back to indexWed Bible Study - Leviticus Lesson 9
00:00:18.000 |
All right so chapter 8, 9, and 10 really should be one unit as we said because the topic is 00:00:26.960 |
Chapter 8 is about the institution or the instructions on the dedication of the tabernacle 00:00:34.000 |
and the priest and then chapter 9 basically is the carrying that out is the sacrifices 00:00:39.480 |
and cleansing of the tabernacle and then chapter 10 is when they actually begin to implement 00:00:46.040 |
it when they start to actually give the sacrifices and we know what happens in chapter 10. 00:00:52.380 |
But today we're going to just look at chapter 8 and verse 9 and we'll get to chapter 10 00:00:59.600 |
not next Sunday because next week we have Passion Week and so those of you who signed 00:01:05.640 |
up for the Passover meal will be having it on Thursday but we don't have normal Bible 00:01:11.480 |
So let me pray for us and we'll jump right in. 00:01:12.760 |
Heavenly Father we ask for your blessing over our time. 00:01:22.000 |
Help us to understand your word deeply, the foundation Lord God in which the Gospels were 00:01:26.600 |
laid, the preparation for the coming of Christ, the preparation of our own hearts Lord God 00:01:33.240 |
I pray that you would bless our time that you would allow your word to be made known 00:01:38.040 |
that we would know you, your heart Lord God and all that you've given in Jesus name we 00:01:46.880 |
So today is going to be the ordination of the priest and also the preparation of the 00:01:55.480 |
So up to this point all these instructions have been given and these are the sacrifices 00:01:58.920 |
that you ought to give so they've given all these instructions but the priest who are 00:02:03.120 |
supposed to carry this out hasn't been ordained yet so up to this point all of this is just 00:02:07.960 |
instruction they've been reading the manual and they're about to start implementing it 00:02:12.960 |
and so but before they do that the priest and the tabernacle itself needed to be sanctified 00:02:18.320 |
need to be purified because if everything if all the sacrifices that they're giving 00:02:24.080 |
is for the sanctification and justification of the worshippers the temple itself the tabernacle 00:02:31.920 |
itself and the priest who are going to handle these holy items they also need to be sanctified 00:02:36.680 |
so that's what they're doing today in verse 8 chapter 8 and 9 is preparation before the 00:02:41.520 |
actual thing starts you'll notice that if you've been if you've read through these two 00:02:45.840 |
chapters maybe three chapters that the phrase as the Lord commanded is repeated over and 00:02:50.680 |
over again so all the verses that I mentioned here chapter 4 chapter 8 verse 4 5 9 13 17 00:02:57.400 |
21 29 34 36 chapter 9 verse 6 7 10 21 and then the word the general word for command 00:03:05.940 |
is mentioned 20 times in chapter 8 9 and 10 so obviously the word commanded or the Lord 00:03:12.920 |
commanded is a is a common phrase that you'll see all throughout scripture but it's concentrated 00:03:17.720 |
in these three particular chapters right so of course everything that he has done is because 00:03:24.360 |
God commanded them to do it but there's a special emphasis in chapter 8 9 and 10 that 00:03:30.560 |
that what they're about to do that they're about they're about to follow precisely he 00:03:34.640 |
didn't give a general outline of hey when you come make sure you bring these sacrifices 00:03:38.960 |
but where you do it how you do it who does it you know what to cut up what to eat like 00:03:43.680 |
he was so precise and that's part of the reason why we get lost in the book of Leviticus because 00:03:48.080 |
his laws are so precise and so detailed that you might read a couple lines and say well 00:03:54.800 |
I don't understand this and then you just kind of like okay I'm not gonna understand 00:03:57.440 |
any of it but there's a purpose behind all of this they wanted the Israelites and us 00:04:04.440 |
reading it to know that the approaching God had to be done exactly so even to the smallest 00:04:14.760 |
details of the consecration of the temple ordination the priest were carried out in 00:04:20.600 |
to the exact instruction given by God I mean exactly right so why was this important and 00:04:30.760 |
how do we see the ramification of this in chapter 10 which we're going to be studying 00:04:36.760 |
next time how important is it that they follow exactly what God said not generally not a 00:04:44.480 |
minus right not 99% they needed to follow 100% exactly the way God told them to do it 00:04:54.440 |
and what was the ramification of it in chapter 10 some of you guys who knows what happens 00:05:00.480 |
in chapter 10 right so the very first act of sacrifice that was supposed to take place 00:05:10.040 |
in chapter 10 so chapter 8 is preparation right of the of the priest or the instructions 00:05:16.780 |
chapter 9 they start giving the sacrifices for the priest to get ordained then after 00:05:21.560 |
they get ordained and then they begin to practice in chapter 10 and immediately the very first 00:05:25.920 |
thing that happens is they die and basically all it says was they didn't follow the command 00:05:31.720 |
so there's a heavy emphasis in chapter 8 and 9 that if you do not follow the command of 00:05:37.040 |
God you cannot come to God if you come to God with breaking any one of these commands 00:05:43.000 |
you shall surely die and that's exactly what happens in chapter 10 so the prescription 00:05:48.200 |
or the instructions on how to come to God was not vague at all it was like step one 00:05:54.920 |
step two there's like 200 separate steps that they needed to go and every single one of 00:05:58.320 |
them had to be done exactly the way God planned to do it and it wasn't simply because he wanted 00:06:03.640 |
to see he wanted to see you know like if you're gonna jump through the hoops and go through 00:06:09.400 |
all every one of these things had significance and meaning so what do you think the general 00:06:15.160 |
instruction was and general understanding of the Israelites were don't turn from his 00:06:21.760 |
word to the left or to the right right and that's exactly what he says later on in Joshua 00:06:27.560 |
1 8 and 9 so you understand this in the context of what he says here okay Joshua 1 8 and 9 00:06:36.560 |
is right before they enter into the promised land this is after he's given the instruction 00:06:40.800 |
the blessings and curses and tabernacle is set up and they've been you know they've been 00:06:45.800 |
sacrificing for 40 years so basically for 40 years what were they learning to do this 00:06:53.080 |
what you what you and I have been studying we're only in chapter 10 but 27 chapters of 00:06:58.400 |
instructions this is just at the tabernacle there's a whole different set of rules on 00:07:05.560 |
what they're supposed to do outside of the tabernacle what they're supposed to eat what 00:07:09.720 |
they cannot eat what to do on Sabbath what they cannot do on Sabbath and what is clean 00:07:14.480 |
what is unclean how to wash themselves I mean there's instruction after instruction so for 00:07:18.760 |
40 years right for 40 years they were to pay attention to God's law precisely and if they 00:07:27.960 |
don't the lesson in chapter 10 was that they die so right before they get into the promised 00:07:34.600 |
land he says this book of law shall not depart from you but you shall meditate on day and 00:07:39.480 |
night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it so if you really 00:07:44.300 |
understand Israel's history when he says to be careful they didn't read it like the way 00:07:49.560 |
