Open your Bibles, if you would,
to Hebrews chapter 11. The name of the message is A
More Excellent Sacrifice. A More Excellent Sacrifice. Hebrews chapter 11. We'll read
the first six verses, but verse four will be our text, but let's
read it in context. Hebrews 11, verses one to six. Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for. the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained
a good report. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear. Here's our text. By faith, Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it, he being
dead, yet speaketh. By faith, Enoch was translated
that he should not see death, and was not found, because God
had translated him Or before his translation, he had this
testimony that he pleased to God. But without faith, it is
impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. Now verse 4 again, by faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of
his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Now in this
wonderful chapter, the Holy Spirit of God has left us a record of
many of the saints who fought the good fight and At their appointed
time of departure, they departed to be with the Lord. But every
one of them died in faith. And beloved, they went right
to glory. Right to glory. The minute they breathed their
last breath, they were in glory. Just like that. And they were men and women not
much different from us. Not much different from us. We
forget that when we read of these saints. We think, oh my, these
people, they were super saints. No. They were just like us. They were just like us, beloved. They were sinners when they came
into this world. Just like us. They came into this world dead
in trespasses and sins, in a fallen nature, hating God and running
from God, and worshiping gods of their own imagination, just
like us. Just like us. And they would
have continued in that hopeless, helpless state, that ungodly
state, if it had not been for the sovereign grace of God in
Christ, which was revealed to them and we who believe. They're just like us. Just like
us, beloved. And it was God and God alone
who delivered them from the power of sin, who brought them out
of the darkness that they were in, into the marvelous light
of the Son of God, giving them true saving faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and to embrace the truths of the
gospel. And it was God who did the same
for us, beloved. The same for us. They were looking
to the Messiah, right? They were looking to Christ.
We look back to Him, don't we? Now we still look to Him, too,
though, don't we? Oh, my beloved. God did the same for us as He's
done for them. Now let's turn to Genesis chapter
3, and we'll read of Adam's fall, knowing that we fell in him,
and knowing that these saints mentioned here fell in him too. And after Adam fell, he ran from
God, he hid from God. He was a sinner in need of God's
forgiven grace. And our Lord Jesus Christ came
to Adam in a sinful loss condition. And notice he sought him out.
God sought Adam out. Don't miss these little points. Sometimes we read scripture and
say, oh, I've read that so much. Don't miss these little points.
God sought him out. God sought Adam out. Remember, Adam was
hiding, clothed himself with fig leaves, which pictures our
own works, doesn't it? Oh my, God sought him out and
he called him by name and he called him by name and then he
clothed Adam and Eve with coats of animal skins. Beloved, there
had to be the death of an animal. The blood of an animal was shed.
We know who that picture is, don't we? That picture is Christ. Look at Genesis 3, we'll read
from verses 1 to 19. Now the serpent was more subtle
than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he
said unto the woman, yea, hath God said he shall not eat of
every tree of the garden? And a woman said unto the serpent,
we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the
fruit of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch
it lest you die. And look at this, and the serpent
said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die. Think of people who go around
Say, well, if I die, I'm not going to go to hell. You will if you're not trusting
Christ. For God doth know that in the
day ye eat thereof, then shall your eyes be opened and ye shall
be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food, and took that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she
took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both
were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed
fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Well, they're
trying to cover their nakedness by the works of their own hands.
Well, that picture is works-based salvation.
trying to give themselves their own righteousness. And they heard the voice of the
Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of day, and Adam
and his wife hid themselves. Oh, they ran from God, didn't
they? Just like we did in our lost
state. They hid themselves from the
presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. They
were trying to hide from God. We used to do the same thing.
Now we sit there, shake our heads, don't we? Because when you do,
you look at that and go, you're trying to hide from God. But
we did the same thing for the love. We did the same thing. And we would have done the same
thing in their place. We're no different. We spring
out of Adam. Of course, we're no different.
And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, where
art thou? He didn't ask that for information
and he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid
because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, who told
thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof
I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, the
woman which, look at this. Every time I read this, I think,
here's typical, here we all are, right? I didn't do it. It was
the woman you gave me. Oh my, look at this. Oh my goodness. And the man said, the woman whom
thou gavest to be with me, she gave me the tree and I did eat.
It's her fault, Lord. But notice, he casts blame ultimately
on the Lord. Because he said, it's the woman
you gave me. So ultimately, he's blaming the Lord for it. But
he's also blaming the woman. My goodness, how quickly we pass
blame off to other people. And the Lord God said to the
woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said,
the serpent beguiled me. She passed it on to the serpent.
The serpent beguiled me. And I did eat. Now she's being
truthful, but now she's, and we know we fell in Adam though.
When Adam ate of that fruit, that's when we fell, because
he's our federal head. He's our federal head. The Lord God said of the serpent,
because thou has done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and
above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go,
and in dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will
put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed. And there's a direct, oh, here
we go. Here's a promise of Christ, beloved. And I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. Christ is the seed of the woman.
It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The
Lord crushed Satan at Calvary's cross. He bruised his head, he
crushed him. But he only bruised, the Lord
only bruised his heel, according to the scripture here, because
that just speaks of his humanity, he died. Unto the woman, he said,
I will greatly multiply thy soul and thy conception and soul.
Thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy
husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said,
Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast
eaten of the tree which I commanded thee, he commanded Adam, saying,
Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns
also and thistles shalt bring forth to thee, and thou shalt
eat the herb of the field, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it was
thou taken, for thus thou art, and unto thus thou shalt return."
Now, Adam obviously was the ordained instrument of God chose to teach
Abel and other members of the family about Christ. Look at verse four
again in Hebrews chapter 11. It says, by faith, Abel offered
unto God a more excellent sacrifice. How did he learn this? Well,
he probably learned from his father about the shedding of
blood. a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying
of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Now let's
go back to Genesis chapter 4. Genesis chapter 4. And we'll read the account of
Cain and Abel here. We'll read from verses 1 to 8. And Adam knew Eve, his wife,
and she conceived and bear Cain and said, I have gotten a man
from the Lord. And she and she again bear his
brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep.
Now, note that a keeper of sheep, that's very important right there.
Because he's going to offer a sacrifice later on and we know what it
was. It was a sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground, Cain
grew vegetables. That's why he's a vegetable gardener,
a farmer probably. That's what he did. And in the
process of time it came to pass that Cain bought of the fruit
of the ground and offered unto the Lord. He probably bought
the best fruit that came from his crop. The best. But it wasn't that which God
commanded. He bought the fruit of the ground,
an offering unto the Lord. But Abel, he also bought of the
firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the
Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But under Cain
and his offering, he had not respect. He didn't accept Cain's
offering. He accepted Abel's offering,
but he didn't accept Cain's offering. What was the difference, beloved?
Blood. Blood. Abel offered the firstling of
his flock, and that lamb pictured Christ, beloved. Cain, he bought
probably wonderful vegetables. No blood. It wasn't what God
commanded to bring. But unto Cain and to his offering
he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance
fell. You ever tell somebody that salvation
is by grace alone and not by their works and watch their reaction? Almost to a person they usually
say, but I'm a good person. I didn't say that. You want to
say that to them? I didn't say that. We're sinners
to the core. See, but they don't think they're
sinners. And we who are God's people have
had revealed to us our sinful state, that we're sinners. There's
none good. No, not one. We're all sinners. And the Lord said unto Cain,
Why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou
doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? If you bought the proper
sacrifice, would it not be accepted? So Cain didn't do that which
was well. Cain bought the fruit of his own labors. And if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at the door. Now think of that. If a person brings the fruit
of their own labors and their own self-righteousness, their
sin lies at their door. And when they face the Lord,
they face the Lord in their sinfulness. Praise God we're covered under
the blood of Christ, beloved. Praise God. And unto thee shall be his desire
and thou shalt rule over him. Cain talked with Abel, his brother,
and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain
rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. He killed his own
brother. Now let us remember that two
religions are here before us. One of grace, in which the shedding
of the blood of the Lamb represents. It typified the Lord Jesus Christ
dying on Calvary's cross, in the room instead of his people.
And then works, as Cain brings an offering of his own hands. Now Cain and Abel were taught
by Adam, and he had taught them both the truths of the gospel. Both of them had heard that the
only way a sinner could approach an infinitely holy God was through
the bloody sacrifice of a lamb. And that typified, we know, that
typified the Lord Jesus Christ. Cain, though, was religious.
He bought a sacrifice, which was, again, the works of his
hands. You know that he absolutely, in doing that, he showed that
he absolutely refused to come by the one way in which God had
ordained. And you know that people who
reject Christ are basically saying that they refuse to come. It's
true the one way that God has ordained as the only way to approach
Him. And that only way is the Lord
Jesus Christ. There's no other way to approach
God. No other way. God's a consuming fire otherwise. But under the blood, oh under
the blood we're safe. We're safe. So Cain and Abel
represent the only two religions in this world. And really, there's
only two religions. When you wrap them all up, there
really is. There's only two. Grace or works. And you put all different names
on the works side, all different names. It's still the same. It's still the same. I remember one grace preacher
tell me there's no difference between Catholicism and Mormonism.
They're both works. That's true. People don't like
to hear that, though. They get mad when you say stuff
like that, but it's true. They're both works-based religion.
They both lead to the destruction of those who trust in that works-based
system rather than trust in Christ. There's only one way to glory.
There's only one way to the Father, and that's through the Lord Jesus
Christ in Him alone. It's a narrow way, beloved. So Cain and Abel represent the
only two religions of this world, works and grace. Cain typifies
all false religionists who try to approach God by their own
sinful works. by the works of their own hand,
by their own self-righteousness. Well, I'm a good person. Surely
God won't send me to hell because I'm not an axe murderer. I'm
not. I'm not. God is so holy. He can't. Sin cannot be in his
presence. This is why we must be covered
in the blood of Christ and clothed in this perfect, spotless righteousness
in order to be in the presence of the Lord. Abel typifies all true followers
of the Lord Jesus Christ who have received the gift of faith
and only approach God through Christ alone. And no other way. No other way. Only through Christ.
Now, only God's sovereign grace. Now, think of this, too. I want
you to think about this because we need to bring it home to our
own families. Now, only God's sovereign grace
made the difference between Cain and Abel. Right there we see
God's distinguishing grace, right before us, within a family. And God's sovereign grace always
makes the difference between true believers and false religion.
I want you to think upon something for a moment. Cain and Abel were
brothers. They were the first two babies
born into sin that we know. They grew up together. They grew
up together, just as all of us grew up with our siblings. They probably discovered things
together and they probably played together. Probably entertained
one another, like we've all entertained each other with our own brothers
and sisters. And they were probably very close. And both Cain and Abel came into
this world with Adam's fallen, sinful nature. Both of them. Abel was just as sinful and just
as hopelessly lost when he was born as his brother Cain. But by God's mercy and grace at God's
appointed time of love for Abel, he was raised from the state
of spiritual death by the life-given power of God the Holy Spirit. Abel was chosen in Christ by
God the Father before this world was created and Cain was not. God wrote Abel's name in the
Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, and
he did not write Cain's name in that book. Abel was ordained to eternal
life, predestinated to be a child of God by Jesus Christ according
to the good pleasure of his will, and Cain was not. Abel was redeemed by the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ when he came into this world and offered
himself as a supreme sacrifice for the sins of his people. This
is the sacrifice which Abel's sacrifice typified. Cain was
not redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Abel was called by God himself
by his sovereign, irresistible, inward, personal, efficacious
call under Adam's The preaching of the true gospel of God's grace,
of His sovereign grace and sovereign mercy, Cain was not. And as close as Cain and Abel
might have been, as brothers in the flesh, the gospel brought
a division between them. The moment Cain saw that God
had accepted Abel's offering and rejected his, He was then
filled with hatred against his brother. So much hatred that
he murdered him. That he murdered his own brother. We read these holy, inspired
words in 1 John 3, verses 11 to 13. I'll read them. For this
is the message that ye have heard from the beginning. that we should
love one another, not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and
slew his brother. And wherefore he slew him? Because
his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel
not, my brethren, if the world hates you. Don't be surprised
if the world hates you. Don't be surprised. Our own master
said, if the world hates you, you know it hated me before it
hated you. Let's look at our text again
in Hebrews chapter 11 in light of what we've looked at. By faith Abel offered, Hebrews
11.4, by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain. We saw that when we read that
text. By which he obtained witness and he was righteous. God testifying
of his gifts. And by it, he being dead yet
speaketh. Note in the text, it says that
Abel obtained witness that he was righteous. Now we know that
Abel was not righteous by his own nature. Because he, just
like us, was born dead in trespasses and sins when he came into this
world. But by faith, The faith which
was given to him by God, Abel's only righteousness was what?
The righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Imputed to him by God himself,
and this is so for every single one of God's blood-bought saints. When God accepted Abel's offering,
that offering pointed right to the Lord Jesus Christ. And Abel received in his conscience,
the witness by God, the Holy Spirit, that the gospel he had
been taught was the truth. He'd been taught to look. Look
to Christ. That sacrifice pictured Christ.
His promised Redeemer. Remember what Job said? What
did Job say? I know my Redeemer lives. And we know that the Lord Jesus
Christ was Abel's only acceptance before God, and he's our only
acceptance before God. Now, Abel died in faith, and
he being dead yet speaketh. Pastor Henry Mahan, in his Bible
class commentary, says Abel's dead, but his faith and example
are yet spoken of. Still spoken of. He being dead,
yet speaking. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. Let's turn to 2 Timothy chapter
2. We'll look at verses 8 to 10.
And here are three reasons. We'll look at these three reasons
and then we'll be done. Three reasons why Abel's sacrifice
was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's. Number one, Jesus
Christ is God's purpose sacrifice for salvation. for the salvation
of his chosen people. Number two, Jesus Christ is God's
perfect sacrifice for the salvation of his chosen people. And Jesus
Christ, number three, is a precious sacrifice that completely satisfied
God the Father in the room instead of his people who he chose in
Christ. Because we know that that sacrifice
that Abel offered typified Christ, it pictured Christ. So first,
let's look at the fact that, number one, Jesus Christ was
God's purpose sacrifice. For the salvation of his chosen
people, it was purposed by God that Christ. Would be the sacrifice
for the salvation of his chosen people, look at this in Second
Timothy, chapter one, verses eight to 10. Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God. Now look at this,
who has saved us? So God is the one who saved us.
And he's called us with an holy call, and the Holy Spirit, we're
regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Look at this,
not according to our works, Look back at Cain. God will not accept our works
because they're full of sin. They're tainted with sin. But
look at this. But according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and
immortality to the light through the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ
was God's purposed sacrifice, we see it right there, for the
salvation of His chosen people. It was purposed by God. And when
was it purposed by God? Before the world began. Now,
we have no clue who the elect of God are. We don't know. We
didn't even know we were the elect of God before God saved
us, do we? Therefore, we preach the gospel to everyone. It goes
out and God does the same. God does the same. He does the
calling. And we just proclaim that our
wonder savior. Our wonder savior, he saved me
from all my sin. Oh, and He saves all who come
to Him. He saves all who come to Him. Oh, my. We know who come to Him, those
who are made well, but He saves everyone who comes to Him. Oh,
what a Savior. What a Redeemer. And the fact that Jesus Christ
was God's purpose sacrifice for the salvation of His people is
very clear in that passage we just read. Very, very clear.
Now turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. And consider
this next point. Jesus Christ is God's perfect
sacrifice for the salvation of his chosen people. So he's the
purpose sacrifice. And now we see that he is the
perfect sacrifice for the salvation of his chosen people. Romans
chapter 8. And by His one offering, Jesus Christ perfected forever
His blood-bought children, beloved, were clothed in His perfect spotless
righteousness. Look at this in Romans 8, verses
32 and 34, in light of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is
God's perfect sacrifice for the salvation of His chosen people.
He that spared not His own Son, verse 32, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us
all things. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Do you see why Abel's
sacrifice was a more excellent sacrifice? Because it pictured.
It pictured. God's perfect sacrifice for the
salvation of his people. The sacrifice of Christ. Is so
perfect that that no charge shall be laid to God's elect. Oh, that's
wonderful for sinners. That's wonderful news for sinners.
No charge, it says, who shall I look at that? Anything to the
charge of God's elect? Oh my, this is wonderful. No charge can be bought against
God's people who are washed in the precious blood of Christ,
who are forgiven, who are clothed in the perfect spotless righteousness
of Christ. And why? Because it's God that
justifies it. My, just let that sink in, Lord. Just let that, who is he that
condemneth? Well, our own hearts condemn
us, don't they? But we're not condemned, we who
are under the blood. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather than is risen again, who's even
at the right hand of God, and he makes intercession for us.
Praise his mighty name. He's the perfect sacrifice. He's
the perfect sacrifice. He's God's perfect sacrifice.
Now turn, if you would, to 2 Peter, or 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 2. And the next point I'd like us
to consider is this. Jesus Christ is a precious, precious sacrifice
that completely satisfied God the Father in the room and place
of God's elect. He's a precious sacrifice. 1 Peter 2, verses 4 to 10. to whom cometh as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ is precious. Ye also, as lively
stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The only way that anything we
do is acceptable to God is by and through the Lord Jesus Christ
in Him alone. Wherefore, also it is contained
in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. Oh, he's precious to God's people.
But look at this, But unto them that be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner, and the stone is stumbling. He wasn't precious
to me before the Lord saved me. Christ wasn't precious to me.
But oh, he's precious now. He's everything. He's everything
for me. Without Christ, I have nothing.
And I know it's so for you who believe. We have nothing without
Christ. Look, it says, even to them what
stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. and holy
nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,
which in times past were not a people, but are now the people
of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy. Again, we're only acceptable
to God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ, in him alone. Rejoice, beloved of God, our
great God is and was perfectly satisfied with the sacrifice
of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in our place. Rejoice, beloved
of God, that the holy law of God was fulfilled and honored
for those whom Christ represented when he died upon the cross.
And each believer says, that was me. That was me. Jesus Christ perfectly satisfied
God's holy justice for all His chosen people, so much that God
sees no sin in those who were redeemed by the blood of His
Son. And we saw that truth over there in Romans, didn't we? We
saw that truth proclaimed. Praise God, you who are the beloved
of God and rejoice in the fact that nothing can be laid to our
charge because Jesus Christ has removed our sins from God's sight
forever. Forever. Your sins and iniquities, while
I remember, no more. They're under the blood. They're
covered. Praise his mighty name. That's
why there's no condemnation or no judgment to those in Christ
Jesus. Because our sins were already
judged and our perfect substitute, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
Our sins were laid upon him and he bore them. The sinless one,
the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God. Our sins were imputed
to him and his perfect spotless righteousness is imputed to us.
Remember we saw this morning he offered himself up with what?
Those two little words, without spot. Perfect! Perfect, beloved! Perfect. Oh my. Now turn, if you would,
to 2 Peter. We'll look at Second Peter chapter
two, we'll look at verses seven to 10 and we'll take note in
these and the verses of the Lord's mercy and deliver in the righteous
such as Noah and Lot when wicked men are destroyed and yet he
delivers the righteous and the only way we're made righteous
is in and through Christ. There's no other way. No other
way. 2 Peter chapter 2. Let's start
in verse 4 and we'll read the verse 10. For God spared not
the angels at sin, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them
into the chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment, and
spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person,
the preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an
example unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered
just lot vexed with a filthy conversation of the wicked. And for that righteous man dwelling
among them, and seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from
day to day with their unlawful deeds, The Lord knoweth how to
deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust until
the day of judgment to be punished. But chiefly, then, that walk
after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government
presumptuous, are they self-willed. They are not afraid to speak
evil of dignitaries. They're self-righteous. They're self-righteous. just
as we were before the Lord saved us. Now, if God has given us true,
saving faith to believe the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we will absolutely abhor any doctrines of works. We'll abhor
the doctrines of works, any kind, whatever form it comes in. We'll
hate it. We'll hate it. And we'll embrace the sacrifice
that the Lord Jesus Christ made for us knowing that God Himself
accepted that sacrifice. And that He has accepted we who
believe in Christ. And the only way we're accepted
by God is in and through Christ. Brethren, The Lord Jesus Christ
is a more excellent sacrifice than all the sacrifices of self-righteous,
wicked, false religionists. Unto us, therefore, who believe,
Jesus Christ is more precious than we can put into words. He's all I need. Is He all you need? I pray God will make it so if
He's not. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
for the time that we've spent together. We thank You for Thy
Word. Oh, the wonders of Thy sovereign,
merciful grace. Oh, how our dear brother Abel's
sacrifice pictured You, Lord Jesus. dying in the room in place
of your people on Calvary's cross, in your life and in your death,
fully satisfying all that God demanded for us. Lord, we'll
spend eternity praising you. We who are your blood-bought
people, we'll spend eternity praising you for the wonders
of thy grace and the mercy which you have bestowed upon us. Lord,
we love you because you first loved us. And it's in your name
we pray. Amen. Well, if you'll take out your
red folder, turn with me to number 17. And this great, excellent
sacrifice we learned about tonight has made some of us complete.
So let's sing, Complete in Thee, number 17. Let's stand. Complete
in thee, the Word of God.