Hebrews
Hebrews 1:1-3
The Great Communicator I clearly remember the presidential campaign of 1964, the first time I was able to vote. I was in college and very interested in politics. Lyndon Johnson was from my home state of Texas, but to me he was the epitome of the big-spending, big-government liberal. I became an avid supporter of Barry Goldwater. I read his speeches, watched him on TV, attended a huge rally for him at the War Memorial in Kansas City, and even got to shake his hand. Goldwater was a really good communicator. Who will ever…
Hebrews 1:4-14
Seen Any Angels Lately? We launched a new study series last Lord’s Day on the New Testament book of Hebrews, a book whose goal is to urge believers on to maturity and whose theme is the absolute supremacy of Christ. There is an argument going on in the book of Hebrews, and each week builds on what comes before it. If you have to miss a week, I want to encourage you to go to the website and pick up what you…
Hebrews 1:4-2:4
Angels Are Son Worshipers Last Lord’s Day we read Hebrews 1 and learned that the author’s principal point is that “as great as angels are, Jesus Christ is vastly superior.” We also observed that in order to grasp his argument fully we needed to have a truly biblical understanding of angels. So instead of jumping headlong into the argument, we examined all that the Bible teaches about angels–their existence, their nature, their number and organization, their ministry to God, to Jesus Christ,…
Hebrews 2:5-18
What is Mankind? For the past several Sundays we have been studying about angels. Our goal has been to discover how significant angels are to us, not that we might honor the angels but rather that we might honor Jesus Christ, who is so much greater than even the angels. As we come to our text today, we find that the author is not quite through with angels; in fact, they are mentioned four more times in Hebrews 2:5‑18. It is not…
Hebrews 3:1-6
One Greater Than Moses Introduction: Who is the greatest hero among God’s people today? That question is a bit hard to answer, for this is not the age of heroes. In fact, Americans seem to take delight in hero‑bashing. Probably the closest we have had to a bona fide Christian hero in my lifetime is Billy Graham. Others who have that status among certain groups might be Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaffer, or Mother Theresa. But not one of these names or even all…
Hebrews 3:7-4:13
The Tragedy of Unbelief What is the most heinous sin a human being can commit? Is it brutal, premeditated murder? Is it some grossly perverted immoral act? Is it the abuse of an innocent child? Is it the attempted annihilation of an entire race? What is the most heinous sin a human being can commit? Well, I think we can answer that question if we ask and answer another one: What is the only sin that will send a person to Hell, the only one that…
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
One Greater than Aaron: A Priest Who Never Disappoints We began this series on Hebrews with a message whose theme was really, “Jesus is greater than the OT prophets.” The next theme was “Jesus is greater than the angels.” The next sermon was “Jesus is greater than Moses.” The following one could have been entitled, “Jesus is greater than Joshua.” And today I want us to consider that “Jesus is greater than Aaron.” What the author of Hebrews is doing is carrying on a series of…
Hebrews 5:11 6:3
Grow Up! Note: This sermon is short because my second time through Hebrews I divided the text differently. This particular sermon is just part of one I preached earlier. The passage before us today was penned partly out of frustration. The author desired to teach some deep truths about the high priesthood of Christ but could not because of the immaturity of his audience. Let’s begin by reading Hebrews 5;11-6:3. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because…
Hebrews 6:4-20
Bad News, Good News Introduction: A businesswoman prays to receive Christ after her friend shares the Gospel with her, but soon she becomes disillusioned with church when she hears sermons on topics like Satan, judgment, and same-sex marriage. A prominent black pastor leaves his Baptist church to become a Muslim, stating that Islam has become the real impetus for social change in the American black community. A young woman in the Third World faces terrible persecution from her family and…
Hebrews 7:1-28a
From Pablum to Porterhouse Forty years ago I heard Howie Hendricks preach a sermon entitled, From Pablum to Porterhouse. I don’t remember the sermon or even the text but I never forgot the title. I decided it fit my Scripture passage today perfectly, so I borrowed it. Pablum is baby food. Porterhouse is steak. Baby food is easy to digest and therefore appropriate for babies. Steak takes a lot more effort, but it’s so much more enjoyable and nutritious for those who can handle it. For two…
Hebrews 8:1-13
Why Do We Need a New Covenant? When Jesus ate the Last Supper with His disciples and instituted the ordinance of communion, He said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood.” What did he mean? One of the most important but least understood concepts in the Bible is that of “covenant.” The word is used over 250 times altogether and more often in the book of Hebrews than any other NT book, by far. A number of covenants are mentioned in…
Hebrews 9:1-14
How to Clear a Guilty Conscience God has been very good to me. I have a wonderful wife, two fine sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, four grandkids, a nice home, a job I love, faithful friends, and excellent health. I’ve never missed a meal, divorce has not touched my birth family for many generations, I’ve never been unemployed, and my parents and grandparents have lived into their 90’s. I’ve had relatively little suffering, as compared to many of God’s people. My life, however, has…
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