Living A Life Before Jesus 04/2014 Sermon

Living a life before Jesus. 04/2014 sermon

**Song Victory In Jesus***

How did we know about Jesus?...We heard an old old story…we heard about His healing

We hear about things in the world that can fulfill our life and most disappoint us…

……We think being a millionaire can fulfill us…… those who seem to do nothing but, have everything.…..but, most millionaires or those who have plenty of money are not happy or fulfilled in life because they want more money…so they worry about how to turn their million into 2 million and if they had 2 million…they would want 3 and so on.

We see ads on TV that promise a more rich and fulfilled life through some money making program or some super vitamin that will heal anything that’s wrong with you and live a happier life….but, in the end all those things will disappoint everyone who spends their money on them because …there is only one thing that can fulfill a human life and that is mending the relationship with their creator …mending the relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Also the joy of life is maintained by keeping that fellowship with God free from sin by asking forgiveness ….what does the Bible say? 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

***The price has been paid in full but, …for all have sinned and come short of His glory…and will continue until we get home….but Jesus paid it all.

James also said …..

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts

How do we draw near to God?........how do we purify our heart?...what can wash away our sins? What can make us whole again?...nothing but the blood of Jesus…..we are blessed beyond our thinking….because sometimes we take what Jesus did for us for granted….He made it so easy for us to mend that relationship with God by simple belief, asking forgiveness and confess our sins and ask Him into our heart and believe He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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Now with all that being said…How did the people draw near to God before Jesus?.....How did the

Old testament men and women wash away their sins?....they couldn’t sing “Nothing but the Blood” unless it was about the sacrifice they had taken to the altar. They couldn’t sing ..”At the Cross”

They couldn’t even sing Amazing Grace.

Their fulfillment in life came when they sacrificed an animal at the altar….. for some …their fulfillment came once a year when a High Priest went into a place in the Temple called the Holy of Holies and sprinkled animal blood on a box called the Mercy Seat.

*****We are so blessed….we are so blessed by God through Jesus.

There are hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament that tell the coming of our Lord the first time and even more in the New Testament about His next coming.

But, God did step out of eternity just as the Old Testament predicted and came to this earth as baby Jesus to grow into a man to become the last and finial sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

Think about this…the Apostles had a hard time convincing the Old Testament people to give up their sacrifices for their sins and believe that God paid the price of their sins through Jesus blood on the cross and no need to continue to shed the blood of animals for their sins…..their sins were paid in full.

Most missed the coming of Jesus the first time because of dull hearing and non-belief….most will miss the second coming of Jesus because of dull hearing and non-belief.

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I wanted us to look at just how much we are blessed above the people of the Old Testament and give you an idea of just what they went through….because there was no Easter to celebrate until Jesus.

Hebrews 7

11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

Melchizedek was just one of the prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament….he appeared in the book of Genesis chapter 14. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

*****explain Lot being kidnapped*****************

Melchizedek was mentioned in Psalm 110 as a Priest, he was an illustration of Jesus who is now our High Priest….. Melchizedek had no beginning and had no end …nothing said about his ancestors or about his mother or father…he was the king of Salem which was then…the coming Jerusalem ….he blessed Abraham in which is the father of our faith….