Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 23 to the tune Strasbourg
244. A man there is, a real man, with
wounds still gaping wide, from which rich streams of blood once
ran, in hands and feet and side. Hymn number 23 tune Strasbourg
244. To his family of man, with whose
care faith he lied. From his rich streams of blood
once ran, ? In hand's hand, in hand's hand
? ? This poor man can't sing ? ? For all our prayers ? ? How
let her glory scream ? Yes, I'm here now in Padua Praise to His
power, power, and strength This wondrous man of good faith
hath his true almighty power. Behold the stars of the night,
and the rising sun of day. The human heart is still, it
changes now with quiet bliss, and wills each day moment's peace, for an affliction's
peace. ? Come, let repenting sinners come
? ? Confront with tongues of hate ? ? Then all the guilt of
sin will be washed away ? Earth shall sound its ransom
by this day. It's not an answer, but this
song that won't have you away. Let us read together in the Holy
Word of God in Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
in chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually, make the commas there unto perfect. For then
would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of
sins. But in those sacrifices there
is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice
and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared
me. In burnt offerings and sacrifice
of sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it
is written of me, to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice
and offering and burnt offering and offering for sin that what
is not, neither has pleasure therein, which are offered by
the law. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, 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 every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is a witness to us. For after that he hath said before,
this is the covenant I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts and in their minds will I write them. Their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of
these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh. and having an high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful
that promise. Let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins. but a certain fearful looking-for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses. Of how much sore a punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot
the Son of God? and hath counted the blood of
the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and
hath done despise unto the Spirit of grace. For we know him that
hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense saith
the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,
but called to remembrance of former days, in which, after
ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions,
partly whilst we were made a gaze's dock, both by reproaches and
afflictions, and partly whilst ye became companions of them
that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in
my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing
in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring
substance. Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye
have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God
ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while And he
that shall come will come, and will not tarry. No, the just
shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who
draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving
of the soul. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious world, grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come. Oh, do draw near to us here this
evening hour. Do bless us with light and understanding
in thy word. May the power that brings salvation
be exerted in the world. May we feel the quickening power,
the divine power of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. And so
that thy doctrine may distill as the dew, and as the rain upon the mown
grass, that there may be a springing up, a renewing, a reviving, We
pray that it may be with us here tonight that we might know that
renewing of thy spirit in our hearts, reviving, replenishing. And perhaps there are those things
that have been hidden. We pray that they may be opened
up, O Lord, and discovered again. We do humbly beseech thee. Oh,
may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our
Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide
upon us as we gather around thy word at this evening hour. May we be led by the Spirit of
God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons May we have that evidence in
our hearts that we are indeed the sons and daughters of the
Lord God Almighty. May we know those divine drawings
of our eternal Father, for none come except the Father draw.
Oh, to know those sweet drawings, as we gather round the world,
and that the Lord Jesus may be made precious. Thou hast said,
In thy word I will draw them with the cords of a man. O Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst draw us, and that we will run
after thee. Help us to lay aside every weight
and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and run with patience
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. Hear us, Lord, We humbly beseech
thee, show us thy ways, teach us thy paths. What I know not,
teach thou me. Lord, we pray that those bless
us together as a church and as a congregation, and that those
work mightily, powerfully, and effectually among us, that we
may O Lord, see thy work, and thy power, and thy glory, as
thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest descend, that thou in the ark of thy strength, and
let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall
shout aloud for joy. Lord, abundantly bless the provision
of thy house and satisfy her poor with bread. We do humbly
beseech of thee for thy great name's sake. We pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou would remember the little ones and the children
as they're brought into the sanctuary. Remember them with the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people. Put the fear of the Lord, which
is the beginning of wisdom, into their hearts. Lord, remember the young friends
as they stand on the threshold of life's journey, and bless
them. Guide them, O thou great Jehovah.
Make them pilgrims in this barren land. For, Lord, we are weak,
but thou art mighty. Hold us with thy powerful hand.
O Lord, we do beseech Thee, that we do pray that there may be
a generation that shall be raised up among us, that shall call
Thee the Redeemer blessed, that shall follow on to know the Lord. Lord, we do pray that the prodigals
may return. O how we long to see the prodigals
returning, and thy wonderful power and grace in causing them
to return. Lord, have mercy upon them. We
do humbly beseech of thee for thy great namesake. Lord, we
read in Holy Scripture of the return of Naomi and of Ruth from
the land of Moab, And we pray that it may encourage us to pray
for the return of the prodigals. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
cause them to be in want. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully, and effectually among us each
of all ages We think of dear Ina in her great age. Pray that
thou wouldst grant her thy divine support and blessing and help.
And grant that at evening time it may be light. And Lord, we
pray for each one of us that is in the evening time. And the time cannot be long.
Before we soar through tracks unknown and see thee on thy judgment
throne, O Lord, do be gracious unto us.
We do humbly beseech of Thee for Thy great name's sake. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that that word may be fulfilled among us instead of Thy Father
shall be Thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the
earth. Lord, grant that it may be so for Thy great name's sake. And, O Lord, we pray for parents,
as they bring up their children, that they may be given wisdom
and grace, so to do, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord, and to be an example unto their families. And, O Lord,
we do pray that thou, in thy great mercy, would remember each
and every one in the midst of the journey of life, and undertake
for each for thou knowest the needs and the varied concerns. We pray for those in trouble
and trial and perplexity, sorrow and sadness and bereavement.
We think of Stephen and Helen and David at this time of great
loss. We pray that thou wouldst support
them, that thou wouldst sustain them and strengthen them and
help them. for thy great name's sake. And,
O Lord God, we do pray that thou wouldst remember the cause of
truth at Hanover and grant thy blessing to rest upon them there,
a building up, a renewing, a reviving. And, O Lord God, we do pray that thou in thy precious mercy
would remember all the little causes of truth up and down the
land, and blow with the wind of the Spirit among the churches.
Gather in, build up. Instead of a decline, may we
see an increase. Instead of a falling away, may
we see a building up, a renewing, a reviving, a replenishing. O
Lord, do hear us. We pray Thee for Thy great namesake. and have mercy upon us we beseech
them. We pray for the various parts
of our group of churches, the committees as they gather to
administer the charities and all that needs to be done there.
Do give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding that all things
may be done decently and in the fear of the Lord And we pray,
most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst bless those that go forth
from among us, among the nations of the earth. We think of Ian
Sadner and that great work throughout the nations of the earth that
he undertakes in the distribution of thy word and of godly literature
and the preaching of the word. Lord, hear us, we humbly pray
thee, support him and strengthen him and supply all his many returning
needs. And, O Lord God, we do pray for
the Mombasa mission, that great work that they're doing in Kenya. Help them, Lord. Undertake for
them. Bless thy servant there. Grant
good success to the ministry of the Word. Signs to follow
the preaching of the Word. And, O Lord God, we do pray that
they will remember the Savannah Education Trust and that great
work that they're doing in Ghana. Lord, supply all their many returning
needs. We do humbly beseech of thee
and grant thy richest blessing to rest upon their labours. We
do humbly beseech of thee. We pray for the Trinitarian Bible
Society in the distribution of thy word In the translation of
thy word, Lord, help them, undertake for them, supply all their many
needs. We do humbly beseech of thee
for thy great name's sake. Remember our government, give
wisdom to our leaders, bless our king and the royal household. Lord, return to Jerusalem with
mercies. We do humbly beseech of thee
Arise, arise, O God of grace, into thy rest descent, thou and
the ark of thy strength. We thank thee for all thy tender
mercies. We thank thee that thy mercies
are new every morning and greatest thy faithfulness. We thank thee
that thou art indeed God over all and blessed for evermore,
and are able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or
think. We thank Thee for Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the
Son of God, the glory of His name, the fullness of His grace,
the wonders of redeeming love. We thank Thee for the precious
blood of the Lamb that cleanses from all sin. We thank Thee for
the empty tomb swallowed up in victory, death destroyed in that
glorious Saviour. Oh, we thank Thee that he has
risen again and is now bodily ascended into heaven, and sitteth
at thy right hand. We have a great high priest who
is passed into the heavens. Lord, be with us now as we turn
to thy word, and graciously open thy word to our heart and to
our understanding. Hear prayer for thy servant expected
on the coming Lord's day, strengthen him, uphold him, we do humbly
beseech thee. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1095, and the tune is Tiverton 248. Dearest of all
the names above, my Jesus and my God, who can resist thy heavenly
love or trifle with thy blood. Hymn 1095, tune Tiverton ? And thy praises I will become
? ? All thy glory I know ? ? I can hear thee callin' ? ? Way
down this road endin' ? ? Dreams of yonder deep and deep ? ? Give him his present day. ? ? Give him his present day. ? ? Give him his present day. ? ? Give him his present day. ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave ? Come in my house, O Jesus, come
in ? ? My power, my joy, live in me ? ? Here is my home, here is
my home ? Ich will, ich will, ich will
ein Schild. Ein Schild, ein Schild, ein Schild. ? There shall no prison grow
? ? I'll be going there soon ? ? And there shall be peace
in my heart ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to Hebrews chapter
10, and we'll read verses 12, 13, and 14 for our text. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews,
chapter 10, verses 12, 13, and 14. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. This man. The beautiful word. We read it two or three times
in the epistle to the Hebrews. But this man. And then we read
in Timothy, there is one God and one mediator between God
and man. The man, Christ Jesus. who gave his life a ransom for
all to be testified in due time. This man, that gave his life,
he speaks of it here, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. In this 10th chapter, in the
Apostle he makes that clear distinction between law and grace. He starts the chapter and he
says for the law having a shadow of good things to come and not
the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers there
unto perfect. What a statement isn't it? What
a clear statement of divine truth. All those tens of thousands of
sacrifices in the Old Testament, none of them could take away
sin. Not one could atone for sin. Isaac Watts, he puts it in a
nutshell, doesn't he? not all the blood of beasts on
Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or
wash away the stain, but Christ the heavenly Lamb bears all our
sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they. And so we see in verse 4, for
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. How the apostle here, he lays
the axe to the old dispensation of the law, to the offerings,
to the sacrifices. And he makes clear in this epistle
that those offerings and those sacrifices were typical They
pointed to Christ. They spoke to the ancient Israelites
of Christ. When the blood was sprinkled
before the golden mercy seat, and the Lord had said, there
will I meet with thee, it represents the blood of Christ. The tabernacle
represents Christ himself. The outward adornments of badger
skins represents his holy human nature. The gold, the golden
cherubim, the golden mercy seat represents the divinity of Christ. And the Lord, he says, there
will I meet with them. There will I commune with them.
This is the burden of the message of the dear apostle. For it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sins. Wherefore when he, that is Christ,
and he's quoting here directly from Psalm 40, wherefore when
he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering
thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. And this is the man that is found
in our text, but this man. the glorious holy God-man. Great
is the mystery of God and as God was manifest in the flesh.
It's a great mystery, a profound mystery, but a fundamental mystery. You see, he says here in verse
9, quoting again from Psalm 40 then he said lo I come to do
thy will Oh God Again, it's the person of Christ that is speaking
He taketh away the first that he may establish the second That
is the first covenant and the second covenant The first covenant
a covenant of works under the law dependent on man's obedience
to the law which law they break, as none
can keep it. You may say, why did God make
a law that we cannot keep? When Adam was created, and Eve,
they were perfectly capable of fulfilling God's holy righteous
law. But when they fell, And Adam
is the federal head of the human race. As the Bible says, as in
Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The hymn writer says, doesn't he,
the seeds of evil once brought in, increased and filled the
world with sin. By the witch wind. that is the
will of our eternal father by the which will we are sanctified,
that is separated from the world through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. What an emphasis there is throughout
the epistle to the Hebrews of the need of this one sacrifice. All other sacrifices pointed
to it. This is the one sacrifice that
they represented. We read in the previous chapter,
and 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 seeing. unto salvation. And speaking of the ascension
of Christ into glory, it says in chapter 9 and verse 24, for
Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands.
