Camping in & with the Word

I'm I'm Rob Wilson one of the two teaching Elders here. We're a small Elder Elder lead congregation, we have no full-time staff. We have a shared-use agreement with the church that were in Liberty Worship Center. Very, beneficial relationship for both of us.

And we're glad to be here when we're glad you're here.

I'm not going to say a word about the rain or the sun because Mike is here today.

Camping. Mary Sylvia. Set us up. Camping in within the word actually, that's what we're doing. And we're camping with the word or stator 59 in ancient Jewish cycle of readings that we believe Jesus. In the early church used, it. Completes once every three and a half years twice and seven. The schedules just about to run out but we're about to come out with the new schedule. Hopefully within the week and I chose different versus except for the Torah verse and the song, then we had selected previously. I think the leading of God lord we ask your blessing on us as we Attempt to hear you speak. We are at the mountain. We are listening.

Help us to hear your voice. Amen.

Going to begin with song, 50 only part of it. I'm not going to read any of the Judgment part right now cuz we're going to focus on the glory part. Kind of today mostly the mighty one God the Lord speaks and summons the Earth from the rising of the sun to its setting out of Zion. The Perfection of beauty God shines forth and I can see everyone dancing as we read that verse Our God comes. He does not keep silence before him. He is a devouring fire around. Him is a mighty Tempest. He calls to the heavens above into the Earth that he may judge his people gather to me. My faithful ones who made a covenant with me by sacrifice the heavens declare. His righteousness for God himself is Judge, he's a good guy, he's a loving God. He is a God who will judge and that's part of Mercy without judgment. God could not be a god of Mercy without mercy God cannot be a god of judgment. We've covered that in the last two sermons, fairly well. Where is the base of Mount Sinai? Where the heck is that? It's somewhere in this area. We know that for sure. Almost for sure. This is only fifty-eight thousand square miles so it's not a big deal. Yeah. Rob. I don't know how big 58,000 square miles is. Yeah, you do. The size of Illinois. Small area.

We know where Mount Sinai is.

Here's the magic verse. The big, big vocal verse this week for me.

Yassou Marissa theme. The. Yeah, they set up at 4 from rough, a demon came need the bar to the Wilderness of Sinai and they camped. Bubba, me, the bar in the wilderness There is real camped, before the mountain and you notice I have a 3 Ms and a 3MP. That's third person. Masculine singular, he and third person masculine plural. They Israel. They camped as a disparate group of people, he camped as a single witnessing body Israel. Where were they at? This is where they went. Very clear from this map. You can see the exact route of the Exodus every year, and Torah studies, someone asks will where is this? And we go. It depends on where Mount Sinai is. And they go what? We know where Mount Sinai is. No, we don't We know at least 14 places where Mount Sinai might be basically any mountain in that region, experienced some kind of cultic worship during the life of the mountain, just a fact. These are ancient people and they believe the gods inhabited, the mountains, and wherever there was a mountain. Basically they worshipped in some way or another. So there's a lot of a lot of viewpoints on where this might be and a lot of viewpoints on how they got there. I added those to Southern Roots on this map from the last time I showed it. Camp in Camp. So this is the day camp and he can't Yokai new. An econ, same route but you can tell that they sound differently, they look differently or spelled almost the same. That is a noon on the icon. It's just a final noon instead of a medial noon like and yeah canoe, but they're completely different, they can't plural. He camped. When I first encountered this reality of the scripture here was about 26 years ago and I was blown away by the idea that he like a single witnessing body is real. The people of Israel came together in unity. To hear God Speak. So that far they got, right? They were ready to hear God Speak. No. They were as ready as he could be. But then some stuff happened and it was pretty crazy.

Stuff like this.

One of the understandings of the the loud trumpet sound. Is that the sound of gas is venting through the rocks of the earth. As far as flashing. Fourth, fire lightning earthquake. I've been freaked out. Was I ready? I came there with my people. We were ready. We weren't ready for this. This is personal, this is heavy stuff. This is way more than a nice friendly. God. This is a God, who is to be. I wish there were a better word. Mary Sylvia. Feared It's not false evidence appearing, real. It's real fear. The word here is your ray array and the best understanding of the word u r. A is something that causes all your hairs to stand on end Goosebumps 2 Goosebumps God,

I'm in all. Of this God.

but, They're together in unity, finally.

Personal size theme song.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is when Brothers dwell together in unity. He named a tofu my nayeem shave, it ice cream gum your card. Psalm 133, they were in unity. Hi bum. I've had a hand out hand it out yet. So as soon as I think about this Unity, I keep going back to this Greek word. I'll a loan. I'll let you alone. It's it's one word in Greek. It's two words in English. One another, how we should treat one another and this is the key to dwelling in unity the one another and that's why I had this handed out the first time I learned this list. It was from a leadership guidebook that a friend of mine was helping co-author with

Boy.

