If you turn back to Hebrews chapter
13, suffer this word of exhortation
too. We're going to pick up from last
week. I'm just going to cover the exhortations
that we did not cover last week. And if there's another verse
in the Bible like this particular verse, I'm not aware of it. Let's
read it. Together once again, this is
the writer to the Hebrews conclusion to the book of Hebrews. He says,
and I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation. For I have written a letter unto
you in few words. I like the way he calls this
letter. Few words. It's one of the longest
epistles in the New Testament, yet he calls it few words. John said in John 21, 25, and
there are also many other things which Jesus did to which if they
should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could
not contain the books that should be written. A few words. Marvelous words, excellent words. Now the writer calls this epistle
that he had written, this word of exhortation, and in the original,
the definite article is used. He calls this book the exhortation. the word of exhortation. Now, exhortation is not a word
that is used much in our day, but the writer calls this epistle
the word of exhortation. Now, this word is also translated
consolation, the word of consolation, same word. It's translated comfort,
the word of comfort. Entreaty, the word of entreaty. Jesus Christ is called the consolation
of Israel in Luke 2 25 and that is literally the exhortation
of Israel. In Acts chapter 9 verse 31 we
read of the comfort of the Holy Ghost. And that's literally the
exhortation of the Holy Ghost. God the Father is called the
God of patience and comfort or exhortation. Now the fact that
all three persons of the Godhead are called this gives us some
idea of the significance of this word that he calls the exhortation. Now the word means a summons.
You know what it means when you receive a summons? A call to
come near. This is God calling to come near. It's imploring. It's an entreaty. It's an admonition. It's encouragement. It's consolation. It's comfort. Solace. That which affords refreshment.
and comfort, it's a persuasive speech. It's a stirring address,
exhortation. Now turn with me for a moment
to first Timothy chapter four. First Timothy chapter four, these
are Paul's instructions to Timothy. And he says in verse 13, and
this really is what preaching is. Verse 13, till I come. First Timothy 4, 13. If you want
to understand what preaching is, here it is. Till I come,
give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. Now all three of these are critically
important in the preaching of the gospel, reading. What would
you all think of me if I just started preaching without opening
up the Bible? I just started speaking and giving you my thoughts
and my opinions and what I think Well, you wouldn't say here.
I guarantee you, you wouldn't. Reading. I dare say that the
reading of the scripture, there's no more important part of a service
than the public reading of God's holy word. Read it well. You men, when you read the scripture,
I remember one time, Joe Terrell telling me when he listened to
Henry Mahan read the scripture, he said, I understand what it
means when Henry reads it. Now that's the way we ought to
read. We ought to read in such a way as we're giving the sense
of what's taking place. And he says to Timothy, first
thing he says, give attendance to reading. And then make sure
it's not just an academic lecture. It's exhorting. That's what's
going on in the true preaching of the gospel. It's exhorting.
When you're exhorting, you're really calling on somebody to
do something. It might be you're calling on
them to do nothing. But it's something. Do nothing.
That's something. Look to Christ. That's exhortation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's exhortation. It's not just an academic recitation
of facts. There's exhorting going on in
true preaching. Reading first. And make sure
it's exhortation. And doctrine, the doctrine of
Christ, the truth of the scriptures, the truth of the gospel doctrine.
Never speak of doctrine in a negative light. Just dry doctrine. No, it's not. It may be to you,
but don't call it dry doctrine. It's the doctrine of God. It's
the doctrine of Christ. It's heavenly doctrine. Now that
is what makes preaching. Reading first. I love the order
here. Reading. And exhortation. You know, there's comfort in
exhortation. If I preach a message that doesn't
comfort God's people, I didn't preach the gospel. I say that
with full conviction. It's a comforting. It's a message
of consolation. It's a message to stir up. It's
a message calling on people to action. It is that. Exhortation,
and it's the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of the scriptures. Paul uses to summarize his preaching
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3, he said, for our exhortation.
That's what he calls his preaching, the preaching of the gospel.
When he first went into Thessalonica, he said, for our exhortation
was not a deceit. nor uncleanness, nor in guile,
but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel,
even so we speak." Exhortation. Don't you love the
way the writer to the Hebrews called this the word of the exhortation. Now, in Hebrews chapter 10, I didn't get to this last week,
but this is so important. But call to remembrance, verse
32. Here's an exhortation. But call to remembrance the former
days. This is when you first heard
and believed. That was a very special time.
Call to remembrance the former days. in which after you were
illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions. Partly
while you were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and
afflictions, and partly while you became a companion of them
that were so useful, you had compassion of me and my bonds.
And look at this, you took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing
in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring
substance. Your goods were confiscated. It didn't bother you. The primacy
of the gospel was so clear at that time, you could take, if
you were persecuted and all your goods were taken away, praise
his name. Call to remember when you were
first illuminated. When you first heard the gospel
as gospel, the best news you had ever heard how God could
be just and justify someone as sinful as you, in a way that
honors his justice. The forgiveness of all your sins,
called to remembrance. Then here's the next exhortation,
cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great
recompense of reward. Back in Hebrews chapter three,
he explains exactly what that confidence is, verse six. But Christ is a Son over His
own house, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Look down in verse 14, for we
are made partakers of Christ if we hold, don't miss this word,
the beginning of our confidence. When I first heard the gospel
as gospel, this I knew. The only hope I had that God
could accept me was that Jesus Christ died for me and put away
my sins and gave me his righteousness, nothing else. I'm to hold that
all the way to my dying breath, looking to Christ only. Cast
not away your confidence. Your confidence hasn't changed,
has it? It hadn't improved. It can't be improved, being saved
by Christ. It can't be better. Don't cast
that away. These people were in danger of
doing that. Now look in chapter 12. Here's an exhortation. Wherefore, verse one, seeing
we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
spoken of in Hebrews chapter 11. Let us, this is one of those
let us of the book of Hebrews, let us lay aside every weight
and the sin which does so easily beset us. And let us run with
patience the race that is set before us. And here's all we're
to do in this race that's set before us. looking unto Jesus. Don't you love the simplicity
of that? He doesn't even give us two things to do. That laying
aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us,
that's not talking about, well, this is the sin I have trouble
with. That's not what that's talking about. This is talking
about unbelief. That's the sin that does so easily
beset every one of us. Let us lay aside every weight
in that sin that does so easily beset us, and run with patience,
endurance, the race set before us, looking unto Jesus. Do you know this is the only
time that word looking is used in the New Testament? Like this, this is its only appearance. It means to look so as to look
at absolutely nothing else. What an exhortation. Looking
unto Jesus and not my faith. Looking unto Jesus and not others. Oh, I get so discouraged by other
people. Quit looking at them. Looking
unto Jesus and not my feet, but Him. Looking unto Jesus and not
my circumstances, but Him. Looking to Jesus and not my feelings,
but Him. Looking unto Jesus and not my
progress or digress, but Him. Looking unto Jesus only, looking
to Jesus alone, looking to Jesus always, and looking to Jesus
and nowhere and nothing else. Looking unto Jesus. Would to God that right now me
and you would be enabled to do that. Looking, that means if
you're looking at him, that means you're not looking at anything
else, only him. And here's how this look works.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. You'll notice that word ours
in the italics. He's the author. You look to him as the author
of faith. If I have faith, he's the author of it. And I look
to him for the faith. I don't even come to him with
my faith, I come to him for faith. He's the one who gives it. And
the only way I'll continue in the faith is if he perfects it
and finishes it. That's how I'm to look to him
as the author and the finisher of the beginner and the ender
of my faith. Who for the joy that was set
before him. endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the majesty
on high. Now, here's how I'm to look at
him. I'm to look at him as the one who, for the joy that was
said before him, endured the cross. And yes, the physical
pains of the cross are unbearable to think about, but I'm talking
about Him enduring being forsaken by His Father. I'm talking about
Him enduring feeling the shame of my sins. What if I broadcast
every thought you had in the last 24 hours up on a screen
for everybody to see? You'd be out the door before
anybody. The light could come on. You'd
be so ashamed. Well, the Lord bore and experienced all the
shame of my sin before his father when it became his. We know he
never committed sin, but he experienced all the horror and hell and feeling
of sin. He experienced it. And you know
what? Who for the joy that was set before him, he counted as
nothing. What was the joy that was set
before him? Glorifying his father. I have glorified thee on the
earth. I have finished the work thou
gavest me to do. I look to him as that one who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and did what? Sat down. You know why he sat
down? There's nothing left to do. He
completely saved me from my sins. That's how I'm to look to him,
as the sitting Savior, the one who sat down at the right hand
of the majesty on high, looking unto Jesus. And then verse 3,
he gives another exhortation. He says, that endured such contradiction
of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your
minds. Now, it's easy to become weary,
isn't it? It's easy to become disheartened
and to faint in our own minds. I could give so many reasons
why that takes place. What is the one remedy for that?
