Once For All

If you would like the power point and word file, please email me with the title in the subject line.

I had 4 (very smart homeschooled kids memorize 11 verses and say the verses that talk about the cross through Hebrews).

Hebrews 10:1-18

“Once For All”

“Salvation ‘Happens’ in the here and now only because of the event that happened there and then.”

Sunday morning sermon

03.16.08

Intro: (Start with title and text)

I am so grateful for the cross of Christ. The salvation we hold on to in the present is only available to us because of the event back then. Our text this morning speaks about the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus. In fact the whole book of Hebrews speaks of atonement for sins. Someone said: “It is the most sustained piece of writing on the subject [of atonement] in the New Testament.” The cross goes all the way through the book – and to help me demonstrate that – I’ve enlisted some help:

Chris, Daniel, Andrea and Stephanie

Thank you – if our youth is the present of our church – we are strong indeed

Oswald Chambers said this – All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all of hell terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore it’s meaning.

This morning – I don’t want us to ignore the meaning of the cross. I don’t want us to be afraid of it, or bothered by it. Jesus did a mighty thing on the cross for you and me. Paul tells us in Romans it was a demonstration of God’s love. If you are a follower of Christ – it is because of the cross. If you are away from where you should be – you can come back – because of the cross. The Old Testament speaks of sin as this wide thing – this terrible gap between us and God. Listen the cross became a bridge for us – so that we could be with God forever. It is literally once for all payment for our sins.

Discussion:

The book of Hebrews has been called a sermon – or a letter to a group of Christians. Most of the letters in the NT were written to build up the readers – encourage them. 1st Corinthians was written to set the people straight – they were divided. The group of people who received this Hebrews letter weren’t divided – they were weary.

One commentary said this: “The preacher is not preaching in a vacuum; he is addressing a real and urgent pastoral problem, one that seems astonishingly contemporary. His congregation is exhausted. They are tired—tired of serving the world, tired of worship, tired of Christian education, tired of being peculiar and whispered about in society, tired of spiritual struggle, tired of trying to keep their prayer life going, tired even of Jesus. Their hands droop and their knees are weak (12:12), attendance is down at church (10:25), and they are losing confidence. The threat is not that they are charging off in the wrong direction; they do not have enough energy to charge off anywhere. The threat here is that, worn down and worn out, they will drop their end of the rope and drift away. Tired of walking the walk, many of them are considering taking a walk, leaving the community and falling away from the faith. (The quote continues- this is good background)

The preacher’s response may surprise us. The preacher is bold enough to think that Christology and preaching are the answers. The preacher does not appeal to improved group dynamics, conflict management techniques, reorganization of the mission structures or snappy worship services. He preaches to the congregation in complex theological terms about the nature and meaning of Jesus.”

If you have your Bibles turn with me to Hebrews 10:1-18 (Advance) (Read)

Our text this morning – is going to show us the cross. I want us to see the cross differently this morning. I know we understand what the cross is – We sing songs about it – several years ago we rushed to the movies to see a film about it. We plate it in gold and wear it around our necks – I know we understand what it is. This morning I want us to understand what it means.

I see three things this morning in our text:

(Advance)

I. The Cross of Jesus provides an effective sacrifice (1-10)

We see the cross from this side of it – we know Jesus avoided it, agonized over it, prayed about it – and accepted it. We know that he was stuck with a spear – and blood and water flowed. We know that Jesus probably suffocated.

The author of Hebrews looks at the cross through the view of the Old Testament – from THAT SIDE – if you will – he does so because of the meaning. He looks to see how Jesus’ death not only meets but surpasses the standard set by the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament. The Day of Atonement provided a time for the sins of the people to be removed from them – and unless Jesus can match and exceed the achievement of that sacrifice, he has nothing to offer.