September 9, 2024 • 49 mins
In this episode, we explore Exodus 28:1-4, where God instructs Moses to set apart Aaron and his sons as priests, emphasizing the significance of their holy garments, which will clothe them in glory and beauty.
This message delves into two main points:
1. Ministry to the Lord as Priority: The essence of being a priest is to stand before God, which must precede any ministry to others. Our relationship with God empowers us to serve effectively. When we pour ourselves out to Him, we are filled with His presence, enabling us to minister to others authentically.
2. The Necessity of Community: Aaron, despite being called and anointed by God, could not create his own holy garments; he needed the artisans in his community. This illustrates that we, too, require those around us to fulfill our God-given roles. The body of Christ is designed to build each other up, as stated in Ephesians 4:16. Our character is shaped through interactions within our community, where we practice living like Jesus.
The episode also addresses the modern church's tendency to prioritize individual gifting over character and community. It emphasizes that true spiritual growth occurs in the context of relationships, where we are held accountable and encouraged by one another. Just as athletes and innovators rely on their teams, we must recognize our need for the family of God to thrive spiritually.
Ultimately, the journey to radiate God's glory takes time and commitment to community. By devoting ourselves to one another and to God’s design for His house, we can shine together in His light. Join us as we reflect on the necessity of becoming the family of God and how we can embody the character of Christ in our daily lives.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Exodus 28.
We're going to read verse 1through 4.
Now take Aaron.
A little context.
God is speaking to Moses.
He's getting ready toconsecrate the priesthood.
He's getting ready to give thegift of the priesthood to God's
people, israel.
So God says this to Moses TakeAaron, your brother, and his
(00:25):
sons, with him from among thechildren of Israel that he may
minister to me as priest.
Aaron and Aaron's sons, nadab,abihu, eleazar and Ithamar.
If you have your second childanytime soon, those are good
choices for you.
Have your second child anytimesoon?
(00:45):
Those are good choices for you.
Nadab, abihu, eleazar, ithamar.
Verse two and you shall makeholy garments for Aaron, your
brother, for glory and forbeauty.
I'm actually kind of shockedright now that one of the main
emphasis of our worship todaywas beauty.
(01:06):
That's what we're talking about.
Clothed in glory and beauty,you shall make holy garments for
Aaron, your brother, for gloryand for beauty.
So you shall speak to all whoare gifted artisans, whom I have
filled with the spirit ofwisdom, whom I have filled with
the spirit of wisdom that theymay make Aaron's garments to
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consecrate him.
Consecrate means to set apart,to remove from common use, to
render holy that these garmentsmay consecrate him so that he
may minister to me as priest, or, as the NASB translates it, so
(01:48):
that he may serve me as priest.
Verse four and these are thegarments which they shall make a
breastplate, an ephod, a robe,a skillfully woven tunic, a
turban and a sash.
So they shall make holygarments for Aaron, your brother
and his sons, so that he mayminister to me as priest.
(02:13):
Two main points today.
Point number one the primaryrole of the priest is to stand
before the Lord and to ministerto him to serve God.
We don't have time for it, butI'd encourage you to read
through Ezekiel, chapter 44.
Fascinating chapter about thedifference in the priests who
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minister to the people as ajudgment against them, because
they preferred the accolades ofthe people and the attaboys from
the people, compared to thesons of Zadok who were invited
to stand before the Lord andminister to him.
Ezekiel 44.
Read that on your own time.
The primary role of the priestis to stand before the Lord and
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minister to him.
Aaron was called, aaron wascommissioned and he was given a
very specific task minister toYahweh.
There were other importantfunctions of the priest, like
making sacrifices on behalf ofthe people, but the primary role
of the priest.
The number one reason for thatguy to wake up in the morning
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was to minister to God.
Now, the role of the priesthoodis not my main point today, but
it is important for us to knowthat the priest is not just some
old timey old Testament thing.
The priesthood is not justsomething that the Catholics do.
If you believe that Jesus iswho he says he is and you're
(03:45):
born again, then according tonew covenant language, you are a
priest unto God.
First, peter 2.5 says that we,collectively, we are being built
up as living stones into aspiritual house, as a holy
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priesthood, to offer spiritualsacrifices to God or to minister
to God through the sacrificesof our lives lived before him.
That's the language that Pauluses in Romans 12.1.
Offer up your bodies as livingsacrifices.
That's priestly language.
(04:33):
You're a priest, not just aChristian, not just a church
attender.
You're a priest.
I feel like we need to do awhole teaching just on that.
It's not today.
I'm trying to restrain myselfso we can finally finish at some
point.
But you're a priest.
A few verses later, peter writesthis 1 Peter 2, verse 9 through
10.
We are a chosen generation.
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What's next?
A royal priesthood, a holynation, his own special people,
so that you may proclaim thepraises of him, who called you
out of darkness into hismarvelous light.
Our lives are first to be livedvertically before they ever
(05:16):
turn horizontally.
We are priests unto God beforewe are ever preachers unto men.
Someone else can shout me downtoo.
I love it.
If we never take our standbefore Yahweh, we're going to
have nothing of eternal value toproclaim to the world.
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We are chosen as a royalpriesthood so that we will then
proclaim his majesty to theworld.
It's our ministry unto the Lordthat qualifies us to minister
unto others.
If we stand before men beforewe stand before the Lord, then
we're standing in our own power.
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We're standing in our ownauthority.
We're out of order with God'sdesign.
You can have all the rightlanguage man, you can be
preaching out on the pier everyevening, but if you haven't
taken your stand before God andministered to him as a priest,
something is out of alignment.
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I would submit your standing inyour own authority, doing good
things, doing righteous things,doing very important things that
the world needs, but let's dothem in order.
Take your stand before him.
That's what we were doing justnow in worship.
That's what it means to be apriest.
You are beautiful, you are holy.
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Then we go out and tell theworld hey, god's nothing like
you've been told.
Trust me, I've stood in hispresence.
When our lives are poured outto him, then we become fit to
stand before men because we'veemptied ourselves on him.
I love this language.
I'm completely stealing it fromLindsay.
(07:12):
We empty ourselves out onto himand then there's nothing left
of us.
There's nothing left of us.
Then we go out completely emptyand he fills empty things with
himself, so that when we speak,it's not us speaking, it's him
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speaking.
Do you see how that works?
Mary sat at his feet, pouredout everything she had.
The other Mary cracks open thevial, pours it all out on Jesus.
There's nothing left, judas.
That's wasteful.
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You got to save something forthe poor.
Isn't that the mentality sooften pervasive in the church?
We got to hold something back,like what are we going to have
for the poor?
What are we going to have forthe children's ministry?
What are we going to have forthis or that?
God's design is we empty it allout on him.
Then he fills us with himselfso that when we pour out, we're
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pouring out him, not us.
Thank you, lindsay, for thatgood word.
Thank you, lindsay, for thatgood word.
So Aaron is called, commissionedand anointed to minister to the
Lord as priest, to spend hislife blessing God.
(08:39):
So God then says in verse twoyou shall make holy garments for
Aaron, garments for glory andfor beauty.
Holy garments for glory and forbeauty.
Point number two there was agarment that the priest was
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required to wear before he couldstand before the Lord.
The priest was to be covered insomething holy.
Remember.
Holy doesn't mean free from sin.
Holy means completely distinct,unlike anything else.
When we were just singing God,you are holy, we were declaring
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there is none like you.
Every other God is a false God.
You are the one true, livingGod.
Holy means distinct, absolutelyunlike anything else.
Aaron was to be clothed ingarments that would set him
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apart from everyone else aroundhim.
He would be clothed in gloryand beauty.
These priestly garments wouldradiate.
That's what glory implies.
I'm not saying there was avisual radiation, I don't know,
maybe it was.
The text doesn't say that, soI'm not going to say that.
But that's what glory implies.
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It's a radiation, it's anemanation coming out.
The rays of sun that come downto us are the glory of the sun
in the heavens.
Aaron was to clothe himself insomething that radiated glory.
And here we arrive at my mainpoint in verse three.
Speak to all who are giftedartisans, whom I have filled
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with the spirit of wisdom, sothat they may make Aaron's
garments to consecrate him, sothat he may minister to me as
priest.
Aaron was called.
Aaron was as priest.
Aaron was called.
Aaron was anointed, aaron wascommissioned, but Aaron could
not clothe himself in glory.
