Audio - Christ, the Ultimate Sacrifice

Play Audio
MP3 Download (18.8mb)

The Third Sunday in Lent
Christ, the Ultimate Sacrifice
March 7, 2010

TEXT: (Ephesians 5:1-9 NKJ) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
 
It is always interesting to listen to the Pharisee, Paul, teach with full understanding of the Scriptures of the Old Testament—consider the Psalm of David where God tells us to be obedient—compare the words of the psalm to Paul’s letter of instruction to the Ephesians
 
(Psalm 37:23-29 NKJ) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. 28 For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
 
Paul is instructing us to imitate God—just as children imitate their father—just as God our Father instructs us in Psalm 37—God loves us—and the Scriptures tell us that we should love each other—in a perfect love—but what is a perfect love?—let’s let the perfect teacher—Jesus—answer that for us—Jesus teaches us in His sermon on the mount
 
(Matthew 5:44-48 NKJ) "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
 
Perfect love is love without qualifiers—God loves the world—gives sunshine and rain to us all—the sun shines on the good and the bad—the believers and the unbelievers—the rain does likewise—God gave His only Son—for all of us—believers—unbelievers—both groups are unworthy—yet Christ died as an offering for all of us
 
(John 3:16-18 NKJ) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
 
Christ’s love is an all-giving love—with nothing expected in return—Paul explains that Christ offered Himself up as “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”—Paul takes this example from the Old Testament—the aroma of the animal and grain sacrifices
 
(Exodus 29:41 NKJ) "And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
 
Paul is using this reference from the Old Testament—The Jews had been offering these sacrifices for centuries—but the true power of these sacrifices was their foreshadowing of the One True Sacrifice—that is the sacrifice of Christ, once, for all—only Jesus can pay the price for our sins
 
The Jews thought their sacrifices were God-pleasing—because of their works or their obedience—NOT SO!—these sacrifices were only God-pleasing because they represented the Sacrifice to come—the Ultimate Sacrifice—the crucifixion of Christ Jesus—the Son of God—Paul is reminding the people that after the crucifixion—there was no power or significance to the burnt offering or animal sacrifices
 
(John 19:30 NKJ) So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
 
The sacrifice for our sins was completed—one other thing that was finished was the burnt offering—since it was a foreshadow of the coming sacrifice of Jesus—it could no longer serve that purpose—the crucifixion of Christ was indeed the ultimate sacrifice—what more could the Church possibly offer?  The burning of dead animals was no longer God-pleasing—a new kind of sacrifice was now required
 
(Romans 12:1 NKJ) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
 
Again we find Paul teaching us the applied wisdom of the Old Testament Scriptures
 
(Proverbs 23:26 NKJ) My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.
 
We are to live our lives for Christ—total surrender of earthly lusts and thought are OUR LIVING SACRIFICE—Paul knows that if we do not turn away from the lusts of this world—God will give us up to those lusts
 
(Romans 1:24-26 NKJ) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.
 
During this Lenten Season we consider the sacrifice Jesus made when He offered Himself to pay the price for our sins—in our text Paul is teaching us that we need to walk in the light of the Word—being a Christian is not a spectator sport—it is a responsibility to God and to our fellow Christians—and that responsibility includes being observed—observing—and correcting both our faults and the faults of others—we must always keep in mind that this world is just a temporary place for us to exist—this is not our home
 
(Philippians 3:20-21 NKJ) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
 
Why are we here?—we are here to help others understand that Jesus is the only way to salvation—our personal sacrifices of the temptations and lusts of this world are a small sacrifice to make to lead others to heaven—we do that by our example and by our carefull correction of other sinners—we know that there will always be some among Christians who will fall into sin—and we Christians must be careful to correct the sinner without falling into sin ourselves—Paul had to deal with sexual sin—and he passed on the benefit of his experience—correct others—but do not fall into the same sin yourself
 
(Galatians 6:1 NKJ) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
 
In summary—we must not tolerate sin amongst us—we must restore those who fall—Christians we must not dwell on failure—but focus on seeking righteousness—those that do not demonstrate obedience to God will not inherit eternal life—we have to spend this life helping others understand the only way to heaven—Christ!—we are washed with His precious blood—our sins are forgiven
 
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJ)  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
 
We must be careful of being in the company of those who sin—careful to not become followers—but to become leaders of sinners to righteousness—we must be careful to lead and not be lead—lest we also fall into sin
 
(1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJ) Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
 
Before we became Christians, we may not have understood all the things that God considers to be sinful—stay in God’s Word—listen to the Holy Spirit that dwells within you—understand that those of this world consider us an enemy—and they make fun of us—speak evil of us
 
(1 Peter 4:3-4 NKJ) For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
 
Now we not only understand right and wrong—but we can act as a “light” to help others understand—and again Paul helps us understand
 
(Philippians 2:14-16 NKJ) Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
 
The point is that a Christian must be good
 
            That is, working for his neighbor’s good
 
He cannot bear the name Christian—yet live a heathen’s life—each of us has a responsibility to each other—to unbelievers—and to God—live each moment God gives you in this world as if your eternal life depends on it—because it does—and the lives for whom God will hold you responsible
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!