Participants: David Shin
Series Code: 16SCM
Program Code: 16SCM000003A
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00:51 Welcome to 3ABN's Spring Camp Meeting:
00:57 Live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 01:02 Hello friends and welcome to 3ABN Spring Camp Meeting 2016. 01:07 We've just had a blessed time 01:09 listening to Pastor John Bradshaw's message. 01:12 And this now is the second in a numerical series 01:16 of sermons that will be focused on Christ, Calvary, 01:20 and the Sanctuary. 01:21 We'd like to welcome you with a hearty Amen. Amen! 01:25 And if you are in driving dis- tance or... You know you might 01:28 consider Mississippi driving distance. I just met somebody 01:31 that drove from Mississippi. Met somebody that flew 01:33 all the way from London, England... 01:35 actually Birmingham, England. 01:37 And so that may interpret differently for you, but we'd 01:40 like to invite you because this is just Wednesday. 01:43 We've got Thursday, Friday, and Sabbath and you 01:45 do not want to miss what God has in store for this weekend. 01:50 What better subject matter than Christ, Calvary, 01:54 and the Sanctuary. 01:56 Our speaker for this hour is Pastor David Shin. 02:01 He is a part of our 3ABN family. 02:04 I asked him just a moment ago where he's pastoring 02:07 and I knew that he was in what I might refer to as the 02:10 contiguous United States but he shuffled off to 02:15 Anchorage, Alaska. 02:18 I don't know what the temperature is there, but I'm 02:21 sure he's glad to be here. Here in southern Illinois 02:24 where the temperature is wonderful and warm 02:26 and we have been blessed by the presence of the Lord already. 02:30 His message is entitled His Way Is In The Sanctuary. 02:35 His wife is also here with him, Tennille. 02:36 And I had a chance to meet her, a wonderful young lady. 02:39 A bright smile. Did not know she was related to one of our 02:43 church members. I learn things every day the more I stay alive. 02:46 Praise the Lord for that. 02:48 We also are going to have some beautiful music. 02:50 And I'm going to allow Pastor David Shin to have 02:54 the opening prayer. But our minister of music 02:58 is going to be Sandra Entermann. 03:00 And I tell you, Sandra Entermann is not only from down under 03:05 but when she's here in Illinois she's up above. 03:08 And she has come to bless us, and she is going to bless us 03:11 with this wonderful song entitled I understand 03:14 One And The Same. And after she sings 03:19 I understand we're going to have the opportunity 03:22 to listen to this wonderful message by Pastor David Shin. 03:26 You know, I think... I'm getting the impression 03:29 from the Lord that I need to begin with prayer. 03:31 Can I do that? Let's bow our heads. 03:34 Loving Father in heaven, we thank you 03:36 that as Jesus is uplifted 03:39 that Christ is exalted 03:44 as we focus on the great gift that purchased our salvation 03:49 on that cruel cross of Calvary. 03:52 Lord, we thank you that there is no tomb that holds 03:55 the body of Jesus this night. 03:57 We do pray, Lord, that You will bless our hearts 04:00 as we focus that even now He's in the heavenly sanctuary 04:06 ministering in our behalf. 04:08 Those that are heirs of salvation, He brings our names 04:13 before His heavenly Father. We do pray, Lord, 04:16 that when time shall be no more each one of us will have 04:18 the great privilege of hearing our names called 04:21 to be a part of that eternal redeemed host. 04:25 We pray a blessing on Your manservant this night: 04:27 Pastor David Shin. We pray that You will guide him 04:31 by the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit. 04:34 And Father, when this message is done 04:36 may the gap between You and us and the plan You have 04:40 for our lives be fulfilled in a mighty way. 04:44 In Jesus' name we pray - and all of God's people said: 04:47 Amen and Amen. 04:51 Let's welcome Sandra with a hearty Amen. Amen! 05:14 How should I begin 05:17 to speak about a God 05:21 that I will never comprehend? 05:27 So high and mighty, and yet 05:30 closer than a friend 05:35 The beginning and the end 05:46 The mystery of His holiness 05:50 The wonder of His humanness 05:53 Are one... One and the same 05:59 I can't do Him justice 06:03 With any one name 06:08 The holy God of heaven 06:12 The humble Man who bore my shame 06:19 Are one... 06:22 One and the same 06:35 I scarcely understand 06:39 How a simple servant can be 06:43 called the Great I Am 06:47 How the Son of God 06:50 Is still the Son of Man 06:55 Both the shepherd and the Lamb 07:05 The Healer and the wounded One 07:09 The Father and the only Son 07:13 Are one... One in the same 07:18 I can't do Him justice 07:22 With any one name 07:27 The holy God of heaven 07:31 The humble Man who bore my shame 07:38 Are one... 07:41 One and the same 07:46 The way that we can come to know 07:50 The truth that sets us free 07:53 The life that died and rose again 07:57 Love revealed to me 08:00 You are one... 08:03 One and the same 08:07 I can't do Him justice 08:11 With any one name 08:15 Oh, the holy God of heaven 08:20 The humble Man who bore my shame 08:27 Are one... 08:30 One and the same 08:36 One... 08:38 One and the 08:43 same. 09:07 Amen! 09:11 Amen! Praise the Lord! One and the same. 09:14 Good evening everyone. Good evening. 09:17 Let's bow our heads together as we pray. 09:20 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that You are 09:24 One and the same. 09:27 We thank you for the sanctuary, 09:29 that Your way is in the sanctuary, 09:32 that You have made provision for us through Jesus Christ. 09:37 We thank You that the sanctuary is a model 09:40 of where Jesus is in the plan of salvation. 09:45 We pray that the Holy Spirit would guide us tonight 09:49 as we open the Word of God. 09:50 For we ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen. 09:55 Every year the billionaire Warren Buffett 10:00 auctions off on eBay 10:04 an opportunity to have a face-to-face encounter 10:10 with him every year. 10:12 He's been doing this since the year 2000. 10:16 Last I checked the last auction 10:18 for a meeting with Warren Buffett, the billionaire, 10:22 went for... you ready? 10:24 Two million dollars. 10:29 At an up-scale restaurant in New York City 10:32 you can ask any question, 10:34 spend a couple hours with this famous billionaire. 10:38 I read an interview of a gentleman that had won 10:42 this interview, and the question was asked: "Was it worth it 10:47 to pay millions of dollars to have an encounter 10:51 with this man? " And he said: "It was absolutely worth every 10:55 single penny. " Believe it or not. 10:57 He said it was "a transforming experience. " 11:00 It's amazing that people are willing to pay millions 11:02 to have lunch and interaction with a billionaire. 11:06 However, the Warren Buffett encounter 11:10 pales in comparison 11:14 with the face-to-face encounter that the Bible describes 11:18 and that Adam and Eve enjoyed in Edenic perfection. 11:24 I want to read a statement as we begin our discussion 11:27 tonight: His Way Is In The Sanctuary. This is from the book 11:31 Education page 15. "When Adam came from the hand of God 11:36 he bore in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature 11:42 a likeness to his Maker. 11:45 God created man in His own image 11:47 and it was His purpose that the longer man lived 11:51 the more fully he should reveal this image, 11:55 the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. " 11:59 And listen to this: "Face-to-face, 12:02 heart-to-heart communion with his Maker 12:06 was his high privilege. 12:09 Had he remained loyal to God 12:12 all this would have been his forever. " 12:17 The book Education tells us that Adam and Eve 12:19 enjoyed face-to-face 12:23 open communion with God. 12:27 I wonder what that was like: 12:29 to have a conversation with God unhindered. 12:34 Open communion with God. 12:38 We know that Adam and Eve sinned, and there was a dramatic 12:44 change in this relationship with God. 12:47 And I want to invite you to open your Bibles 12:50 to the second book of the Bible. 12:52 Exodus chapter 33 and verse 18. 12:56 Moses is on the mountain, about to receive the Ten Commandments. 12:59 He's having a conversation with God, although it is 13:03 different than the one Adam and Eve had. 13:06 And here Moses dares to ask God this question 13:10 in verse 18 and he said: 13:12 "Please show me Your glory. " 13:18 "Then God answered and said: 'I will make My goodness 13:21 pass before you. I will proclaim the name of the Lord 13:24 before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; 13:27 I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ' " 13:32 So the glory of God is the character of God. 13:34 He said: "Show me Your glory" and He gives characteristics, 13:37 elements of His character. And here in verse 20 13:41 God says something interesting. 13:44 And He said: "You cannot see My... " What? 13:49 "You cannot see My face for no man shall see My face 13:54 and live. " There's a dramatic change 13:57 in the relationship with God. Back in Edenic perfection 14:00 Adam and Eve had open communion with God. 14:03 But here we see that God says to Moses: 14:06 "You cannot see My face and live. " 14:09 Verse 21: "And the Lord said: 'Here is a place by Me. 14:13 And you shall stand on the rock and so it shall be 14:16 when My glory passes by 14:18 that I will put you in the cleft of the rock 14:21 and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 14:25 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My... ' What? 14:29 'you shall see My back 14:32 but My face shall not be seen. ' " 14:36 In Edenic perfection there was open communion with God. 14:40 Unfettered. And this was made possible because of 14:45 the state of Adam and Eve. But because of sin 14:48 even Moses on the mountain was not allowed to see 14:52 the face of God but was only allowed to see His back. 14:57 This was not because God did not want to reveal Himself 15:01 to Moses but because the condition of man 15:04 had dramatically changed. 15:07 Remember the story of the ark of the covenant 15:10 being taken away by the Philistines 15:12 in I Samuel chapter 6. 15:15 Later the Philistines decided to return it. 15:18 And it was taken into the land of Israel - remember that story? 15:22 by a yoke of oxen that were led supernaturally 15:27 into Israel. The ark of the covenant remained covered. 15:31 Remember the children of Israel went out to the ark of the 15:34 covenant and they uncovered the ark of the covenant 15:37 and immediately individuals died 15:41 from the presence of the Shekinah glory. 15:43 And it's interesting that in I Samuel chapter 6 verse 20 15:47 the individuals that are witnessing the glory of God 15:52 and witnessing the individuals that are dying from the presence 15:55 of the holy God. In I Samuel chapter 6 verse 20 15:59 they ask this question: "Who can stand 16:03 in the presence of a holy God? " 16:07 "Who can stand in the presence of a holy God? " 16:12 Paul comments on this in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14. 16:16 He says: "Without holiness 16:20 no one will see the Lord. " 16:25 Let me read that again. 16:26 "Without holiness no one will see the Lord. " 16:32 And in Matthew chapter 5 verse 8 in the Beatitudes 16:35 Jesus Himself said: "Blessed are the pure in heart 16:41 for they shall see God. " 16:44 You see, the criteria for having a face-to-face open 16:50 encounter with God is holiness. 16:55 Is holiness. 16:59 So God, wanting that relationship with man, 17:05 institutes the plan of salvation, 17:08 and the plan of salvation is a plan of restoration. 17:13 What is it everybody? 17:15 Restoration. It is to bring us back. 17:21 That is the plan of salvation. 17:23 The book Education goes on in pages 15 and 16: 17:25 "To restore in man the image of his Maker, 17:28 to bring him back to the perfection in which he was 17:32 created, to promote the development of body, mind, 17:35 and soul that the divine purpose in his creation might be 17:38 realized: this was to be the work of redemption. 17:44 So the plan of salvation is to bring us back. 17:48 It is to bring us all the way back to that open, face-to-face 17:53 communion with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed. 17:58 That open, face-to-face communion that sin destroyed. 18:04 And so God reveals the plan 18:09 of how God will bring us back through the sanctuary. 18:15 Psalm 77:13 says: "Your way, O God, 18:19 is in the sanctuary. " 18:23 I want to invite them to put a picture of the sanctuary 18:28 there on the screen. A slide. It's a bird's-eye view 18:32 of the Mosaic sanctuary. 18:35 And you will see from this bird's-eye view 18:40 that the most holy place is there in the inner sanctum 18:45 of the sanctuary. You can see it there with the ark of the 18:48 covenant where the Shekinah glory resides. 18:51 Now the question is this: where were Adam and Eve 18:55 in Edenic perfection? They were right there! 18:59 Right in the open communion with God, face-to-face, 19:04 unfettered. That's where Adam and Eve were. 19:06 Because of sin the entire human race 19:09 were placed outside of the sanctuary. 19:12 The plan of salvation is for God to bring us 19:17 all the way back into the Most Holy Place 19:20 into that open communion with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed. 19:25 You can see from the slide that God does this by bringing us 19:29 into the sanctuary into the courtyard. 19:33 He does this in three distinct phases. 19:36 He brings us into the courtyard experience. 19:39 Then He brings us into the Holy Place experience. 19:43 And then He finally brings us into the Most Holy Place 19:48 experience. That's where Adam and Eve were. 19:51 The courtyard? We call that justification. 19:55 God delivers us from the penalty of sin. 19:57 God brings us into the Holy Place: sanctification. 20:02 God delivers us from the power of sin. 20:04 Then He brings us into the Most Holy Place: 20:08 glorification. God delivers us from the presence of sin. 20:14 God's desire is to bring us all the way back 20:18 And the beauty of the gospel, friends, is that there is blood 20:22 and grace all the way back to the throne of God. 20:27 Amen? It is all through Jesus 20:30 that He brings us back. So God has created this model 20:36 in kindergarten form as it were 20:39 so that it can illustrate God's plan of restoration 20:44 to bring us all the way back to the throne of God... 20:49 to that face-to-face encounter that Adam and Eve enjoyed. 20:56 I know what some individuals may be thinking: 21:00 "Isn't the sanctuary just an Old Testament relic 21:05 that is no longer relevant for New Testament Christians? " 21:10 That is a common sentiment that is held by many. 21:14 They assume that the sanctuary was Old Testament 21:17 and now we are New Testament and that we have shifted to 21:21 a new dispensation and that the sanctuary is no longer relevant 21:26 for us living in the 21st century. 21:29 Yes, it served it's purpose for the Jews 21:32 but it is no longer relevant for Christians living today. 21:37 I want to invite you to open your Bibles very quickly 21:39 to the book of Revelation. In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 5 21:42 we can see that John the Revelator sees a vision 21:47 of a different type of tabernacle and sanctuary 21:52 that is not of the Mosaic origin. 21:55 Revelation is the last book of the Bible. 21:57 Revelation chapter 4 and verse 5. 22:02 "And from the throne proceeded lightnings, 22:06 thunderings, and voices. 22:09 Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne 22:14 which are the seven Spirits of God. " 22:18 What is John seeing here? He's seeing the candlesticks 22:22 and they are by implication in heaven. 22:26 Go to Revelation chapter 8 verse 3. 22:28 A few pages over: Revelation chapter 8 verse 3. 22:34 "Then another angel having a golden censer 22:38 came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense 22:43 that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints 22:46 upon the golden altar which was before the throne. " 22:50 Here John sees the altar of incense in heaven. 