How is it to be Offered?

Introduction: The Better Things of the New Covenant and the Sacrifice of Praise

0:02 Hebrews chapter 13, verses 15 and 16.

0:08 You remember that the main thrust of the letter to the Hebrews was an exposition of the better things of the new covenant interspersed with tremendously sobering warnings concerning the danger of failure to enter into these better privileges of the new covenant, all of which was calculated by the writer to the Hebrews to turn them away from this dalliance with going back into the old paths and away from Christ and the richness of new covenant blessing. At the end of that epistle, as so often you will find in the various epistles of the New Testament, there is a collection of various exhortations, all of which in one way or another are based upon the doctrinal portion that has been unfolded and in the midst of this. These various exhortations to practical Christian life and service, we have this directive, Through him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of lips which make confession to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. In our previous study, we focused, first of all,

1:35 on a definition of the sacrifice of praise. When the writer to the Hebrews exhorts the people of God to offer up this sacrifice of praise, just what is he talking about? Well, we are helped because he himself gives us a definition of the sacrifice of praise. He says, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.

2:03 The sacrifice of praise, then, is that sacrifice which is formed by the lips of the people of God when they confess with those lips from the heart their acknowledgement of the revelation God has made of himself in Jesus Christ, particularly the revelation concerning the better things of this better covenant based upon better sacrifices and a better priesthood, and upon better promises. This sacrifice of praise, then, is that sacrifice which is constructed of the materials of thanksgiving to God for the revelation of himself. And I would quote, and this was all I'll do to review that point, these very profound words of John Owen relative to this text, in which he makes an observation. It's observation number seven. Upon the text, a constant solemn acknowledgement of the glory of God and of the holy excellencies of his nature, for that is his name, in the work of the redemption of the church by the suffering of Christ, is the principal duty of the church and the animating soul and principle of all other duties, whatever. The principal duty of the church is not found in the work of the Lord.

3:30 It is found in the work of the Lord. It is found in the work of the Lord. It is not found in her hands. It is not found in her feet.

3:35 Nor is it found in her lips speaking to men. But her principal duty is found in this sacrifice of praise. This constant solemn acknowledgement of the excellency of God's nature as seen in the redemption of Christ is its principal duty and the animating soul of all other duties. Any activity of the hands, and it does not flow out of this confession of the lips of the name of Christ, any activity of the hands or feet or witness to the world that is not the overflow of a glad reception of God's revelation of grace in Christ may pass before men as Christian service, but it is nothing but pagan activism as far as God is concerned. The soul of Christ, for all Christian duty, must be this confession of the lips, this sacrifice of praise. Owen goes on to say, this is the great sacrifice of the church, the principal end of all its ordinances of worship, the means of expressing our faith and trust in the blood or mediation of Christ,

4:54 and of giving up that revenue of glory to God, which in this world we are entrusted, we are entrusted with all. God longs that he shall have from this place and in all the nations of the earth this volume of praise, this spiritual sacrifice, this confession to his name. Then we began a study and time ran out on us on the second great division of the text, not only what is the sacrifice of praise, but how is it to be offered. And God is very careful to give to us a prescription as, as to the manner in which this sacrifice of praise is to be brought to him.

The Mediator of the Sacrifice: Through Jesus Christ

5:36 And the first thing we noted in our previous study was that the sacrifice is to come through Jesus Christ, or this is the mediator of the sacrifice of praise. It is to be brought through or by Jesus Christ, for it is in Christ alone that our persons are accepted. It is in Christ's mediation, and intercession alone that our praise is made acceptable. Now let us continue in our study of the text we've done with review, and consider in the second place, under the heading, how is this sacrifice to be offered, not only the mediator of that sacrifice through Christ, but the object of the sacrifice of praise. Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. That is, to the Father. When the word God is used without any special signifying word as to whether the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit is in mind, it sometimes has reference to the entire essence of the Godhead.

The Object of the Sacrifice: God the Father

6:51 However, whenever you find the word God used without any reference to the Father or to the Spirit, but in connection with a reference to Jesus Christ, the mediator, almost without exception, it means God, the Father. Such passages as John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. And because the Son is distinctly mentioned as the gift of the Father, we know, then, that the word God is used, then, with distinct reference to the Father.

