03-26-17 Creating a New Social Network

Scripture  Matthew 3:1-17

Illus.: “You Can’t Practice Burying Me”

Shortly after a recent seminary graduate had assumed his first pastorate, he and his wife went to visit his family. His mother sensed that her daughter-in-law was unhappy, but not wishing to interfere, she pretended not to notice. As they were leaving, she heard her daughter-in-law say, “All right, we can go by the church and you can practice baptizing me just one more time. But remember this—when you have your first funeral, you are not going to practice burying me!”

I practiced baptism on Kim…

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

          7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: (The Message Matt 3:7-12  "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not your skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire. "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama — compared to him I'm a mere stagehand — will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house — make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned.") (You snakes…you vipers brood…)

I love John the Baptist. I would not have loved John if I had been there. He is too straight forward. Do you know people who say, “I just tell it like it is?” That is all well and good if a) you are right b) you do it in love. Most people who proclaim that, a) are not always right and b) don’t do it out of love, rather out of insecurity, thinking if I am the loudest gruffest bear in the bunch people will do what I want. Here we have John, a “tell it like it is” guy. But he a) is right and b) he is doing it out of love…If you are a Pharisee, Sadducee or teacher of the law…you might not think so.

          13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

LUGGAGE TO BAPTISM

When Texas pastor Jim Denison was in college, he served as a summer missionary in East Malaysia. While there he attended a small church. At one of the church's worship services, a teenage girl came forward to announce her decision to follow Christ and be baptized.

During the service, Denison noticed some worn-out luggage leaning against the wall of the church building. He asked the pastor about it. The pastor pointed to the girl who had just been baptized and told Denison, "Her father said that if she was baptized as a Christian she could never go home again. So, she brought her luggage."

Jesus created for her a New Social Network. All of us need to continually be starting new social networks if we are to reach the world for Christ. Got your bags packed?

One Thing Remains: His love never fails, it never gives up, never runs out on me.

03-19-17 Parents, make sure Jesus is with you!

Scripture  Luke 2:41-52

          Social Media and children. As I have talked about Social Media being the language of younger generations – let me make it clear that for most of the things we are talking about we are primarily referring to teenagers and young adults. A child must be 13 or older to legally have a Facebook account. However, Facebook removes 20,000 underage users a day. That tells us that parents need to do a better job of deciding when their children can use social media and what is appropriate. There are special sites designed for children 12 and under that come with all kinds of parental controls and predetermined words that can and cannot be used to prevent profanity and bullying. Most of them are designed as online games or even educational sites. They can help teach a young person how to use social media responsibly. It also tells us that Social Media is the place where kids want to be, and better to use it to communicate the good news of Jesus – the alternative is one more tool for the devil if the church isn’t the one working on the front lines.

          Therefore, when we talk about using current social media as a means of communicating the gospel we are talking about it primarily for the 13 to 50-year old’s, realizing that today’s 12-year-old will be 13 next year.

          With that in mind, and in light of our 2017 theme, God’s Social Network: The Bible, let’s look at some social networking from one amazing 12-year-old and how his parents were not watching his social media usage at all.

Luke 2:41-52

Every year his (Jesus) parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.

(MAP SLIDE The route from Galilee to Jerusalem via Samaria was the shortest and easiest route, a journey that took only three days. Pilgrims from Galilee passed through the Herodian royal estates in the Jezreel Valley to Ginae, spending the night in the last city in Jewish territory. The next day they walked across the rolling hills and valleys of Samaria to Anuathu Borcaeus, the first Jewish city of Judea,  or further if daylight and weather permitted. The third day was spent walking along the ridge route of the mountains of Judea up to Jerusalem. The direct route through Samaria was not the only way. It was also possible to follow the Jordan River to Jericho, then ascend the Jericho road to Jerusalem. This route was not only 23 miles longer, but also considerably hotter, with a steeper ascent to Jersualem. The bulk of the 3,400-foot change in elevation—Jericho lies 812 feet below sea level and Jerusalem towers 2,600 feet above sea level—occurs within a distance of 15 miles. The steep road winds through a desolate wasteland of barren rock with twisted canyons and cliffs. Pilgrims went up to Jerusalem for the three required feasts: Unleavened Bread/Passover, Weeks/Pentecost, and Tabernacles/Booths. Jesus also went to Jerusalem during Hanukkah/the Feast of Dedication, even though there was no commandment to go to Jerusalem for the celebration. So, for 11 years previous Jesus went from Nazareth to Jerusalem for at least 3 feasts a year) 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, (They were in a large caravan of people traveling together – you can imagine a group of 12 year old boys – without social media – running around and playing games on the way home and within view of someone’s parents…unless one is just not there even though you assume they are) the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. (What was Jesus thinking at night?...Home Alone) 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then (that night when families came together) they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. (They were mad) His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." 49 "Why were you searching for me? he asked." (in other words…how did you not know where I would be?)  "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Jesus was beginning to test the religious social networks)  50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

          A fascinating glimpse into the childhood of Jesus and the person he was becoming. Who wrote this? Who was Luke? How did he get this information? Notice the phrase his mother treasured all these things in her heart. Where have you heard that before?...Who wrote it? Where did Luke get the info about Jesus birth that no one else wrote about and the story of Jesus in the temple at age 12 that no one else wrote about? FROM MARY, Joseph died at some point between this event and the beginning of Jesus public ministry.

          Can you imagine the special care that God the Father took in protecting His son? Got them out of Bethlehem – sent them to Egypt – sent them back to Nazareth. And how pleased the Father must have been when at age 12 Jesus knew who he was – that he had to be in His Father’s house!

          The Jewish synagogue in Jesus’ day was no place for children. Children and women were not to worry themselves with the study of torah – the law. That was for the men. Some may have seen the movie Yentle when at the turn of the past century there was a young woman who wanted to study the Torah but was forbidden. She had such a passion for the word of God that she cut her hair and pretended to be a boy so she could go to the Yeshiva – Jewish seminary and learn the Torah.

          Personal study of scripture for men, women and children is still a relatively new thing. Until the printing press a little over 500 years ago, few average people ever read the scriptures unless it was at church, and then it was in Latin. Why do we place such emphasis on it and why for children? Because it is no longer about keeping rules and regulations that the father can just make the children follow. The Christian life is about a relationship = a Social Network. The place we learn about it outside of the church is in the Bible. It is better to aquaint a person with Jesus as early as possible and using the unchanging social media of scripture is the best way to do that. So, yes parents and grandparents – absolutely teach scripture to children from infancy Hmmm… 2 Tim 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

          What did Jesus say about children? 3 passages from Matthew will tell us:

Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone MILLSTONE SLIDE hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Matthew 19:13-15

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Matthew 21:15-16

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?"

SCREEN GO UP REVEALING THE CROSS

          I have always dreamed of having a church facility that children walk into and know that God loves them by the very nature of the building. Not the entire building but a good portion of it. STORY Nathan as a little child at Cedar Point. He found a place JUST for him. STORY Care Bear’s replacement for God.

A Group Of Believers

                  A group of believers gathered in a church.

                  They believed in one God, God Almighty, who made the world and everything in it.

                  They believed in God the Creator.

                  And they believed that God the Creator sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to save the world.

                  They believed these things and they said them every Sunday at ten o’clock.

                  They were very busy and did the things most churches do.  They had church dinners and they inquired about each other’s families.

                  And they read the Bible and they sent a check to missions every year, And at Thanksgiving they

                  collected canned goods for the poor.

                  And on Sunday mornings things were done decently and in order.

                  They were good church people.

                  But one Sunday morning during the service of worship, a little boy came running in the church door, ran right down the center aisle, and stood under the cross screaming, “Help me!”

                  He was a thin child with dark, sunken eyes. The clothes he wore were no more than rags.

                  His feet were bare and he shivered and then, with a cry, fell – under the cross.

                  Everything was quiet – and then a voice yelled: Get him out of here!         And another said: We don’t want to get involved with his kind. And a third said: He’s interrupting our worship.

                  But the rest of the congregation arose quietly, in unison, and walked as if they were in step until they, too, stood under the cross. They bent and lifted the child gently and ministered to him.

                  And then, as if for the first time, they noticed each other.

                  They smiled and their hands reached out to one another and they began to dance.

                  Some people laughed, and said: They’re drunk! But others asked: What does this mean?

                  And the people answered: The Lord’s Spirit has been poured out upon us. The Lord has anointed us to care for God’s children everywhere who are crying, “Help me!”

                  And now this church is decorated in the bright colors of joy. The people wear robs of caring and commitment. The call to worship is: “Help them!” Then entire congregation dances together.

SCREEN COME BACK DOWN

INVITATION: Come and pray for children.

03-12-17 God’s Greatest Social Network

Scripture  Matthew 1 & 2

Notes – not actual part of sermon:

SERMON POINT: God’s Greatest Social Network is Family – His Family

The central character of God’s family is Love.

The ideal size of God’s family is ever growing.

The only way to be in God’s family, is to be born into it.

I may make a video for this scripture or read it quickly at the beginning of the message:

Matthew 1:1-18 paraphrased

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of

Isaac, the father of Jacob,

father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah the father of Perez

the father of Hezron,

the father of Ram,

the father of Amminadab,

the father of Nahshon,

the father of Salmon,

the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David who became the greatest King of Israel.

----------------------------------------

David was the father of Solomon,

the father of Rehoboam,

the father of Abijah,

the father of Asa,

the father of Jehoshaphat,

the father of Jehoram,

the father of Uzziah,

the father of Jotham,

the father of Ahaz,

the father of Hezekiah,

the father of Manasseh,

the father of Amon,

the father of Josiah,

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

--------------------------------

After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

the father of Zerubbabel,

the father of Abiud,

the father of Eliakim,

the father of Azor,

the father of Zadok,

the father of Akim,

the father of Eliud,

the father of Eleazar,

the father of Matthan,

the father of Jacob,

& Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Matthew 1:17 There were 14 generations in all from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 from the exile to the Christ. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit…

DEPRESSING STORY # 1

Saddest funeral I ever did: Graveside service of a woman I did not know; she was from a nursing home. Those coming for the service were late – two women who worked at the nursing home came and were the only two there besides the grave digger and me.

          It is sad but there are people on earth, people you know, maybe people here today who either don’t have a single living family member, or are not in contact with any family or who have very small families.

          SURVEY: How many people are in your family?

SHARE: My family make up

All of creation led up to the last thing that happened in creation. God’s Greatest Social Network was the pinnacle of His creation. Gen 2:18 The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Gen 2:21-24  So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Gen 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

          God had one plan for how we should live on earth. Our character should be one that loved our creator and also those who were created (Love God, Love others). That love would be expressed through a Social Network (not in isolation) beginning with a husband and wife followed by them having children and thus creating God’s greatest Social Network = THE FAMILY. The family was not only God’s idea; it was the essential element for having His creation work.

          Unfortunately, that original couple decided they knew better than God, or at least believed they could know as much as God (that was the temptation) Gen 3:4-5 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." And once they decided they could make a better plan than God – all hell broke loose – literally! But even that did not change God’s original centerpiece of life – the family. When all hell broke loose and God decided to start over he chose a righteous “family” husband and wife and their 3 sons and their wives. Without that family – the flood would have been the end of the story.

          Even when that family messed up later-on, God did not waver from His original creation or original design. Family has remained at the center of His design.

          SO, what does that mean for the lady with no one to bury her? What does that mean for the person with only a handful of relatives? What does that mean for the person with a family they wish they had never known? What does that mean for the people with a large family or the most awesome family? What does it mean that God created us in such a way that we are wired within to live within the Social Network of a family?

Let’s state some facts:

          There is no perfect God designed flawless family.

          Every family could be labeled a ‘dysfunctional’ family.

          Societies throughout history have greatly distorted God’s intent for family.

Knowing the centerpiece of His creation would be so messed up and flawed, why did God create it in the first place? Why not just create every individual human – forget male and female, husband and wife, parents and children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.  Why not just zap the dirt with the number of individuals He wants on earth at any given time?

          The answer? For the same reason, he did create you and me – as distorted, dysfunctional, and sinful as we are, God is able to redeem that which He created. He can take what is broken and fix it. He can take what is unsalvageable and save it. God can make right what we have made wrong. God can take each individual, no matter their natural situation and make them become part of the Greatest Social Network possible – the FAMILY OF GOD!

          The flawed earthly family serves as a shadow of the perfected family of God. The word family denotes that people are part of the same blood line and if not blood part of the same love line (as in adoption). Those who are part of God’s family all have the same blood line and same love line, both of which come through what Jesus did on the cross – shed his blood and showed the full extent of God’s love!

DEPRESSING STORY # 2

Totally Alone in The World

First let me say this isn't intended as a pity party. I just have to know if there are others out there like me. Let me start. I grew up in a dysfunctional and abusive family. I have had both emotional and physical scars from that time. A secret I kept from everyone until I was about 23 and moved to California. I left the house when I was 18 and never looked back. It was always expected from as far back as I can remember to have 2 faces. The one you show in public (happy, smiling, full of life and love) and the one you have when you are alone (doubtful, scared, vulnerable). In my household, it was just my mother and I. She was a survivor of childhood abuse from her family that left her with permanent brain damage (in the form of epilepsy) and an extremely violent temper (that would have sent me to the hospital but no one ever called). She had a very low tolerance for imperfection and I was the daughter that was always all thumbs around her. Most of her out bursts left me with permanent scars (inside and out), joint damage, and a back injury. I knew I didn't want to live like that, so I used college as a way to get escape. She has always told me that when I turned 18 she didn't care if I graduated or not, she just wanted me gone. So, that is what I did. I haven't been back since. She has contacted me from time to time, but it's only to bring me down. I stop taking those calls after a while. So, the harassment stopped for a while. Then some jackass showed her how to text message. Damn that person.

It's weird because even though my brain knows that she will never change, my heart still longs for a feeling that I missed out on. A sense of a family. I never really had that. I don't have a single picture of me with family or even a single picture of my mother. I only have 3 pictures of me during my childhood years. Again, this is not a pity party. I just needed to give some background. I have never let my childhood stand in the way of accomplishing goals. I graduated from college I work in a lab and have been promoted to supervisor. When people meet me, they have no idea that I had a horrible childhood because (as I was well trained) I am always the life of the party. This has left me with in a weird position in life. I had a horrible upbringing, but never once strayed from the straight and narrow. Never did drugs, alcohol and wasn’t promiscuous. This seems like the exact opposite of many that survived this severe of abuse. I just saw what I didn't want to be and never lived my life like that. Although I am a normal functioning member of society, I still feel like I live outside the glass snow globe. I feel like I have my face pressed against the glass and am watching everyone live their lives. Many of the conversations I can't participate in like funny things my mom, dad, sister, brother, etc... said or did. I don't even have an emergency contact. And dating has been a joke. I was never taught body language of the opposite sex so I have never understood the rules of flirting or even picking up signals.  And it doesn't help that I now live in Los Angeles.  For anyone who doesn't know what that means, most people here only judge others based solely on their stereotype (as I had to find out the hard way).  So, since I am black, it makes dating here impossible.

Living outside the glass snow globe also means you don't have anyone who understands. I don't talk about this often, because most of the people I know never had to deal with abuse. The few times I do, the only thing they would say is "Don't worry, you will find a great guy someday". Don't get me wrong, I do want that. Yes, it would be nice to find someone that makes me feel special, since I've never experienced that before growing up. But this is way deeper than that. I've never had a birthday party.  I don't know what it is like to have a holiday with family.  Sure, people invite for their family functions, but that only feel worse because I am only an observer watching someone else’s family traditions.  While the people who invite me are patting themselves on the back for their good deed of the day, I am left wondering what is worse.  Spending a holiday alone or being somewhere that is a constant reminder of what I have never had.

Most important, I would like to know that there is someone, anyone out there that knows how this feels. How did you move inside the glass snow globe to join everyone else? I just want to know I'm not alone in this. I even went to therapy, but that was a bust. I'm not depressed.  The therapist said that there is nothing wrong with me, which I already knew. In fact, she seemed to be in awe on how functional I was based on the stories I told. So, that brings me back to this post. Does anyone out there understand what it is like to live outside the glass snow globes?

Thanks for listening, Outsider

Only ONE WAY to enter the Christian Snow Globe – to be BORN AGAIN!

          Who do you know outside the snow globe of God’s Family?

          What are you doing to make inside the globe attractive to an outsider?

          Are you sharing with outsiders how to be born again as the only way to enter the snow globe – God’s family?

03-05-17 View from the Cross

Scripture  Hebrews 1:1 – 2:18

Church Unique: “Christianity is much more than a private transaction with Jesus… According to scripture, Christianity is corporate.” p89 {Jesus and WE vs. Jesus and ME}

If you were starting a business as a new sock company and had 100 employees and were trying to get your name out there, to get sales, to have an organized profitable business, would you rather have, have a 100 people going in 100 directions or 100 people going in one direction?

If you are a wise business person, you would want everyone going in the same direction. You still have the individual talents and abilities of 100 people but you are all moving toward a single objective – sell as many socks as you can.

Jesus is the CEO. Chief of Eternal Operations. As an entrepreneur, Jesus began a new organization and called the “Church”. People have grossly misunderstood why Jesus came and died. People think they did it for them – for the individual – that is such a Western idea. Did Jesus die for the individual? YES! Did he die for you? YES! Did he die for me? YES! But only from an Eternal Operations perspective – Jesus died for the sins of the people so that they could build His business which again is called “the church”.

GROUP GRACE

Acts 4:32-34

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

The following text was preached but no notes were written - see the video message at www.ashlandchurch.com or on youtube under Jeff Cooper.

Hebrews 1:1-2:18

 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"?  Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds his servants flames of fire."

8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." 10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."

13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

2 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet."

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says,

"I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." 13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.