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. Leviticus gives a picture of what society ought to look like.
A. Leviticus 25:8-13 describes the Year of Jubilee.
B. How does Israel accomplish the Year of Jubilee?

II. Leviticus 18-20
A. Hebrew Literary Structure
1. The climax and/or thesis comes in the middle, not the end.
B. Ch.18-20 serve as the introduction to the "Holiness Code."
C. Holiness is all about how God's people interact with the world.
D. Chapter 19 is central chapter in the intro - the main point.
E. In the original Hebrew, "Love your Neighbor as yourself" is at the
middle of Ch. 19.

III. How Israel accomplishes the Year of Jubilee
A. Not by being more moral than everyone else, not by being superior to
everyone else but, loving your neighbor as yourself.
C. Love your neighbor as yourself summarizes the law.

IV. Lament
A. As a culture, we've lost this.
B. Our culture doesn't teach us to love our neighbor.
C. We've lost the ability to actually converse with those we disagree with.
D. Politics teaches to care more about "society" or "culture" instead of
actual people.
E. In contrast, the Biblical principle of Jubilee is achieved by people
"loving their neighbors as themselves."

V. Jesus' summary of the law
A. In Luke, Jesus reframes it within The Parable of the Good Samaritan.
B. In Matthew, Jesus is just as explicit, (Ch. 5:43-44).
D. The only way forward for Christians is to love others as ourselves.

Scripture Passages from Sermon

Pastor Jon referenced a few scripture passages in the sermon, beyond Leviticus 19:17-18. Here they are below.

GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Before looking closely at Leviticus 19, how would you have summarized the law?

2. What, if anything, did this sermon change about your perception of the law? What is the law trying to accomplish?

3. Do you agree with Pastor Jon's assertion that, as a culture, we have lost the centrality of loving one's neighbor as ourselves? If yes, what affirms this for you? If no, what has led you to believe that this is still a central rule for our culture?

4. In what ways do you find Jesus' definition of "neighbor" challenging?

5. Who is the "neighbor" that Jesus is calling for you to reach out and love?

NEXT STEPS

1. Reflect on the information and media sources that you consume. Make a list of them.

2. Closely examine each. How often does each source help you to love your neighbors, to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you?

3. For a period of time, (days or weeks) consider fasting from those sources that serve as a stumbling block and prevent you from loving your neighbors and enemies. As you fast, prayerfully monitor your feelings and attitudes towards "your neighbors and enemies". What issues prevent you from rising to this challenge?

4. Upon reflection, what has God revealed to you?

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