We're looking at verses 1 to 6, but let's read together once more verse 6. But Christ is faithful over God's house as a Son, and we are his house, if indeed We hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. If you've ever built a house, you'll have been asked no doubt many times, who's your builder? People ask that question because they know that the quality of the house depends on the quality of the builder. Some builders are known for their use of quality materials, keeping their side of the contract, and doing everything on time, and others are not. And therefore, if we want a quality house, we want to find out who are the quality builders in the area. because the quality of the builder determines the quality of the house, and therefore also the quality of our confidence in the house. If we got a bad builder, and we can see that he's built a bad house, we are not going to have much confidence, are we? I hope that that house will last, or that that house will be without repairs. But if we see the house has been built by a good builder and it's good quality, then we can enjoy the house knowing that it's going to last and it's not going to cost us as much money. Who's your builder? So much in that question. And I want to ask you tonight, and ask myself too, who's your builder? Who's your builder? Because this question, isn't just one that should be asked when we're talking about our physical houses, but also when we're talking about our spiritual house, which is what the apostle does here. And the same connections can be made. The quality of the builder determines the quality of the house, which determines the quality of our hope and confidence. That's why here, at the end of this section, we're told, Christ is faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and boasting in our hope. We've been looking over these weeks at the theme, Jesus is Better, which is really the summary of this book of Hebrews. He's better than the prophets, better than the angels. He gives us a better future. He is a better focus. He is a better brother. We saw last week he is a better helper, especially when we're tempted. And this evening we want to see that he is a better builder. Now, two builders are compared here. And the first one is Moses. Moses was a great builder, is what we are taught in this passage. And of course, what he built was the tabernacle, the house of God in the Old Testament. You can read about it in Exodus or Numbers. It was preparatory to the more permanent temple. It was a structure that they could carry around with them as they went through their nomadic journey in the desert. made of goatskins and wood. And then as we get closer to the center, more high quality materials until eventually we get to the Ark of the Covenant and the place where God's presence dwelt. Moses was the builder of that house. And we're told a number of things here about Moses as a builder. And the first thing we're told is that he was faithful. He was a faithful builder. We're told that in verse two, and we're told that in verse five. So he's got a good reputation. We're also told about his position. In verse two we read, Moses also was faithful in, key word, in all things. God's house. In other words, his position wasn't just builder, but in. He was inside God's house. And then we're told something about his relationship. Verse five, Moses was faithful in all God's house, says that again, as a servant. So what this is telling us is that Moses didn't think up this plan for this building himself, that he was employed, he was given this role of serving God in this way, in constructing this house. So he had a relationship to God as a servant. And then we're told his role. In verse three we're told, Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. So here, and we'll see this more as we go on, Jesus as a builder has been compared to Moses as a builder, and there's a contrast here that The builder, Jesus, of a house, there's another one we'll come to, has more honor than the house itself. So Moses here is part of the house. He is part of what God was building. And this house, the tabernacle, was small. It wasn't that glamorous. You wouldn't have thought much about it if you saw it from the outside. You could see goat skins and badger skins. And then we're told Moses' purpose in constructing the tabernacle was to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, verse five. In other words, he's being told to build a house according to the plan of God. But that house itself is a plan of another house. It's a blueprint of a better house, a greater house to come. And by building this house and teaching its meaning to the children of Israel, Moses is predicting, he's forecasting, he's prophesying things that were to be spoken later. So, he was faithful, he had a position in God's house, he had a relationship as a servant, he had a role, he was part of God's house, and he had a purpose to testify to a coming house. And that's why we say Moses was a great builder. And Moses is worthy of honor as such. We're told here about Moses so that we admire him and we speak well of him. He was a faithful builder for God. He's worthy of glory, as we're told in verse three, but not the most glory because As we've said, Moses, though a great builder, was but a prophecy of an even greater builder to come. Moses was great, but Jesus is the greatest builder. And if you can see in here closely enough, you'll see that this temple is made up of lots and lots of people. representing how God's New Testament building is his people. He is building a temple made up of people like you and me. Now what are we told about this greatest of all builders? You can see in there a bit closer. Well, we're told to consider Jesus again, who was faithful to him who appointed him. Yeah, Moses was faithful, but Christ is more faithful. In verse two and verse six, we're told again about Christ's faithfulness to God. We're also told about his position. Christ is faithful over God's house. What was Moses' position? He was in the house. He was part of that structure, that Old Testament church. But Christ here, we're told, is actually over it. So he's over every single person in the house, including Moses, as a believer. And then we're told he was faithful as a son. Remember Moses, faithful as a servant. Jesus is faithful as a son. This is a much higher relationship, of course, than a servant. And indeed, as a son, he is part owner of this temple, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And then we're told about his role. We're told Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Moses was worthy of glory, but Jesus more, because as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. What the apostle is telling us here is that Jesus is the builder of the greatest house of all, his people, his church, the faithful in both the Old and New Testaments, and therefore as such is worthy of far greater and bigger honor. He's the builder of all things. and then we're told about his purpose. And really that's here Christ in verse five, Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to come. He is the one that was to come. And therefore again we see the superiority of Jesus in his faithfulness, in his position, in his relationship, in his role and in his purpose. And therefore, as the apostle argues, let's give him much more glory and much more honor than Moses would ever have. And of course, this was a message that resonated very deeply with those he was especially writing to, Jews who had converted to Christ and were being tempted to maybe go back to Moses. to this perversion of the Old Testament that was all about do your best and that's enough. And the apostles saying, do you really want to go back to that? We don't dishonor Moses, no, we honor him, but his role was secondary and subservient to Christ's. His position, his purpose, his relationship, what he's building is far greater. Don't go back to something lesser, but stay with the one who is better. I don't know if any of you have ever gone to the Parade of Homes. I think I did it once. We don't have these things back in the UK. I guess I was just curious as to what this was. And as I went round, it was very interesting. You could see the different builders were aiming to build for different kinds of people. You had entry level, you had mid-level, and then you had very high level, and you could tell as you walked in the house, the quality of the finishings and the structure, the uniqueness of the design, and it was, you could almost feel the strength of it. and that it would be lasting far longer than most other houses. And so, as I went around that one, I remember just thinking about the builder, I'd never heard of his name before, thinking, boy, that guy must be, or that company must be just amazing builders. However good everyone else is, they must be the best. And this is how we're meant to also think when we're thinking of Christ's house, that the quality of what he's doing, what he's building, is so far superior to anything anyone else can ever build. He's building His house, He's building His people, He's building up you and me as believers as part of this immense structure. And as such, we give Him honor and we give Him glory. So Jesus is the greatest builder. Church doesn't often look like that, does it? But that's how it looks to Jesus. He is building according to plan. There's nothing out of place. Every single person is a brick or a pillar that's meant to be there. And somehow or other, he's putting it all together in a way that will eventually reveal its quality. and especially the quality of the builder. At the moment we just have to go in faith that this is what God is doing when it looks like sometimes a building site, sometimes a building site gone bad, but eventually the scaffolding will be removed and his house that he built will be there. So I want to ask you this question again. your builder. Who's your builder? Based on what we have learned in this passage, we can say this, choose Jesus as your builder to honor him and to hold on to your confidence and hope. So again, you see quality of the builder determines the quality of your confidence and hope. And based on this, I want to address you tonight if you are still not part of this building. You become part of this building by faith in the builder. But what if you don't have that saving faith? You're still outside, in the cold, in the danger, vulnerable, lacking shelter. As you hear about this house that this amazing builder is building, why not come and be part of it? His door is open again this evening, beckoning to those outside, come on in. Come and trust me as your builder. What kind of hope or confidence can you have when you're not part of this house? Think of how much your life would be transformed by getting into this house, and feeling the strength and the quality of the builder. And that's why this passage begins in verse one. Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus. That word consider means take a good, long look at Jesus. You know, if you're building a house and it's just a starter house, you don't have much money, you don't have much of a budget, you try and choose the best builder for your money maybe, but it really doesn't matter that much, does it? Not so much as if, you know, you say you're spending millions of dollars on a house. The value of that, much higher, and therefore you're gonna take a lot more time and attention You're gonna visit that builder, you're going to look at their previous work, you're going to find out about their record. And that's what the apostle's saying here, consider, take a good long look at Jesus. And see him here as the apostle, the sent one of God, and the high priest, the in-between person, between us and God. Have a look at him. and see his house and come on in. So, outside the house, no house at all, come on in. But what if you are a self-builder, a DIY builder? You say, well, that's a good house, but I think I can do better. I think I'll try and build something in my life, with my life, that will be pleasing to God. So you're turning away from a structure already built and you're saying, I'm gonna do it better. I'm going to be better. I'm going to live better. I'm going to build a house that will last not just through life but will be good enough for the final judgment day when I'll present it to God and say, look how good I was. Really? Can you have confidence and hope when you're just a self-builder? for such a purpose as this? Do you think the master builder is going to look at your house and find no flaws, nothing wrong with it, perfect quality in every respect? Can it survive his surveying and appraisal? Do you think He'll come away from everything you've tried to be and build and say, oh, that's perfect. You come on into heaven. Do you really think that? Think your foundation will stand His test? To you also, I say, consider Jesus. Consider another option. Take a look at the alternative. And as you look ahead and you see ahead, illness, aging, weakness, disease, and death, you know your house will not survive that, but Jesus's will. So again, consider him, take a good long look at him, and compare and contrast with anything you're trying to present to God and say, Jesus is better. Jesus is better. Or what if you're new to the faith? You've come into this house, as many of the Hebrew Christians had. They were previously putting their hope in all that Moses had done And that wasn't the plan for the Old Testament. The Old Testament was saying, look at the tabernacle and through that, look to Jesus, the coming Messiah in faith. They weren't meant to look at the tabernacle or the temple and say, well, you know, as long as we do all our rituals and our ceremonies and our sacrifices and we do our best, we'll get into heaven. That was never God's intention. And so these, Hebrew Christians who had seen this cannot do, that Moses' house, good though it was, was not to be the object of our faith. And they looked to Jesus and they entered his house and they became part of the church, yet now they're being tempted to look back and to think, well, maybe we should go back to what is familiar. what is popular, what won't get us cast out of our families or our culture. And when someone comes to faith and they're new in the faith, whether it's a Hebrew Christian or a West Michigan Christian, the devil's going to attack. He's going to come and he's going to say, go back. Return. Go to the easier way, the more popular way. And again, the apostles saying, no, no, keep your eyes on Jesus. Take a good long look at Him and never take your eyes off Him. And if you do that, you'll stay in that house and you'll not want to go back to any other. What if you are in the house, part of the house, and you've been there for a long time, and it's kind of become normal, everyday, routine. It's like, you know, you enter a new house for the first time, and you're just, man, I can't believe this is mine. I can't believe what God's done for me and given to me. And then, you know, a few years later, hmm, I think I could do with a new house. It's just, you know, it's just normal. It's just everyday. And that can happen in the faith as well. We initially come into God's house, we're saved, we become part of the temple of God. full of awe and wonder that he would ever choose us and make us part of his house and we're just, we're walking with just astonishment and surprise. And then a few years have passed and it becomes kind of normal and every day and we've lost our surprise, our appreciation. To you too, this passage says, consider Jesus. Look at Jesus again and again and again. See Him, as we're told here, as the apostle of your faith, the one God sent to bring you to faith. Look at Him as the high priest of your faith, the one who has stood between you and God and brought you together. Consider Him and have a whole new appreciation for your house, the house that God has built. Maybe though you're weary in the faith, trials and troubles have come along, and you've just kind of grown exhausted and overwhelmed. It's just become a, well, I guess I just have to endure to the end. I just have to survive. and there's very little energy in you. You're in the house, but not maybe particularly useful, joyful, and maybe even thinking, give it up. Consider Jesus and remember how he was described in two places. He is faithful. We can be unfaithful. We can have unfaithful hearts when we're faithful church attenders. We can fall and stumble, but Jesus never will, and Jesus will never let go. Even in the worst of our unfaithfulness, he is faithful. What have you backslidden? You've damaged yourself. Your building or your part of the building is cracked. It's broken down. And you feel like an absolute failure. Remember again. He is faithful. He will not give up on you. He can restore you. He can rebuild you. He can make you even more useful than you were before. But you've got to consider Jesus. That's the way towards this. And if you're persecuted for your faith, and again you think of giving up as these Hebrew Christians did, again consider Jesus, the builder. How much blood did he shed to build this house? What a death he died to build this house. As the high priest and the sacrifice, How much weariness did he go through? How much persecution did he go through? How much suffering and sorrow? Consider Jesus and persecution will never ever break you. What if you have left the house though? You know, we hear a lot today about ex-evangelicals, people who were Christians but now they've walked away from their faith. Deconstruction, it's often called. These people who, they start taking the faith that they believed in and taking it apart. Deconstructing it. and saying, well, I like this brick. I don't like that brick. I like this room, but I don't like that room. Let's just remove that. And so the whole faith begins to be separated up into things that we agree with and like, things we don't agree with and we don't like, and a completely different house is built. And it's built on sand. And it will be swept away in the storm of judgment. But it's not too late for you either. You can come back to the house. Maybe you were never in it to begin with. Even you, a deconstructor, an ex-evangelical, an ex-Christian can become a new Christian and part of this building. Consider Jesus. It's the answer, isn't it, to every spiritual problem. Who's your builder? Who's your builder? Who will you choose as your builder? And as you do honor him, glorify Him and fill your heart with confidence and hope. As we're told here at the end, we are His house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and are boasting in our hope. Let's pray.