A Repeated Reminder of Sin – Hebrews 10:1-3

Kootenai Church

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Open to Hebrews chapter 10 and let's pray together before we begin Father we pray that you would teach us your word today and feed us from your

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Holy Word that we may be sanctified by the Truth we may be encouraged in our walk with Christ and that we may be found to rest fully

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Completely on his sufficiency of what he has done on the cross on behalf of all those who are his

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We pray that you would be glorified now through our time and our study here in Christ's name. Amen There is an insidious error that crops up in some form in almost every era and every generation of church history

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And it is the error that seeks to take elements features and forms of the Old Covenant and drag them into the new and you don't have to travel far or be exposed to Too many

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Christian circles before you will run across somebody or some group that commits this error

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Some seek to obey the dietary laws and subject themselves to the ceremonial codes of the

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Old Testament Some people seek to observe make Sorry to recognize the

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Sabbath observances and participate in those and to somehow take the Lord's Day on a Sunday and celebrate it

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Something akin to how they would have celebrated the Sabbath under the Old Covenant there are some messianic

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Jewish groups that try to observe different forms of the Old Covenant by participating in the

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Passover and observing that or observing Yom Kippur or Dressing like the

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Jews used to dress or growing their beards out and and just taking these things from the

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Old Covenant and dragging them Into the new thinking that in doing so that they are honoring the Lord by Celebrating those elements of the

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Old Covenant that are clearly have passed away There used to be a gentleman in our area who had started a messianic church

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This was some years ago, and I don't even know if he's still in our area But I ran across him because we were at a pastor's meeting together and he dressed and looked like an

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Old Testament Jew And yet he said he believed in Jesus as the Messiah and we had the opportunity to get into just some discussions about Well, if you're part of the new covenant if you're in the new covenant, then why are you still clinging to the old?

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Those were fun discussions There seems to be this affinity this affection this attraction to all of those forms and features and I don't know if it is the desire to go back to physical representations of their sanctification or Physical expressions of their holiness or their righteousness or outward displays of those things but it is an unhealthy affinity that some christians have for Those things in the old covenant that they embrace things which have clearly passed away and I can at least

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Understand that if you were to transport yourself back into the first century You could understand that talking with jews of the first century while the temple was still there and you people were still bringing

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Sacrifices to the temple and you could still see the priest and that was still going on or if you had grown up in that Environment as a jew and you had been all of your friends were still practicing

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Elements of the old covenant all your family was still wrapped up in it And if you had grown up in it You just become entrenched in it

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You could even think of a relationship with god apart from all of those external features and and functions of that old covenant

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I can at least understand that because there is a power in tradition Isn't there not there's things that we grow up with that.

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We just have to continue on Even though it might be defunct or not make any sense for instance

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In our family today, we start listening to christmas music Yeah, I got you. I I hear that I hear that opposite of the amen

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November 8th now why november 8th jim doesn't that seem a bit early? Yeah, it's it's more than a bit early

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You say why would you do that for two solid months? Why would you subject yourself to that living hell for the next two entire months?

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And it all comes back to a tradition At some point in the past on november 8th

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My mother -in -law whom I blame for a lot of things My mother -in -law decided that it felt christmasy

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And so she was going to start listening to christmas music and that has been a tradition ever since Now if time travel is ever invented

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And I ever have access to it That is one of the top five mistakes of history that I will go back and correct is that but that tradition now has gripped

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Inexplicably all of them and they they all start this on november 8th Well same thing with the old covenant if you had grown up in that I can

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I can understand how it'd be difficult to let Go of that And to embrace something entirely new to do away with all of the forms and functions what

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I cannot understand Is a gentile who has never grown up with that Never seen an ironic priest never been to the temple and never sacrificed an idol

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Not an idol and never sacrificed an animal To an idol or to anything else never sacrificed an animal going back to those ceremonial forms and functions.

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That to me is completely inexplicable and Completely unacceptable because that old covenant is weak

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It is useless It is unable to do certain things those are not my words Those are the words of the book of hebrew hebrews in chapter 7 8 9 and 10 and we are in this section now

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In chapter 10. So you want one of the questions that I would ask somebody who wants to go back to that old covenant? I would ask them this what do you lack in jesus that you think the shadow fills in for you?

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What do you lack in jesus that you think the shadow? provides for you Because that difference between shadow and substance is the very difference that is is elucidated here in hebrews chapter 10

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That's really what the author is already describing and last week or last time when we were together When we talked we're looking at hebrews 10 we got into verse 1 and we saw that he says that that that old testament sacrifices the animal sacrifices and the

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The attachments of the old covenant those are the shadows of the good things to come And not the very form of the substance of those things

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And and the author here in hebrews 10 Is explaining to us why it is that jesus had to come and suffer and die

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To deal with the sin issue and then why he is going to return again a second time not to deal with sin

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But instead to bring salvation to all those who eagerly await him and the reason that jesus had to come and do this

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Is because the old testament animal sacrifices were completely unable to accomplish that you see if it were possible for animal sacrifices

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For the ironic priesthood for that temple and all of the things attached to that mosaic covenant If it were possible for them to give us those good things, then the death of jesus would have been entirely unnecessary

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But since those things could not provide those good things to come the death of jesus has provided those good things to come

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The death of jesus in his life his ministry and what he has accomplished is the substance and the animal

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Sacrifices were merely the shadow of those things. Well, that's the first reason and there are two more that are listed here in verses

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Two three and four the second one is that those sacrifices had to be repeated And the third one is that those sacrifices were merely animal sacrifices

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Those two things demonstrate the inadequacy of those old testament sacrifices So let's look at that one in verses one through three again that these sacrifices had to be repeated

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Let's read verse one for the law since it is only a shadow of the good things to come And not the very form of those things.

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That's what we looked at last time. It is a shadow and not the substance It can never by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make perfect those who draw near otherwise

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Would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have had consciousness of sins

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But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year This is the inadequacy of the old covenant sacrifices

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That they had to be repeated now one of the most striking contrasts between the death of jesus and the sacrifice of animal sacrifices in the old testament one of the most

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Striking contrasts is this that animal sacrifices went on indefinitely always

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They were repeated constantly and the death of jesus happened one time This is something that a jew could not even would not even really have been able to get his mind

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Entirely around because the jew was never used to thinking of sacrifices as being a one -time sacrifice

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In fact to speak of a once for all sacrifice would seem to a jew as if it is a contradiction in terms

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What do you mean a once for all sacrifice? How do we know what a once for all sacrifice looks like? And yet this singular nature of the sacrifice of jesus christ is what the author of hebrews is going to camp on All the way through to the end of verse 18 in chapter 10

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This becomes now the major theme and the major focus for all of chapter 10 He has mentioned it a couple of times prior.

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He mentioned it back in chapter 7 verse 27 Saying that christ does not need daily like those high priests to offer up sacrifices

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First for his own sins and then for the sins of the people But this he did once for all when he offered up himself and he just mentions it there

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He mentions it again later in chapter 9 verse 6 Now when these things have been so prepared the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship

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And that of course is in distinction and contrast to jesus who just enters into the tabernacle once that is the true tabernacle in heaven

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And there has taken a seat at the father's right hand and then remember this is how chapter 9 ended

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We notice the language at the end of chapter 9 look up at verse 25 Nor was it that he would offer himself often as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood

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That's not his own Otherwise, he would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world But now once at the consummation of the ages, he has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself

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And in as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment So christ also having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time for salvation

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Without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him notice all of that language often once often once he's contrasting something

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This is so distinct from everything the jews knew They couldn't even conceive of a once for all sacrifice

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They would have said we have sacrifices in the morning and then we have sacrifices in the evening And then guess what the next morning we have more morning sacrifices and the next evening we have more evening sacrifices

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Then we have one time once one time event sacrifices like the dedication of the temple or the dedication of a king

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And then we have monthly sacrifices and we have personal sacrifices and we have yearly sacrifices like passover and the day of atonement

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We're always doing sacrifices. In fact, we have had more sacrifices than any of us could count in an entire lifetime

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Jews couldn't even think of a one -time once for once for all sufficient sacrifice that accomplishes what it was done and never has to be

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Repeated such a thing seemed like a contradiction in terms and they would have wondered what possible good could such a sacrifice be

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They would have thought that this is the very thing that would signal the inadequacy of jesus sacrifice

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What do you mean it only happened once only once what kind of a sacrifice only happens once?

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It must not have been any good if it only happens once and yet the very thing That they would have assessed as being an inadequacy in the sacrifice of christ

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Is the very thing that demonstrates just how sufficient it is that it only had to happen once And this is what the author is just going to hammer for the rest of chapter 10

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Well, not the rest of chapter 10, but all the way through chapter 10 verse 18 He's going to return to this time and again to show that the fact that the old testament sacrifices were repeated

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Demonstrates that they were unable to do what? Jesus christ has done In those sacrifices they can never look at the language in verse 1

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They can never buy the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year make perfect those who draw near they can never do it

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I want you to imagine for a second I want you to stop and think about this word never for just a second I want you to imagine transport yourself mentally back into the first century and then think to yourself first century you

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You're back there outside of the temple and you're about ready to observe the day of atonement And you've been your family has been doing this since as early as you can remember

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Your people have been doing this for 15 centuries 1500 years since the time of moses This has been going on with only brief periods of time when the temple wasn't functioning

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I understand that but basically for 1500 years this covenant had been in place and it was god's expectation that they

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Offer sacrifices yearly and morning and evening etc as prescribed by the law of moses So it's been going on for 15 centuries

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And I want you to imagine that you're standing there thinking about that You're about ready to observe the day of atonement and I walk up to you and I say to you

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How much longer do you think we're going to have to do this? Is that how much longer like what do you mean how much longer?

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Well We've been doing this for 15 centuries. Our people have been doing this for 15 centuries Do you think that there's any possibility that this day of atonement?

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The sacrifice that the priest is about to make that this might be the very last one. Do you think that's possible? You think that this bull and this goat might be able to accomplish a salvation forgiveness of sins?

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Could this be the very last day of atonement? What would you say? No, it can't possibly be the last day of atonement because we're commanded to do this again next year why because sin is still a reality and we will still sin and sin is still an issue and I guess these bulls and these sacrifices are not going to take care of it just in one year

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This one sacrifice is not going to do it and then I might reason with you and say well We've been doing this for 1500 years.

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Do you think that maybe another 10 years test 10 more sacrifices? Will that do it? Maybe a hundred more yom kippur sacrifices.

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Would that be enough to atone for sin? Would 100 be able to do it? Well, let's take 1500 years let's just add 1500 more if we had done this for 3000 years

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We could go 1500 years into the future and we could look back on 3000 years of these sacrifices Would 3000 years be enough to atone for sin?

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What if we took that 3000 years and we doubled it and made it 6000 years? Would 6000 years of yom kippur passover personal morning and evening sacrifices be enough to atone for sins?

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Could it possibly do it? When do you think we will ever bring the sacrificial system to an end because the sacrifices have accomplished redemption and put away sin entirely

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See just that mental exercise helps you to understand that if you cannot accomplish it in 1500 years

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Those same sacrifices offered year after year can never put away sin

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And the fact that they are offered year after year is the evidence itself It is built into the system.

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The evidence of the inadequacy of those sacrifices is built right into the system itself This is to go on forever indefinitely.

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It was always to happen There was never a point where you ever offered the final sacrifice never the final passover

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Never the final yom kippur never the final personal sacrifice never a final morning sacrifice and never a final evening sacrifice

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There was no provision in that old covenant for it to ever come to an end after x number of animals had been sacrificed

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And that very fact alone and that it is repeated was evidence that this can never accomplish what it is picturing

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It is picturing the atonement of sin, but it itself can never accomplish it because we have to do it all over again next year

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It can never make perfect the text says in verse one those who draw near what does the word perfect mean there?

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We you and I tend to think of the word perfect It's important that we understand this you and I tend to use the word perfect to describe a qualitative Uh a qualitative distinction some quality it's without error.

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It's it's uh, it's it's perfect You know what? I'm talking about. It's without error

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It is without imperfection It is without blemish It sometimes is used to refer.

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We sometimes use the word perfect to refer to a moral perfection or a quality perfection But that's not what this word means.

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This word perfect is a word that means finished or completed It refers to something that has reached its intended goal.

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It is brought to a finished state It has been brought to its appointed end The word is used to describe something that is a fulfillment or a completion now earlier in hebrews

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We saw the author make mention a couple of different times That the law and the priesthood of the old covenant were unable to make us perfect or to perfect us for instance

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Hebrews 7 11 now if perfection was through the levitical priesthood for on the basis of it the people received the law

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What further need was there for another priest to rise according to the order of melchizedek? And not be designated according to the order of aaron and there the author is simply pointing out

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The priesthood was unable to perfect the worshiper what aaron did was unable to perfect the worshiper Therefore another priest of another priesthood was necessary later on in chapter 7 verse 19

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He says the law made nothing perfect and on the other hand There is the bringing in of a better hope and there he's contrasting the provisions and promises of the law

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With the provisions and promises of the new covenant and since the old covenant the law was unable to perfect people Something else had to be brought in a new covenant, which was able to perfect the worshiper

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So he's already used this concept of being made perfect and in it He is simply describing us being brought to god in the context of hebrews in the context of worship being perfected in this sense

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Means to be brought into the presence of god made at peace with him reconciled to him So that we can be brought into his presence and all of our sin can be taken away

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We can be declared righteous and god can be propitious or gracious to us On the basis of what christ has done

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We are unable to draw near to god without christ and in in this context of hebrews

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That's what being made perfect is to finally be brought to its completed end What was the goal of the sacrifice you came and you offered an animal you brought in you atoned for that sin?

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What was the what was the picture goal? The picture goal was the satisfaction of divine justice

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So that god could be gracious to the sinner bring the sinner in and draw him near to him That was the pictured goal, but those animal sacrifices never accomplished it

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Which is why as a jew and you offered a sacrifice you couldn't go in and offer an animal watch the blood be shed and then

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March behind the curtain and hang out at the ark of the covenant in the presence of the shekinah glory You could never do that.

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Why because you could never be brought near to god You could never have those sins atoned for and taken out of the way

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Access to god was pictured but never actually made made possible under the old covenant And so the old covenant was unable to perfect this

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So those same sacrifices which are offered year by year the people would offer those sacrifices And on the basis of those sacrifices because they offered them in faith believing that in in an act of faith and an act of obedience

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God would see that sacrifice recognize their faith and make them acceptable or accept them and be gracious to them on the basis of that sacrifice

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But that sacrifice didn't actually accomplish that that sacrifice looked forward to another sacrifice that would actually accomplish that act

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And yet god was gracious to them on the basis of those sacrifices because of what those sacrifices pictured was coming in the future

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I want you to skip ahead just a few verses in chapter 10. If you will look down at verse 11 I want you to notice the repeated language where the author brings these two themes together the what christ has done

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Uh as opposed to the old testament sacrifices the inability of the old testament sacrifices to perfect us, etc

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Look at verse 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins

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But he having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time Sat down at the right hand of god waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet

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For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified Look at that last phrase for by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified

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The law could not perfect a worshiper the Aaronic priesthood could not perfect a worshiper those sacrifices could not perfect a worshiper

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But jesus in giving us a better covenant and being a better priest and offering a better sacrifice has done

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What he has perfected he has brought near all for all time those who are his

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Those on whose behalf he has suffered he has brought them near and he has perfected them Meaning he has taken away their sin debt.

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He has made them righteous in the sight of god He has removed their guilt and their guilty conscience and he has brought them near to god

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So that god can be gracious to them all because of the work of what christ has done now in verse 2

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The author tackles the subject from a bit of a different angle and he asks a question The obvious answer to the question is yes

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That is the intended answer to it and just a moment's reflection on the question demonstrates What he is saying verse 2.

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Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? What is he talking about the old testament sacrifices? Would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have had consciousness of sins

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Wouldn't those old testament sacrifices eventually come to an end if they were able to accomplish

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The removal of guilt and the removal of sin from the worshiper If those sacrifices were able to perfect the worshiper in this sense

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Then there would have come at some point where we just say I think that's it It's all done

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Last sacrifice has been made Let's take down the tabernacle. Let's take down the temple. Let's stop this disband the priesthood

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We'll all go get other jobs and and that's it. That's enough But those sacrifices could never cease to be offered because they never actually accomplished salvation the putting away of sin

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This is what is meant in hebrews chapter 10 verse 18 when he says now where there's forgiveness of these things There's no longer any offering for sin

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See if forgiveness is accomplished by those sacrifices Then there's no offering for sin If you have to continue to give a sacrifice

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You only continue to give a sacrifice because you are implicitly saying my sin has not been forgiven

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It's not been dealt with so I have to give another sacrifice and another sacrifice But if forgiveness is granted if it is complete and the sinner is declared righteous and his sins are forgiven and he is cleansed

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If that has taken place Then there's no need for any other sacrifice. No more sacrifices

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Which means two things I want to apply this principle in two ways here this morning First it would mean that no jew could ever approach the temple or the tabernacle

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Having made a profession of faith in christ and trust in christ with a reason He could never approach the temple or tabernacle with a reason to give another sacrifice

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In other words this this really is addressed to jews who might have been thinking to themselves. I think jesus is great

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And that's fantastic one sacrifice is a great sacrifice. He's the messiah He fulfilled the old testament demands for the messiah and he offered up his life in my stead

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I believe that i'm trusting in that that that atones for my sin But I've still got my lamb and i'm still heading to the temple on saturday to offer this sacrifice

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To god to atone for my sins No, jew could ever do that You could never if jesus christ has accomplished redemption

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That no other sacrifice is necessary to add to his sacrifice. Do you get that? This this addresses jews who are on the fence

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I think jesus is great, but I want to make sure I got the animal sacrifices just in case just in case it's not enough

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Just in case it's not sufficient i'm going to cover all of my bases So that if one doesn't work the other one will will avail for me on the day of judgment

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If jesus christ's death is sufficient, then there is no need for any animal sacrifice Secondly, and I just want to mention this here because we're going to deal with this when we get down at toward the end at verse 18 secondly

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This would also this brings us I should say it this way This brings us to the point where we have to recognize the distinction between The teaching of scripture regarding the death of christ and what is accomplished and the teaching of the roman catholic church regarding the mass

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And i'm just mentioning it here because it's germane to this subject And it is something that I want you to be aware of as we work our way through this entire passage because we get down To verse 18

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We're going to dive into this in a little bit more detail after we've looked at everything that it says here about the one -time nature of the sacrifice of jesus

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But the roman catholic teaching on the mass is that the mass which is their version of communion or the eucharist that that Ceremony they refer to as the sacrifice of the mass because rome believes and rome teaches

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That every time a priest goes through the functions of the eucharist And says his words his latin words over those elements that they turn into the literal body and blood of jesus christ

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And they become yet another sacrifice of christ on the altar of the mass. That's roman catholic teaching

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They refer to it as an unbloody sacrifice, but it is called the sacrifice of the mass So their belief is that every time the mass is done in a roman catholic church by a roman catholic priest

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Anywhere on the planet in every time zone no matter what day it is that the sacrifice of christ is made again

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And again and again and again compare that if you will to the teaching of this passage

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Which says that it happened once and for all There is no need for any other sacrifice.

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That's the point of hebrews 10 There's no need for any other sacrifice If the sacrifice of jesus christ is sufficient you need to add no animal sacrifices to it

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And if the sacrifice of jesus christ is sufficient then it does not need to happen again and again and again even in a symbolic way to accomplish anything

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Because in that one sacrifice he has perfected forever those who are his So when we get down to verse 18, we'll dive into that a little bit more

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I'm going to explain to you what rome teaches in that regard specifically So we can compare it to hebrews chapter 10 and the point is not to bash on roman catholics.

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That's not the goal of that You guys know me better than that The goal is simply to illustrate error or to illustrate to show the truth and to illustrate it

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By using error and comparing truth with error Now, what does our text say back to the text in verse 2?

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What does our text say here that it could never do it could never perfect us those who draw near Because verse 2 says the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have had consciousness of sins

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This is an interesting phrase. What does it mean that a worshiper having been cleansed from sin would no longer have consciousness of sins?

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Does that mean that once we are saved and we are in jesus christ and we are forgiven and redeemed and made righteous?

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Does this mean that we are no longer even aware of our sinfulness? That we're no longer conscious of sins.

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Is that what it says? Those sacrifices would cease to be offered because the worshiper having once been cleansed would no longer have consciousness of sins

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I certainly have consciousness of my sins. Do you? I'm aware of them In fact,

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I don't think it does this text seem to suggest that a christian would be oblivious to his own sinfulness That's not my experience and I don't think that's the experience of most christians

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In fact, I think the experience of most christians is the opposite of that I'm more aware of sinfulness in me today than I was the day

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I first believed In fact, I now realize that things that I never would have thought were sinful 25 years ago or 30 years ago are sinful

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And now I see them as being horribly sinful and not only am I aware of more sin in myself I am more acutely aware of sin in myself.

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I feel sin deeper than I used to feel it That's that is the experience of most christians that i've run into not only are you see your sin more clearly

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But you feel the weight of your sin more clearly and not only that but you long to be rid of your sin more clearly Well, the text seems to suggest that having once been cleansed you would no longer have consciousness of sins

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And yet having once been cleansed we are what very conscious of our sins, aren't we? So what is this referring to?

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It has to be describing the consciousness of sin's guilt and the weight that it would play be placed on a sinner by it

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So it's not saying that we're no longer aware of our sinfulness but rather that Being aware of our sinfulness being conscious of my sinfulness

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I don't feel that guilt because my awareness of my sinfulness When I am made aware of it,

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I ought to be That ought to be immediately swallowed up with the realization that all of that sin was laid upon christ

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So I bear the I bear the wrath for that no more I bear that guilt no more

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Somebody else has paid for that So i'm it's not that i'm no longer aware of my sinfulness But it's that my awareness of my sinfulness is swallowed up in the reality of my forgiveness

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So what I am no longer conscious of is that I have a sin debt before god because though i'm aware of my sinfulness

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I'm also aware of something else that sinfulness Is taken away that sinfulness is dealt with that sinfulness is paid for And I now stand in a right relationship with god fully forgiven and declared righteous on the basis of what christ has done

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So it's not that i'm no longer aware of any sin But it is that that awareness is swallowed up in awareness that that sin has been taken away

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Under the old covenant. You did not have that you could not have that again Place yourself back in the mind of a first century jew who brings his offering to the tabernacle

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You bring that offering to the tabernacle and as you're walking away from the tabernacle, you know, that animal was offered for you

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You know what you're consciously aware of at that moment You're going to do it again So you've got to be thinking and planning and anticipating the next sacrifice

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Because the next morning and the next evening there's another sacrifice And the next yom kippur there's another sacrifice the next passover

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There's another sacrifice and eventually you're going to bring a sacrifice for your family in worship again And when you walk away from the temple with that sacrifice you're going to be acutely aware of this

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There's another sacrifice to come You would never be aware of the fact you would never have confidence in the fact that all of your sins

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Are put away and that no further sacrifice was necessary. You would never have that realization You could never have that realization under the old covenant.

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You always knew there was another sacrifice coming You always knew that that next sacrifice was because of your guilt and your sinfulness and being aware of that guilt and your sinfulness

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As verse 3 describes it those in in those sacrifices. There was not a putting away of sin But rather a reminder of sin year by year.

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That's what verse 3 says look at it But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year There's always being thrown up in your face every sacrifice.

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There's a reminder. Yep. That's my sin every sacrifice whispered This is what you deserve death

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Every single sacrifice This is what you deserve death. This is the wage of your sin death.

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This is what you have coming to you death Unless somebody comes and removes that debt from you

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This is all you can expect is death the shedding of blood Your sin is so sinful your sin has separated you from god to such an extent that what you deserve is his wrath

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That is whispered. It is screamed. It was illustrated in every single sacrifice and every year year after year

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There was never the removal of guilt. There was always a reminder of guilt. There was never the putting away of sin There was always the recognition of sin and the reminder of sin year after year

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Why were the sacrifices repeated to remind the sinners? Everybody who made the sacrifices year after year that another sacrifice would need to take place

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And that they were still sinful and guilty and that the work still needed to be done And that the reality was still coming for them

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When somebody would appear and offer a better sacrifice mediating a better priesthood

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Initiating a better covenant and he himself would be a better high priest That was what they were to long for that was what they were to see

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So those sacrifices were a reminder of sins year by year now we remember something quite regularly too, don't we the lord's supper and when we

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Come together for communion, which we are doing here in just a few moments. We come together for communion We are reminding ourselves of something we're reminding ourselves of We're not reminding ourselves of our guilt

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We're not reminding ourselves of a sacrifice that needs yet to take place for our sin

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Nor are we reminding ourselves of our sinfulness and our sin debt Instead we are reminding ourselves that somebody has removed our debt

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So we're remembering something month by month or week by week. However, we partake in communion

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We are remembering something in that ordinance in that in that Recognition of that sacrifice, but what we're remembering is not our sinfulness and our guilt

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But rather that our sinfulness and our guilt has been taken away That somebody has removed the sin debt, that's what we're remembering

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It's quite different than the old testament sacrifices when you brought a sacrifice in the old testament. It was just a reminder

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Hey, you got a sin debt and it's a horrible sin debt. This is what you deserve But when we observe the lord's supper, we're remembering something entirely different.

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We are remembering that our sin has been taken out of the way We have been forgiven and made righteous

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That's what we remember So when we confess our sin before we partake of the lord's supper

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We are doing it not because we are asking god to make another sacrifice for our sin But we confess our sin because we are recognizing that the sacrifice that atones for our sins has already been made

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We are remembering that atonement We are recognizing that and confessing our unworthiness and confessing our own iniquity right out before the lord knowing

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That even everything that we confess and all that we confess and so much more than we can confess All of it has already been paid for So we're not reenacting a sacrament here or a sacrifice we're not reenacting a sacrifice

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We're not Resacrificing anything we're doing something to remember a sacrifice that has already been made one time and this is not a sacrifice

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And there's nothing magical in these elements All they do is remind us that the body of our savior

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Was broken and his blood was shed so that we could have eternal life For in that one sacrifice he has perfected for all time the believer

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He has done what millions of animal sacrifices could never do And what all those millions of animal sacrifices only pictured and portended

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So we're going to bow our heads. We're going to confess our sin to the lord and then I will pay I will pray Out loud for our sins and then the ushers will come forward let's bow our heads together

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Our gracious father we come to you in thankfulness that our sin has been taken away and that christ has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself

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We're so grateful that he has done What was necessary for us to be forgiven and declared righteous before you

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He is atoned for our sin and taken it out of the way And we must come to understand the depth of that the significance of it and to appreciate it truly

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We thank you that though we are sinful. We are still in sinful bodies. We confess to you our iniquity we do not do the things that we ought to do and We're guilty of sins of commission where we have committed things that we ought not to commit

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We pray father for your cleansing and forgiveness We thank you that though we are sinful and though we still sin that the price of that has been borne by your son

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And it motivates us to live holy lives and to live in righteousness And to not take for granted that full and abundant and perfect sacrifice of your son

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So we confess our sin We thank you for your forgiveness. We thank you that atonement has been made and the price has been paid