Continual Sacrifice

Unsatisfied

Well, as we begin a new chapter in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10, I would like to relate to you that I am a calendar man. What do I mean by that? Well, what I mean is that I have become somebody who has their life pretty well directed by what is on my calendar.

This past weekend we had the Evans’ over to our house and Courtney caught a glance at the calendar Kate has on her phone. She seemed pretty surprised that it had so many entries on it. That is sort of something that happens when you are active in church, and have extracurricular activities for your kids, and occasionally are wanting to spend time with your own friends or to just have a date night with your husband or wife. For us, if it doesn't get put down in a calendar it isn't going to happen.

Work is the same way anymore. I block schedule my days by the half an hour every single workday. And what is amazing is just how badly that plan that I come up with gets blown into pieces. But I at least still attempt to make a plan.

Technology has helped quite a bit. Years ago I used to keep a giant desk calendar. If it wasn’t covered by papers I could look at it and get a pretty good idea of what I had scheduled. But now I have my Calendar on my computer and it syncs with my phone and I get alerts that pop up on my screens whenever a scheduled activity is beginning. I even get those reminders on my watch accompanied by a little vibration to get my attention.

But the technology, as cool as it is — isn’t the end goal. That is something that is especially easy for me to lose sight of because I am a tech guy. The end goal isn’t the reminder, it is the thing I am being reminded of.

Nobody is going to be impressed that I have a reminder to make a presentation at work, it’s the presentation that they care about. My wife isn’t going to be impressed that I have a reminder on my phone that we are going on vacation, what she wants is for me to show up — on the vacation.

It sounds simple but that is really one of the points that this first section of Hebrews 10 is trying to get across. — In terms of a calendar on my phone, you get my point. But, it is another thing entirely to apply this spiritually.

If you have your Bibles, please turn them over to Hebrews 10:1-14

Hebrews 10:1–14 KJV 1900

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

The title of this message is Continual Sacrifice and it is the first message in our series A Once for All Life.

Let’s Pray

The Draw of Sacrifice

Hebrews 10, really a lot of the book of Hebrews talks a lot about sacrifice. The idea that the temple sacrifice was just a picture is something that has to get reiterated over and over. You can understand from the standpoint of Judaism why that would be important, but it is just as important for you and I as we evaluate our faith.

We are drawn to sacrifice. Because we prefer it over obedience.

I am not discounting that the law puts man under a curse. That is what Galatians 3:10 says

Galatians 3:10 KJV 1900

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

There is an obvious need to come out from under the curse. That is sort of a main theme in Christianity that I think is probably not lost on you.

But if you are given 2 choices: sacrifice or obedience, we prefer sacrifice. Especially if we have something to sacrifice.

This reminds me of my first year as Cubmaster for son’s Cub Scout pack years ago. The pack had some serious budget issues and some hard decisions had to be made. The solution that we came up with was to provide an over-all cost for a kid to be in the program, however if they did fundraising they could reduce that over-all cost down to nothing.

There were a lot of people who just wanted to pay whatever it cost to be in the program so that they don’t have to be bothered with the work of fundraising.

It’s this same attitude that draws people to preferring sacrifice. it’s the religious equivalent of -- just writing a check. — I mean, we could be obedient, but it’s a lot easier for us to just do whatever we want and just pay what has to be paid later.

Over a year ago our church gathered in my families living room on Sunday nights and we studied the Way of the Master series on biblical evangelism. What was easily noticed and what you undoubtedly will notice is you spend any time sharing the gospel is that most people, even most people who consider themselves to be Christians, believe that they are going to get into heaven by having their good outweigh their bad. — Some people even have this idea that if they sin, and it is weighing on their conscience, that they can confess their sins to a priest who will give them some sort of task to complete for absolution.

Who do I make the check out to.

Preferred Obedience

Look with me again at verses 5-7 of Hebrews 10. It quotes Ps 40:6-8. And it says this of the Messiah:

Hebrews 10:5–7 KJV 1900

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Verse 5 has two parts a positive statement and a negative, and there is a response in vs 6&7 again a positive and a negative.

I am going to paraphrase and you can follow along in your Bible or up on the screen to see that I am being fair to the text:

In verse 5, to the negative, we read that God the Father wasn’t desiring sacrifice. — Then the positive, at the end of the verse, we read that a body was prepared for the Messiah.

Verses 6 & 7 make sense of this: In verse 6, we read that God doesn’t get pleasure out of sacrifice and in v7 we read that the Messiah comes to do the will of God — and how does the Messiah do this? — We just read it, The Father prepared for Him a body.

Strange Phrasing

There is strange phrasing for this in Psalms 40:6

Psalm 40:6 KJV 1900

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

In the Psalm we read “Mine ears hast thou opened” but in Hebrews we read “a body hast thou prepared me”. — Why the difference? — Well the literal reading of the Hebrew is a bit strange for us to read, it would read “ears you have dug out for me”

We have this difficult passage interpreted for us in the New Testament by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Hebrews by this statement that a Body was prepared. — A vessel for hearing the will of God and then acting upon it was provided for the Messiah.

Reminder

Sacrifice is only a reminder. That is how this chapter starts. Starting in v1

Hebrews 10:1–3 KJV 1900

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

And it starts to make logical sense if we can think of it this way. Why would God take pleasure in a the reminder. The temple sacrifices for sin was like visiting the 9/11 memorial in New York City, or the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.

Nobody goes to these places for delight or happiness. But they exist to remind us of atrocities commited in the past. Museums and monuments commemorating atrocities serve as a constant reminder of the depth of depravity the unchecked heart can sink. — Only, sin has killed far more than either of those terrible events.

A Vessel

Our country has been a buzz with the leaked decision that the Supreme court will overturn Roe v. Wade. — I have made it no secret that I think that abortion is the single greatest issue facing our country, and the greatest evil that our country has consented to.

A cry made by women who support abortion has been: “My Body, My Choice”. This slogan breaks down in many ways — But primarily for you and I as a believer — At it’s most fundamental — We should reject that our bodies are for our choice.

We haven’t been given a body for it to perform our own will. We were formed to do God’s will. — How could we think that our bodies are dedicated to our own wills when even the body of Christ was formed for the will of the Father?

But — Is that how we view our bodies. Is your body a vessel of obedience to the Lord? — When we choose to disobey God what we are saying is “My Body, My Choice”

Really if we want our sacrifice to be pleasing to God it can only be one thing. Not bulls and goats, and not an attempt to pay our way out of our debt of sin. But what we read in Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And if our bodies aren’t a sacrifice unto the Lord then we can be assured that no sacrifice that we attempt to place before the throne of God will be accepted.

Closing

This morning as we close I would like you to take a moment to examine your heart. What are you holding back from God? Is your body, your life truly given over to God? If not, make a decision today that you are going to live your life for Christ.

One of the scariest realities is that many people are pretending at being Christian and will someday find themselves disappointed before God. Crying out to Him Lord Lord and will be answered with “I never knew you”

Make a decision this morning that, that won’t be you.

We are going to close in prayer in just a moment and after we do, if you have any question about this message or if you want to talk about dedicating your life to serving God. Please come see me after. I would love to talk to you more about our savior Jesus Christ.

Let’s Pray