211225 - Lets Meet - SL12
hearts of Mayock we're continuing along and Torah and Leviticus and I can't read Leviticus without remembering the lamb Christmas day is not the birth of Christ in all likelihood. There's almost no possibility that it would be. However, we have one thing that the early church did realize about this time of year. And it isn't that they wanted to worship the Sun instead of the sun. Although you can make that argument the big deal about this time of year is the winter solstice. What do you know about the winter solstice? It's the darkest longest night of the year. It's past. December 7th, January January, December 21st, and so every day from now on it gets lighter every day. praise God not make it colder. But eventually the lighter everyday will will catch up. So some church fathers around 200 decided. It's not a bad idea to celebrate the idea of the bringing light into the world on the darkest day of the year. And that's one reason that December 25th was selected as a a possible day to celebrate the Incarnation of Christ.
I didn't get a clicker.
I'm human.
Thank you my fault.
One thing that everyone knows but I need to say cuz we've got some people who've never been here before and this church were going through a three-and-a-half-year tour cycle instead of an annual cycle. It's it's the cycle that we think was used in the early Church in the land. This is the cycle that was used in the land for about a thousand years after Jesus died and then it went into a less use in the land and the of the authorities in Babylon their idea of the cycle the annual cycle. I was approved by of worldwide Judaism and they began using it but we're using the semi septennial cycle twice in 7 years. And it lines up with the year of sweet are the seventh year. So there are many arguments that this was definitely the one used in the land and one of them is it's incredibly Messianic in nature. So we'll be talking about that briefly. We have handouts. It's not a complete cycle. It just get you a few weeks at a time, but we'll be updating it pretty soon. So let's meat. curious title for a sermon on Christmas day, huh? Why would I choose let's meet. Why did God Institute the sacrificial system?
So we can meet with him. He wanted to be with us. He wanted to talk to us face-to-face. He wanted to speak to his real in his special place according to his rules according to his.
Purpose according to his and he said if you want to meet with me, you got to be serious about it. You can't take this lightheartedly. You have to be serious about it. And today as Christians. We have kind of lost the idea of taking god, seriously. And I don't think he's real happy about that. I think if we took him more seriously, he'd appreciate that. And so I I'm trying to take him more seriously and I when you're talking about serious ideas and the and the ancient Church you almost instantly come up with Creedence creedle statements and we'll be talking about those a little bit today and this week. I've spent a lot of time on the three really beautiful cradle hymns of the New Testament and one of them is Philippians 2 The beautiful cradle him and it's an incredible chiastic structure. So I've got this to hand out if someone can hand these out. It's an incredibly beautiful chiastic structure and we'll be talking about it. But this way I don't have to hand it out later. So let's meet let's meet and where in the season of celebrations. When did we begin the seasons of celebrations in the fall when? Thanksgiving good answer not quite what I was looking for. Rosh Hashanah anything else
Sukkot Sukkot Rochester Thanksgiving and the other holidays that are seasons of celebration in this. Not yet. It's in the spring. But that's the thank yous his little bit earlier. We'll get there. Hanukkah the Feast of rededication of dedication and rededication the celebration of what happened about a hundred and sixty years before Jesus and speaking of 160 years before Jesus. One thing we frequently lose sight of is that God brought Jesus here in the fullness of time. He could have brought him earlier Mariah asked that question motyka asked that question earlier. Why didn't need hell I didn't do this earlier. You could have done a lot earlier. Well, we're going to try to answer that without getting into too much detail season celebration. So these are in this season. We've had many celebrations and does anyone remember anything good about this season. And we just to find how big it is. It's a pretty big season.
Anything good that you celebrating this season?
Huh? Well, the season of Christmas season of Sukkot the season of all the way back to all that all these Thanksgiving Hanukkah. Is there anything good that you celebrate in? The season? Everything is celebrate everything good. What's the main thing that you celebrate in this season? life life in this world and the next anything else
God God's blessing God's goodness anything else Redemption, yep, we can talk about a whole lot of interesting theological words. Couldn't we? Let's of Emmanuel. So what what's the manual about it God with us. So what so why what's the big deal God With Us? What's the big deal? He's a holy God. He's very holy we want to be with the Holy guy. Absolutely. I don't disagree. I'm not making fun. I'm just trying to get somewhere that we're not yet. Yes.
People are getting together with family that they haven't seen for a long time. What are they celebrating?
relationship that's why God wants us to be with him for relationship. He wants us to be interacting with him. He wants to be meeting with us. He doesn't want to meet with us just to give us rules. He wants to meet us meet with us to speak truth into our heart into our lives and when we come into relationships with the families that were in and the communities that were in We should be thinking about that. We should think the most important thing in all the seasons is relationship. preparation for the holidays relationship holidays relationship fond memories my first fun memory of this season. I was very very young probably younger than Asher and I don't think I had language yet and my parents were celebrating Christmas and they had a small Christmas tree and a small house and we were fairly poor. But the light the room was dimly lit. There was a tree up and I'm not going to get into the tree issues but there was his tree up and there was this little train running around the tree and it had smoke coming out of its stack. This is a long time ago. It was a Lionel Train. Big bigger one, you know, not that he chose and the train was cute. The tree was cute and all that was cute. But the thing that I remember
cool
I could still see it.
I glanced over.
and my father and my mother we're gazing into each other's eyes.
And I was undone. because of the love I felt that's what I think we need. all the time boo specially in the darkest time of the year. Which is now in the darkest time of the Earth. Which might be now? In the darkest season of our life, which for many is now. That's what we need. We need to experience the love of a husband for wife of children for parents of appreciation of children for the unity and love of their parents of I'm sorry. Friends and family up if it doesn't have to be that intimate. We just regular friends.
Edge on
personal relationship with the purpose of creation personal relationships God took something that was one that was one flesh a side. He divided it into male and female. Why did you do that? They were finding one atom was fine being one? No, it wasn't. God wanted a bride and God wanted Adam to experience the need for a bride and so he has Adam name male and female male and female male and female male and female. There's no one for me. I think you wanted Adam to hear that so that Adam would appreciate that. God wanted someone for him. bus Relationship. That's why we were created.
Fond memories family meals other fun times all these things our relationship all of them. And in the season many people experience deaths and some people never lose the bitterness of the deaths. I celebrate several people who passed into the world to come in this season, and I don't I don't. Harry their deaths I celebrate their life.
And the Lord as time goes on I'm I'm over done with joy that even though they're not with me anymore. I'll see them again. That's something that Mark said last night. I'll see him again. So Doug was mentioning a book last week. And so I wanted to show you the book The Gospels portrayal of ritual impurity with in first-century Judaism Jesus in the forces of death. He's dealing with ritual and Purity and we'll talk about that little bit but I am aware as I grow older that I really should acknowledge people I've learned from and that's a deeply in Bude Jewish tradition to if you've learned something from someone say their name don't just say, oh here's a great idea that I read a cab vote acknowledge you who gave you that teaching here's another book that I've learned incredible amount from of all the workbooks and lexicons. I've used of learn more about the meaning of Hebrew words from this book than from any other there were initially listed two authors that didn't even list. First Wok Chi initially Waukee was kind of I think a graduate student for the two older guys who were kind of famous. So the two older guys kind of made it happen involved. He maybe did a lot of the work but I have great respect for all three and this book is not really written by these guys. This book is mainly written by 46 contributors. And we have sighted two words. I'm going to share with you this week who were explained and detailed analysis of of the meaning of the word and how it's used by a good friend of ours Edwin Yamauchi who's at Miami University several of us have attended his guest lectures down there and now he's he's a contributor that I wanted to say. Thank you God for bringing these men along.
So let's meet God says basically build a sanctuary. I brought you out to be with you. I'll speak to you from Above The Mercy Seat later on I will raise up a prophet like you a man a human being.
And he'll speak words. I'll put in his mouth. You won't have to hear these terrifying words from the voice of an awesome. God speaking from heaven in fire an earthquake. You won't be have to be terrified when this guy speaks, but he's going to speak the words. Listen to him. Jesus he was 12. I must be about my father's words Dave our aim works. Etc you can read it follow and be with me follow me and be with me. So hey Peter. Follow me. Hey, follow me.
Be with me. I want a relationship with you. He says that does today I will never leave you nor forsake you. Meet and encourage one another were called to continue this joyous meeting that we're having with god with one another when we come together and worship and pray and and and study and sing and dance and have fun. We're called to not forget that we're meeting one another for relationship. Amen. Amen, so the principle behind this whole section that we're going to kind of focus in 3 vs is we're supposed to distinguish between the holy and the common between the unclean and the clean teaches real all the Lord spoke to them by Moses Leviticus 10:10. We're in 12 of leave now, so we're kind of moving along but tide or kadosh is one of them holy to hair pure and clean this this explanation. Not this little short synopsis with the explanation of what tie are means in and Theological the Old Testament was written by Edwin Yamauchi. Whole means, nor ordinary another word for whole another translation of whole with sand sand is kind of unsubstantial the wise man built his house upon the sand. You get it it kind of like sift through your fingers kind of unsubstantial common ordinary then Tommy unclean Edwin, Lucci again. So what's so when we read this the holy in the common the unclean in the clean, some people think the holy is the clean and the common is the unclean. Do we have anyone in here things who thinks that?
