Holding Fast Our Profession

I've had many people tell me
that they really prefer and enjoy
the Wednesday night services because on Wednesday night we
can be a little more candid, a little more personal in the
message. For usually those who come to
the Wednesday night service are those who have a familiar relationship
with God and with His people. Someone said many years ago,
the Sunday morning crowd indicates the popularity of the church
and its program. The Sunday night crowd gives
some idea of how well men think of the pastor and his sermons. The midweek service generally
indicates the interest folks really have in God's Word and
in His way. That's usually so. Hebrews 10,
again, our Lord Jesus Christ Our great
high priest has come and offered the effectual sacrifice to deliver
us from the curse of the law, and by one offering he has perfected
us forever and purged us by his precious blood. And dying upon that cruel tree,
he opened for us by his blood into the presence of God a new
and living way. And that's what it says here
in verse 19. Having therefore brethren, not all of Adam's race,
but the brethren, those for whom he suffered, those for whom he
died, those for whom he intercedes, having therefore 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. And having a high priest over
the house of God, we have some instructions, some solemn and
serious instructions. Here's the first one, verse 22.
Let us draw near. Let us draw near to whom? Let
us draw near to the very throne of God. Now, God's throne is
a throne of justice and a throne of holiness and a throne of majesty. And in that sense, you don't
want to draw near to the throne of God. Luther said, I want nothing
to do with an absolute God. But thank God in Christ, His
throne of holiness and justice and majesty is a throne of grace. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, let us come boldly, our boldly, With great confidence
and boldness and assurance, let us come boldly before the very
throne of God. The throne of God. By what authority? It says in verse 19, having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. That's our authority. That's
our confidence. He loved us and gave himself
for us. And because he's at the right
hand of God, we are commanded to come into his presence. Verse
22, look at it again. Let us draw near, draw nigh to
God with a true heart, with a sincere heart, no hypocrisy, in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Now look at
verse 23, "...and let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering." Let us hold fast. We believe. We believe
He loved us. We believe He died for us. We
believe He redeemed us. And we intend to persevere. We
intend to continue in that faith with confidence and assurance
whatever the trial. Whatever the fear, whatever the
doubt, why? Here's the reason. For He's faithful. He's faithful. Our assurance is not our faithfulness,
it's His. If you ask old Abraham, do you
really believe, Abraham, that you and Sarah are going to have
a son? Do you really believe that? Are you really fully persuaded
that you're going to be the father of a of a son at a hundred years
of age? You really believe that? Yes,
I do. On what foundation can you believe such a far-fetched
thing? He's faithful, that promise.
I believe he's able to do what he promised. And that's what
it says here. You come near it. Right into the very presence
of God, you come near it. You come with boldness, in full
assurance. And you hold fast your profession
of faith without wavering. Don't you surrender. Don't you
give up. Don't you doubt or fear. Why? Because He's faithful. He's
faithful. That's promised. Now look at
verse 24. And he says, here's another word
of instruction. Let's draw near. Let's hold fast
our profession of faith. And thirdly, let's consider one
another. Let's consider one another. Now,
several things are included here. Consider one another. To provoke
unto love and good work. Let's consider one another. Now,
here are three things I want you to see here. I'm sure, first
of all, it means let's be considerate of one another. I'm certain of
that. Let's be considerate. Turn to
Ephesians chapter 4 and listen to this. Let's be considerate
of one another. In Ephesians chapter 4, verse
32, Paul says this. In verse 31 and 32, Ephesians
4. Let all bitterness and wrath
and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you.
