniel and that's all well and good to an extent, but there were a lot of things about these guys these men and women that you'll want to emulate right Moses had a pretty ferocious temper.

Abraham had a habit of lying in tough situations about his wife at least twice in Abraham's life. Summary says hey I want to marry her and they were scared because the cows were powerless. I got annoyed having to muster straight into my sister. You never that's on the kind of thing I would commend you men. David committed adultery.

Then he lied about it murder somebody to cover it up at the end of his life. Nehemiah lost control with Jack Bauer on everybody says he got so mad that he took the leaders of Israel without their beards and pulled her close off but not the kind of thing I want you to emulate in the workplace. Yet there a lot about these guys that you that you might want anyway but a lot of things you want emulate.

And that's because the prophets are not given due primarily as examples the emulate given you to point you to a savior to hope great day to join us here on Senate life Jeannie Greer. This is the first message in a teaching series on the book of Hebrews called Christ is better join us each day. At this time and if you miss any of Pastor Jay's teaching. You can download the audio files and even find the transcripts free of charge@jdcareer.com Pastor Jenny. I know were getting started in this study back and Artie seems to me like one of the main points will learn from the book of Hebrews don't give you my that is exactly right about elaborate some recordings of some things you been teaching here in our women's ministry, and I think we need we need to get you in this by guessing is true is what the book of Hebrews we see that this is a book of the Bible that is written, the people whose faith in Jesus was was lagging right some of that was at the difficulty of their surroundings, wondering why God wasn't delivering them more quickly, or just walking to pain or sometimes just the time when it seems like you know God almost feels absent at say that many of us today struggle some of the same feelings and that we find it harder and harder to maintain this robust faith in God that he is active but is working and that is his goodness is just flowing into our lives to help us as we daily seek, what with God without Bible study to drive home that Jesus and Jesus alone is worthy of our trust in our devotion.

We want every chapter of the book of Hebrews to challenge and to encourage you and so this study is designed to take you deeper into the chapter so that your hearing, the Bible taught in your also being able to examine it for yourself that the Holy Spirit give you additional insight and help apply the concepts in your morning to to you like something like changes when you get will think you are brand-new Bible study that follows right along with this teaching series comes with everything you donate to support this ministry giving level is $35 and remember every penny. Downey is used through this ministry today and your copy of better color fixed. Thanks. I teach 20 even easier to get on our website.

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