WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.660 to be human is to worship we can't get away from it human beings have been worshiping beings 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:19.620 over time over geography across ethnicity across language the most ardent atheists and skeptics and 00:00:19.620 --> 00:00:24.980 and secularists they're worshiping people we cannot not worship as human beings 00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:33.719 simply put to be human is to worship but there is worship and then there is true worship 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:40.859 we have this impetus for worship but not all the worship that we do is edifying to us or pleasing 00:00:40.859 --> 00:00:49.880 to god ezra as we continue in our series from uh post it's post easter to the beginning of summer 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:56.660 we enter into uh this section ezra chapter 3 susan read one to verses one to six but we'll be 00:00:56.660 --> 00:01:02.800 covering all of chapter three and a little bit into chapter four but as a bit of a background 00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:12.700 the exiles that are in persia are sent back by king cyrus to jerusalem to rebuild the temple 00:01:12.700 --> 00:01:20.680 to re-establish worship in jerusalem once again really the temple as we looked at last week 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:26.719 it's more than just brick and mortar it represents the presence of god amongst his people not that god 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:33.079 is confined to a house god makes that very clear but that it is a representation of god's presence 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:43.939 there amongst his people and ezra the israelites uh we'll see today's zerubbabel these figures have 00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:48.579 come back to jerusalem and they are rebuilding the temple and re-establishing worship but 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:55.500 a very specific kind of worship according to god's word it's very instructive for us 00:01:55.500 --> 00:02:01.039 because it's going to teach us in a sense what true worship looks like 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:09.260 the priorities we must have as we come before god in worship so three things this will be a shorter 00:02:09.260 --> 00:02:15.960 sermon i'll try to pack it uh pretty tightly we want to have as much time for our missionaries to 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.360 share but we're going to look at three things from chapter three and a bit into chapter four 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:25.580 this text will teach us that true worship begins and ends with god's word first and foremost 00:02:25.580 --> 00:02:31.880 it begins and ends with god's word the second is that true worship is orderly and structured 00:02:31.880 --> 00:02:38.380 we'll unpack that a little bit and then the last bit true worship is joyful and faith-filled 00:02:38.380 --> 00:02:46.920 it begins and ends with god's word it's orderly and structured and true worship is joyful and faith-filled 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:53.879 before we jump in let me ask the lord's blessing on uh on the reading um of his word lord thank you 00:02:53.879 --> 00:03:02.159 that we can uh gather and hear your word lord may only truth be heard this morning lord and only truth 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:08.859 be said we ask that your holy spirit would be at work as we open your word in jesus name amen 00:03:08.859 --> 00:03:15.119 let us jump right into uh into the first point that true worship begins and ends with god's word 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:24.920 look with me uh ezra 3 1 to 6 i'm not going to read the section over again but notice that uh 00:03:24.920 --> 00:03:34.980 throughout ezra chapter 3 verses 1 to 6 we uh repeatedly see as it was written as it was written 00:03:34.980 --> 00:03:42.659 according to moses there's always references to the scriptures that came before they are setting up the 00:03:42.659 --> 00:03:49.599 temple not in a haphazard way but according to god's word and this is a very important thing because 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:55.099 the israelites were in exile precisely because they didn't follow god's word they didn't worship 00:03:55.099 --> 00:04:02.460 according to god's design and god's instructions yeah they still worship god here and there but they 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:10.280 also worshiped baal and asherah and molek these false gods that were in the region that god expressly 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:18.560 told them do not worship them very very clear god wants us to worship according to his word 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:24.939 so the re-establishing of the temple and the worship that will take place in jerusalem it was integral 00:04:24.939 --> 00:04:32.579 that as they re-establish it it is according to god's word and god has consistently given had 00:04:32.579 --> 00:04:36.779 consistently given israel very clear instructions from abraham 00:04:36.779 --> 00:04:45.899 uh to the israelites at mount sinai the giving of the law everything that defined israel was defined 00:04:45.899 --> 00:04:52.120 by god's proclamation god was the one who spoke in a sense israel together brought them together with 00:04:52.120 --> 00:04:58.839 his words