For many years, Joe McSherry
oversaw all of the building maintenance. We miss him, don't we? He's in
Crossville, running the show there now. And then Mitch Bryan
took over most of the things after Joe moved away, and now
he's gone. So there is a list of things
that need to be maintained in and around the building. If anyone
would like to sign up to volunteer, tonight there will be a sign-up
sheet for things that need to be done on a regular basis. Whatever you can do will be helpful
and greatly appreciated. My subject for this morning is
Christ is better. is better. With regard to everything, Christ
is better. Anything you can think of, Christ
is better. Beyond the best is the better. Whatever's best, Christ is better. Now, in order for me to enter
into that and not just be words, I'm going to have to be born
again. I'm going to have to be born
from above. I'm going to have to be given a heart, a new heart
that I was not born with. And I'm gonna have to know Jesus
Christ. If you know him, if I know him,
and the only way we will know him is if he gives us a heart
to know him. But if you know him, you know
that Jesus Christ is better. Now I want to begin this morning
preaching through the book of Hebrews. And the theme of this
book is Christ is better. This word better is used 13 times
in the book of Hebrews. Christ is better. Now, the writer
to the Hebrews speaks in very candid terms of the failure of
the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, the failure of salvation by works,
and the excellency of the New Covenant and the Lord Jesus Christ,
how that He is better. Oh, I hope the Lord impresses
us with this. Christ is better. He's better than anything you
have. He's better than anything you
think. He's better. Now who wrote this letter to
the Hebrews? We don't know, so it must not
be important, but this we do know. The writer of the Hebrews
understood this. Christ is better. Now what comes into your mind
and heart when you hear that statement? What do we know about
that? Christ is better. Whatever it is, Christ is better. Whatever you have, Christ is
better. whatever thing you think that
you have that can help you in your relationship with God. Christ is better. Now, one of
the unique things about this letter to the Hebrews, I love
this book, but one of the unique things with regard to this book
is the warnings about apostasy. The warnings about falling away. And I want you to think about
this. In this assembly over the years, how many people have we
seen fall away? Leave. Who at one time professed
to believe the gospel, but they are not here now. Look at Hebrews chapter two. I want to give you an example
of what I'm talking about. The writer says, therefore, we
ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we've
heard, lest at any time we should let them slip, leak out. For if the word spoken by angels
was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense or reward, how shall we escape if we neglect? So great salvation. Chapter 3, verse 6, but Christ
as a son over his own house, whose house are we if, if we
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing with the hope firm
unto the end. It's only that person who holds
it firm to the end. Look in verse 14, for we are
made partakers of Christ if, We hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast unto the end. Now what is the one evidence
of election? Perseverance all the way to the
end. He that endureth to the end,
the same shall be saved. Look in chapter four, verse one.
Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into
his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Fear that,
of coming short of entering into his rest. Look in chapter five,
verse 11. Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be
uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing. He says to these
people, you become dull of hearing. Look in chapter six, verse four.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers
of the world to come, if they shall fall away," there's that
word, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance,
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
Him to an open shame. Look in chapter 10, verse 25. Now, these are all warnings with
regard to this thing of persevering in the faith. Verse 25, not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, this
is where falling away begins, forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another
so much the more as you see the day approaching for if we sin
willfully after that we receive the knowledge of the truth, there
remains no more sacrifice for sin. Now this willful sin, this
is not Well, I'm just going to willfully sin. Sin's bad, but
what that's talking about is willfully, after hearing the
gospel, going back to works. That's what that's a reference
to. Every time you sin, you sin with your will. You can never
say the devil made me do it. You did it because you wanted
to. And if you sin, it's because you wanted to. So he's not saying
willful sin in the sense of every time you sin, you sin with your
will, but it's talking about willfully leaving the gospel,
leaving the sacrament. Look what he says, verse 26.
For if we sin willfully after that we've received the knowledge
of the truth, the knowledge of how God saves by Christ, There
remains no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking
for of judgment of fiery indignation that shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witness of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted
the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing
and done despite under the Spirit. of grace. Look in verses 38 and
39 of this same chapter. Now the just shall live by faith,
chapter 10. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man
draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. So we see all these warnings
against drawing back. in the book of Hebrews. And the
only thing that will keep us from drawing back is believing
that Jesus Christ is better. That is what is used to cause
us to persevere. It's really believing in our
hearts because God has taught us this, that Jesus Christ is
better. Now the word better means more
excellent, more useful, serviceable, advantageous. Christ is better. Now we might not know what is
better. I remember when I was a little
boy, my dear sister, took advantage of me, and she traded me dimes
for nickels. This nickel's bigger. Makes sense. I thought I was getting the sweet
end of the deal. I thought the nickel was better. But it wasn't. The dime was better. The dime
was of more value. I asked Sherry, I said, Sherry,
do you feel guilty that you did me that way? She said, no. the world our own fallen understanding
will tell us what is best but let me repeat this statement
Christ is better beyond the best is the better think about that whatever you think is best on
any subject on anything Beyond the best is the better. Having Christ is better continually
before us is what causes us to persevere. And when we fail in
this thing of perseverance, it's because we no longer really believe
that Christ is better. Oh, we'll have all kinds of other
reasons. Everybody's gonna justify themselves in whatever they do.
I realize that. But anytime someone fails to
persevere in the faith, one reason and one reason only, they no
longer believe. They've lost sight of this. Christ is better. Turn to Hebrews 1 verse 4. Now this is after, He makes this
glorious introductory statement with regard to the gospel in
these first three verses. We're going to look at those
next week, Lord willing. But look what he says in verse
four, being made so much better, there's a word, the first time
it's used, being made so much better than the angels, as he
hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Now, we don't know much about
angels. I realize that. There are other created beings
the scripture recognizes as angels. As a matter of fact, we read
in Hebrews 13, be careful to entertain strangers for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares. You just don't know. The Bible does make that distinction.
And we know that angels are greater in power and might than we are.
They're the highest order of the created objects. We think
of the seraphims, the cherubims, that the scripture lets us know
of. I mean, one angel had the power to destroy 70,000 people
in 2 Samuel chapter 24. I mean, they're greater in power
and might, the greatest of the created beings, angels. Christ
is better, infinitely better. than any angel. People make an issue of angels. Verse five, for unto which of
the angels said he at any time? Michael, Gabriel, whoever we're
talking about, for unto which of the angels said he at any
time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. And again,
I'll be to him a father, And he shall be to me a son. Christ is better than any angel. I think it's sad when people
get preoccupied with angels. Christ is better than the angels. Look in chapter six, verse nine. Verse nine, but beloved, We are persuaded better things
of you. Things that accompany salvation,
though we thus speak. That's where he'd been talking
about this falling away. I've already read that passage
in Hebrews 6, 4-6. He says, beloved, we're persuaded
better things of you and things that accompany salvation. Though
we thus speak, for God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and labor of love. Now here's the point. Salvation is more than correct
information. What is it that accompanies salvation?
Love. And love is better than law. Love is infinitely better than
law. As a matter of fact, the law
never produces love. All it produces is resentment
and a slavish fear. It never, ever produces love. Oh, he speaks of the things that
accompany salvation, the work and labor of love. Love to God. Love to His people. Love to men. Wanting them to
hear the gospel. Love for your enemies. Love for
your enemies. Love. Love is better than law. Look in chapter 7. This is the
Verse I began with. Verse seven. And without all
contradiction, there's no controversy here. This is not up for debate.
Without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. He's the better. He's the better. The less, me
and you, are always blessed by the better. None among men, I don't care if it's your husband
or your wife or your child or your best friend or whatever
relationship it might be, It's not better than him. He's better. He's better than your husband.
He's better than your wife. He's better than your children.
He's better than no man can be compared to him. That's why I
said he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy
of me. None can be compared to him with
regard to all men. He's better. He's better. He's infinitely better than any. Man, somebody says, how can one
man save so many millions of men because of who this man was
and is. That's why that's why that answers
that question. Jesus Christ is better. Look in Hebrews chapter seven,
not verse 19 for the law. Now don't just stop thinking, what's the law
mean? Law is, real simply put, salvation
dependent upon you in any way. That's law. If your salvation
is dependent upon you doing something, that is salvation by law. The law, what? Made nothing perfect. Never has,
never will. The law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. The law made nothing perfect,
All it does is expose me and you as evil. It sure doesn't
make perfect. All it does is expose our own
sinfulness. Go ahead, go over the Ten Commandments,
the law. You haven't kept one commandment
one time and neither have I. And if you think you've kept
one commandment, take the Ten Commandments, if I can say, well,
I've kept that one one time, all you do is prove that you
have no idea what God's holy law means anyway. That's it. You're just blind. You've not
been given a new nature. If you're yet dead and trespassed
into sin, hear me. Somebody says, well, I've kept
that one commandment. You're lying. You haven't. And if you
think you have, it's because you're just dead in sins. And
I'm not saying that harshly. I'm saying that's just the way
it is. All the law does is expose sin. This law sure made nothing
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. Now what is hope? Hope is not something you see.
It's something you expect. It's a confident expectation
with regard to the future. Now listen to my hope. My hope
is that when I stand before God on Judgment Day, and that day's
coming, When I stand before God on judgment day, He's gonna look
me over with the eye of holiness. He's gonna look me over with
the law of God, the 10 commandments. He's gonna look me over and I'm
going to be found without sin. That's some kind of hope, isn't
it? I'm going to be found perfect. Somebody says, nobody's perfect,
I am. Now how can you say something like that? You're so faulty,
you're so filled with fault, you're so filled with sinfulness,
how can you say I'm perfect? Look in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14, four, by one offering,
speaking of his death on the cross, by one offering, He hath
what? Perfected. Forever. That means perfectly completed,
never to be repeated by that one offering, by what he did
on the cross. Now this is my hope. Now the
law made nothing perfect, but the better hope did. What's the
better hope? By one offering, he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. What a better hope. What a better
hope. I just glory in this right now
knowing that everything God requires of me I have. I'm perfect. Perfect in Christ Jesus. You
know, I feel guilty all the time. I mean, there's not an hour that
goes by that I don't feel guilty about something. But here's the
blessed truth, though. I don't have anything to feel
guilty about. I'm perfect in Christ Jesus. Perfect. Law can't do that, can it? But the Gospel does. Look in verse 22, Hebrews chapter seven, verse
22. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better Testament. a better testament. Assurity
of a better testament. Now the word testament and covenant
are the same word. The New Testament is the new
covenant and Christ is the surety of that covenant and the Lord
gives us a beautiful illustration of just what that means where
Christ has made assurity and assurity is a guarantee. It's
a guarantee. Turn to Genesis 43. Genesis 43. Now this is the story
of Abraham, I mean Jacob, not wanting
to send Benjamin down to Egypt. He showed blatant favoritism
toward Benjamin over all of his other kids. I'm sure they had
issues with that, but who wouldn't? But still, he didn't want Benjamin
going down to Egypt where he could get in trouble. And in
order for them to have food, Benjamin would have to be sent
to Egypt. Remember, Joseph was there. They didn't know that.
They didn't know who he was. So in verse 36 of Genesis 42, and Jacob their father said unto
them, they were telling him, you're going to have to send
Joseph, I mean, Benjamin down to Egypt. Me, have you bereaved
of my children? Joseph is not, and Simony is
not, and you'll take away Benjamin away? All these things are against
me. How many times have you said
that? All these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his
father, saying, Slay my two sons. Oh, why don't you say slay me? No, I'll give up the two sons.
if i bring him not to slay my two sons if i bring him not to
thee deliver me into my hand and i'll bring thee bring him
to thee again and he said my son said no god go down with
you ain't no way you know if you said to me i'm going to take
full responsibility for your salvation i don't want you doing
it you're not the person for that I promise you can slay my
two sons. You depend on me for your salvation. No. That's what Jacob was saying
to Reuben. I don't trust you. As a matter
of fact, in another place he said, unstable as water, thou shalt
not excel. Now, would you trust me with
your salvation? With the salvation of your eternal
soul? If you know me, you'd say no. Chapter 43, verse 1, and the
famine was sore in the land. Now they were getting hungry,
and it came to pass when they'd eaten up the corn which they'd
brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy
a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying,
The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, You should not
see my face, except your brother be with you, Benjamin. If thou
wilt send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy thee food.
But if thou wilt not send him, we'll not go down. For the man
said unto us, you shall not see my face, except your brother
be with you. And Israel, or Jacob, said, wherefore dealt ye so ill
with me as to tell the man whether ye had a brother? And they said,
the man asked, straightly I stayed. You know, he knew who they were.
Remember Joseph? He knew. They didn't know who he was,
but he knew who they were. And if our kindred saying, is
your father yet alive? I have yet another brother. Have
you yet another brother? And we told him according to
the tenor of these words, could we certainly have known that
he would say, bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel,
what tribe did Christ come out of? Judah. Judah. And Judah said unto Israel,
his father. Send the lad with me and we will
arise and go that we may live and not die, both we and thou
and also our little ones. I will be surety for him. Now before I go on reading, remember,
this is what Jesus Christ said with regard to you. before the
foundation of the world, if you're one of his. I will be surety for him. I will bear the complete responsibility
of his salvation. I will be surety for him. Of mine hand shalt thou require
him, If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee,
let me bear the blame forever. And that's what Jesus Christ
said with regard to everyone he came to save. You require whatever you require
of them, you require of me. I will be surety for them. Now that's being the surety of
a better testament, isn't it? What do you prefer? Christ being
responsible for your salvation or for me or what's worse for
you? I see no safety in that. Oh,
Christ truly is the surety of a better testament. Now that means that Christ took
100% responsibility for my salvation
before I was even born. How do you like that? That's
better, isn't it? Oh, grace is better than works. Hebrews chapter eight. Here we find the word again,
verse six. But now hath he obtained, the
Lord Jesus, a more excellent ministry by how much also he
is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better
promises. Now here we have the word better
twice. a better covenant established upon better promises. Better covenant, we've already
seen a little bit about what that means when Christ became
the surety, the guarantee of that better covenant before time
began. But it's a better covenant because
it's got better promises. The promises of the gospel. Here's
what he said, which promise is better? What if God said to you,
I'll save you, I promise I'll save you if you do your part. Or God saying, I promise I'll
save you if Christ does your part. Which one's better? That's a no-brainer. It's infinitely better to have
Christ doing everything for my salvation. That's infinitely
better. And I know that there are some
people who say, well, you're saying, you're taking people
off the hook and saying they can live any way they want as
long as Christ dies for them. You can say whatever you want
about that. I don't care what kind of objections you make. I've
heard that all my life. Christ doing everything's better.
You can just write that down. Christ doing everything is better.
And if any part of salvation is dependent upon you doing something,
you're toast. I'm toast. We will not be saved. The promises of the gospel are
better promises. Listen, grace is better than
works. Being saved by God willing it
is better than being saved according to your will, because I know
where my will and your will will go. Oh, it's infinitely better
to be saved by Christ, the mediator of the better covenant with better
promises. Look in Hebrews chapter nine, verse 23. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these, talking about these animal sacrifices, but the heavenly
things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Now I
wanna talk about better sacrifices. Everybody, everybody in this
room at one time has brought to God some kind of sacrifice. And I'm not even talking about
blood sacrifice right now. Something you're sacrificing
in order to be saved. If I do this, I'll be saved. If I give up this, I'll be saved. If I start doing this and quit
doing that, I'll be saved. If I turn over, whatever, that's
bringing to God some kind of sacrifice. This is costing me
something. I'm doing something, it's costing
me, and therefore God will do something for me. That's the
human sacrifice that men all bring. I've done it, you've done
that. You know what? It's no good. Any sacrifice you bring is no
good. Let me repeat that. Any sacrifice
you bring is no good. It will be vile to God. God won't
accept it. But there's a better sacrifice. Look what he says in verse 24
when he speaks of this better sacrifice. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with the blood of others. For then must he have often suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the
world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. Now this is the better sacrifice. His sacrifice, not yours. Quit
thinking about what you need to sacrifice. Your sacrifices
are worthless. But His sacrifice put away sin. If He died for me, I do not have
any sin because it's been put away. That's a better sacrifice,
isn't it? Better sacrifice than anything
you or I could bring. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 32. Now this is how much
he's better. When we talk about Christ being
better, listen to this. Verse 32, but call to remembrance
the former days, in which after that you were
illuminated, You were brought, God gave you light concerning
the gospel. You endured a great fight of
afflictions, partly whilst you were made a gazing stock, both
by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while you became companions
of them that were so used, but you had compassion of me in my
bonds and took joyfully, now look at this, you took joyfully
the spoiling of your goods. What if somebody came up and
said, if you believe on Christ, I'm gonna take everything you
have away. And it's all confiscated and
you're left out in the street with nothing. You know how these
people took this? Joyfully. Joyfully. How? Knowing in yourselves that in
heaven, You have a better and an enduring substance. Christ is better than anything
material and anything that's associated with anything material. We think of our stuff, our stuff
is worthless. I want to be found in Christ.
And being in Christ is better than anything material. It's
better than any fleshly security. It's better than status. It's
better than image. Christ is better. And listen
to this. Listen to this. The day's coming with all of
us. With all of us. The day's coming. Where if we
found, if there was an envelope at our feet with $1 million in
it, it wouldn't be worth our time to bend over and pick it
up. That day is coming. Christ is better than any kind
of substance. any kind of stuff. And they took
joyfully the confiscation of all their goods. Hebrews 11,
16. But now they desire a better
country that is in heavenly where God is not ashamed to be called
their God. Now, we want a society that we
all feel like it's fair and just
and so on. We want the government to be
fair and just. We want all these things out
of society, out of the city, out of the, Christ is better. And this heavenly city is so
much infinitely better than anything here. I mean, I want to live
in a pleasant environment, you do too, an environment of justice,
but Christ is better. These earthly cities, they're
really no good. Oh, we desire a heavenly city. Now look at Hebrews 12. This
is the last one we're gonna look at. Hebrews 12. 28. No, verse
24, I'm sorry. Hebrews 12, 24. And Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than
that of Abel." Now please listen to this story that is no doubt
the most important story in the Old Testament as far as illustrating
what the Bible is all about. It's the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel have both been
taught by their father to bring a blood sacrifice. God cannot
be approached apart from His Son. Abel understood that that
blood sacrifice he brought pointed to the coming Son of God. He
wasn't thinking there was any saving efficacy in that blood
sacrifice. But Cain saw no need. He brought The best he could
do, beautiful vegetables. He worked hard on them. He brought
them. I guess he thought, well, as
long as I'm sincere, it doesn't matter what I bring as long as
my motive's right. Well, it wouldn't be right, Cain.
You don't realize that, but that's what he thought. So he brings
his best. Scripture says God had no respect for it. No respect. It was an insult. God had no respect for Cain or
his offering. Abel brings the blood sacrifice.
Now he knew that there was no saving efficacy in the blood
of that animal, but what that animal pointed to, the coming
son of God, who would shed his blood. And the scripture says
that God had respect to Abel and to his offering. So afterwards,
Cain and Abel had a discussion about this. I'm sure Cain was
upset. Why did he take your offering?
He didn't take mine. And I'm sure Abel explained,
you can't approach God apart from the blood of Christ. He
knew that. He understood that. What you're
bringing is your own works. And Cain started getting mad.
He said, you self-righteous jerk, do you think your way's the only
way? And they kept going and they kept arguing and all of
a sudden Cain got so mad that he bashed his brother's head
in. I don't know what he used for it, but he killed him. He
killed him. And then the voice of God sometime
later said to Cain, where's your brother? He said, how should
I know? Am I my brother's keeper? And
then God says, your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. What did it cry? Vengeance. Justice. Put him to death. Look what he did to me. And yet
we read the blood of Christ speaks better things than that of Abel. What does the blood of Christ
cry? Forgive him. Accept him. Justify him. Save him. Beloved, Jesus Christ is better. Everything associated with him
is better. And the way you and I will persevere
is by really believing he is better than anything. As a matter of fact, nothing
even compares with him. Christ is better. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that you will cause us to see in your mercy and in your grace
that thy son is better. And Lord, deliver us from trying
to come into your presence in any way, but him who is better. In his high and holy name we
pray. Amen.