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Exodus - The Blood of the Lamb

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  1. You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

  2. Our passion is to experience and express grace.

  3. Join us.

  4. Turn with me this morning to Exodus chapter 12.

    Exodus 12 chapter mention

  5. We're going to be looking this morning at the story of the Passover, the story of God's

  6. people from which that song, that beautiful offertory they just sang, originates.

  7. We're talking together as we head towards Easter about images of the cross, getting a

  8. picture of what it is that God has done for us through sending His Son to die and to rise

  9. on Easter from the dead.

  10. We're looking at some Old Testament passages that serve as foreshadows, as images that will

  11. help us understand more of what Jesus did and appreciate more fully that climactic event

  12. in all of human history.

  13. Last week we looked at Leviticus chapter 16 at the Day of Atonement and we saw that Jesus

    Leviticus 16 chapter mention

  14. is our scapegoat.

  15. The one who's sent away from the presence of God so that we can be welcomed in to God's

  16. presence.

  17. We were focusing on the issue of our being unclean, defiled, not worthy of being near a

  18. holy God, unable to be near Him and live.

  19. But God in His grace is determined to dwell with us, isn't He?

  20. He's so committed to that that He sends His Son away to die so that we can come near Him

  21. and live.

  22. This morning as we prepare to come to the Lord's table, I want us to look back at the

  23. first Passover.

  24. To think specifically about not just our uncleanness and being defiled, but our sin.

  25. To think about our sin and the problem that it creates for us.

  26. How the cross of Christ addresses the problem of our sin.

  27. Before we read, remember the context of this fateful night for God's people.

  28. They have been slaves in Egypt for years and years.

  29. And God has raised up Moses to go to Pharaoh.

  30. And what's Moses going to tell Pharaoh?

  31. Let my people go.

  32. And Pharaoh refuses over and over.

  33. Pharaoh refuses to let his slaves go.

  34. And he and the Egyptians have suffered through nine terrible plagues already.

  35. Where God puts on display His power over creation and over all the other gods of Egypt.

  36. But still, Pharaoh refuses to release the slaves to let God's people go.

  37. And so God threatens one final plague.

  38. The death of the firstborn of every household and every animal in the land of Egypt.

  39. And God comes to His people and He says,

  40. And here's what I want you to do in light of that.

  41. You're going to take a lamb.

  42. And what we were just singing about in that song.

  43. You're going to put His blood on the door.

  44. And let's read about what God says to His people.

  45. Exodus 12.

  46. We'll start at verse 12.

  47. We'll read verses 12 and 13 right now.

  48. This is God's word to His people.

  49. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night.

  50. And I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

  51. Both man and beast.

  52. And on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.

  53. I am the Lord.

  54. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.

  55. And when I see the blood I will pass over you.

  56. And no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

  57. Pray with me.

  58. Father, we have sung about this.

  59. We have read about this.

  60. Would You help our hearts to understand Your word.

  61. Would we know not just about facts and events that took place many, many centuries ago.

  62. Would we know what You would have them to mean and to do in our hearts today.

  63. Would You show us Jesus again clearly this morning.

  64. And would You give us joy in what He has done for us.

  65. We ask it in His name.

  66. Amen.

  67. I am not probably the most skittish person in the world when it comes to blood.

  68. But I am enough skittish that I would not be a good surgeon.

  69. Okay.

  70. The sight of too much blood makes me a little bit queasy.

  71. Anybody else?

  72. Am I?

  73. Yeah.

  74. Okay.

  75. Many of us.

  76. That's just not our thing.

  77. I remember going with my wife when she was pregnant with Caitlin to all of those prenatal

  78. appointments.

  79. It seemed like the thing that a loving husband would do.

  80. Right.

  81. And they kept drawing blood every time.

  82. And I'd have to find a wall to kind of lean against while that happened.

  83. Because I was a little lightheaded watching that.

  84. So we eventually decided that while it sounded like the loving husband thing to do.

  85. That maybe making sure Christy didn't go to the hospital for me when she was the one pregnant

  86. was wise.

  87. Just keep your distance a little bit during that part of the appointments.

  88. I think part of my discomfort with blood comes from the fact that I so rarely have to deal

  89. with it.

  90. I'm protected in many ways from many of the bloody parts of life that most societies for

  91. generations and generations in the history of human society would have had to face just

  92. for survival.

  93. Just to eat day in and day out.

  94. My hamburger is made for me most often.

  95. I don't think that I've ever met a cow that I also knew as a hamburger.

  96. I don't walk through that whole process.

  97. But in an agrarian society this would be very different.

  98. Right.

  99. Blood would be much more common.

  100. In ancient Israel blood would have been even more commonplace because of all the sacrifices

  101. that were going on.

  102. Right.

  103. Constantly they're making these sacrifices.

  104. They're seeing them.

  105. They're seeing blood very regularly.

  106. And what blood meant in that culture was life.

  107. It's often very helpful to realize that when you're studying the Old Testament that blood

  108. represents life which makes sense doesn't it?

  109. Our bodies without blood in them are dead.

  110. Lifeless.

  111. Blood is a matter of life and death isn't it?

  112. And that's actually why blood comes up in the story of the Passover.

  113. Because this is a story about life and death.

  114. The sin of the idolatrous unjust Egyptians has caught the attention of God.

  115. And in a unique way his just judgment has begun to be unleashed on them.

  116. And flies and boils and locusts and darkness.

  117. And now death itself.

  118. Look at verse 12.

  119. I will pass through the land of Egypt that night.

  120. And I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

  121. Both man and beast.

  122. And on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.

  123. I am the Lord.

  124. I am Yahweh.

  125. And I will come and the firstborn in every home in Egypt.

  126. And in every livestock in Egypt will die.

  127. Yahweh is a just God who punishes sin.

  128. God's just judgment on sin is certain.

  129. This verse is assuring us of that.

  130. It will happen.

  131. He will come and He will judge and He will bring death.

  132. In fact if you flip forward to verse 29 we read what happened that Passover night.

  133. At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

  134. From the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne.

  135. To the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon.

  136. And all the firstborn of the livestock.

  137. And Pharaoh rose up in the night.

  138. He and all his servants and all the Egyptians.

  139. And there was a great cry in Egypt.

  140. For there was not a house where someone was not dead.

  141. Can you imagine that?

  142. Across the whole nation of Egypt.

  143. Not a house in which someone was not dead.

  144. Death has come in this passage.

  145. Mankind's rebellion against God has always been a matter of life and death.

  146. All the way back to the garden, right?

  147. Where Adam and Eve are told you must not eat of the fruit of this tree.

  148. Or you will what?

  149. Surely die.

  150. In the New Testament, Romans 6.23.

  151. We find out that the wages of sin is death.

  152. It is what our sin earns us with a holy God.

  153. We are turning in our sin from the one who gives life.

  154. The one who created it and gives life to all.

  155. And we are choosing death.

  156. God says.

  157. That's what we've earned.

  158. That's what we deserve.

  159. That's what a wage is.

  160. Another way to say it would be to say that the blood of sinners is demanded by the just God of the universe.

  161. It must be taken.

  162. Their life is forfeit.

  163. They're facing the punishment due for their sin.

  164. That's where we all find ourselves, isn't it?

  165. Not just the Egyptians.

  166. In a scary place.

  167. Facing the punishment of our sins.

  168. Jonathan Edwards described it as sinners in the hands of an angry God in a famous sermon of his.

  169. That there we are and we've earned God's wrath.

  170. A God who promises by his very character to punish sin.

  171. To punish those who are convicted and are guilty.

  172. And we stand as such.

  173. For those of us who are sinners by nature.

  174. For every selfish desire.

  175. For every careless word.

  176. For every neglected duty.

  177. We deserve to die.

  178. It is our blood that is demanded by the just God of the universe.

  179. My campus minister in college used this picture to describe our situation.

