Let us open our Bibles tonight
to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, beginning
with verse 23, the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Corinth
and needing to correct some misunderstandings concerning this ordinance of
the Lord's Supper. For I have received of the Lord
that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the
same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given
thanks, he break, and said, take eat, this is my body which is
broken for you, this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner
also he took the cup when he had supped, saying, this cup
is the New Testament in my blood, this do you as oft as you drink
in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till
he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat
this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that
cup. For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning
the Lord's body. I suppose almost every believer
has read this passage of scripture and misunderstood what Paul is
saying and thinking, well, I'm not worthy. Christ is our worthiness. Every child of God is worthy,
accepted in the beloved. Paul is not speaking of men and
women not being worthy to observe the Lord's Supper. He's speaking
of men and women who were observing the Lord's Supper in an unworthy
manner. They were not discerning the
Lord's body. It says that very clearly in
that last verse that we read. Let a man examine himself and
so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup for he
that eateth and drinketh unworthily. That's not an adjective. That's
an adverb. It doesn't modify a person. It modifies a verb, modifies
an action. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the
Lord's body, not discerning the Lord's body. The Lord Jesus left
this ordinance for his church, and I was just thinking as I
read this scripture to mention the fact that Paul points out
this ordinance was instituted the night before his crucifixion,
the night before he went to the cross. So what he said in John
chapter six, except a person eat my flesh and drink my blood,
he hath no life in him, is not referring to the table of the
Lord. It's not referring to the bread
and the cup that is on the table, because that was said sometime
before he instituted this supper. The Lord Jesus left this ordinance. He is a king. He has the authority
and exercise that authority to command this ordinance to his
church. This do in remembrance of me. His church is his bride as the
scriptures reveal. He is a bridegroom that came
from heaven and so loved his bride that he gave himself for
her. In the Gospels, he instituted
this supper and said, this is my blood of the New Testament,
the new covenant, that everlasting covenant that God made with him
before the foundation of the world. He is the surety of the
covenant. This is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many. And this is a remembrance ordinance,
this do in remembrance of me. We do this in remembrance of
him and we especially, we remember everything that we can about
him. But in this ordinance, we remember especially his death,
his sacrifice. And that's what I want to speak
to us about tonight, about his sacrifice. And I have five things
I want to bring to us about his sacrifice. May the Lord, God,
the Holy Spirit, speak to our hearts as we think about his
sacrifice in the place and in the stead of his covenant people. First, His sacrifice is a perfect
sacrifice. I want you to look with me in
Leviticus chapter 22 if you will. His sacrifice, this sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus that we are remembering tonight is first
of all a perfect sacrifice. Here in Leviticus chapter 22
in the law that God gave to Israel in that old covenant. Remember
the gospel was pictured, the gospel was presented through
types, through symbols, through shadows. And here we see in Leviticus
22 and verse 21, what God said about those animal sacrifices. Whosoever offereth a sacrifice
of peace offerings unto the Lord, to accomplish his vow or a free
will offering in beefs or sheep. Now notice, it shall be perfect
to be accepted. There shall be no blemish therein. These animal sacrifices, as we
know, were never intended and never could take away sin. They
could not do that. It was not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take away sin. The apostle tells
us that in Hebrews chapter 10. But they could picture, they
could serve as a type, and that's what they did. But the animal
that was a type, that was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's
one sacrifice, God's perfect sacrifice, those animals had
to be perfect to be accepted. had to be perfect. What do I
mean by an animal being perfect? The one word which is used to
describe the condition of the Passover lamb as far as being
perfect was it could not have any blemish. Could not have any
blemish. The lamb had to be perfect. They
set the lamb aside on the tenth day of the month Four days they
had to observe that lamb, to make sure that when they sacrificed
that lamb, it was perfect, had no blemish. This is what the
word here says, perfect without blemish. Now this word, which
is translated blemish, according to Strong's Concordance means
complete, must be complete, must be full. perfect, sound, without
spot, undefiled, and upright. The animal had to be whole, had
to be perfect. It could not be lame. Suppose
a man wanted to offer an offering unto the Lord, and he had several
lambs in his flock, and one of them wasn't too good. It had
some blemishes, had some spots, or it had some weaknesses. Maybe
it was blind. Maybe it had some disease. Maybe
it was lame. Well, let's just take this and
offer this. That's the way a lot of people
try to serve the Lord, isn't it? Whatever's left over. We'll serve the Lord with this.
Whatever time is left over, we'll give that to the Lord. No, the
Lord said the animal must be perfect. It could not be lame,
could not be blind. It had to be without spot. And
you know that I may be wrong, but my understanding of that
word blemish could not have any blemish. To me, that means the
very smallest thing that you could have. I might have a blemish, just
something that no one but my wife could see on my coat, just
a blemish. That's what the word means to
me. The animal had to be without any blemish, just the least,
most minute thing that showed it wasn't perfect. it could not be offered in sacrifice. Why? Because it was to picture
the Lord Jesus Christ. The animal had to be perfect
that was offered to God to be accepted. Look at the verse again. And whosoever offer the sacrifice
of peace offerings unto the Lord, to accomplish his vow, or a freewill
offering, and beams are sheathed, it shall be perfect." Now notice,
to be accepted. You bring some animal with a
blemish, it's not going to be accepted. God's not going to
accept it. Listen, can God accept anything that is not perfect?
Can He? Can He accept anything that is
not perfect? Now, how do we know that Christ's
sacrifice is perfect? That's the first thing I said.
His sacrifice is a perfect sacrifice. How do we know that? How do we
know that His sacrifice that He offered when He offered Himself
on the cross, how do we know that His sacrifice is perfect? We know it because there was
no blemish in Him. There's no blemish in him. Look
with me in Hebrews chapter seven. Hebrews chapter seven. Don't you love the book of Hebrews
that shows us and explains many of the types and pictures that
were given in the law? But here in Hebrews chapter seven
and verse 26, The apostle says, for such an
high priest became us. Now, who is he speaking of? He's
speaking of Christ. He is our high priest. But such
an high priest became us, who is first of all, holy. He's holy by nature. Remember
when the angel spoke to Mary, revealing to her that she was
going to have a child, a son, the Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee. Therefore, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall
be called the Son of God. Once, we know in the Gospels,
when the Lord entered into a synagogue to worship there, there was a
demon spirit there in that synagogue that cried out and said, we know
who thou art, thou holy one of God. We know that his sacrifice is
perfect because, first of all, he is the Holy One of God. He himself is perfect. Then it says he's harmless. For
such an high priest became us who is holy. Second, harmless. Objectively, he was innocent
and subjectively, he was innocent. He was harmless, unsuspecting. And then the third thing, undefiled,
which simply means he was pure, pure. And then it says Christ was separate
from sinners. He's a high priest for sinners,
but this verse tells us that he was separate from sinners
in Romans chapter 3, I believe it is, or chapter 8, he was made,
he came in the likeness of sinful flesh. If you had seen the Lord
Jesus Christ here in the flesh, he would not have looked any
different. He didn't have any halo or anything like that over
his head, around him that would identify him and set him apart
from the others, the other men at that time. But how was he
separate from sinners? He was separate from sinners
in the sense that he was the seed of the woman. Every other
person who's ever walked on the face of God's earth since Adam
and Eve has been the seed of the man. The seed of the man. And therefore, Adam was our representative. He was our federal head. And when he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. That's what the word of God,
for by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin.
So then, death passed upon all men. Why is it that all men die?
Why do babies die? They haven't sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression. That's true. have inherited a sinful nature
from their father. And therefore, yes, even babies
die. The Lord Jesus Christ was separate
from sinners. He's the seed of the woman. God
did a new thing, didn't he? He did a new thing, that's what
he said in the book of Jeremiah. He'd do a new thing in the earth,
never been done before, never has been done since. And that
is, a man would be the seed of his mother, the seed of the woman. Just as the Lord said in the
Garden of Eden, speaking to Satan, The seed of the woman, there
she is, Eve, the seed of the woman is going to bruise your
head. He's going to destroy you, and he did at the cross. Christ's
sacrifice is perfect, being that he is perfect. Number two, his
sacrifice is a blood sacrifice. Again, let's look in the book
of Leviticus. Now, you know the book of Leviticus
gets its name from Levi, doesn't it? The tribe of Levi was the
priestly tribe. And so in the law, the law that
spoke about all that was to take place in the tabernacle by the
priest, all the law was given and the sacrifices were all spelled
out here in the book of Leviticus. So once again, in Leviticus chapter
17, this time, if you will, in verse 11, God said, for the life,
Leviticus 17, verse 11, for the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it the blood. I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood
that maketh an atonement for the soul." It is the blood that
makes an atonement for the soul. His sacrifice is a blood sacrifice. Now you know the primary meaning
of this word atonement is covering. Covering. Now we love that meaning
that people have given it because of the way it is written in English,
at-one-ment. That's a good definition, isn't
it? At-one-ment. How is it that a
man like you or a man like me who are sinners by nature, how
can we be reconciled to God and be at one with God? Through the
atonement, through the blood. But the primary meaning of the
word atonement is covering, covering. In fact, when God gave Noah the
directions to build the ark, he was told to pitch the ark
inside and outside with a certain material. And the word pitch
is the word atonement. In other words, Noah was to cover
that ark outside and inside. That's what the word atonement
primarily means. It means a covering. And the
Lord spoke here in Leviticus saying, it is the blood that
maketh an atonement. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ that covers the sins of God's people. covers our sins so that they
cannot be seen, they cannot be found. And not only covers our
sins, but covers us, that is His people, covers us from the
curses of the law. The law can no longer curse one
of God's children. Why? Because the blood is between
us and God. It covers us, covers our sins,
covers us from the curses of the broken law of God, covers
us from the wrath of God, who shall lay anything to the charge
of God's elect. It is God that justifies, who
is he that condemneth. It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again at the right hand of God. His sacrifice is
a blood. sacrifice. And I would remind
us of this. When you read that Passover history
there in Exodus chapter 12, and that's the greatest, that's the
greatest example of salvation in the Old Testament. The Israelites,
they were saved by blood and they were saved by power the
same way that God saved sinners today. First of all, by blood
and also by the power of God the Holy Spirit. But God said
to them, when I see the blood, you know the story, they were
to take the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it on the side post
of their house and the lentil of the door. And God said, when
I pass over, when I see the blood, I will pass over that house.
He didn't say when I see their faith, He didn't say when I see
their repentance. He didn't say when I see their
church membership. No, no. When I see the blood,
I will pass over that house. And he did pass over that house.
And the firstborn in that house lived to walk out of Egypt. But in every house where the
blood was not sprinkled, the firstborn in that house from
Pharaoh on the throne, to the maid who served in the kitchen,
the firstborn in their houses, God destroyed. Just as he said. His sacrifice is a blood sacrifice. Number three, his sacrifice is
a finished sacrifice. Look with me in Hebrews nine.
His sacrifice is a finished sacrifice. Hebrews chapter nine and verse
26, the apostle said, well, let me read verse 25 for, nor
yet that he should offer himself often. as a high priest entered
into the holy place every year with blood of others. You see,
the picture that was given in the law, the high priest, he
went into the holy of holies once every year and always with
blood, never without blood, never without blood. But if Christ
was merely a high priest after the order of Aaron, He wasn't. He was made a priest after the
order of Melchizedek. He was made a priest with an
oath. Thou art a priest forever. For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world if he had been a priest after
the order of Aaron. But he wasn't. He was a priest,
made a priest by God with an oath. But now once in the end
of the world, the end of that Jewish world, that whole old
covenant, once in the end of the world, he put an end to it. He put an end to that. When he
died on the cross, the veil in the temple was rent from the
top to the bottom, showing that the way into the most holy place
had been opened, been opened up. Through His flesh, through
His sacrifice, hath He appeared once, hath He appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His sacrifice is a finished
sacrifice. On the cross, one of the seven
sayings of the Lord while upon the cross is, it is finished. It is finished. Someone might
say, well, what was finished? All the work that God had given
him to do. And that work was what? To put
away sin. To put away sin. or as it was
prophesied in the book of Daniel, to make an end of sins. We know that his sacrifice is
a finished sacrifice because of where he is this evening.
He's in that holy place not made with hands, that is, into heaven
itself, and he's seated there. Now, in the tabernacle, which
was a picture, There were no chairs. Why? Because the work
was never finished. It was never finished. Offer
a sacrifice this year, next year, God willing, same priest, bring
blood in there. And that would go on and on and
on. But Christ, by his one sacrifice, hath put away sin. The scripture
says, and he is set down on the right hand of God. This was throughout the Old Testament
to remind those the fact that the priest never sat down, to
remind them to look forward to a time that was promised a sacrifice
that would accomplish the putting away of sin. And the fourth thing
about his sacrifice, and I love this, I love all these, but his
sacrifice is a successful sacrifice. a successful sacrifice. Look in Hebrews 10 if you're
there close by Hebrews 10 and verse 14. For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified or set apart. His
sacrifice is a successful sacrifice. And what do I mean by that? Well,
here's two things. First, Christ, His sacrifice,
it accomplished everything that God purposed for it to accomplish. Everything that God purposed
for the sacrifice to accomplish, His sacrifice accomplished. He didn't leave any loose ends.
He didn't leave any work for us to do, to add to his sacrifice
and make his sacrifice effectual. No, not at all. His sacrifice
is successful. What could be more insulting
to the sacrifice of Christ? than to think that it failed,
that it did not accomplish everything that God purposed, that God intended. What would be more blasphemous,
as far as I'm concerned, to suggest or even to think that yes, after
he offered himself and offered this wonderful sacrifice, his
precious blood, that he did not accomplish everything that God
purposed. If that were true, it would tell
me he's not the servant of Jehovah who was promised, because in
Isaiah 42, it was declared, he shall not fail. He shall not
fail. And he did. And second, Christ's sacrifice
really did put away all the sins of his people. He appeared, that's what the
verse told us there in Hebrews 9, He appeared to put away sin
by the sacrifice of Himself, and this He did. He so put them away, that is,
put the sins of His people away, that when and if search would
be made for them, they cannot be found. Now don't believe me,
don't take my word. Look with me, if you will, back
into the book of Jeremiah, chapter 50, and listen to God's word. He so put away the sins of his
people that they can never be found. They can never be found. They're
gone. Did you hear what Jesus said
to me? Thy sins are all taken away.
They've taken away. Isaiah, Jeremiah chapter 50 in
verse 20. In those days and in that time,
saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for
and there shall be none. What? You mean a people who are
laden with iniquity like all men are? that their iniquity
shall be sought for, and there shall be none. Yes, that's exactly
what I mean. That's exactly what the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished. There shall be none in the sins
of Judah, and they shall not be found. For I will pardon whom
I, I will pardon them whom I reserve. And then one last thing about
his sacrifice. His sacrifice is the theme of
heaven's praise. Heaven is a place of praise,
isn't it? And we look forward to that, to entering in. We love
the Lord's day when we gather together with God's people and
sing praises and worship him. But think about the truth that
one day, this day will never end. It'll never end. It'll be an eternal Lord's Day
of worship and praise. And what's the theme of heaven's
praise? You know what it is. Look with
me in Revelation chapter five. Revelation chapter five and verse
nine. And they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof. For
thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And has made
us under our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne and the beast and the elders And the number of
them was 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of thousands, saying
with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and
glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them heard us saying,
Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that setteth
upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Who is worthy to open the book? The Lamb, the Lamb of God, because
he was slain and by his blood he has redeemed his covenant
people And throughout the ages of eternity, his sacrifice, his
blood will be the theme of our praise. Who loved us. Let that sink in. Who loved us. Who loved us. And washed us from our sins. in his own blood, and has made
us a kingdom of priests unto our God. His sacrifice, that's
what we are remembering here tonight. May God give us grace
to do so, to rightly discern his body, his sacrifice. I'll ask the deacons, if you
will, to come at this time.