Journey to the end | Elder Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

I've got a message that I prepared. They've been sharing,

well most of it this month, from the Book of Hebrews.

It's okay, it might go a little bit deep again. Sorry.

I apologize first, because I know sometimes people see me

and the fear of God comes upon them because they

know they're going to get some long lecture. But let's

let's let's go to God's word. Hebrews is a portion

of scriptures, a chapter, not a chapter, but the book

that means quite a fair bit to me personally. And

how this message came about was I was actually reminded

a few many, many years ago when I went for

my first ever youth camp. Okay, I went for a

youth camp. This was when I was sixteen, and when

I was sixteen men that it was almost twenty years ago.

Then I first went to a youth cam. It was

organized by one of the bigger churches here in the

Klang Valley and we went up to peace Haven. You

know where peace Haven is, It's in guent Thing and

it was a massive camp. It was like, I don't

know four hundred youths for that time, just yous. It

was insane, but it was also really literally an insane camp.

It was wild. It was one of those camps where

it opened my eyes so white. So many things happened.

It's this recorded, is not recorded. It's not like it's recorded,

but not that. I won't mentioned too much of what happened.

But yeah, it was just one of those. I remember

I was the camp command, not camp command, and I

was the dom leader. So there were so many domes

because it was four hundred people, so they had different groups.

So I was one of the leaders. Uh. And in

my dorm were the rascals of the rascals uh, the

ones that actually, you know, after midnight they climb over

the gates of peace Haven to go to gun Thing

uh and try their luck in the casino, whatever that

they can get in. Uh. It was. It was insane. Seriously,

I remember I had everything that I brought of value

stolen uh in that camp. Uh. It was I remember

there was a perfume that was stolen, money that was stolen.

So so I was like, oh goodness, it was. It

was really an eye opener. But the last day of

the camp, I think the time, the leadership already knew

that something was amissed and uh they did almost like

an alter call of repentance, uh and told people, know,

whatever contraband that you're brought that you should not have

brought to this camp, can you please uh bring it

here now and just get rid of it. And the

things that came out or yeah, I won't even mentioned

all of it, but you know, from booze to sigarettes

to the whole works things that I my eyes littered

up when I was as a sixteen years and I'm like,

oh even that. Yeah. So, but it was at that

camp that this speaker actually left a Bible verse. The

speaker of the camp left a Bible verse. In my know,

you had those camp books and everyone signs autographs, YadA, YadA,

and so he left a verse in there, which I remember,

I didn't see. Idea. I came back, Yeah, I came.

I came back home, and then I looked at it.

And when you put the Hebrews is from Hebrews, chapter ten,

verse thirty four, and I'll read you that verse. Uh, okay,

I need my specs. And that verse actually says this

you suffered along with those who were thrown into jail,

and when all your own was taken from you, you

accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things

waiting for you that will last forever. You know, when

I was a kid and I read and I'm like,

why in the world? Okay? And first did he leave

me with? Of course I didn't see everything else. I

just saw it going to jail part like you suffer

with those going to jail. I'm like, why do I

need to suffer with those going to jail? So it

got me thinking quite a fair bit. And then ever since,

of course, you know, I always learned not to just

read scriptures as it is, but also understand the context

of it. And this is a scripture that a portion

of scripture that I've kept close to my heart. So

I'm going to be teaching from Hebrews chapter ten today. Okay,

he Brews Chapter ten the kids? Is it Family Sunday today? Okay? Good?

Because if the kids were supposed to take notes and

not God bless them as well, probably not going to happen.

He Brews chapter ten. Okay. So if we study the

Book of Hebrews, I think we need to have this

as the background for a bit of understanding of what

this letter is really about and the author of Hebrews,

no one knows. Until today, it is still left up

to conjecture who may have written the letter, and so

different ones have speculated. Some say is Barnaba, some say

is most likely it could be Paul, because Paul wrote

most of the letters, but the language is so Polish

that they feel it could not have possibly been Paul,

also because it's very very different the way it is written.

But then I think we also need to understand who

is it written to, and he was actually written to

Jewish believers who were then residing in Rome and going

to the Roman Church. And so have this understanding the

Roman Church okay, in Rome, somewhere in Italy Okay. Back

then when the church first started, you had both, of course,

naturally the Jewish believers, Jewish Christians and also the gentle Christians,

so you have two sites. But this letter is actually

written specifically to the Jewish believers, and you're probably wondering

why did this author write so specifically to one group only?

And you have to understand back then, actually Christianity was

considered an illegal religion. Is a religion that was not legitimate,

and that's why it was actually not legal for them

to operate and to meet, and that most of them

were actually meeting quietly, meeting almost underground in that sense.

And naturally the Roman government were persecuting the Christians the church.

And you see the difference between the Jewish believers and

the gentle believers. Is this. For the Jewish believers, they

always had and they could still go back to Judaism,

which is an accepted religion, legitimate and not illegal. And

so that is why the author was actually writing very

specifically to the Jewish believers telling them that guys, whatever

it is, don't go back to the synagogue, because they

could have actually just run back to the synagogues. That

was perfectly fine for them to go back to their

older ways. And yeah, it was that encouragement. And you

have to read the whole Hebrews with that in light,

because that will give you a different understanding of why

the author, and I don't know who the author is,

it is making the comparison between the old and the new,

the old and the new you see peppered across all

the chapters in the scriptures. Okay, so with that in mind,

now let's go into the teaching. I'm gonna read the

first eighteen verses of Hebrews chapter ten. I'm gonna then

break it down, break it down, break it down, and

then we're gonna read the next portion of verses and

break it down again. And I pray that y'all will

be encouraged. Okay. So it says this Hebrews chapter ten,

and it reads crime sacrifice once for all reading from

the New Living Translation, he says this The old system

under the Law of Moses was only a shadow, a

deem preview of the good things to come, not the

good things themselves. The sacrificers under that system were repeated

again and again year after year, but they were never

able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrificers would

have stopped, for the worshippers would have been purified once

for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrificers actually reminded them of their sins

year after year. For it is not possible for the

blood of bulls and gods to take away sins. That

is why when Christ came into the world. He said

to God, you did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings,

but you have given me a body to offer. You

were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.

Then I said, look, I have come to do your will,

O God, as it is written to me in the

scriptures about me in the scriptures. First Christ said, you

did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, or burned

offerings or other offerings for sin, nor will you pleased

with them, though they were required by the law of Moses.

Then he said, look, I have come to do your will.

He cancels the first covenant in order to put the

second into effect. For God's will was for us to

be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of

Jesus Christ once for all time. Under the old covenant,

the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day,

offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never

take away, since but our high priests offered himself to

God as a single sacrifice for sins good for all time.

Then he sat down in the place of honor at

the God's right hand. Then he waits until his enemies

are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For

by that one offering he forever made perfect those who

are being made holy. This is deep, okay, but I'll

try to explain it as we go. And the Holy

Spirit also testifies that this is so, for he says,

this is a new covenant I will make with my people.

On that day, says the Lord, I will put my

laws in their hearts, and I will write them on

their minds. Then he said, I will never again remember

their sins and lawless deeds. And when sins have been forgiven,

there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. The

Lord blessed reading of his word. Okay, so here is

why the author of the letter is trying his best

to explain to Jewish believers why they must not go

back to their always. He's doing his best because in

chapter ten the message is actually about the Tabernacle. If

you're readly carefully, you realize it's actually making reference to

the tabernacle. If for those of you who are wondering,

what's the tabernacle, well, it's that little thing that was

moving together with the people, the presence of God that

was moving together the people in the wilderness, and God

was saying to the people back then, you cannot come

near to me unless you bring blood, unless you bring

a sacrifice of an innocent life to cover up your sins.

So that was what was taking place. Of course, today

in the New Testament, if you think about it, we

are not done with blood offering. It is still relevant,

but somehow it has been transformed, because you don't see

anyone bringing goods and bulls here and slaughtering them, thank God,

because if not, then my role is a bit different,

back to the old role of sacrificing animals. So it's

been transformed. It has been abolish, not abolish, but it

has been fulfilled by the blood of Jesus and not

some animals blood. So that's why Jesus says I did

not come to abolish the law. He says, I have

come to fulfill the law. So the blood is there

in both the Old and the New Testament. And Hebrews

ten can essentially be divided into two halves. This first

half is actually the study of the principle, the ununderstanding

of what it means as the perfect ultimate sacrifice, and

then the second part of the study is actually with

regards to practice. So again I've always reminded people, when

you read the scriptures, you will see both this. You

will see principles God's principles, and then there is an

output and there is a practice you would read of beliefs.

But then after beliefs comes the behavior, how do you

behave yourself? Okay, so there are two parts. When when

you read the scripture, you have to see in line

of two parts. And so we're going to see this

Jesus' single sacrifice as the underlying principle that we as

believers can have certainty and assurance when we practice this principle.

Very very very important for us to see that because

the scripture actually says this, it reminds that reminds us

all that the sacrifices of the Old Testament. What does

the sacrifices of the Old Testament? What do you used

to do? What he used to do? Is it actually

causes people to remember their sins? I'm not making this up.

This is from the scripture. You readly, slowly, you will

see that he says that whenever you bring that sacrifices,

it reminds you of your sines. So basically every time

they offered sacrifices, it reminded them that they still had sin.

And that is why it was to be done over

and over and over again, because they kept sinning. And

so even when the high priest goes in, he has

to go in sometimes once a year, he gets to

go into the Holy of Holies, and he has to

offer a sacrifice for his sin first before he goes in.

And then he has to offer the sacrifices for the

sins of the people as well. And then you compare

this to the New Testament again, when we are asked

to partake off the Holy communion today, which is one

of the ordinances of the church, sometimes we wonder why

we take holy communion just for funds it No, no,

that's actually an order, a commandment that Jesus left with

the church. That's why there were two ordinances in the

scriptures that we were asked to do as a church,

as Christians in church. One is, of course, the ordinance

of holy communion. The other one is what baptism. Very

very important for us to remember this and so holy

communion when you are particking of it, do you think

there is a sacrifice that, of course there is because

the body of Christ that was broken for us. But

you are not reminded of your sins. You are actually

essentially reminded of your salvation. There's a big difference when

you read it and when you read it and you

realize that this is why we have to be obedient

to partake off the Holy communion. It doesn't make us

feel guilty. It's supposed to make us remember God, thank

you for saving me. And so the question comes, which

is it that God wants to see one sacrifice or

they see one obedience, Because in the Old Testament God

actually wanted both, even though in First Semmel fifteen twenty

two we read of the very famous verse that we

like to use. Obedience can be seen as sorry. Obedience

can be better than sacrifice, okay, but better when it's

compared to mere ritualistic sacrifice. There is the difference if

you sacrifice in a way that is routine and there's

no meaning behind it. Of course God's demanding obedience, but

if you look at it carefully, you realize that both

obedience and sacrifice are equally important. And so the main

problem was that God could never at that time get

a blood sacrifice that represented an obedient life, because all

the animals, no matter how unblemish they are, they were

still they were still blemish on them. And what took

place in the Old Testament had to happen over and

over and over again, no matter how pure that animal is,

no firstborn, whatever, no blemish, nothing wrong. But still you

realize they had to go through it the ritual year

after year after year. But when Jesus arrived for the

first time, blood was shed not only of some animal

falls to the altar, but the person who lived a

perfectly obedient life before he offered it. And that is why,

for the first time, sacrifice and obedience blended together. That

is the power of the sacrifice of Jesus in our lives.

And the best part of it is this, the blood

of Jesus doesn't just cover a multitude of sin, because

that was what the blood of all the lambs and

bulls and slotted rams were essentially doing. It was covering

the sins of the people. You see in John chapter one,

verse twenty nine, it says this blessed is the lamb

of God who takes away the sins of the world,

not merely just cover, but removes the sins of the world.

And that is why it is so amazing. You see,

God is both justice and mercy. We must always understand that.

And it's very hard actually to be both just and merciful.

You think about it. No just means what means you

are someone who you will reward someone for doing what

is right, and you will punish someone for doing what

is wrong. And of course mercy is as you know it.

Someone who is everything is all okay, you can do it,

look away, be very merciful. And so it's very hard

to be both just and merciful except under one circumstance,

and that is where an innocent person is prepared to

suffer justice on behalf of the guilty who did that

It is Jesus, because only then can sin be punished

and pardon at the same time. And that's why the

cross is necessary, because sin was both punished and forgiven

pardon at the same time. At the cross, we actually

see God's perfect justice. Basically, the death penalty for sin

was carried out. It's just not carried out on earth.

He was carried out on Christ. But we also see

God's perfect mercy that the guilty, which is earth now

can go free. So you see both justice and mercy

happening because the innocent paid the price. And so if

God actually forgave us without the cross, then he would

be merciful, but not just, do you see that? And

if God refused to forgive sin and punish us all,

then he would be just because all of us deserve punishment.

He will not be merciful. And so God says, if

you give me your eldest son, which is what Abraham

did with Isaac, it will still not be enough. I

will still not be satisfied. I will only be satisfied

when I give my only bigotten son. And now why

should the sacrifice? Some people ask, all right, why Jesus

so special? Why the sacrifice of the life of Jesus

more acceptable than all the poor killed cows and rams

and bulls and little ones that have gone before him. Well,

it is because it was the first sacrifice that had

lived the way of Micah, chapter six, verse eight. In

Micah chapter six, verse eight, we are actually prescribe how

we are supposed to live, which is to do justly,

love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And Jesus is

the only person on this earth who has ever done justly,

love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And so Jesus

offered God the Father what was one, and God the

Father accepted that sacrifice and can forgive sin. And this

is how it was all resolved. That is the foundation

of our gospel. And this is what is meant by

in verse fourteen. For by that one offering, he forever

made perfect those who are being made holy. You really say,

it's like, huh, what's it saying? What does it mean

by that one offering he forever made perfect those who

are being made holy? We are now called to take

possession of this knowledge, this knowledge that we know that

Jesus is the ones and for all sacrifices. This is

because we are still being made holy. How many of

you all realize that sometimes we always think that, hey,

I get my life to Jesus. Really, shouldn't I be holy?

Shouldn't I stop all the things that I've been doing? Why?

Why is it because we are being made holy? But

what we have right now in hand is the knowledge

that Jesus has done it once and for all. And

so the principle is clear that Jesus sacrifice once and

for all is there to make us perfect. We just

need to now practice it. We need to keep going.

And so Christ is to become my substitute, not only

in his death. Sometimes we think, oh, only he just

substituted us at the cross. Know he is also to

become our substitute in life. What does that mean is this?

He is not only to die in my place, he

is also to live in my place, allowing Christ to

live in my life instead of just me living my

own life. That is how we need to appropriate not

just this knowledge, but to live it out. And we

can't do it by ourselves. We can only do it

with Jesus in our lives. And this is why this

hypership is needed in church to make sure that we

keep practicing God's principles until we become perfect in God's eyes,

because that is essentially what is happening. You know, when

we finally breathe our last and we still remain in

the faith, God has accomplished the work of perfecting us

because we are all not perfect, yet we are all

being made holy, being made perfect. Does that make sense?

That is why the next portion of the scripture starts

off like this and is entitled in the nalt a

call to persevere. Wow. So there's a part for us

to place onless we read it or lovely principled, great principle,

Thank you Jesus, hallelujah. But let's read what is now saying, okay,

Verse nineteen. So far, so good, all clear? Okay, And

so dear brothers and sisters are This is where the

author starts to talk a little bit more. Intimately, dear

brothers and sisters, actually intimates that he's now talking to believers.

In other translations, it says, dear brethren, So basically, those

who have hung on to this principle, now I'm talking

to you. Okay, dear brothers and sisters, We can boldly

enter Heaven's most holy place because of the blurred of Jesus, hallelujah.

Praise God. By his death, Jesus opened a new and

life giving way through the curtain into the most holy place.

And since we have a great high priest who rules

over God's house, let us go right into the presence

of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting him. For our

guilty conscience have been sprinkled with crisis blurred to make

us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,

for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let

us think of ways to motivate one another to acts

of love and good works. And let us not neglect

our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another,

especially now that the day of his return is drawing

near Verse twenty six. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue

sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there

is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.

There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and

the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone

who refused to obey the law of Moses was put

to death without mercy on the testimony of two or

three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will

be for those who have trampled on the son of

God and have treated the blood of the Covenant which

made us holy, as if it were common and unholy,

and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings

God's mercy to us. For we know the one who said,

I will take revenge, I will pay them back. He

also said the Lord will judge his own people. It

is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of

the living God's stronger these words. Think back on those

early days when you first le learn about Christ. Remember

how you remain faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.

Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten,

And sometimes you help others who were suffering the same things.

You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail.

And when all you own was taken from you, you

accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things

awaiting you that will last forever. So do not throw

away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great

reward it brings you. Patience and endurance is what you

need now so that you will continue to do God's will.

Then you will receive all that He has promised for

in just a little while. The coming one will come

and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith.

But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.

But we are not like those who turn away from

God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones

whose souls will be safe. Amen. The Lord bless the

reading of his word. If you read it slowly and carefully,

you realize he's giving all these strong things, and then

he says at the end verseted in them. But actually

we are not like that one. Right, We're not like

that one. We are not the type that will turn

away from God into our own destruction. We are the

faithful ones whose souls we will be saved. But that

does not undermine everything that he just said before that

this is just a very hopeful writer. Okay, So verse nineteen,

dear brothers and sisters, Like I said, he's not talking

to believers. And then you actually see three things on

how we are to behave okay, because what you find

here is you find an encouragement. You also find a

severe warning, and you also see a very practical appeal.

There are three things that we can actually see here

from the scripture. Firstly is trying to encourage people to

do something, and then comes the warning of what happens

if they don't do it. And then comes this appeal

for them to stroke only do it because of the

reward that comes to those who will do it. Three

sections that you can see. So what is saying here

is this Christ has done once for all all that

needs to be done. But if we are going to

enjoy the results of what Jesus has done, there is

a continuous thing that we need to do. Okay. It

is so often that we usually say, it is Jesus,

you do something continuously for me because I once trusted you.

That's how we usually think and how we usually operate.

Once upon a time, I give my life to Jesus. Really,

back then in high school in a nice camp, I responded,

and hallelujah. Ever since that day, Jesus, you got to

continuously work for me, continuously forgive me. But in reality,

it is Jesus who has done everything once and for all.

It is we whom must have a continuous attitude towards him.

It's different, and so that's why in John three sixteen,

I've shared this before. For God so loved the world

that whosoever who believes not believe one time, but who

believes and carries on believing, then you will experience eternal life.

There is a continuous you see, the continuous tense is

not seen in the English translation, but even in Matthew

chapter seven way it says ask sick, and not do

you think it's ask one time? Because in reality, that's

how we operate, and that's how we function. We ask

you you, Jesus, I asked you. Do you never respond? Okay?

Bye bye. Now I'm out of here. Seek no science,

we sink. I was looking for you and I couldn't

find you. Bye bye, science. I not one time and

no answer, Bye bye. But that's not how the scripture

is word that. The scripture says asks and care on asking.

That's why it says, pray unceasingly, don't stop praying, seek,

keep on looking for the answer, and carry on seeking.

Don't just knock once, keep knocking until the door is open.

Sometimes there is no persistence in our behavior, in how

we live our Christian life, and so here is that encouragement.

That's why it keeps on going. Let us let us

do this, let us do that. Let us what is

it asking us to do? Continuously? It says, let us

practice faith, hope and love. I'll break it down. That's

what it is essentially saying, because it says at the start,

let us draw near to God with full assurance of faith.

That is what we need to do. We draw near.

We're going to keep on drawing near to God with

full assurance of faith our belief. And you see, our

faith is based on the past, because our faith is

built on the fact that Jesus Christ died for us

once and for all, and we place our faith on

the works that he has done. Everything in our belief

system is because of what Jesus has already done for us,

and there should be no room for doubt, because Jesus

has already taken away all the sins in this world.

And so true faith, Jesus is making you whole because

he has already made you complete by his grace. Yes,

there is an ongoing work. He's making us whole, but

he has already completed the work. And this is the

tension in the Christian life because sometimes we think, am

I sinless the moment I believe? Well? The work that

he has done is more than enough to render us sickness.

That means if we will to die, believe in him

and die, we will be with him in paradise. Hallelujah,

Praise God. But the reality is we got to keep

on living right, and so we got to carry on believing.

And you see, we know we have everything in Christ,

but we are still trying to take possession in it.

We need to take possession of what we know. That means,

if you know that Jesus is once and for all,

take it, possess it. Because when you are possessing that

knowledge and that faith, what happens is it says no,

because of our faith in Christ Jesus, what is given

to us is his righteousness. In Bahasa, the word is

deeper hittng khan. What is given to that person is

accounted for us. That means when we believe in Jesus,

that is on our account, God's righteousness covers us and

that makes us right. So once upon a time we

were wrong, but because of our faith, now God looks

at us and says that he is all right because

my righteousness is now upon that person. And so that's

why he goes on to say he actually starts by

being no. We get what a baptize. That's how we

grow our faith, that's how we begin our faith. That

is the inception of our faith. It's not just merely

repenting and believing, which is very very important, the two

fundamentals of our faith. But it's also what a baptism

because that is a declaration and the proclamation of your faith,

and that is why we continue to teach believers to

do that, because that is what helps them be assured

of their faith. And so everything has been done by Christ,

we now have the privilege of access. It is true

faith in the past words of all that Jesus has

done for us, that we can now step into life

and allow God to lead us forward as we continue

to trust and believe in him. Faith is the first

thing that we need to practice. The second thing is

actually hope, because it says, let us now hold fast

to our hope of God's promises. And you see, that's

the difference. Faith is based on the past. Hope is

based on the future. The hope in which we are

called to hang on to is the fact that one

day Jesus will return. Our hope is anchored heavenwards, anchored upwards,

it's anchored forward. And that's why it's one of the

most difficult things to do to to practice because when

we say I hope it happens, usually it means we

are wishing it will happen, because again, there is no

certainty in our hope statements. I hope you arrange today,

I really do hope you arranged, because it means so hot.

But sometimes we say, like a trusting Malasian, whether it

probably not that it's almost it almost becomes a wishful

thing because again, in the future it's something that we

find it hard to see. That's why faith, hope and love.

Hope is actually the weakest of them all. Faith we

can hang on too, because it's based on past facts

that have taken place, and that's how we build our faith.

Hope is a hit. It's not always easy to hold

on to because it's based on something that will happen.

But that is why we could to still practic this

practice hope. And then finally it says this, let us

motivate one another to love, faith, hope and love. You

get both past, future and present love. We've got to

literally the word motivate is actually another word that can

be used is provoked. Let's provoke each other to love.

Let's irritate is another word that can be described. Let's

irritate each other to love. Another word is one that

we use of our mother sometimes. Let's nag each other

to love. Do you know I'm forty four this year.

My mother still nagts me, and I've come to this

place where I'm grateful. I'm grateful because I know she

means the best. She keeps reminding me of things science.

I wonder why I get annoyed and with all the

kids as we're like, why I keep saying the same

thing over and over? But really I know she is

wanting me to love people a little bit more, remind

us to do things, to be more careful to Yeah,

whatever it is, I've learned what it means to constantly

nag each other to love. You See, love cannot develop

private new That will mean that you're only loving yourself.

That's the reality of it. So if you stir others

up to love, others will stir you up as well.

In other words, your concerns should be the well being

of the fellowship. That's why it's so important for us

to meet as a church. That's why until today, two

thousand years later, we still hang on to coming to

church and meeting regularly. That's why it says, don't neglect

meeting at church, don't forsake the assembling together, because if

you're going to help each other be holy, you have

got to be here. You have got to be together.

There's no way in which you are being made holy

in isolation doesn't exist, and so we will keep rubbing

off one another in the right way in the wrong way.

But whatever it is, again, practice faith, hope, and love,

because in that trinity is also past, present, and future,

your entire life continuous. That is what the encouragement is about.

Because Jesus has done everything he needs to do. We

must therefore now be confident when we draw near with faith,

when we hold fast to hope, and when we stir

one another to love. Amen. Now it comes to the

second emphasis. I know it's going I'm taking it deeper

and deeper, but I hope you see it because there

is a nice continuation to this. The second emphasis from

the scripture is now with regards to perseverance. Okay, the

first one is the encouragement now is perseverance, and it

comes in the form of a warning in verses twenty

six to thirty one. And these are very strong words.

A lot of people when they read this portion of scripture,

they don't like it. And I want you to know

the author is writing to believers. This is one of

the scriptures that tell me that we as believers can

fall and therefore fall out of the faith. I'm not

someone who subscribes to one safe, always safe. Because I

believe in the free will of human beings. I do.

