House Calls

Priesthood, Part 1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Stanton, C. A. Murray

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Series Code: HCL

Program Code: HCL110021


00:01 Hello friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:03 and sit back as we explore God's word
00:04 together on this edition of House Calls.
00:21 It's great to have you here again
00:22 for another program of House Calls.
00:25 We're excited that you decided to join us today
00:27 and we have another exciting program for you.
00:29 My name is Pastor John Stanton
00:31 and with me in the studio today is Pastor C.A. Murray.
00:34 Good to be here John as always--
00:36 C.A. it's great to have you here.
00:37 It's a blessing and I look forward
00:38 to the couple of programs
00:39 that we get a chance to do together here.
00:41 Thank you so much.
00:42 You know, we as we come to House Calls
00:45 from time to time to plan
00:47 and get ready for the program,
00:49 we are flooded with ideas.
00:51 Lot's of different opportunities,
00:52 lot's of different--
00:54 not only challenging questions
00:56 that you bring to us,
00:57 but topics that we can share in a program
01:00 maybe two, three, or four that we can help
01:03 or at least we hope will help you along
01:05 that path of getting to know the Lord better
01:07 and what your responsibility is the ministry
01:10 is giving to you as followers of Christ.
01:12 Today I think we have such a program
01:14 and we are gonna talk about the priesthood of believers.
01:17 We will spend a couple programs on that
01:19 and hopefully really expound from scripture
01:22 what Gods plan is,
01:23 what His design for His church.
01:25 But, before we get into our topic
01:27 as usual the first half hour,
01:28 we like to spend time looking
01:30 and answering your questions.
01:33 And so we thank you, for sending those in.
01:35 I want to make sure first
01:36 that I give you some direction,
01:37 some instruction as to where to send those questions.
01:40 You can email them to 3ABN using housecalls@3abn.org,
01:47 that's housecalls@3abn.org. We will make sure
01:50 that we get your questions print them out,
01:53 take a look at them,
01:54 answer them possibly on the program.
01:56 We will do our best to answer them
01:57 by sending you an email back.
01:59 And if you like to send in just regular mail
02:01 and then some of you even
02:02 call into the call center here.
02:04 You are free to do that as well,
02:05 because those questions are passed right along to us.
02:09 Pastor Murray, before we dive into the questions,
02:13 would you be so kind to lead us in prayer.
02:15 Be glad to do so. Okay.
02:16 Shall we pray? Thank you.
02:17 Gracious Father, again we thank you
02:19 for the power of your word.
02:21 We are thankful, Lord,
02:22 that there is a power in that word,
02:24 and that when we read Your word
02:27 we come into Your presence.
02:28 We are exposed to the thoughts
02:31 of God the mind of God
02:33 and so we pray Lord
02:34 that you would give us discernment
02:36 as we open up your word now,
02:37 as we answer questions
02:39 and discuss those things talked about in your word
02:42 that your spirit may be the center
02:44 and circumference of all that we do,
02:46 that Christ maybe seen
02:47 and felt and experienced in a very special way.
02:51 Bless this program
02:52 and we thank you in Jesus name, amen.
02:56 Thank you, very much there, Pastor Murray,
02:58 and let's dive right into our questions here.
03:02 Some real good ones today and feel free
03:04 if you could start us off that will be great.
03:07 Already we have got a question
03:09 from Jane and she says,
03:13 I read in the Bible in Acts Chapter 8
03:15 where the apostles came down to Samaria
03:18 and where the-- and were some people,
03:22 there were some people who want to be baptized
03:24 and Peter said,
03:26 Peter laid his hands on them
03:27 and they receive the Holy Spirit
03:30 in that particular Chapter.
03:32 Simon actually saw by the laying out of hands
03:35 of the apostles that
03:36 these people receive the Holy Spirit
03:38 and he wanted to by the power.
03:41 Christ said that if you are not baptized by water
03:45 and the spirit can I enter into Kingdom of God.
03:48 And a question that is,
03:50 is that the only way to receive the spirit.
03:53 Well, what we see in Acts Chapter 8
03:57 is a singular example of a way to receive the spirit,
04:01 but there are many ways to receive the spirit
04:03 and many examples of the spirit
04:07 coming upon people in different ways.
04:10 And so in Acts Chapter 2 the day of Pentecost,
04:16 they are together, they are in one room,
04:18 they are one accord, they are praying
04:20 and the spirit comes then
04:22 and answer to prayer, the supplication.
04:27 We have the spirit coming in and filling the place.
04:30 In Acts Chapter 19, we have the spirit coming in,
04:33 in response to preaching, to in query.
04:37 So there are any number of ways
04:38 Jane that the spirit can be received
04:41 and I guess the easiest way would be simply we ask.
04:43 You know, when we ask and pray
04:46 and come to the presence of the Lord the spirit responds.
04:53 I am having a senior moment, text is slipping my mind.
04:55 But there was another a place in the Book of Acts
04:59 and perhaps it will come to me,
05:00 you know, when you think too hard
05:01 you have to put the thought out of your mind.
05:03 Right, exactly.
05:04 Where in response to preaching
05:07 a number of people again receive the spirit.
05:09 We are told in Romans,
05:10 that the spirit is there present
05:13 helping us in our prayer life.
05:15 So there are any number of ways to receive the spirit.
05:18 This is just one of several ways listed in the Bible
05:22 that the spirit comes into our lives.
05:24 I will say the most direct,
05:25 the most easy way ask for the sprit,
05:28 pray for the spirit
05:29 and you'll receive the power of the spirit of God.
05:32 You know, one of the things that comes to mind here
05:34 as we are talking about the work of the Holy Spirit
05:36 is the several ways in which he works.
05:39 He is always at work, yes, on our minds.
05:42 He is always at work wooing him to himself,
05:47 hopefully directing us to Christ to our Father.
05:51 This is his work and he does this all the time
05:53 and he is constantly working on the hearts of men
05:55 and that is even those that are not converted.
05:58 However there are instances in the Bible
06:01 where he manifests a power, a strength beyond
06:04 what is the general work of the Holy Spirit,
06:08 at least the conscious that we talk conscious sometimes,
06:11 yes, in the way that he works on our minds.
06:13 One of those examples is also found in Acts Chapter 4.
06:16 What we are seeing in this story is
06:19 both Peter and John were brought into the--
06:25 well they were brought before the council
06:26 and they were beaten for preaching Christ.
06:29 And then as they, it's funny,
06:30 they left that beating rejoicing. Yes.
06:33 Which is something we can't imagine but,
06:36 but you know, rejoice always, right.
06:39 So they leave rejoicing, it's funny,
06:40 they come back to meeting with their,
06:44 the disciples and they gather together again
06:47 and this in the Acts 2 experience,
06:48 but they gather in together and they are praying. Yes.
06:50 And it says in verse 31 of Acts Chapter 4
06:53 that when they had prayed the place
06:55 where they were assembled together were shaken
06:58 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
07:00 and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
07:02 The boldness, yes.
07:04 So, you know, I must ask the question
07:06 where Peter and John filled with the Holy Spirit
07:10 when they were preaching the first time
07:11 before they got whipped. Yes, yes.
07:15 But, they were filled again with the Holy Spirit here
07:18 and went forward preaching with boldness.
07:21 So the Holy Spirit will come upon us
07:24 in an answer to prayer for specific times of need, yes,
07:28 as well as he does in our everyday life.
07:31 So you almost have three examples.
07:33 The conscience working on us,
07:35 our minds before conversion,
07:37 upon conversion, upon baptism.
07:38 Hopefully, we are receiving the Holy Spirit
07:41 for both things happen at the same time
07:43 where by God begins to lead us in a new profound way.
07:46 And then at specific times of need
07:49 where it maybe revival, maybe the need for boldness
07:51 and maybe the need to come upon us
07:53 to give us a word of truth. Yes.
07:54 Whatever it maybe, the Holy Spirit works
07:57 in a mighty way in that regard too.
07:59 Yeah, I like that, you know, it's interesting,
08:00 if you look at my notes here,
08:01 I got Acts Chapter 4 right here.
08:02 All right, oh, good, good.
08:04 So it did possibly come into my mind.
08:06 I think there are certain times in our life,
08:07 you know, when we are being prepared
08:09 for a particular trial or something
08:11 that is coming upon us that is gonna try our faith.
08:14 The spirit will draw divine in near us
08:15 and give us strength for that particular trial.
08:17 So I think we proved the point
08:19 that there are many ways in which the spirit comes,
08:22 not just one way.
08:23 And the Bible does highlight
08:25 any number of ways and incidents
08:27 when the spirit of God comes to prepare us
08:30 for whatever life throws our way,
08:33 John, I think we can say
08:35 and we can get the spirit through that.
08:37 Oh, the easiest way I say again ask,
08:40 and if you ask,
08:41 God, will supply all your need according to His wish.
08:43 That's right. Specific promise from Christ.
08:45 Ask and you will receive the Holy Sprit.
08:48 Okay, here's another question.
08:50 It comes from David in San Antonio.
08:53 He says, thank you for your recent program
08:55 on a subject that was interesting to him.
08:58 And then he says, I have a question in John 1,
09:01 oh excuse me 1 John 4:1.
09:04 It says to test the spirits to see
09:07 whether they are from God.
09:10 And then he says in 2 Corinthians 12
09:12 verses 1 through 4, there seems to indicate
09:14 the possible out of body experience.
09:18 If all operations or sightings of loved ones
09:21 departed are demonic in nature
09:23 even if you didn't go to a medium
09:25 which I understand is wrong in the eyes of God,
09:28 wouldn't 1 John 4:1 be a good time
09:30 to put this scripture to good use.
09:34 In 1 Samuel 28, the spirit of Samuel
09:37 though brought up by a medium does not appear
09:39 to be demonic in nature nor in the message,
09:42 nor is the message that was revealed.
09:45 Okay, so there is an assumption here
09:48 and I will just mention this first.
09:49 This is an assumption made here,
09:51 it says that if all operations
09:53 or sightings of loved ones
09:54 departed are demonic in nature,
09:57 even if you didn't go to a medium.
09:59 And that statement is made because we have asserted
10:02 and have taught many times before
10:04 that Gods word says
10:05 that any revealing or appearance of those
10:11 who have died in the past are demonic.
10:14 So they are basically reaffirming that.
10:16 But then the statement is made here
10:18 that this demon that, oh it's not a demon,
10:22 at least it's not said here in the question,
10:24 but Samuel coming to Saul as brought up
10:26 by a medium does not appear
10:28 to be demonic in nature,
10:29 we would probably disagree with that.
10:31 Because it's very clear from Gods word
10:34 that when you die you are asleep.
10:37 You rest in the grave,
10:38 you have no more involvement in anything that goes on,
10:40 on this earth in heaven no where.
10:44 Your mind seizes to work there is no conscious state,
10:47 we do not believe with in a soul that departs
10:49 from the body consciously in existence, right.
10:53 So all those things being said,
10:55 all those things being taught according to Gods word,
10:58 we come to this question of 2 Corinthians 12.
11:01 Is it teaching an out of body experience?
11:03 So let's first take a look at that
11:06 and if you go there, this is Paul writing
11:09 and he tells about an experience
11:13 that he had and he begins
11:16 in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 1 by saying,
11:19 "It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast.
11:23 I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
11:27 I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago
11:31 whether in the body I do not know,
11:33 or whether out of the body I do not know,
11:35 Christ knows or God knows
11:38 such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
11:42 And I know such a man,
11:43 whether in the body or out of the body
11:45 I do not know God knows
11:46 how that he was caught up into Paradise,
11:49 and heard inexpressible words,
11:51 which it is not lawful for a man to utter."
11:55 So someone could look at that,
11:57 Pastor Murray, and just say,
11:58 you know what here clearly his soul left his body,
12:02 yes, and he appeared in heaven
12:03 and he saw these wonderful things.
12:05 Well, first of all that's not possible,
12:09 even if you do believe that the soul is passed
12:11 or the soul can live apart from the body.
12:14 In every case that at least
12:16 what I understand those that teach that,
12:18 say that, that happens upon death
12:20 and this person did not die.
12:23 So this isn't talking about an out of body experience
12:26 so to speak the soul leaving the body.
12:29 What this is talking about is dreams
12:31 and revelations from the Lord,
12:33 visions that occur.
12:34 So when he is saying that, when Paul is saying
12:38 "I do not know
12:40 whether he was in the body or out of the body."
12:42 He is saying I don't know if this was a vision
12:44 where his mind was taken into heaven
12:47 and he saw things there
12:48 or God give him the vision of things there,
12:50 or whether God literally took him in person in body
12:54 to the place that he showed Him. Precisely.
12:56 And we know that's possible as well from the word,
12:59 so there is a couple possibilities.
13:01 So this is all that Paul is saying
13:03 with regard to this revelation,
13:04 this vision this man had in the body out of the body,
13:07 I don't know if it's a vision or if he actually him there,
13:09 I don't know but he saw things
13:11 in the paradise of God.
13:13 Yeah, and he sort of sets his premise
13:15 in the first verse there.
13:17 "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.
13:20 I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord."
13:24 So it's kind of setting his premise.
13:25 We are talking about visions and revelations.
13:28 And then he is saying
13:30 I am not quite sure where this falls.
13:32 Given this context
13:33 vision which means that the Lord brought
13:36 something to his mind or revelation,
13:38 Lord, took him some place, I don't really know,
13:40 but here's what happened. Right.
13:41 Now you take this in a sort of run with it,
13:43 but I'm not sure what happened,
13:45 what caused it,
13:46 but this is what happened and this was the result.
13:48 But, it doesn't really give you
13:51 when you examine at the idea
13:52 of an out of body experience.
13:55 He is saying someone had an experience with God.
14:00 I'm not quite sure the mechanism,
14:02 I'm not quite sure what God used to make this happen,
14:05 but here is what happened,
14:07 be it vision, direct revelation,
14:09 I don't know but here is what happened.
14:10 So he is not leading us
14:12 towards out of body experience.
14:13 He is trying to explain
14:14 and experience that someone had
14:16 that he really doesn't have all the answers too. Right.
14:18 But I know this is the experience
14:20 and I know this is what they saw.
14:21 You know, it's almost like a,
14:23 you know, we read these legal documents,
14:25 its preamble. Yeah.
14:26 It's kind of sets the context
14:27 of what you are about to read. Yes.
14:29 He is saying, you know,
14:30 here is where I came from, I'm not sure entirely
14:33 how it happened but here is the issue.
14:35 And the real context of this is
14:37 what comes from that, that's the issue.
14:41 He is just simply commenting,
14:42 he didn't know exactly which-- as you were saying
14:44 which kind of experience this man had so.
14:46 Anyway now the other thing about this question
14:48 that I just want to touch on briefly is the scripture
14:51 to test the spirits
14:54 This is important,
14:55 because we have taught here on House Calls and at 3ABN
15:00 that it's very important to know
15:02 what happens when you die.
15:04 The nature of man that the soul is the whole being,
15:10 its body and spirit
15:12 that is the mind together with that life,
15:15 that breath that God has given us to live,
15:18 that creates the living soul, the being, the essence.
15:21 In fact, you know,
15:22 we have said many times when you look on TV
15:25 and it's often unfortunately the result of a plane crash
15:28 they will say a 100 souls onboard died.
15:31 They are not talking about spirit souls
15:33 they are talking about individuals.
15:36 And this is the same way that the scripture
15:38 reads as well when it comes to the soul.
15:41 So when we look at 1 John 4:1,
15:46 John seems to be saying here
15:48 that the devil is going to use demonic powers,
15:52 he will appear to many.
15:54 In fact some of these things are called familiar spirits.
15:56 That word familiar is where you get familiar,
15:59 the family, familiar is people you know
16:04 coming back and appearing to you,
16:06 but test the spirits to see
16:07 whether or not they are from God.
16:09 And so in one context pastor it is,
16:13 it's not saying the dialogue with these spirits
16:16 if they are dead folks, but it's testing
16:19 whether or not the experience in general is from God,
16:23 whether it be your experience or another experience
16:26 and the way you test that is
16:27 did this individual talked to someone
16:29 who is passed away, who is dead.
16:32 If that's the case that your first test,
16:34 no it's not true.
16:35 Yes, yes, yeah, very true.
16:37 And I think we ought to keep that in mind,
16:40 because one of the great deceptions
16:42 in these last days is spiritism, spiritualism.
16:48 When you look at TV now,
16:49 there is so much dealing with vampires,
16:51 the state of the dead and,
16:53 you know, its every now
16:54 and again this thing seems to comes in waves John.
16:56 You know, it's like,
16:57 it's like you go back to 1800 you got the Fox Sisters
17:00 and the rappings then it goes down in the 1920s
17:02 you got another resurgence of spiritualism.
17:05 Then in 1950s you got anther resurgence of spiritualism.
17:08 Now you got another resurgence of spiritualism
17:10 and of course in each successive wave media
17:14 is much more sophisticated,
17:16 so the saturation is much more sophisticated.
17:18 Now it's on TV and it's on your I-devices pad,
17:21 pod, phone, you know,
17:22 everything you see these kinds of things.
17:26 And it's sort of a, the devil softening us up
17:29 for ultimate deception, you know.
17:32 This idea that your mom, or your dad,
17:34 or someone you love can comeback and talk to you.
17:37 And yet we have got to go to the word
17:40 and the word says they have nothing
17:42 more for ever in anything.
17:45 Solomon says in Ecclesiastes
17:46 that happens under the sun. Correct.
17:48 So if someone comes
17:50 and says something immediately go to the word,
17:54 can't be the Lord, can't be them
17:57 it's got to be something else,
17:58 because the Bible says,
18:00 the dead are indeed dead, yeah.
18:03 Yeah, absolutely.
18:04 Overwhelming delusions for some,
18:06 this is just, it's hard to deny the existence
18:08 of a being in your room or wherever it may be
18:12 but that's why John says test that spirit.
18:15 Test that spirit--
18:16 You know, in your mind you know
18:17 that this is not from the Lord.
18:19 You have another question for us?
18:20 Already! I am an Adventist Jews in a Caribbean.
18:23 At our church we only have piano and Psalms 150 tells us
18:29 what instruments to use.
18:30 Could you please enlight me
18:31 and my friends on why we don't use
18:33 drums and stuff in Adventist church?
18:36 Interesting, a number of things came to mind,
18:38 John, when I was looking at this
18:40 and going back to Psalms 150.
18:43 Martin Luther and really his best friend Melanchthon
18:48 disagreed on a couple of issues that really strained
18:51 their relationship for a time.
18:54 Got to try to get this straight.
18:55 I think Luther asserted
18:58 that if the Bible doesn't specifically state it,
19:02 you shouldn't do it.
19:04 Melanchthon said if the Bible
19:06 doesn't specifically prohibited, you can do it.
19:09 So one said, basically if I got to see it
19:13 in order to do it and the other said,
19:14 well, if it's not there, then its okay.
19:16 You know, it doesn't seem like a big thing,
19:19 but it really strained their relationship for a time.
19:21 So in applying that to 150
19:25 this is not a manual
19:28 of what instruments to use in church,
19:30 this is just a cataloging of things that were used,
19:35 but the Bible isn't saying you have to use these
19:38 and you can only use these.
19:40 These are some of the things
19:41 that were used in worship during those days.
19:46 Basically in worship in Bible times
19:48 you had things that were blown,
19:51 you had trumpets or something of that nature,
19:54 you had things that were plucked
19:55 or strummed, you had string things,
19:58 and you had percussion things.
19:59 Those are-- that's
20:01 what the technology allowed. Right.
20:02 So these fall in that category,
20:05 because that's what they have.
20:06 They are either blowing something,
20:08 strumming or plucking something
20:09 or banging on something and that was their worship.
20:12 Of course today,
20:13 you got any number of instruments played,
20:15 any number of ways including electronically.
20:18 And of course we have electronic instruments
20:20 that with a touch of a button
20:21 can replicate or duplicate all of these sounds.
20:25 The question for worship for me has always been,
20:28 because I have never pastored a church that used drums.
20:31 I have attended some that have.
20:35 For me it's-- first of all the skill
20:39 of the instrument that can be played
20:41 and then why are you trying to do
20:42 and what is the effect on your congregation.
20:44 There was a time preceded us
20:49 when the organ wasn't allowed,
20:51 because it was thought as a worldly instrument,
20:53 it wasn't played in churches
20:56 and then after a while it came in.
20:58 There was a time when the acoustic guitar
21:00 was sort of frowned upon.
21:01 Now, nobody has a problem with an acoustic guitar.
21:04 So we do evolve.
21:07 Are we evolving in the right direction,
21:09 sometimes I rather wonder,
21:10 you know, and perhaps we do.
21:13 The Bible says whatever we do,
21:14 do it to the glory of God.
21:16 The problem I have with a lot of drum playing
21:18 in the church is that the drummers seem to feel
21:21 that they are the star of the show
21:23 and I'll just put it that way.
21:25 A drum is an instrument designed
21:27 to keep time in rhythm.
21:29 Not particularly in the worship
21:31 context to be a lead instrument.
21:33 So if it's all about drum and thump and pound and beat,
21:37 then something is out of balance.
21:38 Obviously where it becomes the preponderate.
21:40 Precisely, yeah.
21:42 And many times even in contemporary music,
21:45 you can't even understand the word,
21:47 words for the accompaniment
21:49 and particularly worship music is all about the words,
21:53 it's all about what you are saying.
21:56 I have a good friend, I had a Bible study,
21:58 you know, take just a moment and said I had good friend
22:01 when I was in New York who was the drummer
22:03 and bassist for a disco group called Chic
22:06 back in the 80s and 90s.
22:08 And we had this Bible study and they would come
22:11 and after one study he said something to me,
22:14 because we are talking about music.
22:16 And my question to him
22:18 is why do kids listen to music
22:21 at the volume that they do,
22:23 you know, what's with this turn up in volume.
22:25 He said to me this,
22:27 he said contemporary music,
22:30 Christian music, rock, rap,
22:32 reggae, R& B, pop, soul,
22:38 name it was another designed to be listened to.
22:44 He said it was designed to be felt.
22:47 He said kids turn up the volume to the point
22:51 that it thumps them in the chest,
22:53 so it's not about, I'm hitting my microphones,
22:54 I know my production people having a meltdown,
22:58 but he said it's about thumping in the chest.
23:01 He says they want the volume to the point
23:04 where they can feel the music not necessarily hear it.
23:06 So it's not about hearing,
23:08 it's about this thump about feeling the music visibly.
23:11 So he said we know what, we know what,
23:14 what's the term we use.
23:15 We know what the formula is, heavy base riff
23:20 and a cadence that is close to the beating of the heart.
23:26 And when we approximate that,
23:27 he said we can put in any message that we want.
23:30 We can put in-- and we can say anything
23:32 and it goes right pass,
23:33 he said they draw bridge and into the soul.
23:37 And so that's what contemporary music
23:39 is all about.
23:40 This thumping of the drum
23:41 and the heavy base riff actually allows
23:43 the music to go right pass
23:45 the guardianship of the frontal lobes
23:47 and right into the,
23:48 right into the soul and they know that formula.
23:51 And so we need to be careful with all kind of music
23:55 that appeals to the flesh and not to the mind,
23:59 because God is trying to get into your mind.
24:00 The battle is for the mind and so if the thumping
24:03 and the beat is supersedes the words
24:06 and the lyrics and the message,
24:08 then something is wrong,
24:09 something is out of balance. Yeah. Yeah.
24:11 And there is another balance to,
24:14 you are the principle you laid out
24:15 there is very close to the same one that I use
24:17 and I have always used in pastoring.
24:20 But there is another-- the other balance
24:21 to that is your congregation.
24:24 I mean what is-- there are some
24:29 in the congregation that want just hymns only
24:32 and that's it.
24:34 And this whole thing battle between hymns
24:36 and praise music and this is being
24:37 going on for years too. Oh yeah.
24:40 I always said coming into a church
24:42 I am fairly traditional.
24:43 You will see a fairly traditional church with me.
24:45 You know, you are not going to see
24:47 a drums set up front, yeah,
24:48 and you are not going to emphasize that,
24:50 you know, the thump and the beat
24:51 all that kind of stuff,
24:52 but you are going to see
24:54 a balance of hymns and praise music.
24:56 Because I believe the Bible is very clear,
24:58 not only its hymns, its musical songs,
25:00 its spiritual songs that go along with that,
25:02 that's our worship experience.
25:04 And then there are some that just
25:06 are adamant to do it their way.
25:10 And you have the spirit then of
25:12 I'm gonna get what I want, true,
25:14 and not be open at least to allowing
25:17 someone else to experience worship
25:19 in maybe the way that they do it.
25:21 Now, I do realize there is a line
25:22 that we should not cross
25:24 and I think we kind of set some of those boundaries,
25:25 if it becomes preponderate,
25:26 if it wakes up the body and gets us moving in,
25:29 yeah, it just not really worshipful.
25:31 But on the other hand too, we've got to understand that,
25:34 that we have differences and likes and things
25:36 that within the realm it's acceptable, yes,
25:38 we need to be balanced with.
25:40 And I'll tell you honestly,
25:42 I have never seen a music debate
25:45 in a church ending well. No, very true.
25:48 Never, I have never seen one.
25:50 If it goes to the nth degree,
25:52 it causes division and ultimately separation.
25:54 Yeah, we tend to defy our own ethic
26:00 and interesting enough of those who have done
26:01 and I have read several books on ancient Hebrew worship,
26:05 it seems to be very joyous,
26:07 very up tempo, very spirited.
26:10 When I was pastoring in New York,
26:11 I spent a lot of time with some Jewish friends
26:13 and went to synagogue with them on a number of occasions
26:16 and the worship is quite joyous
26:18 and quite-- the music is spirit,
26:20 not it is not base driven or drum driven
26:23 but it is spirited music.
26:25 And there is this joy,
26:27 this elan that's part of the worship,
26:28 that I think was part of ancient worship also.
26:31 Worship was not intended to be a depressing
26:33 kind of sad morose kind of thing.
26:34 We come to the Lord with joy and with thanksgiving
26:37 and you do see that in the Psalms.
26:39 So you don't want to swing the pendulum
26:41 all away to the right, we say there is no joy,
26:43 there is no praise, there is no laughter
26:47 and happiness in worship,
26:48 because I don't think that's true worship either.
26:50 By the same token it can all be jumping in praise
26:53 and sing and, you know--
26:54 there's got to be some appealing to the mind
26:57 and to reason and rational.
26:58 And so we do need to strike that balance.
27:00 I think you are very, very correct in that. Yeah. Yeah.
27:02 Yeah, pretty good, thank you for that question.
27:04 One more that hopefully won't take too long here.
27:11 Where is my question here?
27:12 Here we go, why do you think
27:15 it's necessary for God to be invisible?
27:18 And this comes from Jackie in Kalama Falls.
27:22 Why do you think God needs to be invisible?
27:23 He walked and talked with Adam and Eve face to face
27:26 at least until they sinned.
27:28 And even after sin He walked with them
27:31 at least one last time.
27:33 If it's because we are sinners
27:34 and Adam and Eve were at first,
27:36 were at first perfect,
27:38 we do become sinless now
27:40 with the righteous robe of Jesus and He forgives,
27:43 so why is He still invisible to us.
27:45 Okay, so a couple principles here,
27:47 let me give you a couple text.
27:49 Isaiah 59 verse 2.
27:55 And its Isaiah 59:2 we read
27:58 as I am turning,
28:02 "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened,"
28:05 I'm reading from verse 1 to give the context
28:07 "that it cannot save, nor is his ear heavy,
28:09 that it cannot hear,
28:11 but your iniquities have separated you from your God,
28:15 and your sins have hidden His face from you,
28:16 so that he will not hear."
28:18 You know, we as sinful human beings
28:22 because of that sin have a concept now of space
28:29 and we have a concept of time.
28:32 And it is caused by separation from God.
28:36 Prior to sin, there was no concept of distance from God,
28:40 He was always there.
28:43 Not only just physically I mean spiritually felt,
28:47 but physically He was there.
28:50 Secondly there was no concept of time,
28:52 there was no this, there wasn't this idea
28:54 that we are ticking toward death.
28:57 And so those things were absent from Adam and Eve
29:00 and they were perfect,
29:01 they were sinless and so the Lord also freely,
29:05 because there was no separation commune
29:07 with them face to face.
29:08 They saw God they had a good intimate
29:11 personal visible relationship with God.
29:14 But then we know that after the fall
29:18 there is this distance this space
29:20 and then there is this time element that we're all stuck
29:22 with until His second coming.
29:24 But there is another text here
29:25 I think that tells us more about
29:27 why is he still invisible to us.
29:29 And it's not because God is not a forgiving God,
29:32 He absolutely is.
29:33 But Exodus 33 verse 20,
29:38 is part of a story that is about
29:41 Moses on the mountain meeting with God
29:43 and there were times that God
29:46 appeared to various patriarchs,
29:49 even matriarchs of the Old Testament
29:51 and was visible to them,
29:53 but He always was veiled in humanity.
29:56 But here we find an instant
29:57 where Moses is meeting with God and Moses is in
30:00 and God is not veiled.
30:02 But Moses asked to see Gods glory
30:06 and the Lord answers
30:08 and as He is dialoging with Moses,
30:09 He says these words.
30:11 And this is Exodus 33 verse 20,
30:17 He says, "You cannot see my face
30:22 for no man shall see me,"
30:23 and do what? And live. "Live."
30:26 The reason why God is still invisible
30:28 to us is for our protection. Yes.
30:31 It's not because of separation
30:33 so much any longer,
30:34 but it is because we are still sinful human beings.
30:37 We are-- I should say maybe a more
30:38 appropriate word is we are not only sinful,
30:41 we are mortal human beings.
30:43 And mortality cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God.
30:47 And so for our benefit, for our protection,
30:49 we cannot see God face to face,
30:52 because we'll be consumed in an instant.
30:55 And so that is the reason
30:56 why He is still invisible to us,
30:57 but one day He will not be, we'll see Him face to face.
31:00 Yeah, righteousness and sin cannot inhabit same place,
31:04 same time like light and darkness.
31:05 When you turn on light, darkness ceases to exist.
31:07 So at this point
31:09 and your writer does say we are sinners.
31:15 Well, we're sinners because God declares us as such.
31:17 Not in our own right,
31:18 our righteousness is as filthy rags and so the truth
31:21 is that while we are being perfected,
31:26 God chooses to see us through
31:27 the justification process as being perfect.
31:29 So the prefix in that we've is a declaration
31:33 done by God. Right.
31:34 Its all God, it is not through
31:36 any inherent righteousness that we have.
31:38 We're very much sinners
31:41 who are being saved by grace through faith,
31:43 that's not of ourselves it's a gift.
31:46 So in that condition we still are unfit to stand
31:50 in the presence of a Holy God.
31:52 We're just not, we're just not there yet,
31:54 and since righteousness
31:56 and sin cannot inhabit the same place
31:57 as you've rightly said,
31:59 were we to come directly into His presence
32:02 and to see Him, we would cease to exist.
32:05 It's like putting a 220V,
32:07 you know, into a little light socket
32:10 or something just too much power,
32:12 too much just cannot handle it.
32:13 And so at this point, there is this separation,
32:16 but praise God that separation
32:18 will not be always. Yeah. Yeah.
32:20 You know, Christ came, this is a,
32:22 it's a matter of a heart.
32:23 Jesus came unveiled his divinity His perfection, yes,
32:26 with sinful flesh.
32:28 He says, He came in the lightness
32:29 of sinful flesh.
32:31 We receive in the righteousness
32:33 of Christ are "veiled"
32:35 so to speak by the robe of Christ's righteousness
32:38 but inside we're sinful. Yeah, we're sinful.
32:40 And that won't change until tell the second coming.
32:42 So for our protection
32:45 that's why God still remains invisible
32:47 but He is not still, He is not far from you,
32:49 because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
32:52 All right thank you, again so much for your questions.
32:55 We appreciate your participation
32:57 in the program by sending those in.
32:59 Let me give you the address once again,
33:01 the email address,
33:02 its housecalls@3abn.org, housecalls@3abn.org.
33:08 Please send us your questions,
33:09 we'll do our best to get you involved in our program,
33:13 so thank you very much.
33:15 You know, Pastor Murray, we live in an age today
33:20 many people have different words for it,
33:22 the New Testament age,
33:25 we live under the New Covenant,
33:27 the Era of the Church.
33:30 But in what ever you wanna call it
33:32 I think there is something that Bible teaches us
33:35 very clearly that maybe not,
33:37 it's not entirely understood or at least as well
33:39 as it should be that there is a priesthood on this earth
33:44 that God has chosen to do His work.
33:47 And there are some text that allude to that,
33:48 we'll get to those in a little bit.
33:50 But the topic that we're gonna cover
33:52 for the next couple of days involves,
33:54 or at least we take a deeper look into this priesthood.
33:59 You know, pastor I was watching a program
34:02 I think it was 60 minutes
34:03 and it was a few months ago
34:05 and they did it on these monasteries
34:09 and monks within Mount Athos.
34:12 And of course Mount Athos means Holy Mountain.
34:15 It was founded or at least established
34:17 right around the late 10th century
34:21 and these monasteries today
34:23 that CBS was allowed in they have priest
34:26 there that practice very, very strict
34:32 lifestyle and spiritual kind of well, they practice,
34:37 I don't want to review we've done it,
34:39 but these are the practices of their faith.
34:41 This is what they do to honor God
34:43 to make sure they're close to God
34:45 and to live according to how God wants them to live.
34:48 And so they have these very rigid,
34:51 they almost appear they are legalistic practices
34:53 and they are very commendable.
34:55 I would say, you know,
34:56 anybody that's got that kind of dedication
34:58 should be commended at least for their dedication itself.
35:01 But what we find in Gods word
35:03 is that the church is not necessarily
35:07 to have each one of its members as a whole,
35:11 each one of us act out the part of a monk.
35:14 In a monastery we wouldn't get any work done,
35:17 they're very isolated and they're really sectarian,
35:20 they stand off from the rest of the world,
35:22 that is not God's design.
35:23 When we see priesthood of believers for the church,
35:26 it doesn't mean that priesthood
35:27 that stays isolated or secluded
35:29 it means we've a work to do as God's living priesthood.
35:33 And so I share this example,
35:35 because where ever there is a truth in God's word,
35:38 there seems to be a counterfeit as well.
35:41 And so where God has a living,
35:43 priesthood here I believe still on this earth
35:45 who is to do a work,
35:47 there is a counterfeit priesthood
35:48 that also exists on this earth as well,
35:50 and we got be careful to distinguish
35:52 what is true and what is false.
35:55 But, as we look back as we get to,
35:58 as we dive into the word here,
35:59 we're gonna see that God has established
36:01 He established very early on
36:03 a priesthood to do a work for Him through
36:07 and with the children of Israel. Yes.
36:10 From very, the very beginning God shows
36:12 His people through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
36:16 Then after Jacob they were in bondage
36:18 they were in captivity, slavery to the Egyptians.
36:21 Finally after 400 years, He delivered them from Egypt
36:25 and then He established a priesthood again,
36:28 a very visible priesthood
36:29 that served around a sanctuary,
36:32 initially a sanctuary that was portable
36:34 as they went around wilderness,
36:36 they journeyed for 40 years
36:38 and then later on as they developed,
36:42 as they were established in Canaan
36:43 there was a temple in Jerusalem
36:45 and the services surrounded the temple.
36:47 And we find that through
36:48 the rest of the life of the Israelites
36:53 and then of course after they divide the king
36:55 and the Jews until the time of Christ.
36:58 So I want to first though go back early on
37:01 to Deuteronomy Chapter 7 and read a passage here,
37:05 about God choosing his people and what his intent is
37:09 and was from the very beginning
37:11 for choosing a specific people to Him.
37:14 And maybe you could start this off by reading,
37:16 would you mind.
37:17 All right, Deuteronomy 7:6 through 8,
37:20 "For you art an holy people to the Lord your God,
37:24 the Lord your God has chosen
37:26 you to be a people for Himself,
37:28 a special treasure above all the peoples
37:31 on the face of the earth."
37:33 In 7, "The Lord did not set his love on you,
37:36 nor choose you,
37:37 because ye were more in number than
37:40 any other people for you were least of all peoples,
37:43 but because the Lord loves you.
37:47 Wow, so because of the Lord's love,
37:49 he chose a people
37:51 and its not just Abraham He promised Abraham,
37:54 He would make His descendents like the sands of the sea.
37:58 And so as His people were growing in number
38:00 He assured them that
38:02 He chose them from the very beginning,
38:03 because of his great love for them.
38:06 And this is an important thing,
38:07 I mean we should probably not just slip pass
38:09 this very, very quickly without at least noting
38:12 God's love for His people. Yes.
38:15 And not just love for us individually,
38:18 but He loves His chosen people. Yes.
38:22 A group that he is calling out of the world
38:26 to be like Him to serve Him
38:29 and to minister them as an outreach
38:31 to rest of the world hoping to bring others in.
38:33 That's the part on the other side of the period,
38:37 John that I think we ought to always emphasize.
38:39 If we stop at God chose us,
38:41 because He loves us,
38:42 it will push us in a wrong direction.
38:45 It would tend to make us like these monks
38:51 that you are talking about sometime ago.
38:53 All right God chose me He loves me,
38:55 that's a nice thing.
38:56 On the other side of that period is chose me
38:58 for what? Yeah.
39:00 And that question must always be asked,
39:02 because if you stop at just He chose me,
39:04 He loves me, then you may think
39:06 that you're better than everybody else.
39:09 And actually He chose you and loves you,
39:12 but out of that love chose you to be a servant
39:15 to everybody else.
39:17 His choosing of you,
39:19 His selecting of you is to give you a special task
39:22 to do in accordance of what God himself does.
39:27 God loves the world and He is choosing you
39:30 as an instrument to help share that love to the world.
39:33 So you don't stop that He chose me,
39:34 He love me, but you ask the question chose me for what?
39:37 So it says that with that chosen, with that love comes
39:39 special responsibility with you
39:42 and that special responsibility
39:45 is to do the work of the Lord.
39:46 You know, and He seems to say that much here
39:48 because in the other
39:51 what He is saying leading up
39:52 to saying that the Lord loves you.
39:54 He says that He didn't choose you
39:55 because you were bigger in number or more
39:58 special than somebody else. Precisely.
40:00 So He's trying to be very clear here,
40:02 I'm not loving you, because you're lovable,
40:06 I'm loving you, because that's my nature. Yes.
40:08 I love all of my creation, I'm choosing you not
40:11 because you're greater or better or whatever
40:14 you want to assign to meaning the meaning better
40:17 but I loved you,
40:18 I poured out my love upon you to choose you,
40:20 so that I may share the love,
40:22 the same love to the world.
40:23 Yeah, ultimately His love is for the world,
40:27 your selection facilitates that,
40:29 that's what He is trying to--
40:30 I'm trying to get to the whole world.
40:32 So I'm laying my hand on your shoulder,
40:35 because you are gonna help me
40:36 get my love to the whole world. Yeah. Yeah.
40:39 Our next couple text actually help to build on this theme
40:42 and we're just kind of establishing a foundation now
40:44 for God choosing Israel
40:46 and how He established Israel,
40:48 because we'll see some parallels
40:50 with how He establishes His church
40:51 as well in a little while.
40:54 Let's read from Isaiah Chapter 42,
40:58 and I'm almost there 42:6 and 7 and then,
41:04 C.A. maybe you can pickup 49:6
41:07 after I read 42:6 and 7 here.
41:10 It says in Isaiah 42:6 and 7.
41:14 "I the lord have called you in righteousness,
41:17 and will hold your hand, I will keep you,
41:19 and give you as a covenant to the people,
41:25 as light" to who? "The Gentiles."
41:29 So wait a minute, God didn't choose
41:31 the Gentiles from the beginning,
41:32 but He is saying that I chose you as a people
41:36 and to be a covenant to the people
41:38 and a light to who? The gentiles,
41:40 those outside your sect or your group,
41:44 so the motivation here goes far beyond just Israel.
41:47 Look at verse 7, to do what,
41:49 "to open blind eyes, to bring out
41:51 the prisoners from the prison,
41:53 those who sit in darkness from the prison house."
41:57 And then of course He says, "I am the Lord,
41:58 that is my name and my glory
41:59 I will not give to another."
42:01 So we've here God saying to Israel,
42:05 I'm choosing you to be a light to the Gentiles,
42:09 a light to others. Yes
42:11 But for you to be that light to others
42:12 I need to first work on you.
42:15 On you, yes, yes.
42:17 And we find this also in the New Testament.
42:19 God, when Jesus appeared He chose 12,
42:24 because we know that in the--
42:26 with the Israelites He chose 12 tribes,
42:29 but here we find 12 disciples
42:30 and He chose them to teach them the ways of God.
42:34 And Christ taught them day by day
42:36 and led that by example,
42:38 so that they might be able to then
42:39 give that same teaching to the world.
42:44 This the idea of coming aside
42:47 in the Bible is only a temporary measure
42:50 as it prepares us to go out and do a wider work.
42:53 And that's why I think a lot of the monasteries
42:55 and the whole monastery tradition,
42:59 this is the a boat, if I can use that terminology,
43:01 you don't come aside for the purpose of coming aside,
43:04 you come aside to fortify yourself
43:07 to go back to the world and leave them in the way
43:11 that Christ would have them to go.
43:13 So Christ brought them aside,
43:15 He took them aside He spoke with them,
43:18 He talked to them, He walked with them.
43:20 He gave them examples from life and from nature
43:23 for a time and then He commissioned them,
43:26 now you got it, give it.
43:29 So you don't come aside just to be aside.
43:31 In fact, if you come to aside to be aside
43:34 you become unbalanced.
43:35 You know, it's like a stream or a river
43:39 that gets in but never exits,
43:41 it never goes out, you become unbalanced.
43:43 So you come aside simply to fortify,
43:46 to learn, to experience
43:48 and then you take what you've learned,
43:49 what you've experienced and you take that to a world
43:52 that needs to have what God has given you.
