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Angels of Christmas (Hebrews 1:4-14)
10 Plays4 days ago
Sunday Message recorded 07 December 2025
by Senior Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
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Transcript
Introduction and Gratitude for Community Talents
00:00:06
Speaker
Wow, what a way to continue our worship there. Thank you, Modena and Jana. You know, I'm so thankful for the way those that are in our church who have so many talents and abilities use those to honor Christ.
00:00:20
Speaker
I feel really blessed. to be among you. So thank you so much for that. And I feel the sanctuary is also decorated beautifully for Christmas. And so I was so excited to come back from Thanksgiving.
Family Greetings and Transition to Hebrews
00:00:33
Speaker
I'm so glad to be back with you. i missed you. I bring you greetings from my mom and my younger brother and his family. We had a great time and hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving time together with your family.
Understanding Angels and Focus on Jesus
00:00:47
Speaker
Would you open in God's word to Hebrews chapter one? I'm sure that Josh made that clear last week. I was listening to him as we were on our way. I think we were somewhere between Little Rock and Texarkana. I'm not sure where we were when we listened to it.
00:01:02
Speaker
But anyway, we were listening and just thank the Lord so much for his powerful message. on the first four verses of Hebrews chapter 1. So I wanted to kind of hook on there with chapter 1 verse 4 and read to the end of the chapter.
00:01:19
Speaker
You know, the symbol that Josh preached about last week was the star. Remember the star that led the wise men to where Jesus was there in Bethlehem?
00:01:30
Speaker
Well, that's an important emblem or so or symbol of Christmas. But another important symbol of Christmas would be the angels. And so we're look at that today as we look at this passage that's about angels. But if you really look closely, it's not about the angels. It's about the Son of God.
00:01:48
Speaker
And so that's what's going to help us to be rightly calibrated for our Christmas celebrations throughout this season.
Jesus vs. Angels: Superiority Through Scripture
00:01:56
Speaker
But do you know that angels are mentioned frequently in Scripture? 273 times.
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Speaker
Someone counted them 108 times in the Old Testament, 165 times, so actually more times are angels mentioned in the New Testament than in the Old Testament.
00:02:14
Speaker
Out of all 66 books of the Bible, do you know that 34 books in the Bible actually refer to angels at one time or another? But what gets me sometimes a little bit upset is that whether it's movies or whatever, I think sometimes there are these misconceptions of angels.
00:02:33
Speaker
I mean, angels could whip any of us in this room or all of us in this room. but You know, they beat 185,000 guys one time in a battle. And so I'm thinking, you know, the angels are not...
00:02:44
Speaker
feminine and they are not deceased humans that then somehow turn into an angel after they go to heaven. I heard about two men who were having a conversation and one man says, you know, my mother-in-law is an angel.
00:03:01
Speaker
And the other man said, well, you're blessed. My mother-in-law is still alive, but I want you to know since my mother-in-law is in this service, I'm in the first category, okay? My mother-in-law is like an angel. But anyway, the book of Hebrews mentions angels 13 times. If you were to go over to chapter 12, verse 22, you would see that it says that the number of angels, they are innumerable. We don't know exactly how many, just based on what is revealed to us in scripture. We don't know how many angels that there are.
00:03:36
Speaker
If you were to go into chapter 32, you would see that not only are they innumerable, but sometimes they're incognito. Because in chapter 13, verse 2, it says, you better be hospitable to strangers because sometimes you have entertained an angel unawares. Have you ever read that verse? It's made me think, wow, has have I ever been helped by somebody who was an angel before?
00:04:01
Speaker
But Hebrews chapter 1 verses 4 through 14 refers to angels five times. And so the writer was inspired to prove something about angels, humans, Jesus, and so forth.
00:04:15
Speaker
And this is what he wanted to prove. He wanted to prove the superiority of Jesus when compared to the angels. So how is he going to prove it? He proves it by reaching back to the Old Testament and giving seven Old Testament passages as proof that Jesus is greater than any of the angels.
Angels at Jesus' Birth and Their Limitations
00:04:37
Speaker
You know, angels are really God's servants. They're sent on one of four types of missions or assignments. Perhaps you've observed this in your reading of scripture. One type of assignment is sometimes they're sent to deliver a message. So there are messenger angels like we're going to see in a few moments as we look at the Christmas angels.
00:04:58
Speaker
But Abraham, Jacob, Daniel, on and on. Different men of God receive these words from the angels from time to time. They're also ministering angels. Sometimes they are deployed or sent that they might minister.
00:05:14
Speaker
you remember when Christ was having a difficult time in the Garden of Gethsemane? There was an angel, it says, that strengthened him at that time, ministering to him. But you could also look at Peter and Paul.
00:05:26
Speaker
There were managing angels who were sent to manage certain areas of creation. But then there's what's called martial angels, like the martial arts. But martial angels were sent to battle. And like I referred to a moment ago, one angel 185,000 troops and he took care of all of them.
00:05:45
Speaker
And so it's just amazing sometimes to think of how they're deployed. If you read the book of Revelation, you'll see lots of times that angels are deployed on martial type of assignments.
00:05:58
Speaker
But I want to review with you the four appearances, just briefly, of angels that were surrounding the first coming of Christ. Do you remember that the gabriel gabriel the angel Gabriel told Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, about the preparation for the birth of Christ?
00:06:18
Speaker
That's found in Luke 1, verses 11 through 17. But then another angel told Joseph about the purpose for the birth of Christ in Matthew 1, 18 through 21.
00:06:29
Speaker
So once again, these are giving information. They're they're telling these different um biblical characters something that they need to know from the Lord. And then Gabriel announced to Mary the profile of the birth of Christ in Luke 1, 26 to 33.
00:06:45
Speaker
twenty six to thirty three For example, in that passage, you know, the angel tells Mary, well, his name is going to be Jesus. He's going to be great. He's going to be called the son of the most high.
00:06:57
Speaker
He will reign as king forever. He will be holy and he will also be called son of God. I mean, that's a pretty hefty profile there of who Jesus is.
00:07:08
Speaker
But then last of all, you probably remember when the angels were watching, ah the angels, the shepherds were watching over their flock by night. The angels appeared in the night sky to announce praise over the birth of our Savior.
00:07:23
Speaker
And so... By the time you get to Paul, maybe you can understand how this could happen. But by Paul's time in Colossians 2.18, some were tempted in the early church to worship angels.
00:07:37
Speaker
And so Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to confront that and to say, no, we're not supposed to worship the angels. Colossians was written between 61 and to 63, but this book we're looking at today, Hebrews, it was written just a few years later, AD 64, perhaps to AD 68.
00:07:58
Speaker
And so what we're going to see is that we shouldn't be elevating angels. What we should be doing is magnifying Jesus whenever we come into the Christmas season or any given day.
00:08:12
Speaker
So let's allow God's word to, in Hebrews 1, 4 to 14, to recalibrate our understanding of the angels of Jesus and humanity.
Honoring God's Word
00:08:24
Speaker
So would you stand in honor of God's word? This is a special book. This book is inspired. It's infallible. Like it speaks to every generation. And so that's why I want us to stand in honor. I think it says something to God when we stand to honor his word. So let me read beginning in verse one of Hebrews chapter one.
00:08:45
Speaker
Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I've begotten you.
00:09:02
Speaker
Or again, i will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him.
00:09:16
Speaker
Of the angels, he says, he makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the son, he says, your throne, oh God,
00:09:27
Speaker
is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.
00:09:44
Speaker
And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish. but you remain.
00:09:56
Speaker
They will all wear out like a garment, like a robe, you'll roll them up. Like a garment, they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will have no end.
00:10:09
Speaker
And to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
00:10:25
Speaker
Let's ask God, speak to our hearts. Speak to my heart, Lord, as we look at this passage together. Lord, it's great to be back with my church family. You see in my heart and you know how much I love them.
00:10:38
Speaker
And it feels right to be here with them again. So I thank you so much for this time that we share together in the word of God. Lord, I know that your word is living and it's active.
00:10:49
Speaker
It can speak to us. It can go down deep in our heart. And so maybe today some are coming and they need some of the gifts that only are found in salvation in Christ.
00:11:00
Speaker
And so Lord, help them to see quiet Christmas time especially. We should look to Jesus and unwrap the wonderful wonderful types of gifts that he gives in his salvation. So bless our time together. In Jesus' name we pray.
Heritage and Hope Through Jesus
00:11:16
Speaker
Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. Let's look at this passage together. you know, as we approach Christmas, let's observe the role the angels feel and discover why Jesus is far better than any of the angels.
00:11:32
Speaker
As we examine this passage, we'll unwrap five gifts, five gifts that are available to us through the Son of God. And so note that none of these gifts come from an angel, let's say. They come from Jesus himself.
00:11:47
Speaker
So let's get started. Would you look with me at verses four and five? And then we'll skip down to the very last verse, verse 14. And what I want you to notice is the heritage.
00:11:57
Speaker
I believe that heritage is a gift from the Son of God. If you think about it, you know, a heritage is not based on your works. Heritage is based on who you are.
00:12:08
Speaker
And so how is Jesus superior to the angels? Well, verse four tells us he inherited a more excellent name than theirs.
00:12:20
Speaker
In Hebrew circles, in case you've never heard this before, probably most of you have, but in Hebrew circles, a name revealed so much. It wasn't just a name. A name revealed someone's identity. It revealed someone's authority.
00:12:35
Speaker
It revealed someone's nature, someone's reputation. It talked about their character. And so the angel told Joseph, Jesus' name was gonna be God with us, not just another man, not just another baby, God with us.
00:12:53
Speaker
Gabriel told Mary, he'll be called the son of the most high. Now, what I want you to do is to watch what happens in our text when the writer of Hebrews proves the sonship of Jesus Christ.
00:13:08
Speaker
What does he do in verse five? Well, he supports his claim based on two Old Testament prophecies. Look with me again at verse five. For to which of the angels did God ever say?
00:13:19
Speaker
So just right there, it tells you what he's trying to prove with these two Old Testament references. One quotation is found in psal Psalm, Psalm 2, verse seven.
00:13:30
Speaker
And that that quotation says, you are my son. Today, I have begotten you. speaking about Jesus. If you were to read Psalm 2, guess what? It talks about how he's going to conquer the whole world, how the whole world is going to be given to him as a gift from the Father.
00:13:50
Speaker
But then you go down to the last part of verse 5, and he says, or again, so we have another Old Testament passage, 2 Samuel 7, 14. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
00:14:05
Speaker
You know, it's amazing how the Lord was trying to help us see who is Jesus. He's not like us. He's not like each one of us in this room. No, he has a special identity.
00:14:17
Speaker
He's the son of God. And so that's why he's trying to prove how he's so much greater. He's so much superior over angels. But now listen to verse 14, because something very important is going to be said in verse 14. Are they not all a ministering spirits, speaking about the angels, sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
00:14:42
Speaker
So isn't, this is the good news. The good news is that we as a whole human race, we chose to rebel against God and resist him. We didn't want him to be in charge of our lives. So we rebelled.
00:14:56
Speaker
And so God said, if you want to be in my family, then there's only one way in, and that's through my son, the Lord Jesus Christ, because he lived a perfect life.
00:15:07
Speaker
So when he died on the cross, we can come to God's family and be considered a child of God only through Christ. And that's why he's saying it's like an inheritance.
00:15:18
Speaker
Whenever you say, I'm going to trust in Jesus, I'm not going to try to present all my works. No, my works are as filthy rags is what Isaiah says. So I'm not going to try to be as good as I can, that God might love me as good as I can so that I can be in God's family or go to heaven or have all my sins forgiven.
00:15:38
Speaker
It'll never happen. No, we can only, we can only inherit salvation through the son of God. And so I'm thinking, well, this talks about the personal relationship that each person is, it's available to each person, but every person has not yet said yes to Christ. And so there's there's a gap there.
00:16:01
Speaker
So we have to say, Lord, have I inherited salvation? And that's why tonight I want to talk about Noel. There's something God wants you to know well. And so I'm going to call it Noel. Noel.
00:16:16
Speaker
You know, Romans 8, 17 says that we are fellow heirs with Christ and only with Christ. That's the way we get into the family. That's the way we receive an inheritance. Ephesians 1, 3 through 14 is one of the best passages on knowing what's in our inheritance, what is included.
00:16:36
Speaker
You should read Ephesians 1, 3 through 14. But the the main punchline is this. In him, in Christ, in him, we have obtained an
Jesus' Reign and Trust in His Power
00:16:48
Speaker
inheritance.
00:16:48
Speaker
And it mentions inheritance three times in that one passage. I like the part where it says, you are blessed, every one of you that are in Christ, you're blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
00:17:01
Speaker
Isn't that great? It's like, here we are at Christmas and we're gonna celebrate his birthday, his coming, you know, to this earth. And the Lord says, you know what? I'm going to share everything that I have with you because you've trusted in me.
00:17:16
Speaker
So regarding the role of the angels, the writer of Hebrews points out that angels are sent out to serve us. But if you want in the heritage, you're going to have to go to Jesus, not to an angel, to Jesus.
00:17:28
Speaker
Because heritage is one gift from the Son. But let's look at a second gift. Let's look at hope. Hope is a second gift from the Son of God. Now let's go to verse 6. And then we'll look at verses 11 through 13.
00:17:42
Speaker
You know, in verse 6, he says, and again, why would he say, and again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him.
00:17:52
Speaker
Why did he say again? and what is it referring to? Well, I went to a commentary that I have by John MacArthur, and he says, again, when he, that is the father, brings the firstborn, that is the son, into the world, he's not referring to the first coming at Christmas.
00:18:10
Speaker
He's referring to a future event, the second coming of Christ to this earth. MacArthur says that when you're looking at Jesus as the firstborn, then does that mean that he did not exist you know before he was born in Bethlehem?
00:18:25
Speaker
No, no, because firstborn for the Jewish people meant not time, but position. The firstborn had a special rank. the first I'm the firstborn, so I like this part. This is my favorite part.
00:18:39
Speaker
Don't tell my brother, you know, but anyway. the The firstborn had a special rank. They had special privileges. They had special responsibilities. They had a special inheritance. Do you know that in Jewish culture, the firstborn got a double inheritance, double portion of the inheritance?
00:18:56
Speaker
But you know, in terms of hope, The absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ are to make your heart glad. You are to say, Lord, I am so thankful that you give me hope that you're going to work it all out someday. You're going right all the wrongs.
00:19:13
Speaker
This is a broken, fallen world. This is not it. Remember, we're going somewhere else. And the Lord gives hope that there's something better. And you know how we know it's gonna happen?
00:19:25
Speaker
Well, I like what Colossians 1.18 and Revelation 1.5, it uses that word, the firstborn, when it's talking about Jesus. And you know what it says, he's the firstborn of?
00:19:36
Speaker
The firstborn of the dead. Man, when I'm thinking, isn't that incredible? He overcame death. He overcame death. Since he overcame death, what is it he can't overcome in my life or in your life? Right.
00:19:51
Speaker
You know, if something may seem hopeless to you, but the Lord can work in that situation. Notice the writer of Hebrews admonition to all the angels that's cited from ninety seven Psalm 97, verse seven.
00:20:05
Speaker
He's quoting here from Psalms and he says, let all God's angels, let every single one of them, let all God's angels worship him. Why? Because he's the worthy one.
00:20:18
Speaker
Sometimes you ought to read in Revelation 4 and 5, they panic in heaven. It's like, who's worthy? Who's worthy? And then across heaven comes the Son of God. Amen. So I'm just so thankful that Jesus is worthy.
00:20:32
Speaker
But you know what? It's a great travesty when humans promote angels over Christ. Jesus is the one that we should exalt. Amen. You know, if you were to go to Colossians 2, 16 through 19, here's what it says.
00:20:46
Speaker
Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance itself.
00:21:00
Speaker
Belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind and not holding fast to the head from whom the whole body nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a growth that is from God.
00:21:26
Speaker
You know what he's trying to say? He's trying to say the way to grow in the Lord is not by seeing a vision. The way to grow in the Lord is not by talking to an angel. The way to grow in the Lord is get close to Jesus Christ and let him help you become more like him. That's what it's really all about.
00:21:43
Speaker
So I'm so thankful that the son, as we see here in verses 11 through 13, the son offers hope because you know what he can do? Maybe you'd say the prospects don't look good for me. The prospects do not look good for me.
00:21:57
Speaker
Well, you know what he can do? He can change the prospects. Because look at verse 11 and 12. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment, speaking about creation. Like a robe, you'll roll them up. Like a garment, they will be changed.
00:22:12
Speaker
See what he can do? He can change. If he can change everything we can see with our eyes, all the everything on the earth, everything in the sky, you know, all the things in space. If he can just change that, what can he not do in your life?
Sovereignty of Jesus vs. Service of Angels
00:22:28
Speaker
Man, this Christmas, you ought to say he's the only one I'm going to give my praise to He's the one I want to put, you know, the spotlight on because he gives me hope. He lets me know.
00:22:39
Speaker
i don't have to give up in despair. But son the Son also offers hope because He's permanent. He's permanent. You know, sometimes it's like, well, when you get into the holiday season, rightfully so, we think this one's not with me anymore. That one's not with me anymore.
00:22:55
Speaker
And it can be really hard and it pulls on us. But the one thing that ought to give you hope is He's always going to be there. He's permanent. And that's why I love the way it says it here.
00:23:06
Speaker
that ah But you are the same and your years will have no end. Speaking about Jesus. And then verse 13. And to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?
00:23:20
Speaker
You ever had any problems? You got any problems right now? Maybe going into the Christmas season, there's all kinds of problems. Well, who can solve those problems? Is there any hope that those problems could ever be changed?
00:23:33
Speaker
Well, I'll tell you right, there's hope because Jesus said, you know what? One of these days, all the enemies are going to be at my feet. And so if you want to know where problems are solved, I'd just go over there to Jesus.
00:23:46
Speaker
Now, I'm a preacher, so I love to hear sermons. And I want to tell you one of my favorite sermons is by a black pastor. He's in glory now, but his name was Dr. S.M. Lockridge.
00:23:58
Speaker
And he preached a sermon called That's My King. That's my king. I love that message. The soundbite, it's only five minutes. But I'm telling you, if you'll listen to that sermon, those five minutes, it'll be like an injection of hope.
00:24:13
Speaker
into your soul, into your spirit. But let me just give you a little snippet from what he says. These are his words, not my words, but here's the way he said it. He said, that's my king.
00:24:24
Speaker
Well, I wonder, do you know it? He's enduringly strong, entirely sincere. eternally steadfast, immortally graceful, impartially merciful, imperially powerful.
00:24:37
Speaker
He's indescribable, incomprehensible, invisible, irresistible. And the dude goes on for five minutes and he never stopped talking about Jesus. And I'm thinking, wow, you know, and just just hearing that got me charged up. So on the way back from Tennessee, I made Abby listen to that. I said, you got to hear this. You know, so anyway, she's like, that's a good one, Dad. You know, but anyway,
00:24:59
Speaker
But ah now don't expect me to preach like that every Sunday. But anyway, let's go to the third gift that Jesus gives us through salvation. And that is help. You ever need help? because I just need a little help.
00:25:12
Speaker
You know, verse seven says, as we come to our fourth citation or quotation from the Old Testament. He's proving the preeminence of Christ over the angels. And so he goes back to Psalm 104, verse four.
00:25:27
Speaker
When one compares verse seven and verse 14, you know what those two verses are telling us about Jesus and about the angels? It's telling us their roles are different. Man, I'm not trying to talk smack about the angels. No, not at all. I'm just saying there's two different roles here.
00:25:44
Speaker
The son is sovereign. The angels are servants. And so you can read that so clearly in these verses when it says he makes. Do you know the word he makes there is the word for creates.
00:25:57
Speaker
He creates, he creates his angels, winds, and his ministers of flame of fire. And so just go to Colossians 1.16 and you'll see where Jesus created all the animals, all the animals, all the angels rather. And he also made them to be helpful.
00:26:15
Speaker
Helpful is what it says, because he sent out. He sent them out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. And so I'm so glad that that's what he does. That's what he did.
00:26:28
Speaker
And I like the way it says that he made them swift. He said, they're like wind. He made them strong like a flame of fire. But the main thing I want you to know is that Jesus says, I'm sending them out to serve the body of
Joy and Happiness Through Jesus
00:26:44
Speaker
Christ. And so I'm so glad.
00:26:46
Speaker
But since we're in that neck of the woods, would you look with me at chapter two of Hebrews? Look at Hebrews chapter two and look at verse 18. Who is it that's really the one helping you?
00:26:58
Speaker
Is it just an angel? Maybe he sends an angel to minister to you and strengthen you and help you. But no, this passage is about Jesus. So is chapter one, but Hebrews 2.18 says, for because he himself has suffered, speaking about Jesus on the cross, when he tempted, when tempted, he is able to help.
00:27:19
Speaker
Those who are being tempted. So just say, Lord, I need your help because this temptation is pulling me in the wrong direction. But look at chapter four and look down there at the last verse, verse 16. Hebrews chapter four, verse 16. One more reference to Jesus helping us.
00:27:36
Speaker
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may find mercy and find grace to help. in time of need. You got a need.
00:27:47
Speaker
Jesus is the one to go to and to say, Lord, I need your help right now. Well, let's move to the fourth gift that he gives. You know, there's a fourth gift that I think ought to be such a great fit for the Christmas season.
00:28:01
Speaker
Why do we say, you know, Merry Christmas? Where did that come from? Why do we say Merry Christmas? Well, why is it that we also sing songs like joy to the world?
00:28:12
Speaker
I believe it's all because of one thing, happiness, joy. It's all a gift from the son of God. Remember when the wise men actually made it to see the newborn king, the Lord Jesus?
00:28:25
Speaker
It says they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. I love an old hymn that says, all that thrills my soul is Jesus. Now, wouldn't it be something, no matter what you don't receive at Christmas or no matter what you do receive at Christmas, that you say, you know what?
00:28:44
Speaker
All that thrills my soul is my Savior. He has done so much for me. He has been so good to me in my life. But when I read Hebrews chapter one, verses eight and nine,
00:28:56
Speaker
I thought about these three things. I thought, you know, why should we be happy? Why should we have joy? Because of who Jesus is. Here it is. Okay, how about this one?
00:29:06
Speaker
Because he's sovereign. Because he's the one on the throne. Did you notice that it says here, let's get this. The father, God is saying something to the son, the son of God. And so listen to how he puts it.
00:29:22
Speaker
But of the son, he speaking about the father. So the father is speaking to the son. And what does he say? He says, your throne, oh God. Isn't that good? The father, God the father says to God, the son, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
00:29:43
Speaker
Man, I'm just so glad. I mean, it makes me glad that he's on the throne, not me. I'm not on the throne. He's on the throne. But then also the standards.
00:29:54
Speaker
You know, have you ever been hurt by sin? Someone else's sin in your life? You know what? You don't have to worry about that from Jesus because you know what the standards of the son of God are?
00:30:06
Speaker
Righteousness. You know, he says he loves righteousness and man, he can't stand wickedness. Is that the is that where we are and what we love and what we say? i don't i don't care for that at all. I hate that.
00:30:19
Speaker
He says he loves righteousness and he hates wickedness. But then I love verse nine when it says, That therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. Speaking of all the angels.
00:30:36
Speaker
So I'm sure the angels are glad being in the presence of God. But let me tell you, the oil of gladness, it's on Jesus. It's on the Son of God. So you want to know where to find it. As a matter of fact, you ever heard the word Christ.
00:30:49
Speaker
You ever heard the word Messiah? Do you know what those two terms mean? Those two names? They mean the anointed one. So he's anointed. And isn't it interesting? That being, living a life that is right and holy and upright and good and and all those kind of things. Isn't it interesting that that's where the joy is?
00:31:10
Speaker
I know that the culture, i know that Hollywood wants to kind of say, no, this is where it is over here and point you in the direction of wickedness. But don't buy it because the real joy, the lasting joy is found with Jesus.
Reflection on Life's Fragility and Promise of Heaven
00:31:23
Speaker
So let me wrap it up with one last thing that I know you'll be glad to hear. And that is heaven. Heaven is a gift from the Son of God. Some of you know that yesterday i had to go to the hospital to to talk with a man who had been in a bad automobile accident on I-10.
00:31:42
Speaker
And so I went there and they he told me, he said, I just needed somebody to pray with. He said, my wife and I are members of First Baptist Midland. And he said, I have to go to Houston for a back procedure. And he said, I was going to an appointment.
00:31:59
Speaker
But my wife said, can't we just go to see the the Christmas lights along the river in San Antonio? I've never seen them all these years. They've been married 60 years. This man was 80 years old.
00:32:11
Speaker
And he said, yeah, that's a great idea. Let's go to San Antonio and see the Christmas lights. So they did. And on their way from San Antonio to his doctor's appointment in Houston, they had an accident.
00:32:23
Speaker
And he was pulled out by the jaws of life. They had cut him out of the car. It was so, he said, there was car everywhere around me. And he said, when they got me out, they said, Are you, you don't look injured. He said, I'm not injured.
00:32:37
Speaker
He said, how can i not be injured? And that accident took my bride 60 years. Isn't that shocking? I mean, here he is. It was such a great time, I'm sure, in San Antonio.
00:32:50
Speaker
He's just going to an appointment. He's not doing something wrong. He's just going to his doctor's appointment in Houston. But suddenly, everything can change. That's why we have to be right with God.
00:33:01
Speaker
And we have to know that if my day comes, if and I told him, I said, you know what the Bible says here in Psalm 139? Because I gave him a Bible, and then we looked at Psalm 139 together, and I said, know, This is what it says, that when you and your wife were each in your mother's wombs,
00:33:20
Speaker
that the Lord said, I've already determined the days that are set apart for you. So I said, she completed what she was put on this earth to do. As sad as that is, as as lonely as you're going to feel.
00:33:35
Speaker
But I said, you know what? God's got a purpose for you. That's why you survived this crash. And so he said, I needed to hear that so badly. He's just weeping, you know.
00:33:45
Speaker
But you know, we need to know we can't control all of life. And so what happens if something like that happens in your life? Well, these verses tell us that he's Lord.
00:34:00
Speaker
And so that's the first time actually in verse 10 that in Hebrews chapter one, that he's called Lord, and but it won't be the last time. But the son is called Lord there because it refers to his authority.
00:34:13
Speaker
But then, you know, Psalm 102, do you know that Psalm 102 is what he's quoting in these verses 10, 11, and 12? But if you were to go read Psalm 102, do you know that it's a psalm of lament Do you know that in your hardest circumstances, in the hour when your heart is broken, do you know that he's still Lord?
00:34:35
Speaker
And you know that he's willing to come to you and minister to you right there. You know, that's what Christmas is all about. God with us. But also we're going to go to be with him whenever we end our journey on this earth.
00:34:48
Speaker
And I just thought it's so amazing that Jesus says in John 14, one through six, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go and prepare a place for you. And so what you see here is the Lord talking about that place and how everything's going to change.
00:35:04
Speaker
You know, he's going to roll up the earth. He's going to roll up the current sky and heavens and so forth. And he's going to bring a new heaven and a new earth. You can read Revelation 21, 1 about it.
00:35:15
Speaker
You can see that at the great white throne judgment, heaven and earth are are going to try to hide. They're going to run away whenever, you know, the heavens are open and there's the throne of God. It's like everything's going to try to run.
00:35:28
Speaker
But it says there is no place to hide. There is no place to hide. So what we need to say is, oh Lord, I just want to be with you. I want to stand with you. I want to be with And so that's why Jesus came.
00:35:42
Speaker
He said, I'm the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, but by me. And so that's why he's telling us my life doesn't end and
Invitation to Trust in Jesus for Salvation
00:35:51
Speaker
neither will yours. If you trust him, you see, because heaven is a gift from the son of God.
00:35:56
Speaker
Happiness is a gift from the son of God. Help is a gift from the son of God. Hope is a gift from the son of God. Inheritage is a gift from the son of God.
00:36:06
Speaker
If we only realized how blessed we are in Christ, you know that it says in 1 Peter that the angels actually long to look into our salvation because they can't they can't sing about being forgiven. They can't sing about the Lord's love like we can.
00:36:26
Speaker
That's why Phillips, Craig, and Dean in their song, favorite song of all, they talk about the angels, right? And they said, God loves to hear the angels sing, Holy, holy is the Lord. We sang about it today.
00:36:39
Speaker
Heaven's choirs in harmony lift up praises to the great I Am. you know what? The song takes an unexpected turn right there from talking about heaven, talking about the angels and so forth.
00:36:51
Speaker
But he lifts his hands, but he lifts his hands for silence. And at that moment, a million angels, they so they pause and they look and they listen. A million angels listen as a, just one, as a newborn soul sings, I've been redeemed.
00:37:11
Speaker
And then they cut loose. Phillips, Craig, and Dean cuts loose on the chorus. Cause his favorite song of all. It's a song of the redeemed. When lost sinners now made clean lift their voices loud and strong.
00:37:26
Speaker
When those purchased by his blood lift to him a song of love. There's nothing more he'd rather hear nor so pleasing to his ear as his favorite song of all.
00:37:39
Speaker
You see, if we only knew how blessed, if we only knew how important Jesus is, even in the heavenly realm, they're all praising him. Are you going to praise him as you go through the Christmas season? Are you going to talk about him and how worthy he is?
00:37:54
Speaker
ben If so, you're going to be right there with all the hosts of heaven. I want us to stand. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes and i'll invite our musicians to come? I would always like to give an invitation in Jesus' name at the end of our service because you never know when someone may need to trust Christ.
00:38:13
Speaker
That's what this invitation is about. Have you come to know the Father, the Son personally? That's what this was all about. It's trying to tell us Christmas and all of life is about getting to know the Father through the Son.
00:38:29
Speaker
So if you don't have that personal relationship with Christ, and this could be an amazing Christmas season if you come to know him. So I'll be down here. We can get it started. We can set up an appointment for later, or we can finish it today, whenever, whatever.
00:38:43
Speaker
But just you respond as the Lord draws you. The Holy Spirit, it says, will convict us of sin, of righteousness and judgment. But you know what the Holy Spirit also does?
00:38:54
Speaker
He reveals the sufficiency of the finished work of Jesus Christ. And he says, this was enough to cover for your sins. That's why Romans 8, 1 says, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Why don't you come and be in Christ Jesus? Let's pray. Lord, thank you for this time of invitation. We give this time to you.
00:39:15
Speaker
We know we're about to go into Sunday school classes, have fellowship around your word and learn more things. But for this time, help us, oh Lord, to respond, especially any who are here and they've been seeking, they've been searching.
00:39:29
Speaker
They're so interested. They would like to know. Maybe they kind of are like the angels that are longing to look into salvation. Maybe they're saying, I don't understand it. All I know is I need it. All I know is I'm missing something. So bless this time of invitation.
00:39:43
Speaker
In Jesus' name we pray.
00:39:50
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.