Hebrews † What Are We Waiting For?
Notes
Transcript
23 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. 24 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. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had 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. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 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 are eagerly waiting for him.
SERMON IN A SENTENCE
SERMON IN A SENTENCE
Christians are eagerly waiting on the eternal salvation that Jesus is bringing. When we understand what we are waiting on and how we are called to wait, we can endure with patience and purpose as we wait.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
The kinds of things we wait for: (+) Good things to come. (-) Uncomfortable things to end.
What does our approach to waiting say about our souls?
What does our approach to waiting say about our souls?
The distance we are waiting for reveals our beliefs about life’s biggest issues.
Temporary Perspective VS Eternal Perspective in: young adult life, marriage, parenting, finances/career, & suffering.
INTRO PRAYER
INTRO PRAYER
Lord, waiting is hard. We are an impatient and temperamental culture. We want all the good things immediately in our hands and all the bad things immediately deleted from our experience. It is hard for us to see your purposes in calling us to wait. It is hard to not be distracted by the things of the world that tempt us to forget that your salvation is our most eager expectation. Root us in your word by your Spirit this morning so that we might find ourselves “eagerly waiting for you.” Amen.
WHAT WE’RE WAITNG ON
WHAT WE’RE WAITNG ON
We often fall into the temptation to focus on the temporary when we don’t pay close attention to what God’s word actually promises us. (Is God’s salvation better than what the world has to offer you?)
How Hebrews Describes “Salvation”
How Hebrews Describes “Salvation”
Salvation is described as God’s perfect rest.
Salvation is described as God’s perfect rest.
9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Sabbath-rest. Refers to the same experience of God-given blessing, security, and relief from struggle as in vv. 1, 6 (“rest”), but it uses the imagery of Sabbath-celebration or joyful observance in worship (from the verb that means “to celebrate the Sabbath”;
Salvation is described as a promised inheritance & good things that have come.
Salvation is described as a promised inheritance & good things that have come.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
The promises of Eden, of Abraham, and of David are wrapped up in the greater inheritance of those in Christ.
11 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) 12 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.
Our salvation includes: forgiveness of sins, a purified conscience, the end of our slavery to sin, and immediate access to God.
Salvation is described as a restored world, kingdom, and city.
Salvation is described as a restored world, kingdom, and city.
5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Heavenly City
To the ancient world, cities represented ordered life, security from enemies, and material prosperity… the (heavenly) city is a place of fellowship with God (
God’s word challenges everything wrong with the world (injustice, lack, brokenness, bad structures, loneliness) not with an escape plan, but with a conquering kingdom of perfection.
“Before the gospel comes to give us anything like (personal experience), it tells us that something is going to take place in the whole world. It refers to cosmic things before it mentions individual aspects.”
Martin Llyod-Jones, Great and Mighty High Priest, 71-71
Salvation is described as true and lasting communion with God.
Salvation is described as true and lasting communion with God.
28 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 are eagerly waiting for him.
Our ultimate hope is that we will come face to face with the author of our salvation.
Is there any waiting as intense as waiting on a person?
Pause and Ponder: Do I understand what it means that God saves?
Pause and Ponder: Do I understand what it means that God saves?
You will not survive the “waiting” of life without understanding the gospel.
You will not survive the “waiting” of faith with an immature or blurry vision of Jesus.
HOW WE WAIT WITH EAGERNESS
HOW WE WAIT WITH EAGERNESS
I believe that the first step in “eagerly waiting” is evaluating our understanding of the gospel, but I also want to give us some encouragement toward practicing dependence on Christ as we seek to wait on him and not the world.
We Fix Our Eyes on Jesus’ Work
We Fix Our Eyes on Jesus’ Work
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The cross exposes your deepest problems and offers you the only solution.
Jesus looked past temporary comfort of the world toward the eternal salvation that he has for you.
We Filter Our Circumstances Through Jesus’ Work
We Filter Our Circumstances Through Jesus’ Work
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
How does the gospel intersect with what I am walking through & waiting on?
We Find Our Purpose in Jesus’ Work
We Find Our Purpose in Jesus’ Work
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Discipleship means my life is increasingly reflecting the salvation that Jesus describes: [True rest, the good things that have come, the coming kingdom, & communion with God in Christ.]
PASTORAL PRAYER
PASTORAL PRAYER
Father, we thank you for your all encompassing salvation in Christ Jesus. There is not a centimeter of our souls or of this universe that you do not hold in your hand and give eternal meaning to. We want to wait on you and not be caught up and distracted by the world. Help us to truly consider this morning what we’re looking forward to. Please by your grace bring the light of your word and shine it into the depths of our hearts. Change us and transform us by your grace. Amen.
