Better Promises : WK 4 - MON
Hebrews 8
Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”
But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.
If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:
“The day is coming, says the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and Judah.
This covenant will not be like the one
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
But this is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
nor will they need to teach their relatives,
saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’
For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
will know me already.
And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.”
Think about the greatest spiritual moment of your life. If you are like me and have been doing the Jesus thing for a while you have had several. They are unforgettable moments that have made an impact on you. And from that moment on you were never the same.
I remember a moment early on in my ministry where I was working on hearing the voice of God. I had a member of my church that had such an intimate connection with God that she regularly heard God speaking to her. I wanted that and went on an exploratory journey to try and see if I could hear God’s voice.
I was in my home office, sitting in silence, trying to calm my mind down so that I could be open to what God wanted to tell me. All of a sudden I felt as if the word “Stop” entered my mind. And immediately I understood what God was telling me. He was saying that I needed to stop trying to be a good pastor and allow him to make me into a good pastor. That was a great spiritual moment I will never forget.
Since then there have been other moments. I have experienced God in worship, conversations with people, nature, and retreats. I have found that God can show up in so many places that, if we are open to him, he can speak to us.
The sanctuary was a place where people came to experience God. It was the center of the spiritual lives of the Israelites. No place could be better or more important for them and their relationship with God. And yet it was just a shadow of what was to come.
The greatest experience you can have with God here on this earth is miniscule compared to what is coming. Your greatest moment of worship won’t hold a candle to the worship you will have when you get to heaven. The best spiritual conversation you have had on earth won’t touch the conversations you will have with the likes of Moses, Peter, and Paul. The beautiful landscapes that inspire you to connect with God will quickly be forgotten as you travel across the universe. The best retreat you can experience here on this earth won’t compare to when you retreat with Jesus in heaven.
Because now all our experiences are just a shadow. But a time is coming when we will not live in the shadow of what is to come. We will live in the presence of God, face to face, and I will no longer struggle to hear his voice. It will be loud and clear.
Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”
But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.
If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:
“The day is coming, says the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and Judah.
This covenant will not be like the one
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
But this is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
nor will they need to teach their relatives,
saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’
For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
will know me already.
And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.”
Think about the greatest spiritual moment of your life. If you are like me and have been doing the Jesus thing for a while you have had several. They are unforgettable moments that have made an impact on you. And from that moment on you were never the same.
I remember a moment early on in my ministry where I was working on hearing the voice of God. I had a member of my church that had such an intimate connection with God that she regularly heard God speaking to her. I wanted that and went on an exploratory journey to try and see if I could hear God’s voice.
I was in my home office, sitting in silence, trying to calm my mind down so that I could be open to what God wanted to tell me. All of a sudden I felt as if the word “Stop” entered my mind. And immediately I understood what God was telling me. He was saying that I needed to stop trying to be a good pastor and allow him to make me into a good pastor. That was a great spiritual moment I will never forget.
Since then there have been other moments. I have experienced God in worship, conversations with people, nature, and retreats. I have found that God can show up in so many places that, if we are open to him, he can speak to us.
The sanctuary was a place where people came to experience God. It was the center of the spiritual lives of the Israelites. No place could be better or more important for them and their relationship with God. And yet it was just a shadow of what was to come.
The greatest experience you can have with God here on this earth is miniscule compared to what is coming. Your greatest moment of worship won’t hold a candle to the worship you will have when you get to heaven. The best spiritual conversation you have had on earth won’t touch the conversations you will have with the likes of Moses, Peter, and Paul. The beautiful landscapes that inspire you to connect with God will quickly be forgotten as you travel across the universe. The best retreat you can experience here on this earth won’t compare to when you retreat with Jesus in heaven.
Because now all our experiences are just a shadow. But a time is coming when we will not live in the shadow of what is to come. We will live in the presence of God, face to face, and I will no longer struggle to hear his voice. It will be loud and clear.
- What is the greatest experience of God you have ever had?
- What are some things that get in the way of you connecting with God?
- What are you most looking forward to about heaven?
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