WEBVTT 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:04.719 Welcome to this week's message from the church at Chelsea Westover. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:10.800 Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth. 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.359 We pray that this message changes your life. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:17.600 Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:19.120 To camp around it. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:20.800 And then we talked about the walls. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:23.120 There's only one way to get into that tabernacle. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:25.679 You can't crawl over it, can't go under the walls. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:32.719 Even though they were just seven feet of fabric, God was protecting them and said, You come in by my prescribed way. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:33.600 And what was that? 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:35.439 That's the gate that we walk in. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.960 And uh when we uh walk into the gate, we understand it's a recognition of who God is. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:45.280 The first thing we have to do in approaching God is to just recognize Him. 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:51.439 There is a God, and there's a sovereign Lord, a consciousness that we're aware of, and we need God. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:52.799 We need to know the Lord. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:55.280 So that's a that's not salvation yet. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:03.520 That that gate that we talk about there is just a consciousness, an understanding to know there is a way to get to God, and I'm gonna find that way. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:12.239 And as soon as you decide to take that narrow path, you step inside the gate, the first thing you see is this great big old altar, and the altar means what? 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:13.359 Means death. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:17.519 It means that someone or something had to die. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.319 And for thousands of years, the Israelites were slaying lambs. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:25.599 120,000 lambs were slain on the Passover. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:27.920 22,000 bullocks were slain. 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:29.280 I can't comprehend it. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:30.879 I don't understand it. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.599 I can't even imagine the stench. 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.599 I can't imagine the guts. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:40.000 I mean, I've skinned out enough deer, buddy, uh, or brother Danny. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:57.359 And how and I'm telling you what, I've butchered enough hogs and uh and how and I've uh uh uh uh whatever you do to the cattle, uh uh man, what I'm telling you what, one bullock will raise a stench, I'm telling you what, that'll send you running. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.040 And I'm gonna tell you what, I don't, I I can't comprehend it. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:10.240 But that slaughterhouse of all those lambs and all those bullocks and all the turtle doves and everything else that had to be on that altar, I can't comprehend it. 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:23.039 But praise God for one sacrifice of one man in one sweeping act went to a cross and the goriest and most gruesome sight of all, when Jesus hung there on the cross, he said, This is the end of it. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:31.280 One more gruesome, gory sacrifice and slaughter of the Lamb of God will fix it all forever. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:35.680 And that's worth praising God for and thanking God for eternity. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:38.080 It was Jesus that was put on that altar. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.039 So when we come in, let's kind of give you a visual now. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:48.639 Uh when we come in through the gates on Friday, we're coming in and we're seeing the altar and being reminded of Jesus. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:50.639 If you want to kneel down, kneel down. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:03:03.599 If you just want to sit on the floor, if you want to stand there and you just reflect on Jesus, there's gonna be guides that'll be with each one of the stations that are helping you with some scripture reading and helping you with some prayer to get through these stations. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:05.360 And then you go from there to the labor. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:07.280 We're still in the outer court, remember now. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.280 We haven't gone into the holy place yet. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:12.800 The labor is for washing our hands, the cleansing. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:17.199 Once we get saved, daily cleansing, the priest had to go there constantly. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:25.759 I can imagine by the time they got done messing with all the bulls and all the rams and all the sheep and all the turtle doves, they need a washing. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:26.319 Amen. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:29.039 They needed some some little water. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:33.360 So they would over and they would cleanse themselves before they would go into the holy place. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:40.319 Now remember now, in this outer court, we assigned a person of the Godhead to that outer court. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:41.280 And who was that? 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:42.960 It was Jesus. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:44.479 He's the outer court. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:52.800 We also assigned, since the tabernacle of the Old Testament, was replaced by Jesus, he became the tabernacle. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.159 The word became flesh and tabernacled among us. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.680 He became the tabernacle. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:04.879 When he left, there was another tabernacle designated, because he said at the day of Pentecost, I'm sending the Holy Spirit that's not going to be beside you. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:06.960 The Holy Spirit's going to be in you. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.319 He's going to dwell in you, and we become the tabernacle of God. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:19.839 Paul the Apostle said, When this earthly house of this tabernacle that we dwell in is dissolved, we have an eternal home in the heavens, built not with hands. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.839 So we are going to change from this tabernacle to another tabernacle. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:25.439 And where's that other tabernacle? 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:26.319 It's in heaven. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:28.800 It's the same site that we have right here. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.040 This is a this is a copy. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.199 You say, why are you repeating all this stuff? 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:36.639 Because Brother David said, make sure to catch me up on this tonight, okay? 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:38.720 It's his fault. 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:43.040 No, we we reputation reputation really helps to cement it in. 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.839 We're getting a visual now because this is so vital. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:56.560 And when we when we uh uh come into the holiest of holies, we understand that we're going into another dimension in our body because God made us after his own image. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:57.920 We have three courts. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:01.519 We have an outer shell, which is our tabernacle that we live in. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:02.319 What is in there? 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:03.600 The spirit and the soul. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:10.399 So we are the the the tabernacle has three have the outer court, the inner court, and the holiest of holies. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:15.439 So also we, the tabernacle of God, have the outer court, the physical body. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:20.079 Jesus became flesh, God Emmanuel with us, incarnate Jesus. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:21.519 He's the outer court. 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:27.680 So when we come to the next step to the inner court, we come to another person of the Godhead, and that is what? 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:29.360 The Holy Spirit. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:32.160 When we leave the outer court, we are ready. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.439 Listen to me, folks, we are ready for ministry. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.040 I'm telling you what, when you get saved, it isn't over. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.240 Sometimes people get saved and they sit and they sour, like they say. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:51.120 We need, when we get saved, when we walk into the inner courts, it's time for service. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:55.839 That's where the high priest was, or that's where the priests were, and they ministered. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:56.639 They had bells. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:01.360 Get a chance to come over here and see the bells attached to the bottom of my little friend Levi here. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:10.879 And uh, in the bells, they were, there was no chairs in the holy place because they were busy ministering in three aspects, and we're going to talk about that in a moment. 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:26.560 But he was, they were constantly moving around, and the people outside, the children of Israel, could rest assured and have peace to know that there's something going on inside there, and their sins are being atoned for, and the priests are making intercession and bringing their names before the Father in heaven. 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:35.519 So they were interceding, and the Holy Spirit took the place of the high priest because he's the one that is working in the ministry today. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:40.720 He is the one that's moving about, interceding for us, making our prayers known before the Father. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:52.480 And when we come into the inner court, we have Jesus, our Savior, on the outer court, and then when we come into the inner court, once you get saved, you can't get saved without the Holy Spirit. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:57.439 He comes into your heart the moment you accept Christ because he's now starting to equip you. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:03.439 And Jesus said, When I go to the Father and send the Holy Spirit, greater works are you going to do because I go to the Father. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:07.439 So he's saying, My Holy Spirit inside of you is, oh, this is good. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:10.240 It's going to make all of you a priest. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:15.439 And every priest will be moving about doing ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.199 I might get some of this mixed up here and might be getting ahead of myself. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.199 Someone told me you talk too fast. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:23.279 And I said, No, you listen too slow. 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:24.800 That's the only problem. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.959 Uh what I'm what I what I want to do now is just these two poles. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:33.519 Everything you notice has poles on it because it was to be movable. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:39.680 And God's plan for Israel was that they were pilgrims and strangers, moving about. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.399 Uh, they were headed to the promised land. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:51.920 But God said, while you're in the wilderness, I not only want to dwell with you momentarily, I want to have a habitation with you, not just a visitation. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:58.079 So he came and dwelt with them and says, as you move through the wilderness, remember the big old cloud come down at daytime. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.959 When the cloud began to move, that was God's Shekinah glory. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:05.600 When the cloud began to move, it was assigned to Israel pack up things and get it ready. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:06.720 God wants us to move. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:12.240 The fire, pillar of fire by night, the cloud by day, move them on toward the promised land. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:16.959 And there were two poles, and they were always carried, like I said yesterday, by the priest. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:20.319 The work of the ministry is upon our shoulders. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:21.920 We are the priests of God. 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:22.959 It's ministry. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:25.120 No one is saved to sit in a church. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.040 Every one of you have a spiritual gift. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.000 You're employed by the Holy Spirit to do a work. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.519 Do you understand what employment means? 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:39.600 If I had a if I employed somebody and they didn't do anything, they wouldn't stay employed very long. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:48.080 I employed, I employ you to accomplish a task, to do a work, a job description. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:56.960 So when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit empowers us, and he sends us into the inner court to do ministry, and we're going to talk about that in a moment too. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:57.759 We'll get to it. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:06.799 When we're empowered by the Holy Spirit to go into the inner court and do ministry, he says, I will empower you and employ you to go do that ministry. 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:11.840 So I'm going to share with you tonight three main things that the priest does in that inner court. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:16.080 So inside the inner court, there's three pieces of furniture. 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:21.519 In there, our ministry is established around uh, first of all, the the lamp stand. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.120 And when we come in here on Friday night, the lamp will be burning. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:29.600 Matter of fact, it was the only light in the inner uh court. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:32.799 Uh and it was to be kept lit all the time. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:35.759 Someone asked me an interesting question on the way in today. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:41.679 They said if the if the brazen altar was made of achaea wood and they burn on it, why didn't it burn the altar up? 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:43.360 Don't ask me all these questions. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:47.600 I don't, I didn't make the rules, I just preached them, okay? 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:58.559 No, it was it was lined with with brass and and um and and the matter of fact, if God made the altar of paper, it wouldn't burn. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:09:59.360 Amen? 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:04.559 Because he's God, and God outlined this to be his according to his pattern. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:10.559 And everything that we're talking about, this tabernacle, is a copy or a symbol or a replica of what heaven looks like. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:13.600 So if you don't get a good visual of it down here, wait till you die. 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:17.039 I'll tell you, Granny's up there dancing around through this furniture right now. 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:17.919 I'm telling you what. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.320 She's celebrating, looking down on us and saying, Hey, why don't you pay attention down there? 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.000 You don't, you can't believe what I'm looking at up here. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:30.799 Man, that's just a speck, but man, when you get to see the real thing, you'll shout glory. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:36.639 It's looking and walking through the tabernacle that was established for it's an eternal reality. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:39.120 When we get to heaven, all these pieces are there. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:39.600 Why? 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:49.200 Because they're reminders that God sits upon a holy throne, and if we're gonna ever get to heaven, not one half of one sin could ever enter in or would corrupt heaven. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.799 There's got to be a purification for us to come to the presence of God. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.360 His holiness, we need to understand that. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:11:02.639 His holiness and his sovereignty and his and his might and his glory needs to be beheld by us when we come into his presence. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.480 And understand there's a path set. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:07.200 So in heaven, we'll be reminded of all that glory. 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:08.399 And it'll be Jesus. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:11.840 Every station we go will be Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.879 It's all about him and what he did on the cross. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.559 So we have the light, uh, the lampstand. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:24.480 We'll stop there at that prayer station and we'll thank God for the Holy Spirit that lights and illuminates our life. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.840 He gives us wisdom and he guides us and directs us. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:35.600 We are able to see because every all spiritual thing is foolishness unless it's unless it's spiritually discerned. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:37.679 The Holy Spirit has to show us truth. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:38.960 That's why you go out there. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.919 That's why the Jews are not saved today, because they're blind. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:49.200 Until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, and when the fullness of time comes, and God opens their eyes, they will see it. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:55.120 You can't talk a Jew into believing anything about Jesus today if God doesn't open their eyes. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:12:01.759 The messianic Jews cannot, I mean, when they get radically saved, I mean they're radically saved because they finally see it. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:05.919 The light comes on and they rejoice in what God has done through Jesus. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.519 But Holy Spirit's our light. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:08.960 We'll talk more about that later. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.600 We're just kind of setting a pace here, going through this. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.000 There's a table of showbread that we go to next. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:24.399 And I hope that worked all the details out on that, but the table of showbread had uh six loaves of unleavened bread here, and six loaves of unleavened bread here. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:27.440 It was one loaf for each of the twelve tribes. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:33.039 Uh the two separate uh tribes of Israel divided uh in their kingdoms there. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:34.320 Two two separate thoughts. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:36.720 What's what's the bread there for? 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:41.279 It's uh reminder of uh of uh the body and blood again of Jesus. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.480 The Holy Spirit doesn't speak of himself, he speaks of Jesus. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:46.559 He lifts up Christ and honors Christ. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:52.639 And the Holy Spirit says, go over there again and be reminded of the bread, the living bread, Jesus. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:56.480 Go over there and take that cup again and be reminded of the blood that was shed for you. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:58.159 We need that in our ministry. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:07.279 Uh and some churches do it every week, some churches do it every month, some churches have communion every two or three times quarterly, or sometimes even once a year. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:13.120 The Bible says, as often as you do this, you remember the death of Jesus Christ and his broken body. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:22.080 Uh so we'll have we'll have an opportunity of station there where you can come and and receive uh uh communion and be served communion. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:27.200 Um and then we come to the altar of incense, uh, the golden altar. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:30.480 And on this there will be incense burning. 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:51.840 And uh the fire on this altar, the incense altar, was taken from that altar, and never was there to be a fire started here by a match or some other re- Every fire that had to be started here had to come out of the altar because if any prayers are going to be answered and anything's gonna be done here, it has to start there at the sacrifice of Jesus. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:55.039 And that fire that was kindled there that was never to go out. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.440 Someone else, someone, someone also said, Well, that when they moved all this up, they keep the fire burning? 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.519 Yeah, yeah, it was never to go out. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:02.960 They kept the fire burning and out. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:03.679 How'd they do that? 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:04.639 I don't know. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:06.399 They just did it. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:07.279 They just did it. 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:11.679 They had a uh uh they just it was hot enough to keep them moving anyway, you know. 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.399 Maybe they were the first they were the first one in line, they set the pace. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:15.360 I I don't know. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:21.840 But they took the fire and they took the fire from there and put it onto here, and they burnt incense here, and you notice the horns. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.720 We've got horns on the on the on the uh brazen altar and horns on the golden altar. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:34.720 And you hear this statement taking hold of the horns of the altar in your prayer. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:41.519 Now, I I would I wouldn't suggest grabbing hold of these uh because the paint's not dry on them. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:46.399 I don't know what in the world happened, but I painted these five days ago and they're still sticky. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:47.440 So I'm gonna fix that. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:55.919 But anyway, those horns up there, when the priests come in, they would grab those horns and they would make intercession and prayers for the people. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:59.519 And they prayed and poured out the prayers with the incense. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:04.240 And the Bible says, your prayers go up before God as sweet-smelling savor to the Lord. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:09.519 So so all these are pieces of the furniture and what the tabernacle looks like. 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.080 And then we said about the three, the three stages. 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:19.120 We have the outer court, Jesus, we have the person of the Holy Spirit on the inner court, and of course, we're working to the Father, the very heart, the Spirit. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:25.919 In our physical bodies, we have the outer body, we have the inner uh soul, which is the intellect, emotion, and will. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:33.360 That's the inner court uh that the Holy Spirit's in charge of, and then we have the spirit that God placed within us, the spirit which is our heart. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:42.559 And that's what when the Bible says we we truly worship the Lord, we worship him from our hearts, uh, that means that we express from our very spirit. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:51.279 I mean, we come in communion, our hearts are connected with God's heart, our nature is the same, our personalities become the same, our attributes become the same. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:55.679 We become like the Father, we imitate the Father in every way. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:00.559 So that's that's just kind of a run through of what we're uh talking about here. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:04.480 So we have so so far, let's go to the outer court for just a second. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:06.399 In the outer court, all the work is done. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.159 You haven't done anything because uh to get saved, you don't have to do anything for that. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:10.960 What do you have to do? 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:13.679 You have to trust in the one that did the work for you. 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:16.480 So the outer court, uh, that's God's work. 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:23.600 But listen to me, when you step in the inner court, it's time to buckle up and do ministry. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:25.600 You say, What are we supposed to do? 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:29.039 Well, God says it's time to serve, it's time for you to say. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:43.840 If God uh serves and God gives sacrifice and and and uh builds relationship through the through the work of Christ, and we go to the inside the altar, uh the inner sanctuary sanctuary, and we have a relationship with God. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.600 Let me let me give you a little note here. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:49.120 Relationship always requires responsibility. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.600 You can't have relationship unless you have a responsibility. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:17:00.320 And responsibility simply means if you want to have a relationship with me, you I've done my part, now you do your part. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:07.599 And God, and no, we're not saved by our works, but when we get saved, you can't help but want to give back to God that gave so much to you. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:17.279 When you understand what's happened with the altar, you understand what happened with the blood of Jesus, you can't help but be a priest of God and go into the holy place and worship and serve God with that. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:26.720 Uh well, I'm gonna show you uh, if you have a Bible, and I was gonna put this up on screen, but I scrambled around trying to find my PowerPoint and couldn't find it, and that's that's fine. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:29.359 God didn't want a PowerPoint tonight for some reason or other. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:30.400 So that that's good. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:37.839 Well, you have a Bible, and uh that's the bet that's the best PowerPoint anyway, and it uh Exodus chapter 19, if you have your Bibles there. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:39.440 If not, just listen carefully. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.880 But Exodus chapter 19 talks about this. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:57.279 Uh he goes back to Moses when he talks about these are exact words from God to Moses, uh, and he was reminding Moses about what happened with Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt under bondage. 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:02.480 And uh it says, so Israel in verse 2, so Israel camped there before the mountain. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:08.400 Moses was about to go up to Mount Sinai and start getting orders from the Lord concerning this tabernacle and tent. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:22.240 And the first thing that was was going to happen here is Moses went up to God, and the Lord called him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.039 These are direct words from God. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:27.680 God spoke these words to Moses. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.039 What did he say to him? 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:29.839 Verse 4. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:32.319 Exodus chapter 19, verse 4. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:36.160 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:37.519 Listen very carefully. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:45.759 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on wings of eagles or eagle's wings, and brought you to myself. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:19:08.880 Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special notice these words, you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me, listen, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:13.279 These are the words which I shall speak to the children of Israel. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:26.960 God said to these people, in the midst of this jungle, in the midst of this desert, here is a ragtag group of people, discouraged and down and hungry and thirsty, slaves drawn out of Egypt. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:35.519 They were into a dirt and dusty land, and there they were dirty and tired, and thinking of themselves, what in the world is God doing to us? 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:37.440 Why did he pull us out of Egypt? 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:40.160 At least we had the leeks and the onions and the melons down there. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:46.559 But here we are standing dirty, we're hungry, we're tired, we don't have any strength, we don't have any power. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:47.759 God, what are you doing? 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:54.559 And God turns around and says, Moses, go down and tell those people, I'm going to make them a treasure. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:57.440 I'm going to make them a special people. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:02.160 I'm going to make them a group of priests of my serving. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:04.880 And I'm going to, they're not gravel and dirt. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:07.200 They are precious jewels in my sight. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:16.160 And every one of them, you remind them of their identity in me, because they are mine, I'll take care of them, I'll love them, and I'll empower them. 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:18.799 Okay, with that in mind, now take your Bible. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:19.920 This is wow. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.359 This is good, man. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.079 Peter, go back in the New Testament. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.960 Because people say to me, people say to me, you need to get out of the Old Testament, man. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:31.759 You're you keep relating things back in there. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:35.680 You have no right to assign what God said to Israel to the church. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:41.279 Well, if God assigned it to the to the church, then I have a right to also assign it to the church. 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:46.559 Go to 1 Peter, and we find that who is who's Peter writing to now? 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:47.920 Chapter 1. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.920 1 Peter. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:53.200 Or excuse me, chapter 2. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:55.279 Let me find it here real quick. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:58.880 Oh yeah. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.279 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.039 Now listen now. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.519 Let me stop for just a moment before we read it. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:09.359 Peter's not writing to the children of Israel. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:11.039 He's not writing to the Jews. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:17.519 He is writing to Hebrews who are converted now, born-again believers, and he's writing to Gentiles. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:19.839 He's writing to the Church of Jesus Christ. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.440 He mentions it over and over. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:23.359 There's no doubt who he's writing to. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:27.039 He's saying, I'm noticeing in verse uh one. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.079 He identifies who he's writing to. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:32.240 Let me get it here real quick. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:37.359 No, no, not there. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:38.720 Right here. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.839 Verse 1 of chapter, or 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:45.039 Who's he writing to? 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:52.400 To pilgrims of the dispersion of Galatia and Cappadocia and Bethythia. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.960 What he's saying now, listen very carefully. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.839 He's saying that there is a group of people. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:00.960 He's writing to a church that's being Persecuted. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:05.039 They are living under the hard rule and the persecution of Nero. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:18.480 And Nero, the emperor of Rome, has been laying upon them all this oppression and per matter of fact, they say that they took the bodies of Christians, Nero did, and lined his garden and made torches out of human torches and burned them. 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:24.079 They were persecuted, being killed and scattered now, as dispersed around over the nations. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:32.960 And now Peter says, I want to write to those ones and tell them, in the midst of their persecution, in the midst that they feel, where is God when I need him? 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:47.839 In the midst of when they're feeling just a ragtag bunch of people out there feeling like dirt and gravel, Peter writes to them and says, Hey, listen, guys, you that are being persecuted, you that are being, you that are being in bondage, I want to tell you, God's got a message for you. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.759 God's got a plan for you. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.079 God's got a ministry for you. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:06.720 Nero, in the time of Nero here, uh Peter makes a comparison. 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:13.279 Pharaoh, Israel, Nero, Christians. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:18.559 Persecuted Jewish people, persecuted Christians. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:27.119 Removed from your homeland, removed, scattered abroad, feeling hungry and deserted and tired and destitute. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:31.440 Christians that are feeling hungry and deserted and tired and destitute. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:41.359 He's writing to the ones that were feeling like they didn't have anything to offer to God and wondered, where is God in the time of perse in the time of persecution and trouble? 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:48.880 And then he writes to them and all uses almost exact, I mean, Peter was cheating a little bit. 00:23:49.039 --> 00:24:10.079 He was going back in and he was looking at Exodus and he was pulling some of those exact same phrases that God, listen to me now, God said directly to Moses, and now Peter's going in and saying, what God directly said to Moses about the children of Israel, I'm gonna say directly to you, the Christians of the New Testament church. 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:11.119 What did he say? 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:13.279 Chapter 2, verse 9. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:37.519 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness, called you out of Egypt into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, but now the people of God who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:39.839 Beloved, I beg you as what? 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:47.039 Sojourners traveling in a wilderness, traveling in a desert, traveling far from God, feeling like you're all alone. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:57.359 Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, and praise God, you serve with and serve God with the praises of your of your mouth. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:02.079 The pilgrims and sojourners serve God like Israel served God. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.319 You know what that says to me? 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:12.240 That says God is calling us, his people, to be just, you say, is it wrong to go back and relate it to the tabernacle? 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:13.440 Why would it? 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:24.720 When Peter said to the church, you are priests, you are a holy nation, you are a special chosen people for a special chosen job. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:37.359 Well, I'm going to give you a quick little outline here, and I won't take a lot of time with it, but now uh uh as as Peter uh writes this and he tries to assure them of their identity, he gives them several things. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:40.079 If you have a piece of paper and a pencil, you can write them down. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:43.839 But number one, they were a chosen, I'll just give them to you real quick here. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:46.480 They were, first of all, they were a chosen generation. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:50.000 I call it, I call it a particular people. 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.640 Number two, they were a royal priesthood. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:54.559 I call it a priesthood people. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:58.880 Number three, they were a holy nation, I call them a pure people. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:01.920 Number four, they were a peculiar people. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.240 And that doesn't mean they were weird or strange. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:09.200 Peculiar means they were a special, unique, distinct group of people. 00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:11.680 I call that the wonder people. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.400 And then to show forth his praises, I call that the praising people. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:20.079 And then they were pilgrims and sojourners, strangers in a land. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:21.119 They were pilgrims. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:22.960 So let me let me just tell you what we are. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:24.319 Let me just go down through it here. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:26.960 Number one, we're particular people chosen. 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:31.359 Yeah, and uh how many seen the movie Lion? 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.519 Anyone here see the movie Lion? 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.920 In that movie, what was his name? 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:40.960 Sor Sor Sor Soro. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.640 Uh, wait a minute. 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:45.519 Suro, okay. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:58.720 Suro uh was uh lost and uh removed from his family and found himself thousands of miles uh from home and then ends up in Australia, adopted out by a family. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:07.039 But he for 25 years could not get out of him, out of his soul, the desire to find his family again. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:10.640 He wanted to know and discover his roots. 00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:18.319 And I want to tell you, there's also a thing online you watch on television all the time about going into genealogy, uh generational type thing. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:20.559 Every one of us want to know who we are. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:22.640 It's God put that inside of us. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:28.079 There's a draw for understanding our identity, understanding who we are. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:33.359 And and the Bible says that God's first thing he says to us, I have chosen you. 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:48.640 There's also another scene in that movie where he says to his adopted, the mother that adopted him, and said, Uh, you should have uh you should have just had, do you say it that way, you should have just had your own children instead of adopting adopting us from uh from India? 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:55.839 And she said, It's not that I couldn't have children, I chose not to have children because I chose you. 00:27:56.319 --> 00:28:01.839 What a glorious, powerful illustration for us as God's people. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:06.079 God doesn't have to have us, he divinely chose us. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:13.680 It just makes me feel awesome to be able to know that out of all of God's creation, God chose me, chose me for what? 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:17.279 To be a priest for Him, to be a minister for Him. 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:17.920 I don't know. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:26.720 It just there's something about uh the Maslow uh uh pyramid, that hierarchy of human understanding and identification. 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:27.519 There's two things. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:32.880 We need to understand the work, our usefulness, uh, and we also need to understand our self-worth. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:34.799 It's just part of who we are. 00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:38.319 And God says, I loved you and I've called you and I've chosen you. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:41.359 You're my special people, and I've adopted you over and over. 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:42.640 And the Bible tells us that. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:45.200 He's that it just talks about our worth. 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:50.960 Number two, we're a royal priesthood, and a priesthood talks about our work. 00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:51.839 What do we do? 00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:56.400 In Revelation chapter 1, verse 6, it talks about this work that we're involved in. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:05.039 It also reminds us again of this relationship that we have with God through Jesus Christ, that we are called into this work. 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:10.400 And uh we're called as priests to be busy doing his work and fulfilling his ministry. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.279 So we are called in this work as priests. 00:29:13.359 --> 00:29:18.960 We're also called a holy nation, we're a pure people, so we come and we wash ourselves and we get ourselves clean. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:25.920 We're also a peculiar people, and we have this wonderful relationship with God, so that God has said, You're very special to me. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.680 And number five, we're also to be showing forth his praises. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:33.680 So one of parts of our ministry is to be able to worship God and praise God. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.359 I'm gonna give you three things that a priest do, and then I'm gonna close with a story. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:40.400 This story's for Harry here tonight. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:43.599 Uh three things a priest does. 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:49.279 A priest, and it's our ministry as well, we bring God to the people. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:52.240 That's what the priests were in the inner court doing. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:57.279 How many times did Moses go to God and say, God, please don't destroy these people? 00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.519 God, please love these people. 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:06.079 I know they're wretched, and I know they're sinners, and I I know they're brain-dead, but God love them anyway. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:13.279 You know, our job, there's a whole lot of people out there in our community and around us, maybe even family members are unsaved. 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:18.880 And they need someone to bring God or bring them to God and bring God to them. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:21.359 There's that's the job of the high priest. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:28.480 We're supposed to be able to bring the people's needs before God and also bring God down to the people. 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:34.160 The word priest is pontiflex in the Latin, which means bridge builders. 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:45.519 So we're what we're supposed to do is be able to, uh, since we have a road, since we're the priests and we have the inside track to God, we're supposed to take the needs of the people into God. 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:54.640 And that's what also uh the priests were doing constantly by taking the blood of the animals and so on, and and going in, they were going in on behalf. 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:56.000 And that's what Jesus did. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:57.680 He became our advocate. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:08.000