Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Feb 3rd, 2024 Jesus: God’s Sacrifice For Us – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Leviticus 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Proverbs 3; Psalms 16 – 20)

“And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:1-4)

Good morning. Six years ago, A&E premiered Waco: Madman or Messiah. If you are saved and you know your Bible, you also know that David Koresh was not the Messiah. They even showed his bronze grave marker, and I can tell you his grave is not empty like the borrowed tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to reports David Koresh died from a single bullet to the head. And when they recovered his burnt body, they discovered his skull was also crushed: it took several days to piece his skull back together. God’s Word says that not a bone of the Messiah would be broken. Over 80 souls, including about 24 children lost their lives in the compound fire. All I could think was: if they only knew the LORD. If they only knew the Bible. If they only knew the Truth.

TRUTH 1) Let him offer a male without blemish.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Corinthians 5:18-21)

Jesus knew no sin. Jesus was without blemish. Jesus was born of a virgin: He was not conceived in sin like everyone else. David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell, on August 17, 1959, conceived by flesh and blood parents: he carried the seed of sin passed down to all of us from Adam. Should I mention the adultery or his sin as a pedophile?

TRUTH 2) Jesus is the Lamb of God.

Jesus was introduced by John the Baptist in this fashion…

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Jesus is the Sacrifice that God provided to take away the sin of the world: THAT’S EVERYBODY! All you have to do is receive Him as your Saviour.

“And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4)

TRUTH 3) Jesus is still at work today.

As I mentioned before, David Koresh is still buried in his casket, under the ground. The tomb that Jesus laid in for 3 nights and 3 days like the prophet Jonah is empty (as is the fish’s belly of Jonah). But Jesus is risen. The sacrificing of innocent animals was a continuing thing, because mankind was always sinning. But just before Jesus died on the cross, He proclaimed that it is finished: the final Sacrifice for the sin of the world was made.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

TRUTH 4) When Jesus comes to earth again, He is not coming as someone else (no rev. Moon, no David Koresh, no Jim Jones), He’s coming as the Lord Jesus Christ: King of kings, and LORD of Lords.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

TRUTH 5) Jesus: there is no other name given by which we must be saved.

“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1John 5:12)

Without Jesus, we are nothing. We all sin…

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”(Romans 3:23)

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…” (Romans 5:12)

But, there is a but…

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Eternal life in Heaven is one of God’s free gifts to you. All you need do is reach out and receive it…

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The choice is yours. You can meet the Lord as He sits on the Great White Throne of Judgment and only leads to the Lake of Fire. Or you can meet Him in the air when He returns to catch His bride away. As Paul told the Philippian jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Peace.