Hebrews 13:7-13

Hebrews 13:7‑13
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270.
Lower impact operating.
Might suggest that we start at verse 7.
Hebrews 13, verse 7.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God.
Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation? Jesus Christ. The same yesterday and today and forever.
Be not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines. What is a good thing? That the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.
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For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come by Him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account.
That they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will.
Working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written the letter unto you in few words.
Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the Saints they of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all.
Amen.
We were talking a little bit ago, some of us, about what may be coming the previous verse.
Says, I will not fear what man will do unto me. There may be a moment ahead of us coming.
Where we may have to say to the government, no more.
You're forbidding us to meet. We're not listening anymore. You don't want us to do this or that. We will suffer the consequences. We're going to do it anyway.
And if it comes down the road that way, those decisions will be made and we need to say and walk in faith and be able to say we will not fear what man will do unto us and just take the consequences. If day in and day out here month after month and it rolls into years, they forbid people to meet together.
Brother mentioned to me.
That the warning to not forsake the forsake the assembling of yourselves together says even the much the more so as you see the day approaching that may come where we need to just say I will not fear what man shall do unto me and just step forward in faith.
Important that the ones that it speaks of in verse seven and then you'll notice in verse 17 it's the same word and also in verse.
24.
It's mentioned three times. I noticed in the margin it says our guides.
Or Mr. Javi puts leaders and so there are those that God has raised up and through their testimony are such as leaders. Doesn't mean that leaders are devoid of mistakes. Peter was definitely a leader.
But he made some mistakes. Thankfully, he was able.
To be corrected but I think this is important and so in verse 7 the leaders.
Those that have the rule over you are the ones who seemingly.
Have ended. We have the end of their conversation, it's mentioned, or the end of their way of life.
In verse 17, it's those that are today obey them, which have the rule over your leaders and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they must. Give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is improbable for you.
They're not going to give an account for you, but they are going to give an account for how they.
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Were used amongst the people of God in their laborers and then we have it mentioned again in verse 24. Greet those that have the rule over you for your leaders. So it's interesting. This is a principle in the word of God. It's not somebody that we elect.
In certain groups they elect elders. Are there elders amongst us? I do believe so, but they're not named elders.
They're recognized according to their manner of life.
So these are important principles.
It's rather instructive that this is given to us in the last chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, because in the Judaistic economy of things, Judaism was organized, you might say, by God. And those that had authority and those that had took the lead among the people of God were raised up of God and put into that.
Service in connection with the ironic priesthood and the Levitical priesthood. And so they conducted their service in this way, and they had the authority to.
Guide the people of God according to the truth of the Word of God-given to them, and so here.
The apostle mentions these three times, as you mentioned the first verse in verse 7, to remember them which have had, which have had the rule over you, or which the leaders that have gone before that are now with the Lord, who have spoken unto you the word of God. And so they knew the Word of God. They lived by the principles of the Word of God, and they sought to bring before the people of God the word of God. And it's really the will of God and the word of God that ought to govern the assembly.
That's what ought to govern your life privately and my life privately.
But it's the Word of God and the will of God. And then they were to imitate their faith, not to imitate them personally, so to speak in their mannerisms and whatnot, but imitate their faith and to walk and not to forget what they had been taught in the Word of God. And so that other passage that you mentioned, I think is in first Timothy chapter.
Six Is it the to recognize them that are?
It may be a little.
I was thinking chapter 3 where it says where it gives the qualifications for a Bishop and it's interesting that.
Timothy is not told specifically to appoint elders as Titus was, but he was given the qualifications whereby he could recognize those that were such.
Yes. So it's the chapter five, first chapter 5, Let the elders, verse 17, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. So not all of them have the ability to teach, but they knew the doctrines, They knew the principles that the ought to govern the people of God. And so there's oversight. God raises up oversight among his people. We might just turn to Acts chapter 20.
And see there that it's in the sovereignty of God what he does.
Verse 28. Therefore take heed unto yourselves.
And to all the flock over the witch or wherein the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood. So it's the Spirit of God today that raises up those that take the lead that are in oversight, those that are elders, that have experience, that have a steady track record and have walked with God and they.
Are raised up of the Spirit of God. So you mentioned Titus. Titus has a list in the Spirit of God.
Records that the apostle Paul wrote to Titus and he gives them a list of the qualifications the must haves of one that would be take up that work. But then in Timothy first Timothy chapter 3 goes over almost identical list.
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What's the difference? Well, one really was in connection with the sovereignty of God. At the beginning of the church period, Timothy or Titus was appointed to the apostle to appoint elders, appoint those that would exercise that work of oversight among the people of God. But God loves his people.
He's in the sovereignty of God. He had those appointed when the church was young, but now in the day that we live in.
Why? It's in the grace of God that he raises up by the Spirit.
Those that will take up that work and generally speaking, it has been a thankless work and a difficult work.
The young people with regard to.
This leadership.
And I believe it's first Timothy you have.
The.
One that desired the work of a Deacon.
And that was if, if they desired a work of a Deacon, it was a, it was a good thing, it was commendable. And the work of a Deacon is, is is is something different than the work of a, an overseer or an elder.
A Bishop. And yet I believe that.
It's often proven that God will take a Deacon who has been faithful in serving the Saints in whatever way God has put them, whatever work he's given them, and however he's asked them to serve and help and nurture the Saints that it's in that.
Capacity that growth takes place.
And one.
Grows in the mind of God and it's a further I believe it's fertile ground for growth. So the oftentimes I'm not saying that the Scripture doesn't necessarily tell us that you have to be a Deacon first before you're a Bishop, but.
Faithful.
Faithfulness leads to. Fruitfulness leads to.
An expanded heart.
And then oftentimes an expanded sphere of service and so.
If if there's a young brother or I believe that there were deaconesses in Scripture, I believe so Sisters just as well.
You know, the new, new life that God has given us will naturally have a desire to serve that new life. It will.
It will produce.
A Christ likeness, He was the perfect servant. And so if there's a longing in your heart.
To serve the Saints the testimony of God.
It may well lead in time because there's a there's qualifications there. In both Timothy and Titus, there's qualifications and that usually, and I think it always does, lead through the raising of a family.
And the experience, that one.
Goes through the process of being in places of responsibility within our own families, which leads to.
Um, experience and then.
That often opens the door for God to broaden service and become a Father. I believe that.
Often times.
Overseeing and being a spiritual father go together. I think they they probably need to to be effective and so but I just encourage those of you that are younger.
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This often begins with the desire to just do whatever God would put before you.
In very small.
Not going to look like a whole lot.
Just helping, but it leads on to a place possibly where there is wisdom and discernment.
For being put in a place of.
Responsibility amongst the flock of God.
I wonder if we see that in the 1St Corinthians 16 to turn to it. But Paul writes, I beseech you, brother, and you know the House of Stefanus, that is the first fruits of IKEA, that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints. So here's a household that, as you say, was addicted to serving the Saints and no doubt in a very practical way. But then it goes on to say that you submit yourselves.
Unto such, and to everyone that helpeth with us, and labor. And you know, if we know that there is that love and care, that it's not difficult to submit at all, is it?
Principle an Old Testament picture of it in Joshua. Let's just look at Joshua chapter one.
Verse one says Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass.
That the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of none, Moses minister or Moses attendant, saying, Moses, my servant is dead. We don't need to go into the history of Joshua, but this dear man Joshua identified first in the Exodus chapter 17. He was fighting with Amalek the flesh, and he was used of God to in company with Moses and he was an attendant. He labored together with Moses, but in Moses shadow and.
He was, his brother, Phil pointed out, maybe doing The Dirty work behind the scenes, and he was doing a work of service quietly behind the scenes. And that's how we learn in the ways of God. To become useful in the things of God is to work in the shadow and in the assistance of those that God has already raised up, that there might be learning a time of, you might say, an apprenticeship, and how the Lord.
The lights to have it that the older brother walk in fellowship with the younger brethren and the younger brethren do not rise up against those that God has used in oversight in the assembly, but they imitate the faith and they submit as verse 17 gives us not obey a clergy or anything like that, but they submit and they submit to the judgment of their older brother. And I think it's in First Thessalonians chapter 5. It says and be at peace among yourselves.
And so that's how there's peace brought into the assembly if there's that spirit of submission to those that are in oversight. You have mentioned that they might not be features and they might not.
In First Epistle of Timothy, chapter 3, where it gives one of the lists, verse 2, the last part of the verse, it says they must be apartment to teach. I was thinking as you spoke, Robert, there might actually be a situation where there's an older godly brother who's an elder.
Who sits at the feet of a younger brother who's a teacher?
They submit to one another in their capacity and their service for the Lord. And when wisdom is needed for guidance, the younger brother, who's maybe a gifted teacher, needs to listen to the guidance he receives from his elder. What does it mean to be apartment to teach?
In Second Timothy, chapter 2.
In verse 24, it doesn't let any of us out, says in the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apartment to teach.
Well, I would suggest that something like this. My father was definitely an elder, but he was not a gifted speaker, but one-on-one. He could teach and lay out an outline of the word of God to somebody, and he did that both.
In the gospel and in giving counsel.
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That having that ability and seeking it from the Lord to at least be able to do that one-on-one.
I think to seek to be apartment to teach would fit that.
Stephen was a Deacon in Acts Chapter 6.
And he evidently was faithful. He was a man filled with the Spirit of God.
And when you come to Acts Chapter 7, what a man to take the scriptures and teach them. And so it is like you say, Phil, to be faithful in what is little. Sometimes we don't put any importance on things that are small, but he that is faithful and that which is little.
Is faithful also, and much. I encourage you to be faithful and to cultivate fellowship with your older brethren too.
I think it is very healthy situation. I just want to connect verse seven of our chapter to verse 8 because it says the end of verse seven considering the end of their conversation.
What was it? Jesus Christ? The same yesterday and today and forever. I think it helps to connect those two.
It's Christ before the soul, and that's what's important, to lead them into the enjoyment, our younger brethren, into the enjoyment of the person of our Lord Jesus.
Chapter 10, which starts the foundation on which these exhortations are based. Chapter 10, it's the just shall live by faith. And then in Chapter 11 we have a list of those who live by faith.
And then in Chapter 12, turning really from that set of people that we can benefit from examining their lives of faith and how they live by faith, we have the perfect example of someone who lived by faith.
And that is, in chapter 12 we're turned to and at verse one to looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.
This is chapter 12 is not his atonement that's in view. It's not the work he did on the cross that's before us here. It's his life of faith. And we're told look to Jesus and look at that perfect life of faith and look what he endured in it. He looked at this. He was despised in his life of faith, but he looked beyond it.
To.
Of that which he now has as the God-given to him to set down on the right hand of the throne of God. So then in verse three of that chapter, he then turns to us the writer, and he says, now consider him.
And so when you get to the 13th chapter, you have another set of people and they're introduced to us in verse seven. Remember them which take the lead among you. What is it you're to consider about them, their faith?
That is, here is another class of those whose lives were characterized by faith.
And you?
If we'll say if you're younger, there's been a lot of comment about younger and older. There are those that we look to and we look at their conversation. That is their life and we look at it and we see a life of faith.
And what does that intended to do to us? It's intended to, and we're exhorted to listen to what they said.
That is in verse seven, remember them who have spoken unto you the word of God. And what gives? Practically speaking, and is an exercise to one that's older. Has my life been characterized by faith?
In a way that would cause a younger one to listen to the word of God.
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Given to them or a word spoken to them? Or is it like the world says your life speaks so loudly I can't hear what you say? In other words, if the life is not consistent with the words and it does not demonstrate.
That it is a hindrance rather than a help sometimes to someone to be following the Word even though it's a true word. And yet the exhortation here is that followed in verse 8 by going back to the Lord Jesus in verse 12. His life was the same.
Consistency characterized his life. There's more to it, and the more it'll be said about verse 8, but in this sense of it.
His life was perfectly consistent. He wasn't hot one day and cold the next in the life of faith, but rather he walked in a consistent way. And so he then contrasts that in verse 9 because it's all connected thought. He says be not carried away with diverse and strange doctrines. Why? Because the person described in verse seven walked consistently in the Word of God.
And wasn't carried away by divers and strange doctrines. And so when we look at them and we imitate that word of God-given to them, we are imitating a word which isn't going to be one thing today and something tomorrow and a different thing another day. But it is that which will keep us in a consistent path of faith according to God's mind. And then he says one more thing.
Let the heart be established in grace.
So important.
If one is going to take the lead among his brethren, that it not have the spirit of legality.
That it has the Spirit of Christ and grace, and that that spirit characterized one who takes the lead.
And then those who come along under that character are enabled to follow and imitate the manner of life, the faith that was exhibited, the consistency of walk that isn't constantly going this way and that way. And finally, it's a life that the Lord Jesus perfectly exhibited. Faithfulness, but perfect grace.
Maybe just a further thought as to what we have in verse 7 here. Who have spoken unto you the word of God?
No, scripture is like private interpretation and I've wondered if the thought there if you turn back to.
Acts chapter 20 that we had read to us.
Acts Chapter 20.
Must have been a burden for the apostles to call the oversight and emphasis together.
To know that as he spoke to them in verse 28 here that was read to us. Take thee therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers.
The first thing that he mentions here is that those in oversight.
Are characterized by providing food for the church, so he says here.
To feed the Church of God.
Now just hold your finger there.
And turn over to first Peter.
In first Peter.
And chapter 5.
But we have Peter addressing those in oversight.
And he said, The elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory, shall be revealed. Now he states exactly the same thing.
That what should characterize those in oversight is they provide food. So he says here feed the flock of God. And I take it from the Scripture that you referred us to Brother Robert in first Timothy, that the statement that those that rule well would suggest that there are perhaps those that don't rule well. And so I think Peter addresses those here by saying here.
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Feed the clock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight theory thereof, not by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. And then you suggest you're not as being Lords over God's heritage, but being models. And then he brings before us the Chief Shepherd, that perfect example. But go back now to Acts chapter 20.
Because I believe as the.
Apostle addressed those in Ephesus. We have a we have a progression perhaps in in what is written to those in Ephesus. We have three different epistles to the Ephesians. We have this one. We have one in Ephesus and then we have one, of course in Revelation. But what the apostle Paul saw on the horizon here was a difficulty with those in oversight. It was a very real thing. And so he says here.
In Acts chapter 20, verse 189 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. OK, so he's suggesting that there are going to be some that are brought in that were not good. But then he addresses those that are right there amongst them. And so he says also in verse 30 also of among yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.
And this is a sad line of things to have to address, but it's real because we've seen it time and time again. In my own life, I've been affected very heavily by 7 different divisions and it's never been among the young people. It has always been amongst those who are in a position of oversight. The point is that everyone, whether they're young or whether they're in a position of oversight.
Are accountable.
Everyone of us is accountable, and if we see someone that's in a position of oversight and their ministry is not food for the people of God, it should set up a warning signal. That's why I believe both the Apostle Paul and Peter addressed that line of things with oversight. And isn't it true that if that exhortation hadn't been received?
In Acts, and also that which was provided in the Epistle of the Ephesians. If that had been received, then perhaps John would not have addressed, have had to address those in a position of oversight and emphasis that he does in Revelation.
Just wonder why you just share. You just shared.
Ministry that was given to Peter.
For the Saints.
That had to do with the fact Peter was an agent elder and he, he was a father to the to the children of God. And if we, if we turn on them to 1St John, we'll get the heart of another father.
And I just want to make mention of of one thing which has been an exercise of my soul.
As to whatever extent the Lord uses this vessel for the encouragement of the Lord's people.
It says in verse two of first John one, for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you eternal life. You know, it's been my desire to whatever extent I understand.
The truth of God, not just to be a mouthpiece for it.
But that I might show.
That the Saints of God, what the truth is.
It's almost as though the Spirit of God has worked in my soul. I would rather show.
Until I don't do a very good job at that, but I do long that that would be the truth. That would be the reality of whatever extent the Lord uses this vessel and.
The apostle John, he he knew what eternal life was.
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He knew because he had seen it. Someone had showed it to him.
And.
That should be our desire too, that.
We might show those that we're seeking to encourage and strengthen and build up and lead along the reality of the truth of God.
Burton of Impossible Acts 20 was the pretty much.
There, but before he spoke, he laid out what his life had been, how he had been amongst them. And I just was thinking of that as we were speaking, considering the end of their conversation, their manner of life, that Paul could, could speak to those Ephesian elders there and speak begin. He begins by Speaking of his life serving the Lord.
With all humility of mind, we says earlier on that you know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears of temptations and so forth. And he says how I kept back nothing that was profitable. And you have showed you and taught you publicly and so forth. And then later on in the chapter he speaks about how he coveted no man's silver or gold.
So forth. He administered verse 35 and showed you all things now that so labour and you ought to support the weak and so forth, so forth. To your point, though, I just was thinking that Apostle Paul before he ever even you might say, laid out the truth that was that matter of life that was going to display that that truth that he was laying out was a reality in his own soul.
I think that's why whole ship is, isn't it? It's learning not only by what is said, but by what is seen. And I must say in my younger days traveling with some of my older brother, and it was such a lesson to me not only to listen to them, but to see how they handled situations. And so the Lord said make disciples. And I think discipleship is an important thing, but I want to emphasize again the question of.
Of feeding the flock of God, how important food is.
What was it that brought Naomi back from Moab to Israel? It was she heard that the Lord had visited His people and giving them bread. What was it that brought the prodigal son home from the far country? It was how many servants of my father have bred enough and despair. How pertinent it is, brother, God's people are not fed on contention.
They're fed on solid food and so how important the reading meetings and going over the scriptures consistently and I was thinking about what Don mentioned in verse 9 about the importance of grace by the the.
Admonition is not to be carried about with diverse and strange doctrines. Sometimes we get occupied with diverse and strange doctrines. That's not the important thing. It's to give them a solid food from Scripture. How important that is.
There's talks about, I think in Ephesians four of the Winds of Doctrine.
And there are people that get caught up with this wind of doctrine and then another wind of doctrine. I sometimes say piece of paper outside that is caught with the wind and carried away One Direction and then another, that piece of paper is going to land in the garbage. So let's be careful not to get caught with winds of doctrine. But.
Be occupied giving God's people solid food.
From the scriptures and here in verse 8, the person of the Lord Jesus to focus on him, how important to relate it to him.
Brother Don mentioned something in combination with Brother Dave had said that. I think it's really important the troubles that have come from older ones. They may have had a consistent life for a long time, but what Brother Don mentioned is a red flag.
Mr. Darby, I don't know where the quotes from and I think brother monks, the one that told it to me years ago and the quote goes like this.
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When practice declines, practice is pressed, and that's exactly the wrong thing. It is grace. So as Brother Don said, if the spirit of legality comes in and the spirit of grace departs, and that teacher who once maybe was very good.
Is characterized by that. That's a red flag. It's a huge red flag. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong.
It's really bringing out here in this passage the potential for mixture or the attempt to mix Judaism and Christianity. So the law was given by Moses and it was due. It was perfect and the ways of God it was presented with the were types and shadows and the children of Israel had the five books of Moses and but when the Lord Jesus was rejected, he was crucified.
Died upon the cross, shed his precious blood. The test of the 1St man.
Was over. And so God set aside Judaism and officially set it aside, you might say, in the AD 70 when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. And so Christianity is not an addition or an improvement of Judaism. It's entirely distinct. And So what he's saying here is that the heart, the affections need to be established with the grace. Grace came by Jesus Christ. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, that is that we have an approach to God that they did not have. And we come directly in the presence of God. Every one of us is a priest and we have the liberty of those that come in the very presence of the Lord. He's saying don't go back to Judaism. Don't mix it in. Don't try to adopt some of the principles of Judaism.
I'll appreciate the grace of God.
That brought us into His presence with full liberty of those that are the sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, and to offer our sacrifices of praise and Thanksgiving to God in His very presence. So he's giving this as a warning, perhaps from verse 9/10/11.
Not to adopt anything that would be of Judaism and to just be so thankful for the grace of God.
I think I enjoyed the thought here in in relation to that. Look at this in Second Kings for the effect of what that would have.
Look at.
Verse second Kings four and verse 38 And Elijah came again to give God, and there was a dearth in the land, in the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
And he said unto his servant, Sit on the great pot, and see pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field together, herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap pool, and came and shred them into the pot, the pottage where they knew them not. This verse 40 was thinking. So they poured out for the men to eat, and it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage.
That they cried out and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot and they could not eat thereof. That's the effect of bringing in Judaism. It's poison in the pot, isn't it? And to bring it into the assembly, that's what happens. It's death, isn't it?
Remedy. It's really Christ himself that's wonderful to see in those Old Testament types.
There are more overt types, though dangers, and we could bring in some of the types, some of the forms that Judaism had. And Christianity hasn't by large adopted large buildings that they sometimes even call a temple. And they have a special group of men that they call priests or pastors even, and they have special robes and they have choirs and so on and so forth. And so he's warning against this and in the simplicity.
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Of Christianity, that which glorifies Christ, he says. You have an altar, you have an approach to God that those Old Testament Saints never had. Oh, how thankful we ought to be, brethren.
Also.
We introduced the thought of the old man in connection with They have no right to eat of this altar.
And so all that was was established in Judaism was established around Adam.
And Adam has no right to eat of this altar and we we need to realize that.
It's in our new position of being in Christ that we enter in to the blessings of, of, of worship and of new creation. And when we see the efforts and the energies of the first man introduced, all of those things that you just mentioned, the buildings and the robes and and the the rituals, all of those things attract.
Man in the flesh and in and Christianity.
Man in the flesh is seen at the foot of the cross.
And he's never.
He never takes another step from there in the reality of the truth of Christianity.
So the danger to us, are we likely to start building temples and do that? What's the instruction to us? What's the danger that we have in our day, at our time, at our moment in history that can be introduced that would change that rather?
I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were directing that at me, so my mind wandering.
Well, then this, what's the danger to us? What can we introduce that will interfere with this? What are we likely to do? Are we going to build a temple? No, we're not going to do that. We're not going to bring back a lot of these Judaistic practices. We're not going to do that. But we can do something that will interfere. What is it? Well, anytime we, anytime we fall from grace, we place ourselves under law. We reintroduce the energy of man in the flesh.
I don't know if that's what you have in mind. Well, principles are rule keeping.
To constrain what? Because there's a lack of faith and people need to be constrained, we'll introduce them back to the preciousness of their Savior, introduce them back to grace, introduce them back to The Who they are in Christ, and they'll be just fine. Don't put rules on them. It won't work.
Versus everything. So you ask, in verse 10 we have an altar. What is our altar? It gives what our altar is in verse.
15.
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise. So Christ is the altar. By him we offer praise to God.
In a circumstance, Christ is the altar, Christ is the priest, and Christ is the sacrifice. And so it's relating it to him, to his person. And so it's not anything of the formalities of that Jewish system, it's his person.
And if I turn aside from Christ?
Then I don't have a right to eat at this altar.
There are three things that characterize Christianity that did not characterize Judaism, and you have in verse 12, the first of them it says wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood. So the blood of Christ is one of the things that is unique.
To Christianity and that God has given us in Christianity that sets us apart from everything that ever was before in Judaism, and gives us the value of the person, the work of Christ. Then we have His reproach as well in verse 13. Let us go forth therefore unto Him.
Without the camp bearing his reproach. So if we go outside of all of that organized religion that that system of things that.
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Imitates Judaism, perhaps what we might even call the camp today. Mr. Dunlop, Brother Dunlop has a nice little pamphlet that What is the camp? What is it? I believe it is. I don't know if BTP has it here or not, but.
It's a nice little exposition of that expression, but there's his reproach. There was no reproach in connection with the God of Israel in Judaism. If they walked in Solomon's day and all the power that in display of that power. But then the third thing is his name in verse 15 by him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continue. That is fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
So his blood.
His reproach and his name.
Call, beloved brethren, what a treasure we have the blood of Christ.
And the privilege of bearing the reproach of Christ.
And of bearing his name in the day that we live in. It's a real privilege.
It's like you've mentioned in verse 11 Says for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. You go back to Leviticus 16, which is the chapter where we have the great Day of atonement. We have that mentioned if you look at verse.
27.
It says and the Bullock for this sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering.
Whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place shall one carry forth without the camp, and they shall burn in the fire, their skins, and their flesh, and their dawn.
So that's a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 12 it goes on to explain that wherefore Jesus also.
That he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Of course, like you say, the camp is Judaism that they were called out of. The Lord Jesus presented himself to that Judaistic system and in fact they said we have no place for this person in this system and they took him outside.
The city of Jerusalem and nailed him to a cross.
Is there a place for us in this system? Now I think we get the picture that there is really no place. And so we're called out of it as well in verse 13. Let us there. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp bearing.
His reproach?
Somebody made the comment and I have enjoyed it.
I think this is the middle verse of this chapter.
And.
Of this 13th verse, I think there's 13 words and the middle word is.
Brethren, that's the point of attraction unto him.
Is there something else in the religious system that exists that attracts us? Let us go forth, therefore unto Him, without the camp bearing his reproach.
Something else that I think is important to recognize.
And that is?
The Epistle to Hebrews was written to Jews.
Not Gentiles. It was written to Jewish people.
Who had embraced the faith?
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. And now they became Christian. But their whole mindset, their whole life from their birth on, had been in a system called Judaism. And it's important to recognize that the system of Judaism was established not by man, but by God. It was God's organized way in which the people, the Jewish people, were to have a relationship to God.
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Established at the time of Moses and still recognized by God when the Lord Jesus came.
And the Lord Jesus himself lived his life inside.
That system.
He observed the Sabbath as a godly Jew. He obeyed the 10 commandments for Jesus as a godly Jew. And so it was important that here in the writing to the Hebrews, they were being taught that they had to leave it. Yes, it had been badly corrupted, the leaders of it.
We're living in such a way that they had no place for the Lord Jesus in the system and they cast him out.
And so it was something that here they were being taught that Judaism as a religion given of God, did not establish a foundation in which man could approach God under the system established by God.
There wasn't a single Jew that had liberty to come into the presence of Jehovah. Not one, because the way of approach had not been established after Nadab and Abihu in the very early.
Sin, even those who could get into the Tabernacle itself as priests, was limited. The high priest, only once a year could go into the Most Holy Place, and everybody held their breath as to whether he would come out alive.
Including himself.
But I'm saying all these things, brethren, because I don't know anybody in this room that was born in that system. I'm not aware of anybody. Bill Weiss is not here, so I'm not aware of anybody who was born a Jew. And there are certain things here, Peter said maybe you don't say it. Peter said Paul says some stuff to us. It's pretty hard to understand.
He was having trouble Peter understanding how to get outside the system that had been established by God and under which he lived his whole life until the Lord Jesus he became a follower.
And I don't want to go too much farther in this except to bring a parallel that's very important. And that is, yes, it's been said and we need to heed it, that it's very easy for man in the flesh to like a set of rules and want to go back under the principles of Judaism.
Even if not going under the system itself as given of God. But here's here's my point brethren, you were born a Gentile.
And as a Gentile, like the Jew had to leave a system, so you have to leave something too, and that is the world.
You were born into the world.
And it says.
Worldlings, there's idols. Not the idols of Judaism or what was substituted, but the world is full of things to grab your heart and cause you to live here as the center of your being. And then the example of an epistle not written to the Jew, but to the Gentile.
To the Thessalonians, and he says to them in the first chapter, You turn to God from idols.
And that's what we have had to do, to turn to God from the idols that control the world in which we live. He turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait from his for his Son from heaven. We have to live in the world, but in spirit we have to leave it. And a great danger for us in this room particularly is that we try to mix the two.
The Gentiles so easily and we so naturally, we want to have the hope of the Lord's coming. We want to come together and remember him on the Lord's day. But at the same time we rather enjoy naturally to have some of what the world gives to us. And we are exhorted in a similar way to what's given here. Are we willing to turn our back, if you will, to leave the world system as a system?
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To become a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ outside of that system.
And that's a very real challenge that we face every day because you go to work every day, and there is that which will draw your mind and your heart if you occupy yourself with the news or with the television set or what's available on the Internet with your cell phone, it's all drawing your heart, if it can, back into the world.
And so there's a very real importance of getting the exhortations here and also being able to apply them to us as Gentiles and get the parallelism between leaving the system of Judaism, which is man after the flesh but organized of God until Christ came with a world system that began when a long time ago.
The world began when Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.
To live his life without the Lord. And that's the beginning of what we call the world today. And it's we wouldn't say, oh, I'm going to leave the Lord out of my life. But again, I say a great danger for us that will make it difficult for us to fulfill these exhortations is if we try to mix the two.
But the same.
Constraining power that took the Jew out of the system of Judaism.
Was the constraint of the love of Christ and that's the same constraining power that draws your heart and mind out of the world to be focused upon himself and the apostle Paul is a patterned St. could say for me to live as Christ. That was the consuming object and interest.
Of Everett, and I put it this way, decision he made in his life. What is it that I'm going to do today that is going to give me to know him better?
Prayer number 46 in the back of the book.
Could we also sing 312 #312?
Congratulations.
We.
All.
A loving God and our Father, we thank thee for thy love for thy.