Sunday Morning – Idaville Church

A Side of Fries

A Side of Fries

I want to start this morning by giving you some words and I want you to say the word that goes with each one. Such as peanut butter and ________. (jelly). Salt and __________. (pepper). Batman and __________. (Robin). Romeo and __________. (Juliet). Hamburger and __________. (fries). For those who go to fast food restaurants which restaurant’s fries do you like the best? I am going to say the name of some restaurants and if they are your favorite, I want you to clap. Burger King. Wendy’s. Chick-Fila-A. McDonalds. Five Guys. I would say that most of you like _______________ fries the best. I went on Google and found three people who ranked the fries at these five restaurants. Then I took the average to come up with the following rankings. At #5 is Burger King. At #4 is Five Guys. At #3 is Chick-Fil-A. At #2 is McDonalds. And at #1 is Wendys. Now if you are the least bit interested, here are my own personal fry rankings: At #5 is Burger King. At #4 is Wendys. At #3 is Chick-Fil-A. At #2 is Five Guys and my favorite French fry is McDonalds. Alright now that that is out of the way. What do fries have to do with Leviticus 2?

Last week we finished with God instructing Moses on the first of five offerings the Israelites were to bring before Him in worship. The first offering or sacrifice was the burnt offering and God spelled out the rules and regulations the people and the priests needed to follow when they brought it before Him. Let me recap the major points of the burnt offering. The burnt offering came first in Leviticus because it was the most prevalent. A perfect male lamb was sacrificed on the altar first every morning and last every night. For the offeror, it symbolized total surrender and devotion to God. It was completely consumed by the fire and there was nothing left over for the worshipper, which made it very costly. The acceptable sacrifices were bulls, sheep, goats, doves and pigeons. The burnt offering atoned for sin, turned away God’s wrath, and brought reconciliation between God and man. When it was done according to God’s standard it was “a pleasing aroma” to Him. “A pleasing aroma” describes the rising smoke from the burnt offerings symbolizing that the sacrifice and the worshiper's heart was wholly pleasing to God. The burnt offering points us to Jesus Christ as He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God, who voluntarily sacrificed Himself on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. Just as the burnt offering was completely consumed on the altar, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross completely consumed our sins, once and for all. Jesus’ sacrifice was a “pleasing aroma” rising before God showing His pleasure in Christ’s perfect obedience and the reconciliation it achieved.

This morning, we are going to look at the second offering that God ordained to be offered in the worship lives of His people, called the “grain” offering. Now, not 100% of the time, but most of the time, the grain offering accompanied the burnt offering with the burnt offering almost always being offered first. This is because whenever you came before God in worship, your sins needed to be atoned for first. According to one person, the burnt offering was like a “hamburger”, and the grain offering was like a “side of fries.” While the burnt offering brought reconciliation between God and man, the grain offering was a gift of thanksgiving that acknowledged God's provision of their physical and spiritual needs. God had saved them from slavery in Egypt and had chosen them as His people, His royal priesthood, His holy nation and His special possession. And so, in thanksgiving and remembrance of that salvation, provision and covenant promises they were to bring an offering from the fruits of their labor, meaning their fields. It was to be the best that they had and was to be a token of their renewed dedication to keep the covenant the Lord made with them at Mt. Sinai. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to offer themselves and the best they have to Him in dedication and thanksgiving.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, we desire to sit at your feet and hear with joy what you have to say to us today. Prepare and open our hearts and minds with the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we will be transformed. Silence every voice in us but your own, so that we may hear your word, and then obey it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point, “Uncooked” is found in Leviticus 2:1-3. This is what God’s Word says, “When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

The first thing we can notice is that “anyone” can offer a grain offering. In chapter one the Hebrew word used was “mankind” and the word used here is “soul.” So literally any “soul”, man or woman, could bring a grain offering to the Lord. The Hebrew word for “grain offering” means “a gift”, “donation” or “tribute from an inferior to a superior.” This offering demonstrated their thankfulness for what their covenant king had done for them and for continuing to provide for them. They gave this gift to the Lord with joy and with the desire to rededicate themselves in relationship and communion with Him. This gift offering had to be given according to God’s standards in order for it to be accepted. They were to give their offerings in faith and with the right heart before God. This is because the offering pointed to Christ and what He would do for them and for us on the cross. The same is true for us. We must be one with Christ giving our offerings in faith and with the right heart or it will not be accepted. This same Hebrew word for “grain offering” is used for both Cain and Abel’s offerings, one being accepted and other one was not.

The first offering was an “uncooked” grain offering that was to consist of fine flour. The main flour cultivated by the Israelites was wheat flour and so this is what is probably in view here. It was to be “fine” flour, meaning, one, it was flour that has been finely ground and two, meaning it was the most purified flour and representative of the best they had. The grain offering is a picture of Jesus Christ as the first and finest grain of wheat that must be put in the ground and die to produce many seeds. We see that in John 12:24. This offering acknowledged that Jesus is the Bread of Life and that He gives eternal life to those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The grain for this offering was given by God to the people, but they had to do the work of grinding it into flour to be used in their worship of the Lord. Today, as we work, in whatever capacity, paid or volunteer, we are to work to the best of our ability remembering we are Christ-followers and we can only do what we do because God has given us the resources and ability.

Next, the worshipper was to pour a generous amount of olive oil on the flour. In God’s Word, oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. By pouring oil on it and not mixing it in, it is a picture of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Again, this is a picture of Jesus who is the Messiah or the Christ, which means the “Anointed One.” After pouring oil on top, the worshipper put frankincense on it as well. Frankincense was expensive and so it was worthy of being offered to God and it was fragrant so its burning would give off a sweet-smelling aroma. This symbolized the offeror’s complete and fragrant act of devotion and worship ascending to the Lord as an acceptable and pleasing aroma to Him. It is also a picture of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and that His sacrifice on the cross was an acceptable and pleasing aroma to His Father. Jesus had acceptably fulfilled the work God sent him to do on the earth.

The offering was then taken by the worshipper to Aaron’s sons, the priests, at the tabernacle. This would have identified the offering as the worshipper’s much like the bird in the burnt offering was. One of the priests would take a handful of the flour and oil and all the incense and burn it on the altar. The priests as the people’s mediator, holy and set apart by God were the only ones who could burn the offerings on the altar. This points to our offerings being sanctified by Christ alone who is the mediator between God and us. This handful is called a memorial portion which comes from the word meaning “to remember.” The worshipper was to remember what God had done and was still doing for them. If the worshipper correctly followed the regulations for the grain offering and did it with the right heart it would be a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Again, we are pointed to Christ as we are to “remember” His sacrifice on the cross for us and everything we “do” for the Lord should be done in devotion and thanksgiving to Him. The rest of the grain offering was to go to Aaron and his sons. The worshipper had given his offering in thanksgiving and gratitude for what God had done for him and so it would not have made sense for the worshipper to take any part of it back. As this offering was given to the Lord, he had the right to do with it what he wanted. Calling it most holy told the people and the priests that it had to be used in a “holy” way not in a profane or unholy way. Since the priests were set apart and holy to the Lord it went to them. In effect it was “wages’ for their work in the Tabernacle.

Our second point, “Cooked”, is found in Leviticus 2:4-10. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with olive oil. If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

In contrast to the first offering being “uncooked” this section talks about “cooked” offerings. The first type of cooked offering was one that was “oven baked.” It also had to be made from their best and finest flour and without yeast. The worshipper could bring an offering of “thick” loaves or cakes with olive oil mixed in or “thin” loaves or wafers with olive oil brushed on. The olive oil being mixed in symbolized the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the oil being brushed on symbolizes being anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for “brushed” is the same word used to identify the coming Messiah in Isaiah 61:1 which says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” This is a picture of Christ who was anointed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the OT.

The second type of cooked offering was one that was prepared on a griddle. Again, it was made of the finest flour mixed with oil and without yeast. The worshipper was to crumble it or break into pieces and pour oil on it. This is to remind us of Christ’s body being broken for us as we partake in Holy Communion. The oil again pictures the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Jesus. The third type of cooked offering was one cooked in a pan. Again, this offering had to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. In all three baked offerings we see Christ and the purity of his life saturated with the Spirit of God. He is fully human and fully God and His goodness overflows to those who offer themselves and the best they have in dedication and thanksgiving to Him (Big Idea). Just like the uncooked offering, these three cooked offerings were to be brought to the Lord at the tabernacle and presented to the priest who was to take it to the altar.

The priest would again take out the memorial portion and burn it on the altar. The Hebrew for this action by the priest means “to raise or exalt.” The memorial portion of the offering is raised above the rest and is to be burned as a sweet aroma to the Lord. The word for “burn” means more than “to consume.” It indicates a fragrant offering of incense. Again, by following God’s regulations for the offering it will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord as it was consumed on the altar. This is another picture of Jesus Christ raised up on the cross and exalted before the Lord. Jesus was the memorial portion given by God so that humanity could be saved. The Israelites brought the grain offering to show their dedication and gratitude to the Lord for saving them. They were to live obedient, holy lives in relationship with Him. Again, the rest of the offering was to go to Aaron and his sons as it was the most holy part of the food offering presented to God.

Our third point, “Further Regulations”, is found in Leviticus 2:11-13. This is what God’s Word says, “Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the first fruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

In this section, we get some further regulations on the grain offering. God prohibits every grain offering from being made with yeast and they were not to burn any yeast or honey on the altar in a food offering presented to the Lord. What was wrong with yeast or leaven and honey and why couldn’t their offerings be made with it or why couldn’t they be burned on the altar? Leaven was symbolic of pride, malice and hypocrisy and honey was symbolic of worldly sensual pleasure. And so, their offerings, meaning their lives, had to be free from those evil influences. And because the altar was holy, yeast and honey representing sin and evil, could not be burnt on it as a food offering presented to the Lord. Jesus lived a life that was directly opposed to what leaven and honey symbolized. And as Christ-followers, we are also to live our lives free of pride, malice, hypocrisy and sinful worldly pleasures. When we live lives filled with leaven and honey it keeps us from bringing ourselves and the best we have to the Lord. We can’t be wholly devoted to our Savior and Lord and thankful for what He has done for us if we are living our lives full of leaven and honey. That brings us to our first next step which is I will live my life free of yeast and honey.

In verse 12, it seems that God still allowed His people to bring yeast and honey to Him as "first fruits." Their first fruits offering was to be the first and best part of their harvest. This offering acknowledged God as the ultimate source of their harvest and demonstrated trust that He would provide the rest of their crops and blessings. The first fruits were to be presented differently and could not be burned on the altar for a "sweet aroma." When we remember the altar symbolizes Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross and that His sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to the Lord, we understand why yeast and honey had no place on God’s altar. Then God commands them to season all their grain offerings with salt. They were not to leave the “salt of the covenant” of their God out. We see the importance of salt as it is commanded three times in verse 12. First, salt was valuable in the ancient world. it was so valuable that Roman soldiers were paid with it (hence the saying “worth your salt”). Second, salt has the opposite effect of leaven and honey. Instead of corrupting the offerings, salt strengthened and preserved it. Salt can never be destroyed and so it is the perfect picture of the covenant between the Israelites and God. He always keeps His covenant, and it will last forever. It can never be broken until the Lord ends it himself. The salt is also a picture of Christ’s incorruptible nature.

It seems that salt could be used without limit symbolizing Jesus as infinitely incorrupt and that His followers would be infinitely acceptable to God because of his sinless life and work on the cross. Also, God is infinitely faithful, and he can infinitely preserve those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. By putting salt in their offerings, it would remind the Israelites to be faithful to their covenant as God is faithful to the covenant. For us it symbolizes our commitment to live under the lordship of Christ, to worship Him the way He commands and to be fully dedicated and faithful to Him. Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Salt is a flavor enhancer and so as Christians we are to be the “flavor of God” to the world. If we are to be the “salt of the earth” we must show the world the tangible impact of God’s presence in us. When we are in Christ, we will demonstrate what true power, love, peace, healing and forgiveness looks like. This means we will be different and must not compromise our faith for the sake of fitting in. Just as salt is the opposite of leaven and honey, we are to be the opposite of the world. Van Meter says, “Note that we are not called to make a difference; we are called to be different, and this will eventually make a difference.” That brings us to our second next step which is I will be the “salt of the earth” and spread the “flavor of God” to the world.

Our fourth point, “First Fruit Regulations”, is found in Leviticus 2:14-16. This is what God’s Word says, “If you bring a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as a food offering presented to the Lord.

An offering of first fruits was to be crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. “Roasted in the fire” symbolizes purification by fire. Jesus suffered the fire of God’s wrath for sinners and was crushed for our sakes. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Kaiser says, “As the grain was bruised and crushed to make the sacrifice for the ancient Israelite, so the living Bread was bruised and crushed for all who would believe.” First fruits in the Bible are a picture of Jesus Christ and those who are in Him. It symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection and our new birth. Jesus is the best and perfect "first fruits" offering of God's spiritual harvest, meaning His resurrection is the guaranteed promise and first taste of the future resurrection and eternal life for all believers. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” They were to again put oil and incense on their offering symbolizing the presence of the Spirit. The works of Christ and those who are in Christ, are sufficient to please God. The incense would be a fragrant offering of those who are obedient to the covenant. The priest would again burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil together with all the incense. Again, this offering was not only consumed on the altar, but it was also a sweet aroma. Jesus Christ was the memorial portion offered on the altar by which the Father kept and keeps His covenant. And it is on this basis that we are motivated to keep our covenant with Him.

I will conclude with this illustration. George Whitefield, the famed evangelist and companion of John Wesley, preached a farewell sermon to the passengers of the ship Whittaker, anchored near Savannah GA in 1738. It was entitled thankfulness for mercies received, and necessary duty. After four months of open seas, sailing from England, he characterized their adventure this way: “At God's almighty word, we have seen the stormy wind arise, which hath lifted the waves thereof. We have been carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep, and some of our souls melted away because of the trouble; but I trust we cried earnestly unto the Lord, and he delivered us out of our distress.” But it was telling what Whitfield acknowledged about the character of human ingratitude: “numberless marks do man bear in his soul, that he has fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, then that backwardness, which everyone finds within himself, to the duty of praise and Thanksgiving. Those on the ship were not inclined to give God praise and thanksgiving for their safety and their lives.

Luke’s gospel recalls the healing of 10 lepers by Jesus, but only one returned to give him thanks. The Lord remarked on the ingratitude of the other nine and the one who expressed Thanksgiving alone received Jesus confirming grace: “rise and go your way your faith has made you well.” Are you in the habit of saying thank you? Have you ever thought that thank you goes a long way in God's book? Let’s be people who show our gratitude to the Lord for who He is and for what He has done for us by offering ourselves and the best we have to Him. Let us be people who continually bring our “grain” offerings to the altar, with love, dedication, gratitude and thanksgiving for Him. I hope the next time you sit down to eat a side of fries that you will be reminded to dedicate yourself anew to the Lord and be grateful for how He saved you and provides for you. That brings us to our last next step which is I will offer myself and the best I have to the Lord as a token of my dedication and gratitude.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be in your house this morning and to study your Word. I pray that as we purpose to live according to your Word, we will live lives free of yeast and honey; free of those sins that weaken our relationship with you. May we be the “salt of the earth” and spread your “flavor” to everyplace we work, live and play. Let us be people who daily offer ourselves and the best we have to you in dedication and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 7, 2025/by Office

Putting One Foot in the Basket

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Authority, Life, Relationship with God, Sacrifice, Work

Putting One Foot in the Basket

David Vetter was born in Texas on September 21, 1971, with severe combined immunodeficiency disease. He was forced to live in a specially constructed sterile plastic bubble from birth until he died at age 12. After 20 seconds of exposure to the world, David, nicknamed "Bubble Boy”, was placed in a plastic isolator bubble and spent his entire life in "bubbles" designed by NASA engineers (picture). When he was six, David took his first steps outside of the “bubble” thanks to NASA designing a special spacesuit so he could walk and play outside. Every time David used his suit, helpers had to complete a 24-step pre-excursion hookup and a 28-step suit-donning procedure to keep his environment sterile. Although the process of putting on the spacesuit was complicated, it was worth it for both David and his mother - who was able to hold her son in her arms for the first time on July 29, 1977 (picture). Through his bubble he could see people, talk to them, and come close to them, but he could not touch them except through the specially made spacesuit. His body had to be protected from the outside world as he would have died if he had ventured out of the environment that isolated him from germs.

We see the same kind of controlled environment in the Israelite tabernacle. It made interaction possible in spite of the divine human separation that had resulted from sin. In the tabernacle behind the veil separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place God came as close to His people as possible. Just as the boy in the bubble had to be isolated from disease God had to maintain a pure environment separate from the world of sin outside. Unlike the condition of the boy in the bubble, God's holy glory was lethal to people outside. But God made a way for His people to draw as close to Himself as possible and this was done by the bringing of ritual offerings before the Lord. This God-ordained ritual was a bridging mechanism that was able to span the gap between God and humans. When the ritual was performed correctly God and the Israelites could interact with each other. The first ritual offering that God put in place was the whole burnt offering, which symbolized the worshippers complete surrender of themselves to God which would result in a sweet-smelling pleasing aroma to Himself. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to be a whole burnt offering which results in a sweet-smelling aroma to Him.

Let’s pray: Almighty God, we gather here today in humble reverence, seeking Your presence among us. Open our hearts and minds to Your wisdom, by the power of your Holy Spirit. And as your holy Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, may we hear with joy what you want to say to us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Three weeks ago, we started our study of Leviticus, looking at chapter 1 verses 1-4. We learned it was a continuation of what was happening in Exodus 40, where Moses had finished constructing the tabernacle and God had come down to inhabit it. We learned that Moses couldn’t go in because now even he needed to come before the Lord with the proper offering or sacrifice. In Leviticus 1:1, the Lord calls to Moses from the tent and starts to give him instructions about how the sinful Israelites could approach a holy God in worship. It was imperative that God’s chosen people follow His instructions to the letter or they would be in danger of being destroyed. In the first five chapters, God will give instructions for five different offerings that the people were to bring to Him. The first offering, the whole burnt offering, may not have been the most important, but it was the most prevalent. A whole burnt offering was sacrificed every morning and every evening to the Lord. The Israelites would have been familiar with this offering as we see them in the book of Job and in the book of Genesis. The whole burnt offering was completely offered to the Lord except for the skin of the animal. It all literally went “up in smoke” before the Lord.