so important was it that in deuteronomy chapter 4 god makes it very clear to moses who's 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:04.459 supposed to say to the people you shall not add to the word that i command you nor take from it 00:05:04.459 --> 00:05:09.359 that you may keep the commandments of the lord your god that i command you 00:05:09.359 --> 00:05:18.519 you see uh how it was so vital for the building of the the altar the various offerings that were offered 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:22.739 the keeping of the feast is all according to god's word 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:31.840 even the timing of the rebuild the building of the altar it's all connected with the scriptural 00:05:31.840 --> 00:05:42.500 commands we won't dive into it but there's allusions to abraham coming from uh mesopotamia or to uh the 00:05:42.500 --> 00:05:49.079 promised land there's allusions to it that moses or sorry that uh abraham he erects an altar the first 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:54.079 thing he does when he comes into the promised land so too when the israelites come out of exit what do 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:59.939 they do they establish first and foremost an altar again that's according to god's word they build the 00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:06.339 temple in the same month and in the same way using the same materials as solomon from first kings uh 00:06:06.339 --> 00:06:11.779 chapter six and on it's a wonder like it's it's a wonderful chapter to read that whole section of 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:17.659 solomon building the temple but we see so much of that it's like it was a cut and paste right into our text 00:06:17.660 --> 00:06:24.780 again according to god's word and keeping the high holidays as to recall god's word and his 00:06:24.780 --> 00:06:27.939 deliverance everything that they have done is according to god's word 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:36.260 the rebuilding of the temple is saturated in scripture and carefully follows god's design and 00:06:36.260 --> 00:06:40.520 why is this important why is it important that we that we worship according to god's word 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:46.799 because uh when like i mentioned when israel deviated from god's ways it's not just that they were 00:06:46.799 --> 00:06:55.359 they were jettisoned into exile because god told them something to do and they didn't do it and god 00:06:55.359 --> 00:07:03.039 you know he got frustrated he he you didn't listen to me he i'm a petty god i'm gonna kick you out no 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:10.700 because god designs worship in such a way to glorify him but also for our benefit our flourishing is 00:07:10.700 --> 00:07:17.480 involved with that so it's not just that the israelites worship these false gods the bales the 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:25.379 asherahs the moleks but with that false worship came the the disintegration of their society 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:32.480 rape and mutilation the sacrificing of children 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:40.159 it's a horrible horrible thing it's not again that god was petty you didn't follow my rules you're out 00:07:40.159 --> 00:07:46.860 but the land itself becomes polluted when god's word when god's worship isn't according to his word 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:53.259 it's not exclusive to him and we decide to to make up the rules ourselves it's a big problem 00:07:53.259 --> 00:07:55.800 it's a it's a huge problem 00:07:55.800 --> 00:08:07.039 after god speaks of moses in deuteronomy chapter 4 we read verse 2 but he continues on and then he 00:08:07.039 --> 00:08:12.800 goes on into this this um this teaching god teaches moses to teach the people about idolatry 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:20.240 and and how it will it will be a bane it will be a horrible horrible nightmare for them if they engage in it 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:29.180 this is why it is so important to worship god according to his law for the israelites but how 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:35.500 about for us why is this an important important aspect to our worship why why do we learn from 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:41.639 ezra here that worship has to be a part of of god's word i think it's the same thing because we're 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:46.940 worshiping people if we don't worship god according to his ways we will worship something according to 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:53.900 that way or our way it will result not in flourishing and in life and in health and in justice 00:08:53.900 --> 00:09:03.860 it will result in injustice it will result in a disintegration of families and self and the self 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:11.340 focus will will will crumble our souls we will not be able to to stand up under the weight of false gods 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:19.200 it's a very interesting thing that in the hope that we could be free from religion and free from worship 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:28.060 and free from the constraints of god's word we become slaves to our passions and to evils and to all sorts 00:09:28.060 --> 00:09:35.700 of things that whatever the