How Can You Know If You’re Right? (Hebrews 8:7-12)
How Can You Know If You’re Right? (Hebrews 8:7-12)
We can be sure of their faith through asking the right questions and knowing there is only one road to God through Christ.
Let’s stand
to our feet, if you would, as we are in the book of Hebrews tonight church.
We’re moving on in the book of Hebrews of verses 7 to 12 Hebrews chapter 8 verses 7 through 12 tonight, and we’ll be looking at a message titled, listen, it’s important.
How can you know if your rights How can you know if you’re right?
I’m not talking about being right about any other thing.
I’m talking about being right about the right thing.
And that is, how do you know? How do you know you’re going down the right track spiritually?
How do you know you got it right regarding your faith?
How do you know you’re on the right course when it comes to what you just did a moment ago, worship?
What about things like the giving of your energy, the giving of your time, and reading the bible, uh, your your financial support of ministries to get the word of god out, whatever it is.
How do you know you’re on the right track? How do you know for sure?
And by the way, the answer, you’re gonna hear tonight. You can know. God wants you to know.
And so tonight in Hebrews chapter 8, I’ll read in verse 7.
If you pick it up in the even numbered verses, we’ll read it together in our responsive reading.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they did not continue in my covenant and I disregarded them says the lord.
you know what?
Verse 10? I don’t I don’t I don’t know what to say about verse 10.
It’s it’s eternally true. It’s not gonna get more true. It’s true.
But for the for the Jews, they’re gonna wind up waking up someday to love verse 10.
none of them shall teach his neighbor and none his brothers say, no, the lord,
for all shall know me, from the least of them, to the greatest of
And all god’s people said — Yeah.
—
you may be seated at church. All I can say to that reading is actually wow to that.
Just flat out. Wow. To what is announced, to what is being said. Now look, we know this,
and we know it well. Having been in the book of Hebrews
on these Wednesday nights. We officially do not know the author of the book of Hebrews.
There’s a reason why only god knows why. It’s a book that leaves out the author.
The author doesn’t say who he is. That might be something that is strategic.
That might be something uh, that is, uh, is rooted in humility. We don’t we don’t know. We only speculate.
And, listen, spare yourself time You don’t have to read about scholars and researchers who say they know who wrote it.
The closest as we can come is to this conclusion.
Number 1, whoever wrote this new testament book was a person who was extremely, extremely well suited to speak on the matters of the Old Testament.
They are somebody who knew the ins and outs of the traditions of men that had crept in in the worship of Yahweh, the god of the Bible.
Okay? And whoever wrote it, knows what he’s talking about.
Now the structure of it, if if we wanna make a conjecture that is an educated guess, many people will say it’s very and the term is this.
It’s very Pauline in its structure. It sounds like Paul, But we can’t say it’s Paul.
It makes sense if it is, but it’s it’s beside the point.
Whoever is writing this, obviously, The Bible says he’s under the possession of the Holy Spirit as all of the scriptures are.
But this portion of scripture is such a high watermark that it causes you to sit up and take notice because it spans a time that addresses Israel in the past, and then imagine a pause button being touched pause.
And then the last 2000 years, where a gentile church has been created throughout the world, according to god’s plan, And then play button is gonna be pressed soon, and god is gonna pick up on his work with the Jewish people.
This time of dispensation and, yes, that’s a biblical word. It’s in the Bible.
Somebody will say, do you believe in dispensation? Of course, I do. I have to.
The Bible says that there’s dispensations. God was working with Israel.
Israel said, we don’t want you in our life.
god says, well, then I’m gonna put you on hold, and I’m gonna take this gospel to the ends of the earth with the gentiles.
But god will fulfill his promises to all what he has regarding the Jewish people.
And his old testament promises, he will fulfill them. He asked to.
He has made a covenant with himself But the key is this.
By the way, for Gental and you is do you believe?
Do you believe in the salvation that god has provided?
It’s extremely, extremely important that we get a good grasp on this portion of scripture.
And, um, as we read this, by the
way, I wanted to make something really clear.
So I’m even gonna read it so I don’t flub this up, even though I wrote it.
It’s in my head. It’s in my heart. It’s in my theology of understanding the scripture,
but I I just said to myself, wanna make something very, very clear.
Israel as a nation, the politics of Israel. Listen. god is not gonna save that.
God is not gonna save the politics of Israel as a politic.
God is gonna save the nation of Israel through the remnant who believe in him.
Yeah. Do you get that? Don’t confuse god’s salvation of the nation of Israel as though he’s gonna save them just because they’re Jews and, uh, they vote or they don’t or they want, or what doesn’t?
No. No. No. He’s not gonna save the nation uh, because they are the nation of Israel, he’s gonna save those within the nation who are Jews.
And because he saves those who believe, repent, and believe on him, they become the true Israel.
Do you understand that?
In other words, for us, you’re not gonna go to heaven if you’re an American. What?
You’ve got to be born again by the spirit of god, and you might happen to be an American that’s beside the point.
Same with Israel. But god has made promises to the nation with Israel that when he saves the remnant of Israel, they will move into the millennial kingdom when Christ comes in his second coming to rule and reign on earth.
And the Bible says that god will then build up. He will strengthen the nation of Israel.
It’d be the gym and the light that it was supposed to be.
In other words, she’s gonna have another chance.
In the meantime, you and I are to obey god, and we are the ones that have been grafted in, as the Bible says, into the commonwealth of Israel.
Isn’t that amazing? Now if you’re listen, if you’re
not a jew, you’re a gentile. You say, well, I’m fortunate gentile. I’m Italian at Gentile. Irish gentile.
Say whatever you want. Gentile. unless you’re a jew. There’s Jews and there’s gentiles, period.
God says, and I love to say this to my Jewish friends, and I I have Jewish friends.
I’d love to tell them your Jewish prophet Isaiah said, I, a gentile, I will be grafted into your salvation.
Your Hebrew prophet announced that the gentiles who god saves will praise his holy name forever.
That’s me. That’s you. And that’s an exciting thing.
So tonight, we’re gonna be looking at this this opening throw of this argument that is, uh, one that is beautiful.
I I just I here’s why it’s beautiful, uh, because you and I are gonna be right at end of this message at the end of service tonight because
we are going to be biblically accurate. How’s that? Well, that’s awful.
That’s awful conceded to say such a thing
that you’re gonna be right. Well, here’s what we’re gonna do. We are not gonna make up our rightness.
What we’re going to do is get ourselves in line with
the word of god. Yeah.
And, listen, you’ll always be correct if you are anchored to the Bible. Alright?
So mark this down. In fact, you’re you may be confused about what I’m about to read
to you, but mark it
down in the margins of the book of Hebrews chapter 8 here, markdown Jeremiah
31
versus 31 to 36. you’re gonna think I’m reading the book of Hebrews.
Behold, the days are coming, says the lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in that day, that I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.
Sound familiar? Wow. Almost verbatim. Yeah?
My covenant, which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the lord, but this is the covenant that I I will make with the house of Israel after those days.
That is a key statement. After those days means, listen, for us here, today, you can write it down in your note taking.
After those days means, after the church is gone, god is gonna focus on Israel He’s gonna fulfill his old testament promises with Israel.
And according to the book of Joel, it’s after those days, his pouring out of the Holy Spirit, that Joel said would happen to the believing house of Israel.
Remember, the believing house of Israel is gonna be a tornado of faith and truth during the tribulation period.
Remarkable. That’s much of what the tribulation has to do with, by the way, is to get Israel awake, to trust in him, but also to judge a Christ rejecting world.
So I I pick up verse 33.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says, the lord, I will put my law in their minds and write them in their hearts.
And I will be their god, and they shall be my people. Watch this. No more shall every man.
So this is after. Watch. I’m gonna focus on them.
I’m gonna put my law in their hearts that is another reference to being born again.
They’re gonna be born again. You say, Jackie, give me a Jew. has to be born again? Yes. They do.
What makes you think otherwise? Well, the last church I went to said that gentiles have to be born again, and Jews keep the law.
That’s false doctrine. That’s heresy.
But but go ahead and meet this up. I’m getting so excited. I just interrupted myself.
Who was the first person told that they had to be born again?
Nicapemas. Was he a gentile or a Jew? A Jew.
You’ve got to be a Jew born anew.
to enter the kingdom of heaven and the same is true for a gentile.
All of us get there the same way no matter where or no matter what.
So he says to us, picking it up where it says, know the lord that is during the millennium, the Jews will be telling the world about Christ Messiah, but they will know the lord.
And that’s why it says, know the lord for they all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Speaking about the Jewish people, says the lord, for I will forgive their inequity and their sin, I will remember no more.
No. That’s true about you also. But there’s a timing to this for the Jew.
For thus, says the lord who gives the sun for a light by day, listen to this, that ordinances of the moon and the stars for the light of the by night, who dis uh, disturbs the sea and its waves roar.
The lord of host is his name.
If those ordinances depart from before me, says the lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me for how long?
Yeah. Forever. Ladies and gentlemen mark that down.
take a picture and if if you need to, god is saying this.
If I don’t fulfill my promises to the Jews, Then it’s all over. Nothing.
Nothing’s true. Then then you have no salvation, Look, if god doesn’t keep his promises to the Jewish people, what in the world makes you think he’ll keep his promises to you?
That’s how critical this is. Are they his chosen people? Yes.
Have they had it rough? Yes. Why every time they’ve had
it rough, having it rough follows them disobeying him?
And, oh, by the way, disobeying him, you’re gonna have it rough.
And so we look at this together here right now.
Number 1, mark it down if you would. How can you know if you’re right versus 7 through 8?
It’s this. know how to ask the right questions. That’s all you
can know if the if you’re right, ask the right questions.
verse 7 says, for if that first covenant oh, you gotta circle that.
He’s talking about the old testament that 10 commandments the given of the law, the priesthood.
For if the first covenant had been faultless, that no place would have been sought for a second.
Think about this for a moment.
Verse 7, church is quite shocking because it’s announcing to us that the old testament covenant was just a vehicle to bring you to the place of knowing that you are a sinner.
You would take the blood of animals to cover over your sin, but you would never experience salvation.
and the way of your sin would be lifted from you, innocent blood was offered to cover your sin, but it could never take it away.
See, today, if you’re Jewish or maybe if you’re a legalist, you’re thinking by keeping the rules, you’re gonna go to heaven.
God says, no way. It’s not gonna happen.
And with all of the grandeur and glory of the law, and it was, and it is holy, and it is awesome.
Never, friend, never. Did god’s law ever announce that it will save you and give you entrance into heaven?
It’s never said it. It never has it, never will. So you wanna ask this question.
What’s with the Old Testament? The Old Testament was perfect and righteous and holy, and it is.
But it’s a grand indicator, a grand sign.
It’s a a pointing to the new testament.
Now we’re gonna go somewhere with this tonight that I hope gives you boldness and courage and confidence in your Bible.
verse 8 because finding fault with them, this is god speaking, says, behold the days are coming, says the lord, well, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
So first of all, this is all the new testament bookends from Jeremiah to the book of Hebrews.
Notice the audience is Jewish.
It’s very possible that both making the argument, Jeremiah, and whoever’s writing the book of Hebrews is Jewish because it’s the Holy Spirit given the message.
and he’s making an announcement. This would change your life if you get this.
That whatever was first, had to come to an end.
In a sense, it was weak, and we’ll show this.
But when verse 8 says finding fault with them, He says behold the days are coming.
That, just by statement out of Jeremiah and right here in Hebrews, is an amazing thing because watch everybody, Jeremiah is announcing something news coming.
Hebrews is saying, remember what Jeremiah said? Here it is.
You see, you wanna know if you’re right or not about what it is you believe in, Did god say it in the Bible?
Yes. Did god say, here it is. Here’s the fulfillment.
Did god announce a prophecy, so to speak, and Whatever it might be. You know what? Nation of Israel.
Did god say that Israel would come back into being in the last days? Yes. He did.
When did that happen? May
14 1948.
So how do you know the Bible is true? God says it, then god fulfills it.
Well, what about salvation? Same is true.
God says I’m going to send you salvation because the Old Testament cannot save you.
It just highlights the fact that you’re a sinner, and you need my mercy, my forgiveness, my atonement, thus blood.
But the first will be done away with the second. There’s something new coming.
Well, how do we know? Because it has happened.
That’s why we’re Christians tonight because the new testament records the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Yes.
You’ve you’ve heard me say this before.
I’d but I don’t hear it anywhere else, but I’m gonna say it again.
you must know your old testament to have confidence in the new testament.
If you just studied the new testament, you don’t know what it is that you believe in.
you can’t point out what was fulfilled.
When the Old Testament says this is coming, then you need to go and ask some questions.
Was what was said ever fulfilled? Ask the questions? This is an awesome challenge.
Maybe you’re Jewish tonight. You’ve gotta stop and think about it. I have a question for you.
with all of your lofty prophets that we love and honor ourselves as gentiles.
What they prophesied, my Jewish friends, how do you know?
Where’s your record book? Where is your where is your detective work as to all of those 100100 of prophecies?
300 just about, uh, more than 300 concerning just Jesus alone, where were they fulfilled? When were they fulfilled?
How do you know if they were fulfilled? You’ve been given the prophecies.
How are you gonna judge him to see if they were ever fulfilled? My friends, listen.
I plead with you seriously. Are you Jewish tonight? Are you watching?
Are you watching from somewhere in the world tonight?
Your prophets say this, that behold in Bethlehem, the Messiah is gonna be born.
If you don’t know Micah chapter 5 verse
2,
How are you gonna ask the question about who is Jesus?
Because in the new testament, the record is he was born in Bethlehem.
people think that’s a new testament idea. It’s a new testament recording of an old testament promise.
Make sense? Yes. Oh, my Jewish friends. Listen. If you just stop for a moment, can you do this?
Stop listening to the rabbis and pick up your old testament and read it. Listen. Listen.
read it from Genesis to Malachi. Just don’t read the first five books. Read all the way through.
Well, you say, Jack, why do you say that?
Cause a lot of rabbis do not let their people read the entire Old Testament. Did you know that?
I’ve had Jews tell me over and over again, I was never I didn’t even know Isaiah
535052, 53, 54
were in the Bible. I didn’t I’ve never I’ve never even heard of Psalm 22 before.
I’ve done this with Jewish people.
I’ve shared with them the scriptures that promised the Messiah, and they they’ve if if there’s somebody with them, they start yelling at each other in Hebrew.
I think they’re gonna kill each other. And then what’s going on?
And then they’re all upset because they say, no, no, no, you don’t understand.
we’re yelling at each other because I’m asking her, did your rabbi tell you this when you were growing up?
No. Did your rabbi tell you this when you were growing up? No. Mica, nope. Isaiah.
No. No. Psalm 22, crucified, hands, feet, holes, hands. No. Zachariah? No way. Why?
Ask the question.
And the question is so very powerfully answered.
God says, I am going to do something anew.
and yet it’s promised in scripture. Yeah. peek a little bit back.
Look at verse 18 of chapter 7. Hebrew 7 verse 18.
For on the one hand, there is an annulling. Boy, you need to circle that word annulling.
of the former commandment because of its weakness and its unprofitableness.
Ladies and gentlemen, verse 18 of chapter 7 is extremely strong.
It’s saying that the old testament will be annulled. Something’s gonna have that is going to annull it.
Why? Because of the commandment, it was weak and unprofitable. What? What do
you mean? It’s wholly it’s pure. Yes. It is. But the issue is salvation.
So for those of us tonight that are sinners, you may look just so right.
Look, look at me. I ironed my shirt tonight before.
Look how Look how ready I got to come see you.
You could look all great on the outside.
And on the inside, you can be so full of evil.
And nobody can tell on the outside.
You won’t believe the thought I just had in my mind.
I’ve been trying to watch my way.
So As soon as I said, thoughts of evil, I saw a gigantic plate of spaghetti with 4 meatballs about that big.
And I need to repent of that.
The loss is no.
But when we wake up to the law, we realize I’ve already done it. And that’s right.
The Bible shows us. We’ve already crossed the line when we wake up to the fact that we’re way into the realm of transgression.
And god says, you need to come to me. And how do we come to him?
We come to him based on the offering. That is of Jesus Christ. We’ve been studied about him.
But it says in verse 19, chapter 7, verse 19, for the law made nothing perfect.
On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to god.
Somebody say men. That better hope is Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel savior of the world, and he’s been promised to save all those who will come
to him and trust in him. Amen.
That’s how this one saves the thief on on
the cross. That’s how this one
goes into areas of Lebanon, like tire and siden. in his earthly ministry. And gentiles believe in him.
Why? Because he came to save any heart anyone who would turn to
him. Oh, that’s good news.
Yeah. But what a powerful statement?
Cause if you’re sitting here right now and you’re thinking, I’m okay. I’m,
You know, I’m just am I right?
Well, do you really not?
Because in verses 7 and 8, god says that not even Israel could be made faultless because the system that they were trusting in They trusted it the wrong way.
They asked the wrong questions, or they didn’t ask any questions at all because god had given the word.
The day that you transgress this law, you must take the blood of an innocent animal.
And that was to lead them
right into the new testament. Don’t ever think again if you think it now that the Old Testament’s Jewish and the new testament’s gentile, but a disgrace.
That’s wrong. The old and new testament is for any man or woman boy or girl who will turn to Christ in faith.
and trust in him. 2nd thing is this
is know what answers are available to you. So ask the questions.
But find out what answers are available.
Look at verse 9, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.
Well, what is the answer to that? How can we know for sure?
He says right here, not according to the covenant. This is a very, very powerful statement.
that I made. Notice god made a covenant with them that was not intended to last.
He had and given it an expiration date.
But he says of them, I led them out of the land of Egypt.
God brought Israel out of the land of Egypt. By the
way, did you know that you and I The moment, uh, you and I come to Christ in a
sense, uh, god leads us by the Holy Spirit out of our Egypt.
You know, um, there’s some great, um, there’s some great hymns about about crossing over Jordan, you know, go going into canan land, crossing over Jordan, and this is some cool songs.
but they’re they kinda lacked theological accuracy because, um, it in the context, it’s crossing over Jordan and
and going into canaan land as heaven crossing over, like going through the valley of the shadow of death, you know, and you finally make it to heaven, Well, let me tell you something.
Crossing over Jordan and being in Kananland, if that’s heaven, I’m not sure if I want it.
because the whole thing about Joshua bringing them over the Jordan River and getting into Canaanland was crossing over the the whole world of unbelief into the land of belief.
And, oh, by the way, in the land of belief, there is battles and wars and temptations and difficulty in trials?
It’s not heaven.
We’re not gonna be crossing over the Jordan in the can and land regarding heaven. And it’s like, oh
my goodness. We gotta put up
with this in heaven. No. what he was announcing was, I led them by the hand, and all of those who did not believe died in the wilderness.
Remember that? their
they didn’t make it in. Their kids did. The only two old guys that made it was Joshua and Caleb.
He brought all the grandkids over. Well, I I guess it was the kid.
It’s good to be grandkids too. Who knows? But all the whining and griping complainers Think about it.
Isn’t that great? Everybody whining, griping, and complaining. They didn’t get the crossover.
How does that make you? I I don’t know about you. That’s nice.
You ever been around people who grumbling and griping about everything? That’s the cake.
What kind of chocolate is this? Are we this is it?
We paid 10 bucks for this. You know, it’s like, okay.
Can you just, like, act like you’re having fun.
But they just wind and complained and griped, and you know that you know the drill.
You the
ping pong between Moses and God was hilarious, actually. I wanna kill them.
Moses get out of the way. I wanna kill them. they’re driving me nuts. And Moses is god.
Don’t do that. And then the next day they start out, and it’s all flipped around.
Moses says, god, get out of the way. I’m gonna kill him this time.
But when they crossed over, listen.
They They crossed over in faith over the Jordan River, and they went on in faith and god led them.
He led them.
They didn’t always follow, but he led them.
But the amazing thing is this, not according to the covenant, that I
made with their fathers in
that day when I took them out of the land of Egypt, uh, uh, led them by the hand out of
the land of Egypt because they did not continue in my covenant. And I disregarded them, says the lord.
He sent them into exile because they wouldn’t believe. That was their choosing.
We have grown a custom in our world to not, um,
to not understand discipline,
God disciplines his children. The Bible says, if you’re a wait. Watch my fingers.
The Bible says, if you’re a Christian, and you’re not disciplined by your father, then you’re not his real son or daughter.
You’re not a real child. I was gonna say the old King James word, but Uh, you know, it’s just it’s a it’s a word.
It’s a cuss word. We would it’s a but the old King James uses it.
If you’re an illegitimate, god doesn’t punish you for your wrong.
When I say punish, I I mean, discipline, not punish, not judgment.
There’s no judgment that falls upon us any anymore. That was done to the cross.
But when god spinks us for doing wrong, The Bible says he only does that to his kids because he loves them.
And any child that is not disciplined is an illegitimate child. If you know that word.
Is that strong words? Is that strong statement? It’s a very strong statement.
If you think you’re a Christian and you’re just doing your life and you’re doing your thing and and and you have no conviction God is, you just live, so to speak, scot free.
You’re sleeping around. You’re drugging it up or you’re whatever.
And and and but there you are in church on Sunday. And you think you’re okay. Yeah.
Just covering on the basis. You know? Yeah. You’re deceiving yourself, man. Yeah.
The Bible says you’re tricking yourself.
Yeah. You’re gonna want better watch out because you wake up dead that way. and not in a good place.
He changes those who are his.
Now I I grew up in an era.
And by looking around, some of you grew up
in my era, Not all of you.
There’s some young people here. But what I’m gonna say is gonna sound illegal. Maybe I it probably is illegal.
But when I grew up, if you did something wrong, uh, you were told what it was you did and you were spanked.
and you I and
I’ll never I mean, it it was just one of those things where the vice principal would say this is what you did wrong.
Okay. Yeah. You’re right. Did did you not do this, Jack? Yes. I did.
I’m talking man, Orange County School District. Okay.
I want you to bend down and grab your toes. No. I’m serious.
Once you’ve been down and grabbed your toes.
And he gave you three reasons why you would never do that again.
Bring it back.
Oh, I’m I’m just I’m so grateful because
I grew up in an era when after that,
I would have to go home. And you know what?
I the the vice principal.
See, the principal the principal just walked around and smiled and rebu he or she, the principal, they were like the They’re like the front man smiling.
Welcome to school. Why don’t you come in?
It’s the vice principal that’s gotta do all the dirty work. Gotta take care of the riffraff.
And so That vice principal never failed to call my parents.
And and but when I got home, my dad would say, got a phone call today.
That was it. Right? Listen.
People today do not realize young people today do not realize how much good that does when it’s done right when you were told, didn’t didn’t they tell you not to do this?
They told you not to run around on the football field where they just put down the brand new seed and turned on the sprinklers for the brand new football season But you and your 3 friends thought it’d be great to turn it into a gigantic slip and slide and cause $3000 worth of damage.
What do you say to
I mean, you it’s over you just
but you learn from that.
And you know what? You learn you learn to respect authority. This is amazing.
Did you know that we are supposed to respect authority even if we don’t like the person?
Did you know that? Yeah.
You’re supposed to respect authority even if you don’t like the person because you’re taught to respect the office or the respect of something.
When we live in a culture that is not disciplined, then it does whatever it wants, and it gets into perpetual trouble.
And then it crashes its life, and then it wonders why everything’s messed up.
And the Bible says a child left alone to themselves will be will bring destruction to themselves and shame to their family.
And you know that’s true, and that’s in the Bible.
When we as god’s kids do something wrong, god doesn’t let us get away with it very long friends.
Now I’m I’m I’m gonna exaggerate now because this doesn’t really happen in the believer’s life.
No believer just goes, you know what? Man, I’ve been walking with Jesus now, I don’t know, 8 years.
I think I’m on a backslide. set my timer.
I’m gonna backslide for, like, 72 hours.
Did you know Christians can’t think that thought? It’s impossible. You can’t think it.
In fact, if the thought comes to your head, it’s a fiery dart. from Satan. He just
and he just goes. And the thought goes, hey, man. How about doing this?
And you go, what kind of a dumb thought is that? That is totally offensive to Christ.
And lord, I I ask you now, forgive me for even having that in my head.
I ask in Jesus name now to bring that thought under the captivity of Christ and to push it out
of there, lord, just get it away. I I don’t wanna hurt I don’t wanna offend you.
I don’t wanna hurt you, but there’s some people who call themselves Christians, and they don’t get any of that.
They get none of that sting. Why? Probably not a Christian.
the children of Israel suffered every time they disobeyed god.
How many first warned them? they he said, now here’s the rules. Go out there
and have an awesome life.
And then they’re playing and everything’s great. And then some nut in the group decides, hey. Let’s play over here.
And, you know, you you you hear people, the, what? God said not to do that.
And then they go over there and they do that, and start bowing down to Ish Tarr and Zeus, and they, oh, it’s kinda fun.
Come on. Bring some friends. I don’t know if we should do that.
and then god sends him a prophet. Stop it. The prophet says. Stop it.
Come back.
and some people come back. And then there’s others that don’t. When listen.
But when the believers go, and he rebukes them the first time. He rebukes them the second time.
He rebukes them the third time.
Then he says to them, listen, Uh, I’ll catch up to you guys later after you’ve learned your lesson.
I’m gonna pull back and I’m just gonna let what what is around you at all times that I hold back.
Because you won’t listen and you’re my kid, I’m just gonna step back a little bit.
Remember, listen to this. He pulls back and a world without grace comes upon you.
CS Lewis calls this severe mercy.
Parents, you know, you say you say to a to a child that should know better.
Hypothetically, you know, you’ve let’s say you’ve got a seventeen year old and you say to them, uh, don’t do this.
and they don’t listen to you. And then they don’t I told you, don’t do it.
Now there’s there’s 17 years old for crying out loud.
17 year olds were out saving the world 70, 80 years ago.
And then you tell them, listen, I told you not to do that.
And so these are the consequences.
Why would you do that to get them to stop? Because they don’t listen to words.
because you love them. You correct them.
Believe me, if you cuddle sin and evil, if you tell junior, uh, well, it’s okay.
You’re ruining his life. Yeah.
You’re destroying him.
Yes. Yeah.
And you’ll turn on you, by the way, like a viper. I mean, they’ll just turn on you.
and people do that with god.
Israel got a far away from god. God pulls back.
the world falls upon them,
and he says that he’s gonna renew their relationship together, but he’s gonna be the one that does it in his mercy.
It’s remarkable. But, listen, maybe all of us need to hear this verse back in Hebrews 7 verse 25.
Some say, by the way, I think it’s Jay Brenna McGee that says, this is the most important verse in the new testament.
That’s a pretty big statement. Maybe he’s maybe he’s right.
Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to god through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Did you know that Jesus right now is talking to the father about you?
If you’re a believer right now, Jesus is talking to the father about me right now.
about you right now. Isn’t that beautiful to think? Young people. Listen up.
Jesus, if you’re born again, Jesus is talking to his father, about your welfare and your care and your growth and your future right now.
I love that.
Number 3, look at verse 10. Know that there is only one road.
How can you know if you’re right? Know this, that there’s only one road?
For this is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel after those days, And again, that’s after the church has probably gone up in the rapture, after the Antichrist has had his antics displayed, ezekiel tells us they’re gonna start trusting the lord.
says the lord, I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.
I believe he’s describing the born again experience of the believer.
I will be their god and they shall be my people.
You know, it’s awesome about that statement, everybody? I’m almost done. You know,
it’s awesome about that statement.
I will be their god
and they shall be my people.
It’s spoken about the Jew and it’s also verbatim spoken about the gentile in the book of Isaiah.
Is that fun? There’s only one road.
Today I was doing a funeral out. Um, it’s I sorry. Let me take that back. It was a celebration.
a young man in the United States army, um, uh, just suddenly died from this church.
He was just anyway, military funeral and service and very impressive brilliant man and all.
But, um, those that were there that had gone through boot camp with him, and I I spoke with his chaplain.
And Faith was his bottom line. Faith, Jesus Christ was it for him. And
They knew it, but they were testifying about their love for him because
his witness was in such a way that he loved them and they knew it.
You see, they put up with his Christianity because they knew he loved them.
What a beautiful thing that is. Why?
Because I said in that gathering today, Jesus Christ said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the father, but through me, that’s pretty one way, friend, That’s pretty exclusive.
And this is exactly what god’s talking about through the author of the book of Hebrews is that there’s only one way in it’s Christ.
And then finally, we end here versus 1112. How can you be, uh, knowing for sure that you’re right?
It’s this. No. The god of the answer is.
So it says in verse 11, none
of them shall teach his neighbor. Well, they they won’t have to. None his brother.
He’s talking about the millennial age.
No one’s gonna say, no, the lord, for all shall know me. He’s speaking about Israel.
From the least of them to
the greatest, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more.
Does that sound good to you? Yes.
Yes. Are you guilty of it? Don’t say anything right now. Just Be quiet about it.
Are you guilty of something right now? God says give it to me. Understand that what you’ve done is wrong.
Tell me tell me, he’s saying, don’t tell your neighbors. Don’t tell your friends. Don’t don’t put it on Twitter.
Talk to god about it. Tell him, I did wrong.
I sinned against you almighty god. Sin.
It’s a real word. It’s a real thing.
I was shopping around looking at a book recently, a Christian book.
I read the first two pages, and it’s I did I concluded it was trash, and I don’t care if the author’s famous.
You know why? He couldn’t say it in two pages. He couldn’t say the word sin.
He said missteps missteps.
If you had an affair and you and you offended your husband or your wife, through these missteps, you can go about it re if you had this thought and this misstep misstep misstep.
What is this misstep stuff? misstep is when I get my foot stuck on this platform or something.
And misstep is where you thought the curb was 6 inches closer than what it was. That’s a misstep.
I’m sorry, honey, but I
it was just a misstep. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Here comes a misstep.
Right? I mean, what in the world?
Jesus did not die on the cross for missteps.
He he died in the cross for misfits and everything else, but he died in the cross for our sins.
and you need to trust him, friends.
You need to put your faith in him because if he can restore, oh, man. Listen. We end.
You can stand.
You can really stand. What’s this? You guys less less Sunday. It was the cutest thing ever. I I
I I just thank god that it had experience in this over the years. Uh, a young family came
up after service. And, uh, if
they’re here tonight, I don’t wanna embarrass them.
They were from a Middle Eastern country. I’ll just say that.
And they came here because they’ve been watching online, but they’re not Christians. They’re Muslims.
and they came, and they’ve come three times. And they said, we love it here. Yeah.
And I said, that’s great. Yeah. I said, that’s awesome.
And the young man said, would I have a problem?
What’s your problem? couple of verses today. You’ve mentioned about Israel and Israel.
I my family has suffered so much at the hands of Israel. And I
said, I’m and I’m sorry for that. You don’t know, but this I said, I do know.
So I told him a few things or 2, and he says, oh, you do know.
And I said, let me tell you something.
God says in the Old Testament, that he picked the Jewish people as his special people.
That’s what I mean. You’re not making it better. This is not why would he do this?
we did terrible things up.
And I said, let me finish.
He picked them to be his special people, because he said to them, don’t think I picked you because you’re cool, because you get all these Nobel Prizes for being smart.
Don’t think I picked you because you make great food, don’t think don’t think I’m I picked you because you make movies in Hollywood.
Don’t think right? Don’t think I picked you because of all of your talents.
He told him I picked you because you’re the most stubborn people on earth. And he
said, Okay. And I said, here’s the here here’s the deal.
And I said, you know, this is true. God says he loves the Jews.
I said, nowhere in the Quran does it say that Allah loves you? And you know it’s true.
But I can tell you this.
Yahweh, the god of the Jews, loves you, young man, loves me.
And the truth of the matter is God will save Israel as they turn to him in repentance.
I said, so from this moment forward, I want you to instead of getting upset, what you see in the news and what you hear from your family, I want you to remember this.
If he can save them, he can save me.
And I said, listen, you wanna talk more about this?
He goes, I’d love to talk more about this. And I said, only only this way.
Only this way. that we start from the beginning with Genesis and go all the way through.
My friends tonight, imagine If those that are bound in the Muslim world, they have a god that cannot say I love you.
They’ve never heard the words.
It’s not in the Quran.
They’re not comforted. by the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Do you understand we’re not better than they are?
In fact, if listen, If it comes to being better, many of
them are way better than us.
It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.
Jesus saves.
any man or woman, boy or girl who will turn to him, he’ll wash up your sins.
He’ll give you a new life.
What’s amazing to me is that he gives you a life the life that has been kind of under wraps the whole time?
Your your life is like in a box with your name on it.
It’s never been undone.
The lid’s never been taken off because that lid won’t come off unless you ask god to forgive you of your sins And when you come to Christ, he takes the lid off, and then he brings you out.
You see up until now, you’ve had the lid on
your life. And you’ve kept your life just the way that you think is good.
And yet, Jesus said, if you keep doing that, you’re gonna lose your life.
But if you give up your life, you’ll save your life.
And so tonight, friends, surrender, finally, just stop it. Just surrender. just give up.
He’ll forgive you, and I feel led to say this, and I promise I’m done.
God knows the details.
I do not, obviously, but the lord wants somebody tonight to hear that he can make you a virgin all over again with one decision that you make for him.
He’ll wash you clean and make you as white as the driven snow and start you all over again.
father, we praise you. We thank you. We love you. To you be the glory.
As we turn our hearts toward you now,
We say lord Jesus come,
come into my life, wash me clean, write my name in your book of life, in the lamb’s book of life, make me your own.
I take these words seriously, lord. I’m asking you to wash me.
I’ve tried, and I can’t get clean.
I now give up, and I fall into your arms.
And I wanna thank you for loving me so patiently.
in Jesus name and all god’s people said. Amen.
God bless you as we close in this song.
to our feet, if you would, as we are in the book of Hebrews tonight church.
We’re moving on in the book of Hebrews of verses 7 to 12 Hebrews chapter 8 verses 7 through 12 tonight, and we’ll be looking at a message titled, listen, it’s important.
How can you know if your rights How can you know if you’re right?
I’m not talking about being right about any other thing.
I’m talking about being right about the right thing.
And that is, how do you know? How do you know you’re going down the right track spiritually?
How do you know you got it right regarding your faith?
How do you know you’re on the right course when it comes to what you just did a moment ago, worship?
What about things like the giving of your energy, the giving of your time, and reading the bible, uh, your your financial support of ministries to get the word of god out, whatever it is.
How do you know you’re on the right track? How do you know for sure?
And by the way, the answer, you’re gonna hear tonight. You can know. God wants you to know.
And so tonight in Hebrews chapter 8, I’ll read in verse 7.
If you pick it up in the even numbered verses, we’ll read it together in our responsive reading.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they did not continue in my covenant and I disregarded them says the lord.
you know what?
Verse 10? I don’t I don’t I don’t know what to say about verse 10.
It’s it’s eternally true. It’s not gonna get more true. It’s true.
But for the for the Jews, they’re gonna wind up waking up someday to love verse 10.
none of them shall teach his neighbor and none his brothers say, no, the lord,
for all shall know me, from the least of them, to the greatest of
And all god’s people said — Yeah.
—
you may be seated at church. All I can say to that reading is actually wow to that.
Just flat out. Wow. To what is announced, to what is being said. Now look, we know this,
and we know it well. Having been in the book of Hebrews
on these Wednesday nights. We officially do not know the author of the book of Hebrews.
There’s a reason why only god knows why. It’s a book that leaves out the author.
The author doesn’t say who he is. That might be something that is strategic.
That might be something uh, that is, uh, is rooted in humility. We don’t we don’t know. We only speculate.
And, listen, spare yourself time You don’t have to read about scholars and researchers who say they know who wrote it.
The closest as we can come is to this conclusion.
Number 1, whoever wrote this new testament book was a person who was extremely, extremely well suited to speak on the matters of the Old Testament.
They are somebody who knew the ins and outs of the traditions of men that had crept in in the worship of Yahweh, the god of the Bible.
Okay? And whoever wrote it, knows what he’s talking about.
Now the structure of it, if if we wanna make a conjecture that is an educated guess, many people will say it’s very and the term is this.
It’s very Pauline in its structure. It sounds like Paul, But we can’t say it’s Paul.
It makes sense if it is, but it’s it’s beside the point.
Whoever is writing this, obviously, The Bible says he’s under the possession of the Holy Spirit as all of the scriptures are.
But this portion of scripture is such a high watermark that it causes you to sit up and take notice because it spans a time that addresses Israel in the past, and then imagine a pause button being touched pause.
And then the last 2000 years, where a gentile church has been created throughout the world, according to god’s plan, And then play button is gonna be pressed soon, and god is gonna pick up on his work with the Jewish people.
This time of dispensation and, yes, that’s a biblical word. It’s in the Bible.
Somebody will say, do you believe in dispensation? Of course, I do. I have to.
The Bible says that there’s dispensations. God was working with Israel.
Israel said, we don’t want you in our life.
god says, well, then I’m gonna put you on hold, and I’m gonna take this gospel to the ends of the earth with the gentiles.
But god will fulfill his promises to all what he has regarding the Jewish people.
And his old testament promises, he will fulfill them. He asked to.
He has made a covenant with himself But the key is this.
By the way, for Gental and you is do you believe?
Do you believe in the salvation that god has provided?
It’s extremely, extremely important that we get a good grasp on this portion of scripture.
And, um, as we read this, by the
way, I wanted to make something really clear.
So I’m even gonna read it so I don’t flub this up, even though I wrote it.
It’s in my head. It’s in my heart. It’s in my theology of understanding the scripture,
but I I just said to myself, wanna make something very, very clear.
Israel as a nation, the politics of Israel. Listen. god is not gonna save that.
God is not gonna save the politics of Israel as a politic.
God is gonna save the nation of Israel through the remnant who believe in him.
Yeah. Do you get that? Don’t confuse god’s salvation of the nation of Israel as though he’s gonna save them just because they’re Jews and, uh, they vote or they don’t or they want, or what doesn’t?
No. No. No. He’s not gonna save the nation uh, because they are the nation of Israel, he’s gonna save those within the nation who are Jews.
And because he saves those who believe, repent, and believe on him, they become the true Israel.
Do you understand that?
In other words, for us, you’re not gonna go to heaven if you’re an American. What?
You’ve got to be born again by the spirit of god, and you might happen to be an American that’s beside the point.
Same with Israel. But god has made promises to the nation with Israel that when he saves the remnant of Israel, they will move into the millennial kingdom when Christ comes in his second coming to rule and reign on earth.
And the Bible says that god will then build up. He will strengthen the nation of Israel.
It’d be the gym and the light that it was supposed to be.
In other words, she’s gonna have another chance.
In the meantime, you and I are to obey god, and we are the ones that have been grafted in, as the Bible says, into the commonwealth of Israel.
Isn’t that amazing? Now if you’re listen, if you’re
not a jew, you’re a gentile. You say, well, I’m fortunate gentile. I’m Italian at Gentile. Irish gentile.
Say whatever you want. Gentile. unless you’re a jew. There’s Jews and there’s gentiles, period.
God says, and I love to say this to my Jewish friends, and I I have Jewish friends.
I’d love to tell them your Jewish prophet Isaiah said, I, a gentile, I will be grafted into your salvation.
Your Hebrew prophet announced that the gentiles who god saves will praise his holy name forever.
That’s me. That’s you. And that’s an exciting thing.
So tonight, we’re gonna be looking at this this opening throw of this argument that is, uh, one that is beautiful.
I I just I here’s why it’s beautiful, uh, because you and I are gonna be right at end of this message at the end of service tonight because
we are going to be biblically accurate. How’s that? Well, that’s awful.
That’s awful conceded to say such a thing
that you’re gonna be right. Well, here’s what we’re gonna do. We are not gonna make up our rightness.
What we’re going to do is get ourselves in line with
the word of god. Yeah.
And, listen, you’ll always be correct if you are anchored to the Bible. Alright?
So mark this down. In fact, you’re you may be confused about what I’m about to read
to you, but mark it
down in the margins of the book of Hebrews chapter 8 here, markdown Jeremiah
31
versus 31 to 36. you’re gonna think I’m reading the book of Hebrews.
Behold, the days are coming, says the lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in that day, that I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.
Sound familiar? Wow. Almost verbatim. Yeah?
My covenant, which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the lord, but this is the covenant that I I will make with the house of Israel after those days.
That is a key statement. After those days means, listen, for us here, today, you can write it down in your note taking.
After those days means, after the church is gone, god is gonna focus on Israel He’s gonna fulfill his old testament promises with Israel.
And according to the book of Joel, it’s after those days, his pouring out of the Holy Spirit, that Joel said would happen to the believing house of Israel.
Remember, the believing house of Israel is gonna be a tornado of faith and truth during the tribulation period.
Remarkable. That’s much of what the tribulation has to do with, by the way, is to get Israel awake, to trust in him, but also to judge a Christ rejecting world.
So I I pick up verse 33.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says, the lord, I will put my law in their minds and write them in their hearts.
And I will be their god, and they shall be my people. Watch this. No more shall every man.
So this is after. Watch. I’m gonna focus on them.
I’m gonna put my law in their hearts that is another reference to being born again.
They’re gonna be born again. You say, Jackie, give me a Jew. has to be born again? Yes. They do.
What makes you think otherwise? Well, the last church I went to said that gentiles have to be born again, and Jews keep the law.
That’s false doctrine. That’s heresy.
But but go ahead and meet this up. I’m getting so excited. I just interrupted myself.
Who was the first person told that they had to be born again?
Nicapemas. Was he a gentile or a Jew? A Jew.
You’ve got to be a Jew born anew.
to enter the kingdom of heaven and the same is true for a gentile.
All of us get there the same way no matter where or no matter what.
So he says to us, picking it up where it says, know the lord that is during the millennium, the Jews will be telling the world about Christ Messiah, but they will know the lord.
And that’s why it says, know the lord for they all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Speaking about the Jewish people, says the lord, for I will forgive their inequity and their sin, I will remember no more.
No. That’s true about you also. But there’s a timing to this for the Jew.
For thus, says the lord who gives the sun for a light by day, listen to this, that ordinances of the moon and the stars for the light of the by night, who dis uh, disturbs the sea and its waves roar.
The lord of host is his name.
If those ordinances depart from before me, says the lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me for how long?
Yeah. Forever. Ladies and gentlemen mark that down.
take a picture and if if you need to, god is saying this.
If I don’t fulfill my promises to the Jews, Then it’s all over. Nothing.
Nothing’s true. Then then you have no salvation, Look, if god doesn’t keep his promises to the Jewish people, what in the world makes you think he’ll keep his promises to you?
That’s how critical this is. Are they his chosen people? Yes.
Have they had it rough? Yes. Why every time they’ve had
it rough, having it rough follows them disobeying him?
And, oh, by the way, disobeying him, you’re gonna have it rough.
And so we look at this together here right now.
Number 1, mark it down if you would. How can you know if you’re right versus 7 through 8?
It’s this. know how to ask the right questions. That’s all you
can know if the if you’re right, ask the right questions.
verse 7 says, for if that first covenant oh, you gotta circle that.
He’s talking about the old testament that 10 commandments the given of the law, the priesthood.
For if the first covenant had been faultless, that no place would have been sought for a second.
Think about this for a moment.
Verse 7, church is quite shocking because it’s announcing to us that the old testament covenant was just a vehicle to bring you to the place of knowing that you are a sinner.
You would take the blood of animals to cover over your sin, but you would never experience salvation.
and the way of your sin would be lifted from you, innocent blood was offered to cover your sin, but it could never take it away.
See, today, if you’re Jewish or maybe if you’re a legalist, you’re thinking by keeping the rules, you’re gonna go to heaven.
God says, no way. It’s not gonna happen.
And with all of the grandeur and glory of the law, and it was, and it is holy, and it is awesome.
Never, friend, never. Did god’s law ever announce that it will save you and give you entrance into heaven?
It’s never said it. It never has it, never will. So you wanna ask this question.
What’s with the Old Testament? The Old Testament was perfect and righteous and holy, and it is.
But it’s a grand indicator, a grand sign.
It’s a a pointing to the new testament.
Now we’re gonna go somewhere with this tonight that I hope gives you boldness and courage and confidence in your Bible.
verse 8 because finding fault with them, this is god speaking, says, behold the days are coming, says the lord, well, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
So first of all, this is all the new testament bookends from Jeremiah to the book of Hebrews.
Notice the audience is Jewish.
It’s very possible that both making the argument, Jeremiah, and whoever’s writing the book of Hebrews is Jewish because it’s the Holy Spirit given the message.
and he’s making an announcement. This would change your life if you get this.
That whatever was first, had to come to an end.
In a sense, it was weak, and we’ll show this.
But when verse 8 says finding fault with them, He says behold the days are coming.
That, just by statement out of Jeremiah and right here in Hebrews, is an amazing thing because watch everybody, Jeremiah is announcing something news coming.
Hebrews is saying, remember what Jeremiah said? Here it is.
You see, you wanna know if you’re right or not about what it is you believe in, Did god say it in the Bible?
Yes. Did god say, here it is. Here’s the fulfillment.
Did god announce a prophecy, so to speak, and Whatever it might be. You know what? Nation of Israel.
Did god say that Israel would come back into being in the last days? Yes. He did.
When did that happen? May
14 1948.
So how do you know the Bible is true? God says it, then god fulfills it.
Well, what about salvation? Same is true.
God says I’m going to send you salvation because the Old Testament cannot save you.
It just highlights the fact that you’re a sinner, and you need my mercy, my forgiveness, my atonement, thus blood.
But the first will be done away with the second. There’s something new coming.
Well, how do we know? Because it has happened.
That’s why we’re Christians tonight because the new testament records the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Yes.
You’ve you’ve heard me say this before.
I’d but I don’t hear it anywhere else, but I’m gonna say it again.
you must know your old testament to have confidence in the new testament.
If you just studied the new testament, you don’t know what it is that you believe in.
you can’t point out what was fulfilled.
When the Old Testament says this is coming, then you need to go and ask some questions.
Was what was said ever fulfilled? Ask the questions? This is an awesome challenge.
Maybe you’re Jewish tonight. You’ve gotta stop and think about it. I have a question for you.
with all of your lofty prophets that we love and honor ourselves as gentiles.
What they prophesied, my Jewish friends, how do you know?
Where’s your record book? Where is your where is your detective work as to all of those 100100 of prophecies?
300 just about, uh, more than 300 concerning just Jesus alone, where were they fulfilled? When were they fulfilled?
How do you know if they were fulfilled? You’ve been given the prophecies.
How are you gonna judge him to see if they were ever fulfilled? My friends, listen.
I plead with you seriously. Are you Jewish tonight? Are you watching?
Are you watching from somewhere in the world tonight?
Your prophets say this, that behold in Bethlehem, the Messiah is gonna be born.
If you don’t know Micah chapter 5 verse
2,
How are you gonna ask the question about who is Jesus?
Because in the new testament, the record is he was born in Bethlehem.
people think that’s a new testament idea. It’s a new testament recording of an old testament promise.
Make sense? Yes. Oh, my Jewish friends. Listen. If you just stop for a moment, can you do this?
Stop listening to the rabbis and pick up your old testament and read it. Listen. Listen.
read it from Genesis to Malachi. Just don’t read the first five books. Read all the way through.
Well, you say, Jack, why do you say that?
Cause a lot of rabbis do not let their people read the entire Old Testament. Did you know that?
I’ve had Jews tell me over and over again, I was never I didn’t even know Isaiah
535052, 53, 54
were in the Bible. I didn’t I’ve never I’ve never even heard of Psalm 22 before.
I’ve done this with Jewish people.
I’ve shared with them the scriptures that promised the Messiah, and they they’ve if if there’s somebody with them, they start yelling at each other in Hebrew.
I think they’re gonna kill each other. And then what’s going on?
And then they’re all upset because they say, no, no, no, you don’t understand.
we’re yelling at each other because I’m asking her, did your rabbi tell you this when you were growing up?
No. Did your rabbi tell you this when you were growing up? No. Mica, nope. Isaiah.
No. No. Psalm 22, crucified, hands, feet, holes, hands. No. Zachariah? No way. Why?
Ask the question.
And the question is so very powerfully answered.
God says, I am going to do something anew.
and yet it’s promised in scripture. Yeah. peek a little bit back.
Look at verse 18 of chapter 7. Hebrew 7 verse 18.
For on the one hand, there is an annulling. Boy, you need to circle that word annulling.
of the former commandment because of its weakness and its unprofitableness.
Ladies and gentlemen, verse 18 of chapter 7 is extremely strong.
It’s saying that the old testament will be annulled. Something’s gonna have that is going to annull it.
Why? Because of the commandment, it was weak and unprofitable. What? What do
you mean? It’s wholly it’s pure. Yes. It is. But the issue is salvation.
So for those of us tonight that are sinners, you may look just so right.
Look, look at me. I ironed my shirt tonight before.
Look how Look how ready I got to come see you.
You could look all great on the outside.
And on the inside, you can be so full of evil.
And nobody can tell on the outside.
You won’t believe the thought I just had in my mind.
I’ve been trying to watch my way.
So As soon as I said, thoughts of evil, I saw a gigantic plate of spaghetti with 4 meatballs about that big.
And I need to repent of that.
The loss is no.
But when we wake up to the law, we realize I’ve already done it. And that’s right.
The Bible shows us. We’ve already crossed the line when we wake up to the fact that we’re way into the realm of transgression.
And god says, you need to come to me. And how do we come to him?
We come to him based on the offering. That is of Jesus Christ. We’ve been studied about him.
But it says in verse 19, chapter 7, verse 19, for the law made nothing perfect.
On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to god.
Somebody say men. That better hope is Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel savior of the world, and he’s been promised to save all those who will come
to him and trust in him. Amen.
That’s how this one saves the thief on on
the cross. That’s how this one
goes into areas of Lebanon, like tire and siden. in his earthly ministry. And gentiles believe in him.
Why? Because he came to save any heart anyone who would turn to
him. Oh, that’s good news.
Yeah. But what a powerful statement?
Cause if you’re sitting here right now and you’re thinking, I’m okay. I’m,
You know, I’m just am I right?
Well, do you really not?
Because in verses 7 and 8, god says that not even Israel could be made faultless because the system that they were trusting in They trusted it the wrong way.
They asked the wrong questions, or they didn’t ask any questions at all because god had given the word.
The day that you transgress this law, you must take the blood of an innocent animal.
And that was to lead them
right into the new testament. Don’t ever think again if you think it now that the Old Testament’s Jewish and the new testament’s gentile, but a disgrace.
That’s wrong. The old and new testament is for any man or woman boy or girl who will turn to Christ in faith.
and trust in him. 2nd thing is this
is know what answers are available to you. So ask the questions.
But find out what answers are available.
Look at verse 9, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.
Well, what is the answer to that? How can we know for sure?
He says right here, not according to the covenant. This is a very, very powerful statement.
that I made. Notice god made a covenant with them that was not intended to last.
He had and given it an expiration date.
But he says of them, I led them out of the land of Egypt.
God brought Israel out of the land of Egypt. By the
way, did you know that you and I The moment, uh, you and I come to Christ in a
sense, uh, god leads us by the Holy Spirit out of our Egypt.
You know, um, there’s some great, um, there’s some great hymns about about crossing over Jordan, you know, go going into canan land, crossing over Jordan, and this is some cool songs.
but they’re they kinda lacked theological accuracy because, um, it in the context, it’s crossing over Jordan and
and going into canaan land as heaven crossing over, like going through the valley of the shadow of death, you know, and you finally make it to heaven, Well, let me tell you something.
Crossing over Jordan and being in Kananland, if that’s heaven, I’m not sure if I want it.
because the whole thing about Joshua bringing them over the Jordan River and getting into Canaanland was crossing over the the whole world of unbelief into the land of belief.
And, oh, by the way, in the land of belief, there is battles and wars and temptations and difficulty in trials?
It’s not heaven.
We’re not gonna be crossing over the Jordan in the can and land regarding heaven. And it’s like, oh
my goodness. We gotta put up
with this in heaven. No. what he was announcing was, I led them by the hand, and all of those who did not believe died in the wilderness.
Remember that? their
they didn’t make it in. Their kids did. The only two old guys that made it was Joshua and Caleb.
He brought all the grandkids over. Well, I I guess it was the kid.
It’s good to be grandkids too. Who knows? But all the whining and griping complainers Think about it.
Isn’t that great? Everybody whining, griping, and complaining. They didn’t get the crossover.
How does that make you? I I don’t know about you. That’s nice.
You ever been around people who grumbling and griping about everything? That’s the cake.
What kind of chocolate is this? Are we this is it?
We paid 10 bucks for this. You know, it’s like, okay.
Can you just, like, act like you’re having fun.
But they just wind and complained and griped, and you know that you know the drill.
You the
ping pong between Moses and God was hilarious, actually. I wanna kill them.
Moses get out of the way. I wanna kill them. they’re driving me nuts. And Moses is god.
Don’t do that. And then the next day they start out, and it’s all flipped around.
Moses says, god, get out of the way. I’m gonna kill him this time.
But when they crossed over, listen.
They They crossed over in faith over the Jordan River, and they went on in faith and god led them.
He led them.
They didn’t always follow, but he led them.
But the amazing thing is this, not according to the covenant, that I
made with their fathers in
that day when I took them out of the land of Egypt, uh, uh, led them by the hand out of
the land of Egypt because they did not continue in my covenant. And I disregarded them, says the lord.
He sent them into exile because they wouldn’t believe. That was their choosing.
We have grown a custom in our world to not, um,
to not understand discipline,
God disciplines his children. The Bible says, if you’re a wait. Watch my fingers.
The Bible says, if you’re a Christian, and you’re not disciplined by your father, then you’re not his real son or daughter.
You’re not a real child. I was gonna say the old King James word, but Uh, you know, it’s just it’s a it’s a word.
It’s a cuss word. We would it’s a but the old King James uses it.
If you’re an illegitimate, god doesn’t punish you for your wrong.
When I say punish, I I mean, discipline, not punish, not judgment.
There’s no judgment that falls upon us any anymore. That was done to the cross.
But when god spinks us for doing wrong, The Bible says he only does that to his kids because he loves them.
And any child that is not disciplined is an illegitimate child. If you know that word.
Is that strong words? Is that strong statement? It’s a very strong statement.
If you think you’re a Christian and you’re just doing your life and you’re doing your thing and and and you have no conviction God is, you just live, so to speak, scot free.
You’re sleeping around. You’re drugging it up or you’re whatever.
And and and but there you are in church on Sunday. And you think you’re okay. Yeah.
Just covering on the basis. You know? Yeah. You’re deceiving yourself, man. Yeah.
The Bible says you’re tricking yourself.
Yeah. You’re gonna want better watch out because you wake up dead that way. and not in a good place.
He changes those who are his.
Now I I grew up in an era.
And by looking around, some of you grew up
in my era, Not all of you.
There’s some young people here. But what I’m gonna say is gonna sound illegal. Maybe I it probably is illegal.
But when I grew up, if you did something wrong, uh, you were told what it was you did and you were spanked.
and you I and
I’ll never I mean, it it was just one of those things where the vice principal would say this is what you did wrong.
Okay. Yeah. You’re right. Did did you not do this, Jack? Yes. I did.
I’m talking man, Orange County School District. Okay.
I want you to bend down and grab your toes. No. I’m serious.
Once you’ve been down and grabbed your toes.
And he gave you three reasons why you would never do that again.
Bring it back.
Oh, I’m I’m just I’m so grateful because
I grew up in an era when after that,
I would have to go home. And you know what?
I the the vice principal.
See, the principal the principal just walked around and smiled and rebu he or she, the principal, they were like the They’re like the front man smiling.
Welcome to school. Why don’t you come in?
It’s the vice principal that’s gotta do all the dirty work. Gotta take care of the riffraff.
And so That vice principal never failed to call my parents.
And and but when I got home, my dad would say, got a phone call today.
That was it. Right? Listen.
People today do not realize young people today do not realize how much good that does when it’s done right when you were told, didn’t didn’t they tell you not to do this?
They told you not to run around on the football field where they just put down the brand new seed and turned on the sprinklers for the brand new football season But you and your 3 friends thought it’d be great to turn it into a gigantic slip and slide and cause $3000 worth of damage.
What do you say to
I mean, you it’s over you just
but you learn from that.
And you know what? You learn you learn to respect authority. This is amazing.
Did you know that we are supposed to respect authority even if we don’t like the person?
Did you know that? Yeah.
You’re supposed to respect authority even if you don’t like the person because you’re taught to respect the office or the respect of something.
When we live in a culture that is not disciplined, then it does whatever it wants, and it gets into perpetual trouble.
And then it crashes its life, and then it wonders why everything’s messed up.
And the Bible says a child left alone to themselves will be will bring destruction to themselves and shame to their family.
And you know that’s true, and that’s in the Bible.
When we as god’s kids do something wrong, god doesn’t let us get away with it very long friends.
Now I’m I’m I’m gonna exaggerate now because this doesn’t really happen in the believer’s life.
No believer just goes, you know what? Man, I’ve been walking with Jesus now, I don’t know, 8 years.
I think I’m on a backslide. set my timer.
I’m gonna backslide for, like, 72 hours.
Did you know Christians can’t think that thought? It’s impossible. You can’t think it.
In fact, if the thought comes to your head, it’s a fiery dart. from Satan. He just
and he just goes. And the thought goes, hey, man. How about doing this?
And you go, what kind of a dumb thought is that? That is totally offensive to Christ.
And lord, I I ask you now, forgive me for even having that in my head.
I ask in Jesus name now to bring that thought under the captivity of Christ and to push it out
of there, lord, just get it away. I I don’t wanna hurt I don’t wanna offend you.
I don’t wanna hurt you, but there’s some people who call themselves Christians, and they don’t get any of that.
They get none of that sting. Why? Probably not a Christian.
the children of Israel suffered every time they disobeyed god.
How many first warned them? they he said, now here’s the rules. Go out there
and have an awesome life.
And then they’re playing and everything’s great. And then some nut in the group decides, hey. Let’s play over here.
And, you know, you you you hear people, the, what? God said not to do that.
And then they go over there and they do that, and start bowing down to Ish Tarr and Zeus, and they, oh, it’s kinda fun.
Come on. Bring some friends. I don’t know if we should do that.
and then god sends him a prophet. Stop it. The prophet says. Stop it.
Come back.
and some people come back. And then there’s others that don’t. When listen.
But when the believers go, and he rebukes them the first time. He rebukes them the second time.
He rebukes them the third time.
Then he says to them, listen, Uh, I’ll catch up to you guys later after you’ve learned your lesson.
I’m gonna pull back and I’m just gonna let what what is around you at all times that I hold back.
Because you won’t listen and you’re my kid, I’m just gonna step back a little bit.
Remember, listen to this. He pulls back and a world without grace comes upon you.
CS Lewis calls this severe mercy.
Parents, you know, you say you say to a to a child that should know better.
Hypothetically, you know, you’ve let’s say you’ve got a seventeen year old and you say to them, uh, don’t do this.
and they don’t listen to you. And then they don’t I told you, don’t do it.
Now there’s there’s 17 years old for crying out loud.
17 year olds were out saving the world 70, 80 years ago.
And then you tell them, listen, I told you not to do that.
And so these are the consequences.
Why would you do that to get them to stop? Because they don’t listen to words.
because you love them. You correct them.
Believe me, if you cuddle sin and evil, if you tell junior, uh, well, it’s okay.
You’re ruining his life. Yeah.
You’re destroying him.
Yes. Yeah.
And you’ll turn on you, by the way, like a viper. I mean, they’ll just turn on you.
and people do that with god.
Israel got a far away from god. God pulls back.
the world falls upon them,
and he says that he’s gonna renew their relationship together, but he’s gonna be the one that does it in his mercy.
It’s remarkable. But, listen, maybe all of us need to hear this verse back in Hebrews 7 verse 25.
Some say, by the way, I think it’s Jay Brenna McGee that says, this is the most important verse in the new testament.
That’s a pretty big statement. Maybe he’s maybe he’s right.
Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to god through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Did you know that Jesus right now is talking to the father about you?
If you’re a believer right now, Jesus is talking to the father about me right now.
about you right now. Isn’t that beautiful to think? Young people. Listen up.
Jesus, if you’re born again, Jesus is talking to his father, about your welfare and your care and your growth and your future right now.
I love that.
Number 3, look at verse 10. Know that there is only one road.
How can you know if you’re right? Know this, that there’s only one road?
For this is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel after those days, And again, that’s after the church has probably gone up in the rapture, after the Antichrist has had his antics displayed, ezekiel tells us they’re gonna start trusting the lord.
says the lord, I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.
I believe he’s describing the born again experience of the believer.
I will be their god and they shall be my people.
You know, it’s awesome about that statement, everybody? I’m almost done. You know,
it’s awesome about that statement.
I will be their god
and they shall be my people.
It’s spoken about the Jew and it’s also verbatim spoken about the gentile in the book of Isaiah.
Is that fun? There’s only one road.
Today I was doing a funeral out. Um, it’s I sorry. Let me take that back. It was a celebration.
a young man in the United States army, um, uh, just suddenly died from this church.
He was just anyway, military funeral and service and very impressive brilliant man and all.
But, um, those that were there that had gone through boot camp with him, and I I spoke with his chaplain.
And Faith was his bottom line. Faith, Jesus Christ was it for him. And
They knew it, but they were testifying about their love for him because
his witness was in such a way that he loved them and they knew it.
You see, they put up with his Christianity because they knew he loved them.
What a beautiful thing that is. Why?
Because I said in that gathering today, Jesus Christ said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the father, but through me, that’s pretty one way, friend, That’s pretty exclusive.
And this is exactly what god’s talking about through the author of the book of Hebrews is that there’s only one way in it’s Christ.
And then finally, we end here versus 1112. How can you be, uh, knowing for sure that you’re right?
It’s this. No. The god of the answer is.
So it says in verse 11, none
of them shall teach his neighbor. Well, they they won’t have to. None his brother.
He’s talking about the millennial age.
No one’s gonna say, no, the lord, for all shall know me. He’s speaking about Israel.
From the least of them to
the greatest, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more.
Does that sound good to you? Yes.
Yes. Are you guilty of it? Don’t say anything right now. Just Be quiet about it.
Are you guilty of something right now? God says give it to me. Understand that what you’ve done is wrong.
Tell me tell me, he’s saying, don’t tell your neighbors. Don’t tell your friends. Don’t don’t put it on Twitter.
Talk to god about it. Tell him, I did wrong.
I sinned against you almighty god. Sin.
It’s a real word. It’s a real thing.
I was shopping around looking at a book recently, a Christian book.
I read the first two pages, and it’s I did I concluded it was trash, and I don’t care if the author’s famous.
You know why? He couldn’t say it in two pages. He couldn’t say the word sin.
He said missteps missteps.
If you had an affair and you and you offended your husband or your wife, through these missteps, you can go about it re if you had this thought and this misstep misstep misstep.
What is this misstep stuff? misstep is when I get my foot stuck on this platform or something.
And misstep is where you thought the curb was 6 inches closer than what it was. That’s a misstep.
I’m sorry, honey, but I
it was just a misstep. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Here comes a misstep.
Right? I mean, what in the world?
Jesus did not die on the cross for missteps.
He he died in the cross for misfits and everything else, but he died in the cross for our sins.
and you need to trust him, friends.
You need to put your faith in him because if he can restore, oh, man. Listen. We end.
You can stand.
You can really stand. What’s this? You guys less less Sunday. It was the cutest thing ever. I I
I I just thank god that it had experience in this over the years. Uh, a young family came
up after service. And, uh, if
they’re here tonight, I don’t wanna embarrass them.
They were from a Middle Eastern country. I’ll just say that.
And they came here because they’ve been watching online, but they’re not Christians. They’re Muslims.
and they came, and they’ve come three times. And they said, we love it here. Yeah.
And I said, that’s great. Yeah. I said, that’s awesome.
And the young man said, would I have a problem?
What’s your problem? couple of verses today. You’ve mentioned about Israel and Israel.
I my family has suffered so much at the hands of Israel. And I
said, I’m and I’m sorry for that. You don’t know, but this I said, I do know.
So I told him a few things or 2, and he says, oh, you do know.
And I said, let me tell you something.
God says in the Old Testament, that he picked the Jewish people as his special people.
That’s what I mean. You’re not making it better. This is not why would he do this?
we did terrible things up.
And I said, let me finish.
He picked them to be his special people, because he said to them, don’t think I picked you because you’re cool, because you get all these Nobel Prizes for being smart.
Don’t think I picked you because you make great food, don’t think don’t think I’m I picked you because you make movies in Hollywood.
Don’t think right? Don’t think I picked you because of all of your talents.
He told him I picked you because you’re the most stubborn people on earth. And he
said, Okay. And I said, here’s the here here’s the deal.
And I said, you know, this is true. God says he loves the Jews.
I said, nowhere in the Quran does it say that Allah loves you? And you know it’s true.
But I can tell you this.
Yahweh, the god of the Jews, loves you, young man, loves me.
And the truth of the matter is God will save Israel as they turn to him in repentance.
I said, so from this moment forward, I want you to instead of getting upset, what you see in the news and what you hear from your family, I want you to remember this.
If he can save them, he can save me.
And I said, listen, you wanna talk more about this?
He goes, I’d love to talk more about this. And I said, only only this way.
Only this way. that we start from the beginning with Genesis and go all the way through.
My friends tonight, imagine If those that are bound in the Muslim world, they have a god that cannot say I love you.
They’ve never heard the words.
It’s not in the Quran.
They’re not comforted. by the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Do you understand we’re not better than they are?
In fact, if listen, If it comes to being better, many of
them are way better than us.
It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.
Jesus saves.
any man or woman, boy or girl who will turn to him, he’ll wash up your sins.
He’ll give you a new life.
What’s amazing to me is that he gives you a life the life that has been kind of under wraps the whole time?
Your your life is like in a box with your name on it.
It’s never been undone.
The lid’s never been taken off because that lid won’t come off unless you ask god to forgive you of your sins And when you come to Christ, he takes the lid off, and then he brings you out.
You see up until now, you’ve had the lid on
your life. And you’ve kept your life just the way that you think is good.
And yet, Jesus said, if you keep doing that, you’re gonna lose your life.
But if you give up your life, you’ll save your life.
And so tonight, friends, surrender, finally, just stop it. Just surrender. just give up.
He’ll forgive you, and I feel led to say this, and I promise I’m done.
God knows the details.
I do not, obviously, but the lord wants somebody tonight to hear that he can make you a virgin all over again with one decision that you make for him.
He’ll wash you clean and make you as white as the driven snow and start you all over again.
father, we praise you. We thank you. We love you. To you be the glory.
As we turn our hearts toward you now,
We say lord Jesus come,
come into my life, wash me clean, write my name in your book of life, in the lamb’s book of life, make me your own.
I take these words seriously, lord. I’m asking you to wash me.
I’ve tried, and I can’t get clean.
I now give up, and I fall into your arms.
And I wanna thank you for loving me so patiently.
in Jesus name and all god’s people said. Amen.
God bless you as we close in this song.
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