Christ is Better Than Angels

I'm so glad to be back and I've been looking forward to this message. This is a pertinent message for the season that we're in. Oftentimes we get our eyes off of Christ and onto traditions of men, and Colossians chapter 2, verse 8 clearly warns us against that. Today's message is going to encourage us to keep Christ as the center of our life, like always. The title is Christ is Better Than Angels—better than angels. You'll see that in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 6 and following.

Now, as you think of the subject of angels, why is the immense book of Hebrews starting off with this case: "Better Than Angels"? Why is Christ better than angels? You know that already. Well, I promise you by the end of today you will see a little bit more of the warning set forth and why it's so important that this book starts off with not only the deity of Christ in verses 1 through 5, but also the fact that He is over angels. Now, angels were a big deal in the Old Testament—a really big deal. In fact, angels were such a big deal for the Old Testament Hebrews because they knew that God used angels to work mightily and powerfully. God used angels to work out His decrees, and He used angels in a more powerful way than He did human beings. Israel knew that and they were gravitating toward angels. God worked through angels powerfully, but He also carried His own word, His own commands—the Ten Commandments—to Moses through angels. So angels were a factor. The Hebrews really esteemed the idea of these angelic figures.

But not only that, the Hebrews misinterpreted Genesis 1:26, where it says, "Let Us make man in Our own image." They would have thought that God consulted angels. Oh, what a slippage in theological thought there! They thought that God needed angels as a divine counsel. In Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1, it says, "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it." This is so important for you in your life—not just the Hebrews. You think to yourself, "Well, Hebrews was written in the first century. It's addressing the Hebrews of the Old Testament who were Christians who were being tempted by the pressures of persecution to slip back into Judaism. This is outdated." It's not outdated! The Word of God is alive and applicable for you in your life today. It is very important that we understand why Christ is better than angels for your own life. This is so important.

Now, you think, "I don't understand. Genesis 1:26—is God needing a divine counsel such as angels to consult and get some type of counsel from them?" How do you get that? You know that. But listen, people are people. We are human beings. In Israel, Old Testament Israel especially, this has been used as an example for you. Don't do like them. Paul warned the Corinthians, "Don't slip away from Christ." That's the huge message for the Hebrews and for you as well.

Now, as we turn to Hebrews chapter 1, let's go through the text together, starting in verse 4, and look at a few things that the author of Hebrews—the preacher of this Hebraic sermon—has to say. I'm going to be taking you through some of the references in the Old Testament to help substantiate what the author is claiming here. So be ready to flip back and forth with me as we read through the text. We must do this in order to get the idea behind what the author is saying. You will never understand the book of Hebrews without understanding how the author is using the Old Testament scriptures. It is vital for our understanding to get the meaning of the text right.

I've set before you the first thought—a main idea for today's text—in that we need to make sure that nothing comes in front of Jesus. I'll state it to you this way: finding anything other than Jesus to worship is idolatry. Finding anything other to worship is idolatry. I know that you're saying to yourself, "I don't worship anything other than Jesus. I get that. You see that, and you say that, but remember—people are people. If Israel did it after they came out of Egypt through the parted Red Sea, through the wilderness by God's hand—if they slipped away, even generations after that in the book of Judges—that says everybody went their own way and did their own thing and worshipped their own gods. If they fell away from God after all of those miracles, listen, people are people. You are also a person who needs to guard yourself against idols. You must guard your heart. I'm telling you to guard hard against a drifting heart.

If there was an emphasis that I want to press home in today's message, you'll see as we extract truths from the text, it is this main idea applied: guard against a drifting heart. Guard against it. Above all else, Solomon said in Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23, "Above all else guard your heart." John Calvin said it like this: "The heart can be an idol factory." We are all tempted as people to gather things to worship or to admire or to love or to give our attention or aspirations to—other than Christ. We would be wise to listen to the author of Hebrews here and understand the context behind the scenes as to why he is preaching this sermon and how he's preaching it.

In Hebrews chapter 1, verse 4, it says, "Having become as much better than angels as He has inherited a more excellent name than they." So now you're seeing that Christ has a better name than the angels. But what is this big deal when it comes to angels? Turn to Galatians chapter 1, verse 8. Hold your place here in Hebrews and see that Paul, the apostle Paul—who very likely could have been the one who was preaching this sermon called Hebrews, for which perhaps Luke was the amanuensis and translated it into the high level of Greek for which it is written—this makes sense. There are different opinions on authorship. But Paul, scorning the Galatians, starting in verse 6 of Galatians chapter 1, says this: "I am amazed."

