Clinton Wahlen

GYC 2014: At The Cross

The Cross in Hebrews

Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

6. Joining Jesus at the Cross (Hebrews 11-13)

This message was presented at the GYC 2014 conference at the Cross in Phoenix, Arizona.

For other resources like this, visit us online at www.gycweb.org.

Loving Father, thank you so much for the Sabbath, for the opportunity to draw close to you because you have drawn close to us, that you've set aside this holy time, this special day, week by week, where we can meet with you, we can come into your presence, sit at your feet, learn from you, from your word, taught by your Holy Spirit.

And that's our prayer this afternoon, that you'd bless us with your presence As we open your word, that you would make it clear to each 1 of our hearts and minds, in Jesus' name, amen.

Well, I couldn't actually have asked for a better introduction to what I'm going to share with you this afternoon than the sermon this morning.

I had mentioned the idea of a gospel in the previous seminar, number 5, where different views of the gospel among Seventh-day Adventists.

I like the way it was put there, that the gospel that some would like to push on us as an incomplete gospel.

It's not the total package that we know about as Seventh-day Adventists.

We have a great privilege knowing, as we do, about the heavenly sanctuary and Jesus' ministry there, and not only that, but the Bible prophecies of Daniel and Revelation that bring them together so beautifully and interconnect Daniel, Hebrews, Revelation, and many other parts of Scripture.

The gospel is God's work of atonement, Christ's work of atonement.

And the English word, of course, as you know, comes from, it's kind of built together from the coined word that means at-one-ment.

It's God bringing us back to himself, establishing, reestablishing the connection.

We've talked about it in previous seminars as the ladder stretching from earth to heaven, and Jesus pioneering a pathway for us into the heavenly sanctuary, into God's presence, especially now since 1844, into the most holy place.

We will talk and focus on that in particular and the significance of the time in which we live this Day of Atonement time here this afternoon.

I liked again the 3 steps that were mentioned this morning of the gospel.

You've got sacrifice, the cross, outer court, you have the application of the blood.

Of course sometimes the blood was poured beneath the altar, often also brought into the holy place, but it was applied either to the horns of the altar of burnt offering or, sorry, poured beneath the altar of burnt offering or applied to the horns of the altar of incense.

And so there was application of the blood in the holy place and the cleansing of the sanctuary of course beginning in the most holy place but affecting the whole sanctuary, cleansing everything from inside out, which is a lesson for us isn't it as to how God wants to cleanse us from the inside out.

Sometimes we get it backwards and we try to cleanse ourselves the wrong way and we can't cleanse ourselves really.

Only God can do it and he only does it 1 way and that's the way it's illustrated in the sanctuary so beautifully.

From the inside out, beginning with the most holy place, where the heart and affecting everything we think and everything we do.

So let's look at these 3 steps just briefly in Hebrews 9.15.

We spoke about Hebrews 9, first 9 verses or so last time, so I won't review that.

But Hebrews 9.15, for this cause he, Jesus, is the mediator of the new covenant that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament or covenant they which are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

So by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions also under the first covenant, not just for the new covenant, but really for all time.

You know, Jesus, you know, the animal sacrifices were a symbol.

They were shadow according to the book of Hebrews.

The animal blood could not take away sins.

Only Jesus' blood could do that, offered once for all.

And so those sins were not really redeemed until the Redeemer came and offered.

That's why it was at the risk of eternal loss that Jesus came.

Only with his death were the sins of all previous eras redeemed and paid for.

Secondly, Second step, the application of the blood, verse 22, almost all things are by the law purged or cleansed with blood, purified with blood.

Without shedding of blood there is no remission, no forgiveness without shedding of blood.

So the application of the blood, you had 2 essential parts to the atonement.

You have the sacrifice and the application of the blood.

And without that, there was no forgiveness of sins.

And then Finally, third step, most holy place, verse 23, it was therefore 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.

So it was necessary for the copies, that is the earthly sanctuary places, things, to be purified with these, that is animal sacrifices.

But the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

It was also a surprise to me when as an atheist, as I mentioned, I read the great converse and started studying Revelation, realized that there was war, that The first war that ever began in the universe was in heaven.

But there it was, right in the Bible, war in heaven.

And for that reason, there are things that need to be settled in heaven as well as on earth.

As Paul says, We are a spectacle to the universe and to angels, to men.

