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What is my favorite swearing on again?
Reply.
After chapter 5 and verse 6.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.
For they shall be healed.
Also in Psalms.
Psalms 107.
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And verse 5.
Hungry and thirsty.
Their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
All that men would praise the Lord for his goodness.
And for his wonderful works to the children of men.
For he satisfied the longing soul and Philip the hungry soul with goodness.
Should we just look through the Lord together?
Second chapter of the book of Hebrews. I realize there's a great deal in those two chapters.
In regard to just three reading meetings over this weekend. But it does bring before us a glorified Christ. And someone mentioned in their prayer already this afternoon that a glorified Christ is God's object, and that's the one that he would have us to be occupied with as well. So I might just make that suggestion that if it was the mind of the brethren, we could read those two chapters.
You want to read both those chapters at one time. It might be nice, at least initially, to read them together. They're intimately connected.
The book of Hebrews chapters one and two.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, and in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, Who, being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels.
As he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, for unto which of the angels said he, at any time thou art my son this day have I begotten thee, And again I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son.
And again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the sun he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.
Above thy fellows and thou, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of thine hands they shall perish. But thou remainest they all shall wax old, as doth A garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy ears shall not fail. But to Which of the angels said he, at any time sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, less than anytime we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast in every transgression and disobedience, received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also, bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles?
And gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will, For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, wherever we speak. That one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, That thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of thy hands, that was put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all things all in subjection under him.
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He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him For whom are all things, and by whom are all things? And bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings for both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one.
For which 'cause he is not ashamed to call them? Brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee, And again I will put my trust in him. And again, behold, I and the children which God hath given me. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the saying, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to *******.
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, and things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself had suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
Well, I believe the book of Hebrews opens up to us, the heavens, in a very wonderful way, so that we can, by faith brethren, look up and behold the one that, as I say, God would always occupy his people with, and that is a glorified Christ. In the book of Hebrews. It's not so much the work that's taken up as the results of the work, it's His ascension and his enthronement. There's only one specific mention of the cross in Hebrews, that's in the 12Th chapter. Who for the joy that was set before him.
Endured the cross, despising the shame. And there's only one specific mention of the resurrection. You get that in the 13th chapter, because it's, as I say, it's His ascension and enthronement. It's the results of the work and where He is now, having glorified God on the earth and finished the work that was given him to do. And every time you have the heavens opened in Scripture, it's always in connection with some aspect of the person and work of Christ.
And when the Lord Jesus was here, the heavens opened up and all heaven gazed down at that blessed object as he walked here in this world. Here was as another, as said an object in this world that finally commended the place. And heaven would open up and gaze down at this one and a voice declare, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, but the heavens are opened in Hebrews, not so much that heaven can look down, but so that we can look up and brethren, if we get a fresh glimpse of the man in the glory during these meetings here in Saint Louis.
Then it's been worth our while to be together and if we get a fresh glimpse of him, truly a fresh glimpse of him.
Then will not our hearts go out to him more that it would have a practical effect on our lives as a result of being together over the word of God?
We know that.
Each the epistle has a special character or subject that is set before us. We realize that the book of Hebrews is not like the book of Ephesians.
Where we're seen as seated into heavenlies. But it's nice to understand. Perhaps something about the subject here in this epistle.
And that is that he is writing to these Jewish believers.
When all that now in this world as God looks down, he sees 3 distinct groups.
The Jews, the Gentiles and the Church of God. So when one is redeemed, he's brought into the church and now being there.
He has things to set aside, and especially for these Jews because.
They were accustomed to all the ordinances of the old, and now they're brought into something absolutely new.
And the great leading of this epistle is really access into this sanctuary of God, God directing us in that which would bring us into that place.
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That, oh you know, the very holiest by the blood of Jesus, which we have in chapter 10. But it's what it's taking place taking up is that.
They're to leave the old, come into the new, these Jewish believers, and it's very helpful epistle, teaching us about access into God's presence and into the holiest as priests to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. So separation leads us into this vessel, onto a person, let us go forth.
Unto him without the camp.
As a real application to our day too, because we have a lot of religious activity in our day. A lot of.
Big movements in the world, religious world. But what is it that constitutes Christianity? It's having Christ.
Revealed as never before, having God revealed as never before in the person of Christ.
And He as the center of all God's counsels and purposes.
And it's interesting that this book mentions no author. We believe it's the Apostle Paul, but the only apostle that it speaks about in the third chapter is the Lord Jesus himself. And if it is true, and I believe it is that the Apostle Paul wrote the book, why he so wanted to be out of the picture so that Christ could be shown as the central figure in Christianity.
Christianity, brethren, isn't a religion. That's the way the world looks at it.
It's a person. It's knowing him in the fullness of his being, and that's what's set forth in the 1St, 8 chapters of this book. In the 9th and 10th chapters, you get his work touched on, and his work is the basis upon which we can have a relationship with him. But what is the attracting part of Christianity? What is it that attracts in Christianity?
It's a person. It's God's beloved Son, right from the beginning of Genesis, right to the end of the Bible, who occupies the central position in the Garden of Eden. What was at the center of that garden? The tree of Life. What is it in? Where's the Tree of Life? In the last chapter of the Bible? It's in the midst there just as well, and that's what God wants us to get our eyes upon.
And I say, brethren, we can lookout. And sometimes we lookout and we say there's the camp out there, the people that are not gathered to the Lords name. But brethren, we have to be careful because if we get looking at people or programs or anything other than the person of Christ, that's the principle of the camp and we can fall into it in so many ways. And so it should be a constant exercise as we come together to these meetings.
Are we looking at some brethren that are here that may minister the word, or are we looking up into the glory to that man on God's right hand? That's the one that's going to give us a portion. And it has impressed me, brethren, when there's simplicity.
In local assembly meetings of looking up into the glory to the Lord Jesus, the blessing that results sometimes some of those meetings in South America where.
You see brethren that are new in the faith and you say what do they get when they come together? Brethren, if there's simplicity in looking up to that man in the glory, I find there's tremendous blessing. But what I find sometimes happens is that we get looking at each other. Nobody here really knows how to minister the word. Very well. Well, we might not, and it's good. Better if we admit that we can't brother and look up to the Lord and he can give.
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And I often think of.
How he gave when there was those 5000 He said to the disciples, Those 12 disciples give you them to How much did the 12 disciples, those that were in positions of giving something, how much did they have to give? They had nothing to give.
Lord tick a little boy's lunch and blessed it. And they all went away fed. And there was some to take to those that hadn't come as well. Oh brother, the Lord give us to look up in more simplicity to the very object of what Christianity is, God's beloved Son.
To realize, do we not that the Lord Jesus is in the glory, but in his departure? He said he would send the Comforter the Holy Spirit.
And this person, God the Spirit, is a person in the Godhead, the same as the Sun is a Divine Person and a Father a divine Person.
And we have to recognize, and I think it's very important that we do, that God, the Holy Spirit, must have His place that has been given to Him in this world at this time.
To direct us using the Word of God to fill our hearts with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, well, we can't have it apart in reality.
Apart from the Spirit of God, God the Spirit must have that place that God has given to him, and in much of Christendom there is not room.
For this person to direct and having the privilege of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, and perhaps even owning that this is so that He must have His place. We have to be careful that he does have His place given to him by our precious Lord and Savior. The Comforter was sent and is here.
Now.
Of God in this book of Hebrews, very patiently goes over all that these Jewish believers had been taught under the order of things in the Old Testament, very patiently goes over it, and shows that those things were right and proper in their place and or and instituted and set up by God Himself. But shows I believe, that that which was in the Old Testament was just reflections and foreshadows of what has been fulfilled in Christ now.
13 times he uses the expression better in the book of Hebrews, pointing out that these believers now have something better than just those types in the Old Testament. But those Old Testament types are very important, aren't they? It's good to go back over them. And I say that because we don't want to give any thought in these meetings, that the Old Testament is not important. Those types and shadows and figures help us to grasp in our souls what it what it is to be sheltered from judgment, what it is to have one who's living for us.
What it is to have a hope. There are illustrations of the truth that is presented to us in the New Testament, and this illustration has been used before I realized. But when I was engaged to the one who later became my wife, there were several months between the engagement and the marriage, and we were separated geographically by many miles during those months. And so I had a large photograph that assumed a very important place on my desk and in my life for those months while I waited for the marriage to take place.
But after you came into my home after we were married, you'd be very surprised if I was more occupied with the photograph than the one who had become my wife, who was with me. Now you'd say, well, Jim, you have something better than just the photograph you have, the one of whom this is just a picture now. It's not that I've thrown out the photograph. I still value the photograph. It's still on my desk at home, but I'm not occupied with it. It doesn't have quite the same place.
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As it did in those months when I was waiting for the time that my wife, the one who had promised to be my wife, would become my wife and share that my home and life to get our lives together. And so I just used that perhaps as a feeble illustration of what we have in the Old Testament and what is presented here. The Old Testament was the pictures, and it all spoke of Christ beginning at Moses and the prophets. He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
But in Hebrews he says, you have the Son, now you have the one who has fulfilled it all. And this is the one now, brethren, that he would have us to be occupied with, And we can't stress that enough. In these meetings I'll do open your eyes, the eyes of your understanding, and the eyes of faith, to be occupied with the person of Christ, because nothing will dry out your heart like him. If the sun, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, because we can't be occupied with the sun and not have the heart engaged. And that's true Christian liberty and freedom.
