Matthew Blewett – Heaven and Earth – Class 4 – Whole Worship

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This is day four of the 2024
Ottawa Bible School.

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My third period teachers Brother
Matthew Blewett.

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His general topic is Heaven and
earth.

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Today’s topic is whole worship.
Chris won’t relax until the

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first slide has moved on, but
we’ll leave that where it is.

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Good morning everyone.
It’s amazing to be with you here

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on this Thursday morning after
the big volleyball day.

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I remember being here 17 years
ago.

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It must have been the heyday of
the singles that long ago where

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they always won.
I was up with the youth earlier

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and using spiritual patterns
I’ve given them.

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A secret from spiritual patterns
is how they can actually beat

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powerful married men next year.
So ladies, if you are married to

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one of those powerful married
men, expect a a bit of money

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coming your way next year.
And I, I, I hope we’ll hear that

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there’s a singles victory.
So it’s really great to be back

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together again.
And we’re in part four.

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We’re on the, the home stretch.
And as I’ve said to you, this

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has been quite a difficult
series for me to put together

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with these ideas and concepts
and to try and sort of frame

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language and bring you along.
And I, and I’m hoping that as we

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repeat things and, and I’m able
to frame particularly this lens

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of heaven and earth, you’re able
to stay with me on that journey

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and, and be able to see this
repeating pattern all over the

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place.
Like I’ve been seeing it both in

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scripture and in, in pragmatic
ways in, in everyday living.

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And one of the problems when
you’re trying to do this for the

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first time and pack it all
together and you know, you’re on

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the homeward stretch because
you’ve only got 2 sessions left.

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You start to get to that stage
where you’ve got to take out the

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the scalpel and start slicing
things out and removing them,

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which is always very sad because
you might have spent a bit of

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time thinking, oh, that’s
something that’s so amazing.

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But anyway, you wouldn’t have
noticed.

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So we’re doing some cutting now,
but we’re going to try and share

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what we think will help be
helpful.

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You know, the focus that I keep
wanting to get back to.

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Yeah, there’s there’s a theory
and there’s a framework.

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But ultimately, as John, always
I think back, yes, yeah.

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As John, John always emphasises
at the end of every one of his

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sessions, you know, we can have
all of these interesting

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connections and ideas and
frameworks, but really it has to

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come back to something that we
can learn and take away and

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pragmatically put into practice.
So for me, it’s this idea of, of

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being activated, of
understanding that really when

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we, we understand that the
pattern is heaven and earth,

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It’s, it’s asking us to activate
ourselves in all aspects of

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worship and everyday living.
And that’s something which has

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been really helpful for me
because I’m trying to get this,

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this new way of seeing things.
I don’t want to miss opportunity

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to see and experience heaven
wherever possible.

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And, and we were sort of talking
a lot about that at the end of

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our session together yesterday.
We were talking about the way in

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which we can be better at
activating our worship symbols.

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We spoke about singing, we spoke
about the breaking of bread.

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And I, I suggested three things.
I suggested that we needed to be

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intentional.
And I want to repeat that.

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So what I mean by that is that,
you know, as you’re

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participating in any symbolic
practice or, or, or using

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something like the red and wine,
that you’re thinking about the

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two aspects of what’s going on
here through the heaven and

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earth lens.
That you’re as as activated and

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sensitised to the physical and
at the same time to the

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heavenly.
And that’s what being present

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really requires you to do, to be
in that moment, to try and have

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the best experience you can have
in that moment.

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We were just chatting earlier
about singing music, and it’s

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another great example of
something that has value in and

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of itself.
We don’t necessarily sing a

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worship song because we think
we’re going to be learning some

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lessons to put into practice
later.

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That could be a benefit as well.
But we worship because it has

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value in our relationship with
God in and of itself.

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So that’s another example of
that.

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And then the third was this idea
of being curious.

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You know, a part of this, the
principles of patterns is that

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what we, we tend to do is, and
it’s important we, we understand

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the basics of the pattern, the
simple element, but, but the

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patterns teach us that there’s
surprise on the edges.

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A lot of people have come and,
and, and, and, and chatted to me

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a bit about these fractals and
they’re saying they’re starting

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to see fractals everywhere.
That’s great, you know, so long

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as you don’t end up in a
hypnosis trance.

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And the beauty is that there’s
this beauty, there’s, there’s

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the, the overall pattern, but
it’s, it’s the beauty.