We learned that the main purpose of the burnt offering was to show complete devotion and commitment to God, but it was also given to make atonement for the worshipper. This was not a sin offering but because every person is inherently sinful, their sin must be dealt with. There needed to be reconciliation between God and man before they could approach Him in communion and worship. The whole burnt offering would have been the most expensive offering to bring because it was completely burned up and the worshipper received nothing in return. It also had to be a male animal without defect or blemish from the worshippers domesticated herd, flock or birds. It was a freewill offering to the Lord and had to be the best the person could offer. God began His instructions with the most expensive animal to be sacrificed - a male cow or bull from the worshipper’s herd. The ritual had regulations that had to be followed by both the worshipper and the priest in order for the worshipper to be atoned for and their offering to be accepted. First, the worshipper brought the bull to the door of the courtyard, and it was inspected by the priest. Then it was brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting which was before the Lord. These regulations would have reminded the worshipper that their sin must be dealt with before approaching God's presence.

Last time we were in Leviticus we saw that the first step to ensuring the offering was an acceptable sacrifice was for the worshipper to “lean with all one’s weight” on the head of the sacrifice. This symbolized that the worshipper was depending on their voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant freewill offering to bring them atonement and acceptance with God. Now we pick up God’s instructions in Leviticus 1:5. As we move forward, we want to notice that the responsibilities are shared between the worshipper and the priests. The second step to ensuring the offering was an acceptable sacrifice was that the worshipper had to slaughter the young bull before the Lord. This ritual was sacred because it happened in the Lord’s presence. The word used for slaughter did not mean indiscriminate or inhumane killing. God’s Word promotes the care of animals and not abuse, so God ordained that the slaughtering of their sacrifices be quick and rather painless. Try to imagine the scene. All the worshipper’s senses would have been engaged in their worship of God. There would be touch as they leaned on the animal. There would have been sight as they looked into the animal’s eyes as they slit its throat and it died at their feet. There would be sound as the animal died and sounds of other livestock in the courtyard to be sacrificed. Also, even though it is not mentioned, the worshipper would not have remained silent. As they slaughtered their sacrifice, they were probably, one, simultaneously confessing any sin they had in their hearts or had committed and, two, praying and or singing songs and hymns. This would not have been a quiet scene. There also would have been smells as the worshipper smelled the blood of their sacrifice. It would have been a very moving ritual that should have impacted the worshipper with the extent of their sinfulness and the penalty that had to be paid for them to be atoned for and reconciled to God. It would also have given them a profound sense of God’s holiness in that they could not be near His presence without the shedding of blood.

Next, the priest had the responsibility of collecting the blood of the sacrifice as the animal bled out. The blood was sacred and was not to touch the ground and become defiled. We are reminded that the only Levites who could be priests at the altar and tabernacle had to come from the lineage of Aaron. They were given this sacred responsibility because they had been set apart by God to fulfill these duties. Anything to do with the holy altar and tabernacle, which was set apart for God’s use, had to be attended by those He had set apart to do His work. After collecting the blood, the priests would take it and “splash” it against the sides of the altar at the tent of meeting. Most versions say “sprinkle,” but the word used means a more forceful application. It refers to large amounts of blood being “thrown” against the sides of the altar. By throwing the blood on the altar, the priest presented the animal’s lifeblood to the Lord, making atonement possible for the worshipper. Next, the worshipper was to skin the animal and cut it into pieces. Again, this was done humanely and not sloppily and haphazardly, kind of like butchering today. As the responsibilities again alternated to the priest, they would put fire on the altar and arrange the wood on it. This doesn’t mean they started the fire on the altar each time a sacrifice was brought, but that they “stoked” the fire to get it hot and ready for the sacrifice. Again, the priests were responsible for this because the altar was sacred and set apart. In Leviticus 9:24, fire came out of the presence of the Lord and consumed Aaron’s first offerings and that fire was to never be extinguished as commanded in Leviticus 6:13. It was to be kept burning because it was a sacred gift from heaven. It was a reminder of God’s holy presence, judgment against sin and the constant need for their atonement through sacrifice. The divine fire represented God’s acceptance of the sacrifices and his ongoing relationship with His people. It also pointed to the eventual sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Next, the priests arranged the pieces of the animal, the head and the fat, in an orderly fashion on the wood on the altar. Since God is a God of order, the priests had to lay the pieces out the same way it would have looked alive, from its head to its feet. The responsibilities again alternate with the worshipper. Presumably while the priests are arranging the head and the fat on the altar, the worshipper was to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, probably from the bronze laver. They were washing the dirt and filth off the animal that had accumulated from grazing and being slaughtered. This was done because the sacrifice had to be cleansed before being put on the holy altar before a holy God. It symbolized purity, preparation, and removal of anything undesirable or sinful from the offering. This reminds us of our need for spiritual purification and to have our hearts cleansed before we come into the presence of God. Lastly, the priests were to simply burn all of the offering on the altar. By burning all of it as a food offering, the Israelites demonstrated their gratitude and acknowledgment of God as their provider. When we think of the worshipper’s senses, this offering would have smelled like a backyard BBQ that makes your mouth water. It smells pleasing to you and you can’t wait to devour it. It was the same for the Lord as the food offering was a pleasing aroma to Him, which was the ultimate purpose for the whole burnt offering. The phrase “a pleasing aroma to the Lord” highlights how such offerings were metaphorically accepted by God, signifying His approval and pleasure of His people’s worship of Him. Now fellowship and relationship could take place.

This scripture underscores the importance of reverence and proper preparation in our worship. We should strive for purity in our own lives. When we offer our time, talents, treasures or praise, glory and worship to God, it must come from a place of preparation and readiness. When we worship the Lord, we must come before Him, serious about our commitment and relationship with Him, giving ourselves wholly, and holding nothing back. (Big Idea). God is more interested in our heart and the intentions behind our offerings than the physical gifts we bring before Him. We must examine our motives as it says in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Next, we see instructions for those who didn’t have the means to offer a bull for sacrifice. It could also be an offering from the worshipper’s flock, meaning a goat or a sheep. An animal from the flock would not have been as costly as one from the herd but would have been costlier than the third allowable offering of a bird. What God was conveying was that no one was exempt from offering their sacrifices to him and everyone had the means to come before Him with a sacrifice. There was no excuse because you couldn’t afford it. If you couldn’t afford a young bull, you could offer a sheep or a goat, and if you couldn’t afford that, you could offer a bird instead.

The instructions for the sheep or goats are shorter than for the young bull, because some of the instructions would be assumed to be the same. New instructions are given, and the most important parts are repeated. The important parts that are repeated was that it had to be a male without defect and Aaron’s sons the priests were to collect the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. The worshipper was to cut the animal into pieces, the priests were to arrange the pieces on the altar, the worshipper was to wash the internal organs and legs with water, and the priest was to bring the pieces to the altar and burn it up completely. The only variant is that the sheep or the goat was to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar which seems to be different than where the bull was to be slaughtered. In most of the offerings, scripture says the bulls were to be killed “before the Lord” and the sheep specifically on the “north side” of the altar. The slaughtering of the bulls seems to be connected to the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle, and the slaughtering of the sheep seems to be connected to the altar. Whereas the bulls symbolized power and respect seen in God Almighty, the sheep symbolized service to God seen in the altar. This section ends the same exact way the previous one did; with it being called a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to God, again meaning that the worshipper and their sacrifice was acceptable to Him.

Finally, the third type of burnt offering could be from the bird family, a dove or a pigeon. An offering of a bird would have been for the poorest Israelite or Israelite family. Both sheep and the turtledoves or pigeons would have been prevalent. Sheep were used for sacrifice so much that later on that there was a gate going into Jerusalem called the Sheep Gate. According to Isaiah 60:8, doves were domesticated. They were prevalent in the hilly regions of Palestine and were easily caught. Pigeons were available all year long and their nests with their young could be easily found. Notice again that God’s instructions for the birds are shorter than for the sheep and the goats. Again, some of the previous instructions are assumed, the most important parts are repeated and new instructions are given. This time the responsibilities change somewhat. The worshipper’s identification with the offering is seen in handing the bird over to the priest to be sacrificed. The priest pretty much does everything in sacrificing the bird as the burnt offering. This is probably because of the size of the offering. The priest, instead of the worshipper, was to bring the bird to the altar and kill it by wringing off its head. Removing the head of the bird would have been the equivalent of cutting off the head of the other burnt offerings. This would have made it easier for the priest to drain out the blood on the side of the altar.

Next, the priest was to remove the crop and the feathers. Removing the feathers would have been the equivalent of skinning the bulls, sheep and goats. The crop, the internal organs of the bird, were not burnt on the altar because they could not have been washed properly and thus were not considered pure. The priest would then take the crop and feathers and throw them down east of the altar. That was where the ashes from the offerings were kept. Once the pile got too large, the ashes would be taken by the priest to an area outside the camp to a ritually pure place. God is concerned with holiness even with items considered unclean. After wringing off the neck of the bird and removing the crop and feathers, the priest was to tear the bird apart by the wings but not divide it completely. This was probably to help it burn easier on the altar. Then lastly the priest would completely burn the bird on the wood that was burning on the altar. This section ends the same way the previous two did, calling the sacrifice a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to God.

All of the meticulous preparation taken in bringing their sacrifices before the Lord foreshadowed Jesus Christ and what He went through on the cross as He was crucified for our sins. Jesus is also seen in the sacrifices that God ordained for the burnt offering. The Israelites used bulls for breeding and oxen for pulling heavy loads as it says in Psalms 144:14. They are seen as well-laden and strong to labor symbolizing their patient, untiring labor and service. Jesus in Matthew 11:28 said to come to Him all who are weary and heavy laden and He will give them rest. Jesus was also patient and untiring in His service to His heavenly Father. Sheep were docile animals and totally submissive to the shepherd and so we also see uncomplaining submission of Jesus before His Father. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Lastly, the dove was considered clean, gentle and inoffensive. A dove does not retaliate when attacked and is the international symbol of peace. Jesus was gentle and did not retaliate. 1 Peter 2:23 says, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” A dove was also innocent. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says he was sending His disciples out into the world as “innocent” as doves. The word “innocent” means “free from evil and guile.” Guile means deceitful cunning, duplicity, or treachery. Jesus was innocent and free from evil and guile, which speaks to the way Jesus conducted Himself. Jesus was the equivalent of all that the God-ordained sacrifices symbolized. We are also to conduct ourselves in the same way as Jesus. That brings us to our first next step: I will live my life as a whole burnt offering to the Lord as I labor tirelessly, submit uncomplainingly and conduct myself free from evil and guile.

The good news of Leviticus is that God will accept with pleasure anyone who comes into His presence by substitutionary atonement through the shedding of blood. The worshipper secured access to God by grace through faith. They showed their faith by bringing the proper sacrifice and pressing their hand on its head. As Christians the burnt offering points to the voluntary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death completely satisfied the wrath of God against all sin. As Christ-follower we are ones who by faith accept Jesus Christ as their whole burnt offering and gives themselves completely to God as a living sacrifice that results in a sweet-smelling aroma before the Lord. The Christian finds favor with God through the shed blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. Apart from the shed blood of God’s perfect sacrifice there is no entrance into His presence. Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life and no one can come to the Father except through Him. The only way to salvation is by receiving God’s perfect sacrifice, believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ and submitting to His authority. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, there is no reason why anyone should not come and share the benefits of expiation through Jesus, the whole burnt offering. Jesus is calling everyone to come to Him. There is no reason to say no to Jesus. So, if you are ready to say “yes” to Jesus for the very first time for your salvation, this second next step is for you: I will receive God’s perfect burnt offering, believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ and submit to His authority.

In conclusion I want to share this illustration from Robert D’Alessandro. He says, “I heard a sermon where the pastor gave this example of giving ourselves as a whole burnt offering and living sacrifice that results in a sweet-smelling aroma to God.” He said it probably was not a true story, but it could have been. It happened back in the days of the Pilgrims, and the story goes that at one of the first Thanksgivings an American Indian went to a church service. And as the service progressed, there was an offering that was taken. The offering basket was passed through the congregation, and it came to the Indian who was meditating on what he just heard in the message. As the basket came to him, all eyes were on him wondering what he going to do with it? The Indian put it on the ground, stood up, and put one foot in the basket. That was his way of saying, I'm giving my life completely to God. God desires His people to offer themselves as whole burnt offerings and living sacrifices to Him and the result will be that our lives will be a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord (Big Idea). Let us be people who appropriate Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross for ourselves. Let us be people who strive to live as living sacrifices, striving for holiness, for total dedication and for doing everything wholeheartedly for the Lord. Let us be people who don’t hesitate to “put one foot in the basket” and give our lives completely to God. That brings us to our last next step which is I will “put one foot in the basket” offering myself as a burnt offering and a living sacrifice so that I become a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heaven Father, we thank you for your son, Jesus, who was a whole burnt offering given by you to us for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation. We are amazed at your love for us. Lord help us to desire to give ourselves as a whole burnt offering and a living sacrifice to you which will results in a sweet-smelling aroma to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

November 30, 2025/by Office

Thanksgiving Trivial Pursuit

Thanksgiving Sunday Morning Marc Webb

Thanksgiving Trivial Pursuit

There was a man preparing a Thanksgiving meal and his pet parrot kept bothering him and being rude. So, to discipline him, the man put the parrot in the refrigerator next to the Butterball Turkey he was thawing. After a few minutes, the man took the parrot out and the bird said, ''S-s-s-s-so sorry! P-p-p-p-please f-f-f-orgive m-m-m-me. But may I ask a question? Wh-wh-wh-wh-what did that t-t-t-t- turkey do?'' That funny question made me think about Thanksgiving trivia questions. How many have ever played trivial pursuit? Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer trivia and popular culture questions. So, today in preparation for Thanksgiving and in case you play Trivial Pursuit with your family later this week, I have a few questions about Thanksgiving for you. And maybe these questions will help you to win the game.

First question: Which president first called for a day of Thanksgiving? The answer is Abraham Lincoln. In fact, he didn’t just call for one day of Thanksgiving. In 1863, Lincoln called for two days of Thanksgiving. One was in August to express thanks for the Union victory at Gettysburg. The other was a general day of Thanksgiving for the last Thursday of November. By the 1890's nearly every state in the union celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month. Second question: Which president made Thanksgiving a holiday on the fourth Thursday of the month? The answer is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1939, the United States was at the tail end of the Great Depression and stores were worried about their holiday sales because the last Thursday of the month was November 30 that year. Thanksgiving had become the official start of the holiday shopping season and that only left a twenty-day shopping window, and stores were worried that the shortened season would hurt their sales.

So, FDR called for the holiday to be moved to the 4th Thursday of November and Republican-controlled states were not happy and protested the change. That caused twenty-three states to celebrate on the 4th Thursday and another twenty-three states to celebrate on November 30, the fifth Thursday of November. And in fact, two states actually celebrated both days. Finally, two years later, in November 1941, just a few weeks before Pearl Harbor, FDR signed legislation officially making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of the month. Bonus question: Which two states celebrated Thanksgiving twice in 1939? The answer is Colorado and Texas. Now you are ready to win that game of Trivial Pursuit on Thanksgiving Day, as long as the questions are about Thanksgiving. If they aren’t you are on your own.

Today from Ephesians 5:15–21 and other scriptures, we will ask some other questions about thanksgiving and see how the Bible answers them. The words "thanks" or "thanksgiving" are mentioned anywhere from 100 to 170 times in different Bible translations, depending on the specific words included and the version used. For example, the King James uses those words around 103 times, the New Living Translation around 168 times, and the New American Standard about 170 times. In the Bible, the meaning of "thanks" and "thanksgiving" is a profound expression of gratitude, praise, and worship directed toward God for His blessings, power, and goodness. This is seen in thanks being given for victory, wisdom, and salvation, and it is emphasized as an action to be done in all circumstances and through prayer, song, and righteous living.

Some things to remember about offering “thanksgiving” to God. First, it is an act of worship. It is not just a polite "thank you" but a form of adoration and praise to God for who He is and what He has done for us. Second, it is a sacrifice: In the Old Testament, thanks was sometimes expressed through sacrificial offerings, indicating complete devotion to God. One of the reasons for the whole burnt offering that we are studying in Leviticus was to give thanks to God. Third, thanksgiving should be a way of life. As Christians, we are encouraged to be thankful in every situation, demonstrating faith even in hardship, and living a life of praise. Lastly, thanksgiving is a command. It is explicitly stated as God's will that as believers we should give thanks in all circumstances. That brings us to our big idea that God desires His people to bring Him sacrifices of thanksgiving at all times and in everything.

Let’s pray: Lord, as we open your word today pour out your Holy Spirit on us. Teach us, guide us, rebuke us and correct us through your Spirit so that we may learn more about who you are and how you want us to live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

So, these next questions about thanksgiving will probably not come up in your game of Trivial Pursuit. But they are the most important questions, and the answers will affect your life and faith. First, who should give thanks? God commands all people to give thanks to Him as a natural response to His goodness and providence. But as Christians, we should especially give thanks to God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he desires our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving because He is the only one worthy of it. Hebrews 13:15 says,

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly give thanks to his name.” Why should Christians give thanks to God? One, thanksgiving is a mark of our faith. Psalms 95:1-2 says, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Two, thanksgiving keeps us in a right relationship with God. When we are living a life of thanksgiving, we will recognize and acknowledge that all we have is a gift from God, and then we can truly enjoy and appreciate the Giver and the gifts. Three, thanksgiving reinforces our dependence on God as we affirm that our existence and every good thing come from His sovereign control, wisdom, and grace. Fourth, thanksgiving keeps us focused on God. When we are focused on Him and not on the things of this world, it keeps us from falling into idolatry and loving the things of this world more than God. Five, thanksgiving helps us to be aligned to His will. When we give thanks in all circumstances as commanded, it brings us back in line and re-centers our hearts when we have strayed. Six, thanksgiving also helps us to maintain our spiritual health. A lack of thankfulness is linked to moral corruption, while a thankful heart guards against bitterness and promotes joy.

