Doom of Apostates (Part B)

To this day is coming back to the same argument can never get figured out you never receive it. You can become problematic if you're not careful. What did Jewish Hebrew laying overhead on hands lack pointing it out for each one like Jesus Christ took that animal to the temple. They laid their hands on him.

They were blocking Christ out they were saying you'll work your death on the cross just wasn't enough. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick continues his message called doom of apostates in Hebrews chapter 6. Only Scripture knows the heart by follow the word of God, I'll be all right if I start mixing into the word of God. I'm going to head into dangerous waters. He says let us go on to perfection Paul when he wrote to Timothy said meditate on these things.

Give yourself entirely to them which which many don't want to do it. I don't.

I need to save 90% for me and 10% for God, I mean we do that with the offering box do we not what I do that with my life. I don't think anyone would come out and say that what many do it. He tells Timothy meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. It's a witness is called a testimony. People can look at you and say and when I'm around you I feel like I want to fire two or when I am you know I be iron sharpens iron make each other stronger. So we are to go on to perfection is not laying again the foundation foundations are not to be laid over and over again useful to build on them you're actually supposed to do something with the foundation other than lay. It was nice.

Let's do it again. That's what they were doing foundation is critical, but it is not enough in the structure is critical, but without a foundation will be a structure very long so we had six principals here that are all of Jewish origin, but only Christ in fulfillment and that is one of the disconnects that the that the early Jewish Christians were struggling with our faith is built upon the Old Testament, but it is a development and a fulfillment of those things in the Old Testament. And this is where they were getting into trouble. We know John the Baptist. He was baptizing people but his baptism was a little different than the baptism that we have as Christians. Three.

Speaking of Johnny went into the region.

All around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin.

We believe that we have more information.

That's all we had, we would be thinking about the Jewish cleansing rights and that's where this is going.

He says not laying again the foundation of repentance of dead works. Judaism's view of repentance was missing one critical thing Jesus Christ, that's what it was missing. That's what they were going back to see when they were going back to the temple is alive, and I brought my sheep to be offered unto Christian was not Christ, the fulfillment want these things just symbols of what he fulfilled and that these thing on these things and not only are no longer necessary, but forbidden because he is the Lamb of God, there is no other lamb to bring before the throne of God. He and he alone, and so this he's dealing with first repentance and faith.

Both have to do with conversion. There is no conversion without repentance and is no conversion without faith is the salvation of the soul conversion is this is what it's all about for the unbeliever and if there's anyone here. You cannot open your heart to Christ. You've not been born again. Everything that the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart is about converting you from doing life your way to coming under his Lordship and doing it his way. He see repentance deals with personal sin. My wrong my wickedness, my being separate from God.

Jesus said, I tell you, unless you repent you will perish. Luke's gospel through 13 now understand for the believer. For the believer who is not mingling these things and struggling. I put the source of save commercial in because the heat of the sermon is someone may be a Christian, you're struggling with some sin. Using the George's have nothing but condemnation. Now is not the case we get to the different than the backslider in the apostate momentarily. These were becoming apostates they were actually leaving the faith. Again, Paul writes to Timothy, we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully so the New Testament recognizes the Old Testament under the authority of the new pot, says the Old Testament moral code is perfect.

Thou shalt not kill covered steel adulterate lie when it comes to salvation. It is weak is not able to do it so I have to read a few verses to make sure you understand this essay will one of a way way to Millie Singh of Abraham and David were saved, they were unable to go to heaven without Jesus Christ, they went to righteous. She old when they died they did not go into paradise. Only Jesus open that door. Romans 83 for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh of force on our behalf. Hebrews 719. The law made nothing perfect.

On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hold which we draw near to God corsets Christ.

Galatians 219 and 21 for either the Lord died to the law that I might live to God. These is just saying all to my all into Old Testament understanding was damn in my soul.

It wasn't until I grabbed the New Testament understanding that's the case of Paul was he doing is killing Christians going after Christians in no problem watching Stephen that righteous man, full of the Holy Spirit based on the data it would've thrown the stone tube. Had he not been a Pharisee and prohibited by the Jewish rabbinical laws.

He continues in Galatians.

I do not set aside the grace of God for righteousness come to the Lord Christ died for nothing. Galatians 2 verse 21.

You cannot bring sheep to the temple and say your Christian that's what he is saying when he said I do not set aside the grace of God of righteousness comes through the law than Christ died for nothing. You didn't-he died for me to die for anyone who wants to come to him Levitical system, really big.

As I said it never provided forgiveness of sins. It promised the forgiveness of sins. It illustrated in the law, the leper in the day of his cleansing that he would again be restored because man is not born in his restored state to God, Ron, and the sinful state as a child of Adam from the profits they promised the coming of forgiveness from God through Messiah and Christ said I'm not come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law and so he says and of faith.

You don't want to leave the conversation of repentance and you should because you should already understand that you repent and you understand what that means they want to just talk about faith is the heart of God is not saying these things are necessary is just saying you not advancing beyond these things these of the ABCs of our faith. Faith addresses a personal God is holy and righteous and high and we are not those things. And yet we trust that he can make us acceptable to him that God is indeed God not applying for the job he is God. He doesn't need me to see that and say it but he wants me to heal be no less God. Whether I do or not, but all be much better off if I do so will read later in Hebrews 11 without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to him must believe that he is a rewarder that he rewards those who trust him. And so Judaism's view of faith was missing one thing Jesus Christ, that's what he is working with and you'll meet people like this today. They call themselves Christians and think there's some other way to try to do salvation acts chapter 20 says this about Paul testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

What was Judaism's faith missing same thing. Repentance was missing. What was that Jesus Christ's we love him we absolutely love him always saying of his love and his mercy and his holiness. We are moving emotionally and rightfully so. And the best is not yet come.

There will be a day in heaven we will stand clean cleansed forever never again in jeopardy of anything harmful and we will sing sing sing is to be a prison Sing Sing.

This is a different one about a prison sing verse two of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. Three saying I know you want to just keep talking about the stuff is more to the faith in this.

This doctrine of baptisms, ceremonial washing with water Jews were big on that. That's why one of the reasons they were so receptive to John-John God in his wisdom use John to do this to open the door for Messiah. That's why John is known as the forerunner of Messiah.

One of the reasons why baptisms here is floral, not singular is not my baptism. It's the washing. The immersing's with NS because it is talking about the Levitical system of some ceremonial washings, the rights of cleansings and they incorporated this into everything.

By the time the rabbis are doing it. Every house had a little mikvah a little tub just for this purpose without snow wasn't all bad. The priest use it up as one outside the the Tabernacles Laffer Solomon made a giant one shoulder on the backs of of oxen.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, but again they were using it in the place of advancement in the faith. In fact, archaeologists have unearthed mikvah was in Israel all over the place of the old city of Jerusalem and Masada coming to see if they were they were very big on this thing and so these Jews were having a difficult time trusting Jesus for their salvation and completeness, and so they were reaching back to those things that they grew up with and that they felt very comfortable with that.

They had wonderful childhood memories of I remember when dad would take me down to the temple in the mikvah with their we would go and we would cleanse all that was such a sweet time and then it comes the apostles, who also had those experiences with it I counted all loss for Christ has something far better than a tub of water have the son of God is in my heart he cleanses me from the inside out. Even when I mess up.

I have recurrent cleansing it's automatic comes with belonging to him is the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse me from all sin, not the water in the mikvah of the Jew. Judaism's view of baptism was missing one thing Jesus Christ you understand when he starts off God and that would various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets as spoken was in these last days through his son Jesus Christ. That's I start off this Hebrew letter, and he never lets off the gas pedal. In fact the guns it every now and then, as he didn't. At the end of chapter 5 is talking about the high priest and then he says your babies. All of this is almost as though he's into this what the Lord is so great that he is a flash of what they're doing with him and he calls him out on it and so they needed to abandon these things not blend them not salvage needed to be full out for Christ. Stand up and tell their relatives listen. We've got the Messiah is all that we need. Now we walk by faith, which will be quoted in this Hebrew letter which started way back in Habakkuk.

It Finds Its Way in Roman letter in the Galatian letter in the Hebrew is that important. The just shall live by faith, not by all this ritual, the laying on of hands is next.

The Old Testament acts symbolize the sinner was identified with the slaughtered another word you take your sheep to the to the temple and you lay your hand on that animal you saying I am the one that should be killed. From my sin, but this animal is a substitution it's a substitutionary sacrifice in my place the animal will be slain.

This innocent animal goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Christ is the Lamb of God, though he is the one that we touch.

He is the one that we lay hold of not some beast in our place. Those things had their time with their spent they're done now and when he gets to the 10th chapter he's going to tell them right out that if you still send that way you done to cause a lot of confusion.

Christians will will cover it will cover little bit this morning but it is the Old Testament act of going to the temple and and having the sin identified with the sinner through the animal who was about to be slain on the New Testament. As with faith and repentance and baptism see there did these things and move on. In the New Testament.

They've developed so too with the laying on of hands. In the Old Testament, they would lay hands on the new leaders that were coming up Joshua.

They laid hands on him and and.

For example, in the New Testament. Also, the Holy Spirit would single out his leaders and they would lay hands on them and pray for them or practice that we still carry on to this day. Acts chapter 6.

Speaking of the deacons. The servants that were raised up in the church.

Peter said bring the seven men from among you for the Holy Spirit in wisdom and we may appoint over this business. Business then it says they set before the apostles and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them so you have the Old Testament laying hands on the animal.

Yet the New Testament laying hands on the sinner's blessings he had the Jewish Christians arguing these two points. Trying to figure it all out and never moving past her to this day have Christians keep coming back to the same argument can never get it figured out you never receive it. It can become problematic if you're not careful what the Jewish Hebrew laying of head on hands, lack pointing it out for each one. Lack Jesus Christ took that animal to the temple.

They laid their hands on him. They were blocking Christ out they were saying your work, your death on the cross just wasn't enough so I brought the sheep here to make you happy.

I brought this CPU father because the death of your son from me just doesn't quite do it. So you have Christians or say, you know the Bible just doesn't quite do it. We need to mix it in the little bit.

We need some Freud and some man's law.

We need some of the psychologist to tell us about how we should live in a sinful world because the Bible really doesn't do it and lap lap lap lap lap lap it up.

Many of don't you be guilty of see why they did that once I know that's okay you not doing it now. His divine word, Peter said, has given to us all things necessary for life how to live how we are to please God, the resurrection of the dead is next is life after death, ongoing topic with them is not a bad topic.

None of these are bad topics, but they wanted to know about the future what was coming so they stayed on these topics of resurrection and judgment of the Old Testament taught on these things with David ended his 23rd Psalm with what and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and never nothing wrong with that topic but Judaism's resurrection lacked one thing and that is Jesus Christ.

This eternal judgment is next. How are the dead, treated the Scripture indicates that there are two judgments there is one judgment for believers, not the judgment of the soul that's taken care of here but as to your rewards.

I think many of you have generous hearts you get to heaven, God's going to bless you for that and you should share some of what he gives you with me is trying to help you out. No sense in being generous of you have no one to be generous to so I'm volunteering, but back to reality. The second judgment in the Scriptures is one for the unbelievers and it is one to condemnation. There is going to be a degree of their judgment in hell, but it will be hell. Nonetheless, this you can read further in Revelation 20 verses 11 through 15. Put those verses and because I know that some may find this very much of interest more so than some of the other topics so Judaism class.

What does it do it factors out Messiah.

That's what keeps it from becoming Christianity and Christianity of course embraces the Old Testament, but it separates the moral code from a ceremonial court and the symbolism of Messiah and it puts everything in its place and benefits from the whole thing because Christ is superior. Verse three and this we will do if God permits. And so he again he's not trivializing these topics.

Just pointing out you need more you can stay here and read verse, verse, verse four now verse four. Before we get there we have to introduce this is where we would have the kettle drums beating fiercely, this is heavy now he is saying to them. If you stay babies you are going to find yourself on a pathway to apostasy, not because you're just staying babes in Christ, but because as babes in Christ.

You are mingling in the faith that with which neutralizes the faith canceled without and he saying to them I love you I care about you and I'm not gonna pull any punches. I'm going to pull the teeth out of what is fighting against the faith. So now he starts now. That's why he is going to say what he is now saying that recess for it is impossible that for his joining what is said beginning in the end of chapter 5 to now where it is impossible for those were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become partakers of the Holy Spirit is just the just easing into it with them. It is impossible. This is a fact they saw the light they receive the gospel.

They are believers.

We've established that early on, it will be established throughout the letter. For example, Hebrews 1032 he says to the same audience. Recall the former days in which after you were illuminated. You endured a great struggle with suffering. They were being persecuted for Christ and they took it. Many of them did not want to be persecuted anymore as they were being persecuted by Jews at this point, not Christians. The temple was still in existence Romans had not yet figured out that Christianity was completely separate from Judaism. The Romans believed that Christianity was a sect of Jerusalem of of Judaism. So they left alone but once they were women and is not the same thing.

So let me get this right. The barrels. The Nero none Pharaoh the Nero Caesars in his Senate and people in Rome so we can persecuted Christians and not offend the Jews.

Actually, you can persecuted Christians and the Jews will applaud it and that's when the persecution of the church ramped up but before the Gentile started persecuting Christians, the Jews were persecuting Jewish believers trying to block Gentiles were proselytes to Judaism from receiving. It also in the Old Testament, it seems that apostates were still given an opportunity to repent. Valium had a chance to repent. King Manasseh did and he repented and he was just out there. First Samuel. He says this while he said I'm going to read the result, he did encourage the people to give up their fake gods and come back to Yahweh. They were apostates. So we read in first Samuel seven so the children of Israel put away the buy a house that's because the Ashtoreth serve Yahweh only so apostates were given away back but the New Testament churches were different because the magnitude of the light and who it is that is the light because of the giving of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer. Everything has been increased as far as value sentence move you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio