Sermon
Leviticus 1 Bible Study - Pastor Daniel Batarseh
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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I want to begin by asking you a question as we enter into this
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book, Leviticus perhaps, you've asked this question and maybe
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one day as we walk out in this life and Jesus called us to make
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disciples of all Nations and to baptize them in the name of the
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father, Son and the Holy Spirit, not just baptize people, but to
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teach them everything, I've taught you.
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That's what Jesus said. He didn't say that to pastors,
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he didn't say that. Evangelist.
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He said that to every person that is a disciple of his that
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they were called to baptize people.
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And they were called to teach those that they have led to
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Christ or those that I know that are new in Christ, teach them
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everything that you've been taught and perhaps one day
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perhaps you know somebody or one day you will who will come to
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Christ or who is new in Christ. And as you've been taught that,
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if you want to grow, you are as real as you are concerning your
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quiet time with God, and meeting with him in prayer, meeting with
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him, in the word of God, you tell that to that person and
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they start in This then they come to Exodus, perhaps.
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They should have started in the New Testament, but they come to
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this book called Leviticus and they read through Leviticus and
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you get a phone call. And this person says to you
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brother, so-and-so sister. So and so I'm in this book
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called Leviticus and I've read through it.
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And I have a question for you. What should i as a Christian
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take out of this book? Because I see a lot of
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sacrifices and from what I understand up to this point
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we're not called to make any sacrifices and I see a lot of
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rituals and cleansing rules and I know that we're not called to
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do that either. And I see these Feast but I
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don't think from what I know that we're supposed to
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necessarily keep these Feast, but I believe the Bible is the
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word of God and I believe God put this Book in this big book,
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this Library called the Bible, what do I do with the Book of
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Leviticus and you're on the other end of that line?
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How do you answer? How do you answer?
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What do you tell that person how they can benefit from The Book
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of Leviticus? And one way you can answer is
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how you've benefited from The Book of Leviticus.
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Sacrifice of Jesus. And so, remember the cross and
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our lord Jesus, who died. Well, this is sort of showing us
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what the Jews because God used to do.
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They had to kill animals sacrificing and all this bloody
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process, which is looking forward to when our savior would
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die bloody death. So look at it as sort of a
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picture or a rat. Yeah, picture of what what does
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matter most to us. So I'm hearing you brother Tim
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on the phone. Oh, that makes sense.
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Okay, I never saw The Vedic is that way.
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Yes, sacrifice must be Bloodshed God uses that.
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Okay, so the idea of Bloodshed, the idea of atonement, the theme
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of atonement in The Book of Leviticus, okay?
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I didn't see that theme but now I see it.
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Thank you, brother, Isaac. Anybody else?
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The Holiness of God, if you're going to understand the Holiness
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of God in any book, it's going to be Leviticus.
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It's going to be Leviticus. Is there anything else I can
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benefit from Leviticus? The seriousness of sin in light
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of the Holiness of God, absolutely.
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Yes, so we're going to, we're going to know something about
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the character, the attributes of God.
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If there's one question you can ask yourself concerning any book
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that you tackle, in your personal time, ask yourself
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this. What is this reveal about God?
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What am I going to learn about God through this book?
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Even through all the laws and throw all the, what is it saying
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about who God is sure. Absolutely.
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Anything else from Leviticus? Why ask yourself how have you
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benefit from Leviticus? So we see the idea of
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unintentional sin, and there's a sacrifice for that.
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And so there's specific their specifics about which kind of
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sins are dealt with, in a certain way, in which are not.
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Yes, we're going to discover that.
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Book of Leviticus. Anything else from Leviticus?
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Well, we just concluded Exodus and from Exodus major part of
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this book. The second part rather is that
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God had given instructions to the people of God of where, they
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were to worship where they were to worship.
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He had given them the blueprint for the Tabernacle.
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And this was the localized place in which they would meet with
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God, where they were to worship. But the Book of Leviticus deals
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with not where they are to worship, but how they are to
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worship. And even if you remember from
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Exodus chapter 40, in the last scene that we see the last
Exodus 40 chapter mention
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snapshot we get of that book is what from, from memory, what did
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we see last? Exodus before it closed.
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The glory of God filled the Tabernacle.
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The glory of God had descended and manifested in such power
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that Moses could not even enter into the tent.
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And it was a manifestation, a symbolic representation of God's
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approval and response to The Obedience of the people
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according to his rules and what Leviticus deals with is this one
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purpose? Do you want it to stay that way?
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Do you want the glory of God to remain in your life?
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Do you want my leading to be so real?
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Do you want my fellowship to be so tangible?
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And knowing human nature. What Leviticus deals with is?
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God already knows that. They're going to send God
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already knows that they're going to fall.
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And so he institute's these prescriptions to the people of
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God in order for them to know how to maintain fellowship with
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the Lord. That is what Leviticus is
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dealing with number one, how the people of God can relate to
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their God, that makes sense. All these laws, all these
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prescriptions relate to how the people can come to a place where
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they And walk with him day by day, step by step.
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And if there's a verse that can confirm that, it's Leviticus 11.
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The Lord Called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.
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So, it ended with the glory of God.
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Manifesting and from that place, God speaks and he says, this is
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how this thing is going to work out if you want my glory and you
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want close proximity with me. Let's lay out some ground rules
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and that's how you get the Book of Leviticus and it all has to
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do with every sacrifice. Every ritual cleansing, every
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role for the Priest deals with one purpose, brothers and
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sisters. What the people of God were to
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do to not drive him from the sanctuary.
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So Leviticus deals with one how the people were to relate to
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their God, but not just how to relate, but how the people of
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God were to represent. Their God.
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Not just relate, but how they were to represent their God.
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And so there is a Holiness code that is granted in The Book of
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Leviticus. And this is what we see more in
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the latter part of this book. That God gives these detailed
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instructions of how they, the people of Israel were to fulfill
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their call. What was their call?
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Was the call for the people of Israel as a nation to the world
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is anybody know? To be a kingdom of priests and a
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holy nation. Exodus 19:6 sounds familiar
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people of God. We just get a little bit more,
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were a royal priesthood, not just a priesthood. and so, in
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order for them to fulfill that call to be what A holy nation.
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And a kingdom of priests. They had to walk according to
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this rule. Why?
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Because they're still in the wilderness and God is preparing
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them. What is God preparing them for
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it to go into the land of Canaan?
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And what was going to happen, when they come into the land of
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Canaan, they're going to have some neighbors and they're not
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the best neighbors. They're gonna have Pagan
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neighbors, they're going to have neighbors that worship different
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gods and have different practices and approach, God in a
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different way. In a way in God, did not
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describe and prescribed. And so the people needed to
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maintain a way of seeking God and representing God in the
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midst of all the darkness, that would be around the Not only
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that, but the people of Israel were delivered from growing up
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in a system called Egypt for hundreds of years and so they
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themselves have seen throughout their lives, the way that the
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Egyptians worship their gods and how they live their lives and
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you know what God was trying to Do Not only was God purposely
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taking them out of Egypt and he did, God was trying to get Egypt
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out of them. It's not just about taking them
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out of the world's, getting the world out of them, getting Egypt
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and draining it out. And so, he gives these laws and
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he gives these detailed instructions.
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So that when people were to see them, they would say, surely
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this is a kingdom of priests. Surely they represent the true
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God, why? Because I can see it, you're
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different. On the phone, this cycle of
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worshipping, false gods. And it gets crazy, you know how
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the book works and the Old Testament and this can be
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confirmed in Leviticus 11 44, ye shall be what Holy, as I am.
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Holy So, let me take his deals with two things right off the
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bat. Number one, it deals with how
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the people of God were to relate to God.
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But not just how to relate to God but how to represent, God.
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So already as New Covenant, Believers.
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We have to deal with the same thing.
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We are called to relate to God in a certain way, and we are
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called to represent God in a certain way, but notice how The
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Book of Leviticus is structured. Leviticus was not given before
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Exodus. It was given after Exodus, why
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is that important? Because behavioral modification
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is not something God gives you and me before, he takes us out
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of Egypt. He deals with us after we come
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out of Egypt. So he doesn't give these do's
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and don'ts in these lists of how you should live in order for you
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to cross the Red Sea. You crossed the Red Sea by my
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grace now living this way sleep, in a structure of the book, and
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the cannon itself. Describes how we should position
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this understanding of how we live in response to his Mercy.
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So let's look at the structure, take Leviticus.
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Now, take those pages. Something that you can do with a
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phone. Take those pages And look at the
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structure of the book, the first seven chapters, the first seven
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chapters deal with the offerings, that the people and
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the priest. Where to be faithful to the
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first. Seven chapters deal with the
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offerings required of both the laity and the leaders.
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Chapter 8, in chapter 10 deal with the ordination of the
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priesthood. So Aaron and his sons are
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ordained in chapter 18, chapter 10.
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We look at chapter 11 to 16 and there are various prescriptions
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for various types of uncleanness.
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And so, you look at 12, 16 and includes the day of atonement of
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what the people were to do. If they fall in any state of
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being unclean and from 17 to 27, we are offered here, a code of
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Holiness for daily living. So 127 deals with the sacrifices
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for the laity and the priesthood eight to ten deals with the
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ordination of the priesthood. And something happens there in
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chapter 10. 11 to 16 deals with the different prescriptions to
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deal with sickness and discharge mint of bodily, fluids and all
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these different things, I will get into together.
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And in, from 17, to 27, we deal with a Holiness code for daily
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living. So then some of you guys have
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already mentioned this, but we now have to understand the
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themes of this book. If you haven't noticed, we're
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talking overview right now. Overview of The Book of
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Leviticus, the themes of this book, and some of you already
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said these things, but one of the themes that we cannot denies
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the Holiness of God, and the call to Holiness of, man.
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So holiness, Leviticus deals with Holiness and what way?
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Number one, the Holiness of God, God is not a man, like, you and
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me. Meaning what we cannot approach?
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God, the way you and I approach one, another so freely.
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If there is a specific way that you are to approach, a judge and
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a local sense. If there is a specific protocol
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that you have to follow if you want to meet with a government
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official. And if you need to receive an
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invitation to meet with the president, how much more, The
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God Who made everything with his word.
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You can't approach God, the way you want.
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I can approach God, that we won. That's what Leviticus deals
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with. You can't just Waltz into my
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presence and two priests actually thought that they could
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do that. So, casually and God says, I
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don't care whose son you are, and I don't care.
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What kind of office you. By Holiness of God.
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The Holiness of God and not just that the call of Holiness to man
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that God is concerned in Leviticus.
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And this is a Timeless truth through the sermon in this book.
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That we, as the people of God, are called to reflect the very
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one we worship. And this is what the people of
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Israel had to understand. That they were to represent him
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and they were not to determine their way of worshiping, God or
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representing God, the way they knew and their presuppositions
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in the past in Egypt. No, no.
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Doesn't matter how you grew up and what you're comfortable with
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or what your idea of God Is by nor were they to change the way
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they see God or change the way they relate to God in the future
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around the cultures, that would be developing and changing.
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No, no, I've given you the instructions for all time.
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So the way we worship God, that's the second understanding.
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We're going to figure out something about worship.
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Listen to Leviticus 18, just for a second.
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Just listen, Leviticus 18, 3. You shall not do as they do in
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the land of Egypt, where you lived past tense, and you shall
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not do as they do in the land of Canaan to, which I am bringing
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you future sense. So, no matter what you grew up
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with, no matter what you're comfortable with, no matter
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what, maybe even a spiritual leader told you if it's not
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according to the word of God. You dismiss it doesn't matter
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what the culture says it doesn't matter what the majority are
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doing in the concerning, their worship service and how they
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relate to God and what they do for with the word of God.
