Just a Shadow

Our Sunday morning message was brought to us by our Senior Pastor Larry Crawford Jr. We stood for opening prayer and the Reading of God's word from Hebrews 8:1-13.

By the time the writer of Hebrews pens this captivating book, Jesus was gone, long gone; 31 years gone. That one day must have seemed like yesterday.

This morning, we are going to begin a new section of Hebrews: Jesus is better, the better Covenant. The writer is showing us that this world is not enough, that this world is just a shadow of things to come. There is something more that is lasting and fulfilling. Inside every man's heart, there is a desire to endure, to live on and move into real living that has no limits, no end; and Jesus Christ offers that reality to us. Jesus Christ came to bring us permanence and to turn our hearts from earthly shadows to eternal reality.

Hebrews 8:1 states: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

Once Jesus entered into Heaven, He sat down at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus sat down because He had finished His task. The fact that He is at the right hand of the throne of God, speaks of His power and authority in Heaven. All of the high priests before Jesus, had power over the people. The people were dependent upon the high priests to have their sins forgiven; but the problem with this is these men all died.

The power of the high priest was just a shadow of the one true High Priest Jesus Christ. What Jesus did will last forever. The high priest was all about the procedures and the services. Through the years, the people were more worried about going through the proper motions than they were of truly worshiping God. True worship of God is a focus on God. True worship is a God focused heart.

Another contrast shown is the difference between earthly forgiveness and eternal forgiveness. Eternal forgiveness blots out any memory of sin and is never brought back up. There is another contrast between earthly and eternal forgiveness, human forgiveness can't remove guilt, but God's can. We will never remove guilt from our hearts and we will never be free from burden. Only in God is there complete forgiveness and only in God does forgiveness forget and remove guilt. Isn't that a beautiful thing that Christ does for us?

The writer contrasts human wisdom and divine wisdom. When Moses was up on the mountain getting the Ten Commandments, God showed him a blueprint. God said, "I want you to build a tabernacle." And God wanted it built exactly like He showed Moses. Moses was not trusted to his own wisdom. Moses wasn't to try to build something he thought would glorify God; but he was told to build it exactly like God intended. It was to follow God's design. God has a design on our lives also. If you build your life according to the blueprint of God, you will find perfection in your life that will fulfill the purpose for which you were created. If you depend on your own wisdom, you will waste your life, destroy your life, and destroy yourself in the end.

The last contrast we see shows a contrast between earthly promises and eternal promises. Jesus is the mediator, and a mediator stands available and willing to bring both sides together. Earthly promises are broken daily, but Jesus Christ offers the eternal promise of salvation if only we surrender our life to Him.

In conclusion, without Christ you are dead. Spiritually and eternally you are cut off from God. If you will turn your heart to Jesus, He will bring you into life everlasting.

Please come join us for church. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. Immediately following the Morning Worship at 10 a.m., the Nursing Home Ministry meets at McDonald County Living Center in Anderson at 2:30 p.m., every other Saturday. The next meeting is Oct. 14. WMU will meet at the house of Angela Cole on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 1:30 p.m.

On Oct. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. PFBC will be hosting a special event, "Samaritans Feet," which is the distribution of shoes and feet washing.

Friday Night Bible Study will resume Friday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 we will be hosting "Trunk or Treat."