The Absolute Superiority of Jesus Christ

Transcript

GRM 572
6/7/1998
The Absolute Superiority of Jesus Christ
Hebrews 1:1-3
Gil Rugh

We are going to look into Hebrews and the first chapter. A good way for us to move into the summer and a good emphasis for me as I pick up the ministry again is to focus on what Christianity is really all about. What the church is all about. It's the supremacy of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is everything. He is supreme above all, and Christianity is Jesus Christ. This church exists as a testimony for Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews is written to Hebrews, to Jews who profess to believe in Christ, but were losing their grip. Under pressure from family and friends, society, the tide of the day, persecution. Some of these who had professed faith in Christ were contemplating a return to Judaism to alleviate some of the pressure. The writer to the Hebrews is going to draw their attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is everything. When you turn from Him, you turn to emptiness, you turn to destruction. There are no alternatives to Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews chapter 1, the writer begins in the opening verses with a very clear declaration of the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ to all things. One thing you can say about the book of Hebrews, you could say that there are three purposes for the book. Number 1 is to affirm and prove the finality of Christianity. That Christianity is truth and that there are no alternatives to Jesus Christ and what today call Christianity, biblical Christianity. In that context he's going to demonstrate to these Jews that all that preceded Christ, particularly not talking about within Judaism which is the revelation that God had given, which was the work that God was doing up until the time of Christ, all was in anticipation of Christ. That the Old Testament was simply a shadow of what was to come in reality in Christ. And the third purpose in the book is to warn against the danger of apostasy. That those who would stop short of faith in Christ, that those who would turn away from Christ have no hope, they are trampling under foot the Son of God and His death, and have turned to sure judgment and destruction, away from the presence of God.

The book of Hebrews is about the superiority of Christ to everything, and will narrow it down particularly to everything in Judaism, because that's the focus that these readers had.
Superior to prophets, to Moses, to angels, to Aaron, to the priesthood, Jesus Christ is everything. So you note there's no real introduction in way of greeting given as the letter begins, no comments to specific people, or about those who may be with him, he launches right into the matter of revelation.

Let's establish the foundation. As you realize that it's revelation from God that must anchor our beliefs. Which must anchor our lives personally. I realize we live in a day of pluralism, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and everybody should be free to create their own truth, and I should not offend you by telling you, you are believing a lie. You should not offend me by telling me I am wrong. Everyone has a right to their own world and to make their own reality in that world, as long as they’re not trampling on someone else. And this kind of thinking is being promoted today, the world of fantasy and make believe for adults. So what the writer to the Hebrews does is begin by saying the issue is God's revelation. Has God spoken? How has He spoken? What has that revelation revealed? And in the opening verses of this letter, he will establish that which will anchor the rest of the book to the Hebrews. This forms the anchor and foundation for our life. As we keep these truths and principles in mind He will keep our church from drifting and straying. It will keep you as an individual on the straight and narrow if you will.

He deals in these opening verses with the issue of God's revelation of Himself. God spoke, so you'll note "God, after He spoke long ago, to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways". So the issue here is God speaking. He spoke long ago to the prophets and used the prophets as His mouthpiece. And He spoke in the prophets in many portions and in many ways. What he's referring to is the Old Testament scripture, the revelation God has given in what we call our Old Testament, the revelation that had been given to the nation Israel. It was a revelation given over a period of about a thousand years, in the written record we have it, beginning with Moses who wrote the first five books of our Old Testament. Moses wrote those around 1400 B.C. to round things off. And it closes with Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, it's written about 400 B.C. So, from 1400 to 400 B.C., you have recorded the Old Testament, the revelation God had given.

He gave it to a variety of people. Began with Moses but then there a number of writers of the Old Testament, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, among the prophets. David was recorded in the Old Testament in many of the Psalms. Solomon wrote portions of the Old Testament and other writers. God revealed Himself to these different individuals in a variety of ways. Sometimes in dreams, sometimes in visions. To Moses He appeared face to face on the mountain, when He gave him the Law. Sometimes in dreams. It was just a variety of ways that God spoke, over an extended period of time. He revealed Himself. So there's no diminishing of the fact that God had spoken. There's no questioning the reality, or the validity of the revelation that God had given, but there is what we call progressive revelation in Scripture. And down over that thousand-year period of time, for example that the Old Testament was written, God progressively unfolded more and more of Himself, of His will, of His plans and purposes.

Now you come to the culmination or climax of God speaking. So, you'll note verse 2, "in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son". So the contrast there, "long ago" in verse1," in these last days," in verse 2. Long ago He spoke in the prophets, in these last days, verse 2 He spoke in the Son. And what you have is in the culmination of God speaking there is a vastly superior form of revelation. It's revelation in one who is the Son. These last days God has spoken to us in His Son. And you'll note the word His is in italics in your English bible which means it's not there in the original Greek text. He says His God has spoken in these last days in a Son, and the emphasis is on His quality of Sonship. In contrast to the prophets, plural, He's now spoken to us in one who is of the character and nature of Son. So He is a more highly exalted one than the prophets could have been.

He has spoken in these last days, the Jews would understand the significance of this. In Old Testament prophesy the last days are the days of the Messiah. Which encompasses all that takes place in the first coming through the second coming of Christ. The Old Testament prophets saw the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ, but they did not see the two-thousand-year gap between the first and second coming of Christ. So the last days are the days of the Messiah.

In this culminating period, the last days when God's revelation will brought to its fullness and completion if you will, He speaks in one who is a Son. Like today in a more limited way, we can understand if you have the Queen of England send delegates to places and they pass on a message from her, that's fine, but if the son of the Queen comes, there is a lot more attention paid. You believe that you could get a fuller more complete understanding of the mind of the Queen in that sense, because of the son. That's a unique form of communication, to speak through that channel.

So here, God, in these last days has spoken to us in a Son. What He's going to do now with the rest of verse 2, and really down in verses 3 and 4, and we are going to focus on verses 2 and 3, give seven facts about the Son, that demonstrate His superiority, both in person and work to everything and everyone else. This is simple truth for us who have been believers for any length of time, but you realize this is what these Hebrews are in danger of losing their grasp on. The reality of the superiority of the person and work of Christ. You cannot talk about going back to Judaism, because you understand all the revelation is God speaking and it's building. It starts in the Old Testament with Moses giving the Law but that revelation continues to unfold until it comes to its fullness in the Son who gives the most complete revelation of God that has ever been given.

If you reject the most complete and full revelation which is the culmination of all God's revelation in doing so you reject all previous revelation as well. You have no alternative. You cannot say, well, I choose not to believe in Christ. I choose to not submit to what was revealed in and through Him, but I would comfortable going back to an earthly temple, to physical sacrifice. No, because you understand that is all part of a revelation that will culminate and come to a fullness in the revelation given through the Son. When you turn away from the fullness of the revelation given by God, in doing so you turn away, and reject all of the revelation that has been given by God up to that point. We need to understand there are no options or alternatives. That's what the writer of the book of Hebrews will unfold. There's no leeway given for negotiation. So first we must establish the superiority of Jesus Christ.

Let's look at these seven facts concerning the Son which demonstrate His superiority and His greatness. And we'll note as we go along it's very important and pertinent to what is taking place in the evangelical church today. I think what is really happening in the Church today is we are losing our grip on the truth that is being presented here. We are thinking we can come into alliances and fellowship and work things out with those of a differing mind and differing beliefs. We need to come back and be anchored in the truth concerning the superiority of Christ.

"In these last days, God has spoken to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things". God appointed Him heir of all things. Turn back to Psalm chapter 2, that's really the background for what is said here, Psalm 2. Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm. It is a prophetic psalm about the coming Messiah. Verse 7 says, "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord, He said to me, you are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as your possession". You note, He inherits everything. For His Son, His unique Son, He has provided all things. The nations, the very ends of the earth are His inheritance.

So the concept here is of the superiority of Jesus Christ to everything. It's anticipating the coming millennium, the coming Kingdom when Christ will rule over the earth. And everything and everyone will be in subjection to Him. So you realize we have the one who is superior to all things because He is the one who is heir to all things. That connects to His sonship. Now we are sons of God through faith in Christ, and we are heirs of God by virtue of being sons in Christ, but Jesus Christ is a Son in a unique way. He is the unique Son of God. He is the one who will inherit everything. So, we understand Christ is supreme. This Son is the heir of everything. You cannot escape Jesus Christ. You cannot turn from Him, without coming under judgment and condemnation. That's why in Psalm 2 you go to verse 12, "Do homage to the Son," or literally kiss the Son, "lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled". In that coming kingdom the requirement will be for all to bow before Him. People delude themselves when they think they can turn from Christ. These Jews couldn't decide. Maybe I'll go back to Judaism. It's not an alternative. So the Son, back in Hebrews chapter 1, is the heir of all things. You'll note overlap in some of these points, but they are distinct as well as similar.

The second thing he says about the Son, "through whom also He made the world", God made the world through the Son. God the Father made the world through God the Son. There seems to be a lot in the news in the last weeks and months about creation, about the heavens. We find a new star, a new planet, a new galaxy and we figure out how old it must be, and how that fits in to evolution.

I was watching an animal program the other night and they were talking about how many millions of years ago this creature evolved here. But this was a new creature evolutionally so many millions of years ago. All this foolishness. Here I come to the Scripture and I am told a personal God created everything. And this God did the creation through His Son who is also God. So, God the Father made the world, literally the ages, through the Son. That's consistent with the rest of Scripture in John's Gospel. I'll have you turn back to John's Gospel chapter 1. The opening verses of John's Gospel, that many of you have memorized "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God". The Son is distinct from the Father and yet the Son is deity along with the Father. He was in the beginning with God. So you start at the beginning. And He is already there with the Father. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being which has come into being. So you see here the emphasis, that Jesus Christ is the one who brought all things into existence, in conjunction with the will of His Father. So when we talk about God speaking through the Son, we are talking about God speaking through the one whom He used to bring all things into existence.

Now turn over to the book of Colossians. We studied the book of Colossians not to long ago. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Chapter 1:16, and you might leave a bulletin or a marker in Colossians because we will come back here later. Colossians 1:16, "for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible," talking about Jesus Christ. You'll note, "all things were created by Him and," note the last statement of that verse, "all things have been created by Him and for Him." So you see something of His character as God. He not only created everything, but everything was created for Him. A statement, if you will, of His deity because all things have been made for God. Yet there is God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You see the uniqueness of the one who is the Son of God. He is the one who created all things, who brought all things into existence. The one who will inherit all things is the one who created all things. The one who is the Son of God. And this is consistent with the will of His Father.

Come back to Hebrews. This makes Jesus Christ totally unique. This is going to bring us along as we see this develop to what is conflict between Christianity and every other religion and every other belief system. Christianity is just as narrow as people claim that it is. It allows room for no other beliefs, and no other ways to God because we are dealing with a unique person here, God's Son. He is the one appointed heir of all things, the one through whom God made the world, the ages, that include the unfolding successions of time, as well as the initial physical creation.

The third fact about the Son in Hebrews 1:3, "He is the radiance of His glory". You see in various ways we end up declaring here the person of Christ and you'll see the person of Christ, and the work of Christ are inseparably joined together. "He is the radiance of His glory", Christ is the display of the glory of God. Now for Jewish readers saturated in the Old Testament this would immediately make more sense to them than it does to us, because the glory of God in the Old Testament, the shekinah, was the display of God's presence, among His people. Go to just one passage, the book of Exodus chapter 24, Exodus chapter 24, Here is the occasion when Moses went up on Mt. Sinai, to be given the law, the ten commandments, what we know as the Mosaic law, verse 15 of Exodus chapter 24, "Then Moses went up to the mountain and the cloud covered the mountain", no note this, "and the glory of the Lord rested on Mt. Sinai", verse 17 "and to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top". And through the Old Testament the appearance of God among his people is associated with this display of glory, the shekinah, we see it departing from the temple, and departing from Israel in the opening chapters of the book of Ezekiel, as God brings judgment on the nations, and you see the glory leave the temple and go above the gate and depart. And now we see the glory of God, the display of His very personal presence now manifests in the Son. He is the radiance of His glory.

Turn to John chapter 1 again. John's Gospel in the first chapter again. Look at verse 14 of John 1, "and word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory", glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. You see that glory. “We beheld His glory” and it's really the glory of God. The glory that could only be associated with the only begotten of the Father, the unique Son of the Father. It's that glory of God that we're talking about.

Colossians 2:9, says "In Him", in Christ, "all the fullness of deity dwelt in bodily form". So here you have all the fullness of God, all that makes God, God, dwelling in Christ in bodily form. Now that does not mean there was not also God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. And incidentally I mentioned the Trinity here. It's a fact that I do not comprehend all that's entailed in the trinity and cannot explain all that's involved in the working of the triune God, does not make it any less true.

The bible declares that there is one God, that He exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are distinct persons, and yet they comprise one God. I cannot illustrate that with any illustration that does not break down at some point. All of those things do not shake my faith, because there are a lot of things I know are true and I do not explain, that I do not comprehend. I am using a computer, I even read books about them, I can sometimes even talk about them, but I don't have any idea what I am talking about. I just read it and I remember that paragraph, and it said this, I want these many gigabits, and the this many megahertz, you know it's just important, boy, he really knows his computer, I don't know a thing. What's a megahertz? I don't know. What's a gigabit? I don't know. How's that all work together so when I type in here I'm talking to somebody someplace? I haven't the foggiest idea, but it doesn't make it any less true, because my finite mind, that is more finite than some other finite minds, doesn't understand it. So we carry that over to the truth concerning God and He is the infinite God is it any wonder that no one totally comprehends this God. But that does not mean that I am, by the same token not responsible to understand what He is revealed as fully as I can, but not to think that therefore I am responsible to understand and explain everything there is to explain about God. So here we're dealing with God the Son and the unique relationship He has with God the Father, and how it is worked out in creation and now in the display of His glory, He is the unique God.

Come back to Hebrews. So He displays in Himself the full manifestation of the full glory of God. Hebrews 1:3, the fourth fact about Christ is the exact representation of His nature. Again you note some of these things overlap even though they emphasize a little different facet of the truth. He's the exact representation of His nature or character. It was the impression made by a dye or a seal, like would be made on a coin. The impression there from the stamp that made the impression on the coin, it gives an “exact representation.” He is “the exact representation of His nature.” That word translated nature means actual being, His essence, His substantial nature, what He is as God. Jesus Christ is the exact representation of the nature of God. You have to be God to do that. He reveals exactly and precisely.

The prophets of the Old Testament could speak forth what God had said, could demonstrate the work of God in their lives. But Jesus Christ is the exact, perfect in every way, representation of the very essential being of God. You cannot have any greater or fuller more complete or more accurate revelation of God than the One who is the exact representation of His nature, His essential being. “No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten God that is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him, John 1 tells us, He has revealed Him.” To fully know God you must know Him through the revelation He gives of Himself.

I was watching a program while we were gone and they were talking to people about heaven and hell. Some of you may have seen it. I don't even know what the connection was, but they were asking people about heaven and hell. It was interesting to hear people say, well you don't know, no, I don't believe in hell. My god would not be that kind of god. Some people said yes, I believe in a heaven and a hell and I'm just hoping I go to heaven. You know we're left to opinions. But God has revealed himself and that becomes authoritative, and we have a clear, full, exact, revelation in Jesus Christ. And that's why Jesus said, "those who have rejected Him have rejected His Father." They worship God they just don't believe in Jesus Christ, or believe differently about Christ. It never happens. That's why Jesus said to Philip in John 14, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," John 14:9. I'm “the exact representation of His nature.” We're not talking about physical form because God the Father is spirit, but I am “the exact representation of His nature,” His very being. If you’ve seen Me, Philip, you've seen the Father. Look on to the next point.

“He is upholding all things by the word of His power.” The fifth characteristic of the Son. He upholds all things by the word of His power. So He's created all things and He is sustaining all things but the word “upholds” here means to uphold or carry, to bear something, to carry it. It has the idea not only of sustaining us but moving it towards its appointed end or goal. So here you have the one who created all things, carrying it along toward its appointed goal.
Back up to Colossians chapter 1, again, notice verse 15, Colossians 1:15, "and He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation", and you'll note here the image of the invisible God, that's saying the same thing, the exact representation of His nature, but it says He's the first born of all creation, it doesn't mean He's the first thing created because we are already told that He created everything, but He is the one who has priority over all creation. As the Old Testament, often the first born was the first who came in time, but the first born was also the position occupied that was sometimes occupied by the one who wasn't born first in time. Denotes the one who has priority, the one in whom the inheritance focuses, and so on.

Then come down to verse 17 of Colossians 1, "and He is before all things and in Him all things hold together". So you see He's the one who upholds all things in the sense of carries them along, He's the one who also holds them together and sustains them. We're seeing things in the news in recent months about the possibility of collision of planets, or an asteroid hitting our planet or on and on. Humanly speaking you'd say it could happen. There are all sorts of things flying around out there they say that seem to be rather random. Amazing that all this order has come out of a tremendous explosion and now the danger is it may have another collision, but you know it's all foolishness. Because we have a God who created it all, we have a God who holds it all together and who is moving it all to an appointed purpose. So is an asteroid ever going to hit planet earth? Nope! You can go out an declare Gil Rugh at Indian Hills has declared for time and eternity an asteroid is not going to hit Indian Hills. Go to bed and sleep well. Is it true because Gil Rugh said it? No. It's true because we are told in scripture that God the Son sustains it all and is moving and carrying it along towards it's intended goal. It's intended goal is not and explosion by a collision, it is the rule and reign of God the Son over it all. The foolishness of man has bound up in the fact that he gives no heed to the revelation of God. He's left to his own delusions. This is the God who upholds all things.

Back in Hebrews chapter 1, "by the word of His power." Now you note the Son has power and His word has power, Hebrews 1:3. He upholds all things by the word of Father? No. He upholds things by the word of His power. The Father and the Son always work in complete harmony, but the Son Himself is deity, and He upholds all things by the word of His power. You see what's happening here? Early in this letter, at the very beginning you are establishing the absolute supremacy of Christ, His authority overall. So, any conversation about moving away from Him, turning back from Him, has to be foolishness, stupidity. He establishes the case at the very beginning, then he's going to unfold details.

The sixth fact concerning the Son. “He made purification of sins.” “When He had made purification of sin,” and again you note the person and work of the Son are intertwined here. So to be saved you must believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. You must believe that Jesus is God and He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. You must believe in His person and work. Those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ cannot be saved. Do you have to understand all there is to understand about the deity of Christ to be saved? Obviously not. But you cannot deny the deity of Christ to be saved. That's His person. His death on the cross to provide purification from sins, you must believe in that. Well, I believe that Jesus Christ is God but I don' believe that He really literally died on a cross to pay the penalty for sin. Then you can't be saved.

There was an article in our paper on Islam, the local paper, yesterdays. Some of you may have read it. A very extensive article talking about the growth of Islam and the beliefs of Islam. You know there are those who would say that we have a lot in common with a religion like that. They are monotheistic. We both honor Jesus Christ. They honor Him as a great prophet, they claim there is only one God. We have some foundational things in common. The fact of the matter is we have nothing of any significance in common because we disagree totally on the person and work of Christ. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. They do not believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin. We disagree on both the person and work of Christ. There's no sense in entering in any kind of dialogue about resolving our differences. The only thing we have to offer to them is the Gospel of Christ for salvation. We have nothing to dialogue about in the sense of working things out.

Which incidentally is where we are with Roman Catholicism. We disagree on justification. We disagree on the work of Christ and the method of salvation. We cannot harmonize our differences. We have nothing to talk about. Just like Paul with the Judaizers. We disagree over whether you have to be circumcised to be saved so we have nothing to talk about. We agree that you should trust in Christ. We agree that Christ is the Messiah. We disagree over whether you have to trust in Christ plus do something. Anathama, cursed of God. Today we want to emphasize our similarities when the scripture emphasizes our differences.

Christ made purification of sins, past tense here basically. This is what the book of Hebrews will really be about at heart. Jesus Christ is the only Savior. He made the only sacrifice, "by one sacrifice for sin for all time, He has perfected those who are sanctified", chapter 10 will tell us. “He made purification of sins.” That's at the heart. Why is the Son here revealing the Father in His fullness? The Son is here that He might be revealer of the Father and the provider of salvation. Chapter 10 of Hebrews will tell us, referring to the Old Testament scriptures, "a body you have prepared for Me, that He might be a sacrifice". The root of the issue is the purification of sins. How will you have sins be forgiven?

When we were in Florida, coming out of Florida, we were up in Georgia, I guess. We went to an antique convention and there was an elderly man there who was from Florida. I engaged in a conversation with him, when he wasn't really busy. He asked what I did, and I told him. That led into a discussion. He told me he was two days away from celebrating his 78th birthday. We talked about that, and I talked about a man who had lived a long life. After that, where will you spend eternity? It would be tragic for you to have lived 78 years in this life and to die and go into an eternity where you would suffer the judgment of God and the penalty of hell forever. He said, oh no I don't think that would happen. I say well I can understand why you would not want to think that would happen, but do you understand that God has spoken in the bible, and God says you are a sinner. Oh, I don't think I'm that bad. You’re pretty bad. Maybe not as bad as me but you’re bad because you know God says all have sinned, and we went around and round on the gospel for over an hour. How about I come from this point and then come back to this. He says, I can't say I'm that bad. I don't think I need a Savior like that. I'm sure it's all going to work out. Isn't that a terrible risk I said to him, that you’re taking. When the bible said that God loved you and had His Son die for you so you can be sure of eternity. Around we went. He didn't want to come to the issue of the purification of sins. Like most people today they don't want to be told that they are sinners, their lost, there’s no hope. He didn't trust Christ then, but I pray by God's grace another believer might sit down with him and will harass him to salvation. He did tell me in the middle of the conversation, I did have a man who tried to talk to me about this, and I told him we'll not talk about this. Are you telling me that were not going to talk about this? Well, I don't want to necessarily say that, and on the conversation went. Purification of sins is at the heart of it. Where does it come down to the root that we can talk about a lot of things in religion, a lot of things about what people believe, but the root issue comes down, you are a sinner. The penalty for your sin is death, and your sins must be cleansed, must be forgiven or you will spend eternity in hell. Jesus Christ, God's Son, made purification of sin.

And the seventh fact about it, "He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high". “When He had made purification of sins He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” The Jews would grasp this immediately because in the tabernacle there were no chairs provided. A lot of details on the furniture that was to be put into the tabernacle in the Old Testament, but there are no chairs. Why? The priest’s work was never done. That will be elaborated as the book of Hebrews develops. The priest and the high priest went about their ministry and they offered the same sacrifices again and again and again because they could never take away sin. All they could do was remind the people of the need for a sacrifice, that could take away sin. But Jesus Christ sat down, His work was done. That's why in chapter 10 he'll say "when He had offered one sacrifice for all time He sat down". “Sat down.” The work is done. There is nothing left to be done. There's nothing more to be done. There are no other alternatives to what has been done. And where did He sit down? “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” That is the most exalted position.

Turn to one other passage, Ephesians, and you'll see what this means, Ephesians chapter 1:20. We'll break into the sentence for time, Ephesians 1:20. "Which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies". He was seated at His right hand," far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but in the one that is to come and has put all things into subjection under His feet". You see when you say He sat down at the right hand of the Father, He sat down at the most exalted position with everything under His authority and His rule, and everything that is in the future under His authority and rule. You see what He has demonstrated here? You cannot escape Jesus Christ. There is no alternative to Him, and it is the Christ that is presented in the scripture.

It's not enough that the Muslims talk about believing in Jesus Christ as a great prophet. You must believe in Him as the Son of God. You must believe that He paid the penalty for your sins. You know the church loses its focus on what is the issue. Christianity is Jesus Christ. This church exists to be a testimony to Jesus Christ. Well, you know we live in a pluralistic society, and there are many beliefs. There are, but there is only one truth. That is why Christianity can never be popular. The more pluralistic we become. The more pluralism is pushed the more antagonized people are with Christianity that says, no, there is only one way. No, it's not good enough that the Roman Catholics believe in Jesus Christ and the virgin birth, and His deity. They are lost, because they do not believe in salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, by God's grace only. They're trying to work out things. Let's work this out. There's nothing to be worked out. You note if you read the book of Hebrews the writer to the Hebrews does not write to work things out. He writes to tell them how it is. The alternative to what he tells them is destruction away from the presence of God. This idea today let's talk this over and see if we can resolve our differences. The writer of the Hebrews doesn't say, let's talk and see if we can work it out. Let's talk so I can tell you what God said so you can repent.

A few years ago, I was talking with a fellow pastor in another state. He had a church in a populous area, and California is not the state, so let me rule out at least one for you. He had some men who were well known in Christian circles who were advocating what I would call heresy. He sat them down with a well know Christian leader to see if they could work out their differences. He said we couldn't make any headway, cause the Christian leader kept saying the only thing you can do is repent. He says, we couldn't make any progress. I said well, it's seems to me he was doing the biblical thing. He was hoping they could resolve their differences. The only resolution is repentance, is it not? To turn from the error and believe in Christ and His work.

Do I delight that Indian Hills may not be a popular church? Do I want people to not like us? No! I like to be liked. I like to go to a restaurant and have everybody say we really like you; we know about your church. It’s great and you’re doing a good job. But really, when I'm telling them their lost and on their way to hell it has to be my way or no way. Not my way in that it's my way, but God says this is the only way. Do you have to be so narrow? I mean, so you don't include Catholics, can't you include Protestants? Nope! Why? It has to be only this way. You have to believe exactly this about Jesus Christ the Son of God and who He is. You have to believe exactly this about the work of Christ and what He has done and how it can be applied to your life. There's no flexibility here. That's pretty narrow so people get offended. They’re irritated by it.

I was talking with some while we were gone, of uh, where our Christianity is going and the attitude of the world toward Christians, there's an antagonism there. Isn't there? There is because at root, what? There's an antagonism toward God and toward His Son Jesus Christ and toward the narrowness of the truth of God. We had a well-known entertainer who was known for the song, that he popularized, "I Did It My Way". You know it's awesome when you stop and think the man whose theme of his life is “I did it my way” will stand before the God who says it will be My way.

At the heart of fallen humanity, and I'm not just picking out this person who sang “I did it my way.” It grates on me when someone says no, this is how it must be. But we must remember who reigns supreme. To whom all will be subject. Only that resolves it. Do I have anything to talk about with those in error to see if we can work it out, see if we could work for our differences? No! The only thing is I have nothing I can compromise. Tell them all you can do to get from where you are to where you should be is repent, and turn from you sin, and believe in the Savior. That's the issue. Jesus didn't say let's work out our differences. “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”

Praise God we have a Savior who is majestic and awesome. He is great and sovereign. We must keep before us who He is, what He has done. That is the anchor for the testimony of true biblical Christianity in this day. For this church in this day, for my life in this day and your life personally in this day as well. What an honor and privilege we have to declare a Savior who is supreme and worthy of our complete devotion. Let's pray together.

Thank you Lord for the one who is a Son, Jesus Christ, who came to give the fullness of revelation to a world lost in sin. And Lord we are privileged today to be heirs of God through faith in Christ. And Lord it's good for us to be reminded again, as a church, that we are called to declare Jesus Christ and His uniqueness, the narrowness of the one who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me". And I pray for any who are here, who have deluded themselves into thinking that being part of this church they become acceptable to You. By going through certain actions and rituals and behavior that they become acceptable to You. Lord may it be clear by Your grace to each one that we are sinners alienated from a Holy God, but a God who is loving and has provided salvation in His Son. Lord may we be willing to turn from our sin and believe in the One who loved us and died for us that we might experience glorification. We pray in His name, Amen.