Jesus our sacrificial lamb by Gbenga Aluko

Text: 1 Peter 1:13-20

                                                   Topic: Jesus our sacrificial lamb                                

This message will be treated with the following sub-headings:

Background

Emptiness of the life inherited from our ancestors

Who paid the ransom/was used as sacrifice for our sin and how

What are Gods reason for this sacrifice

What are we then to do

Background

The book 1 Peter was written by Apostle Peter around AD 61-63 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero who would persecute the church, among others the purpose of the letter was to (in spite of the challenge they are and would go through ) encourage and challenge them to be faithful to Christ. The book as inspired by God although calls us to Holiness but it clearly tells one of the major things that made us sons and daughters in God which is fundamental, foundational and is vantage to positional sanctification among other privileges therein embedded the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ this makes us at least owe Him (Jesus) obedience and a dedicated life in return, may God give us knowledge and the will not to take this great grace/sacrifice for granted/abuse it in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

 

Emptiness of the life inherited from our ancestors 1 Pt 1:18

The world was made/dignified and beautified out of this precarious situation (of emptiness) and was never intended to revert as God is not a magician but a miracle worker and anything He does or says are not temporary/jokes/trial by error or summarily temporal Gen.1:2, Matthew 24:35.

Emptiness is the natural/factory setting display/attribute of the fallen man/nature 1Sam.16:14, John 15:5, little wonder the Psalmist cried out Ps.42:1.

Emptiness is as a result of sin Gen.3:1ff, Micah 6:13-14.

Emptiness is also a symbol of judgment from God Jer.4:23, Lev.26:14-16, Hosea 4:10, Hagg.1:7-9.

Jesus came to empty himself so that our inherited emptiness can be replaced with His fullness Phil.2:6-9, have you surrendered your emptiness for His fullness that is the only solution to our inherited, self inflicted, societal imposed, demon inclined emptiness etc.  Get this correctly, you are empty without Jesus. Col 2:10, Eph.4:13

Who paid the ransom/was used as sacrifice for our sin and how

( a) God paid the ransom 1 Pt.1:20, God chose Him(Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb) long before the world began.

( b ) How the sacrifice/ransom was made: Since the first Adam was created perfect or without sin, he had the prospect of living free and forever but lost it to disobedience Gen.3:17ff and passed it on to all Rom.5:12.

God loves mankind and made necessary arrangement to salvage men from our self-inflicted emptiness and God’s imminent judgment Rom5:6-8, John 3:16 this involves but is not limited to all the legal requirement of a ransom:

·         It is a payment for sin (Jesus did it) Num.3:36,47,1Cor.6:20,7:23

·         It brings out release (We were made free)Ex.21:30,1 Cor.15:21-22

·         It corresponds to the value of the what is paid for (The blood of Jesus was/is/will always be more valuable.)  Rom.5:19,1 Tim.2:5-6, 1Pet 1:19 the emphasis on the Sinless ,Spotless lamb of God

The ransom was paid with the blood of Jesus 1 Pt.1:19, the blood that speaks better than any other blood.Heb.12:24, He died in our place and for us, halleluyah to the lamb that was slain

A popular song writer has this old song:

The awful death that I should have died

The punishment for sins that I should have suffered

All has been taken away

Thank you Jesus

You suffered because of me

 

What are God’s reasons for this sacrifice

·         To save us from emptiness of the life we inherited from our ancestors Vs.18

·         He only has the substance (the blood) that has the capacity to save humanity. Heb. 10:4

·         All have sinned and were condemned to death                                     Rom 3:23,6:23

·         To make us fit for eternal reign with God                                             John 3:16

·         To end incessant and Old testament sacrifices                                       Heb.10:1

·         His incomparable love                                                                John 15:13

What are we then to do

·         Exercise self-control  1Pt.1:13,Heb 13:1-2

·         Be God’s obedient children Vs.14

·         Live in reverent and consistent fear of God as temporary residents Vs.17,Gen.39:9

·         Live expecting his return Acts 1:11

 

May God help us to appreciate and appropriate His great and once for all sacrifice/ransom paid in and with Jesus’ precious, sinless and spotless blood in Jesus mighty name Amen.

 

Happy Easter and Thank you.

Have the gods of other nations rescued them? by Pastor Gbenga Aluko

Text: 2 Kings 19:10-15

Topic: Have the gods of other nations rescued them?

The study will be done with the following sub-headings:

The encroaching

The plea and gifts

The threats and attack

King Hezekiah seeks God

The Lord spoke about king of Assyria

The Lord acted

The encroaching 2 Kings 18:13

The Assyrian king Shalmaneser attacked Samaria and it fell although this is due to her refusal to listen to and Obey God 2kings 18:12, anyone who specializes in disobedience especially to God is a candidate for destruction, lets beware and adjust appropriately.Eph.5:6. King Sennacherib possibly emboldened by His predecessors conquest and also with the fact that His cup of wickedness, pride and oppression was full before the judge of the whole earth he laid siege and began a dangerous onslaught against Judah Vs.13,like the devil his master and controller he had in mind a complete destruction and bringing to slavery the remnant of Israel John 10:10,In the mighty name of Jesus every plan of the devil to destroy us is thwarted by the power in the name of Jesus Amen.

The plea and gifts 2 kings 18:14-16

King Hezekiah did not belittle King Sennacherib, His capacity, presence and threats, he routed for peace seeking to know what himself and his people’s offence was and what tribute he wanted for peace to reign to which Sennacheribs’ responded that more than 10 tonnes of  Silver and a tonnes of Gold.

King Hezekiah sought for it anyhow and every how including stripping the palace treasury and the Lord’s temple 18:15-16.Just to placate the angry and threatening king of Assyria he gave him all he requested.

The threats and attack 18:19ff

Inspite of King Hezekiah’s choice of peace, plea and gifts the King of Assyria had a different, deceitful and destructive agenda.

Both before, during and after the summon of King Hezekiah which he delegated his officers to attend, he threw /asked a lot of inciting questions but he already had his mind made up on trouble he was just looking for an opportunity to do it he didnot get from them 18:36 (what a worthy example, keeping to a Godly instruction in face of overwhelming rabbling) but he still carried out his evil intention he however started by asking inciting and demeaning questions:

What/who are you trusting                                                                                              Vs.19

Can mere words substitute military skill and strength                                                    Vs 20

Can your king even find 2000 horsemen to ride to battle even if I provide the horses   Vs.23

Have the gods of any other nations ever saved them                                                       Vs 33 

What words have been said against us that made us misbehave, we are not following this Godly pattern as one of the weapons of the enemies is to make us angry so as to misbehave to everyone including God and lose all we have got, remember Jesus’ advice be gentle and wise, we were sent to wolves. Matt 10:16

King Hezekiah seeks God 19:1-5

When trouble, insults and disgrace became almost imminent king Hezekiah immediately sought the face of God 19:1-4,who do you seek when all hope seems to be gone, when you have your fair share of trouble, insults and disgrace, learn from Hezekiah 2 kings 19:3,Psalm 77:2.

Nobody prepares for battle in battle Pst. JT Aboyeji, who is your Lord and saviour now, who do you submit to now? That tells who you will run to, what you will get and how you will end your life, choose life choose Jesus.

The Lord spoke about king of Assyria 2 king 19:22ff 

God spoke and two dimensions can be gotten from His powerful response:

(a)    The Lord rebuked him of his pride, speech and actions against His elect/people that they were against Him (God) and he can’t stand against Him vs. 22-24.The Lord made clear to Him that all his seeming achievements, boastings, bragging were actually His designs and work that the boastful king was just used as an instruments vs. 25-27.

(b)   The Lord pronounced His judgment against him, telling him clearly how he will be destroyed. Anyone that’s unrepentantly against God’s program or people will ultimately be totally destroyed the question is when, don’t play with God’s judgment it is like kicking against the prick. Acts 9:1ff, 2 king 19:28, 32-34.

The Lord acted 2Kings 19:35-39 

The Lord acted just as he has spoken, he did it in what I will call tranches:

(a ) Dispatched an angel who killed 185,000 of his entourage vs. 35,this left the boastful King with no other option than to leave/to stop his needless war/assault and return home vs.36

(b ) His son killed him while he was worshipping his toothless god vs.37, he did not have an option to re-attack. May God help and strengthen us to seek Him wholeheartedly irrespective of the pressure and tension or the lack of both in Jesus mighty name Amen. Shalom.