Bible Study Groups and Wednesday Midweeks!

Don't just join us on Sunday! Every week we get together and meet in our bible study groups! Come join us for one of the most comfortable and laid back atmospheres where anyone and everyone feels free to open the Bible and talk about God! Invite any family and friends! Ask any of our members about the groups; there are different groups that meet on different days so that you have an opportunity to attend one.

Every first Wednesday of the month, we meet as a family for a congregational midweek service at 7pm right here at Old River Elementary! Come join us there once a month!

Review:


Audience: Christians who have been in the faith a while (Hebrews 10:32-34). Some are thinking of returning to a “safer” Judaism.

Outline:


1. Jesus is awesome and what he brings is greater than what they had in Judaism in such-and-such way.


2. Therefore, here is what you should do. (admonition)

The Greatness of Jesus:

1. Greater than all the prophets. Hebrews 1:1-3

2. Greater than the angels. Hebrews 1:4-14

3. Greater than Moses. Hebrews 3:1-5

4. Greater than Joshua Hebrews 4:1-10

5. Jesus the Great High Priest. Greater than Aaron. Hebrews 4:14-5:10

6. The Priesthood of Melchizedek (and therefore of Jesus) is greater than the priesthood of Aaron Hebrews 7:1-28

7. Jesus is greater than Abraham 7:1-9

8. The Old Covenant foreshadows the greater New Covenant Hebrews 8:1-13

9. The earthly Tabernacle foreshadows the greater heavenly Tabernacle (the one where Jesus is now) Hebrews 9:1-11.

10. The sacrifice Jesus offers is greater than any of the Mosaic sacrifices. Hebrews 9:12-10:18.

Admonitions:


Pay careful attention 2:1-4


Make every effort. 3:7-4:13


Move on to maturity Grow up 5:11-6:12


Draw near to God, do not shrink back. 10:19-39


Live by faith. 11:1-40

Hebrews 2:1-18 Exhortation #1. Pay careful attention to the message!


v. 1 LISTEN UP!!!!!


Why? v. 1 so that you will not drift away.


Listen to what? “To what we have heard” v. 3 “so great a salvation.”

v.2 “pay attention = Prosechein: To moor a ship

“drift away = Pararrein: A ship that has been carelessly allowed to drift perhaps
carried away by the tide. Slip away through inattention.

Christians don’t usually suddenly fall away. It begins by careless drifting.

Christians must remain anchored in Jesus.

How to avoid this? Anchor your lives to what has been taught so that you do not drift past the safe harbor and your life becomes a wreck on the rocks.


The point: If the Jews had to pay attention to a law delivered by angels, to the point that to not listen meant to be killed, where does that put us in relation to a message delivered by God’s son?

How much greater is a message delivered by the SON than by a mere messenger??

Implication: great punishment if you slip away! Warning!!!!


v.2 Parabasis= “violation” = stepping across the line or Out right rebellion


Parakoe= “disobedience” = imperfect hearing or careless hearing or unwillingness to hear.


Q: Which type of disobedience are you more prone to?


v. 3 How shall we escape….. A very solemn warning!


Let us return to Jesus as our savior that we should not and cannot ignore. Do not ignore (neglect) such a great salvation.

Q: How might we “ignore (neglect) such a great salvation?”


a. Looking away from Jesus
b. Being merely religious
c. Not being motivated by our salvation. External motivation.


How shall we escape if we ignore this salvation? Answer: We shall not!

v. 3-4 This salvation was proclaimed by:


1. Jesus (announced by the Lord v. 3)


2. By those who heard him (the apostles and other witnesses)


3. Wonders, signs, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This is talking about the miraculous gifts. The purpose of these gifts was to confirm the message.

(This is a major reason why God allowed the
gifts to pass away. 1 Cor 13:8 Where there are
tongues and prophecies, they will cease.)

In fact, by the early second century there is strong evidence that such gifts had indeed virtually ceased.

Vs:5-18 Jesus our savior who can relate to us!


5-8 Scriptures that highlight the special role and responsibility that Man was given in creation


God’s plan was to put everything in creation at our feet, but WE FAILED!


v. 6 mankind… the son of man. He is repeating himself. The “son of man” here is us. (man is “son of man” 80 times in Ezekiel Ezek 21:2, 30:2, etc.


v. 7 You made him a little lower than the angels for a little while (NIV is not very good here).


Remember, we will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3)


Verse eight closes this section, pointing out that Man has failed!
v. 8 Man is NOT in control even though God put everything under him.


