Consider Christ in Hebrews

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth. Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth.

Just looked up. We still have the Happy Solar, the Solar Pope. He�s still there giving me the wave. Keep it up. Good job. Succumb to my papal jurisdiction. You are a slave of the papal jurisdiction. That sentence was in my mind because that�s in Thomas Kidd�s George Whitefield book, Yale University Press.

Whitefield described Catholicism as, �destructive religion in the world as not deeming any people worthy to live upon the earth, but the slaves of papal jurisdiction. I know. Always biblical. Always provocative.

Always in that order. Remember, if you like the show, then tell your friends. That�s all we ask. That�s all we ask, but we do have that subplot if you�re a billionaire, you can give us other things. Out of the 537 billionaires in the United States, I�m pretty confident that not one of them has ever even heard of No Compromise Radio.

Well, there you have it. Now, if you don�t read Puritan writers, I�d encourage you to do that. And the gateway drug Puritan is Thomas Watson, W-A-T-S-O-N. And Thomas Watson is easy to understand, great word pictures, writes with excellent illustrations, and he�s a good one to start with.

You can read his Heaven by Storm, you can read Repentance, that�s the first one I read, Godly Man�s Picture or Portrait, Body of Divinity, there�s a lot out there for Thomas Watson that you can read. There�s another good Puritan, maybe a little harder to read, but still excellent, and his name is Thomas Goodwin.

I always like Goodwin because he was talking about federal headship and how all humanity is hanging on Adam�s girdle, Adam was the federal head. And I just never thought I could say girdle on the air, girdle in a proper way, I just thought that was, you know, I never considered that.

And you�re either hanging on Adam�s girdle or the last Adam�s girdle, Romans 5. Thomas Goodwin said this also, �Sin is called poison, sinners serpents. Sin is called vomit, sinners dogs. Sin is called the stench of graves, sinners rotten sepulchers.

Sin is called mire, sinners pigs. It is defiling, degrading. It stamps the devil�s image on the human soul. Yikes. And from that defiling sin, we need to be cleansed. Every one of us. You do, and so do I.

Ezekiel 20, verse 43, �And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things you have done.

And that really is applicable whether it�s Israel or the church. We are sinful people, and we need to be washed. You can imagine David saying, �Wash me, cleanse me. Psalm 51, �Wash me over and over and over.

The Hebrew is, �Multiply your washings to me. You know, I think of my mom, and I would go outside with my school clothes and play. That was a no-no. You had play clothes and school clothes. Actual play clothes were old school clothes, but now you got the new school clothes.

Don�t go playing that, because you�re going to get the knees of your jeans stained. I don�t think we could afford Levi�s. We probably had Lee�s, Lee Wranglers, or the other kinds, Lee�s, Wranglers. What else?

I don�t know. Some fake Kmart kind. Back in those days, we didn�t have Walmart. MacArthur said, �Like Absalom, you know as soon as David, his father, had kissed him and embraced him, he went out and plotted treason against his father.

So the sinner eagerly takes the kiss of God that God provides in the created world and embraces God�s graces and God�s mercy, and then betrays him by being the friend of God�s enemy, Satan. We need cleansing.

We might sin against other people, but ultimately we know that sin is against God primarily. �Against thee and thee only have I sinned and done what was evil in your sight. We need to be pured, cleansed, purified.

Did I just say we need to be pured? I was reading something else. I was doing something else, checking my mail. That�s not true. Sometimes I do check my mail. Check the Twitter account while I�m doing the radio.

But I wasn�t. I was just doing something else. I think this is my third show today, so I�m a little tired. The book of Hebrews discusses Jesus in such a way that you respond with worship and thanks and service.

There�s a couple different words for �consider� found in the book. The first one is found in Hebrews 3, �Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.

So think about him, consider him, consider Jesus. And then later on in chapter 12, it says �consider Jesus. Again, did you know that? A different word, but still using your mind. �Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him, Jesus, who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.

Consider Jesus. Consider the person of Jesus. We're not talking about an abstract theological idea only. There are theological ramifications to the historical person of Jesus, but just the person Jesus.

And Jesus, in every way, shape, and form, deals with sin, and he deals with every sin of his bride. He could have dealt with no sin and exercised strict justice and righteousness. He could have dealt with every person's sin on a universalistic sense as the God-man, if that was the Father's plan and that was the mission.

But there's a limited basis to his work. It was an unlimited act of grace and love that is Christ's life and death. But Jesus goes and cleanses his bride. Those that the Father gave him, he did a powerful cleaning work.

Now when you look at the book of Hebrews, here's what I like. If I said to you, �Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so you could say, �Yes, that's true, and I embrace that, and that's what I learned as a child or as a new Christian, and that is wonderful.

