Hebrews chapter 8. We've been looking at how our
Lord is portraying in this letter to the Hebrews. A better priest? Well, let me
just read from verse 1 to start it off. Hath in these last days, in verse
2 of chapter 1, spoken unto us by his Son, who has appointed
heir of all things, by whom he has also made all the worlds,
who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image
of his person, and upholding all things by the power of his
word, he hath by himself purged our sins, and sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better. And that's the theme of Hebrews. Christ is a much better priest,
as we were looking into, that he's a priest, not of the priesthood
of Aaron. Remember, Aaron and the priesthood
of Aaron was all about the law. The Lord had come and given Israel,
his people, the law. And we had gone back into some
of the Old Testament and considered this Melchizedek, who our Lord
is a picture after the order of. And the difference between
Melchizedek and Aaron is that Aaron, and the priesthood of
Aaron, the Levitical priesthood as we call it, they could never
accomplish anything. They were nothing more than a
picture of our true priest. He who is a better priest than
any who ever walked this earth. Why was he better? Because he
was God in the flesh. As it said about Melchizedek,
It talked about Melchizedek being his priesthood never ending.
A continual, that was the word. It was a continual priesthood.
That was the word I was looking for. Well, that's the priesthood
of Christ. Aren't you thankful? That means
that right now, our Lord is in the holiest of holies. That's
in heaven. And that's what we're going to look at this morning.
The work that he did was accepted. He's in the holiest of holies
right now. making intercession for us continually. I don't know about you folks,
but I know about this guy who stands before you, and I need
a priest continually. I needed a priest when I got
out of bed this morning. I'm gonna need a priest when
I lay my head down again tonight to make intercession for me as
for the things that I've accomplished today, which are gonna be sinful. Even in my good works, even the
things that I do that are good for this world, for the people
around me, for myself, are tainted with sin because of the flesh.
Even my good works are spoiled by the sin that is in this flesh,
and will be until the day I leave. You know, I was reading something
this morning about how, well, it's in an article, as a matter
of fact. Buyer's Remorse, have you got your bulletin with you
today? Greg Elmquist wrote an article.
Greg Elmquist, for those of you who don't know, is the pastor
over there in Florida. I forget the name of the city
that he's in over there, but he's the only one we know of
over there in Florida. He wrote this, he says, Buyer's
Remorse. He says, I saw where someone wrote a book on the de-churching
of America. They attempted to explain why
fewer people are going to church today. Of all the causes they
gave, I believe they missed one big reason, buyer's remorse. Any company that oversells and
under-delivers will eventually go out of business. The so-called
church today is promising what they cannot deliver. They promise
health, wealth, and happiness. They present God as part of man's
self-help plan to a better life. Most people's circumstances don't
really change much when they get religion. They soon become
disenchanted with the hype, and they quit. The Lord and His faithful,
under-shepherds, preachers, pastors, never make such empty promises.
To the contrary, we tell men up front that coming to Christ
will add to your troubles in this world. In addition to all
the common trials of life, you'll have the daily struggle with
an old man you never knew you had before. Add to that, the
world will hate you. The promise, life eternal. and that he has is all and all
is and will deliver, Greg Elmquist. So we see that this flesh that
we walk in doesn't get any better. What he's saying there is that
the churches today have become nothing more than a self-help
thing. You know, there's people who make millions of dollars
at that. That guy who, over there, I think he's in Texas, what's
his name, Joel Oldstein? I'm not afraid to use people's
names, folks. That's all he is. He is nothing more than a, I
can pump you up. I can tell you how to build yourself
up and be a better person. That's all he is. God's true
preachers come before the people and tell us we're sinful. We
need a priest. We need a man who will go into
the holiest of holies with blood that is sufficient, and there's
only one who can do that, one who's done that. That's Christ
Jesus, our Savior. A work accepted. Look here with
me. Look here with me. The superiority
of our Savior's priestly ministry is demonstrated in three ways
in these two first verses of Hebrews chapter 8. First we see
is a seated priest. People just read by some things
in scriptures and they may miss things. If you just stopped and
read these verses, now, of these things which have spoken, this
is the sum, we have such a high priest who is set on the right
hand of the father of the throne of the majesty in heavens. You
just read that real quickly, you just think, okay, so here
we got this king, he's sitting on a throne, yeah, that's the
Lord Jesus, we understand that, and then we go on, don't we?
Have you stopped to think about word for word sometimes though?
He's sitting. He's a priest who has done what
he's supposed to do. He only had to do it once because
everything our Lord does is effectual. Those high priests back in the
days of Israel, they would do it every year, every year, every
year, and then one would die, and the next one would come in,
and they'd do it every year, every year. Christ did it once,
and that was all that was needed. All of your sins, all of the
sins of those for whom God the Father gave the Son are paid
for in full. I don't know about you, but that's
good news to this guy, this sinner who's standing before you. Our
great high priest, the Lord Jesus, is a seated priest, sitting down. We have such a high priest who
is set, it says. Let's read the first three verses
there. Now of the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which
the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is a necessity that
this man have somewhat also to offer." Listen to the words of
Psalms 110 verse 1, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at
my right hand. That's David. That's the Old
Testament Scriptures talking about our Savior right there.
I know we've done this a lot in these last two or three studies. We spend a lot of time looking
at Hebrews 9 and Hebrews 10. But these words go hand in hand
with what we're reading in chapters 8 and chapters 5. Hebrews 10, two verses, if you
would, 12 and 13. But this man, and we're talking
about a work that is accepted, and we're talking about the Lord
showing us that this work is accepted. But this man, verse
12, Hebrews 10, verse 12, after he had offered how many sacrifices? One. One sacrifice for sins forever
sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool. That's exactly what
David said. Now, I forget how many years
it was since David was before the Lord Jesus walked this earth,
or before this was written, but that was a long, long time ago.
So we see a seated priest sitting at the right hand of God. The
fact that he sat down declares that his work is done. When our
Lord Jesus cried, it is finished on that cross, he meant what?
You know, I love it, Don Porter, he says, Don Porter, one time
he was talking, he's up here preaching, and he goes, you know,
I had somebody come up to me one time and ask me, John looked right back at the
guy and he says, let me look at that. It is finished. That's what it means. What did
the Lord come here to do? To save his people? Is that not
what the blood of Christ on the cross is all about? To save his
people? It's done. We talked about that
last week. It's finished. What great words
to sinners! It's all done! But what was finished? All types,
all promises, all prophecies concerning Him were fulfilled
and finished. All the commandments, all the
ceremonies, of the law were fulfilled and finished in him. All the
work of redemption which he came into the world to perform was
finished. The Levitical priests could never
sit down in their typical roles of priesthood because none of
those priests ever finished their work. Their work was never done. It never accomplished what they
were doing. Our Lord Jesus Christ sat down because his work was
finished. So the first thing we see here
is a seated Savior. Next thing we see in that verse,
back in our verse there, let's look at that again, Hebrews chapter
one. What does it say? Who is set on the right hand
of what? of the throne. We see a savior,
a priest, who is not only seated because the work is done, but
he's seated on the throne. Those other priests in the old
days, they would finish their duty for the day, and then they'd
leave. They'd probably have to clean
up afterwards, otherwise there'd be blood. You know, I remember
Steve Doyle bringing a study once about the building of the
temple and the sacrifices that were going on in there. And I
remembered him saying, you know, well, I gotta, before I go any
further, I gotta say this. Everything he pointed us to at
that time was how don't get lost in the particulars, Just understand
that God is a particular of everything. The Lord Jesus knows every detail,
which is why we see all the detail of the temple at that day. But
imagine what it must have been like with all those sacrifices. I walked into a buddy of mine,
bought a building out there in Kansas. and it was an old butcher
shop. And the guy had not been in there
working for butchering animals for a long time, so the blood
had been all dried up and everything, but buddy, you could still, you
could still smell the stench of blood. Imagine what it was
like in that temple. Over and over and over again,
the old Levitical priests, they never accomplished. what it was
they were doing, but they kept continuing, just like coming
to the table here. It doesn't accomplish anything,
but it continually points us to the one who accomplished and
is sitting on his throne right now. Our great high priest is sitting
upon that throne. On the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in heaven, the fact that he is seated upon the
throne, the throne of universal sovereignty, the throne of grace,
declares that he is indeed able and most assuredly will save
all his people. There's no doubt about it. There's
no doubt about it. He's God. Everything he does
is effectual. Everything his purpose shall
come to be. He's sitting on his throne of
sovereignty, the throne of grace. Look over at John 17 for a moment. John 17. Now, this is our Lord's priestly
prayer. He's praying to the Father for
who? For you and I. He is acting right
now, sitting on his throne as our priest, presenting you and
I to the Father. Well, look what he says here
in verses one and two, or no, I'm sorry, yeah, one and two.
These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour has come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may
glorify thee, as thou has given him. Now, we're talking about
the one who's seated at the throne. What throne? The throne of sovereignty?
As thou has given him power over all flesh that he should give
eternal life. to as many as thou hast given
him." Is there any sign or any sound of doubt in what the Lord
is speaking there? Is he giving any maybes? You
know, Lord, Father, if you'll just, you've given me all power
over all flesh, but flesh, you know, they can refuse me. Maybe they'll come to me, maybe
they won't. That's not what he's saying at all here. That I should, that he, that
the Lord Jesus should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. Look over now at Romans 14, verse
nine. Turn over to Romans 14. Look
at verse nine over there. For to this end, Romans 14 verse nine, for to
this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, lived again,
that he might be Lord of both of the dead and living. Our Lord sits on the throne.
throne of all sovereignty, of all majesty, of all power. All
power in heaven and earth have been given unto him, and under
the earth, it says. And then the last thing I want
to look at here in our study today is our Lord had entered
the true sanctuary. You know, all those temples,
all those sanctuaries that the old Levitical priests went into
were built with hands of men. When the Lord spoke to His people
as they crossed over the Jordan in one of their crossings, the
Lord said, build an altar for me of rock. But He said this,
of unhewn rock. That means not Carved, not chipped
away. Don't square up the rocks so
they sit nice and neat. Just take rocks and rocks only. Untouched by men in the way that
they were shaped. Because the works of men, the
hands of men will ruin what the sacrificial altar was for. Well, the men who built that
temple The old Levitical priests would go into were made by the
hands of men. Christ has entered a temple,
a tabernacle, that is not made with the hands of men. Why? Because
our works would muddy up the grace, the rivers of grace. Folks, you can't mix our works
with grace. It has to be grace alone. And
grace alone is from Christ alone. That is great news. That is such
great news. The earthly priests served in
the earth. Theirs was an earthly carnal
ministry, but our Lord Jesus Christ was a minister of the
true sanctuary in heaven. Look again at Hebrews 8 verse
2. A minister of the sanctuary of
what? The true tabernacle. which the
Lord pitched and not. Oh, that's good stuff right there.
The fact that he sat down declares the work is done. The fact that
he sat down on the throne declares that he is able to save all for
whom he died, whose interest he serves as God's high priest.
And the fact that he sat down in heaven declares that his work
has been accepted. Can you not say hallelujah to
that? Don't miss this, folks. Don't
pass by what we're reading here and how it affects you and what
it means to you. When He sat down in heaven, our
Savior sat down as our forerunner, the one who would go before us
and prepare for us where we're gonna spend with Him for eternity. Look over at Ephesians chapter
two. Go back from Hebrews just a little
bit to the left there, just past Colossians and Philippians. And look at Ephesians chapter
2. We read in verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy for His
great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead and
sinned, hath quickly, that means made us alive, made us alive
together with Christ by grace you're saved and have raised
us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places
where? In Christ. He's our forerunner.
Because God has accepted him, he accepts you and I. Doesn't that boggle your mind? Because
God the Father has accepted His Son, He who knew no sin and was
made sin, that we would be made the righteousness
of God in Him. He who has accepted what His
Son has done, the good work of His Son accepts you and I. That gives us a surety, folks.
We're going to be in heaven when we go through that doormark death.
That's why we don't fear death. Oh, don't get me wrong. I fear the pains of death. I
fear the way the Lord has marked for me to go through that door.
But I don't fear what's on the other side. What's on the other
side for me, if I'm in Christ, is wonderful. I don't fear the conviction that
sin we have, that the sin we have in our flesh gave us before
God revealed himself to us. You know why everybody fears
death before, all the world fears death? And we know they do because
we did before the Lord showed us, didn't we? But why, why? Because the whole world knows
we're sinners. Don't tell me we don't. If the
whole world didn't think they were sinners, there wouldn't
be any need for any religions. What do you think religion is?
Religion is a way for us to figure out, a way for us to conjure
up, how can I pay for my sins? How can I go through that do
or mark death and not go to where I deserve to go to? Jesus Christ is the only way. The Son of God is the only way. And the works that He has done,
God the Father has accepted. And He sits right now on His
throne. He took possession of eternal
salvation and all the glory of heaven with it. In the name of
His people as our representative, now that means that we have entered
into heaven, we have sat down with Him, He entered into and
took possession of heaven as our forerunner. That means that
we, for whom he entered in, shall also enter into heaven by him. Our great high priest, the son
of God in human flesh, ministers for you and I. He makes intercession
continually. That's what that picture of Melchizedek,
he's continually. and the holiest of holies, not
on earth, but in heaven itself. This is the superiority of our
Savior and His priestly position. Look over again at Hebrews 9,
verse 24. Hebrews 9, verse 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for what? What is that last two words?
For us. For us. That's what it says for
you and I. He's entered in there into the
presence of God, not just because He is who He is, but for something,
for you and I. It's a great thing to see here.
This is the work of a priest. He makes intercession, and intercession
of that priest who has been accepted in heaven for us is an infallible,
effectual priesthood. The Father hears him pray. His
dear anointed One, He cannot turn away from the presence of
His Son. Now look at verse 3 of Hebrews
8. Close this in just a moment.
For every high priest, it says in Hebrews 8 verse 3, for every
high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore
it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. So what are we reading here?
He's offered a better sacrifice. What is that sacrifice that he's
offered? His blood. The typical priests
of old, they never came to the Tabernacle without the proper
sacrifices. And you can read about that in
Hebrews 9 as well. Their sacrifices could never
put away sin. That's in Hebrews 10, 1 through
4. If Christ is to appear before
the majesty in the heavens as our great priest, our great mediator,
he must have an effectual sacrifice and his blood is effectual. It's not a maybe. It's not an
if you do something. It's factual. He's sitting on the throne of
heaven, making intercession for his people. Look at verses four
and five. For if we were on earth, he should
not be a priest. For if he were on earth, he should
not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer
gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and the
shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when
he was about to make the tabernacle. For see, or OC, sayeth he, that
thou make all things according to the pattern shown unto thee
in the mount. Now, it's talking about that,
that tabernacle that he made. Our Lord's tabernacle, the true
tabernacle that we read about there, the true sanctuary, the
true tabernacle that we read about there in verse 2, Christ
is called the true tabernacle. the tabernacle which the Lord
pitched, not man." Look over Hebrews 8 verses 4 and 5. Oh,
that's what we just read, Hebrews 8 verses 4 and 5. It's talking
about the tabernacle which man pitched according to God's directions.
This tabernacle in the wilderness was typical, and God dwelt there. Remember He dwelt there in the
clouds? Remember as He traveled with Israel as they went through
the... He traveled either in the cloud over the... In the day, in the fire by night,
he traveled. The true tabernacle, though,
is the Lord's body in which he tabernacled among men. Here the
glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Through him,
God communes with his people. By him, sacrifices of prayer
and praise are offered. And to him, believers look for
forgiveness and acceptance. His blood is the atonement for
our sin.