If you'd like to follow along,
I'm going to be in Hebrews chapter three. Hebrews chapter three. I'm gonna read the first four
verses. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of
our profession Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that
appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy
of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house
hath more honor than the house. For every house is built by some
man, but he that built all things is God. I like that. I like that a lot. Understand,
John Owen said this. God's love for us does not depend
on our loveliness. That's a good thing. That's a
good thing. upon his own character. And I say, thank God. Thank God. My title today is The Apostle
and the High Priest. The Apostle and High Priest.
But we're starting in verse one, where the writer starts off with
this statement, wherefore, holy brethren, He just spent the first
two chapters telling us why Christ is better than everybody. That's the wherefore. Christ
is better than Moses, Christ is better than the angels, Christ
is better than, Christ is God. Jesus Christ is God. You understand? The angels are just ministering
spirits, but Jesus Christ is God. He's the Son the Father
sent forth to speak to us. And we have his words. We have
his whole book right here. Now, this is not the whole story
of Christ. This is not the whole story of
Jesus Christ. It's the whole story we know.
There's multitudes more of stuff that we don't know and we're
not supposed to know, yet or maybe ever. But this is what
he's given to us. But wherefore, and then he says
this, Holy brethren, holy brethren. You know what that means? Consecrated brethren. Now, not
consecrated by themselves. Not consecrated by themselves.
See, it means set apart brothers, brethren. And this may or may
not be physical. Most of it is not. Most of it
it's not. But this is a title to those
of like precious faith. This is a title for believers,
holy brethren, consecrated brethren, set apart brethren. Who is it? It is we, the body of Christ. Those who know the Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom Christ has been revealed. This is the church,
the assembly, are wholly set apart, how? By Jesus Christ, by Christ. We don't set ourselves apart. No, we are set apart by God. Oh my, that's good. You understand,
this is not boasting. This is just a statement of fact
by this writer here. And here's the thing, we know,
believers know, the holy brethren know, they didn't make themselves
holy. They didn't consecrate themselves,
they did not set themselves apart. Because what believers know is
this, holiness is unto the Lord. Not to us, not to us. And we
are holy only in our Lord Jesus Christ. He's gonna get into that
a little bit, but you know. But the main thing I wanna tell
you here, it's not of yourselves. It's not of myself, it's not
of ourselves. But in him we are holy, brethren. In him we are, oh my. But then
it says this, and this part I do like, partakers of the heavenly
calling. You know what that means? Participants, participants, partakers
of the holy calling. Now, we are a participant, we
are not the source. There is a holy calling. but
it's not because of us. It's because of him who calls.
Believers by grace partake actually in his holiness, his righteousness. We are given his righteousness
in Christ Jesus. What does it say? It says by
grace you are saved. By grace you are saved. We are
holy brethren, we are believers, and we are partakers. because
we are given. We are given life, we are given
faith, we are given his holiness. And we do partake in it, why?
Because he gives it and you do receive it. It's not a, how do
you put it? Basically, the best way is just
the simple way. It's a gift. We are given to
Christ by God. All those that the Father giveth
me, what? Shall come to me. And we are partakers. Oh, I like
that, I do. Understand, we know the source
of holiness. We know the source of the holy
calling. And participants of the summons
from heaven. What did Christ say? He said,
there are those who are dead. but they're gonna hear the voice
of the Son of God, and they that hear, what? Shall live, shall
live. I'm gonna tell you folks, that's
a holy calling. It's not only because of you,
it's holy because of he who calls. It's a heavenly calling, because
what? We are born from above. And John 1 says, born of God. born of God, that's a holy calling. That's a holy calling. Participants
of the summons from heaven, those who are called, those who are
given to Christ from out of the world, they're born from above,
born of God. There's a song we sing sometimes
that says free election, known by calling, is a privilege divine. Saints are kept from final falling,
but here's the thing. All the glory, Lord, is thine. It's his. Oh, my. It's his election, it's his calling. It's his life, and it's his glory. Oh, but we are partakers. We are participants. You understand,
folks, When God saves people, when God calls people, things
change. For you. For you. I can testify. I became concerned with the things
of Christ where I'd never had before. I like to hear about
Christ where I never did before. I like to know about Christ like
I never did before. And you know what? 40 years down
the road, guess what? I still do. I still do. Now my family still hasn't figured
out what's wrong with me. But that's okay. I hope God chose
them one day. But thank God I know the one
thing that's right with me. And I know it's the one thing
that's right with you. And that is that by Christ, you are a
partaker of the heavenly calling. By Christ, you are holy brethren. And that's not boasted. Although
it makes me smile. You know, it's all right. I can't
help it. because here's the way it works,
just the same way it worked for Apostle Paul. He wrote it in
Galatians 1 and 15. But when it pleased God, what? Who separated me from my mother's
womb, that's one thing, but here's this, and called me by his grace,
by his grace. Oh my, I like that. Now, he'd
just say this. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, That's all of you. That's me. All believers,
here, do this. Consider. That's the word he
says, consider. What? The apostle. Do you understand? The apostle. Now you understand,
there's only two places in the scripture where it uses this
definite article, the, in front of the word apostle. One of them
was where Paul said, I am the apostle to the Gentiles, which
is true. What he's saying, he says it's
a singular apostle to the Gentiles. The authoritative apostle of
the Gentiles. But you understand, this is the
other place right here where he says the apostle. And consider
him fully. Behold the apostle. Perceive, look. The writer's
gonna say something important here, and what he says is important
for the holy brethren, for the partakers of the heavenly calling.
What did he tell us? I think I looked it up seven
times. Paul wrote a version of this statement. I would not have
you to be ignorant. Consider this. Consider this. Oh my. Because I'm gonna tell
you something. Our natural state is ignorance. And Paul says, I don't want you
to be ignorant. Consider, consider the apostle, the apostle. Now, understand, an apostle,
where it said, Paul wrote it several times, I am an apostle
to Jesus Christ. An apostle had authority from
Christ to preach the gospel and to establish assemblies, but
the apostle, where it says it here, the apostle is the authority. We're gonna find out, it's gonna
tell us, the apostle is the authority because he is the delegate, the
ambassador, and consider the apostle, and it tells us, Christ
Jesus. You understand? There is no authority
above Christ Jesus. I'm gonna say this for anybody
that happens to see this on YouTube or on TV or anything. As far
as Catholics go, I was born and raised one for 23 years. The apostle doesn't need a vicar. That's what they call the pope,
the vicar of Christ. No, no, no, Paul tells us here,
the writer of Hebrews tells us here, he's the apostle. He's the apostle. I'm gonna tell
you something, folks. There is no church established
outside, or excuse me, without the apostle Jesus Christ. There
is no authority without Jesus Christ. Oh my. He is Lord over all. By him, through him, for him
were all things made, and by him all things consist. He's the apostle, the apostle. And I'm going to tell you, that
includes churches, that includes assemblies, that includes his
body. the church. He is the apostle,
and there is no authority apart from the apostle, Jesus Christ. But then it gives us this, the
apostle and high priest of our profession. Oh my. We have, now
this is in Hebrews, and it's gonna go into it in a lot more
detail. We have the high priest. in a place he'll tell us a little
later on, our great high priest. Oh my. Let's see. John Owen wrote this, that Christ,
abiding, living, a priest forever, hath no more a vicar or successor
or substitute in his office, nor any deriving a real priesthood
from him than had Melchizedek. You understand, Melchizedek stood
alone in the Old Testament. He's a priest forever. A high
priest forever, according, what is that, according to Melchizedek.
What? Melchizedek had no mother, no
father, no beginning, no end. That's our Lord Jesus Christ. And he is our great high priest
forever. He has not stopped being our
high priest. He is our high priest. This book sets it forth clearly.
We have a great high priest. We have the great high priest. Oh my, well here I just quoted
what I was doing. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. What, he is the high priest of
our profession. Oh my, I like that. Now it doesn't
say hold fast to your profession, it says hold fast your profession.
Why, what's that mean? Keep believing. Keep believing. What? Continue. If ye continue
in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. Hold fast your profession. He's your profession. My only
profession is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He's my profession. Christ is still the great high
priest, and his sacrifice and offering was made 2,000 years
ago, but he's still our high priest. We have an high priest,
the high priest. Hebrews 9, that was 9 and 12.
9 and 26 says this. For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the
world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. He's not only our high priest,
he's the sacrifice. And it was offered, like I said,
2,000 years ago. So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. And he is, what does it say here? Consider the high apostle and
high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. That's in the present
tense. He is the apostle and the high
priest. You understand, a lot of people
wanna deal with and wanna talk about Jesus was. No, Jesus is. What'd he say in the Old Testament?
What is my name? Say I am. Not I was, not I will
be, I am. And Jesus Christ is, is. The apostle and the high priest,
and what's, he ever lives to make intercession For us, for
us, oh my. Who's us? Holy brethren and partakers
of the heavenly calling. Oh my. Our profession is of Jesus
Christ. And our profession is Jesus Christ. Oh my. Our profession is this. He's the apostle and he's the
high priest. Oh ho ho, oh my. And what's it say? Christ Jesus. The anointed Messiah. The chosen savior. Mm. I said it a few weeks ago,
he's the shepherd and the sovereign of our souls. But he's also the
apostle and the high priest. All at the same time. all at
the same time. We don't have a word that can
encompass all of what Jesus Christ is. We don't have 10,000 words
that can encompass all of what Jesus Christ is because we don't
know. And anybody that says they know
is lying. We don't know. We are incapable. There's a reason it says his
thoughts are not your thoughts. Because they're not. That's why. What's it say? Our profession is Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory. The what? The apostle and the
high priest. Oh my. What are we saying? We're saying
Christ is all. And right here, you understand,
the most serious question that a person has to deal with is
this. How can a man be just with God? Here's your answer, folks. If he's the apostle and the high
priest, and if he's your apostle and your high priest, oh, you
have a sacrifice already been made and satisfied the Father. You understand, because where
it says, how can a man be just with God, or how is man justified
with God? A lot of people don't understand
exactly what that question actually is. This means, how can man be
righteous before God? One way. There's the way. In Christ Jesus. The apostle and the high priest
of our profession. Oh my. You understand, it tells
us. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. It's Christ that died. Yea, rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Why? He's the apostle and the high
priest of our profession. He ever liveth to make intercession
for us. And he makes intercession for
us. Oh. You understand why, right? We need intercession. We need
him interceding. You understand it says, blessed
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Why won't God
impute sin to a man, that a man's committed sin? Because of the
apostle and the high priest of our profession. Because of the
bishop and the sovereign of your soul. Understand, it's not because
of you. It's not because of me. It's
not even because of us all together. It's because of the Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus, oh my. God's justice
is satisfied in Christ Jesus. God's holiness is perfect in
Christ Jesus. And God's love is manifested
in Christ Jesus. And God's glory is seen. in Christ Jesus. Oh my. And it is God that justifies
us in Christ Jesus. Because Christ Jesus is God manifest
in the flesh. I had a visitation in the weeks
I've been away by the Jehovah Witnesses. And I answered the
door. I didn't know who they were.
I found out, though. Well, see, this is the thing. Jesus Christ is God. They don't
teach that. They don't teach that. They say
Jehovah's God, and I agree, Jehovah is God. And I said, yeah. But Jesus Christ is God manifest
in the flesh. And he's still in the flesh.
Oh my. Great is the mystery of godliness. You wanna know why that's true?
Because man naturally got no inkling of who God is. Man, as
he is born, does not understand the things of the spirit of God.
And I'm gonna tell you something, Christ Jesus, the apostle and
high priest of our profession, is a spiritual thing. It's a
spiritual truth. Even though he's a physical man,
still. There's a man seated at the right
hand of the majesty on high. Oh my. but Christ Jesus is the
apostle and high priest, and I'll say it this way, of your
soul, of your soul. It is his work of salvation from
beginning to end, well, no, not end, from beginning to completion,
from beginning to completion. Why? Because we are and shall
be complete in him, in him. I am, says Christ, your glorious
head. May we attention give the resurrection
of the dead, the life of all that live. By faith in me, the
soul receives new life, though dead before, and he that in my
name believes shall live to die no more. John Newton wrote that. And I believe I can say amen
to that. He is the apostle and the high priest of our profession,
and his name is Christ Jesus. And I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. Holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling know
him, and they're happy about it. All right. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
for this time and this place. Lord, be with those who couldn't
be here, can't be here through hindering causes. Be with all
of your people everywhere. Help us to trust Christ more,
to love Christ more, to be, and to be, Lord, to be happy in the
blessings we've been given. Be with Walter, be with Paul
as they come to try and preach your word. Be with your other
men as they preach your word and stand forth in your gospel. And help us hear your gospel. Believe your gospel. And trust
in our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.