Now this is very strong language. If you were to write this in a letter form and scorn a friend for falling away from Christ, you would write, "I am amazed" in all caps. But more than that, in the Greek, it is not only in all caps, but it would be in bold as well. So if you want to grab someone's attention, how would you emphasize it? We can't see it in the Greek, but I'm trying to convey to you that not only would you write this in all caps and then go back over it again with a permanent marker and bold it, but then you would sit back and say, "This isn't enough. I need to emphasize this some more. I'm going to get a yellow highlighter and I'm just going to highlight this whole section." I'm trying for you—for me to see the emphasis behind this passage.

Galatians chapter 1, verses 6 through 9 says this: "I'm amazed that you're so quickly deserting Him in Christ who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel. Come on, seriously? Are you really falling away from Christ for a different gospel?" And in verse 7: "Which is really not another gospel, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel," and this is the reason why I bring you to this passage—because the apostle Paul sees it necessary to mention the word "angels" because of how much angels are esteemed in their culture. They venerate angels to a very high degree. "But even if we, apostles, preachers of the gospel, or perhaps in your own mind if you esteem angels higher than even we—even if an angel from Heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed."

Now go back to your emphasis. The strongest way of conveying an idea in Greek is, "He is to be accursed." But then that's not enough. Look at it again in verse 9: "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you have received, he is to be accursed." The emphasis is laid down unmistakably. It is unmistakable how important it is to make sure that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is above angels—it's above angels. It's better than angels.

Back to Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1: "For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, that's the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may not drift away from it." Those of you who have been around here for quite a while know that my favorite two words in the Bible are "so that we may not drift away from it." The reason why this is being emphasized and preached up front—the first point, the first idea, coming out of the gates—He's established who Christ is and how He speaks through Jesus Christ now and how the Old Testament law and the prophets are fulfilled now in Christ. Now He's speaking in Christ. Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, has been established and laid down. He's the prophet, He's a priest, He's a king. Jesus—now Jesus is above angels, far above angels. This emphasis is unmistakable. The point is because human beings are human beings, we are fallible, not infallible. Christ is infallible. We're fallible, and we are subject to drifting. In Galatians, it says even if somebody else was to preach to you a different gospel, they are to be accursed. Listen, bad company corrupts good character.

If you do not keep good company—keep good, solid biblical preaching in your ear, good, solid biblical friends demonstrating and talking to you—if you don't keep good company, you are fallible. It will taint you. You cannot be around bad company without being corrupted. It's part of being human. Know your limitation. When I was in Bible college, the president gave me one piece of advice as a preacher, as a pastor, as a father. I said to him, "Give me your best piece of advice." He said, "Know thyself." It took me like forever to really unfold what he truly meant by that. But you need to know your weaknesses because Satan will tempt you in your weakest areas. If he can get into your life, he'll destroy your life. All he's going to do is tempt you in little ways with a lot of emphasis. He just wants you to drift. He just wants you to drift just a little bit, just a road away from Christ's sum. He's not trying to get you to commit murder right away. He just wants you to commit murder in your heart—to hate someone because of what they've said about you, to hate someone because of what they have done to you, to hate someone because of the disturbance that they have caused in your soul. Listen, he just wants you to drift just a little bit.

You say, "I won't worship angels. I'm not an angel worshipper. I'm not going to put angels above Christ. I hope that's not the point." But the reason for you to know is that you are fallible. And so don't drift. Don't drift. In Hebrews 1:5, verse 4, 2, it says: "Which of the angels did He ever say, 'You are My Son; today I have begotten You'?" Now this is a high exaltation of Christ. This is an example of Christ actually being enthroned. Hold your place here and turn to Psalm 2, verses 6 and 7, and see these exact words, but with a little bit more clarification as to what the sermon is saying here in Hebrews.

