Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 1. Let's read this verse again. Hebrews 3, 1. Wherefore, wherefore,
that's a whole lot like the word therefore. It refers back to
what has been said, how Christ is exceedingly great and better
than all things. Wherefore, holy brethren, talking
here to those who are believers, in Christ Jesus, who were made
holy upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, upon the offering of
the Lord Jesus Christ. These who are holy brethren and
believers in Christ, they are partakers, they are partakers
of a heavenly calling, a high calling, a holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to God's own purpose and grace.
He called us with the gospel. Wherefore, he says, those who
are partakers of this heavenly calling, those who are made holy
in Christ Jesus, those who have had all their sins put away by
the blood atonement of Christ, in Christ alone, he said, brethren,
consider, think upon this, consider, behold, the apostle and the high
priest of our profession, Or all our salvation, all our confession
before God, all of our hope before God is wrapped up in Jesus Christ. Salvation is in a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are, as believers, we desire
to consider Him, to behold Him, to gaze upon Him. As John said,
Behold the Lamb of God that takes away our sin. Behold Him. Fully observe Him, as He says
in another place, Behold My servant, in whom My soul delights. Who are these who are interested
in considering the Lord Jesus Christ? Turn over here to Colossians
chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. He calls
them holy brethren. He calls them partakers of the
heavenly calling. Now, I know a little bit about
my own sinful nature. And I know by nature, by birth,
I'm anything but holy. I'm guilty, I'm sinful, I'm born
in sin, shapen in iniquity, and totally depraved. There's none
righteous, no, not one. But in Christ Jesus, through
the merit of His atonement, His blood being justified in Christ,
I have no sin. I am holy in Christ. Who are those who are interested
in considering the Lord Jesus Christ? Colossians chapter 1,
chapter 3, verse 1. Colossians chapter 3, verse 1. Seeing then, if you then, or
seeing then you be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above. Where Christ said it, that the
right hand of God set your affection on things above, not on the things
of the earth. Set your heart upon Him. Consider
Him, for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Now those who are made one with
Him in that covenant of grace, who have that vital union with
the Lord Jesus Christ, by that vital union of faith, they are
most interested in considering and beholding and loving and
believing and submitting to the Lordship of Christ. As Brother
Barnard used to say years ago when he first came to Ashland
in the early 50s, Brother Roth Barnard, he came in that early
meeting and he said, don't tell me who your Savior is, you tell
me who your Lord is. It's the Lord Jesus Christ that
saves sinners. And our Lord, our blessed Lord,
as He set forth in Scripture, He is God Almighty, God, very
God of very God. He is King of kings and He is
Lord of lords. The Lord Jesus Christ is set
forth in all Scripture, but especially in this book of Hebrews. He's
set forth in the glory and superiority of His person, of His covenant,
of His priesthood, of His sacrifice. And we see this repeated over
and over again when it talks about the Lord Jesus Christ is
better. Better. That's a repeating word
throughout all the book of Hebrews is the word better. Better. Christ is far superior. He's
better. Let me give you some examples
of that. In Hebrews chapter 1, Hebrews chapter 1, little verse
4. Hebrews 1, 4. Being made so much better than
the angels. They were created. He is not
created. He is the eternal God. God, He
says, under the sun He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever. A scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of Thy kingdom, being made so much better than the
angels, as He hath by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name
than they. God has given Him a name above
every name. At that name every knee will
bow, and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. He is better, superior in every
way than to the angels. Now, let me give you another
example of that word, better, as it's used in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter 7, turn over there. Hebrews chapter 7, and
look at verse 19. Hebrews 7, 19, For the law made
nothing perfect. The law never justified anyone. The law exposes our sin, but
it does nothing to remove our sin. By the deeds of the law
shall no flesh be justified. Right? For the law made nothing
perfect, justified no one, but bringing in of a better hope
did. Who is this better hope? This
better hope is Christ Himself. He is our hope. He did justify
us by His blood, by which we draw nigh unto God. Now look
at verse 22, Hebrews 7. Being made by so much, verse
22, with Jesus made a surety of a better, better covenant. Notice that word there, surety.
