Get connected to Christians around the world.

HOME SERMON ARCHIVES PRAYER ROOM TRUE PEACE

APRIL 2001 - PASTOR JIM WEST

Greetings in the Name of Jesus!

This months Cyber-Church sermon is again by Pastor Jim West. Pastor Jim was the founder of Cyber-Church.com. At the time of his homegoing in January 2000 Pastor Jim had a  number of messages   waiting for publication. Therefore, in accordance with the Lord's leading, we are posting them over the next few months. Pastor Jim's  messages are for the most part in outline form. We will post them as he left them and trust the Holy Spirit to fill in any gaps. We pray you too will be blessed by the teachings of this Godly Saint that is now with the Lord.

God bless you and yours


==================================A===============

THE MEAT

Hebrews 6:16-20 - For men verily swear by the greater: And an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein
God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec.

Note: The theme of these verses is God's character and dependability. Either He is true and His promises sure, or He is false and we have no hope! We have left the "milk" and are partaking of the "meat" of the doctrines of Christianity!

There are some real truths here that the "milk" fails to grasp. We have not related God's promises to ourselves. Not really
believed that God means them for us individually.

The Milk says, "That was great for Abraham, but God isn't operating that way now."
*The Meat says, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever!"

The Milk says "God can"
*The "Meat" says, "God WILL!"

The Milk says, "Jesus is my hope eternal"
*The Meat says, "Jesus Christ is my assurance, my surety, my certainty!"

The Milk says, "If I work and strive and endure and suffer to the end, then maybe, just maybe, God will accept me and let me have a little place in the corner of heaven."
*The "meat" says, God has promised me an inheritance. He is strong and able to perform that which he has promised, and I know that I will spend eternity in the presence of Jesus."

The Milk says, "Satan is looking for me to kill and devour me"
*The Meat says, "I'm looking for Satan to put him under my foot! I will resist him and he will NOT be found!

The Milk says, "If it's God's will . . ."
*The Meat say, "God's will is MY will!"

Men swear by things or persons or legal systems which can uphold the agreement. They have the power to enforce the oath. Our marriages are entered into by an oath. The contract is made, the terms are set, and the participants say "I do." Corporations are formed by an oath taken by the persons applying and receiving the protection of the legal system. A Christian's word is his oath. It is a promise made before God, who hears and enforces the word. An oath is made before a higher, stronger power who enforces the contract.

God found no higher power than Himself, and so made the oath by Himself! He swore by Himself in two immutable ways: By Himself as the Almighty Father, and by Himself as the Son. He made the oath and He will enforce the conditions with all the power and enforcement capabilities of the Holy Ghost.

The reasoning is that He is "willing more abundantly to show us, the  'heirs of promise', that He is unchanging: That He cannot lie: That whatever He has promised, He is able to perform: That whatever He expects from us He is able to demand! We who have fled to the 'strong consolation', the refuge, to lay hold on the promise set before us, can know that God is the finisher (completer, accomplisher, perfector) of our faith!

• Jesus is our consolation.
• Jesus is our refuge.
• Jesus is our hope set before us.
• Jesus is the anchor of our soul.
• Jesus is both sure and steadfast.
  

Abraham was assured of the promise, and after he had patiently 'endured', he received that which was promised. We can depend on that same Promiser to keep His end of the bargain. The scripture teaches that we can only fail to inherit these promises by unbelief!! God, who cannot lie, nevertheless has taken His oath. The oath is man's way of assuring a result, and God is operating on our level, the human level. Being unable to lie, He needed no oath, but He made the oath to more abundantly assure us! Our friends may try to comfort us: To console us: To encourage us, but our real consolation is the consolation of Israel, Jesus Christ!

This "consolation" is the Greek "parakletos": Let's read:

John 14:15 - If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another comforter, that He may abide in you for ever. (this is the "Parakletos)

Verse 26 - But the comforter, Which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all  things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

This scripture says that Jesus not only tore away the veil: Not only made the Holy of Holies accessible to the heirs of promise, but He entered into THAT within the veil! A quick look at the scriptures describing the Tabernacle will show us that it is God the Father who inside the Holy 0f Holies.

It is for us that He, Jesus, the High Priest entered into THAT which was within the veil! He is our forerunner!