My Confession of Faith

Now, if you'll open your Bibles
again to Hebrews 11, in this 11th chapter, the Apostle Paul calls the robe. A friend of mine preached a sermon
one time and called it Faith's Hall of Fame. And this is indeed,
in Hebrews 11, Faith's Hall of Fame. These are men and women
who believe God. They believe God. These are men and women who believe
the Word of God. They believe the promises of
God. They believe the promises of grace and mercy in Christ
Jesus. And because, it's like it's said
of Moses, He chose to suffer the afflictions of God's people
rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. These are
men and women who, because of their faith in Jehovah God, dared
to be different. They dared to be different. They lived in the faith of Christ
and they died in the faith of Christ. And here in chapter 12, verse
1, where I'm beginning my message tonight, it says, Wherefore,
seeing we, that's me and you, 1988, we're compassed about with
this heavenly host, this heavenly throng, these witnesses. We're literally surrounded by
these witnesses. These men and women who believe
God, these men and women who believe the promises of God,
who believed in the grace and mercy of God in Christ, we're
surrounded by these witnesses. You know what a witness is? A
witness is one who has seen and heard something. A witness is
a person who was there. who can tell what he saw, what
he heard, and what he experienced. In other words, a witness is
one who knows whereof he speaks. And we are literally compassed
about with these witnesses. Witnesses of what? Well, every
one of these men and women were witnesses of the vanity of this
world. Solomon summed it up when he
came to the end of life, he said, vanity of vanities, it's all
vanity. They're witnesses not only of
the vanity of the world, but they're witnesses of the faithfulness
of God. God is faithful, who promised. And they're witnesses of the
fullness of His love. And they're witnesses of the
sufficiency of His redemption. And they're witnesses of the
riches of His inheritance. These people we read about here
are witnesses. They've seen, and they've heard,
and they've experienced the glory of God's mercy. So he says, seeing
that we are surrounded, see verse 1, we're encompassed about with
this great cloud of witnesses. Moses, and Abraham, and Sarah,
Jacob, and Isaac, and David. Gideon, Samson, then let us,
let us. Paul Edward and I were talking
this evening about messages being applicable, making messages applicable
to our situation and to us. Well, here it is. Here it is. Then let us. Seeing that we have
these examples of faith who's gone before us, seeing that we're
surrounded by these witnesses of the grace of God, then let
us, let us do what? Let us lay aside every weight. Every weight. Now the apostle here is talking
about a race. Let's read all this verse. Let
us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily
beset us and let us run. Let's run with patience the race.
And I get a picture here of a person who's in a race. He's in a race
to win a prize. He's in a race to finish. He's
in a race to excel. And a person who's in a race
does not wear boots. And he does not wear an overcoat.
He does not wear gloves and a hat. If you'll notice these distant
runners, they take off everything they can possibly take off and
still be decent. They don't even wear socks. They
don't, like the basketball players, wear wristbands. They wear just
the flimsiest, lightest clothing. They would lay aside everything
that would hinder them. Hinder them and be cumbersome
in keeping them from running that race to the best of their
ability. And this is what he's saying
of us. Let us lay aside every weight, every hindrance, every
hindrance to our walking with Christ, every hindrance to our
running a good race, every hindrance to our fellowship with God. Lay
aside everything that would encumber us and hinder us, and every association. That man that's running the race
has his eye on one thing, and that's the finish line. He's
obsessed with it. And he's not looking to the right
or to the left, or looking behind him at others who are running
in the race, or finding fault with the way they're running.
He has his eye on the goal, and he's laid aside every hindrance
and every association. They're running, but they've
laid aside every obligation and every commitment which prevents
them from fellowship with the living God and walking with the
King. That's what he's saying. You see, these men and women
who've gone before us, they were men and women who knew that vanity
of vanity is all is vanity, and the fashion of this world fadeth
away. They knew the faithfulness of God and the fullness of His
love and the sufficiency of His grace, and so they committed
themselves to Him. And he's saying, let us, let's
lay aside these things. What is it that hinders our fellowship
with God? What is it that keeps us from
walking with him in a full, blessed fellowship? Well, let's lay it
aside. I'm saying there's nothing in
this world, nothing in this world and nobody in this world is worth
losing our fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing and
nobody. It doesn't matter whether it's
a family, or whether it's a job, or whether it's a vocation, or
whether it's an association, or whether it's an obligation,
or whether it's a commitment, or whatever it is. There's nothing,
nothing, nothing worth losing our fellowship with Him. So let's
lay it aside. Let's lay it aside. Now watch
this. and the sin which does so easily
beset us. Let's lay it aside. Now, I read
many writers about this, what they had to say about this, and
the majority of whom, I have to admit, they say it's some
particular or peculiar personal fleshly weakness. For example,
they say this sin which does so easily beset me or beset you
May be the sin of pride, may be the sin of envy, may be the
sin of lust, may be this sin, that sin, or the other sin. But
I believe this. I believe the sin which does
so easily beset us here is unbelief. Unbelief. Now what have we been
talking about? Faith. That's what he's been talking
about, John, for a whole chapter, a chapter of faith, by faith.
Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. It would have been
easier to give in to his brother. It would have been easier to
go down the road and offer his sacrifice and not have a conflict
with Abel. By faith, Noah built an ark. By faith, Abraham left his father's
house. It would have been a lot easier
to stay home. He had been there 75 years, but
he had to leave. By faith, Moses, somebody said,
well, he could have served God in Egypt. I hear people say,
well, I don't leave the church I'm in. It's not preaching the
gospel, but I don't leave because there's some good people there,
and I teach a Sunday school class, and I feel I might be of some
help. Abraham could have used the same reasoning, couldn't
he? But he had to leave. And he left. Why? Because he
believed God. He believed God. And I believe
a lot of time our excuses for remaining where we are, doing
what we are doing, and associating with whom we're associating,
and continuing down the path we're continuing, which hinders
us from full fellowship with God, is we really don't really
believe God. Don't really believe Him. So seeing we're compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses who did believe God at great
expense, who did believe God at a great sacrifice, who did
believe God whatever the cost, who did believe God in spite
of the suffering, who did believe God Then let us lay aside every
association and every obligation and every commitment and every
hindrance that keeps us from walking with our God, and especially
lay aside unbelief. Unbelief. Especially. This is what it's talking about,
the scene of unbelief. Israel could not enter in because
of unbelief. Our Lord said, he that believeth
not shall be damned. When our Lord prayed for Peter,
he said, I've prayed for you, that your faith fail not. Your
faith. He that cometh to God must believe. It's believing God. Believing
God. Let's lay aside, and it's so easy not to believe. It's
so, and that's the sin that does so easily beset us. It's so easy
to doubt God. It's so easy for us to lean on
the arm of the flesh. Like one fellow told me one time,
he said, now I'm going to get everything all fixed up, my debts
all paid, make a little money and get ahead and get a little
nest egg in the bank so I can serve God. Well, he believed
God to an extent, but he didn't believe God totally. Let's lay
aside this sin which does so easily beset us and let us run
with patience, with patience the race that is set before us.
The steps of his children are ordered by the Lord. You see,
this race that is set before us is the course that is set
before us. It's the course. And my course
is ordered by the Lord. I look back over my life of 61
some odd years. And I see the hand of the Lord.
I see this just like Joseph from his father's house to the throne
of Egypt. I see my course laid out by God. He lays out our course. He has
set it before us according to his wise design and purpose. So he tells us, let's run it. Let's run it. Whatever God has
called you to do, wherever God has called you to live, wherever
God has called you to serve, in whatever place God has put
you, let's run this course and let's run it with patience. No
matter what comes our way. No matter how difficult the road.
Run it with patience. Turn to Psalm 27 while you hold
Hebrews 12 there and listen to David. Psalm 27. Psalm 27, David
said, and this is David, man after God's own heart, this is
the sweet psalmist of Israel. He said, I, verse 13, he said,
I would have fainted on my course unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I knew God
gave me this path. I knew God gave me this course.
I knew God gave me this way. Paul said, I know how to abase
and I know how to abound. I have learned in whatsoever
state I am therewith to be content with patience. I had fainted
unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the
land of the living. So wait. Oh, that's hard to do, isn't
it? Wait on the Lord. Don't run ahead. Wait on God. Wait on God. Be of good courage. He shall strengthen thine heart.
Wait, run this race, run this course with patience. Patience. Patience, waiting upon the Lord.
Alright, verse 2. Looking unto Jesus. Here it is.