He's referring there to the tabernacle, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with the blood of others. For then must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once, notice
the emphasis, but now once in the end of the world hath he
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. by the witch will, we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. You know, we've often pointed
out to you, particularly in that 14th verse of chapter 9, how
much more shall the blood of Christ, he speaks in the previous
verse, for if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifying the purifying of
the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit, that is the divine nature of the Son of God,
offered himself, he offered his own sacred human nature upon
the altar of his divinity, he offered himself without spot
to God, purge your conscience and dead works, to serve the
living God, but this man, this glorious God-man. We sang about it in Hart's beautiful
hymn, number 23, a man, there is a real man with wounds still
gaping wide from which rich streams of blood once ran in hands and
feet and sides. And as he says there, it is no
wild metaphor we preach. This same dear man in heaven
now reigns, that suffered for our sake. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. What an emphasis there is there.
The sacrifice of Christ is of eternal worth. Forever. And as far as the east is from
the west, so far have I removed thy sins from thee, O Israel.
Forever. I have cast thy sins into the
depths of the sea. Forever. After He had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down, on the right hand of God. This glorious sacrifice, this
glorious saviour, this precious redeemer. This man, we read of him in Isaiah
53, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. A man of We read
in Acts chapter 8 when Philip was joined the chariot of the
eunuch and the eunuch was reading Isaiah 53 and it quotes the scripture
that he was reading, how he was led as a lamb to the short slaughter
and as a sheep before a shearer's is done so he opened not his
mouth. But what did Philip do beginning at the same scripture?
He preached unto him, Jesus. He preached unto him, Jesus.
From Isaiah 53, the glorious Savior, but this man, after he
had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Doesn't that speak
of the eternal worth of the sacrifice of Christ? the infinite worth of that sacrifice. Divine justice demanded a perfect
sacrifice, a holy sacrifice. It's what it demanded. It had
to be holy. It had to be pure. There's only
one person that could fulfill those obligations to redeem his
people. It's Jesus, the Son of God. He's
the only person that could do it. God so loved the world, God our
Eternal Father so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. He gave His only begotten Son. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of
God for from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. This one glorious offering of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This holy sacrifice, this righteous
sacrifice of this righteous man, the man Christ Jesus, the only
babe ever born without sin. Jesus Christ was the only babe
ever born without sin. He was holy in his very person.
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, that holy thing that shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. That holy thing. It's a very important statement.
That holy thing. It means he was born without
sin. It cannot be said of any other
person that has ever been born into this world. You and I are
born in sin, we're shaping in iniquity. We're unrighteous altogether. We go forth and the womb speaking
lies and hypocrisy. There is none righteous, no not
one. That's speaking of the whole
of the human race. Born to Adam and Eve. And Adam by transgression fell. He ruined all his future race.
the seeds of evil once brought in increased and filled the world
with sin. But this man, what a difference,
but this man, the man Christ Jesus. Doesn't the dear apostle,
he speaks of it in Corinthians chapter 15, and he says there
in verse 45, And so it is written, the first man, Adam, was made
a living soul. The last Adam, that's Christ,
was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was not first,
which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward
that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth,
earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven, as is the earthy,
such are they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such
are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image
of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. and he speaks of that great mystery
when we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a
moment in the twinkling light at the last trump for the trumpet
shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we
shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption and
this mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory. Death is swallowed up in victory.
Why? Because Jesus suffered, bled,
and died on the behalf of his people. He offered that holy
sacrifice. He lived that holy life. How fundamental then, the glorious
person of Jesus Christ. Number one, He is the Son of
God, manifest in the flesh. He's the eternal Son of the eternal
Father. He lived a perfect, holy, spotless
undefiled life. He did no sin. In Jeremiah he's called Jehovah
Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. In Jeremiah 33 it says of the
church and she shall be called Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness, that holy life that Jesus lived, that the Son
of God lived here in human nature, when he was made of a woman made
under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the
law. This man, he fulfilled, he honoured,
he magnified God's righteous law that you and I broke He did
no sin. Sin is any transgression of the
law of God. He did no sin. And the 33 years
that the Lord Jesus Christ spent here upon earth was a holy life,
was a righteous life. And in that holy life is the
righteousness of the Lord's people. As the Apostle elsewhere, he
says that You know, his faith. He talks about Abraham, doesn't
he? He said his faith. He received a righteousness by
faith. Noah did. Abraham did. Isaac,
Jacob did. David did. The Lord's people
in the Old Testament. It was revealed to them through
the sacrifices and offerings of the one offering of Christ
that he would come. That's why David says, and lo
I come, in the volume of the book is written of me. David
prophesies of the coming of Christ. When Abraham offered Isaac on
Mount Moriah, you know, he saw the
day of Christ. That ram caught in the thicket
represents Christ. Isaac, bound hand and foot on
the altar, represents the church. Abraham turns and he looks and
there is a ram caught in a thicket. He takes the ram, he releases
Isaac, and the ram is then sacrificed. You see, my beloved friends,
what beautiful, typical things are set before us in the Old
Testament, revealing to Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, to David,
to Samuel, the wonderful things, the provision that has been made
in our Lord Jesus Christ to redeem the church. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand from henceforth expecting till
his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. What does it mean when it says
them that are sanctified? It means those that were chosen
by the Father The Lord Jesus said, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out. They are sanctified by God the
Father, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
I rather like the way that the Apostle Peter in his first epistle
He speaks of the wonderful glory of God in Christ. He says in
the first chapter of the first epistle, verse 2, elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ, grace unto you, and peace be multiplied according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world chosen to life everlasting life
in Christ and then when the Lord Jesus came here upon this earth
he redeemed his church He lived for his church, a perfect life,
making them righteous. He offered a righteous and perfect
sacrifice on Calvary, delivering them from their sins, because
they were sanctified by the Father. They were sanctified by the Father. Glorious sacrifice is what the
Spirit reveals unto the child of God. We're sanctified by the Spirit
of God. When He enters into the heart,
when He quickens the soul, when He brings you to living faith
in Jesus Christ, you come as a poor, guilty, wretched sinner.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling, Foul I
to the fountain fly, Wash me, Saviour, or I die.' This glorious,
precious sacrifice is the only hope of the Lord's living family. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. We read, do we not after his
resurrection he appeared unto the brethren at one time to above
five hundred brethren at once and then after forty days he
led them out as far as unto Bethany he lifted up his hands and blessed
them and they beheld him as he ascended into heaven in a cloud. And then in that lovely Psalm
24, it speaks there, who is this King of Glory? Who is this King
of Glory? It's Christ as he ascends into
heaven. Lift up your head, ye everlasting
gates, and the King of Glory shall enter in. It's Christ as
he ascends into heaven, and he enters into heaven itself, now
to appear. in the presence of God, for us,
for us. Wonderful, precious truth, isn't
it? That is recorded there, in the 24th verse of chapter 9. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, as the tabernacle, which are
the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. Sat down on the right hand of
God. There's another thing that is
signified here. Sat down. He rests from his labours. His work is done. It's finished. The salvation of his people has
been procured. Nothing can be added to it, nothing
shall be taken from it. It's complete. Hence the Apostle
says, ye are complete in Him. We are accepted in the Beloved. In Christ. For by one offering He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Oh, what a wonderful, precious
truth, that everything is done, everything is accomplished, everything
is fulfilled. The Saviour now sits at the right
hand of the Father, expecting till His enemies be made His
footstool. When the Church of God is gathered
in, from every nation, kindred, tongue, and tribe, and people.
