A New Covenant Hebrews 8 Introduction: 1. The...

A New Covenant

Hebrews 8

Introduction:

1.       The first six verses of chapter 8 show the necessity of a new covenant because of a new High Priest who was unable to serve under the Law of Moses.

2.       A new covenant was required because of the inability of the old covenant to cleanse the conscience of dead works, Hebrews 9:13-14.

3.       Some folk today seem to think that parts of the Law of Moses are applicable to Christians today.

a.       These folk continue to serve God under a mixture of Old Testament Law mixed with New Testament Law.

b.      This is the result from an improper understanding of instructions to proper divide the Bible into the periods of God’s regulations applicable to each system of faith God has set into place that will allow every practitioner of each system be judged equally.

c.        2 Timothy 2:15 which teaches one to be diligent in presenting himself to God as worker who has properly divided scripture according to God’s plan of salvation revealed through his Son first as Hebrews 2 teaches.

4.       The fact is that God in His infinite love of humanity has provided for us today the very best system of salvation possible through Christ.

1.       The Proper Function of our High Priest – Hebrews 8:1-6.

a.       Verse 3 Every High Priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices.

b.      Therefore our God is presented with the sacrifices of His children and servants – Christians.

                                                               i.      1st we are to make our lives a living sacrifice Roman 12:1-2.

1.       We cannot do this by making up our own rules of worship and sacrifice.

2.       We must do this according to His ordained plan.

                                                             ii.      We find in Genesis 4:1-5 and Hebrews 11:4 that God made a sharp distinction between the acceptable offering of Abel and the unacceptable offering of Cain.

1.       We learn that God:

a.       Made specific regulations concerning offerings which Abel honored by his act of sacrifice.

b.      Observed the sacrifice of both Abel and Cain.

2.       The obvious conclusion is that God had commanded a specific form of worship since faith comes by hearing God’s word Romans 10:17 and Hebrews 11:4 by faith Abel offered an acceptable offering and that God would accept no substitutes since God was displeased with Cain’s offering.

c.       Since 1 Corinthians 4:6 states we are not to go beyond that which is written, we must not use our freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1) to worship or serve God in any manner other than which he has prescribed.

                                                               i.      The new covenant frees us from the legality of religion as seen under the Law of Moses but does not grant us the privilege to change the commands of God into our own form of service to God.

                                                             ii.       We are accountable to God for the proper use of our lives to His service which is not limited to the manner of worship but is applicable:

1.        To the organization of the church,

                                                            iii.      To the stewardship of the assets of the congregation,

                                                           iv.      To the stewardship of our personal assets and talents,

                                                             v.      To the proper use of our allotted time each day,

                                                           vi.      Even to what we believe as God’s Word.

d.      Hebrews 8:5 sets forth the fact of God’s patterns in religion.

                                                               i.      Moses was commanded to follow the pattern given him in Mount Horeb by God.

                                                             ii.      Now under a new and better covenant we are to do no less than follow God’s revealed pattern which is administered by the new high priest – Jesus Christ.

2.       The New and Better Covenant --Hebrews 8:7-13.

a.       Jeremiah 31:31-34 prediction s the coming of this new and better covenant which can be described as a covenant of:

                                                               i.      Assurance -- verse 10 teaches us that we can have assurance of our covenant relationship by our personal lives.

                                                             ii.      Obedience – verse 11, all shall know how to serve God because his will shall be disclosed clearly to all who will acquire it.

                                                            iii.      Grace – verse 12, God extends his mercy to all who honestly seek to do His will yet fall short because of human limitations.

                                                           iv.      Permanence – verse 13, the old covenant was to vanish away with the destruction of Jerusalem in the near future.

1.       This indicates that the old system was still being practiced but not accepted by God.

2.       When Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed there had to be a definite end to the old system of worship which is the Covenant of Moses containing the Levitical system of worship along with the Ten Commandements?

b.      Hebrews 8:10 teaches not the direct operation of God upon the hearts of humanity but rather the devotion of Christians to God’s word and the extent to which they shall take God’s Word into their hearts, and lives.

                                                               i.      We know this because Christians do wrong and if God had operated in any way to cause them to change their lives other than through teaching and conversion then the failure of these Christians would prove the absence of God’s power to prevent sin.

                                                             ii.      This weakens the power of God subjecting it to the limitations of man.

                                                            iii.      This is proven every time a Christian receives a speeding ticket.

1.       If God was in control of the Christian’s action he would not speed.

2.       The fact that sin exists in congregations proves God’s method is not force but is through teaching.

c.       Verses 10—11 teach us that we shall have fellowship with God.

                                                               i.       Revelation 3:20 Jesus promises to dine with the one who opens the door of his heart allowing Him to enter his heart and life.

                                                             ii.      This is experienced by all who are one in Christ John 17:21 and who freely yield to the call of Jesus obeying him as stated in Matthew 28:18-20.