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Summary: auto-extracted from transcripts

Summary

So, we're going to, we're going to actually, before we look at the Doxology, we're going to back up just a little bit and look at that promise in beginning in verse 49, where he says, Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning and rumblings and peels of thunder and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches which are the seven spirits of God and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass like crystal around the throne and on each side of the throne are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind the first living creature like a lion the second living creature like an ox the third living creature with a face like a human like a human face and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle and the four living creatures each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and inside day and night without ceasing they sing holy holy holy the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come and whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne who lives forever and ever the 24 elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever they cast their crowns before the throne singing you are worthy our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created so this is where we are in the throne room this is where we're gonna step for a little bit so the purpose of the vision of God's heavenly court is to show us the the the coronation to show the church the coronation and enthronement enthronement of Jesus Christ the crucified and risen Lord so we're going to get to his enthronement after we talk about the throne room but but if we think about acts if you hold your hand here and then go back to the book of Acts chapter 1 books or the book of Acts chapter 1 so this is right after the gospel of John and this is this is the continuation Luke wrote the book of Acts and so when Luke's gospel and it picks up again then right here in the book of Acts so chapter 1 beginning in verse 6 of the book of Acts so when they had come together this is the the apostles they asked him Lord is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel he replied it is not for you to know the times or periods that the father has set by his own authority but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem in Al Judeian Samaria and to the ends of the earth when he had said this as they were watching he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight while he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven suddenly two men in white robes stood by them and so then angels talked to him so this is that's the earthly perspective of the ascension of Christ to the father now we're going to go back to to Revelation because this is where we receive the heavenly perspective of Christ entering or returning to the father so so we have it's the same thing but here in Revelation we get heaven's perspective of when Christ when Christ is received by the father so John sees the throne of God he sees the throne of God he sees the one sitting on it the one is the object of all worship there's a lot of worship happening here he doesn't give us any specific facial or bodily characteristics so he doesn't describe the one on the throne but says that his appearance is like the precious stones of Jasper and some say Sardius and some this one says Carnelian and then there's a rainbow of emerald around it doesn't mean that God is a stone it does not mean that God is a stone but the appearance of God's glory think of when you hold a precious stone in the sunlight and the light reflects through and the rays shine through and is cast out like put out everywhere so the appearance of God's glory it reflects it reflects the brilliance of his presence as precious stones reflect rays of the sun so we can't look directly at the sun but we can catch a glimpse of the beauty of the sun through the reflection of those rays so so God is not a stone but his glory is brilliant his glory is brilliant Isaiah and Ezekiel also have scenes within the throne room we're not going to study those today but I thought as I was studying I thought oh that would be a really fun small group so not this coming year but look for it in the future because I think that would be a fun one so the stones Jasper Sardius emerald those are all part of the breastplate that the high priest was told to wear in Exodus when when they got all the the instructions those stones were on the breastplate of the high priest and the high priest represented Israel before the throne or before God offering sacrifice for a tonement so this is this is the setting that we're in we get to the 24 elders these 24 elders are sitting on thrones they are wearing crowns and they are they are wearing white robes they are sitting and they are wearing robes and crowns they are not angels they are not heavenly beings or heavenly creatures they are elevated saints they're elevated saints and the 24 elders are the church of the Old Testament of Israel who believed in the New Testament we have the 12 tribes of Israel or the the 12 tribes from Jacob right those are represented for the Old Testament and we have the 12 apostles which are the saints of the New Church or of the church so we have the 24 right there together they're representing the totality of God's people they sit on thrones and they wear crowns because they are victorious in Christ they wear the crown of victory they have white robes because they have been cleansed through the blood of Christ they're in his presence they're in God's presence representing the church they're in God's presence because that by grace is exactly where they belong which is good news that is good news that the church belongs in the presence of God the other thing I want to talk about here is that glassy see that glassy see that is before before the throne there are a couple of things that are really interesting about this so so first of all there is there is that representation of a separation right and while we remain here on earth there is a separation between us and and God we're still separated from the eternal glory when he calls us to home to be in his presence then we will not be separated from his eternal glory but here on earth we are still separated from the eternal glory also think about how the sea is often portrayed or what it symbolizes in Scripture so often it's a raging steep sea it's chaotic it's tormenting and it's it's really representative of the evil and the wickedness and the chaos of our sinful lives and here the the sea is like crystal it's a glassy sea that is transparent it's like crystal it's still it's calm the turmoil of our sin which separates us from God before the throne of God it has been still it has been still it has been conquered and it is tranquil we don't have to fear the torment of the chaos we don't have to fear the the torment or the chaos of wrath of God's wrath and judgment because all is peaceful all is peaceful between God and his creation before the throne just calls for all of us to just take a deep breath and we know that all is at peace before the throne then we have these winged creatures that are flying to and fro Isaiah refers to them as Sarah Femme Ezekiel refers to them as Cherubem John doesn't give them either of those names he sees that that they are closer to God than any other creature and I like how one author says that they can be thought of as the choir masters leading the heavenly host in the song of praise and worship they sing praises of the Lord they initiate the worship the angels and the saints they join in as these flying creatures sing holy holy holy and that song that song continues throughout it comes up several times in revelation and there will be stanzas added to it we see this time in the throne or in the throne room it's a time of complete worship it is it is a time of singing and praising and honoring God God who is so brilliant that he can't be described this this is the scene in which we were seeing or that John John shows us so they're singing holy holy holy all the heavenly hosts are praising God the church on earth praises God and sings this song we sing this song even in suffering because we are still called to worship the Lord and we still can worship the Lord even in the midst of suffering so now we get to the really exciting part of the throne room we get to the lamb okay so we're going to go back to Revelation chapter 5 and we're going to just read the whole thing because it's so exciting it's so wonderful okay so so he's he's in the throne room he is seeing all of these heavenly hosts and the winged creatures singing and and and the majestic one the brilliant one on the throne and the church represented by the 24 elders and he says and then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back sealed okay so he sees the scroll in the right hand of God God's right hand works salvation for his people the contents of the scroll have ultimate good and glory of God's people the completeness of its contents is sealed but we know that there's a completeness of contents because it's written on the inside and on the back so it's fully fully written but it's sealed so the message is hidden the revelation is hidden it would remain closed and unknown until the worthy person came to claim it okay so let's keep going back in here so we're back to to a verse two and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals and no one no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it no one had earned the privilege or the ability to open this sealed scroll and John says I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it then one of the elders said to me do not weep see the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and it's seven seals so no one was found to be worthy no one in all of God's creation no no no one not even that an angel was worthy to open this scroll and to stand before the presence of God and lay legal claim to this scroll and then an elder an elder one of the church tells this weeping John who is so saddened so saddened that no one is found to be worthy and he's weeping bitterly and an elder representing the church he says look look to the lamb look to the lamb and he calls him the lion of Judah the lion was a messianic symbol of royal rain and power and when you think of a lion you think of a lot of power I mean we most of us have heard of or read the Chronicles of Narnia and God is depicted as the lion aslan you know and it's this powerful powerful being and so so we have the elder saying seeing the lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered so he can open the scroll and it seven seals and then verse six then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth this is an amazing picture that we have here we have the angel announcing who's worthy who's worthy John weeping bitterly because there's no one who is worthy to open this scroll and elder says no no no look check out it's the lion of Judah and so John turns expecting a lion of Judah and he sees Jesus he sees the lamb the lamb who was slain who shows the marks of the crucifixion the lion of Judah is a lamb standing in the midst of them all this is a beautiful witness of the crucifixion of Christ because he stands the lamb as one who has been slain but it also is a beautiful testimony of the resurrection because it is the lamb who stands he stands there in the midst of them all living forever so we have both the crucifixion and the victory of the resurrection right there in that verse it's amazing I had one cohort who said he pictured this scene like a boxing ring where you you know they say oh and in this corner and there's just this light that shines on and all of a sudden it's the slain lamb in the light and so this is where we have him he has ascended to the Father he is right there all the heavenly hosts see him and we continue yes we continue so so he went this is verse 7 he went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell before the lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls of full of incense which are the prayers of the saints in that beautiful the church the heavenly beings they bring the prayers of the saints that's us that's us brought to the right hand of the Lord the lamb who has the right and legal claim to the scroll who has the right the legal claim to all of human history they sing a new song you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God and they will reign on earth then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands singing with full voice worthy is the lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and glory and honor and blessing then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them singing to the one seated on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever this is not a mass Exodus of the of the Sunday school I'm just saying they are going to sing with the saints and the four living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshipped so the action of receiving the scroll is very very important because the lamb not only reveals human humanity's destiny but it shows that he also has control he has control no one anywhere can dominate over the contents of the scroll so what is in the scroll no one can dominate over it no one else has the power or authority over it they can't even receive the scroll only the chosen lamb only Christ himself can receive that he alone determines the outcome of human history he rules on behalf of his father and for the benefit of his church so that the church will be protected in faith and will be protected in hope and we'll be able to carry out the mission that it has been given so receiving the scroll that's the coronation of Jesus Christ he is the king of kings the Lord of Lords this is the beginning of the everlasting reign of Jesus Christ of God's righteousness through the exalted sun it's a reign that is consummated at the end at the resurrection that you and I will be a part of and in that new heaven and earth which we are going to talk about the new heaven and earth next week we're going to stay here this week remember in all of these cycles how I said that there were interludes so there are interludes that happen in here and I don't think it's a mistake that interludes happen because you read any of these plagues, scenes of the end and it's a lot you know and John receiving this vision there's no way that he's not filled with fear he's seeing all of this happen and so there is that is that is scary so we're going to turn to Revelation chapter 7 we're going to talk about the church triumphant and the church militant so the 144,000 beginning in Revelation chapter 7 verse 1 so we're going to start here and this is after the horses or the horsemen have come so after this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or see against any tree I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun having the seal of the living God and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea saying do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads and I heard the number of those who were sealed 144,000 sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel and then it goes through and it's 12,000 from any names all the tribes so the 144,000 that represents God's people on earth there are at least one cult of Christianity that claims that only 144,000 people will be in heaven we're going to see that that's wrong but this is representative of the church on earth of God's people who are in perfect order there is perfection in that order and they are ready to march it is the church militant poised and ready to carry out the mission that it has been given so we today are part of the church militant we are this side of heaven we have a mission given by the Lord to go to all nations making disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded we read right before the ascension in the book of Acts he said you will be my witnesses to go so we are the church militant with that mission so then we go down to chapter 9 of chapter 7 where it says after this I looked and there was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb robed in white with palm branches in their hands they cried out in a loud voice saying salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb and all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God and it continues well actually know we are going to continue because it is too beautiful not to and all the angels worship God singing amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever amen then one of the elders addressed me saying who are these robed in white and where have they come from I said to him sir you are the one that knows then he said to me these are they who have come out of the great ordeal they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb for this reason they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night within his temple and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them they will hunger no more and thirst no more the sun will not strike them nor any scorching heat for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of the water of life and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes it's just incredible absolutely incredible John in this vision sees a multitude of people before God's heavenly throne from every nation every tribe the number is so great that it cannot be counted this is the church triumphant John is allowed to see God's people he's allowed to see that God's people on earth are ready to carry out their mission as the church militant they are ready to enter into the valley of the shadow of death and then before they are taken he sees them sealed the ceiling that they receive means that no matter what no matter how much he John and God's people no matter how much suffering we endure this side of heaven the mission will be fulfilled the mission will be fulfilled and God will protect us in faith God will protect the church militant in the faith there will be faith suffering there will be death we all die we all have our soul separate from our bodies we all do die but we won't lose faith the church does not lose faith and God will defend the faith in the end the church then becomes the church militant then becomes the church triumphant because we are all brought into the presence of God the church is sealed and kept in faith and elevated to glorify Christ and to live in his glory when John sees this great church triumphant he's filled with joy he's filled with joy because he knows they are coming out of tribulation they are coming out of suffering but they have been protected and brought to glory in Christ in Revelation in verse three of chapter seven it says that they've been sealed so God knows exactly who belongs to him and he seals them so the Christian and I had to write this exactly how it was written because it's so beautiful and it's such a comforting word that the Christian can be absolutely certain and sure of his salvation and faith because it rests on the truth of God's word and God's seal within that word the Lord knows who's who are his it's through his word that God seals his people assures them by his spirit that they belong to him and that he will protect them in faith Paul says Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit given to the Christian as God's pledge or guarantee of the inheritance that God has promised it's the pledge of God's promise that seals the Christian in his heart the seal then assures the believer that he belongs to God and is known by God the Holy Spirit does this through the word of God's promise which has been brought to fulfillment by Jesus Christ the throne room the lamb that sits upon the throne the church militant continuing to march we are a part of that but we have the assurance of God's protection we have the assurance of his promise we have the assurance that we have been sealed what do we do every single baptize or every single baptism we seal that person in the name of the Father the Holy Spirit that they are sealed sealed in the spirit of God they are claimed the Lord knows who are his and we are promised and we should find great comfort that regardless of the suffering that we have this side of heaven that we are promised that we will be part of the multitude that is countless that we'll be singing the praises and worshiping the Father in that glorious throne room Lord, we thank you for your grace, we thank you for your word, we thank you that your word is indeed truth and you lead us by your spirit into all things that are true. If you ever as a New Year's resolution decide to do a word study and really study and hone in on one word of scripture for a year or for a month, I encourage you to do light because there is a lot on light in God's word for us and a lot of of how Jesus is the light and then he moves us through his Holy Spirit to be light in the world. Now what's really interesting is that in order to be a Jew you can be a practicing Jewish person or you can be culturally Jew you don't have to be both anyone whose mother is Jewish is automatically in the tribe is is part of the Jewish people that being said and I cannot remember exactly when that switch occurred but during Jesus' day he was he found his lineage through Joseph because Joseph is descended so it used to be found through the father's line but now and for a long time now I can't remember I've looked this up before but now it is through the mother's line that that heritage is found and there are a lot of Jews today who are culturally Jewish but but not practicing their faith we have some key teachings that we are familiar with that they they turn to which the Torah is one Torah well write down some words Torah and this specifically we think think of it as law but really the the translation of Torah is arrow that hits the mark arrow that hits the mark and see it's a picture language it's a picture language so so the Torah itself is the Pentateuch it's the first five books in the Bible Genesis hot diggity dog that's awesome yes it's the first five books in the Bible and those all point to how one can hit the mark right the Jewish people if they follow what is in the first five books of the Bible they can hit the mark exactly the tonk is it is the whole of the old testament and that is and I will say the the Hebrew words are really fun to say so you're welcome to say any of them out loud I'm not gonna blame you but that takes both the Torah the Pentateuch and it takes the oral tradition because everything was handed down through oral tradition it takes that and it's compiled into the tonk and that is all all together so that is what we know as the old testament it is the writings it is the prophets it it goes off of the Torah and then within that we have 613 myths both yeah yeah 613 and this is these are the laws these are the commandments so 613 commandments within the tonk and tradition the oral tradition and tradition itself is very very important in the Jewish culture and religion it's all in there the Talmud is a combination so there are a lot of writings but remember that within Judaism there's a lot of a lot of discussion the debates that they have that we read about when Jesus is sitting there with religious leaders and they're debating that's called pillpool and so that is something that they engage in all the time so they take the pillpool they take the the teachings and they compile them and so the Talmud has it has a rabbinical commentary it has the oral tradition it has the written word together and it's all compiled and then it's it's read every week in synagogue so that's a very very very very basic overview of some of their writings some of their key teachings and this is this is where we start to find that with a lot of their key teachings and a lot of of their kind of values as a as a people we have a lot in common which can be a wonderful bridging point but it also has been historically a place of real contention and we're going to find how that is so one of their or their first key teaching is that they they believe in monotheism they believe that there is one god there is only one god and so so in the Jewish faith we as Christians who confess a triune god one god but three and one we are seen to be monothe or polytheistic we're seen as worshiping three gods where we know that that and it's I mean we are not going to get into the Trinity right now but not doing that but we know that we have one god um three persons in one god and um but they they have one god one god alone Yahweh which they do not say the name they have several different names but that is too holy to even speak um and we see that we see Yahweh like that um and that that is the name there is um the name that they use in place of this um is adonai which means gods which is very interesting because we have the triune god three and one and when they pray and use the name of god they say adonai which is plural um so it's kind of interesting but um what was I saying thank you okay so you will see um you'll see in the Bible when they when they in the Jewish Bible when it's this when it's Yahweh you will see capital L-O-R-D with O-R-D in lower case but when they would come across that they would not say it that's it adonai or Elohim um not not not the name no like an English uh speaking Jewish person may say Lord but not when reading scripture they're coming into contact with the the holy name and so they do not say that um and that is taking the do not use your Lord's name in vain that is taking that to a very severe degree they don't want to even risk saying it wrong so they don't say it at all yeah yep yep absolutely I was just gonna just gonna get there very cool um so they have a they do not want to cross the line at all um so they they stick with this now we will hear the word um Jehovah right and that is a mixing it's actually an accident that is a mixing of adonai with Yahweh or Elohim with Yahweh so it's mixing the holy and mixing um with the the word that they are allowed to speak the name that they are allowed to speak so Jehovah is actually a um uh an error in pronunciation so um but as a Christian people we we know when someone uses the word Jehovah we know what it means and um don't don't rebuke anyone um if they use Jehovah because we know that we know um the Messiah so the Jewish people did believe in a Messiah and they believed that the Messiah would bring about a certain rule and reign and power for the Jewish people there would be no more oppression for the Jewish people and through the years um that has kind of gone by the wayside they kind of say well there could be a Messiah there couldn't be it's not like they are waiting with anticipated breath for a Messiah because history has taught them kind of a dashed hope dashed dream they had other Messiah's prior to Jesus who um who died who were killed so then Jesus comes along and they put all their hopes into or you know a lot of the people put all their hopes into Jesus and then what happens they watch him die and so then when he is resurrected they deny or they reject his resurrection because he still died and Rome is still oppressing them so the Messiah has a lot of political um leaning in power and need and deliverance built into it in the Jewish uh into the Jewish people so there have been many Messiah's in history according to the Jewish understanding but um but through history with their hopes being dashed with them still being persecuted or oppressed um they kind of like modern day Judaism um thinks it's a cute cute story um yeah when they when you're here fighting the Messiah but didn't part of them looking for the Messiah as a blocker coming back you know the coming back in the summary you're using the Messiah is some like a flat against Rome back yeah they wanted a Messiah to fight against Rome and some of them but there's only you who released the Messiah as a spiritual the Messiah with Judaism the Messiah um had a spiritual component but it had a political component that um and that's where the political aspect um it didn't follow through they still were oppressed the whole call for the Jewish people as a tribe was to be separate to be a people unto themselves and that is why you don't have you know Jewish missionaries going out and and trying to convert people into Judaism because if you are if you are Jew a Jew then you would be so um by birth or if you married into it but they do not like like as a whole and this is this is a lot of generalizations so if you have Jewish neighbors or friends um and and you're sitting there going that's not my experience absolutely this is on a whole um generalizations um and and every you know every individual is going to be different um but they are to be a separate people and um yeah we'll go ahead and jump there right now so this is where the um the Holocaust and when speaking with our Jewish neighbors the Holocaust is so important to keep in mind because in the 1900s the Jews let down their guard and they got familiar with their neighbors with their people with their community and they did not expect the cruelty and the the just utter evil to happen to them because they were neighbors they had mingle they had intermingled and um and so the Holocaust is very very important to keep in mind and I think it's an important this is kind of an aside but I think it's important for us to keep in mind anyway because that is a a just evil outright evil in front of our faces our kids need to understand that evil exists in this world and um I just think that's a total aside but we need to understand that evil exists in the world and and how um we how we live um in opposition to that one of the things with the Holocaust that caused a lot of um of breaking between the Jewish people and their Christian neighbors is that Martin Luther's writings were used in defense of the Holocaust um now I think that it's important for us to know this and uh I I like how this author puts it um so so Luther was not inherently anti-Semitic um early in his career he has writings that are very loving um for the Jewish people calling Christians to be kind and loving to their Jewish neighbors so there was no question that he had entered into um into ministry loving his Jewish neighbors and and and supporting that um and then Luther had a writing that was against the lies of um oh it's on the Jews and their lies it was written in night in 1543 and and he argued that Jewish synagogues schools and prayer books should be burned that rabbis should be for forbidden to preach and homes property and money should be confiscated and the 1930s Germans um used that and so in the Holocaust museums you will very possibly find writings of this writing of Martin Luther as an excuse and that has damaged greatly the trust and the relationship between Christians and their Jewish neighbors now in a sermon three days before Luther died in um he again let me find this here he returned back to um back to the position that he had in 1523 so he again spoke of loving the Jewish neighbor um so it really stinks it's very unfortunate that his writing is preserved that was used in a very very bad way yes there was um uh did it did it did it did it did it hold on a second here let me find it yes I've read I've read all of this there's a lot of information in here so um okay so it was a religious dispute um so he had written he had written a treatise in 1523 that was entitled Jesus Christ was born a Jew and he wrote of the Jews as an honorable people who are the lineage of Christ advising a gentle approach for them and speaking against the very things he wrote in 1543 but um but in 1543 um as he had been having some success at witnessing to Jewish people in and around Vittenburg um he came under attack by local Jewish anti-missionaries who called Luther a false teacher and that Christ was a false Messiah and that Christianity was a false religion and so those are the lies that he was responding to um and Luther um for all the good and the the wonderful um direction that he put us as a Christian people on the path with scripture being scripture being scripture right the word alone faith alone grace alone um he was human and he sinned and um and he did did come back and um and again to return to the 1523 treatise um in in being kind and gentle with our Jewish neighbors um he was definitely one of those that was loud, brash and spoke possibly um just out of emotion we don't know fully what his intention was and i bring that up because when we speak with our Jewish neighbor this easily could be brought up that's been brought up to me when i was when i was in Lutheran seminary one of my family members who i did not grow up Lutheran one of my family members said Luther's the reason for the Holocaust how do you feel about that? So um so have to go back and and look at that and um and you know when when evil is at hand it will seek anything and everything to um to move forward right but ultimately God's word prevails and God's goodness prevails and and he keeps his hand upon us so i do want to bring that up because there's no way when you are speaking with um a Jewish whether they are a faithful practicing Jew or a tribal Jew right ethnically a Jewish person um the Holocaust will come up and um so i think that that's that's important to know so um another very key teaching in Judaism is tikun olam which means repair of the world so they do not have a teaching of original sin they absolutely do not believe in the depravity of man um but they do have an obligation to works and the obligation to works is in order to achieve a more perfect world yes yes where did the good marker go there we go sorry okay tikun olam okay so tikun olam is repair of the world um and holoca will write that one down too holoca is an important part of this holoca is the walk so we've got repair of the world and we've got the walk and the walk is really that daily living guided by a system of ethics and study of God so it's this is where you are you are walking repairing the world by studying the word of God and living under the systems of ethics that God's word gives so it's a constant um a constant happening and part of that a huge part of that is shabbat or sabbath and it's resting as a people together away from the rest of the world and so they go to synagogue and they come together and that time is um studying God's word it is praying it is fellowship sounds very familiar to the first church in Acts 2 where they were devoted to the fellowship the teaching of the apostles breaking of bread and prayer that is a great example of um of sabbath because they are spending life together at least once a week they are coming together shutting out the rest of the world and and really living as a people um it's it's done as a community and you get the fullness of the community in that um midrash I dare you say midrash so pillpool is debate right that's that's where they get in and midrash is where um one is seeking answers to religious questions so pillpool we we read about that in the bible where where there is discussion amongst the scholars amongst the religious authorities and Jesus they're engaging in pillpool when they're debating over things then there's also where when at the feet of the rabbi and the rabbi is sitting there teaching that is midrash where people can ask questions and the rabbi can teach can give religious answers so a good example comes up in our reading today where Jesus has been has been sitting there teaching and blessing the children and and he gets up to go and and a young man comes and he he kneels down before Jesus and he says what must I do to inherit eternal life that is where he is seeking an answer to a religious question that would be an example of midrash um so something that is absolutely key in Judaism is and this goes along with the um with the uh monotheism goodness gracious the monotheism is um they're uh oh yeah yeah they're shema or shema which if you open your bibles to Deuteronomy six we'll find this Deuteronomy six and you guys already know where Deuteronomy is that was awesome you all know the Pentateuch so well so I'm going backwards so Deuteronomy is the fifth book in the Bible it is the fifth book of the Pentateuch we're going to Deuteronomy six starting in verse four where it says here oh Israel the Lord is our God the Lord alone you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away when you lie down and when you rise bind them as a sign on your hand fix them as an emblem on your forehead and write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates twice a day morning and evening the Jewish people are to do the shema and it begins with that with that proclamation here oh Israel the Lord your God is one or the Lord is your God the Lord alone and and then there is a response and then the rest of those verses is is read then they they have another portion of Deuteronomy that they read and then it ends every shema so twice a day every shema ends with numbers 15 so let's go back to numbers let's just back one chap or one book numbers 15 verse 37 through 41 or verses 37 through 41 where it says the Lord said to Moses speak to the Israelites and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner you have the fringe so that when you see it you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes so you shall remember and do all my commandments and you shall be holy to your God I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God I am the Lord your God so again you begin your prayers with hero Israel the Lord is your God alone and then you end with the Lord's words that he is your God he is your Lord so that begins everything and just like we were talking about their belief in the monotheistic you know one God alone that is built into everything so we have as a people I say ethics guidance and and laws now the 613 a good portion of those are not doable because the temple was destroyed in 70 AD so so they do not have they cannot follow all 613 but the ones that they do have they do they are still expected to follow so they believe that God is is God there's one God they do not believe that there's a Messiah they've been disappointed and so they're not going to do that again very guarded because of the history especially the Holocaust and then the the feast and the festive gosh there's so much to get through and okay we may do a little more Judaism next week too because it's fascinating because we a misconception is that by the Christian churches that we don't have to say anything to our Jewish neighbor that that we really are worshipping the same God that we really are basically in line with our Jewish neighbor but we're not because they deny Christ they deny his death and yes resurrection yet yes well the sacrifices and the offerings they are not they they can't do the sacrifices right now this goes in with the 613 myths and they can't do that so everything they can do they are still obligated to do but this is where we come into that interesting kind of division where you have for lack of better term several denominations within Judaism where some really it is all cultural right we are part of we are Jewish because we're part of this tribe but there is no religious significance to it and they actually have what they refer to like Exodus the story of being brought out of slavery from Egypt there are some sex and Judaism that refer to that basically as grandmother's stories it's a little better a little more reverent than an old wives tale but not much it's it's a cute story oh gosh what is that called a a Bubba Mace a Bubba Mace yes so so even though they go through these in their feasts in their festivals which we need to get to oh my gosh they're they're just stories so so with this man what what what this previous Jewish man who is now Lutheran pastor I almost said Lutheran rabbi oh my goodness this Lutheran pastor he says that that it is harmful for us and it is not loving and not kind for us to not share with our Jewish neighbors we are we will I we're just gonna have to you know what we were gonna do five different religions but we may just do one no we will we will do some more but but we have to there's so much built into this that is just fascinating that we have to return to this I was gonna say something else and I can't remember what it was but it's just amazing we are next week we'll touch on the on the feasts and how there's so much that is built into the Jewish faith that points us directly to Christ and this is why you know I thought oh we'll start with Judaism because it's just this easy link and then I start reading and I'm like wow this is amazing and there is a lot more to it than what I expected and I also want to get into the how are we not worshiping the same God because that's that how does that make sense but we're gonna we're gonna do those two things since we are definitely returning to this is there anything else that we definitely want to touch on next week with Judaism oh they are traders yes so he asked he said what about Messianic Jews like there are there are Jewish converts to Christianity and and Jewish people the Jewish people are fine with with whatever anyone else in the Jewish tribe wants to believe they are fine with Christians who are Gentiles but a Jewish Christian is the only thing that they have that is like a heretic or a traitor no they they are no longer to be considered Jewish yes so you have okay so you you know someone who was Catholic then converted to Messianic Jewish which that is a Jewish person who who follows this with the understanding that Jesus has died for our sins and and right so I feel sad because then they have just put themselves under the burden of the law right um although I so I grew up Catholic so I will say I mean kind of under the burden of the law as a Catholic too but um yeah interesting very very interesting okay yes prophecies that point towards Christ well they don't read some of them they skip right over them legitimately yep yes yes yes yes sorry differences that the modern okay and that's another that is another thing that I didn't get to yet I'm telling you there is so much to cover it is just unbelievable it was like opening just it was just amazing amazing and that's also why I say like this is a great book but be ready because you will dive in and then have a hundred more questions and then go on all sorts of tangents is so we have a lot to cover next week god bless and we will we will continue diving into Judaism next week thank you Good morning and welcome. They're encouraging because we're promised that Jesus will return and they're encouraging because we know that though Jesus will come like a thief in the night he will be here when we least expect it or don't know that it's coming that he's coming we have nothing to fear because we are not children of the darkness we are no longer children of sin captive and bonded with in the slavery of sin but instead we are children of light think about when Jesus appeared first to his disciples after his resurrection they were hiding there was chaos there was fear they were trembling and Jesus did not knock waiting for them to answer waiting for them to invite him in they had to be really scared when all of a sudden he was just standing there he didn't ask he just entered much like his disciples his first disciples where he just entered he did not wait for them to invite him in and Jesus is not knocking at the door of your life waiting until you can clean up and waiting until you will graciously open the door for him to come in the beauty and the wonderment of our Lord Jesus Christ is that the messy the chaos it doesn't frighten him he is not obliged and does not feel obliged to wait outside until we can get our house in order our houses in order messy doesn't frighten Jesus not even hoarding messy hoarding messy doesn't frighten Jesus it doesn't scare him off you look at his ministry he healed a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years he physically touched the leper he would speak to the adulterous and the prostitute he wasn't frightened off by the man possessed by legion the many demons he walked with tax collectors he called for Lazarus who had been dead for days to be brought out of the tomb messy didn't scare Jesus in his ministry and messy certainly does not scare Jesus as our resurrected Lord Jesus went throughout his ministry not fearing those whose lives were messy not fearing those who were in a chaotic state whether they were possessed by demons or diseased with leprosy he continued to go forth facing the very messy crucifixion that was looming ahead of him he knew fully well what his messy death would mean in Isaiah the prophet wrote see my servant shall prosper he shall be exalted and lifted up and shall be very high just as there were many who were astonished at him so marred was his appearance beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of mortals his body would be abused and tortured so badly that he would be completely disfigured and unrecognizable he hung there tortured with my sin he was disfigured with your sin he was made unrecognizable by the sin of all creation in the series that we've had over the past couple of months resolution gods resolutions we went through several ways in the resolutions that God had made and how he would act toward his people toward his chosen disciples of whom we can be counted he was resolved to forget sin he was resolved to lift the burden of the law he was resolved to give us a new heart and a new spirit to never leave us to have plans for our future he was resolved to instruct us he was resolved that he would be with us so that we would not be overwhelmed or consumed by the problems of this world that he would be the God of the Exodus of the past present and future making us new and throughout this series we have seen with each of these resolutions how indeed he did come through our resolution the final resolution we are talking about today is the resolution that he will come again God is resolved to come again he has promised to come again if you look at Revelation chapter 22 verse 20 the one who testifies to these things says surely I am coming soon Jesus promised that he would come again and not only come again but to come soon what is soon what is soon no one knows we don't have the date we don't have the time we don't know how much time there is to clean up we don't know how much time there is to tell people that Jesus is coming and coming soon but we can look around us we can look at the world around us and we see that it is full of war and rumors of war the earth groans under the weight of men we disregard others come Lord Jesus come and this side of heaven as we await the coming of Christ as we look for him to come this side of heaven is not easy this side of heaven though we are saints we still struggle with the old Adam or the old evil a Eve sorry the nature of the flesh that is hemorrhaging in sin the lepros disease of greed and selfishness the adulterous bride of God who is unfaithful to Christ her bride groom the nature in which we are dead in sin if we continue in our reading the final words of God holy and living word for the saints is the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints amen the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints the grace the free freely given freeing love and mercy of Jesus Christ be with you as long as we remain on this side of heaven those who have been called into faith by the Holy Spirit will continue to need the constant grace and continued grace of God and we are promised that he will continue to pour out his grace upon us to pour out his mercy, his love, his forgiveness upon us and we will be carried in his grace the messy of the sin did not scare or frightened Christ the messy of our sin is exactly the messy that he experienced upon the cross the messy of our sin is exactly what he exchanged with us so that we could be given his unblemished holy and completely clean righteousness and we are carried through constantly turning over again and again the sins which are so messy in our lives and again and again we are promised the grace of Jesus Christ is with us we are promised to be carried in his righteousness and given his righteousness so when we think of this world when we consider the world around us it makes sense to cry out in that leak come come come Lord Jesus because we know that he is coming indeed and we know that we are assured that we are children of light because we have been forgiven our sin has been forgiven our messy has been taken from us and we have been cleansed completely through the blood of Jesus Christ so we can cry out come with all insurance but then we look around or we think of people who we know who those words come Lord Jesus strikes fear into their heart because they don't know Jesus and they don't know the offer that Jesus has for them they only know it if it is told to them my brothers and sisters you are the saints the disciples of today the disciples who are to carry his word his promise of love mercy and forgiveness to the ends of the earth the commission that he has given to all his disciples so that there would be more disciples for him together when he comes again who do you know who do you know who is not ready for Christ to pop in who do you know that is looking at the house in the chaos and mess and disarray and fears the truth of Christ go to them call them speak to them share with them the cleansing word of Jesus Christ who does not fear the messy but cleanses the messy disgusting torture of sin and takes it from them and cleans them with his blood with his forgiveness because he loves them go to them share that word with them Jesus promised that he would come again Jesus is resolved to come again and we know that indeed he will come again he said surely I am coming soon and so we too with the Apostle John proclaim Amen come Lord Jesus Let's open our Bibles, please.

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