Better | Part 3: Better Way | Chris Vaught

Keep me giving my best praise right out front this morning. Come on, go ahead, give it to him. Let's go. [MUSIC PLAYING] Come on, help me sing this morning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved grace, like you'd be. How once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind. But now I see it, see it, how they knew it. There's no truth on me, thank you, Jesus. You have said to me, please welcome me in. You called me by name, was dead in my sin, that I'm missing or not great, how they knew it. It really is amazing grace, yeah, yeah. It was grace that tore my heart to fear. And grace my fears really, how much is deep, that grace appeared, we are our first believe. Come on, sing it, see it, how they knew it. There's no change on me, thank you, Jesus. You have said to me, please welcome me in. You called me by name, was dead in my sin, that I'm missing or not great, how they knew it. It really is amazing grace, yeah. Come on, help me testify this morning, I'll testify of what he did. He gave me life, I'm born again, my heart is free, my soul is safe. It really is amazing grace, I'll testify of what he did. He gave me life, I'm born again, my heart is free, my soul is safe. It really is amazing grace, it really is, it really is, it really is amazing grace, it really is, it really is, yeah, yeah.

Come on, help me, Julia, there's no change on me, thank you. Jesus, you have said to me, please welcome me in. You called me by name, was dead in my sin, that I'm missing or not great, how they knew it. It really is amazing grace, yeah, it really is, it really is amazing grace, it really is, it really is, it really is amazing grace, yeah, it really is amazing grace, who else is worthy, there is no one only in Jesus, who else is worthy, who else is worthy, there is no one only in Jesus, you are the infinite God of the edges, yet you chose to make my heart your dwelling place, you heal my brokenness, Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus Lamb of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come Seated on the throne above Holy, holy, righteous one who shed his blood To prove to us the Father's love Jesus Christ believed in holy, holy Lamb of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come You're seated on the throne above Holy, holy, righteous one who shed his blood You flew to us the Father's love Jesus Christ believed in holy, holy, Lamb of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come Seated on the throne above Holy, holy, righteous one who shed his blood You flew to us the Father's love Jesus Christ believed in holy, who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy? There is no one only your Jesus There is no one only your Jesus There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy? Let's worship Church who else is worthy There is no one only your Jesus who else is worthy

There is no one only your Jesus There is no one only your Jesus There is no one only your Jesus Who else is worthy, Amen Church? Amen There is no one else worthy but Jesus We're going to continue in our worship this morning But before we do, I just want to welcome everybody who is new here this morning You are welcome in this service. We thank you for being here It is a blessing to help you And if you want to get to know a little bit more about us We'd love to get to know more about you as well We have a couple different ways you can do that You can skin the QR code on the screen Text the word "guest" to the number on the screen Or simply tap the tag at the back of your seat as well But what a great day just to be in the presence of the Lord It always is a good day to be in the presence of the Lord of course But some of my favorite Sundays are communion Sundays By the way, we are going to communion if you would like to do this It's simple as being a follower of Christ that you get to do this We do have people in the back and walking the aisles If you need to go grab one of these of course but you said every day. But in this way, we get to do this this morning. In Matthew 26, you'll see if you look at that chapter, it recounts the story of Jesus and the Passover. He's coming into Jerusalem. And he sits down with his disciples one last time for the Passover feast. And when he does that, he holds up a piece of bread

and he says, "This is my body." Saying, "This is my body broken from you, essentially." And then he would hold up a cup after supper of wine. And this is just used to represent that, but he would hold up this cup of wine and he would say, "This is my blood of the covenant "that is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins." Pour it out for many forgiveness of sins. I love that too because then he says, "Drink, all of you." One of my favorite parts about that is that there are two people in the room that he's talking to that are about to betray him and deny him. And he still welcomes them to drink of this new promise. And I love that because that speaks to us today and that we can all take of this promise, amen? So with that, remembering just the name of Jesus in this and the reason that we do this. So we're gonna pray. And as we do, just bring to the Lord your own concerns, cares, sins, hang ups, whatever it might be that is between you and the Father this morning. And as we pray, and in this way, we will take the cup and drink the juice. Heavenly Father, God, we love you. We take this moment as an act of worship that you'll be glorified in it. God, that we know that what we hold in our hands, yes, it's a simple way for in juice, but Lord, it represents so much more. It represents the name above all other names, Jesus,

but without this, there would be no resurrection. Without this, there would be no hope for sinners. Without this, there would be no redemption. And so Father, we take this in remembrance of what you did, but we celebrate what you did as much as we revere God. So we love you and we praise you. We ask your forgiveness where we need forgiveness. We ask you in our hearts where we need you in our hearts so that we can continue in this worship. And we love you and we praise you, amen. And you can prepare the bread. Remember, this is his body broken for us. Go ahead and take the bread this morning. And in the same way they took the cup, remember that new covenant, it just means new promise, sealed with the blood of Jesus that we get to live in eternity with him. Let's take the cup this morning. (soft music) - As we continue in our worship this morning, please know these altars are always open. Sometimes it takes a physical step. Whenever Christ is, let's say speaking to you or you just feel that Holy Spirit nudge you in a way. This is a great representation to be able to step out of your seat and do that. You can worship or you're at as well, of course. There's no limit to how we can worship. And we have prayer workers always up front available for those that might just need to talk to someone today.

And they'll pray with you and for you. Amen. So let's continue to worship and sing. (soft music) (gentle music) ♪ I could see your name for all my life ♪ ♪ And still find more to love each time ♪ ♪ Of Jesus be the name of our lives ♪ ♪ It's sweeter every time that I call on me ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ It makes me cry only ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, you're worthy ♪ ♪ You have been the friend ♪ ♪ Who never left ♪ Jesus, be the name ever on my side It's sweeter every time that I call on There's just something better made There's just something better made There's just something better made It makes me cry wholly There is no other name, I know There is no other name There is no other name Jesus, you're worthy Oh, there's just something better made

There's something better made There's just something better made It makes me cry wholly There's just something better made There is no other name, there is no other name Jesus, you're worthy of me There is no other name, there is no other name There is no other name, there is no other name Oh Jesus, your name is like the morning light The one, the darkness can't deny The resurrection and the light, Jesus Oh Jesus, your name, your faith, your name can heal Your name can heal, the storm be still You never fail, You never will, Jesus Jesus, the bread of light broken for us The wounded and the worthy one The first and last and still the calm Jesus, Jesus, the King will overwhelm the rain The Lord will forever reign The name above all other names, Jesus Oh, Jesus, be the name Jesus, be the name, oh Jesus, be the name It's all the glory Jesus, be the name Jesus, be the name of you Jesus, be the name It's all the glory, Jesus, be the name It's all the glory Jesus, be the name

This healing in name This healing in name Come on, Church This healing in his name It makes me cry, holy There's freedom in your name There's this freedom in your name There's freedom in your name It makes me cry, holy, holy There's salvation in your name This salvation in your name I love salvation in your name It makes me cry, holy So, Jesus, be the name Jesus, be the name Jesus, be the name It's all the glory Oh, just tell him again Jesus, be the name Jesus, you get all of the glory Jesus be the name lifted high in our lives and in our homes. Jesus be the name lifted high and getting all the glory in this town, but in this world. Jesus, you are worthy of it. And this morning we lift you high in this room. It might sound wacky to some other people, but God, you are worthy of it. You're worthy of our praise. You're worthy of our love. And we give it back to you.

This morning, because we love you. Jesus, we love you. In Jesus' name, amen, and amen. Thank you for worshiping with us this morning. That was beautiful. I don't know about you church, but I've got a little bit of a wacky love for a worthy God. Oh, it's gonna sound wacky, yes. But he is worthy of it. If that's you as well, if you say yeah, I'm feeling some wacky love for a God so worthy. Why don't you turn to your neighbor and say, yup, that's me while you're finding your seat. Yep, that's me while you're finding your seat online. I hope you're saying, yup, that's me also. Got some wacky love for a God so worthy. Whoo, God, you are worthy. That was beautiful. Hey, that worship wasn't wacky. That was awesome. And I'm so glad you guys got to join us. Wait, what am I saying? I'm so glad I got to join you for worship. 'Cause one glance at me and I'm sure you can tell where I'm usually at on a Sunday morning. And that's back there in kids' point with your children, loving every moment, but that was so much fun to get to come join you today. My name is Faith Woodall, and I'm one of the children's pastors here.

And here's a heads up for the month of October. Things are looking a little wacky around kids' point as we kicked off our wacky weekends series this morning, teaching your children how and why they should have a wacky love for a worthy God. And having a little bit of fun while we do it in the meantime. So if you see a kid or an adult walking around with a wacky hat today, or maybe in a few weeks, you've got someone sitting in front of you with some wacky hair or a really wacky outfit. No judging, okay, okay. You know now, oh, they must serve in kids' point. 'Cause it's wacky weekends, and they never know what you might see around here. Also, parents, after every single service, your children are going to receive an orange ticket back in kids' point. They can come out to the orange tent outside in the courtyard and exchange it for a fun wacky giveaway, just a way to add some more fun to this series. This wacky weekend series is one of our favorite back in kids' point as a kids' point team. And I know that your children will love it just as much. And remember it for years to come, but not just because of the fun. I hope they remember the not-so-wacky truth that we are trying to instill into them, happening even right now, as they're back there having their own worship service,

just like you're out here having yours. That's what it's all about. And guess what? The fun part is we are inviting you to come be a part of the wacky fun by joining our kids' point serve team. Do I have any kids' point volunteers in the room? Let me hear ya. There we go. I know you were in there. Yeah, try not to be wacky in church. I know you're the wacky ones, but I love them. I'm so thankful for our kids' point volunteer team all the way from our check-in team to our nursery team all the way up through middle school and even our special needs buddies. So thankful for our serve team. If it wasn't for them, wacky weekends, all the fun kids' point in general just wouldn't be possible. It wouldn't be happening back there. You'd have your kids sitting right here with you. It would be fuller than it already is in here. No, thankful for our kids' point serve team so we can have kids' point every week. But you're a little wacky if you think we have enough of them because we really don't. We could use some extra help with all those children back there added to our serve team even if just once a month come and serve and join our team. It's fun. Look, it's fun. I'm just kidding. Don't have to dress up like this.