The word there is cosmos in Greek, universe.

So we need to recognize that the controversy and the battle between good and evil is bigger than we are.

Of course, we're an important part of it.

And so let's turn to Hebrews chapter 6, where this, go back a little bit.

We didn't really cover this verse, but I think it's important in this connection to mention.

He says, therefore, and of course it's bringing up all that has been said already about Jesus and his work as fully God and fully human, as the Redeemer, who is the only 1 who can actually save us.

And he can save us only because he lives forever, according to the order of Melchizedek chapter 5, and that he learned obedience, verse 8 of chapter 5, by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect, became the author of eternal salvation to all them who obey him, and so on.

So now, therefore, verse 6, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, King James says, the principles of the doctrine of Christ.

Let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

Anyone who's built a house, how many times do you lay a foundation?

Actually, there was a building that I was involved with later after the foundation had been laid, and unfortunately it was not laid right.

Had to be taken out and poured back again.

Sometimes the Christian life is like that, you know, if we lay the foundation not right we have to kind of undo things and relay things.

But if that's set down correctly, you build from that foundation.

Once the foundation is laid, then the house is built.

And as it says in Hebrews chapter 3, who is the house?

Whose house are we if we hold our confession steadfast and sure.

If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing and the hope firm unto the end.

God is building his temple, his people, and he wants us to move forward, look upward.

That's what we talked about last time, that we don't, We're not to look backward.

As sometimes you might see him carried and even paraded as I've seen through the streets, you know, paraded, hanging there on the cross as if he's still there.

It's like when the women came to the tomb and they said, the angels said to them, he is not here.

You know, don't look for him where he is not.

He is risen and now he is ascended and he is at in at God's right hand, the presence of God.

So let us remember that the foundation is important.

5. The Cross Connects Heaven and Earth (Hebrews 9-10)

This is the fifth of 6 seminars on Hebrews, and I believe of the 6 it's the most important.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for the message of the book of Hebrews and for Jesus, our high priest, interceding for us.

And I pray, Lord, that heaven will draw very near during this time.

Thank you for the ladder that stretches from earth to heaven that Jesus established.

May our prayers reach right into your presence and may our words and thoughts be acceptable in your sight.

Maybe I will just briefly review the first 4 because we had a long and profitable day yesterday.

But very briefly, Hebrews chapters 1 and 2 speaks of the fact that were Jesus not fully God and fully human, he could not have saved us by his death on the cross.

Only 1 who is really fully God, which our early pioneers, some of them had a hard time really accepting, and fully man, which some now Adventists have a hard time really accepting, only really by those 2 very impossible truths that are put together in the mystery of godliness as Paul describes it could save us really on the cross.

Seminar number 2, we looked at the experience of Israel and why the Sabbath is so important.

They couldn't enter into the promised land because they did not keep the Sabbath in the way it was meant to be kept.

Their hearts were hardened through unbelief.

We're told that Jesus could have come ere this, and yet he did not, has not.

We're following the same path Israel followed of unbelief, hardness of heart, and the message of the Sabbath, proclaiming it more fully, includes receiving it fully with our hearts and really resting in the work Jesus does for us, has done on the cross, does for us today, not only in heaven but here in our hearts and our lives.

The third seminar dealt with the cross and leadership.

And 1 of the most important things about that is that We do not select ourselves.

Even Jesus himself, he's the apostle sent by the father.

He did not appoint himself or choose himself.

And we may not always agree with his choices, but this is the choices they are and they're clear qualifications for leadership even for the high priesthood of Jesus.

And 1 of the most important of course is that he can sympathize with our weaknesses, which is why he became human and was tempted in all points like as we are, so he could be a faithful and merciful high priest for us in heaven.

And we've talked about many other things, but we'll leave it at that.

The fourth dealt with Jesus as, according to the order of Melchizedek, a high priesthood, how it's different from the Levitical priesthood, chapter 7.

And that because he lives forever for us, has the power of an endless life, is so much better than earthly priests that were limited, weak, and had to pass on their priestly duties to the next generation.

So this fifth seminar, dealing with the cross that connects heaven and earth, is a topic that I think we at Advent are still another 1 that we do not understand, maybe 1 of the most important ones.

It was just 1 year and 2 months after I turned from atheism to faith in Jesus and was baptized in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, my second year at Pacific Union College, sitting in Erwin Hall Chapel where Ellen White had sometimes preached.

And the air was electric with excitement.

We all anticipated the presentation that Desmond Ford was going to make on 1844 as to whether it was a theological milestone or historical necessity.

The address was widely reported by the news media and its ripples were felt worldwide.

1 sentence in particular I remember very well to this day.

He said, in 1844, the Lord drew the attention of this people to the torn veil on Calvary.

And he made a number of assertions in that speech, which we do not have time to discuss in detail and would not be helpful to repeat.

Being a new Christian at the time, I resolved that if I had been deceived, I wanted to know it.

And so began my journey of reinvestigation.

My study focused on the book of Hebrews because it seemed to me this was where Ford's strongest arguments were found.

Whenever we examine a particular view, it is important for us to focus on the weightiest arguments and the strongest evidence rather than picking away at the edges.

It doesn't take much effort to assail someone's weak points.

And that's important to remember in every controversy, including the present 1 on women's ordination.

It doesn't take much effort to assail weak points.

If the strongest reasons given are shown to be false, then something valuable and important has been learned.

And I am convinced that the evidence for the Adventist position is overwhelming.

My purpose here is not to refute the various points which Desmond Ford tried to establish.

Many studies over the past 30 plus years have done that, some of which can be found on our website at the Biblical Research Institute.

The address is Adventistbiblicalresearch.org, So I encourage you to look at the materials that are there.

Rather I would like to get at what seems to be the heart of the matter, the reference to the sanctuary in Hebrews 9.8.

This verse is in some respects the crux of the whole chapter because it's too often been studied in isolation from the larger message of Hebrews, which portrays the Christian life as a journey from earth to heaven, the pathway for which has already been blazed by Jesus himself.

This pathway, mentioned already in previous chapters, becomes the focus of Hebrews 9.

And it's at this point of the book that the picture gets more complicated.

After discussion of the 2 apartments of the earthly sanctuary and their associated furniture in Hebrews 9, 1 to 5, the writer describes the ministry of each apartment culminating with the comment in verse 9 that the sanctuary rituals are symbolic.

So let's just look quickly at the first 5 verses.

Indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service in the earthly sanctuary.

For a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary.

Behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, 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 manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

And above it were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat.

Of these things we cannot now speak in detail." And I agree with that.

There are some things we could talk about related to the 2 apartments, but we won't get into it right now.

We hopefully will have time for questions.

If you're interested, you can ask about it.

So how the symbolism is understood depends on the interpretation of the preceding verse, that is verse 8.

And That has been understood in very different ways.

Notice the 2 different ways in which it's translated.

First by the NIV, which understands the pathway as a horizontal 1, and I'll explain that later.

And the NEB, which understands the pathway as a vertical 1.

First horizontal pathway, the Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.

So here you've got a set of comparisons between the holy place and the most holy place.

So it's horizontal, you're going, and the holy place obstructs entrance in the most holy place, that's the view.

For the vertical pathway, in the NAB it translates it this way, by this the Holy Spirit signifies that so long as the earlier tent, which would be the earthly sanctuary, still stands, the way into the sanctuary, tahagia, that is heavenly sanctuary, remains unrevealed.

So therefore it's the whole earthly sanctuary and its existence and continuance that precludes and obscures entrance into the heavenly sanctuary, so the vertical pathway.

In the first column, a spatial metaphor is given a temporal meaning, while in the second temporal metaphor is given a spatial meaning.

Don't worry, you don't quite understand all of what that means.

In the first column, the holy place blocks the way into the most holy place, while in the second column, the earthly sanctuary blocks the way into the heavenly sanctuary.

So which option we choose makes a huge difference as to how we understand Jesus' ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.

You see at the bottom on the left side, if you take the idea that it's really contrasting holy place and most holy place, it means at his ascension Jesus began a ministry of forgiveness and judgment symbolized by the most holy place, right from the beginning, right at his ascension, 31.

And if you understand this as a vertical pathway, it means that at his ascension Jesus began a ministry of forgiveness symbolized by both the holy place and the most holy place.

And it doesn't make a distinction at this point between them, although there were aspects of course that continued on the Day of Atonement, even in the early sanctuary, that were part of the daily or the continual service, such as the morning, evening burnt offering.

