Grateful Devotion

Head out to the junior Church area and if you're in the 6 to 9 category you can come up front and get one of these work, clipboards to help you follow along.

And the rest of you can turn to Leviticus 1 and pull out your sermon notes from the bulletin. If they're helpful and following,

I don't know how often you've read Books like Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy? Particularly Leviticus focus is on the sacrificial system and all those details. It's easy to get lost in some of that but it's something that helps us to fully understand what Christ did for us. I'm so we kind of laid the groundwork over a couple weeks behind the sacrificial system. And now we're going to be looking at particular sacrifices, what they teach us about. God, our responsibility and what they teach us about looking towards Christ. Thought I'd give you just A Brief Review that sacrifice in the Old Testament, was a means by which people were in able to approach. God God's holy she has to judge sin. Death is the result of Sin for the enter into the presence of God, will have equivalent than the death penalty. But God by his grace provides means to cover that and God's holiness required atonement before the sin of this idea of something that provided reconciliation and we'll see who that's significant the sacrifice and Jenner, was founded. Upon this idea where depended upon God for life itself. And so we need to have a restored relationship with God. And the desire for that Relic restoration and fellowship with him and and not to fear. His presence is only possible by God's grace and the provision he made until he made Covenant. He made binding, Promises and required commitments. In the particular one we're looking at now. He chose and redeemed, Israel has His people. They were to respond and faith and obedience and that meant dealing with sin in the way that God himself provided through the sacrificial system. A substitute died in our place to allow a reconciliation with God. All Access to God is only on the basis of a substitutionary sacrifice and a mediator. True worshippers video from shared in the weeks prior is that God's initiative and it's according to his word. And for the Israelites that included daily burnt offerings in the nation of Israel, in the temple existed there every morning and every evening at prescribed time, there was an animal sacrifice that took place, Not only an animal sacrifice for the grain offering to drink coffee everyday, morning and the evening. Now that burnt offering never went out, it was it burned all day long and it was a reminder among other things, a reminder of God's covenant, provision and up his promise. So, that process of taking care by the priests as their mediator, was the reminder of the Covenant and their commitment to Faith in obedience to the Lord. That God, their redeemer would dwell in their midst and meet and guide them. So when the Lord set this up. The end of Exodus.

The Lord presence himself, came down and dwelt in that holy of holies in the Tabernacle. So when they brought these sacrifices to the door of the tent of meeting or the Tabernacle, they were coming there and approaching the presence of God who had made himself manifest right there in their midst. And that covenant, provided the basis. See that covenant was for the whole nation that was done every morning, every evening. But it provided the basis for individual people to participate in those benefits and express their faith and obedience. And that's really what you're beginning to look at in Leviticus 1. This is an invitation for individual people to draw near. So Lord, Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of the meeting, He said, speak to the Israelites and say to them. When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring us, your offering, an animal for me to the herd or the Flock. So God has offered and encourage them to draw into my presence, just bring a sacrifice is the idea of drawing near they can enter into this fellowship with him but to do so require this substitutionary sacrifice. And so he wanted them to bring offerings to him and to come in to his his presence. And he provided the guidelines by which people could come into His presence, come with confidence, but come with an understanding of who they were approaching and on what basis they could do so.

So to us, the system is complex and all sorts of details, but it's a little reminder, in a way that the Holiness of God requires this elaborate ceremony process to preserve people from coming in and unfit hasty, presumptuous manner. You remember what happened to Aaron's two sons when they entered into God's presence without doing things the right way? They were struck dead. So these reminders here of clear warnings, the condition that it an individual must meet as a covenant keepers. To enable them to enjoy the benefits of the covenants and the promises that God has given them. There was no place for presumption or ignorance. So its that little reminder again God is Holy, sin is serious, God can only be approached through the blood of a worthy substitute? For worship to be acceptable to God. These ritual acts had to be accompanied by faith and obedience. You see often in the scripture just doing these things accomplished, nothing I think they can be a meaningless activity. If you want to see that, I mentioned, Isaiah 49, the first few verses there, show you how absurd it is to do these things without really understanding who you are approaching, and you're doing it in faith and obedience. Do you notice the little phrase here? It says, when any of you brings an offering individual burnt offerings,

An everyday thing, they were relatively rare thing. The nation as a whole every morning and every evening, but Covenant, took place. But the burnt offering brought by an individual was a relatively rare thing, They where costly. Now all the heads of households in Israel, were required to come to Jerusalem three times a year for their major festivals and often that would have been a time when they would have, maybe brought these burnt offerings because the only place you could offer a sacrifice was at the temple or the Tabernacle prior to that. How big is the land of Israel? Got any history Buffs or anything in them. So the land is proximately 200 miles long, and maybe depending on the area up to 80 miles wide. So if you're gonna take a sacrifice to Jerusalem and you lived a hundred fifty miles away, and you were walking. How long is it going to take you?

Anybody done serious walking lately? So, I want you to understand that bringing a burnt offering to the Tabernacle was a costly commitment, all up by itself. And so there's this picture You're going to bring this burnt offering, you're going to bring it to Jerusalem. What's the purpose of it? It's really an expression of worship and gratitude. This really isn't a sacrifice for

a particular sin. That you've done something awful and you need to come offer a sacrifice in a way in our terminology what I would say to you. It's a reminder that all of us are Sinners by nature and even though you're the best person in this world, you're a sinner by nature, don't deserve to come into the presence of God and someday you're facing your judgment unless your sins dealt with. Cause you see there are other offerings that will come up that talk about you know when you do this then this is a mandatory requirement what you must do. Guild offerings and sin offerings were for specific things. So this this wasn't the primary purpose of this was really an expression of grateful devotion and Thanksgiving. But even to do that You're reminded I need the grace of God to enter into his presence. And here's the way that he is given for them to be able to do that. So the burnt offering was a basic offering that Express devotion and dedication to the Lord and expression of love and gratitude for God's and A Renewed commitment on there part to total dedication to live for the Lord. Do you ever stop and just renew your commitment to the Lord and thank him for, for salvation and for the things that he's done in your life. Its a valuable thing to do on occasion something, you know, if you know the specific date just like people celebrate your birthday and someways, you ought to celebrate your spiritual birthday. I couldn't tell you , you know, the exact date. I can tell you the year of the months and whatever, but but to just stop and and Express gratitude to the Lord was renewed commitment to Him. To live for the one who saved me. And that's really what, this burnt offering was a demonstration of the Willing obedience to live. Following God's commands because of the gratefulness for what he's done. The sacrificial gift required to kind of a representative character and denotes, the really the Self surrender of person, and their possessions of their livelihood, what they work with and what they brought. And so that was all being brought to its voluntary costly gift. This wasn't a required thing for the nation every morning and evening. But for individuals, it was a voluntary costly gift for the individual. Part of it. Even you know you've heard the idea of killing the fatted calf and if you would know what it means to kill the fatted calf, why you do that?

How often did the Israelites kill the fatted calf? Ok, special events. You're celebrating a wedding you're celebrating and, you know, maybe a bar mitzvah or a Jewish person that it was a big event and you brought people into share the meal. Why?

If you are a family of 2 and you kill the fatted calf and prepare to feed it. How fast would you have to eat it? You didn't have a frigerator freezer. You know, how long is it going to hang out there and you're still going to keep nawging on it. It was a celebration. So they did this wasn't this was a costly thing that you were making a commitment. But in this instance, nobody ate it. The whole thing got burn up. It was a picture of self-surrender and sacrifice, that kind of expression was made affordable for all. If you read in here, we're not going to, they give you, you can bring a young calf, you can bring a lamb, you can bring a goat or you can bring a dove or a pigeon, Now why a dove or pigeon. You know. Maybe you didn't own any of these other things. You were bringing something You owned. This was a costly demonstration. A Dove or a pigeon were domesticated Birds either easily caught or raised by people. And again, it was a representative anybody could come up with them but you realized it to get a dove or a pigeon and then take it live to the temple. Was quite a sacrifice, all by itself. I mean if you're going to, you're going with grateful Hearts, if I'm going to catch this bird, I'm going to walk 3 days. To take that presented before the Lord, as an expression of gratitude for what he's done for me. It's affordable to anybody. The commitment was involved in the process and you gave according to what, how you were able to come to the New Testament, to tell you the same thing. Do you remember the story of The Widow's Mite? She gave two pennies, she's given more than other people. So it's affordable for everybody. That's not something or didn't want anybody to feel excluded in this process to express their gratitude. And so they were to give. But if you were really well to do it when you brought a pigeon, what's itself? Yeah, I'm not really grateful. I'm just going through the motions and so that was the part of the warning to God's presence in the bring this sacrifice. What was necessary? Was this particular sacrificed? It was an acceptable domestic animal that belong to you. The animals were substituted, a symbol of the real sacrifice that was yet to come. And they were the, most fitting example or representative of that. Because what does it represent?

Because a animal has life, just like you have light. Killing an animal is a pretty dramatic thing. And it was intended to be. Because it's a picture of a substitute. It's a picture of the surrender of the human soul, our life to God. And I'm so that's what's real life is being taken the lights being taken in your place. This the human soul its surrender to God as the the vehicle by which represents the soul that would provide an amendment for recovering for sin.

See there had to be a means to satisfy God's righteousness and we could use the term wrath judgments necessary on sin. Death is the result of sin, so the animal died because of your sin, the worshippers sin. And again, I'd say this was because of your sin nature. Not, this wasn't for specific instances of a very public type of sin that needed delt with. It's only by sacrifice that a simple person could enter into fellowship with God. Look in this passage another sit in this particular, sacrifice that had to be a male animal in the first year of one year old, and I had to be without defect, And the picture was that they were free from false. They were in the prime of life before aging took effect on the animal. So was an innocent or sinless substituted prefigure the sinlessness and Holiness of the ultimate sacrifice that would come Tell the process gets pretty elaborate sometimes when you read this, but you had to meet God on his terms at his place by his means of Grace. So you bought the animal sacrifice to where Door of the temple or the door of the Tabernacle, the Gate of, of meeting the tent of meeting at. That's got some place you there. You're doing it before the Lord, the whole purpose of doing this is to meet the Lord in the come into His presence. So you're acknowledging. That's what you're doing. If you willingly bring this gift, it had to be acceptable. You couldn't bring anything, you wanted to that. Had to meet certain requirements. It acts only on his terms according to the access to God only exist for the righteous who are babe, righteous by God's gracious provision. I'm so that all who represented the presence of God and what you did, you laid your hands on this animal. and basically, that's was identification that you were passing to this animal, your sin, your guilt, it was it stepping in as your replacement that at show that connection in that intent that what was being offered was to atone for your sin, that you're the one that would receive the benefit of it. So they're there was that it identification and there was the transfer that took place yet. And what happened that made us even more Vivid who killed the animal.

You killed the animal. This animals dying in my place. So it's a very Vivid thing. Know the minute you did that, a priest stepped in caught the blood, the blood was put on the sides of the altar The Preists took it in, that animal was skinned was cut up, was put on the Altar and burnt. So the offer killed the animal, they died in your place, is your innocence substitute. But than a mediator, the priest stepped in. Caught blood, sprinkle it on Altar and prepared it for sacrifice. And the whole thing was burnt up. Now the sprinkling of blood was that picture of justification that a life was taken that paid for the penalty of that's in the burning it up fool, was the whole surrender as well as the picture of the sanctification cleansing process that took place? But it's all a picture of the whole person being yielded himself surrender to God. We sang a song "Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid". So when you brought this offering you were surrendering yourself to the Lord and putting it all on the altar. You weren't holding anything back. It was all given to the Lord and asked if they're offering themselves as a sacrifice. Well, pleasing to the Lord. But in the reminder is motive was always important in this offering to sacrifice without faith without a right attitude and Understanding God's grace made it worthless, just another meaningless, Slaughter, that was taking place. But what's really accomplished by all this?

so in here, you'll see the details where the calf you do certain things or the lamb, you just certain things with a pigeon you do certain things but the the accomplishment verse for lays out the first one of these You're laid a hand on the head of the burnt offering. It will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for sin. So the purpose was to make atonement first of all, refers to reconciliation to God. This is necessary for me to have a right relationship with God. Sometimes that little work till you could say at one minute, I'm at one with God because I have come to him in faith on his terms that he has provided for me and tell her that to take place. There was this A fancy word expiation, which basically says immense was, were made for my sin and the picture that you see that it was covered. It was covered. So it didn't. It was no longer a barrier in between God and ourselves. So God's righteous judgement was satisfied. The working worshiper was in right relationship with God. And in that process was acknowledging their need for God's gracious permission to be able to bring those presents. Enjoy all those benefits. Some substitute had to take my place. Free animal, death would serve for the time being and you'll see this in Hebrews with other time. It was a temporary covering until the God man himself would come to give his life is the only proper & Final substitute. The second thing that was accomplished through this and it's describe three times in this chapter and verse 9 13 and 17. But will look at verse 9, the priest watch the inner parts and the priests burned it all on the altar. It is a burnt offering an offering made by fire and aroma pleasing to the Lord. That. Why is it pleasing to the Lord?

Is pleasing to the Lord because of what it represents. Do you remember what we read in 2nd Corinthians 2:15, 16 when I was talking about, as we're sharing the gospel wear in a Roma pleasing to the Lord. But to the people around you, depending on how they respond to that message of the Gospel, it's the stink of death or the fragrance of Life, the same sacrifice. And that one of the things if you were ever in Jerusalem back, when the sacrifices of going on, you know, the smell when you got near the temple. There was constant, smell of burnt, sacrifice of incense, and off with the thing and it's the smell but also the smell of life. But in the process, they were offering themselves as a Living Sacrifice to God and to some degree as that smoke, this ends up. It's a visual picture of people's praise and prayer to God as they expressed their surrender to him in praising and prayer grateful devotion, underscoring, the great appreciation for The God Who they dependent for what he had done. And the that he was worthy of all the praise and glory and they're committing themselves again to live according to his will. We're renewing our commitment and gratitude that we're going to wholeheartedly live for you. And we're demonstrating that through this costly gift. I want to think you don't want to mess with the sacrificial system, is what it teaches us about Christ. Do the rights in the ceremonies belonging to the limit of code of worship, only had a temporary early, sometimes use the scent at dispensational validity. They serve a purpose for a Time. All along, it was God's plan for the Old Testament, sacrifices to point to the sacrifice of Christ to be completed in him and no longer be necessary.

But here's part of what they taught us and causes us to realize the need of Christ. Acknowledgement of sin and its consequence was a critical aspect of the burnt offering. It made the Nate it made the need of a savior, very Vivid and clear. Shake in the burnt offering wasn't primarily for your sin at the time, it was dealing with the fact that even in gratitude, I can't go to God, except through his provision of a savior in my place.

I'm so the animal sacrifice was done in anticipation of the true and perfect sacrifice with Christ, the son of man and Son of God would offer in the fullness of time to reconcile the whole world to him.

Christ of the substitutionary sacrifice. When you put together all the different X specs of the different sacrifices will. Look at week-to-week, helps you understand how completely Christ took care of our son problem, our relationship with God and all that necessary to bring his blessing into our life. Arson leads to death. Somebody will die because of our sin, either we die for it and are eternally separated from God or a substitutionary. Sacrifice will die for our sin. God provided a sacrifice for our sin. When God, the son took on human flesh, lived a sinless, life died, as our perfect sacrifice on the cross, and rose again. As a demonstration, that it was an acceptable sacrifice, that took care of it all. And it's no longer necessary to be put in place. Kiss our perfect substitute sea. He gave himself fully to do the will of his father, including offering himself wholly as the Spotless. Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Remember that verse in Hebrews 10:10 and buy that will the will of Jesus Christ to willingly give himself by that. Will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all The one-way faith, we accept that provision. We're reconciled to God, restored in relationship to God. So there's that very Vivid picture that's placed in front of us. So, here's the Challenge from the question that they were shouldn't Miss. Then you shouldn't Miss. Have you acknowledge your sim and placed your faith in God's perfect? Substitutionary sacrifice, Jesus Christ who died in your place, that you might have life, that you might have happened, abundantly that you can joyfully enter into the presence of God, and experience His blessings because you're in right relationship with him, cuz you've accepted what he put in your place.

I'm in the second part of it which is really the main emphasis in the burnt offering distinct from the rest of it is a reminder that have you presented yourself as a Living Sacrifice to God as in grateful devotion, because all of what he's done for you.

And that's really what's being pictured. In this offering is just rededicating myself to live for the Lord to represent him to let him know how grateful I am for what he's done in my life and I want to express that to him and two others sitting in that way in our life. So we have this picture every time you walk away with a reminder, I'm so thankful the Lord. Jesus Christ came and took care of this by his grace. I don't have to go through all of this system into sacrificing all these other than and I don't have to fear to go into God's presence. Cuz the perfect sacrifice in the perfect high priest. Is there interceding for me when I place my faith in him as my Lord and Savior. And I could enter boldly into his presence. I can enjoy the blessings of and when you begin to grasp that you ought to be grateful and you ought to express that gratitude and meaningful ways of self commitment and sacrifice that are represented in this burnt offering.

Father, we thank you for the great love that you and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all expressed and Christ willingness to come as our perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. And may we willingly surrender ourselves in faith and it'll be be announced that we might know that your way of walking and sweet fellowship with you in Jesus name. Amen.

Trinity, Hymnal to 493. when you get to the third verse this song and take him to come and get ready for communion,