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Lord, what is vanity?
Danger, glory, righteousness, and craziness.
When people immersed in life all right.
Hebrews, chapter 2.
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
For if the words spoken by angels was steadfast, and 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 divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?
For under the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come wherever we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man the dark mindful of him, or the Son of Man? That Thou visited him, Thou maidest him a little lower than the angels, Thou crowned him with glory and honor, and did, did set him over the works of thy hands.
Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet, or in that he put all in subjection under Him. 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 has made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.
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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, in 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 has given me.
For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same 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 lifetimes subject to *******.
Preparely He took not on him the nature of angels, what he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behooves him to be made like unto his brethren.
That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.
To make reconciliation for the sins of the people, or in that He himself hath suffered, being tempted.
He is able to succor them that are tempted.
What's said and been told thought that with privilege comes responsibility. And so in this first chapter we've had the superiority of our Lord over and above the angels that may have been given, and still are for our benefit. So then this chapter starts out with the word. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed so with.
Greater privilege Here again, there's greater responsibility, isn't there?
So the 1St 4 verses are giving us that responsibility.
That is ours and the danger that is involved in it. God tells us wonderful things and blesses us and then brings us into a responsibility connected with what He's given to us. And also the warnings that go with not walking in that which is been given to us to walk in.
And so here for these Hebrew believers, as just mentioned, they were brought from the first chapter and the wonder of his person and the greatness of that one, not to fall back from it, not to go back to the practices that they'd known in Judaism, but rather to go forward into that place of their Lord in chapter one, who was now in the glory and much greater than the hopes that they'd had under the Messiah.
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He was the Messiah, but he was more than that. And now they were separated from the practice of Judaism to embrace Christianity. And they were being told don't go back. And in fact, he says we he doesn't really treat them here as apostate as what Bob was bringing out later in the book where there were apostates, but rather we need to be warned to and exhorted to walk in that which is given to us.
Third verse here.
It's often used in relation to.
Salvation of the soul.
And we would not object to the use of that expression. Neglectful great salvation, because it's really if a person neglects.
To accept Christ and to bow and.
Repentance toward him they will.
They will be in a lost eternity, but I think perhaps the.
The primary application is to the nation of Israel.
They were under the.
******* of the Roman power.
That was because of their own sin.
They sent him John eight. We have never been in ******* to any man, but at that very time they were in ******* to the Romans.
They royally hated it and had insurrections and so on.
We are told, but.
The Lord preached the gospel of the Kingdom. It said that the first began to be spoken by the Lord. I don't think that refers to the gospel of the grace of God, but the gospel of the Kingdom. Now had they as a nation?
Bowed to their Messiah and acknowledged Him. They would have escaped.
The judgment that was coming upon the nation when Titus moved in in 70 AD and.
Destroyed Jerusalem and a million Jews were either taken captive or put to death. I think that's the salvation that is referred to here by the apostle.
And they refused their Messiah.
He was he preached the gospel of the Kingdom.
And it was confirmed as we mentioned this morning by the.
The apostles during the early.
Period of the Church's history, there were many signs and wonders that confirmed the Word. And really, as we said, the Lord would have come back to set up the Kingdom in power and glory, have the nation.
Repented and accepted their Messiah even up to the time of Stephen's martyrdom.
But this Gospel of the Kingdom now is postponed, and we no longer preach the Gospel of the Kingdom per Southeast.
We preach the gospel of the grace of God, but that was not actually the gospel that the Lord preached in Marks Gospel and Matthew at the beginning of his ministry. It was the gospel of the Kingdom.
But.
They having refused their.
Messiah and then sent a man after saying we will not have this man to reign over us in the martyrdom of Stephen.
They were going to come under that judgment, a temporal judge, that temporal judgment.
May in fact, the apostles said, save yourself from this untoward generation separate from the nation that is rejecting their Messiah, so that you don't come under the judgment.
That is before them.
Because of their their rebellion against the.
The truth of the Word of God and their Messiah and the gospel of the Kingdom. Is that right?
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It's the subject of angels in verse 2.
And it says in the book of the Acts, Stephen, when he's talking to the Jewish people in before the Sanhedrin in Chapter 7, he says the law was given by disposition of angels, so that the.
Words spoken by angels was steadfast.
In every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. How shall we escape which neglect, who 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 will. So that was the testimony in the beginning of the Church age that there were signs and wonders and diverse miracles. God showing that this was a worker, that he was behind.
And then he continues with the angels in verse 5. For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak.
God used his angels to control government powers today and it's interesting if you look in the book of Daniel, it's often been noticed that in both Chapter 9 and chapter 10 of Daniel, Daniel is praying and in Chapter 9 he gets his answer immediately.
Gabriel came and gave him the answer, but in chapter 10 it's the answer is delayed for three weeks. And when the answer comes by the Angel, he says, I've been with the Prince of Persia and now that I go, I'm going to the Prince of Greece. It shows that in government circles there are Angelica influences.
Both on the part of Satan and the part of God. Sometimes when we look at what's happening in our government today and the conflict there is, brethren. That's why we are to pray for those in authority because there is spiritual conflict going on there. Angelic beings on the part of God and the part of Satan as well. To take things in the direction that Satan wants. But God is over all and he will have the last word.
And it will all conform to His will in the end. But it is very interesting to see that God uses angelic beings in the government of the world today, but in that future day He's not subjected the world to come to angels.
Angel, who will still be present, but it is to men.
So we are told in the Book of Revelation that we shall reign over the earth.
We are going to be those in connection with the Lord Jesus who is the King of kings that will have those positions of government in the earth. And so it's not to angels that he's submitted the world to come. Who is it? It's to men and more especially to that man who is the Son of man.
Tremendously interesting title, The Son of Man that we have in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Look at Daniel Chapter 7 just for a few moments.
Where you have that title mentioned.
I'm going to read a few verses here because I think it is so majestic.
Daniel 7 verse nine I beheld till the Thrones were cast down.
And the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wall. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him.
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Thousands, thousands ministered unto him, and 10,000 * 10,000 stood before him.
And the judgment was set, and the books were opened, And I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horns spake, I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a time, a season and a time. Verse 13. And I saw in the night visions.
And behold, one like the Son of Man, came with the clouds of heaven.
And came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him, and there was given him dominion and glory, and a Kingdom that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away in his Kingdom, which shall not be destroyed.
And now look at a little further on in the chapter.
Verse 21 And I beheld in the same horn made war with the Saints, prevailed against them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given to the Saints of the Most High, and the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom. So it's interesting the Ancient of Days is mentioned both in verse nine and verse 22.
And what is mentioned here in verse 13 is.
That one, like the Son of Man, we know, that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
Was brought before him, but in verse 22, the Ancient of Days.
Is the Lord Jesus himself?
It corresponds to what we have in the first chapter of Revelation, where the Lord Jesus is seen.
As his hair as white as wool.
So it's the Lord Jesus, the Ancient of Days, but He is the Son of man. He takes His position as a man in connection with the government of this world. So He's not put into the hands of angels, the world to come, but one in a certain place. Going back to Hebrews 2, verse 6.
Testified saying What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
Or the Son of man that thou visited him. There you have that title again.
The Son of Man, what a glorious title, one of the titles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Son of God, but Son of man.
That Israel has rejected their Messiah.
God is now calling out from the Gentiles of people for his own namesake and.
The gospel of the grace of God is what characterizes this dispensation. We're not.
Looking for a better world or the establishment of the Kingdom here like the covenant theologists teach. But we look forward to the Lord's return. We're now separate from the world. So just one dimension that in those early preachings that we have in Acts.
It really was a second opportunity for the nation to receive their Messiah. I'm not sure if you call that the gospel of the Kingdom, but it was giving them a second opportunity to repent and receive their Messiah. Thank you.
I enjoy the way this is Virginia.
Of course we have this is a quotation from the Psalms. What is man that thou art mindful and of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him. But it starts off by saying one in a certain place testifies saying the author I'm sure knew this was David and he could have said David, but rather than this lodge our focus from being on the Lord Jesus. He words it this way and doesn't say David, he just says one in a certain place.
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Question Can you ask why did God have any interest in such a tiny?
Speck of his creation called Earth and those little tiny.
Creatures that are on that earth. Why does God, in the immensity of His being, really have any particular interest in man? But if you look at it and you say His Son became man, then what else does God have interest in? It's the center of all His interest in that which His Son has become and what He is doing through His Son for His own honor and glory.
And so.
We might, if we were God in the greatness of power, look at the earth and what's on it is just a tiny little speck of our created creation. But when we look at the sun that has become the Son of Man, then we can recognize why God has such interest in it. It's this very object of his heart's affection.
And everything that the son is interested in, he's interested in and.
He knows that the Son has said to him, My delights were with the sons of men, and so the Father and the Son have a common interest in us that began before eternity. And so the very center of God's thoughts are now connected with this creation and the head of it which He has made His Son to be a Son of man.
As Messiah he was head over all to the Jew, but he has the much larger title of Son of Man.
As having head over all men, but head over the creation itself and all that God has created.
Is under the hands of the Son of Man.
When God made man in the beginning in chapter one of Genesis, it says.
Let us make man in our image and after our likeness, and let them have dominion.
Over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over.
Every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So the God made Adam and put the whole creation under his dominion. He was to manage it properly. But we know that he fell into sin, and the whole creation fell under the ******* of corruption that we see today, and things are in such terrible disorder.
But now there is a man, another man.
Ahead of a new creation that is going to come into the picture and he says, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou visited us, him. Oh brethren, isn't it amazing that he has taken us into the picture? He's not really thinking about angels, even though they are superior to mankind.
He's thinking about mankind. And so the Lord Jesus became a man. Verse seven says thou mayest him a little lower than the angels. The Lord Jesus, as we said yesterday, passed up angels twice, and here we have him passing up angels on the way down to become a man in this world.
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Oh, what a story it is. Here he was walking as a man through this world, a real man. But then it says He set him over the works of his hands, as put all things in subjection under his feet, For in that he put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him.
So in God's purposes, it's that man that occupies the highest place in the whole creation, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Angels are creatures not subject to death.
Angels don't die.
They're not like man who is a mortal creature subject to death. And so the Lord Jesus in becoming a man becomes in that way inferior to the Angel because he is taking a place where he could die. And it was necessary for him to take that low place in order to be our Savior because the consequences of sin, the Old Testament.
Told us, and we knew as well, the wages of sin is death.
And if he was going to take our place and be our savior, he had to be a person who could die.
And so he becomes a man, and as such takes that lower place in the creation than the Angel had for the suffering of death, and he dies as Savior for us. But God, in exalting him, gives him a place that even the angels are made subject to him. And so he's exalted even as man to a superior place.
In the creation than the Angel who did not have mortality in his being or the subject to dying in his being. And yet God has put him over everything that is created and as son of man, his highest title that he has as man.
I think it was Brother John mentioned yesterday that the Lord Jesus was not subject to death, but he could die as a man.
Because there was number sin there, he was not subject to it, but he chose to die.
In that Amazing Grace, brethren, he came to die. We all are born into this world to live.
But here is one who came into this world without sin.
The Angel said to the Virgin Mary, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
He was completely holy. He was not sinful like we are when we're born.
He was holy, so he was not subject to death, but as a man he could die. And he did take that position to be our substitute, to go to the cross, to answer to God. And as a perfectly subject man, he gives up his Spirit to God. None of us can determine when we're going to die but the Lord Jesus.
Said at the last into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said that, he gave up the ghost, or he died.
But the end of verse 8 says, But now we see not yet all things put under him.
This world continues.
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Recognizing.
The authority of mankind and not the man Christ Jesus. So there are many parts of the world. They may recognize God in a certain way, but we have to say we see not yet all things put under Him. What do we see? We see.
Jesus, that beautiful, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.
Where is he?
Crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God, should taste death for every man.
In that he died. He died unto sin once, in that he lived.
He liveth unto God.
So the Lord was in contact with sin throughout His pathway down here He.
Groaned in spirit at the grave of Lazarus.
