IBCD Sermon Weekly

As we journey through Advent, we come to the theme of love. We are all aware that the word “love” is one which means very different things based on context. When someone says they “love” a movie or “love” a food, it is different from someone, even the same person, saying they love their family.

But even with that said, the love of God is hard to fully understand. I think the closest we can come to it is a parental love, which is a different thing from romantic love or close comradeship which is formed in common experience.

John 3:16-17 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

As 2024 comes to an end, once again, it can hardly be said it was a peaceful year. One of Jesus’ titles is “Prince of Peace”. He also talks a lot about having peace in the Gospels. What is the peace we have in Christ, if not yet peace of earth and goodwill toward men?

Luke 2:14 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Today is the first week of Advent, the theme of which is “Hope”. So, we will take a break from the book of Hebrews and move into the Advent season by looking at the Hope given to us by God through the incarnation.

In Hebrews chapter 9, the author dives into this idea of something greater going on as he describes what is taking place in the temple of heaven, where Jesus is our high priest, exploring themes of worship, atonement, and the supremacy of Christ's sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:14 14 How much more, then, will 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!

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus will often take a “law” and redefine it in such a way that it becomes about the heart and not just the action.

“Don’t hate your enemies. Love your enemies. Pray for them.”

“When you hate your brother, it is as if you have murdered your brother.”

“When you look upon someone lustfully, then you have committed adultery”.

Why would Jesus do that? Why would he take commands which were hard enough to keep in “the flesh” and make them about the heart, the mind, and condition of our soul?

That seems unnecessarily unfair even if it is true. However, what Jesus is setting before us is a new way, a new hope and better covenant.

Hebrews 8:6 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.

Melchizedek in the Old Testament is only mentioned two times, but over time there had been a lot of ideas around him taught by various Rabbi’s. What is said about him in the scripture, and what is not said, both hold meaning. In chapter 7 the author of Hebrews finally clarifies what he means by saying Jesus is a High Priest in the “order of Melchizedek”.

Psalm 110:4 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

Hebrews 7:23-28 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest meets our need-- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices 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 himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Promises are a part of our everyday lives. Unfortunately, however, even though the very idea of promises is to guarantee something, they are not always kept and therefore we often have to deal with broken promises. This is different with God, by His very nature He cannot lie, and therefore all His promises will be fulfilled. So, let us have a look at God's promises for us and take refuge in them.

Hebrews 6:17-18

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

One of the oldest questions in Christianity is the question of is it possible to lose one’s salvation after becoming a Christian? It is a more complicated question than it might seem to be because it brings up the very nature of God and humanity. It has been the source of much heated debate over the years. So, let’s see what the Scripture says and the journey this issue has taken through church history.

Hebrews 6:4-6 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Hebrews 6:9-11 9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case-- things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

In the passage today, the author of Hebrews takes a sudden turn to tell the readers (or hearers) of this sermon that they are not as spiritually mature as they should be. He mentions some “elementary teachings” and lists them. Interestingly, over the centuries, some of the “elementary” teachings have led to many disputes.

So, let’s visit these teachings today.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Do you consider yourself as a person with the title “Priest”? Not only “Priest” but “Holy” and “Royal Priest”? What do we do with this title? Why does Peter call those who make up the church, the followers of Jesus Christ, this title of “Holy” and “Royal” Priesthood? How are we to live this? To understand it, we need to understand Jesus as our “High Priest”.

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 4 As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.