I thought this Lord's Day to discuss the subject of the place the Lord Jesus never went. The place the Lord Jesus never went. In His deity, of course, the Lord Jesus is everywhere. He's omnipresent. There's never a place that He hadn't been and never a time He wasn't there. The Lord Jesus is everywhere. But in his humanity, there is a place that Jesus never went. And this is important because it touches upon a concern that I've had for several months now over the evil of the blasphemy of the mass. To take the Lord's name in vain in the celebration of the so-called transubstantiation of Christ's body and blood and the presentation or the re-presentation of it as a sacrifice that propitiates God's wrath against sinners and that brings about the remission of sin. In this world, it is said there are 1.4 billion adherents to the Roman Catholic false religion and in the United States, 54 million. So this is a substantial number of people who are nominally called Christians who blaspheme Christ's death on a regular basis. Really their whole religion is bound up in and based upon the blasphemy of the Lord Jesus at the Mass. Now Hebrews gives a rebuttal to the mass and its blasphemy and to charlatan priests who have been appointed by men and not by God and to the silly notion of transubstantiation. Hebrews tells us that Christ is a different high priest than of the priests of Aaron's line. In Hebrews 7 at verse 11, we read this. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar." So the writer is here making the argument that we wouldn't need a new priesthood of a different line if by the Levitical priesthood perfection could be brought to the Lord's people. Why would we need a new priest? Why would we need new sacrifice? Why would we need to have a priest that pertains to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar. That is a reference to the fact that only the children of Levi under the Old Testament law could attend the altar as far as carrying on its sacrament and so forth. But yet our priest, the Lord Jesus, is not of that line. He's not of the tribe of Levi. He's out of a different tribe of Israel altogether, a tribe that never attended at the altar of sacrifice. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. And it is yet far more evident that for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there riseth another priest, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." Christ's high priesthood is of a completely different sort and type. and origin and basis than any of the priesthoods that God ever authorized by His law and in His Word. Now, consider focusing in on the point under discussion. Consider the holy place, the holy place where the priest offered and operated We see this in verse 1 of Hebrews chapter 8. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest who is set on the high hand of the throne of the majesty of the heavens. Note well the location of our high priest. The writer of Hebrews gets to that point before he even gets to the point of what the sacrifice consisted of, doesn't he? He said, we have this new different high priest of Melchizedek's order who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty of the heavens. So the location of our high priest in carrying out his duties is in heaven itself at the right hand of the majesty on high, a far exalted place over the lowly place that Aaron and his offspring carried out the work of the priesthood the tabernacle, which later we will see was made by hands. And then notice this also, that it says that the high priest that we have, he's set on the right hand of the throne. That means he's personally there. His body is there. He's substantially there. He's been established there. He's been purposefully exalted and placed there who is set at the right hand of the throne of the majesty of heavens. A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. So here we see another delineation. Christ is the minister of the true sanctuary and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man." This is not like the tabernacle of cloth and boards and other such things that were described in such minute detail in the books of Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers that were made at the commandment of God to be sure, but by the hands of skillful men but rather this is a tabernacle and this is a sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not man." This is a great marked contrast between the two tabernacles. Tabernacle under the old covenant and the tabernacle under the new covenant. It's manufactured by God Himself directly. It's not constructed, it's not set up by the hand of men, but rather by the hand of God. So it's in a different exalted place, and it's made by God Himself and not by the hands of men. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity that this man must have somewhat to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing there are priests that offer gifts according to the law. who served under the example and shadow of heavenly things. As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for see saith he, that is saith the Lord, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." So here the writer of Hebrews is stressing this point, that the character of this true tabernacle is far and above the character of the old tabernacle which was pitched by man. It has different sacrifice, different gift. It is the original of the mere copy, of the mere shadow, of the mere type that was constructed by men at the commandment of God. Moses was admonished to make sure you do all these things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. So the tabernacle of the Lord in heavenly places is the original design. The one made by Aaron and Moses was a mere copy, a mere picture, a mere shadow, a mere type. It represented that which was above and that which was perfect, but it could not be that which was above or that which was perfect. So the character of this tabernacle in which our Lord Jesus as our high priest serves is far and away above the character of the tabernacles made by the hands of men. It's in a better place. It's in a place of power. It has a better sacrifice and a better high priest. But notice in Hebrews 9, the writer goes back to stress the inferiority of the physical tabernacle in this world. You can see in Hebrews 9 verses 1-10 the following, Then verily the first covenant, that is, Moses' covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary. A worldly sanctuary compared to a heavenly sanctuary and holy place made by the hand of God. For there was a tabernacle made, the first wherein was the candlestick and the table and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded in the tables of the covenant, and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into the second with the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people. The Holy Ghost thus signifying it the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. So