THE STAIN OF BLOOD
7-18-10 New Liberty Christian Church, with Pastor Rich McQuinn
TEXT: HEBREWS 9: 19-22
When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of the calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep. In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. If fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness”.
The law requires that everything be cleansed with the blood and if not there is no forgiveness of sins………
In the book of Joshua, chapter 7, the writer speaks about a battle. We refer to it as the Battle of A I. There was a city in Bible times named A I.
A well known archeologist was speaking at the University of Illinois some years ago and giving an outstanding defense on the Word of God. He told over 10,000 folks who came to hear him speak that he thought more of the Bible and its content than he did before the University sent him to the biblical geographical settings. His search was for the Joshua city of A I. People said it did not exist. After several thousands of years, this man thought sure he was in the area of this great city. He studied and studied his maps and finally got out his personal Bible and read. He read in the book Joshua and knew pretty well where to find the city, from Joshua’s description. It was right where the scriptures told him to dig
After the speech was over, a man in his 60’s came forward and proclaimed to the great archeologist that the book he was holding was greater than the book the speaker had in his hands. You see, the man in the audience presented a Bible---dirty, dusty, water stains, tattered, but it had blood stains all over it. The blood stains were from the son of the man in the audience. He had been killed by a road side bombing and it was the son’s blood that covered the Bible that had been tucked down in the uniform of this young US Marine.
The archeologist and the gentleman talked for a while and then the man said to the father----“I hold in my hand the Son of Gods blood stained pages. It is the blood of His Son that died for you and me that cover this book”.
When is the last time you faced God and thanked Him for saving your soul, through the blood stains of Jesus the Christ?
When you open the pages of Genesis you will first see blood stains. It is like a thread that runs through every page of the Bible. It does not leave. It starts out with the blood stains of sin and runs through the last pages of Revelation. It does not go away.
There is a company in England that manufactures rope. The rope is used in the British Navy. The company is one of the largest rope manufacturing in the world. It makes them to supply the world, small cords to the giant ropes used in hauling great ships. Years ago they decided to put one red thread through the entire rope no matter what shape or size. This way everyone will know where this rope was made. It became their mark!
The book I hold in my hand is the Bible. I have the Promise Keepers addition using NIV as the translation. Through every book, through every chapter, through every page is found the scarlet thread----the stain of blood. In all 66 books of the Bible we find the love of God given to us through the blood of the Lamb.
Don’t forget ever---That without the shedding of blood there is no remission of Sins.
Gently this morning I am going to point out to you the theme of the Bible and I will do it in just two sections. Oddly enough the Bible is divided into two sections:
I. THE OLD TESTAMENT PAGES
Even in the opening pages of God’s Word, we see the same theme in all 39 books of the Old Testament. Sin, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness.
When SIN entered the Garden of Eden, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened to their nakedness. They immediately began to make their own way out of the situation they were caught in. They disobeyed the command of their creator. They even lied about it! They tried to hide from their sin. Ever tried to do that? It can’t be done. What ever you do in the darkness it will be revealed in the light. You can never escape.
If you are doing things NOW that you know is plum wrong, then I urge you to stop it, repent while you have the chance and get back on the fellowship level with God Almighty.
They tried with difficulty to make their own way out of their naked situation.
You may remember that God placed them in this garden. The perfect garden. No sin, no work, no taxes, no pest. Two trees were in the center. The tree of Knowledge---- the tree of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. God told them to eat of the tree of Life and live on and on and on happily. No death. God would provide for them everything they needed. A heavenly country club with all the benefits.
One thing you can not do. It is a deal breaker. Don’t eat of the tree of Knowledge, also known as the tree of Good and Evil. Don’t even go near it. All that God is giving to them will disappear if they eat of this tree. Do I have your attention?
Because they sinned, because they ate of the tree of Knowledge, because the tree of Life was still in their reach they were kicked out of the Garden and must work for the rest of their lives. No more free lunch for them.
You see, they could not stay in the garden once they sinned. The tree of Life was there for them to continue to eat of. God removed them so that they could not eat of the tree of good and evil and then eat of the tree of life. You can’t keep on sinning and expect to live Scott free. There is a penalty for sin.
Death enters the picture. Sin enters the perfect world. Satan begins his little fantasies to get mankind on his side. He still thinks that he can whip God’s army at the end of the world. Phooey! You and I have read the last chapters of Revelation and we know already where he is headed.
At this moment in time God Almighty began His plan to get man redeemed for his sins. He was going to use His Son to buy back man from the catch of satan. Sin made it necessary. There will always be a price to pay for sins.
Any sinning that you’re doing right now, that you think you are getting away with, I sternly warn you in bright red letters, to STOP before it is too late. Sin, Death---Sin, Death, which is the pattern from the Old Testament until now. You will pay for your sins!
Unless blood covers your sins, there is no redemptive forgiveness.
Let’s move on a few chapters in Genesis to Cain and Able. This is the story of Genesis 4:3-5 telling us of the first blood sacrifice for sins. Both boys were asked to bring a sacrifice to God. All of you know by now that it takes a blood sacrifice to cover sins. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Able brought a more perfect sacrifice than did his brother Cain. It had to be paid with a blood sacrifice.
Able obeyed God and did exactly what He said to do. Cain was like most of us when he said I will bring any sacrifice and it will be alright. God tells us all to bring before Him at least 10% of our income to His store house. But we keep thinking that if we bring anything less than that, it is alright with God and He will accept it. Dumb thinking!
You know the ending of this story. More sin in the form of jealousy. Cain rose up and KILLED his brother.
A few more chapters in this Book of God we find the flood story. Noah preached and preached about repentance. Remember I told you: sin, death, sin death, etc. That is the pattern. Only through the blood is there forgiveness. Man is doing his own thing and not paying attention to the Laws of God in living with each other.
They were sinning, the Bible says, probably like we are doing today, maybe not as much as we do today. God had to wipe out the sins of mankind in one quick swipe. He told Noah of His plan and Noah went to work, building some great boat for safety and redemption. The ARK of redemption. Covered by the water was the blood of mankind each dying because of their sins of disobedience.
One book over is the book of Exodus. Do not think I am going through all of the 39 books of the OT, but I have to pause here so you will get a full picture of what God is doing for you today. He is planning now to have you in heaven with HIM. Amen!
Exodus 12 is a powerful example of the power of blood. Don’t forget this! God commanded Moses to take the message to the Israelites. If they get a lamb, a year old lamb, without spot or blemish and pen it up and then sacrifice it on the evening before the Passover. Take a Hyssop weed, dip it in the blood and put a mark over your door. Death will come into the camp and take with it the life of the firstborn in every family that does not have a blood stain over the door post.
It took a perfect lamb, a sacrificed lamb to save those people from their slavery and sins. God was marching on and preparing us---today’s worshippers—what the cost is. Sin—death, sin----death, etc.
The Old Testament is filled with blood stories of the cost of sin. But now we have to move on to the second section lest you think we will be here all morning and afternoon.
II. THE NEW TESTAMENT PAGES
In all 27 books of the New Testament we find the stains of blood. In fact this section is filled with the blood of the perfect Lamb.
Not long in the opening chapters we find John the Baptist. He is out preaching about repentance and coming to God for forgiveness. He was gathered up, killed, murdered by the King’s hand and his blood was shed because of his preaching that God had sent him to do. He was the fore runner of Christ. Preparing the way for Jesus to follow. He called all men to repentance.
Remember: There is no forgiveness of sins unless the Blood of Jesus covers them.
Have you let the blood of Jesus cover your sins? Have you accepted Him as your Saviour? Have you done that publically as the Bible tells us to do. You may believe in your heart, but you have to take a stand and announce your belief that He is your Saviour. A simple statement: I believe that Jesus is the Christ THE Son of the Living God and I accept Him as my personal Saviour! Amen!
We turn to the book of John to see the true test of sin. More blood. Lots of blood, the last of the redemptive blood is paid on a tree----did you get that----a tree.
God was in the business of getting man back to a perfect state once again. Satan took man away because of sin, now God is buying back man with the price of His Son. It was the tree of Knowledge that sent man in turmoil; it is the tree of sacrifice that God gets man back on His level as He intended.
When Jesus died for our sins, He turned the blackest night in history into a picture of love for all of us. John 3:16 states that God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY Son to die on the cross for our sins. We belonged on the tree because of our disobedience and He paid the price with his own blood.
When is the last time you shed tears in a church service? Tears of joy, tears of repentance, tears of acceptance of those who walked down the isle to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. We cry at ball games, weddings, funerals, etc, but have we lost the joy of watching new people come to Christ? Fresh, repented, excited about living a clean life.
It was 1961---sorry I know it was a bit past but….it was a basket ball tournament in Indiana at the Southport High Gym in the south section of Indianapolis . We were playing our arch rival Manual High School . We had over 3000 in our school and Manuel just up the road 5 miles was over 3000. Our colors were red and white and their colors were red and white. We battled back and forth and forth and back ending in a tie. Overtime in Indiana in the county tournament. What a thrill. At the end of the first overtime we were tied again, then the second overtime we were tied and in the third play off time, little Louis Dampier, a sophomore, came running into the game off of the bench and sunk a 2 pointer at the buzzer. WE WON!
People were jumping up and down. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow. People hugging, kissing and some of us taking advantage of the situation. We cried at a ball game.
That is nothing for me these older days. I cry when people cry, I can’t stand their sorrow or pain. I cry at commercials, at funerals when I am supposed to be stone sober in my emotions. I cry when people accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. I cry tears of happiness. I cry when I read the 19th Chapter of John and know how much Jesus must have loved me to die on a cruel tree for me and my ugly sins.
Jesus says that He is going to prepare a place for us in Heaven with His Father. I believe HIM. He said it so, so it is so……
You and I must be getting ready for the call. The call of the Master when He calls us home, either by death or by His 2nd Coming. We must be prepared!
Look up Romans 3:23. It states that all of us have sinned. You, me, our neighbors, and family, those we love those we might hate---all sin. We fall short of the glory of God.
There is no forgiveness unless we are covered by the blood---remember?
Look up Romans 6:23. The wages of our sins, the Bible says is DEATH. Remember I said, sin---death, sin---death, etc. BUT---God has a FREE gift for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the gift of free life in Him.
Don’t spend one more minute outside the will of your Heavenly Father. If there is sin in your blood stream, it will act as poison to your system. Why not call the Doctor to get rid of the sins in your blood. He can give you a pure transfusion that will wipe all sins out of you and you will be free once again.
He has already done it for you, it is your turn. Accept Him today, right now, as the Lord of your life.
There is no forgiveness of sins, unless you are covered by the cleansing blood of the perfect Lamb of God.
AMEN and AMEN