Does it count if I used to think it?
Yeah. Yeah. It's a common understanding somewhat mistaken. that Holy means
clean Right and common means unclean right? Okay, so gone example hero.
pure
copper pennies Are they really copper?
Probably not if I were a copper smelter are these common? Are they clean or unclean?
Right now they're probably unclean but we could make them clean. Couldn't we? And we could we could go to a copper smelter and we can have him smelt this and make it into pure copper. And the pure copper would it be common or uncommon?
Pure copper because it's pure right. Is it holy? Your copper is not wholly so pure doesn't equate with holy. It's different yours one thing always another thing. Clean is one thing unclean is another thing you with me. It's for different things. There you go there for possible States. This isn't Thiessen's book and we're not going to talk about the MP or we're not going to care about it. We're going to say we're going to look at the holy and pure and the profane the common and pure cocoa. So if we have pure copper and we're making a tabernacle, what can we do with this copper or bronze? That's pure We can make it into a labor. Is that Holy? You bet what else?
Common Yelp.
Get it. What else can we make at the end of the Tabernacle with this pure copper?
Huh the washbasin yet. We we we talked about that. Yep. Alter with bronze bronze altar. Is it sacred? Is it holy? Yeah. Yeah. That's how about the basis for the Post?
Are bronze base?
Well, some of them were there for the closer you get the holy Holier gets but the stuff that's made this on the outside is also pure and it's also holy Let's hope we are not going to go there. So we're looking at the whole we in the P or and the profane or common and pure and that's these are key things to think about and we going to into what we're going to talk about and then are we talkin about ritual impurity or moral and purity? We're not going to talk about mural impurity Memorial and Purity. We're just going to talk about ritual and Purity and these are the things it's it's unavoidable. Everyone has it stuff that leaks you get a cut gets infected. It's a it's a leakage it so it's it's a ritual Leon pure. You have a baby your ritually unpure. Is it is it simple? No, it's not sinful. It's wonderful. It's a Mitzvah to get pregnant. It's a Mitzvah to have a baby. It's a myth supposed to be the mother of Jesus. I mean It's the most wonderful thing in the world and no one here would argue that. Ritual impurities communicable you touch a dead thing. You're going to get you're going to get rich Liam pure you can watch this away. It's not an Abomination to God that's not sinful. So we're only focusing on Rich troll impurity. We're going to consider three verses cuz these are the Torah Torah versus for the week that I picked from the schedule that were using Childbirth uncleanliness Leviticus 12 the child is born Mighty God wonderful counselor King of Kings Lord of lords Prince of Prince Prince of Peace, Isaiah and observant family Jesus grew up in an observant family one more thing here that I want to emphasize fully human yet fully God. There's a principal in Christianity that developed around. I would have to say it develop when Jesus was still on the planet that it wasn't well-defined until around 400. And that's the idea that Jesus wasn't just human. Or that Jesus wasn't just Divine the idea that Jesus has to be both for him to be our savior and for him to be our Lord. Fully human yet fully God. I'm clean. I don't know I said when a woman Bears a male child shall be unclean seven days on the 8th day. He'll be circumsised. She'll continue in her purifying. So even when she's unclean she's being purified. It's a process for 33 days and not touch anything. Holy now. This is to me incredibly in congruous. What more holy things. Could you touch? That's more holy than Jesus.
This is a woman who's nursing Jesus. The most holy thing anyone could ever imagine and changing his diapers with probably we're not clean.
nevermind
f*** Mary knows this law and she advised by it and Joseph does and they abide by the great light unto us a child is born a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder his name Shall be Called wonderful counselor, Mighty God Everlasting father Prince of Peace of the increase of his government there shall be no end he'll order and establish it with judgment and Justice forever. The Zeal of Adonai will perform this judgment. This is Ruder than the word Miss pot which is rooted in the word ship fought to judge and are we stink of a vote be deliberate in judgment don't render rash decisions consider things carefully before you render a decision and make good decisions based on what you know, God would want not unnecessarily what you would want and Justice settings. Righteousness uprightness forever the Zeal of the Lord you'd have out. He will perform this. Wow.
This is the Torah reading and the Torah is a a beautiful thing to study and understand but this is written to a people a human world who live in a totally Fallen totally depraved world. That's what the Torah was written to.
