WEBVTT 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:10.019 Welcome to the Potter's House Salmon Arm Podcast. 00:00:10.259 --> 00:00:12.800 We are a Bible -believing church located in beautiful 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.380 British Columbia, Canada. We are proudly part 00:00:15.380 --> 00:00:17.500 of the Christian Fellowship Ministries with 3 00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:20.019 ,000 churches around the world. We are a church 00:00:20.019 --> 00:00:22.839 focused on world evangelism, discipleship, and 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:25.760 church planting. Here we will share recent sermons 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.559 from PHSA Church and other sermons from throughout 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.059 our fellowship. I'm Pastor David Bickford and 00:00:31.059 --> 00:00:33.420 I will be your host for this podcast. I thank 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:35.579 you for listening today and we hope these messages 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:38.020 are a blessing to you and bring you closer to 00:00:38.020 --> 00:00:48.899 God. Hello and welcome back to the podcast. My 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:51.100 name is Pastor David Bickford. I'm the pastor 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:54.460 here in Salmon Arm for the Potter's House. And 00:00:54.460 --> 00:00:57.380 today's message is Mercy, Bloody Mercy, God's 00:00:57.380 --> 00:01:00.420 Grace and Mercy. So before we jump right into 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:04.599 that, I'm making my way through the conference 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:06.739 videos. I apologize. It takes me a little bit 00:01:06.739 --> 00:01:10.840 longer. As a working pastor, we have a day job 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:12.239 and other things that are kind of getting in 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:14.040 the way, but I'm still making sure that I put 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:17.420 those in. There's a total of 17 messages from 00:01:17.420 --> 00:01:20.640 the conference, and those will be uploaded in 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:25.359 the next week or so, I imagine. That being said, 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:28.900 we're going to go ahead and jump in. So if you're 00:01:28.900 --> 00:01:31.439 following along your text, Romans 3, 21 through 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:36.060 31 is our main launching off point for this message. 00:01:36.379 --> 00:01:39.280 In the illustration I have to kind of jump us 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:42.980 in is called the shepherd's blood. In 1972, a 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:45.379 shepherd had brought his sheep into a walled 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:48.359 off enclosure. area for the night and he had 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:50.060 just gone to sleep when he heard a commotion. 00:01:50.099 --> 00:01:52.159 He quickly rushed over to where the sound was 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:55.579 coming from and to his horror he discovered that 00:01:55.579 --> 00:01:58.299 a wolf was in the process of dragging off one 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:01.219 of his sheep through a hole in the wall. He was 00:02:01.219 --> 00:02:03.980 mauling the sheep and the blood was flying. The 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:05.900 shepherd quickly began hitting the wolf and the 00:02:05.900 --> 00:02:08.900 wolf turned on him and began attacking him. it 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:11.620 bit him all over and while the shepherd was striking 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:13.759 him with the staff and finally with one final 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:16.879 blow of his staff he killed the wolf as he himself 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:20.680 collapsed into a bloody heap He managed to crawl 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:23.439 over to the half -dead sheep and began to bandage 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.219 its wounds. He gave it some water and then took 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:28.960 it into his own bloody arms, and the shepherd 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.960 and the sheep went to sleep together. The next 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:34.400 morning, the shepherd was found dead, his body 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:36.960 literally draped over the sheep to comfort it 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:39.840 and to keep it warm. The following day, the headline 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.340 in the Jerusalem paper said, sheep alive, covered 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:47.340 in the shepherd's blood. So here's a quote or 00:02:47.340 --> 00:02:51.159 two that I found from Luther. It's from one of 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.659 