43:55 You know, and the ultimate motive
43:56 is found in that next verse there,
43:58 of Isaiah.
44:03 "And he said, It is a light thing that
44:06 you shouldest be my servant
44:07 and raise up the tribes of Jacob,
44:09 and to restore the preserved of Israel."
44:12 And here is the key part.
44:13 "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,"
44:17 that's the key.
44:18 "I'm gonna give you as the light to them
44:20 because they need the light,
44:22 that thou mayest be my salvation
44:24 to the ends of the earth."
44:25 So God is saying I'm gonna put that light in you
44:28 and then you take that light to those dark places
44:31 throughout the earth.
44:33 And the objective there is to save the world.
44:36 Precisely, Yeah.
44:38 And this is where I think to degree
44:41 There is been this battle over time
44:44 The battle clearly was evident
44:46 when Jesus came to earth the first time
44:48 as He dialoged with the Pharisees,
44:50 there was this very exclusive club,
44:53 this group that was separate from the world.
44:56 They just knew in their heart
44:57 they were better than every one else,
44:58 that God chose them for what they had to offer.
45:02 And that translated very much down through time even,
45:05 to the perception of many still today
45:07 of the Jewish people.
45:09 And so you have very, you know, anti Semitic,
45:13 you know, folks who see that,
45:16 from way in the back and they just,
45:18 they hate that. Yeah.
45:20 And so what's the worse thing a church can do,
45:22 to give out any kind of even a semblance or possibility
45:27 that might be their thinking,
45:29 when they are trying to evangelize
45:30 the very people that, you know,
45:32 that God has sent them to do evangelize--
45:33 Yeah, you know, its funny Pastor,
45:34 we tend to like as humans secret handshakes
45:38 and secret clubs, and secret signs
45:40 and secret, you know. We're special.
45:42 You have to be a part of the cognizant,
45:43 you have to be part of the inside,
45:45 you flash the secret sign,
45:46 nobody knows the secret sign,
45:47 you know, it's very, very, chic, very, very, very hit
45:51 to be have this secret clubs and secret signs.
45:54 And sometimes, the church falls into that little trap,
45:59 you know, we have certain words
46:01 and certain terminologies and certain things
46:03 we do that the world does not know.
46:05 But that turns what God wanted to be an open door
46:11 into a club house and you don't want
46:13 the church to degenerate into a club house.
46:15 Your job as a Christian,
46:18 talking about the priesthood of all believers
46:20 is to get out from the closet
46:22 and into the world with the light of the gospel.
46:25 So if you make it too difficult
46:27 or too eclectic to become a member,
46:30 then you're doing actually the opposite
46:32 of what Christ is asking you to do. Yeah. Yeah.
46:34 And there are many secret societies
46:35 and things out there that we know nothing about.
46:37 Precisely, we don't want the church
46:39 to become a secret society.
46:40 No, no, not, not by any stretch of imagination.
46:45 So we've established here now
46:47 as we looked at some of these text,
46:48 God's motive for choosing Israel
46:51 and that eventually,
46:52 He would use them as a light to the Gentiles.
46:54 When Jesus came to this earth,
46:57 He intended for Israel to accept Him as the Messiah
47:02 and as a result of that,
47:03 He would then use them to reach the world.
47:08 I said this several times and some people kind of,
47:11 they're taken back and then they think about it,
47:12 you know, what that's true.
47:14 There would have been no church.
47:18 There would have been no reason to establish a church,
47:21 if the Jewish people had accepted Christ
47:23 as their Messiah
47:25 He would have used them to bring salvation
47:27 to the ends of the earth.
47:30 The church was chosen, yeah,
47:31 because the Jewish hierarchy rejected Christ. Yeah.
47:36 Crucified Him, were involved in that,
47:37 they didn't have to be. Yeah.
47:39 The Romans would have done this on their own,
47:41 if they had assured him and his king,
47:43 what you think the Romans would have done.
47:44 Yeah, they have taken to panic--
47:45 They would have crucified Him anyway. Precisely,
47:46 But they joined in united with Romans
47:49 and use the Romans to crucify Him,
47:50 that's rejecting Christ
47:52 which is why the church was established.
47:54 Yeah, the church was,
47:55 I don't want to say the default settings,
47:56 certainly was the alternate plan,
47:58 because we weren't and I'll use the terminology
48:00 buying into the original plan.
48:02 Right, which is one of the reasons
48:04 why Israel is used to talk to talking about the church.
48:09 The prophecies of Israel of the Old Testament
48:11 now apply to the church. Apply to the church.
48:13 And there is this false teaching out there,
48:15 this dual covenant theology where
48:17 God is a separate covenant with Jews,
48:19 that He has with the church.
48:21 And its complete misunderstanding that,
48:22 that covenant ended with the Jews as a nation. Yes.
48:27 And then was established
48:29 and brought as a new covenant through the church,
48:32 also to evangelize the Jews again,
48:34 who have been--
48:35 Right, the covenant blessings
48:37 as well as the covenant responsibilities
48:39 now fall upon, now fall upon the church.
48:42 Even if you look at where Israel was placed
48:44 when they went into Canaan into "Promise land."
48:49 They were put on what we called
48:51 the crossroads of the nations.
48:54 The civilized world was concentrated in North Africa,
48:57 Mesopotamia and they to get where you have to go,
49:01 you had to pass through that area of the world
49:05 and may contact with God's people.
49:08 And so they were strategically placed
49:10 and then of course later through the Diasporas
49:13 and the intimate connection with the Roman Empire,
49:17 the goodness of the gospel,
49:18 the awareness of the gospel of Christ
49:21 will spread throughout the world.
49:22 That wasn't accidental,
49:23 they won't put in some islands, some place.
49:25 They will put right there in the center of
49:27 the then civilized world for a specific purpose,
49:29 and that was to share.
49:31 You had trade routes and caravans
49:33 moving to one fro to and fro and yet,
49:35 they chose to do the opposite to be insular
49:37 and sort of just keep it to themselves,
49:39 when all Christ wanted them
49:40 to do will share with everyone,
49:42 the goodness of His love and His mercy.
49:44 Yeah. Yeah.
49:45 Let's turn to Exodus Chapter 19,
49:48 we are gonna continue to build on this picture of God,
49:51 choosing a people to serve Him,
49:54 and to then extend salvation to the ends of the world.
49:57 Exodus 19 verses 5 and 6,
50:01 it says, "Now therefore, if you will indeed
50:03 obey My voice and keep My covenant,
50:08 then you shall be a special treasure to me
50:11 above all people, for all the earth is mine
50:14 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priest
50:18 and a Holy nation.
50:20 These are the words
50:21 which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
50:23 "This is God speaking to Mosses,
50:25 to then have Mosses carry to the children of Israel.
50:29 Now we find in this word priest
50:35 and I looked up in Merriam's dictionary,
50:39 in Merriam Webster's dictionary
50:41 and it says, with regard to priest,
50:44 that it refers to one authorized
50:46 to perform the sacred rights of the religion
50:48 especially as a mediatory agent.
50:52 A mediatory agent between humans and God.
