HEBREWS 2:14-18

                           THE PERFECT MINISTER

 

Do you ever feel like your life has lost its simplicity? Moving in circles?  Head above water?

A.) Is your Life sometimes a busy blur raging out of control?  Do the Pressures of the routine and mundane seem overwhelming?

 

B.) If Answered yes any or all Not alone. Americans busy & on the move!

     1.)     Consider these statistics  of  things happen everyday in America

 

C.) Everyday - 108,000 Americans move into a different home – E.D.18,000 move to another state

1.) E.D. Amer. purchase 45,000 new automobiles & smash up 87,000

2.) 40 Amer. turn 100; 5,800 become 65./ And 8,000 try forget 40th B.day

 

D)E.D. Government issues 50 more pages of regulations

   1) E.D.20,000 Americans write President

 

Everyday:  167 businesses go bankrupt while 689 new ones start

A) Dogs bite 11,000 citizens - including 20 mail carriers

 

B) Everyday we eat:  75 acres of pizza;  53 million hot dogs; 167 million eggs; 3 million gallons of ice cream;  3,000 tons candy

     1.)     ED ..jog 17 million miles and burn up 1.7 billion calories in the process

 

C) It doesn't take a genius to realize we are on the move, on the go and busy!  

    It is the American way!

 

We at times can lead very complex & complicated lives!

A)Trying to juggle schedules; family; friendships; and a wide variety of commitments, priorities & pressures;  is a job in      itself!

 

B.) And When problems or storms come blowing into our lives they can throw a monkey wrench into our lives that  disrupts the whole process

Now As COMPLEX & COMPLICATED as life can get at times  so glad       that our faith is simple!

A)Christianity is a simple faith based on powerful truths leaves my heart at peace, my mind at ease,  even when the storms are raging around me!

 

B)In chapter 2 book of Hebrews we see the basis on our faith laid out very powerfully; quick review:

A)Ch. 1 – God has spoken son last days His Son - Jesus is the Rev. of God Climaxed – 7 fold description  v.2,3

 

B) Then he gives a teaching Concerning the superiority of Christ over the Angels- looked at a few Wed. nights ago

1)   Superior Name –2) Superior Position / Superior Honor –

          Superior Vocation / Superior Destiny

 

C) Then moves into Ch. 2 First warning – About Drifting & neglecting so great a Salvation- Drifting last Sun. – How we can Neglect Wed. 1-4

 

Then as we pick up in v.5 –we see The writer comes back to the subject of Angels – statement - 5For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

 

A)Now his final point in this sec. dealing w/ JC superiority over the Angels deals w/ the fact that Christ rules & one day the Church rule w/ Him

1)    Now he is moving from the greatness of Christ superiority to the affect that it has on our lives – Now & in the future !!!

 

B) So in v.5-8 explains how this world was originally given to man – Man was to have dominion – all things were to be subject to him

1)    End of v.8 makes a statement –But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

 

C) It signals to us that something happened – THE FALL – there man forfeited this world into the hands of the Devil – god of this world

 

So we read that & our hearts are in DESPAIR – stupid Adam although Bible is clear we would have done the same – v.9 Word of Hope

A)We don’t see all things put under man but we see Jesus -  then he starts telling us in v.9-18 what Jesus has done to redeem this world & us

 

B.) And what He is doing to Prepare us to Reign w/ Him – He Became a man the perfect man, to do a perfect work to perfectly save - fallen man

1.) He died; He rose; He lives –v.10  as the perfect leader of our salvation 

    Author   - Finisher

 

C) What is He  doing His Goal? V.10 Bringing many sons to glory: process of   sanctification -

1)   It is a work that He does gladly as He V.12 is not ashamed to call us His Brethren

 

D) Now that is a quick preview of what we are going to be looking at on Wed. – great stuff – be here .

 

But this morning I want us to spend the remainder of our time looking at v.14-18 see what this tells us about Jesus –

A)Who came to earth & was the Perfect man / offered Perfect Sacrifice / in order to perfectly Save Fall man. / Became perfect Brother & Leader

 

B) All of which makes Him the Perfect Minister – The Perfect High Priest

     1) That is what I want us to focus on today

 

C) This is the key to combating the complexities of life, problems,      and the storms- Seeing Him - who is still ministering on our behalf!

   1) Note a few  Things concerning our Perfect Minister!

 

#1 - WORK WAS COMPETE:2 things  V.14,15

A.)1st -   Destroyed man's greatest enemy: Satan!

     1) Word destroy?  Not annihilate  - Satan very much alive -

             "Render inactive"  - Made powerless!

 

B) Paul put it this way in Col 2:15 He Disarmed Principalities & Powers … Spectacle – which is what the Romans do when conquered a city

  1) He could shout all he wanted – but his power over them taken away

 

C) Now it is true we are in a spiritual battle – Only Power Satan has in our lives is what we let Hi have – listening to His lies

 

So How was the Enemy Destroyed? Made Powerless ?

A)Answer is –Christ took away His greatest Weapon – V.15 the FEAR OF DEATH

 

B) For centuries man has been in bondage to the fear of death – great mystery – what happens when I die / Where do I go ? is this it ?

 

C) WHY DO MEN FEAR DEATH -  reasons are many

1)   There is the fear of Pain in dying – Most of us hope – quick not suffer

2)   There is the fear of Separation from what we Know & the ones we love

3)   There is the fear of Not being – I don’t exist anymore

 

4)   ….the fear of the Unknown – Launching a boat into unchartered waters

5)   There is the fear of Eternal Damnation & ever lasting Punishment

 

An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a 100 years old that bears this epitaph: Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I.

   As I am now, so you will be,  So prepare for death and follow me.

And Someone passed by &  read those words and scratched this reply below them:   To follow you I'm not content,Until I know which way you went.

 

 

D) Now as Christians accept for the matter of Physical pain & the sadness of leaving loved ones we don’t fear death – We know what it is

  1) It is a moving on – this life to the next – and we Know where we are going – Heaven awaits us / Christ Destroyed Satan’s weapon

 

Satan knew that God required death for man because of sin.

A) Satan knew that if men remained as they were they would die and go out of God's presence & into hell forever

 

B) So Satan wants to hold on to men until they die/ Knowing that once they die that opportunity for salvation is gone forever

     1.)     So because He seeks to kill Rob & destroy he tries  to keep           people enticed  by sin / Knowing  that sin leads to death  once dead they are his!

 

C) But Jesus came to take away that power: If you have a more     powerful weapon than your enemy His weapon is useless

     1.)     Tank VS. twenty two!   - THAT 22 – BIG DEAL

 

D) Satan's weapon;  death is extremely powerful. But God has a          weapon  even more powerful – ETERNAL LIFE

 

So Jesus destroyed death - through resurrection - He   destroyed death and provided eternal life - all who believe!

A)So know Christ today - don't have to live in bondage of fear of death!  What was a fear now becomes a hope!

                Phil 1:21 - Me to live is Christ; die is gain!

       

   A dying man was fearful, even though he was a born-again Christian.  He expressed his feelings to his Christian doctor.  The physician was silent, not knowing what to say.  Just then a whining and scratching was heard at the door.  When the doctor opened it, in bounded his big beautiful dog, who often went with him as he made house calls.  The dog was glad to see his master. 

 

Sensing an opportunity to comfort his troubled patient, the doctor said, "My dog has never been in your room before, so he didn't know what it was like in here.  But he knew I was in here, and that was enough.  In the same way, I'm looking forward to heaven.  I don't know much about it, but I know my Savior is there.  And that's all I need to know!"

 

B.) Paul had this to say about Jesus Victory over death         1CO15:51     Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

    For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.   (need new bodies )  

 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

   "O Death, where is your sting? O grave  where is your victory?"

     The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord JC

 

C) Jesus changed the fear to a hope, a joy

     1) So Perfect Minister in that work was complete!

 

2ndly - Perfect Minister:  He is a merciful and faithful High Priest!

A.)    This is the first time in the N.T. Jesus is referred to as our High Priest , however, this is the central theme of this book.

 

Ch.8:1Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

 

B) The word Priest or High Priest appears 26 times in the 12 remaining Chapters 

 

C) The Ministry of the High Priest was two fold:

   1) He represented the people before God. He would bring        their needs and

       a sacrifice for their atonement before God

 

D) He also would once a year go before God and come out represent God before the people, heart and mind of God

 

Jesus fulfilled these 2 examples as He came to earth representing God

A.) Everything that you would want to know about God can be seen in the person of Jesus /  How would God handle that situation

     1) How would He respond to this question or  to that one

 

B.)2ndly  He stands before God now on your behalf. Ministering for you

   Lets consider what this says about his Priestly Ministry to Us .

    

1st He is a merciful High Priest: Merciful = compassionate - "To get into someone else's skin and feel what feeling"

A.) He became a man so that He could RELATE to our struggles & Be compassionate w/ us in His instruction

 

B) Example: What woman would go to a Lamaze class taught by a man!

1)    Could you imagine – Ok Ladies today we are going to talk about the subject of Pain in Child birth – YEA RIGHT

 

C)Actually there is a pain the guys go thru – Guys in the old days had it easy sit in the waiting room – drink a soda / play some cards

 

D)Today – In the delivery room- Wife is in excruciating pain – You are helpless – Ice Chip Honey –  No I don’t want another ice chip –

1)    So there is that pain of feeling helpless / then there is the fear – I did this to her/ hope this  baby comes  soon – Never let me touch her again 

 

E) But it is nothing like what you girls go thru- never imagine – if women had a choice they would never go to a Lamaze class taught by a Man

     1) Want to learn from someone who has been there  /   As a man I have no

          idea what that is like!  Only way - become woman

 

Jesus became a man - so He could be a merciful High Priest - sympathetic; understanding; - knows our struggles

A.)    Never say - "Come on you wimp - I did it - get it      together" Never say - last chance you flake – Mercy endures forever

             Micah 7:18   He delights in mercy -

 A poor woman from the slums of London was invited to go with a group of people for a holiday at the ocean.  She had never seen the ocean before, and when she saw it, she burst into tears.  Those around her thought it was strange that she should cry when such a lovely holiday had been given her.     

       "Why in the world are you crying?" they asked.

 Pointing to the ocean she answered, "This is the only thing I have ever seen that there was enough of."

  

B) Good news our High Priest  has oceans of mercy it is new every morning   There is enough of it—and He delights to show his mercy and compassion

1)   He has compassion w/ us because He has been in our shoes

 

In Duet. 11:11 The Lord declares to Israel – about to enter into the promised land – The Land you are going into possess is a land of hills & valleys

A)Promised land is a picture of the Christian life – the Christian  life is a Life of both Hills & Valleys –

  1)Mt. Top experiences as well as valleys /trials times of difficulties

 

B) Seen thru out Scripture - Abe climbing Mt. Moriah to sacrifice his son.

     1)Jacob fleeing fear & wrestling all night w/ God

 

C) Moses burdened by the fact that the people were Complaining again  I am not able to bear all these people alone

1)   David hiding in cave wondering if he would ever be king

2)   Joseph in a prison wondering if his dreams would ever come to pass

3)   John the B. in prison wondering doubting is Jesus really the Messiah

 

Why does the Lord permit these Valleys to come into our lives ?

A)For one thing we learn some lessons in the valleys we never learn on the Mt. Tops

 

B) Do you think David could written – Yea though I walk thru the valley …..I will not fear …… comfort me/   if he hadn’t gone thru some valleys?

 

C) Suppose Jeremiah had never gone thru the valleys that made him the WEEPING PROPHET – could he have written :

22  Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

 

D) Suppose Paul hadn’t gone thru his valley w/ the thorn in His flesh – Could he had written  - Your grace is sufficient for me ……… weakness

 

We go thru the valleys to learn lessons that we could never learn any other way

A)And we grow in Character in a way that we could never grow apart from the valley.

 

B) Great Christians are made by Great Trials – A man doesn’t become patient by simply reading a book or by praying

1)   We don’t learn to pray by sitting in an easy Chair. We learn to pray by going thru the Valleys .

 

C) That so often is where those Christian graces are developed

 

We wonder why can’t life were a series of Mt. Top experiences . Wouldn’t we be happier if there were no valleys in our lives ?

A)The Christian life is a land of hills & valleys & we must never forget that you cannot have the hills w/out valleys

 

B) The fact of the matter is God knows how to balance our lives. All sunshine makes for a desert – all hills w/ no valleys makes for a shallow life

 

C) If we want to experience the Hill tops that means we are going to have to go thru some valleys –

1)   Comforting to know the beyond every Valley is a Hilltop

 

D) Also comforting to Know that our Lord Jesus – Our High Priest had his share of Valleys & Mt. Tops

 

For instance –Baptism – Voice of Father / the Dove – Mt. Top –

 led immediately into a valley – desert to be tempted by the devil

A)Comes from there to Naz. Where He grew up – goes into the synagogue reads from Isa – passage Validating His Ministry. Mt. Top

 

B) Only to be led right into a valley – those who grew up w/ tried to throw Him off a cliff.

1)   Triumphal entry – Mt. Top / followed by a dark valley Garden of Gethsemane sweat drops blood

 

C) That valley got DARKER & DEEPER - trial / then shouts of Crucify – then to a cross / then a tomb – deep Valley

 1)But then to a Rez.  a Mt. Top /then to an even Higher Mt. Top – Ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father until …enemies ..footstool

 

This is God’s word of encouragement to you & me – that wherever you find a valley, You will always find a Mt. Top on the other end .

A)This is true because our Lord Jesus has already gone before us to prepare the way & every valley we go thru he has already been there

 

B) He knows what is like feel pressure!  - Hungry - thirsty - lonely, rejected, to suffer / He knows scorned, unappreciated; misunderstood

1.) He knows …grieved, to be judged falsely - to be ridiculed

 

C) He has seen perplexity of social injustice! / He has seen the killing effects of sin

   1) Experienced first hand - self righteousness of the Legalist

        He has seen the Deceit of the hypocrite

 

D) He knows what it is like to face temptation - and to deal with tough future events - garden

 

He is perfect Minster in that - merciful High Priest.  He can sympathize

2nd is perfect Minster in that He is a Faithful High Priest –

 

  He faithful to God & to Man – His faithfulness  is seen in 2 things

A)1st He is Faithful as man’s sin bearer – He did what was required / He offered the perfect Sacrifice – The Priest was also the Lamb

 

B) 2nd thing to note His  faithfulness to us  / He stands by us

     He is trustworthy - sins don't end up on morning paper -       

1)      He doesn't give up on you! Peter denial - Go tell .. and Peter!

 

C)He is Faithful in representing us to the Father – He is our Advocate who faithfully intercedes on our behalf

  1) Peter Satan has desired to sift you like wheat - but I have      prayed for you.

        He lives to make intercession!

 

D) He is a faithful High Priest: He is able to Aid us –aid - Lit.  runs to the cry of those who are being tempted!

 

That is who He is – the Question for us is will we cry out to Him / will we run to Him / will we allow Him to Aid us

A)To supply our lives w/ strength direction & guidance – w/ Love & forgiveness -

 

B) If you were looking for a Gardener – would you want one who’s own yard  was all messed up – over grown 

1) Or a  dentist - sit in chair smiles - rotten sick teeth - see ya!  -

 

C) And who of us would try to do our own filling ? Drill in the mirror

1)   Or me My own hip Surgery – saw it on discovery – Honey hand me the Jig saw

 

D) Why do we try to lead our own lives !!!

1)   Why would anyone gamble w/ their own salvation

 

E) When We have a perfect Savior / Perfect Minister – Merciful & Faithful HIGH PRIEST