God’s Way is Encouraging!

There is a tendency, brethren, for us to feel discouraged before Passover. And there are a lot of things that happen to us around Passover. There are a lot of trials, a lot of things that happen, a lot of trials. And so, it is easy to be discouraged. Plus, things that are happening around our society today, they are not nice. You hear about these shootings in Christian schools. And then, I was just talking to some of my grandchildren. They say the rehearsals they do at school, etc., they don't want to go to school anymore. They are afraid. I remember I lived in South Africa through tough times, but as I was talking to my children, they never felt unsafe at school. Because the school, they had walls, they had burglar bars, they had whatever. And once they got into the school perimeter, the children felt safe. They don't have need to be anxious at school. And it's a kind of a dichotomy of what's happening today in society. But that's not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is that we are approaching the Passover. And yes, we read in 1 Corinthians 11, 28, we need to examine ourselves. So let's look at that again very briefly. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 28. And it says, let a man examine himself. And we do examine ourselves. We're just hurting the sermonette. We examine ourselves. We do. But quite often when we do examine ourselves, quite rightly, we find things wrong and things we need to change.

And there's been times where some people said, therefore, I can't take the Passover. But that's not the intent of examining yourself. Because as you read, it says, and so let him eat the bread and drink the cup. So the intention of examining ourselves is so that we do take the Passover. So it is a positive way. So yes, we do examine ourselves. Yes, we see things that we need to change. But we need to look at it positively because you and I are not condemned. Look at Romans chapter 7. In Romans chapter 7, Paul, towards the end of Romans chapter 7, he highlights, I'm struggling. I've got all these problems. I am struggling. And right at the end, and if we read in verse 24, oh, rich and man, there I am. We all say as we examine ourselves in Passover, I'm just a piece of junk. You probably use terms like that. Oh, rich and man, there I am. Who can deliver me from this body? But then he looks at it positively. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Brethren, the Passover is also an encouraging time because it shows Jesus Christ victory over sin and his death for us. It's a positive milestone as well.

You see, so today, I want to look at this milestone we're crossing from a positive, encouraging angle.

Because we quite often beat ourselves, beat ourselves down, down, down. I'm not saying we don't need to repent. No, that's not what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is we need to see that because of this, we are forgiven and we are given a gift of eternal life. Oh yes, we have to repent. I'm not denying that. But there is a positive side to it, a very important, encouraging positive side. And then you look at chapter 8, verse 1 of Romans. Paul then says, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, which is you and I. There is no condemnation on you and I. That is positive, Reverend. What Christ has done for us is open a door for us to be forgiven, for us to be right with God, for us to be at one with God, for us to be reconciled with God. As we are in the sermon that veil was open, we have access to the Father. That is encouraging, brethren. That is positive.

There is a scripture that sometimes we haven't quite read with the full impact. And I want to turn to that scripture, which is in Hebrews, and in Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, and that is verse 14. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14. And I will be in and out of Hebrews, around about this section, so you may want to put a marker in Hebrews so that when we come back to it, it'll be easier for you to get to it. But Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14 says, For by one offering he has perfected forever.

That is a powerful, positive statement about us. By one offering, Christ has perfected forever. So in God's eyes, it's done. It's a done deal.

Granted. We are still growing, because as you read, it says, as you continue reading, those who are being sanctified, there is a present continuous tense, we are being sanctified. We'll talk a little bit more about that a little, a little lighter. But the point is, do we get the full meaning that he has perfected us forever? That is encouraging, brethren. That is very encouraging. Look at verse 12. So let's just go back to verses. Verse 12. But this man, after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, you see, he offered one sacrifice for sins forever. That sacrifice is good enough. It's a done deal. Granted, you and I know Romans 6.23 that says the wages of sin is death. But it does say the gift of God is eternal life. It is a gift. It's a gift. It's a gift. You and I don't deserve Christ dying for you and I. I don't deserve. You don't deserve. That's why we've examined ourselves. We don't deserve a rich man I am, as Paul said in Romans. But thank God for Jesus Christ, there's now no condemnation. It's a gift. Oh, am I talking about what they call eternal salvation or whatever it is? I don't have to do anything. No, I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about that because, as Christ said, if we don't repent, we will all die. That's in Luke 13 verse 3. And also in verse 5. There were people, there was this tower of Silo and people had died. And he's in that analysis says, if we don't repent, we will all perish. So granted, we do have to repent. We do have to change our lives. We do have to be a new man, a new person after baptism. And the renewal of that contract, in a sense, is a Passover annually. So we do have to repent. But as we read in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 28, it says, eat the bread.

And that bread, obviously symbolizing the 11 bread during the Passover, the body of Jesus Christ, which was 11, which was without sin. Granted, we not yet on the days of 11 bread. The days of 11 bread would only start the following evening. But we take the 11 bread during Passover, which symbolized Christ. So as we go back to Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14, the key phrase there that goes with the phrase that I've just finished reading about, he has perfected forever, is those who are being sanctified. You see, the religion of this world says, well, he's perfected forever. And they drop the rest of the sentence.

There is a very important point in that we are perfected. God is working with it. But there is a continuous process that we need to be sanctified on an ongoing basis. How?

Through God's Holy Spirit. When you read 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2, where it's talking in Peter, he's addressing the letter to the dispersed, the brethren that are in the dispersion. And then he says, you have been selected or elected by God. And then he says, in the sanctification of the Spirit. You see, God knew that his plan was to make human beings. That was his plan. That was his pre-knowledge that he's going to make human beings, and human beings would have free-malle agency and that they would sin. And therefore, Christ was slain. In other words, had to die from the foundation of the world. That was part of the plan in his mercy towards us.

But then, after Christ paid for our sins, Christ went to heaven and he sent us the Holy Spirit, which is God's essence, God's power to change you and I, which you have to use. In other words, you and I must not quench that. We must use that on a regular basis. That is the process of sanctification. We are being changed, sanctified, washed, made new how through God's Holy Spirit. For what purpose? It's right there. For obedience. It's the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. For what purpose? For obedience. But, brethren, there's no condemnation on us. Provided in our hearts, in our minds, we're trying and we're using God's Holy Spirit to change. We're not pushing that away. Yes, we do fail. Like, in John says, you know, we walk, you know, in a light, but we still trip. If you say, I don't have any sin, you're a liar. So, we do have sins, but we're trying to become better. But there is a positiveness in it. There is a sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

You see, Christ died for us and His blood redeems us. But in addition to that, He, when you and I slip up, He, and when you and I come to God's throne in mercy and ask with repentance and ask for God's mercy, He then uses the sprinkling of that blood to forgive us at that moment. And that is also exemplified in the story that you read about the two goats and how the high priest then had to sprinkle that seven times completely. You see, so we got to be sprinkled completely. We got to have the days of 11 bread for seven days completely. In other words, we got to change completely through the sanctification of God's Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of our high priest, which is Jesus Christ.

So there is another scripture in Romans that is pertinent. We're going to come back in a moment here to Hebrews chapter 10, but I want to include another scripture here in Romans, which is in Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5, and that's in verse 10. Romans chapter 5, in verse 10. And it says, for if when we were enemies, in other words, when we were sinners, when we were not reconciled with God, right? But we were enemies. Then God did this through Christ, and we were reconciled to God through the death of his son. He died. He gave his life. The life is in the blood. He gave his blood for us. He brought us back from death. So we are reconciled. In other words, we were made to be at peace with God. Reconciliation. That means, hey, we talk now. We are reconciled. God has opened the door through Christ's sacrifice that there's no barrier, no division between us and Christ. That is powerful. Ties in that there's now no condemnation. It has opened the door of that. We're reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled. Yes, we have been reconciled, and that is symbolized by our baptism. And every year that is renewed at Passover. And he says, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. We shall be saved. Future tense. Why future? Because in the present continuous we are being sanctified, and ultimately, at the end of our lives, we shall persevere till the end, and when we die or when Christ comes back, whichever comes first, we then will be saved, turned to spirit beings, at the first resurrection. But it says we'll be saved by his life. What does that mean? By his life.

It's important for us to understand it's because he is our i-priest. In heaven now, when you and I do something wrong, we get on our knees, you get on our knees, I get on my knees and say, Father, I slipped up again. My tongue said something that it shouldn't have said.

And you repent before God. Our i-priest, our i-priest, which is our advocate, our defense attorney defends us before God, whilst at the same time our accuser, which is Satan, Romans 12 verse 9, he's accusing us. Oh, look at what George, or put your name, put your name there. Look at what you or she did. Look at that. And our defense attorney says, no, I'll back you up. He's our advocate. Granted, when he comes back, when he's completed, you read in Leviticus 16 about the two goats, when he has completed that sprinkling, he then comes to earth as our judge. We know we will then be our judge, and he deserves and he is qualified to be our judge. But now his life is saving us. His life as our defense attorney, when we are accused in front of God by Satan, because quite rightfully we've done something wrong, and we do, he's giving us, as our advocate, as our defense attorney, because he's living on the throne of God, he's that sprinkling of his blood. Symbolically, of course, it's not that in heaven now he's got a little bit of, a little can of blood, and so I'm talking symbolically. I once used this analogy and somebody afterwards criticized me. You're toiling me that Christ took a little vial of his blood to heaven and is now using it. So that's not what I'm saying, but it's all an analogy, symbolism. It's very significant, and therefore by his life he then sprinkles that blood symbolically, and he says to the Father, my blood has forgiven George, who has put your name in there, has forgiven you. Brethren, that is positive. That is encouraging. The meaning of the Passover is so positive. Of course, it is a solemn assembly. It's a respectful assembly for what is done. We come here and we keep the ceremony in a respectful way, in a solemn way, but besides that, it is an encouraging, an encouraging ceremony because you and I are forgiven, and you and I don't have to doubt that, provided we are truly repentant. And God knows our heart. You know your heart. You come to Passover, you're generally repentant. You're not perfect. I'm not perfect, but you can have that confidence, or in other words, you can have that faith. And so that's why then continue reading in verse 11 of Romans chapter 5, and then only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. We rejoice! That is positive!

And as I mentioned in the introduction, I said there is a tendency that we feel discouraged because we're beaten down. You gotta repent! You gotta repent! Yes, we gotta repent. But quite often we get to the Passover and we're really downtrodden.

Yes, we have to repent, but there is an encouraging part that this significance of this renewal that we do annually or reminder that we do it annually in memory of Christ's death has such an encouraging part to it. And now, as I said, I would like to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Now, I want to start reading in verse 19. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19, therefore brethren, having boldness. Now, what does boldness mean? It means that I am courageous, I've got courage, I am positive about it, and I can enter the holiest God's throne by the blood of Jesus. That is positive, brethren. You and I can walk, spiritually speaking, in our prayers when we go on our knees and respectfully and we get and we pray to God, we know we have access to God's the Father's own throne, which is symbolized in the tabernacle and later in the temple by the Holy of Holies, right? Which was behind that veil, which we heard in the sermonette. There was a huge veil, a very thick, some people say it was about a foot thick, others maybe even more as it was mentioned in the sermonette, but whatever it was, you can't go and take something that is a foot thick or even more and just tear it like that from the top down, which shows from God down to earth. It is a miracle. You see, so continue to read in verse 20, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil that was torn, remember, which is symbolic of Christ's flesh which was torn. And so through that veil through Christ's flesh, you and I can get to God's throne. But this is a new and living way. Why is it a new and living way? Because you remember, in Old Testament, only the high priest could go there once a year, and that was on the day of Atonement. Now it's a new and living way where you can go in there on your knees in prayer any moment that you are repentant through Christ's sacrifice. Wow! Isn't that positive?

That's encouraging, brethren.

And that's why it says having boldness, because you can go in because of Christ's sacrifice. And verse 21, it says, and having a high priest over the house of God. You know, it's Christ. It's our high priest. He's there. Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, of absolute trusting that we are indeed talking to God the Father on His throne. Spiritually speaking, of course, through our prayers. Having our hearts, our guilty conscience, for anything we've done sprinkled from that evil conscience, from that guilty conscience, our hearts sprinkled and our bodies washed with pure water, symbolizing God's Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the Spirit. Because you know, out of your will flow rivers of living water, which is tying to God's Holy Spirit. So, and that ties to Peter, we mentioned about the sanctification of the Spirit and the sprinkling of Christ's blood. It just is so beautiful when we put God's Word together, and it's so meaningful and so deep, and it's so encouraging to you and I.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful, who promised that you and I would be His children, the Father.

And He does not lie. He's faithful. And so you and I can absolutely have trust in Him, or in other words, absolutely have faith in Him, that that's His desire. That's His will. He wants you there. Okay. And that's why then it says, verse 24, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.

You see, God's commandments, God's laws are love. God is love. John 3 verse 16. You know, John 3 16 probably off by heart, but I always like to turn to it and read it, because I find reading the Scripture, it's a lot better than just mentioning it. I like to turn to the Bible and read it, and it says, John 3 16 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, His only Son that was born in a human womb that was begotten into their womb through the Father. The only wonder was begotten that way.

And whoever believes in Him, in Christ, should not perish but have everlasting life. Oh, you see, all I know, all I need to do is just believe in Jesus.

If I tell my children, for instance, when they were small, and I put them on top of a counter, and I say, jump and Daddy will catch you. And then they jump. Why? Because they believed me, and therefore I catch them. Believing means you're going to do what the person says for you and I to do. Always read behind the word believe. That means you trust Him, and therefore you're going to do what He says He tells us to do. He said the religions of this world says, well, I just have to believe. I don't have to do anything. No, believe means I got to do it. That shows that I believe Him. If I don't do it, then I don't believe it. If the child says, no, I'm not going to jump. Does the child believe me? Or no? If the child believes me and I say, I'll catch you, the child is going to jump because he believes me. You see, always read behind the word believe an action of trust, of doing. And that's why we have scriptures like Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 verse 4. Philippians chapter 4 verse 4.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. We need to have a positive, encouraging outlook towards Christ's sacrifice. There is a reason for us to rejoice always. Rejoice. And in verse 5, let your gentleness or graciousness or moderation or forbearance. In other words, when you are going through difficulties and trials, when you provoke, when people injure you, let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. You see your moderation, your graciousness when people attack you. Why? Because there's no condemnation on us. There is a positiveness beyond what's happening now. If in your job there's no equity and you're being maltreated at work, He says, let your gentleness, your moderation be known to all men.

How you use your tongue, let your gentleness be known to all men. And, be known to all men means how? How do they know your gentleness? By the way you behave, by the way you conduct. And to all men means even sinners. And then He says, the Lord is at hand. Christ is coming. And that's our motivation. That is our assurance that He's going to come, He's going to judge, He's going to make everything right, He will sort it out. So, therefore, don't be anxious as we read in verse 6. Don't be anxious. Trust in Him. But in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, give thanks, make those requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. In other words, that peace of mind, that serenity inside, that you just, even though you have all these problems around, but inside you are at peace. How beautiful is that? How beautiful is that?

Look a bit further in verse 8. Finally, brethren, wherever things are true, wherever things are noble, wherever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there's any virtue, if there's anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Put into your mind positive things. You see, we live in a yak world. You know, there's a lot of things around us that are terrible. And if we allow these things to be in our mind all the time, all the time, all the time, it's just going to drag us down. We need to meditate on positive things. That means we ought to control our thoughts and be positive because there's no condemnation against you as much as you try.

And Christ has done it all. He has perfected forever by one offering. I think that's encouraging, brethren. We need to look at it as a very encouraging point. If you remember Galatians 5.22, Galatians 5.22 talks about the fruit of God's early spirit. In other words, the various characteristics that God's early spirit has. Galatians 5.22 starts by saying, love, joy, and peace. Because God is love. You know, you can go to 1 John 4 and it says, God is love.

