Christ's ministry in heaven is presented as the central theme, emphasizing his role as the great high priest who appears in the presence of God for believers. The sermon draws parallels between the Old Testament high priest's yearly atonement and Christ's singular, perfect sacrifice, highlighting his ascension into heaven after his earthly work. It underscores that Christ's intercessory prayer for believers is constant and sympathetic, offering mercy and grace in times of need. The message concludes by urging listeners to recognize the significance of Christ's sacrifice for sin and to anticipate his second coming.
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to the epistle written possibly by the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews. Chapter nine in the Hebrew epistle. I would like to read the closing verses of this chapter beginning at verse twenty-three, whereby the Spirit of God, the beloved apostle, was written, it was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
No, yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest sent with him to the holy place every year with the blood of others. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in the end, not the end of the world that hasn't come yet, properly rendered in the end of the ages, the Old Testament ages, Christ hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him.
Shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation? May God bless the reading of this precious portion from his word. And may I emphasize at the very commencement of our meditation upon it, who is the person and what is he done, of whom the Apostle writes, Christ himself. Of all the ministry that is going out in the world today, throughout the whole world by our fellow believers who are serving the Lord, whether in the foreign field or whether in the homeland, the responsibility of each missionary, and of each servant of God and child of God, is to present Christ to the hearts of mankind.
The great theme of the gospel is a person, and that person is our Lord Jesus Christ. The portion that we have read from this beautiful book of the Hebrews is very important. It speaks of Christ and three definite appearing of Him. Never at the same time, but three separate occasions. As we have read them, I hope you notice the word appear. May I emphasize it again. Verse twenty-four, if you please, if you have your Bible.
Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures or the types of the true, but into heaven itself. Now to appear in the presence of God for us. Notice it in verse twenty-six. that now once in the end of the ages half he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And in the last verse, and the end of it, unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time for he's coming back without sin unto salvation.
The three appearances of Christ My beloved, may I re-emphasize again, as they already have been brought before us, the great necessity of the Gospel, the presentation of Christ, who He is, what He has done, and what He will yet do. It's a great theme. Please know, first of all, I don't know how well you may be acquainted with the Old Testament. But what we have read has been taken as a pattern from the Old Testament experience of the high priest in the days of Israel.
There was an occasion which you may read in the sixteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus, which called in the nation of Israel the National Day of Atonement. when once a year God forgave the sins of the nation. And there was a threefold appearance of the high priest on that particular day. First did the altar, as he sacrificed the victim that represented the offering for the nation. Second, He carried the blood of that victim into the holiest of all.
And he alone was permitted to enter that holiest of all. And that but once a year on behalf of the sins of the nation. From the holiest of all. He made his way after thus presenting the offering in the presence of God. Back again to the gate. where the people were gathered outside and pronounced the work was done and proclaimed forgiveness for the nation as a whole for one more year. It was a national yearly occurrence and it always so typifying what our Lord Jesus has done.
Note first of all that we have it in verse twenty four. I want you to note the first appearance that is mentioned by the Holy Spirit on this occasion. Christ is not entered into the holy place that is made with hands, not into an earthly temple, not into an earthly sanctuary, which are the figures of the truth, but into heaven itself. My beloved, May I emphasize which the Spirit of God done, and particularly in this book of the Hebrews, Christ is not on the earth.
He is in heaven. As from the scripture that was written in that chapter one, we know that he ascended into heaven, and there he is. My beloved, beloved fellow believer, let me say to you and to me, How often do you think of him in heaven? You have it in the Holy Epistle of the Hebrews, beginning in chapter one, going on into chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, and all the way through, emphasizing our Lord Jesus is alive in heaven.
And note the words that the Apostle would write at the end of this verse, The moment I am speaking, he appears in heaven, I know, in the presence of God. For whom? How? Who are the people that he appears before the faith of God on their behalf? My fellow believers, Those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
My fellow believer, how much do you and I value the fact that he appears in heaven on our behalf? Do you need him there? You know you do. And so do I. Let me briefly quote the words from chapter seven and verse twenty four. Where that blessed one is spoken as the high priest of his people today. And note again, not in a temple on the earth. He represents his people in heaven above. At the throne of God.
And before the face of God. My fellow believers. He represents you and He represents me right there constantly. And as chapter seven, verse twenty-four declares, He ever liveth to make intercession. For who? Us. Who is the us? Only those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation. Our brother emphasized the need of prayer for certain individual missionaries and persons.
My beloved, let me say this. The Blessed Lord Jesus is praying day and night in heaven above for every believer. And that means you if you're sane. And it doesn't mean you if you're not sane. He is only the high priest and the great high priest in heaven for those who win. What's he doing there? Well, let me quote again. He ever liveth to make intercession. Let me say this.
He never sleeps. Day and night. And let me re-emphasize this truth. I need it. It's praying for you, believer. It's praying for me. Precious it is as we are encouraged and exhorted to pray for one another and for all saints. But here's our great high priest. Let me remind you of chapter four of the book of the Hebrews, where at the end of it from verse fourteen through sixteen you may read. that he passed into the heavens and became our great high priest.
And we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. May I say this, my fellow believer, and I say it humbly, and I say it reverently. The best one who can help you in your need down here on the earth is the one in heaven. Thank God for those who pray for us down here. And I bless God for those who pray for me. But my Savior never fails to pray. Why? He's touched. He sympathizes with all we go through down here.
Now what are you going through? What have you been going through as a believer in the Lord Jesus? He feels him more than you do, and more than I do. And praise him. Aren't you glad he did that? I want to tell you something. Confidently, I believe the fact. If it wasn't for his prayers, we'd never make it. Thank God for the prayers of fellow believers. Praise God greater for the unceasing prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the subject of the book of Hebrews. Have you ever studied this? All the way through, may I remind you of this one word you can repeat again and again, and it is repeated, better, better, better, better than the angels is he, better than Moses is he. Better than Joshua, is he? Better than Aaron? Better than... Name everything through the whole book as he presented. He's better. Why was the devil written? Let me tell you very frankly. When the letter was written to the Hebrews, it was written to make the Jews Christians instead of Judaizers.
God wanted them to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And all that great joy of reading as we do, that great high priest in heaven above, as you and me upon his heart. Let me illustrate it, please. Have you ever read the Old Testament? And the priest, the high priest of this nation, when he was clothed in the divine provision of the clothing that God ordered to be used He had upon him as he entered into the holiest and into the tabernacle or into the temple, those holy garments. And upon him was the ephod, the breastplate of judgment as it was sometimes called.
And upon the breastplate there were twelve stones, wonderful jewels, and upon each one of them, they described a name of each tribe of Israel. Upon his shoulders. He had two stones there, one on each side. On each stone was written. Six names of the tribes of Israel. And six names on the other. Why? He represented in the presence of God all the people of God in the nation of Israel. My beloved, may I paraphrase that?
By applying it to the Lord Jesus today. Now listen carefully. How many people does he have? How many believers? How many upon the earth today? He knows. Well let me say this. Every one of them is on his own. Every one of them is on the shoulders of his eternal strength. My beloved fellow believer, did you ever realize how much he prayed for you?
Maybe you forget to pray for your son. And that's possible. He never does. And whatever you may go through, he fears. One well-made statement, and I quote it, There's not a sorrow that reigns the heart, but what the man of sorrows has a power. May I repeat it again? Please look at the verse at the end of it. He appears in heaven itself now to appear in the presence or before the face of God. Paul, a believer, that's you.
So go down the chapter three. As we go to verse twenty-five, and we read on verse twenty-six, let me begin there. As it has been suggested, the high priest had to go once every year and make an atonement for the nation of Israel. But not Christ. Or then must he have often has suffered since the foundation of the world. But as the Apostle says, now in the end of the ages, what ages? All the precedents. Half he appears. And why did he come to the earth? Read the word. To put away sin by the sacrifice of his life.
Can I make a statement? You may criticize me for it, but I dare you to find a place in the New Testament where we are told to celebrate his birthday. But we are told to celebrate his death at the Lord's Supper. Why? What he did on the earth? Why did he come? To put away sin. Beloved, thank God for his first appearing on the earth.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save whom? Sin. Let me ask the question. Has he saved you? Well, I know you're a sinner. Don't tell me you are not. For if you told me that, you'd be sinning. I am a sinner by nature, by Christ. And may I say very frankly, the only ones that he saves are those who confess I am a sinner. Let me give you the illustration that the Lord gave when it was upon the earth.
Two men went into the temple to pray. One a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee prayed much. Thirty-three words, if I recall. And he prayed more about telling the Lord how good he was. And that he would not like the publican over there in the other part of the temple. But the publican would not lift up his eyes to heaven, smold his breath. and confess, Lord, God, being merciful to me, the sinner. And Jesus said, He went away saying, justified rather than the other. Let me give you the thought. At the hour of prayer, when they were both in the temple, the sacrifice, the evening sacrifice of the burnt offering was being getting ready by the priest.
And it was visible before they arrived. But the Pharisees said, I don't need that. The publican said, I'm a sinner, I do need this. And as you have in this verse, the Lord Jesus appeared and is first coming to put away your sins by the sacrifice of himself. My beloved, did you ever realize who it was who died on that cross for you? None other than the Son of God. You have it here.
At the end of the age is when man fails from Adam down to the end. Seeking to put, no, to put away has taken them away. Our sin, can I ask you, has he taken your sins away? Oh, the joy of remembering that day, that moment, there's a poor, guilty, held deserving sinner. I came to the Lord Jesus, confessing, I do believe, I now believe that Jesus died for me, that on the cross he shed his blood from sin to set me free.
What an appearance. Please let me say again, as we have already read in our scriptures, he'll never do it again. He doesn't have to do it again. I hope you remember the closing words that he ever breathed and uttered and shouted in Victor. As you read it in John chapter nineteen in verse thirty, with a loud voice the Lord Jesus cried, It is finished. Walter the poet writes, It is finished every job.
Tell me, sinner, this is all you need. Tell me, is it not? You can never take away your sins. No one else can either, but the only one who died on the cross. Aren't you glad he came? As a believer, I'm so glad he's in heaven representing me and praying for me. My great, I pray. And as a believer, oh, may I say again, how grateful I am, I know I'm only a sinner, saved by grace. This is all my story.
To God be the glory. I'm only a sinner, saved by grace. To put away sinning. But he not only puts away the sins of those who believe on him, but may I make the remark, as I read my Bible to the end of it, that's coming a day when God will banish sin out of his universe forever. Sin! And those who believe none on the Lord Jesus will be cast into the lake of fire.
According to Revelation chapter nineteen verse twenty. Someday heaven and earth will be cleansed. Please, may I remind you, from the book of Job, he says, the heavens are not clean in his sight. I want to tell you there's a follow-up there by the name of Satan, the dragon, the devil, Satan, the serpent, as he's called, and all of his hosts, they're in the heavenly, and they have defiled the heavens by their sinful rebellion against God.
When he comes, you're going to take care of them. And ultimately, by God, there'll be no more... We'll read Revelation chapter twenty-one. There'll be no more sin, no sorrow, no pain, no sickness, no death, no crying, the form of things. Why? Pastor. Why will they all pastor? all because of that sacrifice on the cross but let me ask the question very important have your sins been put away and while brother called it in his prayer giving thanks to God then when he forgives our sins he's put them out of his mind their sins and iniquities will I remember No more.
And you've got him in the book of Hebrews. And though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and worthy of the judgment, death and judgment, the death of Christ removes the judgment and the eternal danger. You know, it's great to be saved. I'm glad he appeared to put away sin for you. Again, let me ask before going further, has he taken your sins away? We used to sing an old hymn with a chorus that says, He took my sins away.
I made me rejoicing every day when He took my sins away. I don't want to tell you. If you've never had your sins away, you'll have the best half of you ever have if you'll ever do it today. And let me remind you faithfully, if you're not saved, you've got sins that need to be confessed to the Lord and have him take him home. But that's not all. It's coming again. Look the last verse in the chapter. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of men. Now you know that word men.
Why does he say men? everybody doesn't believe on him unfortunately let me ask you the question how many Christians do you really know that have been born again genuinely born again if I remember the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew seven thirteen and fourteen he makes it very clear The straight way than the narrow way. There's only a few that find it. Few there be that enter therein, said the Lord Jesus.
But broad is the road that lead us to destruction. And many there be that go that way. Now, which way are you on? Thank God I got on the narrow way in nineteen fourteen. Thank God I've been on that narrow way ever since. I'd rather be on the narrow way with a few. Tell me, I don't have a big audience here. As many may have, that doesn't matter. I'm so glad for those who are on the same way with me. And if any are not, why don't you come to the Lord Jesus and receive him as your Savior? But we read these words and know carefully that Christ was offered to bear the sins of many and not to everybody.
but unto them that look for him. Are you looking for him to come again? I don't know whether you have a happy experience, but I often have said to my blessed Lord, and I know he forgives me for saying it so much, Lord, why didn't you come today? Why didn't you come right now? What? Now this birth has to do with those that know him.
For them to look for him. Oh, you may be looking forward to a beautiful year in nineteen ninety seven. Let me emphasize, I'd rather be looking for him to come. And you know, it almost seems to me as though he's overdue. As this world becomes worse than worse. As even one of our brethren that spoke to us in the early part of the service.
Mention the things that are happening in the world. The troubles, the suffering, the persecution, the violence, the bloodshed. I want to tell you, every time the morning news comes to my house, I hate to look at the front page. That's a fact. The first thing I see is a murder. Or something of that kind. I want to tell you, the media is very capable of spreading the bad news. One dear brother told me that up in...
In fact, my son told me up in Charlotte. They called the Charlotte Observer the Charlotte Disturber. And one dear brother in the Lord was so depressed by reading the news in the newspaper, he canceled it. He digressed himself. Look. Listen, Christian. We look for him to come. Praise him. Oh, do I need to remind you what he said? Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.