WEBVTT 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:03.379 Now we're in the study in Matthew, but since 00:00:03.379 --> 00:00:06.519 we've had some time off, I was reading and I 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:08.839 wanted to go back and visit some things just 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.179 in my own personal study and the idea of this 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:13.460 anchor in Hebrews 6. I started looking at it 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:16.339 and it just was really rich and it ministered 00:00:16.339 --> 00:00:18.579 to me and I'm like, I would like to give this 00:00:18.579 --> 00:00:20.199 to the church. So we're going to take a break 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:22.199 from Matthew this morning and we're going to 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.629 look at Hebrews chapter 6. We'll be looking at 00:00:25.629 --> 00:00:27.969 the whole chapter, but our text will primarily 00:00:27.969 --> 00:00:32.630 be verses 18 through 20. It may seem a little 00:00:32.630 --> 00:00:35.210 disjointed, like why did I pick it up there? 00:00:35.289 --> 00:00:37.649 And I hope that will become clear as we continue 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:40.990 in the sermon. The author, whom we do not know, 00:00:41.130 --> 00:00:45.070 says that by two immutable things, immutable, 00:00:45.189 --> 00:00:48.750 unchangeable, in which it is impossible for God 00:00:48.750 --> 00:00:54.030 to lie, we might have strong consolation. who 00:00:54.030 --> 00:00:57.929 have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope 00:00:57.929 --> 00:01:02.350 set before us. This hope we have as an anchor 00:01:02.350 --> 00:01:08.109 of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which 00:01:08.109 --> 00:01:12.209 enters into the presence behind the veil, where 00:01:12.209 --> 00:01:14.930 the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, 00:01:15.069 --> 00:01:19.709 having become high priest forever, according 00:01:19.709 --> 00:01:23.010 to the order of Melchizedek. Would you pray with 00:01:23.010 --> 00:01:29.150 me? Father, thank you for your word. Thank you 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:32.629 for the richness of this passage, the beauty 00:01:32.629 --> 00:01:36.310 of it. Lord God, we ask, Lord, this morning for 00:01:36.310 --> 00:01:39.069 your help, that, Lord, you would give us the 00:01:39.069 --> 00:01:42.150 help of the Holy Spirit of God that would allow 00:01:42.150 --> 00:01:44.609 us not to hear from man, but to hear from you, 00:01:44.689 --> 00:01:48.890 Lord. This is your word. It has relevance to 00:01:48.890 --> 00:01:52.099 your people. Lord God, would you help me to articulate 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:55.120 it clearly and to be reminded that I will give 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:56.900 an account for every idle word that is spoken 00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:59.719 in the day of judgment. Help my words not to 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.560 be idle or unhelpful, but God, only let what 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:07.780 is true be spoken. And Father, may Christ get 00:02:07.780 --> 00:02:10.659 the glory, because in that you take pleasure. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:13.180 And we ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus. 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:21.210 Amen. I owned a little pleasure boat. And I remember 00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:25.069 one time Josh Freeman, he said that the two most 00:02:25.069 --> 00:02:27.990 important things on my boat were the distress 00:02:27.990 --> 00:02:30.550 flag and the anchor. And he said those are the 00:02:30.550 --> 00:02:32.530 most important because any time people would 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:34.669 go out with me, the boat was always breaking 00:02:34.669 --> 00:02:37.770 down. I could not tell you how many times I had 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:40.430 to literally have people tow me in or several 00:02:40.430 --> 00:02:43.830 times I even swam the thing in myself. So the 00:02:43.830 --> 00:02:45.370 anchor, it's important, right? Especially on 00:02:45.370 --> 00:02:47.759 a boat. Because as we know, the anchor keeps 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:51.699 us from moving with the current. But I've also 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:54.020 learned the hard way, anchors will only work 00:02:54.020 --> 00:02:57.759 if they're attached to something solid. Now the 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:59.340 book of Hebrews, the one we just referenced, 00:02:59.539 --> 00:03:02.219 it gives us a picture this morning of an anchor 00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:06.039 that is attached to the most solid, immovable 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:09.539 thing in all the universe, which is God himself. 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:13.009 Now again, I can testify, trust me, if you've 00:03:13.009 --> 00:03:14.509 never been on a boat where an anchor is needed, 00:03:14.669 --> 00:03:16.909 let me just say it is important that you have 00:03:16.909 --> 00:03:20.310 one. Yes, anchors are important. And all of us 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:23.169 need an anchor. And we do because the storms 00:03:23.169 --> 00:03:27.069 of life inevitably come. You and I, we need something 00:03:27.069 --> 00:03:30.030 that our life, and let's say for metaphor, that 00:03:30.030 --> 00:03:32.509 the ship of our life can be attached to that 00:03:32.509 --> 00:03:36.189 will not give way. You have to be attached to 00:03:36.189 --> 00:03:39.360 something eternal. If you're not tethered to 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:43.000 something eternal, we will be adrift. Now everyone 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.020 in the world, lost and believers alike, everyone 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:50.800 has an anchor. But the problem for so many, this 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.879 is the problem for so many, is that their anchor 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.900 is tied to things that move. And this is where 00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:58.780 we see in our culture today, things like health. 00:03:58.900 --> 00:04:00.680 Now listen, health is important and we ought 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.379 not to take it for granted. But if the anchor, 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:06.060 if you think that by your own volition that you're 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:08.939 going to have longevity simply because you're 00:04:08.939 --> 00:04:12.180 eating well and you're exercising regularly, 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.660 God is sovereign. Jesus said, who by taking thought 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:20.319 can even add one hour to his lifespan? It is 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.959 not a sure anchor. Money. The book of Proverbs 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:26.319 says money you'll find, you'll wake up and it 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.600 will take wings and fly away. Beauty. You're 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:32.980 going to get old if God allows. Beauty fades. 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.439 Titles. Our names will be forgotten in the history 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:42.300 books. Reputation. All these are very movable 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:44.660 anchors. And when the storms of life come, and 00:04:44.660 --> 00:04:47.639 they always do, the anchors will not and cannot 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:53.230 hold. Unless you have your life tethered. to 00:04:53.230 --> 00:04:56.149 that which cannot be moved, then you will be 00:04:56.149 --> 00:04:58.930 adrift. You will be at the mercy of your own 00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:00.769 wisdom and the mercy of your own understanding. 