Redeemed With the Precious Blood of Christ: Part 2

How far did man fall? How far did he fall? We're not for sure how far he fell.

We know he fell, but he fell way down, beloved. Just look at the world.

Just look about you. And hey, look into your own heart. You see how far man has fallen.

But oh, how much God redeems and pulls us up in Jesus Christ.

Only Jesus can redeem us by his grace. And beloved, this is what

I'm going to talk about for the next few weeks. Lord willing, we're talking about the story of redemption.

And I've entitled this the redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.

And I'd like to take, Lord willing, two parts in this because of the greatness of the text that speaks of with what are we redeemed with.

Last week, Lord willing, we looked at what we are redeemed from.

But God tells us what we are redeemed with. And that's what we're going to look at for these next two

Lords today. So please stand with me very quickly as you turn to the first epistle of Peter, chapter 1.

We're looking at roughly four verses of Scripture.

This is the Word of God. This is the Apostle Peter speaking under the inspiration of God himself, the

Holy Spirit. Chapter 1, verse 18, beginning with verse 18 through 21.

Hear the word of the living God. I'm reading from the NASB translation this morning. God's word says this,

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, once again we approach your throne of grace.

Oh God, your throne of mercy. And we do not lightly tread those courts. Oh God, we come in trembling, recognizing that you are the great

God of the universe, holy. And anyone that is unholy cannot come into your presence.

So Father, the only way we can even come this morning is through the precious blood of Jesus Christ that's been imputed to us in his righteousness.

Father alone, you alone are worthy of glory, all glory.

Father, I pray this morning as we look into the rich treasure of thy word that we here,

Father, among us will see only one, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that you're most pleased in, your one and only begotten

Son, the Lamb of God. Your Lamb, not just a lamb, but the

Lamb. So Father, oh, how we need your blessed Holy Spirit to anoint us today.

Father, I confess my weakness this morning. Lord, I've studied your word, but Lord, you must take it to our hearts this morning.

You must anoint us. And without this holy, sweet anointing from you, oh God, this unction, this holy unction, everything will be in vain.

Lord, it's not enough for us just to hear another sermon. Lord, you must take your word into our hearts.

You must burn it within there. So Father, I pray, oh God, visit us with your mercy this morning,

I pray, as we call upon you and as the psalmist says, let the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh

Lord, my rock and my redeemer. And Father, I pray, as we worship and we would worship you and come before you and worship you in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness as a sweet -smelling aroma unto you, oh

Lord. And I ask this in the name above all names, and that is the name that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord. Amen and amen. You can be seated. Thank you so much. It was the

Puritan Thomas Watson who rightly observed that redemption was

God's greatest work, as I have mentioned already this morning. And this is what he said in his book,

The Body of Divinity. Great was the work of creation, but greater was the work of redemption.

And he tells us the reason why. And listen very closely. It cost more to redeem us than to make us.

Think about that. It cost more to redeem us than to make us.

In the one, there was the speaking of a word. In the other, the shedding of blood.

The creation was but the work of God's fingers. But redemption is the work of His arm.

Beloved, can I tell you this morning that redemption, that redemption is a term that describes one of the great essential features of salvation that's found in the

Word of God. And of all the doctrines of salvation, I don't believe there's any that's more sweeter than redemption and more greater.

Redemption is a term that describes one of the great essential features of salvation. And by God's help,

I'd like to break this down to you this morning and show you by the Word of God the great cost, the infinite cost that it cost

God to redeem His people. Salvation is of the

Lord and not man. Salvation is of the

Lord and not man. We must get this. As a matter of fact, as I was studying this,

I could not help, as great as the story of redemption is, that God redeems us in Jesus Christ and we come to know

Him as we repent. And God has to grant the repentance in order for us to turn from sin because within man,

He does not want to turn from His sin. He loves His sin. So God must do that work.

There's the turning of that sin, but not only the turning from the sin, but it's the turning toward God in faith.

Now those are great works of God and no man of himself cannot turn from his own sin and then turn to God in faith.

That's why the Scripture says that not only faith is a gift of God, but repentance is a gift from God.

God must grant the repentance, but beloved, let me say this, you and I must do the repenting with the help of the

Holy Spirit. Now that's why regeneration is first and foremost because God must create, in order for that to happen,

God must create a new heart. So redemption is a term that describes the great essential features of salvation.

It's not man's work, it's God's work. This is the great story of what

God has wrought through Jesus Christ, beloved. It deals specifically with the infinite cost of salvation and the means, let me say this, the means by which

God, a holy God, received the payment and the satisfaction through His Son.

From Genesis to Revelation, it's all about one person, Jesus Christ.

And as I was studying this, as great as redemption is, and God brings us and reconciles us to Himself, in salvation, it's not about us.

Now that may hurt people's feelings today, but I'm going to say it. It's not about us.

Now we can shout and we praise, and we should praise God for it. We should praise Him and shout to Him and glorify

Him for what He has done in His works. But beloved, it's about the glory of God.

You see, if we miss that, we're going to miss the whole story of what it's all about. Because in Heaven, that's what they're doing now.

And in Heaven, that's what we're going to do all forever and ever, is worship and glorify the

Lord Jesus Christ. If we don't understand the glory of God, we're not going to understand really the backbone of redemption.

All people are utterly helpless. This is the story of redemption.

We are helpless. No man seeks after God. Look around the world today.

Look into your own heart. Would you have ever sought God? No. We'd go our own way.

And if it wasn't for God, we'd go our own way and perish. The whole world would perish.

But God has chosen to redeem some. Even though most of the world will be going their own way.

And I'll tell you why. Because they will receive justice at the end of the road. What are you saying,

Pastor? What I'm saying is, everybody has sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And there's a payment for that sin. You've got to understand this to understand redemption and the greatness of the story of redemption.

And by the help of the Holy Spirit this morning, I pray that God would help me to speak what the words of God says in understanding this, and that God will enlighten you.

Now, we take this serious, because you must take it serious, because we have a short time period on this earth.

Eternity is a long time, folks. I want you to think about this.

Man has ruined his condition. He's utterly helpless. He's a slave to sin.

He loves his sin. And, according to the word of God, he's condemned by the holy law of God.

God condemns that sin. And if they are forgiven to be forgiven and reconciled to God, and if you and I are to be reconciled to God, He has to purchase them from their condition.

He has to buy them back. Beloved, only then can He release them from their sin's bondage and the horrible curse.

Did you know that's why Jesus Christ became a curse? Because He took the curse,

He took the sin, He took the wrath of God. All that man has messed up,

Jesus Christ came to reverse it. It's very important that we understand this, and that we have a clear understanding of this great word, redeemed, redeemed, or redemption.

Let me start there. It is a key word. In the Greek language, it means to purchase.

A purchase released by paying a great ransom. Or, it means to deliver by the payment of a price.

To the Greeks in the New Testament period of time, the word was also a technical term for paying money to buy back a prisoner of war.

We looked a little bit about that from the book of Ruth last week. But rather, the typical

Greek sense of the word is referring to slaves and prisoners. Slaves and prisoners.

Apostle Peter's imagery describes redemption, and it derives from several

Old Testament passages. No doubt it's a primary one, and one of the narratives of the first is the first Passover.

To understand this, go with me to Exodus chapter 12. I want you to look at this. You know the story in Exodus 12, what

God did. God did this. It was one of His great works.

1 through 13. Exodus 13, 1 through 13. This is called the consecration of the firstborn.

This is something God commanded. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

Sanctify to me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb, among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast.

It belongs to me. Moses said to the people, Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt.

This is what God redeems us from. So we're redeemed from Egypt. He says, remember this day.

Now this is a day. There will be a day of memorial. In which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

The house of slaves, literally. And as you well know, the Jewish people at this time, people, the

Hebrews, were slaves for over 400 years under tyranny and oppression.

God heard their cry. God sent a deliverer. His name was Moses. He's a type of Jesus Christ.

But here he sets up a consecration of the firstborn. And he says, For by a powerful hand, the

Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

And on this day in the month of Abed, you're about to go forth.

It shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the

Habite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey.

That was in the Abrahamic covenant. And then he says this, That you shall observe this rite in this month.

For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the

Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days. And nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you on all your borders.

You shall tell your son that that day, saying, It is because of what the Lord did for me when

I came out of Egypt. And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead.

And for with a powerful hand, the Lord brought you out of Egypt. Therefore you shall keep this ordinance, and it's appointed time from year to year.

Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, you shall devote to the

Lord the first offspring of every woman and the first offspring of every beast of your own.

The males belong to the Lord, but every first offspring of a donkey shall be redeemed with a lamb.

Redeemed with a lamb. But if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck, and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

This is very important for us to understand. But I really believe the apostle

Peter is thinking in these lines because he's addressing a Jewish audience. The audience is very, very significant to understand the text.

So Peter is a Jewish apostle, and he's talking to Jewish believers, and they were scattered abroad, and he's encouraging them in the faith.

Now he's talking about redemption, but he always goes as a devout Jew would, he is relating to them the

Old Testament. And here he's going to the consecration of the firstborn. Now the lamb's life was a price that was required to spare the life of the

Israelite family's firstborn child. And that's what he's saying. That's what

Moses is saying. And it's very significant that we understand that the lamb was a divinely ordained illustration from God.

God handpicked a lamb. As a matter of fact, it's symbolic on the

Day of Judgment, in Matthew 25, on the right hand of the Lord, the sheep will be on that side, and on the left, the goats.

The goats are symbolic of the unbelievers. The sheep are symbolic of the believers.

The nature of those animals. You could do a study on that, it's very interesting.

But the lamb was a divinely ordained illustration from God Himself, and it's a sacrifice.

These are types and shadows in the Old Testament. And it speaks of the sacrificial death of an innocent substitute that redeemed those in bondage to sin.

This Passover event that Moses speaks of immediately becomes the symbol of the substitutionary redemption.

Now jump with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. I've got a few verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 5.

I want you to see this. The Apostle Paul, being very learned in the

Scriptures of the Old Testament, but now he understands what all the types and the shadows are pointing to.

Those types and shadows of the lamb, or a lamb, speaks of the

Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians chapter 5.

Listen to what he says in verse 7 and 8. This is strong language, but you've got to understand what he's saying.

He speaks to the church. Keep in mind, the current church had some problems with sin.

There was immorality. There was a lot of sin that was defiling the church.

This whole chapter speaks about immorality that defiles the church. We need to hear this today.

Don't you see a church today that's defiled by immorality? Have you ever seen an age that's so idolizing sex, man's pleasure, and rebellion, and pride?

Notice what he says. Let me go to verse 6. He says, your boasting's not good. They're literally boasting about it.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? And what does he say in verse 7?

He gives them instruction. Clean out the old leaven. Clean it out. You know what he's talking about?

Put in motion, put in place church discipline. That's what he's talking about. Loving, restorative church discipline as the

Lord Jesus Christ has illustrated, and has pointed out, and commanded, I should say. But this is what he says.

Clean it out. Clean it out. Take out the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.

Paul is thinking about the Passover. Now folks, listen to this. For Christ, our

Passover, Christ is our Passover, also has been sacrificed.

Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Then notice what he says. I wrote you in my letter, do not associate with an immoral person.

Now he explains this. He's not talking about that we are to be

Pharisees and shun unbelievers. He's not talking about that, folks.

He's talking about people within the church. How do we know this?

Notice what it says. I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this, what, world.

If that was the case, we could never reach them. We could not reach them for the gospel.

There would be no need for evangelism. So there's no contradiction of evangelism.

We are to reach out to the world, because the believer is the light of the world. They're the salt of the earth.

Light, referring to in darkness. Salt, that refers to preserving what is decaying.

We're living in a dark world, and it's decaying. Folks, the only thing that's holding this, this nation together right now is believers in Jesus Christ.

Pleading and praying before a holy God to have mercy on us. And this, notice what he says.

He says, I did not at all mean with the immoral person of this world. But what is he talking about?

Or with the covetous, or the swindlers, or with the idolaters, or then you would have, then you would have to go out into the world.

Of the world. But then he says, but actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so -called brother.

Now what he's talking about? He's talking about someone that names the name of Christ. That's why he says, let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

You flee from it. You don't live in it. And if you're practicing sin, you need to check yourself.

You may not be a brother and sister in Christ. Now a lot of people use that, they fall back on, yeah, pastor,

I'm not perfect, but I'm striving. My question to you is, do you love your sin?

What kind of direction are you going into today? Do you love your sin, or do you love righteousness?

Do you love the kingdom of God? Do you love God above everything else, or do you love yourself?

That would be the question I would ask somebody. What kind of direction is your heart?

What kind of motive is your heart? We're not here to judge people's motives, right? No, God does that.

But, what the scripture says, there is a holy life. There is a righteous life.

There is a life that loves God. It shows that you love praying. It shows you love God's people. You love

God's word. You love everything about God. Now we can say lip service until Jesus comes back, but folks, that's not going to do it.

It's got to be a heart. It's got to be in the heart. Now notice what he says, with any so -called brother, if he is an immoral person.

Now what he's talking about is those who practice immorality. Those that practice coveting.

That's what immorality is. Coveting is, that's what you desire the most. It's what you want.

It's an idol. Now I was speaking to my family about this last night.

We were talking in a devotional time. An idol is not something that you, like we think, that you put this golden image before you or this thing before you and you bow before it and say, it is what is first in your life, folks.

It is the thing in your life. It could be yourself. And by the way, can I say, that's one of the biggest idols.

That's why Jesus says, when you come after me, you deny yourself and you follow me,

Jesus said. Self, that's an idol.

Entertainment could be an idol. The television could be an idol. That iPhone can be your idol.

What do you give time to? Let me ask you this question. What do you give most of your time to?

