Keith Chandler
Journey Christian Church
The theme of Hebrews is Jesus is greater, so don’t give up. Maybe you’re thinking about giving up. You’re thinking about reverting back to your old life. If that’s you, the writer of Hebrews is going to tell us why we shouldn’t.
“In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” Hebrews 1:1
Think about all the ways God spoke to his people in the Old Testament. God revealed himself in dreams, appeared in a burning bush, delivered messages through angels and wrote on walls. He even spoke through the mouth of a donkey. (anytime I think of that story,I imagine Eddie Murphy in Shrek).
It goes on to say “But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things…” The entire Old Testament is building up to the coming of Jesus…and Jesus was the heir of all things “and through whom also he (Jesus) made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2
He’s saying, from the beginning to the end it all belongs to Jesus. Verse 3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
There are a lot of times when we just want to know, “What is God like?”
If you want to know what God is like, you look at Jesus. If you want to know what kind of value God placed on you, look at the way Jesus valued people. If you want to know where God is when you’re suffering, look at the way Jesus cared for people who were suffering. Jesus is the exact representation of God.
It says, “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3
When do you sit down?
You sit down when there’s nothing left to do.
The Jewish people for centuries had sacrificed for their sins. Year after year, they pushed back their sins for another year because the task was NEVER completed. When Jesus came, he offered himself as a sacrifice once and for all. And then he sat down.
It was finished! The point is, Jesus is greater. He accomplished everything and then sat down. Then the writer begins to explain to us how Jesus is superior to the angels.
(Read Hebrews 1:4-14) The bottom line…angels are just messengers of God.
“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1
He is giving us a warning. Do not drift away from what you know is true. All of us tend to drift. If we’re not careful, we will drift from God’s purpose for our life.
Drift… it is slow, incremental, and unintentional. It doesn’t happen all at once.
Nobody plans to drift. This truth is, you can’t drift away from something without drifting toward something else. The key to NOT drifting is to pay attention. What you focus your attention on is where you go.
So, pay attention to the drift toward what feels spiritual instead of Jesus.
You find yourself chasing after spiritual things, but it really has nothing to do with Jesus. When you understand the Christian life, everything is spiritual. It’s all about Jesus. Base your life on the word of God and what it’s saying.
That becomes the focus that you go after. Jesus did not come to be your personal assistant, he came to be your personal savior.
The drift towards our old life when things get hard. For the Israelites, this was their pattern. The children of Israel left Egypt after 400 years of slavery, but they wanted to go back!
The drift towards distraction. Maybe going to church used to be a priority and now it’s hit or miss whenever it’s convenient for you. Maybe you used to engage in the Bible each week and now you don’t. Your drifting has been caused by distraction. You’ve just gotten busy. It’s time to pay attention. It’s time to get back on course again.
A few chapters later, the author of Hebrews gives this encouragement:
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross,” You want to know what the Joy set before him was?
IT WAS YOU.
YOU were the joy set before him. He endured the cross for you. “…scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him (the one who has done all this for you) who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3
So that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Some of you are so tired. You feel like giving up.
He’s saying, come back, pay attention, fix your eyes on Jesus. He’s the one who began your faith, and he will perfect your faith.
Until next month,
Keith
7708 Van Dyke Rd, Odessa
813-920-0442
Services Sunday at 10:00
www.tampajourney.com