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GTM - Seeking After The Things of God - By Albert Jones - May 17, 2024
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GTM - Seeking After The Things of God - By Albert Jones - May 17, 2024
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GTM - Seeking After The Things of God - By Albert Jones - May 17, 2024
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Mr. Albert Jones discusses the importance of seeking after the things of God and worshiping Him in spirit and truth. This message emphasizes the contrast between the things of God and the things of the world. Albert shows that God has made an everlasting covenant with His people and has chosen the weak and despised to shame the wise and strong. They talk about the role of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the believers' lives. He encourages believers to grow in their faith and not be influenced by the world's ways. Albert also stresses the importance of speaking the truth in love and becoming like Christ, warns against walking in the ways of the Gentiles, and emphasizes that as the family of God, believers have learned differently from Christ. Good evening everyone. It's good to be here and to be able to bring a message tonight. The message that I've prepared is entitled, Seeking After the Things of God. And so why don't you start to turn to Isaiah 55. And we are truly commanded by God to know him and to seek after him as the true light of mankind, the one who supplies all that is important to us. And we do seek after him and he wants us to worship him in spirit and truth. And so where is that? What does that come from? It comes from his very throne in terms of where he is and where Jesus Christ. So in seeking after God, we're going to highlight some things tonight that are important to that concept or to that precept and to find out how important that really is. So let's begin in Isaiah 55, if you will. In Isaiah 55, we read, O everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And he who has no money, come, buy, and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your labor for what never satisfies? Hearken diligently, he says to him, hearken diligently to me, he says, and eat what is good. Let your soul delight itself in fatness. And brethren, we know that everything that comes from God is good for us, is the superior things of the earth, if you will, those things which are from God. God sends forth blessings, he sends forth his spirit, he helps us to see those things that are important. Reading on here in verse three, bow down your ear and come to me, hear and your soul shall live. Very good words, right? When you really think on them, you meditate on them, you let them marinate in your heart and your mind, those are powerful things. They bring a joy to our thoughts, a joy to our existence. He goes on to say, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. Yes, he has. He has made an everlasting covenant with us. Even the sure mercies of David. Behold, he says in verse four, I have given him for a witness to the people, a prince and a commander of the people. Behold, you shall call a nation that you did not know, a nation that did not know you, shall run to you because of the Lord your God. And there were many brethren, there were many who joined themselves to the God of Israel. They joined themselves to the God of Israel. They saw that the God of Israel was real, that he protected his people, that he responded to them in so many different ways. And he goes on to say in verse five, and for the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you. And again, here Isaiah sums it up. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. He tells us again that there's a big contrast between the things of God and the things of this world. In verse six, he wrote, I'm sorry, verse seven, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. And God makes it clear, again, a great distinction about the things of this world, or the things of Satan, or the things of men, compared to the things of God. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, verse eight says, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. Yes, God is revealing truth to us. We have to connect with him in order to receive godly things. First Corinthians one, let's turn there. First Corinthians chapter one, let's pick it up here in verse 26. First Corinthians one, verse 26. So he tells us, brethren, for you see your calling. I hope we truly comprehend the calling that God has extended to us, and it is a glorious calling. You see your calling, brethren, that there are not many who are wise according to the flesh, not many who are powerful, not many who are high born among you. Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world, and there's a purpose in that here he defines, so that he might put to shame those who are wise, because that isn't the thing that God is looking for, and their wisdom is foolishness to God. He goes on to say, and God has chosen the weak things of the world, so that he may put to shame the strong things, the low born of the world, and the despised has God chosen, even the things that recounted as nothing, in order that he might bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh might glory in his presence, not any flesh. But you are of him, that is, he tells us what is important, you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, even righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, so that as it is written, the one who glories, let him glory in the Lord. And where is the Lord, brethren? Let's turn, let's turn to Ephesians. Ephesians, so Jesus Christ is in heaven at the right hand of the Father, right? He has sent his spirit to guide us, to strengthen us, to reveal truth to us, to open our eyes, to open our minds, to comprehend spiritual things. In Ephesians 4, Ephesians 4, and we're going to pick it up in verse 4. Ephesians 4, verse 4. He says here, there is one body and one spirit, even as you were also called in one hope of your calling. That's our calling, know your calling, right? He, again, emphasizes the more important things. There is one law, one faith, one baptism. And this is a part of the gospel that we preach to the world as a witness. There aren't many ways to God. There's one way. There aren't many faiths that God will, will accept. There's one faith. And there are not many baptisms out there that God will honor and enter into covenant with. There is only one baptism. Verse 6, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. But grace was given to each one according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Again, that gift comes from above. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. He sends to us. He pours out from heaven gifts and blessings in so many different forms. Verse 8, for this very reason, he says that after ascending on high, he laid captivity captive. He gave gifts to men. Now he who ascended, what is it? But that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens so that he might fulfill all things. Again, Jesus Christ is resurrected and at the right hand of God. There is a whole nother phase of work to be fulfilled after he had secured himself as the perfect sacrifice for us, secured salvation for us, that is access to salvation for us. But his work is not done. Jesus Christ is in heaven working on our behalf, doing again a great work. He has sent forth his spirit. He dwells within us through his spirit. The Father dwells within us through the spirit. Verse 11, and he gave some as apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Again, he made provisions for that on our part for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we no longer be children. God wants us to grow up, so we should be always aspiring to the things of God, asking God to send to us those things that we need to exist in a very dark and confused world. No longer be children tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but by the slight of men in cunning craftiness, with a view to the systematizing of the error which is the world is so full of. But speaking the truth in love, may and all things go up into him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly a frame and compacted together by that which every joint supplies according to its inner working in the measure of each individual part. God is spiritually pulling together his family. God is spiritually strengthening and edifying each part of the body through his spirit, through his presence. This is a part of what he's sending back to us from where he is, at the throne of power, at the right hand of the great God in heaven. That's where he is. We have said many times that we don't just have Passover, but we take Passover with us in this covenantal relationship that we want to, right? We don't just take the days of unleavened bread and keep them for seven days. The lesson of unleavened bread is to be ingrained within our conscience that sin has no place in our life because there is no sin with Christ. He was perfect in every way. In verse 12, he is perfecting the saints, you see. In the ministry, we have a part in that. God gives us a special measure to help to take care of his people and to preach the word faithfully according to the scriptures. We pray for that inspiration. We thank all of you for those prayers. God is, again, extending to us the things that we need to be effective. Let's go on. Verse 14, so that we no longer be children. We read that. Verse 15, speaking the truth and love, may in all things grow up unto him or into him who is the head, even Christ. That is, into him. We are to become like Christ. Indeed, we are to become perfect even as our father in heaven is perfect, as it says in Matthew. Let's go here to verse 16. I'm sorry. Let's go on down to verse 17. So then I declare and testify this in the Lord that you no longer are to walk. You are no longer to walk, even as the rest of the Gentiles are walking. Again, those who are cut off and don't have access to the things of God, don't have access to the power of God, as was being discussed just before the message here. They walk in vanity, in the vanity of their minds, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their hearts. They have cast off all feelings and have given themselves up to licentiousness to work every uncleanness with insatiable desire. But once again, verse 20, we, the family of God, he says, you have not so learned Christ. And so we are again aspiring to the Christ that we know, the Christ that we have this covenantal relationship with, are able to have this covenantal relationship with. Let's go to Romans 3. Romans 3. In Romans 3, then God has revealed a number of things to us as a body. So we're not walking as the Gentiles are walking, right? God has called a special people unto himself. And it is a calling that God has extended to each and every one of us as members of his family. And because of the work that Jesus Christ has done, we have access to that. That is a part of those blessings which he sent forth from him. So in Romans 3, Paul raised the question to the Jewish brethren. He said, is he, that is God, the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? And Paul again affirms, yes, he is also God of the Gentiles. It is indeed, as we read earlier, one God who will justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith. Are we then abolishing the law through faith? May it never be, whether we are establishing law. But the verse 29 and 30 is affirming this fact that mankind, as God calls men and women to him, that they have a personal relationship with God. They're responding to a personal calling from God. And our law, our covenantal law is with God as individuals. But we are a part of a body, a family. Let's go to the book of Revelation and let's establish some. Because we also understand that in addition to us seeking after the things of God, God is seeking those who seek, who are seeking him. As he said, there in Isaiah, seek him while he may be found. And in Revelation 5 and verse 6, Revelation 5 and verse 6, he says, then I saw and behold before the throne in the four living creatures, this is the setting in the throne of heaven for Christ is with the father, this right hand, four living creatures and before the elders were standing a lamb as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him who sits on the throne. And when he took the book, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each