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In the name of Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Amen.

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The scripture lesson we had just a minute ago

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is from the last chapter of the so-called letter to the Hebrews. It's

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so-called because where I would say it's so called because it's not

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really a letter, it's an actually kind of an odd book.

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It doesn't depict things that had happened like the gospels or the book of

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Acts.

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It's not addressed to particular people, whether the Galatians who're

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up to no good or the Philippians or the Thessalonians for whom

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Paul has praise.

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It is often thought and for good reason

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an example of an ancient Christian sermon.

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Just look at how it begins.

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In many and various ways, God spoke to the people of old by the

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prophets.

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But in these last days, he has spoken to us by a Son and off he goes

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and about Jesus as the Son of God.

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And he has this to say, about Jesus and that to say about the

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Israelites. He has something to say about priesthood and sacrifice,

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and blood and faith.

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But off, he goes, why it's not quite clear except to raise up Jesus

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to encourage faith and faithfulness.

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Like a sermon.

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And Jesus, he preaches, he not only preaches Jesus, but he preaches

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like Jesus.

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What did the people think after Jesus gave The Sermon on the Mount?

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He taught like one with authority.

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And the whoever wrote this letter, whoever wrote this sermon

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clearly speaks with authority.

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It is assertive.

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It is bold.

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It is confident.

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He's not engaging the conversation, he's telling you how things are. He

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is familiar with the people and their circumstances, but he's not

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treat them in a familiar way.

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He preaches as one with authority.

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Now sometimes he is quite elaborate.

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So, for instance that list, how does he explain faith with example,

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after example. But sometimes he's quite brisk.

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Look at those chapters about priesthood, the sacrifice. about blood.

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Very flexible in how he uses the Old Testament.

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It's not wrong, of course, but it's brisk.

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Anyway, here we are at the end of the sermon and like many sermons

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it concludes with certain exhortations. Let brotherly love abide.

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Don't neglect to receive strangers.

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Remember those in prison, remember those who are mistreated.

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Honor marriage, do not defile

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the marriage bed.

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Don't fall for the love of money, but be content.

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Remember your leaders, in other words, those who spoke the word of God

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to you consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their

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faith.

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But at this point, things things turn, he has a fresh thought.

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And let me read that again.

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At this point, he just makes this assertion Jesus Christ the same

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yesterday and today and forever.

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Do not be led astray by diverse and strange teachings.

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For it is good for the heart to be, strengthened by Grace, not by

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foods, which have not benefit benefit, those devoted to them. We have

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an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For

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the body of those animals

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whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest, as a

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sacrifice for sin are burned, outside the camp.

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So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the

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people through his own blood.

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Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he

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endured.

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For here

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we have no lasting city but we seek the city that is to come. Through

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him

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let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.

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That is the fruit of lips

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that acknowledge his name.

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Do not neglect to do good

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and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

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What was that about?

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I mean there is a certain point which is clear, don't be led astray by

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diverse and strange teachings,

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well enough. But what's this about the foods? What altar is he talking

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about?

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How does he get from dragging the bodies of sacrificed animals

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outside the camp to Jesus?

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How does he get from Jesus to us?

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Well, he did.

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This is an interpretation of the Old Testament but it reminds me of a

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cartoon I saw

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when I was a student. It shows a preacher in a Pulpit like this,

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showing down like this and the caption reads

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Don't try this interpretation at home.

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I'm a professional.

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Where does he get this from? The Old Testament.

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But there is some sense to it, an important sense.

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He starts with Jesus Christ

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who was the same yesterday today and forever.

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Because of Jesus Christ do not be led astray

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by diverse strange teachings.

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Now, he must have here in mind, not just odd teachings, but those that

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would actually lead you astray from believing in Jesus, from living a

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life of faith and faithfulness.

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It's good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace.

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Rather than relying on foods that don't benefit anybody.

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We have an altar, he says. That those who serve at the Tabernacle have no

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right to eat from.

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Now, remember, in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is a high priest but not

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in Aaronic priest.

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You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And what's

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the altar here?

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Well, it's the altar of sacrifice.

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So, those who follow the old Covenant.

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No.

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No, they have no right.

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They have no right

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no place.

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There is a new Covenant established win this priest offered himself as

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a sacrifice and died.

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A will doesn't come to affect the author

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of the Hebrews said, until there is a death, there was a death. And

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that death result in blood, but that blood sanctified. And so we're

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not at the altar of the old Covenant. We're not in the most

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Holy place of Israel.

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But know, there is an altar of a sacrifice made for us.

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It's outside the camp.

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It's outside the city.

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Where the bodies of the bulls that were sacrificed were burned.

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That's where Jesus was.

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That's where he shed his blood to make us

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Holy. And so let's not be led astray

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the author of Hebrews is saying. No let's go out there outside the camp

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with Jesus.

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Let's bear the reproach he endured.

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And let's 

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offer there with Jesus, our Lord and Savior a sacrifice of praise and

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then do good and share with others

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for those are our sacrifices. That's what he was calling on the people

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he was addressing.

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It's probable that these people were beaten up worn out.

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The mention about visiting those in prison

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and those have been mistreated echoes

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what had been said earlier in the book about those who had been in

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prison, those who were being oppressed, that's the situation.

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Here are faithful people.

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They've heard the word, they've trust the word but they're wearing

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down.

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Being ground down.

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It's hard.

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It's hard to bear reproach.

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It's hard to be neglected. It's hard to be on the margins.

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Other things might seem attractive

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and so, it is also in every age and in an ours's too.

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So, with the author of this Book of this writing, I say to you in the

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name of Jesus Christ, don't be led astray, but rather put your faith

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in Jesus who was the same yesterday and today, and forever.

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Look to Jesus follow his example, heed his teaching, trust his grace.

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Praise Him.

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Do good, share with others.

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As Jesus did.

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As these people did as Christians always have.

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Do this in the name of Jesus.

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Amen.