If you will take with me in your book, in your Bibles, to Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. Verse 25. Consequently, he is able to save to the outermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Father, just as we sang that you have promised in Christ to the church, your kingdom, to grow her, to mold her, to shape her, to build her up, to encourage her. And God, I just, I beg, I plead, Father, this morning, through your word, tune our hearts to sing your grace this morning. Tune our hearts to yours this morning as we just sang. That our eyes and our hearts and our minds would be raised to Calvary through this text. And that God, we would find a sure and steady anchoring Christ. Father, we are thankful for Christ, His person and His work. that we can believe and rest on Him and all that He's done for us. And that though our hearts are prone to wonder, we entrust them to You. We raise them up this morning, Father. Keep them. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. You may be seated, put into Marsinto. I think if I was visiting here this morning, I wasn't accustomed to the songs that we sing. If I were to pay attention to what we sang, I would say these people are bipolar. Well, they just sang, no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand. Acaban de cantar, no hay plan ni esquime de maldad que me separa de su amor. And we follow that with, y seguimos esto con, prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. How is that a contradiction? How is it that we can have any type of security? How can we rest assured in anything? I love something else we sang this morning. Me encanta algo más que cantamos esta mañana. Heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled and thriving cease. Con gran amor, inmensa paz, en el temor o adversidad. Is that not the life of a Christian? No es la vida de un cristiano that when the wind and the waves come, cuando vienen las olas y la viento, house built on the rock stands, casa edificada sobre la roca para. The one who's built his house on the sand. The wind and the waves come and he's got no hope. We have a great text set before us this morning. I want you to see something. There's not enough words. There's not a language. You have many people who want to argue what the heavenly language is. I believe it's one we don't know. Because I don't think the languages that we know now are sufficient. Because he is indescribable. Porque él es indescribible. And so, in my mind, it has to be something else. En mi mente tiene que haber algo más. This verse shows us the indescribable nature of the person and work of Christ. Este versículo nos muestra la naturaleza indescribible de la persona y obra de Cristo. But there's something you cannot lose in the magnitude of it. Hay algo que no puedes perder. It's really easy, especially in the verse that comes after this, to get lost in the doxology, to get raptured up in the glory of Christ, and miss A key point here, and it's the contrast. You see, Paul does something here amazing. He exalts Christ in such a way that you forget about the Old Testament priest. He raises your eyes so high that you forget what he was talking about. You forget the contrast that he's making. Of the priesthood. That the reason he takes us so high is to tell us they couldn't do this. There is a different priesthood. There is a different promise. There is a different law. And there is a different covenant. I want to remind you of a text from chapter six. If you'll go with me, chapter six, verse seven. For the land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful for those who say it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it's worthless. to being cursed and its end is to be burned. It says in chapter 6, verse 7. Because the land that drinks the rain, which with frequency falls on it and produces vegetation, useful to those for which it is cultivated, So we have this warning that we covered. The one who doesn't produce fruit is burned. El que no produce fruto es quemado. That's in the fires of hell. It's in los fuegos de infierno, that he's lost forever. Está perdido para siempre. The eternal judgment of God. Juicio eterno de Dios. And it seems that there is It could be written, to put doubts in our hearts. But the very next verse, in verse 9, though we speak in this way, Yet, in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things, things that belong to salvation. He says, though we speak in a warning, of the fires of hell, de los fuegos de infierno. But for you, church, for tu iglesia, you're convinced of something greater. Somos convencidos de algo mayor. It's similar to what Paul says to the Philippian church. He says, I'm sure of this. He who began a good work in you will finish it. Why is he so sure? Because we have a high priest who's able to save to the uttermost. The one who comes to God by him. And we looked at the great doctrine of salvation a couple of weeks ago. Some want to take this salvation in this text and change the meaning of it. In the context of chapter 6 verse 9, salvation here is the salvation of your soul eternally. The question we asked this morning, the pregunta que hacemos esta mañana, where is your hope? ¿Dónde está tu esperanza? Many people in our world, many people in our society, many people even in the churches have a hope of salvation. You ask the question, how do you know you're saved? I'm a member of this church, baptized, then I do this. Paul takes it deeper than that here. What is the surety of my salvation? What is, where is my anchor? Where is my anchor anchored? He told us before. Behind the veil. And now He shows us who He is. First, I want you to see this morning, the state and condition of our High Priest. But don't miss it! Don't miss it! Because this is going to be the end. What is the state and condition of the high priests in the Old Testament? They're dead. that although many of them are in glory, their tomb remains with us this day. I don't know where they are. They're very old. But they're here. It's the same testimony of the tomb of David. It's the same testimony of the tomb of David. He spoke of the resurrection of Christ. But his tomb is with us. So, don't miss it. The state and condition of the priest in the old covenant is that they're dead. But what is the state and condition of our high priest? He always lives. I like the Spanish here. He perpetually lives. This word means he lives forever. We should take it in three ways. Debemos tomarlo en tres formas. How does Christ live forever? ¿Cómo es que Cristo vive para siempre? First, primero. His eternal life. Su vida eterna. He lives in himself. Él vive en su mismo. He said, I lay my life down and I take it up. Él dijo, yo pongo mi vida y yo lo tomo. He has life in himself. El tiene vida en si mismo. We said this morning Sunday School. Lo vimos esta mañana en Escuela Dominical. He is the arque en el griego. The first. El principio. The beginning. El nacimiento de todo. Through him comes all things. De el viene todas las cosas. When Moses stands before the burning bush, when Moses is in front of the burning bush, and he says, what is your name? And he says, what is your name? And God says, I am that I am. God says, I am that I am. What he's saying, what he's communicating is, I have existence in myself. I have existence in myself. It's the to be verb, it's a verbal hacer. My being is in me. Mi ser is in me. So he's saying I have life in myself. Él está diciendo yo tengo vida en mí mismo. He's saying my existence depends on no one else. He says, my existence does not depend on anyone else. Existence is me. Existence is me. I have existence in myself. I have existence in myself. John, and Jesus tells us in John 5, 26. Jesus tells us in John 5, 26. For as the Father has life in himself, So he has granted the son also to have life in himself. Christ has life in himself. Christ is God. Cristo es Dios. Therefore, eternal life is in him. Life and all life is in him. He can give and he can take. He has the keys to death and Hades. He is independent from any other. El is independente de cualquier otro. He is the living one. El es el que vive. No other creature can have life in itself. Ninguno otro criatura puede tener vida en si mismo. I love how Acts 17, 28 says it. Me encanta como Hechos 17, 28 dice, In him we live, move, and have our being. Dice, en el vivimos, nos movimos y existimos. It's in him we have existence. It's en el tenemos existencia. In Revelation chapter one, beautiful picture, Apocalipsis capítulo uno nos da hermoso pintura. When I saw him, verse 17, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me saying, fear not, for I am the first and the last. The living one. I died and behold, I'm alive forevermore, and I have the keys to death and Hades. When I saw him, he fell to his feet as if he were dead. And he put his right hand over me, saying, Do not fear, for I am the first and the last, the one who lives and was dead. But now I am alive for centuries and centuries, and I have the keys to death and Hades. He has the power of life. El tiene el poder de la vida. This life that Christ has in himself, esta vida que Cristo tiene en sí mismo, is the foundation of efficacy, is the fundamento de eficacia of all of his mediatory work, de toda su obra mediatoria. I lay it down and I take it up. How does Christ look at Pilate? It says, you have no authority to take my life. Because life's not in his hands. Life is in the hands of God. He laid down his life. El entregó su vida, and he rose himself from the dead. Y se levantó su mismo de la muerte. The first way in which we see he lives forever. La primera forma que vemos que él vive para siempre. Life is in him. La vida está en él. But that's not what is intended here. But that is not the intention here. It is true. It's for that. It's a great theology. It's a great theology. But that's not what Paul is telling us. But that's not what Paul is telling us. Second, Christ eternally lives for himself. Christ eternally lives for himself. This is his life of inconceivable glory. This is his life of inconceivable glory. in his human nature. He rose from the dead in human form. He's sitting at the right hand of the Father in two natures. Man and God. He lived as a man here and he subjected himself to death. He humbled himself to die. Even death on the cross the text says. And that life was changed. He died and he rose again, never to die again. His human life was changed to immortality. to eternal glory, a gloria eternal. And the life that is His, esta vida que es Deo, this eternal life, esta vida eternal, is the cause of all of His joy. is the cause of all His pleasure. It's what He's crowned with. It's what is crowned with Him. That after making purifications for sins, He sat down. After making purifications for sins, He sat down. And Hebrews tells us, the Hebrews tell us, He is crowned with glory and honor. He is crowned with glory and honor. This is the eternal life of Christ. This is the eternal life of Christ. He was set far above all rule and authority and power. Of this world. The world to come. And his name is above every name. Now and forever. Revelation 21 tells us, in the new heavens, the new earth, there's no sun. There's no temple. He is, el es, he's the sun, the light. El es la luz, he's the temple, el's the temple. This is the eternal life of glory of Christ. Es la vida eterna de gloria de Cristo. We sang about it last week, lo contamos la semana pasada. When I've been there 10,000 years, cuando estamos por siglos mil, bright, shining as the sun, brillando tal como son. Why? Porque? The eternal life of Christ. La vida eterna de Cristo. The sum of his eternal life, la suma de su vida eterna, is that he lives for himself. Es que él vive para sí mismo. This is true, it's for that. He has eternal life in himself. Él tiene vida eterna en sí mismo. He has life in himself. Tiene vida en sí mismo. And it's true, the life he lives, he lives for himself in glory. Es verdad la vida que él vive. Él vive para sí mismo en gloria. But once again, pero de nuevo, it's not what's being communicated to us. No es lo que está comunicado a nosotros. But there's a beautiful truth here if you'll hear it. The one who has life in himself, the one who is crowned with the glory of eternal life. He lives a mediatory life for us in heaven. Vive una vida de mediación por nosotros en el cielo. Hebrews 7, 16 says this. Hebrews 7, 16 dice esto. Who has become a priest not on the basis of legal requirements concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life He lives as our mediator. Working for us. The text says, he lives for us. He lives there as the prophet, priest, and king. El vive ahi como rey, profeta, y sacerdote. As he died for us, he lives for us. Como el murio por nosotros, el vive por nosotros. And he has all the power and authority. Tiene todo el poder y autoridad over all the church, sobre todo la iglesia, over all the enemies of the church, sobre todos los enemigos de la iglesia. And He lives for our good. He died for us. And now He lives for us. In heaven. And he tells us in John 14, 19, because I live, you also will live. There's something about his mediatory life. It is in the present that he's our mediator. He's living now. Working for us. Whatever is meant by the act of mediation, Christ in the present, Christ in the present is at the Father's side. Working for us. But it will end. Pero va a terminar. He will not always be our mediator. No siempre será nuestro mediador. Listen to 1 Corinthians 15, 28. Escucha 1 Corinthians 15, 28. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him. That is, God may be all in all. He'll be all in all. He will cease to be the mediator at the consummation of his kingdom. Let me tell you why. Because we'll be like him, the text says. We will be glorified. We will see him as he is. We will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. will be taken to him. And no longer will there be a separation of throne and people. It just says that there's a temple. It's Christ, it's Cristo. And the doors open. The only imagery we can imagine, la única imaginación que podemos tener, that we're in Him. Estamos en Él. For eternal glory. Para gloria eternal. He'll no longer plead for us. Ya no más va a rogar por nosotros. when the books are opened. Those libros estan abiertos, as we saw last week, como vemos la semana pasada, and he says, this one is paid for. Y dice, este esta pagado. All of Christ is applied to us. Todo de Cristo aplicado a nosotros, and we're changed. Estamos cambiado. Sin and death are gone. El pecado de la muerte se van, and we're like him. Estamos como el. Oh, what a glorious thought. Que pensamiento tan glorioso. That's our hope. Es una esperanza. But we live now. But we live now. We fight now. We're not that now. We have to wake up and go back to the world tomorrow. We have to deal with ailments tomorrow. We have to deal with our own flesh. And our bad attitudes. Hardened hearts. My family's not here. Every year they go for a month. I think it's easier to live like a Christian by yourself. I have these thoughts of just basking in holiness the whole time. It's harder. Heart's harder. Lazy. We have to fight. Paul knows this so he gives us this text. And he reminds us. He has life in himself. Yes, he is crowned with eternal life. But you need to know church. He lives for you as a mediator now. Because you need him. There's no greater joy or comfort for the church than to know that Christ lives to make intercession for us. This is the fountain of our unspeakable joy. that the invitation is you can come to the throne of grace because he lives there. So then we have to ask, if he lives forever there to make intercession for us, what does he do? The whole of the mediatory life of Christ is our high priest. We can see that in three things. First, he sends his spirit. To his people. The comforter, I'm going there and the comforter is coming. Without the comforter, the church wouldn't make it. We depend on the Spirit for at least five things. I had eight written down, but I had to leave some out. So the five, what I see most important. First, we depend on the Spirit for all saving light. You cannot understand His Word without the Spirit. How does Christ mediate for us? How can we trust that he's working for us? That we can preach the gospel. And we know that he's gonna save the elect. How? By his spirit. Paul says you can't perceive a spiritual thing without the spirit. This is his prophetic office. I'm intending here, is the awakening of the heart to the truth of the gospel. Second, segundo. How does he mediate for us? We sing about it. There's a seal. put his seal upon us. They were sealed with the Holy Spirit. The habitual grace of God. That he lives in us. And we get the spirit. He moves the heart of man. And he lives in us. The grace in which we stand. He mediates for us in this. The grace in which you now stand. The church lives in grace. Christ in the work of mediation blessed us with grace. He says he sits on the throne of grace. That when we come. And we think, oh, today I'm not worthy. I really failed today. I didn't do right. I'm going to have to do some good things today before I go to the throne. He says no. The door is open for all who have come to God by me. La puerta está abierta a todos los que han venido a Dios por mí. That you come. Ven. Receive. Recibes. How does he mediate? Él es mediador. He gives gifts. Dadones. At his ascension, the text says in Ephesians, in su ascension, the text says in Ephesians, he gives gifts to the church. Da donas a la iglesia. Donas, not donas. Otros dan donas a la iglesia. This is the means of the edification of the church. Ese es el medio de edificación de la iglesia. Think about this, piensa lo. Right now, ahorita, In the means of grace he's given us. Christ mediating for his church. He's growing her and preparing her. He's forming her. And he's getting her ready for that day. When we'll be like him. When we'll be changed. And lastly, in ultimo, in all comfort, total consolation. By sending his spirit, we have comfort. Mandando su espíritu, tenemos consolación. Nuestro garantor, our down payment. Nuestro enganche. Our comfort is that He has placed His Spirit in us. Who keeps us. So the first place we see Christ's act of mediation, or His actual act of mediation. Sending His Spirit. Second. We see his act of mediation in his reign over the church. We all worry. It's gonna happen to our church. It's the same thing, we're going through the letters in the book of Revelation. This one got its lamp stand removed. The world gets worse and worse. The mundo is peor and peor. Look outside. Mira afuera. What about the church? Que hay con la iglesia? What are we going to do? Que vamos a hacer? Christ reigns. Cristo reina. He rules. El reina. We see his kingly power on display. Vemos su poder de rey manifestado. in the work of the church, in la obra de la iglesia. He rules the world by his church. El reina en este mundo por su iglesia. Trump is mi presidente. He's not my king. No es mi rey. And he's not the king of the United States. No es el rey de Estados Unidos. He's not the king of the world. No es el rey del mundo. Christ is King. Cristo is Rey. And he rules over the whole world. Y reina todo mundo. And Christ reigns in this world through his body, the church. Y Cristo reina en este mundo a través de su iglesia. En este mundo a través de su iglesia, cuerpo. At present, it may seem like the kingdom of this world has power over the church. The church often treats the world like, oh, will they let us do this? But Christ sits enthroned over the world through his church. When we die, all we have to do is look up. He has the keys to death and Hades. Paul started this sermon by reminding the church. He upholds the world with the word of his power. We see his power on display every day. Just in the existence of the world. But we especially see power as we see the work of the church. He mediates. For us, el mide nosotros, empowering us, empoderarnos as he rules through us, mientras el reina sobre nosotros. Third, I said, by virtue of his life, por virtud de su vida, he acts with God on our behalf. The only way he does this is as our priest. This is a great distinction. Many people say, well, I prayed. Mucha gente dice, yo oré. I'm good because I prayed. Yo soy bueno porque oré. No, you're a Christian. Well, I prayed. ¿Cómo sabes que eres cristiano? Yo oré. I went to Jesus and I asked him for all the things that I need. Yo fui a Jesús y yo pide todas las cosas que necesita. That's not what he means. No es lo que quiere decir. He's not your genie. No es tu genero. You can just ask for your three witches. No, no, no. He's purposed there. He always lives to make intercession, the text says. Él tiene propósito ahí. Él vive perpetuitamente para interceder por nosotros. And this expression, it's in that expression that we see the whole of what Jesus Christ, vemos total lo que Jesucristo, as high priest of the church, como sumo sacerdote de la iglesia, what he does with God, or with God for us, que el hace con Dios por nosotros. I think it's important that we ask what is the act of intercession. Many want to reduce this act of intercession to merely prayer. Let me explain. They just want to say, He takes our prayers to God. I have two problems. If Christ wants to tell God something, if God is going to say to God, His words are better than mine. The text says when we don't even know what to pray, He intercedes. He moves. I think this idea that Jesus simply is like a messenger, that takes our prayers to God, I believe that's a Roman idea. It's a Popish idea. John of Christosanum even gave an illustration like this. Juan de Christosanum dio una ilustracion. And he was trying to illustrate this text. Estaba tratando de ilustrar este texto. And he said, there was a young boy. Dice que había un joven, and his dad was out on a trip. Su padre estaba en un viaje. He goes to his mother, he says, I want to make something beautiful for my dad when he comes home. And his mom says, why don't you go pick him some flowers? So he goes out in the field and he picks all these flowers. And he comes in and there's lots of weeds mixed in with the flowers. And it looked really ugly. So the mother began to take them out. And she prepared them for the father. And he says, that's what Christ does with that prayer. No. It's more. Es más. It's not just Him beautifying my words to make them acceptable. No es solamente Él haciendo más hermoso mis palabras para hacerlo aceptable. That is demeaning to the totality of the work of Christ. Esa es una degradación de la totalidad de la obra de Cristo. Would you consider the types? Consider esas tipos. In the Old Covenant, Antiguo Pacto, intercession of Christ was typified. I think in three ways. First, by the continual fire at the altar. Where incense was laid on it. It was by that fire that the sacrifices were burned. This altar always had to have a fire. He stands right now as that fire. Bearing the marks on his hands and his side. Serving as the sweet aroma for us. Second. His intercession is typified by the morning and evening sacrifice. Every day, cada dia, so that you're in right communion and covenant with God. Had to be done. Daily. Diario. Morning and evening. Mañana y tarde. But he entered once for all by means of his own blood. Pero el entró una vez para siempre por medio de su propio sangre. Thus securing eternal redemption. Asegurando redención eterna. Lastly, the incense in two ways. En final incenso, en dos formas. It was one incense that the priest would burn. When he was going to go into the Holy of Holies. And he had to burn so much incense. The Ark of the Covenant was covered. And especially the mercy seat. Had to be filled with incense. It was smoke. Before he could enter in. This incense was to be taken from the coals of the burnt offerings. We're reminded of this in Isaiah 6. Woe is me! For I'm undone! I'm a man of unclean lips! It says the angel takes the coal and reminds him. You remember the sacrifice. That's the act of mediation. You doubt Judas, look up. He stands there. But second. The constant incense in the outer courts. This symbolized the prayer going up. That Christ makes us the church. A fragrant incense to him. Our prayers go up and are a blessing. Not because Christ made my words better, but because it's covered by his blood. Do you ever think about the silly things we attempt to do? And all of a sudden the Lord blesses them? I was thinking about something this week. We have possibly the worst planned youth camp in the history of youth camps. We just say, do whatever you want. We're gonna preach some sermons. Everybody else has their, Shirts on and they're bright colors. And we're just this poor church. They have the fancy van. They have all the fancy people. In the last two years, the Lord has saved someone at that camp. Through our own foolishness. That the Lord has regenerated one. Why? Because He takes what we do. And He blesses it because it's in Him. When we consider the means, his blood, his work, his persons, pleading for his own. Worthy is the lamb who is slain. When we consider what is at the heart of His nature of intercession, we have a model of it in John 17. pre-scribing, él is pre-escribiendo what he's going to do. ¿Qué va a hacer? When we look at John 17, cuando vemos Juan 17, the high priestly prayer, oración de su sacerdote, he's showing us the nature of his person and work with God. Está mostrando la naturaleza de su persona y obra con Dios. He says this, dice esto, I'm praying for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me for the yours. El dice, yo ruego por ellos. No ruego por el mundo, sino por los que me has dado porque son tuyos. His work of mediation, His work of intercession is intentional for the elect. He says in verse 20, I don't ask for these only. but also for those who will believe in me through their word. He says, I'm not praying for everyone. He said, no estoy orando por todos. I'm not asking for everyone. No estoy pidiendo todos, but I'm praying for these. Estoy orando por esos. I'm interceding for these. Estoy intercediendo por esos. The ones you've given me, los que me has dado, and they're gonna believe by the word. Van a creer por la palabra. I'll end here. Termino aqui. What is the benefit and the comfort to the church? While we live here, it's this. Two things. First, primero, if my life is in His hands, I'm good. It doesn't matter the circumstance, no importa la circunstancia. I can look up and see him there. Puedo mirar arriba y ver el ahí. Secondo, I can trust him to do everything he said he's going to do. Puedo confiar que el va a hacer todo lo que el dijo que va a hacer. that I can set my hands to the plow and not worry about what's behind. While we live, we have comfort that he's there. When we die, we die like none other. I was reading a book this week. It says, when the saint dies, he only has to go halfway. Because Christ meets us. And carries us. It says, when he dies, he doesn't die in fear. Why? Because he already died to fear. He already died to himself every day. That when he dies, his heart and his mind is already in heaven. Death is a big deal. That death is merely this, for the saint. He's just resting from earthly work. That's it. When he dies, he just stops working on the earth. He's in glory. And third, at the last judgment, in a juicio final, he stands before the judge of all the earth Why? He's able to save to the uttermost because he lives perpetually making interception. But for the one who is not in Christ, You don't have any comfort while you live. You can cover your dead heart with things, but it will not suffice. You live in a terror and fear of your own death. And when you die, it's worse. You have no comfort in death because all you have is here. And the worst part when you come to judgment. Who you are and what you've done is all you have to present. No one's interceding for you. But let me tell you some good news. Christ is able to save everyone who comes to God by Him. And He always intercedes for you. If you'll come in repentance and faith by the Lord Jesus Christ to God. Let's pray. Que podemos confiar directamente en ti. Confiar que es bueno. Que tú harás todo lo que tú has propuesto hacer. Dios, ayúdenos a tener fe. Dios, yo pido que aún en este momento trabajas los corazones de los que no te conocen. Causarlos a creer. Dale su espíritu. Que ellos puedan mirar arriba y ver a Cristo. Ayúdanos esta mañana, Dios, como iglesia, a crecer y madurar. Confiando en ti, más y más. En nombre de Cristo Jesucristo, oramos. Amén.