Jesus is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time) – Part 1

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THE G.O.A.T. – Part 1

(Jesus is better than the angels)

Good morning Jesus Church here & online!

New series showing why Jesus is the Greatest of all time

• This term is culturally called “The GOAT”
  • That’s the name of this series
  • Because Jesus IS the greatest of all time

One letter in the NT specifically makes the case that Jesus is G.O.A.T

• Writer of Heb systematically takes on anything believed 2 be GOAT
  • And shows why Jesus is better
  • B/C it is so easy for us to let things exalt themselves over Jesus
  • But we need 2 be constantly reminded that Jesus is the greatest

Heb. 1:1-6 (NKJV)

• Interesting to any religion that say Jesus is not God
  • That God specifically reserves worship for Him alone
  • Yet here He tells angels to worship Jesus
  • Which proves that Jesus is God

Heb. 1:13-14

• That’s talking about us…
  • How many know that as sons/daughters of the king
  • Salvation is our inheritance
  • We don’t earn salvation… we were GIVEN salvation

Heb. 2:1

Heb. 2:5-11

• Stop here for a minute: Not going over this part
  • We must understand Jesus Sanctifies… we are being Sanctified
  • This assumes a process
• Salvation means we are instantly Justified
  • But sanctification is becoming Holy… becoming more like Jesus
  • And that happens through Holy Spirit
  • Main tool of Holy Spirit is God’s Word
• When we’re convicted… its by the Holy Spirit (by truth of His word)
  • But we are not condemned b/c conviction part of process
  • And the enemy will tell you NOT TO GO to church b/c of sin
    • Reason: We go to church & hear the word… convicting us
    • Which continues the process of sanctification
    • That’s why the enemy condemns you > stop the process

Heb. 2:14-18

• Excited 2 start series… start from subject: Jesus greater than angels
  • Talk about why this is relevant to you
  • Might think I’m not too into angels
  • Never have questioned this idea
    • You’ll understand relevancy as we study

[PRAY]

Story: Ever noticed how people like to 1 up eachother

Like you have a story… well so do I but my story is better!

• Don’t know why – Like my 12oy has to believe he is better than me
  • I’m almost taller than you
  • I’m better at games than you
  • I’m faster than you
    • None of which… by the way is true (yet)
• But at 12… its the beginning of life long game “top that”
  • And there always is the guy who’s story always little better
  • And if you don’t know that guy
  • You might be that guy
• Even Christian guys do it… but cloak it in “Jesus Language”
  • Hey Brother, great to see you
  • Prayed for 2 hours today: Praise God
  • Top that guy: I just pray with out ceasing
• God is so amazing… I read the book of Hebrews this morning
  • Top that guy: Cool, ya I’ve got that one memorized
  • Glad you like read

I don’t know why we play this game… but its like we have no choice

• And honestly who cares… great ur faster than me
  • Meaning if we are ever hunted by bear… you will live & I’ll die
  • Congratulations – but it doesn’t really matter
• Xian Comedian… talked about if Neil Armstrong was your friend
  • What would it be like to play top that with Neil Armstrong
• Sitting around 4^th of July…
  • • I got to test drive a tesla
    • I got to do a ride a long in a jet
    • I got to fly jets
  • Neil comes by: Hey guys, well I walked on the moon
    • Who invited Neil to the party
    • You can’t top Neil

We’re gonna look at God’s “TOP THAT” list

And through what God shows us: Jesus is the greatest of all time

• Imagine best thing/person there is
  • It’s not greater than Jesus
  • Look how this whole case starts off…

Heb. 1:1-2

• Worlds? I thought we had a world (Evidently there are aliens)
  • But if there were – Jesus is over all those too & made them

Heb. 1:3 (Remember this is “top that”)

• Ok you win God – YOU WIN: Very apparent right away no one is…
  • Better/Higher/More Superior THAN JESUS
  • King of Kings… Lord of Lords – The best of best / better than rest
• Which is why Jesus isn’t just the greatest… but greatest of all time
  • Because when ur brain attempts to understand…
    • All that Jesus is
    • Everything he gave for us
    • The love he showed toward us
  • This is apex thing to think on in human history
    • Science is great
    • Math is (sorta) great
    • Social Studies is great

When you are fixated on Jesus and what he did

• That’s when ur brain works at optimum level…
  • He’s the centerpiece of it all AND the greatest story ever told
  • And when we dive into the goodness of God (cross/gospel/rez)
    • It’s the highest of the heights
    • It is the best that it gets
    • It is the ultimate thing to think on
• The best way to use your brain: Think upon Jesus
  • B/C when you think on Jesus (The top)
  • Everything else fall into place… come into perspective
  • For they are put where they should be
    • Which is underneath our Savior Jesus

TAG: First 3 verses God puts Jesus in rightful place

But v. 4 is a little odd… says Jesus greater than angels

Living in 2020 – Western World – Gone thru enlightenment

• Maybe your thinking… why angels… who debates angels & Jesus
  • And your probably for angels
  • But if like me: I don’t struggle comparing Jesus to angels
  • Think of chubby precious moments baby w/ wings
• Easy to read verse 4 and find a disconnect
  • Not really wrestling on praying to angels or Jesus

Remember Context – This is written to 1^st Cent. church around AD 70

• Written primarily to new believers (Jewish – thus the name)
  • Just came out of Judaism… and they r starting to have doubts
  • They can’t wrap heads around Jesus
    • He fulfilled the law / Is the messiah / God in the flesh…
• Hebrews is addressing issues they struggle with
  • Angels were highly esteemed in Jewish religion
  • Angels in OT – Major player in God talking to man (messengers)
  • In fact… the name “Angel” became holy in Jewish culture
• Jews revered angels so much – People started serving angels
  • Angels were the focus of conversations
  • They were considered holy
  • People wanted more than anything… experience an angel
    • They would long to feel wind from an angels wings

Verse 14 says: Hold up… angels are here to serve us as we serve Jesus

• And I’m not against angels… but we can’t put them on Jesus’ level
  • And you’ll see as letter goes on Jesus is greater than
    • Angels/Moses/Joshua/Aaron/Priests/10 commandments
    • Customers/Traditions/Preferences/Styles
• So when it says: God spoke in times past w/ Prophets & Angels
  • Mentions these because Jesus isn’t an OT prophet or an angel
  • Jesus is GOD – And his position is immediately established

Then chapter 2 starts w/ “Therefore”

Now that you know Jesus is better: Pay attention

• There’s a dominant human tendency in us that makes this relevant
  • You might not be struggling in Angel department
    • You’re thinking finally a week he’s not talking to me
    • I’ll sit back, relax & not feel convicted at all
    • About to burst your Bubble

Human tendency in all of us: Take a subject & make it an object

• We want to objectify the subject… meaning we take JESUS
  • Who is God… amazing… massive… powerful & gracious…
    • But is also admittedly hard to grasp
  • And b/c we can’t wrap our heads around all that God is
    • We will simplify it w/ something we can
    • Taking the subject… turning it into an object
    • B/C I can work w/ objects… comfortable w/ an object
• So we replace a subject w/ object: Which is the Def of Idolatry
  • What WE think of Idolatry
    • Little wooden guy… weird angry face
    • Burning incense… humming

But the Human tendency: Make even GOOD things our idols…

• Think about it… we don’t make bad things idols usually
  • It’s the good things we CAN wrap our minds around
  • The things we CAN make sense of
• We make the object big deal – Jesus goes on the back burner
  • Object becomes our place of worship

Scholar: God made man in His image – We’ve been returning the favor ever since

TAG: How about other spiritual things we objectify / shows up in life

Jesus is better than Miracles

Not against Miracles – Just like I’m not against chubby angels

• Hebrews isn’t against angels… or miracles
  • But Jesus is better than miracles…
  • But because miracles are more comfortable than Jesus
  • Now instead of serving Jesus… now we serve miracles
• Now we gather and say we need more miracles
  • I’m all for miracles… but what we need is Jesus

Young couple came in here looking for church family

• I was in a series on Jesus (Go figure)
  • They were hungry for something… looking for something
  • After our community was eating together
• In service people committed their lives to Jesus
  • Their question: where was miraculous… where were miracles
  • Their world view: We need more miracles… and that’s true
• BUT A TRUER STATEMENT: WE NEED MORE JESUS

Jesus is better than Worship

Wait – Worship is 4 Jesus… but we take the object & make it the subject

• Now we worship > worship… we need a revolution of worship
  • We need people filling stadiums and singing songs
  • B/C we need to unify around worship
• And we fall in love w/ the feeling… the emotion of singing together
  • And there is nothing wrong with desiring powerful worship
  • I love worship
• But we so easily lose sight that worship is a tool for us to use
  • Worship serves us… So we can serve Jesus…
  • Just like Hebrews says that angels serve us
  • So we can serve Jesus