Famous guy in DC.

Bill, the bill.

Famous guy in DC.

one of the fathers of the

Yeah, never mind. Anyway, and this big book. Rick was helping author. We had different things. We had to memorize in, and they had this one sheet on the 29 one another's. And I've kind of been frustrated by that. I can't find that list, but it's this other guy Jeffrey Krantz. I finally came across. This this year. This is the best list of one another's. I've ever seen put together. He did a search for all alone and a group them into logical order, not repeating all of them, they're about a hundred verses what to do with one another, most of them address Unity, that's the topic at hand love. That's the topic at hand humility. That's the topic at hand and all the rest and you can guess what they are. That's the topic at hand. So this is a great little list for you to have. I hope it blesses you

Upset on that. This Is Us shortly after Israel became a nation, it's a little bit dated. But whenever I see this particular group of people, or any other similar group of people, I hear the name at over my name, Etc. The only think I take issue with in this picture are the accordions.

I'm not a fan of accordions. I'd have I have heard some wonderful accordion music.

Terrible joke. Do you know what? Perfect Pitch is?

when you take an accordion player and throw him out the window and he falls on top of the other banjo picker,

Bad joke.

Oh boy, where's John? Where's huh? Where's where's John? When you need them?

Wilderness. They went to the Wilderness by Mead bar. Okay, if you go all the way down to the bottom Hebrew word there, at the bar, the bar it's a verb piece, spoke he speaks, It's also a noun word matter or thing. When the New Testament records, that Jesus said didn't, you know, I had to be about my father's things about my father's words about my father's business about what was important to my father. I believe he would have used the Hebrew word, the bar. And many friends of mine, agree, with me on that. It's got to be the bar. But the route is the verb, the the bar. Okay, that's fun. When you put them on the front of it, that that thing that looks like this, like an M. When you put an m on the front of it, that's called I just learned this this week, a preformative in them. And it changes the name, the word from a verb into a place named. So meet the bar is the speaking place, the place where stuff got spoken the place where God's word was given. Why did God take them out into the Wilderness because it's the place he wanted to speak. If he'd gone to Times Square in New York City, no one would have heard him because there's too much going on. He went to a place where you couldn't help but hear him and he spoke an earthquake lightning fire. Loud noises. They weren't quite ready for it, but but they thought they were ready.

There's a tradition that would God spoke. It's as if fire came out from heaven and divided into the nations of the world and the nation that was Israel, divided into 12 flames and the 12 Flames divided into all the family Flames sub flames and the family Flames divided into all the individual flames and everyone their heard God speaking as if a tongue of fire was reaching out and grabbing your heart and saying how are you going to deal with this? And they go.

Wasn't ready for this. And that's why they said Moses you go. I can't I can't this terrifies me. I'm freaked out here. But that's where they were. They were at the speaking place in the speaking place.

Enough on that.

Questions.

Nope. Okay, Ten Commandments repeated twice, almost identical. One of the places that's different is Shabbat, the only difference is one word remember and protect are the two different words used in the two different places and the sages say well did God say it this way? Or did God said this way, and the answer is yes. Okay, so you tell me which it is protect, or remember.

Which was it?

That you kind of have to understand that when God speaks, it might not be in clear, discernible English words. You may understand them clearly in English. And the way you understand them, nay adapt over the course of your life. So it's entirely consistent that there that there the same voice and there's no that, you know, if someone says the Bible is inaccurate because it contradicts itself. And they use, this is an example don't buy it, just not valid. anyway, those are all the commands grossly summarized

but I think it's a good list. I was going to play a YouTube kids song called The Perfect 10 anyone ever heard that? It's a fun song. I didn't bring it. So here's the picture of the mountain. Tops Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Why? Don't we know where Mount Sinai is? Because we didn't know where it was in the first place. Who tried to figure out where was in the first place? Constantine's mother, and she hired a Mystic and he decided it was in the Sinai Peninsula and that's how we know where Mount Sinai was. Maybe. With me. And then that's ancient history. I mean it's just a fact so that's why we're not absolutely certain. We're Sinai his we know where is lying. Is this sign? I were not exactly clear on Together with one mind. So we're there on the one, Accord one one mind, this one. Mine versus homo. Okay, the disciples women around the disciples Jesus mother and Jesus Brothers, all of his devoted themselves to prayer and two coming together and to worship thing and unity in one mind that one mind to do this together. Acts one, they met daily in the temple courts and broke bread together in their homes. How did this workout? I don't know. I think I think the leaders in the family, probably went to the temple courts. Probably probably Solomon's Colonnade. Probably looking East, hoping that he'd be returning any moment. And they'd be studying looking for messiah's return in Solomon's Colonnade and some of the early church fathers wrote Our teaching is only from Solomon's Colonnade. We will not learn anything from the Greeks. We will not learn anything from from the world who will only learn from the teachings that came forth from Solomon's Colonnade who taught in Solomon's Colonnade, Jesus, the disciples, the early church, the temple courts, the early church met in the temple, courts, daily doing serious Bible study and that's part of the reason why Church the Messiah is so invested in serious Bible study because the early church was invested in serious Bible study, but they also met together in the homes and I imagine these guys or women also, maybe they were probably some women in the temple courts. who wanted to be there in and then we're going to be refused because it was a tradition then that some women were actually smarter than their husbands and they had better teaching their husbands and we know this because it's heavily recorded So it's not a problem for women to study. It's not a problem for women to be part of the group, part of the leaders to stop. Putting this not a problem. They weren't just restricted to being home, making bread so that they can have bread. But they met in the homes also breaking bread daily and that's the second part search the Messiah. We like to get together and eat.

