The Altar "Call" - [Hebrews 13:10-16]

Well I got here in 1997 with my wife and at the time two children and got to know many people at Bethlehem Bible Church. Sometimes I've had meetings with people, other times people would just drive to our house and just show up and want to talk and get to know the new pastor.

It wasn't long before people began wondering why I did the things that I would do and they would have a meeting with me and they'd say I'd like to talk a little bit, I'd have some concerns and so I'd like to meet with you and I said sure let's meet and I remember one particular meeting someone said to me we like you, we especially like your wife and children, but we're concerned about your theology.

What was your theology? What's a concern? And I said inquisitively and they said well we don't think you believe in evangelism and I thought well you know what when you hear critique the first thing you want to do is to respond and to push back and defend yourself and I thought if there's critique to be heard I should listen to it.

I said well what do you mean I don't believe in evangelism? I really try to turn conversations into theological conversations about sin and death and hell and Jesus and forgiveness and the resurrection and I try to encourage you, I try to tell you stories about evangelism and encourage you in light of the evangelist Jesus to evangelize.

They said well we don't think you evangelize because you don't do something at the end of a service that we're used to having done and that was called a what? An altar call and it's interesting because many of you have maybe grown up in this church and so for 23 years I haven't done an altar call.

I have in fact called people to believe in the Lord Jesus but I have not played at the end of a service just as I am with many choruses or I surrender all or have thy own way Lord. I haven't said if you'd like to make a public declaration of your faith or if you'd like to accept Jesus please come to the front.

People that do that I'm not impinging their motives. I'm not trying to say that I think they're not desirous of the lost but we just don't do altar calls here and you say well what kind of intro is this to a sermon?

Well I'll get there. One of the reasons I don't do altar calls is because did you know there's no command in the New Testament to do altar calls? There's a command to preach the gospel but there's no command to give an altar call.

I'm simply to preach the gospel and as first Corinthians 15 says so we preach and so you believe. We preach the good news about Jesus Christ this great prophet priest and king and as the spirit applies the word at his will people believe.

Faith comes by hearing Romans 10 and hearing by the word of Christ. There were 1800 years before altar calls in the United States and people got saved. How did they get saved? By a frail sinful preacher standing up preaching the one who was undefiled and who was stainless and sinless.

Did you know I don't preach for altar calls at the end because I think God is not a pragmatist. In other words God is concerned about the ends salvation and the means. You've probably heard the most famous altar call person say this at the end of his sermon.

I'm going to ask you to come forward up there down there. I want you to come come right now quickly. If you are here with your friends or relatives they will wait for you. Don't let distance keep you from Christ.

It's a long way but Christ went all the way to the cross because he loved you. Certainly you can come these few steps and give your life to him. One of the reasons why I don't do altar calls is because I don't want to confuse the inward birth spiritual rebirth being born again with an external act.

That's what happens with many altar calls confusing this outward act of coming to the front with an inward work of the Holy Spirit. Salvation after all is a work of God alone. Titus chapter 3 he saved us.

One of the reasons I don't do altar calls is because I realize how sinful men are how sinful women are and it is not of him who wills Romans 9 nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy. When you realize men and women are born in sin and can't do anything spiritually unless God works and God works through his word why would I give an altar call?

Who were born not of blood nor the will the flesh nor the will of man but of God? Why don't I do altar calls? I love the loss to be saved. I love to proclaim Christ Jesus but I know man sinful mankind unbelievers that are here they don't need some kind of as B .B. Warfield said an inducement or assistance to save themselves but they need to learn who Jesus is and he came to save sinners through his preached word.

One of the reasons I don't do altar calls is because there's extra law and that law would be from me you come here you bow your head you raise your hand you comply with the preacher you do something that I say.

Another reason I don't do altar calls is because some people have false assurance and that is to say when did you get saved? I got saved when I walked the aisle at Bethlehem Bible Church in such-and-such.

I don't want to have people confused about their state. I don't do altar calls because the call isn't to the altar the call is to repent and to believe. And then lastly I don't do altar calls because I'm not a mediator between you and God.

Matter of fact I need a mediator and so you want a mediator who doesn't need a mediator and there's one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Should we invite people to Christ?

Yes. Should you close with Christ as Luther said? Yes. But to come here and receive Christ is different than believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. With that introduction I've said I'll never do an altar call at the end of a service but I didn't say I wouldn't do an altar call at the beginning of a service.

We Have an Altar in Christ

So I'd like you to go to the altar right now and turn your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13 for an altar call to start the service. You ready for that? What do I mean? An altar call to start the service Hebrews 13 10.

He's writing to Jewish people of course. They're well versed in all the Old Testament and the language and the nomenclature and what does he say? Today we're in the book of Hebrews as we've been marching verse by verse of the book of Hebrews.

Did you know dear Christian Hebrews 13 10 is true. We have an altar. This morning we're going to look at this passage and I'm going to call you to the altar not to end the service but to start the service.

Fair enough? All right. So now let's just take a step back figuratively as we think about the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is simply not focused on Jesus as king although he is the king of kings not focused on Jesus as the prophet although he's the prophet of prophets but focused on Jesus the high what the high priest and high priest of course they specialize in offerings and he is not the offering only he's the offerer and they also specialize in prayer and of course Jesus makes intercession for his people as a great high priest and the book of Hebrews is a sermon with all kinds of information up front so you know who Jesus is so that you can live in light of who he is say well you know what there's all these laws and commands for holy living at the end why are they at the end.

Well I'll give you one reason they're at the end because the writer wants you to remember never separate the law from the law giver. If you separate the law from the law giver you will fall into a trap that Satan gave to Eve and then of course to Adam.

Where then you look at these laws and you say God's impinging on my freedom he's wanting the best for himself. I'm underneath this yoke and tyranny and doing all these things. But if you remember the law giver Hebrews chapter 1 to 12 this great Jesus who loves you with an everlasting love wants what's best for you and knows how you ought to live.

And you say you know what these laws I receive from a heavenly father from the son from the spirit of God who knows what I should do for my best for his glory. And I don't see these as some kind of burdensome law because of course I have the Lord Jesus and his burden is light.

How is Jesus's burden light when we see command after command after command after command at the end of the book. Because you read these commands in light of Hebrews chapter 1 through 12. And so we come to this chapter after several years of just marching as I said through Hebrews to a series of commands of of so what says it were.

Jesus is high priest. So what. God has forgiven my sins. So what. To quote Francis Schaeffer. How then shall we live. Ideas have consequences if we know about Jesus in chapters 1 and following about how great he is.

He's greater than angels greater than prophets greater than Aaron greater than everyone including Moses. How am I supposed to live. And we have seen this law given that of course should be motivated by the first 12 chapters motivated by the love of God and who he is not sparing his son.

How does a Christian live by faith trusting in Jesus following these commands these imperatives. And let's just take a look in at a no let's just just review them all. I don't not review them all but look at them all.

The first one remember was let brotherly love continue. Verse 2 be hospitable 3 remember the prisoners. 4 honor marriage. 5 be content with what you have 6. We looked at for a long time in verses 7 and 8.

Remember your leaders. Remember that passage. Remember your leaders. Those who spoke to you the word of God consider the outcome of the way of faith there excuse me their way of life and imitate their faith.

Well if they're faithful imitate that too. But this focus is their faith. They're trusting in the Messiah no matter what Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever forever and always. You're a Christian when you see that verse.

I just saw it the other day. When you see that verse I want you to see it in context. Words matter context matters. I've been to churches and and I think on our communion table it says do this in remembrance of me.

Is that right. Can you actually see that somebody needs to reshallack that and restate that. So I don't. I don't know who wants to do that. But that's an old table. Uh why did I didn't say that during the first sermon.

By the way because the weird old worker bees are here. Right. Uh sometimes you'll see verses up behind people. The one I see regularly I know where it is. Even in Massachusetts uh wherever two or three are gathered in my name.

You ever see that. What do you think of when you see that verse. I know what they mean. They want it to mean. But it's in Matthew 18. It's about church discipline. And I think that church loves church discipline.

You better be careful and mind your p's and q's of that church. Often I hear Matthew 13 excuse me Hebrews 13 8 to be something about you know what healings and miracles happened in the Old Testament. It happened in the New Testament.

They happened today now. That's an argument. That's a good argument to try to make our sign gifts for today. But that verse has nothing to do with sign gifts. This has this verse. See it in context. Do you see with your own eyes in your own bible.

There are leaders that you're supposed to remember to contemplate. But some of those leaders are dead. Those leaders die. Those leaders are sinful. Those leaders are frail. Is there any leader anywhere that we can look to who will always be there always be faithful and always live a life commensurate with who he is.

And the answer is yes. Jesus Christ the God-man. Jesus focused on his humanity Christ the anointed one is the same yesterday today and forever. So you can always count on him. No wonder Paul said in second Timothy remember Jesus Christ.

Suffering Outside the Camp with Jesus

And now we come to the next command. And that next command is in verses 10 through 15. And you're going to see in that section that the command is essentially going to say suffer with Jesus. Jesus suffered.

Be willing dear Christian in light of your calling in light of Ephesians chapters 1 2 and 3 walk in a manner worthy 4 5 and 6. Same thing here the first chapter is about who Jesus is. Because he's a suffering servant he will have suffering servants.

And there's a way to suffer in a godly way. The people that receive this letter were wondering i'm getting i'm getting persecuted. Shall i go back to temple judaism. Shall i go back to jewish living when the messiah has already come.

It's not worth it. And so this passage for today should be very apropos because we are beginning to see in our country uh the very thing that leads to unless god intervenes the persecution of the church what will you do when you get persecuted.

How many of you would even stay here if you have to give your social security number on the way in so that you might be taxed for being a Christian. So that and everything else we have to be ready to say how do we think through suffering as Christians.

So if i entitled this next command i could just say suffer. Well like Jesus did. So let's take a look at verses 10 through 15 for the first command there's another command 10 through 14. Another command in 15 another command in 16.

And that's about where we're going to end today at the end of verse 16. If you haven't been here before we're just doing expository preaching verse by verse preaching trying to expose to you what God's intention was when he wrote it.

It's not what does this mean to me. We don't care what this means to me or to you. We care what God meant to his hearers not only in this setting but now in ours. So let me read verses 10 through 14 as we are reminded there's a proper way to suffer in this world.

Verse 10 we have an altar from those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp. That is where the shame was where the refuse was was that where the blasphemers were where the unmentionables were where the cursed were where Jesus was crucified and bear the reproach he endured.

And we get a reason verse 14 for here we have no lasting city but we seek the city that is to come. So since Jesus suffered and it was the ultimate sacrifice for your sins. How do i respond in this section.

You respond with be willing to suffer as a christian. Now as you i read those verses you should be thinking yourself there's a lot of stuff in here that sounds jewish. There's a lot of stuff that sounds old testament and in fact it's meant to be that after i work through this passage we'll go to a maybe an easier passage to understand to see what the writer is trying to tell us.

But he starts off at the very beginning. We have an altar now we don't have as many kids here in this service as we do in the second one. But some yes. Okay if you're going to try to tell your friends we've got something and you don't.

What. What do you say when i was a kid if we had good things and you don't. You know the the bomb pop man drove down the street. What do you guys call it here. Ice cream man. Once i saw the i've seen the pope three times in rome just to observe as a protestant protester.

Uh but i didn't do anything. I just watched but i thought it was interesting. I'm not endorsing it. And he comes out in the pope mobile with all the the glass. You know the bulletproof. And they play bomb pop music.

Man and i was just like this is the weirdest thing ever i thought i was in a twilight zone. If i've got something you don't have it i could say maybe when i was five years old or ten something like na na na na na we've got something you don't.

So ratchet this up. You can imagine the jewish people who have not followed the messiah say to those christians you know what. We have an altar. You don't have an altar. You have no altar. And by the way when you think of altar what do you think of.

You should be thinking sacrifice. And when you think of sacrifice what should you be thinking of. I've sinned and either i die for my sins the wages of sin is death. Or something else has to be sacrificed in my place.

Adam and eve deserved to die. God sacrificed those animals and clothed them in their place on their behalf in their stead passover uh lamb killed in place of the animal day of atonement. The animal killed instead of the nation.

And so you can just imagine he's preaching through persecution is going to come. And the the the detractors are saying you don't have an altar. And he's saying yes we do. We have an altar. Christian you have an altar.

Like what kind of altar do i have. I don't see altars. The only altars i see is if i go to a roman catholic church and and they're slaying the sacrifice in a non-bloody way. Every single sunday and every other day they have altars.

Where's our altar. Well of course you can say things that are literal. And you can say things in figurative language. Does it make it easier. If i read the words of jesus from john chapter six. Jesus said to them truly truly i say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you.

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And i will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and i in him as the living father sent me and i live because of the father.

So whoever feeds on me he will also live because of me. What's that mean. What happened in verse nine just before our passage. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings. For it's good for the heart to be strengthened by grace not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them.

Would you like grace. Dear christian. Of course does it come through food. No. Where does grace come from. Answer. The altar. The altar's figurative speech for sacrifice. What happens on an altar. Sacrifice who was sacrificed.

Chapters 1 through 12. Answer. You want grace. It's found in the person work of jesus. This is not literal. This is spiritual food. We have an altar. The true food of christians isn't physical food. Doesn't have calories and grams of protein and and fat.

It's feeding upon him by faith. Don't let people say you don't have a sacrifice for sins. You have to pay for your own sins without an altar. No. No. We have an altar by faith alone. There's a figure of speech called a metonym and it uses one term for another and they're kind of related.

So if i say blood of christ you don't just say he just had to bleed could have lived just was his his corpuscles and his lymphocytes and everything else. No no. Blood is a metonym. It's closely related to this sacrificial atonement of who jesus is.

So too with altar. It's a metonym. What's closely related to altar sacrifice. Who's the sacrifice of all sacrifices. Jesus. You have jesus. You have an altar. That's all he's trying to say. But he's saying it in a wonderful way and a way all the jewish people could figure out.

Word word association. Altar sacrifice. You have an altar. Who's the sacrifice. Jesus. And i know you've said mike you've said that five times. Would you just go on to the next point. You have an altar though.

You have a sacrifice for your sins. I could put it this way. Did you sin this week. I know i did. You have to pay for those sins. I'm glad people are asking unless you trust in jesus. And if you trust in jesus you don't have to pay for those sins.

See. We just kind of think you know. Oh sin. Every sin has to be punished. And they'll either be punished on people in hell forever because it's against a thrice holy god or jesus pays for those sins.

And once jesus pays for them it's over. So word association with altar sacrifice. And when you think of sacrifice you're not thinking about. Well leviticus. There's a food sacrifice. There's a burnt offering sacrifice.

There's a sacrifice of this sacrifice of other and all these different kinds of sacrifices. No you're thinking about the sacrifice. The other interesting tie in here with this whole food thing. See what it says at the end of verse 10 which those who serve the tent have no right to eat by the way day of atonement sacrifice by the priest.

While other days he could eat from the sacrifice not on the day of atonement not on that day he could not eat the food that was sacrificed typically on other days. Leviticus 22. I make a sacrifice if i'm a priest.

And i get to have some of the spoil. I get to have some of the sacrifice i get to eat. But on the day of atonement i don't get to eat any of that. Dear christian. Guess what if you're underneath the old system you never get to eat of the sacrifice because you're not a priest.

And not even the priests get to eat on the day of atonement. But every single christian gets to eat spiritually from the labors of the lord jesus and his sacrifice. Everyone gets that. You're trying to tell me.

Ha ha ha. You don't have an altar. I'm telling you jewish person going back to moses going back to any works righteousness system. You stand condemned. You can't eat. I have the spiritual food by faith in christ jesus.

And until you believe in him you're the one who has no altar. And by the way in 70 a .d probably five or six years after this letter is written god with an exclamation point proves you have no altar. As the temple is leveled there's no altar.

And you could say jewish people where's your altar. I would ask my jewish friends um what do you do to atone for your sins on the day of atonement when there's no altar. At least the samaritans in israel.

And you can watch videos that they've secretly taken in israel of samaritans day of atonement as they actually slay an animal. In summary you have an altar. It's figurative speech it's language of the jews to show and to remind you that you have been sanctified and bought and purchased by the body of jesus christ.

Hebrews 10. Once for all dear christian. Hebrews 10 when christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins your sins my sins. He sat down at the right hand of god waiting from that time until his enemy should be made a footstool for him.

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. You have an altar because you have the cross. Because you have jesus. And as romans 1 said you belong to him. Hebrews 4 says we have a high priest.

Hebrews 6 says we have an anchor for the soul. Hebrews 10 says we have confidence to enter the holy place. And hebrews 13 says a shorthand way for the death. We have an altar. Present tense. Right now.

Don't make anyone have. You think i i have less now because i'm a christian. No. You have everything because you have the lord jesus. You have an altar. Now what does he go on to say verse 11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

So here's what he's doing like preachers do. He's talking about one subject and it leads to another. He's talking about altar and sacrifice and burning outside the camp because he's eventually going to tell you jesus got burned outside the camp.

No he got crucified outside the camp and that's a place of suffering and cursedness. And therefore you're going to want to follow him there for what he's done for you. You're not to be shy. Uh in a way from persecution.

As a christian they take the bodies of the animals. They burn them outside the camp consumed outside the camp. And therefore he says verse 12. So jesus there's his word that stresses his humanity. Of course he is the god man.

Christ is the anointed one. Jesus here focused on his humanity. Jesus as a man yes he was more than a man but focused on his humanity here also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Therefore and here's where he's going. Let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. It is worth suffering for jesus. It is worth having people say things about you. For jesus's sake.

This message of the cross isn't a popular one. And by the way you can tell because our governmental leaders for the most part have shown the priority of what the local church should be in the last few months.

And maybe that's because evangelicalism has also shown the priority and government just takes their cues from evangelicalism. The point of this section here is as moses said in hebrews 11 26 it was said of moses that he regarded disgrace for the sake of as of greater value than the treasures of egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

So too christian because suffering is coming to a city near you unless the lord intervenes. Don't run back. Don't run away. Run toward outside the gate. Would you please turn your bibles to chapter four.

And as i alluded to earlier peter's language here will take away a lot of the day of atonement jewish language. And then it just becomes very clear. Hebrews is clear. It may be less clear to us because we're not jewish.

This is a little easier for us to understand. And it says essentially the very same thing hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and following. How do i work through and navigate suffering. Well i don't want to do it without the earlier chapters and who i am in christ and what he's done.

But this is my response. Beloved verse 12. Do not be surprised. Can you believe this is going on. I am amazed to see what's going on in the world. I can't hardly believe it. I've never seen anything like this in my life.

I'm shocked. I'm surprised. I'm bewildered. I'm astonished what i see. Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you.

This is crazy. Has there ever been writing. Has there ever been looting. Has there ever been government unrest. Maybe this has never happened in the history of the world. I can't believe this is happening.

It's so foreign. It's so strange. Did this even happen in my grandparents day. And the text says don't be surprised. Like this is some weird thing by the way. Dear church. True or false. All who desire to live godly lives in christ.

Jesus will be persecuted. Second timothy chapter three. True or false. The world hates christians. True. That's what john said. By the way for churches that promote health and wealth and prosperity and best life.

Now what will happen to them if persecution does come. We'll find out what happens then. Verse 13. If i'm not supposed to be surprised is there something positively put off put on. Is there a positive side.

Am i just supposed to to do. What answer verse 13. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of christ. And there the focus is on even the messiah the son of god christ suffered. What's the response.

Keep on picketing. Keep on rejoicing. Yeah keep on rejoicing. That means if you suffer a little rejoice a little. If you suffer a lot suffer more. That's exactly what the text is saying. So that if the revelation of his glory by the way you won't have to suffer forever because jesus is going to come back.

And when he does glory you may resolve rejoice with exaltation. Dear friends i don't want you to worry complain fret and murmur about our current situation. And if it gets worse because we're actually persecuted for our beliefs i don't want you to suffer wrongly then i don't want to suffer wrongly.

Then it's talking about rejoicing. Verse 14. If you're reviled for the name of christ you're what. Blessed because the spirit of glory the holy spirit of glory and of god rests upon you. Jesus said blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great.

For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Verse 15. There's a warning we don't want to suffer for the wrong things. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a troublesome meddler.

But if anyone suffers as a christian let him not feel ashamed. That's our knee jerk. But in that name let him glorify god. I mean when i read that i think about our modern situation how it could get worse.

I think about joseph. The key to joseph isn't joseph. The key was the faithfulness of god. In joseph's life he just watched over and over and over in genesis 39. And god was with him and god was with him.

And god was with him and god was with him. Verse 17. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of god. And if it begins with us first what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of god.

That is trust in him. And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved what will become of the man in the center. And then he ends in such a wonderful way. You ought to memorize this verse. This is the pillow to sleep well at night after you've watched tv for five hours.

News. Does anybody do that here i i have no pastoral authority to tell you. You must not. But it probably is not the best just between you and me. Therefore this is essentially hebrews 13. Let those also suffer according to the will of god entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right.

And then sleep. Well you know what's so wonderful about this verse. See there. It says entrust. It means to commit. It's the exact same word jesus on the cross says father into your hands. I what i commit my spirit because god's faithful he's a faithful creator.

The world's going to end suffer. Well back to hebrews chapter 13. Verse 14. Speaking of the world that's going to end men can build all the cities they want. You can go around the world to rome and jerusalem and see the mounds of of tells and dirt over the cities.

But there is a city that we're looking for and it's not on this earth. Therefore here we have no lasting city. So live in light of that is what he's saying. But we seek the city that is to come. Therefore whatever persecution we go through heaven's going to be soon.

Persecution is difficult and painful. Yes. But there is a city to come live like there's a city to come. The bible talks here in hebrews about heaven and eternal inheritance a final resting place a kingdom a country.

And here it talks about that city. Abraham is extolled for his faith where he thought i'll take god at his word and i'll look past whatever land i'm supposed to be given. Because i because i know where a real city is coming from.

And it's going to be the lord's suffer. Well he goes on with another command in verse 15. So it's our second one for today i don't know what number it is in the book of hebrews chapter 13. Now there was the barb for people you don't have an altar.

We've got an altar. Well now they're going to say yeah. And you don't have sacrifices. And the writer says yes you do. What's our sacrifice today. What kind of sacrifices do we make. Verse 15. Well the answer is going to be praise.

And if you're looking for a command it's going to be praising the lord in spite of your circumstances through him. Then since the city's not this city since jesus suffered outside the camp through him then through jesus let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to god that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.