WEBVTT 00:00:03.165 --> 00:00:04.000 Good morning church. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:06.633 How are we doing? 00:00:06.633 --> 00:00:08.666 It's good to be with you all. 00:00:08.666 --> 00:00:14.865 I know it's probably confusing that you get two weeks in a row of someone bald being on stage and going to share God's word. 00:00:14.865 --> 00:00:17.466 Pastor John’s let a couple people take his place this month. 00:00:17.466 --> 00:00:19.899 And I'm excited to share God's word with you this morning. 00:00:19.899 --> 00:00:21.132 I'm student pastor here. 00:00:21.132 --> 00:00:25.500 My name is Colby Flowers, and we're going to be in Hebrews chapter ten. 00:00:25.500 --> 00:00:28.300 If you want to turn there, Hebrews chapter ten. 00:00:28.300 --> 00:00:36.033 And before I jump into that, I want to say a quick thank you to everyone who, gives to this church, who helps contribute financially. 00:00:36.033 --> 00:00:44.765 We just got back from camp a couple weeks ago, and because of your financial giving, it allows us to take these students to camp each year. 00:00:44.765 --> 00:00:52.865 And specifically for people who were giving above and beyond that and giving towards scholarships, allowing kids who needed a little extra money to go to camp on top of that. 00:00:52.865 --> 00:00:55.700 And thank you for giving to that and thank you for your prayers. 00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:57.399 We had an amazing camp. 00:00:57.399 --> 00:00:59.932 We had a student come and confess Christ. 00:00:59.932 --> 00:01:02.932 We had one who is prepped for baptism and now she is ready. 00:01:02.932 --> 00:01:07.066 We will be baptizing two students at the end of this month, so we're excited for that. 00:01:07.066 --> 00:01:09.465 To see God move in that way. 00:01:09.465 --> 00:01:10.632 Praise God for that. 00:01:14.099 --> 00:01:19.733 And to see God move through prayer among our students has been incredible to even see this morning. 00:01:19.733 --> 00:01:22.700 In the past couple of weeks, students have been coming up and praying unprovoked. 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:23.933 I promise you, I'm not paying them. 00:01:23.933 --> 00:01:27.700 I'm not paying them to do that, that they are coming because they want to see God move. 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:32.332 And it's good when you see young people that you start leading the church in that capacity. 00:01:32.332 --> 00:01:34.365 And I pray that that would continue. 00:01:34.365 --> 00:01:37.433 But thank you for your support in that way. 00:01:37.433 --> 00:01:39.566 But we're going to be Hebrews chapter ten this morning. 00:01:39.566 --> 00:01:45.965 And as I was preparing the message, it reminded me a little bit of a moment that my wife and I had when we first got married. 00:01:45.965 --> 00:01:52.165 We took a trip on our honeymoon to Nashville, and we went to Centennial Park. 00:01:52.165 --> 00:01:56.799 And for the first time, we went to this Parthenon Museum. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:01.433 I don't know if you're familiar with this in Nashville or if you've been there before. 00:02:01.433 --> 00:02:06.066 That's great, but we've got some pictures I want to show. This is the Parthenon. 00:02:06.066 --> 00:02:15.000 It is a built to to size replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:19.966 And so it's built with the same size, obviously not the same materials. 00:02:19.966 --> 00:02:22.599 But it was built and put together in Nashville. 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:23.900 It's been there for quite a while. 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:29.000 And so going into it, there's this center focus, the centerpiece inside of the temple. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:34.265 It is a 42ft statue of the goddess Athena. 00:02:34.265 --> 00:02:37.800 So Maggie and I had to take our, you know, our photo there. 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:38.932 Look at our young little kids. 00:02:38.932 --> 00:02:40.432 They're all young. 00:02:40.432 --> 00:02:41.332 I still look the same. 00:02:41.332 --> 00:02:53.199 I don't have any hair, but, we had a great time, and it's kind of fascinating to see this large statue and you kind of feel really small next to it, and it's kind of similar. 