You’re Forgiven

Jesus said the day is coming when true worshipers will not have to go to Jerusalem or Samara but the worship in spirit and truth.

Welcome to living in the life with and Graham watched teaching from the New Testament book and her message titled your forgiven and the closing of her message last time and reminded us our sins, our client there forgiven and atone were made right with God through the blood of Jesus and in Jesus we can go right into God's presence in the Old Testament. It was just symbols just shadows, but for us it's very real fears and continuing her study today in Hebrews chapter 8 chapter 8 verse five, these preservice sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven that Moses was born when he is about to build the tabernacle. See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Let me describe something of the sanctuary. In Hebrews 9 verses 1 to 5. Does this island described in on written hopefully make it clear for you is clearance I can but if we thing the tabernacle out there in the wilderness. The first thing we might've noticed were just that linen wall that that Moabites saw the mini wall that was hung on bronze pillars and action.

It was surrounded. The courtyard surrounded the tabernacle itself. It was just a tall, thick, long linen wall that totally enclosed the tabernacle area and it was a wall of partition. It was there to keep people out. It was there to keep people away from the presence of God. Remember what Ephesians chapter 2 says that Jesus came and he is torn down that wall of partition giving people opportunity to come right into God's presence and never had that opportunity before and then there is one door Annette linen wall and it was 7 1/2 he got 30 feet wide great big one door because one day, through Jesus, whosoever will may come one door but it was a wide door just inviting one day, many people to come into his presence through Christ you went to that one door in the linen wall that was the outer courtyard in outer courtyard. There were two primary objects. One was the bronze altar.

Just a great big square alternate had horns on each of the corners and when an animal was led to the sacrifice was let up on that altar and he was tied to the horns of the altar and then the animal was slain in his blood was taken and sprinkled on the altar to make atonement for sin. And when Jesus was led to the place of execution. Remember, they bound his hands and then they stretched them out on that altar of wood and they nailed him to the cross and the sacrifice was bound to the altar before it was slain. Then there was a bronze basin of water, the priest, after all of that sacrificing. Remember the blood spurting everywhere have filthy they would get in so they had to wash themselves in this bronze basin of water, not just to make themselves clean but ceremonially pure and had to go through all sorts of rituals and God was just emphasizing to them that you couldn't come into his presence. You can come into the tabernacle itself and the ship in clan.

In Jesus the night he was betrayed to member mocking the disciples feet and he came to Peter and Peter's a while in order to wash my feet and Jesus appear if I don't wash your feet, you can have no part in me to peters about the Lord is wash me from head to toe. I want to be washed all over and Jesus if you need to be washed all over. I just want to wash your feet and what Jesus is saying when you've been to the cross and you've confessed your sin you've been cleansed. Your forgiven and washed all over the first on 19 says we need to come back every day.

Don't we to confess our sin never feet washed, not for forgiveness because we received that once and for all at the cross, we come back every day to have our feet wash that would not come into God's presence. We might have fellowship with him and that was symbolized by that basin of water that was outside the tabernacle you had to be washed before you could come into God's presence in the tabernacle itself had one door and Jesus said in John chapter 10 the door and the way you come into God's presence is not another way, one door into God's presence and you went into the tabernacle itself. The walls were made out of four layers of animal skin right there pointing to Jesus because animal had to be slain before they could think of skin and blood had to be shared and then within the tabernacle. There were two rooms. The first room was called the holy place when you walked in on the left was a lampstand and on the you've seen pictures of the great big seven branch candlestick and filled with all that would feed the lamps and the lamps are bright, was the only source of light in the entire tabernacle and Jesus said in the light of the world lampstand itself symbolize Jesus on the right was a table with shewbread and there was a loaf of bread for each tribe of Israel and was put out fresh every week and every week it was removed and the high priest had to eat the bread and Jesus said I am the bread of life. I'm the one that satisfies wonderful picture of your in Christian service that you and I to be satisfied with Jesus in our service but the lampstands on the left the table shewbread on the right. Straight ahead was altar of incense and the priest would go to the altar of incense and he would constantly all day long. The offering incense. It was prayer lifting up to God filling the place with the prayers for the people and we know that Jesus is our high priest. He ever lives to make intercession for us and in the holy place the furniture itself was laid out in the shape of a cross. We had lampstand on the left of the table shewbread on the right altar Vincent straight ahead and beyond that was the most holy place. Everything symbolizing Jesus interesting thing I didn't know until I did the study that the floor was just desert sand.

Because remember, Jesus told the woman at the well in John four, when she said people say is was to worship God here and not garrisoning some people say this was to go to Jerusalem and I don't know you and everybody has his own religion and Jesus said the day is coming when true worshipers will not have to go to Jerusalem or Samara but the worship in spirit and in truth, that tabernacle which is meant to be temporary because it would come a time when each one of us wherever we are just entering the cuts present when she passed through the holy place.

There was a large veil or curtain to separate the holy place in the most holy place and it was as thick as a man's hands of fortis, 6 inches thick. Took for priest to move when the time came and it was a barrier between the holy place, the most holy Place.

Hebrews says the veil represented the body of Jesus, the flesh of Jesus that when it was broken on the cross, tore open the way so that anybody can enter into that most holy place. Remember when Jesus died on the cross. According to Matthew that veil in the temple in Jerusalem was rent from top to bottom and if you're going to tear a veil like that you start at least from the bottom.

Even if you a terrible 4 to 6 inches thick. I'm not sure you could even tear it would take a long time. It just like that. It was rent from talked about God just splitting open the way to the death of his son for anybody to enter into his presence through Jesus Christ and on the other side of the veil is the Ark of the covenant is a most holy place, which was the place where God was said to dwell on earth amongst his people and that most holy place.

It was Ark of the covenant, which was just a box that was overlaid with wood inside this box was a jar of manna symbolizing God's provision for his people in the wilderness. There were the tablets the law that had given Moses, which were God's principles to live by and that is Moses's rod that had been such a demonstration of power to Pharaoh to let God's people going and that Rod was in that Ark and then on the ark were two angels that were carved in with her wings outstretched and they were guarding the lid of the ark because the lid of the ark was a mercy seat. It's at that point all of planet Earth were God was said to meet man and that's where the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled a take away sin to bring us into a right relationship with himself. That was the mercy seat and every single aspect of this was pointing the Jesus the whole thing was set up. It was just a shadow is Hebrews says of what was in heaven just a shadow and a symbol of Jesus and what he would do for us was through the symbols of the service and the symbols in the sanctuary that people would be made right with God and yet they were just symbols were just shadows, they couldn't honestly be made right with God. All of the sacrifices they were never really made right with God. It was just a symbol of what was to come.

Just a shadow of what was to come and receive a shadow is also in the Old Testament sacrifices and chapter 9 verse six when everything had been arranged like this. The priest entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry, but only the high priest entered the inner room and that only once a year and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins of people committed and it runs.

The Holy Spirit was showing now this is the way in the most holy place had not yet been disclosed. As long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, everything I just described is just an illustration indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper explained to you when somebody send in the Old Testament that person the sinner would bring a little lamb to the temple in the center would grass the lamb with both hands and confess the sin is of the guilt of his and was transferred to the little lamb and the priest gave the center of the knife and so the sinner took the knife in the center killed the lambs of the Lamb.as a result of the sinner's action. Then a priest would take the blood and sprinkle it on the altar to make atonement for sin, but that sinner would leave feeling just as guilty as he had when he came he would never have his guilt removed. Never have his conscience set free never know the real forgiveness of sin because the law required to serve a temporary covering but he knew that just wasn't cancer. Once a year, the high priest would make a sacrifice for all the people the sins they didn't even know about your rebuttal lamb when you get done something but think of how many sins you not commit each day that were not even aware of. So once a year, the high priest would make this tremendous sacrifice for all the sins of the people that they committed in ignorance all year long, is called Yom Kippur, and on that particular day of atonement, the high priest words early in the day, put on these gorgeous half priestly robes and I will describe all of his robots he had on his shoulders to big onyx stones, one on each shoulder and they were carved with the names of the children of Israel. The tribes of Israel signifying that he was strong enough to carry God's children into God's presence, even though he wasn't able to do that. It just signified that the high priest should be able to carry God's people into God's presence and you were vest and on his best work 12 semiprecious stones, each one carved with the names of one of the tribes of Israel, signifying that when he went into God's presence. He carried the names of God's children on his heart. He dressed in his glorious Robison's he would begin sacrificing early in the morning. By afternoon he would've gone through at least 22 sacrifices and then at the appropriate time about three in the afternoon. The high priest would take off these gorgeous glorious half priestly robes you put on a simple white linen garment and he would first of all, go into the tabernacle and do the incense just offering the prayers for the people just filling the place with clouds of incense, then he would come out, you would purchasable with his own money and you take the bull he would sacrifice it on the altar for his own sin. Many would fill the sensor with blood. He would take it and that most holy place the sprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement, first for his sin on the hem of his garment handle bills sewn. This was a huge thing, and all the people gather around the tabernacle to be listening for the little bells because they knew if he entered into the presence of God with sin or an unworthy manner God would strike in bed listening to little bells.

As long as I could hear little bells. He knew he was surviving as he was okay you little bells and in the priest would come out. The people bring the pigs have really meant to be too little goats waiting for the priest you take one goatee would sacrifice on the altar and you take the blood he would take it in to make atonement for the sin of the people and sprinkled on the mercy seat you would come back out take the second little goat grass little goat he would confess the sins of the nation, and then he would take the second little goat and set it free. That was the scapegoat in the first goat symbolize the death that that the shedding of blood, which is necessary for the remission of sin through the shedding of blood were forgiven.

The second will goat signified that through the shedding of blood, free from God's judgment were set free in the little goat was sent out into the wilderness and escape the judgment that had been shed on other little goat and that was the day of atonement, and the priest would go back take off his simple linen garment and put back on his glory.

Robes all those gorgeous half priestly garments and continue his responsibility.

The beautiful symbolism is that Jesus, let me read it. Philippians chapter 2 Jesus being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped because he is God, the exact revelation of God. The exact representation of God. He is the son of God and the Savior of the world and Lord of all dressed in his glory. Robes and he stripped himself of his glory robes when he came to earth. He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And we know Natalie Denny put on the simple linen garment of human flesh would actually put on a simple linen garment and one that they gamble for the foot of the cross and that was that was the robe of the priest making the sacrifice for atonement for sin and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on the cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord the glory of God the father and Jesus dressed in his glory. Robes is properly stripped himself on the simple linen garment of human flesh came and dwelt amongst us, and then gave his own life and sacrifice for sin. Then he went back to heaven put back on his glory. Robes John chapter 17. This is his prayer the night he was betrayed, he says father, the time is come.

Glorify your son that your son may glorify you feel granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you've given him. Now this is eternal life. Listen to me this is eternal life. He says that they may know you eternal life is not just going to heaven when you die. Eternal life is not just having your sins forgiven. Praise God is both of those things but eternal life is knowing God exactly and knowing God personally and he says this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do and now father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. In other words God when I was with you I had the glory of the son of God and outcome doors and I've kept your word.

And I've abated your will and I'm going to give my life on the cross. Now I have the glory of the Son of Man come back to heaven. I want both the glory of the son of God. Glorious. I want everything you have for me, my glory robes back and he got them all that was signified by the priest in the Old Testament.

One day a year making sacrifice for all the sin of the people.

When he started out in his gorgeous robes and then he laid them aside. The simple linen garment made sacrifice of the people sin completed the sacrifice and then he came back out and put on his glory. Robes the whole thing, symbolizing one day what Jesus would do. Laying aside his glory is a son of God, taking on human flesh simple linen garment making the sacrifice going back to heaven putting back on the glory of God the son of God and the Son of Man we see the symbols in the sanctuary we see the symbols and the sacrifices.

But you know something there just symbols and shadows. Just the promise not to. After doing the study of Hebrews on so grateful to live on the side of the cross which you it was so complicated back then. One and you go through all of that and yet never have your sins forgiven. Never have the Blessed assurance that you are in a right relationship with God but you and I have this relationship we possess it at the cross.

The cross is perfect.

Nothing needs to be added to the cross to make it more perfect. You know that the week of Passover approximately 300,000 lambs were slain rivers of blood, oceans of blood was shed during that 1500 year period and not one drop of the take away sin, not one drop of it could bring people in the right personal relationship with God. Chapter 10 verse one. The law is only a shadow of the good things 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 worship, if it could when they have stopped being offered for the worshipers would've been cleansed once more and would no longer felt guilty for their sins implied after they sacrifice they still felt guilty, but those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sin, because it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. No sacrifices were just like all you notes and every time somebody sacrifice percent was like God saying I owe you forgiveness you sacrifice for sin how your forgiveness has a lot of you notes piled up over 1500 years, Jesus of Nazareth was walking without the Jordan River to remember what John the Baptist said the whole Lamb of God is going to pay up all the notes take away the sin of the whole world's lacrosse is absolutely perfect. Nothing can be added to the cross to make it more perfect. Chapter 9 verse 15 for this reason Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

Now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant when he died on the cross. His death applied to past sin and present sin and future sin. He was God's perfect plan sacrifice for the sin of all people. Every generation all time and across his perfect nothing needs to be added to it. So let me ask you what you trying to add to the cross to make it more perfect. What you think you have to do to be more welcoming to God's presence. You can get to do more good works and bad works.

You think you have to go to church every time the door opens, you think you have to count be light candles. If you want to count beads or light candles and that enriches your prayer life. Go ahead, but not as a means to enter into the presence of God. Jesus has done that for us.

The cross is perfect, it can't be made more perfect because you do have many good works as you go through all these rituals eat all these ceremonies. The cross is perfect in itself. The cross is normally perfect. The cross is pleasing in chapter 10 verse six it says with burnt offerings and sin offerings.

You are not pleased.

Listen all the sacrifices in the Old Testament everybody trying so hard to do what the law said God was never played reason why you can imagine. Every time you send conscious then you took a little lamb to the priest you sacrifice the lamb and then you send again if you like me use and plenty of times in the same area and is not counting all the other areas so think of how many times you bring a little lamb to the priest and after about the fifth time or the attempt of the hundredth time. It would just become a ritual wouldn't I need to be going through the motions because that's what the law required. You would be doing from the heart is a God wasn't pleased because the sacrifices were being made in earnestness and sincerity and from the heart is a wasn't pleased with all the sacrifices in the Old Testament. So in verse seven. Then said Jesus speaking here I am. It's written about me in the scroll of come to do your will of God. First, he said, sacrifices and offerings burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire nor were you pleased with them. Although the law required them so you had to do them to meet the requirement of the law to give your temporary covering, but then he said, here I am, have come to do your will.

God is pleased with the sacrifice of Jesus. He couldn't be more pleased with the sacrifice of Jesus and what would make you think you could do something or go through something that would make God more play you and often we come to the cross of Jesus Christ are saved from that punishment because God is perfectly pleased with the cross. You have to add anything to it. You can just live in your forgiveness.

God is pleased.

I'll tell you something. Ringing of those Old Testament sacrifices and symbols in sanctuary. If there'd been another way God would've found the don't you think. I think the people in the Old Testament would've found they were bound to be so tired of putting up with all that they would've found another way, but is no other way at all that the Old Testament was just an audiovisual aid, teaching us of who Jesus is and what he would do for us when he came you not possess a personal right relationship with God at the cross. The cross is perfect. The cross is pleasing the cross is purifying verse 10 says, and by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all and you can spell holy WHO LL why you've been made whole. The cross has not only a cleansing impact, but a purifying impact a purging impact verse 13.

Since that time he waits for his enemies to made his footstool because by one sacrifice he is made perfect forever those are being made holy. Oh listen, you think you could lose your salvation. You can't, you know, why is across is a perfect pleasing purifying permanent sacrifice when Jesus died on the cross he died once and for all for all of your sin. All of you soon.

Missing you committed yesterday and the sin you're going to commit the day in the sin you commit to Martin all of your life is permanent. So listen to me is not anything you can do delusions elevation if you could've done it. You've Artie done and it's under the blood you're forgiven, you're forgiven, forgiven, now here's a man with this final word some years ago I found myself groping for a way to explain this forgiveness to a woman who been on death row for multiple murders should be executed within hours of my visit. Tears glistened in her as she looked at me pleadingly needing assurance of the salvation should claim by faith six years earlier. That very night she would be stepping into eternity and she was desperate for reassurance of her forgiveness by God. I asked her if she'd ever been to the ocean. I asked her if he should walk along the beach should seem small holes in the sand were ghost crabs that darted in and out. She nodded and then asked if she'd seen any larger holes like those made by children digging a deep moat around the Sandcastle. She began to look puzzled, but I persisted as a probe gently to see if she'd ever seen huge holes created by machines dredging the Chandler bearing pipelines on the beach, her brow began deferral as she again acknowledged a quiet yes.

I then leaned toward her and pressed my point. When the tide comes in what happens to all those holes, the little ones made by the crabs, medium-sized ones made by children great big ones made by the machines as soft light began to gleam in her as I answered my own question. All the holes are covered equally by the water, aren't they in the blood of Jesus is like the tide that washes over the holes of your sins and covers all of your sins equally. She stepped into eternity reassured of her forgiveness by God and are welcome under heavenly home based on nothing but the blood of Jesus. Praise God for the blood of Jesus that sufficient to cover all of our sin. All you been listening to living in the light and when you go to Engram lots.org there are free resources to help you in your study of God's word and's desire is that you embrace a God filled life step-by-step choice by choice living in the light