The Promise Keeper (part 3) - [Hebrews 6:13-20]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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well everybody has probably asked the question sometime in their life can I lose my salvation do

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I have eternal security and really there are three basic answers to that question first answer is we don't have enough information to know it's a mystery we hope we are saved second option is yes you can lose your salvation and many churches teach that that you in fact can lose your salvation even though you've been a

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Christian you can end up in hell Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Church of the Nazarenes teach that Churches of Christ Methodist churches and more and the third answer to this question can

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I lose my salvation is no you cannot lose your salvation because it is earned by God and God can't lose a

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Christian now sometimes we talk about eternal security that would be the one view where you can't lose your salvation the other option is

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I kind of learned this new this week you could call it temporary security if you can lose your salvation or you could call it eternal insecurity but this idea of eternal security

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I think it's better thought of if you think of God preserves his saints and then

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God has them persevere and because of that you have eternal security the

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Bible teaches that God preserves his saints he keeps them he protects them he guards them

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Psalm 94 the Lord will not forsake his people Hebrews 13 I will never leave you nor forsake you the

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Lord Jesus John 6 the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out first Peter chapter 1 verse 5 we are kept by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time

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God preserves his saints Jude 24 now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy aren't you glad God preserves you from payment of sin death hell

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Satan himself aren't you glad just like when Jesus said to Simon Simon Simon behold

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Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail

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God is not going to lose one Christian to Satan in this so -called tug -of -war for souls the gifts and calling of God Romans 11 are irrevocable and Christian you never have to sing that bad version of amazing grace

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I once was saved but now I'm lost once saw but now I'm blind turn to Hebrews chapter 6 please

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Hebrews chapter 6 teaches this God preserves you God keeps you and God keeps his word because he's faithful to himself and he's faithful to you and if God has ever promised you anything his promises are certain can you imagine if you had to live underneath the scheme that says you can lose your salvation how many sins do you have to commit before you can lose your salvation what's the quality of sins you have to commit before you lose your salvation we would certainly lose our salvation but in fact

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God has justified you declared you not guilty he's adopted you into his family and he will never lose a

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Christian he preserves you and the writer of Hebrews basically says this I know it doesn't look like he's preserving you but he does so I want you to walk by faith and not by sight

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I know you're getting persecuted there's all kinds of trials you could put whatever trial you're going through right now how can

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God love me and how is God preserving me and how is God keeping me in light of what I see and in light of what

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I experience and the writer of the Hebrews wants you to know don't just look at what you can see look at the character of God look at the nature of God look at the promises of God look at God himself the triune

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God and I love the book of Hebrews because it just over and over and over emphasizes and re -emphasizes the fact that God can be trusted he keeps his promises a lot of us have not kept promises in our life but God keeps his promises and therefore your salvation future salvation is secure now he starts off in chapter six just for a very quick review with a warning and he is warning people that you can get really close to the

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Lord Jesus and still not believe that's true in the book of James right even the demons believe in what tremble by the way remember that word tremble it's an emotional word and it's the word that could be used of a dog's the hair on a dog's back when it's frightened what does what happens with that hair it goes up right it's angry it's frightened that's why matter of fact the

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Jewish people used to sometimes call demons the hairy ones that's right I think you've heard the sermon before once in a while I'll meet people

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Barry Aloisi is the one who especially does this I'm talking to him about something we're kind of debating the theological point and he quotes me back but he didn't say it's me but he's

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I've taught him that I thought no you can't use that I've taught you that years ago stop that on a true note though it is the joy and Pastor Bob knows this for certain it is the joy of all joys to preach to a theologically literate congregation who wants the

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Bible who wants to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ there's nothing like it he's warning these people you can come close and still not be a believer and you can taste and you can experience and you can have all kinds of things that Judas had but he wasn't a believer and so he wants people to move all the way from you know what

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I'm not too sure and move all the way to believe and to trust and to rest he gives them warnings and certainly this sermon the book of Hebrews sometimes

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I say Christian and I'm talking to Christians and other times I'll say if anybody here is not saved here's what

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I want from you here's how you should respond and he does the same thing here the first eight verses if you're not a

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Christian make sure you believe and if you are a Christian verse nine and following make sure you're trusting in the

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Lord Jesus and his promises all of us need to be encouraged in this life and verse eighteen is kind of the driving force to everything you see to the very end that we might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us that's why he wants you to focus on the nature of God and the character of God and the promises of God because we need to have encouragement these people were ready to run back to Judaism they're ready to run back to their old life you can just imagine the person who becomes a

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Christian and their life was actually easier before they were a Christian maybe I should go back he said there's no way to go back there's nowhere to go back to let me remind you of who

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God is and did we not see these six great descriptions of God remember verses thirteen through fifteen

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God's a promise keeper why go back when you can rest in this God who keeps his promises verse thirteen for when

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God made a promise to Abraham since he had no one greater by whom to swear he swore by himself saying surely

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I will bless you and multiply you and thus Abraham having patiently waited obtained the promise do you see what's going on there what he saw wasn't good what he experienced wasn't good but he was trusting in the promises of God he was standing on God's promises in spite of circumstances in spite of what he saw true or false we walk by faith and not by sight that's the point and this is the object of that faith he's an oath maker verses sixteen through seventeen we saw a couple weeks ago for people swear by something greater than themselves and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation so when

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God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose he guaranteed it with an oath can you imagine

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God really wants you to know how much does he want you to know he doesn't just say I'm God believe my word he says

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I'm God believe my word and by the way I'll make an oath I'll make it more convincing to you I'll show you that uh...

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what I say is true and I'll confirm it with an oath and I'll put an end to all argument verse eighteen he's a truth teller so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie

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God never lies God always tells the truth God made a promise he keeps it

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God made an oath he keeps it he doesn't change it when it suits him this oath is unalterable this oath is immutable this oath is irrevocable

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Isaiah fifty -five so my word shall be which goes forth from my mouth it shall not return to me empty without accomplishing what

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I desire and in this particular case God gives you an oath so that you'd rest in him and trust in him in spite of what you see so when

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God says if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you shall be saved you need to trust in that you need to rest in that some of you have been to Crete with me the island of Crete and uh...

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it's funny we went to Starbucks at Crete I thought that was very fascinating perfect shop for Crete for lots of reasons

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I did not see a Dunkin Donuts at Crete Crete was known for and is known for liars a whole island of liars a whole island of lazy people and a whole island of gluttons

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I asked the people in Athens just several years ago do you see people in Crete positively or negatively negatively and so Paul is writing to Titus and he says you know what

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I know there are liars in this island I know there are lazy people and I know there are gluttons and how does he start off Titus in the hope of eternal life which

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God who never lies promised before the ages began everybody else might be liars but God's not going to lie and when he makes a promise he keeps the promise he's also a refuge remember that in verse eighteen we who have fled for refuge

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I received many emails this week from you saying that you have aha moments as well

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I'm glad to give you aha moments remember this was an aha moment for me because these recipients of this letter

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Hebrews thought like Jews and when they thought of refuge how did they think what did they think what did they think about oh they would think can

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I make up a word Old Testamently they would think about the Old Testament and they would read the

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Old Testament and say you know what when you kill someone by accident and you had to go for refuge you had to flee to one of those six cities remember you could have asylum there you could be safe what a great picture of our salvation we are guilty we have sinned we have fought against the

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Lord Jesus Christ is there any hope for us as men who have committed treason and women who have rebelled against the

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Lord Jesus yes but it's not a city it's a person you can flee for refuge to the person the

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Lord Jesus Christ and you're safe and then once the high priest dies you can go back to your normal life what a great picture of the

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Lord Jesus dying for us being raised for us Satan the avenger after us and we have a place of refuge

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I love Psalm 46 our God is a God of refuge and strength a very present help in trouble

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Psalm 91 my refuge and my fortress and last week we started to look at anchor verse nineteen the promises of God God himself can be thought about as an anchor verse nineteen a hope that enters into the inner place but that's the second part of the verse what about the first part of verse nineteen we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul

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I mean we've gone from a city metaphor now to an anchor metaphor years ago

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I went to Israel and sometimes they run out of things to take you to run out of places and you know you gotta fill up the day for the tourists and so they'll take you to a sesame seed production plant you know tahini plant everything is five times more than what it's supposed to cost and you pay anyway gladly because the driver and the bus tour guide needs the extra money they take you to all these places

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I mean how much holy water can you buy on a trip they took us to an anchor museum

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I've been to Israel many times we went to an anchor museum and they got little anchors they got bigger anchors and then outside they had these huge anchors and you know don't think kind of like navy anchors just think about this large stone with a circle in the center you know a hole in the center and the guy said what's odd about that anchor

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I don't know is it for sale? how am I going to get that in my luggage? whenever I travel

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Kim usually says can you pick up something you know when you're in this other country and whatever she asked for it's usually like ten feet long or nine hundred pounds could you get like a spear in Africa?

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Sure! you get an elephant in India? No problem! anchor was huge and the guy said that anchor could never be an anchor for any boat two thousand years ago or three thousand years ago from when this anchor came because it would sink the boat so why do you have an anchor so big?

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answer because it's a God because if you need a

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God to help you with stability and firmness and the waters of life are are swirling all around and you think you're going to get shipwrecked on a reef what are you going to worship?

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a God who's a flim -flam God? or the anchor God? that's a God the anchor God well here in the right way this anchor this metaphor for stability and hope is meant to give you stability and hope

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God's promises more us to his person even though we can't see what goes on down below when we drop the anchor in a real boat we know it hits the bottom and I did a lot of studies about anchors this week and it's got to be the right depth and it's got to be the right anchor it's got to have the right scope you just don't drop the anchor down we can't see what's going on but here we know where it goes because the anchor is the promises of God found in the

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Lord Jesus Christ security, support, stay safeguard every time this word anchor is used in the

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New Testament except for here it's used of a literal anchor God's sworn promises are supposed to calm you in the storms of life anchors are supposed to keep the ship from moving

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I can't see the anchor it's down low what a great picture 1st Peter chapter 1 though you have not seen him you love him though you do not see him now you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and what filled with glory who just said that what young person just said that that was excellent they said the biggest mistake you can make when it comes to buying an anchor is you have a $500 ,000 boat and you buy a chintzy little $500 anchor it doesn't make sense that's a number one mistake people make when it comes to real anchors is having an inadequate anchor is the

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Lord Jesus Christ in his promises are they inadequate the answer is no it says that if you throw your anchor out in a real boat and it starts dragging what do you do inform the master inform the engine room stop all cargo operations start heaving up the anchor deploy a second anchor use bow thrusters if scenario permits let the vessel drag in a controlled manner and lastly call the tugboat for assistance this anchor is what sure and steadfast none of that's going to happen you can trust in him the whole picture is just if I just said to you you can trust

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God that should solve it but you can trust God he keeps his promises he keeps his oath he he tells the truth he's like an anchor of the soul he'll never cause disappointment you'll never throw an anchor over in the storms of life and go you know what it didn't hold it broke down under the weight of something

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I believe in Romans 933 in Romans 10 11 it says those who trust in Lord Jesus Christ shall never be put the anchor holds that word sure is used elsewhere in first Peter we have the prophetic word made more what sure that's the kind of anchor we have and where does this anchor go on a reef on a sandbar do you notice the text a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain the anchor is placed there behind the veil that's fascinating if you're a

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Jew what do you begin to think about so you've got the anchor that goes behind the veil who goes behind the veil how often do they go behind the veil of course we know that the answer is found in the

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Old Testament there's a book in the Old Testament that Jewish children study first in synagogue there's a book in the

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Old Testament that so few people read it they functionally treat it like it doesn't even belong in the

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Bible there's a book in the Old Testament then when hearing an analogy about this book and liver and onions responded

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I like liver and onions better there's a book in the Old Testament where people at starting

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January 1st begin to read Genesis and Exodus and they bog down in this particular book it's a book of Leviticus so I want you to go there

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Leviticus 16 and it is anything but boring I eat a lot of food in life I never thought I'd eat beets but I eat beets now but I still will never eat liver as far as I know or kidney that's out but this book isn't like that at all this book