Seven, thanksgiving builds confidence. It gives us confidence in God for what He has done for us in the past, what He is doing for us in the present and what He will do for us in the future. We can trust in His perfect and good plan for our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” So, who should give thanks? Everyone should give thanks to God but especially Christians should be the first ones to give thanks. And one day everyone will give thanks to the Lord praising Him, no matter if you are a believer or not. Romans 14:11 says, “It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

That brings us to our second question: When should we give thanks? We should give thanks to God always and in everything. Ephesians 5:20 says, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says to “Rejoice always.” It is important we give thanks to God in the good times and the bad. I Chronicles 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” And Psalm 34:2-3 says, “I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” It's interesting that it can be harder to thank God in the good times than in the bad. When things are good, we get busy and distracted and a lot of times we don’t prioritize taking time to thank God for what He’s done for us and supplied to us. We are also too materialistic. We tend to rely on what we have, our money, possessions or other people more than God. Another reason is our own pride or jealousy. We think we deserve more and more, or we wonder why those we perceive as bad people are prospering more than we are. When things are good, we still tend to dwell on the negative, feeling there is nothing to be grateful for. We fail to take the time to be in the Lord’s presence in order to renew our gratefulness to Him. A lack of thankfulness is most often associated with a low view of God and high view of self. Or in other words, a low view of God’s holiness and a high view of our worthiness and what we deserve. In reality, it means we have a low view of our own sin. So when should we give thanks? We should give thanks to God always and in everything, in the good times or bad. (Big Idea)

That brings us to question number three: How should we give thanks? First, thanksgiving must come from more than just the heart, it must also be an action. In order to truly give thanks to God, you have to DO something. Now when you do that something, it must be with the right heart. But if we never actually do anything to prove our thankfulness or pray to God in gratitude, are we really thankful? It seems similar to how faith and works go together. A heart of thankfulness should lead us into living a life committed to thankfulness. The first way we can show our thanks to God is through obedience and living a righteous life. Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And in John 14:15, Jesus says to His disciples, “If you love me, keep or obey my commands.” If we are disobedient to the Lord’s commands, can we truly be grateful and thankful for who He is and what He has done for us? No, we can’t. Thankfulness is rooted in faith and trust that leads to obedience. Disobedience is a contradiction to a thankful heart and living a lifestyle of gratitude. Being disobedient shows a lack of trust in God's goodness and trading His will for our own.

The second way we can show our thanks to God is by worshipping with other believers. We see this Ephesians 5:18b - 19 which says, “Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Thanksgiving is a central part of worship, which involves gratitude for God's provision, goodness, and character. We show our thankfulness through prayer, songs and hymns, testimonies, communion and reading scripture. Both personal and corporate prayers of gratitude are important in worship. Worship often includes specific hymns and songs of praise that talk about the themes of gratitude, which a lot of times comes from the Psalms. Worship also involves sharing personal stories of God's faithfulness which serves as a powerful reminder for the community of believers. One of the reasons we praise the Lord for answered prayer is because they remind us of God’s faithfulness to us, they encourage us and they strengthen our faith which leads to more thankfulness and gratitude on our part toward Him. Worship also involves taking Communion, which is a profound expression of thanksgiving. The word "Eucharist" which is another word for Communion actually means "thanksgiving" in Greek. And worship involves reading scripture and recounting God's works and faithfulness as a form of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is rooted in scripture, where believers are commanded to give thanks in all circumstances and view it as a way to deepen their relationship with God. It shifts focus from self to God, cultivates a humble and content spirit, and acknowledges God's sovereignty.

The other thing is there will be a lot of thanksgiving going on in heaven and so being thankful to God on earth is practice for when we get there. Revelation 4:9 talks about the living creatures in heaven giving glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever.” And Revelation 11:16-17a says, “And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty.” Guess who the 24 elders represent? They represent us, the church! As the angels are shouting ‘Holy, Holy, Holy!', throughout eternity we will be singing, ''Thank You Lord...'' The third way we can show our thanks to God is through our personal relationships. We see this in Ephesians 5:21 which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Giving thanks for our personal relationships involves treating them in a Godly way and not taking advantage of them or speaking ill about them to others. When we practice thankfulness in our relationships, it helps shift our focus from what's missing to what's appreciated, which can positively affect our mental and physical health, improve communication, and foster a more loving environment. When we do these things with our family and friends it strengthens the bonds of friendship and familial love and strengthens our faith in God because we are in obedience to Him. God has wired us to be thankful people and to enjoy our relationships with others that in turn strengthens our relationship with Him.

What are some practical ways we can express thankfulness in our personal relationships? We can express gratitude to them verbally and show our appreciation for them by giving handwritten notes or doing other thoughtful gestures. We can show we care by remembering their preferences and spending quality time with them, especially doing things they like to do which demonstrates your appreciation for them. We can also serve our family and friends by helping to alleviate their burdens. Lastly, it is important to express our thankfulness in the moment. That will carry more weight than if you wait days later to show your thankfulness. This is also important to being thankful to God. We should give thanks to God right away instead of waiting. When we don’t give thanks immediately, we are prone to forget to do it at all. Once we forget to be thankful to God or anyone else, it is really easy to forget the next time and the next time. Then it becomes a habit that turns into ungratefulness.

Also, God gives us good things so we can give good things to others. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 says, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” God is good to us and supplies everything we need from the big things to the small things in life, and He expects His followers to be generous to others because of how He has enriched us. And when we are generous to others it will result in thanksgiving to God. This is where you might do something for someone and they ask you why you are doing it. It now becomes an opportunity to witness to your faith in Jesus Christ and his saving grace. It may just be the thing they need to hear to point them to Jesus for their salvation. When we don't treat our personal relationships in a Godly way, we are telling God that we are not thankful for them. He is the one who gave us those relationships in the first place and so we should be thankful for every relationship we have. So, one of the best ways you can express thanks to God for your family and friends is to serve them, love them and be a good friend or family member to them. That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is I will express thanksgiving to God for my personal relationships by serving and loving them.

That brings us to question number four: For what should we give thanks? We should give thanks to God for all things. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Big Idea) This means giving thanks to God for our many blessings but also giving thanks to God for the things we DON'T have. So, are you struggling physically, emotionally, spiritually or financially today? If not, thank God for that. Are you homeless or starving today? If not, thank God for that. Are you blind or deaf today? If not, thank God for that. The great thing about not struggling with those things is that it frees each one of us up to be able to help someone who is struggling. They may need a ride to a doctor’s appointment. Or they may need help around their house. Or they may need a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen. Or they may just need you to pray for them. So, when we run out of things we HAVE to thank God for, we should spend some time thanking Him for what we DON'T have.

It also means giving thanks for our burdens. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” And Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” This verse encourages us to cast our burdens on the Lord, with the promise that "He will sustain you" and "will not let the righteous be moved." So, how is it possible to give thanks to God for our burdens? First, we must recognize God's power. God is omnipotent; He is all-powerful. He is able to handle any situation we are facing. We can trust in His ability to sustain us through all our trials and testing, because He has the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Second, we must pray for perspective. Ask God to help us see the good in difficult times and to give us hope. Prayer is a way to place our burdens at the foot of the cross and replace them with God's lighter, easier yoke. Third, we must use the hard times as an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. This is done by taking time to be in God’s presence in prayer, reading and studying the Bible, meditating on God’s Word and hiding it in our hearts. This helps to build a stronger connection and trust with Him. Four, instead of being overwhelmed with our burdens we must focus on seeing how God is growing our faith during those times. This can include thanking Him for His presence and his continuing work to transform our difficulties. Lastly, we need to trust in God’s plan, even when we don't understand it. Remember that God is able to keep you from falling and will bring you into His glorious presence with great joy.

That brings us to our final Thanksgiving question this morning: Why should we give thanks? First, we should give thanks because Jesus Christ is our sovereign king. Mike Stone says, “If gratitude is a command, then ingratitude is a sin. It is an act of high treason against our commander in chief. Ingratitude is a sign of a person who does not honor God.” Romans 1:21 says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Did you hear that? There are people who know God but will not glorify Him or give thanks to Him. Romans 1 goes on to say that they became idolaters and sexually impure degrading their bodies with one another. And then Paul goes into a litany of every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. Here are just a few: they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, boastful, they invent ways to do evil, they disobey their parents, have no love and no mercy. There is a connection between a depraved heart, a darkened mind and thankfulness. One sign of a depraved heart and a darkened mind is a refusal to give thanks to God? Stone again says, “Have you ever rushed the altar, or collapsed into your prayer closet to confess to God the wicked, vile, heinous, abominable act of...ingratitude?!?!” If not, we should and we must.

Second, we should give thanks because Jesus Christ is the savior of our souls. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” If there was no other reason to give thanks to God, we must do it because Jesus Christ died on a cross for you and me. He redeemed us through His blood freely shed for us. Without His grace and mercy, we are dead in our sins and going to Hell, being separated from God for all eternity. But He loved us so much that He came down from Heaven, His throne room, and dwelled among us in order to die for us. He washed us in His blood and saved us by His power. Only God the Father could have come up with such a perfect plan for our salvation. It is so mind-boggling and humbling that it is hard to wrap our heads around and understand the love God has for us. Finally, we should give thanks to God because He is the only one worthy to be praised. E. E. Hewitt wrote “when we all get to heaven it will be a day of rejoicing, a day in which we will sing and shout the victory.” We should not and we must not wait until we get to heaven. We must be praising, honoring and glorifying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today with thanksgiving for saving our souls and forgiving our sin. So, one last Thanksgiving question for you this morning: Are you in the habit of thanking God daily? If not, this second next step is for you. I will thank God daily for who He is and for what He has done for me.

In conclusion, I want to read this poem by Red Foley called “God Forgive Me When I Whine.” Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair. I envied her she seemed so blessed, and oh I wished I were so fair. When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle, she had one foot and wore a crutch but as she passed she had a smile. Oh God forgive me when I whine, I have two feet -- the world is mine. And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm. He seemed to radiate good cheer His manner was so kind and warm. I said, ''It's nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find,'' He turned and said, ''Oh, thank you sir.'' And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine. Then when walking down the street, I saw a child w/eyes of blue. He stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do. I stopped a moment, then I said, ''Why don't you join the others, dear?'' He looked ahead without a word and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine. With feet to take me where I'd go. With eyes to see the sunsets glow. With ears to hear what I would know. With thoughts to know You love me so. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine, Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I think we all at some time or the other are prone to whine especially when things are not going the way we think they should. We may wonder what God is doing in our lives as we struggle through times of trials and testing. We may even blame the Lord instead of trying to learn what He wants to show and or tell us. So, if you search your heart this morning and realize you have been ungrateful to God, this last next step is for you: I will confess my sin of ingratitude before the Lord. Let us be people who are intentionally and purposefully giving thanks to God always and in all things.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for this time in your presence with other like-minded people. Help us to not forget to bring you a sacrifice of thanksgiving at all times and in everything. Help us to not be ungrateful for what you have given us. Help us to show our gratitude for the relationships you have given us by serving and loving them. Help us to thank you daily for who you are and for what you have done for us. And, Lord, if we have been ungrateful toward you, convict us of our sin of ingratitude. We want to be right with you and we give you all honor, praise, glory and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

November 23, 2025/by Office

Up In Smoke

Leviticus Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Commitment, Extraordinary, Reconciliation, Salvation, Sin, Trust, Trustworthy

Up in Smoke

One of the most common decisions we make on a daily basis is whether or not to commit. There are lots of things that require our commitment – from our work responsibilities, family gatherings and special occasions, to taking care of our kids, our pets and ourselves. Regardless of what the commitment is, there’s always something that we take away after fulfilling every commitment, that can lead us to a new place of growth and maturity. Maybe you’ve made a commitment to completing your education. It’s a struggle. It’s hard. But you follow through with your commitment, and you grow as a result. Marriage is a commitment. You make the choice to love your husband or wife, “till death do us part”. It’s a lifelong commitment. And when things are hard or challenges come, you keep working your way through them, because you made a commitment. Commitments are important. When you look at the life of Jesus, He was constantly calling people to make a commitment. He seldom left them the option of just coasting. You were either going forward with Him or moving in the other direction, there was no middle ground.¹

But Jesus was also committed. He was committed to the world. He was committed to the disciples, and He is committed to us, His followers. The world is starving for the security of a loyal person, a person in whom they can put their trust. And we can fully trust in Jesus and surrender our lives to Him because He is worthy. He has given Himself to us voluntarily, wholeheartedly, and extravagantly with his sacrificial death on the cross. In turn he demands that his people commit themselves wholeheartedly to him in worship. Worship always requires commitment, complete surrender and total devotion to the Lord. It must also be voluntary which reflects the worshippers' willing spirit to acknowledge the lordship of Christ. When we are committed to worshipping the Lord properly it shows a loyal and devoted heart toward Him.

This morning, we will see the first of the five offerings God spoke directly to Moses. God will be instructing Moses in how the people were to draw near to Him with acceptable worship and enjoy His presence. In Genesis and Exodus, we learned about who the Israelites were to worship as Yahweh revealed Himself to them, saving them from slavery in Egypt, bringing them through the Red Sea and giving them the law on Mt. Sinai. Now after the Israelites failed to keep the law by worshipping the golden calf, it was time for God to reveal His divine instructions for proper worship and for bringing sinful human beings back into a right relationship with Himself. As we study the whole burnt offering, we will start to see the basic needs we have as God’s people: commitment to God, communion with God and cleansing from God. Apart from worshipping the Lord, voluntarily, whole heartedly and extravagantly, God’s people could not draw near to Him and could not enjoy fellowship with Him. The same is true for us today. That brings us to our big idea this morning, which is that God desires His people to be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed to Him.

There are two points this morning. The first is, Invitation, found in Leviticus 1:1-2. This is what God’s Word says, “The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.”

Let me begin by reminding ourselves where we are in the narrative. The tabernacle, God’s tent among the Israelites’ tents, has been built and at the end of Exodus God and His glory took up residence in it. And because the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle Moses couldn’t go inside. It was surprising that Moses was not allowed to enter, but now that the tabernacle, the epicenter of their worship, was completed, sinful human beings were not allowed to draw near to God without the proper offering. To do so the holiness of God would have struck even Moses dead. But the Lord did not forget Moses in fact He called to him from inside the tent of meeting, which shows us that Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus. The tent of meeting would be the place where God would meet with Moses, the priests and His people. This is the fourth time Moses has specifically been called by God. The first was at the burning bush when God commanded him to go to Pharaoh to ask him to let God’s people go.

The second and third times were on Mt. Sinai when God was giving Moses the law, the Ten Commandments. And this time as God begins to give instructions about how He is to be properly worshiped and how they can come into a personal relationship with Himself. This is the only recorded time that God spoke from inside the tent of meeting to anyone outside of it. Moses, as the mediator between Yahweh and the Israelites, was to pass on God’s instructions on worship and sacrifice not only to the priests but to all the Israelites. Everyone would need to know how to properly worship the Lord so as to not violate his holiness. Because Moses and the people were sinners there were requirements in order for them to approach the Lord. In these requirements we see the grace of God as he allows sinful people to draw near to Him. Notice the Lord is inviting His people to bring their offerings to Him. The Lord says, “when” not “if” anyone brings an offering. When sinful Israelites broke fellowship with the Lord and wanted to be restored and to draw near to Him in worship, it necessitated the people to bring an offering or sacrifice to Him.

The word for offering is translated as “to come near” or “to approach” and is used 79 times in Leviticus. The Israelites could not “come near” or “approach” God in worship without first presenting an offering to Him. There were many reasons besides their sin as to why they would bring an offering to the Lord. It may have been to show their thankfulness to the Lord, or to praise the Lord or to commune with or be in fellowship with the Lord. Leviticus would have been the first book taught to Israelite children, and we can see why. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest would need to be fluent in the language of worship and offerings. The offering being instructed in this chapter was to be a voluntary, free-will offering and was to come from their livestock – from their herds or flocks. The proper animal for this offering from their herd would be cattle, or from their flock would be sheep or goats. We already see a picture of Jesus Christ here in that we can only draw near to God because of Jesus’ voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant offering on the cross for us (Big Idea).

That brings us to our second point, Instruction, found in Leviticus 1:3-4. This is what God’s Word says, “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.”

The first offering that God gave instructions to Moses about was the “burnt offering” also called the “whole burnt offering.” The Israelites would have already been familiar with this sacrifice. In Job 1:5, Job sacrificed burnt offerings for each of his children for any sin that may have been in their hearts. In Genesis 8:20, Noah sacrificed burnt offerings in thankfulness to the Lord for his gracious salvation from the flood. And in Genesis 22:13, Abraham sacrificed the ram in the thicket as a burnt offering to the Lord who provided it instead of his son, Isaac. The term “burnt offering” literally means “to go up” or “to ascend” which refers to the smoke of the sacrifice as the entire offering is consumed on the altar. The whole “burnt offering” literally went “up in smoke” to the Lord. With this offering the entire animal was burnt on the altar, except for the skin, which was given to the officiating priest, as seen in Leviticus 7:8. The “burnt offering” was the most frequent of the offerings. Every day, twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, a sheep was sacrificed as a burnt offering to the Lord. There were also other times in the life of their worship where they were to present burnt offerings, including special days and festivals.

The purpose of the burnt offering was to express sincerity, devotion and their commitment to God. This was shown by their willingness to bring a sacrifice that was valuable and costly. The first type of burnt offering was to be a male without defect or blemish from their herd. This type of offering would have been the most expensive and would have been given by people of means. It was literally a high price to pay. And this offering was to come from their domesticated animals, not wild animals. They would have invested much financially and with their time on their domesticated animals whereas wild animals took no investment at all. They would have cared for and raised these animals so their family could have food to eat and other necessities. The fact that food was not readily available in ANE or in the wilderness for that matter would have made this offering more costly to them. There would also have been some emotional investment in these animals, as well. The willingness to freely give these offerings to the Lord showed their sincerity, devotion and honor for Him.

The burnt offering always had to be a male and one without defect or blemish. Why a male animal? First of all, males in God’s economy depicted leadership and dominion. Second, there was also a practical reason for using male animals for sacrifice. Fewer male animals than females were necessary for the survival of their flocks and herds. The females produced the offspring and also provided milk. Third, the male sacrificial offering more accurately pictured Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. “Without defect” is from the same verb that means “to be complete.” The animal had to be physically complete or perfect. It could have no defects such as blindness, lameness or sores. Why did it have to be without defects or blemishes? It had to be a perfect animal because it was the only kind of offering worthy of being sacrificed to the Lord in worship. To bring a sick or infirm animal would have been an insult to Almighty God. Imagine getting a gift for Christmas from a family member or good friend that was broken or being given someone’s leftovers because they felt they weren’t good enough for them anymore.

The burnt offering had to be the best that the person could offer. Again, we see a picture of Jesus Christ here. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” Tidball writes, “Worship that costs nothing means nothing. Worship that is cheap leads to cheap, superficial and diminished experience of the living God.”² We see this played out in the life of King David in 2 Samuel 24. He was commanded by the Lord to “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” When he arrived at Araunah’s threshing floor, Araunah wanted to freely give King David his threshing floor and the animals to make sacrifices to the Lord with. But in verse 24, King David says to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.” Incidentally, the threshing floor mentioned here became the site for the temple that Solomon, David’s son, later built.

God desires the same faith, devotion and dependence from us. Do we have to admit at times that our offerings to the Lord sometimes become trivialized and cheap, not costing us very much? Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. But don’t we at times do it grudgingly or half-heartedly or sparingly? What would be an extravagant offering for us today given totally to the Lord, not looking for anything in return? Maybe it’s our time or our talents or our treasures given sacrificially to the Lord and for His pleasure. It comes down to our hearts. We know if what we are giving as offerings to God are costly to us or not. Let us be people who strive to give God our whole burnt offerings that are voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant (Big Idea). That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is I will offer to the Lord sacrifices of my time, talents and treasures that are voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant.

Next, the burnt offering sacrifices were to take place at the entrance or doorway of the tent of meeting, where the bronze altar was situated. The worshipper was probably met at the door of the courtyard so their animal could be inspected. Once it passed inspection, the worshipper would enter the courtyard and proceed to the bronze altar. The bronze altar would have been the first object a worshipper saw upon entering the courtyard, symbolizing that the problem of sin must be dealt with before approaching God's presence. We are reminded of John 14:6: Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The reason for bringing the offering to the door of the tent of meeting was so that the worshipper “may be accepted” or “be pleased with.” Even though this was not a sin offering, because human beings are inherently sinful, there needed to be reconciliation between God and people so their offering could be accepted. In being accepted by God the worshipper was offering themselves wholly and completely to the Lord. Notice these sacrifices were made publicly and in the open; not hidden or done in secret. Again, we see a picture of Jesus as he was paraded through the streets of Jerusalem and crucified on the top of a hill for everyone to see.

Next, we see the proper preparation for an acceptable sacrifice. We will notice in these offerings both the worshipper and the priests were involved in presenting the offering. Israelite worship of the Lord was interactive. The first step was identification. The worshipper was to lay their hand on the head of the animal being sacrificed. The word translated as “lay” or “put” means to “press down upon.” This was not just lightly laying your hand on its head but “leaning with all one’s weight” on the head of the sacrifice. “Leaning” implies dependency meaning the worshipper was depending on their voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant offering to bring them acceptance with God. By laying their hand and leaning on the head of the animal, the worshipper was identifying publicly that they were the offending party, and that this was their offering. No one could go into the tabernacle courtyard and make a sacrifice for someone else. This was an extremely personal act between the offender and the offended party, who was God. The worshipper was asking God to accept this sacrifice in their place and transfer their sin to the animal.

Jesus Christ is the only one who can soothe the wrath of God and satisfy the justice of God. He is the perfect fulfilment of the burnt offering in Leviticus. If you want the salvation of Jesus for yourself this morning all you need to do is lean on the Lamb for His salvation. This is what God wants for all people. That brings us to our second next step which is for those who are seeking salvation for the first time. I will lean on the lamb, casting all the weight of my sin and trust upon Christ alone for my salvation. It was very important to come not only with the proper physical animal offering but the proper heart offering as well. Paul in Romans 12:1-2 says to present your body to God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service or worship. Maybe you are already in a saving relationship with Jesus today but would like to rededicate yourself to Him. If so, the third next step is for you. I will lean on the lamb, laying my all on the altar, recommitting myself to a deeper relationship with Jesus.

The reason that it was important for the sacrifice to be acceptable and accepted was because it was to make atonement for the worshipper. The Hebrew word for “atonement” is found at least 58 times in Leviticus and can mean a couple of things. First, it can mean “to cover.” It is translated “pitch” in Genesis 6 describing what Moses used to cover the ark so it was waterproof, shielding the water from coming in. This gives the sense of God shielding Noah and his family from the “waters” of His wrath. Again, this points to Jesus Christ who shields those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior from God’s holy wrath. Second, it gives the sense of “purging” or “cleansing from sin” or “paying” the ransom to free someone. “Atonement” is the means by which the estranged worshipper can be reconciled to a Holy God.

Also, the burnt offering was to make atonement for sin in a general sense not for committing specific sins. Those would be atoned for by making the sin offering, which we will see later in Leviticus. The burnt offering was necessary because the Israelites were born sinful human beings and couldn’t even draw near to God in communion and fellowship until they had been cleansed or atoned for. Atonement would have resulted in a deeper commitment to the Lord. The result of this acceptable sacrifice was that, as Wenham says, “peaceful coexistence between a holy God and sinful man [was] a possibility.”

In conclusion, in Philippians 2, Paul tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to be humble and to value others above ourselves looking to their interests instead of our own. This is the commitment that Jesus Christ had for us as he became like us in human form. He made himself nothing and took on the very nature of a servant and humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross for us. We are called to imitate Christ in the sense that we sacrifice our desires to God for the good of other people. God desires that we be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed not only to Him but to each other as well.

Lough Fook, a Chinese Christian, pitied those of his countrymen who had become slaves in African mines. He wanted them to enjoy the hope of the gospel, but how could he gain access to them? His solution was to sell himself as a slave for a term of five years. He was transported to Demerara, where he toiled in the mines. While he worked, he told his fellow laborers about the Lord. And before he died 200 of them were liberated from despair by accepting Jesus as their savior. By doing the unthinkable and humbly taking the role of a slave as Jesus did he reached the unreachable.³ Two questions this morning as we close: What do you need to repent of and change in your life to be voluntarily, wholeheartedly and extravagantly committed to the Lord? And how can you live out voluntary, wholehearted and extravagant commitment to others as you live your life for the Lord?

Kenneth A. Mathews, Leviticus: Holy God, Holy People, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009), 55.

https://brackenhurstbaptist.co.za/first-things-first/ Derek Tidball, The Message of Leviticus

Leviticus, Numbers (The NIV Application Commentary) Hardcover – December 12, 2004

by Roy Gane (Author)

November 9, 2025/by Office

To Be Continued

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Glorifying God, Grace, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Ministry, Restoration

To Be Continued

It was the season finale of “The Chrononauts of Tomorrow”, and the tension was unbearable. Commander Eva Rostova, marooned on a desolate moon, was racing against a solar flare that would wipe out all life. Back on Earth, her estranged brother, Dr. Aris Thorne, was frantically trying to repair the temporal beacon that could save her. The fate of humanity and the resolution of their bitter family feud all hung in the balance. The episode flew by in a blur of spectacular explosions and heartfelt confessions. With just two minutes left, Eva managed to send a desperate, coded message. Her brother's temporal beacon flared to life, but the signal was scrambled by the approaching flare. He screamed at the screen, pounding on his console, as Eva's moon began to crumble under the sun's intense heat. A single, tearful shot of Eva's face filled the screen as her world dissolved into static and the screen cut to black.

This reminds me of those three dreaded words at the end of a TV episode: TO BE CONTINUED…There’s nothing worse than reaching the end of an episode of one of your favorite shows and seeing those cruel words flash across the screen. Right when the action is mounting and the drama is intensifying and you thought you were about to get an answer to one of the riddles the show has been drawing out for what seems like forever, this message stops you dead in your tracks and ignites frustration, confusion, and disappointment.¹ Now you have to wait another whole week to find out what happened. Or imagine that happens on the last episode of the season, you now have to wait till the next season starts. Oh, and the one that really gets under my skin is the one where there is a cliffhanger on the last episode of the season and later you find out that the show has been cancelled.

Those words, “To Be Continued” also remind me of God’s Word. In John 5:39, Jesus says, “You search the Scriptures [Torah] because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me…” And in Luke 24:27 it says, “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures [Torah].” What Jesus is saying is that the whole Old Testament bears witness of Him. Most people see the Bible as an interesting set of isolated stories, each story telling us something different about how to live. However, Jesus tells us the whole Bible is really only one story. While there are great stories in the Bible, it is possible to know Bible stories yet miss THE Bible story.

The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is ultimately about Jesus. It is about unfolding the grace that culminates in Jesus leaving the comfort and perfection of heaven to come down into our brokenness. Therefore, the Bible is not fundamentally about what we do FOR God but what God has done FOR us. Charles Spurgeon said, “I have never yet found a [Bible] text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if I ever do find one that has not a road to Christ in it, I will make one; I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savor of Christ in it.” God’s story comes to us as a redemptive drama in four acts, or, we might think of it as a classical symphony with four movements, Creation, Fall, Redemption and Fulfilment, that are building toward a grand crescendo. ²

So far, we have studied the book of Genesis and have seen God’s redemptive plan and Jesus Christ who is the fulfilment of that plan. Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” “Her offspring” who will “bruise Satan’s head” is Jesus Christ the Messiah. Then in Genesis 3:21 we see, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” The penalty for sin is death, so an animal had to die to cover Adam and Eve’s sin. This act foreshadowed the coming of the future Messiah who would pay the penalty of sin and death so that those who repent of their sin and put their faith in him would be saved.” This was God's redemptive plan, his plan to bring human beings back into perfect fellowship with Himself.

We just finished studying the book of Exodus and we continued to see God’s redemptive plan and Jesus Christ in it. In Exodus 12:7, God is giving Moses instructions about The Passover, “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.” And Exodus 12:12 says, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” This event foreshadowed Jesus Christ as our Passover lamb.

So, I want you to imagine that as we got to the end of Genesis, we saw those words, “to be continued” and then again at the end of Exodus we saw those same words. That is because God’s plan of redemption was not over. His plan was to reveal it gradually to His people. And so that brings us to the next book that we will study which is Leviticus. Again, we will see God’s redemptive plan continued to be revealed to His people and through His Son, Jesus Christ. The book of Leviticus points to Jesus through its sacrificial and priestly systems, which foreshadows him as the ultimate fulfillment of these practices. Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of the various offerings, the High Priest, and the true temple or tabernacle where the people can meet God. Jesus' death is seen in the Day of Atonement rituals, particularly the two goats, that are a symbolic foreshadowing of his atoning for sins and for carrying them away.

Now I know the prospect of studying Leviticus can be daunting or even boring, but I believe God put it in His Holy Bible for a reason. Paul in Acts 20:27 says, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will (or counsel) of God.” And in Acts 20:32, Paul says, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” So my prayer is that we will come each Sunday, calling upon the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds, not to what I say, but to what God is saying to each one of us through our study of the book of Leviticus. That brings us to the big idea this morning which is God desires His people to learn or know the whole counsel of God. That also brings us to our first next step which is I will ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate my heart and mind about Jesus and my redemption through the study of Leviticus.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, you are so good and gracious as you have given us your Word so we can abide and grow in you. We come into your glorious presence humbly asking for your Holy Spirit to fill each heart and mind as we open your holy Bible, wherein we find the words of eternal life. Help us to put all other thoughts away in this moment and focus our hearts, minds and thoughts on you. May all we say, think, and do here be honoring and glorifying to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

So, this morning. I want to give some background of Leviticus, share the themes that run through the book and give you an overview and big picture of the book. First, Leviticus is the third book of the Bible and was written by Moses. The English name for the book came from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT. It was translated as Leviticus meaning, “relating to the Levites.” But the Hebrew people named the books of the OT by its first word. In Hebrew the first word in Leviticus literally means “and called.” We will hit this much more in-depth next week, but when we see the word “and” we need to look at what came before it. And what came before was the last section of Exodus 40 where we saw God’s glory enter the tabernacle and where something unexpected happened: Moses was not allowed to enter the tabernacle and come into the presence of God. Again, we will come back to that, but my point is that Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus. In Leviticus we will see that God continues to flesh out His redemptive plan, and he speaks directly to His people through the mediator Moses. Hence Leviticus contains the most words spoken by God in the entire Bible.

God spoke the book of Leviticus to Moses over about fifty days. We see this in Exodus 40:2 says, “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.” And Numbers 10:11 says, “Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.” The Israelites arrived at the base of Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19:1 and will remain there until the cloud, God’s presence, leaves the tabernacle in Numbers 10:11. The Israelites will then finally continue their journey to the Promised Land. The book of Genesis covered over two thousand years of human history, the book of Exodus covered less that one hundred years and Leviticus will cover less than two full months.

There are a number of themes that run through the book. The first and the most important theme is Holiness which is why I preached on “holiness” last Sunday. The root word for “holy” occurs more than one hundred and fifty times just in the book of Leviticus. “Holy” means “set apart”, “unique” and “whole” or “complete. Leviticus will teach us that God is holy, “set apart” and “unique” from the world, and whole or complete. And God demands his people to be holy as He is holy. His people are to be “set apart” and “unique” from the world in order to be whole and complete in Him. Leviticus contains the instructions for how the Israelites could be holy and whole and also contains the instructions for how we as God’s people today can be holy and whole. You may think that Leviticus was given only for the priests, but it wasn’t, it was for every Israelite and so it is also for every Christ-follower.

The second theme is “sacrifice.” The offering of sacrifices would have been the main act of Israelite worship. We will learn that there were five offerings, three were voluntary and two were mandatory. This theme of sacrifice is super important and a close second to “holiness.” I found something fascinating from Jonathan Parnell. He notes how “sacrifice” is actually at the center of Leviticus. But he also notes how the first five books of the Bible create a chiastic structure with Leviticus right in the middle. A chiastic structure arranges elements in an inverted parallel pattern, often represented as A-B-C-B-A. Book one, Genesis, and book five, Deuteronomy, are the bookends and both end the same way. Genesis ends with Jacob, on his deathbed, making a speech to his sons and blessing them. Deuteronomy ends with Moses, on his deathbed, making a speech to the tribes of Israel and blessing them. Then we see book two, Exodus, and book four, Numbers are also alike. Exodus is about the people being set free from Egypt, coming to Mount Sinai, and building the tabernacle. And Numbers is about the people leaving Mount Sinai and preparing to move the tabernacle.

Parnell then says, “that leaves Leviticus right in the middle — which is different from the rest. It’s this bloody book full of sacrifices.” He breaks Leviticus down into three parts. The first section, chapters 1-7, answers the question: How can we draw near to God? The third section, chapters 17-27, answers the question: How can we stay near to God? And that leaves the second part, the central part, which answers the question: How can we be made pure before God? And right at the end of that central section we will learn about the Day of Atonement. It was the sacrifice of all sacrifices, and it is right in the middle of the book of Leviticus. The center of the Torah is Leviticus, and the center section of Leviticus is about how we can be pure before God, and the answer is through sacrifice and atonement. The big question of Genesis and Exodus was: How can a holy God be near and accessible to sinful people? Leviticus answers that question and says: “Somebody has to die in your place.”³ And of course, we know that someone was Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

The third theme is “atonement.” The verb form of the word occurs fifty times in Leviticus. This book says more about “atonement” than any other book in the Bible. You could say it this way: “at onement” meaning there is a need for reconciliation in our broken relationships with God because of our sin. There needed to be a way for us to be at one with God and in the offering of the sacrifices, there was expiation, the removal of sin's guilt and penalty, and the forgiveness of sin. The Israelites couldn’t remove or deal with their sin on their own; they needed a Savior. We also can’t remove or deal with our sin on our own and are in need of a Savior. So why are “sacrifice” and “atonement” so important for us today? The sacrificial system that God set up before time began was to demonstrate that “the wages of sin is death” as we see in Romans 3:23. And the OT sacrificial laws foreshadowed what Jesus would accomplish on the cross. Matthew 5:17 says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Jesus was the “substitutionary” sacrifice freely given for each one of us so that we could be at one or reconciled to God. As we studied Exodus, we referred to the book of Hebrews and that won’t stop as we study Leviticus. We could actually see Hebrews as the NT book of Leviticus. Three of the major concepts of Hebrews, the sacrificial system, the Day of Atonement and the priesthood, all find their foundation in the book of Leviticus. Without Leviticus, we could not understand the person and work of Jesus as seen in Hebrews.

The fourth theme is “blood.” The blood played a crucial role in the sacrifices. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” The blood of the sacrifice was freely offered in the worshipper’s place which is why the concept of a “substitutionary” sacrifice is critical in understanding the sacrificial system that God set up for Israel. Interestingly, this concept of shedding blood was unique to the Israelites.

The fifth theme is “repentance.” Just bringing your sacrifice to the tabernacle area did not automatically produce forgiveness. There also needed to be a change in the attitude of the heart for forgiveness and atonement to occur. Proverbs 21:27 says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable, how much more so when brought with evil intent.” To approach God while not walking in obedience to his commands is as Ecclesiastes 5:1 says, “to offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know that they do wrong.” Rooker says, “It was necessary for the guilty sinner to come before God with an attitude of contrition and repentance.”

Now I am going to give an overview, a big picture of Leviticus. First, the purpose of Leviticus is to teach us how and what it means to draw near to God and how this is accomplished. How can we know God? How can we live our lives in a personal relationship with Jesus? Leviticus will show us how. Second, God wants His people to draw near to Him and to be in relationship to Him but there is a problem. His people were sinful as seen not that long ago as they worshipped the golden calf. We are in the same boat. Our problem is that we are sinful human beings and because of the holiness of God he can’t tolerate sin and so we can’t draw near to Him.

Third, our sin is the problem, but God has made provision for us so our sin could be dealt with, so that we could draw near to Him. For Israel, the book of Leviticus, showed the priests, those set apart by God to serve Him and the people in the Tabernacle, how the people could be reconciled to God. This was to happen through sacrifices and purifications performed by the priests on behalf of the people. We also see God’s provision in the Day of Atonement, which was one day a year that the high priest would make atonement for himself and the entire nation. This was the only time anyone could enter the Holy of Holies. Fourth, Leviticus is a picture. The work of the priests was never ending because they had to repeat the sacrifices over and over again. This communicated that Israel’s sin was not completely dealt with. They were covered over but not completely taken away. The priesthood of Leviticus was a picture or foreshadowing of someone better to come. And that someone would permanently take our sin away. That picture and foreshadowing was the person of Jesus Christ.⁴

Through the themes in Leviticus, we see that the storyline of the book is worship. Rooker says, “Exodus ends with where God is to be worshiped—in the tabernacle. Leviticus focuses on how God is to be worshiped.” When God is calling us to a relationship with himself, He is calling us to worship the one true and living God. So, Leviticus can be seen as our worship manual. God called the Israelites to worship Him because of His grace. We will see that atonement was necessary for everyone, even Moses, to gain access to the presence of God in the tabernacle. Not allowing Moses to come into the tabernacle exhibited God’s grace in that he would have been killed if he did without atonement.