the the winds of change blow we become a slave to it and it's not freedom 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:43.540 interesting in uh in morning prayer there's the the collect for um i think it's it's one of the 00:09:43.540 --> 00:09:47.900 second last collects we pray but anyways in the end i think it's a call call it for peace or call it 00:09:47.900 --> 00:09:55.020 concord and every day you pray it and it says service to you is perfect freedom how on earth is service 00:09:55.020 --> 00:10:00.700 or bond slavery to god perfect freedom and yet it is 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:08.759 uh this past week um george sinclair he's the the lead pastor of church of the messiah downtown and 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:15.620 also here as well bringing leadership and he's a a terrific mentor he was in kigali rwanda for 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:22.460 gafcon 4 gafcon is a mouthful it's called the global anglican futures conference like needs to be a better 00:10:22.460 --> 00:10:29.379 name it's been i don't know it's been like 16 years got to figure out a better name but it is um a 00:10:29.379 --> 00:10:36.200 conference every five years this past week it was in rwanda five years ago it was in jerusalem the year 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:40.419 the last one before that was in kenya and the first one was in jerusalem so it's kind of jerusalem 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:50.240 back and forth back and forth but it's a gathering of 85 percent of the world's over 80 million anglicans 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:56.100 are represented in this conference this conference exists because the anglican church in the west 00:10:56.100 --> 00:11:03.060 which had its solid foundation in the word of god deviated and decided that they were going to 00:11:03.060 --> 00:11:13.460 follow another way and absorb and and accommodate the winds of change the progress and the world 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:20.740 uh has not benefited from that but instead the church has been polluted and here we are 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:27.019 in i mean gafcon's a it's it's always a plan b you always want to call people back to repentance but 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:34.039 gafcon's a plan b but that's exactly what it what what it resulted in why because god's word was no 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:43.240 longer the foundation for worship specifically within this anglican tradition so god's word 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:50.019 dictating to us what true godly worship is worship that pleases god and this will bring us to our next 00:11:50.019 --> 00:11:57.879 point so when we read this ordering um and the structures of worship within the text we must 00:11:57.879 --> 00:12:07.059 we we have to avoid thinking that orderly worship is stiff worship stuffy worship i mean it can be 00:12:07.059 --> 00:12:14.980 but also free wonderful extemporaneous worship can also be terribly stuffy and not according to god's 00:12:14.980 --> 00:12:23.360 word as well but nevertheless god desires order in his worship orderly worship is a gift from god 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:32.100 for our life and our worship so look with me verses two to three of ezra chapter three then arose jeshua 00:12:32.100 --> 00:12:39.519 the son of joseph joshua is a priest it's also the aramaic name for jesus 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:46.259 not that this person is specifically jesus jesus was a common name but this is this is the name 00:12:46.259 --> 00:12:56.019 jeshua or yeshua then arose jeshua the son of joseph with his fellow priests and zerubbabel the son of 00:12:56.019 --> 00:13:02.579 sheltiel with his kinsmen and they built the altar of the god of israel to offer burnt offerings on it 00:13:02.580 --> 00:13:09.420 as it was written in the law of moses the man of god there it is again they set the altar in its 00:13:09.420 --> 00:13:15.060 place i'll pause really quickly there uh if you were to build a home from scratch i know of one 00:13:15.060 --> 00:13:22.460 couple here that have built a home from scratch uh you don't start with the kitchen you don't just 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:26.580 plop a kitchen down i mean the kitchen is in my opinion the heart of the home 00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:35.400 um not the rec room it's the kitchen uh but you don't start with the kitchen uh you you level the 00:13:35.400 --> 00:13:41.620 ground you set a foundation if you have to dig it takes time it's it's laborsome nothing looks 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:48.259 wonderful nothing looks good uh you you do framing you do electrical plumber plumbing blah blah blah the 00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:53.440 last thing you do is maybe the kitchen the last finishings you make it look nice new counters whatever 00:13:53.440 --> 00:14:00.700 whatever it's beautiful what's interesting here is that the altar is built before anything else the 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:07.840 altar in some senses is the heart of the temple it is the place where sacrifices are made to god 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:17.140 for atonement for thanksgiving um as as as a way of just saying to god uh we worship you it's a free 00:14:17.140 --> 00:14:22.980 will offering it's it's the altar is a very important place like the heartbeat of the temple it's the 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:29.800 first thing that's built here it's hard to see because chapter one we're in persia chapter two is 00:14:29.800 --> 00:14:34.460 just a list of names of the people that are coming chapter three opens up how does this open up in verse 00:14:34.460 --> 00:14:39.420 one when the seventh month came and the children of israel were in the towns like it's just a fast 00:14:39.420 --> 00:14:47.139 forward like cut scene we don't see people traveling from persia to to jerusalem and we don't see or feel 00:14:47.139 --> 00:14:55.100 the desolation of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem is laid waste it's it's it's a it's a mess the assyrians 00:14:55.100 --> 00:15:02.480 the babylonians who knows what happened in the interim time jerusalem isn't jerusalem the temple's 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:08.279 destroyed it's it's a ruin and yet the first thing that is built upon the ruins of the temple is the 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:14.139 altar it's very it's it's a it's a remarkable thing and it would have been something that looked very 00:15:14.139 --> 00:15:22.340 out of place except that the altar was it's it's in terms of worship and right ordering it is the 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:31.860 the right thing to construct first why because we come before god and what do we do we repent we come 00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:39.740 in humility we come asking god for his grace because we truly are sinners how do we come to god 00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:45.879 uh i'll just say this we come to god because of what jesus has done and we there is this 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:54.080 um familiarity and this father child son or daughter relationship and that is a wonderful beautiful thing 00:15:54.080 --> 00:16:02.279 but make no mistake god is god and he is our king and he is creator over everything he created us we 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:09.159 we have no standing in front of him apart from what he gives us so we come before god with reverence 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:15.740 with humility not not with a boldness and a thumping of the chest of pride that comes up 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:21.799 so it's interesting that the altar is the first thing that is built why because sacrifices are made 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:28.419 on it for the atonement of sins there's a picture of humility coming into god's presence with humility 00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:36.000 recognizing who he is in his perfection and how it is an incredible gift of grace that we could even 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:44.059 know god let alone come into his presence the altar is built first and in many ways this is how we ought 00:16:44.059 --> 00:16:51.000 to worship coming before god in humility confessing our sins i mean that's in a sense what um the call 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:57.259 for purity is but later on we'll truly like as a congregation confess our sins together before holy 00:16:57.259 --> 00:17:04.359 communion because who are we to come before god thinking that our merit the things that we've done 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:10.900 this week the rays i just got you know my kids are healthy you know things are looking great 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:21.000 anything before god as if we have standing before him humility atonement recognizing that we need to 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:28.420 repent from our sins this is this is a picture of what godly worship looks like it also helps us to remember 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:36.420 that we are frail humans in need of aid there is at one point this week upcoming week my guess is you will 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:46.000 have a delusion that you are potentially without blemish that that actually you don't have skin you're made of 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:52.900 teflon like there's nothing wrong with you nothing can stop you we have these delusions that we are 00:17:52.900 --> 00:18:00.019 invincible and yet what does repentance do it helps remind us that without god we are miserable offenders 00:18:00.019 --> 00:18:07.440 we are frail we are broken people we are deeply in need of grace we are one injury away from poverty 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:17.779 we are one one accident away god forbid from dying our lives are frail nothing we can do in our own 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:24.940 strength is going to somehow keep us and help us to endure to the end of time in the end we will all die 00:18:24.940 --> 00:18:32.840 it helps us to avoid narcissism and entitlement in a in an egotistic heart 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:40.119 so we can only truly worship and serve god when we know that the heinous nature of our sin 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:48.259 because only then will we know how wonderful and how sweet his grace and love is towards us 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:55.220 you don't know god's grace and love if you're proud but only when you know the brokenness 