The Way (Hebrews 9:6-14 Jeff Kliewer)

Don't know, we at Cornerstone have official membership which comes from 2 Corinthians 2 where it says the majority was sufficient. So you have to know who is an official member to obey that passage. We also need the Holtz.

Where's Joe and Jess? Come on up, come on up. And then who else? The Reynolds. Where's Dave? There's Dave and Louise. So we do official membership at Cornerstone and we had a membership class last fall that was awesome.

Welcoming New Members and Praying for Unity in the Church

So I'm going to introduce you to the new members and then what we do is we pray for them and we pray for the church that the Lord would make us one because the Bible talks so much about the unity in the spirit through the bond of peace that we're actually one body.

There's different hands and feet or heads and toes and God is the one who's who's fashioning this body together as one. So let me just introduce everybody. Down here on the end we have Dave and Louise.

Everybody say hi Dave and Louise. Dave and Louise came to the church through John Laskin. I think both Dave and John are referees right and that's how you got to know John so and just such a blessing to us.

I think probably Joe and Jess have been here for two years, a few years, for a while. Yeah they've got little Everly and and Nevin so so thankful for them. Joe of course is the drummer so he'll be pounding away up there today.

So we're thankful that the Lord has brought Joe and Jess and then we have another musician. We have Phil. You guys recognize him from the guitar and his wife Trish and you guys came right before COVID hit right?

Just around January. So and then so but you've just been here and now joining the church and we have The Hoax. Now how did you guys find out about Cornerstone? Michael Stockland who's not here today but yeah Michael invited yeah you were at Vacation Bible School with the kids and that was your first time.

So we're so thankful the Lord brought these families and we are excited about what God is doing here at Cornerstone. So what we're going to do now is we are going to go before the Lord and pray for them and for us that the Lord would knit our hearts together.

So let's do this. All right so Father we want to give you all the praise and glory that you are redeeming a people for your own name. God you are building your church. Jesus you said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Thank you Jesus that you are building this church Cornerstone built upon you the rock and we like living stones being fit together. We thank you that we are the body of Christ and some are hands and feet and different body parts Lord but together we are your body and you are the head.

We confess Lord that there is no head but you God. You alone are the head of your church and we look to your authority and we submit to your authority. So Father we thank you so much for bringing these new members to us here at Cornerstone and we want to pray for them Lord that you would fill them with your Holy Spirit.

We ask that you would fan into flame the spiritual gifts that they already have being born again. We pray that each one of them would have a passion for the name of Jesus that they would serve in ways that you have equipped them to serve.

That you would lead them into ministries in areas where they can serve the body. We pray that you would use them in their community and in their families in mighty ways to preach the gospel that many would come to saving faith through their witness.

And Father we pray for the body at Cornerstone to be welcoming and loving to knit us all together as one. We pray that we would love these new members not like friends that we see at church but like brothers and sisters.

Like friends that we would lay down our lives for. That we would love one another the way you have loved us. We think about that perfect love Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and how you in your high priestly prayer Jesus in John 17 you prayed that we would love one another the way you love.

And so Lord we pray for Cornerstone to be knit together in love and that you would preserve the bond of the Spirit the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. So thank you for what you're doing here we give you all the glory in Jesus name we pray amen amen.

Thank you guys. Hey let's give a hand clap to welcome the new members and now let's pray for the service. And by the way we have a big class of new members coming soon that have just gone through starting point.

We're doing all these new member interviews so there'll be another big wave of members here in the spring. Let's pray. So Father thank you so much for gathering us here together to worship. We pray that we would come in spirit and in truth that you would set our minds on heavenly things not on things below.

We pray also for the fellowship afterwards as we have a luncheon that we would enjoy time getting to know one another. So many new people here Lord. We pray that we would reach out to one another and extend just kindness and friendship and that you would knit us together.

As it says in Acts 2 42 that the believers were devoted to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread into prayer. I pray that those things would mark Cornerstone Church and Lord as we come now to to sing we pray that you would help us not just to mouth words and and um and join in just a song but that our hearts would truly.

Worship the true and living God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's stand. The blood of the lamb.

Thank you Jesus for loving us so much that you gave your life your blood poured out on the cross. Greater love has no one in this the one who lays down his life for his friends. Thank you for the blood that washes us clean.

Thank you that your blood has washed me that I can stand in the pulpit on a Sunday morning without a guilty conscience without sense of unworthiness but instead a sense of joy and peace with God. You've made peace by your blood and I thank you for that.

I ask Lord that you would help me to preach this text this morning. It is so rich in meaning and so powerful Lord. I pray that your word would make an impact on every one of us this morning. Help us to think about the blood of Christ and the value and Lord would you wash our consciences clean.

There's probably many who came in this morning with a guilty conscience. Would you wash consciences clean with your blood this morning. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.

He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. Deep and unsearchable minds of never failing skill. He treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will. Many of you are familiar with those words.

God moves in a mysterious way. It's become part of our lingo. It was written by a man named William. William Cooper spelled c-o-w-p-e-r. William Cooper was a troubled soul. When he was only six years old his mother passed away and then his dad being unable to raise him sent him off to boarding school and so he was raised at a boarding school from six years old and on and as he grew he really struggled with insecurities and that developed into a very strong depression and something that would plague him for the course of his life and yet he still knew God had a plan in all of it.

When he was 20 something years old he had graduated from Cambridge and was about to become a lawyer so he went before the bar and just before sitting down now I know what it's like to sit down in front of a lot of people to examine you because I just did my ordination council so for like four hours they just blast you with questions and it could be a little nerve-wracking but William Cooper was struggling with this this heavy depression and this unstable mind because of his past and his childhood that the things that he suffered so he broke down in the ordination or the whatever it was called the bar to become a lawyer and he he ran out of there and was unable to fulfill his dream and this plunged him deeper and deeper into depression until he actually ended up in an insane asylum because he had attempted suicide.

Well somehow at that time he was introduced to Jesus Christ and the blood of Christ that can wash away his sins and so he established his more mind his mind was sort of restored to to a place of peace to a certain degree although he would still kind of have battles with this depression it seemed like every 10 years it would come back on but there was a guy named John Newton many of you are familiar with Newton right Amazing Grace everybody knows the song Amazing Grace that was written by John Newton and Newton was a friend to Cooper and would help him through his his times of depression.

Well at 40 years old he was celebrating a really blessed time in his life where he had freedom and joy in the Holy Spirit and he sat down and wrote the words that we just sang. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day and there may I though vile as he wash all my sins away. Dear dying lamb thy precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.

Ever since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply. Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die when this poor lisping stammering tongue lies silent in the grave then in a nobler sweeter song I'll sing thy power to save.

You know when Cowper or Cooper published his books he wrote his name as William Cooper of the Inner Temple Esquire. I think this was a reference to Hebrews 9. He never became a lawyer but somehow he called himself Esquire and he never belonged to any society so he called himself of the Inner Temple.

Where did he go by the blood of the lamb? What did he know? Today he's reunited with his mother that he lost at age six. Today he's in heaven worshiping the lamb. Today his mind is fully healed and he'll never sin again.

He's saved to sin no more. He entered the holy place not by his own merit but by the blood of Jesus and how that opens the way for us sinners who have no right or standing before a holy God to go into the holy of holies.

We're going to learn about the holy of holies and how Christ is the way. So turn with me if you will to Hebrews chapter 9. Last week we left off at verse 5 which means we pick up at verse 6 because that's what we do.

We just keep going through the scriptures verse by verse believing that the scripture itself has the power of God to transform our thinking conform us into the image of God. Now I mentioned to somebody after first service that this particular passage of scripture really from chapter 7 to chapter 10 is the hardest part of the hardest book in the New Testament.

So the book of Hebrews is probably the most complex of the 27 books in the New Testament and these chapters are probably the most difficult to work our way through beginning with Melchizedek and the priesthood of Christ.

So if you ever feel like when I'm preaching you're drinking from a fire hose take heart it's not always quite like this. This is the deep stuff but isn't it good to eat of the meat of God's word? We're not babies so we don't want to feed on milk all the time.

We want the meat of God's word. So it is a bit of a difficult passage to work through but not too too difficult for us. Last week where we left off we were looking at something called the tabernacle and you'll recall what the tabernacle was all about.

It was a tent a giant tent. By the way I didn't mention this last week but it had one door. Not many points of access it had one door and Jesus said when his in John chapter 10 about him being the good shepherd and he has a flock that he brings in and out he says I am the gate.

I am the gate. He also will say later I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. So that door represents Christ and once you enter the tabernacle you go into the first room and there you have two items that really represent Christ himself.

There is a lampstand and the lampstand represents Jesus who said I am the light of the world and then there is the bread on the table and Jesus said I am the bread of life and then you go behind the curtain into the holy of holies and there is the altar of incense and Jesus is the one who pleases the father.

Then you come to the the tabernacle I'm sorry the um what's it called the ark of the covenant and inside the ark of the covenant is the manna in an urn and the two tablets of the covenant and Aaron's rod that budded and each of those things point to Christ because the manna is the bread from heaven John chapter 6.

