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Nov. 26, 2024
The Supremacy of Jesus as found in Hebrews Chapter One
Unlock the profound truths and transformative power of Christ’s sacrifice in our latest episode. Experience a journey through Hebrews chapter one with Pastor Bo, as we explore how Jesus’ sinless blood exemplifies God’s boundless love and the Holy Spirit’s life-changing influence. Embrace a more profound understanding of God the Father through the person of Jesus Christ, the expressed image of God's glory. We navigate common misconceptions and emotional barriers, offering insights into how Jesus' words and actions reveal the Father’s true personality and intentions. If negative experiences with earthly fathers have clouded your perception, this episode encourages you to find clarity and warmth in the divine nature of God as a Father. With a touch of humor, we remind you why carrying large Bibles and notebooks might just be the secret to deeply internalizing God's word
(00:00) God's Word and Biblical Literacy
(11:52) Discovering the Father Through Jesus
Chapters
00:00 - God's Word and Biblical Literacy
11:52:00 - Discovering the Father Through Jesus
Transcript
00:00 - Speaker 1
He didn't send another character. He saw the earth under a curse, under the curse of sin. He saw the earth and the mess that was in and he said I am coming down to redeem them, Because what's necessary for the forgiveness of all sins is perfect blood. Divine blood has to be shed, Sinless blood, not the blood of a goat or a bull or a heifer or anyone else's blood. My blood.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Nyccom. That's CityLightNYCcom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. That he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:06 - Speaker 1
I'm beginning this morning with Hebrews, chapter one, and we're going to be going through the book of Hebrews Great name for a Christian coffee shop, by the way, if you're going to open one up. Normally, most of the time I preach what are known as topical sermons. Those are pretty fun for me. I get to switch topics every Sunday, share personal stories, and you know there's a freedom there because I can switch every week depending on what's happening in the world, what the Lord is putting in my spirit. But often I also like to do expository preaching. That's when we go through the whole Bible, or a whole book of the Bible, the whole chapter, go through every verse. There's a reason for that One.
01:53
I want people who call City Light their home to be biblically literate, and biblical literacy is something that's been under attack. Why? Because the word of God is powerful. The word of God is so powerful. The Bible actually says, concerning itself, that the word will energize you. It will like a dynamo, not like give you a pep in your step, energize you, but it will fuel you, because innate in the word of God is the power to fulfill itself. So the more word you have in you, the more kingdom will be manifested around you. The less word you have in you, the more kingdom will be manifested around you. The less word you have in you, the less kingdom will be manifested around you. So you want to be full of the word of God and something funny happened.
02:33
You got a good-sized Bible too. Would you just show? Wave that Bible in the air. Look at that. That's even bigger than the one from first service. This, I mean you could stop a subway train with this Bible. You can use this Bible as a self-defense weapon.
02:48
This, this is how, back in my day, people used to come into church. I'm just wondering how many versions are in this one Bible. I thought it was like six different. This is big. People used to come in with a whole big Bible, and then Erica's still old school. Just wave that up. See, they used to come in and no, no, but wave up what you have inside, the important part, the notebook, the notebook, and everybody would come into church with a Bible you could choke a moose with and a notebook, because church was a place of learning and you'd get full of the word of God and you'd learn the word of God.
03:27
But somehow, I will say, that kind of shifted when we in churches started putting up the scriptures, right, and you've got Bibles on your phones. People don't bring in their Bibles. All right, that's fine, that's cool. But then it's because we live in a time where there's so much information. You used to be hungry for information. So you come to church, you get the Word of God, you write down revelations, you write down points and now it's just like oh, I'll remember that or I'll watch it later on YouTube or I'll check out the podcast. But you want to be full of the Word of God and part of when we go on this journey, what you'll be learning is how to read the Word of God, how to interpret the Word of God. We use plenty of scriptures here, every service, but in a topical message you may get 15, 20 scriptures, but now we're going through every single one of them. So be on this journey. Guess what we're doing next week? Hebrews 2. So this week you can be reading Hebrews 2, studying Hebrews 2, and then, when I miss something, you can call out ago. But what about that pastor right there? Amen. Let's begin in.
04:24
Hebrews, chapter 1. A little background on the book of Hebrews that'll help you understand it. This was written to a group of persecuted Jewish Christians. The timing of this book is in the 60s, probably in the late 60s, not 70 AD, because most likely the destruction of the temple would have been mentioned in a book to the Hebrews, but most scholars put it at around 67-68 AD. But this is the most important part that it was written to a group of really down-and-out, discouraged believers. They were Jewish Christians. They were ostracized. They were cast away. They were ostracized socially. They were ostracized. They were cast away. They were ostracized socially. They were ostracized financially. They weren't even allowed to trade at the markets, and years and years of that had taken their toll and they were on the verge of quitting.
05:15
The main theme of the book of Hebrews is don't quit, do not forsake your faith, do not bail out, keep hanging on, keep believing. And I like to read it often and remind myself of that often, because no matter how bad things are going for me in that particular moment, it's never as bad as it was for first century Jewish Christians who were ostracized in every way, amen. So if the writer of Hebrews, who we don't know who it is, can write such a strongly worded letter to them, what would he tell me then get up off the floor, you crybaby, chin up, chest out, eyes towards Jesus. You're gonna win hallelujah and we don't know who wrote Hebrews and there's no point in debating about it. Some people say Paul, cool, I won't correct you because you're wrong, but it just doesn't read like Paul to me. To me, but to some other people. They say it's Paul all over it. Okay, I don't know. I know it's divinely inspired.
06:20
Verse 1. God begins unapologetically just by naming God. I'm not trying to convince you that he exists, because the scripture already says that, even in nature, even in creation, that the wondrous works of God are declared and that the fool has said in his heart there is no God. God who, at various times and in various ways he's now referencing the Old Testament he had various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets. He's simply saying there was a diversity, a variety of ways that God the Father spoke to the prophets in the Old Testament and then there was a variety and diversity of ways those prophets then conveyed God's message. It seems to also just indicate, as you read on, that Jesus is like a glorious prism, that all these different bands of light pointing to Jesus and the Messiah in the Old Testament. When they come through the prism of Jesus, it comes as one being. He unites it all, hallelujah. And, by the way, god is a God of variety. Just even in the new, he's just saying all the different ways God spoke. If you just look at the New Testament, there's over 25 different ways that God will speak to his people. Hallelujah, verse 2, the number one way, by the way, is the still small voice, the inward witness, as in these last days.
