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Power Filled
Living...THE
POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
January 28, 2007
Pastor Toby DePew
- If you read through
the entire Bible you will discover that it is filled with blood.
- From the blood of
animal sacrifices to the blood shed on the Cross of Calvary,
-A theme of blood
that runs throughout the Scriptures.
- This
red fluid circulating that is
pumped from the heart
-And circulates
around the bodies of humans and other vertebrates
-Blood is
considered as a vital
life force
- The old preachers
used to call it “the scarlet thread” woven throughout the Bible.
- And there is
something about this red fluid
circulating, this vital life force
-That
is intertwined with the story of God’s desire to build a relationship
with humankind.
- This morning I want
us to focus specifically on the power of the blood of Christ.
- The blood of Christ
can empower you in your relationship with God.
-How can it empower
you?
1. CHRIST’S BLOOD HAS
THE POWER TO SATISFY
[- A distressed father sat at the
bedside of his comatose son, hurt playing basketball.
-“ At a crucial point in the game,
the 16-year-old lunged for an errant pass going out of bounds.
- As he toppled over a spectator's
chair, one of its legs caught him in the stomach and damaged vital
organs.
- Because he felt little pain, the
teen continued to play the game's final minutes while he hemorrhaged
internally.
- By the time the pain grew enough
to warrant a trip to the hospital, it was almost too late.
- The doctors worked frantically
to save him, but the outcome was uncertain.
- Though the son eventually
recovered, those awful hours of waiting for the slightest signs of
recovery forced family members to ask questions they'd never before
faced.
- The father was alone on his
bedside shift one evening when the pastor visited.
- Trembling with emotion, the
father asked, "Will God kill my son to punish my sin?"
- "No," said the minister,
searching for words that would
comfort and grant renewed trust in the God
this father now so desperately
needed.
"The Lord's not punishing your son
for your sin.
He couldn't, because God punished
His son for your sin."]
- And that is exactly right!
-Christ’s blood has the power to satisfy God’s wrath against us.
- God is both just and merciful
-The problem is that we like to only focus on the mercy of God
-And tend to forget that He also is a God of justice.
- In God’s justice He determined that all of us were guilty of breaking
His law
-God’s justice…Wrath
**SONG** GOD IS GOING TO CUT YOU
DOWN
-And the penalty for breaking God’s law is death.
-
Go tell that
long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
- Yet, God, in His mercy, did not want to sentence us to death
-So He came up with a plan – He would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to
take the punishment for us.
- Well my
goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"
- Now, before Jesus arrived on earth God set up a system of sacrifice
-That would serve as a symbol of the great sacrifice of His Son that was
going to come.
- And under this old sacrificial system, millions of gallons of blood
were shed
-Why? God is just; there is a price for sin.
- Why Blood?
-To point the people of God to the great sacrifice of Jesus that was
still in the future.
- None of those animal sacrifices could actually take away sins, but
they were used as a type, or symbol, of what was to come.
- Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of
a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ritual defilement. Just
think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from
deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by
the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a
perfect sacrifice for our sins. – Hebrews 9:13-14 NLT
- God in His justice was rightfully angry with us for breaking His law
(justice)
-Yet God in His mercy was bound to love us regardless of what we had
done.
- Through the blood of Christ shed on Calvary we see God’s justice and
mercy perfectly blended into one.
- God’s justice is seen in the demand of capital punishment for our
transgression. “God’ll Cut You Down”
-God’s grace is seen in the fact that He Himself took that punishment in
our place. “God Cut His Self Down”
- For God sent
Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger
against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed
his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and
just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is
entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to
be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. – Romans
3:25-26 NLT
-
Notice that this was not an accident, it was planned
-The
text specifically says that this was a “punishment for our sins and to
satisfy God’s anger against us.”
- And
it would be incorrect to say Jesus’ blood was “spilled” for us, implying
an unintentional death
-His
blood was “shed” for us, meaning it was taken through violence.
-
Jesus’ death on the Cross and His shed blood paid the price that Justice
demanded.
- And
the good news for us is this: now that the price has been paid, there is
no reason for us to try to pay it ourselves.
- God has already
satisfied His anger against us completely, and eternally
-Christ’s blood that
satisfies goes even further
-Satisfy defined •
verb (satisfies, satisfied) 1
meet the expectations, needs, or desires of. 2 fulfil (a desire or
need). 3 provide with adequate information about or proof of something.
4 comply with (a condition, obligation, or demand). Compact Oxford
English Dictionary
-Compact Oxford
English Dictionary
Already discussed- comply with (a condition, obligation, or demand).
But Christ’s blood also-
1 meets the
expectations,
needs, or desires of.
Please Turn to
Eph. 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
2 fulfils
(a desire or need).
Phil 4:19 And
my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.
3 provides
with adequate
information about or
proof
that He is real and His love for us
Luke 22:20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup
is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
2. CHRIST’S BLOOD HAS
THE POWER TO REDEEM
- Now we understand
that the debt God rightfully demanded was satisfied
-We need to
understand a little bit more what that payment did for us.
- And these next
three points I want to make are specifically for those of you who have
accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
- When we talk about
redemption we are talking about the forgiveness of our sins that came as
a result of Christ paying our sin debt.
[- Let’s say that you
owed me $1,000 dollars, but there was no way you could pay me back.
- So I took $1,000
out of my wallet, handed to you, and had you hand it back to me.
- You have now paid
me in full with my own money.]
- God knew that we
could never satisfy the debt that we owed Him.
-We would get “Cut
Down”
-So He satisfied it
for us with the blood of His Own Son shed on the Cross.
- Every drop of blood
that ran from Jesus’ head, hands, feet, and side, was being shed so that
our debt would be paid in full.
- And now, by simply
accepting this payment from God’s hand, our sin debt has been paid in
full.
-We don’t have to get
“Cut Down”
- God has
purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.
– Colossians 1:14 NLT
- Forgiveness of sins
is not something Christ Followers are looking for in the future – it is
something we already have.
- Paul writes that
because of Jesus’ shed blood all of our sins have been forgiven.
- Forgiveness of sin
is something that the blood of Christ has already taken care of for you
– which our faith appropriates and enjoys.
- Forgiveness has
already been secured for every believer in Jesus Christ by the power of
His blood.
- If you want to live
in peace today,
-It can only happen
when you recognize and accept the fact that all of your sins have been
forgiven
-All of them
-Why? Because
Christ’s blood was shed on your behalf.
- For you know
that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited
from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless,
spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT
- The blood of Christ
has the power to wash away every sin you have ever committed and every
sin you ever will commit.
- It is payment in
full, and for that we praise God.
3. CHRIST’S BLOOD HAS
THE POWER TO JUSTIFY
[- A number of years ago, Bob
Sheffield of the Navigators told a moving story of what it means to
receive God's forgiveness.
- Before he became a Christian,
Bob played professional hockey in Canada.
- He was tough, loved to fight,
and found himself in jail one night after a barroom brawl.
- Later, Bob and his wife became
Christians.
- They accepted a temporary
assignment with The Navigators in the States.
- Bob had to apply for landed
immigrant status, which would allow him and his wife to continue in
ministry in the United States.
- But because he had a criminal
record his request was denied.
- They decided to apply for in
Canada for what is called the "Queen's Pardon."
- Following a thorough
investigation, the pardon was granted.
- Bob Sheffield received the
following notice in the mail:
“Whereas we have since been implored on behalf of the said Robert Jones
Sheffield to extend a pardon to him in respect to the convictions
against him, and whereas the solicitor general here submitted a report
to us, now know ye therefore, having taken these things into
consideration, that we are willing to extend the royal clemency on him,
the said Robert J. Sheffield. We have pardoned, remitted, and released
him of every penalty to which he was liable in pursuance thereof.”
- On any document from that time
forward on which Bob was asked if he had a criminal record, he could
honestly answer no.
- The pardon meant he was released
from any possible punishment for the crimes, and the record of the
crimes themselves was completely erased.]
- That is the kind of pardon we have in Jesus Christ.
- We are not only forgiven for our sin, but we are justified
-Which means we’re set free from any penalty or punishment for our
wrongdoing.
-It’s like “Just if I’d” never sinned
- God showed his
great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still
sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the
blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment.
– Romans 5:8-9 NLT
- Those of us who are
in Christ have no fear of the Day of Judgment
-Because God has
already declared us “not guilty” by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
4. CHRIST’S BLOOD HAS
THE POWER TO SECURE
[- Only 12-years-old, and in a
moment one Ethiopian girl's world turned into a nightmare.
- Seven violent men abducted the
pre-teen, intending to force her into marriage.
- The men held the girl for seven
days, beating her repeatedly.
- Such incidents are common in
Ethiopia, as several men band together to abduct young girls for the
purpose of securing a bride.
- The girls are typically beaten
into submission and raped.
- In this particular instance,
there was not a human being within earshot to hear the cries of this
girl – But her cries were heard.
- The unlikely heroes were three
majestic Ethiopian lions.
- Famous for their large black
manes, these lions are the national symbol of the country.
- In response to the girl's cries
for help, three large lions leapt from the brush and chased her captors
away.
- Perhaps the child thought she
had traded one danger for another, but remarkably, her heroes formed a
protective perimeter around her.
- A half-day later, when the
police arrived, the guardian lions simply stood up and walked away.
- Sgt. Won-di-mu We-da-jo said,
"They stood guard until we found her, and then they just left her like a
gift and went back into the forest."
- Among the explanations for the
lions' unusual behavior, one wildlife expert suggested the girl's
whimpering could have sounded like a lion cub.
- For whatever reason, the
predator served as protector.
- The carnivore became a sentinel.
- "Everyone thinks this is some
kind of miracle," Won-di-mu commented.
- This 12-year-old girl was
helpless, powerless to change her horrific circumstances.
- Her deliverance had to come from
a power greater than, and outside of, herself.]
- In the same way, we are powerless to save ourselves from sin and
death.
- Our only hope is in Christ Jesus, the Lion of Judah.
- So Christ has
now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He
has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human
hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took
blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves.
He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.
– Hebrews 9:11-12 NLT
- Christ’s blood does
not offer us pie in the sky wishes, or unreachable dreams, or unfounded
speculation.
- Christ’s blood
offers us the only security in a world that is very insecure.
- When you accept the
gift of Christ’s blood, shed for you, there is now a covering of
security over your life.
- You are promised,
by virtue of that blood, a salvation that delivers you from all sin, all
guilt, and all judgment, but it does more than that
-It offers to you a
home in heaven where you will live with God forever in the peace and
security that only He can give.
CONCLUSION:
- I wonder, do you
fully appreciate the blood of Christ today?
-Christ’s Blood has
the power to satisfy, redeem, justify, and secure
- Have you let the
blood have the power it ought to have?
- If we desire
fullness of power in the Christian life, we must know the power of the
blood of Christ
-Because it is what
brings us forgiveness, justification, security, boldness in our approach
to God, and so much more.
- We cannot know the
power of the Spirit until we know the power of the blood.
- I hope that you
have a better grasp of it now, than you did before you walked in here
today.
- May God bless you
as you learn more, and begin to live in the power He offers. |
