He Offered Himself Series

HoHum:

Have the children come up front and do a Children’s Minute (From Sermons 4 Kids http://www.sermons4kids.com/big_sin_little_sin.htm)

In Romans 3:23 the Bible says … All have sinned & come short of God’s glory.

Do you know the definition of SIN? 1 John 3:4 says that sin is lawlessness or a violation of God’s Law. Sin is a Word, Thought or Act against the Law of God. What we need to know ….. is there BIG sin & little sin ??

If someone asks you if you are having a good time and you say yes, even though you are not having a good time, is that LIE a little sin compared to someone in court who has taken an oath?

Or if you steal a piece of candy, is that a LITTLE Sin compared to someone who robs a bank?

How about if you hit someone, is that a LITTLE sin ? Compared to shooting them with a gun?

In Old Testament times, according to Leviticus 6:24-30, when people did things the Lord told them not to do, they had to kill a goat or a lamb as a sin offering. Did it over and over

Hebrews 7:27 tells us that when Jesus died, he offered his sacrifice for sins once and for all time.

So let’s look at our examples again…wouldn’t you agree that ....a LIE, big or small is still a LIE... and hurting someone whether in a small way or a big way is still wrong … and stealing something small or LARGE is still stealing and according to God’s Law that’s WRONG ! ! !.

So any sin is the same. They’re not BIG or small... they’re SINS! And Jesus would still have to DIE to atone or overcome that SIN.

Let’s pray

WBTU:

The idea of a sacrifice is found in most religions. Priests, altars and sacrifices are common.

The Gentiles had distorted ideas about God and distorted ideas about sacrifice. Paul had to deal with the issue of meat being sacrificed to idols.

Mankind has always had some concept of deity. He often has tried to offer some kind of sacrifice to his God to please or appease Him. Those having no connection with the Jewish faith, like the American Indian, have always had rituals of sacrifice involving a holy man or a priest, an altar and a sacrifice.

In the case of the Aztec Indians, the sacrifice was human. Sacrifices were usually not this gruesome or inhumane, but most times it involved blood.

For some reason, mankind knows that we cannot appear before deity without some kind of sacrifice. Man feels that a price must be paid. For what? For his lack of devotion or his sins.

Have we ever felt that way? We have done wrong and a penalty must be paid.

Some teach today that God (whatever name they want to give him) will forgive everything because He is so loving. Doesn’t this go against what we know to be right? We rebel against God, we blaspheme God, we despise God,—we may cheat, we may lie, we may murder, and God will forgive and let us into heaven without any punishment or even acknowledgement.

Human society would go to pieces under such an arrangement and do we think that God will do us any differently? "If God does not punish me for my sin, he ought to do so."

If God is to pardon my sin, there must be something done by which I can have atonement?

Hebrews 7:27 tells of the blood sacrifice that was paid for our sins to satisfy our debt to God. Our Great High Priest offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins.

Thesis: Let’s talk about the priest and the sacrifice

For instances:

I. The priest (Vs. 26)

Holy

His whole life was without sin. The Jewish high priest had a diadem upon his head that said, Holy to the Lord, but in Christ it was in every fibre of his being and stamped upon every expression of his life.

B. Beyond consecration it means “Devoted to God in love.” He perfectly kept the first 4 commandments of the 10 Commandments that deal with devotion to God.

Blameless

A. Psalm 15:1-2: LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless

B. Harmless in KJV. injuring no one but living for the benefit of others. He perfectly kept the last 6 commandments of the 10 Commandments that deal with our our fellow man.

Pure- Nothing mean, crude, or unbecoming in his conduct. 1 John 3:3: he is pure.

Set apart from sinners

The Jewish high priest was required to separate from anyone who was ceremonially unclean.

Now, don’t misunderstand. Jesus did associate with sinners during his life on earth. Luke 15:1-2: Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 19:7: All the people saw this (Zacchaeus) and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”