Sermon Tone Analysis

Reading Text:

Hebrews 9:27-28 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Introduction:

The Hebrews passage is a verse that proclaims hope!

A hope that the payment was made in full and the promise is He will bring us into freedom!

It also reminds us that death is a result of sin and no one can escape it, then directly following our death we will be judged!

Jesus’ sacrifice being complete is contrary to the sacrificial system of the Jews.

The Jews were to bring an sacrifice which would atone, or cover, their sins before God.

For a whole year!

it was an:

I. Temporary Cover.

Exodus 12:7-13 ““Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.

They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.

And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.

And you shall eat it in haste.

It is the Lord’s Passover.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.

The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are.

And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

*Explain the passages and the situation for Israel here!

Transition:

?

Why was it important for the doorposts to be covered with the blood?

It was for a sign.

It showed the testimony that the people in the home obeyed the Lord and believed Him.

Then the Holy Spirit agreed to their faith and passed over that house!

It was an:

A. Outward Sign.

Exodus 12:7 ““Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.”

This sign wasn’t just for the Holy Spirit to see.

?

Who else walked The streets of Egypt?

The Egyptians and also other Jews.

Illustration:

You trying to live by faith and sometimes are humbled or convicted by others “good choices”.

Those choices that are made to honor the Lord first and foremost!

Some people may believe that testimonies aren’t that important!

What they may be forgetting is that their testimonies are an result of a persons character and integrity!

Who we really are is revealed through those 2 things:

Character: “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.”

Integrity: “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”

What we believe is who we are!

Transition:

The outward appearance becomes important.

It began from the motive to honor God and from a heart of faith.

It can be held up as very importan.

Because it is very important we can easily fall into the trap of being:

B. Legalistic.

Legalism is:

“adhering excessively to law or formula.”

“concerning adherence to moral law rather than to personal religious faith.”

Our motivation to have Godly character and Integrity can unknowingly morph into a list of do’s and don’ts.

What we once did because we got to changed into we have to!

Israel was no exception to this: The Jews created more laws to make sure that their integrity and character was polished and perfect to everyone!

*Side Note = I have always thought we could have less laws if people were honest, trustworthy, kind, not self-centered…

because we aren’t that way, we continue making more and more laws for different offenses.

We all can polish our outward perception; directing everyone to think very high of us, everyone except God.

He was the one who was saddened by the authentic relationship the Jews could have with Him and it was traded for the appearance of a relationship.

The facad that peoples opinion mattered more than God’s.

They lived to please man more than God!

Paul specifically rebuked the Church of Galatia about this very thing:

Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?

Or am I trying to please man?

If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

John 12:43 “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

Ephesians 6:6 “not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,”

Transition:

A man living to honor God because He loves Him would need a way for his failed righteousness to be found acceptable to God.

He needed a way for his faith to be appealed to God and to be washed clean from his sins.

Gods provided that option through the:

C. Sacrifice of atonement.

Just as the Lord requested for the Jews to publicly testify of their faith in Him with a blood sacrifice He instituted an way of atonement by blood.

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”

Atonement is the word Kaphar (Kaw-far) which means: to cover, make atonement, make reconciliation, cover with pitch.

That’s interesting: where have we heard that phrase before?

Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.

Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.”

God is literally saying Make atonement for all humans!

Reconcile all life!

Who did the reconciling?

God did!

Transition:

God is always the one extending reconciliation to us!

He is always fixing our mistakes and extending a way for us to have a relationship with Him, even though we deserve Judgement.

He knew the annual atonement was temporary; but He always had a plan:

A once and for all atonement or sacrifice to provide the:

II.

Eternal Cover.

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

This is the Death blow through a worthy sacrifice.

The sacrifice that fixes what was broken, removing the authority or sting of the deceiver.

(No power or authority any longer for those who believe in Jesus)

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ““O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus was a man who lived on this Earth, He was real!

He really claimed to be God!

He actually lived out this life we read about in scriptures!

He actually performed these miracles!