  180. I don't have a lot of object lessons.

  181. I'm just not really good at that as a teacher in general.

  182. But this is one of them that had an impact on me.

  183. Kids, you can probably help us with this object lesson this morning.

  184. What's this?

  185. Can you see what this is?

  186. This is an egg.

  187. It's a white egg.

  188. You don't really know what's inside, do you?

  189. For sure.

  190. But this is an egg.

  191. And this egg is a lot like we are.

  192. As sinners before God.

  193. We may look nice and clean on the outside.

  194. It's white, isn't it?

  195. Nice and shiny and clean.

  196. But we are sinners.

  197. We like to do things our own way.

  198. We have hateful thoughts in our heads.

  199. We say things to others that are unkind.

  200. Things that are untrue.

  201. We're sinners.

  202. Even though we sometimes look good on the outside.

  203. We are sinners.

  204. And so the hammer of God's wrath.

  205. Yes, see, this is also helpful because we used hammers at the work day.

  206. But I didn't really know what they were for.

  207. The rest of the guys knew what to do with them.

  208. I'm going to use them for a sermon illustration.

  209. But the hammer of God's wrath is what we deserve for our sin.

  210. That He's just and God punishes sinners who say unkind things and who do things their own way.

  211. And who have hateful thoughts in their hearts.

  212. It is certain that God's wrath will come down on sin, isn't it?

  213. He promises that it will.

  214. God must punish sin.

  215. That's who He is.

  216. And so, kids, how do you think it goes when the hammer of God's wrath comes down on us sinners?

  217. When it smashes?

  218. We'll wait for that.

  219. What would have happened?

  220. How would the egg have done?

  221. How do sinners fare in light of the hammer of God's wrath towards their sin?

  222. It would crush us, wouldn't it?

  223. It would destroy us and no one would ever sit on the front row of church again.

  224. Although that's not a problem already.

  225. These aren't the ones y'all fight over, are they?

  226. Right up here.

  227. You didn't even know I was doing this.

  228. But that's what would happen is that God's wrath would crush us.

  229. It is coming towards us.

  230. It's coming down on our sin.

  231. And then it stops.

  232. Because there's something else going on in this story of the Passover, isn't there?

  233. What happens as God has promised that the angel of death is coming?

  234. That He's coming to take blood, to kill for sin.

  235. God has a plan for His people.

  236. He tells every family to do what?

  237. To take a one-year-old lamb without blemish or defect, to get that pure, spotless lamb,

  238. to kill it.

  239. And to take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts of their houses.

  240. It looks kind of like that second panel.

  241. Sorry, go back for just a second.

  242. It looks just like that second panel up there.

  243. Some blood on the doorposts of the house, right?

  244. That's what they're going to do with the blood of the lamb that each family has killed.

  245. And so what did God promise would happen when they did that?

  246. Verse 13 again.

  247. The blood is going to be a sign for you on the houses where you are.

  248. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

  249. And no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

  250. What does God say to His people?

  251. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

  252. Instead of the angel of death coming in to take the life of the firstborn,

  253. he will pass over.

  254. That's where we get the word Passover, right?

  255. The angel of death would see the blood and pass over those homes.

  256. The homes of God's people.

  257. No firstborn son would die.

  258. No person at all would die in that home.

  259. But a lamb would die, wouldn't it?

  260. In every home where no person would die, a lamb would die.

  261. So that his blood could be put on the door frames of the house.

  262. It would die in place of the firstborn son.

  263. The lamb would be the substitute and would protect the firstborn son from death.

  264. Because blood had to be shed.

  265. But God graciously accepts the blood of a substitute in place of the one whose blood deserved to be shed.

  266. In other words, when we look at the cross and think about what's happening on the cross of Christ,

  267. even though God's judgment for sin is certain,

  268. Christ's death for sin is sufficient.

  269. Just as the blood of the lamb protected all these firstborn sons in Israel,

  270. so the blood of the lamb covers us from God's wrath.

  271. Back to the egg for just a second.

  272. Here we are sinners, right?

  273. Facing God's just wrath.

  274. He's coming.

  275. His wrath has to crush us for our sin.

  276. And then something else happens.

  277. And then Jesus comes.

  278. And instead of the hammer of God's wrath coming down on sinners and crushing them because of their sin,

  279. Jesus on the cross receives the wrath of God poured out on Him for sin.

  280. What deserved to hit us instead is poured out on Jesus.

  281. And the full weight of God's wrath comes crashing down on Jesus on the cross.

  282. It was the will of God to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.

  283. So that those of us who are protected by the blood of the lamb are safe.

  284. Because the hammer didn't stop, but someone else stood in the way.

  285. Someone else's blood was shed.

  286. We are saved by what?

  287. By the blood of the lamb, right?

  288. That's what saves us.

  289. Not because we were strong.

  290. Not because we were better than the next guy.

  291. Not because we held up to God's scrutiny.

  292. But because the blood of the lamb covers us.

  293. Put the blood of the lamb on the doorway.

  294. And death will pass right over.

  295. That was Israel's hope.

  296. That's our hope.

  297. That it's the blood of the lamb that protects us.

  298. You see, as we look at the cross and as we wonder at what Jesus has done,

  299. we've got to realize that the hammer of God's wrath is coming.

  300. It's serious because of our sin.

  301. Some people have suggested that the death of Jesus on the cross

  302. was just a way to set a good example for us.

  303. Or that it was a way for God to teach us about sin and about sacrificial love.

  304. And we should learn some things from it.

  305. But in fact, the story of Passover reminds us that our blood was on the line.

  306. Not just us learning some new information.

  307. The wrath of God against our sin was great.

  308. And He poured it out on Jesus instead of on us.

  309. He crushed His Son on the cross instead of crushing us.

  310. That's what happens when Jesus goes to the cross.

  311. When He sheds His blood.

  312. God takes Jesus' blood as full payment for our great debt.

  313. It's Hebrews in talking about these things that reminds us that

  314. without the shedding of blood,

  315. there is no forgiveness of sins.

  316. Blood has to be shed, right?

  317. There has to be a Lamb if you're going to survive the Passover night.

  318. And for us, there's a Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

  319. John chapter 1.

    John 1 chapter mention

  320. You may be familiar with the way 1 Peter writes about it.

  321. That Jesus comes and it's not that we were ransomed from the ways we'd inherited from our fathers

  322. with perishable things like silver or gold.

  323. What ransoms us?

  324. What pays our penalty?

  325. The precious blood of Christ.

  326. Like that of a Lamb without blemish or spot.

  327. That's what protects you.

  328. It's the blood of the Lamb.

  329. What can wash away my sins?

  330. What can protect me from the wrath of God?

  331. What can rescue me from eternal death and provide for me life?

  332. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

  333. It is absolutely sufficient for the worst sinner.

  334. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

  335. So where the blood of the Lamb covers the sinner,

  336. there is no condemnation any longer.

  337. For anything you've done in the past,

  338. for anything you will do in the future,

  339. the blood of Jesus has protected you from the wrath of God for your sin.

  340. Before we celebrate this at the Lord's table,

  341. let me apply this truth to at least three areas of our lives.

  342. Three times when seeing this aspect of the cross,

  343. the blood of Christ covering us from God's wrath

  344. and offering us life instead of death really transforms us.

  345. I think the first area it helps us is when we're spiritually dry.

  346. Like my throat.

  347. When you feel little passion for God,

  348. when you get to those places in your life

  349. where you just don't get passionate about anything spiritual,

  350. the zeal is not there.

  351. There's no joy at all toward the things of God.

  352. Maybe other things are creeping in

  353. and they're starting to seem more valuable to you,

  354. more important,

  355. to be more worthy of your time.

  356. You know you're always worshipping, right?

  357. We're always worshipping something.

  358. And we go through those seasons

  359. where the worship of our hearts is not going towards God,

  360. that other things seem more valuable

  361. or we treasure them more

  362. or we love them more.

  363. So maybe your heart is longing

  364. for any number of things other than God

  365. and being with Him.

  366. Maybe you're tired of trusting God

  367. like perhaps the Israelites in Egypt may have been.

  368. Years upon years without seeing any results

  369. and you're tired and you're down because of that.

  370. You're just spiritually dry.

  371. You know what that feels like.

  372. God's deliverance of His people

  373. at the Passover

  374. becomes the source

  375. through the rest of the Old Testament

  376. until the cross of Jesus.

  377. That deliverance at the Passover

  378. becomes the source

  379. of their praise and worship of God.

  380. They look back to it constantly

  381. and it brings them to praise Him.

  382. It starts just on the other side of the Red Sea,

  383. doesn't it?

  384. When they start writing and singing songs

  385. celebrating God's deliverance.

  386. And then every year at Passover,

  387. they stop and they celebrate it again.

  388. God has delivered them from captivity.

  389. One psalm after another

  390. that they sing every Sabbath day

  391. references this great redemption

  392. and the blood of the Lamb

  393. through which they were spared.

  394. Are you spiritually dry today?

  395. Has your zeal for God waned?

  396. Has your passion for His worship

  397. seemed to disappear?

  398. You just don't feel anything at all.

  399. Come see the cross again this morning.

  400. Get a fresh glimpse

  401. of what Jesus has done for you.

  402. How God has delivered you eternally

  403. through the blood of the Lamb.

  404. One of the things I love about this church

  405. is that's the theme of all of our worship

  406. when we gather corporately every week.

  407. That it's what God has done for us in Christ

  408. to deliver us

  409. and we gather to praise Him for that

  410. and to rejoice and encourage each other

  411. because of it.

  412. The good news of our deliverance

  413. through our substitute

  414. ask God this morning to renew your zeal

  415. to enliven your heart again

  416. at the marvel of your deliverance

  417. from the hammer of His wrath

  418. by the blood of the Lamb.

  419. So we need this glimpse of the cross

  420. when we're spiritually dry

  421. but also when we're spiritually proud.

  422. When do you get spiritually proud?

  423. There's almost always something going on

  424. when that starts to happen.

  425. You're usually comparing yourselves to others.

  426. Right?

  427. That's where spiritual pride comes from.

  428. We compare ourselves to others

  429. and we start to feel strong

  430. or at least stronger than you

  431. or worthy

  432. or at least worthier than someone else

  433. we happen to have in mind.

  434. And perhaps it's what Israel

  435. would have been tempted to feel

  436. coming out of Egypt

  437. and entering the promised land

  438. that they were better than these other nations.

  439. Right?

  440. Perhaps they were spared

  441. because even though they weren't perfect

  442. they weren't like that politician

  443. or they weren't like those other parents

  444. who do things that way.

  445. Maybe they walked into the promised land

  446. and looked around

  447. and look at the leaders

  448. of these other nations

  449. immoral kings

  450. leading their people into idolatry

  451. and they began to feel

  452. a little bit better about themselves.

  453. Look at these parents

  454. and the nations around us

  455. and what they do with their children

  456. sacrificing children to idols.

  457. Awful.

  458. And they felt like pretty good parents.

  459. They started to feel strong.

  460. And Passover is intended to remind them

  461. that Yahweh alone is the strong one.

  462. That He is the one

  463. who brought them out of Egypt

  464. with a strong hand

  465. and an outstretched arm.

  466. It is the Lord's Passover.

  467. Verse 27.

  468. Verse 51 says

  469. Yahweh brought us out.

  470. That's what we celebrate.

  471. That's what we tell our children.

  472. Yahweh brought us out.

  473. You know, sometimes we kind of think

  474. our eggshells a little bit stronger

  475. and brighter and shinier than others.

  476. You know, we've been working on it.

  477. We've done some good things.

  478. We certainly haven't been to the places

  479. that others have.

  480. And so maybe we're looking

  481. a little bit better than them.

  482. How much is that going to help?

  483. Does it matter how white the eggshell is?

  484. Is it feeling a little bit thicker than some?

  485. I mean, what about if I hard-boiled it?

  486. Would that make a huge difference?

  487. Maybe only for the people on the front row.

  488. We weren't saved because our eggshell

  489. was a bit brighter

  490. or a little stronger than most others.

  491. Our gracious God saved us.

  492. Why?

  493. The blood of the Lamb.

  494. And our hearts that love to get prideful

  495. need to be reminded of that, don't they?

  496. Last one, last area of our lives

  497. that I think we need to see this help our hearts.

