The E-Files. Encounter

Transcription

1 The E-Files Studies for families to enrich their time with God. Series: Hebrews: - Christ Alone February 08, 2015 Encounter As I have studied this chapter in the Hebrew letter, I have been overwhelmed with a sense of my own unworthiness, and God s goodness. We could have been left under the Law. We could have been left to have to deal with a set of rules and regulations that 1, we could not have completely kept, and 2, when we failed at one we would have failed at all. But God in His loving kindness chose something better for us. Something that cost Him dearly. Could you even fathom sending your child to His death for people who at every turn would instead seek to condemn you or curse you. Paul said it best in Romans 5:6-8 - You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is you and me. But God didn t stop there. Unlike in the Old Covenant where animal after animal had to be sacrificed to keep the sins of the people covered over, our High Priest died once, for all. No need for continued sacrifices. It was finished. It was done, completed, over with. And He still wasn t done. He sent us the Holy Spirit to reside in us to keep us going in the right direction. And still not done. His Son, our High Priest sits at His right hand in heaven and makes intercession for us continuously. Forgiven us, keeps forgiving us, mercy, grace, the Holy Spirit, intercession. That brothers and sisters is what the ultimate love in the universe looks like, and we have that love from our Creator. Overwhelmed? We should be. Hopefully enough that we would want someone else to experience that same love. Today is the day to tell someone the good news about Jesus Christ and His love for them! I Love You All, Gary

2 Examine It! By: Harold Ray Series: Hebrews: - Christ Alone Hebrews 8:1-13 THE SANCTUARY WHERE JESUS OUR PRIEST MINISTERS v.v. 1-5 Many scholars believe that this first verse is the main point of Hebrews. That speaks much to us of the Priesthood of Jesus. The writer mentions Jesus Priesthood in all of chapters one through ten. We must not neglect this main theme of Hebrews. Our Christian living depends almost as much on what Jesus is and does now as what He did on the earth. James Denny. Jesus, and no other, is our new High Priest! This crowning point must never be missed. This theme should be the theme of our thoughts and the joy of our hearts because we are in Him. We have such a high priest and that truth should be the utmost motivation for our endurance and for our overcoming. The summary of Jesus Priesthood is given here by the writer to challenge the Jewish Christians to not exchange The church for the temple The gospel for the law Jesus for Moses Under the gospel, there is only one Priest-Jesus. Because He is at the side of the Father, who Himself dwells in the high and holy heaven, Jesus is the Priest of the whole human race. There in heaven, He pleads for all who are living according to His purpose. He entered that priestly ministry when He entered heaven (Ephesians 1:20 and Hebrew 4:14). We and all who are in Christ, have such a high priest (v.1). The main point is that He is our High Priest and He is our Heavenly High Priest (v.2). This point must never be missed! When Jesus went into the heavens, He went to stay, so He sat down, where He is now and until the Day, that Great Day, of His return. JESUS MEDIATES A BETTER COVENANT v.v. 6-9 The doctrine of the mediation of Jesus is for all who are in Him and for all time (I Tim.2:5) though no longer our sacrificial Priest.

3 Examine It! By: Harold Ray He is mediator of a better covenant. This covenant: Involves parties, God (Christ) and man. Involves terms and conditions required of man to be done in response to Him. Involves promises made to all who enter into this new covenant. This new, better covenant is mentioned seven times in v.v Must be because this covenant relationship is of great importance! What the Jewish Christians had given up is the old covenant, (all tangible ways to worship of God, the temple, law, ceremonies, priests and sacrifices) are now replaced by a spiritual and eternal covenant that goes beyond the grave. The writer is reminding his readers that the children of Israel again and again broke the terms of the old covenant (v. 9). They refused to hold God s hand by breaking their commitment to Him, causing Him to regard them not, or I disregarded them and let them alone. Why would they seek to be regarded by God if they disregard Him? He always honors those who honor Him (I Samuel 2:30 and John 12:26). To continue in the new covenant relationship is to follow Jesus and hold fast to faith in Him (10:23). JESUS BETTER COVENANT DESCRIBED v.v Here is the summary of the fundamental truth practically taking in the whole gospel doctrine plus the better promises (v. 6) for those whosoever will come (Rev. 22:17) to be His child in His covenant. They are those who 1. Have a high mind by understanding and knowing God (v. 10 John 17:3). 2. Have a warm heart where His Word of Life is written (v. 10) and are born again (John 3:5). 3. Have Him for their God and a right to approach Him (4:16, 7:19, 10:19). 4. Are His people, for a new covenant brings a new relationship. They love Him with all their hearts, souls and mind (Mt. 22:37)! 5. Know the Lord-under the gospel they must know Him in order to become parties to the covenant. All/anyone can know Him (Rev 22:17). 6. Will receive His mercy (not receiving what they deserve) (Psalm 23:6). Do we thank Him for that mercy? 7. Will receive His forgiveness for this covenant will not fail like the old one in dealing with sin. Now our sins are forgiven through Jesus alone, the sacrifice of the new covenant (Matthew 26:28). When He forgives, He forgets (Hebrews 20:11-14).

4 Explore It! Day 1 By: Gary Henline Read Hebrews 8:1-2 Missing The Point? Several years ago I got hooked on a TV drama called Lost. For those who haven t seen the dram it goes like this. This large plan crashed near an island. The island appeared to have all kind of magical things happening, from a private corporate ownership that was going to takeover and save the world, to factions of good and bad people. Every week it had a new twist, and for those who loved the show, you couldn t wait to see what was coming the next week. Seasons end was tough on us lost fanatics too. I got so hooked on trying to figure out the details that I would go back in the off season and watch the whole season again on DVD just to see if I missed any clues or details. That s when I even got Teresa hooked, and she and I went back one summer and watched the whole series so she could get up to speed. It really was well done, and captured your attention, but could be exceptionally confusing at times, causing us to in some cases miss the point of what was really happening. Such is the case as we move into the first 2 verses of Hebrews 8. The writer in 7 just completed a very technical section of text. I mean technical in the sense that one would have to understand the background to the verses and the character called Melchizedek to not miss what the writer is saying as he transitions into chapter 8. So in the first 2 verses of 8 he makes it clear, this is the point. We have a High Priest in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. After His death, burial, and resurrection He sat down at God s right hand, and makes intercession for you and me. In other words, He speaks to God on our behalves. You and I ought to find this a seriously comforting statement. When we don t understand what the point is of something happening in our lives or around us, and we are not sure what we have to pray for, or what we should be praying for Jesus is already there. He is communicating with the Father on our behalf. He is solving the issues, He is building the plan or the pathway, and He is working through the Holy Spirit that is in us, to get us to follow His lead, and His plan for us. You and I are truly never alone. You and I are truly never lost in the shuffle. We might miss the point, but our great High Priest, will never miss the point of what is happening in our lives, in fact, He is the point. If you have Jesus, you truly have all you need! Pray: Thank God for being your intercessor, for sending you 2 layers of intercessors, His Son and the Holy Spirit who lives in you. Confess to God, your need to have Him intercede in your life. Repent of the times you thought your were alone and thought you had to do it all by yourself.

5 Explore It! Day 2 By: Drew Miller Read: Hebrews 8: 3-5 A Temporary or Permanent Fix? It seems that the Hebrew writer is continuing to stress that Jesus is not an Aaronic High Priest. He was however from the tribe of Judah and thus a descendant of Kings and the ruling tribe (Genesis 49:10). There is no need for Him to be from the tribe of Levi and a direct descendant of Aaron. Jesus sacrifice was once and forever. His priesthood does not need to continue from generation to generation for it is the final supreme sacrifice--so much more superior to the old covenant s sacrifices that had to be repeated yearly with animal blood. That sacrifice only rolled back the year s past sins. It was only a temporary fix and did not provide permanent righteousness. Jesus is the final High Priest; there is no need to have any other. The old covenant High Priests were not perfect and their sacrifices were not either. It took place in the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle tent and is where the Aaronic High Priest presented God the yearly atonement sacrifice. The Tabernacle tent is a replica of where Jesus sits now in God s sanctuary. Jesus sacrifice took place on Golgotha and His act of atonement takes place from the sanctuary and throne, the right hand of God in Heaven. As our High Priest and intermediary Christ is with the Father in Heaven eternally with the personal relationship that only a father and son can have. How much more perfect of a lawyer, arbitrator, mediator (one who represents us at judgment) could we have than the one who is at the right hand of the Judge and who has been given the right to act as judge. Aaron was from the tribe of Levi and Aarons descendants were to be High Priests (Exodus 29:1-9). Levites were not given land but were assigned the task by Moses to tend to the tabernacle tent and help the priest (Joshua 13:14, Exodus 32:25-29). If you read Exodus 32 you will know that this was established and ordained right after the golden calf had been discovered by Moses. Their ordination included killing their brother and his companion and his neighbor. They did as Moses had told them and about 3,000 men fell. The old Aaronic High Priest were very particular about the animals that they were required to sacrifice. They had to appear perfect without blemish, but they were still animals. Their blood was inferior to the blood of God s Son. I am not sure that animals can sin but we as humans can. Jesus was God and human but did not sin making His blood superior in all ways. It is so superior that it washes away the sin of all who believe in Him and follow His commands. Then at our Judgment He will be able to say to the Father this is one of mine, although his/her sins are like crimson, my blood washes them white as snow. Well done good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:31-46). In I Samuel 15:22-23 there is scripture that applied when he wrote it and applies to us today about sacrifice and our contribution to the need for it. If the Jews could have obeyed the Law and not selfishly sinned there would have been no need for sacrifice. And for us today it applies because we also have need for the blood of sacrifice to cover our sins sins that put Jesus on the cross. And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king. As you pray this week thank God that Jesus was appointed as our High Priest. Thank God that Jesus sacrifice of Himself was perfect without sin and be thankful that it will last for eternity. Be especially thankful that Jesus is in God s sanctuary awaiting the time to welcome us home. Pray for strength and the will not to sin. Sinning, not keeping Jesus commands, diminishes our love for Jesus (John 14:15-17).

6 Explore It! Day 3 By: Gary Henline Read Hebrews 8:3-6 Only A Copy! I remember one year as a very young child getting my hands on a very old scroll from a bunch of junk my grandmother had laying around in a box in her basement. It was like parchment paper. It was very soft, and had extremely old writing on it, and a who group of names signed on the bottom of the writing. I took it home, and was trying to find out what it was, and all my mother told me was that it was the Declaration of Independence, the document signed by the founding fathers of our nation. I was in about 2nd grade, and I thought I had found a tremendous treasure worth a lot of money. I decided that week to take it to school for show and tell to share my new found wealth. I remember proudly standing in front of the class explaining that I was the proud owner of the Declaration of Independence. It was old, and must certainly be an original. The kids didn t know any better, but the teacher did. After I made my little speech she proceeded to tell me that I was a proud owner of a dime store copy of the original document. It was made to look old and original, but it was only worth about.50. I was heart broken that I didn t know it was a copy, and that I wasn t going to be rich after all. In Hebrews 8:3-6 we are given a picture of real pricelessness. There was a priesthood in the Old Covenant. The job of those earthly priests was to offer sacrifices and gifts on behalf of the Old Covenant people. The gifts were to be offered in the tabernacle and later in the temple in specifically prescribed ways. He goes on to say that if our High Priest (Jesus) had been here on earth, He would have had something to offer. But there was no need for that because there were already men on earth making those offerings, and they were actually pointing to something greater. They were a copy of sorts for the real thing. The real thing was the shed blood of our High Priest, who offered Himself as the unblemished lamb, His blood shed once for all. The job of the priests, and the sacrifices they make are only a poor forgery of the real thing, you might say a dime store copy, that was so limited that it could not stand the test of time. Jesus is the real thing. Only Jesus could bring forgiveness once for all, for all time. Jesus death for us is indescribable, its an original, it s priceless. If you have Jesus as your High Priest, you have all you need, all you will ever need. Pray: That God will help you see that you don t need a priest who is offering dime store copies on your behalf. Pray that you will see that you already have the original, the one and only who through His shed blood, brings forgiveness to your life once and for all.

7 Explore It! Day 4 By: Gary Henline A Much Better Promise Read Hebrews 8:7-13 Many folks today have a hard time understanding the technicality of these verses. The writer starts out with the words, if there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant Someone reads those words as if God had made a mistake. Did God make a mistake with the Old Covenant? The answer is no. Israel left Egypt after 400 years of being enslaved. As they wandered around the desert, God delivered the first of the Law in the form of the 10 commandments. Although we can impress them further now because we have the rest of the Law, the commandments were not specific enough to cover the needs of the growing community and establish a firm foundation as they moved into the promised land. God gave the rest of the Law, dealing with everything in minute detail from how to treat a tent with mold or mildew, to how to deal with someone who murdered someone or killed them accidently. The reality was though, that the people couldn t and wouldn t keep the Law. They violated it at every turn, their sins only covered over by the blood of animals, but in reality not forgiven. The blood of animals would have to continue to flow to keep their sins covered from God s eyes. The better plan was always in the works. Jesus coming as our High Priest, as the perfect unblemished lamb was not a plan B. Jeremiah 31:31-34 was written sometime around 587 BC, and Jeremiah makes it clear that the coming Messiah was not a plan B. The New covenant that would come through Him would be a covenant based on grace instead of Law. It will be written on their hearts and minds instead of in stone or tablets. It will be a covenant that brought forgiveness, and it will be able to be discerned by everyone, from the least to the greatest. That is the covenant we have through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are all accountable to God for our selves. No one will get to say it was my moms fault or dads fault, or preachers fault. God made the covenant clear for all to see and understand. It completes the Old Law, and makes the Old Law obsolete. So no, there was nothing wrong with the Old Law. It was really more to do with God s love for His creation, and His willingness in that love to extend to us mercy and grace! Pray: Thank God for His mercy and grace. Thank Him that we don t have to try and live with a list of rules and regulations in our lives daily. Thank Him that even when we fall short and sin, He is still loving and kind with His forgiveness through our High Priest. Thank Him for being so good to you, when you really don t deserve it. Thank Him for loving you like He does!

8 Embrace It! Use this page to journal new things you have learned, questions you want to answer, or thoughts about Hebrews 4!

9 First Kids Children s Ministry Of First Christian Church Family Talk Hebrews 8 We have talked the past couple of weeks about the old way in which people did things. We talked about priests and their job to sacrifice animals to make the sins of the people go away. In this passage God is declaring that the way people used to do it is not the way people will do it today! No longer will we have to kill animals because Jesus died for us! Jesus took our sins away once and for all, we do not have to offer sacrifices over and over. God says this new covenant will last forever and ever. You and I are under this new covenant. It's thanks to Jesus and why he died on the cross that you and I can live free and forgiven. God says that in this new covenant He will forgive us of all the bad things we have done and remember them no more! So not only are we forgiven and given a clean slate, but God does not even remember the sins we have committed, they are completely gone! This is the covenant we live under thanks to Jesus! What does the Bible say? Weekly Verse: Read Hebrews 8:8-12 What does this covenant say about us? What does God mean when He says each person will know Him? Why is the new covenant necessary? What do you think? This new covenant came into being because the people of old refused to listen to God. Do we always listen to God? We have to remember that we do not want to repeat the past like the Israelites did, but live free and new. If we are forgiven, how do we live like it? Are you living like you are forgiven? Live under the new covenant and not like the people of the past who ignored God and did only what they wanted to. What RU going to do? There will be a ton of times this week when you get to decide if you want to follow God and live forgiven, or follow yourself and live according to the old covenant. What are some ways you can obey God this week? Does it start with obeying your parents? Listening to your teachers? Being nice to other kids at school? Talk with your parents about how to obey God. Memory Time Hebrews 8:12 - And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins