“Counsel We Can Count On” – pastor Luke Cobrae - Sunday March 30, 2014 Hebrews 9:18-24 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; Why then is Christ in the Presence of God for us, and why does it matter to me today? Christ as our mediator, in the presence of God for our behalf brings us: Jesus in the presence of God brings us: 1. Identification. Christ can Identify with us: we with Him. Identification – How could God be Just, and also be a justifier at the same time? If God remained Just, then we would forever be separated from God by our inherent sin nature, If God was to simply start over and wipe the slate clean from Sin he would not be just as the price for sin had to be paid. The only long term solution then was for the Just to himself become the Justifier. Christ the “Last Adam” (last week) – It was Adam that brought death into mankind through sin, therefore Christ, had to become all Man, while being all God to die to sin, so that life could follow. (The will goes into effect) Hebrews 4:14-16 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Boldness because God identified with Humanity with Jesus, all God, and All man. Christ as our mediator, not only stands in the Gap for you and I but can also sympathize with our day to day lives because he himself experienced it. I am not able to identify with the pain my wife endured to bring our children into this world. Because of that, I don’t fully understand all that she is going through, so I pat her on the back and tell her its going to be ok, and she looks at me and says, “DON’T TOUCH ME…” But with Christ, it is not God up in Heaven, looking down on us lowly humans, patting us on the back saying, “Its going to be ok,” its Christ sitting next to the father saying, “I have been there, I have also experienced this, and I know how to help!” Jesus in the presence of God brings us: 2. Substitution. To take our place. Reconciliation – to put back what was taken away. Life is in the blood, it is through Christ’s blood that we have life. Christ has identified with humanity, by experiencing it. Now we serve a God who breathes and planets exist, and holds the universe in his hands, and yet, has lived life amongst us, not as a human who was so good as to become a God (like something you would read in mythology) but rather a God who loved his creation so much, he chose to come and dwell with us, experience life, and substitute the penalty of death we were doomed to face, by taking the fall for us. Isaiah 53:4-6 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. It was for our sakes Christ came, for our needs that the Just God became the Justifier, and removed us from the penalty of sin and death, closed the gap between man and God and brought us in unity with God. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, Its as if standing in the courtroom, brought in for the penalty of our lives, (guilty by association) and as the Judge from his bench pronounces the sentence for our crimes, “Death by separation from God,” and the Gavel comes down. The bailiffs proceed to carry us out of the courtroom, when the judge stands from his bench, and says, “Stop!” Takes his robe off, comes around the bench off of his high position, to the floor of the court, places his hands out to the bailiffs and says, “I will take this sentence so that he can live” This is the image of what Christ in Heavenly places did for us! Now he is with God, as the gavel comes down, at judgment, the accuser of the brethren will appear with a rap sheet so thick it would take a lifetime to read… the verdict is guilty… but then Christ says, “Stop” he raises his hands to reveal the scars he took for our place, he pulls out his file, (it reads, the lambs book of life) and says, their name is written, their price has already been paid, in an instant the devils wrap sheet on us is consumed in flames, and vanishes, his argument is gone! And we are free! Jesus in the presence of God brings us: 3. Transformation. Metamorphosis: like caterpillar to a Butterfly. Now through the power of Christ, because of the price that has been paid for us we are free from the bondages that we did not even know held us down, we are changed, by the blood of the lamb, and the word of God transformed, from one to the new! Colossians 1:21-23 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Now you have the Grace of God to propel you into a position (like we discussed last week) with God. Your spirit has been renewed Looking back at Hebrews, as the priest sprinkled the blood, he was covered in blood and ashes, he was dirty, blood was on his hands. “It’s so hard we say, our flesh didn’t get the memo!” Who controls you? Your body? Or your mind? Your spirit has been renewed, therefore you feed your mind things of the spirit, and in doing so your mind begins to reflect the will of God to your bodies!! Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It is because our great counsel, Jesus our mediator in the presence of God for us, we are transformed, to something totally new, so that we can prove, live out the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Our flesh may have not gotten the memo, but our spirit influences our Mind that is in control! What dog do you feed?
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:03:54 +0000
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