00:02:53.199 --> 00:03:02.332 If you've been to the Creation Museum, when you see the Ark, how it's built, tried to be built to scale and to to kind of give us a picture of what it is. 00:03:02.332 --> 00:03:08.932 But in my mind, all the time when I see these things, I'm thinking, I really wonder what the original looked like. 00:03:08.932 --> 00:03:15.300 I get this replica and what it's supposed to represent, but I always think back, what does the original look like? 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:20.832 It was actually casted with pure gold and ivory, and that thing wasn’t cast with pure gold and ivory. 00:03:20.832 --> 00:03:26.032 It's not that valuable, but I always thought, what would the original look like? 00:03:26.032 --> 00:03:36.532 Well, this morning we're to look at something in God's Word in which we see this picture that the Old Testament should actually be pointing to something better and truer. 00:03:36.532 --> 00:03:39.832 And as we think about this idea, we think about this reality. 00:03:39.832 --> 00:03:54.900 We're going to see that the Old Testament, the Old Testament law, was not given to us to save us, but instead it was given to us to point to a true and better sacrifice. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:07.066 That's where we're headed this morning in Hebrews chapter ten, we're going to talk about this idea that the Old Testament law had a point and purpose, but it wasn't to save us, it was meant to point to something else. 00:04:07.133 --> 00:04:10.066 So look here with me, Hebrews chapter ten, verse one. 00:04:10.066 --> 00:04:29.132 It says this for since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come, instead of the true form of these realities, it can never-- note the word never-- by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near. 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:32.033 So here the author of Hebrews is building off his argument. 00:04:32.033 --> 00:04:43.565 He starts with the verse with for he's building up what he just said in the last chapter, because he's dealing with this tension of this Old Testament and its purpose and how it really can't save you. 00:04:43.565 --> 00:04:54.300 In fact, in verse 22 of Hebrews chapter nine, it says, there is a requirement that that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. 00:04:55.266 --> 00:04:59.033 And so there has to be blood that is shed for us to be forgiven of our sins. 00:04:59.033 --> 00:05:01.466 But here's the problem that he brings up. 00:05:01.466 --> 00:05:06.833 These Old Testament sacrifices can never perfect us. 00:05:07.533 --> 00:05:09.500 They can't save us. 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:12.500 In fact, he uses the word here for shadow. 00:05:13.132 --> 00:05:16.766 Think of the the thing you maybe have done with shadow puppets. 00:05:16.766 --> 00:05:25.865 You know, you got a flashlight, you turn it on, darken the room, you put your hands up and make some type of shape, and it casts something up on the wall or on the ceiling. 00:05:25.865 --> 00:05:27.966 And it has this shadow, right? 00:05:27.966 --> 00:05:34.733 Was the imagery is here is that this shadow is not the real object, it's just this outline of it. Right. 00:05:34.733 --> 00:05:38.899 But the hands are what is really, truly the true object behind this shadow. 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:44.733 And so what he's saying here is, is this Old Testament, this law is just shadow. 00:05:44.733 --> 00:05:46.233 It's not the real thing. 00:05:46.233 --> 00:05:47.432 It's not the true thing. 00:05:47.432 --> 00:05:49.932 It's not the better thing. 00:05:49.932 --> 00:05:57.833 In fact, all it can do is provide these these rituals and things that help us appease God's wrath. 00:05:57.833 --> 00:06:00.833 But it can't save us and perfect us. 00:06:00.966 --> 00:06:05.033 So understand, Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:10.733 They were a shadow for something greater and more true. 00:06:10.733 --> 00:06:19.800 The Bible provides us with these rules and regulations and the mosaic covenant and all these things that do give us some morality and remind us that we are broken and sinners. 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.665 But those things can't save us. 00:06:22.665 --> 00:06:23.399 And here's why. 00:06:24.466 --> 00:06:26.399 You and I are imperfect. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:33.399 We can't keep the law perfectly, and so as a result, we can't be perfected by it. 00:06:33.865 --> 00:06:36.432 So understand the law itself. 00:06:36.432 --> 00:06:40.733 It wasn't pointless, It wasn’t unprofitable. 00:06:40.733 --> 00:06:42.600 The law was good. 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.199 But because we couldn't keep it, it can't save us. 