chapter 3 and the Bible reads wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly
calling consider the apostle and high priest of our profession Christ Jesus
who was faithful to him that appointed him and also Moses with was faithful in
all his house but this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses and as
much as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house for every
house is builded by some man but he that built all things is God and Moses
fairly was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those
things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a son over his own house whose
house are we if we hold fast the confidence of the rejoicing of the hope
firm unto the end wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith today if you will hear his
voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in
the wilderness when your father's tempted me proved me and saw my works
40 years wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said they do always
err in their heart and they have not known my ways so I swear my wrath they
shall not enter into my rest take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another
daily while it is called today lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end while it is said today if
you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation for some
when they had heard did provoke how be it not all that came out of Egypt by
Moses but with whom was he grieved 40 years was it not with them that had
sinned whose carcasses fell in the wilderness to whom swear he that they
should not enter into his rest but to them that believe not so we see that
they cannot enter in because of unbelief let's pray to look out thank you for
this church you given us Lord and every soul that's able to make it tonight Lord
and thank you for pastor I pray that you bless him right now and fill him with
the Holy Spirit as he preaches unto us Lord and that us in the congregation are
edified and learn new truths from your word Lord and we pray this all in Jesus
name amen all right Hebrew chapter 3 tonight feel like I'm a little loud
right now Hebrew chapter number 3 and we're continuing our series tonight on
the book of Hebrews and we're also continuing with that thought that Jesus
Christ is superior and really when you look at these chapters all the way up
until chapter number 8 he's pretty much saying here that he is superior to all
the patriarchs all of the men of God of the Old Testament the prophets you have
the high priest that's being mentioned towards the latter end of chapter 2 and
in fact in verse 17 of chapter 2 it says wherefore in all things it behooved him
to move to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest and things pertaining to God and we talked about
last week how he's superior to the high priest of the Old Testament because of
the fact that the the Old Testament high priest had a beginning and end they
would die that's the issue with that particular office in the Old Covenant is
that it was essentially a revolving doors of high priests they were coming
they would die and then another would take his place whereas Jesus Christ who
is our high priest of the New Covenant lives forever okay so he no longer he
will no longer be replaced he is that ultimate sacrifice that ultimate high
priest whereby we go into the holiest of all as we see in Hebrews chapter 9
now that thought carries over to chapter 3 in verse 1 that says there wherefore
holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the apostle and high
priest of our profession Christ Jesus now we're gonna look at tonight carrying
over that same thought we're gonna see in chapter 3 that Jesus Christ as our
apostle as our high priest is also worthy of more glory than Moses now we
saw how he was better than the prophets we saw that he was better than the high
priests such as Aaron but now we're gonna see that he is also a better
mediator now the reason that's important is because of the fact that the Old
Testament mediator of that Old Covenant was Moses and Moses was essentially one
of the greatest of all the prophets of the Old Testament he is a man who is
worthy of glory but as we're gonna see tonight Jesus Christ evidently of course
is far more worthy of more glory than Moses is he is superior to the Old
Testament mediator now this is not a slam in Moses okay and when we read this
we obviously know that God honors the prophets he honors the offices of the
high priest and he honors Moses I mean Moses was a friend of God he was used in
a great way and really when you read the the Gospels of Jesus Christ we see
that Moses is highly esteemed not just in the eyes of God but even in the eyes
of the nation of Israel now that's one of the reasons why this is being
emphasized though because of the fact that due to the fact that Moses is
esteemed highly in the eyes of the nation of Israel you know the writer of
the book of Hebrews is emphasizing how superior Jesus Christ is to let them
know yeah you esteem Moses but Jesus Christ is better than Moses and
everything that Jesus Christ represents everything that he began everything that
he started is superior to that which Moses did okay and it says in verse
number two who was faithful to him that appointed him referring to Jesus as also
as also Moses was faithful in all his house now what this is referring to is
the faithfulness of Moses referring to the fact that Moses was extremely close
to the Lord he was a man who was very devoted to God and in fact you don't
have to turn in number chapter 12 and verse number six it says God speaking
and he said hear my now my words if there be a prophet among you I the Lord
will make myself known into him in a vision that's pretty good you know he's
like if there's a prophet who is of the Lord he said I'm gonna make myself known
into him in a vision though meaning that you know that particular prophet
will either fall into a trance have a particular dream there will be some sort
of out-of-body experience so to speak a vision that they will receive from the
Lord and it says and I will speak unto him in a dream verse 7 my servant Moses
is not so so he's like I'm not gonna speak to Moses through dreams or through
visions we're at where really when we think about it like well that's still
great though you know having a dream having a vision having God in Dallas
with wisdom in such a manner if we're in the Old Testament but he's saying that
Moses does not fall under that category as great as that is he says my servant
Moses is not so who is faithful in all mine house with him will I speak mouth
to mouth in other words that he will appear unto Moses through obviously
various ways we know that one of the most famously noted ways that God
essentially showed himself unto Moses was through the burning fiery bush but
he spoke with him mouth to mouth mouth right it says even apparently and not in
dark speeches so God is not coming to Moses with parables and with dark sayings
and dark speeches you know the way he came to Daniel for example right he gave
a lot of revelation to Daniel but a lot of it was just cryptic information that
stuff that you know Daniel just never even understood in his lifetime well God
is saying here you know what I'm not even gonna speak to him in dark sayings
and in parables and in visions and dreams that he can't understand he says
and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold wherefore then were you not
afraid to speak against my servant Moses so what the Bible saying here in numbers
chapter 16 is that obviously Moses held such a high office in the eyes of God
that he merited being spoken to pretty much mouth to mouth God would come down
on Mount Sinai and speak to him through the thunders and lightnings I mean when
you get to go up into a mountain for 40 days and 40 nights and all the only
person there is God you know that's pretty incredible if you think about it
and he's giving them tables of stone written with his own finger it really
shows you how close Moses was to the Lord in the Old Testament and so he's
saying here that Moses is the most faithful in all his house he's a man
who's greatly devoted to God and I love this part because of the fact that Moses
was you know previous was a murderer I mean the guy had anger issues you know
that anger issues he was a murderer you know he was still kind of a little
hesitant to take on a leadership position when God called them yet in
spite of all that this is God's view of Moses right so it kind of shows us that
God essentially you know sees the best in us even though we are corruptible we
disappoint him we fall short God is obviously accentuating his good
qualities and he's showing us here that Moses is the most faithful that he's
ever met and that's why if you think about it you know he's like when he's
frustrated with the nation of Israel he goes to Moses and he tells him like hey
how about I just wipe everyone this whole nation I don't just start brand
new with you I mean that's an honorary proposal let me just wipe out a million
people in the desert just this huge funeral right and I'll just start brand
new with you okay I mean that's quite a proposal it's very honorary and so we
see here that you know what this is emphasizing is the fact that Moses is a
great man of God he's faithful but not only that when it says that he's
faithful I believe he's also referring to the fact because he says he's
faithful in all his house and it begins to describe the construction of
buildings and houses I think what he's also referring to is the fact that Moses
followed what God told him to the T and essentially when he came to the
construction of the tabernacle because when he's in that mount God is giving
him all of the blueprints for the earthly tabernacle that represents the
heavenly tabernacle and Moses carried that out meticulously he oversaw the
project of the construction of that tabernacle and he was very faithful in
its construction he was faithful in leaving the children of Israel out of
Egypt into the wilderness and to the border of the Promised Land okay so he
faithfully serve God and the nation of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years
and that says a lot about a man okay because the truth of the matter is not
many people can say that they have consistently served God you know for 40
years 40 years plus right you know it's it's not easy to serve God consistently
for years on end for decades on end it takes a special type of a servant
someone who endures and is faithful and is devoted to do so and if you're to put
yourself in Moses shoes it was probably harder for him dealing with that nation
I mean there's times when Moses wanted to die he wanted to quit he wanted to
give up and he's probably thinking of something I should have took God on his
offer from before or whatever you know but there is instances where he was very
frustrated with the nation of Israel yet he remained faithful even to the point
where he didn't even wasn't even able to obtain the promise of that Promised Land
because Moses never made it through so Moses I mean he got out of Egypt he's
leading the children of Israel through the wilderness 40 years later he doesn't
make it to the Promised Land and in fact God told him go up into the mountain and
look at the Promised Land but just look at what you're not gonna have I mean
that's pretty rough right if I want you to just behold it with your eyes but
you're not gonna be there now before you start feeling all bad for Moses
because he didn't go into the Promised Land he went into the literal Promised
Land when he died because he ended up going to heaven which is what the
Promised Land represents you understand but there's a there's there is
significance behind the fact that he didn't reach the Promised Land that we're
gonna look at in this chapter now we know that we did he did it because of
disobedience he essentially marred a symbolic representation of Christ in the
Old Testament and disobeyed God and that cost him physically going into the
Promised Land but we're gonna see how that serves as a symbolic representation
in the New Testament and like the high priest so even though he's faithful he's
devoted to the Lord unfortunately like the high priest that earthly mediator
known as Moses could only go so far and he died so he lived for a long time he
was his strength you know his eyes were not dim nor his strength abated the
Bible says and he's a great man of God but he eventually died like everyone
else so his ministry his office had an end okay and so it's telling us here in
Hebrews that Moses was faithful in all his house and it's essentially kind of
joining him with the faithfulness of Christ now we obviously know that Jesus
is faithful the Bible tells us that he will never leave us nor forsake us the
Bible tells us in Romans chapter 8 that nothing can separate us from the Lord
love of God showing us his faithfulness first Thessalonians you don't have to
turn to chapter 5 verse 23 says the very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I
pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ faithful is he that calleth you who will also do
it 2nd Timothy 2 verse 13 says if we believe not yet he abided faithful he
cannot deny himself 1st Peter chapter 4 and verse number 19 says wherefore let
them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls
to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator so we obviously know that Jesus
Christ is faithful the Bible says that if we confess our sins he is what
faithful and just forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
and it doesn't matter how much of a faithful friend you have a faithful
spouse you know a faithful family member that you have there's no one more
faithful than Jesus Christ who will be there for you throughout the good times
and the bad he will always you know favor us as his spiritual brethren as
God's sons and he will maintain that promise that he's given to us to
essentially give us eternal life and to keep that eternal life for all of
eternity I mean that is a faithful friend in spite of the fact that we
wrong him right in spite of the fact that we sin against God and we fall
short and there are days that you know are not necessarily our best that we
don't walk in the spirit we do things that displease him in spite of that he's
still faithful to us so even when we are deficient in our faithfulness to God
that is in effect his faithfulness at all his integrity remains steadfast with
