This Man

Q: What does the Bible say about redemption by Christ?

Redemption by Christ is central to salvation, as emphasized in Acts 13:39, stating that through Him all who believe are justified. The Bible teaches that redemption is found exclusively in Christ Jesus, who offers forgiveness of sins to all who believe in Him. Acts 13:39 affirms that through this man, all who believe are justified from all things that could not be justified by the law. This doctrine underscores the belief that only through faith in Christ's completed work can a person be reconciled to God and obtain eternal life. Redemption is not based on our works or adherence to the law, but through grace alone as found in the gospel.

Q: How do we know the Bible is divinely inspired?

The Bible is divinely inspired, which means it is the authoritative word of God, certified by its prophetic accuracy and transformative power. The concept of divine inspiration refers to the belief that the Scriptures are breathed out by God, serving as our ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. This belief is foundational within Reformed theology. The consistency of its message, the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies, and the transformative effect it has on believers' lives are strong testament to its divine origin. If we accept the Scriptures as the inspired word of God, it shapes our understanding of God’s character, His will, and the plan of salvation through Christ. Thus, recognizing the divine inspiration of Scripture guides us in how we live according to His revealed truth.

Q: Why is regeneration by the Spirit important for Christians?

Regeneration by the Spirit is essential for Christians because it is the work that transforms a person's heart, enabling them to have faith in Christ. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a cornerstone of Christian faith, illustrating the work of the Holy Spirit to create a new heart in a believer. In John 3, Jesus emphasizes that one must be born again to see the Kingdom of God. This miraculous act of God enables individuals who were previously dead in their sins to become alive in Christ, resulting in genuine faith and repentance. Regeneration is not a result of human effort; it demonstrates God’s sovereign grace and mercy. Thus, understanding regeneration emphasizes the need for reliance on the Spirit's work in our lives, highlighting the transformative power of the gospel.

Q: What is the importance of preaching in the Christian faith?

Preaching is vital in the Christian faith as it teaches God's Word, provides comfort, and warns believers about their spiritual condition. Preaching holds a significant place in the life of the church as it serves multiple purposes: to teach, to comfort, and to warn. According to the sermon, every message should convey the truths of Scripture, allowing believers to grow in their understanding of God's grace. It also functions as a means of comfort, as the Word of God reassures those who are burdened and struggling. Furthermore, preaching acts as a warning, reminding believers of their need for vigilance and sensitivity to the Word of God. This dynamic interaction not only impacts individuals but builds the body of Christ, encouraging unity and a shared mission in glorifying God.

