APPROACHBY SACRIFICE

Notes from a sermon by Bert Dearden in Portland, OR. in the 70’s

APPROACH BY SACRIFICE--LEVITICUS--HEBREWS
Jesus did not come to BECOME the Saviour of the world.
He came AS the Saviour of the world.
All of the Old Testament types, shadows, pictures and symbols are rolled together in Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament showed us the distance between God and man.
In Hebrews we are shown that God and man have been reconciled in Jesus.
The distance has been removed.
The Law is a revelation, in shadow form, of the Nature and Character and Purpose of God.
Also a revelation of the Name of God.
Genesis reveals Him as Creator.
Exodus reveals Him as Redeemer--the blood of the lamb.
Leviticus reveals Him as the Holy Ghost.
The purpose of the Holy Ghost is to reveal Jesus.
He will not speak of himself.
In Leviticus we see the Priesthood--its qualities, its work.

Exodus begins with gloom--it ends with glory
Genesis begins with glory--it ends with gloom
When you have the glory, you can afford to listen.
In Numbers, He tells us how to live--how to move around.
The Priesthood was born out of an aggressive, militant movement by men who were zealous for the glory of God (the golden calf)

Leviticus 1:1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him OUT OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, saying,
Out of the tabernacle--GRACE
Out of Sinai--JUDGMENT
LAW AND GRACE NEVER MIX
Access in Lev. is by the Priesthood--(shadow)
Access in Heb. is by Jesus (reality, substance)

There are four items involved in our approach to God
1--The offerer
2--The offering
3--The Priest
4--The Altar
The O. T. was a shadow only--no substance

Perfection cannot be superceded. Cannot be improved upon.
Leviticus is not perfect
You cannot improve upon Jesus!

The greater the God of the O. T. becomes to you--The greater Jesus
becomes, for, The Jesus of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament.

How can a person who is evil approach a God who is Holy?
He cannot do it apart from the Grace of God, ie. unless God allows him to do it.
As sinners, we don't have the right to come into the presence of the Holy God. We have NOTHING to approach Him with.
In the OFFERER, we are shut up to Jesus
In the OFFERING, we are shut up to Jesus
Leviticus 1:3 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.
Jesus was willing to carry out the Lord's will on this earth.

Whenever you see a cross, let it remind you that it is possible to carry out the Lord's Will on this earth, for ONE MAN did it. No one else.
THIS IS THE PERFECT OFFERING
Man was put on this earth in the beginning to carry out the Will of God--but he didn't.
The Will of God was violated when conditions were perfect. Adam in Eden
But it was reversed--the Will of God was carried out in a condition of sin, degradation, and thorns and corruption.
When the Lord speaks from Sinai, He speaks Law
When the Lord speaks from the Tabernacle, He speaks Grace.

AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE-(threshold), we cross over into a different area altogether.
GOD ALMIGHTY DWELLS THERE
It was the Grace of God that gave the rules in Exodus.
Leviticus 1:4 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.
LAYING ON OF HANDS for blessing---for judgment two purposes.
It is not right for every Tom, Dick and Harry to lay hands on every Susie, Sally, and Gertie.
Be careful whose hands are laid upon you.
If the person isn't born again, make sure he keeps his paws off of you.
I am not your enemy, I am your friend
The laying on of hands is always coupled with identification, or
association.
Jesus laid hands on people--that was a blessing.
BUT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, if a man blasphemed, the people who heard him do
it, LAID THEIR HANDS ON HIM and transferred the guilt back onto him--they were no longer responsible--they disapproved. He bore his own guilt.
BLESSING ON ONE HAND, JUDGMENT ON THE OTHER HAND.

In Lev. the OFFERER laid his hands on the OFFERING, (pressed his hands) so the Priest could see the identification,
THE OFFERER AND THE OFFERING BECAME ONE!

In the New Testament, THE HISTORY OF JESUS in the first chapter of
Ephesians, BECOMES THE HISTORY OF THE BELIEVER in Eph. 2
Quickened us together, raised us up together, seated us together.
Jesus and you have become one.
You and me have become one
We are in Him, He is in us.

Blood is THE VEHICLE OF LIFE. Blood is NEVER REGARDED AS BEING DEAD.
Blood is absolutely forbidden as an item of food; because one day someone would come whose blood would bring life to men.
See how the Lord safeguards these symbols, shadows.
In the Tabernacle we look at symbols and shadows.
WE HAVE TO COME TO JESUS TO FIND OUT HOW THEY WORK.
The blood of Jesus cleanses us.

In Lev, he is offering substitute blood (life) in order to gain access to the Presence of the Lord.
It is not my life, it is His life.
THIS, THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE is as far as the OFFERER can go.
This is as far as the OFFERING CAN GO
The blood is never allowed to touch the ground.
The blood of Able cries out from the ground for vengance.
The blood of Jesus calls for forgiveness.
The vessels of the Tabernacle were shaped so they could never be set down.
The priest is now involved. The MEDIATOR between God and Man.
He does not take unto himself this office. He is called (chosen) of God.
Hebrews 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron.
It is the Priest who offers the blood. The blood is Life.
The Priest doesn't deal with death, he deals with Life.
Jesus didn't offer up His blood, He offered up His life.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered HIMSELF without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power (authority) to lay it down, and I have power (authority) to take it
again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
"I have the authority from God." "I have been commanded"
His death is essential only that we might receive His life.
The OFFERER IS JESUS, THE OFFERING IS JESUS
THE PRIEST IS JESUS! There is one mediator, the Man, Christ Jesus.
He dismissed His Spirit, that He might dispense it
The ALTAR is the meeting place between God and Man.
Abraham, before the law, under grace, had an altar.
THE MEETING PLACE BETWEEN GOD AND MAN IS JESUS CHRIST!
Everything that can be said about the Almighty God, can also be said about Jesus Christ.
JESUS is the OFFERER. JESUS is the OFFERING. JESUS is the PRIEST.
JESUS is the ALTAR.