1 00:00:14,059 --> 00:00:17,359 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,740 --> 00:00:26,839 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,380 --> 00:00:39,640 Father God, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the great things you're going to do through 5 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:46,140 your word. We ask your Holy Spirit to take hold of this sword right now and do a work in our hearts 6 00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:55,840 and minds to never bring condemnation or guilt instead to fortify us to walk out of here more 7 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:04,379 like you. So Lord God, we ask you for that right now in Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. So last week, 8 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,040 you know, he spoke about some things. I'm just going to recap on a couple of things. And I'm so 9 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,920 glad, you know, I love when we can continue in a teaching because when you hear a different, 10 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,879 that's what they do on Wednesday evenings. You know, it's like one teacher will teach, 11 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:23,060 and then the next one picks up from where that was. And so he picked up in Hebrews 12 00:01:23,060 --> 00:01:30,400 chapter 10 where we are. And do you remember when he talked about how that the three lettuces, 13 00:01:30,739 --> 00:01:35,299 do you remember that? The three lettuces. And he said, I should have brought in a head of lettuce, 14 00:01:35,299 --> 00:01:40,519 but that might have been a little corny or something. But the three lettuces, and I loved 15 00:01:40,519 --> 00:01:50,099 it. So the first lettuce was to draw near in faith and to let us hold fast to hope. This is all in the 16 00:01:50,099 --> 00:01:58,620 verses that he read. And finally, let us consider one another to stir up love and good works. And 17 00:01:58,620 --> 00:02:04,319 really, we mentioned that this morning, someone did, and this is what we do, you know, even as 18 00:02:04,319 --> 00:02:10,659 Nancy was here sharing about a way that we can get plugged into a ministry. And the sandwich, 19 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:16,919 there's so many ways to serve. But really, when we come here, it's never about guilt or condemnation. 20 00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:22,759 It's about like, wow, that's happening. Well, I can get plugged into that Jerry in the sock 21 00:02:22,759 --> 00:02:28,300 tober, you know, you know, collecting socks for the homeless, you know, there's always a way to 22 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:34,039 get plugged in to serve the Lord, even if it's not through something we do specifically in this 23 00:02:34,039 --> 00:02:38,939 church, there's always a place to serve God. And that's why when we come together, it's so great 24 00:02:38,939 --> 00:02:46,020 to be agitated in a way in a positive way to say, Hey, what can I do? I have gifts, I have talents, 25 00:02:46,060 --> 00:02:52,500 we all have what we need to serve the Lord, right? And so this is what happens, we get stirred up 26 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:58,819 in love, and then we get stirred up in good works. Amen. And then another thing he shared about 27 00:02:58,819 --> 00:03:08,240 was, remember the motto of his life, six words, to begin strong, if you have that, to start strong, 28 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:16,680 to stay strong, and to finish strong. And I love that as well, you know, and a lot of people that 29 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,159 don't necessarily start off strong, I know my life didn't start off too strong, I don't know about 30 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:27,219 yours, but I started off pretty weak, you know, and I didn't always stay strong, but I want to 31 00:03:27,219 --> 00:03:33,319 finish strong, you know, and that's really more what this message is about, it's about finishing 32 00:03:34,099 --> 00:03:43,300 strong, right? And when we look at that, are we strong in and of ourselves? No, right? In fact, 33 00:03:43,419 --> 00:03:49,020 the joy of the Lord is our strength, but really, the Spirit of God is what empowers us. In fact, 34 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:54,840 Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. It's like, it's pointless, you know, you can't 35 00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:02,479 accomplish anything apart from my empowerment. And remember, in Zechariah, the Lord said, you know, 36 00:04:02,639 --> 00:04:10,340 not by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord, the Spirit does all the work. Amen. 37 00:04:11,300 --> 00:04:16,840 You know, as I was thinking about this, being strong in the Spirit, I was thinking, you know, 38 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:24,639 who needed to be strong in the Spirit? Well, Luke tells us that John the Baptist 39 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,899 became strong in the Spirit. If you have that Luke 1, John the Baptist. So the child grew up 40 00:04:31,899 --> 00:04:39,579 and became strong in the Spirit and was in the desert till the day of his manifestation 41 00:04:39,579 --> 00:04:43,899 till Israel. Remember, he was the one who would usher in the Savior, the Lamb of God, 42 00:04:43,899 --> 00:04:49,839 who takes away the sins of the world. He needed to become strong in the Spirit. Who else had to 43 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:57,220 become strong in the Spirit? It says it right there, Jesus Christ. Yeah, he is God, fully God, 44 00:04:57,339 --> 00:05:04,420 fully man, but he chose to need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. As he grew in age, he knew 45 00:05:04,420 --> 00:05:07,600 where he was from. We could see that when he was 12 years old, saying, well, I have to be 46 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:14,420 about my father's business, my father up there, right? But still he grew strong. Well, we too, 47 00:05:14,740 --> 00:05:20,399 if John the Baptist, the last prophet ushering in the Messiah and the Messiah himself 48 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:26,540 chose to be needed to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, certainly we need to be strong 49 00:05:26,540 --> 00:05:34,019 in the Spirit as well. Amen. We need to be strengthened. So this message is about the 50 00:05:34,019 --> 00:05:39,699 Spirit of grace. And we're going to see a word here that talks about insulting the Spirit of 51 00:05:39,699 --> 00:05:46,720 grace. And we're going to talk about that. So as we get into this, I want to just mention, 52 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:55,600 there's a few verses in here that if read a certain way can seem like it's condemning us. 53 00:05:56,259 --> 00:06:02,360 Okay. I'm just going to warn you because we dealt with this in Hebrew six. And I think that was 54 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,959 more of a challenge. Okay. And if you recall, you can go back and listen or just read it yourself. 55 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:12,379 And when you read that, you're like, so can I lose my salvation? You know, as you read certain 56 00:06:12,379 --> 00:06:19,040 scriptures, it can almost start to cause insecurity about your salvation. Can I lose my salvation? 57 00:06:19,399 --> 00:06:24,439 Can I renounce my faith? We're not going to answer any of those questions today. In fact, 58 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,980 we talked about them when we went through Hebrew six, but read Hebrew six, when you get a chance, 59 00:06:28,980 --> 00:06:33,639 that's a little more challenging. I don't think that's what these verses are about. Okay. 60 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:42,480 I think these verses are more about, it's written to Jewish believers, okay, who were born again. 61 00:06:44,019 --> 00:06:52,180 But remember, Jewish believers lived in households with unbelievers, just like you and I do. 62 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,699 You know, we, well, I'm not in my house right now, but you may live in a household where 63 00:06:56,699 --> 00:07:01,600 you're the only believer. There's only a couple of you. You may work in a workplace where you're 64 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:07,779 the only believer. Our sphere of influence is usually surrounded by unbelievers, right? 65 00:07:08,220 --> 00:07:13,720 So certainly in the Jewish culture, there would be a lot of people who are still following 66 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:19,639 Judaism, right? And they didn't want to accept, wait a minute, this Jesus Christ fulfilled all, 67 00:07:19,639 --> 00:07:27,120 all the laws, like everything. How can one guy dying on a cross and rising again, even if that were 68 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,399 true in their mind, you know, that he rose again and nobody stole him out of the grave and all 69 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:37,540 these other, you know, conspiracy theories they were having at that time. But even if he did, 70 00:07:37,639 --> 00:07:43,860 he took away all of that, like he fulfilled it all. Like to them, it would be mind blowing, 71 00:07:43,959 --> 00:07:48,600 not to us, because we never had to follow all those rules and regulations. But for them, 72 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,420 it would be still a little bit, well, maybe I can just still participate in some of those 73 00:07:53,420 --> 00:07:58,420 mosaic things, just to kind of double down as like an insurance policy. Do you know what I mean? 74 00:07:58,860 --> 00:08:04,019 Like kind of to make sure, like my mom, you know, no offense against, you know, any religion, 75 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,839 but my mom, she got saved, but she kept making sure she came to our church, 76 00:08:07,939 --> 00:08:13,100 when she first went to the Catholic church, just to double down, right? It's kind of like, 77 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:17,000 you know, just to make sure, a little insurance policy, you know, 78 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:25,540 well, it's so hard to just say, no, I have moved on to true faith in Jesus Christ. Because you know 79 00:08:25,540 --> 00:08:33,539 what? Jesus plus anything is already warped. Jesus needs nothing else. It's him and him only. 80 00:08:33,779 --> 00:08:42,259 He fulfilled it all. Trying to add anything plus Jesus is a contaminated faith. It's a warped faith, 81 00:08:42,259 --> 00:08:51,200 right? So he's writing to Jews that are, many of them are surrounded by