Congregational handout; outline sermon text on following pages Sermon Notes & References From Shadow to Reality Hebrews 10:1-18 October 19, 2014 A. Introduction 1. The Shadow of Guilt C. Jesus Christ Is the Answer.......................... 10:5-10 1. Atonement Required Incarnation (vv 5-7) B. 2. Jesus Did the Father s Will (vv 8-9) 2. The Recognition of Guilt A. 3. The Result: Men Made Holy (v 10) B. Bulls and Goats Won t Do........................... 10:1-4 1. The Shadow of the Law (v 1) D. Perfectly Holy, Completely Forgiven.................. 10:11-18 1. The Success of Christ s One Sacrifice (vv 11-14) 2. Reality Sets In! (vv 15-18) 2. The Shadow Inadequate (v 1-3) 3. Animal Blood Is Unrelated to Man s Sin (v 4) E. Conclusion 1. The Reality of Forgiveness C. 2. The Message of Reality A Luke 5:4-8 B C Isaiah 1:11 Acts 26:15-18
{1}. Hebrews 10:1-18................................................. From Shadow to Reality A. Introduction 1. The Shadow of Guilt {2}. a. Chuck Colson tells about an interview with Albert Speer that took place on ABC's Good Morning, America. Speer was the Hitler confidante whose technological genius kept Nazi factories humming throughout World War II. He was the only one to admit his guilt of 24 war criminals at the Nuremburg trials. He spent 20 years in Spandau prison. b. Interviewer David Hartman referred to a passage in one of Speer's earlier writings: You have said the guilt can never be forgiven, or shouldn't be. Do you still feel that way? c. Colson says he will never forget the look of pathos on Speer's face as he responded: I served a sentence of twenty years, and I could say `I'm a free man, my conscience has been cleared by serving the whole time as punishment.' But I can't do that. I still carry the burden of what happened to millions of people during Hitler's lifetime, and I can't get rid of it. This new book is part of my atoning, of clearing my conscience. d. Hartman pressed the point. You really don't think you'll be able to clear it totally? Speer shook his head, I don't think it will be possible. e. For thirty-five years Speer had accepted complete responsibility for his crime. His writings were filled with contrition and warnings to others to avoid his moral sin. He desperately sought expiation. All to no avail. 2. The Recognition of Guilt a. none of us is Albert Speer his guilt is not our guilt b. nevertheless sin does bring guilt unless our conscience is burnt out c. but it is when we are faced with holiness the absolute holiness of God that guilt takes on an overwhelming and devastating effect d. while teaching one day, Jesus borrowed a boat as a platform, from Peter who was in the fishing business e. 4 When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon Peter, Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. 5 Simon answered and said, Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets. 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signalled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus feet, saying, Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! (Luke 5:4-8) f. whatever we may think of our guilt now, Peter s will be our response when we meet Christ as our Judge I am
a sinful man, O Lord! g. guilt, the result of our sinful nature, is part and parcel of our human condition today s passage tells us of how God has met this condition B. Bulls and Goats Won t Do!.......................................................... 10:1-4 1. The Shadow of the Law (v 1) a. Verse 1 begins, For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, (A) note that word has the Law has not the Law is (B) the Law and here we are speaking of the OT Law that God gave to Moses has a number of aspects, a number of facets (C) the first aspect or facet it had was to reveal God s moral nature and will, as especially encapsulated in the ten commandments (D) a second aspect it had was to govern the nation of Israel once they had entered the promised land this was the law of the land (E) another aspect it had went was to regulate the people s health and diet the taking care of their physical well-being; and so on. (F) but in view here, the aspect it had was the system of sacrifice and worship this was not the very form, not a true image of things (G) it was only a shadow specifically it foreshadowed the worship of God in spirit and in truth to be revealed in Christ s sacrifice 2. The Shadow Was Inadequate (v 1-3) a. the passage continues, 1 For the Law can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? b. now it becomes apparent that it is the OT sacrificial system that is in view as a part of the Law c. and the very form of that system revealed its inadequacy d. for it had to be repeated annually e. if it had really worked in itself (A) if it made people perfect (B) if it truly removed a person s guilt
(C) then there would have been not need for any more sacrifice f. but, in point of fact, every time those sacrifices were offered, there came a fresh reminder to the people you are guilty g. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. h. and the reason is not hard to see 3. Animal Blood Is Unrelated to Man s Sin (v 4) a. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. b. animals do not have a moral nature man does c. the evidence of the conscience; the framing of laws, seeking after ethics, offering of sacrifices found in all history and all cultures demonstrate God s creation of man in His image, a moral being C. Jesus Christ Is the Answer......................................................... 10:5-10 1. Atonement Needed the Incarnation (vv 5-7) a. let us pause for a moment to consider that word, atonement (A) atone in the OT translates the Hebrew kipper, meaning cover, with the OT picture being that the sacrifice covered a person, so as to turn aside God s wrath against him for his sin (B) but the NT shows that is only part of the picture, for the word atonement is self-defining it is at onement and describes man s being at one with God being reconciled to God (C) atonement deals with the sin that separates a man or woman from God and then brings that man or woman into fellowship with God (D) the killing of a bull or a goat just didn t get that done indeed it became a mere ritual, a mechanical going (E) through the motions so that through Isaiah, God said, What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me? Says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. (Isaiah 1:11) b. so the Spirit of Christ spoke in prophecy through David in Psalm 40 the words recorded here in Hebrews, 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He that is, the Christ or Messiah says, sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God. (Hebrews 10:5-7) c. that word, therefore, which begins verse 5, shows us that the Christ s words spoken in that Psalm are the
answer to the fact that the blood of bulls and goats was ineffective to bring real fellowship with God d. it was necessary that God the Son enter the world in bodily form to offer a sacrifice that would really be effective 2. Jesus Did the Father s Will (vv 8-9) a. and that will was that Jesus as a moral being, a fellow man but not just that, but a perfect, sinless moral being should offer a perfect sacrifice of Himself on the cross that would really bring atonement b. yes, those OT offerings were made following the law given by God c. though divinely inspired, they were only preliminary (A) verse 8 says as much: After saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them (which are offered according (B) to the Law), yes, they were according to the Law, but their mere offering gave no pleasure to God, for they were but shadows of reality d. this is why verse 9 continues, then He said, Behold, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. (A) God s will was that the shadow be replaced by reality; that Christ take away literally, abolish or annul the OT sacrifices by the offering of Himself in their place and on our behalf at Calvary 3. The Result: Men Made Holy (v 10) a. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. b. we the writer and the Christians to whom he is writing have been sanctified by and action in the past Christians are now saints (A) as the song, He s still working on me says, that does not mean that we are necessarily saint-like (1) we may not appear as saints to others; (2) what? My wife a saint?... what? My husband a saint? (3) this is not speaking primarily of the sanctification process, the gradual work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian s life (B) but rather it describes the position in which God has placed us by His grace sanctified which means that Christians have been set apart as God s own people c. how has this taken place? (A) by the offering of Jesus Christ God in the flesh on the cross (B) the real day of atonement, once for all, never to be repeated
d. means that a man or woman can be forever... D. Perfectly Holy, Completely Forgiven................................................. 10:11-18 1. The Success of Christ s One Sacrifice (vv 11-14) a. verses 11-12 contrast the relative situations of the Levitical priests and Jesus, our High Priest: 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, Sat down at the right hand of God, (A) those priests stood, labouring in continued service (B) our High Priest sits, His work complete (C) there many sacrifices were never done; more were always needed (D) Christ s one sacrifice was all-sufficient (E) so He sits, not only sits, but is seated in the place of honour b. and waits for the final victory to take place, verse 13, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. (A) there is a spiritual battle going on in the universe (B) between the forces of God and the forces of Satan (C) and our Priest-King sits, awaiting the certain victory to come c. and now, and then, and thereafter, Christ has made us God s people (A) verse 14, For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (B) perfected forever those who are sanctified (C) as each person comes to Christ by faith, there comes into effect a radical change in their position before a Holy God (D) at one instant, we are rebels; sinful; unclean (E) at the next, we are holy; God s people, yes, even God s children d. only Christ can do this in a person; He is the only Way, so that when a person receives Jesus, trusting in His finished work for salvation 2. Reality Sets In! (vv 15-18) a. what was a shadow in the OT becomes solid reality in the NT b. we have the promise of the word of God for this c. Hebrews goes on, 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, in Jeremiah31:33-34 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws upon their heart, and
on their mind I will write them, He then says, 17 and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. My sin - Oh the bliss of this glorious thought - My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! {3}. d. this is the reality of the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ (A) God has, in Christ, completely dealt for all time with the provision for the setting aside of man s sin through faith (B) nothing can be added to Christ s work on the cross (C) so the write of the book of Hebrews completes the theological, doctrinal part of the book with this summary (D) verse 18, Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (E) there is nothing left for us to do but accept God s free gift E. Conclusion 1. The Reality of Forgiveness a. he was a rabid, Jewish fundamentalist b. he went far and wide pursuing the followers of a dissident Jewish sect c. one day he was headed to Syria, to the city of Damascus d. and he was met by the Lord e. 15 And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:15-18) f. and that is the message which we also have been given, 2. The Message of Reality a. the gospel message is the forgiveness of, sin and that is reality because the Lord Jesus Christ purchased that forgiveness by His one sacrifice b. the gospel message is of an eternal, heavenly inheritance so beautiful that it can only be described in figures,
and that is reality because the Lord Jesus Christ has gone there as our forerunner c. the gospel message is about being sanctified, God setting apart a holy people for himself, qualified to live in His presence for ever, and that is reality d. Colson says he wanted to write Speer, to tell him about Jesus and His death on the cross, about God's forgiveness. But there wasn't time. The ABC interview was Speer's last public statement; he died shortly after. e. what a tragedy to have never heard the gospel of forgiveness, of a heavenly home, of being part of the holy people of God; f. what a greater tragedy to have heard that gospel and never to have put one s faith in Christ don t let this reality pass you by
1. 2014 by Garth Hutchinson, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church of Aurora (Ontario): may be distributed or quoted freely, only let this be done to the glory of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Titus ii.13). Except as noted otherwise, quotations are from the New American Standard version, used by permission. Various other English versions of the Holy Bible may be used in this sermon. Explanatory additions to the Bible text are shown in braces. Version identifiers are: ASV American Standard Version of 1901 AV Authorized (King James) Version of 1769 NAS New American Standard version 1960, 1995 The Lockman Foundation (usually the 1995 edition) NIV New International Version 1984 by the International Bible Society NKJV New King James Version 1979 Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers WEY The New Testament in Modern Speech 1902, 1912 R. F. Weymouth Some of the commentaries and resources used in the preparation of this message are identified as follow: Barnes Notes on the New Testament, et alia, by Rev Albert Barnes, Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh BM Biblical Museum, Editor James Comper Gray, ca 1870 EBC The Expositor s Bible Commentary, 1986 Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 49530, Michigan Hebrews, by Leon Morris EGT The Expositor s Greek Testament, Hodder & Stoughton Hebrews, by Marcus Dods Gill Exposition of the Old Testament, Exposition of the New Testament, by John Gill, D.D. Kerux The sermon & illustration data base compiled by Rev. David Holwick at the web-site, www.holwick.com. NICNT The New International Commentary on the New Testament The Epistle to the Hebrew, by F. F. Bruce RWP Robertson s Word Pictures of the New Testament, by Dr. A. T. Robertson TYN The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Hebrews, by Donald Guthrie 2. In Who Speaks for God, by Charles Colson; Crossway Books, Westchester, IL (1985. Kerux resources #1900. 3. It Is Well with My Soul, by Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888)