Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
May 14, 2023
INTRO
Happy Mother’s Day! I just want to say: I am so thankful for the women in our church!
For all you mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and spiritual mothers and sister: All of you women are a tremendous blessing to me and to our church family. God has uniquely created you in his image to bring him glory through your womanhood. Thank you for your sacrificial love and care, your skills and gifts, your commitment to Christ, and your unique contribution to the Family of God. We are so grateful!
Well, this morning we are taking a break from the Gospel of John to start a new series called “Summer Seminars: Foundations of Faith”. Now, you may have realized that it is only May 14. We are looking forward to summer so much, that we decided to get a head start! It actually made sense for us to take a break before John 13, so we get to pretend like its summer for the rest of May!
Here’s the vision for this series: It is so important in our world today to ensure that we are on a solid foundation as disciples of Jesus Christ. The statistics on biblical literacy are staggeringly bad. Many of us don’t know our Bibles, nor can we summarize the gospel, or explain basic truths of the faith. When you ask the questions like, “How do I know the Bible is true,” or “What does it mean to be a disciple,” or “How does my faith intersect with my work,” many of us struggle to know how to answer these important issues.
You see, we have been wanting to provide a Foundations Course for some time, but rather than schedule a whole bunch of smaller classes over months or years, we decided to make this a sermon series so that everyone can do together, then we will offer these same topics in a smaller setting on an on-going basis after this summer for new people.
Here’s the schedule of what we are going to do: (SLIDE 2) There are two parts to this series.
First we will address foundational questions about God’s Story, such as What is the Gospel, What is the Bible, What is Theology, What is Spiritual Growth, What is the Church, What is the Church’s Design and Mission, and How Do We Live Together as the Church?
Then we are going to apply these foundational questions to provide a biblical perspective on important issues we face today, such as Work and Fruitfulness, Worship and Generosity, Suffering and Perseverance, Worldview and Culture, Conflict and Forgiveness, Marriage and Family, Embodiment, and Civic Engagement.
This is not exhaustive, but will give us an opportunity to dive deeper into how we can walk in faithfulness to Christ amidst the challenges of this world.
And we are going to experiment with something new this morning. On the back of the sermon notes handout, there are some questions for reflection and application. After I’m done preaching, we are going to have a short Q&A time during the service. The purpose is to bring clarity to the scripture passages we study this morning, but also to reflect on how we are going to apply and live in light of the truths we encounter this morning. This is an opportunity for us to respond to biblical truth, and to let the message of Christ dwell among us richly as we teach and admonish one another, as Paul said in Colossians 3. It’s not a time for getting on your soap box, but rather a time for testifying to what God is teaching us through his Word. I’m really excited!
Ok, let’s dive right in! (SLIDE 3) We are going to set the stage today by walking through an overview of the biblical story. This is God’s Story, because we are going to see in our text this morning a radical and transformational truth: God has spoken, He has revealed himself and his purposes, and the scope of history is not mere happenstance, but is the unfolding of the sovereign plan of an Almighty and Gracious God who has redeemed us for relationship with him, for his glory, forevermore.
Open with me to Hebrews 1. We are going to read a short passage today from the opening of the Letter to the Hebrews that will give us the solid foundation to understand salvation history as God’s Story. READ Hebrews 1:1-4.
ORG SENT — There are three foundational truths here that we need to unpack.
MAIN 1 — God is a speaking God (v. 1). (SLIDE 4a)
Look at that opening verse again. In the original Greek that this text was written in, the writer of Hebrews uses an alliteration of 5 words that all start with the letter “P”. And they occur in this order:
(SLIDE 4b) Many times, many ways, long ago, ancestors, and prophets.
And smack in the middle of these 5 words that all start with “P” is the verb “God spoke”! (SLIDE 4c)
Now, why is this such an important truth that God has spoken? We need to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible to gain a grasp on why this is so critical.
The Bible opens in Genesis 1 with a simple phrase: “In the beginning God…” God is eternal, pre-existent, set apart, and sovereignly powerful over the material world. He made everything out of nothing, and the opening chapter of the Bible repeatedly uses these words: “And God said”…HE SPOKE and everything came into being! He said let there be light, let there be water, let there be land, let there be plants, let there be living creatures, and the culmination of it all was “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”
And the text goes on in Genesis to say that God made us to be fruitful for his glory, to be his co-rulers and stewards over creation, to work and keep this place, his Kingdom, as we rest in the glory of his personal presence day-by-day.
But sin and evil entered the world through the deception of Satan and the doubt and rebellion of Adam and Eve.
But God didn’t leave us to die in our sin or this world to rot in evil. His plan all along was to redeem a people, starting with Abraham, who would receive his good word through Moses and the Law at Sinai, and walk in his ways as a light to the nations through the rule of King David.
But the people of Israel continued to fail, and the prophets brought a word from the Lord that the unfolding of his plan would bring an anointed one, the Messiah, who would be the definitive word from God, revealing God’s plan to destroy sin and evil and death forever by shining God’s light into the darkness once again.
And so the Apostle John, using the same words from Genesis 1, wrote, (SLIDE 5) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
This is an act of new creation, the dawning of the pinnacle revelation, as God speaks into the evil and chaos of this world a new word, the eternal Word, who is God himself in the flesh.
This is why the writer of Hebrews shifts gears in verse 2.
MAIN 2 — God has spoken definitively through his Son (v. 2). (SLIDE 6a)
Look at verse 2. READ v. 2.
The key words: “In these last days” (SLIDE 6b)
Back in the Old Testament, the prophets would frequently use the words “In that day”. (SLIDE 6c) This phrase occurs at least 73 times throughout the prophets, and it is always forward-looking to the future day when God would definitively act to save his people.
That day has come through Jesus! (SLIDE 6d) God has spoken! The Word has been made flesh! In Jesus, we see the ultimate revelation of the eternal, pre-existent, all-powerful God, walking the earth, fully God and fully man!
Paul captured this so well in a hymn of the early church in Colossians 1:15-20, (SLIDES 7 and 8) “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
You see, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the definitive word from God, the pinnacle act that inaugurates the new creation, causing us to be born again by the Spirit of God when we confess our sins and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior!
You see, (SLIDE 9a) the definitive revelation of God’s plan through Jesus ties together the beginning and the end of God’s Story. The Bible begins with an act of creation in Genesis, and the Bible ends with an act of new creation in Revelation. (SLIDE 9b) Purpose: to glorify God. (SLIDE 9b) The end of history will result in every knee bowing to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
As the writer of Hebrews says in verse 2, Jesus is the heir of all things, and it was through Jesus that God made the universe. By his triumph over sin and death, he is the inheritor of all creation, the very creation he spoke into being, including you and me.
And we live now as the church, Christ’s Body, His Bride, during these last days awaiting when he will return to judge, to raise us to resurrection life, and to achieve the renewal all of creation, making final his supremacy over all things. It is this supremacy that the writer of Hebrews focuses on in verses 3-4.
MAIN 3 — Supremacy of Jesus (vv. 3-4). (SLIDE 10a)
There are four specific ways the writer of Hebrews explains Jesus’ supremacy using very poetic language:
FIRST — Supreme being (SLIDE 10b) — “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (v. 3)
ILLUST — “Exact representation” is used in the ancient world to describe the impressions or marks made on coins. It is the etching, the impression, the words and image that we see on a metal coin.
Puritan theologian and pastor John Owen wrote about this phrase and related it to the shining of the glory of God above the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. It was said that an extraordinary brightness shone forth from between the cherubim, that this was the visible reminder of the presence of God. And they called it the Shekinah glory.
The High Priest, who would only enter the Holy of Holies once per year, would wear on his forehead a golden plate that was inscribed in Hebrew with the words “Holy to the Lord”, which means “set apart” or “purified”.
John Owen said that the writer of Hebrews uses the language of “representation” or “impression” or “mark” here to remind us that the priests were inscribed with “Holy to the Lord” on their forehead. But now, the High Priest to end all High Priests, Jesus Christ, is the exact representation, the inscription, the etching, the imprint of the holy essence and being of God himself in human flesh! He is shining forth the Shekinah glory of God, putting his holiness on display! He is the supreme being.
SECOND — Supreme power (SLIDE 10c) — “sustaining all things by his powerful word” (v. 3)
The created world does not run independently by the “laws of nature” as though it stands on its own.
The whole universe was created by the personal and powerful word of Jesus AND it is sustained moment-by-moment by this same personal and powerful word of Jesus! It is dependent on his will for its functioning and preservation. That mean you and me! Every breath you take is by the sustaining power and will of Jesus! He is the supreme power.
THIRD — Supreme authority (SLIDE 10d) — “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (v. 3)
Jesus is the supreme Savior and Lord:
Savior = he provided purification for sins.
Lord = he sits at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven with all authority.
FOURTH — Supreme reign (SLIDE 10e) — “So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (v. 4)
It was commonly held in Judaism that angels were the mediators of the old covenant.
Jesus is now the mediator of the new covenant. And the new covenant is superior:
It is a once for all sacrifice with perfect forgiveness.
The power of sin, death, and evil are defeated forever.
It results in inner heart transformation, we are born again as new creations.
And we are indwelled by the Spirit, empowered to be like Christ, and resting in his holy presence forevermore.
You see, the Bible’s grand storyline is all about God’s presence with us. The story begins with God creating this world and creating us as image-bearers who were made for communion with him. When the relationship is broken and we are corrupted by sin, the only way to be near his holy presence is through the system of sacrifices at the Tabernacle and Temple. The Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelled is separated by a curtain and protected by rituals because we are impure. But when God himself came to dwell among us, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two when he died on the cross as a spotless Lamb, a substitute for our sin. And through his resurrection and ascension, Jesus breathed on us his Spirit, the intimate presence of God dwelling in those of us who are washed clean in the blood of Jesus, received by faith. And the Spirit is our deposit and guarantee of the face-to-face presence of God in the new heavens and new earth forever!
ILLUST — I’ve written a couple resources to illustrate this grand story, God’s story.
The first is for you diagram and spreadsheet people. (SLIDE 11) In the back is a half-sheet with a chart that I call “Salvation History” and it outlines the major steps along the biblical storyline, focusing on the Kingdom pattern and redemptive acts of God.
The second is for you artists and poets. I wrote a poem a couple years ago called “God’s Story”. (SLIDE 12, blank) Some of you have heard it before. But I want to read it for you today to conclude our time this morning.
God’s Story
by Brent Kompelien
Creation came to be of the greatness and goodness of God;
But then there was a tree, a little bite, a little nod.
His presence a gift, but with sin no more;
God’s people adrift, Satan now keeping the score.
We were to be rulers, kings, and priests;
Bringing God’s greatness and goodness to the west and the east.
But now we serve self, thinking we know best;
Frustrated and lost, now beating our chest.
Yet the goodness of God, full of mercy and love;
Wouldn’t let us die in the hole that we dug.
From his grace he called a man named Abraham;
And from his family a people to fulfill his grand plan.
His great-grandsons expand, forming 12 tribes;
Become slaves of Egypt, afraid for their lives.
A deliverer named Moses, inadequate to the task;
Shows God’s great power, leaving no questions to ask.
The people released, held in bondage no more.
Only because of the lamb’s blood on the door.
Yet as they walk through the waters and receive God’s good law;
They continue to grumble, complain, hem and haw.
Even though God’s presence is with them again;
Rebellion comes swiftly, doubting God’s plan.
Repeatedly distrusting, God still leads them with patience;
Bringing them to a land where they face great temptations.
Judges and kings lead generations of folly;
Forgetting the Lord and leaving the people rather shoddy.
But God called King David, and gave him a throne;
His descendent would be the True King whose glory has shown.
Yet rebellion continued and Babylon attacked;
Dragging God’s people off in a sack.
Exile lament, God’s people destroyed;
Only a Messiah could redeem the sin they deployed.
The prophets said, “One day the Son of Man will come;
To restore the sinner and pay for the evil he’d done.”
Four hundred years of silence, then the baptism of John;
Heralding the True King, the coming of dawn.
God’s presence again, brought near in a babe;
Displaying the great love our Great Father had gave.
The King’s message was simple, “Repent and believe;
All who are humble, new life to receive.”
“God’s great restoration is coming, you’re the first;
If only you come to me, I will satisfy your thirst.”
But the leaders of God’s people rejected this King;
Handing him over, “Crucify!” was their scream.
His blood they spilled, His body they pierced;
Sin’s weight was heavy, the wrath was fierce.
Darkness and gloom spread over the land;
The Lion of Judah became the Lamb.
His body they buried, his tomb they sealed;
Not knowing God’s plan, in three days he’d be healed.
Then bursting forth, death defeated, sin gone;
The King resurrected, New Humanity is born.
He gives us His Spirit, God’s presence in us;
New creations, new self, all he asks is to trust.
His message we carry, the good news of his reign;
“Surrender and be saved,” is the song that we sing.
Until He comes back, a job must be done;
The world is so lost, His people must be won.
When He returns, all things will be right;
All creation again, wrapped in His light.
A new heavens and new earth, no more sin, no more curse;
God’s presence with his people, forever immersed.
Goodness restored, evil destroyed;
Creation again, God’s glory and joy!