The Benediction Of All Benedictions - [Hebrews 13:20-25]

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Well, if you take your Bibles, please and turn to Hebrews chapter 13 our final message in the book of Hebrews I think this is message 129.
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It's a great day because we're gonna hear a good word from God in this section But it's also a sad day for me because we say goodbye to a dear friend and that is the book of Hebrews Really revolutionary in my own life as I think about differences between faith and faithfulness
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Old Testament proclaiming Christ Jesus as you see in Hebrews chapter 1 a book that teaches us that you really need to know who you are in Christ and who the
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Great Shepherd is so that you have a Reason to morally obey and to be holy such a great book and we've been in chapter 13
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And he's been giving a lot of commands and so remember he says things like let brotherly love continue
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He'll say things about remembering prisoners and being hospitable honor marriage
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He says things like be content with what you have Don't don't get led away by a bunch of different weird things about food
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Proper attitude when it comes to leaders Praying What do you think he's gonna end with?
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Do you think the writer would say something like this you need to do all these things in response to who
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Jesus is I Hope you make it Good luck rooting for you
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But instead he gives something called a benediction today we're gonna look at the benediction of all benedictions may be found in Hebrews 13 verses 20 and 21
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I think you're familiar with benedictions Let me read you a few outside of Hebrews and then we'll look at Hebrews Ephesians 3 now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask our think according to the power at work in us
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Jude 24 now to him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before his presence with great joy 2nd
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Corinthians 13 the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all first Thessalonians chapter 3 now made at God and Father himself of our
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Lord Jesus direct our way to you and May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God our
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Father those are all Benedictions and today we're gonna look at the benediction in Hebrews chapter 13.
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You may be saying what is a benediction? It's a theological term. What does it mean? the dictionary definition of Benediction is the bestowing of a blessing especially at the end of a religious service and if you think about the
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Latin benediction where it would be Benny and Even some of you that speak
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Spanish, and you know, my Spanish accent is very poor Are you thinking about movie in our bueno a good and then
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DC? Come on, say DC. Here's a saying about something good. It's a good saying So he gives a good saying at the end of a book where you think you know what?
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I need help. I'm weak I struggle. I don't do things like I should am I on my own in the
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Christian life and A benediction says, you know what? You're not on your own. Here's who
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God is don't forget who God is I have a good word for you a benediction is simple a
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Benediction just means it's a word from God through a minister to make you encouraged to give you strength
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For you to say I'm not on this in this by myself Sometimes if you think of a worship service
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There's an invocation at the beginning and a benediction at the end and we invoke who
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God is He gets the first word through Scripture and then he gets the last word is where as well a benediction simply means a word from God through ministers for the purpose of encouragement and Sustaining you the
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Westminster Assembly's directly for directory for public worship says that a preacher should dismiss the congregation
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With a solemn blessing and so this writer this preacher in this book of Hebrews this sermon does that very thing?
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He ends with a blessing a benediction Maybe you could think about it this way when we pray there's an upward movement.
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We're praying to God Asking him for help help. It's it's kind of going up It's this northward northward thing and now for the benediction
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It's coming down to us. God is speaking to us in prayer. We ask God for help in benediction
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God declares who he is to try to give us an encouragement Maybe the most famous benediction in the
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Old Testament is something you're very familiar with it's a good word from God through ministers to encourage
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Thus you shall bless the people of Israel Aaron and you shall say to them the Lord bless you and keep you the
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Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord shall lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace
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Why is that given so you think you know what I can do this not a I can't do this on my own I need help
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I Like to be blessed by God and have assurance that he's going to be with me.
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I need my faith Strengthened I've had a hard week. I need to be emboldened with my with my obedience
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How can I do this on my own and so we have something called a benediction? It's simply a
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Pronouncement we don't have a lot of pronouncements these days. I did one yesterday though by the way Based on the
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts and myself as an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I now pronounce you
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Husband and wife and then for the first time I said you may hug your bride Asher looked at me
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I Said no you may kiss the bride and then I think out of all the people He gave the that I've ever officiated a wedding.
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I think he gave the longest kiss To Emily and so it was a pronouncement a blessing
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I Mean how could I not notice? Do we have to live the
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Christian life on our own? I like that sound by the way, so that's fine I I need grace to obey
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I need help and that's what a benediction is So let me read you this benediction this good word from God to try to encourage you that you're not on your own
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Here's the God who's with you Now may the God of peace Who brought again from the dead our
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Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant? Equip you with every good that you may do his will
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Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever
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Amen Christian weak struggling difficulties discouraged
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Happy joyful. I have a good word from you for you a pronouncement from the book of Hebrews So this morning we're going to look at the pronouncement
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The benediction and then there's a few final greetings. Maybe your ESV says at the end and we'll finish up the chapter
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When I read the benediction, I want you to get a sense that the pacing is different There's kind of a rhythm that's a little different and when
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I say now, I mean, you know verse 18 pray for us Verse 19. I urge you and then he begins this this kind of wonderful Appropriate conclusion to this sermon made the
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God of peace who brought you brought who brought up again from the dead of the from the dead Our Lord Jesus the great
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Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant He just keeps going and going and going even poetically even grammatically.
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There's there's a difference Why do I need a good word when
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I'm gonna try to obey the Lord and walk by faith? Well, let me put it this way and then we'll get back to the text and I think this will help
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But this is gonna be a good detour If I ask you the question, where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible? What would you say?
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Pardon me Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Let's go to Exodus 20 and as you're turning there
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I'm gonna ask you the question What's the most important part of all these Ten Commandments if you had to pick the most important part of a
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Ten Commandment? What would it be? Anybody People have taught you that just pretend like you don't know just kidding
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The Ten Commandments are important and we're seeing here this is this is the the the moral will of God as we see this law from God and of course
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They're all important The first commandment verse 3 you shall have no other gods before me
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That's important verse 4. You shall not make for yourself the carved image Exodus chapter 20 verse 4
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That second commandment is important. The third commandment is important. You shall not take the name of the
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Lord your God in vain The fourth commandment is important. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy the fifth honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land
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That the Lord your God has given you verse 12. That is important. You shall not murder Important don't commit adultery important.
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Don't steal important. Don't bear false witness Important don't covet important all these things are important But the most important part about the
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Ten Commandments is found in verse 2 God says in verse 1 this verse 2.
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I am the Lord your God. That's a personal name of God That's his covenant -keeping name
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I'm Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery
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And if you can grasp that that's the most important part of the Ten Commandments You can understand sanctification
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Sanctification living a holy life Responding to who God is and who we are in Christ is not just a bunch of to -do lists
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It's not just a bunch of law by itself. It is law That's true but the most important part of the
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Ten Commandments is who this God is and what he's done and then we respond with Gratitude there are moral implications of this
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God who has rescued us and we want to obey those But I don't want to untether the two.
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Here's who God is Here's who Jesus is now think Hebrews chapter 1 through 12 for a minute.
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This great high priest is so great He's rescued you in such a great fashion. Now. I want you to obey in chapter 13
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What's the most important part of Hebrews? It's not necessarily these laws, although they're important It's that Jesus is the high priest then he gives the commands to obey in chapter 13
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And then he almost outdoes himself. He shows who he is as a high priest He gives the commands and then he says don't forget
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This is who I am as your God to help you to encourage you to strengthen you as you do those very things
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I command you to do and so when we think properly about the Ten Commandments That's why whenever I go to a courthouse and I see the
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Ten Commandments. I think to myself. I'm happy to see Scripture anywhere But they're missing the most important part.
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I want those first two verses up there. Here's who God is Good thing he's so gracious because we've been so guilty and Then because he's been so gracious, even though we've been guilty.
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We want to respond properly That's the paradigm for Christian living and so it's the same thing with Hebrews.
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Let's go back there Hebrews 13, it's true. It's important. This is how we live in light of who we are in Christ But we're gonna need help to even do those things
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Let us never think that we can just baldly obey Scripture without the grace of God This benediction is not just God talk.
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It's not just words It's important. You're not on your own. You need to live the
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Christian life. You need to be a good dad You need to be a good mom. You need to be a good spouse a good churchman a good church
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Woman you need help you need grace Remember Augusta in his confession said
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God command what you will and give what you command remember Command what you will
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Whatever he's telling us to be obedient to here in chapter 13 and give what you command I can't do it on my own.
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And so the benediction says here's help. You're not on your own I mean, can you imagine if God said
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I want you to obey me now dear Christian Be warm to be filled No, no, he says
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I'm right there with you. I'm going to help you and that's what this benediction is So our outline this morning for verses 20 and 21 is simple
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Let me give you several divine pronouncement a series of divine pronouncements Designed to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ and to teach you this lesson
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Christian You're not alone when it comes to obedience. You're not alone when it comes to the Christian life
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You're not alone when it comes to walking by faith and I will tell you ahead of time.
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It's God centered. I will tell you ahead of time. It's Christ centered I will tell you ahead of time it just rounds out the book chapter 1 was so great about in these last days
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Jesus is the one to whom God speaks through and then at the very end. It's an exaltation of who
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Jesus is as well It is a God centered what God has done in Christ and what
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God is doing in Christ people Benediction pronouncement number one
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To give you hope Christian God is a God of peace God is a
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God of peace by the way Super simple outline today. I'm just gonna go phrase by phrase by phrase
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Even my preaching discipleship lab could figure out this outline just one after another after another now you do a good job
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By the way, how many people have been to the preaching class? So many good. I Think it's time for some fresh blood.
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Don't you for some new guys to do that? We're just gonna just go just section by section
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You're like you're gonna already know what the next one is It's gonna be about the resurrection and the next one's gonna be about the shepherd But the first one here now may the
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God of peace. I don't wish you to read that too fast He doesn't say made the peace of God now
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That would be good if it said peace of God because I need that kind of that Assurance on the inside that I'm good with God that would be true, but that's not what he says here
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He says it's the God of peace Think about it for a second the God of the Old Testament. He's the
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Lord of hosts The Lord of the armies, can you imagine if you're told to do all these things and then you realize you know what?
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The Lord of hosts is after me. God is a consuming fire. I have to be very careful and the writer wants you to know something simple
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You're good with God your friends You're reconciled
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God's the one that did it right? We don't make God be at peace with us We were at war with him, but he made peace
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Jesus is the Prince of peace there was peace in the Trinity before the world began and there's peace in the
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Trinity now a tranquility a Shalom a wholeness and then there's a bunch of rebel people that now the triune
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God goes and rescues And because of the father's plan the son's work the spirits accomplishment
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We're at peace now with God and so I don't want you to run out of here thinking somehow I need to obey these things and God has got this damocles sword
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And he's gonna be after me the first time I sin. He rather is a God of peace
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Wholeness tranquility soundness well -being He the source the giver of peace the author of peace.
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I love Romans 15. May the God of peace be with you all Romans 16 may the
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God of peace soon crush Satan under your feet 2nd Corinthians 13 and the
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God of love and peace shall be with you Philippians 4 the God of peace shall be with you
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Jesus has made peace with the Father for us by the blood of his cross Colossians chapter 1 verse 20
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He's the God of peace We don't have to go out and say you know what
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I? Am gonna have to obey to keep the peace I'm going to have to obey to get the peace no
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God is at peace with you and since he's at peace with you respond with obedience I Love Romans 5 therefore since we've been justified by faith.
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We have present tense peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ The war with God is over so go live your
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Christian life you say well You know what I'm kind of afraid to obey in these areas because I don't think my obedience is ever gonna be perfect newsflash
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Nobody hears obedience is ever gonna be perfect It's always gonna be tainted by something But you know what if you go and obey and you still have remnants of the flesh and sin and this that and the other
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God's not gonna say I'm gonna change my position and be at war with you. He's at peace with you. This is a fact
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There's not a feeling this is not a sensation. God is not angry with you Hence I can't lose my salvation even if I do something without the perfect motives
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Jesus has been judged for my sin You look at the world Pursuit of peace.
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It's been done by God We have peace with God Romans 5 right in his face as it were
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Before God's face. He's not mad at us Jesus is the Prince of Peace as I said,
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Isaiah 9 Isaiah 53 he was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was upon him you don't have to worry about being perfect Christian in your practice because positionally you are
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I Think I've told you all my daddy wound stories. I guess you're not supposed to on Father's Day.
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Are you? Remember the old days when the Mother's Day sermon was mothers are wonderful praise
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God for mothers Father's Day comes around duck Dad you don't do enough
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But since we ignore both Mother's Day and Father's Day around here for the Lord's Day it makes it easy, doesn't it? Happy Father's Day My dad would send me out to mow and trim the yard and you know what
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I can do it perfectly in my mind And he'd always find a problem So I'm like, you know what? He's gonna find a problem anyway, so I might as well do you know a half -baked job
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So it's easier for him to find the problem. So we just get this whole thing over with Never please him.
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So why try if I'm not careful I could think of the same thing about God.
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His standards are so high Why would I try to evangelize and to love and and to deny self and all these other things when
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I could never please him? But friends God's a God of peace. He's at peace with you And since Jesus did perfectly please the
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Father you're in Christ God accepts your less than perfect works and my less than perfect works because he accepts me.
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I'm accepted by God Therefore he accepts everything I do Because God's a God of peace
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Well, not only that I want to give you encouragement pronouncement number two. I'm gonna strengthen your faith in emboldened assurance
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God's not at war with you. He's a God of peace Your God is a God of peace and number two who brought again from the dead our
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Lord Jesus Your God has raised Jesus from the dead Jesus has raised himself from the dead and the
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Holy Spirit has raised Jesus from the dead So what's the text say who brought again from the dead our
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Lord Jesus? If you're a Jewish person and you hear the words brought
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Brought up brought again You ought to be thinking Exodus You ought to be thinking
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Egypt and Israel's down in Egypt and God brought them up with the powerful right hand You ought to be thinking
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Isaiah 63 language brought up and as God brought up Israel out of Egypt He brings up the
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Son out of the dead Say well, you know what? Jesus is raised from the dead.
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What are the implications many? He was sinless because if Jesus was still in the grave you could determine that he
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Sinned and God punished him or God did not affect it except his sin offering
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But you could also say to yourself Jesus said several times mark eight I'm gonna die and be raised mark nine.
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I'm gonna die and be raised mark ten. I'm gonna die and be raised He is true. He is the Prophet he died and he was raised.
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I had to be thinking that way But you also ought to be thinking this way the father has accepted the son's sacrifice
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So all your sins Christian placed on Jesus Jesus dies for those sins
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Accepts the wrath of God for those sins by his free condescending grace. They've been paid for no double jeopardy
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God's not gonna say I punish Jesus for your sin and I punish you for your sin. So the resurrection vindicates the resurrection
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Affirms the resurrection says, you know what when Jesus said it is finished as SOS Johnson said the resurrection says amen
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I accept that sacrifice What's the point pastor? Why would it be in a benediction?
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All your sins are forgiven Even when you sin and I don't want you to but even when you do
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You don't lose your salvation How could you lose your salvation if it's been done by God secured your salvation is
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True because the tomb is empty Paid in full You say but I need power to live my life now
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Doesn't that remind you of Romans 6 and Romans 8 about living your life as a Christian by the power of what?
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The resurrection you're not on your own who brought up again from the dead our Lord Jesus The power that raises
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Jesus from the dead is the power at work in you to live a Christian life Romans chapter 8 if the spirit of him who raised
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Jesus from the dead dwells in you He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your immortal bodies
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Through his spirit who dwells in you I can talk louder. I just keep getting louder and louder.
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So you hear me, right? He's equipped you for everything and you don't have to worry.
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You know, what what about that other sin? Your sins are gone as far as East is from the West past present and future all paid for The Old Testament description is a
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God who brings up Israel brings up Jesus from the dead. The doctrine of the resurrection is so important He's pleasing the father by doing the work on the cross and then the father
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Commends him by the resurrection If the Son is beloved and you're in the
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Sun, what does that make you? Now it's interesting He doesn't really say the word resurrection in all the book of Hebrews Exalted the right hand.
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Yes Majesty on high. Yes Ascended in the heavens. Yes But it's almost like he waits to the very end to talk about the resurrection here because it's so powerful to be reminded of The intervention of God he was not going to have
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Jesus stay in that tomb Who raised Jesus the father? Vindicated his work the son that says, you know what destroyed this temple and in three days what
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I'll raise it up and the Spirit of God first Timothy chapter 3 Vindicates the work of Jesus a triune work the resurrection
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To bring up is a nautical term to bring up a vessel from the land of the deep fascinating So when you sin you ought not to sin you ought to repent
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But you don't lose your salvation because the resurrection is true
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Jesus the sinless one dies for our sins and they have been paid for I love first Peter chapter 1 he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
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Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you pronouncement number three
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God of peace a Resurrecting God and now a great shepherd of the sheep see it the great shepherd of the sheep
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He's talking about the Lord Jesus the King Jesus Divine human Jesus God man
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Jesus truly God truly man Jesus and he's called what the great shepherd of the sheep Sometimes now when
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I hear a sermon, I think you know what that was a good sermon Why because I learned something new if that's you remember a lot of preaching is just reminding people
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But here's something new maybe for you that I learned new this week That made it kind of all come into place and I thought oh lord.
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That is so great Jesus true or false John 10 is the
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Good Shepherd He lays down his life for the sheep, right? He's the Good Shepherd. What's he called here?
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great shepherd Good better best good great. Why is he great? He's good
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But now he's great and the answer is you go from a good shepherd to a great shepherd when you're raised from the dead
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Jesus was a good shepherd. That's true and still is a good shepherd, but he's a great shepherd because he has conquered death
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He's the great shepherd of the sheep that is so wonderful to me and Every Christian because of faith alone can say what the
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Lord is what? My shepherd don't you need someone to guide you?
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to direct you to protect you To feed you my dad died 31 years ago and lots of times.
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I just want to call him up and say help Sometimes I've been trained by pastors at other churches, and I think to myself.
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I have to make a decision here I wish they could come here and make the decision. I need help I Have a good shepherd
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You have to you have to respond walk by faith because of this great book and there's stuff about money and sex and foods and leaders and all these other things and you think you know what and I want you to know you're not on your own because You're a sheep who's got a great shepherd
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Live in light of this great shepherd. It's one thing to have a great high priest
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It's another thing to have a great high priest who's a great shepherd He's my shepherd
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I Don't think sheep really do this, but you could just imagine some sheep thinking about other
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Shepherds and their shepherd wasn't too good But you're like if only I could have that shepherd who so cares
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Who's not a hireling? Who's willing to lay down his life for the sheep and feeds the sheep and takes care of the sheep if only
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I could have? that shepherd a powerful shepherd a great shepherd It's one thing to be good
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But if you don't have enough power to enact your goodness and here we have not only just a good shepherd But a great shepherd
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Spurgeon He's not the great shepherd when he dies. He's the good shepherd
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He's the great shepherd when he is brought up again from the dead in the resurrection you perceive his greatness
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He lies in the grave slumbering. He's the good shepherd then having laid down his life for the sheep
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Life appears again in him the stone is rolled away The watchmen are seized with terror and he comes out the risen one no more dying the great shepherd of the sheep
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He cares for you. He cares for the flock Yes, he has saved you and commissioned you and giving you these laws
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But he is still your shepherd and will help shepherd you as you obey. I Think of Matthew 9 remember
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Jesus felt compassion for people when he was on earth and they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a what?
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Shepherd that would be sad to be a sheep without a shepherd He's a good leader when you think a shepherd you could also think of a leader
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That's what the Near Eastern people thought of God the Great Shepherd doesn't this recall and I bet you they were thinking the same thing
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Ezekiel chapter 34 There's all these bad shepherds and and shepherds that are corrupt and shepherds that are in it for their own good and God said away with Them all
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I think I'm gonna have to go be their shepherd because none of them are any good That's Ezekiel chapter 34
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I myself will search my sheep and seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he's among his sheep
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That have been scattered. So I God will seek out my sheep and I will rescue them
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From all the places where they've been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness
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What a great shepherd of the sheep Well, is there anything more would that be enough? Yes, but there's more
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By the blood of the eternal covenant the fourth in a series of divine pronouncements of benediction
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Designed to give you a blessing a pronouncement of God so that you can be strengthened in your faith and increase in your
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Thanksgiving and be emboldened in your assurance. He's a God of peace. He's a resurrected God He's a great shepherd of the sheep
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And how does he do it by the blood of the eternal covenant pronouncement number four by the blood of the eternal covenant?
