Introduction
Where do your thoughts go this morning? To your work, your bills, that relationship weighing on you? The author of Hebrews holds up a mirror to you: “Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”
The preacher opens this Momentum service with a simple conviction: you owe everything to Jesus. Your existence, your salvation, your perseverance, your present and your future. The message isn't meant to make you feel guilty but to reorient you. It offers three exhortations drawn from Hebrews 3:1-12: consider Jesus, understand why he surpasses Moses, and keep your heart tender so you don't repeat Israel's failure in the wilderness.
Outline of the Message
1. Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of Your Faith
- The first verse of Hebrews 3 uses an expression found nowhere else in the New Testament: Jesus, the Apostle. In Greek, apostolos, the one who is sent. The twelve apostles are those God sent to proclaim salvation; Jesus himself is the Sent One par excellence, the Father's perfect messenger.
- In the same verse, Jesus is also called High Priest. In the Old Testament, the priest has two functions: he serves in worship (offering sacrifices, acting as mediator) and he serves the Word (transmitting and interpreting God's will). The high priest holds the highest rank, only one at a time.
- Jesus holds both roles perfectly. He is God's Sent One for you, and he is the one who offered the perfect sacrifice for you. It's this double dimension the preacher invites you to contemplate.
- Then comes the direct question: where have your thoughts been fixed this week? How much room do you give to material concerns (work, finances, home, car, your children's future), and how much to spiritual matters? God isn't asking for a spirituality disconnected from everyday life, but he's calling you to look at everything through the lens of Jesus Christ.
- If you consider Jesus this way, you won't live the same days in the same manner. Your thoughts will change, the way you look at your neighbor will change, your prayer life will change.
2. Understand Why Jesus Infinitely Surpasses Moses
- To show that Jesus is the perfect messenger, the author of Hebrews compares him to one of the greatest figures of the Old Testament: Moses. Moses was the apostle par excellence of the old covenant. At the burning bush (Exodus 3:10), God sends him to Pharaoh. The Law was given through Moses; he led the people out of Egypt toward the promised land.
- There are real similarities between Moses and Christ, notably their faithfulness “in all God's house” (v. 2). But the author especially wants you to see the enormous gap between the two.
- The image used is that of a household. In that era, the hierarchy was clear: the master, his family, then the servants. Moses was a servant, a great servant, worthy of trust, but a servant. He couldn't claim the house. Jesus, though, is the Son. He inherits the house. He is even its architect and builder.
- The preacher gives a concrete example: Gustave Eiffel. In Bry-sur-Marne, where he lives, you can see structures built by Gustave Eiffel, the Bry footbridge, the roof structure of the Léopold Bellan stadium. Beautiful constructions. But to see the engineer's greatness, you have to go see the Eiffel Tower. The tower reflects the greatness of the one who drew up its plans. “The builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.”
- That house is the Church. And the Church is not a building: it's a people with Christ as its head. The author of Hebrews writes to persecuted Christians, sometimes driven out of their homes and places of worship. He reminds them: you are the Church of Jesus Christ. As Peter puts it, you are “living stones, built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5).
- Moses was a man of God; Jesus is God himself. Moses was a messenger; Jesus is the message. Moses delivered Israel from Egypt; Jesus delivered you from sin. Moses led the people into the promised land; Jesus will lead you into the very presence of God.
3. Don't Harden Your Heart : Persevere Today
- The third exhortation quotes Psalm 95: “Today, if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” Yet the people of Israel had just seen God at work for forty years, the miracles of the exodus from Egypt, daily provision in the wilderness. And still, they hardened their hearts.
- “Take care, brothers and sisters, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God.” The preacher names the diagnosis: our hearts are often divided. On one side we want God; on the other we want to serve our own desires above all.
- Can a Christian lose their salvation? The preacher answers clearly: no. Many passages affirm that nothing can separate us from the love of God shown in Jesus Christ. Once saved, always saved. But the real question isn't “can I lose my salvation?”, it's “am I truly among those who are saved?”
- If you are saved, you persevere, not by your own strength, but by God's faithfulness, which you cling to. Christians sometimes drift for a season, but if they've truly given their heart to Jesus, they will come back, because they cannot ignore the voice of the Good Shepherd forever.
- How do you practically avoid hardening your heart? The answer is the same as the first exhortation: look to Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus for your salvation. Look to Jesus for your holiness. Look to Jesus for your perseverance. Listen to his voice.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus is both the perfect Apostle and High Priest. He is the Father's Sent One and the one who offered the sacrifice that saves you. Both dimensions go together.
- Your thoughts shape your day. What you fix your mind on (work, money, the future, or Jesus), determines how you live.
- Moses was a great servant; Jesus is the Son. Don't put anything or anyone in the place that only Christ deserves in your life.
- The Church isn't a building, it's a people. You are a living stone in a house whose architect, builder, and head is Christ.
- Perseverance isn't gritting your teeth: it's keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. It's he who holds you, not you who holds yourself up.
Personal Application
- Try the honest exercise the preacher suggests: where have your thoughts been fixed over the past seven days? Write down three dominant topics. What does that reveal about what holds first place in your heart?
- This week, pick a decision or a conversation coming up. Before you go into it, stop and ask: “How would Jesus, the Father's Sent One and the perfect High Priest, want me to live this moment?”
- Is there an area of your life where you're relying on a “Moses” (a pastor, a book, a method, a spiritual routine), more than on Christ himself? How can you put Jesus back in the place of architect?
- Can you identify a place where your heart has begun to harden? A bitterness, a disobedience, a neglect of the Word? Today, if you hear his voice, don't wait.
- Who around you needs you to encourage them “day after day” (v. 13) to keep their eyes on Jesus? Send them a message today.
Scriptures Cited
- Hebrews 3:1-12 · “Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”
- Psalm 95 · A song of praise and warning: “Today, if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts.”
- Exodus 3:10-15 · The sending of Moses at the burning bush, “I AM WHO I AM.”
- Exodus 24:6 · Moses performs priestly functions.
- 1 Peter 2:4-5 · “Come to him, a living stone... you also, as living stones.”
- Colossians 3:16-17 · The service's closing blessing: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
Further reading
FAQ
Can I lose my salvation if I harden my heart?
The preacher answers clearly: no. Many New Testament passages affirm that nothing can separate you from the love of God shown in Jesus Christ. The right question isn't “can I lose my salvation?” but “am I truly among those who are saved?” If you are in Christ, you will persevere, not by your own strength, but by God's faithfulness, which holds you.
Why does Hebrews 3 compare Jesus to Moses rather than another figure?
Because Moses is the apostle par excellence of the old covenant. He was sent by God at the burning bush, he received the Law, he led Israel out of Egypt. Comparing Jesus to Moses means reaching for the summit of what the Old Testament knows as greatest, and showing that Jesus surpasses even that. Moses was a servant in the house; Jesus is its Son, its architect, and its builder.
Practically, how do I “fix my thoughts on Jesus” in the middle of a busy week?
The preacher is clear: this isn't about a mystical spirituality disconnected from everyday life. It's about looking at every situation (work, finances, decisions, relationships), through the lens of Jesus Christ. A sentence, a pause before a meeting, a verse meditated on in the subway, a moment of prayer before answering a difficult email. It's a reflex to cultivate, not a performance to nail.
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