50:56 Now this is a fairly narrow definition
50:58 and I think we're gonna expand that
51:00 greatly over the time that we're here.
51:02 But clearly I like the picture
51:03 though of mediatory. Yes.
51:06 Because God has chosen
51:08 His this entire nation initially,
51:10 the whole nation is to be a kingdom of priest.
51:13 And we're gonna find that
51:14 as we go through this choosing this kingdom,
51:17 or these people as a kingdom of priest,
51:19 they don't really necessarily like the idea. Yes, yes.
51:23 And it begins in the very next Chapter
51:25 because in the very next Chapter,
51:26 Exodus 20,
51:27 we have the people at the base of Mount Sinai,
51:31 God at the top of Mount Sinai thundering His law.
51:36 And interesting things, it says about that,
51:39 in fact, you want to read this one C.A.,
51:40 Exodus 20:18 to 21?
51:42 Can do. I'm in Exodus 20.
51:48 "Now all the people witnessed the thunderings,
51:50 the lightning, flashes, the sound of the trumpet,
51:54 and the mountain smoking and when the people saw it,
51:58 they trembled and stood afar off.
52:01 Then they said to Moses, speak,you speak with us
52:06 and we will hear, but let not God speak with us,
52:10 lest we die."
52:11 And Moses said to his people, "Do not be fear,
52:14 for God has come to test you,
52:17 and that His fear maybe before you,
52:20 so that you may not sin."
52:22 And 21 "So, the people stood a far off,
52:25 but Moses drew near the thick darkness
52:28 where God was."
52:29 Ah, there is so much in this passage,
52:31 it just lights up my imagination,
52:34 but I think there is some wonderful teachings in here.
52:37 We find that God is appearing on this mountain
52:41 and the people respond by being fearful. Yes.
52:45 Of course, Moses says, it's kind of an,
52:47 kind of speaking in two different ways,
52:49 and this is a good text anybody use
52:51 when you're teaching about fear,
52:52 you know, the fear of God, do not fear,
52:55 in other words, do not be afraid.
52:57 "For God has come to test you,
52:58 that His fear maybe before you."
53:00 So we should fear, but not fear. Yes.
53:02 Don't be afraid like trembling
53:04 like you're afraid of God,
53:05 but your fear respect Him. Respect Him.
53:07 Because He does hold us to accountability.
53:11 And so we find these people
53:12 who are seeing these manifestations of miraculous,
53:15 just power on this mountain, and what do they do?
53:18 They stood a far off. And it says that twice.
53:22 Verse 21 again, it says,
53:23 "The people stood a far off, but, Moses did what?"
53:26 Drew near. Moses drew near.
53:28 Now notice, if you read the passage,
53:31 it says, God says,
53:33 "Put a boundary around the mountain,
53:35 and if you just step across that you'll die,
53:37 My holiness is as such where you'll die,
53:39 do not go near."
53:41 But Moses drew near,
53:43 he didn't step across the boundary. Yes.
53:45 He just drew near to it, where the people shrunk back,
53:49 they stood a far off from that boundary
53:50 and what you see here are two things,
53:54 you're seeing the people being afraid of God now,
53:56 warning to draw near as Moses did,
53:59 but you're also seeing their resistance
54:01 of being the mediatory agent,
54:04 God had called them to be just the Chapter earlier.
54:07 God is saying "Come in, commune with Me,
54:09 be a special people to Me, be My agent to others."
54:12 And He has called Moses to do the same. Yeah.
54:14 Moses draw near, draws near and says,
54:16 "Okay, I'm here, Lord."
54:18 The people say, "No, no, no,
54:19 Moses, you do it, not us."
54:21 Yeah, not us, not us.
54:22 You know the Lord is trying to,
54:24 to do any number of things.
54:25 One, I think, I like your point,
54:27 the idea that He wants us not to fear Him,
54:30 but it says, His fear, a Godly fear,
54:33 a Godly respect, the Lord is sovereign,
54:35 the Lord is the Lord, He's the Lord God,
54:38 and that always to be respected and understood.
54:43 Having said that, He doesn't get
54:45 any kicks out of having us tremble and quake before Him.
54:50 He wants us to come boldly,
54:51 particularly when we need something,
54:53 but to come in the respect and deference that
54:55 we are dealing with
54:56 the sovereign of the universe. Amen.
54:58 And that, when we come before Him,
55:01 we come in a certain mindset,
55:03 with a certain mind fit, mindset.
55:05 And, of course, His desire
55:06 when we come is to turn us right back around
55:09 and send us out to the world, amen,
55:10 they needs to have that.
55:11 So, as the people now are standing afar off.
55:14 Moses, the one, is the one to draw near,
55:16 we're finding a little bit of a plan B
55:20 kind of kick into place here. Yeah, yeah.
55:22 The people have almost solidified their resistance
55:26 to draw near to God,
55:27 especially as Moses went up the mountain
55:29 to get the tables of stone.
55:31 And then when he came back down,
55:32 we find that Golden Calf experience.
55:35 Well, as Moses broke those tables of stone,
55:38 which depicts really the breaking of the covenant.
55:42 He kind of places the test before the people
55:44 and he says, "Those who are with God,
55:47 stand here and those who are not,
55:50 who are part of this golden calf experience,
55:53 we want to separate from you." Amen.
55:55 And who we have, that are faithful
55:58 in that test are the tribe of Levi. Yeah.
56:02 Levi remained faithful
56:03 and we find that in this story.
56:06 And so as, God, sees a resistance of the people
56:08 in general to draw near
56:10 and to accept this priesthood of all believers-- Yes.
56:14 Creating a kingdom of priest.
56:16 We now see Levi, who is faithful
56:19 and God is going to call them
56:21 forward then to be His priest.
56:23 And we picked that up
56:24 in Numbers Chapter 3 verses 6 through 10,
56:27 and we don't really have time
56:28 to go into all of that right now.
56:30 I see our time is slipping away from here,
56:32 but I'll start off with Exodus 28:1,
56:35 where it says, "Take Aaron your brother,
56:37 and his sons with him,
56:38 and from among the children of Israel,
56:39 that he may minister to me as priests,
56:41 Aaron and Aaron's sons,
56:43 Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar."
56:45 So clearly God is now not just establishing
56:48 His priest with all the kingdom,
56:50 He's choosing Aaron and His sons,
56:52 yes, yes, and the tribe of Levi.
56:54 It's a powerful point that there's a subtle drawing back
56:56 from God's original plan,
56:58 even at the very earliest days of Israel.
57:01 You know they are at Sinai,
57:03 God wants everyone to be to service priest,
57:06 but we're not quite ready for that,
57:08 so then He's got another plan,
57:10 but it wasn't His original plan,
57:12 but He kicks in this other plan.
57:14 Yeah. Very powerful.
57:15 And we're gonna see a part of that,
57:16 we're gonna continue on in our story in our next program
57:18 which will be next week, so make sure you stay tune
57:20 for part two of this.
57:22 But we pray that the, Lord, is blessing you
57:24 as you open the word, as you study the word
57:26 and He has bless you today through this program.
57:29 May you have a great day in the, Lord,
57:30 as you serve Him as one of His priests.
57:33 God bless you.


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Revised 2014-12-17