Jentezen Franklin - The Seventh Sacrifice
In Genesis 7, "The Lord said to Noah, 'Come into the Ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.'" Now watch this, "'You shall take with you seven.'" How many? Everybody say, "Seven". "'Of each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and a female; also...'" Everybody say, "'...Seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of the earth. For after seven more days I will cause it to rain for forty days and forty nights, and I'll destroy the face of the earth of all living things that I have made.' And Noah did as the Lord commanded him".
I want to talk to you for just a few moments about this: the seventh animal that was on board. It kind of plays with the image that we have, the Noah's Ark image, the little cartoon book that we used to color in Sunday school when I was coming up. They probably have all 3D stuff down there now, but when I was coming up, they had little coloring books and that was always, they'd teach the lesson and then we would color and try to do all the animals. But they came up two by two. And if you read on, they did come two by two. God drew 'em two by two into the Ark. But really what we miss is He said, "If it's a clean animal," meaning it could be used and will be used for sacrifice, some of its species, "You're to have seven of them. If it's unclean, just two, a couple, a male, a female. But I want you to bring extra of the unclean".
So see that if it was a clean animal such as lambs, it was two, four, six. But the one I want you to focus in on is that seventh animal. And that one sacrificial animal, I'm sure the dove noticed the other cages had couples. They were together. But for all of those days, for almost an entire year, by itself, by itself, separated. And then came the time when Noah took the dove and the storm stopped and he opened the window, and he released the dove. And that dove was that seventh dove. It was that seventh clean animal. And he released it. And it came back immediately. Why? Because there was nothing out there but death.
There was nothing out there but the putrid bodies of bloated people and animals that had been drowned. And the Bible said the dove could find no place for the soles of its feet because it was a clean animal. And it came back. And then seven days later, he sent it out again and it came back with an olive branch, meaning the waters had abated, they had gone down. And it also meant that peace, God is no longer judging the earth. Something has happened and there's peace between you, Noah, and God now. He's not angry. He's not destroying. The olive branch represents peace. And then the third time he released, seven days later, that same dove, and the dove never came back.
God put, and here's what I want you to get. God put on that Ark, animals that were there specifically and only to be sacrificed. They were just not along for the ride, they had one purpose, to die, to shed their blood so that under the old covenant, a man and his family could have a relationship with a holy God. In the same way that God preserved that sacrifice on that Ark in a twisted, messed up world. The world was so wicked, was so evil, but God beautifully preserved that animal. And a lamb, a seventh lamb was on there. It was the seventh. All the animals that were clean, there was an extra one.
And it was there for one reason, that when Noah would get off of that Ark, he would offer every one of those seventh animals that were clean on an altar. Your Bible said he did it. The only thing he didn't offer was a dove. And I believe it was because that dove represented Jesus Christ, that one that flew away and never came back. They can fly up to a hundred miles a day, 90 to a hundred miles a day. When he released it, it there would be 93, I think it was more days that they would stay on the Ark. And so that dove could have gone so far away, it could have reached China. That dove was an international dove. And it flew and it never came back.
And as you sit here today, I want you to see that there would come a day when Jesus Christ, no longer in type, the lonely one who came. He was never married, he was kept by the Father and his precious blood would be blood that would save us. He shows up on planet earth, born of a virgin. And then at the age of 30, he fasts and prays and comes to the Jordan River, and John the Baptist sees Him at the river. And John is baptizing people in water. And Jesus says, "I want you to baptize me. I want to show an example of what I want people who follow me to do. John, baptize me". And John said, "I'm not worthy to baptize you. I'm not worthy to shine your shoes or tie your sandals". He said, "Do it because I'm commanding you to do it". And the Bible said, then he said, "This is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world".
And then he took Jesus and the Bible said, and he baptized Him in water. His whole body, he put Jesus under. And when Jesus came out of the water, your Bible said that a dove, the heavens opened. God spoke, a dove descended. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. Wonder if God had preserved that dove that went out of Noah's Ark. And by that time, it had made its way to Jerusalem, to the river there in the wilderness in Judea where John was baptizing. And that dove descended and disappeared. It was the dove that was standing there. It was this perfect sacrifice. It was the one who came not to live, but to die. He was that seventh sacrificial animal standing in the flesh, in the water. And the Father said, "This is my favorite Son in whom I am well pleased".
Jesus, ladies and gentlemen is still the answer. The blood of that sacrifice is still the answer. If you are addicted, if you are messed up, if your family's broken, if your life is so messed up you don't know where to turn and what to do, this is the answer for the world, Jesus Christ. He is the sacrifice that can wash you and free you and set you free. He who knew no sin became sin. That feeling when He was on the cross, He did not just take our sins, He became sin, the Bible said. He became every, not just my sin and your sin, but every sin that would ever be committed in this life by anybody in any and every generation. He felt the shame. He felt the pain. He felt what people feel if they've had an abortion, or they've gone through a horrible divorce, or they have murdered someone, or they have done something and they're so ashamed of themselves, He took it all in that moment on the cross. He took our sins. The judgment of our sin, oh hallelujah, was on Him that seventh precious sacrificial beast.
Watch this in the Old Testament in Leviticus 14. I close with this. When a man had leprosy and showed signs that he was recovering, which was very rare, he would go to the priest. And the reason he would go to the priest is there was a ritual that he had to go through before he could be released to go back to his family, even if his skin was completely healed. This was the ritual. You won't believe this. The priest would take two doves, they had to be clean animals.
And he took the two doves and the Bible said, "Take one of them and take an earthen vessel that has pouring water running into it. And at that same time, slit the throat of that clean innocent animal and let its blood fall into that earthen vessel. And then take the other bird. And I want you to take cedar wood," a type of the cross, "and tie the wings of that bird with scarlet threads on to that cedar wood. And once you get the blood and the water in an earthen vessel," Jesus was an earthen vessel, came in the form, God Almighty came in the form of skin, an earthen vessel. And when they crucified Him, there poured forth blood and water. "And they would take that bird," one of them would have to be sacrificed so that the other bird could be plunged into the water. A beautiful picture.
Except a man, be born again of blood and water, of spirit and water and plunge him into the water and pull him out. And this is the most beautiful part. And said, "Then once you've dipped him in the blood and the water, take him into an open field and untie the strings that are holding his wings down and set him free". And let him know that he can soar. He's free. The past is over. The past is over. You don't have to stay in the low, low valley of depression, shame, guilt, and condemnation. You can rise above it on wings of praise, and you can go forth and your life can make a difference. I'll even use the pain of the past to anoint you to change people's lives and give them hope. Now, I feel the Lord in this place. And I want y'all to come on up and I'm gonna baptize you.
Jentezen Franklin: Hello, what's your name?
Jazmin Vasquez: My name is Jazmin Vasquez.
Jentezen Franklin: Nice to see you. You got a group of friends down there?
Jazmin Vasquez: Yes. I think that's my Bible study group. My friends from youth, young adults. I serve at young adults and for youth.
Jentezen Franklin: I love that. So, it's important to have friends that believe in who you hang out with, right?
Jazmin Vasquez: Yes, very much. I wanted to thank, my best friend Sarah can't be here, but she is the reason I'm here today. She was never afraid to share her love for the Lord. And her faith just inspired me to live for Jesus. I was baptized as a baby, actually. My family was raised Catholic, but I felt like we sort of just claimed religion and I never felt like I had a real strong relationship with the Lord until I met her and she led me to Free Chapel again. 'Cause I've been coming here for a really long time. But I just feel like I was pushing it away, pushing it away. But the Lord's pull was stronger than my push. And I'm finally here and I'm really excited. And I love Him, and he has transformed me in so many ways and saved me from so many stuff, and just fixed my relationship with my family. And He's everything. He's everything.
Jentezen Franklin: You can see Jesus all over this girl. Isn't He wonderful? So, you don't have religion anymore. You have a relationship with Jesus. You know that?
Jazmin Vasquez: Yes, yes. Very much. And it is much stronger than religion. It is intimate.
Jentezen Franklin: Lord, I thank you for this, and if you can do it for one in this generation, you can do it for 10,000. You can do it for millions. And we claim every son and daughter out there that doesn't know and not living for Jesus. May they know and experience what she's experienced. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Somebody give God almighty praise in this house. Woo. That's beautiful.
Jentezen Franklin: Good morning.
David Embrick: Good morning
Jentezen Franklin: What's your name?
David Embrick: David Embrick.
Jentezen Franklin: David, how long have you been at the church?
David Embrick: I've been at the church since November. I was released from prison July 3rd, 2023. I met Jesus at Washington State Prison 2018 through the Kairos prison ministry, and He delivered me from 25 years of meth addiction. Since I've been out, He's really blessed my life. I got out and immediately started working. I got me my license, a great job, a brand-new car. And when I went to purchase this car, I met a nice lady, and we did our first date here at Free Chapel. And I fell in love with the church, with the Pa...