God gave us the responsibility and we messed up badly!


Vs:9 Now let’s get back to the subject. We see Jesus who took on our position as Man now sitting in victory because where man failed Jesus succeeded.


Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels” as well.


Not lower in importance, but lower in power. It was all about us. The angels are about us. That is his point with regard to angels!!!!!!


Note Hebrews 2:16 It is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.


Q: Who are Abraham’s descendants? Us!!!


v. 9 Jesus tasted death so that we will not have to. (this is spiritual death, the death we suffer because we are children of Adam)

v. 10-18 Jesus became just like us. This is the miracle of the incarnation. This is what makes Jesus such a great savior. He can relate to us in every way.


Some say that the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest of all miracles. CS Lewis says that the incarnation of Jesus was the greatest of all miracles.


v. 10 because he suffered like us we are saved.


Vs:10 The author of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. He was perfect because he understood suffering. He could understand and relate to our struggles because he went through them as well.


Notice Colossians 1:24 in which Paul says he completes (perfects) what is lacking with regard to Christ’s suffering when he suffers.


v. 10 “Archegos” = Pioneer, founder, author, originator, trailblazer
“Teleioin Perfecter, finisher, completer, final touch of our faith


Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our salvation


Jesus is the initiator and the completer of our salvation


God initiated our salvation, not us. God completed our salvation, not us.


(note also Hebrews 12:2 The pioneer and perfecter of our faith)


Jesus is the initiator of our faith and the completer of our faith.


Jesus is the beginning (creator), the middle (sustainer) and the end (perfecter) of our salvation.


v. 11 Because he came here, we are “of the same family.”


v. 14 Because he shared our humanity, we are no longer slaves (note the prefigure in what Moses did is freeing the Jews from slavery, see ch 3)

Q: Are you fully appreciative of how amazing this is?????


We couldn’t go to God, so he came to us.


He became a dog to save the dogs or a mouse to save the mice. We could not understand God, but then he became one of us so that we could understand him and so that we could be brothers.


Jesus is not up in the air-conditioned office.


He is the boss who comes down onto the factory floor. But this analogy is so inadequate!!!!!


A rich snob decides to help the slum dwellers. Hey, I am here to help you.
The slum dwellers: we can’t trust you. Come live with us for a while.


Like one of us saying to someone who has suffered extreme sexual abuse, “I understand how you are feeling.” Her response. No you do not.

Q: How is this meaningful to you? How does it help you to “pay more careful attention.”


v. 13 Jesus before God. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers. Here I am and the children God has given me.


v. 16 Because he is like us, he is a merciful high priest (much more on that later).


v. 17 Because he suffered, he can relate and help those who are tempted.


v. 18 Jesus can help us. He is the perfect high priest. He can speak the language of God and the language of people. He understands. He has compassion.


Isn’t Jesus wonderful?


Conclusion:Let us, then, pay attention to Jesus and to the salvation he offers.


Do not let your attention drift to the things of the world.

If time: Jesus is greater than Moses


3:1 Fix your attention katanoein (consider, ponder, meditate on, concentrated gaze) on Jesus


Can you think of any better advice to give a Christian than this?


Why? if you looked at Moses, Jesus is so much greater than Moses.


How to stay faithful to the end? Fix your attention laser-beam-like on Jesus.

Hebrews 3:3 Jesus has greater honor than Moses (fighting words to the Jews!).

Why? The builder is more important than the building.


Moses was a household servant (3:5). Jesus owns the house (3:6).


Jesus ñ Mosesñ angels ñ prophets


Shadow: Moses Reality: Jesus


Deuteronomy 18:17-19 I will raise a prophet like you…


Jesus made Moses what he is.


v. 5 Moses was great, no doubt “faithful in all God’s house.” (from Numb 12:6-7)


v. 6 But Jesus is faithful over God’s house


Moses brought the law, Jesus is the Law
Moses gave them bread, Jesus is the bread
Moses gave them water, Jesus is the water The reality is in Christ!!!
Moses was about Jesus.


3:6 Who is God’s household? Those who hold to our confession to the end.

Q: What about those who do not hold to this confession to the end?

END OF SERMON

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We would love to open the Bible with you. Our church has a study series that allows you to find your place in God's story, your purpose for living, and why God has called you. These studies are private, casual, and encouraging.

Please ask any of our members so that we can set up time with you and help you see why the Bible is not a book of information but a living and active book of transformation!