He's No Angel Series

1/6/08 – He’s No Angel

For as long as we can remember there have been stories about gods, demons, and angels. According to scripture spiritual beings were around before the creation of the world. Some have concluded that Jesus is one of these angels. Some have even suggested that Jesus and Lucifer were “brothers” and that like Cain and Abel they had a falling out. Hebrews tells us that Jesus is no angel – Jesus is the firstborn, son of God! There is none like him and when you join with Jesus – you become like him! Think about what that means for today – and for tomorrow.

Beginning today we are starting a study of the book of Hebrews. This study will be an expositional study. We won’t be going through the letter verse by verse but we will be going through the text as it is written by the author and letting it reveal to us God’s message for us today.

This is an important message written to Jewish Christians who had, because of persecution by the Jewish leaders, been flung all over the Roman Empire – where they were often misunderstood. These believers were facing some very tough times. Hebrews was written to encourage them – and it will encourage you greatly!

I’ve been working on this series for about 3 months and I’m excited about what we are going to learn together. To help you gain a good understanding of this important letter I have prepared a notebook for you to use. Each Sunday I’ll be printing up a one page addition to the note book for you to add to your notes. I’ve also prepared a DVD guide with additional material for our life groups to use if they like. If you are not part of a life group and would like to get involved – please let me know. If you you would be willing to host a life group and go though this study with some others – please let me know. We’ll get you started right away!

Do you remember the good old days?

Before there were cell phones, email, text messaging? Do you remember what it was like to get a letter in the mail – that wasn’t a bill or an advertisement?

Mankind has always found ways of communicating; modern technology has invented a web of communication tools that mean people can keep in touch wherever they are: Mobile phones and texting are part of everyday life; Millions of emails are exchanged daily across the world; and People are networking on sites likes MSN, Facebook & MySpace.

Besides all of this we have broadcast television, cable television, videos, movies, radio, newspapers, magazines, and bill boards. Every where we look there are messages. I noticed that one of the earphones on a football coaches head said in big letters – to be seen by the TV viewers – ALLTELL. I noticed that another headset had a big Motorola emblem. Every where I look there are messages… The problem is that we are saturated by so many messages that most of them don’t seem to get through so well anymore.

So the messages get louder, steamier, raunchier, and sometime just more confusing. About ½ of the commercials I see on TV leave me wondering what they are advertising – I just don’t get the message.

So where does that leave God and how he might get you a message. How would he send a message so you would be sure to get it, hear it, and understand it?

God wants to get YOU an important message…

So what does he do?

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…

Hebrews 1:1-2a

He sends the message through a variety of people through the ages.

In the past God spoke through a great number of people and in a lot of different ways. He spoke through men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and a host of others. God delivered messages in dreams, visions, signs, wonders, miracles, and even direct communication through his angels.

Abraham heard from the angel of the Lord.

Jacob had a dream with angels climb up and down a ladder from heaven.

Moses stood at a burning bush – that didn’t burn and watched as the finger of God carved the Ten Commandments into stone.

Elijah was carried away by a chariot of fire.

Ezekiel saw dry bones gather up into an army of God.

In all of these and many other ways God delivered his message of love, hope, peace, and favor towards human kind. Yet, we have found ways to ignore and forget these messages. They have drifted from reality into history; from history into folklore; from folklore into mythology; from mythology into fairy tales; and from fairy tales to faded and forgotten stories. Try as God might to deliver to us the message of love we have not heard it…