067 - The Sustenance of Grace

You pick up your Bible and one is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than that, about what about the city you live in the bad news is not good. In doing so, what's the good news. The good news is there's a city to come design or founders got himself that will last look at that today on more than Inc. Dorothy like you've come back with this. It's just unbelievable to me hello world with your literally are sitting in the dining room table and I literally do have my coffee yet there is in front of me.

It's getting a little cool low-salt think it is when we will talk too much. I document this is an exciting part of Hebrews for me.

I think a lot of people because were coming to the end and is a fascinating thing here as he sorta closes the door on these 13 chapters of discussion that that bring together the old covenant and the new covenant and how they merge together. He even he even willing to look at this next week. He calls it the kind of melding the two of them together so that he does move that here is a fascinating things.

I hope you get a few minutes to sit with this and and is just a kind of chew on these next verses were in Hebrews 13 and were going to be starting in verse eight, and well, and verse eight picks up right after verse 11) this is a continuation. This is not a new topic that says he can continue to urge asked toward a particular way of life because of who we are because we've come into this new covenant relationship with Jesus our mediator and so will unpack that a little bit as we go on go back if you can go back and reread those first seven verses of this chapter and then just read write on because he so seamlessly stitches together. His urgent encouragement to us to live this way. Together with this sound deep theology about why we live this way you even close this by coming bring us back to the scene at the temple all yes very interesting so I mean it's like yet… Really I was okay relationship statement right from the top inversely okay starting in verse eight Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings for its good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. You know, maybe we should stop there, yeah, yeah, I was no stopping for lunch back to Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. So don't be led away. Well yeah and and I think the temptation from a Jewish believers essay will discuss talk about all covenant the new covenant, and so there's like a line between them and Jesus is central to both of them but I mean what you know.

It seems like two eras and he singer here actually were not talking to ears Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever right so so the Jesus that we know about was also operable believer not in the Old Testament in the old covenant and everything pointed to him forward in history even for us now. 2000 years hence from first century points backward to him so Jesus is the same Jesus hasn't changed. Jesus didn't change and so hence you go from old to new covenant. That's not what changes Jesus so well and you know if you remember back in will get to this when we do Exodus in a few weeks when God introduced himself to Moses. Moses said, well, who are you what's your name, and he said well I am right I am, which is the same thing the same thing that Jesus said which caused the crowds to pick up stones to stone him before Abraham was, I John he claims for himself. That same name of God and so you know the writer Hebrews here is saying Jesus Christ is the same.

He is, I am yesterday. Today say before Abraham was, I am right and he hasn't changed, even in the minor prophet Malachi. He says he says the Lord doesn't change writer doesn't change so it isn't even the worst, bringing to an end. This new and old covenant thing there actually is a seamless connection between them because God doesn't change. Jesus doesn't like and so don't don't false way to that of someone comes to you and says well you know you're in a new dispensation or something like that and I was flashing back as well. The fact that you know in Revelation, Jesus is on the first and the last right out repeatedly. Actually, over and over again and he is actually using the same words that Isaiah uses when he quotes God and right in the chapter 41, 40, 44, 44, actually have an open right in front of me. 44. Six says I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides me right well that actually refrain occurs several times is Isaiah 40's to demonstrate the superiority of the real God to write all Scott's right so that's how we start to sell. So don't be confused him and he's anticipating the fact that people will confuse you and say we are believing a new gospel, a new Genesis and say nope same Jesus. So now you look at it three things here in a second will actually tie together your understanding of the old covenant the old practices and the new with Jesus. It's an interesting kind of weaving so we reread that, for in verse nine. You know he's is so don't be led away by diverse and strange teachings. It's good to be strengthened by grace and not by foods.

Knowing this will really do what you mean by not by foods which of which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.

Now that he's using is going back to the remember when people brought sacrifices for their sins brought it to the priest. The priests, you know, there would be a bloodletting right there in the many times Brenneman stuff like that. But the priest that was there. Dinner that was the dinner they, the priests, the privileged class and that sensors served at the temple. They benefited from what was brought to sacrifice a portion that came to them and that's probably that's only stay lightly from certain say Fox to feed themselves.

