Hebrews 9:11-14
Much More

The writer of the book of Hebrews reveals two important facts about
the Old and the New Covenants or the term we use more often, about
the Old and New Testaments.
    1. What they had been doing in the Old Testament did not work.
        a. Hebrews tells us that Christ came to bring us a Sacrifice
            that would produce "eternal redemption for us" \\#12\\.
        b. The fact that all of the sacrifices offered by all of the
            priests through all of the years of the Old Testament had
            not brought eternal redemption is then obvious.
        c. There would be no need for another sacrifice if what they
            had worked.
    2. That would Jesus Christ offered, Himself, was "much more."

It is that much more that I would like us to consider for a few
moments.  Because of the better Sacrifice of the New Testament, we
have much more or much better standings with God.  This morning, let
me share some things that changed for the better when Jesus died for
our sins.

I. We got much more in the way of atonement with Christ’s sacrifice.
    A. Our forgiveness is of a much better quality.
        1. Atonement is a Bible word that you might not know about,
            but it is an important word.
            a. The Hebrew word for atonement means covering.
            b. It is a reference to what God did in the Old Testament
                to the sins of those who worshipped Him.
            c. He covered them, removed them out of His sight, hid
                them, if you please.
            d. The word "atonement" is used 69 times in the Old
                Testament but only used once in the New Testament.
                (1) Why?
                (2) Because when Jesus died, we got much more than
                     mere atonement.
        2. We got forgiveness.
            a. Several Greek words are translated forgiveness in the
                Bible but the meaning of all of them is similar.
            b. Forgiveness means pardoned, set free, loosed.
            c. We can say that our sins are not hid from God but have
                been removed, done away with, cast away.
        3. For something as bad as our sins, hiding them is not good
            enough.
            a. We want them done away with, removed, cast out.
            b. That is what happened when Jesus died.
            c. Why?
            d. Because forgiveness is better than atonement.
    B. Our forgiveness covers a much better quantity.
        1. The Old Testament saints had to offer MANY sacrifices to
            get their atonement; however, Jesus’ sacrifice was once
            for all sins.

Heb 7:27  Who needed not daily, as those high
priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did
once, when he offered up himself.

        2. That verse says it well,
            a. Old Testament priests were busy DAILY offering
                sacrifices.
            b. Some sacrifices had to be offered for the nation and
                some were offered for the individual.
            c. One of the most common sacrifices was the burnt
                offering.  Let me read a few times when it was
                offered.
                (1) For the nation:

The burnt offering was offered every morning and
evening \\#Ex 29:38-42, Num 28:3,6\\, with a
third one offered on the Sabbath
\\#Num 28:9-10\\, at the beginning of each month
\\#Num 28:1\\, at the Passover \\#Num 28:16\\, at
with the firstfruits offering \\#Num 28:27\\, at
the Feast of Trumpets \\#Numbers 29:1-2\\, and on
new moons \\#Num 29:6\\.

It was also offered with other offering like the
trespass offering \\#Lev 5:7-18\\, the sin
offering \\#Lev 5:7, 6:25\\, with freewill
offerings \\#Lev 22:18\\, and the sheaf offering
\\#Lev 23;12\\.

                (2) For the individual:

\\#Lev 12:8\\ Burnt offering & sin offering for having a baby.
\\#Lev 14:10-13\\ Meat offering, trespass offering, & sin offering
    when healed from leprosy
\\#Lev 15:15\\ Sin offering and burnt offering when healed from an
    "issue," running sore.
\\#Lev 15:30\\ Sin offering and burnt offering when a woman’s time
    went long.
https://bible.org/seriespage/2-law-burnt-offerings-leviticus-11-17

            d. Of course the more important sacrifices were offering
                that deal with sin.  There was some of those for the
                nation and for the individual as well.
                (1) Sin offering - When a deliberate act of sin was
                     committed.
                (2) Trespass offering - When an intentional act of sin
                     was committed.
                (3) I read an article that suggested the Old Testament
                     saints did not actually offering a sacrifice for
                     every sin.

https://www.thoughtco.com/how-often-did-people-offer-sacrifices-in-
the-old-testament-363169

                     (a) Perhaps that is so for I have often wondered
                          how the godly would survive!!
                     (b) However, the impression that I get was that
                          they were to offer sacrifices for sin as
                          often as they could and were out of
                          fellowship until they did.
        3. However, for us, Hebrews 7:27 said…

Heb 7:27 …for this he did once, when he offered
up himself.

            a. Jesus died ONCE for our sin.
            b. In fact, this is such an important fact, it is
                reiterated several times in the Bible.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us.

Heb 9:26 …but now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many….

Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins….

            c. That one death covered every sin you will ever commit.
                (1) Some don’t like that.
                (2) Some say, "That gives sinful men license to sin."

                (3) First, it does not.  Nothing does that.  Sinners
                     will sin because they are exceedingly sinful.
                (4) Second, What do you expect?  Jesus to go to the
                     cross again?
                     (a) Well, He won’t.
                     (b) Not because He does not love us enough, but
                          because there is no need.
                     (c) His death was so much more, He took care of
                          every sin every Christian would ever commit.
                (5) Third, that’s not all.  He also took care of every
                     sin every lost person would ever commit.
                     (a) The problem with sinners is not a limited
                          supply of blood.
                     (b) The problem with sinners is a limited supply
                          of faith and repentance.
    C. Our forgiveness is of a much better endurance..
        1. In quoting God, the writer of Hebrews told of another
            difference in the Old and New Covenants:
            a. Speaking of the Old Covenant, he say:

Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year.

            b. Speaking of the New Covenant, He says:

Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I
remember no more.

        2. Since the sins were never removed in the Old Testament—
            just hid—they had to have a fresh covering every year.
            a. The Old Testament saints had to keep offering
                sacrifices not just for their new sins, but to keep
                the old ones buried.
            b. It is like when your payments only pay the interest and
                never diminish the principal.
        3. But our sins are GONE.
            a. There is no remembrance because the sins are removed.
            b. They are as if they never happened.
                (1) You will not face them at the Bema Seat.
                (2) In all of the countless ages you are in heaven,
                     God will never speak to you about them.
                (3) In all of the ages you are in heaven, no other
                     saint—not even the one you might have sinned
                     against—will ever bring it up to you.

II. We got much more in the way of authority with Christ’s sacrifice.
    A. When God created the planet, He gave dominion to Adam.

Ge 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth.

    B. Then Satan came along and like Jacob the supplanted, he tricked
        foolish man out of his authority over this world.
        1. Now, don’t misunderstand.
        2. God is and always has been and will always be the final
            authority over everything, but God gave to Adam some
            authority to control this planet and the things on it.
            a. Image how much better life would be if the ground just
                grew food.
            b. No droughts, no thorns, no floods, no hard labor
            c. Man had it on easy street.
            d. Men like to get mad at God for weather and wildlife
                problems and eco-systems and climate control and so
                forth, but man was the one who had control over those
                things and sinned it away.
            e. By the way, the one who controls them now is the devil.
                (1) Don’t tell me that devil isn’t so bad!
                (2) The devil could make things a lot better if he
                     wanted.
                (3) \\#Eph 2:2\\ calls him the prince and the power of
                     the air.
                     (a) He is prince not king.  God is King, but
                          Satan has a good bit of control.
                     (b) He is also the power.  He still had to get
                          permission from God, but the devil is the
                          one who determines which way this world
                          goes.
                     (c) God is being slandered!
    C. But at the cross, Jesus took back the authority of this world.

Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing
over them in it.

        1. The word "spoiled" means God divested them, put them off,
            took them to the cleaners.
        2. You say, "Well of God did that, why aren’t things any
            better around here?"
            a. It is because God has not exercised the option of
                taking control of this world yet.
            b. I suspect it is because God gave Adam and Eve control
                for the world’s duration and so God is honoring that
                with the devil.
        3. However, the Bible tells us that God is going to take
            control, and I don’t think it is going to be much longer
            now.

Re 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and
there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall
reign for ever and ever.

            a. When the seventh angel sounds the trumpet, the devil
                will be foreclosed upon.
            b. Soon after that, God will evict the devil.

Re 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit,
and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that
he should deceive the nations no more, till the
thousand years should be fulfilled: and after
that he must be loosed a little season.

            c. Then God will create a new heaven and a new heart which
                will not restore the glory of the original creation
                but exceed the glory of the original creation!

Re 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea.

    D. But even now, you and I do not have to fear the devil, sin,
        death, this world, any person, any power, or any consequences
        of this world.
        1. Why?
        2. Because we are children of the King!
        3. We have much more than our Old Testament counterparts ever
            had!
        4. Don’t let the devil fool you into being fearful, timid,
            bashful, guilty, ashamed.
            (a) He’s been licked and has no standing.
            (b) Someone said "Christians have more authority in them
                 than the devil has around them!"  Amen!

III. We have much more in the way of availability with Christ’s
      sacrifice.
    A. I am out of time but I will say the Old Testament saints could
        not get to God; we cannot get away from Him.
        1. They had priest, a temple, holy days, and sacrifices.
        2. These locked them OUT of the presence of God.
    B. We have the Holy Ghost dwelling within us, and He is not
        going anywhere.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need.

We do not just have more.  We have much more and much better and it is
because of the cross of Jesus Christ.  If you have not trusted Him,
please do.

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