his sermons from 1532. The sermon is the sum 00:02:54.659 --> 00:02:58.199 of life. The scriptures teach me that God establishes 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.840 two seats for men, a judgment seat for those 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:04.439 who are still secure and proud and will neither 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:07.199 acknowledge nor confess their sin and a mercy 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:10.520 seat for those whose conscience is poor and needy, 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.860 who feel and confess their sin, dread his judgment 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:17.219 and yearn for his grace. In this mercy seat is 00:03:17.219 --> 00:03:20.800 Christ himself, as St. Paul says in Romans 3, 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:23.599 whom God has established for us that we might 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:26.659 have refuge there, since by ourselves we cannot 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:29.879 stand before God. There shall I take my refuge 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:33.500 when I have done or still do less than is to 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:36.780 meet and done much more of sin according to the 00:03:36.780 --> 00:03:39.439 law, both before and after my sanctification 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:47.879 and justification. and good they are or can be 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.719 in sight of men shall be as nothing and they 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:53.560 shall be covered over as it were with a vault 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:56.780 yea with a fair haven which will mightily protect 00:03:56.780 --> 00:03:59.879 and defend them the name of which is grace and 00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:03.000 the forgiveness of sins thereunder shall my heart 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.460 and conscience creep and be safe so the main 00:04:07.460 --> 00:04:11.139 idea of this message today is mercy bloody mercy 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:14.580 Mercy is defined as a compassionate or kindly 00:04:14.580 --> 00:04:17.939 forbearance shown toward an offender or an enemy 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:21.600 or other person in one's power. Compassion, pity, 00:04:21.819 --> 00:04:24.980 or benevolence are similar words. They can also 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:27.300 be looked at as the discretionary power of judgment 00:04:27.300 --> 00:04:29.839 to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, 00:04:30.180 --> 00:04:33.339 especially to send to prison rather than to evoke 00:04:33.339 --> 00:04:36.060 the death penalty. So in the beginning, before 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:38.639 the fall, humanity was in perfect relationship 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:42.029 with God. At this point, God dealt directly with 00:04:42.029 --> 00:04:46.129 Adam. After the fall, all that changed. And now 00:04:46.129 --> 00:04:49.350 in the first act of mercy, God killed animals 00:04:49.350 --> 00:04:52.790 to provide a covering for Adam and Eve. Blood 00:04:52.790 --> 00:04:55.949 was necessary to cover Adam and Eve. Blood was 00:04:55.949 --> 00:04:59.139 necessary. for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob to 00:04:59.139 --> 00:05:01.939 be covered. Blood was required by the law, but 00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:04.620 only the perfect sacrifice and the perfect blood 00:05:04.620 --> 00:05:07.680 will last for eternity. And that is why Jesus 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:11.920 is the ultimate sacrifice. The wages of sin are 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.000 death, but in God's mercy, he has provided us 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.920 the way. And I can't exemplify that enough. We 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:23.259 all deserve judgment because of our sin. We have 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:25.180 all fallen short of the glory of God, and only 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:27.740 through the grace of Jesus Christ do we have 00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:32.699 any chance or semblance of salvation. So my first 00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:34.839 point is mercy, the Old Testament and the law. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:38.680 And we're going to take a look here on what that 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:42.339 actually looks like back in ancient times. So 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:45.980 Psalms 25, 6, it says, Remember your mercy, O 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.300 Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:51.769 been from old. The heart of God is the start 00:05:51.769 --> 00:05:57.810 of mercy. God is the sole provider of mercy and 00:05:57.810 --> 00:06:01.029 he is merciful. His desire is to show mercy. 00:06:01.230 --> 00:06:04.629 He so desires a relationship with humanity that 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:07.509 even when mankind fell into sin in the garden, 00:06:07.649 --> 00:06:10.910 he reached out in mercy to clothe Adam and Eve. 00:06:13.610 --> 00:06:16.790 The Old Testament proclaims God's mercy and his 00:06:16.790 --> 00:06:19.670 plan for humanity. It shows the inexhaustible 00:06:19.670 --> 00:06:22.430 nature of God's mercy. And so here in the Old 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:24.769 Testament, when we look at it, mercy is linked 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:28.589 with the loving kindness and the steadfast love 00:06:28.589 --> 00:06:32.069 of God, the creator. This is further tied to 00:06:32.069 --> 00:06:34.449 the covenant of love for God's chosen people, 00:06:34.589 --> 00:06:40.509 the Israelites. Philip Towner said, God's covenant 00:06:40.509 --> 00:06:43.769 love are integrally related. So close is the 00:06:43.769 --> 00:06:48.089 relationship that Chesed sometimes is viewed 00:06:48.089 --> 00:06:53.029 in terms of mercy. In this relationship, mercy 00:06:53.029 --> 00:06:56.189 then comes to be seen as the equality in God 00:06:56.189 --> 00:06:59.350 that directs him to forge a relationship with 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:01.910 people who absolutely do not deserve to be in 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:04.939 relationship with him. It is neither theory nor 00:07:04.939 --> 00:07:08.319 principle. God's mercy is a driving force in 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.100 leading him to create relationship with Israel. 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:14.740 Psalms 40, 10 through 11 says, Have not hidden 00:07:14.740 --> 00:07:17.240 your deliverance within my heart. I have spoken 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.500 of your faithfulness and your salvation. I have 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:23.819 not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness 00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:27.459 from the great congregation. For you, O Lord, 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:37.240 you... And the Lord said to Moses, this very 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:40.360 thing that you have spoken, I will do for you. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:44.860 This is Exodus 33, 17 through 19. You have found 00:07:44.860 --> 00:07:48.160 favor in my sight, and I know you by name. Moses 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.639 said, please show me your glory. And he said, 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.920 I will make all goodness pass before you and 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:03.939 will proclaim before you my name. So Exodus, 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:06.259 Leviticus, Deuteronomy numbers finish up the 00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:09.720 Pentateuch and the books of the law. In Exodus, 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:15.279 we see the covenant renewed in chapter 34. Exodus 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:25.189 34 .10 says, Such as not have been created in 00:08:25.189 --> 00:08:27.730 all the earth or in any nation, and all the people 00:08:27.730 --> 00:08:30.509 among whom you shall see the work of the Lord, 00:08:30.649 --> 00:08:32.970 for it is an awesome thing that I will do with 00:08:32.970 --> 00:08:35.950 you. So in Exodus, we receive the law with the 00:08:35.950 --> 00:08:38.149 Ten Commandments, the making of the ark, and 00:08:38.149 --> 00:08:40.690 the covenant, and the detailing of much of what 00:08:40.690 --> 00:08:43.230 was required under the law. So the ark of the 00:08:43.230 --> 00:08:45.370 covenant and mercy seat are these pictures that 00:08:45.370 --> 00:08:48.289 we have from the Old Testament. The Ark of the 00:08:48.289 --> 00:08:51.330 Covenant was built to contain and memorialize 00:08:51.330 --> 00:08:54.250 the commitment made between God and Israel and 00:08:54.250 --> 00:08:57.809 further than that to mankind through Israel. 00:08:57.970 --> 00:09:01.009 It is a testimony to God's desire to extend grace 00:09:01.009 --> 00:09:04.850 and it points us to Jesus. The law shows us that 00:09:04.850 --> 00:09:08.669 God is holy and we are in desperate need of God's 00:09:08.669 --> 00:09:12.230 grace and mercy. That is why the mercy seat is 00:09:12.230 --> 00:09:15.639 crafted to sit on the Ark. It is to remind us 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:19.200 all that God is the rightful judge and he sits 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:21.500 upon the covenant that he made with the Israelites. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:25.759 We will divide or we will dive into this further. 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:28.600 But for right now, remember that the mercy seat 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:31.620 is critical to the new covenant and to the grace 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:35.299 that flows from Jesus. This brings me to my next 00:09:35.299 --> 00:09:38.500 point, which is bloody sacrifice. The Israelites 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:42.340 had this covenant with God, but in time, in the 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:45.960 time before Jesus, The covenant required blood. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:51.340 The skin of mankind always required, or the sin 00:09:51.340 --> 00:09:54.559 of mankind always required sacrifice as a covering, 00:09:54.659 --> 00:10:03.940 and blood was part of that offering. So how do 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:07.639 you atone? You atone through sacrifice. Through 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.159 all the above sacrifices, we see that sin, both 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:13.120 unintentional and intentional, required an atonement. 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.039 Praying and saying you're sorry just wasn't enough. 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:19.519 During the high holy days from Rosh Hashanah 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.759 or Yom Teru, the Feast of Trumpets, to Yom Kippur, 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:25.259 the Day of Atonement, the Jewish people in Israel 00:10:25.259 --> 00:10:28.059 and around the world prepare their hearts and 00:10:28.059 --> 00:10:31.080 come humbly before God. They present themselves 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:33.759 in repentance and humility with the hope that 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:37.039 the Lord would accept their offerings. In prayer 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:39.700 and supplication, they ask to be inscribed into 00:10:39.700 --> 00:10:42.750 the Book of Life for another year to come. As 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:44.850 believers in Jesus, we have assurance of the 00:10:44.850 --> 00:10:47.610 pardon that our names are inscribed in the book 00:10:47.610 --> 00:10:50.789 of life, not by our works, but through faith. 00:10:50.970 --> 00:10:53.509 And we do not need to be asked to be inscribed 00:10:53.509 --> 00:10:57.169 every year as Christ's work was and is final. 00:10:57.909 --> 00:11:00.809 There were voluntary sacrifices as well, three 00:11:00.809 --> 00:11:03.509 voluntary sacrifices. The first was the burnt 00:11:03.509 --> 00:11:06.450 offering, a voluntary act of worship to express 00:11:06.450 --> 00:11:09.730 devotion and commitment to God. It was also used 00:11:09.730 --> 00:11:12.889 as atonement for unintentional sins. the elements 00:11:12.889 --> 00:11:15.289 of the burnt offering were the bull a bird or 00:11:15.289 --> 00:11:18.750 a ram without blemish the meat and the bones 00:11:18.750 --> 00:11:20.610 and the organs of the animal were to be totally 00:11:20.610 --> 00:11:23.129 burned and this was god's portion the animal's 00:11:23.129 --> 00:11:25.669 hide was given to the levites who could later 00:11:25.669 --> 00:11:28.590 sell it to earn money for themselves the second 00:11:28.590 --> 00:11:30.750 voluntary offering was the grain offering for 00:11:30.750 --> 00:11:33.379 which The fruit of the field was offered in a 00:11:33.379 --> 00:11:36.419 form of a cake or a baked bread made of grain, 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:39.120 fine flour with oil and salt. The grain offering 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.460 was one of the sacrifices accompanied by a drink 00:11:41.460 --> 00:11:45.539 offering, which was poured out into the fire 00:11:45.539 --> 00:11:48.340 on the altar. In Numbers 15, 4 through 5, it 00:11:48.340 --> 00:11:51.159 says, Then he who brings these offerings shall 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.360 offer to the Lord a grain offering of a tenth 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.740 of an ephaph of flour. Mixed with a quarter of 00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:59.399 oil and you shall offer with the burnt offering 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:02.320 for the sacrifice, a quarter of wine for the 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:05.100 drink offering for each lamb. The purpose of 00:12:05.100 --> 00:12:07.100 the grain offering was to express thanksgiving 00:12:07.100 --> 00:12:10.200 and recognition of God's provision and unmerited 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:12.559 goodwill toward the person making the sacrifice. 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:15.299 The priests were given a portion of this offering, 00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:17.720 but it had to be eaten within the court of tabernacle. 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:21.379 So the final or the third final offering or voluntary 00:12:21.379 --> 00:12:24.340 offering was the peace offering, which was considered. 