1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:26,000 My majesty, let all the earth rejoice. All the earth rejoice. He wraps himself in light. His darkness tries to hide. He trembles at his voice. He trembles at his voice. 2 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:48,000 How great is our God. Sing with me. How great is our God. Oh, see how great, how great is our God. 3 00:00:48,000 --> 00:01:12,000 And age to age He stands. And time is in His hands. Beginning and the end. Beginning and the end. The God hath been one. 4 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Father, Spirit, Son. The Lion and the Lamb. The Lion and the Lamb. How great is our God. Sing with me. How great is our God. 5 00:01:36,000 --> 00:02:00,000 Oh, see how great, how great is our God. How great is our God. Sing with me. How great is our God. 6 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Oh, see how great, how great is our God. Name above all names. Worthy of all praise. 7 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:47,000 My heart will sing how great is our God. Name above all names. Worthy of all praise. 8 00:02:48,000 --> 00:03:12,000 My heart will sing how great is our God. How great is our God. Sing with me how great is our God. All will see how great, how great is our God. 9 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:20,000 How great, how great is our God. 10 00:03:42,000 --> 00:04:10,000 He's coming on the clouds, where kings and kingdoms will bow down. Every chain will break, as broken hearts declare His praise. 11 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Who can stop the Lord Almighty? Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah. He's roaring with power and fighting our battles. Every knee will bow before Him. 12 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:50,000 Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain. For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains. Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb. Every knee will bow before Him. 13 00:04:50,000 --> 00:05:13,000 Open up the gates, make way before the King of kings. The God who comes to save, is here to set the captives free. Who can stop the Lord Almighty? 14 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:29,000 Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah. He's roaring with power and fighting our battles. Every knee will bow before Him. 15 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:40,000 Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain. For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains. 16 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb. Every knee will bow before Him. 17 00:05:50,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Who can stop the Lord Almighty? Who can stop the Lord Almighty? Who can stop the Lord Almighty? 18 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:26,000 Who can stop the Lord? Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah. He's roaring with power and fighting our battles. Every knee will bow before Him. 19 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:48,000 Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain. For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains. Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb. Every knee will bow before Him. 20 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,000 Amen. 21 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,000 Amen. 22 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Amen. 23 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:24,000 It's all good. As we prepare to gather together around the table, we're going to sing Glorious Day. 24 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:55,000 One day when heaven was filled with his praises, one day when sin was as black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin, dwelt among men. My example is he. 25 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:24,000 The Word became flesh and the light shined among us, his glory revealed. Living, he loved me. Dying, he saved me. Buried, he cared me. My sins far away. Rising, he justified. Freely forever. 26 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:33,000 One day he's coming, O glorious day. O glorious day. 27 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:51,000 One day they led him up Calvary's mountain. One day they nailed him to die on a tree. 28 00:24:52,000 --> 00:25:02,000 Rappering anguish, despised and rejected. Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is he. 29 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree. Took the nails for me. Living he loved me. Dying he saved me. Buried he carried. 30 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:37,000 My sins far away. Rising he justified. Freely forever. One day he's coming. Oh, glorious day. Oh, glorious day. 31 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Oh, glorious day. One day the grave could conceal him no longer. One day the stone rolled away from the door. Then he arose over death he had conquered. Now is ascended. 32 00:25:52,000 --> 00:26:07,000 My Lord evermore. Death could not hold him. The grave could not keep him from rising again. 33 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:16,000 Living, He loved me. Dying, He saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified freely forever. 34 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:22,000 My Lord evermore. Death could not hold him. The grave could not keep him from rising again. 35 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:36,000 Living, He loved me. Dying, He saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified freely forever. 36 00:26:36,000 --> 00:27:05,000 One day He's coming. Oh, glorious day. Oh, glorious day. Glorious day. One day the trumpet, Brussels, for He's coming. One day the skies will come. 37 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:34,000 The skies with His glories will shine. Wonderful day my beloved one bringing. My Savior Jesus is mine. Living He loved me. Dying He saved me. Buried He carried my sins far away. Rising He justified me. 38 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:59,000 Freely forever. One day He's coming. Oh glorious day. Oh glorious day. Oh glorious day. Oh glorious day. Oh glorious day. 39 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:33,980 And His death, and His sacrifice on our behalf. And as I was reading these verses and thinking about, when we were kids, one of the people that we had in our lives. 