Good evening. Open back with
me to Luke chapter 9. Concentrating on what I was going
to say tonight, it wasn't until Cody read But Peter and they
that were with him were heavy with sleep. How often have I gathered heavy
with sleep? And it really hit me what these
men must have thought when they awake, they saw his
glory. What did I miss while I was asleep? May the Lord awaken us tonight,
me included. Oh, the conference that we just
held with all that was going on in our lives, I enjoyed it
so much. And one of the things I really
enjoyed was I saw some folks I hadn't seen in a very long
time that I've been friends with for a very long time. And when you see old friends that
you've had a long acquaintance with, there's something special
about that time. And especially when you've been
long separated and had a long time of togetherness, maybe in
younger years, and you get together and conversations typically go,
you remember when we did this, we went here, we had to work
on this, and it was tough, but we made it through. And those are great memories. We really enjoy doing those.
But a lot of times after we part from one another, sometimes that's
when the most cherished memories come up, because memories you
don't want to talk about. Hard times. Things that were
just tough. that you don't bring up, even
in one another's companies, but when you think back on it, and
you were in that situation together, and you helped one another, and
you encouraged one another, and you got through it, those memories
are special, the aftermath of the troubled times. As I thought along these lines,
I came to the realization that That's what we're doing tonight. When we gather together, those
whom the Lord's been pleased to reveal himself to, those who
he's made himself known to, we come together to worship. And
what we're doing when we come here week after week, service
after service, is to hear of our friend. hear of our Savior,
hear of our Lord, who has done so very much for us. We come together to hear of his
accomplishments. Luke 9, let's look at verse 28. And it came to pass, about an
eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James,
and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion
of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and
glycerine. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory,
and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Excuse me, I don't remember the
man who brought the message, and I don't remember how old
I was. I may have been a kid when I
heard it. I can't remember. But he pointed out, he was preaching
from verse 31, and he pointed out during the message, they
spake of his decease. is death, which he should accomplish,
not endure, not suffer, but accomplish. When our Lord went to that cross,
when he surrendered his body to be nailed to that tree, when
he shed his precious blood, when he gave up the ghost, He accomplished
the salvation of those given to him by God the Father. This evening, I want to talk
about the accomplishment of his blood. And in this declaration,
may the Lord be pleased to reveal to us who Christ died for, what
he accomplished, and the blessings we enjoy because of what he accomplished. Turn with me, you don't have
to hold your place here, turn with me to Acts chapter 20. Acts
20, verse 28. Acts 20, verse 28. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves
and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. Before I get to the heart of
the message, it must be plainly declared that the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ was not shed in vain. In Isaiah 55, God said,
so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall
not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which
I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The word, the written word, the spoken word, the word that which
was in the beginning. Christ Jesus shall accomplish
that which I please. And what is it that God is pleased
with? And this is the Father's will,
which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. Here in
Acts 20, 28, we read the phrase, the church of God. This phrase
shows ownership, sovereignty, particularity. This phrase means
God's church. It's His. Now here's the question. What kind of people make up God's
church? Everyone has an answer to that
question. The world at large relies upon having an answer
to that question. Almost every obituary you read
will tell you the person was a member of such and such church. There's an entire denomination
that has taken to itself the title, the Church of God. Now most of the world says that
the Church of God is made up of good, church-going folks. Well, what says the Scriptures?
Who makes up the Church of God according to the Scriptures?
Hold your place here next and turn over to Ephesians 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul
is addressing the saints, the faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2 verse 1, And you
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, According to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in time past, in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. The Church of God is made up
of those who are just like every other child of Adam, dead in
trespasses and sins. Earthly, children of disobedience. Our walk, our way of life was
to fulfill the lust of our flesh, to fulfill the desires of the
flesh and of the mind. Now we see this word lust and
we immediately apply it to the flesh. But I dare say the worst
lust of our flesh is to me be all the glory." Again, Isaiah recorded for us,
how art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer? For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God. I will be like the Most High."
Church of God is made up of sinners, not those that just do bad things,
but those who know that this heart My natural heart is deceitful
and wicked, lies and full of pride, the same fallen nature as all
of Adam's children. But God, according to the good
pleasure of his will, simply because it pleased him, chose an innumerable number of
Adam's fallen race to the glory of his grace. Now, when Christ, our Lord, went
to that cross, when he poured out his blood, when he gave up
the ghost, when he laid in the tomb, when he came forth again,
Did he do that for me? Did he do it for you? Is there
a way to know? Yeah. Yeah, those centers chosen
of God, purchased by the blood of Christ, we have a tale. We have a sign. We have a continual war
in our heart. The flesh, the old man, still
cries out, to me, be the glory. I will. But the new man, the new creation
in Christ, cries out unto him and him alone, be all the glory,
all the power, all the praise, forever and ever. That's our
tale. Who did Christ die for? In summary, Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners. Now, my second point. What did
he accomplish to fulfill our salvation? Back in Acts 20, verse
28. Oh, and I should have said to
hold Ephesians, sorry. Acts 20 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood. there was a price to be paid
for our salvation, a price required by God's holiness, by his justice,
by his mercy, by his grace, a price that had to be paid for my salvation. We have sinned. That sin cannot
be ignored. It cannot be pushed in a corner,
swept under a rug, Hidden away, it must be paid. The wages, the
earnings of sin is death. When Christ shed his blood, when
he gave up the ghost, he paid the wages of sin owed by his
people. When he shed his blood, he accomplished
the purchase of the church of God. And in that purchase, what
was being paid? Back over to Ephesians 1. Ephesians
1 verse 7. In whom? In the Beloved, in our Lord Jesus
Christ. We have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins. Our sins held us bound, and when
we had nothing to pay, Christ shed his blood to redeem us from
that debt, the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness doesn't mean,
as we use it, oh, I'm sorry, oh, you're forgiven. forgiveness,
release from bondage or imprisonment. Set free. We know so little of being bound
in our lives. But if you're locked away, held
back, if you're locked in your home and can't get out, what
does it mean that day when it comes and says, storm's over,
you're free to go? Such a horrible example. So tiny
to what our Lord released us from bondage and imprisonment
of sin. As I was studying, it dawned
on me like it never has before, really. Each of these letters
that we have now bound in one volume were sometimes written
years and years apart. What a blessing it is that we
hold these precious words and we can read the same words of
assurance over and over again. Ephesians 1.7, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of His grace. Colossians 1.14, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 9. You don't have to hold Ephesians. Hebrews chapter 9, verse 11. Hebrews 9, 11. But Christ, being
come and high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And the writer
continues in verse 26. But now once in the end of the
world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice, by
the shedding of his own blood, by the sacrifice of himself. In the shedding of his blood,
he redeemed us. He obtained the forgiveness of
our sins. What does that mean? It means
we are cleansed. 1 John 1, 6 and 7. If we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as
he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood
of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. A few years
ago, y'all will remember, I was working in my basement quite
a bit, putting up walls, tearing things down, putting things up. And every time I went into that
basement, even if I didn't do much, I went upstairs, and before
I could go to bed, I had to take a shower. Just walking down there,
I felt nasty. And I imagine we've all been
in places or circumstances where as soon as you get home, you
hit the shower. It's just got to be done. We are, in our sins, covered
with filth from head to toe. And there is no remedy but the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Under the blood of Jesus, though
our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
purchased the Church of God, obtained eternal redemption,
the forgiveness of sins, cleanses, and for each soul Christ shed
his blood for. We have the testimony recorded
in Romans 5.8. But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." We are
justified. Justified meaning rendered righteous,
declared righteous. made innocent, free from fault,
free from guilt, by the blood of Christ, this wretched sinner standing
before you is declared by God justified. And for all whom Christ
died, we have the same testimony justified. As I stand before
you, as we go about our daily lives, do we feel justified? No. In this flesh, I continue
to be what I am, set in word, thought, and deed. I go about a sinner. But I have this sure and certain
word being now justified. How? Hold here in Hebrews and
turn with me to John 18. John chapter 18, verse 5, I just want to read
the last sentence of John 18, 5. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. Now, same chapter, look at verse
18. And the servants and officers
some of whom I am certain were there with Judas when they went
to take our Lord. And the servants and officers
stood there who had made a fire of coals, for it was cold, and
they warmed themselves, and Peter stood with them and warmed himself. Now imagine, if you will, not
knowing the story, watching the events unfold without knowing
the end thereof. Who would we say, naturally speaking,
acted more righteously, Judas or Peter? Judas had cast his lot. He stood with those he had sided
with in bringing them. Peter, who had just moments ago
bragged boldly how he would never betray the Lord, now for the
discomfort of his body, He pulls up to the fire among
those that he had promised to stand against. If we were watching this unfold,
we would have said, well, Judas is loyal to his friends, his
new friends, it ain't right. But here's Peter acting the hypocrite. Yet all the while, God Almighty
had already declared Peter just, and Judas unjust. How? Lord Jesus Christ, as he walked
this earth, did always those things that please God. And in
Christ Jesus, how can it be? Standing there
at the fire warming himself, In Christ Jesus, Peter did always
those things that pleased God. In the Lord Jesus Christ, every
sinner God has redeemed do always those things that please God. We are now justified in the eyes
of the only one that it matters just before God. By the blood of Christ, we are
cleansed, justified, and sanctified. Back in Hebrews, turn over to
Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13, verse 12. Hebrews 13, 12, wherefore, Jesus
also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood,
suffered without the gate. The blood of Christ has sanctified,
made holy, separated unto God. Blood he shed to redeem his people
has justified us. Our actions have been made right
and just. He has cleansed us from all sin
and he has sanctified us. There are many examples of sanctification
in the Old Testament, but I'm going to call out just the first.
In Genesis 2, 3, and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified
it because that in it he had rested from all his work which
God created and made. The seventh day was sanctified. Why? What made it different from
any of the other days? Nothing. Except that the master
of the day sanctified it. Sanctification is not something
we can do. It's not something we can work
at. It is the work, it is the accomplishment
of God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ with his own blood. Justified and sanctified, we
are in need of both. A man may be justified in his
actions, but not sanctified. For instance, you're speeding
in your car. because you have someone in the
car that has a medical emergency and you have to get there quickly. You're justified in speeding,
but you aren't sanctified. However, the driver of an ambulance
is justified and sanctified. A driver has been set apart as
a driver of the ambulance. And as long as he is in that
ambulance following his training, he is sanctified and justified
in his exceeding the speed limit. This center needs to have not
only my actions made just and write those things that I do
or don't do. But I need for this black, wicked,
wretched heart to be made alive instead of dead, holy instead
of sin. How can that nature be changed?
How can this sin be made holy? In the Lord Jesus Christ, in
whom there is no sin, as he is holy, as he is sanctified, as
he took our place in life and in death, as he has robed us
in his own righteousness, as he is, so are we in this world. By his shed blood, he accomplished
our sanctification. The precious blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ has purchased the Church of God, obtained eternal
redemption, secured the forgiveness of sins, cleansed, justified,
and sanctified us. And because of all of this, my
third point, we have great blessings. We have peace, Colossians 1.20,
having made peace through the blood of his cross. Ephesians
2.13, now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ. Turn back a couple of pages to
Hebrews 10.19. because of all that Christ accomplished
in the shedding of his precious blood, Hebrews 10, 19, having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
and having a high priest over the house of God, Let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. By the blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ, there is peace between God and men. We who were far off are made
nigh unto God. and we may have boldness to come
into the presence of the Most High God and make our petitions
known, we have been given the title
Child of God, joint heir with Christ. Is there any wonder left that
when Moses and Elias appeared and spoke with our Lord Jesus
Christ, they spake of his decease, which he should accomplish. And
someday soon, we will join the myriad of saints that have gone
before us, and we shall speak and sing of all he accomplished. And they sung a new song, saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof,
for thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. May the Lord
be pleased as we depart to enable us to remember all that He has
accomplished for us and bring us back again to hear more of
all that He's done for us. Amen.