Sermon #1[i]                                                                                                         Leviticus Sermons

 

      Title:                     How Can A Sinner Come To God?

 

      Text:                      Leviticus 1:1-9

      Subject:                           Laying the Hand of Faith

      Upon the Head of GodÕs Sacrifice

      Introduction:

 

How can a sinner come to God? That is the question I want to answer in this message. How can I, a guilty, vile, base sinner, deserving GodÕs holy wrath, come to the thrice holy Lord God and find acceptance with Him? Are you interested? If you are, turn with me to the first chapter of the Book of Leviticus.

 

The Way to God

 

Here we see that there is a way whereby sinners may indeed come to God and find acceptance with Him. Thank God, there is a way! However, (And this is of vital importance. It must be understood!) the only way sinners can come to God, the only way you and I can draw near to Him is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no acceptance with God upon the footing of religious ritualism or our own works of righteousness. If we would be saved, if we would find acceptance with God, we must come to Him like the publican of old, confessing our sins and trusting the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is written, ÒBelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.Ó

 

1 John 1:9 ÒIf we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Ó

 

Romans 10:9-13 ÒThat if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. —[10]— For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. —[11]— For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. —[12]— For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. —[13]— For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Ó

 

á      Salvation is looking to Christ – The Brazen Serpent.

á      Salvation is coming to Christ – (Hebrews 7:25).

á      Salvation is leaning on Christ – Leaning on her Beloved.Ó

á      Salvation is trusting Christ.

á      Salvation is buying of Christ – Buying without money and without price, but buying, still!

 

How I pray that God will give you grace to trust Christ! My prayer and heartÕs desire to God for you is that you might be saved. Come now! God help you to come. Come and welcome to the Savior.

 

Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,

Weak and wounded, sick and sore;

Jesus ready stands to save you,

Full of pity, joined with power.

He is able, He is willing, —

Come, then, come and doubt no more!

 

Come, ye needy, come and welcome,

GodÕs free bounty glorify;

True belief and true repentance,

Every grace that brings you nigh.

Without money, without money,

Come to Jesus Christ and buy!

 

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,

Bruised and mangled by the fall.

If you tarry Ôtil youÕre better,

You will never come at all.

Not the righteous, not the righteous,

Sinners Jesus came to call.

 

The only way a sinner can come to God is by Christ the Way. The only Door by which we can come into the presence of the holy Lord God is Christ the Door. This is the doctrine of the entire Bible. I want to show it to you from the Book of Leviticus.

 

Leviticus 1:1-9 ÒAnd the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, —[2]— Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. —[3]— If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. —[4]— And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. —[5]— And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, AaronÕs sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. —[6]— And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. —[7]— And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: —[8]— And the priests, AaronÕs sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: —[9]— But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.Ó

 

Proposition: If we would worship God, if we would find acceptance with Him, we must come to Him, call upon Him, worship Him in the way He has prescribed, trusting Christ, the Sacrifice He has accepted, as our only acceptance with Him.

 

Leviticus

 

The Book of Leviticus is one of the least read books of the Bible. Yet, it is pre-eminently the Book in which God speaks directly to man. No Book in the Bible Òcontains more of the very words of God than LeviticusÓ (Andrew Bonar).

 

On the surface, the things spoken of in these twenty-seven chapters may seem to have no apparent message or relevance for us today. After all, the Book is called ÒLeviticus.Ó It is all about the functions of the priests of the Levitical order. The whole Book is about Levitical laws, ceremonies, and priestly functions that have been abolished for more than two thousand years. What do these things have to do with us? That is precisely my reason for bringing this message. The entire Book of Leviticus is about Christ and the salvation God gives to sinners in Him.

 

In Old Testament times, this was the first Book Jewish children were taught to study, as we teach the young to read John or Romans. You see, Leviticus deals directly with all of the major issues in a believerÕs relationship with God, especially those involving sin and atonement. These are matters of great, indeed, greatest importance to the souls of men in every age.

 

Be Holy

 

The purpose of Leviticus is echoed in verses such as 11:44-45, 19:2, and 20:26: ÒYe shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy The word ÒholyÓ appears more often in the Book of Leviticus than in any other book of the Bible. The Book of Leviticus both calls GodÕs people to be holy, and shows us how sinners are made holy by Christ, and declares that GodÕs elect shall be made holy in Christ by the mighty operations of His grace.

 

Five Offerings

 

In chapters 1-7, God gave Moses specific instructions about the sacrifices and offerings by which His people would be allowed to approach him.

 

1.    The burnt offering shows us the way to God (1:1-17). — We must come to God by faith in Christ, Who was consumed by the fire of GodÕs wrath as our Substitute. But our Lord Jesus Christ is that Burnt Offering who consumed the fire of GodÕs wrath for His people.

 

2.    The meat offering portrays the character of Christ, the God-man (2:1-16). – He who is our Substitute is most holy unto the Lord. – It also speaks of our consecration to God by faith in Christ.

 

3.    The peace offering speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is our Peace (3:1-17). – Christ alone can reconcile God and man. Christ alone can speak peace to the guilty conscience. Christ alone is our Peace.

 

4.    The sin offering, of course, represents Christ our Substitute (4:1-35). – Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. There is no forgiveness with God except by the merits of a suitable, slain sin-offering; and that Sin-offering is Christ.

 

5.    The trespass offering sets before us a picture of ChristÕs atonement (5:1-6:7). – Our Lord Jesus Christ made atonement for the sins of His people by paying our debt to the full satisfaction of Divine justice.

 

I hear the Savior say,

ÒThy strength indeed is small.

Child of weakness, watch and pray,

Find in Me thine all in all.Ó

Jesus paid it all! All the debt I owed!

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow!

 

Divisions

 

Let me show you just two things in Leviticus 1:1-9, and I will wrap this message up.

1.    Here is a sinner coming to God (vv. 1-4).

2.    Here is the sacrifice by which sinners come to God (vv. 5-9).

 

A Sinner Coming

 

First, here is a sinner coming to God (vv. 1-4).

 

Leviticus 1:1-2 ÒAnd the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, —[2]— Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.Ó

 

The Lord spoke to the children of Israel through Moses to teach them of their need of a Mediator. It is as though he had said, ÒNo sinner can see My face or hear My voice, but by a Mediator. I will not speak to, nor will I be spoken to by man, except through a Mediator.Ó

 

The fact that the sinner comes to the door of the tabernacle with an offering is, in itself, a declaration of a desperate need (v. 3). Only sinners need a sacrifice. ÒNot the righteous, not the righteous, Sinners Jesus came to call!Ó

 

Leviticus 1:3 ÒIf his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.Ó

 

I will say more about the offering in a few minutes. For now, I want you to see three things here about the one who brings the offering.

 

1.    The offering was brought to Òthe door of the tabernacle

 

The altar of brass was near the door of the tabernacle, facing it. This was the first thing that met the worshipperÕs eye as he approached the tabernacle. Here the priest met him and led him with his sacrifice to the altar. The object in bringing the sacrifice was get access to God. The door of access had been blocked by sin. It could not be opened without a sacrifice.

 

Christ is that Sacrifice for sin by which the way has been opened for sinners to come to God. He points to his blood atonement and says to needy sinners, ÒBehold, I set before you an open door.Ó

 

(Hebrews 10:19-22) ÒHaving therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21  And having an high priest over the house of God; 22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.Ó

 

2.    The offering had to be brought by a person Òof his own voluntary will.Ó

 

God demands a willing heart. And God gives the willing heart. This is the warrant of the Gospel: — ÒWhosoever will, let him come.Ó There must be a willing heart. Else, God is not worshipped. It is true, none are willing to come to Christ, none are willing to trust His atoning work, except those who are made willing by Him in the day of His power.

 

This is wonderful. Are you willing to go yonder to the Altar? Are you willing to trust Christ? Do you reply, ÒYes, I am willing to be saved by Christ aloneÓ? Then you may come. Leviticus 1:3 says nothing about your feelings, your experiences, or your worth. It speaks only of a willing heart, a soul willing to be bathed in the blood of Christ. Are you willing to be saved by Him? If you are, that is GodÕs work.

á      God demands a willing heart. That makes it your responsibility.

á      Only God can give a willing heart. That makes this a work of Divine sovereignty and grace (Romans 9:15-16).

 

(Romans 9:15-16) ÒFor he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.Ó

 

3.    The offering was brought for acceptance with God.

 

The phrase, Òhe shall offer it of his own voluntary will,Ó might be translated – ÒHe shall offer it in order to be accepted.Ó Reading it that way, it refers to an act of faith. We come to God, trusting Christ alone for acceptance with Him.

á      His blood is our only atonement for sin.

á      His righteousness is our only righteousness before God.

                                         

My only hope, my only plea, —

Is that Christ died and died for me!

 

We see this stated emphatically in the fourth verse. The sinner who comes to God trusting Christ finds acceptance with God in and by him (v. 4).

 

Leviticus 1:4 ÒAnd he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.Ó

 

Not only was the worshipper required to acknowledge his need of a sacrifice to gain acceptance with God, he must personally identify himself with the sacrifice. — ÒHe shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering.Ó

á      This suggests a transfer of sin from the sinner to the sacrifice.

á      It portrays a confession of sin.

á      It is also a declared approbation or approval of GodÕs ordinance. – True Repentance – Agreement with Divine Justice.

á      And this speaks of faith. The word used for ÒputÓ is a very strong word. It means ÒleanÓ. – ÒWho is this that cometh up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?Ó

 

2.    ÒAnd it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.Ó — Glorious Gospel! Believing sinners, by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, receive atonement and find acceptance with God! Our faith does not make atonement or give us acceptance. But, believing Christ, we receive atonement and acceptance. – Christ was accepted for us. We are accepted for him!

á      Christ was accepted for us.

á      We are accepted for Christ.

á      By faith in Him we receive the atonement and discover acceptance, as the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5-11; Ephesians 1:3-6).

 

(Romans 5:5-7) ÒAnd hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.Ó

 

Romans 5:8-11 ÒBut God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. —[9]— Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. —[10]— For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. —[11]— And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.Ó

 

Ephesians 1:3-6 ÒBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: —[4]— According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: —[5]— Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, —[6]— To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.Ó

                  

The Sacrifice

 

Second, here is the Sacrifice by which sinners find acceptance with God (vv. 3, 5-9). Hear me, and hear me well: — There is but one Sacrifice by which you and I can come to God; and that sacrifice is the Lord Jesus Christ, GodÕs own dear Son. He is the One of whom this burnt offering speaks.

 

Leviticus 1:3 ÒIf his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.Ó

 

Note: Anyone can execute wrath. In fact, God executes His wrath by all creation. But only GodÕs Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, can make atonement and bring mercy! Christ is both the sacrificing Priest and the Sacrifice for sin.

 

Leviticus 1:5-9 ÒAnd he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, AaronÕs sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. —[6]— And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. —[7]— And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: —[8]— And the priests, AaronÕs sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: —[9]— But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.Ó

 

á      Everything had to be done Òbefore the Lord.Ó

á      The man executed the sacrifice. – Anyone or anything may execute Divine justice.

á      Only the priest could offer the blood. – Atonement can be made only by GodÕs Priest! – Mercy can come only through GodÕs Priest!

 

The sacrifice spoken of here is a burnt sacrifice (v. 3). — Here is a sacrifice which had to be consumed by the fire of God, a sacrifice upon which God poured out His wrath, before the sinner could find acceptance with Him. That sacrifice is Christ.

 

The sacrifice had to be a male from the herd, portraying Christ, the last Adam, the God-man, by whom righteousness has been brought in and by whom sin has been put away. – Being from the herd, it was a Sacrifice of GodÕs own providing – (Cain and Abel).

 

The burnt offering must be a sacrifice without blemish. — If He would make atonement for sin, our Sacrifice must be holy. He is the holy Lord God; and He is the holy Man. As such, He is able to offer a sacrifice to God worthy of GodÕs holiness, justice, and truth. The Lord Jesus Christ, if He would present His church as a His spotless bride, holy, unblameable, and unreproveable before God, must Himself be without blemish.

 

The sacrifice had to be killed before the Lord (v. 5). — A holy, blameless life is not enough to make atonement for sin. A holy life could never open to door of access to God for poor sinners. Oh, no! Blood must be shed. Christ must die. He must die before the Lord.

á      Our SaviorÕs death was GodÕs work.

á      His was a sacrifice made to God, before God, and for God.

á      Atonement is GodÕs work. – Redemption is GodÕs work.

 

The blood of the sacrifice must be sprinkled by GodÕs priest (v. 5).

á      The blood sprinkled in heaven is redemption accomplished (Hebrews 9:12).

á      The blood sprinkled upon the heart is redemption applied (Hebrews 9:14).

 

Then, we are told that, the sacrifice must be flayed and cut in pieces (v. 6). — This speaks of the believing sinnerÕs confession and contrition before the Lord.

 

Justice requires the complete exposure of our souls, portrayed in the skinning of this sacrifice. And justice demands the deliberate slaughter of the criminal. The hewing of this sacrifice shows us the excruciating torments due to us because of our sin. GodÕs sword, like AbrahamÕs knife, spares not the sacrifice.

 

Zechariah 13:7 ÒAwake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.Ó

 

Everything relating to the sacrifice was done by Divine order (vv. 7-8).

 

Leviticus 1:7-8 ÒAnd the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: —[8]— And the priests, AaronÕs sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:Ó

 

á      GodÕs Priest.

á      GodÕs Sacrifice.

á      GodÕs Altar.

á      GodÕs Fire.

á      GodÕs Order.

The inwards (the intestines) and the legs of the sacrifice had to be washed. — I looked at that, studied it, mulled it over, prayed, scratched my head, and simply could not figure it out. Then, the Lord reminded me of something. – You cannot separate Christ (GodÕs Sacrifice) from His people. The washing of the animalÕs intestines and legs speaks of us. Though redeemed by the blood of Christ, though our sins are atoned, we must be washed by His Spirit in what is called Òthe washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy GhostÓ (Titus 3:5), by the Òwashing of water by the WordÓ (Ephesians 5:26).

 

The Sacrifice God requires and accepts is that Sacrifice which is Òa sweet savor unto the LordÓ (v. 9).

 

Leviticus 1:9 ÒBut his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.Ó

 

á      The whole sacrifice was placed on the altar and offered to God. – Christ gave himself for us!

á      The whole sacrifice was consumed with the fire of GodÕs wrath.

á      The sacrifice was a sweet savor unto the Lord.

 

Ephesians 5:1-2 ÒBe ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; —[2]— And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.Ó

 

Illustration: The Handkerchief

 

Amen.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com

 

 



[i]     Danville — Sunday Morning – February 18, 2001

            Madisonville, KY – (02/18/01)

San Leandro, CA – (04/20/01)

Buck Mountain Baptist Church, Roan Mountain, TN (07/18/11)

 

   Tape #                 W-027a

      Reading: Leviticus 1:1-17 and Romans 10:1-17