*NOTE: What you typically read are simply the sermon notes that are used to preach the sermon.  This sermon did not have any so, upon request, we transcribed it using word translator.  While we have read over it, there may still be some differences from the actual audio recording.

 

The Unpardonable Sin of Rejecting Jesus
Hebrews 10:26-31

Transcript
If you take your Bibles open up to Hebrews chapter 10, I’ll apologize to you. It’s not going to come up on the screen tonight.
One of those weeks where the time didn’t hit exactly like I wanted time to hit and so it never made it from my brain to the paper. Hopefully it makes it from my brain to my mouth tonight and we’ll make it from there.

We’re going to start by reading Hebrews 10 verses 26 through 31 if you’re a note taker. The title of the sermon tonight is “The Unpardonable Sin of Rejecting Jesus”. “The Unpardonable Sin of Rejecting Jesus.” Hebrews chapter 10:26 through 31.

This is the word of God.
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severe punishment do you think he will deserve? Who has trampled under foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again the Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Let’s pray.
Father, you are God and we praise you because you are worthy and Father my prayer tonight is very simply, that you would give me the grace to make Your truth known. Father, it is in fact all about You. It is about the glory of Your Son, the glory of Your name. It is Father about Your word and how You would relay it to us and Lord I just pray that tonight You would; You would stand in the gap and speak truth to us. And Father You would bring glory to Your name and I ask it Father in Jesus name, Amen.

The last Sunday night we met a couple of weeks ago we’ve been talking about this theme of it’s all about Jesus and that that’s a two-part deal. And at one point in the study we will swap and start talking about attributes of Jesus or things that Jesus did and the study will just be about Him. The other half of this study is the fact that you and I need to understand in our life that our life is to be all about Him and so it’s kind of a dual study and we’re still talking about that reality that everything that we do everything in this life is in fact all about Jesus. It all hovers around Him. It all centers on Him.

Last time we met, we talked about the church at Ephesus and we called what happened at the church at Ephesus.
There in Revelation 2, the intolerable failure of Ephesus. And this was a church. If you remember they did everything right.
Seemingly this was a church that started out very weak, very timid, very tolerant in fact. When Paul left Timothy at Ephesus, he wrote in first Timothy 1, that I want you to remain on at Ephesus so that you will instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines. He even told him to set up teachers in accordance with the truth that will teach other people also. And we chronicled all of them throughout 1st and 2nd Timothy and Paul repeatedly told Timothy, you’ve got to oppose Hymenaeus and Alexander, you’ve got to oppose false teachers. You’ve got to oppose those who teach the doctrines of demons. You’ve got to oppose those who watered down the truth and don’t hold to the to the doctrine of godliness. You’ve got to preach the word.
Preach the word. Line up teachers that teach the word. It was all “Be doctrinally sound”; “Stand for the truth”. In fact, Paul told him in first Timothy that I write in case I’m delayed. You’ll know how one ought to conduct himself in the church, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

That was not always Ephesus, they were wishy washy. They were tolerant. They let all things go but by the time we got to the book of the Revelation they had completely flipped the switch. Timothy had done his job because they were a church that not only recognized false apostles, but they put him to the test. They found them to be false. Jesus said, “You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. They were very much stalwarts. They worked, they toiled, they labored for the truth. They persevered, they endured, they didn’t quit; very much a stalwart. They were a beacon of light for the truth and true doctrine, opposing heresy and all things. They were the type of church that we would applaud.

And yet we found out last, or two Sunday nights ago, that Jesus was about to close the doors on that church. He was about to remove their lamp stand, which equated to basically poofing them out as a church and the reason was they had left their first love. What we learned was that the role and presence and love of Jesus in the church is by far the most integral piece of the church. If the church does everything right, but misses their love for Jesus, the whole thing falls apart. It’s like a marriage where there’s service and work and duty, but there’s no love and it’s kind of an empty shell at that point. What you understand that Jesus taught us two Sunday nights ago is that when the church doesn’t love Jesus, if that’s not their main priority, if they’re not the Mary sitting at his feet doing the one thing that’s necessary according to Jesus. That is absolutely intolerable. He will not put up with that. He will close the doors on a church that does not love Him.

Well tonight I want to show you the flip side of that. When the church misses Jesus, that’s intolerable. When the world misses Jesus, it is absolutely unpardonable. It is the one thing that cannot be forgiven. It is the one thing that will not be forgiven. It is the one thing that will secure your reservation in hell faster than anything else. And that is to go through this life and miss Jesus.

And I want to kind of give you the theological backdrop to that just so you understand it. And by the way, most of what we’re going to cover tonight is pretty basic elementary. It’s going to be more of a driving home known truth, than it is exposing anything new.

But turn back with me to Romans chapter 1. And you’re going to have to do lots of flipping, so that’s why God gave you fingers, Romans chapter one, and you’ll notice sometimes the thumb is real handy if you do that deal. So Romans chapter one and look at verse 18. And I want to briefly hit this just so you’ll kind of have the basis of understanding as to why He is so significant, why He is so integral to the plan of the world. In Romans 1:18 you remember Paul is defending the gospel and he’s talking about why the gospel is so important. Namely, because the gospel reveals to us the righteousness of God.

But then Paul makes the important statement in verse 18 of Romans 1, when he says for the wrath of God, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. It doesn’t say the wrath of God will be revealed as though the coming judgment, which it will, he says the wrath of God is revealed.
If you want to know why God’s wrath abides on humanity, it is simple unrighteousness, it abides on the wicked because of unrighteousness.

The psalmist said that God is angry at the wicked every day. There is a wrath of God that is present here and now on ungodliness, on unrighteousness, on wickedness. If you don’t know what that is, read the rest of Romans chapter one. God will spell that out, and you see men who are exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of a corruptible man, of birds, and of four footed animals, and crawling creatures. Verse 24, says therefore God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity. You understand here that God is giving men over to their sin because of their sinful choices. If you need a good example of that, sometime go home and get on Google and type in the ostrich footed people of Zimbabwe and you’ll find the people that, many of them can’t walk at all. But their feet have so deformed and got gnarly and almost basically all their feet are a great big triangle shape with just two big, they’re not really toes, but that’s what it looks like. And as I said, some of them are so deformed that they can’t even walk once they’re born. It’s a genetic mutation in a specific tribe known as the Ostrich Footed people. That mutation began because a witch doctor told that tribe that in order to be true to their deity, they should not marry outside of their clan. And so years of incest have led to this. Genetic mutation and it is an exact representation of what God speaks of in Romans chapter one, because they would not honor God and they worshipped false gods and they did what false gods told them to do. God gave them over in the lust of their flesh to impurity, and their bodies became dishonored.

That is, the present wrath of God on sin. You can go on in verse 26 to find the present wrath of God on homosexuality. You can go on in verse 28 and find the present wrath of God on depravity. Those things are evidence of God’s wrath, and so you and I have to understand primarily that God has a very present, real wrath on unrighteousness even today; that’s genuine and real.

The reason Jesus becomes so significant then is because He is, in fact our only source of obtaining righteousness. He’s the only place to get it. He’s the only vendor, He’s got a monopoly on it. You don’t get it anywhere else, so flip over to Romans 3, verse 21. You remember many of the Jews thought that righteousness was found in the Law and obeying the Law and doing the works of the Law. And if you can keep it to the letter, then you’ll be righteous. And I suppose that’s true if you could. But you can’t, and so you’re not. Romans 3:21 shows us where you do get the righteousness that God demands.

Paul wrote, “But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested”, has been made known. And he says it’s not some obscure, some foreign, some surprising righteousness. It’s an actual righteousness that was witnessed to us by the law and the prophets, even Moses, and even the prophets knew that righteousness was coming this way. And Paul says it’s also not some cheap bargain righteousness in verse 22. He says it is even the righteousness of God. So when he’s offering new righteousness here in verse 21, he’s not talking about some synthetic knockoff. He’s telling you I’m going to show you how to get the righteousness of God and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe and there is no distinction, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption, which is in Christ Jesus.

He is the only means of obtaining the righteousness that God demands you have. It is that which is echoed again, in the famous verse in 2 Corinthians 5:21 in which Paul said, “He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. And so this is the theological backdrop to why I’m telling you when the world misses Jesus it’s absolutely unpardonable. Because in Jesus you only get righteousness. You can’t get it anywhere else.
The wrath of God is on unrighteousness. If you want to be made righteous, it only comes in Christ. And so you get righteousness in no one else; missing Him then, is absolutely unpardonable.

And So what I want to do tonight is just show you the basic truth that you know. We’re going to get back to Hebrews, and I’m just going to give you 3 points tonight. It’s a little topical. Um, hang with me on that, but I want to show you that very simple reality about Jesus being that only means of salvation, and that only means of righteousness, and why if you miss Him, you miss it all.

The first thing I want to give you as a point in regard to this is very simply, when we talk about Jesus being the only way of salvation; the only means of righteousness.

The first thing I want to show you is that Jesus himself declared that. #1 Jesus declared it. He came flat out and said I’m the only way, I’m the only person. If you’re going to get it, it’s going to come through Me. You’re all familiar with John 14:6 right? “I am the way, the truth, the life” what? That’s right, “No man comes to the Father except through me.” That’s the most blatant and direct one.

But do you understand that Jesus made that statement time and time and time again? Every time He made the statement, “I am the…” He didn’t say, “I am one of…” “I am a…”
It’s “I am the light of the world.”
“I am the bread which comes down from heaven.”
“I am the Good Shepherd.”
“I am the true vine.”
“I am the doorway of the sheep.”
“I am the resurrection and the life.”

Every time He made that statement He was telling you I am something that no one else is. I am singular. I am alone. No one else can claim to be the light of the world or the bread from heaven or the Good Shepherd or the doorway. No one else can make that claim. Every time Jesus used that and said “I Am”, He was reiterating again the same thing He told us specifically in John 14:6; and that is if you want what God requires, you’re only going to get it one place. You’re only going to get it from Me that’s it.

Turn with me to Luke Chapter 10. There’s another example of this. Luke, chapter 10. Just another… just to kind of build it in your mind. The bank here. In reality, the exclusivity of Jesus. Luke chapter 10 verse 21. Jesus made a great statement. And says, “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, I praise you, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. Yes, father for this way was this way was well pleasing in Your sight.”

(*NOTE: Luke 10:21 was read, but the comments that followed refer to Matthew 11:27, pretty sure I read the wrong verse.) Matthew 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Now notice what He says. “All things” Does that include everything? Yeah, “all things have been handed over to Me by My Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. There’s only One person that ever had access to intimate knowledge of the Father. There’s only One person that ever had the means to introduce anybody to the Father, and the only person that ever gets to know the Father is the person what whom the Son introduces to Him. If the Son doesn’t bring you home, you don’t get in the father’s door. If you’re not introduced by Him, it just doesn’t happen. He is exclusive and Jesus proclaimed this time and time again.

I want to give you one more example from Jesus that he declared it. Turn over to Luke Chapter 18. You’re familiar with the account we gave last week in regard to Mary and Martha. Most people are familiar with that in regard to Jesus importance among those who worship. Martha; so busy and she’s serving and she’s mad because Mary is not helping at all. And she says Lord, tell her to get up and help me. And Jesus said, Martha, you’re bothered by so many things. Remember, and then He said, what? “One thing is necessary”. Right, Mary’s chosen a good part. I’m not going to take that away from her. One thing Martha, only one thing really matters. If it says one thing really matters… Well what’s true for the church is also true for the world.

Luke chapter 18 verse 20 verse 18.
“A ruler questioned him”, and you’re going to know who this is. We call him the rich young ruler because he was rich, he was young, and he was a ruler, were quick like that. It says, “A ruler questioned him saying Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So please understand the motive here. This is a young man. When it says a ruler, he’s probably a synagogue ruler, so he’s very versed in spiritual things, and he understands there’s something he needs. What does he need? He needs eternal life. I want eternal life. You’re a good teacher. You seem to understand things. You seem to have a grasp on eternal things. So in order to cover my bases, I’m coming to ask You what should I do? I want to go to heaven when I die. What should I do so that I can go to heaven? Man, we would call him a seeker? Jesus said to him, “Why do You call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Now Jesus wasn’t insinuating there that He is not righteous. What He was trying to do was rattle this man’s chain a little bit because He wanted him to understand that good is a word we throw around far too easily.
The Bible tell… You know, we say it all the time. This was good. That was good. This was good. Whatever. The Bible only used the word good one time. The Lord saw all that He created and said, behold, it is what? Good. We read the next chapter. Sin entered the world, and God doesn’t call much good after that. And so it’s a little bit arrogant that this man would come to Jesus and say what good thing must I do? Jesus wants to kind of cut him off instantly and say OK, we need to drop good for a second because if you’re talking about good in the sense that God requires good; good in the sense of holiness; good in the sense of righteousness. We’re not even going to get there, so drop that thinking from your mind.

But that’s where this guy is. He wanted to do good and Jesus said no one is good except God alone. But he says look, you know the commandments. Why wouldn’t you? You’re a synagogue ruler. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. And He gives five of the 10 Commandments. They’re all real basic ones and He says, “You know what they are”. And notice what this young man says. And I don’t necessarily know that it’s an arrogant statement. He just says “All these things I’ve kept from my youth” There are many times in your life; if I were to come up to you and say, “Name me your sin right now”, some of you probably could, but some of you would honestly say, “I don’t know what it is right now.” I mean, I…I’m not aware of anything. Paul once said, “I’m conscious of nothing against myself, yet I’m not by this acquitted” right? I…I don’t know what it is specifically in my mind. I don’t know that this young man was being arrogant. He’s just telling Jesus, “Well, yeah, I mean I do that. I don’t commit adultery. I’ve never murdered anybody. I don’t steal. I don’t lie about people. I do honor my father and mother. And I mean, my guess is if I ask you in here, “Do you do this?” If it weren’t for the knowledge you received from the Sermon on the Mount that all these things can occur in the heart, you would probably say, “I’ve never done it either” right? I just don’t do those things. I’ve not done them. All these things I’ve kept for my youth. And I’ve done it my whole life.

Now notice verse 22. When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack”. Sounds similar to what he told Martha. One thing is necessary, right? It’s the same thing with this rich young ruler. One thing. One thing you still like. You’re gonna have to sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow Me. The one thing he lacks is what? The following Jesus. Now he has to get rid of all those heart idols because those are the things that keep him from following Jesus. That’s why he can’t follow. He’s bound up and entangled by all his possessions in life. He can’t just leave it alone. Jesus said, follow Me and he said, “I can’t because”…

And by the way, any one of us would have any one of those types of heart idols in our life, by which we would make an excuse. While we couldn’t follow Jesus, and it’s not always money, many times people think that the key to the gospel is selling all that you have. Look, you don’t have to sell all that, you have to be a Christian. It’s always seemed unfair that the rich young ruler had to give it all and Zacchaeus only had to give half right? It’s because it’s not about the money, it’s about the heart, and some people had to leave father and mother. Some people had to leave their jobs. Some people had to leave their money. Everybody has to leave behind whatever it is that’s important and that was the point. You’ve got to leave behind this thing, controlling you because you need to.

Follow me, that’s the one thing you lack. You are a walking model of the church at Ephesus. You have succeeded both financially and spiritually because you’re a synagogue ruler. You’ve done it from a young age. You’re a man who has his mind on spiritual things. You’re a moral person because you do all the right things and everybody sees that you’re a seeking individual and you’ve come to the Lord to ask questions. So I’m just going to tell you, you’ve gotten everything right except one thing, and that’s the one thing that you can’t miss, which is Me. You’re not following me.

And so again, Jesus is reiterating time and time again, that one reality, that He is absolutely exclusive. He declared this over and over and over and over. I am the…I am the… The only way you’re going to get this, is to come to me; through me; so that I can take you to the father and declare you righteous.

So when we talk about the exclusivity of Jesus, it’s not just a John 14:6 thing. This permeates the teaching of Jesus.
He declared it over and over and over and over and over.

Jesus declared it.
#2. The apostles proclaimed it.

This was central in their preaching as well. Turn over to Acts, Chapter 4, verse 12. Acts chapter 4, verse 12.

Peter has landed himself in hot water, or rather, the Lord has landed Peter in hot water. But it didn’t matter to Peter. He has healed that man who is crippled in his feet and everybody is upset because he did it in the name of Jesus and they want him to quit doing it in the name of Jesus. And Peter, of course, refuses to stop, and it says in acts Chapter 4, verse 11; Peter, preaching about the Lord to the chief priest says, “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.” And here’s what Peter had to say. Incidentally, “There is salvation in no one else, for there’s no other name under heaven that’s been given among men by which we must be saved.” Peter was very adamant to those who listened. If you’re talking about salvation, if you’re talking about pleasing the father, you’re not going to get it anywhere else but Jesus. It’s absolutely exclusive to Him. He is the only means; the only way of ever being saved, Peter preached it.

Let me show you Paul.
First Timothy Chapter 2. First Timothy Chapter 2. Flip flip, flip. You can do it. First Timothy Chapter 2. The first four verses of First Timothy. Two are the reason we pray for the lost every Sunday night. The Bible says that God desires us to pray for the lost, especially those in authority, that we can live a quiet life in all dignity God desires. It says in verse 4, God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And then Paul lays it out for you. In verse 5, he says, “There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony given at the proper time.” Paul says it as well. If you want to know how you get from here to God, there’s only one mediator.
It’s only one channel. There’s only one highway, that is the Lord. It is Jesus Christ because He is the one who gave his life a ransom for all. He’s the one who paid the debt. He’s the one that makes men righteous. If you want to get to the Father, there’s only one way to get to the Father, that’s through Christ.

So Peter’s preaching it Paul is preaching. Turn to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John Chapter 2. This verse is actually a bit misunderstood from time to time. But it’ll… hopefully I’ll make you… I hope you understand it first. 1 John Chapter 2.

“Little children”, this is verses one and two “My little children I’m writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” Obviously that’s the problem, right? Sin’s the thing that separates sin’s the thing that wrecks everything. I’m writing, so you won’t sin. “However, if anyone sins, you need to know we have an advocate with the Father.” There’s someone who will go before the Father on your behalf. It is Jesus Christ, the righteous. Now notice what John says, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” Now this is the verse that gets a little misconstrued. This is one of the verses that if you start talking about election and what is commonly called limited atonement, meaning that Christ died for the elect, people will pull this first up and say no no no no.
No, it says that He’s the propitiation for the world. If you translate that verse that way then… As though to say Christ died and paid the sin for everybody, you’re not understanding this verse. The word propitiation there is far too strong a word for anything temporary. It is far too strong a word for anything that is only possible. It is far too strong a word for anything that is conditional, or available. To say that Christ was the propitiation for our sins, is to say that He was in fact the appeasement. It is not a word that means He could be; He might be; He is possibly. That’s not what that means. It’s it’s akin to when Jesus on the cross said it is finished, it is done. It is paid in full. He didn’t say “It started”. He said “It’s finished” and here John says He is the appeasement. He has atoned, He has appeased the wrath of God on our sins.

Now, if you let that word be as strong as it literally is, and then you pass it on to the whole world, then it reads as though not only has He fully atoned for all our sin, but He is also fully atoned for everybody in the world at the same time. And if He has fully atoned for everybody in the world at the same time. Then nobody goes to hell, right? That’s called universalism. That’s not what John is saying. He is not saying that Jesus, when He died on the cross, He fully atoned for all believers and all unbelievers all at the same time. That’s not what he’s saying. What John is saying is this. He is the propitiation for our sins. He is our savior. The elect, He is the believer’s Savior. But guess what? As far as the world is concerned, He’s their only Savior too. He’s the only one they’re ever going to get.

It’s not as though Christians run to Jesus for salvation and Muslims run to Mohammed and Buddhists run to Buddha and Hindus run to whoever for their salvation. Jesus is the only one for everybody. He’s the only savior anybody is ever going to get. Not just for believers, but for in fact the whole world. It doesn’t mean they’re all saved, but it does mean if they’re going to be saved, there’s only one place they’re going to go to get it, and that’s Jesus Christ. He is the only propitiation for sin. He’s the only Savior. And so you get this reality that not only did Jesus come up and declare that I’m the only way, I’m the one that gets you to the father. But all those who followed the Lord, all those apostles, they came in in an exact similarity and said, we agree, salvation and no one else, one mediator; the only propitiation for sin. It’s Jesus. It’s Jesus. It’s Jesus. You’re not going to be saved apart from Him If you miss him, you’ve missed it all.

So Jesus declared it.
The apostles proclaimed it, and I want to give you one more point in that regard, and that is that.

#3 Eternity confirms it.
Eternity confirms it.

Turn to revelation. Chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20. The Great White Throne judgment. You’re familiar with this. Verse 11, Revelation chapter 20 verse 11.

John here in his vision says, “I saw a great white throne and him who set upon it. From whose presence, Earth and Heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds.” And you’re familiar with that reality. We’ve talked about the judgment in all the books that are open and all the things that are recorded. Some day every word you’ve spoken, every deed you’ve done, it’s all recorded. It’s all there; all that’s there. And if anybody, you’ll see here in regard to the Book of Life, is not there, then they’re judged according to those books.

But it goes on to say in verse 13, “and the sea gave up the dead, which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead, which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.” That’s a way of saying you can’t run and you can’t. Yeah, you can’t hide and it doesn’t matter. What about somebody whose plane was blown up in World War II?
It does not matter. Somehow God will pull the molecules back together and they will stand here. It’s going to happen. The judgment is reality, and people are judged by their deeds.

