Book of Hebrews - Ch. 5 & 6

New American Standard, it happens to be the translation we have available, but if anyone needs

one, I think I've caught everyone, but if anyone still needs a copy of the New Testament tonight, raise your hand and I'll get it to you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Oh, learn of me, learn of me.

Someone said to me one time, said, you Jews think you're perfect.

And I said, one of ours made it.

Have a good day.

Well, this side's doing well.

I got to check this side now.

You're sitting back and forth.

I don't know if you ought to change sides or something's happened to the other side.

I think the no side or the silent side shifts on me every once in a while, but it is a good day.

It could have been worse.

You've heard the old saying, I used to complain in gripe about not having shoes until I met a man who didn't have any feet.

You don't have to look far to find someone who has a more difficult lifestyle or perhaps more crises and tensions than we do.

And so, you know, if you could just kind of hang on a little while longer, the Lord be back for long.

You've been looking for him.

I had a man tell me, he said, man, I've heard that ever since I was a little boy.

I said, we're 2000 years closer to it than when they wrote about it.

You know, I believe the next major event to occur on God's timetable is the coming of Jesus in the air.

I believe that first Thessalonians 4, 16 could occur before this service is ever over.

The Bible says, wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

This is our hope.

If this is all there is to it, who wants it?

I mean, you know, is this it?

Just me and you hanging around, playing around church.

I mean, is this it?

Is this all he's got for us?

No.

Eyes have not seen, nor have ears heard, nor has it ever been recorded, that which he has stored up for those that love him.

And even though you and I are not perfect and we know we have problems, can we not tonight say in our heart, we do love the Lord?

Amen.

I mean, we love him.

You know, in our heart of hearts, we love him.

And the beautiful thing about it is, at this particular point, you are not required to be sinless.

You are required to work on your life so that you sin less.

You know, you're not going to be sinless, but you can sin less.

You can sin less.

We ought not to be doing the sins today that we did five years ago.

That's the tragedy.

That's the tragedy.

Most Christians are still living exactly the same way they did the first year they got saved, and they haven't grown

one iota, haven't grown one bit.

And so the apostle Paul, I believe, wrote the book of Hebrews.

But if he didn't, whoever wrote it, has some things to say about that.

And so if you will turn me, please, to Hebrews chapter 5.

Now, you know, there are 13 chapters in this book.

And so consequently, one night, somehow or other, we're going to get a third chapter into that night in order to

cover it.

And so one of those nights, we'll just kind of shift gears and move along, and we'll

just see where it fits in.

It could be tonight.

It could be tomorrow night.

Hopefully, the Lord would do it before Friday night because I got to drive out Friday night.

And boy, would I hate to be here till midnight on Friday night.

So I'm glad the cafeteria isn't open at night, so you'll stay.

Most cities you go to, they got cafeterias open, and you can just forget it.

Boy, when the cafeteria door is open, you might as well close the service because they are gone.

They motivate out of a church in a hurry.

But isn't it going to be interesting when we stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of our lives?

Won't it be exciting just to hear all the excuses that are given to him?

It is going to really be an exciting day just to hear all these excuses given to the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ.

You won't need a tape recorder because you will know it all, you know.

And I've been working on some.

I just can't find one that's good enough yet, but I've been working on them.

And I'm thinking them up.

And I know that you don't have to have any excuses because I know that you read the Bible every day.

I know that you pray every day.

And I know that you don't let very long go by.

You win somebody to Jesus about every month, at least one a month, surely 12 a year.

And I know that you give tithes and offerings faithfully to the Lord's work.

I know you pray for the missionaries.

I know you pray for the pastor.

And I know you pray for the Sunday school teachers.

You pray for the deacons.

I know the deacons pray for you every single day by name.

And I know all that's out visiting in the community.

So I know we don't have any problems like that here.

So if we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, you can say, Lord, here we are.

Blessed is heaven.

We're here.

You believe that?

Didn't get any amens on any of that, did I?

Well, the beautiful thing about it is the Lord knows exactly where we are and He loves us like we are.

And He just says, work on it.

Work on it.

Be faithful.

Be faithful.

And that counts more.

See, success, you can't ever be successful because you have to gauge success in human vein or in human value systems and

you don't have to worry about that.

God never says be successful.

He says be faithful and He'll gauge that which is successful.

But the trouble is we want to be successful and put it down into our little evaluation of that and our definition of that.

And so this is a problem.

And it was a problem with the Hebrews that he wrote about and wrote to in Hebrews chapter 5.

Now you recall in the first two chapters, chapters 1 and 2, the writer of Hebrews proves that the

Messiah, Christ, was greater than the prophets and who?

The prophets and the angels.

No, no, no.

Well, I tell you what, you better be grateful I'm not giving the test now.

I'm going to wait a little bit on the test.

I'll put hold off test here.

In chapter 3 and 4, he dealt with Moses, right?

Yes, yes.

You just see if I'm alert on you.

I know, yeah.

Chapter 1 and 2, he talks about the prophets and the angels and then he talks about Moses.

Now he's going to be moved to the next important character in Jewish life and that would be the brother of

Moses, Aaron.

He's going to deal with Aaron and he's going to show that Aaron who was the first, what?

He held the office of the first high priest.

Exactly right.

The first high priest of the nation of Israel and he's going to show that Jesus Christ is even greater than he.

Not only is he greater than Moses, but he's greater than the high priest and he's going to prove that and he's going to show

them that Christ is superior to Aaron in any way you want to approach him.

And there are three basic ways that we approach him.

He's saying here basically in verse 1, he's going to say for every high priest taken

from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God.

Notice the word ordained.

He's going to show that there is a higher ordination.

Deacons are ordained, pastors are ordained, ministers are ordained and he's going to

say here that there is a higher ordination or if you want to use the word that we mentioned in the first part of

our time together, we talked about the word better and then you remember I gave you seven things he didn't say were greater, greater and this

is one of those things that is greater.

It is a greater ordination.

It's a higher ordination and he's going to show that Aaron was ordained by men, but Christ had a better ordination

than that and that's what he's going to deal with on a priest because a priest must be ordained.

Now Aaron was taken from among men and elevated to the position

of the high priest of Israel at a time whenever he wasn't sure he was going to be that, he just went with Moses down

into Egypt and he functioned as an encourager and as a helper and one who walked alongside Moses and helping

him in his job.

Then this was passed along was it not to Aaron's sons.

It was sort of a thing that there was a lineage of priests and so the high priest passed it along to his sons

and they would become high priest and that line would just continue along.

Now what tribe of Israelites did Aaron belong to?

What was the priestly tribe?

You know that well.

Levi, exactly right.

He was of the tribe of Levi and that tribe was set aside specifically

for priestly duties.

Now when the land was split up amongst the tribes you will remember Levi got none.

Levi received none because they were to be ministers.

Now what does a priest do?

A priest according to God's word does two things.

He goes before the Lord on behalf of the people then he turns around and ministers to the people

in the name of the Lord.

He goes to seek blessings for the people and then he turns around and becomes an instrument of blessing to the people

in the name of the Lord and that's why you and I are a kingdom of priests the Bible says.

We are to go before the Lord on behalf of people and to get our lives right and then turn around and minister to people in the name of the Lord and that's

how we have a priesthood and this is exactly what he was to do.

But now he says but Christ's ordination, Christ's priesthood, Christ's ministering is

far greater than all of those.

First of all he was not just a man.

He was God and he was a man.

He was son of God and he was son of man.

Jesus' favorite term about himself was son of man.

He uses it no less than 80 times of himself.

Son of man, son of man.

That was his favorite term relating to himself and so we know that he had the honor of his

priesthood and it was given to him.

He did not take it unto himself in a selfish manner.

It was not something that he tried to do.

You recall the sons of Korah in Leviticus chapter 16.

They were in the lineage of Aaron.

You know what they did and they lost their lives, didn't they?

They went and took some duties of the priesthood and did it of themselves in a very selfish manner and God killed them.

God just killed them for playing games with him and abusing that which God had set aside

for a holy order and Christ did not do that.

God himself ordained his son.

Now there's an indication of this when Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the

Baptizer or John the Baptist.

You can find many many reasons as to why he was baptized but I believe the best reason is that

Jewish law says that a priest was to be ordained for his priestly duties at about the age of

30 and Jesus had no sin.

He didn't have to be identified with us.

We become identified with him.

He doesn't identify with you.

You are identified with him.

You become a part of him and yet he was setting out upon his high priestly duty.

He was going to set out on his messianic office function and so therefore he went through the ritual of baptism.

Baptism is not new to Christianity.

Jews have been baptizing people for literally thousands of years.

Mikvah.

It is done and has been done and Jesus who perhaps maybe even been around the Essenes from where maybe John the Baptist

came from that little group down in the Qumran area in the Judean desert

who gave us the Dead Sea Scrolls.

There is evidence that he had been down around them and of course they themselves were great proponents of baptism

and so what I'm saying to you is that the writer here says God ordained him to his high priestly

duty.

Now look at verse 6 please.

Verse 6.

As he saith also in another place thou art a priest forever after the order of

Melchizedek.

Now he is quoting from Psalm 110 verse 4.

You remember we said that Psalm 110 is the key psalm of the book of Hebrews and here he is quoting from Psalm

110 4.

Now he relates that to the verse prior to that.

Look at verse 5.

So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest.

He didn't do it selfishly but he that said unto him thou art my son today have I begotten thee and you've

already seen that verse quoted two other times in the preceding chapters.

That's from Psalm 2 7 and so what he's saying is his priesthood is related to what is said

about him in Psalm 2 verse 7 which is a psalm that relates to the resurrection.

His priesthood is dependent upon his resurrection.

It is dependent upon him passing through death and becoming victorious and so he is a

greater priest in this particular order.

Now we're going to talk about Melchizedek later.

Chapter 7 all the way to 10 deal with Melchizedek.

He is an interesting individual and so we'll not spend a lot of time with him now but the name Melchizedek

essentially means king of righteousness.

King of righteousness.

That's what the name essentially means.

He also was the prince of Salem which is a shorter term for

Yerushalayim or Jerusalem.

So he was the prince of Salem which means peace.

He was the prince of peace.

Now he was the prince of the city of peace and he was the king of righteousness and this is what the writer

is making an allusion to.

Now Aaron was never a priest king.

Aaron was a priest but he was never a king.

Jesus we say is a prophet priest and king and so here you come Melchizedek this

mysterious figure who also is a king and he is a priest.

Now Christ is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Aaron was never seated spiritually speaking.

The Levites were never seated spiritually speaking because their job was never completed.

They had to offer sacrifices morning, noon, and night.

That flame on that altar at the tabernacle and the temple could never go out.

It was to never be extinguished and offerings just went on all the time and the priest had to

continually perpetually be on duty.

That's why there were so many of them.

24 hours a day they were on duty to minister on behalf of the people and in the name of the Lord.

But yet the Bible says that Jesus Christ has been seated.

Why?

Because when he said it is finished it is finished.

He meant exactly that and he doesn't have to make any more sacrifices and this is something that you and I know.

Now Jesus didn't come from the tribe of Levi did he?

He came from which tribe?

Judah.

Judah is not the priestly tribe.

Judah is the kingly tribe.

It's the tribe from which the kings come.

So you have a king who is going to become a priest.

He's going to become a priest and he's going to honor us by being our high priest.

Now Jesus would never die.

His priesthood is forever and Aaron was a priest over an earthly household and Jesus is the priest over

a heavenly household and all the difference in the world.

So God ordained him in a higher fashion than Aaron could ever be ordained.

Also in chapter 5 verse 2 and 3 let's fill that in.

Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way?

For he himself also is compassed with infirmity and by reason of this he

ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins.

And no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron.

And then we go to verse 7 and 8.

Who in the days of his flesh, reference to Melchizedek, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying

and tears, he's comparing him here, unto him that was able to save him from death and

was heard in that he feared though he were a son yet learned the obedience by the things which he suffered.

So we say here's another one of those identifying factors.

Not only was Christ, the writer tells us, not only did he have a deeper greater higher ordination

but he is a priest with a deeper greater sympathy or compassion for people.

He had a compassion that no human being could ever ever have.

Not only must the high priest of Israel be chosen by God but he must be a man who is

sensitive to the people.

He could not be calloused.

Sure that person he may see him Aaron may see those people every day.

The priest of Israel may see the same guy coming in, the same woman coming in every day offering a sin offering.

They may come in every day offering a trespass offering but he must never be calloused.

He must treat them the same every day, be sensitive to their needs, be sympathetic towards them, have some empathy for them and

be compassionate in his heart.

And this is what it is.

And so Aaron himself was a mere man and he would know something of the weaknesses of his people.

And also it was Aaron himself who had to offer sacrifices for himself and he had to offer sacrifices

for his own family as well as for the people.

Before he could ever offer anything for the people he had to take care of his own sins.

He had to deal with the sins of his family.

Christ is able of course to enter into the needs and problems of God's people in verse 7 and 8.

Notice what he says.

This is a reference to the prayers that he prayed in Gethsemane when he was in the garden.

Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.

And you recall what happened in the garden of Gethsemane.

Well in 7 and 8 you are told something of the, if I can use the word, the training of the Son of God.

Now as God he needed nothing but as man he voluntarily put himself into a position

where he would accept training and learning.

How did he learn?

Look at verse 8.

Though he were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

When you and I have suffering that comes into our life there is a reason for it.

And there is a lesson to be learned from it.

And there is a beautiful result that will occur after it is over.

The problem is you and I as Christians resist and rebel and despise any

idea of suffering.

And this thing that you hear on television all the time.

That God never wants his children to suffer.

God never wants his children to be ill.

And God never wants him to have a problem with the scripture.

Because Paul was physically sick all of his life.

He had a physical problem called a thorn in the flesh.

And three times he went and asked God to take it away from him.

And God said no, no, no.

And you have never heard of anyone nor have you ever read of anyone who had the faith of the Apostle Paul.

Timothy was sick all of his life and he wrote Paul and says what am I going to do?

Paul said I don't know anything for you to do except take a little wine for your stomach's sake.

Epaphroditus almost died.

Why didn't Paul heal him?

Because it wasn't within his power to heal him.

And these people who come around and tell you this.

I'm just throwing this out for your edification dear people.

Ask yourself some serious questions.

Every faith healer and every one of those people on television that are telling you all that.

Every one of them has a hospitalization plan.

Every single one of them does.

Now if you really believe that God will keep you well all the time and never make you sick or you'll never get sick.

And if you do get sick God will heal you.

You tell me why you'd want a hospitalization plan.

Every one of them have got them.

And every one of them have doctors and every one of them take shots.

When they get sick their wives go to doctors just like you do.

But you see the Baptists and Methodists will send them that money boy.

And they'll send you the little cloth and the little rope tied in a knot and they'll send you all that stuff.

If Baptists and Methodists would quit supporting them they'd be out of business.

Dear people you are responsible for where you send your money.

Look at Paul.

You want to follow them or Paul?

I'd rather follow Paul.

And the great evidence is that Paul had myopia an inflammation and disease of the eyes.

That's what the evidence is from scripture.

It's the strongest Christian tradition.

Oh well but God does it different today.

God didn't do it for Paul but he'll do it for you.

You keep on thinking that.

And the beautiful thing is that God knows us better than we know ourselves.

But you know something about faith healers?

They all die.

They all die.

Well if God owns this and the only thing that brings death is what?

Yeah you get sick and die.

You're quiet.

I must be on a nerve.

I understand.

Well it's in the scripture.

You watch them all and isn't it amazing after you watch them for a few years they all start wearing glasses too.

But God wants you well all the time.

God doesn't want anything.

They all do.

They all deteriorate.

I ask myself quit listen.

They're not gonna get my money boy.

I won't know where it goes.

If I give it to my church I find out where they spend it too.

I'm not just gonna hand it to them say well do as the Lord leads you.

No way.

I'm gonna find out how God's leading them.

Yeah if they're not following along the scriptures they're not gonna get mine.

You're not supposed to give me any either if you don't know where it goes.

Some of you ain't giving me anyway so it don't make any difference.

I understand.

You love me anyway though don't you?

Say yes.

Yeah well we won't put it to a vote.

Verse seven and eight.

Keep in mind that Jesus Christ needed nothing.

You and I know that he needed nothing but as the son of man so that one day he might be the high priest it was necessary for

him to experience trials and suffering.

Now this is one of the major objections of the Jewish people in accepting Jesus as the Messiah.

How could the Messiah who is supposed to bring in an age of peace do away with war and do

away with calamity, bring economic stability, bring peace on earth, cause man to love man,

woman to love woman, cause all the races to come together.

How could he die and how could he go through all that suffering if he really were the Messiah of Israel?

Because they looked at one picture of him and didn't look at the other picture of him and this is a confusing factor to the Jewish people

and they say the Messiah would never suffer in such a manner and so they explain away in many ways those

passages of scripture that refer to his suffering and yet these sufferings are identical to the fact

that he is the Messiah.

They are signs of his being the Messiah.

You recall John the Baptist when he was in prison just prior to his beheading he sent some messengers to Jesus and he said are you

he or shall we look for another?

Now do you remember the answer Jesus gave him?

Don't let it slip by your mind.

Jesus could have said just tell him I am.

If he had said I am and used the Hebrew words well we know he'd been using exactly those words that God spoke to Moses out of the burning

bush and I am and he'd have known immediately but what did he say?

You go tell John that you yourself have seen the lame walk, the blind see, and the dead

raised and he'll know because they were the signs of the Messiah and all the

signs in, watch this, all the signs in the New Testament are related to the Jews

and not Gentiles and wherever you find one sign in the New Testament you will find Jews were

present and there are no exceptions there and once the gospel got away from the Jews and went to the Gentile world

predominantly you find those books of the New Testament and you will find that the signs are missing.

They're gone.

They're not there and you find the list of spiritual gifts in Romans chapter 12 and you don't find one sign gift

amongst them and that's the great book on Christian doctrine.

Isn't that interesting?

You see how you slip those things in there just sideways and they just fit right on in the message and we just move right along and you won't know it hits you until you get home

and think about it.

Verse 7, praying in Gethsemane, prayers and supplications, strong crying

and tears.

Now watch this, you know this well but look at the bottom part of verse 7.

It says tears unto him that was able to save him and the King James reads from death.

The literal reading of the Greek is out of death.

I do not believe personally that Jesus ever prayed one time for God to deliver him from death.

He came to die.

He knew he was going to die when he came but I do believe that what he was praying for in the garden of Gethsemane when he said remove this cup from me,

take this cup from me, I'll let this cup pass from me.

That cup that I believe he is referring to is the cup of sin of the world and his holy soul

was shrinking from the fact that he wasn't, my dear people, going to pay for your sins.

The Bible says he became sin who knew no sin and God poured into his holy

being the sins and the iniquity of the world in those dark moments on the cross and that is

the thing that his holy soul abhorred and detested and hated was sin with all that it was and

he didn't want to become sin in the sense that he knew the war that would go on inside of him

and what it was going to do but he was committed to it and he says but not my will.

That was his humanity.

Not my will but thine be done and he willingly went up on the cross and God laid on him the

iniquity of us all.

He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

This is what he's talking about.

Now someone may ask the question but how could he as the son of God know more about suffering

and things like this than Aaron who was a human being because he was perfect and everything he experienced he experienced

it perfectly.

He was tested in all ways like us we are.

As I mentioned the other evening all sin falls into three categories lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and a pride of life and he

experienced them to the tenth degree if you want to say that.

He experienced them when a personal confrontation with Satan himself.

You and I sometimes we confront Satan don't realize it sometimes we confront demon powers and don't realize it but sometimes

it's the world sometimes it's just the flesh sometimes it's enemy personally working but he experienced

it as deep as it could ever go and in the perfect sense that it could ever reach and he experienced

temptation he experienced the testing he experienced the proving whichever words you want to use there he was tried and

proven in a perfect way and so therefore he was able to experience that.

It is a fact is it not that a bridge you take a bridge out here and you run a truck over it that

weighs 50 tons that bridge will show more testing power than one that just takes two ton truck over

and so therefore Jesus was able to experience in a greater degree that which you and I would experience and so

therefore he is sympathetic to that and then verse 3 and by reason of this

he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins.

And then verses 9 all the way down to verse 14 to the end of the chapter we'll find that he's talking

about a sacrifice that he would make a greater sacrifice than Aaron would ever make.

He would make a greater sacrifice than Aaron can make and being made perfect he became the

author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him called of God and high priest

after the order of Melchizedek of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered.

Seeing you are dull of hearing now that's interesting.

The main ministry of Aaron was to offer sacrifices for the nation especially on Yom Kippur according to Leviticus

16 the day of atonement the high holy day the priest the Levites they ministered the people all during the year.

But the whole nation looked to one man once a year all eyes focused on the high priest as

he went in behind the veil into the holy of holies into the very presence of the personal presence of God to

deal with God on behalf of the people.

And this is something that Aaron wants to do.

But Christ being the sinless lamb of God only had to offer sin for sacrifice for sin one

time.

And it says as he offered sacrifice one time he entered in once and for all in the holy place.

And we'll see that a little later on when we get over to chapter 9 and 10 he did it one time.

And it is sufficient.

One drop of the blood of the lamb of God is sufficient for the payment of all the sin in all

the world by every person who has ever lived.

One drop that's how holy it is.

It is holy because it has the life.

The life of the flesh is in the blood the scripture says.

And it's the value of the person that's shedding the blood.

A bull it was a more value than a bird.

Well the son of the living God is more valuable than anything that was offered by the human beings.

And of course the blood of bulls and goats only covered sin and could not take away sin.

Christ came and redeemed and took away sin once and for all.

Now in verse 11 you'll notice the writer.

He wants to go a little deeper now.

These are things we all know he says.

Now you know all of that.

But i want to go a little deeper with you he says.

But there is a difficulty.

There's a problem.

I got a problem.

And the problem is it's not that i don't know what to say.

It's not that i don't know what to write.

It's not that you got a dull preacher.

It's not that the writer of the hebrews is dull.

He said.

What i've got is a bunch of dull listeners.

He said i'm dealing with some dull hearers.

Look what he says.

Ye are verse 11.

Ye are all dull of hearing.

He wants to go from milk.

And he wants to get into meat.

Now milk is the first principles of christianity.

Jesus died on the cross.

He was raised from the dead.

He paid for our sins.

That's the milk he said.

Now i want to get into something else.

I want to talk to you about what's going on in heaven.

I want to talk to you about the priesthood of christ.

I want to talk to you about his function as a high priest.

But you can't handle it he said.

You're still hanging around back over there.

You can't get most christians out of the gospels and the book of corinthians.

They hang around matthew martin luke and john the book of acts and first corinthians.

They never get into hebrews.

They never study revelation.

You never find them in timothy.

You never find them over thessalonians.

You don't find them in colossians and ephesians galatians.

Oh they run to philippians every once in a while because they find out it says rejoice always.

You don't find them in the deep things of the word of god.

And when you go to sunday school classes you hear the same thing over and over the crucifixion the resurrection.

And there's nothing wrong with them.

Wonderful truth.

But dear people we ought to be moving on growing in the lord.

He says you haven't grown at all.

Look at verse 12.

For when for the time you ought to be teachers.

You have need that one teach you again the first principles of the oracles of god and are become such as have

need of milk and not of meat or solid food now.

That is a very very delicate statement.

How many christians do you and i know who are still living on milk.

The abcs of the gospel what jesus did on earth the life they lived on earth what he went through

on earth what he accomplished on earth.

And they know nothing and have very little understanding of what's going on with jesus in heaven and what's

going on in our lives because of what he is doing in heaven.

They know him as savior but they have no understanding whatsoever or very little understanding of him being the

high priest of his people.

These people he said have been saved long enough.

He said you ought to be teachers.

And that's my contention that most people in the church have been members of the church long enough to be teachers.

But you know why you don't have any teachers.

You know why the church has got to cry for teachers.

Because you have never grown in the lord.

You're still hanging around talking about jesus being born in bethlehem and jesus being crucified and calvary and golgotha

and rolling along those same things and never growing to the point where you're able to share that which god has placed in his word

and wants a place in our heart to share it with other people.

Now i do believe that god gives a spiritual gift of teaching to some people.

But i believe that many people have abilities that can be trained and adapted and can learn to share what they know from the word of

god.

But you can't share anything.

You don't know.

Ladies and gentlemen.

And so we're still sitting around teach me teach me teach you.

And we get it said man that's heavy.

Why.

Man.

And yet it's the basics.

It's really the basics.

And we sit around say man that's deep.

I don't understand that.

Where'd you get that.

And we're still hanging around those bases.

Say i've been promising you a test.

I've been holding off on that test.

It's very not very hard sometimes i'm reluctant to give it though.

And then call out the grades personally.

You know i usually do that when i give the test out you have to sign them.

And i read everybody's name and grade.

You're talking about coronaries.

How to know a number the animals going aboard the ark.

You call give you an easy one.

How to know a number of the animals going aboard the ark.

Remember two by two.

That's what we've been teaching.

That's not what the bible says.

Is it.

That's what dr zeus says.

You read genesis 6 but quickly move into genesis 7.

What god said was you take all the clean animals that can be used for a sacrifice.

And the unclean animals he said the unclean animals will go aboard two by two.

But the clean animals will go aboard by the sevens.

And all the fowls of the air will go aboard by the sevens.

Now you say what difference does it make.

Two differences.

You teach your children that it's two by two.

And they'll get off into a university.

And some real sharp professor says they lied to you there.

Maybe they lied to you somewhere else.

If they don't know that then how do you know this is true.

And those kids will come out believing they came from apes and everything else.

Now what's the other teaching is let's just say they all went aboard two by two.

You got two sheep.

You got a ram and a ewe.

The first thing noah did he stepped down off that ark.

When you read chapter eight verses one through five you'll find he made a sacrifice.

That means you got no more sheep on earth.

You kill a ram or you one of the two.

And you only got two.

I don't care what you say.

I'm not a farmer.

But i know you're not gonna have no more.

Not the best way i can figure it.

You ain't god says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness

of sins.

And you and i know that.

Well and what god was doing.

He was making sure that man would have access to him through blood after the flood before the flood.

But we tell them two by two up that arthur went two by two.

The little animals two by two.

And that is a half truth.

And the bible says a false balance is an abomination to god.

And if god put that into scriptures it ought to be taught and we ought to know it.

But you see that's the abcs.

That's the simple thing.

And there are all kinds of little things like this.

I was talking to some people not too long ago in a church and i asked and i said well you i know you remember the straw said does the name simon the cyrenian ring a

bell with you.

You know simon the cyrenian.

They said you know.

And then all of a sudden it caught simon the cyrenian.

Yes jesus was going to the cross.

And you remember there's a man standing over to the side and they had beaten him spit upon him plucked his beard out and scourged him put that old

crown of thorns on him or old robe over him and they making him go up the cross.

And you know.

And i said well you recall the story of simon the cyrenian.

Jesus fell on the wayside and they called simon the cyrenian over and made him pick up the cross and carry the cross.

You remember that story.

Yes or no.

You remember that story.

Yes in that instant.

Because it's not in the bible in that instant.

Now you weren't gonna say anything because you knew i had another trap laid for you.

Nowhere in the bible does it ever say jesus fell one time.

That is roman catholic theology.

And roman catholic theology says he fell four times.

And you go to the via dolorosa in jerusalem and you'll find the stations of the cross.

And you'll find four times jesus fell.

And there's no place in the gospels that ever says he fell one time.

And yet every baptist church i have ever been in in my life teaches that.

You'll hear him talking about it.

He fell.

That is not what the bible says.

That is catholic tradition that has trickled down into the church.

Why we just don't stay.

Well brother rocky don't get mad at me.

That's what they told me.

Whoever they are you'll never find they.

That's what they said.

That's what you won't be held accountable for what they said god said.

What does the book say.

What does the book say.

And this is what this read.

The writer of hebrews is saying you folks ought to have known that he said.

But you're still hanging around those little simple things.

And you've never gone on in the lord.

Now.

He's not being condemning or critical.

He said i'm trying to challenge you and move on in the things of god.

Grow in the lord.

Move on to perfection.

Move on to completion.

Move on to spiritual maturity.

Stop living on what you learned 10 years ago and learn something new today.

This is what he's talking about.

The word of god is unfathomable.

You cannot plum its depths.

Dr donald barnhouse the great expository preacher preached for 90 days.

He preached three months on john 316 and never repeated himself one time i

got two sermons on it.

That's all i know.

He preached 90 days every night a new sermon on john 316.

Why.

Because he walked in the word.

We walk around church.

He walked in the word.

And he's called the prince of the expository preachers.

He's perhaps the greatest expository preacher who ever lived.

He has 14 volumes on the book of romans.

Great.

Oh he wasn't a baptist.

Oh god forbid.

Now we got baptist scholars.

Me and you.

That's something that's true.

We're not without us.

The world's got us.

Well this is what he's talking about here.

Sure.

Well these people can save long enough.

What's he say about him.

Look at verse 13.

Here's the reason for everyone.

Now watch this carefully.

For everyone that uses milk is unskillful is inexperienced.

If you're still hanging around those basic things he said you're inexperienced in the word of god.

Inexperienced unskillful in the word of righteousness.

For he is a babe.

Oh my.

If that statement is true then you and i have to be honest tonight.

And we've got to admit that most of christianity are babies.

Because most christians you and i know and many times ourselves are still babes according to the things of the word of

god.

We still around those simple little stories and that's where we live.

And he says we're unskillful in the word of the lord and in the word of righteousness.

But meat solid food belongs to them that are of full age that have grown in the lord.

Even those who by reason of youth have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

How do you get it.

By reason of youth.

The bible.

You got to use it.

Some of you come to church and you don't even have a bible in your hands tonight.

That's embarrassing to me.

You.

It is a psychological fact ladies.

I'm not being critical.

I'm just telling you like it is.

It's a psychological fact that you can remember 80 of what you see.

But you can only remember 20 of what you hear.

And that's why it's important you see these things for yourself not just what i'm saying about it.

That's immaterial.

It's unimportant.

I'm just trying to challenge to get into the book.

And he says you use it.

And that's the way you grow is using the book instead of opening it up.

And you know you go in most homes they got a big bible.

Get one of the big ones laying on the coffee table.

And i've never.

It's always open to songs.

I don't care when you go what time of the year.

It'll always be open to songs.

The pastor comes and knocks on the door.

Get that wizard air spray and squirt it around.

You know get all the smoke out of there and everything.

Then they open it up and dust it off like he won't know.

You know he comes in.

Boy this home is dedicated to the word that big old bible.

Nobody could lift it.

Take three people the family to lift that thing up.

That thing's laying over on that coffee table.

It hadn't been moved.

Most husbands when you see them come to church.

And i'm not hard on men when you see them come to church.

I'll guarantee you most of them understand where's my bible.

And wife's got to go get it for me.

You don't even know where it is.

He hadn't seen it since last sunday.

Comes in the house and tosses it over.

And she finds out where it is.

You know where it is.

She knows where the kids bibles are.

Knows where the husband's bible is.

And he knows not.

But boy he'll open that thing up.

Songs.

Get that bible.

Where's that bible.

The preacher's coming.

Oh it's interesting.

It's fascinating.

Like he's some kind of idiot and doesn't know.

You know he doesn't know people.

Well what happened.

It did just exactly those five warnings that we talked about.

They began to drift through neglect.

They didn't it wasn't.

They hated the word.

They loved the word they loved the bible.

They just began to neglect it.

Then they began to doubt it.

They began to wonder about it.

Well is this true or that true.

And then the result was they began to get dull to it.

If you don't use it your mind gets dull.

If you don't use it you get dull to it.

And he says you need to be using it.

And they had not.

According to chapter four verse two they had not mixed it with faith.

They hadn't taken that usage and mixed that thing up with faith so that they might discern good and evil.

Growing in grace depends upon knowledge.

It depends upon knowledge.

You have to know about the things of god in order to grow in grace.

There are some churches that teach.

If you just go to the services you get grace.

But you don't get grace except through the word of god and by the grace of god.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of god.

And the more we use the word then god's grace becomes real to us because it depends upon what we know about

the lord.

And then we have to ask ourselves the questions.

Are we babes.

Now let's move on very quickly to a very troublesome few verses

in chapter six.

These are a problem.

And all i can say is you just have to throw your mind open as wide as you can get it.

And i don't profess to have all the answers concerning this chapter.

I'm just going to tell you what i think it says.

And then you can work it out for yourself.

In verse one we said this is the key theme of the book of hebrews chapter six verse one.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ.

Now he's not talking about forgetting christ.

He's talking about those basic principles those first things that you learn.

Let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and a faith

towards god.

You and i know that there are three stages of perfection.

There is a positional perfection that we have in christ.

When you become a christian god looks at you as being perfect.

He considers you perfect even at this point because you are in the righteousness of christ.

He just puts his righteousness down to your account.

When god looks at the record of your life he doesn't see this.

You didn't do and that you did do.

He sees the righteousness of christ.

Then there is a relative perfection that is our daily life by obedience or disobedience.

We are growing on in our maturity and in our perfection.

And then of course there is that ultimate perfection when we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.

And so there are three stages of this.

And you and i are in the second stage at the present time as far as our daily life is concerned.

And then he goes on and talks about some things.

And the troublesome verses are verses four through six.

These verses have been thrown at baptist.

They've been thrown at some presbyterians.

They've been thrown at every person who believes in what we call eternal security of the believer to use that in

common layman's terms it means once saved always saved.

Do i believe in once saved always saved.

I cannot believe anything else.

I am compelled by scripture because the only alternative to once saved always saved to use the

common terms for that are eternal security of the believer.

The only alternative is a salvation by works.

There are no other alternatives.

It's either by works or it's by the grace of god.

And you and i know i wouldn't need but one verse i don't have to have a hundred.

All i need is ephesians 2 8 9.

That's sufficient for me.

For by grace are you saved through faith and not of yourselves.

It's the gift of god not of works less than any man should boast.

Well that's simple enough for anybody to understand.

But then i have a logical problem because i never met anybody who worked hard enough to get saved.

And the bible never tells me how many works to do to get saved.

And doesn't tell me if i don't do a certain number of works then i'm lost again.

So when i go to john 14 27 and jesus says my peace give i unto you not as the world giveth unto you let not your hearts

be troubled and neither let him be afraid.

I can never know that kind of peace because i'd never know from one day to the other if i was really saved do you really

believe.

The feeble efforts you and i put forth will get you saved.

When the blood of christ can't get you saved can your works do for you what the blood of jesus can't do.

Now his blood's sufficient.

You see your salvation doesn't depend upon what you do or don't do.

Does it.

It depends in whom you have believed.

It depends on whom you have believed.

You are obedient or disobedient.

But you're still his child still his child.

And a lot of things happen.

And the basic misunderstanding as we move into this passage comes from a misunderstanding of what happens at

salvation.

My bible very plainly says the first thing that occurs is that you are born again born again.

The second thing it tells me is first.

Corinthians 12 13 for by one spirit were we all baptized into one body.

Whether we be bond or free jew or gentile we have been.

You don't even know you've been baptized into it.

The bible just tells you you have you become a member of the body of christ.

Ephesians chapter 1 says that you have been adopted into the family of god.

Ephesians 1 13 says after you heard you believed and you trusted and you have been sealed unto the day of

redemption in order for you to get lost again.

You got to get unsealed.

You got to get unadopted.

You got to get unborn and you got to get unbaptized and kicked out of the family of god.

And next time you get saved you got to go through that every day.

So every day you're gonna get that.

You got to be born again.

Every day you got to get baptized again every day you got to get sealed every day you got to get indwelt by the holy spirit every day.

All these things got to happen every time you get lost again.

How could you ever have peace.

How could you ever pass.

Well the accusation is well man if you believe in once saved always saved you can just do anything you want.

That's true.

But you recall the comment that i made earlier in the week.

It's what you already believe.

There are things you don't want to do when you get saved.

And a man that does those things the bible says he isn't saved.

Well i know a man that's saved but he hadn't been church in 40 years.

Give me a verse of scripture that says he's saved.

Well i know somebody hadn't said don't you believe in backsliding.

I believe you can backslide.

But you can't stay backslidden.

You can see and you can't stay in it.

Now it's a child of god.

You can stick a pig in the mud and you've heard sin.

He'll sit there wall all day long.

You put a sheep in the mud and i'm not a farmer but i know this a sheep will cry and scream and bleep until you get it out.

If you're in the mud and you like it check it out.

Pig or sheep gotta be one of the two.

Gotta be one of the two.

No.

God has placed his spirit within every child of god and we may sin.

But there's something inside that says i don't want to do that.

I know that's wrong.

And it may take me a day it may take me a moment it may take me an hour it may take me two days.

It may take me a week to get that conviction on my heart where i'll turn and repent.

But repent.

You will repent.

You will if you belong to the lord.

And if there is not a repentance in that life the bible says there is no life.

Therefore if any man being christ he is a new creation old things pass away.

Behold all things become new.

It's just that way.

It doesn't say you won't make a mistake.

It just says you won't keep making the same one the same one.

So in the light of that we look at verse four.

Five things occur in verse four that are troublesome.

For it is impossible.

That's a heavy word.

Now it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have

tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy spirit and have tasted the good word of god

and the powers of the age to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they

crucify to themselves the son of god afresh and put him to open shame.

The first thing you see is if this happens to somebody it is impossible for them to ever come back to god again.

That means lost forever whatever he's talking about.

And then the five things he talks about is people who have been enlightened.

Second one they've tasted of the heavenly gift.

Thirdly they've been partakers of the holy spirit.

Fourthly they've tasted the good word of god.

And fifthly they have experienced or sensed or known of the powers of the world to come or the age to come.

Now not one of those five expressions in verses four to six are the equivalent of

partaking of divine life.

Nor are all of them together equivalent to the partaking of divine life.

Not one of them or all of them together is the same as partaking of divine life.

A sinner a person who's not a christian can be moved in every single one of those five things and yet

still remain an unbeliever.

He can experience every one of them and still be an unbeliever all right.

Look at verse four.

For it is impossible.

These are professed believers who were still holding on to the old economy of the law and they were

still trusting in the old testament sacrificial system and the rituals of the mosaic institutions which are only

shadows and types.

And he said those who fall away can never return.

It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.

And the scriptures clearly teach that these people who are described here if they did depart if they did

fall away they can never be renewed for that is impossible.

So whatever they are whoever they are if they fall away then god has nothing else to do with them forever

forever whoever they are.

So if they are christians then that means that christian could lose their salvation and could never regain it if that's a

christian.

If that's what he's saying now the writer is speaking of people that he warns of in verse

one and two in one and two these are the people that he's talking to

now he's inferring here that people have can become learners and they return again and

again and again to basic rituals.

Verse two the doctrine of baptism the laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.

Going back to repentance from dead works.

He's saying you're hanging around dead things and you'll find every one of those things in verse two a major doctrine

in judaism.

They are major doctrines in judaism.

Now i know that there are people and godly men and women who believe.

This passage refers to believers but i have difficulty with it.

I believe they are professing to be believers.

But i do not believe that they really ever accepted.

Colossians 2 10 which says we are complete in him.

We are complete in him.

It says up there though once.

In verse four for those who are once enlightened now this describes i believe the

general effect of the gospel upon the mind of a person who hears it.

You find something like that over in hebrews chapter 10.

Verse 32 it says.

But call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated you endured a great fight of afflictions.

You learn things in your mind.

The first place god ever speaks to you is your thought process.

The first place satan ever deals with your issue in your thought process.

Thoughts come from the heart and out of the heart come the issues of life.

Words are simply verbalized thoughts.

And god deals with the mind.

The mind the will and emotion we say.

And the mind.

God gives us a mind.

We have a have the mind of christ.

Flip.

It says.

Let this mind be in you which was in christ jesus.

Peter said first peter arm you yourselves with the like mind the mind of christ the mind of

jesus.

And so i believe this reference has to do with those who are once enlightened that is they had the illumination

given to them of the gospel when they first heard it with the ear and they received it with the mind.

Some preachers when you hear them preach about this they call it the difference between head belief and heart belief.

Believing with the mind but never bringing it down into the practicality of heart belief or faith really takes over.

And then he goes on.

He adds a phrase.

And having tasted the heavenly gift.

Now this is problemsome to some people.

But eternal life is yours and mine.

Not by tasting but by eating.

If you taste it you're just dabbling.

You're just dabbling in his eating.

It's by assimilation.

One may taste and never assimilate that which he tastes.

But we receive the engrafted word into our lives.

We actually assimilate the word which is spirit and life go to john 663 the

word comes to live within us.

David said thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against thee.

John 1 says that jesus is the living word and he says i will come to live my life in you.

John 15 he says now you are cleaned by the word which i spoken to you.

When the engrafted word comes in it as a clenching purging effect within the life of a person it doesn't just stay in the mind.

It becomes an active part of the life.

It becomes the divine energizer in the life as the holy spirit gives its power.

And these hebrews had tasted of the principles of the doctrine of christ that is the word of the

beginnings of christ the things that began christianity.

But they were still observing the typology of the old testament system.

And they were depending on passover.

They were depending on the feast of tabernacles.

They were depending on all of these things to keep them right with god.

Yes jesus might be the messiah.

But if we don't do these things a system that man has a very difficult time shucking a salvation

by works.

He did then and he does today.

Man still wants to have something to do with his salvation.

When god says it's all of me and none of you.

And they were experiencing the same particular problem.

But he adds a phrase that seems to lead in that direction.

And we're made partakers of the holy spirit now.

That statement certainly sounds like that.

It can be made concerning a born -again believer.

But the problem is the greek verb metechu from which we get uh the word it

means here to go along with to kind of proceed alongside to kind of just kind of go along

with it.

It doesn't have the connotation that you commit your life to it.

It just kind of go along with it.

You got people in the church do that all the time.

Never been born again.

And members of a church do you know a past president southern baptist convention said he believed that 80 percent of southern baptists were lost

now.

I didn't say that's what he said.

One of the pastors of the largest southern baptist churches in the world said he believed 60 of baptists were lost.

Well i wouldn't argue with him.

I mean i don't delight in that.

But i i don't know that i'd argue with it.

You can't find half of them.

You can check any church role you want to.

And we got non -resident members.

I don't know non -resident.

Some of them dead.

Some of them never come.

And out of those who come a fourth of them will ever do anything.

And out of that fourth that ever do anything probably a fourth of them ever give tithes and offerings.

Most of them never do anything.

And many of you never can find.

And my mother says a man that saved a woman that saved.

They're going to want to be around the lord.

They're going to want to be around god's people.

And a man a woman who stays away from the house of god and does nothing doesn't read the bible doesn't pray doesn't witness.

And all these things going on for 10 15 20 years.

I can't find one verse of scripture that'll let them be saved.

But no you and i try to make them say we try to force this.

And when god says no where's the changed life.

Where's the changed life.

And this is the same thing they just went along with.

They had become partakers in the sense that they shared in the benefits.

You can find people in the church today who are members of churches of varying denominations who have never been born again but they

get in on the blessings of the faithful people who are doing the work.

Your church is no different.

I'm not saying you got a lot of lost people but i'll promise you this in your church you got a few faithful people who do most of the work.

It's that way in every church you got the same people.

Some of them have to hold two and three jobs.

I was in a church sometime ago doing a revival meeting and we were having a revival and i hold quite a few of those in a year.

And this lady came to me.

I didn't know her.

She just came to me and she said i'm gonna tell you one thing.

She said i'm the church librarian.

And she said you know what they're gonna take my job away from me.

And she said i'll let you know this.

If they do i won't ever go back down that church.

I said well thank god.

She said what i said thank god.

I said dear lady i don't know you.

Oh that kind of attitude.

If you went back down there you'd quench the holy spirit until you change that kind of attitude.

So i asked the pastor about.

He said she never keeps it open.

She's never here.

She she said he said something i'm gonna come in just want somebody else to get somebody in there to do the job.

So i got caught her again and again talking to you know her complaint was she told me about a man in the church who held 26

different offices in that church.

I found out he was a godly man.

I said have you ever thought about.

If you had one of them he could only have 25 get your family in there.

He could only have about 20.

Why do people have to do more than one job.

Because nobody else would do it.

Now some people go after it because of power.

But most people i meet they'd be glad for somebody else to do it.

But they don't.

They just kind of go along.

So these people same way they went along with christianity to a point.

And then they turned back to judaism.

And they began to mix law and grace.

Law and grace.

And this is what it means by partaking of the holy spirit in this particular passage of scripture.

And then it says have tasted the good word of god.

They've tasted the good word of god.

And appears to mean that these hebrews again enjoyed the advantages of the new dispensation.

And as i said it is possible to taste without receiving him by faith.

Many unbelievers even today taste of the good things of the word of god.

Every funeral service that you'll ever have in your church you'll have godly people.

You'll have christian people.

But you'll have non -christians.

And this dear pastor or some other pastor or deacon or someone who participates in the service or the funeral director will read john

14.

They'll read psalm 23.

And it brings comfort to the hearts of an unbeliever but he is still an unbeliever.

They are able to taste of the good things of the word of god.

But they are not born again.

They're not born again.

And so this is what's happening in this passage of scripture.

Now let me iterate that these five experiences are experiences that christians do encounter.

But they are also those that people who only profess to be christians encounter.

And these activities actually fall short of true christian experiences.

If you'll notice verses four through six nothing is said of them having been quickened with christ to new life.

It says nothing about them being quickened with christ.

It says nothing about them being indwelt by the holy spirit.

It says nothing about them being sealed by the holy spirit until the day of redemption.

He just simply says that these have tasted the good word of god and the powers of the world to come.

They tasted it but they did not embrace it.

They did not embrace it.

And he said these things declared to have been the experiences of some who might fall away.

And if they did fall away it would be impossible for them to be renewed in repentance.

There's not one word about the new birth in these verses of scripture not one place in it.

And the words in verse six if they shall fall away these are key words to renew them

again under repentance seeing they crucify to themselves the son of god afresh.

The word fall away is not the greek word apostasia apostasia from

which we get apostasy.

An apostate is a person who has actually embraced the truth and committed to it.

But because of confusion because of neglect because of doubt because of unbelief turns away and goes in another

direction.

I can name you people that i am convinced with all of my heart that they were born again and nobody they taught them nobody nurtured

them and they got caught up in a cult.

Some have come back out of the cults but some have remained in.

But yet i believe with all of my heart there was evidence that they were born again.

And because of their hunger because of their desire to know more of the word of god they found somebody who had loved them and teach them

and guide them.

And they wound up in a cult.

And yet it is the greek word peripetal which means to turn

away.

It's just like when you repent you turn away from sin and turn to the lord.

These willingly by their will turn away from the lord to go in another direction.

They just turn completely away.

And it does not indicate that they ever embraced it.

And it says seeing they crucify to themselves literally while they are still crucifying.

They turn away while they just keep on crucifying the lord.

They crucify him in themselves.

They expose him to reproach and mockery.

And the falling away here indicates it is an utter falling away.

It's a complete falling away.

It's an utter abandonment of any kind of a life of faith.

And this is what that's not the life of a believer.

You and i might stumble and fall away but we still you know somebody pins you down and you say well were you ever saved.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

I remember when i trusted jesus.

Well why do you think you are like you are.

Well i hadn't studied the bible hadn't prayed hadn't been worshiping.

I just got away from godly things.

And you know.

But you'll sense a tenderness in that person.

You know they may be hard on the outside but if you get it by themselves where they're not embarrassed you can trace it back.

And they'll be.

There'll be a slight tenderness.

And i've talked to them at every walk of life from the oil fields to the desert

profanity and everything on the sun.

But i got them off away from everybody else and get them to talk to them by themselves.

I said was there ever a time in your life when you really believed you were saved.

You know tell me about it.

And as they begin to talk that softness begins to creep in.

Those eyes begin to water a little bit strong man begins just kind water those eyes.

Now somebody else comes in.

They'll get a little hard again.

See.

Because they're embarrassed.

Man's pride.

The two dominant characteristics in every man's life is pride and arrogance.

Brother we got a market on those two.

Now we can work on them.

But those are ours women.

They got their own.

But those happen to be ours.

And the writer says a person in this kind of condition here's the key factor for me.

It is impossible to renew them to repentance.

And any child of god if were possible for you will need to be lost.

Surely god would let us come back.

Why did jesus die.

But as many as received him whosoever shall call on the name of the lord shall be saved.

Well everybody can do that.

Except these.

No no.

What he's saying is it's impossible to renew them to repentance because a person who has heard

and then rejected the gospel of the grace of god.

The reason it's difficult to bring them back to repentance or they cannot be brought back to repentance is simply because there is no other way to bring them back.

There is no other gospel.

There's no other road.

There's no other direction.

You can't bring them back to repentance over this way.

You can't get them back this way.

They've got to come one way and that is through jesus christ.

And that is what he's talking about.

You cannot bring them to repentance any other way.

It is impossible to get them there any other way.

And yet time and again you and i as christian people try to make a different way for people to get saved

because we love them.

We try to make an easy road for them somehow.

And it is not easy.

They're going to go through the turmoil of the battle of their soul.

They're going to go through repentance.

And any person that doesn't repent can never be saved.

A person who doesn't know he's lost can never get saved.

And yet we try to make it that way.

It is remarkable to me.

How close a person can get to the things of god and still fall away.

How close a person can get to being saved and not be saved.

I've seen people just stand and shake and weep under conviction and said wouldn't you just love to trust jesus right now.

No no.

Another time another time then.

On the other hand have you not seen people who just didn't show a lot of emotion at all.

I mean you said wouldn't you like to trust christ.

They said man i've been hoping somebody talked to me about that man this is strange.

Here's some guy wanting to get saved.

Well those are rare birds.

They're not around.

So you better shoot while you can.

You know now everybody has different methods.

You know i i recall when i think about this i recall a pastor friend that i went to be with in a meeting.

He pastors a church.

They have 30 ,000 in sunday school and i i went to be with him one time and we were out visiting

together and i normally don't go to pastor too much.

I'm because people want to see him.

They don't want to see me.

And he said i want to go talk to this guy.

We went over and the lady was expecting a child and she had trusted christ the week before she had a little

girl about 11 12 years old and a little girl that trusted the lord but he never could catch the day at home.

So finally she called and said he's home.

So what.

We took off and we went over and this pastor's kind of bold you know 30 ,000 sunday school you got to have something going

in a roman catholic city and uh so i went with him and i'd heard of his reputation.

I didn't really know him that.

Well i'd heard about him you know and i had my eye on him.

You know i wasn't gonna get in any trouble.

And uh i knew something was wrong or something was up because he asked me to go with him to get a haircut that morning

and we went in a barber shop and went in there and he's in there and and uh there's some guy sitting in the chair and this guy

every other word was a he was cursing and taking god's name in vain every other word and you

know it just hurts your ears and hurts your heart.

And we sat there you know and i know i'm sitting there looking you know don't like nowhere to get up and go out or something and all of a sudden this pastor

and he's not much bigger than i am.

He just goes over and closes the door and locks it and before he did that i said oh lord

boy something's going and he got and he got up in a chair.

There was a chair that was empty and he stood up in that chair and he's looking down.

This guy just rolled around him.

The guy's working on him and he says you and points his finger down.

That guy's looking up.

Here's this guy stand up in the chair looking down at him.

He said for 20 minutes you've been talking about my god and you've been cursing my god.

Now you're going to hear something foreign for 20 minutes and he just kept pointing his finger at a guy and he began to quote him scripture and preach that guy and

it kind of like was shell -shocked.

You know he just he just sat there looking at him.

He said now amen brother.

And he just went over and sat down.

I went over and locked the door and opened the door and that guy sat there and he was unmoving.

He was as stiff as a board in that.

Now he didn't trust the lord but i'll tell you what.

He heard more scripture in 20 minutes than he probably heard in his entire life.

Now i couldn't do that you know somebody shoot me.

But i knew i was in trouble when i went visiting with him.

And we went in to make a long story short never forget it went in and we talked to this man and the man was in the back room.

He wouldn't come out.

So finally he said well go tell him if he doesn't want to talk to us.

We're in his home we're guests.

We just like to have prayer with the family and we'll leave.

So the guy came out and had on coveralls and kind of dirty.

You know he'd been out working and so uh he came in and we stand there and he talked to him.

I'll just say his name was mr doe.

And he said mr doe.

He said uh this is your home.

We're guests in your home.

We came here to talk to you about the lord.

Your wife has trusted christ and your daughter's trusted christ.

And we'd like to unite the home in the lord.

But if you don't want to talk about the lord it's your privilege it is your home.

I would just like for us to have prayer together and then we're going to go.

Would that be our.

And he said yeah man yeah.

So he just began to pray and he just kind of put his arm around that guy's shoulder.

And he said lord would you help mr doe to understand that romans 3 23 says.

And then lord if he could understand that romans 6 23 says.

And lord if he could understand romans 10 9 and 10 and 13 he just began to quote him those scriptures.

And so he just prayed him right through the plan of salvation.

And he just said now mr doe while we're here praying with our heads bowed in our eyes but wouldn't you just like to trust jesus.

And i saw that man just sitting there just shaking just shaking.

But boy i saw that wheel and he was shaking his head and i saw this

pastor just slide his hand down to his arm and was holding him on the arm.

He said lord this man's heard your word and he doesn't want to be saved now lord i'm gonna take my hand off of him.

And when i do i want you to kill him right here.

He said lord if you'll just kill him right here just take his life.

He doesn't want to serve.

He's gonna be a hindrance to his wife and kid god i'm gonna take my hand loose now.

And i saw that pastor i was watching him and i saw that pastor loosen his hand and i saw that

man leaning on his hand.

Boy he he wouldn't let him move.

I mean he was following his hand.

He just kind of moving away.

He knew what he was doing.

Finally he just slid his arm back on that man's shoulder.

He said now mr doe you're not as hard as yet.

He said god loves you.

Let's just kneel and pray.

And he just put a little pressure on him.

And i saw them both kneel right there.

I saw that man just pour his heart out to god stumbling stammering prayer.

A man who didn't have much of a of a worldly education.

But he poured his heart out to god poured his heart out to god.

And that week they baptized that man and that woman and that little girl together in that church.

Now again that man he probably lynched me if i'd tried something like that.

But you know if you don't tell them how they're gonna hear how they're gonna hear

now some would be critical of that man but i'll promise you this when he gets out of his his car and he

walks to his church office every sunday morning before he ever gets there he will know of 50 people who can walk

the aisles for christ that his people have led to the lord before he ever gets to his office every sunday every sunday.

Something's going on something.

Well all these people making these professions i understand i understand and they just keep growing you and i keep complaining and

criticizing them.

Well let's turn along here we got to get out here about 10 o 'clock.

Let's just move along here and and look at verse 12 quickly

uh that you be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

He said don't be slothful.

Don't be dull in your hearing.

Don't don't get dull towards the word of god.

It's the same usage of the word over in chapter 5 verse 11 it talks about dull of hearing.

Slothful same thing.

Don't be that way be patient inherit the promises.

And then he goes along and he goes on verse 14 saying surely blessing i will bless thee and multiplying i will multiply thee.

And here he's quoting from genesis 22 verses 16 and 17 that by verse 18 by

two immutable things in which it was impossible for god to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge

to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

And then he goes to verse 20 and opens up for verse chapter 7 where the forerunner is for us entered.

Even jesus made a high priest forever after the order of melchizedek.

I believe that he talks about believers.

And then i believe in chapter 6 he talks about people who have professed to be believers and they were jews who had come

close to being christians but they were not born again.

They went back and began to mix law and grace and begin to try to hang around the things of the lord.

But they were going back to the rituals.

And then here we are introduced.

And we'll cover this very quickly perhaps if we don't get through what we'll pick it up again tomorrow evening.

But in a few minutes that we have here is this mysterious character called melchizedek.

Verse one of chapter seven.

For this melchizedek king of salem priest of the most high god el elian most high god

who met abraham returning from the kings and blessed him.

Now this begins the second section of hebrews.

The first section he talks about jesus being greater than the prophets greater than the angels greater than moses greater

than aaron.

And now he's moving in to the attitude of a priest.

He's going to talk about this priesthood of christ and how it is greater and it's greater than that of aaron.

And he's going to talk to us in chapter seven about it having a better order of things.

His priesthood is a better order of things.

And then he's going to talk in chapter eight he's going to say we got a better covenant that they had in the old testament.

And in chapter nine the sanctuary that we have is not made by hands.

We worship in a better sanctuary than they had.

And then in chapter 10 he's going to talk about it's all because there's a sacrifice that is greater than all of that.

He's just going to follow right along in this argument.

Now the key figure in this chapter is that mysterious king priest melchizedek.

He only appears two times in the entire old testament.

You find him in genesis 14 verses 17 to 20.

And you find him in psalm 110 verse 4.

And the other place that you find him is right here.

And that's the only time you can find this person mentioned in the 66 books of the bible.

So twice in the old testament.

Now here he is.

And paul is going to nail three things about this man this individual relate them to christ

to encourage us and show us how christ is better.

The first thing he's going to do is cover a little history.

So he's going to look at the history part of it.

And he's going to compare melchizedek and abraham in the first 10 verses of chapter 7.

And we don't have time to read all the verses but you look at them all when you find time.

But in verse 3 he says without father without mother without descent having neither beginning of

days nor end of life but made like unto the son of god abides a priest continually.

And then he goes over to verse 15.

Let's add that one to that.

And it is yet far more evident.

For after the similitude of melchizedek there riseth another priest.

So he identifies melchizedek as a type a picture a fore

portrait a pre -portrait or a pre -painting of jesus.

He said things that went on in this man's life.

He is similar to the high priest that is going to come on the scene.

There are similarities.

We call that a type he was a king priest as we said earlier.

And so is jesus now we said no priest in aaron's line ever sat down on a throne.

They never sat down because their job was never done.

But jesus who is the king of peace the prince of peace.

And he did.

And this man named melchizedek the king of righteousness would apply to christ as the righteous king who is

coming as the king of kings lord of lords according to the book of the revelation and other passages.

But also you'll notice his origin in verse 3 he pictures christ in his origin.

Now as far as the bible record is concerned there is no mention of melchizedek's birth and there is no mention

of his death.

Now this is not jesus.

This man is a gentile.

And this is not christ.

That is not a theophany.

It is not an appearance of jesus in the old testament at all.

He is a human being.

He is not an angel.

He is actually a human being.

This does not mean that he had no parents.

It just simply means that the bible does not record his origin.

It doesn't record for us his parentage.

It just means that it is silent on these matters.

And he like christ is without the beginning of days in like manner it doesn't tell us

who his parents are.

It doesn't tell us when he was born doesn't tell us when he died.

But in the same confusing type manner as i mentioned last night when we come to the birth of jesus it tells us

he had an earthly mother.

It tells us he was born in bethlehem.

But yet you and i know that he was never born.

So there's a mystery about that too.

He always was with god.

Yet we know mary had a little baby in her arms.

We know that simeon in the temple said behold mine eyes have seen the salvation of the lord.

And yet we know that he always was the son of the living god throughout all eternity.

He always was is and will be he is the same yesterday today and forever.

And yet he was a little child.

So there's a mystery factor involved in the birth of jesus as it is with mel chesed egg.

And so we know uh that the aaronic priest they did have to have in the

aaronic priesthood they had to defend their office by their family lineage.

They had to be able to prove they were of the tribe of levi.

They had to be able to substantiate that.

You can find that in nehemiah chapter 7 verse 64 that in order for him to be a priest he had to

have the credentials.

He had to have the family tree so to speak he had to have it to back up.

And so every high priest who descended after aaron had that lineage.

But the same thing occurred to all of them.

They all died.

Every single one of them died.

Now having identified jesus christ with the order of melchizedek he goes on explains that

melchizedek himself is greater than aaron.

Now this is strange because most jews don't deal with that.

He is superior to aaron.

Now look at verse five.

What happened.

And verily they that are of the sons of levi who receive the office of the priesthood

have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law that is of their brethren

though they come out of the loins of abraham but he whose descent is not counted from them

receive tithes of abraham.

Melchizedek didn't come from the children of israel.

He was a gentile but yet abraham gave him tithes.

Abraham paid tithes to a king of righteousness who was a prince of peace.

And he says the levites did that in the person of abraham.

And so this is where he's tying it in together.

He's saying aaron actually typologically spiritually speaking paid tithes

to melchizedek in the person of abraham.

He was in the loins so to speak going to be the seed of abraham.

Now look at verse nine.

He throws them.

And as i may so say levi also who receives tithes paid tithes in

abraham.

They're receiving tithes now.

But they actually paid tithes to melchizedek also in abraham.

And he's saying certainly the less is blessed of the better.

And so on earth the jewish temple and the priests receive tithes.

And all the way back into genesis chapter 14 we find the priest gave tithes to melchizedek.

How through abraham who is going to be the father of the faithful now that clearly shows their inferiority

to the priesthood of melchizedek.

Because their priesthood they were going to collect tithes but they themselves had to pay tithes to him who was

greater.

And so in a very real sense we imitate abraham when we

bring tithes to our high priest christ.

You do not give tithes to the church.

If you do you got the wrong motive.

If you give tithes to the church if you give offerings to the cooperative program or to anybody

else to me or anyone else.

If you give it to the individual or to the organization that's the wrong motive you are giving because christ

takes it he receives it.

And you give it unto the lord.

Now you and i are also responsible where it's used and how it's used.

But we give it unto the lord not to individual organization.

But that's not what i hear.

Well i give to my church.

Well i believe you'll support your church.

Don't misunderstand me.

I believe that the church depends.

We are the church.

This building isn't the church.

This building houses the church.

We give to the lord.

But sometimes because we give to other organizations we just kind of think well i give to the church.

I'm not gonna give to the church.

When you hold back money you hold it back from the lord not the church.

When you give to the church you give to the lord not the church.

It's just that way.

We just don't think of it that way.

But that's exactly how we imitate abraham whenever he gave tithes to melchizedek the levites and aaron all of them were

in the loins of abraham.

And so we do the same thing.

We come to our high priest the lord.

And so this is a historical argument that he's giving.

He's just going back there and he's talking about history.

And he's arguing debating bringing these things about to their attention because of history.

And then he moves on very quickly to another one.

Verse 11 he says.

Now there's a doctrinal problem that you're dealing with.

He said this is the history behind it.

He said.

Let's look at some doctrine.

Verse 11.

If therefore perfection were by the levitical priesthood for under it the people receive the law.

What further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of melchizedek and not be called after the order of

aaron.

He said if the aaronic priesthood if the priesthood on aaron can make you perfect why would you need another one.

Now let me just mention lest i forget it.

Look over in verse 19.

In verse 11 he says.

The priesthood made nothing perfect.

Verse 19 for the law made nothing perfect.

And then you go to chapter 10 verse 1 if you will just glance that real quick because i might forget it.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of things can never with those sacrifices.

And the old testament sacrifices made nothing perfect.

The priesthood made nothing perfect.

The law made nothing perfect and the sacrifices made nothing perfect.

That's why you had to have a new one a new one and a new one.

And so he's saying the reason you got to have another priest is because the levitical priesthood couldn't get the job done.

It didn't make anybody perfect.

Now he is showing that melchizedek is superior from this doctrinal point of view.

And he quotes from psalm 110 verse 4 as the basis of it.

And again he'll mention three things.

First of all in verse 11 and 12 he's going to talk about how aaron is.

He says after the order of melchizedek aaron's been replaced now by melchizedek.

When god said to christ in psalm 110.

For thou art a priest forever after the order of melchizedek he was actually saying the old aaronic

priesthood.

The old testament priesthood is now being set aside.

It's now being done away with.

There's another one coming on the scene that is not after the lineage of aaron.

It's not according to the levitical law it is impossible for two divine priesthood to

operate at the same time in the same location.

There can only be one divine priesthood at a time although there are different denominations that say they have those.

The fact that god established the new order tells me that the old order is going out of the scene now.

Consequently the priesthood made nothing perfect.

The word perfect in this particular sense is not like the other.

This one here means that whenever it stands before the god and it means having a perfect standing before the lord.

The word perfection on the other hand that we've been reading it means completion.

It means spiritual maturity.

This one means to have a perfect standing before the lord.

The old testament sacrifices could never give a person a perfect standing before god.

They only covered their sins allowed their sins to be passed over until jesus would actually die on the cross.

That's why nobody ever went to heaven until jesus died on the cross.

Right.

Nobody ever went into the presence of the lord until jesus died he being the first fruits of them that slept.

That's why they went to paradise.

They went to paradise awaiting.

Why.

Because their sins were only covered until he died on the cross that made the atonement for sin.

Then it says that ephesians he led captivity captive being the first fruits of them that slept.

And he gave gifts unto men and he led them into the presence of the lord.

But now what happens.

Did not the apostle paul say that he was caught up to the third heaven and he called that paradise.

Now he says absent from the body present with the lord.

Why.

Once you die.

Now you go right to be with the lord.

Why.

Jesus is there.

Jesus is there.

And so the location changed.

And this is the reason why.

Because there was no perfection the old testament sins were passed over.

They were covered until christ died on the cross.

So he's saying aaron is being replaced by melchizedek.

And he's saying that aaron never was ordained by the vow or the oath of god.

Verse 12.

For the priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change.

Also the law.

For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

For it is evident that our lord sprang out of judah of which tribe moses spoke nothing concerning

priesthood.

And it is yet far more evident.

For after the similitude of melchizedek there arises another priest who is made not after the law of a

carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life.

And then we go look at verse 19.

For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw near unto

god.

Verse 21.

For those priests were made without an oath.

But this was an oath by him that said unto him the lord swore and will not repent.

Thou art a priest forever after the order of melchizedek aaron you can search the scriptures as well as you want.

And god did acknowledge aaron.

He did acknowledge his sons.

He acknowledged all his successors and all the elaborate ceremonies that you find in the old testament exodus chapter 28 all the

way over to chapter 30 all those ceremonies that went on god acknowledged that.

But you will never find anywhere in the scriptures a record where a divine oath of god

sealed their priesthood.

There is no such thing in the old testament there was never a divine oath by god to seal their free.

Why.

Because god knew their priesthood would come to an end one day.

No divine seal divine approval.

But not the seal not the oath.

But jesus had the oath of the father.

He had the divine seal of the father.

And so in verses 20 to 22 then we have where it talks about the oath by so

much more.

Verse 22 was jesus made a surety.

And there's that word better of a better covenant of a better testament and then an unchanging oath.

And then he talks about as aaron and his those who followed him would die so christ would not die.

He would live on verse 23.

And they truly were many priests because they were not allowed to continue by reason of death.

They had had many of them because they kept dying and had to replace them.

But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood

wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto god by him seeing he ever liveth to

make intercession for them.

Christ lives to die no more.

He ever lives.

Now many people apply verse 25 and i think that probably you could apply that to lost people.

But primarily it doesn't refer to lost people.

Primarily it refers to believers the confidence and the assurance.

Jesus doesn't stand at the right hand of god the father and ever living to make intercession for non -believers.

He makes intercessions for those who have come to father through him to him.

And so it.

It is a verse that gives oh you can make a secondary application but the primary context this is basically giving you confidence

and assurance.

This is what he's saying.

You have confidence and assurance in the priesthood of christ as opposed to the ironic priesthood.

He's talking about believers here.

And he's talking to believers to encourage them.

And this is the doctrinal point.

Why is judaism no longer effective.

Why are the old testament sacrifices no longer effective.

Because they had to be done every day.

And they were done by carnal commandments.

They were done by people.

But here this one is done by the son of god himself and he only has to do it one time.

That's a major doctoral difference.

And you go talk to a jewish person that'll make all the difference in the world in your conversation with him.

And then he simply closes it off by getting into pragmatics.

He gets down into verses 26 and 28 and he just tries to drive a nail home.

He says how could all this be.

You are my brothers.

And that paul was a jew.

Paul wrote this.

Evidently the writer is a jew whoever he was.

And he's talking to jewish people.

He said no we're brothers.

And i'm going through the same thing you have.

And i've kept those rituals.

He said how could all this be.

He hits it in verse 26.

Look at it.

For such a high priest was fitting for us.

Who is holy holy harmless undefiled

separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens.

Never say that about air.

I never said it about you and me.

He's holy undefiled separate from sinners.

Nobody hung around sinners.

That's what they accused him.

I said he's having dinner with sinners on that.

But how was he separate.

He had no sin.

He had no sinful nature.

He had no sin human flesh.

But god in the flesh.

And higher than the heavens higher than the heavens.

He is worthy because he has redeemed us by his own blood.

He has purchased us.

And he's worthy of all the praise and the honor and the glory of the universe.

And so he's higher than any ministering angel.

He's higher than anything.

He is god in the flesh.

And as aaron his sons had to offer daily sacrifices for themselves first and then for the people.

Christ is sinless.

He needed not to atone for his own sins.

He had none.

He gave his life particularly uniquely and distinctly for other people.

For other people he was born and crucified.

He was born to die.

And every step that he took in this world was a step towards the cross in jerusalem.

Every day of his life he moved to die.

You and i want to live.

But he says you live physically but you die spiritually.

You ought to die to yourself.

You ought to die to yourself and stop living for yourself.

He says you christians ought to be living for me and expending your life for other people.

And that is what brings joy.

That's what brings joy other people serving the lord.

And if you and i serve the lord we'll serve other people.

And you and i are in the world to be servants.

Jesus said i did not come to be ministered to.

I came to minister.

And any christian who's going to walk with god is going out to learn to be a servant.

That is not just for preachers.

It's just not for sunday school teachers.

It's not for any one individual it is for every child of god.

We ought to be servants.

And we'd have servants hearts.

And that's why the bible says in honor preferring one another.

If we have a servant's heart we can rejoice when god blesses someone else.

We can rejoice if someone else gets a position in the church or the community.

And there'll not be bitterness and envy and jealousy and resentment in our hearts about it.

We'll just rejoice in it.

Because in honor preferring one another we just be willing for them.

The bible says gird yourself about with humility and serve one another.

Serve one another.

Jesus put a towel around and wash the feet.

Peter said lord you're not gonna wash me.

And jesus said if i don't then you don't have any part of me.

But you and i we like to have our feet washed.

We like to have people serving us.

We like to have people ministering to us.

We like to have people visiting us.

We get sick.

We get a little cold or sniffle.

We get a little drop of the eye.

You know we get a little something in our eye.

We stump our toe cut our finger trip and stumble skin our knee.

We scream and cry.

And we get mad and bitter.

If somebody didn't come and visit us say let me ask you when's the last time you've been to the hospital.

Brother.

Anybody on the hospital that you know that's sick.

You've been to visit him.

You sent a card to him.

Did you.

Did you call him on the phone say i just want you know we prayed for you today.

Now what you do is like we do in most churches.

We call the church and say sister so -and -so's in the hospital.

Would you have the mind busy.

Would you have somebody go by and visit.

They're your friends.

If you love them.

How come you.

And i don't do it.

Well i don't know.

We just don't take time.

I guess i have friends going to hospital all the time.

They get in there and out.

And i don't even know they're there.

That's the way i rationalize it away.

I didn't know they was there.

I didn't check up on them.

I wasn't close enough to him to even know they were there.

It's my job to find out what's going on my friends.

So i said why didn't you tell me.

They said we just didn't want to bother you.

We knew he was busy.

You know what they're really saying.

We figured you wouldn't come anyway.

That's what they say.

They just being nice.

They just being nice.

That's what he's talking about here.

So to me it's easy to see.

He proves it with historical things facts.

He talks about the doctrine of it.

And he talks about the practicalities that if you come right down to it you can talk about moses.

You can talk about aaron.

You can talk about everything under the sun.

But all you really is jesus.

Now i'm going to say something and and i hope that you understand me.

I i say things that are fairly pointed.

But it's never my purpose to be unduly critical or condemning.

It just isn't.

I never speak to people from in my heart.

I'm never speaking from a condescending attitude.

I never speak to you from a holier -than -thou attitude.

I'm working on my life just like you working on yours.

I'm amazed and stunned and appalled at why i'm not further along in my christian life than i am.

And i'm growing every day hopefully.

And uh the more i study the bible the less i see i know about it.

And i say that sincerely.

I can read the bible in five different languages.

I before i was 12 years old i memorized most of the first five books of the bible and much of the psalms.

I can go back to those same passages and i look and i say man i've been studying that for years and i still didn't see that in america.

That's where you go.

You'll find something new always and ever in the scriptures.

And that's the exciting thing about it.

And so that isn't my purpose.

But you know let me.

Isn't it strange that we just like the israelites they said most you remember what paul said.

Some of you follow in first corinthians 3 said.

Some of you follow apollos.

Some of you follow sylvanus.

Some of you saying i follow peter.

Some of you saying i follow paul.

And he said the problem is each one of you says i that's what he said.

Now watch this in 1986.

Some people follow or robert.

Some people follow james robertson.

Some people follow bill gotham.

Some people follow billy graham.

Some people follow w .a. christian.

Some other people on there god forbid you'd ever follow rocky friend.

Some people follow this something paul says you better follow jesus.

Just follow jesus.

Now you and i respect a lot of people.

We esteem them for the that's why it doesn't make a difference.

I'm not talking about doctrinal differences.

There are major doctrinal differences in a lot of people.

And we stand up on doctrine.

And i believe the bible says paul says be of good doctrine.

Be of sound doctrine.

Be a true doctrine.

Be a pure doctrine.

Be a strong doctrine.

Doctrine makes a difference.

It makes all the difference in the world where you're baptized by immersion or sprinkling makes all the difference in the world where you believe the virgin birth or not.

But what i am saying is you do not give 100 allegiance to anybody except the lord.

He reserves that for himself.

And if you and i would put as much energy in serving the lord and studying his word

and just letting him use us as we do giving our allegiance to people whether

it be in the family or whether it be some leader or organizations we would get an amazing amount of things done for the

lord in our communities.

We just would and i know how it is.

We got time to play dominoes.

We got time to sit in the cafe and have coffee.

We got time to talk about african violets at the garden club.

We got time to talk about sewing and recipes.

We got time to talk about fishing and hoeing bowling bowling.

We got time to talk about all that stuff.

But we don't have time to go down and talk to a guy about jesus.

We don't have time to go down talk to that lady about jesus.

We don't have time to pick up a telephone and call someone and say you know i just want you know what i love you in the lord today.

And i was just praying and i trust that god will be real to you today.

We don't have time to sit down and write a little card to somebody in the hospital as an encouragement to them.

We live a basically self -centered life.

And then we talk about loving jesus.

Now we all that way let's face it.

We all are from time to time.

And it bothers me when i'm around somebody that's really living for jesus.

It irritates me.

Doesn't you kind of bothers me.

Why.

Because you get under conviction get under conviction about it.

So what you got to do is find something wrong with it.

Either talk about the way they comb their hair the clothes they wear the way they talk and the way they walk find something about them.

And if you can't find something about them bring up their family find out something.

Oh yeah he's got a brother.

Doesn't come to church ungodly guy.

Because we can't prove them wrong by their love for jesus.

We know they love the lord.

So in order to lift ourselves up many times we have to tear someone else down.

Paul said don't do that.

The writer in hebrew says don't do that.

Jesus said the one way the key way that people are going to know that you belong to me is not that

you love the city but that you love one another.

Do you closing question every person that is in this service tonight every if you

remember this church every person that's a member of this church that you know personally do you love them as best you can.

Can you look them in the face.

Any member of your church can you look them in the face and say i want you to know that i love you and the lord.

And they'll believe you if you can then before this night is over you need to make your heart

right with the lord not theirs yours.

And the same is true with me and my church.

And i need to be right with the lord.

And then you have to go to that person.

And you have to ask for their forgiveness for the resentment and the bitterness you had in your heart towards me.

And the bible says if they don't listen to you that's their problem not yours.

But if they do you have gained a brother you've gained a brother and you'll be closer

than you've ever been in your life.

Nobody can ever hurt your church from outside.

If your church becomes ineffective in the things of god it'll be from inside like

termites.

That's the way it works is love one another.

Be close together and move and act as one.

And god will bless your lives in a greater way even than he's blessed it in days gone by.

Father we thank you for your blessings and goodness.

Again i thank you for the faithfulness of these friends lord some have been here every night thus far and i know that

father so many of busy schedules and men and women and young people they work go to school and yet father they hurry

home and they come.

And father i just thank you for the encouragement that it is to me that they come.

And others have talked about how they've invited other people to come and some have and some don't.

But father our job is just invite them.

And whether they come or not that's between them and you.

But father help us to be faithful and invite them to come.

And then father i just thank you for what you've done in the life of this church in days gone by.

I thank you for what you've been doing in these days before our coming.

And i just pray that what we do this week together will lay smoothly upon the foundation of what has been

done so that that which follows will be strong and stable.

And the superstructure that continues to go up father will be that which will glorify thee and honor thee.

And when people talk about this church and fellowship they will know they're talking about people who love you

who love your word who stay in your word and who love one another and who will love them if given the opportunity.

So father may we boldly and aggressively and yet lovingly and kindly spread the word of

god throughout this community with people who don't know jesus.

Father i pray for that young man that we spoke with yesterday the lord who doesn't know jesus.

I pray lord that you'd bring him to the services.

I pray father that if he doesn't come this week he'll come sunday.

I pray somehow some way lord uh that you touch his heart and that you bring him to the place.

I pray for those who are members of this fellowship uh who are sick who cannot be with us but who would be if they were

well father i just pray that you'd be close to them in a very personal way.

We know that you dwell within their hearts if they're your children but help them to know that we haven't forgotten them that we do care about them

that we're interested in them that we love them in thee.

And father that according to your wonderful will we ask lord that you'd heal them.

That father we are bold and asking that you'd raise them up that you touch them physically.

Father that you keep a wall about them a great hedge.

And father that the enemy and his hordes would have no player in their life no manifestations against them.

And father for the work that we're doing here together.

I pray that you rebuke the enemy and bind his hordes that there can be no retaliation for that which we are going through in the

word of god and our being ever protect our loved ones and all that which you give us.

And father tomorrow if you choose to give us another day may it be a good day indeed and may we accomplish those

things you lay before us.

And we'll praise you for the privilege of letting us be christians and letting us serve you and live for you.

And we anticipate with a keen awareness the soon return of our blessed savior lord jesus we

anxiously await that moment when you shall call us into the sky and we shall be perfect people

in a perfect place with a perfect person throughout all eternity.

We just love you for it and thank you for the promise of tomorrow.

Because of what you've done in the past.

And we'll live for you today until then.

And we praise you for it all.

Amen.