"Where We Meet With Thee (continued)"
Text: Exodus 25:21-22
Title: Where We Meet Thee (Part 2)
Introduction:
We concluded last week:
We have been created to fellowship with God.
The OT tabernacle where God said he would meet with His people -
Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with thee,
The tabernacle was a picture of the place where we meet with him by faith in Heaven.
Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Using the OT picture of the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:21-22) - we saw last week that God wants to meet you in a ....
1.) a place of fellowship.
...and I will commune with thee.
def. Communion: converse
exp. Where God wants to meet with us is a place of fellowship.
2.) a place of authority.
...from above.
exp. God is Supreme. He rules. He makes the rules.
app. If we would meet with him, we must acknowledge that He is right.
3.) a place of mercy. - You are welcome to come there.
...the mercy seat,
exp. You don't deserve to enter this place - nobody does deserve it - only God's mercy makes it possible.
app. We ought to be very humbled as we enter - we don't come because of any goodness or power we possess. It is God's mercy alone that allows us entrance.
4.) A place of power. - Your need will be met if you come there.
...from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony,
exp. We ought to fall on our faces to realize - with whom we have to do. He controls the most powerful beings in the universe - they are His servants to do His bidding.
app. We ought to be humbled again because of the immense power of God.
5.) A place of truth. - You can only come there according to God's Word.
...of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
exp. The preserved Word of God within the Ark of the Covenant show that God's law will not change and will continue forever.
Ps 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
ill. What will a judge say to a murderer who says, "I think murder is ok." At the very least he will say, "Guilty." The law of the land is clear. What matters is obeying the law! It doesn't matter what someone thinks about the law.
app. Friend, what you think about God's plan of redemption through the shed blood of Jesus does not matter. What matters is - whether or not you have obeyed it. God is going to judge you by His plan - NOT YOURS. You can't enter into the place where He will meet you by your own ideas - you must come according to His revelation.
THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT, "WHERE WE MEET WITH THEE."
God wants to meet you in a place of .....
continued from last week:
(Turn to Hebrews 9)
I. God wants to meet you in a place of holiness.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
def. Holy and sanctified - mean to be set apart unto God and away from sin.
exp. God had very strict rules for those who served in the tabernacle. In all these things, if you disobeyed and tried to do it your way, you died.
example 1 - They were warned of the seriousness of their obedience. - Exodus 28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
example 2 - Nadab and Abihu disobeyed God's commands - Leviticus 10:1 ¶ And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
app. Praise the Lord - we are not under the law - but grace - and yet how careful we need to be! What HOLY STANDARD did God have for those who served in the earthly tabernacle?
A. They had sanctified clothing.
Exodus 28 40 ¶ And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
exp. The garments were according to God's direction.
ill. Jesus told a story about a Heavenly wedding feast to which all were invited.
Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
exp. You are invited but you can't come in your filthy clothes. You have to put on the robes of righteousness by faith in Jesus.
Revelation 19: 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
app. For you to wear this holy garment - you must receive it from God!
song: Are your garments spotless are they white as snow are they washed in the blood of the lamb?
B. They had cleansing with water.
Exodus 29:4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
exp. Water is a purifier. There was to be no filth on them as they entered into this place.
ill. Foot washing of Jesus -
John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
exp. Jesus would have us wash - before entering into God's holy place. Remember his model prayer - Lu 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
app. That cleansing water was for those entering into that holy place - it prepared them to meet with God. Are you prepared to meet God? Is there some sin that needs to be cleansed - avail yourself of Jesus and let him cleanse you as you prepare to enter into God's Holy presence.
C. They were annointed with oil.
Exodus 29:7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
exp. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
ill. Jesus was annointed with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
ill. As master of your home - do you know when it is dirty? Do you know when something comes into your home that ought to be taken out?
exp. When a man owns something and possesses it - he is the master. The Spirit of God is the MASTER of our house.
I Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
app. You can not enter God's presence without God's Spirit (You get Him when you get saved.) and you shouldn't try to enter God's presence when you haven't dealt with unholiness in your house. Your heart is to be a holy temple and you are entering into the Holiest of all places when you pray.
D. They had a blood sprinkled upon them.
Ex 29:21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
exp. Blood is the great soul cleansing agent.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
def. Remission: release from bondage or imprisonment, forgiveness or pardon of sins.
note: In our case - it is not the blood of bulls and goats - it is the blood of the LAMB OF GOD.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
ill. The firstborn sons of the children of Israel were spared death by the blood of the lamb on the doorpost. The death angel saw the blood and passed over them on God's errand of judgment.
question: Does God see the blood - when he looks at you? If not - He doesn't see cleansing - He sees defilement. And His wrath abides on you. You can not meet with him in your filth because - He who is holy dwells in a holy place. Sin must be dealt with and then you can meet with him.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
(GOD WANTS TO MEET YOU IN A PLACE THAT IS HOLY.)
II. God wants to meet you in a place that is priceless.
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold,
exp. Gold is a most precious metal. It represents great expense. It also shows the incredible value of that which was sacrificially given to God?
question: What have you given to God? What He wants more than anything is the souls of mankind.
song: "More precious than gold, much better than silver, is the price of a soul, God wants to deliver, there are people around you crying out for a Saviour, and their lives are a treasure of worth beyond measure, more precious than gold."
ill. Ferrari that sold for 40 million Euro. That cars value increased because of the price that was paid for it.
note: Souls of mankind are priceless because they were paid for by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pr 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
app. You may never have a million pounds to give to Jesus - but you can seek to give Him as many souls as you can reach. You can begin by giving him your soul.
GOD WANTS TO MEET YOU IN A PLACE THAT IS PRICELESS, HOLY,....
VIII. God wants to meet you in a place of provision.
...wherein was the golden pot that had manna,
exp. The manna was kept in the ark of the covenant as a constant reminder of God's ability to miraculously provide.
Exodus 16: 9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
13 ¶ And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
exp. Whenever a Hebrew child would say, "Momma, we need food where will we get it." If that momma loved Jesus, she would say, "Child, God gave us manna from Heaven in the wilderness and He will provide for us today."
ill. George Mueler - "The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in."
Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.
app. When we come to meet with God - there in that place is the reminder that He is the God of provision and He will provide.
(HE WOULD MEET YOU IN THE PLACE OF PROVISION, A PLACE OF PRICELESNESS, A PLACE OF HOLINESS, AND .....
IX. God wants to meet you in a place of miraculous life.
...and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
exp. We've already considered the revelaion in the ark. But, what about this miraculous rod - life from the dead.
ill. My dad had a beautiful walking stick with torquise stones set in siler upon it. I've noticed here that there are many nice wood walking sticks that you can buy. Would it suprise you to find your walking stick with a new leaf upon it? Why? You would say, "It was dead but has come alive again."
note: That miracle of life from the dead verified that Aaron was the High Priest!
exp. Every time the soul of man goes from death unto life it verifies that Jesus Christ is the GREAT HIGH PRIEST.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
app. If you are here this morning and not saved, "You are dead." But, the God who caused the dead rod to come back to life can bring you to everlasting life today. You can meet with him today in the place of miraclulous life.
conclusion:
The OT picture has wonderful truths to teach us about where God wants to meet with you.
1.) He wants to meet you in a place of holiness. (Come as you are Christianity that leaves a man unchanged is not God's plan. He would have a holy people.)
2.) He wants to meet you in a place that is priceless. (Does he possess your soul? Are you seeking to bring others to Him?)
3.) He wants to meet you in a place of provision. (He will meet the needs of His own.)
4.) He wants to meet you in a place of miraculous life. (From death unto life.)
Friends - IT IS THERE HE WOULD MEET US AND THERE WE CAN MEET WITH HIM.