"You are My Son; today I have begotten You." This is a reference to Psalm chapter 2, verses 6, 7, and 8. In verse 6, you'll see this is prophetic. In Psalm chapter 2, verse 6, it's prophetic for Christ's public enthronement. He's on the throne. He's the king. "But as for Me, I have installed My King, that being Jesus, upon Zion, My holy hill." This is not installment, but "as for Me, I have installed." He has enthroned Christ. Oh, that's so much higher than angels! That's so much better than angels! It's better than any earthly power, any invisible power, any power at all. It's so much better to be enthroned upon the holy, heavenly throne which, by the way, according to verse 7: "I will forever surely tell of the Lord's decree. The Lord said to Me, 'You are My Son.'" That being a reference to 2 Samuel 7:13 and 14, which stipulates that it is an office forever—forever and ever. By the way, forever is not just forward. Forever is eternal. It's past, present, and future. Forever. He always has been king. He is. It's wonderful.

In Psalm chapter 2, verse 8: "Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance." Oh, Jeremiah the prophet predicted this as well—that Jesus would inherit the kingdoms, the nations. He is the true Son of God who is inheriting these wonderful things. "You are My Son; today I have begotten You." Back to Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5, this reference to what the psalmist established is not only His public enthronement but also refers to His glorious inheritance—this continuous inheritance. He is truly the Son. Angels were not named as a son, and they have not been begotten like Christ has.

Verse 5 again says: "Be, and again I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me." Turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. I want you to see in verses 13 and 17 that this is the eternal office forever. "I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me." In 2 Samuel 7, verses 13 and 14, it says: "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever." No earthly person can establish a kingdom forever. What you build will crumble. What goes up must come down, someone said. But what Christ builds is forever, and His throne is forever. Verse 14: "I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me." Do you see that? Do you see how the sermon of Hebrews is referencing what has been said back in 2 Samuel chapter 7, verse 14? "And He will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me." When you extract the context of this Old Testament reference, not only do you see that the sermon in Hebrews is referencing what has been said in 1 Samuel, but you also extract more truth, more light, more understanding—why it's being said, and that is: it is a kingdom forever.

Christ is being set forth as having an eternal kingdom. No angel has that. No angel has anything compared to such glories. But not only this—in verse 5 again, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5: "I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me." In verse 6, it says: "And when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, 'And let all the angels of God worship Him.'" Angels are not to be worshipped, but the Son is to be worshipped. Not only that, you see this reference of the Firstborn. The apostle Paul addressed Christ as the Firstborn. Again, this is not the first who has been born. Obviously, Christ being born of a virgin was not the first born person, so it cannot be a reference to a firstborn person of Christ. This word "Firstborn" references rank. He is the highest rank. There is no one above Christ. He is on the throne. He is the ruler. He is the prophet, the priest, and the king. He is the whole package. He's everything. He is to be worshipped. No angel has ever sat on the throne and been worshipped.

This also is a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 32, which is God's song to Moses as an indictment against Israel's idolatry. I'm telling you that we must guard our hearts against idolatry. This is an important concept coming out of the gates here in Hebrews. These ideas are brought up as illustrations for us to see the mistakes that have happened in prior days. Idolatry is something that human beings are given to. You can accumulate for yourselves many idols—many, many, many idols—and you don't even really recognize it. And sometimes it takes good old-fashioned conviction—Holy Spirit conviction of your heart—to illuminate your mind about what needs to be known about your own life.

Is there anything in your life that you are esteeming more than Christ? Is there anything that you give more passion to, more words to, more thought to, more feeling to than Christ? You're an adulterer. Mark chapter 12, verse 30 says, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and all of your mind, all of your soul." This is an indictment against us. We have failed. We need the grace of God, His mercy from the throne, to bless us despite us. It's glorious to see that though we have fallen short, His magnificent grace is far superior to our sin. We just sang about the matchless grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and truly it does surpass your sin. It can eradicate it. It can remove it. It can cover it. It can wash it away. Don't condemn yourself to the point where Christ doesn't. We all do fail, but the encouragement is to run to Jesus. Repent and run to Jesus. As soon as you see something in your life not measuring up, repent and run to Christ. Repent and run to Christ. Repent and run to Christ.

We should be people who are regular repenters—regularly confessing to Jesus, "I failed, but You never fail. I need You, dear Jesus. Sorry about that thought. Sorry about that accusation. Sorry about my feeble feelings. Lord, bless me despite me, because of who You are, not because of who I am. Lord, I need You. I need You." In this way of praying—this way of knowing who you are in Christ—is to be a skill, a spiritual skill set that you get better and better and better as the years go on and on and on. As you get older, you should become more graceful. As you grow older in Christ, your words should be seasoned better. As you get older, your thoughts should be more conformed to Christ. As you grow older in Christ, your heart should be conformed to the Word of God more and more and more. You should have more of Jesus flowing out of you in every way, shape, and form.

You don't grow more bitter toward what's going on in the world. You grow more compassionate toward the atrocities that are happening in the world. You want to be a part of the solution, and you pray, and you go, and you minister on mission. You do whatever you can to be a part of the solution in people's lives because you know that people, just like Israel, will grab on to something like an angel, a thought of an angel, the ideology of angelology, and all this type of stuff, and place it before Christ. You know that, but you've got the solution. You've got the Word of God. You've got the hope. You've got the words. You want to take it, and you want to help.

As you become more missional at heart and mind like Christ—not staying where you are but actually going to the towns and being a part of the solution—writing letters yourself, just like you see in the New Testament. How did Paul reach people? He wrote letters. Should not you write letters? When 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 1 says to imitate me as I imitate Christ. What Paul did, you are to do. What Jesus did, you are to do. Jesus is an example. So you see these things. How much more like Christ or biblical can you get? Take this holiday season and sit down and write your family and friends a letter and lace it with Christ. Point them to Christ, point them to Christ, point them to Christ. Praise Christ for all of the good gifts in your life.

I'm talking about overshadowing all of our American tradition when it comes to giving gifts. I'm talking about making Christ so big and so beautiful and so wonderful that He overshadows all of these idolatrous things. Oh, can we become a people of God so saturated with the Son that we look like Him, that we exude Him? Worship Jesus.

Now that I've gone through the text, here's my first note: Moses was also a problem in the Israelites' hearts and minds. Moses was venerated too highly. In Deuteronomy chapter 34, verses 5 to 6, Moses died, and God buried him in Moab. Only God really, truly knew the destination of Moses. He did this on purpose because you know, as well as I know, that Israel, the Israelites, would have venerated Moses higher than Moses needed to be honored. They would have made too much of his grave site if they would have had the honor of burying Moses. They probably would have dug up his bones and put them on display. They probably would have made a huge tomb, and then after a while, that tomb would not have been enough, and they would have upgraded that tomb to perhaps a shrine. And then after years of visiting this shrine, no doubt, this memorialization of Moses and his grave site and his bones—they probably would have brought things that memorialized their time with Moses.

Maybe they would have dropped off things at the grave site to remember what they had learned from Moses. Perhaps those things would have become relics at a shrine. Perhaps it would have become a practice to visit Moses' grave every single year. Perhaps all of this attention would have spread and would have become a tourist attraction. And perhaps it would now have sunk into the people's hearts and minds and become an idol to where they would sit down and kneel down and pray in front of Moses' grave.

If you are listening to me, then you hear the things that not only could be but are already. In my notes I have written down that the Taj Mahal, where I've been and visited, is a big tomb with 4.8 million visitors a year. All it is—is the fact that an emperor memorialized his favorite wife in a big way. It's a marble mausoleum. That's a beautiful building. It's huge. It's wonderful. I visited it. It was incredible.

Do you also hear, in another lane of thought, how in Mecca, Muslims go annually and venerate too highly their false prophet? People are people, and they will develop these practices, and they will esteem things higher than Christ if we are not careful to keep our hearts guarded against drifting.

In Hebrews chapter 3, verse 3, it says, "For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses." We'll get there. Christ again is esteemed higher than Moses. This is the second point in Hebrews. The first point is He's esteemed higher than angels. For us, it's important to understand that Christ today is better than angels and He's better than Moses for many different reasons.

When you think of angels, ask yourself again: why do they become such a great thing? Well, angels—by name in the Bible, such as one named Michael—He was the leader of the heavenly host, known as the great captain. Israel esteemed this Archangel Michael very highly—to the point that he should not have been esteemed. Michael was known as a warrior who helped Israel, and so Israel loved this angel called Michael. But Michael was not enthroned. Michael has not inherited a priestly position nor a kingship, nor a sonship. This angel called Michael in the Old Testament was no doubt venerated or esteemed way too high in Israel's mind.

Yet the same things continue today. Seriously, it's copy and paste. The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Michael today. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church honors Michael on the 12th of each month today. And the Roman Catholic Church has a feast on May 8th, called Apparition, yes, in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel. This same old sin has been copy and pasted. Human beings are human beings.

This has been solved by an angel itself in Revelation 22, verses 8 through 9. The words of an angel to the author John forbids him to worship him. John was not to worship the angel per the angel's description. Though the Hebrews were not worshipping angels, they were plainly venerating angels too highly. The Roman Catholic Church today venerates Mary way too high. They say today, "Well, we don't worship Mary." But listen, what is worship? What is venerate? In many ways, they're synonymous. I'll prove it to you because the Roman Catholic Church today venerates Mary by praying to Mary. That's more than veneration. That's more than honoring. The Roman Catholic Church today proclaims Mary's perpetual virginity, which makes no logical sense. Jesus had brothers and a sister. By proclaiming this perpetual virginity, they are doing more than venerating Mary. They also ascribe the attributes of deity to Mary. These are forms of worship, otherwise known as idolatry.

Do you get the reason why I'm pressing in on us today? Human beings are human beings, and we need to guard ourselves against idolatry. This is supremely important. Israel idolatrized angels and the law over Christ and His Word. Americans—if you like made-up words like I do—they idolatrize. I kind of got that from McDonald's: "super size." It means to make something way too big. Do Americans not, in our own lives, idolatrize or make things too big in our own hearts and minds? Some have thought too much of our country. I love that our country has been founded upon Christian principles. I love that our money says "In God We Trust," but we are all people who need Jesus, and we need not to idolatrize America.

The same thing goes for ourselves. You can make yourself an idol—what you think, what you know, what you can do. Our time can become our own idol. We can guard our time instead of guarding our hearts. We can esteem our pets too highly, esteem animals too highly. I mean, seriously, there's a whole movement out there: "save the turtles," but kill the babies, right? Do you see how legislation wants you to stay away from baby turtles so that you do not affect them in their development, yet kill the babies? Kill babies—like 60 million so far. The same thing goes for other things like fun, retirement, money, anxieties, opinions. These things are often placed above Christ in our own minds.

Satan is so tricky because he slowly displaces Christ in your heart and mind. These things slowly creep in like tentacles that are creeping around in your life. Once they grab hold and their grip is strong, it is hard to break these bondages, to break these things. We are human beings subject to these slippery slopes, and we must guard ourselves. Whatever gains lordship in your life other than Christ becomes a god, which is an idol.

Exodus chapter 20, verse 3 says, "You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus chapter 20, verse 4 says, "You shall not make idols for yourself." What's the solution? Upsize the eternal and downsize the temporal. Continue to lift up and esteem Christ as Lord. Sanctify Him as Lord of your hearts. 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 15 says, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Set yourself aside as Christ as being Lord of your hearts. Do not set yourself underneath the lordship of any other things."

So upsize Christ, lift Him up, esteem Him. The eternal things of Christ and souls are what is important. When we upsize the temporal things—the things of this world—we're getting our spiritual priorities mixed up. We have a train wreck, a relational wreck, and things get off course in your own life if you esteem things higher than souls. If you esteem things of this world, the temporal things of this world, higher than people—people are God's priority. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus is after souls, and He works through us to give us the Great Commission to preach the Gospel to all the nations.

Be careful to apply what Paul learned. He said in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned to be content." This is a skill set that you would develop over time. You learn contentment. For your life, are you able to say, like Paul said, "I have learned to be content"? Or perhaps you are still on the road of contentment and saying, "I'm learning how to be content"? Or perhaps you need to start this race—this spiritual race—and say, "I need to learn. I need to start learning how to be content and to focus on Christ." These are most important for our lives today.

I have three take-home truths for you as we wrap up. Number one: heed the warnings against idolatry. Heed these warnings. Don't think too much of yourself to where you're like, "I got this world under control. I got this life under control. Christ is my Savior." Listen, as soon as you step out of that pedestal, all it takes is Satan's little hand at work to knock that pedestal right out from underneath you, and you'll fall. Be humble. Be very humble. The Bible says in 1 John chapter 5, verse 21: "To keep yourself from idols." Yeah, and that book was written to Christians, written to the church. Keep yourself from idols. 1 John 5:21. So heed the warnings against idolatry.

Number two: calendar the purposes of Christ first. Calendar the purposes of Christ first. If you want to apply a very good principle to your life to help keep you away from angel worship or any other type of worship that would displace Christ slowly in your life, then grab your calendar and calendar the things of Christ first. Put Christ first in every way that you possibly can, and hold as tightly to worshipping Jesus on Sundays and being in Bible study on Sundays. If you can, I know jobs prohibit a lot. Be in Wednesday night Bible studies, theological study when we start back up in January. Calendar your time with God, your Bible study time. I've been pushing for years for us not just to read God's Word, but to study it. Study it. Okay? Study, practice, teach. Ezra 7:10 sets a model for us to be able to study the Law of the Lord and to practice its truths and then to teach.

You won't have anything to teach, you won't have anything to say, unless you were studying. You will have no credible life if you haven't put it into practice already. Study, practice, teach. What a model! I'm pressing on us today, as we have a new year coming up, to calendar Christ in as a priority. If you make large portions in your weekly routine dedicated to Christ, your life will grow in Christ, and it will significantly change over a year or two or three. You should be a more spiritual person in many different ways as you grow in Christ. Calendar the purposes of Christ. This is how I think we can apply Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1, where it says, "Do not drift." If you allow your calendar, your time, to be responding to the tyranny of urgency, then Christ will never be a priority. If you're always responding, responding, responding, and yet you have not calendared, you have not planned, you have not set your course on Christ, then Christ will never be at the front. He will never be at the foundation. He will never be in you and through you completely as much as He wants.

Christ is Lord, and I'm pressing in on us to yield to Christ more. Not only should we heed the warnings against idolatry and calendar the purposes of Christ first, but also, lastly, number three: subordinate all of creation to Christ. In your heart and mind, you really should subordinate—place the things of this world underneath the authority of Christ in their rightful place. Hebrews 1:6 says, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." If you're going to put the angels in their right category in your heart and mind, we don't worship angels, but angels worship Christ. That's having a biblical worldview on things. Our house, our pets, our vacation, our retirement—these do not rule our life. They are subordinate to the things of Christ. Let these things be aids to you being missional, not prohibiting you. If you can't go somewhere because of your house or your pets or whatnot, figure out how that is not to prohibit you because your house, your pets, your things, and your responsibilities here—they're not given to you by God as prohibitors. They're blessings from the Lord to be able to enjoy.

I love having electricity, a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and my pets. I love my family. I love my neighbors. I love where we are in history to have all of these blessings, but do not let these blessings become an idol. These blessings—if you add too many things in your life—then you're washing too many things, and you're keeping up with too many things, and you're paying insurance for too many things, and your mind is on too many things. Colossians chapter 3, verse 2 says, "Set your mind on things above and not on things of the earth." You should be freeing yourself from underneath things so that you can serve Jesus.

I was so impressed by a lovely couple who mentioned to me earlier that they want to find a place to live here in this community so they can live closer to the church. They got the priorities right when it comes to wrapping their life around the things of God. God distributes His grace—His means of grace—in and through the local church first, and then to the world. Missions, the Gospel, evangelism—all that type of stuff. It's a blessing to be able to hear those types of things. The first person who said that, to my understanding, was Tom Ascol, when he has been for years encouraging families to find a good church first, then buy a house. Wrap your life around the things of God, and you'll be blessed for it.

Removing all of these things that are distractions so that you don't drift is very important. Let's pray together.

Lord, thank You so much for this passage. I pray that we would not become idolaters or accumulate idols in our life. May we view things as blessings from You, but not let them become prohibiting. May we not esteem things or ideas such as angels or anything else in this world above You. That means we are to take a close look at what occupies our mind, what occupies the affections of our heart, and what occupies our time. The things we say are to be analyzed because they're to be set upon You. Help us to set all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength upon You. You are in Your rightful place on the throne, ruling and reigning. May we yield to Your lordship, Your kingship, Your priesthood, Your love, and Your grace. May we yield to You, dear Jesus.

Father, Your command to repent and to run to You and to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Yourself on behalf of us—it's a command. I pray, dear Jesus, that if anyone here has never yielded to that command and confessed that they are a sinner and believed in their heart that You died and rose again for their sin—I pray to Jesus that the posture of their heart would be low, that they would be humble before You, and they cry out to You and say, "Please, dear God, help me," like the thief on the cross cried out to You. Today he was in paradise. Lord, in an instant, You can give wretched sinners a new heart and change their destination in eternity, and You can change their life today. I pray that You would do that and allow more people to be saved and to grow in their sanctification and be baptized biblically and to join a good local church and to study their Bible and to go forth and make disciples. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.