God Has Spoken

God Has Spoken!

Hebrews 1:1-4

Each week televisions across America tuned in to watch the contestants try and meet the challenge. They watched the men and women of Survivor jockey for position, take on the physical challenge, and try and win the immunity challenge so that they could guarantee their stay on the island.

Each week you could see the contestants try and solidify their position by forming friendships and creating alliances. Some thought that they had a lock on making the next round of competition, others wondered if they would survive the week. They would take a stroll on the beach quizzing one another trying to find out who stood where, what would happen next, and where their enemies were planning to attack.

Each week, those who watched by television analyzed the activities and arrived at their conclusions as to who would survive and make it to the next round. People read magazines, watched reports on television, discussed the happenings during coffee breaks, and feasted on the latest gossip circulating on the Internet. We thought we knew who the final survivor would be, but there was really no guarantee until the host, Jeff Probst, stood before the remaining survivors and gave the definitive word on the latest tally of votes. Everything was settle once and for all when Jeff said, "The tribe has spoken."

Well, Survivor is now in reruns and the anticipation is over. Some folks can recite week-by-week who will be leaving the island because they've practically memorized every episode. There were 68 million viewers tuned in to the last installment of Survivor and many of them were so enthralled by the series and scenarios that took place that they will be able to quote the lines of Rudy or Sue or Rich before they ever come out of their mouths during the next few weeks.

I'm not here today to talk about Survivor, but I did come by this morning to talk about surviving. There are literally millions of folks around our country today who can quote the phrases of Gervase or Colleen, but we are struggling to make it through the day.

Far too many of us are living life like we watched the hit show Survivor. We are trying to figure things out by gathering bits and pieces of information from every source known to man. We are making educated guesses about how we can survive, how we can make ends meet, how we can make it to the next day, and how we can form alliances to avoid the enemy. We are listening to what society has to say about our condition, our situation, but many of us have never heard the definitive word that guarantees surviving the pitfalls and problems of life.

We have run into problems in our relationship with one of our kids and we've turned to friends or books that have given us the counsel of their hearts. The only problem is that the advice we've been given varies from friend to friend and book to book. We've run into problems with our marriage and we've turned to the ladies who work in our office or the men we play golf with on the weekends. The counsel we receive only confuses us as some say, "You need to leave the bum," while others say, "Things will get better." Will we ever face the troubles of this life and hear the truth? Will we ever yearn to know the real answer and receive it? Will we ever hear the definitive word on overcoming the pitfalls and perils of life?

Oh, for those of you who are finding yourself feeling torn by your predicaments in life this morning you need to know, "God has spoken!" God has spoken and the definitive word has come to give us direction, to sustain us in any and every situation we will face, and to lead us into God's truth for all of life.

This morning we are continuing our study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. If you will turn with me to Hebrews 1:1-4, and let's take a look at our study for today.

1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV)