It is almost impossible to talk and listen at the same time. If we do most of the talking, we cannot hear God speaking to us. In When I Relax I Feel Guilty, author Tim Hansel notes: An American Indian was in downtown New York, walking with his friend who lived in New York City. Suddenly he said, “I hear a cricket.” “Oh, you’re crazy,” his friend replied. “No, I hear a cricket. I do! I’m sure of it.” “It’s the noon hour. There are people bustling around, cars honking, taxis squealing, noises from the city. I’m sure you can’t hear it.” “I’m sure I do.” He listened attentively and then walked to the corner, across the street, and looked all around. Finally, on the corner, he found a shrub in a large cement planter. He dug beneath the leaves and found a cricket. His friend was astounded. But the Cherokee said, “No. My ears are no different from yours. It simply depends on what you are listening to. Here, let me show you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change.… And he dropped it on the concrete. Every head within a block turned. “You see what I mean?” he said as he began picking up his coins. “It all depends on what you are listening for.” In a church filled with a variety of sounds, the truth rings clear when we close our mouths and train our ears to listen for God’s Word.¹

[Tweet “You have to look into God’s Word with precision and effort. Lazy people get very little from God.”]

Hebrews 1:1– (NKJV) — 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 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; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

• The writer of Hebrews engages this congregation of believers to consider Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.

Considering Jesus

Hebrews 12:1–3 (KJV) — 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

• The Greek word ‘consider’ is a verb and it means to think about carefully; to think about actively, with effort and precision.
• You have to look into God’s Word with precision and with effort.
• Lazy people get very little from God.
• You have to put effort and precision into seeking God via His Word.
• If you say, you don’t have time to read the Bible, then you won’t be able to look unto Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith.
• Because faith comes from the Word.

One Reason Why We Should Listen to Jesus

• The writer of Hebrews doesn’t just declare these words to them.
• He proves out his words to them.
• And, makes his case to this congregation.
• He takes the time to positively prove why they should consider Jesus.
• His Holy Spirit inspired thinking is to show Jesus as so highly superior.

Jesus Is Superior Because He Is the Appointed Son

• In verse one, God lays out to us His methods of communicating to the man He created and infinitely loves.
• Many times and in many ways.
• Spoke by the prophets – the agency
• The word ‘but’ is a huge word here in verse two. ‘But’ means God has not finished talking yet. God did speak in a ‘whole bunch’ of ways at a ‘whole bunch’ of times but it was not the whole story. Jesus is the whole story. What Jesus had to say is the whole story. And so God’s method is always to reveal the story, to uncover His will a little at a time.

Jesus Is Superior to All of the Angels

• This next statement may be a little bit plain here.
• But if you worship angels, you are Biblically off course.
• The scriptures clearly warn you against this both in the Old Testament and in the New.
• I just turned sixty years old a few days ago.
• And time is getting short.
• Maybe calling things a bit straighter will wake some people up.
• Look at these verses of scripture on this point.

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 4:19 (KJV) — 19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

New Testament

Colossians 2:18–19 (KJV) — 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

• It’s a mistake to put angels up on a pedestal.
• Jesus, as author and finisher, is so much better than the angels.
• He spends the better part of the first two chapters laying this out.
• This argument shouldn’t be even necessary, you would think.
• Is there anybody in your church who thinks angels are higher than Jesus?
• If they do, show them these verses.

The Name of Jesus Is the Great Separator

Hebrews 1:4 (NKJV) — 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

• Everyone has a name.
• But there is only one who has a more excellent name.
• The words ‘more excellent’ is one word in the Greek language.
• The words form an adjective which means ‘unlike in nature, quality, form, or degree’.
• Jesus has a more excellent name.
• He has a name which is unlike any other living God created being in quality, form or degree.
• Totally superior.
• Completely higher.
• A Name which is above every name.

Philippians 2:9–11 (KJV) — 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• In the Name of Jesus, you can cast out devils and heal the sick.
• You can’t do that in the name of Michael or Gabriel or any other angel.
• Demons will laugh at you if you try.
• At the end, the writer’s conclusion is clear, Jesus is not even in the same class as the angelic host.

Call to Action:

Continue to read down through the end of Hebrews chapter two on this and you’ll see the superiority of Jesus to the entire angelic community. In the Old Testament, the Word times came via the hands of angels. But in this dispensation, in this day in which we live, God has chosen to speak to us via His superior son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Question: Do you know anyone who had an ‘angel worshiping problem’ and how were you able to help them? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.

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