God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Biblical significance of the blood of Jesus: 1. Redemption. a. Acts 20:28 – “church of God purchased with His own blood.” b. Eph. 1:7 – “we have redemption through His blood.” c. 1 Pet. 1:9 – “redeemed...with precious blood.” d. Rev. 5:9 – “purchased for God with His blood, men from every tribe.” 2. Propitiation. a. Rom. 3:25 – “God displayed Jesus as a propitiation in His blood.” 3. Cleansing. a. Heb. 9:14 – “blood of Christ...will cleanse your conscience.” b. 1 John 1:7 – “blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” c. Rev. 7:14 – “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” 4. Forgiveness. a. Eph. 1:7 – “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” b. Heb. 9:22 – “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” c. Rev. 1:5 – “released us from our sins by His blood.” 5. Access to God. a. Eph. 2:13 – “brought near to God by the blood of Christ.” b. Heb. 10:19 – “confidence to enter Holy Place by blood of Jesus.” 6. Reconciliation. a. Col. 1:20 – “reconciled, made pace through the blood of the cross.” 7. Justification. a. Rom. 5:9 – “having been justified by his blood.” 8. Sanctification. a. Heb. 13:12 – “that He might sanctify the people through His blood.” 9. Conquest of evil. a. Rev. 12:11 – “overcame...because of the blood of the Lamb.” 10. Basis of new covenant. a. Heb. 13:20 – “through the blood of the eternal covenant.” 11. Lord's Supper. a. Matt. 26:28 – “This is the new covenant in My blood.” b. I Cor. 10:16 – “the cup of blessing...a sharing in the blood of Christ.”
A leader should be able to communicate in a nonargumentative, nondefensive and nonthreatening way - demonstrating gentleness, patience and teachability without compromising the message of the Word of God.