God also called the Israelites to worship Him because of his glory. God’s glory inhabited the tabernacle. His glory was dwelling in the midst of His people for the express purpose of making God’s glory known among the pagan nations around them. We are also called to display Jesus’ grace and glory and make His grace and glory known to the lost world around us. We are to do this because Jesus delivered us from darkness into the light. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” That brings us to our second next step which is I will display the grace and glory of Jesus to the lost world around me.

God’s call to worship was also countercultural. God’s call for His people to worship Him alone went against the pagan and idolatrous culture of their day. This is still the case today. Our society and culture is one that rejects the authority of God and the lordship of Jesus Christ. Lastly, God’s call to worship is all about Jesus Christ. Leviticus is filled with the good news of Jesus and that it is the means by which we will be different from the world but also make a difference in the world. As we study Leviticus, we will see Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior on every page.

If you accidentally drop a quarter into a garbage disposal while it is running that quarter will get hacked and nicked and possibly bent. Turn off the disposal and retrieve the quarter and you'll be able to tell that it is quarter. You'll be able to recognize the image of George Washington that is stamped upon it, but that quarter will no longer be what it once was. It will be marred and damaged. That is what has happened to the image of God that is stamped on you and me. We were made in the image and likeness of God, and we still have his image, but we have lost his likeness. There's a semblance of God but the completeness, the wholeness and holiness of God has been lost.

The reason we have lost his likeness and are so broken is because we have been infected by a broken and sin-ridden world. Our attitudes are wrong, our view of life is twisted and distorted, and we mistake illusions for truth. But Leviticus will show us that God stepped into the broken mess we have made of our lives and promised to make us holy and whole again just as he is holy and whole. He will do this, as Leviticus 20:26 says, “by calling us to holiness and setting us apart from the nations to be his very own.” So, God must set us apart, he must break us loose from conformity to the thought patterns and attitudes of Satan and this world. He must deliver us from this world, straighten out our thinking, set our minds and our hearts right, and untangle our fouled relationships. But we all have to make a choice. God is not going to force you into anything.⁵ If you are happy being that hacked, nicked and bent quarter, God will allow you to go your own way, but He will always be there when and if you change your mind. Of course, what our Heavenly Father wholehearted wants for you is to be complete in Him and be restored to wholeness and holiness. That brings us to our third next step which is I will allow the Lord to restore me to wholeness and holiness as I study the book of Leviticus.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, give a desire to learn your whole counsel given to us in your Word. We ask that your Holy Spirit illuminate our hearts and minds about your son, Jesus, and our redemption. Help us to display your grace and glory to the lost world around us and restore us to wholeness and holiness as we study the book of Leviticus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

https://godinallthings.com/2017/01/23/to-be-continued/

https://greggcaruso.blog/2017/07/17/the-bible-only-tells-one-story/

https://www.citieschurch.com/sermons/welcome-to-leviticus

⁴

https://gospellight.sg/sermons/the-big-picture-of-leviticus/

⁵

“The Way to Holiness” Ray Stedman

November 2, 2025/by Office

Highway to Holiness

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb

Highway of Holiness

The life of a salmon is very interesting. From the freshwater rivers, they go through their normal life cycle like eggs and fingerlings and eventually live in the sea. But once they reach maturity, they have an absolute resolve to go back to their spawning grounds, hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. The trip back to their spawning grounds is a seemingly impossible task, full of dangers, traps, and obstacles, as they will be swimming against the overbearing current of the rivers. Many of the salmon die going back to their grounds as bears, and birds of prey catch them and eat them. Some of them hit the rocks, logs, and other obstacles along the way and die. Sometimes they have to swim through shallow waters just to get through their journey. But they never stop or rest from swimming against the current – otherwise, it would carry them away from their destination. The incredible thing is, in order for them to reach their spawning grounds, they have to jump upstream, up against a waterfall and sometimes more than once in their journey.

Many of their jumps fail but they persist – until they get through the waterfall or die trying. Against all odds, many of them eventually reach their spawning grounds and a new generation of salmon eggs are laid and later hatch to become fingerlings. You can probably count yourself lucky not to be a salmon! But if you are a Christian, like the salmon, the odds are also stacked heavily against you if you are resolved to follow God and become more like Jesus as you travel the highway of holiness. There is a very strong current that is sweeping across the face of the earth. A current of wickedness, immorality, blatant and not so blatant sin and acceptance and practices of ungodly values and activities pervade the world we live in. Sometimes, it’s hard to know who is in a better place – the salmon swimming upstream to their spawning grounds or Christians trying to live holy lives in an unholy world.

But no matter how hard or difficult the highway of holiness is, God calls every Christian to a life of holiness. Six separate times in Leviticus, God commands His people to be holy as He is holy. And in 1 Peter 1:15-16, it says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” That last part is quoted straight from Leviticus. Also, depending on your version, the words “holy” and “holiness” are used over 900 times in God’s Word. We have mentioned before that we can tell what is important to God by how many times it is mentioned in His Word. Holiness is one of the most important if not the most important words in the Bible. For a Christian, holiness is not a request or a suggestion; it is a command. If we are to become more like Jesus as we live on this earth. If we are to be obedient to the commands of God. If we are to fall deeper in love with God and His Word, we must be holy as our Lord God is holy. This brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to be holy as He is holy.

Let’s pray: Holy God, we want to be holy as you are holy and so we ask that you would open up your Word to us so that we can fall deeper in love with you, so that we can better serve and obey you and so that we can spread your Gospel in all the places we work, play and live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are three points this morning. The first is Holiness: What Is It? What does holiness mean? It means set apart and unique. God is unique and we are to be unique, as well, and set apart from this sinful and evil world. Holiness is not knowledge, religious zeal, or outward morality. You can’t become holy just by keeping company with godly people. Holiness is a habit; it is not something you do once and call yourself holy. Living a holy life is like running a marathon not a sprint. It is a habit of hating what God hates and loving what God loves. It is measuring everything by the standard of God’s Word. Holiness is living a life that endeavors to keep the commands of God and live a life of sinlessness. It is living in a fear of the Lord, a reverent fear of displeasing God more than displeasing the world. Psalms 119:127-128 says, “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”

A life of holiness will be striving to be more like Jesus. We will want to forgive as Jesus forgave. We will want to be unselfish, loving, humble, meek, patient and compassionate as Jesus was. We will want to be pure of heart and faithful in all our relationships as Jesus was. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” And Romans 12:9-13 says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

We will also want to do the will of God as Jesus did. We will want to deny ourselves and be uncompromising of sin as Jesus was. We will want to love God and love others as Jesus did. And we will want to keep Jesus’ commands and walk as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:3-6 says, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” And 1 Peter 2:21 says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Lastly, we will want to set our affections on things above as Jesus did. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

A favorite saying of mine for the past twenty some years and the way I have tried to live my life is “WWJD?” What would Jesus do? We would live more holy lives, sinning less and doing the will of God, if we would ask that question more frequently, and be obedient to the voice of God, as we travel the highway of holiness. “What would Jesus say, or what would Jesus do, in this situation or that situation, that I find myself in?” That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is I will purpose to ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” more frequently as I travel the highway of holiness.

Living a holy life doesn’t mean we will not sin, but we will hate our sin, mourn our sin and purpose to flee our sin. Holiness is a life of continual spiritual warfare. Sanctification is a progressive work that never ends until we get to heaven. Satan and the world will want to see us sin and work at causing us to stumble and guess what? We will stumble and sin. We will fall but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we get back up, dust ourselves off and continue down the highway of holiness. If we are truly Christ followers, we will continue to press forward and aim toward holiness. We will continue to labor to be holy as God is holy. I think Psalms 63:8 in the KJV sums it up pretty well: “My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Does your soul follow hard after Jesus?

Our second point is Holiness: Why is it important? Before we go on, we need to realize that holiness can’t save us. Ephesians 2:8, 9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our own holiness cannot save us. Our righteous acts are like filthy rags as it says in Isaiah 54:6: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” So, if being holy can’t save us, why is it important to live holy lives? First, because God says so. I’ve already mentioned more than six places in the Bible where we are told this. And in Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Second, living holy lives is important because it is one of the reasons why God sent His son into the world. Titus 2:14 says, talking about Jesus, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” And to the Ephesians, Paul wrote that Christ gave himself up for the church that “He might sanctify and cleanse it.” Jesus didn’t come into the world just to save us from our sin and eternal separation from God, but to break the power of sin in our lives.

Third, living holy lives is evidence of a transformed heart and saving faith. James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” And Matthew 7:18-20 says, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” Also, John 15:4 tells us that the only way we can produce good fruit is by remaining in Jesus: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” Lastly, when we live holy lives, it shows the world who we love and who our true Father is. John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” And John 8:42 says, “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.”

That brings us to some very important questions this morning. We have talked about what holiness is and why it is important. Now comes the opportunity to examine ourselves. “How much do you care about holiness?” “Is holiness a goal in your everyday life?” “Are you truly striving to live a holy life and to become more like Jesus or not?” This is an important question because in Hebrews 12:14 it says, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Only you can answer these questions for yourself. And we need to be honest with ourselves and remember we can’t hide who we are from God. It has nothing to do with attending church, being baptized or taking communion. It is not about what we think or feel about God but about what we do and why we do it as saved children of the Lord, saved by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Maybe, when it comes to living a holy life, you believe it is too difficult, or you don’t believe it can be done. And you would be right. Jesus said in Matthew 7:14, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus also said that “we must take up our cross daily and follow Him” and we must be ready to cut off a hand or foot or put out our eye if they are sinning. Ryle says, “That which costs nothing is worth nothing.” And yes, you would be right in saying that living a perfect and holy life can’t be done, but we are still commanded to be holy as God is holy. Because we are sinners, we can’t live holy lives on our own, but God has given us, as Christians, the help of the Holy Spirit in order to successfully pursue holiness. We know it can be done because we have numerous examples in God’s Word: Moses, David, Daniel and the eleven disciples to name a few.

Some other questions we must ask ourselves this morning is, “Do you believe that living a holy life is important?” “Are you serious about living a holy life?” Well, it might come down to this question. “How comfortable are you with your sin?” Another phrase I really believe is “it is not about religion it’s about a relationship.” It’s a relationship with Jesus that will help us understand holiness and that it is the most important thing after our salvation. Think about Judas. He was just like every other disciple called by Jesus. When Jesus said that one of His disciples would betray him, how many said, “It’s got to be Judas, he is the one.” How many? None. Unholy and inconsistent Christians are Satan’s best allies. This question of importance is important because no one can make you take your personal holiness seriously. No one, but the Holy Spirit, can help you understand the seriousness of God’s holiness and that He demands holiness from His people. Only you can truly and honestly answer these questions for yourself and then repent and make adjustments to how you are living if needed. I would urge you and myself to take a long, hard look at ourselves in the area of holiness. That brings us to our second next step that I will purpose to take my personal daily holiness seriously as I travel the highway of holiness.

Now, if you are not yet saved, this idea of living a holy life does not have the same motivation. You may do good things. You may help the poor, the orphan and the widow but if you are not saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, your motivation for doing these things is yourself not because Jesus saved you, called you and set you apart for His service. You must begin with Jesus and what He has done for you on the cross. The only way to be holy is to first accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord. So maybe the Holy Spirit is pricking your heart this morning about living a holy life. Maybe you are feeling a desire to know Jesus more personally and are ready to be in a relationship with Him. He is the only one who can make you holy and only one who can help you succeed on the highway of holiness. The third stanza of the hymn “Rock of Ages” says, “Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, flee to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace.” So, if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior and the Holy Spirit is prompting you this morning, this third next step is for you: I will admit that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again, and confess Jesus as Lord of my life. If that is the first time you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, please make sure to put your name on the front of the card so I can talk with you. Now that you have been justified by your faith in Christ, your sanctification, your highway of holiness can begin.

Now that we have talked about what holiness is and why it is important, our third point is Strategy. I would be remiss not to give strategies for winning the war for holiness. First, ask the Holy Spirit for power and strength. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Second, decide every day to put the flesh to death. Romans 6:12 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Third, guard your heart, flee temptation and take every thought captive. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” And 1 Timothy 6:11 says, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” You know if the salmon stops swimming, it will be carried back by the current – if we let your guard down, we will fall and be carried away by the evil current of this world.

Fourth, find a Christian brother or sister and be accountable to each other. Fifth, fill your mind with the things of God. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Sixth, develop good holy and spiritual habits such as daily Bible reading, Bible study, prayer and acts of service. And finally, don’t give up. As Paul says in Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint; it’s a war not just one battle. Like the salmon, keep swimming against the current and jumping up against the waterfall.

In conclusion, I want to talk about how holiness and our consciences relate to each other. Our conscience is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is holy and perfect, and our fallen consciences are not. But if we are living holy lives then what we are thinking, saying and doing will inform our consciences. I want to illustrate this with the true story of Avianca Flight 011. On November 27, 1983, Avianca Flight 011 crashed into the side of a mountain in Spain. When the investigators retrieved the “black box” cockpit recorder they made a disturbing discovery. Several minutes before impact, a shrill, computer-synthesized voice from the plane's automatic warning system told the crew repeatedly in English, "Pull up! Pull up! Pull up!” The pilot, evidently thinking the system was malfunctioning, snapped, "Shut up, Gringo!" and switched the system off. Minutes later the plane plowed into the side of a mountain, killing 181 people, and leaving only 11 survivors with serious injuries.

John MacArthur tells this story in his book, “The Vanishing Conscience.” I am going to be quoting John MacArthur a few times here. He says, “When I saw that tragic story on the news shortly after it happened, it struck me as a perfect parable of the way modern people treat guilt — the warning messages of their consciences. Your ability to sense your own guilt is a tremendous gift from God. He designed the conscience into the very framework of the human soul. It is the automatic warning system that cries, "Pull up! Pull up!" before you crash and burn.” As I said earlier, as we aim to live a life of holiness, there will be times we fail and we sin. That is when our conscience can be our guide; but only if we are living a life of holiness that informs our conscience. Again, MacArthur says, “The conscience has an innate ability to sense right and wrong . . . entreats you to do what you believe is right and restrains you from doing what you believe is wrong.” “When you violate your conscience, it condemns you . . . when you follow your conscience, it commends you.” The Hebrew word for conscience is usually translated "heart" in the Old Testament. When David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God", he was seeking to have his heart and his conscience cleansed. Earlier I quoted Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart (or conscience), for everything you do flows from it.”

MacArthur again says “Its role is not to teach you moral and ethical ideals, but to hold you accountable to the highest standards of right and wrong you know. The conscience, to operate fully and in accord with true holiness, must be informed by the Word of God.” “The conscience functions like a skylight, not a light bulb. It lets light into the soul; it does not produce its own. Its effectiveness is determined by the amount of pure light you expose it to, and by how clean you keep it.” We need to be careful because as Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Timothy 4, our consciences can become calloused, wounded and seared. “Don’t train yourself to ignore your conscience but respond quickly to its warnings. If you do sin, then cleanse your conscience through consistent confession as you seek forgiveness from those you've sinned against — whether God or others.” It is so important to live a life of holiness which will inform your conscience, so that when your conscience tells you to "Pull up! Pull up! Pull up!” you will and not crash and burn.

As the Praise Team comes to lead us in a final song and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to join together in your house with other like-minded people. Thank you for demanding holiness from your people. I pray that with the help of your Holy Spirit, we will pursue holiness. Help us to look to you as our example of holiness and to imitate you. And help us to take our personal daily holiness seriously, striving to become more like your Son Jesus in our speech, our thoughts and in our actions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: Pursuing Holiness in an Unholy World, Tom Caballes https://swordofthespirit.net/pursuing-holiness/

Conclusion: The Conscience, Revisited; Grace to You John MacArthur https://www.gty.org/articles/A273/the-conscience-revisited

October 26, 2025/by Office

Anticipation

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Confession, Friendships, Obedience, Resurrection, Sharing Your Faith, Sin

Anticipation

In the Lord of the Rings, Sam asks Mr. Frodo, “I wonder what sort of tale we’ve fallen into? Everyone wants to know the answer to this. And the Book of Exodus shows us that we have fallen into a tale, a story, the grand redemptive story, the true story of the whole world. We look back at Exodus and see the good news, we look forward in Exodus and it points us to Christ, and we look to the end of Exodus in anticipation of sharing intimate friendship with Jesus Christ forever. Exodus is our story. Once we were in bondage to sin, enslaved, under the sentence of death but by taking shelter under the blood of the Lamb, God has delivered us. Now God is with us, leading us to the Promised Land. We will face challenges, obstacles and temptations but we know that God is faithful to his redeemed people. While we journey, we live by grace and forgiveness found not in a tabernacle but in Christ.

Just like the Israelites waiting in anticipation for the Messiah, who came on that first Advent, everyone who trusts in Jesus, waits in anticipation for the second advent, the second coming of Jesus Christ. We anticipate the day we will see Jesus, share intimate friendship with Him and behold his glory forever. And the awesome and humbling thing is that not only do we anticipate this future, but the Lord does too. He created Adam and Eve, walking with them in the Garden, because He wanted a relationship with them. And even after they sinned this didn’t change. He still wanted that intimate friendship and that’s why He came to dwell in the Tabernacle. That’s why He came as baby Jesus, lived as a human on the earth, died on a cross for our sins and rose again. That’s why He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us. That’s why He will come again at the end of the age. He will come because He desires to share intimate friendship with His people in Heaven. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires to share intimate friendship with His people forever.

Let’s pray:

There are two points this morning. The first, Anticipation, is found in Exodus 40:16-33. This is what God’s Word says, “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. So, the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him. He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.

He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so, Moses finished the work.”

The first thing we notice in this section is that Moses did everything that the Lord commanded him. Verse 16 is a summary statement confirming that Moses did “raise up” the tabernacle even though the actual work is done in verses 17-33. We also notice that seven times, as Moses sets up each part of the tabernacle, our scripture says that he did “as the Lord commanded” him. As God commanded Moses back in verse 2, the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. This was important for a couple of reasons. First, this was essentially the Israelite’s New Years Day and was a chance for a new beginning. Second, it would take Moses and the Israelites one day to “raise up” the tabernacle, on the first day of Aviv, giving them ample time to consecrate it and for the seven-day ordination ceremony of the priests. This guaranteed that everything would be ready for the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread which was to begin on the fourteenth day of the month.

Moses wouldn’t have “raised up” the tabernacle on his own. It would have been a family affair, a celebration of obedience, as the entire Israelite community had a hand in putting God’s house together. Moses started with the tabernacle, putting the bases in place, erecting the frames, inserting the crossbars, and setting up the posts. He then spread the tent over it and put the cover over the tent. Setting up the tabernacle would have included putting up the inner curtain with the cherubim embroidered on it. The tent over the tabernacle would have been the goat hair curtain and the covering over the tent would have been the curtains of ram skins and sea cow hides. We can surmise that as the work progressed the Israelites were eagerly anticipating the culmination of God’s promise in Exodus 25:8 to come and dwell in their midst. There would have been a buzz in the air, and the suspense would have built up as each piece was put in place. Would God really come down in glory as He promised? So, as Moses pitched the “tent of meeting” just as the Lord commanded him, the people were probably waiting, but the glory of the Lord didn’t come down.

Then Moses placed the tablets of the covenant law, the Ten Commandments, in the ark, attached the carrying poles and put the atonement cover over it, but the glory of the Lord still did not come down. Then Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain. This curtain was the veil with the cherubim embroidered on it that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. This curtain shielded the ark from everyone’s sight except the High Priest one day a year, on the Day of Atonement and the priests who would have been tasked to cover it for transport when God commanded the people to move. This would have been the last time the Israelite people would have seen the ark for hundreds of years. The veil would have reminded the people that their relationship with God was fractured. The cherubim woven into it would remind them that heaven had come down to earth, that man had been cast out of the garden and they could not enter into the Lord’s presence without a mediator. And so even after putting the ark behind the veil the glory of God still did not come down.

Then Moses placed the table on the north side, outside the curtain in the Holy Place, and put the bread of the Presence on it before the Lord. This was followed by Moses placing the lampstand opposite the table on the southside in the Holy Place and lighting the lamps before the Lord, which would illuminate the table for the priests as performed their duties. Then Moses placed the gold altar, the altar of incense, in the Holy Place in front of the veil directly opposite the ark and burned fragrant incense on it. This special God-given incense would have passed through the veil into the Most Holy Place signifying that the prayers of the people were being received by God in His dwelling place. Moses tended to the bread, the lamps, and the incense because Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons had not yet been ordained into God’s service. At this time only Moses was set apart and by right of being the covenant mediator was able to fulfill these duties. But even after putting the three pieces of furniture in the Holy Place and tending to the bread, the lamps and the incense, the glory of God still did not come down.

Moses is given specific instructions about where to put the table and the lampstand, one on the north side and one on the south side of Holy Place. This means that both the entrance curtains of the tabernacle and the courtyard were facing east. Why was the direction that the tabernacle was facing important? When the people entered the courtyard and when the priest entered the tabernacle to worship, they were always facing west. The pagan nations believed that the sun god dwelt in the east where the sun rose and so they would worship facing east. This orientation of the tabernacle was done intentionally by God to remind the Israelites that they were to worship Him and not the false gods of the pagan nations around them. Then Moses put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle, set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to it and offered burnt offerings and grain offerings on it. The placement of the bronze altar near the entrance to the tabernacle symbolized that there could be no access to God without first making offerings to Him. Again, Moses fulfilled these duties that would later be done by the priests. He also placed the basin or laver between the tent of meeting and the altar of burnt offering and put water in it for washing. Moses, Aaron and his sons were required to wash their hands and feet whenever they entered the tent of meeting to serve the Lord or approached the bronze altar to offer sacrifices. This was symbolic of washing their daily sins away which in turn symbolizes our on-going sanctification which comes from knowing and obeying God’s Word. Even after putting up the curtain at the entrance of the tabernacle, setting up the altar of burnt offering, making sacrifices on it, placing the laver and putting water in it as God commanded, the glory of God still did not come down.

This is the last of eight times in this chapter and the last of eighteen times in the last two chapters that our scripture says Moses did as the Lord commanded. Moses’ obedience is stressed and with each step of the building of the tabernacle, the Bible meticulously makes note of his obedience. His obedience is important for us today because we are also to obey the Lord’s instructions and commands found in His Word. John Newton was the former slave trader who was saved and later wrote the famous song “Amazing Grace.” He also had a wide ministry of counseling people all over England through letter writing. A lady wrote to him, asking him what the best signs of genuine salvation were. Newton wrote: “The best mark to judge by, and which He has given us for that purpose, is to inquire if His word and will have a prevailing, governing influence upon our lives and temper. If we love Him, we do endeavor to keep His commandments … Obedience is the best test …”. Are you aware of any specific Biblical commands God has given that you aren’t obeying? Search your heart this morning, repent and begin to completely obey God’s Word today. That brings us to our first next step this morning which is I will strive to be completely obedient to God’s Word.

Finally, Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. The courtyard was also an enclosure that kept out those who were not to be there or did not come properly to worship the Lord. But the fact that there was a curtain at the entrance to the courtyard meant that there was the possibility of access. Notice that to get to the bronze altar, the laver, the table, the lampstand, the golden altar and even to the very place where heaven came down to earth, one must first go through the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard, which is a picture of Jesus Christ. He is the only way, the truth and the life; no one comes to God except through Jesus. With the final pieces of the tabernacle set up, it says “Moses finished the work.” There was no celebration or party thrown. Moses was obedient and did the work God gave him do with excellence. You can imagine that by this time the people were waiting with a growing sense of anticipation. God said he would come and dwell among them, but will he really come? Did we blow it with the golden calf? Does God really want to share intimate friendship with His people? (Big Idea)

That brings us to our second point, Approval, found in Exodus 40:34-38. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

The Israelites did not have to wait long. As soon as Moses finished the work the cloud covered the “tent of meeting”, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. This is the same cloud that has guided them from the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai and that has enveloped Mt. Sinai and Moses’ tent. This was the Lord’s Presence, His shekinah glory, in spectacular and dazzling fashion filling the entire tabernacle. God’s promise to dwell with His stiff-necked people has been fulfilled and the Israelites will be sanctified by His Presence. We notice the theme of these verses in the repetition of certain words. The “cloud” is mentioned in every verse. In verse 34 it is paired with “the glory” and in verse 38 with “the fire.” The words “tabernacle” or “tent of meeting” are in all but verse 37. The “tabernacle” was the dwelling place of the Lord and where He came in all his glory, power and holiness. The “settling” of the cloud was the proof of God’s presence and proof of His approval toward the Israelites. His “dwelling” was the tent that identified himself with His people’s circumstances and so He would dwell in a tent in the center of the tents of the Israelite camp. And the “tent of meeting” describes where God would meet with the Israelites.

We see four different aspects of the cloud in these verses. First, we see the “advent” cloud. It wasn’t only the anticipation of the people waiting for God’s presence to come down but also the anticipation of the Lord himself waiting to come down. Durham says, there is “the sense of promptness, to say the least, maybe even of impatience and urgency with which verse 33 is followed by verse 34. It is as though the Lord ‘can’t wait’ to come and live with his people. Second, is the “barrier” cloud. Something unexpected happens as Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Why couldn’t Moses enter the “tent of meeting?” He has already met God at the burning bush, on Mount Sinai numerous times, at his tent on the outskirts of camp, and has seen the backside of the Lord. One reason was probably because God, not Moses, was ultimately responsible for building the tabernacle and it was His house. It was built for God for the sake of Israel not built for Israel for the sake of God. The brilliant splendor and radiant glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle kept Moses from temporarily from being able to go in.

Second, this was the culmination of the first part of God’s perfect plan to be restored to His people and to be able to dwell in their midst since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Before this moment, before the tabernacle was finished, Moses as the covenant mediator did have the privilege of meeting in the presence of the Lord as a friend speaks with a friend. But now that the tabernacle had been built, which pointed to the coming of Jesus as the “superior” mediator and to His sacrifice on the cross, one could not enter God’s house except by His invitation. Moses had always needed an invitation to come into the presence of God. If you remember the first time Moses went up Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord, he had to wait six days before God called him up. God is sovereignly in charge of His front door. For Moses to just barge in would have been like a house builder today, retaining a key of a house he built and entering it at will once it was sold to the new owner. Moses would be invited in on God’s terms, based on God’s grace and the blood of a sacrifice. This was why the Book of Leviticus follows the Book of Exodus. In Leviticus, God spelled out the conditions for coming into His presence which was the shed blood of an innocent party willingly taking the place of the guilty party.

Third, is the “guiding” cloud. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle the Israelites were to set out but if it didn’t lift, they were not to set out. This cloud was intended to contrast with the “barrier” cloud. Moses and the people may have wondered how the tabernacle could be a “tent of meeting” if they felt that God was here and yet not here, in his dwelling but remote. Even though God was to dwell among His people as the one true and living God, as Motyer says, “He was not at their disposal; they were to be at His disposal, not He at theirs.” The Holy Presence of God would be right there with them in the cloud by day and the fire by night. They were to be ready to go when the Lord commanded it and He would guide them to where He wanted them to go. They needed to be obedient, rest, wait and watch, keeping their eyes on Him. Again, Motyer says, “Guidance was not something they ‘looked for’ but something they waited for.” Fourth, is the “faithful” cloud. Verse 38 amplifies verse 34, stressing that the “advent” cloud was also the “faithful” cloud. The cloud and thus the presence of God would permanently be with His people and would be faithful to take them to the Promised Land as He had promised. The cloud would always be visible and so the people would never have to worry or question the presence of God in their midst again.

In conclusion, I want to read this illustration from John Currid. “Admiral Nelson of the British navy was such a fine seaman and leader of men that sailors loved to serve under him. Sir Robert Stopford, who was sailing with Nelson in the West Indies, wrote home to a loved one that “We are half starved and otherwise inconvenienced by so long out of port, but our reward is that we are with Nelson.” So it was with the Israelites who were about to embark into the wilderness, where there were little comfort, little food and little water. Yet, God was with them, and how greatly he would supply all their needs! This is how we ought to look at life as well. We may be persecuted, or half starved, or put upon by various trials, but our reward is God’s presence with us, no matter what our external circumstances. And as we walk this pilgrim way, we are waiting for an even greater glory to be revealed: the glory of Jesus Christ at the end of the ages. The Bible promises that one day Jesus will come again, and that when he does, he will come on “the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” There will be no need for any tabernacle then, because Jesus will take us into the very presence of God, in all his glory.

This is the message of Exodus, as it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Once we were in bondage to sin, enslaved by its tyranny. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—our Passover Lamb—God has delivered us from the Egypt of our sin. Now he is leading us through our earthly wilderness, with all its difficulties and dangers. The great God of the exodus will never leave us or forsake us. In the church he has set up a sanctuary where even now we may enter his presence for worship. And one day soon Jesus will come down in glory to take us up into the glory that will never end. Everyone who trusts in him will be saved for the glory of God. Do you trust in Jesus, this morning? Have you been saved for the glory of God? We have been talking all year about URGENCY. We don’t know when God will return and so we need to be ready!!! So, if you are not saved this morning, you can be, and the second next step is for you which is: I will admit that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried and resurrected and confess that Jesus is Lord of my life. When you take this next step, you will be saved for the glory of God. You can then begin to anticipate the day that Jesus will come in His glory and take you into His glory sharing intimate friendship with Him forever (Big Idea).

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final song and the ushers collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray:

Opening: Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Exodus (B & H Publishing Group, 2014), 220

Illustration: John Newton, to Mrs. Wilberforce, Letters of John Newton, Josiah Bull, ed., p. 75

Closing: John Currid as told by Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1133–1153.

October 5, 2025/by Office

Some Assembly Required

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Acceptance, Listen, Peace, Rejoice

Some Assembly Required

Some of the most frightening words in the English language for me are “Some assembly required.” Those who know me well know that I am not very handy when it comes to fixing things or putting things together using those things called “tools.” I have always said when it came to those kinds of skills my dad taught me how to hold the ladder, hold the flashlight and pass the screwdriver. When Judy and I first got married she was the one doing the fix-it jobs around the house such as soldering our leaky pipes. Maybe you can identify with me. You buy something and when it finally arrives you now have to put it together and that makes you break out into a sweat. There are bags of screws, a pile of unrecognizable parts and a multi-page, wordless and indecipherable instruction manual. The task seems daunting, but you bought the item for a reason and now you have to bite the bullet and put it together. And then when you finally get it together, if you are like me, you wonder why there are still pieces in the bag that you didn’t use.

Moses and the Israelites were also given instructions to put something together and there was going to be, “some assembly required.” They had received intricate instructions from God for constructing the Tabernacle, but unlike a poorly written manual, God’s instructions were perfect and complete. He gave detailed blueprints for the curtains, frames, vessels, and every detail necessary to build His house. Each component, from the ark to the curtain, was vital to the overall purpose of their Holy God being able to come and dwell in their midst. Moses and the Israelites could not simply “wing it.” One wrong part or a single missing piece could compromise the entire structure. Their obedience was a sign of their trust in that following God’s plan, no matter how tedious or complex it seemed, was the only way to achieve the intended result. The promised outcome—the presence of God—was only possible through careful, step-by-step obedience, not by taking shortcuts

We have seen Moses and the Israelites follow God’s commands and instructions to the letter for building the different parts of the tabernacle and its furnishings. God has already twice repeated these instructions in meticulous detail to Moses. And in our scripture this morning, the parts of the tabernacle will again be repeated but there will also be some new instructions given. In Exodus 40:1-16, the Lord himself directs what was to be done and how. In repeating this list, God is telling Moses to “listen up”, because this will be the final walk-through before he will actually “raise up” God’s house. We may think that this repetition serves no purpose, but it does serve to reinforce the importance of the divine pattern and emphasize the structure's central role in Israelite worship.

Just as there will be “some assembly required” as Moses “raises up” God’s house, in order to build our spiritual “houses”, both individually and corporately, there will also be “some assembly required.” It doesn’t just happen on its own. We must “listen up” and be obedient to the Holy Spirit, doing God’s work in our lives and in the life of our church in accordance to His will. This work includes being in God’s Word, being in prayer, properly worshipping the Lord, being in fellowship with our fellow believers, serving each other, our community and the world and sharing the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus. We must continually be obedient to this work and do it with excellence so that we can “raise up” a church with Christ as the cornerstone where the presence of the living God dwells. That brings us to our big idea this morning, that God desires His people to “listen up” and to “raise up.”

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the freedom to be in your house this morning. We thank you for the privilege of reading and studying your Word. Thank you, Lord, that we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth. We worship you, today, because you are the only one who has the words of eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are three points this morning. The first point is, Our Ordered Life, found in Exodus 40:1-8. The final countdown has started as God again goes over the different parts of the tabernacle and how they are to be set up. He tells Moses he is to assemble the parts of the tabernacle in a specific order and on a specific day. This is what God’s Word says in Exodus 40:1-2, “Then the Lord said to Moses: “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.” In verse 1 we see the phrase “Then the Lord said to Moses.” This is the first time since Exodus 31:1 that the Lord has said these exact words to Him. That was when God told Moses he had chosen Bezalel and Oholiab to oversee the work of the tabernacle. These words introduce a new command in preparation for what lies ahead. Moses is to stop and “listen up” for what is coming next.

Since Exodus 31:1, we have seen the people “raising up” and worshipping the golden calf. Now that they have repented and have been obedient to the Lord, they are finally ready to “raise up” God’s House where they will worship the one true and living God. In verse 2 we see that Moses is to assemble the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the “first day of the first month.” Back in Exodus 12:2, God reordered their calendar based on their deliverance and redemption. The month of their deliverance from slavery became the new first month of their calendar year. In Exodus 13:4 we learn that this month is called Aviv, and it is on the first day of Aviv that Moses is to erect the tabernacle. This means the work will be done on what is essentially their New Years Day.

After telling Moses how he is to set up the tabernacle, the “tent of meeting” and telling him when he is to set it up, God now tells Moses the order in which he is to assemble and place all the parts inside and outside of the tabernacle. We see this in Exodus 40:3-8. This is what God’s Word says, “Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.”

Moses needed to again “listen up” because God had a specific order in which He wanted the tabernacle assembled. Everything had to be done just right because it was to be heaven on earth, the place where God would dwell among His people. It needed to be assembled in the exact order and at the exact time, according to God’s will. And notice this assembly will take place from the inside out starting with the ark. God also wants our lives to be ordered according to His will. His instructions regarding the tabernacle apply to us today because our bodies are tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Our church is also called a Temple of God. Ephesians 2:19-22 says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Our lives are to be ordered according to God’s will and when they are, he gives us peace. Psalm 29:11 says, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” And as we live our lives, we are not to be anxious about anything, but we are to bring our requests to God and as Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And the life of our church is also to be ordered according to His will and when it is He brings peace to our congregation. 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” And 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”

So, do you have disorder in your life? Disorder can come from a number of things. It can come from unconfessed sin, pride and fear which disrupts our relationship with God. It can also come from spiritual warfare or from a lack of spiritual disciplines in our lives such as reading and studying God’s Word and being in daily prayer. First, we need to make sure that we are at peace with God, confessing our sins before Him. Second, we can cultivate peace through the Holy Spirit within us by living out spiritual disciplines. Third, we should be seeking order and peace with others, inside and outside of the church. That brings us to our first next step which is I will seek peace with God, cultivate peace through the Holy Spirit within me and seek order and peace with others.

That brings us to our second point, Our Holy Body, found in Exodus 40:9-11. This is what God’s Word says, “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.” After revealing how and when to assemble the tabernacle, God directed Moses how he was to anoint it and everything in it with the special anointing oil. This was to consecrate it and all its furnishings making it holy and set apart for God’s use. Notice that Moses is to anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings in the same order He was to set them up, from the inside out. The anointing oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and so the anointing of the tabernacle symbolizes our bodies being anointed, filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to be holy as God is holy because He wants us to be set apart for His use, individually and corporately. We are to present our bodies as “living and holy sacrifices” because of what He has done for us on the cross. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” When we see God’s love and mercy for us, our reasonable response should be to worship Him, living holy lives and giving Him all we have and all that we are.

