Redemption is given through Jesus

Hebrews 1:1-3, 8:1-6, 10:11-18

If you had the choice to live 200 years ago and start $1,000,000 dollars or Today with $1000 which would you choose?

Discuss.

*AFTER DISCUSSION*

Ask:

Would you really want to live with a billion dollars but no plumbing, no cars, no planes.

Money can’t buy the knowledge to know how to create these luxuries we love.

You still have to know how to make them.

Now show pictures:

Car from 1900 compared to today.

Computer from 1970 compared to today

Phone from 1950 compared to today

TV from 1980 versus today.

Have all of these items gotten better over time?

100%

Cars might be the only thing you could say might not be as great, but even with cars, the performance of a car today is not comparable. They perform infinitely better.

You might think you’d choose the past over the present, but I think we are all to accustomed to our modern conveniences.

We couldn’t live in the past if we tried.

But to the point, why would you?

The book of Hebrews tells us that the Old Testament was good. It had so much to teach us about God.

The Old Testament though wasn’t Jesus.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old.

The Final sacrifice.

Let’s read from Hebrews 1, 8, and 10 this morning.

Hebrews 1:1-3 “1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Hebrews 8:1-6 “1 Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. 6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.”

Hebrews 10:11-18 “11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: 16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, 17 and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

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Who likes to play hide and seek?

Do you prefer to be the hider or the seeker?

Have you ever played hide and seek and it not be fun?

When you have kids one day, they love this game and you do too!

However, sometimes, your kids hide things you didn’t want to be hidden and then they lose them…

The TV remote for instance…

There is nothing worse than getting to the end of the day, wanting to watch an hour of TV or so before bed, the house is clean and dishes are done, kids are in bed… You sit down only to discover…

The remote is gone.

You then spend 45 minutes looking only to find it hidden in a compartment of one of your son’s toys…

Hide and seek is fun as long as everyone knows the rules of the game.

When someone hides something and forgets where it is hidden, the game is no longer fun.

God hasn’t hidden the secrets of life from us.

He’s not playing games with us waiting for us to figure it out and then surprise us with the answer.

What did the first verses of today’s text say?

God has revealed Himself!

In the Old Testament:

GOD SPOKE!

When does it say God spoke?

Long ago… at different times… and in different ways.

That may seem confusing, but think about it.

God didn’t just speak one way, he spoke through many different people, at many different times through history, in many different ways!

Would a “Hide-and-seek” God do this?

- When God created everything in Genesis 1, what do we learn about God?

When God saved Israel from slavery in Egypt what did we learn about God?

When God flooded the earth, what did we learn about Him?

When Israel was backed into a corner, or put into slavery by Babylon or Persia, what can we learn about God, (He still wouldn’t leave or abandon His people).

The Old Testament is an overflow of God revealing Himself to us.

Who he is

What he is like

What he loves

What He hates.

He isn’t playing hide and seek.

But what about the New Testament?

Vs. 2

What does it say that is clearly different from vs 1?

“He has spoken”

Does that mean He still speaks?

Yes, but clearly the way God speaks is different.

Why doesn’t God come down like a pillar of smoke or fire like he did for the Israelites when leaving Egypt?

Well this is the reason!

God has spoken through His son!

And what has he told us through His son?

Tim Keller says, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that He said. If he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about anything He said?”

And that sums it up right there.

Jesus act of dying on the cross and rising again said everything that needed to be said!

So what does that mean?

2. Jesus Overshadows the old Covenant.

In Hebrews 8:1-6, we read about what Jesus brought in the new covenant.

In the old, a tabernacle was set up. It was temporary.

Priests went in an offered sacrifices for the people.

When they entered the holy of holies, they STOOD! never sitting, and interceded on behalf of the people.

but vs. 5 says, “this served as a copy and shadow of heavenly things...”

vs. 6 then says, “Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree, he is the mediator of a better covenant…

So let’s talk about this for a minute.

ILLUSTRATION:

What’s the longest you’ve ever had to stand?

It’s been a while, but when how long have you had to wait in line for a roller coaster?

At Carrowinds, I remember waiting for 1.5 hour and a half for the Nighthawk ride.

It’s fun… but not worth that.

But when you wait for a long time, what is the feeling you have when you finally sit down for the ride?

“Ah...”! Here we go!

It feels so good!

Priests always had to stand in the presence of God offering sacrifices for the sins of the people…

In vs. 3 we read, “Jesus sat down after making purification for sins.”

8:1 Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens....

10:11 says, “Every priest stands day after day… offering the same sacrifices… but [Jesus] after offering one sacrifice sat down...”

What does that mean?

Just like we sit down on a roller coaster when we are finished waiting in line,

Jesus sat down because the sacrificial system was complete!

How much better is that!

The Old Covenant was a shadow…

It was dark! Millions of animals stood in the gap, place of the sins of people.

Jesus was the final sacrifice and afterwards… he sat down.

Sitting down shows us it was complete!

The work is finished!

So here’s what that means for you and me.

Everytime we think we have to pay the price for our sin…

That we have to do something good to make up for a bad thing…

We are trusting in a shadow.

Jesus is the real deal. He really paid the price for sin.

Don’t trust a shadow over the object casting the shadow!

APPLICATION:

Because of what Jesus has done, does that mean he is approachable?

Can I go to Jesus?

Hebrews 10:16-18 “16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, 17 and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Our sins are forgiven… therefore, there is no need for sacrifices.

Jesus has sat down.

Hebrews 4:14-16 “14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

So let me explain…

Every religion on earth is like a swimming pool.

All religions teach getting in the pool and swimming to the other side.

However, just because you got to the other side, it doesn’t mean you made it…

You still have to get out of the pool, and every other religion says

just because you swam across,

just because you didn’t drown,

just because your at the wall,

That doesn’t mean you made it…

Matt Smethurst says, “Every religion is giving swimming lessons to drowning men. The techniques may vary, but the instructors remain together, safe in the boat. Except one. One dives in. One submerges tot he ocean floor. One saves.”

In other words, Only one religion teaches about a God who would go however deep into the trench or however deep under the water he needed to for you.

He went all the way and then went a million miles further.

Why?

To make himself approachable to you.

vs. 16, “let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

What an incredible God we serve.

He sat down and finished the work.

He doesn’t call you to of the pool.

He jumps in and pulls you out.

Have you surrendered to Him?

This summer, Let’s surrender to Jesus!