We'll return over to Hebrews chapter six. Hebrews chapter six. Hebrews chapter six, and we're going to begin at verse one. And, rather, before I go further, I might say next Saturday night, we're going to have our fellowships up rather, giving pictures of our trip to Canada last summer. So we've got to be up for that. In taking up this chapter and chapter ten, two very solemn and important chapters in your Bible, it might be nice to just give you a little outline that will make it easy. Now let us notice in verse one of chapter six, therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us, I want you to underline those two words, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptism and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. And this will we do. Now, are we speaking of someone there present? I can say this morning about let up. Or we do. Because you're right here. But then when you get into the next passage, the passage that has to do with apostates, I want you to know the change. Verse four, for it is impossible for those, this is somebody in another building. It is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, who are made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they, if they in the other room, shall fall away to renew them again unto the peasant, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put into an open chain. Now you have a description of the Apostle. Now know that he's coming back in verse nine after that passage, but for Lama's we are better, are persuaded, better things of you. and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. And you go on the rest of the chapter that ends, and you'll find we're referred to. So the first three verses we're talking about these here. The next two verses we're talking about somebody in another room. Then he comes back to these. The point is the ones he's speaking to in the first three verses are born again Christians. They were Jews. Some of them were very weak. They were Jews who had been saved by the grace of God. But there are some there, and Paul knows who they are, who have made another choice. They have seen a lot about the gospel, and we'll refer to that later, and they've gone back to Judaism. And they're the ones he has in mind when he speaks of they go them. after he presents that case then at the end of the chapter he comes back to the Christian right there these young Hebrew converts and the same thing is true over in chapter ten if you mind turning over there I will be going back over this in the message so it will be clear in your mind chapter ten you'll notice how in verse one He starts off the law having made a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, and never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers an unto purpose. For them would they not have ceased to be offered, because at the worshippers once purged should have the conscience of sin. And you read on down to verse twenty six, if you will, and you'll find these talking about Christians and the wonderful thing about the blood and sacrifice of Christ and Christ's high priestly work. And so the true Christians are taking up the first twenty-five verses of chapter ten. Now notice he's going back to those apostates again in verse twenty six. For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking-forward judgment and fiery indignation which shall devile the adversary. he that despised moses law died without mercy under two or three witness of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy to have pardoned underfoot the son of god and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy or common thing and has done despite untrue the spirit of grace will we know him that has said, vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And if you read the rest of the chapter, he goes back again to those Christians, those Jewish Christians, using the word us and we and so on. So it's very interesting in these two chapters, and they're difficult to understand, to note how they begin talking to those pure friends. Then he refers to apostates, and then he carries out the rest of the chapter talking about these young Christians. Chapter ten, the same thing. The first twenty-five verses, he's talking about the Christians. And then he thinks of that awful, fearful judgment that's coming, And when he's through that, he goes back at the end of the chapter and talks to these young Christians. We've read one of the most solemn verses, I think, in your Bible, that judgment that is to come, and it's going to come on apostates. Now, what is an apostate? A one who is a revolter, or he may be one who denounces his faith and goes back to something else, or he could be a turncoat, or he could be a deserter, a double dealer, or one reject a renegade, or one who has foreseen known truth and gone back to his old life. That is an apostate. And this awful judgment we read about in these verses is the judgment that will fall upon them. And you must remember he's writing to Jews on this occasion. And so we've got to keep that in mind. When you think of this willful sin, we mentioned, in chapter ten who are the victims of that awful judgment that he speaks of it is to come it's those who have sinned willfully now that needs some qualifying you sin every day as a Christian for the thought of foolishness is sin so would you be in line for that purehood judgment Sins, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And if you at some time, if you're not living in faith in fellowship with the Lord, you're in disobedience, would