In connection with your illustration, Jim, the tendency and the danger there was with some of those professing Hebrew believers was not only paying more attention to the photo than your wife, but it was to turn away from the reality of who Christ was and turn back to Judaism. That is what is called apostasy and you and it helps to see that that was in view in the apostles mind.
If you look at the second chapter, we read and he says we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard.
Lest at anytime we should let them slip or we should slip away.
Can a real believer slip away? No, that's not the point. It was that there were perhaps those who had made a profession of Christianity without reality, and there was the danger that they would turn back from the living person of Christ and turn back to the forms of Judaism. And that was a real danger. And there's a real danger of that today, too.
Amongst those who profess Christianity of making an outward profession of Christianity.
And then turn back afterwards and turn back to the weak and beggarly elements. It was Judaism in this case.
But turning back from Christ is apostasy. We are living in the days of apostasy. It is getting stronger, turning back from Christ to the forms of religion. Lord help us, brethren, because our hearts are not taken up with the person of the Lord Jesus. There is going to be something that will take the place of that person in our hearts.
And there's a real danger of that.
I think it's also helpful for us to see and prove that it gives great emphasis to our relationship with God.
We have certain epistles, such as John's Epistles, in which we come to know God as our Father and enjoy the relationship we have with God as our Father. But there's great emphasis given in the Epistle to Hebrews, and it's not.
Without reason that it starts with the word God, because in the Old Testament the Jewish believers.
Had a distance between themselves and their God, and it's through the Lord Jesus Christ that God has been fully revealed to our hearts and we sing. Sometimes we joy in our God, and as we read through the epistle, we can see great emphasis is given to the throne of God.
To the things which Christ does for us before our God, to bring us into the enjoyment of our relationship with Himself.
And so before there was distance, there was a veil between themselves and God. And yet we have now brought before us in these better things, that we may draw near unto God, that we can enjoy the One who is our God, and know Him in an intimate way, as we had not known him, or he had not been known before. And the very one that makes him known to us is the sun. The very one that brings stands before us this afternoon.
At the throne of God as our intercessor, as our high priest, is Christ. And so I think it's well, I believe it's of the Spirit of God for us to enjoy much of Christ as his emphasis given to himself. But also we will miss something if we don't recognize that it's also to bring us into the enjoyment of God.
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That was real Magdalene, wasn't it? When she was looking for the Lord Jesus with a heart so full of devotion that she wanted to be close to him, even if it meant being close to his dead body. But he appears to her in resurrection, and he says, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father to my God and your God, He says, Mary, you're going to be associated now in a relationship, in resurrection and ascension.
That you've never been associated with me before and you go and declare this glorious message to my brethren, and brethren is our brother, Don says. That's the relationship that you and I have been brought into this afternoon. May we enjoy it more and more.
Out in the first 2 verses that I think help to get the picture God and then in verse 2.
Half spoken.
God has spoken. What a tremendous thing that we have in our hands. The words of the living God, brethren. Nothing to compare with it.
In the whole of the universe, God has spoken.
He spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, but those Old Testament scriptures, although very much the word of God, just as the New Testament equally important still they were partial revelations. But now in these last days He's spoken by his Son, or in Son in the person of his Son, because the Son is God himself.
God has spoken in Son, the person of the Son, and then it goes into those.
Little phrases beginning in the middle of verse two that.
Describe who this person really is. Tremendous.
To meditate on these little phrases that tell us the glory of the person of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God.
There is a person that God delights to make known to us.
That this person is the delight of the heart of God.
When the Lord Jesus was here and we learned that.
Therefore, that my father loved me.
What a person this was that God found his delight in.
All that perfection.
For that person, as he walks through this world, delighted the heart of God, and God opened the heaven, and said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
You also know that that sacrifice he made.
Was the greatest sacrifice that could be made. He gave himself. We learn about it in this epistle. He gave himself. He became the sacrifice.
That would glorify God, that God would be pleased with, and all the perfection of that sacrifice in that path of obedience.
I'm delighted in that. That's how he delights in this person.
So what? Our God is desirous that we would be drawn into, that we would be divided in the same person. So he reveals himself in Son. He had one that he could make himself known to us, the one that's in the bosom of a Father.
He has.
I come into this world to reveal the Father. And he said to Philip, he that hath seen me hast seen the Father. And so we have an object. But it's the same object that God finds his delight in. And that's the sun. So, brethren, we need to make much of the sun. He's the one that God would have us to be occupied with.
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A person, a person who is hearing this world, who laid aside his glory and became a man. The person who now lives in the glory, seated at the right hand of God. A person who.
Who is coming himself?
To take us to be with himself.
That person is the delight of the Father, and God would have that person.
To reveal himself in and fill our hearts as it fills, as he fills the very heart of God. His name is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Very beautiful. And what has impressed me, particularly in Paul's ministry, and we get it in these two chapters, is that God would direct us to His beloved Son, but first of all to His thoughts concerning that blessed one. And so we get the Lord Jesus presented, if we could put it this way, as to His glories in creation.
In the first chapter, perhaps more his glories as Redeemer in the second chapter.
In the third chapter, he's referred to as the apostle and high priest of our profession. And so we could say perhaps that in the first chapter it's more his character as the apostle, in the second chapter more his characters, the high priest. But it seems to me that, as in Paul's ministry elsewhere, he first of all directs us to God's thoughts concerning that blessed one. And I say that because without wanting to be critical, there's so much today.
And the tendency is in our own hearts, too, to look at God the Father, to look at the Lord Jesus Christ and think, if I could use these words, what does all this mean to me? What does the relationship mean to me? And that's well and good, and that's proper. And that's woven into the word of God in a wonderful way. And it's right that we should enjoy all that we have in Christ. But there's something even more precious than that, and that is to get around the other side, out of ourselves.
And to see what that Blessed One meant, and all that He was, and in all that he did to God the Father, what delight it was for God the Father to look down and see that Blessed One, who was the brightness of his glory in the express image of his person Walk through this world, displaying the heart of God and the character of God in every step, going to Calvary's cross, now risen and glorified, the One in whom all God's purposes are centered.
Well, if you and I can get hold of that, it takes us out of ourselves, doesn't it? And gives us to see all the blessedness of Christ, not only because of what it means to us, but because, as our brother Curry has been mentioning, we have fellowship with God in His thoughts concerning his beloved Son.
I believe, Brother Bill, of what you're talking about just in type in Genesis. And we won't turn to it, but we will remember the story of of Joseph. And when Joseph is revealed to his brethren, Joseph sends his brethren back to get his father. And he says these words ye shall tell my Father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that ye.
Have seen there was a report to be given to the Father. And doesn't it delight, brethren, the heart of the Father, for us in the way that we can, and whatever measure we can to be able to go into His presence and tell our Father of the joy and the glory and the delight that we've entered into that we've seen such as it is of His beloved Son. He's spoken to us in the person of Son, what it must mean to his heart to have us come into His presence and tell Him.
In the measure that we can what we've seen of that beloved son.
Produces true worship, isn't it? Because true worship really springs from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of what the person and work of Christ means. To the heart of God has been said, we it ought to mean everything to us. But I think sometimes too on Lords Day morning, brethren, it's good when we are we are gathered together to remember the Lord Jesus that we seek to move beyond what the work means to us and see what it means to the heart of God.
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That's the burnt offering. In the burnt offering, the sweet savour offering, everything was for God. It's what he is to to God the Father and how good for us. So it's good to see what it means to us. But oh, I say true worship is produced as we see what it means to him. And I believe this is what we get in the book of Hebrews. Because when we look up brethren and see this blessed one seated at the right hand of God, we see that this is God's. Amen to the work of Calvary.
It shows us what it means to his heart. The resurrection, the ascension, and the glorification of Christ are God's. Amen to the work of Calvary. And in Ephesians chapter one, as a proof of God's eternal satisfaction, he set him at his own right hand. We find he's given him two in Philippians, a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. And as we look up and we see where he is now as a result of the work.
Can we doubt God's joy and eternal satisfaction in the sun? No, not for a moment.
Son in the second verse, having spoken to us in Son, then he goes on to say whom he had appointed heir of all things.
The glory that belongs to this person.
His son.
And he delights to speak of him as his beloved Son. Do I want to speak well of this person who is the beloved Son of God?
Made air of earth.
Whom he hath appointed heir of all things.
And that Blessed One is not going to take that which he has.
As his inheritance until he has his bride there with him to share that Doesn't it overwhelm you to think of that, That Jesus Christ is going to share with his bride all of that inheritance of his heart, His as a result?
Having glorified God in going to the cross of Calvary.
Then it says, by whom also he made the world's. Everything came from his hand. He made the world and then?
This next verse, these first few words for being the brightness.
Of his glory.
The express image of his person. How little, beloved brethren, we realize. The glories of this person. How little.
This I suppose we would put who made the world's by whom he made the world's first, and then we would talk about being heir of all things after, wouldn't we? But it's not that way in the order it's given, because in God's eternal purpose before.
Any worlds were in existence before there was any inheritance.
In existence he was already in those eternal councils.
Purpose. To be the heir of all things. I think it's so beautiful to to see the way God looks at it from his viewpoint of it. And So what a tremendous person this is. The one who's going to be the heir of all things, and the one who spoke it all into existence by the word of his power. I just marvel, you young people.
To study the universe and.
It it really.
Interests me the more I learn about the billions. I heard a calculation the other day of the they've calculated about how many stars there are in the universe. They say there's about 100 billion trillion stars in the universe. I don't know how they even calculate such a thing, but but it's innumerable. I mean, there's billions of galaxies.
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Think of this one who just spoke and it was done. What tremendous power. And even I think we have problems in our lives and we we don't trust this person to take care of our problems. Have we got a glimpse of who we're talking about?
I don't think we let the weight of these little statements sink into our souls. This is our God. This is the central figure that God is attracting us to. Before we go on along with that, would just like to interject one simple thought Here, beloved brethren, it says, hath spoken unto us. We look around this afternoon in this room and we see a company of people sitting here.
Who is this directed to? Just those who are older, who have walked the Christian path for a few more years? Just a certain class of people? Oh, I think it's very precious. Everyone from the youngest here who knows Christ the Savior, who can understand these words?
Youngest to the oldest. We're part of the US. We're part of the US that this is directed to. And so as we sit here, I just want to encourage our hearts for the young and for all of us, that these things that are being talked about are not just for a certain group of well taught brethren or a certain group of of those who go in and out among brethren. It's us. It's the those assembled here by the Spirit of God.
This afternoon, who are part of this wonderful little phrase? Think of it the one that Bob has been Speaking of, that by the word of his power spoken, this universe came into being. He's spoken to us, all of us, Brethren, beloved young people, to you, to me, to each one. He's spoken to us.
Well, isn't it to think of that.
Immensity of all of this.
And this person.
Who spoke?
And everything came into existence.
And.
As we think of that and we think of a verse like we have in Second Corinthians, ye know.
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That though he were rich.
What cost to himself?
To lay aside his glory, he who was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.
To be forsaken of God, to be made sin for us, this person.
The very Creator, the glory of the heavens.
In this person he lays aside his glory. He becomes a man.
That he might answer to God is a man that could lay his light down as a man.
When that cross, he was a real man, very gone, but very man, and he laid his life.
Naked to the judgment of God.
For a poorer wretched Sinner, a helpless guilty Sinner, naked to judgment in the eyes of God, for for me.
What is sacrifice God made in giving us? But what a sacrifice He made and coming into this world and now the same blessed person, I can look into the heavens and I see Jesus.
And each of us need to have a fresh.
View of this person as the one who made all things, who died there on the cross of Calvary, who lives in the glory, and who is coming at any moment now to take us to be there on a thing, to be a child of God. If there's a person in this room, that's still in their sins.
Come to Jesus now.
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What is most amazing to some, at least to me, is he who spoke in the universe, came into existence and he made.
The the birds, the fish, the animals and.
Finally, the human body.
Then he.
Came into the world.
As a babe born in the stable, cradled in a Manger, grew up in obscurity.
And then it was revealed at the age of 30 to the world.
And what about doing good and healing those that were oppressed to the devil?
Finally, when his hour was come.
That he should truly, in all things, in his very special way, glorify the Father.
In obedience, dependent submission, he would there in the Garden. Pray, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done three times.
Then when the soldiers with Judas came to take him, he said, Who seek Jesus of Nazareth? I am, he said, And they fell to the ground again. Whom seek ye Jesus of Nazareth? I am.
And he submitted himself at that point.
To the to the soldiers and went with them in submission.
To the powers that be and was crucified.
He knew beforehand the price he must pay if it be possible. Let this cut pass from me and the there was a certain.
Yearning to be delivered from it, but there was a greater desire on his part.
To glorify his God and Father.
So as we have.
And the end of the verse 3.
When he had by himself purged our sins, that was the greatest.
Act.
Least at this moment, I cannot think of anything greater.
That he did.
It's true, it's great to create a universe, but to bear in his own body our sins on the cross?
Was the most marvelous, marvelous thing the Lord laid on him, the iniquity of us all.
And he knew this beforehand, that he must endure the wrath of God during those three hours of darkness. He's satisfied. God was satisfied with his work. He was satisfied in finishing the work that God gave him to do.
To being the brightness of his glory. It's the full outshining of the glory of God. There was a glory when the law was given.
Through the instrumentality of angels at Mount Sinai. So much so was it glorious that when Moses came down off that mountain, his face was shining. There was a real glory about it, but that was not a full revelation of God's glory. But in the person of the Lord Jesus, we have the full revelation of the glory of God, the full out shining of that glory.
Is in the person of the Lord Jesus over other and tremendous. To think about something. As I say, you go outside and try to look at the sun. Don't do it because it will harm your eyes. You can't do it. It'll make you blind. That's only a part of infinitesimal, part of the creation of the one we're speaking about who made it all. Think of it. The full out shining of the glory of God is in the person of the Lord Jesus.
And then that second expression, the express image of his person.
Image is representation. He's the image of the invisible God it tells us in.
Colossians. I think it is So if you want to know God, you look at Jesus and you will know God in the fullest sense of the word. Think of him as he passed through this world and was interested in the smallest details they thought he wouldn't be interested in. Little children. I take these children out of here. They're bothering us. He rebuked them. He took.
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Little children up into his arms and bless them. That's our God, brethren. He's interested in little children. Take a bunch of little children to President of the United States. Does he have time to take him up in his arms? I don't think so. Probably he might do one or two, but he's not really interested in that. That's not his purpose. But here's one who although he controls the full universe in his extension, he's has time for the very minutest details of our lives.
That's our God. So when we go through the Gospels, read it, we see the person of the our God. We understand now who God is like because he's been fully revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus. He is the express exact image of his person, tremendous to to meditate on everything.
I'm the only begotten who was in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him. And we also read in John chapter one the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I might just say, too, that I think it's helpful when we take up the book of Hebrews to notice that there are 4 occasions here that you have the Lord Jesus seated at the right hand of God. The first one is in the verse that we are considering.
And here, brethren, I believe he is seated having made full atonement. And if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, I believe it ties in with what we've been saying in connection with his being creator. Because I believe you'll notice here it's a broader thought than just our being brought into blessing. It's true, we are brought into blessing. But if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, it says having made the purification for sin now, it's true he has purged our sins. And we find out later on in this epistle in the 10th chapter.
That by one offering he a perfected forever them that are sanctified. But I would suggest that here in the first chapter it's a broader thought than just our being brought into blessing. Because when man sinned in the garden, not only did man come under the curse of sin, but the whole creation came under the effects of the curse of sin. It tells us that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain. And this creation is waiting for the redemption. And he's going to take it all back, brethren, not just as creator, but he's going to take it back in redemption.
You get that thought in Revelation 4 and five. In Revelation 4 we have him brought before us more in the aspect of Creator. In Revelation 5 it's in the aspect of Redeemer, and it will be the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said when he saw the Lord Jesus walking here in this world. He said behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. That hasn't happened yet. He's taken away our sin, Our sins are gone.
They are washed in the blood of Jesus, and as far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. But there's a day coming, brethren, when this world is not going to feel the effects of the curse the way it feels them now. Because he's going to take it back and things are going to be brought into blessing, and a king is going to reign in righteousness, and he will have his full exaltation here on this globe, in this world that rejected him and cast him out.
And all how the heart of God is looking forward to that time. Perhaps I could just say in passing to follow what I said earlier, that is that he's seated four times in this book. If you just trace it out, it's very beautiful to see that here in the first chapter he's seated at the right hand of God, having made full atonement in the 8th chapter. In the first verse, he's seated as our high priest, and that's a wonderful thing to be able to look up into the open heavens this afternoon.
And see that there's a man in the glory taking up our interests. One who not only knows our situation, but one who fully understands and feels what each one goes through. Maybe there's someone here and you say, oh, I just don't think anybody knows what I'm feeling. No one understands what I'm going through. There is one. It says that he cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like us. We are yet without sin.
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It behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest. He never passes any of his own through anything, that he as a man hasn't felt himself so that he enters into it and suckers with us for us fully. Then we find in the 10th chapter he seated, and there he seated, having offered himself as the supreme sacrifice. And there it's in connection with our being brought into blessing, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins.
Forever sat down on the right hand of God. And then in the 12Th chapter he is seated as the object for faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. That's the object for us as we pass through this world in the path of faith. Well, I just mentioned this because I think it helps us to see the again the character of Hebrews bringing before us an exalted, glorified Christ.
And one who's seated at the place of power. And that's the one thing that's consistent in all those four portions that we mentioned.
It is the place of power.
These little phrases are linked together.
In such a majestic way, upholding all things by the word of His power.
Think of it, brethren, when he was just born and laid, as was mentioned in that Manger, seemingly helpless little babe, but at the same time upholding the whole universe by the word of his power. How can we understand that the mind doesn't grasp such a thing, but it makes us fall and worship Brethren when we consider think of him when he was hanging on that cross and those intense agonies.
Of the hours of darkness, at the same time he was upholding the whole universe.
By the word of his power.
What a guy.
And that is we have in this verse.
Race and it is not mentioned, but I think we need to take it into consideration because.
Recently to begin reading again in Genesis and in Exodus. And there we have the Lord. What brother brought before us in the address was.
The manner and you know, it struck me that the Lord told them, Moses told them that they were together manna, just for a day.
And they didn't do that. They didn't listen.
They went on out the next day and then on the 6th day he told them gather for two days. Well no, they weren't going to do that. They'd wait till the next day and they'd gather. Beloved. What I'm trying to say is hear early in scripture God was speaking to his people. God who in sundry times and divers manners he spoke in times past and he spoke plainly to them and they didn't listen. And then we have.
The the prophets we have Isaiah, we have Ezekiel, Jeremiah.
And all the minor prophets He was speaking to his people, and they would not hear.
They went on and like when Jeremiah, when he revealed what God had to say to them, they say we will not. So what we see here in this first verse is the matchless grace of God, because he spake and spake again and again to the fathers, and they did not hear.
Now we come to this and he says, now he's speaking to us by his son and son. Sometimes one wonders, it's like the good man that let out his vineyard. And and so it comes to the point, he says, what shall I do? Well, it almost makes one think. In the 400 years of silence, we'd almost say, God is saying, oh, what can I do with this people? What can I do? Well, I know what I'll do. I'll send my son.
And so, beloved, now we have what we're taking up here in the Hebrews. All that has passed is matchless grace, because he he could have easily done what our brother mentioned in the Corinthians, where he destroyed them in the wilderness. Why would he patiently wait for them? Because he's a God of love. He's a God of love. And so to manifest that love, he sent his son. And that's what we've been Speaking of, is his son beloved.
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It's matchless grace. It's not mentioned here.
But it is nothing but grace that we are able to be here today and speak about that son. And so I trust that the young people as well as we are older, will get a grasp of what is each, excuse me, that is actually what we are reading here. It's a matchless grace of God that he is speaking in son. And so we have. And then I'd like to say also in About the Shadow, you know, one is often thought about the illustration.
We have that intense chapter, don't we? And I've often thought, you know, we've been speaking about the universe and the things outside. Many of us have seen an airplane go over. And perhaps between the son and myself or yourself, the airplane passed through. You've seen the shadow. And so, well, not too long afterwards that plane lands. And so then we come to the epistle of John, and he could say that which we have seen.
That we have handled with our hands. You can go to that airplane and you can lay hands on. Well, that's what the apostles did. That's what China. We laid our hands on him. We've touched him. We've touched who. We've touched Emmanuel. God with us, beloved. That's what we're talking about here today. We're talking about God with us, no longer his servants, but himself with us.
Rather than because these first verses.
I believe if we appreciate them according to the spirit of God will lead us to be worshippers of God. I say that again will make us to be worshippers of God. The first chapter of Hebrews does not bring in the sufferings of Christ. It does not bring in the name Jesus. That's chapter 2 subject. If we see this first chapter in its setting for us, it is God speaking to us.
In sun. And so God has come out in such a way. He says, I'm going to speak to you and you're going to see me in all the full expression of what I am for you. We have people today who say, well, I wish I could know God. And I think of Einstein was a great scientist of this century and was used to allow to see something of the workings of the universe and so on. And he observed it. And he said, well, there's got to be a maker of all this. There's got to be a God. But.
That's not the expression of the fullness of his person. God has come out to us in Son, and he has made himself known to us that we might know him, that we might be worshippers of Him. And so I think we need to give emphasis to it while we exalt Christ. It's the sun revealing God to us that is the subject of the Spirit of God in the first chapter. In the second chapter, Jesus is introduced.
Lowness and his place. But here it's not his loneliness. It's the exaltation of who he is in his person that has given emphasis to. That's why he isn't raised from the dead. Here he seats himself Who but a divine person has the right to sit down and take a place greater than angels. As a man only that would be inappropriate behavior. In the second chapter, he's made a little lower than the angels.
In this chapter he sits himself and it says being made so much better than the angels, but really it's taking a place so much better than the angels. That was his right to take such a place to sit himself down there. Why? Because it's God revealing himself to us that we might become worshippers of our God and of his Son, and so it's both. But here it's particularly the emphasis is to teach us to know our God in a way that the Jewish believer.
Never knew his God. God was at a distance. God was behind the veil. God was too holy to come near to. But in Hebrews we draw near unto our God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is exalted before our souls as the one that has brought us to God. But the glory God has spoken to us. What does that make us think of ourselves and our place? Not so much, or it's not intended so much to think of ourselves and our benefit, but it's the glory to God that he would do such a thing.
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That are the God of all the universe would say, I'm going to speak to you.
Not just in my creation, although I will do that, but also I'm going to come right down.
So that when you ask me in Jesus who he says he that has seen me.
Has seen the Father. And even in this chapter in verse six it says unto the Son, Isaiah thy throne, oh God, thy throne, oh God, giving emphasis to who this person is in his glory, in His Majesty, in the display of himself, in contrast really to his humiliation, to his loneliness, in the in the Manger, and so on, which blessed be God, he did. But here it's that we might see the greatness of him rather than the loneliness of him.
That we might worship him.
It's important to see that worship is really.
Because of who he is more than what he has done, we praise him for what he has done. We worship him for who he is. Look at those seven statements in verse two and three. Only one of them refers to his work directly, Brethren, only one.
And I often think if in our praise and worship of the Lord Jesus on Lords Day morning, we often think of what He did for us. Not that that's wrong, that's all right in this place, but I think it would really deepen our worship and our expressions of praise.
If we would remember more, who was it that hung on that cross?
Who was it that gave his life for us? It was no mere man that hung there. And I don't think we get, I have to say, from my own self OFT times we don't get very far past the fact that he simply died for our sins, which is right and good and proper, But, oh brethren, so much more the glories of his Person, this one that it says in verse three there when he had by himself purged our sins, there's his work.
He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Think of it, when he was purging our sins, it was by himself.
No one, absolutely no one, could participate in what was done there. When the Ark was going to cross the Jordan River, there had to be a space of 2000 cubits. There was a space there, brethren, that no one could follow him.
There by himself. And think of it. He's hanging on that cross in the intensest agonies, being made, sin in the full weight of God's judgment, falling upon him for those sins, and then God forsaking him at that awful, awful, awful moment.
He yes, he knew what it means to be alone by himself.
No one of us will ever be alone like he was alone. There's a lot of lonely people in the world. But isn't it wonderful that we know one who knows what means to be alone like no one else could ever know it? He was by himself. He made the purgation of our sins. It's the person that gives weight to the work, isn't it? We don't want to reduce the truth to secular history this afternoon.
But if you read the history of the Roman Empire, you'll find that there were many who died on Roman crosses.
For one reason or another. But none ever would or could die for my sins. It took that perfect, sinless Son of God. That's the sacrifice without spot and without blemish. And perhaps that's one reason why when we are gathered on Lord's Day morning, he says this do in remembrance of me. It's true we do remember the work, we do remember him in death. But, brethren, it's the person that gives weight to the work.
And it's by himself. And then I'd like to just stress what Don said, because if you again if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, he sat himself down. Now it's true in Ephesians one God has set him there, as we were saying earlier, as his proof is Amen to the work of Calvary. But here he sets himself down. When I was in business, I'd often be called to do a job for a large company or corporation and I would go in and service or install their equipment as was required.
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And then I usually head at the end of the work, an interview with the man who hired me, and I would be taken into this man's presence to sit down and to go over the work and to present my invoice. But when I sat down in that man's presence, it was rarely with a feeling of real confidence, because there was always in the back of my mind that maybe the work hadn't been done to his satisfaction. Maybe I hadn't included something that he felt should have been included in the contract.
Maybe I had forgot to do something that he felt should have been done. It was rarely with a feeling of real confidence. But oh, think of it, brethren. On the one hand, God seats him. There. On the other hand, with perfect confidence he leaves this earth and returns to God. And in perfect confidence, knowing that nothing had been left undone of the work that had been given him to do here, he could say, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work.
He could say that in utmost confidence, and in perfect confidence he seats himself down. What a feeling must have passed between God the Father and the Son, as God receives him back, fully satisfied, fully glorified, and the sun, in perfect confidence, seats himself down there, rather than what confidence that ought to give us, because that acceptance back to the Father, that confidence in which he goes back and is accepted.
Rather than we have that confidence in Christ, now we're accepted in this one. We can come with holy boldness and confidence because that one has been accepted there, and because he could in confidence seat himself down. Oh, how precious it is to get ahold of this in our souls.
On his Father's throne is seated Christ the Lord, living one all his toil on earth completed all His work for sinners garden in the glory, seeing him, God, eternal God.
From his father's strongest age and.
Why the landing 11 red story longer is complete?
As long as it works for.
The tongue.
And the glory and the glory. And the glory. And the glory. And the glory. And the glory and the glory.
Eternal.
Sun and the Glory and the glory.
Spring in God, sleep clear Mozart.
Greeting cards up now.
It's worth crossing man across here in my Lord.
My favorite cruise paper.
Let the world judge and stand straightforward.
By the glory, by the glory.
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To God.
May the glory by the glory.
Rise was plain.
Rise for the last verse.
Three and six. Another 150.
3.
1000.
Away from rated.
To.
Heavens being.
Awkward.