Then shall come the end, the end of the world, when the last
vessel of mercy has been gathered unto Christ. The end of time
will not come until the last vessel of mercy has been gathered
unto Christ here upon earth. And until that has happened,
the end of the world will not come. While there are yet a people
to be saved and sanctified and separated, the end will not come. But as soon as the church is
gathered unto Christ, that last vessel of mercy gathered unto
Christ, then the archangels trump shall sound. And the dead in Christ shall
rise first. And we that are alive remain
shall meet the Lord in the air. so shall we be forever with the
Lord. You see, my beloved friends,
the fundamental point here, we've spoken of the life of Christ,
which is the righteousness of the believer, and we've spoken
of the sacrifice of Christ, which is the salvation of the believer. That precious blood that Jesus
shed on Calvary's throne lends it. from all sin, from all sin,
it does. The sin of the whole church,
I think it's in the Acts and the Apostle says, which he hath
purchased with his own blood, which he hath purchased with
his own blood. What infinite worth is the holy
blood of Jesus Christ. It's redeemed the church. It's
delivered us from the curse of the law. From the bondage of
sin and Satan. It's that precious Sinatoni blood. What is the name that speaks
for me in heaven's high courts above? And from the curse has
set me free. It is Jesus' precious blood. But this man, after he had offered
One sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of
God. From henceforth expect him till
his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. You know, not one of the Lord's
people can ever be lost. They can never be lost. They
are eternally redeemed. They are eternally safe. They
are eternally delivered from the condemning sentence of the
law because of what Jesus has done for them. They shall enter into eternal
glory. And isn't it We've often noticed
it in Psalm 45, how beautifully he speaks there of Christ and
the church. Indeed, often in that Psalm,
it is Christ that is speaking. And it says, with gladness. Verse 14, she shall be brought
unto the king. in raiment of needlework. That's
the righteousness of Christ. The she is the church. The virgins
are companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With
gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. They shall enter
into the king's palace. They shall enter into the king's
palace. It gives a whole new meaning.
There is, of course, a earthly meaning to our feet shall stand
within thy gates, O Jerusalem, that when we're brought into
the Church of God, our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. But there's also a heavenly meaning
to that. The heavenly Jerusalem. Our feet
shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Christ himself speaks
of it, let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God,
believe also in me. In my father's house are many
mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be. Also, oh my dear beloved friends,
these eternal sacred blessings, he quotes here to us in verse
16. This is the covenant I will make
with them after those days. This is from Jeremiah chapter
31. It's the covenant of grace, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission
of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is to say his flesh, and having in high priest
over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, let us
hold fast a profession of our faith without wavering, for he
is faithful, that promise. He is faithful that promised. Faithful is he that calleth you
who also will do it. He that hath begun a good work
in you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. Yes,
eternally safe, eternally secure, and none shall pluck them out
of my Father's and my Father is greater than I. That speaks
of the eternal security and safety of the church in the hands of
Jesus, the Son of God. They're saved with an everlasting
salvation. Heaven is secured for them. A
new and living way is made into the holy place. Jesus awaits
their coming. He does. He will greet them with
a kiss, that glorious, that precious Redeemer. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever, then that are sanctified. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 925. The tune is Ombudsley 385. Peace by his cross as Jesus
made, the church's everlasting head,
or hell and sin as victory won, and with a shout to glory gone. Hymn 925, Tune 385. Oh say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, O come, O come, Emmanuel, O come,
O come, Emmanuel, ? When from the snow ? ? A king
comes to thee ? ? And to this land ? ? Thy kings shall be ?
? With you gracious, holy grace
? ? O'er all the countless shepherds quake ? O come, O come, Emmanuel, O come,
Emmanuel, O come, Emmanuel, ? In thy right, Lord, make it true
? ? Yes, the world needs a Savior's way to go ? and earth its words so loudly. For Israel's war thy peace shall
be. May the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the
Holy Ghost, rest and abide with us each, both now and forevermore. Amen.