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There was someone else in thecamp who was called,
commissioned and anointed toconsecrate Aaron with garments
that were made by skilledartisan hands.
Aaron was insufficient withinhimself to clothe himself in
glory.
I was hoping that would strikewith a little more impact.
(11:16):
Okay, thank you for that.
Okay, I'm going to make itplain then.
Thank you for that.
Okay, I'm going to make itplain then.
It didn't matter how gifted oranointed Aaron was.
There was something in Aaronthat was insufficient within
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himself to do what God hadcalled him to do.
Aaron needed community, aaronneeded family.
Aaron needed the people of God,and so do we.
How's that?
Did that land better?
Does that make a little moreimpact?
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God is determined that he'sgoing to call you, he's going to
set you apart, he's going toanoint you for the works that he
has prepared beforehand for youto walk in.
And you faithfully being whoGod has called you to be is
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directly connected to the peopleof God around you, being who
God has designed them to be.
This is the necessity ofcommunity.
This is the family of Godbuilding itself up, clothing
itself in glory.
This is Ephesians 4.16.
The whole body, joined and knittogether by what every joint
supplies according to theeffective working by which every
part does its share, causesgrowth of the whole body for the
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building up of itself in love.
That's a powerful verse,ephesians 4.16.
You should read that again onyour own time.
We are an interconnected bodybuilding one another up in love.
Okay, big statement.
(13:09):
Lindsay gets nervous every timeI say that she's like oh man,
we're going to have to do apodcast and like clarify what it
was that just came out of yourmouth.
God has determined that thecommunity of his people will
clothe one another in glory andbeauty.
God has determined, it's God'sdesign, that the community of
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God, the people of God, willclothe one another in glory and
beauty.
I'm going to tell you what Imean by that.
I'm going to explain that.
But some of you might be sayinghold on a second brother.
I thought God is the one whoclothes us in glory.
Yes, amen.
But he's designed the body tofunction in a very specific way,
with.
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Aaron applies to us, as Paulsays in 1 Corinthians 10,.
These things have been writtendown for our benefit, so that we
can learn.
I'm going to give you anexample.
Let's say that I have a giftfrom God.
I have a calling, I have a rolewithin the body that God has
designed me for.
That's awesome.
But God does not intend for meto exist inside of a vacuum.
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He designed me to exist withina community of Jesus, people to
function within a body ofbelievers that also have their
own gifts, their own calling,their own anointing, their own
purpose within the body.
And it's at the intersection ofmy life and yours that God
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continually shapes us andconforms us into the glorious,
beautiful image of the radiantsun.
It's our interaction with oneanother in the daily grind of
life where we actually becomemore like Jesus.
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On my own, just locked in thisbuilding over here by myself.
God's word is theorized.
I understand conceptually thatI am to love others more than
myself.
I can amen the Bible all day,but it's all concept until I
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bump up against an enemy andthen I'm called to love the
enemy.
That's where the rubber meetsthe road.
I can understand conceptuallythat I'm to walk humbly, that
I'm supposed to choose mercy andforgiveness, that I'm now to
live like Jesus.
But it's only when I come out ofthe prayer closet and I bump
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into the community of believersthat those things are actually
put into practice.
It's the community of God'speople where I now have the
opportunity to love like Jesus,where I have the opportunity to
honor and serve and forgive andwalk in humility, to demonstrate
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the life of Jesus and thetransforming power of his gospel
.
I know the gospel hastransformed me, not by how much
I mend God's word, but by howmuch I see a change in my life
when I bump up against real life.
Yes, let's say amen to God'sword and then let's make sure we
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look like Jesus when we have ahead-on collision with real life
.
That's how I know the power ofthe gospel, because I don't act
the way I used to act.
I know the way that guy wouldreact.
He's been dead, he's buried.
Praise Jesus forever.
Now I can live like Jesus.
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Real life lived with the familyof God gives me the opportunity
to put flesh around the thingsthat may only exist as ideas
when I'm isolated, or, to useour metaphor, with Aaron and his
garments.
Real life lived with the familyof God clothes us in glory.
Forgiveness is glorious,humility is beautiful, and when
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I have a chance to forgive, I'mclothing myself in this
Christ-like character offorgiveness and heaven says my
goodness, he used to be a deadenemy of God, but now look how
beautiful he is.
He looks like Jesus.
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Forgiveness is only a conceptif I never suffer a wound
inflicted from another.
Yes, ma'am, forgiveness is onlya concept if I never suffer a
wound inflicted from another.
Humility is never tested if Idon't have an opportunity to
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choose me over you, but insteadchoose to serve you rather than
serving my flesh.
Forgiveness, humility, love andall the other qualities of
Jesus become our holy, priestlygarments, which is why Peter
(18:39):
says in 1 Peter 5, 5,.
All of you clothe yourselveswith humility to one another.
Life lived with one anotherClothes us in the glory and the
beauty of Jesus, who laid downhis life for others and, as a
result, was glorified forever.
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How are we doing so far, philip?
I'm glad you're here.
How are we doing so far,phillip, I'm glad you're here.
Okay, getting ready to make abit of a shift.
The message is going to get alittle harder.
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Lindsay's really nervous rightnow.
You good, okay, she believes me.
I believe the point that I'vemade is clear, but I want to
contrast the word of God to thecurrent church climate that we
live in.
Now.
Please hear me.
I assure you I am not speakingto anyone directly.
(19:42):
I wasn't picturing differentpeople as I'm writing these
notes out there.
Oh, I'm going to get it withthis.
I'm not speaking to youdirectly.
I wasn't picturing differentpeople as I'm writing these
notes out there.
Oh, I'm going to get it withthis.
I'm not speaking to youdirectly.
Anyone listening on the podcast, or if you're not here today,
I'm not speaking to you, Ipromise.
But if something I say pricksyou or rubs you the wrong way,
(20:04):
please don't take offense at me.
It could be the Lord isactually calling you out.
I assure you I'm not callingyou out, but maybe Jesus is Okay
.
Everybody good Now.
Lindsay's nervous.
Let's talk about Paul for asecond.
Paul had a powerful encounterwith Jesus on the road to
Damascus he saw the resurrectedLord.
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The encounter with thisbrilliant light radiating from
this God man left Paul literallyphysically blind.
The encounter that he had wasattested to by all the guys that
he was traveling with.
He had a legitimate head-oncollision with God.
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Modern Christianity, especiallyour charismatic blend of
Christianity, would say thatthis encounter qualifies the man
for ministry.
If you don't believe me, justgo to the next conference where
the guy who saw heaven for 11minutes or hell for two minutes
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is speaking.
I guarantee it'll be the mostwell-attended conference you
will find.
Paul may have had a powerfulencounter with Jesus, but
scripture shows us that Paulstill needed to be healed.
Paul needed to be taught.
Paul needed to be taught.
Paul needed to mature and grow.
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He needed to be refined in thecrucible of Christian community.
Now I understand.
Paul did not consult with fleshand blood regarding his gospel
Amen.
There's nothing in scripturethat suggests that Paul attained
maturity of character in oneencounter with Jesus.
Jesus may have knocked Paul offhis horse and changed his life
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forever, but he still needed theJesus people to clothe him in
the character of the Messiah.
Paul needed community to clothehim in glory.
Paul needed Ananias to come andput his hands on his eyes and
heal the man.
Paul needed affirmation fromthe leaders in Jerusalem.
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Paul needed the community ofAntioch Acts 13.1, to hear the
voice of the Holy Spirit sayingset apart for me, consecrate
Saul and Barnabas.
And then Paul needed his churchcommunity to say amen, we agree
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with the Holy Spirit.
This man is called by God.
Saul, we've witnessed your life, we've witnessed your
development in character and wesend you out as a church family
blessed by God.
That's what Acts 13, three issaying.
Having fasted and prayed andlaid hands on Saul, they the
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church sent them out.
His community sent them out.
Paul was gifted, paul wascalled, paul had seen Jesus what
an encounter.
And Paul was connected to achurch family.
This tells me that Paul wasproperly clothed in priestly
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garments.
We live in a cultural Christianclimate that knows very little
of God's view of community andfamily.
We are spiritual drifters.
Not any of you talk about them.
We're spiritual drifters.
We're Holy Spirit hobos contentto bounce from one event to
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another or disconnectedrenegades, roaming about with
suitcases full of church hurtand offense.
And this has produced a churchculture that too quickly
elevates individuals solely onthe basis of gifting and talent,
solely on the basis of giftingand talent.
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We know nothing about the manon stage other than what we see
under the lights, but he canprophesy the paint off the wall.
So let's follow that guy.
Someone else may be a giftedteacher and leader, he may be
charismatic, he may speak withthe tongues of angels, but is he
clothed in humility?
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Does he speak with love?
Because if not, he's just aclanging cymbal.
Impact has been prioritized inthe church over fruit and
character.
And that chicken has come hometo roost.
Just look at what is going onin the church across the nation.
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Just last week, anotherprophetic leader resigned his
position because of improperbehavior, a man that ministries
here in this community had nohesitation in placing him before
their people to say minister toour people, speak on God's
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behalf to our people, don'tworry, you can trust his gift.
Now this man has had to resignbecause of improper behavior.
His impact mattered more thanhis character.
When the chicken came home toroost, it showed he wasn't
clothed in humility and thecharacter of Christ.
He was gifted, he was anointed,he was called, but he hadn't
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submitted himself to the processof God.
He was called, but he hadn'tsubmitted himself to the process
of God.
What local church is that manwho prophesies so well?
Or that worship leader whobrings heaven into a room Like?
What church is he from?
Who's he doing life with?
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Who's he accountable to?
What's his family like?
I have a friend that we servedwith in Iraq.
He was at a conference,speaking at a conference, and he
was sitting in the green roomwith someone.
If I said his name, you allwould know his name, big name,
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and so my friend.
He starts asking this brothersome questions, like pretty deep
, intimate questions, and at onepoint this other man of God
looks at my friend and says whoare you accountable to?
Man Like?
Who are you submitted to?
What church family are you partof?
They had just met and my friendwas kind of like shocked and so
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he rattled off his churchfamily.
He thought about it afterwardsand he was like, wow, I was on a
journey with this man intocovenant kingdom things and he
wasn't just going to throw hispearls before swine.
He wanted to know if I was acovenant man, if I was a kingdom
man.
When Lindsay and I came here, wewere asked to be part of a
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ministry.
They didn't know us.
We had a common friend whovouched for us.
That's great.
Lindsay and I are kingdom.
So we printed off three pagesof names, phone numbers and
emails and said I know that youdon't know us, but these people
do, going back 13 years.
Call them, they're going tovouch for us.
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I get it that people are sentout, but kingdom means they're
sent out under a covering ofsomebody who's done life with
them.
That's why Paul says aboutTimothy he's my spiritual son in
the faith.
When he sends out Titus orTimothy or the others, he's
sending them with a letter andhe's vouching for them.
You know me, let me vouch forthis guy.
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Timothy, he's my son.
He's not just a Christian, he'smy son man.
That's family language.
That's clothed in glorylanguage.
We still doing good.
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There should be no one among uswho becomes qualified for the
work of the Lord by anythingother than who they have become
within the family of God.
I'm going to read that again,because there are ones among us
who are carrying a big anointingand a big calling and God's
going to send other ones to beamong us who will carry weighty
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things.
I'm just going to tell youright now I'm not going to be
impressed by the gift.
I've said that before.
Prophecy doesn't move me, notanymore.
You know what moves meForgiveness, humility, love,
washing feet that's glorious.
So let me read this statementagain there should be no one
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among us who becomes qualifiedfor the work of the Lord by
anything other than who theyhave become within the context
of God's family.
Gifting talent, money, giftingtalent, money, network visions
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of heaven, prophetic gifting.
You worship like an angel.
You can perform miracles.
Awesome.
We need that functioning in thebody.
The world needs to see thisglorious, transcendent, powerful
, god-made flesh living anddwelling in our generation.
Amen, we need those things.
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But are you clothed in glory?
Are you radiant withChrist-like character?
Do you emanate, do you shine?
Paul was taken up to the thirdheaven man, but he kept his
mouth shut.
He said I'm not going to bragabout these things.
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Let me show you what I'vesuffered.
That's a whole nother message.
Paul was taken up to the thirdheaven, but it wasn't that
encounter that clothed them inglory.
It was a life lived with thesaints in the rhythm of life
together.
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Antioch clothed Paul in beauty,not the third heaven.
The early church was a devotedchurch.
It devoted themselves to thingslike the apostles' teaching to
fellowship, to breaking breadwith one another, to prayer.
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Their devotion to God and toone another clothed them in
glory, and God intends the samething for us.
I'm just going to announce itover us we are a devoted people.
We are a devoted people.
We are a devoted church family.
We've grown up in our giftingand our calling in the context
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of God's community.
I know we've only been doingthis for a few months, but I'm
going to go speak it as thoughit is.
We have grown up and we willcontinue to grow up in our
gifting and our calling in thecontext of God's community.
Our character has been and willbe forged in the fires of life
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together.
Scripture is unbending on thisissue.
God intends to conform us tothe image of his son through
lives lived with his people.
Saints, we need each other.
That's the title of the message.
Saints, we need each other.
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We must ask God for the graceto be the family of God that he
desires.
We're living in a culturalclimate that says it's okay not
to be connected to a localchurch family.
It's okay to just graze on thefringes and simply attend.
Everything in our churchculture right now is prioritized
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except devotion to the thingsthat God says is ultimate.
The kid's ball game, the secondcousin's birthday party, the
weather, another vacation, thesurf swell, the fishing trip,
the long week at work man, Ijust need to rest.
(32:42):
There's an unending list ofthings that will always be more
important than gathering withthe people of God if we think we
can close ourselves with glory.
Now don't hear what I'm notsaying.
Are there birthday parties toattend?
Amen.
Are there vacations to go on?
Amen.
Or are people of Sabbath restand shalom we celebrate.
(33:06):
Do we need to just unwind?
Sometimes, yes.
Is the surf swell really good?
Occasionally, yes.
So don't hear what I'm notsaying.
There's a big difference inthat and the constant choosing
of those lesser things overGod's ultimate things, which is
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being formed and fashioned byGod's people into the image of
Jesus.
I also want to say I'm notimplying that you should be
devoted to this church family.
I'd love for you to be, but I'mnot implying that you have to
be devoted to this church family.
Maybe you need a children'sministry.
(33:50):
Maybe you prefer the large fullworship band.
Maybe you require something inyour current walk with God that
we're not equipped for or calledfor.
That's okay.
My heart is that you getplanted and you give yourself to
a people of God who are healthyand whole and will walk with
you.
I want us to be clothed inglory, not build a big ministry.
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I want a people called by Godto run with us who are clothed
in glory, not a big ministry.
We're coming to the finish line.
We're going to land the plane.
Who said yay?
Whose kid?
Is that there's a sense todaythat if you attend every now and
(34:40):
again and let me just prefaceit, I know I've been prefacing a
lot, but I just I want you tohear my heart is not this like
condemnation thing?
Sometimes I feel like I'mspeaking to principalities and
powers.
I feel that now I'm not even somuch speaking to us as I am to
the atmosphere, like I'm puttinga stake in the ground, saying
(35:02):
this church is not that there'sa sense today that if you attend
every now and again, that youare part of the local church.
That's false.
You may be saved, you may beborn again, but you're isolated,
you're disconnected from thebody.
(35:25):
Isolated, disconnectedChristianity has nothing in
common with BiblicalChristianity.
You can't find that in here.
If someone was isolated, it'sbecause they were in prison.
Isolated, disconnectedChristianity is a modern
invention and that way of livingI've seen it time and again
(35:49):
it's going to result in astagnated walk with God.
It will plateau very quicklyAgain.
You may be saved, may be bornagain, but your walk is going to
plateau.
It's going to hit a ceilingceiling COVID made acceptable
(36:19):
what so many churchgoerssecretly had hoped for all along
Couch potato church.
Are you kidding me?
Facebook prophecies on demand.
Yes, I can stay at home, listenfor a few minutes, send a tithe
in online and never have to dolife with people.
I'm in YouTube.
(36:44):
Sermons are a greatsupplemental resource, but
they're not going to clothe youin glory, not in the way doing
life with God's people will.
Reposting your favorite socialmedia prophet is not going to
guard you from schemes of theenemy, the way that family will.
Even attending multipleservices a week all over town
(37:06):
does not make you part of achurch if you never open up your
life to others and do the hardwork of relationship, if you
never actually submit yourselfto a local body.
I've said accountability andsubmit heaven.
Help us all.
The same message in closingBless God.
(37:33):
Michael Jordan won how manychampionships?
Come on, who said six?
Nathan said six.
Sarah was getting ready to saysix, weren't you?
Michael Jordan won sixchampionships.
Who did Michael need to win sixchampionships?
Scotty Pippen, that's the one Iwas looking for.
Who said Scotty Pippenchampionships Scottie Pippen
that's the one I was looking for.
Who said Scottie Pippen?
Matt said Scottie Pippen.
(37:54):
Jordan needed Pippen.
Derek Jeter won how many WorldSeries?
No one knows this one.
He's a Yankee.
He's a Yankee.
You shouldn't know it anyway.
Go Red Sox.
Derek Jeter won five WorldChampionships, but Derek Jeter
needed the Yankees.
Steve Jobs was brilliant, buthe needed that other funny
(38:15):
looking dude, steve Wozniak, tohelp him build Apple.
Out of high school, I went toBerkeley College of Music.
There were the most giftedmusicians on the planet and they
all had come from around theworld because they knew they
were insufficient in themselvesto get to the place that they
(38:36):
wanted to go.
They needed instruction, theyneeded discipleship, they needed
mentoring, they needed someoneelse's experience.
Kids, what happens?
Or?
Let me ask the question thisway A lion in the desert.
Right, he's hungry.
He's looking for lunch.
(38:56):
He sees a whole herd of zebras.
What is the lion looking for?
Joshua, add his hand up first.
Prey, okay.
What specifically?
Let me ask the question thisway pray, okay, what
specifically?
Okay, let me ask the questionthis way.
He's got, say, he's got 500zebra out there in the, in the
valley.
Which one is he gonna go for?
(39:18):
The weak one, how do you?
Uh, the weak one?
Okay, what do you mean by theweak one?
What does a weak one look like?
The isolated one?
Right, I know Jane was gettingready to answer that one.
Right, you had it, it was righton the tip of your tongue.
(39:40):
The lion he's looking for, theone who's isolated and separated
from the pack.
Look, we understand these thingsabout every other area of life
sports, business, nature but dowe understand it when it comes
to the kingdom of God?
God has a very particular wayof doing things and I believe
(40:04):
this is his design for hischurch that we be a covenantal
people, committed, a family, acommunity.
Now, every one of us has acalling.
I'm really almost done.
First, one's just kind of ateaser just to keep you engaged.
Every one of us has a calling.
(40:25):
We are all called to beconformed to the image of Jesus.
We are all called to beconformed to the image of Jesus
More than anything we ever do.
He's called us to be.
We're called to be conformed tohis image and to minister to
him with the sacrifice of ourlives.
We are designed to radiate, toemanate glory, to shine, and he
(40:50):
intends to clothe us in garmentsthat radiate with the glory of
a trillion suns, and thosegarments are going to be woven
by someone else in the camp.
How many of you know that thisis going to take time?
This is not microwaveChristianity that we're talking
(41:12):
about.
If you read through Exodus 28,it's fascinating to consider how
long it must have taken thesegifted artisans to weave
together these garments.
The breastplate had to beforged and hold four rows of
(41:33):
precious stones.
The ephod was made of blue,purple, gold, scarlet thread of
fine linen.
The robe had littlepomegranates sewn in on the
bottom.
How do you make a pomegranatesewn in on the bottom?
How do you make a pomegranateout of fine linen?
I don't know.
It's not like they had sewingmachines and scissors back then.
(41:56):
Maybe they had scissors.
They weren't sharp, though ifthey did and there were no
fabric shops, it's not like theycould run down to Michael's.
Grab a yard of fine linen.
Where are they getting thesethings?
From India?
(42:17):
From India, I love that, amen,homer.
From India.
My point is this For us tobecome the church family that
clothes one another in glory isgoing to take time, but we're
never going to get there if wedon't give ourselves to the
process.
Amen.
If we don't understand whatchurch really is, I'm going to
(42:43):
stop there.
Kids are way too happy.
Are there any questions?
Speaker 2 (42:58):
I have one just about like of our worship, because we
were talking about us likeserving.
Is that our worship is like toserve him and, like you said,
like to, and then he just giveall of him and then he fills it
with all of him.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
And then, as the girls discovered this weekend,
worship becomes serving others,but first it's to him.
The term worship leader is amisnomer.
It should be what?
What's it called?
One who serves through worship.
(43:34):
Isn't that beautiful Servingthe Lord and ministering to Him,
and then, from that place, youserve those who are in front of
you.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
So it's kind of like our plates, because we have a
plate and it's up this with Himfirst and then our plate goes up
.
So it's up this with him firstand then our plate goes out.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
So it's, it's ministry unto him.
So what that looks like justreal quickly.
It's like we did today worship,but worship, that's telling him
who he is, acknowledging hisholiness, his beauty, his glory,
glory.
So ministry to him is worship.
Ministry to him is prayer, it'sspending time with him, it's
(44:15):
intimacy, it's reading God'sword.
There's many differentresources that we have that
become our ministry unto him.
It's even in a crisis moment,it's even a in a crisis moment,
(44:36):
choosing to believe.
No, you're God.
You said x, y and z.
I'm gonna believe that you arewho you say you are and not that
this circumstance is gonna washover me and control me.
That's a ministry unto him.
Why?
Because you're standing onfaith.
You're saying I believe thatGod is who he says he is.
I don't care what the emptybank account says, I don't care
what the sick child says, Idon't care what the prodigal
(44:56):
child says.
I'm choosing to stand on faithand say that you are God and you
cause all things to worktogether for good.
You lead your people in triumph.
You see how that takes avolatile crisis and it turns it
into ministry.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Like saying, when we read His Word if there is a
crisis, depending on whatever itmay be, that when we're
speaking His Word back to Him,is that like ministering to Him
as well?
Speaker 1 (45:28):
I believe so.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Because we're speaking His Word, we're
claiming that we believe and wehave faith in His Word.
Well, I believe so, like,because we're speaking his word,
we're claiming that we believeand we have faith in his word.
I believe so, and so we're justministering back to him.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
I believe that god loves to hear things that he's
already said spoken back to himby image bearers who used to be
lost enemies trapped in darkness, but who now bear his image,
understand and know him and arespeaking back to him things that
he said.
That's high praise, like that'spowerful.
(46:01):
Yeah, imagine if do you havechildren, three?
Okay, imagine if one of yourchildren strayed and ran off and
they left you and they weregone for like 10 years.
They're lost, they're almostlike, in a way, like dead to you
.
They're just, they're notcalling, they're not writing,
(46:23):
you don't know where they are.
Like they're gone and all of asudden they come back to you and
they say, mom, I remember whatyou said when I was five years
old.
You said you loved me.
You said you would never, everstop loving me.
Recalling back to you, Iremember those days.
I remember the way that youused to care for me and my
siblings.
Oh, mom, used to cook the bestdinners.
(46:43):
I love this dish, mom.
I used to love the way that you.
So what's that doing to you?
It's ministering to you.
It's blessing you.
In the same way, when, when wecome back and are reconciled to
God, we're speaking out to himwho he is.
That's worship, that's ministryunto him.
Yeah, amen, yes, I'll find itand I'll get it to you.
(47:11):
Yeah, yeah, okay, anythingdarling.
Okay, let's say the blessing,the blessing.
I look like I'm standing over ameal getting ready to bless it.
Let's pray, let's thank God forthis awesome time.
Thank you, jesus.
(47:38):
Lord, I thank you for being you.
Thank you that you are God.
You're the kind of God that youare.
Lord, we love you, we worshipyou, we praise your holy name.
We thank you that we had anopportunity today to come
(48:03):
together as the family of God,praise your holy name, minister
to you, bless you, worship youand then talk about you.
You bless you, worship you andthen talk about you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that wewould become conformed to the
image of Jesus, that you wouldgive us the grace to be a Jesus
people in our day, lord, that wewould resist the gravitational
(48:26):
pull of church as we've alwaysdone it, and he would call us up
into the place of glory andbeauty, or give us the grace,
when we bump into one another,to go low, to prefer the other
more than ourself.
Thank you, god, or thank youfor this meal that we are
(48:51):
getting ready to absolutelysmash.
