Message 3 -The Need For Suffering A God (Hebrews: Greater Than)

we were always looking for a way just to raise some extra money that's part of a youth pastors job you have to plan the camps the retreats the mission trips the overnighters basic youth pastor math if you take 48 kids to camp you should come home with 48 kids I had that part down the problem with the finances was students needed some scholarships I was working as a youth pastor in Fallbrook and we had a bunch of students that just needed help financially to go on these trips so word got out we're always looking for a fundraiser was carwashes selling stuff taking care of places whatever to earn some money so I got a phone call one day and I believe the name of the company don't know if it's still there or not was fall Burak feed and farm supply and they said hey would you guys like to do a flea dip and I said I have no idea what's a what's a flea dip and they're all well we have these big galvanized water troughs out front and we'll fill them with water we'll put all kinds of flea-killing chemicals in there but we need someone to take all the dogs from the neighborhood that are going to show up and dip them scrub them down get them out the dogs shake off all the water and chemicals the owners are happy we're happy because we get owners into the store and you guys can collect all the funds we'll take care of all the supplies I said well what how's the transaction how the funds work and they go up to minimum five dollars but some people may tip your tan some people may tip you 20 depending on how dirty the dog is and I'm like can kids get bit and they're like sometimes and I'm like we'll do it so I show up for the first ever flea dip it been signs out and they'd been publicizing it and we get there early on a Saturday morning and you got this big galvanized basically cattle trough we fill it with water they tell us about what amount of chemicals go in there and I sit around a bunch of high schoolers until the cars start showing up people start getting out with their dogs and there's a line now of pet owners and then we take the dogs and we pick them up we put them in there the big ones you got to make sure you get water up on top not the eyes but around the head and everything the little ones you have to hold up and they just kind of swim for five minutes just paddling in one place you put them out they shake it off the owners are happy the store owner is happy they tip us we're happy and it was a great day and at the end of four or five hours at work we made some good scholarship money and I'm like this is pretty good and the owner of the store said would you mind doing it next month and I said we're in but now I'm a veteran it fully dippin we've got a handle on this so I get the right students we all show up again the signs are out their kids are all in the corner flea dip day with signs as everything's going like it should I look down the line and this elderly gentleman gets out of the car with one of those little small pet carriers and he just stands in line and I'm looking back going that's a small dog and as he gets up closer he comes up and he goes can you guys do cats and I said what and he goes will you guys dip a cat I go there's a lot of things I'd do to a cat not a cat man I don't think cats like water and he goes this one doesn't mind it never trust a man that says his cat doesn't mind water it's rule number one it's not a fill-in-the-blank but it should be today and I said I don't know how that's gonna work and he goes aw it's a really good cat but I think she's got fleas and I just can't take care of her and I'm like ah man what did you dip the cat he goes I couldn't do this to my cat should have been hint number two I said how does it work and he goes just just hold her and so I get this cat out and the cats kind of freaking out it's he it's an indoor cat and I'm patting it on my guy seems okay and he goes just hold the front paws with one hand and hold the back paws with another and just give it a dip and I said you got to be right here at this cage and I'm trying to say you should do it he goes no I think you should do it I don't think this is work he goes not it'll work so I take the cat off my chest I grab the paws as soon as she gets over this thing of water I feel everything in this cat trying to break loose and I looked at him I go this ain't gonna work and he goes dip her quick so I dipped her in the water and as soon as she got down in that water that cat with those two fangs that cats have bit right through my knuckle right through it I felt it right through and now my god and I let go with one hand don't get ahead of me now I have a cat paddling water turning on me claws going into me I got a knuckle that's just dripping with blood I got one hand on the cat that now let's go and I got a cat on me and I'm trying to push the cat off and I'm screaming and the owner starts screaming and the kids start screaming because two grown men are screaming and that cat hits the ground and that cat takes off to the little ravine there that runs behind all the buildings off of Main Street and disappears and I'm looking at blood just running down my hand I got an owner screaming at me I said I told you it wouldn't work and I yell at the kids go find that cat and we got high schoolers that run toward that ravine but that ravine is thick man and it's big and there's brush and they're worried about rattlesnakes and it's in the middle of summertime and when a cat goes into ravine and doesn't want to be found it ain't gonna get found and we spend about 15 20 minutes and I come out of that ravine and the owner standing there with this little holder and I said I'm sorry man we can't find the cat and he comes up and he grabs my shirt and he goes this is my worst nightmare and he just screams and my heart breaks for this guy and I go you know what we're gonna keep looking we're gonna keep looking and we tried to go back in that ravine and I everyone's calling here kitty kitty there that guy I forgot the name of the cat maybe freckles here freckles that freckles miss Suzie and everyone's looking for miss Suzie we're talking to the cat cat come on out I'm some cat if you can hear our voice I wasn't trying to torture you if you come out now you can go home and have a nice dinner but if you stay in the ravine you're gonna be dinner in North County we all know it especially in Fallbrook once that Sun sets the Coyotes on that ravine there's no way a house cats gonna survive a night it just isn't I know that my students know that the owner knows that the cat doesn't know that all the cat knows is it's loving owner brought it to be tortured by a stranger over a tub of water so that cat thinks it's saving his life but that cats killing itself by not coming out and I stood on that bank and I tried to reason with it cat please if you come out right now you're going home home to the life you love and do you know what that cat did neither do i because we never saw it again whenever we never saw that cat again the only thing that could have helped on that day was for one of us to become a cat and get that sucker out of there no it just wasn't gonna happen and that's that's the exact story we're looking at today and a book of Hebrews and I know you're sitting there going is there a lost cat story in the Bible that bit Jesus sort of kind of sort of it's the exact story we're looking at today to try to make sense out of maybe the questions you have and that you've brought in here we've been doing a study for this book of Hebrews back in the Bible I'm toward the very back of the Bible one of the larger books toward the back so if you're flipping around go past Matthew Mark Luke John go past acts Romans go past first and second Corinthians go past anything that ends in an eye ans or starts with the T like Timothy or Thessalonians and slow down because you're getting to Hebrews if you get James John revelation you've gone too far start in the back of the Bible it's probably easier to come back through Peter John James Hebrews chapter two if you weren't here last week we're trying to give you we're trying to give you an intellectual look at what does the Bible say about this guy Jesus not what you think about and what does the Bible actually say so once and for all you can come to a decision do I really want to buy this stuff or can I walk away from this once and for all and last week we looked at this in fact that we all have a definition of Jesus I've never met someone who doesn't believe Jesus they existed I've never met someone who said there was never a Jesus he's the most written about most quoted most taught about historical figure of all times I've never met someone that doesn't say he didn't exist but what do you think he was and did what's your definition and last week we simply looked at a lot of us have a definition of Jesus that comes from the Bible but it's not the biblical definition of Jesus instead of reading the Bible for what it says an autobiography of who this Jesus is we take it like a photo album when we take snapshots and go oh this is my Jesus he just told everyone to get along and everyone to love each other and he was to do gooder well you probably got some of that from the Bible but that's not the biblical definition and last week we looked without a doubt you cannot go to Scripture and read this without coming away with whether you believe it or not and that's up to you but you cannot walk away from this book without understanding it is written to simply say Jesus was God always has been always will be was there from the very beginning of creation came to earth for a time through Bethlehem the manger seen all that but he was God and every page of Scripture is screaming that point so then here's the problem today why why did God have to come and be man and if that was God why was there suffering in death see this is the problem that this book Hebrews is written to talk about it's written to a Jewish group of people who are going wait a second timeout timeout you're telling me God came to our neighborhood and we missed him come on how ignorant do you think we are you're telling me God came to earth walked around like one of us was easily killed and we missed that why what kind of God does that is it's the only God as far as I've been able to find and look through all religions and all philosophies the only God that comes to be one of his creation and suffers and dies why and I tell you I've wrestled with the same question many people have gone to Israel to the Holy Land and once they they're like oh my gosh it changed my view of the Bible always made everything so real for me it kind of did the opposite I've been over to Israel twice and after walking around and seeing Capernaum the city where Jesus lived seeing the actual synagogue that Jesus taught in the actual stones that Jesus walked on seeing the actual Sea of Galilee and being on it it's relatively small size don't know how it's called a sea it's a decent-sized lake seeing where they fished he became very human very normal very laissez-faire very unimportant so some guy walked around here and claimed to be God yeah that's it that's a tough one to swallow and Hebrew says let me explain to you why Hebrews chapter 2 we pick it up where we left off I think your outline says verse 10 as always I will change that verse 9 yeah let's back up one verse that we caught on last we can keep going but we do see Jesus who was made lower than the Angels for a little while now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone Circle highlight underline everyone he was guilty of nothing but he's gonna suffer for everything and he's gonna suffer for every one and this is the main crux of the Bible that we can now look at Jesus for a time he came to earth a little lower than the Angels to become