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It’s, and if you’re curious, you
can see, Oh, it looks similar,

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but it’s a little bit different.
And that’s what we have to be

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like both when we’re connecting
in with nature and with our

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spiritual connections, our
heavenly connections.

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You know what, what, what
different thing am I am I

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perceiving?
What different insight is there?

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And that’s what it means really
to, to, to, to be activated, to

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not end up becoming passive
disciples who just go through

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the motions and we really become
dead.

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We’re not alive anymore.
And that’s not the place we want

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to be.
It’s interesting and there’s a

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lot of terminology that we as a
community no longer use, but we

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were talking about the way in
which we can view the, the, the,

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the, the, the times and the
places and even the objects.

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We were talking about breaking
of bread and, and, and, and

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other objects.
In fact, other practices as

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well.
I, I didn’t mention this

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yesterday, but you know, it’s
also interesting as a community.

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We there, there, there are other
practices that were definitely

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New Testament practices that
we’ve just decided of no value.

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I’m not sure when last you
practiced washing of feet in

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your ecclesia.
I’m not sure when last you

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practiced anointing with oil
with prayer, right.

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So now looking at this through
the heaven and earth lens, you

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can begin to see where the value
may be in some of these

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practices that certainly
continued into the into the

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early church.
It’s interesting when we look at

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the Exodus record and we know
that all the symbols that were

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put in place and we’re going to
spend some time actually

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focusing on the Tabernacle
because it’s, it’s an amazing

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pattern.
It’s an amazing framework for us

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to understand worship and what
I’ve termed whole worship.

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How do we enter worship as
activated as we can?

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And the Tabernacle was that it
was a, it was a way that God put

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in place together with a whole
bunch of very sensual symbols

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that was intended to take the
worshipper through a whole

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experience.
Love the Lord your God with all

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your mind, heart and soul.
So when that Tabernacle was

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constructed, and this is the
point we’d be making, you know,

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they were curtains made out of
material, wooden beams and

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structure, hooks and nails that
we spoke about, gold, bronze,

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all the elements were made by
these, these Craftsman.

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But you know, they remained
objects.

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They, they, they just things
because as we said, they only

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become symbols when they are
connected to the heavenly.

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And so in order to, to
demonstrate that idea, what did

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God make the priest do?
He said, I want you to get some

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oil.
You see, this is an echo back to

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what Jacob had done with the
stone that looked like it was

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just another stone until he
realized this was a place where

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heaven and earth could meet and
and take that oil.

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And I want you to go anoint.
And it’s actually amazing when

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you read the the record, this is
just a short verse that I’ve got

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here.
Anoint every single part of that

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Tabernacle.
And once you’ve anointed it, it

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will become holy.
So what’s the principle?

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The principle is this something
that is anointed with oil, with

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the spirit, with heaven, earth
anointed with heaven becomes

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holy.
And that’s a really, really

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amazing way for us to look at at
at that word and how we think

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about it.
So for example, we’ve mentioned

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there are holy things, things
that we know are specifically

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used in our worship because they
are intended to connect us with

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heaven.
There are also holy places.

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You might say, well, I don’t
feel so comfortable about that,

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but it’s true.
When we decide to to go to our

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church hall, it’s not holy all
the time.

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But when we come into that hall
and we decide at this point in

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time, we’re going to spend the
next hour and a half and we’re

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going to dedicate that time to
connecting with heaven.

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Why do we always start with a
prayer?

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I mean, it’s like one of these
rituals.

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We do always start the meeting
with the prayer.

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What’s going on with the prayer?
Well, it’s our way of anointing

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that time.
We’re anointing this as a holy

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time in which we are going to be
connecting with heaven.

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And the same is really true of
places.

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So now we’re anointing that
place and it can be any place

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that if we look at a place, a
certain place, and we decide

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this place I want to use to
dedicate to my connection with

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heaven, well, it becomes a holy
place if we’re prepared to look

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at it through those eyes.
And it, it can be really

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helpful.
Now, it does require you to have

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open eyes and to be curious.
And, you know, I think this,

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this story here is really a cool
story.

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We know it so well from, from
Sunday school.

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But I don’t know if you’ve,
you’ve looked at the detail of

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what goes on when Moses
encounters the burning Bush.

