Leviticus 1:1
The sermon emphasizes the importance of identifying with Christ as our substitute in order to have fellowship with God and experience spiritual peace.
Chuck Smith emphasizes that humanity was created for fellowship with God, but sin severed that connection, leading to spiritual death. He explains that the way back to God is through substitutionary death, as illustrated by the sacrifices in the Old Testament, which ultimately point to Christ as the perfect sacrifice. Smith highlights the importance of identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection, asserting that many Christians struggle with peace and commitment because they fail to fully embrace their identity in Him. The sermon calls for believers to recognize their need for Christ as their substitute and to live in the reality of their new life in Him.
Text
"CHRIST OUR SUBSTITUTE"
I. MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE.
A. Created by God for fellowship.
1. The claimant inner cry of man today is for that fellowship.
2. There is a certain unrest in man.
B. To maintain that fellowship man must be aligned with God's purposes.
1. God warned man concerning misalignment.
a. "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
b. Adam ate, Adam died and the history of man plunged downward
immediately.
2. The death of which God warned was spiritual death which would ultimately
eventuate physical death.
C. Ever since Adam's severance of his ties with God, man has sought to fill this
void within his life.
II. THE WAY TO GOD IS THROUGH SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH.
A. This was realized early in history - Abel.
B. Through Moses God established the law of sacrifices.
1. Vs. 3, "Shall offer it of own voluntary will."
a. Man's free choice exercised in garden.
b. God never forces Himself upon us.
2. Vs. 4, "He shall nut his hand upon the head heavily."
a. Thus he identified himself with the sacrifice. All my guilt
going on this animal, & as animal dies, I die. Thus penalty
for my sin answered.
3. "It shall be accented for him."
a. God would accent the death of the animal for the death of the
man who was thus identified with the animal.
4. "To make atonement for him."
C. Man had many needs, thus various sacrifices.
1. Burnt offering whole commitment.
2. Meal offering of praise (fellowship of praise - Let us offer unto God..
3. Peace offering - Peace with God - your life can never be settled until
you accent this.
4. Sin offering - sins - missing the mark - ignorance.
5. Trespass offering - deliberate crossing the line.
D. All of these offerings pre-figured & pointed to Christ, the perfect sacrifice.
III. IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST
A. Man accent Christ for their substitute in the sin & trespass offerings & go
no further or worse yet, try to present themselves from there.
1. Begin to offer to God my own works of self-righteousness.
2. Many Christians still have no peace.
a. They have not identified with Christ here.
3. Many have not a life of praise - failure to identify.
4. Many have not full surrender & commitment again a failure to identify
with Christ.
When He died, I died - when He was buried, I was buried - when He arose in newness of
life, I arose in Him.
Sermon Outline
- Man's Original State points: - Created by God for fellowship - To maintain fellowship, man must be aligned with God's purposes - Ever since Adam's severance, man has sought to fill the void
- The Way to God is Through Substitutionary Death points: - Realized early in history - Abel - Through Moses, God established the law of sacrifices - Various sacrifices pre-figured and pointed to Christ
- Identified with Christ points: - Man must accent Christ as their substitute - Failure to identify with Christ leads to spiritual issues
Key Quotes
“When He died, I died - when He was buried, I was buried - when He arose in newness of life, I arose in Him.” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- We must acknowledge Christ as our substitute and accept His death as atonement for our sins.
- Failure to identify with Christ leads to spiritual issues such as a lack of peace and a life of self-righteousness.
- We must surrender and commit to Christ in order to experience full surrender and commitment.