having hearts and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. So if you ever contemplate the activity in the throne room of God, you are central, we are central to much of what's going on. Our prayers, a singing unto God, you know, as the earth rotates around the sun, people praying day and night. God's angels sent out to care for and to watch over, to guide, to help, to intervene. God, the father in Jesus Christ is aware of everything that that is going on in your life, and you are able to share with them your deepest and most intimate thoughts expressed to them. Your need for them. You cry out to God, and God wants you to do that. That is beneficial in your life. You are not wasting tears. You're not wasting your voice in lifting it up to the throne of God. That is where the power resides. That is where intervention resides. Help, hope, and all of those things are there for us. Pour it out. Psalmed up in the term grace. Again, psalmed up in the term grace. Let's go to Psalm 53. Psalm 53. The 53rd Psalm, and let's read something here. In the 53rd Psalm, the psalmist writes, again, the fool has said in his heart there is no God. They are corrupt and have worked out abominable wickedness. There is no one who does good. God looked down from heaven, from where he is, upon the children of men to see if there were any who understand. And we want to understand, rather, we want to truly understand. To see if there were any who understand, who are seeking after God. And God doesn't want us, again, to be like the Gentiles. God says that the world, and those cut off from him, everyone has turned away. They have all together become corrupt. No one is doing good. No, not even one. So we live in a very corrupt society, a very corrupt world. And God is telling us to seek him, to come out of the world, but to put our focus and to seek him. God desires those who set their mind on the things of God. So where is he, brethren? Where is he? He is in heaven on the throne. And so we are not to be caught up and be preoccupied with things in this world, which have no value. No salvation is going to come out of any aspect of that. Yes, we live in this world. We would, but Jesus Christ would, as Paul had said, sometimes we feel the same, that God would take us out of this world now. So it would be better for us, because in a moment and a twinkling of the eye, we are spirit. That's how God has defined that. But God has left us in the world for now. We have to keep growing. We have to keep overcoming. And we have to keep doing those things which God has charged us to do, being light, being salt, growing, enduring trials, and so on. Because the reward at the other end is greater than anything you can imagine. But do not put your trust or thoughts or your energy into the things of this world. Yes, God says, enjoy life within his laws and commandments. Enjoy the blessings that he gives you. Yes, that is true. We are to do that. Let's turn to John, the Gospel of John. And let's pick it up in chapter four of the Gospel of John. And let's read something in verse 23 and 24. Let's pick it up here just to get perspective. Verse, this is the encounter with the woman at the well. And Jesus said to her, verse 21, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. We worship God, not on the earth. He is in heaven, so our prayers are lifted up to him where he is. He says, you do not know what you worship. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Spirit is sent to us. Truth is sent to us, revealed to us. We are empowered with it, all from on high, for where God is. For the Father is indeed seeking those who worship him in this manner. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And this is what God wants us to truly understand. Those whose minds are inclined to him are the ones that God is responding to. We are to set our mind on the things of God. Colossians 3, let's turn there. And he makes it very clear. Paul brings this out succinctly here in Colossians chapter 3. Let's read the first four verses here. He says, Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. You see, our Savior is not a little baby in a manger. Our Savior is not a, you know, a sacrifice in the grave. Our Savior is that perfect one who was raised from the dead and restored to glory with the Father. He is at his right hand, the side of power. He is able to deliver to us all that we need in great supply. There is no shortages with God. There is no famine with God. God is a river of living water, and he pours out to us all that we need. So he tells us in verse 2, Set your affection on the things that are above and not on the things that are on the earth. If you have a peaceful, quiet life, if you have some place of quietness, praise God for it, right? You have the means for which to provide your need, the income. You know, you have a job and you are able to care for yourself, your family. Praise God. Give the glory to God and find that quietness. Ask God to give you that peace and quietness that comes from him in your thoughts, in your aspirations, in your desires for the kingdom of God, because God wants you there. He wants you to be by his side. So he tells us once again, Remember, you have died, and your life has been here together with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, that is revealed and returns, then you also shall be manifested with him in glory. Now this is the promise from God's very own throne. And he's demonstrated his faithfulness in so many different ways, so we have that, and we want to stay securely anchored in that faithfulness, which is from God. Let's go on with verse five here. So he tells us, Therefore, put to death your members which are on Put to death your members which are on the earth. And there is a whole category of sins which the flesh, the law of sin and death, which is within us, is inclined to be given over to. But we have God's spirit, and God's spirit can help us to overcome these things. But we need to put to death those things which are of the flesh. Let's go on down to, let's see, let's pick it up here. In verse 10, what we are to be putting on is the new man. Again, the old man and all those sins which are listed before, died in the baptismal pool. Okay? So here's the newness. He says, Put on the new man who is being renewed in knowledge that truth is from God. God is sending all of that according to the image of him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all things and in all. So our hope, everything that we are, should be focused on the relationship that we have with the Father and the Son. And once again, yes, we have an obligation in life. God tells us to love one another, to love our neighbors. Indeed, he tells us even to love our enemies. So we are those light, those representatives of God on the earth as ambassadors. That's where we are at. But we are looking forward to the return of Christ. We're looking forward to the kingdom of God. Verse 12 tells us, Put on then as the elect of God, holy and beloved. And this is the newness and life that we have. We were raised from the dead to live this way. We are to put on deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering. We are to be forbearing one another and forgiving one another. You know, God's way is the way of repentance. God's way is not the way of this world. God's way is a way of repentance, forgiveness, right? Forgiveness first. We don't make any excuses. We forgive first and then we mitigate offenses. We forgive and then we mitigate offenses. If you haven't forgiven, you can't mitigate an offense. You can't discuss an offense while you're still angry and have hatred in your heart. You have to forgive first. And God's way is forgiveness first, then reconciliation. Then reconciliation begins. God's way is love, obedience. Let's turn quickly to Matthew 5 for a second. Let's turn to Matthew 5. I just want to bring out this very point. Matthew 5 in verse 21. Matthew 5, 21, where God tells us, you've heard that it was said to those in ancient times, you shall not commit murder, but whoever commits murder shall be subject to judgment. But I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother without cause, shall be subject to judgment. Now you're yours says, you have heard it said, whoever shall say to his brother, Repet, shall be subject to judgment of the council. But I say to you, whoever shall say, you fool, shall be subject to the fire of the Hannah. For this reason, if you bring your gift to the altar, and here's the point that I'm making, you want to stay in this relationship with God so that your prayers are heard on high. You want to stay in this relationship with God so that you are in a proper standing with God. He says, for this reason, if you bring your gift to the altar, you go before God in the name of Jesus Christ, and you're lifting a prayer. And there you remember that your brother has something against you. Leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled with your brother and then come and offer your gift. But you can't, there's no reconciliation if there is not forgiveness. There has to be repentance and forgiveness. So God has inspired us to comprehend that. He says, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift to God. Your prayers will be heard, you see. So again, reconciliation then can happen based on love, obedience to the will of the Father, active faith. These are God's ways, active faith in his son, full, full of spirit and oil, you see. Let's turn to Joel, Joel 2. This is the prophet Joel. Let's read something from his, from him here. The prophet Joel chapter 2, and let's pick it up in verse 12. He says, therefore even now says the Lord, he says, turn to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning. This is the spiritual approach to God's throne, humbled, right? Recognizing the need to receive from God. Recognizing the need to eradicate all high-mindedness about this flesh that we walk around in. God is the answer. God is the truth. God is the way, the power and the might which will get us from here to eternal life. We have to go with him, and we have to trust him. He tells us in verse 13, yea, rend your heart and not your garments and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and he repents of the evil. Who knows he will, if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind. A grain offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God. So God is again giving us the opportunity to have this covenantal relationship with him. Let's go down to verse 28 now. And God says here, and afterwards it shall be, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. That promise is occurring anytime someone get baptized and have hands laid on. He's going to pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And also I will pour out my spirit upon the serpents and upon the handmaids in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall turn into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall be that whoever, this is again a truth that we all have faith in, we faithize this every single day of our life, that we call on the name of the Lord. We confess his name, we walk in him, we hope in him. He says in 32, whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for salvation shall be in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant whom the Lord shall call. And we are among that remnant, brethren, each and every one of us, having confessed Christ and repented and baptized and received the Spirit, and now walking in you in him. And this is our walk with God, and we know where he is. He is at the right hand of the Father in heaven on high. And so Joel brings this out very quickly. Let's turn to the book, the gospel, I should say, the epistle to the Hebrews, the epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 7. Put in your notes, Genesis 14, 18, but I want to come here to Hebrews 7, Hebrews 7. Let's read the first seven verses here in Hebrews 7. It talks about the office that Christ now holds after the order of Melchizedek. So let's look at again here, the importance of this being emphasized by Paul about who Christ is in the office that he now holds, right? So we're not praying to a tupple here on earth. We're not praying to an old, unprofitable, right? Old covenant ritual or edict. Let's read here, verse 1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, into whom Abraham gave a tenth part of all. On the one hand, being interpreted king of righteousness, and on the other hand, king of Salem, which is king of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life. But having been made light, the son of God, remains a priest forever. But consider how great this one was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoil. Again, he is emphasizing the greatness of Melchizedek. And let's learn from the offering that Abraham brought forward, or that was there. For on the one hand, those from among the sons of Levi, who received the priesthood, are commanded by the law to collect tithes from the people, that is from their brother, even though they are all descended from Abraham. But on the other hand, he, that is Melchizedek, who was not descended from them, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him, who had the promises. Now it is beyond all doubt that the inferior one is blessed by the superior one. And in the first case, men who die receive tithes, but in the other case, he received tithes, of whom it is witness that he lives forever. And in one sense, Levi, who received tithes, also gave tithes through Abraham, for he was still in his father's loins when Melchizedek met him. Therefore, therefore, if perfection was indeed possible through the Levitical priesthood, so the law that the people had received was based on it, what further need would there have been another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be named after the order of Aaron? So since the priesthood has changed, it is obligatory that a change of the priestly law also take place. And you can go on through there. Let's go over to chapter 8, verse 1. And here's the summary of what we're discussing. Here's the summary. Now here is the summary of the things being discussed. Brethren, we have such a high priest who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. That's where your prayers go. That's where your hope is directed, to the throne of God, the Father in the Son, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord has set up and not be. For every high priest is ordained to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it was necessary for this one also to have something that he can offer. Let's come down here to verse 7. For if the first covenant had been faultless, then no provisions for a second covenant would have been made. But since he found fault with them, he says, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by their hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant. But I disregarded them, says the Lord. Okay, disregarded them. Verse 10. For this is the covenant that I have, that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will give my laws into their mind that comes from heaven, that is inspired through the Holy Spirit sent to us from heaven. And I will inscribe them upon their hearts. That too is being manifested in our lives. And the more we practice God's way, the more burned into our conscience it becomes. He says, And I will be their God and they shall be my people. And I will no longer teach each man nor every man his neighbor. I will no longer teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, because all will know me from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness. And God is a merciful God. He gives us a span to repent. He gives us aid and help to overcome. Take advantage of it. In their sins and their lawlessness, I will not remember ever again. One's repented of. And repentance, remember, is not to just feel sorry that sin occurred in your life. But it's to change one's direction completely. To eradicate sin, then you reach out to God through prayer and you lift up voice to heaven and ask for help. You ask God for help. Verse 13. And speaking of the new covenant, he has made the first covenant obsolete. You know, don't put a focus on things on the earth. Remember where Christ is. Now that which has become old is obsolete and disappearing. Why would you put your hope to something that is decaying and going away? Again, God's way is the way that we should be living. Let's go to Hebrews 12. Here is where we should be. Where God wants us to keep our focus and understand this truth. Hebrews 12. Let's pick it up in verse 18. So we have come to God where he is. Verse 18. For you have not come to the mount that could not be touched and that burned with fire, nor to the gloominess and the fearful darkness and the whirlwind. We remember the account back there in Exodus, right? In Exodus 19. In verse 19 now. So we have not come to the sound of the trumpet and the voice of the words which those who heard beg that the words not be spoken directly to them. No, we have the word of God. I'm reading into you right here. You have your very own personal Bible and there is nothing in there that you would turn your head from. But you turn yourself to God's word right there in front of you so he can talk to you and God's throne right there close at hand as close as your knees are from the floor that he can hear you and respond to you. You see this unique relationship that we have with God. Verse 20 now. Because the children of Israel, it says, for they could not endure what was being commanded. And if even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot through with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am greatly afraid and trembling. And that should tell you something about the mightiness of God and the awesomeness of God. This is the God who loves us and shares a part of himself with us. He says, but you have come to Mount Sion. God is affirming that this is the relationship that we have with him. You have come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, all ministering spirit sent forth to minister to those who are about to inherit eternal life. We have come to verse 23, to the joy festival gathering. We can see it, brethren. It is anticipated. We are looking forward to that day. And to the church of the firstborn, registered in the book of life in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected. And to Jesus, let's not forget the mediator. Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, in the sprinkling of the blood of ratification, Passover, every day, brethren, Passover, every day, faith in the blood of Christ. We know that if we fall short, we can repeat. We know Jesus Christ died for us, so we aspire. We cry out to God that Christ be perfected in us, proclaiming superior things. This blood is superior than that of Abel. He says, beware that you do not refuse, that you do not refuse to hear him who is speaking. For if they did not escape judgment, understand this truth, brethren, God is not mocked. Our relationship with him is true, is right, is for our good. We don't play games with God. We're not in and out. We're not for God and against God. We're not one way with God, today, and another way with God when other folks are. We're not pleasing men, but we're pleasing God. Again, recognize that sin has no place in our lives. That's the lesson of the days of Unleavened Bread. He says, if they did not escape judgment there, who refused to hear the one who was on the earth divinely instructing them, he is still instructing us. We have the words of God through Moses. How much more severely will we be judged if we ourselves apostatize from him who is speaking from heaven? And here's the thing that I've made this comment, that for us to turn from God, for us to spurn God and put him away is worse than the demons and their rebellion, or the rebellious angels who turn away from God. It is worse, because what do we have securing this relationship with God? Think about it. We have before us eternal life, as a promise of eternal life to be born into the family of God. We have the God himself coming in the flesh to be a sacrifice so that we can access forgiveness when we need it. He is in the office as high priest at the right hand of the Father to send, to officiate, to advocate for us, to do all those things necessary for us to have that relationship. So how much more severely, verse 25, the last portion of it, will we be judged if we ourselves apostatize from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth, but now he has promised, saying, yet once more I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. Now the words once more signify the removing of the things being shaken, as of things that were made, so that the things which cannot be shaken remain. Those things that cannot be shaken are the things of God. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace through which we may serve God in a pleasing manner with reverence and awe. Once again, for God is indeed a consuming fire. So yes, we have access. The truth is extended to each and every one of us now. And God has called us to this realization. So remember, Brethren, now, at this time, that God is working a very special work in our lives. He has given, again, access to that which is the most important thing, and that is that the most important thing, and that is that relationship with him. God is working with his sons and daughters to bring us into this relationship so that we may dwell with him forever. Let's come to Deuteronomy, and let's pick it up. Well, actually, let's stop off in Colossians. Okay, we read that. Let's stop off in Psalm 78. Then we'll conclude with the Scripture in Deuteronomy. So Psalm, the 78th Psalm. And once again, God cries out to us as his church in the same way he did to the children of Israel as his nation. He cries out to all of us. He says, Give ear, O my people, to my law. To my law, incline your ears to the words of my mouth. He says, I will open my mouth in a parable. I will speak dark sayings of old, which we have heard and know, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord. I hope I did a fair job of conveying the criticalness of this relationship that we have with God, the awesomeness of where God is in heaven, in Jesus Christ at his right hand, the power available to us. And I hope that we are conveying the same kind of truth and knowledge to our children, to all those who are within our inner realm. He says, verse 5, For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, so that the generations to come might know the children which shall be born, and they shall rise and tell them to their children. And this has been lost in our society. There is no knowledge of God in the land. There is no repentance toward God in the land, no respect for God's word. It is fading away. If there is ever a time for our lives to shine, that time is now. So that, verse 7, so that they may keep, so that they might, I'm sorry, verse 7, so that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. It might not be like their fathers, a stubborn and a rebellious generation. Many of us came out of a way of life that was against God, as it says in Ephesians 2. But God does not want us to go back into a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not faithful with God. I'll let you go ahead and read the rest of that, but turn with me to Deuteronomy 10. So we understand, right? Do we remember our calling? Are we holding on to the truth was delivered to us? Are you treasuring it, right? God wants you to do so. Yes, God has delivered us to him. In Deuteronomy 10, let's pick it up in verse 20 here. Deuteronomy 10, verse 20. He says, you shall fear the Lord your God. And this is truth, right? We should have awe and worship and honor toward God. You shall serve him. You shall hold fast to him and swear by his name. God forbid, brethren, that you would put your hope in something other than God. When the days come and the times are difficult, all of us together should be lifting up voice in prayer to our God in heaven for his help, salvation, to rescue us. You read the Psalms, he's encouraging every one of us through the Psalms to do just that. When times get tough, read the Psalms and you'll see God's words shouting out in there. I'm here, verse 21. He says, he is your praise. He is your God who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. Your father went down, fathers went down into Egypt, Egypt, 70 persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of the heaven and multitude. That's our destiny. So God is showing us, and he has shown us, and he continues to show us how important we are to him, right? And how important he should be to us. So brethren, please keep your eyes on God. Call upon his name and raise your voice to the heavenly throne for the father in Jesus Christ and all the angels are there for you.
