Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000014
|
00:12 Welcome to Anchors of Truth,
00:14 live from the 3ABN worship center, 00:17 the sanctuary series with John Bradshaw. 00:22 Well welcome to Sabbath morning 00:24 and we are here at the 3ABN worship center 00:28 where the Thompsonville 00:29 Seventh-day Adventist Church meets every single Sabbath. 00:33 And this morning we are having church. 00:37 Well we are having church 00:38 and we're gonna have a great service 00:40 because we've already prayed 00:41 and asked for the Holy Spirit to be here. Yes. 00:43 And Haley Kay is here today this, 00:45 so some of you if you're wondering 00:47 this is my little granddaughter that 00:49 you've seen on Kids Time. 00:50 She suddenly grown, not suddenly 00:52 but Haley Kay you've grown up honey, 00:53 how old are you now? I'm 17. 17. Wow. 00:56 Where do you go to school? Highland Academy. 00:58 Where is that? In Portland, Tennessee. 01:00 Oh, okay. And you're of what year? 01:03 I'm junior. Junior. Okay you still have Jesus? 01:06 Always. You still have Papa? Of course. Okay. 01:09 Alright. We can move on now, okay. 01:11 You got to get them while they're young, 01:13 you get them, you start this when they're young 01:14 and tell them they love papas, 01:16 so then but time they're older 01:17 they still say we hope that main 01:19 but they still say well I love you 01:20 and all the kids very much and we're glad you here 01:23 and Jim invited me up a while ago 01:25 and we say well we just bring up Haley 01:27 and let her say hello to our audience 01:29 since you're not here very often. 01:30 We're glad you're here today honey, 01:32 I'm proud of you. Absolutely, 01:33 and on Sabbath it's family time, 01:36 it's time when our 3ABN family comes together. 01:39 Pastor John Lomacang and Angie his wife 01:43 are sitting right on the front row 01:45 and they'll be here 01:46 for the later part of this service today, 01:47 which we've already go off 01:49 the air by that particular time. 01:51 But we welcome you if you're ever in this area, 01:55 you come here and worship with us on the Sabbath. 01:59 And I know that the Lord will bless you. 02:02 We have churches all around the country 02:05 that are actually watching this live right now 02:08 and this is their church service 02:10 and so we were so happy to have them join with us. 02:14 Well before we go further 02:15 would you lead us in a word of prayer? I will. 02:18 Heavenly Father, we thank you 02:20 for your many wonderful blessings and we thank you 02:22 for life and health and strength 02:24 and we thank you for your Sabbath 02:25 that you once a week allow us 02:27 and have directed us to come and meet 02:29 in your presence and be with family, 02:31 brothers and sisters of like faith and Father, 02:34 today we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit 02:36 upon the service on the speaker 02:38 Brother Bradshaw we pray. 02:39 Father you would continue 02:41 to fill him with the Holy Spirit; 02:42 you give him power and wisdom that's only 02:45 discernible through the Holy Spirit. 02:46 And we pray for each and every viewer 02:49 that's watching, we know that Satan is out to steal, 02:52 kill and to destroy but we also know you've told us 02:54 greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world. 02:58 And you told us you come to give us life 02:59 and give it more abundantly. 03:01 Today we thank you for being alive 03:03 in these closing moments of earth's history 03:05 to be a part of getting this great message 03:08 into all the world that you love us, 03:10 you died for us, you made a plan of salvation 03:13 and you're coming back very soon 03:14 to claim each and everyone of us 03:17 as your own for eternity. 03:19 All we have to do is make the choice 03:22 and accept your free gift of salvation. 03:24 We pray for each viewer today 03:26 that before this program's over, 03:28 if we haven't done that we will resubmit, 03:30 recommit our lives to you, in Jesus name we pray, amen. 03:34 Amen. Well Danny I know that both of us 03:36 have been getting reports from around the world 03:38 that this series on the Sanctuary 03:42 has really been well received. 03:44 The speaker, new speaker director 03:47 of "It is Written" Pastor John Bradshaw 03:50 is the speaker and it is very evident that this 03:54 is a man who knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ. 03:57 And as he has presented the message 03:59 of the sanctuary it has uplifted Jesus 04:03 and the cross of Christ in a beautiful, beautiful way. 04:08 And before he comes to speak to us today, 04:11 somebody by name of Melody Firestone, 04:14 I think you know who she is, is going to be coming 04:17 and singing for us. And she is going 04:19 to sing a song, Melody, 04:21 come right on in, yeah, 04:24 you're going to sing the song, 04:26 We Have This Hope, but it's a different. Yes. 04:29 It only has the same title as another song 04:33 that we've heard. And we just pray 04:36 that the Lord be with you as you bring us this song. 04:39 Thank you. Alright. 04:57 The saying that what doesn't kill us makes us strong 05:04 And I've heard it's always darkest before the dawn. 05:11 But all I know is that God's promises are true 05:19 And he only wants what's best for you 05:25 We have this hope that all hurting will be gone 05:32 We have this hope that all tears will be left behind 05:40 I know down here life is hard and the world is so unkind 05:48 But hold on because we have this hope. 05:59 Everyone of us has heartaches and trials. 06:05 But remember we're only here for a short while 06:14 Sometimes I feel I've had more than my share 06:21 But he won't give us more than we can bear 06:27 We have this hope that all hurting will be gone 06:34 We have this hope that all tears will be left behind 06:43 I know down here life is hard 06:47 and the world is so unkind 06:50 But hold on, because we have this hope 06:57 And this hope for us is Jesus 07:11 So hold on because we have this hope. 07:36 Good morning everyone. 07:37 Good morning! Blessing to be here. 07:40 Blessing to see you here today. 07:41 You know what I believe, 07:42 I just believe that where ever you are 07:44 when it's the Sabbath, it's a great day. 07:45 You agree with that? I just think it's a great day. 07:48 We read in the Bible that John was in the spirit 07:52 on the Lord's Day. So I think we can expect 07:55 that this being the Lord's Day, 07:57 the Holy Spirit will be present with great power. 08:01 There's really only one thing stopping 08:03 God from blessing us as much as He wants to bless us 08:05 and that's us. Now you know, 08:07 you make emphatic statements there's only one thing, 08:10 there's always somebody is willing to, 08:12 I can think of another, but you get my point. 08:14 And if our hearts are open and our minds are open, 08:18 there's a willingness in our heart and we say Lord, 08:21 it's the Sabbath come on bless my life. 08:23 It's not that God is some kind of Grinch 08:26 who doesn't want to pour out His blessing. 08:28 He's looking to lavish His blessing upon us. 08:32 And today as we continue in our study series 08:36 on the sanctuary we are studying 08:39 the sanctuary liberality. 08:42 Anchors of Truth and if there is an 08:43 anchor of truth it is that there is a sanctuary 08:47 where we have a high priest 08:49 and if you were to stop and think about Christ 08:51 our high priest in heaven's sanctuary, 08:53 you will see that Christ's ministry 08:57 and Christ's ministration and God's goodness towards us 09:01 is characterized by liberality, generosity, extravagance. 09:09 I say that with your permission. 09:10 I just want to mention one thing I don't think 09:12 I've told you this before but I wanna let you 09:15 know that at the It Is Written website 09:18 I have a daily devotional it's only this long, 09:20 once you up your day watching and listening to it, 09:23 it's only, it's 60 seconds long 09:25 and I've been surprised at how 09:29 much you can say in 60 seconds 09:30 in fact I read It Is Written Facebook page, 09:35 a lady who I'm gonna suggest 09:38 this comes from her sense of humor. 09:41 She wrote, she posted there something like 09:45 when he was in Collegeplace Pastor John 09:49 would speak for an hour. 09:50 I'm amazed he can speak for only 60 seconds. 09:57 I'm sure she was just joking, I'm sure. 10:01 Speak for an hour. 10:04 Sometimes I go close to an hour, 10:07 but anyhow it's a daily devotion 10:08 where the whole idea is to show how 10:10 a Bible verse and it's a different verse each 10:12 day for the most part how that verse 10:15 can be a blessing in your life today. 10:17 You know what it, let me just 10:19 digress before I undigress. 10:21 The Bible is this wonderful, wonderful book, 10:25 1189 chapters 66 books inside this one book 10:29 and it's full of verses. 10:33 But how do we take those verses and say Lord, 10:36 how can this be a blessing that verse 10:39 that helped me today. 10:41 You know there are times when along the way 10:43 you need the word of God, a certain verse 10:46 to be a blessing and a help and 10:47 an encouragement to you 10:48 and so that's what our devotional it's all about, 10:50 every word as in Matthew 4:4 it is written, 10:54 man shall not live by bread alone 10:55 but by what? Every word, that's right. 10:58 So check it out on the website www.itiswritten.com. 11:01 And it's right on the front page 11:03 you can subscribe to have it 11:05 send it to your mail box everyday. 11:07 It will just arrive right there and you can 11:09 watch it right from wherever you get your 11:11 email without having to hopple around 11:12 the Internet and I think it might be 11:15 a blessing to you, something else I would add 11:17 is that we are constructing this in such a way 11:20 that it's user friendly what I mean is 11:23 if you were to say to your neighbor 11:25 across the street, I found 11:28 a little daily devotional that I think 11:30 might be a blessing to you, 11:31 we're not gonna blow your neighbor out of the water. 11:33 This is not heavy artillery, even though 11:38 I believe the whole Bible as heavy artillery 11:40 if you know what I mean, 11:41 it's all powerful we're not taking these 11:43 60 second bites to attempt to write 11:47 the wrongs of every individual there ever was. 11:49 We're lifting up the word, lifting up Jesus, 11:51 knowing that if He is lifted up, 11:53 He will draw all people to himself. 11:55 I don't wanna let you know kind of what 11:57 that's like subscribe, let your neighbors know, 11:59 we have family members. 12:01 I don't think they will ever go near anything 12:04 spiritual and they're watching it 12:06 everyday and saying, wow. This is a blessing. 12:09 I like that. So pray for us 12:12 that we can encourage people and the Lord 12:13 this way and others. Well let us pray now 12:16 expectant that God will bless us mightily today. 12:20 Our Father in heaven, 12:22 we come to you in the name of Jesus today. 12:24 And I'm not going to ask you to send your 12:27 Holy Spirit to be in this place. 12:28 Because this is your place, 12:31 your spirit is already here, 12:35 I pray instead that you would touch 12:38 our hearts in such a way that 12:40 we can receive you, 12:41 that you would open up our minds 12:44 in such a way that we will hear you. 12:47 And that you would touch me in such a way 12:52 that the failings and frailties of fallen humanity 12:56 would not impede the moving 12:59 of your Holy Spirit today. 13:01 We come to you today from our very 13:04 backgrounds with our various perspectives, 13:09 with our sundry hassles and our assorted hang-ups, 13:15 we pray Lord that in spite of ourselves 13:18 you would bless us richly and be glorified, 13:23 we thank you, confident and we pray today 13:28 in Jesus name please join me and say, amen. 13:37 How would you define generosity? 13:43 If you were out to lunch, sorry, 13:46 if you were out at lunch, being out at lunch 13:54 and being out to lunch two different things. 13:56 If you were out at lunch and somebody pulled out 14:00 their wallet and said let me get that. 14:04 You would say well you would probably say oh, no. 14:07 Because that's, that's culturally appropriate 14:10 thing to say oh no. By the end if they impressed 14:13 or pressed you would say well thank you 14:15 and then you would think now that's what, 14:18 that's generous, that's kind, generous. 14:23 A few years ago Kevin Salvin and his 14, 14:26 his then 14 year old daughter Hannah 14:29 were stopped at a traffic light 14:31 in their home city of Atlanta, Georgia. 14:34 Hannah noticed a homeless man panhandling, 14:38 hoping to get food or money, 14:40 so that he could buy food. 14:43 And then she noticed right near that homeless man, 14:46 a lake model Mercedes car idling at the light. 14:50 And she turned to her father and she said daddy, 14:55 if that man driving that car chose to drive 14:59 a less expensive car then that homeless man 15:05 might have money to buy food. 15:07 And dad, nodded, didn't think too much 15:10 of it kids will say what kids say 15:12 when they have time to think about 15:14 what they're seeing around them. 15:16 But evidently that whole idea struck a chord 15:20 with young Hannah, 15:21 she unable to let it go very easily. 15:23 Now the family had been volunteering 15:26 at a soup kitchen for a number of years. 