Introduction: There was a man who used to have problems getting his son to clean his room. He would insist that his son, “Do it now,” and he would always agree to do so, but then he wouldn’t follow through – at least, not right way.
After high school, the son joined the Marine Corps. When he and his dad were on the plane together coming home for his leave after Boot Camp, the son said to his dad, “My life makes sense now, Dad. Everything you said and did when I was growing up now makes sense. I really, really understand.”
“Oh yeah, Dad,” he added. “I learned what ‘now’ means.” Warren Lamb
The Bible clearly tells us that God expects us to be obedient NOW. We have just finished a series of meetings we called revival. For many of us – we really experienced revival. God is working and changing us from the inside out. He is changing our hearts and attitudes. Making us aware of things that challenge His Lordship in our lives. We heard great messages from God’s word that taught us that we must move beyond where we are now in our walk with God. We are to strive for deeper and deeper connection with God. This process requires obedience to what God says.
The book we read in preparation for our revival speaks very clearly about prayer and obedience. During the preparation we spent significant time in prayer asking God to reveal to us areas that were not totally His. As He revealed those things many of us surrendered to His will. We were obedient! That is why God blessed us with revival in our hearts. Remember, revival is God’s people getting serious about following what He says!
If having revival in our hearts and getting closer to God is so awesome, and it is, why do revival results typically not last more than a couple of weeks? The answer is actually found in answering why revival comes: Intense prayer and obedience to God’s Word; repentance and withdrawal from things that come between us and the Lord; our submitting to the work of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to move in our lives.
So how can we defend ourselves against sliding back to our old worn out ways? How can we remain obedient now?
ILLUSTRATION: A young girl became a Christian in an exciting revival at her church and was baptized the closing Sunday morning. That afternoon she ran through the house singing and dancing. Her sour grandfather rebuked her with these words, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You just joined the church and you’re singing and dancing on the Lord’s Day!” Crushed by her grandfather’s attitude, the little girl went out to the barn, climbed up on the corral fence, and observed an old mule standing there with a sad, droopy face and bleary eyes. As she reached over and patted the mule sympathetically, she said, “Don’t cry, ole mule. I guess you’ve got the same kind of religion that Grandpa has!” Bart Leger
Is there anything we can do to protect the work of God in our lives and keep us from having the type of religion that is stale and boring? I believe the answer is found in a simple yet very powerful word: FAITH! There is an acrostic that goes like this: Forsaking All I Trust Him. When you think about following Jesus daily – this acrostic says it all. To forsake something means that we abandon it, we renounce it, we turn our back on it, we leave it, we disown it, we give up on it. You see the life of FAITH is all about daily forsaking everything except that which glorifies God and builds up the Kingdom.
Do you want to live an exciting life of FAITH? It can be done! In fact, that is God’s will for you! He wants you to live by faith. He wants us to understand that to live by faith is the only way to really live. Listen to what Hebrews 11:1 and 6 says: 1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. Heb 11:1 (HCSB) 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Heb 11:6 (HCSB)
We see 3 things from these verses: 1. Faith is a reality! It is real! 2. Without faith we cannot please God! 3. Faith is how we draw near to God.
So if we are going to continue living in the presence of God and experience daily revival – connection with God – we must learn to live by faith. For the next 3 weeks we will be taking a deep look at Living the Life of FAITH.
Turn to Hebrews 10:19-25
ILLUSTRATION: Several years ago, Patrick Morley wrote a book called, “Walking with Christ in the Details of Life.” It is a book of meditations that includes one called “Revival: The Gospel of Addition.” In it, he said the following, “The American gospel has evolved into a gospel of addition without subtraction. It is the belief that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior… A changed life is one that has added Christ and subtracted sin - that attracts a world weary of worn-out words. Obedience is the proof.” Jim Kane
As we look into the subject of Living a Life of FAITH, let us resolve ourselves to respond in obedience now!
Our ability to live a life of faith was secured by Jesus Himself. In the first 3 verses of our text we find several things about how Jesus did that. Let’s look at these verses:
Vs. 19 - 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus,
In order to understand this passage more clearly we must remember who the original audience was: they were mainly Jewish converts to Christianity. They would be fully aware of the Temple and all the things related to its order. The sanctuary – (or the holiest - KJV, holy of holies - NIV, most holy place - NASB) was a place that only the High Priest could go and that only once a year. It was divided from the rest of the Temple by a thick curtain. It was such a sacred place no one dared go close to it except the High Priest and even he was nervous about it when his time came. The reason it was so sacred was because it was where the presence of God was. God had told the children of Israel that he would live with them and that he would meet with them there. In Moses day up through the time of David and Solomon the Holy of Holies was in the Tabernacle. It was basically a tent structure. David desired to build a temple for the Lord but God would not let him for a variety of reasons. So David made provisions for his son Solomon to build it when God would allow. So eventually Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. It was holy because God was there! Remember Steve talked about how the Israelites thought they were safe just because they had the temple. They took the presence of God for granted and forgot about the importance of obedience.
This sanctuary which symbolized the presence of God - this is the place the writer of Hebrews says we can come to in boldness! This would have been outrageous to those hearing it for the first time.
During the first 9 ½ chapters the writer has been teaching that Jesus has brought in a new covenant between God and man. The old covenant with all its regulations and rituals was all foreshadows of what Jesus would do once for all. That is why he begins this verse with the word, “Therefore.” He was now moving the readers to apply what he had been teaching them in the previous chapters.
In the Old Covenant, the high priest had to sacrifice every year for the sins of the people. This was required every year under the law. But now through the work of Jesus on the cross, we have the privilege to enter into the presence of God daily and moment by moment! Ordinary people are now given the chance to come to God. Not in timidity but boldness. This boldness should not be read however as reckless and nonchalantly! We come to God in reverence and awe. We can be bold because of Jesus!
We come to God through the blood of Jesus. Unlike the Old covenant where an animal had to be sacrificed every year for the sins of the people – Jesus died once for all! His blood covers all our sin! The boldness we have is not based on something we do but on the work of Jesus who gave Himself up for us! Never again will there be a sacrifice for sin. Jesus has completed the work! Because of his work – we can now have boldness to stand before God. Now the ability to live a life of Faith is possible because of the personal access we have to God Almighty!
Next, the writer says…
Vs. 20 - 20 by the new and living way that He has inaugurated for us, through the curtain (that is, His flesh);
The writer describes our coming as by a new and living way. It is new because the sacrifice is a one-time sacrifice. Jesus died once – sins are paid for once! There is no other sacrifice for sin required. That is why Jesus is the only way to God. Every person has a sin problem – contrary to what Oprah and that crack pot new age guy she is promoting says! Because of that fact – our sin must be dealt with. The only way it can be covered is by the blood of Jesus. No other sacrifice will do!
It is living because Jesus did not just die! He rose again on the third day. Where the animals died and stayed dead – Jesus’ sacrifice did not end with his death. He rose the victor over sin and death. Because of His resurrection we too can have life. He has proved Himself to be God and Lord and King and Savior!!!
The writer says that this new and living way came through the curtain – the body of Jesus. This is speaking of the fact that Jesus was a real man. He was not just a spirit or a figment of someone’s imagination. He really lived and he really died. When he died the curtain that separated God from the common man was torn. Look at Matthew 27:50-51 -- 50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. (HCSB)
When Jesus died for our sins God tore the veil that separated us from Him. The curtain that had kept people from Him was torn in two from the top to the bottom. It was all His idea. It was God who did the work required for our salvation. Man could not rip the curtain from the bottom to the top – God had to do it. Again the symbolism is awesome – God has provided the way for us to have forgiveness and eternal life through the work of Jesus Christ. There is nothing we do to earn salvation or deserve salvation. It is totally a God thing. He invites us to come to Him just as we are. He then takes us and makes us into new people.
I love the fact that the writer tells us the way is new and living. That is a beautiful description of the Christian life the way it was meant to be. We tend to make the Christian life seem old and worn out. We want to squeeze the fun and excitement and joy out of Christianity! But that is not the way God intended it to be. Jesus said that He came to give us life more abundant! That says excitement and fun and challenge and joy to me. Is your life showing those characteristics? If not, why? Don’t let anything rob you of the joy that comes when Jesus is your Lord – He has provided a new and living way! We must learn to enjoy what he has given us! We can live a life of Faith because Jesus has provided a new and living way to live!
So the writer says – “since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He has inaugurated for us, through the curtain (that is, His flesh);”
He continues…
Vs. 21 - 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, (HCSB)
This tells us something else about Jesus that gives us hope that we can live a life of Faith. Jesus is called the High Priest over the house of God. Now go back to what I told you earlier about the High Priest. He was a man who was selected by God to represent the people of God. He would go into the holy of holies and make the sacrifice each year. He basically interceded for the people. He stood in the gap. As he stood before God he represented the people.
Look at Hebrews 7:25-8:6
The key verse is vs. 25. He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them!
Jesus has made it possible for you and I to come to God with boldness because He is interceding for us always. Do you understand what that means? I am accepted, allowed into the presence of God because Jesus says it’s okay. When I stand before God He sees me as having put on Christ, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians. We are under the only high Priest that could actually stand between us and God and usher us into the presence of a Holy God.
This is no small thing. We are told in Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (HCSB) The Holiness of God requires that we too be holy in order to come into His presence. Jesus is the only one who can do that for us. In fact He has already done everything required for us to be able to enter into God’s presence. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior – we are immediately given His righteousness. The holiness of God’s one and Only Son, Jesus Christ is applied to our account when we believe on him and receive His forgiveness.
We can live a life of Faith because it is the life of Jesus! By the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can and must live by faith! Anything less is to live like an unbeliever and we cannot let that happen!
Conclusion: Christian, how are you doing in your life of Faith? Is your life characterized by faith and obedience or faithlessness and disobedience? Jesus has done way too much for you to live selfishly. Your life is not your own – you have been bought with a price – therefore honor God with your body! As the Holy Spirit prompts you – do what He says – be obedient!
