Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000165S
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00:39 Thank you for joining us once again
00:40 here at Behold the Lamb Ministries. 00:42 It is our privilege 00:43 to be able to spend this time with you. 00:45 Now, you may have a lot of things 00:47 going in the world today, 00:48 but I'm going to ask that you put those things aside 00:51 and you spend this thoughtful 50 minutes 00:53 or so in the Word of God, 00:55 because I know you will not regret it. 00:57 It is a subject that will bless your heart. 01:00 It'll give you hope. 01:02 It'll give you encouragement even in this mess 01:04 that we live in today. 01:05 Why a heavenly sanctuary? 01:08 Why? 01:10 You know, they may say, well, we've talked about lot of that. 01:11 Well, we'll see as we go along in here by the grace of God, 01:14 some of the beautiful truths that are brought out 01:17 in the sanctuary and they all point to Jesus. 01:20 I like that, don't you? 01:23 So we're going to have prayer right now 01:25 and then we're gonna get right into the Word, 01:26 and I believe it's going to be a real blessing, 01:28 but we need to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. 01:30 Shall we do that together? 01:32 Loving Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word today. 01:34 We ask now Your Holy Spirit 01:37 will just illuminate 01:38 these beautiful truths of Your Word. 01:40 We pray that You will impress them 01:42 on our hearts and our minds, 01:43 help us to realize the hour in which we live. 01:45 Help us to realize that this, the time it's just almost gone. 01:50 And yet, somehow we maybe not caught the vision 01:52 yet of Your soon coming. 01:53 Help us today we pray to see how You are working 01:56 in our behalf and how we need to combine 01:59 humanity and divinity together. 02:00 And we thank you in Jesus' name. 02:02 Amen. 02:03 You have your Bible, turn with me. 02:05 We're going to be looking up 02:06 to begin with and talk about a sanctuary. 02:08 This is a passage that most people 02:10 read every time 02:11 when you talk about the earthly sanctuary. 02:13 Because if you're like I am, I want to know 02:15 who said to make it earthly sanctuary. 02:18 Who set it up? 02:19 Why was all the things so specific in every detail, 02:24 every piece, everything that went into the earthly sanctuary 02:27 had to be exactly the way that God said so, 02:30 because He said in Exodus 25:8-9, 02:35 the Bible says. 02:37 Don't you like that? 02:38 The Bible says, and I'm not giving, 02:40 you know, this or that, the Bible says. 02:43 The Bible said, "And let them make me a sanctuary, 02:45 that I may dwell among them." 02:47 If you were going to guess today, who, who said that? 02:52 God, good. 02:53 God said, "Let them make me," what? 02:55 "A sanctuary that I may dwell in," 02:57 because sin had come in, isn't that right? 02:59 Sin came in, separated God. 03:01 He could no longer walk with Adam and Eve 03:03 in the cool of the evening, 03:04 but God said, "I still love the people. 03:07 And I still want to talk to them. 03:08 I want to commune with them. 03:10 Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." 03:13 But notice what he says, because we're saying, 03:16 "Why a heavenly sanctuary?" 03:17 Some will say, "Well, is there a heavenly sanctuary?" 03:19 Majority of the teachers and preachers in the world 03:23 today do not believe in a heavenly sanctuary. 03:26 And it seems so clear to me. 03:28 And I pray that it's clear from the Word of God. 03:30 Yeah. 03:32 Even people who supposed to know sometime deny it. 03:34 But notice that, He said, "I want you to make a sanctuary 03:37 and do it according to all that I shall show thee, 03:40 after," what? 03:42 "The pattern of the tabernacle, 03:44 and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, 03:47 even so shall ye make it." 03:50 So evidently a pattern must be something that exists. 03:53 It certainly didn't exist on the earth, so where was it? 03:56 These are the things that 03:57 we want to answer these questions. 03:59 Go with me now, if you will, to the Book of Hebrews, 04:00 just to give us a foundation here, 04:03 and we'll read from the Book of Hebrews. 04:05 Hebrews Chapter 8. 04:07 Hebrews Chapter 8, I think most of you know it well, 04:09 Hebrews 8:1. 04:12 Hebrews 8:1. 04:13 Now we could read them all one through five 04:15 and it'd be beautiful, 04:16 but we will refer to these as we study. 04:19 Hebrews 8:1 said, 04:21 "Now of the things which we have spoken of, 04:24 this is the sum." 04:26 Here's the bottom line. This is the way it is. 04:27 It's what it says, "We have such a high priest," 04:30 who's a high priest? 04:31 "Jesus Christ, who is set on the right hand 04:34 of the throne of Majesty in the," where? 04:37 "Heavens." 04:38 We have a high priest. 04:39 Where is that high priest right now? 04:41 He's in heaven. Okay. 04:43 That's what it says right now. 04:44 This is starting to say, why, why a sanctuary? 04:46 Is there a heavenly sanctuary? 04:48 Right now it says, there's something going on. 04:50 There's something going on here, 04:52 because it says here, 04:53 the Bible says the majesty in the heaven. 04:55 There's Jesus. 04:56 He's in the heavens. What is he doing? 04:58 Well, we're going to answer those questions as we go. 05:01 One more quick passage if you don't mind. 05:03 Hebrews Chapter 9, 05:04 just turn over there to Chapter 9, 05:07 I'm going to read verses 24, read verse 24. 05:10 Now notice what the Bible said? 05:12 "For Christ is not entered 05:14 into the holy place made with hands." 05:16 What does that mean? 05:19 He's not talking about the earthly sanctuary, is He? 05:23 He's not made, He's not entered into something now 05:25 that's been made with hands, but notice what it is, 05:28 but into the holy, notice, 05:29 which they are the figures of the true, 05:33 but into heaven itself 05:35 now to appear in the presence of God for us. 05:39 Okay. 24, did you? We get that? 05:40 "For Christ is not entered into the holy places 05:43 made with," what? 05:45 "With hands, 05:46 which are the figures of the true." 05:49 Huh. They are a copy of the truth. 05:51 So there must be something else somewhere, 05:53 and it wasn't here on earth. 05:55 Now what it says, it says a pattern, right? 05:58 Figures of the true. 05:59 But now we, it clarifies 06:01 but into heaven it says right now 06:04 itself now to appear in the presence of God for. 06:07 Praise God, we have Jesus who is interceding in what? 06:12 In our behalf. 06:13 Brother Jan, He's standing for you right now. 06:15 If you stand for Him, he's going to stand for you. 06:18 If you don't stand for Him, 06:20 you're not going to have an advocate. 06:21 If you don't live for Him and choose Him 06:23 as your Lord and Savior, 06:24 your lawyer, He's not going to show up. 06:26 And without a lawyer, even in earthly court, 06:28 know the judge will say, man, you're up. 06:29 You better get you a lawyer. 06:32 Sometime the police say that, don't they? 06:33 You better get you a lawyer, boy. 06:35 Come on now. You know what I mean? 06:37 Better get you a lawyer. You don't come out here. 06:39 You don't come here without a lawyer. 06:42 We need a lawyer right now because our eternal destiny 06:46 is hanging on that. 06:49 I love the Great Controversy, 488 and 9 06:52 says this about why a heavenly sanctuary. 06:55 Remember the heavenly sanctuary is the very center 06:59 of Christ work in behalf of man. 07:02 Isn't that wonderful? It's the very center of it. 07:05 And most people said, "We don't study the sanctuary." 07:07 A lot of churches never studied the earthly sanctuary. 