15:29 So Hannah's mind-set was about 15:31 helping others and endeavoring to lift them up. 15:36 She gets home another conversation takes place, 15:41 she says to her mother, why do we live 15:44 in such a big house? House was huge. 15:48 Huge backyard, it had an elevator going 15:51 from one floor to another floor, 15:52 house was worth $2 million. 15:54 She said why do we live in such a big house? 16:00 I'm not sure what her mother said but then 16:02 Hannah went on a campaign trail 16:03 and she said we don't need to live in such a big house. 16:06 This house is way to big for us, 16:07 you can get lost in this house. 16:08 The mother in frustration finally said 16:11 what do you want me to do? 16:12 Sell the house. 16:18 And that got them thinking. 16:19 And before long the Salvin family 16:22 had made the decision to sell their house 16:25 and move into a house at half the value. 16:30 Now we're not gonna feel too terribly, 16:32 sorry for them, they ended up moving 16:34 into a $900000 house. It's not a palace, 16:37 it's not a castle but it's pretty difficult 16:39 to be uncomfortable in a $900000 house. 16:42 So they were comfortable but no longer did 16:44 they have the elevator, their backyard 16:46 was 1/10th of the size of the backyard, 16:48 you couldn't run off and hide in fact they said 16:50 that was nice you could move from room to room 16:53 and see people. They liked that. 16:55 They cleared $800000 on the sale 17:00 of their former house and purchase of their new house. 17:02 And they chose to take that $800000 17:06 every last cent and give it away. 17:10 They said we just don't need it 17:12 and they chose to help poor people in Ghana, 17:17 West Africa. Lift up their lives, 17:20 bless them and help them to I'm gonna say 17:24 get ahead, that help them. 17:28 They said they felt so good about that. 17:30 I'm saying if got a $2 million house 17:34 and you sell the house and buy house for 17:38 half a value and give away $800000. 17:43 I'm saying that's generous, 17:44 would you agree with that? 17:46 Ain't no question about that, that's generous. 17:48 Now you might say well they're gonna miss it. 17:52 Well they're still got plenty money, 17:54 well you do the same thing in your sphere 17:57 and we'll say the same thing about you, 17:59 that's generous. No one held a gun to their head, 18:04 no one had their arm twisted up behind their back 18:06 they just did it out of the generosity in their heart. 18:09 There was another fellow named Tom Shay. 18:13 He said that when he graduated from college 18:15 God pointed out two things to him. 18:16 One that God had a heart for missions 18:20 and for other people and two that Tom did not. 18:24 And Tom said that's not right. 18:25 He started to get involved with an 18:27 international missions and a development group. 18:30 And he started giving the way money 18:32 that he figured he didn't need. 18:33 Now he is now an executive with a technology firms 18:36 still a young man and he is mid to late 30s 18:38 I believe. But he committed along with 18:41 his wife to live at or below 18:44 the national median income level. 18:48 Which means that he and his wife 18:50 have chosen to live on $38000 a year 18:54 and give away the rest of his $200000 plus income, 19:00 just give it away. 19:01 They have chosen to live in the second 19:05 poorest neighborhood in Los Angeles County. 19:08 They don't have to, no one forced them, 19:11 but they said we can get buy on less 19:14 and we can bless others with the rest. 19:18 Generous, oh yes you bet very. 19:23 Now as generous as that might be. 19:25 We're gonna study today 19:28 the subject of the sanctuary, 19:30 the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary. 19:33 And we are going to see that as generous 19:37 as someone might be, it was said some years ago 19:40 that Ted turned a pledge $1 billion 19:45 to get to the United Nations 19:46 to help them with various projects around the world. 19:48 You might say well he's a wealthy man 19:51 but that was 1/3rd his income and matter how 19:54 wealthy the fellow is. 19:56 A billion dollar is a billion dollars, 20:01 it's extravagant. Yet as we look at the 20:04 plan of salvation today as we look at the 20:06 sanctuary today we're gonna come face to face 20:09 with the inescapable conclusion 20:10 that God is extremely generous. 20:14 God is extraordinarily good, 20:18 God is extravagantly kind and gracious 20:23 and he doesn't need to be. 20:25 In the beginning God created the heaven 20:27 and the earth; it wasn't too long 20:29 before the two people that he had placed 20:30 in the Garden of Eden had fallen into sin. 20:33 They were banished from the Garden of Eden. 20:36 They were no long clothed with that robe of light. 20:39 They were now guilty of sin 20:42 and were separated from God, 20:44 now they must till ground that would 20:46 bring thorns and thistles. 20:49 Now they would eat bread in the sweat of their face. 20:52 Eve would now bring for their children in sorrow 20:55 and yet rather than casting them off. 21:01 God said, I know what I will do 21:03 let them make me a sanctuary 21:07 that I may dwell among them, 21:10 that's like somebody saying I want to move 21:13 into the most disgraceful part of town 21:17 that I can, the most distasteful to me 21:20 part of town that I can find, 21:21 so that I can be a blessing to others 21:24 except its way beyond that, 21:26 God said, let them make me a sanctuary, 21:28 I will leave this fabulous heavenly dwelling place 21:32 and come down there and live in something that 21:34 human beings made, that people constructed, 21:38 I'll come down there so I can be 21:42 in the midst of people who need grace. 21:46 They constructed a portable dwelling place 21:49 as they wandered through the wilderness, 21:50 this very prophetic group of individuals, 21:52 the nation of Israel wandering here 21:54 and they're, they moved the sanctuary with them. 21:57 So God could always be in their midst 22:00 wherever they were. 22:02 The Book of Hebrews says that the earthly 22:04 sanctuary was patterned after the heavenly sanctuary 22:07 and that the sacrifices of the earthly sanctuary, 22:12 daily offerings and sacrifices and so forth. 22:15 That these things were shadows 22:18 of what took place in the heavenly sanctuary 22:20 or of what took place 22:22 in God's great plan of salvation, 22:24 the two weren't exactly alive don't go there. 22:28 But the earthly sanctuary was modeled after 22:30 it was patterned after the heavenly sanctuary. 22:35 Now the sanctuary down here on earth, 22:38 this was where the sinner would bring his offering. 22:40 Now there are all kinds of offerings, 22:41 they were burnt offerings and peace offerings 22:43 and meat or meal offerings 22:45 and there were sin offerings and trespass offerings. 22:48 There were all offered down there 22:50 and they all meant something. 22:51 Psalms 77 and verse 13 is an interesting verse it says, 22:55 Thy way O God, is in the sanctuary. 22:59 You know if people who knocked God, 23:02 if people who criticized God, 23:04 imagine criticizing God like the grain of sand 23:07 criticizing the beach. 23:08 If people who were down on God, 23:11 familiarize themselves with the services 23:14 of the sanctuary they would see wait a minute 23:16 this God is a good God, He's a great God, 23:19 He's a generous God, His way is revealed 23:22 to humanity in the sanctuary. 23:25 The plan of salvation was unfolded there 23:27 for the children of Israel 23:28 and they say there's a God of goodness and mercy 23:31 who purposes to save His people from their sin. 23:37 And they had to look into that sanctuary service 23:39 and be impressed that God was love. 23:43 You know I read where one offer that I 23:44 respect very much said the correct 23:47 understanding of the ministration 23:49 in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith, 23:54 isn't that fascinating. If we can wrap our minds 23:59 a little bit about around what Jesus is doing 24:02 for us in heaven, this is the foundation of our faith. 24:07 Isn't that something? So we look into the 24:10 sanctuary and we see demonstrated 24:13 God's extravagance. Now I don't mean 24:16 want and wastefulness I don't mean that. 24:18 I don't mean these extravagant sheiks in 24:21 the Middle East to buy themselves cars 24:23 made out of solid silver whatever it is, 24:25 I don't mean that. But I mean love, 24:28 demonstrated powerfully. 24:31 The Bible says while we were yet sinners. 24:36 Christ died for us. Holy God, how Holy? 24:43 I don't even know. Other than to say 24:47 perfectly holy. In Him no taint, 24:52 no suggestion of the slightest imperfection 24:57 and that while all we were rebels, God died for us. 25:03 Christ did. The word offering represented among 25:07 other things, total consecration 25:09 Jesus gave himself totally for us. 25:11 Going to the cross Jesus demonstrated 25:14 what that story was all about, 25:16 there was the story that he told 25:18 about a man who discovered there was 25:20 treasure in a field, he said I've got to 25:22 have that treasure. I will let nothing 25:24 stand in my way of having that treasure. 25:26 I will sell everything I have, 25:29 I value the treasure so much, I'll get rid of it all, 25:33 so that I could take the money 25:35 by the field have the treasure. 25:36 Now we say that us going off Jesus giving everything, 25:39 so we can have Jesus, that's right. 25:41 But flip that around that's Jesus saying 25:44 I see treasure there. 25:45 You might see fallen sinners 25:48 but I see what can happen in their lives 25:50 through the grace of God I'll give 25:53 everything so I can have them, 25:56 the treasure, the pearl of great price 25:59 that God so loved the world. 26:01 We struggled eyes, I'm gonna be honest with you, 26:05 I struggle sometimes to understand love 26:07 so deep I may not be able to understand 26:11 that perfectly, but let me tell you what 26:12 I accept it totally. And say thank you Lord. 26:15 Burned offering a voluntary offering 26:17 was a sweet savor to God, 26:19 the Bible says in book of Leviticus. 26:20 It's signified a person bringing his or her 26:24 entire life to God. Well you heard what 26:28 Paul said haven't you? I beseech you therefore 26:30 brethren by the mercies of God, 26:32 that you present your bodies a what? 26:34 a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God 26:39 which is your reasonable service. 26:41 Our lives ought to be a burned offering before God, 26:43 that means we give God everything that we have, 26:46 everything that doesn't mean God wants to 26:48 take away your wealth and make you poor, 26:50 that doesn't mean God wants to take away 26:52 your talent and make you dull, 26:54 that doesn't mean God wants to take away 26:56 your intellect and make you little lower down 27:00 on the IQ scale that means God wants to 27:02 take your gifts, your blessings, 27:05 your capacities and bless you in them, 27:08 use you in them, employ you in his service in them. 27:12 We turn it all the way over to God and God says 27:16 I will take that and make something great 27:18 like a little boy who said got word to Jesus one day. 27:21 Don't laugh you can use this, 27:23 I know there's a big hungry crowd here 27:25 but I've got five loaves and two fish 27:27 it's all I've got and I'm hungry 27:29 but I'm willing to give it to you 27:31 and Jesus said thank you very much pray, 27:34 blessed it, distributed it and you think that 27:37 boy had enough food to eat that day? 27:39 Baskets of food were left over. 27:42 He went home as full as a tick. 27:44 His mother said you need to eat supper. 27:46 Oh no I'm fine I don't need to eat for a week. 27:48 How can that be? You just took away 27:50 five loaves and two fish. 27:52 Yeah but there was Jesus 27:53 and He can take the little that we have 27:55 and make it a huge amount, a vast repast, 28:00 a huge blessing not just for us but for others. 28:03 When your life is a burnt offering 28:05 Christ makes your life more in his hands 28:08 then you could make it in a 1000 lifetimes 28:11 in your own hands. Amen. 28:13 Burnt offering, you don't lose man, 28:15 you gain and you gain and you gain. 28:19 There were meat offerings or meatal offerings. 28:21 Now these things were an acknowledgment 28:23 of total dependents upon God that's what they were. 28:28 Peace offerings were offerings that were made 28:30 when there was an occasion that 28:31 call for thankfulness and joy. 28:34 Man, I'm gonna take an offering to God, 28:37 I wonder if we do that today. 28:38 You know in Church, we used to have these things 28:40 birthday thank offerings and this kind of thing. 28:43 You know it's just a good idea 28:45 when you're being blessed. 28:46 In a tangible way show your thankfulness to 28:49 God and I'm not saying this with any legalistic bent. 28:52 But when God blesses you there are times you 28:54 want to say, wow I just, I just need to do 28:57 something for the Lord, to show him here. 29:00 I heard about the fellow who worked 29:02 for an organization that you'd be familiar 29:04 with and he had stuck in the organization 29:06 and it split and it split again and split again 29:08 and, he didn't even the buy the stuff it was 29:10 part of his salary package you know 29:13 and when he retired he had more money 29:15 he knew what to do with, you know what he said, 29:17 he said I didn't earn this, this was just given to me, 29:20 I don't need it now, I'm gonna turn around 29:23 and give it all to the Lord, all of it. He was thankful. 29:28 He wasn't trying to curry favor with the almighty, 29:30 he wasn't trying to earn brownie points, 29:32 he was just thankful 29:34 and he made an offering to God. 29:36 Sin offerings were offerings 29:38 for sins committed in ignorance. 29:42 You didn't know you did that thing wrong; 29:44 you might not even known better. 29:46 You didn't know what the results of your 29:48 actions might have been, 29:49 they made offerings to cover up 29:51 and take care of that. 29:52 And then there were trespass offerings offered 29:54 for deliberate sins, various offerings. 29:59 Some required a certain animal, 30:00 others you could select you had an option, 30:03 you could take this or this or this or this 30:05 it depend on what you had or what your 30:07 level of income was. Some you have to bring 30:10 a perfect animal, other offerings not so much, 30:12 it wasn't required, you could bring food in some 30:16 offerings maybe flower, maybe, maybe oil, 30:20 maybe grain various offerings. 30:22 And I wonder if as you think about this, man, 30:26 their whole life, there was an offering for this 30:28 and gift for that and a ceremony for this. 30:31 Now it wasn't onerous, it wasn't burdensome, 30:35 it was a blessing. Because all of these 30:38 rituals, all of these sacrifices, all of these 30:41 ceremonies helped, helped them navigate 30:44 the appropriate path to the heart of God. 30:47 Remember God was dealing with sinners. 30:50 Let me tell you something. 30:51 Being a sinner is onerous, being a sinner 30:55 is burdensome, being a sinner without 30:59 Christ is hopeless. Listen, have you ever 31:03 been stuck in the mud somewhere and said 31:05 I do whatever it takes to get out of here. 31:07 You've been lost somewhere and said only 31:08 I had a map, you've been broke and said if only 31:11 I had two dollars. Now here are sinners in 31:15 the world, lost, going to hell and Christ says, 31:22 here's the way back to the heart of God. 31:24 Do you think they were fussing about it? 31:27 They will be saying thank you Lord. 31:29 Thank you for showing, being my sinfulness 31:31 and you, your greatness and giving me, giving me. 31:36 A path back to oneness with Almighty God. 31:42 The sanctuary service weren't burdensome 31:44 or onerous. I grew up an hour, I think it was 31:49 about an hour from where the most famous 31:51 beekeeper in the world grew up. 31:53 You've heard of Sir Edmund Hillary, 31:56 if you haven't the thing to do is just to smile 31:59 one of these smiles and go yeah, yeah. 32:01 Because you don't wanna admit you will never 32:02 heard of Sir Edmund Hillary. This was the 32:05 man who was the first person to climb 32:07 Mount Everest. First, not, not, the British want 32:10 to say that George Mallory got there first, 32:13 but no one knows that for sure because George 32:16 Mallory died on the mountain, which is a 32:19 sad thing. They asked Edmund Hillary they said 32:22 well what about Mallory. Sir Edmund Hillary 32:24 said well you know getting down is kind of a big 32:27 part of the whole process too you know. 32:29 No disrespect but when he got to the top, 32:31 not Mallory never got down. Edmund Hillary 32:34 was a beekeeper. I don't know a thing about 32:36 keeping bees but if you do you know that 32:39 if you're fooling around with bees you need 32:41 to take it carefully. When you got to the hive, 32:43 you smoke the hive, so when the bees smoke 32:46 that stuff, they're, I want to say there's 32:51 stoned but you might think that's an appropriate. 32:53 They smoke that smoke and they just very mellow, 32:57 they're mellow bees now, they are all mellow 33:00 and but even so you got to put on there overall 33:04 and the gloves and the hat with the veil 33:07 and all of that so they won't sting you I was 33:10 at my friend Timmy Hanson's beehives. 33:14 And I found that you need that veil I got stunned, 33:18 one here, one there, my face swelled up and look 33:20 like I had a great big grape fruit on my face 33:24 you need that, you know I didn't say that 33:27 Timmy this is such a pain why are you making me 33:32 dress up, why do I, no I said thank you, 33:35 got more I have two veils. Seven gloves, 33:38 I will take everything you had. God, set up 33:41 the sanctuary service system not to be a hassle, 33:44 not to be a headache, oh another offering these 33:47 what people who in their right mind would say 33:49 thank the Lord for this. And you know what the 33:52 Bible says, the Bible says that the law of God is 33:59 sweeter than honey. Yeah. Few things in this 34:02 world I like more than honey in the honeycomb, 34:05 I like that. And God says that his law you could 34:10 interpret that various ways, he said law but 34:12 you know grace, mercy, salvation, sweeter than 34:17 honeycomb to get the honey out of the hive, 34:19 what you need to do? And we're in this thing 34:22 because we, they wanna put our feet down 34:24 on the sea of glass and the Lord says here's 34:27 a sacrifice, here's an offering, here's a 34:30 ceremony that will help you understand this thing, 34:32 oh we just say praise the Lord. Alter of burnt 34:35 offering. Represented Calvary where Christ 34:38 had died. In the courtyard there was 34:40 a laver. Now when I say the courtyard the 34:43 sanctuary was enclosed, there was let me just 34:46 say a fence around it. Crude way of describing 34:50 that, let me just a say fence. Inside there, 34:53 there was an open space, there was the alter 34:55 of burned offerings, things will burned up 34:57 there, Calvary Christ gave himself completely 35:00 there. There was a laver, it was a large copper 35:03 water base in between the alter and the first door 35:07 into the sanctuary. Priests would cleanse 35:11 themselves there interesting it was made 35:13 out of, it was made out of bronze mirrors 35:17 donated by the Israelite women. 35:19 So they made the laver out of. 35:22 And the priests before their ministered, 35:24 washed their hands and feet. 35:28 Before they went into the sanctuary 35:30 they got good and cleaned up. 35:32 You know something you can apply this in a 35:36 number of ways but God's ministers need to 35:38 remember that ministering in the 35:39 sanctuary is a serious business. 35:41 Now we can only do it with clean hands 35:43 and clean feet and clean heart and the truth 35:46 of the matter is God says we're all part of an 35:49 Holy priesthood. We're all ministers, 35:52 isn't that right? And ministry requires cleansing 35:56 of the heart cleansing of the life, I said to a lady 35:59 just a couple of weeks ago no don't wait until 36:02 you've got your whole life sort it out before 36:04 you go get busy working for Jesus often 36:06 frequently as you go working for Jesus 36:09 it's then that the grace of God is gonna work 36:11 in your life and get you through some things, 36:13 get you over some things, that you wouldn't 36:15 have got around or over otherwise. 36:18 But when we come to God in ministry 36:20 it's a holy time. Okay, okay so I'm boring 36:26 and alternate traditional or something around 36:28 that. But you know when we come in a sanctuary 36:31 before God and praise when the priest went 36:34 in there it was solemn. I don't mean that you 36:36 need to be sitting in church looking like 36:38 you know you're sad about something, 36:40 it's too much of that. God's people ought to 36:42 be the most joyful people in the world 36:44 but it's a solemn business right. 36:47 We're in the presence of almighty God. 36:48 Happy business, but a serious business. 36:51 I read about this church in Seattle, 36:53 there we're having a football playoff's party, 36:57 because one of their church members 36:59 was playing in the playoffs. And they 37:01 were so happy, they showed the game on 37:03 the big screens in the sanctuary, 37:05 they brought in their chilli cookers in the 37:06 sanctuary, they brought their kegs of beer into 37:09 the sanctuary. I said no, I don't think so. 37:11 Then so, you know what they should have done, 37:14 they should have washed all that in the laver 37:15 our there in the courtyard before they came in 37:17 the sanctuary. Lord, I would have washed it 37:19 all away. Ministry and praise and so far 37:24 it's joyous, I don't, there's a line here, 37:27 there's a tension here between coming into 37:29 God's court with praise and coming into God's 37:31 court with disrespect, pray that God helps us 37:34 find the right line. Animal sacrifices were 37:37 made in the outer court blood was taken 37:39 into the sanctuary representing sin going 37:42 into the sanctuary and being recorded there. 37:45 The animal died with the sins of the sinner 37:49 confessed over its sin transferred into the 37:52 sanctuary. Sinner went away saying praise 37:55 the Lord, my sin is gone, my sin is on 37:57 the animal. Well of course the animal 38:00 in the process was part of the process; 38:03 the blood had to go inside the sanctuary. 38:06 Now when the sinner confessed his sin 38:08 and his sins were transferred from himself 38:10 to the animal you would call that justification. 38:14 Justification, but death of Christ and how 38:18 faith in his death brings justification 38:20 and you know what's being said just as if 38:23 I never sin. You know that's generosity on 38:25 the part of God. Now if you take your car 38:29 and drive it full speed into the side of my van 38:33 and then you says okay I'll take it to the body 38:35 shop and get all those fixed. And then you 38:38 brought a back and said here this good as 38:39 new when I looked at and sure enough 38:41 it's good as new. I would still be as nervous 38:43 as all get out when I saw you driving. 38:46 I would, I would, I would take my vehicle 38:50 and part it in my backyard, if I had one 38:53 I'll put it in the backyard. I'll get 38:56 this far away from you as I can. 38:58 Jesus on the other hand doesn't treat you like 39:01 I would treat you. He says, you did what? 39:06 Like last week remember, I did that terrible sin 39:09 and Jesus says now, wait you did what? 39:12 You must be forgetful. It was last week, 39:15 I did this, and I did that and I did some 39:17 other thing and Jesus now, you must be 39:19 forgettable, didn't you come and talked to me 39:20 about that? Didn't you confess that, 39:23 didn't I forgive you, haven't I died for that, 39:25 has that being done? Yes. Jesus would say 39:28 no respect, why are you digging up dead 39:31 bodies for, why are you digging up bones, 39:33 why are we going back into the past 39:35 and dredging up old mistakes? Justified. 39:38 Thank God for that. You know that's not licensed, 39:43 that's grace, that's not casualness and 39:48 permissiveness, that's the love of God 39:51 who restored, who restores us when we have fallen. 39:57 Now, you got to understand something, 39:59 God's ideal is not that we get into a cycle of sin 40:03 and confession, sin and confession, sin 40:05 and confession I used to I was raised in that 40:07 church. Bless me Father for I have sin that has 40:09 been two weeks since my last confession. 40:11 Here are my sins they never changed too much, 40:14 I lived a pretty predictable life. 40:16 Sin and confession, sin and confession, no God, 40:19 wait a minute, sin and repentance, sin and 40:24 repentance. You sinned sure now come to me, 40:28 let's do something here I will not just give 40:31 you a little penance to say, I will not send you 40:34 on a pilgrimage, I won't tell you make an offering 40:36 and all would be alright. I will say thank you. 40:39 I've died for those sins now I will take them 40:42 and give you in the place of your sin a new heart. 40:47 I remember when I was living in little town while 40:50 I was working on a radio station and there was 40:52 a lady who was gonna be the first lady in our 40:55 country to have a heart transplant, Mrs. Wilson. 40:58 And she was gonna have, be the first female heart 41:01 transplant recipient. And wow, we say wow this is, 41:05 used to have the, leave the country to go 41:07 and get heart transplants and now they're doing 41:09 them here and she is like the third person 41:11 to get one and this was great, we were 41:13 raising money to help her and community was aware 41:16 and it was national news and people were 41:19 forgetting that God has been performing heart 41:22 transplants for thousands of years. 41:25 You don't have to pass the collection plate, 41:28 you don't have to do raffles and fundraises, 41:31 you don't have to fight with an insurance company. 41:34 God says you just come to me with a heart of stone. 41:38 Someway in heaven there must be an enormous 41:41 place filled with all stone hearts, God say what 41:44 I'm gonna do with these things anyway, 41:46 He's being giving new hearts for thousands 41:49 of years. Don't quote me no the that bag full 41:52 of big old stone hard things, I'm just speaking 41:55 metaphorically here. God says you come to me 42:00 and I'll make you clean. Man that's extravagant 42:04 especially when you consider the cost, 42:07 we won't redeem with corruptible things like 42:09 silver and gold and that interesting. 42:11 Peter writes about and he says, gold corruptible. 42:15 Hey Peter if you don't like you give it to me 42:18 as $1400 plus an ounce, I'll take that corruptible 42:21 stuff. Sure I even tie that, yeah. 42:26 He refers to Gold and silver really as it is, 42:28 it's just stuff, if you wanna no what's valuable 42:31 the blood of Jesus Christ is valuable. 42:35 It's not a stretch to imagine a sinner being 42:38 like a hog wallowing in the mud. 42:40 And what Jesus does, he doesn't, he doesn't 42:42 come to the hog in the mud and say, 42:45 you know what I've good news for you hog, 42:48 you are clean and then go off, and the hog 42:52 laying in the mud says well praise the Lord, 42:54 I am clean. Now that's the dumbest hog 42:57 in all the world, if he thinks he is clean while 43:00 he's still wallowing in the mud. No. 43:03 God's plan isn't to leave a bunch of dirty hogs 43:07 believing that they've been made clean. 43:09 God will take that hog out of the mud, 43:12 hose the hog down make the hog clean 43:17 and by His grace keep that animal from getting 43:20 back into the mud at all, because God is into 43:24 justification. I say praise the Lord. 43:28 God is into sanctification. And this is when we 43:31 enter into the Holy place of the sanctuary 43:34 there's the shewbread, there bread of life that 43:37 will keep you straight. Seven branch candle 43:41 stick, bread of life, word of God or Jesus himself 43:44 is the bread of life. Seven branch candle stick, 43:46 what did Jim say the other night, Jesus the 43:48 light of the world, that's right. 43:50 And then Holy Spirit that flowed into those 43:53 seven candles, they are keeping them burning 43:57 when it flows into your life, will keep 43:59 you burning bright for Jesus. 44:02 Then there's that all through of innocents, 44:04 prayers going up before God mingled with 44:10 the fragrance of the righteousness of Christ. 44:13 God doesn't owe you anything, at he gives 44:16 you his righteousness, gives it to you. 44:19 He gave us Jesus we didn't pay for and 44:22 it wasn't even our idea. If you read the story 44:27 of the fall of Adam and Eve you do not read 44:29 where they come to God and say no, 44:32 we're in a bad way. Is there anything 44:34 you couldn't do? God went off them 44:38 and said there's something I propose 44:41 to do for you. God is extravagant. 44:46 Woman taken an adultery. 44:47 We boot out of the church. 44:49 Jesus said I don't condemn you, 44:52 clean up and then leaning on me, sanctification 44:57 idea he said go and sin no more. 44:59 Peter denied Jesus with cursing, 45:02 he said feed my sheep. Matthew Levi, 45:05 tax collector, he was a scoundrel, 45:07 Jesus said follow me. Zacchaeus, you're a 45:11 hated individual, I'm gonna coming to your 45:13 house and have lunch with you today. 45:15 And Zacchaeus was touched powerfully 45:19 and became a changed man. 45:21 Thomas I'll never believe it, Jesus turned up 45:23 and said where is he, come, here look 45:25 take a look. And say you know you don't believe 45:28 well enough for me, Jesus said let me love 45:30 you back, James and John. Oh if you wanna 45:33 read a great book, read the book of John written 45:36 by a man who said Jesus there are some people 45:39 over there that I think we should incinerate, 45:43 how about it? And God used that brother to 45:48 write the book of Revelation. 45:50 Extravagant grace. Man goes down to the 45:53 temple to praise, he said Lord, be merciful 45:55 to me a sinner and Jesus says the fellow 45:58 went home to his house justified. 46:00 Aaron, wait here Aaron, I'm going up there to 46:04 have a talk with God. Moses comes down 46:06 the mountain, what in the world, I hear like the 46:09 noise of war. Here's Aaron and a bunch of 46:11 naked folks dancing around the golden calf 46:14 that they had made. Worshiping, worshiping 46:18 the devil. What God do, he said Aaron? 46:21 Now you're just the kind of man I need to be 46:24 a high priest. What? What? He became like 46:31 the division president. Man, if there's some 46:35 division president that man be dancing around 46:36 a golden calf I'm off to Ted's office. 46:40 Brother, we got a problem out there. 46:45 If that was God, he'd say well man we need him 46:47 as a general conference vice president, 46:49 that's what we should do with that brother. 46:51 No I'm not suggesting for a minute that God 46:54 turns a blind eye to sin, I'm not saying that 46:56 God hasn't bothered by that, sin cost the life 47:00 of Christ 'cause he's bothered by that. 47:03 But God was so extravagantly gracious, 47:06 so powerfully good that he takes a sinner 47:10 from the depths, from the pit of sin and lifts 47:13 him up, lifts her up and makes a saint fit for 47:18 translation out of that person. 47:21 I say thank the Lord what more could God do. 47:24 We got to open our Bible, I've referenced 47:26 to a number of Bible texts, but we need 47:27 to look at one here, Philippians chapter 1 47:32 and verse 6. The sinner brought his offering, 47:35 her offering, lets say down to the sanctuary. 47:39 It was a ritual man that's all it was. 47:43 The offering represented something so the sinner 47:47 had faith in the Christ to which the offering 47:52 pointed. Nothing the sinner did restore 47:57 the sinner; it's all what God did. 48:00 I'm in Romans for goodness say, Philippians, 48:03 did I say Philippians, Galatians, Ephesians. 48:05 Philippians 1 and verse 6 I should have just 48:07 quoted the verse it says in Philippians 1 48:09 and verse 6 being, being oh I like this word, 48:12 being what, not presumptuous but being 48:16 confident of this very thing that he who has 48:18 begun a good work in you, who began the work, 48:21 he did, and what will he did, he will complete it, 48:25 he will perform it, when? How long? 48:30 Until the day of Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord, 48:36 He gives power to the faith and to them that have 48:38 no might he increases strength, if we'll just 48:44 believe, if we'll simply trust, and if we'll 48:50 cooperate God will do that work in us that 48:55 will restore us, remake us, recreate us, redeem 49:00 us and ultimately relocate us. Because when Jesus 49:04 comes back gravity is gonna lose power on 49:06 the souls of your feet and you'll go and up 49:08 these people who say I don't like to fly, 49:11 I have friends never take a plane, 49:12 I have colleagues I don't wanna get on when 49:14 they thinks, you're gonna had to get a victory 49:16 over that one day. Because one day we're gonna 49:20 flying together. Jesus is coming back and 49:22 up we go, is gonna make the space shuttle look 49:25 like a toy, we're going up and where's he 49:29 taking us? The Bible says in God's presence 49:32 there is fullness of joy. You haven't being happy 49:36 until you've been in God's presence. 49:38 You haven't known joy, you haven't known 49:40 the acceleration of the blessing of God until 49:43 you have been in God's presence the sanctuary 49:47 took somebody from out there in sin across 49:53 that open space into the court yard from their 49:57 alter through the laver into the holy place 50:02 and then ultimately to the most holy place where 50:07 God's presence was. Philippians 2 verse 12, 50:13 if you want a versify ti fire you up, here it 50:17 comes. I somehow find this to be, my go to verse, 50:21 this is my, I don't know that you have a favorite 50:24 verse but this is a verse that I just can 50:25 not shake. Philippians 2 and verse 12, 50:28 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always 50:30 obeyed, not as in my presence only, 50:32 but now much more in my absence, work out 50:35 your own salvation with fear and trembling, 50:37 wait just second before you think God is 50:39 recommending righteousness by works verse 13 50:44 For it is God who works in you both to will 50:50 and to do of his good pleasure. 50:54 And what is God's pleasure it's God's 50:56 pleasure to give you the kingdom. 50:58 This is the will of God even your sanctification. 51:01 How does it happen? By Christ living his life 51:05 in you, that's what the Bible says, 51:08 Christ in you the hope of glory? 51:12 There's no, there's no excuse now. 51:14 There's no reason now anyone of us need to 51:17 be separated from Christ because when Jesus 51:19 comes into our lives there is no limit to what 51:23 he can do that's how radical the liberality 51:28 of God is. Jude in verse 24 now unto him 51:31 who was able to keep you from falling, 51:34 Hebrews 1 verse 3 talks about our God 51:37 who upholds all things by the word of his power. 51:42 The Sun not gonna fall out of the sky because 51:48 God holds it there by the word of his power. 51:50 You did not look up at the stars last night, 51:53 worrying that they're all gonna drop out of 51:55 the sky, you don't look at the moon and fret 51:58 that it's gonna drift off to some of the part 52:01 of the milky way, you say it's there it will stay 52:04 there because God is holding it there, 52:07 those giant redwoods in California. 52:09 They found one a few years ago 369 feet tall. 52:14 I didn't even know how tall that is except to say 52:17 it's tall. Then just a few years ago very recently, 52:21 they found another one they named it High Perion, 52:24 379 feet tall. They won't tell you where 52:28 it is though. They say trees can't away from 52:31 the Paparazzi. So if tell you where it is, 52:34 you are gonna go then take souvenirs 52:35 and trample on it's roots and before long the 52:37 thing will be get. It would be 380 feet tall 52:39 but woodpeckers tapped away at the top 52:41 and knocked a bit off, they watched the 52:44 woodpeckers. Is not gonna fall over anytime 52:49 soon. Now they do fall ultimately. 52:52 Imagine what that sounds like. 52:54 Great big tree, biggest tree in your backyard 52:56 wouldn't even reach to its lowest branches. 52:58 It's not gonna fall over. God is holding it there, 53:03 because it's part of the all things that 53:06 God upholds. Let me ask you, are you part 53:08 of all things or somehow are you the exception 53:12 to that verse. If you part of all things that 53:16 you can know that God will uphold you by the 53:19 word of his power. Amen. Keep you the way 53:23 you're already be kept. I know we got to do 53:26 some battle with sin. I know that, I know that. 53:29 But you can go to God and you can say Lord 53:31 I'm praying by faith, I believe in that Lamb, 53:34 I'm coming into the sanctuary, thank you 53:36 for the table of Shewbread. 53:38 I appreciate Christ the light of world, 53:41 I'm glad for his fragrant righteousness of standing 53:44 with my prayers, thank you. And I believe that 53:48 I'm held in your hand, I believe it because you 53:52 have said so. You know what I think, I think there 53:56 ought to be a little more, a little more demanding 54:04 when we pray. A little more demanding, Lord, 54:11 you promised deliver on your promise. 54:19 My weak Christian friend wherever you might be, 54:21 you need to be come into God and say Lord, 54:24 there are some things in my life I can't do 54:26 anything about. But I read in the Bible now 54:30 unto him who is able to keep you from falling, 54:32 what you're waiting for, here I Am. 54:35 I'm willing to be kept by your grace. Amen. 54:40 You think God's not gonna do his, hold up his 54:43 end of the bargain. I heard a television 54:46 personality, a well known television personality 54:48 say just the other day but those people will 54:50 born that way you can't expect them to change. 54:52 Now I don't know maybe he was talking about 54:54 people who were born kleptomaniac, 54:56 born angry or born bent towards alcohol 54:58 or bent towards immorality. 55:00 I don't know just what he was talking about 55:01 because that's the only way words he used 55:04 but I don't care. However you were born 55:07 and then I met some people and I said born 55:10 different. You might have met some of them 55:12 as well, born different. No matter how you 55:18 were born. Sanctuary service is God purpose 55:21 is to separate you from your sin and transport 55:25 you into his presence. He is powerful enough 55:30 to do that. Rehab, what was she born like? 55:37 Recon it had to be some stuff went on, on early 55:40 childhood for her to end up in the profession 55:42 she ended up in, it's usually something that 55:44 goes on back there. Rehab might have say 55:48 to somebody one day I was born this way. 55:51 God had bigger plans for Rehab and this immoral 55:56 person, if you read your Bible is in the lineage 56:00 of Jesus himself. God isn't impressed with 56:06 born this way. God isn't confounded 56:10 by your genetic predisposition. 56:13 He's greater than all of that. He is God. 56:20 You come to the sanctuary repentant 56:21 He'll give you a new heart, He's that liberal. 56:27 He's that generous. Dr. Jesse Blueman said, 56:31 last saw Sir Paul Davolt in 1967 operating on him. 56:34 In Vietnam, Paul took two bullets in the back 56:37 should have killed him, but this doctor 56:38 wouldn't quit. Patient's temperature got up to 56:41 104 no cooling blanket, only Colonels could get 56:44 cooling blankets, Dr. Blueman called up, 56:48 hello it's Colonel so and so he lied, 56:49 send me a cooling blanket right now, 56:51 got one, saved a man's life. 56:54 Just a few days ago in Manhattan. 56:56 Mr. Davolt came from Texas, 44 years after 57:00 they'd met Saigon he said thank you. 57:03 Thank you for saving my life. 57:06 Now he's got 16 great grandchildren. 57:08 You know what he said if someone gives 57:10 you your life that's pretty important 57:13 and if he gives you 44 years of that 57:16 if you wouldn't have had, wouldn't you want 57:18 to thank him. God has given us life in this world 57:22 and eternal life, today we can thank him 57:26 and praise him, because God is good. |
Revised 2014-12-17