Sermon
Hebrews 3:1-6 • Jesus > Moses • Joel McCarty
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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We're continuing in Hebrews and we're moving into chapter 3
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today, verses 1 through 6, therefore holy brothers and
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sisters who share in a Heavenly calling consider.
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Jesus the Apostle and high priest of our confession.
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He was faithful to the one who appointed him.
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Just as Moses was in all God's household for, Jesus is
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considered worthy of more Glory than Moses just as the Builder
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has more honor than the house. Now, every house is built by
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someone I'm one, but the one who is building who has built
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everything, it's God, Moses was faithful as a servant in all of
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God's household as a testimony to what should be said in the
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future. But God was faithful as a son
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over this household, and we are that household.
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If we hold on to our confidence and the Hope in which we boast,
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Welcome again. As I mentioned earlier, my name
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is Joel and I have the privilege of serving as one of the
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pastor's here is always, I'm just grateful to be a part of
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what God is doing in our midst. So, thank you guys for being
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here as far as intro goes. I'm keeping it super simple
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today. Full disclosure, I did not have
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as much time to prepare as I normally would like, you can't
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pray for me if you think about it.
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I'm dealing with some sciatica nerve issue, stuff that has
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flared up pretty painfully over the last couple days.
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And so at times impossible to concentrate So that's why Jared
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was carrying this up for me. I'm not bougie like that.
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Normally I can set it up myself so I kind of felt bad, but I'm
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trying to be mindful of what I'm lifting.
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So yeah, anyways, awesome. I'm asking for Grace.
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I know you'll be faithful to give that and the spirit is
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faithful to work even on our weaknesses and I know that.
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So as you can see, we're continuing in our series through
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the book of Hebrews. Remember, this letter is written
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most likely in a sermon like format.
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And so, This has the purpose of encouraging Believers toward
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faithfulness in the midst of both suffering and Temptation.
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And so the the means by which our preacher does, this is not
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by just telling them, hey, be faithful, he does say that at
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times but the primary means that he does this is to remind them
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of the all sufficient and the all glorious nature of Jesus who
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is more Supreme than anything else we could ever imagine.
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That's why the theme of Hebrews that We're going with is Jesus
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is better. We've seen to this point first
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week how Jesus? I guess second we didn't intro
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Jesus is better than the angels. We saw how he's the true and
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better human, we saw how he's the true and better older
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brother who makes us family. Last week, we saw how Jesus was
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greater than death and this week we're going to see how Jesus is
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greater than Moses. Who was this?
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Ancient servant of God who played a key part in Israel's
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Redemption. Story and so you just heard it
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red but our text is Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1 through 6.
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We're reading primarily from the csb, feel free to make your way
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there so you can follow along. We'll also have the verses on
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the screen for you as well. So let me give you kind of a
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quick overview of our text. As we dive in the big picture
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idea in the six versus the author is communicating during
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this text is that? Yes, Moses was a faithful
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servant of God's household. But Jesus is greater because
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he's not just a servant in the house, he's actually the son who
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is over the entire house, who his also the foundation, the
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Cornerstone, he builds the whole thing, and this truth, if that's
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true, this has implications for us because the house that Jesus
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is building is not a physical brick and mortar house.
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We are the household, the people of God.
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And so this has implications for us.
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And so I'm going to kind of move through the text and three
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different ways. I'm going to jump around a
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little bit but I think it'll make sense.
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Three different movements were going to work through during our
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time and we're going to just use the same metaphor of a house
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that are preacher uses in the text.
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And so we're going to start by looking at the blueprints of the
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house, the blueprints of the house.
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And this would be Moses and verse 5 of our text.
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This is what we read and says, Moses was faithful as a servant
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in all God's household as a Testimony to what would be said
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in the future. So the author's very clear Moses
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is a picture of what is to come. He is a foretaste, a type
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Shadow, whatever you want to call it.
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To use the example that our preacher uses, I'm going to call
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him the blueprints of the house, right?
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If you roll out blue prints, if you know what the if you've
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built houses before, you can kind of Envision and see the
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picture right? But it's not the real thing.
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The blueprints are Only just kind of showing the plan and
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giving an example of what is to come.
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It's not the actual product but it points toward the end
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product. Now for us, we might be a little
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bit more unfamiliar with whom Moses was for the original
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audience. He doesn't have to tell them
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about Moses. He doesn't have to recount his
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exploits and who he was and Israel's history.