this judgment suit that kind of sin? He that knows a do-God and do good doeth it not. To him it is sin. You had many a chance to do something good, and you didn't do it. Will you bring, have God upon you, that fearful and awful judgment he's talking about? Absolutely not. And if you break the law, We're told to keep the law. That is the laws of the land. You read about that in Romans. Do you break the laws of the land? Have you never willfully broken the laws of the land? The speed limit is fifty-five. And you know it. Yet you willfully went over fifty-five. Sixty. Sixty-five. You are willfully sinning. Do you think this judgment will come upon you? Will these sins, these various sins I've mentioned, there are many others, invite that awful judgment? For instance, maybe you've called a lie or you stole something. You've sworn committed adultery, committed murder. Will you have that judgment? If we sin, we'll be. If that kind of sin will bring this awful judgment, then David should have got it. For he sinned willfully. He premeditated adultery. He premeditated murder when he had Uriah put to death. But God didn't bore on David that sin. God forgave him. because David repented. He repented of that sin. Well, who's going to get this awful judgment? I think you perhaps have that in verse six. I've quoted part of it, verse six and six, and I also quoted the rest of it in chapter ten. This is the sin. They crucify a flesh, the Son of God, and put into an open shame, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, or a common thing, and unless despised or insulted the Spirit of grace, Yes, that's the sin. An absolute repudiation of the person of Christ and what he did on the cross. They trampled on their feet the Son of God and found in his blood an unholy day, a common day, and have gone desperate unto the Spirit of grace. That's the sin that's going to receive that awful judgment that is to come. Think of an atheist and an infidel. They haven't thought upon the Son of God an open shade. They don't believe in him. But some atheists and infidel live a good life. But here's a man who had a lot of religion. As verses four and six tell me, he had a lot of it. He was a strict Jew, no moral charge, and yet he is going to get this awful judgment. A person who confesses to accept Christ and showed evidence of a change in life. He's even witness about Christ. Then he goes back to his old life after, say, he claimed Christ as a savior, and that Christ changed them. He goes back. He has put Christ to an open shape. A man may do that in Albany, Georgia, or make a loud profession. and turn over and leave and go to the church and get involved, feed up his life, then he goes back like these people did. And you'll find them in a den of vice, drinking Custard's word. A man goes on him, he says, saying, What happened? You witnessed to me about the Lord Jesus. He told me how he changed your life. He doesn't look like that. That man has put Christ to an open shame. And these men, they crucified the flesh, the Son of God. They had another Golgotha in their hearts, away with this man, away with this man, will not have him to reign over us. They are the ones, these apostates who committed that sin, for which they are going to receive that awful judgment from God. I'm not talking about professors. a lot of people make professions and join the church and find out later they were never truly born yet this is an amazing chapter when you think of what we've been looking into and you'll notice also verse twenty six willfully after they have sinned willfully they sin willfully after they receive the knowledge of the truth that's a statement of They've sinned willfully after they received a knowledge of the truth. I want to give you some text. Let us look at this one in John six, sixty-six. From that time many of his disciples, notice that, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Here are a bunch of disciples who are following Lord Jesus. They see his miracle. They hear his voice. They can't point a finger at him. And yet he said something. And it went right home to their heart. And it made a difference between the men and the boys. They went back. and walk no more with him. Can you imagine a person who's been walking with the Lord? He confesses the Lord. He talks about the wonders the Lord did. And then goes back to his old way, turns his back, goes in the opposite direction. That's what these people did in verse six and sixty-six. they went back and walked no more with him that's an apostate you also have another case over in luke eighteen and eighteen take heed therefore how he here for whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he she met to have. If you've got the real thing, you're going to get more. If you've got Christ, you're going to get more. But if you only have empty profession, and you've never been really born again, you're going to lose even what you have. Nothing. It shall be taken from him that which he sealed. He didn't have it. That was another case over in second Peter chapter two. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who reverently shall bring indangable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. Notice that. And bring upon themselves swift destruction. denying the Lord that bought them. Well, how does that come? The Lord bought them. Yes, friend, you read over in Matthew about the Lord paid the price for a field. He bought the field for the treasure that's in it. Jesus Christ paid the price for the salvation of every person in the world. but only those who accept him will be saved. Christ paid the price. He made it possible for everyone to be saved. And that chapter in Peter is a chapter of apostates. That's a solemn thing. They denied the Lord that bought them. And that other verse over in verse John two, too, and he is the propitiation for our sins, that is the Christian, and not for ours also, but for the sins of the whole world. Christ gave himself. He provided salvation for all in the world, but all are not going to be saved. I could give a gift to you. And you refuse it. That's been done. God has given you offering you a gift, but you can refuse it. I've paid for it. Out of my own money, I can say, I bought this. It's yours for the taking. You say, no, thank you. That's what's wrong with the world today. God sent his son. to the cross, and he fought the field for the treasure of those who were born against the true Church of God. You can say no. And if you're not a Christian this morning, that's why you are not saved and not happy. You can offer the salvation as a free gift that was shaking your head. Yes, a gift can be offered, but it can be reviewed. How sad this is. And yes, the truth of God concerning this, and again in the kingdom of heaven, I've already read that text, is like unto treasure hidden in the field, is which when a man hath found it, he hath it, and for joy thereof goes and shalleth it all that he hath, and he bought that beast. Jesus Christ did exactly that. Now you come back to our text, and I want you to notice that in verse thirty and thirty-one of chapter ten. How remarkable that is, verses thirty and thirty-one of chapter ten. What's she saying there in connection with that text? Chapter ten of the last two truthy verses. It's the same Bible. And it said in thirty-one, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Verse thirty, For we know him that us said, Vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense, says the Lord, and the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. That's the Psalm of the book. The Lord shall judge his people. Who are the ones that are being judged? Well, if you would check your margin, the Apostle here in that text, verse thirty, he's quoting from the Old Testament. And this is what the Old Testament says in Deuteronomy thirty-five and the thirty-five. To me belong a vengeance and recompense. We just read that in the New Testament. Their foot shall slide in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand. And this is true of a apostate. And the things that shall come upon them may taste. For the Lord shall judge his people. You just read that in Hebrew State. For the Lord shall judge his people. and repentance for his servants when he sees that their power is gone, that their non-shatah all left. The Lord shall judge his people. He certainly did judge them in the Old Testament. Think, for instance, the case in Numbers sixteen and twenty-six. Here's the story of Korah and his company. And they were of the tribe of Levi, a tribe very close to the tabernacle and from which the priesthood came. And here are a group of men in Israel. And what did they do? They jumped on Moses and Aaron. They said, Why, you're not the only ones down here. We belong to the priesthood also. And they downgraded Moses and Aaron. They wanted to intrude into an office that they were not qualified for. God says, these wicked men, I'll perform something that has never been done before. And he told Aaron and Moses, get the others away. I'm going to open the earth like a great big mouth. and they're going to swallow up these two hundred and fifty rebels or apostates. And that's what happened. The ground opened and two hundred and fifty men went down. The Lord certainly did judge his people. Couldn't he judge the apostates? The ones who turned against Moses at error. That's who the wicked are, the apostates. You have another instance over in Numbers twenty-one. The Lord's people began to complain and murmur. God says to Moses, Moses, I've heard them complaining and saying, we're tired of that manna, that light red. We want to go back to Egypt where we had lots of good things to do. God says, Moli, put up a serpent of grass, and whosoever shall look shall live. But it says, And many of the children of Israel die. I never thought this before, the night before last, the day and the week. I don't think when God poured out a judgment, he did it indiscriminately. Women, children. I thought, well, God judges those who are wicked. He'd call them in chapter sixteen wicked. And yet they were in the tribe of the Levi. You know, I thought this. I believe those snakes, snakes sought out the rebels. God knew how to get rid of the rebels. And many of them died under that grave, in the poisoning of the serpent. The Lord will judge his people. He certainly will judge. And then you have another case over in chapter ten, and this is it. And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them, his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. There were two men, and they were priests. Certainly there were among God's people. They were the sons of Aaron. And God had told them they had to get the fire from the basement altar when they wanted to go in to the heaven. They repudiated the fire from the altar and concocted some other fire. Maybe some embers of wood or maybe some lumps of coal, whatever it was. God said, that's strange fire. You're bypassing the fire of the brazen on earth. And God struck them dead. They shriveled up like a tinker. That's God judging the evil among his people. He's judging the apostates. He's judging those that have gone against his will. And that was too much. And God told Moses and Aaron, hold your peace. Those who criticized, I know what I'm doing, I'm working on those hostages, those men who went on, saying to me, and for a while they were good priests, but they turned back. And God said, the Lord shall judge his people. no question about that he'll do it and he'll do it even in this age a man who would embrace christianity and put on a big show and claim that he was a christian then after a while he turned back told the whole thing over There's a light of wickedness. And the thing is, in connection with these Hebrews, it wasn't a case of more decadence. It was that which pertained to the things of God. These men had fought with Christ. They knew the Old Testament scriptures. They rushed in the law. They knew so much. They saw so much. And they turned back. and we became apostles. God said, they're the ones who are in for that awful judgment that I read a while ago. It's a new thing to fall into the hands of the living God. We didn't start to think of the Old Testament. I was thinking on this too the other day. In the New Testament, our age, we speak of a person either being saved or lost. saved or lost. We're familiar with that language. A person saved, going to heaven. He's trusting in the blood of Christ. Another person was lost. He's going to have. There were only two in the Old Testament too. And those who had faith, complete faith in the living God were looked upon as the righteous. In the Old Testament you were either righteous or wicked. Righteous or wicked. The Old Testament was divided too. Only two people lived throughout the Old Testament. In the sight of God, the righteous and the wicked. And the children of Israel were the righteous, the saved of Israel. Those you have in chapter eleven of Hebrews. There you have the saved of Israel. The faith of those various ones. They had faith in God. And this is an awesome thought when you think of all those nations, the Philistines and all those other crowds. According to the Bible, they've gone to hell. God is speaking amongst his people who such a favored people. And God certainly did work on those apostates. And they are the wicked ones of the Old Testament. For those in chapter eleven of Hebrews were the righteous. When it comes to God disciplining, some say that this passage we've read speaks of God disciplining his Christians today. No. If you want to have God dealing with a Christian today, turn to chapter twelve and you'll get it. he's being here with jewish apostates who turned back from having a good knowledge of christ and they saw him and they went back to judaism as much the faith of god we'd sooner have the blood of animals than the blood of jesus christ they went back to judaism the sacrifice of animals They left grace. They were back to the law. They never were in grace. They had a taste of it. But they were never truly born again. And you think, is it possible for a child of God to face this awful judgment we read in Hebrews chapter ten? You can look at the last verse of chapter ten. I think I mentioned it a few minutes ago. And see what it says about the last of chapter ten. In the final keeping with what we've been saying, he says on the pages, chapter ten of the last verse, these pages are so thin I can hardly get a part. All right, chapter ten of the last verses. What does it say? But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition. That's where the apostates went. Perdition. But of them that believe to the saving of the soul. How fearful about falling into the hands of a living God. Could that happen to a Christian? No, we could not happen to a Christian. If you want, there are five or four verses in Hebrews, you can look it up at the letter, four verses in Hebrews that speak of the living God, the living God, the living God, the living God. Two apply to the true Christian, two belong to the apostate. I'm going to give them to you. Here you have the loss. In Hebrews chapter three and verse twelve, take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. There it is. And verse thirty-one of chapter ten I just read, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He's talking about the apostate. But now the true for the saved in Hebrews. Hebrews nine and fourteen. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offer themselves without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead work to serve the living God? There you have the Christian. And then this lovely verse, the fourth time in Hebrews, the living God, it's in Hebrews twelve and twenty-two. But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God. Isn't that wonderful? The city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of people, angels, to the General Assembly and the Church of the Firstborn, they're going to be in the city of the living God. We shall written in heaven. Isn't that wonderful to have your name written in heaven? And to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. Here you have the Old Testament saints, the spirits of the just men made perfect. And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speak a better thing. Come down, let me. And so in this passage... in hebrews you find true texts given to the christian how how important they are how consoling that you have to given to the apostles fear severe is their judgment they call dreadful their sin When you start to think of this, if these apostates in Hebrews six, four, or verses six, four, if they and those in Hebrews ten, if they are true Christians or something, then, and I want you to get this, then one born again. really truly born again and he has everlasting life he's been promised he'll never perish his sins have been washed away by the best precious blood of christ he has been given and enveloped and sealed by the holy spirit of god if he is going to hell then, friend, God is going to be the bigger loser. I have believed, and so has every born-again Christian, claimed those things. My sins have been forgiven. I do have everlasting life. I am a member of the body of Christ. Can you think of God taking a portion out of the body of Christ once and for again? he's given us everlasting life he's no indian giver taking back something he gave one who's been washed in the blood of christ and poverty will never perish and he has the holy spirit within his heart he sees if after believing god above all that and i do if i were to go to hell God would be the greater loser, for he had lost his character. He's lied. A thousand times, ten thousand times, God will never lie. And I know by the things I've mentioned, a number of you out there know the same, You, by simple faith, come to Christ, and you know you're saved, and born again, you have everlasting life, you'll never perish. You're in the body of Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. Yes, that's God's word, and I believe it. I'll never perish. I wonder if you know what is, and our subject's been repentance, except you repent. She shall all likewise perish. There's got to be genuine repentance before God. But these people, God didn't accept their repentance. They've gone too far. That's why we read it's impossible to renew and begin with that. They've gone too far. They were apostates. One time a man was arrested for murder and put in prison. His brother was a wonderful brother, and he had done a lot for the state. He was greatly respected. And he went to the governor on behalf of the governor, begging pardon. After taking it over and all that that man had done for the state, the governor gave him a pardon for his brother sentenced to die. He hurried to the chair, with his pardon in his pocket, walked up to the barn. There was his brother. He said, what would you do if you received a pardon? He said, the first thing I do is track down that judge and I'd kill him. And the second thing I'd track down the made witness, received witness in that case, and I'd murder him. The brother was a pardon walked up. He would hope his brother had not had a change of heart. Friend, there will be no pardon for you unless you have a change of heart. And that change of heart will cover up when you receive Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ only into your heart. Trust his precious blood, his precious blood only. is give you eternal life. You'll never perish. And you'll be in the city of God. Your name hath gone ahead recorded. The church of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven. And the people who will receive that fearful sentence of judgment we read, parked in chapter six and further in chapter ten, Apostage. To whom is reserved the blackness, the darkness. Why is it angels can't be saved? Because they knew so much about God. And yet they sinned. These apostate men, these Jews, with all their knowledge, they knew so much about Jesus Christ. And the law and the sacrifice. They embraced it. To a certain point. They fell slightly shy of a bleak commitment to Jesus Christ. They went back, like the disciples who went back, walked towards him, walking straight into the doors of the pit. Then it was solemnly, we are apostles. I wouldn't say we have one here this morning. It's a different case for these Jews. But we do have some here like me who have never trusted the Savior. You've never opened your heart. You've never truly repented. You've never known the power of the precious blood to put away all your sins. I hope you will receive Christ this morning. It's not an organ. It's not joining the church. Only through the precious blood of Christ, the tender from all sin. A double L, law, all know sin. So please forgive us. And God will save you. He'll give you everlasting life. You shall be saved until the day of redemption of your body. And you remember the body of Christ and you can't be taken up. Otherwise, Christ would have a main party in heaven forever. This is yours for receiving and giving you, offering you the gift, whose faith or salvation will wait ahead with all faithless. Believe in, receive in this word, and you shall receive it. That was great. Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come into thy presence we thank thee for thy word the severity of it and yet the simplicity of it we thank thee for the truth of it those of us who believe it and never know the terror of the lord thou hast judged thy people but thou didst never judge thy people the one who were truly thine Our has judged many who made a profession but never possessed. So, Father, we ask, be the blessed by the word of the salvation, the precious souls in the meeting, in our Savior's name. Amen. Shall we sing in closing? Here's number three. Three fifty-four. Three fifty-four. Come every soul by sin or flesh, there's mercy with the Lord, and he will surely give you rest by trusting in his word. Only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now. He will save you. No question about that. He will save you, and he'll save you now. That's what it says. If you want to be saved, or have you been saved, maybe did this morning. Tell it that we stand and sing.