WHO IS THE GREATEST? Message by Neil Smith on Sunday 27 August 2017

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1 WHO IS THE GREATEST? Message by Neil Smith on Sunday 27 August 2017 INTRODUCTION Well church, today we are starting a new series on the book of Hebrews and we have decided to call it Greater (Series Slide) We ve stuck the series on the front of your bulletins, you will see it everywhere for a little while, because we are going to be busy with this series for the next nine Sundays And as we go through it, I want you to know, all kinds of interesting subjects are going to pop up! I m sure you re going to love it. I m certain God is going to speak to you through it. Expect great things! So let s get into the message for today! Today we are looking at Who is the greatest? (Title Slide) 1

2 If you re taking notes - That s our title this Sunday Who is the greatest? Now when I was growing up, as a kid, that answer was very clear to me My DAD was the greatest! I m sure you all thought yours was too! Well, when I was small, I thought my dad was so strong, so clever, so fast! And just when I thought I found a sport that I could beat him at, he would pull some wise old move, and still manage to win! In fact, he s still pretty amazing. Last week he played a shot off a golf tee in Skukuza, that bounced five times five times! across a Hippo infested lake, and landed perfectly on the green. That s my dad for you. Dad s are like superheroes! In fact, I m sure you ve noticed, but the past few years, there has been a real resurgence of interest in superheroes There are tons of new movies coming out with this superhero, and that superhero, and now they even have superhero s banding together in superhero teams to stand against evil and injustice. There are the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, new ones popping up all the time. So here s a question for you Who is your favourite superhero? When I was little, mine was Spiderman, because I mean, who wouldn t want to be able to swing between enormous buildings, shoot webbing, and save the day! Spiderman could! But have you ever wondered who is the greatest super hero of them all? Well, I kid you not, students and scientists at the University of Leicester have spent 7 years trying to figure that out! 7 years! They tallied up all the different attributes, abilities and gadgets that each of the super heroes have, and finally they developed this list, according to Science! 1) Superman 2) Wolverine 3) Mystique 4) Thor 5) The Flash 6) Spider-Man 7) Batman 8) The Lizard 9) Iron Man 10) Silver Surfer Now, what amazes me about that list, is not so much the placing, but the fact that that took it them 7 years to figure it out!!!!! I think some scientists must be 2

3 very bored. I wish they asked me, I could have told them that in about 2 minutes! And saved them all a lot of time! The point I am trying to make in all of this is that the world is highly preoccupied with superheroes, and who is the greatest! Politicians all want to hold onto power and become the greatest!!!!! Every sportsman aims to be the greatest and to lift that trophy or medal. Musicians love to release their greatest hit s albums! This evening there is going to be one of the greatest boxing matches ever in terms of prize money. There are two fighters who both think they are the greatest! So who is the greatest? Who do you think is the greatest? Or, here is another way to put it, who is the greatest in your life? Well, here enters the book of Hebrews The book of Hebrews Because this is one of the most incredible books in the bible, and it addresses this question of who is the Greatest. Because of course, just like us, the people of God, in their time, were also trying to figure out who was the greatest, and this book is going to settle the debate once and for all. Now for some reason, the book of Hebrews is often neglected today some say it is boring with all its talk about sacrifice and High priests... Some say it is too hard to understand. Personally, I say nonsense! It s incredible! As we go through it, I know you are going to see afresh how amazing Jesus is. How great he is. Now just by matter of introduction We don t know much about who wrote the book but it is pretty clear that it was a letter written to Christians of a Hebrew background. Hence the name Hebrews! We also know the Hebrews at the time were facing persecution for being Christian, and were going through tough uncertain times. In fact, reading between the lines of the argument that the book is making, it seems that some of the Hebrews it was addressed to, may have been contemplating going back to their roots, going back to just being Jewish to make life easier. So you might say, it s a letter to a group of Christians who are on the verge of giving up, but instead of focusing on their problems, this letter draws attention to one who is greater. And that s why this series is called greater. Because we believe that as we go through it, that you are going to learn how to cope with adversity, by making Jesus Christ the greatest in your life. Jesus must be the one that fills our horizons, and dominates our priorities. 3