Here it is. Where are we looking? We're looking
unto Jesus. Here, somebody said, here it
is. Here's the eye of faith and the eye of understanding. Here
are three words. Three words, but in these three
words is the whole secret right here. We're compassed about with
this cloud of witnesses and examples who've already run the race,
who've already finished their course, who kept the faith. There's a course that's laid
out before us by the hand of our God for His glory and our
good. Let's lay aside everything that
would encumber us and hinder us and keep us from running this
race and especially that sin of unbelief. Believe God. Believe
God and wait on God. Run this course. Walk this course
with patience. But here's the key. Look into
Jesus. Look into Jesus. Here's the essence
of faith. Here's the whole of faith. Look
into Jesus. look into Jesus. Now, my friends, this is not
an abstract, unreal, mystical, hazy, pie-in-the-sky gaze. This is a look that's born of
revelation. Let me give you four or five
things here. First of all, this looking to Jesus is looking to
the Christ of the Bible, of the Scriptures, the one you preached
about Sunday night. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. I'm not looking to a myth. I'm not looking to a
dream. I'm not looking to an unreal. Substance, I'm looking to Jesus
as He's revealed in the book. The Scriptures reveal who He
is. Turn to Luke 24 and listen to
this. The Scriptures reveal who He is. The Scriptures reveal
what He did. The Scriptures reveal why He
did it. The Scriptures reveal where He
is now. And the Scriptures reveal what
He is to us. I'm looking to the Christ that's
revealed in the Scriptures. In Luke chapter 24, our Lord
had risen from the grave. There were two disciples walking
down the road to Emmaus, and they were talking. And as they
talked, they were very downcast and depressed, and as they talked,
the Lord Jesus walked along beside them. Their eyes were whole,
and they didn't know who He was. And they walked along, and He
listened to them talk, and finally He said, depressed and downcast. And one of them said, are you
a stranger here? Don't you know what happened in Jerusalem the
last few days? He said, tell me. One of them
said, well, they crucified Jesus of Nazareth, and we thought that
he was the Messiah. We thought he was the King of
Israel. We thought that he was the one who would deliver his
people. We thought that. And then here in chapter 24,
in verse 25, And he said to them, O fools and slow of heart to
believe what? All that the prophets have spoken.
Who are these prophets? Moses? Isaiah? Jeremiah? Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to have entered into His glory? Is not this the
message of redemption of the Scriptures? And beginning at
Moses, beginning at Genesis, and all the prophets, he expounded
unto them in all the Scriptures the sayings concerning himself. My friends, I'm looking to the
Christ of the Scriptures, of whom the prophets speak. Look,
if you will, at verse 24. And he said to them, These are
the words that I have spake unto you, while I was yet with you,
before I suffered on the cross, that all things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses, in the prophets, in
the Psalms concerning me." Then he opened their understanding
that they might understand the Scriptures. I'm going to run
this race looking unto Jesus, but not looking to a myth, not
looking to fundamentalist emotional experience, I'm going to look
to the Christ of the Scriptures. As He's revealed in the Word
of God, the Scriptures reveal Christ. You see, it says in 1
Corinthians 15, Paul said, I preach unto you the gospel which you
believe, and by which you're saved, and wherein you stand,
if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. And he was buried
and rose again according to the Scriptures. Let me show you the
sum of it all. Turn to 1 Corinthians 10. You've
got to see this and just put a big red circle around it or
a mark of some kind. 1 Corinthians 10.4. Here's the
sum and substance of the whole thing. You want to know what
the Old Testament teaches? You know what the Old Testament
pictures? You want to know what the Old Testament's all about?
1 Corinthians 10.4. And they did all drink the same
spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed
them. You remember Moses smoked the
rock? Remember the water came out? And that rock was Christ. That's the heart of it. That
rock was Christ. That boat was Christ. That brazen
serpent's Christ. That priest is Christ. That tabernacle's
Christ. That mercy seat's Christ, and
that rock is Christ. You see that? So I'm going to run this race,
finish this course that God set out for me. However rocky and
however steep, however dark, however crooked and winding,
may lead to some strange places, but He mapped it out by His providence
and grace. And I'm going to run it looking
to the Christ of the Scriptures. Is that clear enough? I've made
that clear. The Christ of the Scriptures. Without the Scriptures,
you don't have anything. All you have is imagination.
And secondly, I'm going to look to the Christ of God's covenant. The Christ of God's covenant.
