We don’t often stop to think about how strange it might seem in our culture that Christians talk about blood so much. To many, it must seem so primitive, so superstitious, to talk about blood cleansing us from our sin. We can’t seriously believe in that kind of mythical mumbo-jumbo, can we?

Yet, Scripture again and again talks about blood being the only sufficient offering for sin. In the Old Testament, when God first brought Israel ought of slavery, he ordered that a unblemished lamb be slain and the blood of that lamb be put on the doorposts in order to protect them from the plague he was about to bring on all the Egyptian firstborn. He then ordained a sacrificial system for Israel in which they could make atonement, or be made one with God again, through offering goats, bulls and such, spilling their blood on the altar. Why the blood, though? In Scripture, blood is equated with the life of a creature. The imagery of blood sacrifice means that a life has been taken in order to pay a penalty. The blood isn’t magical. Rather, it conveys the seriousness of sin. When the infinite God’s glory is dishonored by His image-bearers, the offense is infinite. The cost is death, as God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 2. Sin equals separation from God, which is, eternally, death. There is no way around this reality. Yet, God, in his great mercy, went to great lengths to undo the separation brought on by our sin. The Old Testament sacrifices served as a consistent reminder to Israel that their sin must be dealt with. God could not merely overlook it. But it was also clear that the life-exchange of animals for the sin of man was not sufficient to deal with the stain of sin. As the writer of Hebrews unpacks for us, these sacrifices were not sufficient to “purify the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Heb. 9:14)

The Old Testament sacrifices instead pointed to the greater reality: the sacrifice of Christ himself on the cross. The perfect, infinite sacrifice of Jesus - fully man and fully God - was the only sacrifice able to truly deal with the penalty and power of sin. Again, as the writer of Hebrews says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (10:4). With Christ, on the other hand, “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (10:14). With the shedding of Jesus’ blood, the perfect, infinitive life was given to atone for our sins. His life for ours. God’s justice was satisfied, so that he could see us and make us pure and clean. This is our only hope.

So we are a people “washed in the blood of the lamb.” We need to rejoice in this truth, celebrate it, and remind each other of it. Because ultimately, we attempt to cover our sin in countless other ways. Adam and Eve took fig leaves for themselves in the garden, and we have repeated this behavior ever since. Instead, we need to remind each other that it is only the sacrifice of Christ that makes us able to stand before God. And that sacrifice removes all shame and enables us to stand boldly before him, clothed in righteousness. The more we understand the sufficiency of Christ’s blood, the less we will give in to the temptation to perform for God and each other. We will rest, knowing that our penalty is paid and our new life is bought by Jesus’s blood. So, Karis, let’s never shy away from singing about that blood. It is the only thing that will cover us when we stand before God.

This week, we’ll be teaching a new song, one that is a rework of an old Isaac Watts text from our friends at Sojourn Community Church. It’s called “Only Your Blood Is Enough.” I’m incredibly excited to sing this together. The lyrics capture well how deep our sin is rooted. We can’t understand why only Jesus’ blood can cleanse us unless we see how deep the stain really is. As the lyrics proclaim, the seed of death is in us from the moment we begin our lives. We need the perfect sacrifice to deal with the sin that is woven in to the fabric of our being. Here are the lyrics below. You can find a sample of the song at sojournmusic.com (scroll through the player at the bottom to find it). Let’s ready our hearts to proclaim this to one another as we walk through the story of Jesus’ trial and death together.

Only Your Blood Is Enough

Words & Music by Neil Robins (Words based on “Psalm 51, Pt. II” by Isaac Watts)

Verse 1:

I am ashamed, conceived in sin, I’ve always been

Born in a world where Adam’s fall corrupts us

Rooted is the seed of death in life’s first breath

The law demands a perfect heart, but I’m defiled in every part

Chorus:

For only your blood is enough to cover my sin

Only your blood is enough to cover me

Verse 2:

All this guilt disturbs my peace, I find no release

Who will save me from this crime, I’m helpless

Behold I fall before your face in need of grace

So speak to me in a gentle voice, for in your mercies I rejoice

Chorus

Bridge:

Lord, create my heart anew (Father come and make us wise)

Only you are pure and true (Lead us away from our demise)

Lord, you are the remedy (For only your blood can set us free)

Only your blood can set us free, only your blood can set us free

Verse 3:

No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast

No hyssop branch, no priest

No running brook, no flood, no sea

Can wash away this stain from me

Chorus

At Karis, we believe the Gospel is the message and power of God for salvation of everyone who believes in Christ Jesus. This Gospel not only reconciles us to God and his church, it also shapes us as ministers of reconciliation. Having been saved by such amazing grace and for such noble purposes, we passionately follow Christ’s call to make disciples both within our own cultural context and across significant geographical, cultural, and linguistic barriers. In our new c-group series, Missio Dei, we will seek to understand how we fit into the glorious mission of God to redeem his people from every tongue, tribe, and nation on earth. Together, we pray that God will reveal to us his relentless mission throughout the storyline of the Bible, and how we can rightly respond through worship, prayer, and suffering for the sake of his Name. Will you join us?

The Lord has been good to us at Karis.  This week we launched Karis p.m. a second evening gathering.  We are praising Him now for the work He is doing in our city.  Kevin Larson preached both the a.m. and p.m. gatherings.  Following are the liturgy and photos.

The Call
Call to Worship L.1.2.1 (Ps. 34:1-4, 8 (The Worship Sourcebook)

The Praises
“Refuge” (Neil Robbins (ad. from Isaac Watts))
Isaiah 40:21-26  - Aarik Danielsen
“Infinite Divine” (Joe Day)

The Gospel
“By Thy Mercy”  (Lyrics by James J. Cummins, Music by Greg Thompson)
Psalm 18:6  - (ESV)
Silent Prayer of Confession
Colossians 1:13-14
“To Christ the Lord”  (Samuel Stennet, Laura Taylor)

The Peace
Passing the Peace
The Welcome  -  Jeremy Linneman (a.m.) Bobby Schembre (p.m.)

The Word
Wounded - Luke 22:1-13  - Kevin Larson

The Supper
“There is a Fountain Filled with Blood”  (William Cowper, William Horsley)
The Bread and the Cup
Exodus 12:13-14 (ESV)

The Prayer
Prayers of the Church  -  Aarik Danielsen

The Offering
“Who is Like You?”  (Mac Powell)
Receiving the Offering

The Sending
Sending: An Unleavened People (based on 1 Cor. 5:7-8) -  Karis Community Church Liturgies  -  Luke Daugherty

pics coming soon …

Each of us walks on this earth wounded. Made in God’s image, sin has dealt us a blow that leaves us staggering. Sin hurts us. It makes us miserable and leads us to spread misery around us. But it also hinders us. We can’t be what we were created to be. We walk with a limp.

But this doesn’t just hurt. It kills. We’re mortally wounded. What do we earn for our sin? Death, says Scripture. Physical death, but also spiritual death, being separated from God by those sins and bearing His just wrath against them (and us) forever.

Worse, it’s not just as if we’re innocents assaulted by an enemy. It’s also self-inflicted. We want to sin. We shoot ourselves in the foot and those around us in the head. It feels good – for awhile. But then it destroys us. We’re wounded and dying fast.

Yet, Scripture speaks this good and healing news right into our wounds:

He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-7).

Although we deserved further wounding for our sin, Jesus took our place. His hands were nailed. His side was pierced. He died in the place of His people. He took what we deserved. We get what He deserved. And He rose from the dead. So we can walk away alive and have our wounds forever taken away. Join us beginning January 24th at Karis for “Wounded” as we see Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled in the death of Christ through the eyes of the gospel writer, Luke. You and I can be healed through His wounds.

As we prepare to dive into our new sermon series, which we’ve entitled Wounded, I’ve tried to set aside much time to reflect on what God may have for us in the coming months. After walking through the Gospel of Luke for over 2 years together, we have come to the final three chapters, which slow down to zoom in on the events of Jesus’ trial, suffering, death and resurrection. We chose the title “Wounded” to reflect the meaning of Isaiah 53:4-6, which speaks of us as a people wounded by our sins and sorrows. Jesus, though he was perfect and in no need of healing himself, willingly took on our griefs and transgressions - their full weight - in order to heal us. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6) May God reveal more deeply to us the wounds of our sin and the great healing that is offered to us “by His wounds.”

With this in mind, I wanted to share some hymn lyrics that greatly encouraged me recently. This text, by Charles Wesley (set to great new music by the folks at Red Mountain Church), captures well how the Gospel ought to deeply pierce us to the heart. It’s a prayer that in looking at Jesus, willingly wounded for us in His great love, God would grant us broken hearts that are no longer cold and stone-like toward him. Many of the songs I have been listening to and considering teaching during this series focus on this idea of setting our eyes intently on the cross, that God there might do his mighty, heart-changing work. This is our hope. No new set of rules and morals or trying harder will bring about true heart change. Pondering deeply the work of Jesus on the cross is the only thing that can do that. I pray these words encourage you this morning. Take time to unpack them and reflect on what it would mean for you to truly make this your prayer.

Jesus let thy pitying eye

Call back a wandering sheep.

