The Supremacy of the Son

Hebrews Chapter 1

Purpose: To see and savor the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ!

1. The Supremacy of the Son, Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-3)

      Jesus Christ, God the Son, is the completed and supreme revelation of God

Who Jesus Christ IS, Seven descriptions:

1. Heir – appointed heir of all things
2. Creator – through Jesus God made the creation
3. Radiance – the outshining of the Father’s glory
4. Representation – exact representation of God’s nature
5. Sustainer – upholds all things by the word of his power
6. Savior – made purification of sins
7. Sovereign – set down at the right hand

2. The Son’s Supremacy Over Angels (1:4-14)

Seven proofs from the Old Testament:

1. Jesus is the crowned Son of God (Heb 1:4a; Psalm 2:7)
   1. Note: Angels are never crowned
   2. “Son” = Heir
2. Jesus David’s Greater Son (Heb 1:5b; 2 Sam.7:14)
3. Jesus is greater than & worshipped by angels (Heb 1:6; Deut. 32:33 LXX)
4. Angels have a transitory ministry (winds, flame; Heb 1:7; Ps.104:4)
   1. Angels worship Jesus!
5. Jesus is “God” with an eternal throne (Heb 1:8-9; Ps. 45:6-7)
6. Jesus is eternal (Heb 1:10-12; Ps 102:25-27)
   1. “rolls up his coat” and throws it away
   2. Jesus is Creator while angels are created!
7. The work of Jesus is completed (Heb 1:13-14; Ps 110:1)
   1. Note: the Son is seated the angels are sent
   2. True angels are messengers who point us to Jesus Christ

We worship Jesus, not angels (Rev 19:9-10; 22:6-9)

The Good Design of God
Genesis 1:26-31

Purpose: God’s design and blessing of humanity is good because he is holy.

1. Humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27)

2. Humanity is blessed by God (Genesis 1:28)

3. All God created is Good (Genesis 1:31)
   Genesis 2:20-24

So How did we get here?
               Genesis 3:1, 4-7
               Romans 1:18-32

What do we do?

The Ways of the LORD Are Right!

Hosea 14

Introduction: Deuteronomy 29:10-13, 22-29; Psalm 81

1. Repent, Return, be Restored (Hosea 14:1-3)
       Matthew 3:2; 4:17

2. The Lord Alone is Healer (Hosea 14:4-7)
       Exodus 15:26;
       Psalms 103:3; 147:3;
       Isaiah 30:26;
       1 Peter 2:21-25

3. Choose the One True God! (Hosea 14:8-9)
       Jeremiah 10:10;
       John 17:3;
       1 Thessalonians 1:9;
       1 John 5:20

Only if and when we return to the LORD, repenting of sin and believing in Jesus Christ, will we find forgiveness and life!

The Autopsy of Israel

Hosea 13

Purpose: Without repentance, spiritual death leads to eternal death.

1. Israel died because of their wickedness (Hosea 13:1-3)

    Psalm 1

2. Israel died because of their pride (Hosea 13:4-8)

    Deuteronomy 8:11-14

3. Israel died because of their treason (Hosea 13:9-11)
   1 Samuel 8:4-8

4. Israel died because of their foolishness (Hosea 13:12-14)
   Psalm 14:1-3

5. Israel is destroyed because of God’s judgment (Hosea 13:15-16)

             Jeremiah 14:10-12

Glorifying the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday, 2023

1. The Person of the Holy Spirit: He is God

He is a Person, One with the Father and the Son (Acts 5:1-4; 1 Pet 1:2)

            Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9-11; Phil 1:19; Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:11)

            Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One Co-equal & Co-eternal Deity

2. The Purpose of the Holy Spirit: He exalts all truth in Christ

            Revelation in Scripture (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21)

            Illumination to the believer (1 Cor 2:14-16)

            The Helper Who leads to Christ, reminds of His teachings (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7)

3. The Promise of the Holy Spirit: He has come & will lead us home

            He Himself was promised (Lk 24:49 & Acts 1:4)

            Down-payment “earnest” of more to come (Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5)

4. The Presence of the Holy Spirit: He is with Believers, Building the Church!

            He is the Gift (Acts 2:38; 10:45), and Giver of gifts (1 Cor 12:4, 9; Heb 2:4; 6:4)

5. The Precision of the Holy Spirit: He will not lie to you!

            2 Tim 3:16                   Heb 6:18

            2 Pet 1:20-21  +          Titus 1:2           = He will never contradict His Scripture

6. The Power of the Holy Spirit: He will help you to live a Holy Life!

            Gives New Birth (Jn 3:4-8 with Ezek 37)

Applies the gospel for justification and sanctification (Rom 2:29; 8:13; Gal 5:16)

Empowers worship (Jn 4:23-24)

Empowers world-wide gospel proclamation (Acts 1:8)

Do you know for certain that you are a child of God? (Rom 8:15; 1 Jn 3:24)

Sins of the Fathers, Sins of the Sons

Hosea 11:12-12:14

Purpose: God’s people are called to be faithful and not repeat the sins of their fathers.

1. A Collective Charge (11:12-12:2)

2. The Example of Jacob (12:3-5)

3. God’s People Like Young Jacob (12:7-11)

4. God’s Deliverance Available But Rejected (12:12-14)

5. Return to the Lord (12:6)

A Father’s Love for the Son

Hosea 11:1-11

Purpose: To return to the Lord, as a child clings to his father

1. God Speaks to the Deaf Ones (Hosea 11:2)

The role of the prophets in the history of the nation (Hos 6:5; 9:8; 12:10, 13).

2. God’s Grace Toward False Sons (Hosea 11:3-4)

3. Wrong Turn! (Hosea 11:5-7)

4. Where Holiness and Love Meet (Hosea 11:8-11)

5. The True Son (Hosea 11:1)

Jesus is the True Israel (Matthew 2:15)

Jesus Longs for His People (Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 13:34-35)

Christians, adopted sons in Christ (Romans 8:12-17; Ephesians 1:3-8)

God longs for His people, like a father for a wayward son.

Only in Jesus Christ can we be adopted into the family.  

Paradise Regained?
Hosea 10

Purpose: Having lost everything, how can we regain what is worth infinitely more?

1. The Way Things Are

             Deuteronomy 8:11-13

             Judges 21:25

             Jeremiah 17:9

2. The Way Things Will Be

    Genesis 3:18

   Judges 20:27-37

3. The Way Things Were Meant to Be

Matthew 13:18-23
   Hebrews 6:7-8
   John 15:1-8

To lay down our empty short-term sinful pursuits and break up the fallow ground of idolatry, is to trade the fruit of wickedness that can never satisfy, for the fruit of righteousness that will never disappoint.

Paradise Lost!

Hosea 9

Purpose: Calling us to faithfully follow God at all costs, lest we lose everything.

1. The Backdrop (Deuteronomy 11)

          Blessings and Curses Promised (esp. vv. 13-17 & 26-28)

2. The Betrayal (Hosea 9:1-9)

3. The Consequences (Hosea 9:10-17)

There is no wisdom in short-term gain for long-term loss!

Rather, we must sacrifice fruitless and empty short-term idolatrous and sinful pursuits, for long-term Christian eternal gain (Hebrews 12:1-2)

John Piper, “Sin is the suicidal abandonment of joy.”

The Harvest of Self-Reliance
Hosea 8

Purpose: When we, the church corporately, rely on ourselves, we foolishly set ourselves, our desires, and our wisdom up as competition for the jealous, Sovereign God of the universe.

1. Their False Reliance on God (Hosea 8:1-3)

2. Their Self-Reliance for Security (Hosea 8:4a, 8-10)

3. Their Self-reliance in Worship (Hosea 8:4b, 11-13)

4. Their Destruction by Self-Reliance (Hosea 8:7, 14)

Do You Serve the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ?

Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

1. Replacing Judas as an Apostle

Acts 1:22 … one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

2. Acts 2:14-36, Peter at Pentecost

Acts 2:24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 2:32 "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

3. Acts 3:12-26, Peter and the healing of the lame man at the gate called Beautiful

Acts 3:15 … the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.

Acts 3:26 "… God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."

4. Acts 4:8-12, Peter’s defense before the rulers, elders, and scribes

Acts 4:2 … because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 4:10 … by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -- by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

5. Acts 4:24-30, Peter and John’s Godward exaltation after their arrest

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.

6. Acts 5:29-32Peter and the Apostles before the Council

Acts 5:30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.

7. Acts 10:34-43, Peter at the house of Cornelius: Gentile Pentecost

Acts 10:40 "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,

8. Acts 13:14-41, Paul at Pisidian Antioch (est. of Galatian church)

Acts 13:30 "But God raised Him from the dead;

Acts 13:33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus

Acts 13:37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.

9. Acts 17:22-31, Paul in Athens, Sermon on Mars Hill

Acts 17:18 & Acts 17:32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."

10. Paul before the Council

Acts 23:6 … Paul began crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!"

11. Acts 24:10-21, Paul before Felix, a Roman governor

Acts 24:21 … 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today."'

12. Festus reporting about Paul’s claims to King Agrippa

Acts 25:19 but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.

13. Acts 26:2-29, Paul’s defense before King Agrippa

Acts 26:8 "Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?

Acts 26:23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." = Missions!!

Which King? Which Kingdom?
John 12:12-15; 18:33-40

Purpose: What do you mean when you call Jesus, “King?” What kingdom are
                you pledging allegiance to?

1. The King of Peace (John 12:12-15)

2. The King of Heaven (John 18:33-36)

3. The King of Truth (John 18:37-38)

4. The King of Kings (John 18:39-40)

Consider what it means for Jesus to be King.

Swear your allegiance.

Turned Away!

Hosea 7

Purpose: Which way are you facing in your relationship with God?

1. God Exposes Hidden Sin (Hosea 7:1)

          See Jeremiah 23:24

          See Luke 18:9-14

2. God Perceives the Self-Deceived (Hosea 7:2-7)

          They do not consider… that God remembers! (v. 2)

          None of them calls on the LORD (v. 7)

3. God Invites the Turned Away (Hosea 7:8-16)

          Syncretism (vv. 8-9)

          Which way do they turn? (vv. 10, 13, 14, 16)

          God Invites them back! (v. 13)

Turn Back to God!

          2 Corinthians 5:17-21

          Ezekiel 33:11