Jesus Our Sufficient Sacrifice

and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

Now we don't have a temple to go to today, and we don't go running around sacrificing animals.

We'd have the animal rights group after us if we did things like that.

But I think we still make our own little sacrifices, don't we?

Paul Tripp, a great writer who I encourage you to read,

in this little book of his it's called Whiter Than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy.

It's just one page little writing, some of them stories, some of them poems.

And in this one he writes about us offering our sacrifices to deal with our guilt.

This is what he says, perhaps if I give you some of my time,

perhaps if I give you some of my strength,

perhaps if I give you some of my things,

perhaps if I give you some of my thoughts,

perhaps if I give you some of my success,

perhaps if I give you some of my relationships,

surely these sacrifices would bring you delight.

Surely these offerings will bring you joy.

I'm quite willing to give a tithe.

I'm quite willing to interrupt my schedule.

I'm quite willing to volunteer to serve.

I'm quite willing to do my part.

But I get the sense it will never satisfy.

I get the sense that this momentary giving,

this momentary service,

this momentary ministry,

this momentary sacrifice,

will not satisfy or deal with guilt.

The problem is,

our sacrifices do nothing to clean our guilty conscience.

Look at verse 2 again.

If it could,

would we not have stopped offering our sacrifices?

They would have cleansed us once and for all,

and we would no longer feel guilty for our sins,

past and present.

So what can deal with our guilty conscience?

Well, first thing we want to look at is,

why our sacrifices always fail.

Our sacrifices always fail.

Our sacrifice,

whatever form it takes,

never deals with the problem of guilt.

Look at the middle of verse 1 of chapter 10.

Or we'll read all of verse 1.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming,

not the realities themselves.

For this reason,

it can never,

by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly,

year after year,

make perfect those who draw near to worship.

The same idea is expressed back in chapter 9, verse 9.

Here he's been talking about the whole temple

and sacrificial system,

and this is his conclusion.

He says,

this is an illustration for the present time,

indicating that the gifts and the sacrifices being offered

were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper.

Literally,

these sacrifices could never perfect the conscience

of the one coming to God.

Now, it's important for us to grasp

how useless our sacrifices are.

Two things.

First,

first,

our sacrifices don't clean us of our guilt.

Look at verse 2 of chapter 10.

If they could,

would they not have stopped being offered?

For the worshippers would have been cleansed once and for all,

and would no longer have felt guilty.

It's not surprising,

is it,

that whenever we say or do something wrong,

we have this feeling of being dirty and unclean.

We've all experienced that.

And in a desperate attempt to try and feel clean,

we sacrifice.

We make more of an effort in our lives.

We get more involved,

or we take part in a new ministry,

or we give a bit more money,

but they don't make us clean on the inside.

Chapter 9,

verse 13.

It says there,

it's a mask,

it's a cover-up.

We feel a little bit better when we do something good.

Others look at us and think that we're also doing very well,

but inside,

we're unclean.

We feel dirty.

Still suffering under a weight of condemnation.

Still feeling a useless failure.

No good to God or to anybody else.

Sacrifices don't clean us of guilt.

Second,

they just remind us of all of our guilt.

Look at verse 3 of chapter 10.

But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.

You know,

every time we sin and every time we mess up,

we fall into this trap of thinking,

I can deal with my guilt.

All I need to do is just add a little bit more to my little sacrifices,

and then everything is going to be okay.

But in the act of sacrificing,

whether it's just giving up a little bit of time to help somebody else,

whether it's reading my Bible a little bit more,

or just putting in an extra few prayers,

every time we sacrifice,

all we're doing is just reminding ourselves again and again

of my sin today and my sin from the past.

That's all we're doing.

We're heaping guilt upon guilt.

Sacrifices don't clear our conscience.

All they do is remind us

of how terrible we are

and what a failure we are.

That is the problem of our sacrifices.

They just fail.

Look back at verse 1,

the middle of verse 1 of chapter 10.

For this reason,

it can never,

by the same sacrifices

repeated endlessly

year after year,

make perfect

those who draw near to worship.

Now how many of us

live in that relentless cycle?

Making repeated sacrifices

week after week,

year after year,

struggling with sins of the past,

struggling with sins of today,

with the weight of it upon us

somehow trying to get it out of our lives

and the memory of it gone.

And we increase our commitment,

we raise our effort,

we take on more responsibility,

or we just hide away

and we suffer

with our guilty conscience

that just cripples us

and crushes us.

It reminds us

that we are in desperate need

of a better sacrifice

than what we could ever offer.

And that's the big second picture

that I want us to grasp.

