Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Incomparable Qualities of Christ*

*Hebrews Topical (Easter)                March 31, 2002*

* *

*Scripture Reading:*

 

*Introduction:*

 

The book of Hebrews is quite interesting because no one really knows who wrote it or where the people were to whom it was written.

It is clear that the person who wrote it was a man, that the people to whom it was written were Jewish Christians, and that it was written before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

 

The situation that necessitated this sermon-letter was that these Jewish Christians were being tempted to return to the Jewish sacrificial and temple ritual that they were previously familiar with to ease their consciences from the continuing sin that we all experience even after the time of their conversion to Christ.

Perhaps this was because there was now a sufficiently lengthy time elapsed since Christ arose from the dead and promised to return – but hadn't done so yet, just like today for us.

(But I believe Christ is indeed returning soon.)

So there was a time in the past where they felt that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was sufficient for their sin, as they received him then, but the piling up of the sins that continue in the Christian life were torturing their souls, and they were tempted to return to what they felt had worked before.

The writer of Hebrews emphatically wanted to remind them of what they actually had in Christ – that his sacrifice was sufficient for continuing sin as well as original sin.

But he also challenges them quite pointedly not to continue in sin as well as not to return to the sin of trusting something other than Christ which then would leave them without any forgiveness of sin at all, if that were possible for them to actually do so.

So some people think that Hebrews is hard to understand, or that it doesn't even apply to us today, but it is really quite simple: it's all about Christ.

And if Christ doesn't apply to us today, then I don't know what does.

This day, Easter, is all about Christ.

If we just had the cross on Good Friday without the resurrection on Easter Sunday, we could forget all about Jesus since there wouldn't be any forgiveness of sins by his death.

The acceptance of his death by God who raised him from the dead proves that his death is effective for the forgiveness of sins – always – since he always lives to intercede for us at the throne of God.

The writer to the Hebrews concentrates seemingly little on Jesus being risen from the dead and seems to focus more on the eternal meaning of his sacrificial death, since it is the superiority of his sacrifice that the Hebrews must be reminded of with their temptation to return to the OT sacrificial system.

But again, his death would have meant nothing without the resurrection.

Hebrews hits home with modern Christianity more than you might think since one of the greatest threats to our faith is our continuing sin as Christians.

I feel that one of the main reasons people quit coming to church after that great "flash in the pan" of involvement once they get saved is that they found that the Christian life took vigilance and diligence.

Their sins were forgiven at salvation and they felt assured of that, but then the enemy of the world, the flesh, and the devil deceived their way to a newfound intrusion on that faith and began to poison it with the lie that since you still struggle with sin you must not be saved and that Christ is not really effective for you after all.

So why keep it up?

So why should I preach this message on Easter?

Because many times we see a return on major Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas of people who were once seemingly well connected to the faith but have slipped away or stopped coming for one reason or another.

This happens to a lot of people, and seemingly more in these days when there are so many attractions and demands to put church aside, at least temporarily, but it seems to become more or less entrenched in time.

We have probably all been in that place at one time or another.

They need to hear that Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever – that he stills wants our worship – that he stills wants our confession and repentance so that he can continue to forgive us.

Perhaps there are some here this morning who have stayed away too long because you came to believe you could never be good enough.

Take heart!

You're not.

But Christ is! We're not.

But we believe, according to Hebrews, that Christ is.

He overwhelmingly wants us to know that his death and resurrection are eternally effective for us, if we continue in the faith, and faith is hard to maintain if we separate ourselves from his body, the church.

Which brings me to another point why this message should be preached.

It is not the church that saves us.

It is our relationship to Christ that saves us.

It is the church that helps us maintain and grow in our relationship to Christ.

ILLUS.: The beliefs of the woman that Selena serves for in-home care.

We can know a lot about Christ and still not know Christ.

A dependence on ritual will never save us.

A dependence on righteousness will.

And our righteousness is in relationship with the One who is eternally righteous.

Perhaps there are some here this morning who are still holding on to spiritual or secular pride in their own accomplishments.

You may be connected to a church or you may not be.

But you have never truly understood – or have resisted – the truth that you are not good enough to get into heaven.

You cannot depend on your own righteousness, no matter how many "good works" you have done.

You need to hear this message that there is only One, who by his death and resurrection, proven to be the Son of God, is righteous enough for you to get into heaven on His merits.

But you must believe in Him – not yourself.

You must depend on Him – not the church.

But you must depend on the church to help keep you dependent on Him.

So this message this morning, Easter morning, in the book of Hebrews (page 1862 in the pew Bible) is about why Christ is sufficient for you, and why he is the only one who is sufficient for you.

*Big Question:*

 

/What is it about Christ that makes him sufficient for me as my way to God?/

 

*          A.

Christ is Incomparably Holy (**agiazw**)*

*                        1.         The holiness that he imparts is inclusive – 2:11*

As the Son of God, Christ is the agent of holiness for men.

Since he is holy (being God), he is able to make men holy (being man), in order to bring them into a family relationship with the holiness of God.

Together in Christ through salvation (2:10) because he has presented God to us (2:12) we are then presented to God by him (2:13) as holy brothers.

*                        2.         The holiness that he imparts is thorough – 9:13*

The OT sacrificial system imparted holiness only outwardly toward the flesh, but the blood of Christ, as unblemished man (9:14) is able to cleanse or impart holiness inwardly even to the conscience so we are able to serve God.

*                        3.         The holiness that he imparts is purposeful – 10:10*

When Christ came into the world he set about purposefully to fulfill Scripture (10:5-7) and perform the will of God to be an acceptable sacrifice.

It is by his purposeful will that we have been made holy through the sacrifice of his body.

*                        4.         The holiness that he imparts is continuing – 10:14*

We who were once the enemies of God, being separated from God, are now being made holy because of the one sacrifice for sins (10:12).

The sacrifice of Christ had the effect of being at once sufficient and at length transformationally effective for those who received him.

It is a process of growing obeisance as we are transformed from being his enemies into being his willing footstool (10:13).

His holiness enables us to continue in yielding ourselves to him more fully.

*                        5.         The holiness that he imparts is demanding – 10:29*

If the holiness of Christ is as awesome as we have discovered so far, then to reject it, especially rejecting it after having become acquainted with it, is the height of folly.

With the coming of Christ the ante has increased on both sides of God's equation.

Being right with Christ increases reward and being wrong with Christ increases punishment (10:30).

To discredit his holiness ("insult the Spirit of grace" - 10:29) by continuing in willful sin is dangerous since it would be to live as if one were not saved and made holy.

The holiness of Christ demands respect.

*                        6.         The holiness that he imparts is exclusive – 13:12*

The nature of the holiness that Christ gives us sanctifies us or sets us apart unto God.

The other side of this truth is that it sets us apart from the world.

Just as the bodies of sacrificial animals are burned outside the camp (13:11) so too Christ was crucified and suffered outside the city in order to make the people holy.

Although this was suffering and disgrace (13:13) it is the example of Christ we must bear to be separated from the world for the cause of his holiness and ours.

*B.

Christ is Incomparably Singular in His Accomplishments *

*(**apax**, **efapax**)*

*                        1.         The salvation he offers is a singular opportunity – 6:4*

To receive salvation from Christ is a once for all time enlightenment for the one who receives it.

There is no possibility of being saved again – either you are or you aren't.

The danger for the person who might fall away (6:6) is that they were never saved in the first place.

The challenge is to discover now in the first place you must be saved.

And since true salvation can happen only once, we must treat it (and Christ) with the respect it (and he) deserves.

But indeed, the one being truly enlightened will not fall away.

*                        2.         The sacrifice he offers is a singular provision – 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:2, 10*

The OT sacrificial system had to continually offer sacrifices (7:27; 10:2).

The priests offered these sacrifices both for themselves and the people.

But the appearance of Christ at the end of the ages for the purpose of sacrifice was a one-time event (9:26), effective for all time, because of his perfection.

The next time Christ appears it will not be for the purpose of sacrifice but to complete the salvation (9:28) of those who are covered by faith in his sacrifice.

His sacrifice is effective once for all because of its continuing provision to make us holy (10:10).

*                        3.         The intercession he offers is singularly effective – 9:7, 12*

Although the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle could only be entered by the high priest once a year (9:7), it needed to be entered each year as he interceded before God for the people.

Through his own blood, Christ entered the Most Holy Place once for all.