https://youtu.be/hwE9rSiPKzc

Oh man, so that was some great worship. man, it’s so good to be together with the family of God, singing his praise! - nofear

So let’s keep it up! Let us continue to worship through the preaching of the Word. OK? Preaching isn’t a solitary sport. It’s not time to sit back and spectate. this isn’t a concert and you are not an audience. Right? This is worship! Preaching the Word of God is Worship that the body of Christ engages in together. As the preacher opens up the Word, the body seeks to understand and accept and treasure that Word. amongst other things that should include praying God would consume the preacher, would accompany the preaching with power and give faith to the hearers and it should include each you taking that word and preaching it to your own soul. Alright? So let’s do this! I’m pumped.

Tonight’s text and likewise tonight’s sermon has a specific goal in mind. And that Goal is to Embolden you… to fill you with courage to face life’s battles, to calm your trembling heart and fill it with cheerful expectation. It is to find in Jesus a mighty and spectacular and humble and brave Savior. A savior who would go to any lengths… would pay any price… would face any giant, in order to set His people free from sin and the fear of death.

So are you ready? Are you ready to find boldness? Are you ready to go to Jesus and receive from Him courage and strength to fight and take the victory?

Good. Listen to the Words of God…

(Hebrews 2:14-18)  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood He himself likewise shared in the same. This first part of verse 14 matches up with the first part of verse 17. that says Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren.

That Jesus, (God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, by whom all things were made) would share in your same nature, to be subject to the same constrictions, to have a limiting body, to suffer pain and change, to feel betrayal, to feel hunger, to be exhausted and sleep, to be confronted with the unknown, to grow and fall ill, to be spat on and killed. How could that be? It’s an incredible mystery, but to say that Jesus wasn’t a man but only put on human form like an overcoat to cover up his divine nature for a time, is to strip Jesus of the human nature that he stooped down at great cost to inhabit. And to do that, is to strip yourself of the forgiveness of sins and hand yourself over, completely defenseless, to your accuser.

But there’s another question, one that has an immediate and liberating impact. Why? Why would He do such a thing? The text explains why, like this…

that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil.

He took on your nature so that He could die.

but, Why is it necessary for the devil to be vanquished through death and through the death of a man? Surely, if the devil could have been destroyed by any other means the Almighty would not have subjected himself to...