Listen Again: Nothing But The Blood

Hey, this is Jim Graham from the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we explore relationship, instead of religion, every week. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. 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, a local triangle ministry 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. This is deep theology, and Lord, we're going to, I think some of the men tonight will feel like they're standing under Niagara Falls. I pray to God that you would help me to make it simple to God, but really, you're the one who can simplify it.

You're the one who can give understanding. Lord, I pray that you would give us understanding tonight. Help us to learn the majesty of the Word of God that reveals so much truth about you, Lord, and about the ultimate price you paid when you died on that cross. It's in your name that I pray.

Amen. I've entitled tonight's message, Nothing But the Blood. We're going to be looking at Hebrews Chapter 9, so I'd invite you to go ahead and take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews Chapter 9. Leviticus 1711 says, For the life of a creature is in the blood. And that was written about 3,000 years ago. And I don't think they figured out blood until, you know, about 1,000 years after Christ was born.

They really figured it out, the circulation and everything. And yet the Bible tells us all the way back medically that the life of a man is in the blood. So here's my question. What's the big deal about the blood? Well, according to the Bible, it is the biggest deal of all. If the Bible were in color pictures, it would be a bloody mess. It would look like a battlefield with scattered carcasses covering the land.

So here's what I want us to do in the next few minutes. I want us to take a look at the history of blood in the Bible. And I think you'll find this very interesting because God is trying to tell us something through the blood covenants. So let's begin with Adam and Eve. In Genesis Chapter 3, after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized that they were naked. What did they do? They attempted the first religious ritual recorded in the Bible by covering their nakedness with what?

Fig leaves. Then they hid from God, or at least they tried to. You see, they were no longer innocent and they felt shame and guilt for the very first time.

You ever felt that way? Shame and guilty? And what was God's response? He killed two animals, made garments of skin, and clothed them. Thus, just as God said, death entered the world due to man's sin. However, God graciously covered Adam and Eve's nakedness. And in so doing, God removed their guilt and their shame. According to Dr. Mark DeHaan, God revealed the only way for sin to be dealt with, and that is with substitutionary skins. So remember that word, substitutionary. He says this is ever God's order.

It has never changed. He kills before he makes a life. He first brings down before he brings up.

He makes poor before he makes rich. Here in Genesis Chapter 3, we learn an important principle that reveals how sin must be dealt with. And the author of Hebrews, in fact Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 22 says, and without the shedding of blood, there's no what?

No forgiveness. In Genesis 15, the scene involves another bloody mess. And to a modern audience, it may seem barbaric. Because if you go read it, you'll see that God told Abraham to take some animals and cut them in half. So you've got five bloody animals lying on the ground, cut in half, and they're spread apart.

And three of them were split in half with the half separated a short distance from each other. In Abraham's time, this arrangement of divided carcasses would have been instantly recognized as the setup for making a blood covenant. A blood covenant. And so back in the day, two parties would confirm a blood agreement between them that if either did not abide by the promises each had made, then what had been done to the animals would be done to them. That's why it's called a blood covenant.

And so the two parties who made that agreement would walk through those divided carcasses, and that's how they formed that blood agreement. However, what we learn in Genesis 15 is that God put Abraham into a deep sleep, and then he alone passed through those dead carcasses. So what he was doing is God was making this unconditional promise to Abraham that he would be responsible alone. Not Abraham, but he would be responsible for carrying out all the promises that God had made to Abraham to bless the world through his seed and to give his descendants the promised land. In Genesis 17, the covenant of circumcision was instituted by God. Blood was shed when the foreskin was cut. And this was another blood covenant and was the son of God that the Israelites chose the Lord alone to be their God. And if they did not remain loyal, then they would be cut off from the blessings of God.

Are you following me? In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham by sending him to Mount Moriah to sacrifice his one and only son by the name of what? Isaac. However, right when he was about to take the knife down, the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham, and stopped, and then Abraham looked up, and he saw a ram caught in a thicket. And he took that ram and sacrificed it on the altar in place of and instead of Isaac. And so here we learn another important principle. It's called the principle of substitutionary atonement. It's revealed by God. What he was pointing to was that one day in Abraham's future, a seed would come from his body, and he would be the ultimate substitute for you and me, and that's what Jesus did. He's our substitute.

