Salvation Guaranteed! - [Hebrews 7:20-22]

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Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

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No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the

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Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.�

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In short, if you like smooth, watered -down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you.

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By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the

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Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King. Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

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I don�t know if you�ve ever given an oath, or when I could ask you this question, when was the last time you had to give an oath?

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And why are oaths even necessary? I remember the first oath

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I ever gave in Nebraska, and here it was, �On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the

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Scout law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.�

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And by the way, when I was in Cub Scouts, you had to give the sign of the Cub Scout pack sign, and I did find out that those two fingers are symbolic.

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This one means to help other people, this one means to obey, and they�re to look like wolf�s ears ready to listen to Akella.

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So that was my first oath. Maybe you�ve given other oaths, does this sound familiar?

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Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you

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God? Maybe you�ve taken this oath, some of you here have, �I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the

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Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and I will obey orders of the

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President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and uniform code of military justice, so help me

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God.� For military enlistment. Some of you have maybe taken this oath of citizenship, �I hereby declare an oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which

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I heretofore have been subject of citizen, that I will support and defend the

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Constitution and laws of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.� This is to become a citizen, by the way.

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�That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I will bear arms on behalf of the

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United States when required by law, that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the

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United States when required by law, that I will perform the work of national importance under civilian direction when required by law, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me

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God.� That was interesting, by the way, I thought. Maybe you've taken the Hippocratic Oath, the

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Doctor's Oath from the great physician back in 400 B .C. and modernized, by the way, by a man at Tufts University in 1964, the

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Doctor's Oath, the Hippocratic Oath, �I swear to fulfill to the best of my ability and judgment this covenant, which reads partially,

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I will not be ashamed to say I do not know, nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for the patient's recovery, but it may be also within my power to take a life, this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty, above all,

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I must not play at God.� And there are many other oaths that we could go through.

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Oaths are taken by people to go above and beyond their word, to say something like, I guarantee that I will do this, something more than my word is given,

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I promise, I take an oath, but here's the problem, some doctors hurt their patients, some citizens revolt, some jurists lie, some soldiers go

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AWOL, and some Cub Scouts don't morally act straight.

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Here's the question, can you trust in what the Father has done with the

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Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? Or will be a time in the future, especially knowing your sin could be so bad that he might just go back on his promise, he might go back on his oath, and he might leave you, and he might forsake you.

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Will God keep his promises? Will God keep his oaths? If you'll take your Bible and turn to the book of Hebrews, we're going to ask that question and answer it today, talking about the work of the great high priest, the

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Lord Jesus Christ, and how the Father takes an oath to make sure your salvation is sealed to the day of redemption.

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You need a high priest, you need a holy high priest, you need a never -failing high priest, you need a never -lying high priest, you need a high priest who's able to save you in spite of the world, in spite of sin, in spite of your own moral failings.

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What you need today, congregation, is not a message about how to overcome stress, and how to be successful, and how to handle your money, you need a sermon to remind you that the

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Lord Jesus Christ is a high priest, and you can trust him with your eternal soul.

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I could maybe put it this way as you're turning to the book of Hebrews, how has your week been? Have you loved

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God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and have you loved your neighbor as yourself? I think we know the answer to those questions.

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I was listening to a friend give a sermon, and he said, I read this particular book that was written by Jerry Bridges 20 to 30 times.

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I thought, I have that book. Any friend that tells me I've read a particular book 20 or 30 times, what do you think

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I did? I went and got that book, and I always put in the front of the books, when I finished the book, and I grade it.

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I wrote on there, January 2008, and I said, good for new believers, and maybe some unbelievers.

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I started to reread it, I thought, this is good for me. Jerry Bridges' book was so important,

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The Gospel for Real Life, and here's what Bridges says as we're having a little introduction here, when it comes to love

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God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Yeah, yeah, we understand that. But what does it really mean? Your love for God transcends all other desires.

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How did that work out this week? Bridges writes, like David this week, you longed to gaze upon God's beauty and seek fellowship with him.

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You rejoice in meditating on his word, and like Jesus, you rose early to pray. This week, you always delighted to do his will, regardless of how difficult it may have been.

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This last week, you regarded God's glory and it governed and motivated everything you do,

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Bridges writes. You're eating, you're drinking, you're working, you're playing, you're buying, you're selling, you're reading and speaking, and Bridges says, and I dare mention it, even you're driving.

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You are never discouraged or frustrated by adverse circumstances because you're confident God is working all things together for good.

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You are always content because you know he will never leave you nor forsake you. And your prayer for the week was the most important prayer.

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The first petition of the Lord's prayer, hallowed be your name. Now I know we have fallen short.

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That's why we need the high priest. Even now as Christians, how about loving your neighbor as yourself? You cherish your neighbors, the very same love you bear toward yourself.

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You take a genuine interest in your neighbor's welfare. You treat them as you would have them treat you.

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You never resent any wrongs they do to you, but instead you're always ready to forgive. I mean,

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I don't think about some of those things in the course of a day. And so when we come to the high priestly work of Christ Jesus, it's good to be reminded that even though we've fallen short this week and we haven't loved

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God with our minds perfectly, we haven't loved our neighbors. You know what? Jesus has paid for those.

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And on the positive side, all those things that I just listed, Jesus did and more. So today we're going to look at Hebrews chapter seven, verses 20 through 22, about oaths and how your salvation is secure and you can keep trusting the

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Lord Jesus Christ with your eternal soul because the father has given an oath about this son.

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If I had to summarize last week, verses 11 through 19 in chapter seven, I would summarize it with the word approachable or accessible.

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Let me just reread those verses as the writer is trying to convince you that Jesus's priesthood is superior to that of the priest of Judaism because he's writing to the

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Jews. And so he's using the Judaistic legalistic Levitical system as a backdrop.

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And even when it was doing the right biblical thing, it's still not as good as Jesus. Hebrews 7, 11 to 19, the key word is approachable.

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Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need would there have been for another priest to rise or arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

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For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe from which no one has ever served at the altar.

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For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah. And in connection with that tribe,

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Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life.

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For it is witnessed of him, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

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For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect.

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But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God. And so the point was simply, since Jesus isn't from the

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Levitical priesthood, and if you want him to be a priest, how could he be a priest? Well he's a priest of a different order,

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Melchizedek, and through this priesthood you can draw near to God. Well today in verses 20 through 22, the key word is oath, or affirmation.

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Christ's priesthood is superior to that of Judaism because he's forever affirmed by the Father. Let's read verses 20, 21, and 22 and see how many times you can see the word oath and you'll know right away that's the theme of this section.

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And tying it together with the last section, Hebrews 7 .20, it was not without an oath.

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For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath. But this one was made by a priest with an oath, by the one who said to him, the

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Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever. This makes

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Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. If you had to summarize everything in a very practical way, it would be simple.

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God wants you to affirm the Son's work. Since the Father is affirming the

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Son's work, he wants you to. He wants you to rest in the Son's work. He wants you to trust in the Son's work.

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He wants you to believe. That's the overarching theme. Why would you go back and believe something that's half -baked or something that isn't going to make you perfect?

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Our strategy today is simple. We're going to go through these several verses and then I'm going to give you a few practical applications or things to think about at the very end.

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So to start with our outline, five questions to help you better understand this passage. Five questions.

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Not 20, but five. Although I could probably stretch them out. Number one, why is this section here?

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I mean, one of the best things you can do congregation when it comes to study the Bible is just ask questions. Who, what, when, where, why, how?

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What about this? Why is this word here? What about that? What about this? And you just come to the passage and you begin to ask questions.

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That's the best thing you can do. And so I'm just going to ask those to try to help you understand the Bible better for yourself.

