Hebrews 1:4

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the worlds.

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. Having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For 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." But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "Let all the angels of God worship Him."

And of the angels, He says, "Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire." But to the Son, He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."

And, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will remain; they will 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."

But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Father, we just sang that You are a good Father, and we pray that, Lord, we would know experientially Your goodness. As a good Father, You would speak to us this morning, answering the questions that we have—those things that may be swirling around our minds even now. Lord, that You would speak; Your Word would speak, and that You would give us insight and understanding by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we know that You will guide us into all truth and teach us all things, so do that this morning. Bring these things to light and help us to comprehend them so that we can apply Your Word. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

A 2016 study conducted by Gallup found that 72% of Americans believe in angels. In fact, when you add those who say, "Well, I'm not really sure; there might be angels," that number rises to 84%. This means that only 16% of Americans do not believe in these angelic beings. There are more people in America who believe that there are angels than those who believe that there is a heaven. There are more people in America who believe that angels are real than those who believe that aliens are real. Angels have won out over aliens.

We see this in pop culture—in stories, movies, television shows, books, and songs. There are all kinds of different things that talk about angels. Maybe years ago, you remember the show "Touched by an Angel." Then there are "Angels in the Outfield," "The Angels of America," and "Angels Among Us." There's even "Charlie's Angels," but I'm not sure they're the same thing. Regardless, angels are certainly present in our culture, and they have been in cultures for centuries.

In 2005, Baylor University found that more than half—55%—of Americans believe that they have been personally helped by a guardian angel. Additionally, one in five—20%—of Americans believe they've had a physical, actual encounter with someone.

The concept of angelic beings that move between realms or dimensions is something that is deeply ingrained in us. Interestingly enough, 2,000 years ago, the Jews to whom this letter was written in the first century had a very well-established and mature angelology, or study of angels. William Barclay, a Bible commentator, notes that the Jews of that time believed that these angels were made of an ethereal, fiery substance, like blazing light. They believed that these angels were created either on the second or the fifth day of creation, as described in the book of Genesis.

The Jews believed that these angels did not eat or drink, nor did they beget children. Sometimes, they were thought to be immortal, although it was believed that God could annihilate them. They believed that God was surrounded by this angelic host, with many angels around His presence and throne. In the first century, these angels were often thought to be God's army and were certainly viewed as God's messengers. In fact, the word that is translated as "angel" in both Hebrew and Greek literally means "messenger." These angels were the messengers of God, dispatched from His throne in heaven to bring His message to earth.

We see numerous instances in both the Old Testament and the New Testament where these messengers step into the realm of humanity. Often, their first words are "Don't be afraid." If you were standing there and suddenly a being appeared, even if they had some sort of human form, you would probably be a little frightened. So, their first words are meant to calm the fear: "It's okay." Then, they would bring a message.

It was believed and taught by the Jews of the first century, and even before that, that angels carried the law from God to Moses and brought it to him. The Jews believed that angels had more knowledge than men, especially regarding future events. This was not because they had prophetic insight, but because they were in the presence of God, behind the veil, in that other realm. Therefore, they would hear things from God about what was to come in the future. John MacArthur, another Bible teacher, cites various insights on angels.

The Jews saw angels as the loftiest of God's creation. In fact, they believed that to be above angels, one would have to be equal with God. That's precisely the point that the author of the Book of Hebrews is going to be making here in Hebrews chapter 1 and moving into Hebrews chapter 2.

We started looking at the verses of Hebrews chapter 1 last week, specifically the first four verses. In the opening verses of Hebrews, the author runs full speed into a deep theological treatise about who Jesus is and the supremacy of Jesus. This book, the Book of Hebrews, is a letter like most of the New Testament books, such as Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, and Philippians. All of these are letters, but this book begins differently. It is unique in the way that it starts.

Most of the other letters generally begin with a salutation to the people that the author was writing to. For example, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to the saints that are in Ephesus, saying, "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Most of the letters begin like that, but not Hebrews. Hebrews runs right into this deep theology of who Jesus is, emphasizing that Jesus is greater and better.

Over the next several chapters, through chapter 7, the author will be driving home the point that Jesus is better. He is better than angels, better than Moses, better than Abraham, and better than the priests or the priesthood. That's why I am calling this series "Jesus is Better."

In those opening four verses, particularly the first three, the author of the Book of Hebrews establishes that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. Not only is Jesus the ultimate revelation of God, but he also emphasizes that Jesus is the owner and the sustainer of all things. He continues in those opening three verses, stating that Jesus is the revealing manifestation of all of God's glory, grace, and truth.

The author points to the fact that Jesus, there on the cross two thousand years ago, fully dealt with the penalty, power, persistence, and presence of sin when he said, "It is finished." This great event is something we will be celebrating in just about seven weeks when we observe Good Friday and then the resurrection.

On Easter Sunday, it is on the cross that Jesus fully dealt with sin. The author of the book of Hebrews makes this point in the opening verses, stating that He, by Himself, purged our sins. He also points out that Jesus sits enthroned in glory above all powers in heaven. These truths are significant, and we could spend weeks discussing each one of them, but all of this is found in the opening three verses.

The author does not provide an opening salutation or greeting; instead, he asserts that Jesus is better. This is the central theme of the book. He is writing to a group of Christians who have come out of Judaism, steeped in the Hebrew tradition and scriptures. The author demonstrates his strength in the Hebrew scriptures, as we will see today. He addresses these Christians, urging them not to turn back to their old religious rituals and rites that they practiced under Judaism, which was the first covenant, the old covenant. He emphasizes that Jesus is better and has established a new and better way under the new covenant. This theme will be reiterated as we go through this passage of scripture.

Since the readers of this letter, 2,000 years ago, were Christians from a Hebrew tradition, they already had a well-established view of angelic beings. They believed angels to be the highest or loftiest of all of God's creation. The author quickly points out that Jesus is better than these angels, who occupy a high privilege position in the order of creation. I believe the author to be Timothy, as discussed in a previous message.

The author states that Jesus is greater than angels, starting right there in verse 3. If you look with me at the middle of verse 3, it says that Jesus, by Himself, purged our sins. He dealt with all sin: the penalty, the power, the persistence, and the presence of sin. After accomplishing this, He sat down at the right hand of majesty on high. In verse 4, it continues, "having become so much better than angels, as He, Jesus, by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."

Now, why is this important? Why does the author think that this is where he needs to go?

With what I'm saying, to contend earnestly for the faith of Jesus, why does he start with this whole issue of angels? Why does he begin by saying Jesus is so much better than angels and that he has a better name than they?

Well, again, in the minds of the Jewish readers of this letter, angels held that high and lofty position in God's created order. Jesus was an individual who lived contemporaneously with them, here upon the earth in the form of a man. The readers of this letter understood that some of them were either eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus or they knew eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus. This letter was written within 40 years of Jesus ascending into heaven, so there were people alive at this point who either were or knew eyewitnesses of Jesus. They fully understood and comprehended the humanity of Jesus.

No one among the Jews of Jesus' day questioned his humanity because they had heard him teach, they had seen him, and they were with him. They all acknowledged that he was a man who lived; they saw him. However, the question that some who were discouraging Hebrew Christians raised was, "Okay, fine, he was a human being; we all know that. But is he anything more than that? He can't be much more than that."

Of course, the Scriptures proclaim through the Gospels and through the letters written in the New Testament that Jesus is God. He is, of course, more than just human. He is fully human; we don't want to diminish the humanity of Jesus, but he is also fully God. This concept of Jesus being fully man and fully God is very clearly developed and built in the book of Hebrews.

It begins in this way, where the author says Jesus is so much better than angels; he has a greater name than they. The author of Hebrews leaves no place for the thinking that Jesus was just a man, as he states that Jesus has, by himself, purged our sins and has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, becoming so much better than angels, obtaining by inheritance a better name.

Point number one on your outline: Jesus Christ has a better name and identity than angels. Jesus Christ.

The author of Hebrews states that Jesus has obtained by inheritance a better name than the angels. What name is he talking about? The name Jesus Christ? No, he is referring to something different when he says that he has obtained a better name than Jesus.

The Jewish readers of this letter, 2,000 years ago, would have understood that a name is not just the title by which you are called. It signifies your identity; it speaks of who you are in nature and essence. It is more than just being called Joe, Bill, Bob, or Sally. A name signifies identity.

Earlier in Hebrews, specifically in chapter 1, verses 1 and the beginning of verse 2, we read: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." The name and identity that speak of Jesus' nature—who He actually is—are encapsulated in the title of Son. This is the identity that is so much greater than that of the angels.

The author of Hebrews emphasizes this by stating in verse 4 that Jesus has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels. He then poses a question in verse 5: "For to which of the angels did God in heaven 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.'"

Jesus Christ has a better identity than the angels because He is the Son of God. He is singularly the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, as stated in John's Gospel in chapter 1, verse 14. Angels never receive that title, the Son of God.

Thus, the author of Hebrews is asserting that Jesus is better than the angels because God in heaven calls Him Son. This is significant, and the Jews reading this would have understood its importance. Even in Jesus' day, when He referred to Himself as the Son of God, the Scriptures say in the Gospel of John that some of the Jewish religious teachers took up stones to stone Him because they recognized the weight of His words.

I am equal in authority, power, and nature with God. You see, the son of an individual carries the same nature as that individual. So, for Jesus to say, "I am the Son of God," he is proclaiming, "I am God; I have that nature." The Jewish readers would have completely understood this.

Pointing back to the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hebrews quotes Psalm 2, verse 7, and he says, "To which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you'?" The answer is to none of the other angels. There is no angel that God has ever said this to. All he is driving home here is the point that Jesus is greater than the angels.

Now, why is this even an issue? Because the people living in that time, to whom this author is writing, knew that Jesus was a man. They understood that he had humanity; he was here in human flesh tangibly. There wasn't necessarily a question about that among the Jewish readers.

However, about 50 years after this letter was written, as we begin the second century AD, one of the early Christian heresies was that Jesus was not a man; he was just God. This stemmed from Gnostic teaching, which claimed that everything physical is evil, and therefore Jesus couldn't have been human.

At this time, the question that Jewish readers were struggling with, or being discouraged by, was the vocal cry against Jesus by some of their family members. They would say, "Come on, why have you left the temple? Why have you left the priesthood? Why have you left the sacrificial system to follow this Jesus? He's just a guy. He may have been a good man; he may have even been a powerful man, but he's just a man."

The author responds, "No, he's not just a man, because God in heaven says, 'You are my Son; you have the very nature of God in heaven here upon the earth.'"

It is fascinating to consider that in our day and age, 92% of Americans believe that Jesus was a historical individual who lived 2,000 years ago. Ninety-two percent means that nine out of every ten people you meet—neighbors, friends—will probably admit to you, "Yeah, I think that Jesus..."

There was an actual individual who lived 2,000 years ago, but here's the crazy thing: only 56% of Americans believe that Jesus was God. There is a divide, a division. Christians preach and believe from the Scriptures that Jesus is God, but a large segment of our society says, "Yeah, I'll confess that Jesus may have been an individual who lived 2,000 years ago, but I don't think he was God." Among those born between 1980 and 2000, known as millennials, only 48% believe that he may have been God. This indicates a declining number of people in our culture who acknowledge that Jesus lived and existed, but do not believe he was God.

Among those the author was writing to 2,000 years ago, there were Jewish individuals who had put their faith in Jesus, believing that he is God and the Messiah. However, many other Jews, including family members of those individuals, said, "No, we just think he was a man; we don't believe he was God." The author of the Book of Hebrews is pushing forward this truth: Jesus is better. He is greater than angels, whom many of the Jews revered as powerful, awesome, and mighty. The author asserts that Jesus is greater than they.

Why does this even matter? It matters because if Jesus is just a man and not God, then he is not the ultimate revelation of God. He is not the owner and sustainer of all things. He is not the manifestation of all of God's glory and grace. If he is not God and is merely a man, then he did not fully deal with his presence, his persistence, or his penalty. If Jesus is just a man, then he does not sit enthroned in heaven. All of the truths that the author of the Book of Hebrews has laid down in the opening three verses of this book are not true if Jesus is just a man.

The author comes in and says, "I want to prove to you that all of these things I've just said are true." He intends to demonstrate this by showing that Jesus is better than angels. He declares that Jesus is greater and defends the greatness of Jesus because Jews regarded angels as the loftiest beings in all of God's creation. However, Jesus is not created; he is greater because he is God.

He does this for his readers by using that which was totally authoritative for them: the Scriptures. As I mentioned last week and a few weeks before, the book of Hebrews cites the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, nearly a hundred times. By my count, the author cites the Old Testament 99 times, referencing the books of Genesis to Malachi, the first 39 books of your Bibles. He does this because the readers he is seeking to persuade and encourage not to leave the faith of Jesus Christ for sacrificial systems considered the Hebrew Scriptures authoritative.

When he wants to drive home the point that Jesus is better than angels, Moses, Abraham, and the priesthood, he uses the Scriptures to do so. In our day and age, we have to go a step further and contend for the authenticity and authority of the Bible. The author of the book of Hebrews didn't need to do that; he presupposes that everyone reading what he wrote already believes that the Scriptures are authoritative. In our time, we must first establish why we believe the Scriptures are authoritative before we can use them to show that Jesus is greater.

The author of Hebrews states, "Listen, Jesus is greater than angels," because in Psalm 2, verse 7, God said, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." Those words can be challenging for some people today because they may wonder, "I thought you said Jesus is God. He's equal in power, authority, and position as God, but now you say he's the begotten Son of God." This seems difficult because it would appear that the begotten Son is lower than God.

How do we understand this? How do we grapple with this? Here's the thing we need to understand about the title "Son of God": it is a title of Jesus after he came to the earth as a man. However, the Scriptures speak very clearly in places like the Gospel of John, the book of Colossians, and here in Hebrews that Jesus existed before he came to the earth. You and I did not exist until we were born of our mothers; we had no existence. Your soul and spirit did not exist somewhere out there.

In the universe, in heaven, and then it came down and occupied a body. The Bible teaches that you were created from nothing by the power of God through the procreative powers of your parents. In the womb, at conception, you became a living human being. That is what we believe; that is what we teach. That is why we support ministries like Alternatives. Life begins at conception, human life with a body, a soul, and a spirit, all there at that moment of conception. It is a miracle, an awesome miracle—the power of God and His creative powers. It's phenomenal. You and I came into existence at that moment of conception.

Jesus simply came to the earth at that moment. He existed before that; He has always lived. This is what the author of the book of Hebrews is going to drive forward here. Jesus' title before He came to the earth is that John calls Him the Word of God. Why the Word of God? We have talked about this because the Word is the most clear and full expression of who you are, your nature. You see, I don't get to know who you are or what you're like until you speak. Our words are the fullest and most perfect expression or revelation of who we are, and Jesus is called the Word of God. Why? Because He is the perfect and most full revelation of who God is.

Before His incarnation, that is, God becoming a man in human flesh, He is called the Word of God. But after His incarnation, He is called the Son of God in human form. He is the begotten Son of God, and that's why He says here, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." In another place, quoting from 2 Samuel 7:14, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son." Jesus is the Son when He became a man in human flesh—God in human flesh.

So, point number two on your outline: Jesus as the Son of God is greater than angels. Even though we are going to see in the coming chapters, quoting from Psalm 8, that humanity is created a little lower than the angels, Jesus takes this humble position. Philippians chapter 2 tells us that God becomes a man, and when He does, He is the Son of God.

Greater than angels, Jesus says the Son of God is greater than angels. The author continues in verse 6 of Hebrews chapter 1: "But when He again, God the Father, brings the firstborn into the world," this one who is preeminent above all, first in rank—that's what "firstborn" means. Jesus is the one who is higher in rank than all others. When God the Father brings Him into the world, the incarnation, He says, "Let all the angels of God worship Him."

Why is Jesus greater than angels? Because the angels worship Him, and you only worship one who is greater than you. Where do we see the worship of Jesus by angels? One of the places is when the incarnation first takes place, and Jesus is born. The entire heavenly host comes and worships Him at His birth.

But where else? In Revelation chapter 5, verses 11 through 14, we see the angels of God worshiping Jesus in the future. There is coming a day, as Revelation 5 proclaims, where all the angels of heaven will bow down in worship of Jesus in the throne room of God. The angels of God worship Jesus, which shows that He is greater in power, position, and authority than they.

The author continues in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 7 through 9: "Of the angels," speaking about angels, God says, "Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire." But to the Son, Jesus, He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."

The author of the book of Hebrews is exercising his command of the Hebrew Scriptures here in this passage. He is referencing verse after verse from Psalm 110, Psalm 2, verse 7, and 2 Samuel chapter 7, verse 14. Now he quotes Psalm 104 and Psalm 45. If anything, whoever wrote the book of Hebrews—whoever you think it is—this person knew their Bible. They just keep referencing verse after verse after verse, making this point: angels are messengers, but Jesus is King. That's the simple truth.

The message of verses 7 through 9 is that angels are messengers, and Jesus is King. To drive this point home further, the author keeps quoting passages from Psalm 102, verses 25 through 27.

Look at verse 10 of Hebrews chapter 1: "And you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." Speaking of Jesus, the Son, the earth will perish, but He will remain. They will grow old like a garment; like a cloak, He will fold them up, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will not fail.

Angels, like everything you and I see—the heavens and the earth—are created beings. We don't know exactly when angels were created. There was discussion among the Jewish sages and rabbis; some said they were created on the second day of creation, some on the fifth day, and others had different views entirely. But whatever the case, angels, like heaven and earth, are created things.

Jesus Christ, however, is eternal. He is the eternal Word of God who became the Son of God when He came to indwell a body here upon the earth. He is the beginning of creation, the creator of all things. Here it says He laid the foundation of the earth; the heavens are the work of His hands. In the end, when all of this is folded up and history, as we know it, is done, the Scriptures say He will remain.

So, point number four on your outline: Jesus is the eternal, uncreated creator and sustainer of all things. There will never be a time when Jesus will not be. He is eternal, He is uncreated, and He is the creator.

What the author is driving home is that angels are mighty and awesome, but Jesus is mightier and more awesome. I realize "awesomer" gets underlined in red in my program, so it's not a word, but Jesus is still that. I'm going to create a word: He's awesomer.

Continuing on, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 13, the author says...

But to which of the angels has God ever said, "Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? He is quoting from Psalm 110, verse 1. God has never said to an angel, "Sit at My right hand, and I'll make Your enemies Your footstool." But to Jesus, the Son, the Word, He says, "Sit at My right hand" in a place of authority and power. He occupies a place of power, authority, and rule.

Therefore, in verse 14, we read, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" Angels are powerful; they are mighty and awesome. However, they are created messengers of God, who occupies a throne in heaven. Jesus is the King occupying that throne. He is the one who dispatches these messengers to bring the message of God to us. They are simply ministering spirits dispatched by Him. They may be higher than humans, but they are lower than Christ because He is God and He is King. He occupies the throne from which He is sending them forth.

Therefore, in Hebrews chapter 2, and I know if I told you last week we were going to get into Hebrews chapter 2, you would have called me a liar, but here we are. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1 states, "Therefore we must give the more earnest or diligent heed to the things that we have heard, lest we drift away."

For if the word spoken through angels proved to be steadfast, enduring, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed by those who heard Him?

What is the author of the book of Hebrews saying here? He says, "Listen, if angels are mighty in power, if angels are awesome—and they are—God sends them from His heavenly throne room to carry His message down to you and me here on earth. They cross between heaven and earth. If they are awesome and they are mighty, and they are the ones Hebrew tradition held that carried the law of God from God to Moses, and if the word that they delivered to Moses..."

The law of God is strong and enduring. It is so much so that anyone who rebels against, trespasses, or transgresses against the law that the angels brought from God to man will be judged. If we are judged by the enduring, strong word delivered by angels, how much more will we be damned if we neglect the word spoken by Jesus Himself, God Himself?

If we are judged by the word given to us by angels from God, how much more should we be punished if we transgress or neglect the very word that God Himself spoke when Jesus came into the world and preached the gospel? Therefore, we should give diligent heed to the message of the gospel. We should listen carefully to the message of the gospel.

The first word of the message of the gospel is found in Matthew 4:17, where Jesus says, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If we neglect the word of salvation in the gospel and refuse to turn to God in repentance, then, just as the word carried by angels would judge those who transgress, those who neglect the word of salvation in the gospel and refuse to repent will be damned by the very same good news of the gospel, which came directly from the mouth of God Himself and the man, Jesus Christ.

A simple application point is that we must do well to honor the King more than His messengers. We must honor the King more than His messengers. This may seem obvious to some, but the sad reality is that there is a growing number of people in our nation who revere and believe in angels but do not believe that Jesus is God.

Think about that: 72% of Americans say angels are real and powerful and should be revered, but only 56% say Jesus is God. That is striking. Why is that striking?

We must give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard from Jesus. How shall we escape the judgment that will come if we neglect the salvation which first began to be spoken by Jesus? May it be that you and I are those who honor the King more than just His messengers. This brings us to a very simple final question: How can we, this week, today, honor the King? In what way can you, this week—Monday, Tuesday, at work, at school, wherever you are—honor the King?

As I thought about that question, two verses came to mind. First, Matthew chapter 5, verse 16. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." May it be that people look at my life, they look at your life, and they see our good works. Because of it, they honor our Father who is in heaven.

But what are the good works that we should do? Another passage came to my mind out of the Old Testament: Micah chapter 6, verse 8. He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God.

To do justly means to do what is right, to do what is honorable, what is of integrity, and what is morally and ethically right. How do we know what is morally and ethically right? I think the best place to start is with God's Word, reading God's Word to find out what it is that we should do. We should be those who do justly.

The fact is, as the years go by, it gets harder and harder to do justly. You have been in that position before. Someone says to you at work, "Listen, we don't have to write down the actual numbers here. Just do this; we can get by." You say, "No, I can't do that. I've got to walk in what is right." They respond, "Oh, come on, man. We can just do this. You won't advance if you don't do this."

He has shown me what I've got to do, and I've got to do what's right. He says not only should we do justly, but we should love mercy. You know what? I think every single one of us loves mercy for ourselves. How do I know that? I'll give you a little mercy love for yourself sort of test. When you're driving down the freeway and someone cuts you off, what's the first thing that goes through your mind?

Your mind. I wish there was a cop, but what happens when you're the cutter-offer? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's mercy. We love mercy for us, but He says for others. He's showing you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to walk in humility.

We don't live in a culture that values humility. In fact, more and more, we live in a culture that looks down upon the humble. But you know what the Scriptures say? God gives grace to the humble. God draws near to the humble. Living with assertiveness, pride, and boastfulness in our culture might give you likes on Facebook, but living with humility gives you a like from God. Let me tell you, that's a much better thumbs up than Mark Zuckerberg.

So may it be that this week, by God's grace and by God's power—because I can't do this in my own nature, and neither can you—may we honor the King by living with humility, by loving mercy, and by walking justly. Amen.

Hey, why don't we stand and ask God to help us? Because we can't do that on our own. Jesus, we come before You this morning and we ask in humility. Lord, we need Your help. Lord, we acknowledge—I acknowledge—I cannot do these things on my own. In my own strength, I am powerless to walk in integrity, honor, and justice; to walk in humility and to extend mercy. I need Your grace, Lord.

So I pray that You would enable me by Your power, enable us with Your grace to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk in humility. Let our light so shine before our neighbors, our co-workers, our family members, our friends—those who don't yet know You—that they would see our good works and that they too would glorify You, our Father in heaven.

It may be, as we're standing here this morning, that you realize or recognize for the very first time your need for the grace.

The forgiveness of Jesus is the one who dealt with all of our failures and sin on the cross. He offers forgiveness as a free gift of grace. It was a costly gift, but He extends it to you and me for free.

If you'd like to receive His grace and forgiveness today, I want to give you a chance to do so. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand? Is there anyone here this morning who would like to receive the grace and forgiveness? God bless you; I see hands in the front and the back as well. Praise the Lord!

If that's you, I just ask you to pray with me this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I recognize my need for You. Save me, help me to turn from my sin, and to follow You by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

God is good, church!