“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” – Ephesians 5:8

Hebrews chapter 9 church, we are in this area. Hebrews 9 verses 1 through 10.
Um, I’ll I’ll read verse 1.
If you pick it up nice and loud in verse 2, We’ve been here for a long time.
Uh, and that’s okay because this is deep theology stuff that is setting people free.
I I received one of the most precious compliments that you could ever get a couple of weeks ago.
Uh, this woman came up to me, and she said, at the store.
She said, I don’t I don’t go officially to the to the church that you teach at.
I don’t go officially. And she stressed that. Like, she was she had to say that.
And I said, oh, that’s great. But what does that mean? She goes, I come on Wednesdays.
She says, the church I go to, they don’t have services on Wednesdays.
And so I go on Wednesdays, and I love it. And I said, well, that’s great.
I go, can I can I ask you, why do you love it?
And she said, the Bible, I’m learning the Bible.
And she said, I go I go to the church that I grew up in, was baptized as an infant.
I didn’t know anything about the priesthood.
I didn’t know the truth of the priesthood as revealed in the book of Hebrews.
And she says, I’ve been set free.
She goes, uh, but I I just want you to know, I don’t, I don’t officially go.
Because you you could tell that she felt like she’s gonna get in trouble.
With who I don’t know, but this is deep theology Hebrews, which is why, by the way, we picked this book during COVID.
He said, yes. It’s been that long. 3 years.
I think we I think we’ve been in this book almost 3 years, but I might remind you.
In 3 years, we’ve got to 9 chapters. So I’ll try to slow down.
Then indeed, even the 1st covenant, think of the Old Testament, had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.
Terry Tabernacle was prepared. The first part in which was the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread, which is called the sanctuary.
And behind the second veil, the part of the Tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all Yeah.
Which is the only sensor in the arc of a covering.
And the tablets of the cabinet.
Wow.
And above it, were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat of these things we cannot speak in detail.
Yeah.
These things have been best prepared.
The priest always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services.
But into the second part, the hype priest went in only once a year not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance.
The Holy Spirit indicating this that the holy is not yet made manifest first tabernacle was still standing.
Listen up, everybody. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who perform the service perfect in regard to the conscience?
Concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances. Imposed until the time of the reformation.
And all god’s people said, hey, man. You may be seated.
We are in part 4 of this message series title, how can you know for sure, or how can you know that your rights regarding your faith?
Regarding your faith, your faith must not your faith cannot be.
Something that you take what, recreationally, somebody might say, well, I believe in god, and I go to church on, uh, Christmas, Easter, But that’s about it.
Well, that’s like a recreational faith. Okay. You guys know here we call that we call those people.
Cruisers. Um, they’re Christmas and Easter people. Uh, but they don’t know what they claim to believe in. Yes.
And when you’re a Christian, they go, absolutely. Well, can you define what a Christian is? Absolutely not.
They can’t do it. Who’s Jesus? And they’ll give you some hallmark definition.
And, uh, this is the most critical thing of all regarding faith is that you know what it is you believe in, why it’s worthy of your belief, Right?
Why is it worthy of your belief? You should you should know that.
And so the Bible is very clear that the god of scripture, the god of all creation, the one true god, is a noble god.
And all of these things we read a moment ago are things that are covering the old testament economy revealed in the new testament book of Hebrews, but, um, it’s an amazing, amazing offering of information to us, uh, because it applies to us, listen, both now and forever.
The truths that you read there a moment ago are forever truths.
You are gonna experience the ramifications of those verses you read for all time and eternity.
And it’s quite amazing. Church jot it down.
If you have forgotten, how can you know if you’re right, we saw this.
It all started in verse a or chapter 8, I should say.
And it’s to know this, to know how to ask the right questions.
How do you know if what you believe in is right? Well, you gotta ask the right questions.
And those portions of scripture, chapter 8 verses 78, uh, taught us that we need to ask the right questions about what it is that we believe.
Secondly, know what answers are available to you. And I love that one. You guys know that.
We spent some time on it.
Chapter 8 verse 9, that the god of the Bible, this is where I used are presented or introduced to you the word that I believe is that god, uh, god has rigged life this way.
That whatever happens in life the Bible has the answer for it.
The eternal god, the sovereign god, has the answer for whatever your life’s issue is.
And, uh, so how do I know that for sure?
Well, you gotta dive into the Bible and find out. And I love that, by the way. My goodness.
We were just Lisa and I read in the scriptures this morning for the daily Bible reading, and it literally just confirms some things that we were watching on the news the night before.
Answers. And then we saw, number 3, know that there’s only one road.
There’s only one road to the presence of god.
And, of course, that is the lord Jesus Christ chapter 8 verse 10.
And what he did for us to make that so very, very true.