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I have several goals. Here's a sub -goal of mine. I want you to study the Bible like I preach the

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Bible and that is not in a cursory fashion, not just skipping around, not just, you know, what am

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I going to study today? I'll just open up the Bible and whatever I find here, I find you crushed

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Rahab like a carcass. You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. I mean, I love that verse, but I want you to understand what the text is saying.

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So you might as well teach your children. You might as well study yourself the same way I'm teaching. And at the end of the sermon, when you go home tonight and read this passage,

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I hope you know more about this passage than you did when before. Let's see, how does, how do

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I say that? I speak for a living, by the way, I do radio. So remember what they used to do with Paul?

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They said, you don't look good and you don't speak very well. And I always remember

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MacArthur would say, you know what? If you're a handsome pastor, but you can't talk, at least they can look at you.

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And if you're not handsome, but you speak well, they can just listen to you. But if you don't look good and you can't talk and you got a bad driveway, parking lot.

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So I'm just coming to this passage and I want you to understand it better, five questions to ask and then answer so that you can get a little bit better.

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Why is this section here? That's the first question. Why is this section here? What does it matter? I mean, everything is important in the

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Bible. Why is this particular section here? And it starts with the word and it's got some tie in.

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Here's what's happening. Since verses 11 through 19, talk about a priesthood that changes, talk about a priesthood that doesn't last.

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Well, well, maybe this one's going to change too. Maybe the Levitical priest, they changed. They were obsolete.

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They didn't do their work. And Jesus comes along, maybe something better than Jesus is going to come along. He wants you, the writer wants you to be confident that this new arrangement, that this new person,

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Jesus Christ, this new priest, he's everything you need. That's why he's here. That's why it's here for you to have this trust and you can rely on this new priest.

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There's not going to be an update. You have your phones, right? An iOS update. Is this the last update or in three weeks or three years or 3000 years, will

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I have to get my priesthood updated? Is that better language to some of you who are paying attention now? All the

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Apple people are like, oh yes, iOS 12 .0. Do I need an update? Question two, did

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God ever intend the Levitical priesthood to be forever? Well, it's even implied there.

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Do you see in verse 20, for those who formally became priests, plural, it was never meant to be forever.

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So don't think there's something wrong with the system like Levitical priests weren't forever. And then maybe

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Jesus isn't going to be forever when early on, it was never meant to be forever Levitical priests, but Jesus is meant to be forever.

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Question three, how did an old Testament priest enter into his office answer?

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You were born into the family. Your dad was a Levitical priest. And at 30, you were the priest.

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It was by hereditary. It wasn't list of qualifications, 1 Timothy chapter three for an elder,

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Titus chapter one for an elder. He's blameless. He's above reproach, husband of one wife. He's not found a filthy lucre.

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He's not a drunkard. He's not a glutton. He's not all these things. No, to be a priest back in those days, all you had to do is to be born male and turn 30.

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Exodus 29, thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I've commanded you. Through seven days, shall you ordain them and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement.

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All you have to do to become a priest back in those days is to be born into it. No skills, no excellent reputation, no community kind of service.

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You don't have to be spoken well of with those outside the church. You know what it's almost like? It's like the Roman Catholic ex operae operato, that by the doing it is done, is the

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Latin translated into English. By the doing it is done. And it doesn't matter if the

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Catholic priest is a good guy or a bad guy, immoral or moral, because what he does gives you the sacrament, gives you the

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Eucharist, gives you the bread and wine. That's the only thing that matters. From the work worked.

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It's not because he's a good priest and he's a holy priest. It's just the sacramental system.

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As long as you do it, it's fine. And that's exactly what was happening back in those days. They could be the worst men and be priests.

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Think Nadab and Abihu. They didn't have to be godly people. Question four, how did

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Jesus enter into his priesthood? Verse 21 gives the answer, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the

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Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever. Verse 20 says, the little priest, no oath needed.

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You're just, you're 30. You're in. But what about Jesus? Is there an oath that he has to take?

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You can imagine if you're sworn into service, Jesus has to take an oath, except here, he's not the one taking the oath.

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Beloved, who's giving the oath? This is, this is odd. This is wonderfully odd.

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Jesus should have sworn the oath of office. But here it's the father giving the oath because you know what's going on, don't you?

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All the Jewish people back in those days, and even today, Jesus Christ, he's self -appointed. He made himself

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Messiah. He, he, he, he says he's God's son. He did it himself. And the writers say, no, someone made him that priest.

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Someone made an oath to make him that priest. Jesus didn't make himself a priest. The father made him one and you ought to believe the father.

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God, the father takes the initiative. God, the father swears the oath. God, the father, the father confirms the promises.

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Remember back in chapter six, verse 13, take a look for when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself saying, surely

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I will bless you and multiply you. And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise for people swear by something greater than themselves.

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And in all their disputes, an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath.

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Now the Jews are thinking that's right. When it came to Abraham and his offspring and killing

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Isaac, God said, it's true. And I give an oath. So everybody would go, that's above and beyond. God could just say it, but he said it and gives an oath.

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We should really believe that. And now when it comes to Jesus to become a high priest, God, the father could have said he is, but he said he is with an oath.

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I looked up some ordination oaths. I don't think I had to give any oaths when I was ordained.

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I wish I would have reformed church of the United States. Here are some of their oaths.

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Do you believe that the holy scriptures, the old Testament and new are the word of God by the inspiration of the holy spirit and therefore are infallible and inerrant and are the only perfect rule of our

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Christian faith in life. Answer of the pastor to be, I do. Do you honestly and in good conscience before the

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Lord declare that you believe and are persuaded that all of the articles and points in the

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Heidelberg catechism, Belgian confession, canons of Dort are in complete and accurate agreement with the word of God. I do.

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Do you believe with your whole heart that you're called by God to this office and rely on the holy spirit for grace and help?

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I do. Do you promise to be faithful in the exercise of all private and personal duties, which become you as a

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Christian and minister of the gospel? I do. And the list goes on. But here it's not

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Jesus saying, I will do everything that you said, father. Here it's the father saying,

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I affirm him as the high priest. It's made by an oath.

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Jesus, we would think makes himself the pie priest by an oath, but he does not have a question for you.

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When you make yourself a priest, when you're really not, is that a good thing? Back in the old

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Testament, turn with me, if you would, to second Chronicles 26, and let me show you what happens when you make yourself a high priest.

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The writer of Hebrews is trying to tell you, you can trust that Jesus is a high priest. He's not a self appointed

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Messiah. I'm thinking of some who song probably right now. Some self appointed Messiah.

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What's that called, Charlie? You're my resident who expert.

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Maybe it's not it. You just don't walk up and go, you know, by the way, I think I'm going to be a priest today.

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You've got to be born into it or God has to say you are in it. And so Uzziah, the second

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Chronicles 26 talks about this and it's fascinating. One of the things

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I'm trying to get you to do is to have you read your Old Testament more. And here's a great Old Testament illustration of someone who is a great, great guy, but he makes himself a priest.

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All the people of Judah took Uzziah who was 16 years old. Second Chronicles 26 made him king instead of his father,

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Amaziah. He built a loft and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his father's Uzziah.

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Can you imagine was 16 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem.

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His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did finally, what was what?

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I told my kids all the time, if you ever have a test, a Bible quiz in Awana and they say, did this king do evil or right in the eyes of the

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Lord, always pick evil, right? Because almost all of them, that's what they did. And he did evil was in the right in the eyes of the

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Lord. But here he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. And by the way, 52 years, can you imagine having the same king or the same good president for 52 years?

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I mean, it's happy days are here again. He verse five set himself to seek

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God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the

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Lord Yahweh, God made him prosper. I mean, what a great king. He goes out and fights wars.

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Verse seven, God helped him against the Philistines. Verse eight, the Ammonites paid tribute to him and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt.

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And he became very strong. Verse nine, he builds things and fortifies them.

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Verse 11, he's got soldiers and divisions. He's got mighty men of valor.

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Verse 12, huge armies. Verse 14, and there's shields and spears and helmets and coats of mail and bows and stones for slinging.

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Don't you love that? In Jerusalem, he made machines invented by skillful men to be on the towers and the corners to shoot arrows and great stones.

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And his fame spread far for he was marvelously helped till he was strong.

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I mean, what a great king, a good king, strong king.

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That's our downfall so often, is it not? Verse 16, but when he was strong, he what? Grew proud to his destruction for he was unfaithful to the

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Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

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Who's supposed to do that, by the way? Only priests. Hey, I'm going to make myself a priest.

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I've done so much. I mean, I'm just going to continue to do more. But as Azariah, the priest went in after him with 80 priests of the

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Lord who were men of valor. And they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, by the way, this must have been difficult to do, but good for these priests.

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It's not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord Yahweh, but for the priests. The sons of Aaron born in that line who are consecrated to burn incense.

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Go out of the sanctuary for you have done wrong and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was angry.

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Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And when he became angry with the priest, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priest in the house of the

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Lord by the altar of incense. And Azariah, the chief priest, and all the priests looked at him and behold, he was leprous in his forehead.

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They rushed him out quickly and turned and he himself hurried to go out because the Lord had struck him. And King Uzziah, this great priest, no, this self -appointed priest was a leper to the day of his death and being a leper lived in a separate house where he was excluded from the house of the

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Lord. And then it says in verse 22, now the rest of the acts of Uzziah from first to the last,

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Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz wrote, Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in a burial field that belonged to the

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Kings. For they said, can you imagine here's your tombstone? Fifty two years later, he is a leper, except the thing is

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Jesus didn't appoint himself. The father appoints Jesus as the high priest.

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So you can trust him. Jesus was appointed by the father. Let's go back to Hebrews chapter seven.

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The oath of office was not given by Jesus, but by God, the father. And when

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God, the father gives an oath, it's irreversible. When the Levitical priests were made temporarily to get us to where we need to have

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Jesus. Now Jesus comes along, there's not going to be an update for Jesus later. This is a forever priest, an irreversible priest.

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And by the way, I like it that even in verse 22, the language of Jesus, the human is used.

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This makes Jesus, the person focusing on the humanity of Christ, truly human, is a guarantee or a guarantor of a better covenant.

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This is the outcome. This is the fifth question. What's the outcome of the oath given? Every word here is important, especially these four.

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Jesus, guarantor, better, and covenant. God's oath stands behind these so that you might trust in him.

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Let's look at each one of those words, guarantor, Jesus, and better, and covenant. First ones, guarantor.

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How do we know Jesus is going to be able to pay for sins? Well, because God absolutely gives him an oath and you can rely on the father's oath.

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You can be guaranteed that God's promises will be fulfilled. Now, I don't know much about bondsmen.

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I just know when I'm in a part of town where there's check cashing and bail bonds found,

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I know usually to keep my doors locked. That's about all I know. Am I right? The bondsman is someone who posts bail for someone and guarantees that indicted person will appear in court and stand trial.

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That's probably the closest thing we have here. What kind of guarantee do we have? Jesus is the guarantee.

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Not that we'll stand before God's court and be judged, but we'll stand before God's person and be welcomed.

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This word's only used here in the New Testament. It means surety. It means something close to he's a mediator.

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He's going to make sure we make it. Paul was willing to be surety for Onesimus the slave.

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Judah was willing to be surety for Benjamin. I have four children and all four of those children

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I've had to co -sign for that if they renege on their pledges to pay back the government and Sally Mae and student loans, guess who gets to pay?

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I've had to do it for four kids, filling out Gracie's now. If they don't pay at my own expense,

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I will cover it. That's what a guarantor is. That's what a surety is. And the

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Lord Jesus is the guarantee that Christian, let's just make it very simple.

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If you're not going to go to heaven, Jesus isn't going to be there and Jesus is a liar.

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Positively, since Jesus has been ordained by the father and sworn in as the high priest, he's in heaven and he's your guarantee that you'll be in heaven.

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And I know what you're thinking. If this is how you should be thinking, yes, but I didn't measure up this week and I didn't love my neighbors myself and I didn't love

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God. And I'm concerned about that. I'm concerned about the penalty of my sin. I'm concerned that my position hasn't met, you know, practice hasn't matched up to my position.

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I know that. That's why you need to be reminded that our risen and everlasting savior guarantees the covenant and it will be fulfilled and God will keep his promises on our behalf.

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I mean, Christians, we sin regularly. And as Jerry Bridges writes in that book that you ought to read, this is the good news.

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It tells us there's good news for us now. We don't have to feel guilt ridden and insecure in our relationship with God.

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We Christian don't have to wonder if he likes us. We can begin each day with a deeply encouraging realization that I'm accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

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Is that wonderful? That's wonderful. That is amazing. He's the guarantor.

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He guarantees that God, the father will forgive us.

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He guarantees that the debt of sin has been paid for. He's trustworthy. Charles Wesley wrote a song called arise, my soul arise and we sing about it before the throne.

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My what surety, our guarantor stands. My name is written on his hands.

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The father is good for it. The legal obligation is paid.

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Law has been fulfilled. Now, some people ask this question.

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Does God guarantee to men that God will stand by his promises? Or does he act as guarantor to God for man by assuring that men will truly accept its provisions?

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Perhaps a choice does not need to be made. Bruce said both are true. Well, look at that word, guarantor.

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Now look at the next word, Jesus, purposely summarizing the work of our

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Savior. He came to save his people from their sins. It's the sin bearing Jesus who is the covenant keeper.

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And by the way, that's our next word, covenant. Some people call Hebrews. That's the first time the word covenant is used in Hebrews.

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It's used 16 more times. They call this the epistle of the covenant, the covenant epistle.

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What is a covenant? What's going to go on in chapter 8? We'll soon answer that question.

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But here, we can make certain that this last will and testament is going to be carried out by the father through the son.

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And that will make it what? The fourth key word. Do you see it in verse 23? Better. It's a better covenant.

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We've got a better hope and better assurance and better salvation and a better sacrifice and a better covenant.

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Because he lives forever. So what I'd like to do in just the few minutes we have remaining is this.

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God is affirming Jesus as a high priest for you, Christian. And he'll last forever.

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This is in the long line of times on the earth, even, when Jesus was on the earth, where the father affirmed the work of Jesus.

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And I want to remind you of how the father affirms the work of Jesus. So let's have a nice little review of the father's affirmation of the son and show you that it's nothing new.

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And why don't you turn to the baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3. Does the father affirm the work of the son?

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And the answer is yes. The great high priest, Jesus, will always be affirmed by the father, never disqualified, never needing updates, always able to be your intercessor for your sins and for your transgressions.

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And so now the baptism of Jesus. My point is simple. Does the father affirm

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Jesus? Matthew 3, verse 13. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the

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Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying, I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me?

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But Jesus answered him, Let it be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

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Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water and behold, the heavens were open to him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

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And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved son with whom

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I'm well pleased. By the way, if you want to believe that there's one God, three persons, this is a good place to go, is it not?

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Unless Jesus is somehow throwing his voice. This is God, the father, God, the son and God, the spirit all here.

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The father affirms Jesus. By the way, I like to do this very often and think about the father's affirmation for the son because who else do you know at work?

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Who so thinks this way about the Lord Jesus? Who do you know in the media? Who so thinks this about the

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Lord Jesus? Who do you know in your own family? The many Christians that are in your family, non -Christians, who think this way about Jesus?

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I like to regularly and often be reminded. My view of Jesus ought to be probably the father's view of Jesus, should it not?

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And Jesus is regularly affirmed by the father. All the people that think Christianity is completely loony and offensive, the father thinks

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Jesus is beloved and I'm well pleased in him. Go to Matthew chapter 12 since we're in Matthew.

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Let's take a look at another of the father's affirmation. It should not surprise us in the book of Hebrews that the father affirms the son with an oath because he's always affirmed the son.

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He could have affirmed him in eternity past. We don't see that in the Gospels, but he did. Here we're looking at the

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Gospels, the affirmation of the father to the son. Chapter 12 verse 15,

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Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there and many followed him and healed. He healed them all and ordered them not to make him known.

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This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah. Behold, my servant whom

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I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the

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Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud. The servant Psalm isn't ultimately about Israel, is it?

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It's about the Lord Jesus. Hebrews read verse 20. He will not break a smoldering wick. He will not quench until he brings justice to victory.

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And in his name, the Gentiles will hope. The father affirms the son.

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Turn to Luke 9. We could go to Matthew for the illustration of the transfiguration, but let's go to Luke 9, the transfiguration.

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How often does the father affirm the son? He's always affirmed him. He's never not affirmed him.

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Do you realize, beloved, even on Calvary, when the son said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

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Could there be a more wonderful time in the sense that Jesus is perfectly obeying the father?

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Was the father pleased with the son at Calvary? The answer has to be yes, because he became obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.

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And yet at the pinnacle of the greatest obedience that the son could ever render, that's when the father then acts like the judge and pours out the wrath on Jesus, the sin bearer.

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There's never a time the father wasn't thrilled with the son until he was the sin bearer, but even leading up to that.

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Let's take a look at Luke 9. Luke chapter 9. The Transfiguration. You know, if you ever want to do some kind of weird

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Bible quizzing thing, did Moses ever make it on the promised land? True or false? True.

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Right here in the Transfiguration. Okay, let's go. The Transfiguration, Luke 9.

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Now about eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter and James and John and went up to the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, can you imagine?

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The appearance of his face was altered. His clothing became dazzling white.

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And behold, two men were talking with him, representing the law and the prophets,

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Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his, literally in the Greek, Exodus, his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

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Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

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And it came about as these were parting from him. Peter said to Jesus, Master, it's good for us to be here.

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Let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah, not realizing what he was saying.

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And one of the greatest lessons in all the Bible, how do you think about your experiences that you have?

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You need revelation to think about those experiences. And God the Father interrupts and helps us understand what's going on.

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Verse 34. And as he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid.

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They were aghast by dread, as some translate it, as they entered the cloud.

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And a voice came out of the cloud saying, this is my son, my chosen one, listen to him.

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For such a long time, has Jesus been the one correcting Peter? Jesus has been the one always correcting

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Peter. Now the Father corrects Peter. And Peter's saying, you know, Moses, Elijah, Jesus, they're all equal, three tabernacles, let's all have them together.

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And the Father said, no, this is how you need to read this, Peter. Not these three tabernacles, but this is my son.

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This is the one of whom I'm well pleased, it says in another transfiguration account. This is the one you need to listen to.

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And all this language is condensed. Do you see, this is my son? That's right from Psalm 2.

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The Lord said to me, you're my son. He's my Davidic son, my chosen one.

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That's from Isaiah chapter 42. The once and for all high priest. And then finally, listen to him.

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That has to do with Deuteronomy 18. You shall listen to this prophet that you raise up that's better than Moses.

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Listen to Jesus, no one else. And then finally,

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I'd like you to think about the last time that the Father affirmed the

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Son in the Gospels. He affirmed Jesus at the baptism, Matthew 12, transfiguration.

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Was there another time that the Father affirmed the Son in his work? And the answer is, yes.

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Just listen. Romans 6, 4. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the

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Father, we too might walk in newness of life. The greatest time when the

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Father affirmed the work of the Son is when he raised him from the dead. John 10. No one takes it from me,

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Jesus said, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This charge

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I receive from my Father. I could ask you this question.

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How many people did Jesus raise from the dead when he was on earth? Answer? The widow's son in the village of Nain, Luke 7.

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Secondly, the 12 -year -old daughter of Jairus, Mark 5. Lazarus in John 11.

