Greater Than We Can Imagine | Weekend Service | Josiah Smith

A message by Pastor Josiah Smith on Hebrews 1:1-4. 

Compass Bible Church South Valley is located in Kuna, Idaho. 

For more information about Compass Bible Church go to https://www.compassbiblesv.org/

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Transcript

Israel’s Pattern Of Looking Back

Why Hebrews Was Written

Run With Endurance, Eyes On Jesus

God Has Spoken In His Son

Jesus As Fulfillment Of The Old Testament

Truly God And Truly Man

Why Deity And Humanity Matter

The All‑Sufficient Priestly Work

Once‑For‑All Redemption Explained

An Invitation To Believe

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Perhaps you've heard the common sentiment. I miss the good old days when things were much simpler. You said that before? I miss when things were much simpler. There's a common sentiment to long for the way things used to be. Things of the past. I miss when I was a kid and the world was much smaller. I missed when I didn't have to pay my taxes every year. I miss when I didn't care so much about what was going on in the presidency or what was happening in our culture or around the world. I miss when days were simpler. You've said that before, I'm sure. Remember when we used to play outside as kids and no one cared and we could go far from our homes and our parents didn't ask? No longer. Days were simpler. There's a common sentiment to long for the way things used to be, things of the past. And in a unique way, there's something to be said about that with the people of God. The people of God have often struggled with that same sentiment, longing for the things of the past rather than looking forward in faith to what God has in the future. It's been a consistent struggle, in fact, for the people of God to keep moving forward in faith and not long for what has been or to look back. Let me give you just a couple examples in the Old Testament. In our Lamp and Light Bible reading plan, we just finished reading through the book of Genesis, incredible study, was greatly encouraged by that. But in Genesis 19, remember the story of God destroying Sodom and Gomorrah? You remember that story? Lot and his wife are making their way out. God's providing a way of escape for them and their family because of their connection to Abraham. But what does Lot's wife do? She turns back. She longs for the things that were in her rearview mirror, and God enacts judgment, and in turn, she turns into a pillar of salt. We fast forward to the book of Exodus, and we just began that, the book of Exodus in our Lamp and Light Bible reading plan. And we're going to read the story of how Israel becomes enslaved to Egypt and ultimately how God rescues and delivers them from that bondage in miraculous ways, in decisive ways, the splitting of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, just miracle after miracle. And they get all the way up after wandering in the wilderness to the edge of the promised land, and they're about to enter. Do you remember what they say when the spies come back and give their report? They're having a little powwow off to the side. This is in the book of Numbers, and they say, It would be better for us to go back to Egypt. It'd be better for us because they were scared of entering the Promised Land. They were scared of what was on the other side and what waited for them on the promised land. They desired to look back. Fast forward even further. We're in the book of Kings. You remember the story of uh Elijah and the prophets of Baal? There's a famous children's book that we love around here called The God Contest that does a good job of kind of sharing that story from a children's perspective. Not much of a contest at all, really, because God decisively wins, and there was never a question or a doubt as to whether he would. But remember the fire that consumes the altar and laps up all the water? They poured jars and jars and jars of water on this altar, and God consumed it decisively with fire. And what is Elijah, the prophet Elijah, what does he say to the people of Israel? He says, How long will you go limping between two different opinions? How long will you keep looking back? If there is one God, if he is the true God, follow him this day, Elijah says. And then if we fast forward to the New Testament, you know the story of Peter denying Christ three times? Peter, the apostle Peter, that we've come to know and love and read his letters, 1st and 2 Peter, and we understand Jesus even says that he is the rock upon which the church is going to be built. That Peter, after spending years with Jesus, after being taught by Jesus, after being discipled by Jesus, what does he do when he gets confronted on his connection, his relationship to Jesus? He says, I never knew him. I'm not associated with him. And he denies him three times. He keeps kind of looking in the rearview mirror, and as a result, he denies his savior. And of course, we know the story of Peter getting restored by Jesus and that threefold uh, do you love me, Peter, and the end of the Gospel of John. But we we see this example time and time again of people of faith having a hard time not looking in the rearview mirror, having a hard time keep moving forward. And as we begin our study of the book of Hebrews, the primary issue, the primary concern of the author of Hebrews, which by the way, we don't know who it is. We don't know who the author of Hebrews is. It's been recommended that it's Paul, some people say Luke, some people say Barnabas, some people say Apollos. No one knows, right? So we don't know who it is. But the author of Hebrews, their primary concern is to warn Jewish Christians against turning back, turning back to Judaism in order for them to stop being persecuted for their faith. And that's why, if you want to think of some key verses in the book of Hebrews, uh jot these down. Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. These serve as key verses for the entire book of Hebrews because that's that's the main argument, to keep moving forward, not to go back, not to long for what has been. Hebrews 12, verse 1 says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Now, this comes on the heels of chapter 11, sometimes referred to as the Faith Hall of Fame, where it details all the forefathers of faith, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so on and so forth. And so it says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by these great examples of faith, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. These are the key verses of the argument that the author of Hebrews is making. Don't look back, keep moving forward. Set your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. And we're going to see today the author of Hebrews begin that argument, begin that encouragement. Hebrews reads like a sermon in many rays. You could consider it a sermonic letter. And in fact, at the end of Hebrews, Hebrews 13, he says that I have written a brief word of exhortation, 13 chapters later, a brief word of exhortation. So it's a sermonic letter, and his aim, his pastoral concern is for these Jewish Christians to keep moving forward and to not long for things that are in the past. So I want you to see in verses 1 through 4 of chapter 1, the argument as it begins to unfold to help make that point and to help give that encouragement. If you're there with me, Hebrews 1, I'll begin reading in verse 1. It says, long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now, how does he begin? Remember that the aim is to encourage, to keep moving forward, to not look back. How does he begin his argument? It may seem somewhat surprising to you, but again, look at verse one. He says, long ago, so he's anchoring his argument in something that has been going on for a long, long time. Something that is anchored in the past that is meant to provide encouragement in the present. Long ago, and many times, and in many ways, sometimes through angels, sometimes through donkeys, sometimes through prophets, many times, many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, you see the contrast there. Long ago he spoke in these ways. But in these last days, there's a there's an escalation, there's something greater, there's something better. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. So the author of Hebrews begins his argument by saying, God has spoken. And not only has he spoken in Jesus, he has been speaking from long ago, at many times and in many ways. Why does God speak? Why does God care to speak through the prophets and through his son? Well, God speaks to reveal. God speaks to to be known. Hebrews tells us that God has been speaking since long ago at many times and in many ways. And the Bible makes it clear that if God did not speak, we would not know. If God did not reveal, we would not understand, and we would not have a relationship with our Creator. And then the question becomes, what is God speaking to reveal? What is he seeking to reveal through his speech? Well, as Paul puts it in Ephesians 1, he's seeking to reveal the purpose that he set forth in Christ to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. God speaks to reveal his plan and purpose of salvation that his son was always intended to accomplish. That's why God speaks. Maybe you're surprised by that. I grew up playing the trumpet. My parents lovingly forced me to play the trumpet. I did not decide this for myself. Maybe that's why I don't care for the trumpet any longer. But I grew up playing the trumpet. So I couldn't help but think about this as an analogy. Think about it this way. Imagine it this way: the Son is the mouthpiece of the trumpet. The spirit is the breath being breathed through the trumpet. The father is the trumpet player. The melody that we hear is the truth that God is choosing to reveal. That's what Hebrews is telling us. And what started ultimately as breadcrumbs in the Old Testament long ago, many times and in many ways, what started as breadcrumbs in the Old Testament leads to a banquet and a feast in the New Testament. And that's how he begins his argument. He grounds this Jesus, he grounds the Jesus that he encourages these Jewish Christians to look to as the author and perfecter of their faith in the Old Testament from long ago, many times and in many ways. Something in the old led and was fulfilled and climaxed in the new. And in that sense, Jesus is what the Old Testament anticipated. Jesus is what the Old Testament was building up to. Jesus himself speaks this way about the Old Testament. Did you know that? In Luke 24. Luke 24, 25 through 27, Jesus said, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. The book of Hebrews, I want you to think about it this way. Hebrews is the semicolon that connects the Old and New Testament. You recognize a semicolon is in the middle of a sentence and it continues the thought. It's not the end, but there is a continuation, but also sometimes a contrast. There's a continuation of what was before, but sometimes a contrast. That's the same with the book of Hebrews. There's a continuity, but also a discontinuity between the Old and the New Testament. And if you were to summarize it really in a word, it would be escalation. Things have escalated in Christ, they have found their fulfillment in Christ. And as the author of Hebrews begins his encouragement to keep moving forward, he reminds these Jewish Christians that Jesus is what the Old Testament was anticipating all along. He's who you have been waiting for. Let me give you a couple examples of this. All the way back in the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. There was this promise that was made. This is on the heels of Adam and Eve sinning and sin and rebellion and death enter into the world that disobey the simple command that God gave. And right after that, by the grace of God, Genesis 3:15, it says, There shall be a seed, an offspring of the woman that's going to crush the head of the serpent. That's in the beginning of the Bible. Do you know who the serpent crusher is? It's Jesus. So all the way from the beginning, long ago, at many times and in many ways, there was an anticipation, there was an echo of the one who would come, the offspring, the seed of the woman. In 2 Samuel 7, there is a promise, there's a covenant. A descendant of David would establish an eternal kingdom, would sit on the throne of David. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords from the line of David. Have you read Matthew chapter 1, the genealogy there? He is from the line and lineage of David long ago. And many times and in many ways, echoes reverberating and finding their fulfillment in Christ. In Micah chapter 5, verse 2, it says that there's a ruler that would come forth from Bethlehem whose origins extend to ancient times. Guess who was born in Bethlehem whose origins extend from ancient times? Jesus. That is a perfect explanation of what Jesus experienced in his suffering and in his death on the cross. Long ago, and many times and in many ways, God spoke to us through our fathers, through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son. All of this to say Hebrews is making it clear that Jesus is the whole point. He's the plan, he's the promise. There's nowhere else to look, there's no one else to find. It's Jesus. And so he encourages these Jewish Christians to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. And even throughout the New Testament, we we see glimmers of this understanding. Peter, in one of his finer moments, before ultimately he looks back in his denial, in John chapter 6, verses 68 and 69, there's a lot of disciples surrounding Jesus. Many of them leave and depart. Jesus looks to Peter and says, Are you next? Do you want to leave too? And here's how he responds Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that you are the holy one of God. Peter in this moment had some clarity. He understood, you're the whole point. You alone have the words of eternal life. You alone are the holy one of God. Even in Acts chapter 4, verses 11 and 12, they're kind of on trial. Peter's also involved in this. In verse 11, it says, This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. There is no other name except the name of Jesus. And here's the great irony in this. In wanting to go back to Judaism, these Jewish Christians are longing to cling to the things that point to Jesus rather than Jesus himself. So Hebrews begins by saying, You're missing it, you're not seeing it. What God spoke long ago becomes clearer and fuller and greater in Jesus. God's Son. Now I know many of you, probably all of you, definitely all of you, are not desiring to go back to Judaism. You're not desiring to go to the store to pick up a lamb to sacrifice on the altar later today. None of you are longing for that. I get that. I get that. But you certainly will face the temptation of longing for things that point to Jesus rather than Jesus Himself. And that's a temptation we're all going to face. Longing for the things that are intended to point us to Jesus, longing for those things rather than Jesus Himself. And particularly that's going to flesh itself out in the pleasures of this world, and seeking to be satisfied, and seeking to, I don't know, have some sense of achievement or worth, whether it's in your work, in your family, your whatever it might be, finding satisfaction in the things of this world and finding satisfaction in those things rather than Jesus, the one who ultimately provides those things. The Bible makes it clear that we were created to experience the infinite. Were we not? God Himself? We were created to experience the infinite. Yeah, we often settle for the finite. We often settle for a mere picture of the thing that we could have. We wrap our arms around tightly the thing that points to Jesus rather than Jesus Himself. We were created for eternal joy, but we often settle for temporary pleasure. And we get lost, getting satisfied in the things that point to Jesus rather than Jesus Himself. The Bible tells us that God offers us priceless treasure in Christ. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places is yours in Christ Jesus. We often settle for cheap trinkets and knockoffs. The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the one we've been waiting for. Jesus is the whole point. He's the anticipation of the Old Testament. He's the hope spoken of by the prophets. And he grounds his argument for this encouragement to keep moving forward by saying, Hey, this is who you've been waiting for. This is who you've been longing for. This is who your fathers believed in. This is the faith that they displayed as they lived their lives. It's because they looked forward to this Jesus. And he has arrived. God has spoken through him. Don't look back. Look to Jesus. And so we continue with the question well, who is this Jesus? Who is he? Well, Hebrews 1 is going to continue to tell us he's even greater than we could have ever imagined. He's greater than these Jewish Christians ever could have imagined, and he's greater than you could have ever imagined. Read it with me in verse 2. But in these last days, Is spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things. And an heir, of course, is someone that inherits something. And the eternal son of God has no need to inherit anyone or anything. He is the creator of all things, as he's going on to say in just a moment. But he is an heir because of his messianic role. This is an allusion to Psalm chapter 2, verse 8, where it says, Sit at my right hand, I will make the nations your heritage. So by his incarnation, by his work as the Messiah, through his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension, he has become the heir of all things. He has been given the heritage of the nations. He also says, Through whom also he created the world. So in this one verse, we have the humanity of Jesus, the Messiah who took on flesh, who lived a perfect life, and through his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension was given this inheritance through his messianic work. We have the humanity of Jesus, but we also have the deity of Jesus, through whom also he created the world. That's kind of beckoning to John 1.1. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. It's also connecting back to Genesis 1.1. In the beginning, God created, he spoke, and the world came into existence. So we have the humanity of Christ and the deity of Christ joined together. He goes on just to make it clear in verse 3, he is the radiance of the glory of God, like light radiating from the sun, and the exact imprint of his nature. Think of uh a king's insignia that they would stamp in wax as they would give decrees and have them sent to others to be read aloud. That that wax impression was the exact imprint of the king's insignia. Except the only the only problem with that is that that kind of falls apart because Jesus is not separate from God. He is God, he's the exact imprint of his nature, very God. He is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, and he's so powerful, he upholds the universe by the word of his power. This is a Jesus that we never would have dreamed of, that we never would have expected. This is a Jesus that's fully God and fully man, truly God and truly man. So he begins by saying, This Jesus is the one you've been waiting for. He's the anticipated hope of the Old Testament, but but he's also the eternal son of God that took on flesh. He's the eternal son of God, he's the second person of the Trinity that took on flesh. And he grounds his arguments in that reality. I want you to affirm that today. Point number two, affirm the necessity of the humanity and deity of Jesus. Affirm the necessity of the humanity and deity of Jesus. Now, this may seem strange. He's trying to encourage them to keep moving forward. He's trying to encourage them to not look back. Why is he starting with the humanity and the deity of Jesus? Well, as we'll find out, because this is central to the gospel. This is central to who Jesus is. The title of our study through Hebrews is Who is Jesus? This is the answer that Hebrews is giving us. He's truly God and truly man. He is one person, the eternal Son of God, and two natures, a a man with a human nature and full divine, full deity. He affirm that. Affirm the necessity of the humanity and deity of Jesus. I like the way one author put it this week as I was reading. He said, The author of Hebrews is clear. We only understand Christ rightly when we see him in a redemptive historical context as the climax of God's revelation, and in a theological context as the second person of the Trinity. We only understand who Jesus is, according to the author of Hebrews, if we really know that he is the eternal Son of God that took on flesh. And why does this matter? And why does Jesus' deity matter? Well, it all comes down to the problem that Jesus came to fix. He came to give his life as a ransom for many. So why does his deity matter? How does that connect to his work and his redemption? Well, it's because Jesus came to fix the God-sized problem man faced. And that's our sin. That's your sin. You recognize that your sin is not a man-sized problem, it's a God-sized problem. It's of eternal proportions. That's what I mean by God-sized. It's a big deal. It's of infinite proportions. Jesus came to fix the God-sized problem that man faced because only God could fix the problem of man's sin. Only God had the ability to do that. I mean, men trying to fix the problem between God and man is like rolling up a cannon in the heat of battle and firing nerf darts. It just is not gonna work. It's absurd. If Jesus is not truly God, he cannot truly provide life. Only God can grant life. Remember in the Gospel of John chapter one? In him was life. And the life was the light of the world. This is Jesus we're talking about. Only God can grant life. Only God has the authority to forgive sins. Remember in the Gospels when the Pharisees are upset with Jesus because he's forgiving someone's sins, and they say rightly out loud, only God has the authority to forgive sins, and Jesus just looks at them like, yeah. What's the problem? That's true. Only God can grant life. And if Jesus is not truly God, he cannot grant life. And he cannot fix the God-sized problem of humanity's sin that separates us between a holy God, that separates us from a holy God. So that's his deity. What about his humanity? Why did the eternal Son of God, truly God? Why did he take on flesh? Why does Jesus' humanity matter? Well, Jesus' humanity was the necessary means by which the eternal Son of God became our all-sufficient redeemer and Lord. The eternal Son of God became a man to accomplish the will and plan of God as a man. It has been famously said that God could not redeem what he did not assume. Representation of humanity required identification with humanity. And Hebrews later is going to tell us if the Son did not become one with us in every way, remember in Hebrews it says he became one with us, became like us in every way, except without sin. If the son did not become one with us, become like us in every way, he could not redeem us in every way. The eternal son of God became a man to accomplish the will and plan of God to redeem mankind. Think about this with me for a second. Think about how incredible this is that the eternal son of God became a man. Be overwhelmed by that. Listen to one author that put it this way I think this is beautiful. He says, It is glorious to be great and unlimited. It is sublime to be elated and majestic. But it is grander and more sublime for greatness to humble itself, voluntarily to lay aside the splendor of majesty, and out of love to the little and the low to become little and low. That's the incarnation. He goes on and says, It is noble to ascend a throne and exercise dominion over others, but it is more noble to descend from a throne and out of love to become the servant of others. That's what we're talking about here. The eternal son of God who descended a throne and out of love became a servant. Isn't that what Paul says in Philippians chapter 2? He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant. Jesus himself says this. I came to serve and not to be served, and to give his life as a ransom for many. So ultimately, why does this matter? Why do we care about the humanity and the deity of Jesus? Because if Jesus is not truly God and truly man, he's no savior to anyone. That's what the scriptures say. If he is not truly God and truly man, he's no savior to anyone. So the author of Hebrews, again, in this encouragement to keep looking forward, says, look at who this is. This is the eternal Son of God that took on flesh. He became an heir. He was appointed heir of all things, through whom also he created the world, the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. He is greater than you could have ever imagined, this Messiah, this one that you've been waiting for. Don't turn back. Don't cling to the shadows of things, cling to the substance of Christ. That's Hebrews' argument. Now we're talking about salvation, we're talking about redemption. And so then the question becomes what did he do to provide salvation? What did Jesus do to provide salvation? Well, Hebrews gets into that at the second part of verse 3. Look at it with me. So again it says he is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins. That's a calling back to the priestly work in the Old Testament. The purification for sins, the forgiveness, the washing away of sins. After he made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. A savior that sits is a savior whose redemptive work has been completed. The telest die, it is finished. And in this in his ascension, he sits down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having completed the purification for your sins. That's what Hebrews 1 tells us. And it goes on and says, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited. Remember, we're talking about inheritance again. That's through his incarnational work, that's through his messianic work. That's not because the Son of God needs to inherit anything. That's because he became a man, and through his work that the Father assigned to him, he inherits a name. A name, it says, that is more excellent than theirs. A name that is more excellent than the angels, having to become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is much more excellent than theirs. Now, in the coming weeks, we'll talk more about angels. Now you may be thinking, well, who cares about angels? But in the context of the book of Hebrews, written in about AD 65, probably a few years before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, they were fascinated with angels. They were obsessed with angels. In fact, there's other places in Colossians as an example where Paul says, Do not worship angels. And this was a big deal to the people during this time. And so the author of Hebrews wants to make it clear these angelic beings that do have power, that do have some sort of grandeur and majesty, Jesus is more excellent than they. Having become as much superior, these beings that they would have worshipped and been enthralled by. He says, Jesus is better, he's greater, he's more excellent. Look to Jesus, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now, how did he become more excellent? Well, it's through his priestly work, through his atoning work, his work that he accomplished on the cross to pay for your sins. That's what Hebrews is telling us. And that's what I want you to write down for point number three. Believe in the all-sufficient, priestly work of Jesus. Believe in the all-sufficient, priestly work of Jesus. Now we already said that Jesus had to be fully God and fully man in order for him to be what it took to pay for the God-sized problem of man's sin. You recognize that the scriptures say that your iniquities have created a separation between you and your God. Romans 3.23, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 6.23, the wages, the penalty of sin is death. That's the God-sized problem. That's the issue that needed the priestly work of Christ. That's the issue that Christ came to solve, to fix, to provide a sufficient priestly sacrifice. And that's what Hebrews is telling us. He completed this, he made purifications for sins, he washed them away. How did he do that? He lived a perfect, sinless life. He died on the cross in the place of sinners. As 2 Corinthians 5 says, He made him who knew no sin to become sin, so that you might become the righteousness of God. That's what we're talking about. That's what Hebrews 1:3 is talking about, making purification for sins, providing a way for you to be forgiven, to be washed clean from your sins. Like the bleach that you dump in with your whites, getting all of the stains out, purifying it, perfecting it, making it whiter and brighter. That's the priestly work of Jesus. That's what he does through his life, his death on the cross, paying the penalty for your sin, his resurrection from the grave, three days later, conquering sin and death. And now he sits at the right hand of the majesty on high, having completed his work. Because the name he has inherited through that work is much more excellent than that of the angels. Now, the book of Hebrews as a whole says a lot about Christ's priestly work. So we'll just touch on it briefly today. It's just said by way of summary. In fact, verses one through four set the trajectory for the remainder of the book of Hebrews as a whole. All of the themes that we're going to study throughout the book of Hebrews, you'll find them here in Hebrews 1, 1 through 4. In one way or another, we have got revelation, we've got Trinitarian theology, Christology, atonement, priest, the priesthood, all of it right here in verses 1 through 4. But there are certain things that Hebrews makes clear that Christ did, that Jesus did through his priestly work on the cross. Hebrews 9, as an example, tells us that Christ entered the true holy place. Remember the Holy of Holies and their tabernacle and the temple that was a separation between God and man. Only the priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies one day a year on the Day of Atonement. And there was all of these precautions that they would take unless they did it in an unworthy manner and it would be struck down. They would tie a rope to their waist, they'd have bells on the hem of their garment, and there'd be all of these things. There was a veil, and Christ entered, it says, the Holy of Holies, the the place in the heavenlies, and offered his own blood. This is what the the apostle John says in John chapter 1. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is the perfect, spotless lamb that gets sacrificed on an altar as an eternal once-for-all sacrifice for those who would believe in him. That's his priestly work. Christ entered the true holy place once for all. He offered his own blood, he obtained an eternal redemption. Unlike the blood of bulls and goats, it says in Hebrews, which was unable. They had to keep doing it again and again, year after year, animal after animal, none of it ever stuck. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was offered as a once for all sacrifice. He entered the holy place once for all, offered his own blood, and he obtained for those who would believe eternal redemption. And his sacrifice is superior to those of the Old Testament because it actually accomplishes what it intended to accomplish. It cleanses the conscience, that's Hebrews 9:14. It removes sin decisively, washing you white as snow, Hebrews 9.26. It perfects for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10 14. And so we see throughout the book of Hebrews, again and again and again, Jesus is the high priest that offers the once-for-all sacrifice to those of you who would believe. And my desire for you, if you're in this room and you have not looked to Jesus as your author and perfecter of your faith, learn from Hebrews 1, 1 through 4 and see him, believe in him as the great high priest who is the once-for-all sacrifice for your sins. He is the remedy to your God-sized problem of your sin. And even that verse that I quoted, Romans 6 23, for the wages of sin is death. You know what finishes? But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And what better way to commemorate that today on launch Sunday, even thinking about Hebrews chapter 1, than to take communion together, to remember and commemorate the priestly work of Jesus in our lives. Now let me just encourage you for a minute as the ushers are passing out the elements and are getting those prepared. Let me encourage you, if you're not a believer, especially, Paul has some words of warning and caution about taking the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 27, and Paul says, Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. So he says, Let a person examine himself, then, and so either the bread and drink of the cup. So if you're not a follower of Christ, I would just ask, just let these pass by you. And if there's this unconfessed, undealt with sin between you and the Lord, make that right right now between you and the Lord. We're gonna have Elizabeth play just the guitar in the background. We want to just give you a few moments between you and the Lord to reflect on, to examine yourself, as Paul says, so as to not take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. We're reflecting on the priestly work of Christ, his finished work on the cross, the finished work that he accomplished and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Spend a few minutes reflecting on that. Get right with the Lord, examine yourself if you need to, and then we'll come back together and take this supper. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11, when reflecting on the sacrifice of the blood and the body of Christ, he says, For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you. The Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Let's eat this bread and drink this cup. We're grateful that he is our great high priest, that he made purifications for sins, that he sat down, indicating that his work is finished to all those who would believe. God, I pray that if there are any in this room that have not put their faith and trust in Jesus, would today be the day? Would they recognize that it is Jesus who they've been waiting for? It is Jesus who their soul has been longing for. And as Jesus says in John chapter 6, whoever comes to him will never hunger. Whoever believes in him will never thirst. Would we lift him high? Would we exalt his name? He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. Help us to rightly worship Jesus, to give him all the grace, all the glory, and all the praise. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Would you stand with me as we close together by singing the