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:47.833 Does that make sense? 00:06:47.833 --> 00:06:50.833 So we're given a law that can't save us. 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:56.033 And yet the Jews at this time, we're still trying to keep it. 00:06:56.033 --> 00:07:04.132 So this letter was written to Jewish Christians, that is, people who were Jewish that had come to follow Christ, and they were tempted by something. 00:07:04.132 --> 00:07:18.600 They were tempted to go back to the vanilla Old Testament law, the basic Old Testament law, and saying, listen, if we go back to their sacrifices, that's how we can be right with God again, they were tempted that their religion could save them, their sacrifices could save them. 00:07:19.632 --> 00:07:24.833 But all we know in the Old Testament we have been shown that is only through Christ. 00:07:24.833 --> 00:07:26.233 Look here in verse two. 00:07:26.233 --> 00:07:41.300 Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers or those who were offering up these sacrifices, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins. 00:07:41.333 --> 00:07:43.432 So his point was, these can't save you. 00:07:43.432 --> 00:07:45.233 They never can. 00:07:45.233 --> 00:07:46.500 And he makes the point. 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:50.932 If they did, why do they keep offering them? 00:07:50.932 --> 00:08:02.632 If the sacrifices did save you, if they did cleanse you, if they did perfect you, what was the purpose of continuously offering them up over and over and over again? 00:08:03.233 --> 00:08:06.766 So his point is clear --they can not do it. 00:08:07.966 --> 00:08:17.033 But look here in verse three he continues his argument, but in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 00:08:18.033 --> 00:08:28.333 Every year during the Passover festival, they would get together and sacrifice this lamb, and they would be reminded that they need a sacrifice for their sins. 00:08:28.533 --> 00:08:35.200 But if it worked, why do they got to do it the next year and the next year and the next year? 00:08:35.765 --> 00:08:38.033 The point is that it doesn't work. 00:08:38.033 --> 00:08:40.232 Go back to this verse though. 00:08:40.232 --> 00:08:41.633 Put that verse, there we go. 00:08:41.633 --> 00:08:49.399 But the second part of this, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 00:08:49.432 --> 00:08:51.533 This is his point. 00:08:51.533 --> 00:08:59.832 These sacrifices can't take away your sins, my sins, anyone sins because they it was never meant to. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.299 So here's our problem, folks. 00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:05.200 Here's our problem. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:15.232 If we can't have our sins forgiven without the shedding of blood and these sacrifices don't work, what are we going to do? 00:09:16.133 --> 00:09:17.700 Look at this in Leviticus 17. 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:28.133 This is pulling from the Old Testament itself, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I've given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. 00:09:28.133 --> 00:09:31.700 For it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. 00:09:31.700 --> 00:09:36.633 In other words, it's the blood of the sacrifices that makes atonement. 00:09:36.633 --> 00:09:44.566 But if these bulls and goats and these animals, they don't work, what are we going to do? 00:09:45.066 --> 00:09:57.633 You know, I have a daily or a weekly occurrence in my house when I go to do the laundry, because I have a sweet but clumsy and messy four year old. 00:09:57.799 --> 00:09:59.566 Okay. 00:09:59.566 --> 00:10:16.865 And every time I run a load through the washer and get it out of the dryer and start folding up the clothes, it's inevitable that I find a stain that did not come out in her clothes, and every time I'm reminded I've got a messy, clumsy four year old. 00:10:16.865 --> 00:10:18.700 So I start scheming, right? 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:27.166 I get the shout out parents best friend, throw the throw the clothes down, spray it with shout, throw it back in another wash. 00:10:27.166 --> 00:10:32.232 And inevitably it's still there because I washed it already and dried it. 00:10:32.232 --> 00:10:34.466 And so it didn't work. 00:10:34.466 --> 00:10:38.033 It's a funny little way of me being reminded that I have a messy four year old. 00:10:38.033 --> 00:10:44.566 Well, listen, we are reminded through this old Testament that we are sinners and we can't fix it. 00:10:45.133 --> 00:10:52.932 And I can tell you this morning, right now, you can't do enough to cleanse your life and fix your life. 00:10:53.033 --> 00:10:58.166 You may have come in here thinking, if I can go to church today, that'll that'll fix what I'm going through. 00:10:58.166 --> 00:11:00.799 If I can get in my Bibles, that'll fix what I'm going through. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:02.432 But here's the truth. 00:11:02.432 --> 00:11:06.666 Those things can not cleanse you and take away your sins. 00:11:07.633 --> 00:11:08.166 So understand. 00:11:08.166 --> 00:11:09.832 Here's what if I can bring this to a point. 00:11:09.832 --> 00:11:20.200 Old Testament sacrifices were not meant to perfect us, but to remind us that we need a true and better sacrifice. 00:11:20.932 --> 00:11:22.966 We need something better. 00:11:22.966 --> 00:11:26.966 We need the true thing, not the shadowy replica. 00:11:26.966 --> 00:11:30.399 We need a true and better sacrifice. 00:11:30.932 --> 00:11:35.865 So my first point for us this morning don't trust in religion to save you. 00:11:36.566 --> 00:11:39.500 Don't trust in religion to save you. 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:50.066 We can easily fall into the trap and thinking, I can go through the rituals, go through the righteous deeds, go through the motions, and I can somehow earn my way into God's good grace. 00:11:50.932 --> 00:11:53.865 And we see this all across the spectrum. 00:11:53.865 --> 00:12:01.633 With Catholics, they believe going to mass and going to a confession or to a priest can get them absolved for their sins. 00:12:01.633 --> 00:12:03.000 And if they sin that where do they go? 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:04.399 They go back to the confessional. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:05.633 If they sin, they go back. 00:12:06.932 --> 00:12:23.966 The Muslim faith holds this, this view that Allah will be merciful to me if I keep the five pillars of faith, if I fast, if I go to the Mecca, to the black Rock, if I do all of these things, then I can be ushered into Allah's mercy. 00:12:23.966 --> 00:12:36.299 But before we can go to these groups and think, okay, they've got it wrong, we got it right, we got to be very careful because we're a Protestant church or Baptist church. 00:12:36.299 --> 00:12:43.865 We've got some people from different denominations, but we're all Protestant, and in this idea we can very easily fall into this trap. 00:12:44.533 --> 00:12:46.365 Let me paint it for you. 00:12:46.365 --> 00:12:53.666 Sometimes we think if I read my Bible, I'll be in good grace with God. 00:12:53.765 --> 00:13:00.166 If I attend church three times out of the month, I can check that box and I'm in good place with God. 00:13:01.432 --> 00:13:05.500 If I am baptized, I'm saved. 00:13:06.265 --> 00:13:12.432 If I am better and live better and more righteously than the people next to me, God ain't going to judge me. 00:13:12.432 --> 00:13:13.899 He'll worry about them. 00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:15.865 It's the comparative game. 00:13:15.865 --> 00:13:28.399 Or even I can have this emotionalism where if I come to God and I cry and I shed tears, and I have this big emotional moment and I let my emotions carry me, that that means I'm saved. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:37.200 But listen, there is no deed or or act that you can do to save yourself. 00:13:38.066 --> 00:13:43.432 Which is why I say don't trust in religion to save you. 00:13:43.432 --> 00:13:44.865 Does religion have its place? 00:13:44.865 --> 00:13:47.666 Yes. Does it have its purpose? Yes. 00:13:47.666 --> 00:13:53.000 But it was never meant to save you, but only point you to the one who can. 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:57.865 So we're going to see in verse five he's going to continue his argument here, Hebrews ten verse five. 00:13:57.865 --> 00:14:08.133 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, now notice here he's going to reference Christ, and Jesus is speaking here. 00:14:08.133 --> 00:14:11.200 Jesus is quoting Scripture, which is pretty cool. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:25.133 Jesus is quoting Psalm 40 and he says, sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:32.000 So Jesus recognizes from the Psalms God was not concerned more about these sacrifices and offerings. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:35.299 He doesn't desire them, nor is he pleased by them. 