Forsaking All Others ANNUAL YOM KIPPUR SERMON

FORSAKING ALL OTHERS A Day of Atonement Sermon September 25, 2025 TEXT: Leviticus 16:20-22 "And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." INTRODUCTION: THE HOLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR Today we stand at the pinnacle of the sacred calendar— the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the most solemn and holy day of the year. Here's what will shock you: NO REPENTANCE WAS REQUIRED. AND WHY? Because this day was exclusively for SINS OF IGNORANCE - for which NO REPENTANCE IS REQUIRED. I look forward to explaining this profound truth as we unfold Paul's revelation about this holy day. But first, let's look at the ATONEMENT CEREMONY itself. I. THE TWO GOATS: ONE DIES, ONE IS BANISHED Look at verse 8: "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat." But first, understand - goats were used for leaders in Scripture. This isn't about individual sheep going astray. This is about leadership accountability - one leader dies for the people, another leader is banished for deceiving the people. The first goat dies. That's Jesus. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The second goat lives but is banished forever. That's Satan - the Azazel goat. He bears the sins into the wilderness "unto a land not inhabited" - never to return. But there's another reason for two goats. Look at Leviticus 16:17: "And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation." The First Goat - was only for THE CONGREGATION - the House of Israel. This was the first work of grace in Christ, who said "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). But understand this: The Congregation did not need JUST a lamb - they needed a High Priest. But the Lamb was required to cleanse the High Priest and restore the priesthood because the congregation's forgiveness of sins doesn't come through just the blood, but through the advocacy of the High Priest. This is why Leviticus 16:6 says: "And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house." The High Priest had to be cleansed FIRST before he could minister for the people. IMPERATIVE: A Lamb goes into the Holy of Holies, but a CLEANSED PRIEST and PRIESTHOOD COMES OUT. But when the first work was done - when Christ had died for Israel and risen as their High Priest - then the HIGH PRIEST comes forth to lay upon Satan the blood guilt of the whole world. This is Paul's great revelation in Hebrews 9:7: "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people." The word "errors" here is AGNOEMA - sins of ignorance, mistakes made in darkness. Now Paul reveals the Day of Atonement's true purpose and scope throughout his epistles: Romans 3:25-26 - God set forth Christ as a propitiation "to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." AFTER WE ARE CLEANSED - SATAN IS REMOVED - AND THE BRIDE'S MINISTRY BEGINS. II. PAUL'S REVELATION: THE TIMES OF IGNORANCE "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). Paul understood that there are TWO KINDS OF SIN: 1. Sins of ignorance - covered by the ongoing Day of Atonement 2. Sins against knowledge - requiring direct repentance In Romans 1:20, Paul explains: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." But verse 21 reveals the source of ignorance: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." WHO DARKENED THEIR HEARTS? The deceiver! The one who blinds minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul shows us in Ephesians 4:18 that people are "alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." This ignorance isn't their fault - it's the result of deception! But in 2 Corinthians 3:14-16, Paul reveals the solution: "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." The veil of ignorance is removed when we turn to the Lord - but until then, the Day of Atonement covers sins of ignorance. In Hebrews 5:2, Paul describes the high priest as one "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Our High Priest has COMPASSION ON THE IGNORANT because He knows they've been deceived. III. THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN FALLS Revelation 12:10-11: "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." In Romans 8:33-34, Paul asks: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." The accuser tries to condemn us for sins we committed IN IGNORANCE - but our High Priest intercedes! In 1 John 2:1, we read: "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." IV. THE WEDDING: WHEN THE SEDUCER IS REMOVED "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Every Hebrew wedding included this moment - the bride would ANAH herself. The word means to humble, to afflict, to surrender. She would lose her father's name and take her husband's name. Look at Leviticus 16:31: "It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever." The same word - ANAH. The Day of Atonement is when the Bride of Christ afflicts herself, surrenders her old identity, and takes on His name. But here's the key: "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited" (verse 22). THE SEDUCER IS REMOVED FROM THE WEDDING. And this is when the Spirit and the Bride - not just the Spirit of Christ alone, but with His Bride - say "COME" to more than just the congregation. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come" (Revelation 22:17). The Bride has been freed to join her voice with the Spirit's in calling the world to the wedding feast! How amazing - just before the banquet of the marriage supper, the voice of the Bride can be clearly heard for the first time! For centuries, her voice has been muffled by the accusations of the enemy, distorted by false doctrine, confused by competing spirits. But when Azazel is banished - when the accuser of the brethren finally falls - suddenly the world can hear the clear, pure voice of the Bride saying "Come!" No more confusion about who speaks for Christ. No more competing voices claiming divine authority. The Bride's voice rings out crystal clear because the deceiver can no longer mimic, distort, or drown out her call. V. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS Paul understood this wedding imagery perfectly. In Ephesians 5:25-27, he writes: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." But notice - the bride must be CLEANSED before the presentation. Paul shows us in 2 Corinthians 11:2-3 his concern: "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." THE SERPENT'S SEDUCTION MUST END BEFORE THE WEDDING. In Romans 16:20, Paul gives us the promise: "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." The seducer will be defeated - and THEN the bride can say "I do" without interference. Today, the Day of Atonement, is when the Bride of Christ makes that declaration: • Forsaking the accusations based on ignorance • Forsaking the seductions that exploit our blindness • Forsaking the old Adamic nature that was deceived • Forsaking every voice that would condemn us for sins of ignorance Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." VI. THE COSMIC SABBATH Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet... And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." The Day of Atonement points to this ultimate Sabbath - when all work is finished. When every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. When the times of ignorance are over and GOD IS ALL IN ALL. In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul shows us the end result: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." But notice - Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:24 that Christ "shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." The Day of Atonement is when the final authority - the accuser's power over sins of ignorance - is put down forever. "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3). No more curse. No more accusation. No more seduction. No more Azazel. CONCLUSION: THE FREEDOM TO SAY "I DO" Church, Paul understood what most miss about this holiest day of the year. It's not just because sins are forgiven, but because THE TIMES OF IGNORANCE END. In Romans 11:25, Paul reveals the mystery: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." There's a TIME LIMIT on ignorance! For too long, the bride has tried to say "I do" while blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). For too long, she's attempted to walk down the aisle while the accuser points his finger at her sins of ignorance. But Paul shows us in Ephesians 1:9-10 that there comes "the dispensation of the fulness of times" when God will "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." The scattered, confused, ignorant bride becomes ONE in Christ. Today - the Day of Atonement - the Azazel goat is cast into the wilderness. The accuser of the brethren has fallen. The times of ignorance end. The bride is FREE TO SAY YES to her Bridegroom without interference. As Paul declared in Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come" (Revelation 22:17). Today we don't just receive forgiveness. Today we receive FREEDOM FOR THE WEDDING. The seducer is gone. The accuser has fallen. The bride says "FORSAKING ALL OTHERS." Let the marriage supper of the Lamb begin. "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Preached on the Day of Atonement, September 25, 2025