There were many wonders and miracles
surrounding his death on the cross. Many wonders and miracles. Matthew 27. Scriptural prophecies
were fulfilled. The sun was darkened. The rocks
quaked. The dead came forth. The Son
of God died. in human flesh. But it says here
in Matthew 27, verse 50, And Jesus, when he had cried
again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. And behold, and behold, the veil
of the temple, that thick veil that divided the holy place from
the holy of holies, that kept everyone out from the Shekinah
glory of God, except the high priest who went in once a year
with a blood sacrifice. That veil in the temple was torn
in two, rent in twain, torn in two, from the top to the bottom. a rent in it or an opening perfected, but it was torn in
two from top to bottom, completely rent entwined. The rocks did
quake and the earth did quake and the rocks rent. Now, what
is the Lord declaring here by that rent bail? Well, here it
is. It is. Here's what the Lord is
declaring by that rent bail. Verse 17. There are sins, but
I remember no more. That's what he's declaring. Sin
is paid for, put away. Verse 18. He's declaring where
this forgiveness is, there's no more offering for sin, no
more atonement, no more bloodshed, no more burning of the incense
or coming under the veil or putting blood on the mercy seat. Verse
19. And having therefore brethren,
brethren, ever brothers are priests, for having boldness to enter
into the holiest, into the presence of God, by the blood of Jesus. Brethren, ever brother is a priest
to come into the presence of God to offer sacrifices of praise
and worship and thanksgiving. Verse 20. By a new and living
way, not by the old ceremonies and sacrifices. The old way of
ceremonies is gone, but by a new and a living way. All of that
other was dead, materialism, carnal. This is the living way
because he lives. And because he had consecrated
this way for us through that veil, that is to say, his flesh. And verse 21, What is God saying? He's saying that we have an effectual,
eternal high priest over the whole house of God. That's what
he's saying when he read that veil in two. Taketh away the
first, establishes the second. All right, now in the next verses,
Paul sets before us the privileges and responsibilities of grace
that are upon us. Now let's look at them. Having
this blessing, having this glorious redemption, there are certain
responsibilities and privileges and duties of grace upon us. Here's the first one. Then let's
draw near. If God has opened for us into
his presence, by the blood of his Son a new and living way,
let's come before God. Let's draw near to God. Let's
draw near with a true heart, with a sincere heart, with a
sincere heart open, a heart in full assurance and confidence
in Christ, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed, sanctified with pure water. Let us draw
near. And then verse 23, he says, let's
hold fast the profession of our faith, the confidence in Christ. Hold it fast. He's faithful,
let us be faithful. Our God is faithful to us, been
faithful to us Always, in every circumstance, let us be faithful
to him, whatever the trial, whatever the test. Without fear or doubt,
let's be faithful. Let's hold fast the profession
of our faith, without wavering, with confidence in Christ. Be
faithful to the promise. And then thirdly, let us consider
one another. We're a family. We're the family
of God. We have one Father. Let's consider
one another as, in two ways, let's consider one another as
brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's also consider one another
as frail creatures, human beings. Let's consider one another as
brothers and as frail creatures. And if we love one another, to
provoke one another to love, that is to incite to love, to
encourage to love, If we're busy loving and encouraging one another
and forgiving one another, we have little time to criticize
and condemn one another. And that's what he's saying here.
Let's consider one another. Look not on our own things, but
on the things of others. Let's draw near to God. Let's
hold fast the profession of our faith in confidence and not wavering. And let's be considerate of one
another, be you kind one to another, tender hearted, gentle, forgiving
one another. God for Christ's sake forgave
you. And then the fourth thing. Let's not forsake the assembling
of ourselves together. Let's not neglect or forsake
the worship and prayer services and assemblies of believers.
as the manner of some is. Some do neglect these worship
services and times when believers assemble together. But let's
don't do that. Let's don't do that. I have three
strong reasons why we should not neglect the worship of the
Lord and the assembly of the saints. It's a special time. It's a very precious time. It's a very important time when
The church assembles, and we don't assemble very often, Sunday
morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. That's three hours in
a week of how many hours? We come together to praise God,
to worship God, to fellowship, to encourage one another, to
hear the word preached. And here are three reasons. Number
one, God has appointed worship. all the way through this Bible.
Let's just look at one scripture over in Psalm 96. God has appointed
worship. He has appointed divine worship. He has commanded divine worship.
We have, as believers, a responsibility to worship our God, to give thanks,
to praise his name, to come into his presence. acknowledge our
dependence upon him and our gratitude to him. It says here in Psalm
96, verse 8, given to the Lord the glory due his name. Would
you do otherwise? When his people assemble, being
one of them, would you stay away? Given to the Lord the glory due
his name. Bring an offering, that is an
offering of praise. We don't bring a blood offering
or a blood sacrifice or a turtle dove or a scapegoat. We bring
sacrifices of praise. Bring an offering. Come into
his courts. Amazingly, he permits us to come
into his court. He permits us to come into his
presence. He commands us to come into his
presence. He invites us to come into his
presence. Let your requests be made known to God. to commune
with God. Oh, worship the Lord! Oh, worship
the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear, respect, all before him,
all the earth, everybody. Say among the heathen that the
Lord reigns. The world shall be established,
it shall not be moved. He shall judge the people righteously. So that's the first reason not
to forsake the assembly of the saints, is because the Lord commands
it. And the Lord's worthy of worship.
And we are so indebted unto him for his mercy and grace, we ought
to be overjoyed for the privilege of worship. David said, I was
glad when they said to me, let's go to the house of the Lord.
Let's go to the house of the Lord. Then a second reason is this
in John 16. Turn to John 16. I've been coming
to the house of the Lord for a long, long time. Many of you
have too. But every time I come, I learn
something. I do. I learn something every
time I come. I learn something new. I've never
come when I didn't learn something. And I need to learn. I'm poor
and needy. I need forgiveness. I need instruction. I need encouragement. I need
to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. I need those things.
And that's what our Lord said to his disciples here in John
16, verse 12. He said, I have yet many things
to say unto you. You reckon that you've heard
everything he's got to say? I have many things to say to
you. Well, how's he going to say them to you? How's he going to say them to
you? Through his word, through his picture, through his elders,
through his teachers, by spirit. But you can't buy them now. This
is something that comes home to me in a stronger fashion than
ever before. There's things I can lay hold
of now I couldn't handle years ago. I wasn't prepared for it. God hadn't prepared me by experience
for what he has given me just lately. That's what he's saying
to the disciples here. He says, I've got so much to
tell you, but you're just not able to bear it right now. How
be it? Now listen. When he, the spirit
of truth, has come, he'll guide you into all truth. And that's
what we're doing here. He does not speak of himself.
The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit. This didn't originate with him. This originated with God, the
Father. And he doesn't speak from his own perspective. He speaks for God. That's what
Christ said. The words that I say are not
my words. Well, they are in the sense that he's essentially God.
But he's God's messenger. And he says what God tells him
to say. That's what the Master, even our Master, and that's the
Holy Spirit, that's what he says, he doesn't speak of himself.
And he doesn't speak about himself. But whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak. Well, I want to hear it, don't
you? If the Holy Spirit has heard something and God's given him
something, I want to hear it too. And he'll show you things
to come. Where's he going to show it?
In the assembly of his people. And he'll glorify me. You know, our Lord said, come to
me and I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me and you'll find rest. So the Holy Spirit's going to
glorify me. He's going to receive of mine
and show it to you. All things that the Father hath
of mine, therefore said I, that he'll take of mine and show it
to you. That's the reason I need to be
here when the world's open. And when the Holy Spirit takes
the servant of God and teaches the Word, I need to hear it. And I hear it when I'm preparing
to preach it to you. I only give you what He gives
me. And then the third reason, I want you to turn to Psalm 78.
Here's the third reason why we must not forsake the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is. as a matter
of some neglect. First, because the Lord commanded
divine worship, and he's worthy. He's worthy that I can set apart
the Lord's day and come worship God. He's worthy. Secondly, I
need it. I need to be edified and comforted
and taught. And thirdly, my children and
my family and my friends need my example and influence. Now
listen to Psalm 78. And you daddies and mommas, you've
got a family that needs your example and your influence and
your instructions. Psalm 78, verse 1. Give ear,
O my people, to my word. I've told you the word law is
the word of God many times. Incline your ears to the words
of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable.
I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and
known and our fathers have told us. And we'll now hide them from
their children, showing to the generation to come. I'm sitting
right here tonight, there's a generation to come. We're going to show
to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength
and his wonderful works that he has done. They're sitting
here and we're going to show them these things. For he established
a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. which he commanded
our fathers, that they should make them known to their children. So bring your children and sit
them down and say, listen to this, listen, listen, this is
true, listen. That the generation to come might
know them, even the children which should be born. Now these
children got children. Who is going to teach them? Is he going to break down after
you and me, fall to pieces? Even the children that should
be born, who shall arise and declare unto their children?
This is what's got to be done. Why? That they may set their
hope in God. And not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments. For in keeping them there is
great reward. Mark that in your Bible. And go back and refer to it very
often. Your daddies and mommas, and
grandpas and grandmas. Yeah, the Lord takes us through
about three generations there, doesn't he? that they need. And
where does this transpire? It's not sitting around on a
picnic table talking about religion and preachers. It's in the house
of God where God anoints the preaching of the gospel with
the power of the Holy Spirit. God has pleased God with the
foolishness of preaching to save those that believe. Here's where
the work is done. All right, now let's look at
verse 26 and 27. These words have been taken out
of context and used to teach what they do not teach. For if we sin willfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, knowledge of Christ,
our great high priest, the covenant of grace, that the old covenants
were fulfilled and Christ, by one offering, has put away sin
and perfected his people. I remember there are sins no
more in Christ. We receive the knowledge of the
truth. Do you have? Yes, you have. If we sin willfully
after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful look in fire
of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary. Like I say, these words have
been taken out of context and used to teach what they don't
teach. Sometimes people use this to teach that when a man commits
sin, after he's been baptized and after he's professed faith
and after he's united with the church, if he sins willfully,
then he's lost and he's to be excluded from the fellowship.
But now that's not what the word of God teaches. Turn to 1 John
chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. In verse 1 of 1 John chapter
2 it says, My little children, these things I write unto you
that you say not. You got it? 1 John chapter 2.
And if any man see him, kick him out of the church. No. If
any man see him, he's not saved. No. If any man sins, Christ deserts
him. No! If any man sins, he has an
advocate. He has an advocate, he has a
savior, he has a mediator. At the right hand of God, even
Jesus Christ the righteous. Rather than all of us sin, and
we sin willfully, we can't blame our sins on somebody else. It's
our mistakes, and our faults, and our errors, and our sins.
My sins are ever before me, David said. And it doesn't say if a
man sins, he's no longer saved. It says if he sins, he's got
an advocate. What's he need an advocate for if he's not a sinner?
You see what I'm saying? What's he needed? Well, an advocate.
I don't have a lawyer because I don't need one. And if I get in trouble, I'll
hire me a lawyer. That's the only reason a lawyer
fell in trouble or somebody's given him trouble. And that's the reason I need
a lawyer. I've got one with God, an advocate, because I'm in trouble. I've got troubles. And I'm being
in trouble. But I've got an advocate. Let
me show you another person. Galatians 1. Turn to Galatians
1, if any man sin, wherefore a sin, after having come to the
knowledge of the truth. What's this talking about? Galatians
chapter 1, no chapter 6, I beg your pardon, chapter 6 verse
1. Chapter 6 verse 1, listen to this. Brethren, if a man be
overtaken in a fall, kick him out. No, he which is spiritual,
the best fellows in the church and women, restore him. Don't exclude him, restore him.
Don't avoid him, restore him. Don't avoid his fellowship, restore
him. Restore him to his place at the
family table. Restore him to the fellowship.
Restore him, and in the spirit of meekness, not in the spirit
of pride and discipline, but restore him in a spirit of meekness,
considering yourself. Lest ye also be tempted." So
what's this talking about here? I'll tell you what, look back
at the text, Hebrews 10, verse 36. If we sin willfully, after
we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sin. It has to do with the sacrifice
for sin, doesn't it? It has to do with the blood of
Christ. It has to do with our great high priest. But a certain
fearful look involved judgment and fiery indignation. Here's
what he's saying, here's the true meaning. After we have come
to knowledge of what we've been preaching all day today, Christ,
complete in him, redeemed in him, not circumcision or ceremony
or diets or days or duties or Sabbath or any of these things,
it's Christ. After you've come to that knowledge, And you've
seen him, the high priest, and seen him as the only center,
and seen him complete in him. To go back to that old, the beautiful
law, to go back to those Sabbath days, and tithings, and diets,
and duties, and trying to win your way to God by your duties,
you've got a problem. There's no more sacrifice for
sin. If you turn away from Moses,
and then you turn away from Christ, who do you turn to? No sacrifice. Christ fulfilled all of that.
It's gone. He took it away. Now if you depart
from him, you've got no sacrifice. You've forsaken it. And that's
what Paul says in Galatians 5. Let's look at that for a moment.
You see, he's given us a liberty in Christ. He's delivered us
from the law of works and elements and duties. All these things,
Christ, we rest in him. Now, Galatians 5, listen. Stand fast now, therefore, in
the liberty where Christ has made you free. And don't you
become entangled again with this yoke of bondage. Behold, our
Paul is saying to you, if you be circumcised, if you do that
in order to be saved, if somebody comes along and says, well, I
know you're saved by Christ, but you've got to be baptized,
you've got to be circumcised, you've got to keep the Sabbath,
you've got to pay your tithe, you've got to do all these things
that Moses not eat pork and not eat on certain times. Now, wait
a minute. If you do that in order to find
some kind of acceptance with God, Christ profits you nothing. Christ is everything to me or
nothing. Christ is my supper, Christ is
my rest, Christ is my circumcision of my heart, Christ is my hope,
Christ is my sanctification, Christ is my righteousness, and
if I try to work something else in, he profits me nothing. But
here's what I tell you, he said in verse 3, if you start down
that road, if you start circumcision or Sabbath keeping or any of
this other thing, if you, I testify to every man that does this,
he's a better to do the whole law, better get you out of Moses'
law and start studying. If you're going to preach to
people in order to be saved, they've got to add something
to Christ, you better get the whole law out, because you put
yourself back under law. And you've got to keep it all. And verse 4, this man's a debtor
to do the whole law. Christ has become of no effect
to you. Whosoever you are justified by
the law, you've fallen from grace. You've departed from grace. You've
got no oil. That's what he's saying here
in our text, Hebrews 10.26. If you go back to Moses, after
having come to the knowledge of Christ, You've got no sacrifice
for sin. Christ profits you nothing, and
the only thing you've got to look forward to is judgment.
Isn't that what he's saying? That's the only thing you've
got to look forward to is judgment. Because here's the reason. Look
at verse 28. He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy unto two or three witnesses. What does that mean?
While that old tabernacle stood, while that old priest, Ava and
all the rest of them, killed their animals. took them into
the Holy of Holies. All these sacrifices and ordinances
were offered, that's before Christ came. For an Israelite to despise
that, for him to refuse circumcision, refuse to pay his tithe, refuse
to keep the Sabbath, refuse to look to the high priest, he died
without mercy under two or three witnesses. They stoned him, didn't
they? They stoned him. Now, if God is that firm about
that little And you read tonight about how he absolutely destroyed
those people. He destroyed them. Now if he's
that strong, verse 29, how much sober punishment does the person
deserve? Suppose ye that he be thought
worthy. How much more worthy of punishment
is this man who trods under his feet the blood of the Son of
God? He says, that's not enough. Christ
died, but that's not enough. Christ suffered, but that's not
enough. I've got to do something. God's depending on me. Let go
and let God have his way. He's got a wonderful plan, see
if he can put it in operation. That's not enough. He counts
the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified. That's what
we say, through his blood he has sanctified forever. He says
that's an unholy thing. He's done despite to the spirit
of grace. And I'm telling you, you say,
could a fellow do that well? If a man says he believes on
Christ and then he becomes an unbeliever, he'll perish. If
a man says he rests in Christ and returns to Moses, he'll perish. If a man says he believes and
loses interest in spiritual things, you perish. If a man says that
he walks with God and believes the gospel and later denies that
gospel, you perish. If a man walks with those who
walk with God, he said, let's walk together to the holy place.
And then he delights in the company of the enemies of Christ. He stands in the way of sinners,
sits in the seat of the scornful. He'll perish. Where there's no
commitment to Christ, no hunger and thirst for righteousness,
there's no life. For he said here in verse 30,
We know him that has said, Vengeance belongs to me, I'll recompense,
saith the Lord. What's closest to the heart of
God? Christ Jesus, his Son. And I'll tell you what you think
of Christ. What you think of Christ is the
sole basis on which God will judge your soul and mine. That's
what you think of Christ. What think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? That's the apple of God's eye,
is the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my son, he said. And the
Lord judges people, fearful thing, verse 31, to fall into the hands
of a living God, whose delight is in his Son. And I can't find
any delight in that Son. You see, he has exalted him and
given him a name above every name, that is, the name of Jesus,
ever and ill bound. And every tongue will confess
that he is Lord to the glory of God. That's God's purpose.
He has made a feast to honor his Son. That's the wedding feast,
marriage supper of the Lamb. Now, let's close with this. He says in verse 32, call to
remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated,
enlightened, God turned the light on, you endured a great fight
of affliction, you were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and you left
the world to believe on Christ. Partly while you were made a
laughing stock, folks didn't allow you to leave the world
peaceably, did they? You had reproaches and afflictions,
and they made fun of you for what you believed. Laughing stock,
reproaches and afflictions. You became a companion of them
that were so used. You tested your luck with the
people of God, and they shot at all of you together. That's
the way you started a long time ago. You had compassion on me,
he said, in my bonds, and you took joyfully the spoiling of
your goods. That's all right. You were brave
and strong. You knew that what you gave up
for Christ was nothing compared to what you gained in Christ.
That's what he's saying. No one in this earth that you
have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. What God
separates me from here is what I need to be separated from.
I hadn't lost anything I didn't need to lose. You hadn't either.
I hadn't lost anyone I didn't need to lose. Everything I've
gained is for his glory and my good. So verse 35, listen to
him. Cast not away, therefore, your
confidence, which hath a great recompense
of reward. Confidence not in yourself, in
Christ. Confidence in him. We have need
of patience. That after you've done the will
of God, what is the will of God? This is the will of God that
you believe on his son. That's what scripture says. This
is the will of God that you believe on his son. That's the will of
God. And after you've done the will
of God, we have need of patience. That we might receive the promise.
We have a course set before us. place to serve, a name to exalt. We have trials from the hand
of God to experience. There's some more out of my head.
We have reproaches and afflictions from men to endure. That's all
right. We have some sorrows, some tears
to shed, some disappointments. We have old age with which to
cope. We have the scriptures to search, the kingdom of God
to seek, and an inheritance to enter. We need patience. But he promises, verse 37, yet
a little while, and he'll come. He said, I'll come and receive
you to myself. He that shall come will come,
and he's not going to tarry. He will come a little while,
a very little while, a very little while. It's been a long time,
it seems like, but it hasn't been so long either. Just a little
while, he'll come. That's to justify the believer,
he lives by faith. He begins to live by faith, he
lives daily by faith, and he'll live eternally by faith. But
if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But thank God, by his grace, we are not of them that draw
back unto perdition. You know, I love what Peter said
to our Lord, when the Lord asked him, will you go away? And he
said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Tell me where to go. Where to go for peace and rest,
joy and hope, meaningful life, fellowship, love, great, where
do I go? To whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of life. This is the word of life. You
know that, I know that. This is the word of life. This
right here. And we believe and assure that
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. There's nothing in this world,
what a man property to gain the whole world and lose his soul. Not worth it.