But when you go outside today and every weekend here in October, next to the orange chin is gonna be this big old banner. It's huge and it has a bunch of dots on it and every dot represents one person. We are needing to add to our volunteer team whether that be serving in our sound booth or serving in the nursery rooms or in our check-in team, all kinds of areas. Once a month, one service. The goal is by the end of the month for all of those dots to be gone. Now that's a really wacky goal 'cause there's a lot of them, but I challenge you to come see us after service, come see what we have in need of and maybe it's something you can step in and take one of those dots off and help us fill our serve team. because we just sang about it while ago, that he is worthy of it all, right? And that also includes taking an hour out of one Sunday a month to come serve some children. Uh, he's worthy of that. And serving the kids is just a fun part. That just means it won't be boring when you come and serve. But here at CPC, we're not wacky about everything. Okay. No, we are serious about some stuff. And we are really serious about helping you grow in your faith and taking your next step. And maybe that looks like a next step of learning more about who we are here at CPC. Or maybe your next step looks like joining a small group or a serve team. If you're interested in any of that, the best way to get involved is to register to join starting point happening for the next two Sundays.

That's a great place to get to learn a little bit more about us and we can learn about you and you can get plugged in. Also here at CPC, we're very serious about our giving. Well, actually, if you think about it, that's a pretty wacky concept to, you know, taking the money, little bit of it that we get in the economy that we live in and then giving it back to the Lord, man, the world would look at us and call us wacky. But I'll stand up here and say he's worthy of it. He is worthy of what I have to give. So I give it back to him willingly and trust him with it. Here at CPC, we believe that our giving is just another form of worship and let's worship him in that way. Also, we make it really easy for you to give here. There's four different ways you can give. You can text the word give to the number on the screen. Go online to your CPC dot church slash give, drop it in the back, drop boxes in the worship center or mail it to that address on the screen. Would you pray with me this morning? Dear Jesus, we are so thankful for your presence that is in this place. God, thank you for your sweet presence that's been with us. Lord, thank you for your love in this room. Lord, thank you for what you're doing here at CPC. Thank you for what you're doing this morning in hearts and in families. God, we just say you are worthy of it all. You're worthy of everything we have to give God. So we willingly give it back to you. We give you our time. We give you our talents. We give you our treasures. The world would call that wacky, but we say you are so worthy. So we do it for you.

And so you get all the glory. Lord, so blessed what we have to give this morning. Use it for your kingdom so that more children, more adults, more teenagers, more households, more families would come to know their life, giving purpose found in you and you alone. Lord, and we'll give you all the glory for it now and ahead of time. God, we love you and we praise you in Jesus name and everybody said, Amen. Now, would you turn your attention towards the screens with me? Hi, my name is Cassie. I am a volunteer here at CPC and going to be the care portal manager. If you're not familiar with what care portal is, it is a connection between our community and the churches in a way that we can actively get involved and go out and make an impact to an extent and share the love of God. That may be through fulfilling a need for a family with an item, moving furniture, donating money for a monetary item or simply just praying for that family. We would love to have you join our team. If you'd like to, it's really easy. You can just go to your CPC.church, click on connect, sit outreach, and then care portal will be at the top and just click join our response team. We're excited to see how God uses us and a care portal. We're excited for you to join our team. Hey, man, how many is excited to be in God's house and on the first day of October? Super excited to see you guys from house is packed. Would you just turn just a couple of people right now and just give them a fist bump? As we say, hello to you here in overflow online and in prisons across America. God bless you. Hey, can we put our hands together and welcome the online campus and those watching on the Pando app right now?

Amen. Super excited you're here. Hey, if today's your first time being with us, I'm very excited. You're here and I'm going to be right outside these doors after the service. I love you to swing by and say hello. I've met a lot of great folks this morning. Love to have a chance to say hello to you and hear where you're from and how you found out about CPC. Come on by and just for you to understand what we're doing. We're preaching through the New Testament and Psalms this year. And the way we're doing that is we're in a reading plan and every day we're reading one chapter, five days a week, one chapter a day out of the New Testament in a section of Psalms and you can actually get that reading plan online on our website or at the next step station right now, you can just go ahead and join us. Finish out the year with us and every week I come in and I'm And so right now for the last three weeks, we've been reading through the book of Hebrews. And today we're finishing that up. And we've been calling this a little mini series called Better. How many of you in the room online and prisons across America believe, if you've got Jesus, you got the better way, amen? And we're gonna lean into that today. And we're gonna have some fun. It's gonna be a little deep at times. And we're gonna dive in because we believe Jesus is a better way, amen? So I'm gonna ask you, if you would, to pray with me. And let's get our hearts together open before the Lord. As we open our Bibles, grab our message notes,

our journals, let's dive into the word of the Lord together. Father in Jesus' name. Thank you for our time together this morning. Thank you for allowing us to come together, whether in the room or online and worship together as a family. Thank you, God, that we have been able to worship you through song. Many people have worshiped you today through serving. And we've worshiped you Lord through our giving, through our generosity. And that is an act of worship. We couldn't do what we do without people's generosity. So thank you for all these ways of worship. But God, over the next few moments, we wanna worship you by sitting with you in your word. And I pray God, over the next few moments, you give us ears to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say, "Minds to comprehend these truths and hearts to receive it in faith. Help us, Lord, to look more like you and less like us. Go be salt and light in a world that desperately needs us to rise up as followers of Jesus and shine." So God, to do that, we need a mind of truth. Help our minds be shaped by your word. We need voices of hope. Let us never be ashamed to share the gospel. God, let us have hearts of compassion, let us love and be concerned for people the same way you are for us. Let us live with hands of service and feet of purpose.

And we pray all this in Jesus' mind, amen. All God's people said, amen. Super excited you're here. And I want you to open your Bibles with me now to Hebrews chapter 10. And together, we're gonna dive into this. Jesus is the better way. In 1859, Charles Blunden crossed Niagara Falls on a tight rope. Now, I don't know what would ever possess a man to want to walk across a rope across Niagara Falls, but this man is one brave dude, right? But here's the thing, he made it across, but he didn't just make it across once. I mean, I would have been like forever, like, dude, you're crazy. This is awesome though. Congratulations way to go. But he decided not to do it once. He decided to do it twice. And then he decided to do it a third time. And he just began to do it over and over again until one day he decided this is a breeze. I need to make this a little tougher. And so the next time Blunden walked across the tight rope of Niagara Falls, he did so blindfolded. He went across blindfolded. If that wasn't enough, he decided I'll walk on stilts and he crossed Niagara Falls on stilts. How many of you have ever walked on crutches?

And you still have one leg on the ground and how many will emit you were terrible at it? Imagine walking across Niagara Falls on a tight rope using stilts, right? Come on somebody. One time he even used a wheelbarrow and he pushed a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls. Now legend has it. At that moment, he looked out at the crowd. There were thousands of people there the day he went, he was walking across a tight rope with a wheelbarrow. And legend says he yelled out at the crowd this question. Do you believe I can walk across Niagara Falls pushing a man in the wheelbarrow to which thousands of people cheered and said, yes, we believe that. And what legend says is he then asked the next question. You know where we're going. Who of you will come get in my wheelbarrow? On to which we all know the answer. No one did. All right. I mean, no, there's sometimes we say we believe something but we live as if we don't. - Come on now. - You understand what I'm saying? In fact, it goes that no one got into the wheelbarrow. And yet his manager, Harry Cacord, said, I'm not gonna get in the wheelbarrow

but I will jump on your back and let you carry me across Niagara Falls. And that actually happened as his manager jumped on his back and he carried the guy across Niagara Falls. I mean, I just can't even imagine this in my mind, right? But here's what I know. We all believe some things, we don't act like we do by the actions that follow what we say, right? Today, here's what we're going to dive into. Real belief has to lead to action. Real belief is proven through the actions that are that follow the confession. We, we are in the book of Hebrews and for nine and a half chapters, the writer of Hebrews is writing to some Jewish believers who are struggling. They are grappling with whether or not to continue to follow Jesus or to walk away from Jesus, to continue in their faith or to get out of their faith. The Romans are telling them, you need to denounce Jesus or you will die. The Jews are saying, denounce Jesus and go back to Moses. And so for nine and a half chapters, the writer of Hebrews has been showing them that Jesus is a better way, that Jesus is a better priest, that Jesus is the better sacrifice. Jesus is the better hope, Jesus is better and over and over. Again, he's gone back and showed him Jesus is better than the temple. Jesus is better than Moses. Jesus is worthy of your worship and your dedication, even if it costs you your life over and over again, Jesus is better. And then we come to Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 19 and the author turns the corner and he adds one word. And it's one word that you has to stand out to you in the Bible passage. He says, therefore, therefore, for nine and a half chapters, I've been telling you guys, Jesus is better. Don't drift. Don't be pulled away. Don't walk away from Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Jesus is better. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses's law.

Jesus is better there for. And the rest of the book of Hebrews brings about a different question. If you believe Jesus is better, and how many in the room online in prison across America would raise your hand today and say, Jesus is better. All right. About a third of you got the rest of you will have a big altar call today. If you believe Jesus is better, here comes the therefore question. Therefore then, how does that believe change your life? If you believe Jesus is better, how does it show up in your actions? And so today what I want to do is I want to go back to Hebrews chapter 10 and we're going to follow the passage because in the passage, the author brings out two distinct ways that if you believe Jesus is better, you will live like it. It'll change the way you live. And I pray you get ahold of this. The first one's going to be pretty deep and you need to lean in close and stay with me to make sure you get the context because if you get ahold of this, you're going to have some victory over the lion devil who puts so much doubt and fear in your minds while you're trying to live for Christ. And the second time, the second point we're going to look at is to tell you why living in community is better. Here's the first one. You ready? Write this down. If we truly believe Jesus is better, the author says we should live like the debt is actually paid. You go to Hebrews chapter 10 and here's what he's, he says about Jesus, by this, by Jesus, by this, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ and everyone in house, online and around, read the next four words, ready to go. Once for all time, how many times has Jesus been crucified? Once, how many times will he ever be crucified for your sins? Once, once for all time. And then he goes back to the Jewish practice. He goes back to the temple and the tabernacle before that. And he wants them to go back and look at the way of Moses.

You've got people telling you to go back, leave Jesus, go back to Moses. He says, let's, let's look at the difference here in the temple. There is the sacrificial system and he says, every priest, say the next word out loud, ready to go stands. Listen, no word is there by accident. Every priest stands day after day, ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time. Notice the next line, everybody read it with me, which never take away sins. But then he puts in the button. Remember, I've told you before, wherever there's a button in the Bible, stop and see what's there. Amen. Stop and see. Why did that? What's happening here? What's he about to say? after offering how many? One sacrifices for sins, how long? Forever, what did Jesus do? He sat down at the right hand of God. What is Jesus doing right now? He is waiting until his enemies are made his footstool by one offering, watch this, watch this, watch this. He has read it with me, perfected forever those who are sanctified. And what he does here is he says, I want you to go back and look at that temple. You're being tempted to go back? Let's think about it for a moment. Let me show you what's happening back there in that Jewish temple. Every single day the priest is walking in there nine a.m. and three p.m. And they are sacrificing animals to cover your sin, but they cannot take away your sin. Every day the priest is having to do the same sacrifices

for the same sins over and over and over. And notice this, there's no chair in the temple. There's no chair back there in the holies of holies where the blood's got to be applied. There is no chair, why? Because the job of the priest is never finished. But Jesus went and sacrificed his own life, how many times again church, how many Joe say? Oh, that's right, once for all time. And when he brought his precious blood into the very throne room of the Father and placed it down and paid for the sins of the world, Jesus does not stand any longer. He took his seat and he sat down because the priest could not sit because his job was not finished. But Jesus went to the cross once and for all time. And now he sits at the right hand of the Father because his job is done. Amen? Hallelujah for that. And the writer's saying to these Hebrews, you need to get ahold of this. He has sat down, he's not standing back up until when, when the Father says it's time for you to go get your children. And the next time Jesus comes, he's not coming to go to a cross. He's coming to bring home those who've trusted in him for their salvation. By the blood, he's already poured out.

How many of you in this room online believe one day he is coming back. Amen? Now, notice this last line. He has perfected forever those who are sanctified. This word perfected here. This word perfected is the word we're to layo in the Greek. And it's where we get the word to let's die. Now, this is huge. This is the exact same word Jesus used on the cross in John chapter 19, verse 30. When Jesus had received the sire wine, he said three words in English, but it was actually one word in the Greek. Read it with me, ready to go? It is finished. Jesus on the cross said, "Tittlesti." Tittlesti, paid in full. It's a legal term. And what the word literally means is it, the debt has been paid. Nothing left old. It is finished, paid for. It's done. And Jesus on the cross, just as he was dying, said, "Your sins and my sins in the sins of the world, past, present and future, every generation can come to faith and have a relationship with God because of one sacrifice where Jesus died on the cross once and for all."

Jesus Christ died, he said, it is finished. It has been paid for one word in Greek, three words in English. And here's what I wanna share with you about this word perfected. And this is gonna bless you. You're gonna go and say this to your waitress at lunch today, you ready? It's in the perfect tense of the Greek. Did that bless you? Right, I mean, like, I don't care about perfect. I don't wanna know about this. Yes, you do. Because the fact that this word tittlesti is in the perfect tense of the Greek, here's what it means, it conveys completeness. In other words, on the cross, here's how Jesus said it in essence, I have completely paid the debt. There's nothing outstanding to your account. The beauty of this, ladies and gentlemen, is that when you confess your sin to Christ and you trust Him alone for the forgiveness of your sin, He doesn't forgive part of your sin. He doesn't forgive a little bit of it and then say, "Oh, wait a minute, you need to work a little bit of it all." It is paid for and full. And what the devil loves to do, lean in close for a moment and get this, what the devil loves to do is he loves to get you to believe in the doctrine of forgiveness,

but the moment after you become a follower of Jesus, he wants you to forget the doctrine of forgiveness and come back and start trying to earn the right to have received that forgiveness. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Here are these Jewish believers who are being tempted to go back and they're feeling guilty and they're feeling ashamed. And the writer's saying, I need you to understand the complete work of Christ on that cross. When you confess that sin, how many know you remember it? God chooses not to. There's a beautiful psalm in the Old Testament that says God casts our sins as far as the East is from the West, never to bring them up against you ever again. How many know God cannot forget anything? How many of you can forget anything? And you're definitely not God, come on somebody. He chooses not to remember it. You want to define love and grace? You define love and grace by someone who knows you did them wrong and they choose to forgive you though they can't forget it. They choose not to hold it against you anymore. That's love, that's love. And you know what I believe the biggest struggle and battle for many of us in this room and watching online is? Is we believe that if we go to Christ and we ask him to forgive our sins and to give us the gift of eternal life, we know that we are saved in Christ by faith through grace.

Everybody agree with that? You can't earn your way to salvation. You've got to receive it by grace. The problem is after we become a Christian, we forget we're still not perfect and we slip up and fall. And the next time we slip up and we fail the Lord, listen to me, listen to me, listen to me. If you're truly saved, you don't want to sin. Your want to has been changed. Adrian Rogers is a one time asset. Do you, if you believe you're saved by grace, you sinned all you want to. He said, you're right, I sinned all I want to. Lean in close, I don't want to. If you've truly received the grace of God, you don't want to sin against a God who would forgive you of your sin. You don't want to hurt him. You want to love and honor and worship him. But when you do sin, here's what the devil does 'cause he's an accuser of the brethren. He loves to get in your brain and remind you of your failure. He loves to get in your head and say, I knew you couldn't live it. I knew you wouldn't make it long. Look at you. You're gonna have to go back to God over the same old sin that got you in trouble the first time. Come on, somebody.

He loves to get in your mind and play games with you and tell you that it wasn't true. You didn't really even receive Jesus. And all of a sudden you start believing the lie that I'm saved by grace, but then to keep my salvation, I got to work myself worthy to be forgiven. And the problem is no one is that perfect, amen? Look at the neighbor beside you and say, you got a long way to go to get there, baby. How about you online? But you in prisons across America? We all there, amen? None of us are perfect. None are righteous. We've all messed up. Listen to me, listen to me. But there's a difference if you've truly asked Christ to be your Lord and Savior from slipping and falling versus going out and deliberately living in sin, thinking God will just turn his eye to it. 'Cause he will not. In fact, I would doubt you've ever truly resented of your sin and been saved if you can go sin without feeling guilty over it. If you have sinned as a Christian, the Holy Spirit now lives inside you. And what will the Holy Spirit do? You read it in Hebrews chapter 12 this week.

He will chasten you like a father chastens his children. He will convict you of that sin. How many's ever been taken to a Holy ghost? Wood shed by God. He will tell you something you're like, I don't even know what a wood shed is. It's a bad place, all right? I'm just gonna tell you, it's where you go get a lick it. And some of you don't even know what a whipping is. All right, I know we're in a new age today, but I wanna tell you something. There once was a day. (laughs) And my momma is here to the old ways. How about somebody? (audience laughs) But you can be forgiven of your sin. And then you can be forgiven. But once you sinned again, the Holy Spirit is gonna discipline you. Now parents and grandparents, you know this to be true. Why do you discipline your sin? Is it because you don't love them? 'Cause that's what the devil told you the next time you fail, next time you fail down and slipped into a sin. That's what he told you when you tried to repent, wasn't it? Knew it wouldn't work. Knew you, knew you weren't real. You gonna ask God to forgive that again? We don't discipline our children because we don't love them.

We discipline them because we do. We have rules because we do love them. Why do we want them for our children? We want them to be better than that. We want to protect them from hurting themselves. We don't want them living in the consequences and the bondage of that mistake. Amen? That's love. And your heavenly father, according to Hebrews, chapter 12, does the same thing for each one of us. He will chasten us, he will discipline us not because he doesn't love us, but because he does. That doesn't mean you're no longer his child. Discipline over sin is proof that you are his child. Look back at the passage, perfected to the less die, present tense. I told you that that was going to bless you and you're like, I don't know about that. He has completely forgiven you. When you confess that sin, he completely forgives you. How long is that sin forgiven for? Not till the next time you fall down, it's cleansed. How long? You don't have to believe, you don't have to agree with me. You've got to agree with God's Word, it is free for ever. Watch this, I love this. I love that God put this line in here. Thank God this line is here. Perfected forever, those who are sanctified. What does the word sanctified mean? Does it mean perfect?

That means those who are still in process. And here's the good news of the gospel. God knew the battle you would fight every time you messed up. And what he wants you to know is your position in Christ is forgiven while you're in the process of getting there. So when you, 1 John 1, 9, confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin. Why is this so important? Because what the Hebrew, these Jewish Hebrews were struggling with is how do I keep living for God when I am sitting here in this battle wondering if I even want to stay here. And the guilt wrecking their soul. And listen to me, ladies and gentlemen, until you understand that the sins you've... How many of you, by the way, have ever repented for the same sin 145 times? Anybody know what I'm talking about? Until you come to the place where you can accept that when you confessed it with all your heart and you were sincere that he actually forgave that, you cannot live in the joy of the Christianity, the salvation that he saved you to enjoy. You'll be a miserable Christian if you don't get ahold of this. Every time you mess up, you'll stay down there. God doesn't want you to stay down there. He wants you to get back up. He wants you to confess it, get back up, keep living on purpose. You won't share the gospel, you won't invite people. And if you do, if they see you're miserable all the time, believe in that you've got to earn God's grace to forgive you that you think is by... Or you said is by grace, but now you're working to earn it. Listen to me, nobody wants that because you look miserable.

They need to see someone who is absolutely in love with God because they know they don't deserve the grace they have been received that they've received. And when they mess up, they own it, confess it, and rise up and stop living in it and keep moving on for Jesus. Amen, perfected forever in 1944, December 1944, a Japanese soldier by the name of Hyrule Onata was dumped into the jungle on La Bang Island, Philippines. And his commanding officer said, "You stay here, you hold the fort, and you never, never give up. You never quit." And they left him out there in the jungle. And so this young man there on the island in La Bang living like the war's still going on. And when August of 1945 came and World War II came to an end, he didn't believe it. They came to the jungle and announced that the war was over. He didn't believe it. They dropped leaflets from an airplane into the jungle because they didn't know where he was. He never came out. They went to his family and had the family write letters to him and say the war is over. They took newspapers and they dropped them into the jungle. And Onata later said, Hyrule Anata stayed in the jungles of the Philippines for 29 more years. It wasn't until March of 1974 that Hyrule Anata laid down his weapon and came out of the jungles and surrendered. They had to bring in his former commanding officer major, Yoshimi Tanuki, and yeah, I know I butchered his name, but I have the right to in Jesus' name. Yoshimi Taniguchi, and they flew him to the island.

He walked in and he announced the order to stand down, and that's when Onado came out of the jungle and laid down his gun. Listen to me, the war was over for three decades and he refused to believe it. Until his commanding officer said it is over, lean and close. I wonder how many in this room watching online have been forgiven of a sin, but the devil keeps telling you, you can't move forward, you're still guilty, you're still ought to be ashamed to yourself, and he's holding you back, and you need to hear your commanding officer today to say, "The war is over, it is finished, paid in full." I'm so thankful you came to church today because I believe there's some of you who love Jesus and you're holding back because you didn't know the war was over. The devil has put guilt and shame in your mind and you need to be in a church house today to hear these words, we all feel it, we've all been there and we've all struggled, but the war is over, Jesus has paid it in full. Not only, friend, and for the reason of this, you can't out earn a debt that's already been paid in full, and instead of trying to earn God's forgiveness, why don't you today receive it so that you can have a clear conscience and you can enjoy the faith that God has given you? 1021 says, "And since we have a great high priest over the house of God," read the next three words with me, or the next two words, "ready to go, let us draw near, near to God with what, a heart of full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water, let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promise is faithful." And when the devil comes and he says, "I don't know, maybe God heard that repentance, I don't know, you need to be able to stand on what Jesus said, not the emotions you feel in that moment and say, "I confess this and I believe it is under the blood of Jesus and I'm not going to live in his condemnation anymore, God will convict me, the devil will condemn me and come into the walk with Christ in full assurance that Jesus has paid it all, amen? And we ought to do that together because listen to me, the second thing you need to understand is why we need to live surrounded and not alone because in the battle of our faith with the spiritual warfare that you're going to face at times, if you try to live out your

faith alone, you're going to get stuck in your mind, stuck in your head and you're going to be drug down or even drift away through the spiritual warfare. And the writer Hebrews is telling these believers, "You need to trust in what Jesus has done once and for all." By the way, some of you pulled in the part of the drive today, you saw those crosses leaning and you've wondered, every time you've drove in this part, one of those crosses leaned over, we do that on purpose. I have actually had people come up to me and get in my face in public and say, "You're so disrespectful to the cross." Lean in close, let me tell you why the crosses are leaned over. If you know true theology, you know this, Jesus is never going to be crucified again. A leaning cross is not disrespecting the cross, it is a statement that the work of the cross has been paid in full, it is complete, Jesus has won, amen? It is finished. And the reason those crosses are leaned over is every Sunday when you pull in here, I want you reminded that when you've confessed your sins to Christ, He has forgiven them completely. You say, "Well, what's that triangle on your chest? What is that triangle?" It's not a triangle. I love when you say that because it upsets the media department so bad. It's actually, that's the outside border of an arrow. And if you look at it again, you'll see that it's an arrow pointing up because if all we have to hope for is in the cross, we're miserable. That's what Paul said. Because it's through the cross that our sins are forgiven, but it's through the resurrection that we have eternal life. Amen?

