Today we live in a profoundly spiritual culture. Now when I say spiritual, I do not necessarily mean that we are talking about Christianity, but rather that there seems to be a new cult or group starting every day. Some people are seeking meaning and direction in life. Others are simply looking for a way to justify what they are already doing.
Well, there is nothing new in how quickly people get off track spiritually. It is rather quite easy. We do not have all the answers and we are so easily impressed with ourselves and parlor tricks. And the reality is that there are powerful spiritual beings at work even today. And, they can put on quite a show.
Well angels have a prominent place in the Bible. They are the ones who handed Moses the Law. Galatians 3:19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Well the Hebrews obviously had a great reverence for angels. They respected angels and in a sense gave greater prominence to angels than even to prophets.
There was a popular movie called “Angels in the Outfield.” Well today, I want to say that the elect angels are on God’s team and on our team, but that they belong in the outfield and Jesus Christ belongs center stage as the star player on the mound. And you and I belong on Jesus’ team because as believers we hold a much higher place on God’s roster than even the angels.
Would you please stand as we read God’s Word:
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God’s angels worship him."
7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."
8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."
10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."
13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
TO A GET A WIN IN THE ETERNAL LIFE COLUMN, YOU’VE GOT TO FOLLOW THE REAL LEADER:
First,
I. DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY THE SUPPORTING CAST. (5-8)
There are people who would rather pray to angels than to Jesus. They would rather think about what angels do for them than what God does for them. And then Satan has tricked us to think that angels are in a higher place than we are. PSALM 8:4-5. We are made a little lower than God and the angels serve us. We have been given dominion over the earth and the animals. Satan is simply a usurper it is not his position. GK Chesterson’s comment is so true, “Whatever else may be said, man is not what he is intended to be.”
That is why Jesus also had to come to earth, not simply to atone for our sin, but to restore Mankind to its rightful place in God’s plan
A. JESUS HOLDS THE PREEMINENT POSITION. (5-6)
We have the term FIRST BORN of all creation used in this passage in most translations. Now a number of cults take this verse and go way out in left field to say, “See Jesus was created. He is born and became a god.” Well, that is why it is important to be in a Bible teaching church, where we study not simply what the English words are, but also the history surrounding when the Bible was written and the meaning of the original languages (Greek here) in its original setting. However, we must realize that the underlying Word here does not talk about labor and delivery, but rather legal position and title. You could be the 7th born child, but if dad wanted you to inherit the family business he would give you the title “PROTOTOKOS” which is the word we translate first born. Once the title was transferred, all power and authority goes with that title, no matter when you were birthed.
We have a little trouble grasping that fact in our type of society and government of today. We also have a difficulty understanding the language here where it says that God says, “Today you are my Son, Today, I have become your Father.” Why? Because we do not have a frame of reference here in the legal situations and the protocol of the 1st century. This verse does not mean that Jesus somehow became God. We can see that in this chapter clear references to the fact that Jesus is ETERNAL. His throne is forever. He is ETERNAL.
Further, He receives worship from angels. Folks every now and then you will hear on TV and History channel, some stuffed shirt say they are looking for the “Real Jesus.” And one of their favorite comments are that Jesus nor the Bible ever claimed He was divine. They often like to say, “It was an invention of the church centuries later.” Well, folks, I am not going to be polite. Those men are blatant liars. They just trust that you will never read the Bible yourself and see how often Jesus is worshipped. And in a Hebrew culture only God is to be worshipped. And if you watch whenever people offer Jesus worship, He never refuses. Further, He clearly says, “I and the Father are One.” And the Jews wanted to stone Him because He made Himself equal with God. There is no honest reading of the Bible that does not see that Jesus is portrayed as always having been God.
Well what is going on here? Well while Jesus always was and always will be God, unless He fulfilled all the prophecies of the OT, He technically would not be the Messiah. Well the fact is that He did and the Ressurrection is the authoritatively and conclusively ended all discussion as to His credentials. You see back in these days there was also a point in a young man’s life that although he may have been First Born literally or positionally, he would not technically have legal rights and authority to all that was promised to him UNTIL his father took him to the town square or courts and declared him to be his Son in a legal technical sense that he would then begin to exercise the authority as the first born. Remember Jesus first came as a Servant, not a King. He will come in power at His Second coming.
We have a simple illustration right now in politics. We have a democratic race where Obama will be the candidate for the Democrats, but he has yet to be “declared” the candidate because not every vote has been counted and there is still a contention for the title. Secondly we will see a president elected in November, but he will not take office until he is sworn in the following year. While we know who the next president is, he will not technically BE the president until he is in office. So it is here. Although Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The power of the New Covenant was not in place until He was literally raised from the dead. And the finality of God’s Plan will not be in place until Christ comes again ultimately. But by the fact of the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus can be legally and technically declared the Messiah of all the Old Testament Prophecies.
So, while there have been many players on the scene of history, Jesus is like the Pitcher in baseball. It does not matter how much anyway else is paid. It does not matter what the stats on the back of the card says, “Nothing happens till the pitcher puts some pepper on the old ball.”
B. EVERY PLAY STARTS WITH HIM. (7-8)
II. MAKE SURE YOUR ARE WITH THE REAL STARTER AND NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
To be a major league pitcher takes a great deal of talent. And to date there have only been 17 perfect games pitched (That means the pitcher faced 27 batters and sent 27 batters packing to the dugout without seeing first base.) You might see a perfect game once every 8 years or once every 11, 000 major league games. More people have orbited the moon. But, you will only see one Person who fulfilled all the prophecies and requisits in order to be declared God’s One and only Son.
But the problem most people have with Jesus is that they are judging by their own standards and not God’s standards.
A. JESUS WOULD NOT STAND OUT BY TODAY’S STANDARDS. Let’s just read about Him in Isaiah 53.
1. HE DID NOT HAVE HOLLYWOOD’S GLITZ AND GLAMOUR. (ISA 53:1-2-3)
2. HE DID NOT HAVE BILL GATE’S BILLIONS.
3. HE DID NOT HAVE THE PRESIDENTS POLITICAL PULL.
4. HE WILL NOT HAVE THE TAINTED RECORDS OF OUR AUGMENTED
ATHLETES.
5. HE DID NOT OFFER THE SELFISH, SELF-HELP MESSAGE POPULAR
TODAY. (IT’S NOT ABOUT ANGELS OR YOU, IT IS ABOUT HIM).
B. JESUS STOOD OUT BECAUSE OF CHARACTER AND THE CROSS. (9)
He was declared a son because of His obedience: Hebrews 5:20. If you are going to stand out for Jesus in today’s world, it is going to cost you. I want to share with you a video done for Sarah yesterday. Think about it, this girl made it to the top and her is what she did and why.
(BETHANY VIDEO)
1. WOULD YOUR CHOICES TODAY PLEASE JESUS?
2. WHOSE CONTRACT ARE YOU TRYING TO CASH IN ON?
3. THE STATS ARE CLEAR, JESUS WILL BE CROWNED THE CHAMPION IN
THE END. WILL YOU CHOOSE HIS TEAM? (10-14)
