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We can turn back to Deuteronomy, 
Deuteronomy chapter 12, for our introduction to our sermon, Deuteronomy 
chapter 12. I'll read verses 29 to 32. Deuteronomy 12, beginning in 
verse 29, When the Lord your God cuts off from before you 
the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell 
in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to 
follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you 
do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations 
serve their gods? I also will do likewise. You 
shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. For every abomination 
to the Lord, which he hates, they have done to their gods. 
For they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to 
their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful 
to observe it. You shall not add to it, nor 
take away from it. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in Heaven, we pray again for the guidance and the power 
of the Holy Spirit as we move through the various passages 
of Scripture tonight. We pray that You would guide 
our thoughts and our minds and cause us to reflect upon the 
necessity to worship You aright. You are the Lord God of truth. 
We are to worship You in spirit and in truth. Certainly that 
means obedience on our part and an understanding of what Scripture 
teaches in this particular regard. So guide us and bless us and 
help us, Lord, to glorify You, and we pray through Jesus Christ. 
Amen. Well, this morning I mentioned 
the regulative principle of worship and how appointing women as elders 
or pastors in churches would be a violation of that regulative 
principle of worship. Basically, the regulative principle 
of worship is simple. We do what God commands us to 
do in Scripture. So we looked at that a couple 
of weeks in a row at 1 Timothy 3, verses 14 to 16, under the 
head, the regulation of the church's worship. Well, we're gonna expand 
that theme, the regulative principle of worship, and we're gonna look 
at some Old Testament passages tonight. Basically, I have a 
twofold aim. I wanna highlight first, the 
divine appointment of worship, and then secondly, the covenantal 
context of worship. Now some of these concepts will 
probably be new, some of them will probably be repetitious 
for those who attend the Confession Studies and the Wednesday Night 
Bible Study, but nevertheless, I want to lay a foundation so 
that if we make changes to corporate worship in the coming months, 
there is biblical warrant and ground to do so. We're not going 
to make changes away from Scripture, but hopefully changes in conformity 
to Scripture. So, again, there's going to be 
a leaning on my part on the confession of faith and theology. I'm more 
comfortable just starting in a book and preaching through 
that book. Topical series are not my forte, 
so I'm in a bit of a quandary on how to approach this particular 
subject matter, but I definitely think we need to get in our minds 
the divine appointment of worship and then the covenantal context 
of worship. The covenantal context of worship 
becomes very important when you read, say, for instance, the 
Old Testament versus the New Testament. In the Old Testament, 
you have tabernacles, you have a temple, you have a priesthood, 
you have sacrifice, you have incense. You have a lot of things 
that we don't utilize in the New Covenant. Well, how do we 
account for that? Is there a way to explain the 
change in our approach to God in accordance with His Word? 
Well, yeah, it's the covenantal context. So that's why I think 
that's an important add. Not sure we're going to get there 
tonight. I want to focus primarily on the divine appointment of 
worship. So remember, the Puritan view is what's called the regulative 
principle of worship. That simply means we do what 
we are commanded in Scripture. We're not permitted to do that 
which is not mentioned. We are to do what God says. So 
only what is commanded is acceptable in worship, and anything outside 
of what is commanded is prohibited. Then you've got what's called 
the normative view. The Anglicans, the Roman Catholics, the Lutherans, 
they all operate according to this principle. What is commanded 
is acceptable, plus anything not expressly prohibited is acceptable. Only what is expressly condemned 
or forbidden is prohibited. So in other words, they say we're 
free to do that which the Bible doesn't forbid. Well, we could 
have a pony up here. We could have a puppet show up 
here. We could do all manner of things up here because the 
Bible doesn't expressly forbid such things. When you adopt the 
normative principle, basically anything goes. And ultimately 
it's that church or those elders that make the determination about 
the public worship of God. I think Benjamin Keech summarizes 
well for us what the regulative principle means or entails. Whatsoever 
we do in the worship of God, we must see we have a command 
from God to warrant our practice. And also we must not add to, 
nor diminish from, nor alter anything. If we do, God will 
not hold us guiltless. And then our confession of faith, 
chapter 22, paragraph 1, it says, But the acceptable way of worshipping 
the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his 
own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to 
the imaginations and devices of men, nor the suggestions of 
Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed 
in the Holy Scriptures. So in other words, it does encapsulate 
what we find here in Deuteronomy 12, 32. Whatever I command you, 
be careful to observe it. You shall not add to it, nor 
take away from it. That is a wonderful summary statement 
of what the regulative principle of worship is. Now, when we talk 
about worship in this series of messages, it's going to be 
dealing with public worship. This is not a negation of private 
worship when you read your Bible in the morning and when you pray 
to God. It's not a negation of family worship when you gather 
the children around and and you read scripture and you engage 
in catechism and you sing some hymns with them or some children's 
songs. But the primary emphasis as we 
move through this material is on public worship. It is the 
people of God gathering together at a specified time on the Lord's 
Day to worship God. And when we come down to it, 
this is one of the most important aspects in our religion. Why 
did God make man? What is the chief end of man? 
Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. 
We see that in the garden. Why did God make Adam and Eve? 
Not because he had a need, not because they completed him. He 
does it according to his own good pleasure. They don't add 
anything to God. They don't diminish anything 
from God. But God, according to his good pleasure, makes man, 
makes him in his image, and makes him to commune with him. And 
we see that communion take place in the garden. We see that interaction 
between God and Adam and Eve. We see worship. And so man's 
chief end is to glorify God, to enjoy Him forever. And worship 
is a period of time that is set apart exclusively for the purpose 
of communion with God by the means which He has appointed. 
Some suggest the regulative principle of worship, it's too restrictive. 
All of life is worship. Well, brethren, that's not the 
case. All of life isn't necessarily worship. When you're engaged 
in work, you should be focused on your work. Of course, the 
general sense, you do it to the glory of God, you do it for His 
honor and for His praise, but that's not the case that all 
of life is worship. That's like saying in your marriage 
all of life is a date night. No, it isn't. There's a lot of 
bad breath. There's fights, there's arguments, 
there's interactions that aren't date night sort of quality. If 
everything is worship, then nothing is worship. And so the regulative 
principle of worship applies specifically to the people of 
God meeting in the house of God on the day of God for the worship 
of God, communing with Him, glorifying Him, and enjoying Him. Now having 
introduced, let's look at the divine appointment for worship, 
and there are three things to observe. First, the books of 
Exodus and Leviticus. Secondly, the command in Deuteronomy 
12, and then we'll end with an emphasis in the book of Chronicles. 
But first, with reference to the books of Exodus and Leviticus, 
you can turn to Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20. Again, 
I'm laying groundwork, certain categories that we need to be 
mindful of, specifically with reference to the law of God. 
It is God's law that is the regulating principle behind our worship. 
In other words, we're not free to create, we're not free to 
innovate, We're not free to just deliberate on how it is we're 
going to approach the living and the true God. No, we're free 
to obey. That's what we are called to 
do. We're to obey God relative to His command on how we approach 
Him in worship. So notice specifically in the 
Ten Commandments, the first commandment emphasizes the object of worship, 
and the second commandment emphasizes the manner of worship. Note the 
preface in chapter 20 at verse 2. I am the Lord your God who 
brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. 
So a bit of a historical review in terms of what Yahweh had done 
in bringing liberty to the children of Israel and he brings them 
out now to Sinai to speak to them his law. And the first commandment 
is there, verse 3, you shall have no other gods before me. 
So that is a definition of the object of worship. You're to 
have no other gods before God. You're to have no other gods 
besides God. You're not supposed to add gods 
to the list of gods that are authorized to worship. One true 
and living God, and we worship Him specifically. And then verse 
4, the second commandment, deals with the manner by which we worship 
that true God. You'll see subsequent to this 
in Israel, they would say they were worshiping Yahweh, but they 
would do it in a manner that betrayed the second commandment. 
Like when Jeroboam builds those calves so that the people of 
God don't go to Jerusalem. He puts them in locations where 
they will not go back to Jerusalem. And he says, behold your God 
who brought you out of the land of Egypt. That was not the case. 