And again, this is the scripture that says, no, be

careful how you're living your life, because it says this,

if you treat the sacrifice of Christ the same way

as if it was the sacrifice in the Old Testament,

you're in danger because a lot of times we behave

in a way where we just want things covered up

but not remove. Isn't that human nature just covering ab

Let's just ship under the cup bad first? Okay, we're

worried about it later. And the truth is, when Jesus

was sacrificed on the cross, it was not just to

cover up our sins temporarily. It was to remove our

sins permanently to those who sincerely repent. Do you believe that? Amen?

And so in other words, if you go on willfully

sinning after you found out about the sacrifice Jesus offered

for you, you are actually insulting the Son of God. That's

why it says you are trembling on him. You are

disrespecting the heavenly Father, and you are offending the Holy Spirit.

You are disdaining the word that is used in the

scripture that I just read strong. It's very strong verbs,

not actually basically ultimately what is saying. It is saying

that you are putting yourself beyond reach because this one

sacrifice is the only one there is ready for some

of us who think that maybe there'll be another Jesus

that will come along the way and take away my

sins again that I accumulated after I believe in him.

No more. Jesus is once and for all. And so

if we treat the sacrifice of Jesus like as though

it was one of those slatted cows and rams and

bulls having to go year after year after year, we

put ourselves in danger. And that is why the warning

here states that it is a fearful thing to fall

into the hands of the living God. And so with

this turn warning, we are reminded of the need for perseverance.

That's why we need to persevere in our faith, run

this race, keep on running, to allow the sacrifice that

Jesus Christ made once and for all to work and

do its job in our lives. Very very very important. Amen.

I don't mean to scare people, but really I don't

see any other way of preaching and teaching God's work,

because sometimes if I just tell you all the nice things,

well okay, or everything it's nice, then I'm a false

profit really, because a false prophet is not someone who

comes and tells you all the nice things that you want.

You know. The false prophets usually come and tell you

all the nice things that you want to hear, which

is not wrong, but if he leaves out the not

so nice things, that means we're only sharing half of

the truth. And that's why the warning for false prophets

is always be careful because you can't distinguish them. They

look like they are saying the right things because it's

the things that we want to hear, but I can't

because I don't want to do that. The reality is,

if I teach about Heaven, I got to teach about Hell.

It is part of our understanding of the scriptures. Yes.

Can it be done lovingly, yes, But I really don't

know how to preach about hell quite lovingly because it's

one of those hard things. But please bear that in

mind when you hear a teaching, don't take it a man.

This guy is all harding of doom, painting all the

worst case you know, you know, it's not just that. Ultimately,

it's asking us to persevere persever It goes on to say,

let's endure, because the last plea is on endurance. You see,

perseverance is the ability to continue striving towards a goal

despite all the challenges that you're facing. And then finally,

endurance is the capacity to withstand hardship all the way

to the very end. We need both perseverance and endurance.

And now the writer reminded the people of how they

used to have such a tough time, because again he's

talking to the Jewish believers, and the Jewish believers never

got it easy, right from the very start. If you

think that the Jewish believers, the first who came to Christ,

all all of them, their lives fine and dandy, no rejoicing.

They give their life in the nice comforts of a

conference in the aircone room, and ever since then their

life became smooth ceiling. No, it did not happen like that.

In fact, eleven twelve of all the apostles died martyrs.

They died for their faith, They suffered for their faith.

They had such tough times. No, many of them were

thrown into prison that's where that verse that was for

me was essentially talking about you all went to prison,

you all ended up losing your possessions, your property. But

you can stand the loss of everything if you have

something better that can be touched. Because ultimately, as believers,

what we have is towed up in heaven, treasures that

are stored up in heaven, where mouths and rust cannot destroy,

where thieves cannot break in and try to steal it

away from us. That is the faith in which we

hang on too. And so the words here are you

have already known persecution, you lost your property, gladly, don't

give up now, please. This is the appeal that the

author is making. There's a reward awaiting you if you

just persevere a little longer. That's what is asking us

to do. In fact, it starts to talk in nautical

sense like a sailor, because he says, don't don't give

up on your voyage. We are all on this journey,

and he's saying that the rescuer is coming. Just keep

on sailing, don't drift away. Complete this voyage and you're

right to the very end. Amen. And so how do

we embark on this journey I'm almost done. The bank

can come up. How do we embark on this journey?

