The Purification/Sin Offering

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). What do we mean by the word, ‘sin’?

(2). What do we mean by the word, ‘purification’?

(3). What do we mean by the word, ‘atonement’?

(4). What did this offer mean to the Hebrew people?

(5). What does this offer mean to me?

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• These are some actual business signs,

• That were used to advertise to the customer the skills of the shop owner.

• At on Optometrist’s shop:

• "If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place."

• On a taxidermist’s window: "We really know our stuff."

• In a Podiatrist’s window: "Time wounds all heels."

• On a butcher’s window: "Let me meat your needs."

• Outside an exhaust/muffler garage: "No appointment necessary. We’ll hear you coming."

• On the side of a rubbish/garbage truck: "We’ve got what it takes to take what you’ve got."

• TRANSITION:

• Question: If God had a sign outside his office, I wonder what it might say?

• Answer: How about, “I can’t fix it until it is broken.”

• The book of Leviticus is all about God fixing things,

• The way he fixes things is simple.

• He diagnoses the problem and then gives the solution.

This morning we are looking at the fourth offering given in the book of Leviticus.

• As with previous offerings it has been given various names.

• The sin offering or the purification offering.

• Purification offering is a better name.

(1). What do we mean by the word, ‘sin’?

• There are about two dozen words for sin in the Bible, depending on how you count.

• Each underscores a different aspect of sin.

• In English examples would be… trespass, transgression, lawlessness / iniquity, debt,

• Each word highlights a different characteristic of sin.

• e.g., Transgression is breaking the law of God.

• e.g., Iniquity is morally wrong behaviour.

Whatever word in English or in the original languages of the Bible (Hebrew & Greek), sin is always two things:

• The ROOT of sin is a wrong attitude to God – “my will and way not yours.”

• Opposite of the Lord’s prayer, “Your will be done.”

• Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, beautifully and simply puts it:

• “Sin is building your identity on anything but God.”

• The FRUIT of sin is wrong actions. Inward sins, pride, selfish, lust, anger, greed etc.

• Or outward sins, dishonesty, impurity, drunkenness etc.

Note:

• There are 67 different sins mentioned by name in the New Testament.

• The point being that sin is a problem in the Bible!

• And it is the biggest problem all of us as human beings face.

Now from those two-dozen or so words for sin in the Bible, we are going to focus in on one of them.

• The word translated in English as ‘sin’ in this chapter,

• Is very much like its Greek counterpart in the New Testament.

• (Hebrew ‘chattath’ Greek ‘hamartano.’)

• The word for ‘sin’ simply means, ‘to miss the mark’ or ‘to wander from the path.’

• Both are familiar ideas to us.

• e.g., To, ‘miss the mark.’

• Think of an archer aiming at the bullseye on a target.

• He may miss by 5 inches or by 5 feet but either way he has missed the target!

• Or think of a train leaving the station, if you miss it by a minute or an hour,

• Tough, the train has departed, and you are left behind!

• e.g., To, ‘wander from the path.’

• Every car driver here has or will at some time miss their turning,

• Our intentions might have been good, but our actions have failed us.

• This reflects a common problem sin:

• We have good intentions, we aim for virtue, high moral standards.

• But so often we still fail to reach it.

• The apostle Paul put it this way (Romans chapter 7 verse 15),

“For I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

The problem with sin is we all battle with it!

• We all have areas of weakness in our lives where sin often seems to win,

• And even if we are doing well, we can also sin by when we don't take action we should.

• What theologians call, ‘sins of commission and sins of omission.’

Ill:

• As a child I loved the Tarzan films,

• And the greatest actor to play Tarzan had to be Johnny Weissmuller .

• Who portrayed Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan in twelve feature films from 1932 to 1948.

• I am going to show you a clip from one of the films,