Sunday service, Jabulani Dube, 30 Jul 2017
Heb 4:14-16, “14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
The world is upside down and things are in a terrible state today. Life is cheap and it is easy to steal and kill; it is the order of the day. Murder, rape, robbery etc. are rife and we can only say that God can change it. God’s return is close at hand. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is near as the prophecy is being fulfilled. People love themselves. They love money and dress provocatively. They no longer follow the old time religion of the Bible. In 1966 during the revival God gave us one heart. The heat was turned up and those that went through it, know what it was like. All the starch came to an end. Apartheid between whites and blacks came to an end. We who went through that time, experienced that racialism came to an end. A stone in the river bed can stay for 10 years but when you break it, it is stone dry. It is the same with some people. They hear the gospel but aren’t touched. Each one must examine himself or herself and ask, “Am I a part of God’s working?” Till today people are turning to God in tears and you see God is still at work. It is not just a shallow repentance where you just say you accept the Lord Jesus. It is much deeper.
2Peter 2:22 puts it well, “Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”. We shouldn’t be like a dog that goes back to its vomit. It confuses one. How can it be that a person who smokes or does drugs confesses it and goes back to it again. I’ll just swear or slap a person and just confess it. The Bible says woe to the one who sins intentionally. It confuses me how people just sin again. They will taste hell in this world already. People watch dirty DVDs and it kindles lust which consumes that person. When a person sees a woman all those thoughts come back. Sex is so easily shown. It is everywhere. I am glad that my cell phone is old and can’t do those things. Even children show each other these things. I meet up with this daily in counselling. They say their sin started with them looking at pornography. A person needs to be delivered from those demons.
In our text we read of our High Priest, Jesus, Who is different to every other priest because He has gone to the heavens and came down to Earth for us. Even a young child knows how Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary and He is our High Priest. Do we realise the great privilege we have? Do you know this High Priest, the Son of God? We don’t have a high priest who doesn’t sympathise with us. He has been tempted in every way but is without sin. God sent his Son for us who are sinners. He was willing to give up his own Son for us. Are we willing to give up our bad habits? Are you willing to part from pornography for His sake? He gave his only Son that He loved so much. Are you willing to give up your sin for Him or will you do it every now and again. If you understand that the Son of God came to Earth for your sin, you would give up all those things.
Let us approach the Throne of Grace. When you go to other people and say sorry, you are approaching the Throne of Grace. If you say sorry to the family you stole from then you are approaching the Throne of Grace. We should approach the Throne of Grace with confidence. When you want to apologise, you don’t know what will happen. Don’t worry about their response just come boldly. You can do that when you are no longer proud. In heaven you will receive a rich reward. Do you see how we must approach the Throne of Grace? It is pure grace that God sent his Son for us. There is a song that says the Gospel set us free from our sin. Those who are free say it is sweet. This gospel is why the disciples gave their lives. If people came with AK47s and say, “Stand up if you serve God.” Would you stand up? If you serve God you must expect to be persecuted. We must serve Him and worship Him who came down to us. You will not know the sweetness of the Gospel otherwise. If you have met the Lord Jesus, has he penetrated your heart? Do you sense Him within. See how sharp He is. He penetrates soul and spirit (Heb 4:12). God’s word pierces your heart and pricks you to the core. Has God’s word ever touched you in that way? If it pierces you like that you change. If there is stubbornness, hatred and jealousy where is Jesus then? If Jesus is with you in town, you can’t fall into sin. Is Jesus not in your heart? Are you just going to see girls with drugs and fall? Then you are just a chocolate soldier.
We are living in a Season of Grace. Some just confess to God. They don’t know the verse that says confess to each other and pray for each other (James 5:16). Those that just confess to God sin again. Some say it’s too terrible to confess to others. You are just playing a game. What will help you is that you are obedient to the Lord Jesus. You are like a stone in a river. Rev 20:11 speaks of the final judgement. We must remember there is a final judgement that we must face. If you play with the Gospel, this day will catch you. This day of judgement is coming in our lives. Some say hell is on earth and there is no hell. How can a God of love throw any one into hell? The Bible says one day the books will be opened and we will be judged in accordance with what we did while we were here on Earth. Do you see what will happen to the one who doesn’t serve God? When the books are opened what will happen to him? Those reconciled with God will go to heaven.
Nicodemus went to the Lord Jesus and He said, ”You must be born again.” You are born in the world and then born again into the Lord Jesus. If God created you, you must be born again by receiving the Lord Jesus. If you haven’t received Him, you haven’t been born again. You are made a new creation. The way you think changes. Your reputation changes. Some have a temper and hurt others. Some are stubborn and jealous but if they are born again, their life changes. If a person was unfriendly, he is now friendly, reads his Bible and prays before he eats. At home we would just eat but when we received this gospel we realized we need to pray when we eat, or sleep or get up. Some say that not having boyfriends and girlfriends is a law at KSB but if you are born of the Spirit, it will happen naturally. Child, have you been born again of the Spirit? If you are not born again you will experience the second death, and will be thrown into the lake of fire, hell. A man said there will be gnashing of teeth. He made a joke and said he will pull his teeth out and he won’t gnash his teeth but when he died his teeth were all there. Let’s go with this in our hearts, with this knowledge that we have a High Priest and He can save us from our sins. Let us then approach Him with boldness. But if you don’t there will be the second death the judgement and at judgement you will be thrown into hell where pride and arrogance will be consumed. How are you dressed? Is there pride in your heart? What is it like with you? Is your mirror a stumbling block? You dress to attract the opposite sex. Repent before you experience the second death.
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