us he is a faithful Savior and in fact he is a faithful mediator okay so we see
the faithfulness of Moses we see that compared to the faithfulness of Jesus
Christ and in fact the Bible tells us of Jesus of course John 828 Jesus says this
in verse 29 actually and he that sent me is with me the father hath not left me
alone listen to this for I do always those things that please him now in
general we can say that Moses did those things that pleased the Lord and he was
a faithful man the Lord loved him but of course he's a sinner he fell short and
he had shortcomings whereas Jesus the mediator of the New Testament he does
please God at all times and in fact God the Father said of his son in Matthew
3 17 this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased the Bible says showing us
that Jesus Christ is obeying God the Father at all instances there's never a
time where he had some sort of you know disagreement with him he's in perfect
unity with his father and he fulfilled the mission that his father had sent him
to do okay I look back at Hebrews chapter 3 and let's look at verse number
3 here it says for this man referring to Jesus again the Apostle and High Priest
of our profession this is for this man was counted worthy of more glory than
Moses in as much as he who had builded the house hath more honor than the house
for every house is builded by some man but he that built all things is God and
Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of
those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a son over his own
house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the
hope firm unto the end now let's spend some time talking about what we just
read right here okay because the first thing we're going to look at is the fact
that according to the Bible Jesus Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses and
what I want to point out first is the fact that Moses had glory and in fact
that glory was physically manifested at one point when he went up to Mount
Sinai right now turn with me if you would go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3
if you would hold your place there in Hebrews and go to 2nd Corinthians
chapter 3 and of course the passage is telling us that the builder is far more
important than the actual building itself because it says in as much as he
who has builded the house hath more honor than the house and I wish the
Catholics could learn something like that you know what I mean Catholics one
of the things that they love saying is like oh you know all you Protestants
which obviously we're not Protestants we're Baptists we never protest out of
the cow from the Catholic Church because we were never a part of the Catholic
Church that's something that's kind of slips their mind too and you know I
don't know who posted it but you know it's sad that it's you they're sad that
it's not you know John the Catholic instead of John the Baptist right but
you know they often talk about oh you know these Protestants you know the
where they meet in church is always like a strip mall it's always some physical
building that has nothing to do with the church building whereas us Catholics
you know we have this massive building and they glorify the building they
glorify the physical building and in fact they attribute like divine
presence to that physical building itself whereas we know that the Bible
teaches that the church is not a physical building now if they want to
believe that let them be deceived amen we know who the physical building the
excuse me we know who the building truly is in the eyes of God and that is the
people the people are the ones who make up the church which the Bible calls that
spiritual building you understand but obviously to them everything is taken
literal and they believe that a physical church is where that power is but we
know that the glory is in the person who built the building then that building
itself and he says that every house is builded by some man but he that built
all things is God and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant
so it's kind of given us this distinction that Moses was a servant of
God but of course Jesus is the Son of God and it says that Christ as a son
over his own house listen to this whose house are we so the main emphasis of the
Old Testament was the house of God which is also referred to as the tabernacle
right now in the New Testament there is no physical tabernacle anymore as far as
like a building that we go into the tabernacle is the body is us you
understand and in fact in the New Testament that's often used
interchangeably to describe both tabernacle and temple we are the temple
of the Holy Ghost which you have of God and you're not your own the Bible says
I'm talking about how we're bought with the price and so the Bible is telling us
here that we are the house of God in a spiritual way we are the house of Christ
and then it gives this little condition here if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end I'm explained that what that means
in just a bit but let's first talk about this glory that he's referring to here
let me read to you from Exodus 34 and we'll get into 2nd Corinthians chapter
3 in just a bit Exodus 34 in verse 29 says that it came to pass when Moses
came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand this
is often referred to as the Ten Commandments when he came down from the
mount that Moses wished not that the skin of his face shown while he talked
with them and when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses behold a
skin of his face shown and they were afraid to come nigh him and Moses
called unto unto them and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned
unto him and Moses talked with him and afterwards the children of Israel came
nigh and he gave them in the commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in
Mount Sinai until Moses had done speaking with him he put a veil on his
face so what's going on here he goes to the Mount for 40 days and 40 nights and
being in the presence of God for that long caused him to physically shine you
know the Bible talks about like let your light so shine before men well that's
basically what happened to Moses he was in that glorious presence for so long in
the mount that when he came down he was like a glow stick like a really bright
glow stick you know and it's funny because it says that he didn't know like
he wished not and everyone's like what in the world you know and he's just like
what's wrong with everybody you know and it's one of those things that you know
if we're to put it in a if I were to give a practical application to this to
you and I you know when we spend time in the presence of God meeting the Word of
God you know we behold as in a glass his glory as the Bible says right and we're
changed and we are transfigured spiritually you know when we go out of
the world the things that we believed and things that we do are strange to the
world they kind of have to like hide themselves from whereas us it's like we
wish not we're just like what what's your problem you know you know like we're
talking about dress what the Bible says about you know Raymond for both men and
women you know women start wearing dresses it's like that's the glory hey
women have long hair that's their glory and they go wear that in the world and
the world is just like what the hell you know where's the where's the fade
you know where's the manliness and they can't really behold that you understand
and so most you know Moses we like Moses we are spending time in the Mount of God
learning the laws of God and it reflects on our life and it reflects to others
and it bothers others almost to the point where you have to put a veil over
your face because they can't even like talk to you there's like a barrier
understand there's that barrier that's before us in the world that is a
practical application to this but what this is actually referring to the first
interpretation of this would be the fact that Moses because he is a mediator of
the Old Covenant that glory represents that Old Covenant that Old Testament
writings the law of God is what it represents okay and it's glorious I mean
you read Roman chapter 7 you know the Apostle Paul refers to that Old
Testament law as being glorious and in fact we recognize it as being glorious
his laws are wonderful his law is perfect and it is a glorious thing and
so when he comes down from the mount the children of Israel can't steadfastly
look upon him because of the fact that that glory kind of represents his
holiness it represents how holy God is and they can't really look upon that
you understand so what does he do he puts a veil over his face so that they
can't really behold the likeness of Moses they could only see the veil
understand now how what is that referring to it's referring to the fact
that the Israelites in the Bible if they don't get saved remain in that
state of looking at Moses through the veil and Moses represents Jesus so
people who are not saved can't really behold the glory of God unless that veil
is rent and the Bible says that the veil will be taken away once they believe on
Jesus Christ okay and so yes Moses was very glorious of the Old Testament
because the law is glorious look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse number
7 it says but if the ministration of death now what is the ministration of
death it's referring to the Old Testament so according to the Bible the
Old Testament ministers death so really yeah read Leviticus right it's just
saying it's just it's just dishing out death everywhere you know people deserve
to die for their for their crimes and their sins and you know the things that
they do things that are worthy of death it's administration of death and Moses
represents that he says written and engraven in stone was glorious so that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for
the glory of his countenance which glory listen to this was to be done away so
even though his face shone and he was glorious in his face because of his
proximity to God in the mount eventually that glory would fade away why because
the Old Testament just like the face of Moses would eventually fade away now you
say well how do you know that it faded away with Moses because he died he died
so his death Moses representing that Old Testament covenant what died with it
that glory you understand it was done away with it says in verse 8 how shall
not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious now what is that
referring to well the ministration of the Spears referring to that New
Covenant and just so we're not mistaken New Covenant means New Testament okay
what we're in right now so we're New Covenant Christians that's why we call
each other new a New Testament Church we're not negating the Old Testament but
we're in a dispensation where we adhere to this New Covenant understand and it's
the best type of Christian to be because it actually gives you a plenary
understanding of the Old Covenant if you're only in the Old Covenant you're
not gonna understand anything you say how do you know because the veil is still
over your your eyes you can't steadfastly look upon Jesus Christ
because that veil is still there in order for you to transition and behold
the glory of Moses aka Jesus Christ the veil has to be removed in order for you
to understand it because of the fact that the New Testament is that moving of
that veil the believing on Jesus Christ is the removal of that veil to behold
the glory of God he says in verse 9 for if the ministration of condemnation be
glory much more that doth the ministration of righteousness exceeding
glory sounds like it's saying that it's better for even that which was made
glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excel it for if
thou which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is
glorious you see how this idea that we see here in 2nd Corinthians 3 is very
similar to what we see in the book of Hebrews basically telling us that the
New Testament superior to the old verse 12 seen then that we have such hope we
use great plainness of speech not as Moses which put a veil over his face so
what does it mean by great plainness of speech we're saying you know the New
Testament is written clearly distinctly it's understandable it brings clarity to
the dark sayings of the Old Testament great plainness of speech this is how a
plane the speech is in the New Testament Jesus is the name of God it
just gives you the name right everything is clarified in the new in the New
Testament and if you've read through the Bible you know that's true because when
you read the Old Testament you're like man there's a lot of things there's a
lot going on here right it's just like you know for some reason I think this I
know this means something in this chapter I just know what it means like I
know this is representing something but I just don't know what it is and it's
not until you have a very thorough understanding of the New Testament that
it brings it sheds light pun intended it shines glory upon that Old Covenant and
it enriches our understanding of Bible doctrine so you can't really enjoy
scripture without having a high dosage of New Testament in your system the only
way you could understand the Old Testament and the Old Testament is a
very lengthy section of the Bible but you know the New Testament are the
enzymes of the Old Testament in order for you to understand and digest the Old
Testament pictures and symbols you need those enzymes of the New Testament to
break it down for you and give you understanding so you can absorb all the
spiritual nutrients of the Old Testament okay verse 13 says not as Moses which
put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
look to the end of that which is abolished but their minds were blinded
front to this day remain at the same veil to untaken away in the reading of
the Old Testament which veil is done away in Christ now he's addressing Jews
but this is applicable to pretty much all unsaved people all unsaved people
have a veil over their heart and in fact it's interesting because the Bible
refers to that unsaved heart as being a stony heart and the promise in the book
of Ezekiel is that he'll take that heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh
and the Bible likens the Old Testament as being tables of stone but the New
Testament administration of the Spirit is written in fleshly tables of the
heart fleshly tables of the heart okay and it tells us there that people are
blinded because the God of this world that blind the minds of them which
believe not and once they believe on Jesus Christ the veil is completely
taken away now this physically happened when Jesus Christ was crucified right
the veil was rent and twain from top to bottom the Bible says and the veil that
that's being referred to there is the veil that was in the temple that would
give entrance into what's known as the holiest of all and it's in within the
holiest of all that the what of the Lord would come down the glory of the Lord
would come down upon the the Ark of the Covenant you understand so in the Old
Testament you had that tabernacle and of course it was tabernacle first then
temple but you had that tabernacle but you had that veil that only the high
priest can go into understand I know I'm saying a lot right now but this is you
know this is good stuff and I'm trying to give you the enzymes amen like so the
high priest would go into that veil and put the blood of the mercy seed the
glory of God would would descend but it was only the high priest that can behold
that glory and the only exception to that was Moses because he was the
mediator of that Old Covenant well the New Testament that New Testament mediator
which is Jesus Christ he is our high priest his body was was essentially you
know was was torn in half or should I say it was a it was rent okay because
his body was broken for us and his body represents that veil therefore we can
see the glory of God through Jesus Christ and in fact the Bible says that
the Word of God was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld this glory as the
glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth for and it says
that the law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ so you see
all that all that kind of ties in it goes on to say in verse number 15 but
even unto this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their heart that's why
you should never read some stinkin Jewish Encyclopedia to understand the
Bible you know they might as well the Bible might the Torah might as well be
in Braille for them because they can't read it the veil is upon their heart
they can't understand anything and I mean they literally have the most basic
information which is the first five books of the Bible and they still can't
understand that they'll never get it so they can bob and weave all they want
they can put scripture on their on their forearms and on their foreheads and you
know claim to be God's chosen people and act like weirdos and dress like weirdos
and dig all kinds of tunnels they can do all these things but they will never
understand the Bible why because the Bible saying here that the veil is upon
their heart so they can say they believe in Moses but they've never seen Moses's
glory and you know what who's Moses's glory Jesus here's the New Testament
verse you know Christ in us the hope of glory verse 16 nevertheless when it
shall turn into the Lord the veil shall be taken away so that's that's hope to
me that some Jews can't get saved because this is in context of those Jews
and it says the Jews that the veil is upon their heart but if that heart turns
into the Lord you know it can be saved
can I get some amens on that okay this is not taking away from the fact that
we believe in replacement theology still but we need to have a balanced view and
you know what I got Bible to back that up okay and so I know it's very
difficult to get Jews saved but the Bible stone is here and I'm gonna stick
with the Bible instead of your opinion now the Lord is that spirit where the
Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but we all with open face beholding as
in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory
to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord so the Bible is telling us here
that because we have access to behold the glory of God through Jesus Christ
now we have access to that glory and virtue through the promises of God and
it says there that we behold it as in a glass very similar to what we see in
James chapter 1 right where you a man beholds himself in a glass but then he
go with his way and forget it with manner a man he was that glass is
referring to like looking at Christ through that spiritual realm because
when we read the Bible we're looking at spiritual things and the more we read
the Bible the more we are changed from glory to glory until ultimately either
Christ returns or we die and then now face-to-face type of a thing
understand because obviously reading the Bible walking in the Spirit has the
intent to conform us to the image of God to the image of Christ should I say okay
go to Hebrew chapter 9 if you would Hebrew chapter 9 so what what's the
point that I'm trying to make here well the reason it says that Jesus Christ is
worthy of more glory than Moses is because of the fact that Jesus Christ
was his glory and because of the fact that even though it must have been an
extravagant sight to see Moses shine like that just brightly and it was just
a very supernatural occurrence he died in that glory faded just like the Old
Testament fades away as well but the glory of Jesus Christ in the glory of
the New Testament remains forever it will never burn out you know the the
flame in the in the tabernacle went out that fire went out it wasn't supposed to
but it went out but you know what the Bible says that God is a consuming fire
they will never go out okay so Jesus Christ is worthy of more glory for
bringing in the ministration of the Spirit not the ministration of death
through Jesus we can see beyond the veil that was over Moses face look at
where'd I have you turn Hebrews 9 look at Hebrews 9 verses verse number one
then verily the first covenant referring to the Old Testament had also ordinances
of divine service and a worldly sanctuary now don't misunderstand what
that means like worldly sanctuary this doesn't mean they were having smoke and
purple lights like in their church services or something okay because we
often associate a term world worldly just means like earthly and the reason
the Bible is making that distinction there is because of the fact that it's
gonna tell us that that earthly sanctuary and the ordinances that were
very earthly and carnal meaning there were physical things that took place
were actually a representation of a heavenly tabernacle so when God gave the
blueprints to Moses to make that tabernacle he was giving him blueprints
of something that already existed in heaven understand what I'm saying okay
so everything that was existed in that earthly tabernacle all of the ordinances
all of that was simply a like a copy of something that was already in heaven
that existed in heaven so this is why it's telling us here that this is a
worldly sanctuary referring to that tabernacle verse 2 for there was a
tabernacle made the first wherein was the candlestick and the table and the
showbread which is called the sanctuary and after the second veil the tabernacle
which is called the holiest of all so that particular section in the
tabernacle was referred to as the holiest of all and Jesus Christ is the
