Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

HEB7.1

The Super Bowl is an iconic event American culture.

It’s so popular that often people watch the game for the sake of seeing the new commercials.

For the 2018 game a 30s commercial cost an advertiser $5 million.

A few years ago a CEO was asked,

One recent news article asked the question,

“Is the gamble worth it for companies?”

“Is the gamble worth it for companies?”

His response was,

“It's not a bet, if you know the outcome.”

Companies pay all of that money because they know that if they come up with the right slogan or ad that sticks in the minds of consumers, the cost of the add will be like pennies in the long run.

My sermon title this morning is a slogan that was first heard almost 30 years ago.

“The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” is the slogan used to launch Lexus.

The advertising company that Toyota hired to prepare for the launch of Lexus decided that was the right slogan to use for branding this new line of vehicles.

Our sermon title today is a slogan.

Anyone know what company it’s from?

Obviously the slogan worked.

You hear the words, “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” and you think Lexus.

The advertising company that Toyota hired to prepare for the launch of Lexus decided that was the right slogan to use for branding this new line of vehicles.

But they didn’t just pluck it out of thin air.

When they visited Lexus designers in Japan, they noticed the designer’s obsessive attention to detail.

They were obsessed with pursuing perfection in every detail of this vehicle.

Of course, their slogan had to be the relentless pursuit of perfection because they knew that perfection couldn’t actually be attained, but they’d never stop pursuing it.

In our text today there is a whole lot we could draw out.

But perfection is the concept that both brackets the text and is found right in the middle.

I simply refer to the writer of Hebrews as The Pastor.

You might say that the Pastor is obsessed by perfection here.

But he’s not focusing on perfection because he believes that perfection is impossible to attain.

He’s focused on it because he wants the Hebrews to be absolutely clear that perfection is required, but it is only attainable through the ministry of the perfect high priest, Jesus Christ.

He’s been digging into the importance of Jesus’ ministry as a high priest.

And at this stop on the tour is the message about perfection.

perfection is required, but it is only attainable through the ministry of the perfect high priest, Jesus Christ.

He’s beginning to dig into the importance of Jesus’ ministry as a high priest.

And the first stop on the tour is the message about perfection.

So, as we follow him, we’re going to talk about three things on this topic of The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection; The Imperfect Condition, The Perfect Hope, and The Perfect One.

The Imperfect Condition

In the first ten verses of the Pastor point out that this mysterious man Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God.

But even though he was a priest of the true and living God, his priesthood was of a different order than the priesthood descended from Abraham, Levi and Aaron.

The Pastor makes the case there that Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood, and this Melchizedek resembled the Son of God.

His point was to direct our eyes to the greatness of Jesus Christ, and particularly his ministry as a great high priest.

And this is important for the practical of reasons when it comes to living life as Christians.

The priesthood has been on the Pastor’s mind since the end of ch. 4 where he said,

The need was for them to persevere in the faith, holding tightly to their confession.

This was a congregation of mainly Jewish folks who had become Christians and were facing persecution for their faith.

So they were dealing with the temptation to go back under the old system of worship.

Their entire life of worship centered around the Levitical priesthood.

When they became Christians it was a radical change from what they knew as a way of life and worship.

We can relate to the temptation to drift back towards what’s comfortable.

Remember that this was a congregation of mainly Jewish folks who had become Christians and were facing persecution for their faith.

So they were dealing with the temptation to go back under the old system of worship.

Their entire life of worship centered around the Levitical priesthood.

When they became Christians it was a radical change from what they knew as a way of life and worship.

We can relate to the temptation to drift back towards what’s comfortable.

And the goal in our passage is still to show how great Jesus is.

Now he does it by pointing out the imperfect condition that existed under the Levitical priesthood.

So he continues making his case by saying something that would’ve been unbelievable to anyone who was Jewish.

He says God’s goal of perfection was unattainable through the Levitical priesthood.

Look at what he says in v. 11

Therefore, if indeed perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received law on the basis of it), what need would there still be to speak of another priest to be raised up according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron?

Therefore, if indeed perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received law on the basis of it), what need would there still be to speak of another priest to be raised up according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron?

The people received the law from God on the basis of this Levitical priesthood, which was established by God.

But it was never God’s plan that perfection would be secured through it.

Notice this with me.

He is unashamedly making the case that God’s goal for us is perfection.

That’s the end.

That’s the standard.

There’s a need for another priesthood because perfection could not be attained through the Levitical priesthood.

never God’s plan that perfection would be secured through it.

Notice this with me.

He is unashamedly making the case that God’s goal for us is perfection.

That’s the end.

That’s the standard.

There’s a need for another priesthood because perfection could not be attained through the Levitical priesthood.

Make no mistake about it, the concern here is about people being perfect.

This is not about God being perfect, or Jesus being perfect.

The concern here is about regular people, you and me, being perfect.

The fact is that we’re not perfect, but it doesn’t change God’s goal or standard.

To this point in the letter the concept of perfection has only been applied to Christ.

This is some of what we heard about Jesus’ perfection already in this letter,

The very last verse of our text today says…

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

( ESV)

“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” ( ESV)

But he starts out here saying this perfection deal isn’t just about Jesus.

It’s about you and me being perfect.