Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP220004S
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00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
00:02 and we welcome you to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:05 This is such a wonderful study in these last days, 00:10 the message of Hebrews. 00:12 Hebrews is one of my favorite books. 00:14 And we want to encourage you, this is a wonderful study, 00:18 we want to encourage you to go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 00:24 if you want to watch any of the programs 00:27 that have already viewed, 00:28 or if you need to get an Adult Bible Study Guide, 00:34 just go there and you can download it. 00:36 Today is lesson four, Jesus, Our Faithful Brother. 00:40 Please join us. 01:12 Once again, I'm Shelley Quinn, 01:14 and we are so excited that you're joining us, 01:17 because you're the reason we do this study. 01:20 And this is a fabulous study on the message of Hebrews, 01:25 one of my favorite books in the Bible. 01:27 Actually, if you had just Romans, 01:29 Hebrews, Revelation, 01:31 you'd understand everything that God is doing. 01:34 But let me introduce to you our 3ABN family that is sitting 01:39 on the Sabbath School Panel today. 01:41 And to my left is evangelist 01:43 and a singer in Israel, Ryan Day. 01:46 Amen. 01:47 It's always a blessing 01:48 to be a part of 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:50 Amen. 01:51 And then my pastor, Pastor John Lomacang. 01:53 Yes, you know, I have my Hebrews Bible with me today. 01:57 The last lessons I had, I had a newer Bible, 01:59 and I felt like I was lost. 02:02 So I have my Hebrew Bible that's been close to me. 02:05 And so I'm looking forward to this wonderful study. 02:07 Oh, it's going to be great. 02:08 And then we have Pastor James Rafferty, 02:10 and James, you and I share a love for this book. 02:14 Amen. It's good to be here, Shelley. 02:16 It's so glad to have you. Glad you're with us. 02:18 And then my dear brother, Pastor Johnny Dinzey. 02:21 It's a blessing to be here. 02:23 This is another wonderful study in the Book of Hebrews. 02:25 Amen. 02:27 John, would you like to have our prayer please? 02:30 Sure. 02:31 Our loving Heavenly Father, we thank You, Lord, 02:34 that we can gather together to study the Holy Scriptures. 02:38 And we are pleading for Your blessing 02:41 of the Holy Spirit, 02:42 that not only may we understand, 02:45 but that we may speak the words from Your throne of grace. 02:48 And we pray Heavenly Father that all around the world, 02:51 those that are joining us, will also receive the blessing 02:55 that You have for them as we do this study, 02:57 and we pray that we will all be drawn closer to You. 03:00 We ask You for these blessings in the holy 03:03 and blessed name of Jesus. 03:05 Amen. Amen. 03:06 Amen. Amen. Thank you. 03:08 Well, I have the first study, and it is Jesus, 03:12 Our Faithful Brother. 03:14 So we're going to break this down. 03:15 But I just want to say this, think about it. 03:19 I praise God every night for this, 03:21 how our creator God stepped out of heaven, 03:24 took on flesh to become our substitute sacrifice 03:29 to become our Savior, our Redeemer, 03:31 but He's also our faithful brother. 03:35 Our text for this lesson 03:37 is Hebrews 2:14. 03:41 "Inasmuch then as the children 03:43 have partaken of flesh and blood, 03:45 He Himself likewise shared in the same, 03:49 He was incarnated in the flesh, that through death, 03:53 He might destroy him who had the power of death, 03:57 that is, the devil." 03:59 In Hebrews 1, 04:01 it speaks of Jesus in the covenant term, 04:05 Son of God, 04:07 describes Him as ruler over the angels 04:10 and the brightness of God's glory, 04:12 and the express image of His being. 04:16 That's Hebrews 1:3. 04:18 Hebrews 2 speaks of Jesus in the covenant term, 04:21 Son of man, 04:22 and it describes Him 04:24 being made lower than the angels, 04:27 taking on our human flesh, 04:30 and that He was for the suffering of death 04:33 crowned with glory and honor, 04:36 that He by the grace of God 04:38 might taste death for everyone. 04:42 That's Hebrews 2:5-9. 04:44 If you go back to Hebrews 1, God says about Jesus, 04:49 You are My Son, today, I have begotten You. 04:54 Boy, that has special covenant significance 04:58 because that day 05:00 God chose the person of Jesus Christ 05:03 to be His covenant Son. 05:05 Hebrews 2 says, refers to Jesus 05:08 and the human children as brethren. 05:12 I think that's so exciting to think of Him as our brother. 05:16 Hebrews 1, the father declares 05:19 the divine sovereignty of Jesus. 05:23 In Hebrews 2, 05:25 the Son affirms His faithfulness to the Father. 05:29 Hebrews 1, Jesus is our Divine Lord, 05:33 our Creator, our Sustainer and Sovereign. 05:36 And Hebrews 2, He is a merciful, 05:40 high human priest. 05:42 And, in summary, the whole description of Jesus, 05:47 you know, to me, 05:48 there's no book that lifts up Jesus 05:51 more than Hebrews. 05:53 And Jesus said, 05:55 "I, if I be lifted up will draw all to Myself." 06:00 But the description of Jesus as our faithful 06:04 and merciful brother 06:06 is just the ultimate manifestation 06:10 of our eternal God. 06:11 So let's look at Sunday's lesson, 06:13 The Brother as a Redeemer. 06:16 To redeem means to ransom, 06:19 to pay the price to secure the release of someone 06:24 from something. 06:26 Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, 06:29 "The Son of Man did not come to be served, 06:32 but to serve, 06:34 and to give His life 06:36 as a ransom for many." 06:42 God became a man to die for us, 06:47 to ransom us, to pay the price. 06:49 Under the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant, 06:53 the Israelites were constantly reminded 06:58 of God's justice. 07:00 God had set a penalty for sin, and that sin, 07:05 the penalty was death. 07:08 But this death was to satisfy God's justice. 07:13 He has a system of administration 07:17 for His kingdom. 07:18 And He's a just God, but He's also a merciful God. 07:23 But don't ever you know, 07:25 I talk so much about the love and the mercy of God, 07:29 we must always remember, 07:32 He has wrath against sin. 07:35 So from the very beginning, when He created the penalty, 07:38 He planned to pay the penalty Himself, 07:42 and to become a man and offer Himself 07:46 as our substitute sacrifice. 07:48 So the whole Old Covenant system 07:52 pointed to the substitutionary sacrifice 07:57 of Jesus Christ, 07:59 God in the flesh, as our substitute. 08:03 But there's something else in the Old Covenant, 08:06 which is the Law of Moses. 08:09 What you find in the Old Covenant system 08:12 is something else that pointed to Jesus 08:16 as our Redeemer. 08:18 And you will probably remember that in the Old Covenant 08:22 the year of Jubilee every 50 years, 08:25 all slaves and captives were set free, 08:28 all debts were remitted, 08:30 and the land that was lost due to poverty 08:33 came back to the original owners. 08:36 But I'm going to tell you something, 08:37 50 years is a long wait, long time to wait. 08:41 So the Law of Moses 08:44 also provided a system 08:48 for a kinsman-redeemer, 08:51 the one that was close in kin, 08:55 a blood relative could pay the ransom price 09:00 to buy their relative out of bondage, 09:03 or to buy back their estate. 09:06 They redeemed, 09:08 the kinsman-redeemer would often 09:10 marry the widow and we think of Ruth and Boaz, 09:14 where Boaz rescued Ruth 09:19 from poverty and widowhood. 09:22 Now, the concept of the kinsman-redeemer 09:25 helps us understand Jesus. 09:28 This is the reason God became a man 09:31 so that He can be kin to us, 09:33 experience everything. 09:35 Hebrews 2:14-15 says, 09:37 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken 09:39 of the flesh and blood, 09:41 He Himself likewise shared in the same, 09:43 that through death He might destroy him 09:46 who had the power of death, 09:48 that is, the devil, 09:50 and release those who through fear of death 09:54 were all their lifetime subject to bondage." 09:59 Do you realize, 10:01 the first Adam is called the son of God. 10:04 Adam who was created in the Garden of Eden, 10:07 he failed God, 10:09 he actually rejected God's way and he sinned. 10:14 But then we're all kin to him. 10:17 And so the Bible says, "All have sinned." 10:20 And if we had to pay our own wages for sin, 10:25 which is death, we'd be hopeless, 10:28 because the only way we'd be eternally dead, 10:32 but God came down. 10:34 In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul calls Him the last Adam. 10:38 He's the new in the person of Jesus Christ. 10:42 He is the new representative of mankind, 10:47 and He became our kinsman-redeemer. 10:52 He calls us brothers and sisters, 10:55 and to demonstrate God's righteousness 10:58 as being just and the one who justifies, 11:04 He paid the price for us as our substitute. 11:08 But then He was resurrected, and He conquered death. 11:13 He rendered Satan's power of death, 11:16 null and void. 11:18 Romans 3:23-26 says, 11:21 "All have sinned, 11:23 and fallen short of the glory of God, 11:25 being justified, freely, get that, 11:29 justified freely by His grace through the redemption 11:34 that is in Christ Jesus." 11:36 Let me just say something. 11:38 It's justified freely, it doesn't cost us anything. 11:42 But it costs God a whole lot. 11:44 He had to condescend 11:48 to become one of us, 11:50 and then die a painful death on the cross. 11:53 So we're justified freely by His grace 11:56 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 11:59 whom God sent forth as a propitiation 12:03 by His blood through faith, 12:05 to demonstrate His righteousness, 12:08 because in His forbearance, 12:10 God had passed over the sins 12:12 that were previously committed 12:14 to demonstrate at the present time, 12:17 His righteousness that He might be just, 12:20 and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 12:25 Romans 6:23 says, 12:27 "The wages of sin is death. 12:31 But the gift of God is eternal life 12:34 in Christ Jesus." 12:36 Satan was holding us 12:38 as prisoners of war in this great controversy, 12:43 but Christ paid the ransom price 12:47 for our release. 12:48 That's right. 12:50 He bought us back by His blood. 12:52 And one of my favorite scriptures, 12:55 1 Peter 1:18-20, 12:57 Peter writes, "Knowing that you were not redeemed 13:02 with corruptible things, 13:03 like silver or gold, 13:05 from your aimless conduct 13:06 received by tradition from your fathers, 13:09 but with the precious blood of Christ, 13:13 as a lamb without blemish and without spot. 13:18 He indeed was foreordained 13:23 before the foundation of the world, 13:27 but was manifested in these last days to you." 13:30 That's right. 13:32 Revelation 13:8 tells us what the everlasting gospel is, 13:37 the Lamb who was slain 13:40 before the foundation of the world. 13:42 This is what God's covenants are all about. 13:44 They all build one upon the other, 13:47 there are progressive unfolding, 13:50 and the Old Covenant, 13:52 everything about it pointed to Jesus. 13:55 God has always been our true Redeemer. 13:59 Let me read quickly to you Exodus 6:5-7, 14:04 God says, "I heard the groaning of the children of Israel 14:06 when the Egyptians kept them in bondage 14:09 that I have remembered My covenant." 14:11 He's talking about the covenant with Abraham. 14:16 And He says, "Therefore say to the children of Israel, 14:18 I am the Lord, I will bring you out 14:20 from under the burdens of the Egyptians, 14:22 I will rescue you from their bondage. 14:25 I will redeem you with an outstretched arm 14:29 and with great judgments, 14:30 I'll take you as My people, and I'll be your God, 14:33 then you shall know that I am the Lord your God, 14:37 who brings you out 14:39 from the burdens of the Egyptians." 14:41 He will still do that today. 14:43 Amen. Amen. 14:45 Thank you so much, Shelley. 14:46 I'm Ryan Day, and I have Monday's lesson. 14:49 And I just have to say 14:50 it is a powerful, beautiful thing 14:53 to know that we are a part of the family of God. 14:55 And that's what Monday's lesson is highlighting. 14:57 It's entitled Not Ashamed to Call Them Brethren. 15:01 And to kick this off, 15:03 I'm going to go directly to Hebrews Chapter 2. 15:05 And we're going to read verses 10 through 13. 15:08 Hebrews 2:10-13. 15:11 Notice what the Bible says. 15:13 It says, "For it was fitting for Him, 15:17 from whom are all things and by whom are all things, 15:21 in bringing many sons to glory, 15:23 to make the captain of their salvation 15:26 perfect through sufferings. 15:28 For both, notice this, 15:29 for both He who sanctifies 15:31 and those who are being sanctified 15:34 are all of one for which reason 15:37 He is not ashamed to call them brethren." 15:41 Hallelujah. 15:42 "Saying," this is verse 12, 15:44 "I will declare your name to my brethren, 15:46 in the midst of the assembly, 15:48 I will sing praise to You." 15:50 Verse 13, "And again: 15:52 'I will put My trust in Him.' 15:54 And again: 'Here am I and the children 15:57 whom God has given Me.'" 16:00 Not ashamed to call them brothers. 16:02 That's a beautiful thing to know that the Almighty, 16:05 here we are this little speck in this massive, 16:09 huge, never ending universe, it seems, 16:13 and of course, God finds us and He says, 16:15 "You are my brethren indeed." 16:18 Hebrew says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us 16:21 His brethren. 16:22 Despite being one with God, 16:24 Jesus embraces us as part of the family. 16:27 This solidarity though contrast it seems 16:29 with the public shaming 16:31 that the readers of Hebrews suffered 16:32 in their communities, 16:34 and we find this in Hebrews Chapter 10. 16:36 So let's go to Hebrews Chapter 10, 16:37 and read verses 32 and 33. 16:39 This comes at a cost 16:40 because when we are invited into the family of God, 16:43 we often have to go through some of the sufferings 16:46 and tribulation that also Christ did. 16:47 But Christ took the ultimate shame, 16:50 the ultimate suffering, 16:51 and He paid the penalty 16:52 that we might be one with Him in family. 16:55 Notice Hebrews 10:32-33. 16:58 It says, "But recall the former days 17:00 in which after you were illuminated, 17:02 that means were enlightened, 17:04 you endured a great struggle with sufferings, 17:07 partly while you were made a spectacle 17:10 both by reproaches and tribulations, 17:13 and partly while you became companions of those 17:17 who were so treated." 17:19 In other words, 17:20 when we go through these sufferings, 17:22 these tribulations, 17:23 we are obviously a part of the family of God. 17:25 We are being likened, 17:27 we are being drawn and connected to Christ 17:29 through those sufferings because Christ suffered for us. 17:32 And it shouldn't surprise us 17:33 because the Bible makes it very clear 17:35 that we shall suffer tribulation, 17:36 we shall suffer persecution for the namesake, 17:39 for the righteousness sake of Jesus Christ. 17:42 You know, the main lesson goes on 17:43 to highlight the fact that Moses exemplifies 17:46 what Jesus did for us when he also, 17:49 he was in the Grand Palace of Egypt 17:52 under Pharaoh's rule. 17:54 In fact, Mrs. White actually confirms this 17:55 in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 245. 17:58 Again, using Moses as an example. 18:00 Notice what she says here, Ellen G. White also says 18:02 that he was a favorite with the armies 18:05 of Egypt, right? 18:07 And that Pharaoh determined to make his adopted grandson, 18:10 his successor on the throne, 18:12 that Moses was actually set up 18:14 to become the next pharaoh of Egypt. 18:16 But yet it's very interesting Moses chose, 18:20 he chose to be reunited with his family, 18:22 he chose to go through the same sufferings 18:25 and be made like unto his brethren, 18:26 of which he was. 18:28 Notice what the Bible says here about us. 18:30 Actually, just go back to Hebrews Chapter 11. 18:31 Hebrews Chapter 11, 18:33 I had skipped through this for a moment here. 18:34 Hebrews 11:24-26 highlights this, 18:38 as Moses was connected 18:39 and been likened to his brethren, 18:40 he chose to step down from the palaces of Pharaoh, 18:44 and to be likened to his brethren. 18:45 He says, "By faith Moses, when he became of age, 18:48 refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 18:51 choosing rather to suffer affliction." 18:53 Notice, "He chose rather to suffer affliction 18:56 with the people of God 18:58 than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin, 19:01 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches 19:03 than the treasures in Egypt, 19:05 for he looked to the reward." 19:08 In other words, he would rather suffer with his people 19:11 than to be basically entrapped within the sins 19:14 of the palace of Pharaoh. 19:17 And so we go on to ask the question here, 19:19 what does that mean for us? 19:20 Moses is a type of Christ. 19:23 Moses, like Jesus, and of course, Jesus also, 19:26 He suffered for us that we might be redeemed, 19:29 that we also might be one with Him in family, 19:32 that we might be called His brethren. 19:34 But what does that mean for us? 19:36 That means we have to also be sure to humble ourselves, 19:40 we have to be sure to present ourselves before God 19:42 and sometimes that means having to suffer tribulation 19:45 or to go through the fiery trials 19:47 and to experience those things 19:49 that also Jesus or the apostles, 19:51 or many others had to experience. 19:52 Notice what Matthew Chapter 10, 19:54 this is Jesus speaking, Matthew 10:32-33. 19:58 These are those famous words that Jesus echoed 20:00 and He says here, "Therefore, 20:03 whoever confesses Me before men, 20:05 him I will also confess before My Father 20:08 who is in heaven. 20:10 But whoever denies Me before men, 20:12 him I will also deny before my Father 20:15 who is in heaven." 20:18 Another scripture we know that Christ says, 20:20 "If you love father or mother or son or daughter, 20:22 anyone more than you love Me, 20:24 then you are not worthy of Me." 20:25 Jesus is looking for a people 20:27 who are willing to lay down their life, 20:29 give their all for Him. 20:32 Of course, 2 Timothy Chapter 2, 20:34 excuse me, 2 Timothy 1:8-12 20:38 also brings about this message very clearly. 20:41 Again, 2 Timothy 1:8-12. 20:43 It says, "Therefore, do not be ashamed 20:45 of the testimony of our Lord, 20:47 nor of me, his prisoner, 20:49 but share with me 20:50 in the sufferings for the gospel 20:52 according to the power of God. 20:54 For this reason, I also suffer these things. 20:56 Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I believed, 21:01 and I'm persuaded that He is able to keep 21:04 what I have committed to him until that day." 21:07 Paul was a man of faith. 21:08 Paul, probably more than anyone suffered 21:10 for the name of Christ. 21:12 And that is what is being brought out here, 21:14 Hebrews 13, this is another passage, 21:16 just bringing this home 21:17 the fact that if we're going to be called 21:19 the brethren of God 21:20 that does require sometimes a sacrifice on our half, 21:23 and it sometimes brings tribulations 21:25 from the enemy. 21:27 And we, as we suffer through those like Christ, 21:29 we are being made into the family of God, 21:31 as Christ was united with His Father, 21:33 we are also united with Christ through those sufferings. 21:36 Notice Hebrews 13:12-15. 21:39 It says, "Therefore, 21:40 Jesus also that He might sanctify the people 21:42 with His own blood suffered outside the gate. 21:45 Therefore, let us go forth," notice, 21:47 "let us go forth to Him outside the camp, 21:50 bearing His reproach. 21:52 For here we have no continuing city, 21:54 but we seek the one to come." 21:57 Okay, we're looking unto that better city, 21:59 that holy city. 22:01 "Therefore, by Him, let us continually offer 22:03 the sacrifice of praise to God that is, 22:05 the fruit of our lips, 22:07 giving thanks to His name. 22:08 But do not forget to do good and to share 22:11 for what such sacrifices God is well pleased." 22:16 The lesson brings out 22:17 that this was part of the problem 22:19 of the readers of Hebrews. 22:20 After suffering persecution and rejection, 22:22 many of them begin to feel ashamed of Jesus 22:26 by their actions somewhere in danger 22:28 of putting Jesus to open shame 22:32 instead of honoring Him. 22:33 We read this in Hebrews 6:4. 22:36 I backed up, I want to take in verses 4 through 8, 22:39 rather than just verse 6, just to put it in context here. 22:41 Notice what this says. 22:43 This is one of those texts 22:44 that often people have a little bit of trouble with. 22:46 As they read it, they say, "What is this text saying?" 22:47 Hebrews 6:4-8, it says, 22:50 "For it is impossible for those 22:51 who were once enlightened 22:53 and have tasted the heavenly gift 22:54 and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 22:57 and have tasted the good word of God 22:59 and the powers of the age to come, 23:01 if they fall away 23:02 to renew them again to repentance, 23:05 since they crucify again for themselves, 23:08 the Son of God." 23:09 And notice here it is, "And put Him to an open shame." 23:12 This is talking about a people 23:13 who have tasted the goodness of God, 23:15 they have again, professed the name of God, 23:18 they want to accept His righteousness, 23:19 but yet they fall out of grace with God, 23:22 they fall into a life of sin, but not just a life of sin, 23:25 not one or two or three or four sins, 23:26 but they're living in a perpetual 23:29 continual state of sin. 23:30 The Bible is addressing this. 23:32 This is what this passage is addressing. 23:33 Verse 7, it goes on, "For the earth 23:34 which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, 23:37 and bears herbs useful 23:39 for those by whom it is cultivated, 23:41 receives blessing from God, 23:43 but if it bears thorns and briars, 23:45 it is rejected and near to being cursed, 23:48 whose end is to be burned." 