God’s Solution to Guilt

Sermon Series: “RESTORED” – 2 of 4

December 7, 2008

Pastor John Fanous

RESTORED means “TO BRING BACK __________________

The Bible calls this _______________________

One picture the Bible offers is a _____________

The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16

“This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.” Le 16:3-4

“Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.” Le 16:6

“Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats-one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.” Le 16:7-10

“When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-all their sins-and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.” Le 16:20-22

Jesus

John 19

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.” John 19:1-2

“But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!'” Jn 19:15a

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.” Jn 19:16

“But he carried away the sins of many people…” Is 53:12b (NCV)

The Priest

Hebrews 10

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.” Heb 10:1-2 (NLT)

“Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.” Heb 10:11-14 (The Message)

Maybe our message to the world is “the goat has left the _____________.”

*Thanks to Rob Bell for the inspiration for this sermon