But it’s vitally important you understand what John sees next. Verse 14, It says “then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” That would be people who had already died without the Lord. They were already in torment, and now they’re officially judged and go to hell. “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire”, and here it is, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life. He was thrown into the lake of fire”. Now yes, all people are judged by their deeds, but they stamped their ticket into hell when their name was not recorded in that book. That’s the one that made the difference. What they did with Christ. This Lamb’s book of life. If their name was there, it wasn’t their deeds, their name in that book separated them and delivered them.

Look at Revelation 21, verse 22. This is John describing heaven and you’ll see it again. We’ve already seen people that do not have their name recorded in the Lambs Book of Life go to hell. Now notice what happens to those who have their name recorded in the book. In 21:22, “I saw no temple in it for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are it’s temple and the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it for the glory of God is illuminated it. Its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the Earth will bring their glory into it in the daytime. For there will be no night there. It’s gates will never be closed, and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.” And here we go, “And nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination in lying shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life.” I mean, do you see the central figure here? Do you see the absolute important reality? It’s what you’ve done with Jesus. And now granted, the less sin, the better. You’re going to throw your life in less turmoil if you’re in less sin, and God’s wrath abides on your sin, and so we are definitely against sin. But when we’re talking about heaven and hell, one thing matters, and that is what you do with Jesus. That’s what you do with Christ.

That’s why we can say that in the church it’s absolutely intolerable to reject Jesus because you’re missing the point. But in the world, it’s absolutely unpardonable. You can’t be forgiven if you reject Christ, that’s absolutely impossible.

And with that, now let’s go back. Finally, to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, and look again at verse 26. If you’re familiar with the Book of Hebrews, the whole theme of it is trying to get these Jews to come to Jesus. In fact, he has made a very strong case that rejecting Jesus is in fact sin. That’s his point. And so when he talks about in verse 26, “If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth.” He’s not saying if we keep cussing after we’ve been told not to cuss, or if we keep stealing after we’ve been told not to steal. What he’s saying is if we keep rejecting Jesus after we know He really is the Son of God, that’s what he’s saying. If we keep rejecting Christ.

Then he says in verse 26 there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. You get the point. There’s only ever been one who died for sinners. If you reject that you’re not going to get another one, there’s not going to be a different one. There is no other means. There is no other way. We keep rejecting him; there’s not a sacrifice for sins.

You say? Well, what’s left? I’ll show you what’s left. Verse 27. All that’s left is a terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of fire, which will consume the adversaries. If you reject Jesus, what do you have to look forward to? Judgment and Hellfire. That’s it, there’s nothing else. He’s that central. There’s not going to be a wild card. There’s not going to be some, “Oh, never mind, let him in.” It’s not going to happen. You miss Christ and you miss everything.

He goes on to confirm that in a real Jewish reality. In verse 28 he says, look “anyone who set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” And that’s true. Read the law sometime. You go out and willfully sin, and two witnesses come up and say… That’s a blatant distance, uh, I can’t think of the… The insubordination that’s blatant disobedience to God. They’ll stone you. Two or three witnesses say that you just adamantly and defiantly rebelled against God, you’re stoned to death. That’s it. They knew that.

He goes on to say in verse 29, well If you can be stoned to death for simply breaking the law of Moses. “How much severe punishment do you think he will deserve? Who has trampled under foot the son of God?” Someone who has completely rejected and thrown Jesus aside as insignificant. How much severe punishment will they deserve? Who’s trampled under foot the son of God? Or someone who has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified? Someone who saw the blood of Jesus as something to be thrown out. Something who saw the sacrifice of Jesus as something to be discarded. Something who saw the sacrifice of Jesus, and the blood that He shed as something of little value that needed to be taken outside the camp and thrown away as that which will make you unclean. He said how much severe punishment do you think someone will deserve who’s done that?

And how much severe punishment do you think he’ll deserve who has insulted the spirit of grace? You say, well, how do you insult the spirit of grace? Is it not the spirit of grace that knocks on your heart and confirms to you that Jesus is the only way of salvation and calls you to be saved? That’s Him that does that work. And when you tell Him to get lost, you tell Him to be quiet and you tell Him to leave me alone, that’s insulting. He is God, by the way, that’s insulting to Him.

And so the writer of Hebrews says, I’m just curious if you’re going to totally trample under foot Jesus and see Him as unworthy, and you’re going to throw his blood out the side window, as though it’s insignificant and you’re going to insult the Holy Spirit when He tells you to come to Jesus. How much punishment do you think you’re going to receive from God, right? There’s nothing left.

He goes on to say in verse 34, “We know Him who said vengeance is Mine, I will repay and again the Lord will judge His people.” You know who God is. He’s saying, you know, that God is not a God who just overlooks this type of thing. I know we do a lot of talk about the love and mercy. We’ve got… and we should because what He did with his son on the cross is absolutely loving and merciful. But read the Old Testament sometime and don’t forget who He is. Don’t forget the wrath and judgment and vengeance of God. I mean look what He did to some of those nations. Look at what He did to Egypt for the way they afflicted His people. Look at what He did to Babylon for the way they afflicted His people. Look at what He did to Assyria. This is not a minor thing. He is the God of vengeance and He will judge His people. And the writer of Hebrews just leaves you with a real solid warning, “it’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” That’s not where you want to go. That’s not what you want to have happen. And that happens for all those who reject Christ, the only sacrifice for sins.

That’s why we say that missing Jesus in the church is intolerable. Jesus has no use for a church that doesn’t love him, but missing Jesus in the world is absolutely unpardonable. You cannot be forgiven of that because he’s the means of forgiveness. And so you can run to God with any sin you’ve committed, I don’t care how bad it is or what you’ve done. I don’t care what you said or what you’ve drank or whatever else, you can run to the Lord, and you can confess that sin and the Bible says he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if you reject Christ, there is no forgiveness for that. He’s absolutely exclusive. He’s absolutely essential in that regard.

And so when we come and we talk on Sunday nights about it being all about Jesus, you have to understand that’s true. And it doesn’t matter if you’re in the church or outside, He is without a doubt the central figure of all things. He is the most important, the highest, the most loftiest, and whether that entails our worship or it involves our evangelism, it all centers around Him. It’s all Him. We meet in here and He has to become the focal point. He has to become the main thing. It has to be Him above everything else. And when we go out there, that can’t change.

The message to people doesn’t need to be quit drinking, quit sleeping around, quit being gay, quit having abortions. They can do all of that and like the rich young ruler still lack the one thing that matters. It’s not about moralizing people. It’s not about packing people into this church. It’s not about making people like us. It’s not even just about building relationships.

Carrie and I’ve talked about it a lot. One of the things that we really believe in regard to Little League is that it is a tremendous opportunity to build relationships, because if nothing else, people are outside of their house and they’re all gathered in one place and so you can walk up and down the dirt there and rub elbows and talk and build relationships with all kinds of people.
It’s a great thing, but the goal is not building relationships. The goal is not making friends. It’s still Jesus, because I’ve got to tell you, they can be your friends, but without Jesus they’ll be your friends in hell, right? He’s that essential. You can’t miss him.

And so to say it’s all about Jesus is the understatement of all understatements. Everything regarding Him matters. Whether it’s our worship or our ministry, it is in fact all about Him.

Let’s pray.
Father, we come to You because You are God and we praise You because You’re worthy and we thank You, Jesus, for who You are and Father, I feel compelled every time we talk about this, to tell You that I’m sorry that He has not been a focal point enough. We want it to all be about Him. And I recognize in my life times when it’s not, when it’s about other things, even at times when we gather in this Church building to worship, it becomes about other things than Him, and that’s wrong.
Father help us to remember that it is all about Jesus when we gather in here to worship, it’s about adoring Him and loving Him and proclaiming Him and seeking Him and trusting Him. But help us to remember. It’s also all about Him when we step out these doors because there’s a lost and dying world that doesn’t have Him. And if they don’t have Him, they’re going to miss everything, and so let Jesus be the number one word on our lips. Let it be all about loving Him and serving Him and praising Him and sharing Him, because this world needs Him, they need Him worse than anything. Jesus guide us, direct us, help us to elevate You in all things as the absolute preeminent One that You may come to have first place in everything and it’s in Your name I pray, Amen.

God’s Plan – part 2
Genesis 45:16 – 46:27
April 12, 2015

I realize it’s been a couple of weeks since we were in Genesis,
Having taken a week to celebrate Easter.

However I want to quickly pull your mind
Back to this incredible journey Moses is taking us on.

It is “The Gospel According to Moses”
• Adam taught us the dangers of sin (that we should avoid it)
• Noah taught us the inevitability of judgment (that we should escape it)
• Abraham taught us the possibility of salvation (that we should seek it)
• Jacob taught us the necessity of sanctification (that we should accept it)
• Joseph is teaching us the reality of providence (that we should trust it)

God has a plan
God fulfills His plan
And many times God does so in ways that we would have never expected.

And that is certainly true in the life of Joseph.

If you will remember, the end of Genesis is about the salvation of Israel.
Specifically it is about the salvation of Judah,
Since it is through Judah that Jesus Christ will be born.

The means through which God has set out to save Judah
Has been interesting to say the least.
• Make Joseph’s brothers jealous of Joseph
• Cause them to sell Joseph to Egypt
• Have Joseph purchased by a man with an unfaithful wife
• Have that wife try and seduce Joseph
• Have Joseph resist, infuriate the wife, be falsely accused and imprisoned
• Have Joseph encounter two servants of Pharaoh in prison
• Let Joseph sit in prison until one of those servants remembers Joseph before Pharaoh
• Have Joseph devise the plan to save Egypt
• Have Joseph promoted to second in command in Egypt
• Send a famine in Canaan
• Cause Joseph’s brothers to seek out food in Egypt
• Use Joseph to test his brothers and lead them to repentance
• Use Joseph to save his family

It really is a story you have to see to believe.
It is the mind-boggling wisdom of God.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Or as Paul said in Romans:
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

God is up to things that we just can’t fathom.
It was God’s plan to save Israel from famine.
It was God’s plan to save Israel from annihilation in Canaan.

God’s objective is to move Israel into Egypt.
No, Egypt is not the Promised Land, and it is not the inheritance.

• But right now Israel is too small to possess that land.
• Furthermore we have already seen through Esau and Judah the
propensity for Israel to intermarry with the Canaanites.

The objective is to move Israel to a land where
They can maintain their national identity and purity
While also populating into a nation great enough
To inhabit the land of promise.

God’s plan is to move them to Egypt.
Egypt will literally be the incubator where God will grow a nation.

That is evident in the fact that they were 70 when they entered
And like the sand of the seashore when they left.

This is God’s plan
And Genesis 45 & 46 finally reveal that plan to us.

We really already looked at what could have been considered
THE FIRST POINT two weeks ago in looking at Joseph.

We could have called the first stage of that plan:
THE SENDING OF JOSEPH

And Joseph reiterated that reality to his brothers
When he finally disclosed his identity to them.

READ: Genesis 45:4-15

That was the first leg of the plan.
Joseph realized that it had all been God’s doing.

(8) “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God;”

All the suffering, all the adversity, all the hardships were the means
Through which God was using Joseph to save his family.

God sent Joseph to Egypt to pave the way for the rest of his family.

This morning we continue looking at this plan of God.
The Sending of Joseph was just part of what God was doing.

This morning let me show you what else God was doing.
And I think you’ll find that God’s fingerprints are all over this story.

Hopefully it will help you to see God’s fingerprints all over your story as well.

4 additional areas where we clear see God at work.
#1 THE SOFTENING OF PHARAOH
Genesis 45:16-23

This is a very unique part of the story.

First I just want you to recognize the extreme generosity and favor
That Pharaoh is demonstrating toward Joseph and his family.

(16) “it pleased Pharaoh”
(18) “take your father and your households and come to me”
(18) “I will give you the best of the land of Egypt”
(19) “take wagons from the land of Egypt”
(20) “the best of all the land of Egypt is yours”

And look at what Pharaoh sent with Joseph’s brothers
(21) “wagons” & “provisions for the journey”
(22) “changes of garments” – (5 to Benjamin)
(23) “ten donkeys loaded…ten female donkeys loaded”

Understand that Joseph personally owned nothing.
He started out in Egypt as a slave and was still a servant of Pharaoh.
All that Joseph gave his brothers was really from Pharaoh.

Pharaoh is being generous beyond understanding.

DOES THIS SEEM STRANGE TO YOU?
It should.

We already know that Hebrews are loathsome to Egyptians.
Genesis 43:32 “So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.”

We will soon learn that shepherds are loathsome to Egyptians.
Genesis 46:33-34 “When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”

 

Furthermore we know Egypt is not in the best of economic conditions.
Genesis 47:11-13 “So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to their little ones. Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.”

And so the fact that Pharaoh would take the best from Egypt
(a nation that is struggling)
And give it all to a people they hate
Who maintain an occupation they can’t stand…This is bizarre!

It would be like the United States sending 1 billion dollars to aid members of Al Qaeda so that they could relocate here.

What Pharaoh is doing doesn’t make sense.
WHY IS HE DOING IT?

By now you should know the answer.
HE ISN’T – GOD IS.

This is another demonstration of the providence of God.
God has softened Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring Israel into Egypt.

I hope are already putting 2&2 together
To see the similarities that will occur in 450 years.

Today He will soften Pharaoh’s heart to bring Israel in.
Later He will harden Pharaoh’s heart to send Israel out.

Today He is causing Egypt to pay Israel to arrive.
Later He will cause Egypt to pay Israel to leave.

Today He uses a man who entered Pharaoh’s house to bring them in.
Later He will use a man who abandoned Pharaoh’s house to lead them out.

It is all a part of the Providence of God.
It is all a part of God’s plan.
His fingerprints are all over the story.

He has worked to send Joseph to Egypt, and now He has softened Pharaoh’s heart to offer his nation as a shelter for Israel.
It really is quite remarkable.

The Sending of Joseph, The Softening of Pharaoh
#2 THE SENTIMENT OF JACOB
Genesis 45:24-28

Again we have an important picture.
Joseph’s brothers go back to Jacob to convince him to return to Egypt.

So Joseph’s brothers are loaded with goods (it will prove significant)
And Joseph gives them some advice.

(24) “So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.”

I know that sounds like a peculiar statement.
So Joseph just wanted his brothers to all get along?

Well, I’m sure he did, but it really is more than that.

“quarrel” translates RAGAZ in the Hebrew.
It can mean to “quarrel” or to be “irritated”
It can also mean “to tremble”

2 Samuel 7:10 “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,”

Deuteronomy 2:25 “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

Psalms 99:1 “The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!”

I don’t think Joseph wants his brothers not to fight,
I think he wants his brothers not to be afraid.

WHY WOULD THEY?

Well, this isn’t the first time he’s sent them away.
• And each of the previous two times they were perplexed, both by the money in
their sack and then by the fact that Benjamin had Joseph’s cup.

I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say that
It is possible that Joseph’s brothers
Might have wondered if this wasn’t another trick.

Joseph here assures them that it is not.
Don’t tremble, don’t be afraid, this isn’t a trick – go get my father.

Well, that is a simple enough command,
But don’t assume it will be easy to enforce.

Jacob is old, and Jacob already spent
Many years outside of the land of promise.

Convincing Jacob to just up and leave the Promised Land
May turn out to be a very difficult task.

But you will see that Jacob’s boys
Won’t even have to try and convince him.
JACOB WILL WANT TO GO.

READ (25-28)

God put a desire in Jacob’s heart to cause him to want to come to Egypt.

And listen, God does this sort of thing.

Psalms 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Molding a man’s desires is one of the very unique ways
That God orchestrates His providential guidance.

I recall my own calling to preach.
• After I was saved, I started having a strong desire to preach, but knew it is not
something you do just because you want to.

• In fact, even amidst God’s call, I wouldn’t do it, simply because I wanted to do
it so badly (sounds backward I know)

Until I read 1 Timothy
1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

For the first time I realized that desiring to be a preacher was ok.
It is like God said, “Well where do you think that desire came from anyway?”

God put His Spirit in me.
The Spirit manifested the gift of preaching in me.
And God accompanied that gift/calling with the desire to do it.
It was all part of God’s providential plan.

Now, granted following your desires can be a tricky thing,
After all, we all have the flesh that most certainly does not
Desire the things of God.

The flesh, along with its desires, must be crucified.

However,
• If you are genuinely seeking the will of God…
• If you are crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires…
• If you only want God’s will in your life…
Then pay attention to your desires,
For God orchestrates those according to His purposes.
To you, going to Africa might be the worst thing imaginable,
But to many in here, it is what they desire.

To you, preaching a sermon might be the scariest thing in the world,
But I’m miserable if I don’t get to.

And I promise God has placed desires on your heart that I want no part of.

The point is that God guides us even with our desires,
And that is what He is doing here with Jacob.

God took an old man at the end of his life
And caused him to want to move to Egypt.

That is the Providential hand of God to fulfill His plan.

The Sending of Joseph, the Softening of Pharaoh, the Sentiment of Jacob
#3 THE SURETY OF HIS WORD
Genesis 46:1-4

This one is probably the most obvious to you,
As we all understand the importance of God speaking through His word.

We certainly look at outward circumstances like Joseph and Pharaoh.
We may even look at our desires like Jacob,
But ultimately we want to know if all of those things
Line up with God’s word.

And this is a good reminder.

If circumstances say yes and your desires say yes,
But God’s word says “No”, then the answer is no.

God’s word trumps them all.

But when God’s providential guidance is involved,
The circumstances, the desires, and His word
All work in perfect harmony as you see here.

SEE IT HERE
• Jacob wants to go to Egypt.
• He actually wants to leave the land of promise to see his son.
• However, Jacob is smart enough to know that he had better make sure that this is ok with God.
• So Jacob does not saddle up his donkey and go straight to Egypt.
• Jacob heads straight for Beersheba.

This is obvious practical application.
Always test your thoughts and desires by God’s revealed will.
And God will confirm His plan to Jacob.

READ (2-4)

And notice how God answered what must have been
The most burdensome issues on Jacob’s mind.

Jacob would have had natural fear and anxiety about traveling there.
However God assures Jacob that He has A CERTAIN PURPOSE.

(3) “He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”

God actually revealed to Jacob that the desire he had to go
Was a God-given desire. Jacob should not fear going.

Furthermore, God revealed to Jacob that there was purpose in it.
• It would be in Egypt where God would make Jacob into a great nation.

• It would be in Egypt where God would multiply and grow them into the people
they needed to become.

Secondly God promises Jacob HIS CONTINUAL PRESENCE
(4) “I will go down with you Egypt”

And that is obviously huge.
You won’t be traveling there in spite of Me, or without Me.

God confirmed to Jacob that he would not walk there alone.

Thirdly God reminded Jacob of THE COMING DELIVERANCE
(4b) “I will surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”

Jacob may very will die in Egypt, but Israel will not stay there forever.

Jacob’s heading to Egypt would not change or nullify the promise of God
To give Abraham’s land to Abraham’s descendants.

It is confirmation from the very word of God.

Incidentally, it is consistent with what God told Abraham.
Genesis 15:12-16 “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”
This all fits perfectly together,
And you and I are able to see that this plan is God’s plan.

The circumstances fit it perfectly,
Jacob’s desire is to do it,
God’s word confirms it.

You can see how God is working His plan out to perfection.

There is one more thing that helps us to recognize that this plan is of God.
#4 THE SUCCESS OF HIS PLAN
Genesis 46:5-27

Very simply, it worked.

• All of Israel safely came to Egypt.
• They were small in number, only 70, but God brought them safely in.
• And for the next 450 years Israel would grow into a mighty nation.
• They would be preserved from intermarriage (since Hebrews are loathsome to Egyptians)
• And they would be provided for as they grow and multiply.

Strangely enough that is one of the ways that we identify God’s plan.

I heard a preacher once say,
“The best way to know the will of God is in the rear view mirror”

And I have to agree.

There have been many times in my life
That I didn’t have a clue what God was up to,
Or even what He specifically wanted,
However later down the road I could look back over the trail
And see that He worked His perfect will in and through me.

That’s one of the ways we recognize God’s plan,
We look back and see what He did.

We know it is God’s plan because it worked,
God accomplished His purposes.

Now granted, more hardship is on its way.
Slavery is coming.

And by now hopefully you are realizing that
Slavery would be the means God would use
To cause Israel to want to leave.

If your people lived in a land for 450 years (about twice as long as America has existed) wouldn’t you begin to see that land as home?
God would need a means to cause Israel to want to leave,
Slavery would be His driving force.

But the purpose for Egypt would be to multiply them into a mighty nation.
• God’s plan is to save Israel.
• God’s plan is to save Judah.
• God’s plan is to secure the lineage of the coming Messiah.

And this is the message that Moses is preaching to the children of Israel.

As they hear this sermon, they are wandering in the wilderness.
Many times they wondered if God knew what He was doing.
Moses reminds them – ABSOLUTELY!

The same God who led Joseph into Egypt
Is the same God who led you out.
And He is the same God leading you to the land of Promise.

And again we are reminded that
Though we rarely understand the plan of God,
We can always trust it.

He will see His plan accomplished
Even if He has to manipulate circumstances, change desires, and orchestrate events. HE WILL SUCCEED.

And trust me, God has been forcing Carrie and I
To practice what I preach over the last 10 days or so.

I’ll remind you again, that it is not easy
I’m reminded again that trusting God’s plan even when you can’t see it
IS NOT ALWAYS FUN.

But the story of Joseph reminds us that God always has a plan
And it is always good, so we should always trust it.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

 

“I Am He”

In the final hours of darkness, in the garden where He prayed,

“Oh Father, take this cup from Me. Is there any other way?”

As His prayer was turned to pleading; His sweat was turned to blood

“Oh Father, come prepare Me now, Your will not Mine be done”

So the thousand came to take the one, and there He was betrayed

By the kiss that found forever the Lamb who would be slain

And when they asked, “Which One is Jesus?”

He spoke these simple words,

And a thousand soldiers fell before, the  answer that changed the world

 

“I am He”, He said, “It is I you seek, I’m the One you want, I am He.

You have found me now, I am the one, You have come for Me, I am He. I am”

 

In my final hours of darkness in the garden of my search

the weeds had grown around me like thorns around the word

I saw my sin before me and I felt my heart grow numb

“O father come renew me now, Your will not mine be done.”

And I saw my vain religion, turn the poor away

I saw countless unborn children my neglect had surely slain

And I said, “Lord I need your healing, for your word cuts like a knife”

And when I cried, “Oh God where is my strength?”

His answer changed my life

 

“I am He”, He said, “It is I you seek, I’m the One you want, I am He.

You have found me now, I am the one, You have come for Me, I am He. I am”

 

“I am He”, He said, “It is I you seek, I’m the One you want, I am He.

You have found me now, I am the one, You have come for Me, I am He. I am”

God’s Means of Salvation
Isaiah 53
April 5, 2015

On Sunday nights here at the church we have started a new study.
We are calling it: “It’s All About Jesus”

It is a study to remind us how essential Jesus is to salvation,
And how important Jesus should be in our life.

If you wanted to pick a verse to really sum it up,
You’d probably look at the passage in Colossians
Which we studied a few weeks ago.

Colossians 1:15-20 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

We continually see that Jesus is first, preeminent, head, and before.
First in creation
First in the church
First in things eternal

And Paul told us the reason you should know that.
(18b) “so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

It is an important point of emphasis
That the church remember that it is in fact all about Jesus.

We even saw that last Sunday night as we looked at the church at Ephesus who did all things right, except for the fact that they had “left their first love”, and because of this Jesus was about to remove them from being a church.

It is all about Jesus.

And since this morning is EASTER SUNDAY,
Instead of continuing on with Genesis this week,
We are going to follow that theme a little.

And this morning we are going to look at
One of the most remarkable passages in the Bible.

We are going to look at Isaiah 53.

However, before we study this chapter,
I want to help you see it in its context.
Isaiah 50 – 66 is all about the salvation of Israel.
It begins with their rejection
And ends with their reconciliation back to God.

Let me give you some of the highlights of the section

TURN BACK TO: ISAIAH 50
Isaiah 50 recounts the separation
That occurred between God and His people.

It actually describes this split as a divorce.

(VS. 1-2) – God wants to know when the divorce occurred

Isaiah 51 is God seeking His people to come back to Him.

Notice the heartfelt pleas to reconcile the relationship.

(Vs. 1-3)
(Vs. 21-23)

And all throughout the chapter it echoes the cries of Jesus
As He begged Israel to come to Him.

Isaiah 52 – Continues the theme of God pleading for reconciliation.

(Vs. 7-10)

And then of course is the 53rd chapter
Where God actually makes provision for their forgiveness.

Isaiah 54 Celebrates the fact that forgiveness is possible.

(Vs. 11-17) –announces the good news of salvation.

But because Israel would not listen to Jesus or the apostles,
The next 9 chapters reveal one evangelistic call after another.

(55:1) – (55:6) – “ (56:1) – (58:1) –(59:1-3) (61:1-3) (62:1)

And finally CHAPTER 64 Israel gets saved.

(Vs. 6) – “For all of us have become like one who is unclean…”
(Vs. 8-12) – They actually ask for salvation.

And so you see that these 17 chapters
Are all about the future salvation of Israel.

And the pinnacle of these chapters is clearly the 53rd.
For it was in that chapter
That salvation was actually purchased for God’s elect.

If chapter 53 does not exist then the remainder of the book of Isaiah
Is not possible. It all hinges upon this event.

SALVATION REQUIRES MORE THAN THE MOTIVATION OF MAN
IT REQUIRES THE SATISFACTION OF GOD

There is a sin debt outstanding, and until that debt is paid,
It doesn’t matter how much man wants to be forgiven.

ISAIAH 53 DEALS WITH THE PAYMENT OF THAT DEBT

This text naturally breaks into 4 divisions. (each of 3 verses)

Each division naturally breaks down as well into 3 points.
In each section the 1st verse makes a theological statement.
In each section the 2nd verse makes support of that statement.
In each section the 3rd verse summarizes that main point.

#1 HIS HUMILIATION
Isaiah 53:1-3

We already saw back in the 50th chapter that when God showed up
His people did not receive Him.

And certainly we saw that in the gospels as well.
John 1:5 “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 1:9-11 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”

And that is as Isaiah predicted here.

This great chapter begins with two questions.
“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

Jesus is God’s incarnate word, His literal message.
Jesus is God’s arm, the means of His salvation.

DID ANYBODY SEE THAT WHEN HE CAME?
And the answer is obviously “No”

The Messiah (just as ch. 50 revealed) was not recognized.

WHY?
(2) “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

The basic reason brought forth by Isaiah is that He was not recognized
Because He did not fit the profile of what Israel was looking for.

“He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,”
In other words He grew up in relative weakness and obscurity.
The only one who kept an eye on Him was God.

When people saw Him as a young boy,
No one really thought there was anything special about Him.

Contrast Him to a previous deliverer for Israel.
REMEMBER MOSES?
Acts 7:20 “It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.”

Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

There was something about Moses from the start.
You could just look at this kid and tell he was set apart.
When you saw him you just knew God had big plans for Him.

But not Jesus.
As a kid growing up no one suspected a thing (not even His brothers)
“like a root out of parched ground;”

Roots flourish in wet soil, in fertile soil.
But Jesus certainly wasn’t planted in fertile soil.

He was born to a carpenter, He was raised in Nazareth.

Perhaps you even remember one of His disciples:
John 1:45-46 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

It was clear that Jesus didn’t have the right pedigree.
Even if He had it in Him to be a king (something no one suspected)
Then His hopes were crushed by being born into poverty and oblivion.

And if that was not enough:
“He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

Remember when Samuel found king Saul?
1 Samuel 9:1-2 “Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.”

Remember later when Samuel found king David?
1 Samuel 16:12 “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

Well Jesus didn’t have any of that.
There was nothing remarkable about His childhood…
There was nothing beneficial about His pedigree…
There was nothing exceptional about His stature…

And because of that, the people failed to recognize Him.

• They wanted a savior from Rome…
• They wanted a general with power and persuasion…
• They wanted a warrior with conviction…

But that was not Jesus:
Matthew 12:18-21 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM IHAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.”HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

He wasn’t a bully.
He wasn’t a motivational speaker.
He didn’t create mobs and start riots.

His greatest tool was compassion and
His attitude was best described by submission.

If you wanted someone to overthrow Rome, this was not your guy.
And so Israel failed to recognize Him.

And therefore:
(3) “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised and we did not esteem Him.”
They despised Him because of His humility.

What they failed to realize was that
His humility was to help Him identify with us.

Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

He came in humiliation because
He desired to understand our pain and our suffering.
And because of this people failed to see Him.

In fact He associated so well, that people often rejected Him for it.
Matthew 9:11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Jesus was a man of sorrows and pain
And because of that people were not interested in following Him.

First – His Humiliation
#2 HIS PROPITIATION
Isaiah 53:4-6

Propitiation is a word that means “appeasement”.
It means to satisfy someone’s wrath, or to make amends.

And that is why Jesus came.

Romans 3:21-25a “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”

1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Jesus came to satisfy the wrath of God on sin.
And that is what He did.

(4) “Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;”

And I hope you will allow me to do a little
Defending of the truth here for just a moment.

This statement, along with the one in
verse 5, “and by His scourging we are healed.”

Are commonly quoted by those in the charismatic movement
To prove that physical healing is a part of the atonement
And that believers should no longer be sick.

Please listen to me for a moment.
God is Healer, and God does heal.

And in a sense healing is part of the atonement,
For sickness is a consequence of sin.
(Coming as a part of the curse at the fall of man)

But the fulfillment of that won’t be until glory.
Sin was also defeated and yet Christians still sin.
Death was also defeated and yet Christians still die.

But this verse is used to support that no Christians should get sick.

The reason is because of the word study.

The Hebrew word for “griefs” literally means sickness
The Hebrew word for “sorrows” literally means pain

And Matthew did quote this passage as Jesus healed:
Matthew 8:14-17 “When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”

But the point was to show that Jesus was the savior Isaiah referred to,
NOT to indicate that all believers could expect physical healing.

Scripture is clear, this body cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

None the less the conclusion is commonly made that
The healing mentioned in verse 5 is a physical healing
And that through the atonement believers should never be sick.
BUT LISTEN
That misses the point of the text,
For Isaiah is not talking about actual sickness,
But rather is speaking of sin as a disease that is plaguing mankind.

Jesus did the same:
Matthew 9:12-13 “But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Furthermore the remainder of the chapter makes it clear
That deliverance from sin and not sickness is in view.

(5) “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…”
(6) “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
(11) “as He will bear their iniquities.”
(12) “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.”

Is sickness a sin, or is sin a sickness?
Isaiah sees sin as a sickness that requires a healer.

WHY DOES IT MATTER IF THEY VIEW THE ATONEMENT LIKE THAT?

Because run the risk of making the same mistake Israel made
Which is failing to see your biggest problem.

If you come to Jesus for the wrong reason you will not last.

There were thousands who came to Jesus to be healed,
There were thousands who came to Jesus to make Him king,
And nearly all defected from Him eventually, some even yelling crucify in Jerusalem

Those all misdiagnosed their main problem and therefore went to Jesus for the wrong cure, and they did not last.

That was Israel’s downfall.
They didn’t see sin as their biggest enemy,
And so they failed to see the Savior.

And so I want you to see that Jesus is the Savior from sin.
(His healing ministry was proof of His power to save from sin)

Matthew 9:5-7 “Which is easier, to say, ‘ Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home.”

Jesus came to pay the sin debt of God’s people, and if you see that,
Then you are reading the chapter correctly.

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;”

But because men did not think they needed His services,
They excused His sacrifice.

“Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.”

He died for us, and yet we thought He died because He deserved it.

What a tragedy.
(5-6) “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

DID YOU NOTICE ALL THE “OUR” AND “WE” AND “US” STATEMENT?

His death was not because He was at fault.
He died because we had a sin problem we could not solve.

• He came to this earth in humiliation identifying with our weakness…
• He took our sin upon Himself and paid the penalty for it…
• And all along we thought He deserved what He was getting.

He came to defeat our biggest enemy and that was sin.
He did so by paying the debt we owed against it.

1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

His Humiliation
His Propitiation
#3 HIS AUTHENTICATION
Isaiah 53:7-9

Many would ask: “HOW DO YOU KNOW HE DIDN’T DESERVE WHAT HE GOT?”

You can talk about Him paying our penalty,
But how do we know He didn’t just pay His own penalty.

Well the greatest proof of that point is that He rose from the dead, But beyond that, even the crucifixion proves He was innocent.

Look at His attitude when He died.
(7) “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.”

Nothing He did was done in selfishness,
All that He did was done in submission.

This even perplexed those around Him.
John 19:8-11 “Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Pilate had seen many a man on death row and none acted like Jesus.
This man was at peace, this man was submissive,
He was not your common criminal.

I especially like verse 8
“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”

Did you catch the question?
“Who considered that He died because of the sin of the people?”

DID ANYBODY RECOGNIZE THAT HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE?
YES

• The Judge who condemned Him first declared Him innocent.
• Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man.”

• The Centurion who nailed Him to the cross later declared Him to be the Son of God.

• The Thief who died beside Him declared to all who were present that while his death was deserved, “This man has done nothing wrong.”

But if that wasn’t enough, notice how God intervened.

(9) ‘His grave was assigned with wicked men,”

And that was true.
They would have buried Him with all the other criminals,
But God intervened.

“Yet He was with a rich man in His death”

You will remember that instead He was buried in Joseph’s tomb,
This all by the determination of God.

And even though His stay in the grave would not be long,
God would have it be an honorable one.

“Because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”

In other words He was the real deal.
• Pilate knew it…
• The Centurion knew it…
• The thief knew it…
• God knew it…

He really did not die for His own sin, but for the sin of the people.

His Humiliation His Propitiation His Authentication
#4 HIS GLORIFICATION
Isaiah 53:10-12

Some would ask.
If God was so pleased with Him, then why would God kill Him?

(10) “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief;”

God was actually pleased to kill Jesus.
WHY?

“If He will render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”

God was pleased to crush this righteous man
Because this righteous man was paying the sin debt for God’s people.

God was pleased to crush Him because in Him salvation was possible.
Jesus actually could fulfill the plan of God.

And as a result of the obedience of Jesus, God highly magnified Him.

(11-12) “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”
Jesus was righteous, yet He died a humiliating death
In order to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for His people.

And because Jesus did that God highly glorified Him.
In fact God made Him the absolute preeminent one.

Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Because of the faithfulness of Jesus, God has made Him Lord.
He is the One that you and I must submit to.

You see Jesus didn’t come to save you from poverty, or government oppression, or even hardship and pain.

Jesus came to save you from sin.
He did so by taking sin upon Himself and paying it’s penalty in full.

And in order to get the full meaning of the chapter,
I want you to return with me to Isaiah’s main purpose for writing.

(Vs. 1) “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

Isaiah just told you about the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the glorification of Jesus.

What he wants to know is if you have believed it?
What he wants to know is if you have seen it?

The tragedy is that Israel rejected this message, they were looking for the wrong thing, what we want to know is if you have recognized it?

• Have you seen that your biggest problem is not sickness or poverty or oppression?
• Have you seen that your biggest problem is sin?
• And have you seen that only Jesus is the answer to that problem?
• And are you willing to place your faith in Him in order that you may be forgiven and set free from sin?

To quote another verse from Isaiah’s prophecy:

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”