Turn to Hebrews 13. Hebrews chapter 13. The Christ
of God's covenant. Now listen to me. Another thing
we talked about today is simplicity, and I'm going to make this as
simple as I can make it. In Hebrews 13, 20, now the God
of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,
verse 20, Hebrews 13, that great shepherd of the sheep, he brought
him forth through the blood of an everlasting covenant. Now
the covenant he made with Moses wasn't everlasting. The covenant
he made with Adam wasn't everlasting. Adam broke it and fell. The covenant
he made with Abraham was not everlasting in regard to land
and so forth. But the covenant, the everlasting
covenant he made with Christ on our behalf is everlasting. It's the blood of the everlasting
covenant. All right, turn with me now to
Hebrews chapter 7. Now this covenant, this testament,
was made with Christ on behalf of his people. In Hebrews 7,
verse 21. And this is talking about that
old Levitical covenant made with Israel. In Hebrews 7, verse 21. And those priests were made without
an oath. But this, with an oath, this
priest, Christ our great priest, by him that said unto him, the
Lord swear and will not change Jesus Christ is a priest after
the order, forever after the order of Melchizedek. Who's Melchizedek? Aaron was a priest that God chose
from among the people, oil was poured on him, he was set apart
as a priest, he had a father and a mother, and his sons after
him became priests, and their sons after them, their sons after
them, but Melchizedek. The Bible says of him who met
Abraham out there as he returned from the slaughter of the king,
He has no mother or father, no beginning or end of days. He's
a priest forever. He's the Lord's priest. He's the king of peace in Salem,
king of Salem. That's Christ. And this everlasting
covenant has an everlasting priest and an everlasting sacrifice.
Read the next verse, verse 22. By so much was Jesus made a surety,
a guarantor of a better testament, a better covenant than the Levitical
covenant, than all the rest of them. Now one other scripture
I won't wear you, but turn to Hebrews 8, verse 6. Now listen to this. Hebrews 8,
6. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better
covenant. which was established on better
promises. If that first covenant had been
faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come
with us, saith the Lord, when I will reveal unto them a new
covenant. He made it before the foundation
of the world with Christ, but I'll reveal a new covenant with
the house of Israel. Not according to the covenant
I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the
hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued
not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. This
is the covenant I'll make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord. I'll put my law in their mind,
write it in their hearts. I'll be to them a God, they'll
be to me a people. That's the covenant he's talking
about. Now one other, Hebrews 2. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 8. Now listen to this. And what
I'm saying is that back before the foundation of the world,
for Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
God put all things under His feet. God made with His Son a
covenant, a testament. He made Him a surety in His blood,
the blood of that covenant, and gave Him a people, put all things
under His feet. And all of these other covenants
are but pictures of that covenant, the Levitical covenant, All the
rest of them. But that is the everlasting covenant.
And that's what he's talking about here in Hebrews 2.8. Listen.
Thou hast put all things in subjection under Christ's feet. For in that
he put all in subjection unto him, he left nothing that's not
put unto him. But now we see not yet all things
put unto him. Doesn't look that way now, does
it? But it's there. But now we see Jesus who was
made a little lower than the angels. Why? For the suffering
of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace
of God, should taste death for every man. For it became him
for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through suffering. For both he, watch this now,
he that sanctified, and they that are sanctified are one.
When did they become one? God made them one. He chose us
in Christ. He blessed us in Christ. He put
us in Christ before the world began. They've always been one. They were one when God regarded
them back in eternity. They were one when Christ was
representing them on earth and on the cross, and they were one
when He rose for their justification, and they're one seated with Him
at the right hand of God. He that sanctified and they that
are sanctified are one in a new covenant. Look at the last step,
for which cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren, saying,
I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the
church while I sing praise unto thee. And again, I'll put my
trust in him. And again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. For as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil. and deliver them,
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage. For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful, faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of his people." Preacher,
what's your hope? What's your confession of faith?
What is your foundation? Where do you get any peace or
rest or joy on this course, in this race, on this walking through
this earth? I'm looking to the Christ of
Scripture. And I'm looking to the Christ
of an everlasting, certain, sure covenant made with an oath by
God Almighty. I'm looking to that Christ. I'm
not looking to a hit and miss Jesus who didn't know who He
was or where He came from or where He was going. I'm not looking
to a little reformer that came down here in pitiful frustration
and died hoping somebody would let him save him. I'm looking
to a certain, sure, successful, victorious Redeemer who came
to accomplish the purpose of His Father. And He'll do it. He'll do it. I'm looking to Jesus.
I'm looking to Jesus Christ who is my righteousness. Turn to
Psalm 71. Look at this. Psalm 71. Psalm 71. I tell you this, we certainly don't
have any righteousness of our own. Our righteousness is Christ.
In Psalm 71 15, my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness
and thy salvation all the day. I know not the numbers thereof.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I'll make mention
of thy righteousness, even thine only. O God, thou hast taught
me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous
works. Verse 19, Thy righteousness,
O God, is very high. Who has done great things, O
God? Who is like unto thee? That's my hope. Christ is my
righteousness. Christ is my sanctification.
He is the Lord our righteousness. His perfect obedience is my obedience. His perfect righteousness is
my righteousness. And I'll tell you this, I'm looking
unto Jesus who's my atonement. Every drop of blood shed in this
Old Testament, and I'll tell you there were rivers of blood,
literally rivers of blood, seas of blood, sacrifice after sacrifice. But every drop of blood shed
in the Old Testament by men of faith on orders from the Lord
God points to the blood of Calvary. Every drop of it. And none of
these men were saved by the blood of bulls and goats. They were
saved by the blood of Christ to whom they looked, and upon
whom they waited, and whom they expected, believing the promises
of God Almighty. Look at Hebrews 9. Let's go back
there again. Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews 9,
verse 11, now listen to this character. Hebrews 9, 11. But
Christ being come, a high priest of good things to come. What
are those good things? Full atonement, full justification,
full glorification, full blessing. By greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not these earthly buildings.
He tabernacled among us, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood. And the blood of goats and calves
were typical of his blood, pointed to his blood till he came. But
he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctify
the purifying of the flesh, How much more 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? Can it be made plainer? Without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission. The blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Do you see that?
I'm looking to the Christ. I have a lamb. Abel had a lamb. Moses had a lamb. Abraham had
a lamb. And I have a lamb. And my lamb
is the Lamb of God. And their lamb pointed to the
Lamb of God. And when Abraham took the knife
and slew the lamb and shed its blood and put it on the altar
before a holy God, he was just saying by faith, Lord, I'm waiting
on your lamb. I'm waiting on His perfect blood.
This is but a poor type of the Christ who'd be led as
a lamb to the slaughter before her shearers like a sheep, he's
dumb, who'll lay down his life, who'll shed his blood, whose
body will be roasted on that tree and his blood shed before
God and like the old high priest of old went into the Holy of
Holies and sprinkled the mercy seat. which covered the broken
law with the blood of an animal. That's just a picture of Christ
entering not into the tabernacle on earth, but into heaven itself,
not on a mercy seat of gold and wood, but on the mercy seat of
glory to offer His blood without spot to God for all the sins
of all believers of all generations. And that's the Christ I'm looking
to. I'm looking to Him who is my atonement. What can wash away
my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
And I'll tell you this, I'm going to run this race. Whether known
or unknown. Whether a long race or a short
one. Whether a difficult race or an easy one. Whatever the race may be, it's
my course and God gave it to me and I'm going to run it. And
I'm going to run it with patience. I'm going to wait on God, but
I'm going to keep looking to Jesus, the Christ of the Bible,
the Christ of the covenant, the Christ of righteousness, and
the Christ of the cross. And I'm going to look to Christ
who is the only mediator between me and God, the only one. I'm telling you, I'm not being
narrow, I'm not being difficult. I'm trying to be honest and trying
to be scriptural. Turn to Romans 8.34 and listen
to what God says. Romans 8.34. And here the Apostle Paul is
standing before heaven and earth, and he's saying, who can condemn
me? He said in verse 33, who can
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies,
but in verse 34 he said, who can condemn me? Who can condemn
me? It's Christ that died. And he
steps up a little higher and he said, Yea, it rather is risen
again. And he goes a little further
and he said, He's even at the right hand of God. And not only
is he at the right hand of God, but he also makes intercession
for us. He also makes intercession. Can you just imagine the Son
of God praying for you? Can you just imagine the Son
of God being your advocate? That's what John said, we have
an advocate. We have an advocate. We have
a lawyer. We have a defender. Jesus Christ,
the righteous. The righteous. He's our defender.
He's our advocate. Brethren, he said there's one
God and there's one mediator between God and men. It's not
the church. It's not my father. It's not
my mother. It's not my pastor. It's the Lord's only begotten
Son. That's the only advocate. I'm
looking to Him. I'm looking to Him, I tell you.
Seriously and soberly and sincerely and singularly, I'm looking to
Him. I'm going to walk this race.
I may walk it through a rest home. I may walk it through a
hospital. I may walk it through a jail. I may walk it through
a valley, I may walk it over a mountain, I may walk it alone,
I may walk it with many, I may walk it lonely and deserted,
I may walk it with friends or family, but I'm going to walk
it with patience, looking to Jesus. Looking to Jesus. You look where you will, I'm
looking to Him. Not just any Jesus, but the Christ of this
Bible. And we'll keep finding out more about Him all the time.
More about Him. And we'll look to the one in
the Covenant. God's covenant is going to stand. When old David
lay dying, he said, this is my desire, this is my salvation,
God made a covenant. And Christ is the surety. And
I'm going to look to the one who's got a righteousness, because
I don't have any righteousness. I'm going to look to the one
who hung on a cross. I'm going to look to the high
priest who has somewhat to offer. Not the blood of an animal, but
his own blood. His own blood. And you know something?
Let me show you something in Hebrews 9. This is an eye-opening
scripture. Hebrews 9. Look at this. You know, He's been appearing
for me a whole lot. Thank God He has. But it says
here in Hebrews 9, 26, last line, He hath appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. See that? Hebrews 9, 26, the
last line, He appeared on this earth in the flesh to put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Look back at verse 24. For Christ
is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which
is a figure of the true, but into heaven itself right now
to appear in the presence of God for us. He's there right
now appearing for us. That's the reason I'm not in
hell right now. That's the reason God doesn't annihilate me with
fire from heaven every time I open my big mouth, because He's appearing
right now for me, making intercession. God's not looking on me, He's
looking on Him. If He looks on me, He's got to
turn away. Oh, that's right, He turned away
from Christ on the cross, He was made sin. But He's looking
at Christ. And then the last line of verse
28, And to them that look for Him, He's going to appear the
second time without sin under salvation. We have an advocate. Let me give you this. I'll close.
I'm looking unto Jesus. Look back at the text. Let me
show you this in the text. Looking unto Jesus. You say,
why didn't that say the Lord Jesus? Well, He's Jesus, the
Savior. He's the God-man. He had to be
made flesh. looking unto Jesus, the Savior,
who was appointed and sent by the Father, made of a woman,
made under the law, the only Savior, the complete Savior,
the suitable Savior, the sufficient Savior, the God-Man. You see,
I'm looking to Jesus, this One, this One whom God sent. When
He prayed in John 17, He said, Father, this is eternal life,
that they might know Thee and Jesus Christ whom You sent. You see, this false Christ, There's
another Jesus. Jesus is being preached everywhere.
Well, how in the world am I going to know which Jesus is the right
Jesus? You have to find out from this
book here, because He's identified here. The Samaritan woman says
when the Messiah comes, He'll tell us. He said, I'm He. I'm
He. Look into Him. Jesus. Jesus. And watch this. He's the author
of our faith. He's the author of it. What's
that mean, preacher? Well, you consider our faith
as the whole of salvation. Christ is the author of it. If
you consider our faith as it is the will and the ability to
look to Him individually, personally, He's the author of it. He gave
it to me. See what I'm saying? If you consider
faith, the common faith, as the common salvation, He's the author
of it. If you consider faith, my ability
to look to Christ and believe on Christ, that too is His gift. And He's the finisher of faith.
What does that mean? Well, the work's all done. He said it's finished. He finished
it, the whole of salvation. And I'll tell you this, He will
keep us and present us faultless. before His throne with exceeding
glory." Do you know something? This Jesus to whom we're looking
cannot fail and cannot lose one sheep for whom He suffered. I'll give you this in close.
And this looking unto Jesus is looking to Him and nothing else
and no one else. There's a track in here in the
church office. It says, we're not looking to
our faith We're looking to Christ. We're not looking to our righteousness
or morality. We're looking to Christ. I will
not let works encourage me nor discourage me. I will not let
my righteousness encourage me nor my sin discourage me. I'm
going to look to Christ. That make sense? Not to my position,
not to my preaching, not to my brethren. either the worst of
them or the best of them. Because we have no confidence
in the flesh. I'm not going to look to my trials.
You know something, when Peter looked to Christ, he walked on
that water like he was walking on a rock. And when he stopped
looking to Christ and started looking at the waves, he began
to sing. And if we can, if we can walk
through this world, Look into Christ, we'll walk over these
trials like walking on rocks. That's right. The solid rock. But if we take our eyes off Him
and look at the trials, they're going to consume us. They're
going to take us down with them just like they did Peter. Not
looking to my trials or the obstacles or even the means of grace. Even
the means of grace. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith.

My Confession of Faith

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My Confession of Faith

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