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.’”
How did he hang around “sinners” and not become infected, still set apart from them? Christ’s holiness and purity was so intense and effective, that he could associate with the worst of sinners and not be contaminated or defiled in any way.
In this way Christ is not separated from the people with whom he ministers.
Exalted above the heavens- Philippians 2:9-10: God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Meets our need
Jesus Christ meets the deepest needs of our hearts, and fits us like a glove fits our hands. He is the answer to all our questions, the satisfaction for all our needs, the bread for our hunger, the light for our darkness, the strength for our weakness, and the medicine for our sickness.
Some do not believe this because they don’t know what they really need. Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. From hymn Why Not Now? “See our soul’s deep need.”
This was no ordinary priest, but in whom "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;"—Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, he stood at the altar presenting "himself" to God as the only sacrifice for sin. Colossians 1:20: making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
He voluntarily agreed to be the Victim for this sacrifice. John 10:17-18: I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
The Sacrifice (Vs. 27)
Christ offered his whole being as our sacrifice- body, soul and spirit.
Son of God- His soul and spirit suffering
1) Isaiah 53:6: the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Vs. 10: Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer...the LORD makes his life a guilt offering
2) Matthew 27:46: About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Son of Man- His bodily suffering
1) Isaiah 52:14: his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness
2) John 19:28-30: knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
2. What a great transaction-
1 Corinthians 6:20: you were bought at a price
Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul- And the transaction so quickly was made when as a sinner I came, Took of the offer of grace He did proffer - He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Plan of salvation
He did not offer himself for himself- Aaronic priests offer sacrifices first for their own sins
Matthew 20:28: the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Christ did not offer a sacrifice for himself because he didn’t need one.
It will never be done again- once for all
Jewish sacrifices had to be repeated year after year, because they were imperfect. The sacrifice of our Great High Priest is complete and needs no repetition. It doesn’t need improvement.
Its repetition is not possible. When Christ appears again it will not be for a sacrifice but as King of Kings.
Conclusion and invitation:
Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (KJV- which is your reasonable service).
