Embracing the Everlasting Covenant Through Christ

Summary

### Summary

Today, we conclude our journey through the book of Hebrews, focusing on Hebrews 13:20-24. This passage serves as a powerful reminder of the everlasting covenant established by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant over the old, highlighting that it is written on our hearts, assures us of our salvation, and offers complete forgiveness of sins. This covenant is not based on our actions or merits but solely on the sacrificial blood of Jesus.

The passage begins with a prayer, invoking the "God of peace" who raised Jesus from the dead, referring to Him as the "great shepherd of the sheep." This title connects back to Ezekiel 34, where God promises to be the shepherd of His people, ensuring their safety and provision. The resurrection of Jesus is mentioned for the first time in Hebrews, underscoring its significance in establishing this new covenant.

The writer prays that God would equip us with everything good to do His will, emphasizing that our ability to fulfill God's will comes from Him alone. This equipping involves setting right what is broken in our lives, much like a doctor setting a broken bone. The ultimate goal is to live a life pleasing to God, marked by humble submission and obedience.

The sermon concludes with a call to action: for those who do not know Christ, to accept Him as their Savior, and for believers to remember and rejoice in the everlasting covenant established through Jesus' blood. The writer urges us to be students of both the Old and New Testaments, recognizing that they are inseparable and together point to the redemptive work of Christ.

### Key Takeaways

1. The Everlasting Covenant: The new covenant, unlike the old, is written on our hearts and assures us of our salvation. It offers complete forgiveness of sins, not through our actions but through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. This covenant is a testament to God's unending grace and love for us. [35:24]

2. The God of Peace: The "God of peace" who raised Jesus from the dead provides us with a tranquil state of soul, assured of our salvation. This peace is not just the absence of conflict but a deep, abiding assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. [41:16]

3. Jesus, the Great Shepherd: Jesus is referred to as the "great shepherd of the sheep," a title that emphasizes His role in guiding, protecting, and providing for us. This imagery connects to Ezekiel 34, where God promises to shepherd His people, ensuring their safety and provision. [47:23]

4. Equipped for God's Will: God equips us with everything good to do His will. This equipping involves setting right what is broken in our lives, much like a doctor setting a broken bone. Our ability to fulfill God's will comes from Him alone, and it requires our humble submission and obedience. [53:40]

5. Salvation Through Christ Alone: Salvation is found in Christ alone, through His blood alone. The entire book of Hebrews points to this truth, emphasizing that no amount of moral reformation or religious activity can bridge the gap between our sin and a holy God. It is only through the sacrificial blood of Jesus that we are made right with God. [01:02:38]

### YouTube Chapters

1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [31:40] - Opening Prayer
3. [32:53] - Reflecting on the Journey Through Hebrews
4. [33:37] - Final Words of Hebrews
5. [34:25] - Dividing the Last Verses: Prayer and Petition
6. [35:24] - The Everlasting Covenant
7. [36:06] - Hebrews Chapter 8: The New Covenant
8. [37:27] - Differences Between Old and New Covenants
9. [40:11] - The God of Peace
10. [41:16] - Assurance of Salvation
11. [42:23] - The Resurrection of Jesus
12. [47:23] - Jesus, the Great Shepherd
13. [49:16] - Established Through the Blood of Christ
14. [53:40] - Equipped for God's Will
15. [01:02:38] - Salvation Through Christ Alone
16. [01:08:37] - Closing Prayer and Call to Action

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
1. Hebrews 13:20-24
2. Hebrews 8:1-12
3. Ezekiel 34:25-31

### Observation Questions
1. What does the writer of Hebrews refer to God as in Hebrews 13:20, and why is this significant? [35:24]
2. According to Hebrews 8:10, where is the new covenant written, and how does this differ from the old covenant? [38:34]
3. In Ezekiel 34:25-31, what promises does God make to His people regarding their safety and provision? [47:23]
4. What does the writer of Hebrews pray for in Hebrews 13:21, and what does the term "equip" mean in this context? [53:40]

### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of the "God of peace" in Hebrews 13:20 provide assurance to believers about their salvation? [41:16]
2. What is the significance of Jesus being called the "great shepherd of the sheep" in Hebrews 13:20, and how does this connect to Ezekiel 34? [47:23]
3. How does the new covenant, as described in Hebrews 8, change the relationship between God and His people compared to the old covenant? [37:27]
4. What does it mean for God to "equip" us to do His will, and how does this process resemble setting a broken bone? [53:40]

### Application Questions
1. The sermon emphasized that the new covenant is written on our hearts and assures us of our salvation. How does this assurance impact your daily life and decisions? [35:24]
2. Reflect on a time when you experienced the "peace of God" in a challenging situation. How did this peace help you navigate through it? [41:16]
3. Jesus is described as the "great shepherd" who guides, protects, and provides for us. In what ways have you experienced Jesus' guidance and provision in your life recently? [47:23]
4. The sermon mentioned that God equips us to do His will by setting right what is broken in our lives. Identify an area in your life that feels "broken." How can you seek God's equipping to set it right? [53:40]
5. The writer of Hebrews calls believers to live a life pleasing to God through humble submission and obedience. What specific steps can you take this week to submit more fully to God's will in your life? [56:33]
6. The sermon concluded with a call to action for those who do not know Christ to accept Him as their Savior. If you have already accepted Christ, how can you share this message of salvation with someone in your life who needs to hear it? [01:06:39]
7. The everlasting covenant established through Jesus' blood offers complete forgiveness of sins. How does this truth affect your understanding of grace and your relationship with God? [49:16]

Devotional

Day 1: The Everlasting Covenant
The new covenant, unlike the old, is written on our hearts and assures us of our salvation. It offers complete forgiveness of sins, not through our actions but through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. This covenant is a testament to God's unending grace and love for us. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that this covenant is superior to the old one because it is not based on our merits but solely on the sacrificial blood of Jesus. This everlasting covenant assures us of our salvation and offers complete forgiveness of sins, highlighting the depth of God's grace and love for us. [35:24]

Hebrews 8:10 (ESV): "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Reflection: Think about a time when you felt unworthy of God's love. How does knowing that the new covenant is based on Jesus' sacrifice, not your actions, change your perspective on your relationship with God?

Day 2: The God of Peace
The "God of peace" who raised Jesus from the dead provides us with a tranquil state of soul, assured of our salvation. This peace is not just the absence of conflict but a deep, abiding assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The resurrection of Jesus is mentioned for the first time in Hebrews, underscoring its significance in establishing this new covenant. This peace is a profound assurance that transcends circumstances, rooted in the resurrection of Jesus and the unbreakable covenant established through His blood. [41:16]

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to experience God's peace? How can you actively trust in God's promises to find that peace today?

Day 3: Jesus, the Great Shepherd
Jesus is referred to as the "great shepherd of the sheep," a title that emphasizes His role in guiding, protecting, and providing for us. This imagery connects to Ezekiel 34, where God promises to shepherd His people, ensuring their safety and provision. Jesus, as the great shepherd, fulfills this promise, guiding us with wisdom, protecting us from harm, and providing for our needs. This title underscores His intimate care and leadership in our lives. [47:23]

Ezekiel 34:15-16 (ESV): "I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt lost or in need of guidance. How did you experience Jesus' shepherding care during that time? How can you rely on Him more fully as your shepherd today?

Day 4: Equipped for God's Will
God equips us with everything good to do His will. This equipping involves setting right what is broken in our lives, much like a doctor setting a broken bone. Our ability to fulfill God's will comes from Him alone, and it requires our humble submission and obedience. This divine equipping is essential for living a life pleasing to God, marked by humble submission and obedience. It is through God's power and provision that we are able to accomplish His purposes. [53:40]

2 Timothy 3:17 (ESV): "That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel inadequate or broken. How can you invite God to equip and restore you in that area to fulfill His will?

Day 5: Salvation Through Christ Alone
Salvation is found in Christ alone, through His blood alone. The entire book of Hebrews points to this truth, emphasizing that no amount of moral reformation or religious activity can bridge the gap between our sin and a holy God. It is only through the sacrificial blood of Jesus that we are made right with God. This foundational truth underscores the exclusivity and sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for our salvation, highlighting the futility of relying on our own efforts. [01:02:38]

Acts 4:12 (ESV): "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Reflection: Consider any areas where you might be relying on your own efforts for salvation or approval. How can you shift your focus to fully trust in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for your salvation?

Quotes

1. "490 days ago. Seventy weeks ago, I preached a sermon from Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 6. For 70 weeks, I have given of my life in my sermon prep to this book. I have fallen deeper in love with the book of Hebrews than before when I started. This journey for the last 70 weeks as we've walked through this book together has been... One of the greatest spiritual journeys that I have been on. And today, we come to the end." [32:53] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The main emphasis that the writer of Hebrews is writing about here is he's writing about this covenant. This everlasting covenant. Up to this point, the writer's been talking about this covenant. This covenant that God has made with us. In fact, no other book in the entire New Testament uses this word covenant more than the book of Hebrews. The writer comes to the very end and he's appealing to God, which we'll get to in just a second, on the basis of this everlasting covenant." [35:24] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The old covenant was written on stone. The new covenant is written on our hearts. After those days, I will make the house of Israel. I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. The old covenant was written on tablets. Moses wrote them. The new covenant is written on our heart. This relationship that I have with Christ and the covenant relationship, the relationship that I have with him in salvation is written on my heart." [38:34] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "When I wake up in the mornings, I have peace with God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, a covenant that was established. And I have this assurance of my salvation. The assurance that there is nothing that can separate me from the love of God. That I did nothing in receiving it and nothing can take it away from me. That I have this confident assurance. So the God of peace who provides this confident assurance that I don't have to doubt, I don't have to wonder, I don't have to question whether or not I'm right in my relationship with God." [41:16] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "The Lord Jesus Christ came and lived a sinless life. One day he was arrested by the Romans and he was, beaten, brutally embarrassed, beard plucked from his face, crown of thorns placed on his head, spit upon, mocked, and there he was placed on a cross. Suspended between heaven and earth, probably with not an ounce of clothes on him. There he was publicly humiliated. And for six hours Christ suffered on the cross of Calvary. For six hours he experienced the wrath of God. And in that moment, what Christ did on the cross is he made my payment for sin and took my punishment for sin." [43:28] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "But then early one morning, early one morning, when the guards were standing outside the tomb, the ground began to shake. And as the ground began to shake, there that tomb rolled away and the Lord Jesus Christ, alive, resurrected from the dead by the sovereign power of God, defeating death once and for all. Christ Jesus walked out of that tomb. And now he is alive, seated at the right hand of God the Father, making resurrection for us." [44:03] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "You and I have a covenant relationship with God through Christ. And that covenant relationship was not, listen, was not established because you're a good person or you came to church. This covenant relationship was not established because you checked a few boxes. This covenant relationship between you and God was not established because you were born in America or because you were raised in the south. This covenant relationship that you have as a child of God is established between you and God by one way and one way only. And that is through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ." [49:16] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Salvation is found in Christ alone, through his blood alone. The entire book of Hebrews points to this truth. Salvation. Listen, you may be here this morning. It's your first time to be in this room and grow up in church. The Bible teaches this, that we serve a holy God. God is holy. He is pure. He is without blemish. He is without sin. He is without error. God is holy. But the Bible teaches that we are sinners. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I've sinned. You've sinned. There's not a single person who has been, is, or ever will be that has not sinned." [01:02:38] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "God loved you so much that he sent his only begotten son, the sinless, perfect lamb of God. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, who lived a holy, sinless life, pure, who died to take your punishment and your payment for sin, was risen from the dead, the sovereign power of God, who sits at the right hand, making intercession for us. And you and your sins are in need. And I stand before you this morning as I close. Salvation is found in Christ alone through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary." [01:04:55] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "You need to be reminded that you have an everlasting covenant established by the God of peace who defeated death, the resurrection of Christ through his blood. You now stand right in the presence of a holy God, not because of anything. But because of everything that Christ did for you. And this morning, you just need to kneel down and worship. The altar is open. You just come down here and pray. Just say, God, thank you. Thank you for your good grace in my life." [01:06:39] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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