23:50 We are not to put God to an open shame 23:53 we are to count it all joy, 23:55 as James says, 23:56 when we fall into various trials, 23:58 because we are not doing this 23:59 because it's God's plan for us to fall into these trials. 24:02 It's not God's fault that we find ourselves 24:05 in these tribulations and these struggles, 24:06 but rather the enemy is pressing against us. 24:09 And just because the enemy is pressing against us, 24:12 my friends, that does not mean 24:14 that necessarily we are out of favor with God, 24:16 but rather, we're doing something right, 24:18 more than likely because we're in favor with the Lord, 24:20 and we're suffering as Jesus suffers. 24:22 That's why Paul constantly recalls the readers 24:24 to hold fast to their confession 24:26 of their faith. 24:27 We see this in Hebrews 4:14, also in 10:23. 24:30 In fact, let's read Hebrews 4:14-16 right now. 24:33 It says, "Seeing then 24:35 that we have a great High Priest 24:36 who has passed through the heavens, 24:37 Jesus the Son of God, 24:39 let us hold fast our confession." 24:42 And then again, let's go down to Hebrews 10:23. 24:45 Again, Hebrews 10:23 echoes this. 24:48 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope 24:50 without wavering, 24:51 for He who promised is faithful." 24:54 My friends, we may experience tribulation in this life, 24:56 but only because Jesus did for His namesake, 25:01 His righteousness sake we may have to go through that. 25:03 But we are not alone. 25:04 We are His brethren. 25:06 And Jesus will see His people through 25:08 if we hold fast the confession of our faith. 25:10 Hallelujah. Amen. 25:12 Well, we have to take a very quick break, 25:14 we'll be right back. 25:15 Stay with us. 25:21 Ever wish you could watch 25:22 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 25:24 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 25:28 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 25:33 A clean design makes it easy 25:35 to find the program you're looking for. 25:37 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:41 so you can follow along. 25:42 Sharing is easy. 25:44 Just click share 25:45 and choose your favorite social media. 25:47 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 25:51 Welcome back. 25:53 And now we're going to Pastor John Lomacang 25:54 who has Tuesday's lesson. 25:56 Yes, and mine is Flesh and Blood Like Us. 26:01 So far, we've talked about the Jesus, 26:07 our brother, the brotherhood, how, as Ryan pointed out, 26:12 He didn't consider it odd to be identified with us. 26:15 We have to pause 26:17 and just absorb that for a moment. 26:18 Because when you think about the God of the universe, 26:22 we say universe 26:23 and we could only have the only concept of universe 26:27 we can get is when we look up at the heavens at night, 26:29 or just stump through some astronomical book 26:32 that shows us all the constellations. 26:34 But I think that 26:35 when we are exposed to eternity, 26:38 only then will the overwhelming reality 26:40 of what Jesus did 26:42 really find its place in our hearts. 26:44 Well, let's consider that. 26:46 What the Bible writer talks about 26:47 flesh and blood for us. 26:49 You see, when you read the Hebrew story, 26:53 or even when you read the gospel, 26:54 you find out that Jesus adopted our human nature 26:59 so that He could represent us 27:02 and then impart to us His nature. 27:04 Amen. 27:06 You have to put yourself in the position to say, 27:08 "Well, why would someone who's perfect risk 27:14 becoming imperfect to save 27:18 those who are imperfect." 27:21 And that is something that the risk was enormous 27:24 for Jesus to step into time in humanity. 27:27 He stepped into time in humanity 27:29 without the guarantee of returning 27:31 to eternity and complete divinity, 27:34 He could have lost. 27:36 That's why the temptation for Him 27:37 was far greater than it is for us. 27:39 So when we hear that 27:40 He was tempted in all points like we are, 27:42 yet without sin, that's a huge praise the Lord. 27:44 But let's go ahead and look at Hebrews 27:46 and begin to unfold the flesh and blood ideology. 27:50 Hebrews 2:9, the Bible says, "But we see Jesus, 27:55 who was made a little lower than the angels 27:58 for the suffering of death, 28:00 crowned with glory and honor, 28:02 that He by the grace of God 28:05 might taste death for everyone." 28:08 Amen. 28:09 When I read that, I thought to myself, 28:11 I heard the story of this leader Castro, 28:16 Cuban leader. 28:18 He, whenever the food came to him, 28:20 he would have somebody else taste it... 28:22 That's right. Before he ate it, right? 28:23 That's right. 28:25 Because if they died, he wasn't going to eat it. 28:28 But look at this. 28:30 Jesus knew that the food 28:32 that we had to taste or the penalty 28:34 that we had to taste would result in death. 28:37 As a matter of fact, He knew that 28:38 Adam had already tasted death, 28:40 and had passed on death, Romans 5:12, 28:43 just as through one man's sin entered the world and death 28:45 through sin and thus, 28:47 death spread to all because all have sinned. 28:49 All didn't do something wrong. 28:51 We just inherited the nature that Adam imparted to us, 28:54 the sin nature that predisposed every one of us to death. 28:57 So Jesus stepped into this death nature 29:00 to free us from the death nature. 29:02 That's huge. It is. 29:03 Amen. 29:05 So let's look at what the Bible talks about, 29:06 when it talks about this carnal nature. 29:08 I'm going to go to Romans 7:14, 29:11 because our natural designation 29:12 is clearly defined in the Bible. 29:14 Our nature determines our destiny. 29:17 So with the nature that we had, 29:18 the Lord knew what we were destined to be, 29:21 or what our end would be, the wages of sin is death. 29:25 He knew that. 29:26 So to preempt what we were rightfully aiming 29:29 towards which we could not stop, 29:31 it's like going down a greased sliding board. 29:34 You can't go up a sliding board, 29:36 you can't reverse that. 29:37 Once nature was passed upon all humanity 29:39 that predisposed us to death, 29:42 there was no reversing of that in our own strength. 29:45 The Bible says in Romans 7:14 29:47 and Paul describes this in nature. 29:50 "For we know that the law is spiritual, 29:51 but I am carnal, sold under sin." 29:54 Now, I want to say something really significantly here, 29:57 even though Jesus had the sin nature, 29:59 He did not inherit the propensity. 30:03 Now, what's the difference between 30:05 the sin nature and propensity? 30:06 You know, as James brings this out, 30:08 not James Rafferty, 30:09 but James, the writer brings this out, 30:12 you know, the Bible says, 30:13 "Each one is tempted when he is drawn away 30:15 by his own desires and enticed." 30:18 Jesus did not have the desire in Him to sin. 30:21 Amen. 30:22 Because I want to make that very clear 30:24 if He had everything, 30:25 if He allowed that desire to come in Him, 30:28 then He couldn't say, 30:29 the prince of this world has come 30:31 and he has nothing in me. 30:34 We do have something in us, each one of us 30:36 has to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 30:40 But we have to overcome the tendencies 30:42 that we have inherited, 30:43 and in some cases cultivated. 30:45 Jesus did not inherit any kind of, 30:47 well, I'm predisposed to alcohol, 30:49 predisposed to cigarette, 30:50 predisposed to my family is a family of crime. 30:53 He inherited, He received the sin nature, 30:56 because the nature was the issue. 30:58 The Lamb of God that taketh away 31:00 the sin of the world, 31:01 He shall save His people from their sins. 31:04 Sins are the things we do, 31:05 but the sin of the world is the broken nature 31:08 that the Lord came to get rid of. 31:09 Now, let's begin to look at that. 31:11 We talk about the flesh and blood aspects. 31:13 Look at Hebrews 2:14. 31:15 And it begins to describe what this flesh 31:17 and blood relationship is all about. 31:19 Hebrews 2:14, it says, "Inasmuch then, 31:22 as the children have partaken of flesh and blood," 31:25 that is the nature that Adam conveyed to them, 31:27 "He himself likewise shared in the same 31:31 He put on this human nature. 31:33 That, "here's the reason, "through death, 31:36 He might destroy him, 31:39 who had the power of death, that is, the devil." 31:43 So the purpose of putting on this frail nature is to say, 31:47 and this is a huge aspect. 31:49 Years ago, there was a man by the name of Flip Wilson, 31:51 some of you may have heard about him. 31:52 He said, "The devil made me do it." 31:54 Jesus said though that's no excuse for sin. 31:56 The devil can't make you do anything. 31:58 You sin when you're drawn away and enticed 32:01 by your own desires. 32:03 And then when you yield to it, 32:05 sin is conceived and the end result 32:06 of that is death. 32:08 But the Lord is in essence, saying, 32:09 "I stepped into the flesh 32:13 that Adam gave to his descendants. 32:15 I stepped into that very nature to show you that 32:17 being in that nature does not mean you have to sin. 32:21 See, temptation is not sin. 32:23 It is the yielding to temptation 32:25 and partaking of it is where the sin begins. 32:27 Right. 32:28 So let's look at 2 Corinthians 5:21. 32:31 The Bible continues to unfold 32:33 this flesh and blood understanding. 32:36 It says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, 32:39 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, 32:44 that we might become 32:46 the righteousness of God in Him." 32:49 Notice, this is powerful. 32:50 I want to talk about the in Him. 32:52 He came in us 32:54 that we might one day be in Him. 32:55 Amen. 32:57 See, He stepped into us 32:58 that we could step into Him one day. 33:00 That's huge. 33:02 Think about it one day, 33:03 we are going to step into something 33:04 that we have never known, 33:06 sinlessness, perfection, 33:08 complete righteousness, immortality, 33:11 we're going to step into that one day. 33:12 Now, immortality has been brought to light 33:14 through the gospel. 33:15 But when we put that on, 33:17 we're going to say, "Wow, that feels good." 33:20 Oh, boy. 33:21 Now, I know this feeling is not the platform 33:24 of measuring things. 33:25 But I can guarantee you, 33:27 there's going to be a sensation that 33:28 I've never felt this way before. 33:31 In the very same way that 33:32 I'm sure that when Eve partook of that fruit, 33:35 there was a feeling that came over her 33:37 that she never experienced before. 33:39 And when Adam decided to acquiesce 33:41 to her suggestions, 33:42 I'm sure there's a feeling that came over him. 33:45 Wow, 33:46 that feels unusual. 33:47 That's why sin is so intoxicating, 33:51 because it appeals to the senses. 33:53 Yes. 33:55 God wants to not allow sin to control us 33:57 by appealing to the senses. 33:59 He wants to appeal to our intellect 34:01 so that the senses of sin do not 34:03 become overwhelming for us. 34:05 He was tempted in this, 34:06 He was tempted in the intellect of sin, 34:09 but never allowed the sense of sin 34:11 to persuade Him to partake of sin. 34:13 Amen. 34:14 So let's look at another passage. 34:16 1 Corinthians 15:50, He became sin for us, 34:19 that we might become the righteousness 34:21 of God in Him. 34:22 1 Corinthians 15:50, "Now this I say, brethren, 34:25 that flesh and blood 34:26 cannot inherit the kingdom of God, 34:28 nor does corruption inherit incorruption." 34:30 So Jesus stepped into, let's now grab the other part, 34:33 He stepped into a body that could be corrupted. 34:37 But the beautiful thing that the Bible says 34:38 is He was tempted in all points just as we are, 34:42 yet without sin. 34:43 He never allowed corruption to inhabit Him. 34:46 That's right. Amen. 34:48 He could have, he stepped into that body 34:50 that could be corruptible. 34:51 And so when you look about that, 34:53 when you look at that, 34:54 1 Corinthians 15:22, "As in Adam all die." 34:57 So the Lord when He stepped into that Adam nature, 34:59 He could have died. 35:01 That's why the devil came at Him in such a vehement way, 35:05 because he knew that if I could get Him to sin 35:08 in thought or in deed, He's mine. 35:14 That's right. 35:15 So James brings that out very carefully. 35:18 The sin starts here. Amen. 35:20 And then it's carried out here. 35:21 Praise God, we have a Savior, 35:24 who did not allow the sin to get here. 35:26 Amen. Amen. 35:28 So it never got here. 35:29 The prince of this world came to Him, 35:31 and He said, he has nothing in Me. 35:33 And so what's the beautiful thing 35:35 about that? 35:36 That's why we are told in Romans 13:14, 35:39 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, 35:42 and make no provision for the flesh, 35:45 to fulfill its lusts." 35:48 So now that we are still in the flesh, 35:49 that's going to be the final aspect of salvation, 35:52 say from the presence of sin, 35:54 the sinful flesh, but while we're in it, 35:57 we do not have to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, 36:01 because our brother Jesus 36:03 became victorious over flesh and blood. 36:05 Amen. Amen. 36:07 Amen. Praise God. 36:09 Amen, John. 36:10 Well, my name is James Rafferty, 36:12 and I have Wednesday's lesson which is entitled, 36:15 Perfected Through Sufferings. 36:17 And we're going to be looking at Hebrews 2:10, 36:21 17, 18, and Hebrews 5:8-9. 36:25 And the question we're going to be asking is, 36:27 what was the function 36:31 of suffering in Jesus life? 36:33 So let's look at Hebrews 2:10, 17 and 18 first. 36:38 Hebrews 2:10 says, 36:39 "For it became him, for whom are all things, 36:43 and by whom are all things, 36:44 in bringing many sons unto glory, 36:46 to make the captain of their salvation 36:48 perfect through sufferings." 36:50 And then verses 17 and 18, 36:54 "Wherefore in all things it behooved him 36:57 to be made like unto his brethren," 36:59 as we've been talking about, 37:01 "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest 37:05 in things pertaining to God, 37:06 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." 37:09 And then verse 18, 37:11 "For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, 37:14 he is able to succor them or to aid them 37:17 or to help them that are tempted." 37:20 So the questions asked, 37:22 what was the function of suffering in Jesus life? 37:26 And the answer is, well, verse 10, 37:28 to bring many sons to glory, 37:30 to bring many sons and daughters to glory, 37:32 to bring us to glory, okay? 37:34 And then verse 17, to be a merciful high priest. 37:39 In 17 second part to be a faithful high priest. 37:44 That's right. 37:45 Because you know, we're just talking about this. 37:47 Jesus Christ is faithful, Jesus Christ was faithful, 37:52 He was faithful as a human. 37:53 You see, the first Adam wasn't faithful, 37:55 the first Adam and Eve, 37:57 both surrendered their will to the devil, 38:01 to Satan, to the accuser. 38:03 They both made a choice to partake of the tree 38:06 of the knowledge of good and evil. 38:07 And so Jesus Christ comes in as the second Adam, 38:10 according to 1 Corinthians Chapter 15. 38:12 And He partakes of our human nature, 38:15 He partakes of a weakened will, 38:17 a will that has to be surrendered to God. 38:20 And we know that in Matthew 26, 38:22 right, three times He says, "Not My will, 38:23 but Thy will be done, not My will, 38:25 but Thy will be done, not My will, 38:26 but Thy will be done." 38:28 Right? 38:29 That is the weakness of the nature 38:30 that Jesus Christ takes upon Himself. 38:33 No human being has ever done what Jesus did. 38:36 We've surrendered our wills some of the time, 38:39 we've surrendered our will most of the time, 38:41 we've surrendered our will almost most of the time, 38:44 but never 100% all of the time. 38:46 Yeah. That's right. 38:47 Jesus surrendered His will all of the time, 38:50 even when His desires seemed to be good desires. 38:53 You talked about the desires, 38:54 the temptation to our own desires, 38:56 Jesus desired to heal people. 38:58 And Satan said, "Well, 39:01 we'll take a little advantage here, 39:03 you know, bring some maim and sick people 39:04 and why don't you heal them 39:05 and you can prove you're Messiah?" 39:07 Well, it wasn't God's will. That's right. 39:08 It wasn't God's will. 39:10 Jesus desire to eat 39:11 after 40 days of hungering and fasting. 39:13 And the devil said, "Hey, 39:14 you know, why don't you turn these stones into bread? 39:16 You got the power to turn stones." 39:17 When was the last time you attempted 39:18 to turn stones into bread, John? 39:20 I probably would have done it because I'm always hungry. 39:23 Jesus was able to do something 39:26 that we weren't able to do 39:27 and the devil capitalized on that. 39:29 Because the devil came into His human nature 39:32 which is our human nature 39:33 which has continually surrendered to the devil 39:36 and He said, "Well, He'll surrender to me again. 39:38 I've got 40 days of fasting on Him right now 39:40 I'm going to get Him to turn those stones into bread." 39:42 But even though it was Christ's desire to eat, 39:45 it was not God's will for Him 39:46 to turn those stones into bread. 39:48 And so He refused to surrender His will to Satan. 39:53 He continued to surrender His will to God, 39:55 He was faithful. 39:57 He was merciful. 39:58 And then Hebrews 2:18, says, "Therefore, He can help us. 40:03 He can aid us who are tempted." 40:06 Praise God. That's right. 40:07 Amen. 40:09 Because the greatest battle that we have to fight 40:10 is the surrender of the will to God. 40:12 And when we surrender the will to God, guess what? 40:15 Everything else falls into place. 40:16 Amen. 40:18 We have the victory, once that will is surrendered. 40:19 And so Jesus Christ came to meet us 40:21 in His human nature, 40:23 right where we need His aid, 40:25 right where we need His help. 40:27 And in that way, He's just like us. 40:29 Now as John said, and we need to understand 40:32 that in many ways, His nature was not like us. 40:34 He was harmless, He was holy, He was undefiled. 40:37 He was separate from sinners. 40:39 You know, so we can't give Him propensities to sin. 40:41 We can't give Him inclinations to sin. 40:43 We can give Him propensities 40:45 and inclination to do good things. 40:47 We can give Him propensities and inclination 40:49 to tap into His divine power. 40:51 He probably came with that because He was God. 40:54 But He didn't have a propensity to evil unto sin. 40:57 And Jesus had to discern 40:59 what is God's will and what is My will? 41:02 And He had to surrender His will 41:03 continually to God. 41:04 And in that way, He can help us. 41:06 Because it says here in verses 17 and 18, 41:08 especially 18, He's able to help us. 41:11 That's right. 41:12 Because that's what we need help with, don't we? 41:13 What is your will God and what is my desire? 41:16 What do you want me to do and what do I want to do? 41:18 And how do we navigate all of that? 41:21 In Chapter 5, 41:22 these are other two verses, verses 8 and 9. 41:24 It says, "Though He were a Son, 41:27 yet He learned obedience by the things 41:29 which He suffered. 41:30 And being made perfect, 41:32 He became the author of eternal salvation 41:35 under them that obey Him." 41:37 So I love this. 41:38 He learned obedience. Why? 41:40 Because He had a nature 41:41 that had to be surrendered to God's will, 41:43 over and over again, not My will, 41:45 but Thy will be done. 41:46 That was the battle cry of Christ. 41:48 I didn't come to do My will, 41:49 I came to do the will of the Father. 41:51 And He's now become the author of eternal salvation, 41:54 because eternal salvation is all about that surrender. 41:57 When I first accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, 41:59 I got on my knees and I said, 42:01 "You know, Lord, I've been doing it my way 42:02 and a little bit of your way. 42:03 I mean, I pray every night, whether I'm drunk or sober, 42:05 I go to church every once in a while, 42:07 a little bit of Your way. 42:08 But I've been doing it my way, all of my life. 42:10 And now I'm going to give You my heart, 42:11 I'm going to ask that You would come in, 42:13 and You would do in me Your will and not my will." 42:17 And I've never been the same since then. 42:19 Now, you know, we all have our ups and downs, 42:20 we all have our slips and falls, right? 42:23 But we have a merciful high priest, 42:25 who is able to succor us, 42:27 to aid us, to help us, to forgive us. 42:29 The author of the quarterly says 42:31 that the apostle says 42:32 that God made Jesus perfect through sufferings. 42:34 And this expression, he says, is surprising. 42:37 The author has said that 42:38 Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God, 42:40 the exact imprint of His nature, Hebrews 1:3, 42:42 and that he is sinless, spotless, undefiled, 42:45 and holy, Hebrews 4:15. 42:46 Hebrews 7:26-28, and Hebrews 9:14, 42:49 and Hebrews 10:5-10. 42:51 "There is no doubt that Jesus is Holy. 42:54 Jesus did not have to overcome any kind of moral 42:56 or ethical imperfection, 42:58 He was perfect both morally and ethically," 43:01 the author of the quarterly says. 43:03 Hebrews does say, however, 43:05 that Jesus underwent a process of perfecting 43:09 that provided Him with the means to save us. 43:11 We've just talked about that. 43:12 Jesus was perfected in the sense 43:15 that He was equipped to be our Savior. 43:17 He took a nature that had a will 43:18 that had to be surrendered to God's will. 43:20 That's our nature. 43:22 Jesus was perfected through sufferings 43:24 in order to become the captain of our salvation, 43:26 Hebrews 2:10. 43:27 Jesus had to die on the cross as a sacrifice, 43:30 so that the Father could have the legal means to save us. 43:34 I love that, that's what Shelley 43:35 what you were referring to earlier. 43:37 Jesus was perfect, 43:39 the perfect sacrificial offering, 43:40 the only one as God Jesus could judge us 43:44 but because of His sacrifice, 43:46 Jesus also can save us. 43:48 That's right. Amen. 43:50 "Jesus learned obedience through suffering." 43:51 Hebrews 5:8. 43:52 Obedience was necessary for two things. 43:54 First, obedience made His sacrifice acceptable, 43:57 Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:5-10. 44:00 Second, His sufferings enabled Him 44:03 to become our example. 44:04 Jesus learned obedience 44:06 because He never experienced it before. 44:10 Whoa! 44:11 As God, whom would He have had to obey, 44:15 as the eternal Son, the one with God, 44:17 He was obeyed as the ruler of the universe. 44:20 Therefore, Jesus did not progress 44:21 from disobedience to obedience, 44:23 but from sovereignty and dominion 44:25 to submission and obedience. 44:27 One who was obeyed to the one who obeyed. 44:31 The exalted Son of God became the obedient Son of Man. 44:34 Isn't that beautiful? 44:36 I'm just reading the lesson quarterly here. 44:37 It's so powerful, you know, sometimes the quarterly hits, 44:40 it's so spot on, 44:43 you just have to read the words. 44:44 Amen. 44:45 "Suffering, temptation and being victorious 44:47 enabled Jesus to be a merciful and faithful high priest." 44:50 Hebrews 2:17-18. 44:52 Sufferings did not make Jesus more merciful. 44:54 To the contrary, it was because of Jesus' mercy 44:57 that He volunteered to die 44:59 on the cross to save us to begin with. 45:03 Yet it was through sufferings 45:05 that the reality of Jesus' brotherly love 45:07 was truly expressed and revealed. 45:09 I lucked out this week, I lucked out, 45:11 because I was given the lesson 45:13 that I simply had to read, 45:15 read the Bible verses. 45:18 Read the words. It's all right here. 45:20 This lesson was beautiful and powerful. 45:23 This day's lesson was beautiful and powerful, 45:25 because it kind of brought together 45:27 everything for this week, 45:28 everything in one basic punch, 45:31 and that is, Jesus became everything we needed Him 45:35 to be without becoming contaminated with who we are. 45:39 And He did this so that He could aid us, 45:41 so that He could succor us, 45:42 so that He could help us with our temptations. 45:45 And Jesus has done exactly that. 45:47 So, if the sinless Jesus suffered, 45:50 we as sinners surely will suffer as well. 45:53 How can we learn to endure the tragedies of life 45:55 while at the same time drawing hope 45:57 and assurance from the Lord 45:58 who has revealed His love to us in so many powerful ways? 46:02 By looking unto Jesus, 46:04 the author and the finisher of our faith, 46:07 Hebrews 12:1. 46:09 Amen. 46:11 Amen. Amen. 46:12 Wonderful. Praise the Lord. 46:13 It has been a blessing just to sit here 46:15 and listen to each one of these days' presentation. 46:17 My name is John Dinzey. 46:18 And I have Thursday's portion, and it is entitled, 46:21 The Brother As a Model or As an Example. 46:25 And this focuses in on Hebrews 12:1-4. 46:31 And so the lesson begins by saying, 46:33 another reason why Jesus adopted our human nature 46:36 and lived among us was so that He could be our example, 46:41 the only One who could model for us, 46:44 what is the right way to live before God? 46:48 Let's look at Hebrews 12:1, beginning there, 46:52 "Therefore we also, 46:54 since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses," 46:58 this is a reference to the previous chapter, 47:01 "let us lay aside every weight and the sin 47:03 which so easily ensnares us," 47:06 besets us in the King James Version, 47:08 "and let us run with endurance the race 47:11 that is set before us." 47:14 Now this is interesting, because Hebrews Chapter 12, 47:17 beginning in verse 1 47:18 is making a reference to Hebrews Chapter 11, 47:21 where's what people call 47:23 the Great Hall of Heroes of Faith, 47:26 that by faith, 47:27 they endured different trials and difficulties. 47:30 And notice here, that it says here 47:34 that we are to lay aside every weight and the sin 47:37 which so easily ensnares us. 47:39 This is very interesting to me, 47:40 because it says that we are to run a race. 47:43 I used to run races, 47:44 I used to be in track in high school. 47:47 And I tell you, 47:49 you cannot put on a lot of outer garments 47:52 to run a race. 47:53 It will become an obstacle for you 47:55 in the movements you have to make. 47:57 And you have an added weight. 48:00 And you cannot run in combat boots a race 48:04 and expect to win. 48:05 Now, some people may eventually have that ability, 48:08 but you're supposed to get good running shoes, 48:10 you're supposed to wear clothing 48:12 that are fit for the race, 48:14 that it will enable you to be able to run 48:17 comfortably and relaxed. 48:19 And I have to tell you that as Christians, 48:23 we are running a race 48:24 and it makes a difference what you wear, 48:27 you must dress according to what you profess. 48:29 You're a Christian, dress like a Christian. 48:32 And I tell you, if you're about to run a race, 48:36 you don't eat a meal and fill yourself so full, 48:40 that your concentration is on your stomach. 48:43 Whoa, am I going to throw up now. 48:45 Your concentration is going to be inhibited. 48:48 Your ability to function 48:50 is going to create a problem for you. 48:53 So for a race, you prepare for the race, 48:56 you eat right. 48:57 And as Christians, we should eat those things 49:00 that are good for us 49:01 because our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 49:04 There's a lot of things we can look at 49:05 as we consider this idea of a race. 49:08 And I can tell you, it affects your endurance 49:12 if you're not eating the proper things. 49:14 So I encourage you as a Christian 49:16 to dress and eat like a Christian. 49:19 And so let us consider these things 49:22 that are set before us as Christians, 49:24 there are things that hinder us 49:27 from being able to run the race with endurance. 49:32 And it's a race that we have to run. 49:34 Now, it's interesting, when you run a race, 49:36 there's only one winner. 49:38 But in the Christian race 49:40 all can be winners through Jesus Christ 49:43 because He has been victorious 49:45 and it is by His grace that we are saved. 49:48 In a race, you are running on your own. 49:50 You're depending on what you can do. 49:52 You know, the coach used to tell me, 49:53 stick to the people in the front, 49:55 run with the people in the front, 49:56 they are the ones that are going to win the race. 50:00 And so I tell you, stick to Jesus, 50:03 He is the one that is going to carry you 50:05 across the finish line. 50:07 And so let's look at verse 2 in Hebrews Chapter 12. 50:09 And it says, "Looking unto Jesus 50:11 you're to run this race, 50:12 looking unto Jesus, 50:14 the author and finisher of our faith, 50:16 who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 50:20 despising the shame has sat down 50:22 at the right hand of the throne of God." 50:24 You've already heard in previous lessons, 50:26 what some of these things mean about 50:27 sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. 50:30 In the lesson, it says 50:32 that this passage calls Jesus the founder 50:35 and perfecter of our faith, 50:37 and the Greek word archegos, 50:40 means founder or even pioneer, 50:43 and Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. 50:47 We can look to Him and trust in Him, 50:50 because He is going to do a work in us 50:54 to enable us to be victorious. 50:57 And so how should we face temptations? 50:59 Looking unto Jesus. 51:02 And now the joy set before us, as I said in another occasion, 51:07 the joy is that we are going to be able to be with the Lord 51:10 throughout eternity. 51:11 We are going to see family members 51:13 that have also given their hearts to the Lord, 51:15 the joy set before us. 51:18 The Bible says 51:19 that eyes have not seen nor ears heard, 51:22 neither has entered into the thoughts 51:23 of men the things 51:25 that God has prepared for us. 51:26 So I encourage you to hold on with endurance 51:30 because we have a mighty God that will give us 51:33 all the help that we need. 51:36 Now, in Isaiah 1:16 and 18, 51:39 there are things we need to do to cooperate with the Lord. 51:42 And in verse 16, it says, "Wash you, make you clean." 51:45 God is going to wash you and make you clean. 51:46 Now notice what we have to do by God's grace 51:49 put away the evil of your doings 51:52 from before mine eyes cease to do evil. 51:55 We can only do this as we submit to the Lord. 51:59 And it says, "Learn to do well, seek judgment, 52:03 relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, 52:05 plead for the widow." 52:06 By God's grace, we are to do good works, 52:09 but we have to learn to do good works. 52:11 And you know, we've talked about, 52:12 you've heard about 52:14 inherited tendencies toward evil, 52:15 and cultivated tendencies toward evil, 52:18 these things, by God's grace, 52:21 we have to form new patterns of thought. 52:23 You know, when you have hereditary 52:26 tendency toward evil, and you do them, 52:27 those things are strengthened in you, 52:30 so that you have a natural desire 52:32 to do these things. 52:34 I like to study the issues of the brain. 52:36 And they say that, when you do things, 52:39 the first time it forms 52:40 a thin connection in your brain. 52:41 But as you continue doing these, 52:43 these connections get stronger and stronger and stronger. 52:46 And it becomes natural for you to react 52:49 to things around you and things you hear, 52:51 things you see, 52:53 you have a natural tendency to do evil 52:56 if you continue to do these things. 52:58 But praise be to God, 52:59 science has discovered what the Bible has talked about 53:02 long before because it says that 53:05 you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 53:08 And those connections can be disabled 53:11 because you form new habits of thought 53:13 through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 53:15 Amen. 53:17 And so Philippians 4:13 says, 53:19 "I can do all things through Christ 53:22 which strengtheneth me." 53:24 Depend on Jesus, 53:26 He is the author and the finisher of your faith. 53:29 That's why in James 4:7, the Bible says, 53:31 "Submit yourselves therefore to God." 53:35 If you submit yourself to God, 53:37 then you can do what the last part 53:39 of the verse says, 53:41 resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 53:43 He's going to say, 53:44 I can't do anything with this person. 53:46 I got to go to somebody else, 53:48 because if you have Jesus in you, 53:50 you can be more than a conqueror. 53:52 Praise the Lord. 53:53 So daily, moment by moment, we must submit, 53:57 as we talked about 53:58 the will to the Lord Jesus Christ. 54:01 And this is described in James Chapter, 54:04 no, John Chapter 15, 54:06 and I'm going to verse 5, because of lack of time. 54:09 Jesus says, "I am the vine, 54:11 you are the branches, you are the branches. 54:13 He that abideth in me, 54:15 and I in Him, as you've heard, 54:17 the same bringeth forth much fruit, 54:19 for without Me you can do nothing." 54:22 This is something we must all understand. 54:25 You know, some people listening 54:28 may be the president of a corporation, 54:31 and maybe may have hundreds 54:33 or maybe thousands of people under you, 54:35 you are in charge, you're the boss. 54:37 But you know, when it comes to facing temptations, 54:39 facing against the devil, you need Jesus. 54:42 You need Jesus, we all need Jesus, 54:46 and we must submit to Him before we can face the devil, 54:51 and then we can be enabled to be victorious. 54:53 So everybody needs Jesus. 54:56 That's why Jesus invites us in Matthew 11:28 to 30, 54:59 "Come unto me, 55:01 all you that labor and are heavy laden, 55:04 and I will give you rest. 55:06 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me." 55:08 Now remember that a yoke unites two animals in labor. 55:13 Jesus is telling us, 55:14 "Take My yoke unite with Me, 55:16 and learn of Me, 55:18 for I am meek and lowly in heart, 55:20 and you shall find rest unto your souls, 55:22 for My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 55:25 So our example, our model is Jesus. 55:28 I encourage you, study the life of Jesus Christ, 55:32 how did He live His life? 55:33 How did He face people that were attacking Him, 55:36 the scribes and the Pharisees, you know, constantly after Him? 55:40 Because the devil was working in their minds 55:43 and they allowed the devil 55:44 to put words in their mouth and speak things to Jesus, 55:47 that we're going to create 55:49 these difficult situations for Him, 55:51 but He had His will submitted to God, 55:54 just like we need to submit our will to God, 55:56 and we can rest in Jesus. 55:58 He says, "Come unto Me, abide in Me." 56:01 And with Jesus, we can do all things. 56:05 So I encourage you, that like Paul, 56:07 as we daily walk with Jesus, 56:10 we can say like Paul, 56:11 "I can do all things through Christ 56:13 who strengthens me." 56:15 Amen. Amen and amen. 56:17 Well, what a wonderful study. 56:18 We have just a couple of minutes left, 56:20 if you'd each like to give a quick thought. 56:22 Yeah, absolutely. 56:24 You know, Monday's lesson was talking about this, 56:25 the sufferings in the, you know, Christ making us 56:29 a part of His family, a brethren. 56:31 You know, there may be someone right now 56:33 that's struggling with challenges, 56:34 sufferings and tribulations in their life. 56:36 Just look unto Jesus. 56:38 Jesus has suffered more than anyone, 56:39 He understands. 56:41 But hold fast to your faith, hold fast to the confession, 56:44 and Jesus will see you through. 56:46 Because of Adam's sin nature, we were in serious trouble. 56:50 Jesus took on that nature was victorious over it. 56:53 Romans 5:19, 56:55 "For as by one man's disobedience 56:58 many were made sinners. 57:00 So also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous." 57:05 The blessing is in the obedience, 57:08 that Christ enables us to have. 57:10 Amen. 57:11 Hebrews 2:17, 57:14 "For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, 57:16 He is able to succor, 57:18 to help or to aid them that are tempted." 57:21 Jesus Christ can aid you, 57:23 because Jesus Christ is your brother in sufferings. 57:25 Amen. 57:26 And I leave you with Philippians 1:6, 57:29 that says, "Being confident of this very thing 57:33 that He which hath begun a good work in you 57:36 will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." 57:38 Trust in the Lord, 57:40 and you will have see that work accomplished in your life. 57:43 Amen and amen. 57:44 Thank you so much each of you for wonderful lesson. 57:47 This is a fabulous study. 57:50 And we just want to... 57:52 My day was Jesus Our Kinsman-Redeemer. 57:56 Remember, He's your brother. 57:57 Join us next week for Jesus The Giver Of Rest. |
Revised 2022-01-20