It's good to be back here with you this afternoon and we are
grateful for everyone being here.
This morning I talked for a little bit over time on the
subject of heaven and this evening for a little while.
I'm not planning on talking to you over time and hopefully even
a little less than that. What I thought I would do is if
you remember this morning I talked about as the Bible
describes those that are going to be in heaven and when we say
heaven, we're not going to be talking about a refurbishing of
this Earth. Because all of those things, the
former things will be passed away and we're going to look for
a new Heaven and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
And so the Bible says that those that are going to be in heaven,
are those that are going to live righteous lives or lives that
are filled with right doing also, the Bible would say that
those that are going to enter into heaven.
Are those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of
Life? And I mentioned rather briefly
at the latter part of my sermon about.
Out encouraging words regarding hanging on until that time.
And how awful would it be? If we would live our life and go
through and endure many things that we endure in this life and
then turn our backs on the Lord and only defined that as
miserable as we were in our existence here that we miss
Heaven all together to and how awful that would be.
We are so grateful though that we can turn to the scriptures
and find that there are encouraging words.
I'm not just talking about emotional Pick me up.
So, I'm talking about encouraging words based upon the
testimony of men's lives that have lived before you, and I
ever lived encouraging, things encouraging examples, and then
over and over again, encouraging words, that re-establish, the
promise that is for everyone, that is faithful unto death.
So what I thought I would do is turn to the book of Hebrews, the
12th chapter, and I want to just talk to you about a few passages
that are found there. Read with me, Hebrews chapter
12. L've and beginning in verse 1.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great, a
cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight at
and the sin, which so easily, easily, beset us, and let us run
with patience, the race that is set before us looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Who for the joy that was set before him.
Endured the cross despising, the shame and is set down at the
right hand of the Throne of God, for consider him that endured
such contradiction. Of Sinners against himself lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and
you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto
you, as unto children. My son, despise not thou, the
chastening of the Lord nor faint, when thou art rebuked of
him for whom the Lord, loveth, he chasteneth and scourges every
son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening God,
dealeth with you. You as, with sons for what son
is. He whom the father chasteneth,
not, but if he be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers then you are bastards and not Sons.
Furthermore, we have had fathers in our flesh which corrected us
and we gave them, reverence, shall we not much rather be in
subjection to the father of spirits and live for, they
verily, for a few days, chastened us after their own
pleasure, but he for our own profit And that we might be
partakers of his Holiness. Now, no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but Grievous, nevertheless,
afterward it yieldeth, the Peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them, which are exercised their, by wherefore lift up the
hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight
paths for your feet less, that that which is lame be turned out
of the way, but let it rather be healed.
Follow peace with all men and holiness.
Out which no man shall see the Lord looking diligently.
Lest any man fail of the grace of God.
Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you.
And thereby many be defiled lest there.
Be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one
morsel of meat, sold his Birthright.
Finally, one more verse for ye know how that afterward when he
would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected for he
found no place of repentance. Sentence, though.
He sought it carefully with tears.
What? I want to notice just a couple
things by way of an introduction here.
First of all, I do believe and you've heard me say this before
that. I believe that the Apostle Paul
happens to be the writer of the book of Hebrews.
And so for many times I might say that the Hebrew writer or
other times I just simply might say the Apostle Paul but
certainly it fits the language of the writings of the Apostle
Paul and these were Brew Brethren that were undergoing
much persecution. In fact, Paul would basically
describe that very thing. They were receiving persecutions
in their life that they deemed to be unnecessary.
I'll tell you something. It's a hard thing to endure
persecutions. Even when you got it coming,
it's a whole lot harder to deal with things that you don't in
your mind feel are right or justifiable.
These were Hebrew Christians. I don't know what perhaps, how
long they were Christians. I don't know specifically those
that would have fallen into this category.
It is written to Hebrew Brethren, but it's also written
for our learning for our admonition for our instruction
to. And so the Apostle Paul in
writing the Hebrew letter is going to describe some
encouraging things to them. And in the first two verses, he
gives the example of running in a race.
You know many times the Bible would talk about Out running in
a race or some competitive athletic event.
And what he's going to do is he's going to give us an
understanding of what it's like. In other words, be encouraged,
because of the example of those that have gone on before in
verse 1, but more than that more so than that, be extra
encouraged because you look to Jesus and know what Jesus did
For All Mankind. In the beginning of this
chapter, we find that the Hebrew writer These Brethren to look to
those Heroes who have been described in chapter 11 as
described as a great cloud of witnesses.
In verse 1 of chapter 12, you can read various Scholars and
they will pretty much all come up with the same thing regarding
this. Great cloud of witnesses, the
word cloud, their means for wrong.
It's talking about the number or this great number.
That's been talked about in the 11th chapter Of all of those
that would be listed in the Hall of Fame of faith, those that are
great examples because these were individuals that you and I
can look to for encouragement, you know, the Bible does talk
about imitating that which is good.
The Apostle Paul would say that. So it's a good thing to look to
the example of somebody that maybe his faith is stronger than
our faith so that we might live the Christian life even better.
So, this is what he says. He said, there's a great throng
of witnesses now. I would say that this would be
paint the picture, like it's a great big football stadium or a
great big like the Colosseum and all of these Witnesses are in
the stands and you are running the race.
A couple of things, the word witness, the word witness there
is in reference to athletic games, and it was customary that
if somebody was going to run a race in an athletic game.
There were specific people that That were designated as
Witnesses. The reason for that is they're
going to watch and see that you're keeping the rules.
You're not leaving your lane. Whatever the rules are, it's
kind of like when you're playing golf and nobody's looking, you
can kind of Caddyshack one out there just kind of move your
ball, but if you're playing competitively with somebody,
you're watching each other, there are witnesses to your
behavior. Therefore it keeps you in line.
I'm not saying anybody would cheat on purpose.
I'm just giving an illustration. My point is this the witnesses
that Paul is referring to are those that have died and are
found in the eleventh chapter. But let me just make this point,
though, these were individuals that had already died, they were
dead. So I don't believe that this
great throng of Witnesses are really literally watching us.
Personally, they've already died.
They've already crossed over. I don't believe it's literal
that they're literally watching us and cheering us on I believe
it's their testimony of their life their example that they set
that's what's watching us that's what's cheering us on and every
single time we get the idea that no we can't do it.
We can look to those Heroes of Faith that endured so much more
than you. And I will ever endure and stay
on the path. So I believe that to be
figurative and not literal that they are watching us but oh
their testimony is watching us the testimony of their life.
The example of faithful ones. One more point about the reason
why I believe that there's no Bible evidence of somebody that
has crossed over to the other side and had dealings with man
that are currently still living. In fact you remember when the
rich man and Lazarus died? What did the rich man?
Have he had no access back home. He had no access back to those.
That still lived. In fact, what he said is because
he knew he had no access. He made a request, send Lazarus
back and warn my brethren. There was no connection.
I don't believe that those that have died.
Like, for example, sometimes we, I've heard people say that their
dad was really helping him today.
Well, you know, my dad helps me to my dad has been dead for over
10 years. He helps me too.
He's not watching me. He can't see me.
But my father, every single time I reflect back on something,
he's taught me or him encouraged by that or in my memory, the
testimony of his life when those things ring in my head, than
he's helping me. Me and guiding me along the way
these great Heroes. These great characters in the
eleventh chapter, truly are examples for anyone who would
live the Christian Life. Now notice another word there,
it says, lay aside every weight. It was also customary.
That what they would do is they would remove any articles of
clothing that they didn't need. I'm not saying that they, scrape
their self down naked. I'm just simply saying whatever
garment that they were wearing that was Caesarea, they would
take that off like a cloak or an Overcoat you wouldn't run a
100-yard dash with a raincoat on, you wouldn't do it.
What did he say to do? He said, lay aside every weight,
lay aside, every obstacle that standing in your way of running
this race. You know what I thought of, I
thought of material possessions, I thought of all the things we
enjoy, I thought about distractions.