7:27 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him, not for us all. The he there, of course, referring to the Father. So then, in this text, the object of the sacrifice of praise is to be particularly the Father. Through him, then, let us offer up continually unto God the Father.

7:51 Now, this is not teaching that Jesus is not God. The writer to the Hebrews has already established that fact in explicit terms in chapter 1. And when one reads the first chapter of Hebrews, he comes away with the conclusion that the writer to the Hebrews viewed Jesus Christ as better than the angels because he himself is God. Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Sit thou at my right hand, God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.

8:26 And all of these references, particularly from the Psalms, concerning this one who is called, O God, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever speaking of the Son. So this is not a slap at the deity of Christ. Rather, it is a reminder that the Father is the primary object of the sacrifice of praise and of all the motions of worship as well. And this is in harmony with the entire teaching of the New Testament.

8:57 I give you just several specimen passages. Ephesians, chapter 2. Ephesians, chapter 2, and verse 17 and 18. And he came and preached peace to you that were afar off and peace to them that were nigh, for through him, that is Jesus Christ, we both have our access in one spirit unto the Father.

9:27 So the whole end of this spiritual access made by, by Jesus Christ and experienced in the energizing presence and ministry of the Spirit is here called the Father. By the Spirit, through the Son, we have access unto the Father. Jesus himself taught in the Gospel of John, chapter 4, the Father seeketh such to worship him, that is, to worship him in spirit and in truth. John 14, 6.

9:59 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 1 Peter 3, 18. He gave himself for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, that is, to the Father.

10:14 Hebrews 7, 25. He is able to save those that come unto God by him. So then, the object of the sacrifice of praise in a special sense is to be the Father. But, it is the Father of our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ, so that in the substance of that praise, there will be much of the Lord Jesus Christ.

10:41 For we only know the Father as he is revealed to us in Christ. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, no man hath seen God, the only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. In the 14th chapter of John, the question is asked, show us the Father, and that will suffice, and Jesus says, have you been with me so long time, and have not known me? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.

11:12 You see, God, when we turn to him as the Father, points to his Son and says, this is my beloved Son, hear him. This is my Son in whom I am well. Please, listen to his words. Flee to his grace.

11:26 Cast yourself upon his mercy, so that though the Father is the distinct, object of our praise, we cannot praise the Father in the light of the teaching of Hebrews without having much of the Lord Jesus in the substance of our praise. For we will praise the Father as we find him here in verse 20 of this chapter. The God of peace who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus Christ, make you perfect in every good thing. We'll praise him as the God of the covenant.

12:05 And what is the covenant without Christ? That covenant in which the Father gave a people to the Son, and the Son pledged to undertake all that was necessary to procure their redemption. And in obedience to the Father, humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And the Father has exalted him, the Father who designed this mysterious and wondrous plan of redemption, and the Son as the mediator of that covenant undertook to be our surety.

12:40 So then, it is not praising God as Father set over against praise to Christ and to the Holy Spirit, but it is praising the Father as the Father who has given the Son, and through the Son the gift of the Spirit, the great blessings of the new covenant. Now you say, that's all a lot of to-do about words. If God just hears us saying, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, isn't that the sacrifice of praise? No, He's concerned and tells us here in His Word, praise is to be offered.

Practical Implications of Praising the Father Biblically

13:18 You say, what are the practical implications of it? Let me just trace out a couple of them. It should be clear to us then that this sacrifice of praise to be rendered acceptably must be biblically framed. God does not, He does not want praise rendered any old way.

13:38 He wants our praise to be under the discipline of the Word of God. And if it is under the discipline of the Word of God, then you see we are forced to be confronted with such tremendous doctrines as the Trinity. We're forced to be confronted with such tremendous doctrines as the covenant of grace. We're forced to confront such great things as the new covenant.

14:08 Christ is the surety of the covenant. These doctrines that have been lying in the rubble of neglect and oversight in great segments of the church in our generation. Why? Because people thought if you just praise God any old way, that's acceptable to Him.

