Participants:
Series Code: HC
Program Code: HC210008S
|
00:03 >> There is pleased to bring you something better. from the Book of Hebrews.
00:12 ♪ >> Good evening. We just want to welcome you once again to 00:23 3 bands fall homecoming 2000. 21, what an incredible blessing can't mean has been already. 00:30 My name is Jill Morricone and my great privilege to introduce our featured speaker for this 00:35 entire weekend. That's pastor James Rafferty. We heard from him last night Hebrews chapters 00:42 one and 2 love languages. Tonight's message is heart transplant or from here is for 00:51 keepers. 8 and Hebrews 12. We have long loved pastor James Rafferty and his wife received 00:56 it in part to the Ministry of 3ABN kind of parallel for many, many years. But just a couple 01:04 months ago they join the 3ABN team officially pastor James, of course, has 3ABN is director 01:09 of disciple ship. We're so blessed by his knowledge of the word his love for God and 01:16 his heart for other people. So it is my great privilege to introduce him. I know that the 01:20 Holy spirit will use the message that he presents to bring conviction and conversion 01:27 to your heart. But first, we have our very own Tim part plain and singing tonight 01:34 bringing the message in song o praise the name. ♪ 01:42 ♪ >> ree. >> I see his wounds. 02:08 >> his feet. >> That >> curse is 02:20 >> and >> in tears. >> the 02:49 >> pool ♪ ♪ 03:17 >> Own. ♪ ♪ 03:39 >> It's round hole to. ♪ ♪ 04:07 >> And >> all I ♪ 04:27 ♪ ♪ ♪ 04:58 ♪ ♪ ♪ 05:18 >> men. Thank you, Tim. That was powerful. And thank you. 05:29 Do you know an Cheryl and sell us teen and fairer and and of course, our very own the 05:35 Shelton's. This is the first time I've ever met Ronnie Shelton. He's always been in 05:39 the background and you know, they hide the best. I guess the best of the shelves. As always, 05:42 hidden. Then just a warm welcome to everyone. Our viewing audience this evening. 05:46 We are in the Book of Hebrews were in the Book of Hebrews because it is something better. 05:50 But before we get to the Book of Hebrews. We want to remember that song is a weapon that we 05:58 can always use against discouragement. Powerful powerful. How song is, you 06:03 know, God's people all through the Old Testament were always encouraged to sing hymns of 06:10 praise for the deliverance that God brought to them over and over again. God has given us 06:17 song as a weapon in times of discouragement last night we talked about. We started with 06:22 the love languages and we talked about how God communicates to us. 2 languages 06:28 of love so that we can love him so that we can be transformed so that we can love him and 06:36 love one another. Tonight we're going to be talking about how that love actually changes 06:40 sauce. We'll be talking about heart transplant or how God's love comes into our hearts and 06:48 that love transforms OS and then through asset flows out to Blass, others. Heart 06:57 transplant or and it's so important nowadays to recognize the him. The power of God's 07:03 love because are all around us. Our heavy hearts hearts today are filled with fear and 07:10 heaviness and sorrow hearts are sailing all around us and we have fear of health and 07:16 economic fear and racial fear and social fear and political fear. There's a lot of fear in 07:20 this world today. You know, the Bible says in first John, 4 and verse 18. I want to read it for 07:26 you tonight. There is no love in fear but perfect love casts out fear. I love that it casts 07:33 out fear because for years meant. He that fears is not made perfect in love. God 07:39 doesn't want us to be tormented with fear friends. God is not one us to be fearful of 07:44 anything. And so in his love comes in, it casts out fear and that's what we want 07:49 tonight. That's what we're going to pray for tonight. So let's as we open the word of 07:51 God tonight. Let's just pause and ask the Holy spirit to be with us. Father having want to 07:56 thank yous evening because you are a god of love and you are a God. The transplants, our 08:03 hearts and takes out the fear, the social fear the economic fear the health year, the 08:10 political fear. Father. You take out all of the racial fear, every aspect of fear that 08:14 we have in our hearts that causes us to be less than loving. You take it out because 08:20 all of that has tormented and according to your word, according to promises of your 08:22 words, you place in our hearts. Your love so that can transform us that our hearts can be 08:30 transplanted us. You can love others. And tonight we want that love to come in. We want 08:32 to make room for it. We want to ask you to come in. We want to ask you to send your spirit, 08:39 your holy spirit, the Holy spirit to be with us. You want to ask that you will do for us. 08:44 What we cannot do for ourselves. We want to give you permission to step into our 08:49 lives. There are a lot of viewers out there. This evening that are struggling there. 08:53 They're facing trials, they're facing situations that are very difficult, very fearful. 08:57 I'm asking that you will step into their lives into their hearts and make a difference 09:01 tonight with your love speak to us through your words show us what your love is what it does, 09:07 what it can do, what it will do for we ask in the precious and where the name of Jesus Christ 09:13 a man. So we're we have been looking at the Book of Hebrews because 09:18 the Book of Hebrews has a message for us of something better that word better is use 09:24 all through the Book of Hebrews over and over again. Some 13 times. And last night we did 09:26 kind of an outline of that. And we talked about in the context of God's love. We want 09:35 to have God's heart of love and God wants to give us that love. You wants to give us that 09:40 same heart of love that he has. He wants to fill us with his love. That is void of fear. 09:45 >> He wants to give us a heart transplant. God is the heavenly physician. He's the head of the 09:51 physician and he's a great heart transplant or so. Let's just review a little bit 09:57 because we didn't finish up our love languages. And and by the way, we want. I wasn't planning 10:00 that we finish our love languages are actually going to weave the languages of love 10:05 all the way through our series. And this is the second part of our four-part series. 10:08 >> On something better in the Book of Hebrews. We did talk, though, last night about the 10:16 gift of love, God's gift of love love gives gifts. That's how it communicates itself to 10:22 us and we saw that and he was chapter one where God is giving the gift of himself for our 10:28 sins. So God's love is manifested to us. According he was chapter one in this 10:32 revelation of his gift of love, the gift of himself and then in season, revelation said 10:38 revelation chapter one. There you go. I'm a revelation got Hebrews chapter want. Keep us 10:44 tonight. Will you in. He was chapter 2. We talked about how that love was manifested in the 10:49 person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ became a man he physically connected with the 10:56 human race and that physical connection has never ended. It didn't end after 33 years 11:00 when Jesus was resurrected Jesus became a man who became the second Adam so that he 11:07 could legally justly righteously ethically take upon himself the consequences of man 11:12 sense. And so he became the in the head. A second head of the human race and he is physically 11:18 connected with us. This is God's love. God gives gifts and God touches us physically 11:24 those with the 2 love languages that we emphasize last night in the Book of papers that we 11:30 noticed. We noted last night we learned last night. If you didn't know many of you did 11:33 some said to me, hey, I remember reading that book the 5 love languages. In fact, one 11:37 sister said to me, I read that book and I tried to get my would be has been to read that 11:41 book who is now her husband, but he wouldn't read it. So I reminded him after your 11:44 meeting. Did you ever read that the 5 love languages gifts. Physical touch. We looked at 11:54 so far and then we have acts of service and quality time. And finally words of 12:01 affirmation all of those love languages in the book, the languages of love, the 5 love 12:06 languages are also found in the book if he was, of course they are because the fevers is a 12:11 relation. A book and indeed there found all through the Bible and we'll see a little 12:15 bit of that tonight. So we touched on the first 2. And I shared with you about my own 12:18 experience, my wife and I learning the love languages and realizing that I was 12:23 speaking French while she was speaking English. Other words. Our love languages were 12:27 communicating love because I was speaking acts of service and my wife was a quality time 12:34 woman. And still is. And so it's so important for us to to communicate in the language 12:37 is of love to people so that they can hear they can except they can understand that they 12:42 are loved. They are appreciated and they are accepted and that made a huge difference in the 12:48 relationship. The marriage of my wife and I, we just celebrated our 32nd. What an 12:52 anniversary recently of course, Greg angel to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary God is 12:57 in the keeping marriage is keeping people together and keep marriages together. 13:03 He doesn't to love and love is practical. It's not just some emotional feeling love has 13:09 languages to communicate to us in languages. So acts of service was another love 13:14 language. And I just want to give you a Scripture S reference for that. We may 13:16 touch on it more later. He was 7.25. in Hebrews chapter 7 in verse 25. And we'll just 13:23 actually look at that verse. It's speaking about the Ministry of Jesus Christ for us 13:28 in the heavily sanctuary and is he was chapter 7 in verse 25 it says where 4 he Jesus Christ 13:36 is able to save them. That come to him and save them to the autumn. Most that come to got 13:42 by him. See, he ever lives to make intercession for them. Friends. Jesus Christ is 13:49 continually intercede in our behalf he's continually working as mediator so that we can come 13:58 to God through him because sometimes we feel overwhelmed with our guilt and shame. 14:00 We feel like we can't come together, not worthy to come. The got what Jesus is worth 14:05 and Jesus says you can come in my name. That's why we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. 14:09 You can come the got in my name. And when you come in my name. 14:13 >> You are worried because of my worthiness. You become my beloved some my beloved 14:17 daughter because my writing since my goodness, my marriage that is what is happening right 14:21 now in heavily century. Jesus is king. She knew Lee inner city. That's a revelation of 14:30 acts of service that's a revelation of the love of God for us in this also words of 14:34 affirmation will spend a lot more time on this later on words of affirmation will 14:39 spend. >> Hold meeting focusing on words of affirmation. We talk 14:44 about the gift of faith. But right now words of affirmation would be Hebrews 14:47 Chapter 11. And I'm just going to be a little CE sneak preview into that session. He was 14:53 Chapter 11. I want to challenge you to read. He was 11. You probably read it many times. 14:58 The face chapter. But I want you as you read that to try to find. 15:03 >> Anything negative you can find in there about God's people. Anything at all. 15:08 >> See, God is speaking words of affirmation to his people in Hebrews Chapter 11 over and 15:15 over again. Got us communicated communicating words of affirmation trying to infer 15:21 the from us in Christ, in Hebrews Chapter 11. And that's because words of one of the 15:28 love languages. So you've got gifts, you've got quality time. You've got physical touch and 15:33 you've got acts of service. And then you've got words of affirmation now those are the 15:36 5 love languages. But there are more than those 5 in fact, as I started reading this book, I 15:42 thought, you know, I'm a Bible got I like to be established in the word of God. And so I want 15:45 to find these love languages in God's word. I don't want them just to be in this book 15:51 that I that I read from someone I want these Loveland just to be something that is there in 15:55 the word of God and so as I started reading through the Book of Hebrews. I started 15:59 looking for these languages and sure enough, they were there, but there was more than just 16:05 the 5. There were 2 more that I believe are significant as the other 5. they were in the book 16:11 and sometimes we leave them out of our relationships. Our community community 16:17 relationships and out of our relationships in the world. Now, this that the one that I 16:20 want to look at right now is found and he purrs chapter 12. He just want to turn their 16:26 open. Your Bibles this year. If you have your Bibles with you or on your computer, on 16:32 your phone, turn there open their 2 Hebrews chapter 12. And we're going to look at 16:36 versus 5, 6, of Hebrews chapter 12. Here's what it says he was Jeff to 12th. 16:42 If I can find it here beginning with verse 6. I say 5, 6, I meant to say 6, 7, he was 12 16:50 67. Okay. Here we go. >> For whom the Lord loves. So stop right there. This is 16:56 talking about a lot of language, Love language. >> Whom the Lord loves. 17:02 >> He Chasen's any scourges. Whom the Lord loves he Chasen's any scourges every son who he 17:13 receives now this is love language. Number 6. And it's clearly a Loveland 17:18 was from God because it says who he loves. He's Chasen's and scourges. Well, I think all 17:22 that's terrible. Why would God do that's not love it all. >> Well, actually, we need to 17:27 think about this and we look at it from a biblical perspective, the war chasen actually needs 17:29 to educate, you know, education can be easier. Education can be hard. You know, you hear this 17:35 phrase. I had to learn it the hard way and many times fallen human nature has to learn it. 17:42 The hard way. So God and educates us God ship scourges us and for 7 says if he in your 17:49 a chastening God deals with you as with Suns for Watson's. Is he whom the father Chasen's 17:58 not. God deals with us. As with sons. If we're a son of God for 18:05 a daughter of God for children of God. God will actually chases. He'll educate us to 18:08 discipline that seals courage us why you may ask why does he do as well. Because he loves 18:14 us. Is it easy. I remember when my kids were younger and we started the discipline, you 18:19 know, and discipline is different. You know that the Bible says spare the rod and 18:24 hate the child. So, you know, we think will that's, you know, something that's physical and 18:29 you have to have physical. But I don't think that's necessarily all encompassing of 18:33 discipline for example, our daughter, our daughter, she would just stiffen up if she 18:38 got a spanking, she was just stiffen up and we realized this isn't going to work. This isn't 18:44 going. What we have to think of something else. One daughter was to communicate. You know, I 18:47 would call home to check in if I was traveling somewhere would call him. And I would talk to 18:52 my wife for a while and then I would talk to my side. I would say his son how's it going? 18:55 He was a good dad how you do? And I say. >> How is your day. He would 18:58 say it was good. What you do today. All nothing. The conversation was very 19:05 short. Then I would get on the phone with my daughter, I say is we are you doing. She said 19:09 good debt, you'll never guess what happened AT and T J. >> And she would just talk, 19:14 talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. For our daughter. The most successful mode of 19:21 discipline. >> When she was out of line was a time out. 19:26 And, you know, God uses time outs. They're in the Bible. Time now to biblical 19:31 Nebuchadnezzar went on a seven-year time out. Yeah. Yeah. That's in the Old 19:35 Testament in the New Testament. You have the father of John the Baptist who question Gabriel 19:43 when he was telling him, you know about this son being born to his wife Elizabeth. And he 19:46 went on a 9 month time out. It worked with our daughter, but it took a few times we 19:52 would start out with a five-minute time out. She couldn't help it to a top 10 19:58 minutes. She had 20 minutes to 30 minutes by the time we got 20:02 about 30 minutes. She got the message that it was hard. >> Hard for her. 20:08 >> God disciplines us because we're his children and he loves us. He wants OSS so much to be 20:15 filled with his love. And so he disciplines us to help us to educate us to grow us to mature 20:24 us to bring us to the place. He wants us to be wants to be with him. Have it. And we see 20:27 this all through the Bible us so powerful. In fact, I want you to look at a story it's 20:36 found second Kings chapter 21 saying he's chapter 21 we're look there in second Kings 20:40 chapter 20. We're going to start with verse 10 risk and look at a few verses here and 20:44 second Kings chapter 21, we'll start with first hand. This is a story about and NASA NASA was 20:51 a wicked King. He was the son of Hezekiah. He was a wicked King. Yeah. It started here 20:56 in second key step to 21 the first and the Lord speak by servants, M profit. Same NASA 21:03 verse 11 King of jute or shoot a has done bama nations and have done wickedly about all 21:11 rights to what all the Emirates did, which would be for him. And it made you to also to send 21:17 with his idols. Therefore that sent the Lord God of Israel, behold, I am bringing such evil 21:21 of Andras them and Judah that whosoever hears of it. Their ears will T know. 21:29 For 16, and NASA shed innocent blood very much to the field to roost them from one end to 21:35 the other beside his son were with due to dissent in doing that, which was evil in the 21:40 side of the Lord for 17. Now the rest of the acts of an a** and all all that he did in 21:45 his sandwich. He send. Are they net written in the Book of the chronicles of the Kings of 21:48 Judah massive or say teens that with his father's he was buried in the garden. His own house in 21:55 the garden of a set and am and his son reign in his stead. You can basically conclude a 21:59 NASA was a wicked King. He was the wicket as violence King and he basically died and he's a 22:04 lost. But then there's this little, you know, suggestion that the rest of what NASA did 22:09 is written, you know, later on and we pick that up in second. Chronicles chapter 33. 22:15 Second chronicles chapter 33 gives us more of the story of the NASA. It's really 22:20 interesting what it says here. Let's start in sync rocco's 23 33 with verse one. 22:25 NASA was 12 years old when he began to rain and the rain 50 in 5 years and years since he 22:30 was a young kid. He was. He was probably influenced by others around him as a young 22:37 age to do evil it says the first 2, but he did that, which was evil in the side of the 22:42 Lord like kind of the in bama nations at the Heat in whom the Lord to cast out before the 22:44 show that Israel for a bill to give the high places. It has a kind. His father 22:49 broken down and hear it up. The altars for Baylor manmade groves and worshiped, all the 22:53 host of heaven and serve them. He also verse 4 built altars in the House of the Lord where 22:59 with the Lord said in Jerusalem shot by name my name be forever. He built altars for 23:02 all the host of heaven in the 2 courts of the House of the Lord. He was worshiping the 23:08 host of haven't use worshiping the sign he was where should be all of these pagan deities. 23:14 And he should know better. And then it says in verse 6 and he caused his children to pass 23:17 through the fire in the Valley of the Suns of him out. Also he observed times and used a 23:23 and and champions in witchcraft and dealt with familiar spirits with Wizards in Iraq. Much evil 23:29 in the side of the Lord to provoke him to anger. Set up card images of idols for 23:40 $0.7. And God is chacin S in fact, it's really interesting the way they got deals with the 23:44 mask. It says in verse 10 and the Lord spoke to an asset and to his people. But they 23:50 would not Harkin. You know, God speaks to us. He communicate with us. And we talked about in 23:55 the Book of Hebrews got as a communicator and he speaks to us. But sometimes when he 23:58 speaks to us. We don't Park and I remember when I was a young man, I was probably about it 24:03 was probably a couple years before actually gave my heart to the Lord. I was 18 or 19 24:08 years old. And I had a party House. I-2 roommates and we just party all the time, 24:10 especially on the weekends. I remember one night at this party is this young lady came 24:17 to me and she was completely drunk. I mean, she was just under the influence and she 24:21 said the weirdest thing to me. She said she said, Jim, that's why went by then Jim, she said 24:26 I believe if you gave your heart to the Lord and you became a Christian, you can 24:31 have a great influence among these people. That was about 2 years before I became a 24:35 Christian. I thought she was crazy. I have no idea what she was talking about is thought. 24:40 Why did she say that to me. I didn't realize and I remember after I gave my heart to the 24:45 Lord some 2 years later. That God was speaking to be through that to that young lady 24:52 that God was sowing a seed and that seed was going to be planted in my heart it was 24:56 going to its influence as time went on. I remember I look back and I said, you know, God was 24:59 trying to reach me just like I right. God is trying to reach him, but he wouldn't listen 25:04 and so goes on. It's and it talks about how God had to to to to take 25:11 the NASA into captivity. It says that he went into captivity. And 25:18 it says in verse 17 over us 18 now the rest of the acts of the NASA and his prayer which he 25:21 praised his many going too far down. Where are you okay? First 11, where for the Lord 25:27 brought upon them. The captains of the host of the King of a Syria which a NASA among the 25:32 thorns bound him with Fetters carried him to Babylon and when he was in affliction, HEPA 25:38 sought the Lord, his guy. You see it took me 2 years friends of affliction deeper 25:44 and deeper affliction deeper and deeper bondage in 2 trucks. Alcohol. I was drinking alcohol 25:51 was on my way. I was having blackouts was on way to becoming an alcoholic was in 25:53 my family on my mom's side of my dad's side. I was raised in our team. So I was good 25:59 going deeper and deeper into affliction lower and low. I could have listened the got 2 26:04 years earlier. But I did. I went deeper and deeper into affliction. That's what 26:07 happened is happening with NASA. He's going deeper and deeper into affliction and and 26:13 he goes so far down to the that he saw he he reached out to the Lord. That's what I did. 26:16 I reached out to the Lord, keep us off the Lord. In verse. 12 says he humbled himself 26:21 greatly before the God of his father's any Creighton to him versus 13 and he wasn't treated 26:28 of him and he heard a supplication and he brought in again to do some into his King 26:32 of and then the NASA knew that the Lord he was God. What a powerful story. What a powerful 26:38 story. And after this he built versus 14 says he built a wall without the city of David on 26:45 the West side of the hot in the valley and even to the entering of the fish gate anika the 26:51 compass fell and he raised up to a very great Heidi put captains avoid all the fence 26:55 cities of June took away the strange gods was 15 and the items out of the House of his 27:00 God and the altars, which he had built and in and in the Mount of the House of the Lord 27:04 in Jerusalem. The cast of the C I remember my sister came of one day and she said she I had 27:08 just become a Christian. She said she said James, she said you still listing rock and 27:12 roll music at all. My cassette tapes you on day myself. Now, my cassette tapes there in 27:17 my living room. I jump sat there and I said it doesn't matter what you listen to. 27:20 You know, it doesn't matter what music I listen to because I love the Lord. I go to 27:23 church. Now they don't go to bars. I don't drink. I don't do any of that kind of stuff 27:28 that I used to do. In time as I spent more and more time in the word of God. 27:32 Remember, coming home one day and I grabbed a cassette tape it was Van Halen mixes going to 27:35 play the drums with that cassette tape and I grab a cassette tape. I was looking 27:39 because cassette tapes, you have to decide what side you're going to play. You can just 27:41 play through the whole thing. Like with season center. So I put in the side that have 27:45 this. I looked at the side that had the song running with the devil running with the devil. 27:51 I thought in my mind I'm not running with the devil and I took those cassette tapes. 27:57 Those 100 rock'n'roll favorites. I took him outside and threw in the garbage can 28:02 just NASA. Not because I had to not because the church told me to 28:05 not because my sister told me to I did it because of the words of that him turn your 28:10 eyes upon Jesus. Look along his wonderful face and the things of this world will grow 28:15 strangely dam in the light of his glory grace. In NASA is going to be in the kingdom of 28:21 heaven, even though he did wickedly it says here because the rest of the story see the 28:29 rest of the story is that men, NASA turn to the Lord. Why did he turn the look to the Lord 28:33 because he was chasing it because he was scourge in God's Providence. He was scourge by 28:41 the assyrians. And so this is one of God's languages of love. It's it's not a language that 28:48 we necessarily. Focus on in the Christian. Sure. Sometimes you just want to focus on God's 28:53 love in a very emotional feely way and we don't want to recognize tough love. But the 28:58 Bible here in he was chapter 12 describe Scott having tough love and chasing us and 29:05 scourge in us because he that love wants us to be saved and sometimes that's what it takes. 29:08 That's when it hit with massive, that's what it took and never can as are. And 29:11 sometimes that's what's going to take with us. And so this is another one of God's love 29:21 languages. The person experience of many of us on planet Earth today is literally 29:24 h***. That's what I was going through. I didn't realize that. I didn't know it because I was 29:28 Medicaid and I was medicating with drugs. I indicating you know, with music. And so I 29:34 didn't really understand. The h*** that I was living in until I gave the law a chance I 29:42 accept the Lord is my saying I just asked him to come into my heart to give you $0.5 and I 29:45 told him, you know, if you want me to be a Christian. You're going to have to do that in the 29:50 because I can't. And from that day forward, I started walking with the Lord and he started 29:56 doing to me when I was not able to do. I gave my heart to Jesus and that. That giving. 30:04 Was returned with him filling me with his love. I was filled with love of God. And I began 30:08 to do something different with my life. In that context. God is telling us that his love 30:19 is powerful. It transplants our heart. He takes out the old heart, the stony heart, the 30:23 world, the heart, the carnal heart and he gives us a new heart, a heart that is still 30:29 with his love. Heart. That is filled with his goodness, with his grace. God is committed to 30:37 us. By the way, that's the 7th love language. So we've got gifts physical touch acts of 30:42 service. We've got. Quality time. We've got words of affirmation. We've got. 30:50 Correction or chasing here, Shep, to 12. And now we've got the last one that is commitment 30:53 got is committed to us. He was 13 years 5 says I will never leave you or forsake. You. 31:00 God is committed to us. You know, those last 2 that chasing a correction and that 31:05 commitment are strangely absent in our world today. You know, we're not able to correct our 31:09 children anymore. You know, he get in trouble. We're not able to to tell people things that 31:14 they really probably need to hear because we need to be politically correct and people 31:19 are committing to each other. They're getting in these relationships. They're hooking 31:22 up. They're living together, but they're not making any commitment to each other and 31:27 that is a lack of lof, a lack of correction and lack of commitment in our society today 31:33 is a lack of love and it's a lack of the presence of the Holy spirit because God is love 31:36 and holy spirit of God and the Holy spirit comes in to our hearts and makes his presence 31:44 presence known and week in that presence. We find ourselves able to commit to people were 31:46 afraid to come in. We're afraid to correct. And God says no, I want your love my left feeling 31:53 your heart so you can love people the way I want you to love people the way that I love 31:56 people for their good. And that's what got us all about tonight is all about helping us 32:01 to love people for their good. But how do we do that. How do we have that experience with 32:05 government tell you all I had I'm gonna tell you I how I had that experience in relation 32:13 to Hebrews chapter 4. He was captive for is what we're going to break open right now. 32:15 We look at he was 4 verses one through 11 and we're going to look at it in the context of 32:22 quality time. We're going to focus on this because this is my wife's favorite love 32:24 language. So of course, we've got to focus on this. I learned a lot about quality time in the 32:29 importance of quality time and the impact of quality time. It's powerful. 32:36 Quality time is well, I started spending with God. When I first became a Christian and a vacuum 32:41 to fill a party vacuum. You know, a vacuum with friends that wanted to just you hang 32:46 out and do nothing basically. And in that vacuum, when all that stuff went out with the 32:49 drums, went out the Rock and roll went out and all the party went out in came the word of 32:54 God and I began to read the word of God begin to read the Bible. I began to read other 32:59 books commentary on the Bible. I began to saturate my mind and heart with the Bible. I spent a 33:02 lot of time with Jesus quality time with Jesus now in Hebrews chapter 4. We have this this 33:12 description. If you will, the turtle rest. But we also have a description. He was chapter 4 33:15 of Saturn's rest eternal rest and Sabbath rest. You see the sadness commandment is so 33:24 relation. Lee focused that many feel Lachance Philo just today don't even believe that it's in 33:28 the New Testament that it's in any of the New Testament, especially. And he purrs 33:33 chapter for a lot of theologians believe that he was chapter for just talking about 33:36 our spiritual salvation rest in Jesus Christ and sometimes we like to say the Sabbath is just 33:42 a spiritual salvation rest. But the status is a door into spiritual salvation rest. 33:48 And that's what he does for actually communicate. It's really powerful. Let let's look 33:53 here. First of all. And the context of having something on needing something better. 33:57 Let's take a look at. He was chapter 4 verses one through 11. First of all, with a look 34:01 at the Gospel invitation here he was chapter 4. And that's just read verses one to it says 34:08 let us therefore fear that's a promise being left us and entering into his rest. Any of 34:14 you seem to come short of it for an to us was the Gospel priest as well as on them. 34:19 But the word preached did not profit them not be mixed with faith in them. That heard it. 34:26 So what we have right here is we have a call, a gospel call into spiritual rest. That's 34:32 what verses one to talk about. The talking about spirit arrest. It's really clear 34:38 because here we see the Gospel mentioned in this in this context, we see the word 34:43 preach. The gospel mentioned and we see this promise of entering into rest. Now let's 34:48 look at verse 3. For we which have believed you enter into his arrest as he 34:54 said, as I swung my wrath official I rest, although his works were finished from the 35:00 foundation of the world. So now we have a distinction being made between the rest 35:05 of God and the works that got finished or the rest. The got took when he finished his works 35:09 at the creation of the world. That's actually referring to the Sabbath. We have a 35:13 distinction be made. In other words, there's a spiritual salvation recipe talked about 35:18 in Hebrews chapter 4. And then there's the Sabbath rest and the spiritual salvation rest is 35:22 not the Sabbath rest. He's making a distinction here between the 2. Now let's go 35:26 on and look at versus 4, 5, For his bacon. A certain place of the 7th day on this wise and 35:34 got addressed from the 7 day from all this works that's clearly talking about 70 staff 35:39 right. And in this place again, if they show I rest that's talking about the spiritual 35:43 salvation rest. In 4, 5, You see a distinction being 35:49 made between the Sabbath, the 77th and the spiritual rest that God is calling us into in 35:54 Jesus Christ. Now let's reverse a 6 to 10. Seen, therefore remains that 36:01 some must enter there in that is into the spiritual rest and they to whom it was first 36:04 priest. Entered not in because of a belief. Again, the limits. A certain 36:10 day saying, David today after so long a time and as it is set today, if you will hear his 36:14 voice harden, not your heart. God is calling us into the spirit arrest and you know, 36:20 friends today is the day that God is calling us into that spirit arrest wherever you are 36:26 right now in your life, whatever a crisis. You're facing whatever situation 36:28 you're in, God is calling you into his spiritual rest. That is the Gospel call. 36:32 It is not a call to keep the 7th ASAP. This spiritual call is completely different 36:40 separate from the 77th. But the 7th a Sabbath is a key part of how we entered into that 36:45 rest as we're going to see as we continue reading. So he was chapter stuff for continuing 36:53 here in verse 8. For if Jesus. And you know, that should actually say 36:56 Joshua, because talk about the Old Testament rest that they brought. Brought came into an 37:01 in Cannes. And if Joshua Jesus given them rest, then would he not after would have spoken of 37:07 another day. Now we know Jesus was leading Joshua so you could read that Jesus. That's why 37:11 it's transmitted that way because Jesus was the one was calling him into that rest and 37:15 they never entered that rest. So then he spoke of another day and every day we fail to enter 37:20 into got spiritual rest except the Gospel got sets apart another day and another day and 37:26 another they just like he did with the NASA just like he did with me in my life God is 37:31 committed to us. And God will do whatever we can to save us. And he he wants to speak. 37:34 He wants to whisper into our ears. He wants to draw last through the conviction. The 37:37 Holy spirit. But if we don't, we don't listen to that and we go on our way to continue to 37:42 work with us. Remember Hall was so convicted when he was saw he was persecuted church. He was 37:49 so convicted but he but he stifle that conviction when Stephen now there and prayed 37:54 Lord laid out the sun to their charge. Paul was saw was convicted. The cipher that 37:58 conviction. And so finally on the road to Damascus persecuting the Christians 38:03 really persecuting Christ. Jesus comes appears in bright light knocks him off his horse 38:05 but lines him. And finally Saul wakes up. He becomes Paul eventually the apostles to the 38:12 gentiles. Now God doesn't want to knock us off a horse. He does want to blind us, but 38:15 he will he's committed to doing everything you can are pretty nice to be this friends. 38:22 Lord save me. And if you can't save me. Do whatever it takes. Save me 38:31 and make it easy, but he can't make it easy. Do whatever it takes. And that's exactly the 38:39 prayer that God is going to as he's going to do whatever it takes to save us. He wants to 38:43 make it easy. He whispers to us. He encourages us because he wants to make it easy. But. 38:49 If we refused to let him do it the easy way. He's going to do it whatever way he has to do it 38:54 because he's committed to saving us no matter what. Of course we can always choose 38:59 to resist his chased him. But I'm so thankful that NASA didn't resist, but eventually 39:03 he surrendered to God. I'm so thankful that that we can as are eventually surrendered to 39:07 God. I'm so thankful the Sol eventually surrendered to God. And I pray tonight that you. 39:12 Well eventually surrendered to the love of God even if it's the chase, the love of God. 39:18 It's changed my life. I've never been the same. And I'm so thankful for the years that 39:21 I've had. I wish I would have accepted Christ as my personal savior. Long before I was 21 39:25 years of age. I'm thankful. Even now. So let's look at this now. Again, as we continue 39:32 on in here is chapter 4 verse 9. First night. They remain if 39:37 therefore arrest to the people of God. First 10 for he that is entered into his rested. 39:45 His spirit, us salvation rest remains a Some people he descended into his rest. 39:49 His salvation rest. He also has seized from is all works that would cease means to take a 39:58 Sabbath to cease and desist as God. It from his pouted got cease from his works. We got 40:03 sees from his works as noted in the early averse. First we got sees from his works on the 7th 40:09 day. Paul is very clear about that in Hebrews chapter 4. He's very clear about that in 40:16 verse 4. And so what Paul is actually saying here. per family saying here is that the 40:21 spiritual rest that God is calling us into actually comes through the Sabbath. Rest. 40:28 The Sabbath rest is how we get into the spirit us because the Sabbath rest is a time to 40:33 remember. I like that word. Remember is the only commander of the 10 that starts with the 40:38 word. Remember see God's law is a transcript of his character. Gaza was a lot of love with 40:41 Jesus was asked by the lawyer. What's the greatest commandment, Matthew chapter. 40:45 22 verse 3. What's the greatest amount of launches that this is the first commander that would 40:49 love the Lord thy God with all the heart mine sold. The second is like unto love your neighbor 40:54 as yourself love is the fulfilling of the law. Matthew 20 to 30, 60 40. 41:01 In excuse me, revelation in he for years. Tell him a revelation guy in Hebrews Paul 41:10 is telling us that this 4th commandment is actually the way to an arrest, if we will 41:17 remember. Remember what remember here it is. So you're ready for this. I know I was 41:20 ready for this here is if you remember to spend quality time with me. Last side. Your 41:28 business last side. You cares last side to work list side your phone calls last side. 41:33 Your sex secular interests lay aside all of the plans to list all of the worldly influences 41:38 on this day. >> Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy 6 days. You can 41:42 labor do all your work. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord. Your God Jesus 41:48 Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath, the 7th day 7 Saturday is the Lord's day and I want 41:51 you to remember that because. And the way the truth and the life. Jesus Christ says when 41:58 you enter into the Sabbath and you spend quality time with me. You become changed. That's what 42:04 happened to me. I became changed. You become changed by the holding me second 42:09 Corinthians 3 verse 18 says we all with open-faced beholden is and isn't a glass. The glory of 42:16 the Lord are changed from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. It's a law of our 42:20 physical and spiritual nature and it works in a detrimental way. It works in a positive 42:27 way. It works either way that we are transformed by the holding so Jesus Christ wants 42:32 us to enter into this quality time with him. This rest with him because in entering into 42:35 this rest in spending time with Jesus we are transformed into his image. 42:41 And that quality time through that relational time. That time we spend with him. We find 42:47 ourselves entry into his spiritual salvation rest. It's really powerful. If you 42:51 think about it, the Sabbath is an indication, I should say, an indication I should say the 42:57 Sabbath is a sign. It's a representation of salvation number when God created the 43:04 world he create a wall in 6 days on this 6th day on the last day. He created me and 43:07 you, Adam and Eve. He created human life. And the very first thing that he asked us to do 43:13 when he created us. Was to rest. To rest on the 7th day, the 7th that was our first 43:22 obligation, if you will. That was the first experience with God. It was an experience 43:26 of resting, not just resting and sitting around doing nothing but resting in 43:30 engagement. Resting and spending quality time with God he didn't send us out to tend 43:33 the garden. He told us about tending the garden told us about the animal. He told us 43:38 about creation. But he brought us in to arrest a quality time with him. That was the first 43:44 thing we did and in that call the time God showed us all of his creation. He showed us his 43:47 love. He revealed to us more. More of himself. And all that creation. The got showed us. 43:54 There was nothing we could point to and say you see that. Gotten. I did that together. 44:02 He did the Trump. I did the branches. He did the leaves. I put the food on. There was 44:05 nothing in creation that we help got to do. God did everything by himself he did 44:12 everything. Without us for us. That's what the Sabbath was all it was a reminder. Of 44:16 everything got had done for us without us. Now. You fast forward. 44:21 4,000 years. Jesus Christ has come to this Earth. We have, of course, forfeited everything 44:28 God gave us but Jesus crisis come to save us from the consequences of our sent his 44:35 calm to recreate us. He created the world and Austin the beginning and he's going to 44:39 recreate us. That's why it says it's a great chapter 5.17. If any man is in Christ. 44:44 He is a new creation. God created us a new and Jesus did that in himself. He recreated 44:47 the human race in himself. He becomes the second Adam. He picks up Adam failed. 44:53 He surrender says, well, the guy that's a perfect life of obedience and he walks through 44:58 life and finally take our place and receives the full weight of our punishment. He would 45:03 games us completely and fully and he does it by himself. In the garden after 6 days. 45:14 God says the words it is finished on the cross after a life of perfect obedience and 45:21 taking our sons upon himself Jesus Christ says the words it is finished. 45:28 Jesus Christ accomplish the work of re creation for us without us. And he rested on 45:37 the Sabbath and we enter into the Sabbath. We are entering into everything. A crisis done 45:40 for us without us. And we're accepting arresting it. We're taking it in. We're focusing 45:47 on it and it transforms us. It gives us a heart transplant. When I first came to Jesus. 45:53 And I realized he had forgiven all of my sense. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and 45:57 I remember sometime down the road. Being confronted with the idea that the 7 day is the 46:05 Sabbath not Sunday. I told my. My Bible instructor, there's no way that Sunday is. 46:13 Not the day we should worship the Sabbath isn't in the Bible. That's how much I knew about 46:16 the Bible. But as I started studying this, I realized wow, this is amazing. I can't 46:21 believe this. Why do so many Christians? Why so many people believe that Sunday is the 7 46:24 day. Of course I did a lot of research on this. But finally it came down to this one verse 46:31 in John chapter, 14 verse 15 where Jesus says if you love me. Keep my commandments. 46:38 And my heart had been transplanted. I had a new heart. I heart that love Jesus 46:42 and he was telling me to keep his commandments. My love for him was going to say yes. 46:48 My love for him could not say no. We lose this love basically 46:55 we're left to legal as and when we lose this lovely may act like Christians sometimes. 47:00 And that like the devil of a time he ever seen that. We may be hot and sometimes and then a 47:03 cold. And of course, when you take hot, we take called and you put them together what you 47:06 have Luke warm. And that's what a lot of Christians are in our world today. In fact, 47:13 revelation talks about the lukewarm state of the 7th church. That's the Church of 47:17 our time. The Church of our day. So this quality time points to the law of God. 47:25 It reminds us of the fact that God wants us to enter into rest with him every single week. 47:31 He wants us to have quality time with him. We can be hold him. We can let go of the 47:34 things of this world because you Babylon is is inundating us. The world is inundating us 47:40 and God wants us to be in the world. The U.S. wants to be of the world. 47:45 He encourages us to get away every week of vacation with him every week while these I'm with 47:50 him every week for 24 hours. And of course. It's important for us to do this for another 47:58 reason. I mean, have you ever met somebody that you weren't sure you're going to like. 48:02 Until you got to know them. Might like I don't often like that person. The first 48:07 impression wasn't so great. You know, some people have that experience with me. Maybe quite 48:12 often. But when you get to know them. You say hey, this person isn't that bad. After all, my 48:18 wife first Yes. Her teacher, her Bible teacher and she thought I was quite serious. 48:22 Didn't think that I had a sense of humor and 2, we started spending more time together and 48:28 she realized, oh, yes, I I like I like to laugh. I like to be a happy Christian as stand. 48:37 He said, and it's the same with God are many people who see God in a wrong way. They don't see 48:43 God as he really is. And they need to get to know him. And that's what the 7th reminds 48:48 us minds us to get to know. Got to get to to know him and to love him and realize we do 48:53 that, that it's not about rules. When you love someone is not about the rules. I love 48:59 my wife. And there's a lot of things that I naturally do because not because ice, I'm 49:04 told to do it now because there are rules and regulations change. You need to do this for 49:09 your wife, you that for you. I tease anything for right now because I love her and I care 49:13 for her and I want out of that love to do things for her. And that's the same way it is 49:16 with Scott. Our relationship with God based on love cars. Oz's OS to live in a way. 49:24 That is pleasing to him not only in our relationship with him but also in a relationship 49:27 with others. And that's what God does when he transplants our heart. 49:33 We have what is called a new covenant experience. Now let's just look at that quickly as we 49:40 wind down Hebrews chapter 10 is where we find a new come. Actually, he was and Tim will 49:45 look at chapter 8. 1st he was chapter 8 begin with for 6 years when it says it says. 49:50 But now he has obtained the more excellent ministry talking about Christ by the much also, 49:55 he is the mediator of a better covenants which was established on better promises, not our 49:59 promises to got. That's what we have in the Old Testament. covenant is not about a time. 50:05 It's about an experience. All the war has said we will do said the people that's the 50:09 experience they had relations for tells us covenant its Hagar. It's not Abraham. 50:15 But common is not about the Old Testament. Yo coming is about how we relate to got. 50:18 You can be in the new test. The NBA covenant if you depend upon yourself and your promises 50:23 instead of the promises of God. So the promises were bad. But the new company is based on 50:28 better promises want to hear those promises are. For finding fault with them. He said 50:35 behold, the day's comes as the Lord. When I will make a new covenant House that is wrong 50:39 with the House of Judah the new covenants with the House of Israel Judy, because we are 50:44 spiritual Jews spiritual Israel spiritual due to we are in crisis in their week 4. We are 50:47 Abraham seeded areas according to the to the promise. Not according to cover of but their 50:54 fathers and that day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt 50:56 because they continue not to my covenant. And I regard the not said the law. The reason 51:00 they didn't continue is coming is because they made the promise is based upon 51:05 themselves and their power. They didn't make promises based upon God when he was going to 51:11 do for this is the covenant I'm going make with House of Israel after those tests. If the Lord 51:15 I'm going to put my line to their minds. I'm going to write them in their hearts. I'm going 51:19 to be them a God. And this will be a people and they shall not teach every man is a neighbor 51:23 and every man. His brother say no. The Lord for all will know me from the least to the 51:27 greatest and I will be merciful to their own righteousness and their sins and their iniquities 51:32 I will remember no more 5 promises of new covenant. >> 5 promises of the new 51:39 covenant number one. God. It's going to write his law in our minds and in our hearts. 51:43 That's what we've seen. The text God's going to do that. Forgiveness of sin is promised 51:48 in the new company to be our sins. And our iniquities to be remembered no more. 51:58 God is going to anoint OS with his holy spirit in the context of this says. Going down to 52:04 verse. 11. They should not teach him and his neighbor and every 52:09 managed by the same know the Lord for all I know is released to the greatest in first, John 52:13 chapter one 20, we're told that the reason why we don't need anyone to teach us is because 52:17 we have the anointing of the Holy spirit and the Holy spirit teaches all things. Now, does 52:20 that mean you should be listening to me or anyone any other past or anyone else know. 52:26 We listen. You listen to me. We listen the pastor's because pastors bring us the word of 52:30 God. And the word of God is inspired by the Holy spirit. I'm not teaching use. The word 52:35 of God is teach. I'm just I'm just a vessel that God is using to communicate the truth of his 52:40 words. You don't need me to teach you the Holy spirit teaches you through his work. 52:44 And if the Holy spirit isn't let me put it this way. If the word isn't being priest, that 52:48 mean the Holy spirit is an inefficient man's words. That's not the Holy spirit 52:51 teach you. You don't need a new mandate. Each. You don't need a mandate. You need the Holy 52:55 spirit to teach you. You have an option and many times you're going to find when you listen 52:59 to the word of God. That is being can bring conviction you through the Holy spirit. 53:04 You listen to things that God has already convicted you of is already taught. You was already 53:07 been teaching. You say that's exactly how the law has been leading me. That's part of the 53:13 new company experience. God does not want to rely upon man. A man's teaches immense 53:16 traditions because many of the major stray, they going to tell you things that are in the 53:19 Bible. That's what I was raised. I was raised believing Sunday was this was the last 53:22 day was the Sabbath day. That's not what the Bible teaches. You need to listen 53:25 to the Holy spirit. You have an option from the Holy spirit and then the other thing is 53:29 we're going to have restored relationships with God. He says I'm going to be their God. 53:34 They're going to my people that quality time relationship. That's entering into that 53:38 salvation set that salvation rest to the Sabbath. >> The Sabbath is the key to 53:43 all of this because the savage reminds us to rest in Jesus. The Sabbath is if you will, 53:49 to conduct the doorway into got salvation rest. And then the 5th one. We've got. Number 53:54 one. Golfer tees lot of minds and hearts number 2, the forgiveness of sins. Number 3, 53:59 you know, into the Holy spirit. So no one has to teach us. We are taught from the word of 54:05 God. Number 4, restore relationships got a number 5. The most important one, it's 54:07 all through these verses. I I I I got to say I will do this. I will put my all forgive 54:16 this incident was I will be there. Got will be my people. I will teach them. They don't 54:21 need a man to teach them. In other words, these new covenant promises are not based 54:24 on what man does that based on what God does the not based on our promises that based on 54:29 God's promises and we have arrested those promises and the only way we can truly rest of 54:37 those promises. Is to let got communicate is love to us in a relationship with him. That's 54:42 why the Sabbath so important and that's why we're so glad you joined us for this camp 54:45 meeting and you've entered into this time of Sabbath. Rest. You lay aside your secular 54:52 affairs, everything secular. And you enter into that quality time with God, you let him 54:55 communicate to you. Let him teach you. You let him direct you. If we miss relationship 55:02 with God, we miss everything. So the Sabbath is a sign of are resting in Christ. The Sabbath 55:07 is a sign of our trusting in Christ. The Sabbath is a sign of are looking to Christ. 55:12 God is eager to transform our transform our hearts and we are to have been transformed 55:19 God is a heart transplant or and that's what he did in my life. 37 years ago. God. 55:25 Does this operation by the power of his love and his love synonymous with his law. 55:32 His love is not just a fun emotional feeling his love is a strong principle that works 55:38 and communicate to us through gifts through physical touch 2 acts of service to quality 55:45 time. 2 words of affirmation to chase even correction. And he's committed to us all 55:51 of that is a revelation of got 11. Of course, God wants us not only to experience that 55:56 lofted to have that love come to us from him. But he wants it. He wants to saturate our 56:01 hearts with that love. He wants to transfer planned our hearts with that law. So that new us, 56:06 we can be a conduit to love others to speak GAZ languages of love to those around us to 56:12 those we come in contact with to those who are so filled with fear. Who is so field. 56:19 With worry and and care. And concern was so anxious and fearful about what's going on 56:24 in our world today. God says in some one 19 1.65 great piece. Have they that love by 56:30 law and nothing shall offend them. And God wants us to give that peace to others and 56:33 friends. I'm inviting you to accept that piece tonight. I'm inviting you to let God be 56:37 a heart transplant or tonight. It's not difficult. 37 years ago I got on my knees and I 56:42 said Lord please come into my heart. Forgive me for my sense lift this burden of guilt from 56:50 me. If you want me to be a Christian. Please do that to me 56:55 because I can't do it in myself. It's a very simple prayer and you can pray that 56:59 prayer tonight once you pray that prayer right now as we pray together. 57:05 Father in heaven. Thank you so much tonight for each viewer. Thank you for those who want a 57:10 heart transplant. Thank you for those who are listening to your word and the senior spirit. 57:14 Thank you for those. Whose lives can be completely turned around right now because 57:19 they're going to open that door and enter into that quality time with you, which is the 57:24 way into that spiritual rest that spiritual salvation you've given each one of us. The 57:28 Gospel. Father police tonight. Listen to the words. The heartfelt cries. 57:34 The please of you people all over the world, people. We're tired of people, overwhelmed 57:42 people who are done. With all of that impact the pain and sorrow people who want you, 57:48 people who want cheese us to be their Lord and savior. Listen, an answer we pray in the name 57:54 of Jesus. Christ. ♪ ♪ 58:02 ♪ ♪ ♪ 58:17 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-11-20