we read it it's like oh I want to be careful we don't want to memorize it we don't want 00:07:53.040 |
to get the prepositions wrong you know I want to make sure we want to be Bible centered 00:07:57.000 |
we're quoting scripture we're expository preaching when they said careful the consequence of 00:08:02.640 |
not being careful meant capital punishment it was that serious be careful to do all that 00:08:09.680 |
is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have to get 00:08:13.000 |
success so if you want to be successful in in any way do exactly as I tell you have I 00:08:18.520 |
not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be frightened and do not be dismayed 00:08:21.840 |
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go in other words he says if you do exactly 00:08:26.160 |
as I tell you you will live if you stray from it and you're not careful to to obey what 00:08:31.180 |
I say you shall die right so they would have read this encouragement challenge and warning 00:08:37.520 |
very differently than the way you and I because they experienced 40 years now in the 40 years 00:08:44.300 |
were they careful to do according to all that's written in it there were periods of yes and 00:08:51.160 |
periods of no and exactly as God said when they obeyed they lived when they didn't obey 00:08:58.260 |
they died that's what they learned for 40 years right for 40 years that's what they 00:09:04.040 |
learned so what he's instructing here trust me when the Israelites read this they'd never 00:09:12.160 |
glazed over any part of this they didn't say ah this is too hard and then they go to chapter 00:09:17.160 |
10 like give me give me some story that I can latch on to you know if your life dependent 00:09:22.240 |
on it which it did for them I guarantee you they studied this they memorized it they meditated 00:09:29.020 |
on it they said it to each other and you can see why by the time we get to the New Testament 00:09:35.120 |
that the Pharisees were so concerned about obeying the law right just think think of 00:09:42.840 |
it as a Jew and you say oh these Pharisees are legalistic you can understand why they 00:09:48.480 |
were legalistic because God told them if you want to live obey everything I have commanded 00:09:53.920 |
you carefully and we can also understand when Paul says in Romans chapter 1 through 11 that 00:10:00.520 |
we're no longer under the law the law was only given to us as a guardian to bring us 00:10:04.600 |
to Christ why they had such a hard time letting go because for generation after generation 00:10:11.240 |
after generation this was embedded into their psyche their culture their sacrifice their 00:10:16.920 |
worship their singing their Bible studies right is that if you obey you will live if 00:10:23.240 |
you disobey you shall die every single part of what he says okay the reason why this was 00:10:33.200 |
so important why they needed to practice this and practice this so carefully is described 00:10:37.440 |
for us in Exodus chapter 29 43 to 46 okay in Exodus chapter 29 43 to 46 says therefore 00:10:45.760 |
I will meet with the people of Israel and it shall be sanctified by my glory and I will 00:10:50.080 |
consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar Aaron also and his sons and I will consecrate 00:10:54.440 |
to serve me as priest I will dwell among the people of Israel and we be will be their God 00:10:59.600 |
they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt 00:11:03.160 |
that I might dwell among them I am the Lord their God all of this was prescribed in order 00:11:10.400 |
for the Holy God to be able to dwell among his people I would remember that was the whole 00:11:14.920 |
theme the book of Exodus where the glory of God is up on the mountain giving his law he 00:11:19.760 |
tells them to make a tabernacle because his intention is to come down so after he establishes 00:11:25.680 |
tabernacle what happens in the book of Numbers he invites them to come right Exodus he says 00:11:31.240 |
don't come Leviticus he says I'm about to come so prepare yourself he prepares and they 00:11:39.160 |
consecrate and then he comes and he says now and then he invites us to come in the book 00:11:43.040 |
of Numbers okay before we even move on the whole purpose of all of this is described 00:11:48.920 |
here he said I'm doing all of this because a holy God if I come in your natural state 00:11:55.200 |
you will die you can't exist with a holy God just by him opening up his his glory for you 00:12:03.080 |
to see any sinful man who has not been consecrated and didn't follow every every precept of the 00:12:08.320 |
law would have immediately died right now again obviously you know the blood of Christ 00:12:15.520 |
covers us but there was a reason why God wanted every one of the Israelites to pay very close 00:12:22.120 |
attention to the law of God because every part of it revealed who he is and it revealed 00:12:29.400 |
to him so that when they come they would come with a sense of reverence and awe right again 00:12:36.600 |
I think that the tragedy that we have in today's Christianity is people don't know the Word 00:12:42.600 |
of God and when we say people don't know the Word of God it's just another way of saying 00:12:47.200 |
they don't know God I don't care how much you heard about God from the pulpit or how 00:12:52.460 |
you grew up in the church and went to Sunday school all your life and if you don't know 00:12:56.640 |
what the Word of God if you're not intimately in the Word of God you don't know God because 00:13:01.160 |
God is in his Word he says all scripture is breathed out by God right meaning his very 00:13:09.040 |
spirit is in his Word and so in the Old Testament his nature and his character was revealed 00:13:16.320 |
in the law in the New Testament his nature and his character the law led us to Christ 00:13:22.280 |
but the but the words of Christ is in the gospel and I'm not just talking about you 00:13:27.560 |
know the book of Matthew Mark Luke and John I'm talking about the whole gamut of the meaning 00:13:31.400 |
of the gospel everything that we've been studying the book of Romans and on is his nature is 00:13:36.840 |
contained in the very intricate details of why the gospel was necessary what the gospel 00:13:43.080 |
accomplished who did the gospel bring us to how was the gate open how are we to have access 00:13:47.880 |
to it how are we to continue to have relationship what is the gospel established in the church 00:13:52.320 |
what does a gospel community look like every aspect of the New Testament is a revelation 00:13:57.920 |
of God and his nature and who he is so you can't have a personal relationship God if 00:14:02.800 |
you have a very loose understanding of God's Word because that's where he revealed himself 00:14:08.840 |
so the point of all of this was for the purpose of consecration to reveal himself so that 00:14:14.600 |
he can dwell among sinful people so chapter 8 verses 1 through 36 it's it's about the 00:14:23.760 |
consecration of his of Aaron and his sons right 1 and 1 through 9 is the anointing of 00:14:30.360 |
his of Aaron and his sons so the anointing was done in the assembly of all the congregation 00:14:36.560 |
this was not done in private because Aaron and his sons were to represent all of Israel 00:14:42.520 |
so all of Israel needed to know that these people were not just anybody who just walked 00:14:48.520 |
into the tabernacle these were specially anointed remember the meaning of the word holy one 00:14:55.120 |
is to be morally holy and what's the other one to be set apart so the the whole of Israel 00:15:01.200 |
needed to know that these people were not just average people these people were specifically 00:15:05.400 |
consecrated just like all the other holy items that they were God was going to use them so 00:15:09.960 |
if anybody who came into the tabernacle touch the holy articles of God what happened to 00:15:15.160 |
them they were guilty of sin right only the priests were allowed to do that because they 00:15:21.880 |
were separated and it was made holy specifically for that and the whole congregation needed 00:15:26.920 |
to know this again no different in the New Testament we see again I'm not going to read 00:15:32.280 |
it but acts 13 1 to 3 when Apostle Paul is chosen to preach the gospel to the Gentiles 00:15:39.040 |
he doesn't just pluck him out of nowhere and all of a sudden he appears God does save him 00:15:43.960 |
miraculously but he was actually sent out from the church of Antioch the elders receive 00:15:49.480 |
instructions from the Holy Spirit to set him in Barnabas apart so they pray for him so 00:15:53.600 |
it was very public so he was actually ordained by this church was sent and then he would 00:15:58.200 |
go and come back report to this church so even Paul's ministry was not done in isolation 00:16:02.920 |
we saw in first Timothy 5 22 25 you know the way that people come into ministry today is 00:16:09.240 |
they get convicted I want to go they go to seminary they become a pastor and a lot of 00:16:13.760 |
times the church hasn't church doesn't play any part in that other than they come to want 00:16:18.440 |
to lead the church one day well the way that the Bible prescribes somebody coming into 00:16:22.760 |
leadership in the church he tells Timothy to not to be hasty and laying hands in other 00:16:27.920 |
words not to not to ordain that person hastily because if you do it hastily is that you participate 00:16:34.000 |
in that person's sin so somebody coming into ministry was never meant to be somebody who 00:16:39.060 |
just kind of stands up and say you know what I'm convicted I'm gonna go and then you go 00:16:42.060 |
to a seminary and you become a pastor right and there's a reason why he tells Timothy 00:16:47.280 |
to be careful because some men sins are obvious and some men sins trail behind them in other 00:16:51.320 |
words the church needs to test them it needs to be public right and that's why the scripture 00:16:57.040 |
says when a when a leader sins there is no there's there isn't this process of one two 00:17:03.440 |
and try to restore them it's as if the leader sins is that it's automatically public right 00:17:08.600 |
it needs to be dealt publicly so that the sin is revealed to the whole church so there's 00:17:12.960 |
a seriousness of those people in specifically in the Old Testament and the New Testament 00:17:18.240 |
where there's a weightiness of the work of the ministry and so that's what's being prescribed 00:17:23.720 |
here in chapter 8 there's an anointing that takes place it's taking place publicly because 00:17:30.720 |
because of what they were called to do their anointing first begins with ritual washing 00:17:38.120 |
so basically they're they're bathing followed by the putting on of the priestly uniform 00:17:47.240 |
now again there's significance of all of this the priests were uh ceremony of bathed once 00:17:55.800 |
and after that only washed their hands and feet while they served in the tabernacle does 00:18:01.880 |
that sound similar to familiar to you Jesus does the exact same thing remember remember 00:18:07.960 |
where does this take place in John chapter 13 what scene is that in John chapter 13 it's 00:18:19.880 |
at the Passover meal right when Jesus he bends down he's washing their feet and then Peter 00:18:24.400 |
says you know you're my master I can you can't do that remember what Jesus says said if you 00:18:29.240 |
do not let me wash you I have no relationship with you and typical Peter fashion well if 00:18:34.120 |
that's the case you know wash my whole body and Jesus says he who has bathed does not 00:18:37.360 |
need to bathe again right but because you walk the search you have to wash your feet 00:18:42.000 |
regularly right where do you think that concept came from it wasn't just out of nowhere this 00:18:48.560 |
was part of the teaching in the in the Old Testament that the that the priests who are 00:18:53.520 |
being ordained for ministry that they bathe when they were initially consecrated but they 00:18:58.360 |
have to continually go over these this washing of hands and feet in order for them to be 00:19:02.800 |
able to to do their ministry right so basically it kind of symbolizes repentance in one person 00:19:11.320 |
a person who has been who has repented does not need to be resaved over and over again 00:19:17.720 |
but he does need to confess his sins and receive forgiveness over and over again that again 00:19:23.080 |
so that idea that concept it was embedded in the Old Testament law the way that the 00:19:29.600 |
priests were sanctified the uniforms you know if you read through and you say well all these 00:19:38.440 |
tiny little details I'm not going to remember all of it and we probably won't but the uniforms 00:19:43.080 |
are usually used to distinguish the office of function of a person right and the splendor 00:19:48.860 |
of the office is also distinguished by the splendor of the uniform so think about I mean 00:19:55.160 |
think about what profession and for what purpose uniforms are used in in modern-day usage I 00:20:03.360 |
mean you could probably think of like officers police officers they wear a uniform right 00:20:09.080 |
in fact it's actually illegal to impersonate an officer right who else wears uniforms going 00:20:19.360 |
blank soldiers right soldiers wear uniforms doctors right at the hospital they wear uniforms 00:20:31.360 |
so why do they wear uniforms right to set them apart for what purpose because of the 00:20:43.400 |
work that they're doing right so because they say as an officer an officer shows up and 00:20:49.960 |
he's in plain clothing you know he doesn't he doesn't he isn't given the same kind of 00:20:54.160 |
authority because he's in his uniform we recognize his authority so when he speaks with authority 00:21:00.320 |
that uniform helps right because he represents not just himself he represents the authority 00:21:05.660 |
of the government and there are certain things that he can do that a normal person cannot 00:21:09.600 |
do and so he wears a uniform for that purpose in the army they wear uniform obviously for 00:21:14.840 |
the purpose of identifying them with civilians versus those who are soldiers so in in the 00:21:20.920 |
army do they do they all wear the same uniform no based on ranking they have different stripes 00:21:30.440 |
right different whatever it is you call it right and so usually the higher the rank usually 00:21:38.080 |
the the the unifier at least the formal uniform not in battle the formal uniform they wear 00:21:43.320 |
is a little bit more elaborate you know you don't have you don't have privates walking 00:21:48.840 |
around with diadems and things flowing all over and then the general walking around and 00:21:52.840 |
you know in in sweatpants usually the higher the rank the more presentation more glorious 00:22:00.480 |
is the uniform right and so that's what we see here where the first thing that happens 00:22:04.680 |
is they go through ritual cleansing and then there is a special guard that they put on 00:22:09.400 |
them to distinguish them from the unholy and holy from the common and the uncommon because 00:22:16.080 |
they are being separated from lay people because they're touching holy things and they represent 00:22:22.040 |
the things of God they needed to be ordained in that purpose so even within the priest 00:22:26.520 |
there was the garment was different between who the high priest and the low priest high 00:22:33.160 |
priest and then the regular priest right so the high priest garment was very elaborate 00:22:37.320 |
I think I might have a there you go that's the high priest and that's a regular priest 00:22:41.640 |
in fact the regular priest garment is usually was usually a lot more plain than that didn't 00:22:45.440 |
have any color like that one has right in fact I don't even think that's the regular 00:22:49.880 |
priest that that's what the probably the high priest had underneath all that other stuff 00:22:56.480 |
but I couldn't find pictures side by side but you just you know what I'm doing right 00:23:02.240 |
so the high priest garment was very elaborate right and he had a special thing on his head 00:23:08.480 |
he had a breast piece and he had all these different things that he wore so when a high 00:23:12.440 |
priest walked into the temple or to do any kind of service people would immediately be 00:23:19.760 |
able to notice that and not just not just him obviously any priest walk in to do the 00:23:24.440 |
work the people needed to recognize that someone who was set apart for this work has come so 00:23:30.080 |
they just kind of you know allow him to take lead and so that's what the the holy garments 00:23:36.080 |
were for okay Aaron's garments are first described again in great splendor compared to the other 00:23:44.080 |
priest the high priest garment drew attention to supreme dignity and holiness of the special 00:23:48.280 |
office Urim and Thummim literally means lights and perfection I was kind of debating whether 00:24:03.080 |
I should even share this with you today because I didn't want to get sidetracked but so many 00:24:10.000 |
people are confused about what it is and so I thought it'd be you know it it doesn't add 00:24:14.560 |
to the main teaching of their garment but I think for your curiosity I wanted to mention 00:24:21.040 |
it the word literally means lights and perfection and the reason why they didn't translate it 00:24:25.560 |
lights and perfection is because they don't exactly know like what the function was they 00:24:31.320 |
don't know exactly so they just kept it in Hebrew so the literal Hebrew words Urim and 00:24:36.960 |
Thummim and most scholars believe that they believe that it was some sort of holy lots 00:24:43.400 |
right and whether it was a dice or whether it was whatever configuration it was the high 00:24:49.800 |
priest or the priest the priest kept it in one of his side pockets and it was kind of 00:24:56.720 |
like remember the book of Acts I think I have the book of Acts here all right though okay 00:25:06.160 |
so remember in the book of Acts chapter 1 12 to 26 right what happens there Acts Acts 00:25:12.960 |
chapter 1 12 to 26 they're trying to replace Judas as the 12th disciple right I thought 00:25:28.680 |
I had the text here why don't you turn your Bibles to Acts chapter 1 and we're getting 00:25:32.720 |
a little bit sidetracked but I think this is so many people have asked me this question 00:25:38.680 |
I thought it'd be helpful for at least to touch upon it for a little bit so if you look 00:25:43.800 |
at Acts chapter 1 12 to 26 this is where they choose to replace Judas and then they have 00:25:50.000 |
a criteria that this man was going to do something very important they're going to replace the 00:25:54.880 |
12 disciple and the 12 men are going to be co-rulers with Christ in eternity in the kingdom 00:26:01.820 |
of God and so this was not just some random position this was going to be a very important 00:26:07.520 |
position in God's kingdom he was going to replace one of the 12 who's going to go out 00:26:11.720 |
and preach the gospel to the to the remotest part of the world so they couldn't have just 00:26:16.440 |
chosen anybody so the criteria was a man who was with the Lord during his life and then 00:26:22.160 |
he and then they had to meet this criteria so they had two people who met this criteria 00:26:27.980 |
right and who are the two who are the two people who met the criteria? 00:26:34.980 |
Barthas and Matthias right so among the two who was the one who was chosen? 00:26:45.880 |
Matthias okay so but how did Matthias get chosen out of the two? 00:26:51.240 |
Okay they cast lots what's what's casting lots? 00:26:54.640 |
Just roll the dice think about what this position is this is the 12th disciple who in eternity 00:27:04.000 |
is going to be one of the 12 rulers of his kingdom and they rolled the dice with this 00:27:09.040 |
guy that was basically umim and thumim when they weren't clear about God's will they rolled 00:27:16.800 |
the dice oh they say what that's a very strange part of God's commandment but this is the 00:27:24.840 |
thing that you need to understand that it what they did roll the dice but they didn't 00:27:28.960 |
roll the dice between should we worship God and Baal you know they didn't worship the 00:27:34.560 |
worship um roll the dice between you know what let's we're going to choose Matthias 00:27:39.560 |
and here's this drunkard who's hanging out at the you know hanging out at the at the 00:27:44.280 |
temple worship and in worshiping idols say which one does God want let's roll the dice 00:27:49.160 |
that wasn't the case both of them Matthias and Barsavas either one of them had a but 00:27:56.120 |
would have been a good choice because they met all the criteria but how do they choose 00:28:00.760 |
between the two so they rolled the dice now why would they roll the dice it doesn't say 00:28:10.480 |
but I could totally understand the wisdom behind that can you I could totally understand 00:28:19.600 |
the wisdom behind that because it was a choice between any one of these could be but because 00:28:27.320 |
because the end result was so important it needed to be solidified fairly and so later 00:28:36.300 |
on and say you know we thought Matthias and then you know eight people voted for Matthias 00:28:40.520 |
and then three voted for the other and then the three and the eight start arguing say 00:28:44.920 |
everything Matthias you know this guy's not very generous and he's kind of lazy and they 00:28:49.120 |
said I told you we should have chosen Barsavas and I'll bet you that that humanly as it's 00:28:55.160 |
just from my experience there would have been a division among the disciples like we should 00:28:58.360 |
have chosen Barsavas right again this is just my taking it my insight into it like I don't 00:29:06.280 |
think in God's wisdom in that situation it's better to be clear right that we rolled the 00:29:14.880 |
dice and the dice falls on Matthias and we declare that this is God's choice with definitive 00:29:22.120 |
action rather than say you know we all voted and we chose what was best we weigh the portals 00:29:26.820 |
and cons and then we decided that this was the guy who's a little bit better than the 00:29:30.200 |
other guy and then every time something goes wrong we question that decision so umim and 00:29:35.160 |
thumen was not used in the context where where it was unclear it was kind of in those kind 00:29:40.920 |
of situations where you wanted to solidify right this is God's doing where really it 00:29:46.800 |
could have been one or the other okay I'm gonna move on from that because so many people 00:29:51.920 |
ask this question so the rolling of the dice wasn't as just random chance as you think 00:29:56.600 |
it is it just God's will that that really could have been one way or the other it's 00:30:02.480 |
just to be solidified and say this is what God is doing instead of saying we did it okay 00:30:07.760 |
I'm just gonna leave it at that if you have any questions we can talk about it afterwards 00:30:11.400 |