40 00:28:33,980 --> 00:28:51,980 One of the most exciting things for us was when all our cousins would come and visit with us. And one of the great things about the house we lived in at that time is the people before us, they didn't have the kind of trees to build a tree house, so they had sunk some posts into the ground, and we called it the fort. 41 00:28:51,980 --> 00:29:03,960 And it looked like this little watchtower sitting next to our house on a hill, and we could see the road we lived on in each direction to the hills. And so when we knew that our 42 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:33,940 cousins were on the way, and they were coming, after a while, because it was a couple hour drive, we would go up there, borrow dad's binoculars, and we would sit in the fort looking each way, watching excitedly for the car to come and see if that was finally them. And when it looked like it was, we'd run down and we'd wait by the driveway, just so excited for the arrival of our cousins and friends. 43 00:29:33,940 --> 00:30:03,920 chapter 9, and in this text, it calls us to both look backward to what Jesus has done, and look forward to what he will do in the future. And verse 28 says this, "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." 44 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:33,900 It calls to mind the fact that Jesus, through his sacrifice on the cross, has saved us from our sins. But there's a second part, just as we just sang, that he is one day coming back, and the writer of Hebrews says, not to deal with sin, because he's already done that, that's taken care of, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 45 00:30:33,900 --> 00:31:03,880 And the words that grab me in that are the eagerly waiting for him. For Christians, the return of Jesus is not fearful or terrifying, because our sins have already been taken care of. He's already dealt with our sin, and he is coming to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 46 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:22,880 This morning, we look in two directions, one to the cross, where Jesus was offered to bear the sins of many, but we also look forward to the time when he will return to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Let's pray. 47 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:33,860 Father in heaven, I thank you for Jesus, and I thank you for grace. I thank you for the cross. I thank you for the promise of return. 48 00:31:33,860 --> 00:31:52,860 And transformation and restoration. And so we ask that as we partake of this meal, you would help us to see that in you, through your son, our sins are forgiven, and that there is hope. 49 00:31:52,860 --> 00:32:03,840 That Jesus is returning. And so we ask this morning that you would encourage our hearts, that you would strengthen our resolve. 50 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:18,840 For us to see the good news is not just what has been done, but what is promised in the future. So be with us as we partake of this bread and this cup. We ask that you bless it. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 51 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:33,820 If you would partake of the bread with me as Jesus shared with his disciples, calling them to do this, and us in remembrance of it. 52 00:32:33,820 --> 00:32:40,820 The new covenant in Jesus' blood as we remember him. 53 00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:49,820 And as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim Jesus until he comes again. 54 00:32:49,820 --> 00:33:03,800 We're going to be in Hebrews, the third chapter, just one short verse. We're going to skip around just a little bit around those as well. Just a note, I made the mistake of changing 55 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:16,800 some of the slides right before we started. So some of the Scripture on the screen is really small, but you can follow along. There's a handout in the bulletin, and also in your Bibles as well. 56 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:33,780 So I'm going to pray, and then we will jump right into this this morning. Father in heaven, refocus our hearts on you. Help us as we see 57 00:33:33,780 --> 00:34:03,760 and seek to remember and to be restored that you would direct us to Jesus, that we would not be those in Hebrews chapter 2 who drift, that we would be those who fix our eyes on Jesus. So I ask that you would teach us this morning. I encourage us. Help us to see your goodness. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So we have, as a family, done a lot of driving 58 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:33,740 this week. And I think probably like most of us, I kind of think of myself as a pretty good driver. In fact, if we were all asked to critique our own driving, right, we'd all say, yeah, yeah, I'm a pretty good driver. The problem is how others critique our driving. And so as we were driving, one of the places we had to go was right into the middle of downtown Washington, D.C. to get to National Children's Hospital. And there was a lot happening in 59 00:34:33,740 --> 00:35:03,720 the last part of the drive. And the problem that I had was not with the traffic. I don't mind. I might yell a little bit, but it's okay. I might get a little frustrated that people aren't using the merge lane to accelerate to highway speed before they get on. But that's really my problem, not so much theirs. I might get frustrated. I didn't have a problem with the traffic. Didn't really have a problem with the directions. The issue for me, and it turns out as I was thinking about this, it's been an issue for a lot of my life. 60 00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:33,700 is that most of my life, all 43 years of it, I have been habitually trained to look for traffic signals up and in the center of the intersection. So for most of my life, that's where they have been. And as we come into DC and we're taking the back roads to the children's hospital, all of a sudden, every traffic signal is not up front and center, but on every corner on a post here or on a post here. 61 00:35:33,700 --> 00:36:03,680 We primarily looking here, all of a sudden doesn't see any stop lights or green lights or yellow lights because I'm not looking to the side. And it was difficult. In fact, Rachel said, "Did you know that you just ran a red light?" I was like, "Absolutely not. Did not know." And to make things worse, right, they got a bus parked in front of this one, so you got to look to the left side where you're not used to looking. And then the GPS, which 62 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:33,660 I remember reading a long time ago, there was a guy who said, "Man, everybody wants smarter cars and wants all these safety features." And the car is telling me to buckle my seatbelt. I would prefer if it told me there was a state trooper hiding behind that tree over there. So now the GPS will do that in your car. And so it's like red light camera and 50 feet, you know, speed camera and a half a mile. So in addition to trying to spot lights where I'm not used to looking for them, right, you're also a little worried that I'm going to go through the 63 00:36:33,660 --> 00:37:03,640 red light with the traffic camera. This is where we find ourselves sometimes where we live. Not necessarily in a car where we're not seeing the traffic lights, but in our lives. And we're moving forward and we're not quite sure where it is that we are supposed to be looking. Maybe the issue is that we've always looked in one direction and it's hard to change and look where we need to go because we've always done it that way. 64 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:33,620 Maybe it's not that we don't know where we need to go. We just don't know how to get there. Or maybe we're struggling or we're distracted or we're hurting. Maybe we're hearing all of these warnings that surround us. We don't go there. Don't do that. Watch out for that. Or maybe it's not really a problem because there was one moment on Tuesday where all of a sudden all the lights were green and I could see them and there was no traffic and there was no bicycles and there was no people on stupid little schools. 65 00:37:33,620 --> 00:38:03,600 scooters driving in front of me. And I was just like, yes, I can go. Until Rachel goes, yeah, you drove right past where you were supposed to go, right? Because the success of a wide open road had just intoxicated me. And that may be the issue, right? It may not be an issue with not looking because we're struggling. It may be an issue with not looking because things are going really, really well. 66 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:33,580 is that in all the urgent business, the distractions, the struggles, the success, that we would look to Jesus. And it's a very simple text. It just says this, "Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus the apostle and high priest of our confession." And I want us to sort of look at the glorious foundation that is found in this text. 67 00:38:33,580 --> 00:39:03,560 Another way of saying this is that this text this morning, and the truth that is contained therein is not wobbly. I don't know if you've ever tried to do ladder things without a ladder. At least in my case, it always ends up being some kind of amalgamation of chairs, step stool, and sometimes a folding table. And you get there and you're trying to do ladder things without a ladder, and it always is wobbly. 68 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:21,560 It can get really sketchy really quickly. The same is true in our world. There are a lot of things that might seem like a good idea. They might seem like a firm foundation, but when we start to build on them, we find that it gets really sketchy really fast. 69 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:33,540 And the foundation of this text, and in fact all of the book of Hebrews, is the glorious reality of Jesus, specifically his identity, who he is, and his actions, what he has done. 70 00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:44,540 In fact, the whole argument is that Jesus is better than anything you could ever put your hope in. And these verses are built upon a firm foundation. 71 00:39:44,540 --> 00:40:03,520 Let me just give you two examples of this foundation from the previous chapters. In Hebrews chapter 1, beginning in verse 1, it says, "Long ago, in many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days has spoken to us." 72 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:16,520 His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He created the world. He is the radiance of His glory and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. 73 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:30,520 And after making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become much superior to the angels, as the name that He has inherited is more excellent than theirs." 74 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:37,520 So just a couple of foundational truths that support our text this morning. First of all, is that God speaks. 75 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:46,520 That we don't have to be uncertain. We don't have to try to figure it out. It's not like a game where we're trying to guess a combination, and we try it one way. 76 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:57,520 They say, "Well, you have one answer, right?" And we switch it around, and we go, "No answer." So you put it back the way it was, and you begin to try to find out what you've missed and in what order everything is. 77 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:06,520 The first glorious truth that underlies our foundation is that God speaks. 78 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:12,520 The second glorious truth that is underneath this foundation is that God has spoken to us. 79 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:24,520 He starts by saying, "God's spoken," in some translations will say, "in many portions and in many ways, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son." 80 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:37,520 We don't simply overhear. It's not just them or them, but He has said something to us and for us. 81 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:45,520 Then our situations are successful. And this is earth shatteringly wonderful that God has spoken to us through His Son. 82 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:53,520 And don't miss this. It says that God has spoken. It's not that we are trying to get God to speak because He's already done. 83 00:41:53,520 --> 00:42:02,520 Yes, He's already done it. And the question is not what has God said, but how will I respond to what He has said. 84 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:09,520 And then the third glorious truth is this. How has God spoken? It's the identity of the messenger. 85 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:16,520 He has spoken through His Son. And if you look at all of these characteristics, 86 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:22,520 whom is the heir of all things, through whom He created the world, He is the radiance of the glory of God, 87 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:30,520 the exact imprint of His nature. He upholds the universe by the word of His power. 88 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:35,520 But then also what He has done, He has made purification for sins, 89 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:43,520 and He has sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. That's who has spoken to us. 90 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:48,520 And then it kind of ends in a strange way. It says, "He has a better name than the angels." 91 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:59,520 And we might say, "Why does that matter?" The short answer to this is that Jesus is greater than every and any heavenly force. 92 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:05,520 The slightly longer answer is that we are people who constantly seek to compare. 93 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:09,520 Right? We want the best. We want something better than what we have. 94 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:13,520 And oftentimes we don't get something new because the old wears out, 95 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:19,520 but rather because we want the perceived advantages of the new thing. 96 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:30,520 And what the author of Hebrews is doing is saying to us that there is nothing that can compare to the goodness and the greatness of Jesus. 97 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:38,520 Anything or anyone that you can compare Jesus to. The whole argument of the book is that Jesus is better. 98 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:49,520 Angels, Moses, in our text this morning, there's better promises. He serves as a better priest in a better temple, offering a better sacrifice on a better mountain. 99 00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:57,520 And it's not just about communication or identity, but it's about what Jesus has done. 100 00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:05,520 Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things. 101 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:15,520 That through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 102 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:20,520 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 103 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:33,520 The Son speaks, and because the children, that's us, are made of flesh and blood, he likewise partook of the same things, that he comes close, and that he saves. 104 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:46,520 The one thing that is certain in our life, the one thing we fear, the one thing we spend so much time and energy and money to try to avoid death. 105 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:57,520 As it says here, we were subject to lifelong slavery until Jesus comes and defeats death. 106 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:11,520 The author is giving us a firm foundation for what happens next. That God speaks through His Son. He says, "See His power. See His majesty. See how powerful and all majestic Jesus is." 107 00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:21,520 And then He comes close to save you. And in Hebrews 3:1, all of this is summarized in this word, "Therefore." 108 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:30,520 Because of who Jesus is, and because of what He has done, He has something to say to us. 109 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:37,520 And in fact, everything in this text centers around two words, and in fact, the longer context as well. 110 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:46,520 It's just simply this: "Consider Jesus." You say, "What does that mean, to consider Jesus?" 111 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:51,520 It has to do with our focus and how we are looking to Jesus. 112 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:56,520 And first of all, I want you to understand, before we dive into what it means to consider Jesus, 113 00:45:56,520 --> 00:46:01,520 we need to understand that this text is addressed to us. 114 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:07,520 He says, "Therefore, because of all of these things, these glorious foundations that God has spoken, 115 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:11,520 He has spoken through His Son, His Son has come to save us. 116 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:18,520 Therefore, because of that, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling." 117 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:23,520 There is both comfort and correction found in these first words. 118 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:28,520 There is comfort in that we're reminded we are not alone. 119 00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:35,520 When He says, "Holy brothers," and we might say, "Well, I'm not a brother. I might have a brother, but I'm not a brother." 120 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:45,520 The word here means just from the same womb, and depending on the context can mean a biological brother, 121 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:53,520 or it can be used to refer to somebody who is a member of the same group, someone who belongs to the same group. 122 00:46:53,520 --> 00:47:00,520 And it's frequently used to refer to all of those who are part of the church. 123 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:05,520 This is how the church is frequently addressed, as members of the same group. 124 00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:12,520 You've been born in the same way, born again through the blood of Christ. 125 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:18,520 And so in part he begins with a comfort, that you are not alone. 126 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:23,520 And this journey that you are on, this heavenly calling, you do not walk by yourself, 127 00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:30,520 but you have somebody who is with you, and that is God's people. 128 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:38,520 But it's also a correction. You see, we are immediately reminded that this is for us. 129 00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:45,520 It's easy for me to, and probably many of us, to look at everybody who surrounds us and go, 130 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:50,520 "You know what? You all need Jesus." Right? It's really easy for us to point fingers and say, 131 00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:56,520 "You need Jesus. You need Jesus." And as my grandma used to say when I was little, 132 00:47:56,520 --> 00:47:59,520 so when you're pointing your finger at someone, maybe you've heard this, right? 133 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:05,520 Three fingers are pointing back at you, so I would get around it by just doing like the knife hand at my siblings. 134 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:11,520 It's easy for us to look at the Word of God and apply it to somebody else, and to say, 135 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:17,520 "This is for you. That's for you. I've got it figured out." But notice what the writer of Hebrew does. 136 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:23,520 He says, "Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling." 137 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:32,520 He says, "I'm speaking to you." They might need Jesus, but so do you. 138 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:37,520 Three things I want to point you to regarding considering Jesus, first of all. 139 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:43,520 Considering Jesus, first of all, is intentional. 140 00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:50,520 Let me go back to our driving in D.C. trip earlier this week. Traffic signals in the wrong place. 141 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:55,520 I kind of mentioned it's something that I've always struggled with. I think it was like 19 or 20. 142 00:48:55,520 --> 00:49:01,520 Some friends and I from college, we came back to Vermont from Missouri to hang out, and they could see where I was from. 143 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:07,520 And one of the things we decided to do, because in those days you could, we decided to drive up to Montreal. 144 00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:12,520 And so there was a friend who went to church with us, and I said, "Hey, you want to go up to Montreal?" 145 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:14,520 He says, "Yeah, I'll drive. You guys just follow me." 146 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:23,520 And we're driving down this street in the middle of Montreal, and my roommates in the car go, "Hey, did you see that that light was turning red?" 147 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:33,520 And once again, I'm like, "What light?" Right? Because they're all over on the corner, instead of on top, where normal people put them. 148 00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:41,520 My response was, "Well, first of all, if they wanted me to stop, put them where I can see them. Secondly, I've got to keep up with this guy who's driving in front of me." 149 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:52,520 And so what happened was because I was so unfocused on everything, but not getting lost by following our friend. 150 00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:59,520 Right? I missed some of the things that were happening around me. I hadn't intentionally paid attention to what surrounded me. 151 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:10,520 If there is not an intentional decision to focus on Jesus, it will not happen. Right? If we do not intentionally say, 152 00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:18,520 "This is my focus." What's going to happen is we're going to be so focused on something else, whether it's busy-ness, 153 00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:29,520 or the emergencies of life, or the difficulties, or the successes, that it's just going to sort of go by the wayside if we're not intentionally looking to Jesus. 154 00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:35,520 One of the ways that we intentionally look to Jesus is through the community of His people. 155 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:45,520 In Hebrews chapter 10, it says this, "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, 156 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:52,520 for He who promised is faithful." It says you need to hold fast to your hope. 157 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:58,520 He says this, "Then let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, 158 00:50:58,520 --> 00:51:03,520 not neglecting to meet together is the habit of some, but encouraging one another all the more 159 00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:12,520 as you see the day drawing near." And oftentimes this verse is used as a bat to talk about going to church. 160 00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:16,520 This is the famous go to church verse, but I don't think it's about that. 161 00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:23,520 It's about our need to have brothers and sisters in Christ who walk with us. 162 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:31,520 As we hold fast to our confession of hope, we need those around us who come near us, 163 00:51:31,520 --> 00:51:41,520 who stir us up, encourage us, and help us through the difficulties of life. 164 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:51,520 It's so easy to look somewhere else without help to get us directed back to where we need to go. 165 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:59,520 And so one of the places in which we intentionally focus on Jesus is in the community of believers. 166 00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:07,520 So first of all, our considering Jesus must be intentional. Secondly, it must be continual. 167 00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:14,520 Remember the audience of this verse is Christians, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling. 168 00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:18,520 He's talking to Christians, which means you and I need to hear this. 169 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:27,520 And it's not the only place this kind of thing is said, not just in Hebrews, but in the Bible. For example, in Hebrews 2:1, 170 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:33,520 it says, "We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." 171 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:42,520 Or in Hebrews 12:1, "Since, therefore, we're surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely. 172 00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:50,520 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, 173 00:52:50,520 --> 00:52:55,520 who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, 174 00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:58,520 and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." 