You Are Entering A Better Sanctuary (Safety-Zone)
On Judgment Day there will be only one question. What does it take to get into heaven?" The answer to that question comes directly from the Bible. From Hebrews 9:24-28, the Bible writer puts it this way, "You Are Entering A Better Sanctuary (Safety-Zone)." November 8, 2009.
Children want to know, “How long can I stay up before bedtime?” and “What’s for supper?” Teens wonder, “What am I going to do with my life?” Young adults may be thinking, “Will I find a marriage partner?” and “Will I be able to land a decent job?” People seeking a job ask, “What benefits does this job offer?” and “Do I have opportunities for advancement?” Married couples sometimes ask, “How can we keep the spark in our marriage?” People in middle age wonder, “What are we going to do with our aging parents?” and “Have we saved enough for retirement?” Retired folks begin to think, “How long will we be able to keep up this house?” and “What’s going to happen to our stuff when we’re gone?” When people experience something tragic or traumatic like the shooting in Orlando or at Fort Hood, it’s not unusual for them to ask, “Will violence know no end?” There are all kinds of questions for every stage and situation of life, but in the end only one will count, “What does it take to get into heaven?”
The entire worship service today revolves around the truth that the world as we know it will one day come to an end. We call that Judgment Day. On Judgment Day you will not be asked whether you think the Packers current quarterback will be as good as the former quarterback, or whether you like Brussels sprouts or broccoli, or whether you think global warming is true. And you yourself will not be asking about your job, your school, your income, your relationships, or your retirement. There will be only one question, “What does it take to get into heaven?” The answer to that question comes directly from the Bible. In the second lesson for this day, from Hebrews chapter nine, the Bible writer puts it this way - You Are Entering A Better Sanctuary (Safety-Zone).
He describes the place
If you could go on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Where would you go to get a little R & R, a little rest and relaxation, a little refreshment and renewal? Some people from Wisconsin don’t have to think twice. “Florida!” “Arizona!” Others can’t wait for the snow to fly. “Colorado!” “Utah!” “We want to go skiing!” Some like the east coast to see historic sights of colonial days. Others like the west coast to check out the towns of the Old West or the beaches. Some want to experience the hustle and bustle of a major city. Others want to get away from the hustle and bustle of a major city and camp in the woods. Some want to see America. Others want to see Europe, the Caribbean, the Orient, or the Holy Land.
In the days of ancient Israel the wealthy had vacation spots along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and up in the northern hills of Galilee. But ask any Israelite where he would like to go for spiritual rest and renewal, and he would say, “The place where I’d like to go is the temple of Jerusalem.” The temple was a symbol of God’s presence among his people. If you could get near the temple, you would get a chance to be near God himself. You would be this close to God!
When all is said and done, there will be only two places where people will go, either heaven or hell. Even though it’s not a popular subject, there really is a hell. You can’t begin to imagine being forever under God’s scowl, tortured with an on-going sense of abandonment and emptiness, and burdened with a never-ending rock-pile of guilt. The good news is that there really is a heaven. Heaven is being with God in perfect joy with all our needs met and satisfied beyond our wildest imagination. In heaven you won’t ever have your cheeks stained with tears as you stand next to the coffin of someone you love. In heaven you won’t ever have to feel like a loser. In heaven you won’t ever have to struggle to get out of bed because of an arthritic back. No matter what your dreams and ambitions, no matter what questions you have in life, on the Last Day there will be only one thing on your mind, “The place I want to go is heaven. I don’t want to enter holy places made by human hands which are only a representation of the real thing. I want to enter a better sanctuary. I want toenter heaven itself, now to appear ... in God’s presence.”
He describes the price
If you’re planning on a vacation, before you go, you first have to count the cost. What’s the price for travel? What’s the cost for meals? How much is the admission fee at Disney World or at the national park or at the ballpark? How much for that all-in-one cruise in the Caribbean? How much for the flight to Denver and lift tickets in Vail? Some vacations come with a pretty sizable price tag.
The Israelites knew that visiting Jerusalem came with a price. Traveling on foot didn’t cost much, but there was lodging, food, and of course, the price for a sacrificial animal. Spiritual ceremonies usually always included some kind of animal sacrifice. Even the poor had to pay. By requiring an animal sacrifice of the Israelites who visited the temple, God was teaching them a lesson. Do you know what it is? The lesson is that there’s a price to be paid to enter God’s presence, to get close to God. What’s the price? I’d be willing to bet that the third graders here today could tell you. We look to the Bible for the answer. The wages (payment) of sin is death (Romans 6:23), eternal separation from God’s love. The soul who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:1). To get his point across God used visual aids. He said, “Instead of me killing you, which is what you deserve because you are sinners, I will allow you to use an animal as a substitute. Kill it and drain its blood. When I see the blood, I will know the animal is dead. The animal’s death is a picture of the death you deserve to die.” But even after making that payment, an Israelite still could not enter the little room in the sanctuary that represented God’s holy presence. Why? Because God does not tolerate sin. In fact, God does not tolerate sinners – unless, unless their sin is paid for.
Yet, in his incredible love God also wanted to teach them that one day the full price for sin would be paid. To teach that he allowed the high priest, and only the high priest, to enter that inner holy place, but only once a year and only with the blood of a special sacrifice. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. You see, the admission price into the place where God dwells with his love is extremely high.
Entry into heaven comes with a price tag, too. The problem is that no human can afford it. The price for entering that better sanctuary is more difficult to pay than trying to pay off $60,000 worth of school loans with a part-time job at Starbucks. The price to get into the place we want to go is an eternity of death. That means, if we tried to pay the price to enter that better sanctuary, we would never finish paying.
He describes the person who made it all come true
When you plan a vacation, you know that someone has to pay. If you want a little rest and relaxation, refreshment and renewal, someone has to cough up the cost. Who will it be? Did you put away a little of your paycheck each month? Are you expecting a Christmas bonus? Is some rich aunt going to come through and surprise you, “Here’s a check. Take a vacation on me!” One way or another, someone has to pay.
As excited as the Israelites were about going to Jerusalem’s temple for spiritual refreshment and renewal, they knew that there was a price tag, and someone had to pay. Remember Mary and Joseph? When Jesus was born, they had to go to the temple for the presentation of their firstborn. God had given the Israelites another rule, “If you make a baby, the first one is mine. So if you want to keep the child, you need to buy it back from me with a sacrifice in its place.” The normal price was a year old lamb. Poor people were allowed to offer two doves. That’s why Joseph and Mary were glad that God allowed them to pay two pigeons instead of a lamb. Many families had to save up all year to afford the trip to Jerusalem. Not everyone in Israel had a huge flock of sheep and servants to tend them. Many families felt the pinch when a prize lamb was slaughtered. But somehow, some way, somebody had to pay the price so they could get to the place where they wanted to go.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pay the price to get into where I want to go. I don’t want to pay for my sin with an eternity separate from everything wonderful and punished with everything evil. But here is the best news you will and I will ever hear. Christ did not [have to] offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once at the end of the ages to set aside sin by the sacrifice of himself ... He was sacrificed once to take away the sins of ... people. Our admission ticket has already been purchased. Jesus paid it! He’s the Person who made it all come true!
At the end of September members of our evangelism team and others from area congregations met at a neighboring church for what’s called “The School of Outreach.” They developed plans so that all of you can share in the joy of telling people who don’t know it, “The price to enter heaven has been paid in full by Jesus!” And there is a sense of urgency about that because the Bible does not tell when Judgment Day will occur. It might happen in a million years. It might happen today. Since we don’t know when the end of the world will come, we really don’t know whether we will see each other again before that great day. That’s why we are so glad that there is one thing we do know for sure, one thing we want you to know for sure. And here it is: Just as people are appointed to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of ... people; and he will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly look for him. We are eagerly looking for him. He’s coming for us – no questions asked! Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on November 8, 2009
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