And that's as much Torah study as Torah study. And that's what we're about. Any opposed.

What's the invoices together? Praising? God, May encourage might help you to live in harmony glorifying, God, and Jesus, with one voice. You should welcome one another. That's that alaale loan word as Christ welcomed you for God's glory together. With one mind, one body. Walk in a manner worthy of your calling with humility gentleness patience, bearing with one another in love and peace. In the unity of the spirit. There's one body, one Spirit one, hope one Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God. And Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all Amen. 1.

The Bible pounds home this Unity theme.

I asked white early on years and years and years ago, if anyone did put together a coherent study on the unity and the importance of unity in the body, in the, in the Bible, and he said,

That's a good question.

You be The Keeper of the Scrolls.

I don't know what that meant. But when I came back, when they came back from Israel, one time, they bought me a little keychain. That's the key for the Scrolls. So I have a keeper of the Scrolls keychain. Grace is given to each of us. And then he quotes for when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and gave gifts to men. And we could, we could order in on that, Psalms 68 verse a long time. But I think, I think it really means that he ascended, those who would have been captive to send,

Into freedom. And he gave gifts. The men to them, the gifts of the holy spirit. But also he gave gifts to the all the other men, because the man who now had the gifts were also the gifts, You are a gift of God. To those around you. He's giving you gifts so you could be a gift, so they could have gifts and be a gift. And it goes on, it's just good stuff. Not doing any judgement today.

Much.

One another, I've handed out a handout ale loan. You knew this without me. Handing it out. It's all about Unity of the body. It's all about loving, one another. It's all about being humble, and all of that, and it's all about all the rest of it, and you can read the list. And I'm not going to drag you all the way through it. Although I almost did would have taken too long, I decided. Nope, this should stay simple and if they want to take something home to read, they've got it. And I will give them one heart and a new spirit. I will put within them. I will remove the Heart of Stone from their flesh and give them a heart of Flesh, Ezekiel 11:19.

Questions comments.

It wasn't Bill Bennett. Mike.

No, no.

Herod Herod Herod. And Yeah. Yeah. Go ask Pam.

She'll help you out on that.

Okay.

In case you didn't hear that.

Mike O'Sullivan or Mike Sullivan, Michael, Sullivan husband of Pam, brother of Steve

what is a certain that what Unity is is Jesus said if any two of you are together and agree on anything I'll come down just to see it and I paraphrase that well enough

Right? So on the on the subject of unity, you brought me right to this list. Unity Under The Heading, be at peace with one another don't Grumble among one another be of the same mind with one. Another not necessarily have the same ideas, except one another, wait for one another before beginning the Eucharist don't bite. Devour and consume one another. The author actually had seriously folks, don't need each other. And I took that out the thought was kind of dumb don't bhosle Challenger Envy one, another gently patiently tolerate one another be kind tender-hearted and forgiving to one another bear with and forgive one another C. Good for one another and don't repay evil for evil. Don't complain against one another and even confess your sins. One to another And that's a summary of what Unity is. We're not even going to talk about love or humility. Yes, Mary Sylvia.

Why they had an obstacle in Mount Sinai. They they were grumbling

Two two weeks ago. They could they grumbled they complain, they murmured. Yeah, the sermon 2 weeks ago I sent out a link on that. By the way, the seemed a lot of be a lot of interest, so I sent that a link which includes a transcription. So if you want to click on that sermon, like you can, you can read along while you can hear me, talkin. And if you think I'm going to slow, you can speed it up to 2 x.

I'm not kidding. And if you see a word that you want to pop off on you go pick and it goes right to that one. And the slides change their. Yes, Lupe. I think that all this Unity.

Yeah.

Write this, right? She's saying the unity is not possible without the Holy Spirit on our way. In this morning we were talking about unity and the Holy Spirit and the and the and the guidance of God God's holy spirit is critical to the kind of unity were talking about because there's plenty of unity out in the world today. I mean we could go out and all of us by rainbow t-shirts that would be Unity. I don't recommend it.

The mind of Christ guiding us and leading us. Not our minds. Submit yourself to the Lord and He will. Be your lamp, your instruction, your teacher.

Perhaps unit is something that kind of life. I believe there is Unity before God created the world of God. It is something that we can observe and experience but not fully understand cuz I'm like love for life or fret. It's something that we can partake in

Yep, I can't repeat all that. I could try. Josh was was pointing out. The idea that there was Unity before God created anything, the unity of the of the Father Son and Holy Spirit we believe that Basically, from our trinitarian views but we aren't all necessarily full-blown trinitarians. Even those who think they are, might not understand what the Trinity is. So I try not to get into too heavy, theology, like the trinitarian views of the church that the doctrine of the trinity. Grew gradually. It's it's espoused in the New Testament, and in the Old Testament, arguably. We quote the one verse that most powerfully speaks to it every week. One father, one Lord, one father. God that one.

One. Father God. Who created all things and for whom we exist in one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist. We quote that that's Paul's closest statement of trinitarian Doctrine in the New Testament. That's why we quoted every week. We also believe the holy spirit is active, and it says he's not just a channel for God's thoughts, but it kind of is also a channel for God's thoughts. So we're not going to figure this out. Was there a Unity before? The world was created? Yes, ancient Jewish tradition. God was trying to figure out how to create and so he consulted with wisdom

How should we create? Sure, if we create by only Justice, no one will be able to stand if we create with only Mercy, there will be nothing wrong and anyone can do whatever they want including killing each other. If it's only Mercy, Will create with both wisdom said. And and so whenever I think of that ancient tradition, I remember a verse in the New Testament, I'm paraphrasing it and I can't remember the exact for Christ has become wisdom for us, every place in the Old Testament that siding wisdom. You could put Christ into that verse and it makes sense. So Christ was the one that God consulted with before creating and John testifies to that in John 1. So I agree, there was Unity before creation. Is that the kind of unity? We not need to have here.

Can't I mean you know we can try. How can we try this is this is the nice littlest, it's really is a good list. If it's if if I could try to do some of this here it'll strengthen the unity of the body and if we all try to do some of these things here, it will definitely strengthen the unity of the body. Not just this body, but the body of Christ. Anything else?

Mary Sylvia and John marry Sylvia first.

Cuz I know I don't need a GPS. I'll need a nap. I'm going to trade this 10 in.

Yeah, and then you'll be ready. Yeah.

John she's going to see God face to face. She's not going to need a GPS. Actually, you will still have a GPS because the GPS you referred to earlier was your Bible and God is going to write his word in your heart. So you'll still have a GPS, John. I was thinking of a summary of unity. Airsoft. Putting up with each other.

Tolerate one another in love.

Greet one another with a kiss of love. But be careful about social.

Norms.

Yeah. And at the end, one more note on kissing, check out the cultural settings of these verses before planning, one on your pastors cheap next weekend.

The funny guy. The links there if you want to grab her Clara.

One moment, long ago in the 70s, okay?

Decided that he thought.

With a kiss, One Elder thought they should greet each other with a kiss.

Yeah, a lot of lot of people didn't show. Yeah.

Yeah.

And the cultures that the cultures that do do it. Don't do the wet kisses that much.

Yeah, I did a 10-day service in New York are with the cultural expansion. During my Seminary class, we went to the Metropolitan Community Church. That's the gay and lesbian church in the in Manhattan and they had a

Communion celebration where there was a lot of kissing going on and we did not participate in that particular event that week.

Lupe.

Peace be with you.

Alarm.

Yep. Peace be with you, shalom. Yes, good things to say.

Yes, Diana.

As one.

And everybody shout.

That's weird. The body is really strengthened. Yeah, yeah, we do that every week. Slightly different

It sure he is the messiah.

Issue of who hamashiach? Who I don't hack hole.

So we we we do that every week in our short extended smile, with with that, final closing.

We could add other service elements. I think we might have enough already. Anybody else know?

Yeah.

Where he felt like he had to hide from God. Right. Unity is where we give up the illusion of the, the idea that were Alone, there were separate in the first place. Yep. We could do a whole series on that one idea. I got one more thing to say and that's I'll call it 20/20 hindsight. Because it's Exodus 20:20. Witches in the seder this week. and it has something Mary Sylvia said in her teaching earlier or not,

And then it says, because the Lord has come to test you. That you fear Him.

So it's not being afraid of him, it's letting those Goosebumps. Rise. Fear not. Fear Him.

And I will give them one heart and a new spirit. I will put within them. I'll remove the Heart of Stone from their flesh and give them a heart of Flesh. Amen and amen. Thank you very much.

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