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They knew him intimately Moses was revered by the Jewish
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people, but for us I think reviewing a little bit who Moses
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was might give us a little bit of Text because it helps us
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understand how Jesus is greater than Moses.
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I think this might be easiest by just jumping ahead to Hebrews
Hebrews 11 chapter mention
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chapter 11, where we can see some of the primary acts of
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Moses that are actually briefly counted for us in the, the
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chapter about faith. And so Hebrews chapter 11, verse
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24 through 29, here it is on the screen.
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It says by faith Moses. So these are some of the things
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that Moses did when he had grown up refused, to be called the son
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of Pharaoh's. Pharaoh's daughter and chose to
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suffer with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the
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fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for
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the sake of Christ, to be greater wealth than the
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treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward by
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faith. He left Egypt behind not being
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afraid of the Kings anger. For Moses persevered as one who
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sees him who is invisible. Oil by faith, he instituted the
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Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that the destroyer
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of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites by faith, they
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crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land.
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When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.
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Moses was a faithful servant to God's plan even to the point of
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suffering with God's people and because he had faith in this
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great God, he was able to be a part of Leading, the People of
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God, out of slavery, the Israel's history.
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One of the key like formative moments and stories.
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That was told over and over again was what was called The
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Exodus their exit out of Egypt, their Redemption out of slavery
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in into Freedom. It was Moses that while they
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were still enslaved in Egypt instituted.
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The Passover, when the blood of animals was was placed on door
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post, you might remember the story and it caused the angel of
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death to pass over the people of God and not take their first
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born. It was through the leadership of
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Moses that the people of God, exit, the Land and flee, the
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evil king Pharaoh, bringing them across the Red Sea safely.
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You remember the story and then the Red Sea swallowed up the
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Egyptians as they a chase them there.
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Not only that those are the some of the exploits we read about in
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Hebrews but some of the other things that Moses did, he was
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the lawgiver. He was the one that God chose to
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be the mouthpiece and distribute the terms of the Covenant that
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he made with Israel in numbers. 12 Moses is specifically Moses
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his authority is being challenged and God specifically
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calls Moses. A servant who is faithful in all
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of God's household and because God chose him, God would speak
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to Moses. Has directly.
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He could hear the voice of God. And so this also meant that
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Moses was not only the lawgiver. He was also the one who mediated
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on behalf of the people, he talked to God and then
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communicated to the people. He was also the one who time and
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time again, when God would rightly grow frustrated with the
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Disobedience of the people and he would want to start over,
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Moses would intercede and stand in the Gap remains.
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Minding God of his Covenant promises.
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What will everyone else? Think if you leave these people
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that you promised to be with Moses was also the one you might
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remember, he brought the people to the cusp of the promised land
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Moses himself, was not able to enter in, because he was
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disobedient to God, but he brought them to the edge of the
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promised land and showed them the road forward.
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And so, because of all of this Moses is revered and he's
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revered for good reason. The preacher of Hebrews never
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disparages Moses. He doesn't say Moses was a
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horrible person. I Moses was flawed, you don't
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have to read much to see. That but he's remembered as
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faithful because of the work of God in his life and so our
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preacher elevates and acknowledges Moses his role.
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But he only does this to serve a greater purpose.
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He says, as instrumental apart of Israel story.
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Moses is as faithful as a servant he was Jesus is greater
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and that is the main point that our preacher wants us to see
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even in chapter 11 of Hebrews that we just read.
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Ed we're told that Moses himself was looking forward to a greater
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reward, so why would we just stop looking at Moses if he
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himself is looking to something greater Moses served as only a
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blueprint of the house, but the Builder is Jesus, and this is
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the second thing we see the builder of the house.
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This is really the point of our text.
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Moses is only a means to get us to the end of what he says at
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the beginning considered Jesus. Look at how it starts in verse
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1. Therefore, holy brothers and
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sisters. This is 3:1, who shared a
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Heavenly calling consider? Jesus, take a moment, stop and
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think. On Jesus, the Apostle and high
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priest of our confession, Gaze on him.
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Look to his goodness. He is the Apostle, he is the
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sent one, the Ambassador, the missionary who comes to lead, a
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better Exodus and an ultimate Redemption and he is the high
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priest will see this more throughout Hebrews, but he
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intercedes and mediates to redeem, his people from sin.
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And our preacher says, look to him.
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I'm only going to talk about Moses because I want you to see
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the greatness of Jesus. He is the one of our confession
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that we confess as Lord. And Savior.
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So if you think Moses was faithful, I got news for you.
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Jesus is better. Look at verse 3 and 4, it's what
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is what he says he says for Jesus is considered worthy of
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more Glory than Moses just as the Builder has more honor than
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the house. Now every house is built by
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someone but the one who built everything is God.
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And so our preacher uses this illustration or this analogy
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It's a pretty simple analogy. And he says, one who builds or
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maybe owns an amazing house is obviously greater and of more
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value than the house itself, the person is of more worth, the
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house is just evidence of the worth of the person.
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Okay, now this is before credit and debt and all that, but the
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idea is that if you could build this big house you at least had
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that much value and worth in and we know even greater value and
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worth And so he follows this logic and he says, Jesus is
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greater than the house that he's building and Moses was only a
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servant in the house. Now, this title servant in the
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Greek is a pretty high honor, but it's still just a servant,
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he's just actually one of the household, but Jesus is the
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maker of it. And so clearly, he deserves more
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Glory than Moses, verse for even goes further, just in case
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you're missing it, all things are built.
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By God and we've already seen in Hebrews, how the means by, which
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God created the world was through, God, the son, who spoke
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things into existence, Jesus as the Builder.
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It's just this flood of truth about how he's greater and more
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faithful than Moses, he is more glorious and worth more than
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Moses. And he also has a greater
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identity than Moses. Look at verse five and six.
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Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house.
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I told, but Christ was faithful as a son over his household.
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The identity of the households Builder is that of son?
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He's not just a part of the house, he is the sun.
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This idea of sonship is, are he gets all the rights and
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privileges in the inheritance of the Father, the house is his, he
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is the Supreme one who Reigns over all, including the
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household of God. And, as I've already mentioned,
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and as we see described here, the household is the people of
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God. And what's crazy and contrast to
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the builder of the household. The people of God the household
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is anything, but faithful to go back to the story of Moses.
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If you follow it even right after the Exodus story 40 days
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later, they agree to the terms of the Covenant with God and
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they're cheating on God throughout the whole journey.
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Even though they're being cared for what do we hear?
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Grumbling and complaining and Disobedience?
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We're going to see that more next week but this Rebellion is
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why the people of God ever even needed a mediator.
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The first place because of their inadequacies and unfaithfulness
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they needed someone to stand in the gap for them.
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But here's what I want you to see, as faithful as Moses was to
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intercede on behalf of the people, and he was successful in
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one sense, he brought about a temporary stay of God's
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punishment on them. But here's the thing, he could
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do that momentarily, but he could not make these people into
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a new creation. If you read the story, Moses
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goes off the scene and even while Moses alive, the people
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continue to be unfaithful and rebellious.
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Even after the promised land is claimed, and they go in and take
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the promised land and have peace.
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They turn and chase after other idols.
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And where do they end up? If you remember our time and
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Daniel back in Exile, back in slavery, back to, where they
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started, And that trend has not changed.
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Humanity is Unfaithful and fickle.
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We are not good representatives of our creator.
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We chase after false idols. And we can try to go back to
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Moses and just say, well, we need another Prophet to come in
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and just teach us the law and we'll get it.
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Show us where we mess up. The problem is, is we looked at
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last week that doesn't deal with our slavery to sin?
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We need something better than Moses.
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We don't just need another lawgiver.
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We need a lawful filler something, that's utterly
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life-transforming. We need a savior.
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Someone who can redeem us. Not just once and then we go
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back into slavery, But ultimately.
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We bring us back from exile for good and that's what Jesus Does.
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See, Jesus is building a new Household of Faith and he is
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faithful to do the work. Even at Great cost to himself,
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think about it, Jesus in charge of the household but he becomes
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one of the household willingly becoming flesh.
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In his incarnation. He's greater than Moses because
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he was the word that existed with the father in the
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beginning. In the beginning was the word
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and the Word was with God that word is toward God.
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Jesus is literally face-to-face with the Blazing radiant.
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Glory of the father, Moses could get a glimpse of it.
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He could hear God's words but Jesus was the word, the logos.
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Jesus is the full radiant glory of God on display.
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And even though he has the identity of son in charge over
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us, he was willing. To Bear the report, the reproach
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of humanity rather than stay distant, he could have, he
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willingly becomes the suffering. Servant, better than Moses, the
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suffering servant of Isaiah 53, who is willing to Bear the
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reproach of our iniquities. And this bearing of our sin
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would lead him to death on a cross, where he would bear the
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Wrath of the father on our behalf.
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He is the true Passover and his blood is placed on a cross so
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that we might be passed over and receive life instead of death.
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He stands in the Gap to die for Sinners, so that we might escape
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the wrath to come. He is the true and final
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mediator between God and man, Moses could give a temporary
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stay on God's Wrath, but he could not turn children of Wrath
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in two sons and daughters. First Timothy 2:5 for there is
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one God, and one mediator between God and Mankind, the man
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Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.
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A testimony at the proper time. Jesus is the ultimate Exodus.
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The ransom for our sin, freeing us from our enslavement freeing
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us from the ultimate epitome of evil, which is Satan. and in the
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resurrection Jesus proves that he is greater than Moses because
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he deals with the Enemy once and for all Moses brought God's
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people through the Red Sea, you remember the story and the
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Egyptians chase them there to their own demise as the same,
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see that brought Deliverance for Israel, swallowed up, the
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Egyptian Army and in the same manner.
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Jesus meets us in our slavery and he leads us into the grave
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with him. And death tries to follow us
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there, but just like the Egyptian Army, it is swallowed
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up in Victory. As Jesus brings us safely out
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the other side into Resurrection Life.
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Moses brought the law, it exposed sin and death, but Jesus
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fulfills the law, on our behalf, which kills sin and brings life,
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he is the mediator as we'll see later of a new and better
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Covenant that pleads, the blood on our behalf and intercedes for
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us, Moses led the people to the cusp of the promised land, but
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because of his Disobedience, he could not enter in.
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But Jesus the perfectly obedient the true and faithful one,
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brings the true promised land to us as we see the new heavens and
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the new Earth come down. And he promises that we as his
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people will dwell with God forever.
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That's what the promised land is about Shalom.
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Rest Union with God. And he's promised to return and
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make all things new. He's building a house, I go and
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prepare a place for you. Write a place of wholeness and
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rest and then we are the people. And it's this beautiful Dwelling
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Place Like Jesus is the architect, the planner, the
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designer and the builder of the household of faith.
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It is his work from start to finish.
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Here's the thing because Christ started the work and he's
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promised to complete it. We can hold fast onto this and
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never let go. The table is set, the work is
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done. And so the invitation is to
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trust in his work. Confess that he is Savior and
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believe by faith in his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
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And you are welcomed with joy into this household of faith.
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We saw the blueprints of the house, the builder of the house.
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And lastly, we see the people of the house.
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I didn't have something to make another be so get a p.
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The people of the house. Look at me, the verse 1 again.
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Look at how he starts this. I love this.
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He says, therefore because Jesus is our faithful high priest as
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he sent the end of chapter 2. Holy brothers and sisters.
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How many guys think of your brothers and sisters that way.
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Holy brothers and sisters who share in a Heavenly calling.
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Consider Jesus, because Jesus is the one on whom this house is
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built because he is the Cornerstone and the foundation,
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and the completer and the finisher, the preacher of
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Hebrews can speak of those who are God's people in incredibly
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bold terms, holy and set apart. If you've trusted in Christ that
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as you right now, holy set, apart brothers and sisters.
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Is part of the family of God and he says they share in a Heavenly
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calling. They take part in this
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otherworldly Mission you are not of this age, you have a new
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identity, a new calling, In verse 6, he says that those who
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are of this household will prove it to be true by holding onto
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the confidence and hope that they boast in and what is the
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Hope like, what's the call here? It is to hold on to Christ Alone
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to not run back to Works to not run back to things of this age.
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But to hold on to Christ, those that truly are Christ, will
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prove it to be. So by hanging tight onto the
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gospel alone, We will not add to it, we will not run back to the
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law. And when we find ourselves doing
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that in the law beats us over the head.
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Those that are Christ, will say, I'm running back to you.
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It's all I got over and over and over.
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Don't let the language. Confuse you our Western Minds.
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We hear if the point here is not saying that if we're strong
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enough and hang on really tight, then we will make it in the
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perseverance of the Saints, which is an octave work.
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It's not this mechanical thing. That's like boom.
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All right, cool. It is as active work, that
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Christ, invites us to participate, but all it is.
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It's taking hold of what Christ has already taken.
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Hold of, as Paul says it in another way.
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As I've heard the illustration, it's what I pick up my daughter
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and I'm holding her and then she just wraps her arms around me.
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Like, she's not doing the work. I've got her, she ain't going
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nowhere, but she can respond and receive it.
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He's got you, you're just returning the hug because he
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saved you. The law kills, he brings life.
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And the Really the radical piece of this statement is that we are
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the household. That is crazy.
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We read about the Holiness of God.
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Holy holy holy worthy, are you once his enemies now seated.
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At his table, not a physical building.
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The household of faith is a people made up of every tribe
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tongue and Nation. It's why we want to see more and
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more people. It's why we send people to the
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ends of the Earth. We want to see that house filled
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with the people of God and entrance into this household is
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not based on rule, keeping on ethnicity on social.
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Status or your personality. It is based on Christ alone and
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when we begin to grasp that we are transformed as God's people.
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It does what Moses could never do.
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We're given new hearts. And now, the very spirit of God,
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dwells in our midst, it is his work that justified us as his
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work that will sanctifies. Look about how look, how Paul
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talks about the church in his letter to Ephesus the church at
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Ephesus. He said, so for through him,
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through Christ, we both have access in one Spirit to the
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father. So we see the Trinity there.
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So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers.
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This is who you are in Christ, but fellow citizens.
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With the Saints and members of God's household built on the
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foundation of the Apostles and Prophets their message of Christ
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alone with Jesus himself as the Cornerstone in him.
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The whole building being put together grows into a holy
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Temple in the Lord in him, you are also being built together
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for God's dwelling in the spirit.
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The people of God, have the spirit in them and so because of
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that, we can simply walk in the works that God has already for
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ordained for us to walk in. He's already prepared them for
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us. We can grow in the likeness and
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image of our Builder. And together, we do become more
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like Christ, but not to be trying hard to keep more rules.
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But by considering Jesus, and when our eyes are fixed on him,
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send begins to shed away the fruits of the spirit began to
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Blossom in our life. You can't force that to grow its
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gazing on Jesus and that's how we are transformed from one
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degree of Glory to another and we look up and over 10 years
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were like I actually have more patience than I used to.
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What a work of Christ. I didn't do that.
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It happens. Naturally, we're living out who
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God has already made us to be. And so what might this look like
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for new Eden Church? It might look like us becoming
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more willing to spend time pouring into others.
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Two instead of judging them empathizing with them as they
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face Temptation and praying with them, actually doing it, right?
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I'm I'm really bad about. Hey, I'll pray for you, but
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actually interceding like Jesus intercedes for us.
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It could look like being willing to sacrifice for the faith of
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others to see this household grow maybe sacrificing by going
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to share the good news across the globe as some from our new.
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Eden family is doing at the expense of the American dream or
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it might look like giving and sacrificing things of this age
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to give toward work both here and around the world.
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It might look like our gifts and our strengths and our talents,
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and our time, not being seen as our own.
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But rather as things Has to be used to build God's kingdom, not
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our own and none of this is possible in your own strength.
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We say this, the things Christians are called to the
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Heavenly, calling your culture, you can't do, and that's on
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purpose, you have to depend on the spirit.
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It's only possible by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and
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finisher of our faith. And so, any growth and
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confidence that we have when people say, how are you.
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So confident in the face of this suffering, how are you willing
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to do this? We don't say because we're
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really awesome people and we make good decisions.
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We say it's Christ alone and feeling boast.
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We have that's the only thing we can boast in.
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Psalm 127 one says, unless the Lord builds a house, its
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Builders labor, over it in vain. Unless the Lord watches over a
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city, The Watchman stays Alert in vain, you can try to control
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your life, you can try to control everything that you have
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placed in your lap that you're responsible for.
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But if God's not building the house, we're literally just
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swinging a hammer for nothing. But here's the good news.
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God is building his church, that's freeing we get to just go
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along for the ride. We make up the Living Stones, as
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Peter calls them, the spiritual house.
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We might be rejected by people but we are chosen and honored by
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God. And even though we might bear
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reproach for a season in Christ, we will receive all the riches
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of his kingdom when he returns. Let me encourage you.
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There is more in store for you than anything you could ever
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imagine and anything you lose following Jesus will be so worth
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it. So, holy brothers and sisters,
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you who share in a Heavenly calling consider Jesus.
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He is the master builder upon whom the foundation of your
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salvation is built and he will complete the work. through many
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dangers, toils and snares, I have already come It was grace,
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that brought me safe, thus far. And Grace will lead me home.
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Hold fast to the gospel. The Life Death burial,
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resurrection of Jesus because that is all we have and that is
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all we need. The Life Death burial,
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resurrection of Jesus because that is all we have and that is
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all we need.