The former treaties have I made, O Theopolis, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passions by many infallible proofs. being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Then if we may please, we'll return into the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews chapter four, if you will please. We will read the closing verses of that very wonderful chapter. Verse fourteen, seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity, but was in all points tested like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace for help in time of need. The Lord will add his blessing, I'm sure, upon the reading of his own precious word. Those of you that have been with us night by night and day by day will remember that we have been considering together a little of the opening virtues of the Acts of the Apostles. We have realized that in this very wonderful book, Dr. Luke, as a profound historian, is going to bring before us the history of the early church. But ere he records the history of the early church, he leaves on record something of the great principle of the Christian faith. We saw something of the holiness of the Lord. We saw something of the wonder of his cross. we consider together something of the glory of his resurrection. You remember yesterday we went with him, as it were, to have a look into glory. And we saw this one who moved amongst men. We saw him as our great high priest. It makes the most interesting study, although tonight it is not on my heart, for I don't think I will have time so to do. It makes the most interesting study. to see that everything that Jesus did among men on earth, he is continuing to do, as our great high priest and our advocate, in glory today. We praise God for this. We're glad that the Savior, they nailed upon a cross. The Savior, they put into a tomb. The Savior, they're the conqueror of sin and death. It's still available for every one of us to die. He's still waiting and longing to bless us. I wonder if I may remind you a little of the general background of this very wonderful epistle to the Hebrews. As we have been thinking together of the life of the Lord and the death of the Lord, I wonder if I may remind you that in the first chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, we have walked before us Christ as the Son of God. In the second chapter, we have Christ walked before us as the Son of Man. And in chapter three and four and the fourth, in many other chapters, we have quite a walk before with his divine title and his glorious offices. We see him first, of course, as the son of God. And this is where it's bound to start. If in glory today there's a man, and he bears the marks of Calvary, and God has given his approval to him, we want to know who this man is. Praise God, the first chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews tells us. It is the epistle, the only epistle, that begins with the very name of God. God, who in sundry times and in diverse manners. I wonder if I may just remind you of some of the things that you learned in your sundry school class. You will forgive me for being as sinful even as this. But I think it does us good. to re-echo the things that are surely believed amongst us. You would hope you will remember that in these first two verses of Hebrews chapter one, we see God speaking about his son. God, who in thunder times and in driver's manners, sent him twice of unto the fathers by the prophets. But what was it that God spoke unto the parlors by the pocket? What was it he told them? Of whom did he speak? If you come with me, of course, into the New Testament, you are left in no doubt, are you? Let's walk that a mayor's road together again. Let's hear those men who dared to say, Reported to an abyss. And let's hear the blessed height as beginning as Moses and the prophet, he spake unto them the things concerning himself. So when God spoke unto the fathers by the prophet, he was speaking about Christ. He was speaking about his son. Some would be oppressed, but the blessed gospel message is handed out for the first time to a Gentile. God had to send the special vicar to Peter before he would even talk the threshold of the home of Cornelius. Looking into the face of Cornelius, God blessed King Peter always. Why we hear today, for it's one of the in-words among students, we hear today about communication. And they dare to tell us we were certainly speaking the words that the other folks will understand fully. Well, Peter didn't do that, did he? He looked into the face of a Gentile, and he dared to say this, to him, Jesus Christ, to him. They are all the prophets with this. He didn't speak to the Roman about Roman culture. He didn't talk to the Roman about Roman philosophy and Roman religion. He came to the very point and pitiful of the Christian faith. And he said to him, Sail the prophet with me. Do you see in the opening verses of the Pertner Hebrews, we see God speaking about his son? And then, of course, we come to verse two, and we see not God speaking about his son, we see God speaking in his son. For God, who in hundred times and in diverse manners, make him twice past unto the fathers, half in these last days open unto us through his tongue. Oh, hallelujah. Never let us forget this, brethren, sisters, that if we listen not to Jesus Christ, God is silent too. The only message that heaven brings to earth is the message that comes to the lips of the one who was the living word of God. No need for me to remind my young friend that a word is but an expression of a thought. When I look at Jesus Christ, I know the power of thought towards the sons of men. When I listen to Christ speak, I remember he could say, He that has seen me, has seen the Father. And so you see first God speaking about himself. And then you see God speaking about himself. in his son. Are you listening now? But now you say you're here, God speaking, of his son. All the wonder of it all. You know, sometimes I go to certain areas, and they announce that I am going to speak on a person's object. Well, how can God be trying to speak on a subject, and I'll tell you his subject, his son? Here's God. It is the greatest heaven or sermon on Jesus Christ that ever has been preached. No one has ever preached the Babylon. When God begins from verse two, right through verse three, to tell us of his blessed, his glorious promise. And oh, what a sermon. You young men who seek to say a word for the Savior, you read it and read it and commit it to heart, you'll find the greatest of all truth. I believe it was Dr. Rolfe. I try not to quote someone without mentioning their name, but I believe it was Dr. Rolfe who once said of this glorious seven-point sermon that God preaches on his son, that first of all he speaks of Christ. as the vocal expression of God's thought, as the vested inheritor of God's universe, as the veritable center of God's universe as well, as the visible presentation of God's person, as the vital expression of God's power, as the vicarious sacrifice of God's providing. as a victorious vindicator of God's plan. Oh, if there is not enough in Christ in these verses or these words to satisfy our heart, then I know not what will satisfy our heart. But praise God it satisfies the heart of heaven. And I want to be, I want to be as old as long ago. I want to feast on what God feast on. And I want to enjoy what God enjoys. I want to praise God for his son. But it's first of all we think God's speaking about his son. And then we think God's speaking in his son. And then we think God's speaking or hear God's speaking on his son. Then we hear God's speaking for his son. It isn't often in holy rift that God the Father speaks for the son. Thank God he doesn't hear. You see, there were so many folks who stood back and said, but just a moment, almost everything you have said about Jesus Christ, you can pray about angels. If he knows just an angel, I need not say very much about that tonight, need I. If you ask any Jehovah's Witness who Christ was, then they will tell you he was not like all the archangels. There were folks in that day who said similar things. They dared to say that almost everything you could say about Christ, you could say about angels. By the way, the Bible has a lot to say about angels. You know there are two hundred and eighty-six mentions in the Bible of angels. Now, if you don't believe that, you go and do what I did. You cannot. There are two hundred and eighty-six mentions of angels in the Bible. But I have a God who will not allow his son to be associated in this way with angels. But this is what he says as he speaks for his son, not unto which of the angels had he at any time. Thou art my son, this day have I forgotten this. But the first chapter of Hebrews is not over. For having spoken about his son, and having spoken in his son, and having spoken on his son, and having spoken for his son, then we are committed to listen. The band which we listen to so infrequently in Holy Writ, or how many times would I long that God would have pulled by the bell, have permitted me to have listened a little more. Now, see God speaking, Who is that? Verse eight. And unto the son he fed. I told, O God, it forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou haste in righteousness and haste in iniquity. Therefore thy gods have anointed thee with the oil of gladness, which is above thy mouth. Oh, if there's someone here this evening, do you have any doubts as to whether Jesus Christ will come? Read and ponder Hebrews one and eight. Unto the sun, he said, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness in the scepter of Vikings. For how we see right through this first chapter of Hebrews, How we see God speaking about and in and on and forth and to his Son. The whole of the church of Hebrews says, This is the one who lives in glory for you, the blessed Son of God. But never let us forget if we see him in chapter one as the Son of God. We see him in chapter two as the Son of Man. And for this I will be eternally thankful. So glad that God became man and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and the truth. And as you and I ponder the wonder of Hebrews chapter two, Surely our hearts, surely our hearts are thrilled. As it almost did with verse, there is something said about him that associates him with men and women like you and I. Oh, bless God he has identified with us. Thank God he wants a man like unto us. Perfect God, yet perfect man. Mystery of mystery. But hallelujah, true. As you look at this second chapter, you will notice how from verse one to three, he is brought before us as a messenger who speaks. Oh, but a messenger. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the words spoken by angels were steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just, recompense of reward, How shall we escape? So great salvation harkens, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord. Oh, here is a messenger speaking. The man he moved amongst us, and he brought the message of heaven, the message of God. But would you notice he is not only a messenger who speaks, but he is a man who conquers. Verse nine, but we see Jesus. Oh, Mr. Pell brought this before us in such a wonderful passion just the other day. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the offering of death, crowned with glory and honor. He's a man who conquers. We see Jesus. Oh, no, it does not say we see the Son of God. It does not say even we see the Christ of God, but we see him in the name that he has associated with his manhood, the Savior. We see Jesus. Oh, brethren, sisters, how essential this is going to be when you and I look into heaven. And we see who's there. For he is not only a messenger who comes from heaven, who speaks for God. He is not only a man who conquers, but again, verse nine, He is a Savior who dies. For the suffering of thy, the suffering of death, We wind our way up fresh and gay, And as much as mortal man can see, Of the majesty and yet mercy, Of the greatness and yet grace of our God, And as we look at the cross, we remember that here he suffered the just or the unjust, that he might bring us to God. And oh how he suffered, and oh what he suffered, a man, a man that all blessed God a Savior who died. You will notice in this second chapter he is not only a messenger, He is not only a man, he is not only a savior, but glory to his name. Verse ten, he is a captain. He is a captain. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect to suffer. Oh, blessed be his name, he is a captain that leads. captain of our salvation. Never let us forget this. Let us keep this in mind. For in a moment we're going to grow up high with cast the veil and look in the glory. We're going to see a messenger. We're going to see a man. We're going to see a pager. We're going to see a pager. We're going to see the capturing of our salvation. Would you notice again he is a brother? who is not ashamed. Verse eleven. Oh, whatever. Whatever. For both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call us forever. A brother. Oh, please, please. I would never call Jesus, my brother. He's my Lord. He's my Savior. I would take the shoes from off my feet. He's my God. For he's saying to call out brethren. Oh, the mercy is such a what is this? Ye am I and ye am I brethren. So he is a brother, not a shame. But he's more than this. Oh, Mr. Choir Master, you're noticing this. The Savior, please. The Savior. Verse thirteen. I'm sorry. Verse twelve. He's a singer. And he's a singer who praises God, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst of the church, will I sing praise? Will I sing praise unto thee? Is it wonderful to realize that we have a Savior who sings? Well, of course, of course, we would expect to find this one's way. Do you remember the closing verse of the minor prophet? When away there the great prophet Zephaniah dares to remind us that he will sing over his people with rejoicing. Sing over his people with rejoicing. Oh, I'm glad that he leads the song of the redeemed. Oh, brethren, sisters, what a wonderful thing it is to sing the praise of the Lord. What a glorious thing to know that he who wept alone in yet enemy's arms him alone. But blessed be his name he has redeemed to his house. And we will use again the words of the sixth and eighth man. I will praise the Lord in a song. In a song. But we haven't finished with the second chapter, have we? For he is not only a messenger and a conqueror. He is not only a savior and a captain. He is not only a brother and a singer. But he's likened to a parent. Verse thirteen. Oh, what word. And again I will put my trust in him. And again behold, I and the children. I and the children which God have given me. All the love and tender concern. passion of a parent for a child is seen in Christ for those he has redeemed. No wonder I said the first chapter brings the force Christ as the son of God. No wonder I said in the second chapter Christ is brought the force as the son of man. And he's still not finished. Verse fourteen goes on and tells us that he is a victor who leads a great host in conquest. Oh, what glorious words. Verse fourteen. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them. And deliver them through fear of death for all their lifetime subject to bondage. Oh, what a man. See, he's the son of God in chapter one. He's the son of man in chapter two. But in chapter three, in chapter three, we have him brought the force in his divine title and surely in his divine, his divine opposite. Harken to the words of chapter three. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider earnestly gaze upon, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. It's not necessary for me to remind you, is it, of the difference between an apostle and a high priest. You teach your Sunday school class that an apostle is someone who comes from God with a message. than a high priest is someone who goes to God with a message. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus came from God with a message of heaven, which goes back to God with a message of earth? Would you notice he is not? Or hearken? Harken, please. He is not any particular kind of an apostle. Now Peter was the apostle for the Jews, and Paul was the apostle for the Gentiles. But Jesus harkened. He is the apostle. The apostle. He is the messenger from heaven. But he is not only an apostle. But he is the high priest of our profession. Christ, Christ Jesus. You will notice how, indeed, the wondrous things are brought before him. Or brought before him. I wonder if I may, just for the sake of some of you young men who are seeking to say a word for the Lord evil. Could I suggest a little outline for you? As long as you'll use it. If ever I say anything, I hope you'll pass it on to someone else. I don't mind tomorrow if you stand up and preach, and I've heard my sermons preached all over the world, and I rejoice because they never preach them the same as I do. But listen, could I suggest just a little outline for you? There might be a help to your own soul and a blessing to someone else. Hebrews three, here he is, the superior one. The superior one, counted worthy of more glory than Moses. The superior one, verse three. Verse nine of the second chapter, the French one, made a little lower than the angels The Saving One, chapter two, verse two. Oh, great salvation. The Sustaining One, chapter two, verse ten, bringing many sons to glory. Is it wonderful to consider a person like this? Is it wonderful to consider someone? Someone blessed be his name, who is superior, who is sent, who is saving, and glory to his name is sustaining. He is the apostle. But he is the high priest. The high priest. Oh, glory to God for this. For we turn over into chapter four. And we read afresh those words with which we started. Verse fifteen or verse fourteen. Seeing then that we have a great high priest. That is passed into the heavens. Jesus the son of God. Let us hold past our profession. For we have not a high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. Now I was just to pass a comment here. It's going to be a very brief one, but my time's almost gone. But I want to start with a comment here. I have been asked on a number of occasions of late, Mr. Ford, could Jesus Christ have sinned? Now I know he didn't sin. The Bible says he didn't sin, but could he have sinned? Now if he couldn't have sinned, then what is temptation really? Now let me say this very clearly, that Jesus Christ was God the Son, He wants never less than God. Philippians, too, dares to say that he humbled himself. In a measure, he emptied himself. He laid aside. But you cannot empty yourself of yourself. I have a glass of water that was kindly placed there for me. If I drink that water, I can empty the glass, but I can't empty the glass of being the glass. It's still a glass. Jesus lay the sword that he was still the Son of God and never left the Son of God. All you say then, his temptation was not real. Not real, what do you mean? Some little while ago, while we were in Africa, we were shown around the gold mark. A dear brother in the assembly had some position in the gold pool, and so we were given sort of VP treatment. And my wife and myself were taken down into the bowels of the earth, and we saw these mere Africans as they cut out the gold-bearing dust. We saw it as it was placed under the great crushers, laid into a white-like powder. And then we went over to the refining area, and we saw how this great amount of gold-bearing dust now was placed in chemicals. And how big by big, vast by vast, it was cleansed and pure hot. And then we came to what was surely to us the most interesting thing, for what we have seen thus far, the just great fat filled with a milky-like substance. Now we saw what was taken out of those vats. So a great furnace. And they took what was remaining after going through that chemical process. And they opened it in the fire. And under its ten feet, they melted it. So the dirt and rock sinking to the bottom and the gold rising to the top. They were able to take away that gold. Having passed it to one fire, they passed it to the second fire. The same heat. In that second fire, it was completely and absolutely purified. It came out. Your gold. It would have passed any chemical test. There were chemists there to test it. It went to all the former chemical tests. It was your gold. Then you don't need it. They took that gold and they took it to the planet to burn it off. It was the same heat, so intense, so tremendous, the huge power upon it that enveloped it and made it run like water. But it didn't go through that fire, but purified it. It went through that fire to prune it. There was such an image that the fire was as intense, that the heat was as great, that it still melted, that it didn't go through the fire to purify it, it went through the fire to prove it. Jesus Christ passed in this thing, the holy Son of God. Oh, the tempter of evil came upon him. There was nothing in him to ask, little hallelujah. It was a fire. that didn't purify him, for he was as pure as ever he could be. But hallelujah proved him. He proved him that men were of man, that the word that he was out of man, that even devil can you know who they are, that the holy one of God, and glory to his name, the father could have claimed, my beloved son, in whom I am wealthy. Temptation not real when we look down to it, when there's no answer into our heart. Listen, there are aged sisters here this evening and aged brethren here this evening who've walked with God for years. You take those brethren and sisters and you place them in some of the factories in your country or my country with all the filthy stories that are told. with all the cursing, with all the denying of God. Do you think for one moment that that cursing will be a temptation to them to curse? Do you think for one moment that that swearing, those filthy stories will be a temptation for them to tell filthy stories? If you go to that brother and sister and see whether it hurts them, see whether the temptations be real or not. Although there's been nothing in them that I've heard from what's been said, Oh, I suggest that for them the pain is paper. Don't tell me Jesus didn't suffer temptation. I did. The glory to his name. He was the sinless, spotless on God. What a high priest. But let me say this. I should have finished four minutes ago. Let me say this. When I look at this verse and I remember this blessed Savior and Lord, the son of God and yet the son of man, the only man in the bodily form in heaven today, the man that bears the marks of hell, the uncrucified man in heaven. When I think of him, I said yesterday after the order of Melchizedek, which praised God after the pattern of Aaron, I hear the statement of this fourth chapter. And I ask myself the question, who are the people that can come to him? And I hear the answer, let us. Let us. For we are those that can come. Yeah, I say, the rich and the ragged, the favored and the forgotten, the humble and the haughty, if they've been born and dead and washed in the blood of the Lamb, they can come. Who were to come, let us? Are you in a fight? I am, praise God I am. Would you notice who were to come, let us come? Will you notice how we're to come? Let us come always. Oh, don't let's be timid in coming to this one. Let's remember he ever lived up to making possessions for us. Let's remember the man that walked those streets, the man that went on his way down to those pebbled ditches, the man in glory, who having done good here, does good there. Remember, Arthur, what Jesus spoke, began to do. Hallelujah. And he's still doing it. Still doing it. Or let us come. Let us come, both. But you say who are to come, and I say us, and you say, how are we to come? And I say boldly, and you say, oh, but when are we to come? Or how come, in time of need? I've got a strong feeling. I've got a strong feeling that every one of us would be in agreement, that we're in time of need, every moment of the day. And isn't it lovely that you can always turn to him? Is it grand in the face? Is it glorious that it could be said in the daily place, then drew near unto him? But we can still draw near to him. In time of need, Oh, my brother, my sister, I know not what you're passing through. I only know this. There's a God in heaven who knows what you're passing through. That blessed Savior says, let us come boldly to the throne of grace. But you say, who are we to come? And I say, how are we to come? And I say, boldly. And you would have said, when are we to come? And I say, in time of need. But then the greatest question of all, why are we to come? that we might find grace, that we might find grace to help in time of need. Ah, but more than that, that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You see, I can't take any time to talk about this. But Jesus is not only our high priest, he's our advocate. Now, as our advocate, we deal with the sins of the believer. If we sin, we have an advocate for the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. But as our high priest, he doesn't deal with our sins. He deals with our infirmity. Our infirmity. and I'm glad to death that in glory I have an answer. If you're a young man, sometimes Lord, say morning, you say, oh, I love you. What I love to say about you? But my tongue doesn't stand and I don't quite know how to express myself and... You know something? The most eloquent of these friends, the most dreadful talk of these friends, they still need the work of the high priest to present their worship to the Father. Remember this, he says, Oh, that you and I might find ourselves ever approaching a Christ who's there for us. May I say again, holy me, the man who died, O God, O God's nature, glory, ascending to the depth of what? For what? Thanked him.