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.919 You know, an unblemished animal from the worship 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:31.059 is heard or various grains or breads. This was 00:12:31.059 --> 00:12:34.019 a sacrifice of thanksgiving and fellowship followed 00:12:34.019 --> 00:12:36.700 by a shared meal. The high priest was giving 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:39.240 the breast of the animal. The officiating priest 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:42.600 was giving the right foreleg. The pieces of the 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:45.279 offering were called the wave offering and the 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:48.080 heave offering because they were waved or lifted 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:51.279 over the altar during the ceremony. The fat, 00:12:51.419 --> 00:12:53.500 the kidneys, the lobe of liver were given to 00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:56.590 God burnt. and the remainder of the animal was 00:12:56.590 --> 00:12:58.990 for the participants to eat, symbolizing God's 00:12:58.990 --> 00:13:01.809 provision. The vow offering, the thanksgiving 00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:03.789 offering, and the free will offering mentioned 00:13:03.789 --> 00:13:06.070 in the Old Testament were all peace offerings. 00:13:10.350 --> 00:13:14.470 Then we come to the mandatory sacrifices. There 00:13:14.470 --> 00:13:16.669 were two mandatory sacrifices in the Old Testament 00:13:16.669 --> 00:13:18.649 law. The first was the sin offering. The purpose 00:13:18.649 --> 00:13:21.350 of the sin offering was to atone for the sins 00:13:21.350 --> 00:13:24.549 and cleanse from defilement. There were five 00:13:24.549 --> 00:13:27.389 possible elements of a sin offering or a sin 00:13:27.389 --> 00:13:29.769 sacrifice, a young bull, a male goat, a female 00:13:29.769 --> 00:13:33.110 goat, a dove, pigeon, or one -tenth ephaph of 00:13:33.110 --> 00:13:35.490 fine flour. The type of animal depended on the 00:13:35.490 --> 00:13:38.269 identity and the financial situation of the giver. 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:41.350 A female goat was the sin offering for a common 00:13:41.350 --> 00:13:43.710 person. Fine flour was the sacrifice for the 00:13:43.710 --> 00:13:46.490 very poor. A young bull was offered for the high 00:13:46.490 --> 00:13:49.509 priest and the congregation as a whole, and so 00:13:49.509 --> 00:13:52.840 on. These sacrifices each had specific instructions 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.240 for what to do with the blood of the animal during 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.399 the ceremony. The fatty portions, the lobe of 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.360 the liver and the kidneys were always given to 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:02.200 God as a burnt offering, and the rest of the 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.299 animal was either totally burned on the altar 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:08.379 with the ashes thrown outside the camp in atoning 00:14:08.379 --> 00:14:10.460 for the high priest and the congregation, or 00:14:10.460 --> 00:14:12.419 they were eaten within the tabernacle court. 00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:17.580 There were other mandatory sacrifices. for trespass 00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:19.639 offerings, and this sacrifice was exclusively 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:23.519 a ram. The trespass offering was given as atonement 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:25.940 for unintentional sins that required reimbursement 00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:28.679 to the offended party, and also cleansing from 00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:32.600 defiling sin or physical maladies. Again, the 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:35.580 fatty portions, kidneys, and liver were offered 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:38.419 to God, and the remainder of the ram had to be 00:14:38.419 --> 00:14:44.080 eaten outside the court of tabernacle. So you 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:50.620 can see before Christ came, it was a very laborious 00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:54.159 thing to achieve atonement. There was lots of 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.759 blood. There was lots of death. There was lots 00:14:56.759 --> 00:15:00.159 of covering that was required to obtain the mercy 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:03.720 from the Lord. And this is meant to highlight 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:08.899 the predicament that we are in and the nature 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:13.549 of sin and how much it requires. an atonement, 00:15:13.549 --> 00:15:16.210 or some sort of justice, or something to take 00:15:16.210 --> 00:15:20.450 place for the sins that we have committed. Something 00:15:20.450 --> 00:15:24.809 has to be done to remove the blood of sin that's 00:15:24.809 --> 00:15:27.710 upon our lives. Which brings me to my final point, 00:15:27.809 --> 00:15:30.610 which is mercy through Christ. Hebrews 9, 11 00:15:30.610 --> 00:15:33.029 through 14 says, But when Christ appeared as 00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:36.549 a high priest of the good things that come, then 00:15:36.549 --> 00:15:39.250 through the greater, more perfect tent, not made 00:15:39.250 --> 00:15:44.210 with hands, that is not of his creation, He entered 00:15:44.210 --> 00:15:48.169 once for all into the holy place, not by means 00:15:48.169 --> 00:15:50.129 of the blood of goats and calves, but by means 00:15:50.129 --> 00:15:53.230 of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 00:15:53.590 --> 00:15:56.049 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling 00:15:56.049 --> 00:15:58.029 of the defiled person with ashes of a heifer, 00:15:58.149 --> 00:16:01.210 sanctifying for the purification of the flesh, 00:16:01.370 --> 00:16:04.370 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through 00:16:04.370 --> 00:16:07.409 the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish 00:16:07.409 --> 00:16:10.809 to God, purify our conscience from dead works 00:16:10.809 --> 00:16:14.870 to serve the living God. Jesus Christ was the 00:16:14.870 --> 00:16:17.090 fulfillment of law. The sacrifices in the Old 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:20.830 Testament all pointed towards a perfect final 00:16:20.830 --> 00:16:23.970 sacrifice, which was Christ. As with the rest 00:16:23.970 --> 00:16:26.850 of the law, the sacrifices were a shadow of things 00:16:26.850 --> 00:16:30.409 that were to come. The reality, however, is found 00:16:30.409 --> 00:16:35.850 in Christ. In Colossians 2 .17, it says, Christians 00:16:35.850 --> 00:16:41.610 today recognize Christ's atoning death on the 00:16:41.610 --> 00:16:45.159 cross. as the only needed sacrifice for sin offered 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.799 once and for all. His death opened the holy place 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.899 for us so that we could freely enter into God's 00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:55.879 presence and offer our sacrifice of praise. He 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:58.580 was the perfect sacrifice, Jesus, the greatest 00:16:58.580 --> 00:17:02.039 sacrifice in the Bible. Jesus is our high priest 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:04.980 who sympathizes with us and understands our weaknesses, 00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:09.059 as he was tested in every way as we are, but 00:17:09.059 --> 00:17:14.890 he did it without sin. In Hebrews 4, 15, it says, 00:17:15.089 --> 00:17:41.269 so it's verses 14 through 16. with confidence 00:17:41.269 --> 00:17:43.849 draw near to the throne of grace that we may 00:17:43.849 --> 00:17:46.430 receive mercy and find grace to help him in time 00:17:46.430 --> 00:17:49.730 of need. The writer in Hebrew further explains 00:17:49.730 --> 00:17:52.950 that because Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, 00:17:53.190 --> 00:17:56.170 he is able to save forever those who draw near 00:17:56.170 --> 00:17:59.730 to God through him. Additionally, he always intercedes 00:17:59.730 --> 00:18:03.789 for them. For it was fitting for us to have such 00:18:03.789 --> 00:18:32.730 a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled. So 00:18:32.730 --> 00:18:36.349 finally, the gospel of Jesus Christ is... power 00:18:36.349 --> 00:18:38.650 in and of itself. And in Hebrews, we see that 00:18:38.650 --> 00:18:41.690 the blood of Christ purifies. In Hebrews 9, 13 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:45.549 through 14, we read about this, about the blood 00:18:45.549 --> 00:18:47.630 of goats and bulls, the sprinkling of the defiled 00:18:47.630 --> 00:18:50.730 person with ashes of the heifer sanctifying and 00:18:50.730 --> 00:18:55.809 purification of the flesh. But with Christ, who 00:18:55.809 --> 00:18:58.549 through eternal spirit was offered without blemish 00:18:58.549 --> 00:19:02.410 to God, he purifies our conscience forever of 00:19:02.410 --> 00:19:05.089 the dead works because we serve a living God. 00:19:06.410 --> 00:19:09.049 The blood of goats and bulls in the Old Testament, 00:19:09.069 --> 00:19:11.009 we read about the need for bloody sacrifice, 00:19:11.269 --> 00:19:13.329 the continual cleansing of the people of Israel. 00:19:13.430 --> 00:19:15.970 But with the coming Messiah, Jesus changed this 00:19:15.970 --> 00:19:19.329 forever. In Matthew 27, 51, it says, And behold, 00:19:19.529 --> 00:19:21.789 the curtain of the temple was torn in two from 00:19:21.789 --> 00:19:24.069 top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks 00:19:24.069 --> 00:19:26.819 were split. In John 20, 11 through 2, it says, 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:29.359 but Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. And 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:32.400 as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:35.880 And when she saw two angels in white sitting 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:38.880 where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.519 head and one at the feet, the Holy Spirit empowered 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.799 Christ for his sacrifice. And he is the perfect 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.220 sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifices were 00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:51.140 physically unblemished, but Christ was morally 00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:56.200 pure without sin. Christ is the mercy seat. The 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.160 forgiveness we experience is deep, personal, 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:03.039 and glorious, allowing us to become servants 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:06.460 of God. Christ, the perfect sacrifice, offered 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:10.380 himself to God and ransomed slaves of sin, allowing 00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:13.559 them to serve the living God. His blood is the 00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:17.000 only blood we need. He forever fulfills the debt 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.720 that we owe when we repent and cling to him as 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:24.049 our Lord and Savior. So if I can have every head 00:20:24.049 --> 00:20:25.730 bowed, every eye closed, wherever you're listening. 00:20:26.490 --> 00:20:29.029 This was a quick message today, but I just want 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:34.589 to hone in real quick on the invitation. We all 00:20:34.589 --> 00:20:38.089 have the opportunity to partake in the grace 00:20:38.089 --> 00:20:40.710 that is freely given by Christ Jesus, our Savior. 00:20:42.029 --> 00:20:44.490 If only we will accept him as our Lord and Savior. 00:20:45.529 --> 00:20:47.549 So if your heart is not right right now with 00:20:47.549 --> 00:20:49.750 him, and you want to accept Jesus Christ, you 00:20:49.750 --> 00:20:52.130 want to get your heart right with God. You can 00:20:52.130 --> 00:20:53.809 signify that with an uplifted hand wherever you 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:56.849 are. God will see it. If you did that and you 00:20:56.849 --> 00:20:59.490 meant it, I just want you to repeat a prayer 00:20:59.490 --> 00:21:02.769 after me. It's a very simple prayer. It's just, 00:21:02.789 --> 00:21:05.630 Dear Lord God, I know that I'm a sinner. But 00:21:05.630 --> 00:21:07.549 I know that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, 00:21:07.670 --> 00:21:10.990 and that he died for me on the cross. I repent 00:21:10.990 --> 00:21:14.470 of my sin. I turn away from the life that I had 00:21:14.470 --> 00:21:17.410 lived. And I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and 00:21:17.410 --> 00:21:20.009 Savior. And I thank you for your saving grace. 00:21:20.089 --> 00:21:22.940 In Jesus' name. Amen. If you prayed that prayer 00:21:22.940 --> 00:21:25.380 wherever you are, and if you meant it, God is 00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:27.380 going to change something in you. God is going 00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:29.759 to change your life, and now you will be a new 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:34.099 creation in Christ's name. And if you did pray 00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:35.799 that prayer, I hope you'll reach out, let me 00:21:35.799 --> 00:21:37.720 know, and I can send you a Bible. I'd love to, 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:43.619 you know, help you out and pray for you, that 00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:46.500 God will lift you up, and that as a new creation 00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:49.140 in Christ, that you'll go forward with that renewed 00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:51.890 freedom. It only comes by dropping the weight 00:21:51.890 --> 00:21:56.390 of sin and giving it to Jesus. So I want to thank 00:21:56.390 --> 00:21:59.829 you for listening to me today. And I really pray 00:21:59.829 --> 00:22:02.390 that God moves in your life and that you come 00:22:02.390 --> 00:22:04.369 back and listen to us next time. And remember 00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:07.269 to check us out like on YouTube. We live stream 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:10.569 our services there as well. And all that stuff 00:22:10.569 --> 00:22:12.049 is in the show notes, all the ways to get in 00:22:12.049 --> 00:22:14.230 touch with us, to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, 00:22:14.410 --> 00:22:17.289 whatever you prefer. But we're moving in seminar. 00:22:17.490 --> 00:22:20.109 We're trying to. build a community that will 00:22:20.109 --> 00:22:23.589 eventually touch the nations from here with the 00:22:23.589 --> 00:22:26.309 gospel of Jesus Christ. So pray for us, help 00:22:26.309 --> 00:22:29.410 us, and join arms with us. If you're in Salmon 00:22:29.410 --> 00:22:32.470 Arm, come and visit us. And we thank you for 00:22:32.470 --> 00:22:36.289 listening. And just God bless. I can't wait for 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:43.569 you to come back next time. Thank you for listening. 00:22:43.900 --> 00:22:46.960 PHSAA Potter's House Salmon Arm podcast. Be sure 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.359 to follow us on Instagram at pottershouse underscore 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:51.759 salmon arm to keep up to date on what we are 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:53.940 doing. Join the conversation and discover how 00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:56.680 Jesus Christ can revolutionize your life.