I was loved by Jesus, and he died for me. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Simple, childlike, wonderful, introductory. But there are other words that God uses so that you can understand the depth of, the density of, if you will, the weightiness of how great Christ's death was.

So when you look at the book of Hebrews here today on the show, we're just going to look at a few of the words used to describe the work of Christ in the book of Hebrews so that you might be thankful and appreciative, and if you have a friend who's not a Christian and who is really a bad, bad, bad sinner, there's hope for that person because Jesus can cleanse, Jesus can purify.

And the first one is chapter 1 verse 3 that we've talked about here on the show, �After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. We looked at that last time, didn't we, that Jesus makes purification.

You're talking to these Jews, the book of Hebrews, and they're thinking all kinds of things with purification. They're thinking lepers were to be ritually cleansed, ladies after they would have their baby would need ritual cleansing.

There are a variety of things in the Old Testament that would lead and lend itself to ritual cleansing. But this is actual sin that's cleansed, and Jesus makes purification for our sins. And he did that for you.

If you're a Christian, he did that for you. Can you imagine Jesus cleansed your sins? If somebody does you a favor, we respond with gratitude, right? It's the Heidelberg guilt, grace, gratitude paradigm.

Not only that, chapter 2, as we walk through Hebrews and just pick out words, purification. If you consider Jesus, think about the next word, chapter 2 verse 17, �Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

So we've got purification, and now we're not going to continue the alliteration, but so far so good, all you Baptists out there. Purification, propitiation. We even have almost the same number of syllables.

Let's see, purification, that's five, propitiation, five. Isn't this fun? Fun on No Compromise Radio, downtown Burbank. Don't we love that? What is propitiation? Purification we get, catharizo, to cleanse, cathartic, to cleanse.

We were dirty, we got cleaned. Not just ritually, but internally, spiritually cleansed. But we have to use our mind to think more and consider Jesus as he makes propitiation for sins. Here's the picture, and you could have pagan ideas, but then we'll bring it back to the biblical idea.

There's a God, and that God has been sinned against, transgression has been made. That God is then rightfully angry. He requires obedience, there's been disobedience, and he is going to punish. He doesn't overlook sin.

Maybe you've got some weird pagan God that would overlook sin, but he's angry. Well back in the old days, the people would try to make propitiation to the God. They would try to assuage that God's wrath.

And you can see the pictures of, you know, a cave opening, and that's supposed to be the mouth of the God, and you would like throw a girl down there, or a baby, or some fruit, somehow trying to kind of coax and cajole the God back into good graces.

It's bribery, basically. You would bribe the God, because your motives are bad, the God's motives are bad, and that's how it would work. Well, biblically, there's no bribing. Biblically, God has holy wrath and indignation towards sin and sinners, and these sinners, we sinners, deserve hell, and we deserve to have God's wrath poured out on us.

But thankfully, instead of man trying to have the remedy, God provides the remedy himself. He himself is the remedy, that is, the Son. He's the remedy. And Jesus the Son is sent, and he bears the wrath of God in our place, on our behalf, as a substitute, assuaging the wrath of God.

Now God's law, God's holiness, God's righteousness, is all upheld. He doesn't have to compromise any of his attributes or who he is. There's propitiation that has been made. Isn't that wonderful? You have the Son, and he's becoming a merciful and faithful high priest, or he became, that he can make atonement for our sins, that he can die in our place.

He's a merciful God. He's a gracious God. He's a slow to anger God. He's an abounding in love God. He's abounding in faithfulness God. And then this high priest, Jesus the faithful high priest, also becomes the sacrifice, and he forgives sins.

There's purification, and then there is propitiation. He deals with it. Our relationship is an impasse, and divine intervention is needed. So purification, Jesus did that. Do you ever consider that? Do you consider Jesus who makes purification?

Do you consider Jesus who, secondly, makes propitiation? So purification, number one. Propitiation, number two. Did I just misspeak? Number three, sorry I don't have any words that start with puh sound.

Consider, here's the atoning work of Jesus, redemption. Here's the third word, redemption. Hebrews 9 .15,. Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Redeemed. If you want to look at a different translation, and for this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed.

What you have with the word redemption, maybe you think S and H, green stamps, it means to purchase in a market. There's a slave there in the market, and you would like that slave. Maybe you'd like that slave to work for you, or you'd like to just let that slave go.

Well, there has to be a price paid, a ransom price. There has to be a purchase price. To get that slave released out of prison, you have to pay. Purchased out of the slave market. Now just think spiritually.

Slave market of sin, and there has to be a debt paid so that we're released from sin's bondage. The price is the death of Jesus Christ. It's objectively done at Calvary. We are thankful that although our sins are purified, the wrath of God is assuaged, we have been redeemed.

As I think of all these words, it should make me appreciate the death of Christ on my behalf. The focus, of course, in the passage is Christ's death as the price of deliverance from redeeming those underneath the first covenant, but we know it also applies the other way.

Christ's death not only goes backwards, but it goes forward as well. Jesus purifies, Jesus propitiates, Jesus redeems. Fourthly, Jesus annuls sin. We're looking at Hebrews 9, verse 26. For then he would have to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

But as it is, he appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin, to annul sin by the sacrifice of himself. NAS says to put away sin, to abolish it, to get rid of it. First John 3, verse 5, you know that he appeared so that he might take away sins.

Removal of sin, to get it out of the way, to die in our place, to get rid of that penalty, to remove that barrier. Number five, isn't this fun? Number five, found in Hebrews 9, 28, we're considering Jesus and his work by looking at words and passages that talk about the death of Christ.

Purification, propitiation, redemption, annulment, and here now in verse 28 of chapter 9. So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, now he's bearing sins, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

So now fifthly, we're considering this Jesus who bears our sin. He bears the sin of many, which includes us. Now most likely he's talking about our influence by Isaiah chapter 53, the servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53, and as most commentaries will say, he's a willing victim and a priest.

He is the one, Jesus, who bears our sins. Number six, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 12, but when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, Hebrews 10, 12.

A sacrifice, a single sacrifice. Now we know that blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins, but now Jesus, look at how efficient his death is, how effectual his death is. One sacrifice, and then he sits down, unlike priest.

One sacrifice for all time, right? You don't have to get back up after you take your seat. Single sacrifice, effective for all time, and then he sits at the right hand of God. Well maybe the final ending for all this would be number seven, there's forgiveness.

Maybe this is the summary, maybe this is a good way to explain it, Hebrews 10, 18, where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. We do have in this new covenant full forgiveness.

God has legally removed all the charges that are held against us because he had them put in the son's account, and the son paid for them in full. He drank the full cup. He said it is, what, finished. Our debts, Colossians 2, nailed to the cross.

And finally, interestingly, when you consider Christ, chapter 3, when you consider Christ, chapter 12, and you find another word in the New Testament book called Hebrews for consider, it is found in chapter 10 regarding ethical exhortations, ethical exhortations.

So maybe I could phrase it this way. When you realize that Jesus Christ served you, you want to serve other people. It says in chapter 10, verse 24, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and drawing all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Here's the cool thing. When you consider Christ and his work, then you're motivated to serve other people. Jesus comes to seek and to save the lost. He comes not to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus, when you study him and his sacrifice, you'll want to be thankful and then sacrifice yourself for other people in the body with one another's. That's really the book of Hebrews. It starts off as a theological treatise and kind of turns into a sermon and ends up in an exhortation.

It is a great way to process the whole thing where you think, all right, I learned a truth for a reason. If I'm fully redeemed, there's been propitiation, forgiveness, annulment of my sins, bearing of my sins, purification for my sins, redemption for my sins, I think I probably repeated that one for my sins, then you think then I'm motivated.

So the tie-in is there. Show me lethargy in the Christian life and I'll show you a forgetting of your first love. Jesus, consider Jesus. Okay, now we turn it into preaching. When's the last time you considered Jesus?

When's the last time you mulled these things over, rolled them over in your mind? When's the last time you thought, you know what, what I do and what I think are tied together and if I'm not doing the right thing, I must not be thinking the right way.

I need to think, I need to get the earbuds out and just think. Harry Blamers in The Christian Mind, How Should a Christian Think, said in chapter 1, there's no longer a Christian mind. We just don't have the time.

We've got other things going on, so how can you consider Christ if you don't have time? How can you reflect, study, examine, think on, ponder, mull over, envisage, to notice? This is the language of you go to the streets in New York City and they play that game and they've got three cups and the ball's under one cup, which one is it?

You've got to pay attention, that's the word, to notice. You've got to really check it out. So if you're too busy with your earbuds and all those other things, and of course I wear earbuds especially at the gym because I don't want to hear their music, I want to hear my music, Modest Yahoo or somebody, then, you know, I'm not trying to be a, what I'm trying to do is trying to stall because I'm trying to figure out what this verse is.

Luke 10, 23, he perceived their craftiness and said to them, show me a denarius, a perception, that's the word, perceiving that one's tricks. You've got to notice, you've got to take notice to do that.

So today on No Compromise Radio, consider Christ, consider Christ, consider Christ's death, consider His resurrection and seating at the right hand of the Father, and then consider how to spur one another on to good deeds.

Consider how to serve other people in light of how God has served you and what He's done on your behalf. Info at NoCompromiseRadio .com, $15 .17 is $3 off the book Sexual Fidelity you can order on.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 10 .15 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.