Well, let's ask the Lord to bless the reading and teaching of his word. Pray with me once more. Our great God in heaven, indeed, as we just sang, make your word sweet to our taste. Give us an appetite. Give us a hunger and a thirst for your righteous word. And then we pray by the power of the Holy Spirit, as that word is read and taught, that you'll satisfy that hunger. So grant us this, O God. Make us to be keen listeners to your word. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. Let me ask you to open up your copy of Scripture to Hebrews 1. We're going to begin reading in verse 4 and read down through verse 14. Then we're going to pick up where we left off a couple weeks ago. Our focus will actually be verses 6 through 14. But we'll go ahead and start reading in verse 4. Hebrews 1 and verse 4. Having become so much better than the angels, speaking of Jesus, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than that. For to which of the angels did he ever say, you're my son today, I begotten you. And again, I'll be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, he says, who makes his angel spirits and his ministers a flame of fire. But to the sun, he says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You've loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness, more than your companions. And you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They'll perish, but you remain, and they will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You'll fold them up, and they'll be changed, but you are the same, and your years will not fail. But to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Well, there ends the reading of God's holy and inspired word. May it bless it to our hearts this morning. Here's congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. A couple weeks back, Brother Paul taught a Sunday school class, Jesus in the Old Testament. And that really was a fitting class since we're presently studying Hebrews. Over and over in this study, the author will invite us to consider God's great redemptive works in the Old Testament, and then he will painstakingly set forth the superiority and supremacy of an incomparable Christ who fulfills the Old Testament. So Jesus is not only in the Old Testament, it all pointed to Him. But this epistle is not merely a tour de force of biblical theology. It's not simply a way to help the church connect the dots from the old covenant to the new. The purpose is to say that now that Christ has come, listen dear Hebrew Christians, that's the point of this letter, now that Christ has come, you can't return to those old covenant types and shadows. Because clearly, that's what was happening or potentially happening among these Hebrew believers. On account of persecution and probably social pressures, they were being enticed to return to the very things. that Christ had fulfilled. And the author of Hebrews says, you can't return to those things. They accomplished their redemptive purposes, and to go back to them is to turn from Christ. And that's apostasy. And so the writer keeps saying, Jesus is infinitely greater than anything you may be thinking of returning to. So right off the bat, in the opening verses, we're taught that all of Israel's prophets, priests, and kings anticipated Jesus, who is our supreme prophet, priest, and king. And then beginning in verse 4, we're being taught that He's also superior to the angels. And you may recall, again, this has been a couple weeks back, but we learned there were some Jewish sects that thought there would be somewhere between two and three messiahs. There would probably be a messiah prophet, a messiah priest, and a messiah king. But the real kicker is that the archangel Michael would be over them. In other words, the archangel Michael would be the mediator of the new covenant. And Hebrews is telling us, no, Christ is superior to the angels. He is God's full and final mediator. And beginning there in verse four, there are seven Old Testament passages that the author uses to make the case. And these seven passages really point to five ways that we can learn that Christ is supreme over the angels. First, in verses 4 and 5, it's by virtue of His name that He's superior to the angels. Second, in verse 6, it's by virtue of the fact that angels worship Him. Third, in verses 7 through 9, He's superior to angels as our righteous king. Fourth, in verses 10 through 12, Christ is superior to angels as the eternal creator. And then fifth, in verses 13 and 14, He's superior because of His preeminent rank. Now, we looked at that first point, again, two weeks ago, and that text pointed us to Psalm 2 and to 2 Samuel to teach us that Jesus has a name that can't apply to angels. He's the Son of God, the Son of God. And we learned, while it's absolutely true that Jesus is the eternally begotten Son, and there's never been a time when there wasn't a father-son relationship between the first and second person of the Trinity. The way the title's used in Hebrews has to do with Jesus as our mediator. And God the Father bestowing the title on Christ the Son at the time of His exaltation and enthronement. So by virtue of His name, He's superior to the angels. He is the Son of God. And that's where we pick up this morning. Now, the second way we see Christ's superiority over the angels is that he's worshiped. Glance here at verse 6. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. So this is yet another proof of Christ's superiority over the angels. Not only has Jesus inherited a more excellent name than the angels, he's worshipped. by angels. Notice it says there, he brings the firstborn into the world. Now this can be a little confusing for some, but the issue here isn't chiefly about chronological birth order. Firstborn is a title here to speak of Christ's preeminence. Historically, in a family with multiple sons, the firstborn had the position of honor and he received the bigger inheritance. And we've already learned back in verse 2 that God's Son is the heir of all things. So firstborn is a designation. of supreme honor. Paul spoke of Jesus this way in Colossians 1, verses 15 and 16. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers All things were created through him and for him. So this highlights that Jesus was not part of the creation. He's the creator who made all things for himself. And firstborn is a designation of his exalted priority and rank over all that he's made. The great New Testament scholar F.F. Bruce writes, he's called firstborn because he exists before all creation and because all creation is his heritage. So firstborn is an honorific title in that he's worthy of honor. And we see that he's worthy of honor in the fact that angels worship him. And don't miss this, it's God the Father who says, let all the angels of God worship Him. Now this is a quote from the Greek translation of Psalm 97.7 and possibly Deuteronomy 32.43. And we should start with this. Before we think about the angels worshiping Jesus, we should start with this. Angels are magnificent and lofty creatures. They dwell in the unfiltered glory of God. They're sinless, powerful, and awe-inspiring. So much so. that the Apostle John had an amazing, albeit awkward, encounter with an angel. At the end of the book of Revelation, John is in the presence of a holy angel who's just shown him some really glorious things. And in Revelation 22.8, the Apostle John is so overwhelmed by the angel's glory that he fell down to worship before the feet of an angel. And the angel had to say, listen, John, That's all fine and good, but I'm a fellow servant of King Jesus. And the point the angel was making to John was this, the angels worship at Jesus' feet just like you do. And what the writer of Hebrews is getting at at this point, is don't let yourself become infatuated with angels, because if you think about what angels do and who they are, angels are infatuated with Jesus. That's what matters. And so when the firstborn comes into the world, the command is, let all the angels of God worship him. Isn't that remarkable? And again, one of the things we're gonna see throughout this section are just all these highlights that address the deity of Christ. I mean, these are the angels of God who worship God, and God is telling these angels to worship Jesus. You see, that's a wonderful little depiction of Christ's deity. Of course, this is exactly what happened when the firstborn came into the world, right? We know this from Christ's first advent. In Luke 2, the shepherds were told, for there's born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. And then the heavenly host could no longer contain themselves, and they burst forth, praising God and singing, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. That was at his incarnation. The angel just had to praise the babe. Now, of course, Christ having accomplished the redemption of His people, He's ascended to heaven, and Revelation 5 tells us He's surrounded by the praise and worship of a massive throng of angels who are singing, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. You see, instead of adoring angels, we need to learn from them and adore Christ. Because that's what they do. He's worthy of our adoration. He's worthy of our praise. He's worthy of our worship. And Jesus is superior to the angels because he's worshiped by them. Well, that brings us to the third heading. He's superior to angels as a righteous king. Go ahead and see our verses seven through nine. And of the angel, he says, who makes his angel spirits and his ministers a flame of fire, but to the son, he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You've loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. more than your companions." So the author begins here in verse 7 with a quote from Psalm 104, which we actually heard in our call to worship. Psalm 104 is a psalm of praise that exalts in all that God has made and in God's sovereign providence and control over all that he's made. And angels were created by God to be exalted and powerful creatures in the kingdom of God. But the Son, He sits on the throne of the kingdom. That's the contrast. Now, the author quotes Psalm 45 here, a royal wedding psalm, to highlight Christ's superiority over the angels. And this is not a subtle, but actually a breathtakingly clear picture of the deity of Christ in our verse. You have the Father saying to the Son, Your throne, O God. Don't miss that. The Father saying to the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. Now this is the third time when the author of Hebrews has directed us to passages that refer to God and then he applies them to Jesus. This was a needed reminder for