Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.
If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.
Thank you for joining us today.
Father God, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the great things you're going to do through
your word. We ask your Holy Spirit to take hold of this sword right now and do a work in our hearts
and minds to never bring condemnation or guilt instead to fortify us to walk out of here more
like you. So Lord God, we ask you for that right now in Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. So last week,
you know, he spoke about some things. I'm just going to recap on a couple of things. And I'm so
glad, you know, I love when we can continue in a teaching because when you hear a different,
that's what they do on Wednesday evenings. You know, it's like one teacher will teach,
and then the next one picks up from where that was. And so he picked up in Hebrews
chapter 10 where we are. And do you remember when he talked about how that the three lettuces,
do you remember that? The three lettuces. And he said, I should have brought in a head of lettuce,
but that might have been a little corny or something. But the three lettuces, and I loved
it. So the first lettuce was to draw near in faith and to let us hold fast to hope. This is all in the
verses that he read. And finally, let us consider one another to stir up love and good works. And
really, we mentioned that this morning, someone did, and this is what we do, you know, even as
Nancy was here sharing about a way that we can get plugged into a ministry. And the sandwich,
there's so many ways to serve. But really, when we come here, it's never about guilt or condemnation.
It's about like, wow, that's happening. Well, I can get plugged into that Jerry in the sock
tober, you know, you know, collecting socks for the homeless, you know, there's always a way to
get plugged in to serve the Lord, even if it's not through something we do specifically in this
church, there's always a place to serve God. And that's why when we come together, it's so great
to be agitated in a way in a positive way to say, Hey, what can I do? I have gifts, I have talents,
we all have what we need to serve the Lord, right? And so this is what happens, we get stirred up
in love, and then we get stirred up in good works. Amen. And then another thing he shared about
was, remember the motto of his life, six words, to begin strong, if you have that, to start strong,
to stay strong, and to finish strong. And I love that as well, you know, and a lot of people that
don't necessarily start off strong, I know my life didn't start off too strong, I don't know about
yours, but I started off pretty weak, you know, and I didn't always stay strong, but I want to
finish strong, you know, and that's really more what this message is about, it's about finishing
strong, right? And when we look at that, are we strong in and of ourselves? No, right? In fact,
the joy of the Lord is our strength, but really, the Spirit of God is what empowers us. In fact,
Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. It's like, it's pointless, you know, you can't
accomplish anything apart from my empowerment. And remember, in Zechariah, the Lord said, you know,
not by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord, the Spirit does all the work. Amen.
You know, as I was thinking about this, being strong in the Spirit, I was thinking, you know,
who needed to be strong in the Spirit? Well, Luke tells us that John the Baptist
became strong in the Spirit. If you have that Luke 1, John the Baptist. So the child grew up
and became strong in the Spirit and was in the desert till the day of his manifestation
till Israel. Remember, he was the one who would usher in the Savior, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sins of the world. He needed to become strong in the Spirit. Who else had to
become strong in the Spirit? It says it right there, Jesus Christ. Yeah, he is God, fully God,
fully man, but he chose to need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. As he grew in age, he knew
where he was from. We could see that when he was 12 years old, saying, well, I have to be
about my father's business, my father up there, right? But still he grew strong. Well, we too,
if John the Baptist, the last prophet ushering in the Messiah and the Messiah himself
chose to be needed to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, certainly we need to be strong
in the Spirit as well. Amen. We need to be strengthened. So this message is about the
Spirit of grace. And we're going to see a word here that talks about insulting the Spirit of
grace. And we're going to talk about that. So as we get into this, I want to just mention,
there's a few verses in here that if read a certain way can seem like it's condemning us.
Okay. I'm just going to warn you because we dealt with this in Hebrew six. And I think that was
more of a challenge. Okay. And if you recall, you can go back and listen or just read it yourself.
