Sermon: The Earthly Sanctuary

Let's pray for God's word as we open Hebrews 9 together.

father we're thankful that you speak to us. by the power of your word thankful that in a world that is dead and dying dark to speak truth into the myths and that you shed. True Light We pray this morning that we would know that. We have encountered the light of the Gospel. We have heard your voice. And that whatever Darkness shrouds us that it is cast off this morning. We might see you in all of your beauty and all of your glory.

In Christ's name we pray. amen Hebrews chapter 9 verses 1 through 10. This is the holy inherent sufficient. word of God Now even the first Covenant had regulations for worship and in Earthly place of holiness. For tent was prepared. The first section in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the presence. It is called the holy place. Behind, the second curtain was a second section called the most holy place.

Having the golden altar event since in the Ark of the Covenant covered on all sides with gold. In which was a golden earn holding the Manna and Aaron's staff that budded and the tablets of the Covenant. Above it were the cherubim of Glory overshadowing The Mercy Seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 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. For the unintentional sins of the people. But this the Holy Spirit indicates by this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet open. As long as the first section is still standing. Which is symbolic of 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. the grass withers and the flower fades word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

there are certain quotes from different theologians or preachers or pastors Through the Ages that just kind of stick in my mind one of those. Is John Calvin's comment about? The Book of Psalms or the soldier He said what I think is the best description of the book of Psalms. He said is an anatomy of the Soul. anatomy of the Soul That is what he's saying is in the Book of Psalms you and I can find every emotion that we go

through every experience that we have internally in our souls you and I experience. It's there in the soul. All the highs. This is what so fascinating about the scriptures all the lows. the scriptures don't don't ignore the lows that you and I go through in the different trials and the different troubles and the different angers and the different disappointments and the different discouragements and different melancholies and

There's one of those in Psalm 32. I just want to read what David says they're in Psalm 32. He says this. For when I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Per day and night your hand was Heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by The Heat Of Summer. Now, I don't even have to tell you what he's talking about. Because everyone in this room is experienced it. Where it feels like if you don't say something.

If you don't confess. Your bones are being crushed Within. You're drying up like under the heat of Summer. the guilty conscience Your conscience is just pricked and that guilt is weighing down on you. all experienced sometimes it's a it's the loudest voice in our heads. When you just can't shake. Thomas Brooks and old Puritan once wrote this he said there are three things that Earthly riches can never do. They can never satisfy Divine Justice.

They can never pacify Divine Wrath. Nor can they ever quiet a guilty conscience? And until these things are done man is undone.

But I want us to see this morning from this text from Hebrews 9 here. These first verses is what the Lord has done so that you aren't left undone. See done. And it's something that he he planned and Eternity past as we're going to see. That gets to our first point this morning. There'll be three points. The first point. Is this the preparation the preparations. The writer of Hebrews is talking about different preparations. He uses that

term two different times in our text in verse 1 then he uses again in verse 6 and when he's talking about the preparations, he goes into talking about the tent of meeting or the Tabernacle. This was the place where God came down to meet with his people to be in communion with them, especially so to have fellowship with them. And that tent of meeting or the Tabernacle, whatever you call it. Both. Terms are used in the scripture that Tabernacle it consisted

of two rooms. It had one room. That was called The Holy place. And then beyond that room was the most holy place or what is sometimes called the holy of holies. Now outside the holy place and outside the holy police. There was a larger area that was called the courtyard. And so in essence there were really three courts as part of this whole enclosure. You have the courtyard then the holy place then the most holy place. What

I want to do is I want this morning to look at these preparations is the right of Hebrews called it and trying to imagine this in our minds together. Okay, what the Tabernacle or that tent of meeting what it looked like If you can imagine there were pillars that were set up in a rectangular formation and those pillars they were made of wood and they were clothed and encased with bronze and their tops were covered over with silver.

And from those poles put in a rectangular pattern there were these curtains or fine linen that were hung from them that made this entire inclusion. A priest as he would go into the Tabernacle, he would enter into this enclosure into that courtyard by going through this 30 foot opening. And opening that had a curtain on it and that curtain was made of blue and purple and Scarlet linen. And once he went through that blue and purple and Scarlet Linens through

that curtain in to the Courtyard, he would enter into the courtyard in the very first thing that he would see would be the bronze older. What is called the altar of burnt offering? And it was there that sacrifices were made by the priests who labored in the courtyard. It was seven and a half feet long. So I'm five foot ten five foot eleven on a good day and it was so much taller than me. And it was four and a half feet wide much wider than me.

and they would to sacrifices on this altar beyond that beyond the bronze altar if you were to walk right past that there was the Bronze basin. and it was at the bronze Basin that the priest himself would then do ceremonial Washings and he would wash himself before he would go about the rest of the ceremonies that were required there. If we were to go beyond the courtyard then and so beyond that. Altar and beyond that Basin you would then enter into the

Tabernacle. And the Tabernacle the first room and that it habernacle as we said was called The Holy place. It was 30 feet long. It was 15 feet wide and it was 15 feet high that room. And in that room there was contained as the writer of Hebrews says in verse 2 the lampstand and the table of the bread of the presence. The lampstand was a lamp that had seven different arms to it you and I would say well that's a menorah. That's

that's what it looked like. And it was to be a Perpetual continual light it was to have oil in it. That was a clean oil that then was burned and that light was never to go out. It was a sign and a symbol of God's continual presence with his people the light never goes out. There was on the table of the presence there were 12 loaves of bread in those 12 loaves of bread represented the nation of Israel in the 12 tribes of Israel and

the priests were to eat all of that bread every Sabbath and the new bread was placed upon the table of presence. There was a third thing that was also in the Holy place the altar Vincennes. It was between the holy place in the most. Holy place. It went right up against the curtain as one went entered into the most holy place. And so it it looks like if you look at her text right or Hebrews says that that altar Vincent was in the most holy

place and it wasn't he said well, is he making in there? No, I think what he's doing is he's saying look as you went into the holy place and as that incense went up so that incense carried into the most holy place. And in many ways it functioned as a curtain itself that has the high priest would go through that Courtney would also have to go through that curtain of instance as he walked into the most. Holy place the holy of holies.

As he entered into that holy of holies. He would go through the second curtain. And the second curtain was just like that first curtain that first Veil that one entered when they went into the holy place. So you have the second curtain into the most holy place. But it was distinct in this way and that it had cherubim or these Angelic figures embroidered on that curtain. And why? Because the cherubim or the angels that are Before the Throne

of God that are crying out Holy Holy Holy Night and Day. And as he goes into the holy of holies, he is especially going into the place where God resides with his people. where God is in this room the Tabernacle as the writer of Hebrews points out. There was the Ark of the Covenant. In the Ark of the Covenant had within it it had the Ten Commandments two stones the two stones that God had written The Ten Commandments upon they were in the Ark of

the Covenant. The writer of Hebrews though says that there were two other things in the Ark of the Covenant that we never see in the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. He says that there was also an urn that was filled with some of the Mana from the Wilderness wanderings and he says also Aaron's staff that staff that budded that it was also in the ark and so surely he knows something that we don't know from the Old Testament that later in

the Old Testament that those two things must have also been put into the Ark of the Covenant and that Ark of Covenant. It had a lid on it to lid of gold and on that lid set to cherubim with their wings touching. and at that place where their wings touched this was called The Mercy Seat and it was there that the high priest would enter and he would sprinkle The Blood On The Mercy Seat Making atonement for himself and for the people that he

represented.

This is where the writer takes us in the text. He takes us from what he calls the preparations all of that now focusing upon the priests. In fact, he he says in verse 5, he says this study of these things we cannot now speak in detail. He doesn't want his readers. He doesn't want you and I this morning to get caught up in all of these details and to spend all of our time there. No, he wants to move on to the priests. and their rule

and that's what he does in verses 6 and 7. He points out that the priests would go regularly into the first section the holy place. That there they would offer burnt offerings but into the holy of holies, there were two particular differences when they could go in and who could go in. When they could go in was only one time of year. And who could go in was only the high priest? But with even these two stringent requirements to

go into the holy of holies, there is one more thing that he points out that was necessary and he says in verse 7 this that the high priest was not allowed to go in without quote taking blood. There had to be sacrificed. There had to be death. And that blood had to be offered for both the high priest and for the sins of the people that he represented. And though this was done sparingly only done once a year. It was done year after year after year.

And done over and over and over.

Because the blood was never sufficient. It was never enough.

That leads him to his third point and where we want to camp out. preparations priests perfection he wants you to see the perfection. The writer wants us to see that this Tabernacle. And all that it stood for and all that. It was it was a type. It was a type waiting for the substance. When Moses was on Mount Sinai and God gives him the instructions for the Tabernacle. He tells him to build the Tabernacle. We were told all the way

back in chapter 8 verse 5 that when God gave these instructions all the different configurements of the Tabernacle. It's Dimensions what it was supposed to have in it. He says this in Hebrews chapter 8 verse 5 a copy. It was a copy and a shadow of heavenly things. That is the Tabernacle was a shadow a copy of Heaven.

What it looks like in heaven?

It was a shadow meant to give way to the full light. That was to come.

You'll notice that these two rooms and these high priests who sacrifice year after year had as the writer says quote. Not yet open the way to God. All of this had not yet opened the way to God he goes on in verse 8 to make it clear that as long as the first section still stood the way to God was still inhibited. It was not perfect. It covered over the sin of The Sinner, but it did not completely free The Sinner to have unfettered complete

full access to God. The way had not been perfectly opened.

They're all but types. All these wonderful Provisions were only wonderful and that they were pointing forward to Christ in his finally and completely opening up the way to God.

This is why. In the gospels and even Christ himself, they go out of their way to point out how Christ fulfills all of these different shadows in the Tabernacle. She said well, let's think through all of these things a few of them. Let's think through them. He is the fullness of light John 1. John says in him was life and the life was the light of the world. Jesus himself will say I am the light of the world. He is the bread of presence. Jesus said I am the bread of

life. Is the spiritual food that our souls must feed upon he said if anyone eats of me, he shall not hunger. The incense representing these prayers that are wafting to Heaven. What does the writer of Hebrews says he ever lives to intercede for us. continual intercessions going up and John Who makes it abundantly clear at the beginning of his gospel when he says in the word the word? Which we are told was with God and was God. He says in that

word became flesh and dwelt Among Us and the word that he uses. There is literally the world Tabernacle. The Son of God came and tabernacled Among Us. And then he says and we have behold his glory. The glory of the only begotten son what happened when God would descend upon the Tabernacle. He would fill it with his glory the sun has Tabernacle Among Us. We've seen as Glory. glory of the only begotten son He's the Fulfillment of all of these Shadows.

In fact, Jesus himself will get out this you'll remember when he's standing before the temple and the Jews get so confused. Because he will say you destroy this Temple. And in three days, I will rise it again and let's say how can you raise it again in three days when it took 46 years to build this thing. And we're told he was speaking about. Temple of his body Jesus Is the medium place of God and man? Jesus is the Tabernacle and

the temple. It is in Christ and Christ Alone that God and man meet that we can commune with God In Christ Alone. He's the Fulfillment. and every shadow ceases to be

fact Matthew and Mark and Luke will try and point this out in every way. If you think about the Lord Jesus, he not only fulfills the temple he fulfills the high priest. And all that the high priest did he doesn't enter into the holy of holies on Earth. He enters into the holy of holies in heaven. the true temple of God And as he enters in he doesn't bring the blood of bows and goats, he brings his own blood. And he's entered in.

He's atone for our sins. The penalties paid the debt is subsumed. The Wrath is removed. So much so that in the synoptic gospels Matthew Mark and Luke, they will all point this out that when he is upon the cross and he is giving up those final words and it says that he gives up his Spirit. They all three record what happens in that very moment immediately upon him giving up a spirit. What happened? The curtain in the temple was torn in two.

And it's not torn from bottom to top it's torn from top to bottom God made away in Christ. The way is opened. Free genuine unparalleled access the Earthly veil was torn and the Heavenly veil was open. ripped open wide

how much so The writer makes clear the difference in verses 9 and 10 perfectly. So the sacrifices and Gifts could not finally free the conscience of the worshiper. They had to be offered over and over and over and over. and over and over again.

but in Christ Through his one sacrifice. We have complete. Perfect. full absolute peace with God and the conscience of the worshiper. Is free.

No, no where all of you are at in this room this morning.

There's some of you that are sitting here with a burden conscience this morning. Feel that weight.

Feel the guilt.

This has a long history. Go all the way back to the Garden of Eden. And Adam and Eve are in the garden and they choose to sin against God they eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. They have an immediate response. They hide themselves. They hide from God. They run from him. And then they have another response they begin blaming someone or something else.

That's a guilty conscience.

and often the sign of it is by mean someone something else running from God.

May be there this morning.

Don't you know? That if you're in Christ you conscience is set free. You're boldly able to approach the throne of God. Conscience is set free.

may not feel like it this morning it may be that your conscience is eaten up with guilt and God seems severe to you. He doubt whether accepts you. Maybe even whether he loves you. Truly not like he used to be. I find this to be one of the hardest things in Ministry for me. Is walking alongside of people and watching people that I know are running away from God because they have a guilty conscience and they are running away from the one

thing that will actually give them lasting. peace and you can see it that they're going to destroy their life. You can see it. And they just keep going. And you warn them and you're reaching out and you can see it. They're just they're gonna destroy it.

Don't run to God.

Stops with prayer you stop praying I run from God. Stop praying. Stop reading the word. Come To Worship Hmm, maybe miss a week. Maybe miss a couple weeks and then begin to miss a lot. Stop fellowshipping with other Christians because you don't want them talking to you and reminding you of Christ.

It's running from God.

We Begin blaming if only my spouse did this then I wouldn't struggle with this if only I wasn't so tired we blame something else guilty conscience

Don't run from God.

run to God the way into the most holy place is open. perfectly, so it just it's just that first. Step. It's a step of of trust of where you just they step of faith and trust that you know what Christ's death for me is sufficient. Just a little step. It's a way to run back to him.

It often like the prodigal son. We are so confused. That prodigal son. He went off squandering all that God that his father had given to him and and he is a fool and he is a sinner and and he is so ashamed of what he has done. He is such a guilty conscience. He would rather sleep with pigs than go back to his father. so silly so confused You see he thought his father. Would not accept him that there would be no acceptance or maybe

that there would be no love. such a fool It had been such a sinner. But when he took the step of Faith towards home, he found that Not only was his father. Ready to welcome him. His father had always been ready to welcome him.

The way it's been made. The curtain has been torn. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus the Apostle Paul writes. none Not tomorrow. Not today, not this minute none.

There is no condemnation not some condemnation not a little condemnation no condemnation.

no condemnation

should shake your life. For those who are in Christ, there's none. no condemnation It's radical Grace.

Yeah, you don't know what I did.

You don't know what it looks like.

been there walked with you prayed for you no condemnation

if Grace does not shock you. Then you have too low of you of Grace.

shocking

the way it's been made the curtain has been torn.

It's thinking this week. I think you know what I fear is as I fear that there's too much medieval theology in too many of us.

There's a prot. So I hope by God's grace. None of you believe in purgatory after death.

But here's what I think the thing many of us have a functional belief of purgatory. before death

but somehow we have to do a little better.

To make up for what? We've done to be a little more acceptable to him. A sin that you committed last night or last month or last year. You know that you have final acceptance with God in Christ, but you doubt whether you have full free joy-filled acceptance from him now. And so you must just do a little something. That's a lie. from the pit of Hell

why?

Purgatory both after death and before death is a lie. Christ is open the way and if you are in Christ, your conscience is to be clear. You can boldly approach his throne of grace without fear of condemnation. Fact in a very real sense. You're already before his throne.

Ephesians 2 we often quote the beginning of Ephesians 2. We love that passage rightfully. So we're dead in our trespasses and sin. Right, and then you have that famous, but but God. But God being rich in Mercy. By Grace, you've been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It's a gift of God not a result of work so that no one may boast. It's a Wonderful passage, but don't stop there You got to go on to verse 6.

And go on to verse 7. As beautiful truth that God has raised us up with him with Christ. And he says he is seated us with him in the Heavenly places, even right now in a very real sense Christian you are seated in the very presence of God with Christ. You're there.

unfettered complete perfect says

are you in Christ this morning?

If so, then God cannot love you more. He surely cannot. Love you less. Than you already does. In fact, he has loved you with an everlasting love before the foundations of the Earth.

That's perfect. I just ask one simple question in closing this morning simple question.

Does the father love the son?

Does the father love the Sun?

You have to answer of course.

That's as silly a question saying as water wet or is the Sun hot. father loves the Sun even as the father loves the Sun so the father loves you because you're in the Sun. He can know more reject you than he can reject the son.

It's not possible. Pure in Christ.

And love he predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will your sin doesn't change that?

ah, that sounds

sounds like you've gone too far. No. This is Grace. If your view of Grace is not radical, it's not radical enough. Don't know Grace.

If you have captured it better than Wesley.

Said no condemnation now I dread. Jesus and all in him is mine. live in him my living head clothed in righteousness divine and then the line that always just melts me when we sing it because it is Oh. It should never be on our lips. It should never be on our tongues. It should never be uttered by anyone or anything anywhere.

Except those who are in Christ. And all of a sudden what should never be all of a sudden becomes where we can sing bold? I approach the Eternal throne and claim the crown through Christ my own. What right do you have? every right every right in Christ So you come with that great refrain? Oh how Can it be? Thou my God should die for me. That's amazing. Love. Amazing Love

let's pray.

for father we're thankful. So great to Salvation.

You take such wretched sinners. And you make us children of yours crowned. the glory we're able to approach your throne boldly. not fear of condemnation

thankful for we are for such a great salvation and such a great savior. We find rest and peace in our conscience as today if we are in Christ. If we are not we pray that you would pour out your grace upon us. We might know this amazing love. We pray all this in the strong name of Christ, Jesus our lord and savior. amen