Thank you for everyone whocontributed to it.
Lord, we bless them.
We thank you for them.
Bless our fellowship, ourconversation and our time in
Jesus name Amen.
Exodus 28.
We're going to read verse 1through 4.
Now take Aaron.
A little context.
God is speaking to Moses.
He's getting ready toconsecrate the priesthood.
He's getting ready to give thegift of the priesthood to God's
people, israel.
So God says this to Moses TakeAaron, your brother, and his
(00:25):
sons, with him from among thechildren of Israel that he may
minister to me as priest.
Aaron and Aaron's sons, nadab,abihu, eleazar and Ithamar.
If you have your second childanytime soon, those are good
choices for you.
Have your second child anytimesoon?
(00:45):
Those are good choices for you.
Nadab, abihu, eleazar, ithamar.
Verse two and you shall makeholy garments for Aaron, your
brother, for glory and forbeauty.
I'm actually kind of shockedright now that one of the main
emphasis of our worship todaywas beauty.
(01:06):
That's what we're talking about.
Clothed in glory and beauty,you shall make holy garments for
Aaron, your brother, for gloryand for beauty.
So you shall speak to all whoare gifted artisans, whom I have
filled with the spirit ofwisdom, whom I have filled with
the spirit of wisdom that theymay make Aaron's garments to
(01:27):
consecrate him.
Consecrate means to set apart,to remove from common use, to
render holy that these garmentsmay consecrate him so that he
may minister to me as priest, or, as the NASB translates it, so
(01:48):
that he may serve me as priest.
Verse four and these are thegarments which they shall make a
breastplate, an ephod, a robe,a skillfully woven tunic, a
turban and a sash.
So they shall make holygarments for Aaron, your brother
and his sons, so that he mayminister to me as priest.
(02:13):
Two main points today.
Point number one the primaryrole of the priest is to stand
before the Lord and to ministerto him to serve God.
We don't have time for it, butI'd encourage you to read
through Ezekiel, chapter 44.
Fascinating chapter about thedifference in the priests who
(02:36):
minister to the people as ajudgment against them, because
they preferred the accolades ofthe people and the attaboys from
the people, compared to thesons of Zadok who were invited
to stand before the Lord andminister to him.
Ezekiel 44.
Read that on your own time.
The primary role of the priestis to stand before the Lord and
(02:58):
minister to him.
Aaron was called, aaron wascommissioned and he was given a
very specific task minister toYahweh.
There were other importantfunctions of the priest, like
making sacrifices on behalf ofthe people, but the primary role
of the priest.
The number one reason for thatguy to wake up in the morning
(03:23):
was to minister to God.
Now, the role of the priesthoodis not my main point today, but
it is important for us to knowthat the priest is not just some
old timey old Testament thing.
The priesthood is not justsomething that the Catholics do.
If you believe that Jesus iswho he says he is and you're
(03:45):
born again, then according tonew covenant language, you are a
priest unto God.
First, peter 2.5 says that we,collectively, we are being built
up as living stones into aspiritual house, as a holy
(04:07):
priesthood, to offer spiritualsacrifices to God or to minister
to God through the sacrificesof our lives lived before him.
That's the language that Pauluses in Romans 12.1.
Offer up your bodies as livingsacrifices.
That's priestly language.
(04:33):
You're a priest, not just aChristian, not just a church
attender.
You're a priest.
I feel like we need to do awhole teaching just on that.
It's not today.
I'm trying to restrain myselfso we can finally finish at some
point.
But you're a priest.
A few verses later, peter writesthis 1 Peter 2, verse 9 through
10.
We are a chosen generation.
(04:54):
What's next?
A royal priesthood, a holynation, his own special people,
so that you may proclaim thepraises of him, who called you
out of darkness into hismarvelous light.
Our lives are first to be livedvertically before they ever
(05:16):
turn horizontally.
We are priests unto God beforewe are ever preachers unto men.
Someone else can shout me downtoo.
I love it.
If we never take our standbefore Yahweh, we're going to
have nothing of eternal value toproclaim to the world.
(05:36):
We are chosen as a royalpriesthood so that we will then
proclaim his majesty to theworld.
It's our ministry unto the Lordthat qualifies us to minister
unto others.
If we stand before men beforewe stand before the Lord, then
we're standing in our own power.
(05:57):
We're standing in our ownauthority.
We're out of order with God'sdesign.
You can have all the rightlanguage man, you can be
preaching out on the pier everyevening, but if you haven't
taken your stand before God andministered to him as a priest,
something is out of alignment.
(06:18):
I would submit your standing inyour own authority, doing good
things, doing righteous things,doing very important things that
the world needs, but let's dothem in order.
Take your stand before him.
That's what we were doing justnow in worship.
That's what it means to be apriest.
You are beautiful, you are holy.
(06:51):
Then we go out and tell theworld hey, god's nothing like
you've been told.
Trust me, I've stood in hispresence.
When our lives are poured outto him, then we become fit to
stand before men because we'veemptied ourselves on him.
I love this language.
I'm completely stealing it fromLindsay.
(07:12):
We empty ourselves out onto himand then there's nothing left
of us.
There's nothing left of us.
Then we go out completely emptyand he fills empty things with
himself, so that when we speak,it's not us speaking, it's him
(07:33):
speaking.
Do you see how that works?
Mary sat at his feet, pouredout everything she had.
The other Mary cracks open thevial, pours it all out on Jesus.
There's nothing left, judas.
That's wasteful.
(07:54):
You got to save something forthe poor.
Isn't that the mentality sooften pervasive in the church?
We got to hold something back,like what are we going to have
for the poor?
What are we going to have forthe children's ministry?
What are we going to have forthis or that?
God's design is we empty it allout on him.
Then he fills us with himselfso that when we pour out, we're
(08:15):
pouring out him, not us.
Thank you, lindsay, for thatgood word.
Thank you, lindsay, for thatgood word.
So Aaron is called, commissionedand anointed to minister to the
Lord as priest, to spend hislife blessing God.
(08:39):
So God then says in verse twoyou shall make holy garments for
Aaron, garments for glory andfor beauty.
Holy garments for glory and forbeauty.
Point number two there was agarment that the priest was
(09:00):
required to wear before he couldstand before the Lord.
The priest was to be covered insomething holy.
Remember.
Holy doesn't mean free from sin.
Holy means completely distinct,unlike anything else.
When we were just singing God,you are holy, we were declaring
(09:25):
there is none like you.
Every other God is a false God.
You are the one true, livingGod.
Holy means distinct, absolutelyunlike anything else.
Aaron was to be clothed ingarments that would set him
(09:45):
apart from everyone else aroundhim.
He would be clothed in gloryand beauty.
These priestly garments wouldradiate.
That's what glory implies.
I'm not saying there was avisual radiation, I don't know,
maybe it was.
The text doesn't say that, soI'm not going to say that.
But that's what glory implies.
(10:05):
It's a radiation, it's anemanation coming out.
The rays of sun that come downto us are the glory of the sun
in the heavens.
Aaron was to clothe himself insomething that radiated glory.
And here we arrive at my mainpoint in verse three.
Speak to all who are giftedartisans, whom I have filled
(10:32):
with the spirit of wisdom, sothat they may make Aaron's
garments to consecrate him, sothat he may minister to me as
priest.
Aaron was called.
Aaron was as priest.
Aaron was called.
Aaron was anointed, aaron wascommissioned, but Aaron could
not clothe himself in glory.
(10:54):
There was someone else in thecamp who was called,
commissioned and anointed toconsecrate Aaron with garments
that were made by skilledartisan hands.
Aaron was insufficient withinhimself to clothe himself in
glory.
I was hoping that would strikewith a little more impact.
(11:16):
Okay, thank you for that.
Okay, I'm going to make itplain then.
Thank you for that.
Okay, I'm going to make itplain then.
It didn't matter how gifted oranointed Aaron was.
There was something in Aaronthat was insufficient within
(11:36):
himself to do what God hadcalled him to do.
Aaron needed community, aaronneeded family.
Aaron needed the people of God,and so do we.
How's that?
Did that land better?
Does that make a little moreimpact?
(11:58):
God is determined that he'sgoing to call you, he's going to
set you apart, he's going toanoint you for the works that he
has prepared beforehand for youto walk in.
And you faithfully being whoGod has called you to be is
(12:23):
directly connected to the peopleof God around you, being who
God has designed them to be.
This is the necessity ofcommunity.
This is the family of Godbuilding itself up, clothing
itself in glory.
This is Ephesians 4.16.
The whole body, joined and knittogether by what every joint
supplies according to theeffective working by which every
part does its share, causesgrowth of the whole body for the
(12:49):
building up of itself in love.
That's a powerful verse,ephesians 4.16.
You should read that again onyour own time.
We are an interconnected bodybuilding one another up in love.
Okay, big statement.
(13:09):
Lindsay gets nervous every timeI say that she's like oh man,
we're going to have to do apodcast and like clarify what it
was that just came out of yourmouth.
God has determined that thecommunity of his people will
clothe one another in glory andbeauty.
God has determined, it's God'sdesign, that the community of
(13:35):
God, the people of God, willclothe one another in glory and
beauty.
I'm going to tell you what Imean by that.
I'm going to explain that.
But some of you might be sayinghold on a second brother.
I thought God is the one whoclothes us in glory.
Yes, amen.
But he's designed the body tofunction in a very specific way,
with.
(14:04):
Aaron applies to us, as Paulsays in 1 Corinthians 10,.
These things have been writtendown for our benefit, so that we
can learn.
I'm going to give you anexample.
Let's say that I have a giftfrom God.
I have a calling, I have a rolewithin the body that God has
designed me for.
That's awesome.
But God does not intend for meto exist inside of a vacuum.
(14:25):
He designed me to exist withina community of Jesus, people to
function within a body ofbelievers that also have their
own gifts, their own calling,their own anointing, their own
purpose within the body.
And it's at the intersection ofmy life and yours that God
(14:47):
continually shapes us andconforms us into the glorious,
beautiful image of the radiantsun.
It's our interaction with oneanother in the daily grind of
life where we actually becomemore like Jesus.
(15:09):
On my own, just locked in thisbuilding over here by myself.
God's word is theorized.
I understand conceptually thatI am to love others more than
myself.
I can amen the Bible all day,but it's all concept until I
(15:31):
bump up against an enemy andthen I'm called to love the
enemy.
That's where the rubber meetsthe road.
I can understand conceptuallythat I'm to walk humbly, that
I'm supposed to choose mercy andforgiveness, that I'm now to
live like Jesus.
But it's only when I come out ofthe prayer closet and I bump
(15:53):
into the community of believersthat those things are actually
put into practice.
It's the community of God'speople where I now have the
opportunity to love like Jesus,where I have the opportunity to
honor and serve and forgive andwalk in humility, to demonstrate
(16:15):
the life of Jesus and thetransforming power of his gospel
.
I know the gospel hastransformed me, not by how much
I mend God's word, but by howmuch I see a change in my life
when I bump up against real life.
Yes, let's say amen to God'sword and then let's make sure we
(16:41):
look like Jesus when we have ahead-on collision with real life
.
That's how I know the power ofthe gospel, because I don't act
the way I used to act.
I know the way that guy wouldreact.
He's been dead, he's buried.
Praise Jesus forever.
Now I can live like Jesus.
(17:05):
Real life lived with the familyof God gives me the opportunity
to put flesh around the thingsthat may only exist as ideas
when I'm isolated, or, to useour metaphor, with Aaron and his
garments.
Real life lived with the familyof God clothes us in glory.
Forgiveness is glorious,humility is beautiful, and when
(17:34):
I have a chance to forgive, I'mclothing myself in this
Christ-like character offorgiveness and heaven says my
goodness, he used to be a deadenemy of God, but now look how
beautiful he is.
He looks like Jesus.
(17:56):
Forgiveness is only a conceptif I never suffer a wound
inflicted from another.
Yes, ma'am, forgiveness is onlya concept if I never suffer a
wound inflicted from another.
Humility is never tested if Idon't have an opportunity to
(18:18):
choose me over you, but insteadchoose to serve you rather than
serving my flesh.
Forgiveness, humility, love andall the other qualities of
Jesus become our holy, priestlygarments, which is why Peter
(18:39):
says in 1 Peter 5, 5,.
All of you clothe yourselveswith humility to one another.
Life lived with one anotherClothes us in the glory and the
beauty of Jesus, who laid downhis life for others and, as a
result, was glorified forever.
(19:00):
How are we doing so far, philip?
I'm glad you're here.
How are we doing so far,phillip, I'm glad you're here.
Okay, getting ready to make abit of a shift.
The message is going to get alittle harder.
(19:20):
Lindsay's really nervous rightnow.
You good, okay, she believes me.
I believe the point that I'vemade is clear, but I want to
contrast the word of God to thecurrent church climate that we
live in.
Now.
Please hear me.
I assure you I am not speakingto anyone directly.
(19:42):
I wasn't picturing differentpeople as I'm writing these
notes out there.
Oh, I'm going to get it withthis.
I'm not speaking to youdirectly.
I wasn't picturing differentpeople as I'm writing these
notes out there.
Oh, I'm going to get it withthis.
I'm not speaking to youdirectly.
Anyone listening on the podcast, or if you're not here today,
I'm not speaking to you, Ipromise.
But if something I say pricksyou or rubs you the wrong way,
(20:04):
please don't take offense at me.
It could be the Lord isactually calling you out.
I assure you I'm not callingyou out, but maybe Jesus is Okay
.
Everybody good Now.
Lindsay's nervous.
Let's talk about Paul for asecond.
Paul had a powerful encounterwith Jesus on the road to
Damascus he saw the resurrectedLord.
(20:26):
The encounter with thisbrilliant light radiating from
this God man left Paul literallyphysically blind.
The encounter that he had wasattested to by all the guys that
he was traveling with.
He had a legitimate head-oncollision with God.
(20:48):
Modern Christianity, especiallyour charismatic blend of
Christianity, would say thatthis encounter qualifies the man
for ministry.
If you don't believe me, justgo to the next conference where
the guy who saw heaven for 11minutes or hell for two minutes
(21:08):
is speaking.
I guarantee it'll be the mostwell-attended conference you
will find.
Paul may have had a powerfulencounter with Jesus, but
scripture shows us that Paulstill needed to be healed.
Paul needed to be taught.
Paul needed to be taught.
Paul needed to mature and grow.
(21:30):
He needed to be refined in thecrucible of Christian community.
Now I understand.
Paul did not consult with fleshand blood regarding his gospel
Amen.
There's nothing in scripturethat suggests that Paul attained
maturity of character in oneencounter with Jesus.
Jesus may have knocked Paul offhis horse and changed his life
(21:54):
forever, but he still needed theJesus people to clothe him in
the character of the Messiah.
Paul needed community to clothehim in glory.
Paul needed Ananias to come andput his hands on his eyes and
heal the man.
Paul needed affirmation fromthe leaders in Jerusalem.
(22:16):
Paul needed the community ofAntioch Acts 13.1, to hear the
voice of the Holy Spirit sayingset apart for me, consecrate
Saul and Barnabas.
And then Paul needed his churchcommunity to say amen, we agree
(22:37):
with the Holy Spirit.
This man is called by God.
Saul, we've witnessed your life, we've witnessed your
development in character and wesend you out as a church family
blessed by God.
That's what Acts 13, three issaying.
Having fasted and prayed andlaid hands on Saul, they the
(22:59):
church sent them out.
His community sent them out.
Paul was gifted, paul wascalled, paul had seen Jesus what
an encounter.
And Paul was connected to achurch family.
This tells me that Paul wasproperly clothed in priestly
(23:22):
garments.
We live in a cultural Christianclimate that knows very little
of God's view of community andfamily.
We are spiritual drifters.
Not any of you talk about them.
We're spiritual drifters.
We're Holy Spirit hobos contentto bounce from one event to
(23:46):
another or disconnectedrenegades, roaming about with
suitcases full of church hurtand offense.
And this has produced a churchculture that too quickly
elevates individuals solely onthe basis of gifting and talent,
solely on the basis of giftingand talent.
(24:09):
We know nothing about the manon stage other than what we see
under the lights, but he canprophesy the paint off the wall.
So let's follow that guy.
Someone else may be a giftedteacher and leader, he may be
charismatic, he may speak withthe tongues of angels, but is he
clothed in humility?
(24:30):
Does he speak with love?
Because if not, he's just aclanging cymbal.
Impact has been prioritized inthe church over fruit and
character.
And that chicken has come hometo roost.
Just look at what is going onin the church across the nation.
(24:55):
Just last week, anotherprophetic leader resigned his
position because of improperbehavior, a man that ministries
here in this community had nohesitation in placing him before
their people to say minister toour people, speak on God's
(25:19):
behalf to our people, don'tworry, you can trust his gift.
Now this man has had to resignbecause of improper behavior.
His impact mattered more thanhis character.
When the chicken came home toroost, it showed he wasn't
clothed in humility and thecharacter of Christ.
He was gifted, he was anointed,he was called, but he hadn't
(25:43):
submitted himself to the processof God.
He was called, but he hadn'tsubmitted himself to the process
of God.
What local church is that manwho prophesies so well?
Or that worship leader whobrings heaven into a room Like?
What church is he from?
Who's he doing life with?
(26:05):
Who's he accountable to?
What's his family like?
I have a friend that we servedwith in Iraq.
He was at a conference,speaking at a conference, and he
was sitting in the green roomwith someone.
If I said his name, you allwould know his name, big name,
(26:27):
and so my friend.
He starts asking this brothersome questions, like pretty deep
, intimate questions, and at onepoint this other man of God
looks at my friend and says whoare you accountable to?
Man Like?
Who are you submitted to?
What church family are you partof?
They had just met and my friendwas kind of like shocked and so
(26:48):
he rattled off his churchfamily.
He thought about it afterwardsand he was like, wow, I was on a
journey with this man intocovenant kingdom things and he
wasn't just going to throw hispearls before swine.
He wanted to know if I was acovenant man, if I was a kingdom
man.
When Lindsay and I came here, wewere asked to be part of a
(27:11):
ministry.
They didn't know us.
We had a common friend whovouched for us.
That's great.
Lindsay and I are kingdom.
So we printed off three pagesof names, phone numbers and
emails and said I know that youdon't know us, but these people
do, going back 13 years.
Call them, they're going tovouch for us.
(27:36):
I get it that people are sentout, but kingdom means they're
sent out under a covering ofsomebody who's done life with
them.
That's why Paul says aboutTimothy he's my spiritual son in
the faith.
When he sends out Titus orTimothy or the others, he's
sending them with a letter andhe's vouching for them.
You know me, let me vouch forthis guy.
(27:57):
Timothy, he's my son.
He's not just a Christian, he'smy son man.
That's family language.
That's clothed in glorylanguage.
We still doing good.
(28:19):
There should be no one among uswho becomes qualified for the
work of the Lord by anythingother than who they have become
within the family of God.
I'm going to read that again,because there are ones among us
who are carrying a big anointingand a big calling and God's
going to send other ones to beamong us who will carry weighty
(28:43):
things.
I'm just going to tell youright now I'm not going to be
impressed by the gift.
I've said that before.
Prophecy doesn't move me, notanymore.
You know what moves meForgiveness, humility, love,
washing feet that's glorious.
So let me read this statementagain there should be no one
(29:05):
among us who becomes qualifiedfor the work of the Lord by
anything other than who theyhave become within the context
of God's family.
Gifting talent, money, giftingtalent, money, network visions
(29:27):
of heaven, prophetic gifting.
You worship like an angel.
You can perform miracles.
Awesome.
We need that functioning in thebody.
The world needs to see thisglorious, transcendent, powerful
, god-made flesh living anddwelling in our generation.
Amen, we need those things.
(29:48):
But are you clothed in glory?
Are you radiant withChrist-like character?
Do you emanate, do you shine?
Paul was taken up to the thirdheaven man, but he kept his
mouth shut.
He said I'm not going to bragabout these things.
(30:11):
Let me show you what I'vesuffered.
That's a whole nother message.
Paul was taken up to the thirdheaven, but it wasn't that
encounter that clothed them inglory.
It was a life lived with thesaints in the rhythm of life
together.
(30:31):
Antioch clothed Paul in beauty,not the third heaven.
The early church was a devotedchurch.
It devoted themselves to thingslike the apostles' teaching to
fellowship, to breaking breadwith one another, to prayer.
(30:52):
Their devotion to God and toone another clothed them in
glory, and God intends the samething for us.
I'm just going to announce itover us we are a devoted people.
We are a devoted people.
We are a devoted church family.
We've grown up in our giftingand our calling in the context
(31:13):
of God's community.
I know we've only been doingthis for a few months, but I'm
going to go speak it as thoughit is.
We have grown up and we willcontinue to grow up in our
gifting and our calling in thecontext of God's community.
Our character has been and willbe forged in the fires of life
(31:35):
together.
Scripture is unbending on thisissue.
God intends to conform us tothe image of his son through
lives lived with his people.
Saints, we need each other.
That's the title of the message.
Saints, we need each other.
(31:56):
We must ask God for the graceto be the family of God that he
desires.
We're living in a culturalclimate that says it's okay not
to be connected to a localchurch family.
It's okay to just graze on thefringes and simply attend.
Everything in our churchculture right now is prioritized
(32:20):
except devotion to the thingsthat God says is ultimate.
The kid's ball game, the secondcousin's birthday party, the
weather, another vacation, thesurf swell, the fishing trip,
the long week at work man, Ijust need to rest.
(32:42):
There's an unending list ofthings that will always be more
important than gathering withthe people of God if we think we
can close ourselves with glory.
Now don't hear what I'm notsaying.
Are there birthday parties toattend?
Amen.
Are there vacations to go on?
Amen.
Or are people of Sabbath restand shalom we celebrate.
(33:06):
Do we need to just unwind?
Sometimes, yes.
Is the surf swell really good?
Occasionally, yes.
So don't hear what I'm notsaying.
There's a big difference inthat and the constant choosing
of those lesser things overGod's ultimate things, which is
(33:28):
being formed and fashioned byGod's people into the image of
Jesus.
I also want to say I'm notimplying that you should be
devoted to this church family.
I'd love for you to be, but I'mnot implying that you have to
be devoted to this church family.
Maybe you need a children'sministry.
(33:50):
Maybe you prefer the large fullworship band.
Maybe you require something inyour current walk with God that
we're not equipped for or calledfor.
That's okay.
My heart is that you getplanted and you give yourself to
a people of God who are healthyand whole and will walk with
you.
I want us to be clothed inglory, not build a big ministry.
(34:13):
I want a people called by Godto run with us who are clothed
in glory, not a big ministry.
We're coming to the finish line.
We're going to land the plane.
Who said yay?
Whose kid?
Is that there's a sense todaythat if you attend every now and
(34:40):
again and let me just prefaceit, I know I've been prefacing a
lot, but I just I want you tohear my heart is not this like
condemnation thing?
Sometimes I feel like I'mspeaking to principalities and
powers.
I feel that now I'm not even somuch speaking to us as I am to
the atmosphere, like I'm puttinga stake in the ground, saying
(35:02):
this church is not that there'sa sense today that if you attend
every now and again, that youare part of the local church.
That's false.
You may be saved, you may beborn again, but you're isolated,
you're disconnected from thebody.
(35:25):
Isolated, disconnectedChristianity has nothing in
common with BiblicalChristianity.
You can't find that in here.
If someone was isolated, it'sbecause they were in prison.
Isolated, disconnectedChristianity is a modern
invention and that way of livingI've seen it time and again
(35:49):
it's going to result in astagnated walk with God.
It will plateau very quicklyAgain.
You may be saved, may be bornagain, but your walk is going to
plateau.
It's going to hit a ceilingceiling COVID made acceptable
(36:19):
what so many churchgoerssecretly had hoped for all along
Couch potato church.
Are you kidding me?
Facebook prophecies on demand.
Yes, I can stay at home, listenfor a few minutes, send a tithe
in online and never have to dolife with people.
I'm in YouTube.
(36:44):
Sermons are a greatsupplemental resource, but
they're not going to clothe youin glory, not in the way doing
life with God's people will.
Reposting your favorite socialmedia prophet is not going to
guard you from schemes of theenemy, the way that family will.
Even attending multipleservices a week all over town
(37:06):
does not make you part of achurch if you never open up your
life to others and do the hardwork of relationship, if you
never actually submit yourselfto a local body.
I've said accountability andsubmit heaven.
Help us all.
The same message in closingBless God.
(37:33):
Michael Jordan won how manychampionships?
Come on, who said six?
Nathan said six.
Sarah was getting ready to saysix, weren't you?
Michael Jordan won sixchampionships.
Who did Michael need to win sixchampionships?
Scotty Pippen, that's the one Iwas looking for.
Who said Scotty Pippenchampionships Scottie Pippen
that's the one I was looking for.
Who said Scottie Pippen?
Matt said Scottie Pippen.
(37:54):
Jordan needed Pippen.
Derek Jeter won how many WorldSeries?
No one knows this one.
He's a Yankee.
He's a Yankee.
You shouldn't know it anyway.
Go Red Sox.
Derek Jeter won five WorldChampionships, but Derek Jeter
needed the Yankees.
Steve Jobs was brilliant, buthe needed that other funny
(38:15):
looking dude, steve Wozniak, tohelp him build Apple.
Out of high school, I went toBerkeley College of Music.
There were the most giftedmusicians on the planet and they
all had come from around theworld because they knew they
were insufficient in themselvesto get to the place that they
(38:36):
wanted to go.
They needed instruction, theyneeded discipleship, they needed
mentoring, they needed someoneelse's experience.
Kids, what happens?
Or?
Let me ask the question thisway A lion in the desert.
Right, he's hungry.
He's looking for lunch.
(38:56):
He sees a whole herd of zebras.
What is the lion looking for?
Joshua, add his hand up first.
Prey, okay.
What specifically?
Let me ask the question thisway pray, okay, what
specifically?
Okay, let me ask the questionthis way.
He's got, say, he's got 500zebra out there in the, in the
valley.
Which one is he gonna go for?
(39:18):
The weak one, how do you?
Uh, the weak one?
Okay, what do you mean by theweak one?
What does a weak one look like?
The isolated one?
Right, I know Jane was gettingready to answer that one.
Right, you had it, it was righton the tip of your tongue.
(39:40):
The lion he's looking for, theone who's isolated and separated
from the pack.
Look, we understand these thingsabout every other area of life
sports, business, nature but dowe understand it when it comes
to the kingdom of God?
God has a very particular wayof doing things and I believe
(40:04):
this is his design for hischurch that we be a covenantal
people, committed, a family, acommunity.
Now, every one of us has acalling.
I'm really almost done.
First, one's just kind of ateaser just to keep you engaged.
Every one of us has a calling.
(40:25):
We are all called to beconformed to the image of Jesus.
We are all called to beconformed to the image of Jesus
More than anything we ever do.
He's called us to be.
We're called to be conformed tohis image and to minister to
him with the sacrifice of ourlives.
We are designed to radiate, toemanate glory, to shine, and he
(40:50):
intends to clothe us in garmentsthat radiate with the glory of
a trillion suns, and thosegarments are going to be woven
by someone else in the camp.
How many of you know that thisis going to take time?
This is not microwaveChristianity that we're talking
(41:12):
about.
If you read through Exodus 28,it's fascinating to consider how
long it must have taken thesegifted artisans to weave
together these garments.
The breastplate had to beforged and hold four rows of
(41:33):
precious stones.
The ephod was made of blue,purple, gold, scarlet thread of
fine linen.
The robe had littlepomegranates sewn in on the
bottom.
How do you make a pomegranatesewn in on the bottom?
How do you make a pomegranateout of fine linen?
I don't know.
It's not like they had sewingmachines and scissors back then.
(41:56):
Maybe they had scissors.
They weren't sharp, though ifthey did and there were no
fabric shops, it's not like theycould run down to Michael's.
Grab a yard of fine linen.
Where are they getting thesethings?
From India?
(42:17):
From India, I love that, amen,homer.
From India.
My point is this For us tobecome the church family that
clothes one another in glory isgoing to take time, but we're
never going to get there if wedon't give ourselves to the
process.
Amen.
If we don't understand whatchurch really is, I'm going to
(42:43):
stop there.
Kids are way too happy.
Are there any questions?
Speaker 2 (42:58):
I have one just about like of our worship, because we
were talking about us likeserving.
Is that our worship is like toserve him and, like you said,
like to, and then he just giveall of him and then he fills it
with all of him.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
And then, as the girls discovered this weekend,
worship becomes serving others,but first it's to him.
The term worship leader is amisnomer.
It should be what?
What's it called?
One who serves through worship.
(43:34):
Isn't that beautiful Servingthe Lord and ministering to Him,
and then, from that place, youserve those who are in front of
you.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
So it's kind of like our plates, because we have a
plate and it's up this with Himfirst and then our plate goes up
.
So it's up this with him firstand then our plate goes out.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
So it's, it's ministry unto him.
So what that looks like justreal quickly.
It's like we did today worship,but worship, that's telling him
who he is, acknowledging hisholiness, his beauty, his glory,
glory.
So ministry to him is worship.
Ministry to him is prayer, it'sspending time with him, it's
(44:15):
intimacy, it's reading God'sword.
There's many differentresources that we have that
become our ministry unto him.
It's even in a crisis moment,it's even a in a crisis moment,
(44:36):
choosing to believe.
No, you're God.
You said x, y and z.
I'm gonna believe that you arewho you say you are and not that
this circumstance is gonna washover me and control me.
That's a ministry unto him.
Why?
Because you're standing onfaith.
You're saying I believe thatGod is who he says he is.
I don't care what the emptybank account says, I don't care
what the sick child says, Idon't care what the prodigal
(44:56):
child says.
I'm choosing to stand on faithand say that you are God and you
cause all things to worktogether for good.
You lead your people in triumph.
You see how that takes avolatile crisis and it turns it
into ministry.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Like saying, when we read His Word if there is a
crisis, depending on whatever itmay be, that when we're
speaking His Word back to Him,is that like ministering to Him
as well?
Speaker 1 (45:28):
I believe so.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Because we're speaking His Word, we're
claiming that we believe and wehave faith in His Word.
Well, I believe so, like,because we're speaking his word,
we're claiming that we believeand we have faith in his word.
I believe so, and so we're justministering back to him.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
I believe that god loves to hear things that he's
already said spoken back to himby image bearers who used to be
lost enemies trapped in darkness, but who now bear his image,
understand and know him and arespeaking back to him things that
he said.
That's high praise, like that'spowerful.
(46:01):
Yeah, imagine if do you havechildren, three?
Okay, imagine if one of yourchildren strayed and ran off and
they left you and they weregone for like 10 years.
They're lost, they're almostlike, in a way, like dead to you
.
They're just, they're notcalling, they're not writing,
(46:23):
you don't know where they are.
Like they're gone and all of asudden they come back to you and
they say, mom, I remember whatyou said when I was five years
old.
You said you loved me.
You said you would never, everstop loving me.
Recalling back to you, Iremember those days.
I remember the way that youused to care for me and my
siblings.
Oh, mom, used to cook the bestdinners.
(46:43):
I love this dish, mom.
I used to love the way that you.
So what's that doing to you?
It's ministering to you.
It's blessing you.
In the same way, when, when wecome back and are reconciled to
God, we're speaking out to himwho he is.
That's worship, that's ministryunto him.
Yeah, amen, yes, I'll find itand I'll get it to you.
(47:11):
Yeah, yeah, okay, anythingdarling.
Okay, let's say the blessing,the blessing.
I look like I'm standing over ameal getting ready to bless it.
Let's pray, let's thank God forthis awesome time.
Thank you, jesus.
(47:38):
Lord, I thank you for being you.
Thank you that you are God.
You're the kind of God that youare.
Lord, we love you, we worshipyou, we praise your holy name.
We thank you that we had anopportunity today to come
(48:03):
together as the family of God,praise your holy name, minister
to you, bless you, worship youand then talk about you.
You bless you, worship you andthen talk about you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that wewould become conformed to the
image of Jesus, that you wouldgive us the grace to be a Jesus
people in our day, lord, that wewould resist the gravitational
(48:26):
pull of church as we've alwaysdone it, and he would call us up
into the place of glory andbeauty, or give us the grace,
when we bump into one another,to go low, to prefer the other
more than ourself.
Thank you, god, or thank youfor this meal that we are
(48:51):
getting ready to absolutelysmash.
Thank you for everyone whocontributed to it.
Lord, we bless them.
We thank you for them.
Bless our fellowship, ourconversation and our time in
Jesus name Amen.
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