The Moses Legacy: Leviticus

In this sermon series, we will be looking at the Law as God describes it to Moses in Leviticus. The language of Leviticus helps us understand the full meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. Without fully understanding parts of Leviticus, we cannot fully grasp how God accomplished victorious atonement over sin through Jesus Christ.

Sermon Outline

I. God in the OT
A. Is God a god of wrath in the OT?
B. No. God's grace is evident in OT.
C. Leviticus 16 proves this.

II. Rituals and Symbols
A. Leviticus is a book of rituals and symbols. Those rituals and symbols point to deeper truths.
B. Sacrificial system is a symbol of the desire for God's presence.
C. Sac. sys. solves the problem of how God's presence remains with God's people.
D. What about the sins of those people who don't participate?

III. Day of Atonement
A. Day of Atonement solves the problem of sins of unrepentant sinners.
B. The Ram and one of the goats are sacrificed to cleanse the sanctuary of the pollution from these sins.
C. The second goat has the sins of Israel confessed over it, takes those sins into the wilderness, and banishes them.
D. This is how God deals with the sins of unrepentant people.

IV. What about unrepentant sinners in your life?
A. Book of Hebrews casts Jesus in the role of the sacrifice.
B. Jesus's blood is more effective than goats or bulls or rams.
C. If Jesus is the sacrifice, then his blood was spilled for unrepentant sinners also.
D. So, what about unrepentant sinners? Recognize that God has already extended it to them. Follow God's example.
E. Caveat- Boundaries.

V. God's grace is core to God's character.
A. Is present throughout scripture.
B. This is who God is.

GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Do you see God's grace clearly in the Old Testament as well as the New?

2. How familiar are you with the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16? What did you already know about this ritual? Following this weekend's message, what was new to you?

3. How do you respond to unrepentant sinners?

4. What, if anything, about how God's grace revealing in the Day of Atonement changes the way you respond to unrepentant sinners?

NEXT STEPS

1. Make a list (either in your head or write it down) of people you would consider "unrepentant sinners." (It can be an individual or a group.)

2. As revealed in the Day of Atonement, reflect on God's grace. How do you see God's grace revealed here?

3. Read Hebrews chapter 9. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice.

4. Ask that God would connect your response to the people you listed in group 1 to your understanding of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice.

5. In an appropriate way, extend God's grace to someone you would normally have a difficult time doing so.

We encourage you to use Facebook, Instagram, and other social media to share images, quotes, links, or what you've learned from this week's message and YouVersion message notes. Social media can also be a great way of inviting your friends to worship and special events.