07:50
Have you ever wondered how long the last days have been going on? A mighty long time. The last days is actually a designation of a particular eon, a particular season the church age or the messianic age. It's the age we live in now. Do you know when this age started? In Acts, chapter 2, when the church was birthed. That's when it became the last days. That's why, in Acts, chapter 2, when Peter is preaching and he's referencing Joel, and Joel says in the last days, I will pour out my spirit, says the Lord, it's talking about this period right now, the church age, which now has been going on for 2,000 years.
08:30
By the way, do you know how long most of these ages, every, actually every single one of them. How long they've lasted? About 2,000 years. That's another sermon. But I can't do that and I can take you through all the ages and show you that they always last 2000 years. So if we're in the in the last days, it's been about 2000 years. That shows me that we're in the last of the. There is no other church age, there's no other age that the Bible even speaks of. This, the last age. So the clock is ticking, which also explains why I'm so excited this morning. Hallelujah.
09:10
The only thing we can do is To take with us to heaven as souls. He's, in these last days, spoken to us by his son. You see in the Old Testament that were angels, and angels came and delivered the law to Moses and there were prophets. But when it came time to present the glorious gospel, god didn't just send a messenger. He himself was the message. He came in person and he spoke to us by his son, who is God, whom he has appointed heir of all things.
09:44
Now there's several titles that are given to Jesus in the book of Hebrews that don't really make sense when you just look at it in the natural, like heir of all things. What is an heir of all things? If my son was here, I would say here's the heir of all things. You would understand. Oh, you're talking about how, when you die, you're gonna leave everything to your son, but God, the Father, isn't dying. So what does heir of all things mean? There's another title, put a pin in that. There's another title given to Jesus firstborn. Several times it references him and calls him firstborn, firstborn from the dead. What does that mean? Who's the secondborn, thirdborn? There's no secondborn or thirdborn or fourthborn.
10:25
First century Hebrews will understand that heir of all things or first born, is just a title that means preeminent, supreme. You're the one To you belongs all the stuff. Amen has, in these last days, spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. In the Greek eons where we get eon, it's not just talking about the creation of the world itself, but Jesus is the one who made these different epochs and seasons and eons of which we find ourselves right now in the last and final season, and eon and epoch. Hallelujah, verse three who being the brightness of his glory? Yes, here's the word in the greek Greek for brightness. It's a power gossamer, which means radiance. Jesus is the radiance, is the outshining of God the Father. He's the brightness of his glory and the Express image of his person. That's a callback to a stamp or a signet ring that when you put the image in hot wax, what you get is the exact same image.
11:52
Here's what the writer is already saying that Jesus Christ is God and that if you want to know what the Father is like, take a look at Jesus. You know some people. They're like you know the Holy Spirit's great Jesus. He seems pretty cool.
12:05
I read his stuff in the red in the Gospels, but the Father, I don't know about him. What's the Father like? I don't know. Also, I'm a little messed up because I had a very bad father when I was a kid. So now, every time the pastor says Father, I go like this Well, that's a real thing. That's why the enemy attacks fathers and attacks families. So when we talk about Father, god, people immediately are like is this when the shoe gets thrown at me? No, shoe throwing is a mother thing, sorry. Is this when the belt?
12:37
If you want to know what the Father is like, take a look at Jesus. If you want to know what the Father would say listen to what Jesus said. If you want to know what the Father's personality is like, take a look at Jesus. If you want to know what the Father would say, listen to what Jesus said. If you want to know what the Father's personality is like, take a look at Jesus. He is the express image of the Father, the express image of his person and the outshining and the radiance of his glory, and he is upholding. An even better word for upholding would be maintaining. He is maintaining Jesus right now and he is upholding.
13:08
An even better word for upholding would be maintaining.
13:10
He is maintaining Jesus right now is maintaining all things by the word of his power. That seat that you're sitting on, the molecules, the atoms that make up that seat are being held together right now by Jesus and by the word of his power. This, when you actually meditate on this and get this in your spirit, you will become infinitely strong from the inside out. You will know that, just like God, you are immovable. You're unshakable. You will succeed. The victory is yours because he's sustaining you and maintaining you by the word of his power, that same word that keeps the sun in its place, the same word that keeps the planets on their orbit. That's sustaining you.
13:49
He's maintaining you and upholding you by the word of his power, when he had we're only three verses in and the preeminence and the magnificence of Jesus is just on full display, like in Times Square, full neon flashing lights. If that wasn't enough, when he had, by himself, purged our sins and this is why we make such a big deal about Jesus the rest of Hebrews, chapter one, is going to go into establishing, over and over and over again, something very important that Jesus is God. Over and over and over again, something very important that Jesus is God. And I gotta tell you, so many people kind of know that in church but don't really know that and there's people who are confused by it Especially.
14:37
I say this with respect, but I gotta name names, or else I'm just gonna be leaving in confusion. City Light how many of you used to be Catholic? Raise your hands. No, really, okay, it's not a shameful thing. It's not a a meeting, and I'm s. That's it. It was like 70%. Last time I did an impromptu survey. Maybe some people don't feel safe. I witness because I used to be orthodox, very similar to Catholicism. I myself was confused and when I witnessed the Catholics, I'll even find that confusion.
15:18
The son of God. Jesus is the son of God and they have that drilled into their head, but to a degree where you lose sight that Jesus is God. Also, it almost presents Jesus as like this secondary figure, like God. The father sent a fall guy in his place, like he looked at earth and he said they're in a huge mess down there and it's ugly down there, full of sin, icky. Hey, son, get out of your room. I'm sending you down there. Well, what am I gonna do, dad? Well, you're gonna die. They're gonna beat you, but don't worry about it. After that I'll raise you from the dead. Really. That worry about it. After that I'll raise you from the dead Really. That's not what happened.
16:01
Jesus is God and God came to earth in the person of Jesus. This is important. He didn't send another character. He saw the earth under a curse, under the curse of sin. He saw the earth and the mess that was in and he said I am coming down to redeem them, because what's necessary for the forgiveness of all sins is perfect blood, divine blood has to be shed, sinless blood, not the blood of a goat or a bull or a heifer or anyone else's blood my blood. So I'm going to come down to earth in the person of Jesus and I'm going to give my life as a ransom for everybody, and the holy, just wrath of God will come upon me and not them. That's how much he loves you. You didn't want any wrath to come upon you. He came down and satisfied divine justice that he had originated and he had implemented and he took it on in your place as your substitute. That's the power of that.
16:58
He himself purged our sins and then he sat down at the right hand. You know, when you sit down, you only sit down when the job is done. Amen, amen. And that's an important point also, because in church people they will never say this, but they act like he did a 95% job and the rest is on them. He did a 98% job, but they got to do their part and help a savior out, just contribute to the almost finished work of the cross. But it is finished. And he cried out, paid in full, it is finished. And then he sat down. So what's left for me to do? Believe and receive and then yield amen. There's nothing left for us to contribute to the already finished work of the cross. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, verse 4, having become so much better than the angels and the reason.
18:01
And for the rest of Hebrews, chapter 1, he starts comparing Jesus and Jesus's supremacy to angels, because worshiping of angels was problematic in the first century church and, you see, that brought up also in Galatians and in Colossians. And it's a human problem, because when we don't understand the fullness of the gospel we want other characters in the cast, like angels, saints. Mary, wonderful woman, bible says most blessed of all women, but she has not heard one prayer that has gone up to her ever. You know why. She's too busy enjoying the presence of the Lord and worshiping. The saints have not heard one prayer. Some of them aren't even up there.
18:53
I feel like I'm on Montel or something. Ooh what, I feel like I'm on Montel or something. Ooh what? Here? What some institution calls somebody?
19:06
The saints of God are defined in the Bible. I'm looking at a sea of them right now. You are the saints of God. Don't look at some three-century-old painting, some guy, and go, oh, he's a saint. No, you're a saint. I don't know about him, I don't know where his faith was, I don't know who called him a saint, but you, you believe in Jesus. You've given your life to him. You're now sin-free. You've been born again. You're a new creation. You're a saint. That's why every letter in the New Testament addresses you as a saint. Some of you are looking at me right now like you're an ain't, but I'm telling you you're a saint, hallelujah, hallelujah. Having become so much better than the angels, as he has, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name Now in the Bible, the name, it's not just what we think of as a name. It means your actual position, your title, your character, your very person. He's saying Jesus is far superior than any angel. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
20:14
Some of you have good people, good friends, in your lives. They want God, but they're afraid to approach him. So what do they do? To pray to other people, pray to statues, pray to other characters from the Bible. You can come around and let them know they're actually crying out for you to tell them you don't have to beat around the bush.
20:32
My kids go to Catholic school. This is how it's packaged to them. It's packaged like, you know, when you really need some help around the house, you know. And your dad? He's kind of grumpy sometimes, right, who do you go to? You go to mom, right, and mom, and if you do something bad, mom will calm dad down and, you know, lessen the blow. So that's how some of you know.
20:58
You've been taught it this way. You can't go straight to God, the Father. Go to his mother and she'll calm him down because he's angry up there, he's raging, he's mad at the world and at sin, but his mom will calm him down. God is not raging, he's chill, he's been satisfied. The blood of Jesus satisfied him and when you put your faith in Jesus, he's satisfied with you. And there him. And when you put your faith in Jesus, he's satisfied with you and there's no more wrath left for you. Yeah, it's been fully exhausted on the person of Jesus, so there's none left for you if you believe, if you put your faith in him. If you don't believe, then you're under condemnation. So get to believe him and when you really believe you'll give your whole life to him and you'll see even more transformation take place.
21:41
Hallelujah, verse five. For to which of the angels did he ever say? He's now just saying hey, how can you even compare jesus to an angel? And he starts quoting from the old testament. Every time you see these quotes. Those are direct verses from the Old Testament. To which of the angels did he ever say you are my son. Today I have begotten you and again I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. You see that word begotten right there. Today I have begotten you. Let me read this to you God the Father also spoke to God the Son and described him as begotten.
22:27
It's very important in our walk to know that Jesus is God. Do you think I'm erroneous when I say that most people don't quite get this? You know most, and I don't mean most people outside the church. Of course they don't get it, but in the church all you have to do is listen to how Christians pray and they begin every prayer, father, daddy, God, in Jesus' name and to the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Spirit of Jesus and Father and they just like start naming all three over and over again, just in case one feels left out and not really understanding the Trinity. The three in one, the one in three, and it's important to get that. See, that word begotten throws people off because Jesus is called begotten. But when you just do a cursory look at that, people immediately think of it in natural terms, as though God, the Father, had a child in heaven and Jesus was begotten. That's of course not what the scripture is saying. Again, that term begotten in the first century Hebrews would have understood it right away. In the first century Hebrews would have understood it right away.
23:37
Begotten speaks of the equality of substance and essential nature between the Father and Son. It means that the Father and the Son share the same being In the Greek essousia the same essence. They're the same substance and you'll be set free when you see Jesus not as the secondary figure but as the one, the holy one, the son of God. You just said he's God too. Yes, he came forth from the father and he said I will return to the father, but they share the same essence, they share the same substance. And Yahweh, god of the Old Testament, is Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
24:26
By the way, this is why they killed Jesus. It's because he said God was his father. Let's just go to that in John, chapter five. He wasn't saying you know, know, my father created me. Jesus is not a created being, he was from the beginning, before abraham was. He said I am the first century folks understood it. That's why they immediately wanted to kill him. For this reason, the jews persecuted jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath Verse 17,. But Jesus answered them my father has been working until now and I have been working and look at the response. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. Today, when we say begotten, we think, oh, he gave birth to. But it means the same. And when Jesus said I'm God's son and pointed to God as his father, he was saying I and the father are one. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, lord, verse 6.
25:44
But when he again brings the firstborn again. Firstborn is a title. It means preeminent, because back in that day, when you were firstborn, you're the one who got all the stuff. You were the preeminent one, the first in line. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says let all the angels of God worship him. In other words, jesus is God. He's so much higher than the angels. That's why in the Old Testament, in the Torah, he says let all the angels of God worship him. If he was just an angel, he, he says let all the angels of God worship him. If he was just an angel, he wouldn't receive worship from angels, verse 7. And of the angels he says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire? But to the son he says so, the angels are ministers, they're servants. But to the son he says your throne, oh God.
26:40
So you have this conversation within the Godhead. If you're going, you're kind of losing me. Now I will lose you because the Trinity is something glorious and mysterious and something that our carnal minds have a very hard time wrapping around. I used to be able to explain the Trinity really, really well and really really confidently, like 25 years ago, when I could just memorize the definitions and then you dive into the Scriptures and then the best thing is, you meet God and he's so deep and so great and blows your mind away that you're then even more cautious with your words.
27:22
One in three, three in one, and they have a conversation with one another and they each call each other God, your throne, this is the father speaking to the son. Your throne, oh God, is forever and ever A scepter of righteousness, is the scepter of your kingdom, hallelujah. But to the son he says by the way just catch that, I'm not making it up, verse nine you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, god, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. So the father calls the son God and then it says your God. So to the son, the father is God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. I feel like I'm losing some of you. But what's the point? The point is that God is one Amen, and do not allow this thing to come up in your mind, where it seems like the father is the main guy and Jesus is in second place and the Holy Spirit almost gets no attention in the churches today. He's kind of like got the bronze medal. He's in third place. He comes in sometimes. Sometimes we're like where is he? We don't know. They're all God, hallelujah. And it says therefore, god, your God, has anointed you talking to Jesus with the oil of gladness, the oil of joy, more than your companions. That's a powerful verse.
29:01
What is the oil of joy or the oil of gladness? Is it like God has a shelf and different oils around the shelf? The oil of strength, the oil of joy or the oil of gladness? Is it like God has a shelf and different oils around the shelf? The oil of strength, the oil of seriousness, the oil of joy? No, there's just one oil, one anointing. That word anointing means the manifest presence of God. The anointing is the Holy Ghost himself. It's the substance of God, the virtue of God, and here it's called the oil of gladness or the oil of joy. Why? Because that's what he brings when he touches you with his anointing. The anointing is the oil of joy. And if you were to look, look what it says, jesus was anointed with the oil of joy more than any of his companions. That means whenever you saw Jesus in a group of people, he was the most joyful in the bunch. Hallelujah. When you have joy. That's when good things happen. When you have joy, that's when the kingdom of God can work out through your life. That's why in the Bible we're commanded to rejoice.
30:07
Now, when I don't feel like rejoicing, I hate those verses. There is nothing. It's like when someone's upset and you tell them to calm down Doesn't go over. Well, right, it goes over. I think even worse when someone's sad and you say you know what, I know you need to rejoice. Really, where do you push that button? But there actually is a button on the inside and you can rejoice by choice. And this is why I can't hang out with morose preachers. I don't even trust serious preachers. I've been around now long enough. Whenever there's a constant serious, he's looking at things through the lens of defeat and he's glum and there's no joy, something awry, something is up.
30:56
Jesus wasn't that way, apostle Paul, when he was eating gruel off of a Roman cell, he told the Philippians rejoice. I say, and again I say rejoice. People think Paul was like this mean, codgily, just religious guy. I guarantee you he was fun. And Jesus, you know it says when the 70 came back, he sent out 70, they came back with a good report. The evangelism went well, it says in that hour Jesus rejoiced.
31:31
And we just read past that we're oh cool, jesus rejoiced. Maybe we see it with the religious mind. Like jesus rejoiced, we picture him clapping, but not with the whole hand, with three fingers just. And that word rejoice in the greek is alegría, similar in Spanish he alegríos, which means to leap, twirl about, dance and shout what did that look? They never show him that way in the paintings.
31:56
In the paintings he always looks like he's depressed. In the movies he always looks like he doesn't even care. He's all like aloof, like, really. Like the father sent him on a mission he didn't want to do and he's like oh, how much more will I bear with them, these little faith? Like we read it with that tone, but he didn't even when he said that he was awesome about it. How much more will I bear with you, you of little faith? Look what I'm doing in your midst. Hey, come here, see that leper. Watch what I'm going to do right now. Maybe this will juice your faith up. Hallelujah, may the oil of joy come upon you. One of the greatest rebellions you can have to the plan of Satan in your life is to hit that button on the inside of you and actually rejoice by choice is to hit that button on the inside of you and actually rejoice by choice and actively shut down in your life those things that will steal your joy. Hallelujah.
32:55 - Speaker 2
Hallelujah.
33:02 - Speaker 1
I've never had great things happen to me when I've had seasons of seriousness. There's a new term right now monk mode. Have you heard it? No, that's when you get really serious about life. Disappear for six months, work on yourself, go lose that weight, read those books, start that business and emerge six months later. I've done that stuff. I always emerge more miserable than how I started. I got so serious and I'm going to do. All I come out is a worse report on myself. Like man, I really am a failure. This is terrible. But whenever I've enjoyed him and put my eyes on him.
33:46
And then the most important thing is let your wife experience joy and your children joy and fill the house with joy and focus on the joy of the Lord, good things start popping right away. The kingdom of heaven operates on that principle of joy. It's almost like that should be in the Bible, like the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace. What's that? What Joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy in the Holy Ghost, verse 10. Hallelujah, hallelujah, you Lord. This is the Father talking to the Son. You Lord, calling Him Lord. That word there is Yahweh. The Father calls Jesus Yahweh, because Yahweh created the heavens and the earth, did he not.
34:53
Who created in Genesis 1? Who created the heavens and the earth? God the Father or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit? That's the answer. He said yes, god the Father spoke, the word came forth. That's Jesus. Where he said, yes, god the Father spoke, the word came forth. That's Jesus. Where was the Holy Spirit? It says the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
35:16
All three involve right at creation. You, lord, in the beginning, lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain, and they will all grow old, like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up and they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will not fail. Worship team, you can come up. He's just this whole, this whole time in Hebrews, chapter 1, he's hitting over and over again the majesty of Jesus, the greatness of Jesus, the preeminence of Jesus and the supremacy of Jesus. And the more you put your eyes on Jesus, looking unto him, who is the author and the finisher of our faith, the more of his kingdom will flow out of you. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Like a cloak, your years will not fail. And then he finally ends with just one more point. If you ever think about me and say he really does like kick the points over and over again, I'm in good company.
36:24
They did that in the epistles all the time. Paul even was so repetitive he said for me it's not grievous or burdensome to be repetitive, but for you it's necessary verse 13. But to which of the angels has he ever said sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Which of the angels has he ever said that? To none, because j Jesus is so much higher than any created being. Are they not all ministering spirits? They're ministering spirits, they're working, they're active in heaven. You look in Revelations. They're busy, busy, busy, busy. But Jesus, he sat down at the right hand. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
37:09
I want you just to lift your hands, close your eyes, say this Lord Jesus, you created the heavens and the earth and you created me. You died on the cross. You took my sins upon yourself. My sins were punished in your body. I believe in you, jesus. I believe you're at work in my life. The Holy Spirit is at work in my life. God, the Father, is at work in my life. 2025 is going to be my greatest year ever. It's going to be a bright future. I believe it In Jesus' name. Amen, hallelujah, hallelujah. If God before you, who, what can possibly be against you? Hallelujah, hallelujah. I want you to sing these songs with all your heart. Sean, you picked these songs so beautifully and it's healthy and it's good and it's right. You can learn a lot of things in Christianity, but the foundations and basics are essential. And to meditate on the magnificence of Jesus. He's not a secondary character, he's the one.
38:35
When John, in Revelation, went to heaven, he said I saw the one, capital O. I saw the one sitting on the throne. I saw the one sitting on the throne. I saw the one Say where is the Holy Spirit? He saw the one. Where's Jesus? He saw the one. Where's the Father? He saw the one Even the way we baptize.
39:06
You know. You've all been baptized in the name of Jesus. Did you know that If you were baptized in City Light, you were baptized in the name of Jesus? Why? Because half a dozen times in the book of Acts, when you see them baptized, they're baptized in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
39:26
So someone might say but what about in the name of Jesus? Or in the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? So someone might say, but what about in Matthew 28? Jesus said go baptizing in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. In the what In the name? Not names In the name. You're telling me that the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit is. You're almost there, that the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit is. You're almost there. I saw the one sitting on the throne when Paul was knocked off his beast. He said who are you, lord? I am Jesus. Who are you, yahweh? Who are you, lord? I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It's hard for you to kick against the goats. Hallelujah, sing this with your whole heart and just say Christ is Lord.
40:14 - Speaker 2
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
He didn't send another character. He saw the earth under a curse, under the curse of sin. He saw the earth and the mess that was in and he said I am coming down to redeem them, Because what's necessary for the forgiveness of all sins is perfect blood. Divine blood has to be shed, Sinless blood, not the blood of a goat or a bull or a heifer or anyone else's blood. My blood.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Nyccom. That's CityLightNYCcom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. That he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:06 - Speaker 1
I'm beginning this morning with Hebrews, chapter one, and we're going to be going through the book of Hebrews Great name for a Christian coffee shop, by the way, if you're going to open one up. Normally, most of the time I preach what are known as topical sermons. Those are pretty fun for me. I get to switch topics every Sunday, share personal stories, and you know there's a freedom there because I can switch every week depending on what's happening in the world, what the Lord is putting in my spirit. But often I also like to do expository preaching. That's when we go through the whole Bible, or a whole book of the Bible, the whole chapter, go through every verse. There's a reason for that One.
01:53
I want people who call City Light their home to be biblically literate, and biblical literacy is something that's been under attack. Why? Because the word of God is powerful. The word of God is so powerful. The Bible actually says, concerning itself, that the word will energize you. It will like a dynamo, not like give you a pep in your step, energize you, but it will fuel you, because innate in the word of God is the power to fulfill itself. So the more word you have in you, the more kingdom will be manifested around you. The less word you have in you, the more kingdom will be manifested around you. The less word you have in you, the less kingdom will be manifested around you. So you want to be full of the word of God and something funny happened.
02:33
You got a good-sized Bible too. Would you just show? Wave that Bible in the air. Look at that. That's even bigger than the one from first service. This, I mean you could stop a subway train with this Bible. You can use this Bible as a self-defense weapon.
02:48
This, this is how, back in my day, people used to come into church. I'm just wondering how many versions are in this one Bible. I thought it was like six different. This is big. People used to come in with a whole big Bible, and then Erica's still old school. Just wave that up. See, they used to come in and no, no, but wave up what you have inside, the important part, the notebook, the notebook, and everybody would come into church with a Bible you could choke a moose with and a notebook, because church was a place of learning and you'd get full of the word of God and you'd learn the word of God.
03:27
But somehow, I will say, that kind of shifted when we in churches started putting up the scriptures, right, and you've got Bibles on your phones. People don't bring in their Bibles. All right, that's fine, that's cool. But then it's because we live in a time where there's so much information. You used to be hungry for information. So you come to church, you get the Word of God, you write down revelations, you write down points and now it's just like oh, I'll remember that or I'll watch it later on YouTube or I'll check out the podcast. But you want to be full of the Word of God and part of when we go on this journey, what you'll be learning is how to read the Word of God, how to interpret the Word of God. We use plenty of scriptures here, every service, but in a topical message you may get 15, 20 scriptures, but now we're going through every single one of them. So be on this journey. Guess what we're doing next week? Hebrews 2. So this week you can be reading Hebrews 2, studying Hebrews 2, and then, when I miss something, you can call out ago. But what about that pastor right there? Amen. Let's begin in.
04:24
Hebrews, chapter 1. A little background on the book of Hebrews that'll help you understand it. This was written to a group of persecuted Jewish Christians. The timing of this book is in the 60s, probably in the late 60s, not 70 AD, because most likely the destruction of the temple would have been mentioned in a book to the Hebrews, but most scholars put it at around 67-68 AD. But this is the most important part that it was written to a group of really down-and-out, discouraged believers. They were Jewish Christians. They were ostracized. They were cast away. They were ostracized socially. They were ostracized. They were cast away. They were ostracized socially. They were ostracized financially. They weren't even allowed to trade at the markets, and years and years of that had taken their toll and they were on the verge of quitting.
05:15
The main theme of the book of Hebrews is don't quit, do not forsake your faith, do not bail out, keep hanging on, keep believing. And I like to read it often and remind myself of that often, because no matter how bad things are going for me in that particular moment, it's never as bad as it was for first century Jewish Christians who were ostracized in every way, amen. So if the writer of Hebrews, who we don't know who it is, can write such a strongly worded letter to them, what would he tell me then get up off the floor, you crybaby, chin up, chest out, eyes towards Jesus. You're gonna win hallelujah and we don't know who wrote Hebrews and there's no point in debating about it. Some people say Paul, cool, I won't correct you because you're wrong, but it just doesn't read like Paul to me. To me, but to some other people. They say it's Paul all over it. Okay, I don't know. I know it's divinely inspired.
06:20
Verse 1. God begins unapologetically just by naming God. I'm not trying to convince you that he exists, because the scripture already says that, even in nature, even in creation, that the wondrous works of God are declared and that the fool has said in his heart there is no God. God who, at various times and in various ways he's now referencing the Old Testament he had various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets. He's simply saying there was a diversity, a variety of ways that God the Father spoke to the prophets in the Old Testament and then there was a variety and diversity of ways those prophets then conveyed God's message. It seems to also just indicate, as you read on, that Jesus is like a glorious prism, that all these different bands of light pointing to Jesus and the Messiah in the Old Testament. When they come through the prism of Jesus, it comes as one being. He unites it all, hallelujah. And, by the way, god is a God of variety. Just even in the new, he's just saying all the different ways God spoke. If you just look at the New Testament, there's over 25 different ways that God will speak to his people. Hallelujah, verse 2, the number one way, by the way, is the still small voice, the inward witness, as in these last days.
07:50
Have you ever wondered how long the last days have been going on? A mighty long time. The last days is actually a designation of a particular eon, a particular season the church age or the messianic age. It's the age we live in now. Do you know when this age started? In Acts, chapter 2, when the church was birthed. That's when it became the last days. That's why, in Acts, chapter 2, when Peter is preaching and he's referencing Joel, and Joel says in the last days, I will pour out my spirit, says the Lord, it's talking about this period right now, the church age, which now has been going on for 2,000 years.
08:30
By the way, do you know how long most of these ages, every, actually every single one of them. How long they've lasted? About 2,000 years. That's another sermon. But I can't do that and I can take you through all the ages and show you that they always last 2000 years. So if we're in the in the last days, it's been about 2000 years. That shows me that we're in the last of the. There is no other church age, there's no other age that the Bible even speaks of. This, the last age. So the clock is ticking, which also explains why I'm so excited this morning. Hallelujah.