He's the surety of the covenant. He's the sacrifice of the covenant.
He is the Savior of the covenant. A surety is a guarantor. He guarantees
that the covenant is forever and ever, and it accomplishes
all of God's purpose in saving His covenant people. He's the
surety of a better, better testament. Hebrews chapter 8, verse 6. Look
what he says here. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, a more excellent ministry than that of the priest
under the law. He has a more excellent ministry
by how much also he is a mediator. Now there's one God, and there's
one mediator between God and man, and that is the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is also the mediator of a
better covenant. which is established upon better
promises. You see, in the Lord Jesus Christ,
it is better. We have a better covenant. We
have a better sacrifice. We have a better priest. They
were many and died. The Lord Jesus Christ is a priest
forever, just like Melchizedek, after the order not of Aaron,
but of Melchizedek. Now, consider him. He's better. Oh, my friend, consider the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is all together. He is all
together lovely. Now, I want you to consider with
me seven things, seven things about the Lord Jesus that's revealed
here in the book of Hebrews, and consider Him, consider Him
to worship Him, to behold Him, to bow before Him. Consider Him,
here's the first one, consider Him in His deity as God, creating
all things by the Word of His power." Consider the creating
Christ. The creating Christ as God. Did
you pick that up in chapter 1? Look at verse 2. "...hath in these last days spoken
unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also He made the world." All things that are, He made
them. He said, let there be light,
and there was light. He is the creating sovereign
Christ in all things. Hebrews 11, turn over there. Hebrews 11, verse 1. Hebrews 11, verse 1. Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it
the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the Word of God." Who is this Word
of God? The Word, the creating Christ. So that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear. Who is this Word?
Turn to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. We consider Him,
own Him and worship Him as the sovereign creating Christ In
all things, in the deity of His character, He is God the Creator. God the Son who created all things
by the Word of His power. Notice John chapter 1, verse
1. John 1, 1. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. All things were made by Him.
And without Him was not anything made that was made. in him was
life, and the life was the light of men, and light shined in darkness."
And here's how depraved we are. Light shined in darkness, and
darkness does not even comprehend it. Men love darkness rather
than light. Now, turn back to the book of
Colossians and chapter 1 this time. Colossians chapter 1. So,
we consider him, own him, believe him, bow to him, worship him,
behold him as the creating Christ. Consider this one. Oh, He's worthy
of our worship. He's worthy to be considered.
Set your affection on things above. Colossians chapter 1,
notice this. Speaking of the Lord Jesus, in
verse 14 it says, "...in whom we have redemption through His
blood, even the forgiveness of sin, who is the image of the
invisible God." He's a manifestation of the invisible God. The firstborn,
and that word there means Lord, Lord of every creature. For by
Him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in the
earth, visible, invisible, whether it be thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things, all things are of
God. All things were created by Him
and all things were created for Him. for Him, for His glory. Now look at verse 17. He is before
all things. He must have the preeminence
in all things. He is before all things and by
Him all things consist. That word there, consist, means
that He's the glue. He's the glue. He holds all things
together by the Word of His power. He's the super glue of the covenant
of grace. All things are held together.
You see, all things He upholds, all things by the Word of His
power. This is the one that we are told to consider Him. Consider Him. He's worthy, worthy
of our worship. You will quickly dismiss any
notion, any notion of evolution when God gives you a revelation
of the creating Lord Jesus Christ. We don't believe in evolution,
we believe in creation. And not only the Genesis account
of creation, but that of Leviticus, Exodus, all the way through Malachi,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, all the way through Revelation. He is
the Alpha and the Omega of all things. He created all things
by the Word of His power. The point I'm getting at is this,
He is Lord. He is God, our Savior. We consider Him as such, we worship
Him as such, and we bow to His Lordship in all things. God has
given Him a name above every name. At that name, every knee
will bow. Every tongue will confess that
He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So, if you've got
the first one, consider Him as God over all things. the sovereign Creator of heaven
and earth and all things. And He holds all things, controls
all things. All things are decreed by Him.
