night good to see you here let's take our Bibles and turn over to Hebrews chapter number 13 now some of you and I say that only some of you will remember we were here last week some of you don't remember anything from last week so I'm not too worried about preaching from the same verse and some of you probably didn't hear me last week I'm looking at you Larry and so I Maybe you'll hear something tonight that you didn't hear last week. No, I'm glad that you can study the Word of God and even the same verses, and though it may be on the same theme or subject, have something altogether new when you look at the Word of God, and so I'm Amazed when I study the scriptures how that can happen it is the living word and It has much to say to our hearts and so last week we looked at the unchanging unchangeable Christ and I want to look back at that thought together in Hebrews 13, and you can keep your seat. I'm just going to read the one verse, verse number 8. The Bible says, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. And I want to preach on that thought tonight again, our unchanging Lord, our unchanging Lord. Father, we bow in your presence and ask you, Lord, to help us as we look at the Word of God tonight that you'd be pleased to speak to our hearts from it, encourage our hearts by it. Lord, challenge us, Lord, and I pray if, Lord, there's any special or specific needs in our hearts and in this congregation tonight that you're aware of. But we are not, that Lord, you might minister to that need through the word of God. I'm thankful, Lord, you're well able to do so, and we trust that you will, Lord. Now use your word and minister to us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. As we come to this, again, this verse, obviously the thought of change is at hand. And as I thought about it I read something one person said that nothing is permanent except change. That's the only thing that is permanent is change and it's always changing and that is true to some degree. The only other thing that is permanent is God who does not change. And so, but you and I live in a world of change and we live in a world of dramatic change. There's dramatic changes that happen and we have seen in our lifetimes, those of us even that are younger, but especially and won't have you tell on yourself, but those of you that are older, you have seen some dramatic change, even in this countryside, in this part of the United States. I mean, I don't even think they had electricity when some of y'all were growing up, and here you've got the 21st century, and you've got internet in the palm of your hand, and just the changes that take place over time. And I was thinking about just some of those changes, that we have seen in our lifetimes. How about the changes in technology and industry, right? And we've gone from the old party line, you know, pick up and talk to the operator and have them connect you to now you can be even out here in the middle of nowhere, anywhere and get a cell phone signal depending on who you have service with. But it's changed, hasn't it? And really at a blinding speed, at a blinding pace. And it's still changing, right? It's still changing and there's all kinds of things in technology, not just mobile devices, but you've got scientists talking about gene splicing and genetic engineering and there's great advancements being made in the use of DNA as evidence for health and in health. And of course, again, I've talked about handheld devices, but computers that are getting faster and they're getting smaller. And just all kinds of changes taking place. And of course, some of us listened to and heard the inauguration address of our new president, Donald Trump. And of course, he was talking about the golden age of America coming back. And he gave a long list of things that we hope to accomplish. And I think at the last of it, it said, plant the stars and stripes on Mars. And I thought it was hilarious because the TV panorama around Elon Musk and he was giving these big thumbs up and raising his arms. And then somebody went and made a meme about it and said the expression your kid has whenever daddy tells them they can shoot their rockets as far as they want and they won't get in trouble for it. But that's technology, right? I mean, who would have ever thought 30, 40, 50 years ago that we'd be trying to go to Mars and put a flag on Mars? And yet, that's how quickly things change. Education has changed, hasn't it? Certainly, and not so much even for the better. I think we have dumbed down education. In fact, there's a book out, and it's been out for a while, but the title of it is, None Dare Call It Education, because a lot of it's not anymore. A lot of it, sadly, is indoctrination, and it's just a push by by a lot of outside influences, most of the time liberal influences trying to indoctrinate and push an agenda. And we've seen a lot of change come to education, and I think some of that's seen now, and of course, I don't know if y'all ever watched that show, it's kind of old now, but are you smarter than a fifth grader? And there's probably a lot out there today that are not smarter than a fifth grader. I think I've seen something the other day that says, are you smart? Now it's, are you smarter than a celebrity? Well, it wouldn't be very hard to be smarter than most celebrities. But education has changed and of course we've gone from one room school houses where you had all ages represented to now you've got multiple classrooms and then even distance learning and doing that through the internet. Remember when the focus was on what, the three R's, reading, writing, and arithmetics and yet anymore