I want to begin by asking you a question as we enter into this
book, Leviticus perhaps, you've asked this question and maybe
one day as we walk out in this life and Jesus called us to make
disciples of all Nations and to baptize them in the name of the
father, Son and the Holy Spirit, not just baptize people, but to
teach them everything, I've taught you.
That's what Jesus said. He didn't say that to pastors,
he didn't say that. Evangelist.
He said that to every person that is a disciple of his that
they were called to baptize people.
And they were called to teach those that they have led to
Christ or those that I know that are new in Christ, teach them
everything that you've been taught and perhaps one day
perhaps you know somebody or one day you will who will come to
Christ or who is new in Christ. And as you've been taught that,
if you want to grow, you are as real as you are concerning your
quiet time with God, and meeting with him in prayer, meeting with
him, in the word of God, you tell that to that person and
they start in This then they come to Exodus, perhaps.
They should have started in the New Testament, but they come to
this book called Leviticus and they read through Leviticus and
you get a phone call. And this person says to you
brother, so-and-so sister. So and so I'm in this book
called Leviticus and I've read through it.
And I have a question for you. What should i as a Christian
take out of this book? Because I see a lot of
sacrifices and from what I understand up to this point
we're not called to make any sacrifices and I see a lot of
rituals and cleansing rules and I know that we're not called to
do that either. And I see these Feast but I
don't think from what I know that we're supposed to
necessarily keep these Feast, but I believe the Bible is the
word of God and I believe God put this Book in this big book,
this Library called the Bible, what do I do with the Book of
Leviticus and you're on the other end of that line?
How do you answer? How do you answer?
What do you tell that person how they can benefit from The Book
of Leviticus? And one way you can answer is
how you've benefited from The Book of Leviticus.
Sacrifice of Jesus. And so, remember the cross and
our lord Jesus, who died. Well, this is sort of showing us
what the Jews because God used to do.
They had to kill animals sacrificing and all this bloody
process, which is looking forward to when our savior would
die bloody death. So look at it as sort of a
picture or a rat. Yeah, picture of what what does
matter most to us. So I'm hearing you brother Tim
on the phone. Oh, that makes sense.
Okay, I never saw The Vedic is that way.
Yes, sacrifice must be Bloodshed God uses that.
Okay, so the idea of Bloodshed, the idea of atonement, the theme
of atonement in The Book of Leviticus, okay?
I didn't see that theme but now I see it.
Thank you, brother, Isaac. Anybody else?
The Holiness of God, if you're going to understand the Holiness
of God in any book, it's going to be Leviticus.
It's going to be Leviticus. Is there anything else I can
benefit from Leviticus? The seriousness of sin in light
of the Holiness of God, absolutely.
Yes, so we're going to, we're going to know something about
the character, the attributes of God.
If there's one question you can ask yourself concerning any book
that you tackle, in your personal time, ask yourself
this. What is this reveal about God?
What am I going to learn about God through this book?
Even through all the laws and throw all the, what is it saying
about who God is sure. Absolutely.
Anything else from Leviticus? Why ask yourself how have you
benefit from Leviticus? So we see the idea of
unintentional sin, and there's a sacrifice for that.
And so there's specific their specifics about which kind of
sins are dealt with, in a certain way, in which are not.
Yes, we're going to discover that.
Book of Leviticus. Anything else from Leviticus?
Well, we just concluded Exodus and from Exodus major part of
this book. The second part rather is that
God had given instructions to the people of God of where, they
were to worship where they were to worship.
He had given them the blueprint for the Tabernacle.
And this was the localized place in which they would meet with
God, where they were to worship. But the Book of Leviticus deals
with not where they are to worship, but how they are to
worship. And even if you remember from
Exodus chapter 40, in the last scene that we see the last
snapshot we get of that book is what from, from memory, what did
we see last? Exodus before it closed.
The glory of God filled the Tabernacle.
The glory of God had descended and manifested in such power
that Moses could not even enter into the tent.
And it was a manifestation, a symbolic representation of God's
approval and response to The Obedience of the people
according to his rules and what Leviticus deals with is this one
purpose? Do you want it to stay that way?
Do you want the glory of God to remain in your life?
Do you want my leading to be so real?
Do you want my fellowship to be so tangible?
And knowing human nature. What Leviticus deals with is?
God already knows that. They're going to send God
already knows that they're going to fall.
And so he institute's these prescriptions to the people of
God in order for them to know how to maintain fellowship with
the Lord. That is what Leviticus is
dealing with number one, how the people of God can relate to
their God, that makes sense. All these laws, all these
prescriptions relate to how the people can come to a place where
they And walk with him day by day, step by step.
And if there's a verse that can confirm that, it's Leviticus 11.
The Lord Called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.
So, it ended with the glory of God.
Manifesting and from that place, God speaks and he says, this is
how this thing is going to work out if you want my glory and you
want close proximity with me. Let's lay out some ground rules
and that's how you get the Book of Leviticus and it all has to
do with every sacrifice. Every ritual cleansing, every
role for the Priest deals with one purpose, brothers and
sisters. What the people of God were to
do to not drive him from the sanctuary.
So Leviticus deals with one how the people were to relate to
their God, but not just how to relate, but how the people of
God were to represent. Their God.
Not just relate, but how they were to represent their God.