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Leviticus is fascinating it's interesting Israel just sits at the bottom of Sinai and Leviticus goes on but you ought to read it because over and over and over I am the

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Lord I am the Lord I am the Holy One can a holy God dwell in the midst of sinful people and Leviticus 16 tells us a little bit about it and if you get

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Leviticus 16 I think it's probably a little of exaggeration but if you get 16 you get all the book of Hebrews if you get chapter 16 you certainly will get 19 of Hebrews going back and forth to Hebrews and of course if you go to the

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Old Testament and think show me Israel that doesn't work for Charlie's song but also doesn't work theologically because this writer when he goes the

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Old Testament he isn't thinking Israel he's thinking about the one that births Israel and that's the

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Lord Jesus everything about Leviticus 16 shows us Christ and the need for him

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Leviticus 16 verse 1 we won't do the whole chapter but just a little bit the

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Lord Yahweh Leviticus 16 spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they drew near before the

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Lord Yahweh and died remember what happened in chapter 10 they offer strange fire they don't think

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God so holy and what happens they are incinerated they're gonna worship

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God the way they want to worship God they're going to be flippant they're gonna be careless and thoughtless they'll do it the way they want to do it

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Leviticus says fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them and they died before the

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Lord they just saunter into the holy of holies and get away with it no

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God is serious about sin verse 2 of Leviticus 16 Yahweh said to Moses tell

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Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the holy place inside the veil that's the language of Hebrews before the mercy seek that is on the ark so that he may not die like his sons for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat you don't just walk in there certain prescriptions and and laws that you have to do to walk into such a place and it starts with verse 3 but in this way

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Aaron shall come into the holy place not your way but holy way a sanctified way a way through bloodshed with a bull from a herd of a sin offering for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering and by the way

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Aaron those wonderful robes that you have full of color and opaz and opaz what's opaz opaz opaz is even a more costly jewel sweet story my mom was on her deathbed and she had been a jeweler and so she knew all the different stones and what they look like and I was reading

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Revelation 21 and 22 to her and she was telling me what all those stones were and I said pretty soon glory pretty soon you'll see face to face pretty soon if I would ask my mom what's an opaz she would have said are you from Nebraska?

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Exodus talks about these these ornate gowns that the priest had to wear four rows of stones the first row shall be sardis, topaz, emerald, turquoise, sapphire, diamond amethyst, onyx jasper all set in gold settings and they looked great opulent is how they looked but when you come in here when you go into the

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Holy of Holies you take all that off and you look like a slave because that's all you are do you see it verse 4 he shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body it's what slaves wear and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist and wear the linen turban those are clothes you serve in these are the holy garments he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on you look like a slave on the day of atonement simple ordinary worker he shall take verse 5 from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for sin offering and the one ram for a burnt offering

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Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house of course you know about the lots and the goats take two goats verse 7 set them before the

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Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel and you present the goats on which the lot fell verse 9 for the

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Lord and use it as a sin offering the wages of sin is death but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive that sin just goes away sent into the wilderness great description of the

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Lord's work he bears the sins and he makes the sins go away and now down skip to verse 12 before you walk into the holy of holies before you go beyond that veil take a fire pan verse 12 full of coals of fire from the upon the altar of Yahweh and two handfuls of finely ground incense and bring it inside the veil and he shall put the incense on the fire before the

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Lord that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony you create this large smoke you create this large a thing that you can't see through so it it defracted it deflects and it refracts some of the light so you don't die from it because if you look at the glory of God you're going to die ask a

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Nadab and a Bihu get some kind of covering in there to dim God's glory so you don't just get annihilated make a dark shrine can you imagine walking in there your sons have just died now it's your turn you think you'd be precise do you think you'd you'd walk circumspectly you think you put a little extra incense in there

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I don't think you do the last one because you want to be very very particular and then after this more blood more goats more blood more bowls more blood more sacrifice to try to enter into that veil and friends nobody in the

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Old Testament is going in that veil except that priest on that one day and now what the

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Lord Jesus Christ does he well I'll tell you what he does he blazes a trail for you let's go back to Hebrews chapter 6 he blazes a trail for you you get to go in it's like the

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Holy of Holies was just a picture of the presence of God and now you get to go into the presence of God yes in spite of sin, in spite of trials, in spite of Satan, in spite of persecution you get to go in because Jesus is not just a refuge he's not just an anchor but he chapter 6 verse 20 is a forerunner this is the best where Jesus has gone we're talking about he's gone into the the veil has he not he's gone into the

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Holy of Holies behind the curtain the inner place and Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf now sometimes you might think of a forerunner in just simple

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English words he runs ahead but that's not what he's saying he runs ahead and he has people who follow him he's a forerunner there are after runners you

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Christian are an afterrunner and no bulls blood is needed no goats blood is needed it's the

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Lord Jesus' blood and he takes you in he's the precursor of all believers there's a series of people who follow him forerunners mean someone's following can you imagine you get to go into the

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Holy of Holies to where God is in the presence of the Father you're the follower of Jesus no

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Levitical high priest entered the sanctuary as a forerunner only the representative of the people sinful people now you have sinless

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Jesus as a forerunner and he brings you in man and God full fellowship based on the resurrection and work of the

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Lord Jesus sometimes this word forerunner is used of a military commander who does not lead from the back he leads from the front the point is he's trying to make you not have cares casting all your cares upon the

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Lord because he cares for you why would you go back to Judaism when that particular high priest can only go into the

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Holy of Holies once a year with the right clothes substitute sacrifice for himself could possibly get killed like Aaron's sons and you kinda just go in there with the cloud in the smoke and everything else and that's what you get one sinful priest to represent you on that one day the year why would you go back to that I could make it even simpler maybe more apropos for today why would you go back to that dead religion you left would you go back to that religion that says you know if you don't confess all your sins before you die you're going to hell how would you go back to that Jesus has promised in spite of your sin he's taking you in to the inner sanctuary to the presence of God himself to the

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Holy of Holy places where angels bow and blush but you get to stand blameless with great glory

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Jesus goes ahead in to the Holy of Holies and you're gonna go with him soon enough sound familiar it sounds very familiar to me

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Jesus let not your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me in my father's house there are many rooms if it were not so what

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I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you as a forerunner

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I will come again and take you to myself as a forerunner has after runners

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I'm gonna come and get you that where I am you may be also that's a forerunner

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John 14 and you know the way to where I'm going Thomas said to him

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Lord we do not know where you are going how can we know the way and Jesus said to him

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I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father into the Holy of Holies into that place except through me and by me as forerunner if you had known me you would have known my father also from now on you do know him and have seen him that is amazing he's the forerunner you think wait a second how did we get from anchor nautical to forerunner

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Paul's day the word for forerunner one article says was the word used to describe smaller boats that were sent into the harbor by larger ships that were unable to enter due to stormy conditions these smaller boats carry the anchor through the breakers inside the harbor and dropped it there securing the larger ship the pilot boat the boat that went in ahead of time that brought your anchor into the port was the forerunner ship that is amazing the forerunner goes in first makes it safe for you to follow sound familiar will hold fast that anchor holds one guy tried to describe it this way forerunner you know you watch the football games

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I know everybody's gonna wake up now I see a few you sleeping so now I'll talk about football football you sleepers ready here's an illustration that's actually

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Bible verse awake o' sleepers the game's about ready to start it's a high school game the team's in the locker room and out in the field there's like a cheerleader standing over there and a cheerleader standing over there and they've got a big banner right and it says go

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Huskies or something right what's Boston College mascot the

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Catholics I'm sorry the Eagles excuse me the Eagles sorry

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I thought that was Notre Dame for a second the Eagles go Eagles and the one guy the team captain he runs out first and he breaks through the paper right and everybody else follows him that's the forerunner alright

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I gotta get out of here that is amazing forget that illustration but at least

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I've got you awake now and by the way do you notice does it say Christ does it say Lord it says where Jesus has gone as a forerunner humanity of Jesus the person of Jesus the author has placed that word

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Jesus emphatically in that clause so that you realize it takes a human to do it there's the human high priest to be a representative of course he's the divine high priest to give you an infinite amount of righteousness but Jesus is the one who enters the heavenly sanctuary and he didn't get killed for his own sins like Naded Abubaihu he got killed for our sins and now makes it into heaven additionally don't forget verse 20 on our be

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Jesus is a forerunner on our behalf Jesus did that for you Christian he did something for us he atoned for sin and showed us the way to the father that language is substitution language that language reminds me of while we were still helpless at the right time

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Christ died for the ungodly that's the language of substitution like 2nd

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Corinthians he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf same word 1st

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Thessalonians 5 Christ died for us same word and lastly don't forget he has become this forerunner and a high priest forever

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Jesus he's human on our behalf it's in our place and forever not just once a year forever the enthroned

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Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary guarantees you Christian that you'll make it safe and secure from all alarm salvation is in God's hands and you are secure in him and such great news if I could lose my salvation

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I would if I could lose my salvation I did but the

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Lord Jesus Christ paid for every one of my sins past present future because he loved me and he gave his life for me and now the language in the book of Hebrews is put together so everyone would realize no matter what angle you look at refuge oath truth you're not gonna lose your salvation

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God's gonna keep his promises so that you might rest in him and trust in him and have faith in him and so I'll ask the question do you believe the

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Lord Jesus Christ are you trusting in him this week

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I hear about car accidents bad ones in the congregation need to be ready maybe some of you are sitting here thinking you know what

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I'm on the I'm on the fence I don't know whether to believe or not I know mom and dad believe it but I'm not quite sure can you think of a better God to represent you can you think of a better way to try to make it to eternity how are you going to get into the heaven

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God's heaven by your own goodness you're not good enough but by your own concoction of your own mind their realities that are not postmodern realities taxes health and their reality spiritual realities that are not postmodern and that is you're going to die and stand before God one day and without the

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Lord Jesus Christ you're going to be like nay dab in a by who with the

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Lord Jesus Christ you have all these promises ahead of time trusting in the promises of God that he he is who he said he is see ya but the circumstance

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I'm going through you don't understand how bad these things are that I have in my and you know what

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I don't but that doesn't mean the promises of God aren't true that's the point of this whole passage can

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I lose my salvation when it comes to theoretical possibility nobody can know we know yes or no can you lose your salvation and when it comes to the answer that teaches you can we know that's not true there is eternal security because God perseveres through the perseverance of the

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Saints and he will never leave his Saints there was a man named

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John Stamm and his wife Betty and they were in China as missionaries and he was 28 years old had done a lot of work there for the

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Chinese people preaching the gospel and the rebellion comes in and if you haven't read the story you ought to about the life of John and Betty Stamm and they know they had to go die and so they were allowed to leave their little child up in the room and if memory serves me

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John or Betty tucked a little bit of money into the diaper of the child because they knew they

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John and Betty knew they were going to die they would hope someone would take care of the baby on the way to get executed by the communist his wife going with him on the road and someone said to them where are you going

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John Stamm said we are going to hell how do you talk that way?

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How do you say things like that? every visible circumstance every evidence for their eyes showed something different than God loves them except they were walking by faith and if I imported my text they knew

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God would never leave them or forsake them they knew God kept their promises of eternal life they knew that if they trusted in the

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Jesus that purged them that God would in fact take that final payment because he took the final payment of the resurrection they knew he was a an anchor they knew they could flee for refuge and they know that Jesus had already entered into heaven and they were soon to follow we are going to heaven that's what

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Hebrews 6 is meant to do for troubled Christians who wonder about life let's pray

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I thank you father for our time in your word I thank you that we could just sit and talk about your son from every different perspective and still not exhaust that I think that's probably what heaven will show we can be amazed at the

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Lord Jesus and learn new things about his person and work for all eternity and just be in awe father

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I admit I admit I'm not in awe very often maybe when one of my children is born then the next and the next and the next maybe when

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I see Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls could that be it? but heaven in awe if there were time all the time in heaven in awe because of the

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Lord Jesus and the angels and the saints swirling around worthy as the lamb who was slain what a great forerunner

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I'm glad he brings other with him sinners cleansed by the blood of the lamb