Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/lw/sermons/10851/sermon-a-new-and-living-way/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] If Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass I'm just thrilled tonight I get to sing that again.

[0:50] So you sang like this was one service. And so thank you for your worship tonight. If you've got your Bible, go to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10.

[1:02] We're doing a mini-series. I'm taking a break from the Sermon on the Mount, which we only got through the Beatitudes anyways. And by the way, thanks so much. I don't know that Pat's at this service, but he did such a great job last week.

[1:15] And really thankful for him as he stayed in the Sermon on the Mount. But we're going to take a break from that. And I'm going to do just a three-week mini-series called All Things New. And what we're going to look at, in fact, if you want kind of the big idea of this series, it's this.

[1:31] Because Jesus is alive, we have a new way to live. Because Jesus is alive, we have a new way to live. And the question is, do we?

[1:43] Like, I want to press upon us the new way of living that the New Testament gives us in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is alive, we have an entirely different way of approaching life.

[1:58] And what we're going to look at tonight is looking at a new and living way that is found in Hebrews chapter 10. And so this week and the next two weeks, what we're doing is we're going to look at specific passages that deal with the resurrection and how, in light of the resurrection, there's a new way to live.

[2:17] And I'm going to press us live that way, pursue that, run after that. It's been accomplished for us in Christ.

[2:28] Why would we sit back and live under an old system? So Hebrews 10 is where we're going to begin in this series. And we're going to look at verses, several passages, actually, in Hebrews 9 and 10.

[2:41] But for our scripture reading tonight, we'll read Hebrews 10, beginning at verse 19 and down to 22. So if you're able to stand, would you please do so as we honor the reading of God's Word.

[2:52] Hebrews chapter 10, 19, the author of Hebrews writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh.

[3:17] And since we have a great high priest or a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

[3:36] Pray with me. Would you do that? God, thank you for this opportunity tonight to worship you in song, and to now hear from you from your Word. Lord, all I want to do is serve your people well as we look to your Word and we discover the new life that we have in Christ because He is alive.

[3:57] You have made all things new. Help us understand it, and not only understand it, but live it. And that means unpacking old baggage. But may it be that we might be free in Christ.

[4:09] And we pray it in His name and God's people said, Amen. Would you please be seated? Faith family, have you ever had a throbbing headache? And I don't mean raising teenagers.

[4:22] I'm talking about the kind of headache that knocks you to your knees. You know, the one that feels like something's literally stabbing you inside. Have you ever had one of those headaches?

[4:33] Well, if so, Li Fu Yan knows exactly how you feel, only literally. Li is a Chinese man who suffered from years of throbbing headaches and bad breath and difficulty breathing.

[4:50] And no matter what he did, he couldn't figure out what was going on. He tried medication. He tried massages. He tried all different kinds of things. He slept more, and yet these things wouldn't go away.

[5:03] Until finally he went to the doctor, and he had an x-ray done. And what he discovered is that he had a rusty four-inch knife blade stuck inside his head. And as if this isn't crazy, some of you are like, what?

[5:19] Yeah, it's true. And not only this, it gets even crazier. He had this for four years. For four years, Lee, four years earlier, he had been attacked by a robber and suffered lacerations on the right side of his jaw.

[5:35] And what he didn't know is the blade that the robber used broke off inside his head. As a result, he had carried around for four years the pain of something that could have been removed.

[5:55] For four years. I mean, can you? Come on now, faith family. Can you imagine that at all? Or can you?

[6:09] You see, I doubt there's a single person here today that has a blade lodged inside your head, though that might explain some things. But I guarantee you that there are many of you here tonight that has a blade lodged inside your soul.

[6:25] And you've been carrying it around for years. You've gone on about life, but the blade is still lodged inside. Everybody here tonight, those of you watching online, if we took an x-ray of your soul, how many blades would we find?

[6:41] How many times that you've been stuck? How many times that you've had things in your soul and you've held on to those things? Maybe it's the broken blade of a divorce.

[6:54] The broken blade of stupid decisions that you made. The broken blade of poor financial choices. The broken blade of an addiction that just about ruined your life.

[7:07] The broken blade of missed opportunities. The broken blade of failure. The broken blade of disappointment in your life. The broken blade of grief over the loss of someone that you loved.

[7:21] And something that we all have had lodged in our soul is the broken blade of guilt. And the thing is, faith family, be honest. We carry these things with us along with the pain that they bring and the damage to the soul.

[7:39] All the while we're trying to search and find the right pharmaceutical that would relieve the pain. Maybe the ibuprofen of good deeds. Or the lidocaine of optimism and self-help.

[7:51] Maybe the anesthesia of a little fun with some friends. But you know good and well something is still lodged inside. And if there was an x-ray of your soul tonight, it would be obvious that it's there.

[8:05] That you've been carrying it around with you the entire time. Well, I've got good news for you. You've come to the right place. Because what I want to show you tonight is that Jesus Christ, the great physician, has the power to perform life-changing surgery on the broken blades of the soul.

[8:23] That through his death and resurrection, Jesus has provided a new way for you to live. And it's real.

[8:34] And it's true. And it's freeing. And I want you to live that way. I want to show it to you tonight here in Hebrews chapter 9 and 10. But first, context.

[8:46] Context is important. Amen? You don't just drop in the middle of a book and just kind of do it surface level. What's the context that's taking place here in the book of Hebrews?

[8:57] Well, the book of Hebrews is written to Hebrew Christians living outside of Jerusalem. They are considering going back into Jerusalem. And what would come with going back into Jerusalem would be placing themselves underneath the old system, the old sacrificial system of the Old Testament.

[9:17] And so the writer here is going through extensive detail as to why that's a terrible idea. Why would you do such a thing? Why would you live that way when Jesus has established a new and living way?

[9:30] Are you with me? And that's the question I have for you. Why would you live that way when Jesus, and based on what he's done, has provided a new and living way? And the way that he's been doing this is he's been comparing all the Old Testament elements of the sacrificial system.

[9:47] Everything related to the old covenant. The prophets, the law, the priesthood, the covenants. And he's comparing them to Christ to show us how Christ is better than all of them. He's the true word.

[9:59] He's fulfilled the law. He's the perfect priesthood. He brought in a new covenant. Now, here in Hebrews 9 and 10, the author is specifically dealing with the Old Testament tabernacle and everything that went with it.

[10:12] The Old Testament sacrifices, the routines of the priest, and he's unpacking all of that. And those things related to two specific things.

[10:23] Number one, how we approach God. And secondly, the cleansing of our souls. How you feel before God.

[10:33] Your conscience before God. And there was one big reality when it came to approaching God in the Old Testament. And here it is. You couldn't. You couldn't approach God.

[10:46] And you couldn't feel clean. You were left with the broken blades of the soul just stuck there. And you knew it. And there was nothing that you could do.

[10:59] Look here at Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 3. How the author describes this. Verse 3 he says, Behind the second curtain was a second section called the most holy place.

[11:12] Now, jump to chapter 9 verse 7. But into the second only the high priest goes, but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

[11:28] By this, verse 8, the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places right here is not yet open as long as the first section is still standing.

[11:41] In other words, here's the first big idea that the author of Hebrews is dealing with. Is this separation that we have between us and God. In the tabernacle as well as the temple in Jesus' day, there was a large veil or curtain.

[11:55] And it wasn't there for decoration. This wasn't for cosmetic appeal. This was a symbolic reminder. You can't come near. You cannot approach God.

[12:09] It was a reminder of the separation that existed between God and man. God was distant from his people. Access to him was denied. Let me ask you, have you ever been denied access to something?

[12:22] Have you ever tried to get into something but they wouldn't let you in? Like you were a kid and your parents said, sorry, you're not old enough? Or the lifeguard at the top of the slide said, you're not tall enough?

[12:35] Or you weren't allowed to park there because that was only for VIP parking? Or the flight attendant said, sorry, this is for first class passengers only? Or you forgot your password and your computer keeps saying, access denied.

[12:49] You can't get in. And that's frustrating. But it's one thing when that's the case with parking spots and people. It's another thing when that's our relationship with God.

[13:01] When you can't draw near. When you do not have access to him. And why, by the way, was God so distant from his people? Answer is because humans get on God's nerves.

[13:15] No, that's not the right answer. I was just making sure some of you were even awake. No, the short answer in a word is what? Sin. In the book of Genesis, God gave...

[13:25] Some of you looked at me like, is that the real answer? We get on God's nerves? No, in the book of Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve instructions on how to live. And they did the opposite. Sin entered in and with sin, death.

[13:39] An immediate separation from God. They were cast out of the garden. And to make us and them aware of our spiritual deadness to God. To Moses, he gave the law.

[13:51] The law existed to show us how dead we are. How unable we are to draw near to God. Because he demands perfection. That's why Israel broke it over and over again.

[14:03] And why did they break the law? For the same reason we break the law. It's not because there's a problem with the law. I sound like the Apostle Paul in this argument. There's nothing wrong with the law.

[14:13] The issue is the heart. When you tell your kid, pick up your toys. And she looks at you and says, no. The problem is not her unwillingness to pick up toys.

[14:25] The problem is her unwillingness to obey the command. She has a heart that is disobedient towards the command of the parent.

[14:36] Thus, faith family, the veil. We have broken God's law. We are separated from him. And we have no access to God.

[14:47] And this not only means we cannot approach God. But that we are guilty before God. Our conscience is not clean. There is a broken blade stuck in the soul.

[14:58] And so what could they do? Well, God established a temporary system to prepare them for a permanent solution.

[15:10] Somebody just say, preach, preacher. Okay? I'm going to say that again. God provided a temporary system to prepare for a permanent solution. Look at chapter 9, verse 6.

[15:22] Chapter 9, verse 6. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section performing their ritual duties.

[15:34] Verse 7. But into the second only. The high priest goes, but once a year. And not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

[15:45] So here's the system. The system was the sacrificial system. God established a system whereby, one, a representative. Hang with me because we're about to get to some incredible news.

[15:57] A representative would go in on your behalf. And two, offer up a sacrifice or payment for your sin. Because the wages of sin is death.

[16:09] And so it required a death sacrifice. Look at chapter 10, verse 1. The author of Hebrews deals with this more there. Look at verse 1. It says, 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 by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near.

[16:32] Otherwise, they would have ceased to be offered since the worshipers, having once been cleans, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

[16:44] For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. In other words, this system that God established did not ultimately solve their problem.

[16:56] That's why it was a temporary system to prepare them for a permanent solution. Why was it that this system did not solve the problem? Here's four quick reasons.

[17:07] Number one, it didn't last long enough. It didn't last long enough. That is, what did you do after you offered a sacrifice? You'd have to offer another one.

[17:19] And they would do this every year, after every year, after every year. You would continue to offer sacrifices over and over. Why? It didn't last. It wasn't permanent.

[17:29] It wasn't finished. Number two, it didn't get you close enough. When the sacrifice was over, the veil was closed for the next 364 days.

[17:42] Because this happened once a year on the Day of Atonement. And so, once again, you were right back left on the outside. Access denied. You can't approach God.

[17:52] Thirdly, it didn't go deep enough. This only dealt with the external, right? It didn't deal with the issue of the heart.

[18:03] Look at how the author describes it again in chapter 10, verse 2. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? Since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins.

[18:16] But in these sacrifices, there's a reminder of sins every year. Because it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. It didn't go deep enough. It didn't cleanse within.

[18:26] It only dealt with the external. And number four, it didn't remove enough. It didn't remove enough. Listen. When all was said and done, the broken blade of the soul was still there.

[18:39] The guilt still remained. Look at chapter 9 and verse 9, how the author says this. He says this, In other words, faith family, everybody right here, and those of you online, the blade of sin remained.

[19:07] The broken blade of guilt and sin remained. And you knew it. And you carried it around with you every day.

[19:19] Now, let's step out of this context for a moment and into our context. Here's the big question I want to ask you, okay? If you've zoned out, zoned back in, and think about this.

[19:29] What do you do to make up for what you've done? What do you do to make up for what you've done? Because every one of us, it'd be easy for us to say, yeah, all this Old Testament sacrificial system, that has nothing to do with the way that I live today.

[19:46] And yet it does. It's extremely relevant because you and I are always trying to make up for what we've done. Those things that we carry with us that we wish we could wipe away for good, that we could forget forever.

[20:00] Maybe for you, it's you give money to charity. Maybe you compare your life to someone else that you think is worse than you, so that you feel better. Maybe you remind others how much you've done for them.

[20:13] Maybe you attend things like this. Services that make you leave feeling like, I did a good thing today. But the reality is, we are just like the Hebrew Christians in that we are stuck in a system of sacrifices.

[20:31] Most of us, we're doing things to try to undo what we've done. We're doing things to try to undo what we've done. Are you ready for the good news of the gospel?

[20:43] Because now we're able to see, in light of all of this, we're able to see the good news of the gospel, which is this. Jesus brought about a new and living way.

[20:57] A far greater way than this way. In fact, that's what the temporary system was preparing you for in the first place. Look at chapter 9, verse 11.

[21:07] Chapter 9, verse 11. But when Christ, yes. I think the best two words in the Bible. But Christ. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then though the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is not of this creation, He entered once for all into the holy places, not by the means of the blood of goats and calves, but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

[21:37] For if the blood of bulls and goats and the sprinkling of defiled persons, the ashes of a heifer, sanctify the purification of the flesh, then how much more the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

[22:02] Preach, author of Hebrews. But He ain't done. Look at verse, I love it. Just let Scripture preach. I don't need to preach. Just let the Bible preach. Verse 24.

[22:13] For Christ has entered, not into the holy place made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

[22:28] Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with the blood of His own. For then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

[22:42] But as it is, tell us how it is, here's how it is, He appeared once for all, at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

[22:59] There is a new and living way to live. I mean, a real way to live. I'm talking like daily, a new way to live.

[23:12] And it's not a way of living that tries to do so that you can undo what you've done. It's a way that realizes what He's done is enough.

[23:27] And that you do not have to live under that old slavery anymore. You don't have to carry the blade in your soul anymore.

[23:38] That thing 10 years ago you wish you could go back and do differently. That thing you did last night, you wish you could go back and do differently. You don't have to carry that around with you anymore.

[23:49] Why? Because there's a new and better way. Now, Jesus here is showing us that His sacrifice is a once for all sacrifice.

[24:02] That the good news of the gospel is not that we get to God, but God came to us by sending His Son to die in our place. And He did so willingly.

[24:13] And the comparison that the author of Hebrews is making. Now, remember, these Hebrew Christians are wanting to live under this. Just like many of us still live under the old way of thinking.

[24:24] And here's what the author is saying. The veil says, you can't come before God. The Bible says, but Christ. The sacrificial system says, you can't do enough.

[24:40] It's why you got to keep doing more and more and more. The Bible says, but Christ. That on the cross, Jesus offered Himself once for all.

[24:52] And that's why we have a new and living way. Now, why a living way? Why would the author, because some of you are like, I thought this was a series on the resurrection.

[25:03] Well, why would the author use the language living way? Because what he's doing here is he's comparing the living way of Christ to that of the old system.

[25:15] Namely, unlike the animals that died, unlike the priest who died and had to be replaced, Jesus is alive.

[25:26] Jesus is the living way. He's not the dead way. The animal way was the dead way. The priest way was the dead way. Why? They died. Jesus is the living way.

[25:38] Why? Because He died and rose again. And because He died and rose again, the resurrection has now provided us for this new way of living. It changes everything. It changes how we approach to God, how we approach God, and our conscience before God.

[25:53] And this is why when Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was ripped in two. It was torn from top to bottom, as to say, there's a new way to approach God.

[26:11] An entirely different way of living and dealing with our conscience. And His name is Jesus Christ.

[26:21] And because of Him, fourth and final point, we have a whole new status. A whole new status. That what separates Jesus from the other sacrifices is that He's the only one that offered up a final sacrifice and lived to tell about it.

[26:39] And because of the resurrection, Jesus offers us at least three things here in this text that honestly, faith family, and I'll wrap up with this in just a moment, if we can just get this, it's going to change the way you approach life.

[26:54] And we're going to be a very, very different church than most churches on the street corner if we really get this. Number one is this.

[27:05] Because of Jesus, we have full atonement. In Christ, our sin has been forgiven once for all. Now, you've heard that so many times. But I mean, like, seriously.

[27:17] Whatever it is that you've done, Jesus says, it's done. It's finished. I am enough to fully atone for whatever it is.

[27:31] Jesus was torn on the cross. The veil was torn in the temple so that our record of sin would be torn as well. It's like the lyrics of the great hymn.

[27:42] There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. And when sinners plunge beneath the flood, what happens? They lose all their guilty stains.

[27:56] What's that thing you've been carrying around with you for years? What's that thing that's lodged in your soul that you still wake up in the middle of the night and think about?

[28:12] It's over. It has been forgiven. Because Jesus is enough.

[28:24] So stop living under the old way of thinking which says, I have to do so that I can undo what's been done and believe and live in the freedom that it is already finished in Christ.

[28:43] Full atonement. Secondly, is full access. Full access. And keep in mind how shocking this would have been to those reading the book of Hebrews.

[28:55] The old way was stepped back. The new way is drawn near. How many of us, how many of us still have a Hebrews mentality? What I mean by Hebrews mentality is that these Hebrews would have been trained to know I can't draw near.

[29:14] I can't get close enough. Access is always denied. And yet now the author is turning this in light of the gospel and saying, you don't have to stay distant anymore because of what Christ has done.

[29:27] In fact, what Christ has done was done so that you would be near. Look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 3, verse 18. For Christ also died for sins once for all in order that he might, what, faith family?

[29:42] Bring us to God. Ephesians 2, 18 says, through Christ we have our access in one spirit to the Father.

[29:55] Do you daily live in that reality? That there is nothing that you have done or will do that keeps you from being able to draw near to God.

[30:09] This is the new and living way. And lastly is full assurance. Full assurance. What more do you need to show you how much God has accepted you, broken blades and all, than a torn veil and an empty tomb?

[30:27] These things serve as the assurance that God has accepted us in Christ. In the Old Testament they didn't have the confidence but we do have the confidence, the assurance to know that we can draw near to God at any time.

[30:43] blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Carry that with you. Not the broken blades of the soul, the things, the regrets, the sin, the shame, the guilt, the things that makes your conscience feel unclean.

[31:03] Carry Christ with you and you will live in confidence. I'll close with this. Some of you may remember the famous scene in Shakespeare's Macbeth when Lady Macbeth is, she's fighting a guilty conscience.

[31:19] Her and her husband had plotted and killed the king of Scotland and even though she didn't commit the murder, she can't shake the image that she has blood on her hands.

[31:31] And nothing that she tries is able to take away the smell of guilt away. One night as she's sleepwalking, she begins to say out loud what's really in her soul.

[31:45] She says this, Out, damn spot! Out, I say! Will these hands ever be clean? Here is still the smell of blood and all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.

[32:04] You see, Lady Macbeth, just like Lee, had a knife lodged in her soul. And like many of us, she carried it around with her.

[32:19] But I'm here to tell you that there is a new and better way and His name is Jesus Christ. He is the God-man that took every one of your broken blades of guilt and shame on the cross.

[32:37] As the Bible says, He was pierced for our transgressions. And He did more than that. Three days later, He walked out of the grave providing a new and living way.

[32:55] So don't, don't be like Lee. I'm pleading with you, family. I am pastoring you, family. I'm pastoring me.

[33:06] Don't be like Lee walking around with blades lodged in your soul. Do you know why? Because whatever you've done against God, God has done far more for you in the person of Jesus Christ.

[33:29] The new and living way. And all God's people said, Amen. Would you pray with me? Let's pray together. Okay, God, help us live in this reality.

[33:42] Help us live in this reality because I know people in this room. I know people that are watching online and they're carrying things with them.

[33:52] and I don't want us to be and I don't want to be like the Hebrew Christians that are considering for a moment living under the old way.

[34:04] A life in slavery trying to do things that will undo what we've done. Offering up all these sacrifices, though they may not be animals, but their money or their good deeds or their time or service or attendance or whatever.

[34:20] We're just offering up all these sacrifices trying to get rid of the guilt. And help us live in the new and living way that Christ has opened for us as he ripped that veil and said, you can come near and you can be clean.

[34:39] I don't care what the world says about you. I don't care what you say about you. All that matters is what God says about you and God says come near. It's finished.

[34:49] Jesus really has done enough. And so I'm praying for that freedom to make all things new in the way we approach our day and the way we approach our relationships and the way we approach God.

[35:14]  May it be in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen.