Nothing But The Blood

Nothing but the Blood

Palm Sunday Sermon, April 9th, 2006

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your Book, for these are your powerful words of instruction and they give real encouragement and real instruction. Help us to always see the wisdom and authority given to us, your children. And, help us dear Lord to live by your power so that we will bring eternal honor to your Name.

Intro: It is so important for us to look at the Sacrifice of Jesus with eyes of faith and with deep spiritual understanding. It is so important that we “Get this”

We see in the world today attacks against the Word of God and the Nature of Jesus Christ and what all was accomplished through the Cross. We see the cults; false religions and all those who hate God try to undermine the powerful truth of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Hebrews 2:1-3 “We must pay more careful attention therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation.”

It is by Jesus’ Sacrifice and through His Blood that we receive eternal life.

I. It is impossible to Get to heaven without Jesus

God teaches emphatically that all humans will spend eternity in one of two everlasting literal places.

a. The first is the literal place of heaven.

i. Heaven is God’s home and the home of His family. God’s family are those who choose to accept by faith God’s grace and forgiveness of sin.

ii. God’s grace and forgiveness are afforded to us by Jesus sacrificial death on the cross and by His bodily resurrection from the dead.

iii. Upon our realization of God’s goodness and his sacrificial love towards us:

1. Our hearts burst with thanksgiving and love for Him.

2. That love turns into obedience (Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.”)

b. The other literal eternal place is Hell.

i. All people not Saved by grace through faith will most certainly not be welcomed into Heaven.

ii. And they will most certainly face a Judgment without mercy from God.

iii. There is One God, One Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, One Way, One truth and One Life.

All religions don’t lead to the same place; there are not many ways to God.

Matthew 7:13-14 “…For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

- Those who try to deny Jesus as Savior will not inherit eternal life

o Muslims will not inherit eternal life

o Buddhist will not inherit eternal life

o Those holding to Mystical religions: Christian Science, New age, Dianitics

o Secular humanist, Atheists, agnostics and deist will not inherit eternal life.

- Those who try to alter the truth or take away from the truth will not inherit eternal life

o Mormons, JWs, and numerous other cults will not inherit eternal life.

o Things like “extra revelations” come into play. For example: The book of Mormon, Gnostic gospels such as the supposed Gospel of Thomas or Judas.

o And things like the “Da Vinci Code”

o Things like “Free Masonry”

- Those who try to add to the truth.

o In the early church there where those who tried to teach that it was faith + circumcision

o Today we see people teaching that it is faith + works; faith + sacraments; faith + Mary.

- Those who try to ignore the whole thing

o Some just want it all to “go away.” Basically so that they can live however they wish.

o Either they want to totally ignore Jesus, or they want to believe in Jesus without actually having to change their lives.

o What you believe matters; how you live matters!

1 Corinthians 6:9 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor the idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards nor slanders nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Someone may say, “Man, you seem narrow-minded, intolerant and hateful.”

First, Jesus said the way was narrow and Jesus said, “No man comes to the Father except through me.” But the last statement is not true. Hateful? The most hateful thing you can do to someone is to allow them to pass into eternity without the truth.

- This is why missionaries sacrifice; give their lives to reach the lost.

- This is why we pray and fast for the lost.