And every sermon preached ought to contain the
three R's, which are ruin by the fall, redemption by the blood,
and regeneration by the spirit. And I've read other writers exhorting
us about this business of preaching. But I would like to add three things. I believe every
sermon, while containing the three Rs,
ought to have these three things, which I trust that I have tonight
in this message. There should be, for all of us,
in every message, a word of exhortation, teaching. God has raised up pastors,
teachers. A pastor ought to teach the Word
of God. Our Lord sent His disciples out
and said, you go preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them. Every
message ought to teach us, and we ought to leave The place where
we heard that message, having come to a better understanding
of God's grace in Christ Jesus, ought to be taught. Secondly,
there ought to be in every message a word of comfort. Our Lord says, comfort my people. Strengthen my people. The sheep
of Christ come to feed upon the Word of God, and when you feed
upon the Word of God, you go away comforted. You go away strengthened
in faith, strengthened in grace, strengthened in assurance. God's
people leave the preaching of the Word strengthened, helped. We're all, all of us, have need to be comforted. And when men stand up here, this
preacher or these elders or other men who come, it's impossible for us to look
into every heart and know the need and to know the burden and
know the heartache and know the problems that people are going
through. But you can be assured of this,
they're there. Nobody knew about this but Darcy
and I. But we were sitting at home Monday
night, pretty blue, pretty down. You all were watching on television
about all those people marooned up in the Smoky Mountains in
the snow. Our son was up there. He went
up Friday to camp out in a truck and a camper and a lean-to. And
we didn't hear from him Sunday and all day Monday, and we were
getting real concerned and worried. Monday night, the fellow that
was with him was brought out by the Rangers, but Danny stayed
up there. And I'm using that as an example,
like tonight, we're happy he just called, he's on his way
home, and I'm happy. Our burden's lifted, but maybe
your burden's not lifted. You're going through something
right now that has you down and depressed and troubled. I need
to comfort you. I need to realize that God's
people need comfort. They need to have their eyes
lifted from in here and down here up to Him. And this message
ought to do that. If it's God's message, it will. Every message, every message
ought to contain not only a word of exhortation, a word of comfort,
but a word of warning. We need to warn people that this is the gift of God now and
who's to say that we'll have it tomorrow? preaching of the
Word. Who's to say that we'll still
be here preaching the Word next week? Well, anybody will. This is the message for this
hour, and we ought to be sensitive to the Word. Ought to be sensitive to the
Word of God, to be sensitive to those things which are spoken. Sometimes we approach a sermon
or a service and I don't know. We've got so many cares and concerns
and the things of this world that crowd the Word of God out
and we don't come with a sensitivity, a hearing ear. Let those that
have ears to hear, hear! We need to be warned that we're favored people to have
this Bible open and someone stand up there and preach it tonight
to us. And we ought to be careful about indifference and complacency
and, oh well, we'll be back again Sunday. If I don't hear anything
today, maybe we'll hear something then. We'd better hear tonight. Oh, to be sensitive to the Word
of God. And regard every message as though it may be the last
one I preach and the last one you hear. You see, may God give
us wisdom. Wisdom. James said, if any man
lack wisdom, that's what I want, wisdom in the Word, don't you?
A sensitivity to the Word of God and wisdom. You see, the
term wisdom is more than just knowledge. I was talking a moment ago about
Mr. Calvin and the five points of
Calvinism and the doctrines of grace and so forth. But wisdom
is more than just knowing these things. Knowledge, it's more
than knowledge, it's more than information. It's more than learning. You can have knowledge, you can
have information, you can have learning and be a fool. That's
right. Man can have a whole lot of knowledge
and a whole lot of information. Like a computer, and just push
a button and he rattles something off, you know. He's got information
and knowledge and he can quote scripture, Wisdom is the proper
combination of knowledge and spirit. Truth and spirit. There's a combination. That's wisdom. Somebody said,
knowledge is the horse. Wisdom is the driver. He has the reins. A horse is
a horse, is a horse. It's big and strong and can be
useful or dangerous depending on who's holding the reins. Is
that right? Depending on who's holding the
reins. And that's wisdom, you see. And wisdom is a combination
of truth and spirit. It's a combination of faith and
conduct. That's what he read a while ago.
Speak sound doctrine, but speak those things that are becoming
to sound doctrine, or appropriate. I got an article in a bulletin
this Sunday. A person comes in, a person of
rank and station, and he's not dressed appropriately. And you
look at him as what he's got on, and you say, that's not very
becoming to you. You ever said that before? That's
not very becoming. Or a person noted for wisdom
and integrity and morality does something or says something off
color and you say that's not very becoming to you. That doesn't
fit you. You see what he's saying? That's
not becoming. And that's what he's saying we're to preach that
which is becoming appropriate to sound doctrine. And that's
faith and conduct, that's wisdom. Mind, wisdom is a combination
of mind and heart. Wisdom is a combination of discernment
and discipline. So he says if any man lack wisdom,
sensitivity to the Word, understanding of the Word, the ability to appropriate
what God says, an acute sensitivity to what is said and what is preached. He said if any man likes that,
he doesn't say let him study harder or let him buy some more
books or let him read more. He said let him ask God. Give me that wisdom. Speak not only to my ears, but
to my heart. Speak not only to my mind, but
to my soul and spirit. I read something by John Adams
years ago. I put it in the commentaries.
John Adams said this, it's not really the trials themselves
that produce patience and godliness and faith. Trials themselves
do not The trial doesn't produce patience and godliness and faith.
Trials determine nothing themselves. It is our attitude and feeling
and behavior under that trial that produces godliness, patience,
and faith. It's how you respond to the trial.
The trial itself, while the trial itself may harden you, rather
than softening you. It may drive you away from God
rather than to God, isn't that right? But the patience and godliness in
faith come as a result of the trial and your attitude toward
it. Now, substitute the word of God
in the place of trial. Just substitute that reading,
and I'll put in the Word of God. And we've come here tonight to
hear the Word of God. We come on Sunday to hear the Word of
God. Our sensitivity to the Word of God and the results of what
this Word will accomplish in your life depends upon your attitude
toward it and your response to it. Now listen, I'll substitute
the word. It's not the Word of God itself
that produces patience, godliness, and faith. It is our attitude, feeling,
and behavior, and reception of that Word that produces the results. Because the Word of God is preached
in many occasions, many times, and instead of softening men,
it hardens them. Doesn't it? Just the bare Word itself preached,
instead of bringing us near to God, may drive a man away, drive
him into some doctrinal refuge or tangent somewhere. So, oh, it depends on how we
react, he said to the Word of God. How we react. Now, we'll show you something
here in Acts 13. I want you to turn over there to Acts 13. It
may be you're very familiar with this Scripture, but let's look
at it again if you are. In Acts chapter 13, I'm going
to begin reading with verse 26 of Acts 13. Paul is preaching
here in Antioch, and he says, Men and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you
is the word of this salvation sent. He's preaching to these
Jews. Oh, the Jews were a favored people, weren't they? favorite of God. Let me read
you something. Don't turn to him. Let me turn
quickly over here and read you something about these people.
Ronnie read in a moment ago in the study, in Acts 3, it says,
You're the children of the prophets. You're the children of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, In thy seed
shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, unto you first
God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you
in turning away every one of you from His iniquities. Boy,
these were favored people. Listen to this. Here's another
one. Let me read you this over here quickly in the book of Romans. You don't turn to it. Let me
just read it. Romans 9, verse 4 and 5, talking about these
Jews. He says, Who are the Israelites
to whom pertaineth the adoption? the glory, the covenants, the
giving of the law, the service of God, the promises, whose are
the fathers, of whom coming as concerning the flesh, as concerning
the flesh Christ came, whose overall God blessed forever. Oh, verse 26, Acts 13, Paul said,
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, whosoever
among you feareth God, to you is this word of salvation sent.
The word was sent to them. How did they respond to it? The Jews had the Word, they had
the prophets, they had the covenant, they had the glory, they had
the articles of God, they had the tabernacle, they had the
priesthood. How did they respond to it? Verse 27, For they that
dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him
not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every
Sabbath day, They have fulfilled what was
written in condemning Christ. When the Messiah came, although
they had the Scriptures, though the Word was read every Sabbath
day, the Word was read in their presence. When Christ came, they
knew Him not. They received Him not. They crucified
Him. They fulfilled the very things
that were written in condemning the Son of God. Let me show you
a few verses that were read every Sabbath day in their synagogues. Deuteronomy 18, now don't you
listen to these scriptures. In Deuteronomy 18, now these
were scriptures that were read every Sabbath day in the temple,
in the presence of these people to whom Paul is preaching. Deuteronomy
18, verse 18, I will raise them up a prophet from among their
brethren like unto thee, I'll put my words in his mouth, he
shall speak unto them all I shall command him. It shall come to
pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he
shall speak in my name, I'll require it of him. This is a
prophet I'm going to raise up. Turn to Psalm 22. This was read
on the Sabbath day in the temple. Psalm 22. The words of Christ from the
cross. You would think when they read these in the temple, then
when that happened on the cross, they'd recognize these words,
wouldn't you? Well, they didn't because they weren't sensitive
to it. It's just words. It's just doctrine
they heard. It wasn't Him. In Psalm 22, it says, My
God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? Why art thou so far from
helping Me? From the words of My roaring?
Verse 16. Dogs have compassed me, the assembly
of the wicked have enclosed me, they pierce my hands and my feet.
I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me, they
part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture at
the foot of the cross. Turn to Psalm 69, listen to this. These scriptures were read on
the Sabbath day in the temple. This is what Paul is talking
about here in verse 27. These people that dwell in Jerusalem,
they are rulers because they knew Christ not and they didn't
know the voice of the prophets which were read every Sabbath
day. Look at Psalm 69, verse 20 and 22. Reproach hath broken
my heart. I am full of heaviness. I look
for some to take pity, and there was none. For comforters I found
none. They gave me gall for my meat. And in my thirst, I thirst, they
gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare
before them, and that which should have been for their welfare,
let it become a trap." The Word. Isaiah 53. Oh my, this was, you
know the amazing thing, the eunuch was riding along reading this,
because he was an Ethiopian. You can sort of account for the
fact that he didn't know what it was all about, but these Jews
looking for a Christ, for a Messiah, for a Redeemer, ought to have
connected this some way with Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53, who
hath believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? Verse 1 Isaiah 53. For he shall grow up as a tender
plant. And as a root out of a dry ground,
he hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him there's
no beauty that we should desire him. He's despised and rejected
of men. This is Christ. A man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief. We hear as it were our faces
from him. He is despised and we esteemed
him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions.
Bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was
upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Turn to the book
of Micah. Listen to this. These scriptures
were read every Sabbath day in the synagogue. And Paul said,
when they crucified him, they fulfilled every prophecy that
they read in their synagogue. Instead of seeing Christ, They rejected him and crucified
him. Micah chapter 5 verse 2, But
thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to
be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old from
everlasting. That was read in the synagogue.
And they asked these kings that came from the east and asked
where is this king to be born? They said in Bethlehem. in Bethlehem. Look at Zechariah. This is interesting
here. Just think now, for the point
I'm making, and I'll wind it up with Zechariah and Malachi,
but the point I'm making is that I wonder the things that we're
reading, Sunday morning, Sunday night, and others say Wednesday
night. We're sitting here listening to them. Are we sensitive? Are we really
listening? Are we going to wind up fulfilling
the very Scripture we're listening to in not receiving Him and knowing
Him and loving Him? Are we going to stand before
God someday in judgment and He'll say, well, that was read to you.
Where were you? That was preached to you. But you were taken up with other
things. Israel was taken up with their
kingdom with their Jewish nation, and with their organization,
and taken up with their table, and their sacrifices, and their
Sabbath days, and their feast days, and their holy days, and
all these things, and they miss Him, of whom all these things
are but pictures. Look at Zechariah chapter 9,
verse 9. Zechariah 9, verse 9. Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He's just and having salvation,
lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt, the foal of
an ass. You wonder why somebody that
day when he rode in Jerusalem on that ass, somebody said, hey,
didn't I hear that read last Sabbath or a few Sabbaths ago? Wasn't that what the priest read?
It said, Hail King of the Jews. Look at Zechariah 11. Verse 12
and 13, listen to this, and I said unto them, now it
looks like the priest would have caught on to this, when Judas
came and said he would betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver,
and they gave him the 30 pieces, and he betrayed Christ, and then
Christ was arrested and tried, and Judas came back to the temple
with the 30 pieces of silver, And he said, I betrayed innocent
blood. And they said, well, what's that to us? And he cast it on
the floor. Is that right? Cast it on the floor. And they
took the money and bought a potter's field. He hanged himself and
that's where he was buried. Now listen to this scripture.
Verse 12, Zechariah 11, And I said to them, If you think good, give
me my price, and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price
thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, cast
it unto the potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them.
And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the
potter in the house of the Lord." Isn't that amazing? These folks,
these priests read that and then they fulfilled it by giving Judas
the thirty pieces of silver. And then when he brought it back,
they brought the potter's feet. You say, that's so obvious. Yeah,
well, wait a minute. Not nearly as obvious as what
we're preaching. This is not nearly as obvious
to them as what I'm preaching to you and to myself. Because
Christ has come. He hadn't come here. He has come.
We're much more responsible than they were. It's astounding. Zechariah 12, verse 10. Listen. Zechariah 12, 10. And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced. And they shall mourn for him
as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Who did they
pierce? pierce my hands and my feet. One other scripture, Malachi
3 verse 1. Malachi 3 verse 1, Behold, I
will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before
me. And the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.
He's coming to his temple. Even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in, behold, he shall come. said the Lord of
hosts. And in that great day of the
feast, Jesus stood in the temple and said, if any man thirsts,
let him come to me. And nobody heard him. And nobody
came. Go back to my text now. You get
a hold of what he's talking about here now in verse 27. He says
in verse Acts 13, 27, they that dwell in Jerusalem, the Jews,
And they're rulers because they didn't know Him. Now watch this. This is a hymn we're talking
about. I want to read this slowly. Read verse 27, 28, and 29 slowly. They that dwell in Jerusalem,
they're rulers because they knew Him not. It doesn't say they
didn't know the doctrine. They didn't know Him. It doesn't say they didn't know
the form and ceremony. They didn't know Him. Read on.
Nor yet the voice of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath
day, they have fulfilled in condemning him. And though they found no
cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be
slain. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and
laid him in the grave. The whole issue of the Old Testament
scriptures. I wish we could learn two things
about the Word of God. These two things are critical,
critical, critical. Number one is that this book
is divinely inspired. Divinely inspired. And our only authority in spiritual
matters is this book. Now, if you sit and discussing
something with someone or comparing or debating, the first thing
to be established is, do we accept the Scriptures or not? Now, that's
true. The second thing is this. Two
things about the Scripture that are essential. One is this is
the Word of God. It's the only rule of faith and
practice. It's the only authority on spiritual
matters. Thus saith the Lord. All of these
scriptures testify of this man, Christ Jesus. To Him give all
the prophets witness. That's what he's saying here,
that all of this that they read in the synagogue on the Sabbath,
that's concerning Him. Him. And so Paul now in verse
38 of Acts 13, look down there, now he turns to those before
him in Antioch. He turns to these people to whom
he's preaching. Now he says, be it known unto you, men and
brethren, be it known unto you, you that are here now. I'm talking
about those people in Jerusalem. They didn't hear regarding him,
and they fulfilled the Scriptures concerning him by crucifying
him, rejecting him. But now, be it known unto you,
men and brethren, that through this man, this man, this man, He's preached unto
you the forgiveness of sin. And by this man, all that believe
are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified
by the law of Moses. This man. There's a parallel
here for us. First of all, these Jews that
heard the word and didn't receive it were a favored people. We
here are a favored people. Oh, how favored of the Lord we
are. Secondly, the Scriptures were
read to them concerning Christ. Old Testament Scriptures, but
they were concerning Him. Look at Luke 24. That's what
it says here in Luke 24, verse 27. And beginning at Moses, And all the prophets, He expounded
unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Scriptures are concerning Him.
And the Scriptures read to us are concerning Him. And it's the same message. It's
Christ. It's this man. Be it known unto
you men and brethren through this man. So now briefly, I want
to turn to four passages that we preach here concerning this
man. This man. And I want us to talk
about him for a few minutes. And I want you to be very sensitive
to him. I want you to see him. Myself
and you too. Do we enter into what he's saying
about this man? Now, these people didn't. These people didn't. When he
came, they didn't know him. They crucified Him, they fulfilled
all that was read in their temple, in their synagogue services on
the Sabbath day. They didn't comprehend it. They were religious, they went
about all their services, but they didn't comprehend it. Now,
this man. Alright, here are four scriptures.
Turn first to Hebrews 3. All of them in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter 3. This man. Be it known unto you,
men and brethren, through this man." Hebrews 3. It says here
in Hebrews 3 verse 1, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our
profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed
him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house, for this man,
this man, This is what Paul said at Antioch there, be it known
unto you men and brethren through this man, this man. But this
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as
he who hath built the house hath more honor than the house. What
is Paul declaring? He is declaring throughout the
whole book of Hebrews that Jesus Christ, this man being God, is
more excellent and worthy of more honor than all people, all
creatures, and all things. worthy of more honor than the
angels, than Moses, than Aaron, than the tabernacle, than the
priest. God has given him a name above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven, earth, and under
the earth. This man. Who he is makes effectual what
he did. You know who he is? This man. Oh, here's the second one, Hebrews
7. That's his person. This man, worthy of more honor
than the angels, than Moses, than the tabernacle, than the
priesthood, this man. Now that's his person. Great
is the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
Go ahead, Hebrews 7, verse 23. And they truly were mini-priests,
mini-priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death, but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an everlasting
priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them." Have you entered into
that? His person, his priesthood, Have
you heard that? Have I heard it? Do I believe
it? Let me go back a few verses.
Verse 11, look at this. This is the priesthood of Christ.
Now look at verse 11. If this Old Testament law and
priesthood under the law had given us forgiveness and perfection,
there wouldn't be any need for Christ to come. But there was
no perfection in that. The perfection's in Him. Now
watch this, verse 12. For the priesthood being changed,
there is made of necessity a change also of the law. The law is abolished
because He's not a priest from the tribe of Levi, He's a priest
from the tribe of Judah. Watch this. For he of whom these
things are spoken pertains to another tribe, of which no man
gave attendance at the altar. Every Old Testament priest was
of the tribe of Levi. Verse 14, but it's evident our
Lord came out of Judah. He's the king priest. You see
that? He's the king priest. And his
power and authority was not in the ordinance or in the law,
but in his person. In other words, when Aaron brought
the lamb, or the ram, or the bullet, he did everything according
to the law, according to what Moses told him to do. Select
the lamb, thou spot of blemish, very careful, do everything,
slay it, catch the blood, burn the body, bring it inside. And
he gave credit to it because everything was done as ordered.
But look at verse 16. who is made not after the law
of carnal ordinance or commandment, but after the power of an endless
life. In other words, Jesus Christ's
power and authority is not based upon the law of an earthly ordinance,
but on the deity of his person, on the eternality of his life,
and on his effectual sacrifice. Who he is makes effectual what
he did. These Old Testament priests,
what they did according to the order of the law made it acceptable. His is accepted, Tom, because
of who he is. That's it. Are you hearing that? And he's a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Who is he? The God man. This
man is worthy of more honor. This man is the king priest. Now, here's the third one. Hebrews
8. Here's his sacrifice. In Hebrews 8 verse 1 through
3, Now of the things which are spoken, this is the sum. Oh boy,
I like that term. This sums it up. We have such a high priest who's
at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. He's
a minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle which the
Lord pitched, and not Moses or a man. For every high priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it's necessary
that this man have somewhat to offer." Back there in the Old Testament,
God told Moses, build a tabernacle, gave him the dimensions, the
holy place and the holy of holies separated by the veil. Ordain
Aaron as a priest. And Aaron is to, once a year,
on the day of atonement, slay the lamb out there at the altar,
burn its body, catch its blood in a basin, come across the courtyard,
wash his hands and his feet there in the laver of pure water, come
down into the holy place, go up to the altar of incense, and
in a censer put some of the coals and incense off the altar. And
there with the incense, smoke rolling, which is the prayers
of Christ, and there with the blood, which represents the blood
of Christ, go under the veil and walk up to the Ark of the
Covenant, overlaid with gold, the mercy seat, in which is the
broken law. And you take that, and there's
that incense, smoke fills that awesome holy place between the
cherubims where the glory of God is revealed over the mercy
seat. Sprinkle that blood. That's the atonement. And then
you get out of there. Only the high priest alone once
a year by himself bringing that blood. covering propitiation,
covering the broken law. All right, look at verse 11,
Hebrews chapter 9, verse 11. Listen. But Christ being come,
the high priest of good things to come, by a greater, more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.
His person, He is this man, the God-man. His priesthood, Not
after Aaron, king-priest. His place of sacrifice, not this
earthly tabernacle. Verse 12, And neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered
in once into the holy place, one time, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Do you see that? These people in the synagogue
read this scripture over here about Him, all these things about
Him. Here we are reading this scripture
about Him. They didn't see. Having eyes, they didn't see.
Having ears, they didn't hear. Having hearts, they weren't moved.
Is that going to happen to us? That's what I'm saying. Christ
came, the priest, king priest, He came. But not in a tabernacle
made with hands, not the blood of bulls and goats, but there
on the cross He shed His own blood. Not with the incense from
the altar, but His own Father forgive them. That high priest
in the Holy of Holies was waving a type of Christ's prayer. We're
hearing Him pray. Isn't that right? Interceding. Shed His blood and He went in,
not into this tabernacle down here, but into God's presence.
God's presence. Gave His blood. Let's look at
verse 24. Hebrews 9. Christ is not entered
the holy place made with hands, which is a figure, and the figure
is gone. God tore that old veil in two,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high
priest entered the holy place every year with the blood of
others, for if that be true, he must have often suffered since
the foundation of the world." If Christ, like that old priest
in the Old Testament, every year offered an atonement, if Christ
had been doing that, think how many times he would have died
from the foundation of the world. Millions. Way back up. But now, verse 26, in the end
of the world, in the last days, He hath appeared. He. That He we read about a while
ago. Him. You fulfill what was written of Him in crucifying
Him. And put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. As it is appointed unto men once
to die, after that to judgment, so Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall
He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Here are
three appearances of Christ. He appeared on this earth to
put away sin. He appears in the presence of
God, interceding for us. And to them that look for Him,
He'll appear again. Now, you heard it. He may never
hear it again, but you've heard it. And I've heard it. Am I sensitive
to it? Have I said, Lord, I believe.
I embrace that. I bow to Him. I confess Him,
Lord, right now. I believe this. Or here's the
fourth one, Hebrews 10. His sacrifice. This man, every
one of these scriptures, Paul said over in Antioch, Be it known
unto you, men and brethren, that through this man, By man came
death, by man came the resurrection. In Adam we die, in Christ we
are made alive. He's preached unto you the forgiveness
of sin. Now this man is more worthy, more excellent. This
man is a king priest. This man is a high priest forever. This man, listen, verse Hebrews
10, verse 11, an ever priest The Old Testament preached standard
daily, ministering, offering at all times the same sacrifice
which can never take away sin. But this man, this man I'm preaching
to you, this man Moses preached to you, this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for sin in the stead of his people, for
their sin, forever, that's all, one sacrifice, sat down at the
right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. For by one offering he, this
man, hath perfected." You're complete in him forever, them
that are sanctified.

This Man

What does the Bible say about redemption by Christ?

How do we know the Bible is divinely inspired?

Why is regeneration by the Spirit important for Christians?

What is the importance of preaching in the Christian faith?

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This Man

What does the Bible say about redemption by Christ?

How do we know the Bible is divinely inspired?

Why is regeneration by the Spirit important for Christians?

What is the importance of preaching in the Christian faith?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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