175 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:02,520 You might say, "Well, why am I to fix my eyes on Jesus, to look to Jesus?" 176 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:10,520 It's because we need that encouragement. Here's why the writer of Hebrews says we need to look to Jesus. 177 00:53:10,520 --> 00:53:21,520 Verse 3, "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you do not grow weary and faint-hearted." 178 00:53:21,520 --> 00:53:26,520 Our fixing our eyes on Jesus has to be more than a one-time thing. 179 00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:32,520 Imagine today, in the evening, we're sitting down. 180 00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:36,520 The evening, the kids come in and go, "We're hungry. When's dinner?" 181 00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:40,520 And I go, "Well, you know what? You had dinner on Saturday. 182 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:45,520 I don't feel like there is any need for us to do dinner again on Sunday." 183 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:48,520 And our kids would think, first of all, they'd think I'm joking, right? 184 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:51,520 Because they'd be like, "Oh, Dad, you're so funny. Ha ha." 185 00:53:51,520 --> 00:53:54,520 They never say that I'm funny, by the way. They just groan and roll their eyes. 186 00:53:54,520 --> 00:54:00,520 But if I said to them, "You ate dinner yesterday. You don't need to eat dinner today." 187 00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:05,520 They're going to say, "Dad, you have to eat dinner every single day." 188 00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:10,520 And there is sometimes this idea among us as Christians. 189 00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:14,520 That yes, I fixed my eyes on Jesus when I became a Christian. 190 00:54:14,520 --> 00:54:17,520 Now I can kind of take it from here. 191 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:23,520 And there is this idea among us that growing in Christ is a little bit like growing up as a human being. 192 00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:28,520 When I'm little I need help, but now that I'm grown up I can do it all by myself. 193 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:34,520 I need Jesus to get me saved, but now I can walk on my own two feet. 194 00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:37,520 And the Bible is very clear about this. 195 00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:42,520 One of the great summaries of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1 says, 196 00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:49,520 "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the Gospel that I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand." 197 00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:53,520 It's not written to those who are outside the church. 198 00:54:53,520 --> 00:55:01,520 He's saying to the church your focus and consideration on the Gospel of Jesus must be ongoing. 199 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:08,520 Right? That's why we sing. It's why we study the Word. It's why we pray together. It's why we gather around the table. 200 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:17,520 Third, it's because not only is our focus on Jesus intentional, but it must be ongoing. 201 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:25,520 Third, our consideration of Jesus must not be superficial. 202 00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:30,520 Think about how we use the word considerate. Generally, for us, it means think about, right? 203 00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:35,520 Have you considered what you want to do for dinner? Have you thought about your ideas or plans for dinner? 204 00:55:35,520 --> 00:55:42,520 In Greek, the word consider is a compound word, which means it's just a couple of words put together. 205 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:48,520 And it's a combination of the word for down and the word for think. 206 00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:58,520 And essentially it means to think about something from the very top to the very bottom, not just a cursory glance. 207 00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:06,520 When the author of Hebrews says to consider Jesus, it's not simply saying, "Oh, yep, there's Jesus. Yep, I know about Jesus." 208 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:11,520 But rather to examine who He is and what He has done. 209 00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:17,520 It's like the difference between maybe there's an open house for somebody selling their house in your neighborhood. 210 00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:21,520 And so you want to sneak into the open house so you can laugh at their design choices. 211 00:56:21,520 --> 00:56:27,520 And then the difference between actually looking for a house to move into and to live in, right? 212 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:36,520 How much more closely do you examine something that you're planning to live in rather than just being nosy about your neighbors, right? 213 00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:40,520 One is sort of cursory. The other is much more specific. 214 00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:48,520 In fact, we buy houses, we hire people to inspect them, to make sure that there's not any problems. 215 00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:56,520 The picture here in Hebrews 3:1, "Therefore, because of this foundation, 216 00:56:56,520 --> 00:57:02,520 you who are Christians, brothers, holy, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus." 217 00:57:02,520 --> 00:57:08,520 Not in a cursory manner, not in a one-time way, not unintentionally, but rather in a focused manner. 218 00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:15,520 Now look at what he says. What should I consider about Jesus? 219 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:23,520 There's a lot to consider about Jesus. In the end of Luke's Gospel, Luke records Jesus twice. 220 00:57:23,520 --> 00:57:30,520 The followers saying, "Everything that's written about me in the law and the prophets and in the Psalms, 221 00:57:30,520 --> 00:57:36,520 all of that Old Testament material, he says, is about me." All of those things. 222 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:44,520 The end of John's Gospel, he says, "If I was to write everything down, there wouldn't be room for all of the books." 223 00:57:44,520 --> 00:57:51,520 We consider the birth, and the life, and the teaching, and the miracles, and the cross, and the resurrection. 224 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:58,520 Promises of his return. What are we called to consider about Jesus? Is it all of it? 225 00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:03,520 Well, in one sense, yes, we want to learn and grow more deeply into all of who Jesus is, 226 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:08,520 but the writer of Hebrews has something specific in mind. He says what? 227 00:58:08,520 --> 00:58:19,520 The apostle and high priest of our confession. Confession is our declaration of belief. 228 00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:25,520 He says, "Well, how do I get to that place? How do I get to that confession?" 229 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:30,520 I think there's two things we need. First of all is we need somebody to come to us. 230 00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:34,520 Let's go back to dinner time in our house, and the food is ready. 231 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:39,520 Generally, we send somebody, one of the kids who happens to be around, to gather the other children. 232 00:58:39,520 --> 00:58:47,520 Go tell everybody dinner is ready. And I've often thought, "What would happen if maybe 233 00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:53,520 we just sat down, after dinner is ready, we just went ahead and ate, right, in peace, 234 00:58:53,520 --> 00:59:00,520 without complaining about green beans, without anything being spilled, without any of these difficulties?" 235 00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:06,520 What would happen? I can tell you what would happen. A few hours later, children are going to come in, 236 00:59:06,520 --> 00:59:15,520 and they go, "Why didn't you tell us that dinner was ready?" And so what we do before we eat dinner, we send an apostle. 237 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:23,520 The word apostle just means somebody who is sent with a mission to announce that dinner is ready. 238 00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:29,520 When we hear that Jesus is the apostle of our confession, He is the one who announces to us, 239 00:59:29,520 --> 00:59:38,520 the one who was sent to you with a message of hope. He is Emmanuel, which means God with us. 240 00:59:38,520 --> 00:59:48,520 And He comes to bring light to the darkness, to those who are crushed, and who are broken, and who are proud and who are self-sufficient. 241 00:59:48,520 --> 00:59:55,520 Jesus comes to announce. But we don't just need somebody to announce, right? 242 00:59:55,520 --> 01:00:01,520 Because most of us, I think, if we're honest, we can figure out that we're not doing very well on our own. 243 01:00:01,520 --> 01:00:08,520 We need somebody to deal with our brokenness before God, right? Just hearing isn't helpful, right? 244 01:00:08,520 --> 01:00:14,520 Because sometimes before dinner, when we send our apostle to announce that dinner is ready, right? 245 01:00:14,520 --> 01:00:21,520 Somebody's been playing with the hose. Somebody's been in the mud or in the pile of leaves, right? 246 01:00:21,520 --> 01:00:29,520 And they can hear the call to dinner, but they are certainly not ready to come to dinner. 247 01:00:29,520 --> 01:00:42,520 In Hebrews chapter 5, you find at the beginning and outline through this chapter some qualifications for what a priest is and what he does. 248 01:00:42,520 --> 01:00:48,520 The first qualification is that you have to be chosen, right? You don't get to choose yourself. 249 01:00:48,520 --> 01:00:55,520 You don't get to show up and say, "Guess what? I'm a priest. You have to be chosen." 250 01:00:55,520 --> 01:01:01,520 He'll use the example of Aaron's priesthood, that he has to be chosen from among the people. 251 01:01:01,520 --> 01:01:10,520 And he said, "There's a new and a better priest chosen by God. Today you are my son." 252 01:01:10,520 --> 01:01:15,520 But part of the call of the priest is to be part of the people. 253 01:01:15,520 --> 01:01:21,520 Because it's hard to help and have compassion on people that you cannot relate to. 254 01:01:21,520 --> 01:01:30,520 And so the priest doesn't just have to be chosen, but he has to come from among those with whom he lives. 255 01:01:30,520 --> 01:01:36,520 So he can know their struggles and know their hurts and know their difficulties, to know their joys. 256 01:01:36,520 --> 01:01:45,520 But also the priest needs to be able to stand between the people of God and deal with their sins. 257 01:01:45,520 --> 01:01:54,520 So here's Jesus. He's not just the announcer of good news. Not just the announcer, but he's the one who brings us. 258 01:01:54,520 --> 01:02:02,520 He's the high priest, the one from whom the prophet spoke, the one who is chosen from among the people, 259 01:02:02,520 --> 01:02:08,520 the one who knows our struggles and hurts just as the children were made up of flesh and blood. 260 01:02:08,520 --> 01:02:23,520 So he partook of the same things, but also he stands and offers a sacrifice for sins, not for bulls and goats, but he offers himself. 261 01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:30,520 You see, the point being is that Jesus does not just come with a message. He comes to save. 262 01:02:30,520 --> 01:02:39,520 The author of Hebrews says, "Therefore, because of these glorious foundations, holy brothers who share in a heavenly calling, 263 01:02:39,520 --> 01:02:48,520 you who are not alone, you're in the midst of the church among God's people, but also this message is for you." 264 01:02:48,520 --> 01:02:58,520 He says, "Consider Jesus not only once, not flippantly, not superficially, but look deeply at Jesus, 265 01:02:58,520 --> 01:03:06,520 the one who calls you, but the one who also brings you home." 266 01:03:06,520 --> 01:03:14,520 Hebrews 2:1 has this picture, "Therefore, me must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." 267 01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:26,520 The picture here is pretty remarkable. I don't know if you've ever been in the scenario where you have water, you have wind, 268 01:03:26,520 --> 01:03:31,520 and you have inflatable children's toys at the beach. 269 01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:40,520 Back this summer we were at Lake Ianna just for a couple days camping, and we picked up some cheap beach balls at the Dollar General, 270 01:03:40,520 --> 01:03:46,520 and the wind's blowing and the beach ball is floating out. We're swimming as fast as we can to try to catch the beach ball, 271 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:53,520 and it's no use because you're swimming and you're trying to grasp the beach ball, and every time you grab it, it goes further away. 272 01:03:53,520 --> 01:04:02,520 The picture here is that those who are not rooted and grounded in the salvation of Jesus Christ, 273 01:04:02,520 --> 01:04:13,520 there is this drifting distance that comes that seems almost insurmountable. 274 01:04:13,520 --> 01:04:19,520 The picture that we're called to as Christians is not one of fear, 275 01:04:19,520 --> 01:04:29,520 but rather of fix your eyes on Jesus. He is your hope, He is your strength, He is your comfort, and He will anchor you firmly. 276 01:04:29,520 --> 01:04:36,520 He's the one who announces to you, but He is the one who saves you. 277 01:04:36,520 --> 01:04:41,520 So as the writer of Hebrews says this morning to us, 278 01:04:41,520 --> 01:04:48,520 "Therefore, holy brothers, you who share a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, 279 01:04:48,520 --> 01:04:53,520 the apostle and high priest of our confession." 280 01:04:53,520 --> 01:04:59,520 Father in heaven, turn our eyes to Jesus, 281 01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:05,520 in our joys and in our sorrows and our failures and successes, 282 01:05:05,520 --> 01:05:09,520 in the midst of distractions, many of which are self-inflicted. 283 01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:13,520 May you help us to see you. 284 01:05:13,520 --> 01:05:17,520 Help us to see that you are our only hope and our only strength and our only peace. 285 01:05:17,520 --> 01:05:21,520 It's in your son's name we pray. Amen. 286 01:05:21,520 --> 01:05:26,520 We're going to stand and we are going to sing, "I Set My Hope." 287 01:05:26,520 --> 01:05:49,520 I set my hope on Jesus. When the questions come and doubts remain. I set my hope on Jesus. When the questions come and doubts remain. I set my hope on Jesus. 288 01:05:49,520 --> 01:06:16,520 When the questions come and doubts remain. I set my hope on Jesus. For the deepest wounds that time won't heal. There's a joy that runs still deeper. There's a truth that's more than all I feel. I set my hope on Jesus. 289 01:06:16,520 --> 01:06:43,520 I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. 290 01:06:43,520 --> 01:07:10,520 Though I falter in this war with sin, I set my hope on Jesus. When I feel the fight and sink within, I set my hope on Jesus. Though the shame would drown me in its sea, 291 01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:37,520 and I drain the wave of justice. I will cast my life on Calvary. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust, who set his heart upon me first. 292 01:07:37,520 --> 01:07:44,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 293 01:08:02,520 --> 01:08:07,520 Though the world call me to leave my Lord, 294 01:08:07,520 --> 01:08:12,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 295 01:08:12,520 --> 01:08:17,520 Though it offer all its vain rewards, 296 01:08:17,520 --> 01:08:22,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 297 01:08:22,520 --> 01:08:27,520 Though this heart of mine is prone to stray, 298 01:08:27,520 --> 01:08:32,520 give me grace enough to finish 299 01:08:32,520 --> 01:08:37,520 'til I worship on that final day. 300 01:08:37,520 --> 01:08:42,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 301 01:08:42,520 --> 01:08:47,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 302 01:08:47,520 --> 01:08:52,520 I rock my only trust. 303 01:08:52,520 --> 01:08:57,520 You set his heart upon me first. 304 01:08:57,520 --> 01:09:02,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 305 01:09:02,520 --> 01:09:07,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 306 01:09:07,520 --> 01:09:12,520 My rock my only trust. 307 01:09:12,520 --> 01:09:17,520 You set his heart upon me first. 308 01:09:17,520 --> 01:09:21,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 309 01:09:21,520 --> 01:09:26,520 I set my hope on Jesus. 310 01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:36,520 We are so thankful that you are here with us this morning. 311 01:09:36,520 --> 01:09:46,520 We'll be back, hopefully, this Wednesday night for Wednesday night Bible study as we wrap up the book of Colossians. 312 01:09:46,520 --> 01:09:54,520 Also, this Sunday was one of our monthly children's churches. We do those on the second and fourth Sunday. 313 01:09:54,520 --> 01:10:01,520 Also, coming up on November 20th, which is a Wednesday night, we'd like to have a Thanksgiving dinner. 314 01:10:01,520 --> 01:10:07,520 We'll provide the turkey. We invite you to come and join us for a meal. Bring a side, bring a friend. 315 01:10:07,520 --> 01:10:13,520 We'll have a good time. And we're also planning on the 27th, that's Thanksgiving Eve, 316 01:10:13,520 --> 01:10:21,520 to have a time of worship that evening, the night before Thanksgiving. 317 01:10:21,520 --> 01:10:27,520 I'm going to go ahead and pray, and then I'm going to read and close us with the 147th Psalm, 318 01:10:27,520 --> 01:10:32,520 and then we'll sing the doxology. Father in heaven, thank you for allowing us to be here. 319 01:10:32,520 --> 01:10:38,520 Thank you for your people and for your word. Thank you for all that you have done for us 320 01:10:38,520 --> 01:10:45,520 and all that we trust you to do in the future. It's in your son's name we pray. Amen. 321 01:10:45,520 --> 01:10:50,520 And in the end, in the middle of the 147th Psalm, we started our service with this. 322 01:10:50,520 --> 01:10:54,520 In the middle, it talks about all those things that we can trust in 323 01:10:54,520 --> 01:11:00,520 and how God either is the one who provides them or he is greater than those things. 324 01:11:00,520 --> 01:11:06,520 And so it says this, "But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 325 01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:12,520 in those who hope in his steadfast love." 326 01:11:12,520 --> 01:11:35,520 Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. 327 01:11:35,520 --> 01:11:40,520 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 328 01:12:05,520 --> 01:12:07,520 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 329 01:12:35,520 --> 01:12:43,440 Father, Son, Holy Ghost.