They didn't have crops in the field so that's that's how they did that. So they benefited from the sacrifice on the altar and in an interesting way.

We benefit from the sacrifice on the altar of Jesus. What he did for us. You know that the writer of Hebrews had already said back in chapter 9 the washings and the ceremony only relate to the body that anything you did anything you eat or put on your body doesn't affect your inner person as an indicator of something and so I think that maybe he's harkening back to that here too. Back to the don't be led away by diverse and strange teachings because aren't we very often I were intrigued by something new and colorful and varied and someone has come along and embroidered on the truth that we've always known and where were look it's shiny it's fresh it's new let's believe that less Adalat to the gospel and so he says you know it, and that the writer has urged people all along through this letter.

Now don't drift. Don't neglect and he says don't be led away. Don't line up after some new, fresh, colorful, shiny thing, because it's good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. It's all about what God has done for us exactly strengthened by grace, by the way, to, in contrast to eating ceremonial food that were submitting yourself to eat this where this religious die writing right exactly so is his way of departing from the old ceremonial law that's not change you internally right but strengthened by grace, and it sounds again dislike us like a religious term but you get a look at the words literally and realize that you, your life can be strengthened.

Like how your life is strengthened with your life can actually be built up and energized, strengthened, given life by dwelling on the issue of what God has given you that you don't deserve grace because we have an altar to eat from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat right. Those who are engaged in the ceremonial practice right and and have separated out the heart of their practice have no right to this, what is this altar that we are invited to eat from. Well you know the writer Hebrews had said this, is that this is the altar where the blood of Jesus was sacrifice right right and Jesus had said they are at the Last Supper. Now, as you eat this eat. This is my body for you eat this in remembrance of me right the altar at which we eat is Jesus himself is Jesus himself in and he's this well he's the sacrifice lamb so I'm of God. The lambs were all sacrificed on Passover on the altar there and then they took the meat home too late for me home tonight.

So that's the benefit from that altar. But he says there's an altar were the Lamb of God. Jesus was sacrifice and we benefit right. We benefit and he even even came right out John six said if you don't know eat my flesh and drink my blood. You have no part what I'm doing.

People freaked out, but that's what he's getting at is that here's the supreme sacrifice of the real Lamb of God and look at the benefit that we get from that. That's far superior than any great no roasted meal with the priests at the temple used to get racket that altar well if you think back to the book of Hebrews he had elaborated in chapters 5, six, seven, only about how Jesus entered the real holy place and his blood was poured out on the real altar in the in the spiritual reality.

The concrete reality that's greater than anything that the earthly temple could indicate which was just a model of right.

It was just a picture and so he saying don't be. Don't be seduced back to that said, I because because now we have the reality in the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf and we benefit yeah it's it's a heat it would if you stand back and look at this phrase here at 910.

He's really kind of merging together. The reality of the old covenant and the road and so it's really it's it's really nice. I think it's just it's a great thing existed and then when you get in verse 11, he he he does a similar kind of thing one want to start from 11 relocate for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let some go out to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come right so just to go back to the history harkening back to the sacrifices that took place there was principally a particular sacrifice done on the day of atonement, we have the two goats you know and the sin is put on one and let out outside to go away to carry this and write this yeah yeah and that's what is alluding to hear and now he's saying that Jesus not only the sacrifice lamb.

We just looked at but he is that he is that scapegoat as well. Well, there also is instruction in Exodus and Leviticus about how that the waste parts of the animal that were included in the sacrifice. I then taken to another place and burned outside the camp so you know there's there's a lot of Old Testament pictures here that he's assuming a lot of his readers that they are standing because they're still seeing this happening temple is still standing when this letter has been written and so they this is their very current experience yeah and their linking a lot of these multiple connections in the Old Testament sacrifices and stuff in this but you know his point is that Jesus, Jesus suffered outside the gate right outside literally literally outside the gate. So if you are suffering because your following Jesus which is presumably what's going on.

That's why Hebrews 11 is there, then you need to go outside the gate as well, which is a way of saying you need to go outside of this place right you need to set your sites outside of this place in order to find life go outside the camp where the reproach there is identify with him and identify in its away with. It's a way of saying that Jesus himself said this, this place is not my eternal destiny and someplace else and it is yours to. So in your suffering, go outside of this place and were going someplace else right guy said that the pilot in my kingdom is not of that is not of this world not of this world. And then he and then he clinches that thought in 14 when he says here here have no lasting city, but we seek the city that's to come. So in your present age. Right now this is that city which is not lasting right wherever you are. Right now this is not a lasting city, so in your reproach and and in the persecution under you don't want to start leaving the city now because this place is not lasting that's well and he had said back in chapter 11.

Know that that Moses and all of those models of faith were seeking the city's architect and builder is God.

Right right any city or governmental structure here on earth is yes ordained by God. But it's built by men and sometimes we get confused about that. And yes, righteous men should be rightly influencing their the pleasures in which they live through government through social action through all of that were not devaluing that were saying that is not our eternal dwelling place right right and we know enough of what I city is to appreciate its value in terms of what it brings to life from you and especially back then places brings people together. Yeah I mean it's a place of protectionist walls around its marauders outside can command you know there's is protection its provision. There's water. There's there's law is in his location of a certain way of living. Inside the wall and when you're outside the wall you're in your and wild and woolly Western land right… Like like the wild West for us as it was no justice. There is just everyone did what they want to do, so that's interesting when he urges believers to go outside the wall outside the camp. She says who is the author and perfecter of faith in a different place right right right and identify with him. With that city whose builder and architect is God right right so you muzzle start disconnecting from this place. Now you're a citizen of that other city's city is just a marvelous. It's a marvelous metaphor for this joint combat community of the followers of God, well, so is no mistake, then, that in Revelation, we have this incredible picture. I say this is the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven right built by God's design design.

God, yeah. Oh listeners go and read that in my father's house as many new places, but going read in Revelation 1921. The description of the city. It's it's just a great picture of community as designed by God with God as its center. God as it said exactly yeah that that's why it's such a great metaphor so so the sooner you realize that where you live today. It may be a city, but is not a lasting right then put your hope and trust in his promises for your inclusion into his city to come near your name is written is enrolled in heaven, so that's where you're going to know you only have to do a little bit of world history study to realize that human cities simply in the last civilizations come and go from the from the highest view right that Meadowview you realize how sporadic and how on lasting human civilizations are well-intentioned to really but in the end, you know you got fallen people who were running the city's hand. You know it always happens you put together put together laws and stuff which bring justice and good for a lot of people. And then you realize he got some real power here in doing the stuff and then you start lining your pockets and it gets corrupt and then things just won't go down. How often do the borders change on whole countries right. I mean just in my lifetime I have owned a series of globes with the country to find all been painted in large portions of the world Reiki practice condo in around is but there is a city coming. That's a lasting city so so when you see Jesus going outside the camp to suffer and to die. It's also way of him saying he's gone outside of this place closes, another city coming in so we ought also follow them out.

That's the whole process is, as this is a great merging again of the imagery of the old covenant teaching is something powerful about the new covenant. It's the reality of it was so through him.

Then Chris 5050 R us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his knee so know that the first characteristic.

Once we recognize that we are on our way to another place ought to be praising God, recognizing his name his identity. He's the ruler he's the king he's the one who has rescued us and given us the citizenship in another place and that is the sacrifice that God requires his not hissing people who rephrase a sex sacrifice and appraise a sacrifice of praise yeah and and you know it turns out, it turns out that the sacrifices even back in the Old Testament you know you brought animal to tone rightists and done, it was even yeah I was even still sacrifice of praise because what you are what you are making known is the fact not that you are paying for your sin right but you're acknowledging the fact that God was quick to quick to forget forgive you and so really was a praise to God for who he was still included in God's plan had city sacrifice cost you something right right and so you know. Let us then offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Well, that when times are hard. Yeah when God may not immediately appear to be praiseworthy when I think he's blameworthy because my circumstances are karate or I'm suffering. But the writer of Hebrews says no because of who he is and what he's done and where we are going in him.