notice here that the writer of Hebrews in a sense denigrates the physical tabernacle, the first tabernacle. Because the fact that only the high priest could go into the holiest place once a year and not without the blood of a sacrifice, this means that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was yet standing. So here is an inferiority of the tabernacle made by the heads of men, constructed by the heads of men, even though it was made after the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle. Here's an inferiority of it, that it signified the way in which it was built, constructed, and the way in which it was used by the priest. It signified a place of inferiority. It signified the borrowing of God's people from before the presence of a holy God in the holiest place because they could only be represented by this bloody sacrifice that had to be repeated every year and which could never take away sin, which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices which could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and divers, washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them. till the time of reformation. So here is a segment of scripture that describes the inferiority of the physical tabernacle and the sacrifices that were made therein. We next come to verse 11, which is a verse of great high contrast. Verse 11, but Christ being come and high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. So Christ is a high priest, not of the earthly tabernacle, not of any tabernacle made by the hands of men. He's coming high priest of good things to come by greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, not of this building. Christ has come to serve in the heavenly tabernacle made by the hand of God and not by the hand of men. And it is highly exalted. It is a greater and more perfect tabernacle. It does not signify the inferiority of the sacrifices being made in the earthly tabernacle, but rather the superiority, the perfection, the glory, the beauty of the sacrifice presented in the heavenly tabernacle. Verse 12, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. So notice that the old tabernacle had to be entered and left and entered and left repeatedly with inferior sacrifices that could never take away sin. But in the heavenly tabernacle, our high priest takes his sacrifice, his own blood, one time, one time for all. He enters into the holy place to present that sacrifice himself, having obtained eternal redemption for us. This is an eternal redemption that his one-time sacrifice purchased on Calvary's tree, in which he presents in the heavenly tabernacle, not made by the hands of man, but made by the hand of God. And it only happens once, because it finishes the work of redemption. And now we come to mention the text of where Christ never went, the place Christ never went. Obviously, Christ went into the perfect heavenly tabernacle. He went into it once to present His perfect offering for our sin that takes away our sin. He went into that tabernacle, but where is the place that He never went? Well, at verse 24, we read this, for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." So Christ has entered into the holy place made by the hand of God, that is, heaven itself, and He appears there in the presence of God for us with His sacrifice, which He perfected one time and which has taken away our sin." But notice this, Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are only the figures of the true. Christ did not practice His priesthood in such places. He did not enter into such lowly places. as mere copies and mere types of the true tabernacle of God in glory. And He did not present an offering in the tabernacles made by hands, the earthly tabernacles. He did not appear there with that sacrifice, but only in the tabernacle in glory. And then look at the end of verse 26. Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Again, a reiteration of the one-time offering that was made on Calvary's tree and it was presented in the heavenly tabernacle. and not in tabernacles made by the hands of men." Notice in verse 24, it says, not only did Christ not enter into the holy places made with hands, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. For Christ is now there. attending to the intercession for His people, to the presentation of Himself as the sacrifice. When Christ is there for us, have you ever given any thought to the fact that He is there in His humanity? His body is there. He is personally there. He is physically there. Now, some hyperpreterists claim that At some time after Christ rose from the dead, His human body was stripped away from Him and He was deincarnated. And now He's just a spirit and not in glory. It is a personal human body representing His creatures, mankind whom He has saved. Not they're representing us in that body, but in some ethereal spiritual body. which has no substance. But that's not what the Scriptures say. It says He appears there now for us. That means that it's a never-ending representation and appearance by the body of Christ for His people. In Hebrews 10, we read these words at verse 12. This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting to his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." But notice it describes his offering as perfect, complete, and finished. And it describes that after he had offered that one sacrifice forever, sat down on the right hand of God. There is no time and place for Christ to make any additional sacrifices because He's perched in the heavenly holiest place. And He always will be for all eternity for His people. The sacrifice is finished. You see, the priest couldn't go into the holy place without the sacrifice in hand. And Christ has His sacrifice in hand and He's entered in Now for us to intercede and to bless us. Now this brings us back to the subject of the blasphemy of the mass. It ought to be obvious if you've heard what I said, but let's remember some of the aspects of the blasphemy of the mass that we may put out of our minds. They're so odious to us, but you remember the great point that is made by the Roman Catholic theologians that The priest commands Christ to appear. And where does he command Him to appear? In the tabernacles made with hands. The place that Christ never went. They command Him to appear. And they go on and on about how Christ has to obey the priest in the call for the transubstantiation. That Christ has no choice but to come back. into their presence, into their little shabby tabernacle made with hands. No matter how gaudy it might be, no matter how gold-encrusted, no matter how many idols might be in there, no matter how much incense, gold, those tables that they offer the mass on, and such and so, that the priest commands Christ to appear, to appear in a place where Christ never appeared. and certainly never went to make any sacrifice for sin. But notice even more humiliating is they've gone so far as to say that once the bread is consecrated and has been transformed, transubstantiated into the body of Christ, if there's any left over, they lock him into a box called the tabernacle. a tabernacle made by hands within their tabernacle made by hands. But Christ never appeared in a tabernacle made by hands, rather in heaven itself to present His offering before God for us. And then we see that under the mass, the priest forces Christ to appear in this tabernacle. and holy place made with hands, so-called holy place, the place that He never went, and takes Him down from the heavenly holy place where He actually dwells for us, making intercession for us. And then notice that the mass denies the perfection and the completion of Christ's sacrifice. That is, that it was finished once, it was presented once in the heavenly holy place, the heavenly tabernacle made by the hand of God. And then it is represented by Christ who is sitting there at the right hand of God. But in the mass, you see, this offering for sin is represented in the tabernacles made by hands. by the charlatan priest who was never appointed by Christ to have any power or responsibility to present his offering. Only Christ can present his offering in glory and he's done so already. But they teach that the sacrifice of the mass represents over and over again the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. and that it's presented by the priest before God for the remission of sin and for the appeasement of God's wrath for sinners. They call it a propitiatory sacrifice. But there's only one propitiatory sacrifice which Christ made, and He's already presented it in the holiest place in glory. Only Christ has the right to offer up His body and blood. and He already has, and He never will have to again, because it was a one-time offering for sin that perfected His people. And notice therefore that we have a counterfeit falsified sacrifice presented in the wrong place by the wrong priest, in a tabernacle made by hands and not a tabernacle made by God in a place where our Lord Jesus never went. How do you think Christ feels about such blasphemy? How ought we to feel about such blasphemy? How it ought to break our hearts to see poor lost people putting their trust in a fake priesthood, a counterfeit sacrifice, presented in the wrong place, when our Lord Jesus has already made the sacrifice, taken away our sins, and presented it in the tabernacle made without hands in glory. Now, our priest, is in heaven for us now at the right hand of God, representing His sacrifice, which He once presented and which has perfected us already and therefore can't be repeated or re-represented, can't be applied anew by a fake priest in tabernacles made by hands for the remission of sin or for the appeasement of God's wrath against us. Why? Because our sins have been taken away already. We've trusted in Jesus. And God has no wrath left for us. He exhausted it upon his dear son on Calvary's tree, once and for all in our place. The Lord Jesus is there for us, having presented himself as our one-time offering for sin. And he commanded us to remember his sacrifice, not to repeat it, not to regenerate it or represent it, but rather to remember what He did that one time when He died on Calvary's tree. You remember the Lord Jesus said, it is finished. When He bowed His head and surrendered up His life to His Father, how dare anyone say, no, it's not finished. We got some more machinations to go through. We got some more rituals to go through, more unscriptural, man-made actions to try to make it all better, try to finish it for us. try to cleanse ourselves of sin which has accumulated because we really don't believe that Christ's sacrifice finished the work and saved His people once and for all. So around this table, we don't celebrate the bread and the wine as some sort of ritual that purges us again of sin, takes away sin, no. We celebrate it as the image and picture of what Christ left for us to remember Him by, that He has accomplished our redemption and He has purchased our pardon and His sacrifice is complete. And He has already presented it before the throne of grace in the tabernacle made by the hand of God and not by the hand of men. That's why believers can celebrate the Lord's table anywhere. They don't have to have a cathedral. or a fancy church building or stained glass or organs or choirs or some bogus person wearing a fancy outfit and a hat and swinging that purse with that incense in it, all that nonsense. We don't have to have any of that while you can read that even Christians in communist slave labor camps would meet in secret places and celebrate the Lord's table and remember Christ's death. They could do that because they were not celebrating it in tabernacles made by hand, but rather they were spiritually recalling and rejoicing in the work that Christ did in the tabernacle that's made by the hand of God and not by men. So let's give thanks for the Lord's table. And let's pray that the Holy Ghost will cause us to really grasp what it signifies and to really repudiate what it does not. Praise God. Let's give thanks first for the bread that pictures the body of Christ broken for us. Oh God, our Father, we rejoice in the fact that our Lord Jesus has finished the sacrifice It was a one-time offering for sin. He did not have to come back often and sacrifice himself. and we don't have the right to represent His sacrifice before the throne of grace, for He's there now representing that sacrifice which He has presented to you one time. And we give you the praise for where He is and for where He carried out His work. We thank You that He laid down His life and gave His body as a sacrifice, and it was riven and torn in our place and for our crimes. Thank you that He left us this bread to remind us of what it was He accomplished already for us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. The Scriptures tell us that on the night our Lord was betrayed, He took the bread and He blessed it and He broke it and He said, take and eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. I'd like to ask my father if he'd give thanks for the cup that pictures the blood of the Lord Jesus shed for us. The scriptures tell us after they had supped, Jesus took the cup and blessed it and said, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new covenant in my blood for the remission of sin. Do it as often as ye do it in remembrance of me. And the scriptures tell us that as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we do preach. the Lord's death until he comes. Well, let's stand and sing number 100 in the Black Book. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace nor wash away its stain, but Christ the heavenly Lamb took all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they. We now look back to see the burden now that's bare when hanging on the accursed tree, for all our guilt was there. Number 100.