Just put it away with all malice, all hard feelings, and be kind. Be kind. Considerate. Be kind
one to another. Be tender-hearted. Not hard-hearted. Tender-hearted. And forgive one
another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. So when
he says here, let's consider one another, first of all he's
saying, let's be considerate. Look not on your own things but
on the things of others. Happiness comes in giving happiness. Joy comes in making others happy. That's right. I think secondly
he means this too. He means to be considerate. But
secondly he means to consider that we are brothers and sisters
and to care for one another as such. care for one another as such,
family ties. Some of you will be listening
to this testimony of the man in North Carolina, Joe Swartz,
who was brought up in Yugoslavia and then after World War II,
he and his mother and his grandmother and his two sisters and two cousins
spent about four years in a concentration camp And their family, as a family
unit, they cared for one another. They shared food. He went out
and begged food for his sisters, his little sisters. They cared
for one another. They looked out for one another.
They helped one another. They were just brought closer
and closer together by this adversity and this painful experience.
And that's the people of God. We need to consider one another
as brothers and sisters and care for one another. And then thirdly,
I believe he means this, back to the, you're looking at the
text here, let us consider one another. In other words, let's
consider one another as frail human beings. We need to be encouraged. We
need to be stirred up. We need to be forgiven. We need
to be helped. We're just human beings. The
scripture says God knows we're dust. He remembereth our frame. He knoweth that we're dust. He
understands. And we ought to take into consideration
the infirmities of this flesh and its weaknesses. And that's
what he's talking about here. Let us consider one another.
to provoke unto love and to good works, and by this, by this consideration
and kindness, and by this help and assistance in family, in
the family as brothers and sisters, and by this understanding of
the frailty of this flesh, you will encourage one another. You
will encourage one another and you'll set an example for them
to act likewise. Nothing in the world will promote
fellowship like fellowship. Nothing in the world will promote
a forgiving spirit like one shown, one demonstrated. Inspired by others behavior.
All right. Let's look at verse move on quickly
verse 25 Here's where we're going there having that high priest
over the house of God let's draw near And let's hold fast our
profession. Let's consider one another now
verse 25 and Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together As the manner of some is but
exhorting one another so much the more as you see the day approaching. Let us not forsake the assembling
of ourselves together. Now it's our duty, and I'm not
crazy about that word, but it's a word that has to be used because
it is. It is our duty and it's our privilege
to meet together for worship, for praise, for prayer, for preaching,
for fellowship. That's our privilege, but it's
also our duty. And I'll tell you, faithfulness
to the worship services, as far as I'm concerned, are motivated
by three things. Three things. You ask me, why
do you consider it so important to come
to the house of God, to worship the Lord. Why this? Personally,
I say for three reasons. Number one, because of God. He has appointed divine worship. God has. Almighty God is glorified by
the praise and worship of His people. And Almighty God ought
to be worshipped. And He has appointed for us to
come into His presence and worship Him, to seek His face, to pray
and praise Him, and offer sacrifices of praise and worship. David
enjoyed it. He 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. So, because of God. And secondly,
I feel that I just must be in the house of the Lord. I must. When His people come together,
I must be among them. Secondly, because of myself.
I need to be edified. I need to be refreshed. I need
to be revived. Wilt thou not revive thy people?
That is what we read a while ago in the mystery these days.
I need to be reproved. I need to be comforted. I need
to give thanks. Mike just sang it, I need the
precious Jesus. I do. And then thirdly, forsake
not the assembling of yourselves together because of God. Because of yourselves. And because
of others. Others, my family. I want to
set an example for my family. I want to set an example for
my friends. It's amazing, you may not, you
may out of some sort of humility or I'm nothing, I'm nobody, I'm
not important, nobody pays any attention to me. You would be
amazed at how much influence either for good or evil you have
on somebody. You'd be amazed. how much influence
you have for good or for evil on somebody else. And we ought, by the grace of
God, to give ourselves to faithfulness and worship and attendance, the
house of prayer and the house of praise and the preaching of
the gospel. And come, save those around us,
come, let us Magnify the Lord together. Come, magnify the Lord
with me. Exalt his name together. Come
on. Set an example. It may be that nobody will follow
you to the house, but I'm dead sure if you don't go, somebody
will follow you away. Did you hear what I said? It
may be that nobody will follow you to the place of worship.
But if you forsake the place of worship, somebody will dead
sure follow you there. Because they like that. That's the human nature. That's
the way they lean. That's their inclination. Inclination. I may not be used
of God to be an influence on somebody being saved, but I sure
don't want to be an influence on somebody being damned. That's
right. Alright, look at this verse again.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the
manner of some is. But what's this? Exhorting one
another. Exhorting one another. Now I
did a little bit of work today on that word exhort. It means
a whole lot more than just to teach. Some of us have the idea
that when we told somebody the truth, that's far enough. I told
him the truth, I showed him the way, now it's up to him. No.
Exhorting. Exhorting one another goes a
step beyond just telling them what fact is. Now listen carefully
to this. That word exhort comes from two
words. It means to call one close to
you. To call one close to you. to come near, to call someone,
to invite, to invoke, to beseech, to comfort, to desire their presence
for their good. It's more than just telling them
some facts. It's more than just saying, this is the way to go.
It's calling them to exhort, calling one near. Now here's
what he's saying, forsake not the assembling of yourselves
together, That's the first visible signs of apostasy. Mark it down. I've watched this for a long
time. The first outward visible signs of apostasy and the first
step toward leaving the faith is leaving the worship services.
First step. Always is. And exhort one another. Reach
out. Reach out to one another. Reach
out in fellowship, in assistance, in prayer, in helping. Now watch this, so much more,
so much more. Do this so much more as you see
the day approaching. What day is this he's talking
about? Well, it's more than one single day. Our whole existence
is not primed for one day. It refers to several days. The
first one is this, it refers to a day of apostasy. As you
watch others depart from the faith, Paul said, Demas hath
forsaken me, having loved this present world. He talks about
these other fellows, Hymenaeus and Phagellus and Homogenes,
these fellows that have left. As you see that taking place,
As you see this day of apostasy, of men departing from the ways
of God and the Word of God and the Gospel of God, exhort one
another a little more. Like an old hen, when she sees
the danger, the hawk flying, she'll call those chickens up
close to her. Let's get closer together. Let's get closer together. You
need me, I need you, we need each other because the day of
apostasy is terrible. It's all about us. This one falls,
that one falls, this one departs. No interest in the gospel. Day
of apostasy. The day of old age is coming.
He said, serve the Lord in the days of youth when the evil days
come not. Now, when you say, Don't have
any pleasure in those things. I tell you, I tell you, we got
an old saying about saving up for a rainy day. What do you
mean by that? Well, you put a little aside so when you get sick, you
can be taken care of. You put a little aside so that
when you can't work, you got something to live on. You put
a little aside so that when a day of trial comes, you'll have something
to pay your way. But I tell you this, the days
coming when this old body is going to get tired and weary,
and sight fails, and hearing gets dull, and aches and pains
racket, you're going to need a little storehouse of grace. That's right, you're going to
need something to reach back and get hold of. Isn't that right,
John? You know what I'm talking about? The day is approaching. You better
stow up every sermon you can hear right now. Every exhortation you can hear
right now. The day is coming when it's going
to be dark out there and lonely out there. B, don't you thank
God for every sermon, every scripture you read, this mountain you've
been walking up. A lot of strength. If you hadn't have had it, you
couldn't have made it. Right? And there's more days coming
for all of us. And there's days coming when
you're going to be sitting there by yourself. That love is going
to be gone next to you there. And you're going to be sitting
there. And I tell you, the more grace you've got in your soul,
the more of God's Word you've stored up in your mind, and the
more treasure of His presence you have, Less trial. Be easier to bear
it. Be easier to bear it. I'm telling
you, so much more as the day's coming. The day's coming, boy,
I'm telling you. And then the day of death, that's
coming. Sufficient for the day is the
evil or the grace or the supply of grace thereof. But I need
a whole lot of grace for some days, more than others. The day's
coming. And then there's a day of judgment
coming. And he says here, don't you forsake the assembling of
yourselves together as a matter of some here. But you get close
and you'll occupy for the days coming when you're going to need
everything God's been pleased to give you. Everything you had
and everything you could have had. That's right. That's right. All right, watch
this now. Here's a warning. Verse 26, "...for
if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge
of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but
a certain fearful looking for judgment, and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries." What's that mean? See if I can
help. Verse 26 says, "...for if we
sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sin." Now I've heard people misuse
these words and use them to hurt folks. These words have been
used all wrong. They've been the means of some
preachers stirring up fear and depression in the minds of their
congregation. When it says, if we sin willfully,
it's not talking about a sin of the flesh at all. It's not
talking about this human body, this weak body, these infirmities
of our flesh, because all of those sins have a degree of willingness,
don't they? There's not too many of us that
sin that we don't pretty well know what we're doing. Isn't
that right? Most sin is willful. But what
this is talking about is this right here. It's the same subject
it's been on. Same subject. Let us draw near. Let us hold
fast our perfection. Let us consider one another.
Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together so much
more as we see the day approaching. We've heard the gospel of grace.
We profess to believe it, we've embraced it, we've cast our lots
with believers. Now to leave, to leave that profession,
and to leave that hope, and to leave that gospel, and to forsake
that way, then there's no more sacrifice for sin. In other words, We've turned
to Christ from Moses, that's what he talked about while he
took away the first, took away the law and the Sabbath day and
the ceremony and the sacrifices and the priesthood, took that
away, we look to Christ. Now if we turn from Christ, where
are we going to turn? You see what he's saying? Do
you understand what he's saying, Charles? If I can't find salvation in
the law, and I can't, and I turn to Christ, and I'm not satisfied
with Him, and I'm not true to Him, and I don't stay with Him,
and I leave Him, after I've come to knowledge of the truth, where
am I going to go?" There's no more sacrifice for sin. All I've
got looking me in the face is judgment. That's the reason You
know, there are empty spaces right here tonight of people
who used to be faithful to the gospel. You sit and listen. Love
the gospel. Talk about the gospel, they said.
Believe the gospel. Profess the gospel. They departed from the gospel.
Moses couldn't save them, and it looks like Christ couldn't,
as far as they're concerned. So where are they going to go?
There's no more sacrifice for sin. You see what that's saying? That's what it's saying. There's
no more sacrifice for sin. And what is ahead? Judgment. A certain fearful looking part. Judgment, not right now. Listen. Listen to this scripture. Because
judgment against an evil work is not executed speedily, men's
hearts are bent to do evil. But God says, therefore it will
slide in due time. Somebody departs from the way
of Christ and the worship of Christ and the gospel of Christ,
well, he may prosper for 10 years, 15, 20 years. And because the acts of guillotine
of God doesn't fall immediately, folks think, well, he's all right. No, he's not all right. He's
all wrong. And there's a fearful looking
for of judgment. Looking for. And it'll fall. Their foot will slide in due
time. The cup of God's wrath will be
full. It'll run over someday. Because
it says in verse 28, He that despised Moses' law, died without
mercy unto two or three witnesses, while that old tabernacle stood,
while the ordinances of God stood, and while the worship and the
ceremonies and the sacrifices were binding upon the people,
if someone turned from that way, like Cain of old, like Uzziah
of old, if someone turned from that way, God usually quickly dealt with them, but
sometimes later. Sometimes later. But he did deal
with them. He did deal with them. Those
that despised and neglected the law of Moses, he dealt with them.
Verse 29, of how much sower punishment. If a man despised the law and
the tabernacle, an Aaronic priesthood, and the sacrifices which were
nothing but types, which had no saving power at all, if in
due time God's wrath and judgment fell upon people who despised
that way, of how much sower punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought
worthy who has trodden under his foot the Son of God and counted
the blood of the covenant whereby he was sanctified, or he said
he was, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite to the Spirit of grace." I don't need God. I don't need
you preaching. I don't need the fellowship of
this body. I don't need this reproof and
rebuke of God's servant. I don't need those things. I
can take care of myself. How much do you reckon God's
going to put up with that? We know Him. Verse 30, we know
Him. We know Him. That said, Ben just
belonged to me. I'll recompense. You leave him
alone. You leave Ephraim alone. He's
turned to his idols. Leave him alone. Again, the Lord
will judge his people, and it's a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of a living God. So 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 companions of them that were so used. You got kind
of a boomerang effect. They took it out on you because
you were hanging around with somebody that preached the gospel.
You had compassion on me and my bonds. You suffered for my
sake, for the gospel I preached. You took joyfully the spoiling
of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
enduring substance. Don't cast away your confidence. Don't do that. Don't do that. Come boldly. Hold fast. Consider one another. Don't forsake
the assembly of yourselves together. Pull one another up close. Cast
not away your confidence. which hath great recompense of
reward. You have need of patience. You
have need of patience. This battle's not over, not nearly
over. But after you've done the will
of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while,
and he that shall come will come. He'll not tarry. Not a just shall
live by faith. But if any man quits, The man draws back. My soul has
no pleasure in him. I've read something by Spurgeon
today. He said, I've heard preachers
say this. I've heard them say, he who once
believes shall finally be saved. Did you hear that? He who once
believes shall finally be saved. Now then, Mr. Spurgeon said, I do not deny
the truth of that statement. But it's an unguarded statement.
And it really does not correctly state the scriptural position
of perseverance. I would prefer to say, he who truly believes shall by
the grace of God keep on believing. And he shall be saved. You get
that? That's good. I prefer to say,
he who truly believes shall by the grace of God continue to
believe and shall be saved. For he said, if a man once believes
and becomes an unbeliever, he'll perish. If a man once believes and loses
interest in spiritual matters and in the gospel, he'll perish.
If a man once believes and later denies that gospel of grace,
he'll perish. If a man once walked with the
people of God to worship and now finds his delight among the
enemies of the cross, he'll perish. Isn't that true? So I would recommend, in closing,
that we do Here are seven suggestions that I recommend for myself and
for you. First of all, let us continually
occupy the position before God as a center. Don't ever move
from that place. Secondly, rejoice evermore and
always in covenant mercies. Salvation is of the Lord. That'll keep down self-glory
and self-righteousness. It's the gift of God. Thirdly,
let me spend my days continually looking to Jesus. To whom coming? To whom coming? To whom looking? The author and finisher of my
faith. Never take my eyes off Him. Not for a moment. Fourthly,
to daily exercise faith in the promises and providence of my
Father, whatever the circumstances. Like Eli, it's the Lord, let
him do what he will. Fifthly, to call on God in worship
and fear and prayer, to call on God. You have not because
you have not. The sixth place, to feed regularly
on His Word. It's by the Word that faith comes,
comfort comes, growth comes. It's by the Word that assurance
comes. Isn't that right? Feed on the
Word. When you're by yourself, when
you're out in Timbuktu or wherever you are, get the Word. Don't
be without the Word. That's your comfort. And then seventh, To fellowship
with His people. To fellowship with His people.
I just tell you, I don't care what anybody says. I don't care
what they say. I don't care what they say. Something happens to people who
do not fellowship with the people of God. A tape recorder won't
take the place of a pastor. And a tape recorder will not
take the place of a of a living, breathing, warm brother. It won't do it. You've been over
there in Germany, you know what I'm talking about, listening
to takes. It won't get it. And something happens to you,
you get one-sided or you get twisted, you get deformed when
all you got yourself. You get to acting like yourself,
you know. You need some inspiration, you need some Examples. You need
some encouragement. You need some input from somebody
else. That's right. Don't do it. Don't forsake. That's the first
step in apostasy. Forsaking the sin. First step. The rest of the steps are that
way. All right. That's all I got.

Holding Fast Our Profession

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