Hebrews 10: 1-18 “Hope for Discouraged Gardeners”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

! Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

I want you to know it might feel a little different, but right now is going to be a blast too.

Because we're going to open God's Word. God wants us to hear this morning just exactly how Jesus is perfectly

what we need. He wants to tell us that. We struggling people who battle shame, who get discouraged,

who don't live up to even our own standards, God wants to give us Jesus. Hebrews has been telling

us in so many ways Jesus is greater than everything and everyone else. Hebrews 10, we get to this

morning, it's really a summary of the sermon so far. Jesus greater than angels, than Moses, than Joshua,

greater rest, greater prophet, greater high priest. Here especially this morning, the greater sacrifice.

And the next week, the second half of chapter 10 is a summary of how that changes the way we live.

And then the conclusion of the sermon in the final three chapters. Let's listen to God's Word this

morning. Hearing Him speak is the most important thing and He wants us to draw near to Him and hear Him.

Hebrews 10, starting at verse 1.

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. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshipers,

having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices,

there is a reminder of sin every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats

to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,

sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me. In burnt offerings and

sin offerings, you've taken no pleasure. Then I said, behold, I have come to do your will, O God,

as it is written of me in the scroll of the book. Now, when He said above, you have neither desired nor

taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings. These are offered

according to the law. Then He added, behold, I have come to do your will. He abolishes the first in order to

establish the second. And by that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus

Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at His service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,

which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins,

He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool

for His feet. For by a single offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us for after saying, this is the covenant that I will make

with them after those days, declares the Lord, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their

minds. Then He adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is

forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. God's holy word, let's ask for His help.

Father, these are glorious, glorious truths.

And those of us who are struggling, who are battling Satan and sin and living in a world that

feels overwhelmed with death and heartache and difficulty, would you give us this morning a

taste of the victory that's ours in Jesus?

Father, this is the Lord.

Or last year. Yeah. Isn't that the worst thing about weeds? Not many things I like about them, but

it feels like I can do anything I want to them, right? Spray them with Roundup, pull them up multiple

times. Even that really satisfying pull where you get like the whole feet of root system from underground.

You can put that black weed barrier down. You can lay loads and loads of mulch on top and spray it with

Roundup again and still give it enough time and that weed is coming back with all of His friends.

That's what weeds do. I think sometimes, maybe you can reflect on this as you're pulling some this week.

That's a parable for what it feels like struggling against sin in our lives.

No matter how many times we get rid of that one struggle, it seems to come back.

Even sometimes when we get the sin by the root, not just a surface apology to feel better that I hurt you

when I said that, but no, I mean like deep down dealing with the sin beneath the sin.

And what's going on in my heart? Like, you know, when I said that, I was really insecure and I was afraid

that you wouldn't like me or you were going to make fun of me. So I selfishly said that. I'm so sorry.

I'm cleaning up the ugly words and the ugly heart beneath the surface,

but it still comes back. It's never the last ugly thing that I've said.

Or maybe I get my lust under control and only to see pride sprout fresh.

Or maybe you're patient with the first child and then the second one comes in and you've run out.

Ah, did so well the first time.

It can leave you feeling discouraged, can't it?

Why do I even bother?

Can anything ever really make this yard full of weeds, this heart full of sin, beautiful once and for all?

Yes.

Yes.

That's God's answer.

Whether you feel that that's possible right now or not,

whether you think, not in my life, not my experience,

stick with me because God wants to tell you about

Jesus.

About Jesus' green thumb, you might say.

How Jesus actually makes this work

in us.

So he starts here in this passage we just read

by acknowledging the problem

we were just considering.

The problem of sin.

This persistent struggle

that we face in our lives.

Notice verse 1,

we are imperfect.

Verse 2,

we have a conscience that feels

things like sinful and ashamed

and guilty.

Verse 3,

we're reminded

of our sins

every

year.

That's the limitation

of this otherwise

good system that God puts in place

in the Old Testament.

With all these sacrifices

sacrifices that we read about.

You know,

what do they do?

They remind you

of sin.

It's a constant reminder.

They remind you,

but they can't actually make you

perfect.

Can they?

So you have to pull the weeds again

next year.

Over and over.

And that will never change

because,

verse 4,

it is impossible

for the blood of bulls and goats

to take away sins.

No matter how often,

no matter how many of them,

no matter how pure they are,

they're not going to deal with sin.

