- Ezra Institute - https://www.ezrainstitute.com -

Meditation and Subjection

We are not merely to speak against certain issues; we are seeking to be like Christ and to point people to Christ.  We are to restore the garden of Eden in the world around us, working and keeping our "gardens."

Scripture:  Hebrews 2:1-9

Sermon Notes:

  1. Psalm 8 quoted in Hebrews 2 is about Christ but it also speaks of our position as co-heirs with Christ.
  2. The excellence of Christ is set forth in Hebrews 1, and we are therefore to pay attention to what Christ has spoken.
  3. The message spoken by Christ is corroborated by the signs. 
  4. The Spirit is evident in the power of the spoken Word and the signs, wonders, and miracles.
  5. When we share the gospel with others, God Himself corroborates the message we speak.
  6. Those who have heard the gospel must be careful not to neglect it.  We are warned against apathy; we must not coast in the Christian life.   Daily we need to pay attention to the gospel and stay on course. 
  7. Faithful tithing is a matter of integrity in our worship (2 Cor. 9:7).   We are to offer up songs of praise and gifts (Phil. 4:8; Heb. 13:15-16).  If our giving is behind it reflects that our knee may be bowed to another god.
  8. There is an emphasis on preaching and teaching at this church, but we must not come with a consumerist mentality.
  9. We need to respond to God’s Word in obedience (Ezek. 33:30-32; Deut. 5:1; Matt. 7:26-27; Heb. 2:3).
  10. We are all hearing God’s Word.  We must submit our lives to it.
  11. Nothing is outside the control of God; Christ reigns over the creation as a human being, and all things are subjected to Him.   As co-heirs with Jesus, we are to share in His reign and be crowned with glory and honour.
  12. Our identity as human beings is found in being created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27-28).
  13. Increasingly, in a culture that has abandoned God, we do not know who we are.  When we abandon God, we lose our own glory and dignity as humans created in God’s image.
  14. God has determined our gender, creating us male and female.  
  15. God blesses the man and woman, calling them to multiply and to rule over the earth. God’s created order defines who we are.
  16. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Christ has redeemed us from sin and called us to reflect the glory of God. 
  17. Adam and Eve were given the dominion mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over…every living thing” (Gen. 1:28).
  18. The apostles were given the commission to disciple, teach, and baptize all nations. As the church, our calling is to obey both the dominion mandate and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
  19. Our lives need to radiate the glory and majesty of God.  We want to restore the honour and glory of human beings so they reflect God’s glory.
  20. Our priestly role is to work and keep the garden, bringing glory to God (cf. Gen. 2:15; Num. 3:8).
  21. The priest in the OT would intercede for the forgiveness of sins.  We too are called to have a priestly vocation (Jn. 20:21-23; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).
  22. We are not merely to speak against certain issues; we are seeking to be like Christ and to point people to Christ.
  23. We are to restore the garden of Eden in the world around us, working and keeping our “gardens.”
  24. In Christ we have been crowned and honoured, and made worthy to participate in the covenant meal of the Lord’s Supper.

Application Questions:

  1. What is the significance of Psalm 8 for us?
  2. How does God’s corroboration encourage our evangelism?
  3. In what areas of our lives do we need to put into practice the Word?
  4. What answers does God’s Word offer to the gender and identity confusion of our culture?
  5. How can we know our full glory and identity as human beings?
  6. How does the dominion mandate apply to our activity in advancing Christ’s kingdom today?
  7. What is our role as priests toward the world?
  8. Do our lives radiate the glory of Christ?