Hebrews 9:1-12 - Jesus Has a Better Sanctuary

We are in Hebrews chapter 9 but actually I'm going to start in Genesis chapter 2 so I promise you we won't go through the whole Bible but I want to show you a couple things out of Genesis on our way to Hebrews 9. I have these memories of my childhood. My grandfather moved away from California in my teenage years because my grandmother needed medical treatment in Texas. And so he moved away to Baytown, Texas, just outside of Houston. And so holidays around about this time of year. I have these very Vivid memories of going to the airport to meet him. This is back when you could go into Oakland and go to the gate and I remember just running up to him and jumping in his arms. Him coming to our house, on the holidays were some of my greatest memories of his presence, lighting up the house. Cuz when he came it was like the fun could start. He always brought gifts, he always was laughing. He always had a joke, he always wanted to take us somewhere. We had never been and it was just a it's a wonderful memory of his presence. And today when we look at this passage in Hebrews 9, what we need to keep in mind is that the whole reason that the Tabernacle in the temple of God existed the whole reason there was a holy place was because God's presence is among his people. So back in Genesis to, I want to start here. I'm going to read a beginning in verse 4 of Genesis to know. That's not what I want. What do I want? I want to start in verse

15. What is for? That's why I wanted to start. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth. When they were created in the day that the Lord God made the Earth in the heavens with no Bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up for the Lord, God had not caused it to rain on the land and there was no man to work. The ground and a Mist was going up from the land and it was watering the face of the ground. And then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life and the Man became a living creature. And the Lord, God planted a garden in Eden in the East. And there, he put the man whom he had formed an out of the ground. The Lord God made to spring up every tree. That is Pleasant to the site and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden in there. It divided and became Four Rivers. The name of the first is, the pi Sean. It's the one that float around the whole land of Hobby Lobby where there is gold and the gold of that land is good but Delia minnow next owner there, the name of the second Rivers gihan. It's the one that float around the whole land of cush, the name of the third Rivers, the Tigris which flows east of Assyria and the fourth river is the Euphrates. And the Lord, God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden, to work it. And keep it couple things I want to point out first in the garden. Adam and Eve had perfect fellowship with God in his presence. The garden was the first Sanctuary the first holy place. In fact, we know that from verse 15 because God commands, Adam to keep the garden and to work it in the Hebrew. Those words Shemar in a vad are used throughout the pentateuch, especially the book of numbers numbers 3, for example, where the Levites, the levitical priests were to keep and serve the Tabernacle. And so Adam is pictured as the first priest of this Garden where God's presence is among his people and Adam, and Eve had been diminished access to the presence of God. Want you also to see that there's gold and jewels in this Garden, he mentioned this in passing talking about the river, that winds around the land of havilah, where there's gold in bdellium and Onyx these gemstones. What, what is this? This is a presence of royalty of of. Well,

and then in Genesis 3, we see that's in Ruins this Fellowship with God. 3:6 the woman saw that the tree was good for food. That it was a delight to the eyes and the tree was to be desired in to make one wise. She took of its fruit and AIDS and she gave to her husband who was with her and he ate in the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloth. And when they heard the sound of the Lord, God Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day, the man in the wife, hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the Trees of the garden. So as soon as they send now, they didn't want to be in the presence of God. God is walking in the cool of the garden. And they hid from the presence of God. This first man and woman because of their sin Lynn down in 3:22. The Lord God said, behold the man has become like one of us and knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. In this Fallen State you could say which would be a terrible sentence. Therefore, the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. And he drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard, the way to the tree of life. And so you have this picture of Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden. There, they're kicked out because of their Disobedience and Angels were set to guard the garden. Can keep them out from the presence of God, the glory of God's presence. These cherubim he's going to come up again in this picture of the Tabernacle, not turning over to Hebrews 9. We see that the author of Hebrews, he's been preaching on Psalm 110 throughout and he's connecting the ideas of the old Covenant. In the old Tabernacle temple in showing the Jesus is better. That's what we've been looking at throughout this and in doing. So he's arguing that the old Covenant, the the levitical priests the Tabernacle. All of it was inadequate inadequate for what it was an adequate to save, it wasn't able to deliver anybody. And so it was merely a placeholder. We saw last week until Jesus came, who is the better priesthood? Who is the better Temple? Who is the better? Priest? Sacrifice, who he's better? And so the author in talking about this and in, we don't know who it is. That's why I keep saying the author. Beginning in Hebrews 9, we're going to cover these 12vs. He begins by saying, now, even the first Covenant had regulations for worship and Earthly place of Holiness for a tent was prepared. The first section in which were the lamp stand in the table, in the bread of the presence and it's called The Holy place. And behind the second curtain was the second section called the most holy Place having the golden altar of incense in the Ark of the Covenant covered on all sides with gold and which was a golden urn holding the Manna and Aaron Stafford but it in the tablets of the Covenant and above it where the cherubim of Glory overshadowing, The Mercy Seat and of these things. We cannot now speak in detail. I lost my slide person Ainsley. Can you flip the slides to two slides for word perfect. So I wanted to show you what the holy place look like visually. Sometimes it's hard to picture of what's going on here. But this old Sanctuary was was insufficient. We see this temple in the old Covenant Kirin versus 125, and he starts in verse one and saying that there were regulations for worship that's in the first five books, the Mosaic law and it's an Earthly, holy place and it consisted Versus 224 of a holy place, that's the outer parts. And then the most holy place, the inner parts and he says in the Holy place or a lamp stand, a table and bread. Now why is that? I remember growing up in church and wondering why in the world would there be a lamp stand? And why is the Priestly duty to light the lamps? Why is there bread? I mean the priest get to eat it but why is it put on a table like just to hang out there in the Holy Place? Why is there all of these items? Well I can understand it. The temple is God's house. And what he's saying is, there's food on the table, the lights are on and got his home. His presence is with his people. That's what it's picturing. So, as these priests could came in, they would see the lamp stand in the table in the bread and say, God is here, this is his house and the lights are on Foods on the table, and he's home. And so this Tabernacle was a, a royal house. It was a house of God himself royalty. And then when you see the description of the Tabernacle in Exodus you see that it was to be covered with fine stones and jewels all about it was to be have the best cloth that were purple Linens and purple is the color of royalty. Why? Because purple dye was the most expensive die naturally to produce. So, I was wondering if anybody is wearing purple today, the color of royalty. There's a few of you out here at the chairs are purple. You have this this picture of this Royal house, but it's also a holy house. And so the holy the most, holy place, the sanctuary. The the inner part is the throne room. The picture of the throne room of God that he's on his throne. In fact, there's an altar and the Ark of the Covenant Indiana Jones. It's there. I mean, it's not there, it wasn't there. By the time of Jesus day, it had been taken to Babylon and never recovered, which is why the story of Indiana Jones exist it as if archaeologists could find it somewhere. But this picture of the Ark was the footstool of God, it was the place where God kicked up his feet and placed his feet. I mean that's crazy to think of the throne being a recliner but that's the picture of scripture that the throne that Arc is his footstool. And gods at home and he's among his people. And and the author in verse 5 says, we don't have time to go into detail. You have to cover all of Exodus chapters, 25 to $0.40 to go into detail about. This ain't nobody got time for that, right? We got to get to the point of the passage here which is Jesus is a better Sanctuary, is what he's getting at is going to say all of this holy place and most holy place as great as this Tabernacle was and in the greatest picture of it was when Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. It was almost as big as a football field and end these. These things were expanded and yet Solomon says, In 1st Kings 8:12 will God indeed, dwell on the earth, behold, heaven in the highest Heaven. Cannot contain you how much less this house that I built? Someone understood that this didn't contain God. But it's for God's manifested glory was on the earth among his people. And the sacrifices were offered at the altars this acceptable worship. That was a fragrant aroma. So you can imagine in in the Tabernacle, the altar is on the other side of the veil. It's on this side, the altar of incense, where the aromaz went up, where they sacrifice, they had em sense to have pleasant smells. We might that might sound unfamiliar to us, but I know some of you use essential oils as air fresheners for your house. This fragrant Aroma. You don't want it to smell like teenage, boys. You want to just smell fragrance? Also you had the sacrifices that were actually just outside the holy place where that offering went up as a fragrant. Aroma again, it sounds so foreign to us. But how many of us have driven by BBQ places in smelled The Fragrant Aroma of animals cooking on a grill with fire? That's a pretty pleasing smell. That's at that's got to stop and have it kind of smell. So this is a picture of a house. What I'm trying to do is demystify sort of the, the old Covenant and think that it's so foreign to us. It's not. It's a picture of God, at home, with his people, his presents with his people, but there's a problem. There was a veil, separating the holy place. The veil was when the veil was made, it was woven into the fabric of the Tabernacle and the curtains on the images and exodus 20:16, oh, it was woven into the curtains. Cherubim Now where did we hear that before in Genesis 3 where they were guarding the presence of God? So that Adam and Eve couldn't go back into eating and now they're on the curtains in the vale to prevent the people of God from coming into the undiminished presence of God. It's so what we see is there is no direct access anymore.! You can't just approach God in a fallen world. So the reason the author of Hebrews brings this up is that it's just a copy of Shadow a type of the Heavenly things and it's temporary and its insufficient So the temple in the old Covenant, you can go to the next slide here. You see that it? We have limited access. This is Vale keeps us. Now, the ark is, inside the holy of holies and he says he goes into, describing it that's inside the arc, there's the Ten Commandments, there's the manner, which is bread from the Wilderness. And there's Aaron's staff that budded when Aaron was given the priesthood. What is a picture? The Mana is the bread old Covenant provision in the wilderness. Aaron's staff, is the old priesthood and the Ten Commandments of the old Covenant. Everything that's contained in the ark was God's regulations from verse 1 to keep God's people in a place where they could draw near to him. And on top of the Ark was a mercy seat, the Greek. It's the word hilasterion. It's this place between the Angels. This again, the chair of them. Are there guarding looking at bowing down to the glory of God, because right there above the ark. God's footstool is where his manifest Glory was present? Among his people, remember the Old Testament was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of Fire by night that led them in the wilderness. The shekina will the word in Hebrew. It comes from the idea of dwelling among his people. This is God's dwelling his checking off his manifest presence among his people. They knew God was with them. But there needed to be a mercy seat. There needed to be a place of propitiation, a place of satisfaction. And The Mercy Seat. This is where the high priest, would sprinkle the blood once a year, he was only allowed to go in once a year and sprinkle the blood, but it would cover the sins of the people for a year so that they could be in the presence of God. In fact, in Exodus chapter 29 verse 42, it shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your Generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord where I will meet with you to speak to you there. And there, I will meet with the people of Israel and it should be Sanctified by my talking about the the Ark of the Covenant in the glory. In the Holy place, I'll consecrate the tent of meeting in the altar. Aaron and his sons, I'll consecrate to serve me as priests and I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God and they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord, their God. so it's easy when we read through the Bible in a year and start in Exodus and get to Leviticus to think that, that whole complicated setup of the Tabernacle was was to sort of exclude God from his people, he's holy in their nod and they they can't draw near but rather What God was doing in his Mercy, was giving them away in which they could draw near all of the rules, all of the regulations. All of the laws were so that they could draw near to the presence of God, that's the whole point of it. Now, by the way, just to steal a little bit of my own sermons Thunder Hear. Romans, 3:25 says, Jesus is our mercy seat, so that place of redemption of propitiation. Jesus is our mercy seat. So, the reason we can draw near to God and be in his presence is because the blood was placed on the ark, The Mercy Seat, not the one in Earth that Indiana Jones found the one in heaven, Jesus himself is the place of propitiation. It's why the author back in chapter 4 says, we can draw near to the throne of grace and find Mercy and Grace to help in our time of need Jesus blood, paid it all, he's a better Sanctuary, he's a better means of drawing near to God, don't lose the whole point of this. Don't lose the whole point of this. The whole point is to be in the presence of God. That's what he turned it. He's going to be like I didn't mean to that wasn't banging, the pulpit that was like kick something with my foot. Sorry. Now, the author of Hebrews says, we don't have time to speak of these things in detail, it would be easy to get lost in the details of this and factors 26 to 40 of 14 chapters in The Book of Exodus. But he moved on and says, in verses, 6 & 7 that the Priestly service in the old, Covenant is limited in its effectiveness. As it is Christ obtained, a ministry, that's much more. Excellent then as the old Covenant immediate is better, I'm sorry that's chapter 8, chapter 9 verse 6, these preparations having Dustbin made the priest get regularly into the first section. Performing the ritual duties, but into the second only, the high priest goes and he but once a year and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people, So in the Holy place, they had repeated service, They begged and prepared the bread. They lit the lamp stands. They offered incense sacrifices, were done twice a day, but into the holy place, it was only allowed for the high priest, to go once a year again, it was repeated once a year and the sprinkling of the blood was on The Mercy Seat and it covered sins once a year, but they couldn't take sin away. All of this shows us. That it's limited and its Effectiveness. This is what the author has been talking about beginning in 87:7, if the first Covenant had been found faultless with there been no occasion to look for a seconds. Or he finds fault with them when he says, behold the days are coming when I will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel in the house of Judah. Not like the Covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them out of by the hand and bring them out of the land of Egypt, for they do not continue in my cabinet and so I showed no concern for them. Declares the Lord we heard it and is equal 37. Zico chapter 36 is that famous. I will take out their Heart of Stone and put in a heart of Flesh. And then chapter 37, he follows it up with a vision of the valley of dry bones and says that old Covenant, it couldn't bring life. And so the people under the old Covenant, we're like a bunch of dry bones in a valley and what they need is for Life to Come. Remember Adam and Eve were excluded from the tree of life because of that falling condition. They would live in this terrible condition forever. It was God's mercy to exclude him from the Tree of Life and the presence of God breathed life. In Jesus, is the one who is a better priest. I'm getting ahead of myself again. This old priesthood was insufficient because their sacrifices were only effective to cover sins once a year. You know, it's like to put a Band-Aid. on a engine light. You might not see it anymore. It has limited Effectiveness, when you turn the key, it doesn't bother you anymore. That you don't see that check engine light cuz you covered it with a Band-Aid. But it doesn't solve the problem.

See, the nation of Israel, they would give these sacrifices, and it did cover their sins once a year, but it didn't take away sin, it couldn't save, it, couldn't deliver, it couldn't bring life. And so, the author is saying that old Sanctuary was insufficient. It was just a shadow, it was just a type. It was just a placeholder, like we saw last week until Jesus came.

While his last point is in verses 8 to 10 the significance of this Sanctuary versus 8 to 10. Thank you. He says. By this the Holy Spirit indicates by the existence of the Tabernacle and the sanctuary in the Holy Most, Holy place, the holy of holies by this the Holy Spirit indicates the way into the holy places is not yet opened, as long as the first section is still standing, which is symbolic for the present age. According to this, Arrangement gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, but deal only with food, and drink in various Washings and regulations for the body, imposed until the time of the Reformation. So you have this reality that as long as you keep going to the old Tabernacle, you will never deal with sin. You cannot perfect the conscience. You just deal with things of the body, various Washings drinks, regulations of the body. So there's a continual reminder of your sin in these things and what he saying in verse 8, the holy spirit is indicating, this is that we should have known this was a shadow and something better was coming all of the Old Testament was pointing to Jesus. It's why the repeated sacrifices could never make anyone perfect. They could never cleanse the conscience and give full forgiveness of sins. There, pointing to a future perfect sacrifice. Where did I get this continual reminder send turn over to 10:3 in the sacrifices. There is a reminder of sins every year.

