Hebrews 1:4-14 [Jesus Much Better than Angels, Part 3] Ron Owen 9/13/26

We have started an exposition of the book of Hebrews a few weeks ago, and we this is actually the second sermon, but we've been preaching it now for three weeks.

And I can't promise you we're gonna get finished with it today.

But uh y'all are the ones that don't want me preaching two hours at a time, so it's your fault.

Look at verse four.

Jesus, having become so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, for to which of the angels did he ever say, You are my son, today I have begotten you?

The answer is that never has.

And again I will be to him a father, and he shall be be to me a son.

He hadn't said that to any of the angels.

But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, that is Jesus, he says, Let the angels of God worship him.

And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire?

This is a statement.

He said, Here is a quote.

God makes, he makes his angels, his minist his messengers, spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

But to the Son, he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have love righteousness and hated lawlessness.

Therefore, God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.

And you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

This is Jesus.

They will perish, but you remain.

They will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak.

You will fold them up and they will be changed.

But you are the same, and your years will not fail.

But to which of the angels has he ever said, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstools?

None of them.

He only said that to Jesus.

Verse 14, for they not all, are they not all ministering spirits sent for to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

God will add the blessing to the reading of his word this morning.

I want to get into it.

Let me do a little bit of review.

Hebrews 1:4 says, having become so much better, so much better than the angels.

Hebrews 1:4

Jesus is better than the angels.

You say better how?

In every stinking way.

Better is used 13 times in the book of Hebrews.

Better things, better person, better hope, better covenant, better covenant and better promises, better sacrifice, a better possession, a better country, a better resurrection, better things.

All better, better.

And it's all Jesus that is better.

And he even says, you and I are going to get some things, and it's better because of Jesus.

Alright.

Now, I have a lot of introduction, but I'm going to go on.

We're going to examine why Jesus is so much better than angels.

Number one, because he is the Son of God.

That's my first point.

We've already covered that, okay?

And then number two, because he is the Son of Man.

We talked about that last week.

The Son of Man, and this is awesome.

If you missed that, I still haven't gotten them up on the podcast, but I'm sure Greg has put them on Facebook.

You can go and let you need, if you miss those sermons, if you ever miss a sermon, you go back and listen to it, okay?

And that way you can keep up with what we're teaching on Sunday morning.

But if God had not, if Jesus had not become the Son of Man, you and I would die in our sin and go to hell.

He had to come and be born of a virgin.

He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born in flesh.

Jesus has a flesh.

God the Father doesn't, but Jesus does.

It's glorified now.

It's a spiritual body like you and I will get one day.

But he died for your sin.

He took the wrath of God upon himself for your and you and my sin.

And in that body, he was pierced, and he the nails were driven through his hands, and the crowned thorns shoved upon his head, and the spear in his side, and the beatings.

They plucked his beard.

Now my beard is a little short, but you take someone who has a beard, like, I mean, look around here, somebody.

Brother Howard, Howard's beard, and uh the way they would pluck that beard is they would grab the bottom of it, and he's got plenty to grab and yank it out of your face.

You know what happens when you do that?

Your skin and muscle and whatever tissues underneath comes with it.

The Bible says he didn't look like a man, but the beating physically wasn't the worst of it.

He took the wrath of God for your sin.

By being the Son of Man.

God is not half God, half man.

He's 100% God and 100% man.

That's the way it goes.

Now, the third thing, and we didn't get to this, did we?

I hope we didn't.

Anyway, the third reason Jesus is better than the angels is because he is the king.

I'm waiting for shouting.

Because he's the king, he's the king of kings.

And of the angels, he says, verse 7, uh, and of the angels, he said this I make the angels spirits and his ministers flames of fire.

He said, I have created the angels awesomely and their ministers and their messengers.

The word angel means spiritual messenger.

That's what the word means.

If we take the definition of these two words for the angel, this is what we find.

Number one, angel means messenger.

And number two, it means ministers.

It means what is a minister?

What is a word for oh, it's up there.

Servant.

Servant.

That's the problem with having overheads.

You got to let you get ahead of me.

Servants.

Now, let me tell you something.

It's not a bad thing to be a servant.

Now, to us it may be, we may look down on somebody, and you may think that they're a lower citizen than you, but I want to tell you something.

The Bible says those that serve down here spiritually, we're talking about those who have a servant's heart, will be the rulers in heaven.

Let this mind be in you which was in Christ, who made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant.

Foxes had hoes, birds had nests, but the Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head when he was on earth.

He came to serve and to minister.

And that's the way he calls you and I to be.

The greatest among you is those that serve.

And that's the truth.

Well, but they are still not the most important thing in the business.

In the family unit, they are not the highest in the family rank.

So why in the world would you think an angel would be better than Jesus?

He's the highest in the family rank.

Verse 8 says, but to the Son, he says, that's what he says, the angels, you're going to be my servants.

You're going to be servants.

By the way, he's fixed to tell us they're not only just servants of God, they're your and I servants.

But the Son, he says, your throne, oh God.

Your throne, oh God, is forever and ever.

A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of your kingdom.

He ain't talking about a servant or a slave.

He's talking about the king of kings.

Your scepter is a scepter.

And by the way, his scepter really means something.

He can do something with it.

He has power.

And then look, look at this.

Oh God.

Oh God.

He calls him God.

The writer of Hebrews says that, well, he's quoting the Psalms, which called him Yahweh.

Eternal throne, scepter, your kingdom.

All equal king.

He's a king.

Because he is of the lineage of David.

He is the king of Israel.

When he came to earth being born man, the son of man, he was the son of David, which makes him the king of Israel.

But number two, because he's the Son of God, he is the king of kings.

The king of kings.

1 Timothy 6.14, that you keep his commandment without spot, blameless unto the Lord Jesus Christ appearing.

You ought to keep his commandments.

I know you're saved.

You're saved by grace.

You're going to heaven.

But if you use that excuse to live wild, you probably aren't really saved.

You still are under the obligation, even more so, because you've been washed in the blood.

You've had grace.

You're under obligation to live like Jesus.

By the way, if you don't want to live righteously, that's another sign you really didn't say.

You just said a prayer or something.

Which he will manifest in his own time.

He who is blessed and only the only He who is the blessed and only potentate.

Love that word.

The King of kings, the Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.

Amen.

Woo! What a verse.

What a passage.

That's the God you serve.

That's the God you say you love.

Revelation 17, 14.

These will make war with the Lamb.

Now, this is Revelation.

It's talking about future events.

And these, who will make war with the Lamb?

Well, the Antichrist and his armies, and they're going to come against the Lamb, who is Jesus.

And the Lamb will overcome them.

After a few days, after a few hours, will it take a few years?

No.

For he is the Lord of lords and king of kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.

And it goes on to say he will do it with the word of his mouth.

It's going to be the shortest war ever.

The biggest numbers, but the shortest war.

I mean, we're going to be there with our swords on our horses, ready to battle, and then he's just going to speak and they're going to be gone, and we're going to say, wait a minute.

I didn't get to do nothing.

Revelation 19, 15.

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations.

It's talking about his word, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.

He has on his robe and on his thigh name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

These titles do not refer to Christ's position, but it refers to his power.

Call him whatever you want to.

He can do what he wants to do.

He is Almighty God, which ought to make you a little bit scared when you go fishing instead of go to church.

That's right, I said it, and nobody said amen.

Do what?

I hadn't tried it yet.

Don't do it.

It refers to his power.

I'm going to tell you something.

God didn't write this Bible, all these things you read in the Bible, all the commands and all the things he expects of us and the things he promises us, these weren't just good suggestions and poetic language.

It's true.

It's real.

It comes to pass and it will come to pass.

Amen?

Mark it down.

If he says this, mark it down.

It's going to happen.

It's right.

This is his power.

What good is a title king if you can't back it up?

I mean, what good is a badge?

A little badge to back it up.

That's why they carry tasers and spray and guns so they can back up the power that they have been entrusted with.

As God and king, he is better than the angels.

Number four, because he is holy.

Again, something not as scarce death, because we're not.

I'm not.

You may be, you're not, but you may think you are, but we're not holy.

We've been made holy spiritually by the blood of Jesus.

But you and I still struggle with this flesh, don't we?

Because he is holy.

Look at verse 9.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness, lawlessness.

Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than any of your companions.

What is it that God rewards him with?

What is it?

What's the reason God rewards him with the greatest things?

Because he is holy and loves holiness.

And loves righteousness.

Woo! Verse 8: A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of your kingdom.

Number one, his dominion is a righteous dominion.

My friend, God demands right.

You're not getting into heaven if you're not righteous.

If you're not perfectly holy.

There's a problem with that.

The same Bible that tells us that tells us all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What shall I do?

What shall I do?

I tell you what you do.

You flee to the cross of Christ and you beg him to save you.

And you turn from your sin and you turn to him and you call upon his righteousness.

I'm going to heaven.

Look at me.

I am Mr.

Righteous.

Amen.

Come on now.

I want to tell you something.

Those of you that really know me say, what a farce.

Christy, who loves me more than anything, she thinks I hung the moon, don't you, baby?

If she had to truly testify under oath, I'm done for.

Then, Brother Ron, how do you think you're going to go to heaven?

Because Jesus said he'd take me there if I called on his name, and I did.

March 3rd, 1976, I said, God, come into my heart, forgive me of my sin, and take me to heaven when I die.

And he changed me and he washed me and he made me new and he took away my sin.

And although I still have a flesh that sins, my spirit, as we talk about in Sunday school, is still perfect.

And one day when I die, this body will rot because it's sinful, but he'll come again and give me a new body like Christ's body.

That's what the Bible says.

You say, You believe that?

I absolutely do.

Say, that's silliness.

That's silliness to believe that.

Well, call me silly.

He has his dominion is righteousness.

When we get to heaven, it'll be righteousness.

No more sickness, no more sighing, no more crying, no more dying.

This world's no place for living, not enough caring, not enough giving.

And sometimes clouds of sin and sorrow hide the way.

But this life of stormy weather ain't gonna be my home forever.

I'm gonna be moving one of these days to a place where there is no more sin, no more Satan, no more temptation, no more crying, no more sorrow, no more separation.

I believe that.

His devotion is righteousness.

His devotion is righteousness.

He's devoted to righteousness.

Look at verse 9.

And you have loved righteousness.

He loves it.

He's not just righteous because his father told him to be.

Or do you love drunkenness?

Or do you love getting high on the weekends?

Or do you love uh unfaithfulness to your spouse?

Or do you love lust?

Or do you love cheating and lying?

No.

Those that love Jesus will love righteousness.

We may not practice it perfectly, but we will love it.

We will long for it, we will work for it.

He detests unrighteousness.

But ought to throw us to our face.

He detests unrighteousness.

Your God has anointed you with a love of gladness.

Why?

Because you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

He designates his design, his designation is for righteousness.

Because he's holy, he's been anointed, he's been chosen.

He's actually been God forever, but God, in an act of uh visual act, has anointed him, has slathered him of his spirit, and called him to be the Messiah and Christ.

The title Messiah and Christ mean anointed one.

He says, Your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.

Gladness is the that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.

It makes him the one and only.

You say, isn't that kind of selfish?

He has the right to be.

He's holy.

He has the right to be.

It's not arrogance when he puts himself on a pedestal.

It's what is right and just and true.

And yet, this guy, this man, God, who puts himself who uh deserves the pedestal, he is the king and all these things, yet he humbled himself to come to you to save you, little worm, from sin.

Me, the worm from sin.

That makes him special.

Companions, in context, we know companions refers here to angels.

He's holier than angels.

He is holy in the sense that he is love.

He is the very definition of it.

We like this all the time.

Jesus, God is love, God is love, God is love, God is love.

As if that's going to make God not punish you for your sin or do righteousness or go ahead with the judgment.

I'm sorry.

The same thing would be said of God.

He is holy, he is holy, he is holy.

The angels flew around the throne and they didn't holler, holy, holy, holy.

They didn't holler mercy, mercy, mercy.

They didn't holler grace, grace, grace.

They hollered righteousness, righteousness, righteousness, holiness, holiness, holiness.

He is holy.

Number four five, because he is the sovereign creator.

Of what, brethren?

Everything.

The billions of galaxies and stars and the planets and whatever is out there and whatever is in here, he created it all.

He did it with the word of his mouth.

And you, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

He is not a mere man, he's not a mere prophet, he is God.

The Bible says, in the beginning was the word.

This is John 1, 1 through 4.

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

And in him is life, and the life has become the light of men.

Number six, he's better than angels because he is immutable and eternal.

Do you know what that term means?

I mean, if you've been around and been listening to me for the last 18 years, I have covered this.

It's a theological term, immutable.

It's not talking about hitting a button on your remote, you know.

I mean, sometimes around the house, uh Allison, you know, lives with us.

Thank God.

We love her.

She's but she cooked dinner for us the other night.

But sometimes I point the remote at her and try to hit that mute button.

It don't work.

Don't work.

I never do that to my sweet wife.

It's not, that's not, well, it does have the same context a little bit.

You mute, you you cut off the sound, but immutable means unchangeable.

He does not change.

You can't turn off his sound, you can't turn off his picture, you can't turn him off at all, and he never changes.

My friend, the way Jesus is today is the way he was a billion years ago, if there was such a thing as years before creation.

And it's the same as he'll be a billion, zillion, trillion years from now.

He is the same.

He is the same.

And you can't change him.

He does not change.

They will perish, but you remain, verse 11 says.

They will all grow old like a garment.

Like a whose all?

Well, the angels, I guess, is the immediate context, but.

You too.

You and I too.

Like a cloak you will fold them up, and they will be changed, and you are the same, and your years will not fail.

That's hallelujah verses, isn't it?

I'm going to tell you somebody who changes about every five seconds is Ron Owen.

I mean, I can be up one day and down the next.

I can be, I can meet you straight on some days, and some days I meet you sideways, you know.

We're all different.

We all change.

I want you to get you a picture of you when you're a teenager bringing up here and let's put it side by side with you and see if you haven't changed.

Right?

We change.

We change physically, we change emotionally, we change in our actions, we change in our decisions, we change, we change our mind, we change everything.

God does not.

He never changes.

Jesus does not change.

Jesus is eternal God.

He's always been, he always will be.

I don't know what time was before creation, but whatever it was, he's always been.

He wasn't created.

Jesus, and somebody asks all the time, well, where did God come from?

He didn't come from anywhere.

He always has been.

Everything in the world came from him.

That's the thing.

He didn't come from nothing.

He's always been.

He's Almighty God, and Jesus is too.

Jesus is immutable God.

Malachi 3.6.

For I am the Lord, I do not change.

Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

I will tell you something, that right there better make you fall on your face.

You shouldn't need some invitation to fall on an altar on your face on that one.

For I am the Lord, I do not change, therefore you're not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

God said, if you call on the name of the Lord, you shall be saved.

You called on the name of the Lord, and it didn't take you very long to act like you hadn't.

You went back on God, the promises you've made to God.

You've gone back.

Every one of us have gone back on the promises of God.

We have all sinned.

You think about the things you've done even since you've been saved.

And think about this verse.

I am the Lord, I do not change.

My promises don't change.

My covenants do not change.

Therefore, you're not going to be destroyed.

Because I'll keep my promises.

You're not faithful, but I am.

James 1:17 every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Hebrews 13, 8.

This was my daddy's favorite verse.

Still is.

Still is, but when my dad was alive, this was the verse.

Even before he was saved, he would quote this verse.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And lastly, we're going to get through this sermon.

In the next 45 minutes, we're going to be better than the angels because he is God.

He's God.

He loves me in spite of my stinking sin.

And he loves you in spite of your rebellion.

He loves me in spite of my wickedness.

He loves you and I in spite of what we do and who we really are.

We change.

Can you imagine?

He is the most forbearant person, merciful and gracious.

But to the Son, he says, Your throne, this is God the Father saying this to the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

Verse 13, but to which of the angels has he ever said, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool?

None of them.

Because they're not God.

They don't even come close.

William Newell says, But brother, I love this.

Listen to the way he talks.

This is written for him.

This is the way he talks.

Brother, it is not the vote of the heavenly beings that makes the Son of God become by so much better than the angels.

It is the fact, it's the facts in the case.

He is God.

They are creatures.

The cleavage is infinite between him and all creatures, and between his work and that of any creature forever.

I told you that was the last point, but you know I always have a conclusion.

Just one today, but it's a doozy.

Verse 14 says, Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

All angels are slaves of his slaves.

Servants of his servants.

That's all the angels are.

Angels are around the throne.

Jesus is on the throne.

Angels are servants.

Jesus is Son.

Angels are created.

Jesus is the creator.

Angels worship.

Jesus is worshipped.

Angels are messengers of God.

Jesus is God's message.

Woo! Glory to God.

I'm gonna say that again and give you a chance to get right with God and shout about it.

Angels are messengers of God.

Jesus is the message.

Is God's message?

Angels are spirits.

Jesus is the exact image of God.

Angels carry out commands.

Jesus gives commands.

Angels inherit nothing.

Jesus inherits it all.

Angels are sent.

Jesus is enthroned.

Angels minister to the heirs of salvation.

Jesus provides and is salvation.

Oh Lord God, I'm about to get Pentecostal.

Angels are temporary servants.

Jesus is the eternal Son.

Angels are mighty.

Jesus is Almighty.

Angels sing his glory.

Jesus is the radiance of God's glory.

Angels change assignments.

Jesus remains the same.

Just a couple of things.

Number one, you and us Christians, man, we ought to, I'm telling you, I've said at least 15 things that ought to make us all flow on our face.

Amen.

Worship God.

Feel bad about the week we just spent on ourselves and nothing else.

If that's trivia, you know, that's not a blanket statement, but you know what I mean.

Aren't we?

I mean, we we go all week and then finally we say, oh, we've got to get ready for church.

And maybe maybe you think to yourself, you know, I really haven't given God a thought all week.

Shame on us.

This isn't just some friend.

I mean, you know, if you did that about me, I wouldn't care.

I'm nobody.

This is God, King of kings, Lord of Lords.

He is on the throne of God.

He sits, and his scepter is an everlasting scepter.

And we treat him like a good fairy wish genie.

I'll call you when I need you.

Where are the lightning boats on us?

Amen.

I tell you what they are.

They're all in his hand.

But surrounding it is his love for us, his forgiveness, his mercy.

Number two.

I don't know.

I don't know who you are all are today.

I mean, I know you.

I know most everybody here.

But I don't know the visitors, and but I know everybody here, but I don't know you.

I don't know your heart.

I don't know your heart.

We don't know.

If you're being a hypocrite, seeing who this God is, I ought to knock you out of that cocoon of hypocrisy and make you really call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

But maybe you're here and you just have never been saved, you've never trusted Christ, you have loved your sin, but you have not loved Christ.

The Bible says turn from your sin, turn to God in faith, believe in Him, His virgin birth, his sinless life, his sacrificial death, and his resurrection, and you shall be saved.