Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Why Redemption is What My Conscience Needed

Text: Hebrews 9:1-14

Series: Christ-Centered Endurance

Hebrews 9:11-14

Conscience:

The conscience is your consciousness of what you believe is right and wrong.

- Naselli, Andrew David,Crowley, J. D..

Redemption:

Christ’s saving work viewed as an act of “buying back” sinners out of their bondage to sin and to Satan through the payment of a ransom - Grudem

What’s the goal of this sermon?

(Hebrews 10:22, 7:25, 4:14-16)

To help people believe that enduring in the Christian life is directly connected to drawing near to God on the basis of Christ’s eternal redemption secured by his blood.

Illustration: Esther 4:10-5:2.

Why is this goal needed?

We take for granted the weight of God’s holy presence.

We turn off our conscience when it may not please our flesh.

We’ve underestimated the value of Jesus’ redemption.

We are tired and looking for superficial answers that never work.

Big Idea:

Draw near to God on the basis of Jesus’ eternal redemption secured by his blood.

Preview:

(1) What is my need for redemption (9:1-5)

(2) What is the nature of the redemption I need (9:6-10)

(3) How as this redemption secured and what does it do?

(9:11-14)

(4) What must I believe and do because of this redemption secured?

Body:

(1) What is my need for redemption?

(Hebrews 9:1-5)

The structure of this place points to my need.

(expl.

the structure) - No self-autonomy.

The sanctity of this place points to my need.

(v. 1, 2, 3) The same word is used three times to point to the sanctity of this place.

This kind of sanctity makes you more aware of God’s holiness and our unholiness.

The supremacy of this presence (v.

4-5) points to my need.

The most holy place, where the ark of the covenant was kept, was the place most separated from evil and sin and most fully devoted to God’s service.

Answer/Meaning:

My need for redemption is because God is so holy and I am not — the need is to be set free from slavery to my unholiness.

Without meeting his demands, I have no option but to accept the judgment that He knows I deserve because I fall short of His glory.

Illustration: American Idol, Seacrest interviews before an individual enters before the judges to seek their favor.

They needed to be set free from their usual way of life, and their freedom was based on the judgment of the judges.

Application:

God’s tokens of his holiness are also tokens of his goodness.

Have you taken time to consider,

“Why is there anything rather than nothing at all?”

“What message do you sense as you consider these things?”

Transition:

The presence of God is what we need most, but the presence of God is what we deserve least.

(2) What is the nature of the redemption I need?

(Hebrews 9:6-10)

What the continual work shows us: (v.

6-7)

The nature of what we need: What I need cannot be fixed by another sinner sacrificing continually.

CONTRASTS

What the Holy Ghost shows us (v.

8-10)

The first section = “You can’t go into the presence of God!” (v.

8)

The “conscience” is not the Holy Ghost, but it is a gift: (v.

9-10)

Answer/Meaning: The nature of the redemption that I need is one that can eternally set me free from my own attempts to cover up, that which I am aware of, is missing.

Illustration: Adam & Eve or Luke 5:4-8 (Peter).

Application:

Recognize that the nature of what you and I need cannot be corrected by our activities.

The presence of God is what we need most, but the presence of God activates our conscience to make us realize that we are missing something...

Transition:

Our need is to be delivered from slavery to my unholiness and the nature of the deliverance that I need is an ETERNAL deliverance from my attempts to continually cover up.

(3) How was this redemption secured and what does it do?

(Hebrews 9:11-14)

Illustration: Argument from the lesser to the greater; Roger McMonigle’s beans - “There’s more where that came from...”

This redemption was secured by a better high priest of a better place, with better blood sacrifice, and a completed better work.

(v.

11-12)

Owen: "I shall take the boldness, therefore, to say, whoever be offended at it, that if we lose the ancient doctrine of justification through faith in the blood of Christ, and the imputation of his righteousness unto us, public profession of religion will quickly issue in Popery or Atheism" [Beeke, A Puritan Theology, Ch. 31 - opening page)

This redemption does the impossible — sets me free from me.

(v.

13-14).

Puritans - “sensible cleansing [vs.

objective/subjective] - to make the soul conscious that it is washed clean, and forgiven of all its trespasses, and has a right to eternal life.”

[Beeke, Ibid, p. 361]

No other religion like biblical Christianity.

Naselli & Crowley, “We know of no other religion that freely offers such a comprehensive and eternal cleansing at the deepest level of conscience.

‘Your sins are forgiven,’ Jesus pronounced (Matthew 9:2).

Illustration: I can’t go there looking like that.

I need to change.

Recent festivities, required to dress business professional.

Friend admitted he rarely dressed this way…but we were going to see the president…etc How do you clothe yourself for someone who sees the real you?

“We live at a special time in the history of redemption.

God’s people can now have a clear conscience because Jesus inaugurated the new covenant through his life, death, and resurrection.

In former times, God’s people under the old covenant had guilty consciences that hindered how they approached God.

The gifts and sacrifices that God’s people offered could not perfect or clear the conscience of the worshiper (Heb.

9:9).

But now we can confidently approach God on the basis of Jesus’s definitive conscience-cleansing work on the cross.

Now we can have a “clear conscience” (Heb.

13:18).

4 [Naselli, Andrew David,Crowley, J. D.. Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ (p.

51).

Crossway.

Kindle Edition.]

Answer/Meaning: This redemption, secured by the blood of Christ, cleanses our consciences so that we may boldly draw near to God.

Illustration: The Samaritan Woman.

Jesus did NOT overlook the sin; He paid for the sin.

App:

We are about to enter the summer, and we must not depend upon our summer vacations to do for us what only Jesus can do.

DON’T VACATE THE SECRET TO ENDURANCE.

Don’t be a slave to physical rest.

Be a slave to Jesus.

Don’t be a slave to seeking your own satisfaction.