The first thing we want to keep in mind is that the early Christians that the letter was written to were facing some real significant potential for some persecution because of their faith in Jesus. And that's...was a big possibility because of that possibility they began to downplay their identification with Christ.
[00:33:42]
In chapter two we're assured that the paradise that we lost because of sin has been recovered because of Christ and Christ's finished work on the cross. This truth is anchored in verse two: for it was fitting that Jesus Christ, for whom and by whom all things existed, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
[00:35:17]
Chapter three reminds us of the key purpose of the church: to encourage and strengthen us in our walk with the Lord. In the chapter three we read, but exhort everybody, everyone as long as it's called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we, if we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. So stand firm to the end.
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For the word of God is living inactive, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, the joints in the marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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If you were to ask a pastor or a teacher right what, when you prepare a message, what are you hoping for, what are you looking to do? Well, it would probably come across as two things: one, that no one would leave this place unchanged. That's the very first thing that you hope will happen, that the word of God would be as impactful to you as it was to them as they were preparing it.
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There's a world of difference between attending church and being a member of a church. And so I asked him, I said, well now tell me, so what are you looking for when you're looking for a church, what are you looking for? Mass is really amazing. He said, I just want a church that will play witness to my life. I don't want to go to church, I want to be a part of church.
[00:37:18]
What we try to do when we're putting together something is to compel those who are listening to don't let it stop here but to give you thoughts and ideas that you can go and dig deeper. Go look more. Taste and see the Lord is good and that's our message today.
[00:38:12]
Priests were obligated to offer sacrifices to God, sacrifices first for their own sins and then sacrifice for the sins of the people. And this is spelled out back in Leviticus when Moses said to Aaron, draw near to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, make atonement for yourself and for the people and bring the all the offering of the people and make atonement for them as the Lord commanded.
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In offering sacrifices to God for the people, priests were given the responsibility to represent man and women in matters related to God. No small responsibility to be sure. So great was that responsibility that if it were done improperly or without reverence there was a great price to be paid.
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A qualification where priest was the ability to relate to the struggles of people. Priests needed to be able to deal gently with God's people, those who were unaware or who are still weren't learning and those who might be struggling or falling away. How was the priest able to do this? Because they themselves struggled with the same weakness.
[00:42:02]
Sometimes I think that because we don't do the sacrifices like they did in the old days, we forget the impact of sin. We forget how sin separates us from God, and we also forget that there's a price to be paid for sin. That price was paid by God by giving his only son, that through his blood, we could have our relationship restored.
[00:47:34]
Cheap grace is the grace we give ourselves. Cheap grace is preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, or baptizing without church discipline, or communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. And that's powerful.
[00:48:18]
With Christ, we now have an advocate with the Father. We don't need someone to be an intercessor for us anymore. Jesus does that.
[00:49:01]
To be clear, being a pastor is a calling. We see this in Ephesians 4. When Paul writes, he gave some apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, the pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.
[00:51:13]
If the cross is the pulpit from which God preached his love to the world, then the pastor is the canvas upon which God writes his love letter to the local church.
[00:53:21]
Church leaders, and here I believe the scripture is talking about pastors and elders, are accountable to God for the souls under their care. Church leaders are not accountable to church members. They are accountable to God, and they are accountable for the souls in their charge.
[00:54:59]
Those who've entered the ministry full-time have committed their time and their talent to the Lord. They could have readily taken those skills into the business world and parlayed a remarkable career, but they've chosen to commit their time and their energy just as that woman committed her future to the Lord. So have these folks. Here again, that is a remarkable thing.
[00:56:31]
Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because in every respect he was tempted as we are and yet he did not sin. So this reason he has become the perfect sacrifice. He became sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[00:59:46]
Through Christ's suffering and through his obedience he became the perfect sacrifice for our sins and secured our eternal salvation. Isaiah really captures this beautifully: he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed.
[01:00:58]
Jesus is both a high priest concerning the affairs of heaven and a king concerning the prayers, the affairs of earth.
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The central theme of the gospel and the new testament is that God is faithful and he has called us into a fellowship through his son Jesus Christ.
[01:04:14]
Let us never ever forget there is both a consequence and a cost associated with sin. The consequence is that sin will distance us from God and the cost of sin, the price for forgiveness, is the shedding of blood. The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the price of our sin.
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We who were once distant, far from God because of our sin, have been brought back into relationship with the father by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our advocate before the father. Through him we can approach God's throne of grace with confidence.
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