you you Okay. you. Yeah. Yeah. you I want to welcome you to Grace Reformed Baptist Church. Good to see you this morning. Let me make a couple announcements as we begin. This month and next month is our focus on missions. Normally we've been having missions in July. We're going to extend it through August. And you can participate and attend with us on Zoom on Wednesday nights. We're going to do a prayer time at 630. If you have prayer requests, please send them to us prayer at GRB church dot o RG and we'll add you to our prayer list and pray for you. We'll start promptly at 630 that we normally would do a little chat time for 630 to 645, but we're going to start prayer time so that we can give enough time to our missionaries because we'll end off at 730 with the missionaries. We'll start 645 and go to 730. If you're working and it's late, it's okay to jump in late. That's fine. If you can't use the Zoom with a computer or your smartphone or whatever, that's fine as well. There'll be a phone number in the email that we send out for the prayer list. You can just dial in and listen that way. I encourage you to do so. This week at 645, we'll have Jason Gillespie. We haven't heard from him before. He's a missionary and starting a church in Columbia, South Carolina. And we'd like to hear more about him. In any case, we have a calendar full for this month and into August. And if you'd like to help support our missions, we also take a special offering. Our offering box is in the back in the vestibule when you walk in. Just designate a gift to missions. Pray about giving to missions. This is a special time for that. I want to encourage you there. Another thing I want to mention, too, is about our children's ministry and inside your worship folder you should have one of these handouts. If not, you could get one in the back. This is a helpful resource, 15 Ways to Declare the Glorious Deeds of the Lord to the Next Generation. The next generation is going to need to hear about the glorious deeds of the Lord for sure. It is very disheartening to see the direction of our culture and country. There are some signs of some suppression of evil, which we prayed about and we're thankful for last week for certain, but the trajectory isn't going in the right direction. But we as a church can be countercultural, and we want to encourage you in that regard. Catherine and Gail have been praying specifically in how they can help distribute information, help assist you in leading your children to God and to godliness in their life. And there are some other women, and I'm not going to call them older women because I'd like to eat lunch today. Let's call them experienced women. We have some very godly women in the church that would like to participate, come alongside. Not only pray for you, but also help in the degree that they can help you in raising up children to love Christ. It is a crucial area. We pray on a regular basis that every child will confess Jesus Christ as Lord, And we're thankful for those that participate and help to plant the seeds of life in the garden of their heart. And we pray that we'll see it flourish into righteousness. In any case, here's an example of it in this handout of some of the resources that they have available. They'd like to work with you. Talk to Gail. Talk to Catherine. They're kind of spearheading it. There's some others that will participate as well. And so this is for whether you're a grandparent, or you have children in your home, or you're helping out with children, all of these would apply. And they'd like to help brainstorm with you about some of these things to help encourage you and to do some things, meetings and so forth, maybe some workshops on how to help with that so that we can do this together. And I think you might find that to be helpful. So see Gail or Catherine about that. And finally, Janet has asked us to pray about focusing on music with the children, music camp perhaps. And I know Amanda as well is working with that. pray about the children and how they might glorify God in their expression of music and how we can logistically work something out. I would ask Blake, I did already ask him to help coordinate that. So if you have some ideas about that and or want to participate or want to lead some of that in helping out with the children in their music, I encourage you to see Blake about that and be in prayer about that as well. Well we'll begin our worship this morning by reading from Luke 2, 1-21 as Pastor Alex comes forward to read that for us so you can prepare your heart to hear about the life of Christ. Let me just add that if you're interested in the music aspect, see Blake quickly. Janet was looking at doing something in mid to late August of this year. So we need to hop on it just for logistics sake. But don't ask me. I'm out of the music business. So listen to God's word. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, fear not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you this day is born in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. And when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Let us pray. Indeed, Father, I pray that now we would, like Mary, treasure these things. Meditate, think, ponder in our heart. May indeed the glory go to you. May we, with the angelic beings, praise your holy name. We call for peace in this world. We are subject to great adversity against you because of our sin. We repent for the sin of your creation. Men, women created in your image and yet not glorifying you. I pray that we, your people who are redeemed from that rebellion would in all our being exalt your holy name. I pray, Father, that you would be pleased with us. Pleased with us not that we fulfill a greater standard of righteousness, but we have been redeemed by Christ, and we recognize that all our guilt has been placed on Him, and we have been truly freed from the bondage of sin. I pray now that not through our own strength, but through the power of the Spirit, we would put to death the deeds of the flesh. I pray that we would be righteous and holy people, and not by the will of man, but by the will of God. I pray, Father, that you would change our hearts to be more in conformity with Jesus Christ. May we look more like Christ in all we do, all we think, and all we say. To those things that fall short of that holy standard, I pray that we would indeed confess our sin and recognize that you're faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You're a glorious and great God, a God who would listen to us, who would hear our cry. In the midst of our various afflictions, Lord, I pray that we would indeed cry out and recognize that you will hear us, that in Christ that you will heal us, and that in Christ you will help us and grant us hope. I pray for your people that are truly redeemed, that are in Christ today. I pray for a greater joy, a greater peace, a greater satisfaction, responding in a greater thanksgiving to you. And for those that are outside of Christ, whether they're in this auditorium or outside, or people that we meet day to day, I pray that you give us hearts, hearts of pity for their circumstance, courage to proclaim the truth in love. And I pray, Father, that you will take your word, which will not return void, but would accomplish what you purpose. I pray that your purposes would be to redeem many, to redeem many sons and daughters, that they might find their true satisfaction in you, not just in this life, which is a great joy, but also in the life to come. What an incredible blessedness that you have given to us. The great joys and gifts that we have received in this country and this continent this day, the freedom that we have to move about, to enjoy food, to have resources, all of them are gifts of your hand. So we glorify you and we praise you for that. And these are but a shadow of what awaits for those that are truly in the beloved, and I pray that that blessing would truly be felt even this day. I pray in Christ's name, amen. Good morning, let's take our hymn books and stand and turn to number 448, before the throne of God above. Hebrews 4, 16 says, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness. 448. Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea. A great high priest whose name is love, who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is freedom. No tongue can bid me festive heart. No tongue can bid me festive heart. Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within. How could I look and see him there, who made man in the world? just is satisfied. To look on Him and pardon me. To look on Him and pardon me. You hold it there, the risen Lamb. My perfect spot is righteousness. I don't change how poor I am. The King of glory and of grace. But with himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by his blood. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Praise my soul, the King of Heaven, to His feet my tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, Alleluia, Alleluia. Praise the everlasting King. Praise him for his grace and favor. rest, raised him still, the same as ever, so to shine and sweet to bless. Alleluia, alleluia, glorious in his faithfulness. ♪ Hail that summer's lively flourish ♪ ♪ Close the winter days long ♪ ♪ And while mortals rise and perish ♪ ♪ God endures unceasingly now ♪ Alleluia! Alleluia! Praised be thy name, Cherubim! The angels sing, the light adore him. Ye behold him, praise to you praise. Alleluia, alleluia. Praise with us, O God, our God. Morning Church. What a privilege to praise the Savior this morning. Amen. This morning we're going to be reading Psalm chapter 119 verses 33 through 64. Psalm chapter 119 verses 33 through 64. If you don't have your Bible this morning, that's going to be page 513 in your pew Bible. Again, that's page 513 in your pew Bible. Psalm 119 starting in verse 33. This morning, I just want to praise the Lord for the public proclamation of God's word that we do weekly. And many churches don't do this and they hide God's word. So a lot of churches, the pastor just says one or two lines and that's it. So, uh, the goal should be if you cut my finger, cut my arm, the word of God should pour out from that. And that's my hope for everyone here today. The word of God should permeate our innermost being in our thoughts at all times of the day. Let's read Psalm 119 together, starting in chapter 30, 119 verse 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Give me your understanding that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts, and your righteousness give me life. Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise. Then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands towards your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort and my affliction, that your promise gives me life. The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your rules of old, I take comfort, O Lord. Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked who forsake your law. Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. The Lord is my portion, I promise to keep your words. I entreat your favor with all my heart. Be gracious to me according to your promise. When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies. I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. At midnight, I rise to praise you because of your righteous rules. I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love. Teach me your statutes. Let us pray together. Father, we again thank you for the many blessings that you've given us, Lord, that we don't deserve. Lord, we're lost sinners apart from Jesus Christ and deserve nothing but death, hell, and the grave forever. Lord, we thank you again that we've been able to look into this wonderful psalm, having our hearts renewed, Lord, to the joy and privilege of proclaiming your glorious truths. Give us a love for your word, Lord, and let us never take it for granted, never to wander away, never to substitute anything else, but to live and move and have our being in your word. In your word lies all blessings, God. Thank you for giving us such a gift, and we pray that you will use it today to comfort souls, convert souls, make naive people wise, to bring joy to us, to bring clarity, to induce worship, and to produce comprehensive righteousness that honors you and you alone. We ask Lord that you bless the offering today, God, and let us use it for your glory and your glory alone. Give us opportunity, Lord, in the words to say this week to preach to the lost. Help us to set a godly example, Lord, in the home, in the workplace, in the marketplace. Help the world to see a separated people, a differentiated people, Lord, living for something beyond this world, living for Christ. It's in the name of Christ we pray and ask all these things. Amen. you Let's take our books again and stand. Let's turn to number 251, Lead Me to Calvary. We'll have the men sing verse two and the women sing verse three. We'll all sing verses one and four. We're all singing the chorus together. But 251, Lead Me to Calvary. Men will sing verse two, women will sing verse three. Thee, O my life, I proudly bow, God and Shepherd, glory be. Lest I forget Thy fond crowned brow, lead me to Calvary. Lest I forget Thy sanity, lest I forget Thy agony, Lead me to Calvary. Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid, tenderly borne and wed. Fragiles and crones of light of rain, Lest I forget thy agony, Lest I forget thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary. Give me to Calvary. Lest I forget Thy symphony. Lest I forget Thy harmony. Lest I forget Thy love for me. Give me to Calvary. May I be willing, Lord, to bear, Dating my cross for Thee. Be that Thy crown, but brief to share, Thou that'st for all for me. Lest I forget Thy sanity, Lest I forget 161. 161, Savior like a shepherd lead us. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 161. ♪ We need us ♪ ♪ But we need God to prepare ♪ ♪ In thy pleasant presence we need us ♪ ♪ For our use of hope prepare ♪ ♪ Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus ♪ ♪ Has taught us the real ♪ ♪ We are like a rock, defend us ♪ ♪ We are guardian of our way ♪ ♪ Keep thy flock from sinking, defend us ♪ ♪ Seek us when we go astray ♪ Blessing Jesus, Blessing Jesus, He will hear us when we pray. Blessing Jesus, Blessing Jesus, ♪ To please ye He wants ♪ ♪ Praise to and thanks and power to free ♪ ♪ Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus ♪ ♪ Early let us turn to Thee ♪ ♪ Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus ♪ ♪ Early let us turn to Thee ♪ It is a joy to do that among God's people. Well let's hear more about Christ and you're going to find him in his word here in Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1. I'm going to focus really on the permanence of Christ and how that would indeed apply to us. Okay All right, so you How about now? All right. All right, they say a third time is a charm, so here we go with the charming one, the permanence of Christ, and Hebrews 1, 10 through 12. It's really going to give assurance, if you will, to the provision of his saints. And that's how you're going to relate to this concept of the permanence of Christ, as mentioned here in Hebrews 1, verses 10-12. We've been through this chapter a few times, and we've mentioned that he is systematically, that is the writer of Hebrews, and I would say from time to time the preacher, because it follows as if this is a sermon that has then been recorded and written down in written form here for us. But as you see, it really systematically unfolds the supremacy of Jesus Christ. The promises that have been made in the Old Testament are kept by Jesus. They are fulfilled by Him. There's more to come, but much has been fulfilled by Him, and that fulfillment demonstrates that all that has been promised will be fulfilled in the end of the age. All of this is based, of course, on the son, his person, his nature, his work, his character, or his integrity, if you will. And I've mentioned that time and time again, and we do sing about that, and we do talk about it, and we certainly read about it. These are truths, that is, this person, Jesus Christ, his excellency, his supremacy, it needs to be pounded into our hearts. Indeed, if we are to be Christian, like Christ, I'm reminded in John chapter 14 to his beloved disciples, which you are if you're in Christ, hear these words, let not your heart be troubled. Many have troubled hearts from time to time. But the word of Christ for you is then let not your heart be troubled. Why? Believe in God, believe also in me. Specifically, he says in my father's house are many rooms. If that weren't the truth, he would have told you that. But instead, he's gone. Now, where is he at right now? Where is he today? He says he's preparing a place for you. And the fact that he left indicates also his promise that he will come again. In the Old Testament, they promised that he would come. He did come. When Christ ascended on high to the right hand of the majesty on high, he promised that he would come again. He'll come again and specifically to take you to himself so that where he is, you can truly be with him forevermore. He told his disciples in John 14, well, you know the way. where I'm going. And Thomas, a critical thinker, we call him Doubting Thomas, but he is critically thinking. He's skeptical in that sense, in a good way, when he says, how can we know the way? And Jesus makes it clear. You're not to look at and specify all of how everything will work out in providence. in history and how God will accomplish all things, the focus needs to be not on a plan, but a person. He would say it this way, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. And if you know me, Jesus would say, you know the Father also. This is the emphasis that the preacher here in Hebrews does as well. The emphasis is ultimately, if you don't get anything else, look to Jesus Christ. He's the supreme. He is the excellent one. He is the way, the truth, and the life. That's where the focus would be. He begins in this first chapter, as we have it recorded, with seven dogmatic statements just to make that plain. Fire it off that Jesus, that one that you need to look to, He is heir of all things. He is creator of all things. He is the radiance or the brightness of God Himself. He is God, the exact imprint of His nature. He is the sustainer of all things. And sustain just doesn't mean hold together. Remember we talked about it. It's to bring things forth. That is why you will see flowers blossom and fruit come out, even just in the physical world. It is Christ that is producing all of this. No wonder we would give Him then glory and praise. Everything that you see that is praiseworthy that is joyous. All of it is a gift of His hand. It comes from this person, Christ. And beyond that, for those that are rebelling against Him, He says He is the Savior. He has made atonement, purification for sin, for those wages of death that result in death. Christ has atoned for those. He is Lord. He sat down at the majesty on high. That is worth preaching over and over again. These statements here then concludes with verse four. You remember? He says, well, he's then obtained a much greater name than the angels. Then the highest being that these people at this time that would have heard the sermon can think about the exalted one, angels who are without sin, angels who do not die, Christ is far superior than them. He's going to follow this statement that he makes within, and not coincidentally, but in perfection, seven additional statements that he'll make, rhetorical questions that he has concerning the excellency of Christ, and each one of them are rooted in scripture. And I would, tell you that each scripture that is mentioned was known to the audience that it was given to. He would emphasize the fact, and we've already been through this, that this Jesus then is the only begotten one, that is the beloved one from Psalm chapter 2. That he indeed is this son of God that was promised to sit on the throne forever and ever in 2 Samuel 7. that he is the firstborn, or the chief, if you remember. That's from Deuteronomy 32, where all angels are then worshiping him. He is the sovereign from Psalm 104. He is the eternal king from Psalm 45. And he is the, and this is what we'll focus on today, the immutable That is, He doesn't change, hence the idea of the permanence of the very person of the Son. And we'll look at Psalm 102. And in fact, I'm going to go through this in greater detail from Psalm 102. And then finally, which we'll deal with next week, He is the Lord of all. That is from Psalm 110, from which I think this sermon ultimately is rooted in. The point is to focus on the person. the nature, and the mediatorial work of Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and life. If you don't get anything else, look to him. Look to his person. Look to his nature, and look to his work. And why must you look to Christ? How is this really going to help you in your life? Beholding is becoming. Do you want to become a Christian? You would look to Christ. Do you want to grow as a Christian? You will look to Christ. Beholding is becoming. Paul would tell the church in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, we are all with an unveiled face. That is, somehow this has been revealed to those that are in Christ Now they no longer have the darkness of unsight, if you will, not being able to see, and the doubly so of Satan attempting to blind their minds. In Christ, when you have been regenerate, the scales fall off and you can see, if you will, from the unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord. Do you see it? Beholding the glory of the Lord, then you are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, from glory to glory. This isn't a work of the flesh. He would say, this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. This is a dynamic spiritual work in the heart of those that are regenerate to see Jesus Christ, not just the first time as Lord, but always as Lord. Is there a great desire for him? This is why we preach, we preach Christ, we emphasize Christ so that you will see him because beholding him, Beholding Christ is the means by which we will become more Christ-like through his word, through the explanation of it, and through the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit to touch our very hearts and minds. It is the means by which those that are in Christ will be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit to be more like Christ. Do you have trouble with anger? Look to Christ. Do you have trouble with lust? Look to Christ. Anxiety. Depression. Doubt. Pride. Envy. Greed. Humility. Gratitude. Do you have trouble granting forgiveness to others? Look to Christ. Do you have trouble Being merciful, look to Him. Gracious, look to Him. And we could go on and on and on. Behold Him. Look to Christ. Look to Jesus and live today, tomorrow, and the next day. You will need to behold Him ultimately not as in your own mind as you would imagine Him to be, but as who he has revealed himself in his word. And this is why we painstakingly go through his word like this, to focus on it. So that your image of Jesus Christ would be sharpened by the very mind of God through his revelation and by the means of the Holy Spirit in illuminating your heart. So let's look at his word, and I'm going to go to two texts. You can mark Hebrews 1 where you're at. We've read through this first chapter a number of times, but for the sake of time, I'm going to just focus on our key text. and then move over to where the preacher of Hebrews got this from, which would be Psalm 102. And I will refer back to it in a crucial moment, so you'll want to make a note of that, because I want you to see it from God's Word itself. So, let's look at both. Hebrews chapter 1, verses 10 through 12. and then where that quotation is taken from in Psalm 102. You ready for the reading? I'll read it for you. Hebrews 1, verse 10. And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment, like a robe. You will roll them up like a garment. They will be changed, but you are the same and your years will have no end. This is a quotation from the Old Testament, Psalm 102. So let's look at Psalm 102, and in Psalm 102, I'm gonna read it in its full context, although this quotation is taken from the very end. Psalm 102 begins this way. Hear my prayer. O Lord, let me cry to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me. Answer me speedily in the day when I call for my days pass away like smoke and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and is withered. I forget to eat my bread because of my loud groaning, my bones cling to my flesh. I'm like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places. I lie awake, I'm like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. All the day my enemies taunt me and those who deride me use my name for a curse. for I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink. Because of your indignation and anger, for you have taken me up and thrown me down. My days are like an evening shadow. I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever. You are remembered throughout all generations. You will arise and have pity on Zion. It is in the time to favor her. The appointed time has come. For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. Nations fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. For the Lord builds up Zion. He appears in his glory. He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer. Let this be recorded for a generation to come. So that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. That he looked down from his holy height. From heaven the Lord looked at the earth. To the groans of the prisoner to set free those who were doomed to die. They may declare in Zion the name of the Lord and in Jerusalem his praise when people gather together and kingdoms to worship the Lord. He has broken my strength in midcourse. He has shortened my days. Oh my God, I say, take me not away in the midst of my days. You whose years endure throughout all generations. Here's the quote. Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment, but you will change them like a robe, and they will pass away. But you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure. Their offspring shall be established before you. Let us pray. Oh Father, I pray that by the Spirit you will give us illumination, enlightenment of your holy word. I pray that each who has come before you to hear your word read and explained will hear the very words of Christ today. Use it to both convict and to comfort, to bring about encouragement, direction, and ultimately satisfaction in Jesus Christ our Lord. By the Spirit, I pray that you'll continually conform us more into the image of your Son. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The preacher in Hebrews is talking about, as I mentioned and made an argument for at the very beginning and throughout all of it to the very end, he's talking about the excellency of the Son, Jesus. He pulls this quotation from the end of what we would call Psalm 102. Now I read that for you in its entirety so you could recognize in the reading of it how that ultimately isn't this psalm essentially a prayer. It's a prayer of one who is afflicted. One who makes a plea to God. And yet this is the very psalm which is chosen to speak about the supremacy of Jesus. And so one of the questions that you might have would be, well, what is the connection of the context of this psalm, which is a prayer of one who is afflicted, to the point that the preacher in Hebrews is making, which is ultimately about what? The supremacy of Jesus Christ, about his majesty. John Owen in his commentary on the book of Hebrews provides an interesting connection, and I think he's right. By the way, I don't recommend that you go out and buy John Owen's commentary on Hebrews. It's seven volumes. It's a lot to tote around. Mine's electronic. It's 4,000 pages. So he would preach a little bit longer than me, for those that think I'm taking a little extra time. But he's a much better preacher and much more profound. We can learn a lot from those that have gone before us, particularly 17th century Puritan theologians. But nevertheless, I digress. So I'll try to read his... the quote that I have, and I'll paraphrase a little bit to help us to think about this connection of the afflicted one with the supreme one that is Jesus Christ and how it might tie in and relate. He does a good job, and I'll see if I can summarize it to some degree in what he says. He puts it this way. an interest, Owen would say, in the omnipotence the sovereignty and the eternity of the Lord Jesus Christ will yield relief and satisfaction in the condition of frailty in which we live. Did you get that? Thinking about Christ, and that's what I said in the beginning, about his person, his nature, his work, mediatorial work, and specific It will help yield, he says, relief and satisfaction in the frailty in which we live. This affliction is the frailty in which we live that fits in this context. In him, speaking of Christ, we have stability. In Christ, we have stability, we have unchangeableness, he says, for what he is in himself, he is unto us and for us. See why looking at Christ is what matters? His unchangeableness. Because what he is in himself, he is unto us and for us. All our concerns are wrapped up and secured in Him. He is ours, and though we in our own persons change, yet He doesn't change. Nor does our interest in Him, which is our life, our all. Furthermore, when our frailty and changeableness have had their utmost effect upon us, when they have done their worst, upon us, they only bring us to the full enjoyment of what the Lord Christ is unto us. That is, an exceeding great reward and full satisfaction into eternity. Then we shall live forever in that which we now live upon. being present with him, beholding his glory, and then being made partakers of it. Another preacher that has gone, but more recent, S. Lewis Johnson, describes his reflection on 102 of Saul this way. The one who wrote Psalm 102 was a man who was in great deal of affliction. His sufferings are unexplained. In this sense, he's an excellent type of our Lord Jesus Christ because his sufferings are not specific enough for us to say this is precisely what he suffered. So consequently, he is a beautiful illustration in the manifold sufferings that he went through as he expresses them here. Because it enables us to realize that no matter what kind of afflictions we may be entering into or experiencing, there is provision for them in the revelation that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 102 is a psalm of an afflicted sufferer. The sufferer is overwhelmed by his troubles. But I hope you see, as we read through it, he finds hope in the inipitency, in the eternal nature and the immutability of Yahweh, of God himself. As fallen human beings, we live in a sin-cursed earth. We can readily identify with affliction, whether it's something we are personally going through, that we will go through, or that we know someone is going through. The psalmist ultimately finds his hope in God, a God whose throne is forever and ever, a God who is all-powerful, a God that never changes, a God that is sovereign over all. Now here's where I want you to compare Hebrews 1.10 with Psalm 10.25 and then we'll explain the psalm in greater detail. Go back, if you have your finger in it, and get to Hebrews 1 10. Mark that and then flip back to 102 25. I want you to see a difference in the wording because this is critical in understanding what's going on and why the preacher of Hebrews pulls this phrase, sentence, should I say, a couple sentences, out of Psalm 102 from this psalm of affliction. At first glance, when you look at 102, 25 in Psalms, and go ahead and look at it, of old you laid the foundation of the earth. If you're reading along, your first impression is going to be that this is the psalmist speaking to God. In verse 25, of old you laid the foundation. Now, here's where I want you to mark it. We're going to go back to 102 because we're going to explain 102 in a minute. But I want you to tell you that the preacher of Hebrews has a different idea and a correct one. Look at 110 in Hebrews. It reads differently, doesn't it? Instead of, of all you laid, it says, you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth. What's going on here? You, Lord, as it states here in 110, The afflicted one expresses his agony to God in Psalm 102. All the way up to this point in verse 25, the verse 25 is a response from God to the afflicted one. You, Lord, here in Hebrews 110, explains it, you Lord, the Lord, this is God saying something to God. He addresses the afflicted one as God. The you, you and then Lord, you is the afflicted one. That's made clear in the quotation in Hebrews. And at the very least, Hebrews 1.10 would be an inspired interpretation of Psalm 102.25. But I'd argue that that isn't the first time that anybody knew about it. This is a messianic psalm. That is, it mingles the now and the not yet. It mingles what's going on and it points to something far greater. This was always ultimately written about Christ. That's why we bothered having it for all these years. Having it to sing all these years. This is not a new understanding that in verse 25 it is speaking to the afflicted one who is the Messiah. You, Lord, as the writer of Hebrews takes it. This is how the Jewish scribes and teachers understood it in their day before Christ. In fact, you can find that very phraseology from Hebrews 110, you, Lord, or speaking of the afflicted one as Lord, in a work they did, a translation, Hebrew to Greek, called the Septuagint. It's written at least 100 years before Christ, maybe to something, maybe as much as 300 years. After the Babylonian captivity, The Jews became very secularized, and by this point, they nearly lost Hebrew as a regular language, so they came up with a translation of Hebrew in the current dialect, which would have been Greek. And so they had a Greek Old Testament, if you will. The Greek Old Testament that they used, at least 100 years before the Messiah came, spoke of the Messiah. They understood it and they interpreted it that way. They did so so that you would not lose the meaning in translation. When you go to translate from one text to another, one language to another, should I say, sometimes you can lose a little bit in the translation, so you have to put some helps along the way so that the meaning is what is emphasized when we translate from one language to another. They didn't want him to lose the meaning. The meaning is that this psalm is ultimately messianic. It's about the Messiah who would come. This afflicted one points to the Messiah, and the Messiah is who? The Messiah is Yahweh. He is Lord. I've stated this before, that the Old Testament speaks of Jesus, the Messiah, in types and shadows, symbols, And poetic sections like this in Psalm 102 reference many aspects of Jesus Christ. They're intended as messianic. And the writers in the New Testament often reference and make reference to that very thing. The affliction then from Psalm 102 is truly experienced by somebody who wrote it at the time, but ultimately it points to a far greater affliction. That is the suffering of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who took on human flesh to share in our affliction. It is ultimately, think of this, God incarnate identifying with humanity and specifically for those of his redeemed, his saints. Now, I'm not pulling that idea out of thin air. Again, I'll give you another inspired source. There are many, but just to take a time, we'll just give you a reference that we'll get to in the preaching of Hebrews. As he goes on, he's going to say that very thing in Hebrews 4.15. Speaking of Jesus and his mediatorial work, We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, right in their affliction. That's the point, right? Our frailty. We don't have one who is unable, but who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. That's the difference. Christ was pushed to the nth degree and never broke. Right? He couldn't break because he's God. But it doesn't mean he couldn't be tempted. The difference is we give in at some point. He never did. But during that, the temptation and whether it's the affliction that's a temptation to us, the difficulty, the frailty, whatever it might be in that category, you understand, Jesus took it to the nth degree because he never sinned. He took 100%. And whatever we take is short of that. But he really did feel it. He really did sense it. He really does know. This in his mediatorial work, he he takes on the weakness of human flesh, and in so doing, he's able to walk. In our shoes. In doing so, he's able to walk through. Your weakness. And lead you to triumph. Do afflictions, whatever they might be, cause you to feel like asking God why? It's a natural feeling that comes from our humanity and our weakness. And some may say, curse God and die. And many do. When great tragedies occur in their life, or great frailties, weaknesses, afflictions, whatever they might be, you begin to doubt the goodness and greatness of God. That He might have a purpose in it. But never once for a moment think that He doesn't care or doesn't know. He knows. far greater than we would know because he received the full 100% of whatever it was and never broke. But it didn't mean it didn't hurt. It didn't mean he didn't feel it. It doesn't mean he doesn't know. This is our high priest who can sympathize with every one of your weaknesses, much more. I haven't experienced many of the weaknesses or frailties or afflictions that some of you have. I grieve over some of these things. It concerns me. Must be difficult for you. But Jesus Christ knows. More than that, he felt it. He's been there. We'd like to put our arms around someone and comfort them, right? If we're able to, maybe we've gone through a similar situation, and then we can comfort them and tell them. I haven't been through everything, but I know someone who has. His name is Jesus. Do you know him? He's able to sympathize with every one of your weaknesses. He will work in a mediatorial fashion for you directly, but not as a bystander, an uninterested party, but someone who truly identifies with right where you're at. Do you see Jesus Christ? Do you behold Him now? Do you see the glory of who He is? And we have the perfection of knowing Christ specifically who has fulfilled all of this. The Old Testament saints didn't have quite what we had, but they still had the same idea that they trusted God. They had faith in God. Job, when he lost everything, his response, you remember, it was, though he slay me, I'm still going to hope in him. Well, we know much better because Christ has come. Now this mediator of Christ's mediatorial work is being accomplished and we know much about it because it is revealed to us in time and scripture. Hope for the believer then is based on the assurance of who Jesus is. Not a disinterested party, but someone who has been there and done that. The difference is without sin. The difference is His power. We call it His omnipotence, all power. his sovereignty over all things. And finally, his immutability, as it's stated here, since he's God, he never changes. You're going to change at times, but he never does. So look to him. Let's walk through with the time that remains the best I can. through this particular psalm because I'll just explain some aspects of it so that we can make that connection and hopefully you'll get it as I go through. As Psalm 102 begins, Do you see that the hurt that is expressed and the calling out in prayer, let me cry to you. These are emotional words in prayer to where it's described as a crying, a great distress is going on and there's this sense or this feeling as that God doesn't see and doesn't care. Don't hide your faith from me. That's what's being explained. Instead, incline your ear. Please listen to me. and do it speedily. Why? Then he goes on to describe his particular condition. And remember, this is conditions that not only explain all of those that are afflicted by the curse of the earth, but the afflictions by which Christ had to bear as a suffering servant. So it looks beyond that, but here he's talking about his days. Well, they're temporary. They're like smoke. And there's pain, bones burning like a furnace. There's a groaning where bones cling to his flesh. The owl is mentioned. Lonely, in a way. The sparrow is mentioned also. Isolated, if you will. Both of those would be unclean animals under the Levitical system. They're outsiders. It's this loneliness cast aside, feeling like no one knows about my situation. No one even cares. And beyond that, verse 8, notice, the enemies taunt me. They use my name for a curse. That strikes me, doesn't it, you? Particularly in pointing to Christ. I always wondered why they do that. Why is Christ's name used for a curse? You think about that. You've been called bad names? Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That's what we tell ourselves, but they do. They're bad. Do you think he is not grieved when his name is cursed, even this day? You're to get the sense of affliction that's going on here. And nothing tastes good, it's like ashes. Mingle with tears, sorrow. indignation and anger are simply the wrath of God poured out, the curse, if you will, due to the rebellion of mankind. And like an even shadow, he passes away. The psalmist talks about his frailty. He talks about his frailty and affliction, so he beckons to God in his prayer. He summons up emotional distress that we all feel. But as I said, no one's experienced it to the nth degree that the Son of God has experienced. No wonder Jesus, you remember reading through the Gospels? And we'll read some more. I like us reading through the life of Christ from the various Gospels. Did you remember he'd always get alone and pray? He'd often go away privately to pray. The preacher of Hebrews will bring that up again in chapter five and verse seven. I'll read it for you. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears. Have you heard that before? Yeah. Loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his reverence. It's demonstrating his faithfulness, his obedience, but yet the emotion of it is there. Great anguish accompanied in those times of intercessions. What comes to my mind are two obvious ones that we get a little inside information. Most of the time we don't. We know Jesus went alone and prayed, but what was going on? I would argue loud cries and tears in a world of great affliction. pity on those that would not submit to God, but also the pain of bearing the weight of sin. The Garden of Gethsemane is one passage. If you wish to turn, it's Luke 22, 39 is where I'll begin. He came out as custom, Luke 22, 39, as his custom was to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, pray that you enter not into temptation. And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if you're willing, remove this cup from me. The cup is the cup of his wrath. It is affliction to the greatest end. But nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. In his humanity, in his mediatorial work, identifying with us, this was not an easy thing for him to do, to take on the wrath of God. He really did feel it. He really did feel the pain. He really did feel the suffering. Angelic beings were there, verse 43, to provide strength. We're told that. We'll deal with that later on in this first chapter of Hebrews. This is one of their works or functions, even though they're not seen. And yet, here we're told by divine revelation, they mediate and minister to him. But what is his condition in his prayer? Do you see it? Verse 44. And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. I never prayed like that. I'm not gonna sit there and artificially try, of course. And neither did he. He didn't artificially do this. You understand how great this agony was? And my question is, have you ever gone through anything like that? Probably not. I doubt it. I can't imagine that degree of intensity, that degree of agony. This is the afflicted one. Another time that we know of, and again, I'm not suggesting these are the only times, but these are two times that we know about from divine scripture, where we're given an insight into the agony and affliction that's going on with Christ. The other one I'll quote for you is from Matthew 27, 46. Remember that? That's on the cross at Calvary. So here you have Gethsemane, the prayer. Now you have Calvary on the very cross. 2746 in Matthew, at about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, that is, and it's translated for us. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Do you feel the affliction and the pain? Have you ever felt like that? Jesus felt like that, yet without sin. He knows what it might feel like to be forsaken. You can cry out in your suffering, beloved, but don't think that he doesn't know. Don't think for one moment that he doesn't feel it. There's no greater suffering and affliction that has ever occurred than the son of God, the righteous one, to bear the full weight of the wrath of God for the sins of the world. So when we imagine Jesus, think of him in two ways. Certainly in his transcendence, he is God. And that's been hammered home. He is righteous. He is holy. We call that his transcendence. There's a sense in which he's really outside of humanity's full experience, perception, or grasp because he's God. So there's a sense in which we can't really know him because of who he is, he's God. There's another sense of Jesus Christ, and we call it his imminence. It's the opposite. It means he is noble. He is perceivable. He is graspable. How in the world could that happen? How could he be both? Because Jesus Christ is the God man. And you must always be thought in those terms, never separated, never divided. You see, it was a transcendent God who cannot be approached or seen in his essence or being. They took on human flesh. the imminent then God-man, Jesus Christ, who can walk among us, who can experience all that we experience in this life, who can truly be approachable and perceivable and graspable, if you will. No wonder He is the only way to the Father. He is the mediator. He bridges that gap from our world to His. This is the only way it could occur. It is through Christ. In our study through the Gospel of John, the prologue ends, wraps up with this in 118 of John. No one has ever seen God. The only God, what? The only God who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known. He has explained him. He's made him perceivable. He's made him graspable, if you will. I don't even know if that's a word, but I like it. That we can grasp a hold of God by grasping the hand of Jesus Christ who holds it out to you right now. Beloved, I charge you and encourage you to to look to Christ. And specifically, I'll have to wrap it up here. I do want to go forward, but I'll wrap it up here and pick up next week here. But I want you to focus on this. Whatever you're going through, whatever affliction you're going through, remember that. Indeed, this is a sovereign omnipotent, unchangeable God who has taken on human flesh and fills this role of mediation between God and man, this man, Christ Jesus. Look to him. At his birth, do you remember what was said by the angel in Matthew 1.23? Behold, a virgin. Of course, she would have to bear because God would be her father, right? Fulfilling that. Getting around the sin that would otherwise be transferred by Adam. Behold, the virgin, that is God's only begotten. She would conceive and bear a son. And they shall call his name what? Emmanuel. What does Emmanuel mean? God with us. God truly with us. And the question to ask is, is God with you? Let's pray. Father, I do pray that you will give us. Help. and hope, not in and of ourselves, but in Jesus Christ our Lord, that his name would be exalted and magnified and enjoyed. May we find our satisfaction in Christ alone. May there be a wellspring of joy that comes from our heart, in fact, that by the Spirit we have seen the Son and have been given the right to call you father. Comfort those who need comfort. Give courage to those who need courage. Give us great satisfaction in you alone. I pray in Christ's name. Amen. Beloved, this is a moment for you to stop and think about these things. Take a moment privately, respond to Christ in the way he has spoken to you today. If you need to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, today would be the day of salvation. If you need to repent of your lack of confidence in Christ, today would be a good day to do that as well. But not to me, the mediator, but to Christ alone. Take a moment privately where you're at to rethink on these things. Father, I'm thankful that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. May his name be praised now and forevermore. Amen. ♪ At least courage ♪ ♪ Why should the shadows come ♪ ♪ Why should my heart be only ♪ ♪ Dead or forever true ♪ ♪ For Jesus is my portion ♪ ♪ My constant friend is he ♪ His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. Bow our heads and we'll pray and be dismissed. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it. Amen and amen. You're dismissed. th th