that's common core in a lot of places. You remember when patriotism was in vogue and everybody was patriotic and we said the pledges of allegiance and thankfully here in a lot of classrooms that's still the case but not so around this country. And so now it's more globalism and even liberalism and so education has changed. Let me ask you this though, do you remember when the Bible was read and prayer was in the classroom? Now some of us won't remember that and that's a sad thing, isn't it? But it just goes to show you how much things change. Government changes, doesn't it? And it still is changing and though we see maybe hopeful days ahead and there's a lot of promises being made and a lot of action being taken, At the end of the day, my hope is still in the Lord and yours better be too because a man ain't gonna fix this, only God can fix what's wrong with this nation. But I remember at least having studied in history when we had true statesmen, men that were for the people and of the people, defenders of liberty and good and right rather than today's really statist politicians who are in it for their own gain and their own wealth. and sadly that is the case in this day and age. Remember when public service required public servants and now it's people with a chip on their shoulder. Remember when our government could keep a secret and now there's all these leaks and dossiers being put out. You remember when criminals were criminals and white was white and black was black and white or right was was what was good and wrong is what was bad and you taught your children to do right and if they didn't they had consequences. Government's changed hasn't society has changed and really society changing is why all of these other things have changed and it's still changing and we could spend all night talking about these changes and if you had gone into a coma in the 60s or the 70s and woke up in 2025, my, you'd think you'd gone stark raving mad, wouldn't you? You wouldn't be able to believe what you would see around you and on the television. Say, what are you saying to us tonight, preacher? Well, I'm just reminding you, not that you need reminding, You've lived today through and you've made it to the end of another day and you've been made well aware at every turn that time changes, life changes, things change. And sometimes the changes come so fast they tumble over each other and we barely have enough time to even recognize it, to even comprehend what's going on all around us. And in such an age as this is, an age of change, many of us look for and long for the time when change was at a slower pace. Going back in time to a better day in our memory, a day that's nostalgic, that we're fond of. We like the stability of it, but things all around us or anything but stable. And rebellion and upheaval against God is rampant all around us. A lot of the heathen rage and imagine a vain thing, the psalmist said. And so we're living in days of change and rebellion against God, but I simply said all that to say in spite of all of it, all the changes we've seen or may see, I'm glad Jesus remains the same. His word is still the same. And that's again what this verse is reminding us of. Jesus Christ the same. Jesus Christ the same. And just how marvelous are those four words. In that order, Jesus Christ the same. See, your health is going to leave you one day, isn't it? And it starts leaving us from the moment we're born, we just don't realize it until we start getting older. And some of us have got illnesses even now, some more serious than others, some you're able to manage with medication and some you're not. But your health's going to leave you one day, because the Bible tells us it's appointed unto man once to die. Our life's going to change, and even in death we will be taken from this world and changed from this life to the next. Our circumstances in life will not remain the same. You can be doing great today and be terrible tomorrow. You can have money today and find yourself in poverty tomorrow or vice versa. Find yourself in poverty today and then all of a sudden that rich uncle dies that you never knew about and they leave you a bunch of money. I don't think that's going to happen to me. If it happens to you, just remember me, all right? But that's change. It's just circumstances. All too often we find that those around us can't be counted on. People that we at one time, we would have staked everything we owned and believed upon their being there for us, only to turn around and find that they're not there for us. Something's happened. That relationship is not what it used to be. It's been severed even at times. And since all this is true, what a relief it is to turn from these changing scenes that are always around us to Jesus Christ the same. He's the same. My health may get worse, it may get better, but Jesus is the same. My circumstances may change, may get better, may get worse, but Jesus is the same. My friends may forsake me and I may have nobody in this world to turn to in a moment's notice, but Jesus is still the same. What does that mean? He's still the great physician. He can still minister to our physical needs if He so chooses, but He can give us peace in the midst of that storm as well because He's the same. In the midst of chaotic upheaval in our lives, He can still give us joy to face those trials because He is the same. And when everybody has forsaken us, He's the friend that sticketh closer than a brother and never leaves our side. Why? Because He's still the same. Jesus Christ, the same. He's the one who never fails the heart that leans upon Him for rest. And if you need to lean upon somebody tonight, lean upon Jesus. He'll never, never fail you. Now I find great solace. I can go to my wife in times of need. I can lean upon her. But when I can't lean on her, I can still lean on Jesus. Ma'am, when you can't lean on your husband, you can still lean on Jesus. And whenever we can't lean on those people and those things that we have leaned on, it may just be that God is wanting us to lean on Him a little harder. Again, health will fill us, but Jesus Christ assured the apostle Paul that our hearts can be assured that his strength is made perfect in our weakness. And so Paul says, most gladly therefore shall I rejoice in tribulation and in suffering. Adversity may crash upon us, but he's the one who draws closer than a brother and reminds us that in the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, he says, I've overcome the world. Thank God, Jesus Christ, the same. Friends may desert us and we may end up saying like Paul, no man stood with me. We can also say with him, notwithstanding the Lord stood with me. The Lord will stand with you. And even when death draws near, he assures us I am the resurrection and the life. And the child of God can face the uncertainty of death in this life because Jesus Christ is the same. I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus is the same and is referred to in Isaiah 9, 6 as the everlasting Father. And as one with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, He does not change. Not only is Jesus Christ the same, He says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday. Now, there's an eternity locked up in those words, and I pointed that out last week just briefly. There's an attorney, he's not talking about just the last 24 hours, he's not talking about literally just, he's the god of yesterday in light of just what happened yesterday. But He's the same through all of eternity past. Now that's a bit of an obscure statement, and it's one that we had to kind of make up, because it really doesn't make sense. How do you have eternity past? It's just eternity. But for those of us who are bound in space and time, we use that kind of terminology for it to make sense to us, because we can't make sense of eternity, not till we get there. But the fact is, eternity stands on either side of Christ, even right now, today. He's eternal. John 8, verse 58, Jesus speaking before Abraham was, what'd he say? I am. That doesn't make sense. He's speaking of someone in the past tense, a couple thousand years before he came to this earth, and he says, that guy way back then, I am before him. I am right now before him. I mean, they're mind-blown. The Pharisees had a hard time swallowing that. But John in his Gospel said in chapter 1 verse 1 through 3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. He's not just at the beginning of creation, but He is from all eternity. And we can't ever neglect to acknowledge the eternal pre-existence of Jesus Christ. Because if he's not eternal, then he's not God. And if he's not God, then he's not the same. He's changing as well, but he is the same yesterday. What about Jesus in modern history, though? Born in another man's stable, buried in another man's tomb, the Bible teaches us. Living in a very small area of land while he was upon the earth, never traveled more than a hundred miles in his public ministry from his hometown. He wrote no books while he was here upon the earth. He led no armies. He left his truth with a few plain, unpromising disciples. He died the humiliating and most excruciating death of the cross, the Roman cross, as a criminal for crimes he didn't commit. And yet his life stands alone, separated from every other life that's ever come before or since. He has all of time absolutely surrounding him. It's centered upon his life. It's focused upon Jesus Christ. And what he said and did proves exactly who he is. Matthew 16, 16, Thou art the Christ, Peter said, the Son of the living God. You're the promised one that came. You're God in the flesh, is what Peter was saying. But the Jesus Christ of yesterday did not end in a sealed tomb. Christians are not living on a memory. He's not still in that tomb. In the midst of despair, Jesus appeared to His disciples as the eternal King, victorious over death, hell, and the grave. And then not many days after that, He empowered His church on the day of Pentecost to continue in His name by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ of yesterday is the eternal Son of God from everlasting. From everlasting, from the bosom of the Father, from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus Christ of yesterday is the Word made flesh, taking the form of a servant and being made sin for us. Jesus Christ of yesterday is the risen and glorified Christ, living His life, literally millions of lives through. For the last 2,000 years, he's been living his life in you. Ever since the day he saved you, his life is in you. And the life that I now live, Paul said, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and he is living out his life and every believer who has trusted him by faith whom he has saved and sealed and pardoned by his grace and filled with the Holy Spirit to control and lead and be Christ-like Christians in this world in his absence. Talking about Jesus Christ the same, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, but then Jesus Christ the same today. Today. And many find themselves getting upset with God because Christ is not working to suit their own private agenda and according to their timetable, if you will. He doesn't do today what He did yesterday. Yet Christ is doing exactly what He purposed to do in this age, isn't He? His program is being carried out according to His purpose, exactly how He ordained it to. It's on His Father's time clock, and He hasn't missed the schedule. And he's not working the miracles he did while he was on earth, but he's working greater miracles through his church in seeing sinners brought to faith in Jesus Christ. Some see Christ's work while they walk this earth. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised. To the poor the gospel is preached. Remember, that's the report He told them. Go back and tell John all these things are happening. I'm exactly He whom the fathers promised. Some say, well, Jesus did that then, but He's not doing it now. But consider the work of Christ in this age. Think about it. Eyes blinded by the God of this world are still being opened by the light of the world. What greater miracle could we ask for? Somebody steeped in atheism all their life, or brought up in Satanism and occultic practice, and God delivering them from that darkness in this life, and not allowing them to continue in their rebellion, only to go into further darkness throughout all eternity under the wrath of God. What a miracle, God! and saving sinners? What about those crippled by their sin walking now in the newness of life thanks to the great physician who touched them and made them whole? What about modern-day namens dipping in the fountain filled with blood to lose their spiritual leprosy? What about ears being opened to the music of heaven and hearing the sweet sound of God's amazing grace? What about those that are dead and trespassing sin being quickened unto eternal life through the power of the gospel? And the world over, gospel is being preached to the poor. Oh, Jesus is doing great things today. Some would say even greater today than He did while He was here on earth. Because now He has His people, His children, His believers, His followers, His bride, His church to operate through. What a blessing! Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, the same today, but also the same forever. It would not be enough that He is the same yesterday and today if He was not the same forever. If there was any ounce, any possibility of change in Him, it wouldn't be enough for Him to be the same yesterday and today. I need Him to be the same tomorrow! For me to stay eternally saved, He's got to be an unchanging Savior. Hallelujah, He is that. 1 Corinthians 15, 19, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men, Paul said, most miserable. But He lives. And He's still the same. And the best is yet to come for the believer. There's better days ahead. The worst is behind us. He's promised to come for us and one day we'll see Him as He is and the promise of 1 John chapter 3 is when we see Him we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. Sorrow will be removed, sickness will be vanquished, sin will be conquered and death will be destroyed. Why? He's the same forever. And in the middle of all this you have Jesus Christ. So in this changing age Rejoice in a changeless Christ. In your change in health, rejoice in a changeless Christ. In your changing circumstances, rejoice that Jesus Christ is forever the same. Whatever change may come, whatever change may happen, even with this new president and this administration, for better, we hope, or for worse, take confidence in Jesus who's unchanging. He is the same yesterday. And because of who He was yesterday, the Son of God, dying for the sins of the world, He meets the problem of our yesterday and our guilt before a holy God. Thank the Lord for that. He's the same today. And because of who He is today, our Lord and our Advocate, He meets the problem of our todays right now in the present moment. He directs our lives and pleads our case before the throne room of the Father. He's the same forever and because He is, He meets the problems of tomorrow. Those things that we often lose sleep over worrying about and a lot of times never even come to pass. Just let God take care of it. He's the same tomorrow. And He assures us of the life eternal and the home that we have in heaven with Him. I don't know about you, but what a necessary reminder. I think we probably need to be reminded daily, Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And let it forevermore be burned into our memory that Jesus Christ doesn't change. He's always the same. And we can take solace and comfort in that. And it strengthens us and helps us through everything that we face. What are you going through now? What are you facing? What do you think you're going to face? What guilt is weighing upon you? Look to a changeless Christ, who's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let's bow our heads tonight. Father, we want to thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer. Thank you, Lord, for the fact that He is unchanging, as you are unchanging. And the thrice holy God of all eternity, our Trinity in Godhead is unchanging. And we bless you tonight for that. And I pray, Lord, you just help us to keep our focus upon that. Lord, it's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to get our eyes on what's going on around us and all that's happening, whether it be good or bad, and get distracted. Lord, help us just not to be so distracted that we lose sight of you, who is the same. We love you tonight, and ask you to help us. Help us to take this word, apply it to our hearts, and use it in our service for you. Bless our fellowship here. Bless the food that we'll have in a little bit. And Lord be with each one as they go home. Keep them safe. We ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen.