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.

So reading from Hebrews chapter ten, I'm reading from the NLT. Okay,

I'm reading from the NLT, and it says this the

Christ sacrifice once for all.

Okay, that's the title.

The old system under the law was one 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 will not pleased

with burn offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I say, look,

I have come to do your will of God, as

is written about me in the scriptures. First, Christ say,

you did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, or

burn offerings or other offerings for sin, nor will you

please with them, though they are required by the law

of Moses Verse nine. Then he said, look, I've 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 wholly by the sacrifice

of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time

Verse eleven. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and

ministers before they altered. Day after, they 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 God's right hand.

Then he waits until his enemies are humble, and made

a footstool under his feet verse fourteen. For by that

one offering he forever made perfect those who are being

made holy It's a very profound statement, but I will

explain it as we go along, okay, verse fifteen. And

the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so, for

he says, this is the 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 says, I will

never again remember their sins and lawless dates verse eighteen.

And when sins have been forgotten, there is no need

to offer any more sacrifices.

Amen.

Lord bless the reading of his word, at least the

first part of it. So maybe a little bit of background,

and you're okay if I just move a little bit.

I don't move as much as some of the other speakers,

but yeah, a bit hard to just remain rooted here

even though we are streaming, like Okay, the Book of Hebrews, Okay,

the Letter to the Hebrews.

I love the Letter to the Hebrews.

It's one of those quite deep as you read it.

It is not something that is easily understood because firstly,

no one quite knows who is the author.

The Letter to the Hebrews.

It is actually written to Jewish believers in the capital

of the Roman Empire, which was Rome.

Okay, so that is the background, that's the context.

It's written in actually very very Polish language, so they

can't really pinpoint who could have panned down, even though

over the years some people say, maybe it's Paul, maybe

it's Barnabas, different ones, Okay, different names have been brought up.

But the style of writing, the language was actually very

very Polish. It was actually very very well written. But

the background of the Jewish believers uh.

Is as such. Okay.

So Uh, the Church, of course we know and we

are aware of the early Church was made up of

two kinds of believers. Mainly there were the believers who

were of Jewish descent, and then of course there were

the believers who came from the gentile racists.

Okay.

And Uh, Christianity in the early part of it was

actually an illegal religion. So you have to imagine this

because uh, they actually distinguished the Christians.

Uh, they deem it.

The Romans actually deem it as an illegal religion, a

religion in which.

It's not supposed to be practiced.

And for the Jewish Christians, when Christianity was made illegal, Uh,

there was always that option to go back to the synagogues.

The option was always available because Judaism was allowed. Judaism

was not and illegal religion. It was already allowed. The

Roman Empire recognized, even though they found the Jews a

bit of a nuisance. Really, if you study the scriptures

and you read history, the Jewish people had their own culture,

had their own things, but they were very, very prominent,

and even the Romans like, okay, let them do whatever

they want to do.

But it was a recognized religion.

But Christianity was illegal, and so for the Jewish Christians

there was always that option to go back words. That's

why when you read the Letter to the Hebrews, essentially

the author is saying, don't go back. That's what it's

trying to admonish, that's what it's trying to advise, that's

what it is trying to encourage. Because the Roman government

was actually persucating Christians and it was challenging, and of

course the easy way out is to go backwards. The

easy way out is to go back to their tradition,

to go back to what is allowed and what is legal.

And the author is now saying, please Jewish believers, that's

why it's called Hebrews because it's written actually to them,

and it's saying, please, please, don't go back to your

old ways. And now we're here in chapter ten. Okay,

chapter ten. If you read chapter one to I think

it's thirteen chapters. Okay, shore you can confirm that it's

a thirteen or fourteen altogether, but it doesn't matter.

Okay, it's one whole letter.

But here in chapter ten, I want you to know,

the author highlights the message of the tabernacle as God

saying this to the people, don't come near me unless

you bring blood, unless you bring a sacrifice of an

innocent life to cover up your sins. Basically, chapter ten

is talking about the Tabernacle of the past, and he's

trying to also help us understand that even in the

New Testament, we are not done with blood offering. We

are not done with blood offering. It is still relevant

what it has transformed. Okay, it's not what it used

to be because it is now different. And that is

what this author is trying to do, is trying to

tell us that it is not abolish, but it is

fulfilled in the New Testament. Because sometimes we think, oh, actually,

everything about the past is wrong. Everything about the past

is not necessary, it's not relevant. But that's not what

Jesus came to do. So they are actually explaining that

Jesus came to fulfill all those promises. And the blood

of Jesus is different, it's not similar to the blurred

of animals. And so you actually have blurred both in

the Old and the New Testament makes sense. And that's

why today everything in which we do, when you most

majority religions understand why blurred is needed for atonement. Okay,

if you study most world religions, there's some form of

sacrifice that is needed for atonement. And so Hebrews chapter

ten is actually divided into two parts, two halves.

I just read the first part.

The first part is the study on the principle, okay,

which I want to highlight what the principle is. And

then the second part is the study on the practice.

Both very very important. I say this time and time again,

you cannot just have the hate knowledge and understanding. You

must also have the doing thereafter. But firstly, let's get

to the principle. Let's get to the belief. What is

it that we believe in? And then in the second

part we will move into the study on what we

should do and how we should behave makes sense, So

we are going to see Jesus' single sacrifice as the

underlying principle that we as believers can have certainty and

assurance when we practice this principle.

That is what the author is trying to do.

It's trying to tell us that, Okay, this principle of

what Jesus did on the cross.

Please get it into your tech scull.

You must understand it and not just pay lip service

to it, but understand it and then practice it. And

so the scripture actually reminds us that sacrifices of the

Old Testament. And when you go back, read it slowly. Okay,

read it slowly. I read it quite fast. But everything

that I'm saying is basically a recap of what I

just read.

Okay.

The scripture actually reminds us that the sacrifices of the

Old Testaments were for the remembrance of sin.

Do you remember reading that?

Because it says that every time you offered sacrifices. What

it essentially does to the person that's offering sacrifices is

reminding the person of the sin that I've committed, because

that is what the sacrifice is for when you go

and or when the priest goes in and offer the

animal sacrifice. Compare this to the New Testament, because in

the New Testament, what are we called to do? We

are actually called to partict holy communion today. That is

the commandment that is given to us. And again, when

we partict holy community, are we recognizing not a sacrifice.

We are recognizing the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

But is that a reminder of your sin? Or is

that a reminder of your salvation? Actually the scripture says

that it is. The reminder is a reminder of how

God has saved us. That is the difference between the

all and the new. One makes you feel guilty. The

other one, I pray, helps you realize that. Ali Lujah,

praise God, Thank you Jesus for saving me, because I'm

a sinner in need of a savior. And so that

is why we have to be obedient to partic of

Holy communion. It is something that is very very important.

Size we do it out of a ritual like let's

just do it, but actually it is deep.

If you understand.

Why the scriptures, why the early Church founders told us

know how they met at the start was they gathered together,

they broke brain, they shared the word, they had fellowship

with one another. Is something that we still practice today,

not because it's fun to do and just to do

it for no reason. It's actually a simple and powerful

act of obedience.

Amen. So of course the question is this wish.

Does God want to see one sacrifices or obedience? And

in the Old Testament, God actually wanted both. Really, he

wanted both, even though in First Samuel, a lot of

people will read First Samuel, chapter fifteen, verse twenty two,

we love that right obedience can be seen as better

because he says obedience is greater than sacrifice. But what

it really means is better than mere ritualistic sacrifices. Let

me see, if you are just sacrificing for the sake

of sacrificing without understanding the heart behind it, then definitely

God just wants us to be obedient.

You see.

The main problem was that God could never get a

blurred sacrifice that represented an obedient life in the Old Testament.

Animals would not quite cut it. That's the reality of it,

and that's why it took place. Do you know, the

sacrifices of the Tabernacle took place year after year.

It's not a one time thing.

No, every year the high priests got to go in

because every year the high priest was so naughty. Actually year,

if you study, No, I'm not kidding, because when the

high priest offers the sacrifice, firstly, it's for his own

since that means that every year or so, he like

sharks man, I I did something bit dodgy. This your

better better cleans myself first, and then after that there's

also the offer for the people. But it's done ritualistic

every year after year after year. But you see the

difference is when Jesus arrived for the first time, blood

was shed, not only by some animals face to the altar,

but it's the blurred of the person who lived a

perfectly obedient life before he offered it. That is the difference,

and that's why it's powerful. And that is the first

time in which both sacrifice and obedience blended together, which

was something that never happened in the Old Testament. And

so the best part of this is the blurred of

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

is our understanding from the past. The blurred of the

animals covered a lot of sins can be covered. And

because if the if the Jewish, we want to list

down all their sins ata. So I think they got

the itemize every time they kill, Okay, kill this one,

kill this or this?

Why I did something?

Oh I saw my neighbor's wife, and I thought something

I should have thought. Oh I stole from this person.

Oh I actually took this verse baldy uh oh I

had Yeah. So it covered a multitude of sin. But

the blurred of Jesus. The difference is now it removes sin.

Covering a multitude of sin and removing sin is different.

John one, verse twenty nine, STIs blessed is the lamb

of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Amen, hallelujah. Aren't we glad? Aren't we happy?

And this is what is meant by Versus fourteen, which

I told you was a very very profound verse, when

it says, for by that one offering, he forever made

perfect those who are being made holy.

You really also your brain want to explode noise like

well boo, and what's it saying?

For by that one offering he made perfect those who

are being made holy. You see, we are now called

to take possession of this knowledge that we have.

It's knowledge we know the principle.

The principle is whatever Jesus did is once and for all.

The truth is we are all still being made holy.

And so the principle is clear that Jesus' sacrifice is

one and for all to make us perfect. We just

now need to put it into practice. And this is

why discipleship is needed in the church. If you ask

me why discipleship first, why do we need discipleship in church? Well,

is to make sure that we keep on practicing God's

principles until we become perfect as how God and vision

us to be.

Does that make sense? Does that make sense? Amen?

That is why from verses nineteen onwards this is the

practice part. And it starts off with a title that

says a call to persevere. Call to persevere, No one

likes that. There are two things that you'll notice here. Firstly,

it's a call to persevere. The other thing is a

call to end you. I'm going to read verse nineteen

all the way to the end of chapter ten. Now, okay,

but so far the principle makes sense. Everyone says, taking

me okay, I'm looking at time. Yah, I'm quite good

for time.

Okay.

And so he says this in verse nineteen. And so,

dear brothers and sisters, Ah, you notice us sound the changes,

And so, dear brothers and sisters.

So the author is addressing a particular group.

Now we can boldly and the Heaven's most holy place

because of the blood of Jesus. 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 blood to make us clean, and our bodies

have been washed with pure water.

Hallelujah. Verse twenty three.

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

for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Verse twenty four.

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, and there's a big warning here, 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. Verse thirty two. Think

back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.

Remember how you remain faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.

Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were bitten.

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

waiting for 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 turned away from God Hallelujah, to their own destruction.

We are the faithful ones whose souls will be safe.

Amen.

Again, the Lord bless the reading of his word. It's strong, okay.

Hebrews is one of those scriptures where he says it

as it is, and I like to take it literally.

Okay.

So verse nineteen, when he says, dear brothers and sisters,

you know that when addressing the people previously in the

start of chapter ten, it doesn't make that distinguished distinction.

But now when it starts, the author starts to write,

dear brothers and sisters, means that he's specifically addressing it

to believers again, believer us. So he's like, hey, that's

an emphasis, and believers please, this is how we are

to behave. And you actually see three things say okay,

what I just read. You see it in three categories.

There is an encouragement, and then there is a severe warning,

and then there is a practical appeal treatings that the

author is actually doing. Here the author is actually encouraging

people to do something, but the author is also warning

them of what will happen if they don't do it.

And then he's also appealing to them strongly because of

the reward that comes at the end of it when

they do do it. So you see those treatings, and

what is saying the author is saying here is this

Christ has done once for all all that needs to

be done. That is the principle. But if we are

going to enjoy the results of what Jesus has done,

there is a continuous thing that we need to do

makes sense, you see, sometimes it it doesn't make sense

because a lot of times, for us humans, what we

like to do is, Jesus, you must do something for

me continuously. Because of the fact that I trusted you

once upon a time in my life, I say yes

to you. Now you continuously work for me. Please God.

That is your responsibility, that is your task, that is

your duty. How often do we actually say that because

I do as well when I forget the principle. But

in actuality, Jesus has done everything once and for all.

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

It's different.

And that's why when you read scriptures, especially in the

Gospel of John, no, we love the for God who

love the world that whoever who believes and have you

know in Jesus will eventually have eternal life. See a

lot of the scriptures in John. When he's telling us

to do something, it's not asking us to do it

just one time.

It's not asking you to.

Whoever who believes one time is whoever who believes and

continues to believe. It's in the continuous tense. Ask, sick, knock,

ask and it should you should, you will receive sick,

and you will find knock and it will be open

to you. It's not asking you to do it once,

because that's what we do sometimes ask. I asked Redyla.

The flod never listen, so I don't ask again. But

actually it's in the continuous tance, which means us and

keep on asking, seek, and keep on seeking, keep on finding, knock,

and keep on knocking. The persistence of it. That is

our part to play, not Jesus's part to play, because

Jesus has already done it once and for all.

And so we have this encouragement now. And the encouragement

is let us.

You see a lot of the letters let us let us,

that is the author trying to encourage. And the encouragement

is actually in the continuous present tense, which actually just

means let us go on doing something. And what is

it we must do. I'm gonna break it down to faith, hope,

and love. It says, let us draw near to God

full of assurance of faith. Let's hold fast to our

hope of God's promises in the future, and let's motivate

one another to love. Faith, hope and love can actually

be seen in past, present, and future as well, because

when you talk about let us draw near with full

assurance of faith, what is your faith based on? Your

faith is based on the Holy scriptures that Jesus died

for us on the cross, and because of what he

has done for us, we we are now safe from sin,

sinners who are safe from sin because of what Jesus

has done in the past. And so our faith is

actually based on facts. It's not based on feelings, it's

not based on emotions, It's based on facts. The fact

is Jesus died for us, and so faith is always

looking in the past. But when it talks about hope

is always in the future, because what are we hoping for.

We're hoping for the return of Jesus. That is our hope,

and it's always tied to the future. But love is

always in the now, in the present. You are called

to love God now, and love one another now, and

don't just love him now, but love him forever more.

Amen. And so let us come with faith.

A person can come with full assurance and there is

there should be no room for doubt because Jesus has

has already taken away the sins of this world. That

does not mean that we are in practice sinless. Last

sometimes we think, oh Jesus, you did it. I forever clean,

true faith. Jesus is making you whole because He has

already made you complete by his grace. That's what Verse

fourteen is trying to tell us. And that is the

tension in the Christian life, because we know we have

everything in Christ, but we are still given the role

and the responsibility to take possession of what Jesus has

offered us. A lot of times, if you don't take

possession of it, that's why sometimes we still live a

life like God.

I thought, I thought I become Christianity.

I thought my life is supposed to be sub subsuety

everything peace. No, it's going to be nice, smooth sailing, No,

rocky sea is no everything. The boy is sulpost become

all the way and there I see you face to face.

We know that's not true, right, We know we have

everything in Christ, but we are still to take possession

of it. We must still blend both sacrifice and obedience together.

And we can start by getting what a baptize.

Actually, that's what the scriptures here are saying, because that's

what a person who believes is taught to do and

we will want to do. That's how a person is

assured of his or her faith. And that's why it's

saying you can start off in faith by being washed.

That is why we continue to celebrate baptisms because every

one of it counts. I know KK also had water

baptism not too long ago, maybe sometime last month, and

yesterday we celebrated all these beautiful souls from the am

Subang worship. Actually, and that is the first thing for

us to do is to get as near to God

as you can. Because everything has been done by Christ,

we already now have the privilege of access to Jesus.

And it is true faith in the.

Past word of all that Jesus has done for us,

that we can now step into life that will allow

God to lead us forward. It's very important, and that's

why it goes on to say, let us hold fast

to our hope. You see, our confidence must have an anchor.

You are confident about something, what is it anchored to?

And I know when we think about anchor in this world,

a lot of it is anchored to the bottom because

ocean might right anchor see anchor to the bottom, nor

is pulling backwards, But Actually, the anchor of the Christian

faith is actually anchored topwards, is anchored towards heaven, and

is anchored a heat again to the future return of

Jesus when he comes back to complete the work of

perfecting us. That is what it means of the work

of sanctification in our lives. And so hope is not

easy to hold on to because it's based on something

that we cannot see yet. So that's why I hope.

Sometimes it's always the weakest of them all, faith, hope

and love.

Faith.

You know Jesus has really done everything is no is there.

I hang on to it, and that's why what I'm

sured of he has done. I take those steps of

faith moving forward by hope is.

Something that I can't see.

But based on what he said, he has, he will do,

and he has already done. I think that's what gives

us hope in the future because of all the different

prophecies in which the scriptures have said and have come

to pass Amen. And so hope is very very important

as well. And then the third thing is it says this,

let us stir each other up to love, let us

motivate each other to love. Actually, the word that he

uses is let us provote each other to love. Wow, okay,

some some some translations they motivate, but provokeer. The other

word that can use sometimes is let us nag each

other to love.

Ah, sounds like my mom, But.

You think about it, You think about it. I'm I'm

forty I don't know how I'm forty five or something

like that. But how are you for the three that

means I'm forty four? Okay, I'm forty four. Sorry, he's

one year younger than me. I'm forty four. I'm forty

four years old. I still stay at my mom and

she's still next me, uh, next me about everything, but

I know she's nagging me to be a better person

to love ultimately. And so the scripture actually says, let

us stir up one another to love. And you see,

love cannot be developed privately. It's not asking you to

love yourself, because if you stir others up to love,

others will stir you up as well. In other words,

your concern is not about your own well being. It's

actually about the well being of the f fellowship. That's

what the scriptures here are saying. And this is why

we must not neglect meeting at church. That's what chapter ten,

verse twenty four to twenty five is talking about. Don't

forsake assembling together. We like to quote that scripture right. No,

we need to come together. We need to assemble together,

because if you're going to help others to be holy,

you have got to be in the fellowship to be

able to do that.

Church is important.

Anyone who tells you that it's the thing of the past,

not right now, You do whatever you want, you fly

on your own. No, it's needed because we need to

nag each other to love.

Amen.

And because Jesus has done everything he needs to do.

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

when we hold fast to the hope, and when we

stir one another to love, we must be confident. Okay,

it's the first emphasis. The second emphasis moves away from

confidence to perseverance. And this is where the warning comes in.

And this warning is strong. A lot of people don't

like it when they read this portion of scripture. They're like, ah,

I think I will omit this, but I want us

to read it, and I want us to know it

because it says this, No, if you treat the sacrifice

of Christ the same way as if it was the

sacrifice of the Old Testament.

You're in danger. What does it mean by that?

It's saying that a lot of times, No, we believe

in a way where we just want things to be covered,

not removed, because that's what the sacrifice of the oldest right.

It covers a multitude of scein. But what it essentially

does is it covers, it doesn't take it away. And

so that's why it needed to be repeated year after

year after year. The truth is, when Jesus was sacrificed

on the cross, it was not just to cover our sceines.

It was to remove our scenes when we sincerely repentant.

That is what the scripture is saying.

So, in other words, if you go on willfully sinning

after you found out about the sacrifice Jesus has offered

for you, you are actually insulting Jesus. This is what the

scripture is saying. I'm not making this up. It says

that you're trampling. I think it uses words like that,

you're disrespecting the Father, and you are offending the Holy Spirit.

It says you disdain the Holy Spirit, very very strong. No,

you know in the Gospels it says that if you

bless Theeme the Holy Spirit, it becomes an unforgivable sin.

So I think the warning is here. It's something that

we need to read, understand, and take to heart. Don't

put yourself beyond reach, is what the scriptures is saying,

because and this is the reminder that sacrifice of Jesus

is once and for all. Basically, it's trying to us, Hey,

there is no other sacrifice after that. Ready, science we

think maybe after Jesus will come another person, which is

what some major religions think, that Jesus is not the final,

that another one will come, and another one come and

another one come. No, but the scripture here is saying

that Jesus is one's and for all.

That's it.

And if the ones and for all you keep stamping

on him, then you put yourself in a place where

you don't want to end up falling into the hands

of angry God.

That's what the scriptures is saying.

I'm not making this up, and I'm not just saying

to frighten people know. I'm saying because this is what

God wants of us to know. And so there is

a stern warning here we are reminded of the need

to persevere, to allow the sacrifice that Christ made once

and for all to work and to do its job.

And the writer here warns us that since we have

got a better sacrifice, then it must do a better

job with us than the old ones actually did for

the Jews. That is the reminder, shouldn't he do a

better job Christians? Shouldn't what Jesus did on the cross

for us have done a better job for us? And finally, finally,

towards the end comes a plea for us to endure again.

Sometimes we're like, huh persevere and your same thing, like, uh, Well,

Perseverance is in a way, the ability to continue striving

towards a goal despite of all the challenges and the

obstacles that you see. Endurance is actually the having the

capacity to withstand hardship.

Prolonged effort. Both quite similar.

But I think if you think about it, this but

is telling you not to just hang on by telling

you to hang on all the way to the end.

And so the writer actually reminded them how they used

to have such a tough time as the earliest group

of Christians to come into the faith. The Jews were

the first, the earliest Christians, and you was so challenging

for them because you again you think about it all,

you've thought majority of all the disciples and the apostles

were actually martyred. They didn't just go to prison or

they actually died for their faith. So the authors now saying, hey,

you all actually went through so much, so much. You

were thrown into prison, your possessions were taken from you.

That's where this scripture came to me. That's why very

scary sized where I read it, But when you read

it in context, really no. I think back about how

I came to the faith. It wasn't just like, oh,

everyone welcomed me, you know, the church welcome me everything.

You know, I went through a fair bit of resistance

because again, my family weren't from that. They weren't believers

to begin with, and so it was trying. It was challenging.

Of course, I look back in hindsight and I'm grateful.

I'm grateful for those challenges. For the first two three

years of my life, I was not allowed to go

to church, ah and I had to just honor my parents,

even though it was tough. It was difficult. And now

I'm someone who is very, very grateful for school cfs

because somehow the school CF it's the church that I

couldn't go to for me. And I just tell my

parents I attending extra curricular activity, Hallelujah, Praise God. They're like, okay, good,

get your cat signed, then you can go to university.

Praise God. I didn't tell no lines. I was honest,

Praise God.

But it was tough.

A lot of us sometimes don't come into the faith

in this manner. I mean you think about those who

are born into families who've been going to church all

their lives. That's why sometimes with the second generation believers,

it's not something in which they understand what's hanging on

to is because no hardship. Everything is like, oh, praise God, No,

I'm so comfortable gone in the church. No, the meaning

the econ not working, the meaning something is not okay, no,

meaning someone pay wrong.

To ey right.

So the writer is reminding us of the tough times,

reminding those early Jewish Christians. No, but it's also saying

you stood the loss of everything because you know you

had something better that cannot be touched. Because as believers,

we don't just store up things here, but we store

our treasures in heaven, where mouth and rusk can destroyed,

and thieves do not break in to steal and to

take it away from us.

That's in Matthew chapter six. Amen. 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, because

there is a reward waiting for you, and it's only

a little while longer. Sometimes that's what we need to

hear in life. It's a little while longer. You think

about it, our duration, our life spent, the human life

spent in comparison with eternity. Really, even if you're a

kid right now, I will still tell you it's only

a little while longer, no matter how challenging it may be.

You know, when I do community outreach, it's hard, no

somety seeing children with nothing, but I always tell them

you just need to wadstand. It's only a little while longer,

because really God reward those who hang on to them.

So it's saying, don't lose the reward at this late stage.

For some of us, know we're almost there, yeah, the end,

almost almost stepping fish, No c does endurance racist.

It's either you finish.

Or you don't finish la and the scripture wants us

to finish, so it doesn't matter.

I know.

Sometimes no city says no triathlon. I don't know, world

record six hours or something like that. Some people come

in after twelve hours, some people come in the next day.

Everyone city go back ready or back up everything and

then then listen three as long as they made it.

As long as they made to the finish, they finished

their journey.

So don't lose the reward at this late stage is

what is the author is trying to appeal to.

Because God is a god of rewards.

No, he rewards you for the right things that you do,

and naturally he punishes you for the wrong things that

you do, because he is a god who is both

just and merciful. Does that make sense? And he's saying, well,

the rescuer is ready on his way. One day we

will look up heavenward and that's how Jesus will return.

The scriptures are clear he will return the same way

he left the first time, because he ascended to the heavens,

and that's how he will come back. And so now

he says, don't drift don't drif is starting to use

nautical terms, no, basically sailing terms. Don't drift away into

the open vast ocean and God knows where your NM says,

whatever it is, complete your voyage. Don't shrink back, don't

lower your seals. Sometimes we like, oh everything is nice,

and come let me take down the sails and chill.

Don't don't lower your sells. Keep on going, don't lose heart,

and deal right to the very end.

Amen.

And so how do we embark on the journey? Well,

I'm coming to an end and the band can actually

come out. We just want to encourage us. I know

sometimes scripture is strong, but it's essentially an encouragement. You know,

how do we embark on this journey? Well, in John

chapter fourteen, verses one to seven, Jesus spoke these words,

and he says this airh don't let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is

more than enough room in my father's home. If this

were not so, would I have told you that I'm

going to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready,

I will come and get you so that you will

always be with me where I am and you know

the way to where I am going. And of course

the disciples back there were like, huh, we don't know

a lot Thomas. Okay, Thomas being Thomas, we have no

idea where you're going, So how can we know the way.

And this is when Jesus actually said, I am the Way,

the Truth, and the life. No one can come to

the Father except true me. If you had really known me,

you would know who my father is.

From now on.

Do you know him and have seen him? You know

the first name and the best. For Christianity has always

been the way, the way, because Christianity really is a

road to be traveled on.

It's not a destination.

A lot of times we think the decision that we

make means we have arrived.

So that ZUMBI when I get my.

Life to Jesus at sixteen at the school cam hallelujah,

prays God, I've varrived here. Everything is said, No, Christianity

is a road to be traveled which begins with repentance,

and he ends in heaven.

It begins with repentance.

Yes, it begins when you raise your hands and say

that Lord, I'm a sinner in need of a savior.

Acknowledging that not responding to I felt goosebumps when that

song played. No, it's not that it's really a sea

inner acknowledging his savior. Repentance is how we begin, and

that's why I continue to talk about water baptism. It's

so important for us to go through everything I talk

about Holy communion because these are the things that we

do out.

Of obedience in our lives.

You know, I've mentioned this before a lot of people

think that, you know, what a baptistm is not important.

Remember the guy who was hanging next to Jesus on

the cross. He wasn't what a baptized or Jesus says today,

you'll be with me in paradise. No, I believe he

is with Jesus in Paradise. Hallelujah, praised the Lord. No,

if someone dies near the beginning of their journey, before

he was even water baptized, before he was filled with

the spirit, I believe they are on their way, and

I believe they will be with the Lord.

The problem is not those who.

Die before they have traveled very far, but those who

live and don't travel this road. You see the difference.

A lot of uds are alive. We are not like

that teeth next to Jesus hanging on the cross because

he I mean, he had a short span of time. Hallelujah,

Praise got that in that short span of time he

knew God, he repented.

And he was on his way to heaven.

Hallujah, Praise God. But a lot of us are still living.

When we refuse to travel, we need to travel. You

need to move. You need to keep on going. Don't

think that I've arrived. Remember I have just set off

and we are all walking this journey. All of us

are walking this journey together. It doesn't matter whether you're

young or old.

And so.

Continue desire to do what is right. Continue to want

to receive the Holy Spirit. You want not just to

go through the waters of baptism. You also want the

Spirit to feel you because we need the Holy Spirit,

especially when we are walking through life's journey. It's a

very It puts us in a very vulnerable state. It

puts us in a very dangerous state. And that's why

we need God's power and purity, which is very important

for us to maintain a clean walk through this big,

bad world that is before us. Both power and purity.

You think about it. Where does power come from. It

comes when you're filled with the Holy Spirit. Where does

purity come from? Purity comes through the sanctifying work of

the Holy Spirit.

Continuous to purify us and enable and empower us.

You see, Christianity is the only religion that puts justification

before sanctification.

Do you realize that. I know it's victims, but I

want us to.

Understand because this is exactly what you will have to teach,

and this is exactly what you believe us. In a

lot of other religions, they'll tell you to do the

right thing first before you are accepted. In Christianity, you

are accepted, and then God says, I will give you

what it takes for you.

To do the right thing. Oh hallelujah, Praise God.

That's why it says nothing you can do to earn salvation,

but there are things in which you can do to

receive it and keep receiving it so that you can

keep walking and keep going.

Amen. We are justified by faith.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, not words, by faith,

And we are justified in orders so that our lives

can be sanctified and purify.

As we walk and as we walk, and as.

We keep going, and all this is great that we

don't deserve. But here God pause out so freely into

our lives, his undeserved generosity upon each and everyone.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as church org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless