The New Covenant, Part 8

If you have your Bible turn with me to Hebrews chapter 9 Hebrews chapter 9 we're gonna look once again at verse number 15 this morning Simply because there was so much in this verse that it could take us probably Many many months just to unfold all that's here And so this morning I want you to look at your life in light of what the verse says Now listen carefully so many times It is easy for us to read a verse and After reading that verse we read into the verse What we think we believe Instead of letting the verse tell us what we need to believe we need to understand that So many times we read the scriptures through a lens That may or may not be correct The verse must stand on its own in the context of which it was written in the book in which it was written in line with the entirety of Scripture And so as we examine our lives today the Bible says in first Corinthians 11 that before you eat and drink of The Lord's table you are to examine your life Paul would say in 2nd Corinthians 13 verse number 5 that we are to test ourselves Prove ourselves to see whether or not Jesus is even in us No better time to do that than on Communion Sunday And so when we looked at Hebrews 9 verse number 15 last week a verse that says for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant Said since the death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant Those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance We told you last week that a Jewish audience would understand this to some degree because on the Day of Atonement When the high priest would go in to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people They would do it retroactively In other words, they would do it for the previous year Because there were so many sins that were committed that every person that was there Sometimes didn't know the sins they committed and so when they offered atonement it was for the sins retroactively throughout the previous year The right of Hebrews is telling us that when Christ offered his one-time sacrifice He offered it retroactively to all those who were called In other words, there was a redemption provided for those in the Old Testament that were called There was not a redemption on Calvary for those in the Old Testament that were not called Why?

Because they were already in hell You can't purchase them out of hell They're already there So we offer Redemption for the transgressions of those who are called so that they might collect the eternal inheritance that was theirs from the very beginning and This becomes a staggering thought It becomes a monumental truth It leads us into the the depths of the doctrine of the Living God So that somehow we might begin to understand who God is and and what he's done Because we asked the question last week.

Are you one of the ones that are the called? And how do you know you're one of the ones that are called? And we told you that it number one it commences with with God himself The call of God commences with God It comes only through the gospel and It's conceived by grace We looked at that last week With that put in before it compels us to be grateful It compels us to be grateful Listen what Paul says and I love what the Lord is doing because what we're studying on Wednesday night Last week ties into this morning ties into this next Wednesday ties into next Sunday morning God and his sovereignty put all these together for us so that we'd be covering these verses at the same time It says in 2nd Corinthians 2nd Thessalonians 2 verse number 13 but we should always give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God has Chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth It was for this he called you through our gospel You see there's something that compels me to give Thanksgiving to God to be grateful to him.

Why? because he chose me from the beginning and He called me to himself That I might experience the joys Not just of his presence on earth but for all eternity to be saved from my sin That's a staggering thought to think of the fact that God in eternity past Wrote the names of all those who would believe in him Revelation 13 8 Revelation 17 8 in the lambs book of life In other words, we know that he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world Bible tells us that and so because he was He would write the names of those whom he would call because he chose them in The lambs book of life and some would say well, wait a minute Wait a second You mean to tell me that?

God would choose some and not others Yes, and you would say probably that just doesn't seem right That doesn't seem fair So let me offend you this morning You were not the author of fairness You're not the author of rightness You're not the author of justice You're just you God is the author of that which is fair right just true and pure because he's holy So if he is Shall not the righteous judge of all the earth do that which is just Genesis 18 25 That's right before he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah the righteous judge of all the earth shall always do right God never does wrong And he never shows partiality In the scriptures very clear upon that but the scripture is also very clear That there are some that are called many that are called But there are a few That are chosen and we look at that and we hear that and some of us adore that other of us Abhor we hate it Others love it, but just think about this for a second We really try to reason all that God does in salvation We try to with our minds intellectually think and digest everything that God said But let me tell you something be aware of this that when the fall happened when sin took place in Genesis chapter 3 It affected your ability to reason It affected your intellect In other words, you're not as smart as you think you are In your ability to reason is not really that acute It's not that sharp Because it fell into sin way back in Genesis chapter 3 So for us to think that somehow we can reason in our minds what God is doing and how he does it What's right and what's fair?

we got to be very careful that we don't assault the character of God and Blaspheme his name because we think he didn't do something right or fair or just or or true That very easily happens in Christendom We must be very very careful Do I understand that for me to be saved? I must believe the gospel. Yes That I must repent of my sins. Yes But I must turn to Christ and take up my cross and follow him without reservation. Yes, I understand that I have no question about that Do I understand that yes, God gave me the power and the grace to believe To repent To have the faith to understand and to follow him.

Yes But can I harmonize those two together no I can't I cannot harmonize human volition and divine election But once I try to do that I'll mess both of them up I must learn to rest in what God has said And that'd be enough I must believe what God says in his word I can't take my belief and Put it into the scriptures.

I must believe what the scriptures say. I love what martin. Lloyd-jones says listen to martin. Lloyd-jones We must not only believe the scriptures when we happen to agree with them. We must believe them when we do not We must believe them when we do not understand And if at a point they seem to us to be saying something that implies That there is unrighteousness in god We say at once that is impossible There is something wrong with me See that If I think that god's unfair or god's unjust or god's not right.

Guess what? That's my fault There's something wrong with me. Nothing wrong with god He's very pure true and holy So when I read a verse like hebrews 9 15 and I realize that our lord Credited Credited forgiveness toward old testament saints That they might have full access into the presence of almighty god once he died on calvary's cross He could forgive them because he was a righteous god knowing that the blood of bulls and goats never takes away sin And yet god could forgive those people on credit That he had called to himself because he would die for them on calvary's tree And then give them full access into glory Like he would all of us this side of the cross That's just staggering to realize the magnitude of god and so I'm, not going to be able to reason with you this morning pastors should never reason with anybody We don't do that Why because our reason is flawed Your reason is flawed Why would I do something that's completely sinful and flawed Why don't I just let god's word speak for itself That's all I have to do let god's word speak And then you're held accountable and i'm held accountable to what god's word says So, let me show you what god's word says We know that second peter 1 10 says we are to make certain of god's calling and choosing of you We know god called us because god chose us.

The reason he chose us is because in the eternity past he predestined us to be sons in his kingdom He wrote our names down in the lamb's book of life Before we ever existed and so therefore we trust in what god says And so when the bible says these words in matthew chapter 11 verse number Yes Matthew 11.

I know this verse. I drew a blank verse number 27. Sorry says this I'm starting with verse number 25 I praise you father lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants Yes father for this way was pleasing in your sight all things Have been handed over to me by my father And no one knows the son Except the father nor does anyone know the father except the son And anyone to whom the son wills to reveal him Nobody knows the father unless the son chooses to reveal him to them It's impossible That's what the verse says Interesting what's the next verse say Come unto me all ye that weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest you have divine election in one verse you have Human volition in the next verse and the two Are mirrored together in scripture As you read through it But yet so impossible to harmonize in our frail fallen minds Many are called few are chosen Listen to what it says in john 10 verse number 14 I am the good shepherd and I know my own and my own know me Even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay my life down for the sheep I have other sheep which is not of this fold I must bring them also and they will hear my voice And they will become one flock with one shepherd For this reason the father loves me Because I lay down my life I know my sheep Verse 27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And I give eternal life to them and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my Hand Acts chapter 13 verse number 48 when the gentiles heard this they began rejoicing glorifying the word of the lord And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed Believed they rejoiced because as many as had been appointed had been predetermined Believed They rejoiced in what god was doing If you go over to romans chapter 11 Paul says I say then god has not rejected his people Has he may it never be for I to him an israelite a descendant of abraham of the tribe of benjamin God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew Or do you not know what the scripture says in the passage about elijah how he pleads with god against israel Lord, they have killed your prophets.

They have torn down your altars. I alone am left and they are seeking my life But what is the divine response to him? I have kept for myself 7 000 men who have not bowed the knee to baal Elijah was afraid that he was the only guy left And the lord says hold on elijah I've got 7 000 others just like you Who have not bowed the knee to baal I have a remnant That I am saving That i've called That i've chosen So paul says in the same way then There has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to god's grace gracious choice but If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works.

Otherwise grace is no longer grace What then? What israel is seeking? It is not obtained But those who were chosen Obtained it and the rest Were hardened Wow Those who were chosen obtained eternal life But those who were not God hardened their hearts Remember what we said on wednesday night if you missed it Too bad I'll repeat it to you. All right in damnation In damnation god responds to human choice In salvation man responds to divine choice And that's the way it always is presented in scripture Always presented the same way and why do people go to hell?

They go to hell second thessalonians 1 verse number 8 Because they do not know god and they will not obey the gospel of god Why do they go to hell?

Second thessalonians chapter 2 because they do not love the truth so as to be saved It's not that they don't know the truth.

They do. It's not that they don't know god They do romans 1 everybody knows god and everybody knows the truth. They just suppress the truth But the reason they don't come to christ is simply because they don't love the truth Why did you come to christ Because you love the truth The truth incarnate and the truth inspired you can't separate the two you love The truth How great is that? And so paul says there's a remnant Because we know that all israel is not going to be saved, right? We know That god is going to allow some of them to perish But salvation is of the jews And paul is speaking about a remnant that he's called out for himself that he's chosen for himself And those he didn't choose He hardens their hearts Like pharaoh hardened his heart When the truth was presented to him And he hardened his heart against that truth and then god hardened his heart so he could not even believe the truth anymore So important to understand what the bible says Listen to this So important first thessalonians Chapter one Paul says knowing brethren beloved by god his Choice of You his choice of you When he chose you from eternity past When eternity intersects with time he calls you to himself And that call is an irresistible call it's called irresistible grace And i am compelled to come to christ.

I don't come to christ kicking and screaming No, because he changes my heart he changes my will he changes my mind that I might come to him and fall before him Because I want to be with him Because if he didn't do that I wouldn't We cry about god's justice listen if god was just he only acted in justice Nobody would go to heaven if god only acted justly nobody would go to heaven But because god in his justice shows mercy and grace And love and kindness and because he's a perfectly righteous god He chooses some to be saved now, let me let me kind of blow your mind a little further here We know that we're chosen in him The bible is very clear about that in fact over in the book of ephesians Ephesians chapter one verse number four It says just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him in love He predestined us to adoption as sons through jesus christ to himself according to the kind intention of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace Please understand this If you miss anything Make sure you don't miss this You are saved for one reason and one reason only You are saved for christ's sake You are not saved for your sake Philippians 1 verse number 29 says that paul says it very clearly He says for to you It has been granted for christ's sake Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for a sake For christ's sake you have been granted the gift to believe You're salvation is not about you in today's world.

We think everything's about us God did this for god loved me because of who I am god loves me god likes me because of what I do God loved you before you ever were a person He loves you eternity past He never loves you based on what you do But why are we why do we believe in him for his sake Not for our sake you see salvation is all of god We must understand this. It's all about god He grants us the gift to believe he gets us the gift of faith. He grants us the gift of grace The gift of repentance are all gifts that god grants to those whom he's chosen And they then are able to turn from their sin believe in what he said Because of the grace of almighty god now listen to what the book of titus says titus chapter one titus chapter one paul A bondservant of god and an apostle of jesus christ for the faith of those chosen of god Do you know why?

Paul preached the gospel Paul preached the gospel said those who are chosen would be saved second tivity one verse number nine says that Second tivity one verse number nine paul says Verse number eight therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our lord or me as prisoner But join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of god Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which is granted in christ jesus from all eternity But now has revealed Has been revealed by the appearing of our savior jesus christ who abolished death and brought life in immortality to light through the gospel for which I Was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher Paul says this in titus one He says a bondservant of god and an apostle of jesus christ for the faith of those chosen of god And the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness in the hope of eternal life, which god who cannot lie promised long ages ago God cannot lie But you were chosen By god And he made a promise long ages ago or literally before time began Let me ask you a question who did god make a promise to Who does god make a promise to before time begins?

Who exists before time begins? God who cannot lie made a promise To who pray tell well Go back to second timothy one second timothy one and paul tells us second timothy one verse number nine Recall with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was granted us in christ jesus From all eternity or same phrase used in titus one from before time began God the father made a promise to god the son That he would have a redeemed humanity He would redeem a bride for his son God made a promise god the father made a promise to god the son That he would redeem that he's chosen people that he's written down in the lamb's book of life That will be redeemed for his son.

That will be a bride for his son for all eternity So god said way back in genesis 1 let us make man in our image Why would he do that? Because in The time before eternity eternity passed god made a promise To redeem a bride for a son So in john chapter 6 the lord says these words in verse number 37 All that the father gives me will come to me All that the father gives me will come to me And the one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out in other words God made a promise of a redeemed humanity And all that the father has promised to me Is going to come to me and I will never cast them out That's why he says in verse number 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me Draws him That's it and then it says this In john 17 Christ's high priestly prayer quite astonishing Verse number six I have manifested your name to the men you gave me I manifested your name to the men you gave me No one comes to the son Unless the father draws him And the reason the father draws him is because their names were written in the land's book of life before eternity began Because they were chosen in christ because god the father made a promise to the son That he'd redeem a bride for his son for all eternity So he says the men that you gave me out of the world They were yours And you gave them to me What a powerful statement And he says this verse 12 while I was with them.

I was keeping them in your name which you have Given me and I guarded them and not one of them perished But the son of perdition judas said the scripture would be fulfilled And he says this Verse number 24 father I desire that they also whom you have given me Be with me where I am so that they may see my glory which you have given me wow Over and over again the ones that you have given to me eternity passed God the father made a promise to god the son about a redeemed humanity This will be your bride I've written their names down in the lamb's book of life eternity passed Because you are the lamb slain before the foundation of the world and as lamb You will die for all those written in the lamb's book of life Because you're going to redeem them As your bride forever the rest I will harden and that is a righteous god doing what only a righteous god does you say that's just I just have a hard time grasping that listen Your reason and intellect is extremely flawed because you have a sinful nature You just don't believe what god says in his word listen to this book of malachi Oh, by the way, if you read the old testament God was always choosing people remember psalm 105 verse number 43 And he brought forth his people with joy his chosen ones with a joyful shout it says later in the psalms Psalm 135 verse number four for the lord has chosen jacob for himself Israel For his own possession Remember deuteronomy chapter 7 Of course you do it says For you are a holy people to the lord your god The lord your god has chosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of The earth God says I've chosen you I didn't choose the canaanites The amorites the jebusites I didn't choose The philistines I chose you And the reason I chose you is simply because I love you You didn't do anything to gain my love Because I loved you in eternity past But i've chosen you over all the peoples of the world God always operates within the realm of his righteousness his holiness and his justice And he chooses Whom he wills so when you read malachi 1 listen to what the lord says The oracle of the word of the lord to israel through malachi I have loved you says the lord But you say how have you loved?

us Was not esau jacob's brother declares the lord Yet I have loved jacob, but I have hated esau Ooh People have a hard time with that You shouldn't You shouldn't know do you know that in the book of genesis god never says he hates esau Did you know that Jacob, I have loved esau. I've hated but he never said in the book of genesis that he hated esau It wasn't until a thousand years later in the book of obadiah Where god pronounces judgment upon edom the descendants of esau He pronounces judgment upon them because he would not let Israel pass When wandering in the wilderness You read the book of obadiah.

It's about the judgment of edom the descendants of esau Now listen carefully jacob. I have loved esau. I've hated We look at that we think how can god hate Someone I thought god loves everybody he does But remember this is not speaking to individuals it's speaking to nations Esau listen esau represents All the people of the world Who choose worldly pleasure?

over a godly inheritance Remember when he sold his birthright He sold his birthright because he was only thinking about the world only thinking about the here and now that's all he wanted And the descendants of esau the edomites the palestinians of today are those Spiritually speaking who loved the world more than a godly inheritance because jacob loved the godly inheritance jacob Represents all those who were chosen in god Esau represents those who were not because they chose To love the things of the world more than the godly inheritance given to them damnation happens Because god responds to human choice Salvation happens Because man responds To divine choice so it says And I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness You know where edom resided right in petra Rose red city of the rocks And that's where they lived and god pronounced judgment upon them they made their home in the mountains And though edom says we have been beaten down But we will return and build up the ruins thus says the lord of hosts They may build but I will tear down and men will call them the wicked territory and the people toward whom the lord is indignant forever god hates the sin and the sinner Hates them both because they have rebelled against him.

They have turned their back against him And esau did And they say we're going to rebuild our city and they rebuilt it but it was brought down to ruins by the nabataeans Who came and destroyed? The edomite city because god Will let israel be restored And they will rebuild Their nation and they will rebuild their cities Because god has chosen a remnant of them to believe And follow him So it says this Your eyes will see this And you will say the lord be Magnified That's why we say How do you know you've been called your call commences with god It begins with him It doesn't begin with you it began in ages long ago It began in eternity past when god made a promise to his son to redeem a humanity for his own It commences with god And then it comes only through the gospel when the gospel is entered to you and me That's why we respond because we don't hate the truth.

We love the truth so as to be saved We hear it We believe it Because god in his grace granted us the gift of faith the gift of belief the gift of repentance And that's what we do. We respond to him Because we hear the gospel Then we respond It's conceived by grace Galatians 1 6 because you were called forth by god's grace same with Ephesians I mean glacians 1 6 and glacians 1 15 both talk about the call of god coming from his grace It's conceived by grace and it compels us to be grateful I'm here today to say I am so grateful for what god has done I am so grateful that he that he chose me because he makes the unworthy Worthy, he makes the unrighteous Righteous.

He makes the unlovely lovely He makes the sinner A saint he makes those dead alive That's why we have that's why we give thanks to god we magnify his name because we are so grateful that Without this sacrifice without him giving his life for us. We would have never believed But he did it for us we come today to worship the king Who gave his life for you and me No one took it from him he laid it down on his own initiative that was the plan He was the lamb's fame before the foundation of the world.

This was a marvelous plan A plan that only can be enacted by an eternal god And when we Who are finite? Try to wrap our minds around the infinite plan and infinite mind of god. It will confuse us to no end But when you read the text And we see what god says We say yes lord.

I might not understand it I might not even begin to grasp it But lord, I believe it because you said it And i'm thankful so grateful That you chose me you called me you predetermined me eternally past You elected me To be a son of your kingdom and for that i'm grateful Let me pray with you father, we thank you for today not able to cover as much as we'd like to cover but trust we would cover those things that would enable us to Understand a little bit more about your calling and choosing of us Today lord we pray And ask that lord our hearts will be right before you and that lord Because of your great salvation We just give you thanks In jesus name we pray.

Amen