Better Than Moses

Text: He. 3-4

Introduction:
  1. Christ's Person is Greater Than Moses
    1. Key phrases
      1. "Holy Brethren"
        1. Indicates that the readers were saved
        2. They were possessors, not just professors
      2. "Partakers of the heavenly calling"
        1. Word used in Luke 5:7 and translated "partners"
        2. There it referred to men who were partners in fishing
        3. We are partners in fishing for men
          1. One plants, one waters, God gives the increase
          2. One gives, one goes, one reaps, one sows
      3. "confession"
        1. "to say the same thing" "to agree with"
        2. Twice we are told to "hold fast" our confession (4:14; 10:23)
      4. "consider carefully"
        1. Can't make a quick-fix profession
        2. Takes consideration, examination, consider thoroughly
    2. Jesus is THE Apostle and Great High Priest
      1. Moses was not the High Priest
      2. Moses was AN apostle, but not THE apostle
        1. "Apostle" is "one who is commissioned"
        2. Jesus is the final WORD on the matter, sent by God
      3. As the Apostle Jesus represents GOD to MAN
      4. As the High Priest He represents MAN to GOD
    3. Both Moses and Jesus were faithful to their calling
      1. Faithfulness is better giftedness
      2. Dependability better than ability
  2. Greater in His Ministry
    1. "house"
      1. Refers to the people of God, not a material building
      2. Moses ministered to God's people in the OT, the Jews
      3. Jesus ministers to God's people today, the church
    2. Their relation to the "house"
      1. Moses was a servant in the house
        1. The word "servant" is not one of the normal words used
        2. It is only used of Moses in the NT
        3. Refers to serving out of love or devotion
      2. Jesus is a Son over the house
      3. Moses is the creature, Jesus the Creator
    3. "if we hold fast"
      1. Not referring to the possibility of losing salvation
      2. "Since we hold fast"
      3. "holding fast" is proof that we are part of the house
      4. Those who remain firm until the end show that they are truly saved
      5. Those who drop out show that they were not genuinely saved to begin with
      6. Can of Worms: perseverance and preserverance
        1. We know that we are saved by faith
        2. We know that we are kept by faith
        3. We know that a person who is genuinely born again is eternally secure
        4. We know that no whoremonger, adulterer, etc. has any part in the kingdom of God
        5. This provides a conundrum, "What do we do with those who profess to be saved but who fall away or fall into sin?"
        6. Possible answers
          1. They never were genuinely saved (1 Jo. 2:19)
            1. Monroe Parker "If we could get half the church members saved, we would see a great revival. In fact, I think if we could get half of the preachers in America converted, we would see a mighty revival."
            2. Dale Burden: "Anyone with any spiritual maturity and discernment,..knows most church members today are not saved. Dr. W. A. Criswell, famous SBC pastor of the huge First Baptist Church in Dallas, said...that he would be surprised to meet 25% of his members in heaven. Bob Gray, long-time pastor of the big Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, said several years ago that probably 75% of those he baptized were not saved."
            3. Dr. B. R. Lakin: 75% of those attending bible-believing churches are lost.
            4. A. W. Tozer: "Among evangelical churches probably no more than one out of ten know anything experientially about the new birth."
            5. Billy Graham: During his early years declared that at least 85% of church members are not saved.
            6. Gallup Poll says that 74% of Americans claim a born again experience
          2. It is possible for a Christian to sin, even badly, but he will not continue in that sin
        7. Lessons from this
          1. Assurance comes not from belief in eternal security, but by obedience (1 John 3:19-21)
          2. Those who live in sin cannot be smug in their confession because a true confession will cause a change
          3. If there has been no evidence of change, then there can be no assurance
          4. Your continued profession does not make you saved, but it does prove you are saved
    4. Moses vs. Jesus
      1. Ethical systems
        1. Moses gave us the Mosaic Law
        2. Jesus gave us the Sermon on the Mount
      2. Emphasis
        1. Mosaic Law: conduct
        2. Sermon on the Mount: character
    5. Unbelief (He. 3:19)
      1. Comes from an evil heart
      2. Causes us to depart from the faith
      3. Earlier we were warned to not "drift"
      4. Exhortation helps us to stay true
      5. Sin causes us to depart through deceitfulness
        1. Cp. Eph. 6:11
        2. Promises one thing but gives another
      6. David's greatest sin was not Bathsheba, but unbelief
      7. Problem with doubt: It leads to other sins
        1. For Israel it led to the golden calf
        2. For David it led to numbering the people
        3. For Israel it led to wandering in the wilderness
    6. "Confidence"
      1. When first saved, we had confidence in our profession
      2. It is possible to lose confidence in our profession
        1. A difficulty causes us to question
        2. Persecution causes us to question
        3. Failure causes us to question
        4. Illus. Mark 9:14f "help thou mine unbelief"
  3. Greater Rest

    4. Rest equals completeness. God rested when He completed creation.

    1. OT Illustration
      1. Canaan
        1. Not a picture of salvation, but of victorious Christian life
        2. It has battles, wars, etc. which are not indicative of heaven
        3. Salvation is pictured by the blood on the doorposts
        4. Three locations
          1. Sinner without the blood
          2. Wilderness in disobedience and unbelief
          3. Canaan of obedience
      2. Two rests in the OT
        1. God's Sabbath rest
        2. Israel's Canaan rest
      3. Two rests in the NT
        1. Salvation rest (rest from our works for salvation)
        2. Submission rest (victory in the Lord)
      4. There is a future rest in heaven
        1. Only time that this word is used
        2. Refers to all battles and labors being ended (at least those related to sin)
      5. Oxymoron
        1. Labor to enter into rest
        2. Irishman who said he'd fight to have peace
    2. Israel as an illustration (Psalm 95:7-11)
      1. God revealed Himself in great miracles, and they still did not believe Him
      2. Demonstrates that miracles themselves will not MAKE people believe
        1. The key is how they are moved by the WORD of God
        2. Their problem was their heart
        3. We are not saved by keeping our confession, but we keep our confession because we are saved
      3. They "departed" from the living God
        1. The word "apostasy"
        2. Only time used in Hebrews
    3. Be diligent (v. 11)
      1. To obey the Word
      2. To remember God's judgment
      3. To remember our High Priest
    4. "Today"
    5. "Discerner"
      1. Critic
      2. The Word should criticize us (used in the classical sense)
      3. We should not criticize the Word
    6. "Boldly"
      1. Not brazenly, but fearfully
      2. Come with "freedom of speech"
        1. We should feel comfortable bringing any problem to Jesus
        2. He understands, even without sin