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And anybody else? Himself. That's right. Boy, you guys are hard to stump.

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By the way, I have a little side note thing here. I will never, ever play Bible trivia with any of you ever in my life.

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Because it's a no -win. If I win, you say, you're supposed to win.

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You're the pastor. And if I lose, you're supposed to win.

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You're the pastor. I'm never playing. Bible Pictionary, I'll play. It should not surprise us that after on the earth,

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I affirm the work of my Son. I affirm the work of my Son. I affirm the work of my Son. I affirm the work of my

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Son. That now when He's a priest at the right hand of the Father, and He's there in heaven, and He's standing as a

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Lamb of slain, it should not surprise us that the Father says, I affirm the work of my Son. Why would

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I run back to some other kind of priest? No way. The point of Hebrews 7 is simple.

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You can trust in who Jesus is because the Father said, this is the one I'm swearing as an oath. Spurgeon said,

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I'm treading on thin ice. And I don't know if this is really what was said, but this is essentially what

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I think was said by the Father. I do hereby give unto my only begotten and well beloved

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Son, a people countless beyond the number of stars, who shall be made by Him washed from sin, by Him preserved and kept and led, and by Him at last presented before my throne, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

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I, the Father, covenant by oath and swear by myself, because I can swear by no greater, that these whom

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I now give to Christ shall be forever the objects of my eternal love.

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Them I will forgive through the merit of the blood. To these I will give a perfect righteousness. These will

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I adopt and make my sons and daughters, and these shall reign with me through Christ eternally.

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What a great promise. I wonder if the Son responded in eternity past.

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Spurgeon said, this is how I think He responded. My Father, on my part I covenant, that in fullness of time

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I will become a man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people

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I will keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness, which shall become acceptable to the demands of Thy just and holy law.

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In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Though Thou shalt exact their debts on me, the chastisement of their peace

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I will endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient to death, even death on the cross.

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I will magnify Thy law and make it honorable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered.

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I will endure the curse of the law, and all the vials of Thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head.

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I will then rise again. I will ascend into heaven. I will intercede for them at Thy right hand, and I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom

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Thou hast given me shall ever be lost, but I shall bring all my sheep, of whom by my blood

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Thou hast constituted me the shepherd. I will bring everyone safe to Thee at last.

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I think that's good news. Let's pray. Father, we, along with You, affirm

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Your Son. Oh, in a different way, but we affirm Him by faith.

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Thank You for Your seal of approval on the Son. In eternity past, in Calvary, now, baptism, transfiguration,

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He is the true prophet, priest, and king. And I pray that this week, we might live in light of that.

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Help us to live holy lives because of Your Son, the Holy One. We're thankful that we can draw near to You, even when we sin, because we have an

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Advocate, and we have a surety. We have a better covenant because Jesus did all that.

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Think about that song we heard a couple weeks ago. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.

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And we're thankful that in the midst of persecution, trials, all the other issues that these people that received this letter must have been going through, they just needed the main truth to be reminded, that Jesus Christ is the risen

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Savior who cares for them and will not abandon them in spite of all the things they see, in spite of all their circumstances, and that they ought to walk by faith.

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So, Father, I pray that You'd help us to do that very thing, to walk by faith. We're thankful that we have a risen

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Savior. We're thankful that You made an oath. We're thankful that all the things that needed to be done to save us, You had to do.

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We couldn't do anything. We just sinned all the more. But we have the sinless Savior, Jesus.

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And, Father, I pray that You ought to convict us. Would You please convict us when we don't have joy?

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There's a reason why that command is there. Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice. Father, would

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You remind us regularly and often why we should be the most joyful people on the planet?

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My mind is just drawn to things that should not take our joy away. Things that ought not to take our joy away include everything.

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Because in light of the cross, we stand forgiven. I pray this in Jesus' name. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

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Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life -transforming power of God's Word through verse -by -verse exposition of the sacred text.

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Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 10 .15 and in the evening at 6. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston.

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You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.