[0:00] and going into the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 9. We're in Hebrews chapter 9. We'll be in verse 15 to verse 28. So we'll be finishing up the ninth chapter of the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 9, starting in verse 15 and going to the end of the chapter, which gets us to verse 28.
[0:15] I'll put it in context in just a little bit, but we're going to read it first, and then we'll set the context and we'll lay the scripture out. Hebrews chapter 9, starting in verse 15. If you are physically able and desire to do so, I'm asking you to join me as we stand together.
[0:30] And we read the word of God with one another, and we see what it is the Lord has to say to us this morning. The author of the book of Hebrews says this, starting in verse 15.
[0:41] For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
[0:57] For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never enforced while the one who made it lives.
[1:09] Therefore, even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats and the water and the scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.
[1:29] And in the same way, he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the law, one may almost say, All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
[1:43] Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
[2:02] Nor was it that he would offer himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, he would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world.
[2:15] But now, once at the consummation of the ages, he had been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him.
[2:40] Let's pray. Lord, we thank you so much for this day. God, we thank you for the great privilege it is of reading your word. Lord, we pray as we have read it now that our hearts and minds would be still.
[2:55] Lord, that we would take this moment to hear exactly what it is you want to say to each one of us. That it would be so much more than words written on a page, so much more than words spoken and heard by the ear.
[3:08] Lord, that it would be the very word of God which penetrates to the very depths of our being. And Lord, in that penetrating, it would shape and mold and conform us more to your image. Lord, our hearts cry and our utmost desire is that we would become more like you.
[3:22] Lord, that we would grow closer to you and to one another during this time. And we ask that you would be magnified and glorified through it all. And we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen.
[3:32] You may be seated. Hebrews chapter 9, verses 15 through 28, are the continuation of what the author has been speaking up to this point, namely, the high priesthood of Jesus Christ.
[3:46] Not just the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, but the great high priesthood of Christ. If we remember, the book of Hebrews is all about Jesus being greater.
[3:56] And it is written to the Hebrew people who are scattered throughout probably the Roman Empire, and they are scattered out various places. And they are those who have heard about Jesus, those who have maybe sought after Jesus a little bit, maybe even some of those who had made a decision to accept Jesus Christ.
[4:11] But in their decision and in their hearing and in their seeking, there was one thing that we seem to have implied to us throughout the writings that they all had in common, and that is that they were seeking him with reservations.
[4:24] That is, they weren't fully committed to Jesus Christ. They loved the idea of him. They thought it was good. They thought it was applicable. They thought he was a good man, a great prophet, a great teacher.
[4:35] They thought maybe he was one in whom they could trust. But they were not 100% sure that he was the one that they could put all of their hope, all of their desires, and all of their ambitions upon. Because while trusting in Jesus, they were also leaning upon the law.
[4:49] And my friend, if you are trusting in anything other than Jesus Christ, then you are not completely trusting in Jesus Christ the way the Bible commands us to. He says, I wish that you were either hot or cold and not lukewarm.
[5:00] It is the lukewarm, those who want Jesus to be a part of their life, that Jesus says, I will spit out of my mouth. He does not want us to allow him a part or a portion or a piece of our life.
[5:13] As a matter of fact, Jesus comes in to claim full ownership. He is both Lord and Savior. And he wants to be Lord and Savior of all those who name his name.
[5:24] So the author of the book of Hebrews is writing to the people who have made this decision or are living out this application. And he shows them why it is beneficial for them and even better for them to completely cast all of their life and their hope and their ambitions and their desires and their dreams upon the person of Jesus Christ.
[5:44] And for the last few chapters, he has been comparing the Old Testament practice of the law with the priesthood and all of the symbols and all of the efforts that went through with that and the ministry of Jesus Christ.
[5:55] And he has been showing us over and over and over and again that that which Jesus is done or has done is much better than that which could be done according to the law or the Old Testament.
[6:06] This morning, I want you to see the greater testament of Jesus Christ. The greater testament of Jesus Christ. Now, the word testament I get there is from the word covenant, which is rendered in the New American Standard in just about every other translation.
[6:21] More than likely, most of the ones that you're reading, it says covenant. We need to understand that that Greek word covenant literally means testament, as in one's last will and testament, that which he has testified to.
[6:36] It is, in our wording, what we would say a will. After I die, this is who I give what and this is what I give them. That would be our last testament. And here we see of the last testament of Jesus Christ and the greater testament or the declaration that he has or he has given his people.
[6:55] And the reason we use the word testament instead of the word covenant, in speaking of it this way, even though we could use the word covenant, we don't want to really get too technical with it, but we need to understand this.
[7:08] When I say covenant, most people believe it is an agreement between two parties, that they will do this if I do that. And if I do this, then they will do that.
[7:19] One thing that we have found that is consistent throughout scripture is that every covenant which God makes with his people is a one-way covenant. God says, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this, and I'm going to do this.
[7:31] The only exception to that, the only exception that I can find is not just a one-way covenant, and the covenant states the whole response from the individual who we need to head into, is the mosaic covenant, or what we would call the law.
[7:46] I will be your God, and you will be my people, if you can obey these things. And we understand that through the testimony of the Old Testament, that the people could not obey those things, and therefore we see the failure of the mosaic law, not because of the power of God, but because of the failure and the deception of the people.
[8:08] But here, we are now at that word covenant, and we need to understand, these are not the things that Jesus has promised us, if we do something. These are the things that Jesus has promised.
[8:19] Lost. Finished. Done. Over. These are His last will and testament. And it is so much better. And where are we comparing it again?
[8:31] Again, the Old Testament, the law. Let's take it in context. The author has been speaking of the tabernacle, and the sacrificial system inside the tabernacle, and the work of the high priest. So let's just put ourselves in Old Testament, or even New Testament, Judaism, for just a moment.
[8:46] Okay? Here we are. We're living in a system which says, if I do wrong, I need to offer a sacrifice. And if I have sinned, then this is the guilt offering that I must offer. If I have offended my brother, this is the guilt offering I must offer.
[8:58] If I want to celebrate how good God is, this is the offering that I must offer. If I want to rejoice in the glory of God's provisions for me, I need to bring this offering to the tabernacle or the temple, and I must offer it.
[9:12] By the way, that was one of the fellowship meals. I love that. If you weren't here on Sunday nights, as we were going through the book of Leviticus, and even getting into the book of Numbers, one of those offerings was a fellowship meal, and it was the celebration of God's goodness and provisions, and you would bring it to the doorway of the tabernacle, and it would be offered as a wave offering, placed upon the altar, and cooked.
[9:34] I mean, the altar is an open grill. I don't want to really say it like that, signify it like that, but it would be roasted on the altar, taken off of the altar, and given back to you, where you and your family would gather around outside the door of the tabernacle and eat that offering of celebration.
[9:51] Table fellowship, by the way, completely side note to the message this morning, but table fellowship has always been important in Scripture. Those meals, those times, those family gatherings.
[10:01] So if you wanted to celebrate God's goodness, this is what we would do. Now, what was that that was promised to us, or what was the testimony that if we did those things, then what could we expect?
[10:14] Every one of those expectations are limited to this life, right? Every expectation and every promise given in the Mosaic Covenant, or every one given according to the law, is a promise connected to this life.
[10:28] You would inherit the land. Your animals would not fail to give birth. The rain would come. The harvest would be plentiful. Your children would be around your table. You would have a number of kids. Somebody says, that's not a promise, that's a curse.
[10:40] It was a promise, right? Your table would be full. Your quiver would be full of arrows. Now, arrows you shoot away from yourself, right? You don't shoot them at someone else. So, you know, the Bible says, blessed is he whose quiver is full of them.
[10:53] And over and over and over again, there were all these promises that were guaranteed to you if you could do what the Lord commanded. Every single one of them was a promise connected to this life.
[11:11] Because the reality is, you cannot get the promises of the next life by doing the things of this life. And what we see, that when Jesus Christ comes and gives his final will and testament, he gives his final covenant, his covenant not only looks at this life, it looks at eternal life.
[11:35] And we see it over and over again. I love how when Jesus speaks of the cost of discipleship, a number of things I love in Scripture, but this is one of them that I love, that when Jesus speaks of the cost of discipleship, Peter, you gotta love Peter, right?
[11:51] I love Peter. Some of you think Peter is annoying. I like Peter. Because Peter was outspoken. He always said what was on his mind. He was kind of like me. He just said it, right? He would ask for forgiveness later. He would just say it. He wanted to walk on water.
[12:02] He sank. That's okay. He took a sword off and cut Malchus' ear off. At least he did something, right? Everybody else stood there. Jesus had to fix a lot of Peter's mistakes. Peter also went back fishing when he shouldn't have.
[12:13] Again, a lot like me. Some of you are like Thomas. You just wanna doubt until you see proof. Some of you are like John. You're nothing but loving and kind and all those things. And it's okay. Maybe none of us are like Judas Iscariot, right?
[12:25] And we don't wanna be that. Simon the Zealot would have been okay. Someone who was opposing some of, there's some, I can really divide the room really quick right here. Some of us are Zealots. You know what Zealots were? They were those who opposed the ruling forces of the land.
[12:38] They didn't like the government. Nobody say anything. We don't wanna hear any Zealot talk, right? We just keep it to ourselves. Some of you are like, I'm a Zealot. I like Peter because Peter came out and he just said it.
[12:48] And I love one of the things Peter says. Peter says, look Jesus, we have left everything to follow you. We have left our mothers and our fathers, our homes, our jobs, our farms, our lands. And Jesus made this promise.
[12:59] Jesus says, Peter, I tell you, those who have left everything will inherit all these things. He says, you'll sit up on thrones and you'll sit here and you'll rule and you'll be in places of authority. And then Jesus makes this transition.
[13:10] He says, everyone who follows me will inherit then. And he says, and also now. You will be blessed and provided for now.
[13:22] So the promises that Jesus gives are not just some future hope of pie in the sky. They are provisions and guarantees for the now and for the eternal. And this is something that is so much different and so much better than any legalistic structure of the Old Testament law could ever give us.
[13:40] And this greater testament of Jesus really rests upon three great truths. And there are three truths I want you to see this morning from our text. Number one, we see his great and wonderful position.
[13:54] The Bible tells us in verse 15, for this reason. Now, it would be very becoming of us to see exactly what it is the author is talking about. What reason is he talking about?
[14:05] Again, this is why I love preaching through Scripture. This is why I love preaching through entire books of the Bible because we don't miss these things out of context. But possibly you weren't here. Maybe you weren't here last week or maybe you didn't go back and listen to the message last week.
[14:19] Maybe you don't know what Hebrews 9 verse 14 says. Hebrews 9 verse 14 says, Jesus died for your sins and cleansed you, but not only cleansed you on the outside, he says he can cleanse your conscience so that you could be redeemed for good works.
[14:33] Because the sacrifice of Jesus is so powerful and so wonderful and so superior to any offering that you could give that he could cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
[14:46] Because he has the authority and the power to do that, for that reason, look at what it says, he is the mediator of a new covenant. He is the mediator of a new covenant so that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant.
[15:06] So just stop right there. Here is his great position. As we go through the book of Hebrews in my other Bible, I use two Bibles, okay, in my personal reading. I have the Bible that I read each and every day and then I have the Bible that I preach out of on Sunday mornings.
[15:21] I don't know why. Maybe it's a comfort thing. That's just what I've always done. Namely, because the Bible I use on Sunday mornings is broken. You can see that. I break my bindings really bad. So I don't use this one each and every day and I usually preach with my other Bible on Sunday nights and even Wednesday nights.
[15:36] I just, out of habit, have used this one. But in the other Bible that I use, I have highlighted or underlined in red every time the book of Hebrews tells us what Jesus or who Jesus is.
[15:48] And I would encourage you to go back. You know, Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant. Jesus is the forerunner. I love that one. It means he's the trailblazer. Again, this is why he can accept people like Peter who would run ahead because you can never outrun Jesus.
[16:01] Jesus is all these things. Jesus is the guarantee, but he's also the mediator of. So now here he stands in the position of mediator. Now I want to show you how wonderful this is.
[16:12] Okay? Because it says he is a mediator of a new covenant or a new testament so that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the internal inheritance.
[16:25] So let me put it to you in common English. What he is saying is Jesus ensures that that which has promised takes place. He is the mediator. Now, let's put it in today's terms.
[16:37] Just because someone has a will when they die does not necessitate that everything they wanted to happen actually does happen. because I always say sometimes the most difficult thing in preaching a funeral or pastoring a funeral or being involved with preparations of funeral is that sometimes the family doesn't get along.
[17:02] And there's all this bickering and fighting and turmoil and struggles and I remember one time I got called to preach a funeral. Very distant family member of mine.
[17:13] I did not even know them. But since I was kind of connected they needed someone to preach a funeral and I went and it was out of this county. It was some ways away from here. I agreed to do it and I remember I didn't know them.
[17:24] I didn't even know either one of their kids but the daughter was there and the funeral home director met me at the door and he said let's just hope the son doesn't show up. And I thought oh boy that's I mean welcome to the you know welcome to the funeral home right?
[17:38] He said because if he comes it's going to get really bad. And you know the testimony at times that's the reality. It's just because someone wants something to happen when they die and listen when my body lays down when I die well first of all you can do whatever you want to with everything I got because what I'm getting on the other side is so much better than what I left behind.
[18:00] Okay? And secondly don't ever ask me to come back. I want to stay where I'm at. You know nothing here is worth because I've often wondered you know I don't want to come back I don't want to help I mean do what you want to with it.
[18:18] I want to be one of those who doesn't have anything when I leave that way I've given everything away by that time. You know Carrie and I've already made that decision is if we ever sense the Lord is leading us we're just going to go ahead and give everything away that way nobody can fight over anything it's going to be kind of hard to fight over anything we have anyway because most of us just junk to most of you but that's okay but don't ever call me back I don't want to come back but I can't change what you do with whatever I have right?
[18:42] I can't change it. Jesus made a promise and sealed that promise listen to this by his death and then after his death he walked out of the tomb to make sure the very thing he promised would take place.
[18:56] he not only stands as the guarantee to ensure that the promise is fulfilled he comes back to life and mediates to make sure that everything he said would come about actually comes about.
[19:12] That's pretty amazing because he didn't just promise you something and leave you there he promised died to fulfill that promise died to ensure that that promise could come about and then came out of the tomb to make sure that whatever he promised was carried out exactly like he promised it.
[19:34] That's pretty cool to me. That's what a mediator does. He is the one who stands between the inheritors and the one who is giving the inheritee I guess you would say the one who is giving it away.
[19:46] Jesus made a promise based upon God's declaration and Jesus died to fulfill that promise and then he rose and stands in the gap between God and sinful man to ensure that that promise is carried out.
[19:57] He is the mediator of a new covenant or a new testament. The mediator in the old testament was the priest who would stand and say well God says he will do this if I do that so I need the priest to do this for me.
[20:10] The problem there is what if that priest had not offered a sacrifice for his sins? What if his sins had not been cleansed? What if his sins had not been forgiven? What if he was not acceptable before the presence of God?
[20:22] But Jesus we know has been accepted in the presence of God. Jesus we know has come and sat down in the presence of God and now he is in the great position of being the mediator. So when we read the promise of scripture when we open up the new testament and we see that everything God has promised us the guarantee that we have that these things will come about is not our ability or our worthiness.
[20:45] The guarantee that these things will come about is that Jesus has promised it declared it said it died for it sat down settled it and now lives to ensure it. He is the mediator of the new covenant.
[21:00] He is the death that has taken place but he is also the life that stands in the gap to ensure that it does take place. I think at times we get lost in the wonder of that.
[21:13] Not only did he give us a will and then die he made out the greatest will forever died to ensure that we would inherit it that the inheritance would be ours and then came back to life to make sure nobody took it from us.
[21:26] That's pretty grand. That's pretty amazing. That's the mediator. That's the position he sets in. We see his great position. We also stand in awe of the magnificent promise which he has given.
[21:40] This magnificent promise is there again in verse 15. For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant so that since the death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant.
[21:50] What does that mean? Every sin you have ever committed is according to the first covenant. Okay? The standard of judgment upon our lives is God's holiness.
[22:01] It is not man's decisions. It is not man's opinions. It is not man's thoughts. It is not whether or not you think it's bad or this other person thinks it's bad or you think it's good. It is not a matter of if I think I've been better than the other man or I'm better than the average man or I'm not as bad as some men.
[22:15] That really doesn't matter. The standard is the law. God's holiness. This is what it takes to be in his presence. So every sin we have ever committed every transgression we have ever committed is according to the first covenant.
[22:29] Now a death has taken place to fulfill that because the law says that if you sin you what? Die. For the wages of sin is death. That's the penalty.
[22:39] Each and every one of them. I've said it half jokingly but in all seriousness I would not have made it through the first couple of chapters of the book of Leviticus because everything I read in the book of Leviticus you die for that sin and each and every one of them that I've read according to the old covenant I have sinned and according to someone legalistically keeping the law neither would you have made it through those things for the wages of that is death but Jesus has come now since a death has taken place for the redemption of in the place of those transgressions that were committed under the first covenant those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance now here we get to this place in scripture where we just have to accept it by faith and we have to scratch our heads and wonder and we have to realize that just because Jesus died for the sins of the world that just because Jesus died for every sin that every man has ever committed not every man will accept that death and the scripture refers to it as those who have been called now we can take a whole message here and we can go back to the book of Romans chapter 8 we can go into Romans 9 we can go into Romans 10 we can go speak even in all throughout portions of scripture but this is one thing you need to understand this is one overarching theme that I think that we need to comprehend in scripture the whole reason it is hot in here right the whole reason
[24:07] I didn't say that the whole reason it's hot in here the whole reason it's hot in here just because it's hot in here the whole reason we have the ability to claim the promises that God has extended to us in Jesus Christ is not because we made a decision now stay with me in this it is because God in his love and his compassion and his mercy called us to himself now I know those truths seem to scare us but I would much rather serve a God who pursues me and calls me than to serve a God that I could persuade by my actions think about it just for a moment the whole reason these promises are true to me is not because I did something right one time and all of a sudden God said he accepted me it's because he saw me he loved me while I was yet a sinner he died for me he pursued me he came after me and then he called me and all I did was respond to that calling that's big because now my salvation is not dependent upon my decisions my salvation is based upon the fact
[25:29] God called me you know the Bible tells us that adoption is a great picture of what it's like Jesus says through the spirit of adoption we cry out Abba Father right it's what Paul says in Romans chapter 8 we cry out Abba Father Daddy Daddy through the spirit of adoption and there's so many things you don't understand about the spirit of adoption until you walk through some of you have been so gracious and kind and have walked through adoption and just been so real with us as a family telling us no honey it doesn't get better you know and you've been honest with us and told us about the struggles and we appreciate that and you know if you ever consider an adoption I'm going to tell you to do it I'm going to tell you to do it I'm going to tell you to do it and I'm going to say it's going to do nothing but increase your prayer life afterwards because there are things you'll never be able to change but I will never ever ever ever in my life forget the birth of all three of our children biological children when I was there I was just sharing it here on the front pew earlier this morning what an amazing thing it was to see the kids come out and be like oh man wait a minute I'm a daddy now and then yep that's my kid that's my kid but then just as distinctly I remember the day I received a text message on my phone boom here is an 18 month has nowhere to go do you know anybody that would take them in it was a group message
[26:32] I had my wife and myself and someone else in the message the person that was asking and I remember I looked at the picture and I said yes we will what happened we saw we pursued Carrie said the same thing yes we'll take we saw we pursued now why is Joshua Braden Joseph Calvert who has been completely transformed right because I can go back to the other name that was so hard to say Braden Joseph Calvert why is he Braden Joseph Calvert is it because he saw Carrie and I one day and decided to like us no because sometimes he says he doesn't like us quite often right we get told all the time I wish I lived somewhere else okay what happened we saw him we pursued him we called him we chose him and I tell him all the time you're a Calvert whether you like it or not you know what that's taught me God looks at me and says you're mine whether you like it or not because I pursued you that radically changes the way we accept those promises because now it's not dependent upon
[27:45] I thought God was a good idea I've met people who thought God was a good idea and then something better came along right or at least what they thought was better came along and then something a little prettier came along and something a little bit more exciting came along I didn't one day decide God was a good idea God looked down upon me he wooed me and drew me to himself he called me to himself and all I did was said okay God I'm yours I'm a father right and this is what scripture says those whom he have called those who responded to that call those who have been called may receive what is this promise the eternal inheritance I don't have this is the great promise when God called me to himself he said if you would just surrender your life give your life over to me if you will give yourself to me I will promise you an inheritance that will never fail that will never falter that will never diminish it is an eternal inheritance by the way again another testimony from the book of Hebrews the same book that some people say teaches you can lose your salvation in Hebrews chapter 6 another testimony from this scripture this same text over and over again it has reference to salvation as being eternal and the very things that Jesus has promised you the great magnificent promises he has extended to you friend listen to me they are eternal promises if you have surrendered and given your life to Jesus Christ based upon his calling upon your life you say well how do I know if he's called me the Bible says no man seeks after the father no not one none come lest they be drawn and they be drawn through the son and through the spirit right so if you have any inclinations whatsoever and you feel like the spirit is drawing you and kind of moving you and interceding for you and you just say alright I'm done with it
[29:28] I give it up I quit living my life and you have responded to that call this is what I want to tell you the things he has promised you are eternal they will not change it doesn't matter how much you change your promises don't get better because you get better because you can't get any better than what he's already promised you now let's go to the other side of that and this is where some of you are going to think I'm messing up your promises don't get worse because you get worse because they can't get better than what Jesus has already promised you and they will not falter or get worse but his discipline can come in but that does not change his promises because the Bible here in the book of Hebrews speaking of those eternal promises is also going to say in Hebrews chapter 12 those whom he loves he disciplines and he has given direct reference to them shedding blood because of their faith what I want you to understand is what Jesus has promised is eternally yours it is an eternal promise based upon his calling not your decision
[30:35] I know so many people who say well I made a decision one day that's not the question the question is did God call you to himself through his son Jesus Christ and did you just give it up did you say okay Lord you can have me I don't want it anymore or did you think you just tried Jesus for a while you know what's going on in the book of Hebrews some people are trying it out for a little while and the author says it's not about trying out it's about responding to his calling so we see his magnificent promise third and by the way this is the whole crux of the passage right here his fulfilled purpose God had a great promise Hebrews 13 will introduce us to another covenant the eternal covenant of God the eternal covenant that was before the foundation of the world so it's actually the first covenant which God ever made so before the foundation of the world God had a covenant or a promise and that promise is eternal life that promise is forgiveness for sins that promise is to be able to have a conscience that is cleansed from its guilt that promise is to be able to walk in forgiveness in the new life that promise is one that said that we can be forgiven and accepted in the presence of a holy God in order for those promises to come about somebody had to die and that somebody according to the eternal covenant is the son
[31:53] Jesus Christ Jesus Christ came to die so that the blood could be spilt because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness right without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness so the blood of Jesus had to be spilt so that the promises of God could be applied and Jesus could mediate to man every inheritance that has given them in the promises of the new covenant but what we see here is this was the purpose from the beginning this was not something that God decided to do as a plan B this is not something he decided to do because man fell this was the purpose this is why the author introduces us to the blood being shed at the first covenant right and the sprinkling of the book and the sprinkling of the people and the shedding of blood and that everything had to be sealed because if you ever go back to the Old Testament and you wonder why did Moses have to sprinkle everything with blood I mean why is it that everything had the hyssop and the water and the cedar right and dipping in blood and sprinkled people why was it necessary
[32:59] I mean if God had thundered from heaven and lightning and people heard his voice and he came down with a tablet of stone that were etched by the hand of God and the shekin and glory of God was present and there was no denying the fact that God had said this why did everybody have to be sprinkled with blood and the answer to that is because that's the purpose that was pointing to something else namely someone else who is Jesus it says in verse 23 therefore it was necessary for the copy of the things in heavens to be cleansed with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these for Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands a mere copy of the true one but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us so he's saying the whole reason they had to sprinkle blood on the tabernacle is because it was a shadow or a copy of the things in heaven and when Moses saw the true picture of what was in heaven he saw blood so in the copy of the things in heaven there had to be blood but the blood Moses was looking at was not the blood of bulls and calves and goats and heifers the blood that Moses was looking at was the blood of Jesus Christ so it says that he entered into
[34:03] Jesus has entered into the presence of God for us nor was it that he would offer himself often Jesus doesn't have to die over and over and over again as a high priest enters the holy place year by year with the blood that is not his own otherwise he would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world but now look at this here's the purpose I love this but now at the consummation of the ages that's just a cool way of saying at the perfect time I don't know if any of you many of you in here are history buffs but just a little history study and just stand amazed at how perfect God's timing was of when Jesus Christ came lived died and was resurrected I mean just in history in historical setting I mean the whole Roman Empire the whole you know region part of the world how amazing it is that God at the consummation of the ages at the perfect time at his perfect time it says he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself that's why he came that's the purpose of his coming that was the whole intended reason and he did it at the perfect time
[35:29] I love verse 27 gives me great comfort and in as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment you say well that's strange why does that give you comfort you know why this gives me comfort because the Bible tells me that my death is an appointment which means I'm untouchable until God says it's time so that's kind of that's kind of audacious and that's kind of that's kind of crazy now I'm not going to go you know do just insane things to test that I'm not going to go jump off the highest point of the temple because Jesus says you shouldn't tempt the Lord you're God right but the reality is is that whenever I'm going to die God has it already recorded it is appointed unto man once to die that day is already scheduled I don't know it could be today it could be tomorrow it could be I don't know when it's going to be Braden and his love and compassion the other day looked at me and said dad you do know you're going to be the first one in our family to pass away right thanks I said why he said well you're the oldest so that's not always how it works son but I appreciate your input there made me feel good from the mouth of babes they tell you so I said maybe
[36:35] I need to pay attention maybe the Lord speaking to me right I don't know but it could be I really have no idea but I do know this it's not going to take God by surprise it's not going to like oh I didn't mean for that to happen I know he says it's appointed unto man each one of us Jesus had a day appointed unto him so Christ also having been offered once to bear the sins of many this was his purpose will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him here is the great and glorious news when Jesus comes back he's not talking about my sin when Jesus comes back he's not going to do anything about my sin because Jesus came the first time and did everything that needed to be done for my sin so when he comes back he will not say now Billy Joe let's talk about this this this and this because those things have already been atoned for there will be a day of accountability where I stand before him according to the deeds I have done after
[37:35] I accepted him and so too will every believer but we see here that when he comes back it will not be with reference to the sin because I am living in the promise of a new testament now here's kind of the judgmental stone there so those who eagerly await him in light of these things the question we must ask ourself is are we eagerly awaiting him or anxiously awaiting!
[38:07] I mean am I excited about his coming? Am I excited about being in his presence? Am I excited about that day whenever it may be? Now I love this life that he's given me but am I eagerly looking unto that day or am I saying I hope it's not today hope it's not today because really that anticipation does more to judge our hearts than any judgmental attitude of anyone else where do you stand in your anticipation of Christ's coming let's pray Lord I thank you so much I thank you for this day God I thank you for allowing us the privilege of gathering together I pray as we have seen the truth of scripture that our hearts would be broken our lives would be mended Lord that we would live with an expectation of your coming for your glory we ask it all in Jesus name Amen so so so so so so!
[39:41] so Thank you.