Sermon: No one else will do

Title: No one else will do
Purpose: To encourage Christians to hold to their faith in Jesus

Intro:

Little Johnny's dog was stolen. Parents offered to get another, but no one else would do except his little rover.
Message of Hebrews - No one else will do except Jesus
Review
Chap 8 begins with the main point: “We have such a High Priest”
1. Provides access to God (4:14; 6:20; 7:19)
2. He is perfected and therefore merciful (2:10, 17; 7:11, 28)
3. He is a surety for God’s oath (7:22; 6:20)
4. He lives forever to make intercession for us (7:24-25)
Remember that mature Christian faith is not just based on Jesus’ completed works (6:1-2) but also on his continuing work as High Priest.
Text: Hebrews 8
The exhortation behind all of this theology is to hold fast your confession and confidence in Jesus no one else will do

I. No one else will do because only Jesus could complete what is necessary

He “sat down” (also in chap 1) this shows his work was completed
Contrast that to the Old Test.
1. They had to offer continually
2. No amount of blood seemed to be enough
  1. There was a hole in the ground by the altar to drain blood
  2. Imagine all the blood there
3. 7:27 - Jesus only had to make ONE offering, and it was sufficient
4. Compare to I John 1:7 - His blood cleanses (continuous action) us
  1. Sacrifice was only one time
  2. The effects are continual
ILL: Thunderbird Mountain
1. Statue of Crazy Horse supposed to be built
2. Almost 100 years, and hardly anything done
3. Such a momumental task, never seem to get done
4. That is the way sin is, man could not really atone for his own sin
Possible application of this truth?
1. Could say that nothging we can do can earn forgiveness (which is true)
2. However, intent of this passage was to keep the readers from going back to what was inadequate
3. We could be tempted to slide back to something inadequate as well
  1. Like the readers, it could be so easy to do
  2. Worldly view: Keep low profile, do a few good deeds, go to church once in awhile and you’ll be okay in an afterlife
  3. That is totally inadequate
4. Need Jesus, because only he can complete what is lacking in you.

II. No one else will do because only Jesus could minister in Heaven

7:28 - Makes total sense because he is a SON
His ministry is now in Heaven
1. He couldn’t be a High Preist on earth
  1. The earthly preisthood could not perfect anyone
  2. Gifts according to law, Jesus didn’t meet legal requirement for priesthood
2. Currently he is ministering at God’s right hand
  1. HE IS ACTIVE
  2. “Minister” means servant, so Jesus is serving in Heaven, even as Lord
3. He is ministering in the sanctuary, holy place
  1. ILL: We go camping, pull up stakes and tent is gone - TEMPORARY
  2. The True Holy Place is the Heavenly Tabernacle
    - Notice the reference here is to the old tabernacle, not the temple
    - This is emphasizing the temporary nature of its services
    - The old system was never meant to be permanent
    - The reality is what they point to, they were just shadows
  3. Idea in O.T. - separation, in N.T. - reconciliation
    - Reconciliation had to take place in Heaven, to God
    - Sacrifice was on earth, but blood taken into sanctuary to God
ILL: Formal letter of apology is not same as face to face confrontation - Some things cannot be done at a distance
You can not approach God and live, but Jesus can
1. He was God’s son, and was perfect
2. Jesus is forerunner (6:20) (unlike Levitical Priests)
3. The only way we can ever approach God is through Jesus

III. No one else will do because only Jesus could mediate a better covenant

The covenant is better because it is enacted on better promises
Text:
1. Better “Covenant”, major theme in this section
  1. 2 words in Greek
    - Sunetheike - Agreement between 2 equals, both have say
    - Diatheike - Agreement, only one party spells out terms
  2. This word is Diatheke - (can be translated “will”)
  3. Why this word for Covenant? (we’ll see in the lessons ahead)
2. It is better because it is enacted on better promises
  1. v.7 - Did God mess up?
    - Did God make a faulty covenant?
    - Fault was with the people (v.8, 9b)
  2. Old was on stone, new is in men’s hearts
  3. Only those “re-born” into covenant will be under the covenant (all will know him)
  4. v.12 - SINS WILL BE FORGOTTEN
3. Jesus is “mediator” of this covenant
  1. This is the 2nd legal term used for Jesus (first was 7:22 - “surety”)
  2. Signifies a “go-between”
  3. Was used of arbitrator/negotiator of 2 people entering into an agreement
  4. Similar to 2 John 2:1 - “Advocate” and 7:25 - Making intercession
ILL: When you get a lawyer, you want one to represent your case effectively
1. Jesus was ideal representative for both us and God
  1. First of all, he was God
  2. Tempted in all respects as we are yet without sin
  3. He was perfected through sufferings (made the perfect mediator)
2. Not only did Jesus negotiate covenant, he was surety for it as well
3. Song - I know that my Redeemer Lives and ever prays for me - Faith in his continuing work
If you want to cross over into Heaven, you need to cross the bridge
1. Jesus is the mediator, go between, the bridge
2. You cannot give up on your faith in him

SONG: Because He Lives

Concl:

Remember that the bottom line exhortation is that we need to hold fast our confession and confidence in Jesus
1. Because only Jesus can complete what is lacking in us
2. Only Jesus can minister on our behalf to God
3. Only Jesus could mediate a better covenant between us and God - of forgiveness
No one else will do, not even yourself.
Don't rely on anyone or anything but Jesus!
Jesus is in Heaven as Lord, and is still working on your behalf
Jesus is alive, you can face up to anything!