He wept with the Soaring Sisters, Mary and Martha. He was in contact with sin throughout his life, but perfectly holy and separation from it.
Then he even became sin, was made sin on the cross. So in that he died, He died unto sin once he completely now is separated from that whole system of rebellion against God and paid the price for our redemption and now in the glory he's.
He is associated us with him in the new creation race.
Actually, the what's just been said also connect that with.
Chapter 9 of Hebrews.
We thought our brother John has just said.
Chapter 9 of Hebrews and the end of the chapter verse 26.
Well, Chapter 25.
Now yet he that he that's Christ should offer Himself often, as the high Priest entered into the holy places every year with blood of others. For then must He have suffered since the often since the foundation of the world. But now once in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.
And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin.
Unto salvation, that is, he was made a little lower.
Angels for the suffering of death. In the suffering of death, the question of sin was taken up by the grace of God. He tasted death for everyone as we read in the verses that we just had. While it was for everyone, the benefit, the value of it is for those who have received it. The many, not all, receive it and come under the value of what He did.
And dying for all men.
But his the point in verse 26, He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and so the whole matter of our sins and the matter of sin itself was taken up in his death. Both what man is in his nature and what man has done in his deeds were taken up by the Lord Jesus before God.
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Within purpose of the salvation of our souls as so great salvation.
But it's also a work to remove sin completely.
From the creation itself, and when the work, the results of the work are done, God will be able to look upon a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness, in which there will. His eye will not rest upon a single sin or anything connected with it. In the new heaven and the new earth, every single cemetery that existed in the present heaven and earth will have been empty.
Everything connected with death will have been taken care of and removed. And so here when he says I'm coming a second time for those for whom he comes, it's without sin. Meaning the subject of sin doesn't have to be taken up again. It was taken up once and it was settled before God. And when the Lord Jesus comes to take us home to heaven to be with himself, the matter of sin won't be taken up in that way at all.
It's already dealt with, it's already done with, it's already taken care of atonement.
Was made sin was purged, removed from our record, and so we come into the presence of God to appear with this so great salvation without the matter of sin having to be taken up at all. And the Book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible is at final work of his as judge to refinish the removal of sin from the presence of God until in chapter 21.
We have the new heavens and the new earth, and it says God shall rest.
Because he doesn't have to look at sin anymore. It's all gone. And so he says that God will dwell with man. He will be able to dwell with the one that he loves and his creature with man, without the question of sin ever coming up again. And it's all through the greatness of this person who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.
But at the end of verse nine and Mr. Darby's translation, it says.
Sorry, the end of the verse nine it says by the grace of God he should taste death. For not every man, but everything is even broader than every man.
Yes, the whole creation is affected, hasn't it? Not only mankind.
But that's quite an expression. Taste death.
I don't think that we as believers, if the Lord should allow.
Any of us to go through the article of death?
Will taste death.
He tasted death. You look at the story of the cross.
The awfulness of what it meant to be made sin for us because sin is the reason why there is death. Wages of sin is death.
We sin, we die.
But he tasted death for everything.
So he went through it all. He faced the issue.
Fully wonderful redemption we have in Him.
Just like to mention too what Don.
Was saying in Chapter 9.
It says he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. I like to contrast that, brethren, with in the Old Testament you have the word atonement used quite frequently and you don't find the word atonement in the New Testament. It is in the King James Version in Romans 511, but it's really.
Supposed to be reconciliation if you look in the margin of your Bible.
But atonement means a covering, and so the great high priest on the great day of Atonement would take blood and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and sin was covered from the eye of God. God saw that blood, and He could.
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Consistently dwell amongst that people, even though they were sinful because the blood had been shed. But when we come to the New Testament.
We don't have.
Blood or sin covered, we have sin completely put away by the sacrifice of himself. I think that is so amazingly wonderful.
Place that we now have sanctification as the thought of separation.
It is used in different ways. It's there's progressive sanctification and there is, you might say, positional sanctification and.
Hear it in Hebrews. It's always the absolute side. So we we have been set apart through the work of Christ.
We're now connected with Christ.
Christ in resurrection.
He's the head of that new creation race, in fact, in the same epistle it speaks of.
The Church of the First Born.
I can find the Hebrews chapter 12. It speaks of the General Assembly verse 23 and Church of the First Born.
That is not referring there to the Lord Jesus as the first born. He was, but not in this passage. It's referring to us Church of the first born one. So through the work of Calvary we have been brought into a nearer place before God than even the Old Testament Saints. They are not.
Included in the Church of the First Born Ones. It's marvelous.
You see the result of the work of Christ and the special position that believers now have that we are.
Connected with the man in the glory, and we're going to be part of the bride of Christ.
Place of special nearness that no Old Testament St. would ever enjoy.
Verse 11 Says for both he that sanctify Ethan. That's what you're speaking about, John. 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. Of course, that is a quote from.
The 22nd Psalm.
But it is beautiful to think of the Lord Jesus in the midst, brethren, singing, and we get to sing with him. Isn't that beautiful?
It's a wonderful thing that he has become like us.
That we might be made like him.
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That we might be becoming a man like us. That we might be brought into the position of being children of God.
And to share in what He is, not in the perfection of His person or His deity, but that He could call us brethren, not only his earthly brethren, but we, and be identified us with Himself, of being a likeness to Himself. So He becomes like us, that we forever might be taken into the glory to be there like Him.
So it says in first John Three and the ultimate of it.
We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, and so we will see Him in the glory. He's entered there ahead of us. But when we enter there, God says yes, and I'm going to make you just like him. I'm so pleased with what He is that I want you to be like Him, and then I will enjoy you in that way.
And so we shall be forever like him as he has.
In His tremendous love to us, come down to where we are, making Himself like us as a man set apart of course, and yet in that way bringing us, elevating us into that place of glory like himself. That's the grace of God.
So we when we get to glory, who's going to be the song leader?
Knowing you, often when there's community saying of some sort, someone takes the lead and starting a hymn and giving it out and leading in it. Sometimes who's going to have the most joy when we're in the presence of God and leading the singing before God?
The Lord Jesus.
Join the singing that he leadeth loud to God. Your praises bring.
And so when He takes us home to glory in the place that He has come for us, and now he takes us into the glory which is the place of His rights for himself, there His joy will be so great before God, and God's joy will be such, to see the results of the work that we have Him as leading out in the praise and worship to God Himself.
This first part of verse 12 is fulfilled in I think Brother Dave, you mentioned it earlier that what the Lord Jesus said to Mary Magdalene when he rose from the dead, He said touch me not.
Some people have wondered why did he say that and I think it was because Mary wanted to have him back as she had known him before in life. And in fact the Lord Jesus says no Mary, you're going to have me in a new position much more wonderful than you ever knew in this light. But she said she he sends her to his brother and says in John 20.
Go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascended to my Father and your father, and to my God.
And your God, now that's the way, the Lord Jesus.
New God is Father from all eternity.
But as brother Dave mentioned this morning, I think it was.
It was in incarnation that he could finally say.
My God.
Because he was God.
And so it was when it says from my mother's belly, Thou art my God.
So in incarnation he could say my God.
We know God is God at first and then as Father.
But for the Lord Jesus it was Father. What a wonderful thing that we've been brought into the relationship with God.
In the intimacy and the amazing, wonderful relationship as Father, we can look up into the heavens and say the God of the universe is my father. Oh, what a privilege, brethren, it's you need to just sit down and let it sink in. Sometimes the wonder of these precious truths, God is my father.
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And so he declared unto them his Father's name, and the result was that he would sing praises in the midst of the Church.
And then verse 13 again in our chapter, and again I will put my trust in him. And again behold I and the children which God hath given me. He's an association with others now.
And then beautiful this verse 14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood.
That's what our life is here in this world, flesh and blood.
He also himself likewise took part of the same.
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 *******.
So he took part of the same and he went into debt and he shed his blood.
In resurrection, he said to his disciples, a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see me have.
Remember our brother Clem Buchanan mentioning that in resurrection the life of the body is spirit, it is not blood.
But in this life it is flesh and blood.
And so he partook of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.
That is amazing that he went into death and when Satan thought he had his greatest victory against the Lord Jesus was when he destroyed himself completely.
Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil.
Part about that is the enemy looking on.
And seeing the Lord bow his head in death and thinking you have the victory.
But he knew he had lost immediately.
Because every creature and every man that had died.
Immediately started to see corruption.
And so the enemy looked on to see this one, whose head was bowed and death and nothing was happening.
There was number corruption and he realized his defeat immediately.
You have a beautiful picture of it and.
What happened between David and Goliath in First Samuel 17?
David, with a sling and a stone, brought the giant down.
And then he ran and stood on the giant.
And drew the giant's own sword out of the sheath.
And with the giant's own sword he cut off his head. There's the picture through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and delivered them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to *******.
Oh brethren, it's wonderful. We don't fear death any longer.
I must say I've been rather challenged to hear the testimonies of believers in Muslim lands. One of the things that really has impressed me was that they say they do not. They learn not to fear death. They know that at any moment those Muslim people will pull out their pistol or whatever it is to end their life when they make known their faith in Christ, especially if they've converted from the Muslim religion.
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But they say we have learned to not fear death. Death is not something we need to fear any longer. And it is amazing in the book of the Acts when you see the apostles preaching the gospel.
There in Jerusalem and the authorities take them aside and say we're going to kill you for a man naturally speaking, that's the.
Ultimate of threats.
It had absolutely no effect on those men because in a certain sense they had already passed through death. They were dead with Christ and risen again. They were experimenting resurrection life in Christ, and so there's No Fear of death. They didn't know how to deal with that. It's a power that only God.
Can work in people. Wonderful to see it.
I think it might be helpful I'm done to address the issue. If the devil Satan is destroyed, why is there still spiritual warfare?
Go ahead, John. I'm asking the question I'm much better at asking than explaining.
Because people don't believe what is written here, do they? And God and the devil uses that unbelief to bring people supposedly under his domination.
Brethren, do we believe it? We have a life.
That is beyond death.
Death may touch this body of mine.
But death can never touch the life that we have in Christ. It is a life in resurrection. It is a life that can never die.
I think I don't remember if it was Mr. Moody or one of the old preachers said one day you're going to hear that I've died. Don't you believe it. I'll be more alive than ever in the presence of the Lord.
There's another aspect of it and.
The highest Christian truth.
Revelation to us is found in the book of Ephesians.
And in the book of Ephesians, in the very beginning of the book, we have resurrection life and we have ourselves seated in the heavenly places in Christ. And so we have our very greatest present spiritual position brought before us. But it is also the book that brings before us the conflict with Satan, the spiritual warfare in the last chapter, and it gives before us the need for the armor of God to be put on.
And there, in the armor of God, we're seen as across the Jordan and in the.
Promised Land. And yet there's conflict, and the conflict is specifically identified with Satan.
And the reason is because Satan, while he is a defeated foe, and in fact, Mr. Darby translates destroy to be annulled. The power of Satan is the fact that while Satan is ultimately going to lose, he hasn't given up his struggle to destroy the enjoyment of the believer in the place to which God has brought him presently. And consequently, as it says, we need the whole armor of God.
To withstand.
Spiritual wickedness in the high places and that Satan and his emissaries that we are in conflict with. And it's because Satan may not be able to ultimately win, but he would seek to destroy the joy, the testimony and the work of the life of God's people on this earth if he can. And in many times, sadly, he's been successful.
So we have to recognize that while the Lord has defeated Satan, we're still in conflict with him, and He's not going to give up the struggle with us as long as we're here on earth.
01:05:05
World War 2.
The Japanese knew they were defeated at Midway, but they didn't quit fighting. Then there was a moment when Germany knew the same thing. There's a story.
That George Foreman, who became a Christian as a result of his boxing match with Muhammad Ali in Africa.
Who said when Muhammad Ali was leaning against the ropes and he'd given all he had and he said to him, and he's here, is that all you got, George? He knew he was defeated.
If an enemy throws everything he has at you and you take it all.
You want death through everything it had at the Lord Jesus.
As a man.
And he didn't stay dead. It's the most amazing thing for men to know is that a man did not stay dead. Sometimes you hear people say, well, nobody knows what's on the other side or what comes afterlife because nobody ever came back. Are you kidding me? I know somebody who came back.
Yeah, there's a man who didn't stay dead. That's an amazing thing. And when we preach the gospel, that's what we're talking about. Not only what he did on the cross, but the result of what he did on the cross, and that God received that sacrifice on our behalf, that he didn't stay dead. That's one of the most amazing things of the gospel story is that he didn't stay dead, He defeated it.
And what more can the enemy, What more can Satan throw at anyone?
And we know, because we know him, that we're not going to stay dead either, even if we should die and leave this earth. And we know that. And I guess it's how much we know that. Brother Bob, you were saying that there are those who have learned not to fear death.
If you are really living in the good of that, that you're not going to stay dead while it's just a promotion, isn't it?
And some people see it fully like that when we heard this story of Antonio.
Brother Lemoine read that story in the meeting. Tears running down my face to think of a man who has got peace from God in the midst of a difficult situation and in in that moment, because his Savior was there with him and gave him peace, that he didn't fear death.
Because he was in the good of it.
Where we get to the end of our time, we want to touch versus 17 and 18 because here we have something further.
As to our Lord Jesus, it says, Wherefore in all things it behooves him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. In other words, the Lord Jesus, in going through what He did through this life and into death, and through death into resurrection, He has been made a faithful and merciful High Priest in the things can pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
That amazing brethren, the high priest, it says in chapter 5 of.
Of Hebrews here that a high priest was.
Verse two it says who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that?
He himself also is compassed with infirmity, so the high priestly service of the Lord Jesus is for us in our weaknesses.
When we fail, he is our advocate, as we have in First John chapter 2, but here.
He is our great high priest. Does he understand what we're going through Indiana, this life? Yes. He fully understands what you and I are feeling in this life and through what he passed through. He is now a faithful and merciful high priest. Just to think of him there in the presence of God interceding our 'cause when we are going through difficult things, sometimes we say, I don't think I can continue here.
01:10:10
Too weak, yes, you are too weak that He is there interceding for us in our weakness to bring us through it all. And I just love the way it reads in the Spanish translation and verse 18 brethren, that says He is able in the Spanish that says espo de Rosso para socorrera Los queson tentados.
It's instead of able. It says he is powerful.
To sucker them that are tempted. Are you tempted, young person? Yeah, we live in a world of temptation. But he is powerful to help those that are tempted. Remember that when you're tempted.
Is touch of our infirmities that once was asked in a Bible study by an older lady. She said he never had a baby. How would he know how I felt having a baby?
I said, do you think that the pains on the cross were any worse than when you had your baby?
No.
Have you been betrayed? The Lord was betrayed. He knows what that feels like.
We think of the pains of the cross. Those things were very painful. They're hard to even think about. If you go through some kind of suffering pain in your body, well, he knows what that feels like. Literally. He experienced those things. But other things, loneliness.
You see it when he talks to his disciples. He says you don't understand, you don't know.
And he goes by himself to pray. He felt loneliness. That's one of the veins of our modern society is that people that are in contact with devices with all kinds of people feel more lonely than ever.
Lonely. So lonely that suicide is up.
Did he feel lonely? Yeah, he felt lonely. Not as he always had his father and was close, but as a man. Did he feel loneliness? Yeah, he felt loneliness. He felt betrayed. He knows what those things feel like. There's not a a feeling of distress that we go through that you can't find somewhere in the Lord's, the life of the Lord Jesus, where he experienced and felt those things.
We're seeing #39.
On his Father's throne and seated Christ the Lord, the living One. All is toil on earth Completed all his work for sinners, done in the glory. See him God's eternal son #39.
On his father's road is it?
Right.
Things where you understand.
And my Lord is my Lord.
Same #6161.
01 Dress the glory.
Inspiration.
Is love, is detractable and sweet.
Your mind is also divine.
Here in the world and how long when you come in summer?