Baptism at Singles Retreat - 147 Baptized!!!

*******************Baptism at Singles Retreat 147 Baptized!!! ***********************

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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

A Look at Jesus from Hebrews: Jesus: The Complete Revelation Part 3 - Do you KNOW Him?

Human beings can truly be amazing. We have the uncanny ability to take things that are simple and make them complicated. Follow me on this one, because I need to make a clear distinction as we approach this subject. There are things in this world that are beyond our comprehension…we will never fully figure it out, yet if we allow the simplicity of the truth to just be accepted, we stop all the frustration and refuse to spend all of our time and energy trying to untangle that which will never be untangled. Instead we accept the reality of it and can now focus on how to live in that reality.

An easy example is the difference between men and women. No matter how long either lives, they will never figure out why a man thinks like a man and a woman thinks like a woman! We can learn certain things, but at the end of the day, the fact is Women approach life from a different perspective then Men, and visa – versa. You can waste your life trying to unravel that, or instead accept that reality and enjoy the relationship growing as you learn about the opposite sex.

The end of our passage brings us to a harder reality to deal with. Let’s look at the passage again and then review:

Hebrews 1:1–6 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”? 6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, And let all the angels of God worship Him.”

Heb 1:2b whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. – He is the Promised owner
Heb 1:2c through whom also He made the world – He is the Programmer of Ages
Heb 1:3a And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature – He is the Perfect Picture of God
Heb 1:3 and upholds all things by the word of His power – He is the Power Behind All Life
Heb 1:3c When He had made purification of sins - He is the Purifier of all Life
Heb 1:3d He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high - He is the Permanent Payment

The end of this section of Hebrews brings the reality of Who Jesus is, which is very simple…if you choose to approach it as God intended…with Faith. However, if you resist because you cannot wrap your mind around it, you could spend your life trying to fully understand the Infinite with your finite mind which is a waste of time!

To the contrary, you can embrace this reality and enjoy learning more and more each day the unbelievable riches and depths that the incarnation brings.

(7) Jesus is the Possessor of Deity.

Hebrews 1:4 ¶ having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5  For to which of the angels did He ever say, "THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE"? And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"? 6  And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM."

The “Godman”, “God in the Flesh”, “Son of God” “Father and I are one”, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”, “Equal” “The Word became Flesh”…and so many more attest, as this section of Hebrews does that Jesus was God incarnate in flesh! It is a Simple Truth that is beyond our comprehension! The Triune reality of God is throughout the Scriptures, hinted at in the Old Testament, and then clearly stated in the New Testament. 

Consider this:

The O.T. Scripture constantly refers to God in the plural. NOT more than one God, but a God that is plural in nature. In Gen. the very first verse the word (אֱלֹהִים ʾĕlōhîm) is used which is a Plural Noun, like the difference of “person” (singular) vs. “People” (plural).  How many times in Scripture does God say “ "Let US make man in OUR image”,  “Who will go for US?” (Isa) Notice in Isa 48 there are three distinct persons mentioned. “The Lord God,” “has sent Me,” and “His Spirit.”

Isa 48:16 "Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit."

In the N.T. the doctrine of the Trinity and the Deity is clearly stated, if an individual is willing to approach those statements and take them at face value…which is simple. The problem is so many require of themselves that unless they can fully understand it they cannot accept it.

God is GOD, and will not be dictated to how we approach Him. We have become so full of ourselves that we demand that God prove Himself first, which in reality makes Him god and you GOD! It is clear, unapologetically, God demands we approach Him by Faith, NOT blind faith as many claim. We have so many evidences that He is real…just the reality that in our heart of hearts we know we are eternal:

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart

God simply states the way to approach Him:

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Even the term Son of God in the N.T. declares Who Jesus is!

2 Minute Greek  - (Θεός Theós) God; (υἱός huiós) - Son of – this term is in what we call the Genitive Case. This case shows relation of one word to the other word; the Genitive case is the case of description.” For example: The City of Baltimore = The City which is Baltimore.

Jesus made no secret at the end of His ministry Who He                                                          was:

John 5:18 For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 10:32-33` Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" 33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."

Compare this to what God said about Angels versus His Son:

Hebrews 1: 7  And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE." 8  But of the Son He says, "THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.9  "THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS."10  And, "THOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING DIDST LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF THY HANDS;

God calls Jesus God! You say, “I don’t get that!” Join the club!! How can we who are finite and created comprehend the Infinite and Creator? Has God given us reason to trust Him? Overwhelming reasons, the only way to pay for sin and still be able to offer redemption was for a perfect, sinless human to offer his life for payment. There was no one else that could do that. So God became flesh in the Person of His Son. Confused? Good, it means you understand Who He is and who we are. God does not ask us to understand it all, He asks us to trust Him and accept His offer of forgiveness and adoption into His family.

The Scriptures are the revelation of God, but only in part. The complete revelation of God is God Himself – Jesus Christ!

         He is Not a way of life - He is Life!
         He is Not a certain truth - He is Truth!
         He is Not an answer – He is the Answer!
        
Jesus is the beginning and the end, we are somewhere in the middle. The more of Jesus you know, the more you see and understand God, The more you see and understand, the more you want to be like Him, The more you want, the more He will give!


Challenge: Do you know about Jesus or KNOW Jesus? There is only one way to really know Jesus – You must come to God on His terms. That takes a step of faith. You won’t have all the answers, you never will! However, if you can admit you are a sinner, that your sin separates you from God, that Jesus, God in the flesh, came to this earth to live a perfect life, offer it as payment for your sin, and then died on a cross, was buried and raised from the dead 3 days later…if you can by faith believe all that, then You can tell God that, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and ask Jesus to become the Lord of your life. The minute you do that, God makes you a child of God and promises to have you live eternally with Him. Have you experienced the complete revelation of God?