If you would, I'm gonna start
in Hebrews chapter one. I don't know how far I'm gonna
get with this. I don't know how far I'm gonna go with this. This
is a little odd for me. Walter has said before, and I
have agreed before, and I still agree. The book of Hebrews is
a little different than every other book. It is glorious and
difficult at the same time. It is deep and sometimes if you're
not paying attention, confusing at times. Now there are great
and large flowing passages that I just dearly love. There are
chapters that just continue line upon line, precept upon precept,
all in succession. And then there's passages which
go back and revisit something he's already wrote about. Revisit
earlier themes and look at them and say something just a little
different angle looking at them. But today, what I'm going to
attempt to do, if I can, is to kind of give an overview and
an introduction to the book of Hebrews. What I'd like for you
to remember one word, one word, that should come to mind after
this, hopefully, a sermon, and maybe two, I don't know, is one
word when reading the book of Hebrews, and that word is the
word better, better. The word is used 13 times in
the book of Hebrews, and it's used in 12 different verses in
the book of Hebrews, just the word better. So that's what I've
titled this, Paul, Hebrews, The Better Book. The Better Book. Because the overarching theme
running through this book is the person and the work of Jesus
Christ. Make no mistake about it. What I wanna point out today
is a part of that is to always keep in mind whenever you are
reading Hebrews, and really if you want to, every book in the
Bible, is that Jesus Christ is better. Hebrews makes clear that
the Old Testament spoke in shadows and types of this one who came. The Old Testament spoke in Christophanes
of the one who was going to come, that's Melchizedek. Jesus Christ, the Savior, who
is Christ the Lord. Now, the first verse I wanna
look at, of course, is Hebrews chapter one and verse four. Being made so much better than
the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name
than they. Jesus Christ is better than the
angels. Is there any question about that?
This is scripture. This is the truth of God pinned
down by men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and this man wrote
down, whether it's Apostle Paul or somebody else, it doesn't
matter. It's here and it's true, and
it agrees with every other scripture that Jesus Christ is better than
the angels. Jesus Christ was not a man who
became God. And I don't care what the Mormons,
the Jehovah Witnesses, the Christian scientists, or anybody else says
about it. He was better than the angels
before he came. He was better than the angels
while he was here, and he's better than the angels now, which is
the exact point this man is putting forward here. It says, God in
sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
son. whom his son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. He was God
before he got here. He made the worlds before he
came. How did they get this stuff? This was a man who became God.
Guess what? They're ignoring scripture. That's
the only way you can do it. You don't have to care about
scripture when you already got your own doctrine. And guess
what? Millions do it. Every day. It's vexing. It's vexing, if you believe the
scripture, to hear people talk, write, speak, prophesy, whatever,
without any regard to the truth of God that he's given us. who being the brightness of his
glory and the express image of his person and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down, sat down, sat down, sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels.
There's no angel ever that sat on the right hand of the Father.
Never. Not gonna happen. And guess what? I am sitting at the right hand
of the Father in my Lord. In Him. In Him. It ain't me,
it's Him. But the reason I'm in Him is
the Father put me in Him. And if He put me in Him, if He
put you in Him, you're in Him. You're in him. And he is better
than the angels. What also does that mean? He's
better than you. He's better than me. He's better
than everyone. I know this ain't rocket science,
but you gotta kinda explain these things sometimes and actually
just lay it out because most people will not. You understand? They think Jesus
is their buddy. Have you ever seen that? I'm
gonna tell on myself. There's a movie which was basically
blasphemy. And they were selling, in the
movie now, they had a product they were selling, it was called
the Buddy Jesus. It was one of them little statues of the guy
that looks sort of like Wild Bill Hickok as Jesus, with his thumbs
up, smiling at you. That's as bad as the little Sacred
Heart of Jesus statue, as far as I'm concerned. You're not
supposed to make any idol anyway. Anyhow, they think Christ is
their buddy, he's their pal. He is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother, but he is also your Lord. And he's your
Lord, your master, or he's not your savior. This scripture never
tells anyone to accept Jesus as their personal savior. Lion
preachers say that. And I'll say that on television.