Jentezen Franklin: When was that?
David Embrick: That was November 25th...
Jentezen Franklin: Man, this guy is good.
David Embrick: Well, I remember that because she gave me a Bible that day on our first date, so the date is written in the Bible so that's how I remember. Yes sir.
Jentezen Franklin: Were is she at now?
David Embrick: She's out there with my brother in the crowd.
Jentezen Franklin: That's good. Bring him on your first date to church and give him a Bible. Boy, she's just letting you know.
David Embrick: Let me know, didn't she? Yes sir. Now, God has been amazing, man. He's really blessed my life 'cause I lived the life of addiction for a long time. And ran, got behind the walls and fell into gang activity in there, and He just kept coming to me. It's like He's not gonna give up. So, you know, I'll say to any of the guys that's watching behind the walls, and if you're in the prison system, man, like, Jesus loves you. Give your life to Him. If He can fix me, He can fix any of y'all, man. I...
Jentezen Franklin: Praise God. That's powerful.
David Embrick: I'm ready to wash away my sins and do this act of obedience, man, in front of the world. And they can see all the good things God has been doing in my life.
Jentezen Franklin: This is what it's all about. This is what it's all about. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. Somebody, shout right now. That's a miracle. That's a miracle.
Jentezen Franklin: What's your name?
Gabriela: My name is Gabriela.
Jentezen Franklin: How old are you?
Gabriela: I'm 21.
Jentezen Franklin: Twenty-one. What would make a 21-year-old want to get baptized?
Gabriela: So, I was raised in church, but I never had a relationship with Christ. It was just more like of a tradition going like every Sunday. So later on, my life got hard, and I started to rebel against Jesus, and I turned away from Him. I blamed Him for everything that was happening. So, from middle school to high school, I had no relationship with Him. I didn't care about Him. And I turned into satanism. So, I was a satanist for three years.
Jentezen Franklin: Really? So, did you get with other satanists or was it you just doing it privately?
Gabriela: It was both. I was doing it privately and also online. It was during like Covid. So, I got involved into that. But later on, like I was so lost. I told people I was happier like that, that he was the way and everything, but it was not the way. And it didn't work. So, I had a friend from work who told me to come to Free Chapel. It was gonna be my 21st birthday and I was planning on going clubbing. And so, she was like, "Go to church and if you like it, keep going". And so, I did October, I think it was October 1st, I came to Free Chapel. But on the second week of Free Chapel, I gave my life at the altar call. And He's been so good to me.
Jentezen Franklin: The satanism, did you have books and...
Gabriela: Yes.
Jentezen Franklin: Burn candles and to do the...
Gabriela: So, I was getting into New Age, which is like tarot cards and like manifestation. But what that ended up happening was I was opening portals to demons. We had, my mother was able to see some demons around the house 'cause I was opening those portals. And so, when I gave my life to Christ, I, you know, blessed the house and we have never seen anything. We are able to sleep well. And He's been so good to me. And I know He has a big plan for me. I haven't found my calling yet, but I hope to. And I know He put this in my heart to get baptized today. And I'm just so excited for what the Lord has for me.
Jentezen Franklin: It's unreal. That is unreal. Is your mother here?
Gabriela: My mother and my family are here. I don't know where they are. Oh, they're over there. I just went, so during revival, I came to revival. I brought my sisters. And during that, I fasted, and I asked the Lord for them to open their heart to Christ. And they've been going to church as well.
Jentezen Franklin: Jesus.
Gabriela: And I've learned during this walk with Christ that fasting and prayer is so powerful. And He told me, because I wanted to do everything, after I gave my life to Christ in October, I wanted to do everything. I wanted to get filled with the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues. And the Lord, during that fast told me, "You have to wait. You have to fill yourself with the word. And I will let you know when you're ready". I just want everybody to know that God is good. Don't let the enemy get to you. He has done amazing things in my life that I'm just like, "Wow". 'Cause before Him I thought everything was impossible, but with Him, now, I know everything is possible.
Jentezen Franklin: So proud. Just lift your hands and worship Jesus. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. We praise you. You are worthy, Lord. You are worthy, Jesus. We praise you. Use this young lady, Lord. Let her testimony, her life be used to glorify your name all the days of her life. Lord, I thank you for what your blood has done. And I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Oh, glory to God. Glory to God.