Paying much more attention to the Word...

1 12/30/2012

Title: The Speech of God

Old Testament Passage: Hosea 1

Gospel Reading: Mark 13:1-2

Sermon Text: Hebrews 1:1-2

Sermon Point: Jesus is the Final Word. He is Revelation incarnate, and He dwells in us.

[1:1] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

God has been speaking for a long time. He spoke the world into being. He spoke to holy men of old like Adam, Noah, and Abraham. He especially spoke to His people through the written Word that came through His prophets.

That Old Testament Word came in many installments. It was not all given at once.

It also came in many ways. In all of those ways, God had raised up just the right prophet to bring His message in just the right way. The result is the astoundingly rich document that we call the Hebrew Bible.

[2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.But as wonderful as the Hebrew Bible is, we have been given something more. We have Jesus.

The one who is the alpha and omega has come in person. The last days of gospel proclamation have come to us in Him, even back in the first century. In Jesus, God still speaks to us.

He is wise and powerful in His speech.

We can never safely ignore the Word of God.

We cannot safely ignore the Old Testament. It prepared the way for us to the Messiah. Still today it vindicates His perfect person and work. It proves to us that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, die, and be raised again.

And how much more can we not safely ignore the New Testament. It is the authoritative Word concerning the meaning of the Hebrew Bible.

Most importantly, we cannot safely ignore Jesus. He Himself is the Final Word. He is Revelation incarnate, and He dwells in us.

All of Hebrews 1 is working toward this inspired command in Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”