Satisfying God's Sweet Tooth

Intro:

1. Most of our lives are built upon lies, some of them are:

The check is in the mail...

You get this one; and I'll pay the next time...

My wife doesnt understand me...

Trust me, I'll take care of everything...

It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing...

I never watch TV, except for PBS...

But, we can still be good friends...

She means nothing to me...

I'll call you later...

Pastor, I'll see you Sunday...

I've never done anything like this before...

Sorry, we can't come to the phone right now...

But the greatest lie we buy is that we can please God apart from Jesus Christ.

2. There is nobody who can really please God except Jesus Christ. It is true, that we can be pleasing in the eyes of God, but only as we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

You can think of God having a sweet tooth, that can only be satisfied by the substitutionary death of Christ.

3. The Only One Pleasing to God is Jesus. Lev. 1:9b, 13b, 17.

Trans:The Structure of our passage is Introduction (1:1-2); and then the Instructions related to offering something from the Herd (vv.3-9); and the flock

(10-13); or of a bird (14-17). The Burnt Offering.

I. First, it is the Lord who Seeks us. 1:1

Leviticus 1:1 (NKJV)

1 Now the LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying,

We simple cannot initiate a relationship or fellowship with God. Lu.19:10/

Rom. 3:11

Tozer, "Before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. The impulse to pursue God originates with God...God is always previous."

II. Furthermore, we are to ReSpond to His initiative. 2

Leviticus 1:2 (NKJV)

2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock--of the herd and of the flock.

McGee, "If any man" means "whosoever may come." The Lord said, "If any man thirst, let him come to Me." Isaiah said, "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come to the waters" (Isa. 55:1). Anyone can come to Christ if he chooses to come."

"The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him."

III. Then, the sacrifice must not be Second-rate. 3a

Leviticus 1:3 (NKJV)

3 'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish..."

A. Must be Sacrificial - from the herd, flock, bird.

Wenham, "The Hebrew refers to domestic as opposed to wild animals. According to Deut. 14:5, game could be eated, if correctly slaughtered, but not offered as a sacrifice, since it cost nothing. Meat was a rare luxury in O.T. times."

Harrison, "For burnt offering only domesticated animals, indicating a developed stage, of agricultural life were to be presented; since wild species did not cost the donor anything. In addition, wild animals had not received the labor and care that had been expended on herds and flocks."

B. Must be the Strongest of the flock.

a male - Mal.1:7,13

C. Must be Spotless.

This all speaks of Jesus Christ a strong, sinless sacrifice...

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 7:25-26 (NKJV)

25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;

1 Peter 1:19 (NKJV)

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

1 John 3:5 (NKJV)

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

The point is God gave His best! He gave the most Sacrifical, the Strongest, the Sinless beloved Son!

IV. Fourthly, the sacrifice was not to be Stiffnecked.

Leviticus 1:3b (NKJV)

"...he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.

It is used of an uncooperative animal, remember he was not only the sacrifice but our High Priest offered Himself willingly. Jn.10:15-18/Heb.10:5-6

V. Fifthly, it was a Substitution.

Leviticus 1:4 (NKJV)

4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.