HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER: We're God's House

 We Are God’s House Hebrews 3:1-6 I am concerned that it may be “common knowledge” of the Bible, that it provides an outline for living better lives, and here is what is says in a nut shell: • Don’t curse • Be nice to people • Attend church • Do good in the world And if you can get someone to do that, they’ll live a pretty decent life and people will look at them and say, “That’s a pretty good dude / dudette”. They must be a Christian. The Bible then is a BIBLE Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth - it’s a manual on how we should live much like the driver’s manual you study to get your license. I want to present something different about The Bible, I want to present it as Scripture. • Scripture is not at all about how you should live, but it may change how you live. • Scripture is not an instruction on better living, it’s a revelation from God to know God, but it may give instructive examples. • Scripture is not about life on earth, it’s not about heaven / new earth, it’s about God’s character and man’s shortcoming, but it has implications on both life on earth and new earth. Someone who has come to Scripture and who has seen God, and been gripped by the reality that their life is inconsistent with God’s own character, and then seen Jesus and come to realize that something that’s woefully different about Him, that something that has captivated people for 2 thousand years is deity, is the fullness of the character of God, is a sinless life and it’s implications on earth - and is extended to me. That Jesus life was lived for people who would come to understand their nature is not like is, but - that they can be made whole and mended to God through right understanding of Him - THIS is the purpose of scripture. To be the means by which we come to know God in Christ. If we take people’s word for it on scripture, and don't read it, and conclude it’s about how to live a good life, and we employ principals for good living - we’ve been ripped off scripture’s true value - and that is God Himself. Church our job as a Church is through Scripture to show God off and then to point people to God THROUGH SCRIPTURE. It’s the beginning and the end. There are many ways to come to Scripture - and this depends upon God’s unique wiring of you. Some people will see the impacted lives of Christians out and about and living their faith out in the world, doing good deeds, caring genuinely for others they’ll come to be drawn like flavorful salt to those works of Christ lived out through His church and they’ll come to the church - and they’ll see scripture studied, see truth from God on display and be reached. They’ll be presented with truth by you, understood from Scripture and presented through scripture and be saved, then they’ll join in the corporate church and hear more from Scripture. Others will come to the corporate worship whether for curiosity in the study, or to prove to another that it’s wrong, or because they’re forced to come by a parent, or to appease a loved one, they’ll see scripture and be convicted that’s it’s author is the God of life and see Jesus and be captivated - but scripture is the beginning and the end because it’s the vehicle to live with God. Without it we’d be blind and groping around guessing at what’s true - and doing so badly we need an anchor of truth - and that is scripture. Hebrews 3:1–6 (ESV) Jesus Greater Than Moses 1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, Therefore is that beginning that triggers us back to what was just presented, what was just learned. And so as we study and read and look to what has God said, when we read “therefore” we’re picking up from some conclusion, somewhat that was presented or explained - here we pick up from the conclusion that Jesus is the great-high-priest. But more than just picking up from a conclusion, the author re-frames who He is writing to. Therefore, “holy brothers”. The brethren the family of God, those set apart and dedicated to God - so, because of Jesus high priest hood, now that we see who Jesus is, the one who is co-eternal with God, who is all the fullness of God’s character - who stepped down from his rightful place as the right hand of God simply to live as a sacrifice for those of us who are far from God - because He is all those things - and because we now know this Jesus, this High priest, we’re set aside for God we should what? We should - Consider Jesus. Why? Don’t we consider Him? This is what the writer will focus on here in these verses - takes the Holy Family of God and reminds them, because Jesus is so high and mighty and other worldly our concentration and affections should be drawn towards Him. The author goes back in - consider Jesus … 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. This book of Hebrews is written to Hebrews believers who know what we would call Old Testament scripture - they know the law came to Moses who was highly revered. Who was used to save God’s people from bondage - however, here we learn not that Jesus is not “better” than Moses who they’d held in such high honor for so long, rather that Jesus is the rightful one to be honored over even Moses: 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) What is this saying - Let’s go back a touch to: Hebrews 1:8–9 (ESV) 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” Colossians 1:16 (ESV) 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. So Jesus is the builder - and so the builder of all things is God - why is Jesus counted higher than Moses and worthy of more glory than Moses: He’s God. He’s the fullness of God’s character and in context we’re the holy brethren sharing in a calling to God’s presence through the priest, the mediator Jesus. The author says you know that guy you’ve been taught is the best man on earth - this one is better this Jesus and you should consider Him. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Wait, that was a hard turn, did you catch it? Let’s drill in a tiny bit and carve out a section: 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, Moses = Servant IN God’s house Jesus = God’s son OVER God’s house We = ARE God’s house How are we God’s house? If we hold fast our confidence and boosting in our hope. Jesus is our hope, not rules on living well. Jesus who lived well, who calls us in, God who gives us the calling in scripture and provides us with the Holy Spirit and Jesus who IS our righteousness makes us His house - and so we worship together here as the church, considering as a pattern of living, Jesus. If your hope is Jesus you’d think about Him. If our hope was in a better job - we’d be looking for that thing, right? You’d obsess over it, you’d read books on finding a job, you’d be all over linked in like a spider monkey - you’d call recruiters, you’d write and tweak your resume. Your hope IS Jesus, and when you’re in Him you ARE God’s house, Gods’ house is those believers in Jesus who’ve placed all their hope and faith in Him for their redemption and future life and are currently joined to God because of His life. We then become the house of God, as we are living witnesses to the good ness of God, to the power of Jesus to save, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then we gather, the house of God the church of God to worship centered on his Proclamation of truth in and from scripture. Do you remember becoming, or looking forward to becoming 16? Driving was the focus. Getting a license and getting a car because, driving wasn’t actually the focus, freedom was. It’s was no more being “that guy/gal” forgotten outside school slumped over against the building throwing rocks for entertainment (because I didn’t have an iPhone and fortnight on IOS) because your parents forgot you YET AGAIN. Do you also remember the dreaded drivers test? You had to study the book full with trap door questions designed to make it hard and make you fail. The driver’s manual was full of basic instructions - that’s why I want us to get away from seeing the Bible like an instruction manual to good rules and principals. Who’s gone back and re-read that drivers manual? No one unless you’re weird! And guys, don’t think you can back me off that statement by coming up after and saying, I re-read the manual, I’ll just break your heart by confirming that you’re weird… Scripture isn’t instruction for how to live, it’s a gateway to BOTH seeing and knowing God. And when you see God clearly through Scripture you’ll better understand yourself - and better understanding of yourself will do one thing, when you see God’s plan (not Drake’s version but God’s version) you’ll see that Jesus life was lived - to align your live to God, eternally. You won’t then think, how can I live good enough for God, you won’t default to the rules: • Don’t curse • Be nice to people • Attend church • Do good in the world You won’t gain freedom by teaching people the rule of the book, rather you’ll gain freedom in Christ through what you saw in the book, casting hope in yourself away and trusting Jesus life with your everything- and the book will become the keys to freedom an infatuation that you want to go back to and see more about this amazing God. The writer of Hebrews says: “consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession”. If you’re a follower of Jesus’ today, I want you encouraged to consider Him - continually. This isn’t a think about Him, He’s God’s son, He says I should do things - so I’ll give it a whirl and see if it makes my life better - if I get a promotion, if my kids behave, and so life on earth will be better. Then consider Him, the son of God, the one who makes me whole with God consider Him often! • Scripture is not at all about how you should live, but it may change how you live. • Scripture is not an instruction on better living, it’s revelation from God to know God, but it may give instructive examples. • Scripture is not about life on earth, it’s not about heaven / new earth, it’s about God’s character and man’s shortcoming, but it has implications on both life on earth and new earth. So in the same way that driving isn’t the focus freedom is, Christian living isn’t the focus, freedom from sin and death is, and so Christian living is a bi-product. Then scripture is so much more than a manual, it isn’t a manual, it’s the path to life, it’s how we know and experience God’s character -and so to it we should run! In it we find Christ and become God’s, own, house! A House of Scripture-Centered Worship HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER We Are God’s House Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 5 of 5 Sunday 3/18/2018