It's just like the FedEx 11. Once you see the arrow, you'll never stop sinning again. I ain't gonna call somebody. And when you know why you need a church, you know why you need to live surrounded? It's 'cause every once in a while, you need a brother or sister who can walk close enough with you to rub your shoulders and say this is something we gotta remember. Don't quit. Hang in there. Let's go follow Jesus. Confess it, repent of it, get up, quit wallering in it, and let's move on for God. In fact, look at the very next two verses in this passage. He says, "And let us consider one another. "In order to say the two words with me, "provoke, love and good works, "not neglecting to gather together "as some are in the habit of doing, "but encouraging each other. "And all the more, as you see the day approaching, "he's talking about the day Jesus comes back." 'Cause listen, here's what was happening in the first century and it happens today. If you allow the devil to get in your head and you get him to drag you down, you'll begin the slow drift. And the next thing you know, you're not gathering with the saints

and you're not reading your scriptures and you're not praying and you're not encouraging one another. And it's easy to get isolated and listen, listen, listen. The Bible says the devil's like a roaring lion and guess where lions attack? They don't attack the herd. They attack the one who's wandering away from the herd. These two words again in the Greek is one word. And you're gonna love this. This is gonna bless you. The word here, perioximos, means actively agitating each other toward faithfulness. For those of you who keep your feelings on your sleeves, this is why church is hard for you. Because if the church is truly being the church, we should allow people so close to us that they can rub our shoulders and rub off the rough edges and say, don't quit. Get that right with God. Let's get busy. You can do this. If you're not in a small group, if you've not launched a huddle yet, if you haven't went to starting point and joined the church and know what it means to be a partner here, I strongly encourage you to take the next step. 'Cause if you just sit in this building or online, you will sire. That's the devil's work.

But when you start living in community and you allow people to rub shoulders with you, think about this. If you've ever been to a stream and you see rocks and you pull rocks up out of a stream, how many's ever been amazed at how smooth the rocks are in the stream? Because the rocks are rubbing against each other and they smooth each other out. Have you ever wondered why they don't start a fire? Why there's not friction? 'Cause if you take two dry rocks and rub them together, you get sparks, you can get friction. Why do they not break? Why they come out smooth? It's because they're rubbing together underwater. And Jesus said he's the living water. And when you and I live in community through the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus, we can rub each other until we're smooth. And we can help each other live out our faith, amen? This is what God has called us to do, to live out our lives together because your big takeaway is simply this. Don't just believe in Jesus. Don't just believe Jesus is better, let's live like it. That's the whole message of the book of Hebrews. Let's not just believe Jesus is better. Let's live like it, amen? Let's get into this together

and look at how he says it here in Hebrews chapter 12. Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let's read the challenge. Let's read the charge, ready to go. Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Why so we can run with endurance, the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Here's the challenge, here's the charge, ladies and gentlemen, let's lay aside whatever that hindrance is. Whatever that confusion is, that doubt, that hurt, that anger, that unforgiveness, if it's the guilt or the shame of a sin, you've already confessed, let's lay it all aside and let us keep our eyes on Jesus together to go live out the plans and purposes God has for our lives. means looking away from everything other than Jesus. It's an athletic term and it's a picture of a marathon runner who gets on the starting line and he starts and in front of him there are heels and there are valleys and there's a crowd and there's all these distractions for 26 miles and the way the athlete can stay on course is he doesn't get distracted, she doesn't look at the sidelines, they don't worry about the heels or the valleys because in their minds they've got a picture of the finish line and the writer Hebrews is challenging us today ladies and gentlemen to cast away all these things that easily ensnare us, all these hindrances, all these distractions in our own sin that's holding us back from running the race God has saved us to run to go and share the gospel with family and friends and neighbors to get involved, to live in community. Let's lay it aside, let's not get distracted with the craziness of the world we live in instead, let's cast our eyes on Jesus, the one who forever perfected us by his own death on the cross and his resurrection who says come to me all you who labor earn our heavy

laden and I will give you rest, how many believe he's worthy of us to cast our eyes on him, amen, heads bowed all over the room today, how many of you believe and don't raise your hand just how many of you honestly believe living for Jesus is better, that he is better. If you're a believer here today I'm going to challenge you to just take this moment to just sit with the Lord for a moment and what is that hindrance, what is that shame, that guilt, that unforgiveness, that hurt, what is holding you back from going all out for Jesus today, will you lay it aside, will you confess it, will you just place it under the blood of Jesus, would you just say Jesus I'm going to give this to you right now and I'm trusting you to cleanse me, to forgive me, to take it away and I'm not going to live in its hold anymore, I'm not going to live in its bondage, I'm not going to live in its shame, I'm giving it to you in Jesus' name. Did you pray that prayer in my friend, if there's an unconfessed sin in your life today would you confess it and let him just cleanse you of it, if it's a sin you've already confessed instead of repenting again would you just say right now Jesus by faith I'm accepting its under the blood that I can live with a clean conscience and full assurance of my faith, if you're in the room watching a line never giving your heart to Jesus, I want to give you an opportunity today, he loves you, Jesus died for you and he wants you to be saved, he wants you to know him and you can pray a prayer like this, would you pray it with me Lord Jesus, by faith today I ask you to forgive all my sin, I ask you to come live in my life, I believe in your death, your beer on your resurrection, by faith I put my trust in you right here right now, forgive me of my sin, grant me the gift of eternal life, thank you that has been paid in full, in Jesus' mighty name and all God's people said. [BLANK_AUDIO]