1 00:00:02,066 --> 00:00:04,366 All right, thank you, music ministers. 2 00:00:04,966 --> 00:00:06,299 Have your Bibles. 3 00:00:06,766 --> 00:00:10,733 Or you can look upon the screen, turn 4 00:00:10,733 --> 00:00:12,233 to the book of Hebrews. 5 00:00:17,566 --> 00:00:22,466 The first thing that you need to know about our new journey into this 6 00:00:22,466 --> 00:00:25,666 verse by verse study, which is going to take quite 7 00:00:25,666 --> 00:00:29,399 some time, is what I've already mentioned to you. 8 00:00:29,433 --> 00:00:32,866 It's overall point, and 9 00:00:32,866 --> 00:00:36,166 its overall theme, the 10 00:00:36,166 --> 00:00:39,933 absolute, supremacy, and 11 00:00:39,933 --> 00:00:43,166 preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 12 00:00:44,799 --> 00:00:49,600 Jesus is, preeminent 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,966 over, superior 14 00:00:52,966 --> 00:00:57,266 to everything, and 15 00:00:57,266 --> 00:01:00,500 every body. 16 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,200 There's no body, there's nothing that you can 17 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,200 come up with, that anywhere gets close 18 00:01:09,500 --> 00:01:10,900 to his supremacy, 19 00:01:11,966 --> 00:01:13,433 and his preeminence. 20 00:01:13,466 --> 00:01:17,133 And my prayer, as I've already said, for both myself and you. 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,966 Once we finish all of this book, 22 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:25,166 We will all have a much deeper understanding of 23 00:01:25,166 --> 00:01:28,533 the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 00:01:28,599 --> 00:01:31,766 But before we get started, we're going to need to do an introductory message 25 00:01:31,766 --> 00:01:32,833 here today. 26 00:01:34,566 --> 00:01:37,633 We're going to lay a foundation with some background information 27 00:01:37,633 --> 00:01:41,500 that you're going to find helpful as we go. 28 00:01:41,566 --> 00:01:44,333 You're going to understand it better as we go why. 29 00:01:44,433 --> 00:01:46,966 I put together what I did for today. 30 00:01:48,066 --> 00:01:48,900 No question. 31 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:54,166 This is not an easy book to study at all. 32 00:01:55,299 --> 00:01:59,500 This book is full 33 00:01:59,500 --> 00:02:03,233 of a lot of deep truth and 34 00:02:03,233 --> 00:02:05,933 serious theological content. 35 00:02:06,033 --> 00:02:10,366 And so, as I said, it's going to require very diligent 36 00:02:10,366 --> 00:02:13,366 preparation on my part to 37 00:02:13,366 --> 00:02:17,066 put together these messages for you, and 38 00:02:17,066 --> 00:02:20,300 serious focus in 39 00:02:20,333 --> 00:02:23,633 listening on your part, and also, 40 00:02:23,633 --> 00:02:27,800 more than in any buck I've ever preached, 41 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:32,199 your own personal study at home of Hebrews. 42 00:02:32,266 --> 00:02:33,599 Let's just dig into it. 43 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,566 Like all of us just dig into it. 44 00:02:36,633 --> 00:02:40,833 Your personal study time at home, get into Hebrews. 45 00:02:40,966 --> 00:02:43,966 If you don't have a study Bible, let me know. 46 00:02:44,033 --> 00:02:48,766 I got an extra one, they sent me for three from Grace Community Church. 47 00:02:49,766 --> 00:02:53,033 Speaking of that, John MacArthur's Old Testament, professor 48 00:02:53,033 --> 00:02:57,699 was a brilliant man named Dr. Charles Feinberg, and this is what he said. 49 00:02:59,066 --> 00:03:02,199 You cannot understand the book of Hebrews unless you 50 00:03:02,199 --> 00:03:03,866 understand the book of Leviticus. 51 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,533 Because the book of Hebrews is based upon the principles 52 00:03:09,533 --> 00:03:12,599 of the Levitical priesthood. 53 00:03:12,633 --> 00:03:16,166 Now, if that wets your whistle in the direction we're going, it should. 54 00:03:17,166 --> 00:03:18,066 But not to worry. 55 00:03:19,099 --> 00:03:22,233 If your Leviticus IQ is 56 00:03:22,233 --> 00:03:25,400 not up to snuff right now, that's okay, because I'm 57 00:03:25,433 --> 00:03:28,433 promising you, if you come every Sunday, by 58 00:03:28,433 --> 00:03:31,733 the time we get to the end of this book, you're going to know a whole lot more about it. 59 00:03:32,666 --> 00:03:33,733 And it would be helpful. 60 00:03:35,066 --> 00:03:38,233 If you also, next to Hebrews in your personal 61 00:03:38,233 --> 00:03:42,466 Bible study time, if you would do a study of Leviticus as well. 62 00:03:42,699 --> 00:03:45,766 with a study Bible in your hand, to get 63 00:03:45,766 --> 00:03:48,766 to know some of the ceremonies and the types and 64 00:03:48,766 --> 00:03:52,066 the symbols for which Hebrews 65 00:03:52,066 --> 00:03:55,966 gives us the actual reaction, the 66 00:03:55,966 --> 00:03:57,166 actual fulfillment. 67 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,199 Now, Hebrews, as I'm sure all of you know was written by 68 00:04:02,199 --> 00:04:03,333 an unknown author. 69 00:04:04,966 --> 00:04:07,966 And there's been a lot of speculation and debate 70 00:04:07,966 --> 00:04:10,900 about who wrote Hebrews. 71 00:04:10,966 --> 00:04:12,233 There are many candidates. 72 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,899 Paul, Apollos, Peter, 73 00:04:17,466 --> 00:04:20,166 Luke, name a few. 74 00:04:21,366 --> 00:04:24,433 Dr. James White has an interesting theory 75 00:04:24,433 --> 00:04:27,566 that other people also have, that 76 00:04:27,566 --> 00:04:32,133 it was dictated by Paul to 77 00:04:32,133 --> 00:04:35,199 Luke, who then wrote it 78 00:04:35,199 --> 00:04:36,699 down in his own style. 79 00:04:38,366 --> 00:04:41,533 But really, if you dig down into this whole thing, 80 00:04:41,533 --> 00:04:46,466 and there's endless reams of reading about this, vocabulary 81 00:04:46,466 --> 00:04:49,533 style, literary patterns really, truly 82 00:04:49,533 --> 00:04:52,833 don't support any particular claim. 83 00:04:52,966 --> 00:04:54,899 In other words, you could find things. 84 00:04:54,933 --> 00:04:58,100 Like, if you said it was Luke, and you could find things to 85 00:04:58,133 --> 00:05:02,399 pick that apart, and I think it's best to say, we don't know. 86 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:04,133 I think that's just best. 87 00:05:05,266 --> 00:05:07,566 I mean, where scripture doesn't speak. 88 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,600 It's like Calvin said, directly to something, and 89 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:11,733 it leaves you, you don't know? 90 00:05:11,866 --> 00:05:12,899 Well, just leave it right there. 91 00:05:12,933 --> 00:05:13,533 You don't know. 92 00:05:13,666 --> 00:05:15,399 And be okay with that. 93 00:05:16,566 --> 00:05:18,966 And it's really kind of fitting that we don't know. 94 00:05:20,899 --> 00:05:23,800 Because the purpose of the book is to exalt Christ. 95 00:05:23,866 --> 00:05:27,166 So I think it's kind of fitting that we don't know. 96 00:05:28,266 --> 00:05:31,300 So what we'll do is, as we go through this 97 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:34,300 study, we will refer to the reality 98 00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:37,366 that it was definitely written 99 00:05:38,466 --> 00:05:40,500 by the Holy Spirit, who we do know. 100 00:05:41,899 --> 00:05:44,733 In fact, if you look at Hebrews 3 7, 101 00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:46,433 How does it start out? 102 00:05:47,466 --> 00:05:50,566 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit 103 00:05:50,566 --> 00:05:52,500 says, you see that? 104 00:05:53,066 --> 00:05:56,166 And then he goes on to quote Psalm 95, 7. 105 00:05:56,199 --> 00:05:57,866 Today, if you hear his voice. 106 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,666 So that tells us right there. 107 00:06:00,500 --> 00:06:01,600 It's the Holy Spirit. 108 00:06:01,733 --> 00:06:04,566 And ultimately, the Holy Spirit wrote the whole Bible, right? 109 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:05,866 using men to do so. 110 00:06:06,966 --> 00:06:12,666 Also, there's no references to Gentiles in this book. 111 00:06:12,699 --> 00:06:17,199 There is no references to problems in 112 00:06:17,199 --> 00:06:20,433 this time period between Jews and Gentiles 113 00:06:20,433 --> 00:06:23,600 in this church that Hebrews is written to, and 114 00:06:23,633 --> 00:06:24,666 you want to know why that is? 115 00:06:24,699 --> 00:06:28,133 Because this little congregation that received 116 00:06:28,133 --> 00:06:31,166 this letter was a persecuted and 117 00:06:31,166 --> 00:06:34,166 suffering group of Jewish believers, 118 00:06:34,166 --> 00:06:37,333 and unbelievers as well, but all Jewish. 119 00:06:38,266 --> 00:06:38,866 And guess what? 120 00:06:40,199 --> 00:06:43,433 We don't even know where the exact 121 00:06:43,433 --> 00:06:46,533 location of this little group of Hebrews 122 00:06:46,533 --> 00:06:48,166 existed geographically. 123 00:06:49,066 --> 00:06:52,199 We do know, for a fact, it was outside of Israel, 124 00:06:52,199 --> 00:06:56,533 and that will come clear as we go along, possibly 125 00:06:56,566 --> 00:07:00,533 Greek, maybe Italy? 126 00:07:01,766 --> 00:07:03,300 There's a little reference toward the end. 127 00:07:03,333 --> 00:07:04,233 We don't know. 128 00:07:04,366 --> 00:07:06,699 Again, so we not meant to know. 129 00:07:07,566 --> 00:07:11,733 We also know, this is interesting, that this community was 130 00:07:11,733 --> 00:07:15,166 evangelized and even taught by actual apostles. 131 00:07:16,100 --> 00:07:19,233 long after Jesus went back to heaven, 132 00:07:19,233 --> 00:07:22,066 and some New Testament prophets. 133 00:07:22,166 --> 00:07:25,600 And when I say that phrase, if you remember a couple weeks ago, we talked about this. 134 00:07:25,666 --> 00:07:29,133 In the early Church Apostolic Age, there were New 135 00:07:29,133 --> 00:07:32,366 Testament prophets that had been given the gift of prophecy, 136 00:07:32,366 --> 00:07:35,533 but as the Apostolic era ended out, just 137 00:07:35,566 --> 00:07:37,000 like we believe in cessationism, 138 00:07:37,066 --> 00:07:40,466 all of that died out with the canon of scripture coming back, 139 00:07:40,466 --> 00:07:42,699 and the age and the apostles dying out. 140 00:07:42,833 --> 00:07:46,000 So, evidently, this 141 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,899 church had started fairly soon after 142 00:07:49,899 --> 00:07:52,466 the ascension of Jesus. 143 00:07:52,533 --> 00:07:55,766 And by the time that this particular letter was written and 144 00:07:55,766 --> 00:07:58,766 delivered, this small church of believers 145 00:07:58,766 --> 00:08:02,066 had actually existed for quite some time. 146 00:08:03,666 --> 00:08:06,766 We know from chapters 10 and 12 that this 147 00:08:06,766 --> 00:08:09,766 group was facing even more 148 00:08:09,766 --> 00:08:12,833 intensified persecution 149 00:08:12,833 --> 00:08:15,833 at the time the letter got to them than they had 150 00:08:15,833 --> 00:08:17,500 previously experienced. 151 00:08:17,566 --> 00:08:20,399 Now, let's talk about where the persecution came from. 152 00:08:20,433 --> 00:08:23,600 Well, during this time period, the Romans, starting 153 00:08:23,633 --> 00:08:26,633 with Claudius, if you remember in 154 00:08:26,633 --> 00:08:29,966 your history books, he expelled the Jews from Rome in 155 00:08:29,966 --> 00:08:32,966 49 A.D. and 156 00:08:32,966 --> 00:08:37,500 then later Nero, A.D. 64, 157 00:08:37,500 --> 00:08:40,533 and then, of course, from Jews, who 158 00:08:40,533 --> 00:08:43,533 didn't believe Jesus was Messiah, they really got 159 00:08:43,533 --> 00:08:46,666 a lot of persecution, in those early, 160 00:08:46,666 --> 00:08:50,266 in the 1st century, they got a lot from their own Jewish physical 161 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:51,633 brethren. 162 00:08:51,766 --> 00:08:54,833 And unlike many of the Jews in Israel 163 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:58,566 that we've been studying in the book of John, 164 00:08:58,566 --> 00:09:01,633 no one in this little group of 165 00:09:01,633 --> 00:09:05,433 Hebrews, ever had the opportunity 166 00:09:05,433 --> 00:09:08,433 in their lives to meet Jesus, or even 167 00:09:08,433 --> 00:09:10,166 see Jesus, with their eyeballs. 168 00:09:10,233 --> 00:09:13,466 They were too far away when he had his ministry 169 00:09:13,466 --> 00:09:14,733 going in Israel. 170 00:09:14,799 --> 00:09:19,466 So anything that they knew about Jesus came 171 00:09:19,466 --> 00:09:22,700 secondhand, first from the apostles in the New Testament 172 00:09:22,733 --> 00:09:24,000 prophets, kind of like for us, right? 173 00:09:25,366 --> 00:09:28,466 We do know this also, that 174 00:09:28,466 --> 00:09:31,466 there were not any missionaries that went out 175 00:09:31,466 --> 00:09:35,366 anywhere from the main church in Jerusalem until 176 00:09:35,366 --> 00:09:38,899 at least seven years after 177 00:09:38,933 --> 00:09:40,299 this church was founded. 178 00:09:40,366 --> 00:09:43,899 And so, we also know that 179 00:09:43,899 --> 00:09:45,533 you're going to see this. 180 00:09:46,666 --> 00:09:50,866 This is important, the use of present tense language. 181 00:09:50,966 --> 00:09:55,033 In many sections of this book, 182 00:09:55,066 --> 00:09:58,500 lets us know that the Levitical priesthood 183 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:02,299 of the Jews and the sacrificial system was 184 00:10:02,333 --> 00:10:05,566 still in operation when this letter was written. 185 00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:09,566 Now, without a long explanation, of which 186 00:10:09,566 --> 00:10:11,500 I could give you one, but just for time's sake. 187 00:10:11,633 --> 00:10:14,933 It seems the best time 188 00:10:14,933 --> 00:10:18,833 frame when this was written was between 65 189 00:10:18,833 --> 00:10:21,100 and 69 A.D. 190 00:10:21,166 --> 00:10:24,166 Now, let me tell you why this is important, this present tense language 191 00:10:24,166 --> 00:10:25,666 about the sacrificial system. 192 00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:29,633 That tells us for sure that this book was 193 00:10:29,633 --> 00:10:32,866 written before 70 A.D. when the temple 194 00:10:32,866 --> 00:10:34,233 was destroyed by the Romans. 195 00:10:35,100 --> 00:10:36,233 Because you know what happened. 196 00:10:36,766 --> 00:10:39,833 A good bit of time had passed from the start of 197 00:10:39,833 --> 00:10:41,866 the church until the letter had been delivered. 198 00:10:41,933 --> 00:10:45,366 And that's why it says in Hebrews 5:12. 199 00:10:45,533 --> 00:10:45,833 Look at it. 200 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:49,899 For though, by this time, you ought to be teachers. 201 00:10:52,966 --> 00:10:56,500 But you need, again, for someone to teach you the elementary principles 202 00:10:56,500 --> 00:10:59,666 of the oracles of God, and 203 00:10:59,666 --> 00:11:03,633 you have come to need milk, and not solid food. 204 00:11:04,899 --> 00:11:06,533 So he's getting onto them, kind of. 205 00:11:06,566 --> 00:11:09,799 You've been around a while, but I'm still having to give you milk, 206 00:11:09,833 --> 00:11:12,833 not seven food, because the sacrifices are 207 00:11:12,833 --> 00:11:15,000 still going on in Jerusalem, how do we know that? 208 00:11:15,033 --> 00:11:18,766 Because 70 AD hadn't happened yet, because what happened in saving DAD? 209 00:11:18,866 --> 00:11:21,100 The Romans came in and destroyed the temple. 210 00:11:22,566 --> 00:11:27,899 And there hasn't been a temple or a Jewish sacrifice since that time to this very day. 211 00:11:29,266 --> 00:11:30,600 Do you think that's a coincidence? 212 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:34,366 There's no possible way that that's a coincidence, right? 213 00:11:35,366 --> 00:11:38,500 Now, let me get to the really, really, 214 00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:40,166 really important thing to understand here. 215 00:11:41,166 --> 00:11:42,533 And you got to keep this in your mind. 216 00:11:44,299 --> 00:11:47,866 There are three basic 217 00:11:47,866 --> 00:11:53,333 groups of people in view throughout this whole epistle. 218 00:11:54,566 --> 00:11:58,033 And if we do not keep these groups in mind, 219 00:11:58,866 --> 00:12:01,366 this book will become very confusing for us. 220 00:12:01,433 --> 00:12:05,333 It'll become confusing for you when you're in home studying it. 221 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,666 But if you get this right now, you're going to be 222 00:12:08,666 --> 00:12:11,600 on your way to having a firm grasp of what's happening. 223 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:16,966 If this book was only written to believers, 224 00:12:16,966 --> 00:12:20,100 boy, we would run into some verses that would give us big problems 225 00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:23,233 in interpreting a number of passages, 226 00:12:23,266 --> 00:12:27,033 as you're going to see that simply cannot apply to believers. 227 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,466 So it's clear, first, that both 228 00:12:32,466 --> 00:12:35,666 unbelievers and believers are a target, 229 00:12:35,666 --> 00:12:38,666 in fact, as we're fixing to see, not only in these 230 00:12:38,666 --> 00:12:41,833 three groups, do you have to understand there's three groups, you 231 00:12:41,866 --> 00:12:44,933 also have to understand who 232 00:12:44,933 --> 00:12:48,166 is being addressed, and 233 00:12:48,166 --> 00:12:49,733 when they're being addressed. 234 00:12:51,066 --> 00:12:54,766 Both of those things are going to get mixed up in 235 00:12:54,766 --> 00:12:58,733 understanding this book, especially in chapter 6, and in chapter 10. 236 00:12:59,966 --> 00:13:03,033 Now, what's a good idea to do is to 237 00:13:03,033 --> 00:13:05,366 give you a summary of the three groups. 238 00:13:05,433 --> 00:13:09,100 So you can get them in your mind, and you can keep them in your mind as we study. 239 00:13:09,233 --> 00:13:13,466 First, in this Jewish congregation, there 240 00:13:13,466 --> 00:13:15,733 were true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. 241 00:13:15,833 --> 00:13:19,133 They had come out of Judaism, 242 00:13:19,133 --> 00:13:23,200 in which they had been born and raised their whole life, 243 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:26,333 until those apostles and New Testament 244 00:13:26,333 --> 00:13:28,366 prophets came on the scene, evangelized them. 245 00:13:28,466 --> 00:13:30,866 God saved them, regenerated them. 246 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,633 They had true saving faith. 247 00:13:32,666 --> 00:13:36,566 They are ethnically Jewish, but they are Jewish believers 248 00:13:36,566 --> 00:13:38,200 in the Lord Jesus Christ. 249 00:13:39,066 --> 00:13:40,333 And they paid a heavy price. 250 00:13:40,433 --> 00:13:43,866 Persecution for their newfound faith. 251 00:13:43,899 --> 00:13:46,366 And we're going to see that in chapters 10 and 12. 252 00:13:47,799 --> 00:13:50,933 First, I mean, just being 253 00:13:50,933 --> 00:13:55,799 ostracized from their Jewish brethren in their community, from their families. 254 00:13:57,500 --> 00:14:00,766 Think of the family members who didn't believe Jesus was Messiah. 255 00:14:01,266 --> 00:14:04,366 And how those family members now treated what they 256 00:14:04,366 --> 00:14:08,100 considered to be blasphemy, kicked out of the synagogue. 257 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:09,566 I've told you before, we've talked about it. 258 00:14:09,633 --> 00:14:12,766 The synagogue in every Jewish community was 259 00:14:12,766 --> 00:14:14,399 the social gathering place. 260 00:14:14,433 --> 00:14:17,500 It's where everything went down, kicked 261 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:20,566 out, kicked out of your family, kicked 262 00:14:20,566 --> 00:14:24,899 out of your synagogue, kicked out of the social strata of the community. 263 00:14:25,066 --> 00:14:28,066 So there was suffering of 264 00:14:28,066 --> 00:14:31,299 all levels and all different kinds, kind of like what 265 00:14:31,299 --> 00:14:33,399 Saul was doing before he became Paul. 266 00:14:33,466 --> 00:14:37,466 And then, also, you got to think about the Romans and 267 00:14:37,466 --> 00:14:40,166 what they were doing in this time period, as I mentioned earlier. 268 00:14:40,233 --> 00:14:43,533 But not yet martyrdom for these folks, 269 00:14:43,533 --> 00:14:44,566 as we're going to see in chapter 12. 270 00:14:45,866 --> 00:14:49,733 Now, as I said, by this time, they 271 00:14:49,733 --> 00:14:53,033 should have been mature enough to deal with all that, but 272 00:14:53,033 --> 00:14:55,899 they were not, and you're going to see the letter address that. 273 00:14:57,066 --> 00:14:59,833 Also, and you can understand this. 274 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,766 they were in real danger of mixing 275 00:15:04,766 --> 00:15:08,500 in legalism 276 00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:13,000 and the ceremonies of Judaism with their Christian faith. 277 00:15:13,066 --> 00:15:16,433 It was so very tempting for them, and 278 00:15:16,433 --> 00:15:19,066 this was a serious problem for them. 279 00:15:20,100 --> 00:15:23,933 Just like in all Jewish congregations, it 280 00:15:23,933 --> 00:15:28,466 was very hard for them to accept all 281 00:15:28,466 --> 00:15:31,933 the clear cut distinctions between the gospel and 282 00:15:31,966 --> 00:15:36,100 the new covenant and the old with the ceremonies and the rituals. 283 00:15:36,100 --> 00:15:38,133 I mean, it just couldn't tear apart from it. 284 00:15:39,866 --> 00:15:43,000 They were still hung up, let me give you an example, on the 285 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,166 temple ritual and worship. 286 00:15:45,233 --> 00:15:48,666 What was still happening when they got this letter? 287 00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:51,399 And that, folks, is why. 288 00:15:52,566 --> 00:15:56,933 We are going to see the writer play so much emphasis 289 00:15:56,933 --> 00:16:00,299 that there is a new priesthood, that 290 00:16:00,299 --> 00:16:04,600 there is a new temple, that there is a new permanent 291 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,833 sacrifice, and all of these 292 00:16:07,833 --> 00:16:10,233 are far better than the old ones. 293 00:16:10,299 --> 00:16:14,333 That's going to be drilled into your brain as we go through these verses. 294 00:16:16,299 --> 00:16:19,366 And we have to understand that 295 00:16:19,366 --> 00:16:22,433 all of this was so very 296 00:16:22,433 --> 00:16:25,600 hard for them, having been born and raised 297 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,233 in Judaism. 298 00:16:27,266 --> 00:16:29,899 It would kind of be like, what you are taught here. 299 00:16:29,966 --> 00:16:33,033 You come every Sunday, and you hear this Sunday in and 300 00:16:33,033 --> 00:16:36,100 Sunday out, and somebody comes in, and it's totally 301 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:37,966 news, like, What? 302 00:16:38,700 --> 00:16:41,866 And you added that, that even though the old covenant and 303 00:16:41,866 --> 00:16:44,933 the new covenant are dramatically different, guess what? 304 00:16:45,966 --> 00:16:49,333 The same Old Testament, that 305 00:16:49,333 --> 00:16:52,766 they had grown up reading and studying and 306 00:16:52,766 --> 00:16:56,200 memorizing, was still inseparably 307 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,066 linked to the new covenant. 308 00:16:58,133 --> 00:17:01,000 So could you see how that would make it? 309 00:17:01,166 --> 00:17:02,000 Hey, well wait a minute. 310 00:17:02,066 --> 00:17:04,533 This is still the scripture. 311 00:17:04,666 --> 00:17:07,533 This is still the word of God right here. 312 00:17:08,866 --> 00:17:11,933 And many of the passages are quoted here 313 00:17:11,933 --> 00:17:15,166 in this epistle from the Old Testament, 314 00:17:15,166 --> 00:17:18,466 many to demonstrate the 315 00:17:18,466 --> 00:17:21,533 differences between the Old and the New Covenant. 316 00:17:21,566 --> 00:17:24,700 So lots of Old Testament is going to be quoted to 317 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:27,700 teach, and it's really primarily, teaches the 318 00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:30,766 church for all time, of course, but specifically these people 319 00:17:30,766 --> 00:17:33,299 who had been ingrained in Judaism. 320 00:17:33,333 --> 00:17:36,500 So, I would say, we really can't be too hard on them, right? 321 00:17:38,066 --> 00:17:39,466 I mean, put yourself in their shoes. 322 00:17:40,466 --> 00:17:43,833 I mean, we'd all be struggling with this if we had been 1st 323 00:17:43,833 --> 00:17:46,833 century Hebrews with now this is the Messiah. 324 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:49,966 And add to that, the pressure, the persecution 325 00:17:49,966 --> 00:17:53,200 from their fellow Jews, a 326 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,266 lot of complexity, trying to hold 327 00:17:56,266 --> 00:17:59,733 on, wait, that, we can't let this go, we can't let this go. 328 00:17:59,799 --> 00:18:00,933 That's what God said. 329 00:18:01,366 --> 00:18:01,633 Right? 330 00:18:01,666 --> 00:18:04,200 This is what God said in this word. 331 00:18:04,233 --> 00:18:07,233 It's really, it's really very difficult. 332 00:18:07,299 --> 00:18:10,766 I'm overemphasizing this to 333 00:18:10,766 --> 00:18:12,266 prepare you for what you're going to hear. 334 00:18:13,799 --> 00:18:17,033 So you understand how hard it was for them to make a clean break 335 00:18:17,033 --> 00:18:20,066 away from the Old Covenant and family 336 00:18:20,066 --> 00:18:21,500 members who were still not believers. 337 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,733 Now, again, I want to re emphasize this. 338 00:18:25,766 --> 00:18:26,733 Put all that together. 339 00:18:28,799 --> 00:18:30,566 And what that equals is, they were in danger. 340 00:18:32,066 --> 00:18:35,266 of, in their little community, developing all 341 00:18:35,266 --> 00:18:38,433 to their self, a ceremonial, 342 00:18:38,433 --> 00:18:42,200 ritualistic, legalistic form 343 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,266 of Christianity that had way too much old 344 00:18:45,266 --> 00:18:46,466 covenant elements in it. 345 00:18:46,533 --> 00:18:47,666 That's what they were endangering. 346 00:18:48,666 --> 00:18:51,866 And that's why we see this strong content in the teaching 347 00:18:51,866 --> 00:18:54,866 of the Holy Spirit, to make very clear, you're going to 348 00:18:54,866 --> 00:18:58,299 see it over and over how much better the new covenant 349 00:18:58,299 --> 00:19:01,299 is, how much better Jesus is, how much better 350 00:19:01,299 --> 00:19:05,366 what Jesus did is than anything you had before. 351 00:19:05,433 --> 00:19:07,766 They desperately needed to hear that. 352 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:11,033 They needed to have their faith strengthened 353 00:19:11,033 --> 00:19:14,666 in the new covenant, and they desperately 354 00:19:14,666 --> 00:19:16,000 needed to be shown. 355 00:19:16,066 --> 00:19:18,033 You don't need the new temple at all. 356 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,099 You don't ever need to go back to that temple. 357 00:19:21,799 --> 00:19:24,833 There's nothing for you at that temple, and 358 00:19:24,833 --> 00:19:26,166 then in the providence of God. 359 00:19:27,599 --> 00:19:30,700 It was very soon completely destroyed, not 360 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:33,833 one stone left upon another, and as I said, 361 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:35,500 2026. 362 00:19:35,866 --> 00:19:39,299 There has not been a Jewish sacrifice in that Temple sits, 363 00:19:39,299 --> 00:19:42,933 because the Muslims run it now, on the Temple Mount. 364 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,333 They needed to understand. 365 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,099 You don't need the daily, old covenant 366 00:19:51,099 --> 00:19:54,166 priesthood, the daily sacrifices, the 367 00:19:54,166 --> 00:19:56,733 monthly sacrifices, the yearly sacrifices. 368 00:19:56,733 --> 00:20:00,466 You don't need them at all, ever again, 369 00:20:00,466 --> 00:20:03,533 because as Hebrews makes clear, they have a new 370 00:20:03,533 --> 00:20:05,333 and better covenant as Christians. 371 00:20:05,433 --> 00:20:07,099 You're Christians now. 372 00:20:08,266 --> 00:20:11,400 They had a new and better priesthood in Christ, the 373 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,533 fulfillment, a better sanctuary, a 374 00:20:14,566 --> 00:20:17,566 new, and absolutely, once for 375 00:20:17,566 --> 00:20:21,299 all, permanent, perfect sacrifice 376 00:20:21,299 --> 00:20:25,700 in what the Messiah did in his substitutionary death on the cross. 377 00:20:25,766 --> 00:20:29,299 That's what they needed to get into their bloodstream. 378 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,566 They needed to understand that these types and shadows and 379 00:20:33,566 --> 00:20:36,633 pictures and symbols of the old covenant, 380 00:20:36,633 --> 00:20:39,933 revealed in the Old Testament, were now totally 381 00:20:39,933 --> 00:20:43,166 given way to all the reality in the new covenant. 382 00:20:43,233 --> 00:20:44,866 That's what they needed to understand. 383 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,066 So this first group is made up 384 00:20:49,066 --> 00:20:52,299 of genuine Jewish believers, who 385 00:20:52,299 --> 00:20:56,033 needed to understand all that, and who needed to have confidence, 386 00:20:56,033 --> 00:20:59,366 they needed confidence in this new covenant, and 387 00:20:59,366 --> 00:21:02,233 exactly how it differed from the O. 388 00:21:02,366 --> 00:21:03,566 Now, let me go to the second group. 389 00:21:05,266 --> 00:21:06,833 These are Jewish. 390 00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:11,966 non Christians who had intellectual faith only. 391 00:21:13,666 --> 00:21:16,866 Remember, the demons believe, right, and they tremble. 392 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,400 Now, we've all encountered people who have 393 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,400 heard the truth of Jesus Christ, and they 394 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:29,433 are intellectually convinced that he is who he claimed to be. 395 00:21:29,566 --> 00:21:31,500 They may have made a profession of faith. 396 00:21:31,599 --> 00:21:32,566 I'm a Christian. 397 00:21:32,633 --> 00:21:37,266 I believe in Jesus, but... by their behavior. 398 00:21:37,366 --> 00:21:40,500 They make it very clear that they have not ever 399 00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:43,599 really, truly surrendered to the Lord 400 00:21:43,599 --> 00:21:45,566 Jesus Christ in Bible, 401 00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:47,566 repentance and saving faith. 402 00:21:47,633 --> 00:21:50,633 They profess faith in Christ, 403 00:21:50,633 --> 00:21:54,166 but they do not genuinely possess 404 00:21:54,166 --> 00:21:57,466 faith in Christ and his gospel. 405 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,533 And it's probably true that every church group, 406 00:22:01,533 --> 00:22:04,966 since Pentecost has had people in it like this. 407 00:22:05,033 --> 00:22:09,633 And so, these folks, as 408 00:22:09,633 --> 00:22:12,766 we go through Hebrews, at different parts, 409 00:22:12,766 --> 00:22:16,666 and I'm going to tell you when they are, I'm going to tell you, okay, it's this group now. 410 00:22:17,799 --> 00:22:20,799 They are directly addressed and exhorted by the Holy Spirit. 411 00:22:20,866 --> 00:22:23,933 Hey, you need to go all the way to saving faith. 412 00:22:24,033 --> 00:22:25,166 is what you need to do. 413 00:22:25,233 --> 00:22:28,299 And not only that, they are warned, big time, 414 00:22:29,366 --> 00:22:32,099 of the consequences of not doing that. 415 00:22:32,133 --> 00:22:33,099 Let me show you a quick example. 416 00:22:34,066 --> 00:22:35,700 Hebrew 6, 4 to 6. 417 00:22:35,733 --> 00:22:36,166 Here is this group. 418 00:22:37,700 --> 00:22:41,433 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened, and 419 00:22:41,433 --> 00:22:44,433 have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have 420 00:22:44,433 --> 00:22:46,099 been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. 421 00:22:46,166 --> 00:22:47,900 Wait a minute, what does that mean, brother Philip? 422 00:22:47,966 --> 00:22:49,633 Well, you're going to find out when we get to those verses. 423 00:22:49,766 --> 00:22:51,333 Because I don't have time to go through all that right now. 424 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,400 And have tasted the good word of God and the powers 425 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:59,133 of the age to come and then have fallen a way. 426 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,733 It is impossible to renew 427 00:23:02,733 --> 00:23:06,400 them again to repentance, since they again crucify 428 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,533 to themselves the Son of God and put him to 429 00:23:09,533 --> 00:23:10,566 an open shame. 430 00:23:10,599 --> 00:23:13,066 You see the thick waters we're fixing to get into here? 431 00:23:13,133 --> 00:23:15,299 Thickness is what this is going to be. 432 00:23:15,333 --> 00:23:16,966 We'll explain that when we get to it. 433 00:23:17,033 --> 00:23:21,099 But that's a passage that's been used by people, 434 00:23:21,099 --> 00:23:24,166 who believe that a true Christian can 435 00:23:24,166 --> 00:23:26,400 lose their salvation, to support their position. 436 00:23:27,466 --> 00:23:30,733 But, as I said, with a right understanding 437 00:23:30,733 --> 00:23:34,066 of who, out of the three groups, 438 00:23:34,066 --> 00:23:37,133 is being addressed in that passage we can 439 00:23:37,133 --> 00:23:40,433 avoid falling into that kind of area. 440 00:23:41,266 --> 00:23:42,299 So you see what I'm saying? 441 00:23:42,333 --> 00:23:45,266 Every Sunday, when you come in here in Hebrews, you got to have your thinking cap on. 442 00:23:45,799 --> 00:23:47,266 We got to make distinctions. 443 00:23:47,333 --> 00:23:49,266 We've got to be discerning. 444 00:23:50,166 --> 00:23:53,266 And this is a warning right here. 445 00:23:53,733 --> 00:23:57,200 Not only to those who have just the intellectual 446 00:23:57,233 --> 00:24:00,366 faith in Christ only, to not stop 447 00:24:00,366 --> 00:24:03,500 where they are, but you need to go all 448 00:24:03,533 --> 00:24:06,000 the way to saving faith. 449 00:24:07,799 --> 00:24:08,933 And that's not the only warning. 450 00:24:09,033 --> 00:24:09,866 Let me give you one more. 451 00:24:09,933 --> 00:24:11,733 Hebrews 10:26 and 27. 452 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,566 For if we go on, sinning 453 00:24:15,566 --> 00:24:18,566 willfully, after receiving the knowledge of the 454 00:24:18,566 --> 00:24:21,633 truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice 455 00:24:21,633 --> 00:24:25,000 for sins, but a terrifying expectation of 456 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,000 judgment and the fury of a fire, 457 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,299 which will consume the adversaries. 458 00:24:31,366 --> 00:24:32,566 And then, further, look at 29. 459 00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:33,866 Verse 29. 460 00:24:34,066 --> 00:24:37,133 How much severer punishment do you think he will 461 00:24:37,133 --> 00:24:40,833 deserve, who has trampled underfoot the 462 00:24:40,833 --> 00:24:44,200 Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the 463 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,366 blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, 464 00:24:47,366 --> 00:24:50,433 and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 465 00:24:50,566 --> 00:24:51,099 Wow. 466 00:24:52,266 --> 00:24:53,333 There and more. 467 00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:56,966 are controversial passages 468 00:24:56,966 --> 00:25:00,133 right there, that Christians have debated and argued about all 469 00:25:00,166 --> 00:25:01,733 through the centuries. 470 00:25:01,766 --> 00:25:05,833 And we will deal with every one of them in detail when we get to them. 471 00:25:06,599 --> 00:25:07,833 Third group, last group. 472 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,333 Third group of Hebrews here are the 473 00:25:12,333 --> 00:25:15,099 Jews in this community who had not believed in Jesus at all. 474 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,133 They had rejected him as Messiah. 475 00:25:19,866 --> 00:25:23,533 The writer also wants them to 476 00:25:23,533 --> 00:25:27,266 clearly understand exactly who 477 00:25:27,266 --> 00:25:30,400 Jesus claimed himself to be. 478 00:25:30,466 --> 00:25:33,233 This is really the main thrust of chapter 9. 479 00:25:33,266 --> 00:25:36,400 I'll give you an example in chapter 9, 480 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,000 11, verse 11 out of Hebrews, warning 481 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,766 to point these people to Christ, but when Christ appeared. 482 00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:47,466 As a high priest of the good things to come, 483 00:25:47,466 --> 00:25:51,566 he entered through the greater and more perfect 484 00:25:51,566 --> 00:25:54,733 tabernacle, not made with hands, that 485 00:25:54,766 --> 00:25:57,533 is to say, not of this creation. 486 00:25:57,633 --> 00:26:01,166 And then he goes on from there to explain in depth all of that. 487 00:26:01,233 --> 00:26:04,233 So in this section, it's the 488 00:26:04,233 --> 00:26:07,233 unbelievers, who are directly spoken to. 489 00:26:08,466 --> 00:26:12,566 So this is not to Christians or those who are only intellectually 490 00:26:12,566 --> 00:26:16,466 convinced this group needed to be evangelized. 491 00:26:16,533 --> 00:26:18,500 Yo, you're rejecting Jesus? 492 00:26:18,566 --> 00:26:20,366 You're rejecting your Messiah? 493 00:26:20,433 --> 00:26:21,866 Well, let me tell you who he is. 494 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,166 That's the thrust here. 495 00:26:25,066 --> 00:26:29,000 So, these are the three groups, if you can remember that, 496 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,066 that are in view here in the book of Hebrews. 497 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,366 And again, the key to interpreting any part 498 00:26:35,366 --> 00:26:38,599 of this book is to understand 499 00:26:38,633 --> 00:26:41,633 and grasp which group is being addressed 500 00:26:41,633 --> 00:26:43,900 and when they're being addressed. 501 00:26:45,066 --> 00:26:48,833 And really, back up, meta 502 00:26:48,833 --> 00:26:52,000 picture, primary message is really 503 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,233 to believers, overall. 504 00:26:55,299 --> 00:26:58,666 And what you have here is these periodic warnings here 505 00:26:58,666 --> 00:27:02,033 and there to these two unbelieving groups that 506 00:27:02,033 --> 00:27:04,599 are sprinkled in and out the book. 507 00:27:04,666 --> 00:27:05,799 And really, really. 508 00:27:06,566 --> 00:27:09,666 It's just a masterful way that could only be 509 00:27:09,666 --> 00:27:12,766 divine, that the Holy Spirit is able to speak 510 00:27:12,766 --> 00:27:16,533 to all three groups with this text all 511 00:27:16,533 --> 00:27:19,000 woven together into one book. 512 00:27:19,066 --> 00:27:21,900 It's clearly inspired by God. 513 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,166 There's just no question about it. 514 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:29,366 In Hebrews, there is confidence, and 515 00:27:29,366 --> 00:27:33,099 assurance, for the Christian, you're going to get that Christian. 516 00:27:34,166 --> 00:27:37,200 There is warning to the intellectually 517 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,466 convinced that they have to come all the way to saving faith, 518 00:27:40,466 --> 00:27:43,833 or the knowledge that they have will damn them forever. 519 00:27:45,266 --> 00:27:48,400 And there's a very convincing presentation to the 520 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,400 totally unbelieving Jews in this community. 521 00:27:51,533 --> 00:27:52,733 So everybody's covered. 522 00:27:54,166 --> 00:27:58,299 But also, overall, as I said earlier, the 523 00:27:58,299 --> 00:28:02,133 biggest picture is the supremacy and 524 00:28:02,133 --> 00:28:05,433 the preeminence of Jesus, over 525 00:28:05,433 --> 00:28:06,500 everything that exists. 526 00:28:08,366 --> 00:28:10,133 He's better than anything that was before. 527 00:28:11,799 --> 00:28:15,233 He's better than any Old Testament person, or angel, 528 00:28:15,233 --> 00:28:17,766 or ritual, or ceremony, or sacrifice. 529 00:28:17,799 --> 00:28:20,866 He is better than anybody or everything 530 00:28:20,866 --> 00:28:22,066 that is. 531 00:28:22,166 --> 00:28:25,233 That is the primary message that we... 532 00:28:25,233 --> 00:28:28,466 I'm going to keep hammering it into your forehead every 533 00:28:28,466 --> 00:28:29,900 Sunday when you are here. 534 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,500 As I said, we're going to get a summary of the whole 535 00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:37,533 epistle, in the first three verses. 536 00:28:38,866 --> 00:28:40,200 And then it's going to go on. 537 00:28:41,599 --> 00:28:44,933 to detail how Christ is superior to everything. 538 00:28:44,966 --> 00:28:47,233 Now, I'm going to tell you. 539 00:28:48,366 --> 00:28:51,166 That was as condensed an introduction as I could give you. 540 00:28:51,233 --> 00:28:53,933 I'm telling you, I left a lot on my table. 541 00:28:54,033 --> 00:28:57,266 At the house, I could have gave you a lot more stuff, 542 00:28:57,266 --> 00:29:00,400 but I just wanted to condense the 543 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,833 introduction to give you some foundational thoughts 544 00:29:03,833 --> 00:29:07,000 that are important, understanding how this 545 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,000 book is going to go, and we're just going to let it all play 546 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:11,200 out as we go. 547 00:29:11,266 --> 00:29:12,000 How about that? 548 00:29:12,033 --> 00:29:12,400 Okay? 549 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,900 Now, but I don't want to leave, 'cause 550 00:29:16,900 --> 00:29:19,900 I can't leave without dipping our toe 551 00:29:19,900 --> 00:29:21,833 in a verse, all right? 552 00:29:22,666 --> 00:29:24,766 So first verse. 553 00:29:26,299 --> 00:29:27,566 And there's no build up here. 554 00:29:28,599 --> 00:29:31,766 There's no greeting here, 555 00:29:31,766 --> 00:29:33,266 like we get in the other epistles. 556 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,866 This book just starts 557 00:29:36,866 --> 00:29:40,099 off with a nuclear explosion 558 00:29:40,133 --> 00:29:43,200 in the first three verses, right out of the gate. 559 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,033 This is what we're going to do. 560 00:29:45,099 --> 00:29:47,433 We're not going to get to all three verses today, okay? 561 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:50,666 But we're going to take these first three verses together, 562 00:29:50,666 --> 00:29:53,066 and we're going to put them in an outline. 563 00:29:53,133 --> 00:29:57,333 Number one, the preparation for Christ, 564 00:29:57,366 --> 00:30:00,666 number two, the presentation of 565 00:30:00,666 --> 00:30:04,000 Christ, and number three, the preeminence 566 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,333 of Christ. 567 00:30:05,366 --> 00:30:08,433 That's going to be our three point outline in 568 00:30:08,433 --> 00:30:10,166 these first three verses. 569 00:30:10,233 --> 00:30:12,866 So look with me at verse number one. 570 00:30:14,166 --> 00:30:14,566 God. 571 00:30:15,766 --> 00:30:18,966 After he spoke, long ago, 572 00:30:18,966 --> 00:30:22,599 to the fathers, in the prophets, 573 00:30:22,599 --> 00:30:26,066 in many portions, and in many ways. 574 00:30:26,133 --> 00:30:29,566 Now, this tells us how God 575 00:30:29,566 --> 00:30:31,833 wrote the Old Testament. 576 00:30:32,466 --> 00:30:35,866 The purpose of the Old Testament was to prepare 577 00:30:35,866 --> 00:30:39,099 for the coming of Christ in 578 00:30:39,099 --> 00:30:42,700 his incarnation, whether in prophecy, 579 00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:46,166 or type, or principle, or commandment, 580 00:30:46,166 --> 00:30:47,366 or whatever it was. 581 00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:51,166 It was all big picture, the presentation, 582 00:30:51,166 --> 00:30:53,433 and the preparation of Christ. 583 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,866 Now, as you know, this, little theology for a second. 584 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,200 God has revealed himself to all mankind 585 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,566 in what the theologians call general revelation, right? 586 00:31:06,633 --> 00:31:08,733 And we know that from Romans one. 587 00:31:08,799 --> 00:31:11,966 And Romans 1, we both get, God has revealed 588 00:31:11,966 --> 00:31:14,966 himself to all mankind in creation, and 589 00:31:14,966 --> 00:31:18,266 God has revealed himself to all mankind in conscience, 590 00:31:18,266 --> 00:31:21,933 from the visible creation that we can see with 591 00:31:21,933 --> 00:31:25,833 our eyes, and then innately, all 592 00:31:25,833 --> 00:31:29,733 men know instinctively that God exists, 593 00:31:29,733 --> 00:31:31,666 the most hardened atheist. 594 00:31:31,766 --> 00:31:34,900 When he lays his head down at night in the still 595 00:31:34,900 --> 00:31:38,033 of the night, he knows, because God 596 00:31:38,033 --> 00:31:39,366 has implanted it in there. 597 00:31:39,466 --> 00:31:42,533 God's law is written on every heart, and that's 598 00:31:42,533 --> 00:31:44,099 how we innately know right from wrong. 599 00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:48,633 That's how every person knows, innately, that if 600 00:31:48,633 --> 00:31:52,099 I pulled out an M16 and just started spraying, everybody 601 00:31:52,133 --> 00:31:55,133 who watched the news story from this morning spraying of the 602 00:31:55,133 --> 00:31:57,466 M16, at Providence Baptist Church, would know. 603 00:31:57,533 --> 00:31:58,000 That's wrong. 604 00:31:59,299 --> 00:32:00,266 That's how you know that. 605 00:32:01,599 --> 00:32:02,966 General revelation. 606 00:32:03,033 --> 00:32:06,933 Creation and conscience is enough to 607 00:32:06,933 --> 00:32:10,366 hold all people accountable, as Romans one says. 608 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:14,133 But it's not enough to save anybody. 609 00:32:15,266 --> 00:32:15,733 OK? 610 00:32:16,666 --> 00:32:20,133 If we're going to know anything about 611 00:32:20,133 --> 00:32:23,266 God beyond general 612 00:32:23,266 --> 00:32:27,099 revelation, God has to speak. 613 00:32:27,900 --> 00:32:29,133 Now, look at verse one again. 614 00:32:30,099 --> 00:32:32,133 God after he what? 615 00:32:32,700 --> 00:32:33,233 spoke. 616 00:32:33,766 --> 00:32:34,266 Okay? 617 00:32:34,299 --> 00:32:37,433 Aside from the fact that we can know God exists 618 00:32:37,433 --> 00:32:41,466 through creation and conscience, I want you to ask you this question. 619 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,766 What would we know about God, besides that if he didn't speak? 620 00:32:46,666 --> 00:32:47,400 Nothing. 621 00:32:47,433 --> 00:32:51,033 Nil, nada, zilch. 622 00:32:51,099 --> 00:32:54,333 Will you just be running around here, acting according 623 00:32:54,333 --> 00:32:57,200 to our own natures, and that's all we would ever do? 624 00:32:57,266 --> 00:33:00,700 And here's a classic illustration of this from John MacArthur. 625 00:33:02,099 --> 00:33:03,466 I want you to imagine this right now. 626 00:33:06,099 --> 00:33:08,200 Imagine us living in a natural box. 627 00:33:09,866 --> 00:33:12,000 And in this natural box. 628 00:33:12,799 --> 00:33:16,066 is the whole universe of the time space existence 629 00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:18,166 that we currently live in. 630 00:33:18,233 --> 00:33:21,366 All of the planets and 631 00:33:21,366 --> 00:33:24,633 galaxies and stars, 632 00:33:24,633 --> 00:33:27,799 and we can move around in this box physically, although 633 00:33:27,833 --> 00:33:31,133 we can't get much further than our own planet, but 634 00:33:31,133 --> 00:33:34,433 I mean, if we could, fly around the universe, it's massive, right? 635 00:33:34,466 --> 00:33:37,533 We can't get our minds around how big the universe is. 636 00:33:37,666 --> 00:33:40,000 But we're still inside this natural box. 637 00:33:40,666 --> 00:33:43,933 But then, outside of the natural box that 638 00:33:43,933 --> 00:33:47,666 we all exist in, in this universe, 639 00:33:47,666 --> 00:33:50,966 outside is the supernatural. 640 00:33:51,666 --> 00:33:52,566 outside the box. 641 00:33:52,666 --> 00:33:53,400 OK? 642 00:33:54,366 --> 00:33:57,666 Now, deep down inside, 643 00:33:58,500 --> 00:34:00,866 we know the supernaturals out there. 644 00:34:01,566 --> 00:34:03,433 as part of general revelation, right? 645 00:34:03,466 --> 00:34:07,366 We know alternity has been placed in our hearts. 646 00:34:07,466 --> 00:34:10,633 We know, but on our own, 647 00:34:11,599 --> 00:34:14,733 We can't, on our own, know anything about 648 00:34:14,733 --> 00:34:18,300 what's outside the box in the supernatural. 649 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,233 We can't experience anything outside the 650 00:34:22,233 --> 00:34:24,500 natural box in the supernatural. 651 00:34:25,466 --> 00:34:27,666 While we're inside this natural box. 652 00:34:28,966 --> 00:34:32,266 So some people come along and say, well, you know what we need to do? 653 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:36,766 We need to start a religion so that we can discover 654 00:34:36,766 --> 00:34:39,866 the supernatural that we know is out there, and so 655 00:34:39,866 --> 00:34:41,800 they go to the edge of the natural box. 656 00:34:42,966 --> 00:34:46,433 And they start trying to poke holes in it with their religion, 657 00:34:46,433 --> 00:34:50,033 and they want to break into the supernatural, 658 00:34:50,033 --> 00:34:51,533 and you can pick your religion. 659 00:34:51,633 --> 00:34:55,533 Buddhism, Hinduism, pick your cult. 660 00:34:55,599 --> 00:34:56,966 I don't care what it is. 661 00:34:57,033 --> 00:35:00,033 It's all an attempt to get outside 662 00:35:00,033 --> 00:35:03,099 the natural box and into the supernatural 663 00:35:03,099 --> 00:35:04,466 realm. 664 00:35:04,533 --> 00:35:04,900 But guess what? 665 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,733 The natural man cannot. 666 00:35:07,833 --> 00:35:11,300 on his own, escape into the supernatural. 667 00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:16,433 None of us in here can transcend our 668 00:35:16,433 --> 00:35:17,766 natural existence. 669 00:35:17,866 --> 00:35:20,066 We can't even get on the roof. 670 00:35:20,966 --> 00:35:21,166 Right? 671 00:35:21,233 --> 00:35:23,699 Right now unless you go get a ladder. 672 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:25,133 So we have a problem. 673 00:35:26,900 --> 00:35:30,233 We can't discover anything about God 674 00:35:30,233 --> 00:35:33,233 beyond general revelation, as I said 675 00:35:33,233 --> 00:35:37,400 earlier, any more than a bug 676 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,666 has the ability right now in the grass to understand us 677 00:35:40,666 --> 00:35:42,033 in what makes us tick. 678 00:35:42,166 --> 00:35:43,433 It's about the same. 679 00:35:44,699 --> 00:35:48,566 And we can't even condescend down 680 00:35:48,566 --> 00:35:52,333 to the bugs level to communicate to them anything. 681 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,000 But in fact, in our case, with 682 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,066 God, God could. 683 00:36:02,300 --> 00:36:06,766 In fact, God did, 684 00:36:06,766 --> 00:36:09,900 God literally became 685 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:13,800 a man and busted through the natural box 686 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,500 that we're in, and when he busted through the natural box, 687 00:36:18,266 --> 00:36:21,300 What Hebrews one is telling us, as he told 688 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:24,333 us all about himself, and that outside 689 00:36:24,333 --> 00:36:25,533 supernatural world. 690 00:36:26,666 --> 00:36:29,666 Every single religion in the world 691 00:36:29,666 --> 00:36:31,599 is in a backward situation. 692 00:36:32,966 --> 00:36:36,266 Because every religion in the world is man's 693 00:36:36,266 --> 00:36:39,099 attempt to jump out of the box. 694 00:36:39,233 --> 00:36:42,000 There's only one religion in the world that says the opposite. 695 00:36:43,266 --> 00:36:47,699 Biblical Christianity, which says, God came into the box. 696 00:36:47,733 --> 00:36:51,166 that we're in, in the person of Jesus Christ, 697 00:36:51,166 --> 00:36:54,566 to reveal himself to us and 698 00:36:54,566 --> 00:36:56,800 to seek and save that which was lost. 699 00:36:58,699 --> 00:37:02,033 And that is the major difference between 700 00:37:02,033 --> 00:37:05,199 Christianity and every other religion in 701 00:37:05,199 --> 00:37:08,199 the world, just like every other religion in the world, 702 00:37:08,199 --> 00:37:11,333 is a system of works, to get out of the box, 703 00:37:11,333 --> 00:37:14,500 to reach God, only biblical 704 00:37:14,500 --> 00:37:17,933 Christianity is our responding in 705 00:37:17,933 --> 00:37:20,966 faith alone to the God who came into the box, in 706 00:37:20,966 --> 00:37:22,099 the person of Jesus Christ. 707 00:37:22,166 --> 00:37:23,133 alone. 708 00:37:23,199 --> 00:37:26,633 There's no other system like biblical Christianity. 709 00:37:27,366 --> 00:37:30,466 And that's why people when they say, well, look, man, you can 710 00:37:30,466 --> 00:37:31,833 pick any religion you want to. 711 00:37:31,900 --> 00:37:32,933 They all lead to God. 712 00:37:32,966 --> 00:37:35,733 I say no, they do not. 713 00:37:37,066 --> 00:37:39,733 None of them do, ever, ever. 714 00:37:40,466 --> 00:37:43,599 Every other religion is man's attempt to discover 715 00:37:43,599 --> 00:37:46,666 God, Christianity is God 716 00:37:46,666 --> 00:37:50,800 invading man's world, literally, personally, 717 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,800 and revealing himself in great detail, 718 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,566 as we read about every Sunday in his book. 719 00:37:57,666 --> 00:38:01,300 And God first spoke outside 720 00:38:01,300 --> 00:38:04,433 of general revelation through the words of 721 00:38:04,433 --> 00:38:05,466 the Old Testament. 722 00:38:05,566 --> 00:38:06,933 That's where he started. 723 00:38:08,500 --> 00:38:10,233 Men alone didn't write the Bible. 724 00:38:11,566 --> 00:38:14,566 God used men as instruments 725 00:38:14,566 --> 00:38:17,266 to write down what he wanted all of us to know. 726 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,400 This is a great passage right here that we have 727 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,400 before us supporting the divine 728 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:26,133 inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 729 00:38:26,199 --> 00:38:28,000 Let's keep going, and I want to show it to you. 730 00:38:29,199 --> 00:38:30,400 Verse one, God. 731 00:38:31,266 --> 00:38:34,666 After he spoke, long ago, 732 00:38:34,666 --> 00:38:38,133 to the fathers, in the prophets, 733 00:38:38,133 --> 00:38:41,866 in many portions, and in many ways, 734 00:38:41,866 --> 00:38:45,033 now, many portions refers to the 39 books 735 00:38:45,033 --> 00:38:46,066 of the Old Testament. 736 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:47,966 And think about it. 737 00:38:48,699 --> 00:38:51,833 They reflect many different historical times, 738 00:38:51,833 --> 00:38:55,133 locations, cultures, people, 739 00:38:55,133 --> 00:38:58,233 situations, over 1,500 years, 740 00:38:58,233 --> 00:39:01,300 and 40 plus writers, and consider how 741 00:39:01,300 --> 00:39:03,033 it all fits together with itself. 742 00:39:03,099 --> 00:39:04,433 That's amazing. 743 00:39:04,966 --> 00:39:07,633 Consider how it fits all together with the New Testament. 744 00:39:08,566 --> 00:39:09,533 Astounding. 745 00:39:09,566 --> 00:39:12,866 Next, verse one, in many ways. 746 00:39:12,933 --> 00:39:14,500 Well, what does that mean? 747 00:39:14,566 --> 00:39:19,166 Well, in the Old Testament times, visions, symbols, 748 00:39:19,166 --> 00:39:22,433 poetry, law, prophecy? 749 00:39:22,466 --> 00:39:24,566 No matter the literary style? 750 00:39:24,699 --> 00:39:27,766 It was always God's revelation of what 751 00:39:27,766 --> 00:39:31,133 he wanted his people to know, whatever vehicle 752 00:39:31,133 --> 00:39:35,266 he used to make that happen, in the Old Testament, listen to what it's called. 753 00:39:35,366 --> 00:39:38,199 It's called Progressive Revelation. 754 00:39:39,766 --> 00:39:42,833 You can't read all of the truth in Genesis out of the Old Testament, can you? 755 00:39:42,866 --> 00:39:43,099 No. 756 00:39:44,566 --> 00:39:45,733 Genesis gives you some. 757 00:39:46,566 --> 00:39:48,666 Then Exodus gives you some. 758 00:39:48,699 --> 00:39:51,766 Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and it builds, and it 759 00:39:51,766 --> 00:39:55,166 builds, and it builds, and it builds throughout the entirety, and 760 00:39:55,166 --> 00:39:58,099 that's why we call it progressive revelation. 761 00:39:58,166 --> 00:39:59,133 As I said a few weeks ago. 762 00:39:59,199 --> 00:40:02,800 The Bible never goes from error to truth. 763 00:40:02,933 --> 00:40:06,599 That's not what we're talking about and the difference between the Old Covenant and the New. 764 00:40:06,633 --> 00:40:09,933 Even from the Old Testament 765 00:40:09,933 --> 00:40:11,900 to the New Testament, it's always just this. 766 00:40:11,966 --> 00:40:14,900 Remember this, incompleteness to completeness. 767 00:40:15,966 --> 00:40:18,000 That's what Old Testament to New Testament is. 768 00:40:19,266 --> 00:40:21,233 So nothing in the Old Testament is wrong. 769 00:40:22,566 --> 00:40:25,666 There is development and progression 770 00:40:25,666 --> 00:40:28,599 of truth revealed until guess what? 771 00:40:28,666 --> 00:40:32,733 It's totally refined and revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. 772 00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:36,033 It's kind of like the kids back here. 773 00:40:36,099 --> 00:40:37,599 First, what do they start off with? 774 00:40:37,599 --> 00:40:38,366 Letters. 775 00:40:38,433 --> 00:40:40,766 A, B, then words. 776 00:40:41,666 --> 00:40:43,066 Then they get on to sentences. 777 00:40:43,133 --> 00:40:44,400 That's how they learn. 778 00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:49,166 That's the same way God gave his revelation to us, progressively. 779 00:40:49,233 --> 00:40:50,566 Bits and pieces. 780 00:40:50,666 --> 00:40:53,733 It started out with the types and the shadows, and 781 00:40:53,733 --> 00:40:55,766 the ceremonies, and the prophecy. 782 00:40:55,900 --> 00:40:59,366 You could liken those to the words, and then the full sentences 783 00:40:59,366 --> 00:41:01,766 came in Christ. 784 00:41:02,566 --> 00:41:05,400 And I'm not just talking about what Christ spoke in the gospels. 785 00:41:05,433 --> 00:41:08,500 I'm saying all that the New Testament says about Jesus. 786 00:41:08,566 --> 00:41:10,433 Now go back a little bit in verse one. 787 00:41:11,599 --> 00:41:13,599 says he spoke long ago to the fathers. 788 00:41:15,366 --> 00:41:16,366 That's our ancestors. 789 00:41:17,099 --> 00:41:17,733 Did you know that? 790 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,233 Old Testament people. 791 00:41:19,300 --> 00:41:22,766 That's our spiritual ancestors, as 792 00:41:22,766 --> 00:41:25,166 sons and daughters of Abraham, right? 793 00:41:25,233 --> 00:41:27,033 Isn't that what the New Testament teaches us? 794 00:41:27,166 --> 00:41:30,000 And physical ancestors, if you're Jewish. 795 00:41:30,699 --> 00:41:31,766 Next in verse one. 796 00:41:32,966 --> 00:41:34,266 In the prophets. 797 00:41:35,199 --> 00:41:36,533 And they were his messengers. 798 00:41:36,566 --> 00:41:38,800 Now, think about this. 799 00:41:39,966 --> 00:41:43,166 The prophet is one who speaks to men 800 00:41:43,166 --> 00:41:44,300 or God. 801 00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:48,533 The Old Testament priest spoke to God, 802 00:41:48,533 --> 00:41:51,833 or men, when we were doing the sacrifices. 803 00:41:51,866 --> 00:41:55,166 The prophet brought God's message to 804 00:41:55,166 --> 00:41:58,699 men, this gives us, right here, the 805 00:41:58,733 --> 00:42:01,833 divine authorship of the Old Testament, 806 00:42:01,833 --> 00:42:04,766 in the prophets. 807 00:42:04,833 --> 00:42:06,033 Look at 2 Peter 1,2. 808 00:42:06,233 --> 00:42:07,300 121. 809 00:42:09,166 --> 00:42:12,300 He says, For no prophecy was ever made by an act 810 00:42:12,300 --> 00:42:15,500 of human will, but men moved by 811 00:42:15,533 --> 00:42:19,000 the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 812 00:42:19,133 --> 00:42:22,599 2 Timothy 3:16, all scripture 813 00:42:22,599 --> 00:42:25,599 is inspired by God, 814 00:42:25,599 --> 00:42:28,066 that phrase meaning God breathed. 815 00:42:29,166 --> 00:42:32,199 So, that was the 816 00:42:32,199 --> 00:42:34,733 preparation for Christ. 817 00:42:34,766 --> 00:42:37,766 Now, lastly, real quick for today, I want you 818 00:42:37,766 --> 00:42:40,766 to see, just for a minute, we'll get more into it next time, the 819 00:42:40,766 --> 00:42:43,099 presentation of Christ. 820 00:42:43,233 --> 00:42:44,599 Look at verse two. 821 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,766 In these last days, he has spoken 822 00:42:48,766 --> 00:42:51,233 to us in his son. 823 00:42:52,166 --> 00:42:55,333 This is the finalizing of 824 00:42:55,333 --> 00:42:59,199 God coming into the box and revealing what he wants us to know about himself. 825 00:43:00,599 --> 00:43:03,933 God, who used to speak in many ways, to many people, 826 00:43:03,933 --> 00:43:07,000 has finally big pictures spoken in one way through 827 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:08,500 one individual, Jesus. 828 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,933 And I say big picture because there were eight men who wrote the 829 00:43:12,933 --> 00:43:18,333 New Testament, not including the author of Hebrews, and the entire 830 00:43:18,366 --> 00:43:22,666 New Testament, as I said earlier, is centered around one person. 831 00:43:23,666 --> 00:43:24,133 Jesus, 832 00:43:24,900 --> 00:43:25,966 The gospels give the story. 833 00:43:27,099 --> 00:43:30,099 The epistles all comment on the person and work 834 00:43:30,099 --> 00:43:33,099 of Christ, and what living in obedience to 835 00:43:33,099 --> 00:43:36,333 Christ looks like, and what coming to faith in Christ looks 836 00:43:36,333 --> 00:43:39,766 like, and then the book of Revelation tells 837 00:43:39,766 --> 00:43:41,333 us where all of this is going to end up. 838 00:43:42,366 --> 00:43:44,933 So it's all Christ, from beginning to end. 839 00:43:44,966 --> 00:43:48,733 That's why verse 2 says, in these last days has 840 00:43:48,766 --> 00:43:51,333 spoken to us in his son. 841 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:54,933 You're going to see, it's so interesting to consider none 842 00:43:54,933 --> 00:43:58,599 of the old prophets of the Old Testament, grasp 843 00:43:58,599 --> 00:44:02,633 the whole truth, even when they were getting the revelation. 844 00:44:04,066 --> 00:44:07,066 Only in Jesus do we get the full picture. 845 00:44:08,099 --> 00:44:11,333 The Old Testament, as I said, bits, pieces, 846 00:44:11,333 --> 00:44:14,099 rolled out progressively, right? 847 00:44:14,133 --> 00:44:17,433 But Jesus is the final and full 848 00:44:17,433 --> 00:44:19,466 revelation in these last days. 849 00:44:19,533 --> 00:44:22,766 Now, if you were here a few weeks ago, you 850 00:44:22,766 --> 00:44:27,633 will remember that that phrase can be used the last days 851 00:44:27,666 --> 00:44:30,966 as starting during the first coming of Jesus. 852 00:44:32,166 --> 00:44:34,933 So that means we're still in them right now, the last days. 853 00:44:34,966 --> 00:44:37,233 And that's how the phrase is used here. 854 00:44:37,300 --> 00:44:38,133 And let me tell you something. 855 00:44:38,266 --> 00:44:42,233 These Jews really understood the 856 00:44:42,233 --> 00:44:46,266 last days, to me, the days when Messiah would be here. 857 00:44:46,366 --> 00:44:48,466 The messianic age. 858 00:44:48,533 --> 00:44:50,800 When they heard that phrase, that's what they were thinking about. 859 00:44:50,866 --> 00:44:53,933 And certainly, they were in 860 00:44:53,933 --> 00:44:57,400 the Messianic age, and we're still in the Messianic age. 861 00:44:58,099 --> 00:45:02,133 Now, in these last days, God 862 00:45:02,133 --> 00:45:05,066 has spoken to us in his son, and guess what he did? 863 00:45:06,599 --> 00:45:07,366 He finished. 864 00:45:09,199 --> 00:45:10,000 He finished speaking. 865 00:45:11,300 --> 00:45:12,266 in the New Testament. 866 00:45:13,866 --> 00:45:17,800 That's why it's utter blasphemy to 867 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,333 add anything to the New Testament. 868 00:45:21,766 --> 00:45:24,833 Anything else out there in all of literature 869 00:45:24,833 --> 00:45:28,666 that claims to be revelation from God is 870 00:45:28,666 --> 00:45:30,699 blasphemous. 871 00:45:31,666 --> 00:45:35,033 God has spoken in His Son, 872 00:45:35,033 --> 00:45:38,266 in the New Testament, and that's it. 873 00:45:38,366 --> 00:45:39,400 It's over. 874 00:45:39,466 --> 00:45:40,500 It's ended. 875 00:45:40,599 --> 00:45:43,766 That's why, at the end of Revelation, it says, if you add anything to this, 876 00:45:43,766 --> 00:45:45,633 the plagues are going to be added to you 877 00:45:45,699 --> 00:45:45,833 you. 878 00:45:47,300 --> 00:45:48,333 Take anything away? 879 00:45:49,099 --> 00:45:50,666 The same thing will result. 880 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:54,266 God's final revelation was 881 00:45:54,266 --> 00:45:57,400 made in one greater, as we will 882 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,300 see, than any of the prophets of the Old Testament king Jesus. 883 00:46:01,366 --> 00:46:03,900 Now, we're going to stop here. 884 00:46:04,666 --> 00:46:07,266 with this introduction in verse one. 885 00:46:08,300 --> 00:46:12,833 And next time, we're going to get into verse 2 and 3. which 886 00:46:12,833 --> 00:46:15,599 is the preeminence of Jesus. 887 00:46:15,633 --> 00:46:17,500 So we're off, folks. 888 00:46:17,566 --> 00:46:18,466 Here we are. 889 00:46:19,066 --> 00:46:20,266 We're cranking the boat. 890 00:46:20,966 --> 00:46:24,166 Get ready for a long, 891 00:46:24,166 --> 00:46:27,233 amazing journey, of a verse 892 00:46:27,233 --> 00:46:30,466 by verse, exposition, of the book of Hebrews. 893 00:46:31,199 --> 00:46:33,033 Again, I can't encourage you enough. 894 00:46:33,599 --> 00:46:35,733 Read it regularly for yourself. 895 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,500 When you get to the end, go back to chapter one, verse one, read it again. 896 00:46:38,566 --> 00:46:42,599 And then just keep repeating that as we go through this book. 897 00:46:42,633 --> 00:46:45,466 Get familiar with what's coming ahead. 898 00:46:45,533 --> 00:46:49,133 And if you got questions, jot the questions down, 899 00:46:49,133 --> 00:46:50,500 and pray for me. 900 00:46:51,666 --> 00:46:54,900 that I can continue to understand it, and prepare for you on 901 00:46:54,900 --> 00:46:58,300 Sundays, what I'm learning during 902 00:46:58,300 --> 00:47:01,066 the week, and we'll all learn the book together. 903 00:47:01,699 --> 00:47:02,633 Sound like a deal? 904 00:47:03,199 --> 00:47:04,233 All right, let's pray. 905 00:47:04,366 --> 00:47:05,699 Father, we thank you, Lord. 906 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:07,433 For this tremendous book. 907 00:47:09,966 --> 00:47:13,066 The word is clear when the Holy Spirit testifies it'll 908 00:47:13,066 --> 00:47:16,599 only testify of Christ, and boy, does the Holy Spirit testify of Christ here? 909 00:47:17,666 --> 00:47:19,866 In this great book of Hebrews, I thank you. 910 00:47:21,300 --> 00:47:22,966 For the opportunity to preach it. 911 00:47:23,566 --> 00:47:26,566 I'm absolutely overwhelmed and very humbled that you would 912 00:47:26,566 --> 00:47:30,099 have somebody like me to do this, but you got to have preachers somewhere. 913 00:47:31,199 --> 00:47:34,300 And so I pray that you would help me to understand it, to communicate it, 914 00:47:34,300 --> 00:47:37,366 that your people would have ears to hear it, and 915 00:47:37,366 --> 00:47:40,466 that through every message, of course, Christ 916 00:47:40,466 --> 00:47:42,566 would be exalted, and you would be glorified. 917 00:47:42,699 --> 00:47:44,333 In Jesus' name we pray. 918 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:44,966 en.