But it was suggesting by Jeroboam that this was Yahweh pictured 
as a calf. So if you have the right God, 
good, but you need to worship the right God in the way that 
the right God commands. And that's the emphasis in the 
second commandment. Notice in verse four, you shall 
not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything 
that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that 
is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing 
mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. 
So there is appended to the second commandment on how we're to worship 
the true and living God, a threat of curse, a promise of blessing, 
but a threat of curse. So if you worship the true God 
in a false manner, you are subject to God's judgment. So when we 
look at the Ten Commandments, we would call these or we would 
categorize this as moral law. It is moral law. It reflects 
who God is. It's always binding upon all 
men everywhere, whether Jew or Gentile, whether Old Covenant 
or New Covenant. Basically, it is a summary or 
a codification of what God gives to Adam in the garden. Oftentimes 
in Reformed theology, it's referred to as natural law, that which 
was written on the heart by God in creation. And so man knows 
intrinsically and inherently, because he is God's creature 
and God's image bearer, that it's wrong to disobey him. Man 
knows inherently and intrinsically that it's wrong to murder, that 
it's wrong to commit adultery. Now, I realize they suppress 
that truth in unrighteousness, and I realize they act against 
that, but there is a conscience that does accuse them according 
to the Apostle Paul in Romans 2, 14, and 15. So the Ten Commandments 
here in Exodus chapter 20 are referred to as the moral law 
of God. But as you continue in the book 
of Exodus, you'll notice that there's other types of law. And 
in the Reformed tradition, we speak of the threefold division 
of the law. So you've got the moral law, 
which we have here in Exodus chapter 20. Then you have what's 
called the ceremonial law. And ceremonial law specifically 
governs worship. We might also call that positive 
law, which we'll deal with a bit later. Positive law is something 
that is commanded by God for a time. It's not moral law that's 
always relevant to everybody in every situation. Positive 
law is the prohibition against eating from the tree of the knowledge 
of good and evil in the garden. Positive law is the reason why 
in the Old Covenant, the Jews worshiped on Saturday. Positive 
law is the reason why in the New Testament or New Covenant, 
Christians worship on Sunday. Positive law is what governs 
worship in the particular covenant you find yourself in. So we've 
got moral law of God written on the heart of man at creation, 
delivered by God to Moses in Israel at Sinai. And it's written 
on the hearts of believers according to the prophecy of Jeremiah 31 
in redemption. And then this ceremonial law. 
Turretin refers to it this way. The ceremonial law is the system 
of God's positive precepts concerning the external worship in sacred 
things prescribed to the ancient church either for the sake of 
order or signification. Our confession says that it does 
a few things. that this ceremonial law given 
by God to Israel prefigured Jesus. When you get to Leviticus chapters 
21 and 22, thank Jesus. Leviticus 21 specifies that the 
priest cannot be handicapped. That's not because God is anti-handicap. That is because God is glorious 
and God demands that those who come nigh to him in that public 
activity is fit for service. And so in Leviticus 21, you see 
the premium put on the priest that is qualified to engage in 
priestly service. And then in Leviticus 22, it 
deals with the animals. The animals that are to be sacrificed. 
You don't get the defective one out of your flock and drag it 
to the house of God because you're not going to make any money off 
it, and you're certainly not going to eat it, so you're going 
to go ahead and give it to God. No. What we find in Leviticus 
21 and 22, along with much of Leviticus as a whole, and much 
of the book of Exodus, is prefigurement, or typology, pointing us forward 
to the Lord Jesus Christ. So the ceremonial law is realized 
by John the Baptist when he says of Jesus, behold the Lamb of 
God who takes away the sin of the world. All those lambs, all 
those bulls, all those animals in the Old Testament prefigured 
the Lamb of God. They typified, they pointed forward, 
they were announcements that God is going to send one that 
will save his people from their sins. There are certainly moral 
duties involved in the ceremonial law, but then the ceremonial 
law was abrogated, it was temporary. It came to a conclusion. In fact, 
leave your pencil there and turn to the book of Hebrews, just 
so you can see that those old covenant laws, relative to worship, 
relative to prefiguring the Lord Jesus, containing some moral 
duties, was in fact abrogated. Better, it was in fact fulfilled 
by our Lord Jesus Christ as the sum and substance of what those 
things typified. Notice in Hebrews chapter 9, 
specifically at verse 6. Hebrews 9 at verse 6. Now, when 
these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into 
the first part of the tabernacle performing the services. But 
in the second part, the high priest went alone once a year, 
not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the people's 
sins committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this, 
that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest 
while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic 
for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are 
offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect 
in regard to the conscience. Concerned only with foods and 
drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until 
the time of Reformation. It had a built-in obsolescence, 
It was going to come to an end. Its typical function would be 
completed when the antitype came. When the Lamb of God arrives 
on the scene, to go back to the temple or tabernacle and present 
animal sacrifices is to go backward in redemptive history. Notice 
in Hebrews chapter 10, specifically at verse one, for the law having 
a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of 
the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer 
continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For 
then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, 
once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the 
blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." And then he 
goes on to highlight that the glory of Jesus, who took a body 
to himself, was a sacrifice and thus fulfilled all that was typified 
in that old covenant system. So go back with me to the book 
of Exodus. So you've got this emphasis, the moral law, chapter 
20, ceremonial law, which governs worship, priesthood, tabernacle, 
temple, incense, sacrifice, and then you have what's called the 
judicial law. And the judicial law, and again, there's not a 
quiz after this message tonight. I'm thinking that I'm gonna genuinely 
confuse everybody. Just stick with me. I'll try 
to make it as less painful as I can possibly make it. But again, 
these concepts are necessary. How do we not allow incense and 
sacrifice and priests into New Covenant worship? Have you ever 
thought that? Have you ever read through the 
Old Testament and said, why don't we have priests today? Why don't we have 
incense? Why don't we have the sorts of 
instruments that were utilized in temple worship? Why don't 
we do that? Well, there are reasons why, 
and there's arguments why, and there's answers why. We need 
to lay the groundwork in terms of who God is and what his law 
reveals. So basically, in judicial law, 
ganturitan, the forensic or judicial law concerned the civil government 
of the people of God under the Old Testament and contained a 
body of precepts concerning the form of that political rule. 
In other words, how is Israel supposed to conduct itself when 
it goes into the promised land? Well, that's that body of legislation 
given by God through Moses to deal with how they're supposed 
to conduct themselves when they go into the land. Now, behind 
judicial law is moral law. When you have, for instance, 
the command to build a fence on the top of your flat roof 
so somebody doesn't fall off and kill themselves, I think 
that's an application of the Sixth Commandment in civil society. And the general equity of that 
abides today. You should have a fence around 
your swimming pool so your two-year-old neighbor doesn't come over and 
drown, because that would violate the principle of trying to actively 
promote life and make sure you do no harm to your neighbor. 
So judicial law governed the nation of Israel during their 
tenure in the land. And it was that which regulated 
their conduct in the body politic. Now, when we ask the question, 
is this threefold division of the law biblical? Guess what 
many have answered? No, it's not. It is a Reformation 
imposition upon the text of Scripture. It isn't. It is a Reformation—actually, 
it goes way back even to the patristics who saw the threefold 
division of the law. But look at chapter 20 in the 
book of Exodus. You've got moral law. Look at 
chapter 21. You've got verse 1, now these 
are the judgments which you shall set before them. Here you've 
got laws concerning slaves, you've got laws on homicide, you've 
got distinctions between murder and manslaughter, laws regarding 
bodily injuries, laws concerning property damage, laws concerning 
society as a whole. In other words, It's judicial 
law. How do we apply the general principles 
of the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments, the moral law of chapter 20, 
into life in society? Well, chapter 21 at verse 1 all 
the way to chapter 23 at verse 9 indicates that emphasis. This is how Israel is supposed 
to conduct herself as a body politic in her tenure in the 
land. And then we have ceremonial law. So the covenant is ratified 
in chapter 24 and then the emphasis falls on ceremonial law beginning 
in chapter 25. Those laws that regulate the 
worship of Old Covenant Israel. And essentially, what you have 
is the instructions for the tabernacle, chapter 25, beginning in verse 
1, all the way to chapter 31 and verse 11. And right kind 
of in the middle of that, in chapters 28 and 29, you have 
legislation concerning the priesthood. So see, it's not, how do we live 
in society with reference to bodily injury? How do we live 
in society with reference to property disputes? It's rather, 
how do we worship this living and true God? Will this living 
and true God ordain that you have a tabernacle? This living 
and true God ordain that you had a priesthood? This living 
and true God ordain that you brought sacrifice because he's 
holy and without the shedding of blood there is no remission? 
So this living and true God knows what man is, and in order to 
facilitate communion and union with him, he provides a system, 
he provides a mechanism, and again, typical of what Jesus 
is going to do as the yea and amen of all the covenant promises 
of God. So you've got the instructions 
for the tabernacle, chapters 25 to 31, and then you've got 
the construction of the tabernacle in chapters 35 to 40. So much 
of the book of Exodus is taken up with ceremonial law. Much 
of the book of Exodus is taken up with that particular emphasis 
of God's dwelling with his people. The first part of the book is 
God's deliverance. The second part of the book is 
God's demand. And the third part of the book is God's dwelling 
with his people. And then notice the purpose. 
Look at 25.8. We asked the question, why the 
tabernacle? 25.8, let them make me a sanctuary 
that I may dwell among them. Isn't that beautiful? God Most 
High wants to dwell with us. God Most High provides a mechanism 
by which He can dwell with us. So again, with reference to worship, 
when we come to the house of God, there ought to be a gladness 
that punctuates our heart. Why? Because the Most High is 
going to dwell with us. We have to understand what's 
happening in public worship. God himself is with us. God, as it were, communes with 
us. It is a blessed privilege. It's 
not something we say, I'm just too tired. I don't want to go 
to church. I've got sports today. I've got other things to do today. 
No, the apex, the pinnacle, the high point of your week is the 
Lord's day in the Lord's house with the Lord's people, because 
God is in the midst of his saints. Notice as well in chapter 29, 
just the purpose behind this. 29, 44, so I will consecrate 
the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate 
both Aaron and his sons to minister to me as priests. I will dwell 
among the children of Israel and will be their God. And they 
shall know that I am the Lord, their God, who brought them up 
out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am 
the Lord, their God. So you've got the instructions 
with reference to the building of the tabernacle. And then you've 
got the construction of the building of the tabernacle. Turn to chapter 
35. Chapter 35, we'll see something similarly when we look at the 
book of Chronicles, but here in chapter 35, notice specifically 
when it comes to building this tabernacle. Find a couple of 
unemployed guys at Home Depot and see if they want to, you 
know, get their hands dirty for a day. Just get a couple of derelicts 
that don't have anything better to do and hand them a hammer 
and just have them start, you know, building. That's not what 
happens here. God fills artisans with the spirit 
of the living God to construct the tabernacle. Why? Because 
God is to be worshipped in an appropriate manner. Notice in 
3530, and Moses said to the children of Israel, see, the Lord has 
called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur of the 
tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the 
Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and all manner 
of workmanship to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver 
and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting and carving wood, 
and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. And he 
has put in his heart the ability to teach in him and Aholiab, 
the son of Ahissamak of the tribe of Dan. He has filled that with 
skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer 
and the tapestry maker in blue, purple and scarlet thread and 
fine linen. and of the weaver, those who 
do every work, and those who design artistic works. And Bezalel, 
and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has 
put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the manner 
of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do now notice 
according to all that the Lord has commanded. He doesn't choose 
Bezalel and Aholia because they're creative, because they're innovative, 
because they have good minds and they're good architects. 
No, he fills them with the Spirit of the Lord so that they will 
obey him and construct the tabernacle in the manner in which he specifies. 
And that emphasis on obedience. in terms of the building of the 
tabernacle comes out in several places. I will just read them 
off. Chapter 35 and verse 29, back up there, which the Lord 
by the hand of Moses had commanded to be done. 36 one, we've already 
seen, look at 39 one. 39.1. Of the blue, purple, and scarlet 
thread, they made garments of ministry for ministering in the 
holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord 
had commanded Moses. Drop down to verse 7. As the 
Lord had commanded Moses. Over at verse 21. As the Lord 
had commanded Moses. Verse 26. As the Lord had commanded 
Moses. Verse 29, as the Lord had commanded 
Moses. Verse 31, as the Lord had commanded 
Moses. You get the point. Do you think 
we go in the New Covenant and then it's a free for all? Well, 
you know, you're the New Covenant believer. You just come up however 
you want. You just figure out whatever strange fire you want 
to offer up, and you just do that. You do you. Absolutely, 
positively not. The same argument from Deuteronomy 
chapter 4 as to why we ought not to engage in idolatry is 
utilized by the Apostle in Hebrews 12 when he tells us we are to 
come to God and offer up acceptable worship. And that acceptable 
worship isn't acceptable to us. The Bible doesn't ask the people 
of God, what is it that's acceptable to you? Well, I don't like long 
sermons. I don't like a lot of theological concepts. You may 
not, and that's okay, but you're not asked in Scripture how you 
want worship to function. It's acceptable to God. And then 
it's punctuated in Hebrews 12 with this, for our God is what? 
He is a consuming fire, just like in the Old Covenant. The 
God of the New Covenant is the same. He hasn't changed. He doesn't 
say, well, it's okay, just bring whatever it is that you feel 
like bringing. No, it is the regulative principle of worship, 
whether you're in the Old Covenant or you're in the New Covenant. 
And then several other times in chapter 39, chapter 40, we 
see this emphasis. And then, with reference to the 
implementation of corporate worship, I think I've explained to you, 
no, I know I've explained to you many times. They finish the 
tabernacle, look at chapter 40, they finish the tabernacle, and 
then notice what happens, according to verse 34. Then the Lord covered 
the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled 
the tabernacle. This is what they wanted. This 
is what God had commanded. This is what God had said. Have 
them build a sanctuary for me that I may dwell in the midst 
of them. So that dwelling place concept 
has been achieved, but not meeting place. In other words, they can't 
go in when God is there. Look at it again, verse 34. Then 
the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the 
Lord filled the tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter the 
tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested above it and 
the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. What does that 
mean? That means God's holy. It means when Paul says what 
Paul says in Hebrews 9.22, without the shedding of blood, there 
is no remission. That is a principle that transcends whatever covenant 
you happen to be in. If you're a filthy, vile sinner, 
you don't just wander into the presence of God. Your filthiness 
and your vileness and your sinnership needs to be cleansed, needs to 
be washed, needs to be purified by the blood of Jesus Christ, 
so that you may then enter into the presence of God. So the book 
ends with tension. God's Shekinah glory comes down 
and fills the tabernacle. He's dwelling amongst them. But 
Moses himself can't go in. Why? Because Moses himself is 
a wretch. That's what the book of Leviticus 
comes to resolve. In Leviticus chapters 1 to 9, 
you have an emphasis on sacrifice. You have an emphasis on blood. You have an emphasis on priesthood. In other words, to make this 
dwelling place a meeting place, Israel is taught that the only 
way to God is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar. You 
don't just wander into the presence of God unwashed or uncleansed 
or unsanctified. You must be washed. You must be cleansed. You must 
be purged. And that's precisely what the 
book of Leviticus responds to in the first nine chapters. So 
you've got the laws concerning sacrifice and priesthood in Leviticus 
chapter 1, verse 1 to chapter 7 and verse 38. You've got the 
institution of the priesthood and subsequent worship in Leviticus 
8, 1 to 10, 20. And if you turn with me to chapter 
9, you'll see an example of God's approval. God's approval. In other words, the dwelling 
place has become the meeting place because the children of 
Israel obeyed the command of God, offered up the proper sacrifice 
through the legitimate priesthood, and thus realized the blessing 
of God upon them in terms of communion and worship. So notice 
in chapter nine at verse 22, it says, then Aaron lifted his 
hand toward the people, blessed them and came down from offering 
the sin offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And 
Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting and came 
out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared 
to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and 
consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all 
the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. This 
was God's approval. This was God's blessing. This 
was God's encouragement. This was God saying, yes, good 
job, as it were. I've accepted you and I'm going 
to manifest my glory to you. And then right on the heels of 
that, in chapter 10, we see an instance of God's disapproval. So after this particular exercise 
of religious obedience, And the resultant communion with God, 
we learn in 10.1, then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, 
each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, 
and offered profane fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded 
them. Whatever their particular crime 
was, some suggest it was because they were intoxicated, others 
suggest that they were trying to peer behind the Holy of Holies 
on what was not the Day of Atonement. I favor that latter interpretation, 
but whatever the particular issue is, this is fundamental, which 
he had not commanded them. You got that? You mean God actually 
does demand obedience when it comes to public worship? He's 
not okay with Pastor Susie? He's not okay with sacrifice 
and incense and a priesthood and all these sorts of accoutrements 
that we find in Old Covenant worship? He's not okay with that 
in the New Covenant? No, of course he's not! So notice 
what happened. So fire went out from the Lord. 
It just went out according to the end of chapter 9. But in 
chapter 9, it goes out to consume what? It goes out to consume 
their sacrifice. It goes out to consume that which 
was acceptable to God. Not so for Nadab and Abihu. When 
they offer up profane or strange fire, that fire goes out from 
the Lord and devours them. And they died before the Lord. 
And Moses said to Aaron, this is what the Lord spoke, saying, 
by those who come near me, I must be regarded as holy. And before 
all the people, I must be glorified. Doesn't sound like a God who 
gives you the freedom and the leeway to be innovative when 
it comes to worship. Now turn to Deuteronomy, the 
text we started off with. We're gonna come to a close soon. 
Deuteronomy chapter 12. The emphasis in the chapter is 
on a central sanctuary. In other words, where the children 
of Israel are supposed to go to worship God. God didn't want 
them just breaking out in a worship sense any old where, because 
they might bow to Baal, they might bow to Asherah. Central 
sanctuary was somewhat fundamental in preventative maintenance in 
Old Covenant Israel to prohibit them from engaging in idolatry. If you got the hankering to worship 
in Old Covenant Israel, typically you were at a Baal service, or 
an Asherah service, or at Moloch. And so God develops, or God has 
this central sanctuary where the children of Israel will meet. 
Now, up until this time, it's tabernacle, and then later it 
will be temple. But notice in chapter 12, the passage that 
we read, there's an occasion given in verse 29. When the Lord 
your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go 
to dispossess and you displace them and dwell in their land. 
Remember the conquest. All the instructions are given 
in the book of Deuteronomy and then they go out under General 
Joshua and they begin to engage in this activity. They dispossess 
the land of the Canaanites. Why? Because God's mean to the 
Canaanites? No, God's justice is opposed 
to Canaanite religion and irreligion. And this was a promise made to 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So God says, when you go into 
these nations, note the warning of verse 30, take heed to yourself 
that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed 
from before you. And that you do not inquire after 
their gods saying, how did these nations serve their gods? I also 
will do likewise. That's not a good thing. When 
you look at the pagans next to you and say, well, how are they 
worshiping their gods? I think I'll go thou and do likewise. That's kind of how we're led 
to believe that new covenant worship functions. If the world's 
doing something and it works in the church, well, let's do 
it. Well, what does God authorize? What does God command? What does 
God demand? What does God say? What do the 
documents of the New Testament, which regulate New Covenant worship, 
what do they say? Do we just ape whatever the world 
does and it works and bring it into the worship of God because 
we want it to work? There's something more important 
than things working. Truth, God's glory, God's majesty, 
God's honor. It's not about utilitarianism. 
Well, whatever works is what we utilize. No, we do what God 
commands. So look at the pagans, or rather 
look at the Israelites looking at the pagans. Then there is 
this command in verse 31. You shall not worship the Lord 
your God in that way. Remember? Object, commandment 
one, manner, commandment two. You shall not worship the Lord 
your God in that way. For every abomination to the 
Lord, which he hates, they have done to their gods. For they 
burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Now 
they do a lot of lesser things that are wicked and sinful and 
evil and vile, but God shines the light on one of the apexes 
of their wickedness and evil. That's what you did when you 
worshiped Molech. Molech was an idol with arms 
outstretched. He was standing in a bay of fire, 
surrounded by fire. You threw your baby into his 
arms, and because he had arms but couldn't catch, the babies 
would drop into the fire and be burned to death. And Israel 
would get caught up in that kind of religion, much to the absolute 
rebellion against commandments like these. And then it's in 
this context that we find verse 32, which is a corrective. See, 
the regulative principle of worship is not a straitjacket. It's not 
binding us. It's not, well, in one sense 
it is. It's keeping us from idolatry. It's keeping us from aping the 
pagans. It's keeping us from the sorts of things that go on 
in the name of Christian religion or Christian worship that are 
not Christian worship, brethren. And this isn't just an intramural, 
well, I don't like the way they're doing these things. Have you 
noticed what's happened in the churches over the last few years? 
It's a free-for-all. It's horrible. It has no sort 
of resemblance to what you find in the pages of the New Testament. 
And to suggest that we actually regulate our worship according 
to the written word of God, well, that's antiquated. That's old-fashioned. 
That's puritanical. That's not what God wants. God 
wants us to be happy. Jesus wants you to have, you 
know, lots of fun when you come to worship. No, he doesn't. Where 
did that come from? Lots of fun when it comes to 
worship? It bugs me when the pagans use 
Jesus against us. Open your borders because Jesus 
wants you to. Well, it bugs me when ecclesiastical 
authority uses Jesus to bat us down as well. Well, Jesus wants 
everybody to be fulfilled in worship. Well, what's more fulfilling 
than worshiping God the way that God commands? That's where fulfillment, 
if that's an actual thing we ought to pursue, comes. So notice 
the principle in verse 32, whatever I command you, be careful to 
observe it, you shall not add to it, nor take away from it. So, in conclusion, we'll get 
to the emphasis in Chronicles, God willing, next time, and then 
the covenantal context of worship next time, but just a couple 
of thoughts. One, man's chief end is to glorify God and to 
enjoy Him forever. And one of the ways that God 
has facilitated that in this present evil age is with the 
church. It's with the people of God, 
blood bought by Jesus, called out of darkness into marvelous 
light, given the grace to believe on Him, to be forgiven of our 
sins, to be cleansed in His blood, and to receive His righteousness. 
And then we find each other in these places called church, And 
we gather together and we use the simple means enjoined by 
God to us in the covenant documents called the New Testament on how 
we're to approach Him. The same living and true God 
that was the consuming fire in Old Covenant Israel is the same 
living and true God that is a consuming fire in New Covenant Israel. And so we are to approach Him 
obediently. We are to approach Him in a way 
and in a manner that is consistent with His holiness and that is 
in response to His revealed word. Secondly, just ponder the thought 
in terms of the privilege involved. I realize, brethren, probably 
right now, it's warm, it's late, I've droned on a long time, it 
doesn't feel like God's right here in the midst of this place. 
But he is. Christ is in the midst of the 
lampstands. When you turn to Revelation chapter 
1, the lampstands, the seven lampstands of the churches of 
Asia Minor. Christ is there. Christ is communing. Christ is blessing. Christ is 
encouraging. Christ is strengthening. Christ 
is with His people. He has promised never to leave 
us nor forsake us. That is a general overarching 
theme that we can hold on to on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It is especially manifested on 
the Lord's day when He comes to His own and He encourages 
us and He builds us up in our most holy faith and He causes 
us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Savior. So God, in His mercy, has brought 
us together, through the blood of the Lamb, to be a worshiping 
people. And when it comes to worship, 
we're to be obedient, not creative, not innovative, because God is 
indeed a consuming fire. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the clarity 
of it concerning worship and the command of God and the necessity 
to follow that. I pray that you would help us 
and help other churches, help the people of God throughout 
the world to take the documents seriously, to take the commands 
of Christ seriously, and seek by your grace to implement those 
things. I pray for your blessing upon this local church. I pray 
for all of the brothers and the sisters here. Again, tonight, 
we remember Mr. Faber. We just commend him to 
you and to the word of your grace and pray that all would go well 
in this surgery. Please bless Wilma. Please bless 
all of the children. And may you, in the midst of 
these things, comfort and encourage them. And we ask this through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief 
time of meditation.