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We stick with what he is given us worship.
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So there's a prescription for worship, there's an
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understanding of his Holiness and listen.
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The Book of Leviticus is not a way for God to flex his
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Transcendence and say look how awesome I his nature demands
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these things. So God is not giving out these
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laws and these things just because he wants to show our
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holy is and just say this is how awesome I am.
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And this is what you have to jump through all these hoops.
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Just because I decide know his nature demands it.
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The very Holiness of God the man's the very things that we
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will read about. And so when you read those
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things and sometimes your mind goes off to different places.
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Realize this, this is how sacred he is.
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That even if a fluid from my body is discharged from me.
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I got to step outside of the camp for several days just to be
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in the very courts of God. We've lost here me very
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carefully. We have lost in the church
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today, and I say this with fear and Chumlee, more than anything.
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If there's any doctrine that we've dismissed and pushed in
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the background, is the Holiness of God.
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And part of that reason to is because many of us have divided
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this understanding that God just has these moods and he's in a
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bad mood in the Old Testament and New Testament.
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He's in a really good mood and he's staying in that mood
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forever. It's the same God.
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The same God and guess what? He's the same.
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God that requires the very same Holiness and what's the
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difference? Well, in the Old Testament, he
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had a different code and the New Testament.
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Same Holiness, same demand, different code.
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Different code. So he's not flexing his
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Transcendence. He's not saying look how asked
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know his nature demands it because that's glorious as his
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Holiness has, it's also dangerous especially when it
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comes to the contact with corruption.
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With the Book of Leviticus, take our breath away and not put us
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to sleep. That we would realize his
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majesty and Splendor themes. The Holiness of God to worship
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worship. This book deals with how the
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people were to worship and how we to some degree need to
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worship. God 3, somebody had said it more
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than once, there's a theme of atonement.
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The theme of atonement. We cannot look at Leviticus as
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just a singular book. We must understand this book in
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the larger scale of The Narrative of the scriptures and
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what Leviticus does to the history of the people of God
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concerning us as well up to this point, concerning his Remnant.
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They are going to quickly come to an awareness of their need of
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a substitute Because of their lack of ability to be able to
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maintain God's law and their own strength.
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So every time a sacrifice has instituted.
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What God had desired to do is make them realize their need for
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a substitute. Holiness worship.
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Atonement. So I get the themes.
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Here's the final part of our overview.
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What does have to do with me? As a New Covenant, believer?
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I get those themes and that can cause me to worship but what can
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I take out of Leviticus and sense of application?
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I need three people to give me three verses.
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I need one person to open up to Luke 24:44.
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Luke 24:44 one person to Luke 24:44 another person to go to
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First Peter 114, First Peter 1, 14 to 16 and a third person to
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go to Roman's 12:1. First person, Luke 24:44 Second
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person, First Peter 1, 14 to 16, third person to go to Roman's
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12:1. Whoever is that Luke 24:44 could
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you read it out loud, please. Who will win the race?
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Then he being Jesus said concerning him, that all
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that was written about me. Where what was the first thing?
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The law of Moses. So this is what you and I can
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anticipate as we go through The Vedic has, I am going to learn
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something about Number one, as I go through the video Kiss, I'm
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going to learn something because Jesus, himself said that out of
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the law, if it gets any more law.
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It's this this is how this is like Pinnacle of law right here
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in the middle kiss. I'm going to see Christ
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somewhere in this book more than once, because he says it points
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to me, it points to me who's at First Peter 1, 14. 1st Peter 1,
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14 to 16. So, PD and children without you
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can form the Pasta Bolognese but as he who called you is Holy and
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also be holding all your condom. It is written, you shall be holy
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for. I am Holy.
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So, Peter found some use in Leviticus He's speaking to New
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Covenant Believers and he says listen as obedient children.
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I want you to live. Holy as he is Holy and guess
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where he's pulling that verse out of Leviticus 11.
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So Peter could find some use inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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Shirley and this is what you'll learn from The Book of
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Leviticus. We will learn together you and I
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will learn principles of Holiness notice.