Give us this manna. Jesus says I am the bread and the tablets all of us here have something in common. We break that law but Jesus is unique and different from us. He keeps the law the perfect law keeper and obeys it in our stead.

He has a representative righteousness that he can impute to us. Jesus is the one who holds the staff. Aaron's rod budded to say that Aaron was the Levitical high priest approved of God but according to psalm 110 verse 4 Jesus is a priest who has the ruling staff and God says to him rule in the midst of your enemies.

All of the furniture in this tent point us to Christ. It's all about Jesus. He is the door he is the way. So we come now to verse 6. Let's read it and we're going to see the big idea being that we don't have access into the holy of holies but Christ alone has right to enter and he has entered on our behalf to make a way for us.

Verses 6 and following these preparations having thus been made the priests go regularly into the first section performing their ritual duties but into the second only the high priest goes. And he but once a year and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

By this the holy spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing which is symbolic for the present age. According to this arrangement gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper but deal only with food and drink and various washings regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come then through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands that is not of this creation he entered once for all into the holy places not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood thus securing an eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the purification of the flesh how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Amen. Let's look more carefully at what these words mean so we've we've read them and hopefully gained some understanding but now let's exposit let's draw out from the text the meaning that's that's here in the words.

So the big idea of verses six to ten is inaccessibility that no one can come into the holy of holies except for this one particular case. So in verse seven it says into the second that means the inner room the holy of holies only the high priest circle that word only only he goes and he but once a year and not without blood.

So three exclusionary terms the first one only is monos in the greek from which we would get like mano a mano right just one-on-one manos he is the one he's the only one only him and he goes but once a year which is the word in greek is hapax it's a one-time event and we're given a time frame once per year.

And then a third exclusionary principle here is that it's not without taking blood so ooh it's like a double negative here unless you have blood you cannot come so you're excluded from coming unless you bring blood.

And of course we talked about this a little bit last week the the priest not just any priest but the high priest has to first of all make a sacrifice for his own sin and bring that to the mercy seat which was on top of the ark of the covenant that was like the lid of the box with the cherubim angels engraved and he would have to sprinkle blood on the altar for his own sins because this great high priest in the time of before christ this priest is a sinner too he has to bring blood for his own sin and then he'd go back out make a sacrifice for the unintentional sins of the people and come in and with his fingers sprinkle the mercy seat seven times.

Putting blood on the mercy seat this is to indicate that not just anybody can go see god the shekinah glory would would be in a special way manifest in the tabernacle. Do you think that that box could really hold god could it contain him like a container.

No this was how god manifested his presence in a special way. Even the whole universe cannot contain god but he would locate his shekinah glory between the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat. There at the mercy seat you can approach not just anyone though the priest can approach.

And only once a year and only with blood you get the idea. It's not an anything goes kind of situation is it. It is very regulated you see that word regulation in chapter 9 verse 1. Even the first covenant had regulations.

All of this symbolism was meaning to point to something bigger as long as this tabernacle was still standing. And of course the the temple was a permanent version of the tabernacle. As long as that's still standing it's showing that you can't come to god.

He's holy and you're not. You cannot approach him. Only the high priest can in a certain way once a year inaccessibility. That's what the temple is showing. But verse 11 when christ emphasis on the person of christ back in verse 7 it was into the second place.

Only the high priest could go. Verse 11. But when christ and the idea here in fact it uses similar language when christ he and he alone is able to accomplish this over against the priest who could do this every year one time a year here you have one person who is worthy and it's not you.

I'm sorry to take a stab at your self-esteem. I know the big thing in our culture is we need to build up self-esteem. But the bible is not doing this. At this particular point it says when christ were to esteem christ as the one when he appeared as a high priest this is his priestly work now of the good things that have come then through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands that is not of this creation.

He entered once for all meaning a one-time event never to be repeated once and for all. This is not with reference to the number of people that he represents. It's with reference with reference to time.

It's a one-time occurrence. Now where does he go. Remember when jesus came to the temple what did he do there. He went to the outer court and he saw money changers turning god's house of prayer into a den of thieves making money on the gentiles who would come because they couldn't bring a lamb with them.

They sold lambs at in inexorbitant prices. Is that the word exorbitant very high prices. And the point of that was they were trying to make money on the sacrificial system. So jesus came and he was not the meek and lowly shepherd that we sometimes picture him to be.

He was loving and he was good. But he made a whip and he drove the money changers out of the temple and he opened the bird cages and he flipped the tables and he said my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.

He cleansed the temple but he did not go into the holy of holies. Did he because according to our scripture here there was a greater tent. That tabernacle that moses was commanded to build was built after a pattern of something in heaven.

We learned that in chapter 8 all the earthly arrangements of the tabernacle were pointing to the throne room of god himself. When you see cherubim over the mercy seat these are carved engraved metalwork by a very talented person.

I think it was bezalel that that built those. It's overlaid with gold. But they're made by human hands. They represent the true and the real throne room of god. That tent is not the throne room of god.

Jesus did not go into the holy of holies on earth because when he does his priestly work it says here he goes to the very throne room of god itself. Look not made with hands that is not of this creation.

It's a greater and more perfect tent. So you don't have carved angels over a lid on a box. You have actual angels who are in the very presence of god almighty who recognize the holiness of that place by covering their feet with two of their wings because the place is holy ground.

And with two wings they fly and with two wings they cover their faces. And they never cease to say holy holy holy. This is the very throne room of god. That's where christ went. Now what of us. Look at verse 12 the second part.

He goes once not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood thus securing an eternal redemption. That is good news for sinners like us he secured eternal redemption. So when christ went to heaven into the very throne room of god spiritually making the sacrifice on the cross he not only went there himself he opened away the holy of holies was kept separate from sinners like us by what a thick curtain.

And in the death of jesus as his body was broken that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom indicating that jesus has opened the way to have access to god. It's a beautiful image. There he has opened the way to the holy place to heaven itself.

Well how did he do that answer. By blood. That blood that the high priest would would offer killing a bull and then bringing it to the mercy seat and sprinkling the mercy seat seven times. That blood of that bull could not take away sin.

It was pointing to the blood of jesus on the cross. And brothers and sisters as you read the bible don't miss this theme because it is the very centerpiece of revelation. The cross is like the pinnacle of the mountain.

If all of scripture is a mountain that declares the grace of god and the glory of god. On the top of that mountain stands a cross and that cross is a place of sacrifice and sacrifice is bloodshed. So when you see blood in the scripture all of it points to jesus.

The blood of bulls and goats never took anybody's sin away. It was only like a type and a shadow of the blood of jesus offered on that altar which is the cross way back in the garden. Adam and eve sinned.

And so what did they do. Being guilty having that stain on their minds. That conscience that guilty conscience. What did they do. They hid and they sewed together fig leaves to cover their shame. Didn't they do that did god accept that for their clothing.

He did not. The bible says in genesis 3 21 that god made coats of skin to cover them. What that means is he took an animal probably a lamb and killed the lamb and made clothing for them from that animal sacrifice.

There had to be shedding of blood to cover their sin. And then in the very next chapter chapter 4 cain and abel each of them bring a sacrifice to god. What does cain bring the fruit of the ground. What does abel bring an animal sacrifice.

And the bible tells us that god looked on the sacrifice of abel and found it acceptable. He looked on the fruit sacrifice of cain and found it wanting it was not acceptable to him because blood needed to be shed for the covering of sin.

And so cain grew jealous and angry and he killed his own brother. But the bible says the blood of abel cried out to god from the ground calling for justice. And the blood is speaking a message. It's calling something for the justice and righteousness of god.

But the blood of jesus we will learn speaks a better message calling for mercy. Then abraham was told to take isaac isaac to a mountain that he would be shown. And there abraham took his only son and was ready to kill him as a sacrifice.

Of course isaac was never to be that sacrifice. God was only testing abraham. And so there in the thicket on the mountain of the lord it will be provided. There was a ram and that ram was taken and put on the altar and the innocent blood of that ram stood in the place of isaac a substitute sacrifice by blood.

And then in the book of exodus the people had fallen into captivity representing our captivity to sin. All of us who sin are slaves to sin. We can't erase our conscience. We're a slave to the sins that we've committed.

And there in egypt god said what. Each family take lambs one lamb per family. And you sacrifice that lamb and take the blood of the lamb and mark the doorposts over your house. And when god sees the blood he will pass over the house and have mercy on you.

On account of what. Why would a holy god have mercy on an israelite and not on an egyptian. The egyptian sons will die. Why do the israelites get spared the blood of the lamb. They're spared by blood forgiven by blood.

And so they go into the wilderness and moses goes up. Mount sinai receives the 10 commandments bring that brings down all the law of god. And then he takes lambs and fills basins with the blood. And i know it's a gruesome image but it needs to be gruesome because our sin is an affront to a holy god.

And the blood filled the basins and moses splattered some on the altar. And then he took hisop branches and he washed the people. He sprinkled all of israel. Exodus 24. If you don't believe me with the blood of the lamb the blood washing them and sealing the covenant to enter this covenant arrangement all of this is done by blood and then it gets institutionalized.

Doesn't the book of leviticus that the priests would minister daily offering blood. And when you commit a sin you need to see something israelite. You broke your brother's nose when you were fighting over the ball.

And you know you've sinned. Here's what you do. You go to the levi and you bring an animal and you need to lay your hand on the head of that animal and you need to see the blood. And that blood of an innocent animal will be offered in your place.

And then once a year the priest the high priest will go into the holy place and make atonement for all the unintentional sins that you committed in that year not moving forward into the future but dealing with all the unintentional sins that were committed for the previous year.

And this arrangement goes on for 1500 years. Every year at passover the day of atonement. I'm sorry on the day of atonement on yom kippur in the fall the blood would be offered for the unintentional sins of the people.

Now i know we had to spend some time going into depth there. But let's see this in verse 12 jesus offered not the blood of bulls and goats but his own blood. That is the beautiful picture of a better sacrifice.

We already said he's a better prophet who brings a better word. He's better than moses. He's the better man the new humanity of hebrews 2. He's a better priest of the order of melchizedek. He has a better covenant the new covenant that replaces the old that makes the old obsolete.

Now we learn he's a better sacrifice a better offering. His own blood offered in our place. It is an amazing thing. Ephesians 1 7 says in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace.

What this means is that the redemption the eternal redemption that was accomplished in the blood of christ was secured when he died. How do i know that in john chapter 10 jesus makes this staggering claim.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A good shepherd cares for his flock. He lays down his life for his flock. Now a hireling would never do that. A hireling would flee if he saw the wolf coming.

But the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He goes on to say i am the good shepherd. Listen to this. I know my own and my own know me just as the father knows me. And i know the father. And i lay down my life for the sheep.

And i have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also. And they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd. How does this all tie together. Jesus is the good shepherd.

He lays down his own life like a lamb led to the slaughter. But when he dies that death he is not shedding his own blood for his own sin. He tells us he is laying down his life for his sheep. He says he knows them.

And in fact he'll even say that the reason that the pharisees do not believe is because they're not his sheep. John 10 26 they don't believe because they're not his sheep. But when christ goes to the cross it is a very personal exchange that happens.

The shepherd for the sheep. That means that when christ hung on the cross and nails were driven through his hands. He knew those for whom he was dying. He knew phil's name and every sin that he would ever come in.

He knew jeff and all of my sin. And yet he took that sin knowing me intending his precious blood to stand in my place. You see the soul that sins must die. But in a great exchange jesus stood in for me.

I know there's thousands of years that separate us from that event. But god moves in a mysterious way. And god exists outside of time in a sense that sacrifice that jesus offered once for all included you and i who believe in him.

The sheep. Now of course in matthew 25 he distinguished that from the goats not all people will be sheep. He knew those for whom he was dying. It was a very personal exchange. Consider that love that he would lay down his life for you.

And i did you ever think about that. What was on the lamb's mind as he hung on the cross. His love for you. His obedience to the father. His reward which is a people for his own possession. The reward of his suffering.

The thing that motivated him to go to the cross was a people that would know him and hear his voice and follow him and obey him. This people that he calls the sheep. I find that to be one of the most staggering and beautiful verses.

What does it imply in verse 12. Securing an eternal redemption. It means that what he purchased is secure. Your salvation is secure because he died in your place covering all your sins past present and future.

You who are a sheep. And so let's go to verses 13 and 14 in conclusion. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the purification of the flesh.

And i said this was a difficult passage right. Let's pause. Right there. What is that. Well you have to read numbers 19. And you'd understand in the law if a person became defiled unclean how could you become unclean.

Well maybe somebody died in the tent where you were. Or you came in contact with the dead body. Or in some way you were defiled by something you ate. Or in any way you were made unclean. Here's what you did.

You go to the priest. The red heifer was sacrificed. It was burned on the altar and the ashes of that red heifer were mixed into water and with the hyssop branch the priest would then sprinkle you. And you would go home clean.

Right. Makes sense. It's not how we do it now. But and by the way was this a bad arrangement. No it was good. It was a good arrangement. This was god's way of making people clean. That's how somebody's flesh purification of flesh could be clean.

But look at verse 14. Now this idea of how much more this is a new and better thing that we're talking about that has become obsolete according to chapter 8 verse 13. But now how much more will the blood of christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to god purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living god.

This is thoroughly trinitarian in its construction. Isn't it. Father son holy spirit. You have the son as an offering. He's offering himself through the eternal spirit. But to whom does he offer himself.

Brothers and sisters. Sadly much of evangelicalism in the world today doesn't know the answer to this basic question. But it's right there to god. Christ offered himself to god. Paul washer tells the story of going to a college group in europe.