What is a test of living holy lives before the Lord? Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” If we are serious about being holy, we will not allow the world to conform us to itself but will continually be renewing our minds with the things of God. Another test that we are living is found in Matthew 7:17-18 which says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” A proof of our holiness and being filled with and living by the Holy Spirit, is that our lives will produce good fruit such as the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” All this pertains to our church as well. The Holy Spirit should control everything we say and do at Idaville Church.

So, are you keeping your body, God’s tabernacle, holy by being a “living sacrifice” for Jesus? Are all the fruits of the Spirit visible in your life? If not, pray for God to reveal those areas of your life where you are not acting in obedience to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help you to develop all the fruits of the Spirit. Are you doing your part to keep our church, the Temple of God, holy? It may be easy to live out the fruits of the Spirit at home but are they visible as you do the Lord’s work here at Idaville Church and in our surrounding community? Pray for the Lord through His Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to develop the weaker “fruits” in your life. Next, are you living in such a holy way that unbelievers are attracted to Jesus or is your life pushing them away from Him? Would a non-believing friend look at your life and say that you are separated from unholy influences and unholy talk? Or have the sinful and evil things of the world around you corrupted your walk with God? If so, repent and let Jesus wash you clean and continue to use you for His service. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That brings us to our third point, Our Service Anointed, found in Exodus 40:12-16. This is what God’s Word says, “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.” After showing Moses how he was to anoint the tabernacle and everything inside and outside of it, God commands Moses to anoint the priests who would serve Him in the tabernacle. He was to bring Aaron and his sons to the bronze laver that sat between the entrance to the “tent of meeting” and the bronze altar. He was then to wash them with water from the laver, signifying their acceptability, once for all time, to be God’s priests. This water was also to be used to cleanse the priests before they offered sacrifices to God or went into the tent to serve the Lord there. After the initial washing it would be symbolic of cleansing the priests from their daily sins, so they would be considered holy to continue serving the Lord. Moses was also to dress, anoint and consecrate Aaron in his sacred garments and his sons in their tunics so they could serve Him as priests.

This anointing of the priesthood of Aaron would be passed down through each subsequent generation after him. This did not mean that Aaron’s priesthood would be eternal. The Hebrew word means “to the vanishing point” and so whenever God would send Jesus Christ and the old covenant would pass away so would the Aaronic priesthood and of course, Jesus Christ is now our High Priest and will be forever. As believers, we are part of God’s royal priesthood and so we are also to serve the Lord as His anointed priests. In order to produce good fruit and be productive in serving the Lord, we need to abide in Him. John 15:5-6 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” So in order to serve the Lord as his royal priesthood productively we must abide in Him. Which means we must be continually washed by the water which is God’s Word, we must be in daily prayer, and we must be obedient to all God’s commands and instructions.

While the anointing of the tabernacle speaks to the importance of keeping our mind and actions pure, our anointing as priests speaks to our willingness to be set apart and serve God as a co-builder of His Church. As a holy priesthood we are co-builders in building God’s temple,which is here at Idaville Church. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be built with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” This is Jesus’ Great Commission given to every believer and every church. We are to be disciples of Jesus Christ who are Pursuing, Growing and Multiplying Disciples. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, are you abiding in the Vine? Are you committed to being in God’s Word and in daily prayer? Are you daily confessing your sins and committed to being holy before the Lord? Are you responding to God’s calling to serve Him individually as priests and corporately as part of Idaville Church? Are you living on a mission for the Lord? We must start individually. I must say, “it starts with me”, and each of us must say “it starts with me” as well if we ever want our church to be what God wants it to be. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 to Peter, “and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” We are to be on mission for the Lord, being obedient to His commands and working for Him with excellence, and if God builds our church, we can do amazing things here and the gates of Hades can’t stop it.

I want to conclude with this humorous illustration: One Christmas, there were parents who had a great idea for their children's special Christmas gift. They had ordered a kit from a catalog to make a treehouse. Late on Christmas Eve, as the mother and father began to assemble the pieces, they discovered to their dismay that while they had received the plans for a treehouse, they had been sent the materials for a sailboat. A few weeks later, in response to their letter of complaint to the company, they received this reply: ‘While we regret the inconvenience this mistake must have caused you, it is nothing compared to that of the man who is out on a lake somewhere trying to sail your treehouse.’” Sometimes there’s way too much assembly required: the pieces might be there, but they’re for the wrong thing, or the directions don’t make sense, or when you are done there are parts left over. This was not the case for Moses. God’s blueprints for His holy house where He would dwell among His people was perfect. By repetition He reinforced the commands and instructions he gave Moses. All Moses had to do was “listen up” and God would give him everything he needed to perfectly “raise up” the tabernacle. The same is true for us today. Everything we need to continually “raise up” our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit is found in God’s perfect Word. All we need to do is “listen up” and by repetition abide in His Word. As we obey His commands and instructions they will also be reinforced in us and by extension reinforced in our church as we “raise up” the temple of God, here at Idaville Church (Big Idea).

That brings us to our last next step which is I will “listen up” to God’s Word, abiding in Him and being obedient in “raising up” His holy temple, here at Idaville Church.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and as the ushers come to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Lord God, you are a good God, a loving God and a Sovereign God. And we worship you for your Holy Word and the truths found in it. We pray that by your Holy Spirit, we would seek peace with you as we daily confess our sins before you. And that we would cultivate peace within as we grow spiritually on a daily basis. And help us to seek order and peace with all those around us. And Lord as we live this life you have given us, let us be willing to “listen up” to your Word, abiding in you and being obedient to “raising up” your holy temple, here at Idaville Church. In Jesus’ name. Amen

September 28, 2025/by Office

Quality Assurance

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Extraordinary, Faithfulness, Obedience

Quality Assurance

When a building is under construction, there are times when it seems like it will never be finished. But finally, after all the delays, both avoidable and unavoidable, the thing gets built, and it is time for the inspection. These days the process is fairly thorough. The mechanical systems are tested. The wiring is checked to see if it is up to code. The structure is analyzed for access and safety. Then there is a final walk-through, with a checklist for work that still needs to be completed. The building can only be used after it passes inspection. Something similar happened at the tabernacle in the wilderness. Once Bezalel, Oholiab, and the rest of Israel’s artisans were finished making the various parts of the tabernacle, their work had to be inspected. It needed to be inspected for quality assurance. This was because it was a matter of public safety. The tabernacle was going to be the dwelling place for the living God, who is awesome in holiness and glory. His house had to be made his way, or else the people would be exposed to mortal danger. After all, the last time the Israelites made something for worship, things ended badly.

All the way back in Exodus 25:9, God was very clear the Israelites were to make the tabernacle and its furnishings exactly like the pattern God would show Moses on the mountain. God then reiterated this command in Exodus 25:40 and in Exodus 26:30 emphasizing that the Israelites were to follow God’s precise blueprints for His house with no variation. No less than fourteen times in Exodus 39 and 40 are we told that the Israelites made everything “as the Lord or just as the Lord commanded Moses” emphasizing that the Israelites did follow God’s command to the letter. As the people were going about doing God’s work, He demanded their faithful obedience. God was holy, the tabernacle was to be holy, and their holiness would be seen in their obedience to the Lord. By taking the holiness of God seriously and constructing the tabernacle exactly as the Lord commanded, with faithful obedience and excellence, they would pass Moses’ inspection and be blessed by God. This time the Israelites wanted to make sure they did everything right, so they brought their work piece by piece to Moses for inspection. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God demands His people be about His work with faithful obedience and excellence.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, open our eyes that we may see the truths you have for us in your Word. Open our ears that we may hear that truth and let it sink deep into our hearts, minds and souls. And God let us be your hands and feet as we obey your Word and do the work you have for us to do in this world we live in. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There will be three points this morning and each one will focus on the work the Israelites did, the work Jesus did and the work we are to do. The first point is, Completion, found in Exodus 39:32. This is what God’s Word says, “So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.” We are, first, going to focus on what the Israelites did. They have finally finished all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. Scholars estimate that it took around six months to build the tabernacle, the furnishings inside and out and the courtyard. We see the two most prevalent names for the structure that was to be God’s house. First, the tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling place on earth. As a shadow of heaven, it taught the Israelites that their God was the Creator God and Lord of all. It also taught them about God’s character: He is all-powerful, holy, loving, and wants to provide good things for His people such as light, life, daily bread, answered prayers and the law. Lastly, it taught them that God wanted to forgive their sins and all they needed to do was obey Him. Second, the “tent of meeting” reminds us that it was also the place where the Israelites would be able to approach the Lord on His terms and meet with Him. The word for “finished” means “to bring a process to completion.” The process of building the tabernacle started when God revealed the plans to Moses and he carefully and faithfully recorded them. Then the people committed the “great” sin against God with the golden calf. After Moses interceded, God relented, and the fact they were allowed to build the tabernacle was evidence that the covenant was on track. The people were then commanded to bring an offering for the tabernacle from willing hearts who had been moved. Bezalel and Oholiab were put in charge to oversee all the work that was done. The Israelites overwhelmingly responded out of gratitude for the Lord and there was more than enough to do all the work the Lord commanded. And finally, now the work has been completed.

We see the obedience of the Israelites, as they did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. Notice that it was “the Israelites” who did everything. The entire Israelite community was involved in the Lord’s work. Also notice that “commanded” is in the past tense. God gave his approval before Moses ever got a chance to do his inspection. It was already acceptable to God and He was pleased. It shows the finality and the totality of the work completed and that it was done according to God’s command. It tells us that God is watching how we go about the work He has commanded us to do and that His approval should be our goal. It was important that these blueprints were followed perfectly and precisely so that the people’s purpose for being could also be completed: which was to worship God and to be blessed to be a blessing to the nations. Now we turn our focus to Jesus and the work He completed. The main point of the tabernacle was to point the Israelites to Jesus Christ. Just like Moses could declare “it is finished” when it came to the tabernacle, there came a day when Jesus Christ would also say, “It is finished.” Remember, Jesus came and tabernacled among us in a physical body, and His tabernacle was where God dwelt. Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life in obedience to God’s law. He needed to do this in order to be the spotless lamb that would die to take away the sins of the world. We see the proof that Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will in Philippians 2:8 which says, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Jesus’ life and death were on display for all the world to see, along with Satan and His Father in heaven. And one day the work that Jesus came down to earth to do would be inspected by God.

That brings our focus to us. Just like the Israelites we have been given work from God to do while living on this earth. The work He has given us to do is found in His Word, the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We find the blueprints for the work we are to accomplish in God’s Word, and we are to be obedient to what God has commanded us to do. Proof of our salvation is the transformation seen in how we live our lives in obedience to God. What is this work we should be doing for the Lord after our salvation? We should be purposing to become more like Jesus in our faith and holiness, in following His will through good works, and performing actions that reflect His principles, such as loving others, caring for the poor, and promoting justice.

We should be growing as a disciple of Jesus and working to fulfill the Great Commission: to pursue, grow and multiply disciples. Ultimately, it involves aligning one's life and actions with God's desires. But we must do these things according to His will and His Word. We can’t do His work thinking we can do things our way and not His. We also can’t stop doing His work just because it’s inconvenient or difficult. And we must work looking for His approval and not man’s. Obedience is the ultimate responsibility of the believer, while we are to leave the outcome in God's hands. Pink says, “The quality of service is to be tested not by visible results, but by its conformity to God’s Word.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” So let us be people who are aligning our life and actions with God’s desires. Let us be people who are focused on becoming more like Jesus in our faith and holiness. Let us be people who are disciples who are pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples. And let us be people who are doing all these things with faithful obedience to the Lord. That brings us to our first next step which is to Be about the work God has given me to do on this earth with faithful obedience.

That brings us to our second point, Checked, found in Exodus 39:33-43a. As we focus, again, on the Israelites, we are told that after completing the work on the tabernacle and getting advanced approval from the Lord, they “brought the tabernacle to Moses.” We can make three important observations from verse 33. One, the tabernacle was portable. It could be broken down into parts to be transported. This was important because if it was difficult to bring to Moses, then it would be difficult to transport to the Promised Land. And one of the purposes of the tabernacle was so God could dwell with His people as they moved in the wilderness. Two, Moses was the only one qualified to check their work because He was the one who was on the mountain and received the blueprints for the tabernacle from God himself. Even though God has already given His approval, Moses still needed to examine their work for quality assurance. Three, if the people brought the tabernacle to Moses, it meant they were certain it was done correctly. Their entire work had to be perfect, or Moses would reject it. The fact he did not reject any part of it meant they had been obedient to God’s commands and instructions and had done so with excellence (Big Idea).

Next, we again see the list of what they made. This emphasized that every individual part was manufactured to God’s exact specifications and brought to Moses for inspection. Nothing was left out. We learn something new in verse 37 where it talks about the pure gold lampstand with its “lamps set in order.” The Hebrew word for “set in order” is translated as “array” which is a word most commonly used in terms of a battle array – where an army is lined up for battle. Garrett says, the lamps seem to be set up, “as if a battle of the goodness of light is dispelling the evil of darkness.” This paints a vivid picture of Jesus as the Light of the World “shining in the darkness, and the darkness not able to overcome it,” as John 1:5 says. Verse 40 reminds us again what all these parts were for and that it was the place where God ordained His people to properly meet with Him, to bring their sacrifices to Him and be forgiven of their sins. And Verse 42 again reiterates that “the Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Coming immediately after the list of items brought before Moses, emphasized that beyond a shadow of a doubt all had been done properly and was meticulously carried out exactly as God commanded.

Then in verse 43a we see that “Moses inspected the work and again saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.” This is the third time in twelve verses that we have seen this phrase emphasizing again their obedience and excellence in doing the work of the tabernacle. Moses did not just take a casual glance at the people’s work when he inspected it. He closely scrutinized and checked every piece to make sure they were made properly. He may have even performed some kind of stress test on certain parts to make sure they would stand up to the test of time and the wilderness. What was the outcome of Moses’ quality assurance inspection? The result was that the inspection passed. They had followed God’s commands and instructions and did their very best work. They did everything in obedience and with excellence.

As we turn our focus on Jesus, His work on this earth also had to be checked to see if it passed inspection. First, His work needed to pass His own inspection. Hebrews 10:5 says, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; and verse 7 says, “Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll I have come to do your will, my God.’” Jesus examined himself and recognized that in His physical body, He could do the will of the Father, live a sinless life and do the work of salvation. Second, Jesus’ work had to pass God’s inspection. His work in His physical body had to meet God’s standard and it did. We see this at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:17 which says, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, but He still had to be tempted by the devil, preach the good news of the Kingdom of God and endure the cross and He had to do it perfectly without sinning. This was God’s standard for His son’s work. Of course, Jesus did the work of our salvation perfectly and passed His Father’s inspection. This is seen as Jesus on the cross declared “it is finished” and God tore the temple veil in two from top to bottom.

As we focus on ourselves, we come before God bringing our work as “God’s household”, “a spiritual house” and “a holy temple of the Lord.” God will inspect our work done as God’s holy tabernacle. Have we as a community of believers glorified God in what we say and do? Have we followed the Biblical pattern for God’s house, pleasing Him with our worship, teaching God’s Word faithfully, and bearing each other’s burdens? Have we taken care of the widow, the orphan and the stranger? Have we spoken God’s truth in love, labored in prayer, depended on God in doing the work, and shared His Gospel with the lost in our community and the world? We should desire to pass God’s inspection, and this will happen if we are obedient to all His words, commands and instructions and we do it all with excellence (Big Idea). And we should also desire God’s approval and blessing on the work He has given us.

That brings us to our third point, Commendation, found in Exodus 39:43b. You may have thought Moses would comment more on all the work the Israelites had done but what we get is short and sweet. Those four words, “So Moses blessed them” packed a pretty big punch. The Israelites have followed God’s commands and instructions to a “T”, not adding to what God required or taking anything away. They did everything in obedience and with excellence and Moses blessed them, as was a common practice in biblical times. So, what was this blessing? We don’t know for sure, but it was probably a short prayer asking God to bestow His caring and loving benefits upon the people. One example of a blessing in scripture is the Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:22-26. This blessing could be a clue for us because in verse 22-23 it says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.” God instructed Moses on what a divine blessing consisted of and what followed was a prayer asking God to benefit His people. We see these words in verses 24-26 ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

This blessing to be spoken by Aaron and his sons and Moses’ blessing in Exodus 39, was to be done on God’s behalf. They couldn’t make God bless the Israelites just by saying the words but if they correctly understood God’s will and invoked the prayer in the form of a wish, it would be assumed it would be a true declaration of God’s intention to benefit those being blessed. The proof that the blessing was from God would be if it came true. Since the Aaronic blessing is one we have in scripture I want to break down the benefits of that blessing from the Lord. To “keep” meant that God would be watching over His people, caring for and guiding them through life’s dangers for their good. To “shine His face on you” meant looking out for their general favor and benefit. To “be gracious to you” means that God will give His people what they don’t deserve or have not earned. To “turn His face toward you” means God is paying special and favorable attention toward His people. And to “give you peace” means God will give “shalom” meaning peace to His people which is wellness, wholeness and good fortune toward them. Now this doesn’t mean that nothing negative will ever happen to the person who is blessed but it is a desire for God to bestow His good will on them. The specific blessing itself wasn’t an important part of the chapter, or Moses would have included it but the fact that the people were blessed by God through Moses was important. They had come a long way from building and worshipping the golden calf. Moses blessed them in response to their faithful obedience and excellence in their complete community effort to build God’s holy tabernacle. This was to encourage and reassure them that they had done exactly what the Lord commanded Moses and that they were now in the favor of their covenant Lord and King.

As for Jesus, we have seen that He completed His work that the Father gave Him to do on the earth. He willingly went to the cross as the spotless lamb and declared “it is finished.” And Jesus’ work was inspected by the Father and He passed. Jesus had truly lived His earthly life without sin and with and through His blood, the world was saved. The evidence of passing God’s inspection would be God bestowing blessing on His son and this happened when God raised Jesus from the dead. Ryken says, “The resurrection was the Father’s declaration that the Son had finished the work of our salvation perfectly.” And further evidence of blessing was that God took Jesus back up to heaven. Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus completed the work God gave Him to do and He did it in obedience and with excellence (Big Idea).

So, what does this mean for us? We are to work for God on this earth in obedience and with excellence knowing that one day our time of inspection and blessing will come. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” And Revelation 22:12 says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Ryken says, “Just as the Israelites laid out the tabernacle for Moses, so our lives will be laid out before God, who alone knows all our secrets.” The question is: have we offered such perfect obedience and excellence that we will pass inspection and be blessed by God? In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 that Sue read, we see that only that which has been done for God’s glory, on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His redemption, and which stands the test of fire, shall abide and be rewarded. God will test, inspect and bless everything that we have done, according to His perfect standard. But thankfully, before inspecting us God will first inspect the finished work of Jesus Christ. For those who have done his work in his way, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit and not by the flesh, there will be blessing upon blessing.

God will pronounce his blessing on everyone who trusts in Jesus which is the only way to endure the final judgment. When we become one of God’s children, Jesus becomes “our righteousness” and we are able to pass God’s inspection and be blessed. We become a child of God by admitting we are a sinner, believing that Jesus died on a cross for our sins, was buried and rose again, and confessing Jesus as Lord of our life. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you will be saved, pass inspection and be blessed. If you desire to talk more about salvation, please mark the upper right corner of your Comm. Card where it says, “becoming a follower of Jesus” and I will be in touch with you.

In conclusion: Joe Theismann had an amazing career as the quarterback of the Washington Redskins. He led the team to two Super Bowl appearances - winning in 1983 before losing the following year. When a leg injury forced him out of football in 1985, he was entrenched in the record books as Washington’s all-time leading passer. Still, the tail end of Theismann’s career taught him a bitter lesson: “I got stagnant,” He says, “I thought the team revolved around me. I should have known it was time to go when I didn’t care whether a pass hit Art Monk in the 8 or the 1 on his uniform. When we went back to the Super Bowl, my approach had changed. I was griping about the weather, my shoes, practice times, everything. Today I wear my two rings - the winner’s ring from Super Bowl 17 and the loser’s ring from Super Bowl 18. The difference in those two rings lies in applying oneself and not accepting anything but the best.” Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Big Idea) That brings us to our last next step which is to Be about the work God has given me to do on this earth with excellence.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the opportunity to study your Word. Thank you for giving us work to do on this earth. Help us by your HS to be about that work in obedience and with excellence. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Opening: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1133–1153.

Closing: https://www.whowillyouempower.com/craigsblog/2013/10/29/4-reasons-why-god-expects-excellence

September 21, 2025/by Office

Fallen and Forgiven

Rescued Exodus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Redemption, Sharing Your Faith, Sins, Spiritual Growth

Fallen & Forgiven

Have you ever done something you believe is so sinful that you wondered if God would ever love or accept you much less let you serve him again? Perhaps it was an act of immorality, or perhaps a failure of leadership. Maybe it was something you did against your better judgment, or maybe it was sheer rebellion. But whatever it was—whether it was something recent or something long, long ago—it seemed like such a terrible sin that it ought to permanently disqualify you from not only serving God but also being in an intimate relationship with Him. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all been there. We have all sinned against God and felt the weight of our sin, sorrow and shame. We have all felt at one time or the other that Jesus can’t be interested in having a relationship with us. We aren’t good enough or holy enough. There is no way God will accept me as one of His children. I am falling and there is no way that I will be able to get up.

Aaron probably felt just like that. Although he was chosen to be high priest over the house of God, Aaron committed a terrible sin. And if that wasn’t enough, he led the people of Israel into a “great” sin. While Moses was up on the mountain getting the law from God, Aaron led the Israelites into idolatry as he set up an alternative worship service—one did not ordain by God. With his own hands, he made a golden calf and set it up for the people to worship, in direct violation of the second commandment. It was such a catastrophic failure that God was ready to destroy the Israelite nation before it ever began. How could such a man ever serve God again? How could he be worthy of wearing the righteous robes of priestly ministry? We know that Aaron did serve God. He was anointed high priest over the tabernacle and God allowed him to continue in the very calling he had once desecrated by his sin. And as the mediator, he was dressed in holiness to the Lord and entered the Most Holy Place, where God was. He not only entered there but also lived to tell about it, for God had ordained his ministry as high priest. Why was a sinner like Aaron allowed to serve a holy God? He was able to serve because although he had fallen, he was also forgiven. In preparation for the priesthood, Aaron’s body was washed with water, symbolizing his consecration to God. Then he confessed his sins, placing his hands on the head of a bull, which was sacrificed as a sin offering to make atonement for himself. Through the cleansing water and the sacrificial blood, Aaron was redeemed from His sin, sorrow and shame, forgiven and set apart to serve.

God does the same for us today. We are also fallen human beings like Aaron but God by the blood of Jesus has redeemed us from the pit, from our sin, sorrow and shame. He has forgiven us, dressed us in holiness with the righteousness of Christ, and set us apart to serve Him as His kingdom of priest on the earth today. We are fallen and forgiven because God desires to redeem His people and put them back into a right relationship with Himself. And that brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires to redeem His people from their sin, sorrow and shame.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we approach your throne this morning, humbly asking for your Holy Spirit to fill us as we investigate your Word. Let your Word be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths. Help us to put all other thoughts away in this moment and focus our hearts and minds on you. May all we think, say and do here be honoring and glorifying to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This morning there are three points, the first point is Heavenly & Heavy. We will be covering the material in Exodus 39:1-31 and as this information was covered back in Exodus 28, I won’t be reading all these verses. Our first point covers the material in verses 1-26. The construction phase of the tabernacle has gotten underway. The tabernacle has been built including all the curtains. The four items of furniture that will sit in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies have been made. Last week we saw the making of the two items of furniture that will be outside the Tabernacle, the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Bronze Laver. The bronze altar was where the sacrifices for the people’s sins were offered. It symbolized judgment and Jesus on the cross taking our penalty for sin through His blood shed on that cross. It speaks to our justification, just as if we never sinned, before God. The bronze laver was where the priest would wash their hands and feet before offering sacrifices on the altar and performing their duties in the tabernacle. It symbolized God’s grace washing away our daily sin and speaks to our sanctification. Lastly, we saw the making of the courtyard which was the boundary that surrounded the tabernacle complex. It set apart the holy ground of the tabernacle from the rest of the camp and was a visible reminder that you could not casually approach God, and it was no ordinary affair to do so. Having only one entrance to the courtyard and into the tabernacle symbolized that there was only way to approach God, and that is only through Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, “I (Jesus) am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

This morning, we will see the making of priestly garments. The priests and the High Priest had to be suitably dressed to enter the House of the Lord and perform their duties. The high priestly clothes were made from the same materials as the tabernacle, including fine white linen embroidered with blue, purple and scarlet yarn. This connected the high priest to the tabernacle showing he belonged in God’s sanctuary. The tabernacle was the earthly representation of the true heavenly tabernacle and so everything associated with it portrayed the holiness, beauty and glory of God and of heaven. The colors and unusual clothing that Aaron wore were to give him dignity and honor among the people. There were four main items that constituted Aaron’s wardrobe. The first was the ephod which became symbolic of the Israelite priesthood. It was unique in that thin strands of gold were worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and the fine white linen. This was appropriate because gold was used the closer to the place where God dwelled. On the shoulder pieces were mounted two onyx memorial stones with the names of the sons of Israel engraved on them. This was symbolic of the high priest representing the people before the Lord and the Lord before the people. As he entered the tabernacle he carried the burdens of the people on his shoulders into the presence of God.

Next, was the breast piece of judgment. It was made like the ephod and held the Urim and Thummim which were two stones for seeking the Lord’s will concerning the nation. It was decorated with twelve precious and semi-precious stones in four rows of three stones each. It was also a visual representation of the twelve sons of Israel and symbolized that the high priest bore the people’s concerns into God’s presence. Braided chains of gold were made to keep the breast piece from swinging out from the ephod. This would have kept the stones over the high priest’s heart representing the love and affection he had for the people. He carried the weight of the people on his shoulders, the place of strength, before the Lord, which was symbolic of their guilt. He also carried the weight of the people on his heart, the place of love and affection, before the Lord, which was symbolic of his intercession for them. The third item of clothing was the high priest’s robe. It was woven out of one-piece blue cloth, and it was seamless. Blue signified heaven and it was seamless symbolizing the wholeness and integrity that God demanded of the high priest and it reflected the perfection of the God he served.

Pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted white linen were made and put around the hem of the robe. Bells of pure gold were also made that were attached around the hem alternating between the pomegranates. Pomegranates were a sign of fruitfulness, and the gold bells were safe. The pomegranates symbolized that the high priest was fruitfully performing his duties. And the sound of the bells practically proved that the high priest was faithfully performing his duties. It was an assurance of life in that he had entered suitably dressed and was in holiness before God. The bells were also symbolic that God’s presence was with them as represented by the high priest. They symbolized the holiness of God and that He required holiness and reverence for those who would approach Him, or they would die. They served as a call to spiritual alertness, reminding the people of their dependence on God and that the high priest was sanctified or set apart for his service in the tabernacle. Imagine the heaviness and the weightiness of the high priestly garments. Physically, we aren’t told how much the garments all weighed together, but it has been suggested they could have weighed between forty and sixty pounds or more. Symbolically, the physical weight reminded the high priest of the immense and awesome responsibility he had of carrying the sin, sorrow, and shame, of the Israelites, before the Lord.

The Hebrew root word for heavy or weight and the root word for honor and respect is the same. Weight and honor and gravity and respect can be seen by judges when they put on their robes and make decisions. Or by policemen, firemen and other emergency personnel when they put on their uniforms and protect and serve or save lives. Like judges, policemen, firemen, etc. when Aaron dressed for work, with the inherent responsibility of that work, he would have felt the accumulated weight in his honored role in the Israelite society. Think for a second about what you wear the times that you carefully dress for what you are doing or where you are going. You will dress differently if you are appearing in court, attending a wedding to bear witness to a beginning, or attending a funeral to bear witness to an ending, or teaching in front of a classroom, then you would if you were going to play tennis or going to the beach. There is a connection between heaviness and respect, and the weightiness of leadership and responsibility. For Aaron and the other priests, their clothes reminded them of “wearing” or “bearing” one’s responsibility, every day. As Christ’s priests, we need to daily put on our heavenly garments. These heavenly garments are Christ himself. In Romans 13:14 Paul tells us to cloth ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Ephesians 4:24 says, “and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” And Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Being clothed in Christ is a heavy and weighty responsibility for Christ-followers. We are to cloth ourselves in Christ and with Christ so we can reveal the glory of God to the world. We have an immense and awesome responsibility to absolute surrender and commitment to the Lord. We must reorder our priorities, we must die to self, we must live as God’s example, and we must depend on His strength. This is what it means to be clothed in Christ and in His righteousness. How should being clothed with Christ affect our behavior? Are the clothes you are putting on reflecting Christ? Let us be people who are putting on Christ, living out His attributes such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Let us be people who dress thinking about the heaviness that comes from our responsibility of being Christ-followers. Let us be people who daily put on the garments of heaven and so reflect the holiness and righteousness of Christ to the world. That brings us to our first next step which is to Daily clothe myself with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our second point, this morning is Holy and is covered in Exodus 39:27-31. In this section we see the making of the pieces of clothing that round out the priestly garments for both Aaron and his sons. They made tunics, turbans, and caps for them woven from fine white linen. They made undergarments for them of finely twisted white linen. And an embroiderer made sashes from finely twisted white linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. And lastly, they made a sacred emblem or plate out of pure gold that was engraved with “HOLY TO THE LORD” on it and fastened with blue cord to the high priest’s turban. These garments were not normal attire nor were they for ordinary use even by the priests. These special garments would only have been worn once they entered the courtyard and after being ceremonially washed.

These garments all had the character of “holiness” and set apart the priests as holy. The Lord was teaching the Israelites that He is holy, and His priests must approach Him in holiness. God desired to dwell with His people, but he must be approached and worshipped on His terms. Aaron and His sons could dress up in these holy garments but that didn’t make them holy on the inside. Externally they looked magnificent, divine, sanctified and reflected light and heaven. But internally they were depraved, sinful, human beings filled with darkness. They were sinners in need of a Savior. So how could these sinful human beings represent a sinful nation before God? Psalm 15:1-3 says, “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” Of course, no human being can live up to that. And in verse 5 we see that “Whoever does these things will never be shaken or moved” which means if you don’t live up to those things you will be shaken or destroyed in God’s holy presence. Th priests were not shaken or destroyed because they were obedient and didn’t approach God on their own terms but on what they were wearing. They were wearing the holy clothes that were made exactly to God’s specifications. Twice in this section alone it says the people did as the Lord commanded Moses. Their obedience to the prescribed worship of the Lord allowed the sinful priests to approach Him clothed in His holiness and righteousness (Big Idea)

That brings us to our third point, Hope. Just as the tabernacle, the furnishings inside and out and the courtyard all foreshadowed Jesus, so did the priesthood of the Israelites. Aaron and his sons were not holy on the inside and so had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. God was showing them that there was one who was coming, the Messiah, who was holy and perfect and had no need to offer sacrifices for himself because He was without sin. God allowed Aaron and his sons to be sinners representing sinners and through their sacrifices and His forgiveness be considered holy. He did this because He knew that the day would come when Jesus, the spotless Lamb, would come as God’s perfect High Priest. Hebrews 9:11-12 says, “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

Jesus would do perfectly what Aaron couldn’t. He would offer sacrifice for our sins, bring us into God’s presence and would intercede before the Father for us. The priesthood of Jesus was perfect in its person, in its purity, in its performance, in its perpetuity and in its passion or sufferings. There would never again be the need for a high priest to offer up an animal sacrifice. The proof of which was God tearing the veil of the Temple in two from top to bottom. Also, the high priest even though he was clothed in holiness was inferior to Jesus Christ. Jesus was superior to Aaron in several ways. First, He ministered in a superior place. The high priest served in the tabernacle, but Jesus serves in heaven, before the throne of God. Second, He ministers with superior righteousness. His righteousness was not external as it was with the high priests. Jesus is clothed in righteousness inside and out. He is perfectly God and perfectly man, untainted by sin.

Third, He ministers to us with superior sympathy. The high priest carried the nation into the presence of God close to his heart, but he couldn’t understand exactly what they were going through. But Jesus suffered and endured everything we do and so He understands what we are going through. Fourth, Jesus ministers to us with superior longevity. All the high priests of Israel are dead. They can no longer minister but Jesus by His resurrection lives forever, and His ministry is eternal. Fifth, Jesus ministers to us with a superior sacrifice. The high priests offered the blood of animals for the people’s atonement, but Jesus offered His own blood. By His free will he became the spotless Lamb on the altar. He offered Himself as the atonement for our sins and He only had to do it once for all. Jesus is superior to all human high priests and is our great and perfect High Priest. So, through our perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, we have the hope of salvation and spending eternity in the presence of God. But what about now as we live on this earth. What are we going to do? We are to be a kingdom of priests. Just like the Levites were set apart and the distinctive garments set them apart from all the other tribes, we are set apart and our distinctive garments, the righteousness of Christ, set us apart from the world. We can be dressed as holy because we are related to Jesus. Hebrews 2:11 says, “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” Since we are a kingdom of priest of the family of God in Jesus, we have a responsibility to live, love and serve in holiness. Holiness is not an option but a requirement. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” We are to be holy as God is holy. Matthew Henry says, “Holiness to the Lord must be so written upon their foreheads, that all who converse with them may see that they bear the image of God’s holiness, and are devoted to the praise of it.”

Serving the Lord as His priests is an awesome privilege. And because of the shed blood of Jesus, we can now approach God’s throne with prayer and sacrifice. Prayer must be a significant part of our ministry as priests. We should be praying for everyone we know who needs intercession. We especially intercede for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior. We intercede with their care and concerns and most importantly their salvation. We interceded for our local church. We pray that the gospel is preached, sinners are saved and that we would grow in love for God and for each other. And we pray for the church around the world, interceding for our missionaries, for Christians being persecuted and for the advance of the gospel. Bringing our sacrifice before the Lord is also an awesome privilege. First, we bring ourselves as living sacrifices to serve the Lord. Second, we bring a sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” And 1 Peter 2:5 says, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are to serve and worship the Lord and bring Him honor, glory and praise both individually and corporately.

Our calling as priests demands complete holiness. We are to be holy in our daily lives. We are called to be holy in our homes, living in peace with our family and serving them in love. We are to be holy in our thoughts, in our speech, and in our actions. 1 Peter 1:15 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” We can’t be holy on our own. We sin against God daily in our thoughts, words and deeds. How can we be holy and serve the Lord in holiness? In conclusion I want to read this story that Philip Ryken tells in his commentary on Exodus. One memorable Thanksgiving Day I went out to play football in the rain. When I returned home, I started to go into the kitchen, which was the primary functional entrance to our family home. As I opened the door, I was confronted by my mother, who was accompanied by a guard of female relatives brandishing rolling pins, potato mashers, and carving knives. “Don’t you dare set one foot in my kitchen!” Mother said. I looked down and realized she was right. I could not enter the house: I was covered with filth! The same thing is true whenever we seek to enter God’s house for worship. We are filthy, having committed the kinds of sins that ought to forbid our entrance. So, how can a holy God accept our priestly service? It’s not because we’re holy, but because He accepts us because of the holiness of Jesus. When we trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, we are clothed in his righteousness. Now when God sees the service we offer, he does not look at the stains of our sin but at the perfection of his Son (Big Idea). So, it is good news that we don’t have to live in perfect holiness, because we can’t do it. But with the help of the Holy Spirit in us, we can purpose to live our lives in complete holiness to the Lord. That is our second next step this morning which is to Purpose to live my life, my thoughts, words and deeds, in complete holiness to the Lord.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Lord, we worship you for your Word and the truths found in it. We pray that every day as we go out into the world, we would continually clothe ourselves with and in your son, Jesus Christ. Help us to live our lives, our thoughts, words and deeds, in complete holiness to you. Thank you for redeeming us from our sin, sorrow and shame. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1133–1153.

Closing: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1133–1153.

September 14, 2025/by Office

A Side of Fries

Putting One Foot in the Basket

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