Sermons
God Has Spoken
Introduction:
Last Sunday morning, the scripture reading was all of Hebrews 1. This morning I want us to turn our attention back there and read Hebrews 1:1-4
Hebrews 1:1–4 NKJV
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 also He 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.
Now, if we were to distill this sentence down to its most fundamental parts, or the main thought, we would come up with “God,” “has,” “spoken.” This is probably the foundational truth of Christianity. Everything else presupposes that we accept the fact that God has indeed spoken.
These three words we want to examine more closely this morning, their practical meaning for us, and draw out some implications from the truth they teach.
God Has Spoken
The first word we want to consider of the three is “spoken.” Again consider our text for this morning. Hebrews 1:1
Hebrews 1:1 NKJV
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
Consider for a moment what the world might be like if God had never spoken in any way, shape, or form. It is hard to imagine how much God’s revelation has permeated our world, but I can give you at least two examples from Scripture.
Genesis 6:5 NKJV
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Judges 21:25 NKJV
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
The fact that God has indeed spoken is a wonderful thing. Because if God had not spoken, we would be left to our own devices and our reasoning to figure out life’s most basic and important questions. Sure, we would figure out most of what we have now. And there would be sufficient evidence to point to a Maker (cf. Romans 1:18-21). But, we would not know what that Maker expects of us, wants of us, no revelation that the Maker of all desires a relationship with us.
We would be like the people in days of Noah or of the Judges!
God Has Spoken
No part of this verse is insignificant, so we need not overlook who is speaking. Hebrews 1:1
Hebrews 1:1 NKJV
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
It is God doing the speaking. The great and might creator and ruler of all of existence is speaking. And He isn’t just speaking just to hear himself speak. He is speaking to us.
King David marveled at this when he wrote Psalm 8. After standing in awe of creation, the vastness of the stars and heavenly bodies. At the grandeur of the earth and its oceans. He said of God, Psalm 8:4
Psalm 8:4 NKJV
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
Some on this earth think they are too good to talk to certain people. That they are below them. But guess what, all of us don’t even have the right to approach God, yet He comes down to our level, as it were, to speak to us.
God Has Spoken
The third word that we are considering this morning is also important. Again, I will read Hebrews 1:1-2, adding the second verse:
Hebrews 1:1–2 NKJV
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 also He made the worlds;
God has spoken. This means that God has already spoken. It is finished, complete. There is nothing more to be said. When this letter was written, God’s revelation to man through Jesus was completed. That doesn’t mean it was completely recorded yet, but the totality of the message was known.
Now on a practical level, yes, God is still speaking in the sense that every time we pick up His record Word, He is still speaking, teaching, correcting, guiding, etc. But the point is that the message was completely delivered some 2,000 years ago.
The disciple Jude wrote toward the end of the first century that the faith had been completely delivered to the saints.
Jude 3 NKJV
Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
If something has “once for all” happened, there is no indication or expectation for additions, revisions, or later happenings of that same thing. The base thought expressed in the text is that God’s revelation is finished, never to be repeated.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that the Scripture is complete for making Christians complete for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
If the Scriptures can equip me for every good work, then God has already given me everything I need to be productive in His service. Peter also says that God had in his day given to man everything that pertains to life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3
2 Peter 1:3 NKJV
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
That which is necessary for man to be saved, righteous, and have a relationship with God has been given to us. The Apostle John wrote in John 20:30-31
John 20:30–31 NKJV
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Truly “God Has Spoken.”
By His Son
However, there is another part to this statement we have been considering this morning: God has spoken by His Son.
Hebrews 1:2–4 NKJV
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; 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.
While God has spoken in many different ways in times past (as the Hebrew writer says), He has spoken singularly to all of mankind in Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ who has “all authority” (Matthew 28:18).
• Who is the “exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3 NASB ‘95).
• Who revealed the “grace and truth” of the Gospel (John 1:17).
• Who gave authority to His apostles to carry the message to the ends of the earth (cf. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
As a side note, the scriptures that John, Paul, Peter, James, etc., wrote carry the same authority as the “red letter.” Jesus, Himself said in John 13:20
John 13:20 NKJV
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
Some Applications
What does this mean for us, practically speaking? What impact does the fact that “God Has Spoken by His Son” have in our lives? I want to offer a few brief applications before we close this morning.
1. God’s Word is Final.
a. The first application I would offer this morning is the most fundamental but, arguably, the most important. When God says something that should, and indeed does, end all debate on the matter.
b. However, you know, as well as I do that often, this does not end debate. But this is because many who claim to have the Bible as their standard, their authority, actually have a different authority.
i. Some will cite scholars, others their preacher or church or denominational creed, still others will have their emotions be the guiding force in religion.
ii. Or even further, the self will be all the authority some will appeal to.
iii. I will say right now that this is why there is not more widespread unity among believers and self-proclaimed Christians. It is not that the Word is not clear because it is. The issue is that many are substituting a different authority for what God has said.
2. Study the Bible.
a. Because God has spoken, we should diligently study His word.
b. Look back at Hebrews 1:2 “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.”
i. The Almighty God of All Things has spoken to you and me. What a difference it would make in our lives if every time we opened the Scriptures, we did so with an attitude that this is God’s word to me!
ii. Some have said that if God would only speak to me directly, then I would believe, or then I would obey. If God were to call you by name this morning and say, “Arise and be baptized, calling on My Name,” I do not believe there would be a soul here who would refuse.
iii. But here’s the thing, God has called you this morning and has said those very words. You can find them in Acts 22:16 “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’”
c. When we think on this fact, I think we would be hard press to say that this doesn’t motivate me to a more diligent study and reading of God’s Word.
3. Will you obey His word?
a. I hope we are impressed by the truth of Hebrews 1:1-4. That God has spoken. The final question I have this morning is, are we willing to hear that word?
b. Before we close this morning, here are some truths we all need to hear from God’s word, and we need to consider that if I have heard these truths, am I willing to obey them?
i. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
ii. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
iii. Luke 13:3 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
iv. Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
c. Are you willing to listen to what God has spoken? Are you willing to obey His Word? Then won’t you come forward as we stand and sing?
