Bob Josey - Thriving in Jesus  - Lesson 4D- Routine Maintenance- When we Sin Nov 7, 2021

SLIDES

Thriving in Jesus

4D – Routine Maintenance

When We Sin

Introduction

How many of you have ever attended a trial? There are several vital components that make up a trial to include the judge, the jury, the plaintiff, the plaintiff’s attorney, or the prosecutor if it is a government trial, the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, the court reporter, the bailiff, clerks, witnesses, and those who attend the trial as observers.  

Have you ever noticed that neither the attorneys, the plaintiff’s nor the defendant can approach a judge without permission from the judge. A judge in a modern American courtroom is a referee and asking for permission to approach the bench isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a rule designed to create “space” between the very different roles of the prosecutor, defense, witness and the judge. On the other had judges are not allowed to communicate with individual parties on their own. This is what the law calls an ex-parte communication. In order to keep the court process as fair and transparent as possible, this type of communication is strictly forbidden.

Attorneys are advocates and mediators for the one they are representing. Since the plaintiff’s nor the defendant can approach a judge directly, they must have an advocate and a mediator to do that. We are going to talk more about advocates and mediators in a few minutes. 

Since there are rules in the courtroom about plaintiffs and defendants not speaking directly to the judge and not approaching the judge, would you take the chance of doing either one of those? If you did, you would probably be in contempt of court. So, it’s prudent to do neither. If you did do either of those, would you be freighted of what the judge might do to you? 

Let’s shift now to another judge and another courtroom. This courtroom is in 

heaven and the judge sits on a throne. Let’s read about a man who visited this 

courtroom 2700 hundred years ago. His name is Isaiah and his visiting the 

courtroom in heaven is found in Isiaih 6:1-5.

1In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.5Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Would anyone like to walk up to the Lord or talk to Him without getting permission? How many of you would want to appear before Him and talk to Him if you had permission to do so?  Would you have a similar reaction that Isaiah had? Better yet, how many of you would want to appear before Him and explain to him about the sins you committed during a week? I think we know how most of us would answer those questions. 

If you were called to appear before the Lord, what you would need or want an advocate and mediator to represent you? Come to think of it, I think I remember that I read somewhere in the Bible that believers in Jesus have an advocate and mediator that will stand in our place before the Lord and plead our case for the sins we have committed. Let’s see if we can explore that a little today. 

When We Sin

Over the last several weeks we have discussed the steps that lead to sin and the consequences that may result from sin which is discipline or physical death. Sin is defined as missing the mark. In our case as believers in Jesus missing the mark means that we disobey God’s commandments or instructions found in the New Covenant. It is doing things our way instead of God’s way. When we sin many times is affects, hurts, or offends other people, but ultimately, it is sinning against God. In Psalm 51:4 King David wrote this Psalm a year or more after committing adultery with Bathsheba and instructing General Joab to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle.  

4Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight,

So that You are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge

Yes, even though David sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah by having the affair with Bathsheba and again when he ordered the death of Uriah, his actions were ultimately sins against God. Not only was the result of David’s sin physical and spiritual pain and suffering for him, his’ family, and Bathsheba’s family, David’s fellowship with God was broken. Just like the intimate relationship with God was broken when Adam and Eve sinned against Him, David’s intimate relationship with God was also broken. David did not lose his salvation, but he did lose that intimacy he had with the LORD because the fellowship He had with the Lord was broken.  

David waited a year before he had the fellowship and intimate relationship with the Lord restored. But this did not occur until the prophet Nathan confronted him. After David confessed his sins and repented, he wrote Psalm 51.   

Today when as believers we choose to sin, our sin usually offends and/or hurts other people. When a person is addicted to something such as gambling or some substance such as alcohol, legal or illegal drugs, etc. it has a negative effect on the person addicted, but also it usually has a negative effect on others such as family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  But ultimately our sins are against the Triune God who saved us and loves us. When we chose to sin, our relationship with God is affected because our fellowship with Him is broken. 

How do we restore the broken relationship with the LORD? Some of you might say we need to follow the directions 1 John 1:9. Yes, it is certainly the correct answer! 1 John 1:9 is absolutely the answer, but let’s look behind the scenes in the Old Testament to see how it worked and then under the New Covenant to see how it works today for believers. 

Before we delve into this matter, let’s define a few words that are relevant to minding this broken fellowship.

Advocate - Webster's online dictionary defines an advocate as “A person who pleads another's cause, or who speaks or writes in support of something. A lawyer is an advocate when he represents his client in a courtroom. There are also other areas of life, beside the courtroom, where advocates are also needed.

Intercessor – Lexico online dictionary defines an intercessor as “A person who intervenes on behalf of another, especially by prayer.” An example of an intercessor is one who through intercedes for political prisoners to have them released. 

Mediator - A mediator is  someone who carries messages between people who are unwilling or unable to meet: In business merchants are mediators that buy and resell products. On the international scene. President Bill Clinton was a mediator between Israel and the PLO concerning the land situation, but Yasser Arafat rejected the generous offer made to him. 

As we can see an advocate, an intercessor, and a mediator have similar job descriptions, but they are different in some aspects. Before we discuss the Advocate, the Intercessor, and the Intermediary that believers in Jesus have concerning the sins that we commit, let’s go back in time to see that the One who is our advocate, intercessor, and mediator today has His ministry roots in the ministry of Moses and the ministry of the High Priests of Israel. 

Moses is the man who is responsible for leading Isarel out of Egypt and who led them for 40 years in the wilderness. He had a special relationship with the Lord. He was like no man for God spoke to him “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” as recorded in Exodus 33:11.

Moses was not only a prophet, but he was an intercessor.  Mirim spoke against Moses and the LORD turned her into a leper. In Numbers 12:13 Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray! He prayed for Israel many times over the forty-year period they were in the wilderness. 

Deuteronomy 3:23-24 we find Moses playing the role of an advocate when he pleaded for Israel “I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?

Lastly, Moses was a mediator between God and Israel. Galatians 3:19 says Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. What did he mediate? He mediated the Law of Moses between God and Himself for the people of Israel. 

Let’s discuss the ministry of the High Priest of Isarel. He was God’s representative to the people of Israel. He was an advocate, an intercessor, and mediator between Isarel and God. He was the leader of the Levites who were responsible for teaching Torah to the people, for bringing the sacrifices for the people of Israel, for making sure the Menorah was continually lit, and for making sure that fresh bread of presence was the table once a week. Another very important aspect of his ministry was to make sure that there was incense was burning continually on the altar of incense. The incense burning and going upwards represented the prayers of the Israelites rising to God.

The Messiah coming to Isarel was so anticipated and longed for by the righteous because He was to be a prophet, priest, and King, but let’s focus on His priesthood. The Levites had a problem! The High Priest got old, died, and had to be replaced. The Messiah that the Father appointed would be God’s representative to the people and the people’s representative to God. He was eternal and would never die, so He never needed to be replaced. Because He would be a prophet, priest, and king, He would be an advocate, an intercessor, and a mediator for those who would accept Him as Savior and the Messiah. 

In many ways the High Priesthood of Jesus ways is modeled and has many similarities of the Aaronic Priesthood. The High Priest was a mediator for the people of Isarel, but so was Jesus as a High Priest. 1 Timothy 2:5 the he wrote, For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. We also see this in Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

Was Jesus an intercessor? Yes, as we see this in John 17:1-26 when he prayed for the disciples and for all future believers

Last but not least, Jesus it an Advocate between believers and the Father. 1 John 2:1 says My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And (Better “yet” or” but”) if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous… “We have” is a present tense verb and can be translated “we have and continue to have an Advocate with the Father. Remember an advocate is “A person who pleads another's cause, or who speaks or writes in support of something. A lawyer is an advocate when he represents his client in a courtroom.

Revelation 12:7-10 :7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God Day and night.

Satan has had and will continue to have access to the Throne Room of God until the tribulation period when he will be thrown out of heaven. He has been and will continue to be the accuser of the brethren night and day until he is thrown out. 

Here is the heavenly scene. Satan appears in the Throne Room of the Father. Jesus is sitting at the Father’s right side. So, he says to God, “Look at what Joe, Sue, Joan, Emily, James, Phillip did today as Christians. Look what they did! They sinned against you God. What are you going to do about it. So, Jesus steps up and approaches the Father and says, “Here are my wounded hands and feet. I am here to represent and to defend these people. I died for their sins and have paid the price for their forgiveness. They have confessed their sins. The Father steps up and says, their sins are forgiven, they are cleansed, and their fellowship with you has been restored.  

Application

So, the next time you sin and the Lord brings 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Remember the heavenly courtroom with Satan, Jesus, and the Father. Satan has accused you of sinning. But you do not have to be there to stand before the Father to plead you case. Jesus is there to be you Advocate, your intercessor, and your mediator with the Father.  Jesus stands up as your Advocate, your intercessor, and you mediator. 

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