The prophetic fulfillment of it is always. Way Beyond the simple Fallen world that we live in the prophetic fulfillment is God's intention on how to make what isn't perfect Absolutely, perfect. And that's why this cycle that we're going through is so incredible. We emphasize the prophetic fulfillment Kyle. Bro, I'm sorry. I've been up a tiny bit on autopilot the last couple of weeks. What's the pop terrarian for today as best as we can tell from the site of the cycle? It's printed. Yep.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah this this this page that you have a copy of it isn't the one I sent out this week because I realized it did not have Isaiah and it also missed the first verse if you if you look right here in the black space is not there. That's where it is. This should be a two-line entry my fault. What did they think that it? Did you think that they used as the hopper off for this Seder? Is it Isaiah 9 or
I think it's Isaiah 9.
Yeah, I think it is. I think it's very remarkable. I really do I'm Blown Away by it. And so this is this is how we coming forward into the New Testament. We take our understanding of this linkage between the Torah and the hat. This Messianic expectation and we bring it into the New Testament to see is there anywhere where this maps and this week when we were meeting months ago to put the schedule together. We were blown away by this and we decided no we have to do we have to do these Christmas morning. And we discussed having a single service the the Friday night service last night and when the elders unanimously approved the Friday night service and the elders said but but we still need to meet up at Saturday. I didn't excited see that coming. But everyone was in agreement, this is incredible prophetic linkage about Jesus birth, and it's the best day probably to read about it.
So that's why I'm here right now. Fication Shepherds told everyone not just Joseph and Mary but everyone all that they'd heard and Mary treasure these things in her heart. I'm greatly appreciated his versus the name. Jesus is the Angel has instructed when was time when the time came for their purification they presented him to the Lord every male who first opens the womb Shall be Called holy to the Lord offering two turtle doves or pigeons. so
this was a Torah observant family.
When I think about what they could have said they could have said we're not unclean. This is the son of God.
The King of Kings. We're not on clean. Wait a minute. Jesus was totally fully human. If you take that away. You take away his humanity and his ability to be our savior. He had set aside his Divine Authority Philippians tells us that which is why I give you that. Hand out as a an early Creed. Jesus three Cummings. Wait a minute Rob. I thought there were two companies of Christ. Okay have a different count in the beginning was the word and the Word was God and the Word was with God. First time Jesus came was before anything was created. He didn't need to come he was here.
second time in the fullness of time God sent his son born of woman under Tortura Dimas under Tortura Dimas had to be circumcised had to be purified on the 40th Day He sent forth Christ in the in the fullness of time to unite all things in Heaven and Earth and even under the Earth in him in the new creation third coming of Jesus. It's not even in the Bible Well, it kind of is the last words Behold. I am coming soon. I'm in John says come Lord, Jesus Maranatha.
Maranatha
the grace of the Lord be with us all amen. Those are the three coming to Jesus. How many times did he come on Earth? I don't think we could count them all. There's so many christological appearances of Christ. Did I you know when we say the second coming I'm going are you counting, you know when you know the fiery furnace with Daniel and are you counting the Melchizedek and you get it? Anyway, these are Rob three coming. So I think Jesus we come is according to Rob. So we have some Creed's why do we have any Creed's lot of people don't like Creed's they think they're stupid. We don't need them. Well, you kind of don't what did Jesus say about everlasting life? This is everlasting life. Jesus said to his disciples that they know the father. And that they know his son.
That's eternal life that they know. Is he talking about relationship?
Yes, what are we talkin about today relationship human relationship, so
Jesus said what you needed to be saved. Why do we have Creed's really have cruise for one reason? People were coming up with all kinds of crazy ideas. Jesus is only human. Jesus Is Only God Jesus is adopted. He was an okay human and God like them really a lot. So you adopt him. It was only an image of God that we saw in Jesus. I mean there are there probably I don't know 30 maybe 30 and because of these heresies that began to grow these different understandings of who Jesus was and what he did and everything else. They decided we need to come up with something we can agree on and actually Constantine said you guys figure it out. Not my problem. I want a unified empire you guys need to be in agreement come up with a common statement that we can agree to so they came up with 1 and 3:25 and it was pretty good. But there was some words that were problematic when you take one word, that means something in one language and you translated into another language and how many languages were there in the Christianity is that time? way more than 5 completely different languages completely different cultural Traditions completely different in understandings of everything way different, but they needed to be in agreement. So in 381 they met again to work out some of these word problems when you go I will take a word and take it into one language from another one with your mean something different than you wanted them. So now you have to figure out what word would work in all these languages and so they did and then in 451 they the count the a then decided to hold another conference and the reason he held the other conference it was there there was still more heresies popping up all over the place and he thought they needed a new Creed so I called all the guys together and they decided that we don't need a new Creed the Nicene Creed approved and Constantinople and 381 is excellent. We need a clear definition. of the nature of Jesus fully human fully God
Jesus came as a human being What's left for us? Well? We got Philippians. It's the best new New Testament Creole statement on what we should do how we should act and how do we get that from Philippians? Because it demonstrates for us what Jesus did So what we're supposed to do that. We're supposed to be like that in some way we can learn from what he did for us. And that's why Paul included this early Christian early cradle him in Philippians walk in your shoe is purpose in Love by being one in heart and mind with him. Humbly regard each other is better than yourselves. I don't want to do that Rob. I'm going to think I'm better than everybody else. Okay, I see how that works for you. Long-term. I think you're better off treating others as better than yourself. So. It grows on you. You get used to it looking out for each other's interests. Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your unity and massage your shoe up. So here is a chiastic structure of Philippians, and I thought this would show up better, but it didn't.
