Named

A Will and Testament

Most of us are familiar with how inheritance works. Somebody over the course of their lifetime accumulate wealth upon their death that wealth is transferred to those who are named in their last will and testament.

I have not ever personally been the recipient of an inheritance and would prefer anyone who would name me as a recipient of an inheritance would just keep what they have by remaining alive. However if some billionaire is going to die anyway, and preferably of old age, I would be OK with me that they would be my long lost relative and pass their fortunes down to me. Probably not going to happen, but I would be OK with it.

Being people in Cincinnati or living in the areas that surround Cincinnati there are a few families that we know of who have greatly impacted the lives of the citizens here through their philanthropy and in their estates after they had died.

Being someone who is involved in the scouting program I can tell you that controversial as she was Marge Schott gave a ton to the scouting program and laughed a lot that benefited the youth of Cincinnati greatly when she passed.

I think the most prominent example in this city would be the Lindners. This family that founded United Dairy Farmers, also owned American Financial Group, the Thriftway Grocery Stores (which you probably have to middle age or older to remember), Chiquita, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, the Cincinnati Reds, and FC Cincinnati. As it turns out, at one point Forbes named them the 129th richest family in the country!

You will still see today, long after the deaths of the Lindner family patriarchs, charitable works where they are listed as donors. That is because some of the money that they left behind was put into a family foundation and that foundation continues to give to public causes long after the death of the person that the foundation was named for.

In this mornings message we are going to focus on the Christians benefactor, and what the Will and Testament of that benefactor bestows upon it’s beneficiaries. If you have your Bibles please turn them over to Hebrews Chapter 9 as we read verses 15-17 this morning.

Hebrews 9:15–17 KJV 1900

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

This mornings message is the 4th message in our series Better Things and is entitled Named

Let’s Pray

Inheritance

Our message today concerns our inheritance as Christians and a lot of what we're reading in these verses or things we have touched on previously in the book of Hebrews.

I think it is without controversy for all believers to affirm the statement that Christians inherit eternal life.

Rich Young Ruler

I have always been intrigued by the interaction between Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18. I think so much of what we read in that chapter applies to the difficulty we have as Americans living in the most affluent country in the world in getting people to recognize their need for Christ.

American Affluence

We may not see ourselves as affluent but when you consider that we speak of the most marginalized in our society as having food insecurity we are comparing that to many countries that speak of the most marginalized in the country starving to death. I'm not saying that there are things that we could do better but by and large it is a huge blessing and a huge benefit to having been born in America.

But, getting back to Luke 18 what question does the Rich Young Ruler ask of Jesus? Well, let’s look at verse 18

Luke 18:18 KJV 1900

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

I think it's interesting the word that he uses here. Inherit. κληρονομέω (klēronomeō). I like how the Lexham Research Lexicon defines this:

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament κληρονομέω

to obtain something by legal right from someone as an heir; usually after their death.

The Ruler Understood

This might not have been a concept that everybody who heard Jesus would naturally have understood but It would have been something the rich young ruler would have gotten. He was familiar with what it would've meant to receive something that he did not earn and what it would be to have wealth passed down to him from someone.

Covenant (Testament) vs Will and Testament

I want to point out something that has the potential of tripping us up in the book of Hebrews. It’s kind of a language barrier thing. We read the word Testament. And the same word in the original language, testament is used to mean a covenant or a pact between two people, but it also is the same word that would refer to a last will and testament. What makes this tricky in the book of Hebrews is that the author of Hebrews uses the word both ways and you have to take in context as to which way is being used. — And it’s used interchangeably as sort of a play on words.

Will and Testament

In these verses we are speaking of a testament meaning a last will and testament, one that results in an inheritance like what we are talking about with the Rich Young Ruler.

And if we can call our salvation anything, It is safe to call it the riches of Christ -- passed down as an inheritance.

Named

But — Take a look at the end of verse 15 in Hebrews 9.

Hebrews 9:15 (KJV 1900)

15 ...... they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Who receives the inheritance? The people who are called. καλέω (kaleō). When you read Romans 10:13

Romans 10:13 KJV 1900

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

call upon here is a compound word, ἐπικαλέω (epikaleō). Epi meaning upon, it’s where we get the word epidermis and this word kaleō.

More than Called

Kaleō means called but it’s sort of a word that is somewhere between being called and being named.

Calling upon the Lord

Saying that someone has called upon the name of the Lord, is like saying that they have named Christ — or we could say, declared Christ — as their Lord.

Named in the Inheritance

So when we read in Hebrews 9:15 that

Hebrews 9:15 (KJV 1900)

15 ...... they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

You can think of it this way. Those who are named in the last will and testament of Christ are those who receive the inheritance of Christ. This is how you would expect any will to be executed isn’t it? — If you show up to the reading of a will and you don’t hear your name being read then guess what. You aren’t getting anything.

Written Out

Not In

The desperate situation that we are in, is that the natural state for mankind, is to — not — be — in the will. Let’s look again at Hebrews 9:15

Hebrews 9:15 (KJV 1900)

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament ...

See, there was this initial testament, an initial covenant.

First Covenant

That first covenant was the Edenic Covenant. — Meaning the covenant in Eden — We find it in Genesis 2:16-17

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Here is the covenant — man can live in the garden and freely eat, and have eternal life. — but if man choses to rebel against God’s law the result will be death.

And of course, rebellion and death is exactly what man chose. And since the first testament — the first covenant — there has been nothing but death — generation after generation mankind choses rebellion over obedience to God.

Our First Inheritance

Our first Inheritance, is the inheritance of our adamic nature — what has been called original sin. It’s our nature that compels us to rebel against the law of God. That nature that puts truth to Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Written In

New Covenant

But back to verse 15 of Hebrews 9 we are given a word, with this New Testament, this New Covenant that changes everything.

Redemption

It is the word redemption. Redemption is the emancipation of a slave. Leviticus 25:47-49 establishes the concept in the Old Testament

Leviticus 25:47–49 KJV 1900

47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: 48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: 49 Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

Under the first covenant, we have a debt. I mean you know this verse right Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 (KJV 1900)

23 For the wages of sin is death ...

Death is the debt we are in because of sin — And that sin comes out of our adamic nature — our rebellion against God’s law.

It all goes back to that first covenant. That first agreement that God had with man, that man violated.

And this new Testament — redeems those named in it — from eternal death.

Rich Young Ruler

So — How do you get written — in — to the will? That is what the Rich Young Ruler was asking!

Luke 18:18 (KJV 1900)

18 ..... what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

The Rich Young Ruler isn’t stupid, he probably wouldn’t have become a rich ruler at a young age if he were. And this young man knows the great value of what can be inherited — Eternal life. — There isn’t anything more valuable and he wants it. — He wants to be named in the will.

It doesn’t matter your age, your race, your gender, you income, any of that — the most important question that you can ask is question that the Rich Young Ruler asked. — What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

We are going to touch more on this in the next chapter of Hebrews, but for now lets go back to Acts 2:38. Peter preached a message on Pentecost and it stirred people hearts. And the people came to Peter and the Apostels and they asked this same question that the Rich Young Ruler asked.

Let’s pick up in v37 of Acts 2:3

Acts 2:37 KJV 1900

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

That’s the same question isn’t it. And Peter gives this response in the next verse.

Acts 2:38 KJV 1900

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Repent and Be Baptized

Repent and Be Baptized

Here is as strait-forward as you are going to hear me put it:

If you are not protected under the new covenant, the New Testament of Christ, then you are going to suffer eternal death in hell. — we can be honest about this, you know that I haven’t lived up to God’s standard, that I have sinned. And I know that you have haven’t lived up to God’s standard either. — But more than anyone we know about our selves don’t we. That we are guilty of violated the first covenant by our rebellion against God’s law.

Let me be as clear as I can — You need to repent. You need to recognize that a life that is not dedicated to God is a life that is headed for destruction and you need to turn towards Jesus Christ to save you, to be put under the new covenant — to be redeemed.

And you need to be baptised. What does that mean? Well, in baptism you identify with the church, but more importantly you identify with Christ. It is a public declaration that you are a follower of Christ and that it is in him that you put your faith and trust for your eternity.

I am about to close in prayer. If you have not given your life to Christ this morning I ask you to not leave here today with out praying to God and surrender your life to our Lord Jesus Christ. If you any questions or you want to be helped to understand more, I will be around, please don’t leave without talking to me today.

And if you believe and you haven’t followed that belief with believers baptism then lets talk about that. We are glad to have you with us this morning and if you are not a member of a church, we invite you to consider Harvest for your church home.

Let’s Pray