1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 So we continue our sermons here. We're not going to do it again. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000 We continue our sermon series through the book of Hebrews. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 Again, a 10,000 foot view, looking at Jesus as simply 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 irresistible, the writer of Hebrews, whoever it was, 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,000 writing to a Jewish Greek audience, right? 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 That kind of deeper understanding of faith, people that have been in the faith for a while, 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 making sure they're keeping the main things the main things, 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 that Jesus has the highest, the best, the greatest, simply 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000 irresistible. We talked, and I know you all remember the very 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000 first sermon of this a month ago, that we talked about what are things 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 that are irresistible in life, right? And we didn't come up with 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 a lot of serious answers, you know, maybe you feel 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 your spouse is at times, maybe your 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 family or what you do for a living, but there 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 really isn't anything like irresistible, that we, for all 16 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000 intents and purposes, have the ability to resist things. 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Right? Whether it's food or, I don't know, 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 a sports team or whatever in life, maybe it's 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 even that ego or that pride of wanting to be wanted or needed, 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 we can resist a lot in our life. And what 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 the writer of Hebrews is trying to get us to understand is you don't need to do that with Jesus, 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 you don't want to do that with Jesus, you shouldn't do that with 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 Jesus. That what is the point of resisting the greatest thing 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 ever, period, in the world, ever, period? It is the best. 25 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 And last week we talked about that Jesus is the better covenant. 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 We walked a little bit through the covenants of the Old Testament, that Jesus not only 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 fulfills those covenants, but He is the better covenant. 28 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,000 We're going to stay there a little bit. We're going to do an overview of 9 and 10, because 9 29 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000 and 10 are really kind of a review. There's a review 30 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000 in 9, there's a review in 10, there's a little content there that's new. 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,000 We're going to touch a little bit of that. But we're going to talk about and finish up 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000 this conversation around covenant. Now, it does get brought up one more time, 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 but in a different way. It's about those who kept covenant. 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 And again, we'll get to that in a couple weeks. But this understanding of covenant, 35 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 who remembers from last week what makes a covenant 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 different than a contract. So we have a contract mentality 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 in life that, you know, I look out at Colin, you know, 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Colin, I'm going to mow your lawn, right? And you're going to give me 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 20 bucks, that's very Dutch of you. And understand that, 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,000 because you have a big yard, that's junk. But, you know, if I enter 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,000 into contract with him, I mow his lawn, he gives me 42 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 still sticking there, okay, even if I do a good job, he's 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 still going to give me 20 bucks. I'll pray for Weston. 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,000 And understand that, Weston's his son, by the way, and that if I don't 45 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 do it, he's not going to give me it. That's the contract. The covenant 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 is different. A covenant says, 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,000 and it's really odd to put a covenant on mowing the lawn, 48 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 because it's almost like a waste of the word, but the covenant says, I'm going to still 49 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,000 do my end, even if you don't do yours. 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Ultimately showing and pointing to the covenant we have with 51 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 God, because while we were still sinning, Christ died for us, I've already used that today, 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 but that shows the covenant. The covenant should be, 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 I am holy, you should be holy, we should be holy together. But God 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 knows we can't do that. God knows that we mess up, God knows 55 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 that we do all of the things we are not supposed to do, right? 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,000 Paul says that in one of his epistles, the things that I don't do, or I shouldn't do, 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 I do all the time, and the things I know I should do, I never do. 58 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,000 That's us. So God knew we were never 59 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 going to be able to meet the atoning 60 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 sacrifice that Jesus was going to be for us. That's why Jesus 61 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 went to the cross for you and for me, not the other way around. You didn't go 62 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 to the cross for Jesus, I didn't go to the cross for Jesus, Jesus went to the 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 cross for you and for me. And therein lies the main detail 64 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 of covenant. A covenant requires sacrifice. 65 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Because if you use kind of my dumb 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 lawn mowing analogy, it takes sacrifice for Colin to pay 67 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 me $20, even if I don't cut 68 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000 his lawn. There's sacrifice there, right? He's sacrificing 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 a lot in himself. He's sacrificing 70 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 reason, right? He didn't do anything 71 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 for me, yet I'm still giving him the $20. Again, I understand 72 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 the example somewhat falls in on itself because it's not very good. But understand 73 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 that's exactly what covenant means. That's the 74 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 foundation of covenant is sacrifice. A sacrifice was required. 75 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Biblically, a sacrifice required the shedding 76 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 of blood. I know that's a weird thing to kind of start off, maybe this is the 77 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 first time you're in church and now the pastor said the word blood at least three times. 78 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 But it is, it's by the blood of Jesus we are saved. That the 79 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,000 sacrifice required blood. Because blood 80 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000 speaks of a life laid down. 81 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000 Now, do I think that Colin's going to lay down his life for me not cutting his lawn? 82 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,000 No. Nor should he. 83 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 But understand that the ultimate sacrifice for sin, so that sin 84 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 would be forgiven and heaven now will be filled with 85 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 those in Christ who not only recognize the sacrifice, but 86 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,000 believe in God as Lord and Savior to try to live our 87 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 best life His way, not ours. That is the sacrifice. 88 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 Have you ever thought of that? Your sacrifice 89 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,000 to become a believer is that you don't get to live life 90 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 your way. Let that sit for a minute. 91 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,000 Because I know each and every one of you and some of you I've never met because you 92 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,000 are looking at your face and you are brand new. That's awesome. I want to meet you after service. 93 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,000 We all have an idea of how we should live our life. 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,000 I always say that I am 95 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,000 the head of the house but care is the runner of the home. 96 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,000 And that relationship is an intertwined relationship of our marriage 97 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,000 relationship. Maybe that's how yours is, maybe that's not. 98 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,000 And understand that we all have our roles. But yeah, there are going to be times 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000 that we are going to get ready to go out. It just happened a couple of weeks ago 100 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 where all of a sudden we are both getting dressed and I am ready to go. 101 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,000 She walks out, looks me over once and not in an appreciation 102 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 kind of way and says, nope. 103 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,000 And I had to go change. I am a man. 104 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,000 I have been dressing myself for years. 105 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Yet my wife can look at me and go, nope. 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,000 And what happened? I changed. 107 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,000 I did. Why? Because I weighed the options. 108 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,000 I could not change and we could just start our night with tension. 109 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 And does that resolve well? 110 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,000 No! Or I could submit and change. 111 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 So what did I do? I changed and went 112 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,000 way the other way to get another no. 113 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,000 We were late because I was being idiotic 114 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,000 and that was my choice. Now none of you are shocked. 115 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 But understand that there are times that we have 116 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,000 to submit. We have to understand that there is a better plan. 117 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,000 There is a better way of doing things. 118 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 And in that small example, God's way 119 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,000 of dressing us and telling us how to live our lives 120 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 is a better way. But I look at all of you and some of you 121 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 just went like this. You just clenched because you do not like 122 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,000 being told what to do. Now I am not going to ask who in your marriage 123 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,000 or your relationships likes to be told what to do more than others so they don't want to start fights 124 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,000 because then you have to reconcile before you come to the table next week. 125 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,000 But understand we don't like that because we want to make our own decisions. 126 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,000 We live in a world that is your way right away. Thank you Burger King. 127 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,000 You have all of these things telling you the way you are doing is just fine. 128 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Live your truth. Yet a lot of those times 129 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,000 it denies what God is saying. And God gets the final say. 130 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,000 He is the be all and the end all. 131 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,000 He is the one that required the sacrifice, gave the sacrifice 132 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 so that you and I could have relationship with Him. 133 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 Alright let's start the sermon. So we are going to be in Hebrews 9 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,000 and we are going to do a couple of verses in 9 and then we are going to jump to chapter 10. 135 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Again this is a little bit more of an overview and then we are going to get into really the bread and butter 136 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,000 of the second half of this letter. 137 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,000 And this is setting up. Therefore not even the first sacrifice 138 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,000 was inaugurated without blood. Going into the old covenant, the old sacrificial 139 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 system that on the day of presence 140 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,000 one lamb would be slaughtered and the other lamb would have the blood of that on it 141 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,000 and it would be sent out taking the sins out of the camp. 142 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,000 That is kind of the visualization of what that was. 143 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 There was sacrifice when it came to the covenant. How they walked it out. 144 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 You go throughout the entire book of Leviticus, the kind of Levitical 145 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,000 code, the holy code of living. Now some people quote that 146 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 when it suits them this Christ has fulfilled it. Again 147 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 He does not abolish it, He fulfills it. That in Christ there is a new lens 148 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000 in how you do that but that is a sermon series in Leviticus that guess what 149 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 I have never written. And so I do not know if we are going to do it but we may 150 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,000 in ten years. And so understand that basically 151 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,000 this was the kind of thesis of the sacrificial system. 152 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 The covenant was made, it could not be made without 153 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 the blood. That blood had to be a part of it. Go to verse 154 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,000 19. For when every commandment of the law had been declared 155 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats with water 156 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book 157 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 itself and all the people. So this is starting to talk about the Ark 158 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,000 of the Covenant. And Raiders of the Lost Ark with Indiana Jones 159 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,000 only got it half right. We can see in chapter 9 what all would be 160 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 in there. You got Aaron's staff, you got the tablets, you got manna. 161 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000 All of those things. Notice how they did not leave quail in there for forever because that 162 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,000 would have been gross. And so understand that these were representations 163 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,000 the Ark of the Covenant is a representation of God's 164 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 relationship with His people. That is why it was holy. 165 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,000 God said I called you out, I made you a people and I am putting the 166 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,000 representation because He knew we would be visual here. Keep it holy because 167 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,000 He knew, and this may make people uncomfortable, He knew 168 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,000 we were prone to worship yet we were prone to wander. And so 169 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 what does that mean when you mix it together? That there are times we wander and worship 170 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:20,000 things we shouldn't. So He said my presence will be with you always. 171 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,000 Well that sounds like Jesus in the New Testament. The fulfillment 172 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,000 that no longer do we need to carry the Ark of the Covenant. 173 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 No longer do we need to have the holiest of holies. Those 174 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,000 have been torn apart. Those have been set in itself 175 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:40,000 as Christ. And this is how He is fulfilling 176 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 the covenant. But what the Hebrews is going back to 177 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,000 is knowing that Jesus is greater. We have talked about that every week. Jesus is 178 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 greater than this, Jesus is greater than this. Jesus is not only the greatest 179 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,000 covenant, Jesus is the greater temple. 180 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,000 That He is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 181 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,000 When He was talking about that the temple would be destroyed and in three days 182 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 He would build it up. Notice no brick and mortar was broken. Just the curtain 183 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 that we now have relationship with the Father. 184 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,000 We have relationship because of the Son, because of Christ, that 185 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Jesus is the better temple. 186 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 And yet in 2023 and over the last 75 years 187 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 we have put a lot of effort, we have put a lot of 188 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 specific things, we have put a lot of 189 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,000 hope and joy in the idea of building. And I know 190 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000 it's a little weird to bring this up, we are going to talk about it a little bit at the family meeting. 191 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000 But we don't have this mentality 192 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 or at least churches shouldn't because the last 30 years it doesn't work. If you build it they 193 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,000 will come. What movie was that from? Field of Dreams. 194 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,000 It was about cornfield in Iowa. 195 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,000 I don't know, that's not all that exciting to me. On the 196 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,000 list of date nights and the list of things that I am going to do with my boys I doubt I am going to 197 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,000 say, let's just test it out. Guys we are going to go see the Field of Dreams 198 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,000 next year in the cornfields of Iowa. 199 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,000 Ok, that backfired, he wants to go. Ok, I thought he would just say fire 200 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,000 again. But understand that that's, I mean this mentality 201 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000 if you build it they will come. Guys that is 202 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 not biblical. If you stand on my 203 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,000 word I will draw all men to you is what the Bible says. Not 204 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,000 if you build the greatest buildings. No. 205 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Though people may appreciate new buildings and sometimes having new is good 206 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,000 it shows effort, it shows vision, it shows all of those 207 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,000 things. The mentality isn't if you build it they will come. It's if you 208 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 stand on my word I will draw all people to you. 209 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 Because Christ is the greater temple. 210 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,000 I don't think any of us would debate this but Christ is better 211 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,000 than this sanctuary. Christ is better than the 212 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000 community life center. Yet we do this, we have these buildings 213 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,000 so people can encounter Christ. We know that he is 214 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,000 out there everywhere. He is omnipotent, he is sovereign, he is omnipresent. 215 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,000 Not only is he alive and well in the sanctuary here, but he is 216 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,000 alive and well with Elaine Van Almen when she is driving in her car. 217 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Right? He is alive and well in the Ohm's home. 218 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,000 He is alive and well when Jeff hunts whatever Jeff 219 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 hunts. He is alive and well there. That he is 220 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,000 all in us. 221 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,000 That if he is the greatest temple he gives us the Holy Spirit and tells us 222 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,000 we are the temple of the Holy Spirit that means we are greater. 223 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,000 If Christ is greater we are greater. 224 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000 So what are we doing with that responsibility? What are you doing 225 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,000 at being the better temple of the Lord? 226 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,000 That's rough. Some of you are like don't put that on me 227 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 I didn't, Jesus did. 228 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,000 What if you are the only church someone on your street ever experiences? 229 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,000 In your job, the cubicle next to you. 230 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 That cousin that you really can't stand. 231 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,000 What if you are the temple of the Holy Spirit? 232 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,000 What if you are the only one they are going to encounter? 233 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,000 That should inform the way we live our life. And inform 234 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,000 what that actually means. Let's jump to verse 23 to 26. 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Thus it is necessary for the copies of the heavenly things 236 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000 to be purified with these rites. But the heavenly things themselves 237 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 with better sacrifices than these. For Christ entered 238 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,000 not into the holy places made with hands, which are copies 239 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,000 of the true things, but into heaven itself. Now to appear 240 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 in the presence of God on our behalf. 241 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,000 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest entered the holy 242 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 places every year with blood not of his own. For then he would have had 243 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. 244 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 But as it is he has appeared once and for all to end 245 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 to the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 246 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,000 Every year, every year the high priest had to go in 247 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,000 and sacrifice. Jesus did it once. 248 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,000 And said it is finished. 249 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000 That is exactly what it is finished means. That is what the writer 250 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,000 of Hebrews is alluding to. When Christ died on the cross, this 251 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,000 covenant relationship of what we had to do is 252 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 done. Over. We don't have to go back to it. Now through Christ 253 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 we get to do these things. Talked about that last week. 254 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,000 That we get to live lives of grace and 255 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000 love and community. We get to not live lives of 256 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 oppression and racism and injustice. 257 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,000 That we get to live out these things. And it is not 258 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,000 like the first time you let your son or daughter go when they are trying to ride 259 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000 a bike because you ultimately know they are going to run into a tree. 260 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000 He is not taking a chance on this. 261 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,000 He is not going, I hope they get it. No. 262 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,000 He establishes this new covenant. He establishes who he is. 263 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,000 And why he is our Savior and our Lord. And he is saying, and now 264 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,000 go from me and make 265 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,000 disciples. All authority on heaven and earth. God to Jesus 266 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 to you. It didn't pass through anything else. It didn't filter out 267 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000 the kind of education you grew up in or the church you were a part of 268 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,000 or how many trunks you have done in your life. It doesn't pass through any 269 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 of that. God to Jesus to us. 270 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,000 That authority 271 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,000 has now been given to us. And we get to be 272 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:08,000 the temples of the Lord. 273 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,000 That is a high calling. Absolutely it is a high calling. It should 274 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,000 be. What if it was just like, hey, 275 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,000 you get to be the temple of the Lord when you like to, when you want to 276 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,000 on Sunday mornings. Friends, it is easy to be the temple of the Lord in the 277 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,000 temple of the Lord. But what is it like after Sundays? 278 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,000 What is it like when you are in the hotel room by yourself 279 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,000 on a business trip? When you are interacting 280 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 with your spouse and your kids. If someone were to look at your 281 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,000 marriage and go, here is the temple of the Lord. 282 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 The way you discipline your kids. 283 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 Oh yeah, they are following something greater than themselves. The way you work your jobs. 284 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,000 The way I mow your lawn. All those 285 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,000 things. Do people see Christ? 286 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,000 Because friends, that is the goal. And you are going to do 287 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:08,000 it perfectly? No! We are going to fall. We are going to need 288 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000 His mercies. Thank God they are new every morning. 289 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Because I need them. You need them. The church needs them. 290 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,000 Because we are not going to do everything right. 291 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,000 But that is why we weren't the sacrifice. 292 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,000 You are sinful. I am sinful. We couldn't be the sacrifice. 293 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,000 A sinless person needed to be that. And that was 294 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,000 Jesus. Once and for all. Now let's jump into 295 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,000 chapter 10. So it is a significant chapter. 296 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Chapter 10 in Hebrews. Because it is really the bridge of what we have talked about 297 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,000 to what is. And it really just kind of repeats a lot of 298 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 chapter 9. So we are not going to read a lot of chapter 10. 299 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,000 But it starts off like this. For since the law has been but a shadow 300 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,000 of the good things to come, instead of the true form of these 301 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,000 realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are 302 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,000 continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 303 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,000 Remember the draw near part. Otherwise they would not 304 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 have ceased to be offered since the worshippers having 305 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 once been cleansed would no longer have any consciousness of sin. 306 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,000 But in these sacrifices there is a 307 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,000 reminder of sin every year. For it is impossible for the blood 308 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,000 of bulls and goats to take away sins. 309 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,000 The reason why they had to do it every year 310 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,000 is because they were sinners. It is really easy. One plus one equals two. 311 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,000 They are sinners. Their sins need to be atoned for. 312 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000 They can't do it. So they offer the sacrifices. Jump to 313 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,000 2023. We are sinners. We can't die to ourselves and make it all 314 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 go away. We can't be the atoning sacrifices. Jesus was. 315 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:00,000 But now we have the thing called grace. 316 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Forgiveness. Reconciliation. 317 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Colossians said that Jesus has taken all of this and reconciled it to the cross. 318 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,000 That the work for you has been done. 319 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:16,000 So you don't have to harbor those negative feelings. You don't have to seek your pound 320 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 of flesh. You don't have to look back to your childhood and go, I was hurt 321 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,000 then. I will continue to be hurt now and I will be hurt next year. 322 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,000 You can let that stuff go. The things that are going on in your life 323 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,000 now. The hurts, the pains, the addictions. You can let that 324 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,000 go. It does not define you. 325 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000 If you are in Christ, Christ defines you. 326 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,000 Christ always will show you how to dress. 327 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,000 And there are going to be some times 328 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:52,000 he is going to look at the way you are living your life. And he is going to go 329 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000 nope. And then you are going to try 330 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,000 to recalibrate. Don't make the same mistake I did. 331 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Don't try to over swing. Because then Jesus is going to go 332 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,000 no. Because he is the one 333 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,000 that gets to call the shots. He is the one that 334 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,000 did the work. And I know that is hard. 335 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,000 We have a lot of type A personalities in this room. Hi, Pop. 336 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 This is Kettle. You are black. It is for me. I get it. 337 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,000 But even the most type A cannot 338 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,000 do this themselves. Even the most extroverted. Even the 339 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,000 most domineering. Even the most steamroller mentality. Even the most independent 340 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,000 entrepreneurial. Even the most trainer, leader, whatever. 341 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,000 We all bow down to Christ. Because we 342 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,000 have to be okay with the fact that he knows the best dress for you. 343 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 He can say 344 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,000 wear me. I will do it. 345 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,000 Colossians, the word in duio, put on then in chapter 3 346 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,000 is literally the Greek word for putting on a coat. 347 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,000 Put on Christ. Because he represents all 348 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,000 that has been fulfilled once and for all. 349 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,000 So what 350 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,000 do we do with this? We are going to turn next week and it is going to get fairly 351 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,000 practical in a lot of this. But notice you can't 352 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,000 walk it out. You can't live it out if you don't know what it is you are living 353 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,000 for. What is keeping you on that straight 354 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,000 and narrow if you will. It is remembering when you were 355 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,000 wayward. And maybe that was just this past week. 356 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:44,000 But Christ is the one that brings you back. That is why it is 357 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000 important to come to worship. To hear God's word. 358 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,000 To take it and to mediate on it. Consume it and 359 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,000 let it come out of you. Because hopefully you come 360 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,000 off nice. Because it is really hard 361 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,000 to live the life of a believer as a jerk. It really is. 362 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,000 It is really hard to live the life of a believer as 363 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,000 someone who lies or has double speak or isn't 364 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,000 trustworthy or breaks confidence. It is really hard to 365 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,000 live the life of a believer like that. We say in the elders all the 366 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:24,000 time, the best elder is the elder that can keep confidence. Because 367 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,000 if you are known as just a gossip, you are going to make a terrible elder. 368 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 And you probably shouldn't be an elder then. Because breaking 369 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,000 confidence is hurting people. And elders are the overseer 370 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:40,000 of people. Pastors, same thing. But even 371 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,000 you without any kind of title. Are you trustworthy? 372 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,000 Are you loyal? Are you helpful? 373 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,000 I learned it in Boy Scouts. A scout is trustworthy. 374 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,000 And I said scouts not cadets. Don't throw stones. It's alright. 375 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,000 A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, 376 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,000 thrifty, and reverent. They pulled that from the 377 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,000 scriptures. Back when they had that instilled in there. 378 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:12,000 And that is a great way to live life. That is a Christ way of living. 379 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,000 But knowing that the sacrifice is once and for all. What is 380 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 keeping you from living that way? 381 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,000 What more do you need? And I say that to me first. 382 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 What more does Jesus have to show you to show that he's 383 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,000 the greatest? He is simply irresistible. 384 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 That's exactly what the writer of Hebrews wants you 385 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:40,000 to wrestle with. And he's going to make a lot more sense of it 386 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,000 in the Psalms. Because then he quotes Psalm 40. 387 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Psalm 40 says this, In sacrifice and offering you have been 388 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,000 delighted. You have given me an open ear. 389 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 390 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Then I said, Behold, I have come in the 391 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,000 scroll of the book. It is written of me. 392 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,000 I delight to do your will. Oh my God. 393 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,000 Your law is written in my heart. I have told 394 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,000 the good news of deliverance in the great congregation. That is the 395 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,000 world. Behold, I have not restrained my lips. 396 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:24,000 As you know, oh Lord, I have not hidden your deliverance within 397 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,000 my heart. I have spoken of your faithfulness and of your 398 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000 salvation. I have not concealed your steadfast love. 399 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,000 Your faithfulness from the great congregation. Leave that up. 400 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:42,000 All right. This might hurt a little bit. 401 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:48,000 But for some of us in the room, we're really bad at evangelism. 402 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,000 Our definition of evangelism is I'm going to tell people that already know 403 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,000 about Jesus about Jesus. That's not evangelism. 404 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,000 That absolutely is not evangelism. That's discipleship, that's Christian fellowship. 405 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,000 And that's great. Evangelism is telling people that don't know Jesus about 406 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Jesus. That is a working definition. We're not going to debate all the nuances of it. 407 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 But understand, one of the best ways to evangelize 408 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,000 is exactly what this Psalm is talking about. And doing, really doing the 409 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,000 opposite of that, right? For I have not hidden your deliverance 410 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000 within my heart. You have been redeemed. It is 411 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000 the greatest story of your life. I look out, and we have 412 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,000 some very successful people. Have run very successful businesses. 413 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,000 Have amazing talents. Have amazing gifts. You all. 414 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Amazing gifts for the church. Right? That's not 415 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 your greatest story. It's because of the sacrifice and deliverance 416 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,000 of Christ that you have those things. But the best 417 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,000 evangelism is to not hide those within your heart. 418 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Right? To never speak of the faithfulness of salvation. 419 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,000 It's the great... You guys come in and talk to me 420 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,000 when you get a new aspect of your job or you get a new job. And that is 421 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:08,000 all awesome. Right? I have boys that, you know, 422 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,000 Dad, look, I have underarm hair. Like, that's great. It's a wonderful thing 423 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,000 for them. But the greatest story you're living 424 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,000 out is the story of Christ and His faithfulness 425 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,000 to you. You don't talk about the faithfulness you have to Christ 426 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,000 all the time because we don't. We're not going to 427 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,000 lead with sin unless you're going to talk about salvation. 428 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Oh, I've been there. 429 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,000 Maybe I'm currently there. And oh, man, I'm just a sinner. 430 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,000 Have a great day. That's not the 431 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,000 end of your story. That's not the end of your testimony. That's the one 432 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,000 of the two-one punch. Right? That is the evangelism. I was 433 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,000 a sinner. You saved me from who I was. 434 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,000 Lisa, that's what Jesus does. 435 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:04,000 Exactly. Jesus 436 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 gives you this story and says, all you got to do, and thought, 437 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,000 word, and deed is live my story out in you. 438 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,000 And I'm going to look at each and every one of you that believe, 439 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:20,000 oh, I don't have a testimony. I wasn't redeemed by anything. I didn't have a near-death 440 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,000 experience. Right? I didn't fall into the world of sex, drugs, or rock and roll. 441 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,000 And God delivered me from that. My testimony is so boring. 442 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Right? That's my wife. For years she believed that. 443 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,000 And she had a pastor one day look at her and go, or 444 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,000 the steadfast of God has 445 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:44,000 been first and foremost in your life through anything 446 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,000 that came. And it just bounced off. 447 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,000 That's an amazing testimony. Because you could be like 448 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,000 me, ups, downs, ups, downs. Emotionally, spiritually, emo 449 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 through most of the 90s and the early 2000s. Right? 450 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,000 Denominational mutt who prayed a prayer but didn't think I did it right. 451 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,000 My wife always, she goes, I've always known God as Lord 452 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,000 and Savior. Yeah, one year, she confessed it at one point, but for her 453 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,000 it was like, she's walking and doing this like, I just took the next 454 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,000 step. What? That's amazing. 455 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,000 Now a lot of you are like, that's why they're married. That makes a lot 456 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,000 more sense. She is his center and his foundation. 457 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Yes, she is. But what about you? 458 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:36,000 Your story, are you hiding it in your heart? 459 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,000 And maybe you're hiding it because you're embarrassed. Maybe you're hiding it because, oh, I'm in a 460 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:44,000 I'm in a world of nonbelievers and I don't know how they're gonna 461 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:48,000 take that. Try. 462 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,000 That's evangelism. Maybe because we're in the culture we're in 463 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 in Ileana, maybe you're in a 464 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,000 world where you work with a bunch of Pharisees. 465 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,000 And they live by the law. 466 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,000 And everything is law based and there is no grace 467 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,000 whatsoever. Maybe you need to be the one that teaches 468 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,000 them grace. That's hard. Don't get me wrong, that's not gonna be easy. 469 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,000 But if that's your story, how dare you not 470 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:24,000 tell your story then? Because someone may in fact 471 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,000 just need to hear it. 472 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,000 I have not concealed your steadfast love and your 473 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,000 faithfulness from the great congregation, from 474 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,000 the world. I hope in my prayers that's not us. 475 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,000 But the next two weeks is gonna talk very specifically 476 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,000 on what that looks like. Let's pray. 477 00:31:48,000 --> 00:32:16,000 Father this is what you do.