Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Beginning in chapter 3, writer has drawn our attention to two aspects of Jesus’ ministry:

He is the Apostle, and

He is the High Priest

Simply hearing the voice of the Apostle is not enough, we must continue in the faith.

Heb

The wilderness wanderers failed to enter the Promised Land even though they heard His voice.

So the warning to us is clear:

Heb

Because He swore to the unbelieving, disobedient wanderers in His wrath, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” ()

What then should we do so as to not apostatize, fall away, and reap the same consequences?

But we are made up of the same stuff as they

If we should pretend that we have a relationship with Him, yet walk in utter defiance to His Word, know for sure that...

Heb 4:

Superficial profession without heart religion, without any obedience, is merely a sham, and will not escape the searching eye of God.

Everyone and everything is laid bare before the Omniscient One with Whom we have to do!

Surely then we cannot stand in His presence!

We are all beset with weaknesses, and face the same temptations to distrust

But praise God, that we are not left to ourselves...

So beginning in chapter 5, the writer starts to expound on this second aspect of Jesus’ ministry: His ministry as High Priest

But as soon as he begins with the exposition of Jesus, the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, he is forced to address some in his audience who were dull of hearing...

We must remember that the writer had a mixed audience:

Heb 5:

He had some that were spiritually immature

Some were spiritually indifferent, and...

Some served sacrificially...

So after warning those who were dull of hearing, he is finally able to move on with the exposition of Jesus as our High Priest to those who were serving sacrificially...

This hope is not wishful thinking, or a positive outlook.

Rather, it is a confident expectation, a solid anchor, based on the entrance of Jesus into the inner veil as High Priest...

Heb 6:

Heb 6:

Chapter 7 explained Jesus as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, and not after the order of Aaron.

His ministry is far superior to Aaron’s:

The very basis of His priesthood was His indestructible life, versus Aaron’s, which was based on the law of a physical requirement, that he be from the tribe of Levi (Heb 7:15-16)

His ministry continues forever versus the former priests who were prevented by death from continuing ()

His ministry will never change, because the LORD has sworn to Him by an oath, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER.”

()

The Aaronic ministry was earthly, but Jesus has taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens

Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, since He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises ()

Now in chapter 9, the writer brings the priestly work of Jesus into a laser focus.

Look at verse 14 - one of the results of Christ’s sacrifice is that it cleanses our conscience...

Heb 9:14

Therefore, I would like to preach from on the topic, “A Cleansed Conscience”

I would like to approach this topic from the vantage of several questions:

What is conscience?

Why does it need cleansing?

What can cleanse it?

Cleansed from what?

What is conscience

moral consciousness within man

people talk about a “clear conscience” or a “guilty conscience”

That is exactly what the Bible teaches:

Rom 2:

Job, when he was attesting to his own righteousness, was referring to this inner moral compass that did not accuse him:

When Joseph’s brothers were being tested by him, their conscience was not silent about events that had taken place years earlier!

When David in his pride numbered the people, his conscience bothered him...

Judas, that betrayer, was smitten with remorse over his dastardly act

Matt 27:

Every human being has a conscience, so clearly it is not the same as the Holy Spirit Who indwells believers.

Every human being has a conscience, so clearly it is not the same as the Holy Spirit Who indwells believers.

Consider Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians concerning the eating of meat offered to idols...

v.27 “one of the unbelievers,” and v.29 “not your own conscience, but the other man’s”

God has given all men this inner moral consciousness that evaluates his actions

Illustration:

When a child takes candy that does not belong to him, he looks to make sure nobody is watching, because his conscience tells him he is doing something wrong.

When someone speeds ahead and grabs your parking spot, even though you had the indicator on for a while, it is the conscience that accuses of wrong-doing

So what is interesting is not that people have consciences, but that the conscience needs cleansing

Why does the conscience need cleansing?

If the conscience is the moral compass of right and wrong implanted in man, why does it itself need cleansing?

ps

People would be happy to just listen to the voice of conscience.

Men in their rebellion violate their conscience all the time.

Romans speaks of men suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.

Though they know His eternal power and divine nature, they do not glorify Him as God, nor are they thankful

But they create vain speculations, and their foolish heart is darkened

They exchange the incorruptible glory of God for an image in the form of corruptible man, bird, beast, and crawling creatures

The problem with the conscience is that it can be defiled:

The conscience is not only separate from the Holy Spirit as we saw earlier, but it is also separate from the mind (“both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”)

Notice the connection between a defiled conscience (v.15) and “worthless of any good deed” (v.16).

The deeds or works reflect the condition of the conscience, as we will see in Hebrews

The conscience can also be seared:

v.2 “hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron”

Again, what follows is their deeds- in this case it is their teaching

The conscience can be a false guide:

When Paul was before the Council, he said to them:

Now he had persecuted Christians before he was converted on the road to Damascus, but apparently he did it without violating his conscience - so the conscience can be mis-guided, and mis-guide you.

Illustration:

If you wanted a ship to go to a different port than where it was headed, the best way would be to convince the captain of the ship that the new direction is the right choice.

The captain could easily convince the passengers, because of the respect he has in their eyes.

The writer of Hebrews speaks of the conscience as an “evil conscience:”

Illustration:

We know that when people commit atrocious acts, their conscience is misguiding them and is evil.

In the news this morning: British Prime Minister Theresa May claimed there was "too much tolerance" of Islamist extremism in the UK as she vowed a clampdown in the wake of the third terror attack to hit the UK this year.

Seven people died and 48 were injured when three masked men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before leaping out and launching a stabbing spree in nearby bars and restaurants.Police said the three attackers, wearing fake suicide belts to sow further panic, were shot dead within eight minutes of police receiving the first emergency call just after 10 p.m. local time.

Authorities announced 12 arrests on Sunday.Speaking in Downing Street five days before the UK general election, May described the latest attack as "brutal" and said extremism had to be defeated.

"We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are," she said.

"Enough is enough."

What can cleanse the conscience?

This invisible moral compass given to man by God, but defiled by the fall

Our text in Hebrews tells us that it is “not through the blood of goats and calves...”

Look at v.12