Every year,

God's people would go to

one of their biggest holidays,

Yom Kippur,

the Day of Atonement.

And it's all about sin

needing to be dealt with.

Another goat sent away.

It highlights our need

just as the family

getting ready to go to the temple

to go to church

and they have to go get the goat

from the backyard

to sacrifice again.

It's a reminder

of our distance from God.

The uncleanness of God's people.

The priests are always standing there

with blood on their hands.

Their work's never finished.

And the writer here says this,

the fact that the blood

is needed repeatedly

proves that it is not

ultimately effective.

That blood couldn't forgive sins

and make the worshiper perfect.

Gifts and sacrifices

can't perfect the heart,

the conscience,

Hebrews 9.9.

There's always more needed.

This sacrificial system,

it's called the law

here in Hebrews 10,

revealed sin,

but couldn't forgive it.

It exposed dirt,

but it couldn't clean it.

It showed our broken relationship

with God,

but it couldn't fix it.

It declared guilt,

but couldn't remove it.

It was the most important thing.

It was the most important thing.

It was the most important thing.

Even repeated religious rituals

commanded by God.

In other words,

the very best religious performance.

Even that.

Those were shadows.

Not the real thing.

Without a heart change,

they leave us imperfect,

guilty, sinful.

Right?

Not what my hands have done

can save my guilty soul.

Not all my prayers

and sighs and tears

can bear this awful load.

Many hymn writers

have confessed this.

We can't do enough.

Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth

had this spot

that she couldn't wash out.

Bunyan's Pilgrim

had his heavy burden

that he couldn't bear.

Hawthorne's Hester Prynne

had her scarlet A

that she couldn't remove.

There is a persistent problem

that people have long acknowledged

between us and God.

Some of us

still try to work it off.

You know,

to pay it back,

to balance the scales.

Maybe if I do some good things,

some religious exercises.

That's a temptation.

Increasingly,

our modern world

likes to do something

kind of new and different.

We like to avoid altogether.

We would like to say,

you know,

this sin stuff,

that's really pretty negative.

It's kind of discouraging.

Why don't you church people

stop talking about sin so much?

Let's just pretend

it's not really a problem.

It's too hard to deal with, right?

How about a fresh perspective?

Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie

lists many ways

we deal with sin today.

I've added a few of my own.

You might recognize

some of these.

We deny it,

excuse it,

redefine it,

run from it,

ignore it,

blame others for it.

Aha,

I just want to,

I need to use that one.

Lie about it,

rationalize it,

justify it,

medicate it,

numb ourselves to it,

look for people

who make us feel comfortable

with it.

we're very enlightened.

We know how to deal with sin.

It's really not a problem.

Except that

in spite of all that

enlightened perspective

on our sin,

it's not so bad, right?

Well, our hearts tell us

that God and His Word

are actually right.

while percentages

of Americans

who believe

that we are sinful,

that we have a sin problem,

those are dropping.

Percentages battling

feelings of inadequacy,

anxiety,

insecurity,

feeling not good enough,

those are skyrocketing

off the charts.

In other words,

we haven't escaped

what people have known

for centuries.

We have a cosmic,

huge problem.

Broken sinners

are hopelessly lost

without a sacrifice

to restore us

to a holy God.

That's our problem.

And you may be thinking,

hold on, hold on,

I thought this church

believed in grace.

Friends,

we do.

This is why

we need grace.

Grace,

big need,

big sin,

bigger Savior,

right?

That's why we have

to be honest

about our sin.

Don't forget

the reality

of our plight,

our struggle.

We're not okay

and we shouldn't

pretend to be.

Maybe you need

to remember

on your way

to church

that reality

because you don't

have an animal

with you

and your family

as a reminder.

Maybe you need

to remember

that coming

empty-handed

means nothing

in my hands

I bring

simply to thy cross

I cling.

Foul I

to the fountain fly.

Wash me,

Savior,

or I die.

Right?

The cross itself

is a constant reminder

of our sin.

We come to worship

confession

and assurance

in our services

every week,

daily in our own

worship,

our reminders.

Baptism

and the Lord's

Supper

with broken body

and shed blood

are reminders

of our need,

our problem.

See,

the right religious

ritual

has never been enough

no matter how many times

you go through

the motions.

remember Derek

read earlier

from the prophet

Amos

saying the sacrifices

have to match

the heart

and the life,

justice

and righteousness.