And we'll go to that in a moment. There in a moment, God is love. And so, but you can see joy. That positive inner joy is in between love and peace. You know, joy is like oxygen that gives us strength to endure. You know, it's like a breath of fresh hair that helps you with joy by having positiveness. It helps you to go through trials that we go through. You see, so it starts with love. Why? Because God is love. Let's turn to 1 John 4.8. 1 John 4.8. 2 John 4.8. He who does not love does not know God. For God is love.

And then we read, in this the love of God was manifest towards us that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. That through him he redeems as he buys our life back from death and we can live. Love forever. Eternity. In this is love.

Not only we loved God. We don't know that because we loved God. Initially we were enemies. But he did the first step. He loved us and sent his Son to pay, to propitiation, to pay for our sons. Beloved, if God so loved us, we should also love one another. As we read in Romans 10, let's consider to have love towards one another. And verse 12, no one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us.

Ha! He has the word perfected again. Remember, you shall be perfected. God has perfected. And he says, yeah, and his love has been perfected in us because God is love. So we're becoming perfect like he is. Like Christ says, be your perfect like my Father in heaven is perfect. That is our goal. Jump a little further down in verse 17. Love has been perfected. Oh, perfected again among us in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Oh, the day of judgment is going to come. But are you going to be positive on the day of judgment?

You're not going to be negative. You're not going to be fearful. You have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is, so we are in this world. So he is love, so we are love in this world. Do we care for our brethren? Do we reconcile? Do we make peace? Of course we try. Let's do that. The reward is so amazing because it says, we'll have boldness in the day of judgment. We'll have no fear. Verse 18, there is no fear in love. There is no fear in love. But perfect love, or there again, or perfect love, costs out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us.

It is so encouraging, brethren. It really is positive. Verse 20, if someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar.

For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God who has not seen? And this commandment we have found from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. And just a little bit further ahead, in chapter 5, the same book, in verse 2 and 3, chapter 5, verse 2 and 3, it says, by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. God's laws are not burdensome. It is a pleasure to keep the Sabbath. It is a joyous, solemn, but joyous, peacefully joyous, respectfully joyous occasion to celebrate a Passover. It's positive. It's a joyous occasion to eat unleavened bread. Oh, no, unleavened bread has got to be yucky. No, it does not have to be yucky. You can make nice unleavened bread. Oh, because you've got to have bitter herbs with it. No, it says you eat the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs represent the sufferings and the sacrifices and afflictions we go through our lives. But we eat unleavened bread, and you can make good, pleasant unleavened bread. There's nothing wrong with that, provided it's unleavened. And now let's jump to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12.

Let's read verse 1 and 2. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a clown of witnesses, he's referring to chapter 11, where there were so many people who were loyal, they were faithful, they had confidence in God and showed such example. Then he says, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that he set before us. Let us endure forwards. Why? Because the joy. How can it be joy? Well, look at Christ's example. Look at verse 2. Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He is the one that is faithful, showed faith, and he's telling us to also have faith. And so he's the author through his example for us to be faithful as well, and for he was the finisher of our faith. For who? For the joy that was set before him. What joy was set before Christ? For you and I to be in the kingdom of God. For you and I to be part of that family. But he had to go through a difficult trial, right? But that was nothing because he kept looking for the joyous time ahead. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and therefore he's been rewarded, and he's now sitting at the right hand of God. Brethren, God's way is encouraging. It really is. We need to look at it from a right, positive way, because of what Christ stand for us. Very so encouraging, brethren. Look at verse 12 of Hebrews 12. 12-12. Therefore, strengthen your hands. That means be courageous, be positive, and be right. Strengthen the hands, which hang down in the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed. In other words, go forwards. During this parselva and leavened bread season, don't be discouraged. Don't be discouraged. In chapter 13 of Hebrews, at the end of verse 5, it says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. God will never leave you and I. He will never leave you and I. You will never forsake. Oh, it may appear that he's forsaking. You may say, oh well, I'm forsaken because I'm going through this trial, but he will not forsake you. Ultimately, he will allow you to maybe go through certain trials and difficulties, but ultimately he will not forsake you. He's backing you up. And look at verse 20 and 21. Now, may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, and means through Christ's blood, make you complete, make you perfect, in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.