And when I thought of all of that, you know, who I thought
of, I thought of in the New Testament, when Jesus was
passing through Jericho, I thought of old blind Bartimaeus,
the son of Timaeus, remember him, he was a beggar, not the
one that Jesus healed. It was born blind.
Another man Bartimaeus was Begging Bartimaeus.
Could hear that. Jesus Christ was walking by with
his disciples and all of those others that were passing by with
Jesus and he calls out to Jesus, but he doesn't just call him
Jesus of Nazareth. He says, Jesus of Nazareth, thou
son of David. You know, you can call Jesus of
Nazareth and all you're saying is his name and where he was
born where he was from nothing else, those that can, Siddur
him. The Carpenter's son didn't think
any more than that big deal Jesus of Nazareth, but when they
would say, when he said thou son of David, he was recognizing him
as the Messiah. And he calls out to him, you
know, the disciples do that. The top.
There's disciples. Try to shut him up a little bit.
Try to keep people what you just keep quiet.
Don't bother the master and this is a blind man that it's a
beggar. And the Bible says that that's
not enough, he rises up and he says, wait a minute.
Jesus, thou son of David have mercy on me.
And Jesus stops and he tells one of his disciples to go back and
get him. And the Bible says that one does
and he comes to him and says, be of good cheer or be glad or be
of good Comfort. I think the King James version
says, because he will see you now.
And the Bible says, this is amazing.
Now, this is a beggar. This was a poor man and the only
thing that this man owned was on his back.
You know, what he does, he rises up, and he takes off his cloak.
He took off one of the articles of clothing that was all that he
had. And he laid it down and the
reason that he did. So he felt like he needed to
move faster to Jesus. He laid aside a weight that was
standing his way to get the Jesus, and he went to Jesus.
And Jesus says, what will you have me to do?
And he says that I may receive my sight and he said, go in
peace. Thy faith has made you whole and
he received his sight. And then the Bible says from
that point forward, he followed Jesus, my point is this that's a
perfect example of somebody. Taking something that they even
needed. I'm not talking about talking
about something that we want, something that he needed
something that he was poor, he didn't have a laid it down
because it was going to weigh him down to coming to Christ
coming to Jesus. That's what the Hebrew writer is
saying, lay aside, every single weight, everything that will
stand in your way that would so easily.
Beset us, Then verse 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith. Who for the joy, that was set
before him, endured the cross despising, the shame and is set
down at the right hand of the Throne of God.
So, in other words, this is a continuation of verse 1.
There's a comma there. What are you going to do you lay
aside the weight? Then you look unto Jesus.
What is Jesus? He is both the author and he is
the finisher of our faith, the word author.
There really means one who sets the example, Oil.
And the word finisher means it carries out.
The idea of he who carries out the plan, that's what Jesus did
Jesus set the example with his life.
So, look to his example. That's first and foremost
secondarily. He is worthy of such because he
was the finisher. He carried out the plan but it
goes further than that to. And some Scholars would say in a
secondary measure here that there's something else being
said in author and finisher author, could also mean like
someone who starts the race. Now we're talking about a race
here. Somebody that starts the race is
Jesus Christ and one enters the path on that race when he's
back. Baptized into Christ, Jesus adds
him to the church and his sins are washed away.
Jesus, indeed is the author and that he starts the race.
That's true. But he's also the finisher at
the Finish Line in a secondary sense.
We look unto Jesus. You know what's amazing to me.
What's amazing is in any race that you will ever run.
It matters, how fast you ran the race.
If you run in a race and you come in last, you get nothing.
If you're slow, you're not rewarded for being slow.
In fact, the idea is to be competitive and finish first.
You know, what's great about running the Christian race.
All you got to do is finish. That's it.
You don't have to beat somebody to the Finish Line.
All you have to do because you're not running against
anybody else, you are running with Jesus as the standard and
you're running to him with your I ever fixed on him.
He's the author. He's the finisher of our faith
who for the joy. What was the joy?
The joy that was set before him the joy was because he was going
to be the savior of the world. He was going to be the savior of
the world. And that was the joy.
That was set before him. And because of that, he endured
the cross, he despised the shame.
And he sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God,
although there were Christians, that were persecuted
unnecessarily, and some of these Hebrew Christians, they thought
wait a minute, it's easier back serving under Moses.
Maybe, I'll just go back and that way, maybe all the
persecution. That's coming my way from fellow
Jews, if I just turn away from Jesus, Isis and go back and
serve the other, well, serve, my old way, which is serving Moses.
Then that's quite easier for me. He is telling them don't make
basically do not make that choice.
Jesus suffered for righteousness sake and consider him as he is
the great example and have courage and then the word faint
is there. The word fate means to be
discouraged on account of Trials.
How many people just get discouraged on account of Trials
and then just quit? You know what I love about this
in just a minute. Nothing is going to be sitting
here about how easy it is. Nothing, nothing is stated, or
described as easy, nothing at all.
What? He's saying is fight the fight
of Faith because, and lay aside the weight and cast aside the
sin that so easily, beset us, and incidentally, that works in,
I think is they're talking specifically primarily to the
sin of unbelief, but really, it's any sin that would pull
this back. Focus on Jesus and all that he
did for us. He says, ye have not yet
resisted verse for unto blood striving against sin.
You've not even resisted against that you have, and you have
forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto
children. My son, despise not thou, the
chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.
You know, this is in reference to Proverbs chapter 3 and verse
11 and 12 about the you that don't have disrespect or don't
have disdain for the chastening of the Lord.
How many here, honestly? Like to be rebuked.
How many people enjoy getting their wings?
Clipped? It's that fun.
How many people enjoy looking to the Bible?
And realizing we were wrong about something and have to look
at it and face the music as it were Those are not fun things at
all, but don't despise. The chastening of the Lord
notice, as he continues on for the lord, loves, he that chasing
it and scourges every son whom he receiveth.
You know, when I see the word Scourge, I think about Jesus,
maybe you do too. But I think about Jesus being
bound, I think about Jesus with a bear.
Back and a Roman soldier standing behind him with a cat
of nine, tails thrusting it to the back of Jesus and tearing
his flesh from his body. That's what I think of.
When I see the word scourge. Is it saying that God's going to
do that to us? what does he mean by that, that
word and that phrase, Scourge means this, that God allows us
to be afflicted for our training God allows us to be afflicted
because of our training. We're going to find that.
That's a good thing because he accepts us, it is proof that he
accepts us. It is proof that God loves us,
God wants us to be better than we are.
And so the word Scourge races, he scourges those that he loves
and so forth. Those that are his children, it
doesn't mean that he's going to beat us to death.
It means, he allows things to happen.
That's going to help us in our training.
One scholar said a good father has the duty not the ability has
the duty. To correct.
But if he be without chastisement whereof all are
partakers then are you bastards and not Sons.
You know there's another thing that a good parent does and that
is provide education of all kinds for their kids.
In fact that's also something that we consider as a person
that has good parent or not. For example, I am involved with
a lot of different kids from a lot of different walks of life
and so on and so forth and I have been as a youth coach in
many different sports and what I found.
Found is you can tell by looking at a child.
You can certainly tell what kind of parents he has.
I guarantee you can you can look to see how educated they are or
not. You can look and see how
well-mannered they are, or not. You can look at their behavior
and tell whether they've got good loving parents.
You know, when I was a kid, think back.
Now, when you were all kids, Maybe you can relate to this,
you know what I used to think when I was little, I used to
think that the good parents. My parents were strict.
My dad was strict. I thought man, the good ones are
the ones that let you do stuff. That's not the good ones.
The good ones are the ones that don't get go overboard as I
thought, and get grounded for an entire semester because your
grades aren't what they ought to be.
I thought Mass kind of hard a good parent would be.
The was just sad. Just hang in there, do better.
No, that's a bad parent. A bad parent is the one that is
not interested in the education of their children and is not
interested in chastisement of or chastening of their children and
correcting them and teaching them and instructing them in the
way that they should go. That's a bad parent.
Also, those that are neglected are those that we look at as
proof of not having a father or a good mother.
Now, the King James version says, the word bastards here.
And in the new King James that uses the word illegitimate.