holiest of all he's not just holy he's the holiest of all and so once that veil
was rent we can now behold the glory of God through Jesus Christ okay
John 17 verse 24 says father I will that they also whom thou has given me be with
me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou has given me for thou
lovest me before the foundation of the world turn with me if you would to
Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 and look down at verse 19 verse 19 says
having therefore Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19 says having therefore brethren
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living
way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his
flesh and having an high priest over the house of God let us draw near with the
true heart and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promise
so again it's emphasizing the fact that you know the holiest of all in the Old
Testament was only designated for a specific person not everyone can go
through it but now in the New Testament the Bible is actually encouraging us to
come before the throne of grace it is motivating us to go into the throne of
grace let us draw near the with the pure heart and it says boldness to enter
into the holiest of all now this is important because of the fact that think
about this in the Old Testament and we'll see this later on the book of
Hebrews when God came on that Mount Mount Sinai it was an extremely fearful
thing and in fact the Bible says it was it was terrible to the point where Moses
quaked like he was like shaking because he was so afraid because it was just
like a terrible sight I mean it in our in our imagination it was awesome but if
you're there I mean the mount is quaking there's thunders and lightnings and fire
I mean it just looks like just scary you know even to the point where God's like
telling Moses like don't let any cattle come close to the mount because you know
they'll get destroyed if you see a cattle going close to the mount shoot
them through with an arrow make sure the people don't draw an eye and they got to
the point where the people they were just like we do we don't even want to
hear the voice like you tell us what he said Moses because we don't want to hear
it because it was such a frightening experience like for us it's like oh man
why don't they just go there you know you know today people pull out their
phones and location set Mount Sinai you know doing selfies but it was it was
probably a very terrifying thing to look at very frightening and it instilled
within the hearts of the people how terrible and frightening the glory of
God was so now and the New Testament because Jesus Christ is the
propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the
whole world because he essentially placated the wrath of God through his
sacrifice now God says well now come boldly before be humble and stay afar
but now come come boldly to Mount Sinai you know which actually in the New
Testament come boldly to Mount Zion come boldly to the throne of grace come boldly
to the holiest of all because now you have access I mean that's a powerful
thing and obviously you know I think in my opinion us New Testament Christians
we're just spoiled spoiled because our our spiritual ancestors you know they
have to go through a lot and they didn't have a lot of the privileges that we
have especially if they're like thousands of years even before Christ I
mean they they went through a lot okay we have the boldest like you know if
we're ever get to heaven it's just like what was that like and they're just like
scary you know like we saw too far off and we seriously just didn't want to
hear the voice of God but now in the New Testament what does the Bible says you
know this is my son in whom I'm well pleased hear ye him now listening unto
the words of Jesus Christ is pleasant it's wonderful so it's a complete flip
of what we see of the Old Testament which is why the Bible says that it's
better it's superior and it's worthy of more glory you understand and we glorify
God through it now go back to Hebrew chapter 3 okay so when you read Hebrew
chapter 3 you see you know the Apostle Paul here making these statements about
Jesus Christ worthy of more glory than Moses but then he kind of takes a left
turn a little bit into a different subject regarding the children of Israel
who were in the wilderness who were not allowed to go into the promised land
because of unbelief and what you need to understand is that this is still a
continuation of this entire thought that we see in chapter 3 and before I get
into what what he's referring to here from I believe it's verse 7 and on let
me just say this is that we need to interpret verses 7 through 18 through
the lens believe it or not of Hebrews 4 in verse number 1 & 2 okay so look at
Hebrews 4 verses 1 & 2 he says let us therefore fear lest the promise being
left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it
listen to this for unto us the God was the gospel preached as well as unto them
unto who those who were in the wilderness so those who were in the
wilderness had the gospel and in fact it was preached to them like it's preached
to us what is the difference he says but the word priest did not profit them not
being mixed with faith in them that hurt it so that is a very good verse against
the dipsticks of this world they claim that there are different Gospels wrong
because it says that they had the same gospel it was preached unto them the way
it was preached unto us here's the only difference they didn't believe it he
says verse 3 for we which have believed do enter into rest so in the context of
the gospel if it's saying that if we believe the gospel we enter into his
rest what is rest representing here salvation right it's that rest from our
works the rest that this is what we would consider to be the Sabbath Jesus
Christ being our Sabbath because it's on the Sabbath that we rest from our works
for salvation this is why salvation is not of works and we'll get into that
chapter 4 he says as he said I as I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter
into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the
world so keep in mind that what we're going to read from verses 7 and on is a
representation of the gospel of believing and it's using this example of
the children of Israel in the wilderness to display that truth to illustrate that
truth everyone understand okay now with that being said look at verse 7 of
chapter 3 wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith today if you will hear his voice
harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in
the wilderness when your father's tempted me proved me and saw my works
40 years wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said they do always
err in their heart and they have not known my ways so I swear my wrath that
they shall not enter into my rest take heed brethren lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God so what is
this talking about well he's using the example of the physical ancestors of the
Hebrews explaining that there is a lot of them in the wilderness that didn't
make it to the promised land so the rest and the promised land both illustrate
salvation okay and the Bible's telling us here that there are many and we'll