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I didn't say practices for Holiness principles for Holiness
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is a big difference because if you're going to go into
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laviticus and say okay if this is what it means to be holy I'm
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going to live. Holy you're going to change your
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closet. You're going to change the way
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you farm. You're going to change the way
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you come to church big time and you're not in that Covenant.
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We're not in that Covenant. But the principles remain the
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same. That's what Peter is getting at.
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And there are even spiritual principles within even those
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physical commands of outward Holiness, Romans 12:1, This is a
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people are cheating with this. We need to do something about
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that. Romans 12:1, the reason why I
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always asked to look and we want to look in the Bible together so
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that you can map it out in the scriptures, Romans 12:1, Romans
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12:1. You guys can do it in the same
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time. If you want, go ahead and can go
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ahead. I feel to you therefore Brothers
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by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a Living
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Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
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Paul is using Old Testament language too.
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Admonish New Covenant. Believers concerning.
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What true worship is and he says I want your bodies and look what
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he does. Use his Old Testament language
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as a Living Sacrifice. So we're going to learn
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something about spiritual worship.
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In Leviticus. So we come to Leviticus chapter
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one. Leviticus one, as we spoke of
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Leviticus, 23, 45 even 26. And spilling over, even 27.
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Deal with these types of sacrifices and offerings, does
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anybody know some of them at the top of their head?
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the offerings that the people were to give Grain offering.
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Yes. What else?
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Burn offering. Yes.
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You have one. Yeah, yeah.
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So within those offerings are different types of animals.
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They can give. Yes, peace, offerings.
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Guilt offering sin offerings. There are mainly five offerings
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that were we're going to deal with in the beginning here.
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And these offerings. Have a specific purpose though,
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they are. So alike.
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There is a unique fulfillment, that they, they have concerning
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how they worship God, and how they relate to God, and what it
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satisfies concerning God's standard for righteousness.
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And Holiness. And there's a prophetic element
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to each of these offerings concerning who the person that
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we just sang to tonight, concerning Jesus, and not just
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Jesus. And what he has fulfilled
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because all these sacrifices again, deal with a certain
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detail about how they were to be cleanse, or how they were to
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give themselves over to God and Christ sacrifice.
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His one sacrifice deals with everything.
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Only one sacrifice, not multiple sacrifices but these things
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Christ has fulfilled. He's covered at all and is Own
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sacrifice. And not only that each of these
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offerings that we're going to discover are going to show us
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something about what worship looks like to God, and what he
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desires not in copy paste, we don't have an altar.
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We don't have to throw grain. We don't have to roast animals.
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No. But there are principles there
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and let it the New Covenant, as a Living Sacrifice.
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And so, the first one, we're going to deal with chapter one,
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burnt offering. So look at chapter 1 quickly.
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I'm just going to read these verses and see what comes to
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mind. Verse 3.
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If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall
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offer a male without blemish. Go to verse 10.
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If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock from the sheep
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or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish.
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Go to verse 14. If his offering to the Lord is a
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burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of
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turtledoves or pigeons. One offering.
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Different ways of giving it. What is God showing about
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himself and doing this? Now, look at verse 4.
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What is the purpose of this offering?
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Look at verse 4. He shall lay on his hand on her
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head of the burnt offering and he shall be accepted from to
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make atonement for him. So this sacrifice has to deal
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with atoning for sin, but there are various ways of doing it
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within the heading of burnt offering.
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And the question is, what is God revealing even in saying, if you
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can't do it this way, you can do it this way.
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If you can't do it this way, you can do it this way.
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He's getting you off yet. So he is giving options.
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Absolutely, but with what in mind, why is he giving options?
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That's exactly right because the people, some people could not
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afford to bring a bull or to bring a sheep or to bring a go.
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And so, you know what he has in mind though?
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God wants all people to be able to receive atonement.
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He doesn't want to hold a tone from anyone.
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And so with God's heart, he goes.
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Listen, if you can't afford this, look at his heart here and
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Leviticus. If you can't afford a bull, you
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can bring your ship. If you can't even bring a sheep,
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you can bring something as small as a bird.
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And that bird is so tiny. They can't even you can't even
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cut it up and do it the way you could with a sheep or a goat,
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but this is God's heart behind this very offering.
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I long to Grant atonement to all people.
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I am not selectively. Look at the prophetic imagery.
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Here, I am. Not selective in my salvation.
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I'm not looking to a certain group or status in society and
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saying here, I'm going to give this to you.
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I'm going to make these holes easier for you to hoop through.
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No, no, I'm gonna give this to all people.
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I'm going to make salvation reachable for all people in the
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scene, playing field. I'm not restricting.
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This, I'm not making this difficult for whether you're
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poor, you can be a bum or brilliant billionaire.
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Atonement is available to you. And look at how important it is
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to understand some of these details, and Leviticus.
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And the old Covenant turn your Bibles to Luke to 24, when Mary
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wants to come and bring baby Jesus.
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For a ceremonial offering concerning her son.
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And look what it reveals here. And Luke 224, and to offer a
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sacrifice. According to what is said, in
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the law of the Lord, this is Mary and her husband going now,
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a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons You know what that
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shows about Mary and Joseph as parents, what they weren't Rich,
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they didn't have the money to give a bowler to give a gold or
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to give a sheep. And this is who the god of the
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universe chose to be born under. He didn't give himself over to
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Herod and to be born in a palace.
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He didn't give himself to some Pharisee.
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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
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all your record of sin. All the things that you've done
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against God is not through the laying hen.
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Have hands on an animal, not giving yourself over to a gold
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and saying this is my Senate's going over that.
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No, no that transaction of all that you've done against God
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that brings you to a place of standing and condemnation is
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transmitted over to Christ by faith.
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By faith. So faith.
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Given over to Christ takes all of those things.
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A stand. You condemned before God and
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comes over to him. And he pays the price for you.
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Have you done that? Have you done?
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That is there a moment that you can remember where you said I
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recognize my sin I recognize that I need a sacrifice.
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I need a substitute and like in the Old Testament they have to
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lay hands on that animal and say whatever they have to say
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Yahweh, this is my substitute, these are my sins now.
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Approve of Me. No New Covenant is God.
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I know that I've sinned, and I see Christ on that cross and I
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believe that he made the payment, Me.
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Justified before God by faith. If you have never made that
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conscious decision, make it tonight and guess what?
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As we just heard in Acts 17, 24 to 28, he is not far from each
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one of us for in him. We live and move and have our
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being. He's right here.
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Call out to him right here and everything can change for you in
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this Bible study tonight. What we're studying week after
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week is not just some information for a religious
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group that has nothing better to do on a Friday.
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We believe the very words of God are given through this text and
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they give life and life eternal. I hope that our hearts are
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stirred. That Christ is the thread
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through all these texts. And now, what these people in
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the old Covenant were looking forward to is what you and I can
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experience today. I conclude with this again. when
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you think of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, Who is Christ
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symbolized by in that story? Isaac.
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And look what it says about Isaac.
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Verse 5 of Genesis 22, then Abraham said to his young men
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stay here with the donkey I and the boy will go over there to
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worship and come again to you and Abraham took the wood of the
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burnt offering. And laid it on Isaac, his son.
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That even in Genesis 22. Isaac was supposed to become a
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burnt offering and God said no I'll send my son to become that
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all-consuming. All satisfying sacrifice for all
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Humanity for all time. Hebrews 2:9 says he tasted death
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for every man. O people of God that we would
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worship Him. Worship Him and light of the
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fact that he is the satisfying sacrifice for you and me, and
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this is our worship as Romans. 12 says, not repeating songs off
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a screen though. That is an element of it.
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But saying, Lord, hears every piece on the altar.
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Every piece, every member of who I am dedicated, not to
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unrighteousness, but the righteousness and Lord let it be
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a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto you.