Better Promise (Part B)

I'm still loving you. I don't like it. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, perplexed, not in despair persecuted, not for sake and struck down not destroy always carrying about the sufferings of Christ, we go through all this junk were not going away from Christ and it rocks the house of hell Christians perform that way we can do it on our own. We don't want to do it on Christ filling in the rest. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching doubt here's Pastor Rick with part two of this study called a better promise in Hebrews chapter 8 with Daniel.

He did not allow, but which Stephen did not have a rod sword kill him. That's not Stephen James. Stephen died through the stones.

So my point is I just want to make sure we did with clear on this is not your faith in your faith is the one whom you are trusting that has the power is the Almighty one. We are not and so this Jesus the King who loves the high priest who serves on our behalf would want anything less would want anything else. Many do.

Somehow, most refuse him because is an instigator at work. It is Satan. Yes, it is the world's influence that is those who come together without Christ to do whatever they want to do for themselves. And then there is the fallen nature of these three hard at work to keep us away from Christ. Whenever they can. Verse two it says that he is a minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected not man that Greek word therefore minister the second word of verse two is a minister. That's not the standard Greek word for minister. For those of you who don't know the New Testament were written in Greek, very rich language. They have multiple words for love. For example, we really have one word love. Well, we can use other words, to cherish and adore but but then just a little bit more rich. I think in their expression. So when they talk about a servant is one that is a slave, whether willful or forced there is one that is sent one and Erin so slave and do loss or diagonals will beget our deacon and that is one that is sent on and Erin. When Phoebe was sent to Rome with the letter of Paul in her hand. She was acting as a Deaconess as a servant on think in your head's deacons are just the ones that seek you in this abuse on a Sunday morning also servants their ushers, but anybody who serves as acting as a diagonals in the Greek us a Deaconess servant in that sense. But here, look toward us is the Greek word that is more of a public servant. But we look at to get the idea of what is being said, we look at how the word is used by the writers and scriptures like Paul for example he uses this word as a public servant in his temple duties.

Romans 1516. I'll read it to you that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ is that word the cargo us, that I might be a minister of public servant of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Denise is ministering a different Greek word that is the temple attendant the gospel of God that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. So Paul teaches us about this word he says I want to be someone who is used by God to reach the lost with the message of salvation. I am a servant of Jesus Christ. In this way, I am a temple servant in this way, and so when the writer here in Hebrews 8 uses the word he says Christ is our public servant ministering in the greatest temple of all that's wise. As a minister of the sanctuary, so he's not ministering just to minister as a goal in mind is people in mind it's us sinners. People are not worthy. We have someone in heaven looking out for us who are not worthy. We who are not word when he is so he reigns as King yet he serves as high priest now give anything a high priest, you can't think of the Inca high priest of Roman Catholic high priest of the Episcopalian, or any other people on earth. The closest you can get all the Jewish high priest, and he exceeds even that that's what he's trying to tell these people want to go back to Judaism when you got a high priest better than anything a fine downtown Jerusalem. You have King of Kings and the holiest place ever mentions the sanctuary. That is the holiest of all place of divine majesty place of divine ministry. Those two go together ministry and majesty of a king serving you is not some unit just common person so we sing about Jesus Christ, we move on to a whole another level of expression and bought an experience been singing about anything else on earth is the name of Jesus Christ. At that name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess sanctuary woven into the minds of the Jews even that this was God's safe zone. Jeremiah 1712, a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary God's throne room is God's church in heaven where he presides because he is the king priest's throne room is also the place of worship. It is a reality. That's what he's trying to say. Here's my main point. This is the real story. Eternity is more real than the present because it goes on forever and goes on forever. The presence of God. So sanctuary is the place of refuge, spiritual refuge holiness. Why when the Saints burned at the stake, singing hymns to God because they were in the spiritual sanctuary, whether physical bodies were being destroyed the place of holiness is no place like it on earth is the way place we go away from the ideas of sin and its curse and unholiness, spiritual power and safety and peace because of the presence of this high king who ministers to us.

The Holy Spirit makes his presence. No have you going to mature in Christ. You gotta have personal experiences with him is gotta speak to you. You gotta feel him then you also have to have time for. You can find him. That is when you are living the life of the matured saint by faith Noah won't always stay that way, but he will let you get to those places to prove your faith to yourself not to him. He knows everything we need to go through. We need to say Lord I hate what is going on but I'm still here I'm still loving you. I don't like it.

Paul said we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed perplexed, not in despair persecuted not for say construct down not destroyed, always carrying about the sufferings of Christ, we go through all this junk.

When a going away from Christ and it rocks the house of hell when Christians perform that way we can do it on our own. We do want to do it on her Christ filling in the rest giving us strength so we become a royal priesthood under this high priest to serve sinners by serving them God's plan of salvation. That's how we become the target us ministers, public ministers, we serve them. The plan of salvation is not all of the story with that is a lot of it says the true tabernacle nice talking about the one in heaven is not a real building like the one on earth.

Those who worship God was worship him in spirit and in truth, but it's emblems, it's meanings. They are the reality behind anything physical, see if I can open it up a little bit more for us all. The true tabernacle the place built by God where God meets man there crisis to intercede above creation because he is the creator of creation. Not one of the angels is doing this and maybe I'm speaking in there someone who doesn't have that can hear me a relationship with Christ. You never opened up your heart and said I am a sinner I broken your law that makes me an outlaw to heaven and I am worthy of your judgment which is eternal death for the sinner unless that sinner repents and nested sinner comes to goddesses. I broke your law. I asked you to forgive me. There is no one else to can forgive me and make me right with you, except you and I'm asking for that. If you do not yield to God in that way. Then there is also a throne for you, but it is not a sanctuary is a great from his white glory shine is the great White throne of judgment we read about it in the Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. The them, he is referring to all those who don't know Christ who don't want him or want him on their terms, not his air go.

Did we not preaching unity do we not prophesy. Did we not cast out demons and nieces get away from me. I never knew you. You faking it all the time you are using my name but you didn't care for me.

You are not interested in me. So this is a serious verse he says the main point is this.

We have a minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle which the Lord is directed not man.

Well that is never happened on earth as God is never built the building on earth. Men built the tabernacle. The Levites carried it around with them. The portable one in the wilderness when Solomon comes to the throne. He has slaves and other workers get involved in building the house of God. God never said there's your temple so the temple sanctuary that he speaking of here is the one in heaven. So he says which the Lord erected not man. No place on earth fits that description. They had the Shekinah for some time at the Jewish Temple would not the genuine presence of God. Verse three for every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices.

Therefore it is necessary that this one also have something to offer now or in writing to the Jews. Of course they understood this, they needed. This is bringing you setting up the background to make his points will continue to make his points and his main point for us. We have to pause and often times and ended and and tell you what the things are involved here, because they're not part of our culture is not a reflection on one's character. Just you have to learn things. Verse three for every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, while that of course free will offerings burn offering sin offerings trespass offerings peace offerings all these things were to keep the people of God in the presence of God. Separate and distinct from all the other fake God people that were out there residence to this very day. God has things for the church God has things for you and me as Christians to keep us distinct, separate people would not like everybody else. When a supposed to be. We have the Scripture we have the word. More importantly, we have the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We have the Christ. So without exception each Old Testament priest and prophet and person faced God in need of a Savior. Every single one of them, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Adam, Adam, not originally but eventually they all had to face God as a sinner and the cross of Christ is all about taking that penalty away. That is what we want.

That is where the life is if that penalty stays on as were doomed.

Condemnation is all washed away by the blood of Christ that is done through one accepting what Jesus says should we have low opinions of all the stuff should I tone it down. I will not I cannot. Neither can any believer.

How do you tone down Christ and what he is done. How can you sit you say what it is I got love it when I come to the sanctuary and I hear pastor preach, especially you, fun, and then I got I face a world that's right, that's a process that's the proving that's what makes it real and there are those that don't like it, but they want to pretend nonetheless. Those are the ones that are in great jeopardy with the rest who are struggling confessing and repenting and working as hard as they can to get it right. Those of the soldiers. Therefore, he says in verse three it is necessary that this one that is, the Christ also have something to offer me saying God has given us a pattern and is not going to abandon this pattern as of the priest on earth were sinners and face God as sinners when they come to the house of God. They have to have some offering with them some atonement. We single Christ the pattern in heaven who establish this is going to honor that system and he too was going to have something to offer to present this is a job description of the priest and the priest in heaven brings the repentance of sinners before the throne of God. That is the incense altar in heaven.

You could say. Today, believers are to offer their lives service.

That is what we are supposed to be doing thing. Lord, I am your servant. Send me an every Greek word for service. I want to be that I want to be the willful slave I want to be the messenger. The errand boy. I want to be the public servant.

I want to be the co-servant every Greek word that we have for servant in the new Scripture, I will take that Lord and be yours.

That is our ambition so we read first John verse 316 chapter 3 verse 16, first John. By this we know love because he lay down his life for us and we ought also lay down our lives for the brethren.

Yeah, that's pretty nice on paper, do you meet some of the brethren, that is finally in my life, him not that guy you know much of a pain in the neck. You know how that some of the Bible says that's the difference between a servant of God, the slave for the Lord and revel slave will say yes Lord, I would do whatever you'd call me to do and he gives us as much time as possible to teach us how to discern what to do otherwise would just groping around in the dark have the Scripture to hold a steady so that when we don't when we are perplexed, were not in despair would not given up see a world language look at or someone else could say you know what my faith doesn't work. I'm out of here. Christian says all things are working out the way I want. I want them to. I'm praying, I'm trusting and things are getting worse, but I've met Christ. I know where else to go. I'm not leaving. This is what happened when Peter when Jesus was asked his disciple, are you two going to leave this world to know we were perplexed at these things you're saying but we're not giving up when not in despair over you. We know you are the demons can say that the demon said to Jesus to his face. We know who you are the son of God, you come to send this to the abyss, Christ says if the demons can get it you can get it to. I want you to understand who I am.

That makes all the difference. Knowing who Jesus is. So someone says to you, hey, did you know Jesus, without hesitation, you yeah of course I know him. Let me tell you about him. Let me tell you about all the wonderful things he's done for me, going to church is not going to get you in heaven. This church hefted the exception of course seriously. No church will get you into heaven, in and of itself.

It is that relationship with Jesus Christ. You can Diana church and go to hell if you don't know who Jesus is and if you don't know you gotta cry out and say who are you just tell me I'll serve you do whatever you say all who are called to serve Christ and be given certain abilities to serve him and to serve him by serving others like it or not. Serving God is not without difficulty.

It is hard work on every level and if you think serving God is just a walk in the park. You don't understand service, you don't understand your own flesh you can wanted to be that way.

Some do better and others were added. Of course, someone will let themselves be used by Satan to rob the sweetness of serving God in the church become in the church you want to serve in is a co-servant. There and they got them on making your life miserable and not doing what they're supposed to be doing and out as being solid in the faith or hurt each other.

Sometimes we hurt each other's feelings without even trying unintentionally. Sometimes because were in the flesh. We are still called to serve the serving is not without sacrifice Romans chapter 12 verse one I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God which is your reasonable service is what John was talking about. He died for us.

We should live to die for him. That's a reasonable service us. You want to be a spiritual mooch just taking taking taking never really even bothering to thank. We get these lessons from Scripture all the time. Remember the man name Rosa. He was a servant of the Lord.

We have a care full lesson from the life of the put the ark of the covenant that is this chest that represented the presence of God that was supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites to the polls that were slid through the rings on and they want to touch it had to touch the polls. They put it on a cart where it didn't belong.

And as the oxen stumbled loser meaning well reached out to stable it, stabilize it and was struck that instantly was a mixture of ignorance and noncompliance on the part of the people of God. The cause of death of a faithful servant. You see God's people were not serving God the way he laid it out to be, and as a rigged a result, a faithful servant died. My point is service a serious business.

Someone might not die but you are creating problems that shouldn't be there, that all the devils were that if not checked will cause spiritual death will cause spiritual loss will cause spiritual problems.

King David, after he recovered from this event.

He addressed it with the priest should've gotten it right or talking about is proper service proper ministry for the Lord presenting your bodies a living sacrifice we have this high priest in heaven that is done the dying for us and ask us to do the serving for him even if it cost our lives when David addresses this issue of noncompliant service is poor because you did not do it the first time the Lord our God broke out against us because we did not consult him about the proper order to the priest and the Levite signified themselves to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord to Israel. So the point that I'm making is the priest that we gotta get our act together. We have to comply with the go to the Scripture and find out what God wants from us and then do it less. There be an outbreak and we be the cause of someone else being wounded so much searching of the Scripture was done in the second attempt. They got it right. So we are not automatically fit for service simply because we believers you know me believe is only hearing that you know how I don't know the 50 million I don't know the number but I know a lot of Christians really think that simply because they are Christian they are fit for everything in the church that is not true. They may learn to be fit for many things, but it is not automatic. This this is widely rejected by Christians who think because they love God.

They can be carefree and serving him. That's the lesson from Rosa.

Ecclesiastes 51 walk prudently when you go to the house of God and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools for they do not know that they do evil so when you have to serve on day in church. Maybe you're in the café ministry of the ushers ministry to children music ministry or whatever ministry you take it seriously are are you suppressed by the the fluster of it all. I got to get the kid trying to get the stuff in any and you lose sight that this is spiritual. This requires that you calibrate your heart if you talk to the Lord and you young servants you should be asking yourself where my going to serve what place on the wall in my going to stand that you should be asking the Lord.

Where can I serve you get one of the pastors where the needs know what I need to pray for the ushers need fresh oysters in their ministry, children's workers always need be.

People in their ministry. The head transplant ministry for the pastor is always looking for someone ask yourself where you belong. Serving present your bodies a living sacrifice. We are here to talk about our King. We talk about our King. We are not excluded from the conversation we are included. It is about us in that sense we have such a high King what is the one who are you, Lord, what you want me to do was said that Paul the apostle is conversion. Who are you what you want me to do, I'll do it and he did.

You've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

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