Lion preachers say that. The scriptures never tell you
to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. It says bow to Him as
Lord. And if He's your Lord, He is
your Savior. But they wanna put the cart before
the horse. Oh, you can accept Him as your
Savior. Make Him your Lord later. No, if He's not your Lord, He
can't save you. Because only, only the Lord Jesus
Christ can save. And only the Lord Jesus Christ
does save. Why? Jesus Christ is better.
He's better. Everything having to do with
Jesus Christ is better because he is better. And this is where
the book of Hebrews starts. Don't ever forget that as you
read on, no matter what you read in here, don't ever forget this
part. Jesus Christ is better. Better than the angels, better
than you, and he is seated at the right hand of the majesty
on high. He's seated at the right hand of God. And he's the one
who made the world. That's the kind of power our
Lord has. That's the kind of power our
Lord is. And I'll tell you, the world's
religion don't want nothing to do with this Jesus. They don't
want anything to do with the one who's better, with the one
who has all the power. But that's the only one that'll
save me. That's the only one who can. Jesus Christ is better. Now if you would, turn to Hebrews
chapter six and verse nine. I hope. Oh, I'm in five. Okay. Oh my,
I picked the wrong verse. No, I'm looking at the wrong
chapter. It's me. But beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you. and things that accompany salvation,
though thus we speak. For God is not unrighteous to
forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward
his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and you do minister,
do minister. I'm gonna stop right there. Jesus Christ is better. And if
you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's what he's talking
about here in Hebrews chapter six, there's better things of you.
There's better things of you. It's because of him. It's only
because of him, but don't forget, because of him, you work, you
labor, and you love. You show it. to his name. God's people don't work for their
own glory. There's a lot of glorying going
on around us. That ain't the better things
of you. If God doesn't get all the glory, it's not better at
all. But we are persuaded better things
of you. Believers see believers work. You understand? Faith without works is dead. James said that. I know Martin
Luther doesn't like it, but that's okay. But James is not writing
of your faith, your works, showing your faith to God. That's not
what he's talking about. He's talking about if God has
saved you by his son, you will work. And other believers can be persuaded
because of your works. That's the only thing we can
see. I can't see your heart. You can't see my heart and I
thank God for that every day. I don't even like looking at
my own heart. And I suppose you don't like looking at yours.
I hope you don't. Because if you know Christ, you
have a glimpse, just a little glimpse of the evil that is still
in this flesh. And that doesn't make anybody
happy. Who knows him? Who knows him? You show it to his name, how? Jesus Christ, preserves his people. He keeps them to the end, and
he's gonna raise them up at the last day. He said that, I didn't. I'm just repeating what he said.
Them will I raise up at the last day. And you know what that means,
don't you? It means them, I'm gonna raise
up at the last day. They're gonna be there, they're
gonna be raised. And they're gonna be there and
they're gonna be raised because he is going to do it. And in order for you to be there
at the end, in order for you to be raised at the end, he's
gotta keep you there until that end. Because of him, specifically
here in chapter six, we don't fall away. Some do. They do. Verse six of
Hebrew six. If they shall fall away, to renew
them again unto repentance. Guess what? It's impossible.
We're forsaking better things of you. That's what he's saying. That's what he's talking about.
He's putting a difference between the apostasy, apostasizers, is
that a word? It is now. I'll add it to my
dictionary on my computer if I need to. between the apostatizer
and the believer. That's what he's doing. And the
believer has the better things because Jesus Christ is better
and he keeps you. And while we're here on this
earth believing in him, we are to work out our own salvation
with fear and trembling. How? He tells us. He works in
us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We, believers, continue. Continue. And if you continue,
you're in your mind with disciples. If you don't continue, I guess
that means you're not. I'm not trying to read anything
in the scripture, but that's what it says. Christ said that. You're my disciples indeed if
you continue. If you continue. If you don't
continue, what does? You know, it's equal and opposite.
You're not a disciple. But we're persuaded better things
of you. What'd he say? Beloved. You know why we're persuaded
better things of you? Because we believe you are beloved
of the Lord. Of the Lord. Yes, you are my
brother and sister in Christ. And yes, I do my best to love
you. But see, that's not the beloved. This is in the beloved. Beloved of the Lord. You continue. And continuing, you work. Hebrews chapter seven and verse
seven. The next better. How's that sound? And without all contradiction,
the less is blessed of the better. I like that scripture. Now this
is referring to Melchizedek and Abraham. Abraham paid tithes
to Melchizedek. You'll read on here if you want
to, Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek in Abraham. You know, that's scripture. That
ain't me making up stuff. In Abraham, the father of them
all. Father Abraham, that's what it calls him in the scripture.
When he paid tithes to Melchizedek, we all paid tithes to Melchizedek.
All of Abraham's children. And he talked about Levi in specific
because Levi was the priesthood. The priesthood paid tithes to
the high priest. and Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Now I believe firmly, and we've
said it before here, that Melchizedek is a Christophany, an appearance
of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Without father,
without mother, I'm not going all into that. But you understand,
that's the whole thing. The less is blessed of the better. Abraham was less than Melchizedek.
Guess what? Abraham is less than Christ. He's less than Jesus Christ.
Now these Jews set a great deal of store by Abraham. And rightly
so in a lot of ways. And wrongly so in a lot more
ways because they got carried away with it and was looking
to Abraham and not looking to God. And certainly not looking
to the Christ who came on this earth who is better. They weren't
looking to Jesus Christ. They told Christ. And he looked
at him and he said, Abraham saw my day and he was glad. You quote
Abraham, you love Abraham, Abraham's looking at me. And that's what
this is saying. The less is blessed of the better
and Jesus Christ is the best. He's the best. And we need to
be blessed by the better. That's where we are. It keeps
coming back to Jesus Christ is better. And this means this without
any contradiction, Melchizedek was better than Abraham. Now, chapter seven also, verse
19. Like I said, this is basically an introduction and an overview. So I'm gonna be skipping around.
Hebrews seven, verse 19, for, and I love this one, for the
law made nothing perfect. There's a lot of Jews I bet hate
that. And I know they hate it when he wrote it. That was a
long time ago. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the witch, we draw
nigh unto God. Here's the newsflash, breaking
news. You can leave it up for two hours
on CNN if you want. or four days. Breaking news, the law made nothing
perfect. I'm gonna add a word, the law
made nothing perfect ever. And the law makes nothing perfect
now. And the law doesn't keep anything
perfect. You understand, you're not saved
by grace, but then you keep the law. The law made nothing perfect. not even your obedience. The law makes nothing perfect,
but, but, there's that word, that
word, but the bringing in of a better hope did. Now Jesus Christ is hope. And
if you believe Jesus Christ is your hope, the better hope. He's the better hope. And Jesus
Christ is better than the law. How so? How can you say something
like that? The law is holy, just and good.
Yes, it is. The law is holy and the commandment
is holy, just and good. Yes, it is. It certainly is.
And Jesus Christ is still better. Why? Because the law didn't make
anything perfect, but Jesus Christ has. And I said that in the past
tense on purpose. Jesus Christ is making things
perfect. Jesus Christ always shall make
everything perfect. But Jesus Christ has made things
perfect. The law never did. The law never
did. He came to seek and to save that
which was lost. He saved his people from their
sins. Only perfection saves. God requires perfection. God
requires what? Holiness. Be ye holy, for I am
holy. Like I said, that verse used
to scare the dickens out of me. So it finally got into this dense
head And his corrupt heart, well, it didn't get into the corrupt
heart, it got into the good part. But it's all right. Finally made
it through these dumb thoughts. I'm perfect in him. Jesus Christ
is better. And a better hope, I mean, that's
the subject. For the law made nothing purpose,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. That's good stuff. That's good
stuff. His work paid the debt of our
sin and our sins. They're gone, never to be remembered
no more, as far as the East is from the West, which never ends.
Never more to be remembered. But his work, his perfect work,
also gave his people his righteousness. He has given us, the Father has
made him to be wisdom and righteousness. Made to be what? Unto us. Unto
us. Unto each and every one of us,
Jesus Christ is better. And God made him to be unto us
wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. By Him, by the better hope, we
draw near to God. Say it again. We draw near to
God and don't die. We don't die. Why? Because we're in Him. We're in
the one who is better. Jesus Christ is better. We are
in him. When the father sees us, he sees
all. He sees his son. He sees his
son's righteousness. He sees his son's body and blood. We draw near to God, not by ourselves
or by our own work or by our own will. We draw near to God
by the better hope. By the better hope. Because Jesus
Christ is bringing in many sons to glory. He brings his brethren
to his father. We are, believers are, the family
of God. And it doesn't matter how you feel
about family, it matters how God feels about family. I'm all for God's family. And
I wanna be in it. And by his grace I think I am. Because now it is possible that
we draw near to God and not die. Yeah, that's grace. That's mercy. That's power. That's true power. The power to keep a sinner, even
a sinner saved by grace, but still a sinner alive in the sight
of God. See, most people think that's
nothing. God loves everybody, don't you know? Don't you know, God loves everyone.
No, he doesn't. No, he doesn't. Every now and then I have to
look at the camera, pretend like I'm talking to the TV. He doesn't. God doesn't love everyone. Esau's
not the only person he hated. I know a lot of preachers feel
that way. Most preachers totally ignore that statement. I heard
a fellow who had done it on a radio broadcast, brought his father-in-law
in, who was also a preacher, and they talked about it, and
he said, well, Jacob I've loved, Esau I hated. Well, God doesn't
hate anybody, so forget about that. What'd I tell you? They're not gonna let the scripture
get in their way. They're not gonna let the scripture get in
their way. That's what the scripture says. You can say, God loved
Jacob, but he loved Esau less. Well, you look at the words.
And you can look at the words in any Greek testament. That's
not what it says. It says Esau I've hated. And
you know what he meant? Esau I've hated. That's what
he meant. And Esau's not the only one. But, If you know this better
hope, you can draw near to God and not die. Why? Because the better hope has and
does make perfect. The law never did. The law never
could. Jesus Christ can, so Jesus Christ
does. Isn't that a beautiful thing?
It is. It is. We worry about the law. And I'd love to be able to keep
the law. But I can't. And nobody else
can either. So don't feel so bad about me.
Nobody here is keeping the law. But the better hope did keep
the law. And he kept it perfectly. And
he still died. He still was buried, and he still
rose again, and he took his body and his blood before the Father
and made an offering for sin. And he was accepted by the Father. Oh, he's better. Jesus Christ
is much better. The law didn't because the law
couldn't. And Jesus Christ does because
Jesus Christ can. and the Father accepted him,
and the Father chose us in him. We are accepted because he has
made us acceptable. Jesus Christ is the better hope,
the better hope. Chapter seven, verse 22. By so
much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. We talk about the Old Testament
and the New Testament. We talk about the Old Covenant and the
New Covenant. The Old Testament book and the New Testament book. His testament is better because
it's his. It's his. You know how I know
it's his? He is the surety of that Testament. His Testament, his covenant is
secure because Jesus Christ is our security deposit. That's
what it's talking about. Testament, a covenant is a contract. Now this contract is between
the Father and the Son and the Spirit. This is a contract of
God. This is not a contract between God and man. No, this is a contract
between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. And the Father
chose us, the Son gave his life for us, and the Spirit brings
us in. He gives us life and brings us
in. Whose work is all that? It's his. It's God's work. And Jesus was made the surety
of a better testament. So as long as Jesus Christ is
accepted by God, you are. Now, how long do you think the
Father will be pleased with the Son of God? I think eternity
is a good word for that. Eternal life. That's what he
gave us. That's what he gave us. As long
as he's the surety for that testament, that testament is gonna happen. Now I'm not gonna go into the
fact that whenever there's a testament, there has to be the death of
the testator, he died. That's right. But not only did
he die, he rose again from the dead. And not only did he rise
again from the dead, showing that he was fully accepted by
the Father, he ascended. He entered the holy place not
made with hands and made that offering of himself, his body
and his blood to the father and the father accepted the son fully,
completely. Why? Because his work was perfect. Everything he did, he did perfectly
according to the will of his father. And now the testator
has passed. So the Testament is enforced.
And the testator lives again. He lives again. And he ever liveth
to make intercession for us. For those who are in this Testament
that he wrote. That's a better Testament. Because the one who wrote it
is the one who's enforcing it. And the one who wrote it is the
surety for it. And the father is well pleased
with his son. And he, what, I'm the Lord, I
change not. So is he ever not gonna be pleased
in his son? No, no. He is our testament,
the New Testament. He called it the New Testament,
what, in my blood. His Testament is better because
he is the mediator of the New Testament. He's the one in charge
of enforcing it. It's amazing. Everything that
could not be forgiven under the Old Testament is forgiven in
the New Testament. All those sacrifices that were
offered never took away one sin. But the New Testament in his
blood, has taken away all of our sins. I gotta go. By so much more was Jesus made
a surety of a better Testament, okay? Now look at Hebrews 8 verse
6. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry by how much also he is a mediator of a better
covenant, that better testament, better covenant, which was established
upon better promises. The better covenant has better
promises. What was the law's promise? This
do and live. He couldn't do it. That's why
he gave the sacrifices. We got the sacrifices along with
the law. Why? Because you couldn't do it. But
this covenant is established on better promises. Matter of
fact, the better covenant was promised during the first covenant. And if the first had been faultless,
there would have been no need for the second covenant. Now it's not God's fault, it's
ours. Well, look at the next verse. Which was the better covenant,
which was established on better promises. Verse seven, for if
that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for the second. Verse eight, for finding fault
with them, them. He saith, behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, when I'll make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and the house of Judah. There was nothing wrong with
the first covenant. The problem was with us. The problem was
with men. The problem was with man. The
problem has been man from the beginning. We are our own worst
enemies. But this better covenant has
a better promise. Look at verse 10. Here's the
better promises. Because this is quoting Jeremiah
31, 31. That's where the writer of Hebrews
got this. For this is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel in those days, saith the
Lord. I will put my laws into their
mind and write them in their hearts. I will be to them a God
and they shall be to me people So what's this covenant this
new covenant this better covenant with the better promises? What
are those better promises? I will I will I will and they
shall That's the better promises God's gonna do a work and you're
gonna have a work done on you. I He didn't put anything in the
hands of man when it comes to the new covenant. It's on better
promises than us. Better promises. It's on the
work of Christ. It's on the work of Christ to
create this covenant. It's on the work of Christ to
keep this covenant. It's on the work of Christ to
enforce this covenant. I will put them in, I will write
them in their hearts, I will be to them a God, and they shall
be, shall be, not could be, not might be, not if they choose
to be, they shall be to be a people. The better promises are those
promises of what the Lord God would do. because no better promise of
the new covenant, of the better covenant, is based upon anything
we would do. I mean, you can't separate this
statement written here. Like I said, it came from Jeremiah
31, where it says, I will put my laws in their mind and write
them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall
be to me a people. These are conjunctions tying
these phrases together perfectly. You can't separate them. I will, I will, I will, and they
shall. The father is not a respecter
of persons. However, the father totally respects
the work of his son. The world don't have nothing
for it. The world says you can take it or leave it. Nuh-uh,
God says I will, and he will. God says they shall, and they
shall. Why? His word's not returning
unto him void, Walter. It's going to, going to accomplish
everything he sent it forth for. Why? Because his son is better. It's a better covenant and it's
better promises and I might have to stop because I'm running out
of time. Never forget that. Jesus Christ
is better. He's better than you, he's better
than me, he's better than the angels. Fallen or unfallen. Doesn't matter, why? He's God. He's God. The word was with God
and the word was God. And the word still is God. I wish I could make people see
that. I wish I could make people see him. Can't. Can't do it. I can proclaim
it in his gospel. And if you believe, you're one
of his. But Jesus Christ is better. Our
Father, we are thankful again for this time, this place. Thankful
again for your precious son, the Lord of glory, who has done
so much and is doing so much and has done it all in our salvation. Thank you, Lord. Be with Walter
as he comes to preach your gospel. Give him the power and the words,
the Holy Spirit speak through him. We ask this in Christ's
name, amen.