00:18:55.220 --> 00:19:00.319 and the sinfulness and yet he still will forgive and invite you into his presence 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:09.480 the structure then moves on to include celebrations and remembrances this is what the feast of tabernacles 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:15.519 is is to remember god sustaining israel through the desert into the promised land over 40 years 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:23.399 all of the feasts point to god's deliverance and it helps the israelites to remember there's also 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:32.160 free will offerings and all and then finally praise with with song and with instrument but notice it it begins with 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.360 repentance 00:19:33.360 --> 00:19:42.120 the repeated usage also in verses one to six of the covenant name of the lord yahweh in in our translations 00:19:42.120 --> 00:19:50.600 it's all capital l-o-r-d the original language it is yahweh it is the covenant name of god god's self-disclosure 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:59.659 the people that use god's name like this know god's love they are in relationship with him god has made a 00:19:59.659 --> 00:20:05.379 covenant with them and he is keeping a covenant with them and we see it time and time and time again 00:20:05.379 --> 00:20:11.899 in verses one to six that covenant keeping god here this is this is what the people of god are 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:22.759 proclaiming so song breaks out joy ensues and this will lead us to our third um our third point here that true worship 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:27.440 is joyful and faith-filled look with me in verses 10 to 13 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:35.640 and when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the lord the priests in their vestments came 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:43.180 forward with trumpets and the levites the sons of asaph with symbols to praise the lord according to the 00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:47.100 directions of david king of israel another reference to god's word 00:20:47.100 --> 00:20:55.120 and they sang responsibly praising and giving thanks to the lord for he is good for his steadfast love 00:20:55.120 --> 00:21:01.140 endures forever towards israel and all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the lord 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:07.400 because the foundation of the house of the lord was laid i'll get to verses 12 and 13 if you read ahead 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:13.200 it's bizarre people are actually crying in the midst of this we'll get there but notice how true worship 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:19.000 culminates what uh culminates in what joy and and in faith 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.020 filled worship what do i mean by the faith-filled part i mean the joy 00:21:23.020 --> 00:21:26.160 aspect is there it's very clear but what do i mean by faith-filled 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:36.279 israel has gathered it's a remarkable journey but again i mean i can't stress it enough israel is 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:44.519 desolate jerusalem is in ruins all that's there is an altar and in a foundation the walls aren't built 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:52.300 the temple isn't built in fact the temple we'll see in a moment won't be construction will halt for 20 00:21:52.299 --> 00:22:00.579 years there's nothing and yet these people proclaim for god is good he is good his steadfast 00:22:00.579 --> 00:22:07.859 loves love endures forever toward israel this praise is 100 the right way to do it 00:22:07.859 --> 00:22:15.039 it's proclaiming that god has done something but more importantly that he will do something in the 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:20.339 future and it will be wonderful and we're going to put our faith in that we don't see what's going 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:26.199 to come we don't see what is what is in the future what is to come but we trust that this god who has 00:22:26.199 --> 00:22:31.939 rescued us in the past who's rescued us right now will do something magnificent in the future 00:22:31.939 --> 00:22:39.480 they don't wait for the temple to be rebuilt before they praise god that would be the more fitting thing 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:46.579 the temple's made then they say god how faithful are you and yet it's it's still in ruins 00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:56.740 i mentioned uh life being fragile uh 00:22:56.740 --> 00:23:05.699 we ought not to wait for life to be really good before we praise god for his faithfulness and it's 00:23:05.699 --> 00:23:10.079 not a mantra like a serenity now where i'm speaking something into existence 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:20.119 it is a recognition that god does not change and he is always good and that he is all-powerful 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:25.019 and that the promise he that the promises that he makes will come to completion 00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:29.220 in the midst of suffering 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:39.420 you know christine and i were talking about this um this morning uh we haven't had such an intense 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:46.519 stretch in our marriage since this church launched a year and a half ago our marriage is good i should 00:23:46.519 --> 00:23:53.400 that sounded like the marriage was bad what i meant is things have been tough from from the services but 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:59.640 also i mean and it's happened to a bunch of families here bouts of sickness christine has gone through 00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:07.840 terrible time after time just dental issues um and it's all it all kind of piles up as many of you 00:24:07.840 --> 00:24:14.300 know i went through a loss a couple weeks ago my father passed away and it got messy this past week was 00:24:14.300 --> 00:24:23.040 it was a headache and it seems like it's just time after time when when things like get a bit of momentum 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:35.599 something happens a flat proverbially things things don't go well and yet what are we called to do 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:46.259 god you are good your steadfast love endures forever that you will help me in this because you are the god 00:24:46.259 --> 00:24:55.460 of miracles and of salvation and death has already been defeated that plagues me right now the issues 00:24:55.460 --> 00:25:03.279 that are are feeling like the weight of the world on my shoulders whatever it may be if you're if 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:08.339 you've had a great week again fantastic i'm not wishing bad but this is the the reality of life 00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:14.099 you have defeated everything lord and i am putting my faith in you 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:23.000 and it's not about squinting our eyes and balling up our fists it's about having faith in the only 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:32.199 person even if it's just this this much baby little baby faith okay who's our faith in that's what matters 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:38.140 that's what matters more than the the degree and the strength of our faith it's the object of our 00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:41.200 faith the person that we are putting our faith in as jesus christ 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:52.039 so friends worship god with joy and with faith in difficult times it's not a mind over matter it is 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:59.519 it will be bomb to your soul it'll be fuel in your tank just do it we'll do it together and learn how to 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:02.059 do it together but also do it as individuals 00:26:02.059 --> 00:26:11.480 friends we must feast on the faithfulness of god especially especially when times are bleak and 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:18.279 times are trying and what is the result it will be joy faith-filled and joyful worship will follow us 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:25.099 not every minute of every day but it will become it will become a main state in our lives 00:26:25.099 --> 00:26:32.740 instead of um being downcast and sullen and giving into depression which is very real 00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:41.719 instead we will choose to trust in the lord and that he will meet us in our brokenness 00:26:41.719 --> 00:26:47.759 so what about verses 12 and 13 let me read them 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:57.400 but many of the priests and levites and heads of father's houses old men who had seen the first 00:26:57.400 --> 00:27:02.720 house that's the first temple solomon's temple wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:08.660 of this house being laid though many shouted aloud for joy so that the people could not distinguish 00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:14.339 the sound of the joyful shouts from the sounds of the people's weeping for the people shouted with 00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:21.959 a great shout and the sound was heard far away it's very if it seems like it doesn't fit so what is 00:27:21.959 --> 00:27:31.359 going on with verses 12 and 13 um we are given no specific reason we we don't have an insight into the 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:37.619 thoughts of of the old guard so to speak the older contingent um but it would make sense to think that 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:44.699 this older contingent look back at the grandeur of solomon's temple again read first kings and see 00:27:44.699 --> 00:27:51.799 how ornate it would have been with the gold and the cedars and everything inlaid and it said in that 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:58.399 time in solomon's day silver was like nothing i'm sure it wasn't nothing the idea is everything 00:27:58.399 --> 00:28:05.659 but there's so much bounty and and grandeur and beauty that that silver what's silver and they were 00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:12.779 thinking back at what was lost and looking at the foundation and an altar and thinking 00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:20.040 what is this what is this i remember what the first temple looked like and this is not it 00:28:20.040 --> 00:28:25.680 and i don't think this other temple is going to get built it's a bit of a problem i mean there is a 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:32.900 nostalgia and there is a time for for lament but it would seem that this is not a faith-filled 00:28:32.900 --> 00:28:40.820 lament here but rather a desire to go back to the glory days but god was not going to do that 00:28:40.820 --> 00:28:47.320 god wasn't just going to set up the temple and have solomon's temple 2.0 and that's the way it was 00:28:47.320 --> 00:28:53.700 going to be it wasn't going to be this you know return to uh should have seen what life was like in 00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:59.140 the 70s like it was awesome it wasn't like that god was going to do something new and better 00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:06.180 and you know the people here i mean i'll just reference verses one to five of of chapter four 00:29:06.180 --> 00:29:12.980 the people here are worshiping the lord the temple is about to be built the people of the land come and 00:29:12.980 --> 00:29:18.819 they're they're pluralistic they're worshiping yahweh but probably worshiping molek and asherah and 00:29:18.819 --> 00:29:26.019 and baal and other gods and the people freak out because there's a bit of a a campaign against them 00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:33.539 to to thwart their plans and the temple gets put on pause for 20 years you all of a sudden these old 00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:42.339 people you think older people i should say they're thinking i told you i told you this was this is not 00:29:42.339 --> 00:29:50.740 solomon's temple i told you but what god was doing was he was building anticipation i mean even when 00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:55.859 the temple is built we'll see in a couple weeks the ark of the covenant is not in the temple 00:29:57.059 --> 00:30:02.980 as it was in solomon's temple in solomon's temple when it's built the glory cloud god's heavy presence 00:30:02.980 --> 00:30:08.980 comes into the temple so bizarre but beautiful scene that does not happen in this story 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:20.339 it is not solomon's temple 2.0 but what it is is uh a longing that god creates in his people 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:29.460 that will not be realized or or or seen for for generations that god he would rebuild the temple 00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:34.019 but only insofar as that temple pointed to the ultimate temple that was to come 00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:41.059 and what is that ultimate temple who is that ultimate temple it is jesus christ he's the true 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:47.619 and perfect temple the temple is the place where god meets his people where god's presence resides 00:30:48.740 --> 00:30:55.460 then jesus fully god and fully man is the perfect manifestation the perfect picture of what that is 00:30:55.460 --> 00:31:04.579 is that jesus comes to live amongst us to die on our behalf and to rise again to new life 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:12.259 that jesus is the ultimate temple and that all the other temples point to him he was a sacrifice to end 00:31:12.259 --> 00:31:21.299 all sacrifice he turns the crucifix into an altar so to speak making atonement once and for all for our sins 00:31:21.299 --> 00:31:32.819 so that we trust in jesus what he has done we repent of our sins knowing that the penalty for our wrongdoings for our evil for our delusions 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:42.980 are gone it's paid it's it's we can we can have access to god now forever jesus dies according to god's word 00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:54.980 we have our faith in him and and and and through that we offer to god our lives but not as a sacrifice for atonement but for a sacrifice of thanksgiving 00:31:54.980 --> 00:32:03.779 then our lives in a sense become a sacrifice to god in a spiritual way and we get to reside with god in part here 00:32:05.059 --> 00:32:09.700 but always our worship points to the age to come where we will worship god in full 00:32:10.420 --> 00:32:18.099 in jesus's presence for eternity with his people so you see what the people are building is in the ultimate 00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:22.019 temple but the temple that's a sign for the ultimate temple to come 00:32:22.019 --> 00:32:32.180 i would say to you think about that as we worship that we are proclaiming the age to come where we 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:40.579 will dwell with god in his midst forever and ever and we get a taste of that this morning let us pray 00:32:43.220 --> 00:32:47.940 lord god we thank you so much that we have this opportunity to be your people 00:32:47.940 --> 00:32:55.380 um to worship you but lord help us to be people that worship you according to truth and in an orderly 00:32:56.500 --> 00:33:04.100 god-honoring way and in a way that is joy-filled not fake but joy-filled because we are putting our 00:33:04.100 --> 00:33:10.340 trust and our faith in you that our worship will also be faith-filled or let us be real about our 00:33:10.340 --> 00:33:17.380 shortcomings so we can see the fullness of your grace and we pray these things in christ's mighty name amen 00:33:17.940 --> 00:33:24.100 so 00:33:24.100 --> 00:33:26.100 you 00:33:26.100 --> 00:33:28.100 you 00:33:28.100 --> 00:33:30.100 you 00:33:30.100 --> 00:33:32.100 you 00:33:32.100 --> 00:33:34.100 you 00:33:34.100 --> 00:33:36.100 you 00:33:36.100 --> 00:33:38.100 you