  498. I think it may be the one that would be

  499. most pertinent and most helpful for God's people.

  500. We need to see the Lamb of God

  501. in our place on the cross for our sins

  502. when we're spiritually weak.

  503. Have you ever struggled with doubts

  504. about your salvation?

  505. Do you ever wonder if heaven is really secure?

  506. Are you ever fearful that you're gonna get

  507. what's coming to you one day?

  508. Because of what you know about God,

  509. you know He's just.

  510. That He punishes sin.

  511. And you know yourself all too well, don't you?

  512. You know the things you've thought

  513. and the things you've said

  514. and the things you've done.

  515. And you start to dwell on that.

  516. And what you know about God

  517. and what you know about yourself

  518. makes you think,

  519. He's gonna find a way to get me.

  520. It's coming somehow.

  521. And you begin to see your sin

  522. and it's disgusting

  523. and it's discouraging

  524. and it makes you doubt

  525. maybe your own salvation.

  526. Maybe it happens for you

  527. in seasons of depression.

  528. Maybe it's the day after you've yelled at your kids

  529. and you feel like such a failure.

  530. Maybe it's after a tragedy has happened in your life

  531. and you feel like God's just out to get people

  532. and He's really not the kind of God

  533. you'd hoped He was

  534. and everything seems dark and hopeless.

  535. You just begin to doubt.

  536. You're fearful.

  537. Your faith seems weak.

  538. This is when we need to see

  539. the blood of the Lamb for us again.

  540. A pastor theologian named D.A. Carson

  541. suggests thinking about it this way.

  542. I think it's so helpful.

  543. He says,

  544. Go back to the first Passover.

  545. Imagine the afternoon

  546. before that first Passover night

  547. there's two Israelite fathers

  548. coming in from the field

  549. talking to each other.

  550. And the first one says,

  551. Hey, how are you feeling about tonight?

  552. And the second father says,

  553. How am I feeling about tonight?

  554. I mean, what do you mean?

  555. And the first guy says,

  556. Well, I mean this whole angel of death thing.

  557. I mean, I'm pretty scared about this.

  558. There's a lot that's been going on around here lately.

  559. It's been pretty strange.

  560. There's been flies and locusts

  561. and boils and darkness

  562. and now we hear about this angel of death

  563. and the killing of firstborn sons.

  564. And it just makes me uncomfortable.

  565. I'm pretty nervous about that.

  566. I love my kids.

  567. And the other guy says,

  568. Well, didn't you kill a lamb

  569. and put the blood on the doorposts

  570. like God told us to?

  571. And he says,

  572. Well, yeah, yeah, of course I did that.

  573. Of course I put the blood on the doorposts.

  574. I mean, God told us to.

  575. But I gotta tell you,

  576. God's pretty scary.

  577. I mean, He's done some pretty amazing things

  578. and I trust Him.

  579. I've done what He told us to do.

  580. But I gotta tell you,

  581. I'm not gonna sleep real well tonight.

  582. And the other guy says,

  583. Well, man, I don't get that.

  584. I'm gonna sleep great tonight.

  585. Yahweh told us what to do.

  586. I did it and I trust Him.

  587. I feel totally comfortable.

  588. It's just another night.

  589. I'm gonna sleep like a baby.

  590. There's nothing to worry about.

  591. Fast forward to the next morning

  592. after Passover.

  593. Which one of those fathers

  594. lost His son

  595. to the angel of death?

  596. Which one had His firstborn son die?

  597. Neither, right?

  598. Neither.

  599. Not the guy who was worried

  600. and stayed up fretting all night.

  601. Not the guy who slept through the night

  602. peacefully,

  603. confident in God's promises.

  604. Why?

  605. Because the angel of death

  606. passes over both of those homes

  607. on what basis?

  608. Because of the blood of the Lamb.

  609. Not because He looks inside

  610. and the faith of one family

  611. is stronger than the other.

  612. Not because the family inside

  613. never has doubts or fears.

  614. No.

  615. It's because of the blood

  616. of the Lamb.

