Better Promise (Part C)

They had little goats kids. The kids had kids anyway is nothing to do was sacrificed.

If I offered that goat's blood offering to Jesus Christ. I would be anathema.

I would be cursed. I would be saying your death on the cross wasn't enough. We need some animal blood appear that's what this will save them is to listen, you can't do this. You cannot serve Christ and anyone else as Christ. 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 today. Pastor Rick will continue his message called a better promise in Hebrews chapter 8. How do you tone down Christ and what he is done and you said you say what a guy guy love it when I come to the sanctuary and I hear pastor preach specially you one and then I go out I faced 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 you saying God has given us a pattern and is not going to abandon this pattern. So 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 the 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, saying, 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 and in the 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, M… You know much of a pain in the neck. You know how that's not what 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. We 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 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. 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 is the exception, of course, seriously, no church will get you into heaven, in and of itself 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 to say who are you just tell me I'll serve you do whatever you say Saul, 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 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 you come in the church you want to serve in is a co-servant. There and they got them on making your life miserable not doing what they're supposed to be doing and out as being solid in the faith or we 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 loser.

They put the ark of the covenant that is this chest that represented the presence of God that was supposed 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 on the cart were didn't belong. And as the oxen stumbled loser and 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 written 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 serving for him even if it cost our lives when David addresses this issue of noncompliance 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.

So the priest and the Levite sanctified 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 got to 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 believe is he not only believes 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 one or 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 they had 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 does he want 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 verse four.

If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are priests who off offer the gifts according to the law while Jesus was in the Levite is making it clear he wouldn't violate the law. Only the Levites on earth could approach that tabernacle. They were delegated by God to do this.

However, the priestly duties in heaven.

No Levite can serve their nor tribe of Judah, nor anybody else. Only Jesus Christ can serve in heaven on our behalf. The Aaronic priesthood. The descendents of Aaron who were only to be priest in Israel. They have no authority to serve in heaven. This is the order of Melchizedek and you might remember from chapter 7 of Hebrews talking about Melchizedek thing. As will be getting a wedding just shows up and is of the type at the very least, a type of Christ in here it is fulfilled. He is an eternal priest, that is, the idea is as they are priests who offer the gifts according to the law. Now that's present tense. They offered gifts.

That means the temple of the Jews was still in operation still functioning Jews could still take the offerings down the temple and they were the other day I was walking through a mall and they had a gig and a petting little portable petting zoo with portable pets and there were goats and llamas of goofiest looking thing you ever seen. I just look goofy you I just want to smack him but it would let me get near any way I see did the go so there they had little goats. The kids the kids had kids anyway is nothing to do with sacrifice today if I offered that goat's blood offering to Jesus Christ.

I would be anathema. I would be cursed. I would be saying your death on the cross wasn't enough. We need some animal blood appear that's what this would save them is to listen, you can't do this. You cannot serve Christ and anyone else as Christ as the son of God.

Verse five he says those predeceases serve the copy and the shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For he said see that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain, the Aaron, the Aaronic priests.

The priest on earth. They served a replica of what was communicated from heaven. That is what he saying they serve a copy there is is a shadow. Again, not actual buildings, spiritual realities symbolized the altar temple facing the East come to that moment will will just touch on those with the shadows of Judaism.

They found their substance in the reality behind those rituals.

Those actions, they found the reality in Christ Jesus. You cannot have a shadow unless you have light Jesus is the light first John chapter 1 verse five. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all that is empty. It is emphatic shadow is not the substance. The item which the shadow pictures. That is the substance so everything that the these symbols of the Jewish priest had to offer before God, were all symbols. They were not the thing. The reality is God you take a picture. This is for those who still put so much into emphasis. You know I like stained glass to but I don't have to have it, but if you have a picture of a loved one in the loved one standing there but you choose to talk to the picture and ignore the loved one.

That's ritualism. The substance is the actual person, not the actual picture and so all the things concerning Judaism's and in her her service before the Lord to the priesthood. All symbols all pictures but when Christ comes. Those things are no longer have the meaning that they had prior to his approach to his arrival.

Paul said to the Colossians. These things are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 217 so Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. Moses never made anything up concerning God and God told God said I wanted done this way. Moses went did that way and that's what the writer is saying here because Moses was a servant of the Lord every step of the way, for he said, verse five bottom part see that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain is Exodus 2540 that is quoting so Moses when he was going to set up the tabernacle, God gave him a vision in heaven of the arrangement have anything you see this Moses I that's what I want you to mirror on earth I was. I'm showing you these things because I want these things to be pictured on earth, earth to speak of the work that I'm doing behalf of sinners. The entrance facing east of the temple, always facing east. That's the direction of God would come from. That was the direction they were supposed to look for the Lord that speaks of approach the brazen altar.

Once you came in that Eastern gate. There was that alternate spoke of sin you have to do it. Sin right away with God. That's the first thing actual then there was a ladder that spoke of cleanliness. It was just like we would call it a birdbath. If this basin filled with water. All those blood sacrifices there. The priest would wash and rinse and dry off their holy place. It spoke of holiness. The beautiful lampstand as you came into the holy place, which only the Levites and the priests could do spoke of the revelation of God. The shewbread was which would as you walked into the temple would be right to the right hand on the right hand side on little table and utensils.

It spoke of the provision of God, you have the enlightenment of God the cleanliness to get you there. The holiness, the place at your end and you have the shewbread that is God's is mentioned not eat by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Give us a day our daily bread of the manna from heaven spoke of these things is all symbols in the temple. The golden incense altar.

Only the high priest could offer on that at the dawn the time of atonement that spoke of the prayers of the saints, God is listening to us. Then there was the holy of holy place you go into the holy place. It was a curtained walk-through that curtain only the high priest would do that once a year on the day of atonement and he would be in the holy of holies that spoke of the real presence of God, the very presence of God. The point of contact with his people, and there sat the ark of the covenant that was a chest and in the chest with the terms of the covenant.

The word of God. The provision of God in the manna and the rod of Aaron that spoke of the authority of God's anointed servants and then on top of that chest was the mercy seat of God spoke the loudest. The grace of God. Without that mercy seat, nothing mattered. You have nothing. So Paul said in second Corinthians 34 if what is passing away was glorious. What remains is much more glorious. That's Christ the old systems passing away. The new systems which those things pointed to as much glorious and will finish verse eight will be done for me. Verse six schedule, but now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he also he is also mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Again, the superiority of Christ. Inasmuch as he is also mediator of a better covenant that were mediator and the heat in the in the Greek is a go-between Easter go-between is the bridge you don't get from one end to the other without the go-between, and this is the role of one of the many roles of Christ to get us to heaven.

He stands between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man and we are very glad about that. It also speaks it up to us. This this package is This packaged paragraph it says to us that my king is my friend is king. His highest holy I'll never be as great as him. He's also my friend itself noble. He is, Paul said that whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, pure, lovely, of good report, meditate on those things.

How many Christians do not behave as though they are noble. They have no spiritual class there like goats more than sheep that is a reminder for us to be kind and gentle to think about the things we do things we are about to say before we save them. God is always calling us to the next level up, you climb up a ladder. God's is keep coming. There keep going but I keep failing lucky failing again by trying to get off of that.

Anyway, he is my king, and he will bring me to the sanctuary this place of refuge. He Ephesians 217 came and preached peace to you were a far off and to those who are near. He's a friend I want I will going all the verses I have time will permit will close it up with the bottom part of the verse says, inasmuch as he is also mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. The promises the word of God.

Every time you see a rainbow you have to be reminded. God sees it to God sees it. You see it.

God sees what you do it with the rainbow. For instance, we have twisted sick groups out there that want to hijack the rainbow. They can even get all the colors right that's their business. And that's their judgment, they can have my rainbow is not theirs to take.

They can fake it all they want but it's not theirs belongs to God and God gave it to those who would appreciate it. To understand that this promise has power.

Genesis 913 God speaking to Noah, I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. So God is saying, and then he goes on to say when you see the rainbow using my prom, paraphrasing you're seeing my promise, you're either on the right side of the promise of the wrong side so the only purpose Israel's replica temple and elaborate services associated with the only purpose was to illustrate what Christ would mean to sinners who he was. All of this rolled in together all of their worship is connected, joined and is intended to be a shadow of the reality of Christ fulfilling it. Those Levitical rituals. They are meaningless without Christ.

Again, not only of the meaningless or harmful. You have the knowledge of Christ and you want to offer a bowl for your sins, you are insulting God.

So there meaningless and that's what the writer is saying to the Hebrews don't go back and he says to the Christian. The Gentile is says you came out of whatever junk you came out of whatever swamp you crawled out of when you were converted, don't go back.

Your life will be meaningless if you go back and not only will it be meaningless, it will be doomed and it is unnecessary. I offer you a better way. We have a better hope building a better person better promise I our high priest who ministers to us before the throne of God is one who sits on the throne of God. May we merely accepted and believe it when we move forward is authority every Christian. No matter how weak you are and every one of us as we every Christian needs to be encouraged to get another day be a little bit stronger. Take advantage of it. Move you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio