Bro Davis Saturday Night 3/24/12

Bro Davis Saturday Night 3/24/12

Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

We call Hebrews the book of the ‘betters’.  Everything is better through Jesus, so much better than the way of the law.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

This proscribes the way: I present me and you present you to God.  This is our reasonable consecration.  It is a reasonable service.  Song: “Since Jesus gave His life for me should I not give Him mine?”

Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

We are not here forever.  Thank God we can be there forever one day.  We follow Jesus outside the camp.  This means away from all the religion that pleases the flesh: where most people are camped and live.  Most people say they are serving God and are not really.  They incorporate the things of the world with serving God.  Those things dare not go together.  If you have this type of experience then it will not get you to heaven.

No continuing city: This contains a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.  At the time that Hebrews was written this destruction was about to happen.  If the apostles knew that was going to happen they didn’t make the reference in order to say to flee the city and get food.  God provided for His own there. 

The thing that Paul was considering here was getting ready for another move.  It is a move that is clear on out of here.  We are all going to leave this country.  We can go to that country if we have already established a citizenship there.

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

This determines our citizenship there.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

My mind doesn’t take in eternity.  We think of time and as I talk of heaven even now I think of this taking place however long. 

Our Lord or one of His angels could say to me or you after we’ve bowed our knees, “Here is your mansion, this will be your place.”  I was blessed when I was thinking about this.  I thought of saying, “Gabriel, I have some things to do, I have some people to see.  I have old acquaintances to meet.  I have old quartet members to look up and we are going to sing songs.” 

I usually don’t fantasize a whole lot about things in this life but we are not going to be here forever and we need to be thinking about over there.

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

God help us to not be too attached, too tied down.  It is easy to get that way.  The disciples left their nets and their other occupations and followed Jesus.  When He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”   Then they were busy about that occupation.  He said, “I go to prepare a place, but meanwhile I have a job for you.”

Mar 16:20  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

We want to see it like it one time was.  This is the burden of Bro Kale our pastor.  We want to be a vessel that God is pleased with all the way.  When we are, God is definitely going to use us, in different ways of course, but He wants to use all of us.

We look back 100 years or so and we see those that paved the way for us. 

They worked the road,
Helping the weak and blind
And making it easy for those behind.

We don’t want in any way to be a stumbling block for those that are coming down the road behind us.  We don’t want to have rocks in the road that are there because we didn’t get them out.  We don’t want to be a hindrance to anyone.  We want to say to the young person, “You can make it because others have made it and because we have made it.”

We sing a number of songs about our dearest friend.  We couldn’t and wouldn’t want to attempt to make it without Jesus.  Song: No one ever cared for me like Jesus.

1Jn 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We will have fellowship with one another if we are all doing the same: Walking in the light as He is in the light.  Picture Jesus and me and all the saints, having fellowship together. 

Thank God for the New Testament church.  We’ve preached it and lived it for years.  It is like it was a long time ago.  It is something that we see by faith.  It is made of the saints that are following the Lamb.

‘Stepping in the light’ as the song writer said.  That light is there if we are following Jesus.  We are following the captain of God’s Army.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

White denotes holiness, purity, everything right.  The red, the grey and the black horses are not a part of God’s Army and have nothing to do with God’s Army.  The Lord was on a white one and those that followed Him were on white horses.  God has some spiritual segregation.  Holiness and sin do not mix. 

The Blood of Jesus doesn’t hide or obscure sin but cleanses from all sin.  Aren’t you glad for truth?  You read and hear it from the pulpit.  Let’s not just be taken up with what we have to do at home or other things.  This book is good to read, but you can read it and then you can live it.

Paul said for us to set our affection there in heaven Col 3. 

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

2Co 5:5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

This is what we have waiting for us out there.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

If salvation has made us citizens over there then most of the family is over there, more than are here.  Seek those things that are above, set your affections there.  God help us that we don’t get sidetracked with our affections. 

We say that we are on our way and sing songs about it, but we can get very involved with down here.  We, I say we because even in old age there are still attachments.  God help me to apply the scripture. 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

All these things…, get rid of everything that will stand in your way. 

Col 1:3  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Col 1:4  Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Col 1:5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

All these things go together, faith in Christ, Love for the saints, and Hope of heaven.  We have an inheritance in heaven.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Thank God we can be ready and stay ready.  The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance.  We can have some of heaven to go to heaven with.  Song: Where Jesus is it is heaven there.  It would not be an easy road if it were not for Jesus there with you. 

Tell me not of heavy crosses or burdens hard to bear,  

For I’ve found this great salvation makes each burden light appear.

It is not that there are not burdens or crosses.  It is that the Lord Jesus carries it with us and takes the heavy end.

We are yoked up with the Lord.  When you yoke oxen you hook up to the advantage to the one that is weakest.  You put the leverage so that each can pull his part.  The heavy part the Lord takes.  I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.  The all things Paul speaks of here is enduring hardship, persecution and trial.  Fellow workers left Paul, and he had other persecutions and trials, but he went right on. 

He tried to show his kindred a better way.  Paul was burdened for His Jewish people.  He wanted to see them get in.  He was wonderfully able to convince the Gentiles.  A lot of them rejoiced at the message that the God that he served was for them.  Just as Paul was burdened for His people, we want ours to get in too.

If you know that you are yet a sinner, my bible says that you are one that Jesus died for.  He said that so plainly that it was offensive to some.

 He said that he didn’t come for the righteous.  He cannot help you if you think that you are alright.  It is sad to make a self-righteous claim and be lost.  When the Pharisee and the Publican went up to pray, the one boasted about how great he was the other said, Have mercy on me a sinner.  You know the one that went down justified.

Jesus said that the one that thinks that he is healthy doesn’t want to seek a doctor.  Paul said that we all have had the disease: All have sinned.  We can offer the services of the great physician.   Thank God for Jesus, one that specializes in broken hearts and ruined lives.

He is the healer of broken hearts, He’ll mend your shattered dreams, and He will pick up the fragments of your broken life and weave them together again.  The healer of broken hearts is Jesus of Galilee.

Thank God for Jesus.  If you are here and need salvation you can have it.  It is here, Jesus offers it.  There are saints here that would be more than glad to pray for you.

Maybe one more valley, one more hill,
One more trial, one more tear,
One more curve on life’s road,
One more mile to go,
You can lay down your heavy load
When you get home.

The young man that recorded that song died before the record was published and they could get it out.  Most of the songs on that disc were about heaven.  We don’t know how much time we have here.  We want to use what time we have.

I read of an Italian conqueror that was headed home with some foot-soldiers.  Between them and home was the Alps.  They had to fight the storms and the steep climb.  They needed the reminder and the captain got everyone’s attention and said, “Just beyond those mountains is Italy where we are headed.”

I hope that you are not facing terrible mountainous difficulty but if you are, beyond there is home.  Thank God for it.  God help us to stay on track.  If you are not on track, get on track.