Hebrews chapter 4. I love it when you get a couple of phrases in the scripture that just, it just compasses everything. And this is one, every time we have a conference, every time we meet, every time we speak to one another, this is what we should be doing. Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, conference, persuading them to continue in the grace of God. Continue in the grace of God. That's Ruth just read that Acts 13 Hebrews Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 43.

That's what we do. That's you know, how are you going to get there? Well, there's only one grace of God. There's only one God. There's only one sovereign Lord, etc, etc. But that's that's what we ought to do. Just persuade persuade to continue in the grace of God. Hands off.

Hebrews. Chapter four, I'm gonna start reading, I think in verse, let me get my notes here. Verse nine, verse nine to the end of the chapter. Hebrews chapter four, verses nine through 16. Bruce made a comment in Bible class about our high priest. And I thought, you know, preach on brother, but then he stopped or something like that. But that's what we're going to look at. We're going to look at Christ as our High Priest.

Verse 9, there remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into Christ's rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man or woman, boy or girl, fall after the same example of unbelief.

For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intense of the heart. Through the preaching of the word, through the reading of the word, God's going to expose our works. God's going to expose our intents. Now we may be able to fool everybody here, maybe it'll fool the preacher, and everything seems to be good on the outside. God is going to He knows, he knows your thoughts, he knows my thoughts. He knows that if you've rested in Christ or if you're still trying to work your way to heaven on your own works, on your own merit, on your own person or your own worth.

Verse 13, neither is there any creature, that is not manifest in God's sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. He created you, we have to do with him, either in salvation, judgment, damnation, but we're his. We're his. Verse 14, we're gonna look at verse 14, 15, and 16.

Seeing then, Seeing then that these things are so, that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, not to a man, not to a woman, not to the front of the aisle, not to here or there, not to the church, not to the doctrine. Let us come to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, we go through the Lord Jesus Christ, we go through our high priest. So this is what we're gonna look at.

Paul, who is he speaking to? He's speaking to those who have entered into rest. Verse nine, there remain at the rest for the people of God. He's speaking to the people of God. He that has entered into Christ's rest has also ceased from his own works. as God did from his. So this is the folks who he's specifically speaking to. Specifically, he's speaking about the rest of Christ, in Christ, and his reconciliatory achievements on behalf of these, or his people.

What we're about to enter into, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the most heartwarming, awe-inspiring texts of Holy Writ. These three verses. Here, brethren, we can hang our very soul. Here we have the most firm and steadfast anchor for the heart, the soul, and the mind. Let's look at each verse this morning for our use in edification. And if you just read them, if you just go home and read them, and if you can find yourself in here, It's a big pillow to lay your head upon every night.

Verse 14, seeing then that we have a great high priest. Seeing then, it's as always saying, the fact of the matter is, the truth of the situation is, the Holy Spirit imprinting and making all these things that we're reading in this scripture, and especially the last three verses, absolute. Seeing then, Well, I was talking, I think we were talking to Melinda Ashley yesterday, Psalms 139 verse 6.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, I cannot attain unto it. We can read it. But when we're in glory, when we've passed from this life to the next, Then we'll see him face to face, we'll understand this. But right now, we're reading these texts, these verses, seeing them, the absolute truth that we have a high priest. But here, here it is, believe it, receive it, embrace it, all by his free grace, or reject it to your damnation.

So I don't believe that this is Christ. He may not even believe that he was born and raised. I can't remember somebody in the news, whatever, they said, give me proof that the Bible is correct. Not gonna do it. This is a well-known commentator. Can't do it by faith. By faith, the believer sees these things. By faith, we look at these things and see them. Now, there's ample proofs.

If you want to go Christian apologetics, which I never cared for, but if you want to read a person named Josephus, a famous Jewish historian, actually lived and actually documented the truths of when Christ was on the earth. If you've got to go there, go there. Well, I want to see the ark. If you look for that kind of stuff, just because you don't see it and don't understand it, doesn't mean God is not.

God is true and every man's a liar, the scripture says. Look what God has done through his beloved sons. We have, it's past tense, seeing then that we have a high priest. It's a great high priest. He's not just a high priest. He's the greatest high priest. There's none greater. There's none more important. There's none that has done what he has done.

What did he do? Well, he came and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He honored his father. He honored his father's law. He satisfied his father's justice. Justice must be, we sinned against God. We're guilty. There's payment for that. Either eternity, that's why, that's why hell is not just one and done. That's why our sins against an infinite God are infinitely great. And therefore, if we got to pay for our sins, we'll be doing it forever. Christ came from a woman, made of flesh and blood, partook of the same, satisfied God's justice, which is against us.

And see, nobody wants to talk about that. Funerals or whatever, everybody just wants to talk about the love of God, and this person's going to heaven, and we read something that in Grace Gems this week. It's the preacher's responsibility to tell the truth. about the scriptures. We can't judge where the person's, where they're going, that's not up to us. But we can tell the truth. But I'm not gonna preach anybody to heaven. God, that's just not the way, that's not what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to, we said this back there, be in season, out of season, preach the word. He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He honored his father. He honored his law. He satisfied his justice. He set sinners free. And he gave said sinners, if you're here this morning, perfect righteousness.

And now where's the son? He's seated, having completed the work of salvation, of justification, glorification, and now he's at God's right hand. Look at how the son is addressed in this verse. Seeing now that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens.

Jesus, the son of God, Jesus, his humanity, the son of God, his deity. It talks about his humanity. He must be bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. And yes, he must be God. Because only God can satisfy God. God and man united in one Christ, someone said. I like that. God and man united in one Christ.

And it says that he is past. It's again, past tense. He's past or already accomplished into the heavens, which is his rightful position, his rightful throne. And he says, therefore, because this is true, Let us hold fast our profession. Let us hold fast, not of our doing, but we hold fast with the hands and the arms and the faculties of this new creation created by God himself.

The old man wants nothing to do. The old man doubts the authority of the word. The old man, therefore, doubts the authority of God's redemptive work on the cross. I remember years ago, one man said, I quoted the scriptures, and he said, well, that's the Old Testament. How do we know it's true? I said, well, how do we know what's true on the cross? If you can't receive the historical facts of the Old Testament, what's the difference? It's the scriptures. Every word of God is pure, is what he says.

And it's given by inspiration. Therefore hold fast with the hands and arms and the faculties of our new creation created in Christ Jesus by God himself. It's a reasonable demand. God knowing what he starts, he will sustain. That's why he can say this is our reasonable service. To the new man, not the old nature that Matt talked about this morning, not that old nature, but the new man, it's reasonable. There's nothing that God demands. His burden is light. Take my yoke upon you. It's easy. It's light.

He died. He suffered for what he believed in. He's talking spiritually. Yeah, they may kill the body, but they can't touch the soul. Verse 15, for we have not a high priest which cannot. He starts off with a double negative to start with. Have not and cannot. And what he's saying is that we have not and we cannot be touched.

He can be touched. He is a high priest which can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. You see a lot of people, and you see this a lot in human nature, when they get promoted or they get elected or they become a governor, or they become somebody, they're unapproachable. They're unapproachable. He's not someone who, as he is exalted high above principality and powers.

We know that. He's not unapproachable. He's not hardy. He's not aloof, but oppositely so. We can approach him boldly. It says in the next verse, but we're not there yet, but he is touched with all our temptations and surrounds those things which surround us daily to bog us down.

He, it says in Hebrews 2.17, is a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. Every single issue, thing we go through, he has passed through it first. That's why we can go to him.

It was said of Luther, when I was studying this, I didn't know this, but when I was studying it, it came up. It was said of Martin Luther that his sermons so comforted his poor, afflicted congregation. And when he was asked why, he said, because I was afflicted much before they were. You know, it's kind of like, don't walk, you know, without wearing somebody's shoes, however that saying is, that's what he's saying.

And that's why it's so important to, if we haven't gone through something, to search the scriptures. And that's another reason why I keep bringing this up. That's why we're looking at in Wednesday nights, the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ. Look to Him. Live for Him. Be like Him. All, in all this, and here at the last, look at the last phrase, this is so important, this is so important.

His infirmities, a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. It must be, he's not a sinner. He cannot sin. He was a purized in the beholden iniquity. And I realize that's speaking of God the Father, but he's speaking to the Trinity. It must be so that he may become our scapegoat, our Melchizedek, our carrier of sorrows, and the only true one wounded for our transgression, because he had no sin. If he's a sinner, where does the sin go?

It can't go on him. You've got to keep it. But if he can take it, if he can bear it, if he can be made sin, And Joe had a really good article on that. It's not saying he was, he's not saying he's the greatest sinner. It's not, does not say that. And then as we were talking yesterday, Moose Parks had something, a short thing about Christ made sin. He was without sin. And because he's without sin, he is my Savior. Savior.

It's got to be. It's got to be. And you go any deeper than that, I think it's above our pay grade, to be honest with you. I think we're meddling in things, as I like to say. I think we're trying to peek behind the veil. Leave it alone. Rejoice that Christ is yet without sin, and therefore, he's a faithful high priest, and he can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, because he was tempted in all points like we are, yet he didn't sin. Amazing grace. Yet without sin. Meditate on that characteristic. And that alone. Verse 16. Let us, therefore. As one writer said, we need to find out what the therefore is wherefore. Why it's there, okay? It's there because of all the things that were previously said.

He is our rest. He can see things that we cannot see. He knows our every thought. The word of God is powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword. It discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. We can't, especially of other people. He can. Therefore, let us therefore we have access because he is a high priest, a great high priest without sin. Let us ever understand and embrace this glorious privilege afforded to such centers as we are. Therefore, because all the above verses are true, We are allowed, we are made accepted in the beloved, says another place in the scriptures. So come unto him now, come unto him today, tomorrow. Do not stop and do not delay. Indeed, the true child of grace will not stop. They cannot stop. So says Peter in first Peter chapter two, First Peter chapter two, verses one through four. Wherefore laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisies, envies, all evil speakings as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby the word that's a discerner of the intents of the heart.

If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming? That's just continual. To whom coming as a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Unto whom coming? Indeed, the true trial of grace does not stop. If we ever stop, as many writers have said, and many preachers that we know have said, we never really have come. If we can stop, We haven't entered into his rest. We're still trusting in ourselves. We've never truly came if we can stop. God the Holy Spirit will not fail to bring and to keep bringing his sheep under the fold.

He says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace, obtain mercy, continued Pardon and forgiveness. We need that, you know, like when Peter came to Christ, he said, you don't need to wash all over, just your feet. We'll go out, go to work, go to here, go to there. We need to confess our sins.

Because it sticks to us. And find grace. His keeping, sustaining grace, matchless grace, eternal, without end. And this last phrase was what really started this whole thing. So I'm gonna camp here just a little bit. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, which Christ has obtained for his people, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For help in time of need. When is our time of need? It should be always. not just when things are going south or not going right. This is our problem. This is where the old man, you've done this a hundred times. You don't need me. You don't need God. You've handled this situation many times. You don't need God.

I'm young, strong, vibrant. I'll call them when I need them. To find grace to help in time of need, the believer is, the older we get, the more we realize this. This is called growth and grace. The older we get, the more we realize we need him all the time. That the times between prayer and crying out, like we've been seeing in 2 Samuel, the time gets shorter. It gets closer together. Closer together.

As Matthew 6 says, give us this day our daily bread, and we need to feed daily. And as John 15, 5 says, without, you know, he's the vine, we're the branches. Without me, you can do nothing. Oh, I can do some things, no. Find grace to help in time of need every time, all the time. We are often, unfortunately, we're often like Peter, who was a brother.

In Matthew 14, when he's walking on the water, he bids, you know, Lord, he realizes Lord's walking on the water and says, let me come out to you. Come on. He jumps out and he goes, he's doing all right. And then he sees, then he gets his eyes off Christ. And then he starts seeing the money's situation, the government's falling apart. You see all these problems. And then he sinks. and then Christ is there and that's what he's always there.

Why do we take our eyes, our focus off? Brethren, focus on Christ only, always. Let us therefore become boldly to the throne of grace. We can because he's our high priest. He's seated at the right hand of God. It's done. The transaction is finished, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

And almost every writer talked about this time of need being, you know, when you're this and that and everything. And I thought, no, every time, all the time, all the time. May we come to see that this time of need is now. Always. It's not a part-time Jesus and part-time us. It's not a cooperation. It's a complete domination by Christ over us.

Or as this hymn states, and may we be found in this number, this hymn by Annie Hawks, I need thee every hour. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee every hour. Stay thou nearby. Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee every hour. Enjoy our pain. Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. I need thee every hour, most holy one. Oh, make me thine indeed. Thou blessed Son, I need Thee. I need Thee every hour. I need Thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to Thee. Not once a day, not once a week, always. May God, Lord, help us to be constantly and consistently coming to Christ. Bruce, would you close us, please? We know what we think and what we do.