4 I think it s a very fitting book, for a fitting time. Although we do not face active persecution, we do live in similar times, with similar temptations. In our pluralist society that tolerates religious diversity and is intolerant of Christianity s stance that Jesus is the only way to be saved - we need that reminder that there is no one greater than Jesus. So, no more yacking - let s get into the word of God together! Hebrews 1:1-2 Here is how this great book begins In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he (That s God) has spoken to us by his Son (That s Jesus), whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom also... he made the universe. Let me draw out a few points here, here s the first God has spoken to us through his Son, Jesus We live in a world where communication is so important. Advertising campaigns have budgets in the millions. Politicians are trying to communicate their ideas. We have so many ways to communicate with one another social media, cell phones, WhatsApp - does anyone remember the days when a phone was just a phone! But in Jesus, God has closed the greatest communication gap between us and God. There is no debate here as to whether God speaks - He does and He has in many ways, but God s greatest spokesperson is Jesus Take a look at the next verse, verse 3; Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God s glory (what an amazing description Jesus is the radiance of God s glory!) and the exact representation of his being (an exact perfect match), sustaining all things by his powerful word After he had provided purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. I m not sure if you have ever been in a place where you have doubted Jesus my friend I know that many of us have been there at various times in our lives. Where we doubt who he is Where we doubt what he can do Where we doubt his power his significance in our lives. His power. His existence. I believe God knew what these Hebrews were thinking, and perhaps what some of us adopted gentiles are thinking today And we need to all be reminded of 4

5 who Jesus is, and what he has done, and will still do. Consider Jesus credentials in these verses. They are seriously impressive o He is God s son o He is appointed heir of all things o The universe was created through Him o He is the radiance of God s glory o He is the exact representation of God s being o He sustains all things by his powerful word o He provided purification for sins o He is seated in heaven What a list! Can anyone here top that? No ways. No one is greater than Jesus. So I m not sure where you find yourself today. Perhaps you found yourself dragged here by your spouse, and realize you are far from God. Perhaps you used to follow Jesus many years ago but you stopped following and went your own way. Perhaps you re here today, because you re looking for answers Perhaps you need a miracle? Perhaps you just love Jesus and want to hear him speak to you. Friend, I want to tell you this morning, that God has spoken in many different ways over the years, but if you want to ultimately know what God is like, what He wants for your life look to Jesus! There is no one greater! There is no one more qualified to help! I know many people struggle to believe, but God is not hidden from us. Sadly, many people look for God in all the wrong places - People look for God in horoscopes, people look for God in Facebook apps that generate your future by answering a little quiz. You may laugh at some of the methods, but people are searching for God s voice in our world but there is no greater revelation of God than He has already given though His Son, Jesus. And this revelation of Jesus is in His Word. Remember this letter was written to Hebrew Christians facing tough times who were tempted to go back to their Judaic roots. God s word and the prophets were, and are so important to Israel, but without Jesus, they are incomplete. Jesus is a greater picture, a greater spokesperson of who God is. So right from the get go, Hebrews chapter one is saying, Everyone, you need to understand, that there is no one greater than Jesus! Can I get a amen to that?!!! Amen. So let s read on verse 4 and 5; 5

6 Hebrews 1:4-5 continuing to speak about Jesus So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son? Right, so here is one of the interesting things about preaching through a book in the bible. You end up bumping into all these interesting topics that you would never normally speak about! And so here in chapter one of Hebrews, angels are going to be highlighted a lot So Let s talk about angels To begin, let s be honest, there is a lot of nonsense out there about angels that makes us skeptical and wary. People have long been fascinated by stories of angel sightings, but unfortunately many beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth rather than solid, biblical truth. Furthermore, in some circles, it s really cool to believe in angels, so cool in fact, that it seems like it s cooler to believe in angels than in Jesus! Who of you remember the TV show Touched by an Angel? Ai! And so, Angels are everywhere today. Art galleries, figurines in garden nurseries, TV shows about guardian angels, and then there s the books!. I don t know about you, but generally, when I see a book about angels, I get a little nervous. Usually they are written by new age spiritualists. So I understand your apprehension here! The first thing I want to say though, is that according to the bible angels are real. Very real. Just think of all the descriptions in the bible, of people who encountered angels. From the Old Testament, all through to the new. The bible is full of stories about Angels. To deny that, is plain silly. The bible is full of angels. So, what are angels? What is their role in God's plan? Are they present in our lives? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our lives and our worship? Well, there s a lot I don t know But, here s what I do know. Real angels are not babies in nappies playing golden harps in the clouds. Angels are not huggable, friendly creatures, or departed loved ones who now have wings! The only feathers I m ever going to have on my back is my first ascent down jacket. Right? 6

7 The bibles view of angels is far more impressive and terrifying. I read one biblical description of who angels are that went like this; Real angels have been, and are, and shall forever be, awesome warriors for God, agents of his wrath and power. (Angels, by Dr David Jeremiah) Here s a question to ask yourself, have you ever wondered why when people encountered angels in the bible, that they were often struck with terror at the sight? Right? Says something! Genesis chapter 3 teaches that they guard the gates of the garden with a flaming sword (3:24). In the books of 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles the Angel of the Lord, with outstretched hand, sent a plague on the people of Israel (2 Sam. 24:15-17, 1 Chron. 21:14-17). In a single night, one angel, killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians in 2 Kings (2 Kings 19:35, 2 Chron. 32:21, Isa. 37:36). King Herod accepted worship as a god, but was killed for it by an angel, he was eaten by worms from within, after the angels touch (Acts 12:21-23). Talk about touched by an angel you might not want to be touched by one! These are just a few of the biblical examples. I don t expect to see these real biblical angels on a Valentines card anytime soon. But ultimately, angels are servants, just as we are. They are created beings, like us; however, they are not humans, they are a distinct class of beings. Some, the good angels, have remained obedient to Him and carry out His will, while others, fallen angels, disobeyed, fell from their holy position, and now stand in active opposition to the work and plan of God. (J. Hampton Keathley, III) And here they are in our passage in Hebrews today acknowledged as fact. Not fiction. So, here s my plea, when it comes to angels, don t get extreme don t get overly excited about the angelic, and don t take the opposite extreme where you don t believe. Both are wrong. I ve been a believer since I was six years old, and in all that time, I am aware of one instance where I am absolutely certain an angel was sent by God to protect me. I was 19 years old, and I found myself in a dangerous violent situation that I could not control. I remember praying a childlike innocent prayer without even giving it a theological thought, and I asked God to send 7

8 an angel to help me quickly. Instantly, the person that was getting violent was thrown to the ground by some unseen force and held down in the grass. He could not move. I remember kneeling down beside him in the long wet grass to check on him, and he said something was holding him there as his face was pushed into the grass. It blew my mind, his too! and it completely changed my prayer life from that day on! But I am aware, of how easy the temptation can be, especially for Hebrew Christians to focus just on angels. I think for them, under the sinister threat of persecution, they found a lot of comfort and assurance in believing that God s unseen servants would help them in trouble. Also there has always been a fascination with angels for Hebrews as they play a big role in the Old Testament. So as long as you don t have an unhealthy fascination, you should be good! But let s get back to our passage! The problem here, is not that the Hebrews did not believe in angels, or were too preoccupied with them, but it seems that these Hebrew Christians were in danger of putting angels ahead of Jesus. And, maybe our culture is facing a similar danger. Angels are cool, and it s definitely cooler to believe in angels than in Jesus! So, this next passage is basically a clear teaching that Jesus is greater than angels! It is really a list of quotes from the Old Testament that show that Jesus is greater than the angels. And so I will go through these one by one Jesus is greater than the angels because he is the Son of God So let s read verse 4 and 5 again, and maybe it makes more sense now! Hebrews 1:4-5 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son? There is a definite hierarchy in the spiritual world, and the angels, no matter how impressive they are, they are not at the top. Who is at the top? Jesus! That s right. Jesus is at the top. Sometimes the angels were referred to as sons of God Like in Genesis 6, but they will never be the Son of God and as such, they can never hold the authority He has. They are not greater than Jesus. Jesus is greater than the angels. Here s another reason he is greater 8

