Christ Community Church Sermons

The past sermons from my former church, Christ Community Church, will now be available through this blog.

For over 10 years I had the privilege of preaching at Christ Community Church in Wilson NC. The first 5 of those years, it was an honor to preach alongside Justin Childers when he was our lead pastor. About a year ago, Christ Community Church made the difficult decision to begin the process of closing our church (you can read more about that here).  One of the questions many people have asked me since that time is, "What about the sermons? Are we still going to be able to go back and listen to them?"  I know there are many who go back to listen to Justin's sermons from his first 5 years with us.  And, others have mentioned that they are currently benefitting from listening to sermons while studying a book of the Bible I preached through in my time there.

So, having said all of that, the Christ Community website was shut down last week.  But, thanks to the generosity of WebBlocks, the church's web host, we have been able to move all of the sermons over to a subdomain of this blog: http://sermons.jonathanrbrooks.com.  This site will also be able to be accessed by clicking on the SERMON tab beneath the header of this page.

I pray, as I know Justin does, that the truth of God's Word would continue to impact the hearts of his people.  Justin and I are both in different churches now. Justin serves as lead pastor at Miller Heights Baptist Church in Belton TX and I'm serving as lead pastor at Refuge Church in Raleigh NC.  So, fair warning to our people, we may feel led to go through one of these books with you in the future.  Of course, we'll study all over again and let God work fresh on our hearts.  But, His truth is unchanged - so you may hear a very similar sermon in the future if you listen now!

The Lamb of God

Leviticus is a bloody book.  There are laws for burnt offerings, laws for peace offering, laws for  sin offering, and laws for guilt offerings.  Each having various sections detailing how to handle the sacrifice if it's from the herd, or the flock, or at times even a turtledove or a pigeon.  As you read the first chapters of Leviticus it can be overwhelming at times.  You may begin to wonder how there would be any living animals left among God's people.  The Law demanded bloody sacrifice upon bloody sacrifice.  In fact, Leviticus 6:13 makes clear, "Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out."  Sacrificing animals and laying them on the altar would be a continual occurrence in the life of Israel.

This is what the Law demanded.  Day after day, animal upon animal sacrificed to atone for the sins of the people.  It was a never-ending stream of slaughtered sacrifices because of the frequent faithlessness of God's people.

Only within this context can the weight be felt of what John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus coming. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Each phrase of that sentence thunders with meaning.

THE Lamb

Jesus is THE Lamb.  He's not a lamb or another lamb among the thousands that have been sacrificed.  He's THE Lamb.  There's something final in this arrival to which all other sacrifices have been pointing.

The Lamb of God

This lamb is from God himself. He will be the lamb that God lays upon the altar.  He will be the lamb slaughtered and sacrificed by God himself. God, having no sin of his own, is not offering this lamb for himself, but instead for someone else.

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin

This lamb will finish the job.  He is THE lamb from GOD and he will take away the sin.  There will be no sin left for which God's people must make a sacrifice.  There will be no sin left for which God's people must face the condemnation of God.  He will take it away finally and completely.

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This lamb isn't just for those who are of physical Israel.  This lamb will be for the sins of every tribe, tongue, and nation.  So, he is not just THE lamb for Israel, but the lamb for the sins of everyone who will turn to him in faith.

In other words, when John saw Jesus coming toward him, he proclaimed that the sacrificial bloodbath would be over with this lamb because his sacrifice is all that is needed for all eternity.

That's why Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished." He is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and there will never need to be another.