He took your place. And listen, if you had been the only person in the world who ever believed, he would have died on the cross just for you. In Exodus chapter 12, the Israelites were instructed by Moses to kill an innocent lamb, one without defect. And then they would take the blood of that innocent little lamb that I'm sure the children had grown attached to, and this shows that, you know, death is painful. They were to take that blood and spread it over the doorpost of the houses of all the Israelites, and I think even some of the Egyptians, if they believed what Moses said, they could do the same thing. And then that night when the death angel passed through Egypt to kill the firstborn of every male, both human and animal, including the son of Pharaoh, then that death angel would pass over the houses where he saw what?

The blood. And so this became the first Passover pointing to the cross where Jesus shed his blood on that altar. And so when God looks down through history at the cross, he sees the blood. And if you've placed your trust in Jesus, then God's wrath passes over you.

How good is that? In Leviticus 16, we learn about the Day of Atonement that God established to deal with the sin of the Israelites, even the sin of the high priest whose name was Aaron. Here's another word I want you to learn. This is the word atonement. It's a very important theological word. Paul writes in Romans chapter 3, verses 23 through 25, and if I had to pick out the pinnacle of the Bible, it would be Romans chapter 3, verses 21 through 25.

It's the pinnacle. If you understand those four or five verses, then you understand the entire Bible. Here's what Paul writes. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption, another important word, that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a, here's the phrase I want you to learn, a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His what?

Blood. Now the Greek word, you want to learn a Greek word? The Greek word from which we get the phrase sacrifice of atonement is hilasterion. Hilasterion.

And guess what? The mercy seat that covers the Ark of the Covenant is the same Greek word, hilasterion. Hebrews 9-5 in the chapter for tonight, it says, Above the Ark were the cherubim of the glory, that is God's angels, and they were overshadowing the hilasterion, the mercy seat. You see, the mercy seat we talked about last week is that gold covering that covers the Ark of the Covenant where the Ten Commandments are.

And this is where the blood was, you know, sprinkled by the high priest. And guys, what I want you to see tonight, and listen, I'm still learning this. By the way, this is that book right here that you all ought to try to find a copy of, The Tabernacle by Mark DeHaan. I haven't begun, I've only read about two or three chapters.

I'm going to have this finished by next Tuesday night. Because listen, I'm so fired up about this because I've always wanted to understand the tabernacle because it's always been confusing. There's so many details to it. But see, God is a God of details. And Mark DeHaan says, writes this, Every detail, that's the author of this book, Every detail of the tabernacle points to some aspect of the person and work of our Savior. But in addition to being a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the tabernacle becomes secondarily a picture of the believer, of you and me. Jesus was the tabernacle in whom all the fullness of the God had dwelt bodily. In fact, when you read John 1 14, it says, And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

Do you know what it really says in the Greek? It says, And the Word became flesh and He tabernacled with us. Jesus is the tabernacle. And what we see here, the believer in Christ is also the dwelling place of God. This is why Jesus said, When I go away, I'm going to send another comforter who will take up residence within you.

And Jesus said, Then I will come and be with you. It's the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit who lives within us. And so we are both in Christ and Christ is in us, the hope of glory. Our life is hid with Christ in God. We are temples of the Holy Spirit if you're in Christ. So what does that mean? You try to take care of this body.

You do that by being healthy. It's a form of worship. But you also do that by watching what you pour into your mind and what you look at, because this is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Back to the word hilasterion. This word means sacrifice of atonement. And I'm going to give you another fancy word. It also can be translated propitiation. You ever heard that word?

OK, that's a very complicated word. Propitiation refers to two things that occur when the blood is shed to make atonement for our sins first. The act of propitiation appeases God's wrath. In other words, it turns his wrath away from you and me when he sees that we truly what?

Believe. Did you know that God's wrath is constantly burning at full temperature, whatever that is, against what? Evil. That's everything and anything and anyone who is evil, his wrath is burning against that. John 3.36 says, Who believes in the sun has eternal life, but who rejects the sun will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. Now this is not popular on Sunday morning, but that's not why you come here, is it?

Don't you want to hear the truth? So we're little babies born really under God's wrath. And Romans 5.10 says, While we were still God's enemies. So we're born God's enemies and we're born under his wrath. Until our sins have been covered. And that is what this propitiation means. When that sacrifice is made and you place your trust in Jesus, then God's wrath is removed from you and you come under his what?

Grace. Secondly, the act of propitiation refers to the covering of our sins so that God remembers him no more. Remember God provided animal skins to cover the sin of Adam and Eve?

Why'd he do this? Because God is a God of grace and mercy. And he delights in showing mercy.

However, he's also just. And sin has to be atoned for. A price has to be paid.

And the penalty is death. Now the day of atonement came just once a year. It was the most important day on the Hebrew calendar and it still is. On this day the high priest would sacrifice a bull, a ram, and a goat. Did you all know that when Solomon was king and they had some of these long celebrations, they would sacrifice 20,000 bulls in like a week? That's a lot of what? That's a lot of bulls, yeah. That's a lot of death. Did you know that a lot of liberal churches have removed all the hymns? They won't sing nothing but the blood.

Or there is a, what is it? There is a fountain filled with blood. They don't want to talk about that.

Why? As you can hear at the end of this, the blood should be precious to us. On the day that the high priest, he would sacrifice a bull, a ram, and a goat. Then he would take the blood. He would enter through the veil into the most holy place to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. You know he had to take a thing of incense with him in there and put out smoke so it would cover the mercy seat so he wouldn't see it. Because if he saw God's holiness, he would die.

And they would actually tie a rope around the high priest because if he died in there, they would pull him out because only the high priest could go in there. To approach God's holiness, you can't do it unless what is dealt with? Your sin. God is holy and we've lost sight of God's holiness in this country.

Here's the thing. The mercy seat is a picture of the cross. It is the place where atonement was made for sin by the shedding of blood. Listen, the tabernacle tells the story of how gracious God provided a way back to Himself so that we might have fellowship with our Creator, which is what He created us to do to have fellowship with Him, and so that we might live with Him forever. And that's why we do this Bible study.

Who do you want to live with forever? God, right? That brings us to Hebrews chapter 9. Verse 1 says, Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread. This was called the holy place. Behind the second curtain was a room, and that's the veil that we always read about, that second curtain.

That's the one that's as thick as the palm of your hand. And they said a team of horses couldn't tear it apart. And it was, you know, I think 15 feet high, 15 feet wide. Behind the second curtain was a room called the most holy place, which had the golden altar of incense. By the way, that golden altar of incense was really in the holy place, but it was so associated with the inner room, the most holy place, that it almost looks like it's in there, but it's really not, okay?

All you have to do is look at that diagram you have, and you can see that the altar of incense is on the outside of the veil. The only thing that's behind the curtain, we'll see right here, is the ark of the covenant. And this ark contained the gold jaw of manna. It contained Aaron's staff that had budded, and that reminds us of what holy time of the year?

Easter, when the flowers are blooming. It's the resurrection. You see how detailed God is?

He's got Aaron's staff in there budding to remind us of Easter. And then you have the Ten Commandments, the stone tablets of the first covenant, which reminded God that we can't keep them. Above the ark were the cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.

But then the writer says, but we can't discuss these things in detail now. When everything had been arranged like this, the priest entered regularly into the outer court to carry on their ministry. That's the holy place. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle.

That's the first room. As long as that veil was standing. As long as that veil was standing, then the way really into heaven had not been revealed yet. Y'all remember when that veil was torn in two?

When? When Jesus died. This is an illustration. That's all the tabernacle was. It was an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices were being offered were not able to what? Clear the conscience of the worshiper. The law can't clear the conscience, and these regulations can't. They're only a matter of food and drink in various ceremony washings.

External regulations applying until the time of what? The new order. So this earthly tabernacle, the one that Moses constructed, was merely a copy of the true tabernacle, the true most holy place, which is located where? In heaven. In fact, I believe that all of heaven is the real most holy place. And so when you go to paradise, you're entering the most holy place. When the new Jerusalem comes down out of heaven to earth, we will live in the inner room. For how long?

Forever. That's when God says, and the dwelling of God will be with men, and men will dwell with God. All the sacrifices that were offered on the altar are shadows of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. So as we examine the earthly tabernacle, remember that it's really a picture of the sacrifice that Jesus made where? On the cross. Mark DeHaan says, God himself was the architect and every detail of the earthly tabernacle points to some aspect of the character and the work of the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

And in its complete form, it is probably the most comprehensive, detailed revelation of Jesus, the son of God, and the plan of salvation in the entire Old Testament. So why was the tabernacle only a shadow and a copy of the better things to come? In other words, why was the blood of bulls and goats not sufficient to cover our sins? Because these sacrifices were simply external religious rituals which cannot save anyone.

Why? Because outward religion cannot solve the problem of the heart. Salvation requires an inside job, an inner work that takes place in the heart of a man. Isaiah 29 says, These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

I've been to a church that was kind of like that. 1 Samuel 16 says, The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. What do we tend to look at?

Success, popularity, good looks, trophies, money. Man looks at the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. So there's only one I can save. That act took place on a lonely hill 2,000 years ago on the old rugged cross when Jesus shed His blood.

That's what I want to focus on now. Look at verse 11. When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went to the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made. That is to say, it's not a part of this creation.

Listen carefully guys. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the most holy place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal what? How long is that redemption?

Eternal. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean, sanctified them so that they are outwardly clean. Well that doesn't get you into heaven being outwardly clean. How much more then will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God cleanse our consciences.

How do you like that? From accidentally to death so that we may serve the living God. For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

In the case of a will, it's necessary to prove the death of the one who made it because a will is enforced only when somebody has died. It never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without what? Blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said this is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you to keep. In the same way, He sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood, there's no what? Forgiveness. It was necessary then for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one. He entered what? Heaven itself now to appear for who? For us.

Where? In God's presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again the way the high priest enters the most holy place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world but now He's appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Catch this, just as man is destined to die once, what does that say about reincarnation?

It's false. Just as man is destined to die once and after that to face what? Judgment. See if you're in Christ, you don't have to fear it. So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. Notice it doesn't say everyone, it says many people. There will be many people in heaven but there will be more people in hell. And it says He will appear a second time not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. I want you to notice that in Hebrews chapter 9 the word blood is used 10 times.

Why? God is making a point. Salvation, although free for you and me, came with a very heavy price for God. 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 18 through 20 says, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen when?

Before the creation of the world. So see the cross is not plan B. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake, for my sake. Through Him you believe in God who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him and so your faith and hope are in who? God.

Verse 12 says, He did not enter by means of blood of goats and calves but He entered the most holy place once fraud by His own blood thus obtaining eternal redemption. You can never lose it. If you could lose it then it wouldn't be eternal.

You can't lose it. Second, Jesus has cleansed my conscience from guilt and shame by covering my sins. Verse 14 is now one of my favorite verses in the Bible. How much more then with the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God. Third, Jesus has prepared an eternal inheritance for me. He's got my name on it. Verse 15 says, For this very reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

Do you see that? Those who are called. Have you felt God's calling you to Himself?

Listen, when He calls you it's irresistible. It's called irresistible grace. Romans 8, 29, and 30 makes this so clear. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. That He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Jesus becomes our brother. And those He predestined He also called. Those He called He also justified.

And those He justified He also glorified. Number four, Jesus has forgiven me of all my sins. Cast them into the depths of the sea and He remembers them no more.

Hebrews 8, 12 says, For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more. Number five, Jesus has promised to come again for me. To take me to be with Him. To live forever in Heaven. Verse 28 says, And He will appear a second time not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

So let me ask you a very important question. Are you waiting for Jesus to come again? With an eagerness?

With an anticipation of excitement? More importantly, are you prepared right now for His return? Should He come tonight?

There are a lot of ministers right now that I respect who believe that you look at the world events and it's lining up for the second coming. So if you hear His voice calling you, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. He will give you rest and you come while you can. Because today could be the day of salvation for someone tonight. Heavenly Father, thank You for tonight.

Thank You for Your Word. Lord, thank You for the joy and peace and hope that You offer to us. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying and shedding Your blood for me and for everyone in here. And I thank You, Lord Jesus, that one day You're going to come back and take us to be with You in the most holy place where we will live forever in perfect peace, perfect joy, forever and ever. Yes, 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, a local triangle ministry 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 triangle men to study God's Word together every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Find out more at findingpurpose.net.