Sunday’s Sermons

Text: Hebrews 13:20-25                                                 5/25/08 p.m.

Thesis: By Christ’s blood we fulfill His will.

 

Intro: Tonight’s passage is for everyone who thinks they’ll never be good enough or have enough faith or be used by God.

By Christ’s blood we will fulfill God’s will. Every one of us, every believer will be taught to rely on God and fulfill His will.

 

Read Hebrews 13:20-25

 

I) Think about what God has done

a)      He brought Jesus back to life

i)        Let’s work through this great passage.

ii)      We’re talking about the God of peace. Think of the upheaval in the lives of these persecuted, tired, and tempted people.

iii)    Think of the pain that exists and the uncertainty that exists in every life and in every church because of sin.

iv)    God is the God of peace.  He settles the sinful soul with atoning grace.

v)      He reunites the divided through perfect forgiveness.

vi)    God is in control of the future. He is guiding every thing, every person, and every breath toward the final and glorious consummation of history.

vii)  The display of the perfect prophet, priest, and King Jesus Christ.

viii)            God is the God of peace because He is the mastermind of redemption and the giver of Jesus Christ.

ix)    We were enemies of God and God seeks and gives peace to us. We are forgiven of every sin and made completely righteous. God gives peace in Christ.

x)      Verse 1, Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus

xi)    Before Jesus, never had a sacrifice been brought again from the dead. 

xii)  No lamb on the Day of Atonement was killed for sins and then raised from the dead.

xiii)            Remember, the repeated sacrifice showed the limited power or efficacy of that sacrifice.

xiv)            You had to do the Day of Atonement over and over because it didn’t stick.

xv)  You’ve got to go get another lamb.

xvi)            No so with our Lord Jesus.  His resurrection from the grave proved the unlimited efficacy of his sacrifice.

xvii)          His sacrifice is sufficient. And notice it is God the Father who brought God the Son from the grave.

xviii)        Acts 2:24 says

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

xix)            God cannot be held by death. The perfect righteous God-man cannot be a prisoner of sin and death.

xx)  But have you ever thought what about my sin and the sins of others being placed on Him?

xxi)            Would that not be sufficient for keeping him in the grave? Would the wages of my sin not spell eternal death for the sin-bearer?

xxii)          It would were it not for the blood of the eternal covenant.

xxiii)        God raised Jesus from the grave by the blood of the eternal covenant.

xxiv)        Read Hebrews 9:11-28

xxv)          Jesus entered into the heavenly holy of holies, the very presence of God, and offered himself for sins.

xxvi)        His blood is His life.  His life was given to pay the sin-debt of man. And what are the wages of sin?

xxvii)      The wages of sin is death.

xxviii)    By paying for sins Jesus removed death; even his own death.  Since Jesus paid for the sins that demanded His death there was no reason to leave him in the grave.

xxix)        By the blood of the eternal covenant the God of peace brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.

xxx)          So, Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20).  Jesus is the great shepherd of the sheep.

xxxi)        He is the head of the resurrection. He is the head of the church. As man Jesus is the crowning glory of all creation.

xxxii)      Because he created the sheep, laid down his life for the sheep, and because he leads the sheep Jesus is the great shepherd of the sheep.

xxxiii)    When we read Hebrews 13:20 we are supposed to get the picture in our minds of the all surpassing power of God. We can trust God and praise Him.

xxxiv)    Rejoice because God’s perfect plan, Christ’s perfect work, and the Spirit’s perfect power promised, inaugurated, and secure the eternal covenant.

xxxv)      There’s no other covenant coming between God and His people. It can’t get any better than Jesus. It won’t get any better than Jesus.

xxxvi)    Jesus is all we need AND the means through which we are given all we need.

xxxvii)  This is what God has done; He brought Jesus back to life

II) This is what God will do

a)      Equip you to do His will

i)        Look at what God has done. Marvel at the work of salvation through the God-man Jesus Christ.

ii)      Bear in mind that Hebrews 13:20&21 is a prayer this loving pastor wants his people to hear.

iii)    May the God who did all of that in Jesus equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight.

iv)    If we are going to do God’s will we need to be given what is good.

v)      If you are going to succeed in answering God’s call on your life it won’t be because you have what it takes.

vi)    This pastor, looking at himself and his congregation, prays that God would give them what they need.

vii)  To equip means to make adequate.

viii)            King Saul tried to make young David adequate for battle against Goliath by giving David his armor.

ix)    But David didn’t need body armor to fulfill God’s will David needed to be made adequate by God.

x)      Ephesians 1:3 says, “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

xi)    No one has what it takes on our own to please God or fulfill His will.

xii)  We must be equipped with everything good so that we may accomplish his will.

xiii)            In Christ we have been equipped. And God accomplishes his will by working in us that which is pleasing in his sight.

xiv)            God gives us the desire, ability, and perseverance to change.

xv)  When God calls you to follow Him he promises to equip you to follow Him. And he’ll do this from the inside out.

xvi)            God doesn’t flip houses. He comes in and takes up permanent residence through the Spirit.

xvii)          Remember Philippians 2:12&13?

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

xviii)        Obey God, that means to do His will.

xix)            So first, obey Him by being saved. Repent and believe. How are we saved? We are saved because Jesus atones for us and because God works in us.

xx)  God changes your will and empowers you for his good pleasure. And what is pleasing in God’s sight? What is God’s good pleasure?

xxi)            Ultimately it is uniting all things in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10).

xxii)          God’s good pleasure is to exalt Jesus Christ by bringing redemption through Jesus Christ.

xxiii)        God’s good pleasure is when people experience the joy of knowing Christ, living for Christ, and serving so that others do the same.

xxiv)        It pleases God when we make Christ central to EVERYTHING!

xxv)          Pastor, I can’t do that. I can’t do that. I don’t want that.

xxvi)        Listen, God’s equipping of you with everything good you need to do his will means he is right now changing your desires and giving you strength.

xxvii)      You may not feel it but it’s happening. Trust the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

xxviii)    God is working in you that which is pleasing in his sight.

xxix)        This is what God has done; he brought Jesus back to life.

xxx)          This is what God will do; he will make you adequate so that you fulfill his will.

III) This is how God will do it

a)      By the blood of the eternal covenant and through Jesus Christ

i)        Read 20 & 21

ii)      The blood that made Jesus, the perfect sin-bearer, acceptable before God is the blood that will make us, the perfect sinners, acceptable before God.

iii)    As we continue to sin even as Christians it is the blood of Jesus Christ that paid for our redemption.

iv)    It is not like we fall from grace and need to be redeemed again.

v)      It is that Jesus’ perfect blood of the eternal covenant paid for those sins in advance.

vi)    We are saved to the uttermost so that we can serve to the uttermost.

vii)  Those people who say “I can’t do that” to God’s calling are saying that the God who raised Jesus from the grave can’t equip me and can’t work in me.

viii)            When we say “We can’t do that” we are saying Jesus Christ working through us to do God’s will is not enough.

ix)    Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it (Hebrews 2:1)

x)      Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7)

xi)    Hold fast to the hope set before you (Heb 6:18)

xii)  Look to Jesus (Heb 12:2)

xiii)            Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:3).

xiv)            God equips us to do his will and works in us what is pleasing in his sight because of the atoning blood of Jesus and God does this as we hold fast to Jesus.

xv)  Does a marriage thrive for 50 years because it starts well?

xvi)            A marriage thrives for 50 plus years because a man and a woman hold fast to Christ for 50 plus years.

xvii)          This is true for every aspect of who you are. To fulfill God’s will we must be Christ-centered.

xviii)        And when what we do is Christ-centered Christ gets what he deserves. Christ gets the glory forever and ever amen.

xix)            It’s so simple; focus on Christ and you will be what you need to be and get what you need to get in order to experience the joy of completing God’s will.

xx)  And Jesus will be praised.

xxi)            But realize this, whether we like or not Jesus will be glorified.

xxii)          Whether we work for it or not Jesus will be glorified. All things will be united in him and for him and this for all eternity.

xxiii)        Amen; it is true.

xxiv)        Doesn’t it make sense not to kick against the goads?

xxv)          God raised Jesus from the dead, God is equipping you to fulfill his will, and he is doing all this through and for Jesus Christ.

xxvi)        So, do not be discouraged God is not through with you. Do not be down-hearted God will equip you with everything good that you need.

xxvii)      These are God’s promises not mine.

xxviii)    And here are the concluding words

xxix)        Read verses 22-25

IV) Rely on grace

a)      Don’t run from people who love you enough to tell you that you need to improve.

i)        Bear with my word of exhortation, he wrote. An exhortation is when you come alongside someone and encourage them to change.

ii)      You may be satisfied but I have found something better. You may be tempted to sin but Christ is better.

iii)    Don’t give up, don’t turn back, don’t give in Jesus is glorious and we’ll get there together.

iv)    That has been the word of exhortation. That has been this pastor’s prayer.

v)      That is my word of exhortation to you. That is my prayer for you.

vi)    Don’t give up. I know you want to and I know it would be easier just to turn back and give in but know this.

vii)  God is the God of peace. God through you will work out the conflict when it comes up. God brought Jesus again from the dead. Your problems are not too big for God.

viii)            And Jesus is here. Jesus is here because of the blood of his eternal covenant that cannot be bested or broken.

ix)    He is here and he is the great shepherd of the sheep. You can trust him to equip you and work in you and glorify himself through you.

x)      We are not lost causes. We are not hopeless cases.

xi)    Set your eyes on Christ, follow him, and take someone with you.

xii)  This pastor longed to see them and take Timothy with him.

xiii)            This pastor longed for the church to come together and follow their leaders and work for the good of all the saints.

xiv)            This pastor longed for more grace.

xv)  Tonight I long for more grace knowing that it will be given through Christ.

xvi)            Tonight I want you to pray specifically for the people that are around you.  Look around and remember their names.

xvii)          Pray that the God of peace who raised Jesus from the dead would equip him/her with everything good that he/she may do his will.

xviii)        Pray that God would work in us that which is pleasing in his sight.

xix)            Let’s pray trusting in the blood of Christ for us. Let’s pray knowing God will do all of this for Christ.

xx)  Let’s seek Christ and give him glory forever and ever, Amen.