The Power of the Sacrificial Lamb and Our Words
Summary
### Summary
Reflecting on the first Passover and the first communion, we see the profound significance of the sacrificial lamb. In Egypt, the blood of the lamb marked the homes of the Israelites, signifying protection and deliverance. Fast forward nearly 2,000 years, Jesus, the ultimate sacrificial lamb, gathered His disciples to partake in what we now know as the Last Supper. He emphasized the importance of remembering His sacrifice, a price paid for our redemption. The book of Hebrews clarifies that while the blood of bulls and goats merely covered sins, the blood of Jesus removes them entirely, offering us complete cleansing and wholeness.
In heaven, worship is an endless expression of awe, reflecting the infinite beauty and majesty of God. Paul encourages us to grasp the vastness of Christ's love, which surpasses all understanding. This love is a glimpse of the eternal "wows" we will experience in God's presence. The creation itself, with all its wonders, is but a shadow of the Creator's glory.
Transitioning to practical Christian living, we delve into the power of words as discussed in James 3. Words have the power to build up or destroy, to heal or to wound. James warns of the great responsibility that comes with teaching and the severe judgment that follows careless words. The tongue, though small, can set the course of our lives, much like a rudder steers a ship or a bit controls a horse. Words can be as destructive as a wildfire, and their impact can last a lifetime.
Jesus and James both stress the importance of truthfulness and the dangers of unloving and untruthful speech. Our words should be a reflection of our commitment to Christ, always under oath to speak the truth in love. The balance of grace and truth is essential; grace without truth is permissive, while truth without grace is condemning.
Peter's transformation from a rash, impetuous disciple to a bold proclaimer of the gospel on Pentecost illustrates the necessity of the Holy Spirit's empowerment. We, too, need this continual filling of the Spirit to control our tongues and align our words with God's will. This ongoing process requires us to be vessels open to the Spirit's influence, continually inviting Him into our lives to guide our speech and actions.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Significance of the Sacrificial Lamb: The first Passover and the Last Supper both highlight the necessity of a sacrificial lamb for deliverance and redemption. Jesus, the ultimate Lamb, paid the price for our sins, offering not just a covering but complete removal of sin. This profound act of love and sacrifice calls us to remember and honor His gift continually. [21:04]
2. The Endless Awe of Heaven: Worship in heaven is an unending expression of awe at God's infinite beauty and majesty. Paul encourages us to grasp the vastness of Christ's love, which surpasses all understanding. This eternal "wow" is a glimpse of the endless glory we will experience in God's presence, far surpassing the wonders of creation. [37:20]
3. The Power of Words: Words have immense power to build up or destroy, to heal or wound. James 3 warns of the responsibility that comes with teaching and the severe judgment for careless words. Our speech can set the course of our lives, much like a rudder steers a ship or a bit controls a horse. We must be mindful of the lasting impact our words can have. [45:13]
4. Balancing Grace and Truth: Jesus exemplified the perfect balance of grace and truth. Grace without truth is permissive, while truth without grace is condemning. Our words should reflect this balance, speaking the truth in love. This balance is essential for genuine, transformative relationships and effective ministry. [59:52]
5. The Necessity of the Holy Spirit: Peter's transformation from a rash disciple to a bold proclaimer of the gospel illustrates the necessity of the Holy Spirit's empowerment. We need the continual filling of the Spirit to control our tongues and align our words with God's will. This ongoing process requires us to be open vessels, continually inviting the Spirit to guide our speech and actions. [01:09:35]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[21:04] - The Significance of the Sacrificial Lamb
[37:20] - The Endless Awe of Heaven
[45:13] - The Power of Words
[59:52] - Balancing Grace and Truth
[01:09:35] - The Necessity of the Holy Spirit
[01:16:25] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Exodus 12:1-13 - The First Passover
2. Hebrews 10:1-10 - The Sacrifice of Jesus
3. James 3:1-12 - The Power of the Tongue
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the significance of the blood of the lamb during the first Passover in Egypt? ([21:04])
2. According to Hebrews, what is the difference between the blood of bulls and goats and the blood of Jesus? ([23:28])
3. How does James describe the power of the tongue in James 3? ([45:13])
4. What transformation did Peter undergo from being a rash disciple to a bold proclaimer of the gospel? ([01:09:35])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to remember the sacrifice of Jesus as the ultimate sacrificial lamb? How does this shape our understanding of redemption? ([22:10])
2. How does the concept of endless worship in heaven help us grasp the vastness of Christ's love? ([37:20])
3. In what ways can our words act like a rudder steering a ship or a bit controlling a horse, as described in James 3? ([45:51])
4. How does the balance of grace and truth, as exemplified by Jesus, impact our relationships and ministry? ([59:52])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the significance of Jesus as the sacrificial lamb. How can you incorporate this remembrance into your daily life? ([22:10])
2. Think about a time when you experienced awe in nature. How can this help you imagine the endless awe of worship in heaven? ([37:20])
3. Consider a recent conversation where your words had a significant impact. How can you be more mindful of the power of your words in future interactions? ([45:13])
4. Identify a situation where you struggled to balance grace and truth. How can you better reflect this balance in your speech and actions? ([59:52])
5. Peter's transformation was due to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. What steps can you take to invite the Holy Spirit to guide your speech and actions daily? ([01:09:35])
6. How can you use your words to build up and heal those around you, especially in your family and community? ([45:13])
7. Reflect on a time when you failed to speak the truth in love. What can you do differently next time to ensure your words are both truthful and loving? ([59:52])
Devotional
Day 1: The Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb
Reflecting on the first Passover and the Last Supper, we see the profound significance of the sacrificial lamb. In Egypt, the blood of the lamb marked the homes of the Israelites, signifying protection and deliverance. Fast forward nearly 2,000 years, Jesus, the ultimate sacrificial lamb, gathered His disciples to partake in what we now know as the Last Supper. He emphasized the importance of remembering His sacrifice, a price paid for our redemption. The book of Hebrews clarifies that while the blood of bulls and goats merely covered sins, the blood of Jesus removes them entirely, offering us complete cleansing and wholeness. This profound act of love and sacrifice calls us to remember and honor His gift continually. [21:04]
Hebrews 9:13-14 (ESV): "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
Reflection: How can you intentionally remember and honor Jesus' sacrifice in your daily life today?
Day 2: The Endless Awe of Heaven
Worship in heaven is an unending expression of awe at God's infinite beauty and majesty. Paul encourages us to grasp the vastness of Christ's love, which surpasses all understanding. This eternal "wow" is a glimpse of the endless glory we will experience in God's presence, far surpassing the wonders of creation. The creation itself, with all its wonders, is but a shadow of the Creator's glory. As we reflect on this, we are invited to live in a state of continual awe and worship, recognizing that our earthly experiences are just a foretaste of the heavenly reality. [37:20]
Ephesians 3:18-19 (ESV): "May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on the beauty of creation around you. How does it point you to the greater glory of God?
Day 3: The Power of Words
Words have immense power to build up or destroy, to heal or wound. James 3 warns of the responsibility that comes with teaching and the severe judgment for careless words. Our speech can set the course of our lives, much like a rudder steers a ship or a bit controls a horse. We must be mindful of the lasting impact our words can have. Words can be as destructive as a wildfire, and their impact can last a lifetime. Jesus and James both stress the importance of truthfulness and the dangers of unloving and untruthful speech. Our words should be a reflection of our commitment to Christ, always under oath to speak the truth in love. [45:13]
James 3:5-6 (ESV): "So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell."
Reflection: Think about your recent conversations. Is there someone you need to apologize to or encourage with your words today?
Day 4: Balancing Grace and Truth
Jesus exemplified the perfect balance of grace and truth. Grace without truth is permissive, while truth without grace is condemning. Our words should reflect this balance, speaking the truth in love. This balance is essential for genuine, transformative relationships and effective ministry. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody this balance in our interactions, ensuring that our speech and actions are both loving and truthful. This requires a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide us in every conversation and relationship. [59:52]
John 1:14 (ESV): "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Reflection: In what ways can you practice balancing grace and truth in your interactions with others today?
Day 5: The Necessity of the Holy Spirit
Peter's transformation from a rash disciple to a bold proclaimer of the gospel illustrates the necessity of the Holy Spirit's empowerment. We need the continual filling of the Spirit to control our tongues and align our words with God's will. This ongoing process requires us to be open vessels, continually inviting the Spirit to guide our speech and actions. By relying on the Holy Spirit, we can ensure that our words and deeds reflect God's love and truth, leading to a life that honors Him. [01:09:35]
Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Reflection: How can you invite the Holy Spirit to guide your words and actions today? What steps can you take to be more open to His influence?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Sometimes it's hard to wrap your mind around what Jesus did for us and what happened, what the value of it, the importance of it, that when he said, I want you to do this in remembrance of me. And they're like, yeah, Jesus, we're never going to forget you. I mean, this has been amazing. This is amazing. They don't see and they have. They don't see an end, right? So to think of the price that's paid, just to take these moments and to think about the price that was paid, what Jesus suffered, what he did, what he accomplished on our behalf, to remember that, to remember that it required the death of the lamb. Jesus had to die so that we could celebrate this. This has such value." [22:10](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Paul said, it's going to be so much like that. He said, just try to get ahold of this, just get a glimpse of the height, the depth, the breadth, and the length of Christ, the love of Christ, just try to wrap your mind around just a little bit of the love of Christ. He says, which surpasses knowledge. He said, you're never going to get it. You're never going to get it. But you can always, when you think about how God loves you and how much Jesus loves you and what he did for you, you can always, for a moment, go, wow, and heaven is going to be endless wows of the glory in the presence of God." [39:22](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So, James chapter 3. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such, we will incur a stricter judgment. So, the way he says this, he's talking to himself about himself too. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he's a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now, we put bits into the horse's mouth so that they will obey us. And we direct the entire body as well. Look at the ships also. They are so great and are driven by strong winds. Are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So, also the tongue is a small part of the body. And yet, it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire." [45:51](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So, the words of God created reality. God spoke the worlds into existence. Now, we're not God. And we cannot speak light into existence. But we still create a level of reality with our words. You think about it. Where does your self-image come from? Your self-image comes from a culmination of all the words that have been said to you by parents and friends and teachers and enemies over the years. You kind of have built out of what people have said and what you believe about yourself. You have built a self-image." [49:49](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So, we need to be people of grace and truth. And how do we heal with words? And so I've got just a limited time here. But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed of whose fruit is righteousness, is sown in peace by those who make peace. So how do we make peace when verse 8 tells us that no one can tame the tongue? It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. I believe it is beyond man's natural ability to control the tongue. We need some kind of God-inspired, God-empowered change. We need something to happen. We need the empowering of the Spirit of God so that we can change." [01:04:39](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "So, you know, he would say things without thinking, or even when he thought, it didn't make any difference. He's a lot like us. He's a lot like us, right? Then six days later, so six days later, Jesus took him with Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up on the high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking to them. And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. I like this. And while he was still speaking, in other words, he didn't stop talking at that. He's still speaking. He's there in the presence of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, and Peter is the one that's talking. Think about that. He's with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, and Peter is talking." [01:07:07](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "So what does this say? To us, we need a Pentecost. We need an empowerment. Every believer needs an empowerment by the Holy Spirit to help us because we struggle in this area. We struggle with our mouths. We struggle with sin. So Paul says to the Ephesians, don't get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation. It's a waste. But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. And what's interesting, he says don't be drunk with wine. So how do you get drunk with wine? You keep drinking. Right? How do you get drunk? You keep drinking. How are you filled with the Spirit? You have to keep getting filled. You know why? Because you leak. You're leaky." [01:11:15](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So here's what James says. James says, every one of you are guilty. Doesn't he say that? I'm guilty. James says, we, James is writing this. He says, we all stumble. He even includes himself, the brother of Jesus. He says, hey, I don't have this. I've got to have the work of the Spirit in my life. I need help. We need help. And so the Lord wants to help you with your mouth. The Lord wants to help you with your mouth. Where your mouth is not a cursing, but a blessing. Where your mouth is leading people to God, not from God. Where your mouth is helping, it's healing. The Lord wants your tongue to be healing, to bring healing. You know, we're in a sick, hurting, desperate, dark world that needs the hope of Jesus. And you got it. And you spread it through words." [01:15:11](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So I talked last week about salvation, how does salvation work? We're not ever saved by, but we're saved to works. And the evidence of our salvation is that we're going to do works. But we're not saved by those works. You've got to make sure you get that. But our relationship with Christ begins with us saying yes to God. But it's not the last yes we say. Walking with Jesus is just saying yes all the time. He's going to always, you're always saying yes. Yes, I've received Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Today, hey, you're going to forgive that person. Yes. Are you going to stop doing that? Yes. Are you going to love this person over here? Yes. It's a daily yes. And being filled with the Spirit is an ongoing invitation of recognizing that you need the Spirit of God in your life and surrendering and yielding and even asking." [01:12:23](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So Jesus is moving towards the cross, and Jesus says at the Last Supper, all of you are going to betray me. And Peter says, not me. Not me. All these guys are losers, but not me. I'm not going to betray you. Even though all, everyone, everyone may fall away. I will never fall away. I will never fall away. And Jesus said, yeah, you will. And then in just about 30 verses later, while, after a little while, the bystanders came up and said to Peter, you certainly are one of them, for even your accent betrays you. Then Peter began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear. And, you know, the old fisherman came out in him. He said, I don't know. I do not even know the man. And at that moment, a rooster crowed. But then something happened. Day of Pentecost. So the Day of Pentecost comes, and something happens to the disciples." [01:08:20](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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