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well good morning welcome to free grace Baptist Church for those that are visiting we extend a special welcome to you just a couple announcements before we begin this morning's worship the first announcement is uh is this Emma Jones is going to be baptized on January 7th so please get to know Emma Jones as you would any other incoming member but we rejoice in God's mercy and goodness with respect to this so mark January 7th on your calendars for the baptism of Emma Jones and the second announcement is also I don't know if we've announced publicly when this Sunday services will begin for South Surrey but January 21st is when Lord willing Sunday services will begin so January 21st we will have an 11 a.m. and a 5 p.m. service beginning January 21st so both these announces we were joy Scott and give God praise and honor for these things well let us go to our God in worship this morning you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 149 for our call to worship at Psalm 149 we will read the entire psalm together Psalm 149 begin reading at verse 1 sing to the Lord a new song and his praise in the Assembly of saints let Israel rejoice in their maker let the children of Zion be joyful in their king let them praise His name with the dance let them sing praises to him with the timbrel and harp for the Lord takes pleasure in his people he will beautify the humble with salvation let the Saints be joyful and glory let them sing aloud on their beds but the high praise of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance on the nation's and Punishment on the people's to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron to execute on them the written judgment this honor have all his saints praise the Lord amen well you can turn with me and your larger Trinity hymnal to him 87 that's him 87 will stand and sing together if you're able hymn number 87 you [Music] well let us go to our God in prayer the Lord God Almighty we thank you that you are the true and the Living God we thank you that you're infinite eternal unchangeable in your being your power your justice your goodness and your truth you're a completely other than what we are God and we are thankful for this that you do not change that we can rest in you that we can find our hope in you we can find our hope in the God of heaven and earth father God we thank you for this possibility through the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that he came live died and rose again that sinners may have access and communion with the God of heaven and earth we thank you that we have seen the father as we've seen the Lord Jesus Christ as we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as we look to him father God we thank you for that you've revealed yourself to us we thank you for your word we thank you for the Lord Jesus and we thank you for your spirit illuminating our hearts and minds concern concerning the things about heaven and earth about the Lord God of heaven and earth father God we pray that you would open the heavens and come down that you would dwell with us here O God that we would commune with you here by your spirit through the preaching of the word we pray that you would work by your word that we might understand the things concerning you we pray that we would be convicted of the things that you say we pray that we would be comforted by the things that you say O God for you please to comfort and convict your people through your word you're pleased to be with your people through your spirit then you promise to never leave your people nor forsake them so we pray O God that you would never leave us nor forsake us again father God we thank you for your salvation help us to rejoice in you our maker help us to be joyful in our king oh god help us to praise your name and give you the honor that is due unto you for we have come into your house Oh God and we pray that you give us strength and courage and power to get to sing praises to your name for the great wonders you have done for his creation O God you've created all things and worship is do unto you simply because you are the Creator but how much more God has the Redeemer we think that you have redeemed your people that you've called many sinners here out of darkness into marvelous right to believe on the Lord Christ should we not then sing our praises unto you for you are a God maybe we sing these praises aloud to you for you have worked greatly by your spirit you've worked greatly in by the by the Lord Jesus Christ and we see your great plan of redemption as you are pleased to reveal their great mysteries in the Lord Jesus Christ well the God we thank you for these things and we pray that you dwell with us now by your spirit to understand the things concerning your word we thank you for your house we think that we come into your house we pray that you be honor this day in the name of Christ amen well our second ham then is him three one five in the larger Trani hymnal you could turn with me to him 3:15 in the larger trendy hymnal if you're able we'll stand and sing together him three one five [Music] well for our consecutive scripture reading you can turn with me to the Book of Luke chapter 4 that's the Gospel of Luke chapter 4 for our consecutive scripture reading Luke chapter 4 we will read verses 1 through 21 begin reading at verse 1 then Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness being tempted for forty days by the devil and in those days he ate nothing and afterward when they had ended he was hungry and the devil said to him if you are the son of God command the stone to become bread but jesus answered him saying it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God then the devil taking him up on a high mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and the devil said to him all this authority I will give to you and their glory for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish therefore if you will worship before me I will be yours and jesus answered and said to him get behind me Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve then he brought him to Jerusalem set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him if you are the son of God throw yourself down from here for it is written he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone and jesus answered and said to him it has been said you shall not tempt the Lord your God now when the devil had ended every temptation he departed from him - until an opportune time then Jesus returned in the power of the spirit to Galilee and news of him went out through all the surrounding region and he taught in their synagogues being glorified by all so he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was he went into the synagogue and on the Sabbath day and stood up to read and he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah and when he opened the book he found the place where it was written the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord then he closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down and the eyes of and the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him and he began to say to them today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing amen well let us go to our God in prayer once again father God we thank you for both the old and the new testament we thank you God the Old Testament bears witness prophesized the coming of the Lord Christ the one who is the seed of the woman the one who is the seed of Abraham the one who is David's greater son the true Israel father God we thank you that all these things are fulfilled in Christ we thank you that as your prophets prophesied concerning the coming of the messianic age we thank you for the prophet Isaiah for as Christ read those things as the spirit descended on our Lord we see those prophecies fulfilled in Christ our King in Christ our Lord we thank you for both the old and the new testament we thank you that they are the whole counsel of god we think that we can read concerning your great salvation both in the old and the New Testaments as they find their film fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ who came live died and rose again on behalf of his people that there might be salvation but there might be an inheritance that sins might be forgiven O God and we thank you for these truths help us to be comforted by these truths o God help us to be strengthened by these things help us to know the reality that we are forgiven now help us know the reality that we know the God of heaven and earth now help us know the reality of God that we are with and United to our Lord Jesus Christ and we thank you for this help us to walk in faith O God increase our faith and trust in you as there are many difficult times help us as we live in the this age Oh God as we live in the the reality of this age and the age to come o God help us to to set our mind on the things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of God we know there's remaining corruption Oh God we confess that we sin against you we confess that we do not live as we should but we thank you for the Lord Christ who is that perfect one that in him we have forgiveness of sins that we can confess our sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse righteousness we thank you for this Oh God we pray that you would comfort us and strengthen us by your word we might understand the things concerning our great High Priest our Lord Jesus Christ who who who after making a sacrifice for sin to sat down at the right hand of God the Father how he is our advocate Oh God we thank you for this truth and reality when we know that there are many trials that we still face in this life spiritual battles physical ailments that we have we pray for those in our midst to spew struggle physically we pray that you be with Dawn Neufeld and Karen as they travel to Winnipeg father God we pray that you would be with the doctors there is they discern the proper course of action we pray that you would bring relief to our brother that would continue to find strength and hope and you will God in the true and living God and father God we pray that you viewed our dear sister sister Bev help her and strengthen her this time we thank you that you are with your people of God that you helped your people and many others who struggle physically and our ailed physically and many others who struggle emotionally Oh God dealing with many difficulties with losses and and other trials and temptations help them o God to know the comfort that you affords your people the comfort that is found in Christ the comfort that is found in the truth in the gospel in our Lord knowing that one day all our sins all our our tears will be wiped away o God and that we will be with the true and living God when there's no more sin no more sore Oh God for we long for that day we long for home oh god we long for that time but give us strength now as we see foretaste of it through the preaching of your word be with our brother as he comes to preach your word we pray that you'd help us aid us strengthen us this day comfort us by your spirit that we might know can more concerning the true and the Living God we thank you for the privilege it is to be in your house oh god help us to be awake and attentive to what you have to say and we thank you that you're pleased to be with your people by the Holy Spirit we pray that you would help us now and we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well our final him before the preaching is in the larger Trinity hymnal once again that's him 223 him two two three if you're able we'll stand and sing together him 220 three [Music] [Music] good morning to everyone you can turn in your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews 10 as you're finding your way there or if you are already there just a couple words of introduction what we ask the question what do we do as as Christians or maybe more specifically what are we to do as Christians corporately that is walking together in churches we may ask the question as well what is our motivation and what is our encouragement what are our encouraged months for a walking together in churches as Christians who have been called out of darkness into the marvelous light of God Christ and gospel while Hebrews 10:19 2:25 gives us some answers to those questions and they're glorious answers to those questions that we'll consider after a reading of God's Holy Word here so let's read Hebrews 10 beginning in verse 1 and finishing at verse 25 this is the Word of God for the law having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make those who approach perfect for then would they not have ceased to be offered for the worshipers once purified would have had to would have had no more consciousness of sins but in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins therefore when he came into the world he said sacrifice and offering you did not desire but a body you have prepared for me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure then I said Behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your Will O God previously saying sacrifice and offering burnt offerings and offerings for sin you did not desire nor had pleasure in them which are offered according to the law then he said behold I have come to do your Will O God he takes away the first that he may establish the second by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified but the holy spirit also witnesses to us for after he had said before this is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them then he adds their sins in their lawless deeds I will remember no more now where there is remission of these there is no longer an offering for sin therefore brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching amen let us pray God we thank you for this time in your word and in this act of worship the preaching of it and we do pray that you'd now be with us the Father Son and Holy Spirit you would strength creat a strengthened preacher and pulpit that you would grant much to those in the pews that in worship we would hallow your name we would give you honor that we would give you praise that we would rightly worship you rejoicing in so great a God we be marked by a reverence before the thrice holy God of heaven and earth that we would rejoice in the gospel Lord God we do pray that you would now strengthen your people by your spirit and the preaching of the word that you would save sinners and that all this would be done unto the praise of your most high name we pray in the name of Jesus Christ the Savior amen well when we when we wake up in the morning on the Sabbath day we we have a three-fold opposition against us and that threefold opposition is seeking to derail our communion with God and with each other the the world the flesh and the devil rails against us in a peculiar way on the Lord's Day Sabbath and we what what is the remedy of what is the answer how do we quell the tyranny of the flesh that is seeking to rail against coming in to the Lord's house for the worship of the triune God from whence do we gain the confidence to rail against the devil as he seeks to assail the gathering together of the Saints to worship the triune God from where do we gather that the courage and the boldness to you know put up our hands and and and stop the allurements of the world that seek to steal us away from so gathering as we have now on this the Lord's Day well we see in the pages of Holy Scripture and peculiarly here in verses 19 to 25 that we have the greatest foundation for boldness and confidence the greatest motivation the greatest encouragement to oppose that opposition to gather together as we have to render worship to Father Son and spirit the one God and to rejoice in Jesus Christ and to commune one with each other as we seek to foster love and good works we want to look at Hebrews 10:19 225 as simply under two considerations and I say simply I we might be biting off more than we can chew because there's so much here in verses 19 to 25 and you know my problem is the management time but you bear with me I will try not to keep you here too long but two simple things that we want to look at from this passage this morning and the first is the twofold foundation for the threefold exhortation there's a twofold foundation for the Apostolic admonition that follows there are three things that the Apostle wants Christians to do in light of so great a truth that we have in Jesus Christ the Lord in the the idea effectual supreme and sufficient sacrifice of himself upon Calvary's cross so we'll look at the twofold foundation for the threefold exhortation and then simply and secondly the threefold exhortation so first off the twofold foundation for the threefold exhortation I know that's a mouthful but well you know a lot of lots going on there and that in that heading but just in the way of context let's remind ourselves what the book of Hebrews is all about the book of Hebrews as pink sort of sort of summarizes is essentially this that the summon substance the center and circumference the light and life of Christianity is Christ it is not to be found in those articles of Old Covenant religion it is not to be found in the multitudinous washings and ceremonies and sacrifices it is not to be found in tabernacle temple the Aaronic priesthood it's not to be found in all those things those things were good for they're divinely designed purpose and utility in the Old Covenant but the Christ having now come to whom all those things pointed we are now to be found as those who see Christ as the sufficient one Christ as the exclusively glorious one we do not look back upon the shiny things of the temple and the priesthood but we look to the glorious one who died upon Calvary's cross who rose again who is now ascended and is the head and king of the church and so in the context here in chapter 10 the Apostle here is comparing the animal sacrifices of old to the glorious sacrifice of Jesus Christ there is a there is an insufficiency to the animal sacrifices that were offered in the Old Covenant and of course that were being presently offered by the high priest in the temple at the time of the writing of this epistle there is then by contrast and a unique and exalted sufficiency to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin but this man in the sacrifice of himself this one to whom the the blood of bulls and goats pointed in this one is the true efficacy in this one is the true power in this one is the salvation for the sins of his people so let's look first off then at the twofold foundation for the threefold exhortation and we see that in verses 19 to 21 there are two things that the Apostle sets forth as the basis for the exhortations that he's about to give and kids you probably hear that word a lot exhortation I think that's a big word exhortation four syllables you know for exhortation four syllables what what does that mean you know it's a in the Bible it's an urging it's a pleading it's a command on the part of the biblical writers in this case on the part of an apostle to stir up Christian duty and service in light of so great a salvation so based upon the redemptive glories of God in His Christ there are commands given there are urges given you know in your own household your parents might say something like you know go clean up your room because I clothe you and I feed you and I gave you life there's a there's an exhortation there go clean up your room what's the foundation for your obedience that exhortation and your obedience to it well your parents clothe you they feed you and and surely actually the Bible God Himself says honor your father and your mother but you see there there's exhortation given and there's a reason for it well here we have before we get to the exhortations we find two foundational truths in order to serve obedience in our service as Christians in this lower world and the first of the twofold foundation here is a free and fearless confidence in light of Christ's cross work a free and a fearless confidence in the light of Christ's cross work and where do we find that well notice verse 19 therefore brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus you see Paul is giving a foundation for the exhortations that follow and the first one is a confidence a boldness a true and proper and wholesome Christian courage that is born out of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Lord therefore brethren having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus and whenever you see you therefore in Holy Scripture pay attention well pay attention always when you're reading when you see it therefore what is happening is that the writer is either pointing you back to what he said as the reason for an exhortation or a command or something that he's then going to say or he's going to give the foundation or summarized the foundation in what follows the therefore but so he's writing based upon everything that he has written in the context with regards to the exalted and unique sufficiency and exclusivity of Jesus Christ based upon that therefore brethren take heed to what I'm about to exhort you unto but notice this foundation boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus this speaks to first off is that we have brethren access to God we have access to the triune God of heaven and earth blessed thing that we have by virtue of Christ's cross work you see in the Old Covenant they did not have the same access that we now have under the New Covenant there were there were pledges of God's presence and downpayments of the presence of God they came through the multitudinous washings and ceremonies and sacrifices all of those articles all of those things connected to the ceremonial law Christ has put those former things away and we now have this free in this fearless access to God Spurgeon writes this he preached this many years ago speaking with regards to the opening up in our access to the holiest by the blood of Jesus it is also the great opener of entrances that is the blood of Jesus Christ there was no way into the holy place till Jesus dying rent the veil the way into the most holy of all was not made manifest till he died if you desire to approach God the death of Christ is the way to him if you want the nearest access and the closest communion that a creature can have with his God behold the sacrifice of Christ reveals the way to you Jesus not only says I am the way but rending the veil he makes the way the veil of his flesh being rent the way to God has made most clear to every believing soul you see so what's going on then what why is why does Paul write this why does the author to the Hebrews write this having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus you see they were being stolen away by their countrymen by their family by the unbelieving Hebrews that surrounded them to go back to temple religion we have the physical holiest we have the the Holy of Holies in the temple we have the priests craft we have the glorious shining things of mosaic religion don't follow this Jesus don't follow this so-called Messiah because true and proper religion is found in our holiness our holiest and in our high priest and so Paul wants to set before them the foundation no you have access to God you can draw nigh unto God because Jesus has entered the holiest once for all with his blood with the power and the effectual nature and the perfection of his sacrifice we have access to God now into the Holiness a place holiest a place beforehand inaccessible by God's people and it is access to God whereas before in the Old Covenant it was two pledges of his presence you know there there would have been this there would have been this pressure that's put on the Christians at this particular time you know they they could cast their eyes upon that place where they once gathered for the worship of God and where they once gathered lawfully and wholesomely according to the Old Covenant having been saved having been brought forth from darkness to light in Christ Jesus the Lord the reality that that particular approach to the worship of the triune God has been put away by the coming and the sacrifice of Christ they would have been out of that now gathering together in churches assembling themselves together in churches but you see their countrymen would be pointing back to the temple what are you what are you doing this is where true religion takes place the glory of the the glory of this temple the glory of this Herodian temple with all of the the gold and all those things that bedecked this this structure we have the priesthood we have the high priest who goes in with his blue and with his purple and with his scarlet vestments bringing the sacrifices he takes off of those garments to go into the holiness holiest and offer up these bulls and goats and their blood in the sacrificial system we have all these shiny things what are you doing gathering together in a dusty church where there are no shiny things and all you have left is a bleeding Messiah you see they would be tempted to go back to that okay maybe there is something to this argument maybe you know go back there because the shiny things the beautiful things Paul wants to remind them that the glorious and the beautiful things are not seen in the blue and the purple and the Scarlet of the priests vestments it's not seen in gold it's not seen in jewels it's not seen in anything save for the Christ save for Jesus who entered the Holiness holiest with his own blood in notice verse 20 it is by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh we have a new and living way this is said in opposition to the Ministry of death or to dead things you see that the the priesthood in the Old Testament was not it was not a living way the ceremonial law didn't bring life obedience to those articles of mosaic religion did not confer life it was the thing to which those things pointed that brings everlasting life it was the Christ the book the blood of bulls and goats never takes away sin there is nothing inherently glorious to a blue and a purple in a scarlet vestment there is no spiritual efficacy in a structure in a physical veil there is every efficacy every perfection every glory in this Christ in this one whose veil is his own flesh this one who rent his flesh in the service of bringing many sons to glory we have a new and a living way which he consecrated or inaugurated for us not with a physical veil not by entering in repeatedly to a place to offer up sacrifices which could never take away sin with the blood of another but with his own blood he entered the holy of the holiest offering himself to God in the stead of all who believe in his name you know there's as often as a preacher preaches Christ he realizes that he can never do enough justification and service to this glorious one while he's here on earth while he's in heaven because he's unique and exalted above all things glorious there's a that you know there is a if you don't it's hard to enter into the mind of a preacher when you're when you're not a preacher I might might share the same thing when a preacher a pastor leaves the pulpit after preaching Christ it's it's difficult because we haunt ourselves with points and gems and mined gold mist while we were in the pulpit you know we're up here and we're we have the the Word of God and that the revelation of the glorious Savior we leave a pulpit after preaching and we we metaphorically beat ourselves up for missing the the multi the multi faceted glory of Jesus Christ you know I come up here and I stand in a pulpit and I preach this Christ this Jesus this glorious one and by the sanctification of God and through the mediatorial blood of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and His sanctifying influence some nuggets of truth come to your hearts into your minds but a preacher can never exhaust the multi-faceted variegated glory that is Jesus Christ the Lord and so as I'm working through this feel the difficulty and sympathize with the trial it is to properly set forth before you the glories of so graded Jesus we have a new and living way which he consecrated for us look again at Hebrews nine we looked at this last time we looked at this last week just by way of observation to stress a particular point but see the life that we have with respect to Christ the new and living way in opposition to the old way notice in verse 11 of Hebrews 9 but Christ came as high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God and for this reason he is the mediator of the New Covenant by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance you see them the the folly and you see the madness of going back to a system of religion that did not offer a new and a living way it did not confer life in the washings and the ceremonies and the sacrifices but only prefigured and only set forth copies of the coming true only set forth significations of the coming real that is the Jesus this glorious one who entered the holiest by his own blood we have this new and this living way and it is a living way because Christ once for all went in offered up himself upon Calvary's cross and the sacrifice of himself there is no repetition which would speak to the insufficiency of the sacrifice but rather a glorious once for all reality to the death of Christ which speaks to the perfection and the glory of his sacrifice and notice then the second foundation remember this is a twofold foundation for the threefold exhortation in the second the second is the reality of Christ as perfect intercessor the reality of Christ as perfect intercessor notice what we have here in verse 21 and having a high priest over the house of God so the first one introduced by the having that word having having boldness and now it is having a high priest over the house of God you'll see there in your Bibles the having is italicized that mean that means that the you know the word rendered having in verse nineteen isn't there in verse 21 it's assumed it's it's provided there because it's borrowing if you will from the previous having we have therefore brethren having boldness and a high priest over the house of God a twofold foundation to the exhortation but let's look at this having a high priest over the house of God first we have a high priest this language might not okay what you know what you know is there is this just a general statement is the Apostle Paul just saying we you know Jesus Christ is our high priest and and we have him he's he's our high priest and so therefore do this do that let us you know draw an eye with a true heart let us lay hold of the hope of our calling without wavering and and let us stir up love and good works so just a general statement that we have a high priest well I believe it's first and foremost an answer to the their apostate surroundings it's an answer to the unbelieving Jews that are tempting them to come back to temple religion they would be saying Christians we have the high priest who goes in year after year offering up sacrifices to God who do you have you have no high priest the Christians would answer we have a high priest we have a high priest and not a sinful one who offers up the blood of bulls and goats first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people blood which can never take away sin we have a high priest who offers himself up the perfection of his blood the glory of his person the virtue of his work that's our high priest and so Paul says we have a high priest over the house of God don't let their temptations and their mockings and their ridiculing z-- affect you in any way who is their hype priest in comparison to the glorious Christ the Son of God who took to himself our humanity save for sin lived a perfect life of obedience to the law of God so that we might have a righteousness that avails with him died upon Calvary's cross so that all who believe in him will have everlasting life and the forgiveness of sins we have we have a high priest that's the point we have a high priest back up in in Hebrews 4 - or in the book of Hebrews - chapter 4 just to see some of the same language there's lots of glorious repetition in this book where statements may be concise and then later statements expanding upon that same thing might be more expanded but all setting forth the same glorious truth and notice with regards to our having a high priest in Hebrews 4 beginning in verse 14 seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession it's a that's in essence a one sentence summarization of the passage we're considering this morning seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession you see the weight that this would bring to the souls of those being tempted to go back to Old Covenant religion the the weight and the confidence in the boldness that this would instill in the heart of a first century Christian now this don't get me wrong this bolt this instills boldness and brings much encouragement to our hearts 2,000 years removed but you see they're tempted to go back to temple religion there's the priest there's the vestment there's the glorious blue and purple and scarlet and the thick robes and the you know the the ropes the glorious shiny things of Old Covenant religion but don't be stolen away unto those earthy and temporary and now dead things but rather see your high priest is the one who is the brightness of the father's glory the Express image of his person of one power and equal with him who begat him this glorious son of God who has the same laud and the same honor as the father and spirit who took upon himself humanity let us hold fast our confession because our high priest is not a sinful man only who offers up sacrifices for his own sins and us but our high priest is this Jesus son of God and Son of Man yet one Christ the glorious mediator between God and man the greatness of this high priest is seen in Hebrews seven you can turn there with me as we just close up in the next matter of minutes this twofold foundation notice in Hebrews seven the greatness of this priest specifically at verse 26 but we want to actually read the context just to see how the Apostle expands upon the greatness of this priest remember the the idea is this the persecutors the opposers the enemies the unbelievers even some who had beforehand being with them not true Christians but false claimants to New Covenant inclusion false claimants to the label Christianity they had been there for a while they had heard the preaching they had given some measure of consent to the preaching to the sacraments to church discipline they had been found among the proclamation of the word in the midst of the proclamation of the gospel but they had departed and they would have been saying along with all of the wicked where is your priest where is your priest notice beginning in verse 14 for it is evident hebrews 7:14 that our Lord arose from Judah of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood and it is yet far more evident if in the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest who has come not according to the law of a fleshly commandment but according to the power of an endless life no just pause for a moment that's the new and living way there the power of an endless life we don't put our confidence in an office of earthly priests where they're born they live they die they're replace they're boring they live they die they're replaced who offer up ineffectual sacrifices but rather we have a priest who is after and according to the power of an endless life that's where in our confidence lies in that Jesus verse 17 for he testifies you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek for on the one hand there is an annoying of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitable nough sit wasn't a new and living way it could not forgive sins for the law made nothing perfect on the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God and in as much as he was not made priest without an oath for they have become priests without an oath but he with an oath by him who said to him the Lord has sworn and will not relent you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek so by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing but he because he continues forever has an unchangeable priesthood therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them for such a high priest was fitting for us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the people's for this he did once for all when he offered up himself for the law appoints his high priests men who have weakness but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints the son who has been perfected forever man why preacher did you read that whole section of Scripture can we not just get on with the rest of the sermon there's a reason we want to highlight here the length to which Paul goes in order to set forth the sophistic and the effectual Jesus this glorious high priest you see Paul Paul doesn't stop short and just give a sort of a concise statement of Jesus is your high priest therefore you know lay hold the hope of your confessions get on to some other stuff much is at stake eternal souls are at stake the truth is at stake the salvation of his countrymen for whom he wept is at stake and so he wants to make go to great lengths here to great pains and efforts to show forth this Jesus as the glorious one and notice what we have just very briefly in these sets in this section of Scripture here first we have the spiritual power or saving efficacy of Christ's priesthood notice he has come not according to the law of a fleshly commandment but according to the power of an endless life we have this beautiful language here the let verse 19 the law made nothing perfect on the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God there is a saving efficacy a glorious saving efficacy to protect Christ's priesthood there is in his priesthood the secured ground of new covenant promise in verses 20 to 22 summed up at the end in 22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant in that one word brethren surety you have your hope as Christians by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant one who stands effectually in the stead of another and brings the legal and the glorious weight of resolving in this case the issue between God and men we have the mediator Jesus Christ in our place the surety the provision the guarantor he secures perfectly everlasting life for all who believe in his name that's why brethren any doctrine that says the death of Christ does not bring salvation assurance full atonement definite atonement limited atonement is an affront to the holy scriptures we do not have an atonement of maybe we do not have a redemption of perhaps if that's true a Spurgeon said something like this then the cross quakes the blood falls powerless to the ground and our salvation is a matter of perhaps no we have in this Christ a surety he so died so as to secure perfectly the salvation of a multitude which no man can number we have a perfect high priest we have a unique the the unique and exalted nature of hid this priest in verse 26 a priest who is fitting for us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens can you see how this would have built truth upon truth to to well up the confidence of Christians who were being tempted to go back to the human high priests to the one wearing the vestments to the one who had to make sacrifices for his own sins in the in the sins of the people how this would instill a confidence we don't have this earthly high priest this temporary high peace priest this ineffectual repeated priest craft but we have such a high priest who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens Wow I you know again the multi-faceted variegated glory of Christ that we cannot exhaust this side of glory and that we will not exhaust on the other side of glory the distinction and perfection of his priesthood as well as brought out in verses 23 to 25 and 27 to 28 all that to say brethren as we find our way back to Hebrews 10 this foundation then is twofold by the blood of Christ we have free and fearless confidence and light of his cross worked and we have in the priesthood of Christ the reality of him as our perfect intercessor we sang at the outset of worship arise my soul arise shake off my guilty fears the bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears you know we we we can be plagued by our remaining corruption we've had a good week perhaps and you know we started out Monday after the last lord's day and charged we took in the worship of the triune God we heard God's Word preached we've you know been filled as far as we can be this side of glory by the Word of God and the glory of his gospel get into it you know we're in into Monday Tuesday Wednesday we're starting to do good then we we stumble we trip up and our remaining corruption we entertain and fall into a familiar pattern of sin perhaps of some sort a pet sin we've grieved we've grieved our God we've we've sinned against him we haunt ourselves with an undue and an unwholesome self-loathing and we think ourselves to be outside of divine favor and grace we're to be called back to this place where we have a high priest who stands before God who pleads the merits of his blood you see when we sing arise my soul arise shake off thy guilty fears we know what follows after that but the foundation of our confidence in the foundation of our boldness is not our performance from from Monday to Saturday we don't puff up our chests and walk into the church because we've performed a good week ought we to perform a good week yes we should should be zealous for good works we should by virtue of salvation by amazing and victorious grace and the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel but when we walk in those two doors the boldness and the courage by which we puff out our chests is not because we've performed well in obedience to the law of God it's because Jesus Christ has before us with the sacrifice of his blood and he pleads the merits of perfection and sacrifice and substitutionary atonement before God our righteous one our surety our mediator don't find the skip in your step in looking in the mirror at the perfection of your performance look to Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and find confidence in him well let's look at the threefold exhortation now the threefold exhortation the first exhortation that we have is confident New Testament worship born of a perfect sacrifice and amazing grace notice in verse 22 so just very briefly based upon this the boldness in the blood of Christ the high priest the fact that we have so great a high priest then verse 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water so the first exhortation is confident New Testament worship born of a perfect sacrifice and amazing grace notice this language draw near with a true heart we are to in light of so great a truth we are to draw near with a true heart what does that mean and is this again is this just language this drawing near with a true heart is that just sort of general language that the Apostle Paul is pulling out of an apostolic hat and writing for exhortation to these Christians know it's it's rich with Old Testament meaning it's rich with biblical meaning there's an instance in the life of Jesus Christ where he uses this language where he says they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me it's when the when the the unbelieving religious leaders come to him and they indict him and his disciples because they're eating with unwashed hands and they've heaped up all of these additional things upon the law of God that have no place the traditions of men and he says they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me New Covenant worship is a drawing nigh not just in lip service to father son and spirit not just in lip service to Jesus Christ but rather with true hearts we come as Christians and we draw nigh unto God this access that we have to God by virtue of the perfection of Christ's saving work the efficacy of his blood this free and fearless confidence that we are to have we come and we come with true hearts yeah I think not I think I know it's very often the case that on a you know on a Sunday for whatever reason we're we're so rushed we're so ill-prepared you know in a you know I don't know if it is that if it's that threefold opposition that we wake up on the Sabbath day the world the flesh and the devil railing against us it's a peculiar day set aside from the other six because it's God's day it's the lord's day it's the lord's day sabbath but there is this there is this reality where we're we're more prepared for every other thing in the week than we are for the lord's day we show up late our hairs it'll maybe not all of us but we so much if you showed up late this morning you know I'm not I'm not picking on you really but you know we show up with hair unkempt you know we we show up you know perhaps you know sort of unsaved and I'll prepared a button is what either one hole to high or one hole to low or you know whatever and we the Russian the kids in and everything but if we were to go to a ball game you know we we go two hours ahead we eat you know at a restaurant that we've made a reservation at we're well dressed we've got everything we're good to go find our seat a half hour before the ball game starts we got the program we're ready to do this what is it about Church you know what is it about that is it because there's no shiny things you know no we have in this place because there's you I you know I'm not you knows it because I'm not wearing a blue and purple and scarlet vestment and all decked out in the you know bejeweled nests of a high priest what what is it we are to draw nigh unto God with true hearts and I believe what we are to to read from that is not only that we have the reality that we've been given new hearts of flesh that beat for the Savior by sovereign and victorious grace God has pulled out our hearts of stone replace them with hearts of flesh that beat for the the Savior the Christ but also that we draw nigh with true hearts that reflect a genuine Christian reality we love this God we love this Christ we don't come to church because it's a you know because it's a weariness because it's a labor I hope you don't if you if you call the worship of God labor a weariness a trial and a trouble you're outside of saving grace we draw near with true hearts God has given us true hearts God in His sovereignty and His amazing grace has given us new hearts brethren let's use those new Christian hearts warmly joyfully and reverentially to respect his day to glory in his presence and to rejoice in the communion that we have one with each other confident New Testament worship born of a perfect sacrifice an amazing grace it is to come in full assurance of faith this is not intended as a call to look at ourselves to find a confidence and satisfaction but to look to the efficacy and merit of Christ Jesus the Lord so this this language here when we read in verse 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith that full assurance of faith doesn't terminate again upon our faith upon the strength of it upon the merits of our faith either the depth of it you know in contrast to what could be the smallness of our faith it doesn't rest upon how we're doing in a week in our walk in Christianity but rather the confidence by which we gain this or the confidence or where does this confidence come from not from ourselves but from this high priest from this Jesus who gave his blood for us that's the language of Hebrews for I don't know if we read the rest of it but in Hebrews 4 when we read here let us hold fast our confession in Hebrews 4:14 it doesn't stop there there's a reason given and then there's a let us an exhortation given just like we have in our own passage notice for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin verse 16 let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need so let's just imagine that we were reading our Bibles at this point and there was no verse 14 and 15 there there those verses weren't there and we you know we read let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace okay so maybe there's something inherent to my own Christianity maybe there's something inherent to my own renewed humanity that's been we've been made alive in Christ and you know there's something inherently strong and glorious about me by which I March with a lion-hearted boldness to the throne of grace no it says let us therefore not therefore points us to something and what does it point us to it points us to the great High Priest who passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God so the boldness and the courage is not our lion-hearted Christianity inherent to our new life but it is Jesus the foundation for our boldness and courage is this glorious one this Jesus this one who shed his blood this one who gave His life this one who rose again this one who ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high and notices well back in Hebrews 10 then we have this language having our hearts sprinkled and our bodies washed the language is again let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water you know is are we to are we to take that literally are we to take that literally that our hearts are literally sprinkled physically from an evil conscience and our bodies are literally washed with pure water well I'd say of course not the first proposition there or the first clause our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience of course not there's nothing where blood can actually be sprinkled upon our hearts but it does point back to the physical sprinkling of blood in the Old Covenant whether it was the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover sacrifice whether it was the sprinkling of the blood of those coven ental and Mosaic implements for their consecration and sanctification it points back to that and it again shows the ineffectual reality of those things that were copies of the true and the effectual and perfect reality of this Jesus who with his own blood sprinkles us from an evil conscience in other words by the blood of Jesus we draw an eye by the perfect shed blood of the Savior we are sprinkled our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies are washed with pure water not a reference to baptism not a reference to a physical washing with water but the real that points back to the signal of the Old Covenant where things were washed to sanctify and purify them Paul is using that language showing that the meaning was always wrapped up in this Jesus who by virtue of the perfection of his saving work sends his spirit to save us to wash us we looked at that passage a number of weeks ago were saved not by deeds of righteousness which we have done but rather according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy spirit so we're to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith why this is built upon this is rests upon the perfect sacrifice of Christ and the amazing grace of the Spirit bringing us forth in sovereign power from the deadness of sin to life in Christ Owen says it is plain that the Apostle in these expressions elude authorities assess cleansed us in his precious blood the Spirit has made us alive by Amazing Grace the second exhortation then is this an immovable constancy in our profession of faith but rest by our unchangeable God where do we find that well notice in verse 23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful we have there an immovable constancy in our profession of faith but rest by that is held up and supported by our unchangeable God you know there's there's an importance that we are to glean from this now when we when we read this language here let us hold fast the confession of our hope we could also read that let us hold fast the confession of our faith you know we're at we're a confessional church and you hear Jim and I and young Michael young pastor Michael I can only call him young pastor Michael now for about another month and in ten days I've been thinking about this for is I only I only have about three months where I can sort of call myself a senior pastor here in that and the eldership he's leaving in January 21st so now I'm just back to the young guy there the young shaven-headed fella that occasionally preaches but coming back to this point here there is an importance to having a confession of our hope or a confession of faith the London Baptist confession of faith is is not what I'm getting at here we have a confession of faith that summarizes what the Bible says with respect to the truth of God but what we're trying to glean here is the importance of holding fast the confession of our faith that is in this Jesus in this triune God in this Christ who is God and man yet one Christ who gave himself for guilty sinners in the fact that in the giving of himself he brings us not a salvation of maybe but a salvation of yay an amen a salvation of Verity in certainty that comes with an amen amen he has saved us from our sins all of those glorious truths that are wrapped up in this high priest who is the summon substance the center and circumference the light and life of Christianity were to lay hold of the hope of our calling we are to have an immovable constancy in our profession of faith this holding fast language is used in Deuteronomy 13 Joshua 23 to name only two of many and second Thessalonians 2:15 in the New Testament where we are our to stand fast lay hold of the the hope of our calling lay hold of that pattern of sound words the tradition that has been handed down to us the importance of a firm grip upon our confession of Hope or faith is seen in the dangers of apostasy and the promptings to grow in faith do you do you want to grow in faith do you want to do you say yes to the exhortation to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ laying hold of the confession of our hope is not done without our minds gripping with an immovable constancy upon the truths revealed in Holy Scripture our emphasis in our our constant stress of the importance of doctrine doesn't come because we like to think ourselves wise and able to articulate that doctrine it's because it comes down to a vital and a very important matter between remaining in the faith or apostasy do you do not know the truth if you do not glory in the truth you do not fill your minds with the truth if you do not engage in a proper Christian meditation which is not lighting a candle and sitting before a golden fat man but taking your Bible and filling your mind with it reading the Word of God and filling it with the glorious prophet propositions of revealed truth if you're not doing that then the danger of apostasy is could very well be in your future proving that you were never one of us and you went out of us not because you are of us but because you were not of us and God had not brought you forth to saving faith in Jesus Christ the importance of a firm grip upon our confession of Hope or faith is seen in the dangers of apostasy and as well the very fabric of an enduring Christianity is that faith these were faced with a body of people that were seeking to vanquish Christianity to vanquish it rid the earth of Christianity that's why the Apostle Paul is pleading with them don't go back to Old Covenant religion what will happen to the prompt promise new covenant religion then the reason that all that took place in the first place it's gonna happen the importance of laying hold of the confession of our hope the truths of Christianity is because the very fabric of an enduring Christianity is at stake now obviously God is in the heavens and he does whatever he pleases with the you know with the the the one and only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords there will be no vanquishing of Christianity but he has so ordained the means that the endurance of Christianity comes through the faithful proclamation of the word and an immovable constancy and grip upon the truth of the living and true God basil so many years ago wrote this in the fourth century our de-stresses are notorious even though we leave them untold for now their sound has gone out into all the world the doctrines of the fathers are despised apostolic traditions are set at naught the devices of innovators are in vogue in the churches now men are rather can try rivers of cunning systems than theologians the wisdom of this world wins the highest prizes and has rejected the glory of the cross shepherds are banished and in their places are introduced Grievous wolves hurrying the flock of Christ houses of prayer have none to assemble in them desert places are full of lamenting crowds the elders lament when they compared the present with the past the younger are yet more to be compassion ated for they do not know of what they have been deprived you see that in our modern day don't you the elders lament when they compare the present with the past when you know those among you whose hair is whitened by the sunlight of heaven to use virgins language you have gray hair or white hair you've been around in a you know in Christianity for quite some time you know imagine if it was the case that innovative preachers entered the pulpits and perhaps this is some of your stories innovative preachers come into the pulpits despising the old paths and introducing new ones that never entered into the heart of God elders lament when they compared the present with the past Oh to go back when the word was preached when the whole God the full Christ the whole gospel was proclaimed from a pulpit that flamed with righteousness and now we have this nonsense the younger are yet more compassion ated for they do not know of what they have been deprived the young don't know anything else but the puppets and the ponies and the shows and the as we discussed last night that you know the three men in lycra dancing around on a stage in a church to depict the intra Trinitarian love of Father Son and Holy Spirit blasphemy of blasphemies we are to lay hold of the hope of our calling without wavering we're to rest simply upon the triune God the glory of his Christ the perfection of saving grace the wonders of the gospel the mystery of so great a truth that we have such a high priest Jesus Christ who has entered into the holiest with effectual and saving blood the reason given for our firm possession and grip upon the confession our hope is the unchanging faithfulness of God I'm gonna pick up the last exhortation I think next or the next time I preach perhaps because we have no time now but closing with this the reason and it's a very important exhortation that I will come back to but closing with this then the reason given for our firm possession of the hope of our faith the confession of our hope is this he who promised is faithful why are we to lay hold of the hope of our calling without wavering well first because we have boldness to enter by the holiest of the holiest by the blood of Jesus and because we have such a great high priest but also now because the one who called us the one who brought us from death to life he's faithful the one who promised is faithful so many years ago at the fall when he said there is one coming the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent that has taken place all who look to him and faith will have everlasting life the seed of Abraham the greater prophet than Moses the son of David the Lord our righteousness the branch the suffering servant all of those promises of Old Covenant religion have come to fruition finality consummation in this Jesus the one who promised is faithful he said that he would make a covenant not like the Old Covenant but a new one in which he would be our God we would be his people he would write the law upon our hearts that's the very context of 1618 he would give us the forgiveness of sins according to his eternal loving kindness and mercy the one who promised is faithful don't you don't you love that him change and decay in all around IC o thou that changes not abide with me this unchanging god this god of unwavering promise is the one who will keep us he will help us he will grant us the grace of endurance to lay hold of the confession of our hope without wavering and so brethren in 53 seconds what are we to do with this language very simply were to draw near with a true heart were to hold fast the confession of our hope and next time we are to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works the application of this sermon is in the text of the sermon just a very couple brief notes reflect often upon the dignity of Christ's person in the virtue of his work wherein do you find your confidence as a Christian where do you find your boldness in the weak to do what you ought to do in service to God and men and on the Lord's Day when you wake up faced with that threefold opposition from where does your confidence in your encouragement come it's to come from Christ the dignity of his person the virtue of his work the glorious promise of an unchanging God we are to seek to foster our Christian confidence how do we do that how do we seek to foster our Christian confidence well in seeking to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of Christ we gain a greater confidence in our Christian walk when we fill our minds with Holy Scripture when we fill our heart when we fill ourselves with the truth of the living and true God we get a confidence encouragement and boldness when we reflect with great joy upon the fact that our triune God unchanging in his nature and in his promises pulled us by Amazing Grace from out of the deadness and darkness of sin placed us into the kingdom of the son of his love giving us new hearts all by amazing and victorious grace when we reflect upon this Christ the dignity of his person that he is not simply an earthly high priest but the son of God who came down from heaven took upon himself our nature saved sin for our Redemption and recovery we reflect upon the glory of his work that it isn't a work of maybe and perhaps but a work of yay and amen all who believe in him will have everlasting life pray that we will be a church where we have this that characterizes each and every one of us drawing nigh with true hearts holding fast the confession and considering one another to stir up love and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but coming here coming to church gathering together and all the more as we see the Day approaching well let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in your truth we thank you for your word we thank you that we have this opportunity so to gather as Christians in this place to worship you we do pray Lord God that you would help us to be strengthened to be nourished by word and spirit that we might grow in our confidence and in our boldness that we might grow in gripping with an unmovable constancy those truths most surely believed among us we pray that you would help us Lord God to consider one another to stir up love and good works we would do this while reflecting upon the glory of your promises the glory of you is that one who is unchanging infinite eternal and unchangeable and all of his glorious perfections and we would reflect with great joy and find our confidence in Jesus Christ the Lord our great high priest who gave his blood for guilty sinners we do pray that you'd strengthen us Lord God that you would save sinners that any here who are outside of Christ that you would now by Amazing Grace bring them forth to bend a knee unto the king of kings and Lord of lords and do go with us now help us to have grace from you to endure mercy and strength from you to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy the gospel of Amazing Grace we pray in Christ's precious name Amen well let's stand and sing the doxology if you will it's in the in your hem books at Roman numeral 16 or if you know it you can stand and we'll all sing together the doxology [Music] and the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen we'll have a brief time of Prayer you may be seated once the pianos finished you're dismissed you