Hebrews 9:11-15 "Jesus, the Fulfiller of the Earthly Blueprint"

Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah.

! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah,

either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us

that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself?

The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian,

we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the

Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do

what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian,

checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us

questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things

that you're really struggling with. So God bless.

The text we're looking at today. If you're familiar with house building, or if you're familiar with

general construction or general contracting, you know that one of the first things to be done

is that you would make a blueprint or drawings or architectural drawings of what's being, what's the

project is that's being proposed to be built. These blueprints must be very detailed. They must have

everything that's required to complete the building. Some of these things would be the footings of the

building. Some of these things would be the concrete work. Other things would be the framing, the electrical,

the plumbing, the HVAC. All these things are required for a building to be functional. They're all required

for it to pass inspection, and they're all required to be living. If you don't have these, you can't live in

it because it won't function properly. Some of you have heard me talk about before the time that

myself and Amy, my wife, we built a house in Perth, Ontario, during COVID. And during this time, we had

to make plans or blueprints of the house. So, and we decided to do it ourselves. And we did it. We drew

them up. We had a friend also help us. And then we presented it to the township of Perth, and they

rejected it right away because it wasn't detailed enough, because we didn't know everything that

needed to be on the plan. So we had to hire a professional to do it, get the stamp of approval,

and then it was passed. The thing about blueprints is that they will never look as good as the building

when it's completed and when you're standing before it. They'll never look as good. They may look super

fancy with all the drawings and all the certain things it tells you to do, the schedule of the

building. But it'll never look as good as the building itself when it's completed and you're

before it. What the writer to the book of Hebrews does is that he's showing that there is a blueprint.

It's come. It's already been created. And what he's pointing to, he points to the completed work

through the blueprint. He argues, and what I hope to show you, is that the completed work is far greater

than the blueprint, than what's been already made. The text I'm speaking on today is just over halfway

through the book of Hebrews. Normally you would want to start at the beginning of a book. When you

start it, you want to start at the beginning, go to the end, because you want to know the line of thought.

But because I'm preaching on the lectionary, I'm just, we're going right into the middle of it. The

lectionary, if you're not familiar with it, is in the book of, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. And

what it is, is that it gives you on Sunday the texts that are to be read. So Ross read the Hebrews text,

I read the Gospel text. At the beginning of the service, we read a part of the Psalm that's proposed to be

read today. And what the lectionary was, at the time it was created, was that the people who came to

church on Sunday couldn't, they couldn't read. Most of them couldn't read. They're farmers, they're

laborers, they didn't have time to learn how to read. They went to work at a very young age, so they

couldn't read. So they created this lectionary so that those, when they came to church, they would hear

key scriptures through the year that would be read to them, and then they would hear scripture. They

wouldn't get everything, but they would get the key scripture moments. So that's what we're looking

at. But that's a complete sidetrack. Just one of those Anglican geek moments. So how do I hope to

show you that the completed work is better than the blueprint? Well, the texts that Ross read were

dropped right in the middle of the argument. And the argument is between the old covenant and the new

covenant. And it gives us the points. This text that we're looking at, it already lays out the points for us.

Which is very helpful for me, for PrEP. What the points are is that it procures redemption.

It purifies our conscience and sanctifies our service. I'll say it again. It procures our

redemption, purifies our conscience, and sanctifies our service. So turn with me, if you haven't already,

I believe the scripture will also be on the screen, to Hebrews 9, verses 11 to 15. It's helpful to have

Hebrews 9:11–15

your Bibles. If you don't have one, grab one up there. Because it's good to see what happens before

and what happens after, and the text itself. Because you never know, I might be up here not even saying

the right text to you. You have no idea. It's good to have your Bible with you. And also for this sermon,

because it's such a dense little verses, we need to jump around a bit in the book of Hebrews to get the

full scope of it. So I may have already lost you with this idea of old covenant and new covenant.

What the heck is that? Now just a quick explainer of it. A covenant is kind of like a contract a little

bit, but a covenant is more serious. Normally they're impossible to break, and if they are broken,

it normally results in death, or the repercussions feel like death. If it's broken, there's the consequence

and repercussions of death. When you buy a phone, we all have phones, you make a contract with the

company, and if you break it, there's a fee. A covenant is made with someone, and it's for life

or until it's fulfilled. In the Bible, God makes covenants with his people to show his love and

commitment for them. Oftentimes we confuse a covenant with a contract when we come to God,

but God makes covenants because he wants to show us his deep, deep commitment to us. And you see it

all through the Old Testament into the New, and we experience it ourselves as we walk and follow Christ.

At the beginning of the Bible, in the second book, the book of Exodus, which we're going to refer to a

little bit, it's all about the liberation of God's people out of slavery from the land of Egypt,

because they've become enslaved. They're in Egypt, they've been enslaved, the Egyptians are treating

them poorly, and God sees it, and he liberates them. And then the rest of Exodus is a law, God gives them

the law, the Ten Commandments we said at the beginning of the service. See, God liberates them,

and this is normally referred to as the Mosaic Covenant, because Moses is the one who led them.

God spoke through Moses to the people, so it's called the Mosaic Covenant. Now this is where the

Ten Commandments is given, and the designs for the tabernacle, the place of worship, and where God

dealt among his people. And how to worship God, God explains it through rituals and ceremonies.

The tabernacle had two rooms. This is very important for us to think about in our minds when we're

talking about this text, because the text is all about these two rooms. But the two rooms, there's

the Holy of Holies, and this is the place where God dwelt. This is the place where the high priest

would come once a year to make atonement for the sins of his sins, then also atonement for the sins

of the people. And these sins were for unintentional sins. So you come once a year. The other room was for

the everyday rituals and ceremonies to make yourself clean before God. This was done through sacrifices

of animals, through the blood of animals that were without blemish. So this is the blueprint. This is

the blueprint that the writer of the book of Hebrews is referring to as he makes his argument through it.

It's the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, through the temple, the tabernacle, through the Holy of Holies,

and then also the other room where everyone would come for the everyday worship. Well, this finally

gets us to our first point. We're eight minutes in, and we're at the first point. So look with me.

Hebrews, we're going to look at Hebrews 9, verses 11 to 12.

Hebrews 9:11–12

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater

and more perfect tent, not made of hands, that is, not of this creation, he entered once for all into

the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus securing

and of eternal redemption.

See, up to this point in the book of Hebrews,

the writer has been arguing

that Jesus is the greater high priest.

He's the better high priest, the one who lasts forever.

And how is Jesus better than the other high priests that are

elected?

Every high priest that comes before, or came before Jesus

and came after Jesus, died.

Christ did not die.

If you look at chapter 7 in the book of Hebrews, verses 23 and onwards, it says this,

talking about Jesus.

The former priests were many in number because they died, because they were prevented by death

from continuing in office.

But Jesus holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever.

However, consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost

those who draw near to God through him,

since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Because of the fall, humanity is continually in a state of death,

physically and spiritually.

So the office of the high priest had to be continually filled.

When the priest would die, the need for a high priest would continue.

And this cycle would continue.

It needed to be performed once a year, this idea of atonement,

that the priest would enter the Holy of Holies.

It was a continual cycle inaugurated at Mount Sinai.

You see it in the book of Exodus.

But because the human heart is inclined to sin,

the ritual can never fully make people right before God.

Hence the continual cycle.

Humanity became enslaved to it and started relying on it,

on the ritual, to make them right before God,

instead of going to God himself.

See, they would rely on their works and forget about God.

They thought if they did this, they'd be good.

And they forgot about relying on him to personally rely on God.

The thing about the ritual is that it was for unintentional sins.

So it did not cover intentional sins.

So sins, the people who made intentional sins,

were always left with no hope.

It always weighed on them.

A better high priest was needed.

Look again at verse 11.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,

then through the greater and more perfect tent,

not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

See, did you notice it says the good things have come?

The ritual of atonement for the people's sins pointed to a better way.

It was the blueprint.

It pointed to something greater.

And Moses talked about it in the book of Deuteronomy.

It points to it.

And you see it all through the prophets.

They're all pointing to something that is better.

And when Jesus went to the cross for you and me, it came.

The blueprint came.

The building was built.

Jesus assumed the role of high priest.

He assumed the role of the sacrifice that was needed.

And when he went to the cross through his blood,

he entered into the tabernacle, not made with hands.

He entered into the throne room of heaven

and sat down at the right hand of the Father

to break the continual cycle that was happening of enslavement to sin and death.

The cycle was broken.

And I don't know if you've noticed that in verse 12,

right at the end of it, it says,

by means of his own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

Now, this word redemption is very important here.

When you see it in the Greek, it's very important.

And the best way it's described, the commentaries describe it like this.

So if it provokes ill feelings, it's not the intention

because what's going on here is that it's pointing to something greater.

It's pointing to a great hope.

The way it's described and the way the word makes sense within this text

is that you have the picture,

the best way to describe it is to picture a slave market.

And a slave market was where they were present.

It was present in this time,

and it was present during the African enslavement.

The slave market was for captured slaves,

not for bond servants that's talked about.

It was for captured slaves,

people who weren't willing to become bond servants.

These people were taken, and they became slaves.

And the idea here is that the slave market,

once the people were enslaved, there was no hope for them.

They would become property.

They'd be forced to do whatever their owners deemed fit until they died.

They would go up onto the platform and be sold,

or into the market and be sold.

But here's the thing.

This is what the word redemption means.

The idea is that when the people were presented to be sold,

someone buys them.

And then immediately, right after the person buys them,

he announces that you are free from your enslavement.

No longer will there be pain.

No longer will there be eternal suffering.

I redeem you for all eternity.

That's the idea here,

is that this redemption is made through the cross of Christ,

because before it, the old covenant, the blueprint,

enslaved you.

Because of our hearts,

we wanted to do things ourself and not rely on God.

That's what the blueprint points to,

is through God's work.

The blueprint of the earthly high priest pointed to the finished work.

It points to the finished work,

the work of the heavenly priest,

who procures redemption.

And it says here,

once and for all in verse 12.

It's done.

It's been done once and through all,

through Christ's work.

But what else does the completed work do?

Well, look with me at verses 13 and 14.

And this is point two.

It purifies our conscience.

Look with me at it.

For if the blood of goats and bulls

and the sprinkling of defiled persons

with the ashes of a heifer sanctify,

for the purification of the flesh,

how much more will 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.

See, Josiah earlier in the service

led us through the Ten Commandments.

And we all responded,

inclined our hearts to keep this law.

This is done in most Anglican churches

during the season of Lent,

because Lent is a season to remind us

how deeply we need Christ.

It is a season where we're called

to reflect on God's moral law

and to realize how much we need Christ.

Lent is a season of self-reflection

and repentance that culminates

in the celebration of Easter.

Why bring this up?

See, the law was given to the people of Israel

as they entered into the promised land.

But the promised land was full of nations

that practiced other ways of worship.

It would have been called pagan worship.

God gave them the law

so they would be recognized

as the living God's people

and to keep them from falling

into this pagan worship.

But here's the thing,

the law can never be kept.

It was to show the people

they can never measure up

as hard as they tried.

It was to show them

that only God is holy

and they needed God in their lives.

The more they tried,

the more they failed.

The more their consciences

would haunt them.

Maybe you're here

and you call yourself a Christian,

but it feels like you constantly

are failing at being one.

You always go back to the things

you know you shouldn't.

You feel the weight of the law

on your shoulders.

Your conscience haunts you.

Martin Luther,

who is a famous reformer,

one of the most famous ones,

he struggled with this for a long time

before he read the book of Romans

in a thoughtful way.

And he struggled with it.

And he would go to extreme measures

where he would punish himself

by whipping his back.

Or maybe you're here

and you don't call yourself Christian,

but you call yourself a good person.

You give to the poor.

You help out your neighbor.

You try to be polite

and a good member of society.

But if people truly knew your thoughts,

you would fear

they would never talk to you again.

Because in your mind,

you're not the way you portray yourself.

You feel the weight

of your self-imposed law

on your shoulders

because your conscience haunts you.

You never live up to your own law.

When you try to live up

to the standard of your own mind,

your own law,

you put yourself

under a works-based model.

And that's what the blueprint was as well.

It became a works-based model

for the people of Israel.

They thought,

if I do this,

then I'll get that.

But that's not the gospel.

The gospel is good news.

That is bad news.

So what is the gospel?

And you may think,

well, Matt,

you've already talked about the cross.

What is it?

How else can you talk about it?

Well,

the writer of the Hebrews does it.

And he does it in chapter 8.

And we're going to look at it.

Chapter 8,

verses 8 to 12,

it says this.

And he's quoting Jeremiah.

I believe it's chapter 31 of Jeremiah

he quotes.

It says this.

This is God talking.

Behold,

the days are coming,

declares the Lord,

when I will establish a new covenant

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah,

not like the covenant

that I made with their fathers

on the day

when I took them by the hand

to bring them out

of the land of Egypt.

For they did not continue

in my covenant.

And so I showed no concern for them,

declares the Lord.

For this is the covenant

that I will make

with the house of Israel.

After those days,

declares the Lord,

I will put my laws

into their minds

and write them on their hearts.

I will be their God

and they shall be my people.

They shall not teach

each one his neighbor

and each one of his brothers,

saying,

Know the Lord,

for they shall all know me.

For the least of them

to the greatest,

for I will be merciful

toward their iniquities

and I will remember

their sins no more.

See, Jeremiah points

to the completed work.

The blueprint left on its own

does nothing.

But did you notice in this text,

it says,

I will five times.

God is the one

who will take the weight

of the law

and he does this

through his son.

If you believe

that Jesus is your Lord

and Savior,

no longer do you need

to measure up

because Christ

has done it for you.

If you don't believe

that Jesus is your Lord

and Savior,

you will never measure up.

But you can

if you believe

in Jesus as your Lord

and Savior.

Trust in him.

Through Christ

being our high priest,

our hearts become new

and willingly accept

God's law.

That's why we say,

write these laws

in our hearts,

incline our hearts

to these laws.

But if we don't follow it,

if we follow it

to impress him

or elevate ourselves,

we become under

the works-based law.

But if we follow it

out of devotion

to God's love towards us,

no longer does our conscience

haunt us

because we can trust

in Christ

and then we can say

willingly,

nothing to the cross

I bring,

simply to the cross

I cling.

The old covenant

could never achieve this

because it was done

with animals.

Animals could never

pay the price

that was required.

And because of Christ's

completed work,

we can serve God

out of love

and not gain.

Look again with me

at verses 13 and 14.

For if the blood

of goats and bulls

and the sprinkling

of defiled persons

with the ashes

of a heifer

sanctify

for the purification

of the flesh,

how much more

will the blood

of Christ,

who through

the eternal spirit

offered himself

without blemish

purify our conscience

and from dead works

to serve

the living God.

See,

something that's

very tempting

is to view

our service

to God

as acts

of earning.

But that instantly

puts us under

the old covenant

again.

This is a very

common thing

among pastors.

They start to view

their ministries

as their identities

and how it performs

dictates their mood

and standing

before God.

Please pray

for myself,

for George,

for Daniel Avitan,

for Josiah,

for Jono,

and all others

in leadership positions

because this can

so easily creep in

and we can succumb

to this temptation.

Please pray for us.

But people who aren't

in leadership positions

can also fall prey

to this,

that they view

their service

as a way

of gaining merit

to God.

And this isn't

a new thing either.

When we read

the Gospels,

we always are reading

about the Pharisees

and how they

dedicated their lives

to memorizing Scripture.

They dedicated their lives

to doing the law

of God perfectly.

And they dedicated

their lives

to serving the people

of Israel.

But a quick reading

will show you

that their ministries

were poisoned

by pride

and self-promotion

and gain.

And Jesus is quick

to call them out on it.

This is not just

a religious issue either.

It's a human issue.

This idea

of gaining merit.

Service becomes

the marker

of how we measure

oneself in society.

The more you serve,

the more you should

be glorified by society.

This is where the notion

of virtue signaling

comes from.

I recently read

an article,

I don't remember

where I read it,

but I remember reading it,

that the premise

of this article

is that you can judge

someone now

by if they're

a good person or not,

by if they return

their shopping cart

to the shopping corral.

You can judge

them on this now.

And that deems

you in society

if you're a good

person or not.

And let me tell you,

as someone who

was a cart pusher

for most of his

teenage years,

we did not care

if someone returned

their cart or not.

It just gave us

work to do.

But we are at

this point now

that we have

these unspoken laws

within our culture

that the way

we can measure

ourselves

and measure

others against

to see if we

measure up or not.

So what are we

left with?

If Christians

are called

to serve their God

and if non-Christians

are called

to serve society

but both fail

to do it,

how do we go

from here?

We have to go

to the cross

where Jesus

performed the duty

of high priest.

We have to trust

in his blood

and we have to realize

we can only serve

God through

Jesus' work,

not our own.

If we don't

or choose not to,

once again,

we are left

under the burden

of the old covenant

of the blueprint.

Here we see

the old covenant,

the blueprint,

was that,

a blueprint,

something looking

forward to fulfillment

of the good things

to come.

We see that

the new covenant,

which is done

through Christ's

shedding of his blood,

which the blueprint

pointed to,

is the completed work.

Look at verse 15.

Therefore,

Christ is the mediator

of the new covenant,

so that those

who are called

may receive

the promised

eternal inheritance

since a death

has occurred

that redeems them

from the transgressions

committed under

the first covenant.

It's all through

Christ's finished

work on the cross.

He lived

the perfect life.

He was completely

unblemished.

He lived

the perfect life.

He died

for the sins

that we commit

for the burden

that was supposed

to be put on us,

the wrath of God.

He went to the cross

and he rose again

for us

so that we can

come before God,

that we can enter

in to the Holy of Holies

because of Christ's

redeeming work

of being our

high priest.

That is what is

going on in the text here.

It is a great hope.

That is the Christian hope

that Christ came

for us.

See, through Jesus

we have redemption,

eternal redemption.

You don't have to

continue this cycle.

We go to the cross.

Through Jesus

our consciences

are purified.

When we feel like

we're not measuring up,

remember the cross.

It is finished.

Give your struggles

to Christ.

Tell your brothers

or sisters in Christ

what you're dealing with

and pray together.

And through Jesus

our service

becomes sanctified

because remember

the work is already completed.

Nothing we do

will merit us

before God.

Everything we do

is a blessing

because Christ

has done it already.

That's what's going on

in Hebrews.

That is the story.

That is the gospel.

That is what everything

points to.

The pinnacle moment

of the cross.

That is the gospel.

And let us pray.

Heavenly Father,

Father, we thank you

for Christ.

We thank you

that he is our high priest

who will never die.

We thank you

that he sits

at your right hand,

that he mediates for us

and intercedes for us.

Father, help us

to trust in his finished work

and not in our own work.

And I pray this

in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

desde

!