Just a quick update - All my blogging has been moved to my church website.
Head on over to CoramDeoBibleChurch.org for the latest.
The Blog is in the "Connect" section of the website.
And while you're there, bookmark the site and join us on Sunday at 10:00 am for worship. We meet in person every Sunday and are also online.
Grace & Peace
Rob Signs
To watch the sermon and service, click here.
1. Understanding Faith (1-3)
True saving faith is not something you conjure up within yourself. True faith is external, not looking to yourself, but looking to God.
Faith is about the object of faith.
It’s about who we have faith in.
Faith looks forward and backward
Faith looks BACKWARD to things we have not seen. From the cross to creation. We believe all of it as actual history.
Faith also looks FORWARD to the return of Jesus.
Faith looks forward with such certainty that it’s as if it has already happened.
It’s not about how strong your faith is.
What makes faith powerful is who it is in.
v 2 – By faith the men of old gained approval
Whether you’re talking about us today
Or anyone throughout all of history
It’s always been by faith in Jesus Christ.
Faith Illustrations:
1. Abel’s Faith (verse 4)
Cain & Abel were the first two humans that hadn’t seen God face to face and had to have faith.
Abel’s offering was acceptable to God and Cain’s was not.
You cannot come to God on your own terms.
Thinking that you can do it in the way that makes the most sense to you. We come to God on His terms, through Jesus Christ.
2. Enoch (verse 5)
Genesis 5:24 – Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Enoch is a picture of a faithful walk with God. Day-in-day out consistency.
True, deep, genuine faith will lead to an intimacy with Him that will affect every single aspect of your life.
Faith is not an esoteric “out there” thing
It’s not just a certificate you hang on the wall of your spiritual life.
It’s a daily pursuit.
3. Noah’s Faith (verse 7)
Noah points us to the necessity of obedience when you don’t understand. True faith obeys God without hesitation, deviation, or exception.
Is obedience a foregone conclusion?
By which he condemned the world.
Noah’s obedience highlighted the disobedience of the rest of the world.
A life of true faith in God points to God’s faithfulness. The saved love it. The lost hate it.
God is a Rewarder (verse 6)
God is not some omnipotent miser who delights in witholding all the good things from His pitiful little minions down below.
He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
[He] gives to all generously and without reproach… Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
The Application:
It’s faith that connects us to God’s blessings.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him
But here is what you must do:
1. Believe God is.
As we demonstrate, express, exercise faith in Him - He saves us.
The big question:
Do you believe in God? That He is?
2. Believe He rewards
Come to Him, through Jesus, in repentance and faith.
The Key: Seek Him.
Seek Him like:
• Abel: Worship
Focus on what Jesus did
Remember His blood, His sacrifice for us!
• Enoch: Walk with God
Psalm 1 is a warning of how we veer off and don’t walk with Him. (Memorize it)
Don’t Walk in the counsel of the wicked
The voices you listen to shapes the way you think. Identify the negative voices in your life and learn to leave them behind.
Don’t stand in the way of sinners –
Wrong thinking leads to a wrong action. The voices you listen to will ultimately become the people you follow.
Don’t sit in the seat of scoffers!
Who you follow becomes who you identify with, leading to a wrong community.
Once you’ve sat down in the seat of scoffers, it’s extremely difficult to stand back up.
Instead, delight.. in the law of Yahweh,
And in His law… meditates day and night.
Let God’s word guide you.
Be consumed with it.
• Noah: Obey
Simple, reverent, radical obedience.
Find the command. Do it.
May you walk in faith today
Pastor Rob
To watch the sermon, go to our YouTube channel here.
Two passages of Scripture that have always gripped my heart because of what I know they mean in my head.
Mark 4 – Parable of the Sower/Seeds
Matthew 7:21-23
Hebrews 10:26-29
1. The Warning (vv. 26-31)
It’s not perfection but direction.
• Willfully Sinning (26-27)
This is intentional disobedience
“High handed” defiance - I’m going to do what I want Numbers 15:28-31
This is the path toward God’s judgment
You’ve heard the gospel. You understand who Christ is and what He’s done. You’ve been exposed to what the Bible says
This is speaking to those who have spent time in the church - in the company of God’s people.
There’s no sacrifice for this person.
The subject is Apostasy. Knowing the truth and rejecting it.
Almost all apostasy is bred and developed within the walls of the church.
