Let's take our Bibles and turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. I'd like to read one verse of Scripture, verse 14. Hebrews 13, 14. The Scripture declares, for here have we no continuing city. but we seek one to come. Let's pray together. Our Father, this evening we thank you for the blessing of being able to assemble ourselves in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we ask for Christ's sake, bless preaching and the hearing of the gospel. Lord, I pray, would you comfort us. And Lord, I ask you to bless this message to the calling out of your sheep, the comforting of your people, the establishing of your church. And these things we ask in the name of our precious Savior. Amen. This evening we want to come together and hear the proclamation of the gospel. If we come together and we hear not the gospel, then we have met in vain. There is no reason for us to come if we hear not the truth of how Almighty God has eternally purposed to save His people. That's the only message that the Spirit of God is going to bless. There's one message, one gospel, And it is the absolute message of the accepted Lamb of God. His sacrifice for sin, His laying down of His life for His sheep, and they who surely will be called out of darkness by His one sacrifice for sin. And I think about how 1,500 years, now you think about that, 1,500 years, the sacrifices, the thousands and thousands and thousands, goats, bullocks, sheep, all the animals, all of the blood that was shed, and by the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats, not one sin could be put away. But by one sacrifice for sin, one sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ hath perfected forever. He has accomplished the character. That's what the word perfected means. Accomplished the character of who He says His people are. When He says that His people, cleansed by His blood, robed in His righteousness, they are accomplished in character. Everything that was demanded The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished it, perfected forever them that are sanctified, set apart to holiness. Almighty God has set them apart for His purpose that they might be holy and without blame before Him in love. And that's not just He said, I'll just call them as if they were holy. They are holy. When the Lord Jesus Christ paid the debt of His people, all of them, past, present, future, all of them paid. If the Lord allows me to live, and you too, until tomorrow, throughout the night until the end of this service, the sin that you shall perform through a lack of failing to act, to think perfectly before Him. He's paid the debt of that sin already, perfected forever. Now, according to the passage that we'll look at this evening, And then even looking back, a couple of verses there for just a second. I know that verse 12 said, concerning our Lord's sacrifice, wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Now, when the Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary, He died at a place, the Scripture says, called Golgotha, which is a place of a skull. He died outside the city, outside the gate of Jerusalem. And there he suffered the absolute guilt of his people. And in so doing, by suffering outside of the city of Jerusalem, outside of the gate, what he was doing was he was answering perfectly in reality. the type in the Old Testament of the sin offering that had to be taken outside of the camp. That sin offering in the Old Testament was considered in type. Whenever that high priest laid his hand on that, there was the offering, sin offering, and then there was a scapegoat. And those two goats fulfilled perfectly the work, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever that priest laid his hands and confessed over that goat the sins of the people of Israel, that was in type the actual imputation of the guilt of all of the nation of Israel. to that goat. Now, that goat was a picture. Now, here's all of the nation of Israel, all their sins, and God has provided a sacrifice, a type of His precious Son. And that goat right there now, as far as the ceremony is concerned, that goat was now declared to be guilty. Now, there's all of the guilt in type, in picture, laid on that goat. The other one was a scapegoat. And that scapegoat was taken to a place out into the wilderness. And there's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ bearing away the guilt of His people. Here He is paying for it. There He is bearing it away. But whenever that goat, that sin offering, was sacrificed, that sin offering was considered to be In type. Because you know that actually the sin was not truly in reality. It was a picture. It was a type. But this is what the Lord Jesus Christ would do actually. That goat was considered to be so defiled by bearing the entire debt of a nation of Israel that nothing could be done to it. but that it would be completely consumed and burned. It was taken outside of the camp. There is a picture of our Lord being made sin. As I've said before, I cannot enter into the depth. I can't even tell you in reality what sin is. I do not know. how to describe the heinousness of sin. I know it's the transgression of the law, but because of my seeing through a glass darkly, no one can actually, born in Adam, describe and tell you the fullness of what sin is. I do know this. I can see the results of it. I can see the results of what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that when He died on the cross, God hid the Son. People were