Faithful For Us

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0:00I'm really enjoying this sermon series in the book of Hebrews. I'm learning a lot. It's called Toward an Enduring Faith. I'm calling it that because it's written to people who were in hardship, who were in hard times, who were struggling. It's written to Jewish converts to Christianity who were having a crisis of faith and they were looking back over their shoulder to think, maybe those things were better for me. Maybe life was actually better. Maybe that was actually a better foundation.

0:31Than to be founded on Christ. And one thing they were looking back to in the past were the heroes. The heroes of their faith. Who's your hero? Who do you admire? Who do you want to be like? If you could afford to and you had the space for it, who would you build a statue to?

0:57We're all building statues in our minds, in our hearts. Even if we are not doing it on the outside. America is a land of heroes. You can tell that because we love statues and monuments. Oh, how we love them. They are all over the place. From what I read, in our country there are over 48,000 statues, monuments, plaques, all of that sort of thing to historical figures. And our country is not even 250 years old. 48,000 statues. We love statues so much, we'll build them to people who lose wars.

1:47It's good to know history. It's valuable to recognize the men and the women who have shaped our culture, our nation. It's good to recognize when someone shaped us personally too. Families, family members, teachers, writers, pastors. But a hero can be too important to us. We can overstate their greatness. You know this is happening because you start to deny their mistakes and defend their reputation and their legacy at all costs. You become an apologist for that person.

2:37Respect can easily turn into reverence. Admiration can turn into worship. Now, this literally happened to Peter in Acts. In Acts 10, a God-fearing man named Cornelius met Peter and fell down and worshipped him.

2:56Peter rightly said, stand up. I too am a man. Stand up. Our denomination has general assembly once a year, which is when pastors and elders meet. And there's worship, but there's also some business to go through, some voting. It's a little dry. There's some good parts to it. So at GA one time, I was with someone, and they came out of the men's room, and they were like, Tim Keller's in there.

3:30And I'm like, wow, he goes to the bathroom? Who knew? If you don't know who Tim Keller was, he's passed away now, but he was a very significant pastor, leader in our denomination for a long time. But it's like, okay, he's here at GA. He's in the bathroom. So what? You know? Heroes can take on too much importance in our lives. Some people are used by God to do remarkable things. In the church, in the world, in your life. But they cannot be the foundation of an enduring faith.

4:08In today's passage, it's all about this. The preacher of this passage holds up Jesus, and he says, consider him. Consider him. And the main thing he wants us to consider in this passage is Jesus' faithfulness. That's why I started off saying, this is all about Jesus is faithful, so fix him in your minds and let your confidence grow. So let's go to the text. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 2, chapter 3. And let the word of God come to us with power through the spirit, and have him change us today.

4:49Draw our attention to him. This is God's holy and infallible word. Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him, who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory as the builder of the house has more honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

5:33Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. But Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Pray with me.

6:00Lord Jesus, do good work in us today. We continue to be in need of you. Lord, build us up, as we know that you're doing. Help us to consider you, to think more of you and less of ourselves. And Lord, this is all for our good, for our joy, for the longings that we have, for meaning and purpose, for the desire to be, to live in a reconciled relationship with you. Lord, you do all of this in our hearts, and you do it in part through the going forth of your word.

6:39So please, make it go forth with power like you've promised. Do good spiritual work in us today. We pray this, Jesus, in your name. We're in chapter 3 now. The first two chapters gave us an overview of the revelation of God's Son. He is the ultimate Word of God, the highest authority. He was made like us, and today we see that He was faithful for us. So at some point, in a minute, just go through the passage and circle every time that you see faithful.

7:11If you have a pen. If that's not your thing, don't worry about circling. But faithful, it shows up a lot in the passage. He was faithful for us, so set your mind on Christ, because His faithfulness is our confidence. Set your mind on Christ, because His faithfulness is our confidence. To all who are facing difficulty, who are trying to follow Jesus, but life is hard, people like us, the preacher says this, don't go back. Don't go back. Sometimes when you're really concerned for someone, you've got to be direct.

7:49You've got to cut through the chase. Cut to the chase. Just go direct at them. You could use eye contact. You could change the tone of your voice. You might say the person's name. If they're your kid, you might say their middle name. Whatever makes your point, get through to them. That's what the preacher does here. At the start of chapter 2, he wrote, we must pay much closer attention, but now for the first time in the letter, he addresses his readers directly.

8:20Right to them. Just to them. But he does not say, hey, knuckleheads. He doesn't say, you idiots? What are you doing? Look at what he calls them. Holy brothers. And remember, the Greek word behind this word brothers, it refers to a group of men and women, so we could translate it, brothers and sisters. Holy brothers and sisters, he looks at them and he says. To be addressed like this, I hope it grabs your attention. Listen, God is speaking to you this morning too.

9:02Last Sunday we heard that the Son of God was made like us. And he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. He's not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. So the preacher is now putting that into practice. He's saying, you belong to him. He sanctified you. You are holy. You're holy, brothers and sisters. It's real and it's true because through faith in Jesus, they share in a heavenly calling.

9:38He wants them to remember and to know that this is who they are. And if you are in Christ today by faith and it's true for you, I really do want you to know that. It's true for you too. If Jesus is your Savior, you are a holy brother or sister of Christ and of one another.

10:04So we're not very far in the sermon yet, but I just want to give you this moment of application. How would you live this week if you addressed yourself in this way? If you looked in the mirror and you said, I am a holy child of God because I belong to Christ, because I have faith in him, that's who I am. I am a holy child of God.

10:33How would you think differently? How would you feel differently? How would you act differently? A few weeks ago, I talked about the white lab coat phenomenon. And in my research on that, I learned about another thing about white coats that I didn't talk about. White lab coats that doctors wear, they have found in studies that they've given people this test, kind of like the SATs. And they bring people in and they give them all the same test. And one group, they give them nothing with a pencil in the test.

11:07The other group, they give them a white lab coat. And they say, this white lab coat belonged to a doctor. We want you to wear it while you take the test. The studies have shown that the people who wear the white lab coat score better than those who don't wear it. Just because they're wearing the white lab coat. Isn't that weird? It's just psychologically, it boosts their confidence. I'm wearing something that smart people wear. I mean, I guess.

11:45Now, of course, we all know that white coat does not actually give them any more understanding, any more ability. But thinking of themselves in that way gave them confidence. Listen, if Jesus is your Savior, a coat has been placed on you.

12:03But unlike that fake white lab coat, this actually does something for you. You are actually clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That's God talking to you, not me. God says that in His Word. He has clothed you with His righteousness through faith in Christ that you really are holy. You're sanctified. You're set apart. That's true for you. And remembering that and thinking of yourself in that way, it really does matter for your life. these holy brothers and sisters are told, consider Jesus.

12:46That is not a throwaway phrase. He's not just filling up space here in His sermon. In fact, it is really the central exhortation of the whole book in two words. Consider Jesus. Consider means reflect on, think carefully about. He's saying, put the Son of God in your minds deliberately and often. This is the primary goal of any time we meet together as the church. Any Bible study. All the youth group times. And certainly when we meet on Sunday mornings.

13:29In our singing, we consider Jesus. In our praying, we consider Jesus. As the word is read and preached, I hope you're considering Jesus. As we come and take communion, we consider Jesus. We bring Him front and center in our minds because we so easily forget. Just like me when I walk into a room and I'm like, why did I come in here again? What did I come in here for? That's us spiritually all the time. Considering Jesus is like, oh, that's right. He's faithful.

14:10Because He's faithful and because I belong to Him, I'm called. I'm holy. I'm set apart. I'm beloved. Boy, I just feel like I could just stop right there because that is just amazing to me.

14:33I hope it's amazing to you. Our ongoing call is to consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. This is a wonderful description of Christ. Listen, goes to people on behalf of God. That's what an apostle does. Goes to people on behalf of God. A priest goes to God on behalf of people. And together, that summarizes Jesus' whole ministry. He goes to people on behalf of God and he goes to God on behalf of people. And it also describes someone else.

15:11Moses. Now that's really why he's writing this passage. Moses was a hero of the Jewish people. And that's why he gets brought up because these people, they got Moses on their mind. They're not considering Christ, they're considering Moses. The hero of their former faith. Remember, these were Jewish converts to Christianity. They're considering not Jesus, but Moses. They're thinking about his resume, his ministry, and what God did in his life. And we have to admit the life of Moses really was spectacular.

15:50He was born when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh was killing newborn Hebrew boys. But Moses was saved by an act of divine providence. He was ordained by God himself at the burning bush to be a leader and a deliverer for the people. To do it though, he had to confront the great and powerful oppressor Pharaoh.

16:17Moses performed plagues and miracles and supernatural wonders. God used him to free the people from slavery and Moses parted the Red Sea to lead them out. I mean, that is already quite a resume. But it went on from there. He became a judge for the people. He led them in the wilderness. Through him, God provided manna and water and quail. He was a mediator and intercessor for the people. He did it in battle when he had to raise his hands and keep them raised so the Amalekites would be defeated.

16:55And he also was an intercessor before God when he pleaded with God, have mercy. I know they have been worshiping idols. They grumble against you. I know God, but have mercy on them. And God listened to him. Moses received God's law and came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments not once but twice.

17:24He had an ongoing intimate relationship with God and he went into the tent of meeting to speak to the Lord personally face to face and he came out with a glowing radiant face that was so intimidating to people he had to put a veil on.

17:43He was an apostle before the word apostle was even coined because he was sent by God to the people over and over and over and he even even though his brother Aaron was a high priest he, Moses performed some priestly duties because he belonged to the tribe of Levi and he sprinkled blood on the altar.

18:06As the passage says, Moses was faithful in all God's house. He had plenty of stumbling and doubts but ultimately he was faithful. He was revered in Judaism not only as the greatest of all Hebrews but the greatest man in history. That's not an exaggeration. He was a titan in their thinking in their minds but the preacher is quick to say Jesus is greater. He's saying stop thinking about Moses Jesus is greater. Moses can't be the foundation of your faith.

18:49Only Jesus can. In the first half of verse three he says this Jesus has been counted worthy of more than Moses. Now for us that's not a radical statement. We have to kind of put ourselves in the shoes of the readers here because that statement was like Mount Everest to them. Moses was lesser worthy of honor and glory than Jesus? How is that possible? That guy was amazing.

19:20You and I we are not thinking about giving up on Jesus in favor of Moses but there are other people that you might want to follow that you might want to model yourself after. You might want to hold up in your minds. We too have heroes. A great thinker, an athlete, a musician, an author, a business woman, an entrepreneur, or maybe a family member, or maybe someone from your childhood, maybe a spiritual leader, maybe a mentor. whoever it is. They struggled about Moses.

20:11It may be someone different for you. The big point here is to see that Jesus is better. And I want to lead you towards that. The preacher tells us he is and then he tells us why in verses five and six. Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that God's house as a son. This one sentence has three comparisons and each one is really important. First of all, Moses was faithful, but Christ is faithful. In Deuteronomy 34 we read this, Moses was 120 years old when he died.

20:53His eye was undimmed and his vigor unabated. Now not too many people can be described that way at 120. That is amazing. And yet, Moses died. His life and his ministry were remarkable but he was a sinner. He too needed a Savior. His ministry ended. As great as it was, it came to an end. And he passed things off to Joshua, his successor.

21:32Jesus had no sin of his own to die for. And so that's why he rose again on the third day. He lives forever now as the exalted Christ. his ministry never ends. Even now he intercedes for us. Even now. Christ is faithful. He's with us wherever we go. He guides us to eternal life. Listen, all human heroes die. Whoever it is that you look up to, there will come a time when you can't talk to them, when you can't be he will always be with you. He is not in a grave.

22:22He is at the right hand of the father. Christ is faithful. Moses was faithful. Past tense. Christ is. Here's the second thing. Moses was faithful in all God's house. But Jesus is faithful over God's house. No doubt Moses had a huge leadership role in the kingdom, but it he was testifying to the things that were to be spoken later. His whole ministry, the Passover, the exodus, the intercession, the law, even the shining face, it was all pointing forward to the word that was going to come later.

23:05Jesus. The final word of God. Jesus' role is way bigger. He has a higher authority, a greater power. He is over the house. It's like this. It's important role, but it's a limited role. Now, a power of attorney, on the other hand, that's a much more significant role. A power of attorney can actually take your place. They can represent your estate. They can say or no in a hospital. They can sign things in your name. You don't ever think that your tax preparer is going to show up and start signing documents in your name.

24:00That's way below his pay grade. Moses was a tax preparer. That was his level. All other spiritual leaders aren't even as high as that. Only Jesus takes your place. He is over the house.

24:22Now, the final thing is this. Jesus says Moses was faithful as a servant. But Christ is faithful as a son. When Moses obeyed God, he was just doing his duty. He was just doing his duty. Jesus obeyed not out of mere duty to a superior, but out of love to his father. And he did it to fulfill the plan of redemption. All other heroes just do it as their duty when they obey God. He did it out of love for his father. He has a closer relationship to God, a bigger assignment, and he has shown more faithfulness than anyone ever could.

25:05The builder of a house has more honor than the house itself, it says. The builder of all things is God. I've never been, but I know people love touring the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright. But when they walk away, they're talking about him, his vision, his accomplishment. Those buildings didn't build themselves.

25:29If you go see the Sistine Chapel, or the David, you walk away talking about Michelangelo. Jesus is greater than all others because he is the builder of God's house. And here is why it's good news. This is not just academic because you know what he's building? He's building us. We are his house. It says at the end of this passage. That's why all this matters. He's not just building something over there that we get to look at. He's building us.

26:08The great faithfulness of the son to come and live and lay down his life and take it up again. It's all for your sake, holy brothers and sisters. it's all for you. It's to we heard this earlier from Ephesians 2. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Moses couldn't do that. Moses he never could. As glorious as his ministry was, he was not doing that. Only the Son of God could. He is faithful and he's faithful for us.

26:52And that's why the preacher says to hold fast. We are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting and our hope. Professional athletes are are among the most highly trained people in the whole world. They rigorously practice difficult and precise maneuvers over and over and over until they can do it on command. We have some young athletes in the room. Maybe a few that are not so young. You know what you do. You're practicing over and over and over.

27:33So you can do that thing that you want to do under pressure at the right moment perfectly. That's what athletes are trained to do. That's why they're in the gym so often. That's why they're on the field so often. Even when it's not game day. They're practicing over and over. But sometimes athletes get the yips. Anybody ever heard of the yips? These are sudden involuntary muscle movements that or a putt or a double axle.

28:11All the precision that they've trained for is lost. Their skill is gone. The thing that they were trained to do precisely on command under pressure poof it's gone. Sports psychologists chalk it up to anxiety fear of failure overthinking they no longer believe that confidence how can we hold fast to our confidence how can we not get the yips in our faith the answer is in the text don't put your confidence in people don't put confidence in Moses don't put it in Peter or Paul or Mary don't put it in politicians or experts or businessmen or technology pioneers don't put your confidence in your family or your spiritual leaders don't put confidence in me and please don't put confidence in yourself put your confidence in Christ the faithful one Moses passed through the Red Sea but Jesus passed through death for you and for me and he came out on the other side alive and glorious that's the person to put your confidence in and finally redirect your boasting you might think what I thought we weren't supposed to boast at all pretty sure the passage says hold fast to your boasting what does that mean well it all depends on what you're boasting in don't boast in your knowledge your strength or what you've done boast in the faithfulness of Jesus that is your hope in that hope we were saved that kind of boasting is what you should hold on to I'm I'll be honest I'm looking forward to meeting Moses someday I think he's going to be quite impressive and is going to have a lot of stories to tell

30:35but who I'm looking forward to way more to see is my Savior Jesus and I hope you say the same I know you're looking forward to seeing family that have gone on to be with the Lord maybe someone that you consider your hero friends I hope that you are looking forward more to seeing Jesus I'm looking forward to not just seeing him but falling down at his feet and worshiping him that's what I was made for and that's what you were made for too holy brothers and sisters consider Jesus put him in your mind he is faithful and that's our confidence