These are people we know
1 John 2:19
• Disregarding Moses (v. 28)
Setting Scripture aside
God is a God of wrath toward those who willfully disregard His commands
• It gets worse (v 29)
In the Old Testament - the punishment for disobedience was external
In the New Testament - it’s even worse.
3 Consequences of Apostasy:
This is what you’re doing
1. Trampled underfoot…
Reject Jesus as the son of God, there’s no mercy.
2. Regarded as defiled…
This is taking lightly, flippantly, casually the gospel.
3. Insult the Spirit of Grace
This is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The unpardonable sin. When you reject the Spirit, you’re also rejecting Jesus and what He did on the cross.
• The Consequences (30-31)
God’s judgment awaits those who reject Him. Deliberate sin will incur greater judgment.
The Lord will judge His people
And we all know someone in this category.
Why would someone walk away?
1. Persecution/Difficulty
Difficulties will drive a believer TO God
And they’ll push an unbeliever AWAY
2. False Teachers
Someone teaching a heretical view of the Bible will bring confusion, corruption, and despair.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3. Temptation
Things of the world are very attractive to the flesh.
4. Neglect Just floating along. Not radically committed.
5. Tradition
Depending on what you were saved “out of” - if you never really let go of that - but keep it open as an option should the “Christianity thing not really go well…”
6. Forsaking Assembly
Walking away from the fellowship of believers.
You cannot thrive outside of that setting.
We need the encouragement of gathering together as God’s people to worship Him.
This passage is a call to salvation
A warning to those who claim to be Christians, but aren’t seriously pursuing comprehensive obedience.
If you’re not actively pursuing willful obedience in all things or you’re in danger of wandering away at some point.
2. The Reminder (vv. 32-39)
Almost all apostasy is bred and developed within the walls of the church.
You’re right there in the thick of things
You’ve suffered, you’ve been mocked
You know the basics of the gospel
Who Jesus is & that He died on the cross
You’re part of the community of faith.
Remember God’s Faithfulness
to you in your past suffering
Carefully consider what you’ve learned
Dwell on what you know of God
Of the faithfulness you’ve seen in Him
You know that Jesus is better
But you haven’t actually repented of your sins and trusted in Christ alone for salvation.
You’re so close
You need endurance
The gospel transforms your heart and gives you Spirit-enabled steadfastness
verses 37-39
Jesus is coming back!
The true believer lives by faith.
Faith in the Son of God
Faith in the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross
Faith in the unwavering faithfulness of God
A true believer lives life simply trusting God.
3. The Application:
Self-Evaluation
Where are you at?
John 14:15 – (Jesus) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Do you possess the fruits of the Spirit…
Are you obedient to Colossians 3?
Don’t ignore this profound warning
to people IN. THE. CHURCH!
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! (2 Cor 13:5)
Are you more likely to talk about all the stuff you have done, or would you rather be all about what HE has done?
This passage warns us…
It’s possible to go from head to hands.
And bypass the heart.
Don’t let that be you.
The writer’s confidence in the Lord’s work comes through beautifully at the end.
But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
When you truly trust in Christ
He will preserve your soul.
Repent and believe in the gospel TODAY.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob
To watch the sermon, click here
Hebrews 10:19-25
This passage begins with a summary of
1. What We Know (vv. 19-21)
Therefore - what’s the therefore there for, right?
We have confidence
God absolutely desires for us to have confidence in our salvation. 1 John 5:13, Romans 19:9, 13
Enter the Holy place
The Holy of Holies. The very presence of God.
By the blood of Jesus… by a new and living way - The way Jesus provided is new. It’s new and better permanent and full and comprehensive.
which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
The veil was the barrier in the Temple
When Jesus died on the cross, it was torn in two
The Veil here is Jesus Body
Broken & torn FOR US
Three Primary Pursuits of the Christian Life:
1. A Life of Worship
Let us draw near… in worship.
Turning our mind’s attention & our heart’s affection to the Lord. Worship pis both our privilege and our obligation. We were made for a life of worship.
We must draw near with a sincere heart.
Genuine affection. Not superficial. Not casual. Not flippant.
It’s undivided affection
You draw near to Him
in prayer
In song
In the Word
Decide that He truly is WORTH your affection and time and energy and devotion.
Come with full assurance
Confident that you can come to Him, boldly approaching the throne of Grace, because of what He did on the cross.
Because our hearts have been sprinkled clean
Jesus shed His blood for you. Your HEART (not just the outside) has been sprinkled clean.
You’ve been washed with pure water -
The spiritual renewal that happens through the Holy Spirit. Even as believers, we’re not robots who just do all the right stuff because we’re Christians.
We must be intentional, always thinking, processing, and pursuing the Lord.
2. Commit to Truth
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering
This is an unwavering commitment to the truths of the Bible.
Francis Schaffer said this - “As a man thinks, so he is. The inner thought world determines the outward actions.”
3. Engage in Community - how to do church
First - be a formal member of a local church.
1. Consider
Give careful thought to what we do and how we interact with others at church. Don’t just show up without thought. Be intentional.
Prepare your heart for worship
Pray for others
Plan what else you’ll do
Come each week having considered the radical importance of our time together
2. Stimulate One Another
Provoke others to love and good deeds
This is a sacrificial - I-care-about-you-more-than-getting-my-own-way love.
We must be intentional to stir people up to love and good deeds.
Gathering together for worship is one of the most encouraging things you can do for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Being in the worship gathering
Singing together
Praying together
Worshiping together
Looking at God’s Word together.
When you come with a sincere heart
Your presence is an encouragement to the others who are here, whether they’re right next to you or all the way over on the other side of the room.
It’s radically simple.
Show up
Look up
And you will Lift others up
And all the more as you see the day approaching
And every day - we all need more encouragement.
Our encouragement of one another should be always increasing.
Who do you need to encourage today?
The Three Things we must do daily:
Sincerely Worship
Pursue Truth
Encourage Others
May you continually pursue Jesus in these three ways:
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob
If you weren't able to be with us in worship this morning, you can watch the entire sermon and service here.
Colossians 3 Tells us that forgiven people forgive. As we come to Hebrews Chapter 10 consider this question:
Do you live as someone who has been forgiven? What is the evidence of that?
How is it seen and demonstrated in your life today?
This passage is the theological high point of Hebrews.
Here’s the basic outline of the sermon:
1. Understand Sin (vv. 1-6)
The OT sacrificial system did not bring change of heart. The law was merely shadow. If it had worked, it wouldn’t have gone on. The Israelites were still conscious of their sins - meaning they still felt the guilt. Their sin problem wasn’t fixed
God took no pleasure in their sacrifice because there were merely going through the motions.
They were openly worshiping idols then coming to offer sacrifices to God.
(Do you think He didn’t notice?)
It’s often the same for us.
You can do all of the “serve God” things
And it not come from the heart.
You can look very spiritual outwardly and be living a sinful, disobedient life.
The ultimate question, the one that we must all deal with...
The one that will haunt you and follow you and bear down on you and surround you…
How do I deal with my sin?
Just like the Old Testament system could not bring true sanctification.
You cannot accomplish sanctification with your own efforts and in your own power.
We get frustrated because we’re trying to do it on our own. What we need is:
2. Forgiveness (vv. 7-18)
Here’s where it gets good and captures our hearts: Christ’s offering brings the sanctification that our own efforts can’t. God had alway planned for Jesus to come and be the final, ultimate, effective sacrifice for sin. The blood of goats and bulls was never intended to truly take away sin.
A. Real Sanctification
Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we have been sanctified. This is our new position in Jesus.
B. He Sat Down
After the single, once-for-all offering, Jesus sat down because He has actually taken sin away. We certainly do have much in our salvation. BUT - there’s so much more to come!!!
C. The Ultimate Conclusion
The sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
He has done all that needs to be done.
There’s nothing else to do
No one else to turn to
No other sacrifice to be made
The concluding promise in verse 17 here is amazing:
their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more
In Christ - our sins and lawless deeds are forgotten!.
The Summary of Hebrews
where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Meaning - when you have received forgiveness, you don’t need anything else
There’s no need for another offering
How do we experience freedom from guilt?
That’s the real question that this passage answers:
1. Understand and acknowledge the difference between
Moral Guilt and Perceptional Guilt
Moral = guilty before God.
Perceptional = knowing something is wrong.
2. Remember Christ’s Sacrifice
We need greater remembering. Remembering that God has forgotten our sins because of what Jesus did.
3. ASK for Help
James tells us You do not have because you do not ask
It’s far too easy to just wallow in our own self-misery instead of asking and trusting in what He has done.
4. Worship
Never underestimate the importance of gathering with your brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God together.
5. Discipleship
Are you involved in a Titus 2 Discipling relationship?
Get in touch with me and I’ll help you get connected in a relationship that will help you think through your own spirituality in a deep way.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob
Click HERE to watch the entire sermon.
Read through Hebrews 9. then read basic outline and application:
Hebrews 9 invites us to consider the differences between the old and new covenant, adding texture to the gospel, so that we can continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.
Guiding principle:
God will never ask you to give up something without having something better for you.
The Old Covenant
In Verses 1-10
The Tabernacle
Was a tent. Something inherently temporary,
Outside the Tabernacle - a fenced in courtyard. One large gate, one way in. Jesus is the only way to get to heaven.
The Altar - a picture of Christ, the One who Himself was the sacrifice for our sin.
The basin where the priests washed their hands, tells us Jesus will bring cleansing and give us clean hands. (Ephesians 2:10)
Lampstand - Jesus lights our path as the light of the world. He illuminates our mind and guides us through the world’s darkness.
The oil in the lampstand is the Spirit who enlightens our understanding of the Word.
The Bread - We are sustained daily by the His Word. We have an ongoing, constant need for Jesus
The Incense - He intercedes for us. His prayers go up to God on our behalf. For the priest, the smoke kept him from seeing God directly. He saw through the smoke, it protected him as he approached the Most High God.
Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark
The Mercy Seat, which was Jesus.
It was all a picture of how God came near to His people - the tabernacle went with them and was set up right in the middle. He was there with them.
But it was also a reminder that they could not approach Him personally.
Verse 6…
Daily Service
The never ending work of the priests, continually going in and out of the temple, points to both our ongoing need for forgiveness of sin and our need for a Savior that continually meets our needs - interceding and intervening all day, every day, in every situation and circumstance.
The Day of Atonement
The High Priest put on all the priestly garments.
The breastplate symbolizing carrying the people in his heart
The 12 Tribes on his shoulders representing them before God.
The High Priest sacrifice an animal bought with his own money and offered it for his own sins wearing a simple white robe as a picture of Jesus, stepping out of His heavenly privileges becoming a man.
After that sacrifice, he came out and two goats waited. One was killed - his blood taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat for the people’s sins. Next, placed his hands on the head of the other goat - the scapegoat - that was taken out into the wilderness to be lost and never return.
That first goat - satisfied God’s wrath. It was a sacrifice for sin.
The second goat - symbolized freedom from sin. It was carried far away. As Jesus carries our sins away, bringing a clean conscience before God.
Verses 11-28
The New Covenant
Has come with Christ’s appearance. Jesus entered by His own blood, not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood.
The endless work of the priests is over.
The ONE sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for all
It has accomplished what it was intended to.
Jesus is the Only Savior
Q: How were people saved in the OT?
A: The blood of Jesus
verse 15 – …He is the mediator of a new covenant.. for the redemption of the trespasses that were committed under the first covenant
What’s the Blood About?
Death is Necessary
The covenant is like a will. You don’t receive the benefits until the benefactor’s death.
In the Old Covenant the full sinfulness of sin was always front and center
There’s no such thing as a casual/minor sin.
No “little white lie”
You can’t compromise in one area here because of the situation or circumstances.
Leviticus 17:11 – the life of the flesh is in the blood,
If you lose too much blood, you’ll die.
The gospel is vividly clear in all of this:
Sin brings the consequence of death
Blood is required as a consequence.
You owe your life in exchange for your sin.
Your blood is demanded as a covenantal consequence of your sin
Jesus on the cross is a vivid picture of substitutionary sacrifice. It was the plan all along. He willingly gave up His own blood on our behalf. By His substitutionary death, He became our Great High Priest.
The “Hand” of this passage:
The repetitiveness of the Old Covenant sacrificial system, shows the rhythm and pattern to life. Every day is the same. Get up, eat, go to work, come home, family time, sleep, repeat. God also designed new things to be part of the same-ness of life.
There’s something in your life that you enjoy - some dimension of joy that didn’t exist a few years ago and might not exist a year from now.
Remember: God never takes away one thing without giving you something that’s ultimately better.
That’s the New Covenant replacing the Old.
Mark Dever points out: God works both slowly and dramatically.
Sometimes - things never seems to change. that’s God’s design.
Sometimes - there’s a radical shift in everything. That’s God’s design.
While God Himself never changes, all of the change we experience is for our good.
While the Jews couldn’t handle the New Covenant, it brought the blessing of our sin being taken away forever, The freedom of forgiveness, and the confidence of security.
Enjoy the sameness in your life as a reminder of God’s unchanging purposes.
Embrace the changes - as a reminder that He brings new, FAR BETTER things!
Eagerly await Christ’s return not to bring salvation, but to bring you home.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ, 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob
