All right, I'm in Hebrews chapter
two, and you can turn there if you wanna follow along. Hebrews
chapter two. And looks like I wanna read verses
nine to 12. Hebrews chapter two, verse nine.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels. for the suffering of death, crowned
with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste
death for every man. For, for, it became him. For whom are all things, and
by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies and
they who are sanctified are all of one. For which cause he is
not ashamed to call them brethren. saying I will declare thy name
unto my brethren. In the midst of the church will
I sing praise unto thee. I got something here John Newton
wrote. I'm just gonna read to you. If the Lord be with us,
we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, his arm over
us, his ear open to our prayer, his grace, sufficient. His promise, unchangeable. And here's something else he
wrote. Every drop of rain hits its appointed target. I thought that's pretty good,
that's pretty good. That sounds like a fella knows
something about a sovereign God. Anyhow, my title today, Paul,
is It Became Him. It Became Him. Verse 10 of Hebrews 2 says this. It became him for whom are all
things and by whom are all things. Now, if you wanna ask who's him,
I read verse nine, but we see Jesus. That's who the him is,
folks. Him is Jesus. It became him. I was thinking about something,
and then I heard something on the way up here. You people, it's always about
him. There was a lady who had been
to church at Katie Baptist back when Scott Richardson was there.
Earl was telling a story on that USB there. And she came to Scott one day,
after she'd been there three years, and she said, all you
ever preach is Christ. And Scott said, I don't think
it's all Scott said, but Scott says, yeah, that's all I'm ever
gonna preach. I figure Scott looked at her and said, boy,
I'm glad you've been listening. Some people come, don't ever
pay attention. Who else you have to preach?
Who is your Lord? Who is the one who's above all?
It became him. Him's all we got to talk about.
Him is the gospel. It's the gospel of his dear son,
but he is our gospel, because the gospel means good news. And the good news is him. It's not us. It's not how you
live. Thank God it's not how I live.
It's not how I talk. It's him. He's our gospel. We endeavor to preach the gospel
and the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the good news. Paul said,
I've endeavored to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and
what him crucified. Sacrifice as a substitute took
our sins and raised himself from the dead. ascended into heaven
and seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, and he
ever lives to make intercession for you. Now, where do you fit
in that? The for you. Not because of you. More than likely, it's in spite
of us. But it became him. That's our subject. We endeavor
to preach him. We preach his life, his death,
his resurrection. We preach his resurrection and
ascension. And I'm gonna tell you something,
we preach his work, his words. Old Testament and New Testament,
both, both. Because you understand, when
the Bible writes, it has it written in here, God said, let there
be light, that was the voice of Jesus Christ. We'll get to
that here in just a second. We preach his work and his words,
Old Testament, New Testament, we preach him as creator. And
we proclaim him as the life-giving deliverer of his people, of his
people. We preach him as the substitute
and the sustainer of life. Him, the Lord Jesus Christ is
our life, and the Lord Jesus Christ is our peace. And if we do it right, let's
put it this way, folks, if we do it right, we preach everything
as being for Him and by Him. That's if you're doing it right. Because here's the thing, to
preach Christ is to give man absolutely no credit and no involvement
in his salvation of his soul. There's stuff to do after God
saves you. We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus. He's ordained that we actually
believe him. by grace through faith, but we
do. But that's not our credit. No, that's a result of his work. Oh, I like that, I do. We preach
everything as being for him and by him, including saving his
chosen people. And if you want something more
than Jesus Christ, I can only say this, there is nothing more. There is nothing more than Jesus
Christ. Because there is nothing without
Jesus Christ that is of any value. Period. I mean, that's just it.
There is no other gospel. There's no other good news. Paul
says if you preach another gospel, which is not another, it's a
lie, it's a perversion, it's heresy, Could be blasphemy, any
other gospel, let him be accursed. And that's not, that's not something you want.
That's not something you want. There is no other gospel. However,
it says here, it became him. Jesus Christ, it became him.
Now what does that phrase mean? Because that's kind of what caught
my eye about this verse. Well, this phrase means it was
in the nature of Jesus Christ. This is his natural act. It became
him. It's natural, it's proper, and
it's appropriate for Jesus Christ to do whatever he's gonna tell
us about. And it tells us who he is. He's
the one for whom everything was made, and he's the one by whom
everything was made. Well, it says it, I'll go ahead
and, man. Colossians 1, verse 12, giving
thanks unto the Father which has made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Now, who is the image
of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, verse 16 of
Colossians 1. For by him, by Jesus Christ,
were all things created that are in heaven and that are in
earth, visible and invisible. That's pretty much everything.
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by him and for him. What's that mean? Well, and he
is above all things, before all things, in front of all things,
in charge of all things. But it says that he is before
all things and by him all things consist. And he is the head of
the body. The church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have
the preeminence. This is him. It became him. By whom are all things, and for
whom are all things. Oh, I like that. This is his
natural behavior. Because by him all things consist. My goodness. This one, the Lord
of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, him, he acts as is natural for
him to do. I like that. I like that. Especially when it comes to this
next part. The Lord of glory acted in the past, acts now,
as it became him. So what does a writer of Hebrews
tell us of the acts of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, it became
him in bringing many sons unto glory. You understand? A long time ago, I heard Henry
Mahan say, I don't like to talk about election.
Some people don't like to talk about election. Henry didn't
say that, but people told him. They don't wanna hear that stuff
about sovereignty, where God does everything and where Christ
is in charge of our salvation and is saved by grace through
faith and that's not of yourself. They don't like to hear that.
Why do you keep preaching it? Well, let me tell you something.
Henry said, that's the nearest and dearest subject to God's
heart is the work of his son. How can I not talk about it?
What Jesus Christ has accomplished. How can you have a sermon without
saying what Jesus Christ accomplished? What he's doing. What he did,
what he's doing, and what he's gonna do. Well, it's all the
same thing. Because Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever. It's the same thing. He hasn't
changed. I'm the Lord, I change not. That
includes the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh my, but he became him in bringing many sons unto glory. Because
here it is, the Lord Jesus Christ was, is, and always shall be
the Father's elect. Precious, precious. Oh, I like
that word. His glorious Son. So the Father is always concerned
with the work of the Son. He loves His Son, He loves His
Son. And it became him, the Son, in
bringing many sons unto glory. Unto glory. Oh, I like that. And let me tell you something. The Father is glorified in the
work of the Son. Christ did it. Christ does everything
well. I like that word, too, you know? It doesn't say Christ done good.
No, he does everything well. Matter of fact, he's well-pleasing
unto the Father. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I'm well-pleased. And then, listen, hear ye him. Hear him. What's he say? Mm, I like that. Because his acts, the acts of
the Lord Jesus Christ, who acts as it became him, his acts pleased
the Father. So what's that mean? In bringing
many sons unto glory, God is pleased. Because it's the work
of his son. It's not your work, it's not
my work, it's not anybody else's work, it's God's work. through the Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh, and I'm gonna tell you something,
the Father is pleased when believers believe and rejoice in his Son. Oh, I like that. Zephaniah 3
and 17 says this, the Lord thy God, where? In the midst of thee, in the
midst of thee. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is what? He's mighty. What's he say? He will save. It takes God's might to save.
That's what people don't figure out. They think, I can go down
there and pray a prayer, and God will forgive me, I'll be
saved. No, it takes the power of God to save a soul. He is
mighty, he will save. Then here's this, he will rejoice
over thee with joy. I like that. He will rest in
his love, he will joy over thee with singing. God the Father rejoices over
the people of God when Christ is bringing in many sons unto
glory. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
something? The Lord rejoices over thee with joy and singing, rejoicing
in heaven. What's it say? There's rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner that repented. Yes, there is. Well, Christ said it, it's true.
It's here in the Old Testament, it's here in the New Testament.
The Lord rejoices over believers that Christ brings in. Every single lost sheep that
he picks up, puts it over his shoulders and carries it home,
causes rejoicing in heaven. That's just amazing to me. I
mean, it really is, it's just amazing. Those brought unto glory. Paul asked, I mean, excuse me,
Isaiah asked this question, Isaiah 53 verse one. Who hath believed
our report? But here's the question, the
other question. And to whom is the arm of the Lord what? Revealed,
revealed. Romans 10, Paul commented using
that scripture saying, but they have not all obeyed the gospel,
the good news, Jesus Christ. For Isaiah saith, Isaiah saith,
Lord, who hath believed our report. The report is the gospel of the
good news of Jesus Christ. Not everybody believes it. Not
everybody believes it. But it also says this somewhere
in Isaiah, and I didn't look it up, it says, for the Lord's
arm is not short that he cannot save. What? It became him to bring in many
sons to glory. In bringing in many sons to glory. I like that, I do, oh. Who's our report? Jesus Christ
and him crucified. He has saved his people from
their sins. The redemption part is done.
And now he is bringing in many sons unto glory. He brings them
in. He brings them in. They don't
come on their own. You didn't come on your own.
You didn't come on your own. Nobody came on their own. It's
the good shepherd's job to find the lost sheep and bring them
in. And it's our Lord Jesus Christ, it became him in bringing in
many sons unto glory. Bringing them in. I don't believe
he'll do it against your will. No, but he can change your will.
He'll make you wanna come. People are silly. People are
silly. I don't know, they get this idea
that they're sovereign. God can't overrule my free will. If you got one, which you don't,
he gave it to you. And if yours is broke, he can
fix it. I mean, that's just basic logic,
but that's not the point, because there is no such thing as free
will. You will never choose God. You will never choose Jesus Christ. And I didn't say that, although
I did, I just repeated it. Christ said it. You didn't choose
me, I chose you. What? And ordained you. Oh my,
I get tired of free will. I don't believe in free will.
Well, I believe in God's free will, not yours. Anyhow, he's
bringing in many sons unto glory. Why? He gives everlasting life. Who's he give it to? That's the
question. He gives it to as many as the
Father has given him. That's in John 17 verse two. Take a look at it. It ought to
affect everything else you read after that in John 17. Oh my. He's bringing in many
sons unto glory. He gives everlasting life and
how's he do it? John 5.25 says this, verily,
verily, these are the words of Christ, verily, verily, I say
unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, 2,000 years ago,
and before that, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, of Jesus Christ himself, and they that
hear shall live. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. That's everlasting life he's talking about. Christ don't
give no temporary life, and then you have to upgrade to everlasting
life. He doesn't work that way. If
he gives life, you've got life. And you're gonna always have
life. Oh, my. To whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? We talked about that. Christ
talked about it. I thank you, Father, for you
have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent. I thank
God that he hid something from some people, but you've revealed
them unto babes. Who's the babes? Why did he say it? When the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall
live. That's the babes. It's the living. The ones Christ has given life. Guess what? That's to whom the
arm of the Lord is revealed. And nobody else will see it.
Nobody else wants it. But they won't see it. It became
him to give his life for his sheep. And it became him to find
every one of his lost sheep and bring it back into the fold with
him. And there's gonna be one fold
and one shepherd. And you know why? Because it
became him to do it that way. It's the right way to do it.
It's the only way to do it. The only way for salvation is
for Jesus Christ to do it. Because we can't. And we won't. That's the other thing. What
about will? Well, you won't. You know what
that is? Won't is a contraction for will
not. What about will? Well, you will
not. You will not come unto me that
you might have everlasting life. And that's as much true as anything
else. It takes the power of God to
save a soul. It takes the power of God to
give life to someone dead in trespasses and in sins. It takes
the grace of God, by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves. It takes the voice of the Son
of God saying, live. I call my sheep by name, and
they hear my voice, and what? They follow me. What's that? That's in bringing
many sons unto glory. That's what that is. It became
him to give his life for his sheep. He said he was going to,
twice. But I'm gonna tell you something,
the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ is shown in calling to
eternal life all that the Father gave him. All, you wanna say
it this way, all of his elect, his chosen. He chose them, he's
giving them life and he's bringing them in. Oh, I like it, and he's
bringing them in unto glory. Unto glory. This ain't no little
stakes poker game. This ain't no game at all. This is the work, the nature,
of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it became him to
do this. It's the right thing for the
Lord Jesus Christ to do. Why? Because it's in him to save
his people from their sins. That's what the angel told Joseph.
Call his name Jesus, for he shall. Why? Because it became him. He
shall save his people from their sins. And here's the thing, folks,
he did. He does and he is bringing them
in. He's bringing them in, I like
that. It became him in bringing many
sons unto glory. Now, verse 11 says this. For both
he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one. You wanna know something, folks? That's grace. That's grace right
there. We're one. In Christ, now in
Christ only, we're one. But how do you get sanctified?
He does it. What's it say? For he, both he
that sanctify. He's the one that sanctifies. Who's that? It became him. We're
still at him. We're gonna stay with him, and
God willing, I'm gonna finish with him. And then next week,
we try and preach him again. It became him. For he that sanctifies. And they who are sanctified are
all of one. We're in Christ. If he's brought
you in unto glory, bringing in many sons unto glory, where are
you? You're right here. You're all of one with he that
sanctified you. He set you apart unto glory. Unto glory. Not just for nothing,
unto glory. Oh, I like that, I do. It is
him who is that one, the Lord Jesus Christ, it became him to
sanctify. To sanctify all that the Father
gave him. And we are one. Isn't that something? Isn't that something? Well, you
remember what I just read in Colossians? And he is the head
of the body. Oh, that's right. Well, if he's
the head, what are we? We're the body. We're the body. He's the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things, he's got the preeminence, but we're with
him. That's glory. That's beyond glory. He's the preeminent one. He's
the head, but we're his body. not but, and with his body. Oh, I like that. I wish I knew
how glorious that was. That he that sanctifies and we
that are sanctified are one. I wish I could really lay a hold
of that. You know? Remember what I said? One of
the earliest sayings is that my feet wouldn't touch the ground.
If I could really lay a hold of it, be one in Christ with
him, The one who sanctified me, who
set me apart. The one who give me everlasting
life. The one who gives faith that
he made. He's the author, he's the finisher
of it, and he's the giver of it. We're one with him. We are one,
all of one. Oh, I wish I could get a hold
of that, keep it. because he that sanctifies is
our glorious head. Not just our regular head, our
glorious head. Don't get it mixed up with yours,
because it ain't yours, it's his. Oh my. I mean, it's kind of like we're
the members of his body, in particular. We are. We are members of his
body. Members in particular, but he
that sanctified us is our glorious head. Oh my. And what's it say? For which
cause? Being made all of one with our
sanctifier, he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Brethren. We are part, and Walter's
talked about it for a long time. I've talked about it, Paul's
talked about it. We are part of the family of God. We have
an elder brother. The front runner, our Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh my, but we're in the body,
in his body. We are his body. And there I am in the midst of
them, where two or three are gathered in his name. Excuse
me. Oh, so here's the thing, if he's
our head, Wherever the son goes, guess where you're going? You're
going with him. You're in him. We're all of one. He calls us his brothers. Where
the Lord goes, we go. He sees it at the right hand
of the majesty on high, so are we. In him. In him. He's our head. Wherever our head is, there's
his body, and that's us. Oh, I like that. It became him
to sanctify those that the Father gave him. Okay. Let's be clear. It became him. There is no other. It became him. He sanctified
us. He set his people apart unto
God. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
the sanctifier and perfecter of his brethren. Matter of fact,
I'm gonna go over here, perfected forever. You understand? Because we're gonna go from Hebrews
2 to Hebrews 10. Now he that sanctifies and they
that are sanctified are one. How are we sanctified? Well,
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 10 says, by the witch will, we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. I'm not gonna put for all in
there. It's okay if you want to. It's in italics, I can leave
it out. For by the witch will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. There's only one offering for
sin, there's ever only been one true offering for sin, and he
was it. And he is it. Oh, I like that. Because he says this, and every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes, what,
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, oh, what? This man? It became him. This man, after he'd offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. That's pretty good. And we're
right there with him, in him. Then it says this, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. By the sanctifier. He that sanctifies
and they that are sanctified are all of one. And we are perfected
forever. By him. It became him to perfect
us forever. Now, I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. I'll be honest with you. I don't feel perfected forever
right now. My back's a little stiff. I've
been cutting up some trees in my yard. But it doesn't matter
how I feel. This is what it became him to
do. And he did it with one offering. For by this one offering, we're
sanctified. And by this same offering, he's
perfected forever them that he sanctified. Yes, he can do two
things at once, and many more. We can't. We're lucky if we can
do one thing at once. But he can, and he has. He has. He set us apart. And
what's that? It became him in bringing many
sons unto glory. What? He sanctified us through
his offering. He perfected us forever through
his offering. All those that he sanctified. Oh. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. is plenteous mercy, plenteous
redemption, plenteous sanctification, and perfect perfection. And we
are all of one. We are all of one. We are sanctified
in Him. We are perfected forever in Him. And He, by whom and for whom
are all things, is bringing in many sons unto glory. Why? Because it became him. It became
him to do it. This is what he's here for, folks. It became him to do it. It's
natural. It's right for him to do it. I read that song. To him that
wrought our righteousness, and sanctified us by his grace. To him that brought us back to
God through the sea, the Red Sea, of his own blood. It became him in bringing many
sons unto glory. And that's what he's still doing.
And he's gonna continue on. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. He's gonna continue on until every lost sheep has been
found by him. And after that, all bets are
off. He's gonna do what he wants. Well, he's doing what he wants
now. And he's still gonna do what he wants. He's coming again. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
for this. You are Savior and our Lord,
Jesus Christ, have given us life. Every good gift and every perfect
gift cometh down from the Father of lights. And the Lord Jesus
Christ was your perfect gift you gave to us. And you gave
us to him. And it became him to save his
people from their sins. And thank you, Lord, for him
doing it. Thank you, Lord, for sending him. Thank you, Lord,
for accepting us in him. And for Christ's name we ask
and we pray, amen.