And so there is a Holiness code that is granted in The Book of
Leviticus. And this is what we see more in
the latter part of this book. That God gives these detailed
instructions of how they, the people of Israel were to fulfill
their call. What was their call?
Was the call for the people of Israel as a nation to the world
is anybody know? To be a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation. Exodus 19:6 sounds familiar
people of God. We just get a little bit more,
were a royal priesthood, not just a priesthood. and so, in
order for them to fulfill that call to be what A holy nation.
And a kingdom of priests. They had to walk according to
this rule. Why?
Because they're still in the wilderness and God is preparing
them. What is God preparing them for
it to go into the land of Canaan?
And what was going to happen, when they come into the land of
Canaan, they're going to have some neighbors and they're not
the best neighbors. They're gonna have Pagan
neighbors, they're going to have neighbors that worship different
gods and have different practices and approach, God in a
different way. In a way in God, did not
describe and prescribed. And so the people needed to
maintain a way of seeking God and representing God in the
midst of all the darkness, that would be around the Not only
that, but the people of Israel were delivered from growing up
in a system called Egypt for hundreds of years and so they
themselves have seen throughout their lives, the way that the
Egyptians worship their gods and how they live their lives and
you know what God was trying to Do Not only was God purposely
taking them out of Egypt and he did, God was trying to get Egypt
out of them. It's not just about taking them
out of the world's, getting the world out of them, getting Egypt
and draining it out. And so, he gives these laws and
he gives these detailed instructions.
So that when people were to see them, they would say, surely
this is a kingdom of priests. Surely they represent the true
God, why? Because I can see it, you're
different. On the phone, this cycle of
worshipping, false gods. And it gets crazy, you know how
the book works and the Old Testament and this can be
confirmed in Leviticus 11 44, ye shall be what Holy, as I am.
Holy So, let me take his deals with two things right off the
bat. Number one, it deals with how
the people of God were to relate to God.
But not just how to relate to God but how to represent, God.
So already as New Covenant, Believers.
We have to deal with the same thing.
We are called to relate to God in a certain way, and we are
called to represent God in a certain way, but notice how The
Book of Leviticus is structured. Leviticus was not given before
Exodus. It was given after Exodus, why
is that important? Because behavioral modification
is not something God gives you and me before, he takes us out
of Egypt. He deals with us after we come
out of Egypt. So he doesn't give these do's
and don'ts in these lists of how you should live in order for you
to cross the Red Sea. You crossed the Red Sea by my
grace now living this way sleep, in a structure of the book, and
the cannon itself. Describes how we should position
this understanding of how we live in response to his Mercy.
So let's look at the structure, take Leviticus.
Now, take those pages. Something that you can do with a
phone. Take those pages And look at the
structure of the book, the first seven chapters, the first seven
chapters deal with the offerings, that the people and
the priest. Where to be faithful to the
first. Seven chapters deal with the
offerings required of both the laity and the leaders.
Chapter 8, in chapter 10 deal with the ordination of the
priesthood. So Aaron and his sons are
ordained in chapter 18, chapter 10.
We look at chapter 11 to 16 and there are various prescriptions
for various types of uncleanness.
And so, you look at 12, 16 and includes the day of atonement of
what the people were to do. If they fall in any state of
being unclean and from 17 to 27, we are offered here, a code of
Holiness for daily living. So 127 deals with the sacrifices
for the laity and the priesthood eight to ten deals with the
ordination of the priesthood. And something happens there in
chapter 10. 11 to 16 deals with the different prescriptions to
deal with sickness and discharge mint of bodily, fluids and all
these different things, I will get into together.
And in, from 17, to 27, we deal with a Holiness code for daily
living. So then some of you guys have
already mentioned this, but we now have to understand the
themes of this book. If you haven't noticed, we're
talking overview right now. Overview of The Book of
Leviticus, the themes of this book, and some of you already
said these things, but one of the themes that we cannot denies
the Holiness of God, and the call to Holiness of, man.
So holiness, Leviticus deals with Holiness and what way?
Number one, the Holiness of God, God is not a man, like, you and
me. Meaning what we cannot approach?
God, the way you and I approach one, another so freely.
If there is a specific way that you are to approach, a judge and
a local sense. If there is a specific protocol
that you have to follow if you want to meet with a government
official. And if you need to receive an
invitation to meet with the president, how much more, The
God Who made everything with his word.
You can't approach God, the way you want.
I can approach God, that we won. That's what Leviticus deals
with. You can't just Waltz into my
presence and two priests actually thought that they could
do that. So, casually and God says, I
don't care whose son you are, and I don't care.
What kind of office you. By Holiness of God.
The Holiness of God and not just that the call of Holiness to man
that God is concerned in Leviticus.
And this is a Timeless truth through the sermon in this book.
That we, as the people of God, are called to reflect the very
one we worship. And this is what the people of
Israel had to understand. That they were to represent him
and they were not to determine their way of worshiping, God or
representing God, the way they knew and their presuppositions
in the past in Egypt. No, no.
Doesn't matter how you grew up and what you're comfortable with
or what your idea of God Is by nor were they to change the way
they see God or change the way they relate to God in the future
around the cultures, that would be developing and changing.
No, no, I've given you the instructions for all time.
So the way we worship God, that's the second understanding.
We're going to figure out something about worship.