Oh, pastor, you meddling. But you know something, I would not be a servant of Jesus Christ if I sit up here and gave you sweet little stories and then the next day you may be dead and then you perish right into eternal hell.

Folks, I'm telling you, you gotta know the truth and the truth, only the truth can set you free. You know, when

I first had the truth, it was given to me by my uncle years ago. He's dead and gone with the Lord.

But can I tell you this? He told me there was a huge bonfire.

This is the way he gave the gospel. And I say a bonfire, he was burning a huge, I mean a large pile of tires.

And it was from a long distance and he had that thing lit up and I mean it was smoking. I never seen such a fire.

It's a wonder if the fire department didn't come out. But I felt the intense heat of that.

And then he took the time lovingly. He did not, he did not in condemnation condemn me.

He said, David, he said, can I tell you a little bit about hell right now? And I thought, wow.

I really didn't want to hear it. But I said, you gonna tell me about hell? He said, think about how hot that fire is.

And you're from a distance of intense heat. And I couldn't help but think because it was hurting my skin.

You know, you ever been on a big bonfire and you feel the heat, the intensity of the heat. And I could feel the intensity of the heat and he said, can

I tell you this? That is nothing compared to hell. I thought, wow.

I said, you got my attention. You got my attention. And then he gave me the gospel. And you know what he said?

He said, hell, he says, right now hell is filled not only with bad people because we're all bad.

He said, but people that thinks they're good. People that did good deeds.

I thought, whoa, hold on. That don't make sense. And then he gave me the gospel.

He told me that there's none righteous. No, not one. Nobody's good. Nobody's good but God.

And then he said, we've all fallen short of the glory of God. I never have forgotten those verses. They just ring into my ears.

And then he talked about the appointed day of judgment. And he says, and I couldn't help but picture that right now millions of people in hell fire and there's no way out.

And then I was thinking, oh my goodness. And I thought I was good. And I said, you know, I haven't gone to parties and I haven't drank and I haven't done these things.

But he said, yeah, you still are not good before God. And I thought, what's he talking about?

And then he led me right to the cross. And then he told me about the judgment. And then he told me only

Jesus can save and I needed to repent. Thinking I was a good person, a good moral person.

You know, Spurgeon said it right. He said, morality can keep you out of jail, but only the blood of Jesus can keep you out of hell.

You know, we can't just hear being morally upright and good. No, we don't even have that nowadays, sad to say, in the churches.

That's sad, but we need to hear what redeeming grace and the gospel is all about.

Folks, the gospel never gets old. Well, he says, clean out the old leaven.

Christ is your Passover. Clean it up. And then what does he say?

Covetous, idolater, reviler, drunkard, swindler, not even to eat with such a one. No. Yeah.

He says, those that say that they are a brother and they practice these things. And then verse 12, for what have

I to do with judging outsiders? No. Do you not judge those who are within the church?

And then he says this, and this is love, this is love right here. He says, but those who are outside God judges.

Then he says, remove the wicked man from among yourselves. You know what he's talking about?

He's talking about the purity of the church. Folks, that's what we need to clean up.

It's the church. God, judgment begins where?

At the house of God. Not in the White House. It starts in God's house.

The wickedness in the White House is just a result of how far the church has backslidden.

God's people need to be on their knees repenting right now. And crying out for mercy.

Well, that's another message, beloved. But we look to the Lord Jesus Christ, don't we?

And here the church is therefore to remove every sinful person, sinful, and I'm talking about those who practice these kind of sins.

We're not talking about at time and time. By the way, when there is that kind of sin taking place, that sin is to be dealt with in the church.

There are different degrees of sin. And different degrees of punishment, too.

But to remove everything sinful in order to separate from the old life, including the bad influence of a sinful church member.

And folks, that's the reason why Paul said, Get them out. Now, there are steps, as you well know. Jesus gives us those steps.

First, it says one on one to go to that brother or sister and tell them, approach them.

And then the Bible says, Jesus says, Well, if he doesn't receive you, then you take another witness.

And then, that's strike two. And then the third is, if he doesn't turn from his sin from that, then you bring him before the whole body.

That's strike three. After that, if he doesn't turn from his sins from that, the Bible says, let's communicate them then.

You know, God doesn't play around about that. And keeping this church pure and holy, God will have a holy church.

Folks, that's why he has redeemed us. He's redeemed us from a futile way of life out from Egypt.

Now, that's because of the purity of the church. Jump over to 2

Corinthians with me very quickly. This speaks about the holiness of the church.

2 Corinthians chapter 6. Read this whole chapter in your devotional time.

I'm going to just read a few verses to you. Look at verse 11. Apostle Paul says,

Our mouth is spoken freely to you, O Corinthians. Our heart is wide open to you. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.

Now, in like an exchange, I speak to you as to children. Open wide to us also.

And then he says this, Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness?

In other words, what are you saying? You must separate yourself in the company you keep in. Now, even though we are in the world and not of the world, we are to reach out to the world.

But you are to be careful in what kind of company you keep.

And then he says, Or what fellowship has light with darkness? There's none. That's black and white.

That's clear, isn't it? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial?

Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Nothing. What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

None. For we are the temple of the living God. Just as God says,

I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among their midst and be separate, says the

Lord, and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you. God says this,

And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord God Almighty.

And then in chapter 7 verse 1, and I believe this is significant to what he just said, Therefore, having these promises.

He just spoke about those promises. Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement, and of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

That's the kind of church. Do you see this today? I talked about this a little bit last week. There's no fear of God before men's eyes today.

Do you think these people, most people you work with, the leaders that we have today, fear

God? Answer that to yourself. That love to slaughter babies in the womb.

And folks, I've seen pictures of it, and it's indescribable of how they tear these children limb to limb.

It's horrific. No wonder God is releasing His hand of blessing upon us.

Matter of fact, Billy Graham said this years ago, If God does not judge America, He has to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

And you know the answer to that. God does not compromise

His holiness to nobody. Well, as we looked at last week, what did

God redeem us from? Back to 1 Peter. What did

He redeem us from? Can you remember? He redeemed us from a lot, didn't He? He says,

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.

A futile, empty way of life that's inherited from your forefathers. Speaking of just religion.

God has redeemed us with something. He's redeemed us from something that now

He's redeemed us with something. What has He redeemed us with? The precious blood of a lamb, unblemished, spotless, the blood of Christ.

Now, I'm going to give you what the Word of God says. Psalm 49, 7 and 8.

This is a good verse. You can mark it in your Bible. This is what the psalmist says. No man can in any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him.

For the redemption of his soul is costly. Listen to what God is saying. The redemption of his soul is costly.

And he should cease trying forever. You know, that's when salvation comes is when you cease trying.

And you start trusting. It's not striving. It's resting.

It's resting in Jesus and what He has done. But can I say this, beloved? It's not a ticket, just a ticket to salvation.

A ticket to heaven. It becomes a whole new way of life. Because there's something new within your heart.

God gives you a new heart. He gives you new desires. He gives you holy desires.

Hey, He changes your whole world. If anyone is in Christ, Paul said,

He is what? A new creature. That means a new creation. Old things are passed away.

And look what he says. He says, behold, all things become new. Not some things.

All things become new. You know, D .L. Moody said this when he was born again. He said, when

I walked outside the building after I was born again, He says, when God did a miraculous change in my heart,

He says, I saw the sun in a different light. I saw the trees in a different light. I saw people in a different light.

I saw God in a different light. I had a different relationship with my God. I was reconciled to God.

Folks, that's what it is. It's the miracle of the new birth. It's a miracle of miracles.

It's the greatest miracle of all. Oh, hallelujah.

To God be the glory. You know, think of it. No man, no man, no person, regardless of his means, is able to escape death.

It's inevitable. And people don't like to talk about death, do you? You know why? Because there's something sobering about it.

Folks, I'm telling you, it does me good sometimes to look at. A lot of times in my milk truck, I'm passing graveyards, one county after another, and every day

I see a different grave being dug. I see the coffins out there, and I see people out there.

Sometimes I see the service, and I'm thinking, what a sober reminder to me that that's going to be me one day.

I'm going that direction. Folks, we're all going in that direction. There's no escaping it. You and I are going to face

God one day. And it says, by the Scriptures, it is appointed for once man to die, and after that, the judgment.

Folks, I'm telling you, I'm warning you today, that if you have not repented and believed in Jesus Christ and repented from your sin, don't waste time.

The devil will tell you, this is what J .C. Rowell says, today is God's day, tomorrow's the devil.

Tomorrow's the devil's day. Today's the day of salvation. Don't put that off, because you're not promised to wake up another day.

Then you're going to be standing before a holy God. And most people, by the way, that's heard, by the way, right now sermons,

Pete, there's millions of people in hell right now that's heard sermons after sermons. They know everything we're talking about.

There's some people that's in hell today that has memorized the Scripture. Pastor, what are you talking about?

Didn't they love God? Yes, when you do love God, you do memorize the Scripture. But what I'm saying is, it's not enough to have it in your head.

You've got to have a heart change. And if God hasn't changed your heart, ask and pray for mercy that God will give you a new heart.

Folks, that's redemption. That's the new birth. I know I'm preaching hard this morning.

But folks, I love you and I care for your souls. I want to tell you what the

Word of God says. No man by any means can redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him.

For the redemption of his soul is costly and he should cease trying forever. Why does it say that?

It says that because only Jesus Christ and His blood can redeem a man from his sin.

Notice, no man. You know, Jesus said, this no man can come to the Father unless what?

The Spirit draws him. No one is capable. You and I are not capable of even coming to God unless the

Spirit of God does the drawing. No person, regardless of his means, is able to escape death.

And notice what I just quoted. It is an appointed day. It is appointed for one's man to die.

Each and every one of you today, every one of you, including myself, has an appointment time to God.

Some people tell me all the time, that could have been avoided. I said, look, it wasn't avoided. That was

God. God knew that appointed day of death for that person.

Whether it's an infant, whether it's a child. People say, yeah, but that's unjust.

Listen, it may be unjust, but God will make it right. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

But still, God knew it. He knows everything from beginning to end. He knows all things.

Let me read to you something very sobering from Revelation 20. And this is what

I read when I was converted to Christ. Revelation 20, 11 through 15.

This is sobering. All that's going to be here on this judgment throne day is unbelievers.

And then I saw a great white throne. And him who sat upon it, and whose presence earth and heaven fled away, no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, the great and small, standing before the throne. The books, notice the books, plural, were opened.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life. That's the book you want to make sure that God has your...

By the way, God is the one that writes your name there. You cannot make that happen.

Say, yeah, but I'll make a decision. Listen, God has foreordained this. Yes, you do choose Christ. But before you choose

Christ, God chose you. You read it. God chose you before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1. Well, I'm not going to get into the theological aspects of that.

But listen to what the word of God says. The books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged from the things which are written in the books, according to their, what?

Deeds. God keeps a record, a perfect record of every single thing that has ever happened.

Jesus even said this. Every careless word that you speak, you're going to give an account on the day of judgment.

Careless word. Every idle word. Does God keep an account? That's why it says, let your words be few on this earth.

It's wise to keep our mouths shut. Many times. Verse 13. And the sea gave up the dead.

What's it talking about? It's talking about the sea of hell, which are in it. That's like jail. Death and Hades gave up the dead, which were in them, and they were judged.

Every one of them. Isn't it the word of God so specific? Every one of them.

Every single person, according to their deeds. Then death and Hades, they're going to be sentenced to the eternal lake of fire.

They were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found and written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Folks, that's sobering. That sobers me. Do you ever get a chance?

Read that to your lost relatives. All those.

The only way that one can be redeemed is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance of their sin and embracing the only sufficient and adequate ransom and beloved.

That is the one that paid the high costly price of our sin and that is the

Lord Jesus Christ himself. That's who we preach. All of history is focused on that one person.

You think of it. If Jesus Christ today is not risen from the dead, everything that every preacher that ever lived, every missionary that ever lived is vain.

In other words, there's no need for the church to go on unless Jesus is risen from the dead. But God raised

Him from the dead. Amen? He's sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for His people at this very moment.

And one day He's going to come back in glory and power. And He's going to bring in righteousness.

And He's going to reign forever and ever. Aren't you going to praise Him for that? Don't we anticipate that great day?

Praise God. Well, why did Peter speak in the context of verse 18 and 19?

Why did he mention about the prize medals? Go back to 1 Peter. What prize medals is he talking about by redemption?

Well, notice what he mentions. He says that we were redeemed not with perishable things like silver or gold.

That's the prize medals. From a futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of the

Lamb, unblemished, spotless, the blood of Christ. Well, those medals he speaks of that God makes, silver or gold, he quite possibly was recalling the

Old Testament passage about the ransom money God required the Israelites to pay.

Now keep in mind, he's speaking to Jews. Turn with me to Exodus chapter 30 and let's see what he's talking about.

I don't know about you, but I love, when I look into a New Testament scripture,

I love to look at the Old Testament background. Because this is how the apostles got their knowledge from the prophets.

And anybody that claims that the Old Testament is not inspiration of God, don't you hear they're false teachers.

There's some out there right now, and I'll mention his name. Andy Stanley is one of them. He says there's no need to have the

Old Testament. He's a liar. He's a false teacher. Don't you hear that? The Word of God, I'm telling you, all

Jesus spoke about himself through the Word of God in the Old Testament. He ran it all the way through Moses and the

Psalms. And by the way, in the Old Testament, Jesus is predicted. In the

Gospels, Jesus comes to us. It's fulfilled.

In the New Testament, apostle writings of the epistles, Jesus is explained. And in Revelation, Jesus comes back and he is anticipated.

Folks, like I said, Jesus is all about what the Bible is about. He is the center person of the

Bible. Well, look at Exodus 30. Look at 11 through 16.

I really believe in one sense that Peter is thinking of this. The Lord also spoke to Moses saying, when you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall, what shall they do?

Shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.

This is what everyone is who is numbered, shall give a half shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

The shekel is 20 geras. Half a shekel is a contribution to the

Lord. Everyone who is numbered from 20 years old or over shall give a contribution to the

Lord. The rich shall not pay more or the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel.

When you give the contribution to the Lord to make an atonement for yourselves, you shall take the atonement money for the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of the meeting, and it is to be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the

Lord to make atonement for yourselves. Now, it's interesting that he's talking about this because he's stating, now having stated the believers, they were not redeemed with silver or gold.

That's what he's saying. These are tithes, these are shadows. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment.

Again, there you see lambs all the way through the Old Testament being slaughtered.

It was a horrible sight. A perfect lamb. A firstborn. A lamb that had to be brought before God.

And then those, that is lambs. But the lamb, the lamb is the reality of that.

And Peter is basically saying these are the means by which God redeems us with the precious blood.

Now let me ask you, is the blood of Jesus Christ precious to you today? Isn't that word wonderful?

Is it precious? Does it mean something to you? If it doesn't, you need to be on your face before God.

He used blood as a vivid synonym for a sacrificial death involving the shedding of blood.

Without the shedding of blood, there's what? No forgiveness of sins. That's the payment. That's the payment for sin.

The blood Peter is speaking of was the blood, not just of any blood I should say, but precious because it belonged to a lamb unblemished and spotless, speaking of the perfect lamb of God who lived and died without sin.

No one else could take and fulfill that spot. Only Jesus Christ. Peter gives to us by the

Holy Spirit words that's implicit the picture of the immense sacrifice of the owner such a lamb made when he killed his flock's finest, purest, most perfect, precious animal, the very kind of animal

God always required for sacrifice. Now, go back early. How far does this go back?

Look at Genesis. Look at Genesis 4. Who began this?

Who did the first shedding of blood? I want you to see this. Look at chapter 3.

Verse 22 in chapter 3, Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us.

Notice that us. That's the Trinity. That's the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. He didn't say just me.

He said one of us. The Father, the Son. There's the Trinity. Knowing good and evil.

And now he might stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.

Notice what he said. Therefore, the Lord, through God, sent him out from the garden of Eden to cultivate the ground for which he was taken.

He drove out man at the east of the garden of Eden and he stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way of the tree of life.

But notice, before God did all that, notice, look at what he did in verse 21.

That's key. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

God was the first one that shed an animal. Then he drove them out. Do you see redemption, what

Jesus did? Now we are back and reconciled to God and we can come to the tree of life through the tree in which

Jesus was nailed on? Through the sacrifice that bridged that there's a gulf so wide that man cannot get to but yet that God did it by bringing

Jesus Christ and put him right on the cross. That was his altar. But that's his pulpit too.

It tells the world you can come and be reconciled to God. What about Abel?

Notice verse 2 again in chapter 4 in Genesis. She gave birth to his brother

Abel. Talk about Eve. Abel was a keeper of the flocks but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Here you're about to see the first martyrdom. See, a lot of people think

Stephen was the first martyr but in a sense the first believer in the Old Testament outside of Adam and Eve was

Abel. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground.

Abel on his part also brought the firstlings of the flock of the fat portion. And the

Lord had regard for Abel and his offering. A blood sacrifice, folks.

A blood sacrifice. This is why God had regard to it.

By faith, He offered it by faith and it was blood. Can I tell you that that's the only thing

God's going to see? The blood. When I see the blood,

I will pass over you. If the blood of Jesus Christ is not applied to your heart, there's no hope.

But you've got that time now as God willing to help you to repent from your sin and to believe the gospel to apply the blood of Jesus Christ to your heart.

No sacrificial lamb or any other animal sacrifice could ever really take away sin.

These were types and shadows. Now turn with me to Hebrews chapter 10. My time is running out.

I've got to hurry up because I've got to go to a very important passage of Scripture after this. Chapter 10 of Hebrews.

There's a better sacrifice, folks, than all those animals that were slaughtered. Jesus Christ is the better sacrifice.

I just want to read some of this. Verse 11. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.

He's talking about those Old Testament sacrifices. But He haven't offered one sacrifice for sins for all time.

Aren't you glad? Jesus doesn't have to come back and die again. It was once and for all. Sat down at the right hand of God, waiting for that time onward until His enemies be made footstool for His feet.

That's going to happen one day. Jesus is going to come back in power and glory with all the angels.

He's coming back as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and He's going to reign forever and ever. And listen to what

He says. For by one offering, one offering, the sacrifice He made, He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us after saying, This is the covenant that I will make with them.

After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart. This is the new covenant. This is the new birth.

And on their mind I will write them. His laws will be written on their minds. Then He says in verse 17,

And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Praise God.

One of the great benefits of salvation is having your sins forgiven. That's why we give

God the glory for the Lamb of God. And now where there's no forgiveness of these things, there's no longer any offering for sin.

Jesus Christ is the only one that can remove those sins and wash those sins away once and for all.

What did John the Baptist say? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

John the Baptist knew it. Paul in Acts 20 said this to the elders.

He charged them. This is what he charged them for. Look at verse 25 of chapter 20 of Acts.

Now behold I know that all of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom.

That's what he preached. He didn't preach politics. He preached the kingdom of God. Will no longer see my face.

Therefore I testify to you this day I am innocent of the blood of all men. Why? He tells them why in verse 27.

For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. The whole counsel of God. In other words, he preached everything what the

Bible said. He did not spot it or hopscotch all over it. He preached the whole word of God verse by verse.

And what does he say? He gives a warning to these elders. Verse 28. Be on guard for yourselves. Yourselves.

And for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. To shepherd the church of God.

Which he purchased with his own blood. The church of God purchased with his own blood.

And I know that after my departure. Savage wolves. What is he talking about? He's talking about false teachers. Will come among you not sparing the flock.

And from among your own selves. Men will arise speaking perverse things.

To draw away the disciples after them. Notice that's what a cult does. To draw them after themselves.

They don't point them to Jesus Christ. They take the preeminence like deatrophies. That's why the apostle

John says I'm going to deal with deatrophies. We don't know exactly what he did. But we know that he dealt with them.

Who takes the preeminence in the church? Jesus Christ. Because he's the head of the church. John the

Baptist said it well. I decrease, he increases. Verse 31. Therefore be on alert.

Remembering that night and day for a period of three years. I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

And then he gives them a blessing. Now I commend you to God. And to the word of his grace. Which is able to build you up.

And to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes.

He was not in it for the money folks. You yourselves know that these hands even worked with his own hands.

Minister to my own needs. To the men who were with you. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner.

You must help the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus. That he himself said. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

You see that's what ministry is. It's minus. We decrease.

Jesus increases. We give. We don't take. One more verse. And then we're going to go into communion.

This is the gospel. And I'm going to leave you with this. Okay. I have more to say. But my time is up. 1

Corinthians. I'm sorry. 2 Corinthians. Here the gospel is presented.

Chapter 5. One verse. In 17 words.

He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. So that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Oh beloved. I wish I had a whole sermon for this. I wish I had another hour for it.

Maybe Lord willing next week. How about that? Folks can I say this one more time.

There's many more verses I got. I wish I had time to get to. But unless you believe in your heart.

Not in your head. Who Jesus is. And what he's done. You will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Unless you repent and believe the gospel. You will not enter into the kingdom of God.

I say that lovingly. Because it's the only way of salvation. Jesus Christ. This is the gospel.

We need to hear the gospel. It's good news. Now isn't it something that this good news offends people?

Why does it offend people? Because people love their sin. Still speak it.

Speak it in truth. But speak it in love. Don't argue. But be ready to give an answer.

To their questions. Of the hope that lies within you. Let's pray. Father we thank you.

That there is a great substitutional sacrifice made. Thank you father for what your word says.

That you made Jesus. Who knew no sin to be.

These sin offering for us on our behalf. So that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

There's no other way we can be righteous. The only way that our righteousness can exceed. The righteousness of the

Pharisees and the scribes. Is have the righteousness of Jesus. Placed upon us.

Just as you dressed. And robed the prodigal that came home. He repented. He came back.

He confessed. And said he was no longer worthy to be. A son. Father that should be our attitude as we come to the cross.

As we come before Jesus Christ. The sinless son of God. On our behalf.

Who became sin. That took the wrath. Of almighty God. Father your wrath was poured upon him.

He was become a curse. He became a curse for us. On the cross.

And did not. Become a sinner.

As some people falsely says. But remained as holy as ever. Without spot.

Without blemish. Without sin. But Lord you treated him. As if he was the worst sinner ever.

And your wrath was poured and exhausted on him. In our place.

And the just requirement of your holy law was met. For those whom he died.

Father thank you. That now that righteousness. Is imputed to us. He took our sin.

He gives us his righteousness. A double imputation. And the righteousness that is credited.

To the believers account. The believers account. Is the perfect spotless righteousness of Jesus.

Hallelujah. What a savior. Father we thank you for the gospel. And your word says the just shall live by faith.

May we believe it. May we speak it. May we preach it. May we die for it.