So According to this view, 2 areas are being symbolized according to the first view, horizontal pathway.

The holy place stands metaphorically for all of the old covenant ceremonies, while the most holy place stands for the new covenant ministry of Christ symbolized by the Day of Atonement.

How the Day of Atonement could be implicated with the rest of the old covenant ceremonies as meaningless and yet still somehow epitomize Christ's heavenly ministry is never explained.

The New English Bible interprets verse 8, that's the right side, to mean that the way into the heavenly sanctuary with its heavenly ministry is not possible while the earthly sanctuary with its earthly ministry still has validity.

So the question is, what ministry did Jesus inaugurate at his ascension?

A most holy place ministry, this horizontal pathway, or a holy place ministry, vertical pathway.

4. Stumbling or Standing at the Cross? (Hebrews 8)

Sorry for getting started a few minutes late.

But, you know, this interaction we did, It's been difficult to have time for questions.

There's so much material, but I'm determined that we will have time for questions.

And if others, you know, if you come to, I come to a point that you have a question, please raise your hand and I'll try to recognize you.

Hopefully we'll have some time at the end.

I didn't quite finish seminar number 3, the cross and leadership.

And so I'd like to just finish that off and just very quickly as, you know, kind of a synopsis in seconds of what I spent almost an hour covering.

In Hebrews chapter 5, Jesus is called Apostle and High Priest.

He is the Apostle in the sense that he was sent from the Father.

And as he was sent, he established, ordained 12 apostles and sent them out on a mission.

And there are specific leadership principles that we looked at that even Jesus himself was not self-appointed, that it was the Father who appointed him and sent him.

It was also, he does not bear witness of himself, but the Father, the Scriptures, John the Baptist, and the works themselves that he did bore witness that he was who he said he was to come from God.

And we looked at some principles of leadership also in connection with the Old Testament and the challenge to the leadership of Moses and Aaron and how God dealt with that and that we can learn from those lessons.

As we've seen in previous seminars as well, that God has written this history so that we might learn from it despite the fact that it's unusual for that to happen.

But before we begin again, let's bow our heads for prayer.

Father in heaven, thank you for your word.

Thank you for Jesus, for all that he means to us, all he has done for us.

And as we open your word again, we ask for your guidance and teach us, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

0.3, how is the gift of leadership recognized?

Just by way of summary again, Jesus of the 12, he prayed all night for guidance and ordained them.

Replacement for Judas, they prayed, they cast lots and they ordained a replacement as the 12th apostle.

The 7 deacons, as they're known, selected by the church, They prayed and were ordained.

Barnabas and Saul or Paul, through the gift of prophecy, fasting and prayer were ordained.

And Timothy was, through the gift of prophecy, ordained also by the hands of Paul and the elders, Paul says.

So in other words, the principle is from these examples, a divine indication is needed that someone is called to leadership position.

Maybe that also to some extent answers the question you had.

We see that in terms of prophecy and seeking God's clear will through prayer and sometimes fasting.

God calls the person and will make that clear if we seek his will.

Through the scriptures and God's providential working.

We're told in 1 Timothy 5.22 not to lay hands on anyone suddenly or hastily.

We must beware of those who claim to be called by God but do not submit to his word.

Second Corinthians 11, 12 to 15 talks about false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ and no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.

Of course, they're not anything like that.

Whose end will be according to their works.

So the deceptions then would persist and We're warned against them.

Jesus said that if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived.

So we know them by their fruit and by the scriptures, by providential workings.

Number 4, we should look at issues of power and control.

It's human nature to want to be in control, but spiritual power and control is not centered in us or even in the church.

Christ surrendered control of his life completely to the Father, to the 1 who sent him.

If we're followers of Christ, actually we're not in control.

Even church leaders are not really in control.

This is the safest position of all because God knows the future.

It's not our church or your church or my church.

He is its head and he will see it through.

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Presenter

Clinton Wahlen

All Recordings

6. Joining Jesus at the Cross (Hebrews 11-13)

55m

5. The Cross Connects Heaven and Earth (Hebrews 9-10)

52m

4. Stumbling or Standing at the Cross? (Hebrews 8)

47m

3. The Cross in Leadership (Hebrews 5-7)

47m

2. Really Resting in the Cross (Hebrews 3-4)

53m

1. Why Only a Cross Could Save Us (Hebrews 1-2)

52m

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