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0:58
Let's pray for this message.
0:59
Father, I thank you so much for your word.
1:01
I'm excited to discuss this topic this morning having grown up in a works-based religion and
1:09
felt separated from you in terms of needing to only approach you through whether it was
1:13
priests or Mary or the saints.
1:16
It was dramatic to me to learn that the veil on the temple had been torn and I had been
1:20
given access to you that didn't need to go through any earthly intercessor.
1:24
I don't, perhaps that's why this is so dear to me, Lord, such a blessing to discuss
1:29
this access that we have and I pray that you would help me to be able to reveal the
1:33
greatness of that access to your people.
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For those who are already aware of it, who know that we can go to your throne through
1:42
your Son, Jesus Christ, needing no other intercessor mediator and then I pray that you would
1:47
even just increase our appreciation for that wonderful truth that's so good to be reminded
1:51
of things which is why your word does repeat things to us, we're forgetful and so I just
1:57
pray this would be a morning where you speak to your people and encourage them to approach
2:01
your throne room for the grace and mercy we need knowing that that veil has been torn
2:06
and I think maybe we best appreciate that by contrasting our covenant we have with you
2:12
with the covenant that the believers in the Old Testament experience.
2:16
I assume we probably take for granted the approachability we have whereas if had we been in
2:23
the Old Testament for even a day I'm sure we would greatly appreciate what we have been given
2:27
under the new and so I pray for that revelation to be given to your people and ask this in Jesus' name.
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Amen. I know there's a sermon and I came here what movie is about that I told you we had a VHS
2:38
collection. Do you guys remember that I told you we had a bunch of movies on VHS cassettes when I
2:42
was a kid and for all of you who are not as old as I am that means it's a cassette that you'd
2:48
actually have to rewind when you were done and so we had maybe like five or ten cassettes movies to
2:55
watch and one of them was Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark by a show of hands who's seen that
3:00
movie. Okay most of you okay so I had watched this movie more times than I could count just in
3:07
case any of you haven't seen it I'm going to tell you what happens at the end so Indiana Jones
3:14
by the way one reason I'm super thankful for that movie is it's given me a joke that I've gotten a
3:17
ton of mileage out of because over the years people are always asking what happened to the ark and I
3:23
can say the Indiana Jones found it. Okay you laughed every other time I've made that joke I don't know
3:30
why you guys didn't laugh it's like the one time I've anyway let's move on. So Indiana Jones and
3:38
Marion have been captured by the Nazis along with the ark they're taken to this remote island where
3:47
the Nazis plan to open the ark of the covenant and so the Nazis tie Indiana Jones and Marion to
3:54
this pole this tall post back-to-back so that they're forced to witness what's about to happen and
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they can't interfere. Now Beleck who is the rival archaeologist who throughout the movie has been
4:05
trying to get to the ark before indeed is going to lead this event where they open the ark and he's
4:11
even dressed in like these priestly robes to make a show of it and so they open the ark and at first if
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you remember it looks empty it's just like dust and fragments in there so I guess by this time that
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10 commandments and Aaron's staff that abutted in the pot of man had been removed right and so they
4:29
look in there and they're very discouraged but so much so they even kind of laugh about it like
4:36
it's almost comical all of the effort that they had went to and there's nothing but sand but then
4:43
everything changes and there's this wind and this light and there's this terrifying supernatural
4:47
manifestation that begins and Indy understanding what's happening he tells Marion he's like close
4:53
your eyes tightly don't look and so they're tied to this pole and they're turning their faces away
4:58
and they have their eyes closed but then everyone else who's incredibly fascinated by what's
5:02
happening and even entertain starts being killed by whatever this supernatural manifestation is
5:08
that came came out of the ark now the horror isn't I mentioned this isn't to you know recount my
5:13
movie collection as a kid or something it's to make the point that even as a non-Christian kid
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and all I wanted was to be entertained when I'm watching this you know I'm not looking for any
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spiritual truce what's interesting is that even I could tell that there was something about God's
5:31
holiness that made approaching him dangerous and even this secular movie is able to communicate
5:36
this truth so you sure not going to build your theology from Indiana Jones but at least this is
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something that seemed to be communicated well that you just don't appreciate approach God how
5:46
I refill like it and this brings us to lesson one access to God was limited under the old covenant
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and the people at the end of that movie learn that the Nazis learn that the hard way
6:03
so in the Old Testament you can't just approach God whenever and however you want you can't just
6:08
handle the holy things anyway you choose you can't just walk into God's presence on your own terms
6:14
there were boundaries warnings restrictions and when people violated them they were punished
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and I think we can probably think of some of the examples what comes to mind as an example of a
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time in the Old Testament that someone approached God or individuals approached God on their terms
6:31
and suffered as a result didn't appreciate his holiness let's say I bet you'll be able to
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mention the examples I came up with as he says about the most famous one yeah so David's bringing
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the ark into Jerusalem early in his reign a godly man who after establishing his capital wants the
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ark there they put it on a cart because that's how the Philistines had returned the ark to the
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Israelites are supposed to be carried on poles it starts to tip on this cart and as it reaches out
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and touches it and God strikes them dead brings David up short in front of the entire nation
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so that definitely communicated about the whole procession to a halt that you don't get to
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approach God you don't get to touch the holy things another example Aaron's sons Leviticus 10
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Nate Abin and Bihu they decided we're just going to go to God offer profane fire we don't know
7:18
exactly what it was but it definitely wasn't according to God's restrictions and so they're like we'll
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just go to God and do what we feel like doing and see how this goes and then they ended up being
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killed by God other examples do you guys remember Uzziah not us of the man who touched the priest but
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you remember King Uzziah like this Renaissance individual who'd done so many different things I don't
7:40
know if there's anyone in scripture or I mean this sincerely who did as many things as Uzziah did
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and I guess one day he woke up and he decided well you know what I haven't been a priest yet
7:50
and so let me occupy that office too so he goes into the temple to offer incense thinks he's
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just going to approach God how he feels is best and then what happens 70 priests going to stop him
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he breaks out with leprosy that's so bad that at that point he he Uzziah just sees the horror
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on the priest faces that he allows them to usher him out of the temple and the other examples come
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to mind I was kind of thinking when the Philistines took the ark God started afflicting them they
8:20
started getting tumors and rats or tumors that look like rats I don't know that we know exactly
8:25
but it was bad enough and then God started beating up their fault the stature their false God
8:30
day gone knocking it off and so God just showed very clearly there you're going to treat me with
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reverence or I'm going to flick your whole nation it was so bad they're sending the ark all
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around of these different Philistine cities finally they're like let's just send this thing back
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to Israel and send it with gifts just to hope they'll even they'll take it and then last example
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which actually resembles Indiana Jones I don't know if this was Steven Spielberg had a mind
8:53
but the bet the men of Beth Shemesh they decided they're going to look in the ark
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1st Amal 619 says that God struck the men of Beth Shemesh when they opened the ark and looked into it
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so let me get you to think about God's first interaction with Israel which occurred at Sinai
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so the first time God really interacts with Israel as a nation he had interactions with individuals
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like Abraham but in terms of interacting with Israel as a nation the first time occurred at Mount Sinai
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so consider these great lengths that God goes to deliver Israel from Egypt first he commissions Moses
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to go into Egypt and to confront Pharaoh and command Pharaoh to let the Israelites go which in and
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of itself that was a pretty challenging thing when you consider how reluctant Moses was to go
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2nd God releases these 10 plagues on Egypt to get Pharaoh to release the Israelites culminating in
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the final plague which is almost unique from all the other ones Passover where the firstborn
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sons die after they get out of Egypt God leads the nation with a pillar of fire at night a cloud
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by day so that the Israelites know exactly where to go and then the Egyptians are chasing the
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Israelites they reach the Red Sea the people are pinched between the Israel the Egyptian army behind
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them the Red Sea in front of them and in this incredibly dramatic supernatural moment the Red Sea
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parts the Israelites pass through then the walls of water crash down and just swallow up the entire
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Egyptian army and then finally the Israelites reach Sinai considering all God had done to get them
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there what would you expect that first experience to be like well if God was going to talk to them
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I would almost expect them to say something like you're the apple of my eye you are my covenant
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people I love you so much I'm so glad you're here I've worked so hard to get to this moment to be
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with you let me bring you just a little bit further why don't you come up here on the mountain with
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me and then of course God's going to make Mount Sinai seem like this you know wonderful pleasant
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place the birds are going to be chirping and there's going to be sunshine and flowers and so forth
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blue skies instead let me show you what it was really like look at Hebrews 12-18 then my son just
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read and before we jump into the verses let me get give you the context the author of Hebrews
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is contrasting what his Hebrew readers experience which is really to say the author of Hebrews is
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contrasting what new covenant believers which includes us know under the new covenant in contrast
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with what old covenant believers knew in the Old Testament or under the old covenant and so the
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way that he wants to contrast our experience with God with their experience with God is by
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bringing up what it was like when they reached God at Sinai so he's describing what it was like
11:58
when us were reached Sinai and verse 18 he says you you new covenant believers church-aid
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believers you have not come to what may be touched referring to Mount Sinai a blazing fire and
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darkness and gloom and a tempest so Sinai blazing fire darkness gloom tempest basically couldn't
12:20
see more unwelcoming right a terrifying experience gets worse verse 19 the sound of a trumpet
12:29
in a voice this is God's voice as it booms off the mountain whose words made the hearers beg that
12:38
no further messages be spoken to them have you heard people say they want to hear from
12:41
God does it sound like it was a pleasant experience to hear from God it was terrifying it was so
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bad that they actually asked Moses to speak to them instead and this is why look at verse 20 they
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said or it says the Israelites could not even endure the order that was given and this is the order
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they couldn't even it doesn't mean they could obey the order they couldn't even they couldn't
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even handle listening to the order being given because of how loud and horrifying God's voice was
13:14
and then this is the order if even a beast touches the mountain it shall be stoned animals can't
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even come close so was it any better for Moses because Moses is God's friend right the
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goodness says in verse 21 indeed it was so terrifying or indeed so terrifying was the site that
13:36
Moses said I tremble with fear and it says indeed because it's making the point like even Moses
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even God's own friend was afraid now Moses who was able to handle all the plagues in Egypt
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he couldn't even handle being in God's presence at Sinai so it's obvious that God wants to keep
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people away from him in the Old Testament I mean if you tell people that you know how much
14:01
clearer can God make it if you want to seem unapproachable what's worse than if you come near me I'll
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kill you right there's no way to sound more approachable than that that is the greatest threat you
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can give people that will keep them away and it's fascinating to me as they're flexing on it this
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past week that it would make a lot of sense to me if God was saying this to who maybe Canaanites
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or Amalakites maybe Ninevites some Gentiles or pagan some of the wickedest people in history
14:34
but he's like this toward the covenant people that he loved even they could not come near him
14:40
and I told you before if I had to summarize the Old Testament in one word it would be the word
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separation now do you sound the form just bless me your pastor the word holy tell me what the word
14:53
holy means that did bless me thank you yeah holy means set apart or separate and that's significant
15:01
because I think many people associate holiness with righteousness which doesn't really make sense
15:06
because inanimate or non-living things are holy but they can't be righteous whether it's the
15:11
ground that Moses stands on the ark itself you know the ark was holy but it wasn't righteous the
15:17
temple was holy but it wasn't righteous the holy land Israel is holy but it is not righteous
15:24
so holy means separate or set apart God's one attribute that's repeated repeated excuse me
15:31
in a thrice fold fashion is what okay let me say like this is God love love love mercy mercy mercy
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he is what though he's holy holy holy there's no attribute of gods that is repeated in a
15:44
thrice fold fashion except for his holiness that's what the angels of all the things that they
15:50
get in Isaiah 6 I believe that's that incredible vision of the throne room of God of all the things
15:54
that the angels could say when they fly around mean even having to cover in their faces in their
15:59
eyes it seems almost unable to look on God's face they're singing about his or calling out a
16:05
camera says they're singing or just calling out about God's holiness and in the Old Testament
16:11
unholy people cannot approach a holy God now I don't think God's being cruel here I think
16:17
he's just being himself when he says you're gonna die I don't think that means I'm gonna be so
16:23
mad I'll kill you it's basically don't come near me so you don't die because I'm holy you're not
16:29
and you'll be extinguished this is just God being himself to a bunch of sinful people
16:34
who will be wiped out if they approach him now I want you to think about the dilemma they
16:39
God is facing with his people so let's think about Sinai here God brings the Israelites to the
16:46
base of Sinai but it is not his plan to keep them a Sinai the book of Leviticus one month in length
16:53
and Israel's at the base of Sinai but we know his plan isn't for them to stay there his plan is
16:58
for them to go from Sinai to where they're gonna go through the wilderness but he wants to get him
17:03
where the promised land so God's plan for Israel is for them to meet him at Sinai received to
17:10
them commandments and then they travel to the promised land and they're settled there in the other
17:18
part of this now that be fine there be don't dilemma if that's all God wanted but he also wants to
17:23
go with them if God was gonna remain on Sinai there be no dilemma so do you see the dilemma if God
17:30
wants people that he can't be near because he'll destroy them to go somewhere and he wants to go
17:36
with them I mean how is he gonna go without wiping him out and you say no Pastor Scott that sounds
17:42
a little far-fetched the idea that he'd wipe out his own people doesn't really sound far-fetched
17:47
do you remember what happened at least twice that's recorded he almost wiped him out let me
17:54
remind you of this the first time was when they constructed the golden calf listen to this Exodus 33
18:01
verse 1 the Lord said to Moses go up to a land flowing with milk and honey but I will not go up
18:08
among you or else I will consume you on the way for you're a stiff neck people so God told Moses you
18:16
better go take him yourself and I'm I better not go where else I'm gonna kill all of them
18:21
after the rebellion with the 12 spies numbers 14 11 the Lord said to Moses I will strike them
18:29
referring to the Israelites with a pestilence and disinherit them and I will make of you a great
18:35
a nation greater and to mightier than them so God says why don't I just mean he literally said
18:41
this to Moses why don't I just wipe them out and start all over with you there's no there's not
18:45
going to be three patriarchs there's going to be one patriarch instead of the God of Abraham Isaac
18:49
and Jacob I'll be the God of Moses and there'll be a brand new nation that comes from you this
18:53
going to be better than this nation so God's got this dilemma so my point is it really was
19:01
this threat for him to be with them because of his holiness and their unholiness because of their
19:05
rebellion so how does God resolve this traveling with these people that he doesn't want to
19:11
wipe out he's got to keep distance he's got to separate himself from them so what was constructed
19:19
the tabernacle right so this brings us to lesson two God created boundaries between himself and his
19:27
people lesson two God created boundaries between himself and his people
19:40
God tells Moses to build this tabernacle and the tabernacle was basically this movable tent
19:50
that the Levites could assemble they could disassemble as they travel through the wilderness
19:55
from sign to the promised land so they're going to pitch the tent and then they're going to take it
20:01
down they're going to move they're going to pitch it again and then repeat this until they reach
20:06
the promised land and I want to tell you about the tabernacle by how many look at Hebrews 9-2 go
20:11
ahead and turn their Hebrews 9-2 since we're in Hebrews already
20:20
for a tent was prepared so this is the tabernacle it's got two sections the first section
20:35
in which were the lampstand so here's holy things that are amoral right these are holy things
20:40
that are not righteous there's a lampstand it's holy because it's not a part for God there's
20:44
this table there's the bread of the presents and this first room is called the holy place
20:50
so the tabernacles very simple to understand it's this rectangle it's 45 feet long it's got two rooms
20:59
the first room is 15 feet wide and 30 feet long so the tabernacle itself is 45 feet long 15 feet wide
21:09
15 feet high the first room is 30 feet long 15 feet wide 15 feet high and it's called the holy
21:16
place and only priests could enter the holy place not even all the Levites so all Levites were not
21:24
priests there's only the sons of Aaron who are priests so only the Levitical priest or we say
21:30
Levitical priest but really the Aaronic priesthood the descendants of Aaron only them the Levites could
21:35
assemble the tent but only the priest couldn't this first room and then beyond that's the second
21:40
room like verse three beyond the second curtain was a so there was a curtain to walk into the first
21:47
room and then there's the second curtain keep that in mind called the most holy place not the
21:53
curtain but the second room is called the most holy place and the second room is a square so if
21:57
you're kind of remembering the dimensions 45 feet long we've used up 13 feet for the first room
22:03
so now the second room the most holy place is a perfect cube it's 15 by 15 by 15 and they go past
22:12
this curtain or this veil to enter well I can't even say they because that sounds that's plural
22:17
there's one individual who could do this we'll talk about that in a moment we'll be keep that in
22:20
mind and look at verse four to see what was in the second room the most holy place it had the golden
22:26
altar of incense it had the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold in which was a
22:33
golden urn holding the mana Aaron's staff that butted and the tablets of the covenant and then
22:40
above the ark were the cherimum of glory these two angels who have these wings that stretched out
22:46
toward each other and touched we know the descriptions from Leviticus in Exodus when it was built
22:52
when it was constructed and then it says overshadowing the mercy seat of these things we cannot
22:58
now speak in detail because that wasn't the author of Hebrews main point there's these angels
23:02
above the ark statues of angels whether wings stretch out and that space between these two angels
23:07
above the ark is known as the mercy seat and this is like the official place of God's presence
23:13
so this is where God's presence officially resides above the ark here now we're discussing the
23:19
tabernacle but when Israel under the promised land God didn't need to keep moving around any longer
23:27
so and that's why you move from a tabernacle to what a temple the tabernacles for movement once
23:33
the people are settled in the promised land now God gets this this house right we even think of that
23:38
I think it's that language in second Corinthians five our earthly bodies are tense but we will have
23:43
sturdy homes or mansions when you have a glorified body so God is moving around in this tent
23:49
or tabernacle but he then was going to have this sturdy home known as the temple
23:56
the temple replaces the tabernacle and I want you to think about this the temple it had a series
24:02
of courtyards and what was the point of those courtyards well to keep people out so there the temple
24:08
has a series of courtyards that kept people out the temple had a series of curtains or veils
24:15
that kept people out even the furnishings of the temple and the tabernacle communicate the
24:23
separateness so you enter the temple courtyard and there's an altar not in the temple but in the
24:32
courtyard that's used for offering sacrifices that reminds people of their sins that separate them
24:37
from God there's also a laver for cleansing which reminds people of their filthiness that
24:43
separates them from God even the names of the rooms themselves communicate separation because
24:49
they're called what holy place most holy place holy of holies or holiest of holies the word holy
24:58
sticks out so my point is even the names of the rooms communicated that God is separate or he
25:04
set apart and so there's this interesting tension as you're looking at the Old Testament between
25:10
God wanting a relationship with his people but needing to stay separate from them wanting to
25:15
bring his people close but having that to keep himself away from them I mean you see it when he
25:20
brings him to Sinai he clearly wants a relationship he clearly wants the people brought to him or he
25:25
wouldn't bring them to Sinai but then he's got to keep them back so that they aren't killed you got
25:32
the temple and God is basically inviting people to come to the temple for worship and for sacrifices
25:38
but then God's going to be hidden in the deepest part the deepest room of the temple so all of this
25:44
separation sin you say well if there's this most holy place with the ark and there's other elements
25:51
in there there had to be someone that went in there or what's the point of it right well there was
25:58
look at verse six these preparations having thus been made that means the construction of the ark
26:10
and the tabernacle the priests go regularly into the first section the first room the holy place
26:17
performing their ritual duties and then here it is but into the second room so this would be the
26:21
most holy place or the holiest of holies where the ark is the high priest would go he would
26:27
only go once per year that's on the day of atonement and not without taking blood which he offers
26:36
for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people now let me explain these verses by inviting
26:43
you to think about this of all the nations in the Old Testament only the nation of Israel had access
26:50
to the temple of the 12 tribes in the nation of Israel only one of those tribes the Levites could
27:00
actually serve at the temple so watch as we zoom in here all humanity to one nation one nation to one
27:08
tribe of all the Levites so there's one tribe the Levites they can serve at the tabernacle of all
27:15
the Levites it's only Aaron's sons who can serve as priests and enter the holy place of all those
27:21
priests it's only the high priest who can go into the most holy place where the ark was located
27:28
and even then he can only do this one day per year on the day of atonement so here's what you've got
27:35
you've got this almost trinity of holiness you've got the high priest who's the holiest man in
27:44
the nation of Israel and considering that Israel is the holiest nation in the world you got the
27:48
holiest man from the holiest nation he goes on the day of atonement which was the holiest day of the
27:53
year and he goes into the most holy place which as the name implies would be the holiest place on earth
28:01
and all this like trinity of holiness only allowed access once per year that's it that's all the
28:09
access that there was to God in the Old Testament and if you look at verse seven these are fascinating
28:17
words that says not without taking blood I just want you to notice that verse seven not without taking
28:22
blood and I want to explain the significance of this by sharing something I was reflecting on this
28:27
past week so Winston and I went to the chris home fellowship took a bunch of my kids and took a
28:33
bunch of my step-kids my step-kids are the motzkas kids okay so we go up to the chris home fellowship
28:40
brought about 30 kids with me and I'm listening to Andrew and he was sharing that he it was a portion
28:49
of the book he's reading that discussed coming before God and Andrew was sharing the coming
28:57
before God is a form of a communion or fellowship with God that we are to come before him or fellowship
29:02
discussing essentially this access we have and Andrew was sharing about different times and ways
29:06
that he spends time with God he's talking about going to work and even just on his drive to work
29:11
I mean you don't really get much more casual than that I was reflecting on kind of the casual nature
29:15
in which Andrew comes before God he says let us be on the way to work and I'll be sharing with God
29:21
talking about my life or experiences or whatever essentially that's the point whatever he wants to
29:26
talk to God about he does he's talking about this very casual way he just comes before the Lord
29:31
and what I was doing was I was sort of contrasting what Andrew was saying he experiences and what all
29:36
believers can experience just with this phrase never without blood okay because that phrase never
29:46
without blood is literally the exact opposite of what Andrew was saying because when it says
29:54
never without blood it means the one the high priest entered the most holy place it's all business
30:01
he's on a mission he did not enter to spend time with God the high priest did not go
30:08
in there to relax there was nothing casual about it he didn't think about enjoying God's presence
30:15
it wasn't real fellowship it's under these very fixed conditions at this fixed time
30:21
he's just going to make a tome it and then he's going to leave and that's it now my suspicion
30:27
if you understand God's holiness and you understand the danger associated with approaching him
30:35
how quickly do you think that high priest wanted to get out of there I bet as soon as his work was
30:41
done now I don't know how long it took him to go in there and then sprinkle the blood on the
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ark but I doubt it took long and I bet as soon as his work was done he exited and probably did what
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okay I survived another year thank you Lord I mean we hear these stories about whether there's
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bells on the feet so when the bell stopped ringing we know the guy died and then we can pull him out
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by ropes so when the high priest walked out of the most holy place on the day of atonement after he
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had a tone for people sins which is really to say after he walked out of God's presence
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what was the most holy place like for the other 364 days and 23.75 hours of the year
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it just empty it just sat there completely empty darkness silence no human interaction or involvement
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whatsoever and then something incredible happened and that incredible thing brings us to
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this morning's verse in Luke's gospel so that was the introduction for today sermon okay turn
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to Luke 2344 so if you're new to joining us on Sunday morning he's been working away through
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Luke's gospel verse by verse and last week we reached Christ crucifixion and there was an aspect
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of it that I knew that I couldn't cover faithfully in one sermon and that is the tearing of the veil
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but before we discuss that I want to give a little review of some things we discussed last week to
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fully appreciate this miracle so miracles are also called what I talk they're called signs
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that's right and they're given that title for a reason that they are a sign of something they reveal
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or communicate something just as signs do in our days so it's important understand miracles
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didn't occur just for miracles sake they were to communicate a spiritual truth or reality there's
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always something behind a sign even this morning when Carl delivered the communion devotion he was
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revealing how Jesus is miracle with the fish and lows was revealing or communicating spiritual
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truths which is what every single miracle always did and at Christ's death there were numerous
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miracles and each one communicated a different spiritual truth and what's fascinating is if you remember
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last Sunday sermon there were individuals at the cross when Jesus died who understood the truth
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of the miracles so how so the Roman centurion how many people do you think he saw die how many people
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had he personally crucified so there and I doubt any of them were dramatic but when Jesus died
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not because of his death but because of the supernatural or the miracles surrounding Jesus death
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the Roman centurion understood that surely this man is innocent what did the unbelieving crowds do
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after Jesus death they went home beating their breasts just like the tax collector in Luke 18 the
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only other instance of someone beating their breast in scripture my suspicion is it is a sign of
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brokenness over sinner repentance so these unbelieving crowds who came out for nothing more than
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the spectacle of Jesus death because of what the miracle surrounding his death communicated they
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went home beating their breasts their breasts too okay so look at verse 44 it was now about the
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sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour the darkness represented
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the evil of Jesus death and the judgment of God if you want to hear more about that I covered
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in in the last sermon then verse 45 while the sun's light failed just pause there so last week we
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discussed how the this is worded strangely you many wonder why it's there we we know there's
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darkness over the whole land so we don't really need a verse telling us the sun's light failed because
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we already know there's no light so why does it say that it's worded very precisely
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because Jesus is the light of the world so it's hard not to hear an echo of his identity and
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understand that God is describing the light of the world being extinguished and then the resurrection
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associated with light now the other miracle for this morning look at the rest of verse 45
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the curtain of the temple was torn in two so that's the veil in the temple that separated the
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most holy place from the holy place 60 feet high 30 feet wide four inches thick it's torn down
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the middle the parallel account in Matthew's gospel chapter 27 verse 51 tells us that the
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the veil was torn in what way or what direction from top to bottom from heaven to earth signifying
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that God versus man was the one doing this tearing and because this is a miracle a sign it is
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communicating a spiritual truth or reality which is the access that we now have to God
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and this brings us to lesson three
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is the clock working it's not oh okay what time is it okay
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all right well I will try to finish by the time you guys have to go to work tomorrow morning
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lesson three Jesus sacrifice tore down the boundaries between God and man
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Jesus sacrifice tore down the boundaries between God and man
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so every miracle is conveying spiritual truths or realities no miracles just for miracles
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sake so you got it so in every see a miracle we ask what is to be communicated behind this what
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is the deeper spiritual reality that God wants to teach behind this miracle and the tearing of the
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veil it really didn't do anything being torn it's what it communicated that meant something it's
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what it symbolized and it's like God's sermon illustration it's like prophets have object lessons
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in the Old Testament when they teach and this is God's object lessons because of Jesus' death
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access is now open Jesus' death provides access to God's presence and when I had gotten saved
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and come out of the college which I can't tell you how many times I quoted Matthew 2751 to my
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family members that we didn't need to go through a mediator access to God is open we don't have to
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go to a priest we don't have to go to Mary we don't have to go to saints there is an availability
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to enter into God's presence simply because of what Jesus has done and that is communicated or
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signified by the tearing of this veil and even the use of the word tearing I really like that
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it conveys this dramatic nature and here's what I mean the veil it serves as a barrier right by
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instead of being like a door that's unlocked the veil was the barrier and it's torn down
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it's dramatic it is significant it's God's way of showing it's just like shattered the access
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is there for us so God did not become less holy God is not saying holiness doesn't matter anymore
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and instead he's saying the price has been paid the way is made you can come because the sacrifice
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was sufficient to remove the separation that existed between us which was your sin it has been
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resolved at the cross it has been taken from you and imputed to my son and his righteousness
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his perfect righteousness has been imputed to you your sin to him his righteousness to you
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so there was this holiness that kept sinners out but Christ death brings sinners near and listen
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to the way Paul explained it I think Paul had I'm saying this loosely because maybe I'm wrong but
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I believe he probably had the veil in view when he wrote this Ephesians 2 13 in Christ Jesus you who
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once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ who has broken down in his flesh
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the dividing wall of hostility that dividing wall referring to sin I think an illusion to the veil
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being torn now some of you might know what Hebrews does in chapter 10 it associates Christ's
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body with this veil so get give you a little bit of a preview of next week sermon so some of
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you're going to listen to this sermon and say hey are we going to look at those verses or some of
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you you know who know your Bible's will it might already be anticipating this thing well pastor
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he must go to Hebrews 10 because that's where the veil is associated with Christ's body and the
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idea is just as Christ's body is torn on the cross so too was the veil torn in the temple just
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as Christ's body is being torn on the cross so too is that veil being torn that's next week's
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sermon I couldn't fit it into this sermon and I'm actually trying to stretch things out a little
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bit because if I can time things personally perfectly on Easter we'll be able to look at Luke 24
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which is Christ's resurrection I mean that'd be pretty neat right so like 27 years ago when I
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started Luke this is what I had in mind I have been spending all of these years timing these
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sermons to get to Luke 24 on Easter Sunday in 2026 and I just I hope you guys are impressed by
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okay but I do think it would be wonderful to look at Luke 24 on Easter for now
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earlier I said if I could summarize the Old Testament in one word it would be separation if I
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had to summarize the New Testament in one word it would be reconciliation under the old covenant
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you can tell the message was what just stay away keep your distance unless you want to die
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under the New Covenant the message is drawn near come close access has been made approach me come to
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me and notice the timing and just follow me on this if you think of the symbolism the miracles
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the darkness lifts Jesus commits his spirit to the Father let me not say the darkness lifts the
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darkness is covering the land Jesus commits his spirit to the Father the veil is torn judgment falls
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on Christ so that fellowship can be restored to us and so the cry the cross it doesn't simply
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forgive sin it restores fellowship it prefigures this intimacy that was enjoyed so you can tell
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God's original plan was intimacy and where do you see the intimacy between God and man that he
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desired but that sin broke where do we see that that was Eden writer that was the garden right so
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in Genesis 3 there is an intimacy or a fellowship that God enjoys with his people his ultimate true
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and greater reality for us was shown there in Eden it will be restored and I would say that
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it's a big step in that restoration occurred at the cross so the cross is largely a restoration
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heading back toward the fellowship that was known in Genesis 3 that will become the complete
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reality for us in the future so in a sense what was lost in Genesis 3 is being restored
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in Luke 23 with this veil being torn the way back to God no longer guarded open through the blood of
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his son now consider this how many sacrifices after this veil was constructed in the tabernacle
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and then in the temple how many sacrifices has been offered the all the Old Testament how many
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Passover lambs had died before Jesus our Passover lamb was sacrificed I mean millions tens of
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millions maybe hundreds of millions do you know what happened to the valedron all that time every
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time one of those animals died nothing I mean it didn't shake it didn't waver there's no change
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to that veil whatsoever no sacrifice did anything to it it hung there my point is none of them
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improved man's access to God whatsoever because those sacrifices only looked forward to the true
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and greater sacrifice Jesus would offer that would do what millions of sacrifices had never been able
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to do now let me conclude with this when the veil tore it's almost like God is preaching a bit if a
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miracle is God's way of kind of communicating spiritual truths miracles are almost God's way of
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speaking or teaching us and he's preaching through this torn veil that access has been made
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and it illustrates two things for us first if you're in Christ let me say it like this you don't
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have to live far off anymore so now sadly some Christians do they still pray like they're outside
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the courtyard or they still relate to God like the door is shut or they carry the guilt like the
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veil is still hanging there for them but the curtain it wasn't repaired or fixed it was torn the
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way into God's presence is open because Christ died for us now second if you're not in Christ then
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don't miss this invitation because the torn veil doesn't mean that everyone is automatically
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reconciled to God or drug into his presence it only means that the way has been provided
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made open for us we don't come through through our own goodness or our religious effort or our
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sincerity we come the same way that the high priest had to come through blood did you notice that
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earlier it actually said the high priest enters but not without blood well what's going on there
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here's my point the only way the high priest could enter into the most holy place was with blood
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the only way that we can enter into the most holy place of the presence of God is
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we must have blood and that's the blood of Christ so even that blood that the high priest was
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bringing to be able to access the most holy place or enter into God's presence was prefiguring
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or foreshadowing the way in which we would be able to enter God's presence not without blood though
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but with the blood of Christ so the question is simple will we stay at a distance or will we draw
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near will we keep trying to approach God on our terms or will we come through the one that he provided
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the veil has been torn the barrier is down the price has been paid by faith repent and believe
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and come to God through his son let's pray father thank you for sending your son to remove the obstacle
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our sin that separated us from you I thank you that that way has been made and that it's not
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through something we could do or would have to do both through Christ sacrifice and now if
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there were repentance and faith in him we can enter into the most holy place into your presence
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I thank you for that Lord help us to take full advantage of that I know that I don't I don't pray as
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much as I should or I don't come before you as much as I should Lord help me to be a better
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student my time to do that and just fully appreciate the greatness of what Christ has done for us
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and we ask all this in his name amen