  617. There's where our assurance

  618. and confidence rests,

  619. Christians.

  620. Right?

  621. It doesn't change.

  622. You can stand firm in that.

  623. The blood of the Lamb for you.

  624. That's where your hope is

  625. on your darkest days.

  626. On the days where you doubt the most.

  627. Where you feel the weakest.

  628. When the angel of death

  629. comes by your house,

  630. what matters

  631. is the blood

  632. of the Lamb.

  633. When the accuser of the brethren

  634. comes to your life,

  635. what matters

  636. is the blood

  637. of the Lamb.

  638. When the anxiety

  639. of your heart

  640. comes to the surface

  641. and you doubt and struggle,

  642. what matters

  643. is the blood

  644. of the Lamb

  645. for you

  646. in your place.

  647. When I see

  648. the blood,

  649. I will pass

  650. over you,

  651. God says.

  652. Remember again,

  653. isn't that glorious?

  654. When I see the blood,

  655. I'm looking for one thing.

  656. I'm looking for the blood

  657. of my Son

  658. covering you.

  659. Remember again,

  660. your hope is built

  661. on nothing less

  662. than Jesus' blood

  663. and His righteousness.

  664. Even as you struggle

  665. with doubts,

  666. with fears,

  667. you can say with me

  668. this morning,

  669. believe the promises

  670. of God's Word.

  671. I need

  672. no other argument.

  673. I need

  674. no other plea.

  675. It is enough

  676. that Jesus died

  677. and that He died

  678. for me.

  679. that's what

  680. this table

  681. is all about.

  682. That's why we

  683. love to celebrate it

  684. because this table

  685. says it's the blood

  686. of the Lamb

  687. that brings you

  688. into relationship

  689. with God.

  690. It's the blood

  691. of the Lamb

  692. that allows you

  693. to have a lousy week

  694. and then walk in here

  695. and act like

  696. God's okay with you.

  697. Like He loves you.

  698. Like He wants

  699. to eat with you.

  700. It's because He looks

  701. and sees the blood

  702. of the Lamb

  703. on your doorpost

  704. because the blood

  705. of the Lamb

  706. speaks better

  707. than anything

  708. you could have offered.

  709. His sins are forgiven.

  710. He's covered.

  711. The full price

  712. has been paid.

  713. Listen to the way

  714. Paul describes

  715. the institution

  716. of this sacrament

  717. in 1 Corinthians 11.

  718. Paul says,

  719. I received from the Lord

  720. what I also delivered

  721. to you

  722. that the Lord Jesus

  723. on the night

  724. when He was betrayed

  725. took bread

  726. and when He had

  727. given thanks

  728. He broke it

  729. and said,

  730. This is my body

  731. which is for you.

  732. Do this

  733. in remembrance of me.

  734. In the same way also

  735. He took the cup

  736. after supper

  737. saying,

  738. This cup is the new covenant

  739. in my blood.

  740. Do this as often

  741. as you drink it

  742. in remembrance of me.

  743. For as often

  744. as you eat this bread

  745. and drink the cup

  746. you proclaim

  747. the Lord's death

  748. until He comes.

  749. You proclaim

  750. not how well

  751. you've done.

  752. You proclaim

  753. not how well

  754. you intend

  755. to do next week.

  756. You proclaim

  757. the Lord's death

  758. when yours

  759. was the one

  760. that should have happened.

  761. You proclaim

  762. that Jesus died

  763. and shed His blood

  764. so you wouldn't

  765. have to shed yours.

  766. Amen?

  767. That's what we do

  768. at this table.

  769. That's why we celebrate

  770. the Lord's Supper

  771. because Jesus

  772. has shed His blood

  773. for us.

  774. Kids,

  775. you may,

  776. some of you

  777. who have professed

  778. faith in Christ

  779. who've joined the church

  780. get to celebrate

  781. this with us.

  782. All of you,

  783. I want you to think

  784. about something.

  785. When God's people

  786. talk about the Passover

  787. it's supposed to teach

  788. the kids something.

  789. The parents are supposed

  790. to be telling their kids

  791. this is what happened

  792. when God delivered us

  793. from Egypt.

  794. We do this

  795. because we celebrate

  796. Jesus died

  797. to deliver us

  798. from our sins.

  799. It doesn't matter

  800. how old you are,

  801. you can come up

  802. with your parents

  803. and watch

  804. and see what happens

  805. and talk with them later

  806. about what's going on

  807. and what we celebrate here.

  808. This table is for

  809. all of those

  810. who have trusted in Christ

  811. not just Presbyterians,

  812. for all those

  813. who've trusted in Him

  814. and who are actively

  815. saying,

  816. I don't want my sin

  817. to be what represents me

  818. to God,

  819. I want the blood of Jesus

  820. to be what represents me

  821. to God.

  822. All of those

  823. who have joined the church

  824. and who have publicly said,

  825. this is what I want

  826. my relationship with God

  827. to be based on.

  828. Come and feast.

  829. Kids,

  830. if you aren't yet

  831. at that point

  832. where you've talked

  833. with an elder

  834. and where you've become

  835. a member of the church

  836. and said,

  837. this is what I believe too,

  838. we'd love to talk

  839. with you about that.

  840. We get so excited

  841. when our kids

  842. understand what's going on here

  843. and know how much

  844. Jesus loves them.

  845. That's why we celebrate this.

  846. One more thing

  847. before I pray.

  848. We come to the Lord's table

  849. recognizing our sin,

  850. right?

  851. Why is there blood

  852. in the first place?

  853. Why does there have to be,

  854. why can't you just

  855. waltz in here

  856. and have dinner with God?

  857. Because of sin,

  858. right?

  859. Because our sin

  860. separates us from Him

  861. and blood has to be shed

  862. to cover that.

  863. We're going to take

  864. just a moment

  865. and privately

  866. consider our sin

  867. as we come to the table.

  868. We're not going to stop

  869. at considering our sin

  870. but we're going to start there

  871. and then let the joy

  872. of the blood of Christ

  873. covering it be ours.

  874. Take a moment,

  875. contemplate your sin,

  876. confess it to the Father

  877. and then I'll pray for us.

  878. Father, all of the things

  879. that we have just thought about

  880. and prayed and confessed to You

  881. are true.

  882. It's what we've done.

  883. It's the ways we've

  884. wandered from You.

  885. We're sinful.

  886. But it is even more true

  887. that we don't stand before You

  888. with that as our record

  889. but that the blood of the Lamb

  890. has been shed for our sins.

  891. That it fully washes them away

  892. so that we stand before You

  893. perfect and without blemish

  894. in Your sight

  895. because we have the record of Christ.

  896. Would that so encourage our hearts

  897. when we struggle,

  898. when we doubt?

  899. As we eat and drink,

  900. would You encourage our faith

  901. and strengthen it

  902. that we might trust You more?

  903. Set aside these elements

  904. that they would do that

  905. in our hearts,

  906. we ask in Jesus' name.

  907. Amen.

  908. The Lord Jesus,

  909. on the night He was betrayed,

  910. took bread and He broke it

  911. and gave it to His disciples

  912. as I'm ministering in His name.

  913. Give this bread to You.

  914. And He said,

  915. take and eat.

  916. This is My body,

  917. broken for You.

  918. Do this in remembrance of Me.

  919. In the same way,

  920. He took the cup

  921. and said,

  922. this cup is the new covenant

  923. in My blood.

  924. In the old covenant,

  925. there was blood

  926. from lots of different animals.

  927. In the new covenant,

  928. it's My blood,

  929. the blood of one sacrifice

  930. once for all.

  931. Drink from it,

  932. all of you.

  933. Remember that I've paid

  934. your penalty in full.

  935. The host team will usher you

  936. forward and back

  937. and we will celebrate together

  938. that the blood of the Lamb

  939. covers our sins.

  940. For more information,

  941. visit us online

  942. at southwood.org.

  943. Take care of it.

  944. Take care of it on fiancee.

  945. Bye.

  946. Bye.

  947. Bye.

  948. Bye.

  949. Bye.

  950. Bye.

  951. Bye.

  952. Bye.

  953. Bye.

  954. Bye.

  955. Bye.

  956. Bye.

  957. Bye.

  958. Bye.