Now, the idea isn't that a person that's illegitimate.
Cannot have proper training. What's being said, is you can if
you reject the training of God, if you reject what God has for
you, Then you can't call yourself his son.
Because if you are his son, he corrects you don't despise it.
According to the Book of Proverbs, listen to it and
follow it. Furthermore, we have had fathers
in our flesh which have corrected us and we gave them
reverence, shall we not much rather be in subjection to the
father of spirits and lands? Again, the connection or the
comparison between physical matters and spiritual matters?
Now, my kids absolutely have to obey me, they do they have no
choice. Choice. they have no choice but
to obey Tina and I in our home There's going to come a day
though when they're going to be too old for that and they'll be
able to make their own decisions.
But you know, in God's word that would describe even a babe in
Christ, all the way up until somebody is able to receive the
meat of the word. Every one of those individuals,
regardless of your spiritual age, Has the freedom of choice.
And that's what he's saying. Here in comparison or
connection. You had physical fathers and you
listen to them. Now you got the choice.
Wouldn't you much rather follow the spirit that God the Father,
the god of of spirits and live? How much greater it is to follow
God, and God, corrects us. Because he loves us.
For, they verily, for a few days, chastened us after their
own pleasure, but he for our profit that we might be
partakers of his Holiness. You know, this is a very
interesting passage of scripture because it's not saying that our
fathers chastened us or whipped us because it felt good to them.
And incidentally, it's a good reason not to correct your kids
when you're mad. Because you might it might feel
good to correct them. That's not what he's talking
about the own pleasure there. That phrase actually means based
upon their best judgment. So your father, your physical,
father corrupted, you based upon his own pleasure which simply
means his best judgment and we live and we listened For our
Prophet, the Bible says, regarding God.
That we might be partakers of his Holiness.
Now, no chastening for the present.
Present seemeth to be joyous but Grievous, nevertheless
afterward, yieldeth the Peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised their by the phrase exercise
means to take correction and amend your ways.
There has to be a result with exercise.
There has to be some times people cheat the exercise, and
therefore, they get in. No results.
If we treat, if we cheat the exercise of absorbing the
correction of God, that we're not going to have the same
result, but if we accept the exercise the end result is good.
The end result when we mend our ways and we change our ways when
we've been wrong is only going to benefit us spiritually.
Then he says in verse 12, wherefore lift up the hands
which hang down and the feeble needs another word.
Is get yourself out of the spirit of Despair.
Change your thinking, change your focus, And make straight
paths for your feet, less that which is lame be turned out of
the way but let it rather be healed.
This is an interesting phrase here that he tells them to make
smooth the paths for their feet. This is done by removing every
Temptation that's in their life. You know the Bible talks about
in The Book of Proverbs a very interesting passage on a secret
to success regarding Temptation and the Bible would say the wise
man of old would say that when there are those that would
entice you when Sinners entice you consent thou not in fact if
they're going in this direction you aren't even to go in that
direction. And you are to refrain your foot
from their path. That means if they're going in
that direction he didn't just say, don't do what they do.
He says you go that way. You refrain your foot from their
path. Why?
Because if you refrain your foot from their path, chances are,
you're not going to fall. But if you go in the way, even
though you're trying to be strong and you're trying to go
along with the crowd, but not sin.
Oh, be careful because sin is Is coming and you will fall and I
don't care how strong you think you are and brother-sister.
I can tell you from firsthand experience, that's true.
I lived where there was no church for five years.
And every weekend had to drive two and a half hours home.
I want to talk about, you want to talk about being isolated and
you think I'm so strong. It wears on you.
If you run with people that are going in the wrong direction,
sooner or later their influences will enter into your life.
And I'm going to tell you something, it doesn't make any
difference how strong you think you are in some way.
Larger small, you're going to fall, you're going to stumble at
least at some point in time. That's why the wise man of old
says, go that way. That's what the writer of
Hebrews is saying make straight the paths, make straight for
your feet on the path. He didn't say, by the way, make
your own path, make your own way, make your own rule.
He's saying this the path has already been established, Jesus
set the path and laid it out. He laid the course after this
race. All you got to do is make
straight your feet on that path. Don't zigzag and do not.
That's number one because By the way.
The Bible says few there be that find it talking about the
Straight Gate and narrow way which leads to life.
Okay? Now you have to stay on that
path for your own benefit but the Hebrew writer says, also for
the benefit of somebody else. Unless you make the lame to
fall, The Lame to be dislocated in their life and fall.
You know, the word lame, there doesn't mean handicapped.
The word lame, there is in reference to somebody that has
less knowledge less wisdom and less experience than you do.
Now, you know, I tell you, I think one of the saddest things
that we find today. Is when somebody that has been
around for a long time and has a great influence over, a lot of
people maybe even a preacher and that man has been going along,
has been known for a long time. And, you know, if he wants to
digress and go off to the some Faraway belief in something.
The problem isn't that? He just made the choice.
The problem isn't. Well, he's just made his bed.
He'll have to sleep in it. There he goes, and it doesn't
affect anybody else. That's the problem.
It affects everybody else especially those that have less
knowledge less wisdom and less experience than he does.
That's what's scary. That's what's really sad.
If somebody digresses and goes off to some far out, doctrinal
belief. What's really sad is all the
poor folks who don't know any better and they just follow
along. You know what the Hebrew writer
said a long time ago. He said, make straight the paths
of your feet on the path that has already been laid out of the
race but Jesus already laid out. The course all you got to do is
stay on it, don't get off of it and make your path straight.
Don't zigzag, don't Veer off, don't create hurdles, don't
stumble. So that the lame will be
dislocated and their feet fall down too.
We have the responsibility of not only getting ourselves to
heaven but I have a responsibility for you and not
just because I'm a preacher either, you have the
responsibility. I have the responsibility we are
as Christians have the responsibility of helping each
other get to heaven. Remember Jesus says that one
that would offend one of these little ones.
It were better than a millstone were hung around his neck and he
would drown at the depths of the sea.
Ignorance will not be an excuse either.
Bible says the time of ignorance God winked at, but now
commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
The path has been set. We don't do our own way, we
don't go our own way. We pursue with the Lord has
already said, we must stay on that path.
The one that the Savior trod by removing Al weights obstacles,
that would be said us and finish.
Our course. Paul said I have fought a good
fight. I have finished.
My course, I have kept the faith henceforth.
There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness that the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me
only, but to all those that love his appearing.
And then in verse 14, here's some more instruction.
Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no, man
can see the Lord. He said follow peace.
The word, follow their means pursue peace.
That means we have to work to get along with each other.
That tells me that we have to work at that.
Notice Romans chapter 12 to there's another example there of
what to do when you're having somebody.
That's just really can't take risks or being mean or rude or
whatever how is it that you should treat that person?
First of all in Romans chapter 12 let's begin reading in verse
18 please. He's if it be possible as much
as lieth in you live peaceably with all men, dearly beloved,
avenge not yourselves. But rather give Place unto wrath
for it is written. Vengeance is mine?
I will repay saith the Lord therefore if thine enemy hunger,
feed him, if he thirst, give him drink for in.
So doing Thou shalt Heap, coals clothes of fire on his head.
And by the way, you can't be mad at somebody and then get back at
him by going through some phone. Knee.
Well I'm going to just act like I'm nice to him because the
Bible says gets you pour the coals on their sit back and
outfits here. I start what he's saying. he's
saying if you don't respond, if you don't retaliate, if you
truly are kind of those, that mistreat you And they don't want
to make things, right? And they don't want to drop the
case and they don't want to feel better about things.
They want to be mad. They want to fight what they
want is you to retaliate. If you don't it's like pouring
coals on their head and they are seeing somebody like that that
want to pick a fight but you wouldn't respond.
You know, I too many times in my life.
I've been the one to respond. It's just want to, just want to
say it. And sometimes my desire to
respond and defend, sometimes causes me to be hateful and I
shouldn't be like that. I think we've all had things in
there in our life that are weaknesses.
Remember, I've told you before grudges aren't one of mine but
responding is. I'm not quick to.
I'm not slow to speak. I have to work on it, daily.
But I'm going to tell you something.
The Bible says, if somebody is going to mistreat us, be kind if
he's if your enemy hunger feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
And then in verse 21, be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good and that right there brother is one of the
hardest thing in the world to do.
Thanks to work on for all of us me too.
And especially We have to work on being at peace.
McKnight says we must earn Astley cultivate.
Peace with all men. All men means both Jews and
Gentiles alike man. In our society means those that
are members of the body of Christ and those that are
outside of the body of Christ, he also says to pursue Holiness
this word, translated, sanctification here, which
properly consist according to one scholar properly, It's in
being free from lust that are gratified of the senses and from
those bad passions, which are of a more spiritual nature.
Things like anger, things, like malice things, like revenge and
things like, Envy mr. McKnight also says that when
these bad passions are indulged, they render the person who
indulges them detestable in the eyes of God, simply put without
Holiness. One cannot see the Lord one day.
Verse 15. Looking diligently lest any man
fail of the grace of God. Lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you. And thereby many be defiled.
Let's there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for
one morsel of meat, sold his Birthright for he know how that
afterward when he would have inherited the blessing, he was
rejected for he found no place of repentance though.
He sought it carefully with tears.
First of all and verse 15, he is telling them Carefully observe
their own behavior. Also observe the behavior of
somebody else. Why you've got to protect
yourself, that you don't be led astray and that you don't file
will be corrupted by vices and errors.
But then he says about being a fornicator or profane person.
You know, it's interesting East Side was not a fornicator but
he's lumped together with the idea of a fornicator or profane
person in the very next thing that's being said is about.
Esau, the term profane person means the use of temporal
things. The temporal use of sacred
things. That's what a profane activity
is. Temporal use of a sacred thing.
The idea is this. The two brothers.
The Bible says that Jacob sod pottage Isa goes out, Isa comes
back. Isa has the birthright.
Esau comes back and here's something interesting.
Do you know that there's no evidence at all in the Bible
that says, that if he had not eaten that potage, that red
pottage from Jacob, there's no Bible evidence that he would
have died or start to death. He just thought he was going to
die. He just thought he was going to
starve to death. So he comes and says Give me
some of that Patty inch and Jacob says, give me your
Birthright. He said, okay, I'll give you my
Birthright. He said swear to me that you'll
give me the birthright and he does.
He ate the meal? And right after that, he knew
I've made a mistake. You know, what's interesting is
the Bible says that he sought repentance with tears, wonder
what that means sot repentance with tears.
First of all, repentance is not just sorrow and regret.
She has a sermon a very good sermon on repentance it's not
just sorrow Godly sorrow worketh repentance but repentance is not
just sorrow and repentance is not just regret what happened?
This was a man. This was a man that realized
I've made a mistake and his Brother was going to capitalize
on that mistake. And his brother was not going to
let him out of the deals. Brother was going to take the
birthright. The Bible says that Esau sent
repentance, but to no avail found none, even with tears.
It says he was rejected. Who rejected him God?
No. His physical father in the flesh
rejected overturning. The deal they made.
What's that an indication of what's that?
An example of we're through? That's an example.
How many times we talk about the consequence of sin?
If that is not an example of the consequences of sin?
I don't know what is that is a perfect example of how if he had
a any sin whatsoever that God would have forgiven or whatever
it is. If it's in this life, God,
forgives us when we make mistakes.
God forgives us when we repent. This was somebody that was
really sorry. He sat repentance with tears but
he found. None other words.
Nobody was going to overturn their deal. and it was confirmed
with their father, I'ma tell you something, we can send in our
life. We can mess up and I mean mess
up and God will forgive us. But sometimes now, another great
thing is, the great thing is, when we mess up and we have
time, and we can fix it, that's the great thing.
We can change our ways, be forgiven and fix it.
The problem though, is when we change our ways and God forgives
us similar spiritual matter. Everything's fine.
But then the consequence still exists that That's the problem.
That's why we say make good choices.
That's why we say stay on the path.
That's right. We say, make straight but Paths
of your feet. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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