23: Past Payment = Future Hope (Hebrews 13:7-16)

TEACHING TIME

Giving

Communion - Today at the end of our time together

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It’s amazing that so many of us are trusting in the death of a Hebrew man who lived 6,500 miles from here 2000 years ago. How many billions of people from all over the world have died since then?

Yet WE are TRUSTING in the death of JESUS - the past payment of ONE Who became a shameful sacrifice to give us a future hope. The SINLESS Son of God offered Himself to be brutally sacrificed - for the sins of all people who will turn from their sin and follow our Resurrected King.

And at the end of our time together today, we will remember His death and look forward to His return, in communion of the Lord’s supper.

WHY? You see, we trust that...

BIG TRUTH: Jesus’ PAST PAYMENT secures our FUTURE HOPE.

If the incredible claims of the 1st century followers are true,

then Jesus is BETTER than any other person who has walked the planet. As we have been reminded throughout this study,

Jesus is the BETTER than every high priest who has ever served at the tabernacle/temple of God.

Jesus is BETTER than any prophet including Moses & Elijah

And finally, Jesus is BETTER than the thousands of sacrificial animals that have been slain of behalf of people’s sins.

Christians TRUST that...

BIG TRUTH: Jesus’ PAST PAYMENT secures our FUTURE HOPE.

So, let’s PRAY and dive into Hebrews 13:7-16.

CATCH THE CONTEXT

Remember that over the last couple of weeks we have been challenged, as followers of Jesus, to SWIM AGAINST THE FLOW of our culture - to…

PURSUE PEACE with PEOPLE, and LIVE in the HOLINESS Jesus has given us.

God is calling US to…

Love & serve people without expecting something in return - to show hospitality to our brothers & sisters in Christ as well as STRANGERS.

God is calling us to Live in sexual purity while our culture pushes us to swim the other way.

God is calling us to Live in contentment, trusting HE is WITH US - rather than loving money - some fibrous material, metal coin, or digital number that people have attached value to.

That brings us to verse 7, where we pick up today.

Hebrews 13:7 (CSB)

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

This first passage is super humbling, because I don’t know many Christian leaders that would feel comfortable quoting this and then pointing at themselves. I sure hope the spiritual leaders in your past have lived in such a way that you can imitate their faith - they are examples that have showed you how to run the race.

We have some older spiritual leaders around here who I WANT TO BE LIKE when I grow up - folks who love Jesus, are gracious to people, and who give their lives to help build the KINGdom of God.

We should be grateful for leaders who have spoken God’s word to us.

They are teaching us to obey the commands of Jesus and attempting to teach the truth of the Scriptures in context.

They are willing to bend their beliefs to fit the Bible, instead of doing the reverse.

They are people who teach the TRUTH, even when it’s hard to hear.

Why is that SO IMPORTANT?

Because our culture encourages us to design our own CUSTOMIZED version of Jesus - kind of like Build-a-Bear:

You can build-a-bear in different colors and sizes.

You can build-a-bear that looks like your favorite characters of Lord of the Rings.

You can build-a-bear that celebrates the START OF FOOTBALL SEASON!

And many customize their own version of Jesus - ‘Build-a-bear Jesus’ - usually the cuddly, kind, loving Jesus who never confronts or judges anyone.

Well, we can’t do that.

As football is back - praise the Lord! - you might hear the crowd react to the visiting team’s penalty by chanting, “You can’t do that! [clap clap - clap clap clap]”

WHY NOT? The author of Hebrews answers that succinctly.

Hebrews 13:8 (CSB)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Unlike many in our culture, the teachings, judgements, character, and love of Jesus do not change with the pressure of the polls.

The Jesus of the Scriptures is the same yesterday, today, and forever! What Jesus says and Who Jesus is can be trusted as true.

Have you ever had someone who changes their stance on something they have told you? We ran into this over and over again with an apartment complex in Tallahassee this past year. We have been overcharged multiple times because the management has not stood by what was originally communicated to us. We feel like they keep moving the goalposts.

Thankfully, Jesus never changes. The One who never lied can be TRUSTED!

Jesus is the ultimate example of what we BELIEVE and how we BEHAVE! When we keep our eyes on Him, then - like a trustworthy compass - we can KNOW that we are headed in the right direction.

Jesus is BETTER than any other! He is our focus!

Who Jesus is and what Jesus says should be TRUSTED and never TWISTED.

Sadly, there are many who rather TWIST the words of Jesus than TRUST the words of Jesus. The author of Hebrews knows this and warns his audience of it.

Hebrews 13:9a (CSB)

Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings...

Since that was written 2000 years ago, the strange teachings have hit the gas instead of the brakes!

False teachers like Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, and Katt Kerr are teaching others that followers of Jesus have the authority to DECLARE & DECREE all kinds of stuff over your life, including controlling the weather.

Before Hurricane Ida hit, this is exactly what Katt Kerr said - calling others - NOT TO PRAY for GOD to lessen the storm - but to DECLARE that the storm would be downgraded - because, according to her and others - we have the authority that Jesus has. No we don’t! She ‘declared and decreed’ that the hurricane weaken. It didn’t, and hit Louisiana hard.

This is one of many of their strange teachings, but to DECLARE & DECREE are never taught in the Scriptures.

While we many more strange teachings that have compiled over the last 2000 years of Christianity than during the 1st century that we are reading about today, we also have a great privilege that this Hebrew ancient audience did NOT have - the Scriptures in their entirety.

You see, the BIBLE you hold - whether in book or digital form - is NOT 1 writing. It is a collection of 40 writings, written over 1400 years. What you hold is an ANCIENT LIBRARY of writings.

Those Scriptures tell us WHO Jesus is and WHAT Jesus says, helping us recognize strange teachings & make right judgments based on TRUTH.

While the Hebrew audience wasn’t facing some of the kind of weirdo DECLARING & DECREEING wackiness, they were facing strange teachings that would have dragged them away from Jesus & the New Covenant and back to the types and shadows of the Old Covenant as well as man-made myths.

Hebrews 13:9 (CSB)

Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established [strengthened = NET, ESV, NIV] by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited.

As we have seen before, Hebrew people who did NOT believe Jesus was the Messiah continued to live by the Old Covenant laws. This included following the food regulations as prescribed in the Old Covenant writings.

But anyone who had not perfectly obeyed the commands, needed the GRACE of God for forgiveness. There was no amount of dietary diligence that could make a person clean on the inside. Only God can clean one’s soul.

Beyond the Old Covenant writings, we know that the people of Jesus’ time were being impacted by rabbinical tradition that went way beyond what the Scriptures said and honored the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:3) up as if they were from God.

A couple of weeks ago our Guys Group read from Mark 7 where religious leaders were upset at Jesus’ disciples for not following the ceremonial washings that were man-made traditions.

Jesus responded like this:

Mark 7:8–9 (CSB)

Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.” He also said to them, “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition!

Following man-made rules OR living by the Old Covenant laws while stiff-arming Jesus & His New Covenant has NO BENEFIT.

Instead of attempting to live by the Old Covenant law that we can never fulfill, our hearts are ONLY strengthened when we bask in grace of Jesus - the One who has perfectly fulfilled the Law in every way.

Of course, we experience that grace when we recognize that Jesus - the righteous One - gave up His life to fully pay for our sins!

That’s why the author can write this next phrase with confidence:

Hebrews 13:10 (CSB)

We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat.

What’s THAT mean? The writer is contrasting 2 different groups:

Hebrews who trust Jesus as their Messiah & Savior, who DO have an altar and have a right to eat versus

Hebrews who DON’T TRUST Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, who DON’T have an altar and DON’T have a right to eat.

Let me explain:

During the many sacrifices throughout the Hebrew year, many animals would be killed on the tabernacle/temple grounds and then grilled on the altar. Afterwards, the priests and people were allowed to eat them.

But NOT SO on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when 1 bull was sacrificed for the sins of the high priest & his family,

while 1 goat was chosen to be sacrificed for the rest of the Hebrew people. And different from all of the other sacrifices throughout the year,

the blood of these 2 animals was taken INTO the Most Holy Place and sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant - making atonement for sins of the people (Lev 16:27a).

Further, instead of offering/grilling the body of the bull or goat on the altar like other sacrifices, the bodies of these sacrificial substitutes were taken away from the tabernacle/temple and OUTSIDE the Hebrew camp to be burned (Lev 16:27b).

With that context, consider the argument the author makes.

Hebrews 13:10–12 (CSB)

We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that He might sanctify the people [NIV = make the people holy] by His own blood.

Jesus was willing to be treated like a shamed sacrifice, who suffered outside the gate, SO THAT His death would sanctify (make holy) all who FOLLOW Him.

Have you ever just STOPPED and considered what Jesus went through…because of YOU?

Jesus is God who put on skin, lived a perfect life, yet allowed Himself to be treated with disgrace & dishonor, to make us holy! He exchanged OUR sin (2 Cor 5:21) for His righteousness!

That’s why...

Hebrews 13:10 (CSB)

We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat.

The sacrifices on the Day of Atonement were NOT to be eaten, but the sacrifice of Jesus is SOUL FOOD that allows us a place at the table of God - a place of eternal relationship. Now, I know that sounds like a metaphorical mess, but remember what Jesus said after feeding the 5000+. Many of them came back the next day and expected Jesus to feed them again. Instead, Jesus said,

John 6:27 (CSB)

Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on Him.”

Then Jesus says:

John 6:35 (CSB)

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.

Trusting in Jesus - His perfect life, sacrificial death, and His powerful resurrection - is what gives us eternal life and place at God’s table.

But those Hebrews trusting in the sacrifice of animals rather than the sacrifice of our Savior have no place at the table.

This is true of anyone else who thinks they can be a part of heaven without trusting Jesus payment.

Those who think their good works will be enough…do not have a right to eat at this table either.

Since Jesus went through all this for us, the author challenges Christians to follow OUR ULTIMATE LEADER’S humble actions with these words.

Hebrews 13:13–16 (CSB)

Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace. For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His Name. Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Jesus suffered for US, and we should be willing to suffer for Him, bearing His disgrace, as we look beyond our current comfort here on earth and look forward to the enduring city...to come.

Remembering what Jesus has done for us - remembering what’s awaiting us.

Trusting that Jesus’ past payment secures our future hope...

We should offer up to God a sacrifice of praise. How often? Continually! In the good times and the bad times.

Our LIPS and our LIVES should confess His Name - that we will NEVER BE ASHAMED of the ONE who was NOT ASHAMED to die for us!

And finally, THANKFUL followers are to do what is good and to share with others. WHY? God is pleased when we do! So, while we could never REPAY God’s grace, we can REPLY to God’s grace by being gracious to others as we treat them with VALUE and share the love of Jesus.

Where does that leave YOU today?

Are you certain that you KNOW and FOLLOW Jesus?

Are you struggling with SIN and need Christian friends to help?

Do you have questions?

If you have questions or needs…we’re here to help.

STAFF

DEACONS

COMMUNION

So, now, let’s enter into a moment that Jesus transformed with His disciples, a time of Communion as we observe the Lord’s Supper.

Before we do, I want to make sure to remind you that while ALL ARE WELCOME HERE,

the Communion/Lord’s Supper is ONLY for followers of Jesus who are walking in right relationship with Him.

If you claim to follow Jesus but are living in continual sin without confessing and turning from that…then today, you SHOULD NOT PARTAKE. It’s okay to let the bread and juice pass…no one will judge you or ask you for a reason.

If you don’t yet claim to be a follower of Jesus, then you can just relax and watch how we observe this ancient practice for a few minutes. It’s okay to let the bread and juice pass by you as well.

As our deacons come forward to pass out the elements, I want to read you the the lyrics of the song we will hear. NOTE 2 things:

If you are a follower of Jesus…you are FORGIVEN! Quit wallowing in your sin.

If you are NOT currently following Jesus…you CAN BE FORGIVEN by BOWING your will to the Lord Jesus, by turning from your sin. In fact, you might even do that DURING THIS SONG!

Listen to the Lyrics of “The Table” by Jonathan Traylor and then we will listen as the deacons come to serve you. After everyone is served we will take the bread and juice together.

Verse 1 There is a table Filled with best food Can you hear the Father calling? There’s a seat just for you At this table All is forgiven Trade in your chains of bondage For crowns of freedom

Chorus All are welcome at the table There is a place just for you No condemnation at the table There is a place just for you

Verse 2 This is the table Of new beginnings These cups are full of love And it’s never ending And at this table There are no orphans Just a loving Father And His sons and daughters

Bridge Leave your shame at the door You won’t need it anymore Hold your head up high This is the start of your new life Leave your chains at the door They can’t hold you anymore Hold your head up high This is the start of your new life

VIDEO “The Table by Jonathan Traylor

Fade out when all elements are distributed.

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (CSB)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25 (CSB)

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:26 (CSB)

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Now, let’s go and LIVE like we really believe...

BIG TRUTH: Jesus’ PAST PAYMENT secures our FUTURE HOPE.