The Eternal Blessing

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors. Select a time to jump to that point in the recording.

0:00I do hope that all the dads here feel appreciated and loved today, that God blesses you and fills you with His grace to continue the calling that you have. I hope, kids, that you appreciate your dads today. And I hope that dads, that you feel filled up by God to continue serving your family today. One way I've, as a dad, tried to serve my family is to organize. Just like you, we've had closets and drawers and pantries that have reached a point of absolute disarray.

0:36Totally out of control. And then I'll get motivated to bring order to the chaos. I like to think of it as a small way of bearing the image of God to bring order to chaos in the pantry or the junk drawer or the closet or something. So I will dive into this project. I kind of like these projects, actually. And then hours later, I finish, and I first admire my own work. And then I call my family, and I instruct them to admire it as well. And I proudly display it.

1:16Imagine a clean pantry or closet. It's clean. It's organized. There's a place for everything and everything in its place. And I want to teach them the system. Stop me if you've heard this one in your own household. See, there's a place for everything. These things go here, and these things go here, and I've made labels to help you.

1:42God just had his own word to create things. I use a label maker. And then comes the most naive part of my presentation, my fatherly presentation to my family, where I conclude with, and now it will stay this way.

2:04My family has been appreciative of these projects, even appreciative of the system, truly. But, you know, it never stays that way. Never. It never stays that way. What I'm hoping for is that my big, my afternoon, whatever, this big one-time work I've put in, I've put in one time of work, and then it's going to bring about a permanent improvement to our lives. It's going to permanently change our house. We'll be freed up to do all kinds of fun things so we no longer will be hunting around for the flashlight or the batteries for the flashlight or whatever.

2:39We'll just sit in the dark. I'm hoping that lasting change will come. This drawer, this closet, it's going to be different. It's going to be better. But it never turns out that way. So my silly little analogy here is to point you towards the work of Jesus, which is better, because He does one work, and it actually does bring about a permanent change. A permanent change for you in your life if you have faith in Him, if you belong to Him. He does one thing, one time, and it brings about a permanent change, a once-for-all change in your life.

3:15And that's what everything is about in this passage today. We're going to continue in our sermon series in Hebrews called Toward an Enduring Faith. We're going to look at Hebrews 9 and go into chapter 10. And that's what it's all about. The one-time work of Jesus that unlike my one-time works actually does lead to a permanent and lasting change. So turn with me to Hebrews 9 starting in verse 20, 26? 23. Thank you. Yes, 23. And then going to 10, 18.

3:52Let's be attentive to the Word of God. The holy and fallible Word of God that we can trust, that we should trust, and we should kneel before, and we should seek God in it because He speaks in it. He speaks to us and He changes us. Listen now to the Word of God. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

4:37Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not His own, for then He would have to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. but as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time not to deal with sin but to save those who were eagerly waiting for Him.

5:17For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5:52Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book. When He said, Above, you have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings, these are offered according to the law.

6:22Then He added, Behold, I have come to do your will. He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at His service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet.

7:02For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us for after saying this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days declares the Lord I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds. Then He adds I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is forgiveness of these there is no longer any offering for sin. Pray with me.

7:39Lord God we praise You. Lord Your Word is not just information but it's living and active. By Your Spirit new life comes up in us when we attend to it with faith when we come to You seeking You with faithful hearts You are far more faithful to do the work in us to help us see Christ and see ourselves and to see the hope that we have in Him. And Lord that's exactly what I would pray for You to do today. I claim Your promises Lord that Your Word would go forth with power to bring about new life for our good and for Your glory.

8:17We pray this Jesus in Your name. Alright, the eternal blessing. I used to be calling this the eternal outcome in previous weeks as I was fast forwarding to this but I decided the outcome was a little too bland. The eternal blessing. The once for all offering of Jesus creates a once for all change in us. The once for all offering of Jesus creates a once for all change in us. Today we finished our little four-part look at the heart of Hebrews. It's been all about the work of Jesus as our high priest.

8:55All of the teaching about Jesus as high priest really finds its highest form in this part of Hebrews. And today we come to the end of that and then He's going to transition next in Hebrews to talk about applications of this. That's the whole rest of the book. This passage you can tell it repeats themes and concepts that we've covered before. If you heard me reading it and you were reading along and you were like haven't we covered haven't we read this passage before maybe?

9:24I'm not surprised that you feel that way because it's a lot of similar things that have been covered even last week the week before. But there's a different focus in this text in this particular text it's focused the shift focuses on what Christ's work does for you. What it does for you. And that's what I'm going to focus on today. I'm not going to retread things that I've covered already. Not too much. Just maybe a little bit just to remind you but mainly focusing on what this does for you.

9:56And here's the big point for us church. In Jesus the future begins now. In Jesus the future begins now. Jesus did not save you so that you could just sit and wait with your same old life your same old self looking forward to the good things that are coming. Those good things have already come into your life. Sometimes we need a little bit of reminding about that and that's what I'm here to do with this text today. There is waiting in the Christian life but the work of Jesus changes us now.

10:32This passage tells us three eternal blessings that are ours now because of his work. Three eternal blessings that begin now. First of all we are consecrated for his purpose.

10:46So this section of Hebrews that we've been in it's really clear isn't it? The sacrifices of the old covenant were not enough. He says it many many times in different ways. It should be pretty clear. They weren't enough. They couldn't cleanse the conscience. They couldn't cover guilt. Why? Verse 4 makes it plain. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. verse 11 up there on the screen it says the same thing. Look at that verse verse 4 it should strike you as something it's kind of a big bold statement to make.

11:29It's impossible. All of those sacrifices they were doing it's impossible for them to ever take away sins. The ongoing repeated nature of them illustrates that. why they would have to stop right if they were effective at taking away sins but they didn't they just kept going. They weren't really changing anyone. Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered.

11:56If they can't take away sins if they can't change anyone then why did God command them. Verse 3 tells us in these sacrifices there was a reminder of sins every year. The sacrifices pointed people inward. As they saw the blood sprinkled on their behalf. An animal killed on their behalf. They saw their need for forgiveness. I've got sin that needs to be dealt with. They were supposed to be drawn inward. To look inward. But not just inward. The sacrifices also pointed them upward.

12:33To say I've got to look to God to provide the solution to this. It pointed them inward. It pointed them upward. But it also pointed them forward. to the promises that God was going to accomplish the salvation someday. The law has but a shadow of the good things to come. The good things that we know. The good thing comes in Jesus. God's God's son who comes into the world and he says sacrifices and offerings you have not desired but a body you have prepared for me.

13:12This is a quote of Psalm 40 and what Jesus means when he says this is that he knows God didn't send him with the intention of sacrificing more animals. he was not going to be a better high priest that takes another offering. That wasn't the solution that God had to provide. He has a better offering a perfect offering his own body a body you have prepared for me. This is his sacrifice that he's bringing in and along with that body he has a spirit that is willing to offer it.

13:50I have come to do your will oh God he says. His sacrifice embodied perfect heart obedience to his father. Perfection along with a willing spirit. I have come to do everything that you have asked me to do father.

14:10Now here's where we come in. Verse 10. By that by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. I'm going to read that again. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. To be sanctified is to be cleansed from sin. To be definitively forgiven. And it means to be made holy justified before God. All of this is ours right here and right now because of the better offering of Jesus.

14:52He takes our sin and he pays the penalty and he gives us his righteousness. The law can never by former sacrifices make perfect those who draw near. That's what it said. But by a single offering he has perfected us. He does what the law cannot. This work definitive and specific purpose in your life. We heard this last week. He purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. We are saved to serve. That's why I said in this slide here we are consecrated for his purpose.

15:38We're saved to serve. As a dad one thing I have done a lot not so much anymore I kind of miss it is chaperone field trips especially when the kids were in elementary school many many of those field trips were to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts I don't know why probably because it's free but lots of field trips to the VMFA we we would often visit the antiquities room the kids would be studying ancient civilizations and so they'd go into the antiquities room and they'd look at old every year you go to the VMFA right but you remember the antiquities room right we would look at the very old things thousands of old things objects that archaeologists have found coins and jewelry and ordinary things like pots staring at these clay vessels with their faded painting chipped imperfect but clean and restored I've often imagined what they were used for right at one point they were in a household whose house were they in who handled these pots how many times were they used before they fell into disuse and fell on the ground and got buried they sit in a museum now but they were made to be used we stare at them as if they're strange objects and they are special they're very very old but they were made to be used Christian you are a broken vessel dug up put back together patched cleaned and restored but your father is not an archaeologist or curator of a museum he does not put you behind glass to be stared at he puts you in his cupboard to be used in his household that's why he restores you

17:33that's why he dug you up and cleaned you up and patched you together sealed all the cracks cleaned you up repainted you he he did that not to be a display piece on his mantle or behind glass but to be used in his household that's what you have been made for we are his works manship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them you were saved to serve and not serve yourself but serve God you have a purpose in his kingdom Christian and if you don't know what that purpose is then you ought to be looking for it I'm talking to everybody in the room right now young people I'm not just talking to the adults okay you have a purpose in this kingdom that purpose changes over time sometimes you have multiple purposes sometimes you just have a single big purpose but seek the Lord to understand what that purpose is that's why he saved you he saved you to serve he consecrated you you ought to be looking ask other people what do you think I should be doing how do you think I'm called to serve when you hear of a need assume that God may be talking to you and calling you move towards it even if you step into it in that comes your joy selfishness doesn't satisfy it really doesn't serving God and others in his name does satisfy because you are expressing your design and agreeing with his design when a child has a strong relationship with her good father she is happy when he says I've got a job for you she loves hearing that it's good to say like

19:52our savior did behold I have come to do your will you set me apart you cleansed me you sanctified me I've come to do your will show me what it is God here's the second thing the second eternal blessing of the one time work of Jesus we are renewed in his image sometimes when we're visiting my dad we know this time that we visit him we notice at some point him just moving about from task to task doing this and he goes over here and does this task to task and eventually somebody says maybe it's me I say dad why don't you just sit down for a little while his response is always the same I will will once I am finished the priests never sat down they never sat down they stood offering sacrifices every priest stands daily at his service stands daily at his service I hope they had some kind of ergonomic mat underneath them otherwise boy their legs and feet were hurting they are always standing because their work is never complete they were offering repeatedly the same sacrifices day after day week after week year after year priest after priest but then when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins he sat down dads I hope that today you can sit down and put your feet up I plan to but we all know that's going to be temporary right you'll have to get up again at some point because there's more to do for Jesus it's different his offering for sin is complete it's one and done you know what he said it is finished he sat down his work for atonement is complete and that he can

22:22do while sitting down because he sends someone else to do it in his name he sends the Holy Spirit to do the renewing work in his people because of this new work in verse 14 we are called those who are being sanctified this is the same word the same word that was used in verse 10 has been sanctified have been sanctified but here in verse 14 it's in the present tense it's an ongoing work same verb different tense we are those who are being sanctified sanctification has two dimensions it's a definitive act of God to make us clean and righteous in Christ and in that sense it belongs with what the Bible calls justification but there is also a sanctification that's progressive it's ongoing it's a lifelong process of deliverance from the power of sin and the coming of new life it's the putting off of the old self and it's coming alongside the bringing of the life of the new it's being renewed after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness it's this work that Jesus does now through the spirit that he sent remember how he said it's better for me if I go away this is part of the reason why he sent his spirit to do this work in you he's no longer offering sacrifice he doesn't do that anymore he's out of sanctified in Christ and now we are being sanctified in the spirit hold on to those two things holiness worked out in practice in our lives progress may seem slow it may even seem non existent sometimes but if you are in Christ by faith this work is promised it is a promise

24:47to you from God and here's why this matters because you are called to join in this work to join up with the spirit in this work this is the spirit's work and it's your work to join up with him he's called you to holiness and you have a part to play in that have the same vision for yourself that God has for you have the same vision for yourself that God has if you've ever tried to break a bad habit you know it's really helpful to replace it with a better one chewing gum instead of eating chips drinking water instead of soda going to bed instead of picking up your phone God knows this about us and that's why he fills our new hearts and our illuminated minds with new content verse 18 quotes again from the prophet Jeremiah I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds destructive patterns must be replaced with constructive ones his truth instead of the things that we call truth that we used to believe that our old self still kind of prefers sometimes because they satisfy us more we think in our flesh those old truths which are not really true they're fake we leave those behind and we come alongside the new truth that he's given us the real truths the truths that do satisfy us Christian reflect on God's ways align your ways with them this is the path of life and most of all the biggest way that you can come alongside the spirit as he is sanctifying you is to make your first love the one who loved you first make your first love the one who loved you first I gave Nikki

26:54this kudos and it's genuine it's real when I started about our anniversary today and what I love about her and she does she loves first the one who loved her first that's what makes her an exemplary wife that is going to lead you down the path of sanctification if you will when you see and when the spirit points out to you that you love something or someone more than God you've got to confront that you've got to figure out a way go to God with that pray about it put that before him say I need help with this I need this to come underneath my love for you Lord I want to love first and foremost the Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers called this the expulsive power of a new affection God is going to answer that prayer maybe in ways that surprise you the expulsive power of a new affection you're praying for the love of God to come in there and kick out whatever you're loving more put it down push it down the ladder as far down as it needs to go God so that it doesn't come back up and get to the top rung the expulsive power of a new affection but listen we are a work in progress but we are still his and I need you talking talking about somebody else because I don't know if the spirit of God is at work in me don't give up hope keep at it pray to God tell him what's on your heart and remember this what he says in verse 14 by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified we are a work in progress and we are still his the whole time perfected doesn't mean that

29:19we are sinless church it just means that we are forgiven we are accepted we are adopted by grace and for all time means it remains even while we are working out our salvation even when we all time those who are being sanctified don't you forget that because we all need to remember that don't we when we're struggling for all time he has perfected those who are being sanctified as a dad I've got expectations of course for my daughter's behavior and character and grades and so on but no matter how all of those things turn out cadence and greed will still be my daughters that does not change that relationship doesn't depend on anything they do they don't have to slink up to the dinner table steal some food while I'm not looking and then run away because they're afraid about something they've done or grades that didn't turn out like they wanted they don't have to do that they should never do that Christian you shouldn't do that either you belong to him by faith if your faith is in Jesus you belong to him it's done and you belong to him no matter how your week is gone don't feel like you have to slink up to the table while Jesus isn't looking steal something and then run away I don't want him to look at me he might fold his arms and scold no he won't that relationship that you have with him doesn't depend on what you do we are being sanctified in the ups and downs of the process and the abiding love of a good father rests on us I could end right there but I got more good news to share

31:49with you here's the last one it is the shortest we are hopeful for his return we are hopeful for his return verse 27 says it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment we try to put it out of our minds but eventually something confronts us with our mortality the death of a loved one terrible diagnosis a close call in a car at that moment there is the God that they have been avoiding the one they aren't ready to meet as the saying goes there are no atheists in foxholes but for Jesus people it ought to be different with him as your high priest you can face the future and God with a whole new disposition because Christ took your judgment for you he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away nature your wrong doing all the things that made you guilty they're the furthest thing from God's mind I promise you that you think about them more than God does I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more that's how effective the work of Christ is for you he will return and his return will be glorious beyond compare filled with power and and conquests the wicked will kneel but toward you dear children he has a whole new disposition at his return Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time not to deal with sin but to say child of God do not fear his return you will have to give an account for your life but your punishment is gone it's been taken already he sees you now aligned with his son clothed in the

34:16righteousness of Christ his return is no longer a threat it's not like when you were a kid and you got in trouble and your mom said just wait till your father gets home it's not like that his return is for your blessing for your joy for all the promises that he's made to you to be complete to share in his and here's why this matters this third point relates to the first two God assures us of his love and our future so that we will embrace his purpose for us and pursue holiness in our lives it's hard to do those things if you're cowering in fear it's basically impossible to embrace his purpose for you and pursue holiness you can't do it if you're cowering in fear he wants to assure you of his love be hopeful about his return because that assurance is propulsive for the Christian life look how we are described here we are those who are eagerly waiting for him those who are eagerly waiting for him church let's be like children who keep peeking out the window checking the driveway listening for the latch on the door because we are so excited for our father to return to us because of his goodness and his kindness and his mighty love let's eagerly wait for him all all of this is ours because of the once for all work of Jesus our priest he he he he he he he he he he