Address—A.C. Hayhoe
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Like you to turn with me tonight, please, to the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Chapter one. I don't know just what time may permit, but I I would really like, with the Lord's help, to to go through this epistle briefly this evening and seek to find from its pages that which might be guidance and help and encouragement to our hearts.
I'm sure we've all noticed that it begins in a very remarkable way.
A way in which no other epistle begins. It begins with an exaltation of the person that the Lord Jesus Christ. We might say it begins with an open heaven, and a glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ seated up there. And it ends with. Let us go forth, therefore unto Him without the camp bearing his reproach. It just seems to me to be an epistle in which we.
Marvelous.
Presentation of a person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the very author himself is hidden. We're not told who penned these words. I believe it's generally thought to be the apostle Paul, and I quite agree with that thought. But purposely, his name is hidden, not found, because he's introducing to us the one who is really the apostle, to whom our eyes and hearts are turned as we read it.
God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the Father's by the Prophet.
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world, 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.
Do you feel a thrill as you hear those words? Oh, it's wonderful to me to read such words as these. It just makes me feel sad at heart as I think of those who don't know the Lord Jesus, who don't accept the wonderful truth of this precious book, but somehow or other they have to find some reason for our being here.
How do I happen to be here when I open up this book?
That I find that everything that I see around me is the handiwork of the Lord Himself. And you know, if we reject the wisdom and authority and light of the Word of God, we're left with so many questions, so many problems, But oh, how different, how wonderful, how precious to the soul to read.
By whom also he made the world.
Who being the brightness of His glory, and He expressed image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power.
You know, when you when you recognize the Lord Jesus as the Creator and sustainer of all things, it becomes just an endless delight to our hearts.
To see the power and majesty and wisdom of his handiwork, do we perhaps become so accustomed to it that we don't see as much of that power and wisdom as we ought to? Just let me give you a little example, perhaps particularly for those who are still at school and who are meeting all kinds of strange and.
Unscriptural ideas.
As to where we came from.
Years ago, I had been on a long, long journey. It took me to Japan and all the way around. And when I got home, of course, the family gathered together and they wanted to hear all about where Daddy had been and what Daddy had seen. So I knew that our son was at that stage of school when he was hearing all these strange ideas.
As to where man came from.
So I said to him, you know, Danny, when I was in Japan, I saw a very remarkable camera there, and I described to him the skillful features of that Japanese camera.
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Then I said, Danny, when I was in Germany, I saw a camera there that had these features on it, and I described to him some of these unusual features of the German camera.
Then I said to him, and you know, Danny, when I was in Switzerland, I saw an optical device there that was really much more remarkable than what I had seen in Japan or in Germany. I said, you know that device.
Could take life-size color pictures.
As many as you wanted without ever, ever changing the film.
He blinked his eyes and looked at me. I said. That's true, Danny. This device could take life-size color pictures, as many as you want, without ever changing the film. And it was perfectly automatic for focus, for shutter speed.
For aperture size.
And it even filed those pictures away, too. Oh, now, Daddy, I said that's true. And I said the whole thing only weighed a couple of Oz. Well, you know, he I. Wait, Daddy, are you describing the human eye? I suggest any. I am. I tried to fool you. I just said I saw an optical device in Switzerland just to kind of throw you off a little bit. But I'm describing the human eye. Listen.
Life-size, color pictures, am I right?
As many as you want without changing the film, am I right? Files them away too. You've got a memory of people that you used to know, and they're gone. Houses and buildings that you can recall right now. Perfectly automatic. So sensitive that if a speck of dust got gets on the optical system, it's automatically cleaned away. The Japanese made the one, the Germans made the other. And who made the third one?
Well, it just happened. Oh, isn't it wonderful, beloved? Isn't it thrilling to think?
That the one whom we wish to present to you tonight is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who's introduced to us here as the Creator and the Upholder of all things.
God introduces him to us here in a way that I believe is intended to fill our hearts with admiration and praise and worship.
Now I want to go down just a little farther in the chapter.
Notice please verse six and again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he said, and let all the angels of God worship him. All you know, when you know and love the Lord Jesus, you just find your soul thrilled to think of this. Let all the angels of God worship him. Who was he?
Well, we found many people.
And some who I guess are not very far away from this spot, who deny that the Lord Jesus was truly God.
It's truly gone. They will say that he was a very, very exalted individual, perhaps even the greatest of the angels. But you and I know very well that in this book, the Word of God, we are told that God and God only is to be worshipped. Angels absolutely have always refused the worship that was.
Unintentionally presented to them, we find that in the Book of Revelation that when John on two occasions fell down to worship an Angel.
Rebuked and reminded that God alone was to be worshipped.
Who was the Lord Jesus when he came into this world? We are told that all the angels of God.
Worship Him. Was He an exalted Angel? Was He the greatest of men? He claimed and he accepted the worship of men and angels. Beloved, he was either God manifest in flesh, or I almost tremble to say it, he was the worst imposter that ever was here on earth. Thank God you and I know who he was. He was.
God the Son presented to man for the worship of men and angels.
Now let's go down, please, to verse 10. And thou, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands. Boy, just love to pause with some of these verses because they thrill my soul so much. The heavens are the work of thy hands. Isn't that delightful?
Thy heavens are the work of thy hands. Whose hands? The hands of the Lord Jesus.
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Let me just pause for a few moments to think about this. In resurrection, you remember that the Lord Jesus was surrounded by his beloved disciples, and he said to them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Why did He do that? Well, in John 14, you remember He had said.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give unto you. I believe that was a two fold peace. Piece of conscience in the knowledge that our sins are forever gone, blotted out by the precious blood of Christ, and peace of heart in the knowledge that he who loved me and died for me has now risen and is seated at God's right hand in glory.
Those two viewpoints of peace he promised them in John 14, and I believe he indicates to them in John 20.
When he said.
Peace be unto you, and show them His hands and His side. Surely the side would speak of that precious blood that flowed from that wounded side by which our guilt is forever blotted out and we have peace with God. Do you have peace with God? Does everyone here know that your sins have been forever blotted out and are gone because of the cleansing power of the precious blood of Christ? I hope you do.
But I think you and I know that there are many real believers.
Who know that their sins are gone. And they would tell you, yes, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has blotted them all out forever. But there are many Christians, sad to say, who go through the years of their life with all kinds of anxieties and burdens and worries and cares. I want to ask you, was the Lord Jesus ever worried?
Oh, I'm sure immediately you'd say no, far be the thought. Was he ever anxious? No, indeed he was not. He wept, he sighed, he groaned, not because he was worried or anxious, but he wept over the sorrows and trials and difficulties that he saw all around him. And beloved, I believe that when the Lord Jesus showed his disciples those hands.
He was reminding them.
Of what they had seen those hands do during the time that they were together. The heavens are the work of thy hands. All the power, the skill, the might of those hands, beloved. But then they had seen those hands stretched out to touch a poor defiled leopard, and he's made well. Reach out to touch a poor blind man and his eyes are opened. Reach out to.
And tender love upon the heads of little children. And they were blessed, reached out to break the loaves, to feed the hungry multitude, and they were fed, reached out to rescue Peter as he began to sink beneath the waves. And he was spared from that. And you know, as they saw those hands in resurrection, how many memories must have flooded through their thoughts as they recalled what those hands had done and what was the last sight they.
Lord Jesus, with uplifted hands, there he stood and blessed them. And it came to pass, as he blessed them, he was taken up from them, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Are those hands still uplifted? Oh, isn't it wonderful to say Yes, Indeed, they are the hands of power and wisdom and love and tenderness and kindness and thoughtfulness. They're uplifted now in the glory for me.
Or how displeasing it must be to him if I carry around with me anxious, worried, burdened thoughts.
He says Peace be unto you. He shows his wounded side our sins are gone. He shows his piercing hands, and I believe he's saying they'll be uplifted for you until I have you safely home. Oh, I think it's a contradiction to see a Christian filled with anxious, worried thoughts. Is it all right to groan? Yes, To sigh, to weep? He did.
Why it was not the difficulties of his pathway, but the compassions of his heart that made him.
The Man of Sorrows, My father used to say that quite often, and you'll permit me please to repeat it again. It was not the difficulties of his pathway, but the compassions of his heart that made him the Man of Sorrows. And beloved, if you shed tears over the burdens and sorrows, including worried thoughts that so often we do carry.
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Is, I believe, a sad thing when we read the wonder of the hearken hands of the Lord Jesus?
Now notice please, in verse 11. The faith shall perish, but thou remainest. And they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
Let's take notice of that little expression. Thou art the same. Oh my beloved brethren, I cling to this with gladness of heart. For all around us, things are changing. You know it. Politically, morally, economically, even physically, as we look around in this world about us, things are changing. They're getting better, aren't they?
No, indeed they're not. And you know they're not. They're getting worse in every such area.
Politically, economically, morally, religiously.
They're falling apart. And what does this do to the believer? Fill him with anxious fears? Oh, doesn't it make us turn to the one concerning whom the word of God says thou art the same? Isn't it a grand thing to have as the occupation of our heart, a person who is unchanging and in whose company we're going to spend eternity? And as we see these changes taking place all around us, what does it do?
I say again, fill us with foreboding. We were just speaking today about the clothes of the 23rd Psalm at the beginning of the 24th. No doubt you've noticed the connection. In the end of the 23rd Psalm we read, Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Isn't that something to look forward to? But then I believe the Lord says now would you like to know what I intend to do?
In this world, after I've called you away. And he begins the 24th Psalm, the earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof the world, and they that dweller Him. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Why does he say that? I believe he's saying I did it before, and I can do it again. What do I mean?
Well, you and I know when we turn back to Genesis one, we find God looking down upon a scene of darkness.
And chaos and disorder. And confusion.
Pardon me for asking, was that too difficult for God? Indeed not. He spoke and the darkness was annulled. He spoke and the chaos was changed to orders. And you know, beloved, after we're gone, what are we going to leave behind?
A scene of darkness and chaos and floods of confusion. And God says in that 24th Psalm, I did it before and I can and I will do it again. You know that after we're gone, the beast who will arise rises up out of the sea, does he not? A restless, confused condition of things. So when I see darkness rolling in, when I see confusion and disorder among.
Nations, when I see even physical upheaval such as you have experienced in this area, does it make me feel with fear and foreboding? Oh, I say, this is exactly what the word of God said the condition would be after we're called away. Ha, beloved, it's a triumph to my soul to look up and say Thou art the same. What does it say here? They shall perish, but thou remain us, and they all shall wax old as a garment.
Vester shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same.
I love this because it's a title found in chapter one, and it's also found in the last chapter, and I believe in this way it links this happy epistle together as one in introducing to us the Lord Jesus Christ, whose very name and title is the same. We get in the 13th chapter, the same yesterday and today.
And forever, if time permits. We have come to that before the meeting is over.
And perhaps have time to enlarge on it a little bit. Suppose we go on to Chapter 2.
And we go down to verse nine. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the sufferings 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, in bringing many sons under glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect.
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Through sufferings. Does that sound just a little bit surprising?
That the Lord Jesus was in some way or other made perfect.
Ah, but that's a wonderful thought. Perfect. Of course he always was. But did he up there in that eternal glory, know the meaning of weariness, loneliness, thirst, false accusation, mockery? No. And he wanted to be, he wanted to be a perfect captain for you and for me. He wanted us to be able to look up and say, ah, there's.
Glory that knows the circumstances through which I am passing. And so, as we remark the other day, he began his journey by choice as a bane in Bethlehem. Let me put it this way. I believe you will agree that he could have come right from the glory to Calvary and in three hours.
Accomplished the work of redemption and returned again to glory and all that was necessary for the putting away of my sins and yours.
Could have been accomplished by that, and we would have a savior, but we would not have a perfect captain. We would not have a sympathetic, understanding high priest.
But we have such an one he chose and he has been through this whole journey. And you know, as we see in this epistle to the Hebrews, a sort of contrast between our Lord Jesus Christ and everything that a devout and God fearing Hebrew had ever known or shared. I believe the beauty of that contrast is absolutely.
Thrilling to our souls. Did any Israelite have a priest like that?
Who understood perfectly and could act toward Him in tender understanding love and in honoring faithfulness. You have such in one, I have such in one. And I believe we find the Lord Jesus here set apart as one who is a perfect understanding high priest. Suppose we go now to chapter 3.
And we just read verses 12 and 13. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, but exhort one another daily.
Please just let me pass this on to everyone here. I'm afraid we neglect this, do we not?
We kind of look around and think, well brothers, so and so is the one to exhort the rest of us because he knows his Bible pretty well and so we should expect him to do the exhorting to the rest of us. Is that what we read here? Exhort one another daily, lest any of you be hardened through.
The deceitfulness of sin.
Let's take this to heart, old and young. Let's take it to heart, brethren. If we really love and care for one another, will there not be that watchfulness? Ah, we had a dear, dear brother in the assembly at home in Ottawa where I grew up, who had something of this sweet character about him.
Maybe this will sound rather strange to you, but when I was a young fellow there in Ottawa, I remember that it became quite the style to have a handkerchief very noticeably sticking out of your pocket. It was what all the young fellows did. So I was not the last one to have a nice white handkerchief sticking out of my pocket. And I went to meeting with this actor just at the right angle and.
Dear brother Watson.
He came up to me after meeting and it was so nice the way he did it, you know, He reached out and shook my hand. Oh, Albert, I'm so glad to see you here at meeting tonight. And he shook my hand with a royal welcome and pushed the handkerchief out of sight all in one movement. Movement. You know, he didn't say, Look, look out now, young man, that's, that's pretty worldly. He shook my hand so warmly. I'm so glad to see you. And by the time he was done, the handkerchief was back.
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Out of sight. I don't think it was really something terribly worldly, was it? But you know, dear Brother Watson, he loved us so much. I'll just go a step farther, exhort it.
This was long ago and it was most unusual for anyone for anyone to go to College in those days and most unusual underlines for any of HIV sons to think of going to college and.
I'll have to go ahead with the story. Now, I had worked for a few years and I felt directed of the Lord to study optometry. So it got around the meeting that Albert Hayhoe was going away to college.
I knew what the reaction would be. Dear brother Watson was about the first one to come to me. Albert, watch this. I hear about you.
I said, what have I done, Brother Watson? Well, is it true that you're going away to college?
And I said yes, brother.
I suppose you'll come back with some fancy letters after your name. Oh, no, no, nothing like that, Brother Watson. I just feel the Lord wants me to do this kind of work.
He said, but I hope you do come back with letters after your name. Well, from brother Watson of all people. This surprised me. I said what do you mean brother? He said Albert, I hope you come back with OM GB after your name.
I said, what's that mean? He said go home and read the book of Daniel. That's all he would tell me. So I went home and read the book of Daniel and I came to that enviable degree.
OM, GB.
All man greatly beloved.
Let us just take this to heart, dear brethren. I look up and down the rows of my dear brothers and sisters of Gresham, and I hope I can say with all my heart.
But I love you in the bonds of Christ Jesus, and I hope that everyone of us will take this to heart, that we will search the pages of his precious book, that before the Lord we may seek to walk in a way that would be to the glory of the Lord.
And a helpful example to others and not shrink from exhorting one another daily. You remember the story of Utica's who came into that third loft and sat down in a window. Now, it doesn't tell us the whole detail of the story, but I think it's all right for us to picture it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were folks there who saw Utica sit there.
And nudge the person next to them and said, look at that young man.
He's sitting in a very dangerous place. He's going to have a fall if he's not careful. But nobody moved over and said, here, Utica's come and sit by me. Nobody took the trouble to do that. Nobody exhorted that dear young man. He sat there in the window and nobody said a word. And you know, you're not wide awake one moment and sound asleep the next. And I think it's all right for me to picture Utica sitting in the window.
Dozing and nodding a little bit, the way I've seen people do in meeting.
And still nobody, nobody went over and put their arm around him and said, Utica's come and sit by me. And at last he fell right out the window. And I have sometimes said to myself, if I had been one of those who saw you, Utica, sit there and saw the danger and saw him doze and didn't say a word to him, how would I feel when I suddenly saw him go out the window? I ran down the steps and saw him lying there. Oh.
Brothers and sisters, in love to the Lord, and in love one to the other, let there be among us, by God's help, the fulfillment of this precious verse, that we may because we love one another and because we want each other to have a full reward, that we may prayerfully and lovingly try to help and to encourage one another in those paths that would be pleasing to the Lord.
Suppose we go on to chapter 4. Notice, please, how it begins. Let us therefore fear and notice, please, how it ends. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
That's quite a change, isn't it? Let us therefore fear. Let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace. And in between those two statements in the chapter, we find the provision of God, the Word of God, and a faithful high priest. And you and I have those resources, don't we? We have the Word of God. I do want to encourage you with all my heart.
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In a diligent and prayerful reading of the Word of God.
For what purpose? To be able to expound it to someone else? I hope not. I hope that you and I, beloved, will read this precious book as food for our own souls and light and wisdom for our own pathway. Then the Lord, I believe, can use us in helpful ways toward others.
Suppose we go on. I'm afraid we'll have to go on rather quickly. We'll go on, shall we? To all the way to chapter 8, chapter 10. In these intervening chapters we find our blessed Lord Jesus contrasted with those persons and those things which are godly and devout Jew would naturally.
Glory in. And there was a time when it was perfectly right.
For in Israel to glory in those things that had been entrusted to them as a nation by God Himself.
That priesthood.
Their renowned men of faith, Moses and Aaron and Bill Kissedak and the Tabernacle and the priesthood and the sacrifices God-given from beginning to end. Oh, what a privileged nation they were. And yet these things were presented, pointing forward to that which was so much better, the person.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
He just bring out one little hint of that in Chapter 9.
We find in Chapter 9 and verse four that there was in this.
Holy Place, the Golden Sensor, the Ark of the Covenant, overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rather buttered, and the tables of the Covenant. Now you remember this, that in that golden ark which sat there in the most Holy Place, there were these three things within it. What were they?
Aaron's rather buttered the golden pot that had Manor and the tables of the covenant.
Those three things were very, very significant, I believe those two tables of stone which were given to Moses by the Lord on Mount Sinai.
Would speak to us now that unalterable holiness of the person of our Lord himself. And this accompanied Israel sheltered beneath that blood sprinkled mercy seat through all the years of their wandering. But there were two other items in that ark.
The golden pot that had manna. And I believe this would speak to us at a very wonderful grace of God that met their need. In spite of their failures, in spite of their murmurings, that manna never failed. Six days in the week that manna descended and Israel's needs were met, and it was the grace of God that did it. And I believe that gold and pop containing manna was a symbol of the grace of God that accompanied.
Murmuring people all through the years of their wilderness wandering, and Aaron's rod that budded. There are various things that could be taken from that little picture, but I believe that we can certainly take from it a picture of the government of God. It was given at the time of the rebellion of Cora, Dathan and Abiram, and I believe we see in this, do we not, that as Israel went through the wilderness, they had there among them.
That beautiful symbol of the presence of the Lord and of the grace of God and of the government of God that went right along with them through their journey. But when they came into the land and set that ark down in Solomons beautiful temple and drew out the staves of the ark, the scripture tells us first Kings eight, I think that there was in that temple.
Only I mean in that.
Are only the two tables of stone. The golden pot of manna was gone. Aaron's rod that budded was gone. Only the two tables of stone were in that arc. When at last it was set down in its resting place in Solomon's temple in the land, the staves were drawn out from it and sat down so that the ends of those days could be seen in the holy place.
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All beloved, to me this is most wonderful. I believe it would tell us that as long as we are on our journey homework.
We're going to find accompanying us the grace of God and the government of God. Don't you think we should be very thankful for both? Come now, come now. Would any of us like to say I would much prefer to have the government of God left out of my life? Would you dare to say that? Would I dare to say that? Not for one moment. I believe, dear brethren, we should be most thankful for those two accompaniments. But you know there's.
Coming, one will not need one or the other. We'll never need the grace of God up there. We'll never need the government of God up there. We'll have Himself His own presence. In fact, when you find the Ark of the Covenant mentioned in the Book of Revelation, you'll find that even the mercy seat is not mentioned there. That blood stained mercy seat is no longer needed there in all ablaze of His glory.
It will only reveal our perfect fitness to be there. Well, I just mentioned that in passing for I feel.
As we journey along through the wilderness, Beloved, we should thank Him every day for the faithfulness of His own presence and for the unfailing accompaniments of His grace and of His government. But now we come to chapter 10, and we find this one to point this out briefly.
Verse 9 Then said he Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the 1St, that he may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And now we get down to verse 15, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us and believe. We find here three things with the whole Godhead involved. And what are they? The will of God We find it expressed in verse 10. And the work of our Lord Jesus Christ also expressed in verse 10. And the witness of the Holy Ghost expressed in verse 15.
And where does this wondrous work place us, beloved sanctified?
And how, let's notice what it says in verse 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. Once for all, are you sanctified? Or you said, that's a big word. And I've heard people speak as though they were hoping, hoping, praying, struggling, that someday they might attain to this great level in which at last they would be able to say, now I am sanctified.
Ah, beloved, do you know what the Word of God does to each and every believer? It places him in a position where every blessing that the heart of God could bestow is bestowed upon him. And then we are told to remember these things and to act accordingly. Are you sanctified? God's Word says you are. Should there be a practical testimony and result in our lives? Indeed there ought to be. Let.
Try to illustrate. Perhaps you've heard this illustration before. My father used to speak like this. You know, there were seven of us at home when I was a boy in Ottawa.
And when the meal table, when the meal was over, there were a great many dishes to be washed. These dishes were all carried out into the kitchen and placed on the right hand side of the kitchen sink. I can see it yet. And then my mother got a dish pan and they didn't even have soap powder in those days. She had what she called a soap shaker, little wire mesh box in which she had chips of soap and she swished it around in there to make soap sauce. On the other side there was a rack.
With nothing in it. And she picked up a dirty dish and washed it and sanctified it, set it apart, picked up another dirty dish and washed it and sanctified it. It didn't belong anymore back here with these dirty dishes. They were washed and they were set apart. And beloved, this is what has been done for you and me. Is there a practical challenge because of it? Indeed there is. I'm not trying to.
Become sanctified. But I hope I may say I'm trying to remember and act according to that which He has done for me. Oh, what a difference. Oh, what a difference there should be in our life the practical demonstration of these wondrous things that have been made hours in Christ.
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Now we'll come on, please to Chapter 11. Can we find in verse two mention of a good report?
And we find mentioned also in verse 39 a good report.
There are young people here who are still attending school.
At your school, do you from time to time bring home from school a report? Do they still call it that?
They do. They've changed nearly everything else, and they still call that a report. Well, I'm glad they do, because when our young folks came home from school, they would bring home with them once in a while a report. When I went to school, they were percentages on it. Now, I don't know whether they use 123 or AB and C or what they use, but something to indicate whether the student is doing well or whether the student needs to sharpen up a little bit.
And I know it was pleasing to us if our children brought home from school a good report.
But if and when they did, we would quite often turn to Hebrews 11 and we would speak about these two verses at the beginning and end of the chapter. A good report, beloved. Did these men and women described in this chapter have a good report?
And an honor and a reputation in the world in which they lived.
No, many of them are considered fools, and some of them lost their lives because of their faith in Christ. But God's Word speaks of a good report. Why are Because by faith they live to please the Lord. And I want to say, dear brethren, tonight, that as the conditions in this poor world are turning more and more against that which would be honoring.
And pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's still our challenge, our opportunity, our privilege to obtain a good report by faith. And that is by trying with God's help, to live from day-to-day by faith with our eye upon that one who was presented to us in chapter one, the one who created all things, the one who came down here and became a child, a youth, a man who died, who rose, who lives, who is so infinitely better than anything.
Has already been presented to us in this epistle. The Lord Jesus Christ, the ascended and glorified Son of God, up there in the glory you and I want to live in such a way as will give us a good report. It's a walk of faith, beloved, with our eye upon that risen and ascended Christ. Here we find in the Old Testament those who knew so little.
Compared to what you and I know. Take a look at it please in verse 13.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Think of that.
Not having received the promises, they saw them a far off, and it had such an effect upon them that they embraced them. It just affected their whole life. But you don't have far off promises. You and I have possessions that cost the Lord Jesus the giving of His own life.
Oh, is it really true? Do I really stand here before you tonight, the possessor of every blessing that the heart of God could be stole, and at the cost of His own beloved Son? And He, the Son of God up there in the glory, looking down upon me, loving me, caring for me, having poured out these blessings upon me, and promises to take me now to His home in the glory. How could it ever be that I would look around and try to make?
The most?
Honors and the approval of this world that spit in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, if we want a good report, here we find those who walk the path of faith, and God records it. But now let's turn over, please, to chapter 12, and we'll find that which is better still.
Verse One. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and he sat down at the right hand.
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Of the throne of God.
Ah, how wondrous, how marvelous. Beloved, let us remember this, that the Lord never, never, never, never would put before me or you or anyone else, the most renowned and faithful and honoured brother that you can think of.
I received a letter recently from a dear brother serving the Lord.
And I was at first shocked and then thrilled by what he said. He said, Brother, please pray for me. I don't want to be a shepherd.
Now it shocked me. I thought, what is he going to tell me next? He said, Brother, I fear that if there is more than one shepherd, there will be more than one flock. I want to direct the sheep toward the one and only true shepherd. Now that's a shepherding heart. He didn't want to be one to whom his brethren would turn their eyes. He wanted so to have his own eyes directed.
Toward that Good Shepherd that gave his life for the sheep.
He wanted to direct the gaze of those among whom he was serving.
To that Good Shepherd and beloved brethren, I hope I can say the same.
And shall I say by way of caution?
For I have seen it happen, and it's sad to see it, that the eyes and ears of the Lord's beloved people sometimes get so occupied with and enchanted by this or that or the other brother, but before they realize it, their eyes.
Have been turned away from the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whom we read about in chapter one. Their eyes have been turned, perhaps as were the eyes of Peter on the model. Transfiguration. Lord, let us make here 3 Tabernacles, one for Thee He gave the Lord first place, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, two of the most outstanding men in the Old Testament. But what happened? That would never, never do. Moses and Elias vanish from sight, and they hear a voice.
Singling out the person of the Lord Jesus Christ alone and my beloved brothers and sisters.
May God grant that your gaze and mind by faith may be toward that person who alone is worthy of our occupation, of our gaze, and that is the person of the Lord Jesus. It seems to me that that's the theme and purpose of this little epistle to the Hebrews.
Not those men whom they had seen fit to honor Moses there and Melchizedek or whoever. Not the ritual, Not what their eyes could see, or even these mighty men of faith delineated in Chapter 11, but the person of the Lord Jesus, who, as we shall find in the moment in chapter 13, was the same. Let's look at chapter 13, shall we?
Verse 8 Jesus Christ the same.
Yesterday and today and forever now. It seems a little remarkable that this title, shall I call it, is found in chapter one where he is introduced to us. It's found again in Chapter 13. After all these things that naturally would attract the admiration of men.
They're all set aside and how? Because one by one, as they are presented, the Lord Jesus is presented, shall I say, alongside of them.
When they fade away, the Lord Jesus stands supreme and alone by contrast, better than anything else brought forward in the Holy Thistle. Now we come to the end of the Epistle, and what do we find? Jesus Christ the same. Isn't that wonderful? Let's say yesterday and today and forever. You know I'm not a scholar by no stretch of the imagination.
I don't even know the Greek alphabet, but.
I like to take words sometimes from the Bible and hunt them up in a good Greek lexicon and see what the actual definition of the word is. So I looked up the Greek word for the same, looked it up in a Greek lexicon and a literal translation. Was he himself? You know, I enjoyed that. I looked at it and I thought, oh, isn't that wonderful?
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He himself, yesterday and today.
And forever. And, you know, the scriptures began to open up. He himself.
Yesterday ah, the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. The yesterday of his love if you wish. But what about today? Now Ah, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Isn't it wonderful to have the company of the Lord Jesus?
Day by day, how much of his company did we enjoy today?
I'm going to say it again, and I hope you will remember it. Each of us has as much of Christ in our life as we want.
And our lives show how much we wanted you. Remember after they had had the company of the Lord Jesus.
On that journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus, he made as though he would have gone further. He won't impose his company on you or me or anyone else. We can have as much of it as we want, but he won't impose his company. And when this meeting is over, you and I.
Can dismiss from our thoughts what we have heard and go about perhaps other things. But all beloved, He does want our company. He does delight in our company. Jesus himself drew near and went with them. We see him surrounded by his disciples. He takes a towel and girds himself, boughs down and washes his disciples feet.
He himself. Yesterday that love was displayed at Calvary.
He himself today that love is displayed in a yearning desire for as much of your company as much of my company.
As I'm willing to give to Him, and along the way, He Himself too delights to wash these feet of ours. And then what about the forever of His love? Ah, isn't it wonderful? The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. He is the same, Beloved, yesterday and today and forever. Now let us please come down to verse 12 and 13.
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. We'll stop with that. But it just seems to me to be such a delightful.
Appeal to the heart, all, beloved, in this little epistle which we have skimmed over so briefly. It begins with an open heaven and an ascended Christ seated there on the right hand of the majesty on high.
And we're told in that first chapter that Allah all else around us may change, and we see evidence of it ready to be folded up as a Vester. Yet he abides forever the same. And then the glory of his person in chapter after chapter stands.
Greater and greater, as by contrast, what man would naturally boast of is set beside him and fades away as our blessed Lord Jesus stands supreme. All those worthies of Chapter 11, and then suddenly looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, are you and I looking to Him, beloved, the one who is the same yesterday and today and forever.
May I again just emphasize something that came before my soul this day as I thought of that little word the same.
Sometimes I fear that our poor deceitful hearts are inclined to get a little bit weary of that which we find to be the same.
Than the time I was a little boy, I was brought up to share the privilege. But I see these dear boys have the privilege of being brought by my father and mother to many. A meeting where I didn't understand what was being said. But as I grew up, I began to understand a little more and a little more and a little more. And you know, I thank God with all my heart.
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But as I sit and listen to my dear brethren today, minister the word of God to my soul.
It has the ring of the same, don't forget it present the same.
Shall I put it this way I feel?
Uncomfortable. I feel on edge when I listen to that which has the ring of different novel.
I love the sound of that which is the same. And again and again over the years I have heard my dear brethren stand up and minister what I heard long ago. And I want to tell you with all my heart, I'm thrilled to hear it. I heard it years ago from this brother and this one and this one. And today when I hear my dear brothers of today stand up and minister that which is the same, my soul rejoices.
But if I hear that which has the ring of novelty to my ears.
I'm uncomfortable, and I think, dear brethren, when we see the One who is the same presented to us at the beginning and at the close of this most delightful epistle, that there's a lesson in it for our souls. To whom do we go? Let us go forth, therefore unto Him without the Cadbury 3 approach. Yes, there is a reproach to be identified with the One whose name was nailed above His cross because they hated Him. But it's a thrilling and wonderful privilege, beloved.
May the Lord keep us with our hearts, delighting in the one who is the same yesterday and today and forever.