Consider Him. Consider who He is. This will cheer you up. Consider
who He is. He's the Son of God. He's the
Creator. He's the God-Man. He's incapable
of failure. He's altogether lovely. Quit
thinking about yourself. Quit thinking about others. May
the Lord enable us to do this and consider Him, His excellency,
His glory. Consider Him. Consider what He
did. When he had by himself purged
our sins, those sins that you feel so grieved over right now,
they've been purged. They've been put away by what
he did. They're gone. They're non-existent.
Well, how can you say that? Because that's what the scripture
says. In him is no sin. If I'm in him, I have no sin. Verse nine, furthermore, we've
had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us and we gave them
reverence. We respected what they did. This
is Hebrews chapter 12, verse nine. We respected what they
did. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, their limited
ability to know what they were doing. But he for our profit,
that we might be partakers of his holiness. Consider his character. Whatever he does is right. Whatever
he does is good with me. Whatever he does is good. I don't
care how painful, distressing it may be. My father is too wise
to err, too kind to be cruel, and everything he does is good. So if this chastening seems rough,
consider his character. Oh, you meant it for evil, but
he meant it for good. He's good all the time. Y'all trust his character. That's
why, really, I don't become, when I'm thinking right, I don't
become upset over what's going on because I know He's got it
all in control. His will is being done. His purpose
is being carried out, and it's all good, no matter what it is. I have no reason to fear. If
God be for us, who can be against us? Consider His character. He's
not like our parents chasing us. He's all wise, all powerful,
all love, all what? Consider Him. Trust Him. Verse 12. These are the exhortations that
he says to keep in mind. Let that which is lame be turned
out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Now, what is this
straight path? A straight path to Jesus Christ. Not going off here, not going
off there. A straight, level path to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Looking, same thing as looking
to Him. Make straight path. Unless you be turned off the
way, He's the way. And I want to stay on that straight path
to Him. Verse 14, follow, pursue peace. all men and holiness without
which no man shall see the Lord." Here's an exhortation. Pursue
peace. Pursue it with all men. Now I
realize there's times, you know, Paul said in Romans 12, as much
as in life's in you is, if it be possible, live peaceably with
all men. There's some people it won't
be possible with. They're opposition to the gospel, but seek peace. Rejoice in the peace Christ made
for you. Have that peace and quietness
we read of in Isaiah 32. And follow peace with men. Don't
be contentious. Don't be argumentative. Be a
peaceful person. Seek peace with all men and holiness. Once again, in the original,
this has the definite article before it. Seek the holiness. Christ being made unto me wisdom
and righteousness and holiness and redemption, the nature that
comes from Him, that holy nature. Seek holiness without which no
man shall see the Lord. Verse 15, here's another exhortation. Looking diligently, lest any
man fail or fall of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled and how
do I look diligently? Well, by believing grace, by preaching grace diligently, by living grace, by being gracious. I can't keep somebody from falling
from grace, but here's what I'm to do. I'm to believe grace. You know, it's a joy to believe
grace, isn't it? To believe that all my standing
before God is because of His grace. What a joy. That's what
I want to preach. I don't want to preach, I want
to preach the gospels free and graciously as I can. I want to
be gracious. Now, I can't keep somebody from
leaving grace, but I hope the Lord will use that to keep them
from leaving grace. Believe grace, preach grace,
live grace, be gracious. Verse 18, for you're not come
unto the mouth that might be touched, talking about the law,
and that burned with fire, nor into blackness and darkness and
tempest and the sound of trumpet. and the voice of words, which
voice they that heard and treated the word should not be spoken
to them anymore. For they could not endure that which was commanded.
And if so much as a beast touched the mouth, it should be stoned
or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight
that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. You've not come
to that place. All the law does is condemn.
All the law does is expose sin. No one has ever been made to
love because of law, only be afraid. But you are come, verse
22, unto Mount Zion, the church, the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, to innumerable company of angels, To the General
Assembly and Church of the Firstborn which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than
that of Abel." Here's the exhortation, see that you refuse not him that
speaketh. Now he speaks of what all God says, the blood that
speaks of better things than that of Abel. Oh, God's got something
to say in his church. He said, see that you refuse
not him that speaketh. Now that word refuse is the same
word translated make excuse. Remember when the servant said,
all things are now ready. Come to the feast. You don't
need to bring anything. It's all prepared. Come to the
feast. And the scripture says, and this
is the same word, they all with one consent began to make excuse. See that you make not excuse
with regard to him that speaketh. Somebody says, I'm afraid I'm
not elect. That's a bogus argument. You
don't come to Christ because you're elect. You come to Christ
because you need him. You come to Christ because you need mercy.
Don't use that argument. Well, I'm afraid I'm too sinful. That's a bogus argument, too.
You might be too good. That'll keep you from coming,
but the Lord never keeps somebody coming because of their sinfulness.
You can come. Him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. I tried to believe, but I can't.
You don't try to believe. You believe. If you're trying
to believe, that ain't faith. You don't try to believe. Do
you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you? Do
you believe He's the God-man, the Creator? Do you believe He's
the sufficient Savior of sinners? Believe. You don't try to believe
that. You believe that. Well, I'm afraid I can't come
until I first get my life straightened out. There's things in my life
that are preventing me from coming. Oh, so you can get them straightened
out and then you're able to come. You come now just as you are.
Don't wait to get better. Don't wait to get anything straightened
out. Well, I don't feel my need enough. I would agree you don't
feel your need enough, but that's all the more reason to come.
That makes you more needy that you don't feel your need enough.
This is not going to prevent you from coming. Well, I'm afraid
I'm not invited. Well, you're right about that.
You're commanded. You're not invited, you're commanded. You
don't need to wonder about the sincerity of the invitation.
Do you really mean me? No, you're commanded to come. Well, I am so discouraged by
seeing all the hypocrisy and contradictions of the people
in the church. They're so discouraging to me. Well, you ought to feel
right at home then. You'd fit right in with them. I mean, that
shouldn't prevent you from coming. Don't make excuse before him
that speaks from heaven. Verse 28. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom
which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve
God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is
a consuming fire. Let us hold on to grace. Free,
saving, sovereign grace. Hold on to grace. Let brotherly love continue. You want to have something you
want to pursue? Here it is. Let brotherly love continue. That love that Paul spoke of
in 1 Corinthians 13, love is kind. Let's turn over there for
a second. 1 Corinthians 13. Here he says the same thing,
follow after charity. Verse one, if you want something
to pursue, pursue charity. or that's chapter 14, but then
he says in verse 4 of 13, charity suffers long and is kind. Charity envieth not, charity
vaunteth not itself. It doesn't push itself. It's
not puffed up with pride. It doesn't behave itself unseemly. It's not rude. It seeks not her
own. Easily provoked, easily offended.
It thinketh no evil. It keeps no records of wrongs.
It rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. It
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things. Charity never fails. Let brotherly
love continue. Be not, verse two, be not forget
to entertain strangers. Be hospitable. Make that something
you want to make sure you are hospitable. For thereby some have entertained
angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds
as bound with them and then would suffer adversity as you yourselves
being also in the body." If somebody's suffering for Christ, being persecuted
for Christ, I want to be identified with that person, don't you?
I want to be in the body with them. I want to suffer the same
things. Blessed is he that's persecuted for righteousness
sake. Marriage, verse four, is honorable
and all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers,
God will judge. Don't forget the sanctity of
marriage, physically or spiritually. Hear this admonition. Whoremongers
and adulterers, God will judge. Let your conversation be without
covetousness. Why would you covet if you got
everything? Christ is all, isn't He? What is there to covet? What is there to desire beyond
Him? You have the sufficiency of Jesus
Christ. Let your conversation be without
covetousness and be content, satisfied with such things as
you have. No doubt, all of us have enough
materially that we ought to be content, but that's really not
what that's talking about. You ought to be content materially,
but what he's talking about, what do you have? You have Jesus
Christ. You have every spiritual blessing.
Christ is all. What could you want above that? be content with such things as
you have for he saith I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee so
that we may boldly with confidence say the Lord's my helper and
I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Remember them that
have the rule over you, remember them that are your guides, is
what that means. It doesn't mean they tell you
what to do. You need to go here. You need to move there. You need
to give this. You need to do this. That's not what that's
talking about. Somebody that has the rule over you is someone
who's your guide to point you to Christ. He's preaching the
gospel. Remember them which have the
rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God. That's
what they've done. Whose faith follow. I follow
my faith. I look to Christ only. You do
the same thing. I rest in him. You do the same
thing. Follow. Considering the end of their
conversation, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's God. That's the end of every
true preacher's conversation. Jesus Christ the same. Yesterday,
today, and forever. That can only be said of God.
The immutability of Jesus Christ. And be not carried about with
diverse and strange doctrines. It's a good thing that the heart
be established with grace, not with meats, which have not profited
them that have been occupied therein." Anything that's not
grace is diverse and strange. It's wrong. Let's hold to grace,
nothing else. He says in verse 13, let us go
therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. I love the fact that we go to
him outside the camp, outside the camp. You know, I don't have
any desire to be identified with anything that men call Christianity
and religion. Not denominational religion.
I don't want to be identified with it. Don't want to have anything
to do with it. I go to him outside the camp. You know who was outside
the camp? Lampers. They dwelled outside the camp,
the unclean. That's where his body was burned.
The atonement was burned outside the camp. That's what he was
doing out there. And the writer says, let us go to him outside
the camp. I have a certain joy in hating
religion. I do. I hate it. And I go outside
the camp. I don't want to be identified
with man's religion that's so dishonoring to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Feel no need to. Have no desire to at all. Let
us go to him outside the camp. I'm ashamed of religion. I don't
want to be identified with it. That's why I'm always embarrassed
to tell somebody I'm a preacher if I have to because I know what
they're thinking. Well, what about this jerk? That's what I think. Let us go to him outside the
camp bearing his reproach. Verse 15, by him. I love this,
by him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips
giving thanks to his name. Now, I do this by him. That means
the only reason it's accepted is because He brings it to the
Father. What I do, I do by Him. And I
love, let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually, the fruit
of our lips giving thanks, that word is literally confessing
His name. His name is His attributes, His
name, don't you love His name? Don't you love His holiness?
Don't you love His sovereignty? Don't you love His justice? Don't
you love His love? Don't you love His wisdom? Don't
you love His independence? No needs? Don't you love His
immutability? Every attribute is His name. This is the name upon which we
call. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. We confess that name. Salvation's for his name's sake.
We confess that. We plead guilty to believing
salvation is utterly and completely in his name. This is the common
confession of all the saints. Salvation is in his name. There's
none other name given among heaven whereby we must be saved. We give thanks to his name. And
here's another exhortation. But to do good and communicate,
forget not. For with such sacrifices, God
is well pleased. We will forget to do good. Be
merciful. Be merciful. And give. Oh, I
want to be a generous person. I ought to make it my ambition
to be the most generous person alive. The Lord's so generous
with me. He's so good to me. He's so gracious
to me. Make this your aim. Verse 17, obey them that have
the rule over you, and that, we've already gone over this
a few weeks ago, that means be persuaded by them. That's the
word, be persuaded by them. They preach the gospel, be persuaded
by the gospel they preach. Obey them that have the rule
over you, submitting yourselves, for they watch for your souls
as they must give account that they may do it with joy and not
with grief, for this is profitable for you. Pray for us, there's
another admonition, there's an exhortation, pray for me. May
I be enabled to pray for you. Pray for us, for we trust we
have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly. Verse 22, and I beseech you,
brethren, suffer the word of exhortation. That means receive,
bear, bear with, pay attention to, take kindly. Listen patiently to this word
of exhortation that I've written in just a few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy
is set at liberty, with whom, if ye come shortly, I'll see
you. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the
saints, they of Italy, salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen. Suffer this word. of exhortation. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
exhortation, the exhortation of the gospel. the exhortation
of this book of Hebrews, and we pray that we would be, by
your grace, enabled to suffer this word of exhortation, to
endure it, to believe it, to take it kindly, to receive it.
Bless your word. Bless us as we face the rest
of this week. We pray for your keeping, preserving
grace to be upon us. Accept our thanksgiving. We're
so thankful for your gospel. In Christ's name we pray, amen.