Listen Again: A New Way to Heaven!

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This is the Truth Network. Do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill? Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations?

I can do this, but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God, find God, and please God are futile? Do you feel like your faith is dead or alive? Today, Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions. Join us on Finding Purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living.

For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and Finding Purpose, you can visit us online at findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. Take your Bibles and open up to Hebrews chapter 7 and 8.

I've entitled tonight's message, A New Way to Heaven. Tonight, I'm going to share the greatest good news you've ever heard, how to know for sure that when you die, you will enter paradise because that's what's waiting for you if you know Christ. 1 John 5 13 says, I'll write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

There are two Greek words from which we get the word know, and so you need to know which know is in this verse right here, and the word is the Greek word eidon, which means fullness of knowledge. It's knowledge beyond a shadow of doubt. It's the certainty of my salvation in Jesus Christ.

That's what gives me hope. That's what gives me peace and joy when we live in this fallen world. It's why I can walk around, and I'm not bragging, but it's the reason I can walk around with a skip in my step because I had this assurance of salvation. So tonight, I'm going to share with you from Hebrews chapter 7 and 8 some truths so that those of you who believe in the name of the Son of God may know beyond a shadow of doubt that you possess eternal life right now. See, if you have eternal life now, you really can't die. You just fall asleep and step into paradise.

So let me ask you another question. Did you know that there are only three possible ways for a man to be saved and to be allowed to enter heaven when he dies? There are only three possible ways. You see the automatic, earned, or it's free.

These are the only three possible ways, automatic, earned, or free. If salvation is automatic, that means everyone gets to go to heaven. This is known as universalism.

Universalism is a school of Christian theology focused around the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings will ultimately be saved and restored into a right relationship with God. You'd be surprised at how many ministers in churches right here in Raleigh do not really believe in a literal hell and in very subtle ways they teach that all paths eventually bring us to God who is a God of love and in the end love wins. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful message? Well, God does love. That's what the cross is all about.

Let me just go and set the record straight. Jesus said more about hell than anyone else in the Bible. He also said that the road that leads to heaven is narrow whereas the road that leads to destruction is wide and many people find it. To believe in universalism is to deny the plain teaching of scripture.

So that leaves the other two possibilities. Salvation is either earned or it's free. Now if salvation is earned, then here's all you have to do. Join a really nice church. Live a good and decent and moral life by obeying God perfectly and then you, listen, you will be saved. By the way, this is what most of your friends who go to church really believe even though they would never explicitly say this because they really don't understand what they believe.

They just know, well, I'm going to church. I'm better than that guy on death row. I'm a pretty, I'm a good citizen. Therefore, I believe I'm going to heaven. So what he's really saying is that because I'm such a good guy, God owes me. That makes God a what?

Debtor. Now if salvation is free, then all you have to do is repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Bible says for everyone who calls the name of the Lord will be what? Saved. Saved. If salvation is truly free, then eternal life is a gift from God based on faith alone. So what do you believe?

Automatic, earned, or free? That brings us to Hebrews chapter 7 and 8. I'm going to try to tee it up with Hebrews 7 and then I'm going to try to knock it out of the park with Hebrews 8.

The only way I'm going to knock it out of the park is if the Holy Spirit is in it. So let me pray, okay? Heavenly Father, we just come before you right now. Lord, I know that you're so glad that these men are here. Lord, I know that you're right here with us and, Lord, this is your word.

This is your this is your message. These are your promises and so I pray that you would take your word, apply it to our minds and hearts and, Lord, save the lost. Give sight to the blind and, Lord, help us to learn to enjoy feasting on meat rather than drinking milk. It's in your name that I pray.

Amen. In chapter 7, you will see that the main point is that the law could not, and listen, was never meant to save mankind. Do you know why? Because you cannot earn your way to heaven.

It's impossible. Romans 3 23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, we just don't measure up to his perfect standard. Now someone might say, well Russ, if the law could not save us, then why did God give us the law in the first place? The law must really be bad. Well, it's not that the law is bad. In fact, the law is wonderful. The problem is not with the law. The problem is with who?

Us. We're all sinners. All you have to do is look no further than the Ten Commandments. Just take the Ten Commandments and put it beside your life. When God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, shortly after he'd rescued, you remember the Israelites from, they'd been in bondage and slavery in Egypt for 400 years. He brought them out here to the desert and he called Moses up on top of the mountain and there God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on those two tablets. And what he was doing, what God was doing, he was setting the bar high knowing that no one could rise to its level of perfection. So why did he do this?

Because he was using the law to make a point. He's actually using the law to point us to Jesus. He had to show us first that we're sinners.

But listen, all along God had another plan. This is what the writer of Hebrews is trying to show us. The law that was given at Mount Sinai is known as the Mosaic Covenant. There on Mount Sinai, God not only gave Moses the Ten Commandments, but listen, he also gave him the plans for the construction of the tabernacle and instruction on how the priests were to conduct all those mysterious ceremonies in the Old Testament that involved the killing of goats and lambs, the shedding of innocent blood, and the act of atonement in the Holy of Holies. Guys, if y'all haven't read Exodus and Leviticus, this is going to be like Greek to you.

So that's why I'm going to try to really help you understand it. You see, all of this, these ceremonies, the shedding of the blood of all these innocent lambs pointed to the coming of who? Who did John the Baptist say it was?

Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. There are several covenants in the Bible that you should be familiar with. These different covenants were made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and then we have the New Covenant. A covenant is essential in men, a promise on the part of God. Now some of his promises were conditional. That is, he was basically saying to the Israelites, if you do this, then I'll do this. On the other hand, some of his covenants were unconditional. That is, they were unilateral promises by God that he was going to do certain things no matter what we do.

The other ones I really like. In the Noah covenant, God promised never to destroy the world again by what? A flood. And so, and then he put a rainbow in the sky to remind the people that he was never going to flood the world again.

So when you see a rainbow, what should you be thinking? That's God's reminder to the world that I'm never going to flood the world again. In the Abrahamic covenant, God promised to bless the nations, all the nations of the world, through the seed. And that word seed is singular. He promised to bless the nation of the world through the seed of Abraham. This was also an unconditional promise. And Jesus was the promised seed. And you can trace his lineage. We have it in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3.

You can trace it all the way back to Abraham. In the Mosaic covenant, which we're going to focus on tonight, God promised to bless Israel if they did what? If they obeyed him. This was the promise.

This was a conditional promise. If Israel obeyed God, then he would bless them. If Israel disobeyed God, then he would judge them.

And we know that Israel did what? They disobeyed and God judged them severely. In the Davidic covenant, God made a promise to David that a descendant would come from his own body who would sit on his throne for how long?

Forever. 2 Samuel chapter 7. And who came from the line of David?

Jesus. And now Jesus sitting on the throne of heaven where he will reign forever. And then finally, men, you have the new covenant, which God announced through both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. He lived about 600 years before Pentecost. Who came at Pentecost?

The Holy Spirit. And so this new covenant, men, is the best promise ever made by God to the world. And we're going to look at this in chapter 8. So I just want you to understand the importance of these covenants. And that brings us to Hebrews chapter 7.

And I'm going to pick up with verse 11. If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the law was given to the people, why was there still need for another priest to come? One in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron.

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He of whom these things are said, the Christ, the coming Messiah. He of whom these things are said belong to a different tribe. And no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. What tribe are they talking about? They're talking about Judah.

Look at the next verse. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah. And again you can trace his lineage all the way back to Judah. And in regard to that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests.

And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears. One who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry. What that means is the priest ought to have come from the tribe of Levi and had to be a descendant of Aaron. And that was based on a law, okay? That's what it means right there. One who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation or law as to his ancestry, but on the basis of what?

The power of an indestructible life. For it is declared, you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The formal regulation, that is the law, is set aside. He's talking about the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. It's set aside. Why?

Because it's weak and useless. For the law made nothing perfect. And see, the problem is God is perfect and holy. And you can't come into his presence unless something's done about your unholyness. Unless something's done about my unholyness. And so a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God.

That's what you know God made us because he wants us to draw near to him. And it was not without an oath. Others became priests without any oath.

It was just based on the law. But he, that is the Messiah, became a priest with an oath when God said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you, talking about God's Son, you are a priest forever. And because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better, what?

Covenant. Now there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, listen men, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him. Because he always lives men, even right now, to intercede for us. You see, that lamb had to be perfect, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners. See God's holiness, he can't come into the presence of sinners or sin.

And we can't come into his presence in that sinful condition. Exalted above the heavens, unlike the other priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day after day. First for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered who?

Himself. For the law appoints as high priest men in all their weakness. But the oath which came after the law appointed the Son, has been made perfect forever. The old priesthood and the law were never intended to bring us to God.

Why? Because you cannot come to God through an ordinary man who will die one day, who is also a sinner. All the priests from Aaron to the very last priest at the time of the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Think about this, Jesus died around 33 AD, that temple was destroyed about four years later. When that temple was destroyed, what came to an end? All those Old Testament ceremonies.

Who do you think was really behind that destruction of that temple? God. Why?

Because it's not needed anymore. And there were about 80, apparently there were about 83 priests from Aaron to that last one. And they all what? Died.

Why? Because they're all sinners just like you and me. And as I've already said, no one has ever lived who could obey the ten commandments perfectly. So why the law? Why did God give us the law? Well the law was given to us to literally take us by the hand, come on little sheep, and lead us to what?

Who? Jesus. Galatians 3 verses 23 through 24 explains it. Listen, before this faith came we were held prisoners by the law. Why were we imprisoned by the law?

Because we can't keep it. And if you're trying to get to heaven by way of the law, you're just imprisoned and you can never be set free. Before this faith came we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come we are no longer under the supervision of the law. So guys we've been taken out from under the law. You see if you're under the law you're in bondage to it.

You can't keep it. But once you trust Christ you come under what? Grace. So what was the point of the Aaronic priesthood? Well it pointed to the one high priest who would be very different from all the others. He would be the one without sin. He would be the one who, and this was so great, who would open the door to heaven so man that we can have a personal relationship with who? God.

You see we can draw near to God in a personal relationship because Jesus has opened up the door to heaven. He would be the one who would rise from the dead and live forever. Who's the man I'm talking about? What's his name? Jesus.

The name that is above every name. You see Jesus is entirely different. Jesus came not from the line of Aaron but from the line of Judah who was the kings came from Judah in the order of Melchizedek. Thus Jesus is a, he's not just a priest, but he's a royal priest. He's actually prophet, priest, and king. Jesus did not become a high priest as I said earlier due to some law that said that you had to come from the tribe of Levi. Jesus became a high priest by the oath of who?

God. Hebrews 6 18 says this, God did this so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, the two unchangeable things are God's word and his promise or his oath. God did this so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus who went before us has entered on our behalf. He is becoming high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Do you have hope as an anchor for your soul?

If you know somebody who's depressed, a friend who's isolated, you need to make sure he has hope. Verse 17 says, for it is declared you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Who made this declaration? God the Father. He did it through David. Here the rite of Hebrews is quoting King David from Psalm 110 verse 4. About 1100 years before Jesus came to this earth, David being moved by the Holy Spirit prophesied that the Lord, the Christ, would come to serve as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Thus with Jesus comes a better hope by which we can draw near to God personally and individually. And individually with Jesus we have come, we have someone who guarantees our salvation through a new and better covenant. So when you're saved, God fills you with his Holy Spirit. It's a seal. It's a guarantee.

It's a deposit. That's why you can sink blessed assurance because you know it. With Jesus we have someone who's able to forgive all our sins, past, present and future. Did you know that if you're in Christ those sins are already forgiven? So this forgiveness here, I want you to understand this, it is fully complete and it is eternal. And when God forgives a man, he says he remembers his sins no more.

With Jesus we have someone who can meet all of our needs because he became one of us. He understands us men. He understands the temptation you face.

He was tempted, it's hard for me to believe, in every way that Russ Andrews has been tempted. And he sympathizes with us and therefore he's a merciful and gracious high priest. And he's right there with his arms so as for you to come to him just to confess your sins. And you know what he does?

If this is you, he just takes you right here, rubs your shoulder, hey man I understand. I understand. I forgive you.

It's okay. I've already paid for that sin. So a Christian does not have to ask for forgiveness to have his relationship restored to God because you can never lose your relationship. But you can lose your fellowship. So guys, you know, like if you're struggling with pornography, if you're struggling with that, what it does is, first of all, it brings tremendous guilt.

I know I've experienced it. And if you're just doing that and you're not asking God to forgive you, then your fellowship with God is cut off. So how can you have that fellowship restored? You go to him and say, Jesus I'm so sorry.

I did it again. Please forgive me Lord. And he'll forgive you. Then you say, Lord help me not to do it again. And then you take drastic measures. Jesus said, pluck your eye out.

That doesn't mean to literally take your eye out, but he wants you to take drastic measures. You take that computer and throw it out of your house if you have to. Put it in there where your wife is. You know, if you're single, you just get rid of your computer.

You don't have to have one. And watch your cell phone. And guys, I understand that sin. This is the man Jesus, guys, who is alive in heaven right now. He is a real man.

He's not a spirit, even though he's a spiritual being. He has flesh and blood. When you get to heaven, you're going to be to shake his hand.

And he's going to grab you and pull you up next to him. He is real and each one of us can draw near to Jesus because he loves us. And he died for us. So let me ask you, do you hear Jesus calling you, come to me all who are weary and burdened? Hebrews 8 verse 1. Now the main point of what we're saying is this. We do have such a high priest who sat down at the who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven and who serves in the the real sanctuary, guys.

I want you all to catch this. The true sanctuary is where? It's in heaven. The true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices.

And so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, that is if Jesus were on earth, he would not be a priest for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of the real oneness in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle. When he was on top of that mountain, basically God said to him, Moses, here's a set of plans right here. See this right here?

See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But the ministry Jesus has received isn't superior to theirs. Talking about those high priests back then. Jesus is so superior it's ridiculous. And the covenant of which he's mediator is superior to the old one. This new covenant is great since the new covenant is established on better promises. On the day Jesus died on the cross the Bible says, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

That would have horrified all the Pharisees. All of a sudden it's ripped in two because salvation is totally a work of God. That God reaches down from top to bottom to rescue us. God is the one who's seeking us.

He is the hound of heaven. This is what the new covenant is all about. And that brings us to verse 7. For there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant.

No place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said the days are coming declares the Lord. You guys this is quoted he's uh the right of Hebrews is quoting who?

Jeremiah. And Jeremiah said the days are coming declares the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It would not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they did not remain faithful to my covenant and I turned away from them declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time declares the Lord. These are the promises the better promises of this new covenant. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will meet my people. No longer would they teach their neighbor or say to one another know the Lord. You're not going to need a priest to be teaching you because they will all know me from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.

So what can we take away from chapter 8? The first covenant the mosaic covenant became obsolete and useless not because the law was bad but because we are. You see the responsibility of the Israelites was to listen to God and obey Him but history clearly shows that the Israelites completely failed. The old covenant was imperfect because it required obedience from sinful people and aren't we all. All you have to do is look at our nation.

Romans 3 12 through 18 is an indictment against our country and really against all of us. All have turned away. They have together become worthless.

There's no one who does good not even one. Their throats are open graves. Think about the vial that's coming out of our politicians and you know even in families. Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. What comes to your mind there?

Abortion. Ruin and misery mark their ways and the way of peace they do not know and here's the underlying problem. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Our nation has lost its fear of God. So what's the solution? The solution is the new covenant which promises a heart change.

You see the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. What does God promise through this first covenant? First I want you to understand that this covenant was made with Israel. However it applies to all of us gentiles.

How do we know this? Because this new covenant ultimately refers to the entire new testament. You could say old covenant, new covenant. You know old testament, old covenant, new testament, new covenant and Paul who wrote most of the new testament was the missionary commissioned by God to bring good news to who? The gentiles.

That's why we're all sitting here tonight. We're included in this new covenant but only by faith. Now what does God promise? To write his laws on our hearts.

How does he do this? By sending his Holy Spirit to indwell us. This is what happened at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came and indwelt man for the first time ever. When the Holy Spirit indwells a man that man becomes a new creation.

Think about this. When you become a Christian you become the tabernacle for the Holy Spirit. Your body becomes the temple.

Let me ask you something. Will people see you? Would they say they see a new man, a new creation? When the Holy Spirit indwells a man for the first time all of his sins are wiped away and God remembers them no more. When the Holy Spirit indwells a man that man comes to know God personally. It's only then then when you can call God Abba, Father, Daddy. Romans 8 15 and 16 Paul writes, for you do not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you receive the spirit of sonship and by him we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are what?

God's children. That's how you know. That's how you have blessed assurance. You can hear the Holy Spirit saying you belong to me. Finally when the Holy Spirit indwells a man he imparts to that man in that very moment eternal life.

So it's to my question regarding the three possible ways to be saved, automatic, earned, or free. Here's what I believe and here's where I stand. We are saved by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, according to scripture alone, and for God's glory alone. That's what the Bible says and the Bible don't what?

Lie. Let's pray. Heavenly Father thank you for your word. Lord we're deep in the swimming pool. I pray to God that you will take your word and just penetrate our minds and hearts and Lord help us to want to mature in the faith which is what Hebrews is telling us to do.

Not to remain babes and just drink a little skim milk but to go deep. Help us Lord to go deep. Lord I love these men.

I know you love them. Bless them. Protect them. Bring them to faith and we pray to God that what we have here will spread throughout our community and even to the uttermost parts of the world. It's in your name that I pray.

Amen. Being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ. You've been listening to Finding Purpose with Pastor Russ Andrews, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources at findingpurpose.net or connect to Finding Purpose on Facebook. Pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him and over 300 other local men to study God's Word together every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Find out more at findingpurpose.net. This is the Truth Network.