Introduction
• A little boy was in a relative’s wedding. As he was coming down the aisle he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd (alternating between bride’s side and groom’s side). While facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and growl. So it went, step, step, GROWL, step, step, GROWL all the way down the aisle. As you can imagine, the crowd was near tears from laughing so hard by the time he reached the pulpit. The little boy, however, was getting more and more distressed from all the laughing, and was also near tears by the time he reached the pulpit. When asked what he was doing, the child sniffed and said, "I was being the Ring Bear.
• Sometimes we don’t quite understand what we are to do.
• A preacher was once asked, “Do you have a deaf ministry in your church?” He replied, “There are times when I think the whole church needs a deaf ministry—they just don’t seem to hear me.”
• Now that Thanksgiving has passed many of us are now in the Christmas spirit. Just take a drive to Springfield during the weekend if you do not believe me.
• How many of you got up at before 5 am to go shopping on Friday?
• We are drawing near to the time in which we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is supposed to be a time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son!
• Over the past three weeks I have hit on the basic theme of being committed to Jesus. As we start to consider what the Christmas holiday is all about, I hope that we start to see why it is important for us to be committed to Jesus.
• God has used Jesus to speak to us, but the question is; are we listening to Him. Are we really listening to Jesus or are we just living life and then asking God to bless this mess?
• Today the title to the message is, “It is time to listen.” This message will be taken from the book of Hebrews chapter one verses one through four.
• The early Christians were having some of the same troubles we have today. They had trouble letting go of the old and letting the new come in. Most of the early converts were Jews. When a Jew became a Christian, many times they lost all they had. Life was not easy for them. Many were struggling with staying with the faith. They wanted to go back to the old “easy” way.
• The purpose in writing the book of Hebrews was to encourage these Jewish Christians to remain steadfast in their faith and this was accomplished by showing the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant
• The Hebrew writer does not slam these struggling Christians for their struggle, but instead he chose to teach the people about the Lord they were considering forsaking.
• The Hebrew writer wants us to know the Lord we serve. If you know Jesus, then you will not leave Him and you will truly live for Him and you will make Him the number one priority in your life.
• I still believe one of the main reasons we struggle so much is because we really do not know Jesus. The more we know Him, the more we love Him. The more we know Him, the easier it is to let Him be the Lord of our lives.
• Why can’t I listen to Mohammed? Why not Buddha? Why do have to listen to anybody?
• In our text today we will see eight reasons as to why we need to listen to and follow Jesus.
SERMON
I. JESUS IS THE AUTHORIZED SPOKESMAN FOR GOD - VV. 1,2
• Before we get into the seven attributes that we need to understand what verse 1-2 are telling us. READ VERSES 1-2
• In the past, God spoke through the prophets. 2 Peter 1:20-21, Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
• The people were supposed to listen to the prophets because they spoke the words of God.
• He also used many different ways to communicate with His people. From burning bushes to animals to dreams and visions. Today that all has stopped. Today God is speaking to us through Jesus.
• This is one of the reasons the Christmas holiday is so special. God did not just send some prophet but He sent His Son to speak to us, to reveal His will to us, to show us the way. Remember John 14:6, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
• When God spoke to the prophets in the Old Testament, they only received a partial view of what God was doing. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that now we see with an unveiled face the glory of the Lord. God’s full plan is laid out before us because of Jesus.
• In the Old Testament they did not have a full understanding of why they did all they were commanded to do with all the sacrifices and ceremonies.
• GALATIANS 3:24 says, Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
• The Hebrew writer tells us that in these last days God has spoken to us in these last days. These are the last days.
• He now speaks by his Son. John 12:48-49. "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
• Now we will start looking at seven more reasons that qualify Jesus as someone worthy of listening to and following.
II. THE APPOINTED HEIR- V. 2
• By right of inheritance he rules all things.-; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
1. Psalm 2:7-9. "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ’You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ’Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ’You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’"
• Our hope of inheritance is in Him. Ephesians 1:10-11 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
• ROMANS 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
• Who else has been appointed heir of all things. Do you think it is time to listen to Him?
III. JESUS ISTHE EXECUTIVE CREATOR- V. 2
• He was with the Father in the beginning.- John 1:1,2,14
• Through him the worlds were made.- Hebrews 11:3; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16 says, For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him.
• It is His creation. Who else can claim that? Do you think it is time to listen to Him?
IV. JESUS IS THE EXPRESS IMAGE- V. 3
• He is the “brightness” of the Father’s “glory.
• The Hebrew writer is saying that Jesus acts like or reflects God in the way He lived.
• COLOSSIANS 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
• When Jesus was called the Son of God, Jesus lived up to that image.
• Look at the way the leader of Islam lived. Look at what Buddha did to his family when he left them to starve. Look at the cult leaders. They do not reflect the image of a loving God.
• HEB 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
• He did not succumb to human weakness, He overcame, He showed the way, He blazed the trail for us!
• He is the EXACT representation of His nature. The Hebrew writer was saying what Jesus said during His ministry. When you look at me, you are looking at God.
• John 14:7-10 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ’Show us the Father’? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
• He is the “express image” of the Father’ s “person.”
• He has the same nature as the Father.- Philippians 2:5,6; Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
• He was God in human flesh.- 1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
• Who else do you know who is the exact representation of God? Should we listen to Him?
V. JESUS IS THE POWERFUL SUSTAINER- V. 3
• His powerful word sustains the universe. - Colossians 1:17 (He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.)
• He provides all our needs. - Acts 17:22-30.
• HEB 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
• Who else do you know who can do this? Do you think Jesus is worthy of your love and faith? This is why nothing is too difficult for Him!
VI. JESUS IS THE EFFECTIVE REDEEMER- V. 3
• Because of our sins we need purification.- ROM 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• What countless thousands of animal sacrifices could not do, Christ, in the one offering of himself, did accomplish. Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:13,14
• We all need a redeemer because we have all sinned against God. Who would you trust to save you from your sins? Yourself? Your goodness? A false God? Do you like to gamble? With Jesus there is no gamble! He died for our sins! If any other way would have been able to do it, Jesus would not have had to willingly die on the cross.
• 2CO 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
• Do you think it would behoove us to listen to Jesus?
VII. JESUS IS THE EXALTED MONARCH- V. 3;
• In to Old Testament times, sitting at the right hand was a sign on honor and authority.
• Jesus has been given all authority on heaven and on earth. MAT 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
• 1CO 15:25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
• READ HEBREWS 4:14-16
• In the Old Testament when a person sat down, it signified that the work was finished. There were no seats for the priest in the Holy place or the holy of holies in the tabernacle. This was to show that their work was not complete.
• When Jesus completed God’s plan for saving us, He was able to sit at the right hand of God.
• DO you know anyone else who is seated there? Do you think it is time to listen to Jesus?
VIII. THE EXALTED NAME- V. 4
• PHI 2:10-11 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
• The Jews got hung up on angels. They had a fixation with them. The Hebrew writer says that Jesus is higher than the angels.
• Do you think we should listen to Jesus?
• Next week we are going to look at a message entitled, “Don’t Throw Away Your Gift.” It will build on the theme on not only listening to God, but obeying Him.
Conclusion
He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was about thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.
He was only about thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is central figure of the human race and leader of mankind’s progress.
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of man as much as that One Solitary Life.
How about you? Has He changed your life? If you say you belong to Him, and He has not changed you, maybe you are not listening.
Don’t you think it is time? Jesus is calling you!