All things that come to pass in time are by the sovereign
decree of Almighty God. Of Him, through Him, and to Him
are all things, the writer of Scripture says, to Him be the
glory both now and forever. Consider the Lord Jesus Christ
as God manifest in the flesh. Now we see this. We see this
in our text. Consider Him. He is the High
Priest. He is the High Priest. But look
what it says in chapter 2 verse 14. We consider Him not only
as God and worship Him not only as God, but God incarnate. God manifest in the flesh. The
old writers called Him the God-man. Totally 100% God, totally 100%
man, and one blessed person. He's the God-man. Mediator. Notice what it says in verse
14 of chapter 2, "...for as much then as his children are partakers
of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same."
That through death, had He not assumed a body, a real body,
apart from sin, He could not have died for our sin. That through
death He might destroy sin and death and deliver them, deliver
them by the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. So we consider
Him not only as God, but as God manifest in the flesh. We read
just a moment ago in John chapter 1, in verse 14, it says, "...the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace,
full of truth. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body." And we are complete in Christ. And
He delivers us with His blood, with His sacrifice. It says,
let's turn and read this, turn to I Timothy chapter 3. I Timothy chapter 3. What a marvel
of marvel, marvel! God who inhabits eternity inhabited
a body of a man. He said, you've seen me, you've
seen the Father. I and my Father are one. Miracle of miracle,
marvel of marvel. Understand it? No. Believe it? Absolutely. Look what it says
here in I Timothy 3.16, without controversy, without debate,
great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh,
incarnate, real man, without the taint of sin, born of a woman,
made under the law. God was manifest in the flesh.
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up the glory."
We can talk about that in just a moment. Consider him as the
God-man mediator. Now, he had to be. He had to
have a body. He had to, as a man, apart from
sin, he had no sin, knew no sin, did no sin. He was a real man,
but had no sin nature. He was begotten of God. God prepared
him a body. Why was this necessary? Why was
this necessary for him to become a man? Man had sinned against
God, and the God-man came to work out a perfect righteousness
for us. And that's what he did for 33
years, as the man, honored every precept of God's law, worked
out a perfect righteousness for his covenant people, and then
he freely gives that to them. I must have two things to stand
before God accepted. I must have a justifying perfect
righteousness and I must have my sin put away. In the God-man
mediator, he did both. He worked out a perfect everlasting
righteousness for his people as my substitute and as my substitute
and mediator, he took all my sin in his own body on the tree
and made an end to sin. He honored the law of God in
every precept and every penalty. He redeemed me from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. Job put it this way,
the Lord gave and the Lord had taken away. The Lord has given
us all things in Christ Jesus. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? He has freely given to us But
he is also, Job said, he had taken away. And my friend, he
by himself, behold the Lamb of God who had taken away all the
sin of God's covenant people. Behold this Lamb of God who cannot
fail. So my friend, I'd have you consider
him. Worship him and own him as God. Worship Him and own Him as God
come in the flesh, representing His covenant people to do for
them what they could not do. Look what it says over here.
Turn to Galatians. Galatians chapter 4. Galatians chapter 4. He redeemed
us from the curse of the law. See what it says here in Galatians
chapter 3. Let's read there first. Verse
13. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing
of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith,
not through the law, through faith, looking to Christ. Galatians
chapter 4, look at verse 4. But when the fullness of time
was come, God's own time, the appointed time, Him being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a slave of sin, but
a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God, an heir of God through Christ Jesus." Now look back to the
text again, Hebrews chapter 3. So we consider him As the creating
Christ, in the deity of His glorious person, we consider Him as God,
our Savior, God manifest in the flesh. Call His name Jesus. He
shall take away, He shall save His people from their sin. Call His name Savior. Thirdly,
consider Him, as it says in the text here, consider the Apostle. You see that? The Apostle. Did
you notice when we read that, that it's capitalized? Did you
notice that? That's His name. He is the Apostle. And that word actually means
He is the one sent of God. He's sent of God. He didn't send
Himself. He's sent of God. Turn, if you
will, to John 17. John 17. John 17, He prayed this way in
His prayer, that He prays as our Savior, our Mediator in John
17. Notice what it says here in verse 2, John 17, 2, "...Thou
hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal
life to as many as Thou hast given Him." That's those covenant
people. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God," and I like to leave that little conjunction
out, "...the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
