Sermons on Leviticus
Jesus, the Jubilee
In Leviticus 25, God speaks about the sabbath year and the Jubilee. These rhythms of freedom and liberation reflect who God is and are intended to mark the life of God’s people. When Jesus began His public ministry, He spoke of the freedom that had come through Him, referencing Isaiah 61, which is a Jubilee sort of proclamation. What does it mean that Jesus has come to bring freedom? (Leviticus 25, 27; Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:14-21) Sermon Outline “Consecrate the…
Jesus, the Atoning One and Scapegoat
Since sin’s entry into human experience in the Garden of Eden, a great separation has existed between God and humanity. Such a gulf could not be crossed by human effort, but only through the gracious gift of the Creator God. The day of atonement reflected that only the offering of an animal’s life could communicate the gravity of human evil. When Jesus offered His life and His death in our place on the Cross, He became what we are—destined for…
Jesus, the Holy Obedient One
Significant portions of Leviticus are devoted to what it means to live holy before God. To live holy is a description of a life well-lived with a God who is totally present and totally pure. The pinnacle of this way of living is described in Jesus’ summary of God’s instruction: love God with all of who we are and love our neighbor as ourselves (which is drawn from Leviticus 19:18). The problem is that we often fall short of this…
Jesus, the Perfect High Priest
Leviticus in many ways is an instruction book for the priests in how to maintain right relationship between God and God’s. There are instructions about how they should administer their priesthood and how they should be ordained. Jesus is not just a great teacher but, as the writer of Hebrews instructs, “has become a high priest forever” (Hebrews 6:20). Even now, Paul tells us, Jesus “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).…
Jesus, the Perfect Offering
The first seven chapters of Leviticus describe five ritual offerings for God’s people: burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering. Each of these represent ways in which relationship with God is restored. However, these sacrifices must be repeated day after day. Jesus, however, is the perfect offering made once for all. As the writer of Hebrews says: “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).…
Jesus, Holy God With Us
One of the central themes of Leviticus is the presence of God with God’s people. God is the One who delivered His people from enslavement in Egypt and now stands at the center of their identity and direction. God is with them. So, too, in Jesus, God is with us. In fact, one of Jesus’ most memorable titles is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”. (Leviticus 1:1; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; 1 Corinthians 3:16) Sermon Outline “The LORD called to…
God of the Displaced Ones, Part 2
Pastor Matt concludes our second week MissionsFest with a message on the displaced and vulnerable ones in Scripture and in our society and what the church’s response can be. SERMON OUTLINE “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) What is Holiness, Really? Holiness, Cleanness, and…
God of the Displaced Ones, Part 1
We were honored to have Jenny Yang, Senior VP of World Relief, with us to kick off the first weekend of our 2017 Missions Fest. SERMON OUTLINE ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) The Global Refugee Crisis Numbers, Facts and Figures Individual Stories Three…
The One and Only
(Exodus 20:1-6) SERMON OUTLINE “’Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5-6) “I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” (Leviticus 26:12) The Covenant between God and…