Listen to Leviticus 18, just for a second.
Just listen, Leviticus 18, 3. You shall not do as they do in
the land of Egypt, where you lived past tense, and you shall
not do as they do in the land of Canaan to, which I am bringing
you future sense. So, no matter what you grew up
with, no matter what you're comfortable with, no matter
what, maybe even a spiritual leader told you if it's not
according to the word of God. You dismiss it doesn't matter
what the culture says it doesn't matter what the majority are
doing in the concerning, their worship service and how they
relate to God and what they do for with the word of God.
We stick with what he is given us worship.
So there's a prescription for worship, there's an
understanding of his Holiness and listen.
The Book of Leviticus is not a way for God to flex his
Transcendence and say look how awesome I his nature demands
these things. So God is not giving out these
laws and these things just because he wants to show our
holy is and just say this is how awesome I am.
And this is what you have to jump through all these hoops.
Just because I decide know his nature demands it.
The very Holiness of God the man's the very things that we
will read about. And so when you read those
things and sometimes your mind goes off to different places.
Realize this, this is how sacred he is.
That even if a fluid from my body is discharged from me.
I got to step outside of the camp for several days just to be
in the very courts of God. We've lost here me very
carefully. We have lost in the church
today, and I say this with fear and Chumlee, more than anything.
If there's any doctrine that we've dismissed and pushed in
the background, is the Holiness of God.
And part of that reason to is because many of us have divided
this understanding that God just has these moods and he's in a
bad mood in the Old Testament and New Testament.
He's in a really good mood and he's staying in that mood
forever. It's the same God.
The same God and guess what? He's the same.
God that requires the very same Holiness and what's the
difference? Well, in the Old Testament, he
had a different code and the New Testament.
Same Holiness, same demand, different code.
Different code. So he's not flexing his
Transcendence. He's not saying look how asked
know his nature demands it because that's glorious as his
Holiness has, it's also dangerous especially when it
comes to the contact with corruption.
With the Book of Leviticus, take our breath away and not put us
to sleep. That we would realize his
majesty and Splendor themes. The Holiness of God to worship
worship. This book deals with how the
people were to worship and how we to some degree need to
worship. God 3, somebody had said it more
than once, there's a theme of atonement.
The theme of atonement. We cannot look at Leviticus as
just a singular book. We must understand this book in
the larger scale of The Narrative of the scriptures and
what Leviticus does to the history of the people of God
concerning us as well up to this point, concerning his Remnant.
They are going to quickly come to an awareness of their need of
a substitute Because of their lack of ability to be able to
maintain God's law and their own strength.
So every time a sacrifice has instituted.
What God had desired to do is make them realize their need for
a substitute. Holiness worship.
Atonement. So I get the themes.
Here's the final part of our overview.
What does have to do with me? As a New Covenant, believer?
I get those themes and that can cause me to worship but what can
I take out of Leviticus and sense of application?
I need three people to give me three verses.
I need one person to open up to Luke 24:44.
Luke 24:44 one person to Luke 24:44 another person to go to
First Peter 114, First Peter 1, 14 to 16 and a third person to
go to Roman's 12:1. First person, Luke 24:44 Second
person, First Peter 1, 14 to 16, third person to go to Roman's
12:1. Whoever is that Luke 24:44 could
you read it out loud, please. Who will win the race?
Then he being Jesus said concerning him, that all
that was written about me. Where what was the first thing?
The law of Moses. So this is what you and I can
anticipate as we go through The Vedic has, I am going to learn
something about Number one, as I go through the video Kiss, I'm
going to learn something because Jesus, himself said that out of
the law, if it gets any more law.
It's this this is how this is like Pinnacle of law right here
in the middle kiss. I'm going to see Christ
somewhere in this book more than once, because he says it points
to me, it points to me who's at First Peter 1, 14. 1st Peter 1,
14 to 16. So, PD and children without you
can form the Pasta Bolognese but as he who called you is Holy and
also be holding all your condom. It is written, you shall be holy
for. I am Holy.
So, Peter found some use in Leviticus He's speaking to New
Covenant Believers and he says listen as obedient children.
I want you to live. Holy as he is Holy and guess
where he's pulling that verse out of Leviticus 11.
So Peter could find some use inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Shirley and this is what you'll learn from The Book of
Leviticus. We will learn together you and I
will learn principles of Holiness notice.
I didn't say practices for Holiness principles for Holiness
is a big difference because if you're going to go into
laviticus and say okay if this is what it means to be holy I'm
going to live. Holy you're going to change your
closet. You're going to change the way
you farm. You're going to change the way
you come to church big time and you're not in that Covenant.
We're not in that Covenant. But the principles remain the
same. That's what Peter is getting at.
And there are even spiritual principles within even those
physical commands of outward Holiness, Romans 12:1, This is a
people are cheating with this. We need to do something about
that. Romans 12:1, the reason why I
always asked to look and we want to look in the Bible together so
that you can map it out in the scriptures, Romans 12:1, Romans
12:1. You guys can do it in the same
time. If you want, go ahead and can go
ahead. I feel to you therefore Brothers
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a Living
Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
Paul is using Old Testament language too.
Admonish New Covenant. Believers concerning.
What true worship is and he says I want your bodies and look what
he does. Use his Old Testament language
as a Living Sacrifice. So we're going to learn
something about spiritual worship.
In Leviticus. So we come to Leviticus chapter
one. Leviticus one, as we spoke of
Leviticus, 23, 45 even 26. And spilling over, even 27.
Deal with these types of sacrifices and offerings, does
anybody know some of them at the top of their head?
the offerings that the people were to give Grain offering.
Yes. What else?
Burn offering. Yes.
You have one. Yeah, yeah.
So within those offerings are different types of animals.
They can give. Yes, peace, offerings.
Guilt offering sin offerings. There are mainly five offerings
that were we're going to deal with in the beginning here.
And these offerings. Have a specific purpose though,
they are. So alike.
There is a unique fulfillment, that they, they have concerning
how they worship God, and how they relate to God, and what it
satisfies concerning God's standard for righteousness.
And Holiness. And there's a prophetic element
to each of these offerings concerning who the person that
we just sang to tonight, concerning Jesus, and not just
Jesus. And what he has fulfilled
because all these sacrifices again, deal with a certain
detail about how they were to be cleanse, or how they were to
give themselves over to God and Christ sacrifice.
His one sacrifice deals with everything.
Only one sacrifice, not multiple sacrifices but these things
Christ has fulfilled. He's covered at all and is Own
sacrifice. And not only that each of these
offerings that we're going to discover are going to show us
something about what worship looks like to God, and what he
desires not in copy paste, we don't have an altar.
We don't have to throw grain. We don't have to roast animals.
No. But there are principles there
and let it the New Covenant, as a Living Sacrifice.
And so, the first one, we're going to deal with chapter one,
burnt offering. So look at chapter 1 quickly.
I'm just going to read these verses and see what comes to
mind. Verse 3.
If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall
offer a male without blemish. Go to verse 10.
If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock from the sheep
or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish.
Go to verse 14. If his offering to the Lord is a
burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of
turtledoves or pigeons. One offering.
Different ways of giving it. What is God showing about
himself and doing this? Now, look at verse 4.
What is the purpose of this offering?
Look at verse 4. He shall lay on his hand on her
head of the burnt offering and he shall be accepted from to
make atonement for him. So this sacrifice has to deal
with atoning for sin, but there are various ways of doing it
within the heading of burnt offering.
And the question is, what is God revealing even in saying, if you
can't do it this way, you can do it this way.
If you can't do it this way, you can do it this way.
He's getting you off yet. So he is giving options.
Absolutely, but with what in mind, why is he giving options?
That's exactly right because the people, some people could not
afford to bring a bull or to bring a sheep or to bring a go.
And so, you know what he has in mind though?
God wants all people to be able to receive atonement.
He doesn't want to hold a tone from anyone.
And so with God's heart, he goes.
Listen, if you can't afford this, look at his heart here and
Leviticus. If you can't afford a bull, you
can bring your ship. If you can't even bring a sheep,
you can bring something as small as a bird.
And that bird is so tiny. They can't even you can't even
cut it up and do it the way you could with a sheep or a goat,
but this is God's heart behind this very offering.
I long to Grant atonement to all people.
I am not selectively. Look at the prophetic imagery.
Here, I am. Not selective in my salvation.
I'm not looking to a certain group or status in society and
saying here, I'm going to give this to you.
I'm going to make these holes easier for you to hoop through.
No, no, I'm gonna give this to all people.
I'm going to make salvation reachable for all people in the
scene, playing field. I'm not restricting.
This, I'm not making this difficult for whether you're
poor, you can be a bum or brilliant billionaire.
Atonement is available to you. And look at how important it is
to understand some of these details, and Leviticus.
And the old Covenant turn your Bibles to Luke to 24, when Mary
wants to come and bring baby Jesus.
For a ceremonial offering concerning her son.
And look what it reveals here. And Luke 224, and to offer a
sacrifice. According to what is said, in
the law of the Lord, this is Mary and her husband going now,
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons You know what that
shows about Mary and Joseph as parents, what they weren't Rich,
they didn't have the money to give a bowler to give a gold or
to give a sheep. And this is who the god of the
universe chose to be born under. He didn't give himself over to
Herod and to be born in a palace.
He didn't give himself to some Pharisee.
No, he came under a young lady and her husband who could not
even afford The maximum ability to worship and I love this image
that they're going with these birds and at the same time
they're bringing the child. Who's going to actually being
sacrificed for all men for all the time.
God desires to have all people reach atonement.
God is Not restricting it to a certain brand of people to a
certain group of people know. God wants all people to come to
the foot of the cross. I love the scripture.
When Paul preaches in Acts 17 bear, with me acts 17:24 228,
acts 17 24 to 28. The God Who made the world.
And everything in it. Being Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Does not live in temples made by man.
Nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything for
he himself? Gives to all mankind, life,
breath and everything. And he made from one man every
nation of all mankind to live in all of the face of the Earth.
Having determined a lot of periods.
And the boundaries of their dwelling place for what reason,
why did God allow people to live on the places of the world in
different countries and different boundaries at
different times? Y, what reason verse 27, that
they should seek God, that they should seek God and perhaps feel
their way toward him and find him.
It is actually not far from each one of us.
I love that first. It is actually not far from each
one of us. Why?
For in him we live and move and have our being The omnipresence
of God makes it accessible for whether you live in the jungles
and Africa. Are you live in a high-rise in
New York? That every person has the same
ability to call out to God and reach out to him.
He made himself reachable. He's not far from each one of
us. If you don't know Christ today,
you can get shaved in this living.
You don't have to go through some religious Hoops, you don't
have to wait for a certain time. You don't have to be in the
right sacred place. So, how does a person for for
wherever they live or whatever time there?
And how does a person reached? Didn't come to God.
Well, acts 17:30 the times of ignorance God, overlooked.
But now he commands all people everywhere, all people
everywhere to do. What?
Repent. Repent.
Free is fixing a day in which he will judge the world in
righteousness, by men, whom he has appointed.
He has given a sure enough this to all men by raising him from
the dead. Don't Preach repentance.
All the apostles did. He commands all people
everywhere to repent. That's how you come to the
knowledge of God repented faith in him.
And so we see from the sacrifices that God's heart is
that all people would be able to reach atonement.
What else do we see from these sacrifices?
There's a common theme amongst though.
They were bowls and though they were goats and though they were
turtle doves. They had one thing in common
though, they're kind was not the same.
Perfect, without blemish. Without blemish.
Now, focus on the first part focus on the heard the male bull
here that they were to be without blemish and not only
without blemish. You look here in verse 9.
The see here that the priest shall burn.
All of it on the altar. So we see that, even before
that, not rule number one without blemish without spot
without fault. God wants the best, right?
But then they were to take this bull if the animal was big
enough to cut it up into pieces and as they cut it up into
pieces, it says there in verse 9 that they were to take all of it
and put it on the altar. And Christ is the ultimate
sacrifice and we know that he was without fault without
blemish but not just in a general sense.
Think of it because he took on flesh, that in every part
concerning who he was in his Humanity in every part, it
proved to be acceptable to God on Calvary.
Do you know what I mean? By that?
I mean, they cut up that sacrifice into pieces and every
piece had to be without spot or blemish, and have to be
acceptable before God in such a way.
But in Christ, the ultimate sacrifice.
He proved to be the same. It says in First Peter 2:22,
what that in him was no sin and in him, there is no deceit,
where his mouth. There is no deceit in his mouth.
Peter used that to encourage the Believers not to retaliate with
their lips and said Jesus was without sin and Jesus in his
mouth, there was found no deceit.
And I love that. That every part of Christ.
Proved to be acceptable before God on Calvary.
The same way that every part of that bull needed to be spotless
and perfect to be acceptable before God.
Which means something for you and me.
That because of Christ on Calvary and every part of who he
was even in his physical suffering.
Prove to be acceptable before God.
That means that every part of my life has proven to be made,
perfect. And righteous before God as
well. Think about his physical
suffering. Think about every part of his
physical suffering and how it deals with every part that you
and I every instrument of our body that we've used to rebel
against God. And so as one missionary said
our minds, they were hostile towards God.
They love to meditate on the things that God hates.
And so what is Christ? Do they put a thorny crown on
his brow? His lips.
His lips were dry parched thirsty.
Your lips and mine spoke things that we should never have said,
blaspheme God beyond measure and his lips on that cross suffered
for your lips. And these hands, these hands
have touched things, that they shouldn't have touched and taken
things that they shouldn't have taken.
But those hands We nailed on the cross.
And your back and my back have continually turned against God
and walked in her own Direction. Defiantly showing him that we
will not walk, according to his ways.
And so, he offers his back lashed beyond recognition. so in
these feet, how they have wandered to places that they
should not have gone, And how they have drifted away from the
place in which they were supposed to be concerning the
righteousness of God, and obedience to his word, but they
did not. And so they were nailed.
Nailed on the cross. Every part of that bull needed
to be spotless on that altar. Every part of Christ was proven
to be blameless on that cross dealing with every part of your
members that were used to rebel against him.
Which tells you and me something.
Concerning our sacrifice, its complete.
His sacrifice was made complete. Not for some of you, but for all
of you All of you in all of me. Why do I say that?
Because there are some things that we are convinced that Jesus
can forgive us of, but there are some things, we are not
convinced that he could have forgiven us from Oh yeah, I
understand. I've lied with this live but you
don't know what I've done with these hands man and I can't
imagine crying no no. Every piece has been covered.
All you don't know where my feet have gone.
Yeah. I understand.
He can forgive me for what I've allowed in here and you can,
what I've allowed in here. But these feet.
No, no, no. Every piece has been translated
to you. Not some of you do you want to
know what happened to your sins and mind Colossians 2 13 and 14
and you who were dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh? God has made alive together with
him. Having forgiven us not from some
having forgiven us of all our transgressions.
Doing what taking that record of debt.
And laying it aside, right? With all its legal demands.
What did he do with it? At the end of that verse?
He laid it aside and he nailed it to the cross.
That record of sin every single thing, all the transgression has
been written and has been nailed on the cross.
And, you know, what many Believers are doing, they're
trying to pull it back down. Leave it there.
He nailed it on the cross. Why are you trying to unhinge
it? And if the devil would ever try
to point any sin to you, make sure that you remind him where
it's nailed. All you can point the records,
me all you want Satan, but look at where it is, nailed on the
cross, and I have no plans of taking it down, because it's
dealt with stuff. Every piece was on the altar,
every pre piece of Christ, proved to be acceptable and
every part of who you are as made blameless because of what
he's done. So we understand Christ.
But there's something about worship.
And the burnt offering, there's something about worship and this
is where we're ending. If you can turn to Romans 12:1,
if you're familiar with the book of Romans, it's a powerful
scripture. And Paul deals with so much from
Romans 12, Romans 12. He deals with justification by
faith. He deals with the glory of God.
He deals with the inheritance of the Holy Spirit.
He deals with how we can live in victory, over sin.
He deals with God's plan for Israel and God's plan for the
Gentiles. He deals with so much.
All these weighty matters, all these theological truths and he
comes to Roman's 12:1. And sometimes this is where
divisions, in chapters can do us a disservice because it's one
continuous thought he comes to Roman's 12:1.
And he says, I appeal to you, therefore Brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice,
holy acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
It's as though to say, listen up to this point to what you have,
read up to this point, to what, Heard concerning your salvation
concerning your inheritance in Christ, concerning the future
glories to come concerning God's sovereignty, over all Affairs in
the world. After you have heard and read
all these things. He climaxes here as he
transitions his thoughts. And the Book of Romans to
practical Christian Living. He says, I appeal I adjure, I
beg you. In light of all that, you've
heard present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice.
All of those things next time you, and I read the book of
Romans read it all up and let it build up to Roman's 12:1.
Then when he comes up to this point, it's all there to say.
Now do something with this. Let it cause you to live a life
of Daley of Daley sacrifice. And this is what we have to
understand concerning the Old Testament in this.
Like the burnt offering, not just a part of you. but all of
you could you imagine how ridiculous it would be if a
person had come to bring a bull, cut it up into pieces and as
he's contemplating a putting that entire sacrifice on the
altar, he goes, you know, I'm going to keep the thigh Yeah,
I'm I might use the feet so I'm going to keep the feet.
And they could have done that, but you know what, it wouldn't
have been acceptable before God. It wouldn't have been true
worship. And so in the same way, he's not
saying part of your body, pause, not saying some of your life,
Paul's not saying a fraction of your existence.
He's saying your whole body as a Living Sacrifice.
As a Living Sacrifice. Seeing the Old Testament was
about bringing a sacrifice in killing in a New Covenant, about
you living it and you living as a sacrifice, not you killing
something in the old Covenant, you would bring a sacrifice, you
would lay your hands on it. Would it would be symbolic of
your sins being transmitted onto that sacrifice and you killing
it. You taking the life of another
thing as a substitute of worship to God.
You know what? God says, I don't want you to
give a life of another. I want to get, I want you to
give me your life. You could bring to me 5,000
bulls and cut them up and bring them before an altar in the New
Covenant and guess what, it wouldn't mean lick for God. he
wants you and I to live as a sacrifice unto him daily and
this is what we have to understand here.
When you understand that burnt offering.
And to give it completely and light of our worship, it's
really easy to say, right? Perhaps, even now we could say
who here has given everything to God.
Sometimes we hear that and we go.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've given everything to God as an act of
worship to him. But it's a whole different
thing. When you cut up your life piece
by piece and examine it and say, have I really given this part to
God, have I given this part to God?
What about this aspect of my life?
Is a surrender to God when you really analyze your life piece
by piece and not just flippantly saying all I gave everything to
God. Yes.
And you really reflect It would be amazing to see how your heart
feels that pull. When you realize, I don't know
if this is fully surrendered yet.
I don't know if this part of my life is really given to God cut
your life into pieces tonight and ask yourself, is this part
given to God, Is my sexuality given to God.
Is my finances given to God is what I let into this mind given
to God is white. I let out of this mouth given to
God what are all any of these things restricted to myself to
my own purposes to my own Glory? Have I convinced myself that
I've put 3/4 of myself on that altar, but I've kept the peace
to myself. The same way that the Old
Testament required, all of it is the same way Christ requires all
of us and until then it's not true worship.
The same way, part of that sacrifice being reserved for
self, would disqualify that burnt offering from being a
pleasing Aroma to God. I wonder today in all humility
and the fear of the Lord. Do I ask this question, how many
Believers today are walking around thinking that their lives
are really a sacrifice? When really it's not, because
they themselves know within their hearts that they have not
given every part what is it mean to give your life as a Living
Sacrifice? Well, in the same book Romans
12, turn back to Roman's 6. Look at Romans 6:13 with me.
Romans 6:13. Do not present your members to
sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present
yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from Death to
life and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
So this is what it means to dedicate my life piece by piece
of the Lord. Simply ask this sobering
question, is this element in instrument for righteousness, or
for sin? Is this, is this member of my
body given to the glory of God, or for the satisfaction of self
if you and I can scan through our entire lives and say this
part of my life, this member of my body is given to the glory of
God and you can check it off. You know that your entire
offering is legitimate. I remember hearing of a group of
young men freshly saved that were pursuing God as a group of
friends as a group of friends. If you have friends that love
God, hold onto them very tight. They're hard to find in this
day. Not the ones that call
themselves Christians and talk about other trivial things in
this life in. Don't care about the things of
God and growing in Grace, once I really love God.
This group of friends came to a place in which they were
convicted they've surrendered to Christ.
They've given their lives to Christ, but there is something
in one person's heart and it was a confirmation for another
brother's heart that he had realized that he had not
surrendered, his trust in God for his future concerning his
finances. And as there is sitting there
together before service, he had openly confessed, I feel like
the Lord has convicted me about about how I handle my money
because before I came to Christ, I was always anxious and I love
money and I was cheap and I cheated people.
But now I'm in Christ and I feel like I still have a residue of
that in me and I got his convicted me about it.
I want to do something as a symbolic act.
I don't know if you guys want to join me but let's do it if you
want. And what they did is they got
around in a circle and they all pulled out their wallets and
they threw their wallets in the middle of that Circle.
They locked arms together and they Rated saying Lord, we
dedicate our wallets to you. We dedicate our future finances
to you that whether you give us much or little, we will use
these things as instruments for righteousness.
That's what we're talking about. Examining the parts of your life
that have not been given over to the lordship of Jesus Christ and
all how freeing it is when you can really just sit down and do
some inventory on your heart and you even if you tonight after
this Bible study ask, God lord. Is there a part of me that's not
on that altar? He will gladly show it to you
not in condemnation. But in conviction if you ever
feel convicted it's not about being condemned, always relate
these. Two things whenever you feel
that piercing of the holy spirit in your heart, always always
remember this That whenever you sense conviction, it's God's
invitation into something. Greater God doesn't convicted
you so he can make you feel bad and let you for a couple of days
feel. So dirty about yourself.
God can fix you so that he can invite you into something
greater So if you ask him, you'd be amazed how he said, you know,
you've kind of left that part off the altar.
So, what happens, look at verse 13 here, do not present your
members to unrighteousness, but dedicate into instruments of
righteousness. Now, come to verse 19 of Romans
6. I'm speaking in human terms
because of your natural limitations for just as you were
once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to
lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness.
So now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading
to sanctification. So, again, it's the same
question, is there any part of my life?
That's, that's a slave to impurities or any part of my
life that is under the lordship of sin and self?
If so God in Christ has given you the power to set that thing
free to be dedicated to him and his purpose is leading to life
in sanctification. And I love how Paul by the holy
spirit is continuing in this train of thought because he
comes to 13. He comes to 19, then he just
gets real. Then he just gets in your face.
Then he just says, you know, I'm just going to just be, let's
just get real talk. Your look at verse 21.
As though to convince them to put everything on the altar, he
says. But what fruit were you getting
at the time? From the things of which you are
now ashamed? He said if you're not convinced
if you're really not convinced to put it all on the altar, if
you're really not committed dedicated every part of who you
are to the glory of God and his righteousness, let me ask you
this question. Whatever you're holding on to
really ask yourself what fruit is a producing in your life.
He's just. Hey guys I just want you to
know. I really think about it, your
sinful life, your life that is contrary to the glory of God and
his standards. What is it actually producing?
Ask yourself that. Have you ever asked yourself
that before you were saved? Have you ever asked yourself
that before you came to Christ? What am I doing?
What is then goal of this? Where am I going?
Why am I doing this every weekend?
Why am I doing this with this person?
What is it? And here's probably some
possible answers. Well, it feels good.
Well, it probably does feel good, but it doesn't last too
long, even if it does feel good, Hebrews 11 tells us it's
fleeting pleasure, sin offers pleasure.
It does. We would all lat or else we
wouldn't do it. We wouldn't be doing it.
If it didn't feel good, but remember, it's fleeting.
It's okay, feels good now. Ask yourself, what are the
feelings that come after? When that high is gone.
Shane guilt regret. Okay, so now you see the fruit
of it, Paul says here in motivating, the people to lay it
all on the altar, what fruit where you getting out of it and
he answers it, at the end of 21, for the end of those things is
death. There's no life.
So how are we to give ourselves to this Living Sacrifice as a
Living Sacrifice? We conclude legitimately when
you go back to Leviticus, And you come not to chapter one, but
you come to chapter 6, which gives further instructions for
the burnt offering. Look what it says in Leviticus
69. Verse 8 will begin the Lord
spoke to Moses saying, command Aaron.
And his sons saying, this is the law of the burnt offering.
The burnt offering shall be on the Hearth of the altar all
night until morning and the fire of the altar, shall be kept
burning on it. The burnt offering when it comes
to the sacrifice on the altar, that fire is not going out and
that sacrifice cannot come off until it is completely consumed
by that fire. Because afterwards, they would
take it down as Ash and remove it into the outside part of the
camp. So, you know what that tells me
about you and I concerning living sacrifices that God wants
to consume us completely completely.
Partly completely, totally consumed.
You and me. And that fire does not go out.
It's always burning. That's the standard.
That's the aroma that Christ wants.
So when you and I wake up, we go to bed tonight and you wake up
in the morning, he wants you to wake up with the full knowledge,
that you're a Living Sacrifice throughout the day, you and I
are living sacrifices. When we go back to bed, we're
still a Living. Sacrifice throughout the night.
You're still a Living Sacrifice the next day, when you wake up
again for church or a Living Sacrifice.
When you go to school on Monday, you're still a living soccer.
When you go to work, Living Sacrifice and you and I are
walking throughout our day, as a pleasing Aroma to him.
And it never goes on pause. It never goes on, pause that.
Burnt offering was unending, and to obviously Christ comes into
the scene, but that's the picture of worship for you.
And me, which tells me something in light of Romans 12, what
worship really is true spiritual worship.
To God means nothing in song. If our lives are not yet laid on
the altar, it's a legitimate, it doesn't qualify to God.
Oh, but when a life is completely consumed in him like
that burnt offering in Leviticus, there's an aroma to
him. There's a sweet-smelling,
sacrifice a savoring, and that's what God smells today in light
of the New Covenant concerning. A person that does not shed
their own blood for their God, like many other religions do God
is not interested for you, spilling your own blood,
spilling your own entrails, giving yourself over and you
know what God is looking for a life that can say no to
temptation. A life that can say yes to
righteousness. Oh, this is the best part, A
Life, a life that still Walks. With God.
When everybody else wants to give three quarters of their
sacrifice. Oh, that he would see a
fragrance coming up in North America.
When everybody else wants to just give pieces to God and keep
some for yourself, that he would see a Remnant.
He would see a group in which there is that sweet, smelling
perfume that comes up to heaven. This is what God is looking for.
That's true worship. That's true worship.
So, we look at some people and we say, oh, that person worship.
So powerfully that person worship.
So passionately, and yes, there is an element of singing that is
a sacrifice of praise, but it is disqualified.
If it comes from a vessel that has not been completely reserved
for the purposes in the glory of God.
So what we look at it the with with our determination of what
true spirituality looks like. God says that person when nobody
sees him and is saying, no to temptation is living for Christ
has always thinking in light of, how can God be glorified in my
decisions? God says, that's worship.
That's a song to my ear that no person can pitch.
No person. Can sing behind a microphone.
Oh, that's a sight to see greater than all these piles of
bulls and goats that are shed. Oh yes.
That's what God is looking for today.
Christ is your burnt offering in mind, and every part of him,
covers every part of you and me, and another light of our
worship. He wants every part of us as a
response to the grace of God. And if you're in sin tonight to
any degree, if you are contemplating Holiness and this
part giving of God, can I ask you one question in light of
Paul's question to the Romans. What fruit are you getting out
of it? What fruit is coming out of
that, kind of life. Because if you're truly a
Believer, even if you're living in compromise, you know it full
well you're miserable, aren't you?
You're miserable. You're miserable.
And that true freedom and that true life comes when you know
that every part has been stamped reserved for the glory of God.
Some new people here tonight. Welcome.
Do you know Jesus Christ? We didn't read something.
We're closing here to worship at a moment.
There was something about that burnt offering.
See, this is something that happened in the Old Testament.
It's a picture of what's supposed to happen in the New
Testament, through Jesus Christ and his ministry.
But there's a part in the Old Testament right there.
In that very chapter that we read without person would bring
a bull. And you know what he would do,
he would lay his hands on that bowl as a symbol that everything
about who he was would be transmitted all this sin, all
the iniquity, all the faults, all the guilt would be
transmitted to that animal as his substitute.
It would be slaughtered on his behalf and it would cover
temporarily for his sin. You know, Jesus Christ is a
picture of that sacrifice, but guess what?
We now have to lay hands on anything, the transaction for
all your record of sin. All the things that you've done
against God is not through the laying hen.
Have hands on an animal, not giving yourself over to a gold
and saying this is my Senate's going over that.
No, no that transaction of all that you've done against God
that brings you to a place of standing and condemnation is
transmitted over to Christ by faith.
By faith. So faith.
Given over to Christ takes all of those things.
A stand. You condemned before God and
comes over to him. And he pays the price for you.
Have you done that? Have you done?
That is there a moment that you can remember where you said I
recognize my sin I recognize that I need a sacrifice.
I need a substitute and like in the Old Testament they have to
lay hands on that animal and say whatever they have to say
Yahweh, this is my substitute, these are my sins now.
Approve of Me. No New Covenant is God.
I know that I've sinned, and I see Christ on that cross and I
believe that he made the payment, Me.
Justified before God by faith. If you have never made that
conscious decision, make it tonight and guess what?
As we just heard in Acts 17, 24 to 28, he is not far from each
one of us for in him. We live and move and have our
being. He's right here.
Call out to him right here and everything can change for you in
this Bible study tonight. What we're studying week after
week is not just some information for a religious
group that has nothing better to do on a Friday.
We believe the very words of God are given through this text and
they give life and life eternal. I hope that our hearts are
stirred. That Christ is the thread
through all these texts. And now, what these people in
the old Covenant were looking forward to is what you and I can
experience today. I conclude with this again. when
you think of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, Who is Christ
symbolized by in that story? Isaac.
And look what it says about Isaac.
Verse 5 of Genesis 22, then Abraham said to his young men
stay here with the donkey I and the boy will go over there to
worship and come again to you and Abraham took the wood of the
burnt offering. And laid it on Isaac, his son.
That even in Genesis 22. Isaac was supposed to become a
burnt offering and God said no I'll send my son to become that
all-consuming. All satisfying sacrifice for all
Humanity for all time. Hebrews 2:9 says he tasted death
for every man. O people of God that we would
worship Him. Worship Him and light of the
fact that he is the satisfying sacrifice for you and me, and
this is our worship as Romans. 12 says, not repeating songs off
a screen though. That is an element of it.
But saying, Lord, hears every piece on the altar.
Every piece, every member of who I am dedicated, not to
unrighteousness, but the righteousness and Lord let it be
a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto you.