purely human he gave up his spirituality he gave up his deity first I mean Philippians chapter 2 says even though he was equal with God he set aside the part of him that was God taking on the very nature of man he came to earth and he lived among us being a little lower than angels for a short time to be purely human because he suffered death so that by God's grace he might taste death for everyone and the Bible says Jesus came to earth to suffer and to die to lead you out of your suffering and death you see what God did that day is what I did on that ravine I realized you can't reason with the cat that's scared for its life and there is nothing in Chris as a human that can reason with a cat that somewhere lost in the ravine the only thing I must do that day has become a cat and if I could become a cat for a while I'd go down into the ravine and I'd sniff out the other cat and go hey buddy you've had a tough day The Dude's up you know that little it's saying you got going out and they were trying to kill the fleas your owner apologizes he's really upset he's not trying to kill you the other dude with all the kids they weren't trying to talk to you if you come out now you can get back in the carrier and go back home and you can live in the castle but if you stay here you're gonna get munched on and if I kid as a cat reason with the cat I turn around and I lead that cat no matter how far he had gone where he'd gotten lost I would lead that cat back out to the parking lot stand there watch him jump in his carrier go back home and then I turn back to Chris and go that wasn't so hard but the only way to reason to a lost cat is to become a cat this is the entire book of Hebrews let me tell you why God became human because God being God did not stand and look at us in the ravine and say hey this way because I cannot fathom the mind and understanding of God he became human to come to those of us that are lost those of us that thought we were doing the right thing we thought we were protecting ourselves we thought we were on the right track but in the end we're gonna get much done that there's certain death at the end of this road and he was going to lead us out of the ravine not just to show us life but to unlock death and say now you have something you can follow that is you God loved us so much he came to be one of us and in a moment we're gonna see how perfect how absolutely perfect this is God has always had a covenant the Bible calls it a contract with man first made with Abraham you owe Abraham out of of all people if you follow me I will make you a great nation more numerous than the sands on the seashore and out of that line I will bring a savior for the entire world just follow me God shows up to Moses it says if you listen and obey everything I'm telling you then you owe Israel out of you I will make you a kingdom a priest a royal priesthood the entire world will see who God is by the way his people follow him he will constantly show up to the nation of Israel and say if you just follow me then I will but every step of the way that contract has been broken from the very beginning it was offered to Adam and Eve we're gonna have a phenomenal relationship just don't break the rule you mean rules no rule there's one tree stay away from it that tree yeah let's go see and once again you get all the way through Scripture and it says Israel once again did what was right in their own eyes they did what was right in their own eyes they once again did was right it's the story of Chris got this Chris all you gotta do is walk with me just be pure be holy you got it that tree and Chris once again did what was right in his own eyes Chris once again did what was right what happens when you have a contract between two parties and one party is always unfaithful to that contract there has to be justice the amazing thing about the Bible is God said I'll fulfill both sides between God and man the son of God will become man he will walk the ravine he will show us how to get out of the ravine he will open the door and conquer death on the other side of that ravine and whatever humanity owes God he will take it out because now he is human God will fulfill both sides of this contract and it can be ratified this is the story of Hebrews this is why God had to become man because sin had to be dealt with just had to be delivered on man and he goes I'll play both sides watch how this says in verse 10 in bringing many sons and daughters to glory in other words this plan and bringing all of us to glory to salvation it was fitting that God for whom and through whom everything exists should make the Pioneer Circle highlight underline of their salvation perfect through what he suffered he goes this entire plan is fitting for God oh man now that we see what God was doing isn't this fitting for God to do this now that's fitting for God to do this it's as simple this agreed with God's nature Oh doesn't this fit with God's character or doesn't this fit with God's wisdom that a God that expected man to live up to a contract would actually become man and fulfill that oh that's so fitting for what we know about this God in his nature this is fitting for his wisdom you know what this is fitting this is fitting for a god that hates sin and yet loves people what do you do if you're a god that hates sin and yet loves people we've talked about it before it's why there'll be no sin in heaven God is holy God is pure he cannot have a relationship with sin God is the absence of sin which means when you and I die if you're confused about this our Roman series last year watch the first like 6 sermons of that four chapters of how we've missed the mark we've all missed the mark and that little things just called sin and therefore none of us will be with this incredible God why because we all got sin some of you more than others notice I said you and some of us can outdo almost all of you and so we can't be with this holy God can't have sin but he loves people what is he gonna do oh my gosh you know what's fitting for God to come and play the role of man to suffer whatever consequences to be able to cleanse people so now we can be with God it doesn't make sense right if just all of us are allowed in heaven it means heaven is going to be full of sinners which means no matter how perfect the place is within a hundred years we're gonna turn it into Vegas you understand that right you understand all of us even on our best behavior for a couple hundred years we're gonna screw up heaven and God's gonna be like now I gotta go get started on another one they messed this one up too there's no sin in heaven can't be allowed that's the contract God says I will fulfill it wasn't this fitting for God this plan in your note sheet and then why the purpose of a suffering Jesus I just want you to write this down first you see suffering was essential for our sin to be dealt with by a loving and just God suffering was essential because our sin had to be dealt with by both a loving and a just God and to understand that we have to talk about God's wrath and in church we don't like talking about God's wrath you lose people when you start talking about God's wrath look at look at us North Coast we can afford to lose some people so let's talk about God's wrath but as a pastor I understand I don't want to spend time on God's wrath you know we should talk about God's love mmm give me more messages on love give me more messages on something someone I don't care who they are even some invisible God beyond the cloud that loves me I can't get enough of people loving me anything loving me talk to me more about love I'll sign up for that all day long you know what else we're not talking about forgiveness why look at you enough said we love talking about forgiveness talk about no matter the mistakes I've made how I screwed up what I've done it's all done with it's all forgiven me give me more forgiveness grace oh we love talking about grace don't we grace what is Grace it's a churchy word but but getting all the blessings and benefits of God for for pretty much nothing nothing Grace has a cool little acronym God's riches at Christ's expense Oh give me all the riches of God and someone else pays for it mmm I'm going to take two scoops of grace you know that we know what else what I was talking about we love talking about mercy don't we mercy it's like the opposite of grace not getting what I deserve give me more of that what do I deserve I would have been a pile of ashes years ago from a lightning bolt strike that was specifically placed on me and people would've gone now as a good god that's what I deserved mercy I don't get that I get Grayson's dad these are the sermons we love talking about in church this makes the crowd happy but do you realize every one of those is a result of God's wrath why do we need grace because we've incurred God's wrath why do we need mercy mercy from what from what our sins our debt has incurred stored up between us and God that's what we need mercy from God's wrath why do we need God's love why doesn't God just exist and we exist because we know we don't match up we know we've done all we know we deserve something other than love that's why we love hearing and talking about love because we know we intuitively know there's a wrath of an Almighty God why do we love talking about forgiveness because I know my score sheet and the consequences of that they aren't good see everything we love talking about God comes down to an understanding of I fall short that's what the Bible says Romans 3:23 of all sin Romans 6:23 the wages of that sin is death eternally I'm separated from God I'll never be with them done done but here's the problem when we talk about God's wrath we picture an angry God that we all have to run from when we talk about God's wrath we can't help but personify that and then what we know of life and yet I love some stuff I read from Michael Green that in the New Testament God has never described as being angry wrath is a noun never a verb it is God's attitude towards sin rather than his feeling towards people it's his settled opposition to all that is evil it is from our sin and its consequences that Jesus saved us not from a hateful God Jesus saved us from the consequences of what we deserve Jesus didn't step in between an angry God who hates you and he's like I'm gonna kill Chris I'll take it out on my son he goes no no God's anger and wrath is not like ours as humans it is it is sin things hear God's wrath is not like ours not like ours it's not a button that gets pushed it's not unpredictable it's not petty by nature you don't walk around this God on eggshells because he's about to go off God's wrath is not human it's a noun it's his feeling towards sin I understand this as a dad anything anything that is gonna hurt a break my kids I just hate it happened day one in the hospital little gooey baby with great junk that had to be like peeled off of it I'm like oh not what I picture and looking at this little kid first hours of life and her nurse comes in and says we're gonna put a needle in her and I'm like you and I was throwing down right now babe hold the kid I didn't hate the nurse I know nothing about the nurse in fact I love doctors nurse the medical profession she was about to hurt my little girl so she was gonna get my wrap and there's a dad you know what has to happen in that moment and you stand there and you watch pain causing your child you're like in this moment that's supposed to be love I've now got a hatred towards anything that hits my kid or hurts my kid that's my little girl my job is to protect her God's wrath was a noun it's not a verb it's his position his opposition towards anything that is meant to tear down break down hurt and rip away his child and as the dad I understand then there's a place for Wrath it's it's not human it's not God's not caught in traffic and he just flies off the handle God doesn't have a day where there's way too many prayers coming he's like yeah yeah you're not oh just shut up get in line yeah I'll be back in a minute now we have pictures of human wrath that's not God God says don't you understand this kills my kids they're lost in the ravine and they're doing what they think is best in him and there's certain death at the end of this and they're not going to return home and that encourage God's wrath it is it is provoked this isn't an unprovoked wrath it is provoked it is a response to evil God's nature is not wrath first John simply says God is love that's God's nature and if you take sin out of the world God has no wrath God's wrath is only his opposition his stance its provoked to what has you and I lost in our ravine thinking we're doing what's right thinking we're doing what's best for ourselves and he goes you don't understand what's at the end of this see God's wrath is slow next to that you can write second Peter 3:9 it is slow it simply says God is not willing for any to perish he wants everyone to come to know him that's why God holds off that's why sometimes you wonder why does he just come back he goes cuz you have friends and family that don't know him yet he go so I'm holding off I'm fulfilling this contract I'm holding off on punishing sin see God's wrath is also revealed now in some sense there's a wrath of God that given enough time he will let you go next to reveal now you can write Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 1 is filled with stories of people that even though they knew God they didn't want to worship God they sat in the service last week they heard what the Bible said about Jesus but they're like I ain't living my life according to some guy hi I'm Lord in my life and given enough time Romans chapter 1 says God will give you over to your own desires God will allow you to live life the way you want to live life as part of justice and God's wrath saying there's only so much I can do you have free will you see God's wrath is also stored up the entire build-up of the new tests and 27 books in the back of the Bible is talking about a day that God will separate those on his right and those on his left and sin will have to be dealt with you can deal with yours now or he has to deal with it later it's justice you see God's wrath is on sinners on sinners you and I hold on to this thing called sin we freely make choices that he will not be God of our life then why in the world do we expect him to be God of our eternity we freely make a choice that he will not be God of our life why do we expect him to be God of our eternity and we will show up at the end of this life and once we pass through death and we will have sin contract is void guilty it's separation from God and here's the beauty of this entire story God's wrath is dealt with it is now dealt with he became human to suffer so that all as Hebrew says he tasted death for every one isn't this the fitting that God would do this doesn't this isn't fitting according to his nature isn't this fitting according to both God's love for people and his hatred for sin man how fitting is this that this is the plan he had in mind that he should make the pioneer at the end of verse 10 of their salvation perfect through what he suffered again I had you Circle pioneer that word in the Greek and we don't use a lot of Greek in Hebrew Bible is written in very plain English it was written in the most bottom shelf Koine Greek at the time but sometimes there's words that make sense better than others and then this word in the Greek is simply arc aghast and arc aghast is not just a pioneer it's a trailblazer it's one that goes out in front so others may follow an arc aghast is used for someone that starts a family so that others now may be enjoying in this family line an ARCA GaAs is someone who starts a city so that others can come and join a city he goes isn't this fitting that Jesus came to be our Ark aghast that Jesus came as human walked into the ravine saw what was broken saw what our mindset was saw how we were lost and to lead us out that others may follow isn't this fitting that we now have one our author our captain our Trailblazer that I can see that I can follow and that Jesus was made now perfect through what he suffered don't get hung up on that so Jesus wasn't perfect before this she just had to do this to become perfect no no this perfect is far more for my benefit than for his it's not that Jesus was lacking and this made him perfect it's set now Chris has a perfect Savior see before Jesus came my only image of God is an Old Testament God man it is thunder and smoke and fire and a circle around the mountain saying if you cross it you'll die in blazing trumpets and it's just unapproachable high voltage God now that one came to the ravine who looks like me who went through suffering like me who's been tempted like me I go oh this is perfect Jesus became the face of an Old Testament God I have something now it's far more approachable tangible something now it's relatable that I go man now he God I've seen how he walked the ravine I see how he got out I see how he dealt with friends family neighbors enemies man now I got a path to follow he became the perfect author Savior captain of our salvation it's by what he followed it's the Wizard of Oz remember remember and they finally get inside the Emerald City and they finally gives you the wizard and they're all walking down this long stretch and at the end of it is thunder and lightning and the lion jumps out the window and I'm the guy like follow the line until what until the curtains pulled back and I go oh well oh you're the guy flipping all the switches you're the guy running the show I can have a conversation with this you you're like me how perfect and fitting was it for God to say you can't live up to your end of the deal I will become a cat and I will go into the ravine and I will speak your language I will live your life I will lead you out I hope you like the captain the Trailblazer of your salvation and yet the need for suffering sin has to be dealt with don't ever ever get it confused don't ever say well God loves me because Jesus died for me how do you know God loves you because Jesus died for me no no no that means God was an angry god despiteful god and luckily Jesus stood in the way and died for you no no it is it's backwards Jesus died for you because of how much God loves you Jesus died for you because God said you're not coming out on your own you're not fighting your way out on your own I give you the Old Testament I've dropped off a map and you're not following this on your own sin has to be dealt with I'll come I'll be one of you I'll lead you out that's why verse 11 says both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family so Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters he said I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters in the Assembly I was seeing your praises and again I will put my trust in him and again he says Here I am and the children God has given me speaking Jewish language using the Old Testament to his Jewish audience he goes don't you understand that the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are now the same family and Jesus isn't ashamed to call you brothers and sisters one in the same family now and he quotes two of the Psalms and one of the prophets Isaiah and says this is what God's plan was it's this way the suffering was essential for us to have a God who we can now relate with suffering was essential for us to have a God who we can now relate with we now have two advantages not only do I now have an example one who's like me not just God but Jesus human now I have an example to go that's how you do temptation that's how you go through suffering but because he died and rose again his very spirit is in me one who has done temptation and suffering to guide me through temptation and suffering he was how perfect was God's plan in thinking this through for you and for I now we have a God that we can relate with and he calls us brothers and sisters is that an amazing thought you ever had a family member that you've been a little embarrassed to have don't point don't point your been someplace big gathering and somebody's out there just hooting and hollering making a nimble soul of themselves just a Jackalope and someone's like who's that idiot and you're like oh that's that's my brother that's my brother it's one of those as my brother we can talk later that's kind of how I pictured this didn't you heavens gun who's that idiot Chris what's that and guys like oh that's my son he's a work in progress guys we got some high hopes for that one no he who was holy has made us holy in this process and let me prove it back it up that now we are called brothers and sisters now God calls us sons and daughters that's what Romans was all about in 7 and 8 now therefore we cry out Abba Father we are heirs co-heirs with Christ we are fully adopted sons and daughters God does not look at you and see sin North Coast I've said it before it's a button of mine I understand what you're saying by it but I hate the phrase well I'm just a sinner that God loves I'm just a sinner saved by grace well then you're not a Christian the moment we follow this arc aghast the moment by faith we've reached out and said Christ I'm taking it your suffering to pay my way your suffering to cover me we are made holy I know we don't act like it I know we don't live up to it there's two types of truths in the Bible that in the New Testament there's a positional truth and there's a practical truth this is talking about your position in God you are holy you are a saint you're not a sinner saved by grace you may have been a sinner that's past tense you are holy when God looks at me goes what do you think of Chris he goes I just put a tee at the end of it that's Christ we are co-heirs with Christ I hold the same position that's why he calls us brothers and sisters God calls us sons and daughters you are made holy win by faith you step out of the ravine and say not my life I accept yours I know the wrath I deserve I don't want to show up and heaven holding that that's why when I die God's gonna go where there's a holy one and all my friends and family are gonna go oh oh I didn't know God could lie and I'm gonna scream positionally not practically that's why the Bible says let's live up to what we've obtained you're believing the lies about you I have an enemy that loves to tear me down and go remember who you are remember what you've done remember who you've done remember where you been I go that that was dealt with I remember who I am I'm holy I think that always act like it but position in God he calls his sons and daughters and he doesn't roll his eyes he's not embarrassed about it he says that one's mine that one's been covered that one's mine he sieverts 14 since the children have flesh and blood he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death that is the devil and free those all their lives were held in slavery in the ravine by their fear of death for surely it is not angels that he came to help its Abraham's descendants his people for this reason he had to be made like them fully human in every way in order that he might become a merciful and a faithful high priest in service of God that he might make atonement for the sins of the people because he himself suffered when he was tempted he is able to help those who are being tempted what a perfect arc aghast the Pioneer now live like us became human to help humans has lived through temptation has lived through suffering not just to show me away so that his spirit would be in me with his experience he's perfect now I pray to someone that understands what I'm going through I don't call out to some distant God that I can't see I pray to someone who gets the struggle of life he became human flesh and blood to simply save humans and he beat the power of death he was the pioneer not just for life but for the afterlife has anyone else ever beaten death and left the door open for you so that you could follow has anyone else is there any other religion that has conquered death left the door unlocked took it off its hinges and said now you can walk through as well I am the Pioneer the trailblazer that has led you not just through the ravine but here's how you're gonna get home it's those audacious claims of Jesus that we looked at last week that he's the only way he's the truth he's the life that he will judge all people all men it's those ridiculous claims that we will get to in just a second to end this and say what'd he do with that thought of the Bible you see suffering was essential for heaven to become a home for all people for heaven to become a home for all people for this reason he became a cat if he was doing this to save angels he would have become an angel he didn't he became human to save humans this is what the Bible says I'm not forcing it on you there's stuff here I don't like I'm gonna just be honest with you here's what I don't like if this is true and that's why he came to be human and if he suffered to pay the price of human sin for those that by faith receive and accept it and if that's what he knew he was about what does this mean for everyone who doesn't accept Jesus I was able to get around some really bad Church upbringing I was able to come back and understand there is a God out there that doesn't just love me but really likes me I was able at Palomar University last week as we talked about I had so many letters go Chris you know it's a college right I go that's part of the humor never mind never mind I was able to come to the fact of who this jaysus claim to be and what the Bible says over and over not reading snapshots for reading Scripture here's what I do not like about this Christianity this arrogance that says everyone has to be saved through the cross in Jesus Christ and once again this chapter screams out there's two conclusions it's either/or but there's only two conclusions there's number one that a suffering Savior was necessary for all of humanity a suffering Savior was necessary for all of humanity it's the entire purpose of the New Testament why Jesus had to suffer why that cross was there the entire 27 books in the New Testament points to a God that came that had to suffer jesus's entire ministry is based on him thinking he is the Messiah he does have to die for all the world he will judge all people he is the way the truth the life no one will get to heaven unless they go through him what do you do with these claims what do you do with just a small part these 10 verses we read in Hebrews chapter 2 that it is necessary for our faith to be put in this Christ to take care of sin what's that mean for everyone who doesn't do that this is the struggle of Christianity I put verses for the sake of time up there you can read it on your own but in mark 14 it's that last night of Jesus's life he's in the garden they're about to come and take him to a mock trial and to kill him he spends that entire night praying that entire night in the garden praying God I do not want to die in the cross I do not want to suffer I do not want to be beaten if there's any other way don't let me do this he gets some praying he's not satisfied with the answer so he goes back and he prays again for hours in the garden god I do not want to die on this cross I do not want to suffer I do not want to be beating I don't want to go through this if there's any other way take this cup from me when I'm about to take on myself I I'm done he gets up he walks away he doesn't like the answer so a third time he goes back and he's praying God I do not want to die on the cross if there's any other way to save humanity take this one from me that's in that third prayer not liking the answer but obedient to it he got up woke up his disciples he said let's get ready here comes my betrayer and he took on the cross he actually thought that read the other verses he will judge all people no one gets to heaven unless through him it's the only reason he did it that's one conclusion of the story isn't there other ways isn't there other religions isn't there other beliefs that you can believe in aren't there other good people that aren't even brought up with this don't even know this story please tell me that there's a way for them to get to heaven that's what I want to believe that's what I want to hold on to and yet if that is true if there's another way another religion or another philosophy another moral right if there are good people that don't know Christ that can go to heaven then the second conclusion has to be true that God is a sadistic child abusing deity and that Jesus is a gullible and ignorant son I can't find a third option if this isn't true if Jesus doesn't have to suffer and die for all people if he's not the only way then God is a sadistic child abusing deity he's a God that needlessly tortures his son for one of many ways he's a God that needlessly lets his son get abused for one of many ways he's a god that bold-faced lied to his son said you have to die you have to go through this don't tell them joke's on him there's other ways around this if that is the case if there are other religions other beliefs that can get to heaven then the god of these pages is a sadistic child abusing father and if you're going to go well I believe the Bible but I believe there's other ways then we should have a moral example that the best parenting you could do is to needlessly abuse and torture your children that's God like that's being like your father and how stupid is Jesus what an easily duped ignorant gullible son or are you sure this is the only way are you sure we got to die okay I'll die and it was like loser oh my gosh there's other ways to get to heaven oh you took the hard one you're gonna feel pretty stupid when you wake up and this one comes across you it's the only way to look at this I don't like this part of Scripture I don't like this true that Scripture because there's an either/or there's two conclusions and only two you can come to and you've got to pick one or the other and I've seen enough abuse I've seen enough hatred I've seen enough anger thanks but no thanks I'm tired of a guy that abuses a son needlessly I'm tired of son that tortures just to get his kicks I'm tired of a a god that's going to cause pain and suffering when it wasn't necessary there's enough of that in life and I'm not gonna read about him I'm definitely not gonna pray to him and I definitely don't want to be like him I'm not gonna applaud that type of parenting I can't so suffering was necessary and God turned and said this is the answer you will go and be salt flavor preservative to the world you will go and be light and show others this truth you will tell others how you've gotten out of the ravine and the Christ that you follow his last words to his disciples I can do all things I have all the power of heaven and earth now you go I'll be with you you go make other followers and because we haven't lived up to our responsibility we shake our fists at a god and go that's unfair but people I have not been able to find a third answer and about 22 years ago I came to this place of going what do I do with the suffering Savior he either is or I've got to walk away from a book of a sadistic abusive father we've had enough of those we've had enough if there's a third answer please tell me if there's a third conclusion please let me know but how ignorant and gullible and easily duped Jesus was to pray and pray and pray that there has to be another way and to knowing his heart and from God this is it God will become man he will suffer even though he's done no wrong he will take what justice deserves from a contract he will take the wrath that God hates sin and what it does to people and he will become our our chaos and pave the way and he will die and rise again and leave the door open so that Paul can say if I live I keep preaching if I die I see Jesus death is a win-win Oh death where is your victory where is your sting my pioneers open that door I'm freed it's harsh language I had several staff look at the fill-in-the-blanks this week ago I think I changed that I erase that last fill-in-the-blank three different times that many years ago this is what led me to stop and say is he or isn't he last week the Bible claims he is God not man not miracle worker not a good guy if you've got another definition that's fine it's not biblical why did he have to become man and suffer this week that's why he stepped into our ravine to lead us out and he suffered because sin has a price it's for all where this was the most incredible hoax of all time that has caused hundreds and thousands to die for it needlessly if this isn't for all stop coming stop listening and by all means stop praying to a sadistic God or if this is for all I got to open my life and heart and say God where do I share this who needs to come and see who needs to come in here because this is the answer for them father may we wrestle with this truth that you've given us may we come to a place God of not just listening to a message on the weekends but truly asking ourselves if this is our truth what do we do with it God may we continue to be a church that speaks these things in love with openness and honesty but with a passion not for being righteous and holy but for who else can we grab in this ravine and lead out because you have led us out thanks that this entire chapter is based on how much you hate what hurts us and yet how much you love us and for an answer that was so fitting for your character your nature and your wisdom may you find this faithful God with what we do and how we follow in Jesus name Amen and as you go I don't know if you've ever done public speaking and you've gotten to the last point and you felt the room turn on you or not I know those were strong fill-in-the-blanks and I know that hit home for a lot of you who have had to meaninglessly suffer abuse I wish I could teach you different stuff our entire teaching team has got one golden commitment we will teach this word of God not what we want to hear not what we wish it said we will teach word for word this word of God I want it to be about love and yeah you can love Jesus but there's a lot of other things you can love and be great at and we're all just gonna get to heaven but if that's going to be the message of our messages we have to stop using this book because in context it will not allow it I wanted this to be strong for us to get a grip of not just who our God is but the God that needs to be for everyone to may be awakened some of us to say man if if we're not concerned about someone else's salvation then we should be concerned for our own we have an incredible God how fitting how fitting that he became cat to come rescue cats and to lead us home how fitting God's wrapped us in his love for you combines in Christ and you now have an answer we're gonna pick it up from there next week I hope you come back it may not be your definition but we'll continue to teach what the Bible defines God and Jesus as always the choice is yours until then turn around and greet someone else who happens to be in the ravine we'll see you next week

Channel: North Coast Church

Views: 3,518

Rating: 4.8461537 out of 5

Keywords: Hebrews, hebrews sermons series, north coast church, book of hebrews sermon, Hebrews Bible Study, pastor chris brown, sermons 2018, Hebrews study, larry osborne, hebrews sermon, north coast

Id: jAhutBnltMc

Length: 54min 31sec (3271 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 21 2018