We are looking at the spiritual aspects of what happened on the cross when Jesus died. We see the physical aspects in the movie “The Passion of the Christ” but what we are looking at is the things we cannot film.

Last week was the foundation of the other messages. We are in Christ and the results that come from that.

  1. THE BLOOD DRAWS US NEAR

Ephesians 1: 12b, 13 “Once you lived in this world without God and without hope. Now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Jesus”

Sin has separated us from God.

We were all in Adam when he sinned and we were removed from the “Tree of Life” (Genesis 3: 22 If they eat from the Tree of life they will live forever) Don’t know what this means, but in heaven we will once again have access to the Tree of Life.

Today our diet is death “Wages of sin is death” Wages is rations given to soldiers

Leviticus 16 great detail about the High Priest and how he was to enter the presence of God once a year with the blood of a lamb. There was a great ceremony which God used to make payment for our sins.

Hebrews 9: 11, 12 “ So Christ has become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater more perfect Tabernacle in heaven which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever”

The blood of Jesus satisfies a Holy God’s requirement for sin and opens heaven for us.

We do not have to pray for an open heaven, we have it because of Jesus Christ.

  1. BLOOD OVER OUR LIVES

Exodus 12: 21 gather the leaders of Israel and kill the Passover lamb. (God’s will for man to kill the lamb)

      1. When I see the blood

      2. Vs 23 When I See the blood

The blood is for God’s benefit not ours

Exodus 12: 11 – 13

Instructions for the blood

  1. Eat it with a sense of urgency 400 years of bondage and now we have to hurry up

  2. Hold your staff

  3. Roast the lamb

  4. eat it with sandals on

  5. Angel of death comes he will Pass over your house

Two households that night.

  1. Worry are we going to make it dad? I don’t know. Moses said, but he has been wrong before. Did we roast it right? Are you holding the staff. Are those your walking sandals? Night consumed with fear and doubt in the promises of God

  2. Other house singing worship songs and pointing the family to the blood over their households. One family building faith in their children.

We live in an age where the destroyer is wrecking havoc in countries, families, and lives. People’s hearts will give out because of fear. Generation that believes that the blood is over our household and family and we can trust in that blood

Key Point: We no longer live without hope we are brought near by the blood

Whatever may come at our family, I am trusting the blood of Jesus which has opened up heaven over our lives.

Now I understand that there are times of intense battle in our lives and we need extra grace to get though them, but I am talking about an assurance in our lives that we know our God and we are able to trust him when the destroyer is passing over our lives trying to ruin us.

  1. THE NEXT BATTLE

The next morning they are free to leave Egypt. No more slavery for them. The house that trusted and the house that did not trust. Both are set free.

Egypt shows up again, not just to bring them back into slavery, but this time to destroy them all under the wheels of their chariots.

Come on, I just got free and now I am in a more intense battle than before?

Sermon with a quote : St Theresa of Avalia in a dungeon for her faith “If this is how you treat your friends No wonder you have so few”

Exodus 14: 13 Don’t be afraid, just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today….The Lord himself will fight for you Just stay calm.

Time to wrestle in prayer over a need, but a time to just stay calm and trust. Those who passed the first test will have an easier time of it than those who panicked all night.

Vs 14 Why are you crying out to me. Tell the people to get moving.

Speak faith into your families in the midst of a crisis. We want to run to others and talk about all the problems that we are going through.

God separated the Red Sea up to three miles so they could cross in one night.

God opened the Red Sea as an example of an open heaven over us.

  1. TRUST IN OUR GOD

Didn’t have to speak to the walls to stay where they were. They just had to walk.

Song of praise in Exodus 15 started as they were crossing the Sea.

Needs for trusting from an email from Dwight Palmquist

If Israel had 2 million people their needs for each day would be

  1. 1500 tons of food a day two freight trains a mile long

  2. 4000 tons of firewood each day. Another train

  3. 11 million gallons of water each day freight trains with tank cars 1800 miles long

How do you trust him for that? You trust him for the small things. The blood is on our families and on our lives

We live under an open heaven