Go To Him Outside The Camp

¡§Go to Him outside the camp¡¨ Hebs 13:7-14 WBC 17/8/03pm

I¡¦ve got a strong word for you, tonight.

- what¡¦s its context?

- Hebrews: letter to Jews who were in danger of reneging their faith. Going back. Reverting to Judaism.

o Because of pressure, persecution and disappointment

The first thing I want to draw from the author¡¦s words is:

1 THE BLOOD

These guys were persecuted¡K chucked out of the synagogue. Out of their cities, even

The author encourages them- you¡¦re in good company. That¡¦s where Jesus ended up

- ¡¥on the green hill far away, outside the city wall¡¦

- Golgotha. The place of the skull

Don¡¦t go back to Judaism for Salvation. Run to Him, outside the city wall¡K outside Judaism¡K the established religion

- run to Him for the blood that cleanses you. For ¡¥sanctification¡¦

Here¡¦s the background:

in the days of the tabernacle (sojourning days, Moses days 1400BC) and the temple (Solomon¡¦s days onwards 950BC)

- sin had to be seen to be dealt with. It mattered (it matters!)

- the seeker of atonement would bring an animal

o would identify with that animal

- animal slain (wages of sin is death)

- blood taken into God¡¦s presence (MHP)

o no forgiveness without shedding of blood

- bodies rejected, burnt outside camp/city

o smouldering heap. Gehenna? Place of rejection

That was the old way of doing things. Jesus had brought in the new way

- offered the perfect sacrifice, once and for all

- done away with sacrifice

- done away with the ¡¥old covenant¡¦

- > BY HIS BLOOD

Much of the ¡¥old guard¡¦¡K the Jews¡K rejected this new means

- in fact, Jesus was such an offence to them they treated Him, His body, like something unclean and crucified Him outside the city wall

Folks: THAT¡¦S where forgiveness, grace and sanctification is found!

- it come from outside the camp. It comes from Jesus

And THAT is where we must run. Not to works, deeds, rituals to:

- save us, sanctify or satisfy us. But to HIM

o in all of this JESUS is the aim, target, goal. The one

He is the ONE to meet our needs for forgiveness, freedom from guilt and shame

Illustr: We¡¦re used to the concept of running to Him, going to Him for forgiveness. But there¡¦s more. Alan/New Wine about Don Williams:

- we are good at seeing Jesus as Saviour¡K. From guilt. One off. Cleansing of sins. Present it to people as though that should ¡¥sort everything out¡¦

- but there¡¦s more. At the fall ¡V there was not only sin that needed to be dealt with, and it¡¦s guilt. But also the SHAME.

o Sin/guilt has to do with what we do (or have done)

o Shame has to do with who we are¡K how we feel about ourselves. Self-image.

„X Addicts would have a ¡¥sponsor¡¦ who they could go to for help with the ongoing addiction they have to things they have propped their life up with because of this shame¡K brokenness

Don Williams was saying- we need to not only run to Him for Salvation¡K sanctification¡K the dealing with guilt

- but also run to him as a sponsor. Our ONGOING help. Our EVERYTHING

I must admit- I often find it hard to see Jesus as my first line of help, sponsorship- the one to run to

- and we mustn¡¦t be like that. If we profess to follow Christ, trust him (be ¡¥spiritual¡¦) we must show it by

- not running as the world does, (into the camp, the city, our familiar, treasured or security things)

- running to Him

Outside the camp is where the BLOOD is.

The second thing I want to say is- very often- that is where the blessing is, as well

2 THE BOX

We need to think about the blood¡K but also, if you like, think outside the box

- here¡K and to Judaism¡K what was good and God came from an unexpected source, unusual source- from outside the camp

This is not a criticism of church

- I won¡¦t join that (current trend)

- Some see this as an invocation to go ¡¥outside the church¡¦

o Whereas that is exactly where the church WAS in those days ¡V outside the city wall and synagogue. Rejected

o Lots here about: remembering leaders, imitating them, not getting carried off by strange teachings

„X How can those things happen unless part of the body of believers

But I am making the point that we so easily become a monument that boxes God in.

- keep Him and us within the confines of these walls

o these walls = what we feel happy with, theologically or practically

It¡¦s not that god doesn¡¦t WANT to come inside the walls- he does- but we keep reinforcing them! We won¡¦t let Him!