Near the center of one of our great Midwestern cities there is a restaurant that has consistently rated with the critics.
It’s really just a hole-in-the-wall but the chicken is "O, so good..."
The restaurant is called: Holy Ghost Fire Baptized Chicken-which of course is a rather peculiar name for a restaurant-even in this predominantly ethnic neighborhood.
"Holy Ghost Fire Baptized Chicken?" one newspaper critic asked the owner after an especially tasty piece of fried white meat. "So where did you come up with that name?"
"Well," explained the owner, "we started out as a small struggling church, The Holy Ghost Fire Baptized Apostolic Assembly. And we decided to have a weekly chicken sale so we could pay our preacher. And everyone loved our chicken so much that we started frying every night. Then we didn’t really have time for the church anymore. So, we closed that and figured our ministry was to bring good eatin’ to the neighborhood."
That’s how Holy Ghost Fire Baptized Chicken started. True story.
Now, was it bad that a church sold chicken? I don’t think so. As a matter of fact I admire their creativity and especially their desire pay their minister.
But what’s troubling is how easily they lost their focus-especially in the midst of their success.
And that’s where the book of Hebrews begins to speak to our common situation. For it’s not just a few inner city chicken-frying Christians that are susceptible to loss of focus.
Over the next several months we’re going to be looking at the book of Hebrews-in much the same way as we looked at the book of Acts. We’ll work through several chapters, take some time off, come back to it. Live with it--listen to it-let it seep in and mold our lives.
You see, Hebrews has a powerful message for Christians today. We have an awful lot in common with those first readers--perhaps more so than any generation in the last 1700 years.
Hebrews, as the name implies, is a very Jewish book. It is steeped in Jewish imagery. We don’t really know who wrote it-although the leading line in KJV Bibles says that it was the Apostle Paul. That, however, was a later addition-perhaps second or third century. So we don’t really know who wrote it or exactly when.
Although, the way that the writer talks about the Jewish Temple suggests to me that it was written prior to the demise of the Temple in AD 70.
And there are some pretty interesting twists and spins on traditional Jewish thought. I suspect that it was written to counter the incursion of a cult or sect that had combined Jewish thinking with some kinds of Greek thinking.
These were people who were really into angels-which is another parallel to our current situation where angels are a big deal for many people.
We live in an era people are designing their own versions of spirituality. I’ve used the analogy of the smorgasbord before. People are walking along with their plates and saying, "I’ll take a little of this and a little of that. I like angels so I’ll make them the entree."
We’ve got this kind of designer spirituality mentality-angels, spirits - whatever.
And, of course, you can find some kind of precedence for all of these in the Bible.
But it’s all a little bit off. It’s kind of like filling your plate with deserts-instead of substantial food. It’s a matter of losing focus and what the meal is really all about.
Well, the book of Hebrews is a reminder to maintain focus on Jesus himself. That’s why the book of Hebrews was written-as a reminder to maintain focus on Jesus himself. The whole book is a long encouragement to hold on to Christ-centeredness--to hang in there and be Christo-centric (as opposed to just plain eccentric).
This is a word for people who got started with Jesus but who somewhere along the way got waylaid or distracted--the pastor who started out because he was passionate about Jesus but found he enjoys running the church so much that management has gradually become his focus. (Of course, you realize I’m talking about some imagined pastor that might be out there somewhere). And this isn’t to say management is bad or unimportant--just secondary.
Or consider the Bible study leader who started out because she loved Jesus but her study has turned into a forum for expressing her particular take on what’s wrong with the schools or the other ills of society.
Then there is the man who decided when he was in high school that he was going to follow Jesus. And he’s never undecided that. But so many things have come at him since-and he’s just trying to keep up with life.
Hebrews was written with you-with us in mind. In Hebrews 1 the writer gives two basic reasons for being Christ-centered-two reasons to refocus our lives on Christ. And the first is that JESUS IS GOD.
That may sound like an odd thing to say at this point but this is really the theological underpinning of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is God.
What does this mean? Well, according to verses 1-2 it means that he provides a superior revelation of God’s message.
"Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son."
The Bible is important and the words of the prophets are important because they reveal God to us. AND THEY ARE TOTALLY TRUE. But take note all of ye Bible thumpers-as God in the flesh Jesus is the superior expression of God revealing himself and his word.
Then in verses 2 and 10 Jesus is identified as the Creator. "Through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. "
He predates anything in the created order - as a matter of fact the created order, including the angels, Mother Nature where so many people are looking for true harmony, the mountain top where you go to feel closer to God, Frontier Ranch-"where you feel much closer to your God up here with the trees and stars above..." THEY ALL HAVE TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO THE CREATOR GOD - WHO WAS JESUS. He was creator even before he came to live on earth.
Jesus first! I saw a bumper sticker this morning that said "America First!" That’s all wrong according to Hebrews. It’s Jesus first!
Then in verse 3 we read, "The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. "
This doesn’t mean that Jesus is some kind of God clone-a really good photocopy-but that there is nothing of Godness lacking in him. He is God. Also in verse 3 he sustains the universe by his word. Just as Creation came into being by the Word of God- we talked about that a few weeks ago-so also is it sustained by Jesus.
Then Hebrews points out that Jesus died to cleanse the world of sin-more about that later on in the book.
In verses 3, 8, and 13 there are references to Jesus reigning on the throne with God.
In verses 4-5- Jesus is described as God’s begotten Son. "This shows that God’s Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names. For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."
In ancient times the first born Son held the position of honor and power in the family. And Jesus-begotten of God-that is sourced in God-is more important than anything else. As a matter of fact he shares in the worship ascribed only to God. Verse 6- "God said, ’Let all the angels of God worship him.’"
In verses 11-12 Jesus is unendingly consistent. Again, we’ll come back to this later on.
Right now the writer of Hebrews is just introducing the idea that Jesus is superior to everything and therefore we need to maintain our focus on him.
Apparently, there were some people coming along and teaching a system that involved giving angels positions of honor. Angels were seen as intermediaries between God and people. Perhaps in their thinking Jesus was really just a high profile angel.
Which is "cool." "You’ve got your angels I’ve got mine. You find meaning in Jesus. I find mine in nature spirits-something like that."
But Hebrews is saying-"Don’t go there! You’re missing the point if you think that-live that."
THE ANGELS ARE MERELY SERVANTS. That’s really the second prong of the argument.
Jesus is God and the angels are servants. Verse 14, "But angels are only servants. They are spirits sent from God to care for those who will receive salvation."
Yes angels are real. And they perform an important service for God. They are his agents. But that doesn’t mean that you focus on them-rather your focus needs to be on the main man. Don’t get sidetracked by important but lesser matters-whether they be angels, church building projects, or even family.
Did you know that there are some Christians who worship their families? I’ve been told in no uncertain terms by some people that Sunday is the family day. We used to say that Sunday is a day set aside for the Lord but now we focus on the family. If it fits in with the family schedule they’ll come pay homage to Jesus. But if it’s not convenient- well, "something has to go."
Do you see what I’m driving at. It’s real easy to lose the primary focus and to begin focusing on important but secondary matters. And this is the issue that Hebrews is addressing.
And it is begging the questions: Are we-are you allowing Jesus to have the superior place in your life? Or have you slipped into a way of thinking or a pattern where you are treating him as subservient-perhaps to the latest spiritual fad or the clock or even the church.
The ministry of Jesus can never be rightly separated from the church. We are the body of Christ. But some of us-especially church professionals-myself included-YOU SEE I’M MOSTLY PREACHING TO MYSELF THIS MORNING--
Some of us get so into keeping the church going that we forget its about Jesus. It’s not about "Bringing My World to Church" but "Bringing My World to Christ."
I’m not saying that every other word coming out of our mouths is Jesus. Jesus this, Jesus that... Hallelujah... praise the Lord. At some point that becomes trite, dishonoring, and distractingly vain mindless repetition. But I am saying Jesus needs to hold the CEO, CFO, COO, chief everything position in our lives.
So how do we get to the place where Jesus is truly honored as superior? And the chief focus is on him rather than making good chicken or good friends? What are the 3, 5, or 10 steps to giving Jesus the place of preeminence?
I’m not sure that there are steps-at least in that sense. I’m not sure that it can all be reduced to such a neat package. But I am sure that if we live with the message of Hebrews for awhile we’ll be changed. We’ll start to see as verse 4 of chapter 1 says: "This shows that God’s Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names."
And so that’s the direction we’re headed. We’re on our way into Hebrews to discover just how great the name of Jesus is.
"Jesus, name above all names.
Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord,
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Blessed Redeemer, living Word."
(Words & Music by Naida Hearn © 1974 & 1978 Scriptures in Song Admin. by Maranatha! Music)
Copyright 2000 by Brad Boydston. All rights reserved. Permission granted for non-commercial use. Permission granted for SermonCentral.com use.
