Beyond The Veil

Beyond the Veil

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 9:1 – 14; Matthew 27:51

Introduction

Let me ask you this morning, what is the object of your affection these days? -Your husband, wife, home, automobile, increased income, yourself. In the management of your time these days who has gotten squeezed out? Who has suffered most from the hurried schedule, the overworked week, the jumbled calendar, or the taxed life?

Let me get to where I really want to be this morning. How close to God did you draw this past week? How intimate did you become with the one who opened the door to intimacy? What have you wrestled with and the thing you wrestled with successful pinned you down from an act of worship to God?

Did you hear his voice bidding you to come spend some time or were you avoiding Him the way Adam did in the garden after the eve of his eyes being open, discovering his nakedness, and thus hid himself?

What stuff have you been trying to hide behind to avoid the penetrating look of God, the sound of Jesus name, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of the Saints? – Guilt, shame, more hours at work, offense, anger, lies, gossip, or I just didn’t feel like it.

Most of the major cities in our country have a freeway that loops around the city, so travelers can skirt the heart of the metropolitan area. It occurs to me that this is precisely what our culture has done with God.

We want a God on the “loop” of our lives --- close enough that we can call on Him when we need Him, but far enough away that He can’t invade the center of our lives.

But to marginalize God in this way is to invite disaster, and this is what we are seeing in our culture today. The priority and the place of God has not remained the center of life, but moved to the backroom of life.

Many folks are performing backroom abortions of their faith and their Christian identity because it seems as though God has left the building.

No longer is God the first to be consulted, but the last to be consulted, if at all. But I believe that the lessons of the past ought to serve as our lessons of the present. God wants to remind us that He should remain the center of our lives because He yet lives.

God is calling us to look to Him, depend on Him, have faith in Him, trust Him, love Him, draw near to Him, follow Him, obey Him, and worship Him. Listen, God is calling.

In the business of life, God is calling.

In the rush to work, rush home from work, rush to fix dinner, God is calling.

In the lack of communication between the spouse, the supervisor, the superintendent, God is calling.

In the midst of pain, frustration, and doubt, God is calling.

In the middle of bills, bottom ups, and burdens, God is calling.

In the heat of the battle, spiritual warfare, fleshly encounters of the real kind, God is calling.

In the jungle of mixed emotions, bruised egos, and empty spirits, God is calling.

In

What pastor is God calling us to? --- Worship

Michael W. Smith words says it all, “I coming back to the heart of worship, when it’s all about you Jesus.” Those are the words of the message this morning – the heart of worship. But instead of worshipping God in the distance, you can come up close. You can come right up to where He sits.

Transition

In the book of Hebrews the mega theme is the “New Covenant”. That is a new pledge that God has made with humanity through Christ. There is also in this book the presentation of at least three sub-themes preceding chapter twelve.

1. The New Covenant is based on better promises

2. The New Covenant pertains to a better sanctuary

3. The New Covenant provides for a better sacrifice

In chapter nine, our attention will be drawn to the matter of the "better sanctuary" provided by the New Covenant. To appreciate the author’s argument, we must be acquainted with the sanctuary of the first covenant.

When God ordained the regulations and practices described in the old law, it was His intention that these things would serve as physical symbols for spiritual realities that would be revealed later in the coming of Christ.

God has provided us with some other physical symbols for spiritual realities in the church and the culture today.

1. Communion is a physical symbol for a spiritual reality.

2. Baptism is a physical symbol for a spiritual reality.

3. Marriage is a physical symbol for a spiritual reality.

4. Parenthood is a physical symbol for a spiritual reality.