False to Thee like Peter, I

Would fain, like Peter, weep.

Let me be by grace restored;

On me be all it’s freeness shown

Turn and look upon me Lord;

And break my heart of stone

And break my heart of stone.

Savior, Prince, enthroned above,

Repentance to impart,

Give me, through Thy dying love,

The humble, contrite heart;

Give what I have long implored,

A portion of Thy love unknown;

Turn, and look upon me, Lord,

And break my heart of stone.

And break my heart of stone.

Look, as when Thy pitying eye

Was closed that we might live;

“Father,” at the point to die

My Savior cryed, “forgive!”

Surely, with that dying word,

He turns, and looks, and cries, “’Tis done!”

O my bleeding, loving Lord,

This breaks my heart of stone!

This breaks my heart of stone!

Check out Karis member Maureen Harris on KRCG, as the station tells about her class’s effort to help Haitian children.

Jeremy Linneman, an intern at Karis, preached this week from Luke 21, our final sermon from the series Jesus: in the Margins.  Bobby Schembre led worship.  Following are the liturgy and photos.

The Call
“Mighty Power” (Lyrics: Isaac Watts; Music and Arragement: The Parsons)
Psalm 95:1-8 (ESV)  -  Bobby Schembre, Chad Hicks

The Gospel
Prayer of Confession: From John Calvin -  The Open Sourcebook
“Before the Throne of God”  -  [Vikki Cook / Charitie L. Bancroft (1841-1892)]
“All I Owe”  -  (Words by Robert Murray McCheyne and Matthew S. Smith, Music by Matthew S. Smith)
Lamentations 3:16-23
“Blessed be Your Name”  -  (Matt Redman, Beth Redman)

The Peace
Passing of the Peace
Welcome - Luke 21:5-38

The Word
Jesus in the Margins - Luke 21:5-38 -  Jeremy Linneman

The Supper
The Bread and the Cup
“The Solid Rock”  -  (Edward Mote)
Romans 5:7-8 (ESV)

The Prayer
The Prayers of the Church  -  Allison Balou

The Offering
Receiving the Offering
“God of this City”(Words and Music by: Andrew McCann, Boyd Aaron, Ian Jordan, Peter Comfort, Peter Kernaghan, Richard
Bleakley)

The Sending
Acts 1:7-8

It’s coming.  January 24th.  6:00 p.m.

Cy Ratliff is a woman very dear to Karis, having mentored numerous women in our midst.  She is the mother of Jeanna Gaines and Scott Ratliff, Karis members.  She went to be with the Lord on Monday.  She was an amazing woman who will be greatly missed by the people of Karis Community Church.

CYOLA JEAN RATLIFF (1956-2010)

Cyola Ratliff, age 53, of Columbia, MO, and formerly of Shelbina, MO, passed away Monday, January 4, 2010, at approximately 4:08 am at her residence in Columbia.

She was born February 18, 1956, in Hannibal, MO, the daughter of Robert William and Dorothy Magruder Shoemyer.  They both survive.  On November 27, 1976, she was united in marriage to Arthur Ratliff at the Shelbina First Baptist Church.  He survives.

Other survivors include four children, Jeffrey Ratliff and wife Heather of Sugar Hill, GA, Scott Ratliff and wife Natalie of Columbia, MO, Brent Ratliff and wife Kristin of Le Sueur, MN and Jeanna Gaines and husband Troy of Columbia, MO; one grandson, Ethan Gaines; three sisters, Debbie Kidwell and husband Gary of Shelbina, MO, Shirley Hall and husband Larry of Overland Park, KS and Tammy Ratliff and husband Richard of Shelbina, MO; one brother, Wes Shoemyer and wife Cheryl of Shelbina, MO and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by one niece, Kelli Kidwell.

Cyola was a 1974 graduate of South Shelby High School and was a member of The Crossing
Church in Columbia, MO.  She was employed as a mail carrier and a clerk for the United States Postal Department.  Cyola enjoyed Bible studies, Mizzou Sports and cooking.  Her greatest joy was the time she spent with her family.
________________________________________________________________________
Funeral – 11:00 am, Thursday, January 7, 2010, at the Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Shelbina, MO

Visitation – 4:00 to 7:00 pm, Wednesday, January 6, 2010, at the Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Shelbina, MO

Burial- Shelbina Cemetery

Minister – Keith Simon

Memorials – The Crossing Church                 These funds will support:
Cyola Ratliff Fund                    American Cancer Society Hope Lodge
3615 Southland Drive               Student Campus Ministry
Columbia, MO 65201               Local Women’s Ministry

ONLINE CONDOLENCES MAY BE MADE TO:   greeningeaganhayes.com