Hebrews: God Has Spoken to Us Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Today we begin a new series through the book of Hebrews titled The Supremacy of Christ. Pastor Rich will be in chapter 1, 1-4 as we look at God as the Great Communicator. Verse 1 tells us that God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God did not speak from afar, but drew near to us through the person of Jesus Christ.

Let's listen in. This is the second part of a message from Hebrews 1, 1-4 called God Has Spoken to Us in Person. It was first preached at Grace Bible Church on April 15, 2012. And God in person has walked among mankind and looked at us in the eyes. He came in person to deliver His message. But see, not only is He important, He's more than just important. This One who came to speak is not just important.

Let me put another word to that. He is the necessary being. He is the necessary being. In other words, if it weren't for Him, none of us would be, none of this would be, nothing would be besides Him. And He's the One who came and spoke to us in person.

Now the question is why. Why did He come to communicate in person? There is a uniqueness about the person who came to speak.

There is definitely a uniqueness about what He came to communicate and why. Why He came to communicate in person is because of reconciliation. Reconciliation. That word means that two parties that have been torn apart are brought back together again.

Reconciliation in the wake of a separation. What separated us from God? Our sin did. Because God is an infinitely holy God. And it says at the end of verse three, when He had by Himself purged our sins.

What does that mean? He made us, He made it possible, He made us right so that we could be reconciled to God, so that we could be brought back to God. That's why He came to communicate in person. As 2 Corinthians 5 21 says, He has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. You see, an exchange was made when Jesus was on the cross and He cried, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It was at that moment that He took upon Himself the wrath that you and I deserved.

But that's not all that happened. At that moment, He made it possible that His righteousness then would be accredited to your account in mine. And that's what happens by faith. You see, that's how sins are purged. Sins are purged. They're out of the way so that you and I can be reconciled to God because that's why you and I were created. We exist for God, for fellowship with Him. And Jesus made it possible through this communication.

That's why He came in purpose, in person. It's very important to understand here, I'm going to use a theological term. There's a vicarious atonement here.

What do I mean by that? Jesus died in your place in mine. He didn't just die.

He died in our place. Very important and foundational to understanding historic Christianity and to understanding what Jesus accomplished. When the Bible says He purged our sins, He didn't just die to promote a cause. And that's what some theologians are presenting today.

They are presenting the death of Jesus Christ in the same strain as the death of Martin Luther King Jr. Very noble thing that Martin Luther King Jr. did and what he stood for. And he gave his life standing for it.

But that's all that happened. He gave his life. That's not what happened at the death of Jesus. When he gave his life, he gave it in your place in mine.

Big difference. And because of that, our sins can be purged and we then can be reconciled to God. And so this unique communicator came to present and communicate this unique message of reconciliation to God. He communicated His love and grace and forgiveness so that we could be right before God.

We must understand that. If we do not understand that, we do not understand Christianity and we do not understand what God has done for us. How can we worship Him if we do not understand what He's done? Not only did He come to communicate reconciliation, but He came to communicate community. Look at the end of verse 3 again. When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He sat down.

And we try to get community out of that. Well, who is He sitting next to? The Father. You see, the Trinity is back together again. To purge your sins in mind, there had to be a rift in the Trinity.

Folks, listen, you and I will never understand that. But that is what God had to experience in order for us to be reconciled to Him. The Son had to be reconciled to Him.

The Son had to be separated from the Father. That is the judgment and the wrath that you and I deserve because of our sinfulness. But He purged our sins and when He had done that, He sat back down at the right hand of the majesty on high. The Trinity is back together again. Picture this, there are three chairs up here and three chairs represent the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God forever has been community. Three persons in one, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And because God is love, it is His nature and it compels Him to draw others to Himself, which is why you had a perfect community in the Trinity. And because His love compelled Him to draw others, He decided to create others in His image so that He could draw them to Himself. And so He creates mankind.

And what does mankind do? He chooses His own way and says, I think I know better. And He goes away and He rebels against God. And that rebellion separates man from God. And so the Father says, that hurts. I created Him for myself.

I want that rebellious child. And so the Father says, Son, you go. And the Son goes.

That's this one. He shows up in person and He communicates the message. And what does He do? He purges our sins.

What happens? He takes upon Him. He absorbs the wrath of God that you and I deserve, so that we then can be brought back into fellowship with the Father. And once again, there is community with God in man. That's what Jesus accomplished. That's the message that He communicated. That's a pretty unique message, don't you think? It's a unique, He's a unique communicator and He's presenting a very unique message.

We are invited to enjoy Him together. 1 Peter 3.18, He suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. So why did this unique person show up in person to communicate?

Reconciliation and community. What a God. And His perfect and ultimate self-revelation is in this person of Jesus Christ. God has made Himself known and He has come and He showed up in person to communicate to you and me these truths. You see, what there is here, we have in verse 3 and 4, is an unqualified uniqueness. Verse 4, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. The angels were venerated by the Jews. Of course, God was higher than the angels, but this man who came, this one who showed up in person, it became very, very clear that he wasn't just another man and he certainly wasn't just an angel. He was so much better than the angels. There is an unqualified, uniqueness about this communicator.

There is an unequaled exclusivity about this communicator, based on his very essence, his character, and upon his work and what he accomplished when he showed up in person. So there may be some out here today who are saying, you know, I'm considering my options. Do you know that's exactly why the letter was written to the Hebrews? Because they were saying, right now I'm considering my options. When the church began, it was all Jewish.

And there were many Jews who had become affiliated and associated with Christianity. But you know what? They're saying, you know, I'm not sure I signed up for this, because there's a lot of persecution that comes along with this. I mean, you really have to commit your life to this guy. And they were teetering on the fence and they're saying, you know, I'm considering my options. I think I might just go back to Judaism.

It's a little safer. I know what I'm supposed to be doing there. All the rules are clearly laid out. This Christianity and grace stuff and following Jesus and getting hurt for it, I'm not sure that I signed up for that. And so the letter to the Hebrews is written. And here is the point. Here is the main thrust of this letter to the Hebrews.

By this point, we can understand the whole book and what's written in this book. The main thrust of the letter of Hebrews is the futility of any religious system that ignores the supremacy of Christ's work. The futility of any religious system which ignores the supremacy of Christ and Christ's work. In other words, there's no equal.

There's no equal. And this statement, this truth, is key to understanding everything that's written in this letter to the Hebrews. God has spoken in person and He has communicated His forgiveness, His love, His hope, and a life abounding with purpose both now and for all time. That's what He communicates. And it comes through this person, the one who said, I am the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father but by me.

That one. He's the one who communicated. And He had every right and authority to say that.

Why? Because He is God. C.S. Lewis was a master at word pictures. And in mere Christianity, he presents a word picture of what Christ did when he came and he showed up in person. Listen to this.

And this, you know, from the context of the 50s and 60s back, the 40s and 50s back then, you know, when C.S. Lewis writes this, one may think of a diver first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing midair, and then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through the green and warm water into black and cold water. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.