David

in his

psalm of confession

says it's not

the animal sacrifice

that God longs for.

Yeah,

God put those

in place

but they're

pointing to what

God's longing for.

What is that?

David says

God's sacrifice

is a broken

and contrite

heart.

You say,

but I thought

we needed blood too,

right?

What happened

to the blood?

Remember Hebrews

just told us

without the shedding

of blood

there is no

forgiveness

of sins.

But obviously

not

bulls

or goats

blood.

That doesn't

do it.

Human

flesh

has rebelled.

We are

the sinners.

Our

garden

has become

full of

weeds.

So perfect

human

obedience

and the blood

of a human

sacrifice

are needed

to pay

for sin.

And I hope

that's a little bit

shocking to hear me

say it that way

but listen

carefully.

Dozens

of religions

since

biblical times

all the way

up to the

present day

all believe

and teach

that reality.

That's not

something that

most religions

disagree on.

There's a

problem.

A massive

problem

and it's on

us to fix

it.

Do better.

Give a

child.

Be pure.

different

options

set in

different

ways.

Every

religion

says something

like that.

Here's

the difference.

Only

one

God

provides

the

sacrifice

himself

as

utterly

unique

to

Christianity.

That's

what this

next section

shows us.

When we

can't seem

to get

enough weeds

out of the

garden for

good,

here is

our

perfect

sacrifice.

Jesus

entered into

the world

becomes man

with the

words of

Psalm 40

on his

lips.

It's yet

another Old

Testament

passage

referencing

the

limitations

of that

sacrificial

system.

Instead

of that,

what did

God do?

God

prepared

a body

for his

son

who came

to do

his

father's

will.

Remember

what Jesus

said?

My food

is what?

To do

the will

of him

who sent

me

and to

accomplish

his work.

That's

John 4.

John 17,

Father,

I accomplished

the work

you gave

me to

do.

Always

perfectly

obedient.

Yes,

we've

needed

that.

That's

where this

perfect

sacrifice

starts.

It's

what we

call

Jesus'

active

obedience,

doing all

of his

father's

will.

He comes

to do

his

father's

will

including

the

offering

of his

body

as the

sacrifice

once

and for

all.

Here's

his

passive

suffering

obedience.

It's

his

substitutionary

death.

Remember

the priest,

remember

what he

would do?

He'd

place

his

hands

on the

head

of

the

goat.

It

was a

picture

of

transferring

to

the

goat

the

sin

of

the

people.

The

goat,

the

substitute,

would

take

the

sin

and

would

be

sent

away,

far

away,

so that

the

people

could

stay

near,

stay

close

to

God.

The

goat

is

living

a

shadow

of the

reality

that

comes

when

our

sin

is

actually

transferred

to

Jesus

who

becomes

sin

for

us,

burying

our

sins

in

his

body

on

the

tree.

Right?

Perfect

human

obedience

and

the

blood

of

the

perfect

human

sacrifice.

Do you

see that?

His

life

and

his

death

means

that

Jesus'

sacrifice

unlike

all the

others

for the

first

time

can

now

be

a

one

time

unrepeatable

once

for all

time

sacrifice

that

actually

cleanses

us

and

brings

us

to

God.

It's

not a

picture

anymore.

It's

the

real

thing.

Jesus

didn't

keep

offering

himself

as a

sacrifice

did

he?

No.

No.

He

appeared

once

for all

to put

away

sin

by the

sacrifice

of

himself.

It's

Hebrews

9

26.

Once

for

all.

By

the way

if someone

asks you

why

Christians

no longer

follow the

details

of the

ceremonial

law

this

old

sacrificial

system

and people

ask that

question

how come

all that

stuff

in

Leviticus

how come

y'all

only do

some

of those

things

and you

don't

actually

believe

the

other

parts

is that

what I

hear?

That's

not

quite

right.

But when

we're

reading

in

Leviticus

and

Numbers

and

Bible

reading

plan

and we're

thinking

why is

it

that we

don't

do

we

just

decide

that we

don't

like

him

anymore

it was

too

bloody

and we

don't

like

that

it was

mess

it's

not

arbitrary

sacrifices

we're

pointing

us to

the

perfect

sacrifice

showing

us our

need

a shadow

that the

real thing

was coming

but now that

the real

thing

the perfect

sacrifice

has come

what does

he say

Jesus

does away

with

the first

sacrifice

now don't

get me

wrong

our

relationship

with God

still requires

sacrifice

right

it's

it's

just

that

Jesus

has

given

that

sacrifice

once

and for

all

and sat

down

because

it is

finished

that's

why we're

not bringing

animals

with us

this

morning

sin

had left

a crimson

stain

he washed

it

white

as snow

no more

spots

on us

at all

our

burdens

roll away

forever

at the

cross

we are

free

from

them

that

that

a

that

that

sin

that

I

feel

so

identified

with

that

I

can't

think

of

myself

apart

from

it's

gone

there's

no guilt

in life

no fear

in death

fear

is gone

hope

is sure

I'm now

identified

not with

my sin

but with

Christ

forever

more

once

and for

all

this last

section

is where

it's all

headed

he's

going to

keep

talking

about

the

sacrifice

but

especially

show us

the

difference

that

Jesus

perfect

sacrifice

makes

for us

let's

read it

verse 11

again

every

priest

stands

daily

at his

service

offering

repeatedly

the same

sacrifices

which

can never

take away

sins

don't forget

but when

Christ

had offered

for all

time

a single

sacrifice

for sins

he

sat

down

finished

completed

work

at the

right hand

of God

waiting

from that

time

until his

enemies

should be

made

a

footstool

for his

feet

there's

the king

of

psalm

110

again

now listen

he's about

to tell us

the effect

of Jesus

sacrifice

look at

verse 14

for by a

single

offering

he has

perfected

for all

time

those who

are being

sanctified

finally

made

perfect

all those

sacrifices

generation

after generation

they couldn't

do it

but this

one

does

and he

tells us

what it

means

it means

our

consciences

can be

clear now

because we

have new

hearts

for God's

will

Jeremiah

31

again

and our

sins

are forgiven

forever

Derek said

earlier

past

present

future

so that

even when

we do

fail

it's

going to

be

covered

by a

sufficient

sacrifice

that

friends

is

permanent

security

you can't

lose it

you can't

mess that

up

it never

needs

to be

done

again

we are

perfect

forever

did you

get that

perfect

forever

why do I

need to

say it

so many

times

because you

don't

feel that

way

do you

most of

us are

probably

if you're

if you're

following it

all you're

thinking

perfect

that's not

me he's

talking about

you haven't

seen me

this weekend

you don't

know the

thoughts of

my heart

you haven't

heard me

when I'm

in traffic

pastor

when I'm

upset

when I'm

alone

the things

that run

through my

mind

perfect

hardly

what a

joke

I need

you to

listen to

God's word

because he's

going to

tell you the

truth about

how you

feel

this is one

of my

favorite verses

in the

Bible

I told you

at the

beginning

it was

going to

show us

Jesus is

exactly what

we need

when we're

struggling

like that

when we're

battling

shame

when we're

getting

discouraged

when we're

not living

up to

even our

own

standards

Jesus

has

perfected

for all

time

that is

completed

action

with

ongoing

reality

he's

done it

once

and it

still

counts

who

those

who

are

being

sanctified

present

tense

process

those

who are

still

works

in

progress

who

still

have

weeds

popping

up

who

are

still

in

the

midst

of

spiritual

warfare

who

still

don't

feel

perfect

and you

say

this

isn't

talking

about

me

I've

still

got

so

far

to

go

and God

says

you're

exactly

the one

that I'm

talking

about

that is

the whole

point

it's

because

you feel

how far

you have

to go

that I

want you

to know

that I've

made you

perfect

in

Jesus

he who

began

a good

work

in

you

will

carry

it

on

to

completion

at

the

day

of

Christ

Jesus

and it's

not just

one day

someday

already

today

your

father

what

remembers

your

sins

no

more

he

sees

you

in

that

perfect

obedience

that

perfect

sacrifice

of

Jesus

that's

what's

true

about

you

I want

to picture

it for

you this

way

because

we have

a tough

time

wrapping

our

mind

around

this

if

you're

thinking

of

your

gardens

or

your

yards

or

your

hearts

that

are

full

of

weeds

some

of

you

saw

the

beauty

of

Augusta

National

Golf

Course

last

weekend

maybe

you don't

have to

confess

it's

just

I'm

just

going

to

give

you

one

picture

I

have

never

been

there

but

I

have

been

assured

that

it

is

scientifically

proven

there

are

no

weeds

on

the

entire

golf

course

not

a

single

weed

pristine

grass

fairways

and greens

surrounded

by

azaleas

and

dogwoods

and

magnolias

blooming

in

spring

turf

grass

cared

for

by

master

gardeners

absolutely

perfect

when

Hebrew

says

Jesus

makes

you

perfect

forgives

all

of

your

sins

and

remembers

them

no

more

it's

like

he

takes

the

garden

of

your

life

and

he

drops

a

hole

from

Augusta

National

down

over

it

about

ten

feet

off

the

ground

okay

so

that

God

looks

down

at

your

life

and

he

sees

the

perfect

weed

free

always

obeying

his

will

version

of

you

every

moment

of

every

day

that's

what

God

sees

perfect

forever

your

heart

can

truly

say

I

need

no

other

argument

I

need

no

other

plea

I

need

no

other

weed

treatment

I

need

no

other

sacrifice

it

is

enough

that

Jesus

died

and

that

he

died

for

me

he

gave

me

that

perfect

sacrifice

that

covers

me

completely

there

is

no

longer

any

offering

for

sin

no

more

sacrifice

for

sins

now

that

could

be

scary

if

when

you

say

that

you

mean

there's

no

way

to

fix

what's

broken

that

a

sacrifice

is

still

desperately

needed

but

we

can't

find

one

that's

not

what

this

is

saying

no

no

quite

the

opposite

this

means

that

there

is

no

more

sacrifice

needed

because

the

perfect

sacrifice

has

come

once

and

for

all

no

longer

any

offering

needed

you

don't

owe

a

dime

sorry

Jimmy

that's

reality

you're

acceptable

to

God

standing

before

him

perfect

with

no

sins

!

no

weeds

visible

in his

view

of you

you can

walk

into

his

throne

room

today

covered

by

Jesus

even

though

you know

down beneath

where you

and others

see

there's

still

weeds

you see

them

but that's

not the

most important

thing

this means

so many

exciting

things

the writer

is going

to tell

us about

next week

I'm just

going to

mention

a couple

as we

close

it means

you can

be

unashamedly

joyful

in living

with God

on your

best day

and on

your

worst day

this is

the no

condemnation

in Christ

Jesus

part of

your life

that you

often

forget

when you're

licking

your wounds

from your

battle

against

Satan

and sin

see

your

conscience

is now

clean

so that

when Satan

tells you

you failed

too often

to talk

to God

about it

you say

oh no

no

I fail

so often

that Jesus

talks to

God

I'm

perfect

in his

sight

that's

what you

say

Martin

Luther

put it

this way

he used

to say

the devil

would accuse

him of

being a

sinner

and he

started

responding

to the

devil

by agreeing

with him

and then

reply

yes that's

true

but Christ

died

for sinners

so Satan

when you

say I'm

a sinner

you do

not terrify

me

but you

comfort

me

immeasurably

that's how

much you

need to

believe

this

next thing

it can

do

you can

see the

wonder

of Jesus

obedient

and

substitutionary

sacrifice

and what

it does

is it

makes you

want to

look up

from your

weedy

garden

that you're

so focused

on

and you

want it

to look

more like

Augusta

National

overlaying

above it

God

writes his

law on

your heart

and mind

so that

you say

I don't

want to

water

the weeds

anymore

look at

the beauty

ahead for me

that God

sees already

I don't

want to

feed the

sin in

my life

anymore

because

think of

how glorious

it will be

to shine

forever

with the

beauty

the image

of Jesus

why wait

any longer

Holy Spirit

plant some

of them

azaleas

right down

here right

now

right

that's what

your heart

wants

there's such

hope

for discouraged

gardeners

like us

who just

feel like

we can't

get rid

of the weeds

fast enough

Jesus

has already

made you

perfect

forever

deep

breath

big

smile

permanent

security

come

confessing

your sins

and then

standing

to sing

Christ

is mine

forever

more

and if

that's

true for

you

it has

to change

how you

view others

too

this is

what I

mean

the people

in your

grace

group

the people

you sit

in a

session

meeting

with

the people

in your

neighborhood

the people

in your

marriage

in your

youth

group

your kids

your parents

are

being

sanctified

you're

going to

look at

their

gardens

from your

five to

six foot

view

most of

the time

right

and what

are you

going to

see

a lot