These regulations, these foods and Washings in cleansing, they pointed to a future washing and cleansing. That's not merely the body but of the heart, what? The New Covenant promised, but we heard in ezekiel's Valley of the dry bones, the Holy Spirit, breathe and the people live, they have a new heart, Ezekiel 36. They have the law, not written on tablets of stone but written on the human heart, Jeremiah 31. So the Ten Commandments don't need to be in the Ark of the Covenant anymore because they've been written on her heart. The man that doesn't need to be kept in the ark anymore to remind how God provides bread in the wilderness because Jesus is the bread of life whose come down to give us true life. And when we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, we live forever and I know that's graphic. That's what Jesus said he's talking about partaking of him. And Aaron's Rod that budded which was a mark of the old priesthood. We don't need anymore because Jesus is a better priest. Who Psalm 110 is of the order of Melchizedek chapter 7, which means he's an eternal priests, and he doesn't need his own priest. He doesn't need to make sacrifices for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because he never send. And so he's able to be our mediator forever and that's why he heads into verses 11 and 12. Jesus offers, a perfect sacrifice in a better temple in heaven. Caedmon, can you switch the slide for me? Thank you. He's entered into God's presence in heaven and so instead of limited access in the old Covenant, now we have full access verse 11 and 12 when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come. Then through the greater and more perfect tense not made with hands, that is not of this creation. He endured once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves. But by his own blood does securing an eternal Redemption. He didn't enter God's presence on Earth in the temple, he entered into heaven. Not on Earth where there's a limited manifestation of God's glory. He entered into the presence of God and His undiminished glory. Psalm 110 the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make all of your enemies your footstool for your feet. And what did he do? He made satisfaction for sin and he made a way for us to draw near in fact, on earth. When Jesus died, what happened to the veil, in the Tabernacle in the temple, it was torn into indicating. We now have access to God. Why? Because Jesus is the true Temple. Remember, what his name Shall be Called? Matthew 1:23 Emmanuel God With Us. Isn't that remarkable? Not just a great Christmas song to sing. It's the reality that God is with us. The word became flesh and tabernacled Among Us. John 1:14, and we beheld, his glory, glory of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth, Grace and Truth Karis. Kyle atha, which translates the Hebrew words for steadfast. Love has said and faithfulness a meth. When Moses went up to the mountain and saw the glory of God, all the backside glory of God is it, where is God passed by and hit him in the cleft of the rock? You remember the Lord cried out his name, the Lord, the Lord gracious and compassionate abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. What John, the Apostle says in John 1, is we beheld? His glory? The Glorious from the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. So what is John saying, the glory of God that dwelled that walked with Adam and Eve in the garden? The glory of God that was in the sanctuary, the holy place above the Ark of the Covenant, the glory of God that was a pillar of Fire by Night. A pillar of cloud by day the glory of God that led them in the wilderness That Glory dwelt among us. And we saw him. And his name is Jesus and he's full of grace and truth. This is the one who is Emmanuel and now he's appeared in the presence of God on our behalf and he didn't take the blood of bulls and goats he offered up his own blood, so the blood of bulls and goats had limited Effectiveness. Now we have a perfect sacrifice in Jesus, it's fully effective, he died. Once for all there's no more to pay Jesus, Paid It All. That means the sin. You committed this week, this morning fighting Your wife on the way to church Jesus. Paid It All. It's forgiven. And the significance of blood is important in the Bible. Leviticus 17 says, life is in the blood and he says, in Hebrews 9:22 just a few verses later indeed under the law, almost everything is purified with blood. And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. And so Jesus took his own blood into the presence of God and the life is in the blood. And somebody saying is I've come that they might have life and have it abundantly in the life we have, is the life that's in Jesus, its eternal life, its Abundant Life, its Spirit given life, its father originating life, it's Jesus. Who is the way the truth and the life?

This is what life means.

What Gives Life Meaning is being in the presence of God forever.

And he has secured, Eternal Redemption. And so, any old cabinet, there was a continual, reminder of our sins over and over. Now, Jesus says, we are forgiven forever, this idea of Eternal Redemption. The word Redemption has the picture of buying out of the bondage of slavery and the price that is paid. For the ransom is the blood of Jesus. Let me rattle off some verses 1st, Timothy 2:6, he gave himself as a ransom for all men acts 20:28. The Church of God, which he obtained with his own blood Galatians. 2:20 Jesus, who loved me and gave himself up for me, Ephesians 5 to Christ, loved us and gave himself up for us. A fragrant offering to God. That, that picture of the the temple in the altar of incense in the aroma, is going up into the presence of God and making him happy with the worship. Jesus is the one who offers up in self and the aroma is fragrant when Jesus offers up himself for our sins, Beloved, have you ever been tempted to think that you've committed a sin so bad that Jesus blood is not enough.

You might think. Oh, I know Jesus is sufficient, but is he sufficient for me? You don't know what I've done. You don't know my past, you don't know how bad it is. In whatever way you made out. Don't despair. Jesus is better than your sin. His sacrifice pays it, all. His forgiveness is full and free and forever. The reality is he paid for the sins? You haven't committed yet? And we might think horrific lie in our past and think our worst sins are behind us. But beloved, your worst sins might be ahead of you. People that live lives. And their worst sins are yet to come but Jesus, Paid It All, That's how good he is. That's how great he is. That's why it's such a joy to believe in Jesus.

Because there's not a continual reminder of your sins in Jesus. There's a continual reminder that you're forgiven. That's why we gather. So I would take the table. So I we draw near Haggai chapter two, says the Lord God of hosts yet. Once more in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the Earth in the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations. So that the Treasure of All Nation shall come in. And I will fill this house with Glory says, the Lord of hosts, the silver is mine, the Gold is mine declares the Lord of hosts, the latter Glory of this house, shall be greater than the former. And in this place, I will give peace declares the Lord of hosts. We went through the Minor Prophets last year, but what had guy was prophesying is there is coming a greater glory than even this Temple is the rubles Temple at that time. It was kind of a cobbled-together temple with wood from the mountains and half-hearted effort and yet the whole point was the existence of the temple so that God's presence would be among his people. And God says don't worry, there's come in the greater Temple and the ladder glories going to be greater than the former glory and what's he talking about? He was speaking of Jesus the true Temple Emmanuel God With Us. The reason the latter glory is greater than the former is because he's feeling his people with the presence of God, it's why we're called now. The temple 1st Peter, 2:4 and 5 are being built into a temple Christ as the Cornerstone, and we are the temple in him. If he has 221, we're being a fit dwelling place for God, the Father by the Holy Spirit. Isn't that incredible? This reality that now we are the temple. And is coming a day when the whole earth will become the temple of God. The place where is Glory? Dwells Revelation 7 There Before the Throne of God, verse, 15 serve him day and night in his Temple and he was sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. No hunger, no more neither thirst anymore. And the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat for the lamb. In the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd and he will guide them to Springs of Living Water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. This is our hope we're going to be with God Forever on. This Earth is going to be renewed, and his presence is going to be with us. So what do we do in the meantime, while we are the temple? No more. Do we say go to Jerusalem to see the glory of God into being his presence. Now, if people want to be in the presence of God and see the glory of God, they come to the church to us. Hebrews 12, turn over there, I'll close with this. This is how the author concludes this. Hebrews 12 26, at that time, his voice shook, the Earth at that time, when he gave the old Covenant on Mount Sinai, But now he's promised yet once more, I will shake, not only the Earth, but also the heavens and this phrase, yet once more indicates the removal of the things that are shaking. That is the things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken. May remain there for, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom. That cannot be shaken and let us offer to God. Septuple worship with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. This is what is our response to this OG? Jesus has a better Sanctuary. We can draw near to the presence of God, Hebrews 4. We can receive mercy and Grace to help in our time of need. We Hebrews ten twelve weekend with confidence, draw near with boldness, confident, access to the father Know that he hears us know, they were accepted in Jesus. That picture of my grandfather coming. There was never any doubt that he accepted us and loved us. Grandpa was here. Write. This is not a Stern, lawgiver. This isn't Dad. This isn't Chris Rippy. This is Lefty James. And my dad's not even here to defend himself today. Now that I'm a grandpa, I get it. I have a grandson and I'm not going to be a Stern lawgiver. It's going to be glorious. The spoil that little boy.

My kids might have a different opinion.

God the father is this one who initiated this whole plan, whose presence is Among Us? And says, come to me and draw near through Jesus. He's The Giver of every good and perfect gift and home. There's no variation or shifting Shadow. He's the one who has given us. The Holy Spirit, who's not a spirit of slavery, leading us to fear, but he's the spirit of adoption by which we cry out Abba. Father, this is, this is what we should do is have a gratitude and a bun and gratitude for receiving this Kingdom. The kingdom of our God, and I was Christ that Will Never Be Shaken. Hallelujah, what good news. Jesus has a better holy place and we're it. The spirit is dwelling in US. And the father is in us and Jesus is in us and we can draw near to them. Father thank you for this time and your word. What a glorious. What wonderful news that you are here that you are not just with us. You are in Us by the spirit. This New Covenant is a reality that will never get old. It is perfect and eternal, and secure, and Jesus. Is the author and the Perfecter of this faith. So we rejoice in him. He is better. May, he may we make much of him, may we tell others about him and, and may, we be his hands and feet in the community to meet needs to, to reach out to, to share the love of Christ. What a glorious. It's why we're here. We love you in Jesus name. Amen.