22:54 And last but not least, go over to Revelation chapter 11 22:58 and verse 19. We see another depiction 23:01 of another article of furniture in the sanctuary. 23:06 Revelation chapter 11 verse 19: 23:08 "Then the temple of God was opened... " Where? 23:12 "in heaven. " Now there are people that believe that there 23:14 is no heavenly sanctuary but HERE WE HAVE IT! 23:17 You don't need to be a Greek scholar to understand this, 23:20 friends, AMEN? Revelation chapter 11 verse 19: 23:23 "The temple of God was opened... " Where? "in heaven. " 23:26 "The ark of the covenant was seen in His temple 23:30 and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, 23:34 and earthquakes and great hail. " 23:37 So here we can see. In three different instances 23:40 we see three different articles of furniture. 23:42 And in Revelation chapter 11 verse 19 the Bible tells us 23:45 that the temple of God was opened in heaven and he saw 23:49 the ark of the covenant. I believe that the sanctuary 23:53 is not only a model for men but also a model for angels 23:58 and the entire universe to understand God's plan of 24:03 restoration to bring us all the way back. 24:07 Is the sanctuary relevant, friends, for Christians? 24:11 You'd better believe it. 24:13 It is our reference point for understanding 24:17 the plan of salvation. 24:20 Now in Revelation chapter 22 and verse 5 24:25 we see a description of the result of God's plan 24:30 of restoration. Revelation chapter 22. 24:36 This is the last chapter in the Bible. 24:41 Revelation chapter 22 and verse 5. 24:46 It says: "There shall be no night there. 24:49 They need no lamp nor the light of the sun 24:54 for the Lord their God gives them light. " 24:59 Let's actually go back to verse 3. 25:01 Verse 3: "And there shall be no more curse 25:05 but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it 25:09 and they shall see His... " What? 25:11 "and they shall see His face. " 25:14 Verse 4: "And they shall see His face. " 25:16 Now this is unprecedented. 25:19 "They shall see His face. " 25:21 We can see that the plan of salvation has been 25:24 restored all the way back to where Adam and Eve were. 25:27 The Bible tells us that in heaven we shall see His face 25:32 AND "His name shall be on their foreheads. " 25:36 Now the frontal lobe - the prefrontal cortex - 25:39 is where the character resides. And the name of God 25:43 is indicative of the character of God. 25:46 Now this is not literally saying that there's going to be 25:48 a stamp with Yahweh on our forehead. 25:51 This is indicating that there's going to be a transformation 25:56 in the people that God allows to fulfill His process 26:01 of restoration. That in the end, His name, 26:04 His character, is going to be in our minds and on our hearts. 26:09 And as a result of this plan of restoration 26:13 we shall be able to see the face of God. 26:18 Isn't God good? Amen! 26:19 Praise God for His complete plan of restoration. 26:24 So we can see in the book of Genesis Eden was lost. 26:29 The communion with God was lost. 26:33 But in the sanctuary we can see that God's plan 26:36 is to bring us all the way back. 26:39 And in Revelation chapter 22 and verse 4 26:41 He will be successful in His plan 26:46 because His name will be on our foreheads 26:50 and we will be able to see the face of God. 26:55 The sanctuary shows us God's plan of restoration 26:58 but I contend this evening 27:02 that it does even more than that. 27:05 You see, the sanctuary provides a roadmap 27:10 for where Jesus is in the plan of salvation. 27:16 It provides a reference point for where Jesus is. 27:20 We just heard a powerful message from Pastor John Bradshaw 27:24 on the Lamb of God. 27:26 And I want to invite you to turn with me to John chapter 1 27:29 and verse 29. John chapter 1 and verse 29. 27:35 Here we see the introduction of Jesus by John the Baptist. 27:39 And it is the most important introduction 27:43 of the Messiah to the Jews. 27:47 John chapter 1 and verse 29. 27:52 This is the introduction of Jesus Christ the Messiah 27:56 to His own people. John chapter 1 verse 29: 28:00 "The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him 28:05 and said: 'Behold the Lamb of God 28:11 who takes away the sin of the world. ' " 28:16 Now if the Jews would have just studied this introduction 28:21 they wouldn't have missed the Messiah. 28:24 I mean, this introduction gives the function and the purpose 28:30 of Jesus in coming to earth. "Behold the Lamb of God 28:33 who takes away the sins of the world. " 28:35 And the role and the function of Jesus was sitting right there 28:41 in Jerusalem because every day lambs were being slaughtered. 28:45 In Leviticus chapter 4 we see how the lamb would be brought 28:49 into the sanctuary. The sinner would places his hands on top 28:52 of the head of the lamb indicating that the sins were 28:56 being transferred from the person to the lamb. 28:59 The sinner with his own hand would slit the throat 29:03 of the lamb from ear to ear. 29:05 The priest would be there to catch the blood. 29:08 So the sins would be transferred from the sinner to the lamb 29:12 to the blood. And then the priest would take that blood 29:16 into the sanctuary and sprinkle it before the veil 29:20 or place it on the horns of the altar. 29:23 So you can see that the sins of Israel 29:27 were being transferred from the person to the lamb 29:31 to the blood to the sanctuary. 29:35 That was the daily service. 29:38 Once a year they would have a yearly service - 29:42 the Day of Atonement - where all the records 29:45 of the forgiven sins of Israel would be cleansed from 29:49 the sanctuary. That's a whole other discussion. 29:52 But if the Jews would have understood this 29:56 they would not have missed the Messiah. 30:02 The only way to understand John's introduction 30:08 is if we wear our sanctuary glasses. 30:14 Did you know that all of us are wearing glasses right now? 30:21 We sometimes call them hermeneutical glasses. 30:26 In other words, when we approach scripture 30:29 there are three factors, broadly speaking, that are in play. 30:34 You have the person, you have the text, 30:36 and then you have the methodology. 30:39 We tend to focus in Biblical interpretation 30:41 on methodology... and that's important. We should have 30:44 the right method in interpreting scripture. 30:47 We should also be sola scriptura. Amen? 30:49 The Bible and the Bible alone. 30:52 But one thing that we do not recognize all the time 30:55 is that all of us when we come to scripture 30:57 we are coming with certain presuppositions. 31:01 We are coming with certain assumptions and biases. 31:05 All of us are wearing some glasses, 31:08 and our culture - being American - all of these things 31:12 skew and taint our interpretation of scripture. 31:16 And that is why we need to even be humble with our assumptions 31:21 and allow the Bible to refine those presuppositions 31:26 and assumptions. I contend today - 31:31 this evening - that the Bible is telling us 31:35 that if we are going to truly understand the work of Jesus 31:40 Christ we need to have on sanctuary presuppositions. 31:47 A sanctuary lens as it were. 31:51 A sanctuary hermeneutic that we need to have on 31:54 in order to understand scripture. 31:57 And the issue with the Jews was that they believed in the 32:01 sanctuary as a doctrine 32:04 but they were not using the sanctuary lens. 32:08 There's a fundamental difference between the two. 32:10 If you were to ask a first- century Jew: "Look, do you 32:13 believe in the sanctuary? " "Yes! " 32:16 They would die for the sanctuary, 32:18 but they were not using the sanctuary as their interpretive 32:22 key for understanding the gospel. 32:24 They had switched lenses. 32:27 They had replaced their sanctuary glasses 32:30 with liberation theology: 32:33 a popular theology of the day 32:37 that the Messiah would come and deliver them from the Romans. 32:41 And because of these glasses they so missed this introduction 32:47 of Jesus Christ. And the consequences of that 32:50 was they ended up killing the Son of God. 32:54 And I fear, friends, today that we as a people 32:59 are in danger of making the same mistake that the Jews did 33:05 over 2,000 years ago 33:07 because we believe in the sanctuary as a doctrine... 33:12 and I believe it as well. But I believe that the sanctuary 33:17 is more than a doctrine. 33:20 It is to be our interpretive key 33:24 for understanding the gospel and the work of Christ. 33:29 And I contend that many of the gospel wars 33:33 that we go through today 33:35 is because individuals have switched lenses. 33:41 They've had a switching of their hermeneutics 33:44 and have imported popular theology for understanding 33:48 the gospel... and have thus come to different conclusions. 33:54 Some of you may be thinking: "You know, David, 33:57 I can understand using the sanctuary 34:00 as a hermeneutic, as a key for understanding Jesus 34:05 at the cross. " But perhaps some people believe that 34:09 "Look, after the cross we don't need to use the sanctuary 34:12 as a hermeneutic any more because Jesus was the Lamb. 34:16 He is no longer the Lamb. We're New Testament Christians 34:19 now. That was the hermeneutic of the Old Testament; 34:21 now we need a different lens, we need a different interpretive 34:26 key. " And I want to invite you to turn with me to 34:29 the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 8 34:31 verses 1 and 2. 34:34 Hebrews chapter 8 and verses 1 and 2. 34:38 Hebrews... written by Paul. New Testament author. 34:42 Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament. 34:45 And here in Hebrews chapter 8 verses 1 and 2 34:49 he makes a stunning statement that has implications in regards 34:53 to the sanctuary. Hebrews 8:1-2. 34:59 "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: 35:03 we have such a High Priest 35:07 who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty 35:12 in the... " What? "in the heavens. " 35:14 Listen to verse 2: "A minister 35:17 of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle 35:22 which the Lord erected and not man. " 35:26 First of all, Paul says that there IS a heavenly sanctuary. 35:32 Secondly, he says that Jesus has switched roles 35:38 from being the Lamb to the High Priest 35:42 and He's ministering in the heavenly sanctuary. 35:45 In other words, the implication of this statement 35:49 by Paul should not be missed. 35:51 Paul is not switching lenses after the cross. 35:55 Paul is keeping in continuity just as the sanctuary is 35:59 central for understanding the Lamb, the sanctuary is as 36:03 essential for understanding the function of Jesus 36:07 after the cross in heaven! 36:10 In other words, if we are going to understand what Jesus 36:14 is doing after the cross, 36:17 it is impossible to do that without the sanctuary. 36:21 Paul is saying we need to keep the same hermeneutical key 36:26 for understanding Christ at the cross 36:29 and for understanding Jesus as our High Priest. Amen? 36:34 Amen. We are not to switch lenses. 36:37 We are to keep the same roadmap. 36:40 Keep the same hermeneutical key. 36:44 Hebrews 9:11-12: "But Christ came as the High Priest 36:48 of good things to come with a greater and more perfect 36:51 tabernacle not made with hands 36:54 that is... not of this creation. " 36:57 The Bible is clear: there is a heavenly sanctuary 37:00 and Jesus is there as our High Priest. 37:04 It's impossible to understand this reference 37:07 without our sanctuary perspective. 37:11 I want to read a statement from the book Great Controversy 37:14 page 489. 37:16 When I first read this I was astounded 37:20 at the implications of this statement. Listen to this. 37:23 Great Controversy 489: 37:26 "The intercession of Christ 37:29 in man's behalf in the sanctuary above 37:33 is AS ESSENTIAL to the plan of salvation 37:38 as was His death upon the cross. " 37:41 Now let me read that again. 37:43 Did you get that? Let me read that again. 37:45 "The intercession of Christ in man's behalf 37:49 in the sanctuary above is AS ESSENTIAL 37:53 to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. " 37:59 Our evangelical friends 38:05 uplift the cross, and I agree with uplifting the cross. 38:11 You can see that in the flow of the sanctuary 38:14 if the cross doesn't happen the rest of the sanctuary 38:18 doesn't happen either. 38:21 Blood is essential for the rest of the service to take place. 38:26 But here we can see that the ministry of Jesus as a 38:29 High Priest is as essential 38:34 as His sacrifice for us on Calvary. 38:39 We can see that understanding Jesus at the cross 38:42 we must use the sanctuary. 38:43 Understanding the ascension of Jesus and going to heaven 38:49 as a High Priest we must use the sanctuary. 38:51 And I want to read another statement from the book 38:53 Great Controversy 423. 38:55 "The subject of the sanctuary was the key 38:59 which unlocked the mystery of the Disappointment of 1844. 39:05 It opened to view a complete system of truth 39:11 connected and harmonious showing that God's hand 39:16 had directed the Great Advent Movement and revealing 39:21 present duty as it brought to light the position 39:25 and work of His people. " 39:28 Remember the Disappointment of 1844? 39:32 "2,300 days then the sanctuary will be cleansed. " 39:35 They had the right date but the wrong event. 39:38 And through the understanding of the sanctuary 39:42 a movement was born called Adventism. Amen? 39:47 And it was because the early pioneers 39:53 rediscovered what had been lost down through the centuries 39:57 the relevance of the sanctuary as the interpretive key 40:01 for understanding the work of Christ. 40:04 And notice the language here. 40:06 "The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked 40:10 the mystery of the Disappointment of 1844. " 40:13 In other words, to understand the work of Jesus at the cross 40:16 we need the sanctuary. To understand the work of 40:18 Jesus in the Holy Place as our High Priest 40:21 we need the sanctuary. And then Jesus' transition 40:24 from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place 40:27 in the antitypical Day of Atonement 40:30 we must use the sanctuary as our interpretive key 40:35 for understanding what Jesus is doing right now. 40:43 If we throw out the sanctuary, friends, 40:49 we as a movement 40:54 can cease to exist. Amen! 40:58 We will just become a cultural entrapping, loving Vegelinks 41:03 and haystacks, and happen to go to church on Saturday. 41:11 Revelation chapter 14: "Fear God; give glory to Him. " 41:14 Why? "For the hour of His judgment has come. " 41:19 Sanctuary context. Amen! It gives us a purpose. 41:23 It gives us context 41:25 for where we are in the work of Jesus Christ. 41:30 I had the privilege and opportunity a few years ago 41:36 to go to Japan. 41:40 Now I'm Korean... never been to Asia before. 41:44 First time... Two, three years ago 41:47 had an invitation to Japan. 41:49 And decided to accept this invitation; went to Japan 41:53 but wasn't able to go to Korea. I hope to go some day. 41:58 I spoke about a week and then we tacked on some vacation time 42:01 and got on a bullet train south to the city of Kyoto. 42:06 Dropped off our luggage and then went back into the subway 42:10 station to go around the city of Kyoto to see some of the sights 42:14 that are there. That is when our vacation 42:18 became a relative nightmare 42:21 because we got lost for 3 hours in the subway station. 42:28 Now if you've ever been to a foreign country before 42:31 and cannot speak the language 42:33 and you're with your spouse 42:36 it can become quite frustrating. 42:38 And here we are wandering around this immense building. 42:43 It had elevators that went up like seven stories 42:46 and we're walking around this thing. Every time we tried to 42:49 speak to someone in English they would go like this. 42:52 And we were walking around getting frustrated 42:55 and just hungry. We were tired. 42:58 And then suddenly we had a hermeneutical awakening. 43:05 We found a map... 43:10 in English, praise God. Amen! 43:14 And using that map 43:18 it changed our understanding 43:21 and altered our experience. 43:26 Suddenly we went from confusion and frustration 43:31 to joy because we suddenly understood 43:36 where we were. 43:40 It was a hermeneutical revolution! 43:43 And we understood where we were in the context 43:46 and where we wanted to go. And we went everywhere! 43:49 Going to all the tourist attractions, and we joked 43:52 amongst ourselves afterward: "You know, we can become 43:55 the American tourist guide for Kyoto. " 44:00 We had mastered this thing. 44:04 And I want to tell you, friends: God has given us the map. 44:09 Amen? Amen! We ought to use it. 44:13 We ought to use it. It's in the sanctuary. 44:16 It's in kindergarten form. 44:18 It's a map for where Jesus is 44:22 and where He is in the plan of salvation. 44:24 Where God wants to bring us. And we cannot afford 44:28 as a people to replace the sanctuary glasses 44:31 with something else. Amen! 44:34 Some cultural phenomenon that is popular. And friends, 44:37 I just want to say very quickly: we need to be careful 44:39 what type of books we're reading. Amen! 44:43 We need to start reading the Bible and not books about the 44:45 Bible. Amen? Because believe it or not 44:48 when we read different authors 44:51 I'm not saying that there aren't things that are fruitful 44:55 for us, but we need to be very careful. Because as we read them 44:58 we are adopting their glasses. 45:02 Our presuppositions, our hermeneutics are becoming 45:06 altered and changed. 45:08 And that is why when we switch glasses... 45:11 and we may know even know that we've switched glasses 45:14 because we read this famous popular author that is 45:17 a New York Time best seller on Christianity... and we read it 45:20 and we adopt their glasses. And suddenly we come to scripture 45:23 and we start to re-interpret scripture just like the Jews did 45:27 2,000 years ago. We need to be very careful, friends. 45:32 What God has given us was heaven ordained. 45:38 Let's not switch. 45:40 The Bible is very clear. 45:43 The sanctuary is relevant for us especially 45:48 living before the soon and eminent return of Jesus Christ. 45:55 The sanctuary is Christ-centered. 46:00 I want to say that again. 46:02 The sanctuary is Christ-centered. 46:07 It is all about Jesus. 46:12 Jesus is the door of the sanctuary. 46:14 He says: "I am the door. 46:15 No man cometh to the Father except through Me. " 46:18 Jesus is the Lamb; Jesus is the High Priest. 46:23 The sanctuary is the most Christ-centered structure 46:28 in the Bible. 46:31 Furthermore, the sanctuary keeps us from creating 46:37 false dichotomy. 46:40 I see this all the time. 46:42 I hear of it. 46:44 Is it justification or is it sanctification? 46:48 Have you heard that before? 46:50 Is it what God does in you 46:53 or what God does for you? 46:57 Is it imputed or is it imparted righteousness? 47:03 And we hear these dichotomies that are presented. 47:07 And when we look at the sanctuary we can see 47:09 that it's not either/or, friends, it's both/and. 47:13 Amen! 47:14 We need to go through the sanctuary in the proper order. 47:17 And we get into the problem when we start emphasizing 47:20 sanctification and the people haven't even experienced 47:23 justification. And I want to tell you 47:28 that the issue when you study the history of Christianity 47:33 is that the evangelicals camped out in the courtyard. 47:39 That's where they stayed. 47:42 Our Catholic friends camped out in the Holy Place. 47:48 Sanctification through merit. 47:51 Through the seven sacraments. 47:53 Wesley came around and a revolutionary idea: 47:58 we need both justification and sanctification. 48:04 Adventists came along, 48:06 and the novel brilliance of the discovery of the sanctuary 48:12 was that we need the whole thing: 48:15 the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. 48:21 Amen! And friends, let's not put a discount 48:24 on the gospel. Amen? 48:27 I want to affirm the beauty and the foundational nature 48:31 of the cross and the sanctuary. 48:33 Please don't misunderstand me. 48:35 I'm not minimizing the cross. 48:37 It is foundational. 48:38 We need to uplift what Jesus wants to do 48:41 in sanctification and in character transformation. Amen? 48:45 And we should uplift what God wants to do - praise God - 48:48 in glorification because when we get to heaven 48:51 we're going to be glorified. 48:54 No more back pains; no more cancer; 48:56 no more funerals, praise God. 48:58 He's going to take our mortal bodies and give us immortality. 49:03 Amen? And that is the final phase of glorification. 49:09 God wants to bring us all the way back. 49:13 And it is through the sanctuary that we are prevented 49:18 from false dichotomies when it comes to the gospel. 49:25 It is not Jesus OR the sanctuary. 49:31 It is Jesus IN the sanctuary. 49:35 Let me say that again. It is not Jesus OR the sanctuary 49:39 it is Jesus IN His sanctuary. 49:43 And the sanctuary answers the fundamental question 49:47 what is Jesus doing right now? 49:54 What is Jesus doing right now? 49:58 And I believe, friends, that we as Seventh-day Adventists 50:03 with humility can go and knock on any door - 50:09 Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic - 50:14 and ask the question: "Do you love Jesus? " 50:18 And they say: "Yes, I do love Jesus. " 50:21 Then you can say: "Well you will want to know 50:24 what He is doing right now. " Amen! 50:28 And the sanctuary hermeneutic is the only way to understand 50:32 what Jesus is doing right now. 50:35 It answers the fundamental question: 50:38 "Why are we still here 50:41 2,000 years after the cross? " 50:44 "If everything was completed at the cross, 50:47 why are we still here? What is Jesus doing in heaven? " 50:51 The sanctuary answers this question 50:53 and gives us this framework for what Jesus has done, 50:57 is doing, and will do. 50:59 It is to be our framework for understanding 51:03 the work and the function of Jesus Christ. 51:07 The sanctuary is to be our interpretive key 51:12 for understanding the gospel. 51:16 One of my professors, Dr. Fernando Canale, 51:20 professor emeritus of theology and philosophy 51:22 at Andrews Theological Seminary 51:25 contends that the sanctuary is being replaced 51:30 by evangelical tradition. 51:35 And he says that this subtle redefinition 51:40 of placing the sanctuary from being our hermeneutical key 51:44 to a distinctive doctrine - 51:47 this is a subtle shift that is taking place - and he says 51:51 that this subtle shift has theological consequences. 51:56 It has consequences to change the very identity 52:00 and fabric of who we are as Seventh-day Adventists. 52:07 And I picked up a book not too long ago 52:09 talking about different versions of the gospel 52:12 in the church. And there were four different versions 52:16 of the gospel that were illustrated in this book. Four! 52:20 And it should not come as a surprise to us that 52:23 as we are living in the very end of time 52:25 that the devil hates the sanctuary and wants 52:30 this notion of the sanctuary being our frame of reference 52:34 for understanding what Jesus is doing 52:36 be replaced by popular theology. 52:41 When you study Adventist history 52:43 you see that every generation - every 30-40 years... 52:49 Dr. Richard Davidson did a brilliant study 52:51 from a historical perspective sharing how every 30-40 years 52:56 there is an unprecedented attack on the sanctuary. 53:02 Just in our generation there was an attack in 1979 53:06 and 1980. And sometimes God allows 53:10 false teachings to come into the church 53:13 so that we can become more rooted and grounded 53:17 in the Word of God. Amen? 53:20 We're living in an unprecedented time 53:22 and we cannot afford to replace the sanctuary 53:28 with something else. Amen? 53:33 Tonight, if you have not begun the process 53:38 of restoration, Jesus is standing at the door 53:42 of the sanctuary and inviting you to begin 53:46 the process. Amen? Steps to Christ page 31. 53:50 "As you approach the sanctuary, if you see your sinfulness 53:55 do not wait to make yourself better. 53:59 How many there are who think they are not good enough to 54:01 come to Christ. You expect to become better through your own 54:04 efforts. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard 54:07 his spots? Then ye may also do good that are accustomed 54:11 to do evil. There is only help for us in God. 54:15 We must not wait for stronger persuasions, 54:19 for better opportunities, 54:22 for holier tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. " 54:26 And she goes on in Steps to Christ page 31: 54:29 "We must come to Christ just as we are. " 54:35 The beauty of the sanctuary is Jesus is at the door 54:38 saying: "Look... just come. Just as you are. " 54:43 I know some millennial's believe in authenticity. 54:45 They say: "Look, I'm not going to come until I feel 54:47 like coming or until I have the right motivation. " 54:50 Well if you wait until then you will never come, friends. 54:54 The only way that you can come to Jesus 54:56 is just as you are. 55:00 It is the grace of God that draws you to the door of the 55:03 sanctuary to begin the process 55:06 through the courtyard, through the Holy Place, 55:10 to the Most Holy Place. But it's important 55:12 that you just come. 55:16 When the leper came to Jesus over 2,000 years ago 55:19 in Matthew chapter 8 the only way that he could come 55:23 was as a leper. 55:27 That was the only way that man could come to Jesus. 55:32 He could have put on a three-piece suit. 55:34 He could have combed his hair. 55:36 He could have put on all of these things to try to 55:39 mask the reality that he was a leper. 55:42 But the only way that he could come 55:45 was as a defiled leper. 55:49 Jesus, the Bible tells us, reached out His hand 55:52 and touched him. The beauty of that story 55:57 is that although the leper came to Jesus just the way that he 56:02 was he did not leave just the way that he came. 56:08 Amen? He left that presence 56:12 of glory a new man... a new creature. 56:17 And as Jesus said those words 56:20 "I am willing... be thou clean" 56:24 it was an illustration of the nature of the gospel. 56:26 The Bible tells us immediately that man was cleansed. 56:31 When we are justified, when we are forgiven, 56:34 it's immediate. 56:36 Sanctification... that's the work of a lifetime 56:40 and that's by grace. 56:41 The important thing is, if we haven't started the process 56:45 let God start it. 56:49 If we are in the process, 56:51 let God complete it. Amen? 56:54 And may the God that started this work in us 56:58 be faithful to complete it in you and me. 57:02 Praise God for His glory. Amen. |
Revised 2019-11-26