You see, the one that we worship is the Christ of God, the Christ
that's sin of God, the one that's sin of God. Notice again in this
same chapter, verse 8, John 17, 8, For I have given unto them
thy words, the words which thou gavest me. They have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. They have
believed that thou didst send me, sin of God, to accomplish
God's purpose, God's will in redeeming God's people from their
sin. Again it says in verse 18, in
John 17, 18, As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have
I also sent them into the world. He has sent the Lord Jesus Christ
as the Apostle, the Prophet. God said to Moses in Deuteronomy
18, I'll raise up a prophet from among the brethren like unto
thee, and whatever I speak he'll say that, and those who will
not hear him I'll require it at their hand. He is the one
sent from God to reveal unto us God's will, God's purpose
in saving His covenant people. Turn to Matthew 11. Matthew 11. To accomplish God's purpose,
God's business in saving His people. He is that prophet who
represents God to us. And He is our priest who represents
us unto God. But look what he says here as
the prophet of God, as the apostle of God. Matthew 11, 25. The one
sin of God. At that time Jesus answered and
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. Sovereign mercy. He'll have mercy
on whom he will. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father. He says in John, ìThe Father
loved the Son and had given all things into His hand. All things
are delivered unto Me and My Father. No man knoweth the Son
but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, save the
Son, and He to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.î He reveals
unto us the way of mercy and grace and salvation in Christ
Himself. He said, ìI am the way. the truth
and the life. Now, turn back to the text again,
Hebrews 3, 1. So, consider Him as a creating
Christ, consider Him as God our Savior, manifest in the flesh,
coming to save His people from their sin, consider Him as the
one Son of God, our Apostle, to reveal God, who commands the
light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. And then it says here, fourthly,
consider this one, and here's the main emphasis, I think, of
the whole book of Hebrews, the priestly work of Jesus Christ.
The priestly work of Jesus Christ, the apostle and the high priest. the priestly work of Jesus Christ.
Now notice, if you will, in several places in Hebrews, chapter 2,
verse 17. Hebrews 2, 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved
him, it was necessary for him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might represent us, identify with us, that he might be a merciful
and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to
make atonement, atonement, satisfaction for the sins of the people."
Definite article, the people. Now, again in chapter 4 of Hebrews,
seeing then that we have a great high priest, seeing then that
we do have one Son of God to represent us with that blood
atonement, the blood of the covenant. Seeing 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 infirmity,
but was in all points..." Now you look at this. "...but was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet..." No sin. He did no sin. Was his temptation real? Absolutely. So real that he, being tempted,
sweat, and under severe trial, knowing that he must be made
sin for us, that his sweat becomes blood. That's agony I don't know
anything about. But he was really tempted. really
tempted, and he had severe trial. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need." Now find Hebrews 9. Turn over
there. Hebrews 9. It says in Hebrews 7, let's turn
there first. But this man, Hebrews 7.24, Verse 23 says, "...they truly
were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death." That high priest, when he died, they select
another high priest. When he died, they select another
high priest. After priest, after priest, after priest. There were
many priests that their sacrifices never put away sin. He was one
priest forever whose one sacrifice put away sin. Look what it says
there. "...and they truly were many
priests, because they were not Suffered to continue by reason
of death, but this man because he has a because he continued
with ever He has an unchangeable priesthood an unchangeable priesthood
now Find that Hebrews 9 verse 11 Hebrews 9 verse 11 But Christ
being come a high priest you see this of good things to come
by greater More perfect tabernacle not made with hands not an earthly
tabernacle an earthly temple that is to say not of this building
Neither by the blood of goats and the blood calves, but by
his own blood He entered in once into the holy place Not made
with hands Look what it says in verse 24 for Christ had not
entered in the holy place made with hand with our figures of
the true but in the heaven itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us and But he entered at once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us." Having accomplished
that, "...for the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of the
heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of
the flesh, ceremonially under the law." How much more? Verse
14. Shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
great High Priest who did not fail to accomplish all redemption
for His covenant people. In Hebrews 10, turn over there.
Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, look at verse 10.
By the which will we are sanctified. Sanctified how? By the law? Look what it says there. By the
which will. Whose will? His will. He taketh away the first, and
He may establish the second. He said, Lo, I come, O God, to
do Thy will. Verse 10, By the which will we
are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ one
time. One time. Once for all for whom
he represents." Notice the two words, therefore, all have been
added. Every priest standeth daily, ministering, offering
oftentimes the same sacrifice which can never take away sin.
Now, how powerful is the blood atonement of Christ? How far-reaching
is the cleansing and justifying power of the blood of Christ?
Look what it says here. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, he sat down. The right hand of
God. Why did he sit down? The work
was done. The work was accepted. The work
was accomplished. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. A place of power, preeminence, love and acceptance. From henceforth
expect until his enemies be made his footstool. Now look what
it says here. For by the one offering he had perfected forever. One offering he perfected forever. Them! that are sanctified, that
are set apart in that covenant of grace. Talking about His elect.
Wherefore the Holy Ghost also was a witness to us, for after
that He had said before, this is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days. Sayeth the Lord, I will put My
law into their heart, and their mind will I write them, and their
sins and iniquities. God says, because of the blood
atonement of Christ, that it's not weak and anemic and powerful
and prevailing and eternal. He said, their sin and their
iniquities will I remember no more. Now, where remission of
these is, there's no more offering for sin. Having there, 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, having a high priest over the
house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, let us draw
near in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil content, that our bodies washed with pure water." What
is that? The water of the Word, the Gospel,
the living water of the Lord Jesus Christ. I tell you, my
friend, consider Him, the Apostle, the High Priest, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is the sacrifice that puts
away sin. And did you ever notice this?
The blood on the altar, back under the law, all those offerings,
it says the blood on the altar that's offered unto and before
the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ, His blood
atonement is not offered unto men. It's an offering unto God. It's God's atonement for sin.
For our sin, to put away our sin. God said, when I see the
blood, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Christ is
our Passover. Well, here's the fifth thing.
Consider the Lord Jesus Christ exalted, ascended, and victorious. Consider Him as the victorious
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, turn to
Hebrews 1 verse 3. The Lord Jesus Christ knows a
lot about agony. He's a man of sorrow, acquainted
with grief, but he knows nothing of the agony of defeat. He knows
a lot about the agony of victory. Look what it says there, verse
3, "...who being in the brightness of His glory, the express image
of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He by Himself purged our sin, He sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high." This is repeated over and over
and over again. the victorious Christ. The victorious
Christ. Notice in chapter 4, verse 14,
once again, saying then that we have a great high priest,
that is, did you get, underscore this phrase, that is passed into
the heavens. Passed into the heavens. Hebrews
7, 26, turn over there. For such a high priest became
us who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher
than the heavens. Hebrews 8 and 1, "...now the
things which we have spoken." This is the sum. We have a high
priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesties
in the heavens. He's exalted, risen, ascended,
enthroned, Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man mediator. He was
delivered for our offenses and raised again. Delivered for our
offenses and raised again because he failed. No. He was delivered from our offenses
and raised again because He justified us with His blood. His resurrection
declares His victory, His success. He knows nothing of defeat. He said, I am He that liveth
and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. All through the
book of Acts, when the early church went preaching the gospel,
you can check me out on this. But in every sermon that they
preached, themes of all those sermons was, God raised Him up. God raised Him up. God raised
Him up. They declared the victorious,
risen, living, exalted, enthroned Lord Jesus Christ. How important
is this resurrection? I say, oh, I tell you, if He's
not raised up, but in that we have no hope,
do we? If He's not raised up, We are yet in our sin, and we
have lied on God. And we have no hope. How important
is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus? Absolutely vital to the
Gospel. Without His resurrection, we
have no Gospel. He's declared to be the Son of
God in that God raised Him from the dead. He said, ah, you kill
me, and I'm going to come out of that tomb on the third day
or on the third morning. He walked out. Walked out, forty days later,
bodily ascended to the throne. sat down. We worship and we declare
and we consider and honor and behold Him who is ascended and
risen and enthroned and we look to Him, looking unto Jesus, the
author and finish of our faith. So, sixthly, we consider our
mediator and our advocate and our intercessor. What's he doing
right now? He ascended to glory He ascended
and sat down in the right hand of God. What's he doing now?
Hebrews chapter 7, turn right there. Hebrews chapter 7, Luke
verse 25, Wherefore, you see, He makes intercession for us.
Consider Him in the intercessory of His office, wherefore He is
able to save them. There's that word again, them.
Them. His people, them, all that the
Father hath given to me, they have come to me. Wherefore, He
is able to save them, and they come to Him. He is able to save
them to the uttermost, forevermore, that come to God by Him, seeing
that He ever lives to make intercession for them. Right now, He prays
for us. Right now, He cleanses our prayers,
our preaching, our worship, that it might be accepted of God with
His blood. When you sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He ever lives
to intercede for us. Hold your place there in Hebrews
and turn to the book of Romans chapter 8. Consider Him as our
Mediator. He prays for us right now. As we worship Him, as we honor
Him, as we read His Word and preach His Gospel, He prays for
us. He said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you. That's what He told those disciples,
the risen Christ. In Matthew 28, He said, Go into
all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, knowing
that I have all power in heaven and earth. And then He said,
Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the earth. This
is the one that we consider. Romans 8, He ever lived to intercede
for us. We have an Advocate, we have
a Mediator with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Romans
8, verse 32, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him
up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely? I like
that word, freely. Give us all things. 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, yea, brethren, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Now who can separate us from
the love of God? We are more than conquerors to
Him that loved us. So consider Him as He's our mediator,
He's our advocate, intercessing He is our intercessor. He prays
for us right now. He said in John 17, I pray not
for the world, I pray for them that you've given me, for they
are mine. Lastly, number 7, consider the
Lord Jesus Christ who is coming again. He's coming again. Turn to Hebrews chapter 9. He's
coming again. This One who is our blessed Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, He's coming again. Look what it says. He appeared once in the end of
the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Verse
27, As it is appointed unto men once to die and after this judgment.
So Christ was offered to bear the sins of many, the many, And
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation." He's coming again. He's coming again. Turn to the book of Titus. Titus
chapter 2. He's coming again. And I know
this whole religious world is trying to figure out when. You know I'm not the least bit
interested in when. When the apostle wrote to the
church in Thessalonica, he said, at the times and seasons, brother,
you have no need that I write to you about these things. I'm
not interested in a when. I'm interested in who. Who is
coming? The Lord Jesus Christ who is
God. And He's coming for me. He's
coming for me. He's coming for me. Hold your praise out there in
Titus. And let me just run this by you. I thought about this. He's coming for me. He said,
let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Yes. 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. Where did He go? To
the cross to justify us. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, and He did for you, I'll come again and receive you
unto Myself that where I am, there you May be also. Oh, I tell you, that gives me
great assurance and confidence in Him. I believe His Word. Look
what it says here in Titus. Titus chapter 2. For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, all
sorts of men. Titus 2.12. Teaching us that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly
and righteously in godliness, present world, looking for that
blessed hope. This is who we're looking for,
that blessed hope, the good hope of grace, the good hope of Christ
alone, and the glorious appearing of our great God. Who is He? Our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ. Who is He? Who gave Himself for
us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto
Himself a purchased people, a peculiar people, and they're zealous.
They're zealous of the gospel. They're zealous of good works. Now turn back to Hebrews chapter
3, and I'll close with this. Believers are not ashamed to
consider Him. Believers are not ashamed to
confess Him and own Him as Lord and Savior. And you know what? He's not ashamed to own us. He's
not ashamed to consider us. Look what it says here in Hebrews
chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Verse 11, "...for both he that
sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one." Well,
it's two of the heads, two of the body. "...for the witchcause
he's unashamed to call them my family, my brethren, saying,
I'll declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the
church, I'll sing praise unto thee, and again I'll put my trust
in him, and again behold, I and the children." Here they are!
I've lost none of them! None of his sheep will perish.
I am the children which God hath given me." He says this. He's able to keep us from falling
and to present us thoughtless before the presence of God's
glory with exceeding joy. My friend, consider this Lord
Jesus Christ. He's worthy of all honor, all
consideration, all worship,