We're continuing in Hebrews and we're moving into chapter 3
today, verses 1 through 6, therefore holy brothers and
sisters who share in a Heavenly calling consider.
Jesus the Apostle and high priest of our confession.
He was faithful to the one who appointed him.
Just as Moses was in all God's household for, Jesus is
considered worthy of more Glory than Moses just as the Builder
has more honor than the house. Now, every house is built by
someone I'm one, but the one who is building who has built
everything, it's God, Moses was faithful as a servant in all of
God's household as a testimony to what should be said in the
future. But God was faithful as a son
over this household, and we are that household.
If we hold on to our confidence and the Hope in which we boast,
Welcome again. As I mentioned earlier, my name
is Joel and I have the privilege of serving as one of the
pastor's here is always, I'm just grateful to be a part of
what God is doing in our midst. So, thank you guys for being
here as far as intro goes. I'm keeping it super simple
today. Full disclosure, I did not have
as much time to prepare as I normally would like, you can't
pray for me if you think about it.
I'm dealing with some sciatica nerve issue, stuff that has
flared up pretty painfully over the last couple days.
And so at times impossible to concentrate So that's why Jared
was carrying this up for me. I'm not bougie like that.
Normally I can set it up myself so I kind of felt bad, but I'm
trying to be mindful of what I'm lifting.
So yeah, anyways, awesome. I'm asking for Grace.
I know you'll be faithful to give that and the spirit is
faithful to work even on our weaknesses and I know that.
So as you can see, we're continuing in our series through
the book of Hebrews. Remember, this letter is written
most likely in a sermon like format.
And so, This has the purpose of encouraging Believers toward
faithfulness in the midst of both suffering and Temptation.
And so the the means by which our preacher does, this is not
by just telling them, hey, be faithful, he does say that at
times but the primary means that he does this is to remind them
of the all sufficient and the all glorious nature of Jesus who
is more Supreme than anything else we could ever imagine.
That's why the theme of Hebrews that We're going with is Jesus
is better. We've seen to this point first
week how Jesus? I guess second we didn't intro
Jesus is better than the angels. We saw how he's the true and
better human, we saw how he's the true and better older
brother who makes us family. Last week, we saw how Jesus was
greater than death and this week we're going to see how Jesus is
greater than Moses. Who was this?
Ancient servant of God who played a key part in Israel's
Redemption. Story and so you just heard it
red but our text is Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1 through 6.
We're reading primarily from the csb, feel free to make your way
there so you can follow along. We'll also have the verses on
the screen for you as well. So let me give you kind of a
quick overview of our text. As we dive in the big picture
idea in the six versus the author is communicating during
this text is that? Yes, Moses was a faithful
servant of God's household. But Jesus is greater because
he's not just a servant in the house, he's actually the son who
is over the entire house, who his also the foundation, the
Cornerstone, he builds the whole thing, and this truth, if that's
true, this has implications for us because the house that Jesus
is building is not a physical brick and mortar house.
We are the household, the people of God.
And so this has implications for us.
And so I'm going to kind of move through the text and three
different ways. I'm going to jump around a
little bit but I think it'll make sense.
Three different movements were going to work through during our
time and we're going to just use the same metaphor of a house
that are preacher uses in the text.
And so we're going to start by looking at the blueprints of the
house, the blueprints of the house.
And this would be Moses and verse 5 of our text.
This is what we read and says, Moses was faithful as a servant
in all God's household as a Testimony to what would be said
in the future. So the author's very clear Moses
is a picture of what is to come. He is a foretaste, a type
Shadow, whatever you want to call it.
To use the example that our preacher uses, I'm going to call
him the blueprints of the house, right?
If you roll out blue prints, if you know what the if you've
built houses before, you can kind of Envision and see the
picture right? But it's not the real thing.
The blueprints are Only just kind of showing the plan and
giving an example of what is to come.
It's not the actual product but it points toward the end
product. Now for us, we might be a little
bit more unfamiliar with whom Moses was for the original
audience. He doesn't have to tell them
about Moses. He doesn't have to recount his
exploits and who he was and Israel's history.
They knew him intimately Moses was revered by the Jewish
people, but for us I think reviewing a little bit who Moses
was might give us a little bit of Text because it helps us
understand how Jesus is greater than Moses.
I think this might be easiest by just jumping ahead to Hebrews
chapter 11, where we can see some of the primary acts of
Moses that are actually briefly counted for us in the, the
chapter about faith. And so Hebrews chapter 11, verse
24 through 29, here it is on the screen.
It says by faith Moses. So these are some of the things
that Moses did when he had grown up refused, to be called the son
of Pharaoh's. Pharaoh's daughter and chose to
suffer with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the
fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for
the sake of Christ, to be greater wealth than the
treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward by
faith. He left Egypt behind not being
afraid of the Kings anger. For Moses persevered as one who
sees him who is invisible. Oil by faith, he instituted the
Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that the destroyer
of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites by faith, they
crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land.
When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.
Moses was a faithful servant to God's plan even to the point of
suffering with God's people and because he had faith in this
great God, he was able to be a part of Leading, the People of
God, out of slavery, the Israel's history.
One of the key like formative moments and stories.
That was told over and over again was what was called The
Exodus their exit out of Egypt, their Redemption out of slavery
in into Freedom. It was Moses that while they
were still enslaved in Egypt instituted.
The Passover, when the blood of animals was was placed on door
post, you might remember the story and it caused the angel of
death to pass over the people of God and not take their first
born. It was through the leadership of
Moses that the people of God, exit, the Land and flee, the
evil king Pharaoh, bringing them across the Red Sea safely.
You remember the story and then the Red Sea swallowed up the
Egyptians as they a chase them there.
Not only that those are the some of the exploits we read about in
Hebrews but some of the other things that Moses did, he was
the lawgiver. He was the one that God chose to
be the mouthpiece and distribute the terms of the Covenant that
he made with Israel in numbers. 12 Moses is specifically Moses
his authority is being challenged and God specifically
calls Moses. A servant who is faithful in all
of God's household and because God chose him, God would speak
to Moses. Has directly.
He could hear the voice of God. And so this also meant that
Moses was not only the lawgiver. He was also the one who mediated
on behalf of the people, he talked to God and then
communicated to the people. He was also the one who time and
time again, when God would rightly grow frustrated with the
Disobedience of the people and he would want to start over,
Moses would intercede and stand in the Gap remains.
Minding God of his Covenant promises.
What will everyone else? Think if you leave these people
that you promised to be with Moses was also the one you might
remember, he brought the people to the cusp of the promised land
Moses himself, was not able to enter in, because he was
disobedient to God, but he brought them to the edge of the
promised land and showed them the road forward.
And so, because of all of this Moses is revered and he's
revered for good reason. The preacher of Hebrews never
disparages Moses. He doesn't say Moses was a
horrible person. I Moses was flawed, you don't
have to read much to see. That but he's remembered as
faithful because of the work of God in his life and so our
preacher elevates and acknowledges Moses his role.
But he only does this to serve a greater purpose.
He says, as instrumental apart of Israel story.
Moses is as faithful as a servant he was Jesus is greater
and that is the main point that our preacher wants us to see
even in chapter 11 of Hebrews that we just read.
Ed we're told that Moses himself was looking forward to a greater
reward, so why would we just stop looking at Moses if he
himself is looking to something greater Moses served as only a
blueprint of the house, but the Builder is Jesus, and this is
the second thing we see the builder of the house.
This is really the point of our text.
Moses is only a means to get us to the end of what he says at
the beginning considered Jesus. Look at how it starts in verse
1. Therefore, holy brothers and
sisters. This is 3:1, who shared a
Heavenly calling consider? Jesus, take a moment, stop and
think. On Jesus, the Apostle and high
priest of our confession, Gaze on him.
Look to his goodness. He is the Apostle, he is the
sent one, the Ambassador, the missionary who comes to lead, a
better Exodus and an ultimate Redemption and he is the high
priest will see this more throughout Hebrews, but he
intercedes and mediates to redeem, his people from sin.
And our preacher says, look to him.
I'm only going to talk about Moses because I want you to see
the greatness of Jesus. He is the one of our confession
that we confess as Lord. And Savior.
So if you think Moses was faithful, I got news for you.
Jesus is better. Look at verse 3 and 4, it's what
is what he says he says for Jesus is considered worthy of
more Glory than Moses just as the Builder has more honor than
the house. Now every house is built by
someone but the one who built everything is God.
And so our preacher uses this illustration or this analogy
It's a pretty simple analogy. And he says, one who builds or
maybe owns an amazing house is obviously greater and of more
value than the house itself, the person is of more worth, the
house is just evidence of the worth of the person.
Okay, now this is before credit and debt and all that, but the
idea is that if you could build this big house you at least had
that much value and worth in and we know even greater value and
worth And so he follows this logic and he says, Jesus is
greater than the house that he's building and Moses was only a
servant in the house. Now, this title servant in the
Greek is a pretty high honor, but it's still just a servant,
he's just actually one of the household, but Jesus is the
maker of it. And so clearly, he deserves more
Glory than Moses, verse for even goes further, just in case
you're missing it, all things are built.
By God and we've already seen in Hebrews, how the means by, which
God created the world was through, God, the son, who spoke
things into existence, Jesus as the Builder.
It's just this flood of truth about how he's greater and more
faithful than Moses, he is more glorious and worth more than
Moses. And he also has a greater
identity than Moses. Look at verse five and six.
Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house.
I told, but Christ was faithful as a son over his household.
The identity of the households Builder is that of son?
He's not just a part of the house, he is the sun.
This idea of sonship is, are he gets all the rights and
privileges in the inheritance of the Father, the house is his, he
is the Supreme one who Reigns over all, including the
household of God. And, as I've already mentioned,
and as we see described here, the household is the people of
God. And what's crazy and contrast to
the builder of the household. The people of God the household
is anything, but faithful to go back to the story of Moses.
If you follow it even right after the Exodus story 40 days
later, they agree to the terms of the Covenant with God and
they're cheating on God throughout the whole journey.
Even though they're being cared for what do we hear?
Grumbling and complaining and Disobedience?
We're going to see that more next week but this Rebellion is
why the people of God ever even needed a mediator.
The first place because of their inadequacies and unfaithfulness
they needed someone to stand in the gap for them.
But here's what I want you to see, as faithful as Moses was to
intercede on behalf of the people, and he was successful in
one sense, he brought about a temporary stay of God's
punishment on them. But here's the thing, he could
do that momentarily, but he could not make these people into
a new creation. If you read the story, Moses
goes off the scene and even while Moses alive, the people
continue to be unfaithful and rebellious.
Even after the promised land is claimed, and they go in and take
the promised land and have peace.
They turn and chase after other idols.
And where do they end up? If you remember our time and
Daniel back in Exile, back in slavery, back to, where they
started, And that trend has not changed.
Humanity is Unfaithful and fickle.
We are not good representatives of our creator.
We chase after false idols. And we can try to go back to
Moses and just say, well, we need another Prophet to come in
and just teach us the law and we'll get it.
Show us where we mess up. The problem is, is we looked at
last week that doesn't deal with our slavery to sin?
We need something better than Moses.
We don't just need another lawgiver.
We need a lawful filler something, that's utterly
life-transforming. We need a savior.
Someone who can redeem us. Not just once and then we go
back into slavery, But ultimately.
We bring us back from exile for good and that's what Jesus Does.
See, Jesus is building a new Household of Faith and he is
faithful to do the work. Even at Great cost to himself,
think about it, Jesus in charge of the household but he becomes
one of the household willingly becoming flesh.
In his incarnation. He's greater than Moses because
he was the word that existed with the father in the
beginning. In the beginning was the word
and the Word was with God that word is toward God.
Jesus is literally face-to-face with the Blazing radiant.
Glory of the father, Moses could get a glimpse of it.
He could hear God's words but Jesus was the word, the logos.
Jesus is the full radiant glory of God on display.
And even though he has the identity of son in charge over
us, he was willing. To Bear the report, the reproach
of humanity rather than stay distant, he could have, he
willingly becomes the suffering. Servant, better than Moses, the
suffering servant of Isaiah 53, who is willing to Bear the
reproach of our iniquities. And this bearing of our sin
would lead him to death on a cross, where he would bear the
Wrath of the father on our behalf.
He is the true Passover and his blood is placed on a cross so
that we might be passed over and receive life instead of death.
He stands in the Gap to die for Sinners, so that we might escape
the wrath to come. He is the true and final
mediator between God and man, Moses could give a temporary
stay on God's Wrath, but he could not turn children of Wrath
in two sons and daughters. First Timothy 2:5 for there is
one God, and one mediator between God and Mankind, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.
A testimony at the proper time. Jesus is the ultimate Exodus.
The ransom for our sin, freeing us from our enslavement freeing
us from the ultimate epitome of evil, which is Satan. and in the
resurrection Jesus proves that he is greater than Moses because
he deals with the Enemy once and for all Moses brought God's
people through the Red Sea, you remember the story and the
Egyptians chase them there to their own demise as the same,
see that brought Deliverance for Israel, swallowed up, the
Egyptian Army and in the same manner.
Jesus meets us in our slavery and he leads us into the grave
with him. And death tries to follow us
there, but just like the Egyptian Army, it is swallowed
up in Victory. As Jesus brings us safely out
the other side into Resurrection Life.
Moses brought the law, it exposed sin and death, but Jesus
fulfills the law, on our behalf, which kills sin and brings life,
he is the mediator as we'll see later of a new and better
Covenant that pleads, the blood on our behalf and intercedes for
us, Moses led the people to the cusp of the promised land, but
because of his Disobedience, he could not enter in.
But Jesus the perfectly obedient the true and faithful one,
brings the true promised land to us as we see the new heavens and
the new Earth come down. And he promises that we as his
people will dwell with God forever.
That's what the promised land is about Shalom.
Rest Union with God. And he's promised to return and
make all things new. He's building a house, I go and
prepare a place for you. Write a place of wholeness and
rest and then we are the people. And it's this beautiful Dwelling
Place Like Jesus is the architect, the planner, the
designer and the builder of the household of faith.
It is his work from start to finish.
Here's the thing because Christ started the work and he's
promised to complete it. We can hold fast onto this and
never let go. The table is set, the work is
done. And so the invitation is to
trust in his work. Confess that he is Savior and
believe by faith in his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
And you are welcomed with joy into this household of faith.
We saw the blueprints of the house, the builder of the house.
And lastly, we see the people of the house.
I didn't have something to make another be so get a p.
The people of the house. Look at me, the verse 1 again.
Look at how he starts this. I love this.
He says, therefore because Jesus is our faithful high priest as
he sent the end of chapter 2. Holy brothers and sisters.
How many guys think of your brothers and sisters that way.
Holy brothers and sisters who share in a Heavenly calling.
Consider Jesus, because Jesus is the one on whom this house is
built because he is the Cornerstone and the foundation,
and the completer and the finisher, the preacher of
Hebrews can speak of those who are God's people in incredibly
bold terms, holy and set apart. If you've trusted in Christ that
as you right now, holy set, apart brothers and sisters.
Is part of the family of God and he says they share in a Heavenly
calling. They take part in this
otherworldly Mission you are not of this age, you have a new
identity, a new calling, In verse 6, he says that those who
are of this household will prove it to be true by holding onto
the confidence and hope that they boast in and what is the
Hope like, what's the call here? It is to hold on to Christ Alone
to not run back to Works to not run back to things of this age.
But to hold on to Christ, those that truly are Christ, will
prove it to be. So by hanging tight onto the
gospel alone, We will not add to it, we will not run back to the
law. And when we find ourselves doing
that in the law beats us over the head.
Those that are Christ, will say, I'm running back to you.
It's all I got over and over and over.
Don't let the language. Confuse you our Western Minds.
We hear if the point here is not saying that if we're strong
enough and hang on really tight, then we will make it in the
perseverance of the Saints, which is an octave work.
It's not this mechanical thing. That's like boom.
All right, cool. It is as active work, that
Christ, invites us to participate, but all it is.
It's taking hold of what Christ has already taken.
Hold of, as Paul says it in another way.
As I've heard the illustration, it's what I pick up my daughter
and I'm holding her and then she just wraps her arms around me.
Like, she's not doing the work. I've got her, she ain't going
nowhere, but she can respond and receive it.
He's got you, you're just returning the hug because he
saved you. The law kills, he brings life.
And the Really the radical piece of this statement is that we are
the household. That is crazy.
We read about the Holiness of God.
Holy holy holy worthy, are you once his enemies now seated.
At his table, not a physical building.
The household of faith is a people made up of every tribe
tongue and Nation. It's why we want to see more and
more people. It's why we send people to the
ends of the Earth. We want to see that house filled
with the people of God and entrance into this household is
not based on rule, keeping on ethnicity on social.
Status or your personality. It is based on Christ alone and
when we begin to grasp that we are transformed as God's people.
It does what Moses could never do.
We're given new hearts. And now, the very spirit of God,
dwells in our midst, it is his work that justified us as his
work that will sanctifies. Look about how look, how Paul
talks about the church in his letter to Ephesus the church at
Ephesus. He said, so for through him,
through Christ, we both have access in one Spirit to the
father. So we see the Trinity there.
So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers.
This is who you are in Christ, but fellow citizens.
With the Saints and members of God's household built on the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets their message of Christ
alone with Jesus himself as the Cornerstone in him.
The whole building being put together grows into a holy
Temple in the Lord in him, you are also being built together
for God's dwelling in the spirit.
The people of God, have the spirit in them and so because of
that, we can simply walk in the works that God has already for
ordained for us to walk in. He's already prepared them for
us. We can grow in the likeness and
image of our Builder. And together, we do become more
like Christ, but not to be trying hard to keep more rules.
But by considering Jesus, and when our eyes are fixed on him,
send begins to shed away the fruits of the spirit began to
Blossom in our life. You can't force that to grow its
gazing on Jesus and that's how we are transformed from one
degree of Glory to another and we look up and over 10 years
were like I actually have more patience than I used to.
What a work of Christ. I didn't do that.
It happens. Naturally, we're living out who
God has already made us to be. And so what might this look like
for new Eden Church? It might look like us becoming
more willing to spend time pouring into others.
Two instead of judging them empathizing with them as they
face Temptation and praying with them, actually doing it, right?
I'm I'm really bad about. Hey, I'll pray for you, but
actually interceding like Jesus intercedes for us.
It could look like being willing to sacrifice for the faith of
others to see this household grow maybe sacrificing by going
to share the good news across the globe as some from our new.
Eden family is doing at the expense of the American dream or
it might look like giving and sacrificing things of this age
to give toward work both here and around the world.
It might look like our gifts and our strengths and our talents,
and our time, not being seen as our own.
But rather as things Has to be used to build God's kingdom, not
our own and none of this is possible in your own strength.
We say this, the things Christians are called to the
Heavenly, calling your culture, you can't do, and that's on
purpose, you have to depend on the spirit.
It's only possible by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and
finisher of our faith. And so, any growth and
confidence that we have when people say, how are you.
So confident in the face of this suffering, how are you willing
to do this? We don't say because we're
really awesome people and we make good decisions.
We say it's Christ alone and feeling boast.
We have that's the only thing we can boast in.
Psalm 127 one says, unless the Lord builds a house, its
Builders labor, over it in vain. Unless the Lord watches over a
city, The Watchman stays Alert in vain, you can try to control
your life, you can try to control everything that you have
placed in your lap that you're responsible for.
But if God's not building the house, we're literally just
swinging a hammer for nothing. But here's the good news.
God is building his church, that's freeing we get to just go
along for the ride. We make up the Living Stones, as
Peter calls them, the spiritual house.
We might be rejected by people but we are chosen and honored by
God. And even though we might bear
reproach for a season in Christ, we will receive all the riches
of his kingdom when he returns. Let me encourage you.
There is more in store for you than anything you could ever
imagine and anything you lose following Jesus will be so worth
it. So, holy brothers and sisters,
you who share in a Heavenly calling consider Jesus.
He is the master builder upon whom the foundation of your
salvation is built and he will complete the work. through many
dangers, toils and snares, I have already come It was grace,
that brought me safe, thus far. And Grace will lead me home.
Hold fast to the gospel. The Life Death burial,
resurrection of Jesus because that is all we have and that is
all we need. The Life Death burial,
resurrection of Jesus because that is all we have and that is
all we need.