Bible Study: November 4, 2020

Okay. Last week, just as a short recap, we began the book of Hebrews. We did an introduction into it. You'll remember that we talked about the book of Hebrews being written at a time when the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea were facing a time much like the time we live in. The book, most scholars say, was written some to her between 62 and 68 AD. Jerusalem was seeing a major change in their lifestyle. Nero was the king of the emperor in Rome. He brought persecution to Christians and Judea. And by 70 AD, everything in the foundation of Judea was gone. The temple would be destroyed, and the Jewish way of life would be under significant threat. So when we look at this book, and the admonitions that it had to them back in that time are very similar to the situations that we find ourselves in today. We find the land that we've lived in all our lives and the things we become so accustomed to. You know, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion. A lot of those things are under attack, not directly, but by the way we look at things that are going on in the world, you see more and more of the suppression of those freedoms that are there. That's the direction that the world is going to, which fits right in line with Bible prophecy. So when we read the book of Hebrews, we can look at this book not just as instructions to the Jews, or a treatise, or an essay, or a sermon, you know, to the Hebrews back in the 60s AD. But it is, as all books of the Bible are, written directly to us today, because we will see ourselves in these scriptures, and we are living in similar times where we see change about to occur, and a time leading up to the time when everything that we have lived into this land will disappear just as the foundations in Judah disappeared at that time as well. So we got through the first five or six verses, I guess the first six verses of Hebrews 1 last time. And you'll remember we talked about the introduction here into Hebrews reminds us of who it is that has called us, and the tremendous magnitude of our calling.

You know, the very first word in Hebrews 1 verse 1 is God. And the author here, and we talked about, you know, no one knows exactly who the physical author is, but that's the way God would have it. But we know that the author of all the Bible is God. And so the very first word in Hebrews 1 verse 1 is God, who spoke to us at times, passed through the prophets, as in these last days, spoken to us through his Son.

And so we have the, you know, we have the Old Testament. God inspired the prophets to record those prophecies, those ways of life, those laws, those admonitions, those statutes for all of us that pertain today. But in these last days, these days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, the New Testament days, he's spoken to us through Jesus Christ. You know, later on here in chapter 2, we'll see that Jesus Christ began to speak those things. And as we read through the Gospels, we see many of his words. And then they were followed up by his apostles, those who he taught and that who teach them down through today as well.

The thing that we learn out of Hebrews 1, and it's continuing into Hebrews 2, is that God is reminding us just how great our calling is. You know, there is no being greater in the universe than God the Father. I mean, and that's an understatement. You know, we don't have a word to describe the entire universe that God knows of that we just know a piece of. But there's no one greater than him. And he's the one who has spoken these words to us, it tells us.

It's He who sent Jesus Christ, you know, to earth. It's Jesus Christ then who says, God the Father through Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and earth. And we saw that in other parts of the Bible as well. And this God the Father, the most important, the greatest being in the universe to whom Jesus Christ has even submitted Himself, for some reason looked down and called you and me to be part of His plan and to allow us to have the opportunity to grow and to be prepared for whatever He has in mind for us. Through the first few verses here of chapter 1, we see that it compares Jesus Christ to the angels.

We would all look at angels and certainly back in the 60s, they would look at angels as spirit beings. They work for God, they're up in heaven, they minister to all of us, they're spirit beings, they have everlasting life. And God reminds us, the calling that He has given you and me is greater than that of angels.

Just like Jesus Christ who was born human, He is greater. His calling and His purpose was better than angels, it says in verse 4. And so as we look at this chapter, we have to bear that in mind. And if we would just bear that in mind, that Jesus Christ who set the example in the way for us being born human, flesh, dying, being resurrected, now sitting at the right hand of God, who says that God appointed Him heir of all things.

And remembering that in Romans 8, He says that we are joint heirs with Christ. That's a pretty magnificent calling. And if we would remember that in our lives, who it is that we neglect, that who it is that we might say, I just don't want to do your this way this time. If we would remember that, I think we would all be more diligent and careful to pay attention to what God has called us to do.

But sometimes we take God for granted because He isn't hitting us over the head or sending some punishment on us the moment that we step out of line. But if we remember that and what our calling is, I think we would be more judicious to truly come out of the world and look to Him to prepare us. And that put our needs, our wants, and other things before Him in so many times. So we got through verse 6 last time. We're going to continue in this as we complete chapter 1 and get into chapter 2 here.

But before we do, are there any questions, comments, or anything that anyone wants to talk about? If not, remember all you have to do is hit your microphone button and speak up at any time and I'll hear you and I'll stop. Let's look at Hebrews 1, verse 7 then. My notes here. Hebrews 1, verse 7. Again, remembering that in this section, He's comparing Jesus Christ and His purpose was better than the angels, if we can put it that way.

And so is ours is the conclusion He's drawing here for us to remind us of. In verse 7, it says, And of the angels, He says, who makes His angels spirits and as ministers a flame of fire. Now, one of the things that we're going to see as we go through here is this word that's translated angels. When we get into chapter 2, we're going to see this word, angels appear again as it was the angels who were speaking the word in Old Testament times, and they were the ones preaching the law.

And the actual translation of the Greek word, that's translated angels here, can be angel or can be simply messenger. So we have to look at the context. Is this a spirit thing we're talking about here or is this a messenger? Because God sends His angels, you know, to be messengers to mankind. But it's not always an angel. We read in the seven messages of the seven churches of Revelation. And then when it said into the angel of the church of Philadelphia, right, it's a messenger as if it's a physical messenger who would be giving that.

But as we look at verse 7 here, we can see by the context, this is a spirit angel that He's talking about. And of the angels, He says, who makes His angels spirits. Well, there is no man whose spirit, right? Jesus Christ is the only one who's been resurrected into eternal life. So He's a spirit being today. But there is no man or human messenger that is a spirit today. So when He says of the angels, He says who makes His angels spirits.

And that word spirit is the Greek word numa, which is like breath, air. You know who He's talking about in this verse. But then He says in verse 7, and His ministers a flame of fire.

And when we look at that word ministers, often in the Bible, you know, we have to take it out of the context of where we think of ministers today. You know, an ordained elder, someone who's ordained, and look at the word servants, which it would be more appropriately translated. So that puts us all in this verse 7. And His servants, a flame of fire. You can also see His spokesman. Someone's got a question, Wynoma? Yes. Okay, I know this is a silly question, but it says who makes His angels spirits. I thought they were already spirits. So how can they make them spirits if they're already spirits? Well, that's a good He makes His angels spirits. I mean, He did create them, and they are spirits. Well, I don't know, unless he's also maybe a future thing, talking about making His messenger spirits of the time to come. I think he's really talking about the spirit angels at that time. I would need to look up that word makes, and see if that's a completely accurate translation. Okay, okay. Let me mark that down, because that's a good question.

Okay, and His minister is a flame of fire. Okay, you know, God uses these word pictures to help us picture what He's doing. You and I are His servants. We are here to be an example of God's way of life. We're here to have the zeal. And when I look at flame of fire, that shows us the zeal that God wants us to have.

You know, when His Holy Spirit is in us, it leads us to action. I go back to Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit was first given to the church. One of the ways it was described there is there were these tongues of fire that were on everyone's head. And that can picture the zeal and the energy that God gives us in our lives, to be His servants, to be servants to each other.

The zeal and the excitement that we would have for His way of life. You know, as we were first called, we first understand God's truth, we all have that. If we didn't have that, we would never be baptized. We would never follow through.

There are many who come to church, and they kind of fade away after a while. And you wonder, where's that initial fire? It burned out too quickly. But for those of us who are listening today and people going to church, that fire is still there. God wants us to be zealous. No matter what stage of life we are, to be zealous and on fire for His work.

In the message of the seven churches in Revelation, you read that. God says, I want you to rekindle your first love. I want you to go back to your first works. I want you to be zealous for me. And the lay of the sea tells that church, I advise you to buy of yourself gold tied in the fire. Get your zeal back. Get your fire back.

And certainly when we receive God's Holy Spirit, we should have that fire. And it's our job to keep it kindled all through our lives. We could go back into the Old Testament, into the temple. And so many times we're drawing the conclusion that while there was a temple that God dwelt in back in Old Testament times, He's building His temple in you and me and in His church in this time at day and age. And we remember the ever burning flame that was supposed to be there in Old Testament time. It was the priest's charge to keep that flame always alive.

And today it's our job to keep that flame always alive and always burning, you know, for God. It comes through His Holy Spirit, but it takes our effort. It takes our effort to stay close to Him and allow that zeal to continue. You know, if I can go back to... we don't have to turn back to Acts 2, but you remember Acts 2. When they received the Holy Spirit, the apostles, they went out, they preached boldly.

I mean, they were like different people after they received the Holy Spirit. They were zealous. They went out and God validated what they were saying by the, you know, there were 5,000 people that were baptized and 3,000 or maybe I haven't birthed, 3,000 one day and 5,000 later. You saw the works of the apostles accompanied by miracles as He worked with them and showed, this is... these are my people. This is the truth that I'm speaking. And they were on fire, and you and I need to be on fire too, and He expects His church, you know, to be on fire too preaching His Word.

And even more so, I guess, as we see the day approaching of the time of Jesus Christ's return. So, read verse 7, you know, it's like this is what God is saying, and again, He's drawing the comparison between the angels and their calling, and nothing... He's not talking down about the angels at all. They are created beings who are doing exactly what God created them to do.

They're joyous. They're happy in what they do. And we should be joyous and letting God teach us the things that we need to be doing, how we serve Him, and the purpose that He has in mind for us. Let's move on. Let's move on to verse 8 here. You know, let me just mention in Hebrews, in verse 7 there, that is a direct quote from Psalm 104. Maybe we should just turn back there, because as we go through Hebrews, we see the author referring back to the Psalms many times.

When you look at the Psalms and you see the number of prophecies and what's said back there, the Messiah, and how it even applies, you know, it's clear that God was open... that opened David's mind, and some of the things that are true and talked about are showing what God was putting in His mind as He would record these Psalms. Psalm 104, let's begin in verse 3. You know, the first few verses there of Psalm 104, you know, David is again drawing attention to God and how great He is, and how there is no one like Him.

Verse 3 says, He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters. He makes the clouds His chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind. Verse 4, Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. So that's a direct quote, you know, from the Psalms that again validates the Old Testament as God, you know, records and has preserved this book of Hebrews to us, for us.

Okay, so let's go back to Hebrews 1, verse 8. Mr. Shaby? Yes, sir. Yeah, I have in both my margins on that. The word maketh, it also refers to appoint. Okay. Appoints His angels spirits and He appoints His ministers a flaming fire. Okay, that's a good translation of the word, I'm sure. Yeah, appoints His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. Okay, very good. Now there's probably a little bit more meaning to that verse that we'll contemplate here.

Okay, let's move on to verse 8. I pointed out in Jacksonville last week and Will in Orlando, my sermon this week, whenever you see that word, but, you know, that begins a thought, stop and pause and think of it, just don't read over it. So God has said all these things in the first seven verses here as He compares Jesus Christ and His calling to the angels.

And then He says in verse 8, But, but to the Son, to Jesus Christ, He says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. Now, just in that first line, there's something. Here's God the Father saying to the Son, who's now resurrected, who sits at His right hand. And notice He says, Your throne, Jesus Christ. But He says, O God, O God. And that's the word Eloim. So God is giving Him the family name. You know, You are my Son. He says, You are my Son and who I am well pleased.

And here to the Son, He makes this comment, Your throne, O God. You're not my Son, but O God, You are one of the family now. And always remember that what God has called us to become are members of His family. We should never lose the awe and the fear, the right type of fear and the respect that we have for that. And we should never, ever take that for granted. Our minds don't even conceive of it.

And sometimes I think in so many things in the Bible, we just kind of end up taking it for granted as opposed to reminding ourselves, this calling is beyond anything in our imagination. There is nothing, absolutely nothing more important than the world. And He says to the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. Now we know Jesus Christ. And we can go back to any number of Scriptures in the Old and New Testament.

His throne will exist forever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. And that word scepter, when you look up the Greek word, it's an interesting word, too. It could also have been translated, a rod of righteousness is the rod of your kingdom. It could have also been translated a staff, or maybe a rod of righteousness is the staff of your kingdom. And when you look at the Greek word, and you can see in the Septuagint version what words they're comparing it to in the Old Testament, it should lead us right back to Psalm 23. Psalm 23. Let's go back there.

Psalm 23. Of course, we're all very familiar with that Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd. You know, speaking of Jesus Christ, who is the good shepherd, who is the one who watches over us, who is our older brother, who is the one who has set the path and established the way for us. You know, we could go through all the Psalms. But in verse 4, it says, And you know, the Jews at the time this was written, they may not have understood it yet, but they were about to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The Christian Jews were going to have to flee Jerusalem in order for their lives to be saved. And we looked at that history, and they did flee to Pella when they were called to do that. And we are living in a time where we could look at that we will be walking through the valley of the shadow of death, not just with health problems or things like that. But yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. You know, we talk about fear and how the world will use that to control us and to get us to do things that we wouldn't ordinarily do. I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The thing that we always have to remember. You are with me, God, and believe His promise that you will never leave. You will never forsake me. You are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And when you look those words up, and again, as it would be translated in the New Testament, your scepter. In fact, the same word, the same Hebrew words translated around and staffed there are translated scepter in other places in the New Testament. So when God, you know, the rod, the reason He says your rod and staff, and this goes back and you can look this up, you know, the rod was used when a shepherd was leading his sheep, kind of to correct them, kind of keep them on the path. You know, if one was wandering off, he would use the rod to bring them back in. And so the Word of God, you know, can correct us. It can lead us, but it can correct us. And the staff was one that would be steady. It would be the support that was there.

That people could rely on, the sheep could rely on, and the shepherd would lean on that. And it would give the sheep a sense of comfort to see the rod and the staff, because they were continually being led along the path that the shepherd wanted him to go. And so in the same way, in Hebrews, when God is talking to His Son, and He calls Him, Oh God, and you know, Your throne will last forever and ever. And He says, a scepter of righteousness, you know, a rod of righteousness. You know, that's going to lead the nations. That's going to lead the world. This is the way to live. And people will be held accountable for it, and they will be wanting to live that way, as you and I do today, as we let God's Holy Spirit lead our consciousness.

And we let God's Holy Spirit lead us in the way we walk. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

It's stable. It's supportive. It's there. And when the two work together to bring the calm and the peace, and the steadfastness that, you know, the sheep, the physical sheep, when the shepherd is handling things right, enjoy, and that the spiritual sheep enjoy as well.

So we see, you know, God, as He uses these words and as He paints this picture, takes us right back to the pictures that He's set of a Messiah back in the Old Testament. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. And of course, when we think of kings, we think of those scepters. In verse 9, you have loved righteousness.

You know, we can compare that to our world today. We can compare that to all the kings and history. You know, what king outside of Judah and Israel that had God's Spirit, what king loved righteousness? They were all about what they wanted. It was all about, you know, my way or how I want to do things. You know, Jesus Christ, the king, He has loved righteousness. And those who love righteousness, there is great peace. There is great peace and unity and happiness and joy in that. You have loved righteousness and you've hated lawlessness.

You know, kind of a description of how we need to be. We love righteousness and looking at the world today, where that word lawlessness is used freely in the media. No question about what they're talking about, even in talking about the laws of the land. And probably we will hear it more and more in the years ahead of us. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. That's a description of Jesus Christ. It needs to be a description of us if we're following in His path and allowing God to make us be who He wants us to be. Therefore, God, therefore God, He calls Jesus Christ that again, you are now part of my family. You've got the family name. I'm putting my name on you. Therefore, God, your God, talking now about the God the Father, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. So, your God, God the Father, has given you this. He is the one who has looked at your life. He is the one who has judged you perfect to take the kingdom that has been planned from the foundation of the earth, to lead the people and be able to bring that joy and that oneness to the earth when Satan is removed and the whole world has taught these things. Therefore, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.

Let's take the time to turn back to Isaiah 61 because that is a direct quote from a prophecy back here, one that Jesus Christ even in his early ministry quoted. But let's look at Isaiah 61. Again, the coming king would have these qualities. In Isaiah 61, we'll just read through the first three verses here. Speaking of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the Lord God is written as upon me, speaking of Christ, because the Lord, and that's God the Father, because the Lord has anointed me, just as we read in Hebrews 1.9, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty in place of their ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Again, always to God's glory. A beautiful set of verses. All the sorrow, all the misery of earth replaced by the oil of gladness, the garment of praise, as opposed to the spirit of heaviness that the world is cloaked in so often. And this is a prophecy for the Messiah. In Luke 4, when Jesus Christ stands up in the temple and preaches, he turns to that verse. He turns to that scripture, and one of the first things he reads in the temple is, are those very scriptures? In Luke 4, verse 18. Verse 17, it says, you know, Christ was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he opened the book, he found the place where it was written, the very same verses that he read. He didn't read the entire three verses. You know, it finishes with verse 19, 2 proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord. But you have to remember with the Jews, you know, perhaps Christ read all the verses of Isaiah 61. But he read enough that the Jews knew exactly what he was talking about. They knew that those were verses that were pertaining to the Messiah. They looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come and give them the oil of gladness, you know, instead of the morning. That someone who would give them the spirit of joy and praise instead of the garment of heaviness they had on them. So when Jesus Christ stood up and read those words, they knew exactly the words he was speaking and what he was referring to. And in verse 20 it says, then he closed the book. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him, as you can imagine that they would be, as he preached that word or read that word to them. And he said, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. He was speaking of himself and he was letting them know, I am. I am this man. I am this Messiah you've been waiting for without saying the words. And they were all, they all marveled at the words that he said and the understanding that God gave him. And I'm sure they tucked that away. But you can see in verse 22, you know, they go, well, wait, isn't this just Joseph's son? How can he be anything of God? I mean, how could he say those words? How could he be the Messiah that we're waiting for, as he claims? So they had their little, they had their words mixed with doubt. But Jesus Christ used those words and they're exactly the words that God reminds us of here in Hebrews 1, when again he is showing the magnitude of Jesus Christ.

And remember that he and Jesus Christ are perfectly unified. When you see, as we read earlier in the chapter 1, that Jesus Christ is the express image of God the Father. If you've seen one, and I don't mean just physical likeness, they are one in mind, they are one in spirit, they are one in purpose, they are one in plan, they are completely unified in the entire plan of God. Jesus Christ even said those words to the disciples. If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. Because we are completely united in this and where we are going with this. And that's exactly the same oneness that God wants you and I to have with God the Father and Jesus Christ and with one another. That takes works, that takes knowing each other, that takes commitment, that takes being led by God's Holy Spirit. And in verse 8, God the Father says to the Son, you're it. Your throne is forever and ever. You are this Messiah. You have loved righteousness more than hated lawlessness. I'm giving you the oil of gladness more than your companions.

Now exactly what he means by more than your companions, we do have the apostles, right? We do have the apostles that walked with Jesus Christ, that understood Him, that learned His way of life. And that went out and boldly preached the gospel and most of them ended up sacrificing their lives in a way that you and I can't even really imagine right now. But they were willing to lay down their lives for what they believed. You know, perhaps God is talking about them. Yes, they have done a good work. John the Baptist fulfilled His calling tremendously. Peter, Paul, James, John, they all did. But none of them were the same magnitude of Jesus Christ. You know, they'll have their place in the kingdom. And as we read through Ezekiel and other places, we see that they're going to have their place as kings and priests and what God has appointed for them as they rule over Israel. But Jesus Christ was the preeminent one. And that's our goal and that's our standard. So, you know, God has high, high praise for the Son. And the Son, you know, in verse 10, we continue, you know, we continue with that. And it says, as God is saying this, again, He is giving glory to the Son.

And verse 10, you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. You know, we read earlier in Hebrews 1, it was that God the Father may create all the worlds through Jesus Christ. We read in Colossians 1, everything that's in heaven, everything that's on earth created by Jesus Christ as if God the Father is the CEO.

He's the one commanding everything. Jesus Christ makes it happen. And somewhere along the line, they work in unity with this. That's how they operate. And, you know, Jesus Christ submits and always has submitted Himself to God the Father. We talked last week about how He made the comment, I don't speak any words. The words I speak are the words you command me to speak. He made the comments in John 4, the things that I do are the things that you command me to do.

He was completely submissive and subservient to God. The same thing that you and I need to be. And you know what? In that is the great joy. Is the great joy that Jesus Christ, that, you know, when He was faced with death could say, I'm willing to do it for the joy that is set before me because I know how good and I know how great it is. The atmosphere in heaven and everyone should be able to experience that. And God has given us the opportunity to do that. So here in verse 10, He reminds us, Jesus Christ, He is this creative being that God set forth to do these things.

You laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish. I know this physical earth and this physical heaven that we see above us, they will perish. They're all temporary. We could go back to 1 Peter or 2 Peter when he says, you know, the heavens will be burned up. The heaven and earth will be burned up. You know, we can go to Revelation 20, 21 and 22 where it tells us, you know, this earth, the heaven is going to pass away. And they'll be replaced with a new heaven and new earth. It's a temporary physical thing as God works out His purpose here below, just as our physical bodies are just a temporary, a temporary tent that we dwell in.

It's just a part of our lives. They will perish, He says in verse 11, but you remain. You know, later in Hebrews, Hebrews 13, verse 8, it says, Jesus Christ is saying, yesterday, today and forever. The world will change. The earth will change. The heaven will change.

You and I change as we repent. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. May God the Father the same thing, you know, as we read in the Old Testament. I am the Lord your God. I change not. They will perish, but you remain. How comforting is that to know that who we follow, who's teaching us today, who's leading us today, whose spirit is in us today is going to remain for eternity.

Not just a temporary thing, not something God is going to change His mind on. This is His plan. This is forever. They will perish, but you remain. They will all grow old like a garment. Again, He paints a word picture for us, you know. We have clothes and we have garments and they wear out. You know, we put them on. We put them on, but after years they wear out and we throw them away. You know, that's why it was a miracle that as Israel wandered through the desert for 40 years, or the wilderness for 40 years, that their clothes never wore out. They will all grow old like a garment.

Now we know that our physical bodies, they grow old. They decay. They wear out. The cloak that we're wearing, they will grow old like a garment. Verse 12, like a cloak, you will fold them up and they will be changed. You know, when the time for the purpose of this physical earth is done, for the time of this perfect, the physical heavens that we look above us are done, God will be done with them. And they will be changed. Now here's talking about the earth. And again, Revelation 21 and 22 that talked about the new heaven and new earth.

We talked about that some. At the Feast of Tabernacles, you learned about that new heaven and new earth. But this earth isn't going to last forever. God will put it away. It will decay. It will be corrupt. And we're of the same process. We'll go to 1 Corinthians 15 here in a little bit when we get a little further in the chapter as God draws that conclusion about us too.

That, you know, we are not who God ultimately wants us to be, but this is just the first phase, the first phase of life. Like a cloak, you will fold them up and they will be changed.

But you, God the Father says to the Son, but you are the same. There's Hebrews 13, verse 8 again. But you are the same, and your years will not fail. You are eternal. You are forever and ever and ever and ever. People can rely on you. You are the rock. You are not changing what we are taught today. We will live for eternity. And there should be very much comfort in that rod and staff that Jesus Christ wield that comforts us and that leads us, that keeps us going in the right direction toward the eternity that God wants you and I to have. Let me look at my notes here and see if I've...

Let's look at a few verses here in Isaiah. Again, he's quoting here from the Old Testament that again shows the symmetry between the Old and New Testaments. Let's go back to Isaiah 34.

Then we'll pause here and absorb a little bit of it because we started this section with, but here's the Son, Jesus Christ. Here's who I have called you to be like. Here's who I have called you to become one with. Here's who I have called you to become the image of, as we talked about last week. Isaiah 34 and verse 4, referring back to these verses, says, You can kind of, as you look through chapter 34 there, certainly prophetic, talks about the time of God's vengeance on the earth.

And it leads us to the same thing that he says in Hebrews. One there, Isaiah 50.

Isaiah 50, you know, I won't take the time to read all the verses, but beginning in verse 5, speaking of Jesus Christ, but down in verse 9, says, You know, Jesus Christ speaking, So again, he's pointing to the future and like the temporary existence of this earth, the temporary existence of our physical bodies. One chapter later in 51 verse 6.

There's the steadiness. There's that little word, but again, the world will dissolve. The world will go away. Those who dwell in it, those who subscribe to its ways of life, they will vanish along with it. But my salvation will be forever. Those who commit and stay attached to that bind as Jesus Christ, my salvation will be forever. And my righteousness, my way of life, what you're being taught, you know, from the beginning, as the Apostle John said, and his officials, and my righteousness will not be abolished. So the certainty and the steadfastness of Jesus Christ and the eternity is one that God wants us to be paying attention to as he leads us into what he is going to teach us in this book of Hebrews, where you have a people who are beginning to get a little lax, a little taking too many things for granted, a little neglectful in the way that they are handling God's way of life.

As they live in a world, in a living world in their time, in a world we live in this time, that he's saying, get back on the track. He's reminding of this in a very detailed way. Understand your calling, understand how important it is, and then, you know, we come back to verse 13.

You know, again, we have that little word, but. So he's saying, this is what I said to Jesus Christ. Remember, we've already talked about, he's the heir of all things. I've appointed him the heir of all things. And you are told in Romans 8, 17, you are joint heirs with Christ if you suffer with him, if you endure with him. But to which of the angels has he ever said? Sit at my right hand till they make you round to meet your footstool.

You never said that to any of the angels. Apparently, there were people back in that time that were thinking the angels were these preeminent things. I mentioned last week that even if some come in the church, you know, I hear things about, you know, we'll be angels. I hear these advertisements on TV about children being angels. No, no, no, that is not what God has designed for mankind. He has designed something so much better than angels. Again, not putting angels down, but Jesus Christ went before us. He's the example. And what he is, you know, we will never be him, but God has called us to be with him. You know, the pride of Christ is right there by his side, supporting her husband, supporting his work.

And that's what he's called to do in I2. The angels have their own job. They do it very well, and they're very happy in what they do. But what God has called Jesus, but Jesus Christ, his purpose was better than the angels. That's what he's drawing the conclusion here, too. You are called to a calling that's better than the angels. Not the same as them. There are no other beings today like you.

This is something God is creating in you and me that is mind-boggling as we think about it. But he reminds that in verse 13. Never do you read that God has sold the angels. Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.

He said that to Jesus Christ. You know, he'll say it to us if we follow with him and we remain loyal till the end. And in verse 14, he concludes this section of his introduction, saying, Aren't they, aren't those angels, aren't they all ministering spirits, aren't they servants, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Who is the those who will inherit salvation? They're you and me. That's what God has called us. That's who we are.

Aren't they ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? That's their job. They're great. We can be thankful for them. We can be thankful for that they are loyal to God and do exactly what he has to say. But they're, you know, today they're higher than us.

But that's not God's purpose forever and ever and ever, just in this state, in this physical body, this cloak that we wear now that will eventually wear out and then be changed into what God has in mind for us. You want to pause there for a minute and just think about that? Are there any questions, comments? If not, let's just, you know, just think for a second and we go into chapter two. Remember, there are no chapter breaks in the original document here, a manuscript. But again, in chapter two and verse one, you know, we see the word therefore.

And again, whenever we see the word therefore in the Bible, we should pause and we should think, oh, what he's going to do here is draw a conclusion. He spent all of chapter one making a point. We should well have, as we've studied this, gotten the point that God wants us to see. So therefore, if we're getting it, if we really understand if we're contemplating it, therefore, he says, we, that you and me, must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.

Lest we drift away.

Now, in Jacksonville, I gave a sermon on chapter two, verse one. In Orlando, I'm giving the sermon on chapter two, verse one. So I'm not going to dwell on that. You'll just have to be there in Orlando or listen to the webcast. You know, I'm not going to dwell on that. Well, there's enough in that verse that will be the sermon. But let's just drop past that.

But look at the warning that God says. You know, if we get it, then we have to pay more attention, more attention to the things, not less. And yet the Hebrews, to who this is written, and you know, those of us today in the church, you're saying, are you getting your calling? Are you paying more attention? Or are you kind of like just taking things for granted with one foot in the church and one foot out of the church and not really coming out of the world the way that I would have you, too, to do?

So let's just move down to verse 2. For if the word spoken through angels... Now, it's interesting, you know, there's the word angels. That's that same word, you know, we talked about before in Revelation to the seven churches we said that's messenger, right? And it's interesting when you read the commentaries, because their commentary on that is that many of the Jews must have believed that God was preaching the word to them through angels. And that somehow that's why that word is there. I don't think that's it at all. I think it's the word messenger there, that man has put the word angels on there.

Because we go back to Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 1, it says that God spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets. Well, they were messengers. They were speaking God's words. They recorded God's words. They spoke God's words. They were God's messengers. Jeremiah was a messenger. Isaiah was a messenger. Ezekiel and all the prophets, they were messengers. So I think that what God is talking about here is my opinion. I may be wrong.

We may find out in future years there really were angels, but he worked through human instruments. Or if the words spoken through messengers prove steadfast, you know, it remains steady. You know, there's nothing in the New Testament that says get rid of the Old Testament, like some of the world's churches want to teach us today.

It was truth. It's there. It's foundation. Jesus Christ, when He came to earth, He said, I didn't come to do away with the law and the prophets. I came to fill them up. It had all physical meaning back then, but now it's got a spiritual meaning as well.

Nothing wrong with it. There's nothing that needed to be changed in it. Nothing like, you know, God saying, whoops, I made a mistake. That word still stands, and we still preach it, and we still live by it today. For if the word spoken through messengers, you know, those prophets of old, or whoever God is referring to here, proved steadfast, still valid today, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward.

And what that's talking about there is, you know, when you look at ancient Israel, and you see where God began to teach them the law. And, you know, we taught them, for instance, about the Sabbath day. Remember that? And he said, you know, six days, you know, even gave them manna. That in six days, the manna will be there, and on the sixth day, gather up twice as much, because it's not going to be there on the seventh day. I don't want you going out and gathering it on the seventh day.

The seventh day is for God, it's for rest, it's not a day to continue doing everything else you did. It's a day to reflect on him, and reflect, and give that 24 hours to him. And in Numbers 15, you know, we have the example of that, well, you know what? We probably all remember it, but I do like to go back to the Bible and just read what God said, rather than the prayer phrase.

Exactly, Numbers 15. And I think it's around my notes here. Yeah, Verse 30. Numbers 15, Verse 30. You know, God is giving, you know, he's talking about sin, and he's talking about, you know, all the statutes that he gives. I'll read verse 32, verse 32 is where I want to go to. But the person who does anything presumptuously, and about a month ago we talked about the presumptuous sin, you know, in a sermon, the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native, bored, or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he has despised the word of the Lord, that means he hasn't taken seriously, he's kind of done his own thing. He has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment. That person shall be completely cut off, his guilt shall be upon him. And then he gives this example of the Sabbath day. Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who have found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation.

They put him under guard because it had not been explained what should be done to him. So let's put ourselves in this situation here a little bit. God has said, here's my Sabbath day, here's how you keep it. I don't even want you gathering manna on the Sabbath day, I don't want you kindling a fire on the Sabbath day. Much different lives than you and I do today. Well here's this man, I kind of picture him just kind of out walking in the wilderness and just casually picking up sticks.

It's not like he's out there with an axe chopping down trees to build this bonfire or anything like that. And he might have thought, nah, you know what, nothing wrong with going out and picking up a few sticks that are already laying on the ground. How difficult is that? Right? And so someone sees him, but they are taking God's word seriously. Well, you know, he's not really actively working. He's kind of just out there, but he is gathering sticks. What do we do, God? And that's the question they ask him.

They put him under guard because they've not been explained what should be done to him. Is this a violation of your Sabbath? Now we can put ourselves in the place of this man, right? Today we have the Sabbath day and, you know, maybe we find ourselves thinking, nah, that's not any, that's not that big a deal. I'm not really working. I'm not really, you know, seeking my own entertainment.

I'm not really doing anything. And however, you know, however it is that we might find ourselves doing the same thing that this man was doing, just, I'm just saying I need a few sticks. It's right there in the yard. I'm not. They're just laying there ready to be picked up. How much work is that? You know, we might say, you know, we look at Isaiah 58 verse 13. Well, it's just a little entertainment. Does God really care about that?

I mean, I'm not working. I'm not doing things. I'm not out mowing my lawn. How carefully do we keep his Sabbath day? How carefully do we keep our minds, you know, what he says and follow his commands? You know, I think if we look at ourselves, probably a lot of us are like, God may say that, but he gets it. You know, if I'm a little tired at 2 30 in the afternoon, I don't really think he cares if I stay in bed a few more hours past that. How does God look at it?

And Israel didn't know. It's like, well, it doesn't look on the surface. What do we do? In verse 35, God gives us pronouncement. The Lord said to Moses, The man must surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. So they did it. As the Lord commanded Moses, the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Now, that seems harsh. But you know, when you read Hebrews, and we see where we are in Hebrews too, and God says, you know what? If you really understand your calling, if you're really serious about what I have called you to do, you know, therefore pay even more attention to what I have commanded you. Pay closer attention to it. Apparently, the Hebrews in the 60s AD were not. Apparently, in the 21st century, we may not be paying even the more attention to what God has commanded us to do.

We may be watering down some of the things that he says and taking some things in the same way that this man did. But as it says, boy, the Word was steadfast, and God showed, you know what? That, in this case, that transgression, that violation of my law, gets messed with death. Seems cruel, but he's reminding us, you know, if you don't follow my principles, if you don't let my spirit lead you to the perfection that I'm looking for you. You know, Hebrews 6, later on, we'll get to Hebrews 6.

God has called us that we may become perfect, that we may become blameless. That's what he's looking to. He's very merciful to us. Very merciful to us, you know, and the fact that he doesn't strike us down like he did this man in Numbers 15. But we should never, ever think that God is tolerant of us, you know, and tolerant is going to tolerate our falling short of what his purpose is. Always in mind of paying more attention, and as Moses would say often, diligently and carefully keeping his law. We should never lose sight of that.

If we really understand the calling and understand who it is we're serving and the magnitude, the magnitude of that calling that if we stopped and thought there isn't anything we would do against our conscience, we would not choose employer, self, family, entertainment, anything. If we stopped and thought who it is that we're serving and what God has given us, or given us the opportunity for.

So if we go back to Hebrews 2 and verse 2, you see what he's talking about, and we will all be held accountable for what we have done. And we are all accountable for the repentance. When God shows us the sins we have, you know, committed to repent, and he will forgive us. We are forgiven because Jesus Christ paid that price for our sins, but we have to ask and we have to recognize the sin and commit to not continuing in it and turning to God's way.

For if the word is spoken through those messengers proves steadfast. The word never changed. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. And every transgression and disobedience received a just reward. Same for them as the same for us. If we understand it, and if we understand the word that God has given us is absolute truth, and it stands today, how will we escape? How will we escape if we neglect? If we neglect so great a salvation? If we kind of just take it for granted, kind of go through life and, you know, like, this is okay and that's okay.

You know, the word neglect there is a key word, you know, of how we may live our lives and the warning to us to not live them in that way, to not neglect so great a salvation. I'll talk a little bit about our mind on that on Sabbath as well. But on verse 3, you know, then it explains it. Which at the first, remember, you know, at first it was the prophets, but then Jesus Christ, in this day, he speaks to us through Christ.

Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord when he was on earth. We have many of his words. He set the foundation for our beliefs. He validated everything in the Old Testament and said, don't go away with it. Follow it and understand the magnitude, the magnification that I've given to it. Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

Those apostles, those disciples who were loyal to him who did go out and preach the same thing that Jesus Christ spoke to them. You know? And they verified to those who heard him, you know, or they said, this is what Jesus Christ spoke of. They were all in unity on that. They didn't have Peter saying one thing and James saying another. They all said the same thing. They were faithful witnesses to what Christ said and how he lived his life.

They had become one in understanding so that as they went out and preached, they preached exactly the same thing Jesus Christ said. John, who was the longest surviving is of the apostles into the 90s AD, you know, he reminded the church, the things that you were taught from the beginning, do them. Don't depart from them. What you were taught, continue to do. The world will try to get you to compromise. The world will try to get you to say time has moved on. That's no longer applicable. But our job as Christians is follow the words of God and see that in every word there is 21st century application.

We just have to dig into it. We have to ask God to help us to see that these things apply to us as well. We're not different in the 21st century. We still have the same calling and we still have the same responsibility that the first century of apostles did.

Which at the first began to be spoken, verse 3, by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard. So, you know, this is what the author is saying. We've heard it. We've had it verified by more than one witness. And then he says in verse 4, God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

So again, as we talked about in Acts 2, as Peter and James and the apostles began to go out and preach after they received God's Holy Spirit, you read in Acts 2, 3 and 4, they preached with great power. They were performing miracles. They were called to account by the Jewish leaders of that day who said, we don't want you preaching this word anymore.

We thought we had killed it. And they say, you know what? We're going to do it anyway. And they weren't afraid of the magistrates. They weren't afraid of the religious leaders of that day. It's like, we will continue to preach the Word of God. And you could see God working with them. You could see the miracles that followed them. You could see what was going on. Now, much like we talked about Gideon a few weeks ago, as God was with him, as God was casting out the fear in him, every step of the way, you could see God saying, okay, do this, Gideon.

Gideon would do it, and there would be that miracle. So he knew God was with him. God was patting him on the back. Yes, you're going in the direction that I want you to do. And that was the witness in the New Testament times as well. God was there. He did provide those miracles to show, this is the way. This is, these are my people.

This is the truth. Even when you look at Jesus Christ's death, when he died, look at the miracles that happened when he died. Earthquakes, bales, the bale ripping in two. Earth being covered in darkness for three hours. Those were all signs of God. This was my son, the Roman centurion got it. Surely this was the son of God, but the Jews who were dull of hearing, who didn't want to believe that, they escaped them all. They just simply didn't want to hear. They had hardened their heart, as we'll see later on in Hebrews, they had hardened their heart to anything that God did that would draw their attention to, this is the way, this is what I'm doing.

So as you read through Acts, you know, you see God working with the church. You see those things happen. You know, you see it happening in the Old Testament as he did these things. And I believe going forward, God will show his way. Certainly when the two witnesses are on earth, they're only to be performing miracles as God gives them the power to do that.

It'll be clear where the truth is being taught. God will confirm it to us and bear witness to us with signs and wonders, with various miracles, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. You know, where he, where, where and who and what he does is his will, but it'll be there. It'll be there and, you know, for us to see. I feel like I'm talking a lot. I'm hoping I'm not losing, but if you have any questions or comments, you know, just stop me. Stop me. I would like to get... Where are we? Yeah, I think we'll get through.

I want to get through verse 13 today, if we can, so... So he says that in verses one through four and verse five, for he has not put the world to come. Remember the old world. It's a kind of a cloak.

God's going to fold it up and it's going to be, it's going to be, it's going to vanish. You're blessed with the new one, for he's not put the world to come. Speaking of the future, of which we speak in subjection to angels. It's not going to be, they're not going to be the ones that are ruling in that world to come. They're not going to be the ones that have the authority.

Who does God say it is? I mean, he says, you know, to his people today, his first fruits, those of us, you know, that he calls, you're, you are to me, the kings and priests. I have called you to be kings and priests. For he has not put the world to come, of which we speak in subjection to angels.

But one testified in a certain place saying, you know, as again, as we look at man today and our frail human bodies that get sick, that wear out, and in 70, 80, 90, 100 years, or whatever it is God has allocated for us, or allotted to us in this life, they kind of disappear. We kind of decay. We get weak. You know, we fade away in the physical life.

But one, you know, David testified in a certain place as he mused on this, as God was opening his mind to see his plan. What it is, is David would look up at the stars and think, what, you know, what is it that you're doing? And he quotes, of course, here from Psalm 8, where he says, what is man that you're mindful of him?

You know, we're nothing. We're nothing. I mean, David, I'm sure he thought, hey, I could be, I could sleep here out in the wilderness, and some lion could come and just devour me this night. I was nothing about me except the strength that you put in me. What is man that you're mindful of him? Why do you pay so much attention? You know, we might wonder the same thing. But we understand, right? We understand that God is patient with us.

And we might think, well, we should be very thankful. God, thank you that you are so patient with us and that you're so mindful and attentive and merciful to us. Not that we take things for granted, but we use that patience of his to spur us into, we want to please you.

What is man that you're mindful of him or the son of man that you take care of him? Why do you even pay any attention to us? I look up at the heavens. I see the stars. I see the magnitude of your glory. And here you are with your attention on us frail, weak, wicked human beings. And David says you've made him, of course, an inspiration to God, you've made him a little lower than the angels.

Now, here we go back to the spirit beings in Hebrews 1 again. You've made him a little lower than the angels. You've crowned him with glory and honor. For some reason, David would say. And you set him over the works of your hands.

You know, we go back, we can go back to Genesis 1, verse 26, 27, 28 in that area. You can see when God created the earth and he put Adam and he created man, you know, he said, you will have dominion. You'll have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the earth. You will have dominion over the earth.

God put mankind, he gave it. He said, you are the ones who will have dominion over the earth. You are the ones who are to dress and keep it intended. But I have put you on earth that that would be in subjection to you, right? You settle him over the works of your hands. Physically for now, physically for now, but there's a greater thing coming. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.

There's nothing on earth that God didn't say you wouldn't be subject to. Only God, right? You're subject to me, you're submissive to me, but everything on earth, it's yours. I'm giving it to you. This is your planet. This is where you grow. This is where you train. This is your training area where you learn my way of life. You're going to take the spirit, the tree of life, but don't take this one. This is going to lead to your ruin and death, but they of course chose the wrong one, as we know. But he put all things in subjection under his feet. David muses that. David, as God was leading him to see the same things that we see today.

And in verse 8, continuing, it says, for in that he put all in subjection under him, all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. You know, even the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was in subjection to mankind. He didn't take that out of it. Later he took the tree of life and said, no, you're not going to partake of that, but everything else on earth, it's yours. For then he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing, nothing that is not put under him.

But now we don't yet see all things put under him. We haven't seen the completion of God's plan yet. We're just seeing what is in this physical life today. This is just part of it. This is just part of it. Just like our physical lives are just part of what God has called us to.

Let's take the time to go back to 1 Corinthians 15. Just see that because as you read through Hebrews, you see it summing up the other places in the Bible, bringing it all together for us, as God leads us into the rest of the essay, sermon, letter, or whatever we want to consider Hebrews. In 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter, Paul kind of explains this to us in that our lives today are just the first phase. We don't yet see everything that God has called us to. We're still in these physical bodies, still living on a physical earth. So let us begin in 1 Corinthians 15.42.

1 Corinthians 15.42. So also, he says, is the resurrection of the dead. Speaking of the time coming when God will resurrect the dead, it says the body is sown in corruption. That corruption isn't corrupt as we may see several things in the government today or in corporate America or whatever. That's decay, right? It wears out. We're subject to decay. We all know that as we all get older. We see our bodies not doing what they did when they were younger. It's kind of just that's the purpose of this body today.

It's a temporary body. The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. First part, corruptible body that will wear out, that will die, that will cease to exist. But when God resurrects, it'll be a body that no longer will be in decay. It'll be a body that will last forever and ever and ever. It's sown in dishonor. We are all, you know, we are all, Romans 8, 7 tells us that Carl Mein is enmity against God. All of us still have part of that. That we seek to do our own way.

We kind of block him out on certain things and say, I'll do this. I don't want to think about what God wants right now. We all do those type things still. Those are things that have to be perfected during this physical life that we're in. It's sown in dishonor. It's raised in glory. For those that die with the Holy Spirit that have overcome. That God looks at and sees, they develop the character that they will always choose me.

They aren't going to choose self. They're not going to choose their own way. They're not going to choose the world. They have come to accept me as their savior and as their rock. And they have come to obey and put out, put the sin out of their lives as God gives us the time to do that.

He sees that character in us. It's sown in weakness. We know we're weak. There's things we can't do. We're a joke compared to God. It's sown in weakness. It's raised in power. The Holy Spirit, God has given us the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Even as we think about baptism coming out of the water, baptism, God gives us a power. But certainly in the resurrection, there's a power that isn't in the weak body today.

It's sown in the natural body. We're all flesh and blood subject to corruption. It is sown in the natural body. It is raised in the spiritual body. The angels are spirits. We will be spirit. Jesus Christ is spirit. It's raised in the spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. That's part of our existence. We only see one part today. We have not yet seen us resurrected as spirits, as a spirit body, but we have seen Jesus Christ, who was sown in a natural body, who died and has been resurrected into a spiritual body.

He's the one who goes before us. Verse 45, and so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit. However the spiritual isn't first, but the natural. The lives that we're in right now that every single one of us is still in these physical bodies. However the spiritual isn't first, but the natural is first, and afterward the spiritual. One, the body today, Hebrews 927 says that body is going to pass away. It's the point of 12 men wants to die.

It'll fade away. That cloak, that garment will end. God will throw it away, but it'll be replaced with the spiritual body. However the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. Let's drop down to verse 48. As was the man of dust, Adam, so also are those who are made of dust. And as is the heavenly, Jesus Christ, so also those who are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we're all human beings, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. We will all become spirit beings if we continue, and if we pay the more diligent attention to what God has called us to. And so he says in verse 50, I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. You know, we're not going to be kings and priests of these physical bodies. When God resurrects us, He's not going to resurrect us to flesh and blood.

That's not of the kingdom of God. This I say, brethren, flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. That garment, that cloak will be cast off, just like the earth, the physical earth will be passed away and changed into a new heaven and new earth, so our physical bodies will be cast away and will be raised as a spirit body. In a moment, in the twinkling of the eye, at the last trumpet.

As we discuss then. As we look at these verses in Hebrews, you know, Hebrews, you have to be reminded of what God has taught us, of what He's referring to, and He's reminding us in Hebrews too. This is what you've been called to. This is who you are. David mused, what is man? That you're mindful of Him. We may muse the same thing, but we know. God's given us the understanding of what He has called us to, and what has been set before us.

And if we go back to Hebrews 2, and verse 9, Hebrews 2 and verse 9 says, But we see Jesus, He was made a little lower than the angels, He was born flesh and blood, just like you and me, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death. He was made flesh and death, that He might die, that our sea live a perfect life, that He might pay the penalty for our sins. For the suffering of death, we see Him crown now with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

He might taste death for everyone. Kind of a visual there as you look at that. Now you probably are thinking, well, let's read verse 10. For it was fitting for Him. Now He was born flesh and blood, He was our Savior, that was part of the plan. He would come to earth, He would be tempted in all points like as we are. He would be tried, He would suffer. For it was fitting for Him. It was fitting for Him.

It was right for Him to do. It was the right thing for that to happen. It was the right thing for Him to do, to be the example to us. And not just say as a spirit being and say, hey, you know, you humans suffer through this and whatever. It was fitting for Him as our brother and as our example and as our Savior. It was fitting for Him for whom are all things, right?

For whom are all things, and by whom are all things. We know He created everything that's in heaven and earth. And we know that God has made Him heir of all things, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things. Again, look at His majesty, look at where He is, look at His position. And God has said for some reason, you and I are there, right? I mean, I have called you to be joint heirs with Him if you will. It was fitting for Him and bringing many sons to glory.

That was always what His will was. To make the captain, if you look at the Greek word, could be the author. To make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. You know, in Philippians it says, Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. What He began in us, He will complete, if we allow Him to.

And here it says, He came to earth not just to die for a handful of people, not just to die for the disciples, not just to die for the first prince, but to die and give His life for all of mankind, because He loved mankind so much that every single person would have an opportunity that you and I have.

His desire was to bring many sons to glory. I'll harken you back to John 17, where Jesus Christ prays His last prayer before He's being arrested, but after that Passover. And He says, My will is that all of them would be saved, that none would be lost. And He says there to the Father, everyone you've given to Me, all of them are here except the son of perdition that your word might be fulfilled, or that the prophecy might be fulfilled.

God's will is that everyone, or Christ's will is that everyone God calls, everyone He puts in His church, will be there, that will be there. And that should be our prayer, and that should be our mission too, as we work with one another, and as we bond together as family, our desire is that everyone God calls would fulfill that call.

We remain loyal to the end, that we work with each other, that we help each other, that we exhort one another, even more so as the day, we see the day approaching as it says in Hebrews 10, later in the book, in verses 24 and 25.

We have that same will that Jesus Christ had, but His desire was to bring many sons to glory, and it was fitting for Him to suffer the way He did, and we have to suffer with Him. Right? It says in Romans 8 that we are joint heirs with Him.

If we indeed suffer with Him, if we'll endure the trials and the suffering of this world, and show God that that isn't going to be the thing that causes us to leave or depart from you, that we will go through whatever it is that we need to go through, you know, and remain loyal to Him. And I'm rushing a little bit, but let me look at my notes and see if there's something else I wanted to do that. But Jesus Christ here is the example. He's the author. He's the beginner and the finisher, if you will, of our faith. In verse 11, for both He who sanctifies sets us apart. Right? When God calls us, not only does He justify us through the blood of Jesus Christ, but He sanctifies us. He set us apart. He tells us, come out of the world. You're a separate people. You're not of the world anymore. You're of the kingdom of God. We've talked about that many times. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. Are all of one. Again, go back. You know, I intended to read through John 17. I'm not going to read through John 17. You take the time this afternoon when we're done here. Read through John 17 and look at what Jesus Christ prays for in that last prayer. He prays over and over again, my will is that they are one, Father, as you and I are one. That they become one with us, as you and I are one. He prays over and over again about the disciples. You know, keep them. Be with them. He says, I don't pray for the world. I pray for them. Keep them through your name. My desire is that they will be with me and that we will be one and that you will glorify them. These first fruits that He's talking about in that prayer that God will call. He prays about those on earth at that time. He says, and not only these, not only these that you've given me in my lifetime, but all those who will come as a result of their word, as a result of the preaching of the word. He prays for us. He prays for you and me. He prays for those people. And His desire is we will become one for both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. That's our job. That's our calling. We've got to make, we've got to let God lead us to how it is that we do that. What do we need to do in this lifetime leading up to the return of Jesus Christ that we become that way? They're all of one for which reason? He's not ashamed to call them brethren. You know what? I see what they've done. I see how they've taken, how they've taken my calling. I see that they're serious about it. I see that they are glorifying God. I'm not afraid to call them family. I'm not ashamed to call them family. They are my brothers because they're doing a living life the same way that I do, Jesus Christ would say. If indeed we follow Him, I'm not ashamed to call them family, saying, I will declare Your name to my brethren. I'll declare my Father's name. I think He's talking about their Indian mystic assembly.

I will sing praise to you, always to God's glory, always giving Him the glory, because Jesus Christ did everything to God's glory. And everything we do is never about us. It is always about giving God the glory. And again, verse 13, I will put my trust in Him. It's a big statement. I will put my trust in Him. It's a bigger statement than what sometimes we think. As we live in this world, if we examine ourselves and the way God looks at it, are we putting too much trust in the things of this world? Where is our trust? And as God gives us trials, are we learning to put more trust in Him? The one who is our Shepherd, the one who is steadfast, the one who is our Rock, the one who is there for us and never will leave us or depart us, that will provide everything we need. We don't need to look to our own devices. We don't need to look to the world. And through this lifetime, learning to put our trust in Him. And again, here I am, and the children whom God has given me. In Romans 8, we're told, we are the children of God if the Spirit of God dwells in us. We spoke last week about we are begotten. During this time on earth, God is perfecting us, bringing us to maturity that we can be born as Spirit beings. Much as a physical baby goes through that period of gestation and is born a human, just as we go through that process right now, as God works with us so that we may be born a Spirit being. But let me end there on verse 13. Let me encourage you, go back and read John 17, and look what Jesus Christ prayed, because that prayer, that prayer superimposed on Hebrews 1 and 2, tells us a lot about His will and a lot about the things that we should be reminding ourselves of, especially as we go into the rest of the book, where there's more warnings and more admonitions that are there in chapter 2, verse 1, and the things that we're going to learn. So, I'm sorry I talked so much, but I trust that if you had something to say, you would have said it. But we can pause here, and anything that anyone wants to say, absolutely, absolutely, please feel free.