07:11 Psalms talks about thy way, oh God, is what? 07:14 Is in or through the sanctuary. 07:16 Thy way to God is through the sanctuary. 07:19 Redemption, plan of salvation is through what? 07:22 The sanctuary, looking at everything 07:24 that took place there foretells what takes place in heaven? 07:28 God's plan for us. 07:31 It says here, Great Controversy. 07:32 "It concerns every living soul upon this earth." 07:36 It concerns you, and it concerns me. 07:38 So therefore we need to understand 07:40 it may be better than what we do. 07:42 Maybe you understand it much better than I do, 07:43 praise God. 07:45 It opens to view, notice that, it says, 07:47 The plan of redemption, 07:49 it brings us down to the very close of time 07:53 and reveals the triumphant issue of the contest 07:57 between righteousness and sin. 08:00 And so here is, put a little star by this. 08:03 Notice this, it is of the utmost importance 08:06 that all should thoroughly investigate this subject. 08:09 Did you get it? 08:11 Utmost important that all thoroughly 08:12 investigate this subject. 08:14 Now remember, we talked about there's many, many subject 08:16 connected to the sanctuary. 08:17 We're just kind of narrowing it down and talking 08:19 about a couple of them here today. 08:21 The intercession of Christ in man's behalf, 08:25 in the sanctuary above, notice, I'm going to read it again 08:28 because somebody's not going to get this. 08:30 If you've read it and you've got it in your heart, 08:31 but many people may be have not read this. 08:33 The intercession of Christ in the sanctuary, 08:37 the intercession of who? 08:39 Christ, who is He interceding for? 08:42 For us will go over that and over He's interceding. 08:44 He's pleading right now to the Father for you. 08:47 He's pleading for me right now and He's pleading what? 08:50 His blood. 08:52 It's not them because they're sinners. 08:54 There's none good, no, not one. 08:56 There's none righteous on the face of this earth, 08:59 but Jesus says, "I am Your Son. 09:02 I gave my life for them and where I am, 09:04 I want them with Me." 09:06 Man, that's awesome. 09:07 So that means He's done everything possible. 09:10 So the intercession of Christ 09:12 in man's behalf in the sanctuary above 09:15 is essential to the plan of salvation 09:18 was, as was His death on the cross. 09:21 Woo, that's heavy duty. 09:23 We talk about death of Christ. 09:25 We talk about crucifixion, right? 09:27 And we marvel and say, it's wonderful, 09:28 but His work interceding for us in heaven 09:31 is just as important as His death 09:33 because He must take His blood and He has to be applied in it. 09:38 Most of the churches teach that it all ended where? 09:42 It all ended at the cross. 09:44 Oh, wonderful. That aspect of it. 09:47 But if you noticed in the earthly sanctuary, 09:49 there was something else 09:50 that when the sacrifice was made, 09:51 their blood had to be taken where? 09:53 Into the sanctuary, it had to be applied, 09:55 had to be approved as it were by God, how wonderful this is. 10:00 Evangelism 223 says this. 10:02 I love the book Evangelism. 10:03 If you don't have it, you need to get it. 10:06 If we can help you do that, you know, you need to call us here 10:09 at Behold the Lamb. 10:11 We're here to try to help and try to be an encouragement 10:14 and to present and to supply books to people 10:16 so they can read and get. 10:18 I tell you, it just brings joy to your heart 10:20 when you read these things. 10:21 It said, "God's people are now to have their eyes fixed 10:24 on the heavenly sanctuary." 10:26 God's people are what? 10:27 To have their eyes fixed on the heavenly sanctuary, 10:31 notice, where the final ministration or the final work 10:35 is going forward, 10:37 where He's interceding for His people. 10:38 What does that mean? 10:40 Remember, Jesus has made 10:42 His last stop before He comes back. 10:45 When He first went to heaven, 10:47 He tells us, I wish we had a lot more time. 10:48 I should've said two-part. 10:50 I know I should have said one of two. 10:51 Didn't do it. 10:52 So I'm going to have to hurry. 10:54 But when you talk about here, when Jesus went back to heaven, 10:56 He went into the Most Holy Place 10:58 and was there for what? 10:59 1800 year 1900, whatever, long time, right? 11:02 And then He went into the Holy of Holies 11:04 for the Day of Atonement, or the Day of Judgment. 11:07 And we know that we've been in the Day of Judgment 11:09 since 1844. 11:11 And this is such a simple truth that many people 11:13 just do not understand. 11:14 They've never studied it. 11:16 And they don't really care to study it 11:17 because the devil has put out a counterfeit 11:19 and people love counterfeit more than they do the truth. 11:22 Isn't that sad? 11:23 I'm not happy about that, but it's true. 11:26 You think God would put all these things down here 11:27 that we can't understand them. 11:29 And we can't understand where we're at in the stream. 11:30 No, He wants us to understand these things. 11:33 Jesus is interceding. Praise God for His people. 11:36 So as we look at this subject a little bit closer sanctuary. 11:40 Oh, in sanctuary, we see a vivid presentation. 11:44 I'm doing with vivid presentation 11:46 of the different aspects of Christ' ministry 11:49 in behalf of His fallen man. 11:52 And we need to focus our attention on these things. 11:56 Listen, it will change your heart. 11:58 It will change your life. 11:59 I remember many years ago, as I've been in a trial, 12:01 study the sanctuary, 12:03 I heard it all my life, raised in a church 12:04 where they talked about it once in a while. 12:06 But as I really begin to feast my eyes 12:08 and my heart and my mind upon it, 12:09 I began to see Jesus in a different way. 12:12 I began to see all the aspects of that, 12:14 that I couldn't see before. 12:16 As I studied this, oh, my attention to, 12:18 oh look that, oh, what does this mean? 12:20 Oh, I see what it means. 12:21 He had me on his mind. I'm thankful. 12:24 So we are to look for these things. 12:26 Listen, Paul encouraged us to do that. 12:28 You remember in Hebrews 3:1. 12:31 Hebrews 3:1, "Wherefore, holy brethren," 12:35 so I'm appealing to you, holy brother and sisters, 12:38 "partakers of heavenly calling." 12:41 Here's what he said. 12:42 "Consider the Apostle or the High Priest 12:45 Jesus Christ." 12:47 What did Paul do? 12:49 He's warned us to consider Jesus Christ our high priest. 12:53 So that's what I'm appealing to you today. 12:55 When you say consider, 12:57 it means to observe fully in the Greek, 13:01 to observe fully, right? 13:03 To consider him to, notice this, 13:05 in some cases, it will be discover. 13:08 Discover Jesus Christ. 13:10 Discover Him. 13:12 You may know Him. 13:13 You may have known Him all your life, 13:14 but there's a time that 13:16 you need to come to discover Him. 13:17 And when you discover Him, you begin to love Him more 13:19 and more and more, and you commit yourself to Him. 13:24 Letter 97 in 1898 says this, notice, 13:28 why am I going to consider the High Priest? 13:30 Number one, Paul says, 13:31 I need to consider the High Priest. 13:33 I know I need to consider the High Priest. 13:35 I know I need to consider. 13:36 I need some knowledge, acknowledgement, 13:38 knowledge of God. 13:40 And here it says why. 13:41 "As the Majesty of heaven," Letter 97, 1898, notice this, 13:46 "He was exalted above the angels, 13:48 and in His work of redemption He carries with Him 13:51 all who have received Him and believed on His name." 13:55 He does why? 13:56 Because He carries, oh, He carries the whole world 13:59 on His shoulders. 14:01 That's encouraging. 