WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:07.560 Exodus 25, I'm going to lay the backdrop to where we are and explain what God is doing in this section of scripture as 00:00:07.560 --> 00:00:09.090 it relates to our lives. 00:00:09.860 --> 00:00:14.420 When you get to this portion of scripture, if you remember the story of Exodus is about "an exit," right? 00:00:14.420 --> 00:00:17.400 Israel is slaves in Egypt. 00:00:17.540 --> 00:00:20.040 They've been slaves in Egypt for some time. 00:00:20.240 --> 00:00:23.800 Some people, I think falsely assume that their slavery lasted about 400 years. 00:00:24.060 --> 00:00:26.440 And that is not true, and I'll tell you why. 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:29.680 People assume that because scripture talks about being slaves to Egypt for 400 years. 00:00:29.720 --> 00:00:34.420 It does say that, but what scripture says that it's talking about from the time of Abraham to the time of Moses. 00:00:35.220 --> 00:00:38.100 The time gap between Abraham and Moses is 400 years. 00:00:38.480 --> 00:00:45.500 Abraham started to get some persecution from Egyptians in his life or some things that were, I guess some challenges we should say in 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:46.040 his life. 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:50.260 And it was sought under the idea of being enslaved all the way to the time of Moses. 00:00:51.160 --> 00:00:52.990 And that gap between the two of them is 400 years. 00:00:53.560 --> 00:01:00.600 But you have this timespan of people that are born Abraham from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then you have Joseph and 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:02.020 Joseph's going down into Egypt. 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:03.540 So you look at the time span of their lives. 00:01:04.060 --> 00:01:09.010 Joseph goes down into Egypt and there's some period of time before Israel is brought into slavery. 00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:16.540 Some people estimate that Israel may have been slaves in Egypt for about 70 years, but it's somewhere in between 70 and 400 we know for 00:01:16.540 --> 00:01:20.380 sure because from Abraham to Moses is that times that time period. 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:25.480 But nonetheless, slaves in Egypt, it's never good to be one day a slave or 400 years of slave. 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:26.080 Slaves in Egypt. 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:30.350 God comes down, he hears their cry, he rescues them, calls them out, they go on this Exodus. 00:01:31.360 --> 00:01:33.460 Chapter 18 you finally get to the place out of the plagues. 00:01:33.740 --> 00:01:35.680 God leads them out to the Red Sea. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:37.920 He parts the sea, they go across the sea. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:44.800 God destroys Pharaoh's army in the sea, and Israel walks free into the promises of God. 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:47.760 And all that God's going to call them too. 00:01:48.820 --> 00:01:56.160 When you get to the other side of the Red Sea, now God brings them to a place of preparing 00:01:56.160 --> 00:01:57.040 their soul. 00:01:58.740 --> 00:02:05.780 And now that is the question want to answer today is, how do we meet with God for really soul 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:06.080 care? 00:02:08.100 --> 00:02:15.400 God brings them, you can imagine that journey that they've gone through all the experiences they have, the place that they are at this need for rest 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.620 in God. 00:02:16.720 --> 00:02:20.020 And for God to strengthen them for what is before them. 00:02:21.700 --> 00:02:29.820 Before God leads us on our journey, it's good to meet with him, to find strength in him, to find 00:02:29.820 --> 00:02:37.160 rest in our soul and in the Lord to fill us up in our identity as it is connected to his identity 00:02:37.160 --> 00:02:39.240 because we're created in his purposes. 00:02:40.980 --> 00:02:43.800 We go through this journey of life. 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.290 We need the Lord. 00:02:46.720 --> 00:02:49.580 Immaturity impairs our ability. 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:51.080 It impairs our opportunity. 00:02:53.220 --> 00:02:56.750 Our sinfulness will detract from our fruitfulness. 00:02:58.420 --> 00:03:05.560 And God wants Israel in these moments, having cross the sea, having left Egypt, to strengthen their souls for the journey that he 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:06.800 calls them too. 00:03:06.820 --> 00:03:12.090 And so when you get to Exodus 19, you find them camped at the bottom of Mount Sinai. 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:14.590 And God gives to them the laws. 00:03:14.660 --> 00:03:19.540 If you read the book of Exodus, you see 19 to 24 is all about the giving of the law. 00:03:19.760 --> 00:03:26.860 And Israel in chapter 19 and in chapter 24 you have this story told twice, the beginning of the law, the end of the law, where Moses comes before 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:30.420 the people and he says, do you want this covenant relationship with God? 00:03:30.420 --> 00:03:37.820 And Israel says yes in chapter 19 and in chapter 24:7 and in between that, God gives this law representing what this covenant relationship 00:03:37.820 --> 00:03:39.760 is about. 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.290 And so Israel embraces that covenant relationship. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:50.160 And then as soon as Israel affirms this idea of wanting to be in this covenant, God in chapter 25 then tells them, 00:03:50.420 --> 00:03:52.200 this is how you connect to me. 00:03:53.720 --> 00:04:01.180 And what God does in recognition of how to connect to him is he has them build this structure of which in chapter 25 00:04:01.180 --> 00:04:07.240 is referred to as the tabernacle, but later on in scripture we see it built as the temple, a physical structure. 00:04:07.320 --> 00:04:13.220 Tabernacle is this tent and then it becomes a physical structure in this temple. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:15.500 And in Exodus chapter 25 it tells us why. 00:04:17.320 --> 00:04:18.839 What is God doing this for? 00:04:23.780 --> 00:04:31.200 Exodus 25:8, it says, "Let them construct a sanctuary for me that I may dwell among them according to all 00:04:31.200 --> 00:04:36.650 that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all it's furniture. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:43.860 Just so you shall construct it." Chapter 25, God gives the big idea why tabernacle, wide temple? 00:04:45.300 --> 00:04:48.420 And the answer is because he wants his presence with his people. 00:04:50.140 --> 00:04:57.260 God wants to meet us where we are in order to strengthen our soul with him and his presence among us helps us to experience 00:04:57.260 --> 00:04:57.720 this. 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:04.220 And not only that, he gets to the idea of the significance of how this tabernacle, this temple is to be built. 00:05:04.220 --> 00:05:11.420 He says in verse nine, "Exactly the way I show you." There is this particular area leading to the structure of God's temple that is significant 00:05:11.420 --> 00:05:14.440 to our understanding as we worship him. 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:19.770 God set up a way to meet with him. 00:05:21.580 --> 00:05:29.040 When it comes to the idea of temple, the concept of temple is peppered throughout the Old and New Testament, so 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:36.140 a healthy understanding of this becomes significant to our relationship with God because there is still relevance to us today as it relates to the idea of temple. 00:05:36.420 --> 00:05:38.550 And it's different than what the Old Testament talks about. 00:05:39.140 --> 00:05:41.020 A church, we don't build buildings anymore. 00:05:41.020 --> 00:05:46.960 It's not about the concept of buildings, but certainly the idea of temple is still expressed in the New Testament as it relates to us. 00:05:47.540 --> 00:05:48.880 And it relates to eternity. 00:05:48.940 --> 00:05:51.780 So this is important idea for us to understand. 00:05:51.940 --> 00:05:56.690 But here's the most important concept as it relates to temple, that I want us to know, and I'm going to build this idea for us. 00:05:57.080 --> 00:06:02.240 But when we say temple, I think it's important to not connect our idea with physical structure. 00:06:02.260 --> 00:06:05.120 Sometimes you'll hear pastors going to hobby horses about this or ministers. 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:06.820 "The church isn't a building. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.860 The church is the people," which is very important to know. 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:11.160 The church is not a building. 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:12.060 The church is people. 00:06:12.080 --> 00:06:14.850 They'll go so far as to say things like, "This isn't a cruise ship. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:22.160 This is a warship, preparing you for spiritual battle." So it's important to understand that when we come to meet God, it's not 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:24.900 about the facility that makes it significant. 00:06:24.900 --> 00:06:26.780 It's about what God does in us. 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:33.980 And so this idea of temple, it's important not to connect your thought to physical building, but rather God's presence. 00:06:35.100 --> 00:06:38.040 Exodus 25:8, this is exactly what God is saying. 00:06:38.780 --> 00:06:43.220 I want you to build a dwelling place for me because my presence will be there. 00:06:43.500 --> 00:06:50.520 So we talk about Israel's soul care, Israel being strengthened for what God calls them to into this journey of which 00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:52.130 he is brought them out of slavery. 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:59.560 And now walking the freedom of the Lord, God wants to strengthen them in him for everything they called him 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:00.160 to. 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:03.480 Everything that they will be led to in him. 00:07:04.940 --> 00:07:08.460 So this idea of temple being God's presence is important. 00:07:08.940 --> 00:07:13.920 In fact, when you start in the beginning of the Bible, let me just show you how this lays out very quickly for you. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:18.480 But in the beginning of the story of Genesis, this idea of temple is presented to us. 00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:23.080 God doesn't say the word temple in Genesis, but the concept of temple is certainly expressed. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:28.980 Look in verse eight he says, "The Lord God planted a garden toward the East and Eden," hold onto to that word east for a minute. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:30.280 I'm gonna tell you about Eden in just a second. 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:37.700 "And there he placed the man whom he had formed." Look at what he says, verse eight God creates, he's already created mankind, right? 00:07:38.580 --> 00:07:42.600 But notice before Eden existed, man exists. 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:48.420 And then after man exists that God takes man and he puts them in this garden that he has created. 00:07:48.940 --> 00:07:50.420 So God makes all of creation. 00:07:50.840 --> 00:07:52.160 Then God forms garden. 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:53.660 Then God puts man in garden. 00:07:54.400 --> 00:07:57.000 And this word Eden literally means delight. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.200 And so God creates man in this garden of Eden. 00:08:01.200 --> 00:08:03.040 And what does man experience in this garden? 00:08:04.320 --> 00:08:04.620 God's presence. 00:08:06.520 --> 00:08:13.120 Genesis 3:8 it says, Adam and Eve, "They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, the cool of the day. 00:08:14.140 --> 00:08:18.710 The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." So here we are in this story. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.790 If you remember Genesis 3, this is right after Adam and Eve have sinned. 00:08:21.880 --> 00:08:23.730 Now they're running from God's presence. 00:08:25.280 --> 00:08:25.280 God's presence is in this garden of Eden. 00:08:25.280 --> 00:08:30.940 We talked a little bit about this when we started this series in Genesis 3:8. 00:08:30.940 --> 00:08:35.940 But when it describes God, it says this, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, the sound of the cool of the day. 00:08:36.760 --> 00:08:43.580 And what this is giving us as the idea conceptually of the Holy Spirit's presence moving in this garden, just like in the temple. 00:08:44.520 --> 00:08:47.990 And Israel's temple that said to be where God's spirit would dwell. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:53.740 And so this idea of walking is literally defined as moving in the cool of the day. 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:57.280 This phrase, "cool of the day" be translated as wind or spirit. 00:08:58.560 --> 00:09:03.440 So God's spirit is there and because of sin in their lives, their reaction is to run and hide from God. 00:09:04.020 --> 00:09:11.960 But something interesting also about this phrase, "cool of the day," is there is a Hebrew pool of images in this statement In 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:17.430 Israel's mindset during the coal of the day, this is exactly when sacrifices took place in the temple. 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:20.560 In the morning, the cool of the day, Israel would sacrifice. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.840 In the evening as the sun would prepare to set, Israel would sacrifice. 00:09:28.780 --> 00:09:32.120 Genesis 3, right after man's sins, God shows up in the garden. 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:33.120 That's why Adam and Eve hide. 00:09:33.680 --> 00:09:34.800 God grabs Adam and Eve. 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:38.990 He brings them to him and he makes the first sacrifice in the cool of the day. 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:41.550 You think about Israel's temple. 00:09:41.760 --> 00:09:42.840 Why do they sacrifice in the evening? 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:46.520 It's a reflection of the garden of Eden. 00:09:48.020 --> 00:09:55.080 Genesis 3:24, after Adam and Eve sin and after God makes a sacrifice, it says this, "So he drove them out and at the east of the garden 00:09:55.080 --> 00:10:02.160 of Eden, he stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword, which turned every direction toward the guard, the way of the tree 00:10:02.160 --> 00:10:09.160 of life." So he's saying, while God wants us present because of sin, we're distanced and he drives out 00:10:09.160 --> 00:10:10.200 of Eden, look at this word again. 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:12.400 He says it drives them east and he places an angel there. 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:20.280 Interesting, when you study Israel's temple when God tells him to build the temple, he always tells them to point the temple in the 00:10:20.460 --> 00:10:22.180 direction of east. 00:10:22.780 --> 00:10:24.200 Why? 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:31.000 It's a reflection back to the garden of Eden, when man enjoyed the presence of God. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:36.020 And when you study Israel's temple, you'll see that when God tells him to build a temple, he only tells them to build two rooms. 00:10:36.220 --> 00:10:42.240 He says, build this outer courtyard to separate the temple from the rest of Israel. 00:10:42.560 --> 00:10:46.760 And inside the courtyard make a tent in this tabernacle or this temple is only to be two rooms. 00:10:46.880 --> 00:10:48.130 And the first room is called the Holy room. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.240 And the second room is called the Holy of Holies. 00:10:51.260 --> 00:10:54.240 And the way they divided these two rooms was through a veil or a curtain. 00:10:55.060 --> 00:10:56.700 That veil or curtain tore when Jesus was crucified. 00:10:57.580 --> 00:11:03.000 And what's interesting is God tells them when they put up this curtain, he wants them to draw, put images on this curtain. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:08.300 And the images he tells them to put on that curtain are angels, facing east. 00:11:10.060 --> 00:11:17.600 As a reflection of our relationship to the garden of Eden, Israel, they build the 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:18.550 temple. 00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:24.600 And in 1 Kings, when the first temple is erected, Moses builds the tabernacle, the tent. 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:27.350 But Solomon comes in as the first king to build the temple. 00:11:27.640 --> 00:11:30.510 And the scripture describes this temple as glorious. 00:11:30.640 --> 00:11:31.660 It writes, beautiful temple. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:36.910 But in the middle of the dedication prayer of this temple, Solomon says something very interesting here. 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.440 He says in 1 Kings 8:27, he says, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:44.800 Behold, heaven in the highest heaven cannot contain you. 00:11:44.940 --> 00:11:52.300 How much less this house house, which I have built." You can imagine in this day of celebration, all of this 00:11:52.300 --> 00:11:56.980 sacrifice and giving and how long it took to build this structure, and how elaborate. 00:11:57.380 --> 00:12:03.800 King David had prepared in his life for the things that were necessary to build this temple. 00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:06.340 And now Solomon comes in and he completes the structure. 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:13.600 All of this anticipation in Israel and the middle of Solomon's prayer and dedication, sort of this killjoy moment of like, yeah, this is great, but it's not that great 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:13.920 God. 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:20.870 Not in comparison to your glory because there's no possible way for us to contain it. 00:12:21.100 --> 00:12:26.540 And I think what Solomon is doing here is to get our eyes not to just get to get fixated on the idea of structure. 00:12:28.760 --> 00:12:31.930 Because when God talks about temple, he means more than just a building. 00:12:33.560 --> 00:12:35.520 Garden of Eden, it was about this presence. 00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:41.540 This King created all of creation to display his glory and invited you into his presence. 00:12:47.280 --> 00:12:49.900 Adam and Eve sin and they're banished from God. 00:12:49.900 --> 00:12:53.130 But here you see in this temple structure, God inviting them back in. 00:12:54.560 --> 00:13:00.140 God invites Israel back into his presence and Solomons still knows that it's still not about a building. 00:13:00.140 --> 00:13:07.200 And so you see in John 1, when Jesus comes, it says this, and the word became flesh and dwelt among 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:13.330 us, and we saw his glory." This idea for "dwell," I think John is very intentionally. 00:13:13.760 --> 00:13:15.920 It's actually the word for tabernacled. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.000 Temple. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.620 God's presence comes before people. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:33.260 In fact, if you remember some of the stories within the gospels, the book of John and even Matthew, really it's 00:13:33.260 --> 00:13:40.020 in all the gospels, but I think those two are the most prevalent, where it just peppers the idea of the significance of God's arrival and his presence far and above any building. 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:48.920 To the point when Jesus meets the woman at the well, she comes before Jesus in John chapter four and says, as a Samaritan woman, she knew the Samaritans 00:13:48.920 --> 00:13:49.620 have built a temple. 00:13:49.940 --> 00:13:54.420 She knew that Jews had a temple and she asked Jesus, which temple is the right temple to worship in? 00:13:54.640 --> 00:14:02.080 And Jesus responds to her in John 4:23, "the time is coming and now is when you worship in spirit and 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:06.080 in truth." Jesus is like, I'm not taking the bait over building. 00:14:06.780 --> 00:14:08.580 Because there's something more important coming. 00:14:08.780 --> 00:14:12.340 The time has arrived for us in our worship to do in spirit and truth. 00:14:12.380 --> 00:14:17.420 In fact, when Jesus was going to be crucified and they brought accusations against him. 00:14:17.680 --> 00:14:24.800 One of the accusations of Matthew 26:61, they said up Jesus, we heard him say that destroy this temple, and in three days 00:14:24.800 --> 00:14:25.880 I will build it again. 00:14:27.380 --> 00:14:31.480 And so they use this as a means for persecuting Jesus to lead to his crucifixion. 00:14:31.940 --> 00:14:39.020 But when Jesus spoke about that, what Jesus was referring to was his own body and the representation of God's presence in this world, that you can't destroy 00:14:39.020 --> 00:14:40.740 it, that it will resurrect from the grave. 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:49.320 And so God's presence is made known and Jesus, as he hung on the cross, as he said "tetelestai" Matthew 27:51, it 00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:56.480 tells us the veil was torn, symbolizing that God's presence no longer dwell in the building, but God's presence has moved 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:57.480 out of the building. 00:14:57.700 --> 00:15:01.760 And 1 Corinthians 6:19, gives us an illustration of where God's presence now is. 00:15:01.760 --> 00:15:08.820 It says, "And do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who 00:15:08.820 --> 00:15:09.820 is in you. 00:15:10.920 --> 00:15:16.980 And you have from God, and that you are not your own." You belong to the Lord. 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:20.440 And God's presence now dwells within his people. 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:21.420 The Bible reflects that repeatedly. 00:15:22.060 --> 00:15:23.720 1 Corinthians 3:16 also says that. 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:30.180 Peter even says this in 1 Peter 2:5 that you are living stones being built up into a spiritual household. 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:35.280 The idea of temple was never intended to be fixated on structure. 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:42.770 But the concept was about God's presence among his people and how he would make his presence known. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:50.660 And for Israel, he taught them through a period of time, through a physical building until Jesus would give his life and release 00:15:50.660 --> 00:15:56.200 his Spirit that his Spirit could dwell in His people, and we could experience God's presence wherever we go, all the days of our lives. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:59.780 To the point when you get to the book of Revelation, this is how it ends. 00:16:00.020 --> 00:16:01.780 This picture of God with his people. 00:16:01.780 --> 00:16:08.840 Revelation 21:23, and it says, I saw John saying this, I saw no temple, talking about the new heavens and the new earth and 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:15.840 the new Jerusalem, I saw no temple in it for the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.320 And the city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it. 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:21.620 For the glory of God has illuminated it. 00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:23.960 And its lamp is the Lamb. 00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:32.000 And so it's saying to us, look, it's always been about God's presence, just as the garden of Eden when God created us to belong and connect to him, that 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.920 our soul should flourish in him. 00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:40.700 So at the end, in Revelation again it's not about structure, but it's about God's presence as he has made his presence known in our lives. 00:16:42.920 --> 00:16:50.100 So when you study, you study Exodus, the first 18 chapters, you see Israel 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:50.940 called out. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:56.600 Chapter 19 to 24 you see the law given, teaching Israel how they're to live. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:01.600 Some estimate that some 2 million people would have made this journey out of the Exodus of Egypt. 00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:03.720 You think 2 million people, how in the world are you going to govern? 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:04.500 How are you going to structure? 00:17:05.060 --> 00:17:08.319 Well these people need to know and God gives them a law chapter 19 to 24. 00:17:08.660 --> 00:17:11.359 And then chapter 25 God tells them how to build the temple. 00:17:12.260 --> 00:17:14.560 All the way to chapter 31, this is what the temple should look like. 00:17:14.560 --> 00:17:16.079 God very particular in its structure. 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:18.599 And then in chapter 32 something interesting happens. 00:17:20.579 --> 00:17:28.040 Moses, after giving the instructions the law, after giving the instructions to the temple, he goes back up on Mount Sinai and to meet with God as soon as he's gone, what does Israel 00:17:28.040 --> 00:17:28.480 do? 00:17:28.760 --> 00:17:31.340 They rebelled against God and they build a golden calf. 00:17:32.380 --> 00:17:33.380 And they bow down to that. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:40.580 They break the first two commandments, "have no graven images and worship no other god." They break the first two commandments after God has 00:17:40.580 --> 00:17:43.500 just given them the covenant and they said, we want a covenant with God. 00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:44.530 We want that relationship. 00:17:44.780 --> 00:17:46.380 God says, okay, here comes a temple. 00:17:46.660 --> 00:17:47.820 Israel says, nevermind. 00:17:48.040 --> 00:17:53.320 They break the rules and Moses comes down from the mountain and God is furious and God says, I'm going to kill them. 00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:54.320 I'm going to kill them all. 00:17:54.360 --> 00:17:55.460 We're going to start over with you Moses. 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:57.540 And Moses pleads before God. 00:17:58.500 --> 00:18:04.400 I think God knew ultimately what would happen here, but Moses pleads before God. 00:18:04.800 --> 00:18:11.800 And then in chapter 34:6 as the concept of temple 00:18:11.820 --> 00:18:14.580 has been taught, God then share something with Moses. 00:18:14.660 --> 00:18:16.710 Now it's not going to be on the screen, but I want you to hear this. 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:25.980 Got hears Moses and God relents on bringing punishment against Israel and it says this then the Lord, passed by in the front of 00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:33.580 him, Moses and proclaim the Lord the Lord God, compassionate and 00:18:33.580 --> 00:18:38.900 gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth. 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:43.240 Who keeps loving kindness for thousands. 00:18:44.580 --> 00:18:47.360 Who forgives inequities, transgressions, and sin. 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:50.880 Yet he will by no means leave the guilt unpunished. 00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:54.400 What does God do? 00:18:56.280 --> 00:18:58.000 Law, temple. 00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:06.220 Israel rebels and God in his moments teaches Israel, teaches Moses about his character. 00:19:08.740 --> 00:19:13.080 We talk about giving ourselves to the Lord for him to care for our souls. 00:19:15.340 --> 00:19:20.040 I think it's important for our hearts to rest in the character of who he is. 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:23.800 Or at least answer the question, why should I ever want to do that? 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:26.290 Who is this God? 00:19:28.280 --> 00:19:35.300 And what Israel learns through this moment in Exodus 34 is this identity of God as he represents 00:19:35.300 --> 00:19:40.820 himself to them, but also the temple works as a way of teaching Israel who he is. 00:19:42.800 --> 00:19:45.620 Why should we allow God to care for our souls? 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:54.720 As you look through the idea of temple as is taught through scripture, you begin to learn a lot about the nature of God as it relates to our relationship 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:55.360 with God. 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:59.440 And I think the first thing that we learn about God, when we look at the temple is that God is holy. 00:20:01.580 --> 00:20:04.320 And holiness is an important concept to learn. 00:20:04.360 --> 00:20:06.740 We see the idea of holiness really taught here in Numbers. 00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:14.620 It says, Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected, the 00:20:14.620 --> 00:20:18.140 cloud, covered the tabernacle and the tent of the testimony. 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.620 In the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle until the morning. 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:23.860 So it was continuous. 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:26.850 The cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 00:20:28.860 --> 00:20:29.680 So what does Israel see? 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.640 They build this tabernacle and they see the presence of God right over the holiest of rooms. 00:20:33.760 --> 00:20:37.040 It's two rooms and over the Holy of Holy rooms, this presence. 00:20:37.120 --> 00:20:38.580 This cloud by day, fire by night. 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:45.620 And as far as the expression of God's holiness, you remember it when Moses was called to go to Egypt, he saw this burning bush. 00:20:45.820 --> 00:20:47.920 He comes before this burning bush and God stops him. 00:20:49.040 --> 00:20:50.190 Don't come any closer, Moses. 00:20:51.360 --> 00:20:52.340 Why? 00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:54.360 Because God's holiness will consume him. 00:20:56.300 --> 00:21:01.180 When you think about the idea of holiness, sometimes people just think holiness means perfect or sinless. 00:21:01.520 --> 00:21:04.050 But the idea of holiness is more encompassing than that. 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:09.040 Holiness is sort of this idea of saying, God is beyond our comprehension. 00:21:09.060 --> 00:21:12.360 You take all the attributes of God and nothing else relates to it. 00:21:12.360 --> 00:21:13.260 And so how do you describe it? 00:21:13.300 --> 00:21:14.440 You just say it's other. 00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:15.380 It's separate. 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:16.440 It's holy. 00:21:16.520 --> 00:21:19.980 The best comparison that we can make to in this life is the idea of the sun. 00:21:21.580 --> 00:21:26.920 You know, the beauty of the sun, the radiating power of the sun, how it brings life to this earth. 00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:31.200 But when you try to get close to the sun, when you even look at the sun, what happens? 00:21:31.280 --> 00:21:32.440 It consumes you. 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:34.110 It will ruin your eyes. 00:21:34.230 --> 00:21:36.370 It will burn them out of your socket. 00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:41.960 You can't even think about flying a ship to that direction because it'll incinerate you. 00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:44.780 It's not saying the sun is bad, it's glorious. 00:21:45.060 --> 00:21:47.600 In fact, it is so glorious it will consume you. 00:21:47.620 --> 00:21:50.080 And that's exactly what's taught about the holiness of God. 00:21:50.580 --> 00:21:53.370 In fact, when you look at the book of Leviticus, that's the giving of the law. 00:21:53.480 --> 00:22:00.560 Leviticus 1:1, it tells us that Moses in seeing the tent that was built, he couldn't even go into the tent, he had to stand outside 00:22:00.560 --> 00:22:01.900 of the tent and get God's instruction. 00:22:02.540 --> 00:22:08.620 But after the book of Leviticus, when they learn, Leviticus meaning law, they learn how to relate to God and their unholiness. 00:22:08.900 --> 00:22:11.340 When you get to the very next book in Numbers. 00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:16.760 Numbers 1:1, then it tells us that Moses is actually in the tent, in the presence of God. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:20.740 And so there's a way to approach God's holiness. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.320 God is holy, He is separate, He is powerful, He is other. 00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:31.000 So when we talk about your soul care before the Lord, we see the magnitude of his capability, even as he's rescued Israel out of Egypt. 00:22:31.360 --> 00:22:35.660 Sow when we lean into God, what we're leaning into is one who cares this type of authority. 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:43.380 And when we see his authority, not only do we recognize that it is radiating with holiness, but at the same time he is an ever present caring 00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:43.930 leader. 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:51.760 Look what it says in this passage that as this glory cloud is over Israel, it's not just there to say I'm holy. 00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:53.410 It's there to direct Israel. 00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:57.920 This is the way for the next 40 years that God guides his people through the wilderness. 00:22:58.540 --> 00:23:00.620 When the cloud moves, they move with it. 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:09.060 Some people believe, you may even notice that the way that God has described Israel to camp around this cloud, it's in Numbers 2, that based on the size 00:23:09.060 --> 00:23:13.960 of the tribes, there were assigned certain places to camp around around this cloud and around the tabernacle. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:19.540 That if you were to have an aerial shot of the way that they camped, it would reflect the cross of Christ. 00:23:21.600 --> 00:23:25.960 God directing his people as an ever present, caring leader. 00:23:27.540 --> 00:23:34.560 Now I want to tell you for some of us, the reason I'm kind of serving this idea of temple is because I don't want to get so deep in 00:23:34.560 --> 00:23:37.140 the weeds that some of you just glaze over and I lose you forever. 00:23:37.780 --> 00:23:42.280 Some of you other Bible nerds like to get down real into the particulars of scripture. 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:44.580 And want to understand every detail of the temple. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:51.700 You know what, I think that is an important thing to do it, because it told us in Exodus 25:9, that God was very specific in 00:23:51.700 --> 00:23:52.580 the way he designed it. 00:23:52.580 --> 00:23:55.490 Because everything in the temple reflected something about His glory. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:58.440 Everything was a teaching tool for us. 00:23:59.840 --> 00:24:06.840 And one of the things that if just highlighted if just to tease you a little bit over examining this to see how specific this is, 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:10.900 you saw it already with the idea of angels, the way it was painted on the veil. 00:24:11.180 --> 00:24:12.500 I shared that with you in the garden of Eden. 00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:13.960 That was very intentional. 00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:18.220 Something else is interesting is this concept of the high priest. 00:24:19.780 --> 00:24:26.740 When the high priest was given a design or his outfit, it was designed in a particular way to reflect the glory of God. 00:24:27.100 --> 00:24:31.560 And one of the things that the priest wore was this breastplate of righteousness. 00:24:31.580 --> 00:24:34.440 It was this breastplate of judgment from the Lord. 00:24:34.760 --> 00:24:41.780 And it had these special jewels on it and it tells us in Exodus 28, when God's giving the instructions for the temple, 00:24:41.780 --> 00:24:43.840 it says, "Make a breastplate of judgment. 00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:51.140 You shall mount on it four rows of stones, the first four, and he names the first four: Ruby, topaz, emerald, and the second row he names: turquoise, sapphire, 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:51.500 diamond. 00:24:51.760 --> 00:24:53.000 The third round, I'm gonna read in verse 20. 00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:56.900 The fourth row, and he puts on the fourth row. 00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:58.770 And I want you to look at the last jewel here. 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:00.960 It says it's jasper. 00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:06.000 And the very last verse, the stone shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:11.700 So high priest would go into the Holy place, the Holy of Holies. 00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:12.660 He would wear this breastplate. 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:17.110 And every precious stone represented the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:22.840 Reflecting those names as always on the heart of God as he went to the Holy of Holies. 00:25:24.520 --> 00:25:31.660 What's really interesting about this concept that Israel would carry is when you get to the book of Revelation, we've seen Revelation that 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:35.160 the temple in Revelation is now simply the presence of God. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:36.170 It's not about a building. 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:44.880 But John, at the very beginning of Revelation 4 when he goes to heaven and he describes for us what he sees, he talks 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:47.940 about the real throne of God. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.900 Not the shadow of the earthly temple, but the real throne of God. 00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:58.940 And he says in verse three, "Jesus who was sitting was like a jasper stone and 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:03.120 a ruby, some translations translated that as sardius, in appearance. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:07.650 And there was a rainbow around the throne, like an Emerald in appearance. 00:26:08.600 --> 00:26:16.940 And this is what John is saying, the first stone the high priest wore, ruby. 00:26:18.760 --> 00:26:23.160 The last stone, the high priest wore, jasper. 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:29.000 Before the throne of God from beginning to end. 00:26:31.020 --> 00:26:34.140 God's people are on his heart and on his mind. 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:41.890 It radiates from his throne like a rainbow, an array of these jewels. 00:26:43.880 --> 00:26:46.180 Right now in eternity. 00:26:46.260 --> 00:26:47.560 God sits on that throne. 00:26:49.540 --> 00:26:50.080 He's holy. 00:26:51.360 --> 00:26:52.230 He's ever present. 00:26:53.940 --> 00:26:56.940 Not only is he holy and ever present, he's also a sacrificial servant. 00:26:59.380 --> 00:27:06.520 When you study the temple, there was only five pieces of furniture in the temple, excuse me, six, if you count the 00:27:06.520 --> 00:27:07.230 Ark of the covenant. 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:13.640 Six pieces of furniture and every one of them reflected something about Jesus. 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:21.660 When people went to the temple, they didn't go to the temple because they were worthy and they have earned the right to go to the temple. 00:27:22.520 --> 00:27:24.380 In fact, the reason you went to the temple is the exact opposite. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:31.060 You weren't worthy, but God was, and he was the one that made you worthy through the sacrificial system of the temple. 00:27:32.300 --> 00:27:34.900 When Israel would go to the temple, they really only went for two reasons. 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:42.000 I'll share this with you in just a minute, but they go in this temple and you'd walk into the courtyard and there'd be the labor for the washing and 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:42.980 the place of sacrifice. 00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:45.600 And you walk into the Holy of Holies, which only the priests could do. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:50.420 There was a table shewbread, there was the candlestick and there was the altar of incense. 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:54.480 And then behind the curtain where only the high priests could go was the Ark of the covenant. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:57.660 Every one of these were a picture of Jesus. 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:01.900 And so they would go there and they would make sacrifice of animals. 00:28:03.860 --> 00:28:08.600 But ultimately it was a foreshadowing of the one who would become the sacrifice for all of us. 00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:15.880 In fact, Hebrews 8, 9 a beautiful picture describing Jesus relates to the temple and what we get through him. 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:16.420 But look what it says. 00:28:16.760 --> 00:28:22.460 Hebrews 9:26 but now, once the consummation of the ages. 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:24.820 What he's saying here is he's just described the temple. 00:28:24.820 --> 00:28:28.260 He's saying, look, we had this temple, we had this elaborate system of worship God set up. 00:28:28.520 --> 00:28:35.560 But then it was coming down to this one point, this whole thing, all of this system of worship God set up, was driving them to look forward 00:28:35.620 --> 00:28:36.680 to this one point. 00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:43.820 And so at the consummation of the ages, he has been manifest, talking about Jesus, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 00:28:44.180 --> 00:28:46.640 And then he goes on in verse 19 and gives us concluding thought. 00:28:46.660 --> 00:28:54.000 He says, therefore brethren, since we have confidence to enter the Holy place by the blood of Jesus. 00:28:56.320 --> 00:29:03.500 Not only is the temple about sacrifice, but it became the illustration that God himself would become the sacrificial servant that would bring us 00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:05.580 freedom and access into him. 00:29:07.940 --> 00:29:08.360 He's holy. 00:29:09.580 --> 00:29:11.320 He's an ever present, caring leader. 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:13.380 He's a sacrificial servant. 00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:16.100 And last I would just say this, why should we trust in him? 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:19.600 He a loving father for his people. 00:29:21.840 --> 00:29:25.480 When you see a God that would sacrifice to this degree, it's reflective of that. 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:29.020 A loving father that cares for his people. 00:29:29.040 --> 00:29:32.030 Now I'm gonna elaborate on this in just a moment, but let me just say this. 00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:40.380 The nature of God becomes important for our soul because it becomes the basis for the tilling of our lives and trust in him, right? 00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:41.220 Let me explain that. 00:29:43.280 --> 00:29:50.420 When you go to plant a garden, you know the better the soil, the better the plant takes 00:29:50.420 --> 00:29:51.220 root. 00:29:53.060 --> 00:30:00.080 When I say something like God brings Israel out of the Exodus and 00:30:00.080 --> 00:30:07.180 God's going to lead them somewhere, but their souls in these moments need strengthened in him for what 00:30:07.180 --> 00:30:08.800 God has called them to. 00:30:11.260 --> 00:30:19.980 What they need in their lives is to lean to the character of God because it tills the soil of their soul in trust in this God. 00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:23.680 It produces what they need within them to bear the fruit of which God has called them. 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:25.340 And to miss that they miss the opportunity. 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:32.600 Unfortunately for Israel, they're going to spend the next 40 years in disobedience to God. 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:35.100 But here we are today. 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:37.560 Same God. 00:30:38.580 --> 00:30:39.140 Same character. 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:43.200 With the opportunity for our lives to trust in him. 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:45.380 So how do we meet with this God? 00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:50.460 How does our soul find the care that it needs? 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:57.680 I think the temple had two prominent functions for Israel to carry out. 00:30:59.060 --> 00:31:02.560 Two prominent things that took place here that I think is illustrated in scripture. 00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:06.770 They didn't go to the temple for marriages. 00:31:07.540 --> 00:31:12.540 There was no such things as baptisms or anything like that. 00:31:12.540 --> 00:31:17.960 This temple was a structure built for two really primary purposes, and the first is this. 00:31:19.540 --> 00:31:20.340 They would go for sacrifice. 00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:26.240 They would go for sacrifice. 00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:35.620 They would take a lamb and recognition of their sin, and they would lay it down before the Lord to experience relationship with 00:31:35.620 --> 00:31:36.080 him. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:43.440 They would let that lamb become their substitute of all the sin that they had done in order that 00:31:43.560 --> 00:31:44.960 sin could be forgiven. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:46.860 They could experience relational wholeness with God. 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:50.320 But here's what the Bible tells us that animals really can't take away sin. 00:31:51.880 --> 00:31:53.700 It's an illustration of the one lamb that would. 00:31:54.760 --> 00:31:55.260 Hebrews 9. 00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:56.840 Jesus. 00:31:59.020 --> 00:32:01.980 Jesus becomes that lamb. 00:32:02.520 --> 00:32:05.620 Now, here's what's interesting when you get into the New Testament, Jesus does become the sacrifice. 00:32:05.760 --> 00:32:08.300 But the New Testament continues to carry the idea of sacrifice for us. 00:32:09.560 --> 00:32:10.480 And why does it do that? 00:32:11.820 --> 00:32:16.860 Well, it's our way of responding back to God that we do love him and we want that relationship with him. 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:21.780 It's not about letting go of things because God is this needy God, and if you don't give to him, he can't make it. 00:32:22.950 --> 00:32:28.210 It's really about letting go of certain things because what you need in your life is Jesus. 00:32:30.580 --> 00:32:31.900 Jesus is the answer. 00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:37.540 And so you see that in the life of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3, he says, I count everything as dung that I may know Christ. 00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:42.060 And so in our lives, the idea of sacrifice continues forward. 00:32:42.060 --> 00:32:43.540 It can have a physical manifestation. 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:47.660 The things of this world that we let go of, but in certainly more than just a physical manifestation. 00:32:48.360 --> 00:32:55.420 There is a heart attitude that drives it, which is to say this God, I am relinquishing myself before you that you may 00:32:55.420 --> 00:32:57.620 fill me up because what I need in my life is not me. 00:32:57.680 --> 00:32:58.190 It is you. 00:33:00.080 --> 00:33:04.720 And so there's this idea of sacrifice and we demonstrate this through the way that we display our lives. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:05.660 James talks about it, right? 00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:06.720 Faith without works is dead. 00:33:07.620 --> 00:33:08.620 It's the way you demonstrate it. 00:33:08.620 --> 00:33:09.980 But here's a reality. 00:33:11.660 --> 00:33:17.240 Sometimes we can do things in this world that look godly but really aren't driven by a heart that cares for God. 00:33:18.860 --> 00:33:19.440 Sort of a mask. 00:33:20.760 --> 00:33:22.500 Like a monotonous religious performance. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:26.240 Like you could show up to church today and you really don't want to connect to God. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:30.820 You just want to say you are in church so it makes you feel good, like you are giving God some sort of favor as if he needs you to be here. 00:33:33.260 --> 00:33:36.680 Reality is he doesn't need you need him. 00:33:38.560 --> 00:33:45.360 And so the things that we do can oftentimes be masked through this facade that really doesn't reflect a heart that's turned over to him. 00:33:45.760 --> 00:33:52.820 But I think there is another way or a second way that we can examine our lives to stop and say, okay, how do I know if God is that 00:33:52.820 --> 00:33:54.630 source for my soul? 00:33:54.920 --> 00:33:56.960 How do I know that I'm really leaning into him? 00:33:57.040 --> 00:33:59.620 How do I know that I'm not Israel wandering through the wilderness? 00:33:59.660 --> 00:34:04.050 They're going through these temple sacrifices just like God told them to, but the reason is because they don't want to get punished. 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:06.400 Or the reason is just because they want something from God. 00:34:06.420 --> 00:34:07.760 They really just don't want God. 00:34:07.760 --> 00:34:09.000 They just want something from God. 00:34:09.179 --> 00:34:10.960 Or they don't want something that's given to them by God. 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:17.380 How do I really know that I'm connecting to him? 00:34:17.520 --> 00:34:22.780 I think it's the other reason or the other expression that took place in the temple that we can discover this. 00:34:23.639 --> 00:34:27.560 And I think that reason or that means is prayer. 00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:34.139 How do I know if my soul genuinely seeks for God? 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:37.580 Jesus said in Matthew 21:13. 00:34:38.600 --> 00:34:40.320 Towards the end of his life, he goes into the temple. 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:46.420 He is infuriated because they've turned the Court of the Gentiles into a place of trading money and selling goods. 00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:47.380 They turn it into a marketplace. 00:34:48.020 --> 00:34:52.580 And that's when Jesus comes in all bat crazy with a whip, and he runs people out of the temple, right? 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:59.980 He moves them out of the temple and he just gives this statement, you've turned my house into a den of robbers, but 00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:03.120 my house is to be a house of prayer. 00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:08.640 So when Israel would come with the sacrifice of these animals, it was followed by prayer. 00:35:09.460 --> 00:35:12.620 They would, in prayer to God, offer it before the Lord. 00:35:13.080 --> 00:35:20.140 And in this concept of temple, now you being a temple and connecting to God this way is exactly what's driven into the New 00:35:20.140 --> 00:35:20.240 Testament. 00:35:20.740 --> 00:35:23.080 In fact, in Romans 8 I just want you to see this. 00:35:23.120 --> 00:35:25.160 The way of examining our soul. 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:30.380 If God is the place to care for my soul and if my soul is really connected to him, how do I measure this? 00:35:30.520 --> 00:35:37.680 Well, I would say it starts with the leaning of your heart into God, but the way that we really see that demonstrate in the heart of hearts is as you seek God 00:35:37.680 --> 00:35:38.260 in prayer. 00:35:40.440 --> 00:35:42.170 And this is more of an intimate way of measuring. 00:35:44.620 --> 00:35:51.700 How often do you pray, Romans 8, knowing what God's brought to us in Romans 8:1 it starts, there's 00:35:51.700 --> 00:35:53.190 no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 00:35:53.660 --> 00:35:58.840 In 8:4-5, he talks about the Spirit of God now dwelling in you because you are the temple of God. 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:00.040 And then he says this in verse 14. 00:36:02.040 --> 00:36:09.000 For all who are being led by the spirit of God, those that are God's people, God's temple, these are the sons of God saying you belong to him. 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:13.400 Verse 15, for you have not received a spirit of slavery leading into fear. 00:36:13.420 --> 00:36:18.420 Do you see this play and the Israel and the Exodus, they were slaves and he's saying, look, that's not you anymore. 00:36:18.600 --> 00:36:20.350 God's leading you into something new. 00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:23.880 God's going to prepare your life for where he's calling you in him. 00:36:24.160 --> 00:36:31.340 You've not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you've received a spirit of adoptions as son by which we cry out Abba father. 00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:37.030 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God, so here they are as slaves. 00:36:37.320 --> 00:36:38.480 God rescues them. 00:36:38.520 --> 00:36:45.460 God adopts them so that they can call him Abba, father, it testifies with our spirit that we are his children. 00:36:45.460 --> 00:36:52.540 Verse 17 and if children, heirs, also heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be 00:36:52.640 --> 00:36:54.700 glorified with him in the same way. 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:59.560 Verse 26, skipping a little further ahead, in the same way the spirit also helps our weakness. 00:36:59.580 --> 00:37:06.280 Look at this for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 00:37:08.140 --> 00:37:15.400 He connects the idea of you being temple to the thought of connecting with the Lord in prayer, and I love 00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:18.340 the illustration he gives to us in relationship to God. 00:37:18.540 --> 00:37:21.540 He uses this phrase that was scandalous at the time. 00:37:21.640 --> 00:37:23.340 He says, Abba father. 00:37:24.300 --> 00:37:27.650 Look religiously, most religions in the world do not view God this way. 00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:29.520 He is separate. 00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:31.270 He is distant, he is other. 00:37:33.020 --> 00:37:39.640 But in Christianity you see that God comes near in pursuit of your soul to adopt you and call you his own. 00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:44.040 In religion, people perform all day long, have no idea where they stand with God. 00:37:45.240 --> 00:37:45.900 I hope it's good enough. 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.320 But in Christianity, there is no condemnation in Christ. 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:52.380 God has come near so that you could be near to him. 00:37:52.380 --> 00:37:58.060 He has adopted you by his strength, his power, his sacrifice to call you his own so that you could be at a place to call him Abba father. 00:38:01.140 --> 00:38:06.900 I listened to Tim Keller described this word once, he said this about the father. 00:38:09.200 --> 00:38:18.160 He said Abba father literally best translates, not just simply as daddy, as some people often say, but he says it's better translated as "dada." It's 00:38:18.160 --> 00:38:21.940 the most primal word that you could use to describe God. 00:38:22.140 --> 00:38:27.860 It's sort of like maybe you have grandparents today and you refer to them all by all kinds of weird names that other people just won't call them. 00:38:27.860 --> 00:38:31.700 You know, like me, Mema, Papa, or Nana, Nina, whatever you might say. 00:38:31.740 --> 00:38:35.240 This intimate name, related to your relationship to them. 00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:38.480 But you think about what this means about God. 00:38:39.620 --> 00:38:40.920 I have a 18 month old. 00:38:41.180 --> 00:38:48.540 I have a few older kids, but I know as I'm in that last stage with my last kid, please let this be my last kid, where 00:38:48.540 --> 00:38:55.660 when I walk in the door, there's this period of time where to him, not to the rest of my family, but 00:38:55.660 --> 00:38:58.290 to him, I am the most important person to come in that room. 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:00.250 And you know how I know that? 00:39:01.220 --> 00:39:03.020 As soon as I opened the door, what do I hear? 00:39:03.900 --> 00:39:06.540 No one else screamed my name, but the little one. 00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:07.500 And what does he say? 00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:09.100 Dada. 00:39:09.680 --> 00:39:10.300 And what does that mean? 00:39:11.660 --> 00:39:12.020 Your presence. 00:39:14.100 --> 00:39:16.740 I just want your presence. 00:39:18.220 --> 00:39:25.860 I know as a dad, I'm savoring these moments because pretty soon I'm gonna walk through the door and there's going to be "meh, Dad's home." But 00:39:25.860 --> 00:39:30.070 doesn't that make you, if parents, you're the most important person, that room for that moment. 00:39:30.580 --> 00:39:35.440 You don't care whatever this kid wants at this point because he's just looking for your presence with such delight. 00:39:35.780 --> 00:39:36.660 You're there. 00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:38.040 Dada. 00:39:40.580 --> 00:39:47.600 When it comes to relationship with God and you think about prayer, how 00:39:47.600 --> 00:39:51.040 many of us come before the Lord simply because we want something. 00:39:52.620 --> 00:39:54.360 Not him, we just want something from him. 00:39:56.880 --> 00:40:04.100 This idea of dada, this primal thought of what it represents is way more than just God, I'm only talking to you because I want something 00:40:04.100 --> 00:40:04.860 from you. 00:40:05.640 --> 00:40:08.800 What it's saying is, God, I'm here because I just want you. 00:40:11.540 --> 00:40:14.170 You're the solution to what my soul needs. 00:40:15.560 --> 00:40:23.380 And whatever the path has before me, whatever my needs might be in prayer, God, right now I'm not even going to consider that, because right now my soul, what I want, what 00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:24.020 I need is you. 00:40:24.020 --> 00:40:28.020 And if I get you all of this is going to be cared for. 00:40:30.680 --> 00:40:33.080 When's the last time you just sought after God? 00:40:33.200 --> 00:40:36.400 Because what you wanted in your soul was just God. 00:40:38.160 --> 00:40:38.740 When is he enough? 00:40:40.980 --> 00:40:41.480 Dada. 00:40:42.840 --> 00:40:43.240 Father. 00:40:44.700 --> 00:40:50.650 I've been praying about all these things that I need in life, but man, I need my soul to recognize that you are that source. 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:53.070 You are that everything. 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:55.980 You are the place that my life is filled up. 00:40:55.980 --> 00:40:58.040 It's not about the substance of things in this world. 00:40:58.040 --> 00:40:59.180 It is you itself. 00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:04.440 When we think about what this temple represents. 00:41:07.300 --> 00:41:07.980 God and his presence. 00:41:10.240 --> 00:41:13.780 If our greatest need, I love this quote, was information God would've sent an educator. 00:41:15.160 --> 00:41:17.960 If our greatest need was technology, God would've sent a scientist. 00:41:18.220 --> 00:41:20.410 If our greatest need was money, God would have sent an economist. 00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:23.520 If our greatest need was pleasure, God would've sent an entertainer. 00:41:24.680 --> 00:41:25.600 But you know what God sent? 00:41:27.740 --> 00:41:33.230 Himself, because your greatest need is him. 00:41:34.060 --> 00:41:43.140 In order to go where God leads, in order to fill your soul, it's not about the substance of the things of this earth, but 00:41:43.140 --> 00:41:43.840 it's about his presence. 00:41:45.520 --> 00:41:52.800 And the joy of temple for us represents that goodness so that we can delight in him and find our soul filled.