1 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,400 Hello, a big welcome to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,240 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,840 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,680 be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,520 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,320 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:38,360 The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess 8 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,720 our promise. As we seek to find Jesus in 9 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,560 Leviticus, our hope is that we will fall deeper in love with 10 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:50,440 him and pursue him more. We look at Leviticus 17 today to 11 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:57,080 find there's life in the blood. Hi church, it's my joy to bring 12 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,280 God's word to you. As you know, we've been looking 13 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,160 at our Lent series, which is finding Jesus in Leviticus, and 14 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,320 today we're going to be looking at Leviticus 17. 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,360 And I've titled the message today as life in the blood and 16 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,600 you'll understand why as soon as we start reading it. 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,120 But when we think of the blood that was, you know, offered and 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,520 part of sacrifices as part of establishing covenant, there was 19 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,760 so much of ritual to it, but there was so much of meaning 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,320 behind it because it actually meant that there was a buying 21 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:30,240 back of sorts. It was pleading on behalf of the 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,720 person. When they, you know, put that 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,600 sacrifice out, when they drained the blood, there was an act of 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,480 atonement that was being done. And in the process there was 25 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,640 there was redeeming or a buying back. 26 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,960 I was reading this story about this Irish gentleman who heard 27 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,240 the story of in his native land of Ireland, where this man went 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,480 and saw this a little boy, a little Irish boy had captured a 29 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,640 beautiful bird and kept it tightly in his hand. 30 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,120 And this older gentleman felt so heavily and strongly that he 31 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,680 should release the bird because the bird looks so helpless, so 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:08,800 trapped in the little boy's tight grip. 33 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,360 And so he kept begging the boy. And he said, you know what, 34 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,560 Please just release the bird. You know, he's meant to be 35 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,600 flying free, not meant to be in your hand. 36 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,320 And the little boy just refused. He said, I have been chasing 37 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,280 this guy for three days. I have done everything to catch 38 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:23,480 him. I'm going to keep him. 39 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,920 I'm going to keep him trapped. And then finally, the older man 40 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:29,280 got an I got an idea. And he said, you know what, Let 41 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,120 me give you some money. If I pay you for this bird, will 42 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,680 you give the bird to me? And the little boy's eyes lit up 43 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,720 because he realized money was way more valuable. 44 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,640 So they made an exchange. The senior gentleman gave him 45 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,560 some money, and this man, this little boy, released the bird to 46 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,480 the older man, took the money and ran off the little boy. 47 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:54,040 But the older man then held this little bird and opened his palms 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,400 to let it set it free. But this bird had been so 49 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,640 tightly gripped that for a while it didn't know what to do. 50 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,960 It had gotten used to just being clamped down in that little 51 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,320 boy's tight grip. But the man kept keeping his 52 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,600 palms open and gently nudged the bird. 53 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,160 And the bird finally flew free. And before it flew free, it 54 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,720 actually hovered over him, twittering and making a big 55 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:23,280 noise, almost as if to say thank you for redeeming me, thank you 56 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,720 for redeeming me. And I believe that is what Jesus 57 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:28,880 did for us when we call him our Redeemer. 58 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,600 This is what he did. The enemy had us in a tight 59 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:36,320 grasp, but God and his kindness sent his son to us and said, you 60 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,240 know what, I'll buy him back, I'll buy her back. 61 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,600 God has flee out of Satan's vice like grip and has released us to 62 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,560 live in freedom. And with that idea I want us to 63 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,000 look at Leviticus chapter 17. Leviticus 17 verse one says the 64 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,640 Lord said to Moses, speak to Aaron and his sons and to all 65 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,200 the Israelites and say to them, this is what the Lord has 66 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,280 commanded. Any Israelite who sacrifices an 67 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,920 ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it, instead of 68 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,680 bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present 69 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,360 it as an offering to the Lord in front of the Tabernacle of the 70 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,040 Lord, that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed. 71 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,360 They have shed blood and must be cut off from their people. 72 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,680 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices 73 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,680 they are now making in the open fields. 74 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,480 They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord at 75 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,640 the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as 76 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,040 fellowship offerings. I just want to pause there. 77 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,160 What it's talking about here is that there was the habit 78 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,800 sometimes of people sacrificing not in front of the Tabernacle, 79 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,720 but just wherever they pleased. So if they, if they there was an 80 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,440 animal that was slain in the open field or somewhere far off 81 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,280 from the tent of meeting, Moses is saying, I'm giving you 82 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:52,760 guardrails. You can't indiscriminately shed 83 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,120 blood of an animal. He was against God, was against 84 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,160 unsupervised bloodletting. And so he was putting, you know, 85 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,720 giving them accountability, saying if you choose to slay an 86 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,960 animal, it should be at the tent of meeting. 87 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,040 It should be with the express purpose of offering a 88 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,160 fellowship, offering to God. Continuing from verse 6, it says 89 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,680 the priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the 90 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,560 Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fact as 91 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,160 an aroma pleasing to the Lord. They must no longer offer any of 92 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,520 their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute 93 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,960 themselves. This is to be a lasting 94 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,440 ordinance for any foreigner residing among them who offers a 95 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,280 burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the 96 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:40,200 entrance to the tent of meeting. To sacrifice it to the Lord must 97 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,400 be cut off from the people of Israel. 