14:23 No, no. We are to render praise to the proper object which is the Father as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the God of the, the covenant as the God of all grace called here the God of peace who has initiated this way by which rebel sinners may be brought to rest in Himself. So right views of God are the foundation of true praise and praise is the right response of those right views. And here in this passage we have it set before us so clearly.

15:02 Through Him, He is the mediator, the mediator of the praise. Let us offer up the sacrifice of praise to God. He is the proper object. So if God is the object, we cannot praise Him aright in ignorance.

15:17 Therefore, when you study the Word, when we come to the Scriptures, and there are many times when perhaps there are things that seem rather obtuse and unrelated, never forget the end for which the Scriptures were given were not just to give you some kind of a little emotional jag every morning to make you feel good so you can go to bed. You can go tripping out of your house to work or school feeling great.

15:41 Scriptures were given to teach you who God is, that you might know Him and that knowing Him you might worship Him aright and that worshiping Him aright you cannot help then but long to serve Him. But having seen Him in the magnitude of His glory and majesty, you will be careful that your service is under the regulation of His own precious Word. So right views of God are the foundation of praise and I say, this because I'm sure there are times when some of you, if you wouldn't say it openly, you think it inwardly, well, I just really can't see any real good reason why God put that in His Word. And I'm sure there are others of you that say, I just can't see any real good reason why pastors spending so much time on that word there or those two words or that phrase. That doesn't seem...

16:29 My friend, it's not important what seems important to you. If God deemed it important to put it here in its Word, it has something to do with the right knowledge of Himself. And with the right knowledge of ourselves and our relationship to Him. So let us not despise then, think lightly of, disregard with indifference any portion of the Word of God for right views of God are the foundation of being able to offer this acceptable sacrifice and those views of God have never done their work until they've brought from us this confession of the lips to His name.

17:08 It's not enough. It's not enough that we receive that new view of God. There must be an affectionate embrace of it. A believing embrace of it until the lips in praise confess God to be the God He's revealed Himself to us in His own Holy Word.

17:27 There's a sort of a fad going around in evangelical circles today. People say, you know, I don't like these kind of prayers where people spill out a whole system of divinity. I want to just come and just pray and say, now, Lord, we come to You this morning and we ask You for this. Why do we have to praise God and acknowledge?

17:45 You read the Psalms. And the Psalms are full of historical events. Now, granted, some people may, in their praying, try to show us how much they know of the Bible and that's wicked. But that's an abuse of the good thing.

18:00 You read the 103rd Psalm, the 107th Psalm. And what do they do? They recount the dealings of God with His people and that forms the fuel for praise. Why?

18:11 God's name was revealed in His dealings with His people. And so then, when they make confession to His name, they cannot help but include His dealings which are a revelation of that name. So when we are led in prayer and whoever leads us praises God that He has sent His Son, praises the Son that He emptied Himself and He was obedient unto death and the great pivotal facts of the Gospel are reiterated in praise. Don't despise this.

18:42 This is the kind of praise that God Himself warrants us to bring here in a passage such as the one that is before us. Well, you see, we could draw that out into many lines. I shall stop right there. One other practical implication.

18:58 If God the Father is the object of our praise, then certainly that praise must be hearty and must be sincere. For that God is the God spoken of in Hebrews 4. All things are naked and opened before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. We read in the Proverbs about the, and this is a paraphrase, about the man who has burning lips but a cold heart and he says it's like silver overlaid upon the vessel of dross.

19:30 And what a tragedy it is to pray, to praise, to make confession in psalms and hymns and in prayer with apparent burning lips when there is no prayer. There is within but a barren and a cold heart. No, no, the incense in the old economy never filled the tabernacle with its fragrance until it touched live coals. And the incense of this confession to God's name ascends when it touches the live coals of a heart that believingly from the depths of its being embraces the revelation God has made of Himself.

The Time of the Sacrifice: Continually

20:09 Well, so much then for the object of the sacrifice of praise. Consider in the third place under the general heading how are we to render this sacrifice what the writer tells us about the time of the sacrifice of praise. Through Him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually. Now the word continually does not mean continually in the sense that you would say electric power is continually coming into this building by virtue of our connection with the power line out in the street or overhead wherever it is.