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:41.332 Instead what Jesus recognizes is that he prepared a body for him. 00:14:42.166 --> 00:14:49.899 And he goes on in verse seven, then I said, behold, I've come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book. 00:14:51.066 --> 00:14:57.265 So understand Jesus recognized this, that the focus shouldn't be on these animal sacrifices. 00:14:57.265 --> 00:15:00.899 It should be on something truer and better. 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:11.966 So hear me this morning, church Christ came to shift our focus away from these imperfect animals to the body that God prepared for him. 00:15:11.966 --> 00:15:13.865 It's no longer about these bulls and goats. 00:15:13.865 --> 00:15:17.533 It's about his body that God gave him. 00:15:18.666 --> 00:15:31.133 That God in his will, in his perfect plan, sent His Son Jesus to live this earth, to be born of a, of a virgin, to walk live perfectly so that his body ultimately can take the place. 00:15:32.700 --> 00:15:41.666 So he goes and explains this in verse eight, when he said above, you have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings. 00:15:41.666 --> 00:15:42.399 This is. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:43.932 These are offered according to the law. 00:15:43.932 --> 00:15:44.865 These are the Old Testament. 00:15:44.865 --> 00:15:46.732 This is the old way of doing things. 00:15:46.732 --> 00:15:53.066 But verse nine then he added, behold, I have come to do your will. 00:15:53.066 --> 00:15:59.365 He does away with these first this Old Testament, and he established the second. 00:15:59.865 --> 00:16:04.832 In verse ten he brings it to this point and this helps us understand this Psalm very well. 00:16:04.832 --> 00:16:07.633 And by that will God's will. 00:16:07.633 --> 00:16:15.265 We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 00:16:15.265 --> 00:16:19.100 So Jesus understands the Psalm perfectly, that he was sent with a purpose. 00:16:20.066 --> 00:16:30.566 He was taking the place of what the Old Testament was just a shadow of that Jesus is the true and better sacrifice to go to the cross, to die on it, than to be raised in the third day. 00:16:30.566 --> 00:16:35.832 And by that sacrifice we have been sanctified once for all. 00:16:36.533 --> 00:16:45.799 We get this picture one sacrifice sanctifies all as opposed to what we've been seeing. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:49.200 They sacrifice every year, every year, every year, every year. 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:51.533 And they don't work. 00:16:51.533 --> 00:17:00.732 Hear me church, by faith Christ sanctifies all who believe through his one sacrifice. 00:17:00.732 --> 00:17:08.633 This morning your sins are removed and taken away because the blood of Jesus was spilled. 00:17:08.732 --> 00:17:15.833 Not the Old Testament law, not the religious works that we can come up with, not the manmade traditions that we can evaluate our life by. 00:17:15.833 --> 00:17:17.633 It's by one thing and one thing alone. 00:17:17.633 --> 00:17:20.333 The blood of Jesus was spilled on your behalf Church. 00:17:23.766 --> 00:17:29.599 So we have to get this in our head that it is only one thing, one sacrifice. 00:17:30.432 --> 00:17:43.133 And this is what the author of Hebrews continues to push here. He says, in every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifice which can never take away sins. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:47.333 You see the monotonous, mundane thing here. 00:17:47.333 --> 00:17:48.665 It can't take away sins. 00:17:48.665 --> 00:17:50.633 But what does he keep doing? 00:17:50.633 --> 00:17:53.633 Keeps sacrificing. 00:17:54.232 --> 00:17:59.932 If I could be honest with us today, some of you may be in this place now. 00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:02.732 Your methods to save yourself. 00:18:02.732 --> 00:18:06.465 You've been trying for years and over and over and over again. 00:18:06.465 --> 00:18:10.099 But you’ve still got a lot of guilt in your life. 00:18:10.266 --> 00:18:23.700 You thought, if I can just live my life the best way that I can, if I can do these righteous deeds, if I can keep these religious rules, if I can have this own manmade tradition that I come up with that I can keep, then I can be right with God. 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:26.333 But you're still here, and you may have guilt in your life, still. 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:33.133 It's because maybe you're going about it the wrong way. 00:18:34.732 --> 00:18:38.965 But this is the beautiful part of what he gets to right here. Verse 12. 00:18:38.965 --> 00:18:53.266 But when Christ had offered for all time eternity a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 00:18:53.266 --> 00:18:54.732 He brings in the Old Testament again. 00:18:54.732 --> 00:19:07.365 1- that Jesus died on the cross was raised, and now he's sitting at the right hand of God on the throne with his feet up, waiting for his enemies to be finally ripped and removed. 00:19:08.665 --> 00:19:14.566 Now we have a God who's already victorious over our sin, over the difficulties that we have. 00:19:14.566 --> 00:19:17.032 And you can have that in Christ. 00:19:18.833 --> 00:19:29.000 Church, Christ defeated sin, he defeated Satan, he defeated death, and he sits on his throne waiting for that victory to be fully realized when he comes back. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.833 We have a God who's already won the victory for us. 00:19:31.833 --> 00:19:33.700 But here's the temptation. 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:37.665 We think I've got to keep working to save myself. 00:19:38.465 --> 00:19:40.500 I've got to add on to it. 00:19:40.500 --> 00:19:43.500 I've got to do something more. 00:19:44.032 --> 00:19:47.032 Look at verse 14. 00:19:50.766 --> 00:20:05.266 He says again, for by a single offering he has perfected -past tense- all those or sorry perfected for all time, those who are being sanctified. 00:20:06.532 --> 00:20:08.833 Did you catch that? 00:20:08.833 --> 00:20:10.732 Did you catch that? You. 00:20:10.732 --> 00:20:15.900 If you have accepted Christ, God sees you as perfect. 00:20:17.165 --> 00:20:20.000 But you don't have to add to it. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.032 And another part of this you can't take from it. 00:20:24.633 --> 00:20:38.232 God sees you as perfect because Jesus was perfect on your behalf, and he says that you are becoming more like Jesus, sanctified, being sanctified. 00:20:38.232 --> 00:20:39.299 Do you get the picture? 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:43.333 You're perfect, but also you're in the process. 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:48.099 You're perfect in Christ and Jesus or God sees you that way. 00:20:48.099 --> 00:20:52.732 But now you are growing to be more like him in your life. 00:20:53.066 --> 00:21:00.000 In Christ you are gradually becoming what God already sees in you. 00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:06.799 You are becoming the perfection that God sees in you because of what Christ has done. 00:21:07.532 --> 00:21:12.532 Understand that you have a sanctified position in Jesus. 00:21:14.633 --> 00:21:23.333 So at the cross, Christ achieved a perfect, eternal sanctification for all those who would trust in him. 00:21:23.333 --> 00:21:26.700 So the question is, have you trusted in Jesus? 00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:29.232 Have you received this sacrifice? 00:21:29.232 --> 00:21:37.032 The only one that can save you, the only one that can remove your guilt, the only one that can set you before a holy God and sanctify you. 00:21:38.133 --> 00:21:44.066 So my second point for you this morning is that we need to trust Christ and His sacrifice. 00:21:44.932 --> 00:21:47.932 Trust Christ and his sacrifice. 00:21:48.432 --> 00:21:54.833 You see, this is really where we would separate ourselves from our our Catholic friends. 00:21:54.833 --> 00:22:07.200 So in Catholicism, there is this practice of penance in which you would go to a confessional and you would confess your sins and the priest would absolve you, or you would go and partake of communion. 00:22:07.232 --> 00:22:15.032 And they believe in there being a literal transfer of God or Christ's body into the bread and Christ's blood into the wine. 00:22:15.032 --> 00:22:21.633 And so as you're eating the bread and drinking the wine, you're literally sacrificing Christ over again. 00:22:22.665 --> 00:22:28.732 But here's the picture that we get from God's Word is that Jesus died once, and that is for eternity. 00:22:28.732 --> 00:22:30.000 Your past and your future. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.566 Eternity has set you free from sin. 00:22:34.833 --> 00:22:44.432 So understand this morning that you and I need to trust in Christ, not in our religion, not in our traditions, but in Christ. 00:22:44.432 --> 00:22:47.432 Let's go on in verse 15. 00:22:51.833 --> 00:22:53.266 Excuse me for coughing. 00:22:53.266 --> 00:22:56.266 I'm still getting over little sickness. 00:22:57.833 --> 00:23:00.833 Cough drop. 00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:12.066 We've been joking because I was patient zero and I gave it to a few people. 00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:16.599 So they've been holding me, holding that over my head. 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:19.133 But you gotta do what you gotta do, right? 00:23:19.133 --> 00:23:29.965 Anyway, so verse 15, final four verses here, it says and the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us. 00:23:29.965 --> 00:23:41.700 For after saying, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord, I will put my laws on their heart and write them on their minds. 00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:46.000 Then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. 00:23:47.766 --> 00:24:13.965 So he adds here another Old Testament passage, Jeremiah 31, the promise of the New covenant that not only will Jesus die for your sins and take him away, he also promises this that he'll send His Holy Spirit to dwell in you, to live in you, to empower you. 00:24:13.965 --> 00:24:20.500 And he gives you literally the law of God on your hearts, on your minds. 00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:28.833 It's not on this external thing, but it's in an internal reality that the Holy Spirit places on your heart, enabling you, empowering you. 00:24:29.032 --> 00:24:41.299 So on top of all this, God promises to put His Spirit in you to walk in his ways, and you will no longer, or God will no longer hold your past sins over you. 00:24:41.299 --> 00:24:42.799 Your sins are no longer remembered. 00:24:42.799 --> 00:25:02.965 You are forgiven forever, and you've been given the presence of God in your life and wrapped up with our last verse in this passage is so beautiful church, hear this-- where there's forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:12.232 Because Christ and his sacrifice was sufficient and your sins have been removed, there is no need for you to continue offering up things. 00:25:12.532 --> 00:25:16.066 There is no need for you to go to God and say, God, here are my works, here are my deeds. 00:25:16.066 --> 00:25:19.133 Here are the things that I've done this week. 00:25:19.133 --> 00:25:21.900 It's a trap and a temptation to go back to the Old Testament. 00:25:21.900 --> 00:25:25.633 Listen, you have been set free from your sin. 00:25:25.633 --> 00:25:27.333 So my last point for us this morning. 00:25:27.333 --> 00:25:33.532 Stop working for God's forgiveness and rest in it. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:41.532 Some of you this morning are walking around with guilt in your heart, in your mind, thinking I have to live better. 00:25:41.932 --> 00:25:45.066 I have to be better, or God's not going to love me. 00:25:45.066 --> 00:25:48.066 God's not going to forgive me. 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.000 I was saved back then, but I haven't been living great lately. 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:53.032 I've fallen short. 00:25:53.032 --> 00:25:57.232 Well, look, you're in a room with people who are all falling short. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.732 I'm falling short. 00:26:00.732 --> 00:26:10.200 But the reality is, is that sacrifice on the cross took away my sins for eternity in the past and in the future. 00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:14.365 And God sees you as perfect in Christ. 00:26:15.833 --> 00:26:20.932 Now, I don't want to take away from the importance that we need to live and follow Jesus and obey God. 00:26:20.932 --> 00:26:25.165 That is important, but that is not how you earn God's love. 00:26:25.432 --> 00:26:28.032 That is not how you earn God's forgiveness. 00:26:28.032 --> 00:26:31.000 It's already been given to you in Jesus. 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:37.432 So if I can comfort you with a couple verses that Jesus spoke to us that are going to be familiar, but sometimes we need to be reminded. 00:26:37.432 --> 00:26:49.900 Matthew 11 verse 28, come to me, all, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:26:50.232 --> 00:26:59.566 Jesus says, take my yoke, my teaching, my ways upon you, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find what? 00:26:59.566 --> 00:27:02.566 Rest for your souls. 00:27:02.833 --> 00:27:04.900 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 00:27:04.900 --> 00:27:06.032 So here's the picture. 00:27:06.032 --> 00:27:11.133 You don't have to work for God's forgiveness anymore. 00:27:11.133 --> 00:27:14.133 You simply live from God's forgiveness. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:21.599 So if I can challenge you this morning, I'd ask you a question, and I think this helps us analyze what Hebrews ten is saying. 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.465 Here's what, here's what your, what your challenges this morning. 00:27:25.465 --> 00:27:34.365 When you doubt your salvation, do you run to religion or to the cross? 00:27:34.365 --> 00:27:37.599 When you have struggled with this thought, am I really saved? 00:27:38.633 --> 00:27:43.232 Or maybe you haven't been living your life perfectly the way that you've seen it lately? 00:27:43.232 --> 00:27:46.232 Do you go back to okay, how can I fix it? 00:27:46.500 --> 00:27:50.633 Or do you go back to the cross and realize that Jesus already did? 00:27:50.633 --> 00:27:53.032 There's two ways you can go. 00:27:53.032 --> 00:27:54.833 Is it my religion that saves me? 00:27:54.833 --> 00:27:57.833 Or is it the cross that saves me? 00:27:58.732 --> 00:28:02.333 Is it what Jesus did on the cross in paying for my sins? 00:28:02.333 --> 00:28:03.465 Is that what saves me? 00:28:03.465 --> 00:28:06.465 Or do I need to keep on working? 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:19.133 This morning I encourage you, if you haven't come to Christ and accepted Jesus to be your one sacrifice, I would encourage you to come and talk to one of us. 00:28:19.133 --> 00:28:20.865 If you are. 00:28:20.865 --> 00:28:21.799 You are a Christian. 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:24.833 You've accepted Christ, you've been baptized, but you've been struggling with guilt. 00:28:26.965 --> 00:28:28.165 You need to rethink. 00:28:28.165 --> 00:28:29.700 I can't go back to religion. 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:32.232 It's not about what I can't or need to do. 00:28:32.232 --> 00:28:35.232 It's about what Jesus has already done. 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:40.333 So I would encourage you in this time, respond and come to the cross. 00:28:40.333 --> 00:28:43.400 Come to Christ and stop trying to earn. 00:28:43.665 --> 00:28:46.665 But rest in God's forgiveness. 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:51.200 Let's pray. 00:28:51.865 --> 00:29:01.032 God, thank you for the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus that takes away sins, that God. 00:29:01.032 --> 00:29:06.000 There is nothing, nothing in this world. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:13.599 There is nothing we can do that can save us from our sins. 00:29:15.066 --> 00:29:16.133 Your word is clear. 00:29:16.133 --> 00:29:20.532 Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:23.799 And these Old Testament sacrifices weren't enough. 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:34.532 And that's why in your will, your plan, you sent your son Jesus with a body to this earth so that he could be sacrificed. 00:29:37.500 --> 00:29:41.165 Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to take our place. 00:29:41.965 --> 00:29:54.766 Thank you for his blood that sanctifies us, that perfects us, so that no longer do we walk with shame and guilt, but we walk in the victory of the cross. 00:29:55.766 --> 00:30:01.333 And you see us is perfect because Christ is perfect on our behalf. 00:30:01.665 --> 00:30:15.400 So this morning I pray for anyone in this room, father, that has not accepted Christ, that they would take a step of faith today and realize I'm done trying to do it myself and I want Jesus, his sacrifice for me. 00:30:17.365 --> 00:30:24.665 I pray too father for the Christians, for the believers who have fallen off, and they've been tempted to go back to religion. 00:30:24.665 --> 00:30:27.900 It's not their attendance that keeps them closer to you. 00:30:27.900 --> 00:30:32.465 It's not their Bible reading necessarily that fixes their life. 00:30:34.066 --> 00:30:37.432 It's not their amount of prayers they say that makes them close to you. 00:30:37.432 --> 00:30:42.833 Although prayer is good, but God, it is you that came to us. 00:30:44.032 --> 00:30:45.532 We didn't come to you. 00:30:45.532 --> 00:30:48.532 You came to us. 00:30:49.566 --> 00:30:54.500 And I pray this morning we would glory in that in all praise and glory. 00:30:54.532 --> 00:30:58.532 Honor to Jesus Christ and His blood alone. 00:30:58.532 --> 00:31:00.732 Amen.