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:03.250 And that's going to prove futile in time to come. 00:05:04.250 --> 00:05:07.110 These anchors always prove feeble. This is why 00:05:07.110 --> 00:05:11.029 storms, the storms come to test us. God in his 00:05:11.029 --> 00:05:13.449 mercy sends storms to let us see what are we 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:16.410 being anchored to. Jesus said it this way at 00:05:16.410 --> 00:05:18.050 the end of the Sermon on the Mount, his very 00:05:18.050 --> 00:05:20.970 last illustration in Matthew 7, he said it this 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:24.060 way. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:26.600 mine and does them, I will tell you what he's 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:29.040 like. He's like a wise man who built his house 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:31.920 on the rock. The rain descended, it always will. 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:35.899 The floods came and the winds blew and beat on 00:05:35.899 --> 00:05:39.600 that house. It did not fall. It was found on 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.660 the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:45.199 of mine and does not do them, let me tell you 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:48.800 what he's like. He's like the foolish man. He 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.339 also built his house, but he built it on the 00:05:50.339 --> 00:05:53.579 sand. The same storm came, the rains descended, 00:05:53.819 --> 00:05:56.319 the floods came, and the winds blew, beat on 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.639 that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:04.180 Our central text is actually taken from the book 00:06:04.180 --> 00:06:05.860 of Hebrews this morning. We need to understand 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:08.060 something a little bit about the background or 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:10.540 we'll miss it. The letter to the Hebrews, it 00:06:10.540 --> 00:06:12.300 was written, we don't know who, many say the 00:06:12.300 --> 00:06:14.439 Apostle Paul, we don't know. It was written to 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:16.800 Jewish believers. We do know this, they were 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:19.600 experiencing persecution. There was social pressure. 00:06:20.490 --> 00:06:23.730 They became tired, there was fatigue, all because 00:06:23.730 --> 00:06:27.389 they were publicly identified with Christ. You 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:29.689 see, under Roman law, Judaism was a protected 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:33.509 religion. But Christianity was seen as a sect 00:06:33.509 --> 00:06:37.089 or a cult, a branch off of Judaism that was not 00:06:37.089 --> 00:06:39.350 protected under Roman law, and thus it brought 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:41.470 suspicion, and because people were suspicious, 00:06:41.730 --> 00:06:44.430 it made them an easy target, and it brought persecution. 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:47.910 Now these people, the ones that are receiving 00:06:47.910 --> 00:06:50.920 this letter, had all been Jewish. These are Hebrew 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:54.100 believers. So now because they are identified 00:06:54.100 --> 00:06:56.879 with Christ and they're suffering so much, there's 00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:01.220 a temptation to abandon their public identification 00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:06.379 with Jesus and suffering stops. I mean, life 00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:08.980 is getting too hard. So they were tempted to 00:07:08.980 --> 00:07:11.439 return to their former way of life, living as 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:14.120 Jews and relying on the temple system, which 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:17.500 is what they had done in their youth. Now, why 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:21.259 would anyone ever decide to do that? Because 00:07:21.259 --> 00:07:23.959 the storms of life had come. And these people 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:28.079 are being beaten mercilessly and tossed mercilessly 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:31.120 by this storm. They're being persecuted. Why? 00:07:31.259 --> 00:07:33.759 Simply because they're Christians. Some, we know, 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.540 later on, you can go in chapters 9 and 10 and 00:07:36.540 --> 00:07:40.290 11, some were forced from homes and lands. Literally, 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:43.129 they had them confiscated and taken away. Others 00:07:43.129 --> 00:07:45.550 were even put to death. Now, if you want to put 00:07:45.550 --> 00:07:48.850 yourself in their shoes, you're at this meeting 00:07:48.850 --> 00:07:51.009 and you go home and now your home's gone. You're 00:07:51.009 --> 00:07:53.970 homeless. Your land is confiscated by the government. 00:07:54.250 --> 00:07:56.069 And there's nothing, there's no recourse you 00:07:56.069 --> 00:07:59.870 can do. So these people are weary and they're 00:07:59.870 --> 00:08:03.069 afraid. And some were being tempted to consider 00:08:03.069 --> 00:08:06.029 turning away from Christ and let's just go back 00:08:06.029 --> 00:08:10.009 to Judaism. Life will be better. And the author 00:08:10.009 --> 00:08:14.449 wrote to them, don't do that. There is no salvation 00:08:14.449 --> 00:08:18.709 outside of Christ. You will damn yourself. Verses 00:08:18.709 --> 00:08:22.649 4 through 8. For it is impossible for those who 00:08:22.649 --> 00:08:25.250 were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly 00:08:25.250 --> 00:08:28.410 gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit 00:08:28.410 --> 00:08:31.670 and have tasted the good word of God and the 00:08:31.670 --> 00:08:34.710 power of the ages to come, if they fall away, 00:08:34.830 --> 00:08:38.289 that means apostasy. If they fall away, it is 00:08:38.289 --> 00:08:40.830 impossible, he says, to renew them again to repentance, 00:08:41.190 --> 00:08:44.649 since they crucify again for themselves the Son 00:08:44.649 --> 00:08:48.710 of God, and they put him to an open shame. For 00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:50.669 the earth, which drinks in the rain that often 00:08:50.669 --> 00:08:53.889 comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for by 00:08:53.889 --> 00:08:56.129 those whom it is cultivated, receives blessing 00:08:56.129 --> 00:08:59.029 from God. So the rain falls and produces herbs 00:08:59.029 --> 00:09:02.850 and crops, it's good. But if it produces thorns 00:09:02.850 --> 00:09:05.740 and briars, meaning fruit here, It's rejected 00:09:05.740 --> 00:09:09.679 and near to being cursed, whose end is to be 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.299 burned. There's judgment. Now there's a strong 00:09:13.299 --> 00:09:14.879 warning here. There's a couple of them throughout 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:17.580 this book. The author warned them, he's giving 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:19.779 them a warning of the dangers of apostasy. Now 00:09:19.779 --> 00:09:22.720 what is apostasy? It is to willfully turn away 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.360 from Christ. This is not having doubts or questions. 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:31.000 All of us go through seasons like that. Apostasy, 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:33.120 the one who's in danger of this, is they understand 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:36.649 the truth. They're not confused. They get it. 00:09:36.690 --> 00:09:40.289 And they deliberately and willfully turn away 00:09:40.289 --> 00:09:44.990 from it. Apostasy is the public repudiation of 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:49.409 Christ. You are formally saying Jesus is not 00:09:49.409 --> 00:09:52.610 the divine son of God who came as Messiah and 00:09:52.610 --> 00:09:56.409 Lord. It is to treat the Lord Jesus worthy of 00:09:56.409 --> 00:09:59.629 shame. It's to align yourself with those who 00:09:59.629 --> 00:10:02.350 actually crucified him. So when we're talking 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:04.889 about this sin here, apostasy is a deliberate, 00:10:05.090 --> 00:10:08.730 settled repudiation of Christ. It's not some 00:10:08.730 --> 00:10:10.789 private internal struggle that you may endure. 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:13.730 Now there's a real possibility of some of these 00:10:13.730 --> 00:10:16.909 believers committing this sin. But the author 00:10:16.909 --> 00:10:20.269 is persuaded that these people, those who received 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:23.570 his letter, would not fall into this deadly sin. 00:10:23.769 --> 00:10:29.509 Now how do we know that? Verse 9. We are confident 00:10:29.509 --> 00:10:33.549 of better things concerning you. Don't fall away, 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:37.230 but I'm confident that you won't. We're persuaded 00:10:37.230 --> 00:10:38.870 of better things. Yes, things that accompany 00:10:38.870 --> 00:10:43.190 salvation, though we speak in this manner. So 00:10:43.190 --> 00:10:44.870 he's warning them. He's giving a real warning 00:10:44.870 --> 00:10:47.309 of the danger of apostasy. At the same time, 00:10:47.309 --> 00:10:50.330 he's encouraging them, do not give up your faith 00:10:50.330 --> 00:10:53.570 in Christ. Those who received this letter, they 00:10:53.570 --> 00:10:56.090 needed to know something. There is irreversible 00:10:56.090 --> 00:10:59.220 judgment for apostasy. They understood the truth, 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:01.220 they turned from it, and there is no repentance. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.220 You can't bring them back. They align themselves 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:06.960 with the enemies of Christ. But the author assumed 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.679 this would not happen to those to whom he was 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.080 writing. He said, I'm confident of better things, 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:16.080 things that accompany salvation. So I ask you, 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:20.639 what accompanies salvation? Perseverance in the 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:23.740 faith. Perseverance, let me just say this, is 00:11:23.740 --> 00:11:28.669 not the cause of salvation. But it is the fruit 00:11:28.669 --> 00:11:31.769 of salvation. He was persuaded, the author was 00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:34.190 persuaded, that the recipients of this letter 00:11:34.190 --> 00:11:36.529 would persevere. They're not going to turn their 00:11:36.529 --> 00:11:38.730 backs on Christ. They're going to continue on 00:11:38.730 --> 00:11:41.250 with him in spite of the tremendous suffering. 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:45.509 So the warning, a real warning, it was not meant 00:11:45.509 --> 00:11:49.409 to produce despair in them. Rather, it was meant 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:52.389 to produce a holy fear that would cause them 00:11:52.389 --> 00:11:55.730 to continue with Christ even though there was 00:11:55.730 --> 00:11:58.769 great suffering. So now he lays out the consequences 00:11:58.769 --> 00:12:03.649 very clearly. If you do this, if then this. But 00:12:03.649 --> 00:12:06.090 he also encouraged them, listen, God is faithful. 00:12:06.889 --> 00:12:10.409 God is going to fulfill his promises. Just cling 00:12:10.409 --> 00:12:13.730 to Christ. Don't give up. Don't go back. And 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:15.809 he gives them an example. And the first example 00:12:15.809 --> 00:12:19.129 he gave them was the example of Abraham. You 00:12:19.129 --> 00:12:22.049 know the story. Abraham was given a promise from 00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:25.529 God. You're going to have a son, Abraham, with 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:28.970 your wife, Sarah. Now, years passed. He had to 00:12:28.970 --> 00:12:31.570 wait for that promise to be fulfilled. In fact, 00:12:31.570 --> 00:12:35.250 he waited 25 long years for God's promise to 00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:37.409 be answered. Nevertheless, the promise came. 00:12:38.009 --> 00:12:40.529 The promise was fulfilled. And what's the point? 00:12:40.570 --> 00:12:42.850 Why is the author writing this way? He's showing 00:12:42.850 --> 00:12:46.529 them that God is faithful and his word always 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:51.629 proves reliable. And this is the point. You can 00:12:51.629 --> 00:12:55.149 always count on God to keep his word, even if. 00:12:56.429 --> 00:12:58.590 Your present circumstances are telling you otherwise. 00:12:59.470 --> 00:13:00.950 Because that's what was happening. There was 00:13:00.950 --> 00:13:03.610 nothing around them that said, hey, I'm the object 00:13:03.610 --> 00:13:06.950 of God's affection and delight. Now the promise 00:13:06.950 --> 00:13:08.769 for Abraham, it did not come when he had hoped. 00:13:09.470 --> 00:13:11.850 Surely when Abraham first got that promise, he 00:13:11.850 --> 00:13:13.490 was thinking next year, hey, we'll have a boy. 00:13:14.610 --> 00:13:19.690 No. God was testing him. But it came. And the 00:13:19.690 --> 00:13:23.509 lesson for us is that God often makes us wait. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:28.460 but his word is always sure. Now, you know the 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:30.440 story of Abraham. After the promise for a son 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:33.639 to be born came, Abraham's faith was even more 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:35.399 severely tested. You would think that Abraham 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.639 had suffered enough. You would think that he 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:40.220 had proven himself enough, but no, God tempted 00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:42.679 him even more, tested him, I should say. And 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:44.960 he said, I want you to offer up that son of promise, 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:48.659 Isaac, as a sacrifice. Well, you know that Abraham 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:51.799 successfully came through that trial. And after 00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:56.840 he did, God reiterated to Abraham his promise. 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:01.279 And this time he confirmed it with an oath. He 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:04.720 swore. God swore. Took a vow. And he swore by 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:06.899 himself. That's what Hebrews is saying in verses 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:12.419 17 and 18. Thus God, determining to show more 00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:15.299 abundantly to the heirs of promise, that's you 00:14:15.299 --> 00:14:18.879 and me, the immutability, the unchangeableness 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:23.240 of his counsel, He confirms it by an oath that 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:26.600 by two immutable things in which it is impossible 00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:31.159 for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:35.159 strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:39.019 to lay hold of the hope which is set before us. 00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:43.220 There are two immutable, unchangeable things. 00:14:43.980 --> 00:14:48.879 God's promise and God's oath. You would think, 00:14:48.899 --> 00:14:51.240 now friends, listen, God's promise alone is sufficient. 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.340 But God then took a vow. He swore that he was 00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:59.379 telling the truth, which made it doubly secure. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:02.240 And again, what's the point? Why is the author 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.159 doing this? He wants believers to know you can 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:09.899 always trust God despite adverse circumstances 00:15:09.899 --> 00:15:12.159 because God will never fail to keep his word. 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:16.830 He will always keep it. And the fact that God 00:15:16.830 --> 00:15:21.509 is a promise keeper is an anchor for your soul. 00:15:22.830 --> 00:15:24.809 You see this with Abraham and his wife Sarah. 00:15:25.529 --> 00:15:29.470 At the age of 190, they're promised a child. 00:15:30.669 --> 00:15:33.049 Things looked hopeless. I mean, honestly, if 00:15:33.049 --> 00:15:35.909 we look back, it almost seems ridiculous. You 00:15:35.909 --> 00:15:38.330 look and you see here's a couple. He's 100, she's 00:15:38.330 --> 00:15:40.590 90, and God's like, you're going to conceive. 00:15:43.169 --> 00:15:45.870 God makes 90 -year -old women conceive in order 00:15:45.870 --> 00:15:49.730 to fulfill his promise, if need be. God makes 00:15:49.730 --> 00:15:53.149 even virgins conceive in order to fulfill his 00:15:53.149 --> 00:15:56.250 promise. See, we've got to be linked, we've got 00:15:56.250 --> 00:15:58.009 to be tethered or anchored to the promise of 00:15:58.009 --> 00:16:01.090 Almighty God. God, back in Genesis, promised 00:16:01.090 --> 00:16:04.370 a serpent -crushing deliverer, Messiah, would 00:16:04.370 --> 00:16:08.289 come to Israel. And he did. Galatians 4, but 00:16:08.289 --> 00:16:11.350 when the fullness of the time was come, God sent 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:15.500 forth his Son. God will not, cannot, is incapable 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:18.299 of reneging on any promise that he's ever made. 00:16:18.940 --> 00:16:20.799 This is why you can anchor your life to him. 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:24.480 You can count on him. And this is the Christian's 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:25.659 hope. This is what I want to talk about this 00:16:25.659 --> 00:16:29.940 morning. The Christian's hope lies in God's unchangeable, 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.240 immutable promise so that you may possess the 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:37.720 unshakable encouragement to hold fast to Christ. 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:41.299 Let me say that one more time. The Christian 00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:46.500 hope. lies in God's unchangeable promise so that 00:16:46.500 --> 00:16:49.620 you and I might possess the unshakable encouragement 00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:55.500 to hold fast to Christ. Our assurance is not 00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:57.860 rooted in our own faithfulness, rather in God's. 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.679 Our salvation is not grounded in what we have 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:03.179 done, but what God has promised to his people 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:07.359 in Christ. It's all about God. What did God promise? 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.819 He promised that all who repent of their sin 00:17:10.819 --> 00:17:13.700 and place their faith in Jesus Christ will be 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:17.519 saved. That's a promise of God. Our salvation 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.519 is certain because God made a promise and then 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.960 he took an oath. He swore that his promises are 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:29.480 reliable. That is double security. But here's 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:32.680 where we're often tripped up. That promise of 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:35.980 ultimate deliverance and salvation does not mean 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:38.819 that the winds of adversity will not blow in 00:17:38.819 --> 00:17:43.480 our lives today. God's people certainly experience 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:47.299 crisis moments. But that doesn't change nor alter 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:50.240 the promise that he's made. In fact, it shows 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:53.960 to prove the reliability of his promise. This 00:17:53.960 --> 00:17:56.240 is where I think sometimes we buy into what the 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.549 world and Christian television tells us. If you 00:17:59.549 --> 00:18:01.430 turn on Christian programming for any length 00:18:01.430 --> 00:18:03.470 of time, there'll eventually be some fake preacher 00:18:03.470 --> 00:18:05.970 on there who's going to talk about it is God's 00:18:05.970 --> 00:18:07.950 will that the Christian prosper and be in health 00:18:07.950 --> 00:18:10.170 at all times because you're a son of royalty. 00:18:11.130 --> 00:18:14.269 It's a lie. The storms of life will come to the 00:18:14.269 --> 00:18:18.210 Christian as well. God promised it. And these 00:18:18.210 --> 00:18:20.849 Hebrew believers, they lost everything. Reputation, 00:18:21.009 --> 00:18:23.950 gone. Homes, gone. Lands, gone. Freedom, gone. 00:18:24.490 --> 00:18:29.380 And some had even been put to death. But the 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:33.059 writer says, listen, all that being true, none 00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:36.299 of that alters the promise of God. Heaven's your 00:18:36.299 --> 00:18:39.859 home and Christ is your inheritance, even if 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:42.279 you lose your life. Now look at verses 19 and 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:48.359 20. This hope that God keeps his promise, we 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:52.099 have as an anchor of the soul. It is sure, it's 00:18:52.099 --> 00:18:55.279 steadfast, it's not letting go. And which enters... 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:58.180 The presence behind the veil. Oh, that's so good. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:00.940 We'll get to it in a moment. Where the forerunner 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:04.880 has entered in for us, even Jesus, having become 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.099 high priest forever according to the order of 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:10.339 Melchizedek. So the word hope there, right? And 00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:12.140 we've said this so many times. Most of you know 00:19:12.140 --> 00:19:14.000 this. But when the Bible uses the word hope, 00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:16.380 particularly the New Testament, it does not mean 00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:18.740 wishful thinking. It means a confident expectation. 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:23.460 So the word, you know, we use this word like, 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:25.220 well, I hope it doesn't snow or I hope the ice 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:28.380 melts. But no, that's not biblical hope. Biblical 00:19:28.380 --> 00:19:31.559 hope is confidence and it's an expectation that 00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:34.680 what God has promised, I am confident and expectant, 00:19:34.700 --> 00:19:37.299 will come to pass. That's what it means to have 00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:40.200 hope. And this confidence that God keeps his 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:42.599 promises, you have to be fully persuaded, God 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:44.799 keeps his promises. He said that's the anchor 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.150 for your soul right there. Just like a ship's 00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:51.250 anchor keeps that boat from drifting and being 00:19:51.250 --> 00:19:53.809 secure in the midst of a storm, this confidence, 00:19:53.849 --> 00:19:57.609 this confident hope or expectation keeps the 00:19:57.609 --> 00:20:01.390 believer anchored even when violent storms enter 00:20:01.390 --> 00:20:04.390 into your life. And our church has seen them 00:20:04.390 --> 00:20:07.849 this past year. The Puritan Samuel Rutherford, 00:20:07.910 --> 00:20:11.789 he says, Our salvation is fastened with God's 00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:17.220 own hand and Christ's own strength. To the strong 00:20:17.220 --> 00:20:22.720 stake of God's unchangeable nature. Amen. It's 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.539 sure and steadfast. This anchor you have, it's 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.220 sure, it's steadfast. It can't be moved. It can't 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:29.859 be broken. It can't be shaken. It is founded 00:20:29.859 --> 00:20:33.240 upon the character of God himself. That's why 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:36.059 it's sure. And God has given this promise. And 00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:38.180 then he promised, he swore, he gave an oath. 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:41.799 What mercy, what condescension from the Almighty. 00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:44.599 Now I want you to notice something. Where does 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:47.799 this anchor go? Most anchors go down, right? 00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:50.759 They go down to the bottom of a river, the bottom 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:55.140 of a sea. But this anchor goes up. It goes up 00:20:55.140 --> 00:20:58.339 into heaven. Notice he says it goes within the 00:20:58.339 --> 00:21:03.660 veil, behind the curtain. What's he saying? Oh, 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:05.640 he's writing to Jews. They know exactly what 00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:08.700 he's saying. This anchor goes into the throne 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:12.539 room of God. The anchor goes into the very holy 00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:17.279 of holies. How? Because the Lord Jesus has already 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.079 gone before us with his own blood into that very 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:24.680 room. He has gone before us. Our anchor, it's 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:28.000 not tied to shifting circumstances. Rather, it 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:33.079 is tethered to the presence of God. Love that. 00:21:33.900 --> 00:21:38.119 The world has hopes and it has dreams. But friends, 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.019 all the world has is wishful thinking. That's 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:42.920 all they have. So we see people and we hear that 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:44.779 they hope for world peace. And that's a beautiful 00:21:44.779 --> 00:21:47.789 hope. They hope for security or prosperity or 00:21:47.789 --> 00:21:49.789 we hope that there's a cure for diseases like 00:21:49.789 --> 00:21:52.130 cancer. But none of that is based on promise. 00:21:52.670 --> 00:21:55.569 There's no divine promise. So therefore, the 00:21:55.569 --> 00:21:59.269 world's hope is uncertain and it ends in futility, 00:21:59.289 --> 00:22:03.170 which leads to despair, which leads to depression, 00:22:03.430 --> 00:22:06.849 because there is nothing solid to which they 00:22:06.849 --> 00:22:10.529 can anchor their hope upon. But not so for the 00:22:10.529 --> 00:22:14.769 Christian. The Christian has confidence. He has 00:22:14.769 --> 00:22:18.109 encouragement that no matter what the circumstances 00:22:18.109 --> 00:22:21.190 of life bring, he has been accepted in Christ, 00:22:21.490 --> 00:22:24.930 heaven is his home, and God is his father. And 00:22:24.930 --> 00:22:29.789 all of that is based upon the unchanging, immutable 00:22:29.789 --> 00:22:33.230 promise that God has given. And the writer says 00:22:33.230 --> 00:22:36.769 that's an anchor for your soul. Tie your life 00:22:36.769 --> 00:22:39.710 to it. He said that anchor goes behind the veil. 00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:42.740 Remember the earthly temple and the earthly tabernacle? 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:46.200 There's a thick curtain that divided the inner 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:48.759 and the outer chambers of the temple or tabernacle. 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:51.440 So no one could see through the curtain. It was 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:54.119 a very thick curtain, and behind it was the very 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:57.119 Holy of Holies. And it was off limits to everyone 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.839 except the high priest, and only he could go 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:02.440 in on one day of the year on the Day of Atonement. 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:04.720 No other time could anyone ever go in there or 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:06.980 it was certain death. Now, so you had the Holy 00:23:06.980 --> 00:23:09.349 of Holies. That curtain, then on this side would 00:23:09.349 --> 00:23:11.970 be what's called the holy place. On the other 00:23:11.970 --> 00:23:14.750 side, the holy of holies. What was inside the 00:23:14.750 --> 00:23:19.269 holy of holies? The Ark of the Covenant. Why 00:23:19.269 --> 00:23:22.390 was that so significant? Because it represented 00:23:22.390 --> 00:23:25.869 the presence of God. God promised to dwell with 00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:29.490 his people and he did there in the Ark. Now we 00:23:29.490 --> 00:23:33.849 are told, Hebrews 6, tells us that Jesus entered, 00:23:33.930 --> 00:23:36.950 he went behind the veil. He went into the Holy 00:23:36.950 --> 00:23:42.089 of Holies and he anchored us, his people, into 00:23:42.089 --> 00:23:47.509 the very throne room of God. You and I are anchored 00:23:47.509 --> 00:23:51.990 in heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's 00:23:51.990 --> 00:23:56.549 stability. That's security. Storms are going 00:23:56.549 --> 00:23:58.730 to come. I can't say that enough. I think that 00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:01.730 one of the things you cannot, you must have a 00:24:01.730 --> 00:24:03.630 theology of suffering in your life or you will 00:24:03.630 --> 00:24:06.059 be blown off course. storms are going to come 00:24:06.059 --> 00:24:09.880 trials will always enter our lives yet because 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:12.500 we've been anchored in christ we will not ultimately 00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:17.279 be blown off course so you can't and those storms 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:21.640 they serve a purpose they're going to show the 00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:24.539 reliability of this anchor which is why it's 00:24:24.539 --> 00:24:26.799 such a wonderful testimony and witness when god's 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.759 people endure suffering well because it points 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:31.519 to the unchangeable promise that they're clinging 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:35.539 to in christ See, why do trials come? Well, we 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:37.839 don't have to guess. 1 Peter tells us that sometimes 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.420 God sends trials to prove and try and test our 00:24:41.420 --> 00:24:45.279 faith. 1 Peter 1. In this, you greatly rejoice. 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:48.920 Really? Though now for a little while, if need 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:51.859 be, you have been grieved, so you're greatly 00:24:51.859 --> 00:24:54.039 rejoicing. Well, right now you might be sorrowing 00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:57.920 by various trials. Now, he says, now notice his 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:00.819 purpose statement, that the genuineness of your 00:25:00.819 --> 00:25:03.779 faith. the authenticity of your faith, being 00:25:03.779 --> 00:25:07.779 much more precious than gold that perishes, though 00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:10.980 it is tested by fire, it may be found to the 00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:13.200 praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:16.599 Jesus Christ. He said, you're going to ultimately, 00:25:16.700 --> 00:25:19.099 you're going to rejoice. Right now you may be 00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:22.900 grieved, because right now life hurts. Jesus 00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:25.119 promised his disciples, he said, in the world 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.119 you have tribulation. But he gave you a promise 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:30.180 to anchor you there. John 16, 33. These things 00:25:30.180 --> 00:25:32.440 have I spoken to you that in me you may have 00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:35.740 peace. Praise God. In the world, no. You're going 00:25:35.740 --> 00:25:37.119 to have tribulation. You're going to have trials. 00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:39.140 You're going to have suffering. But be of good 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:42.140 cheer. Take heart. For I've conquered the world. 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:45.539 I've overcome it. See, the Christian, what Jesus 00:25:45.539 --> 00:25:48.440 is telling us, we're not exempt. From life in 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:50.700 a fallen world. Life in a fallen world is hard. 00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:54.700 It hurts. There's suffering. That means cancer 00:25:54.700 --> 00:25:59.220 may come. We're not exempt from that. That means 00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:02.759 you may lose your job. You may experience a financial 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:05.579 downturn. You may have your home be repossessed. 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.660 You may have many woes. The government may bring 00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:11.440 persecution. You may be ridiculed at work. You 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:14.539 may be ostracized at your job. You may be ostracized 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:16.859 at school. But he said none of those are going 00:26:16.859 --> 00:26:19.299 to shake you from the anchor that's holding in 00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:25.299 Christ. Don't quit. Persevere. Why? Because you're 00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:28.470 secure in him. Your anchor's in heaven and it 00:26:28.470 --> 00:26:31.589 can't be moved. Another reason God sends trials 00:26:31.589 --> 00:26:35.549 is to loosen this world's grip upon you. I promise 00:26:35.549 --> 00:26:37.670 you this, if you've ever gone through a season 00:26:37.670 --> 00:26:39.950 of suffering, what's ultimately important comes 00:26:39.950 --> 00:26:43.569 sharply into focus. When you're sitting in a 00:26:43.569 --> 00:26:45.130 hospital room and you're wondering if that person's 00:26:45.130 --> 00:26:46.829 going to lose their life or not, you don't care 00:26:46.829 --> 00:26:49.089 about 401ks, you don't care about retirement 00:26:49.089 --> 00:26:53.190 plans, you don't care about homes. When trials 00:26:53.190 --> 00:26:54.970 come, what's ultimately important becomes very 00:26:54.970 --> 00:26:59.660 clear. They have a way of centering us to what 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:03.019 is ultimate. What is ultimate? The kingdom of 00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:05.720 God. Which is why the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6 00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:09.039 verse 33 said what? Seek first the kingdom of 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:11.259 God and his righteousness because that's ultimate. 00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:15.880 In the old temple, the veil separated the people 00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:18.809 from God's presence. There was a separation. 00:27:19.069 --> 00:27:22.430 But because of the work of Christ, because of 00:27:22.430 --> 00:27:25.450 his atonement, the veil has been removed, torn 00:27:25.450 --> 00:27:27.930 in two, and there's no longer separation between 00:27:27.930 --> 00:27:31.849 God and his people. See, Jesus didn't just enter 00:27:31.849 --> 00:27:34.009 into the veil behind the Holy of Holies. Rather, 00:27:34.250 --> 00:27:36.390 he tore that thing in two from top to bottom 00:27:36.390 --> 00:27:40.190 by his nail -pierced hands. It's gone. Christ 00:27:40.190 --> 00:27:43.390 has carried us as our forerunner, our trailblazer, 00:27:43.430 --> 00:27:48.279 into God's presence. And he stays there. constantly 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:51.920 mediating as a priest for us. That's what verse 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:54.940 20 says. Where the forerunner has entered for 00:27:54.940 --> 00:27:58.880 us, even Jesus, having become high priest for 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:01.559 how long? Forever. According to the order of 00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:05.259 Melchizedek. What is a forerunner? He's like 00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:07.259 a Toyota. No, that's not what we're talking about 00:28:07.259 --> 00:28:09.579 here. It's one who goes ahead of us. You could 00:28:09.579 --> 00:28:11.869 use the word trailblazer. That's probably another 00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:13.809 vehicle, isn't it? Stop about vehicles, but we're 00:28:13.809 --> 00:28:15.890 talking about Jesus here. But someone who goes 00:28:15.890 --> 00:28:18.869 before us. Now how do we know, how are we certain, 00:28:19.029 --> 00:28:22.450 how are we confident that God's promises do not 00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:26.930 and will not fail? Because Jesus is already there. 00:28:27.329 --> 00:28:30.829 He went before us. And he anchored us there. 00:28:31.210 --> 00:28:34.210 Lewis Talbot said this in his commentary. He 00:28:34.210 --> 00:28:37.309 said, So you've got the Mediterranean there, 00:28:37.369 --> 00:28:39.309 which is where a lot of the people who received 00:28:39.309 --> 00:28:41.589 this letter would have been living. Greek harbors 00:28:41.589 --> 00:28:44.930 were often cut off by the sea by sandbars, and 00:28:44.930 --> 00:28:47.730 larger ships could not pass that sandbar until 00:28:47.730 --> 00:28:50.289 the full tide came in. So they would have a lighter 00:28:50.289 --> 00:28:52.789 vessel, a forerunner, that would take the big 00:28:52.789 --> 00:28:55.390 ship's anchor and drop it off in the harbor. 00:28:56.250 --> 00:28:59.750 From that moment, that big ship was safe from 00:28:59.750 --> 00:29:02.650 the storm, but it still had to wait for the tide 00:29:02.650 --> 00:29:05.859 before it could ever enter in the harbor. The 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:08.599 entrance of the small vessel or the forerunner 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:11.900 into that harbor carrying the ship's anchor was 00:29:11.900 --> 00:29:14.440 the pledge that the ship would safely enter the 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:18.220 harbor as soon as the tide was full. Christ, 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:21.359 because he's our forerunner, has entered heaven 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:25.640 itself, having torn asunder everything that separates 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:28.059 the redeemed sinner from the presence of God. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:32.779 He himself is the pledge that we too shall one 00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:35.839 day enter into the harbor of our souls, into 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.019 the very presence of God in the new Jerusalem. 