Joy in Christendom

What God has said about Angels

What God Has Said about Angels

Our small group is studying our way through Hebrews with the sermons of Rev. David Silversides.

Download sermon from here: What God Has Said About Angels - Hebrews 1:6-7

For discussion on:  04-06-2010

Listening Notes

The apostle is setting forth the excellency of Christ - above all the God-man redeemer and mediator of his people.  He is the heir of all things.

As the heir of all things, He has obtained a more excellent name than the angels.

So why does the author of Hebrews spend so much time talking about Angels?  Here are a couple of points to remember:

• The Angels they have known - the foreshadowed Christ is being introduced
• Since the Law was given at the disposition of Angels, they were involved.  It was therefore necessary to show that Christ was superior.
• A reminder that the Angels, as magnificent as they are, were created for Worship - to worship the Redeemer.

What has God said about the angels - 3 things

1. Angels must worship Christ.  This is to establish that so exalted is the Lord that the angels must worship Him, as God the Son, as the Redeemer for His people.  He is called the first begotten or the first born of every creature.  It is possible that this expression includes the idea that the Father regards him above all else.  This is not necessary though - the main idea here is the preeminence - the ONLY begotten is much more prevalent in the scriptures.  This is the Dignity, of the first born, the Head of the family Ps 89:27.  Above all in the son of David.  His name is above every name, by nature and by the Redeemer.  He is to be worshiped as the redeemer of men, EVEN by unfallen angels.

Only Christ is worthy

Christ is being introduced as heir of all things... the angels must worship the Redeemer.

Rev 5:11 - The angels worship Him.  I heard the voice of many angels.  Worthy is the lamb.  Why do they worship Christ as the redeemer as holy Angels?  The Angels are fascinated with redemption and applied.  The angels desire to look into - by his coming and saving sinners.  The angels love these things.  The Glory of God is displayed in them. These elect angels, they love to admire and Glory in God.  They Love to witness the effects of redemption applied to sinful men and women.  God is faithful to forgive - they love these things.

1 cor 11:10 - the women in the church, for this cause, because of the angels... the angels see the effects of redemption applied, to the original created order

Ephesians 3:9 - God eternally purposed to display his Glory, through the Church, by the spirit to His church.  The angels worship God and the Lamb, because of His Glory.

2.  What angels are and do?

Ps 104:4 -this broadly follows the days of creation.  Follows the creation order.  The angels were made on the second day. The angels are seen governing the wind and the lightning, and they do that according to and by God's appointment.  He created His angels as spirits and like flaming fire, moving like lightning, they have great ability.  Which ever view you take, they are powerful and ministers. 

Contrasted with Christ, who is the governor of all, the angels worship him.  Christ as the son of God, but as the son of God, who became a man, as the lamb is exalted, he is worshiped by the angels, and commands them as servants and ministers.

How does this apply to us?

I. The idolatry of all sin. 

Sin always entails the worship of the creature.  When we sin, we do what we want and reject God.  Gen 3:5 - you will be independent.  Do your own thing.  There is another side.  When we follow, prince of this earth, we do exactly what Christ did not do.  Christ did not worship of Satan.  IT is a myth that Satan is a prince with some entitlement.  He is a creature that has rebelled.  Satan has the wicked audacity to speak unto Christ "you worship me".  But when we listen to Satan, we listen to a rebellious creature. 

II. The angels worship our redeemer, so what's wrong with us? 

We worship so unheartily.  The holy angels aren't half-hearted.  They don't need this redemption, but they worship the redeemer... how much more should we? 

If we are the recipients of this redemption, then we have double reason.  Why are we sluggish?  We are not perfectly sanctified - we need to pray that we are made one with Christ - think highly of Christ, for he is worthy.  We need to know that better.

III. Angels are just creatures. 

The angels aren't even called or enabled to give the true gospel. Angels have not the right nor the desire to produce another gospel.  Christ is the source and the substance of the one true Gospel. 

Christ came to bare the guilt of sin.  The Old Testament teaches this, and He's the heir of all things.  

There is no hope apart from Him.  Neither man nor angel.  Only Christ - only He can save.

Revelation 5:11 - 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

I Corinthians 11:10 - 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Ephesians 3:9 - 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,

Psalm 104:4 - he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

A More Excellent Name than the Angels: Hebrews 1:4-5

A More Excellent Name than the Angels

Our small group is studying our way through Hebrews with the sermons of Rev. David Silversides.

Download sermon from here: A More Excellent Name than the Angels - Hebrews 1:4,5

For discussion on:  03-02-2010

Listening Notes

A More excellent than Angels.  We have seen that the Lord Jesus Christ is the climax of all that God has promised.  He is the divine creator and sustainer of all things.  As the mediator, having become a man, is now appointed the heir of all things.

The theme of these two verses is Christ's superiority of the angels.  Why is this necessary to show this?

The readers of the letter, the Christian Hebrews, were in danger of falling back to unbelieving Judaism.  How is it then that the angels are a problem?  But where are the angels involved? 

They were involved in the giving of the Law.  In Deuteronomy 33:2 we read that this passage is referring to the holy angels (see Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2).  The angels were employed in giving of the Law.  As organs of revelation in giving of the law, they are subordinate to the Lord Christ.  We see this in Revelations - Only the Lamb is able to open the the book.  None of them were worthy to open the book - only the Redeemer, because He is the heir of all things.

He is the manifestation of his superiority as Redeemer - this is the most emphasized.  His Glory as the revealed profit, priest and king of his people.  Of course he is King over all creation, but he is also Redeemer for his people.  This is the great theme of this book.  As the God-man redeemer he is exalted.  God governs all things by His son.  This is not an abstract doctrine - showing the glory of Christ, they were in danger of despising.  They should hear him, trust him, worship him and obey him.  This is not theoretical.  Showing Glory of Christ - Christ should be hearkened to, he is our profit, Christ should be trusted in, he is our Priest, Christ should be Worshiped and obeyed because he is our King. 

The idea of a name is that it communicates what is true about that person. Making known of what is true of oneself - their reputation or renown.  The name given to Chris is the declaration of Glory that is true of Him.  See Ephesians 1:20 - Philippians 2 - He is the name above all names.  The name above every name - God the Son has infinite glory in himself.

The OT scriptures declare Him.  Psalm 2:7 (see Act 13:33) - foretelling the resurrection.  IT is true that Christ did not become the Son of God at the resurrection, rather he always was the Son of God.  Christ was his son before coming into this World.  John 1:14 - he has Glory with Him. No question that Christ was eternally begotten from the Father.  We can only very poorly understand it, but it is so.

The resurrection has declared everything that he claimed he was.  The Divine glory of Christ is demonstrated as the God-man redeemer.

In 2 Samuel 7:14, we see that Christ's essential sonship demonstrated in his Exaltation as redeemer and savior.  The eternal generation and is demonstrated in his resurection.  All that he claimed to be is shown at the Resurrection.

What are we to make of these things? God has not done these things for nothing.  You must be born again, are you shall not see the Kingdom of God.  If you won't see the Glory of Christ it is because you have never been born again of the spirit of God. The true believe wants to know about Christ and His Glory.  The reason why the recipients of this Letter were in danger was because it seemed that these truths weren't so important to them. Indifference to the Glory of Chris is a mark of the danger of apostasy.  If you don't care, you have never tasted.

Isn't it worth it to have this Christ? To have Christ is to have all!  Do not be discouraged.  Never mind trying to fit in to a legalized religion.  Cleave to Christ because of who he is and what he has done.  He has not only delivered us from hell, but given us himself in the covenant of grace.  He does and will love his people forever - the main business of our lives - to uphold the honor of Christ.

Amen.

Christ the Heir of All Things: Hebrews 1:3-4

Christ the Heir of all things

Our small group is going through Hebrews with the sermons of Rev. David Silversides.

Download sermon from here: Christ Heir of All Things - Hebrews 1:3-4

For discussion on:  02-16-2010

Listening Notes

In this passage, the apostle sets forth the excellency of Christ.  The Jews (and everyone else), must cleave with all their hearts.  The incarnation, death and resurrection was the climax and completion of all things.  Christ marks the climax and conclusion of God's word to men.

In summary, who this passage sets forth who Christ was and what he did and therefore, the superiority of Christ over the Angels, over Moses, over the priesthood of Aaron and his sons - over all.

1.  Christ the appointed Heir.  Christ is the Heir of all things.  "All power is given unto me, go ye therefore".  Christ has all power - governing what happens, and having the authority to command men, women, families, churches and nations as to what they should believe and how they should behave.  Christ has the governing power, as to causing all things, and to command all things.

He is appointed.  How is this to be?  He is of Right as the second person of the God-head.  This refers to his exalting of God manifested in the flesh.  The God-man redeemer, as the one able to unseal the book and govern all things to his people.  He was appointed in eternity to be the heir of all things.  He was appointed in eternity to save His people from their sins.  The Father did not provide a way as plan "B" to save his people after the fall.  He was appointed unto this "role" from eternity past. 

He exercises authority over ALL men.  An authority that ought to be recognized by ALL men everywhere.  The church, the nations and their rulers. He is the objective, the essence of all reality.

2.  Christ qualified to be the heir.  Why is he the rightful heir.  He is the creator of all.  "by whom also he made the worlds"  God made all things in Jesus Christ.  John 1:1,2,3.  Col 1:16, Eph 3:9 - the scriptures teach that God created all things by Christ.  What does this mean?  God is one God in 3 persons. 

There has always been 3 persons in the God head.  The Father begat the son, the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.  We cannot understand this.  There is nothing in creation on which we can model this understanding - we take it at face value, because it proceeds from the mouth of God.  Those works within the Godhead, they are manifest in God's works in time.  This is particularly true of Salvation.  The Father sent the Son, the Son sends the Holy Spirit, according to the will of the Father for the elect.  What is true in the Godhead is reflected in Creation.  We can also say that this is the work of Creation.  God the Father creates by Jesus Christ.  And that second person he executes the fathers will by the spirit.  Gen 1:2 -the spirit moving Ps 104:30.  by whom the worlds were made...

why worlds? this is speaking of creation... and it means EVERYTHING.  Heaven, earth, and however you divide up that creation, Christ made it.  He made it all.  He made all things.  Conveys complete conclusiveness. 

He is Divine (vs. 3).  As the Creator, he must be divine.  This is made explicit.  He is the brightness of God the Father.  The brightness of the Fathers glory is in the Son.  It belongs also to the son... The Jews rightly grasped this - and that is why they were offended.  He is the expressed image... the character or the complete likeness of God the Father.  Whatever is true of the Father is true of Christ.  He is also a distinct person.  He is begotten, he is not the father, the exact likeness of the Father... but not the same.  Christ is distinct within the Godhead. 

He upholds all things by the word of his power.  He made all, he sustains all. 

For instance, the sabbath... is not for doing nothing, it's for doing a different kind of work.  The Jews had this wrong.  When God rested the 7th day after the creation of the world, God was not inactive.  He ceased the work of creation but continued the work of sustaining, preserving and governing.  We forget this often.  The Father was working.  The Sabbath then therefore, as Christ was showing, is not for doing nothing, but it is for a different kind of work.  My father work and I work.  The work of creation completed and continuing work of providence... belongs to the father and the son.  Christ is fully qualified then to be the heir of all things.  He has the right and ability.  Only a divine person can sustain and govern all the creatures and their work.  Only delegated to a Divine person.