9 Jesus is greater because He is the first born Now before all of you not born first start getting mad with me! Let me just remind you, that God loves you too. For a Hebrew person though, the firstborn as it relates to Jesus, is a very important concept. Let s read verse 6 Hebrew 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world (That s Jesus), he says, Let all God s angels worship him. Question - Who does God say all of the angels must worship? Jesus. Right. Jesus holds the unique place as being the first born that means He has a special inheritance and blessing. The angels direct their worship towards Him. Once again, angels who, like us, were made to worship and serve the Lord our God. Because they are created beings, they are never meant to be worshipped. Jesus is the only one to be worshipped. This point is one that can t be overstated. It feels important to mention here, that even the great apostle John had to be reminded twice by an angel about this. After one incredible scene of heavenly worship at the wedding supper of the Lamb in Revelation19, a guiding angel turned to John and asked him to write these words: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! The angel added, These are the true words of God. And what did John do. At once, John fell at his feet to worship him. But the angel s rebuke was quick: Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! (19:10). The next verse builds on this Hebrew 1.7 In speaking of the angel s he says, He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire. In speaking of the angels God makes his angels spirits, his servants, flames of fire. Whose angels are they? God s! Who do they serve? God. And who does God tell them to worship? Jesus! The angels do not instruct Jesus, He commands them they are His servants. His flames of fire. You might notice, that God and Jesus sound a lot like one and the same And that s spot on Jesus is greater because He is God, anointed and enthroned Take a look at verse 8, it puts it so well 9

10 Hebrew 1.8 But about the Son he says, Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. The ultimate reason that Jesus is greater is that He is God. Full stop. He is God enthroned and anointed. There is no one greater nothing in heaven or earth nothing physical or spiritual. To make it even more clear verse 10 says that Jesus is greater because He is the eternal creator Verse 10 Hebrew 1:10 He also says, In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Jesus is greater than the angels because He created them and he created all things. So often we fall into the trap of worshipping created gods, rather than the creator. Things like family, work, money etc are all fine in themselves but they are not to be worshipped they are created for our use, not for our worship. Lastly today Jesus is greater because He is Sovereign; angels are the servants This last verse actually brings in a sarcastic question to drive the point home to any old school Hebrews or modern Hippy Spiritualists who are more interested in the angels than Jesus Verse 13 Hebrew 1:13 To which of the angels did God ever say, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Jesus is greater because He is in charge! He controls all things. The angels are just servants of God. Quite amazing. They exist not to be worshipped, but to be servants to be messengers, protectors, directors. 10

11 Now maybe you are sitting there thinking, well that is great Pastor Neil, but I don t actually think I have a problem of misdirected angel worship What should you learn from this? CONCLUSION Well friends, I would like to remind you that there is a spiritual realm that you cannot see it has a good and a bad side. Whether we like it or acknowledge it, it exists. Angels are real. Demons are real. But Jesus is Greater!!!! Amen. Remember that Jesus is greater than all of these beings that exist, because He is God, and He has the power and authority, He is in control. I also think we have to ask ourselves the question, what might be taking a greater place than Jesus in our lives? For the Hebrews, it was perhaps a unhealthy fascination with angels. Or looking to the angels for rescue, protection, and deliverance. They needed to be reminded that the angels truly love the Lord, and will always love to serve him what about you? Do you truly love the Lord too and just want to serve him? Who or what is the greatest in your life? Ask yourself the question: when you are hard pressed in your life, who has the greatest authority? Who do you submit to? Are you looking for authority from any other than Jesus? Who have you set up on the throne of your life? I urge you to spend a few moments reflection before we end Who is the greatest in your life? The bible also teaches that we are lost without Jesus. Maybe you feel lost today, maybe you feel backslidden. Today is an opportunity for you to respond to Jesus. The bible says in John 3:16; For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. It is my prayer, that you will repent of sin, and receive God s greatest gift through God s great son s sacrifice. Jesus died to take our punishment, to make a way for salvation. You can be saved if you believe in Jesus, repent, and follow Jesus. If this is something you would like to do, I want to invite you to come up to me straight after we end. Me and my friends will be here if anyone would like to talk a little bit more about what I have shared with you. This series is going to be largely about lifting Jesus high!!!! Testimony from Ryan Missions Support for Maphosa s. Testimony from Clinton what is God s doing through CCFM? 11