20:49 There is not a moment day or night when that power is not coming into this building. Now He is not saying that from the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed at night you are to be rendering the sacrifice of praise continually in that sense. But He is using the word in the sense that we would say that man continually frequents the local ballpark. That is, He goes there with some degree of regularity and consistency.

21:15 It is the word used in Luke 24, 53 concerning the disciples subsequent to the ascension of our Lord. They were continually in the temple praising God. Now they had to go home and eat and if they had a place of business where they had to earn their money to buy their food. But what He is saying is they did not go up to the temple just at the appointed hours just for the appointed sacrifice that they were there as a regular habit during those interim days prior to the descent of the Holy Spirit.

21:49 So then the emphasis goes along two lines. The time in which this sacrifice of praise is to be offered is to be one in which there is freedom from appointed times and seasons. Remember, He is writing to people with Jewish background and woven into the whole fabric of their thinking about sacrifice was the element of appointed times and seasons. You had the morning sacrifice, you have the evening sacrifice.

22:19 You have your three annual feast days. You have your day of atonement. You have this concept of time woven into the whole fabric of any kind of religious service. Now the writer to Hebrews says, because the veil has been rent and we have a high priesthood, continually ministers in the presence of God for us, continually securing these great gospel blessings, ratifying those promises in His own precious blood, your sacrifice of praise must somehow indicate that you've entered in to the better things of the new covenant.

23:00 You just don't bring a sacrifice in the morning, in the evening, but render the sacrifice of praise continually. When you rise in the morning, seek to discipline your thoughts so that your first conscious thoughts, if not the very mumbled words of your mouth, are this confession to His name. Does God reveal in His word that it is He who keeps us through the night? Did the psalmist say, I will both lay me down in sleep, for Thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety?

23:31 Thine mercies are new every morning. Is that what God's revealed to us of His character? Well, He wants a confession of that. Thank you, Lord.

23:41 Your mercies have preceded me to this day before our feet ever hit the floor. If we've got the cobwebs out enough to think that clearly, there should be this confession to His name as the faithful God who's preserved us through the night, whose loving kindness and faithfulness has preceded us into the day. And then on the bus, in the shop, on the way to school, in the place of business, there should be at any time intermittent periods without being localized to specific disciplines of the spiritual life, though they will include this. There must be this sacrifice of praise.

24:21 The psalmist knew something of this. He experienced the liberty of new covenant worship while he was yet under the framework of the old covenant. Did he not say in Psalm 34, 1, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

24:39 He says it again in Psalm 35, 27, Psalm 40, 16, numbers of places in the Psalms. So then, when are you to offer this sacrifice of praise? Only when you gather here in concert with God's people. No, no.

24:54 That sacrifice is to be rendered continually. God desires that it be offered unto Him many, many times in the day of every true believer. Second thing it emphasizes is that there must be diligence and perseverance in this duty and privilege. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.

25:18 Not just when your heart feels like making confession to His name. There are times when the sacrifice of praise is no sacrifice.

25:30 And I'm using the word sacrifice making a play on the word. It's a delight to praise God. I got a letter yesterday from one of my British friends and the Lord had brought him a kind providence. And he said, I lost my voice praising God.

25:44 And he mentioned what that distinct providence was. And knowing this dear brother who's got a powerful voice, he can preach for a couple of hours and not show it at all. He must have really been transported to have lost his voice praising the Lord. And he's a solid, unembarrassed Calvinist, by the way.

26:02 You know, that's possible for a man to be a Calvinist and lose his voice in praise. You know, there's no inherent inconsistency with the word. There's no inherent inconsistency between those two things, though some perhaps would feel there ought to be. But anyway, there's this element of persevering in this when we do not feel like praising.

26:24 And remember, he's writing to people now who've begun to feel the pinch of the implications of receiving this revelation of God's name. Having received the revelation of Christ and the better things of the new covenant, they've begun to experience opposition, persecution, being stripped of their earthly goods, and they're tempted to go back. He says, no, not only must you not go back, you must not simply stand there to grin and bear it, but in the midst of these difficulties you must offer the sacrifice of praise. Praise Him that regardless of what hellish circumstances surround you, praise Him that you're not in hell itself.

27:08 Praise Him for His electing love. Praise Him for His presence, for the blood of the covenant, that you're the object of His care. And I believe at this point it would be well for us to just draw out this little concept of sacrifice for a few minutes. You see, whenever a man brought a sacrifice, he had to relinquish something of personal property.

27:31 No matter whether it was the little turtle dove, whether it was a lamb, whether it was an ox, whatever it was, something that was yours had to be relinquished, before there could be sacrifice. And there is this element of the personal cost involved if we're to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. For some of us, it will cost us our itch for sympathy. You know, we're like little house dogs that roll over on their back.

28:03 You know, they come near your leg and they roll over on their back. What do they want? They want their tummy scratched. That's all.

28:09 And they can just be pesty and irritable. And you scratch their tummy and they're fine. They're like a cat that keeps coming by and brushing by your leg and brushing by...

28:16 What do they want? Just put your hand down, scratch it behind the ears and under there and they just purr away. Everything is fine. A picture of restlessness until you scratch their tummy or scratch their ears.

28:29 And you know, there are some of God's people that are just like that. When you get around them, you sense there's that restlessness all the time until you what? Until you scratch the tummies of their ears or their chins with what? Telling them that you sympathize with them in their great mountain of problems.

28:48 But you know, that type of person is never found offering the sacrifice of praise. So some of you who have, by temperament and other factors, found yourselves in that place of that constant itch for sympathy, you'll never comply with this text until that thing is dealt with. If you're to offer the sacrifice of praise, you'll have to give up that itch for sympathy. You'll have to give up that treasured discontent and find contentment with your lot and with your possessions.

The Necessary Attendant: Doing Good and Communicating

29:20 And there are many other implications that could be drawn out. Well, let us very quickly move on because time is going from us to what I'm calling in the fourth place the necessary attendant of this sacrifice of praise. The mediator of that praise, the Lord Jesus, the object, the Father, the time continually, now the necessary attendant of that sacrifice of praise. Verse 16.

29:50 But to do good and to communicate, forget not. Bound closely to this exhortation to praise is this command, and it's in the imperative, to do good and to communicate, forget not. Now what do the words mean? Do good.

30:11 Well, the word means exactly what it says. It's a compound of two words in the original, good and do. So he says be a do-gooder. Now that's a bad word in our day.

30:22 Oh, so and so's a do-gooder. Well, look it. If the mark of wicked men is that they are evil doers, how are we going to be light and salt unless we are do-gooders and good doers? And the word has a general application.

30:39 It involves a propensity and a readiness of mind to do good unto all men, and then the actings and the inclination in all the ways spiritual and temporal according to our ability that we can do good to men. The child of God is to be a do-gooder. That means when you're going down a busy highway and a poor fellow's trying to get out of a parking lot and nobody lets him out, you're the one that puts your brakes on and waves him out. And you alleviate a little bit of cussing that's going on by poor people trying to get out of a parking lot in the metropolitan area.

31:14 And you do it, as unto Christ. Oh, you say, that's ridiculous. No, that's exactly what he's talking about. Do good.

31:21 Who's to break the spell of the selfishness that marks all of the driving, almost all of the driving in this area? If the Christians are not a little bit of salt and light in their driving habits, who's going to be? In the supermarket, when everybody's complaining about that checker that's so painfully slow, and you just stand there and watch it, look on people's faces, and everybody's just, you're the one, when you come to the checker, you enter into this pleasant conversation. And you spread a little bit of the grace of kindness and general love and benevolence over an atmosphere that is filled with tension and bitterness. It means that in the place where you work, and everyone's got the cutthroat attitude, and commands are given by superiors to inferiors, and everyone's got the cutthroat attitude, and commands are given by superiors to inferiors, and everyone's got the cutthroat attitude, and commands are given by superiors to inferiors, Never graced or rarely graced with gentleness. You're the one, if you're in the place of the superior, you're the one, if you're in the place of the superior, you're careful not to unnecessarily irritate those beneath you by the way in which you give your orders. You do good.

32:35 You speak kindly, you speak gently. That's exactly what he's talking about. He's taking us from the sublime heights of pure praise on the basis of the great revelations of God in Jesus Christ, on the basis of the great revelations of God in Jesus Christ, Christ, and he's dumping us down on the busy streets of New Jersey and New York, and he's saying, you must join this activity of the sacrifice of praise with practical, demonstrable godliness. That's the necessary attendant of the sacrifice of praise. Do good, and he says, that's the general word, do good, and to communicate. Now the word here basically means fellowship or sharing, but there are three instances where the verb form means to share in material things. Romans 12, 13, Galatians 6, 6, and Philippians 4, 15. Take my word for it and then check them out at home if you'd like, but in these three instances there is no question that the word here in its verb form means to share material blessings.

33:46 The noun form, also meaning material blessings, Romans 15, 26, 2 Corinthians 8, 4, and 2 Corinthians 9, 13. So with most of the commentators, I concur that what the writer to the Hebrews is saying is this. Coupled with this sacrifice of praise, there must be this general disposition to well-doing, worked out according to your ability in your circumstances, but more specifically, there must be a sharing of your material blessings with those who are in need. You forgive me for quoting from John Owen again, but his insights to some of these things are so profound and helpful. I quote just one paragraph of his comment on this. This matter of communicating is an important evangelical duty which the scripture everywhere gives us in charge as that wherein the glory of God, the salvation of our own souls, and the salvation of our own souls, and the salvation of our own souls with the honor of our profession are highly concerned. Matthew 25, in as much as you did it not, communicate it not. In as much as you did it, communicate it. To

35:02 be negligent in this duty is to despise the wisdom of God in the disposal of the lots and conditions of his own children in the world in so great variety as he has always done and will always continue to do. Now here's an interesting thought. Why does God in his sovereignty despise the wisdom of God? Why does God in his sovereignty despise the wisdom of God? Why does God in his sovereignty despise the wisdom of God? Why does God in his sovereignty dispose his children so that some are rich, some are poor? Well, Owen gives this answer. He does it for the exercise of those graces in them which their several conditions call for. Such are patience, submission, and trust, the graces of the poor, thankfulness, bounty, and charity, the graces of the rich. And where these graces are mutually exercised,

35:51 there are beauty, order, and harmony in this effect of divine wisdom with a revenue of glory and praise unto God himself. Good men are scarcely ever more sensible of God than when they are giving and receiving in a due manner. He that gives aright finds the power of divine grace in his heart. Didn't you find that true a couple of weeks ago? When you asked me, I said, isn't there a sense of the actings of divine grace in your heart? Owen is talking from experience. He knew this. Aright finds the divine grace in his heart. He that receives is sensible of divine care and love in the supply. God is near to both giver and receiver. God's been very near to our friends in Lewisburg in the reception of those gifts in recent days. It is a token. God has not forgotten us. We who have been able to

36:53 give have seen it as a token. It is a token. It is a token. It is a token. It is a token.

36:54 God has not forsaken us. He has given us the grace to give. We have been very conscious of God's nearness in this very mundane task of communicating, of sharing. He goes on to say, wherefore to be negligent therein is to despise the wisdom of God in his holy disposal of the various outward conditions of his children in this world. No man is rich or poor merely for himself, but to fill up that public order of things which God has given to him. God hath designed to his own glory, but there is no end of what may be spoken on this head or unto the necessity and excellency of this duty. What is the necessary attendant of this sacrifice of praise? It is doing good and communicating, sharing in the needs of the people of God. And very quickly, let me say by way of application, do you see the beautiful

The Balance of Christian Duty and Necessary Order

37:50 balance in the scope of Christian duty? I've already hinted at it. I've already hinted at it from the heights of pure praise and confession to the practical matter of doing good and communicating. One has accurately said that religion has no relation to the cross of Christ, which does not incline and dispose men unto the exercise of loving kindness toward all. Does your religion dispose you to do good and to communicate?

38:26 If not, then whatever sacrifice of praise you seem to be offering, it is insincere. If it's a sacrifice of praise arising out of a believing reception of Christ, that same reception of Christ will move the heart to loving kindness towards all. See the necessary order in these two duties. God does not want us to do good and to communicate unless, first of all, we receive the revelation of himself.

38:56 In Christ, unless we've embraced the Lord Jesus as our only Savior, as our only mediator, then our doing good in God's eyes is totally unimpossible. And our communicating is just a form of glorified sin. No, no, there must first of all be the reception of God's revelation in Christ, the embracing of him. Then, as the necessary attendant, there can be the doing good. I commend for your careful reading, Isaiah. 58, verses 6 through 9. We don't have time to go into it this morning, but I've been thinking of this passage much in recent days. God has blessed us, dear ones, with a grace of giving far beyond our present needs. We would love to have a missionary family that we could send forth and support them.

39:45 We don't have one as yet. And God is blessed in our assembly so that there is an abundance in our treasury. And I've been asking myself the question, and the other elders are concerned, Lord, what are you trying to teach us? What are you trying to show us? And in the light of Isaiah 58, 6 to 9, there seems to be a direct connection between power to blessing and sensitivity to the needs of men. If thou draw thy soul to the hungry, thy light shall rise in obscurity, and thy darkness shall break forth as the noonday. Well, I close this morning with what the writer to the Hebrews indicated. The reason why we should be concerned about implementing this directive notice, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Why should you be concerned about the sacrifice of praise this

The Reason for Compliance: God is Well Pleased

40:46 morning? Two reasons. The authority of God in this directive and the approval of God upon the activity. God is speaking here in this word. This is part of what Jesus included when he said, teach them to observe. Of all things whatsoever I have commanded you. This is why I've sought to labor in study and in preparation to lay out the text accurately. Why? Because this is the word of Christ through the writer to the Hebrews. And I am commissioned and I am responsible to teach you whatsoever he has commanded. And therefore, the authority of God demands our compliance. But that's not the dominant note here. The dominant note is the approval of God upon the activity.

41:32 But move us into the activity with such sacrifices. God is well pleased. Just yesterday, one of my children did something that she was not asked to do. And she cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the sink and wiped off the cabinets. And she couldn't wait to get mommy and daddy to come and see what she had done. Now, why did she do that? Well, she did it because for whatever reason that that particular time, the thing that was most important in her mind was doing something to please mommy and daddy. And that's all the reward she wanted was for us to come into the kitchen and say, that's nice. You did a good job. And that's all. Because the one motive that was uppermost in

42:18 her mind was not to get a nickel or a quarter or something else, which she didn't get. It would have spoiled her. Her motive was to do something that would have the approbation and the smile of mommy and daddy. Her real motive in the heart of a child who's dwelling in something that's not some measure of true filial affection with his parents. Well, that's the motive to which the writer to Hebrews appeals. He says, as a child of God, nothing, nothing excites you more than the thought that you can please your Lord who has redeemed you. How can you do it? Offer the sacrifice of praise. Join with it practical godliness, doing good and communicating. And with these spiritual sacrifices, your God is well pleased. Perhaps there's no more accurate indicator of the unregenerate heart here this morning than the very mention of those words. There are some of you here this morning that could care less what pleases God. You couldn't care less what pleases God. And if I were to say, look, I'm

43:22 going to tell you something that pleases God, you'd say, so what? Oh, my dear friend, listen, listen. You're in that state because your heart is in its native and natural enmity against God. And until you have a new God, you'll never be the most delightful thing in the horizon of your life. But if you are a child of God, and this is a good confirmation that you are, when you hear, hear something that will please God, does your heart leap to it and say, oh, God, tell me what it is. I do want to please thee. Can you say with Paul in second Corinthians five and verse nine, wherefore we make it our aim that whether present or absent, and it's the same word in the original, we may be well pleasing unto God. Think of it. Driving down that street today, your heart and mind offering a sacrifice of praise.

44:16 You see somebody in a bad situation and you govern your driving so as to do good and you do it out of obedience to God. There is a sacrifice of praise, both in your confession and in your performance of doing good that is well pleasing unto God. So a sacrifice goes up continually from the practical godliness of God. And the intelligent praise of the people of God, all that that may be our portion, that God may be satisfied and his name be glorified. Let us pray.