Somebody has said, all roads lead to god. That is true. All roads do lead to god.
Uh, that’s because all of humanity must be judged, uh, before they’re carted off either to hell or to heaven.
So remember that, well, we just believe that all roads lead to hell. Well, technically, you’re correct.
But there’s only one path that leads to heaven. Everybody must appear before god.
Since Adam and Eve. And, uh, doesn’t matter if you believe in god or not, you will stand before him and give an account.
And, uh, you wanna have Jesus as your advocate. The book of Romans teaches us on Sundays.
That Christ is our advocate, which means he’s our attorney. He mitigates our situation before the father.
That’s good news. Amen. If I’m standing before the father and I don’t have the answer to what he’s in me, Jesus is gonna step in and say, it’s okay, dad.
He’s with me. And you need that.
You need that in life and you need that in eternal life. That’s a good thing.
And also this, know the god of the answers.
Everybody’s got questions, but our god is the god that has all the answers.
He literally does. And, um, we often don’t think so because we don’t wait long enough in our culture, our fast paced system, to wait to to hear from him.
Uh, the great thing about getting older, I’ve said this before, is that you older as a Christian is that you learn to wait on him.
It’s it’s it’s easier to wait on him.
I know that’s a hard thing to say, especially you and Peterson, you can’t I’ve been praying for 3 days.
God’s not answered me yet. And then us oldies can say, listen.
Come back to me after you’ve prayed for 3 years or 30 years.
And, uh, all I can tell you is that god’s timing is perfect and how he does things.
He’s got the answers. And then number 5 is where we left off.
And that is, uh, we can know that we’re right because a map was given to us to know the way.
And that’s chapter 8 and chapter 9 will prepare us for 10, 11, and 12. It’s absolutely incredible.
And I just wanna say this officially right now tonight.
I did struggle, uh, with get bringing this message to you guys this evening, not because of any difficulty regarding the message, but regarding the timing, because I was really If you were here on Sunday, god bless you.
You probably, uh, god’s gonna give you combat pay for enduring an hour 30 minute message, I think it was.
But I tried to put everything into one serving and almost killed you.
Uh, I should have broken it up in a couple of weeks, so I thought about, well, let’s do let’s let’s pick you know, there’s so much to talk about the student wins tonight, and then I felt the Lord say to my heart.
No. No. No. No. You can address the issue of war in Israel.
You can address that issue but the people in Israel need to hear what Hebrews 9 has to say right now because this is eternal life.
And that’s what that’s what every Jew, every Muslim, uh, every Hindu, and I was schooled yesterday at a store, Pasterjack.
Um, I used to be a sikh, and I got saved.
And I’m born again, I go to your church.
You need to mention the sikhs the sikhs need to they need Jesus.
And so if you’re a sikh, you need Jesus. And I told her.
I said, thank you for telling me that.
I don’t think I’ve ever had the ciques on the list of people that I usually abuse.
And so I’m gonna add it now. Officially. But look, for that matter, you may be a very religious person.
And, um, you need Jesus Christ. You don’t need to be a religious person.
You need to have a relationship with almighty god, and he’ll do all that work.
But do please keep this in mind especially for those of you who may be viewing from Israel or Jordan or Syria, and that is this.
Moses, who doesn’t know about Moses? Everybody knows about Moses.
All their religions know about Abraham, and they know about Moses.
And Moses wrote in deuteronomy 31 verse 6, be strong of good courage.
Do not fear nor be afraid of them.
For the lord your god, he is the one who goes with you. Listen.
He will not leave you nor forsake you. Now you you write that down right now.
Again, if you’re here right now or if you’re in the war zone right now, deuteronomy 316.
Why is that important? Because even if our lives were to be taken tonight, his word is true.
I won’t leave you. You see, what are you talking about?
If I get killed and I, what good is that? Friend, you need to read the fine print.
When he says I won’t leave you, It means he won’t leave you.
And if you die tonight, it’s because he takes you by the hand and he walks you home.
It it only gets better. But for so many people that are in the crosshairs of war tonight, they need to give up on their human works based religion and come to know god personally.
Yeah. And he said, I’ll never leave you. That’s a pretty personal thing to say, don’t you think?
It’s what all of us wanna hear from somebody that we love in life, that they’ll never leave us.
Well, god is the only one who can keep that promise. And it echoes throughout the ages.
Joshua chapter 1 verse 5. No man.
God says to Joshua, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
As I was with you or with Moses, I should say, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
I will not leave you nor forsake you. Skipping ahead, Hebrews 13 verse 5.
Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. But we need that today. Uh?
For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. First John, 520.
This is all the introductions necessary.
1st John, 520, and we know that the son of god has come and has given us understanding that we may know him who is true.
Listen. And we are in him who is true in Jesus Christ or his son Jesus Christ, this is the true god and eternal life.
Man, that is a huge statement.
That statement there says that Jesus Christ and god are one that is eternal life, and this is salvation.
And, oh, by the way, you’re to know that. Yeah. That is a that’s wonderful.
And then here’s one more. This is Amazing. 1st John 513. You’ve heard this often.
These things have I written to you who believe in the name or the word would be authority of the son of god that you may know that you have eternal life.
Friends, listen, god wants you to know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of god.
Wow. The Bible can never be rightly understood, friends, unless you apply the Bible to the Bible when reading the Bible.
And you’re gonna find out from Genesis to Revelation that god has provided us his only glorified son as our Messiah our redeemer, our propitiation, or our atonement.
And, um, I wrote this down today. This is something that popped into my head.
If it works, Fine if not forget about it.
But, um, the confirmation of truth is not for truth’s sake. It is for our sake.
Think that through for a second. The confirmation of truth. See, what is truth?
Well, the Bible says it’s true. God says he’s true.
So the confirmation of truth, when truth is established in your life, over and over again, you you come to the realization that’s a fact.
This is truth. What I love about that is it’s not for truth’s sake that truth establishes itself.
It’s for our sake. Because truth you can’t threaten truth. Truth’s like this. It doesn’t worry?
All the craziness going on in our world. Ai.
And then a friend of mine said, there’s ai and there’s ai.
I said, what what is I I? He goes, individual ignorance.
There’s artificial intelligence, and then there’s individual ignorance. You gotta watch out for that.
Truth. Truth is never in a hurry. Never worries. Just stands there.
And the good thing, listen, Mark Twain said, a lie goes around the world twice before the truth gets its shoes on.
But that’s okay. A lie always is exposed over time.
The lies that are permeating your life right now you’ll find them out over time. Very, very important.
Then finally, before we dive into where we picked up, Jose chapter 12 verse 10, Jose 1210.
It applies right to Hebrews 9.
I have also spoken by the prophets and have multiplied visions and given symbols through the witness of the prophets.
You need to remember that now. So church, we pick it up How can you know if you’re right?
And that is because a map has been given to us. That’s where we left off.
And it says there that indeed, even the first write it in your margins. That’s the old testament.
Had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary verse 2 opens up by saying for a tabernacle was prepared.
So the 1st covenant and its ordinances, listen, were types and symbols.
We can say that with authority from the Bible.
See, Jack, what are you telling me that my old testament when it talks about these things in the in the tabernacle?
Or at Solomon’s Temple in the old testament, those things that were being done were types and symbols?
Yes. Do you really believe that the blood of an animal can wash away human an animal is given to cover your sin.
Never did god say the animal blood in the Old Testament would take away your sin.
He said the animal innocent animal blood would cover your sin.
That taken away of sin wouldn’t come until the messiah came. Until the lamb of god who covers sin?
No. The lamb of god who sin. Takes away sin. Big difference.
So the Old Testament’s saints, you might wanna jot this down. How were they saved? How was Noah saved?
Who how were the how was Abraham saved? They looked ahead to what god would do.
They lived out as it were the promises looking ahead. Right?
In fact, even Abraham went through the act of prophecy, not knowing at the time that when he took Isaac to Mount Mariah that he was actually living out the father offering up his son on the very same hill that we called Golga.
Abraham looked ahead to what god was gonna do.
You and I do not look look ahead to what God is going to do regarding our sin, you and I look back to what god did 2000 years ago.
2000 years ago at the cross.
Abraham look this way, you and I look this way, and humanity meets at the cross.
That’s the epicenter of forgiveness and new life and eternal life. It’s remarkable.
And we learn this about a covenant, and we wanna put that definition up there again.
It means first agreement or first step, the covenant. He calls it the 1st covenant. This is important.
If you have a 1st covenant, listen, this is this is this is 3rd grade logic course right here.
If you have the 1st covenant, then you have to have the last covenant.
That’s why god says it’s the first one because there’s a last one coming.
Okay? So it’s the first one. So first step in importance.
First things first, we would say. This is where we begin.
Somebody would say, first with the law, then with the fulfillment of the law, the gospel of grace, which was then unveiled or revealed or made known through the biblical revelation, the covenant.
And again, for all of us tonight, you heard this on Sunday, But for those of you who are in other parts of the world, you need to hear this right now, especially our Jewish friends, Jeremiah, 31 3.
If you were here on Sunday, forgive me in advance, but it’s truth and it’s beautiful. Behold.
God says, look, the word behold is look. Open up your eyes. The days are coming.
This is in Jeremiah’s Day, long after Moses.
The days are coming, says the lord will I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
I wanna point out for clarity’s sake, this is about a twenty eight hundred year old prophecy.
Okay. And it says Israel in the Bible.
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, Charleston, remember all that?
By the way, some young people may not even know what I’m talking about.
It just dawns on me. I don’t care how young you are.
You need to watch the 10 commandments by Cecil B de Mills. Yeah. Everybody use it.
We should show it some night here at church. But isn’t it like 3 hours long?
We’d have to have popcorn. Is that okay with you guys?
One of the greatest movies of all time. Remarkable.
Can you imagine that came out of Hollywood? You’d have to imagine. Uh, just you’d have to imagine.
My covenant, which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the lord, but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the lord.
Now you gotta ask yourself, how could this ever happen? He says, I will put my law in their minds.
This is an amazing thing. God had once decreed, I’m gonna put my law on stone.
And that was god’s will, because that was the first revelation of god’s plan of redemption to give the law.
Remember, the law can’t save you. Hear me out. Are you guys listening carefully? Yes.
When god gives the first plot or the first plan, it’s to bring man to the awareness that he can’t save himself.
That’s what the 10 commandments are all about.
To show you the value And it’s the the laws to render you and I undone.
That’s why god said to Moses in the day, that you guys break this, get innocent blood from an animal.
Okay? So what does he do in the second revelation?
He’s prophesying here saying, I will put my law in their minds.
He’s gonna write it inside of the believer and write it on their hearts.
This is key. You see, listen, if god writes his word and his will on your heart, there’s no room for religion.
There’s no room for laws and regulations. They just fall off like scales. Why?
Because you see the the ridiculous meaninglessness to it. It’s like, what what what is this?
I And how do you explain this, but you cannot?
Is that our god saves us and we are completely undone.
We have no righteousness of our own, but because of his great salvation, We are completely secured in the family of god because of the righteousness of Christ that he imparts to us.
How does he do that? Rights it on our hearts?
That’s why those of you who might be saying, you guys are nuts.
I can’t believe it that you believe this stuff. Look, we understand you. We used to be just like you.
But there’s no way for you to understand us unless you open the door to him and let him in.
So I don’t know about that. Oh, just be quiet. Let him in.
Stop fighting with yourself.
And I will be their god, and they shall be my people.
You know, that last statement is given both to the Jews and gentiles. It’s absolutely awesome.
Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 26. I will give listen, I. God is speaking.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.
We would say in John’s gospel, this is the born again experience.
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
So listen, notice that. Take the stone out, and I’ll give you a pliable soft, supple heart that is tender to the things of god.
When god speaks to the believer without emotionalism, though that’s not wrong, it cannot be our guide.
God will speak to our hearts.
And that’s the word and the will of god when he reveals himself to you.
He does it very personally, and he wants that in your life so you can have the strong conviction of what he has given you.
That’s how you know that you have eternal life. Friends, don’t guess.
If you say tonight, well, you know what? I’m I I I’m pretty sure I’m okay. Wrong answer.
If you say, well, I think in in the judgment day, my good will outweigh my bad.
You’re listen. Bad bad answer. That’s god is gonna reject that answer. The door opens up down.
You go. It doesn’t work. Um. You’re gone. Okay. Don’t do that.
When he writes his word on your heart, the relationship is happening.
Yeah. You know, we used to carve initials into trees and on wood You know, we have a Sycamore tree in our backyard, a couple of them, but one of them, and there was a the jhpluslh.
Do the heart card around there. Right? Anybody do that?
Anybody do that in the old days? Do people still do that? You guys the we the that’s good.
The Bible tells us that god writes his will on our hearts and in our minds, but I love the fact that he has put his holy spirit inside of you and I as can I put it this way as an identifier?
It’s not that he can’t find us. It’s for us to know that he has found us.
We are put on layaway. You can use that term.
He has given us the deposit of the Holy Spirit sealing us.
The Bible says, sealed ephesians says until the day of redemption.
When he comes back, hope it’s tonight, those that are sealed with the Holy Spirit, that is you’ve experienced what’s on this?
Screen here with the book of Ezekiel that god will come and take what he put on layaway.
And 90% of you don’t even know what layaway is. He reserved you.
He marked you. Put his word in you. He’s as it were wrote on you?
Notice when little kids have a little doll or a toy, they write on it. Sally.
That’s Sally’s doll. God does that to you in the spirit.
He says that, by the way, to one of the churches in the book of Revelation.
I’ve written my name on you. I’ve marked you. I love that.
Don’t you wanna be marked by god? He can spot you in a crowd, you know?
Isn’t that beautiful to be re to be recognized in a crowd? And all of humanity.
God looks down from heaven. I know he sees me. He sees you.
See, well, that’s a very that’s very conceded. Oh, no. It’s not.
If you only knew, we’re confident in what he does and what he has said. We’re nothing.
He’s everything. What he says, what gets us so excited is that what he says he keeps, he does, he performs.
He’s remarkable. And so he’s very, very good about that. Types and Cymbals. There’s the showbread.
There’s the menorah. There’s the tabernacle. There’s the priesthood entering into the holy of holies.
In fact, church in your mind’s eye was gonna do this today, rent out of time, maybe we’ll do it some other time.
But for those of you who walked into the sanctuary through the main entrance, imagine this for a moment.
Imagine out on the front where the glass is at, there’s a veil.
There’s an actual gigantic curtain And you walk through that curtain and you walk into the foyer and in the foyer, you kinda got a little bit of it happening.
You’ve got a menorah there, 7 lampstands.
And to the right side, you would have the table of show bread.
Where the priest had the unleavened bread in loaves that were there, and they were changed out every week.
And the priest, by the way, had to eat the show bread, uh, there, uh, in the court.
As god has as god has, uh, prescribed to them.
And by the way, that bread was offered to god, and then god turns around, and it becomes sustenance to the priest.
Isn’t that interesting? Jesus said, yeah, all that stuff spoke about me. I am the bread of life.
And every Jew would have went, what?
That’s what the table of showbread, the table of his presence symbolized.
And then if you come to the big wooden doors that let you into the sanctuary, that’s the second veil.
So kinda reverse it. Right? We’re going in this together?
You go through the glass doors, then you go past the menorah, show bread, go through the main doors here, and you come into the sanctuary.
And in this setting, this would be the holy of holies.
In this location, the high priest only came into this room Right?
Once a year on one day in here is the arc of a covenant.
The cherubim are arc over touching the wings in the middle, and the shekinah glory of god, god’s presence illuminates the room.
The priest walks in with the blood, and on the day of uh, yom Kapoor, the day of atonement, it’s very elaborate.
You can read a a leviticus 16. It’s very elaborate. You can read about that later.
But he had a lot of work to do that day.
He had something like, uh, 15, 18 different offerings He made that day both for himself and for the entire nation.
And he went through various outfits. As he made sacrifice.
And then at the end, he put back his glorious robes in the uh, he fought on the front and his miter hat back on.
He walked out in all of his glory when the people saw him, the the nation went nuts.
Because number 1, he had survived the presence of god.
Having come out, it means that he was he finished the priest high priestly duties, which means he had presented the innocent Passover lamb, the atonement lamb, and it was accepted by god.
And so the people knew that their sins were covered for a year.
Covered, not taken away, covered. Everybody’s had a great sigh of relief.
And then there’s so much to that day, but one of the things you might kinda know is one of those acts is that he would take the blood of the, the ox or the bull, and they would catch that blood.
And the the blood could not was not allowed to coagulate. It had the the Priest in a golden bowl.
He had he kept it moving, so it wouldn’t coagulate.
They took some of the blood, and they put it on the head of one goat, and then they put, uh, the other goat was which was the lord’s, and they would sacrifice that goat to the lord.
That was the lord’s. And the other goat had blood from the innocent sacrifice from the lamb.
Or from the ox, and they would drive it out into the judean wilderness that had a they had a scarlet cord tied to its horn, with the blood on its head, the priest would confess the sins of the nation on that goat, and then they would drive it out into the wilderness, and they had prestation on hilltops.
And the priest when the priest saw that it was gone, the priest signaled back all towards Jerusalem, Priesthood on the hilltops, can’t see it anymore, can’t see it anymore, then it’s gone.
And then once it’s gone on the final, in the wilderness, everybody rejoices. You know what that goat’s called?
Yes. Good. Escape goat. You ever heard that term? Oh, this is an escape go.
That came from god. And this nation celebrated.
Friends, all of this is a civil. It’s all the type.
None of that can actually take your sins away, but they did it because god prescribed it to be so until a better day would come.
John chapter 3 verses 5 to 17, John 3 5.
Jesus answered and said, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit cannot enter the kingdom of god.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from.
Or where it goes. Isn’t that cool when the wind blows through trees?
You can’t tell where it’s coming from or where it’s going, but you see it moving the trees.
I just think that is awesome. You’re watching something invisible, move the visible.
So as everyone who is born of the spirit, nicodemus answered and said to him, how can these things be?
In verse 10, Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher of Israel?
And do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know.
We speak what we know church, and testify what we’ve seen, and you do not receive our witness.
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Jesus said no one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven.
That is the son of man who is in heaven.
You know, I’m I I read This is beautiful.
On Sunday on Sunday, first service, there were, uh, I don’t know why. I was just thankful.
There were a bunch of Jewish people came for a service on Sunday.
I think because of the war, And because there were visitors, you know, visitors get to sit up front on Sundays, and it’s kind of fun.
You meet people from all over the universe, and And, um, I’m really glad I didn’t know that they were up front until after the service.
And so I’m late and I’m pretty heavy that the one that comes down is the one that the the one that is is up is the one that has come down and it’s Jesus and proverbs 30 verse 4 says that god was is in heaven, but he’s come down And what is my name?
And we talked about his name, Yah Yahweh, and and and Proverbs 30 verse forces.
And what is the name of my son, if you can tell me?
And I’m just going off like I normally do, and and it didn’t dawn on me till somebody told me later after the service.
There’s eye their eyeballs are like this.
And in one of the services, I mentioned that the dome of the rock mosque in Jerusalem, the Muslim mosque says, now why does it say this?
Why would Satan put this on that building? God does not have a son nor does god.
God does not begotten nor does god have a son.
All the way around that golden dome in Jerusalem, that mosque. Did you know that?
Why would Satan be be so bent on on announcing that?
Because without that knowledge, you can’t be saved.
Without that knowledge, there’s no meaning to the old testament.
All these symbols and types, friends, symbols and types speak to you about bigger things.
Think about it. Every symbol, every typology is a hint about what’s really happening.
Look, when you get engaged, That’s a big hint. Will you marry me? Okay?
She says yes. And you put a ring on her finger, and that’s quite a hint.
And it’s a promise It’s a symbol of a relationship that’s going somewhere.
And there is a day when it will be consummated, body, soul, and spirit.
Think of it. God has planned the same thing for us right now. Listen.
Our soul has been renewed by god, Romans 12.
Our spirits have been made alive God gave us a renewed mind and a new heart.
So out of the trinity of man, the Bible says, I think, I’m old now.
So be kind to me. I think it’s 1st, The Solonians 523 says something to the effect may the lord sanctify you completely?
Body, soul, and spirit. We what god is in large, we are in small.
We are a little trinity, our mind, our spirit, and this body. Everything’s been redeemed except this body.
That’s why you and I as believers look forward to the full redemption or the consummation of our redemption.
When he gives gets us a brand new body. I can’t wait. Everything else is fine.
My mind’s been renewed. I battle this world like you do.
The thoughts and the junk that flies at us, we all fight the same way.
The Christian fights that stuff. We don’t entertain that somewhere. We fight against it constantly.
I have the same thoughts that you do. Do you understand that? Who opposed to you? We’re all the same.
The same thoughts that you get. I get the same thoughts because you know what?
It’s the same enemy throwing them at us. Yeah. But you’re but you’re in a fight now.
You fight those things. Because you’ve been renewed in your mind.
That’s why the Bible is so important about renewing your mind.
And all that is happening because We have a born again heart.
He wrote his word on our hearts. He wrote his will.
He wrote his law on our hearts, and we’re born again.
And, um, the body’s the last thing to go.
And that’s why, uh, for the believer, Paul says it’s wonderful.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the lord.
And only the Christian can say that. So, man, you know, I got all this. I got cancer.
I’ve got a hang nail. I got I got this. Uh, don’t worry about it.
You’re gonna go brand brand new body. Chrissy gets a brand new body.
So But listen to this.
He says there in John 3 14, as Moses lifted up serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the son of man be lifted up?
Jesus equates himself to the serpent that was put on the pole when Israel had disobeyed god and they were being stung to death by those snakes.
God tells Moses, get this going.
Aaron, you guys get a serpent, made out of bronze, put it on a stick, raise it up, and tell the people Look to this look to the pole.
Look at the serpent on the pole. Can you believe this?
They’re getting bit by venomous snakes in the wilderness, which is part part of the judgment that had fallen upon them, but god made a way of remedy.
He tells Moses and Aaron get this serpent. Now, what’s with the serpent?
Us this bronze, make a bronze serpent, put it on the stick, put it up in the air, and shout to the people.
Look to this and be saved.
And then the Bible I forget the number, but the Bible tells you how many thousands of people died that day.
Just look. Nope. And can you imagine? Ow.
You’re knocking snakes off your legs because you’ve entered into this rebellious state with god.
You you you’ve run from god’s blessing And so now the enemy is attacking you. There’s snakes biting you.
And the picture, the type the symbol, is a snake and a pole. Bronze, by the way.
Bronze with god is the medal of judgment. Bronze.
And so The here’s the here’s the prescription. Look, and you’ll be healed.
And there were people. Can you What did he just say?
Moses just said to look and we’ll be healed? I’m not no one’s gonna tell me what to do.
You know how dumb people can be. Wait, what did he say?
Moses said to look to the pole and you’ll be healed. No, I’m not gonna do that.
I’m gonna do my own thing.
I’m gonna and and people just kept knocking snakes off until they died.
And you said, man, those people were dumb. You know what? We’re the exact same way.
God spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, and he says, look unto me and be ye saved, and then he throws this in.
All ye ends to all the ends of the earth. Anyone, look. Look.
That’s the verse, by the way, that saved Charles spurgeon.
Got caught in a snowstorm, sought shelter in a Sunday morning at a church, sat in the back half frozen, and the preacher couldn’t even make it to the church that day.
One of the greatest con converts in world history.
Spurgeon’s six fifteen years old sitting in the back, shivering, didn’t even go to church with the right motive.
I’m freezing to death. Here’s a building.
I’m gonna go inside and sit in the back and thaw before I go home.
The preacher can’t even make it. The storm is so bad.
So farmer gets up, and the farmer gets behind the pulpit and says, I don’t know any other verse in the bible.
Except from Isaiah, look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the earth.
And lip and then the Holy Spirit showed up for that poor farmer because that farmer pointed at spurgeon and said, young man, god wants you to look to him and be saved.
And spurgeon said he was so convicted of his sins that he accepted Christ in that moment, And by the age of twenty years of age, they had to build a 10000 seat church to handle his ministry in England.
Went on to be one of the greatest expositors of the Bible in in history.
Look, but we can make things so difficult.
But what an amazing type or symbol, right, a serpent, judge, and a pole isn’t it interesting?
Sec this is not in the notes. So write this down.
2nd Corinthians 5 starts out in 17, which y’all love all the way down to verse 21, but 17 says that if we are in Christ, we’re a new creation.
Right? But down diverse, uh, 20 in in 21, the scripture there tells us that he knew He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of god in him or through him by faith.
So, Jeff, what are you saying? I’m saying, look.
He became sin for us.
When Jesus said, hey, guys, everybody, the serpent goes up on a pole, the people would get saved that they would look.
Just like Moses talked about, Jesus is saying, I’m gonna be lifted up too. Isn’t that amazing?
You guys got I thought you would have really been in impressed by that.
But so, of course, verse 15 says, for whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You see the word? Who’s so ever? That’s you. Who’s so ever?
You want them? Let him in.
Whoever believes should not perish, but have eternal life verse 16 for god’s soul of the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Listen, though. Listen to verse 17. A lot of people are shocked by this.
For god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. Think of that.
Oh, I don’t wanna talk about Jesus. What are you afraid of? Stop believing the lie.
God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.
Amen. Satan hates Jesus because Jesus is your ticket to paradise.
Satan wants you with him rotting in hell forever.
And by the way, read the fine print of the Bible. Nobody dies completely. Nobody.
Uh, John chapter 5 around verse 28, Everyone lives forever.
Read the fine print of the Bible. Every single human being given life lives forever.
You just need The Bible says there’ll be a those living and eternal death in hell.
That’s what hell is. Somebody, by the way, has speculated. I think it was one great puritan.
If it’s sure false, I don’t know, but it seems like it would be hell.
Out of all the descriptions of hell, and there’s a lot there to read, he believes that one of those things is that everything that you’ve burned for and lust for is all within or just he he said just out of arms reach.
You know when you’re lusting for something and it cannot be satisfied until you have it?
You gotta have it. And lust can drive a person to absolute murder.
Because lust if let if it’s not checked, lust will drive you to destroy other people to get what you want.
Could be money, could be power, could be stuff, could be sex, could be drugs, could be what does it matter?
I thought it was amazing.
What kind wouldn’t that be hell when you want something so bad because you’re not redeemed in hell?
Your passions are wild, but you can’t get them satisfied.
Isn’t it interesting that in heaven, All of our most wonderful desires about god and about life and about everything is completely satisfied.
It’s like and and we’re gonna I I don’t know.
This may be too too silly, but it seems to me that when we just see Jesus, It’s like, okay.
That’s enough. Because, you know, when people saw him walking around in his skin, where in a robe, the Bible says, all the outcasts, they came they came to him, and the prostitutes came to him.
And common people came to him.
And so dogs, kids, cats, if they just he just Imagine seeing him glorified.
And there’s no sin in heaven. There’s no temptation. It’s perfect.
Do you long or do you do you have a desire for heaven is it is it burning in you?
Isn’t now isn’t it not burning more than ever?
Imagine you fell out of the airplane right now and you landed in in Gaza.
Okay. Wouldn’t you be glad that whatever’s about to happen to you? You’re gonna go to heaven.
In fact, I would rather let’s get it over with.
But listen, if you don’t have the hope of Jesus Christ as your Messiah and Lord and savior, then you’re living in a in a in a in a a a tomb of fear right now.
I get it. Without Jesus, you should be afraid, but you don’t have to be.
He has come into this world. Isn’t it amazing? Everything was written in scripture.
We covered tons of those scriptures on Sunday.
All of these promises from the Old Testament, and the new testament records the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, and you need not fear.
Somebody asked me just earlier today, which the question was, have you heard about the new COVID variant that’s coming?
Wait. Are we still talking about that? I thought that was like a news like a month ago.
And I said, you mean the election variant?
I said, it’s gonna come around every 2 years. Just get used to it.
But what are you afraid of? Seriously? What it could do?
If you’re a Christian, It’s what I’m living for. I mean, think about it.
It doesn’t end for us. How can you say such a thing?
Because this is just the playing field.
This is just our opportunity to proclaim his name and to bring as many men and women and boys and girls with us into the kingdom forever.
Listen. We’re not even home yet. It’s amazing.
It’s amazing that I thought I was gonna get through this.
Father?
Oh, you know, the reality is including myself, I don’t I may not be here next week.
There’s no promise. None none of us watching. None of us gathered.
We have no guarantee we’ll be here next week.
We have no guarantee we’ll see the Sunrise tomorrow. We assume so much. We make plans.
See you next year. All these things we do and say, it rolls right off of our tongue as though it’s gonna happen.
We don’t even know. We don’t exactly know what the weather’s gonna be like tomorrow.
We don’t know.
There’s so much we don’t know. But this, we know.
That we have fellowship with the son of god.
And these things have been written that we might know that we have eternal life because we have a priest that cannot be bothered or polluted are compromised eternal in the heavens, Jesus, the righteous, who prays for us.
The Bible tells us that he prays to the fa he talks to the father about you. And it’s good.
He says in the Bible that my thoughts toward you are for good and for a future.
And to bring your life to a full and glorious completion.
He he says in his word that my thoughts toward you are more than the sands of the sea.
And if you tried to count them, you wouldn’t be able to. Wow.
His word says to us, if your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart, and he knows all things.
I thank you lord publicly tonight that we have no tabernacle.
We have no temple. I thank you. We have no holy of holies.
I thank you that there’s no arc with the angels and the need for blood on the mercy seat?
I thank you for all of that.
I thank you dear god that you allowed me to be at born at this time of life.
I thank you that your word tells us that we can go straight direct to Jesus.
There’s the Bible says that there’s one god And there’s one mediator between god and man, and that is the man Christ Jesus.
God became a man, friends. That’s who Jesus Christ is. God incarnate, that is god and skin.
Isn’t that amazing? That the god that gave you life is the god that loved you so much that he came into this world.
And took on skin like you have.
And he he had aches and pains, and he had hunger and sweat and cold and he he came to communicate to us with this body.
I feel everything you feel. I I have the emotional pressures and the tensions and the challenges.
I know what that feels like, and the the pressure to do this or do that.
And Satan comes and visits and says, if you just throw yourself down from the temple, your father said his angels will pick you up.
Go ahead and do it. Go ahead and take the easy route.
Why why do this when you when when you can just take it easy and pick the other thing?
God, we confessed you tonight. We don’t know. But we know this.
These things have been written that we might know. That we have eternal life.
And so father god, I pray tonight, well heads are bowed and eyes are closed, and maybe that’s true for some but in the world somewhere right now.
No matter where you’re at it on this globe that watching this message, If you were to die right now, do you have the confidence that you’d go and meet god face to face on good terms because you’ve been covered by the blood of the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world.
Do you know Jesus as your lord and savior?
Doesn’t matter what you’ve done.
Isn’t it this is beyond me.
I mean, I can’t handle this, but those animals who gunned down people and impaled infants on their rifles.
If one of those beast would turn in repentance to the living god, god would forgive them.
I have a hard time with that. I know it’s true.
But regarding that, I don’t want it to be true.
But then god turns right around and says, Jack, You may not have done that, but remember, you want me to remind you what you did do?
And then all of a sudden, I have to just bite my lip and just say, lord, forgive me.
A wretch. Heads bowed, ice clothes, maybe tonight. No spectacle.
No big deal. And I’m not gonna sell you on anything. That’s ridiculous.
If you want Jesus Christ tonight to come into your life, to write his law on your heart to convert you.
You don’t convert you. He converts you. He does it. It’s a decision that you allow yourself to make.
You think about it. He died in the cross for you. You’re a center.
You know that. What do you do about it? The snakes are biting your ankles.
Look to him, heads bowed, eyes closed, and a hand up, if that’s you tonight, you’re saying I I wanna walk with Jesus for now on.
That’s it. Let’s pray this together and, uh, body of Christ. Let’s pray this. Dear lord? Yes.
Come into my life. I confess that I’m a sinner and I fall upon your grace Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. For dine on the cross for me. Yeah.
And being resurrected from the dead. I proclaim you tonight.
As my lord and savior in Jesus name. Jesus. Amen.