EBC, Starkville MS

Leviticus 18-20: Lawful with Respect to Christ, Part 3

·36 min·3 clips
Why does the preacher say we are in a superior relationship to God today because our priest is superior to the Levitical priest?
The episode is a sermon concluding a series on Leviticus 18-20, delivered as part of a church service. It begins with a reference to missionary testimony about gospel spread on other continents, contrasted with observations of famous Christians in America deconstructing their faith. The preacher states the central theme: believers do not have a transactional, law-based relationship with God but a promise-based one. He reviews the historical context of the Israelites at Mount Sinai receiving the Mosaic law, a conditional covenant with blessings and curses. The sermon then shifts to explain the priesthood of Jesus Christ, contrasting it with the Levitical priesthood. Jesus is presented as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek, a mysterious priest-king from Genesis who received tithes from Abraham. The preacher details the story of Melchizedek, noting his lack of genealogy and his role as a priest of God Most High. He connects this to Abraham's faith, where belief was reckoned as righteousness, establishing a one-way covenant where God took full responsibility. The sermon extensively quotes Deuteronomy 28 to illustrate the curses of the Mosaic law, emphasizing its unkeepable nature and purpose to show the need for a savior. It then transitions to New Testament teachings, citing Galatians to explain that Christ redeemed believers from the law's curse by becoming a curse on the tree. The preacher defines legalism as the attitude of doing good to get what one wants from God, which he identifies as a common reason for deconversion. He references contemporary articles about people leaving faith due to suffering or unfairness, criticizing poor church leadership that reinforces legalistic mindsets. The sermon concludes with practical application, quoting James to encourage considering trials as joy that produces endurance and spiritual maturity. It ends with an altar call, inviting listeners to believe in Jesus for eternal life, and a prayer for missionaries and those in conflict zones like Ukraine.

As heard by us

A sermon on Leviticus that joins covenant theology, mission, and prayer in one frame.

This Leviticus sermon keeps close to the book's conditional logic, moving from Mount Sinai to Deuteronomy 28 and back through Abraham, Melchizedek, and the one-sided covenant God took on himself.

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Why you'd press play

You get Leviticus, covenant theology, and a sermon that keeps circling back to God's one-sided promise.

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