As we remember our Lord in this way, I often feel that this is a very difficult thing to do. We have already come before our Lord. We can only be quiet, be still, and worship Him.
May the words we are going to share not bring us outside of Him.
Hebrews 3:1:
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, even Jesus.
Hebrews 10:19-25:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by the way which He dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
and having a great priest over the house of God;
let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,
let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised:
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;
not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
This morning we have been sharing together. God has already had mercy on us, and in our hearts we see only our Lord Jesus.
We see how majestic this Person is. He is the Son of God, the One who created all things, and He is the Heir of all things. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the very expression of His substance. He upholds all things by the word of His power.
Yet our Lord is also the Son of Man. He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and was found in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
He came down to be a man, and He became our Substitute. Today we can be called sons and daughters of God, and He is going to lead us into glory.
Our Lord is so majestic. His ministry is also great. He has completely revealed God. When we see Him, we see God; when we hear Him, we hear God.
He has completely accomplished the will for which God sent Him. On the cross, He said, “It is finished.” The work of redemption is finished.
He is the Apostle of God, and He is also our great High Priest. Not only did He accomplish salvation in this world; today, in heaven, He continues to minister to us. He will save us to the uttermost.
Therefore, His position is supreme and incomparable. Because of His Person and His ministry, He has such a position that we must bow down before Him.
To worship Him is to put Him in the position that He deserves, while we stand in the position where we should stand. This is true worship.
This morning we would like to share the fourth matter: the calling of Jesus. We have seen His Person, His ministry, and His position. From these comes our calling.
The calling is according to the One who calls. The One who calls us is the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is the beginning of a new race.
Because the One who calls us has such a complete work and such an incomparable position, His calling must be a glorious calling.
The Bible says that God called us with a holy calling:
Who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal.
—2 Timothy 1:9
This calling is not according to our condition or our works. It is according to the eternal purpose of God and according to the grace which He has given to us in Christ.
This is not an ordinary calling. It corresponds to His Person, His ministry, and His position. This calling is so that He may be satisfied.
Today we who have been saved by grace are holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.
To be holy means that we are a people separated unto God. We have been separated from all else, and we have been separated unto Him completely.
The calling that we have received is a heavenly calling. The book of Hebrews tells us that we are partakers of the heavenly calling. God is calling us heavenward.
Although today we are still on earth, we have been called to heaven. Because of the Person of our Lord, we have a heavenly identity: we are citizens of heaven.
Philippians 3 tells us:
For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 3:20
Wherever we may be and whatever country we are in, we are sojourners, because our citizenship is in heaven.
Because of the ministry of our Lord, He has also given us a ministry. We are a kingly priesthood, and today we can rise up to function according to God and His will.
Because of the incomparable position of our Lord Jesus, He has also given us a position. Brothers and sisters, do not despise yourselves, and do not admire the positions of this world. He has given us a position: we are kings and priests unto God.
If we have such an identity, such a ministry, and such a position, how shall we respond to the calling of our Lord Jesus?
The calling our Lord Jesus has given us is a heavenly calling. He wants us to separate from all things that belong to the world so that we can go fully heavenward.
The Hebrew believers were going through difficulty because they had not fully realized the Person of the Lord, His ministry, or His position. Therefore, they did not know their own identity, ministry, and position.
For this reason, they were not clear concerning the calling of Jesus. They did not know that what they had was a heavenly calling. They were still bound by the things of the world.
Judaism, at its beginning, was revelation from God. God spoke through the prophets. God gave the law through angels. God sent Moses to lead the people. God established Aaron, specified sacrifices and offerings, and gave instructions concerning the tabernacle.
Originally, these things came from God and were given to Israel. But they were types and shadows of things to come.
The book of Hebrews shows us that all these things were shadows of the things to come. When the reality comes, the shadow passes away.
Now Christ has come. The true Image has come. The One of whom the prophets spoke has come. The One announced by angels has come. The One prefigured by Moses has come. The One who is greater than Aaron has come.
The new covenant has come. The more excellent sacrifice has come. He offered Himself once for all and became the redemption offering. The true tabernacle has been established.
Yet it is so unfortunate that, though the reality had come, many still held on to the shadow and would not let it go. They rejected the true thing and treasured the shadow. They despised the real substance.
This is Judaism. The prophets had their place, but when Christ came, the prophets had to give way. Angels were used by God, but when the Son of God came into the world, all the angels had to worship Him.
Moses was faithful in the house of God, but the Son has come. Christ is over the house of God as Son. Therefore, Moses, Aaron, the law, the sacrifices, the offerings, and even the tabernacle have passed away as shadows.
These things were useful for a season, but once Christ had come, they could become earthly constraints if men continued to treasure them rather than Christ.
Today many people are chasing vanity. Outside of the Lord Jesus, all things are only shadows and emptiness. Yet man loves the shadow and neglects the real substance.
We must lay hold of the reality, and that reality is our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is calling us today to be separated from all things on this earth—even from things that originally came from God—if they take the place of Christ. According to the will of God, every shadow must pass away.
If we do not allow these things to pass away, they become earthly things that bind us. Christianity can become the same way: it can become an earthly religion, chasing shadows instead of the reality.
We may think that we need an earthly chapel in order to worship, rules in order to be Christians, mediators in order to serve God, or earthly prosperity in order to be satisfied. But Christianity becomes worldly and earthbound when it depends on these things.
Then we cannot answer the heavenly calling.
Let us consider all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.
God is going to shake not only the earth but also heaven. All that can be shaken will be shaken away, so that we may receive an unshakable kingdom.
Why should we still lay hold of typical things that must pass away? It is sufficient to have the Lord.
Since God has given us such an identity, such a ministry, and such a position, how shall we live on this earth?
The book of Hebrews tells us two things. First, we have to live a life within the veil.
Between the holy place and the Holy of Holies there was a veil. This veil was thick and heavy. It separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies.
Even those who served in the holy place could not see the glory inside the Holy of Holies. Not only could the people of the world not see God; even the priests could not see the glory of God.
Once a year the high priest entered behind the veil, bringing blood and incense. The blood dealt with sin, and the smoke of incense covered him, because no one was worthy to see God.
The high priest entered with fear and trembling. He could remain only for a short time, and then he had to withdraw.
Therefore, the book of Hebrews says that the way into the holy place had not yet been made manifest. Men could only worship God from a distance.
But today God calls us to enter into the Holy of Holies. Why? Because the veil has been rent.
When our Lord Jesus was outside the city of Jerusalem, on Calvary, He cried with a loud voice, “It is finished.” At that moment, inside the temple, the thick and heavy veil was torn in two from top to bottom.
That veil represents the body of Jesus. When the body of our Lord Jesus was broken, the veil was rent. Now the way into the Holy of Holies has been opened.
The Lord calls us to enter into the Holy of Holies. Do not remain in the outer court. Do not remain merely at the altar.
The Hebrew believers did not go forward. They kept circling around the foundation. But the writer of Hebrews says that the foundation has already been laid. You cannot lay it again; you have to move forward.
Many Christians remain only in the experience of being saved. We thank and praise the Lord for the cross of Christ and for the forgiveness of sins. This is tremendous—but it is only the beginning.
The Lord wants us to leave the beginning and enter into the fullness of Christ. Not that we abandon the foundation, but that we do not remain circling around it.
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness because they only circled around. Today many believers know only that they have been saved; they do not know the other things that the Lord has accomplished.
The Lord says, “Come into the Holy of Holies.” Certainly we pass through the altar, but we must not stay there. The life God calls us to live is a life in the Holy of Holies.
The veil has been rent. Our Lord Jesus has become our Forerunner. He has entered within the veil as our great High Priest, and He is calling us to come where He is.
We may serve in the holy place, but we cannot live there. We must live behind the veil.
What does it mean to live behind the veil? It means that daily we see the face of God.
The glory of God is in the face of the Lord Jesus. We can draw near to Him every day. We can walk with Him every day, stand before Him, hear Him, and worship Him.
Why can we not hear the word of God? Often it is because we are not living within the veil.
We have a heavenly calling. Daily we must live within the Holy of Holies, behind the veil. There we can draw near to Him, communicate with Him, hear His voice, and worship Him.
There is another aspect of this heavenly calling: we must go outside the camp.
Hebrews 13 tells us that the bodies of the animals whose blood was brought into the sanctuary for sin were burned outside the camp. Likewise, our Lord Jesus was brought outside the city of Jerusalem and was crucified on Calvary.
What is our heavenly calling? We must go outside the camp.
A camp has its fellowship, its ministry, its customs, and its rules. If you want to remain inside the camp, you must conform to its traditions.
Judaism was such a camp. If one would not receive the traditions of the fathers, he could be cast out of the synagogue. To be excommunicated was a tremendous thing.
The Jews feared being cast out of the camp. But our Lord Jesus was cast out of the camp. He was rejected and crucified.
Those who follow Him must also go outside the camp. There is suffering there, and there is shame. Yet that is where the Lord is.
Because people were afraid of being excommunicated, they dared not confess the Lord. They did not answer the heavenly calling.
Today our camp is the religious world. When Christianity turns into a religion, a system, or an organization, it becomes a camp.
It may be easy to remain inside the camp. There may be approval, position, and the glory of men. But if we would fully follow the Lord, we must not be bound by the rules of the camp.
Where is the Lord today? That is the question. Is the Lord inside the camp? If He is not there, why do you remain there?
The Lord is outside the camp. Today, do you choose the camp, or do you choose the Lord?
Inside the camp there may be the glory of man, but outside there is the shame of the Lord. We have to go outside the camp to bear the reproach of Christ. The Lord is there, and there we should follow His footsteps.
Because of our Lord, because of His Person, His ministry, and His exalted position, we cannot simply waste our lives. We have to rise up to answer His call.
In our daily life, there are three things. Hebrews 10:19 and following shows us these things.
To see Jesus is not merely a matter of theory. When we truly see the Lord, it has a real effect upon our lives. How do we prove that we have answered His call? Hebrews gives us three matters.
First:
Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith.
—Hebrews 10:22
The one who answers the heavenly calling comes before God with a true heart and in full assurance of faith.
Our calling is a calling to live by faith. Faith is not only for those called “full-time workers.” Every one of us must live a life of faith.
The anchor of faith is God Himself, who can be trusted. We live before God in faith because He is faithful.
Men live by visible things, tangible things, and things they can grasp. These are the things upon which they depend in daily life.
But spiritual things are invisible. We cannot see them with our natural eyes or touch them with our natural hands. Therefore, we need a life of faith.
Every one of us must live a life of faith—not by our feelings, but by faith. By faith we see the invisible God.
Moses could despise all the riches of Egypt and count the reproach of Christ greater riches because he saw Him who is invisible.
With the eyes of the flesh we can never see God, but with the eyes of faith we can see Him. Today we trust our God. The eyes of our faith have seen Him, and the ears of our faith have heard Him.
All material things are temporary. All visible things are transient. But the invisible things of God are eternal.
We believe that God is all in all to us. If we have Him, that is sufficient. We trust that He rewards those who seek Him.
Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for. Although we cannot see them naturally, God and all that He has given us are real.
By faith, God becomes the One closest to us. God is real. The promises of God become real to us in Christ.
Although our Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross two thousand years ago, by faith His blood sprinkles our conscience today. By faith we died with Him, were raised with Him, and are seated with Him in the heavenly places.
Second:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised.
—Hebrews 10:23
We have a life of hope. If believers have hope only in this life, then we are more pitiable than the people of the world.
But we thank God: He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 12 shows us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Every believer, from the day he is saved, is placed by God on a course. He wants us to run the race.
What is the goal? The goal is our Lord Himself—to gain the Lord.
In ancient Greece, athletes disciplined themselves because they wanted to obtain a crown. They gave up many lawful things in order to gain a crown that would perish.
Today we are running a race. What we are to obtain is an incorruptible crown. Not only are we gaining the Lord, but there is also a crown.
For this reason, we must lay aside every weight. This is not a matter of salvation; it is a matter of the race.
We must look steadfastly unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Do not look here and there. Do not look at men. Do not even look at yourself. Look unto Jesus.
Then we press toward the goal. This is a race with many hurdles and obstacles. God uses suffering so that we may grow from childhood into maturity and be transformed from glory to glory.
When the glory of God fills us, we enter into His glory. This is our hope.
We are a people of great hope. This world is going to pass away, but we have received an unshakable kingdom.
Third:
Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.
—Hebrews 10:24
The one who answers the heavenly calling lives a life of love.
Faith, hope, and love are continually before us. Hebrews 11 speaks of faith, Hebrews 12 speaks of hope, and Hebrews 13 speaks of love.
What is our heavenly calling? In heaven, whom have we besides the Lord? On earth, there is none whom we desire besides Him.
The Lord wants us to live a life of love: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength.
Who is more lovable than our Lord? He loves us. He gave Himself for us. Let us not lose our first love, allowing the things of this world to occupy our hearts.
Let us love Him with our whole heart. If we love Him, we will love the brethren. We will love one another.
The church is the house of God; it is not a law court. The church is the house of God; it is not a place for debate. The church is the household of love.
Therefore, the Lord says:
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
—John 13:34
As the Lord gave Himself for us, we must lay down our lives for the brethren. We must care for one another and provoke one another unto love and good works.
Why do we need to gather together? Because when we are alone, no one can encourage us. Love is mutual. Therefore, we need to meet so that we may encourage one another.
We should prepare our hearts to receive and welcome our Lord. The day of the Lord’s coming is near. In a very little while, He that cometh shall come and shall not tarry.
Let us not be those who draw back. Let us be those who press on, because the Lord is coming.
We see only Jesus. When we return home, may we see only Jesus. If we see only the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit can transform us into the image of the Son of God.
He is the Firstborn among many brethren. He will lead many sons unto glory.
Our Lord, our God, what can we say before You? For our sake, You came to this earth. You paid the highest price, even Your own blood. You gave Yourself for us, and You have redeemed us.
Today You are at the right hand of the Majesty on high, interceding for us. You are still ministering to us.
Our Lord, we belong to You. We do not want to remain in earthly shadows. We want to serve You all our lives.
Have mercy on us, that when we return home we may no longer see anything else. You are the most precious. Fill our eyes and fill our hearts.
In the name of our Lord. Amen.