Sermon Cloud

Intro:  When E.F. Hutton speaks.  We seek out experts.  But do we listen in tough times?

Big Idea: God has revealed Himself, and His work, to us in His Son.

Context: Written to persecuted Jewish Christians who were considering a return to Judaism.

I. God has spoken most clearly & completely in His Son.

-         Persecuted for their faith, they wonder why God is ‘silent.’  He’s not.

-         Revelation: God takes relational initiative.  He seeks us when He speaks.  Ill. atheists

-         God spoke to their forefathers over the course of thousands of years (Adam-Malachi).

-         God spoke through the prophets using dreams, visions and more. 

-         God progressively revealed more- all of it true- w/long periods of silence (Hebrews).

-         Now, in the last days of Israel, God spoke to them by or in His Son- the final Prophet.

-         A huge change took place: God fulfilled the promise of Messiah.  Ill. Press sec => Prez

-         Over 30 years, God spoke clearly & completely in Jesus.  We need nothing more.

Transition:  For centuries God initiated relationships by speaking- most completely in Jesus.

II. Jesus speaks with absolute authority.

-         He quickly asserts why they (& us) would do well to listen to Jesus.

-         Jesus speaks as the eternal Son.  His Spirit was at work in the OT prophets (1 Pt 1:11).

-         As heir of all things, He owns all of creation.  Can any other prophet claim that?

-         God made all things thru the Son.  He fully understands every aspect of the created order.

-         He reveals & represents God’s glory & being- knows God perfectly (Jn. 1)! Ill. Amie

-         The Son sustained creation by His powerful word.  He loves creation.

-         Jesus speaks as the earthly Son who understands our condition & God’s design.

-         He provided purification for our sins.  He can speak best about sin & salvation.

-         Jesus speaks as the exalted Son who is seated at God’s right hand to rule.  Ill. $, work etc.

-         He’s the ultimate Prophet, Priest & King- greater than any other messenger (apostles).

-         Tempted to leave the full revelation of Jesus for partial revelation of the prophets.

-         We are tempted to put reason above revelation.  “I must understand to believe.”

-         We are tempted to put men’s interpretation above revelation.  Ill. Hyper-Calvinist

-         We are tempted to ignore parts of revelation we don’t like or agree with.  Ill. O & D

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,  ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Peter 1 (NIV)

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. John 1 (NIV)

Transition:  God spoke, with absolute authority, and we have this recorded in Scripture.

III. Listen, Believe and Apply His words.

-         Inspiration: Jesus’ work for us to provide Scripture. Prophets => Apostles.

-         Revelation helps us to enjoy & glorify God.  This work of God has ceased.  Ill. 3^rd Day

-         Illumination: Jesus works in us to understand & apply Scripture.  How He speaks today.

-         His speaking requires we listen, a theme (Heb. 2-4).  They WEREN’T- rebellion.

-         If we don’t listen, we harden our hearts or become spiritually hard of hearing.  Ill. Eli

-         Jesus works in us to believe what we hear as we read His Word.  App: regular reading

-         As we believe, we receive grace which works powerfully in us for our salvation (Rom 1).

-         As we believe, Jesus works in us to produce more obedience, or applying it.  Ill. Frame

-         The goal is to become like Jesus, not just sock away Biblical & theological knowledge.

-         Jesus works thru us to help others understand & apply Scripture (evangelize & disciple).

¹We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.  Hebrews 2 (NIV)

¹⁵ As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”  Hebrews 3 (NIV- Psalm 95) – used 3 times in chapters 3-4.

¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  Romans 1 (NIV)

Conclusion: We have a hard time listening to God.  God seeks us by revealing Himself in Scripture.  Only Jesus can overcome our spiritual deafness, producing people who listen, believe and apply His words.