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Now some of you over the years when I give operating room illustrations you get kind of queasy When I describe what goes on in the operating room with all the blood
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I Think that's a good thing to do when you think of blood You should think of there's life in the blood when you think of blood everywhere
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You ought to be thinking of death and I want you to know this book the Bible this book
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Hebrews that book Leviticus is Saturated and soaked and Satiated with blood there's blood everywhere
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And in this particular case instead of our blood our death. It's by the blood of the eternal
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Covenant, it's by his blood Remember dear Christian the
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Old Covenant Served its purpose But it was old because the new would come the
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Old Covenant Temporary the Old Covenant Fleeting the Old Covenant pointing to something else the
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Old Covenant built in Obsolescence It was in transit.
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That's all It would fade away It would be assassinated by the new covenant to use
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Hebrews 10 language. What is this covenant? Maybe I'm good with God now, but maybe in the future something might come up in my life
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Maybe something in heaven might come up. Maybe God might do something in heaven and change his mind or something Maybe there's an old covenant a new covenant and a newer covenant.
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Maybe it's good better best Maybe it's gonna point to something else even even better. So what's the text say?
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It's the eternal covenant. It will not be replaced by another Jesus's death ratifies the covenant verified by the resurrection and it's done
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When you see blood you ought to be thinking sacrificial death of Jesus not just corpuscles as we know
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The Old Covenant is over permanent nature of Christ's work Priest had to die over and over and over and then get a new high priest
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Jesus once and for all priest animal slain over and over and over and over Jesus slain once for all through the blood of the eternal covenant the sopping
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Drenched blood of the altars of the Old Testament had been replaced with a one -and -done
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Jesus By the way, not the moral example. How do we get the eternal covenant by Jesus being a good example?
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That's how people think by the way Pelagian ism says Adam was a bad example and we follow his bad example and Jesus is a good example follow
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Jesus as good example If you want to follow Jesus as a good example, I have a question for you.
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How you doing and Since we can't follow his good example We need for him to pay for our bad following of his good example
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So I don't need Jesus as a moral teacher a wise sage a wonderful philosopher a great moral
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Person the first Christian those things are all hogwash. I need Jesus as a savior.
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He's not some enlightenment guru He came to die. Why because sin is tragic
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Sin is rebellion Jeremiah Burroughs for hence we see what is the evil of sin?
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How great it is that has made such a breach between God and my soul that the only way and Means to take away my sin.
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It's the death of Jesus I must either have lain under the burden of my sin eternally or Jesus Christ who is
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God and man must suffer so much for it and We know don't we dear
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Christian that sin is so awful and sin is so unrighteous Because it's going to take the death of our precious
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Savior to redeem us JC Ryle terribly black must be that guilt
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Be for which nothing but the blood of the Son of God could make satisfaction But when
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I think of blood I think of something else it might strike you strangely I think about the love of God The love of God that he would send his son to do that for us when we deserved it and he didn't
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Jay Packer said the measure of love is how much it gives How do you know how much somebody loves you?
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What do they give to you? How much do they give to you of themselves and all that they have? If the measure of love is how much it gives how much does
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God love you? Dear Christian when
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I think of blood I also think of this I think of a God that's not far removed and distant and only
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Transcendent and different and other although he is that I think of God who simultaneously
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Transcendent and holy but also you think of the incarnation where Jesus adds humanity so they actually could suffer wrath
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And he could actually bleed and die Hebrews talks about the blood of the eternal covenant here in chapter 13 the
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Holy Spirit in chapter 9 is called the eternal spirit Hebrews 5 Jesus is the source of eternal salvation there is eternal judgment
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Hebrews 6 and Jesus has obtained eternal redemption I want you to remember if you think of the eternal covenant that goes that way so here's the
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Old Covenant Mosaic Covenant lamb slain on behalf of of the family and Yom Kippur in the nation and then later you get the
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New Covenant Jesus I want you to think of that eternal covenant not just working that way towards the future
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But also that eternal covenant had its origins where? Pre Genesis 1 1 where the
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Father and the Son and the Spirit decide to go rescue The elect in what we call the covenant of redemption
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What a glorious truth that is the Father and the Son and the Spirit in Great Communion Has have it have a plan where the father is the architect of that plan go rescue people the son says father
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I know you love those people I do too I'll go and the Spirit says I'll attend to you
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Jesus on earth Because you're a man, and I'll then apply what you did at the cross and what you did as you obeyed the law
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I'll apply it to people in time when I think of the eternal covenant I think of that way in eternity past and of that way into eternity future the eternal covenant
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And of course it's all about the Lord Jesus and what he's done in Jesus, but there's more to this
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There's something about what he does in us verse 21 This is the next in the series of divine pronouncements
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God's a God of peace a resurrected God a great shepherd by the blood of the eternal covenant And now we move to what
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God is doing in you his his people What God has done in Christ what
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God has done in Christ people is one commentator said and he's right pronouncement five
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This is encouraging May God equip you To do every good.
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That's the pronouncement. God's going to equip you You see it right there if you go to chapter 13 verse 20 now
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May the God of peace and then everything there is kind of in a bunch of commas The main verb is found in 21 may the
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God of peace equip you With every good thing that you may do his will That's good news
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That word equip is simple it means to prepare it means to fashion it means to my nets are broken
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I need to mend them It means to restore something to prepare something if I said to you
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How could I? Work this out with another verse to help me explain this passage
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I could easily do it by reading this one verse. That's very familiar with all of us
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To all of us excuse me for by grace you've been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing
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It is the gift of God Not a result of works so that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works
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What's the next phrase? And I hope you can do it on your own go get him
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Eat or be eaten why was I gonna say beat or be beaten?
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Which God prepared what Beforehand that we should walk in them.
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Here's the benediction everything's been done by God your status before God is good Why because Jesus has been raised from the dead.
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He's a great sheep He's done all this for you and by the way you go do his work It's already prepared for you ahead of time to do and you just walk in them
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It's all been done for you from start to finish That's what he's trying to say in Hebrews chapter 13
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Everything's been done. Nothing is lacking God didn't forget something by the way political theory in 2020 is gonna be wild and How to live with technology and computers and Smartphones is gonna change the human psyche and how we deal with God No, no, everything's been taken care of.
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He knows all the challenge it will come God is trans chronological and he's also in time because of the incarnation and everything's been done
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He's gonna equip you with everything good that you may do his will What if I said to you he's gonna equip you with a few good things
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He's gonna equip you with some things, but you need to find them out He's gonna equip you but it's a hide -and -seek you're getting warmer
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No, no, I say to myself everything I need he's done positionally and practically it's been done
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And I just need to walk by faith today. That's all I need to do If God has justified you
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Isn't he gonna make sure you're sanctified and glorified too Well, you're okay with me, but now you're on your own and then number six finally
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Pronouncement six it's almost a continuation of the last one, but it is another phrase And so I give you the sixth pronouncement in a series of benedictive pronouncements
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God's working in us which is pleasing in his sight Do you notice it
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Working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. How do
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I please God? What will please God? Well, God is working in us this is a pronouncement
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I just pronounce that this is what God is doing He's a good mediator.
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He's a good Savior He's a good advocate and he's gonna help you do what's pleasing in his sight He's given you in other words the
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Holy Spirit has he not Why why would he do this for our praise for our glory for our namesake?
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What's the text say at the end to whom be glory forever and ever amen? Everything done for his glory who you are in Christ his glory your sanctifying walk and Matt maturity his glory
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Your ability to evangelize other be thankful to people to be thankful to the Lord. We get no credit
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Augustine said in his confessions Lord everything good in me is due to you. I Ask you the question.
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Can you say that? Everything good in me everything that I've ever experienced.
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It's been good It's because of the Lord Every good is do me
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The rest our sin that's on us, but for God everything he has done for us
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You say well to whom be glory forever and ever is this Jesus is this God the
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Father? I think this is a great triune praise For God's equipping is there anything else left to go for the book?
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Well, we'll find out next time. No, just kidding We're gonna finish today verse 22 We've seen the benediction and now he just has some final greetings
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Remember sometimes you might have some salutations when you write a letter you put him at the very beginning in this culture
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They put him at the end. So he says a few things. What does he say verse 22? I appeal to you brothers
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Bear with my word of exhortation for I have written to you briefly What would a long letter have been?
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By the way, it's as a sermon and if you read this out loud it takes 45 to 48 minutes to read if you ever have to teach a
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Bible study or teach a Go to a church and preach and you don't have anything ready because they ask you two minutes ahead of time and you just got
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Up and said I'm going to read a sermon today. That's actually inspired by God I'm gonna read
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Hebrews you would be Well served I Appeal bear with my word of exhortation.
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That's why we think it's a sermon because it's this preaching language For I have written to you briefly
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It's just a short letter I wanted to tell you more I'm kind of apologetic I could have said a lot more things about Melchizedek and about Judah and all these other things
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Hi priests But I just didn't have much time Verse 23, you should know in other words
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New English Bible translates that I have news for you Here's a little update Timothy our brother has been released with whom
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I shall see you if he comes soon now some people think this is why it's Pauline authorship because Paul had to go to jail and Imprisonment epistles and now
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Timothy who's been told by Paul. I want you to be bold I don't want you to look down. I have people look down on your youth.
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I don't want you to be timid I want you to stand for the faith does Timothy gonna do it. Will they stand for the faith? Yes to the point of imprisonment and now
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God has released him He's been a faithful fellow worker. There's lots of Timothy's back then but everybody seems to know who this
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Timothy is Lending itself to Pauline authorship some would say and then he gives some greetings verse 24 greet all your leaders all the
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Saints Those who come from Italy Send you greetings And then how does he end it's almost like a
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PS to the benediction Grace be with you all that sounds like Paul to me the grace of the
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Lord Jesus be with you all What's grace when I was a kid I was taught grace acronym
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God's riches at Christ's expense you ever learned that Not bad
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It just means goodwill it means Demerited favor
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John Edie says one of my favorite definitions of all time. It's many -sided favor
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That comes in the form of hope to Saints in despondency of joy to them in sorrow and of patience to them in suffering
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It's called well -timed assistance. They're struggling. They're suffering. They're in prison
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There's difficulties persecutions coming and so I just want you to know God's gracious to you the
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God of all grace Ephesians 1 its glorious grace acts for its abundant race grace
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Ephesians 1 its rich grace, and so he just wants to make sure they leave on that note about the grace of God Well, I almost don't want to end
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It's been a good trip, and I'm going to talk about the eternal covenant through the words of John Flavel To end our sermon this morning
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The father says of the son my son Here's a company of poor miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lie open to my justice
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Justice demands satisfaction for them or I will satisfy itself on them an eternal ruin
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What shall be done for these souls? Christ replies Oh my father Such as my love to and pity for them that rather than they shall perish eternally.
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I will be responsible for them as their surety Bring in all thy bills that I may see what they owe thee
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Lord bring them all in that there may be no After reckonings with them and at my hand thou shall require it.
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I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath Than that they should suffer it Upon me my father upon me be all their debt
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But my son says God if you undertake for them they must reckon thou must reckon to pay the last might
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Expect no abatement son if I spare them. I will not spare thee and Christ replied content father
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Let it be so Charge it all upon me I am able to discharge it and though it prove a kind of undoing to me though it impoverish all my riches
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Empty all my treasures yet. I am content to undertake it. That's what grace is
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Let's pray Heavenly father, thank you. Thank you for such a book
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Thank you for a book that extols your son. I Pray if there's someone here today, that's not a
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Christian. They're not born again. They're trusting in their own works Our ceremonially religious deeds.
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I pray that you would impress upon them by the Word of God and conscience What a great sinner they are
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And how they need the Lord Jesus and that you would grant them faith and repentance savingly
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Father as s Lewis Johnson would pray let them not sleep or slumber until they rest in your son
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For the Christians that are here today Father what a good word. This is what a good benediction.
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We're not on our own You're with us Even Jesus on earth called God with us
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Emmanuel. We thank you would you help us to live a life commensurate with our calling that we might live a life that would please you and When we do that We'll give you all the praise and glory because we know you've been working in us ahead of time