That not only do our sacrifices

always fail,

but the sacrifice of Jesus

is so much better.

Instead of us making sacrifices,

Jesus becomes the sacrifice

for us.

Verse 5 of chapter 10.

Therefore,

when Christ came into the world,

he said,

quoting Psalm 40,

sacrifice and offering

you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me.

He's saying it's

when Christ came into the world,

he came in as a physical human being

like one of us.

With burnt offerings

and sin offerings,

you were not pleased.

Then he said,

here I am,

it is written about me

in the scroll,

I have come to do your will,

O God.

Well, what is God's will

for Jesus and for us?

Look at verse 8.

Then he said,

sacrifices and offerings

and burnt offerings

and sin offerings

you did not desire,

nor were you pleased with them,

although the law required them

to be made.

Yes, God had said in his law

that sacrifices were to be made,

but only because they pointed forward

to a better

and a greater sacrifice to come.

Verse 9.

Then he said,

here I am,

I have come to do your will.

He sets aside the first,

he puts aside this old system

to establish the second,

to bring about a new way,

a new sacrifice.

The sacrifices of the animals

that we read about

in the Old Testament,

all they are there to do

is to point us forward

to something better

and to someone greater.

Or go back to chapter 10,

verse 1.

He says there the law

which is encompassing

the whole of this whole

sacrificial system,

he says it's only a shadow

of the good things

that are coming.

They are not the realities themselves.

And if we are to follow

the shadow through

of the Old Testament,

all these old sacrifices,

if we follow that shadow

and we reach the end

of that shadow,

we meet the person

of Jesus Christ,

the true sacrifice.

It is his shadow

that falls back

across the Old Testament

and it's the person of Jesus

that we meet in the new.

And he's saying to us

in these few verses here,

the only sacrifice

that is going to work,

the only sacrifice

that is going to deal

with our guilty conscience,

past and present,

is that of Jesus Christ.

Two things about this sacrifice.

First,

the sacrifice of Jesus

makes us perfect.

Look at verse 10.

He says,

and by that will

we have been made holy

through the sacrifice

of the body

of Jesus Christ.

Through his death

on the cross

we have been made holy.

We get the same idea

in verse 14.

Because by one sacrifice

he has made perfect

forever

those who are living

holy lives.

Now when we talk

about perfection here

being made perfect

we don't mean

a moral perfection

where we never mess up

and sin again.

It's not a moral perfection.

It's all about

a relational perfection

where we can now

relate to God

and enjoy God

and love God

and serve God

even though

we mess up

and fail

again and again.

it's not a moral perfection

where we will never

mess up and sin.

It's about

a relational perfection

where we can still

serve God

and relate to God

and enjoy God

even though

we keep

messing up

day after day.

Look back at chapter 7

and we'll try and get

a bigger picture of this.

Chapter 7 verse 18.

Again it's contrasting here

our sacrifice

and the perfect sacrifice

of Christ

and what that does

for us.

Verse 18 of chapter 7

The former regulation

that's the old

sacrificial system

is set aside

why?

Because it is weak

and useless

for the law

made nothing perfect.

Our sacrifices

do not do anything

for us.

And a better hope

is introduced.

That's Jesus

by which we draw

near to God.

By which we can

have a relationship

with God

and enjoy Him.

Go to chapter 9

verse 13 again.

Again look at the contrast.

Chapter 9 verse 13.

The blood of goats

and bulls

and the ashes

of a heifer

sprinkled on those

who are ceremonially

unclean

sanctify them

so that they are

outwardly clean.

How much more then

will the blood

of Christ

who through

the eternal

Spirit

offered Himself

unblemished to God

cleanse our

consciences

from acts

that lead to death

so that we can

or that we may

serve

the living God.

Christ's sacrifice

deals with

our guilt

so that we can

relate to God

that we can

enjoy Him.

Verse 14

is talking about

the blood of Christ

it's about His death.

When we think blood

we think a mess

we think a stain.

But the picture here

is that

through Jesus

His blood

becomes the

cleansing agent

for our guilty

conscience.

His sacrifice

applied to

our lives

perfects us

relationally

so that

look at the end

of verse 14

of chapter 9

so that we can

serve the living God

even though

we continually

mess up and fail.

How many times

do we get it

into our heads

that where something

goes wrong

we say something

or do something

we're overcome

with guilt

we think

we cannot serve

God anymore

I can't do it.

But He cleanses

our conscience

so that we can

serve

the living God.

I think I've

mentioned this

before but I was

plagued

as a teenager

with this.

For years

I had a Bible

beside me

and

well my parents

always encouraged

me to read it

and I would

constantly move it

I would never read it

but I would move it

around the room

just to give the

impression that

I'd read it.

But the reason

why I could never

read it

the reason why

I felt I could

never do anything

for God

was because

of guilt.

and I still

sometimes fall

into that trap

and we all

do.

We feel

we can't

serve

we can't

do anything

but He has

cleansed our

conscience

so that we

can.

The sacrifice

of Jesus

makes us

perfect.

Second

the sacrifice

of Jesus

is sufficient.

Verse 11

of chapter 10

Day after day

every priest

stands

and performs

his religious

duties.

Again and again

he offers the

same sacrifice

which can never

take away sins.

But when this

priest

that's Jesus

had offered

for all time

one sacrifice

for sins

he sat down

at the right

hand of God.

Like our

sacrifices

the priest

here

had to offer

sacrifices

again and

again and

again.

He was so

busy making

sacrifices

look at verse 11

he was always

having to stand

and perform

his religious

duties.

He could never

sit down

and have a

break.

No sooner

was one

sacrifice done

then he had

to do another

one and by

the time

he'd finished

that the

person who

had started

was there

again.

And no

sooner do

we make

one sacrifice

for sin

then we're

having to

make another

one again

and again.

But when

Jesus

sacrificed

himself for

us

verse 12

look at

what he

does.

He's not

standing and

performing his

religious duties

what does he

do?

He sat

down

at the

right hand

of God.

It's telling

us that his

sacrifice

is complete.

It's

sufficient.

We don't

need to

be adding

our little

acts of

sacrifice.

It's done.

It's final.

It's over.

It is

finished.

But more

than that

the impact

of this

what we

might call

a once

for all

sacrifice

is that

it's

eternal.

Look at

verse 14.

Because

by one

sacrifice

he has

made

perfect

forever.

He doesn't

make us

perfect for

one day

and then we

have to

kind of go

back again

and start

all over

again.

It doesn't

mean that

kind of at

the end

of a

month or

at the

end of

a year

we kind

of have

to do

something

extra

special.

No,

because of

one

sacrifice

he has

made

perfect

forever.

He removes

the stain

of our

guilt

perfectly

and

sufficiently.

Everything

dealt

with.

Now the

big question

is this.

How can

we,

how can

I

experience

a

cleansed

guilty

conscience

so that

I can

live my

life fully

for God

and no

longer be

plagued

and bogged

down

in my

guilt?

Well,

third,

how the

sacrifice

of Jesus

is

experienced

and becomes

a reality

in our

lives.

If we're

going to

experience

the benefits

of a

cleansed

guilty

conscience

then we

need two

things

and we

find them

in verses

15 to

18.

The two

things we

need

is the

word of

God

and the

spirit

of

God.

Not

separately

but

together.

The word

of God

and the

spirit

of God

working

together

in

partnership.

First,

the word

of God,

verse 15.

The Holy

Spirit also

testifies to

us about

this.

First he

says,

this is the

covenant I

will make

with them.

After that

time,

says the

Lord,

I will put

my laws

in their

hearts and

I will

write them

on their

minds.

Now some

of you will

know that

this quote

here in

verse 16

is a quote

from the

prophet

Jeremiah

about a

new covenant,

a new

relationship

that God

has promised

to his

people,

one we

enjoy today.

But instead

of saying

in verse

15,

Jeremiah

testifies to

them,

look at

what it

says,

the Holy

Spirit also

testifies to

us.

What

Jeremiah

spoke to

the people

then is

the same

word that

the Holy

Spirit speaks

to us

today.

As we

read the

word of

God,

so the

Spirit of

God takes

that same

word and

applies it

to our

lives.

So what

does this

word tell

us?

Well,

look at

the end

of verse

16.

He says,

I will

put my

laws in

their

hearts and

I will

write them

on their

minds.

So rather

than our

hearts being

filled with

a guilty

conscience,

our hearts

are now

filled with

God's

word.

Rather

than our

minds being

weighed down

with an

unclean

conscience,

our minds

are now

set on

God's

pure

word.

And the

Spirit takes

that which

is in

our hearts

and our

minds and

he begins

to work

it out

into our

lives.

Which brings

us to the

second part

of this.

It's not

just the

word of

God we

need,

we need

the Spirit

of God.

Verse 17.

Then he

adds,

their sins

and lawless

acts I

will remember

no more.

And where

these have

been forgiven,

there is

no longer

any sacrifice

for sin.

Our

conscience

has been

cleansed.

Therefore,

verse 17,

God has

no remembrance,

he has

no record

of our

sin.

And the

Spirit takes

that word,

the truth

about Jesus

and what he

has done

for us,

and he

constantly

reminds us

of what

we have.

Every time

we think

of our

sin and

we think

I'm useless,

I'm too

much of

a failure,

I can

do

nothing.

Supernaturally,

the Spirit

takes the

word and

brings to

our memory

that our

guilt is

gone.

There's

sins and

lawless

acts I

remember

no more,

I remember

no more,

I remember

no more.

But more

than that,

look back at

verse 16

again,

the last

part.

He says,

I will

put my

laws in

their hearts

and I

will write

them on

their minds.

It's like

the Spirit

takes the

word and

carves

conscience

cleansed

across our

hearts.

It's as if

it's been

carved into

our lives.

So every

time we're

tempted to

think of

how awful

or how

bad,

the Spirit

helps us

to see

what Christ

has done.

You see,

a heart

that is

filled with

God's

word will

no longer

be crushed

by guilt.

A mind

that is

filled with

God's

word will

no longer

be crippled

by guilt

because the

Holy Spirit

takes that

word,

applies it

to our

lives,

constantly

reminding

us,

speaking to

us,

that our

conscience

has been

cleansed.

The

documentary

that I

mentioned

at the

beginning,

one of

those

children,

he was

standing

before an

audience

just like

this,

and he

was talking

about

all the

atrocities

that had

happened

in World

War II,

and he

was reminding

the people

there that

his grandfather

was responsible

for all

of those

acts.

And one

of the

pupils

asked,

how did

he feel,

and he

said,

I just

feel this

overwhelming

sense of

guilt and

shame.

And then

there was

this old

man in

the corner,

and he

waved his

hand,

and he

said,

I was in

one of

those camps.

my family

had been

killed by

your

grandfather.

And he

walked up

to the

front,

and he

embraced

this man,

embraced

him.

And they

cried,

it was

emotional,

and he

said,

it's not

remembered,

it's gone,

it's gone.

And I

think just

that image,

that picture,

and that's

what I want

us to go

away with

here,

is that

it's like

the Spirit

and the

Word come

to us,

and they

embrace us

and put

their arms

around us,

reminding

us and

telling us,

your guilty

conscience

has been

cleansed.

you don't

need to

bring it

with you

anymore.

It's

gone.

It's

finished.

It's

over.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

I'm

just

going to

read

a verse

that comes

from

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:22

verse 22.

And then

I'm going

to pause

and I'd

just like

there to

be some

silence

that each

one here

can reflect

on what

we've

said,

can confess

where we

need to

confess,

and can

ask God

that by

His Spirit

He would

take His

Word

and give

us that

sense of

a cleansed

conscience.

let us

draw near

to God

with a

sincere

heart

in full

assurance

of faith,

having our

hearts

sprinkled

to cleanse

us from

a guilty

conscience,

and having

our bodies

washed

with pure

water.

Let us

draw near

to God

with full

assurance,

and have

our hearts

sprinkled

to cleanse

us from

a guilty

conscience.

Let's

just talk

to God

individually

in our own

hearts.

Let's do

that now.

команд

to

ctoral

mówi

bears

from

to

Russians

to

a

moil

enjoying

the

stations

to

have

ihn

at

All right.

How much more then will the blood of Christ cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God?

Father, help us to live in the freedom that you have given us.

You have set us free.

Help us to love you.

Help us to enjoy you.

Help us to live with you.

Giving of our lives in response in full sacrifice to you.

As an offering of our praise and our thanksgiving for all that you have done.

We thank you for the great God you are.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

We're going to sing a great song that takes some of these themes and these thoughts.

it's a song that takes us to the cross

it takes us to Calvary

it shows us the perfect

and sufficient sacrifice

of the Lord Jesus

who dies for us

who took the blame

who bore the wrath

who takes all our guilt

and all our shame

cleans our conscience

once and for all

never to be remembered

let's stand and sing

and give our thanks to God

Amen

Oh to see the dawn

of the darkest day

Christ on the road

to Calvary

try by sinful men

torn and beaten then

nailed to a cross

Christ on the cross

Christ became

name for us

took the blame

for the last week

for the last week

and forgiven

and forgiven

and forgiven

Oh to see the pain

written on your face

bearing the awesome

every bitter thought

every evil deed

crowning your blood

crowning your blood

and brown

and forgiven

this is the power

of the cross

of the cross

Christ became

Christ became

Christ became

sin for us

sin for us

took the blame

for the last week

during the extraordinaire

in capuch