Better Blood and Better Worship

Introduction

I was talking with friends recently about parenting and how much freedom to give our kids. My son just turned 17 and is pretty trustworthy, so when he’s out late, I go to bed trusting he’ll call if he needs me. Now, many of you moms might think, “Are you crazy?” My wife certainly does!

I mentioned to my friends that my parents did the same when I was growing up. One night in high school, I came home late—not in a state to drive—and, of course, that was the night my dad stayed up. I remember walking in, seeing him on the couch, and heading straight to bed without a word.

The next morning, I woke up with this heavy feeling—guilt.

Guilt is the deep awareness that you’ve done something wrong. It lingers, gnaws, and affects not just you but your relationships.

Guilt is universal because God created us with a conscience—an inner awareness given by God that helps us discern right from wrong and guides our moral decisions based on what we believe to be true.

But guilt doesn’t stay internal; it affects our behavior. Maybe you’ve noticed someone avoiding eye contact, being overly nice, or withdrawing entirely. That’s guilt at work.

This happens not only in our human relationships but also in our relationship with God. When we carry guilt over sin, we instinctively pull back from God, convinced we’re unworthy. And when we pull away, our intimacy with Him diminishes.

Transition

You might be here today and to some degree your relationship with God has been affected by guilt. The guilt could be from days gone by that you still carry to some degree today. Or the guilt could be more recent - last month, last week, this morning on the way to church.

You feel less than - unworthy - like this is the last place that you ought to be. And so your worship is impacted. Not only your public worship today in church, but you’ll feel it tomorrow when you open your Bible app - or worse, when you don’t open that Bible.

But Hebrews offers hope for our guilty consciences. Hebrews points us to the way in which our consciences can be clean, our guilt erased, and our relationship with God fully restored so that we can fully worship.

Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 9 and I’m going to call this first section - The Weight of Guilt.

The Weight of Guilt (vv. 1-10)

Hebrews 9:1–10 ESV

vv. 1-5 1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship Now, I want you to circle, or underline or highlight or write down “worship” from verse 1 - it’s a link through this entire section. The author is going to masterfully weave worship through these 14 verse. and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

You may recall, from our study in Exodus last year, the layout of the tabernacle. If you don’t remember or weren’t here, the tabernacle was the place of worship that was instituted by God after the Hebrew people were freed from slavery in Egypt. Later, once the people settled in Jerusalem, the more permanent structure was called the temple.

Since most of us are not nearly as acquainted with Judaism as the initial audience of Hebrew was, let me give some background. There were three main sections of the temple. The first is not mentioned here in Hebrews 9, but is worth a short refresher.

The Outer Court: Open to all ritually clean Israelites, this was where daily sacrifices were made on behalf of the nation. Personal sin offerings were also brought here, depending on what someone could afford.

The Holy Place: Reserved for priests performing ritual duties. It housed symbols like the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense, representing light, provision, and prayer. Only priests were allowed to enter, emphasizing the need for mediation between God and humanity.

So, again, we cannot take much time to explain all of this and we don’t need to. We’re just learning the Old Covenant form of worship in the tabernacle.

Let’s continue reading….

Hebrews 9:6–7 (ESV)

These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their 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.

I want you to see that here, again, we encounter the word worship. This is the through line.

The word rendered in English as “ritual duties” is the same word in verse 1 for worship. We’ll keep encountering that word as we move through this passage.

Next, I want you to see that this section details the 3rd section of the temple - the Most Holy Place.

The Most Holy Place: Entered only once a year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, offering blood for unintentional sins of the people.

As the author walks us through the process of worship, we see that all of this sacrificing wasn’t accomplishing all that was necessary for true intimacy with God. Notice how the intimacy actually diminishes at each stage.

So, the aim is intimacy with God and worship. But intimacy doesn’t seem to be within reach. In fact, intimacy is diminished at each stage of the tabernacle!

Outer Court - all ritually clean Jews - daily sacrifices for sin.

One would think, then, that we could get CLOSER.

But into the second second - the Holy Place - only the priests could go regularly (v. 6).

And then into the third section - the most holy place….

only the high priest

Only once a year (on the day of atonement)The

Only with blood

And here is what happened on the day of atonement. Notice that the author of Hebrews says that sacrifice is made for unintentional sins. The idea here isn’t that these are accidental sins. Rather, the Day of Atonement was intended to be a catch-all for any sins for which people had forgotten to make sacrifice.

Daily - for everyone

Regular personal sacrifices when something was brought to heart or mind

Day of Atonement to cover anything that might have been missed

Now, surely this was enough. Surely this would take care of things. Surely sins were forgiven and guilt removed from people and intimacy with God restored so that uninhibited worship can happen!!

but look at verse 8

Hebrews 9:8 ESV

By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing

Hebrews 9:8 NLT

By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle* and the system it represented were still in use.

This system, the Old Covenant depicts the reality that despite all of the sacrifice and all of the blood on behalf of sins, full access to God was blocked because sin was not forgiven.

The Old Covenant was not bad (people were still able to live and have a level of relationship with God), but is was insufficient - the blood of bulls and goats was not able to do all that was necessary for sinful man’s sin to be forgiven and intimate relationship with God to be restored?

Keep reading with me.

Hebrews 9:9–10 ESV

According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Remember last week, Pastor Rick said that the New Covenant was Internal instead of external?!

Well, these few verses remind us of the unsatisfactory, externality of the Old Covenant.

All of these sacrifices and gifts offered at the temple - cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper

This is key to this entire section. Hone in with me on this phrase.

We’re still talking about worship. Notice, the author of Hebrews doesn’t simply say person, which would fit nicely here. He defines the people as worshippers, but the problem is that their conscience is still dirty! They’re still feeling guilty.

There’s this nagging sense that something is still wrong and it is affirmed by the Holy Place San dMost Holy Place being inaccessible to the masses.

AND

What do we know about guilt?! It ruins relationships.

People who feel guilty tend to withdraw, avoid eye contact, and isolate themselves because they fear judgment or rejection. And this is exactly the picture that is being painted by the author of Hebrews.

Hebrews 9:9 says these sacrifices “cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper.” The result? Guilt persisted, and worship was stifled.

Imagine living under this system—daily sacrifices, regular offerings, and still, you wake up the next day with guilt. The weight of guilt was a heavy burden, but the author of Hebrews points us to better blood.

The Weight of Guilt

The Wonder of Better Blood

About 6 or 7 years ago I started deer hunting. There is a place down in Mogadore where I take my deer to be processed. It’s a small, family operation, and so the little drop off area is directly connected to the slaughterhouse and there is a certain odor that accompanies all of the carcasses.

I’m not trying to gross anyone out, but I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about the fact that the tabernacle - or the temple was probably quite a different place for worship than a room like this. It was a bloody place.

And Christianity seems to be quite a bloody religion.

There is power in the blood

The old hymn asks us if we’re “washed in the blood”

We sing a song by charity Gayle that says - thank you Jesus fore the blood applied.

Christianity is a bloody religion. Why so much blood?

Philip Ryken, President of Wheaton College, talks about the bloodiness of the tabernacle and the reasoning behind it.

“The tabernacle was a slaughterhouse, with blood constantly flowing from the altar. Day after day, the priests slaughtered bulls, goats, lambs, and birds. The sights, sounds, and smells of death were always present, reminding God’s people of the seriousness of sin and the cost of forgiveness.”

Death has always been the consequence of sin and God, in his kindness and patience, allowed animals to be killed in the place of sinners. So, the Old Covenant was good in that we see the grace and mercy of God displayed. But we also see the extraordinary problem of sin. The death and blood that constantly riddled the place of worship was a daily reminder that all was not okay.

Anthony Carter in his excellent book, Blood Work, give this sobering reminder:

“Sin is defiling. We must never forget this. The tragedy of sin is not just that it kills, but that it defiles, it violates, and it dirties our consciences, our hands, and our lives beyond our ability to clean them.”

The weight of guilt must have been significant. But thankfully, the author of Hebrews reminds us of better blood.

Hebrews 9:11–12 ESV

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Recall with me, last week - chapter 8 and verse 5 the author of Hebrews says that the Old Covenant priests…

Hebrews 8:5 ESV

They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.

All of the actions in the tabernacle - earthly things, POINT to heavenly things.

The word picture here is beautiful.

Imagine the Old Covenant sacrifices—the constant rhythm of blood spilled on an earthly altar, unable to reach the depths of the worshiper’s heart. The priests entered again and again, their hands stained with the blood of lambs, but the stain of sin remained untouched within the soul. It was a system that pointed to something greater but could never truly cleanse - never truly forgive.

Then, into the story steps Jesus—not in shadow or symbol, but in the flesh. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us—the gift of Christmas—Immanuel, God with us—the divine wrapped in humanity. He doesn’t come with the blood of goats or bulls like other high priests; Jesus, our great high priest offers something infinitely greater: His own blood, perfect blood, better blood.

And this offering isn’t made in an earthly tent, where dust and decay linger - the bleating of lambs and stench of sacrifice. No, Jesus ascends to the true Holy of Holies—the very throne room of heaven itself. There, in the presence of the Father, He offers His life, His blood, as the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice. The Lamb of God doesn’t just cover sin for a short time; He removes it completely.

In that single act, redemption is secured—the price paid—not temporarily, but eternally. No more rituals, no more shadows—just the perfect blood of Jesus, shed to cleanse us from every sin past, presents, and future.

And here on earth, a symbolic act happens - the curtain into the Most holy Place in the temple is torn from top to bottom - indicating that with the true forgiveness of sin comes intimacy with God—proximity to worship.

The Weight of Guilt

The Wonder of Better Blood

The Worship of the Cleansed

Sometimes when we’re telling this gospel story—when we’re talking about the forgiveness of sins through the perfect life and perfect death of Jesus, we forget to take it to the next step. But not the author of Hebrews. He doesn’t pull up short. For there is PURPOSE in the the sin-washing blood of Jesus, namely, inhibited worship.

Again, I quote Anthony Carter from his book Blood Work.

“no matter how dirty or defiled humanity is, no matter how destructive sin is, the one thing that sin cannot destroy is the need and desire for human beings to worship. God created us to worship. Specifically, He created us to know Him and to worship Him. Though sin distorts and misdirects this God-given impulse, it is still there. God knows this. For this reason, when He made plans to draw His people to Himself, He provided a way for them to be cleansed so that they could worship Him. Thus, the human need for cleansing grew out of the need for worship.”

And this is where the author of Hebrew takes us:

Hebrews 9:13–14 ESV

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

You see that word rendered “serve” in English?

What do you think the is Greek word under there!?

The same word that we find in verse 1 - that there are regulations for worship.

The same word that we find in verse 6

The same word that we find in verse 9 - that these sacrifices could not perfect the conscience of the worshipper

Here is it again

If the blood of animals could purify the outside (imagine that!)

How MUCH MORE will the blood of the perfect son of God, CLEAR YOUR conscience - remove your guilt - so that you are freed up to fully worship the living God.

The author of Hebrews doesn’t stop at cleansing for the sake of cleansing. He says our conscience is purified so that we can serve the living God. That’s the purpose. Your freedom from guilt isn’t just for you—it’s so you can live in worship.

A clean conscience causes us to SING without hesitation.

When your conscience is clear, worship flows freely. Singing becomes an act of joy and gratitude, not duty. This is why songs with deep, biblical truth matter—they anchor our hearts in what God has done.

A clean conscience causes us to SERVE without fear.

Maybe you’ve been staying disconnected from serving here at CVC because you’re still allowing guilt to drive that decision. You feel like serving in ministry is for the really good Christians - people who’ve finally gotten it all together. But there is a role for everyone to play in the family of God.

A clean conscience causes us to SEEK with confidence.

You don’t have to stand in the outer court. Because of Jesus, you’re welcomed into the Holy of Holies—the presence of God. You can pray boldly, knowing God’s posture toward you isn’t arms crossed in disappointment but open arms of love.

Guilt is heavy. It’s suffocating. It whispers lies that keep you from God, that tell you to stay in the outer court, far from His presence. But here’s the truth: Jesus didn’t shed His blood so you would carry guilt one more day. He shed it so you could be free—fully forgiven, fully cleansed, fully His.

Imagine this: The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, trembling, carrying the blood of goats to cover sins that could never fully be erased. But Jesus, your High Priest, walked boldly into the presence of the Father with His own blood—perfect blood—and He declared, “It is finished.” He didn’t just cover sin; He removed it. He didn’t just ease guilt for a season; He destroyed it forever. so that you can be free to worship God fully.

Communion

Who is The Lord's Supper For?

1. Those who have trusted Jesus to be the leader

and forgiver of their life.

2. Those who are walking in fellowship with God

and others.

What is the Lord's Supper?

1. A Memorial: We remember Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for

the forgiveness of sins.

2. A Proclamation: We declare the gospel until he comes

again in glory.

3. A Participation: We affirm our union with Christ and his

Body, the Church

4. A Reflection: We examine our hearts, confess sin, and

approach this time with gratitude that our guilt and sin are

washed away.