okay Israel and the church are called a nation of priests so as a nation of Israel is ordained 00:30:18.780 |
for ministry we are also called the priest so it's not like we have nothing to do with 00:30:23.560 |
it all of this pertains to ultimately pointing to us so as Christians we are to be ordained 00:30:31.620 |
right as Christians we are to be set apart to declare his glory and the language over 00:30:38.320 |
and over again in the New Testament is to put on put on put off the old and put on so 00:30:44.360 |
a Jew would have easily understood this as the instructions that given in Leviticus right 00:30:50.240 |
so a common person because he was a Levite he would put on off his old clothes and he 00:30:56.160 |
put on his new clothes for the purpose of serving God right and so we used we see that 00:31:01.600 |
language again all over in Romans 3 14 put on the Lord Jesus Christ first that's only 00:31:07.440 |
five eight since we belong to the day let's be sober having put on the breastplate of 00:31:11.320 |
love and love faith and love Colossians 3 12 put on then as God's chosen one so over 00:31:16.920 |
and over again you see in the New Testament this language of putting on right so when 00:31:21.960 |
we think of putting on we think of just putting on clothes a Jew would have heard this easily 00:31:27.440 |
connected to what we're seeing in Leviticus it wasn't just a common person putting clothes 00:31:32.200 |
on so that they're not naked they're putting clothes on to set set them apart for God's 00:31:37.960 |
holy purpose right that we're like articles that are set apart for God's use 00:31:48.620 |
and then finally Moses anoints the tabernacle and Aaron with oil and so oil signified ordination 00:31:55.400 |
at that time so they use a special oil of God's blessing upon them 00:32:05.520 |
then we see in chapter 8 14 to 17 the sin offering for Aaron and his sons 00:32:13.600 |
so for God to be present for the worker of the priest to offer sacrifice sanctuary needed 00:32:17.320 |
to be purified that's the first offering commanded was sin offering or otherwise known as the 00:32:23.040 |
purification offering which would make perfect sense before anything else happens they needed 00:32:28.200 |
to be purified so the purification offering was the very first thing that they do so once 00:32:33.080 |
they are the priests are washed they put on their holy garments the first sacrifice they 00:32:38.060 |
give is a purification offering and then second one in verse 18 21 is the burnt offering for 00:32:45.400 |
Aaron and his son what was the burnt offering for general atonement right was it for very 00:32:52.280 |
specific sins or general sin general right it wasn't it wasn't just anything about one 00:32:59.240 |
particular thing that you did wrong it was just the totality of who we are we they're 00:33:03.160 |
repenting so that's why we equate that with justification justification isn't coming for 00:33:08.720 |
God and saying I'm sorry that I stole right I'm sorry because I shouldn't have done this 00:33:15.240 |
repentance when we first meet Christ is a repentance about who we are right and so the 00:33:20.440 |
burnt offering represented that it represented the general atonement for the sins of Aaron 00:33:26.240 |
and his sons and then again the instructions for this is more specifically prescribed in 00:33:32.520 |
Exodus 29 15 to 18 so we're not going to look at that but that's where it's found the more 00:33:38.240 |
detail and also Leviticus chapter 1 I miss something I don't have D huh okay well anyway 00:34:04.320 |
the Rams consecration offer for Aaron and his sons chapter 8 22 to 30 normally the blood 00:34:10.680 |
was sprinkled against all the altars but in this case some of it is smeared on the right 00:34:14.320 |
ear right thumb right toe and on the clothes of Aaron and his sons right which is kind 00:34:18.920 |
of strange this is only done in consecration of the priest the ears the thumb the toe and 00:34:27.480 |
the clothes what do you think what do you think that symbolized clearly the blood represents 00:34:35.600 |
what cleansing right purification cleansing so if their ear is being cleansed what is 00:34:44.840 |
that what do you think that symbolizes to listen right if the thumb is being cleansed 00:34:54.920 |
what do you think that represents purification of your work right so if the toe is being 00:35:01.920 |
cleansed right I mean it's kind of tied to your thumb but it's the work where you're 00:35:06.720 |
going right how you're living and then the clothes right in and of itself had to be cleansed 00:35:12.360 |
and sanctified so in a commentary new international commentary of the Old Testament this is how 00:35:20.480 |
Gordon Wenham explains it why should these points of his body be singled out for purification 00:35:26.480 |
it is an example of the part standing for the whole the right hand side was considered 00:35:31.280 |
the more more important of the favored side the priest must have consecrated ears ever 00:35:36.480 |
to listen to God's holy voice consecrated hands at all times to do holy deeds and consecrated 00:35:41.200 |
hands at all times to do consecrated feet to walk evermore in holy ways so again every 00:35:46.640 |
single one of these kind of symbolized an action or something that they needed to do 00:35:51.080 |
and that needed to be consecrated do you remember remember when Isaiah when he meets God in 00:35:57.160 |
Acts not acts Isaiah chapter 6 what happens to him he falls down in terror and then what 00:36:03.000 |
did you say I'm a man of unclean lips from a people of unclean lips so how does God prepare 00:36:08.600 |
him for ministry he sends his angels and he takes a hole and he touches his mouth like 00:36:19.080 |
burns his mouth and what did that burning of his mouth symbolized purification right 00:36:27.740 |
and why was his mouth purified why not his ears and why not his feet 00:36:37.260 |
because he was a prophet who's going to prophesy about God in fact Isaiah is probably considered 00:36:43.200 |
one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament because he speaks more about the coming of 00:36:47.640 |
Christ than any other prophet right remember what we talked about when we're studying Isaiah 00:36:53.000 |
Isaiah is considered the Romans of the Old Testament because the clearest presentation 00:36:59.540 |
of the coming of Christ is written in the book of Isaiah so Isaiah he says he when he 00:37:05.520 |
sees God the reason why he says I'm a man of unclean lips because he knows what's what 00:37:09.840 |
he's being called to do right you don't know the kind of foul things that come out of my 00:37:14.520 |
mouth you don't know you don't how can this lip proclaim your holy name and so God comes 00:37:19.920 |
and touches his mouth and cleanses and purifies him in order for him to do that work and so 00:37:24.960 |
the priests are being consecrated for the same purpose right but the priests work isn't 00:37:31.200 |
to proclaim the good news was it oh their work was to listen to God and be a mediator 00:37:40.360 |
and to work with their hands so their ears being cleansed their thumbs their toes their 00:37:44.720 |
clothes right because God is purifying them for the work that they're about to do just 00:37:49.560 |
like Isaiah with his mouth they were consecrated for seven days and obviously you guys know 00:37:57.720 |
the seven days symbolizes a time of completion for seven days they are within that they're 00:38:03.840 |
not allowed to come out and all seven days oh did I already put that there according 00:38:09.840 |
to Exodus 29 35 every day a bull was offered on each of the following following six days 00:38:42.840 |
okay all right there's a whole middle part that I didn't put up here okay 00:39:12.680 |
you're just gonna have to follow along okay do you have it see I'm just gonna read it 00:39:20.400 |
to you okay so Aaron's offering for himself and the people chapter 9 1 through 21 on the 00:39:26.360 |
eighth day Aaron was to begin his ministrial work as a priest okay on the eighth day Aaron 00:39:35.040 |
was to begin his ministry as a priest so for seven days they're inside six days bull is 00:39:39.520 |
bulls are sacrificed to atone for their sins and the purpose of these sacrifices be is 00:39:45.840 |
repeated twice in verse four and six that the glory of the Lord may appear to you so 00:39:50.680 |
twice he said all of these are happening for what purpose so that God's glory may be revealed 00:39:56.600 |
right let me ask you a question and I just wanted to think about it okay as much as you 00:40:09.480 |
want to know the Lord as much as you want him to answer your prayers and know the intimacy 00:40:14.760 |
is there any part that you play is there any part that you play that depends on you for 00:40:27.960 |
your intimacy with God I'm gonna answer that question for you absolutely absolutely if 00:40:42.400 |
we sit there kind of like well he loves me so much he died for me you know and why isn't 00:40:46.840 |
God appearing to me you know while we're never touching our Bibles never praying never you 00:40:53.840 |
know what I mean like living in obedience just kind of feeling bad about our sins and 00:40:58.720 |
just kind of passively just kind of like you know get me on the right boat and then hopefully 00:41:02.560 |
I make it over there and always wondering what's wrong what's wrong with other people 00:41:07.160 |
how come I don't feel fellowship you know is there is there a part that you play absolutely 00:41:17.240 |
when you feel disconnected with other believers how much of that do you play in that before 00:41:25.580 |
you start looking at other people and it's like all these people are not doing this and 00:41:28.440 |
those people are not doing that how much of that is because of you okay I say all of this 00:41:33.320 |
because he says all of these things he gives he said in order for his glory to come so 00:41:39.840 |
what if they didn't do it he couldn't come he wouldn't have come he said I want you to 00:41:45.840 |
observe what I am telling you because his whole reason was he wants to draw closer to 00:41:50.280 |
us why did he give the Bible to us it wasn't just for a security blanket the scripture 00:41:59.600 |
basically is a revelation of himself if the scripture is a revelation of himself and we 00:42:05.520 |
want to draw closer to God and yet we don't study the Word of God and we're wondering 00:42:09.360 |
why we're not drawn closer to God the answer is pretty easy right God gave you the path 00:42:16.360 |
to come and you're not taking it and you're looking for all kinds of other reasons why 00:42:22.160 |
why I don't feel close to God is there a part that we play absolutely right we can't say 00:42:29.120 |
you know the path to grace of the throne has been open to us and then and then wondering 00:42:35.400 |
why I don't get there on a couch watching TV complaining about how other people aren't 00:42:42.080 |
helping you get there right it's been given to us everything we need for a life of godliness 00:42:48.320 |
has been given to us in the knowledge of his son Jesus Christ right everything has been 00:42:52.720 |
given to us so the balls on our court it's in my hands if I want to there is no barrier 00:43:00.600 |
between me and God if I want to pry out to God I have access to God now I have access 00:43:06.320 |
to God I don't need you to get to God you don't need me to get to God you don't need 00:43:12.520 |
me to open up to you John chapter 3 and tell you what it said you have the Word of God 00:43:17.160 |
you don't need me I can help you but you don't need me right your friends can help you but 00:43:23.560 |
you don't need your friends so to think that you're not getting to God because of other 00:43:29.040 |
people and other things I said you've been given everything in Christ right the Old Testament 00:43:36.000 |
believers didn't have this access to God to get to have his glory even be in the midst 00:43:41.840 |
they had to go through all of this but all of this was paved by the blood of Christ right 00:43:48.080 |
so I mean even they they couldn't complain if you obey all of this he said I will come 00:43:52.840 |
and I will reveal my glory to you and they did it and when they did it the glory of God 00:43:57.240 |
came right but all of this has been purchased for us by the blood of Christ and the door 00:44:03.080 |
has been opened and now we have no excuse guess what read Hebrews chapter 10 because 00:44:09.880 |
the whole point of Hebrews chapter 10 is say if God did that for the Old Testament believers 00:44:14.560 |
how much more if you trample underfoot the Son of God after everything that he's done 00:44:19.520 |
he said it's not enough right how can every how can any believer in the New Testament 00:44:25.600 |
ever come before God and say I don't have enough right we have to stop looking to other 00:44:33.240 |
people and other things we have everything and more and then some to get to God the robe 00:44:39.200 |
it hasn't paid there is no barrier between God if I want to cry out to God I can do it 00:44:43.920 |
tonight if I'm wondering where God is I can go to him today if I'm wondering what he thinks 00:44:51.120 |
I can open up the scriptures right it's how everything that I have so all of this he says 00:44:57.200 |
has been open to us in order that he can make a dwelling D right or C these sacrifices made 00:45:04.240 |
to make fellowship with Holy God and his dwelling among his people possible the dwelling among 00:45:09.280 |
his people possible D Aaron's first offerings included all the major sacrifices in Leviticus 00:45:15.320 |
chapter 1 through 5 with the exception of the guilt offering and the reason why the 00:45:19.440 |
guilt offering wasn't sacrificed was because the guilt offering was a very specific offering 00:45:23.840 |
for a specific sin right for their ordination it was to cover all the general stuff I don't 00:45:34.040 |
have the D either priestly blessing of the people a after Moses and Eric completed all 00:45:39.840 |
the purification rituals and sacrifices what happens in verse 22 so let's let's go there 00:45:44.720 |
for the last part chapter 9 verse 22 to 23 and Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people 00:45:52.640 |
and blessed them and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and 00:45:56.960 |
the peace offering and Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting and when they came 00:46:00.680 |
out they blessed the people in the glory of the Lord appear to all the people just like 00:46:05.720 |
he said if you do all of these things he says I will come and reveal my glory and then when 00:46:11.120 |
they do it he comes and he reveals his glory in the verse 24 and fire came out from before 00:46:17.040 |
the Lord and consumed the burnt offerings and the pieces of the fat altar and when all 00:46:21.880 |
the people saw it they shouted and fell on their faces they basically the word fell on 00:46:27.280 |
their faces proskuneo in the New Testament means that they broke out into spontaneous 00:46:31.800 |
worship that's what happened when God's glory appeared right now here in the Old Testament 00:46:40.480 |
in order for them to come before God to worship they needed to go through all of this the 00:46:45.600 |
priest needed to be consecrated they need to put the right clothing on they need to 00:46:48.000 |
pick the right animals they need to cut it up and sprinkle the blood everywhere they 00:46:51.760 |
need to to be cleansed by their year their tongue their toes their and then they need 00:46:56.540 |
to make sure that the altar was cleansed they need to make sure that the proper sacrifices 00:47:01.120 |
were made sins were confessed the priest had the right garments on and they needed to be 00:47:06.040 |
done morning and night over and over they need to go through all these rituals constantly 00:47:12.320 |
in order for the glory of the Lord to appear so that they can worship God this is the only 00:47:16.480 |
way that they could worship God we come to the New Testament the only reason why the 00:47:23.200 |
glory of the Lord we're not in the presence of the glory of the Lord is because we don't 00:47:27.560 |
want to and that is the only barrier between us and God our own desires our own distractions 00:47:41.240 |
our own temptations we just don't want it we kind of want it but not really so the New 00:47:51.400 |
Testament for New Testament Christian there's not a single Christian who is lacking something 00:47:58.640 |
that prevents you from coming to God you're not lacking fellowship now some people's fellowship 00:48:05.080 |
may be better than yours you're not lacking leadership now some people's leaders better 00:48:09.200 |
maybe better than yours but according to scripture we have the glory of God in us so the only 00:48:18.520 |
reason why we don't experience this this drama that we see in chapter 924 is lack of will 00:48:28.280 |
right and that's what we struggle with our struggle right and and that's this is the 00:48:36.520 |
reason why we can't complain when you have a grumbling spirit right you said after everything 00:48:42.800 |
that God has done you say well Lord it's not enough it's because of this and because of 00:48:47.000 |
that it's basically come before God and saying it's not enough you know I need Jesus and 00:48:52.400 |
some other people I need Jesus and and better organization I need Jesus and better Bible 00:48:58.120 |
study no there is no barrier between us and God there is no barrier between us and God 00:49:08.200 |
and so what you and I need to be wrestling with every day is with ourselves you understand 00:49:14.760 |
what I'm saying our primary focus of frustration should be me not my wife not my kids not my 00:49:25.040 |
church not my small group not my friends not my circumstance not my job because if life 00:49:33.560 |
is in Christ and I have been given access to Christ the primary thing that prevents 00:49:40.320 |
me from coming to Christ is me nobody has changed me nobody has a gun against my head 00:49:47.560 |
nobody's holding my feet back it's just because we are tempted with a world and we have one 00:49:55.800 |
eye on the world and one eye on God and that's why we lack this fervency right I mean that's 00:50:05.960 |
just that's just our honest confession including myself that's our honest confession and that's 00:50:11.520 |
why it's important for us to come before the Lord you know like not frustrated with all 00:50:18.880 |
these other people but with myself right just like that sinner beating his chest right even 00:50:27.360 |
after all that you've given me I still struggle even even after the access even after taking 00:50:33.520 |
care of all of this like we're in a new covenant and he said we we don't have to do any of 00:50:38.080 |
this to get to God all we have to do is close our eyes and say I want you Lord right that's 00:50:43.120 |
all we need to do get in a room by ourselves and pray I want you Lord and then he says 00:50:48.800 |
you have access to me and then for us to not to do that and then complaining about other 00:50:55.200 |
people you think about it from God's perspective right in the New Testament whenever the glory 00:51:03.000 |
of God appears there's joy there's jubilation there's excitement there's fear there's generosity 00:51:13.040 |
there's kindness it was it wasn't discipleship and don't get me wrong the Bible does tell 00:51:20.520 |
us to baptize teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you right there is supposed 00:51:26.160 |
to be instruction they're supposed to be modeling they're supposed to be teaching all of that 00:51:30.200 |
is there but when you look at the New Testament we look at the Old Testament when God appears 00:51:37.520 |
people just change it wasn't because of years of discipleship and instruction and leadership 00:51:42.320 |
training and how to how to speak God's Word these people who are not generous became generous 00:51:49.280 |
people who weren't joyful all of a sudden was was filled with joy people were living 00:51:55.100 |
in fear and running around even as they're running for their life they're sharing the 00:51:58.880 |
gospel that's what happened when they were in the presence of God's glory it just happened 00:52:04.960 |
right and that's why I think you know whenever you travel you go to certain areas of the 00:52:10.480 |
world where people have nothing and all they have is intimacy with Christ and they are 00:52:16.520 |
so much more effective in everything that they're doing their fellowship is better their 00:52:22.640 |
evangelism is better they're more generous they're more sacrificial and just you just 00:52:28.840 |
see the fruit and I think like in John chapter 15 when he says you cannot abide you cannot 00:52:35.760 |
bear fruit unless you abide in me is it wow that's he really meant that because that's 00:52:40.840 |
exactly how it works right my point of all of this is is the same our primary objective 00:52:53.520 |
is to get to God because all the answers is found in Christ my joy is found in Christ 00:52:59.840 |
my security is found in Christ my deliverance is found in Christ so that's why we became 00:53:04.320 |
Christians because we believe that he is the author of life and that's why we confessed 00:53:07.840 |
our sins that's why we we draw near to that's what we come to church on Sunday right so 00:53:14.840 |
if if all life is found in Christ shouldn't be the greatest endeavor greatest purpose 00:53:21.260 |
and greatest pursuit of greatest energy and greatest money should be committed to drawing 00:53:30.760 |
near to Christ like no duh I mean nothing I said is so profound it's not profound you 00:53:42.960 |
learn this in Sunday school right it's just we tend to forget our biggest problem is is 00:53:52.840 |
we're tempted with the world and so we have a part of us that knows like okay answers 00:53:58.840 |
found in Christ but I want the world that's the problem right because we have that we 00:54:05.280 |
have the road I'm not sure if I want to take it today he's the answer and that's my life 00:54:11.320 |
and that's what I want but I want some of that too that's our problem right you look 00:54:17.960 |
in you know Acts chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit comes he comes in fire and then whenever his 00:54:25.600 |
appearance comes they fall down to the ground and worship God if you've ever experienced 00:54:33.460 |
like real worship and I'm assuming a lot of you have that's all you want right that's 00:54:44.520 |
all you want I mean that's been my experience and I know that many of you experience the 00:54:48.880 |
same thing like that's all you want all of a sudden you forget about your problems stress 00:54:58.240 |
what people are saying about you what tomorrow is gonna bring what people think like all 00:55:03.880 |
of that just dies in the presence of God and it's just nothing this doesn't seem to matter 00:55:09.920 |
I mean it's we still need to live and pay bills but it's just it just doesn't seem as 00:55:14.480 |
important when you're near Christ right and and we see that every time when they're near 00:55:21.240 |
Christ right Isaiah falls down just just falls down in worship Ezekiel falls down Acts 123 00:55:29.840 |
they're all everybody's living in all Matthew 17 the disciples when Jesus's glory is revealed 00:55:36.040 |
they fall down revelations 117 John in the face of his God's glory he falls down revelations 00:55:42.520 |
five the four beasts and 24 elders are constantly are bowing down prostrated in worship and 00:55:48.600 |
this is not God holding the neck and putting them down and say you better worship me it's 00:55:52.680 |
just in the presence of his glory they can't help it's they can't help but to surrender 00:55:59.280 |
so it's not a position of of where God's like forcing them out on their neck it's just they're 00:56:03.520 |
just like oh my god and they were in such awe of God you know there's like such awe 00:56:11.680 |
of God that their immediate instinctive reaction is falling down and worshiping the angels 00:56:21.720 |
fall down and they worship the Hebrews 1220 he said therefore let us be grateful for receiving 00:56:27.480 |
a kingdom that cannot be shaken this let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence 00:56:31.720 |
and all for our God is a consuming fire so let me conclude with this today if you are 00:56:40.680 |
a believer in Jesus Christ and your communion with God isn't what it ought to be I don't 00:56:49.560 |
care how great your marriage is I don't care how great your relationship is I don't care 00:56:54.800 |
how much money you're making if you're a true believer in Jesus Christ you are miserable 00:57:02.520 |
and you know it you know it you you may be working hard to make everything right but 00:57:11.760 |
your communion with God isn't what it ought to be inwardly you're you're miserable because 00:57:19.320 |
you know where life is and you're not going there if you're not a believer you may hear 00:57:27.200 |
all of this and say well that's a lot of talk but I don't know what you're talking about 00:57:31.280 |
but if you're a believer you know exactly what I'm talking about there is life in no 00:57:36.240 |
one else but Jesus Christ all of this drama is for a reason all of this drama is so that 00:57:44.920 |
when Christ comes so that these people would recognize that's what we've been waiting for 00:57:51.600 |
so that glory that they experienced that they would experience when Christ came but they 00:57:58.480 |
didn't experience him they should have instinctively recognized him if they were ever in the presence 00:58:02.440 |
of God's glory before Christ came they wouldn't recognize the glory that was in Christ remember 00:58:07.400 |
what Jesus said you don't recognize me because you never recognized my father you were never 00:58:13.360 |
in the presence of my father so you so now that I'm before you you don't recognize me 00:58:17.400 |
either so Christians who don't have an intimate relationship with Christ when Christ comes 00:58:24.200 |
you're not gonna recognize him either because you know you came to church but you never 00:58:30.640 |
had fellowship with him you don't understand right but if you're a believer I don't care 00:58:38.880 |
what you're entangled with I don't know like what things that you're concerned about what 00:58:42.760 |
you're praying about if you genuinely believe which I I believe that most of you are and 00:58:49.600 |
your primary pursuit isn't to be at the center of where he is at the core of who you are 00:58:56.440 |
you're miserable you might be blaming your friends your circumstance your kids but deep 00:59:07.120 |
inside at the core of who you are the Holy Spirit is groaning on your behalf working 00:59:13.520 |
to get you back to God right so sobering Leviticus is so sobering right it's also I don't know 00:59:26.200 |
how else to explain it if you've never experienced the glory of God come to the Lord in genuine 00:59:36.360 |
repentance maybe it's because you've never really repented maybe your heart and your 00:59:43.240 |
life has never been consecrated and so you learn how to play the game come to church 00:59:49.880 |
have the Bible go through the motions you learn how to play the game but you've never 00:59:53.520 |
experienced the glory of God so we talk about all of this and you're studying all of this 00:59:57.960 |
like you're studying some history but you don't get it right Christianity is not something 01:00:02.760 |
you can study and by knowledge and by effort to come to God only people who have been consecrated 01:00:11.480 |
by the blood of Christ can understand what I'm saying so if you've never experienced 01:00:16.520 |
that I want to encourage you right come to the Lord in genuine repentance to meet the 01:00:22.080 |
Lord Lord I want to know open my eyes to see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ right 01:00:27.920 |
repent and receive his forgiveness those of you who have tasted the goodness of God remember 01:00:34.720 |
what that tasted like compare that with what you're tasting now repent repeat and redo 01:00:46.320 |
what you did at first remember what he said if you do not I will take away my lampstand 01:00:52.400 |
and what is that lampstand it's his presence among his church it's his glory he said I 01:00:58.320 |
will with I will withdraw my glory if you continue to walk in lukewarmness let's take 01:01:08.640 |
some time to to examine to pray to be sincere and not to play church games but to but to 01:01:20.120 |
really come before the Lord I don't know where you are in your walk with God no I and I'm 01:01:26.680 |
not here intending to to like let's have revival but I know there's a lot of church games going 01:01:33.960 |
on in our lives and all of that adds to nothing but frustration right only really meeting 01:01:43.000 |
Christ is worth putting our energy into so I'm gonna pray for us I'm gonna put I'm not 01:01:48.880 |
gonna explain the verses I'm gonna let you guys take some time to discuss and pray but 01:01:54.320 |
I really want to encourage you to meet the Lord to hunger and thirst for righteousness 01:02:03.720 |
that can only be satisfied when you're in the presence of God and to persevere in your 01:02:09.200 |
prayers persevere and crying out and let God hear that this is more important to you than 01:02:16.520 |
anything else that you you are pursuing right now and let God hear that let God know that 01:02:23.200 |
so that he can answer you and satisfy you let me pray for us then I'll release you gracious 01:02:31.080 |
and loving father you know our weakness you know our distraction you know our excuses 01:02:40.280 |
Lord it may be strange to say oh or sometimes I look to these Israelites with envy that 01:02:50.240 |
even though they lived in danger and even in fear Lord God and yet they saw your glory 01:03:03.080 |
because of that glory they worshipped they rejoiced they lived and they were blessed 01:03:15.000 |
Lord we are on this side of the cross and we wrestle to live in your presence you've 01:03:22.560 |
given us access Lord God of the throne of grace you've commanded us to come to you Lord 01:03:30.480 |
with confidence you called us co-heirs you adopted us as your children and yet we struggle 01:03:42.560 |
Lord stir in us a hungering and thirsting for righteousness that our satisfaction may 01:03:50.160 |
come from you and you alone help us Lord God to cut through all the superficial things 01:03:57.000 |
that we've established in life all the fake securities Lord God that we lean on help us 01:04:05.400 |
to be emptied of ourselves that we may have you and you alone I pray father you would 01:04:12.400 |
anoint this time anoint our discussion anoint our small groups Lord God may it be a time 01:04:18.400 |
of refreshing we thank you father in Jesus name we pray amen