So I'll point out a few things.
God's form. He had the form of God and he set it aside and took on a servant's form.
Consider others more important than you Anthony yourself of your stuff humble yourself before the Lord. Jesus was humble himself and by doing so God exalted him. God exalted him and he is in glory. a beautiful chiastic structure and it's even more beautiful in Greek and if you think this is Crazy in too much information tell me about it, but I think it's wonderful. I think it's wonderful. I'm so blessed. Be ye. Holy be like Jesus walk as his servant he set aside his divinity becoming human and a servant he humbled himself even to obedient and death. God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name that every knee in heaven or under the Earth will bow and every tongue confess that you sure the Messiah is Lord to the glory of God the Father. God lived among his people in the Tabernacle today where his Tabernacle
God was serious about what you did in the Tabernacle. He's serious about you. He's serious about your being his Dwelling Place. We should treat it like he's serious about it.
He paid the price he owns the house. I don't. He owns the house we've been recreated in him to glorify God God's Temple is Holy. We've been learning this over and over and weeks past and weeks future. We are that Temple. I think that's the message for today. Jesus The Giver of Life the light of the world The Fragrant offering walks in us we reap resent him applying. Holy principles as we walk no matter where we go every week. We say Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu, Adonai it had here listen. Here is real. What's being said in relationships in your family when you sit down to dinner with people or friends or family considered that because your relative is that you may not agree with might have something important to say listen to what they're saying here the subtext what's underneath what they're saying here the heart what they're trying to communicate. Listen here and then respond, but not before you hear. Listen and hear and then respond appropriately. How should we worse? We respond in love with love and in truth and and we need to be prayed up in advance of meeting with our family and friends before we put forth what we want to say because we need to hear what God wants us to say and to speak that speak that truth in order that they will hear something. That is true. Not our truth, but God's truth. Dog pound them over the head with the Bible. Treat them with love and respect.
We just had a event with family and some people said things that I disagree with didn't agree with that. I opposed and I started to
are you stupid or what? You know me. You know what? I mean anyone been here. No, I don't believe that that's idiotic kind of bit my tongue and I didn't say anything and then another thing and I went on saying but I listened and they had some important things to say and then I responded and Truth and Love I told Sherry this is the story of few weeks ago or about a week ago and maybe this week. Yeah, and she said your tongue must have gotten really holy. from biting holes in it And I said, yeah. Yeah, we should have a holy tongue. It shouldn't be common.
I know never mind. Listen here. The Lord is one listen and hear what others have to say responding Truth and Love bring his Purity and his Oneness into our homes and our relationships help him to transform the ordinary into something wholly when we go back to that that one slide. One thing that Dwight always taught is since the world was all holy. But then part of it became not holy. But he wanted man to help bring him back into the world and make the common into the sacred the profane into the hole. It isn't the thing should be left playing. They should be made holy particularly in our relationships very important. Change the common into the holy.
Into something, holy. I have a few versus listed there dozens. I mean we could go on and on how do we do this today? Pray for wisdom and avoiding the anointing of his presence when you go into a relationship situation with your family and friends pray that he will anoint you with truth and wisdom and love help him to walk in you so that you can speak appropriately and relationships value the relationship that you have with people above any ideas or ideologies you may have or the you want to express Listen to what others are saying hear the truth underneath what they're saying before responding consider how there were how your words might be understood before speaking them consider not saying things that will harm your relationship some things. Sometimes you want to say something just because you think it's important to say and you don't even realize it's going to hurt the relationship realize what you're saying before you say it. Measure what your ideas are before you pour them down. Someone else's throat celebrate the present. There's no presents like the present and celebrate the presents his presence in your life and the life of your family. Amen. And amen.
That's all I have to say about that.
Thank you very much.