not even allowed to look upon Him to see how God was dealing with God, how God was making atonement for the sins of His people, how the Father forsook Him. The Lord Jesus Christ bore the guilt of His people and cried, My God, My God, why hast forsaken me. So I know this, the Lord Jesus Christ, He died without the gate, outside of the gate. Perfect picture of the Lamb in the Old Testament. There was the blood that was going to be shed. That Lamb that was slain, there was the blood shed, the broken body, and there in type When that goat was consumed, there was the wrath of God being pictured, consuming that which Almighty God had set forth as a beautiful picture of His precious Son. Now, that blood that was shed, that blood that was taken inside the veil, one time a year, one day, one day, The blood from that sin offering was taken within the veil and it was sprinkled on the mercy seat. And that's where God Almighty met, setting forth His satisfaction, the accepting of the blood of His precious Son. He said in the Old Testament in Egypt, that lamb that was slain, you put the blood on the lentil side post of the door. And when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sin offering of God's sheep. The Scripture says God, this is an amazing passage of Scripture, it's Acts 20, 28. God had purchased the church with His own blood. God purchased the church with His own blood. Well, now tonight, let's look at the passage we want to look at. Verse 13, "...let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." As the Lord Jesus Christ went outside the camp, went outside the gate in Jerusalem. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His approach." Now that's an amazing exhortation. That's an amazing statement. Let us go without the camp. We're commanded To go forth therefore unto Him. That's what it says. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp bearing His reproach. If we go forth unto Him, we've got to leave something. You can't go somewhere else without leaving. But now, we're not in the camp of the Old Testament. We're not in that tabernacle situation. We're here. So, to what does that Scripture refer? Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him. The goat was taken outside the camp. and burned outside the camp. That was a sin offering. It was defiled. It was a filthy thing. The Lord made sin, and I say that with respect. As Brother Scott told me, he said, don't you ever, ever take away from the glory of what the Lord bore in the satisfaction, the atonement of His people. But that made sin, it was taken out, it was considered a filthy thing. Outside the camp, the Lord Jesus Christ crucified outside the city. Where do we go? Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him. Well, the answer, I think at least, begun to be understood in John 17, 14. John 17, 14. This is the scripture of our Lord's high priestly prayer. John 17, 14 and 15. The scripture says, as the Lord's praying, and He says, I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them. because they're not of the world, even as I'm not of the world. I read that scripture just a few minutes ago going over my notes, and I read that again, and listen to what he said. I've given them thy word, and the world hath hated them. The world hates God's people because they have God's word. I mean, it's an amazing thing, but it's true. I've given them Thy Word and the world has hated them. Why? Because they're not of the world. Even as I'm not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Here is the Lord's people being set forth by our Lord, and He said, They are not of this world. They are not of its cares, though we do find ourselves in that old man. They are not of this world's religion. They are not of this world's carnal, man-exalting, free-will, flesh-honoring worship. We walk by faith. Not by sight. We walk by faith knowing that we have nothing in ourselves that is acceptable to God. That's what the Apostle Paul says. There is in me, that is in my flesh, that dwells no good thing. Therefore, because We're not of this world. That's what the Lord said. They're not of this world. I'm not of this world, He said. So we've been exhorted back in Hebrews 13 to do this. Go forth unto Him without the camp bearing His reproach. Go forth, but go forth unto Him We don't come, as I've said before, we don't come to the doctrines of grace. We come to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our life. And it is His reproach. Now listen, let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp. That's where He is. Outside of this world's religion. Bearing His reproach. I looked up that word, reproach, bearing his reproach. This is what it is. To be upbraided for. To be upbraided. To be ridiculed for. To have a reason to be reproached. Ridiculed. Why? Are we reproached? He said, I've given them thy word. And the world has hated them. Wherein do we differ? What's the difference? The world proclaims salvation. I jotted down a few things here. The world proclaims salvation to be a general offer from God to mankind. And leaving all aspects, this is the world's religion, leaving all aspects unto man to work out the details and establish his salvation by his own will. That's the world's religion. Now here is the word of God. I have given unto them thy word. Here's the reproach. Here's the reason that God's people are reproached, are upbraided. It's because salvation is totally a work of God. Salvation was instituted by God. Where were you? Where were you in the eternal counsel of God when God Almighty established an everlasting covenant? Where was I? Where was I? when the Lord Jesus Christ stood as the surety of the sheep. When God Almighty says, I have chosen a people in Christ, that is final. Beloved, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification of the Spirit. The Spirit of God sets them apart. And belief of the truth. This is the Word of God. That God Almighty has a people that He's everlastingly loved. He's always loved them. This is the Word of God. I have eternally betrothed myself to you. He's always been a husband. The bride has always been a bride. She's always been the bride. Now, there was a time when she was lost, but she's always been the sheep. She was never a goat. A goat has never been a sheep and vice versa. They don't change. God Almighty does not look at them in a different way because God doesn't change. I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. The bride of Christ has always been His body. They were always His delight. He came into this world to save His people from their sins. And as their federal head, they have always been His body. When He came into this world and walked before God, He, as the head, The federal head. The king of his people. They have always been his body. I know it's a mystical thing. But they've always been his body. And when he walked, they walked. And when he died, they died. When he laid down his life for the sheep, she was laid down with him. Paul said, I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. When he was buried, she was buried. When he came out, she came out. When he ascended, she ascended. And now she's glorified right now. You say, I don't understand that. I don't either. But I'm telling you, it's so. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the things that we see through a glass darkly right now are no less real. They're true. This is the Word of Almighty God. And I'll tell you this, when He comes back, she's coming back with Him. God is eternal. He sees things eternally. Come out. from among them. This is what we've been exhorted to do back in our passage. Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him without the camp of false religion, works religion, bearing His reproach, reproached for His sake. Listen, when I say come out from, hold your place right there and I'll hurry. Revelation 18, 1-4. Revelation 18, 1-4. You know that Babylon Mystery Babylon the Great is a picture of false religion. That's the great whore. Revelation 18, after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Boy, what a description of false religion. Here's what the Lord says concerning His people. He's going to make them without spot, without blemish, no condemnation, no condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus. Here's false religion. The habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues." Come out! What do we do back in Hebrews 13, 13? Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. This is what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12, 10 concerning the reproach of Christ. 2 Corinthians 12, 10, Therefore I take pleasure. in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. A believer considers the badge of the reproach of Christ to be a great honor. We willfully, by faith, going to Him, giving Him all the praise and honoring glory, and we count nothing in ourselves as being worthy, as counted to be looked upon. So in verse 14, for here, we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. We have no abiding city here. There is no enduring city here. Everything you are looking at in this world is going to be destroyed. Everything is going to be burned up. Everything is going to be consumed by God Almighty. Scripture says 1 Corinthians 7.31, For the fashion of this world passeth away. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3. Now, it's not that there is no continuing city. But the Scripture says, for here we have no continuing city. Believers have a continuing city. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. Unbelievers think that they have a continuing city. But if they believe not the gospel, the scripture says it's because there's no life in them. We seek a city that has foundations. That's what Abraham looked for. Abraham looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. That city has foundations that's going to stand That city is everlasting. And Almighty God sets forth this foundation. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. Here it is. Now listen to this. Here is the foundation that stands sure. The Lord knoweth them that are His. The Lord knows those that are His. This is not our home. We are pilgrims, travelers. This city, this world is not enduring. But we do have an everlasting home promised to everyone that Almighty God has given a heart to cast themselves upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has redeemed His people. He is going to call them out of darkness. The Spirit of God is going to teach them the truth. They shall come to Him. They that cometh to Him, He said, I will in no wise cast you out. Boy, how thankful I am for that promise. because I can see in myself reasons to be cast out. But thanks be unto God, God Almighty is not looking to me. He is looking to my substitute. He is looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. And looking upon Him and seeing me in Him, Almighty God, the Scripture says, shall one day say unto me, for his sake, found in him well done.