Sheldonville Baptist Church
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      • Psalm 1NKJV

  • There's A River Of Life
  • I Shall Not Be Moved
  • Amazing Grace
  • Introduction
    People love stories. We always have. It’s the reason literature has been produced and preserved throughout history. It’s why we read or listen to books, watch TV and movies and play story-based games. But here’s a question: What makes a good story?
    (Audience Poll)
    When you boil it down, a good story captures life as it is.
    What makes a great story?
    A great story captures life as it could be.
    Great stories allow us to look beyond what we see all the time and imagine a better time and a better life.
    Transition
    Hebrews 9 contrasts a good story and a great story. The stories are similar and we usually get caught up in their similarities. But we need to see their differences in order to see ourselves in the great story.
    Illumination

    The Good Story, 1-10

    Read Hebrews 9:1-10
    The Tabernacle and its system of sacrifices, offerings, and service was a visual story about the sinfulness of mankind, the holiness of God, and the separation between the two. It was a story of reconciliation.
    Hebrews 9:1–10 NKJV
    1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
    We could talk at length about all the details of the good story, there are a lot of details and they are important. But, as Paul says, we don’t have the time.
    What is important to see is what kept the good story from being a great story.

    Fixation on separation, 1-8

    Focus on external compliance, verse 10.

    This is a big deal. We can only comply for so long.

    Failure on internal conscience, verse 9.

    This is a deal breaker. We can not stop feeling guilty and the good story reflects that. Because it captures life as it is, the story can never rise above being good.

    The Great Story, 11-15

    Read Hebrews 9:11-15
    Hebrews 9:11–15 NKJV
    11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
    But Christ…indicates a contrast between the two stories and highlights what makes the new story a great story

    Fixing internal conscience, 14a

    Focusing external compliance, 14b

    No longer serving dead works (institutional)
    Now serving the living God (personal)

    Fixation on reconciliation, 15

    Jesus is the Mediator
    Jesus is the Deliverer (delivering the promise)

    The Rest of the story, 16-26

    Read Hebrews 9:16-26
    Hebrews 9:16–26 NKJV
    16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

    The great story fulfills the promise of the good story, 16-26a

    The great story fulfills the problem of conscience, 26b

    Our conscience works by making us feel guilty when we are guilty
    Our conscience guides by helping us avoid what makes us guilty
    Our conscience can be broken or manipulated, but it can also be trained.
    Broken and manipulated, we quiet our conscience by avoiding our guilt. We decide we decide we are right, therefore we are not guilty and should not feel guilty.
    Training, God quiets our conscience by voiding our guilt (“put away”). He declares we are right, therefore we are not guilty and should not feel guilty.
    There is a massive distinction between these two ideas.
    When I tell a story to fix my conscience, it is a bad story because it doesn’t even reflect the reality of a guilty conscience. The good story was only good because it matched the reality of a guilty conscience. The great story is great because it captures a new reality of a guilt-free conscience.

    The next story, 27-28

    Read Hebrews 9:27-28
    Hebrews 9:27–28 NKJV
    27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
    The story you believe now will determine the story you receive next. Your bad story and God’s good story will both leave you to face judgment. God’s great story, however, will save you from it.
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      • Hebrews 9:1–10NKJV

      • Hebrews 9:11–15NKJV

      • Hebrews 9:16–26NKJV

      • Hebrews 9:27–28NKJV

Sheldonville Baptist Church
information@sheldonvillebaptist.org
(508) 384-2397
http://sheldonvillebaptist.org
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