the original audience. Many were tempted to lower their view of Christ, reducing him to a mere earthly figure. But here the author confronts them with the reality of his kingship. Jesus is not only the king of Israel, but he's the eternal king of God's kingdom. God, the second person of the Trinity, sits on that throne. He is, to use the language of the Nicene Creed, very God of very God. And listen, I trust you know this, but a person who denies the deity of Christ is not a Christian. Over the past 25 years, it's been commonplace for ecumenical evangelicals to suggest that Mormons and Bible-believing Christians share a lot of common ground. No, no, no, that's nonsense. They may share a concern for some of the same moral issues that we're concerned about, but Mormonism is still a cult, and it denies the deity of Christ, and they need to be evangelized as sinners, not embraced as brothers. And incidentally, Mormons also have an intense fascination and exaltation of angels in their theology. But Hebrews would tell us angels are made, Christ is the maker. Angels came into existence by Christ's creative work to serve His kingdom. Christ is the eternal God-man who sits on the throne. And again, this connects to and is a fulfillment of the covenant promise that God made to David in 2 Samuel 7, 16, that the Davidic kingdom would be established forever. That promise anticipated an eternal king who would sit on the throne that is forever. and ever." And look how his reign is described. Verse 9, you've loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you. This highlights Christ's perfect obedience and his moral perfection during his earthly life, but it also tells us something about our great king. He loves righteousness and he hates lawlessness. I wonder if we know that latter part about Jesus. Do we know that he hates sin? He hates lawlessness? That he had to die a grueling, agonizing, wrath-appeasing death because of sin, and he hates lawlessness? I marvel at the depictions of Jesus Christ as a tolerant rabbi. He is not a tolerant rabbi. He's the eternal sovereign Lord who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness. And his life reflected that perfectly. Now, notice it says he's anointed above his companions. That means he's exalted. He's lifted up. He's supreme king. He's Lord. He's master. He is king. This could never be said of an angel, but it's precisely who Jesus is. And apparently, the Hebrew converts were struggling with the implications of what it means that Jesus is King and Lord and sovereign over our lives. And the author wants them to know that his lordship isn't optional. It's not an add-on for really spiritual and devoted believers. It's at the heart of what it means to be a believer. One of the great evangelistic passages is Romans 10, where Paul says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Savior, and then later at some point in your life submit to his Lordship, you'll be saved. I trust you know that's not what it says in Romans 10. It says, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. No Lordship, no salvation. As Augustine famously said, he values not Christ at all, if he does not value Christ above all. Jesus can't simply be a savior. He's got to be recognized as Lord and King in the lives of his people. And we don't want to miss that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness. And this anointing signifies his exaltation and his joy. Why is Christ joyful? because his kingdom is rooted in righteousness. His kingdom and his kingdom citizens are grounded in his perfect obedience that he accomplished during his life and his death when he secured our redemption. And the king of glory finds joy into bringing you into his kingdom because he loves righteousness and he's made you righteous in him. So Christ is superior to the angels because he's a righteous king. And then fourth, Christ is superior to angels as the eternal creator. Look at verse 10. You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You'll fold them up, and they'll be changed, but you are the same, and your years will not fail." Again, this is God the Father saying these things about God the Son. And here the author of Hebrews is quoting from Psalm 102. Let's unpack this briefly. Notice the language. You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth. This is a direct statement about Christ's preeminent role in creation. Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, and then in John 1.3, the apostle John echoed this when he says, all things were made through Jesus. Again, this is reiterating that Jesus is not a part of creation. He's the one who brought creation into his existence. Now as the God-man, he has a true human nature, a created nature. But in his deity, He's the one who existed before the foundation of the world and called the creation into existence. And the angels praised as creation leapt into existence. Every star in the sky, every grain of sand, every mountain and valley, all of it bears Christ's fingerprints. And it tells us that unlike the creation, our creator Jesus is unchanging. Verse 11 reminds us that the heavens, the earth, they're gonna perish, they're gonna grow old, they're gonna be folded up like a garment, but Christ remains the same. He's unchanging to his people in a changing world. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And this is an important and comforting principle. If I can borrow from Edgar Andrews, he writes, the timelessness and the changelessness of Christ is more than a philosophical concept. It's a strong ground of assurance for the believer. Not only can we depend on Christ for time and eternity, but we can depend upon His unchanging love because with Him there is no yesterday or tomorrow. His grace cannot fail. His grace cannot be rescinded. It's eternal. I am the Lord. I do not change. Therefore, you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Malachi 3.6. The Hebrew Christians that received this epistle, they were facing turmoil and chaos, all associated with various kinds of persecution. And that can leave one feeling remarkably unstable, like the earth under feet is just moving and they can't stand still. And so the writer says, angels can't grant stability, but the unchanging creator. And this is very practical for us. I haven't mentioned this in a while, but I know there was about a two or three year period where I kept having believers saying to me, what's wrong with the world? Am I losing my mind? And no, you weren't. It's the impulses and implications of sin moving in our culture. And they make the believer feel very unstable. But ultimately, our hope, our certainty is grounded in this king who'll never change. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's the unchanging creator. So he's superior to angels as our eternal creator. And then fifth, in verses 13 and 14, he's superior because of his preeminent rank. Look there at verse 13. But to which of the angels has he ever said, set at my right hand till I make your enemies a footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Now, this verse quotes Psalm 110, verse 1, which is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. I believe Psalm 110 is quoted like 26, 27 times. But the point is this, sitting at God's right hand, where Jesus is, it signifies that He has ultimate authority and power, that He's our sovereign. No angel has ever been invited to sit. at God's hand, right? But we've already learned when he finished his saving work, when he offered his blood as that atoning sacrifice for us, he ascended into heaven and he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So the fact that Christ is sitting, it signifies his finished work and his preeminent rank. And the phrase, till I make your enemies a footstool, refers to Christ's ultimate triumph over all his enemies, that Christ will be victorious over all sin and all And this really echoes the promise in Philippians 2, verses 10 and 11, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Now Christ's victory is both a present reality and a future certainty. He has defeated sin and death. through the cross and the resurrection. But one day, when he returns, again, surrounded by the shouts and praises of angels, every ruler, every power, every authority opposed to God will be brought under his dominion. Again, As I've said before, if you're reading through the book of Revelation and you're overwhelmed by the difficulty of the language, just remember the purpose of the book of Revelation is to say, Jesus the Christ wins. When history wraps up like a scroll, Jesus the Christ wins. And if we're in him, we are on the side that's victorious. Again, the imagery of enemies be made, a footstool comes from the ancient custom of basically a victorious king placing his feet on the neck of a conquered foe. Again, it's just a picture to demonstrate the totality of his victory and domination when he comes again. You see, no power can rival Jesus. No angel was ever told to sit At God's right hand, no angel was ever promised victory over every enemy. Jesus alone holds this preeminent rank. He's not merely a messenger or a servant. He's the sovereign Lord, exalted above all. What does this mean for us? That we can live with confidence. No matter how chaotic the world seems, the outcome is already decided. Jesus reigns right now, and His victory is assured. And as His people, we share in that victory. Well, Jesus is superior to the angels. Wrapping up, Jesus is superior to the angels because He has a superior name. He's the Son of God. He's superior to angels because they worship Him. He's superior to angels because He's the righteous King. He's superior to angels as the eternal creator, and He's superior due to His preeminent rank. How should we respond to that? We should embrace the Son. We should embrace him because there is no other name under heaven given by which men must be saved. We should worship him with awe and reverence. We should submit to him as Lord and King. We should trust in him as the unchanging creator. And we should live every moment of our lives with the assurance and confidence of his ultimate victory. I do want to draw your attention to the way the passage closes because it's as if the author of Hebrews wants to make sure we don't have a diminished view of angels. He wants us to know that God has a purpose for them in the lives of the elect, that Jesus sends them forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. In other words, Christ even uses angels over which he's sovereign. to bless you. Scripture is largely silent about this angelic ministry, but somehow God uses them to sustain, strengthen, and minister the elect as we make our pathway to glory. Well, in closing, the message is really simple. We shouldn't adore angels. We should adore the one adored by angels. That's Jesus Christ. He's supreme over the angels. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we thank you and bless you for your kindness to us. We thank you for this awesome picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray, O God, that we will be in awe of so great a king, so great a Lord, the God-man who rules and reigns. Help us to hunger and thirst after him. We ask in his own name. Amen. And by the way, I will mention There wasn't a lot of application in this passage, in this text, because the application comes in the very next verse. When we turn the page to chapter 2, it begins with the word, therefore, and that's when the application will unfold, if you were wondering. Well, as we prepare to come to the Lord's table, Again, the offer and invitation to participate in this sacrament is extended to those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, who have reached out to Him with the empty hand of faith and appropriated His merits, His finished work, His life, His death, His resurrection for our salvation. It's for those who don't try to insert their works in that process, but come to this table as a means of If that's you and you're a member in good standing of a Bible-believing church, please do come and feast with and upon the Lord. As you know, we typically use the Apostles' Creed as a confession before we come to this table, and you can find that on page 851 in the back of your hymnal. Christian, what do you believe? I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Let me ask you to give your attention to the reading of God's Word from 1 Corinthians 11, verses 23 through 26. And then a meditation this morning comes from the old blue Psalter formula from 1964. But first hear God's Word from 1 Corinthians 11, verses 23 through 26, where Paul writes, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death. till he comes. You can either follow along or simply listen to this meditation, but it is printed there in your bulletin. As we now draw near, let us acknowledge that the Lord has instituted his supper so that by it we may remember him and he may nourish and refresh us for eternal life. To observe this holy supper in remembrance of him is to proclaim our Lord's death until he comes again. In partaking of this supper, therefore, we remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior promised to the fathers in the Old Testament, that He is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, that He assumed our human nature in which He fulfilled for us all obedience and the righteousness of God's law, and that he bore for us the wrath of God under which we should have perished forever. We remember that he was bound that we might be loosed from our sins, that he was innocently condemned to death that we might be acquitted at the judgment seat of God. that he became a curse for us to fill us with his blessing, and that he humbled himself on the cross to hell's deep agony, which wrung from him the cry, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me, that God might never forsake us. We remember also that He was buried to sanctify the grave for us, that He was raised for our justification, that He is exalted at God's right hand, and that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. And we remember that the shedding of His blood has confirmed for us the new and eternal testament, the covenant of grace. Through this supper, Jesus Christ assures us that He will truly nourish and refresh us with His crucified body and shed blood to everlasting life. He promises this in the institution to the supper, saying of this bread, This is my body, and of this wine, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. With these words, our Lord directs our faith to his perfect sacrifice once offered on the cross as the only ground of our salvation. He also assures us that by his death, he's taken away our sin, the cause of our eternal death, and has obtained for us the life-giving spirit. By the spirit who dwells in Christ as in the head and in us as his members, He brings us into true communion with himself and makes us partakers of all his riches of eternal life, righteousness, and glory. By the same spirit, he causes us, together with all true believers, to be united as members of one body. As the holy apostle says, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. And as it said to us, for whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes, we're assured by this holy supper that our Lord Jesus will come again to receive us to himself and that we shall sit down with him and drink with him the fruit of the vine and the newness of our Father's kingdom. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you that you have given us this means of grace, this covenant meal for your people. We pray, O God, for the Spirit's work in us to grant us to take these elements by faith. And we pray as we take these elements by faith, These common elements will be used by the Spirit to strengthen and bolster our faith. And we ask this for the glory of Jesus, amen. Well, receive the Lord's benediction. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and forever. And all of God's people said, amen.