God Will Pay Your Biggest Debt

God Will Pay Your Biggest Debt

Hebrews 9.26; 10.10 NASB

October 3, 2004 Chester FBC, Chester Illinois Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction

Have you ever wished that someone would pay off all your credit card debt? Zero balances—no payments! The Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Norfolk, VA is making that wish come true. One Sunday of every month, Bishop C. Vernie Russell Jr., chooses a family from the church to come forward, and the congregation takes up an offering to pay off their debt. Over the last 14 months, this group has collected $340,000 dollars to rescue 59 of the church’s families from debt.

When we come to the Lord’s Supper, we remember another debt—a greater debt that no human striving, no double shifts, no church collections could ever repay—our debt of sin.

"When you were dead in your sins … God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us … he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

2 Today’s message is God Will Pay Your Biggest Debt.

A Christ took away the penalty of all sin at the cross of Calvary. (ETS)

a 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself -Heb 9:26 (NASB)

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. -Heb 10:10 (NASB)

b The believer who has had the blood of Christ applied to their sins has no sin debt. (ESS)

B I hope you will more fully understand the extent of God’s sacrifice that was demonstrated at Calvary. (Objective)

a How does your life reflect God has paid off your biggest debt? (PQ)

b Let’s look at two signs that your biggest debt has been paid in full. (Transitional Sentence)

PRAY

I The first sign that your biggest debt has been paid in full is . . . YOU HAVE ASKED JESUS TO PAY YOUR DEBT.

1 Old Testament priests offered a sin sacrifice for Israel on an annual day of attonment.

A The high priest would bring two goats to the door of the tent of meeting on the tenth day of the seventh month every year. (Lev. 16.7/8)

a One goat slaughtered (Lev 16.15), one goat (Azazel) was set free (Leve 16.21-22). Pointing towards Christ’s sacrifice

b Attonment for sin.

Attonment was not forgiveness. Covered over, by-passed . . . not forgiven!

B When Jesus died on a cross, the need for the scapegoat was over. (Heb 9.26 . . . but now at the consummation of the ages . . .)

*Three ages: 1) Before the Law 2) During the Law 3) Age of Grace

a Climax of human history. Jesus came to make it possible for all sin (Adam’s to ours) to be forgiven.

b Jesus’ death depicted both goats.

aa Slaughter, sacrifice, blood of sin (Put away Sin)

bb Bore the sin of all generations.

2 We have rang up quit a big bill with our sin.

A Many people say, "I’m not that bad. I’m a good person."

a 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 2:10 (NASB)

*If you ignore one part of God’s law, your in debt over your head.

b Rms 6.23 For the wages of sin is death.

*It only takes one sin . . . and the debt is more than we can pay on our own.

B Jesus carried our sin on the cross.

a We’ve go to allow His blood to be applied to our sins.

b 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins. 1 John 1:9 (TLB)

3

II The second sign that your biggest debt has been paid in full is . . . STOP CHARGING UP MORE DEBT.

1 Before the Old Testament priest could enter into the holy of holies (God’s Presence) he had to be sanctified.

A The priest would wear clean clothes, meticulous cleaning rituals, offer a sin sacrifice for himself before coming into God’s presence.

a Special preparations. Why?

b God deserved more than average, normal, nominal effort.

B The only way from the first century believer to come into God’s presence was through Jesus. Heb. 10.10.

a He "set them apart", acceptable, & sanctified.

(Paul saw this as a process of Christian development. Heb. saw this as an act of Christ’s sacrifice.)