Hebrews

[0:00] Let us turn again, as we may be held, to Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1.

[0:21] The epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, chapter 3, verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

[0:50] As most of you know, we made a few very poor remarks upon this verse, or the first clause of it.

[1:08] Speaking of the holy brethren, as the apostle Paul called them, holy brethren.

[1:20] Though he knew from his own experience they were sinners, that he could see the grace of God in them.

[1:32] Marks of grace manifested in, no doubt, their conversation and also in their walk. That he could save them as holy brethren.

[1:48] Nothing have I said in of themselves that the holiness is in Christ the Lord. And it's only by, as we've said this morning, receiving the heavenly call that we could be made of as a brethren that is holy.

[2:12] For we know very well that there is nothing in us by nature that is acceptable to God, or can be called holy or righteous.

[2:26] We are defiled by sin throughout. From the day of birth, and there will be this carnal nature in us, even the death's door.

[2:38] But, if we've received the heavenly calling spoken of in our text, then there's something in our heart, in our soul, that as God has given.

[2:53] As you've heard me say before, from the prophecy of Ezekiel, that the Lord has said he would give that new spirit.

[3:05] Spirit of grace. Spirit of grace. And remove the art, stony heart, and give the art of flesh. And this is the experience, I believe, of everyone that receives our call from heaven.

[3:28] As we said this morning, it's the new birth. As Jesus spake unto Nicodemus of old, ye must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God.

[3:41] It's going through the gate of regeneration by the grace and mercy of God. And then we made a few remarks, as some of you know, upon this calling.

[3:58] And upon the word consider. And upon the word consider. I know the word is before us consider, more respected, the apostle and eyepriest of our profession, which is Christ Jesus.

[4:16] But where might we consider ourselves somewhat to know our standing, whether we are building our hope for heaven on a good foundation.

[4:32] And as you know that there is but one foundation. There's only one. Every other will sink.

[4:43] Come to nothing. But Christ is the foundation of the old church. In other words, all that the Father gave him to redeem.

[4:57] They are building their hope upon the foundation, which is Jesus Christ. His love, his mercy, his compassion, and especially his blood.

[5:11] And we close this morning, speaking a little of obeying the voice of God.

[5:29] For he doth speak to these people. And sometimes the way in the things of providence, that their feet should be guided and directed.

[5:43] And there sometimes he does direct them into his statutes and his commandments. As we read much of in the 19th Psalm.

[5:56] This afternoon, for a little while, as I looked, we looked at this apostle and eyepriest of our profession.

[6:10] Well, we know very well that the writer of this apostle, the apostle Paul, writing these things we have read of and spoken of this afternoon and this morning.

[6:32] That he was made an apostle. That was God's gift. As according to God's purpose from all eternity.

[6:43] That this man, Saul, should be brought out of the world and to receive an heavenly calling, brought to a knowledge of him, that he would be made eventually an apostle, that he might go forth and preach the gospel.

[7:01] Which the Lord used him, as you know, to preach the gospel. And the Lord blessed him in delivering it. And many churches was built up in their most holy faith under the preaching of the apostle Paul, as well as others.

[7:19] So our text here, consider the apostle, high priest, is not alluding actually to those who were made apostles.

[7:33] Poor sinful creatures, men. But our text speaks of Jesus Christ.

[7:45] Now we are to consider, but just another thought here. The apostle Paul and others, they were sinful men.

[8:00] They were all born the same as we in sin. Born in sin. They had a nature in them that was sin.

[8:10] And I believe the Lord used, while we know, he used them for this. Preaching the gospel to poor sinners who were born in the same condition and felt the same deed of a salvation.

[8:29] Consider the apostle. Consider the apostle. Now this apostle Paul and other apostles, as I said, born in sin and shaped in iniquity.

[8:46] Though those made apostles. Though those made apostles. But have been born into this world and sin.

[9:00] And have been having the heavenly calling and taught by the Holy Spirit. The Lord sent them forth to speak of those things that Andrew tasted and felt.

[9:11] And he, by those means, built up the church of God. Because these apostles could speak of their condition by nature.

[9:28] That led them to preach salvation through Jesus. Other those poor creatures that were born and shaped in sin.

[9:38] And in themselves. But this little difference in the word of their text. Consider the apostle. The apostle.

[9:50] And we are told who this apostle is. Jesus Christ. The Son of God. Oh, I do feel it needs grace to consider him.

[10:05] Consider Jesus Christ. First being the Son of God. The Father had no other to send into this poor world.

[10:22] To open a way to heaven. None other. But Jesus is only begotten Son. Your thoughts may be.

[10:35] Well, surely he could have fitted the apostle Paul for such a work. No. Impossible. No.

[10:47] The apostle Paul was a sinful man. And he wanted an holy. A man undefiled. No sin. Within.

[10:59] Or without. Come to that. A sinless man. Now here is one. And one only. I speak with all reverence. There is none other in the mind of the Father.

[11:13] To send to redeem his people. But his only beloved Son. To fulfill the law. All others had broken the law. All the law. All the law.

[11:24] All the law. And each. The apostles and prophets of old. There was one man. And one man only. Who would come into this world. To.

[11:35] Be a true apostle. And to be a true high priest. And take that. That work of salvation. For poor sinners.

[11:46] Such as you and I. Well might we praise. The Father. In this wonderful. According to his wonderful will.

[11:59] To bring forth his dear beloved Son. We are bearing in mind. That that Son of his. Jesus. Was a. Partaker.

[12:11] Of the heavenly calling. I'm sure of this. That the Father sent. His. Son. Truly he was.

[12:23] An heavenly son. He received. An heavenly calling. To undertake a work. For. Heavenly souls.

[12:35] Through the grace of God. Well then. Might we consider. This apostle. Even from birth. The evidence. Sometimes.

[12:47] Sometimes. We. May be. That we. Think but little. Of. The birth. Of the Lord. Jesus Christ. Only as the seasons. Come round.

[12:57] Is that right? No. No. I desire. To please. Jesus has helped. From babyhood. For he came.

[13:08] In that. Mysterious way. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. To be born. To be the redeemer.

[13:19] Of. Every. One. That the father. Had chosen. From eternity. Though as a babe.

[13:29] He came. And you will remember. That there was. No place. On earth. For him. That is no place.

[13:40] Prepared. No mansion. No. A stable. Who hath believed. There report. And whom is the arm.

[13:51] Of the Lord. Be healed. He was a babe. Layed in a manger. In a manger. At Bethlehem.

[14:04] He received. The call. From his father. The dear son. Obeid. Born in that. Mysterious way. A partaker. Of the heavenly calling.

[14:17] Consider this apostle then. He came. To undertake a work. That no other. Could possibly. Undertake. He was the only babe.

[14:27] Born into this world. From that time. Onwards. Or from. The commencement. Of the world. Until the closing. O. Being sinless. And able.

[14:38] To satisfy. The father. In forfeited the law. For all his dear. People. Well dear friends. They could. We consider that babe.

[14:50] The babe. Bethlehem. It's beyond us. Isn't it? Can you imagine. One. A babe.

[15:01] A child. Without sin. No sinful nature. You have a sinful nature. I have. And it's troubled us. Do it not.

[15:12] Well. This babe came. To deliver us. From that carnal nature. And those sins. Consider the apostle. Babe.

[15:24] Born at Bethlehem. Mysterious birth. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Without him. The afraid. If it be no. Babe.

[15:36] Said by the father. There be no heaven. There be no deliverance. There be no way to heaven. We should still be.

[15:48] That all would be in. If he played. He put it. We should be in hell. We should be suffering. For our sins. But the father. Loved this people.

[15:59] Who be at chosen. With such a love. Cannot be described. Oh how John. Takes it up. Does it up. Behold. What matter of love. The father. Hath bestowed upon us.

[16:10] That we should be called. The sons. Of God. Well. It's by his birth. That we are brought. Can I say. Here today.

[16:22] By the birth. Of the Lord. Jesus Christ. And also. In a later day. As he traveled. That path.

[16:32] Of suffering. It reminds me. Of the word. Which some of us. Heard preached. From the other evening. I'm determined. Not to know. Anything among you.

[16:43] Save Jesus Christ. And him. Crucified. This is the apostle. Dear friends. Jesus Christ. Christ.

[16:54] And oh. You. You can't but notice. Oh the apostle. Paul. Spoke. Well of him. Priest.

[17:05] Priest. The poor sinners. And told them. There's no other way. And true. There's no other way. To heaven. But in and through. Jesus Christ. This apostle.

[17:17] And Jesus preached. His own gospel. As you know. When he was here. On earth. He preached.

[17:28] In his latter days. And he preached. The gospel. And it was his gospel. Oh what a sermon. Priest on the mount.

[17:38] By Jesus. Often looked upon it. As being. He commenced with. His dear people. He speaks of their.

[17:49] Blessed state. And so they are. This is the heavenly calling. Blessed people. Blessed are they. That mourn.

[18:00] He says. We spoke a little. This morning. Of these poor sinners. Mourning over sin. But he calls them. Blessing. Blessed are they.

[18:10] That mourn. For they shall be comforted. And the comfort is in Christ. Oh the blessed sermons. He preached. When here on earth.

[18:22] We know. But little of them. There's just a few. As you might say. That Jesus preached. At the fifth of Matthew.

[18:35] And I often go. To that. 16th of John. 16th of John. One of his last. Discourses. Here before he left. To go. Into. To Calvary.

[18:47] And to be crucified there. The apostle. Jesus Christ. None other. Dear friends. What do we consider.

[18:58] What do we. How do we consider that. Dear man. A babe. And also. Grow. Grow. Up. And be. A minister. Should I say.

[19:09] Yes. A prophet. Yes. An apostle. Of the father. As he sent him. For the benefit. Of poor sinners.

[19:20] Here other. Consider. Oh. How little. Do we consider him. How little. Can we consider him. That is. In his. Power. In his strength.

[19:31] In his love. And in his mercy. We have to fight away. Don't we. Consider then. As we are able. And it's not wrong.

[19:42] Dear friends. To ask the Lord. To lead us. Deeper and deeper. Into. A knowledge. Of this apostle. In the knowledge. Of the Lord Jesus. In his love.

[19:53] And mercy. And in his suffering. At such times. We fear. To ask the Lord. To lead us. By his spirit. Into the garden.

[20:04] Shall I say. Of Gethsemane. And so on. We fear. To do so. And yet. When we desire. More knowledge. Of him.

[20:16] To understand. Who this dear man was. Surely. It is right. For us. To ask. It may be revealed. To us.

[20:27] And yet. There is an inward trembling. As I said. Fear the Lord. Will bring us down. And bring us. Somewhat. Into the path. Of something. To know a little.

[20:39] Of what he passed through. Through the garden. Of Gethsemane. Or moves. The mysterious way. Is wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps.

[20:49] In the sea. And rides upon the storm. So the Lord works. I believe in Zion. To give unto us. A deeper knowledge.

[21:00] Of himself. Of what he passed through. That his soul. Might be saved. With an everlasting salvation. Consider then. This apostle.

[21:11] And how he entered. As you know. Into the depth. Of suffering. In the garden.

[21:21] Of Gethsemane. Think of this. As you. Sing in the. Hymn. The previous hymn.

[21:32] The previous hymn. View him. That olive press. Squeezed and wronged. Terwhelmed in blood. View thy maker's deep distress. Hear the sighs and groans of God.

[21:45] N. Reflect. What sin must do. B. Gazing on Gethsemane. Poor disciples.

[21:57] Tell me now. Where's the love. You lately had. Where's that faith. Ye all could feel. No.

[22:08] But this hour. Is too. Too sad. Is not now. For such is we. To support.

[22:20] Yes. Emily. What can we say. Dear friends. About this. Apostle. In the garden.

[22:32] Of Gethsemane. Suffering. How little do we know. Of his suffering. We read sometimes.

[22:43] A little of his suffering. And we sing of it. But oh. How little do we know. Is it your concern. And mine. To know. With e-past. That way.

[22:55] That we might live. Do you feel. The need. Of the apostle. Dear friends. Well. There's one. And one holy. Jesus Christ.

[23:08] Oh. If we could. Consider him. In his. Great love. Willing. To walk. In those. Past. And experience. And experience. And experience. That suffering.

[23:18] That none. Can speak of. Not to the depth of it. What he. And doeth. No tongue. Can tell. What has said. To save.

[23:30] My soul. From death. And from hell. Consider. The apostle. Jesus Christ. Dear friends.

[23:42] The only way. We have. Any knowledge. Of the. Holy Spirit. Is by. The leading. Of the. Holy. The only way.

[23:52] We have. A knowledge. Of this. Apostle. Jesus Christ. Is only. As the Holy Spirit. Reveals it to us. You may read. And read. Of the sufferings. Of Christ.

[24:03] The God. Of Gethsemane. But friends. Is the Holy Spirit. That opens up. Leads us. Into it. If we knew.

[24:16] More. Of the sufferings. Of Christ. I believe. It would give us. A greater. Hatred.

[24:28] The sin. The whole. Our own. Carnal mind. The more. We know. Of the Lord. Jesus. Sufferings. Especially.

[24:40] When we feel. It was done. For us. There would be. A deeper. Knowledge. Of ourselves. And I believe.

[24:50] That what causes. To come. Often. Yea. Far more. Often. It does. With the. Publican. God. Be merciful. To me.

[25:01] Asher. And we should know. More. Of this. Dear man. The apostle. Paul. When he said. When he said.

[25:14] How poor. And afflicted. He was. Consider. The apostle. The apostle. The apostle. The apostle. And how he preached.

[25:27] And not only preached. As he went round. But he healed. Poor sinners. He healed them. Bodily. All for the honor.

[25:38] And for the glory of God. His father. And how he brought. The dead to life. Remember Mary. And Martha. Those two. And Nazareth.

[25:48] All three in the family. All loved of God. Whose souls. Every. Each. Are now in heaven. Around the throne of grace. There.

[25:59] In glory. Looking upon this apostle. Jesus Christ. And how. Jesus. Jesus. Spake.

[26:11] And. This. One. Whom. Jesus. Loved. Was brought. To life. Natural. These are mysterious.

[26:23] Things. But we have. In various. Cases. In the bible. In the scriptures. How the lord. Spake. And it was done. Even in giving.

[26:34] Natural life. To those that were. Dead. Consider. The apostle. Then. In his preaching. In his work.

[26:46] In his healings. In his love. The apostle. And how he. Preached. His own. Glory.

[26:57] His own glory. That is. He. Preached. His own. Blessed.

[27:09] Sermons. Speaking. Of. In the sermons. Testifying. In the sermons. That there was. None other. But he.

[27:19] Himself. Could save. One sinner. Let alone. The great. The great. The multitude. Does not. John. Speak of. A multitude.

[27:31] That no. Man. Can number. Consider. Consider. Then. The apostle. And there are a few. More. A few thoughts. Here. This high priest.

[27:43] Oh. Friends. This high priest. None other. Than the apostle. None other. Than. Jesus. Christ. He was the high priest.

[27:55] Christ. Great work. What did he undertake to do? Well. He.

[28:07] He. Died for poor sinners. He died for them. Voluntary death.

[28:20] Willing. Willing to suffer. In the garden. Upon the cross. That sinners might live. The high priest.

[28:32] Dear friends. There be no way. To heaven. We should never hope. Of heaven. This afternoon. If this dear man. Never entered. Into that suffering.

[28:44] And opening. That wonderful stream. Of his blood. Who can we? Can we understand it? No. We come so far short.

[28:57] We may have a little. A little view. By faith. But oh. The depth of it. Oh. The height of it. Of his high priest.

[29:08] In his profession. Jesus Christ. In shedding his blood. There is a fountain. You have been singing. In your.

[29:20] Hymn this afternoon. That all the blood. On Jewish water. Slaying. Could give the guilty conscience. Ease. Or wash away. One's stain. But.

[29:32] There is a fountain. Oh. What a mercy. It is for us. Otherwise. Dear friend. We should be hopeless. No hope.

[29:42] Of heaven. No hope. Of cleansing. But. Die in our sin. But Jesus. This. Apostle. This eye priest. Opened.

[29:53] A way. Whereby sinners. And some of the vileless. As the poet has said. The vileless sinner. Out of hell. Who lives to fear his need.

[30:04] Is welcome to the throne of grace. His precious blood. To bleed. That's eye priest.

[30:15] Eye priest. Jesus Christ. Opening a fountain. And dear friends. That fountain is still flowing. Yes.

[30:28] Poor sinners by faith. Can come to that place. To Calvary. By faith. Revealed by the Holy Spirit. Why we still see him.

[30:39] Suffering there. Yes. Though he's in heaven. But by faith we view. The sufferings of Christ.

[30:51] And the opening. Of the fountain. Do we know anything. Of the application. Of this blood.

[31:02] He opened the fountain. Yes. Yes. For poor sinners.

[31:13] Yes. For some of the vileless. Yes. But what we know. In and of it ourselves. Have we ever had the application.

[31:26] Have we ever felt a little. Of that blood. Oh. I would speak in reverence. That blood. Pure blood. Perfect blood.

[31:39] It isn't the blood. My friends. That we find in air veins. No. Defiled by sin. But. Jesus blood.

[31:50] Was perfect. Perfect. Nothing of sin. In that. Otherwise it wouldn't.

[32:01] Cleanse. Cleanse. For us. In us. But he opened it. The fountain. Ever flowing. Oh. What a mercy.

[32:12] And it will still flow. And it will still be known. By faith. Under the last. Days. As I say. The world exists. All the time.

[32:24] The Lord has. A people upon the earth. That fountain. Will not be closed. Is to continue. Yes.

[32:35] Jesus Christ. Everlasting. Eternal. And so. Is the blessings. That flow through him.

[32:47] Eternal. Eternal. What does a poet say. A man. A real man. Yes. In heaven. In glory. A man.

[32:57] Yes. With his wounds. Still gaping wide. But the blood. Dear friends. Oh. The application. Of that blood. That blood.

[33:10] Of the Lord Jesus. That purifies. Remove the stain. Are you about to say. Oh. Nobody knows.

[33:21] How. My poor soul. Is. Stained with sin. Unbelief. Iniquities.

[33:32] Transgressions. Under these many things. In my soul. And no doubt. At times. You have to say. It's impossible.

[33:44] Impossible. For the Lord. To cleanse me. Just recently. I was reading a little. Of. The dying.

[33:55] Word. Shall I say. Of that dear man of God. J.K. Popper. And how. How he. Confessed his sins.

[34:06] Upon that. Upon his dying. Amen. It touched my heart.

[34:19] I say to myself. Have I ever. Been brought to feel. My sins. That dear man. And can there be blood.

[34:30] In Christ. To cleanse me. If he was so. Vile. What must I appear. In the sight of God. The high priest.

[34:43] Of our profession. Our profession. Cleanses dear friends. From every sin. From the very stain.

[34:55] Of sin. Sometimes. There's a stain. In our. Clothes. That we wear. It may be.

[35:06] Some have tried. To remove the stain. But no. No. It still remains. That friends.

[35:17] In the gospel. In the gospel. Is there a stain. In your poor heart. In your soul. A stain.

[35:33] The blood of Jesus. Can move it. You got. But that blood. Spilled. The blood. The blood. The blood. The blood. The blood. The blood.

[35:43] The blood. The blood. Of Christ. Can remove. The stain. Ah. You say. My poor soul. Is stained. To act.

[35:54] With sin. But there's not. One sin. For what can be. Cleansed. By the blood. Of the Lord. Jesus Christ. The son of God.

[36:05] Wherefore. Holy brethren. Partakers. Of the heavenly calling. Consider.

[36:20] How often. You and I. Desire that grace. To consider Jesus. To consider him.

[36:31] God. And how. How far. Short we come. Here again. I must come back. To the words. I've said. It's by the Holy Spirit.

[36:41] And nothing of us. We can read the word of God. Read it through and through. And have a natural understanding of it. But to feel the power. And the cleansing of it.

[36:52] The blessing that rests in it. It must be. By the Holy Ghost. Of the heavenly calling.

[37:03] Consider the apostle. And I priest. We've never considered him. In a way we would desire to consider him. Till we pass over Jordan.

[37:16] But the thing is. Friends. Shall we pass over Jordan. Speaking. Of the mercy of God. Or shall we hear that solemn word.

[37:28] Depart. Depart. Or will it be that blessed word. Come. Ye blessed my father. Inherit the kingdom. Prepared for thee.

[37:42] May each of us. In this little company. In the house of God. This afternoon. Be brought to know. This apostle. And feel the application.

[37:55] Of his cleansing blood. That we might praise him. Jesus Christ. The son of God.

[38:07] Oh the father. As you know. Spoke in the hearing. Of those disciples of old. This is my beloved son. In whom.

[38:18] I am well pleased. Can we say. This is. My beloved. Saviour. My redeemer. Oh some of you may long to say it.

[38:31] Still long. But it. Still take it to the throne of grace. Ask in the Holy Spirit. To give you light upon it. And the assurance. Of your standing upon the rock.

[38:45] Robed in that robe of righteousness. Garment of righteousness. That Jesus Christ is thy. Redeemer.

[38:59] Friend. Counselor. Everything that you need. In Christ. Dwells there. May we be able to exalt him.

[39:11] Was here on earth. And at last be with him. In glory. I leave it with you. We have another little service. Amen.