I Have Come to Do Your Will

If you have your Bible with you, please open it up to the book of Hebrews.

This past week I was reading in the book of Hebrews, and I love the book of Hebrews.

I love Hebrews because God gives me such deep assurance of my salvation as I read in Hebrews.

But yet, I also love it because somehow at the same time, He also gives me such powerful and penetrating warnings

that my soul needs to turn away from sin and to keep following Christ faithfully.

Well, this week as I was reading in Hebrews, I came to chapter 10.

In chapter 10, as the author comes to it, he's talking about the sacrifice that Jesus offered for us

and how much better Christ and His sacrifice is than the Levitical high priests

and the animal sacrifices offered long ago according to the law.

So, let's read some of these words together.

I'm going to read Hebrews 10, from verse 1 down to 18.

So, a little bit longer section.

And let's reflect together on these words this morning as we prepare to take the Lord's table.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves.

For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year,

make perfect those who draw near to worship.

Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered?

For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said,

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

Then I said,

Here I am.

It is written about me in the scroll.

I have come to do your will, my God.

First, He said,

Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire,

nor were you pleased with them,

though they were offered in accordance with the law.

Then He said,

Here I am.

I have come to do your will.

He sets aside the first to establish the second.

And by that will,

we have been made holy

through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Day after day,

every priest stands and performs his religious duties.

Again and again,

He offers the same sacrifices,

which can never take away sins.

But when this priest

had offered for all time

one sacrifice for sins,

he sat down at the right hand of God.

And since that time,

he waits for his enemies

to be made his footstool.

For by one sacrifice,

he has made perfect forever

those who are being made holy.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.

First, He says,

This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,

says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.

Then, He adds,

Their sins and lawless acts

I will remember no more.

And where these have been forgiven,

sacrifice for sin

is no longer necessary.

There's so much in these words,

we could spend days unpacking it all.

But for this morning,

as we come to the Lord's table,

I want to just focus in on two things.

The first is a question.

It's,

What is the will of God

that Jesus came to do?

You see there in verse 7,

Christ came into the world,

and He said,

I have come to do your will,

my God.

What is that will?

What is God's will

that Christ came to do?

And the second thing is,

What does Jesus doing that

mean for us?

I was deeply moved

as I reflected on these

two questions this week.

Let's just start by

having an overview,

a little summary look

at what the author of Hebrews

is saying

here in these verses

which lead up to that.

In verses 1 to 4,

the author of Hebrews

makes this wonderful statement

that the law is only a shadow

of the good things

that are coming.

He talks about

what the Old Testament law

required.

He talks about the priests

and how they were required

to offer sacrifices

for the cleansing

of the people

who ever wanted to

come near to worship God.

He says that those sacrifices,

they had to be offered

again and again,

year after year.

Why?

Because those animal sacrifices

were not able to make

the people perfect.

They were only able,

as we read in chapter 9,

to outwardly cleanse

the people,

to make them ceremonially

clean

of the past sins

that they had committed.

Now God did say

back in the law

that when they brought

an animal of their flock

and offered it as a sacrifice

that they would be forgiven.

But there still remained

a sense in which

those sacrifices,

those animal sacrifices,

were like a temporary

covering of sin.

Because as the author

of Hebrews says

in verse 4,

it is impossible

for the blood of bulls

and goats

to take away sins.

And I think

deep down inside

we all know that,

don't we?

It was costly

for a man or woman

to take

one of their

own animals

out of the flock,

a perfectly good animal,

and bring it to the temple

where it would be slaughtered

as a sacrifice.

It was costly.

But deep down inside

we all know that

true justice

requires more than that,

don't we?

We know that

the appropriate cost

for our sins

is much more than

just the life

of an animal.

the cost

for us,

for our sins,

is death.

That's what the Lord said

clearly

to Adam

in the Garden of Eden.

In the day that you eat

of the fruit of that tree

you will surely die.

The consequence

for defying

the Lord of glory

is death.

death.

Yet still

we often wonder,

don't we,

why God prescribed

animal sacrifice,

such a bloody

and gruesome thing

to make atonement

for the sins

of the people.

But the reason

we wonder,

I think,

is because we don't

properly feel

the ugliness,

the seriousness

of our sin.

we think

it a small thing

to do what is wicked,

to do what is

sinful,

to do what is

selfish.

We think

it a small thing

to defy

the living God,

the righteous one,

but it's not.

The bloody

and gruesome

animal sacrifices

were meant

to help us see

just how bad

our sins

really are.

in the sight

of him

who is good

and righteous

and just.

They were a shadow

pointing to a greater

reality.

And even though

God prescribed

these animal

sacrifices

to be brought

for a time,

deep down

inside God's

heart,

he did not

desire

these animal

sacrifices.

Verse 5,

when Christ

came into the

world,

he said,

sacrifice

and offering

you did

not desire.

And then again

in verse 6,

with burnt

offering

and sin

offerings,

you were not

pleased.

There's a difference

between requiring

something to be

done

and desiring

something

to be done.

this is not

a perfect

analogy,

but it's

like this

with our

children.

When our

children

disobey,

we give

them consequences.

We discipline

them,

not because

we want

to,

but because

we have

to.

For all

you kids

listening,

if your mom

or your dad

are disciplining

you in the

way that God

has said

we should,

then they

discipline you

because they

love you.

Because they

want you to

learn to do

what is right.

They want

to teach you

that there are

consequences to

disobeying those

in authority

over you.

But as a

parent myself,

I can tell you

that disciplining

my children is

something I'm

required to do

for the good

of my children.

It's not

something I

desire to do.

In fact,

even when I

do,

I feel in my

own heart

the sting

of the

consequence

that they

receive.

It's like

that with

God.

He is

good.

He is

just.

And so,

yes,

sacrifices

are required.

But God

doesn't take

pleasure in

the slaughter

of animals.

He doesn't

take pleasure

in the sting

of the cost

that's felt

by the person

who had to

select that

animal and

bring it

from his

own flock.

God is

not,

as Richard

Dawkins

once said,

vindictive

or bloodthirsty.

In fact,

God cared

for each

of those

animals even

more than

their owners

did,

even more

than you

or I

might think

that we

care for

them.

It was

God who

said,

do not

muzzle

the ox

while it

is treading

out the

grain.

Let him

eat while

he is

going

along.

It's

God who

in Proverbs

12.10

said,

the righteous

care for

the needs

of their

animals.

If the

animal sacrifice

is revolting

to us,

how much

more is

it revolting

to the

one who

himself

made that

creature

and called

it good

and cares

for it?

So even

though God

required animal

sacrifices

for sins,

he did

not desire

them.

He took

no pleasure

in them.

But I

think as we

read here,

the biggest

reason why

he did

not desire

them,

it's right

here in

the text,

he did

not desire

them,

because these

sacrifices

did not

and could

not accomplish

what God

most deeply

desires for

his people.

And nobody

knew this

better than

Jesus,

God's own

son.

Verse 5,

therefore,

when Christ

came into

the world,

he said,

sacrifice

and offering

you did

not desire,

but a

body you

prepared for

me.

With burnt

offerings and

sin offerings

you were not

pleased.

Then I

said,

here I

am.

It is

written about

me in

the scroll.

I have

come to do

your will,

my God.

God.

I love

these verses.

It's as

though the

author of

Hebrews is

peeling back

the skin

and opening

up so that

we can see

the very

heart of

Christ as

he speaks

to his

father.

As Jesus

speaks these

words to

his father,

it's as

though Jesus

is saying,

I know,

Father,

that you

do not

desire these

animal

sacrifices.

I know

that they

don't

please you.

And so

here I

am.

I am

here to

do what

you really

truly desire

and long

for your

people.

I am

here to

do your

will.

And so

we come to

that question.

What is

Jesus come

to do that

God wills,

that God

wants?

What is

the will

of God?

what is

it that

God most

deeply

desires for

his people,

that Jesus

came to

do?

The answer

is this.

What God

wants,

what God

wills and

desires,

is what those

animal sacrifices

could never

do for

his people.

He desires

for his

people to

be cleansed

clean of

their sin,

not just

outwardly,

but inwardly.

he desires

for his

people to

be covered,

to be

atoned for,

not just

temporarily,

but permanently,

lastingly,

once and

for all.

He desires

for their

guilt to

be truly

and fully

taken away,

as the

animal sacrifices

could not

do.

He desires

and wills

for his

worshipers,

as we read

in verse

one,

to be made

perfect.

And as we

read in

verse 10,

to be

made

holy.

That's the

will of

God.

That's the

will of

the Father.

Sometimes we

come to that

place,

though,

I think,

where we

think,

or where

we're tempted

to think,

that God

the Father

is not

for us.

That he

doesn't

really love

us.

that he's

mostly angry

with us

because of

our sins.

We might

think that in

his heart of

hearts,

he's really

just waiting

for us to

finally cross

that line

again so

that he

can pour

out his

judgment on

us and

strike us

down.

And maybe

we love

Jesus much

more because

we see him

as the one

who has

come to

stand in

the gap

between

us and

this angry

God.

We might

think that

Jesus loves

me.

This I

know.

But the

Father,

deep down

inside,

wants to

see me

suffer for

my sins.

But nothing

could be

further from

the truth.

What did

Jesus say

when he came

into the

world?

It's right

there in

verse 9.

Here I

am,

he says to

his Father.

I have

come to

do your

will.

I've

come to

do what

you want,

what you

desire.

And what

is that

will,

that heart,

that desire

of the

Father?

It's for

you to

be and

have what

the sacrifices

of animals

could not

do for

you.

It's for

you to

be cleansed

inside,

clean,

and out

as well

for your

guilt to

be taken

away once

and for

all,

for your

legal

indebtedness

to God

to be

taken care

of.

What the

law requires,

paid in

full,

forever.

He desires

for you

to be made

perfect,

to be

holy,

to be made

holy,

and that

forever.

Verse 10,

and by

that will,

he says,

we have

been made

holy.

How?

Through the

sacrifice

of the

body of

Jesus Christ.

Once and

for all.

Animal

sacrifices

couldn't do

what God

in His

heart of

hearts

wanted to

do for

you.

A much,

much

costlier

sacrifice

was required.

The

sacrifice

of the

body of

Jesus

Christ,

once and

for all.

this is

what happened

at the

cross

2,000

years ago.

Jesus,

the perfect

Son of

God,

He came

as the

ultimate

High Priest

and He

offered on

our behalf

Himself

as the

ultimate

sacrifice,

the one

sacrifice

which could

accomplish

the will

of God

and put

an end

to all

sacrifice

forever.

And all

of this,

the author

of Hebrews

tells us

is part

of a

new

covenant,

a new

arrangement

that God

was coming

to with

His people.

As the

author of

Hebrews said

earlier on,

the old

sacrifices,

they had to

be made

again and

again,

endlessly.

The people

kept sinning

and so they

had to come

and bring

another

sacrifice

and offer

it to

cover their

sins.

But this

new covenant

deal with

Christ,

is infinitely

better.

This new

covenant

deal secured

by the

blood of

Jesus leads

us to

verse 17.

It leads

us to

God the

Father saying

their sins

and lawless

acts I

will remember

no more.

Gone.

Forever.

Verse 18,

and where

these have

been forgiven,

sacrifice

for sin

is no

longer

necessary.

What Jesus

did at the

cross brought

a forgiveness

so full,

so all

encompassing,

so deep,

so true,

that there

will never

ever be a

need for

another

sacrifice to

be offered.

Lord,

you know,

what really

got to my

heart here

is this.

It's one

thing in a

moment to

forgive someone

for all the

wrong that

they've done

to you in

the past,

but it's

another thing

in one

moment to

forgive them

for all the

wrong they

will ever

do in

their entire

life,

even before

they've done

it.

what does

this mean

for us?

It means

that when we

sin against

our God,

every time

we do it,

we do not

have need

of another

sacrifice

to be offered

because what

Jesus suffered

at the

cross,

he suffered

for yesterday's

sins,

he suffered

for today's

sins,

and he

suffered,

yes,

even for

the sins

of tomorrow.

There's no

perfect analogy

for this,

but let me

try a couple.

It's one

thing to pay

the bill

for someone

else for a

restaurant meal

that's already

been eaten,

but it's a

whole other

thing to pay

the bill for

someone else

at the

restaurant,

not just

for the

meal they

ate,

but for

every meal

they will

ever eat

at that

restaurant

ever again.

And it's

not a good

analogy,

because sinning

against God

is not like

a restaurant

meal.

It's wrong.

It's evil.

It's more

like crime.

It's one

thing to pay

the fine

of someone

else after

they've

committed a

crime.

It's another

thing to

pay enough

so that

every infraction,

every crime

they will ever

commit for

the rest

of their

life is

paid in

full,

and justice

is done.

it almost

sounds too

good to be

true,

doesn't it?

That God

would love

us with a

love like

that and

forgive us

with a

forgiveness

like that,

but it's

not,

because God

is not

like us.

If someone

sins against

us again

and again

and again,

eventually there

comes a time

where we are

ready to say

to them,

enough is

enough,

I will

not

forgive

you

again.

It hurts

too much,

or I just

don't care

about you

anymore after

all you've

done to

me.

But God

loved us

so deeply

that what

he wanted

to do

was to

give us

full and

free

forgiveness

for every

sin that

we would

ever commit,

past,

present,

and future

our entire

lives,

so that

nothing could

separate us

from him

ever again.

And so

Jesus came

to do,

to accomplish

that desire

of God,

that will

of God

for all

who repent

and believe

in him.

The suffering,

the agony,

the pain,

the shame

that we

deserve,

even for the

sins that we

will commit

tomorrow,

Jesus

took that

upon himself

at the

cross

2,000 years

ago.

In God's

books,

what God

wanted,

it is

finished.

Let's take a

few minutes to

reflect on this

and to pray

quietly.

David's going

to put on

some music

break.

And Rod

is going

to,

after a

couple

minutes,

come around

with the

bread and

the cup.

These

things,

of course,

are a

reminder

of the

body of

Christ

and the

blood of

Christ,

which was

broken and

shed for

us.

If you

believe

that because

of what

Jesus did

on the

cross for

you,

there is

no need

for any

more

sacrifices,

then I

invite you

to partake

with us,

to eat

and drink

with us.

Just ask

that you

hold on

to the

bread and

the cup,

both,

until everybody

has been

served and

then we

will partake

together.