Gospel centered fulfillment

Introduction

Great time of vacation

Huge thank you to our Leadership Team and them being able to handle things in my absence.

Thank you for being a church that supports your pastor in getting away and resting. I’ve learned from others that isn’t always the case so thank you for being awesome.

We had a great day yesterday as well. Beautiful weather, great crowd. Thankful for the opportunity to serve our community in that way.

Today is known as Palm Sunday. It’s the day we recognize as the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a the back of a donkey. It’s an important day for me as your pastor because it’s the first day I got to preach here.

This year I decided to preach through the Bible and let us see the gospel throughout scripture. Because of this, we are not going to have a typical palm Sunday message. Today we are continuing through the Bible and looking at a passage out of the book of Leviticus.

When I last preached I spoke on the tabernacle in Exodus. Today we are going to take a look at the law and what it means to us as NT Christians seeking to live a Gospel centered life.

Follow along with me as I read

Leviticus 19:1–8 KJV 1900

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God. 5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

PRAY

Somewhere in the beginning of each day, you probably find yourself looking at your reflection in the mirror. Many of us never give a second thought as to how that reflection is produced. All surfaces reflect some light, but only a special type of surface reflects light in such a way that it can form a mirror. In 1835 German chemist Justis von Liebig devised a process for coating plates of glass with metallic silver. This was the beginning of the mirror as we know it today and helped it become a common household item. The mirrors in our homes are made in similar fashion by evaporating a very thin layer of silver onto glass.

We see that God likens His Word to a mirror in James 1:22-25, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” As we look into God’s Word, it reveals who we really are in light of His holiness.

It is in the mirror of the law that we find ourselves truly as we are compared to a Holy God.

That’s why its important for you to know

I. The Law is Important in your Life

From the beginning of time in Genesis to now God has always had a “law” governing His people.

The law could be understood as instruction a well.

For Adam and Eve it was to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

They messed that one up.

For the Israelites, there is the base of the 10 commandents and then about 595 more to follow.

In the New Testament Jesus mentions instructions regarding our heart many different times. Don’t look after a woman with lust in your hear bc that’s the same as adultery.

Don’t be pios, do be humble, meek, kind, loving, etc.

It is in God’s character to give His people instruction to live by.

Some may look at this instruction or this law with a negative view. You believe that living for the Lord in a separate and Holy life is bondage. You don’t get to do what you want. You don’t get to watch what you want without some guy on Sunday telling you it was a bad thing.

If you are trying to live your life for your glory and pleasure then I agree with you. Your in bondage.

The same way a teenager believes they are in bondage when their parents establish laws or instruction to keep them from being out past a certain time, spending too much time in front of video games, hanging out with certain friends, yea…they are in soo much bondage...

OR

are they under their parents protection?

Luke 11:11–13 KJV 1900

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

God is too loving to give us a harmful gift, just as a parent wouldn’t give a harmful gift to their child.

In giving us instruction to live by, God never gave a law or instruction that is harmful to us.

The law is there to teach us something

Galatians 3:24 KJV 1900

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The Greek word that schoolmaster is translated from means “a servant that would take the children to school, an instructor.

The law shows us our imperfection , our lack of holiness, our inability to be holy.

I. You shall have no other gods before Me.

II. You shall make no idols.

III. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

IV. Keep the Sabbath day holy.

V. Honor your father and your mother.

VI. You shall not murder.

VII. You shall not commit adultery.

VIII. You shall not steal.

IX. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

X. You shall not covet.

^^^^ALL on one slide please…if not legible, 5 on one and 5 on another

That’s just the first 10. Ever broken one of those?

Why is the law important to us today? To teach us that we are not capable of being perfect. To teach us that we need a Savior. To show us that God is Holy and perfect.

While the law teaches us, it does not rule over us. It has been fulfilled…but not destroyed

II. Jesus fulfilled the law you could not

Matthew 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

What’s the difference between fulfilling something and destroying it?

I believe that destroying something means to erradicate it. To make it void. To remove it’s purposes and either replace it or ignore it.

Jesus didn’t come to do that though. He came to fulfill the law.

What does it mean when a law is fulfilled?

We often look at the law as the “do nots” of the Bible. However, I believe the argument could be made that the “do nots” are only half of the law.

The law given to Moses did not just include the things the Israelites were not to do and what they were to do, it also included the things they were to do if they went against the “do nots”

If you sin, provide a sin offering, a sacrifice.

Think of it this way.

How many of you have seen those white signs with black lettering on them next to the road? They typically have numbers in them.

What are those for?

No seriously…what are those for? Because it seems in Ct no one knows…including my self

The speed limit right.

What is supposed to happen when you break the speed limit? you get a ticket and then pay a fine. You break the law and then fulfill the law or the requirements of the law by paying the ticket.

When it comes to the application of the law in your life, Jesus paid the ticket.

On Palms Sunday as He travelled into Jerusalem on the back of the colt He was riding into into the courtroom of eternal Justice to pay the debt you could not pay to fulfill the requirement of the law on your behalf.

Does that mean we are not beholden to the law? No

Does it mean all the laws of the OT apply to us today? No

So what do we do?

I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this one but there are a few different views on this. The two that I believe most accurately describe it to us and one new one that is out there are: Dispensationalism, a reformed view, and New Covenant theology.

Dispenationalism refers to 7 dispenstations that were thought of by man to divide the bible into separate sections based upon how God interacts with his people. It’s nothing more than a system of order developed by men to seek to better understand God.

What does that mean? It means it isn’t divinely inspired by God and can hav flaws.

The part I agree with dispensationalism on that pertains to this message is that God’s interaction with mankind has changed over time. During the different dispensations the means of salvation has been the same, salvation by grace through faith.

However, God’s interaction with man has looked different. God doesn’t interact with us the same way He did Adam and Eve or the patriarchs.

This view teaches that the law given at Sinai was applicalble to the Israelites during the OT and whose final fulfilment will be during the millenial reign of Christ.

having been given to just the Israelites it’s application to the NT Christian is different.

This is where the reformed view provides a good explanation. This view was formed under the Westminster Confession of Faith in 1646. It’s one that Catholics and Calvinists hold. Does it mean it’s wrong because someone I disagree with on other areas believes it? No.

It means I see it as what it is, a man made system to seek to understand God.

In the reformed view, you will find the law divided into 3 parts: the moral, ceremonial, and civl.

Civil laws are regulations to be enforced by the theocratic, national state of Israel in order to maintain a civil society. These are the punishments for turning from God by breaking the laws given to govern society.

Ceremonial law (modern Bible scholars often label these cultic laws) refers to laws having to do with religious ritual or ceremonies: the sacrifices, the festivals, the tabernacle, laws of clean and unclean and the like.

The moral law refers to the broad moral principles of the law, especially as expressed in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments). In Reformed theology, only the moral law is directly applicable to both the Christian and the non-Christian. The explanation sometimes given is this: The moral law, being based on the character of God that does not change, remains forever applicable.

Covenant theology holds that the civil and ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ but not the moral law.

I like this system of organization and don’t believe it contradicts scripture or a dispensational view. The Church didn’t replace Israel, but Christ did replace the law.

The Civil and Ceremonial laws were there to keep the ISraelites in a godo standing with God. Through the grace of God, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we have a direct relationship with God not based on what we do but based on what He’s done.

The last system is one called New Covenant Theology

NCT does not divide the law like Covenant theology and sees it all fullfilled by Christ. I agree. The system of separation is man made where as it would appear Jesus speaks in terms of the whole.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/the-ten-commandments/10-commandments-new-testament/#Chart

^^^Link in digital guide

NCT Theology also doesn’t see the dispensations that dispenatiolist teach and see God as interacting the same throughout. On this point I disagree.

What do these three systems have to do with you today?

Study the Word

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 1900

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

take these man made systems and compare them with scripture. it’s ok disagree with them and me. It’s not ok to disagree with the Bible.

2. Know that the law has been fulfilled by Christ.

God’s interaction with you by through Grace, I believe that point is not arguable.

3. Don’t hold yourself to a law or the punishment of the law when God doesn’t.

Don’t use grace to sin or the law to limit your Liberty.

Jesus fulfilled the law you could not.

You still sin. You still go against the instruction of the New Testament and Old testament for that matter. yet you should not seek to live that way on purpose because of grace.

Romans 6:1–2 KJV 1900

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

You are dead to sin when you trust in Jesus as your Savior. Do you live like it?

Instead of choosing to live under the freedom of the gospel and the liberty of grace, you have run back to the bondage of the world.

Palm Sunday is a celebration of what is about to take place.

it wasn’t about the Jews being freed from Roman rule. It was about humanity being freed from the rule of sin.

III. His Grace is sufficient for you

How?

When does God’s Grace become sufficient for us?

When we get to the same place Paul did in Gal.

2 Corinthians 12:6–10 KJV 1900

6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul speaking here talks about his thorn in the flesh. Many believe this was an eye disease or problem that resulted from his blindness on the road to Damascus.

No matter what it is you see inn vs 8 he went to God three times to have it removed and healed. Yet the Lord’s response was not to heal it but to say to Paul “My grace is sufficient. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.”

Then in verse 10 Paul says “Therefore..” which means because.

Because God’s grace is to be usfficient I will take pleaure in the bad things that happen to me because in my weakness, I am strong through Christ.

let’s apply this principle to the law.

When you see your weakness and accept them, you see your need for Jesus and accept Him.

Our salvation is not a little of us and some of Christ. Our lives are not made of up some of the things we do and some of the things God does, God has done it all.

Christ paid for our salvation because we couldn’t afford it, not even the down payment.

The Bible says the Holy Spirit is our seal until the day of redemption. He is the earnest money God put down on us.

So it’s not just that you couldn’t afford the whole house, or the down payment, you couldn’t even pay the earnest money.

The law proves

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

and

Luke 18:19 KJV 1900

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and without Christ you can do nothing.

I beg of you, I plead with you. Grab hold of this truth. Let go of anything else you believe and you will find that you can live an abundant life that is no longer controlled by the ebb and flow of the world and its system.

The law is there to show you how much you need a savior. And when you know you need a savior you know there is a savior for you. That’s Jesus.

His grace is sufficient for your salvation. His grace is sufficient for your life. Salvation and a relationship with God are yours for the taking. Receive them by faith.

Want to be a better father? Want to be a better mother? Want to be a better person? The answers for those questions are not in the self help books. The answers for those questions are found in this book and should not be your goal.

Wait…I’m not supposed to try to be a better person? Nope.

That’s what the Pharisees did. They purusued the law to be percieved as better and more righteous than others.

Jesus didn’t call us to pursue the law. He didn’t call us to pursue your best life now.

He said

Matthew 16:24 KJV 1900

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matthew 4:19 KJV 1900

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Why? because with faith in Jesus you are made His.

Philippians 3:12 KJV 1900

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Pursue Jesus. Stop trying to quit smoking. Pursue jesus and allow the desire to quit come from Him.

Stop trying to keep from losing your temper. Puruse Jesus.

Stop trying to be a better dad or a better mom, Stop trying to find your identity in what you do. find your identity in Jesus. Find your identity in the gospel and see your life transformed not because of what you do but because of what He does.

Time of Response