It may be costly, but let us be characterized by the sacrifice of praise lips that is his name. Recognizing the knowledge who he is and pricey, acknowledge or recognize his name always name means reputation and character. He's came so yeah, you need to acknowledge who he is and what he's known for. That's what a name means what known for his reputation as accomplishments which is which is why guy just always say to the Israelites. Hey, I'm the guy brought you out of Egypt. My reputation right and I'm still on your side.

So that's his reputation. So in 16 so don't neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God again. Sacrifice what you have in your out of your abundance share out of whatever you've got got so if you say well I don't have enough really to share with someone what you got something you got enough you know that's the whole point of the feeding of the 5000 right.

It sure looks like we don't have enough, but we have Jesus and he's breaking bread and what ever we have we share.

Peter said you know I don't have silver and gold, but what I have I give you get up and walk in. So here even in 15 to 16 is it's a great connection again.

There was worship that went on in the temple there was sacrifice at one of the temple, but it was pointed to the fact that the real sacrifice we do now is praising God with our lips proclaiming who is his reputation, his name, and even following through in doing good, which is God's will and his good hand doing good and are in the actions of our hands as well and that's another sacrifice of these are these are the true sacrifices in the true temple that the old temple were just a picture and he's axing a repeat those things going the end of chapter 13 get to that next week but yeah this whole idea of verbally vocally acknowledging God's word really is praiseworthy because he's doing something greater then here now that's that's a sacrifice of praise. So here now with what little I've got. I can I can give you.

I can share will is finish off the section I will read 417 so he comes back to the leader issue, obey your leaders and submit to them for their keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give to who will have to give an account.

Let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you, just through this last section 1819. So pray for us that we are sure that we have a clear conscience desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you, the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to the sooners on the way in 1819. He's he's giving them instructions about how they can help the leader just wrote this is in 17 babies and submit because their keeping watch over your school yeah and so you know that's a huge statement about spiritual leaders right there.

Do you, are they keeping watch guarding and as he said before those who brought the word of God to you.

Watch their way of life. Consider the outcome of contact obey them and submit to them for their keeping watch over your souls, as those will have to give an account right because your pastor is your spiritual leaders are not those who own you are the sheep who belong to another Shepherd and they are under shepherds. They will have to give account yet. That's a very important distinction. They are under shepherds and shepherds never owned the sheep that they why they will seldom today. There they were their keeping watch over someone else's flight and that's what your pastor, your local pastor, which by the way, the word pastor and Greek word is something you should write a separate sheet so which you in the benediction at the writer is going to get us the very last section which were not addressed today but in his benediction.

He says now to the great Shepherd of the sheep. So you are precious and beloved sheep in a flock that belongs to God and your pastors are there to kind of keep watch over you and and shepherds always kept watch over their ship, the sheep based on looking for like wolves and a Texan and not only dangerous but also bring them to food and water them in there there there for your benefit, so he's saying right here so obey them and submit to them because you know they're engaged 100% on your good to do this with joy and not with groaning out with no advantage to you right now to make their life harder than it has to be. We laugh about this because we said from pastoral as we know she can be hard on my brother was reason sheep is never do that again but it's it is a wonderful it's a wonderful job that God gives, but were all in this process as sheep of the protected and fed and cared for until the great Shepherd look at the humility of this last verse, pray for us were sure that we have a clear conscience desiring to act honorably in all things right so the writer hears is praying for us. We do have a clear conscience were sure of ourselves, but prayers for him time again next week to look at this benediction. It is one of my favorite couple versus Bible and close the entire book and spend some time are missing going through the rest of so Jim and I'm doing with this comeback for the rounding benediction next week on