Date: August 29th, 2010
Speaker: Pastor Kevin Snyder
Title: His Love for Us
Text: Leviticus
Introduction
In our journey through the storyline of the Old Testament we summarized the last part of Exodus and book of Leviticus in one message. The book of Leviticus could basically summarized is how do a sinful people approach a holy God.
One quickly realizes that this “sin” thing causes some significant issues. In fact, sin and the deliverance from sin is literally a “bloody” affair.
To show the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God introduces this whole sacrificial system.
- 4 out of the 5 offerings included the sacrifice of animals.
- 3 out of the 5 have to do with atoning for sin…sin offering, guilt offering, burnt offering.
In Lev 17: 11 we read:
11… for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord.?*? It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
God chose blood to show just how much of a mess sin created. Forgiveness required an exchange of life. It required the shedding of blood.
In Leviticus 16 we read about the day of atonement. A big day. A day when the people gathered for an annual forgiveness of sin.
It starts with these words….
“Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.”
Aaron couldn’t just walk in as no issue. Before he entered he had to do a sacrifice for his sin. Then he could enter with another sacrifice for the people’s sin. God has established how he is to be worshipped and approached. And first thing is sin had to be dealt with.
You see, it’s not like God just has chosen to come down hard on sin…make life hard. No, it is because his nature actually destroys it.
i.e.
Think of it as an allergy…weakness in analogy because it communicates a flaw in God…
i.e. sesame seeds – it is not just that I don’t like sesame seeds but my make-up can’t tolerate them. It doesn’t get past my mouth without causing a problem. Mouth goes raw…..gastro-intestinal problem. Nasty.
Difference is that rather God’s nature destroys the sesame seed so to speak.
- And so sin is not something God can just wink at.
- It is no small thing.
- It isn’t anything trivial.
- It is something serious enough that required the exchange of a life.
And in the Old Testament, it required the sacrifice of many animals. Time after time to cover for the sins committed.
And then Christ came…the final sacrifice. Jesus took upon himself our sin. He became the sacrificial lamb.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,?b? so that we may serve the living God!
1 Peter 1:18 says,
8 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
I love how David Augsberger puts it in his book the Freedom of Forgiveness.”
“The cross shows how difficult it was for God to forgive….God took our lostness in sin so seriously that he went all the way to Calvary to substitute himself for us, to die in our place.”
Now friends, if you have come to East Side or gone to church this is nothing new. This is the cornerstone of a relationship with Christ. When we talk about having a personal relationship with God, this is the first step. We have to admit and acknowledge our sin.
We come to recognise and accept the grace of God shown in Jesus Christ. He died for our sin so we can have a relationship with God.
But maybe you are here and understand or know that in your head. It’s a truth to you.
But the idea of grace has never reached down and gripped you emotionally. Or perhaps the familiarity with the message has caused it to lost it’s impact.
Before we go to communion I want to show you a video clip. It is essentially a parable. As you watch this think about the reason for why Christ dies. Why he went to this extent for you and me and this world.
John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his brother."
1 John 3:16 –
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Romans 5:7 – 8
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Prayer
* Or to make atonement for you.
Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Le 17:11
Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Heb 9:22
b Or from useless rituals
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Heb 9:12-14
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Pe 1:18-20
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Jn 3:16
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ro 5:7-8