14:02 That means I can be a part of that. 14:04 He carries you, He carries me. 14:06 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 14:09 and thou shall be saved. 14:10 But remember, there's other things 14:12 that go along with that, 14:13 don't try to take the easy way out. 14:15 Jesus said, "You love Me, 14:17 you're going to keep My commandments." 14:18 He also says what? 14:20 "Follow in My footsteps." 14:22 There's no easy way without sacrifice 14:25 and making it to the kingdom of God. 14:28 What was the purpose of the earthly 14:30 and the heavenly sanctuary? 14:31 I think the answer will be very simple today 14:33 as we just rush on as we can. 14:35 It was set up to deal with the sin issue. 14:40 What was the sanctuary set up for? 14:41 To deal with the sin issue. 14:44 1 John 3:4. What is sin is what now? 14:47 Sin is the transgression of the law. 14:49 Most of the church, you want to say, 14:50 "Yeah, but that doesn't count." 14:52 The law is not binding now. 14:53 Don't kid yourself. 14:56 Roman says, "Where there is no law, there is no sin." 15:00 We have to look at the whole Word of God right here. 15:04 Christ entered into his mediatorial work. 15:07 We understand that were as mediator, 15:09 but notice He come out of the tomb, right? 15:13 Stayed 40 days on this earth, did He not? 15:15 And then He ascended to heaven. 15:17 And when He ascended to heaven, He began His work as mediator. 15:21 And I'm saying, sometimes why in this world? 15:24 How can we, you know, as people are saying, 15:26 where people of the book try to say 15:28 that we need to go to someone that dead 15:30 to be our mediator, intercede for us. 15:34 Did you get it, or go to some human being 15:35 and confess our sins 15:37 and have them to go to the Father for us, 15:39 Bible says, there's one, only one what? 15:42 Mediator between God. 15:43 2 Timothy 2:5, "There's one, only one mediator 15:46 between God and man, and that's Jesus Christ." 15:48 And I say, today, if you're going any place 15:50 other than Jesus Christ, it's not going to work. 15:53 Why? Because the Bible says so. 15:55 I'm not trying to be bossy or ugly, 15:57 but the Bible says differently. 15:58 Why don't we by faith just accept it? 16:01 God said to Israel, "Make Me a sanctuary." 16:04 Now why did He say, make Me a sanctuary? 16:08 Remember the children of Israel at this point in time? 16:11 Where do you call them? The nomads? 16:13 In other words, they were wanderers. 16:15 They were wandering around where? 16:17 Somebody say the wilderness. 16:19 Yeah. 16:21 And the sanctuary was simply a tent. 16:23 Interesting. 16:25 That could be put together 16:26 and could be taken apart rather quickly. 16:29 They can move it from place to place. 16:31 How accommodating God is, isn't He? 16:35 They'll make a sanctuary. 16:36 Then pour a bunch of footings, anchored all down. 16:39 He made it in pieces, right? 16:41 And it all put together without the sound of a hammer. 16:44 That's the reverence and respect 16:47 that we don't have for our sanctuary most of the time. 16:50 Too much talking, 16:52 too much stuff going on a lot of times, 16:53 other than getting ready to meet with God. 16:58 That'd be nice if we do that on Sabbath. 17:00 If we haven't had that custom right now 17:02 that we get here a few minutes early 17:04 and we come in here and can I say this, 17:07 keep our mouth shut and talk with God, 17:12 ain't that right? 17:14 Lot of talking we can do elsewhere. 17:16 But I'm saying we come in here, get ready in the sanctuary. 17:20 That's where God met with His people. 17:23 He commune with them. He talked with them. 17:25 We'll prove that in a few moments. 17:29 And why a sanctuary, 17:31 because look where God's people had come from. 17:34 They needed more than just the word. 17:36 They needed something that they can see. 17:38 I do too today. 17:40 I can learn more from a picture sometime 17:41 than I can from reading about it. 17:44 And so there was something, 17:45 this sanctuary was a visible place. 17:48 And it was a place that 17:49 they could learn to worship one God 17:52 where they came from, 17:53 they were worshiping as it were, 17:55 and there are many gods and many of the pagan 17:56 and the heathens. 17:58 So they didn't hardly know the difference 17:59 and God was going to teach them. 18:01 And He said, "I'm going to give a visible place, 18:03 you can see it. 18:04 And then I'm going to manifest myself there 18:07 and you'll be able to see that I'm there, 18:10 and this will help you to have faith." 18:12 Worship the one true God. 18:15 And again, very opposite of the worship 18:17 of the other heathen gods. 18:19 Sanctuary brought God near to His people. 18:23 See that's all He's ever wanted. 18:24 He never wanted the separation. 18:26 We evidently wanted to. 18:27 Adam and Eve wanted separation because they chose to do other. 18:31 If you want to be separated from God, 18:32 just do other than what it says 18:34 in the Word and you're separated. 18:35 Is that pretty simple? You can do that. 18:37 No one can make you do otherwise. 18:39 You can choose if you want to serve Him, 18:41 you can choose to deny Him if you want to, 18:43 but it's not going to work. 18:45 It's not going to work 18:47 if you want heaven to be your home. 18:50 Sanctuary brought God near His people. 18:54 And then also it made His presence real to them. 18:58 Did you get it? 19:00 It made His presence real to the people. 19:03 That absolutely is relationship, 19:05 but see what did the pagan and heathens 19:07 had their gods out there where they could see them. 19:10 And they all said they did this, 19:11 and they did that. 19:12 Well, they did or not, and this is going on. 19:14 So the people where God said, look, I'm going to, 19:15 I'm going to manifest Myself to My people. 19:19 God has and still does. 19:21 He want, He wants to find a lodging with His people. 19:24 And this is all that we're doing in this study. 19:26 I want you to stay with me 19:27 because we're going to go at it. 19:29 I don't want to say we're going to go wow, 19:30 but we're going to go wild in the Word of God quickly. 19:33 Does that mean you jot it down, 19:35 if you don't have it in your mind, 19:36 God's still looking for a lodging place 19:38 in your heart, in your heart, in my heart. 19:41 This is what He wants. 19:43 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. 19:46 1 Corinthians what? 19:47 3:16-17, you know this, it starts out. 19:50 "No you not that ye are the temple of" what? 19:55 "God." When you look around and He's trying to say, 19:57 don't you know that you're the temple of God? 20:00 "Oh, that the Spirit of God dwelleth you? 20:03 Is the Spirit of God 20:05 really dwelling in you and in me? 20:08 It's supposed to, is it not? 20:10 It says here, "We are the temple." 20:12 The spirit is looking for a place to dwell. 20:14 And let me tell you, besides that the enemy, 20:16 the evil spirits are looking for a place to dwell too. 20:20 And the good, if the good spirit's not there 20:21 the Holy Spirit, I guarantee you, 20:23 the evil spirit is. 20:25 Well, we better we think along that line, verse 17. 20:28 Notice this. 20:30 Here it gets to, "If any man defile the temple of God," 20:33 who is the temple? 20:35 Temple of God, is not what he said, 20:36 no, you not that ye have, you are the temple of God. 20:39 If any man defiles the what? 20:41 Temple of God, him shall God destroy 20:45 for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 20:48 So what is it telling? 20:50 There's a lot of different ways. 20:51 We have to be careful how we treat this temple, 20:53 this body and careful of what we take into this body. 20:56 Because God said, 20:58 "If you take things into your body 20:59 that destroy your mind, destroy your soul, 21:01 destroy your thinking mechanism right here, 21:03 God's going to destroy you." 21:05 That's what the Bible says. 21:06 You don't have to say, well, the pastor said, 21:08 the Bible said that, willingly and knowingly that you do it. 21:12 We're not talking about people who don't understand. 21:14 We're talking about people who understand 21:16 that God has given His last day church a health message. 21:21 Letter 139, 1898 says this. 21:24 Letter 139 says, I thought about this. 21:28 And I read it two or three different times. 21:29 It said, "What might not men and women have been 21:34 had they realized that the treatment of the body 21:38 has everything to do with the vigor 21:41 and the purity of mind and heart? 21:46 Those who have been, you know, surgery and a lot of pain, 21:50 stump your toe, come on, church. 21:52 You know what? 21:53 It's very hard to study the Word of God 21:55 when you're in pain. 21:56 Is it not? It is. 21:58 Don't make you a bad person. It's just simply it is. 22:01 So we have to be great. 22:03 It has everything. What is it? 22:04 How we treat our body 22:06 and what we put it has everything to do 22:07 with the way we think and the choices that we make. 22:10 I want it to make sense. 22:12 Guys, body is or must be a fit temple 22:15 for the Holy Spirit. 22:16 The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in the temple, 22:18 in a body that were taking things in it, right? 22:21 Now we can all ask for forgiveness 22:23 and done the wrong things in the past. 22:25 We come to God. 22:26 We still may suffer for some of those things. 22:29 Are you still with me, church? 22:31 Because when we do the wrong things, 22:32 there are scars. 22:34 Now God can forgive us, 22:35 but still there scars from our past life. 22:39 As someone will say, I used to drink for 40 years. 22:42 They have issues of that right there, 22:43 but they've gained the victory. 22:45 Praise God, God's forgiven them. 22:46 Heaven can be their home. That's all good. 22:48 But sometimes it affects the thinking 22:51 and decision-making part of the brain. 22:55 The Holy Spirit wants to dwell in a pure temple. 22:57 So we need to be careful what we take into our bodies, 23:01 because why? 23:03 Because God wants to commune with us, 23:06 and the soul and the body must be in harmony with God. 23:10 Now, if you want God to commune with you 23:12 through the Holy Spirit, I do, then I need to do what? 23:16 All that I know to do to do the right things 23:18 and choices that I make. 23:20 Two quick points, Review and Herald, 11-24-1896. 23:25 Review and Herald, 11-24-1896 says this, 23:29 "The more completely mind and body 23:32 are yielded to the Holy Spirit." 23:33 What is it? 23:34 That you remember, you can't yield completely 23:36 if we're doing things that we know hurt us. 23:39 Does that make sense? 23:41 If we're doing things that we know can hurt us 23:43 even over a long period of time, 23:45 Holy Spirit just can't do 23:47 what the Holy Spirit wants to do. 23:49 "The more completely the mind and the body 23:51 are yielded to the Holy Spirit, 23:53 the greater will be the fragrance 23:56 of the offering that we offer to him." 23:59 Just that the more please to God. 24:02 Fragrance, we all like a good smell. 24:04 Oh, that rose, Oh, the flowers. 24:08 Oh, that's right. 24:10 God said, He's more pleased with the one who's willing. 24:15 He can talk with us. 24:17 Secondly, He wants to meet with any group, 24:20 whether it be a home church, 24:22 whether it be a company we talk about, 24:23 they're a big church, a big group, 24:25 whatever it might be. 24:26 He wants to be there if anyone's 24:28 willing to worship Him in spirit and what? 24:32 And in truth. 24:33 John 4:24, read when you have the opportunity. 24:36 He wants to worship with those who want to worship with Him 24:39 in spirit, 24:41 in the power of the Holy Spirit and in truth. 24:43 In other words, you hear it and you take it in and say, 24:45 "Hey, that's wonderful." 24:48 Now remember, part of this here is divinity and humanity, 24:51 we understand working together. 24:53 You know, as a church, we need to understand. 24:56 We need to understand too, 24:59 is it okay just to get something off my shoulder. 25:01 You say, sure. 25:02 I've written some of you here don't want look at your faces. 25:05 Somebody smile, right? 25:08 When we begin the 11 o'clock hour, 25:11 I think it behooves us 25:12 as God's people to be in our seats, 25:16 not to let the pastor, 25:18 the elders all come up here and start having prayer. 25:19 And then everybody decides to find their way 25:21 into the church. 25:23 I never grew up that way myself. 25:25 Now, if anybody had done it today, 25:27 I'm not picking on you. 25:28 And I don't know who did, 25:30 who didn't, that's not the issue. 25:31 The issue, shouldn't we be in our seats. 25:33 And so when those who are in front come up here 25:36 and offer prayer, everybody's together. 25:40 Everything has to be done and done in order. 25:42 I think it just makes it. 25:44 Please, let's try to do that by the grace of God. 25:47 And we need to try to make sure we come up on time. 25:49 There's a time. There's a time. 25:53 God says in His Word in Matthew, 25:54 I just go on with a... 25:55 You know what I'm talking about. 25:57 I'm not trying to scold anybody. 25:58 I'm just, I want to tell you something that troubles me. 26:01 Matthew 18:20, He said, 26:02 "For where two or three are gathered together," where? 26:05 "In my name, there I am going to be," where? 26:08 "In the midst." See that. 26:10 See me as, Jen, that's good news, Brother. 26:13 Herb, that's good news. 26:15 He said where two or what? 26:17 Three are gathered together in My name, there I am. 26:22 That means I believe that He is here 26:25 and I believe that you need to, 26:26 and I need to guard my thought and my attitude 26:30 and what took place this week 26:31 and what I wish you've taken place. 26:33 Come on. 26:36 Thoughts and holding you to be holy directed toward God, 26:38 because He said I'm in that place. 26:40 But let me tell you, the Holy Spirit 26:41 will not stay in a place 26:43 when there's things going on that shouldn't be going on. 26:47 And it'll just be a make-believe, 26:48 and the enemy will show up 26:50 when the spirit says I can't stay. 26:52 Why? Because the temple is not holy. 26:56 How we need help? 26:58 There's a beautiful song. 27:00 When we say, whoa, boy, 27:01 two or three together, together, 27:03 there I am in the midst. 27:04 And it says, notice this. 27:06 It says, He is here. 27:08 Hallelujah. 27:10 He is here. 27:12 Amen. 27:14 He is here. 27:15 Holy, holy, I will bless His name again. 27:20 He is here. 27:22 Listen closely. 27:24 Hear Him calling out your name. 27:27 He is here. 27:29 You can touch Him. 27:31 You will never be what? 27:33 You will never be the same again. 27:36 Today, my brothers and sisters, 27:38 by the grace of God, I feast on manna. 27:41 I'm not feasting on something day old. 27:43 I'm not feasting on the lies of the enemy. 27:45 I'm feasting on the manna from above. 27:48 Why? Because He is here. 27:49 Hallelujah. 27:51 He is here. Somebody say, amen. 27:53 That's what it says here. 27:54 He's here. He's listening. 27:56 Listen closely. 27:57 Don't you know, 27:59 He's calling your name right now? 28:00 Can't you hear Him calling your name? 28:03 But why? 28:04 'Cause it's real, 'cause He's here. 28:06 He's here by faith. 28:08 You can reach out and do what? 28:09 You can touch Him. 28:11 You'll never be the same again when you really reach out 28:13 and finally touch him the way you're supposed to, 28:16 the way I'm supposed to 28:18 as I feed on this manna from above. 28:20 He is here. 28:22 Somebody sing it. 28:23 Holy, holy, what is? 28:27 That's it? 28:29 Tears here, holy, holy. 28:31 I will bless his name again. He is here. 28:34 Listen closely, for He's calling out your name. 28:38 Oh, that's such a beautiful song. 28:41 He is here, halleluiah, 28:45 He is here say what? 28:48 Amen. 28:50 He is here, holy, holy. 28:53 I will bless his name again. 28:57 He is here listen closely, 29:01 hear Him calling out your name. 29:06 He is here. You can touch Him. 29:10 You will never be the same again. 29:16 Then isn't that what it's all about? 29:17 That should be a song that's on our heart. 29:19 I don't know it that well, 29:21 but it just touched my heart and my soul. 29:23 Why? 29:24 Because I sense an awesome moving 29:26 of the spirit of the living God. 29:30 And I can see the song says, He can see our face 29:34 and the countenance of our face. 29:37 We can see angels all around us, 29:41 but today I feast on manna from above. 29:45 He is here. 29:47 Hallelujah. 29:49 The plan laid out for the building 29:51 of the earthly sanctuary was God's plan. 29:55 I can't say it any plainer than that. 30:00 The plan laid out for the building 30:02 of the earthly sanctuary was God's plan. 30:04 Surely we want to be involved. 30:08 In the mount Moses saw a miniature presentation 30:14 of the heavenly sanctuary. 30:16 Read about that, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 343, 30:20 also in the Book of Acts 7:44. 30:24 Notice what it says. 30:25 It says, "Our fathers 30:27 had the tabernacle of witness," where? 30:28 "In the wilderness, the earthly, 30:31 as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, 30:34 that he should make it according to the fashion 30:38 that he had seen." 30:39 What did God do? Come on, church. 30:41 Somebody help me. 30:44 Moses envisioned, isn't that right? 30:47 God took him. Now, God's not lying. 30:49 When they said there is no such thing 30:50 as a heavenly sanctuary. 30:51 There's no such thing as war going on 30:53 in the heavenly sanctuary. 30:54 The work that went on in the earthly sanctuary 30:56 is going on in the heavenly sanctuary. 30:59 I mean, that's awesome thing when you think about it. 31:02 Hebrews 8:2, it says, notice this, "A minister," who is it? 31:06 Jesus, "A minister of the sanctuary 31:09 and of the true tabernacle, 31:11 which the Lord set up or pitched and not man." 31:15 That means the heavenly 31:17 'cause the earthly was a pattern of the heavenly. 31:21 Hebrews 8:5. It says, notice. 31:23 "That all things according to the pattern 31:26 showed thee on the mount." 31:28 It was so important to God, was it not? 31:30 That He said, I'm going to take Moses up there 31:32 and I'm going to show him. 31:33 And I want him to make it exact. 31:35 God wanted Moses to be right, 31:36 do exactly as God told him to do. 31:39 That's part of the teaching and obedience, is it not? 31:43 You make everything according to the pattern, 31:45 so there must be something. 31:47 Somebody tells you to cut out something 31:48 according to the pattern, 31:49 the pattern was already there, isn't that right? 31:53 Pattern which is in heaven. 31:54 Signs of the Times 214, 1900. 31:58 It said, "The Jewish tabernacle was a type 32:01 of the Christian Church." 32:03 The Jewish tabernacle was what? 32:05 A type of the Christian Church, 32:07 the church on earth composed of those. 32:11 God's Church is composed of those who are faithful 32:14 and true and loyal to God. 32:18 Yep. Some of them didn't get it well. 32:20 Think about it. 32:22 Oh, it has to have such and such name. 32:23 It's got to have this, it's got to have that on it. 32:25 God's Church, God's Christian Church, 32:27 the New Testament Church 32:29 is composed of those who are faithful 32:30 and true and loyal to God. 32:33 This is the true tabernacle. 32:36 And Jesus is the minister. 32:39 He's the head of it. 32:43 God set it up, not man. 32:46 And when God set it up, 32:48 he set it up on a high holy platform. 32:52 And somehow we've been dragging it down. 32:54 By God's grace, we need to elevate it again. 32:56 Let me be real clear in case we missed it. 32:58 I'm going to be a little bit clear 32:59 in the Great Controversy, 33:01 page 414 says this, "The sanctuary in heaven 33:06 in which Jesus ministers in our behalf." 33:09 Jesus is working what? In our behalf for you. 33:12 You can't do it, I can't do it. 33:15 We have no business to be there, 33:16 but He's representing us if we give our life to Him. 33:19 Notice this, "Is the great original 33:22 of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy." 33:26 Oh, that's so clear. Oh, I like it. 33:29 Why did John, in vision John saw. 33:32 I love it, John saw. 33:34 I wished I knew that song. 33:35 I'd sing it a little bit too, John saw. 33:37 Talk about the New Jerusalem, isn't that right? 33:39 Look what John saw people walking on streets of gold. 33:41 John saw, the Bible said John saw, 33:44 and he was taken into the heavenly sanctuary. 33:48 Read that in Revelation 15:5. 33:51 Well, I'll read it to you. 33:52 It said, "After that I looked, and, behold, the temple 33:55 of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened." 33:58 Man, that's pretty clear is it not? 34:00 Either John lied or he didn't have a vision. 34:03 He lied about that too or he told the truth. 34:05 He said, in vision, I beheld, I look, 34:07 and there was a tabernacle of the testimony in heaven 34:10 was open. 34:11 He began to see Jesus was working in our behalf. 34:14 John saw that testimony. You know what? 34:16 The testimony is the ark 34:18 with the Ten Commandments in it, 34:19 if somebody were with me. 34:21 Revelation 11:19, how do we know that? 34:23 Because it says, "The temple of God 34:25 was opened in heaven, 34:26 and there were seen in his temple", the what? 34:29 "The ark of his testament." 34:32 What happened? 34:34 Here so I wouldn't worry about 10 command. 34:37 Revelation 11:19, the temple of God 34:39 was open to John 34:41 and he looked and he saw the ark of the testament. 34:45 He saw the law of God there, notice this, Letter 47, 1902, 34:50 "In the temple will be seen the ark of the testament 34:53 in which were placed the two tables of stone," 34:55 come on, church, 34:56 "on which are written God's law." 34:59 Huh. 35:00 Remember you say, well, 35:02 I'm not sure about the testimony in this. 35:04 In Exodus 25:16, 35:06 Moses called God's law a testimony. 35:10 Moses called what? Come on, church. 35:12 It's too hot in here, turn the air down. 35:13 Somebody bring some ice cubes. 35:15 Somebody stand up. 35:16 Man, do something. 35:18 This is important to you. What did it say? 35:19 This is where I should be beholding. 35:22 This will give you hope. 35:23 This will give you encouragement in this dark hour 35:26 that we're living in and it's going to get darker. 35:29 We need to know we have a high priest 35:31 and what He's doing for us right now. 35:32 Lord, have mercy on us. 35:34 John saw, man, I like that. 35:37 John saw heaven. 35:38 In heaven what did he do? 35:40 He also saw the altar of incense. 35:42 He showed him, what he saw? He saw what? 35:44 Jesus in the Holy Place, 35:47 because what's in the Holy Place? 35:49 The altar of incense, isn't that right? 35:50 Table of showbread, right? 35:52 The candlestick, with they saw him 35:54 notice the whole, wow. 35:56 It said another angel came, Revelation 8:3-5. 35:59 The Bible says, "And another angel came and stood 36:02 by the altar having a golden censer, 36:05 and there was given him much incense 36:08 that he should, 36:09 after he, with the prayers of all the saints 36:11 upon the golden altar which was before the throne." 36:14 Where was? Where was that throne? 36:16 The earthly sanctuary. 36:17 The altar of incense was just before the curtain, 36:20 before the Most Holy Place, was it not? 36:22 John was saying the same thing. 36:25 The work that was going on in the heavenly sanctuary, 36:29 man, it's for you and it's for me. 36:31 Wow. 36:32 Important point. 36:34 We hear about this. Oh my, the time. 36:36 We hear about Shekinah Glory, do we not? 36:38 We get excited about the Shekinah Glory. 36:41 Oh, Shekinah Glory of God. 36:43 You know what that shows? 36:45 That shows that God's ark in the heavenly 36:47 with the Ten Commandments in it 36:49 represents the throne room of God. 36:52 What is it? 36:54 The ark with the Ten Commandments 36:55 and the mercy seat 36:57 and the angels represents God's throne. 37:00 Oh, that's called the mercy seat. 37:04 The mercy seat on the ark. 37:06 Patriarchs and Prophets, 349 says this, 37:08 "Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah, 37:12 the manifestation of divine Presence." 37:14 The Shekinah Glory, right? 37:15 You couldn't go in there 37:17 when the presence of God was so close. 37:18 Maybe someday by the grace of God, 37:20 the sanctuary will have that Shekinah Glory in it 37:23 that we will fear to come in. 37:25 When we come in, we'll be crawling in 37:26 rather than walking up proud like we've got, 37:28 we deserve it here. 37:31 Crawl in, Shekinah Glory. 37:34 Presence of God is thick and strong and it should be. 37:38 Exodus 25:17-22. 37:39 I don't have much time to fend on this. 37:41 It's so powerful, but help us understand it, Lord, today. 37:45 I wanna take verses, write down and just make a line 37:48 on each one here, hopefully a point. 37:50 Exodus 25:17-22, Jesus said, make a mercy seat, 37:54 notice this, but you know what? 37:56 You make it out of pure gold, because it represents a deity. 37:59 Did you get it? 38:00 Mercy, no one in the earthly sanctuary, 38:02 you had a lot of the furniture was what? 38:03 Made of wood, shittim wood and it was overlaid with gold. 38:07 Divinity and humanity working together. 38:09 But on the mercy seat, 38:10 there can't be anything but mercy, 38:12 it's pure gold. 38:13 Man, that's wonderful. 38:15 Make two cherubims, notice this, 38:16 of gold, one on each side of it. 38:19 Verse 20, "Wings shall cover the mercy seat." 38:22 Ooh, put that mercy seat. 38:24 Notice this, put the seat upon the ark. 38:27 Verse 22, I will, notice this. 38:29 "I will meet and commune with thee 38:32 above the mercy seat." 38:34 Wow. 38:35 God said, I'm going to meet with you there. 38:37 Now the mercy seat then is placed 38:39 over the top of the ark and is placed what? 38:41 Mercy over the law. 38:43 In other words, 38:44 the mercy of God is over the law. 38:48 Ooh, praise God. 38:49 The two golden angels you remember, 38:51 one on the right side. 38:53 The one on the right side of the mercy seat 38:54 is Mr. Gabriel. 38:56 May I say that, Gabriel, right? 38:58 That is... 39:00 Listen, that's where Satan stood before he fell. 39:03 Somebody listen carefully. 39:06 He stood there. Desire of Ages, you read it. 39:08 Desire of Ages, 693 says this, 39:10 referring to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 39:13 When He was just about at an end of His life, 39:17 the angel came, you remember and touched Him 39:18 and strengthened Him 39:20 for the battle that was to rage on. 39:22 It says, "The mighty angel who stands in God's presence, 39:25 occupying the position, which Satan fell, 39:28 came to the side of Christ." 39:30 Desire of Ages, 234, come on. 39:32 It said, It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank 39:37 to the Son of God. 39:38 Hmm. 39:39 It was Gabriel who brought the message to Daniel. 39:43 It was Gabriel who opened the future and prophecy 39:45 of the Book of Revelation. 39:47 And then he pronounced the blessing upon 39:49 those who read and those who study 39:50 and those who would do those word Revelation 1:3. 39:54 Isn't that beautiful? 39:55 Gabriel was busy. 39:57 That's where Satan should have been, 39:59 but he fell. 40:00 Two angels looked down toward the mercy seat of the law. 40:03 What does that do? 40:05 They're looking down to the law of God, 40:06 then the mercy seat with often, 40:07 the angels without sin with reverence, 40:12 and shows how their regard for the law and the interest 40:16 that they have in the plan of salvation. 40:18 Do we need grace and mercy? 40:20 Oh, Lord, have mercy. Yes, we do. 40:22 Where do we go? We go to the mercy seat, right? 40:24 We go boldly to the throne room of God. 40:26 Hebrews 4:15-16. I can't read all of that. 40:30 You seem to have an impossible situation 40:31 in your life today. 40:33 Nothing's impossible with God. Why? 40:35 Daniel 7:10 says, what did he say? 40:37 Daniel said, I saw, ooh, I saw ten thousand times, 40:40 ten thousands and thousands of thousands, right, of angels, 40:43 isn't that wonderful? 40:45 God's not shorthanded on angels. 40:47 And we have nothing to fear. 40:50 He will send them all, 40:52 empty all of heaven if you need it, if you need it. 40:55 If temptation is so great that you can't stand it, 40:57 you're a weak, but you say, "Oh God, I need help." 40:59 "I'll empty heaven, He says, every one of them will come." 41:02 Why are we so overcome sometime? 41:04 Why are we fall so many times and we fall short? 41:07 The answer is very simple. 41:09 We're not calling on God for help. 41:11 If you in faith called out for God for help, 41:13 He's going to send you that help. 41:16 Remember we've talked about in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 41:19 your body is the temple of what? 41:21 The Holy Ghost. 41:23 Yeah, we need to glorify God where? 41:27 In our body. Let's... 41:30 I'm already read that before, but just jot it down 41:32 in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 again, 41:35 know that you're the temple of God. 41:36 Notice how the Holy Spirit wants to dwell in you. 41:40 Verses tell us that He lives in us by His Spirit. 41:45 But the temple is to be made after the, listen, 41:48 after the heavenly pattern. 41:50 Our temple is to be made after what? 41:52 The heavenly pattern, which is Jesus Christ, 41:55 before He will live in that temple, 41:58 before He can live in the temple, 42:00 we've got to have it prepared to receive Him. 42:04 And so He gives us a test to see if we love Him, 42:06 and we want Him with us. 42:09 So God said, "Make Me a sanctuary." 42:12 But He said, "You're making the sanctuary, 42:14 you're going to have to give up some things. 42:16 To build this tabernacle, you're going to have 42:18 to give some things that maybe you might cherish, 42:22 just like being a Christian today sometime we give up 42:25 some things that maybe has been very special to us 42:28 to become a real Bible Christian. 42:32 First, the Bible says, there must be a willing heart 42:34 and a willing mind. 42:35 And then what it says? 42:37 2 Corinthians 8:12, if there's not a willing heart, 42:39 I'm willing Lord to give up anything 42:41 that I need to give up. 42:42 Whatever you say, I'm willing to do it. 42:44 Or are you going to say, oh, 42:45 but I'm an exception to the rule. 42:47 No, you can't say that. 42:49 If you first, "If there first be willing mind," 42:51 2 Corinthians 8:12 "is acceptable that a man hath 42:55 and not according that he hath not. 42:57 Exodus 25:2-3, God said, bring a willing what? 43:01 Offering. And notice what he said? 43:03 He said, bring the gold, 43:05 bring the silver and bring the brass. 43:08 Exodus 38:8, I'm moving quickly, 43:10 only six to seven minutes left. 43:11 In billing the labor of brass God told the women. 43:15 Now it's God's saying, it's not me, 43:17 but I'm still going to say it anyway. 43:19 God's talking to the women. 43:20 There's no doubt about it as we read it. 43:22 "And the laver, the gold, brass, 43:24 God told the women to bring the looking glasses. 43:26 Do you remember that? 43:28 The looking glasses, translation bring the mirrors 43:31 that sometime we spend too much time in front of. 43:34 God asked him to give up their mirrors, 43:36 which is wrinkly self adorning, I'm adorning self. 43:40 And which stands also for self-righteousness. 43:43 What are we beholding so often? Self. 43:46 God's asking to give those things up. 43:49 Not that you should never look into, 43:50 not that you'd never fix up, but there's right, 43:52 that we need to be of good balance. 43:53 Exodus 35:22, it says, 43:55 "And they came both men and women, as many were," 43:58 well, notice this, "they have a willing heart." 44:01 What did they bring? 44:02 God said, I want you to make a sanctuary 44:03 that I'm going to dwell among you. 44:05 God said, then I want your gold and I want your silver. 44:07 I want you to, notice this, in Exodus 35. 44:10 I want your bracelets. 44:12 I want your earrings. 44:14 I want your rings. 44:15 I want your tablets. 44:17 That's the jewels or gold bands, 44:18 anything, beads, 44:20 all the jewels and all the gold. 44:23 And, of course, it must be offered with free heart, 44:26 no strings attached. 44:27 Even the animals they gave for offering 44:29 had to be with a willing heart for the sacrifice. 44:32 And whether Jesus asks, 44:34 "Do you love Me more than yourself?" 44:38 Do you love Me more than your, I'm going to say your mirrors 44:40 and you get what I'm talking about. 44:42 Do you love me more than any other thing? 44:45 Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek ye first the," what? 44:48 "Kingdom of God and all these other things 44:50 will be added unto you. 44:51 Jesus said, "if you do not love Me 44:53 more than these 44:54 and you will not give up what needs to be given up, 44:57 I cannot dwell in you." 44:58 It's a pattern after the heavenly. 45:01 1 Peter 3:3-4 says this, "Whose adorning 45:03 let it not be that of outward adorning 45:05 of the plaiting of the hair. 45:07 You know what? 45:08 You know what the plaiting of the hair is here? 45:10 God said, this is not what His church. 45:11 This is not what His people is all about here. 45:13 That means the elaborate braiding of the hair. 45:17 That's what it says. 45:18 Yeah, with gold or just absolutely. 45:20 You can look up at Webster dictionary. 45:22 Plaiting means just simply a very elaborate braid. 45:26 Sometime it takes hours and hours. 45:28 We won't want to deal with that 45:29 because too many of us as people do it. 45:31 So we don't want to deal with it. 45:33 But God says, I don't want that. 45:35 That's what the Bible said. Did you get it? 45:37 Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning 45:40 of the plaiting of the hair. 45:43 Huh. 45:44 Review and Herald, 3-7-1899. 45:46 It says, "In dress, 45:48 and in speech and in deportment, 45:50 we are to be a people distinct and separate from the world." 45:54 Sometime you can't tell a Seventh-day Adventist 45:56 from anybody from a whirling out there, 45:57 the way we dress, 45:59 the way we act, the way we talk. 46:02 God tells us does not want His temple 46:06 to have gold or silver for outside beauty. 46:09 Did you get it? 46:11 God says, "I don't want that." Why? 46:12 Now think about it. 46:14 But I want you to have Christ, 46:16 the hidden man of the heart on the inside. 46:19 Remember the beauty of the earthly sanctuary 46:23 was inside, not on the outside. 46:26 Did you get it? 46:27 Wow. 46:29 Paul expresses once again and Paul's doing it, not me. 46:33 Expresses his concern and attitude and conduct 46:35 of women in the church. 46:37 When he says this, in like manner, 46:40 also that women adorn themselves. 46:43 That means women are put in order. 46:45 That means that they arrange themselves 46:48 in a modest apparel. 46:49 That means good taste. 46:52 Conservative with shamefacedness. 46:54 That means to self-respect and sobriety. 46:57 It means self-control not with now again, 47:01 not with braided hair, plaited, elaborate braids 47:05 or gold or pearls or costly array, 47:08 but which becometh a woman, notice this, 47:10 professing godliness with good works. 47:14 Good taste is a part 47:18 of good religion. 47:21 See the church, say the church gets silent, 47:23 like, well, what are they doing? 47:25 That's no different than the other passage of scripture. 47:27 It just hits home what God is saying to us. 47:31 That's exactly what it says. 47:32 I don't want it. 47:34 No gold and no silver, right? 47:36 No pearls and all this should be on my people. 47:38 That's what He's saying. 47:41 Reverence toward God to profess, to be like Christ, 47:45 to be a member and part of the family of God. 47:47 And yet we dress immodestly 47:49 and wear things that we shouldn't be wearing. 47:51 It's just a form of hypocrisy. That's all that it is. 47:53 There's no doubt about it. 47:55 You might at this point say, well, I agree and yes, 47:57 I understand that, 47:58 but I'm going to get down to personal things, 48:00 'cause some of you not been through the studies 48:01 and you know, maybe it might mean something to you 48:04 and it may not, but there's too much here 48:06 when God says don't do it, He means don't do it. 48:08 And no excuses. 48:10 Let me give you a point here 48:11 that really touches the whole heart. 48:12 We've been in meetings in other countries 48:14 where God has worked marvelous miracles 48:16 and people took stand on issues right then and right there, 48:20 because God said so. 48:22 You're going to, right you say, well, I agree with most things, 48:23 but my wedding ring is different. 48:26 How is it different? 48:28 Let me ask you, how is it different 48:29 than anything else? 48:31 Rings are given to commemorate certain things, 48:34 isn't that right? 48:35 Such as a super bowl, retirement ring, 48:38 graduation ring, birthstones, 48:40 we know we'd go through all of that business, 48:42 engagement rings on. 48:44 Everyone could say mine is special. 48:47 But I don't find that in the Word of God. 48:49 If it's special, then you go ahead. 48:51 Hmm. 48:53 It tells, you say, well, 48:54 it tells the world something about me. 48:55 Yes, it does. 48:57 But the Word says, no gold, no silver, no pearls. 49:02 This may be your test, 49:03 and my test may be other things. 49:05 Here's what Google says quickly. 49:07 Just Google worldly thing 'cause people ask the question, 49:09 what they say? 49:11 This is called the engagement as it were, 49:14 yeah, engagementringhistory.com says this, 49:18 is wearing, they're asking this question. 49:19 Is wearing wedding rings pagan? 49:22 It says, the meaning of the wedding ring 49:24 as a symbol of mortal or marital commitment 49:28 finds this origin in pagan mythology 49:31 and superstition. 49:33 The investment of the pagan symbol, 49:35 it says here, notice 49:37 now has almost completely lost all of its pagan meaning, why? 49:40 Because we brought it into the church 49:42 and we baptized and said, it's all right. 49:44 Where did it come from? 49:46 History will bear fact from paganism, 49:49 has nothing to do with God. 49:51 God said no gold, no silver. 49:54 There's a heavenly sanctuary, is it not? 49:55 As we close, I want you to think 49:57 on Patriarchs and Prophets, 357. 49:59 That's not a study on jewelry and different things. 50:01 It's just some food for thought. 50:02 When God said in My sanctuary, it can't be gold and silver. 50:05 In fact, He told them 50:06 when we may take all this stuff off 50:08 and then the fight begins if whether we want it, 50:10 we love God more than we love our jewelry or rings 50:14 or whatever it might be. 50:17 We have to come to grips with that. 50:19 The Adventist Church is very sad 50:23 when it comes to that condition. 50:25 They've let a lot of things in. 50:27 How has it was never acceptable for umpteen years 50:29 and all of a sudden in the last since '85, '86, 50:32 all of a sudden it's acceptable now. 50:34 Has God changed? 50:36 No, He has not. 50:37 Man has changed. 50:38 Well so-and-so, so what? 50:41 So-and-so is not my example. 50:43 Jesus is my example. 50:45 He said, "I'm looking for a temple that is holy." 50:49 And it has to be holy and acceptable 50:50 and no gold, no silver. 50:52 So remember, no stipulations 50:54 of, well, this is different, all that. 50:56 I don't read that anywhere. 50:59 Patriarchs and Prophets, 357, as we close, said, 51:01 Moses made the earthly sanctuary. 51:03 Why the sanctuary? 51:06 "He made the earthly sanctuary, 51:07 according to the fashion that he had seen." 51:10 As we read in Acts 7:44, 51:12 "Paul declares that the tabernacle, 51:14 and all the vessels of the ministry, 51:16 when completed, were pattern of things in the heavens." 51:21 Hebrews 9:21-23, John says, I love every time John saw. 51:27 "John saw a sanctuary in heaven. 51:29 That sanctuary in which Jesus ministers 51:31 in our behalf, is the great original, 51:34 of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy." 51:39 Maybe I should leave you with just with that thought. 51:42 But you know, there's lot of things 51:43 in our Christian experience that maybe are distasteful 51:47 to us because we don't understand, 51:48 maybe we've never been taught. 51:52 But when the Word of God comes and says, this is what I want. 51:55 That's where we're tested. 51:57 No, I don't have to make any changes. 51:59 Hey, I'm, I'm easy to get along with. 52:01 If something goes against my grain, 52:03 I may be difficult to get along with. 52:06 Think about it. 52:07 One guy told me one time though, 52:09 his daughter which was 10 or 11 at the time, 52:10 she has never needed a whipping. 52:13 She never needed corrected. 52:14 I said, "I wouldn't either if I got my way every time." 52:18 Just think about it. 52:20 Are we willing as God's people 52:23 to say, when He says no? 52:26 That we're willing to say, oh, I see. 52:28 I didn't know, but now I do. 52:30 And if it's a struggle, we take it to what? 52:32 We take it to the Lord in prayer. 52:34 And we lay it before Him. 52:36 It's proven no in the Word of God. 52:38 I could go to Isaiah Chapter 3 and spend another hour 52:41 on all the earrings and the rings and they're told 52:43 what's so-and-so, we're not going to do that 52:44 because that's not the purpose, 52:46 but it's truth that comes out in scripture 52:48 when you study the sanctuary. 52:50 And what are we willing to do? 52:51 Well, we can pout, we can get mad. 52:53 We can say, well, I'm not, that's... 52:55 Yeah. 52:56 We can praise God for more truth 52:58 that He's that you're right. 53:01 And so we need to make that decision 53:03 by the grace of God. 53:04 Pray about it. 53:07 God can turn the heart and the life around 53:10 to follow His Word 53:12 and anything that we're not willing 53:14 to give up becomes your God. 53:17 Are you still with me, church? 53:21 Anything that we're not willing to give up 53:23 when it's shown in the Word of God that he says, no, 53:26 My people won't be like that. 53:27 That's why He saw His people in Revelation Chapter 12, 53:29 the pure woman standing on the moon, isn't that right? 53:33 Didn't have any of these things on at all. 53:35 But then you went to Revelation 17, 53:37 you seen the harlot. 53:38 Look how she was dressed and what she had on. 53:42 Again not trying to criticize or condemn anyone. 53:44 You didn't know whatever, but we're learning as we go. 53:46 Praise God for learning these things. 53:50 Because if they're truth, right, 53:53 God wants us to follow up by His grace and strength. 53:56 And so if it's something you need to be praying 53:57 about, please continue to pray about it. 54:00 If you want to be His witness, you want to be His temple 54:03 that He can dwell in. 54:05 But if you say I heard what He said, 54:06 but I'm not willing to do that. 54:08 He can't dwell in you. 54:10 Mine may be something different, 54:11 yours may be something different. 54:13 But if it's still against the word of God, 54:15 He says, "I can't dwell the way I want to with you. 54:18 I can't communicate with you." 54:21 Let's be willing to do 54:23 what He say by the grace of God. 54:24 Let's be willing to do it. 54:27 We actually saw was, was it in the Netherlands? 54:30 In the Netherlands we've preached about this, 54:32 but not this subject here, but about jewelry 54:35 and absolutely different couples got up out of there. 54:37 And they came forward and they took off 54:40 what they needed to right then and right there 54:42 and put it in the plate. 54:43 That's when the power of the Holy Spirit is working. 54:46 The men and the women, both, we did not know. 54:50 Now we do. It's very clear. 54:53 And they took it off. 54:55 Is that what God may be requires of us today? 54:58 Yeah. 54:59 So just make it a matter of prayer. 55:01 And when God speaks to your heart, 55:02 I know that you, 55:03 if that's an issue, we'll do the right thing. 55:06 Even if you've never heard it before, 55:07 even if you've never dealt with it before, 55:09 there's much more that can be given 55:11 on the subject specifically that you will know 55:14 beyond a shadow of a doubt. 55:16 It's just one thing, because He's wanting what? 55:19 The body and the mind to be in tune with Him. 55:22 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 55:25 And then it is a fit temple for the Holy Spirit 55:27 to live in and through, 55:29 to be the right influence and the right example 55:32 to everyone else. 55:33 I want to be that example, don't you? 55:35 By God's grace and God's strength, 55:36 let's make that decision today 55:38 as we close with prayer, shall we? 55:39 Merciful Father in heaven, as we come to Thee, 55:43 we ask that Your Holy Spirit now 55:44 will take the things that have been said, 55:47 and maybe in the wrong way or not knowing how to say them, 55:51 but we know that Your Holy Spirit 55:52 can take what's been said, 55:55 weigh them in the evidence with the Scripture 55:58 and then give us grace and strength 55:59 to be able to make a decision on what we need to do. 56:03 And that goes not just for that one issue 56:05 we're talking about, but in many other issues 56:07 of our Christian experience. 56:10 We need to lay them upon the altar 56:11 as we see they're not appropriate 56:13 and they will not be in the kingdom of God. 56:16 Meaning if we don't turn loose of them now, 56:17 we will not be in the kingdom of God. 56:20 So we want to turn those things over to you, 56:22 whatever they might be right now. 56:23 We need not to have any idols. 56:25 We need to have no other gods before You. 56:27 And in Word of God, you call jewelry, 56:29 You call it that You call them strange, God. 56:31 You call them an abomination. 56:32 You call them filth. 56:36 That's how You, heaven sees it. 56:38 Not the world, but heaven. 56:41 So help us in every aspect to be able to do Your will. 56:43 We need Your help right now. 56:45 And we thank You for what You're going to do 56:47 in Jesus' name. 56:48 Amen. |
Revised 2021-08-02