see later on that their carcasses were just left in the wilderness that died in
the wilderness and did not make it to the promised land why because of the
fact the Bible says of their unbelief so translating that to the New Testament in
context of what we're looking at the Apostle Paul is warning the Hebrews of
apostasy okay he's warning them hey harden not your hearts as in the
provocation in the day of temptation what does it mean to harden your heart
it means that you don't believe now Pentecostals people who believe you can
lose your salvation will often use this passage to teach that you can lose your
salvation but obviously we know that you can't lose your salvation but this needs
an explanation and the explanation is you can't lose your salvation you could
just lose salvation by just not believing period you understand what I'm
saying and why is it saying this to the Hebrews well because obviously the
Hebrews are from a nation from which salvation comes from and let me say this
this is a danger for Christians to Christians so-called you see there's no
danger in losing your salvation there's just the danger if you're in church
thinking that you're saved but you're not really saved or faking that you're
saved this is what 1st Corinthians chapter 15 describes as believing in
vain where you claimed or you told people you were saved and you claim but
you don't really believe in your heart you just not something you believe in
you're just kind of going along to get along you just kind of enjoy being in
church or hearing the Bible preached and the danger in that is that if you don't
get saved you're provoking God and then you go into apostasy and you know what
happens when you go into apostasy you don't get saved you need don't enter
into the promised land you don't enter into his rest and in fact it makes God
really mad people don't understand how upset God gets for an unsaved person to
attend a church for long periods of time consume incredible amounts of Bible
content and just still say no to salvation I mean think about that think
about a person who goes to church Sunday morning Sunday night let's say they're
three to thrive and they're consuming the Bible they're reading the Bible
they're hearing preaching they're listening to it over and over again and
they don't want to get saved how about they go sowing and they're with people
who are preaching the gospel and they're probably even preaching the gospel
themselves and they don't get saved that angers God a lot okay because of the
fact that they are consuming large quantities of the truth they're placing
themselves in close proximity to the truth you know it's kind of like what
the Bible says that they tasted of the heavenly gift as we're gonna see in
Hebrew chapter 6 so this is a theme that's being addressed in the book of
Hebrews and there's no one in this world who is closer in proximity to the truth
than the Hebrews they're the closest ones they want to brag about the fact
that unto them were committed to the oracles of God yeah but if you don't get
saved that's not a good thing because unto whomsoever much is given of him
shall be much required so what he's warning against is the possibility of
apostasy okay now going back to the thought of Jesus Christ having more
glory than Moses think about this okay because we're talking about two
mediators here right Old Testament mediator New Testament mediator and the
Bible says that Jesus has more glory than that Old Testament mediator here's
another reason why because as faithful as Moses was listen to me as great godly
devoted and faithful as Moses was he was not able to bring everyone who was under
that Old Covenant into the promised land he couldn't do it right a lot of
them died he was incapable of bringing every single person who agreed to that
Old Covenant because he sprinkled the blood on the congregation they become
they've got circumcised they became a part of that Old Covenant and yet he was
incapable of bringing them all in and in fact he could even go himself so yeah
Moses is great but you know why Jesus Christ was more glorious because
everyone who's part of the New Covenant goes in and in fact what does Jesus say
I have lost none of that of them which you have given it to me I have lost none
that's why he's more glorious because anybody who calls upon the name of the
Lord and gets saved you're guaranteed the promised land no matter what no
matter what that's of course unless you're like a Judas Iscariot though
because what does he say in another place he says you know except for the
son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled and what was the
issue with the son of perdition the Bible says in John chapter 6 that he
didn't believe from the beginning can't help you there the gospel was preached
unto you but you didn't mix it with faith and so you know if you don't if
you didn't believe me about the previous point about apostasy well just think
about Judas Iscariot how he apostatized and split hell wide open and his guts
spilled too and now he's a byword and a proverb for years on end you understand
what I'm saying but this is why Jesus is more glorious because the new the New
Covenant Saints are guaranteed access to that rest they're guaranteed access to
the promised land and this is why Jesus Christ is more glorious because he's
more he can he can more thoroughly redeem God's people he can bring us
through the wilderness for 40 years and not one person will be left behind not
one person will spiritually die in the wilderness why because I've given to
them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand I mean that is a boss of a mediator you know Jesus Christ is the
greatest accountant like he takes like he knows everyone's name he knows all of
his sheep he knows the names of all of his believers from the beginning of time
until now he's not lost track of anyone and we're all going into the promised
land because we believed this is why he's a far more glorious mediator Moses
was great but you know what Moses had deficiencies like everyone else he was a
great mediator but he fell short and he was incapable not necessarily because of
himself but just because he just he's just a man he was incapable of bringing
everyone from that old covenant into that promised land there's a lot of
people that died look at verse 13 actually hold on I'm sick let me see if
I said everything about that passage speak amongst yourselves and so the New
Testament he's he's given that warnings that take heed brethren which is implying
that this is referring to save people lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief and departing from the living God departing would be like
departing from the faith departing from the living God apostasy this is why it's
important to talk about these things you know and and here's the thing I don't
believe like it's good to just cast doubt on people's salvation all the time
because salvation is very simple you know I mean and if you're in church or
reading the Bible you know that you're saved I'm not gonna be able to convince
you to doubt your salvation you're just like I'm safe the Spirit bears witness
when I spirit that I'm a child of God and I'm saved you know we've already
like we're moving on to perfection but you know what in our congregation like
just like with any church there's always a potential of a person who's not safe
especially if they've been coming for a while it's like it's hard to get that
person to like come to grips with the fact that they're not saved if they're
not safe because of the fact that now they're embarrassed I've been coming for
this long but let me say this you'll be way more embarrassed and you'll have
torment added to that embarrassment when you die and go to hell okay look at
verse 13 but exhort one another daily while it is called today lest any of you
be hardened to the deceitfulness of sin for we are made partakers of Christ
listen to this if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end
so what is the condition the condition is hey we're made partakers with Christ
we have salvation if we believe into the end you see we don't believe that you
have to maintain works until the end to stay saved we don't believe that you
need to what's the what's the Calvinist what's the peace time for again we don't
believe you have to persevere in your works unto the end and persevere in
church unto the end and man you just got to make sure you live a holy life unto
the end that's not what the Bible teaches about salvation but you do have
to persevere in your belief meaning if somewhere down the road you just become
this advocate of Allah buddy you're dying in the wilderness you know we're
about to perform a spiritual funeral for you because you're probably twice dead
plucked up by the roots pushing up roses and daisies spiritually because you're
not saved you know and people are like oh man this person got away from church
and they're involved in all kinds of sin therefore they're not safe wrong that's
not an indicator of whether someone is saved or not the indicator is like if
you talk to them and I've talked to people who've been backslidden for years
years and you know they don't have all the spiritual legal together but any
time we get into the conversation of salvation they just so happen in a
that part they always say like I know I'm saved I just know I'm really really
backslidden and then it takes me back to a conversation I had with the person who
got saved around the same time that I did and we got in contact again and you
know he's just living a very worldly carnal life he's destroyed his life and
he said Bruce I know that I'm saved and I still love the Lord I'm just really
backslidden right now and I believe him you know but if he's like Bruce
Mormonism is the way then it's just like you're not saved or Bruce you know I
know I'm saved because I did 50 Hail Marys and you know I got baptized in the
Catholic Church and you know he's probably not saved but most of the time
it's like they tell me about all the sins they've committed and at the end
they're like but I know I'm saved because I got saved X amount of years
ago I've trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior is what they'll often tell me
and you know what that makes me happy because even though his outward man is
perishing due to sin his inward man will be saved in the day of Jesus Christ now
I don't want to be in that position I never want to be in that position you
know where where I'm like backslidden and I'm away from God you know I feel
like you know this is the life I'm living is the best life I can live you
know this is this is superior to anything that the world can offer and
I'm thankful that I can never lose my salvation but I also want whatever God
has to offer after salvation it says in verse 15 while it is said today if you
will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation meaning to
provoke verse 16 for some when they had heard did provoke how be it not all that
came out of Egypt by Moses but with whom was he grieved 40 years was it not with
them that had sin whose carcasses fell in the wilderness and to whom swear he
that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not so we see
that they could not enter in because of unbelief now keep in mind because let me
I'm gonna make this last statement I'm done okay because people could get
confused here and says well it says well then that sinned so it's almost implying
that if they didn't sin God would be pleased with them but you got to
understand that this symbol of salvation in the Old Testament every illustration
no illustration is perfect so in its most literal sense in the Old Testament
they sinned against God in various ways committed idolatry they fornicated in
the wilderness I mean they did a lot of wicked stuff in the wilderness but
ultimately with them the reason that they did those things was because of
unbelief they didn't believe that God can bring them into the Promised Land
that represents in a symbolic way salvation where people just don't get
saved has nothing to do with the sin it's just referring to the fact that
people don't go into the Promised Land because of unbelief so what's the part
of the illustration that needs to be extrapolated to understand what we're
seeing here it's the part that they didn't go into the Promised Land because
of unbelief you understand what I'm saying now you ask a works-based
salvation they're like oh no no it's because of sin let them keep believing
that okay if that's what they want to believe then you know what they're
they're deceived and they're being deceived but this is what the Bible says
okay because we are comparing the totality of scripture to make this point
here okay we're not going outside of the proximity what the Bible teaches
about salvation it's a symbolic representation and the warning here is
don't apostatize and the way you don't apostatize is just make sure you get
saved if you get saved you're not gonna apostatize but the little nugget of
truth that we can enjoy the nutrient here is recognizing that Jesus Christ is
worthy of more glory because he's bringing us all in there will be no
person here if they believe on Jesus Christ who was buried in the wilderness
of hell because of the fact that he is a faithful mediator who will bring us all
he will not lose any single one of us you'll never be lost if you believe on
Jesus Christ amen let's pray father we thank you so much for finding us we're
so thankful for the new covenant of a great mediator who has us all in his
hand and we're kept by the power of God what a powerful new covenant we have
here powerful New Testament and what it represents and of course we're thankful
for Moses and all that he represents in the Old Testament but may we glorify the
greater covenant and that is worthy of more glory that excels above the first
and I pray that you bless us as we go on away may we think upon these things and
may create within us a heart of joy and gratitude and Lord I pray that you would
if throughout the years if we add members to our church and people who are
coming consistently but they're not saved I pray they would get saved that
they will not fall into this heart this evil heart of unbelief and that will
cost them going into the promised land in the long run Lord may you soften
their hearts and may they not provoke you into wrath Lord we love you we thank
you pray these things in Jesus name Amen