A Completed Sacrifice

Vacation was nice. But, do you ever feel like you need more of them. There seems to be so much that occupies our time and energy. How do we know as Christians if we are doing the right things? What has God called us to do?

Intro

Illus: Unfinished work

Chaplain Ben Warner and his untimely death

unfinished projects within the house I helped to complete

There are works of this world and of the spiritual realm and they are to be approached with balance by the Christian and Christ’s Church

Problem: Often churches and Christians spend much time and energy on the wrong things

Social Gospel - only caring for or neighbor matters

Drama

Jesus leaves his Mother to John

Mary - Jesus mother

His Aunt Mary and Mary Magdalene.

Jesus turns over responsibility to care for his Mother to John

She moved in and lived with John

John 19:27 ESV

Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

John 19

So, there is work that is not completed and left for Jesus disciples to do.

Deeds of mercy and love for the widow and childless

Also, the great commission -

Matthew 28:18 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Matthew 28:18–19 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus completes the sacrifice for sin through his death

“knowing that all was now finished”

Attests to the completeness of His work

Work established by God the Father

John 19:28 ESV

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

“to fulfill Scripture.”

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator

III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure; having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;q in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell: to the end, that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth,s he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety.

Psalm 69:21 ESV

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

WCF

Acts 13:29 ESV

And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

Jesus death was a fulfillment of Scripture, promised from as early as

Genesis 3:15 ESV

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.”

Jesus death was perfectly orchestrated in God’s providence and was a completed work

John 19:30 ESV

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Doctrine

The Church

Who makes up the church?

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter XXV. Of the Church

THE catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

ARP Statement concerning the church and it’s purpose: FOG

MISSION AND MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH

1.7 All that the Church says and does is to be a witness to Jesus Christ, God's living Word, as He is spoken of in the Holy Scriptures, God's written Word. God has sent His Church into the world to present Jesus Christ through preaching, witnessing, teaching, sacrament, worship, and corporate living. All of the Church's people, in every phase of their lives, are to be God's ministers to the world by being servants of His Son, the King of the Church.

1.8 God the Father has given the Holy Spirit through Christ to the world to reveal and to make the ministry of the Church effective.

1.9 The message of the Church's ministry is the message of reconciliation. Through the varieties of its ministry, the Church is to bear witness that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself..."17 to the end that all people might be reconciled both to God and to one another.

Jesus leaves some work for the church to accomplish and finish

The physical care of those in need

The continuation of building disciples

Jesus has left us work to do as individuals and as a body of believers. But, what are these things? Is it our job to ensure that everyone prays the believers prayer or gets a tract or reads the Bible?

Our job is, yes the physical care of those within the church, but it’s bigger than that. It is sharing the message of reconciliation.

We hold a treasure. The Gospel message. It is what every lost soul needs. It is a free gift, yet many of us refuse to seek ways to give it.

Message in a bottle: What good is it if it is afloat at sea and never reaches the ears of those who Jesus gives ears to hear?

App: Let us not be distracted with programs or things that we think need to be done because we have always done them. Let us be driven by the desire and need for sharing the gospel. There are so many simple ways to do this. We don’t need a program to do it, nor do we need someone to show us how to do it.

The Work of Christ

Jesus completes the work of salvation required of him

Christ the Mediator WCF VIII

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator

IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that he might discharge, he was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it;a endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body;c was crucified, and died; was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption.e

Christ’s perfect obedience

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator

V. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.m

This sacrifice is only offered up once

Romans 3:25–26 ESV

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:5 ESV

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This was to fulfill the covenant as the Surety and completed sacrifice

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator

III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure; having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;q in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell: to the end, that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth,s he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety

This is the message we have to share. That people who are lost are waling this earth looking for something to fix their brokenness. And, you have it. Christ has completed the requirement for reconciliation. This is what every last man or woman needs. To be given the message in which faith is given by God and their eyes and ears are opened to set to believe.

App: What if we engaged people to the level that we showed them that what they are working for is futile.

Illus: Book of Ecclesiastes - King Solomon determined this. Nothing in the world could accomplish what was needed for their soul. Only Jesus could and has done this.

What if you started sharing this message with people in your sphere fo influence. Think who needs to hear it.

Doxology

Celebrate the Lord’s Supper

We need this reminder for ourselves

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VII. Of God’s Covenant with Man

VI. Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s supper;o which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity and less outward glory, yet in them it is held forth in more fulness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles;q and is called the New Testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and the same under various dispensations.s

We need to be reminded that the work of Christ satisfies God and has reconciled us to him.

Some of us are still confused by this. We act as if we are still lacking peace with God. Our time and energy is spent doing things that are misguided and that don’t convey this message.

Let us focus on conveying the message that we rest in our surety, Jesus Christ, because he has accomplished the requirements on our behalf. That his sacrifice was the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan for me. It is finished and there is nothing more I need do to earn God’s favor.

Let us celebrate together and may our faith be built up in this very fact - that Jesus died a completed death on the cross in my stead.

And all God’s people said - AMEN