Just like angels were meant to serve the Jews and all Xians

• So that we can serve Jesus
  • But we end up using Jesus to serve us so we can serve angels

TAG: Do u see the relevance now – Little more crazy

Jesus is better than prayer

Are you against prayer – NO! – I prayed this morning

• I love prayer… prayer is great… but so I serve prayer OR Jesus
  • When someone asks how relationship w/ Jesus
  • Answer: Well I prayed today
  • I went to 5 prayer meetings this week
• Today I’ve had 3 22 ½ minute prayer sessions
  • Why are we timing our prayers… b/c we just love prayer

I understand the passion – Need to pray absolutely

• I get it and believe in it… As long as prayer is to help us serve Jesus
  • AND DOESN’T REPLACE JESUS
  • If u feel like your status has improved w/ God – B/C u pray good
  • It is no longer about what He has done

TAG: Now this is the last thing you thought you’d hear from pastor

Jesus is better than serving at church

How is your relationship with Jesus

• Great I go to church and serve every week (kids/worship/outreach)
  • I’m sorry… but that’s not what I asked
• Like asking husband how is your marriage
  • Get an answer of: Bought her a house… feed her food… clothes
  • That isn’t an answer… I asked how is your marriage
• Where is Jesus in all of this
  • The church isn’t the subject – JESUS IS
  • Worship isn’t the subject – JESUS IS
  • Prayer isn’t the subject – JESUS IS

TAG: I’ve picked on you – I’ll pick on myself

Jesus is better than preaching 

Pastors fall in love with preaching… we wanna led people w/ a sermon

• We want to change peoples lives with words
  • I’m so excited to share this week… gonna change lives
  • And we take the object… and make it a subject
  • And now Jesus exists to serve me
    • So I can serve preaching
    • So I can serve as a pastor
• Where is Jesus in all of this… we cannot forget
  • Jesus is greatest… Jesus is the point… Jesus is better than it all
  • Not against any of these (Especially preaching)
  • It has to be subservient to Jesus

THEREFORE (PAY ATTENTION)

Now that we know He is better

• He’s better than any discipline/devotion/expression/phenomenon
  • And now that we’ve established that…
• PAY ATTENTION: For where we focus – our community will go
  • God has some amazing things for us to do
  • I don’t want to grow as a church being so busy…
  • Doing… going… serving… singing… loving… leading… preaching
• That we take Jesus out of His position as the greatest
  • Replace Jesus with good works
  • Replacing the subject with an object

Heb. 2:1 – Another dominant human tendency 

Hear is what we think when we hear Drift = Sin

• Context here: Sin is not what is being talked about here
  • Theme here is drifting back to what?
    • To trusting ourselves / Value based on performance
    • To trying to be perfect / obsessing over my deeds
• None of these are bad… but the better find their proper place
  • Underneath Lordship of Jesus Christ
  • B/C anything can attempt to challenge the position Jesus holds
  • But we cant agree with that challenge

Lest we drift – How do you stop drifting???

• Drift: Para-Reo – Carelessly slip away
  • We think drifting happens by
    • Doing bad things
    • Cussing at people
    • Taking Jesus pumper sticker off you car
• That’s not how you drift… you drift by becoming careless w/ gospel
  • By taking Jesus for granted
  • Not putting the subject (Jesus) above the object
• Examples
  • I haven’t seen my miracle… if Jesus is in his rightful place
    • I’m still believing and trust God has the best for me
    • If its not what I think… Its gotta be something better
  • If he isn’t in his rightful place… my miracle has taken his spot
    • If I don’t get my miracle… my way… in my timing
    • I don’t even know if I want Jesus in my life anymore
  • Not content w/ Jesus because I don’t believe Jesus is the best
    • Be careful with where Jesus sits in your life

Friend who leads worship… got a new Taylor Guitar – $6000 guitar

• People would ask to see it
  • This is what he would do… “SEE”
  • He protected that guitar with his life
  • Reason was b/c great value… demanded careful attention
• Pray this mentality of community towards Jesus
  • Who knows what future looks like in western world
    • Who knows what persecution will come
    • I don’t pray for persecution: That’s weird
  • Chances are it could come
    • They could take our programs
    • They could take our guitars, projectors, lights
    • They could take our websites and podcasts
    • They could take our buildings
• If those things were never our focus
  • If they never held our primary attention
    • They could take it all
    • But you can never take our Jesus

So as community: Lets take careful attention & give the highest value

• To the Jesus and the Gospel… for he is the Greatest of all time
  • It’s the only sure thing we have in this life

[PRAY]