The apostle now turns to the redeeming work of Christ.  It is the divine redeemer who is the redeemer of all things.  We seldom thing of things in these terms...  He is not only the redeemer of his Children but of all creation, all creation is fallen and all creation needs a redeemer.  With the resurrection of Christ, all of Creation is being remade.  We see this in the removal of ceremonial things - this speaks to us heavenly things. Christ secured the removal of Guilt for his people - the purging of sin.  Purging it out completely.  For Christ is made unto us justified and sanctification.  He did all of this by himself.. Christ offered himself ONCE to take away sins... Christ is sufficient and final.  The offerer and the offering and sat down at the right hand of Majesty on High.

3.  The necessity of belonging to the heir.  If we are Christ's then we have all.  If not, we have nothing.  "marry the heir and have all".  This is the point of the book.  Christ is the Prophet of his people, he is the Priest of his people and he his the King of his people and all.  He has the right to change worship from the the old to the new testament.  All that we need is in him.  He has the right to change what and how we eat - all that we need is in him.

Therefore ALL Anti-trinitian religion is useless.  None of this makes sense without the doctrine of the trinity.  This makes no sense at all.  Without it, we cannot teach people to trust in him, the heir of all things. These religions are false and of great harm:

"The sooner that their places of worship are turned into furniture warehouses the better, or better still the sooner they are turned into places were true Christian meet and the Word is preached the better."

It also tells us that all religion that points away from Christ is useless.  This comes in so many forms today.  Any belief system or institution that says "Christ And" is an anathema.  They don't teach their followers about the one who is the brightness of the Fathers Glory.  If they are not preaching this then they are preaching NOTHING.  It's all worthless.  All religion pointing to a "half-Christ" is useless.  If any religion doesn't say "trust in me only" then it is useless.  What is given on the one hand is taking away on the other. This is a false gospel - those who preach this are accursed (see Galatians 1).  Sinners need Christ and only Christ, the only Savior, the complete savior and HE is no ones half savior.

Our Lord Christ receives all who come to him.  Trust only in him.

God Hath Spoken: Hebrews 1:1-2

God Has Spoken

Our small group is going through Hebrews with the sermons of Rev. David Silversides.

Download sermon from here: God Hath Spoken - Hebrews 1:1-2

(if you see a form when you click the link, push the "later" button, it should then download the file)

For discussion on:  02-02-2010

Theme

• It is no small thing that God has spoken to Man

• Overview of the book in general

Discussion Questions

1. Who was the inspired author?  Why might it not be Paul?
2. Why isn't it essential that we know for sure who wrote the book?
3. What is the Book's purpose, in general? What theme dominates this book?
4. What are the warnings to the readers of the book?
5. What were some of the temptations of the Christian Jews and why?
6. This passage speaks to the continuity of the testaments - How did God speak to men before and now?
7. The scriptures do not offer up any proof or elaborate explanations for it's authority.  The scriptures do not seek to prove it's authority "as if these items are a matter of legitimate doubt."  Describe this and its implications.
8. How is man to come to know that the Scriptures are the Word of God?
9. Why are there Atheists?  How does "atheist" thinking begin and what are his assumptions?
10. What are the 3-prong assumptions of the Christian?  Where is human reason in this?
11. To attempt a course of proof, what are we committing?  What idea does this start?  Where does the confidence lie?
12. How did he speak in the Old Testament? How were Believers in the OT "disadvantaged"?
13. How has he spoken in the New Testament, in these last days?  When are the last days?  See Acts 2:17, 1 Cor 10:11, 1 Pet 1:20, 1 John 2:18
14. What are some attributes of the Nature of Christ, what does Hebrews teach us in this regard?Completion: how is Christ the finality?  What is the role of the Apostle?
    Why is it significant to say the the New Testament finished?

Conclusion

What have we learned about God in Hebrews 1:1-2?