And the scripture in John chapter fourteen, verses one to

seven says Jesus, Okay, when he was talking, he reminded them, guys,

don't let your hearts be troubled, because I'm going to

go off somewhere. I'm going to go and prepare a

place for all of your And then of course he says,

you already know where you'll be going, and Thomas was like, uh,

I have no idea where you're going. Thomas again sometimes

says the dunnest things, but he is really literally honest

because he wasn't sure. And then it took Jesus to

assure him and say, I am the Way, I am

the Truth, and I am the Life. And no one

comes to the Father except true me. If you had

really known me, you will know who my father is.

And from now on you do know him because you

know me and you have seen me. Therefore you have

seen him. That's why the earliest believers were called followers

of the way. You see, many times when we think

of our salvation and our faith, we think salvation is

a destination that means I have arrived. I'm safe, but

it's not there. Salvation is a journey. We have not

arrived unless you are that teeth hanging next to Jesus. Okay,

it's one of the clearest signs of those whose time

was up. And that's why some people will tell me, actually,

don't need to get what a baptize not very important

in life. Because the thief who was hanging on the

cross of Calvary, Jesus assured him that today you will

be with me in Paradise. I don't think he came

down across Jesus baptized him. Yeah, but his arrival and

his destination was simultaneous. He didn't have a journey to travel.

But for most of us, the minute we say yes

to Jesus, we are essentially setting off on our journey,

not arriving at our journey. And so that means we

have a whole life of hate to live, and Jesus

is sometimes saying, hey, if you have the whole life

or hate to live, why are you not doing the

things that I told you to do. That's why baptism

becomes something that's very important, not just water baptism, spirit

baptism as well, because we need to receive the Holy

Spirit in our lives to walk in this world. The

Spirit of God is both acting as purification and also power.

We need the Holy Spirit to purify us, to sanctify

us as we walk through this dirty world. That is

the reality of it. But a lot of times we say, no,

we don't really need the Holy Spirit. No, we need

the Holy Spirit just as important as obedience in baptism.

In Whatter baptisms and Scripture says it quite clearly. It

is also very important for us to realize that if

we are now taking off on this journey, let us

be equipped. And that's why the power of the Holy

Spirit is also there to help us navigate life. Amen.

So I want to encourage us when we read the scriptures,

understand that God had this amazing plan, his perfect plan

for us. No one else could have thought of it

this way, and yet because of his great love for

his people, someone had to take the fall. Jesus was

the fall guy actually, if you think about it, and

that's why our hearts cry out to him in gratitude.

Not in this day and a long simes we question God, God,

why do you allow this to happen in my life?

Why do these peoples who annoying when Jesus had all

those questions as well, because he had to die for

annoying people as well. That's the truth. It's the truth.

And sometimes when we meet and encounter difficult situations, and

usually it's got to do with people, we are like, oh, man,

life is terrible. Why can you imagine being Jesus on

the cross and people are spitting at him? And yet

did he die for those soldiers who spent an ebs?

He died for every single one who contributed to his persecution. Yes.

Do you think he didn't take it up with his father.

He did. He's like God seriously, and God said, yes, seriously,

you have to go through it. And I think the

biggest sacrifice for Jesus really was when even the father

looked away from the son, because there was a moment

when it was all why because the sins of the

world was upon this man, and even God in Cantonese

is more untie, I can't see. I can't imagine what

that felt like for Jesus, having his own father momentarily

turned away. Because again, this is the trinity. They have

been together since not even time immemorial. I can't even

say that because time is in them, not in time.

So Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray, Lord God,

this morning, this afternoon, Lord, that our understanding of your

holy scriptures, Lord will not just merely remain hate knowledge.

But Lord, I pray Lord God, that this is our life,

this is our faith, this is our hope, this is

our live, This is what we are called to persevere

all through the days of our lives and during it

to the very end, because this is the exact things

in which Lord, you want us to pass on to

our children as well. Lord, help us to live in

accordance to your plan and your purpose, because Lord, by

ourselves we are not able to do this. Lord, don't

just be our substitute in your death. And we thank

you for that. Lord, thank you, thank you Lord, that

you took our place on the cross. But right now, Lord,

I pray that we are going to allow you to

take our place in our life lives as well. So

Holy Spirit, come and fill your children and take over.

I pray Lord that the life in which they live

will be alive live in Christ Jesus, Hallelujah.

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hit for you. God bless