98 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,560 I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner 99 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,120 residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off 100 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,360 from the people. Verse 11 For the life of the 101 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,240 creature is in the blood, and I've given it to you to make 102 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,200 atonement for yourselves on the altar. 103 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,200 It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 104 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,600 Therefore, I say to the Israelites, none of you may eat 105 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,960 blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood. 106 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,320 We're going to stop there. But if you look at this, there's 107 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,720 seems to be a precedent of the people offering sacrifices to 108 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,760 goat idols. In another translation, it talks 109 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,760 about goat demons. So basically any idol is 110 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,000 representative of a demonic entity and anything offered in 111 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,280 front of these idols was being offered to the demonic realm. 112 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,200 And So what these goat idols was something that they worshipped 113 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,640 back in Egypt, something that was worshipped in the land of 114 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,440 Egypt. And so I think there must have 115 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,120 been certain traits that rubbed off, certain rituals that rubbed 116 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:41,800 off. And God was saying you can't do 117 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,440 that anymore. Now you're worshipping a God 118 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,040 who's a living God who is moving ahead of you in a fire and a 119 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,040 cloud. He was not in any particular 120 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,880 form. Don't go before a form like idol 121 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,760 and worship that come before the Tabernacle. 122 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,440 Do it with the accountability of the priest who's supervised and 123 00:06:58,440 --> 00:06:59,920 offer that as an atonement for you. 124 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,840 That would get you, you know, your petitions would reach God, 125 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:08,720 your Thanksgiving reached God. This was a way of accessing God. 126 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,680 It was a way of them being accountable. 127 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:12,680 But there's this interesting line. 128 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,320 It says the blood is what makes atonement for one's life. 129 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,520 The life of a creature is in the blood if you look at our own 130 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,480 bodies. So you know that I, I love 131 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,400 science. It's something that I enjoy 132 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,680 studying even today. And when I was just studying a 133 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,040 bit about the blood in our bodies, our bodies are actually 134 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,600 given life because of the blood that's flowing through it, 135 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,600 right? And it keeps every part of the 136 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,640 body connected. Isn't that amazing? 137 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,000 The blood keeps every part from the brain to the little pinky 138 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,840 toe. Everything is connected by 139 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,320 blood. So it's called a fluid, 140 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,680 connective tissue actually. Now blood carries oxygen from 141 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,160 the lungs and it transports it to all the organs and cells of 142 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,160 the body and it also transports all the waste and you know, 143 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,440 excretable materials to the organs that need to disperse of 144 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,640 it. It also, you know, the blood is 145 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:09,640 so important in maintaining our body temperature and mainly it 146 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,040 protects us. It protects us from bleeding 147 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,520 from infections because of the different components of blood 148 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,720 that actually work overtime to protect us and keep us healthy. 149 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:20,960 Without the blood we are nothing. 150 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,080 So it is true that the life of the creature is in the blood, 151 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:27,000 right? But when we look at the New 152 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,400 covenant, what Jesus brought in, what God did when he brought, 153 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,640 sent Jesus to earth, He shifted this view on Leviticus 17, and 154 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,640 this is how he changed it. Christ's blood had Christ's life 155 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,280 in it. So even though he died, his 156 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,880 blood brought each of us closer to God. 157 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,080 His blood bought us back from the enemy. 158 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,960 It redeemed us, right? His blood made atonement. 159 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,560 Atonement basically means at one with God, we were so far apart, 160 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,400 but the blood came and formed a bridge and brought us back to 161 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,040 God, right? The thing about anything living 162 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,680 now you, you take anything living, it has a voice. 163 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,680 You take creatures that are alive, they have a voice. 164 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,360 Human beings, we have a voice and interestingly, biblically, 165 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,440 even blood has a voice and I want us to look at that today. 166 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,640 Genesis chapter 4, verse 10 says the Lord said, and God is 167 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,960 talking to Cain, what have you done? 168 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:30,240 Listen, your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 169 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,080 Cain had just killed his brother Abel. 170 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,080 And there's just such a it's such a tense moment when God is 171 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,440 confronting Cain. He'd already warned Cain, don't 172 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,440 fall into sin. Sin is crouching at your door. 173 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,320 Learn to overcome it. But Cain gave and killed his 174 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,720 brother, and the brother's blood actually cried out to God. 175 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,360 And God is responding. And so I want to ask you this, 176 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,720 if blood has a voice, right, it's because it has life in it. 177 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,200 It has the life of the creature in it. 178 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,680 And if the blood of Abel cried out for vengeance and justice to 179 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:08,480 be done on his behalf, how much more will the blood of Christ 180 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,960 speak? The blood of Christ, sinless 181 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:17,880 man, yet God, who was on earth, who stood in the gap, who, who 182 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,520 took on the weight of the sins of the whole world on himself, 183 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,480 how much more will that blood have a voice? 184 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,880 And if you don't believe me, I'm going to read from Hebrews 185 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,520 Chapter 9, verses 18 to 24. I want you to read along with 186 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,440 me. It says the mountain of fear and 187 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,480 the mountain of joy. It's taking examples from 188 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,160 Israel's history. Verse 18. 189 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,000 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is 190 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,520 burning with fire, to darkness, gloom and storm, to a trumpet 191 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,280 blast, or to such a voice speaking words that those who 192 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:53,920 heard it begged that no further would be spoken to them because 193 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:55,720 they could not bear what was commanded. 194 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,320 If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. 195 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,600 The site was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with 196 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,000 fear. Verse 22 But you have come to 197 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,160 Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly 198 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,640 Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon 199 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,040 thousands of angels in joyful assembly for the Church of the 200 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,560 first born whose names are written in heaven. 201 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,800 You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the 202 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,320 righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, 203 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:30,320 and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the 204 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:35,160 blood of Abel. Wow, Basically the writer of 205 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,160 Hebrews is comparing and saying, you know what? 206 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,000 Back in the day of the time of the Exodus, the people saw a 207 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,160 mountain that was trembling with the presence of God. 208 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,440 God was inviting people and saying, come and meet with me. 209 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,200 But they were so scared. His voice, the the thundering, 210 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,680 the thunderings, the lightning, the, the entire environment 211 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:55,760 seemed so charged with God's power that they said, you know 212 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,160 what? We cannot hear from God and 213 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,000 live. We are in awe of him. 214 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,400 So it's enough if Moses goes and meets with God. 215 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,160 It was even more said he was trembling with fear. 216 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,960 But then you you pivot that and he's saying, but now you don't 217 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,560 go to a physical mountain, you go to the spiritual mountain, 218 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:16,360 which is the presence of God. And here he says Jesus is the 219 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,520 mediator. You have access to the throne 220 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,040 room of God itself, the presence of God, but you enter not by 221 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,680 your own righteousness, you enter because of Jesus. 222 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,920 A mediator stands in the middle and confers and he says, you 223 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,000 know what, you can meet with this person. 224 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,360 They are worth it. They're covered and they are 225 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,080 saved. They are counted as righteous. 226 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,000 You have access. He's actually connecting the two 227 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,880 parties and he says he's the mediator of a new covenant. 228 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:47,640 And to the sprinkled blood, that speaks a better word than the 229 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,760 blood of Abel. Isn't that amazing that the 230 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,480 blood of Jesus speaks a way better word? 231 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,680 And I want to leave 4 words that I believe the blood of Jesus has 232 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,880 spoken over us. And why are these 4 words so 233 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,040 important? This is the words that the blood 234 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,160 of Jesus speaks. Because when we know this, we 235 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,760 are sure of who we are in Christ. 236 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,400 And when we are sure of who we are in Christ, the accuser 237 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,400 cannot come against us and say, you know what? 238 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,800 You are unholy, you are broken, you are damaged goods. 239 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,480 He cannot say those things, although that may be how he view 240 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:24,080 views us. When God views us and His blood 241 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,720 covers us, it's it speaks a better word. 242 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,920 And we want to believe what God's word says. 243 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,440 We want to believe what the blood speaks over us. 244 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,000 The first word that the blood of Jesus speaks is reconciliation. 245 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,160 No longer are you and I at loggerheads with God. 246 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,520 No longer are you and I, God and me in different corners, facing 247 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,320 off. No, now I have access to God and 248 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,360 I don't know if you realize what a marvellous thing access is. 249 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,520 Access is basically, you know, it's it's like a person sitting 250 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,560 in a room, a high up official and you can just walk in 251 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:56,840 anytime. You don't need to inform the 252 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:58,840 secretary. You don't need to have a phone 253 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,440 call and you know, confer and decide if you need like a 254 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:07,520 meeting time or you just walk in anytime, all day, any day. 255 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,640 That's the beauty of being reconciled and the first word 256 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,520 that the blood speaks to us, this reconciliation to God. 257 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,560 Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 to 22 says, therefore, brothers and 258 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,600 sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most 259 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,120 holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way 260 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,840 opened up for us through the curtain that is his body. 261 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,320 And since we have a great priest over the House of God that has 262 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,480 drawn near to God with a sincere heart and with the full 263 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:38,880 assurance that faith brings. Having our hearts sprinkled to 264 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,280 cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies 265 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,600 washed with pure what I want you to focus on how a new and living 266 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,080 way has been opened up through the curtain that was His body. 267 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,640 So today you and I have access. Because of the blood. 268 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,360 We are reconciled to God. We are not enemies of God. 269 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,360 We're friends of God. Isn't that amazing? 270 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,160 That's the first thing. The second thing that the blood 271 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,520 speaks over us is purification. You and I are pure. 272 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,280 We live in times where people have used that against you and 273 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,200 said, well, you're impure. Well, you're a Sinner. 274 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,480 I know about your past. But the truth is, that when I 275 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,040 stand before Jesus, his blood has washed me and made me clean. 276 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,720 Hebrews 9 verse 11 to 15, it says, But when Christ came as 277 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,680 high priest of the good things that are now already here, He 278 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,520 went through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle that is 279 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,680 not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this 280 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:35,840 creation. He did not enter by means the 281 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,640 blood of goats and calves, but He entered the most Holy place 282 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:44,000 once and for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal 283 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,760 redemption. The blood of goats and bullets, 284 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,080 and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are 285 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,000 ceremonially unclean, sanctify them so that they are outwardly 286 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,400 clean. How much more than will the 287 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,160 blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself 288 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:03,600 unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead 289 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,240 to death, so that we may serve the living God? 290 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,920 For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that 291 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,120 those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance 292 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,960 now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins 293 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,520 committed under the first covenant. 294 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,280 I want you to look at this, but it says How much more will the 295 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,800 blood of Christ cleanse our consciences from acts that lead 296 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,000 to death? I love that this is such a deep 297 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,640 cleansing that happens. The blood of Jesus is not about 298 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,400 the superficial things of our life. 299 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,040 It's not a behavioral change. It's an attitude change. 300 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,640 It's an intrinsic change. And when God purifies us with 301 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,800 His blood, He sets us before Him blemishless. 302 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,480 Isn't that amazing? If you have been punishing 303 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,080 yourself for your past, if you have been punishing yourself 304 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,680 because you feel so inferior and less than, I want to just remind 305 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:01,200 you that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all our sin. 306 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,920 That's the second word that the blood of Jesus speaks. 307 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,520 The third thing is it speaks forgiveness. 308 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,000 You know, sometimes some people say I can't forgive myself for 309 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,800 what I did, but then the question remains, do you think 310 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,359 you're better than God? Because God himself said he's 311 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,319 forgiven you As far as the east is from the West. 312 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:20,599 So far have I thrown your transgressions, I've forgiven 313 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:23,560 you. Why do we hold on to things when 314 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,480 God has forgiven it? Are we better than God? 315 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:30,560 That's the question that begs to be asked, and I want to read for 316 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,440 you Hebrews 9 verses 16 to 22. It says in the case of a will, 317 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,160 it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it. 318 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:40,800 Because a will is enforced only when somebody has died, it never 319 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,120 takes effect while the one who made it is living. 320 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,040 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect 321 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,640 without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every 322 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,280 command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of 323 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,120 calves together with water, scarlet wool, and branches of 324 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:01,880 hyssop, and sprinkle the scroll and all the people. 325 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,080 He said This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded 326 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,680 you to keep. In the same way, he sprinkled 327 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,600 with blood both the Tabernacle and everything used in its 328 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,000 ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that 329 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,240 nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the 330 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,520 shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 331 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,920 Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 332 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,720 Can we just say thank you Jesus, for the blood that you shed? 333 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,080 Because in his shedding of his blood we received forgiveness. 334 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:34,800 Did we deserve it? We did. 335 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,200 But it's because of the grace and the mercy of God that we are 336 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,000 forgiven. We stand forgiven. 337 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,160 So that's the third word that the blood speaks over. 338 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,320 It speaks over you and me. You are forgiven. 339 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,480 And the fourth word, I believe that the blood of Jesus speaks a 340 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,800 better word. The better word is mercy. 341 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,440 Mercy is basically when a just punishment that should have 342 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:03,320 meted out is prevented. We are not punished as we 343 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,760 deserve to be punished. You know, a lot of times we 344 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,160 confuse grace and mercy. Grace is basically unmerited 345 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,600 favour. I didn't deserve this extra bit 346 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:13,960 of favour, but God gave it to me. 347 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,400 That's grace. But mercy is when just 348 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:20,880 punishment, what I deserve, is not meted out to me, and that is 349 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,600 what we received when the blood of Jesus was given. 350 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,840 Hebrews 10 verses 26 to 31. It says if we deliberately keep 351 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,520 on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the 352 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,680 truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful 353 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,920 expectation of judgement and raging fire that will consume 354 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,120 the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of 355 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:47,200 Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three 356 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,720 witnesses. How much more severely do you 357 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,800 think someone deserve who deserves to be punished, who has 358 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,360 trampled the Son of God under foot, was treated as an unholy 359 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:59,840 thing, the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and was 360 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,920 insulted the spirit of grace. For we know him who said, it is 361 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,840 mine to avenge. I will repay, and again the Lord 362 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,320 will judge His people. It is a dreadful thing to fall 363 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,720 into the hands of the living God. 364 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:19,440 This is such a confronting verse because it is for so many of us 365 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,360 who think we can flout God's grace while His grace covers it 366 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:27,400 all it it does. But will you take for granted 367 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:29,680 the mercy that God has offered us? 368 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,160 Will you take for granted the blood that was shed for you and 369 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,200 me? That's what we need to think on. 370 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,560 And the truth is that there were many who rejected the law of 371 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,040 Moses and he said they died without mercy. 372 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:48,040 But today we live in the age of the Spirit, where in the New 373 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,600 Covenant mercy was given to us at the cross. 374 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,200 He took the punishment that was meant for me, for the for the 375 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,960 lies that I have said. He was punished for the life I 376 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,440 lived, which was ungodly and unworthy. 377 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:07,720 He was punished for the terrible attitudes and behaviour and 378 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,280 things I could say and do. He was punished, not me. 379 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,920 Mercy was shown to me. The blood speaks mercy. 380 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,040 And when you look at these four things that the blood speaks 381 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,640 over us, I realized with a lot of hesitation that if it speaks 382 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,200 that over me, it's speaking that over others as well. 383 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,160 So as much as I want to believe that I have received mercy, as 384 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,280 much as I wanted to believe that I am forgiven, as much as I need 385 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,320 to believe that I have been cleansed and made pure and that 386 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,160 I am reconciled to God, so also are others who Jesus died. 387 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,320 And so this is not something that I claim and keep to myself, 388 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,720 but it's something that Ioffer others as well. 389 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,000 As much as I'm reconciled to God, so is my brother or my 390 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,600 sister in Christ. As much as I have been made 391 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,320 pure, so have they. As much as mercy has been shown 392 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,960 to me, so has mercy been shown to them. 393 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:04,360 As much as I have been forgiven, I need to extend forgiveness to 394 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:06,520 others and this is something that we need to live in 395 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,000 constantly. It's this tension of knowing who 396 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,320 I am in Christ and believing that's who others are in Christ 397 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,080 as well. Now the interesting thing about 398 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:21,720 this is many global religions, the, the Satanic movement, the 399 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,560 New Age movement, all of these use blood in their rituals. 400 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,400 Satanic cults actually use blood sacrifices to appease and appeal 401 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,080 to demons, right? But when we accept Jesus our 402 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,600 Lord, we come into a relationship with him because of 403 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,840 the blood that was shed on our behalf, because of the blood of 404 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,080 Jesus that was shed. And this blood is so powerful. 405 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,320 You have to understand this blood was so powerful that it, 406 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,120 it cleanses us first of all from every sin. 407 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,480 And then it did this thing of redemption. 408 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,240 It bought us back from the enemy, right? 409 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,400 Now, how did he buy us back? The blood actually broke the 410 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,520 chains of sin that were holding us down, right? 411 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,000 It broke the hold that this enemy had on us. 412 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,960 And then once it broke the chains off, it washed us of all 413 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,360 the sin, the inequity, the shame and all of that. 414 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:13,680 It cleansed all the impurity of us. 415 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,680 And what happens is many times the shame and the guilt that 416 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,960 accompanies our sinful life are the weapons that the enemy uses 417 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:23,800 to keep us bound. And so now the blood has washed 418 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,160 away all of this. He's washed. 419 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,640 The blood of Jesus has washed away all the impurities. 420 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,160 And then when we begin to appropriate the blood of Jesus 421 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:35,400 over every part of our life, we truly live free for God's glory. 422 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,920 Many of us are set free from the things that held us back. 423 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:42,440 But why are we not living free? Because we have not appropriated 424 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,720 the power of the blood of Jesus over ourselves, right? 425 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,320 So if you notice when when I was explaining this process of, you 426 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,880 know, being set free by the by Jesus and his blood, the common 427 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,640 denominator was the enemy. Satan is the common denominator 428 00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:59,680 in all of these situations, right? 429 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,520 And he has this tight grip, much like that sweet little child who 430 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,160 was holding the bird in his hand. 431 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:09,440 The grip that the enemy has on us is like a vice like grip. 432 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:13,280 It's almost around our throat. He holds us with that addiction. 433 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,440 He holds us with that anger. He holds us with that 434 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,120 bitterness. He holds us with that 435 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:19,920 unforgiveness. He holds us down and literally 436 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:25,720 crushes the breath out of us. But the beautiful thing is in 437 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,640 the Book of Revelation, Revelation chapter 212, verse 438 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:32,800 11, it talks about how night and day, the Saints of God are being 439 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,880 accused by the accuser of the brethren. 440 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,520 And you know what? He's the ancient serpent, the 441 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,640 dragon, the devil. And it doesn't end on a negative 442 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,160 note. It ends on an incredibly 443 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,400 positive note. It says they overcame him by the 444 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:50,280 blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, which is 445 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:54,640 such a beautiful promise because today you and I, no matter what 446 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,400 grip the enemy has on us, have the allowance to walk free 447 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,600 because we have access to the blood of Jesus. 448 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,520 It's amazing. So when the accuser raises his 449 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:09,240 voice at you, when he calls you like he sees you, when he says 450 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:13,040 you're damaged, you're broken beyond repair, you're sinful, 451 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,880 you're battered, you're incapable, you're unrighteous. 452 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,360 The blood that covers you, the blood that has washed you, the 453 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:24,240 blood that has broken all the chains away, the blood that is 454 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:26,400 doing a new work in you, says no. 455 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,920 She is redeemed. He is redeemed. 456 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,720 He is restored. She is whole. 457 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,240 He is healed. He is righteous. 458 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:39,040 She's chosen. She's called because that is 459 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,760 what the blood does. The blood speaks a better word 460 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:46,360 and the blood speaks so loudly that it's on us to take what the 461 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:49,840 blood speaks and declare it because we overcame the accuser 462 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:53,760 with the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. 463 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,400 What is the word of your testimony? 464 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,080 Have you been living so claustrophobic, so come just 465 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,280 held down? Have you been feeling so 466 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,680 restricted in your life you want to break free but you don't know 467 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,000 how? I just want to say you have the 468 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,040 key in your hand. The key is the blood of Jesus. 469 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:16,920 The key is the word of your testimony. 470 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:21,200 And what you must speak aloud is actually what the blood is 471 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,240 speaking out. You need to believe it. 472 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,200 You need to start speaking it out of the enemy and saying thus 473 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,880 far no further. You don't get more territory. 474 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,120 This is my God's house. This is the temple of the Holy 475 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:34,560 Spirit. This is where you have to back 476 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:40,040 off, because the blood does speak of a better word when you 477 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:45,240 look at it biologically, right? When you look at blood, blood 478 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,600 and breath are very intrinsically linked. 479 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:50,960 Why do I mean that? Well, when you breathe in, the 480 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,760 oxygen actually dissolves into your bloodstream, which has 481 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:55,800 hemoglobin. It binds to that, and then that 482 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,000 transports it throughout the body, right? 483 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,280 So if you're anemic, you have low hemoglobin, your absorption 484 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,680 of oxygen is lesser, so you feel tired because less oxygen is 485 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,560 going to all your organs. Now, if you're a, you know, 486 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:10,560 reasonable, reasonably healthy person, you have the right 487 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,560 amount of oxygen in your cells. The blood is carrying it around 488 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,200 and therefore there is such a link between blood and breath, 489 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,480 Am I right? So I was thinking about this a 490 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:21,960 lot this week and I was thinking there is this connection between 491 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,880 the blood and breath biologically, Lord, but what 492 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,000 about biblically? What about, you know, from your 493 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,600 word? Is there a connection? 494 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,000 And I want to go back to that Scripture and Leviticus 17, 495 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,240 which said the life of the creature is in the blood. 496 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,960 And as I was looking at, at it in a, in a, you know, in the, in 497 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,440 the Greek lexicon, then I was looking at it through a Hebrew 498 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,720 dictionary, the word for life, the life of the creatures in the 499 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,240 blood. The word life in Hebrew is 500 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,320 nephesh. And nephesh actually means soul 501 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,520 or the holistic life of a person, not just their physical 502 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,840 being, but you know, their emotional, mentally, spiritual, 503 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,160 physical being. That's what soul is. 504 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,040 And that was the word for life. Interestingly, in Greek it was 505 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:16,360 Zoe, Zoe life, the life that Jesus brings in brand new life, 506 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,800 new wine, new wine skin kind of life. 507 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,520 But there was an other meaning for nephesh which was further 508 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,400 down the page, which really caught my eye and which thrilled 509 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,400 my heart because there was this word which when you went down 510 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,520 this, the page on nephesh, it had so many intonations of 511 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:37,760 nephesh, but it said one thing. It said nephesh is actually an 512 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,640 unused root word for breath. Isn't that amazing? 513 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,000 If I have to therefore substitute it in that verse, 514 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,640 This is what it would read. The breath of the creature is in 515 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:52,280 the blood. I don't know if you get where 516 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,360 I'm going with this, but the life of the creature is in the 517 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,840 blood life. If I have to substitute it with 518 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,000 the word nephesh, the breath of the creature is in the blood. 519 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,120 Let me trans bring that now to Jesus. 520 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,880 The breath of God is in the blood of Jesus and I don't 521 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,600 remember if you remember a few. I don't know if you remember a 522 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:15,040 few weeks back we talked about Abraham and Sarah and how God 523 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:19,320 breathed into them, into their destinies, adding that that that 524 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,760 beautiful syllable of hay with the breath of God that was 525 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,400 breathed upon them. It opened her womb, changed 526 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,320 their destiny, made it international, made it 527 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,280 transnational. And I believe that the blood of 528 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:36,280 Jesus has the life that it has because it has the breath of God 529 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:41,200 in it. Jesus was God, 100% God, 100% 530 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,600 man, and when he shed his blood, the blood had the breath of God. 531 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,520 And I want to encourage you about one thing. 532 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,720 We know that the minute you are saved, you are saved because 533 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,480 you, you all who call in the name of the, of the name of 534 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,760 Jesus will be saved, right? We know that already and we know 535 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,600 that we're saved because of the blood of the Lamb. 536 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,520 But there's an important thing of knowing something and 537 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,320 actually applying it, right? So here I have two different 538 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,120 kind of medications. 1 is a spray type. 539 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:17,440 So basically this is say I'm using this for a muscle pull. 540 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:19,360 So I basically have to just take it out. 541 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,400 It's an aerosol. It's a liquid, but then it 542 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:23,440 aerosolizes it and it makes it a spray. 543 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,440 And then you spray it on yourself and then you leave it 544 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,400 be and it works. But then there's the old form, 545 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,280 right? Which was just the ointments. 546 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,640 Now till today we still have ointments. 547 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,200 Ointments are still very powerful to be used. 548 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,080 So this is a heat rub, it's for joint pains etcetera. 549 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,320 Now if I was to ask you which was more effective, say I had, I 550 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,560 had a heavy day, lot of sports and I needed to use this on my 551 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,000 joints. I've tried it, I've tried it, I 552 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,600 spray it on the joint, I leave it be a couple of hours and 553 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:55,320 nothing has changed. Did the material actually get on 554 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,200 me? It did, but it only worked as 555 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,840 long as I applied it on my skin. So even this, when I sprayed it 556 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:06,280 would work if I actually rubbed the ointment in, rubbed the 557 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:08,480 aerosoil in. But there's something so 558 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,400 powerful about taking something and actually applying it on 559 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,520 ourselves, and blood of Jesus is no different. 560 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,040 For too long we have looked at it as well. 561 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,280 The blood of Jesus is there. Yes, I was saved by the blood of 562 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,320 Jesus. But it's coming to a place where 563 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,280 you and I need to understand that the enemy is very serious 564 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,080 about his plot and pride to get us entrapped. 565 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,760 He gives us a, a feeling of freedom, a taste of freedom. 566 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,160 But then he holds us back with one or two fetters. 567 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,640 He keeps us bound in fear. He keeps us bound with lust. 568 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:39,280 And we think, well, those are not big things. 569 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,880 Everyone's struggling with that. But the, the life that God won 570 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:48,640 for us at the cross and at that empty tomb is too vital for us 571 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,280 to settle for, you know, half than the full. 572 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,240 And my desire is that each of us would live in the fullness of 573 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,400 the freedom Jesus earned for us, that Jesus got for us. 574 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,880 And the way that we can live in complete freedom, the way that 575 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:09,640 we can live in complete surrender to God, is when the 576 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,920 blood of Jesus has been applied on us. 577 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,880 So I would ask that you move from just living with the spray 578 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,440 tan effect of, you know, just spraying it on or yeah, I know 579 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,040 the blood of Jesus is there. Because the truth is this. 580 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:26,320 In the book of Exodus, when we read about the Exodus, on the 581 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,760 night when they had to leave, they were having the Passover 582 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,120 meal. The Angel of death was going to 583 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,920 Passover Egypt. And God just gave them this 584 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,440 instruction. He said tonight I want you to 585 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:42,120 kill a lamb at dusk. Take the blood, apply it on the 586 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,400 doorposts. He didn't say sprinkle it at 587 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,480 that point. He actually said, take it with, 588 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,120 you know, the hisop plant, which was like a baby's breath, I'm 589 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,640 guessing they would dip it in the blood and apply it. 590 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:55,880 And they would have been the drips of blood everywhere, I'm 591 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,640 sure. But every Jewish Home needed to 592 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,520 have that done. And the reason for that was 593 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:07,360 because when the Devourer came that night, the Devourer would 594 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,240 pass through the land of Goshen as well. 595 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:13,080 It was going to target the the main cities of Egypt, yes, but 596 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,160 it did pass through Goshen and but because the people of God 597 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,080 had obeyed and applied the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, 598 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,600 they were saved. The devoured and touched them. 599 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,680 He passed over them and went and touched the Egyptians. 600 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:30,160 Now that's why the Passover is celebrated. 601 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:33,360 But today we are living in a season where we are in the 602 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:34,920 world. We're not off it, but we're in 603 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,920 it. The effects of of a fallen world 604 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,920 touch us. We do face the evil that is all 605 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,120 around us. We see it, sometimes it touches 606 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,840 us, sometimes we experience it. We get cheated, we get stolen 607 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:53,080 from, things happen to us. But the point is this, when we 608 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:57,000 begin to apply the blood of Jesus, we actually take that 609 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,680 blood. We believe that it is powerful, 610 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:03,160 but we begin to apply it on every area of our lives. 611 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,560 It will change the kind of protection that you bring 612 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,719 yourself under. When you begin to apply the 613 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,360 blood over every area of your life, you begin to see something 614 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,239 new. Because remember this, the blood 615 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:18,800 of Jesus has the breath of God in it. 616 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:21,920 And the minute you start to apply the blood of Jesus over 617 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,960 every part of your life, that Zoe life begins to start 618 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,440 showing. When you apply the blood of 619 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,520 Jesus on your marriage, your marriage will start to show 620 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:35,000 signs of new life, fresh growth, the goodness of God. 621 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,800 When you start to apply the blood of Jesus on your children, 622 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,920 even the most rebellious will start to turn towards the light 623 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:43,600 of God. When you start to apply the 624 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:48,239 blood, blood of Jesus over your work, you find that you'll find 625 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:51,080 joy in the simplest things. When you begin to apply the 626 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,639 blood of Jesus on your business, you find that you're waking up 627 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:58,040 with new ideas, fresh purposes. When you apply the blood of 628 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:02,400 Jesus over your boundaries, over your home, over the fence in 629 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,400 your house, over the the territories that you occupy 630 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:09,680 physically, your office space or your car, you find that you have 631 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:11,360 access to another level of protection. 632 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,040 It's like you levelled up in protection. 633 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:20,880 For too long we have not applied the blood of Jesus on our lives. 634 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,840 It's time that we move into this place of saying, Lord, I'm just 635 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,320 going to apply the blood of Jesus on this area. 636 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,960 Maybe you're saying it's not a tangible area that I need the 637 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:34,760 blood of Jesus on. It's a broken heart. 638 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:40,240 I would urge that you ask Jesus, I apply your blood on my broken 639 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,280 heart. Maybe it's a body part, 640 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:43,880 something that's been giving you a lot of trouble. 641 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,200 Maybe it's your sugar levels. Maybe it's your back. 642 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,840 Begin to have this exercise of saying, Lord, I'm just applying 643 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,640 the blood of Jesus because I know it has the breath of God in 644 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,680 it. I know that then I will enjoy 645 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:58,760 this Zoe life that you have promised for me. 646 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,640 Every time we partake of communion as a church, we are so 647 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,520 mindful that we're remembering the body and the blood of Jesus, 648 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,720 the broken body, the spilt blood. 649 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:15,400 But today, even as we do this in church, as I'm doing this here 650 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:19,440 with you on this online service, if you have bread and wine at 651 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,440 home, bread and just juice, even just a bit of juice is fine. 652 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,480 I want you to hold the bread and the cup in your hand and believe 653 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:33,080 that God has a purpose for your life and believe that God's got 654 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,800 something that He needs to breathe afresh in your life. 655 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,240 No part of our life is completely whole. 656 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:42,200 There are parts of all our lives that need His fresh touch. 657 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,240 And so we're going to believe and ask him, God, I want your 658 00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:50,560 precious blood to be applied over this area of my life. 659 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,120 It could be a personal life, It could be a private life. 660 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:56,480 It could be a professional life. It could be your relationship 661 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:58,760 with a parent, with a friend, with a spouse. 662 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,840 Would you? As you partake of the communion 663 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:09,320 today, would you choose to apply the blood over your life? 664 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:17,000 Will you also ask yourself which area needs the breath of God? 665 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,280 Which areas feel very dry today? Those are the areas that you 666 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:25,280 need to apply the blood of Jesus because the breath of God will 667 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,640 do its thing. I love that in Leviticus, in the 668 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,400 book of Leviticus, it says that you can't drink of the blood 669 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:33,720 because the life of the creature is in the blood. 670 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:37,000 But in the New Testament, Jesus actually sat at the Last Supper 671 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:41,480 with his disciples, broke bread with them, had a glass of wine 672 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,800 with them and said take and eat. This is my body. 673 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,920 Drink of this cup. This is the establishing of the 674 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,600 new covenant. He broke the norm because what 675 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:56,560 we are doing symbolically is partaking of Jesus himself, the 676 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:00,320 brokenness that He opened up for all of us to partake of so that 677 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:03,440 we could be whole. He was broken so that we could 678 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,880 be whole. He was poured out so that we 679 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:09,400 could be filled. And the new covenant times that 680 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:15,520 we live in, we have this grand purpose to live to the fullest 681 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:19,440 extent we are capable of. And we cannot do it without the 682 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,040 blood of Jesus over every part of our life, covering every 683 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,200 part. A sprinkling won't do. 684 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,000 A spray won't do. We need to be applied. 685 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,200 The blood of Jesus needs to be applied. 686 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:34,000 And so today, every time you partake of the Lord's table, 687 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,400 would you say Lord Jesus? I don't know which is the driest 688 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:40,560 part of my life right now, but I want the blood of Jesus to come 689 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:45,480 upon that, to be applied on that part so that your breath would 690 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:49,120 just breathe the flesh on me. Can we just pray together, 691 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,240 Father? I just pray right now for each 692 00:38:52,240 --> 00:38:55,480 person, God, even if they're going to partake of the 693 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:59,120 communion by themselves, I just pray, Spirit of God, that triune 694 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,120 God, you would be with them, that you would enable them to 695 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,040 experience a refilling like never before. 696 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:09,240 I pray that the blood of Jesus would just cover them and quote 697 00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:12,000 them. I pray that Lord, every area of 698 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,320 their life, you will experience the breath of God. 699 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,160 I pray Lord that areas they're feeling very dry, very 700 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,440 exhausted, very disappointed. Your spirit would breathe 701 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,640 afresh. I pray for a blood covering upon 702 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,040 homes right now. I pray for blood coverings upon 703 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,360 children as they sleep, as they rise up. 704 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,800 I pray, pray, pray for a blood covering on on wombs that are 705 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,960 holding babies right now. I pray in the name of Jesus that 706 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,120 you will be a hedge of protection. 707 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:44,400 God, I pray that Lord, you will be The blood covering would be 708 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,000 on couples right now. God, I pray for singles, those 709 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,280 who are waiting on you. I pray for a blood covering over 710 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:55,040 their hearts and minds that God you will keep them safeguarded. 711 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,960 I pray that Lord, you will continue to watch over your 712 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:01,880 people. I pray God for churches around 713 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:05,120 the city, around the country, to be covered with the blood of the 714 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:07,400 Lamb. That you would protect your 715 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:09,640 people. We thank you, God, for shedding 716 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:12,120 your blood so that your church could be purchased. 717 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:15,280 We thank you that we were purchased at such a high price, 718 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:19,240 and we thank you Jesus. We thank you God, for giving 719 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:22,080 your life for us. We thank you, God, that you 720 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:25,400 poured out your life so that we could be atoned for. 721 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:30,080 We thank you for buying us back, for redeeming us, and for 722 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,480 setting us free. We love you, we thank you, we 723 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:39,240 glorify your holy name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 724 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:42,520 I would just encourage you through the week. 725 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:46,120 Make it a habit of practice. Pray over your children, apply 726 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,640 the blood of Jesus on them, apply it over yourself. 727 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:51,640 If you're having an area of ill health, begin to apply. 728 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:54,440 This is nothing magical. This is not a portion. 729 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:56,880 This is just a a simple act of faith. 730 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,520 When Jesus died on that cross, when his blood was spilt, it was 731 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,520 powerful because it had the breath of God in it. 732 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:07,240 Let's appropriate it. Let's apply it to our lives. 733 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:11,840 God bless you. Thanks for listening to this 734 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,960 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 735 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:18,680 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 736 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,360 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 737 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:25,160 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 738 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:28,280 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 739 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:33,000 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 740 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:37,520 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 741 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,640 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.