0:00:05.652,0:00:07.716
One of the clearest descriptions, I think,

0:00:07.716,0:00:09.398
of what a true Christian looks like

0:00:09.398,0:00:11.124
is found in Philippians 3:3.

0:00:11.124,0:00:15.551
Who knows the three [br]things that are said there?

0:00:15.551,0:00:19.120
The true circumcision - [br]what do they look like?

0:00:19.120,0:00:22.069
No confidence in the flesh. That's one.

0:00:22.069,0:00:25.197
What are the other two?

0:00:25.197,0:00:27.405
They glory or boast,

0:00:27.405,0:00:28.889
some translations say,

0:00:28.889,0:00:29.890
in Christ Jesus.

0:00:29.890,0:00:31.321
What's the other one?

0:00:31.321,0:00:33.235
They worship in the Spirit.

0:00:33.235,0:00:35.919
But they boast in Jesus Christ.

0:00:35.919,0:00:37.694
You know how you can tell

0:00:37.694,0:00:39.606
the true Christian?

0:00:39.606,0:00:41.406
They boast in Christ.

0:00:41.406,0:00:43.152
Isn't that always a dead giveaway?

0:00:43.152,0:00:45.594
When we find people that [br]profess to be Christians,

0:00:45.594,0:00:48.867
but you just don't hear [br]anything about Christ,

0:00:48.867,0:00:50.161
it's very suspect.

0:00:50.161,0:00:51.530
Very suspect.

0:00:51.530,0:00:53.147
People can talk about religion.

0:00:53.147,0:00:55.377
They can talk about "God."

0:00:55.377,0:00:57.099
You know, you listen to some people

0:00:57.099,0:00:59.399
and they talk about[br]God this, God this, God this,

0:00:59.399,0:01:01.192
but there's never anything of Christ.

0:01:01.192,0:01:02.738
I'll tell you one thing God does

0:01:02.738,0:01:04.024
when He saves a person.

0:01:04.024,0:01:06.690
He makes them a lover of Jesus Christ.

0:01:06.690,0:01:08.879
Jesus becomes our all.

0:01:08.879,0:01:12.427
And so, if we boil this down,

0:01:12.427,0:01:15.818
consider Jesus to the end

0:01:15.818,0:01:20.596
that you might become [br]more confident in Him.

0:01:20.596,0:01:22.617
But if we're going to add a little more

0:01:22.617,0:01:26.491
to that summary,

0:01:26.491,0:01:31.140
we might say this:

0:01:31.140,0:01:35.364
Consider Jesus by comparing

0:01:35.364,0:01:38.295
Moses to Jesus

0:01:38.295,0:01:40.741
so that you might become more confident

0:01:40.741,0:01:42.564
in Jesus.

0:01:42.564,0:01:45.838
That would be a good summary, I think.

0:01:45.838,0:01:48.805
But as I looked at this, I thought,

0:01:48.805,0:01:52.299
but doesn't this raise the question.

0:01:52.299,0:01:55.054
Look, whoever the writer of Hebrews is -

0:01:55.054,0:01:56.622
some think it's Paul,

0:01:56.622,0:01:59.474
some think it's somebody else.

0:01:59.474,0:02:01.439
I don't think we can know for certain.

0:02:01.439,0:02:02.348
But whoever he is,

0:02:02.348,0:02:04.320
if we could get him here, we'd say,

0:02:04.320,0:02:08.571
hey writer-of-Hebrews guy,

0:02:08.571,0:02:12.899
if you want us to consider Jesus,

0:02:12.899,0:02:16.403
why introduce Moses?

0:02:16.403,0:02:18.778
Doesn't that get in the way?

0:02:18.778,0:02:21.188
I mean if you want us [br]thinking about Jesus,

0:02:21.188,0:02:23.006
don't tell us about somebody else

0:02:23.006,0:02:25.538
because then that gets [br]us thinking about them.

0:02:25.538,0:02:27.297
If you want us thinking about Jesus,

0:02:27.297,0:02:28.581
just tell us about Jesus.

0:02:28.581,0:02:30.546
And I think the writer would say,

0:02:30.546,0:02:34.729
well, that's not true.

0:02:34.729,0:02:36.790
When I introduce something else

0:02:36.790,0:02:39.130
and it's for the sake of comparing them

0:02:39.130,0:02:41.145
to Jesus in order to show you

0:02:41.145,0:02:43.456
how much greater He is,

0:02:43.456,0:02:48.225
then it's a very useful way to get us

0:02:48.225,0:02:50.457
thinking about Jesus.

0:02:50.457,0:02:52.080
He doesn't want us just thinking

0:02:52.080,0:02:53.459
about Jesus in a vacuum.

0:02:53.459,0:02:56.432
He wants us thinking about [br]how much better Jesus is.

0:02:56.432,0:02:58.437
Brethren, I'll tell you this.

0:02:58.437,0:03:03.252
Comparison is a massively powerful way

0:03:03.252,0:03:06.265
to use our minds in order to

0:03:06.265,0:03:10.271
build up our confidence.

0:03:10.271,0:03:11.998
Brethren, we need to be people

0:03:11.998,0:03:15.094
who do this with our minds.

0:03:15.094,0:03:19.292
We need to be people who are

0:03:19.292,0:03:23.972
very studied in the art of comparison.

0:03:23.972,0:03:25.588
We need to be that.

0:03:25.588,0:03:26.986
Brethren, every time you feel

0:03:26.986,0:03:28.507
an idol tug at your heart;

0:03:28.507,0:03:29.884
every time there's something

0:03:29.884,0:03:31.919
that competes for your affections,

0:03:31.919,0:03:33.927
you need to be able to

0:03:33.927,0:03:36.690
masterfully use Scripture

0:03:36.690,0:03:40.283
to compare those things in your mind.

0:03:40.283,0:03:44.221
Comparison is very powerful.

0:03:44.221,0:03:45.799
When you set Christ side by side

0:03:45.799,0:03:47.397
with anything else in your life -

0:03:47.397,0:03:50.027
any possession, any [br]love, any relationship,

0:03:50.027,0:03:52.020
any money, any power, any person,

0:03:52.020,0:03:54.685
any religion, any kind [br]of philosophical thought,

0:03:54.685,0:03:56.443
or the ways the world thinks -

0:03:56.443,0:03:58.617
any of that - any of it.

0:03:58.617,0:03:59.429
Anything.

0:03:59.429,0:04:00.885
When you set it beside Jesus

0:04:00.885,0:04:02.954
and carefully examine Him

0:04:02.954,0:04:05.499
over against that thing,

0:04:05.499,0:04:08.211
if you properly discern them both,

0:04:08.211,0:04:13.386
you have to come away what?

0:04:13.386,0:04:16.754
If you discern properly,

0:04:16.754,0:04:18.848
you have to come away every single time

0:04:18.848,0:04:21.167
thinking that Jesus is better.

0:04:21.167,0:04:22.515
Why?

0:04:22.515,0:04:24.462
Because He really is better,

0:04:24.462,0:04:26.211
and if you see Him for what He is

0:04:26.211,0:04:28.153
and the thing where you're comparing Him

0:04:28.153,0:04:29.694
over against what it is,

0:04:29.694,0:04:31.262
you have to see Him as better.

0:04:31.262,0:04:33.533
And the writer of Hebrews know this:

0:04:33.533,0:04:34.895
Any time you see Jesus

0:04:34.895,0:04:36.932
better than that thing,

0:04:36.932,0:04:39.151
you will not walk away from Jesus

0:04:39.151,0:04:40.540
Who you think is better,

0:04:40.540,0:04:42.953
for the thing you think is inferior.

0:04:42.953,0:04:44.204
Right?

0:04:44.204,0:04:45.905
It never happens.

0:04:45.905,0:04:47.415
And so the Christian,

0:04:47.415,0:04:50.145
in order to stay and stand

0:04:50.145,0:04:53.535
and remain steadfast and boasting -

0:04:53.535,0:04:55.854
brethren, people boast in the Lord

0:04:55.854,0:04:58.040
when they don't have greater things

0:04:58.040,0:04:59.715
to boast about.

0:04:59.715,0:05:01.727
The guy that's always boasting in himself

0:05:01.727,0:05:03.617
boasts like that because he thinks

0:05:03.617,0:05:05.590
he's better than Christ.

0:05:05.590,0:05:06.666
He may not admit it,

0:05:06.666,0:05:09.582
but he thinks it.

0:05:09.582,0:05:12.377
So brethren, comparison.

0:05:12.377,0:05:13.736
It's weighty.

0:05:13.736,0:05:16.013
We need to become masters at it.

0:05:16.013,0:05:21.377
When you study Jesus

0:05:21.377,0:05:24.023
and anything else,

0:05:24.023,0:05:25.570
you come to that conclusion:

0:05:25.570,0:05:27.333
Jesus is better.

0:05:27.333,0:05:30.921
You don't abandon Jesus.

0:05:30.921,0:05:32.981
That's the reality.

0:05:32.981,0:05:36.294
That's the reality.

0:05:36.294,0:05:42.305
Oh, brethren, consider Jesus.

0:05:42.305,0:05:43.246
He is better.