Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
           “Limitations of the Old Worship System”
                                  Hebrews 9:1-10

• In John 4:19-26, Jesus explains the future of Worship.

        Four Limitations of the Old Worship System:

1.   The Temporary Nature of Earthly Worship

•  Everything physical decays.

2.   Restricted Access: Barriers 

• V-2-5   This section emphasizes the system of barriers between the worshiper and God.

3.   Limited Access: The Priesthood

•  V-6-8   This section is all about limited access to God.
• V-8   The point of referring to the Priestly ministry in the two tabernacles is made clear here.

4.   Partial Cleansing: Not all sin was forgiven!

•  V-9  The gifts and sacrifices were incapable of cleansing their  conscience.
• Conscience: “the whole interior self.”  It reflects upon the relationship of the whole person to God.
• Sin erects a barrier between man and God; it is always a heart issue.
• Defilement extends from the body to the heart.
• V-10  The old forms are obsolete: Col. 2:16-17

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                       Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                    “ Better Covenant/Better Promises”
                                           Hebrews  8:6-13

•  Our main Idea is found in V-6
•  The old covenant was not intended to last; it was flawed in the fact that the law was intended to serve as our babysitter, until the coming of Christ. Gal 3:23-24
• Doubts come when we have no root: Mt.13:20-21
• The prophetic oracle in which God promised to establish a new covenant with his people Jer. 31:31-34 is quoted in full in verses 8-12; this is the longest quotation from the OT to be found in the NT.

       The Four Promises:

1.         Incomparable Unity 

•  Jesus prayed for Unity:  John 17:20-21
• Paul claimed it: Gal 3:26-28
• He turned away because they turned: Psalm 14:3

2.         Inner Change of Heart: Ezekiel 11:19

•  Biblical worldview: we see it God’s way.

3.          Intimate Fellowship with God

4.         Instant Forgiveness of Sins

•  Psalm 103:12 
• Micah 7:19
• 1 John 1:9
• The Temple would shortly be destroyed by the Romans in AD 70
• Jesus predicted the Temples destruction: Luke 21:5-6

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                    Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                           “Our Heavenly High Priest”
                                        Hebrews 8:1-6

Three Questions Define our Heavenly High Priest:

1.         Who is our Heavenly High Priest?

•  We have a High-Priest! Hebrews 7:24
• “Once and for all” Hebrews 7:27
• How we view Jesus is critical: Revelation 1:12-18

2.         What does our Heavenly High Priest do?  

          How does Jesus Serve:

           1)      He Makes intercession Hebrews 7:25
           2)      He is our example 1 John 2:6
           3)      He is our Teacher John 14:26

3.         What did our Heavenly High Priest Offer?

•  Himself: “Once and for all” Hebrew 7:27
• Moses had been shown a scale model of the heavenly tabernacle. Exodus 25:40
• Hebrews 6:19 “Our Hope is anchored… 
• He is our “mediator.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6
• The better promises will be further developed in our next section: Hebrews  8:6-13

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                Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                           “The Better Covenant”
                                 Hebrews  7:20-28

•  The New Covenant: Jeremiah 31:31
• The Main Idea is found in Hebrews 7:22

          Four benefits of the Better Covenant:

1.      God’s Reliable Oath  (five times in 9 verses)

•  The Old Priesthood was based on a command: Exodus 28:1
• The oath is about God’s word. 
• God’s word is powerful and reliable.
•   He spoke the world into existence in Genesis 1:3
• God’s Word gets results: Isaiah 55:10-11
• God does not change His mind: Numbers 23:19

2.         The Guarantor (Jesus)

3.         The Permanent Priesthood

         The benefits of the permanent priest:

        1)   Complete Salvation

• His saving power is complete: Romans 10:9
• The old covenant brought doubt; the new brings assurance: 1 John 5:13

        2)    Ongoing Intercession—Isaiah 53:12

•  His prayer: John 17:20-21

      The Character of Christ is stated in five terms:

      1)      Holy (It is the opposite of polluted); he never deviates from in the least from God’s
                 ordinances and commandments.

      2)      Blameless or Devout: Loyal to covenant obligations.

     3)       Pure or innocent; He was not touched by evil.

     4)      Set Apart: Undefiled by the worlds standard.

     5)      Exalted: He shares the throne with God.

4.         The Perfect Sacrifice

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                     Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                                       “The Better Hope”
                                        Hebrews  7:11-19

• Look at V-19 for our Main Idea!
•  This better hope is about Jesus our High Priest: Hebrews 6:18b-20

            Compare and Contrast the two Priesthoods:

1.        The Ineffective Priesthood: Levitical

•  He resumes his thoughts on Psalm 110:4; quotes in v. 17.
• The Law was temporary: Galatians 3:23-24
• We are unable to keep the Law: Mathew  5:27-28

2.         The Effective Priesthood: Messianic 

•  There were historical witnesses: 1 Cor 15:3-8
• Fix your eyes of Jesus: Heb 12:2-4

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                    Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                              “The Great King-Priest”
                                       Hebrews  7:1-10

• Look at V-4  “Just think how great he was…”
•  Abraham lived in 2000 BC, where Mel is mentioned as the first High Priest 
• 1000 yrs later, David brings to light the significance of Mel, when he writes Psalm 110:4; this remarkable statement occurs at a time when the Levitical priesthood had been established for about 350 yrs. 
• Turn to Gen 14:17-20 

               Five Great Qualities that define the King-Priest:

1.           Royalty

2.         Righteousness 

• Jesus sought his fathers will: Mt. 26:39,42

3.         Peace

            Life is a search for peace; we seek it by:

          1)      Avoidance: Run from reality.

          2)      Denial: we deny there is not a problem.

          3)      Compromise: we don’t take a stand.

•  Righteousness comes before peace; Rom 5:1

4.          Chosen

•  An argument from silence; what isn’t said is just as important as what is said.

5.           Eternal: Priest forever!

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                                    Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                                                 Positive Expectations
                                                        Hebrews 6:9-20

• He sees them as the field spoken of in Heb 6:7-8 that produces a useful crop; “They will be blessed.”

            Five Positive Expectations:

1.         Love

•  When we love (serve) our fellow Christian; we love God:  1 John 3:16-18 

2.          Diligence

•  He wants a renewal of their former zeal: Heb 10:32-34

3.          Imitation

•  The promise of many descendants was made with an oath that emphasize its unchanging character: Gen 22:16-17

4.        Patience (Endurance)

•  Why should we be patient?  We are the heirs: Eph 3:6

5.         Hope 

•  Hope keeps us from drifting!  Heb 2:1
• The curtain was torn in two: Mk. 15:38
•  He is preparing a safe place for us:  John 14:2-3

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                       Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                                                “Lazy Ears”
                                               Heb 5:11-6:8

•   He talked about Melchizedek in Heb 5:10
•  Lazy in the ear lob… Sluggish look at Heb 6:12

     
       Three keys to Overcoming Lazy Ears:

1.          Stop being Lazy: Practice Active Listening

•  The Word equips us:  2 Tim 3:16-17
• Paul has a similar problem: 1 Cor 3:1-2
• Renew your mind with the Word:  Rom 12:2

2.         Start a Spiritual Training Program!

•  We have to get spiritually fit: 1 Cor 9:24-27

3.         Seek Maturity!

•  Literally…Baptisms – The early church had to distinguish between the Baptism of John and the Baptism of Christ. Acts 18:24-26
• Laying on of hands (Ordination) Acts 6:6
• The Resurrection: Luke 20:37-38
• Eternal Judgment: Heb 9:27-28
• Our faith in Christ demands sacrifice: Mt. 9:23-26
• Jesus also used parables: Turn to Mt. 13:20-21
• Called to be disciples: Mt. 28:18-20

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                   Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                           “The Greatest High Priest”
                                         Heb. 4:14-5:10

•  Now that we are totally exposed; we need a high priest that is not of this earth: Hebrews 4:13
• The temple would be destroyed. Mt. 24:1-2
• The Temple exists in our hearts! 1 Cor. 6:19-20

Four Directives that Emerge from the Reality of His Priesthood: 

1.   Cling to Our Profession of Faith

•   Publicly professing our faith is required: Rom 10:9
• The devil tempted him for 40 days:  Luke 4:1-2
• God provides a way past temptation: 1 Cor. 10:13

2.   Pray Confidently and Continually

•  We need to pray all the time:  1 Thes 5:16-18
• God’s grace forgives: 1 John 1:9

      The High Priest prayed three prayers: 

      1)    For Himself and his family

      2)    For other priests, 

      3)    For the people

• We will look in depth at Melchizedek in chapter 7: Heb 7:1-3

3.   Submit to the Will of God

•   He was sinless; He did not take advantage of his divinity: Phil 2:6-8
• We also will suffer! Mt. 16:24-25
•  Persecution is inevitable:  2 Tim 3:12

4.   Obey Him   

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                       Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:
                    “Participants Instead of Spectators”
                                          Hebrews 4:1-13

• Main Idea: Hebrews 4:11

            Three keys to Moving from Spectators to Participants:

1.         Obey the Word of Faith

• In the synagogue service Psalm 95 was read and then Genesis 2:1-3 was read.
• Passage above--- Psalm 95:11
• Rom 1:5 “The obedience that comes from faith.”
• James said, Faith without works… James 2:17

2.          Respond, Now to the Word of Faith

•  Your today can end anytime.
• Joshua was a type of Jesus
• We are on a pilgrimage; this world is not our home.
• Here we have work to do: Acts 1:10-11
•  We have a job to do: Ephesians  2:10

3.         Enter God’s Rest through the Word of Faith

             Three Characteristics about the Word:

             1)      The word is Alive & Active:   Isaiah 55:11

             2)      The word is Penetrating

             3)  The word is Revealing

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