And when you read that, you're like, so can I lose my salvation? You know, as you read certain
scriptures, it can almost start to cause insecurity about your salvation. Can I lose my salvation?
Can I renounce my faith? We're not going to answer any of those questions today. In fact,
we talked about them when we went through Hebrew six, but read Hebrew six, when you get a chance,
that's a little more challenging. I don't think that's what these verses are about. Okay.
I think these verses are more about, it's written to Jewish believers, okay, who were born again.
But remember, Jewish believers lived in households with unbelievers, just like you and I do.
You know, we, well, I'm not in my house right now, but you may live in a household where
you're the only believer. There's only a couple of you. You may work in a workplace where you're
the only believer. Our sphere of influence is usually surrounded by unbelievers, right?
So certainly in the Jewish culture, there would be a lot of people who are still following
Judaism, right? And they didn't want to accept, wait a minute, this Jesus Christ fulfilled all,
all the laws, like everything. How can one guy dying on a cross and rising again, even if that were
true in their mind, you know, that he rose again and nobody stole him out of the grave and all
these other, you know, conspiracy theories they were having at that time. But even if he did,
he took away all of that, like he fulfilled it all. Like to them, it would be mind blowing,
not to us, because we never had to follow all those rules and regulations. But for them,
it would be still a little bit, well, maybe I can just still participate in some of those
mosaic things, just to kind of double down as like an insurance policy. Do you know what I mean?
Like kind of to make sure, like my mom, you know, no offense against, you know, any religion,
but my mom, she got saved, but she kept making sure she came to our church,
when she first went to the Catholic church, just to double down, right? It's kind of like,
you know, just to make sure, a little insurance policy, you know,
well, it's so hard to just say, no, I have moved on to true faith in Jesus Christ. Because you know
what? Jesus plus anything is already warped. Jesus needs nothing else. It's him and him only.
He fulfilled it all. Trying to add anything plus Jesus is a contaminated faith. It's a warped faith,
right? So he's writing to Jews that are, many of them are surrounded by unbelievers. Okay,
so he's saying, you know, I don't want you to like kind of fall back into that mindset,
because it's easy to do. And also people who are on the fence, you know what I mean by on the
fence, like kind of like, I don't know, maybe, and there's a lot of believers, there's probably
some of you in here right now that's saying, yeah, I kind of believe, but you know, I don't
know about a new creation and all that stuff. I still look the same. I still talk the same.
I still do some of the same things. How am I really a new creation? So a lot of times we can
struggle with this, you know, is it real? Is it not? And we're on the fence. So the author is
writing to the Jewish believers saying, listen, don't cave in to the old laws and everything.
You are set apart. And for those who are on the fence, if they don't get all in,
they're going to be swept away into destruction because they're not fully believing who Jesus
Christ is. So I think if we read it from that perspective, okay, we won't get caught up in
this guilt and doubt because some of the wording is like, wow, it sounds like, you know, I better
keep doing good things or else I might be, you know, I might suffer the wrath of God,
but we know scripture is fully clear that we won't. Okay. We are not the sons of disobedience.
We are the sons of God, right? So let's dive in without further ado. And I'm only going to stop
a couple of times, but we will stop a few. So here we go. So verse 26, for if we sin willfully
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice
for sins. So you see what I mean? Does that sound a little sketchy there when you read that? Like,
what does that mean? Like no longer a sacrifice for sins. Like, in other words, it's too late
for me. Like I just willfully sin. Have any of you ever willfully sinned? None of you? Okay.
There's one admission. All right, I'll put two hands up because, you know, we all have,
right? Willfully and unwillfully. We've all sinned, right? So is this trying to say that,
all right, well, once you know you're sinning, guess what? There's no more sacrifice for you.
Is it saying that? Or is it saying Christ already performed the sacrifice? He's not going to keep
doing it. Remember in previous chapters, Hebrews is all about getting through to the Jewish mind
that there's not going to be the blood of goats. And you're not going to do every year of blood,
you know, a sacrifice for atonement. Remember the day of atonement? It's like, I sinned all year.
Finally, today is the day of atonement. I got to be really sad, repent. And because, you know,
after this, I'm going to go back to doing everything I was doing before. So we need this
one day where I can get washed clean, you know, of my sins. That was the Jewish mindset.
I hate to say that's a lot of mindset of believers too, but we'll get to that in a minute.
But so the idea was repetitive sacrifices all the time, the blood of goats, lambs, bulls, rams,
like just all the time to be shed, to atone, cover over sins. But the author is saying,
no more of that. Jesus did it once and for all. One sacrifice, no more sacrifices coming.
Thank you, Christine. We see this in Hebrews. He says again and again,
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. By the way,
the for all isn't in there. But the reason they put it in there is because this once
means a comprehensive, like one and done. Okay, one time, you don't have to keep doing it again.
It's one and done. The next, now, where there is remission of these, there is no longer an
offering for sin, one and done. Jesus Christ paid it all. He did once for all when he offered up
himself, Hebrews 7, 27. And then finally, Hebrews 9, 12, he entered the most holy place once and
for all. So this is the idea. There's no longer going to be another sacrifice. Jesus already paid
for your sins. So if you're sinning, thinking, I'm going to do something else to wipe away my sins.
No, Jesus already did it. That's the whole mindset. And like I said, I think, you know,
to the Jewish mindset, it's almost like a laundry cycle. Okay, the soak. So what is it?
The soak, the wash, the drain out, the rinse, the drain out. Like it's over and over again.
It's like, I'm getting dirty. I'm getting washed. I'm getting dirty again. You know,
and that's the idea. But like, you know, we believers will get dirty, but we are the
righteousness of Christ. The dirt doesn't penetrate who we are as Christ. So we need to reckon
ourselves did. In fact, I love Romans 6, 10 and 11 says, and this word for once in all of these
scriptures, I was just reading is a fapak, effapaks, effapaks once for the death that he died, he died
to sin. What? Or, or, yeah, whatever. The Greek word effapaks, right? It takes me a while to get
this word, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be
dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So we see it's a one and done.
So he's saying you don't have to keep offering up sacrifices. Don't fall into that old system.
Jesus already did it. If you can't comprehend the precious blood of Jesus Christ
and his sacrifice, and you think there's going to be more needed than you've already
missed it. Okay. It's Jesus plus nothing. He's done it all. Okay. So let's read on verse 27.
But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the
adversaries. Okay. And I just want to, we have to stop there too. Cause again, this is sounding,
if you're reading this as a believer, it could be causing a little worry because am I going to be
subject to a fiery indignation because I willfully sinned? Well, does he call you an adversary when
you sin against him? You know, this word adversary is really an anti, almost like an anti, are you,
when you sin even willfully, are you the antagonist of God? Are you like his enemy? No.
Like you are the subject of everything he gave, right? You are his prize possession.
It's not like you're suddenly his enemy, right? Do you remember when David, now when you look at
the old Testament, remember they're not new creations. So everything you look at there,
it's even more so for us because we are new creations, right? But when David sinned and he
slept with Bathsheba, committed adultery, arranged the execution of her husband Uri the Hittite in
battle. Okay. And then all of a sudden he thinks he got away with it and Nathan says, you are the
man. He called him out and David right away says, I have sinned against God. Like he admitted it
right away, Nathan says, but the Lord has taken away your sins. Like bam, like really,
like just like that, right? But you know what else he said? But you have given occasion for the
enemies of God to blaspheme him. In other words, you represented the goodness of God and you just
did this. You know what you did? You opened up the door for the enemy to blaspheme God on a
count of you. Like you call that a Godly King, a man after God's own heart. And he does that.
So in, in some ways when we sin, okay, we're forgiven, but we're a bad ambassador for
Jesus Christ. It's not okay for us to keep going through the wash cycle. Well, yeah,
I did sleep around again, but you know what? I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. Thank God I'm forgiven,
right? And yeah, I did just steal, cheat and destroy, but I'm forgiven because I know, gee,
that's not the lifestyle that the Lord wants us to live. And there will be loss, but we're not
going to get into that. Not loss of salvation, but loss, loss of rewards and other things.
But we don't have time for that today. But the idea is we don't want to cave back into our
old lifestyle, you know, because we're presenting a horrible testimony for who Jesus Christ is.
And that, a lot of times that does get, it's, it burdens me. Okay. It really does.
When I'm trying to counsel or help people and they're just falling back into the same thing.
And I'm like, man, you know, you're a new creation, you're an appointing description.
And yet they're never getting out of that pattern. You know, Romans 12, two,
don't conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
We have to get out of the pattern of the old wash cycle. That's not who we are anymore.
We have all the empowerment to live a divine life. You know, second Peter chapter one,
you know, we have the divine nature to live with divine power. That's who we are, you know?
So it's not okay. You know, are we saved? Sure. You know, we're saved. You can't sin your way
into hell if you're born again. But the thing is, isn't it true? Sin loses its savory joy.
When you get saved, doesn't it? Is it fun sinning? Don't you feel just like sick, you know?
It's that burden because you're a new creation and you're living a lie. You know,
James talks about a double-minded life, right? It's not, that's not who you are.
So we need to move on. I don't know how far we're going to get, but we'll see what happens here.
Um, anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the son of
God under foot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and
insulted the spirit of grace. Now there's a lot there. Now, is he talking about a believer?
Well, the word sanctified might make us think, well, you know, we're sanctified. Now,
so sanctified has a lot of abroad-based meaning, okay? Because the word sanctified means set apart.
Now, Christianity has kind of adopted this, the process of sanctification. You've all heard of
that. If you've been a believer for a while, you've heard the process of sanctification.
Well, I mean, I don't want to, I don't want to debate terminology, okay? Because if that's what
works for understanding, that's great. But I think what they really mean is the process of
sanctification means you're set apart, okay? Do I get more and more set apart? Like you're set
apart, okay? It simply means that you're holy, but you are set apart. It's not like you're being
more and more transformed. That's transformation, okay? So the reason I bring that up is because it
just says that the blood sanctified this, the person who he's talking about or these people.
Well, sanctification, who did Jesus first come to save? The Jews. I mean, the Messiah first came
to his own and his own did not receive him. So the blood was first and foremost shed for all mankind,
but for his own initially, remember he said, all his disciples don't go through the Gentile
means the Jews were set apart, okay? For sanctification. And I can prove this in First
Corinthians chapter seven, when we see this idea of sanctification, it doesn't mean even save.
It doesn't even mean transform. It simply means set apart. Watch, for the unbelieving husband is
sanctified by the wife. And the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Well, does that
mean they're saved? Does that mean they're transformed? No, it just means they're set apart,
okay? Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy, meaning set apart. Another
version of holy is set apart. So the reason why I make this big distinction is because,
you know, if you have an unsaved spouse, they are set apart because they have an ambassador
for Jesus Christ living under the same roof. The Lord wants them to be especially saved so
that they would raise up children to know the Lord. So the Lord really has, you ever hear about
when the Lord highlights things, you know? He's highlighted that person because it's so
essential for the family dynamics and for the health of the family, right? So I just say all
this because just because it says here that they've been sanctified by the blood of Christ
doesn't mean they're even saved. It means they're set apart. Does that make sense? Okay,
so anyway, let's move on from there. Yes, so 30, for we know him who said,
vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God. So we know that we are not,
we don't have to fear the wrath of God. In Revelation chapter 20, it talks about how that great
throne of judgment, and it's a lot of verbiage there, you can read it later, but it talks about how
those who are unsaved, okay, are going to be judged according to what is written in the book
of their works on earth. It's like, you know, chill, chill. But guess what? It's been blotted out
because she's in the book of life, right? Because there's two books. There's a book, a ledger,
that says this is what Chris Bonner did, okay? But guess what? It doesn't matter. I'm in the
spirit of God. He's seeing the things that I've done for him as a born again believer.
Now I'm being rewarded for those things instead of condemned for the things that would have been
in the other book, right? Does that make sense? So we're not going to fall into the hands of an
angry God because of sin on earth. Is there consequences? That's a different message,
of course. I mean, we're silly if we say there's no consequences to sin. We're not
going to go there today. So, all right, let's go to 32, but recall the former days in which
after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were
made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became
companions of those who were so treated, for you had compassion on me in my chains
and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have been, that you have a better
and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. So he's saying, you know, back when you
were persecuted yourself, when you suffered loss, okay, when people like stole from you because
you were a believer, when the Jews, your fellow Jews, like position things for the Roman government
to come in and take over your church or whatever, you were persecuted, that's when you really grew.
Isn't that weird? Like persecution really brings out the gospel of God, doesn't it? I mean,
for those who were being persecuted, you know, so there's something about
in the spirit that rises up in a believer that when they see something happen,
it rises up this courage, this confidence, this boldness to live that supernatural life.
PB shared about it in what's going on in northern Nigeria, the things that the just
persecution of the church, like we can't even fathom here, yet somehow the church grows even
stronger under persecution. It strengthens. A lot of times when we have things free and easy,
with no persecution, we get lazy and we start letting the enemy in. We get passive. You know,
when David fell into that huge sin, what was he doing? He was just waltzing around on his
rooftop, not out of battle like he usually is, just relaxing and suddenly there's Bathsheba,
nude on another roof. I don't get that, but that's what you, right? Because wandering eyes,
because, you know, what is that? The idle minds or the playground or workshop of the devil or
whatever that is, you know what I'm saying? We need to be busy about the word of God,
busy for the kingdom. And so let's finish up. So verse 35, therefore, do not cast away your
confidence, which has great reward for you have need of endurance so that after you have done
the will of God, you may receive the promise for yet a little while and he who is coming will
come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no
pleasure in him. But we, here we go. This is about us. It's about the believing Jews. We are not of
those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. You see,
there's no turning back. You know, the Israelites and the Jews knew all about turning back because
they always wanted to turn back, you know, in numbers. I love the stories in numbers.
And Danny Jackson just shared two Wednesday nights ago about when Moses struck the rock twice
instead of speaking to it for water to come out. You know the story, right? He finally lost it. Okay.
His sister had just died at the beginning of the chapter. He's probably, you know,
broken up about that. And here, Israel is still complaining after 39 plus years about manna
and the lack of water and wanting to go back to Egypt. Does that blow your mind?
Like all their parents are dead by this time. They've all died in the wilderness. Okay. The Lord
provided for them for 39 plus years. They knew they're within one year away from entering the
Promised Land and they're still grumbling and still want to go back to the land of slavery.
It really blows your mind, but it's probably a picture of all of us to some degree, right?
You know, perhaps all of us want to go back to an old nature, but really I just,
it just blows your mind that one year away and they knew how long it would take because he told
them for each day over in the Promised Land, they spied the land. I'm going to make it a year.
So 40 days over in the Promised Land that the spies spied out the land. I hope I'm not losing
you. Now it's going to be 40 years. You're in the wilderness. Okay. So they knew they were
the last year before they enter and yet they're still the same grumbling, right? And then
Jamie shared last Wednesday night about the bronze snake. Okay. And how they started again,
the Lord just delivered them a win in a battle. And what do they do? They start complaining,
the water, the food, this worthless bread that has fed us for 39 years miraculously from the
heavens, this worthless bread. I mean, that's in ungratefulness, isn't it? And so they're
complaining year 39 plus they're complaining and what happens? You know, the serpents,
fiery serpents break out biting the Israelites and they're dying and they look upon the bronze
snake and they're delivered all that to say the Israelites knew what it meant to be turning back,
turning back to the old life. And this is why the author is saying, we're not them.
We're not turning back. There's no turning back anymore. And it goes on from there,
the land of exile and they, you know, they were sent away to exile, right?
And finally Cyrus says, okay, you can go back home, right? Do you know how long it finally took them
to really move back almost a hundred years? Did you know that? Like the first wave, okay,
started with Zerubbabel, I think it was, let me see, with Zerubbabel 538 BC, right? He rebuilt
the temple. They ran into some troubles. Now let's go back to the land of exile again. Let's go.
80 some years later, Ezra goes back to the Promised Land, right? To bring revival and to
rejuvenate the people and say, come on, why aren't we living here? We should be living here. This
is our land, okay? They ran into some trouble. Let's go back again. Let's go back to the
land of exile, right? They were dreading going to exile. Now they don't want to leave, right?
And then finally the last guy came along who was Nehemiah, okay, about 14 years later and he
finally came back and they built the walls around the city and they finally stayed because, you know,
it's hard to leave the old life behind, right? But we aren't those who draw back. We don't turn back.
We stay the course because we know the future. We know the destiny, the trajectory we're on.
We have to pursue the Lord and stay with him as a worship team comes forward.
I just wonder if the Lord is telling you in some way, will you stop turning back?
Stop waffling back and forth. Remember when Elijah said, how long
will you flip flop? Just who is your Lord? If Baal is your Lord, well, then bye-bye.
You're going to pay for that one. But if the Lord is throw away all that nonsense,
throw away the eyes, throw it all away and just commit on Yahweh, the Lord. Well,
we're the same way. If we're keeping those little idols in our pockets, yeah, well,
I need this. I mean, it just reminds me. Never mind. My grandson, there's a,
he has a hot wheel in absolutely every single pocket of his clothes. It's the funny, like,
what is this? Another one? Like he has hot wheels everywhere. He takes them off of his cousins too.
He steals them. But anyway, some of us are like keeping our little idols. I gotta keep that
pornography in there. I gotta keep the drunkenness or the weed or I gotta keep that anger,
that unforgiveness. I gotta keep that. Like, I gotta keep it. Gotta keep it. Gotta keep it.
You know, the lost, the greed, whatever it is. I gotta keep that there because I can't
get rid of it. Well, the Lord says, we just empty your pockets. Just come to me. Just go all in.
Really. Just don't turn back. Amen. Let's not turn back anymore. Let's just head straight into
him because this is where the true abundant life is, when we just put it all aside. Just,
you know, it's not worth hanging onto it. It's not worth it. Amen. You know, I was thinking,
it would be great to sing. I didn't talk to the worship team, so they're probably not ready at
all. So I'll have to sing an acapella. But how about, I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow. Still none go with me, still I will follow.
Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back. No turning back. The world
behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me.
The cross before me. No turning back. No turning back. Father God, we just thank you. You have
everything good for us. There's nothing back there in Egypt. There's nothing back there in Babylon.
There's nothing anywhere else, Lord. It's just resting in you and your goodness, Lord God.
Your spirit, the spirit of grace that just gives and gives and gives. The law takes, takes, takes.
But grace gives, gives and gives, Lord God. We just want to receive from you, Lord God.
Help us just empty our hands of the things that we're choosing to hold on to
and not clinging to what you want to give us. Help us just let go and lay hold of what you
want to give us, Lord God, because we're here, we're your temples, we're your beloved,
and there's no turning back. You love us and there's nothing we can do about it, as PB would say.
In Jesus' name, amen. Let's give the Lord a round of applause and let's all stand up and worship the Lord.
Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss His word.
Don't forget to join us for worship live Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.
Be blessed and have a great day!