Are You Willing to Pay the Price Hebrew 10:1-18
- Read Scripture**
- You can’t have your cake and eat it (too) The proverb literally means “you cannot simultaneously retain your cake and eat it”.
- Once the cake is eaten, it is gone
- The proverb’s meaning is similar to the phrases “you can’t have it both ways” and “you can’t have the best of both worlds.”
- There is always a price to everything, it doesn’t matter what it is. And when I talk about the Price, I am not only talking about money, I am referring to that thing that you have to give up in order to get something else- Those things that really matter to you
- When you say yes to one thing, you are saying no to another.
- Tonight – you are here
- The alarm tomorrow morning
- When you starting dating / Getting Married/ Having children the list goes on and on
- Our text tonight talks exactly about this concept
- Hebrews 10:5-7(NLT) That is why, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God (as is written about me in the Scriptures)
- Jesus knew what was happening to the animals – How the animal sacrifice worked (Literally) The killing, the blood poured out, the attorning of sins
- He knew as this text tells us; He knew that His Body was given to Him as an offering
- He was going to pay the price for our sins and He agreed
- We read the Luke 22:41-42 (AMPC) – And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”
- We assume that reality hit for Him then, No sir- He knew what awaited Him- Yet He was willing to pay the price
- Hebrews 10:8-9(NLT) First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.
- The tainted offering, whether is was the animals blood or the human sins- was not pleasing to God
- Yet in our culture today, we feel like it’s possible to literally have our cake and order Uber eat and continue to have one more
- This has spilled over to the Christian walk; we want to be part of the Jesus culture and not pay the price that it takes to be a member
- This Christianity is a costly journey and for a minute in our time, the price was low (Show up to Church e.t.c) but moving forward much MORE is required
- I was talking to one of my brother in Christ and he said “I am changing how I invite people to Church, before I just wanted to get them in the house of God and then they would hear the Word and be converted but what COVID-19 has taught me that some of these people never got saved, they came here and made it about friendship, leadership and never really got a heart change.
- They played to part, and looked the part but not willing to pay the price by giving up the old life
- ~ He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time
- These paid a small price and ripped no benefits when those things they held on to were taken away
- He continues to remind me that in the story of the young ruler,
- Mark 10:17-27 (NLT) – 17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’[a]”“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young. ”Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
- Jesus did not just ask Him to follow Him and work out his heart condition over time – He asked him to Count the cost
- It is costly to follow Christ and if you don’t realize this from day one – then you will be in for rude shock
- Christ counted to cost before He even went to the Cross – Yet we want to lose nothing to gain everything
- You can argue, that Jesus was God and that its easy for Him to subject Himself to this, yet countless people in the Bible have paid the price
What kind of Price are we talking about?
- Heath
- Your heath is your wealth – so they say – Cant replace it ..doesn’t matter how much you go, your health is everything
- One man gave it up to honor God – The story of Job
- Job is asked to curse God so he can be well and He doesn’t comply because to him this price was worth it
- I believe that we are given this example to signify that which we hold most dear
- Are you willing to lose it all for Christ?
- The big picture in this is that Job had not sinned, yet because he had died to self, God used him as He saw fit
- Luke 9:23-24 (NLT)- Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
- Are you willing to pay the Price?
- Your ability/Strength
- Paul said “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- The story of David as a young man killing Goliath is powerful example of willing to pay the ultimate price
- David did not have the power match the giant or the army, yet He choose to give it all for the sake of preserving God’s name
- Are you willing to defy the mighty army which might means losing your lifestyle, comfort, benefits, health or even your life?
- It starts with the small thing –
- Standing up for what is true in your homes, at work, at church
- Guarding the Honor of Our God
- Doing it every day and fully – not choosing when to do it
- We are all called to be like David, but if we hold back because we are not willing to pay the price, we can never be who God has called us to be.
- Your reputation
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
- Acts 3:1-6 – Peter and John went to the temple and a lame man was sitting there
- Today our prayers are not answered because we are not willing to look like fools
- We are not willing to give up our reputation – we would rather play it safe
- Purity lacks in our prayers and our Faith is weak
- First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” – He requires costly sacrifice
- The benefits are literally out of this world but we must be willing to lose our comfort here on earth to advance Christianity- Our call:
- Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Our faith is alive because of the people who went before us who were willing to pay the price
- What price are you willing to pay?
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