Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. I'd like to read one verse of
Scripture, verse 14. Hebrews 13, 14. The Scripture declares, for here
have we no continuing city. but we seek one to come. Let's
pray together. Our Father, this evening we thank
you for the blessing of being able to assemble ourselves in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we ask for Christ's
sake, bless preaching and the hearing of the gospel. Lord,
I pray, would you comfort us. And Lord, I ask you to bless
this message to the calling out of your sheep, the comforting
of your people, the establishing of your church. And these things
we ask in the name of our precious Savior. Amen. This evening we want to come
together and hear the proclamation of the gospel. If we come together
and we hear not the gospel, then we have met in vain. There is
no reason for us to come if we hear not the truth of how Almighty
God has eternally purposed to save His people. That's the only
message that the Spirit of God is going to bless. There's one
message, one gospel, And it is the absolute message of the accepted
Lamb of God. His sacrifice for sin, His laying
down of His life for His sheep, and they who surely will be called
out of darkness by His one sacrifice for sin. And I think about how
1,500 years, now you think about that, 1,500 years, the sacrifices,
the thousands and thousands and thousands, goats, bullocks, sheep,
all the animals, all of the blood that was shed, and by the shedding
of the blood of bulls and goats, not one sin could be put away. But by one sacrifice for sin,
one sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ hath perfected forever. He has accomplished the character. That's what the word perfected
means. Accomplished the character of who He says His people are. When He says that His people,
cleansed by His blood, robed in His righteousness, they are
accomplished in character. Everything that was demanded
The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished it, perfected forever them that
are sanctified, set apart to holiness. Almighty God has set
them apart for His purpose that they might be holy and without
blame before Him in love. And that's not just He said,
I'll just call them as if they were holy. They are holy. When the Lord Jesus Christ paid
the debt of His people, all of them, past, present, future,
all of them paid. If the Lord allows me to live,
and you too, until tomorrow, throughout the night until the
end of this service, the sin that you shall perform through a lack of failing to
act, to think perfectly before Him. He's paid the debt of that
sin already, perfected forever. Now, according to the passage
that we'll look at this evening, And then even looking back, a
couple of verses there for just a second. I know that verse 12
said, concerning our Lord's sacrifice, wherefore Jesus also, that He
might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without
the gate. Now, when the Lord Jesus Christ
died at Calvary, He died at a place, the Scripture says, called Golgotha,
which is a place of a skull. He died outside the city, outside
the gate of Jerusalem. And there he suffered the absolute
guilt of his people. And in so doing, by suffering
outside of the city of Jerusalem, outside of the gate, what he
was doing was he was answering perfectly in reality. the type in the Old Testament
of the sin offering that had to be taken outside of the camp. That sin offering in the Old
Testament was considered in type. Whenever that high priest laid
his hand on that, there was the offering, sin offering, and then
there was a scapegoat. And those two goats fulfilled
perfectly the work, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever
that priest laid his hands and confessed over that goat the
sins of the people of Israel, that was in type the actual imputation
of the guilt of all of the nation of Israel. to that goat. Now, that goat was a picture. Now, here's all of the nation
of Israel, all their sins, and God has provided a sacrifice,
a type of His precious Son. And that goat right there now,
as far as the ceremony is concerned, that goat was now declared to
be guilty. Now, there's all of the guilt
in type, in picture, laid on that goat. The other one was
a scapegoat. And that scapegoat was taken to a place out into
the wilderness. And there's a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ bearing away the guilt of His people. Here
He is paying for it. There He is bearing it away.
But whenever that goat, that sin offering, was sacrificed,
that sin offering was considered to be In type. Because you know that actually
the sin was not truly in reality. It was a picture. It was a type.
But this is what the Lord Jesus Christ would do actually. That goat was considered to be
so defiled by bearing the entire debt of a nation of Israel that
nothing could be done to it. but that it would be completely
consumed and burned. It was taken outside of the camp. There is a picture of our Lord
being made sin. As I've said before, I cannot
enter into the depth. I can't even tell you in reality
what sin is. I do not know. how to describe
the heinousness of sin. I know it's the transgression
of the law, but because of my seeing through a glass darkly,
no one can actually, born in Adam, describe and tell you the
fullness of what sin is. I do know this. I can see the
results of it. I can see the results of what
happened to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that when He died on the
cross, God hid the Son. People were not even allowed
to look upon Him to see how God was dealing with God, how God
was making atonement for the sins of His people, how the Father
forsook Him. The Lord Jesus Christ bore the
guilt of His people and cried, My God, My God, why hast forsaken
me. So I know this, the Lord Jesus
Christ, He died without the gate, outside of the gate. Perfect
picture of the Lamb in the Old Testament. There was the blood
that was going to be shed. That Lamb that was slain, there
was the blood shed, the broken body, and there in type When
that goat was consumed, there was the wrath of God being pictured,
consuming that which Almighty God had set forth as a beautiful
picture of His precious Son. Now, that blood that was shed,
that blood that was taken inside the veil, one time a year, one
day, one day, The blood from that sin offering was taken within
the veil and it was sprinkled on the mercy seat. And that's
where God Almighty met, setting forth His satisfaction, the accepting
of the blood of His precious Son. He said in the Old Testament
in Egypt, that lamb that was slain, you put the blood on the
lentil side post of the door. And when I see the blood, I'll
pass over you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
sin offering of God's sheep. The Scripture says God, this
is an amazing passage of Scripture, it's Acts 20, 28. God had purchased the church with
His own blood. God purchased the church with
His own blood. Well, now tonight, let's look
at the passage we want to look at. Verse 13, "...let us go forth
therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach."
As the Lord Jesus Christ went outside the camp, went outside
the gate in Jerusalem. Let us go forth therefore unto
Him without the camp, bearing His approach." Now that's an
amazing exhortation. That's an amazing statement. Let us go without the camp. We're commanded To go forth therefore
unto Him. That's what it says. Let us go
forth therefore unto Him without the camp bearing His reproach. If we go forth unto Him, we've
got to leave something. You can't go somewhere else without
leaving. But now, we're not in the camp
of the Old Testament. We're not in that tabernacle
situation. We're here. So, to what does that Scripture
refer? Let us go forth, therefore, unto
Him. The goat was taken outside the
camp. and burned outside the camp.
That was a sin offering. It was defiled. It was a filthy
thing. The Lord made sin, and I say
that with respect. As Brother Scott told me, he
said, don't you ever, ever take away from the glory of what the
Lord bore in the satisfaction, the atonement of His people.
But that made sin, it was taken out, it was considered a filthy
thing. Outside the camp, the Lord Jesus
Christ crucified outside the city. Where do we go? Let us go forth,
therefore, unto Him. Well, the answer, I think at
least, begun to be understood in John 17, 14. John 17, 14. This is the scripture of our
Lord's high priestly prayer. John 17, 14 and 15. The scripture says, as the Lord's
praying, and He says, I have given them thy word, and the
world hath hated them. because they're not of the world,
even as I'm not of the world. I read that scripture just a
few minutes ago going over my notes, and I read that again,
and listen to what he said. I've given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them. The world hates God's people
because they have God's word. I mean, it's an amazing thing,
but it's true. I've given them Thy Word and
the world has hated them. Why? Because they're not of the
world. Even as I'm not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them
from the evil. Here is the Lord's people being
set forth by our Lord, and He said, They are not of this world. They are not of its cares, though
we do find ourselves in that old man. They are not of this
world's religion. They are not of this world's
carnal, man-exalting, free-will, flesh-honoring worship. We walk by faith. Not by sight. We walk by faith
knowing that we have nothing in ourselves that is acceptable
to God. That's what the Apostle Paul
says. There is in me, that is in my flesh, that dwells no good
thing. Therefore, because We're not
of this world. That's what the Lord said. They're
not of this world. I'm not of this world, He said.
So we've been exhorted back in Hebrews 13 to do this. Go forth unto Him without the
camp bearing His reproach. Go forth, but go forth unto Him
We don't come, as I've said before, we don't come to the doctrines
of grace. We come to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is our life. And it is His reproach. Now listen, let us go forth therefore
unto Him without the camp. That's where He is. Outside of
this world's religion. Bearing His reproach. I looked
up that word, reproach, bearing his reproach. This is what it
is. To be upbraided for. To be upbraided. To be ridiculed for. To have a reason to be reproached. Ridiculed. Why? Are we reproached? He said, I've
given them thy word. And the world has hated them.
Wherein do we differ? What's the difference? The world proclaims salvation. I jotted down a few things here. The world proclaims salvation
to be a general offer from God to mankind. And leaving all aspects, this
is the world's religion, leaving all aspects unto man to work
out the details and establish his salvation by his own will. That's the world's religion.
Now here is the word of God. I have given unto them thy word. Here's the reproach. Here's the
reason that God's people are reproached, are upbraided. It's
because salvation is totally a work of God. Salvation was
instituted by God. Where were you? Where were you
in the eternal counsel of God when God Almighty established
an everlasting covenant? Where was I? Where was I? when the Lord Jesus
Christ stood as the surety of the sheep. When God Almighty
says, I have chosen a people in Christ, that is final. Beloved, because God has from
the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification of the
Spirit. The Spirit of God sets them apart. And belief of the
truth. This is the Word of God. That
God Almighty has a people that He's everlastingly loved. He's
always loved them. This is the Word of God. I have
eternally betrothed myself to you. He's always been a husband. The bride has always been a bride.
She's always been the bride. Now, there was a time when she
was lost, but she's always been the sheep. She was never a goat. A goat has never been a sheep
and vice versa. They don't change. God Almighty
does not look at them in a different way because God doesn't change.
I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you
sons of Jacob are not consumed. The bride of Christ has always
been His body. They were always His delight.
He came into this world to save His people from their sins. And as their federal head, they
have always been His body. When He came into this world
and walked before God, He, as the head, The federal head. The king of his people. They
have always been his body. I know it's a mystical thing.
But they've always been his body. And when he walked, they walked.
And when he died, they died. When he laid down his life for
the sheep, she was laid down with him. Paul said, I was crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. When he
was buried, she was buried. When he came out, she came out.
When he ascended, she ascended. And now she's glorified right
now. You say, I don't understand that.
I don't either. But I'm telling you, it's so. The church of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the things that we see through a glass darkly right
now are no less real. They're true. This is the Word
of Almighty God. And I'll tell you this, when
He comes back, she's coming back with Him. God is eternal. He sees things eternally. Come out. from among them. This is what we've been exhorted
to do back in our passage. Let us go forth, therefore, unto
Him without the camp of false religion, works religion, bearing
His reproach, reproached for His sake. Listen, when I say
come out from, hold your place right there and I'll hurry. Revelation
18, 1-4. Revelation 18, 1-4. You know
that Babylon Mystery Babylon the Great is
a picture of false religion. That's the great whore. Revelation
18, after these things, I saw another angel come down from
heaven having great power, and the earth was lightened with
his glory. And he cried mightily with a
strong voice, saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, and has
become the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit,
and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Boy, what a description
of false religion. Here's what the Lord says concerning
His people. He's going to make them without
spot, without blemish, no condemnation, no condemnation to them that
be in Christ Jesus. Here's false religion. The habitation
of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk the
wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed
rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from
heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers
of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues." Come out!
What do we do back in Hebrews 13, 13? Let us go forth therefore
unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. This is what the
Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12, 10 concerning the reproach
of Christ. 2 Corinthians 12, 10, Therefore
I take pleasure. in infirmities, in reproaches,
in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. A believer considers the badge
of the reproach of Christ to be a great honor. We willfully,
by faith, going to Him, giving Him all the praise and honoring
glory, and we count nothing in ourselves as being worthy, as
counted to be looked upon. So in verse 14, for here, we
have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. We have
no abiding city here. There is no enduring city here. Everything you are looking at
in this world is going to be destroyed. Everything is going
to be burned up. Everything is going to be consumed
by God Almighty. Scripture says 1 Corinthians
7.31, For the fashion of this world passeth away. The earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3. Now, it's not that there is no
continuing city. But the Scripture says, for here
we have no continuing city. Believers have a continuing city.
It is the heavenly Jerusalem. Unbelievers think that they have
a continuing city. But if they believe not the gospel,
the scripture says it's because there's no life in them. We seek
a city that has foundations. That's what Abraham looked for.
Abraham looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. That city has foundations that's
going to stand That city is everlasting. And Almighty God sets forth this
foundation. The foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal. Here it is. Now listen to this.
Here is the foundation that stands sure. The Lord knoweth them that
are His. The Lord knows those that are
His. This is not our home. We are
pilgrims, travelers. This city, this world is not
enduring. But we do have an everlasting
home promised to everyone that Almighty God has given a heart
to cast themselves upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has redeemed His people.
He is going to call them out of darkness. The Spirit of God
is going to teach them the truth. They shall come to Him. They that cometh to Him, He said,
I will in no wise cast you out. Boy, how thankful I am for that
promise. because I can see in myself reasons to be cast out. But thanks be unto God, God Almighty
is not looking to me. He is looking to my substitute.
He is looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. And looking upon Him
and seeing me in Him, Almighty God, the Scripture says, shall
one day say unto me, for his sake, found in him well done.