09:10
The only thing we can do is To take with us to heaven as souls. He's, in these last days, spoken to us by his son. You see in the Old Testament that were angels, and angels came and delivered the law to Moses and there were prophets. But when it came time to present the glorious gospel, god didn't just send a messenger. He himself was the message. He came in person and he spoke to us by his son, who is God, whom he has appointed heir of all things.
09:44
Now there's several titles that are given to Jesus in the book of Hebrews that don't really make sense when you just look at it in the natural, like heir of all things. What is an heir of all things? If my son was here, I would say here's the heir of all things. You would understand. Oh, you're talking about how, when you die, you're gonna leave everything to your son, but God, the Father, isn't dying. So what does heir of all things mean? There's another title, put a pin in that. There's another title given to Jesus firstborn. Several times it references him and calls him firstborn, firstborn from the dead. What does that mean? Who's the secondborn, thirdborn? There's no secondborn or thirdborn or fourthborn.
10:25
First century Hebrews will understand that heir of all things or first born, is just a title that means preeminent, supreme. You're the one To you belongs all the stuff. Amen has, in these last days, spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. In the Greek eons where we get eon, it's not just talking about the creation of the world itself, but Jesus is the one who made these different epochs and seasons and eons of which we find ourselves right now in the last and final season, and eon and epoch. Hallelujah, verse three who being the brightness of his glory? Yes, here's the word in the greek Greek for brightness. It's a power gossamer, which means radiance. Jesus is the radiance, is the outshining of God the Father. He's the brightness of his glory and the Express image of his person. That's a callback to a stamp or a signet ring that when you put the image in hot wax, what you get is the exact same image.
11:52
Here's what the writer is already saying that Jesus Christ is God and that if you want to know what the Father is like, take a look at Jesus. You know some people. They're like you know the Holy Spirit's great Jesus. He seems pretty cool.
12:05
I read his stuff in the red in the Gospels, but the Father, I don't know about him. What's the Father like? I don't know. Also, I'm a little messed up because I had a very bad father when I was a kid. So now, every time the pastor says Father, I go like this Well, that's a real thing. That's why the enemy attacks fathers and attacks families. So when we talk about Father, god, people immediately are like is this when the shoe gets thrown at me? No, shoe throwing is a mother thing, sorry. Is this when the belt?
12:37
If you want to know what the Father is like, take a look at Jesus. If you want to know what the Father would say listen to what Jesus said. If you want to know what the Father's personality is like, take a look at Jesus. If you want to know what the Father would say, listen to what Jesus said. If you want to know what the Father's personality is like, take a look at Jesus. He is the express image of the Father, the express image of his person and the outshining and the radiance of his glory, and he is upholding. An even better word for upholding would be maintaining. He is maintaining Jesus right now and he is upholding.
13:08
An even better word for upholding would be maintaining.
13:10
He is maintaining Jesus right now is maintaining all things by the word of his power. That seat that you're sitting on, the molecules, the atoms that make up that seat are being held together right now by Jesus and by the word of his power. This, when you actually meditate on this and get this in your spirit, you will become infinitely strong from the inside out. You will know that, just like God, you are immovable. You're unshakable. You will succeed. The victory is yours because he's sustaining you and maintaining you by the word of his power, that same word that keeps the sun in its place, the same word that keeps the planets on their orbit. That's sustaining you.
13:49
He's maintaining you and upholding you by the word of his power, when he had we're only three verses in and the preeminence and the magnificence of Jesus is just on full display, like in Times Square, full neon flashing lights. If that wasn't enough, when he had, by himself, purged our sins and this is why we make such a big deal about Jesus the rest of Hebrews, chapter one, is going to go into establishing, over and over and over again, something very important that Jesus is God. Over and over and over again, something very important that Jesus is God. And I gotta tell you, so many people kind of know that in church but don't really know that and there's people who are confused by it Especially.
14:37
I say this with respect, but I gotta name names, or else I'm just gonna be leaving in confusion. City Light how many of you used to be Catholic? Raise your hands. No, really, okay, it's not a shameful thing. It's not a a meeting, and I'm s. That's it. It was like 70%. Last time I did an impromptu survey. Maybe some people don't feel safe. I witness because I used to be orthodox, very similar to Catholicism. I myself was confused and when I witnessed the Catholics, I'll even find that confusion.
15:18
The son of God. Jesus is the son of God and they have that drilled into their head, but to a degree where you lose sight that Jesus is God. Also, it almost presents Jesus as like this secondary figure, like God. The father sent a fall guy in his place, like he looked at earth and he said they're in a huge mess down there and it's ugly down there, full of sin, icky. Hey, son, get out of your room. I'm sending you down there. Well, what am I gonna do, dad? Well, you're gonna die. They're gonna beat you, but don't worry about it. After that I'll raise you from the dead. Really. That worry about it. After that I'll raise you from the dead Really. That's not what happened.
16:01
Jesus is God and God came to earth in the person of Jesus. This is important. He didn't send another character. He saw the earth under a curse, under the curse of sin. He saw the earth and the mess that was in and he said I am coming down to redeem them, because what's necessary for the forgiveness of all sins is perfect blood, divine blood has to be shed, sinless blood, not the blood of a goat or a bull or a heifer or anyone else's blood my blood. So I'm going to come down to earth in the person of Jesus and I'm going to give my life as a ransom for everybody, and the holy, just wrath of God will come upon me and not them. That's how much he loves you. You didn't want any wrath to come upon you. He came down and satisfied divine justice that he had originated and he had implemented and he took it on in your place as your substitute. That's the power of that.
16:58
He himself purged our sins and then he sat down at the right hand. You know, when you sit down, you only sit down when the job is done. Amen, amen. And that's an important point also, because in church people they will never say this, but they act like he did a 95% job and the rest is on them. He did a 98% job, but they got to do their part and help a savior out, just contribute to the almost finished work of the cross. But it is finished. And he cried out, paid in full, it is finished. And then he sat down. So what's left for me to do? Believe and receive and then yield amen. There's nothing left for us to contribute to the already finished work of the cross. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, verse 4, having become so much better than the angels and the reason.
18:01
And for the rest of Hebrews, chapter 1, he starts comparing Jesus and Jesus's supremacy to angels, because worshiping of angels was problematic in the first century church and, you see, that brought up also in Galatians and in Colossians. And it's a human problem, because when we don't understand the fullness of the gospel we want other characters in the cast, like angels, saints. Mary, wonderful woman, bible says most blessed of all women, but she has not heard one prayer that has gone up to her ever. You know why. She's too busy enjoying the presence of the Lord and worshiping. The saints have not heard one prayer. Some of them aren't even up there.
18:53
I feel like I'm on Montel or something. Ooh what, I feel like I'm on Montel or something. Ooh what? Here? What some institution calls somebody?
19:06
The saints of God are defined in the Bible. I'm looking at a sea of them right now. You are the saints of God. Don't look at some three-century-old painting, some guy, and go, oh, he's a saint. No, you're a saint. I don't know about him, I don't know where his faith was, I don't know who called him a saint, but you, you believe in Jesus. You've given your life to him. You're now sin-free. You've been born again. You're a new creation. You're a saint. That's why every letter in the New Testament addresses you as a saint. Some of you are looking at me right now like you're an ain't, but I'm telling you you're a saint, hallelujah, hallelujah. Having become so much better than the angels, as he has, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name Now in the Bible, the name, it's not just what we think of as a name. It means your actual position, your title, your character, your very person. He's saying Jesus is far superior than any angel. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
20:14
Some of you have good people, good friends, in your lives. They want God, but they're afraid to approach him. So what do they do? To pray to other people, pray to statues, pray to other characters from the Bible. You can come around and let them know they're actually crying out for you to tell them you don't have to beat around the bush.
20:32
My kids go to Catholic school. This is how it's packaged to them. It's packaged like, you know, when you really need some help around the house, you know. And your dad? He's kind of grumpy sometimes, right, who do you go to? You go to mom, right, and mom, and if you do something bad, mom will calm dad down and, you know, lessen the blow. So that's how some of you know.
20:58
You've been taught it this way. You can't go straight to God, the Father. Go to his mother and she'll calm him down because he's angry up there, he's raging, he's mad at the world and at sin, but his mom will calm him down. God is not raging, he's chill, he's been satisfied. The blood of Jesus satisfied him and when you put your faith in Jesus, he's satisfied with you. And there him. And when you put your faith in Jesus, he's satisfied with you and there's no more wrath left for you. Yeah, it's been fully exhausted on the person of Jesus, so there's none left for you if you believe, if you put your faith in him. If you don't believe, then you're under condemnation. So get to believe him and when you really believe you'll give your whole life to him and you'll see even more transformation take place.
21:41
Hallelujah, verse five. For to which of the angels did he ever say? He's now just saying hey, how can you even compare jesus to an angel? And he starts quoting from the old testament. Every time you see these quotes. Those are direct verses from the Old Testament. To which of the angels did he ever say you are my son. Today I have begotten you and again I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. You see that word begotten right there. Today I have begotten you. Let me read this to you God the Father also spoke to God the Son and described him as begotten.
22:27
It's very important in our walk to know that Jesus is God. Do you think I'm erroneous when I say that most people don't quite get this? You know most, and I don't mean most people outside the church. Of course they don't get it, but in the church all you have to do is listen to how Christians pray and they begin every prayer, father, daddy, God, in Jesus' name and to the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Spirit of Jesus and Father and they just like start naming all three over and over again, just in case one feels left out and not really understanding the Trinity. The three in one, the one in three, and it's important to get that. See, that word begotten throws people off because Jesus is called begotten. But when you just do a cursory look at that, people immediately think of it in natural terms, as though God, the Father, had a child in heaven and Jesus was begotten. That's of course not what the scripture is saying. Again, that term begotten in the first century Hebrews would have understood it right away. In the first century Hebrews would have understood it right away.
23:37
Begotten speaks of the equality of substance and essential nature between the Father and Son. It means that the Father and the Son share the same being In the Greek essousia the same essence. They're the same substance and you'll be set free when you see Jesus not as the secondary figure but as the one, the holy one, the son of God. You just said he's God too. Yes, he came forth from the father and he said I will return to the father, but they share the same essence, they share the same substance. And Yahweh, god of the Old Testament, is Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
24:26
By the way, this is why they killed Jesus. It's because he said God was his father. Let's just go to that in John, chapter five. He wasn't saying you know, know, my father created me. Jesus is not a created being, he was from the beginning, before abraham was. He said I am the first century folks understood it. That's why they immediately wanted to kill him. For this reason, the jews persecuted jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath Verse 17,. But Jesus answered them my father has been working until now and I have been working and look at the response. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. Today, when we say begotten, we think, oh, he gave birth to. But it means the same. And when Jesus said I'm God's son and pointed to God as his father, he was saying I and the father are one. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, lord, verse 6.
25:44
But when he again brings the firstborn again. Firstborn is a title. It means preeminent, because back in that day, when you were firstborn, you're the one who got all the stuff. You were the preeminent one, the first in line. But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says let all the angels of God worship him. In other words, jesus is God. He's so much higher than the angels. That's why in the Old Testament, in the Torah, he says let all the angels of God worship him. If he was just an angel, he, he says let all the angels of God worship him. If he was just an angel, he wouldn't receive worship from angels, verse 7. And of the angels he says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire? But to the son he says so, the angels are ministers, they're servants. But to the son he says your throne, oh God.
26:40
So you have this conversation within the Godhead. If you're going, you're kind of losing me. Now I will lose you because the Trinity is something glorious and mysterious and something that our carnal minds have a very hard time wrapping around. I used to be able to explain the Trinity really, really well and really really confidently, like 25 years ago, when I could just memorize the definitions and then you dive into the Scriptures and then the best thing is, you meet God and he's so deep and so great and blows your mind away that you're then even more cautious with your words.
27:22
One in three, three in one, and they have a conversation with one another and they each call each other God, your throne, this is the father speaking to the son. Your throne, oh God, is forever and ever A scepter of righteousness, is the scepter of your kingdom, hallelujah. But to the son he says by the way just catch that, I'm not making it up, verse nine you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, god, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. So the father calls the son God and then it says your God. So to the son, the father is God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. I feel like I'm losing some of you. But what's the point? The point is that God is one Amen, and do not allow this thing to come up in your mind, where it seems like the father is the main guy and Jesus is in second place and the Holy Spirit almost gets no attention in the churches today. He's kind of like got the bronze medal. He's in third place. He comes in sometimes. Sometimes we're like where is he? We don't know. They're all God, hallelujah. And it says therefore, god, your God, has anointed you talking to Jesus with the oil of gladness, the oil of joy, more than your companions. That's a powerful verse.
29:01
What is the oil of joy or the oil of gladness? Is it like God has a shelf and different oils around the shelf? The oil of strength, the oil of joy or the oil of gladness? Is it like God has a shelf and different oils around the shelf? The oil of strength, the oil of seriousness, the oil of joy? No, there's just one oil, one anointing. That word anointing means the manifest presence of God. The anointing is the Holy Ghost himself. It's the substance of God, the virtue of God, and here it's called the oil of gladness or the oil of joy. Why? Because that's what he brings when he touches you with his anointing. The anointing is the oil of joy. And if you were to look, look what it says, jesus was anointed with the oil of joy more than any of his companions. That means whenever you saw Jesus in a group of people, he was the most joyful in the bunch. Hallelujah. When you have joy. That's when good things happen. When you have joy, that's when the kingdom of God can work out through your life. That's why in the Bible we're commanded to rejoice.
30:07
Now, when I don't feel like rejoicing, I hate those verses. There is nothing. It's like when someone's upset and you tell them to calm down Doesn't go over. Well, right, it goes over. I think even worse when someone's sad and you say you know what, I know you need to rejoice. Really, where do you push that button? But there actually is a button on the inside and you can rejoice by choice. And this is why I can't hang out with morose preachers. I don't even trust serious preachers. I've been around now long enough. Whenever there's a constant serious, he's looking at things through the lens of defeat and he's glum and there's no joy, something awry, something is up.
30:56
Jesus wasn't that way, apostle Paul, when he was eating gruel off of a Roman cell, he told the Philippians rejoice. I say, and again I say rejoice. People think Paul was like this mean, codgily, just religious guy. I guarantee you he was fun. And Jesus, you know it says when the 70 came back, he sent out 70, they came back with a good report. The evangelism went well, it says in that hour Jesus rejoiced.
31:31
And we just read past that we're oh cool, jesus rejoiced. Maybe we see it with the religious mind. Like jesus rejoiced, we picture him clapping, but not with the whole hand, with three fingers just. And that word rejoice in the greek is alegría, similar in Spanish he alegríos, which means to leap, twirl about, dance and shout what did that look? They never show him that way in the paintings.
31:56
In the paintings he always looks like he's depressed. In the movies he always looks like he doesn't even care. He's all like aloof, like, really. Like the father sent him on a mission he didn't want to do and he's like oh, how much more will I bear with them, these little faith? Like we read it with that tone, but he didn't even when he said that he was awesome about it. How much more will I bear with you, you of little faith? Look what I'm doing in your midst. Hey, come here, see that leper. Watch what I'm going to do right now. Maybe this will juice your faith up. Hallelujah, may the oil of joy come upon you. One of the greatest rebellions you can have to the plan of Satan in your life is to hit that button on the inside of you and actually rejoice by choice is to hit that button on the inside of you and actually rejoice by choice and actively shut down in your life those things that will steal your joy. Hallelujah.
32:55 - Speaker 2
Hallelujah.
33:02 - Speaker 1
I've never had great things happen to me when I've had seasons of seriousness. There's a new term right now monk mode. Have you heard it? No, that's when you get really serious about life. Disappear for six months, work on yourself, go lose that weight, read those books, start that business and emerge six months later. I've done that stuff. I always emerge more miserable than how I started. I got so serious and I'm going to do. All I come out is a worse report on myself. Like man, I really am a failure. This is terrible. But whenever I've enjoyed him and put my eyes on him.
33:46
And then the most important thing is let your wife experience joy and your children joy and fill the house with joy and focus on the joy of the Lord, good things start popping right away. The kingdom of heaven operates on that principle of joy. It's almost like that should be in the Bible, like the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace. What's that? What Joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy in the Holy Ghost, verse 10. Hallelujah, hallelujah, you Lord. This is the Father talking to the Son. You Lord, calling Him Lord. That word there is Yahweh. The Father calls Jesus Yahweh, because Yahweh created the heavens and the earth, did he not.
34:53
Who created in Genesis 1? Who created the heavens and the earth? God the Father or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit? That's the answer. He said yes, god the Father spoke, the word came forth. That's Jesus. Where he said, yes, god the Father spoke, the word came forth. That's Jesus. Where was the Holy Spirit? It says the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
35:16
All three involve right at creation. You, lord, in the beginning, lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain, and they will all grow old, like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up and they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will not fail. Worship team, you can come up. He's just this whole, this whole time in Hebrews, chapter 1, he's hitting over and over again the majesty of Jesus, the greatness of Jesus, the preeminence of Jesus and the supremacy of Jesus. And the more you put your eyes on Jesus, looking unto him, who is the author and the finisher of our faith, the more of his kingdom will flow out of you. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Like a cloak, your years will not fail. And then he finally ends with just one more point. If you ever think about me and say he really does like kick the points over and over again, I'm in good company.
36:24
They did that in the epistles all the time. Paul even was so repetitive he said for me it's not grievous or burdensome to be repetitive, but for you it's necessary verse 13. But to which of the angels has he ever said sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Which of the angels has he ever said that? To none, because j Jesus is so much higher than any created being. Are they not all ministering spirits? They're ministering spirits, they're working, they're active in heaven. You look in Revelations. They're busy, busy, busy, busy. But Jesus, he sat down at the right hand. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
37:09
I want you just to lift your hands, close your eyes, say this Lord Jesus, you created the heavens and the earth and you created me. You died on the cross. You took my sins upon yourself. My sins were punished in your body. I believe in you, jesus. I believe you're at work in my life. The Holy Spirit is at work in my life. God, the Father, is at work in my life. 2025 is going to be my greatest year ever. It's going to be a bright future. I believe it In Jesus' name. Amen, hallelujah, hallelujah. If God before you, who, what can possibly be against you? Hallelujah, hallelujah. I want you to sing these songs with all your heart. Sean, you picked these songs so beautifully and it's healthy and it's good and it's right. You can learn a lot of things in Christianity, but the foundations and basics are essential. And to meditate on the magnificence of Jesus. He's not a secondary character, he's the one.
38:35
When John, in Revelation, went to heaven, he said I saw the one, capital O. I saw the one sitting on the throne. I saw the one sitting on the throne. I saw the one Say where is the Holy Spirit? He saw the one. Where's Jesus? He saw the one. Where's the Father? He saw the one Even the way we baptize.
39:06
You know. You've all been baptized in the name of Jesus. Did you know that If you were baptized in City Light, you were baptized in the name of Jesus? Why? Because half a dozen times in the book of Acts, when you see them baptized, they're baptized in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
39:26
So someone might say but what about in the name of Jesus? Or in the name of the Lord, or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? So someone might say, but what about in Matthew 28? Jesus said go baptizing in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. In the what In the name? Not names In the name. You're telling me that the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit is. You're almost there, that the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit is. You're almost there. I saw the one sitting on the throne when Paul was knocked off his beast. He said who are you, lord? I am Jesus. Who are you, yahweh? Who are you, lord? I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It's hard for you to kick against the goats. Hallelujah, sing this with your whole heart and just say Christ is Lord.
40:14 - Speaker 2
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
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