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[Music] welcome to everyone we have just a couple of announcements before we begin first there'll be no Bible study this Wednesday evening I need to go to Vernon on on Tuesday to go and meet with the people there in the church plant so no Bible study this Wednesday night and then as well Jonathan informs me that the church directory will be available next week so please see Jonathan and perhaps there'll be a stock on the table for everyone to pick up well for our call to worship this morning you can join with me and turning to Revelation chapter 21 Revelation chapter 21 I'll begin reading in verse 22 and we'll read to chapter 22 verse 5 but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple the city had no need of the Sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it the lamb is its light and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it its gates shall not be shot at all by day there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nation's into it but there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street and on either side of the river was The Tree of Life which bore twelve fruits each tree yielding its fruit every month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nation's and there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads there shall be no night there they need no lamp nor light of the Sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever amen well please turn in your Trinity Psalter your red Trinity Salter to Psalm 44 Psalm 44 will sing the first eight verses to a familiar tune and I'll ask you to stand with me please [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and holy father we come again into the presence of the the God Most High Father Son and Holy Spirit the one from everlasting to everlasting the God who created the God who governs and the God who has redeemed his elect by our Lord Jesus Christ what a privilege and what a blessing and what a delight it is for us to enter into the courts of God most I and we pray that you would be enthroned upon the praises of your people here that as we saying as we pray as we look to Holy Scripture we would do all things and with this in the spirit and in truth and that we would have our hearts a frame to write because as we consider the fact that you are a holy God a righteous God a just God a God who is full of mercy and grace and kindness this should frame our hearts our right there should be reverence and there should be joy and Thanksgiving and so we pray that your Holy Spirit would produce such things in us that we would come to you in a manner that is consistent with the word of the Living God we acknowledge your handiwork in the creation we thank you for this beautiful day and certainly the heavens declare the glory of God Almighty we know that you are in the heavens and you do whatever you please that you are a sovereign God and none can stay your hand or ask what doest thou the Lord we thank you for these Sunday's these Lord's days these Christian Sabbath's where we remember in a special way the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and all things associated with that we know that he came down for us men and for our salvation we know that he took on our humanity and we know that he obeyed the father's law in every jot and tittle that he died as a substitute and a sacrifice on Calvary and then as well he was raised that third day as Paul says to summarize this blessed truth he was delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for our justification and we never forgot this and may this always cause us to respond to you with that spirit of attitude as we look at the grace of God displayed clearly in our hearts and in our lives we ask that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgression we look at your holy law and it reveals to us a holy God it reveals to us one that is that is most pure as I is too pure to prove any evil and Lord God we see our own waywardness our own proneness to wander that law is good it's holy it's just that there is problems in our hearts so we confess our transgression of that law or lack of conformity unto it praying for cleansing in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we know that it's in him in his blood that we have redemption and we greatly rejoice over this we know as well that if we confess our sins you're faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so even now Lord God Clare cleanse us and purify us and wash us and that precious found that is open for sin and uncleanness and God our desire is that any who've come here this morning that are strangers to this forgiveness that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ that have not come to him in faith we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray that your Holy Spirit would be at work taking the Word of God and producing and promoting the conviction for sin and that blessed reality of Jesus Christ as the one in whom there is forgiveness Lord do that for your glory in our meeting here together do that in other churches in Chilliwack throughout Canada and to the uttermost parts of the world we know that man stands in need of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this world in so many ways is gone crazy we see such sin and such lawlessness and such perversion and and wickedness and we know Lord God we're not to trust in horses or chariots but in the strong arm of God Most High so send forth that word today caused it to run swiftly and be glorified and may you cause your face to shine upon the nation's and let them be glad and the light the countenance of the Lord God Almighty through the gospel of Jesus Christ we ask that you would look with favor upon this church we know there are many suffering with physical challenges and illnesses we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace we think specifically this morning of our brothers Shane we pray for him as he's gone to hospital we just commit him to you father and pray that he would get the the care that he needs for the restoration of his body and that should increase his confidence in the living and true God and that even in these afflictions he would see that Christ is altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand we pray for mrs. Boult and for Beth we also pray our God for Linda D Armani for all of these who are suffering and who are struggling we know that you are a good and gracious father and we pray that you administer unto them in that grace be with our brother Don Neufeld and just strengthen him and encourage his heart and cause him to see the glory of Jesus Christ and the the blessedness of being found in him and Lord for all of us we may not have the physical trials and calamities but we all come here worn down in our spirits at times we all struggle to some degree with sorrow and melancholy and depression living in a in a cursed world living amongst the people who have no regard for God whatsoever having our own remaining corruption our own struggles in the faith God may it be the case today that this would be a haven of wraps for each and every one of us may we as the people of God come to the Father through the son and the power of the Holy Spirit and may we be chiefly concerned with the glory of God for we know that is where our blessing lies when we seek first your kingdom and your righteousness then we can know that all these other things will be added unto us so lord refresh our hearts help us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ help us not to be wandering and our thoughts and in our our concerns but Lord God give us the grace to be consumed now with your glory and with your majesty we also pray for other churches here in Chilliwack we thank you that we're not alone in this community we thank you for those churches that are preaching the truth as it is in Jesus and we pray that in this community sinners would into these houses of God and they would find the Savior by your grace we also pray for the Saints and Sri and thank you for Pastor Mike praying that he would know the nearness of God is his good in the pulpit today and be with the Brethren in Vernon and may the Word of God be a balm to their souls and may both these churches be be beacons in these communities for the the saving of sinners by Jesus Christ and our Father we ask now that you would continue with us in worship we ask God that you would cause us to approach you with that reverence and fear that is fitting and again coupled with that joy and Thanksgiving it the reality that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus the Lord and we pray in his glorious name amen well you can turn with me in your Trinity hymnal to him number 128 hymn number 128 we'll use a familiar tune and we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well you could turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to John John chapter Tanit for our scripture reading this morning John chapter 10 John 10 will pick up reading in verse 22 now it was the feast of dedication in Jerusalem and it was winter and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch then the jews surrounded and and said to him how long do you keep us in doubt if you are the Christ tell us plainly jesus answered them I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep as I said to you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one then the Jews took up stones again to stone him jesus answered them many good works I have shown you from My Father for which of those works do you stone me the Jews answered him saying for a good work we do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you being a man make yourself God jesus answered them is it not written in your law I said you are gods if he called them gods to whom the Word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming because I said I am the son of God if I do not do the works of my father do not believe me but if I do though you do not believe me believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him therefore they sought again to seize him but he escaped out of their hand and he went away he went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first and there he stayed then many came to him and said John perform no sign but all the things that John spoke about this man were true and many believed in him there amen well there's a couple of teachings out there I say heresies where persons have said that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah and Jesus never claimed to be God well I would suggest that those who espouse such heresies have never read John chapter 10 because Jesus does affirm that he is the Christ he is the Messiah and Jesus does affirm that he is God Most High that he is the second person of the Trinity notice specifically in verse 24 the Jews surrounded him and said to him how long do you keep us in doubt if you are the Christ tell us plainly jesus answered them I told you and you do not believe this concept or idea or thought that Christ came to the Jews and never once announced that he was the Messiah or that he was the Christ or he never once affirmed that simply has no tenability it is wrong it is incorrect it is heretical Christ always knew his mission Christ always knew his identification and Christ made that evident to those in the Jewish nation and then as well we see that they wanted to blaspheme him for making himself as a man out to be God he doesn't deny the charge he doesn't say oh you're absolutely wrong I would never do such a thing no Christ receives worship Christ engages in in acts demonstrating his deity remember in Matthew chapter 9 when Jesus says to that paralyzed man son your sins are forgiven you all of the religious leaders are sitting there and they're saying or they're thinking who can forgive sins but God alone well Christ affirms the reality that the Son of man has authority he has power to forgive sins on earth Jesus Christ is the Christ of God he is the one promised in the Old Testament Scriptures he is the one Paul says in is the one in whom all the promises of God are yet and as well he is the second person of the Trinity who took on our humanity with all of the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof yet without sin and he did this for us men and for our salvation the reality that the second person of the Trinity would come into this sin cursed disgusting world where he would come to his own in his own would receive him not demonstrates for us the glory of the Incarnation demonstrates for us the glory of the Godman the mediator the Lord Christ Almighty and instead of saying that this isn't the case or trying to mock this belief we're trying to teach that said somehow Jesus didn't offer didn't say that he was the Christ or or or God we need to embrace what scripture says and worship Him he is altogether lovely in the language of the bride and he is chief among 10,000 and he is the Christ of God he is the second person of the Trinity he is God from God light from light true God from True God and in this hangs our never dying souls one of the arguments by athenais shis that great contender for the deity of jesus christ was the reality that only God Himself could save fallen humanity no creature could ever do that the Lord Jesus Christ however does well let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God we thank you for that word that incarnate word even our Lord Jesus introduced in John's Gospel as that one who became flesh and tabernacled amongst us how we praise you for such a glorious salvation and God we acknowledge our unworthiness we see there is nothing in us that would ever commend us to God and we see everything in you in terms of your grace and your sovereignty your predestination and election your free will your good pleasure in calling us out of darkness and the marvelous light thank you for showing us Christ thank you for showing us him who is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 and thank you for watching us from our sins and giving us a righteousness that avails with you god we pray that many many more would come to know this Christ through the preaching of the gospel that men from every tribe tongue people and nation would come to the Father through the son in the power of the Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to 220 hymn number 220 will stand as we sing together [Music] well you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts the Acts of the Apostles we find ourselves in Chapter seven Stephens defense before the Sanhedrin or the council the highest religious and political council of men in Israel at that particular time remember that in Chapter six Stephen had been falsely charged men said according to chapter six eleven we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God they formalized the charges in Chapter six at verse 13 they also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us so two fundamental charges laid against Stephen that he was anti Moses and that he was anti law or a rather anti temple and so he spends the bulk of his time defending himself with reference to this charge that he's anti Moses we have finished up that section it begins in chapter 17 and runs to verse I'm sorry verse 17 to verse 43 speaks of Moses specifically and now he turns his attention primarily to defending the charge that he's anti temple so I want to read beginning in chapter 7 at verse 44 our fathers had the tabernacle of the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen which our fathers having received an intern also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob but Solomon built in the house however the most high does not dwell in temples made with hands as the Prophet says heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool what house will you build for me says the Lord or what is the place of my rest as my hand not made all these things you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your father's did so do you which of the prophets did your father's not persecute and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth but he being full of the holy spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus scanning at the right hand of God and said look I see the heavens opened down the Son of man standing at the right hand of God then they cried out with a loud voice stopped their ears and ran at him with one Accord and they cast him out of the city and stoned him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with his sin and when he had said this he fell asleep the Saul was consenting to his death at that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him as for Saul he made havoc of the church entering every house and dragging off men and women committing them to prison Amen well let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word we thank you that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that it's profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness and we pray this morning that as we survey your word as we study your word you would in part blessing to us the Holy Spirit would come that he would guide us that he would lead us that he would direct us into that truth that is written before us that we would again have the forgiveness of sins and anything that would darken our our understanding and we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen so remember Stephens tactic in terms of defense he doesn't simply say no I'm not anti Moses and no I'm not anti temple but rather he lets their scriptures and their history demonstrate that he cites the history of Israel in terms of redemption and he cites their own word their own scripture to show that it's not Stephen that is anti Moses in anti temple rather it is his accusers it is the council it is the Sanhedrin Moses and the law pointed to the Lord Jesus the temple pointed to the Lord Jesus the council rejecting Jesus made themselves anti Moses in anti temple that Stephens tack for them to see that through their own history and scriptures now they understand his point they simply do not agree with them that's why they send him out of the city or rather drive him out of the city and they execute him they murder him they kill him kids if you don't understand what's happening at the end of this particular section that's precisely what happens Stephen stands up he argues from their scriptures they can't agree and so they take him outside the city they take up big stones and they throw them at him until he is a dead man so the martyrdom of Stephen we'll consider in the coming weeks but this morning I want to look specifically at the tabernacle in verses 40 and 44 and 45 now I have spent a lot of time going through this particular defense of Stephen because as I explained it's a window for us to seek to understand the Old Testament if you don't understand or you're not a reader of the Old Testament Stephens speech is a good place to start Stephen is summarizing again not for their instruction but rather to make his point but I want to look at it for our instruction because there is that mean for all of us to be skilled in and well-versed in the Old Testament Scriptures but in verses 44 to 50 essentially what you have is the reference to Tabernacle in Temple we see the tabernacle of witness in verses 44 and 45 which we're going to take up this morning secondly you see the temple of the God of Jacob in verses 46 and 47 and then finally Stephen ends his sermon with this testimony of the prophet Isaiah in verses 48 to 50 again I was reminded by one of the commentators who suggests that Stephen didn't finish speech stevan most certainly did finish his speech Stephen answers the charges he's not anti Moses and he's certainly not anti temple but rather the council are both and as a result they murder and execute him so let's look at verses 44 and 45 as it will take us to the books of Exodus Leviticus and as well to the book of Joshua so want to look at two things first this morning first the Tabernacle in the wilderness verse 44 and then secondly the tabernacle in the promised land in verse 45 but with reference to the Tabernacle in the wilderness there are three things we ought to appreciate first the command to build the tabernacle secondly I want to look at the purpose of the tabernacle and then thirdly the completion of the tabernacle we're going to spend time on this theme because it's most important tabernacle and temple mean dwelling and the reality that the god of absolute sovereignty would want to dwell with the likes of us ought to blow our minds that Genesis begins with God dwelling with his creatures and the book of Revelation ends with God dwelling with his creatures is really something that should marvel us or cause us to marvel and stand amazed that that God would want to be with the likes of you and me that is a major emphasis or theme in Scripture God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself so that there'll be this great church a mask the church triumphant that will dwell in the presence of Yahweh Father Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity so it's important for us to get this concept in our head God's dwelling with his people note in the first place the command to build the tabernacle so Stephen says in verse 44 our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he God appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen now this is an obvious contrast with the temple of Moloch or the tabernacle of moloch notice back in verse 42 then God turned and gave them up to worship the hosts of heaven as it is written in the book of the prophets did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during 40 years in the wilderness so house of Israel you also took up the tabernacle of moloch and so when Stephen says that they had the tabernacle of witness the very thing that God appointed that God commanded in order for God to meet with his people this exacerbates or highlight or demonstrates further their sin and corruption they had the very tabernacle of witness that God had ordained and yet they turned themselves to this tabernacle of moloch they have the God of unrivaled unparalleled unmatched sovereignty and glory and they are chasing after and have gone a whoring after Moloch after bail after the deities of the ancient Near East so what Stephen is saying to them is that this nation as a whole has big problems and it's culminated here in the first century in the fact that the council our Sanhedrin and men like them didn't receive Jesus the one that was sent to them the one that was the altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand so God had purpose that they would have this and it's identified as the tabernacle of witness again I'm assuming that you at least know what it's a burn Akal in a temple art that you've at least read something in the Old Testament the tabernacle was a movable thing where the people of God would meet with their God it becomes stationary at the temple it's no longer moveable it's no longer contained in a tent but rather once david consolidates power once david makes jerusalem the center of not only political but religious affairs in israel according to the written word of god that there'd be a central sanctuary david wants to build the temple that stephen mentions but it ultimately comes under solomon and so it's this stationary place where the people of israel calm with sacrifice to meet with the living and true God but prior to that stationary temple they had this tabernacle and there were specific rules and there were procedures and there was a whole host of things that went into putting this thing up so that the people could sacrifice they could offer and they could meet with God and so Stephen is highlighting this for them again leading to this testimony of the prophet Isaiah that Yahweh is not confined by these things God may have in the bath revealed himself in this manner that is visible presence is seen in the Tabernacle in Temple but the Jews thought that exhausted the presence of God they thought that box contained God and that is where they were wrong and they thought that as long as the temple was standing God was in this place that's not the the way it ought to have been understood and Steven gets this and Steven is pressing this upon that but it's identified as the tablet tabernacle of witness Matthew Poole says here it is called the tabernacle of witness because he God here testified or witnessed his glorious presence and especially because in it the Ark of the Covenant the law and the testimony were cat now you can turn back to Exodus chapter 25 Exodus chapter 25 you have the command by God given on building this tabernacle this takes up the latter part of the book of Exodus if you ever want to know what exited Exodus is about just learn 3d words God delivers Israel God demands from Israel and then God dwells with Israel deliverance is obviously the Exodus demand is obviously the law from 19 to 24 and then dwelling is 25 to 40 the first section he gives the instructions on how to build the tabernacle and the latter part shows the actual construction of the tabernacle and so God demands that the people of Israel make this tabernacle and as Steven says our fathers had this in the wilderness now notice secondly the purpose of the tabernacle the purpose of the tabernacle it spelled out in Exodus 25 at verse 8 God says and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them and I think that we as New Covenant believers we as Christians take this for granted we just sort of read through passages like these and say well yeah that's just the way it is God is dwelling among them God most high dwells among the most low God altogether glorious calms and dwell with those who are all together in glorious God who is holy holy holy whose eye is too pure to look approvingly upon any evil deals with man in such a way that he can now dwell in their midst you see this is the purpose behind tabernacle according to exodus 25:8 turn over to Exodus 29 you see this again specified in verses 45 and 46 verse 45 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 it's good for us at times to just take a step back and realize God's dwelling with us seeing the New Covenant it's the Church of Jesus Christ according the Apostle in Ephesians chapter 2 what does Paul tell us in 1st Timothy 3 in terms of the church it is the house of God God makes his abode with his people in situations very similar to this Lord's God is in this place he is dwelling among us that ought to cause our hearts to soar and a race and it ought to cause us as far as it is able with us to be in the house of God this is why David said I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord why because it's the house of the Lord what's better than that what's more glorious we have been invited nay conquered in such a way that we are brought in to the very house of God himself this is the purpose behind Tabernacle but as the Apostle tells us in the book of Hebrews both the tabernacle and the temple were typological in other words they pointed forward to something and they pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ and I think that Stevens Point invoking this history now that Jesus Christ is here we don't go back to Tabernacle we don't go back to Temple but rather we have him who is the temple we have him who is in fact the house of God and the one who leads us into that house of God which is the whole point of temple now notice thirdly that come Alysha of the temple turned onsite Tabernacle Exodus chapter 40 Exodus chapter 40 now whether Steven wanted us to do all this or not I doubt as I said I don't think Steven is instructing his hearers they knew their history Steven is making a point to defend himself of the charges and to show those men that they were the ones that were guilty of being anti Moses and anti temple but for our purposes this is a great window Steven speech to sort of get an appreciation of what's happening here in the Old Testament now notice in Exodus chapter 40 we see the completion of the tabernacle verse 33 he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar and hung up the screen of the court gate so Moses finished the work now notice we see God's dwelling we see God's dwelling notice in verse 34 then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle it's an old black spiritual that says heaven came down and glory filled my soul filled my soul we used to sing it at a Bible Tabernacle that we used to preach at and it was glorious to sing that heaven came down and glory filled my soul filled my soul that's what's happening here at the end of Exodus they finished the construction of the tabernacle Yahweh Most High now is dwelling in this tabernacle God has made his abode among man God is present in this place but notice there's a particular problem Moses verse 35 was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested above it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle now you need to let that sink in because Moses was the godliest man in Israel Moses was the God ordained ruler God what are the god ordained a deliverer he was the one that the Lord had raised up in a special and peculiar way to lead his people out of bondage and yet this godliest man Moses can't enter into the tabernacle you see Exodus ends with tension exodus ends with us sort of hanging in the air we've got this dwelling place now God has taken up residence but the holiest man even Moses can't enter into the presence that's what the Book of Leviticus is all about it solves that problem it's a provides a solution to that tension you need to get this framework and understand that the Bible isn't just haphazardly thrown together that the books of the Pentateuch have rhyme and reason there's cohesiveness and there is connectivity and so Exodus ends with his tension that the Book of Leviticus is tasked with resolving and quite frankly it resolves it this way in the first place and Leviticus one and to Leviticus one wanted to we learned that it's based on God's Word it's how do we resolve attention when it comes to God we do it through his word we do it through his instruction we do it according to his mind and his will we're not smart enough to figure this out we're too sinful to figure this out we need the written word in order to provide that solution to us and then in the second place the Book of Leviticus specifies how men enter into the very presence of God it is through sacrifice so so please just maybe not I don't know if everybody's following me I'm trying to make this very simple tension at the end of the book of Exodus God now dwells in the midst of Israel but they haven't been able to meet with God yet if the purpose of God is that I dwell in their nets if there's a reciprocity it's not just that God is there but God wants Israel to be with him where he is but when the glory of Yahweh fills that tabernacle the holiest man in Israel can't enter and because of his own sinfulness and so the prescription comes in Leviticus chapters 1 to 9 you need to enter in through sacrifice you need to enter in through a bloody knife and a burning altar you need to enter in as a result of God's having expiated your sin in other words sin man doesn't just wander into the presence of a holy God something must happen there must be forgiveness there must be atonement there must be blood this is why in Hebrews chapter nine without the shedding of blood there's no remission this is why we don't just preach morality as Christians this is why we don't just preach virtue we don't just go out and tell people be a better you the problem is they're miserable wretches that stand liable to the wrath and fury and curse of God Almighty there's no encouragement to be a better you in somehow thinking that's going to commend people to God we preach Christ crucified Paul says to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but to those who are being saved Christ the wisdom and the power of God you see brethren we are not more or less we're not about virtue and that's why any any insistence like like the one man in the history of the the church has gone on record saying you know always preach the gospel and when necessary or when you're able use words the only way you can preach the gospel is through your words men don't learn blood atonement through your virtue men don't learn substitutionary atonement through your virtue arguably you don't have a whole lot of virtue to begin with but secondly if you did it doesn't preach the necessity of the blood of Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins see Israel is being taught the pathway to a holy God is not every every head bowed in every hand raised it's through the cross it's through Calvary if you're not a believer here this morning the the message that I have for you is not go out and try harder go out and be better Joel Osteen can tell you that Tony Robbins can tell you that and they can tell it a whole lot better than I can my emphasis has always been and I hope will always be believe on the Lord Jesus Christ just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must also the Son of Man be lifted up what was the point God sent snakes to bite the grumbling whining Israelites have you ever say God that he no longer does that cuz we'd have a lot of snakes in our lives wouldn't we wouldn't we we'd whine a lot brethren we complain a lot we'd grown a lot well they did that in the wilderness so God sent fiery serpents to bite that what was the remedy Moses make a brazen serpent lift it up and when they look they'll live not when they dragged themselves over to it and kiss it not when they sucked the poison out and add that to their look but did look and live the gospel isn't about you try a little bit better you'd do a little bit more you get a little bit higher up on the social scale no you look and live don't try to suck the poison out of your own leg you're certainly not fit and capable to do such things you need Christ the one alone that Rossio that relieves the poison in our bodies but notice back in our text in terms of the approach to God one man says the book of Exodus closes with attention that is not resolved after the completion of Israel's sanctuary Moses is not allowed inside the tent specifically because the ladder is filled with the divine presence in other words although he is present among his people as promised in 25/8 and 2945 yahweh cannot be approached even by moses and the gap between God and man remains in Super Bowl after Exodus 40 Leviticus one to ten recounts the gradual abolishment of this gap the next time you as a new covenant Christian are reading through Leviticus chapters one two nine and you start to raise your eyebrow and go man this seems to be overly pedantic and a bit boring this is how they entered in to the very presence of God this was the preaching of the gospel this typifies the cross this pointed them to Messiah this showed them the way to a holy God the languages Morales in a wonderful little book called who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord Morales does a biblical theology in the Book of Leviticus and he highlights that blessed fact that Israel learn the way to Yahweh was through a bloody knife and a smoking altar that's Christ and Christ is in Leviticus now notice in Leviticus chapter 9 we won't actually read Leviticus 1 to 9 be a long time and I would imagine someone would say ok we get it they needed to sacrifice notice what happens in Leviticus 9 22 then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people and blessed them and came down from offering the sin offering the burnt offering and peace offerings and Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting see that terminology it was the tabernacle or God dwelt the end of Exodus chapter 40 we see God dwelling now we see God being met with 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 in the fat on the altar when all the people saw it they shouted and fell on their faces glorious was wandering was awesome it would be great if that kind of a spirit infested itself or infected our own hearts when we gathered into the very presence of God there's this shout for joy why because God he is here among us heaven has come down and glory has filled our souls brethren I think we could tell a lot about Christianity by how people treat corporate worship if it's a you know a necessary evil if it's something that we just have to do if it's this sort of chore that sort of punctuates the end of the week that's not good moreso the spirit of David is to be sought and coveted after oh I was I was glad when they said when that alarm clock goes off on Sunday morning it's not oh no oh how terrible I don't want to go to the house of God no you get this image of David popping out of his bed going to the TV was brushing his teeth combing is there and he's ready to go he says things like I'd rather be a doorkeeper at the house of God then dwell in the tents of wickedness he stoles what God thinks concerning corporate worship well he says Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob don't think God hates the dwelling places of Jacob he's not anti-family but he loves it when the people of God gathered together as the Zion of God and they sing his praises they pray unto Him and they rally around his word they are joyful at the reality that God is in their midst they don't sing heaven came down and glory filled my soul they sing it with gusto and delight in it and that is precisely what we find now if you continue in the narrative native and by who offer up strange fire in Leviticus chapter 10 notice what happens here because this is another problem that needs to be solved verse 1 chapter 10 the named Avenue by who 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 another principle I'd like to think that the church would get we are not supposed to be innovative in the worship of God fact there's a particular text in Exodus in terms of Tabernacle making that Moses is supposed to do exactly what God says notice that Moses is not told how he's to decorate Moses house thought doesn't say hey Moses I want you to have the couch over here and once you have your sink over here I won't eat doesn't do that it's the regular principle of worship he tells Moses that you are not to deviate you are not to be creative you are not to be innovative Moses but you're to be obedient John Gill makes the observation which teaches us it's in exodus 25 40 that everything in matters of worship ought to be according to the rule which God is given from which we should never swerve in the least you wonder what Moses would think that some of the swerving that goes on today and have angelical and even in reformed worship I mean thankfully Moses doesn't come down and fill our souls thankfully Moses doesn't come down and join with us to some degree we're not supposed to swerve we're not supposed to be creative this is one area where God doesn't want you creative he doesn't want you innovative he wants you obedient again I when the church gets this we'll see our be able to sing glory has come down in heaviness filled our soul you mean that Paul and the Apostles didn't envision the you know chatty pastors with their hands in their pockets and the latte in their hand or repelling pastor that comes down with his head guarantees you know able to do all the sorts of things that Spiderman does you mean that's that's on authorized I most certainly mean it's unauthorized notice what happens with Nate a band a by Hill they offer up profane fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them so fire went out from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord you have to see the marked contrast between chapters nine and ten in Chapter nine they offer up sacrifice that God had ordained they do it in the correct way fire comes down consumes the sacrifice glory fills the place and everybody rejoices and shouts in this instance they bring profane fire so fire comes out again from Yahweh but it devours them and they died before the Lord and Moses said to Aaron this is what the Lord spoke saying again a good lesson that everybody today needs to internalize by those who come near me I must be regarded as Holy and before all the people I must be glorified one man is well observed that much of heaven Jellicle ISM today we we'd rather sing that God is altogether nice nice nice verses holy holy holy now how is this problem resolved Leviticus 16 Leviticus 16 we know that Leviticus 16 is connected to chapter 10 by virtue of verses 1 and 2 notice in Leviticus 16 1 now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died and the Lord said to Moses tell her and your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil before the mercy seat which is on the art lest he die for I it will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat now persons typically think there are one of three reasons why God killed made a bit of Io one probably the most obvious is that they offer profane fire before the Lord the second is is that they were under the influence of intoxicating drink at the time he continued in Leviticus chapter 2 there's a reference to that and some suggest that nade a band a bi who might have tipped a little bit and then they went in there and because of their perversion God smote them God killed that but Leviticus 16 2 tells us not saying it's okay to tip a little bit and go in to the service of God certainly not suggesting at all it's okay to offer up profane fire before the Lord all those things are bad but here's what I think the particular offense was nade ab and a bi hoop went into the Holy of Holies without the sanction of God isn't that what verse 2 tells us notice what he says tell Aaron and your brother Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil remember that the the tabernacle was a two compartment dwelling there was a holy place and then a holy of Holy's the Holy of Holies was entered into one time a year and that's what Leviticus 16 is all about it's the day of atonement and the only time that the high priest would enter in to that Holy of Holies was that day of atonement with the requisite blood there's a ceremony prescribed here in Leviticus chapter 16 teaching Israel how to deal with this kind of pollution this kind of sin the high priest goes in probably three or four times sprinkles blood on the mercy seat which is in the Holy of Holies and then Israel has one more goat a living goat and the high priest takes his hand lays it on the goat probably presses it on the goat confesses the sins of Israel and then drives that goat out into the wilderness it's a beautiful picture isn't it the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin the blood of Jesus Christ removes our sin I mean what a lesson that would have been to the faithful Israelite so I'm sure some treated it as just some right or some external or some form that they didn't have a heart for but to the faithful in Israel watching that scapegoat run out into the wilderness was a glorious picture of my sin oh the Bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord praise the Lord you see Israel is taught that in order to dwell with God or meet with God you must come through bloody knife and a smoking altar that's what the Book of Leviticus is all about Morales says after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden this entrance into the tabernacle holy of holies represents the nearest human approach to God's presence consequently this festival was understood both as a day of judgment and a day of reconciliation cleansing God's house of the pollution caused by Israel's uncleanness was the main focus of the ceremony with the ultimate purpose of maintaining God's tabernacling presence in their midst so if you ever as a new covenant reader read the Book of Leviticus before you say oh this is boring remember that this is how they stayed in touch with the living and the true God they would have read this the way we read Romans they would have respond to this the way that we respond to the Gospel of Matthew they would have read this the way that we respond to the passion narrative again not the faithless but the faithful because in it they saw this is the means by which we dwell in the presence of Yahweh now Steven goes on he speaks about that tabernacle of witness going with the father's into the wilderness and that takes us to the book of not only at the end of Deuteronomy but also Joshua specifically and if you have the King James Bible in Chapter 7 verse 45 he refers to Jesus as the one who brings the children of Israel into the Promised Land well Jesus and Joshua are the same name in greek yahweh is salvation' joshua certainly functions typologically joshua certainly is that deliverer that conqueror that one that takes the people from one place to another through his power through his leadership and through his victorious reign but if you look at the book of Joshua you can turn there Joshua chapter one so if anybody ever says how could the pastor preach on only verses 40 and 44 and 45 well he used them as a window so that we could look at some of these Testament books that perhaps we're not as familiar with as we should be but if you notice specifically the book of Joshua it's very clearly laid out Saul about them entering the land taking the land dividing the land and retaining the land that's it if you want to know how to quickly and simply summarize the book of Joshua in fact chapter 21 gives you that very outline it's about them entering taking dividing and keeping that's what the book of Joshua is charged in a charge was saying and so Stephens point is is that when they went into the Promised Land they went with the tabernacle they went with this tabernacle of witness represented by the Ark of the Covenant the Ark of the Covenant was the primary element that went into this tabernacle into the Holy of Holies and in Joshua chapter 3 as they cross the Jordan into the Promised Land they do so in sight of the Ark of the Covenant what's it symbolized what does it represent it represents that God is with us we're not on a fool's errand here we're not going in based on our military superiority we're not going in against these Canaanites based on our supreme weaponry we're going in as the children of God most high and it's that God most high that is going to dis possess these enemies from the land and he's going to give us it give us this property in accordance with the promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob you see how all of this works together and all of this typifies or shows forth to our Lord Jesus the Apostles in the New Testament everywhere speak to these types they they show how it's all representative of something to come in new covenant era under Jesus the Lord under the Messiah under the king that God would send and here specifically they go into the promised land with the Ark of the Covenant in view now in terms of the Ark of the Covenant that's an interesting sort of sort of study as well before it's ultimately in Jerusalem it's typically in various places remember it's a movable thing the children of Israel are somewhat Wanderers at this particular point so they have this movable tent wherein they can house the Ark of the Covenant it pretty much rests in Shiloh for the most there's an instance in First Samuel chapter 4 we're going to look at actually tonight where the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines and the reason I want to look at that is to try and show that Israel did treat these things as idols this really wasn't Stevens you know just pontificating saying you guys got big problems this was the history of Israel it's kind of a history of us God gives us good things and we turn the good thing into God God says yeah you can have food lead to much God says you can do this we do it too much thought says you can have that we do it too much well they had something that was good that God had ordained and given to that it was by his sovereign appointment and yet they made that the end they did it in 1st Samuel chapter 4 they'll do it again throughout their history and that's what Stephen is pressing upon their conscience says but ultimately it rests in a particular house until the time of David and then David gets it in second Samuel 6 and brings it to Jerusalem now that's kind of the history of the Ark of the Covenant of the tabernacle now notice what Stephen also says and this is imperative for us to appreciate I know we've done a lot this morning we're gonna wind this down as we move to the end of Stephens section here on the tabernacle but notice what he says in verse 45 which our fathers having received it in turn also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David I don't think Stephens emphasis is that God was driving out Canaanites until the days of David that wasn't the case that all the Canaanites were gone but I think Stephens point is is that this tabernacle that they had this movable tent this Ark of the Covenant was in use by our fathers notice Stephen appeals to that this way still our fathers our shared history our shared scriptures it was in use until the days of David and that's when he introduces David as the one who had this desire to build a house for Yahweh but it would ultimately be Solomon that does it but the point I want to emphasize here is a point that we neglect to our peril notice in verse 45 which our fathers having received it in turn also brought with Josh into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers God drove them out you see brothers and sisters my emphasis to you on reading the Old Testament studying the Old Testament it's not simply so you can appreciate the history of Israel it's not simply so you can appreciate as reals cult and by that I don't mean Jehovah's Witness their religious structure by which they entered in to the presence of God but I always encourage this for the comfort of your soul for the encouragement of your heart you don't fight the various battles in your life in your own strength what's Paul say to us and dealing with our own personal sin I don't want to moralize you know our Giants or our Canaanites or all that sort of thing but I think there's a parallel that we got to observe if by the spirit you do mortify the deeds of the body you will live why would we try to fight sin resist sin deal with temptation deal with the struggles of our lives in a Bible lesson prayerless manner why would we think there'd be any victory in Jesus if we are negligent with reference to the corporate means of grace why would we think we're gonna have victory over a particular loss in our hearts if we steadily and consistently resist the things that God has given for our good you see brethren we learned that very vividly in the physical in the carnal I mean carnal in the sinful way but in the carnality of the physicality of Israel you see God's egg God's assistance God's strength you see him bear forth his mighty right arm and this is what Stephen says it wasn't them it wasn't our fathers it wasn't their competency that that rid the land of the canaanites it was our God it was our Yahweh it was the one who promised Abraham Isaac and Jacob it's the one who makes good on his promise he tells Moses in Exodus 33 one two three that I'm gonna drive these Heights out from before you he reiterates this in Deuteronomy chapter 32 at verse 49 he he tells Moses to look upon the land going to receive Moses is no fool the children of Israel are no fools they know there are Canaanites in the land they know that for them to take possession of the land and I don't want to offend I don't want to you know I'm giving you a trigger warning but they know they need to go in and kill people in order to take the land they know they're doing it in the strength of Jehovah see our task is not holy war in terms of Deuteronomy 7 our task is New Covenant believers is not you know utterly dispossessed Abbotsford of all the abbot's fourteens that that's not what we're called to do or conversely really abbotsford Ian's don't try to dispossessed Chilliwack of its Chilliwack Ian's that would be horrible we don't want you to do that but our task is not nevertheless dependent upon the strong arm of God our task is the church doesn't Jesus reiterate this fact if you look at Joshua 1 in Matthew 28 it's hard to miss the parallels Joshua on the verge of entering into the promised land how does God in Gurdjieff be of good courage and know that I am with you what's what's Jesus say in terms of our entrance into the land of promise in terms of the conquest given to the church he says go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo what I am with you always even to the end of the age so the argument here is very clearly that when you look at these Old Testament passages you see the strong arm of Yahweh gaining victory for his people sending out the perizzites driving out the headlights driving out the Hittites but that same God is our God that same Jehovah is our Jehovah that same Lord is our Savior and if we have need if we have issues we have challenges we're supposed to go to that God it's not uncor detect odds promise his book the promises to them and say Lord the way you drove out those parasites from the land would you give me the aid and the assistance and the power of the Holy Spirit to get rid of this parasite from my heart you see we have this same living and true God and this is what Stephen is highlighting here for them God drove them out turn back to the book of Joshua for just a moment Joshua 3 to 12 is actually the conquest it's where the people of Israel go to these various parts they engage on you know campaign after campaign after campaign just just one actually look at Joshua 10 Joshua chapter 10 this is a southern campaign Joshua 10 1 2 43 we see there's this amirite coalition and we see that they have to go and do things that it's pretty much outside of their ability remember that Israel in Egypt didn't you know just make weaponry ezreal and Egypt didn't just hone their military skills was it a training camp for them going into the Promised Land they were agrarian people they were a simple folk they weren't the kinds of people that were necessarily equipped for battle if they're gonna go into the Promised Land and dispossessed the nation or dispossessed the people's from the nation they're gonna need God's aid and you see that specifically in verse 10 of chapter 10 well pick up at verse 7 so Joshua assented from Gilgal he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor and the Lord said to Joshua do not fear them for I have delivered them into your hand not a man of them shall stand before you is that great you see we think oh but we don't get those sorts of promises you most certainly do before you're ever told if by the spirit you do mortify the deeds of your body of the body you will live at 8:13 of Romans you get Romans 6 you've died with Christ you've been buried with Christ you've been raised with Christ therefore no longer let sin reign in your members you can't say well I don't have the same sorts of resources that Joshua did you most certainly do have the same resources that Joshua did you have God you have the Father Son and Holy Spirit you have the one who has pledged himself to your aid and your assistance in your help notice in verse 8 do not fear them for I have delivered them into your hand not a man of them shall stand before you Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly having marched all out all night from Gilgal so the Lord notice he's the subject of the verbs in verse 10 so Yahweh routed them before Israel killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon chased them along the road and goat that goes to beth horon and struck them down as far as azekah and Makka da and then later he said well let's just keep reading verse 11 and it happened as they fled fled before Israel and we're on the Descent of beth horon that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on then as far as azekah and they died there were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword Oh pastor Butler it doesn't seem very Christian to rejoice over those hailstones it most certainly is there's a whole song rejoicing over those kinds of hailstones Psalm 136 you know that Psalm that has the Blessed refrain refrain for the mercy of Yahweh endures forever you know that some of the substance of the psalm where that refrain occurs is that God killed all the firstborn in Egypt for the mercy of Yahweh endures forever I get it the Egyptians don't see it that way but as realized to do and Israelites praise their God as a result you get that it's a question of perspective praise God for hailstones that come down upon Canaanites and wipe them out so that the people of God can receive their promise again I'm not suggesting you go out this afternoon and pray that hailstones destroy your boss or if you're in Abbott's 40 and please don't pray that for Chilliwack Ian's nature that if the nature the warfare is a bit different but the the warrior is the same even God most high notice joshua 21 joshua 21 here's the I don't want to say key because it sounds Christian book ish here's the key to how to understand the Book of Joshua I don't like that stuff but it is the key on how to understand the Book of Joshua notice in Joshua 2143 so Yahweh gave to Israel all the land of which he had sworn to give to their fathers and they took possession of it and dwelt in it the Lord gave them rest all around according to all that he had sworn to their fathers and not a man of all their enemies stood against them the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel all came to pass that's the book of Joshua brethren again there's that point there's no peace ultimately for the people of God without the destruction of God's enemies and that's a new covenant concept as well if we read further or previous in revelation 21:8 and then we read later in revelation 22 you know what's glorious about the New Jerusalem do you know what's wonderful about the New Jerusalem there's no riffraff there there's no sinners there there's no sexual perversion there there's no abortion there there's no euthanasia there the glory of the New Jerusalem is that the enemies of Yahweh have been crushed and the Friends of Yahweh now live forever in his presence if that doesn't make us long for heaven I don't know what well I mean this world is terrible it's disgusting there's a woman with four babies in her womb asking that the two boys be terminated because she wants girls and isn't into boys that such a thing would even be entertained that that would even arise in the mind shows us how disgusting and polluted the world is in which we live the fact that we have gone from at least in America in terms of the Democrat Party to you know we're not big fans of abortion we don't think it should be done off dead but but we want it to be legal to now shout your abortion show the world your abortion parade your abortion brethren if that doesn't make you long for the New Jerusalem in that place where nothing defiles will come in you know that's been said that that with reference to heaven you know it's that that reality where God is where we are with him in his presence of course there aren't the sorts of things that offend in this lower world learn that from the Book of Joshua learn that from the conquest in Israel there's no peace no happiness no safety for Israel in the land of Canaan until the Canaanites are gone now people say hey well that's so disgusting that the God of Israel would would wage genocide upon these poor innocent Canaanites they were vile wretched beastial sexually perverted people they look very much like the sorts of people that you and I rubbed shoulders with on a regular basis they look very much like the sorts of people that make up certain political parties in Canada and in America they were vile they were wretched and God used Israel who was not altogether righteous to be his his chastening hand with reference to driving out those Israelites now before you say well God's just not fair when Israel acts like Canaan guess what happens they get dispossessed from the land when Israel is canonized which the book of Judges starts to show us happening not long after there the reception of the land just see it with reference to Israel's history when they act like Canaanites when they engage in gross sexual perversion when they're offering up their babies to Moloch what's God do God sends Babylon God sends Assyria God shows us that his justice is not arbitrary his justice is not capricious his justice is consistent with his holy perfections it is who God is this idea that it's just not fair for this God you're not fair you don't have a right to start to lecture god I love that in the prophet Ezekiel the Lord through Ezekiel says the children of your people say the way of Yahweh is not fair God says but it's their way that's not fair we have violated his law we have raised the fist at him we have transgressed that law he tells us don't engage in idolatry what do we do we go a whoring after whatever God there may be he tells us not to blaspheme his name what do we do we use the name of God Jesus like it's filler in a sentence a Kenda a or arm or right or we just flat-out blaspheme that holy and precious name he tells us I'm gonna give you the gift of one day for you to come out of the world and enjoy me oh no we can't have a whole day you get a morning God if that in fact we're gonna move our services to Saturday night like the Catholics did and that way we have all day Sunday so Wingo delay God tells us tells you children to honor and obey your parents what do you do am i picking on you personally but if you're thinking along with me you'll know I don't know it's obey them I don't always do what's right in their sight I got an attitude I've got problems I've got issues now again I'm assuming you're honest here God tells us not to murder no we pride ourselves and not actually stopping people's hearts but even in the church brethren we deal with each other in such unkind ways I think it's the sixth commandment that's at the root of do not gossip I think it's the sixth word at the root of do not slander I think it's the sixth commandment that's at the root of a condemnation of whispering and backbiting we're not supposed to do that I mean seventh commandment oh yeah we live in a perverted age were perverted jesus said if you look upon a woman to lust or women if you look up on a man to lust you have broken the commandment that tells us not to be thieves or lie or covet all of us do all of that on a regular basis and yet we say to Yahweh your ways not fair it's not right that you would kill those poor innocent Canaanites I mean it's not right or fair that God would kill those poor innocent Canaanites they were beastial vile wretched people that God used Israel to bring judgment upon and if he if we conduct ourselves that way he does it to us what's the you know there's a link between say leviticus and the book of Revelation and the Book of Leviticus in chapter 18 God says it's for this cause the the beast eale wicked behavior of the Canaanites that the land vomits out the inhabitants don't think it's accidental that Jesus uses the same image when he speaks to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 because you're neither hot nor cold I will what I'll spit you out of my mouth the Old Testament it was the land that spit out the vile inhabitants in the New Covenant it is the false professor it is the fake it is the fraud not the person that goes to Christ for forgiveness not the person that that pleads with the father for forgiveness not the person that that takes seriously John's admonition my little children I write these things so that you may not send but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous that's one of those texts that we all give a hearty Amen to but two hypocrites you're a hypocrite and the professing Church of God Jesus will spit you out of his mouth see he is no respecter of persons it's not arbitrary that Caprice on his part when God tells Israel to go in and dispossessed the land of Canaanites that is not an act of genocide it is an act of justice see this is our problem we don't like the Justice of God like we read in the last hour I read a bit from Pink's attributes of God concerning the holiness of God he this is the argument of the holiness of God as a proof of the inspiration of Holy Scripture he says nobody develops or nobody conceives of a holy God why when men make idols they make idols that are like them or at least will sanction them it'll make a holy holy holy God he says they no more make that holy God then the lake of fire that they're gonna go to for having made their false God he's right so we lose these thoughts or we lose sight of this so Joshua himself gives praise to God for his victory notice in 23 9 23 9 for the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations but as for you no one has been able to stand against you to this day 24 18 and the Lord drove out from before us all the people including the amorite sued well in the land we also will serve Yahweh for he is our gone you see at Nehemiah chapter 9 so the people went in and possessed the land used subdued before them the inhabitants of the land the Canaanites and gave them into their hands with their kings and the people of the land that they might do with them as they wished we sang Psalm 44 at the outset of our worship hopefully you remember that song because it says we have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us the D G did in there in days of old you drove out the nation's with your hand but then you plant it you afflicted the people's and cast them out for they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword nor did their own arm save them but it was your right hand your arm and the light of your countenance because you favoured them again that God who gives that grace that God who gives that deliverance that God who has that victory in power is our God work out your own salvation with fear and trembling why for God is at work in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure brethren you're not fighting sin in your own strength now don't lay on the couch and think that somehow you're satisfying the requirement to fight sin well these Doritos are really helping me fight sin no no and that's supposed to be passive you're supposed to recognize the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in you that's why Paul's what language makes sense if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body how are you gonna fight sin you do it in a particularly spiritual way you're not a moralist it's not just behavior therapy modification that's not what Christianity is and that same God is our God Oh brethren in conclusion Stephens defense focuses primarily on the charge that he nanti Moses in verses 17 to 43 he tells them I'm not anti Moses you and your forefathers are anti Moses Moses wrote about Jesus and if you reject Jesus than you reject Moses that's the essence of his argument to show that he's not anti Moses the essence of his argument with reference to the temple is that he's not the tabernacle and the temple functioned for a time it was a type pointing unto the Lord Jesus Christ now that the Lord Jesus Christ has come attachment to the temple is sin attachment to the temple is idolatry attachment to the temple is to go back to the types and shadows and neglect the substance which is Jesus Steven sounds a whole lot like the book of Hebrews in this particular defense in terms of secondly the Wehling of God you know in our studies in the book of Genesis back when we looked at Genesis chapter 2 specifically we noted that Genesis chapter 2 is a sanctuary it's a temple Adams primary calling wasn't agrarian Adams primary calling was priestly Adam was tasked yes to cultivate yes to protect yes to guard the garden but also to extend its boundaries so that Yahweh could dwell with his creature and yet Adam and Eve sinned they're driven out from that dwelling place of God and that brings to us the rest of redemptive history to show us the means by which God restores what was lost with reference to Adam the first and that restoration comes through Adam the last even our Lord Jesus Christ who said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up and they marveled at him and they said it took our fathers 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days what's John the theologian tell us he tells us that Jesus was talking about the temple of his body John 1:14 a blessedly glorious incarnation text talks about the word became flesh any what he dwelt among us he tabernacled among us the Booker the the revelation that we read Revelation chapter 21 in the New Jerusalem what do we learn we learned that that that I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple see here's the point if Israel is taught in Leviticus one two nine how they're supposed to enter into the dwelling place of God in order to see it achieved as a meeting place of God it comes through a bloody knife and a smoking altar that pointed forward to the Lord Christ if you want to dwell with God today not under his wrath or his fury or his person as it is justice and his righteousness but if you want to dwell with God in a way of relationship it's through Jesus Christ it's not glorious God has made a way where people like you and I can ultimately be in the New Jerusalem I mean we should be revelation 21:8 we should be revelation 20:2 those dogs outside of the city we should be excluded from that dwelling place of Almighty God but through the blood of Jesus Christ we have been brought nigh if you want to be near God you need to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for this theme in Scripture so clear so obvious the dwelling of God with his people Lord we look forward to that day when we enter into the New Jerusalem we look forward to that day when Jesus comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead that the land is ultimately dispossessed of all of the Canaanites and righteousness dwells forever Lord God we thank you for the prospect of heaven typifies by Canaan we thank you for the prospect of dwelling in the presence of God typifies by Tabernacle and temple and ultimately realized even now through our Lord Jesus Christ for tastes even now in the Church of the Living God Lord we pray that sinners who do not know you would be brought nigh through the blood of Jesus Christ confessing their sins laying by grace their hands upon that scapegoat and seeing it driven out into the wilderness and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well let's close and sing the doxology and praise to God Father Son and spirit it's in the Trinity hymnal if you're not familiar it's on page Roman numeral 16 we'll stand as we see [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen go with us now Lord God may these things be realized and known in our own lives we ask that you would open hearts of any unbelievers show them the glory of Jesus show them that he is the way to dwelling with the presence or dwelling in the presence of Almighty God bless our day help us to bring honor and praise unto you and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed