Those Who Received the Promised Eternal Inheritance (Heb. 9:13-22)
Let us bless one another, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. May the unprecedented and never repeated blessings of God be upon all the individuals and families worshiping in the church, in their homes, and especially out of state.
The title of today’s message is, “Those Who Received the Promised Eternal Inheritance.” What do you think is the problem of mankind? If you know the problem, then you already know the way to solve it. But if you don’t know the problem of mankind, then even though the way exists, we’re not able to find it.
1. Man
1) God’s creation
(1) God’s image (Gen. 1:27)
The problem that people talk about is different from the problem the Bible talks about, in other words, what God calls a problem and what people call a problem are different, because when God created mankind, God created us in His image. Humans were created to live with God, receiving God’s Word and following after God’s Word.
(2) Living being (Gen. 2:7)
In Gen. 2:7, God breathed into us His living breath so we live by the power of His Spirit. We’re not meant to live by our own mental strength or diligence; we’re meant to live by the power God gives us.
(3) Subdue and rule over (Gen. 2:1-18)
That’s why in Gen. 2:1-18, God entrusts the Garden of Eden even though it was His to maintain. This is the principle with which God created human beings. In every aspect of our lives, we have a principle or rule. This is mankind’s operating principle.
2) Fundamental problem
(1) Me – God (Gen. 3:5)
When did the problem begin? It was when people wanted to be independent of God, in other words, people tried to become God themselves. Human beings were created to be united with God, however, Satan tempts mankind to try to be independent of God, and that’s the beginning of all problems. All the problems the world talks about follow from this main problem.
(2) For me – Idolatry, Religion (Ex. 20:3-5)
Even though we try, we cannot solve it. Then, we have no choice but to serve idols for ourselves. If we became independent, we should be perfect and complete, but we cannot be like that, then we live the rest of our lives to try to fill our own greed with visible and invisible idols. This is the problem of mankind. It doesn’t matter how much we have, we’re never satisfied, and it doesn’t matter how many scientific advances we have: we can never be filled internally.
(3) Me – Belong to Satan (Jn. 8:44)
Because we live chasing after our own greed, we turn into children of the devil, John 8:44, and we also follow after the devil’s desires. This is the problem of America right now, it’s not a political problem. People keep saying it’s a political problem or a problem of education or that science isn’t advanced enough. These may make things more convenient and faster, but this cannot fix the inner things.
It doesn’t matter how much we try to solve it, we cannot. The more we try to solve it, the more we are seized. We are completely ensnared, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and we’re dragged around, then our mental state is not normal. Because I try to be independent of God, living on my own, I cannot control my life, and you’ll confirm this the more you age.
While you’re young, you don’t realize, but the older you get, the more you’ll realize you’re not in control. “I thought I could do whatever I wanted, but I cannot.” How great is the freedom of America? But you can only receive true freedom when you have the freedom given to you by God. You think doing whatever you want is freedom, but if you live however you want, you’re bound to walk a different path from God’s.
3) Solve the fundamental
(1) Offspring of woman (Gen. 3:15)
God gave us one way to solve this fundamental problem and that’s Genesis 3:15, the offspring of the woman. It cannot be solved by anything of man. You must solve it with God’s principle. It doesn’t matter how many good things we do, we cannot resolve this problem. Without a doubt, God Who has no sin has to come onto this earth as a human being, die on the cross for our sins, and destroy the devil in order to resolve the problem.
(2) Garments of skin (Gen. 3:21)
In Genesis 3:21, as soon as Adam and Eve sinned against God, God did the blood sacrifice and made garments out of animal hide. The fact that there was a blood sacrifice means that someone, other than myself, must die for my sin. Why does the Bible keep talking about blood? When we think of blood, we think of revolting things like murder or slaughtering animals, and we find it revolting because it is ending a life.
But Leviticus 17:11 says that this blood has life. There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. The greatest sin of all sins is trying to be independent of God. There’s no way for us to turn back; the price for this sin is death. You have to die in order to be united with God. It’s so difficult when a child and their parents do not get along. It doesn’t matter how smart the student is; it’s going to be difficult. It doesn’t matter how much money the parents make; if they live with their kids and aren’t able to get along, it will be difficult.
In this way, if our relationship with God is broken, our lives become difficult, so relationships are very important. The person who has a good relationship with God is bound to have a good relationship with other people. God created us that way because we cannot live on our own.
If we’re not able to have relationships, our social life is hard, our church life is hard, but if you restore your relationship with God, everything else follows. How much will you restore your relationship with other people? That’s this person’s vessel. If you cannot be one even within your family, you cannot be one outside. The only way you can become one is if you’re united with God, but there’s no way we can do that, and that’s why God tells us to give the blood sacrifice.
(3) Worship with the blood of the lamb (Gen. 4:4)
(4) Blood of the lamb – Liberation (Ex. 12:21-22)
In Genesis 4:4, Abel gave the blood sacrifice to God so he received God’s forgiveness and grace, but Cain did not, so he did not receive God’s forgiveness. WIthout the blood sacrifice, you cannot receive God’s grace, forgiveness, or love, and because Cain could not reconcile himself with God through worship, he had this heart of sin to murder his brother. People don’t murder others because they’re unedcuated from their family or the world. We do not get into wars due to lack of education. Humans are bound to head in this direction if we do not receive God’s grace.
Our small conflicts, like when you hate someone or squabble with someone, those are all small ways of killing someone. You have to kill everybody else for your success, and that’s your nature. “I have to kill everybody else to be number one, we have to step on every other nation and steal from them.” This is the characteristic of the people and nation that does not receive grace from God. It’s not possible by human education or methods. The things that endlessly come out of us will never end.
Someone didn’t even do anything, but we’d hate them. There are some who stab others just for smiling on the street, for no reason. There are some people who just go onto campuses and shoot others, why? That’s what happens to humans if they do not receive the love, grace, and forgiveness of God.
2. Blood of Christ
The content of today’s passage is the blood sacrifice.
1) First covenant
(1) Life – Blood (Belong to sin) (Lev. 17:11, Heb. 9:22)
(2) Blood of animals (Heb. 9:13)
(3) Not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper (Heb. 9:9)
The first covenant of the Old Testament is about receiving salvation through the sacrifice of the animal’s blood. However, Hebrews 9:9 says that even if this atones for the outward behaviors, it cannot cleanse the conscience of the worshiper, so no matter how much forgiveness the people in the Old Testament receive, the state of their heart doesn’t change.
2) New covenant
(1) Blood of Christ – Eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12)
(2) Entered heaven (Heb. 9:24, Heb. 9:12)
(3) Child of God (Jn. 1:12)
That’s why Jesus Christ is the new covenant Who finished all problems in one go, forgave all of our eternal sins, and is with us forever. The fact that He ascended and is seated at the right hand of the Throne of God means that when we believe in Jesus, we are also united with the Throne; we are made into children of God, in other words, we are reunited with God, and until God fails, we can never fail. We are made in such a way that no matter how unique we are, we live by God’s power. Just by this one-time sacrifice of Jesus’ blood, He completely liberated us from the eternal problem.
Whatever problem you’re thinking of isn’t a problem. If a child trusts in her father, it doesn’t matter what problem the child faces, it’s not a problem for them. It’s only a problem for that child if they’re trying to live by their own strength. My daughter also wants to be independent. She keeps saying, “Leave me alone, I’m fine!” Even as she talks to me, she’s kind of talking back and arguing. People have no other choice, she’s only 12 years old, what could she possibly know?
My mother is over 80 years old and even now, she treats me like a little kid, so my mother calls me first because even though I got married and live far away, she’s still anxious. That’s the heart of the parent and the heart of the child. But God already knows us so He just created a situation of perfect unity and bound us for eternity. He made it so that no matter where we go, we’re okay. The one who knows this will never fear. They just sit there, smiling because they believe that when they face a problem, God’s works will be greater. Though I’m hard pressed on all sides, I’m not crushed. No matter what I’m lacking, if God is with me, I lack nothing. Even if I face death, it’s no matter at all. You cannot buy this with money; this is only fulfilled through the one-time blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What an incredible blessing this is?
3) Holy Spirit – Within you (Ez. 36:26)
With the sacrifices of animals, we cannot change the inner state of our heart, so in Ex. 36:26, God promised to put a new spirit inside of us. Through the animal sacrifice, we can atone for physical actions and sins, but the sin that comes into us, that wants to be independent of God, just like my daughter wants to be independent of me, will never go away.
(1)Give you a new heart (Ez. 36:26)
That’s why in Ex. 36:26, He gives us a new heart altogether. God says He will give us His heart, He will take away our heart of stone.
(2) Remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (26)
What is a heart of stone? You’re not able to be one with God. You must be reconciled with God to become one, but you’re not able to. You keep having in your heart that you are God; you do this because you think your life will work out if you do that, but the devil doesn’t die and is working 24 hours to make this happen. So when God said, “I will give you a heart of flesh,” He is giving you a new heart that is able to be reconciled and unified with God, to do what?
(3) Follow the word – Serve God (Ez. 36:27, Heb. 9:14)
So that we may follow God’s decrees in Ex. 36:27. The Holy Spirit living within me is not the goal; you don’t end it with just the Holy Spirit being within you. God is helping us so that we follow God’s Word. In Heb. 9:14, it’s so that we can serve God. What does it mean to serve God? It means you’re following His will. For example, if there’s a server or waiter at the restaurant, they do everything to adjust to the will of the customer. If we’re serving God, it means we do our best to follow God’s Word, but there’s an entity that makes us too proud to live that way.
“How is a human supposed to live that way? You have to live with your own stubbornness,” and that’s the thought Satan puts in our hearts. That’s the weakest person. If they live according to their stubbornness, they will always raise the result that things don’t always work out according to their will.
(4) Word – Teach, remind (Jn. 14:26-27)
That’s why in John 14:26-27, the Holy Spirit is within us, teaching us and reminding us of the words of Christ. Even now, at this time, the Holy Spirit that dwells within you will teach you and remind you of this Word.
(5) Reason God used David (1 Sam. 13:14, Ac. 13:22)
There was a reason David was used, there’s people in the Bible whom God uses. What’s the characteristic of such people? Saul was a king as well, just like David, but God did not like him. The reason God did not like Saul was he was going astray from God’s Word. King Saul didn’t oppose God because he wanted to oppose God. From his thought, he was serving God, but from God’s perspective, he was opposing God.
The fact that he was rebelling or opposing God means that he was doing it with his human thoughts. King Saul was supposed to go into battle, and he was supposed to wait for the priest to come and give the sacrifice to receive God’s grace, but King Saul was so rude that he gave the sacrifice himself, meaning that he would go into battle without God’s grace.
Sin can only be atoned for by the priest’s sacrifice so that God’s grace can be upon them. Samuel was a little late, so King Saul gave all the sacrifices by himself, simply put, he just satisfied the form and went into battle. God was not with him there. Then after that, he brought the greatest animals to sacrifice to God, but God did not like what King Saul was doing out of a heart of serving God, and God said, “I will not use him.”
God only has one standard: whether you follow His Word or not. The reason God called David to use him was that David had the heart to align with God. God said David was a man after God’s own heart to follow after God’s will. We don’t need our own assertions. Even if we try, it’s not going to work; we have to be aligned with God so we have to assert God’s Word, and that’s why God used David.
If I’m not aligned with God, I’m unnecessary, just like an employee who is not aligned with the boss of a company, it doesn’t matter how well they work, they have to leave. That’s how the world works, too. It doesn’t matter whether your manager is good or bad; if you don’t adjust yourself to the one who has power, you have to leave, and the Word of God being established within me is the true blessing, and according to the Word God gave me, He will fulfill that Word throughout the week.
When you use that Word to inform all your thoughts, decisions, and plans, that’s when you will align with God, and the Holy Spirit of God continuously gives you energy and strength to follow God’s Word. If you think you’re living your walk of faith well, it means you’re one with God’s Word. That’s why we meditate on God’s Word, that’s why we enjoy the Word through prayer, and then when we face a problem, we don’t look at the problem, but we look at God’s Word.
When you look at yourself through God’s Word, you receive a different kind of strength, but the devil will stop you from seeing things this way. The devil will use your surroundings to make you look at everything physically. What does God do at this time? He is with you through the Word, so look at that Word at this time. It doesn’t matter what’s happening, but God is with you there, and as long as God doesn’t fail or crumble, I will not fail or crumble. Even if I am alive or dead, I will not fall; whether I am dead or alive, I am eternally with God.
This is not a theory, it is reality; God is realistically alive, and through worship, He is not giving you a theory, but He is giving you the living Word. The Word is God, how are we going to call an invisible God as “God”? He is an invisible God but He comes to me with His Word. Some people create their own God, and it has nothing to do with the words of the Bible. That’s what we call an idol, that’s not God; that’s just an idol they created for themselves. That person’s master is themselves, and God is their helper. That’s not God, that’s just a henchman. They keep wanting to stay as God, and if things don’t work out the way they want, they get offended.
But more often than not, things don’t work out the way we want, so we’re always offended, and that’s why we live offended lives. “There aren’t a lot of things that happen the way I want, and especially if things don’t go according to my will, I feel even worse.” How could we live life like that? By God’s Word, the Word is my standard. “There are so many words, am I supposed to memorize all 66 books of the Bible?” The Jewish people memorized all the scripture and still failed. Christ, gospel, life, there’s no other way to be with God other than this.
The Words of Christ are the Words of God, and through worship, God gives you His Word, and that’s why we stake our lives in worship. This is how my life will be revived, and through the rest of the week, I follow this Word. Within this are money, success, and the solution to all problems. Be a witness of this. But as soon as you turn around, you go back to your own thoughts, “How can I live this week?” You should be thinking, “How can I be with God this week?” But instead you worry about how you will study and work and live this week so you’re filled with worry and fear. I hope you change your thoughts, “How will I be with God?”
If something scary happens, God is with you there. I have a single brain cell, so if I give too many messages, it confuses me. On Friday, there was a funeral service, so I gave two messages, and then there were two messages on Friday night, and at the same time, I have to prepare the Sunday message. First of all, it’s a headache, so I have to do just one thing. The more I think about it, the more it burdens my heart, but at that time, God will give me His Word. That’s it, it’s finished, I can’t do it, and you’re the same, your studies and work are so complicated, you have to meet him and her, it’s complicated so your head explodes, but God is with you there. You must finish it with this.
You don’t finish it with yourself, you finish it with God. Even if you face a problem, God will open up the way with His Word, and you finish it with this. Are you mentally struggling? It’s already finished because the Lord is with me, and even this will end one day, but the devil knows this. The devil will not be able to endure; he will leave on his own, but if you keep trying to solve your own mental problems, you’ll be seized all the more.
This has been finished already as well. If you have a surgery, it’s finished, right? It’s just the time of healing that remains, but after you get surgery, you’re not going to be worried about it anymore. If you have the surgery to cut out whatever was ailing you, it may still hurt, but it’s part of the healing process. The pain will not last forever, it will soon end. That’s what it means for us to enjoy the gospel.
Do you have a problem with your children? You cannot do anything with your strength. You have so many worries, right? Even that, when God works upon it, will be finished in a second, but you don’t believe that so you’re more afraid. Even as you go to church, you’re afraid, so you must believe in God.
Just as God gave me grace, God will give grace to my child. “Pastor, how do you know that?” God gave you grace, and He only gave you grace so He will give grace to your child. I hope you will believe in God, but you don’t believe in that, so everything is a burden. It doesn’t matter what your job is; your job shouldn’t control you; God must control you. Whatever job you have must be the job that reveals God’s glory.
“I’m very embarrassed at my job right now,” that person has already failed. What’s embarrassing? God gave you the job, and you use that job for God. “Oh but still,” there’s no such thing as “but still.” <Korean pun>
3. Promise of the eternal inheritance
1)Those who are called (Heb. 9:15)
(1)Eternal kingdom of God – Throne of heaven
It says that those who have received Jesus Christ have received an eternal inheritance in Heb. 9:15. Stop trying to receive things, but enjoy what has been given to you. Whatever you want has been contained in one thing and is already given to you. What’s that inheritance? In the Old Testament, it was the land of Canaan, and in the New testament, it’s God’s Kingdom and God’s eternal Kingdom. The place you will live eternally with God.
(2) Kingdom of God – In your midst (Lk. 17:21)
Then what do you do on earth? You are enjoying the blessings of the Kingdom of God on this earth. Everything is within this. No reason to ask, “Give me this, give me that,” everything is contained within His Kingdom. Everything is contained within America. No need to ask, “Give me this, give me that,” you just have to be within the nation.
You call the eternal kingdom of God,”the Throne of Heaven.” Where is this kingdom of heaven? Luke 17:21 says “It is not here nor there; it is within you.” The One Who is seated at the throne of heaven is within me as the Holy Spirit, this is the Kingdom of God. If President Biden were to move to LA, then this location would be the White House. The White House is not a building, it is wherever the President works. If God comes within me, then this becomes the throne of heaven. We must enjoy this blessing.
(3) Blessing of the throne of heaven (Mt. 28:18,20)
Matthew 28:18, 20 says the One Who has all authority in heaven and on earth is with me. I’m nothing much but my Father within me has incredible authority. All creation in heaven and on earth must bow before Him. That is my Father, that’s the kingdom you must enjoy, but the devil will prevent you from enjoying just this.
The devil will use words that are correct to make you go outside of this frame. The citizens of the Kingdom of God will receive the blessings, just as the citizens of America will receive benefits from the American government. There are different benefits for those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God and those who are not.
2) Prayer
(1)Kingdom of God on earth (Mt. 6:10)
Jesus taught us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. As we live on this earth, God’s Kingdom must be upon us; in other words, Jesus must reign over us.
(2) Seek first the kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33)
In Matthew 6:33, He says to first seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. This is the principle of life, but the world teaches us the opposite. “First, seek what is physical, seek what you want.” This is the logic of the devil, the logic of the world, so it cannot be solved.
(3) Holy Spirit – Drive out demons – Kingdom of God (Mt. 12:28-29)
Matthew 12:28-29 says first you must bind the strong man in order to plunder his house. As we live on this earth, there’s something we must do first. First, God’s Kingdom must be established. The reason your life would be miserable is because God’s Kingdom isn’t being established and you’re only seeking after the physical things, so things get worse. That’s when Satan works to drag you around.
But Matthew 12:28-29 says, “If I drive out demons by the spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” If there’s the Kingdom of God and the working of the Holy Spirit, then it means there’s also a kingdom of Satan and the working of evil spirits. Satan, the devil, has authority over this world, and God’s Kingdom must be established in your business and studies. You must begin with this.
If you want to fight a battle, there are rules of engagement. When America fought the battle against Saddam Hussein in the Middle East, it was over in a few minutes because America had already gotten important intelligence, and they created a map with important points, so they just struck the tactical points and finished everything in five minutes. The other people couldn’t even fight back. America would bring a plane to bring down the strategic points and then send in the footsoldiers.
How do we live in this world? We must first establish God’s Kingdom, but if God’s Kingdom isn’t established first and you’re trying to go first as a foot soldier, imagine how hard that would be, because the opponent is not an ordinary one. The opponent is coming at you with missles; can you overcome that? You cannot overcome with the things you’ve learned from the world. The world says, “Gather your strength.” You can try to gather as much strength as you want, but first, establish God’s Kingdom and destroy everything already with prayer, and then go into the week. But you’re not doing that, so it’s hard.
Right now, at this time, I hope you will enjoy the power of the prayer that transcends time and space. God is moving His heavenly angels, too. God sends His angels not to satisfy your own greed, but to fulfill His will.
3) Evangelism
(1)God of this age – Blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4)
(2) Light of the Gospel, light of the world (2 Cor. 4:4, Jn. 1:9)
2 Cor. 4:4 says the God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. When you go out into the world, there will be people who do not believe in Jesus Christ, but they have such an amazing personality, they’re so nice and so smart, they seem great, but they’re seized by darkness on the inside, and it doesn’t matter how much you tell them about the gospel, they will not listen. From that state of being so nice, they’re not going to listen to the gospel and it doesn’t matter how much you try. That darkness must first be broken, that’s the watchman movement you must do.
Who else would do that? The one who knows this mystery will do this. If you’re praying, then without a doubt, the time schedule will come. God will give the other person a problem that they cannot solve by their own strength, and that person will come to find you, the one who prayed for them. At that time, you must explain to them the fundamental problem of mankind.
“This is a problem that came because you were separated from God by your sin, seized by Satan. You cannot go back to God on your own. You must believe in the Lord who died on the cross, shed his blood, and resurrected for your sins so you can be with Him, then you will be a child of God. You have to resolve this first.” What’s so hard about this? You just have to say one thing, it’s simple, right? But as you keep doing this, God will continue to strengthen your studies and business so you can keep doing it.
Students, the talents God gave you will continuously be restored. Many people study so diligently so they cannot determine what they should do because they haven’t discovered what role God has given them, but those who have this, God has even prepared their specialty to guide them. Students, if you just remain within worship and God’s Word, there’s nothing for you to worry about; God has prepared everything, taking your talent into your specialization into the field to save people. This is the blessing God has given to His children.
Those who say they are their own god do not know what they are to do. They do so many things, but they do not know what they have to do. They don’t know if they should go to college here or there, they just follow whatever scores they get, and after they get into college, they don’t know what they should do for work, ”I tried this, and if it doesn’t work, I try something else,” you keep wandering, you go into one thing but there’s no happiness in your life. The more you work, the more you should seek God’s work and grace and blessings, but you’re not able to see this, so you lose strength. But if you become one with God through HIs Word, then everything is restored.
(3) All nations, people – Proclaim the Gospel (Mt. 28:19, Mk. 16:15)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. That’s the reason you’re at your job. It seems like you went there, but God sent you there in order to make disciples. The disciples are absolutely there, but only the people who are similar to you will follow you. If you have mental problems, then other people with mental problems will follow you. Just like how fish will only go together in schools of their own species, there’s no law to make them commingle. They all gather together with similar species; there’s no other choice, so you only get along with them because you’re the same.
If you want to know who you are, look at your friends. “My friend lies so much,” but you keep hanging out with them, meaning you’re also a liar. You get along because you guys are similar, but if not, you will go your separate ways. Declare the gospel to all nations. My studies and business must be used to proclaim the gospel to all people, and that’s God’s standard; I simply adjust to that, then God uses me.
Conclusion
1.All things in the Gospel
Everything is within the gospel; don’t look for it anywhere else, find it in the gospel. Don’t find it within people, they have no power. You make pinky promises with people and trust them, but it’s not going to work. Everything you have is contained within the gospel.
2. Enjoy all things through prayer
Enjoy all these things through prayer. Prayer is not just asking for something, but you’re enjoying what has been given to you, just as when you have citizenship, the government will provide for you. America is not an eternal or perfect nation, so it’s lacking, but God will fill your needs perfectly. If you enjoy everything through prayer, then you will receive God’s evidence that He works in everything.
3. Witness in all things – Evangelism
Standing as a witness of this is evangelism. If you don’t know the gospel, you can’t pray or evangelize. Because you have received the promised eternal inheritance and He is living within you, may you be one and enjoy Him.
Prayer
Let us pray holding onto the Word God has given us today. When we pray, I believe God is already working upon the field you will go to in advance of this week.