If asked what your “spiritual persuasion” was, what would you say? “I’m a Christian”, or "I go to church", or "I pray, I tithe, I volunteer", etc. Would you ever answer, “I’ve been boiled and hammered for Jesus”? When you come to Him, that’s exactly what has to happen in order to grow and remain in the presence of God. Exodus 25 is a HUGE word picture from way back in biblical times of what God is doing to us today. WE are the temple now. He is constructing us according to the same plan He used back then. As we cover a few things in Exodus 25—note that God required PURE GOLD for all the parts and pieces in the Temple. He requires this same “gold” from all of your parts and pieces, too! GOLD—to be pure, has to be boiled over and over again to get all the impurities out of it. It’s a heavy metal and sinks to the bottom as the impurities rise.
God led the Israelites to build the Tabernacle and the Mercy Seat:
It is the same for us today! Hang on…you’re going to get hammered! (Listen to entire sermon below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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We have been studying some of God’s “visual aids” of religious laws and rituals. But let’s not forget that God wanted them to eventually put away the physical symbols and enter into the depth of the spiritual reality they represented…just as He does for us today so that we may not inadvertently substitute ritual TO Him for relationship WITH Him. The transition from physical to spiritual was made in the person and work of Jesus. The temporary or “imperfect” was to be put away once the permanent or “perfect” came. In studying the physical and imperfect, though, we can see how God used them to teach both the Jews (who were the “first”) and the Gentiles (who are the “last”) in knowing and understanding the New Covenant which brings us direct access to God! Studying the Jewish Feasts will continue the broadening of our understanding. God established seven Feasts. These were not “food feasts” as we might think of the word use today, but rather, they were holy convocations of God’s people, the Jews, who were to meet in a special way in order to “meet with God”. I personally thank God that I do not have to travel to Jerusalem for a Feast in order to meet with God, but can now meet with God through Christ right where I am. Why we study the Feasts:
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The Trespass Offering was distinctly different from the Sin Offering. It was not offered for the general sin nature of man, but rather for the specific sins committed. We can see, then, that Jesus was offered not only for sin itself (as a Sin Offering), but He was also wounded for our transgressions (as a Trespass Offering). Remember, these offerings were for the sins of man against man. But because the sin was also against God’s standard, they were also a sin against God. Man could pay back his sin to his fellow man, but there was no way he could pay back God. That is why God’s grace thought of His only Son, Jesus, as the acceptable sacrifice to Him to make the slate clean—justice served and the restitution complete! This offering was also different because it added another level—the offerer not only had to pay back to his fellow man for his sin, he also had to pay a fifth more in addition to that. God did that too...with Jesus’ sacrifice, sin was not only paid for but we also get to have God dwell within us. We don’t just get to “walk” with Him in fellowship as Adam did; we have the added gift of having Him actually “dwell” within us. We become the walking holy of holies with the presence of God as our guide, our wisdom, our self-discipline, our all in all for every single person, place and thing. Boy, are we without excuse! Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Personal Testimony: Occasionally, prior to the message, Pastor Linda will open the floor to life testimonies. It is great encouragement to hear how the Lord is working in each of our lives. Tonight, Carolyn and Ted Marshall give praise to God for His provision of a need in their lives. (Click the forward button below to play the personal testimony of Carolyn Marshall and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide:(Download file to print Study Guide for message or view embedded file below.)
The Peace Offering This is the last of the three “sweet savor” offerings. It was an animal offered up for sacrifice, but this offering was a little different from the Burnt Offering and the Meat Offering we studied last week. With the Peace Offering, the offerer, the priest and God all received some of the sacrifice; whereas, with the other two, only God and the priest partook. What a great word picture of a “peace” offering—God, man and priest (who was the mediator between God and man, at least until Jesus came), all in communion together indicating the restoration between God and mankind. This is a great tutorial to express that the Christ who was to come, and to be that sacrifice for us, would not be just an avenue to some vague acceptance or a relief from God’s wrath—no, no—His offering has purchased for us an inheritance, one in which we enter with Him into peace with God. One in which God takes great delight, and gives unbroken fellowship and revelation to us...oh, sweet, sweet Jesus! The Sin Offering The last two of the five offerings are the Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering. They are the offerings in which the offerer comes as sinner for repentance and atonement. The “sweet savor” offerings were not offered for sin, but as worship and acceptance before God, thus making these last two completely different in scope and meaning. They specifically addressed sin and the sin nature—two different thing, thus two different offerings. In both of these offerings, atonement for sin was made. The animal offered was offered outside the camp to show the shame and rejection from sin. Even though rejected, the animal still had to be blameless and spotless...the precursor of Jesus, our spotless Lamb of sacrifice. When Jesus bore our sins, He was judged for us and, thus, justice satisfied—so we who believe have already been judged in Christ and God forgives us. This is similar to our modern day “double jeopardy” rules...you can’t be tried twice for the same crime! Nor in Christ can we be tried for our sins again—they have been tried and judged already, and I am free, adjudicated for eternity! “He has forgiven us all trespasses.” (Colossians 2:13) We have no need to continue the offerings of the Old Testament. All is now fulfilled in Jesus Christ who was foretold in all the Law and the Prophets. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
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The Old Testament contains many promises in the Law and the Prophets looking forward to the future salvation of the Jews, but that is only half the story. The Law and Prophets were never intended to be the complete and finished communication of God to the world. The New Testament and Jesus complete the story. In order to better understand and further confirm the New Testament, we must study the Old, for in it we see it is really Christ who is the key that unlocks the riches of those writings. In looking closely, we can see that the whole of the Old Testament has a consistent focus on Jesus, His death and His resurrection. It sets up the framework and description of Jesus, His mission, His life, and His eternal gift of salvation. The Old Testament constantly points to Him, speaks of Him and symbolizes Him. In studying its writings, we see again and again that God patiently spoke to the Jews about Christ in symbols and shadows that were appropriate to them back then and also allows us today to gain a fuller understanding of what God meant about Jesus through the Jewish offerings and feasts. In our study of the Jewish Offerings and Feasts, we shall see how Jesus is the sum of both of them and how that fact applies to our lives today. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for sermon or view embedded file below.)
We have just completed a series on “The Tabernacle in the Wilderness” in which the spiritual underpinnings of the Tabernacle and the Priesthood were covered. The majesty, the beauty, the order, the connection made with the presence of an almighty God, the sheer sacredness of it all…but how do we get from there to here? And there is even more—the sacrifices and the feasts of the Old Testament round out the picture of a loving God guiding His misguided children (then and now) back to Him to realize a completeness they can never achieve on their own. As I ponder these things, I understand there is a bridge that connects the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices and the feasts with a life in Christ today...that bridge is holiness. So, before we continue to an in-depth study of the sacrifices and feasts, we must stop awhile and ponder the meaning and significance of holiness. To understand holiness, we need to understand more of who God is and what His character is like. We need to really understand that God is not like us...He is holy. Isaiah 6:3, “...Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts...” There is a huge gap between God and us and it is not bridgeable from our side—it is bridged only from the Holy God side. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Handout: (Download notes for sermon below.)
(Summation of the role of the High Priest in Jesus and today is found in Hebrews 8:1-2 and 6-8, Hebrews 9:2-15 and 24-28.) The garments of the High Priest were specially selected by God to be symbolic of the character of Christ and thus the example we are to follow and live out in our lives as the High Priests of today. The white trousers were worn underneath all of the garments symbolizing the purity we are to have underneath all we do. It also portrayed the sense of modesty and decency we should possess in worshipping God in holiness. The tunic (coat) was worn under the other garments. It was also white, denoting the purity required in the priesthood and the purity we must still exhibit. The sash was only worn on the Day of Atonement which denoted a girding of the loins ... a strengthening of the body portion where life is produced and eventually developed. The blue tunic (robe) was a seamless garment depicting the timelessness of God – no beginning, no end. And on the bottom of the tunic were bells, symbolizing the ringing out of the good news of the gospel. In between the bells were sewn pomegranates of yarn. The pomegranates symbolized the fruitfulness of Jesus and acted as a “pad” that prevented discord from the bells clashing with each other. (Hmmm … maybe the churches of today should review that one!) The turban was made of fine linen covering the head as the symbol of holiness and righteousness. The covering of the head signified subjection. Jesus, our Head, was always in subjection to His Father, always submitting to His will and not His own – the example we must follow. The Sacred Diadem was placed on the turban on the forehead. The inscription on this plate was “Holy to the Lord”. Do we live today as if that sign were plastered on our foreheads? We are the High Priests of today. We do not wear the physically evident garments of the priesthood of old. But we should be wearing the spiritual garments of the new covenant with our lives manifesting the meaning of each and every article of clothing each and every day. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Quick Access to Previous Sessions on the Tabernacle:
Tabernacle In The Wilderness - The High Priest And His Garments (Part Two) (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)7/16/2011 (Scriptural References: Hebrews 8:1-2, 6-8; Hebrews 9:2-15, 24-28; the Old Testament Scriptures outlined in the previous section) Even the garments the priests wore were a description of the character of Christ. Because they were depicting His holiness, God commanded that the material, even the texture as well as the workmanship, were to be the very best and most excellent of its kind. There was to be fine linen, pure gold, precious stones, costly ointment, skilled workmanship and wise hearts in it all. The garments of the priest were the ephod (breastplate) with gem stones, the white linen trousers, the white linen coat with sash, the blue tunic with pomegranates and bells on them and a head covering. Each and every piece, including each of the 12 gem stones had specific meaning, still applicable today. It is far too lengthy to recount them all in this summary, but each item is covered in the audio portion of this series. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Quick Access to Previous Sessions on the Tabernacle:
Tabernacle In The Wilderness - The High Priest And His Garments - Part One (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)7/7/2011 (Scriptures on the details of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness can be found in Exodus Chapters 24-27 and 36-40; Scriptures on the details of the Priesthood can be found in Exodus Chapters 28-31) God wanted His nation of Israel to be a nation of priests in order to share His glory and His blessings with the unbelieving nations that surrounded them. For Israel to become a holy people to magnify a holy God, God had to establish a holy priesthood. Today, we must learn from this because God still wants His priests (us) to minister to the world as that holy and royal priesthood. We must be faithful to God and follow His lead exactly, just as the priests were required to back then. This is so that we may not fall away into idolatry (our “idea” of whom God is and what He wants). But rather that we proclaim the praises of Him Who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). The priests of old had certain basic requirements that were to be met, as well as certain restrictions that kept them from serving as priests. None of that has changed and, as you will see in the attached Study Guide, the requirements and restrictions of the old priesthood still hold true for us today. For the Old Testament priests, it was a physical realm of responsibility; for the New Testament priests (us), it is a spiritual realm of responsibility. All praise be to our mighty God! Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide:
(Scriptures on the details of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness can be found in Exodus Chapters 24-27 and 36-40; Scriptures on the details of the Priesthood can be found in Exodus Chapters 28-31) In the Holy Place were the Lampstand, the Table of Shewbread and the Altar of Incense. Last week, we covered the Lampstand and the Table of Shewbread and were blessed to see the significance and relevance of long ago commands to our lives and spiritual walk today. The Altar of IncenseThe incense used was not only costly and specially crafted; it was burned continuously day and night. What a picture of what our praises should be, rising continuously to the Lord as a pleasing fragrance to Him. The “continual” incense also demonstrates that our prayers should be constant and reminds us that Jesus is ever interceding for us. I am in such awe of God that He developed such an elaborate plan that has such intimate detail and meaning...both for the priesthood and people of the Tabernacle era as well as its relevance for God’s people today. Another little nugget to nibble on—the placement of the Altar of Incense was important, too—it was between the Holy Place (the earthly experiences of God’s people) and the Holy of Holies (being in the very presence of God). The message is clear...be in constant praise in order to come into the holy presence of God Almighty. God set the standard back then and has not changed it. The Holy of HoliesGod wanted a place to “meet” with His people, a place to extend His mercy, hold His testimony and instruct and guide His people. Thus, He required the “Holy of Holies”. Only one item was in the Holy of Holies...the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the 10 Commandments, a gold pot of Manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. We will discuss each of these in detail as we continue our study. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.) Quick Access to Previous Sessions on the Tabernacle:
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