Let's open our Bibles, please, to the book of Hebrews, the 13th chapter. And we've been giving you these words, let us. There's two more in the 13th chapter, verse 13 and verse 15. And we've already given you the others. And we want to try to finish up our lessons tonight on these two. There's some important things on both of them that we need to discuss. So we will try to do that. Hebrews 13, verse 13, and here is what it says, it says, Let us go forth therefore, I want you to notice the word therefore, unto him without the count, bearing his reproach, for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Now then, since we find the word therefore, It connects us, as we said, what has gone before. In fact, verse 12 says, Wherefore Jesus also. So you still have to drop back beyond that, beyond verse 12. So I think the proper place to pick up is verse 10, to get the meaning of, Let us go forth therefore to him without the count, bearing his reproach. So verse 10 says, We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. for the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin," notice it's the sacrifice for sin, "...are burned without the camp. Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate," that's without the gate of the city or Jerusalem, "...let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." Now, let's think of this for a moment. So in verse 10 it says, We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. That is, those who were still trying to serve under the law and serve the tabernacle, they have no right to eat of the new covenant, the sacrifice of Christ, because they are still under Judaism and they are still trying to cling to the old ways. And so it says we have an altar, which means that the altar is here put for the sacrifice. And the Christian altar is the Christian sacrifice, which is Christ Jesus with all the benefits of his passion and of his death. So we have an altar, whereof they that still serve the tabernacle have no right to eat of. They cannot serve Christ under the old covenant. enter into the new covenant and therefore believe on Christ as their Lord and Savior. And to these privileges they had no right who continued in the Levitical sacrifices and trust in them for the remission of sins, because we have a complete remission of sins in Christ. Even though the Bible says without shedding of blood is no remission, in the Old Testament it was no remission, and we know that, and that's Hebrews 9, I believe, verse 22, if you care to turn back. It says, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. Now then, in verse 11, if you notice what it says here, it says, For the bodies, and you have 1311, For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest. Now remember, he brought the blood of the sacrifice once a year into the Holy of Holies behind the veil. and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat behind the veil, and there made atonement for the children of Israel a year at a time, for one whole year. And it says the blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin. The bodies of those beasts are burned without the camp. They took them outside the camp and burned them because this kind of sacrifice could not be eaten of. Everything was burned, the flesh, the skin, the entrails, everything was burned. In some of the sacrifices, the flesh sacrifice was eaten. The flesh was eaten in some of the sacrifices. But that sacrifice for the sin offering was not eaten. Some of the flesh of some of the sacrifices was preserved or kept and eaten by the offerers, those that offered. But no one could eat of the flesh of the sin offering. There are certain portions that were given to the priest of other offerings. See, they had meat offerings, they had the whole burnt offering, they had the different kinds of offerings. If you study Leviticus, the first several chapters, you'll see several kinds of offerings. And the peace offering and different ones. And the trespass offering. But the sin offering, no one, not even the priests, had any right to eat of that, the flesh of that animal that was sacrificed. All of it was taken and burned, completely consumed, and all was carried outside the camp, and there was entirely consumed by fire. Not being permitted to eat of this sacrifice proved that they had no benefit from it. They had no benefit from it, and they must look to Christ whose sacrifice is pointed out. that they might receive real pardon for their sins by the shedding of His blood. And His blood alone could procure the forgiveness of sins for them and for you and I. So we have an altar whereof they that serve the tabernacle have no right to eat of. So our feast is upon Christ's sacrifice, and we take the Lord's Supper in remembrance of that sacrifice, do we not? And all of this comes into play when we say, Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp bearing his reproach. And we'll get to that as we progress along in the message. So if they would not acknowledge Christ, they had no right to the blessings that were procured by that. So Jesus, in verse 12, suffered without the gate. Just as the sin offering was consumed without the camp when the tabernacle abode in the wilderness, Jesus suffered without the gate. And perhaps this was typical of doing away with all the Levitical sacrifices and the whole system of worship, and therefore we have an altar that they have no right to eat of. He left the city to its destruction. And by the way, it was destroyed after Christ. later on, and he predicted it in the Gospels that it would be destroyed, the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But anyway, let's look at these verses as we progress along and come down to this point again that we've been studying. Verse 10 says, We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. And he tells us why, that they have no right. For the bodies of those beasts, those beasts that they offered, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, now notice these two words, for sin, you might circle that, for sin, because there were other sacrifices, remember that we've already reminded you, could be eaten, but this one could not. It says, "...are burned without the camp." And it says, "...wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood," so he became the sin offering for us to set us apart to himself, "...suffered without the gate," and he means without the gate of the city. And it says, "...let us go forth," now here's our text, the next let us, "...let us go forth therefore," because of what we just studied unto him, to Christ, he is the sacrifice, he is the offering, he is the altar, without the camp bearing his reproach. Go forth from the previous religious system, in fact a corrupt religious system, to Christ without the camp, and anything that is of that nature we are to leave behind. So we are to go forth beyond that. and leave all of Judaism behind, all of the Levitical sacrifices behind, because we have a new covenant that is based not upon the things of the Old Testament, but the New Testament. Brother Wendell made me a big plaque. The board is about that thick. I don't know where he got it. It's not a 2 by 12, it's about a 3 by 16 or 18 and about 14 inches. I don't know where he finds that kind of wood, but anyway. No, that was my different one. That's the one that he carved the line out. But it's still a big board, it's bigger than ordinary, only one by. This was a one by that I'm referring to. The other one he carved out a line, there shall be peace in the valley, and line and lamb. But this one, he says, he had the Lord suffer. And he had all of the apostles, and he says right at the top, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This is my blood of the New Covenant, the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. And the Bible says, Hebrews 9, verse 22, Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. And all the blood shed of the Old Testament did not completely and totally pardon their sins. merely put everything off until the perfect sacrifice was offered and pointed forward to Christ. Just as we look back to Christ's death on the cross, they look forward to it. And these sacrifices were all typical. All these things were in samples and types and shadows and pictures of Christ and his death on the cross. In fact, the Old Testament is picturesque and symbolical and typical of what you find in the New Testament. Romans 15 verse 4 says, For whatsoever things were written aforetime, that's all the Old Testament, were written for our learning, now listen, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. So the Old Testament was written for our learning and comparison and to understand. If you turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, it will tell you that all these things were in samples and examples to us. Let's pick up Let's just start reading with verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed into the sea, were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. Now look, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Then it says, But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted, neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand, twenty-three thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Now look, verse 11. Now, all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and the word means types, types, ensamples. The other word means examples, or figures. Figures, examples, and ensamples means types. and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come." So what's written there is for our benefit, isn't it? Now then, let's think of this verse we're dealing with again. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. Let's leave this corrupt system. a city that is devoted to destruction and take refuge in Jesus alone, bearing his reproach. The word reproach is one that we need to study. Remember that in the 11th chapter it speaks of Moses who refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. In verse 25 it says, "...choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season." Now look, verse 26, "...esteeming," or counting, "...the reproach of Christ," there's the word reproach, "...greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of reward." So Moses even counted the reproach of Christ. In his day, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. 1 Peter 4, that's Hebrews 11, verse 26. Now then, 1 Peter 4, verse 14 says, If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. If you be reproached for the name of Christ. It says you should be happy. Happy are ye. Matthew 5, verse 11, Jesus said, Blessed are you When men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, by the way, for my sake, he said, Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. So if people reproach us or persecute us or say all manner of evil against us or revile us for Christ's sake, and they say things falsely, by the way, when it's true, we don't benefit from it. But if it's falsely, for my sake, Jesus said, he says, rejoice and be exceedingly glad for grace is your reward in heaven. I believe that's the next verse. All right. Now, let's think of this a moment and then we will conclude and go to the next one. We said the camp represented a corrupt religious system. Without the camp, it's a place of rejection or separation. And by the way, that's not religious integration. You know, you find the world today is trying to integrate all religions and all faiths? Can you imagine going to an assembly of a hundred different denominations and finding the truth? Do you think that's possible? That is an absolute no. You're not going to find that. All different denominations, some preach salvation by works, some by rituals, some by worshiping idols, others by baptismal regeneration, others by joining the church, or others by promoting you or accepting you on the basis of just some training you go through. You go through the school of training and you're accepted on that basis. We preached the other Sunday on you must be born again from above. It's born of the Spirit, born of the Word, and there's a lot of people who have taken the water there and made it baptism, which it's not. Paul says it's the washing of water by the Word, and then also in Titus it says, not by works of righteousness, I believe it's chapter 3 verse 5, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy hath He saved us by the washing of regeneration, regeneration, being born again, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. So anyway, you're not going to find that by religious integration. And you're going to find it by absolute separation, because we find that there are many people that deny the virgin birth, they deny the atoning death of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the intermediate work of Christ on high now as our great One and only mediator. There's all kinds of mediators and go-betweens nowadays from some of the apostles to even the Virgin Mary. Or all other kinds of go-betweens. Some people have even the earthly priest as the go-between. And even the parents say, well, they took care of it for me. And they can't do that. Because the Bible says there's one mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus. Job of old looked for one, a daismon he called him. He says, one that can lay his hand upon God and upon man and bring them together. And Christ is that daismon. He's that mediator. He's our great high priest. And he is the advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. And none other. And Peter says in Acts 4 verse 12, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name unto heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Let us then. What are we to do? Go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. And then let's look at the next one of these. If we're going to get through, we have to right now. Okay, in 13, verse 15, it says, By him, therefore, by him, by Christ, by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." When we think of the sacrifices that we are to offer, it says the sacrifice of praise that is the fruit of our lips. We need to thank God the Father for the gift of His only begotten Son. We are to offer praise to God through Christ. There are many references that we need to study concerning this verse of Scripture, but let's look at it again. By Him, therefore, everything is through Christ. Let us. And it's as if we're invited to, and persuaded, and encouraged, all three of these things, to go ahead and offer the sacrifice of praise. It probably means that we should be inspired to. In 1 Peter 2, I want you to notice what it says. 1 Peter 2. In verse 5 it says, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, look at this, and holy priesthood. Now who is it that's built up unholy priesthood? It's believers. You see, the man standing behind the pulpit, or the teacher, or deacon, or the so-called servant of God from the pulpit area, is not anymore a priest than every individual that's seated in the pew if he's a child of God. He's not anymore a priest than the person sitting in the pew. The person in the pew is his own priest, a priest in his own right. That hadn't soaked in in a lot of countries. That hadn't soaked in in very many churches. But I believe I can show it to you right here, if you'll look at it. With very much confidence and assurance, it says, Verse 5, 1 Peter 2 verse 5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. By the way, Peter was speaking to the people, wasn't he? Not to himself. He didn't say, I also am a lively stone, and I'm the one that's the head of this spiritual house. He says, And holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, wherefore also as it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded, unto you therefore which believe. Who is he talking to? Believers. He is precious. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and the stone of stumbling, and the rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye, look here, ye who? Believers. But ye, what are you? A chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You are a royal priesthood. and holy nations, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him," that's what he said in the book of Hebrews, "...of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Who makes up this holy priesthood, this peculiar people? Every believer, every believer, so that you as a believer in your own right, can offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. That's why Hebrews 13, verse 15, let's read it again. By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. So that what we offer is our own privilege and right to do that. I can do that the same as you can. But you can do that the same as I can. We're all privileged to do that very same thing before God. At any time, by the way, thank God for that. Day or night. Because Jesus, when he died on the cross, the Bible says the veil of the temple was rent in the midst from top to the bottom. And that was opening up the way into the very presence of God for all believers. Where only the high priest could go before. Because that's where the Shekinah glory and the presence of God was known to be, was behind the veil. And so here, Hebrews 13, verse 15, "...by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continued, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." But that's not all the sacrifice. You know why it's not? It says, "...but to do good, and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Now, what sacrifices can the believer offer? What can you and I offer? Just praise? No. There are more things than that because it says to do good and communicate. Forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians 8 verse 5 and see before doing good and communicating in a financial way, the Corinthians offered themselves. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 5. Look at this. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. in verse 5. And Paul was speaking of them giving an offering, their liberality for the poor saints of Jerusalem. Let's read verse 4, "...praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did," he's talking about this they did, "...this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God." And he's talking about the churches of Macedonia. And he says they first gave their own selves. What are we taught to do? First, give ourselves. Paul said in Romans chapter 12, verse 11, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your what? Bodies. A living sacrifice. Holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. So before you can give anything else, you have to have your heart in it. You have to have yourself in it. They first gave their own selves. Then we talked about already in Hebrews 13, 15, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. So the sacrifice of praise is offered, the sacrifice of praise is offered, but to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. So we not only offer our persons a living sacrifice, and that verse we gave you, 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 5, this they did. not as we hope, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. So they first gave their own selves to the Lord. And then Romans 12, verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, get these down so you won't miss them, to present your bodies a living sacrifice Right? Wholly acceptable in God, which is your reasonable service. And it says, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, back to our text again. By him, therefore, let us offer, that's Hebrews 13, 15, the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name, but to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased." One of the sacrifices we've noticed so far, ourselves and our praise, right? Two things. There's one more. When it says, and to communicate, he's talking about in the manner of giving, or matter of giving, we put it that way, in the matter of giving to God's work, or to even the poor, that was a communication of their love. Let me show you some things about communicating as far as God's Word is concerned. Look in Galatians 6. Galatians 6, verse 6. Look at this. Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. What does it mean? It means that he's to support those that are teaching the Word. See that? Let him that is taught in the Word Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." Another scripture, look in Philippians chapter 4. I want to read some scripture here. Let's begin with verse 13. Paul says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, he's commending the Philippians, the church of Philippi. Notwithstanding, ye have well done that ye did communicate," look at that word again, "...with my affliction." Now, what kind of communicate is he talking about? Communicating. You did communicate with my affliction. Now, you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only." The church at Philippi was the only one that at the beginning had a part in helping Paul in his ministry. He says, "...no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only, for even in Thessalonica He said, once and again, unto my necessity, not because I desire gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all in abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you." Now what is it? A sacrifice? An odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice. Look at that again. Acceptable, well-pleasing to God. So he considered the communicating As far as the ministry is concerned, to himself, what a sacrifice, and is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. Now look, what will God do about it? But my God shall supply all your need according to His richness and glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. You see how Paul commended the Philippians? And what was the kind of communicating he was talking about? It's concerning giving and receiving. In Galatians chapter 6, was it verse 6 that said, Let him that is taught in the word, I may have the wrong verse, I think that's right. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. That is verse 6. So think of it a moment. Those two passages, as well as many other times that you find in the Corinthians where Paul speaks of the communication of their gift for the poor saints of Jerusalem. Other churches, the churches of Macedonia, were commended. And he's encouraging the Corinth church to do the same thing. So we find that that is the way that we can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to God. In fact, Paul says that it's a sacrifice, an odor of sweet smell sacrifice to God. So, what are the three things that we offer as Christians? Back in Hebrews 13, verse 15. Let's look at it again. 15 and 16. By Him, that's through Christ, therefore let us, there's the word let us, the last one in this book of Hebrews. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, but to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Now, we've talked about Him being pleased with our giving of ourselves, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies to living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. So that's acceptable to God to give ourselves. It's acceptable to God already in the context here to give our praises and thanks. And it's also acceptable unto God, as Paul has pointed out, to give of what we have to the support of God's work. So the three things we can offer as a New Testament priest, or a priest in our own right, to offer, this is offering sacrifices. This is not coming and pleading with our great high priests for blessings. That's another part of it. But the three things we offer is ourselves, our praises, our thanks, our persons, our praises, if you want to put it that way, our persons, our praises, and our purses, if you'd like to put it that way. Three P's. our person, our praises, and our purses. And where we offer that, these are sacrifices that God is well pleased with. And that's what the Bible teaches. Therefore, Paul said to the Philippians, but my God, because you've done this, shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That's 4.19. So when we meet the conditions of following God's Word, God's going to bless us. You know, the Bible says in Psalm 1, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Now listen, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night, and he shall be like a tree planted. We sang about it a little bit ago, didn't we? I shall not be moved. We shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. that bringeth forth his fruit in this season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." And it says, The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. It says, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but even the way, the way of the ungodly shall perish. In those six verses in the first psalm, you have an introduction to all the psalms, to the whole of all the 150 psalms, because you'll find the blessings upon God's people that follow His Word, you'll find God's judgment upon those who reject it. And it goes all the way through the wonderful Psalms. When you think of the 73rd Psalm, the psalmist said, you know, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked, my feet were almost slipped. I was on slippery ground. I was like walking on ice. And I was envious at the foolish, said they cry out against the heavens. and their voices against God, and they speak lightly of death, they go on and he says, You know, the psalmists begin to say, I've cleansed my hands in vain. I've turned to God and tried to do right. And he says, I'm plagued all the day long. I have all kinds of troubles. And he starts naming how that the wicked prosper and he's plagued and he has to suffer chastening. I'm chastened all the day long. That's part of it. Then he gets down about the middle of the psalm, 73rd, and he says, until look, this is the turning point. Until I went into the sanctuary of God, Then understood I their end." He says, "...thou hast set them in slippery places." He said, I'm on solid ground. And he starts telling about what's happened to them. And so, we find that it's a different story then. The time is gone. We trust that we've gotten some good things out of these, let us, sacrifices, and the things we've studied. And so, let's let that conclude.