Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.—Exodus 12:21–28

Introduction

Instead of talking about Campus [Outreach] Ministry I’ll tell you what I talk to them about.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”—A.W. Tozer

“I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. To be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.”—C.S. Lewis

This is my question for you: What does God think of you? If you were alone in a room right now and the door swung open and there God is and his face turns toward you, what is his countenance toward you? What’s happening? Smiling, frowning, blank, angry, disappointed, disgusted, frustrated, happy, excited…? What’s revealed? Perhaps you know he “loves” you, but does he “like” you? Having God’s approval is the biggest need for students dealing with sin, shame, etc. And it’s our need too, isn’t it?

Maybe you don’t even ask this question. Maybe you don’t really care about God. Thanks for coming today, I hope this piques your interest. Maybe you don't think about God’s approval but you want someone’s. None but the best will do.

“The praise of the praiseworthy is above all praise.”—Tolkien, The Two Towers

The obvious follow up question is "How can you be certain God would be smiling?"

I prayed the prayer a lot growing up. Maybe you are wondering? Maybe you think you are too sinful? Maybe it’s that one sin? Maybe you’re not doing enough?

How can you be certain God would be smiling? Does any other question even remotely matter? Future, marriage, etc. If you know the answer, it changes everything in your life.

The answer?

Understanding the Story of the Lamb

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.—Exodus 12:21–28

1. Why Do You Need a Lamb?

“None of you shall go out of the door … not allow the destroyer (wrath) …” (Exodus 12:22–23). Everyone—Israelite, Egyptian, was going to meet the destroyer. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Inside the church and outside. Nobody’s perfect. We all assent to this, right? Kelly Clarkson from American Idol understands—“Everybody’s got a dark side ….”

Sin is nebulous, slippery, gray. We’ve lost a clear definition. Here is some definition from the Bible:

a. Slavery—being controlled and unable to escape/stop sin’s power over you.

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.—John 8:33–34

Examples: Addiction to alcohol, porn, food, work, or entertainment.

b. Adultery—you love other things.

God isn’t enough. You are unfaithful over and over again.

And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord.—Hosea 2:13

You are what you love—what do you love?

c. Control—seeking to establish a life/identity apart from or without God.

Examples: (1) The story of the Prodigal Son and the Older Brother from Luke 15:11–32 and (2) Adam and Eve in the Garden.

With all these you are the problem. Your lords, loves, control. G.K. Chesterton’s response to “What’s wrong with the world?” was “I am.”

You understand the problem by the cure. Gut the house, cut off the leg, “Come in on Saturday.”

2. Why a Sacrifice?

“Go select lambs … take hyssop and dip it in the blood …” (Exodus 12: 21–22). We need some way to pay the debt. We can’t achieve righteousness on our own. There had to be a death. We deserve to die. No one thinks this. Sin is always measured by comparison (pot—coke—dealer). 10 Commandments … recorder of your own standards.

Fig Leaves. Adam and Eve’s solution versus God’s provision.

a. Self-Medicating—seeking satisfaction elsewhere.

… for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.—Jeremiah 2:13

Something’s missing and I don’t know how to fix it. John Mayer. Food, relationships, substances, addictions, entertainment—anything to numb the pain. Escape.

b. Self-Help—work for peace; “I can do this.”

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.—Romans 10:2–3

There’s a love/hate thing with Self-Help. We love Self-Help because:

• It provides a nice check list so you can feel good
• It makes you feel better as you compare yourself with others
• We hate grace (e.g., roommate Dave washing my clothes; someone covering my meal)

But we hate Self-Help because:

• It’s relentless (you’re constantly checking boxes)
• You feel worse about yourself as you fail
• We can never be sure that things are ok with God

People wrestle with assurance. We are stuck in sin. All our attempts to deal with it come up lacking. We don’t know where we stand, we run to other things, try to fix it, fail…. We feel worthless, guilty, inadequate, lost, and that God is displeased.

When you understand the true nature of sin and how inadequate your attempts are to deal with it you have to look outside of yourself, of your efforts.

3. What Can a Lamb Do? … Nothing (#SpoilerAlert)

Wait? I thought that was the answer?

For since the law … can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.—Hebrews 10:1–4

Sacrifices can’t do it. We need the perfect lamb. The story of the lamb sweeps across all of the Bible.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”—John 1:29

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. … Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him.—Isaiah 53:7, 10

It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that is important.

“But it is not the strength of his faith, but the perfection of the sacrifice, that saves …. The vigor of our faith can add nothing to it, nor can the poverty of it take anything from it. … Was it the touch of the right lamb, the lamb appointed by God for the taking away of sin? The quality or quantity of faith is not the main question for the sinner."—Horatius Bonar

My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased—that’s you in Christ!

4. What Now?

Know That It Is Finished—Once for All Time

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.—John 19:30

Example from “Good Will Hunting”—It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. The lesson for us—It is finished. It is finished. It is finished.

“The voice from the tree did not summon them to do, but to be satisfied with what was done.”—Horatius Bonar

Life becomes loving Jesus more. Why we read our bibles, attend church—everything is about knowing and loving the one who assured me of God’s smile forever. He became sin for you that you might be righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“To be entitled to use another's name, when my own name is worthless; to be allowed to wear another's raiment, because my own is torn and filthy; to appear before God in another's person, the person of the Beloved Son, this is the summit of all blessing.”—Horatius Bonar

Because of this God loves you. He likes you. You are perfect and righteous in His sight if you, by faith, are united to Christ!

Feel This, Don’t Just Know It

There’s a difference between knowing a truth and experiencing it, feeling it.

God loves you like a parent at his kids’ soccer game—He rejoices at the smallest things. Since we were dead in sin, any movement is miraculous.

Knowing you have God’s approval in Christ changes you from the inside out:

• You are loved and therefore can love others. You are blessed to be a blessing.
• You can handle criticism and correction without being crushed.
• You can receive praise and affirmation without being over-inflated.

You’re Never Done With the Cross

• Genesis 3—first sacrifice
• Abraham and Isaac—God provided a sacrifice, a payment
• Exodus 12—Passover
• Isaiah 53—lamb that was silent
• John—Jesus is the Lamb of God
• Revelation—the Lamb seated on the throne

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.—Revelation 7:17

“We are never done with the cross, nor ever shall be. Its wonders will be always new, and always fraught with joy. ‘The Lamb as it had been slain’ will be the theme of our praise above. …we shall always realize our connection with its one salvation; always be looking to it even in the midst of the glory; and always learning from it some new lesson regarding the work of Him…[.] What will they who here speak of themselves as being so advanced as to be done with the cross, say to being brought face to face with the Lamb that was slain, in the age of absolute perfection, the age of the heavenly glory?”—Horatius Bonar

“And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete, 'Jesus died my soul to save,' my lips shall still repeat.”—Elvina Hall, “Jesus Paid It All”

Benediction

IT IS FINISHED. Now, go, with God’s smile on you.