unbelievers. Okay, 82 00:08:51,220 --> 00:08:55,879 so he's saying, you know, I don't want you to like kind of fall back into that mindset, 83 00:08:56,159 --> 00:09:01,399 because it's easy to do. And also people who are on the fence, you know what I mean by on the 84 00:09:01,399 --> 00:09:05,820 fence, like kind of like, I don't know, maybe, and there's a lot of believers, there's probably 85 00:09:05,820 --> 00:09:10,179 some of you in here right now that's saying, yeah, I kind of believe, but you know, I don't 86 00:09:10,299 --> 00:09:14,779 know about a new creation and all that stuff. I still look the same. I still talk the same. 87 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:19,860 I still do some of the same things. How am I really a new creation? So a lot of times we can 88 00:09:19,860 --> 00:09:26,519 struggle with this, you know, is it real? Is it not? And we're on the fence. So the author is 89 00:09:26,519 --> 00:09:32,460 writing to the Jewish believers saying, listen, don't cave in to the old laws and everything. 90 00:09:32,860 --> 00:09:37,779 You are set apart. And for those who are on the fence, if they don't get all in, 91 00:09:37,779 --> 00:09:44,860 they're going to be swept away into destruction because they're not fully believing who Jesus 92 00:09:44,860 --> 00:09:51,620 Christ is. So I think if we read it from that perspective, okay, we won't get caught up in 93 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:57,100 this guilt and doubt because some of the wording is like, wow, it sounds like, you know, I better 94 00:09:57,100 --> 00:10:03,259 keep doing good things or else I might be, you know, I might suffer the wrath of God, 95 00:10:03,259 --> 00:10:09,360 but we know scripture is fully clear that we won't. Okay. We are not the sons of disobedience. 96 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:16,480 We are the sons of God, right? So let's dive in without further ado. And I'm only going to stop 97 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:24,360 a couple of times, but we will stop a few. So here we go. So verse 26, for if we sin willfully 98 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:31,740 after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice 99 00:10:32,420 --> 00:10:37,659 for sins. So you see what I mean? Does that sound a little sketchy there when you read that? Like, 100 00:10:38,039 --> 00:10:43,600 what does that mean? Like no longer a sacrifice for sins. Like, in other words, it's too late 101 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:50,899 for me. Like I just willfully sin. Have any of you ever willfully sinned? None of you? Okay. 102 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:58,659 There's one admission. All right, I'll put two hands up because, you know, we all have, 103 00:10:58,659 --> 00:11:04,200 right? Willfully and unwillfully. We've all sinned, right? So is this trying to say that, 104 00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:09,620 all right, well, once you know you're sinning, guess what? There's no more sacrifice for you. 105 00:11:09,899 --> 00:11:17,139 Is it saying that? Or is it saying Christ already performed the sacrifice? He's not going to keep 106 00:11:17,139 --> 00:11:25,100 doing it. Remember in previous chapters, Hebrews is all about getting through to the Jewish mind 107 00:11:25,100 --> 00:11:30,360 that there's not going to be the blood of goats. And you're not going to do every year of blood, 108 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:35,720 you know, a sacrifice for atonement. Remember the day of atonement? It's like, I sinned all year. 109 00:11:36,059 --> 00:11:42,500 Finally, today is the day of atonement. I got to be really sad, repent. And because, you know, 110 00:11:42,620 --> 00:11:45,860 after this, I'm going to go back to doing everything I was doing before. So we need this 111 00:11:45,860 --> 00:11:52,000 one day where I can get washed clean, you know, of my sins. That was the Jewish mindset. 112 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,419 I hate to say that's a lot of mindset of believers too, but we'll get to that in a minute. 113 00:11:57,019 --> 00:12:03,460 But so the idea was repetitive sacrifices all the time, the blood of goats, lambs, bulls, rams, 114 00:12:03,860 --> 00:12:11,639 like just all the time to be shed, to atone, cover over sins. But the author is saying, 115 00:12:11,700 --> 00:12:19,820 no more of that. Jesus did it once and for all. One sacrifice, no more sacrifices coming. 116 00:12:19,820 --> 00:12:23,879 Thank you, Christine. We see this in Hebrews. He says again and again, 117 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:30,799 sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. By the way, 118 00:12:30,899 --> 00:12:35,580 the for all isn't in there. But the reason they put it in there is because this once 119 00:12:36,220 --> 00:12:44,100 means a comprehensive, like one and done. Okay, one time, you don't have to keep doing it again. 120 00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:50,679 It's one and done. The next, now, where there is remission of these, there is no longer an 121 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:59,500 offering for sin, one and done. Jesus Christ paid it all. He did once for all when he offered up 122 00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:08,379 himself, Hebrews 7, 27. And then finally, Hebrews 9, 12, he entered the most holy place once and 123 00:13:08,379 --> 00:13:14,460 for all. So this is the idea. There's no longer going to be another sacrifice. Jesus already paid 124 00:13:14,460 --> 00:13:21,080 for your sins. So if you're sinning, thinking, I'm going to do something else to wipe away my sins. 125 00:13:21,279 --> 00:13:27,659 No, Jesus already did it. That's the whole mindset. And like I said, I think, you know, 126 00:13:27,779 --> 00:13:34,179 to the Jewish mindset, it's almost like a laundry cycle. Okay, the soak. So what is it? 127 00:13:34,179 --> 00:13:41,740 The soak, the wash, the drain out, the rinse, the drain out. Like it's over and over again. 128 00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:45,600 It's like, I'm getting dirty. I'm getting washed. I'm getting dirty again. You know, 129 00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:50,860 and that's the idea. But like, you know, we believers will get dirty, but we are the 130 00:13:50,860 --> 00:13:58,980 righteousness of Christ. The dirt doesn't penetrate who we are as Christ. So we need to reckon 131 00:13:58,980 --> 00:14:06,240 ourselves did. In fact, I love Romans 6, 10 and 11 says, and this word for once in all of these 132 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:14,440 scriptures, I was just reading is a fapak, effapaks, effapaks once for the death that he died, he died 133 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:25,139 to sin. What? Or, or, yeah, whatever. The Greek word effapaks, right? It takes me a while to get 134 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:32,220 this word, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be 135 00:14:32,220 --> 00:14:40,200 dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So we see it's a one and done. 136 00:14:40,659 --> 00:14:46,320 So he's saying you don't have to keep offering up sacrifices. Don't fall into that old system. 137 00:14:46,679 --> 00:14:53,740 Jesus already did it. If you can't comprehend the precious blood of Jesus Christ 138 00:14:53,740 --> 00:14:59,600 and his sacrifice, and you think there's going to be more needed than you've already 139 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:08,960 missed it. Okay. It's Jesus plus nothing. He's done it all. Okay. So let's read on verse 27. 140 00:15:09,559 --> 00:15:16,860 But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the 141 00:15:16,860 --> 00:15:22,159 adversaries. Okay. And I just want to, we have to stop there too. Cause again, this is sounding, 142 00:15:22,159 --> 00:15:29,460 if you're reading this as a believer, it could be causing a little worry because am I going to be 143 00:15:29,460 --> 00:15:38,120 subject to a fiery indignation because I willfully sinned? Well, does he call you an adversary when 144 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:45,779 you sin against him? You know, this word adversary is really an anti, almost like an anti, are you, 145 00:15:46,419 --> 00:15:55,039 when you sin even willfully, are you the antagonist of God? Are you like his enemy? No. 146 00:15:55,879 --> 00:16:01,419 Like you are the subject of everything he gave, right? You are his prize possession. 147 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:07,200 It's not like you're suddenly his enemy, right? Do you remember when David, now when you look at 148 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:11,980 the old Testament, remember they're not new creations. So everything you look at there, 149 00:16:11,980 --> 00:16:18,720 it's even more so for us because we are new creations, right? But when David sinned and he 150 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:27,279 slept with Bathsheba, committed adultery, arranged the execution of her husband Uri the Hittite in 151 00:16:27,279 --> 00:16:32,299 battle. Okay. And then all of a sudden he thinks he got away with it and Nathan says, you are the 152 00:16:32,299 --> 00:16:38,940 man. He called him out and David right away says, I have sinned against God. Like he admitted it 153 00:16:39,580 --> 00:16:46,379 right away, Nathan says, but the Lord has taken away your sins. Like bam, like really, 154 00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:55,059 like just like that, right? But you know what else he said? But you have given occasion for the 155 00:16:55,059 --> 00:17:03,940 enemies of God to blaspheme him. In other words, you represented the goodness of God and you just 156 00:17:03,940 --> 00:17:10,960 did this. You know what you did? You opened up the door for the enemy to blaspheme God on a 157 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:16,180 count of you. Like you call that a Godly King, a man after God's own heart. And he does that. 158 00:17:17,039 --> 00:17:25,599 So in, in some ways when we sin, okay, we're forgiven, but we're a bad ambassador for 159 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:31,440 Jesus Christ. It's not okay for us to keep going through the wash cycle. Well, yeah, 160 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:37,380 I did sleep around again, but you know what? I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. Thank God I'm forgiven, 161 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:44,299 right? And yeah, I did just steal, cheat and destroy, but I'm forgiven because I know, gee, 162 00:17:44,380 --> 00:17:49,880 that's not the lifestyle that the Lord wants us to live. And there will be loss, but we're not 163 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:54,759 going to get into that. Not loss of salvation, but loss, loss of rewards and other things. 164 00:17:55,119 --> 00:18:00,099 But we don't have time for that today. But the idea is we don't want to cave back into our 165 00:18:00,099 --> 00:18:08,859 old lifestyle, you know, because we're presenting a horrible testimony for who Jesus Christ is. 166 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:16,380 And that, a lot of times that does get, it's, it burdens me. Okay. It really does. 167 00:18:17,739 --> 00:18:25,819 When I'm trying to counsel or help people and they're just falling back into the same thing. 168 00:18:25,819 --> 00:18:29,579 And I'm like, man, you know, you're a new creation, you're an appointing description. 169 00:18:30,259 --> 00:18:37,660 And yet they're never getting out of that pattern. You know, Romans 12, two, 170 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:43,960 don't conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 171 00:18:44,519 --> 00:18:49,960 We have to get out of the pattern of the old wash cycle. That's not who we are anymore. 172 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:56,759 We have all the empowerment to live a divine life. You know, second Peter chapter one, 173 00:18:57,180 --> 00:19:04,500 you know, we have the divine nature to live with divine power. That's who we are, you know? 174 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:11,579 So it's not okay. You know, are we saved? Sure. You know, we're saved. You can't sin your way 175 00:19:11,579 --> 00:19:19,880 into hell if you're born again. But the thing is, isn't it true? Sin loses its savory joy. 176 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:26,660 When you get saved, doesn't it? Is it fun sinning? Don't you feel just like sick, you know? 177 00:19:27,019 --> 00:19:32,359 It's that burden because you're a new creation and you're living a lie. You know, 178 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:36,960 James talks about a double-minded life, right? It's not, that's not who you are. 179 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:42,400 So we need to move on. I don't know how far we're going to get, but we'll see what happens here. 180 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:50,079 Um, anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 181 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:59,279 Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the son of 182 00:19:59,279 --> 00:20:06,900 God under foot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and 183 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:14,819 insulted the spirit of grace. Now there's a lot there. Now, is he talking about a believer? 184 00:20:16,059 --> 00:20:24,500 Well, the word sanctified might make us think, well, you know, we're sanctified. Now, 185 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:34,519 so sanctified has a lot of abroad-based meaning, okay? Because the word sanctified means set apart. 186 00:20:36,539 --> 00:20:42,940 Now, Christianity has kind of adopted this, the process of sanctification. You've all heard of 187 00:20:42,940 --> 00:20:46,519 that. If you've been a believer for a while, you've heard the process of sanctification. 188 00:20:48,460 --> 00:20:56,500 Well, I mean, I don't want to, I don't want to debate terminology, okay? Because if that's what 189 00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:04,500 works for understanding, that's great. But I think what they really mean is the process of 190 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:09,700 sanctification means you're set apart, okay? Do I get more and more set apart? Like you're set 191 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:17,839 apart, okay? It simply means that you're holy, but you are set apart. It's not like you're being 192 00:21:17,839 --> 00:21:23,500 more and more transformed. That's transformation, okay? So the reason I bring that up is because it 193 00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:30,180 just says that the blood sanctified this, the person who he's talking about or these people. 194 00:21:30,180 --> 00:21:39,700 Well, sanctification, who did Jesus first come to save? The Jews. I mean, the Messiah first came 195 00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:47,279 to his own and his own did not receive him. So the blood was first and foremost shed for all mankind, 196 00:21:47,839 --> 00:22:00,160 but for his own initially, remember he said, all his disciples don't go through the Gentile 197 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:07,880 means the Jews were set apart, okay? For sanctification. And I can prove this in First 198 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:15,160 Corinthians chapter seven, when we see this idea of sanctification, it doesn't mean even save. 199 00:22:15,619 --> 00:22:22,440 It doesn't even mean transform. It simply means set apart. Watch, for the unbelieving husband is 200 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:29,180 sanctified by the wife. And the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Well, does that 201 00:22:29,180 --> 00:22:32,880 mean they're saved? Does that mean they're transformed? No, it just means they're set apart, 202 00:22:33,259 --> 00:22:40,700 okay? Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy, meaning set apart. Another 203 00:22:40,700 --> 00:22:47,059 version of holy is set apart. So the reason why I make this big distinction is because, 204 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:53,240 you know, if you have an unsaved spouse, they are set apart because they have an ambassador 205 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:59,720 for Jesus Christ living under the same roof. The Lord wants them to be especially saved so 206 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:04,480 that they would raise up children to know the Lord. So the Lord really has, you ever hear about 207 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:09,279 when the Lord highlights things, you know? He's highlighted that person because it's so 208 00:23:09,279 --> 00:23:17,019 essential for the family dynamics and for the health of the family, right? So I just say all 209 00:23:17,019 --> 00:23:21,319 this because just because it says here that they've been sanctified by the blood of Christ 210 00:23:21,319 --> 00:23:25,900 doesn't mean they're even saved. It means they're set apart. Does that make sense? Okay, 211 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:34,859 so anyway, let's move on from there. Yes, so 30, for we know him who said, 212 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:40,539 vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge his people. 213 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:47,579 It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God. So we know that we are not, 214 00:23:47,579 --> 00:23:54,359 we don't have to fear the wrath of God. In Revelation chapter 20, it talks about how that great 215 00:23:54,940 --> 00:24:01,579 throne of judgment, and it's a lot of verbiage there, you can read it later, but it talks about how 216 00:24:01,579 --> 00:24:07,799 those who are unsaved, okay, are going to be judged according to what is written in the book 217 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:18,420 of their works on earth. It's like, you know, chill, chill. But guess what? It's been blotted out 218 00:24:18,420 --> 00:24:24,319 because she's in the book of life, right? Because there's two books. There's a book, a ledger, 219 00:24:24,539 --> 00:24:37,180 that says this is what Chris Bonner did, okay? But guess what? It doesn't matter. I'm in the 220 00:24:37,180 --> 00:24:41,900 spirit of God. He's seeing the things that I've done for him as a born again believer. 221 00:24:42,460 --> 00:24:47,500 Now I'm being rewarded for those things instead of condemned for the things that would have been 222 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:54,019 in the other book, right? Does that make sense? So we're not going to fall into the hands of an 223 00:24:54,019 --> 00:25:01,000 angry God because of sin on earth. Is there consequences? That's a different message, 224 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:06,380 of course. I mean, we're silly if we say there's no consequences to sin. We're not 225 00:25:06,380 --> 00:25:12,619 going to go there today. So, all right, let's go to 32, but recall the former days in which 226 00:25:12,619 --> 00:25:18,880 after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were 227 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:24,779 made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became 228 00:25:24,779 --> 00:25:31,579 companions of those who were so treated, for you had compassion on me in my chains 229 00:25:31,579 --> 00:25:38,880 and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have been, that you have a better 230 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:46,240 and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. So he's saying, you know, back when you 231 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:54,660 were persecuted yourself, when you suffered loss, okay, when people like stole from you because 232 00:25:54,660 --> 00:26:03,220 you were a believer, when the Jews, your fellow Jews, like position things for the Roman government 233 00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:09,799 to come in and take over your church or whatever, you were persecuted, that's when you really grew. 234 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:24,640 Isn't that weird? Like persecution really brings out the gospel of God, doesn't it? I mean, 235 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,759 for those who were being persecuted, you know, so there's something about 236 00:26:30,759 --> 00:26:35,619 in the spirit that rises up in a believer that when they see something happen, 237 00:26:36,420 --> 00:26:43,940 it rises up this courage, this confidence, this boldness to live that supernatural life. 238 00:26:44,380 --> 00:26:51,000 PB shared about it in what's going on in northern Nigeria, the things that the just 239 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:57,500 persecution of the church, like we can't even fathom here, yet somehow the church grows even 240 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:05,019 stronger under persecution. It strengthens. A lot of times when we have things free and easy, 241 00:27:05,539 --> 00:27:11,720 with no persecution, we get lazy and we start letting the enemy in. We get passive. You know, 242 00:27:12,039 --> 00:27:17,240 when David fell into that huge sin, what was he doing? He was just waltzing around on his 243 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:23,019 rooftop, not out of battle like he usually is, just relaxing and suddenly there's Bathsheba, 244 00:27:23,619 --> 00:27:29,359 nude on another roof. I don't get that, but that's what you, right? Because wandering eyes, 245 00:27:29,599 --> 00:27:37,119 because, you know, what is that? The idle minds or the playground or workshop of the devil or 246 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:42,000 whatever that is, you know what I'm saying? We need to be busy about the word of God, 247 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:51,660 busy for the kingdom. And so let's finish up. So verse 35, therefore, do not cast away your 248 00:27:51,660 --> 00:27:58,039 confidence, which has great reward for you have need of endurance so that after you have done 249 00:27:58,039 --> 00:28:06,799 the will of God, you may receive the promise for yet a little while and he who is coming will 250 00:28:06,799 --> 00:28:15,900 come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no 251 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:26,240 pleasure in him. But we, here we go. This is about us. It's about the believing Jews. We are not of 252 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:35,319 those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. You see, 253 00:28:35,319 --> 00:28:43,680 there's no turning back. You know, the Israelites and the Jews knew all about turning back because 254 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:50,660 they always wanted to turn back, you know, in numbers. I love the stories in numbers. 255 00:28:51,619 --> 00:28:59,539 And Danny Jackson just shared two Wednesday nights ago about when Moses struck the rock twice 256 00:28:59,539 --> 00:29:06,140 instead of speaking to it for water to come out. You know the story, right? He finally lost it. Okay. 257 00:29:06,740 --> 00:29:10,660 His sister had just died at the beginning of the chapter. He's probably, you know, 258 00:29:10,799 --> 00:29:19,539 broken up about that. And here, Israel is still complaining after 39 plus years about manna 259 00:29:20,180 --> 00:29:25,960 and the lack of water and wanting to go back to Egypt. Does that blow your mind? 260 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:32,779 Like all their parents are dead by this time. They've all died in the wilderness. Okay. The Lord 261 00:29:32,779 --> 00:29:40,099 provided for them for 39 plus years. They knew they're within one year away from entering the 262 00:29:40,099 --> 00:29:47,940 Promised Land and they're still grumbling and still want to go back to the land of slavery. 263 00:29:48,380 --> 00:29:53,240 It really blows your mind, but it's probably a picture of all of us to some degree, right? 264 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:59,500 You know, perhaps all of us want to go back to an old nature, but really I just, 265 00:29:59,619 --> 00:30:04,339 it just blows your mind that one year away and they knew how long it would take because he told 266 00:30:04,339 --> 00:30:08,140 them for each day over in the Promised Land, they spied the land. I'm going to make it a year. 267 00:30:08,779 --> 00:30:13,380 So 40 days over in the Promised Land that the spies spied out the land. I hope I'm not losing 268 00:30:13,380 --> 00:30:18,220 you. Now it's going to be 40 years. You're in the wilderness. Okay. So they knew they were 269 00:30:18,220 --> 00:30:25,420 the last year before they enter and yet they're still the same grumbling, right? And then 270 00:30:25,420 --> 00:30:33,319 Jamie shared last Wednesday night about the bronze snake. Okay. And how they started again, 271 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:38,940 the Lord just delivered them a win in a battle. And what do they do? They start complaining, 272 00:30:39,420 --> 00:30:46,140 the water, the food, this worthless bread that has fed us for 39 years miraculously from the 273 00:30:46,140 --> 00:30:53,579 heavens, this worthless bread. I mean, that's in ungratefulness, isn't it? And so they're 274 00:30:53,579 --> 00:31:01,180 complaining year 39 plus they're complaining and what happens? You know, the serpents, 275 00:31:01,299 --> 00:31:07,359 fiery serpents break out biting the Israelites and they're dying and they look upon the bronze 276 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:15,319 snake and they're delivered all that to say the Israelites knew what it meant to be turning back, 277 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:22,640 turning back to the old life. And this is why the author is saying, we're not them. 278 00:31:23,339 --> 00:31:28,779 We're not turning back. There's no turning back anymore. And it goes on from there, 279 00:31:28,839 --> 00:31:32,539 the land of exile and they, you know, they were sent away to exile, right? 280 00:31:33,799 --> 00:31:40,839 And finally Cyrus says, okay, you can go back home, right? Do you know how long it finally took them 281 00:31:40,839 --> 00:31:48,880 to really move back almost a hundred years? Did you know that? Like the first wave, okay, 282 00:31:49,119 --> 00:32:01,200 started with Zerubbabel, I think it was, let me see, with Zerubbabel 538 BC, right? He rebuilt 283 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:09,960 the temple. They ran into some troubles. Now let's go back to the land of exile again. Let's go. 284 00:32:10,419 --> 00:32:17,480 80 some years later, Ezra goes back to the Promised Land, right? To bring revival and to 285 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,759 rejuvenate the people and say, come on, why aren't we living here? We should be living here. This 286 00:32:21,759 --> 00:32:26,940 is our land, okay? They ran into some trouble. Let's go back again. Let's go back to the 287 00:32:26,940 --> 00:32:32,680 land of exile, right? They were dreading going to exile. Now they don't want to leave, right? 288 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:40,880 And then finally the last guy came along who was Nehemiah, okay, about 14 years later and he 289 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:47,720 finally came back and they built the walls around the city and they finally stayed because, you know, 290 00:32:47,779 --> 00:32:56,859 it's hard to leave the old life behind, right? But we aren't those who draw back. We don't turn back. 291 00:32:57,420 --> 00:33:04,420 We stay the course because we know the future. We know the destiny, the trajectory we're on. 292 00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:09,680 We have to pursue the Lord and stay with him as a worship team comes forward. 293 00:33:11,039 --> 00:33:16,900 I just wonder if the Lord is telling you in some way, will you stop turning back? 294 00:33:18,279 --> 00:33:24,000 Stop waffling back and forth. Remember when Elijah said, how long 295 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:31,880 will you flip flop? Just who is your Lord? If Baal is your Lord, well, then bye-bye. 296 00:33:32,259 --> 00:33:36,700 You're going to pay for that one. But if the Lord is throw away all that nonsense, 297 00:33:36,980 --> 00:33:42,460 throw away the eyes, throw it all away and just commit on Yahweh, the Lord. Well, 298 00:33:42,740 --> 00:33:46,940 we're the same way. If we're keeping those little idols in our pockets, yeah, well, 299 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:52,539 I need this. I mean, it just reminds me. Never mind. My grandson, there's a, 300 00:33:52,539 --> 00:33:57,619 he has a hot wheel in absolutely every single pocket of his clothes. It's the funny, like, 301 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:04,200 what is this? Another one? Like he has hot wheels everywhere. He takes them off of his cousins too. 302 00:34:04,319 --> 00:34:13,000 He steals them. But anyway, some of us are like keeping our little idols. I gotta keep that 303 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:18,500 pornography in there. I gotta keep the drunkenness or the weed or I gotta keep that anger, 304 00:34:18,500 --> 00:34:22,460 that unforgiveness. I gotta keep that. Like, I gotta keep it. Gotta keep it. Gotta keep it. 305 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:28,659 You know, the lost, the greed, whatever it is. I gotta keep that there because I can't 306 00:34:28,659 --> 00:34:36,199 get rid of it. Well, the Lord says, we just empty your pockets. Just come to me. Just go all in. 307 00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:46,360 Really. Just don't turn back. Amen. Let's not turn back anymore. Let's just head straight into 308 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:54,980 him because this is where the true abundant life is, when we just put it all aside. Just, 309 00:34:55,340 --> 00:35:00,559 you know, it's not worth hanging onto it. It's not worth it. Amen. You know, I was thinking, 310 00:35:01,019 --> 00:35:04,460 it would be great to sing. I didn't talk to the worship team, so they're probably not ready at 311 00:35:04,460 --> 00:35:14,639 all. So I'll have to sing an acapella. But how about, I have decided to follow Jesus. 312 00:35:14,639 --> 00:35:38,960 I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. 313 00:35:39,559 --> 00:35:56,900 Though none go with me, still I will follow. Still none go with me, still I will follow. 314 00:35:56,900 --> 00:36:15,940 Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back. No turning back. The world 315 00:36:15,940 --> 00:36:35,460 behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me. 316 00:36:36,720 --> 00:36:51,780 The cross before me. No turning back. No turning back. Father God, we just thank you. You have 317 00:36:51,780 --> 00:36:57,699 everything good for us. There's nothing back there in Egypt. There's nothing back there in Babylon. 318 00:36:58,420 --> 00:37:05,599 There's nothing anywhere else, Lord. It's just resting in you and your goodness, Lord God. 319 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:13,539 Your spirit, the spirit of grace that just gives and gives and gives. The law takes, takes, takes. 320 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:21,039 But grace gives, gives and gives, Lord God. We just want to receive from you, Lord God. 321 00:37:21,039 --> 00:37:25,820 Help us just empty our hands of the things that we're choosing to hold on to 322 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:34,500 and not clinging to what you want to give us. Help us just let go and lay hold of what you 323 00:37:34,500 --> 00:37:40,360 want to give us, Lord God, because we're here, we're your temples, we're your beloved, 324 00:37:40,940 --> 00:37:48,699 and there's no turning back. You love us and there's nothing we can do about it, as PB would say. 325 00:37:48,699 --> 00:37:56,860 In Jesus' name, amen. Let's give the Lord a round of applause and let's all stand up and worship the Lord. 326 00:38:01,420 --> 00:38:06,840 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss His word. 327 00:38:07,539 --> 00:38:13,019 Don't forget to join us for worship live Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 328 00:38:13,019 --> 00:38:16,119 Be blessed and have a great day!