Pulpit Message Notes The Unshakeable Destiny of a Believer
My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 10th July 2022. Preacher: Rev. Dr. Master Obi Matlahope Scripture: Hebrews 2. Topic: The Unshakeable Destiny of a Believer
The author of Hebrews, the limit of his historical knowledge precludes positive identification i.e. we cannot positively conclude the writer of Hebrews. Some notes especially in Hebrew 5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, 13:18 where he identifies his friends and sends greeting alluabout which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where some- sion to Timothy has led others to say it could be Paul, but other one has testified: things that this letter is characterised puts that also into question. E.g; “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? The Greek deployed by the writer of Hebrews is much 7 You made them a little[a] lower than the angels; superior/classic than what we find in the Pauline letters. you crowned them with glory and honor The writers use of imagery is also quite distinctive; ship 8 and put everything under their feet.”[b][c] missing the harbour, the anchor gripping the seabed are also In putting everything under them,[d] God left nothing that is not similar to the imagery found in Paul’s writings. That is why not subject to them.[e] Yet at present we do not see everything in antiquity names have been circulated as possible writers such subject to them.[f] 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower as Barnabas, Apollos, Silvanus, Priscilla, Aquilla etc. However, than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and that is not the case. The letter of Hebrews is a masterpiece of the honor because he suffered death, New Testament. so that by the grace of God he The only authority which is over you and might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:5-11
Background 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting Him alone has the final authority in your life. You Summary of that God, for whom and through have the right to stand and declare your stand Hebrews 2:1-5 whom everything exists, should as far as any other thing is concerned. make the pioneer of their sal- In the introduction the vation perfect through what he writer projects the superiority suffered. 11 Both the one who of salvation that the believers makes people holy and those who of the New Testament (NT) have, which has been elaborated in are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed the person of Jesus Christ in Hebrews chapter one. By projectto call them brothers and sisters. ing the superiority of Jesus Christ far above angels, far above any other creature that God has ever created. This Jesus Christ has brought salvation which is Purpose of message: not through angels, but through the Son. This contrast of the To encourage / strengthen our faith Son and the angels in chapter one have one purpose to show out the quality of the Son compared to angels, prophets, or any The letter of Hebrews invites us to the task of defining the un- other Old Testament (OT) figure and this Son is by Whom God has given us salvation and therefore, the salvation that God has defined. Some of the undefined is the identity of its writer. brought us through the Son is far superior, it has not match, it is The writer’s conceptual background is undefined, the charac- of highest and he then warned from verse one to pay the most ter and location of the community to which he was addressing attention to what we have had so that we do not drift away. Since the message spoken through angels was bindis not specifically defined. The circumstances and the date of ing and violation and disobedience received is just punishment, composition of this letter is also undefined. The nature of the shall we escape if we ignore such great salvation. The salcrisis which the writer is addressing are scanty and not exactly how vation which was first announce by the Lord and confirmed by defined. This calls us to define the undefined. those who heard Him. Verse three we find the phrase with implication. We take solace in the fact that like all other historical letters / The OT folks heard the message of the angel sand when they writings we are often called to reconstruct the history of such heard the message of the angels, those who did not obey this literature and have to use historical methodology to bring this message received just recompense and then he moves and says, together. to those of us who have received the message of the Son, how much more shall we receive a more just recompense. superintends you is the authority of Christ and
TT 161 | July 19th - July 25th| 2022