00:29:39.380 --> 00:29:43.299 That's what a forerunner does. Christ has anchored 00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:45.420 us in our union, in our union with Christ. We 00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:47.980 are anchored to him and there's nothing that 00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:51.039 gets to separate us from him. Paul wrote about 00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:53.539 that in Romans 8 so beautifully, so eloquently. 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:56.660 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 00:29:57.690 --> 00:30:00.029 Tribulation, no. Distress, persecution, famine, 00:30:00.150 --> 00:30:04.109 nakedness, peril, sword. You think suffering 00:30:04.109 --> 00:30:06.910 doesn't come? Look at verse 36. As it is written, 00:30:06.990 --> 00:30:10.829 for your sake we are killed all day long. We're 00:30:10.829 --> 00:30:14.109 counted sheep for the slaughter. Paul said, don't 00:30:14.109 --> 00:30:16.230 despair. Yet in all these things we are still 00:30:16.230 --> 00:30:18.049 more than conquerors through him who loved us. 00:30:19.190 --> 00:30:20.910 How? How are you more than a conqueror when you're 00:30:20.910 --> 00:30:23.029 getting slaughtered like an animal? For I am 00:30:23.029 --> 00:30:26.609 persuaded that neither death nor life. Nor angels, 00:30:26.670 --> 00:30:28.690 nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 00:30:28.829 --> 00:30:30.950 nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor 00:30:30.950 --> 00:30:33.329 any other created thing shall be able to separate 00:30:33.329 --> 00:30:35.309 us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus 00:30:35.309 --> 00:30:38.289 our Lord. Amen. I love that. Now notice what 00:30:38.289 --> 00:30:40.410 he didn't say. There's no promise that tribulation 00:30:40.410 --> 00:30:43.049 or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness 00:30:43.049 --> 00:30:44.970 or peril or sword doesn't come to your life. 00:30:45.690 --> 00:30:47.769 In fact, these people experience those things. 00:30:48.630 --> 00:30:51.049 The promise from God is that they can't tear 00:30:51.049 --> 00:30:53.490 you away from Christ's love. They can't separate 00:30:53.490 --> 00:30:57.549 you from Christ. Jesus told his disciples before 00:30:57.549 --> 00:30:59.750 he was crucified, on the night before, he told 00:30:59.750 --> 00:31:03.490 them, I'm going ahead of you, John 14. Let not 00:31:03.490 --> 00:31:05.250 your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe 00:31:05.250 --> 00:31:07.930 also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. 00:31:07.930 --> 00:31:09.250 In other words, there's rooms, there's dwelling 00:31:09.250 --> 00:31:11.529 places. If it were not so, I would have told 00:31:11.529 --> 00:31:14.670 you. But I go, I'm going first to prepare a place 00:31:14.670 --> 00:31:17.630 for you. And if I go and prepare a place for 00:31:17.630 --> 00:31:21.130 you, I will come again, and I will receive you 00:31:21.130 --> 00:31:23.170 to myself. Why? So that where I am, there you 00:31:23.170 --> 00:31:27.569 may be also. This is our forerunner, our trailblazer. 00:31:27.710 --> 00:31:30.670 Jesus went on ahead of us. He blazed the trail 00:31:30.670 --> 00:31:33.769 so that you and I can come behind him, follow 00:31:33.769 --> 00:31:36.250 in his footsteps, and enter into the Holy of 00:31:36.250 --> 00:31:41.309 Holies with him. How, though? You and I are defiled. 00:31:41.769 --> 00:31:46.769 We're sinful. But Jesus cleansed us by his atoning 00:31:46.769 --> 00:31:50.849 work, his atonement, his shed blood. And now 00:31:50.849 --> 00:31:56.259 he stands in heaven. representing us before the 00:31:56.259 --> 00:31:58.299 Father, pleading the merits of his sacrifice 00:31:58.299 --> 00:32:01.779 and his obedience for his people. He's become 00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:05.859 a high priest forever. We have in Jesus a great 00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:08.059 high priest. What's he doing? He's standing in 00:32:08.059 --> 00:32:10.180 the throne room of God, constantly interceding 00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:12.460 for his church as high priest forever. Praise 00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:14.500 God, we've got a priest that's constantly mediating 00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:18.880 for us. Instead of fear, instead of temerity, 00:32:18.980 --> 00:32:22.640 we can have boldness to enter the throne room 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:26.500 of God. Isn't that presumption? Isn't that arrogance? 00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:30.900 No, because Jesus is there. Come boldly now. 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:32.779 This is what the writer is saying in chapter 00:32:32.779 --> 00:32:35.380 4. I hope all this is starting to become clear. 00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:37.259 See, because of what Christ did, see, in the 00:32:37.259 --> 00:32:39.160 old covenant, you never had boldness. You didn't 00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:40.960 go behind the veil. You would be foolish to go 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:44.099 behind the veil. You would die to do that. But 00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:46.960 now, seeing that we have a great high priest 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:49.640 who's passed through the heavens, Jesus, the 00:32:49.640 --> 00:32:52.359 Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:54.849 Don't give up. For we don't have a high priest 00:32:54.849 --> 00:32:57.609 who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but 00:32:57.609 --> 00:32:59.210 rather was in all points tempted as we are yet 00:32:59.210 --> 00:33:03.430 without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to 00:33:03.430 --> 00:33:05.529 the throne of grace. Why? That we may obtain 00:33:05.529 --> 00:33:08.710 mercy and find grace to help in our time of need 00:33:08.710 --> 00:33:10.269 because we're all going to have times of need. 00:33:11.490 --> 00:33:13.450 Yeah, the people of God have always faced challenges. 00:33:14.410 --> 00:33:17.170 I know I sound like a stuck record on this, but 00:33:17.170 --> 00:33:20.289 trials and storms. Will come, and that's even 00:33:20.289 --> 00:33:23.029 clearly seen in this letter. You don't need to, 00:33:23.089 --> 00:33:24.650 but you can go over five chapters to the end 00:33:24.650 --> 00:33:26.950 of chapter 11. The first part of chapter 11 is 00:33:26.950 --> 00:33:28.789 a great hall of faith, and you see all these 00:33:28.789 --> 00:33:31.190 people who conquered, who did victorious feats, 00:33:31.289 --> 00:33:33.029 and it's just wonderful, and we're praising God 00:33:33.029 --> 00:33:34.849 for all the wonderful things they did. And then 00:33:34.849 --> 00:33:36.450 you get to the end of the chapter, and you read 00:33:36.450 --> 00:33:40.990 this, verse 36. Still others. There were some 00:33:40.990 --> 00:33:44.630 other people, though. They had trial of mockings 00:33:44.630 --> 00:33:48.210 and scourgings, just like Jesus was scourged. 00:33:48.849 --> 00:33:53.630 Yes, of chains, imprisonment. They were stoned. 00:33:54.490 --> 00:33:57.589 Literally rocks hurled at them until they breathed 00:33:57.589 --> 00:34:01.410 their last. They were sawn in two. They were 00:34:01.410 --> 00:34:04.529 tempted. They were slain with a sword. They wandered 00:34:04.529 --> 00:34:06.809 about in sheepskins and goatskins. They're homeless, 00:34:07.109 --> 00:34:12.309 destitute, afflicted, tormented. And this is 00:34:12.309 --> 00:34:15.650 what we scratch our head, of whom the world was 00:34:15.650 --> 00:34:21.900 not worthy. They were not bereft of God. They 00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:25.280 were chosen, precious possession of God. They 00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:27.260 wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and 00:34:27.260 --> 00:34:30.039 caves of the earth. And yet the world is not 00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:33.639 worthy of these people, right? What the writer 00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:36.239 wants his people to know, because remember, he's 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:39.239 writing to a persecuted church. The Christian 00:34:39.239 --> 00:34:45.360 must sail through stormy seas. We do. Life has 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:47.909 a way of bringing that to us. But he does so 00:34:47.909 --> 00:34:50.550 being anchored to Jesus Christ. We're sailing. 00:34:51.710 --> 00:34:55.309 Winds are churning. Sea is raging. And Christ 00:34:55.309 --> 00:34:58.489 is anchored. That knowledge, if you have that, 00:34:58.510 --> 00:35:00.150 and you have it here, you have it here. I mean, 00:35:00.170 --> 00:35:03.329 it's in your DNA. That secures you even in the 00:35:03.329 --> 00:35:07.190 most violent storm imaginable. That's why people 00:35:07.190 --> 00:35:08.909 who endure things and you're like, how do they 00:35:08.909 --> 00:35:12.889 do it? They're looking toward the promise that 00:35:12.889 --> 00:35:14.889 God is a promise keeper. This will all be different 00:35:14.889 --> 00:35:19.010 one day. So our confidence, as we close here, 00:35:19.110 --> 00:35:24.070 our confidence comes from knowing that the believer, 00:35:24.150 --> 00:35:28.630 that we are, anchored in heaven behind the veil. 00:35:29.530 --> 00:35:32.309 We are anchored in Christ. He's our forerunner 00:35:32.309 --> 00:35:35.309 who went to prepare a place for us. We are anchored 00:35:35.309 --> 00:35:38.510 in our high priest. Jesus is the eternal high 00:35:38.510 --> 00:35:42.090 priest after the order of Melchizedek. And we 00:35:42.090 --> 00:35:44.849 are anchored in the promise and oath of God who 00:35:44.849 --> 00:35:49.139 cannot lie. God's promise plus God's oath gives 00:35:49.139 --> 00:35:52.199 the people of God an unbreakable assurance that 00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:56.539 causes us to persevere till the end. I want you 00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:59.019 to know this, church. Your hope is not fragile. 00:36:00.179 --> 00:36:01.739 And you know why it's not fragile? Because it 00:36:01.739 --> 00:36:05.539 doesn't rest in you. It doesn't rest in me. It 00:36:05.539 --> 00:36:08.360 rests, the hope of the believer rests in the 00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:12.199 unchangeable promise of God and the finished 00:36:12.199 --> 00:36:15.300 work of Christ. Jesus, he's already gone in the 00:36:15.300 --> 00:36:17.380 holy place and he secured your future. It's secure. 00:36:18.019 --> 00:36:22.599 So what do we do now? This is the whole purpose 00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:24.599 of this message. It's the whole tenor of the 00:36:24.599 --> 00:36:26.760 book of Hebrews. So what do we do in light of 00:36:26.760 --> 00:36:30.780 that? We hold fast with confidence because our 00:36:30.780 --> 00:36:36.219 anchor holds. That's what you can cling to. Let's 00:36:36.219 --> 00:36:41.159 pray. Father, Lord, you have given us your sure 00:36:41.159 --> 00:36:47.099 word. It is good. It is rich. Lord, I think of 00:36:47.099 --> 00:36:49.079 some brothers and sisters from this church right 00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:50.800 now who are going through difficult times. I 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:53.800 think of Christy Davis, Lord, with breast cancer 00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:56.739 and no doubt uncertainty and some fear. God, 00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.519 I pray that, Lord, you would undergird her with 00:36:58.519 --> 00:37:00.860 the strength she needs as she endures this long 00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:03.599 battle ahead of her. Lord, but knowing that, 00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:05.500 Lord God, she is anchored in Christ and that 00:37:05.500 --> 00:37:08.659 is going to give her the strength she needs to 00:37:08.659 --> 00:37:11.159 persevere. Father, I thank you of my sister Rose, 00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:15.159 Lord. who's now in the hospital, Lord, now going 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:18.960 on almost entering into a second week. Father, 00:37:19.019 --> 00:37:20.940 I pray that, God, you would help her, Lord, especially 00:37:20.940 --> 00:37:22.659 as she's battling pleurisy. But, Lord, I know 00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:24.559 that she's not feeling well. And, Lord, God, 00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:26.400 that she's having trouble breathing and other 00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:28.659 things. And, Lord, God, that brings fear. But, 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:32.079 Lord, bring peace with the certainty that she's 00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:34.739 anchored to Christ. Lord, as we got a call last 00:37:34.739 --> 00:37:36.809 night in the middle of the night. Praying for 00:37:36.809 --> 00:37:39.150 John Paul, Lord, as he was on his way to an ER, 00:37:39.269 --> 00:37:41.349 not knowing what was going to happen. Lord, we're 00:37:41.349 --> 00:37:43.170 thankful that we can call upon you, Lord, in 00:37:43.170 --> 00:37:45.630 the darkest moments, even the middle of the night. 00:37:45.730 --> 00:37:47.730 For you don't sleep, you don't slumber, you don't 00:37:47.730 --> 00:37:49.489 take a nap. Lord, you're there for your people. 00:37:49.849 --> 00:37:52.449 We are anchored in heaven. Lord, there are some 00:37:52.449 --> 00:37:54.090 of these dear saints, Lord, who have gone through 00:37:54.090 --> 00:37:57.829 really unbearable things, humanly speaking. But 00:37:57.829 --> 00:37:59.969 their anchor has held because you have given 00:37:59.969 --> 00:38:03.369 them Christ. You're holding us. We're not holding 00:38:03.369 --> 00:38:06.929 you. The anchor is Christ himself, and he's in 00:38:06.929 --> 00:38:09.670 the presence of God. They're mediating for us. 00:38:09.710 --> 00:38:13.250 Thank you for that. Lord, as we prepare to celebrate 00:38:13.250 --> 00:38:15.829 this, Lord, your presence with us at the table, 00:38:15.949 --> 00:38:18.590 Lord, your covenant faithfulness, because you're 00:38:18.590 --> 00:38:21.130 in covenant with us, Lord, you will never, ever 00:38:21.130 --> 00:38:25.789 lie or renege or break a promise. And, Lord, 00:38:25.809 --> 00:38:27.469 that's what we celebrate. This promise has been 00:38:27.469 --> 00:38:31.170 ratified in the body and blood of your son, Jesus. 00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:35.380 And in that, we take comfort and joy. Father, 00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:37.719 we take delight in this. Lord God, meet us at 00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:40.420 this table by your spirit. Not do we only remember, 00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:43.440 but we commune with Jesus, our risen Lord. Thank 00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:45.860 you for the anchor, the one who holds it. Lord 00:38:45.860 --> 00:38:47.659 God, thank you for the gift of salvation in your 00:38:47.659 --> 00:38:50.340 son. Thank you for sending him to the world that 00:38:50.340 --> 00:38:52.500 we might have life in him. Lord, if there's anyone 00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:54.260 here this morning, Lord God, who's away from 00:38:54.260 --> 00:38:56.940 Christ, who's separated from him, may you bring 00:38:56.940 --> 00:38:58.980 this awareness to them, Lord, that the one who 00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:01.710 has a son has life. and the one who does not 00:39:01.710 --> 00:39:03.750 have the Son of God does not have life, but the 00:39:03.750 --> 00:39:06.489 wrath of God abides upon him. Show them, Lord, 00:39:06.510 --> 00:39:08.369 that there is salvation. Lord, open their eyes 00:39:08.369 --> 00:39:11.190 to the beauty and glory that is Christ. Lord, 00:39:11.250 --> 00:39:13.269 we'll want to give you the praise for that. We 00:39:13.269 --> 00:39:16.769 ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Deacons, would 00:39:16.769 --> 00:39:18.030 you come and prepare the table?