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You know often, well for me at
least, when you, you think about

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some of these amazing events
that we have recorded in the Old

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Testament, it always feels so
foreign from the way we

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experience our discipleship.
You know, something like amazing

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came in front of the person and
there was no ways they could but

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notice it.
Isn’t that the way we think

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about it?
We, we don’t think that maybe

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these men and women like us were
very curious.

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Maybe they were opening their
eyes and looking for those

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opportunities where heaven and
earth could meet.

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Now I want to suggest to you
that’s actually what happens at

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the burning Bush.
So if you will come with me to

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Exodus chapter 3, because it’s
worth seeing this, you know, one

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of these Sunday school stories
we, we know so well so that when

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we read it in the Bible reading,
we don’t concentrate because we

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know where, where it’s going to
end.

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But look at the detail here.
Moses, as we’re aware he’s he’s

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tending the flock, he’s got
Jethro’s animals and he goes

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from Midian actually quite a
long way away, probably looking

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for some fertile posture, ends
up near what we know now as the

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Mount Sinai area in the Sinai
Peninsula called Mount Horeb at

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that time.
And he’s wandering around there.

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And it’s probably similar
countryside to some of the

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countryside without the trees
that I’ve seen around in

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Southern California.
It’s pretty barren.

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And I guess I’m not sure about
you, but certainly where I come

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from, when we’ve gone walking in
some of this barren countryside,

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sometimes we do see a bit of a
fire, you know, bushes on fire.

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We don’t normally stick around
there.

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We normally like go the other
way because like something

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terrible might happen.
And and so in other words, what

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Moses first sees is not
necessarily that out of the

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ordinary.
So we have it recorded for us in

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verse 2.
The Angel of the Lord appeared

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to him in a flame of fire from
the midst of the Bush.

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Now, of course, because we read
it like that, we think, oh, he

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already sees an Angel of the
Lord.

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No, no, it didn’t work like
that.

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That’s the way the the writer of
Genesis has recorded it because

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he knows that’s what’s actually
happened here.

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But look at actually what’s
happened.

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So he looked and, behold, the
Bush was burning with fire, but

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the Bush was not consumed.
Ah, so Moses has got his eyes

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wide open.
He’s just just not walking

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through life passively.
He’s looking around, and he

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notices this Bush is on fire.
And he stops for a while, and he

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watches it.
And we know that if a Bush is on

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fire, depending on its size,
eventually it’s going to go out

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because that’s the end of the
Bush.

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But it doesn’t go out.
Now, you might think, well, you

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know, maybe you’re making a bit
too much of that, that that

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isn’t what happened.
But look at the detail.

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It follows.
Then Moses said, I will now turn

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aside and see this great site,
why the Bush does not burn.

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So he actually has to turn away
from wherever he was going,

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curiously go and have a look at
this physical object, this bit

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of earth that’s being presented
to him.

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And he’s now going to see what
what’s going on here.

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This is not something I’ve seen
before.

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This is the kind of curiosity
that we’re being encouraged to

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have.
These are the kind of eyes that

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we’re being encouraged to have.
And, and and here’s the

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clincher.
Look at what verse four says.

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So when the Lord saw that, he
turned aside to look.

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Had some other people walk past
the burning Bush and not

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bothered to turn aside?
Had some other people walk past

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their burning Bush and not
looked?

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I don’t know.
But Exodus says Moses is

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connected to heaven because he
turns aside and looks, and God

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caught to him from the midst of
the Bush and said, Moses, Moses.

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And he said, here I am.
Then he said to him, do not draw

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near to this space.
Take your sandals off your feet,

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for the place where you stand is
holy ground.

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For everybody else, it was just
a piece of soil with a normal

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Bush.
Now we know the divine presence

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is in that place and therefore
it’s holy ground.

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And we take our shoes off so
that we can touch that ground.

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And that’s exactly what we’ve
been talking about.

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And I think it’s just just
again, an encouragement for us,

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especially as we go out into the
natural world here, to always be

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trying to see that connection
that could possibly be giving us

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a moment to join heaven and
earth and to experience the real

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presence of our God in the Lord
Jesus Christ.

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I love this.
Now that you know that I love

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00:13:43,200 –> 00:13:48,080
this beautiful verse from the
well known poet Elizabeth

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00:13:48,080 –> 00:13:51,800
Barrett Browning.
Earth is crammed with heaven and

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every common Bush of fire with
God, but only he who sees takes

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00:13:56,280 –> 00:13:59,400
off his shoes.
The rest sit around and pluck

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blackberries.
How many trees have you not seen

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God’s presence in it?
How many places have you just

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00:14:08,360 –> 00:14:13,200
plucked blackberries and not
seen heaven and earth connected?

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And that’s really what we have
available for us out there, the

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principle we established in
Genesis One, that all of this

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natural creation is a way for us
to connect to the heavenly

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00:14:24,560 –> 00:14:26,480
pattern.
All of these patterns that are

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revealing themselves to you
every day are an opportunity to

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00:14:29,840 –> 00:14:32,400
make that connection.
You know, it’s Paul who

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00:14:32,400 –> 00:14:35,160
establishes the principle, and
he and he, he’s specifically

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00:14:35,160 –> 00:14:38,720
talking about the resurrection.
But it’s a principle that is

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00:14:38,720 –> 00:14:42,720
powerful in every pragmatic
application of our discipleship.

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When he says at the end,
however, the spiritual is not

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00:14:45,320 –> 00:14:48,320
first, but the natural and after
with the spiritual, really

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00:14:48,320 –> 00:14:51,120
interesting because actually
he’s reversing the principle of

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Genesis.
As we said, it was first heaven

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00:14:53,840 –> 00:14:55,960
and then it’s earth.
But what he’s saying is from our

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00:14:55,960 –> 00:14:58,880
perspective, the way in which
time has revealed itself to us,

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we can see through the natural
into the spiritual.

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00:15:02,440 –> 00:15:05,880
So there’s a sense that that
this, this world out there, this

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pattern of creation out there,
it’s calling out to, to speak to

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us.
It’s the pattern that we can

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00:15:11,400 –> 00:15:13,120
recognise.
And the more we recognise the

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00:15:13,120 –> 00:15:16,200
spiritual, the more we see it
again in the, in the natural.

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00:15:16,320 –> 00:15:18,400
And then the natural gives us
further insight into the

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00:15:18,400 –> 00:15:20,400
spiritual.
And there’s this interaction

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00:15:20,400 –> 00:15:23,840
that we’ve been talking about.
And, and there’s no better

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00:15:23,840 –> 00:15:27,480
example of that when you just
walk out of this room and get

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00:15:27,480 –> 00:15:29,480
past some of the palm trees,
although they’re, they’re in an

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00:15:29,480 –> 00:15:31,640
amazing, an amazing pattern on
their own.

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00:15:31,640 –> 00:15:35,160
But but just look at the peak
and the mountain that’s just

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00:15:35,160 –> 00:15:39,280
over there and it’s the shape of
almost every mountain and there

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00:15:39,280 –> 00:15:42,800
it is.
And is that is that just, is

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00:15:42,800 –> 00:15:47,760
that just, Well, I mean, by by
chance that we have a mountain

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00:15:47,920 –> 00:15:51,440
that that has this principle and
this idea of earth reaching

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00:15:51,440 –> 00:15:54,080
towards heaven.
And that all the principles we

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00:15:54,080 –> 00:15:58,000
were talking about where heaven
is that singular identity,

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00:15:58,240 –> 00:16:02,040
purpose, mission that is
amplified in earth is in the

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00:16:02,040 –> 00:16:06,240
very shape of the mountain.
Maybe.

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00:16:06,440 –> 00:16:10,560
But we know, we know absolutely
that it’s not by chance because

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00:16:10,560 –> 00:16:12,440
of all the principles we’ve
looked at already and because of

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00:16:12,440 –> 00:16:15,800
what we’re about to see right
now, that when God designed a

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00:16:15,800 –> 00:16:20,120
pattern for worship, he actually
designed it on the principle of

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00:16:20,120 –> 00:16:22,120
the mountain.
So we’re going to now move on.

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00:16:22,120 –> 00:16:23,560
Well, not quite.
We’re going to get to that in a

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00:16:23,560 –> 00:16:25,040
moment.
I just want to finish off with

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00:16:25,400 –> 00:16:31,360
with talking about Jesus.
You know, Jesus in the way that

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00:16:31,360 –> 00:16:35,000
he had come to understand the
natural world and the connecting

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00:16:35,000 –> 00:16:38,840
of heaven and earth.
He walked around a world that

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00:16:38,840 –> 00:16:43,600
for him was activated.
Everything he saw, the sheep and

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00:16:43,600 –> 00:16:49,640
the sun and the trees and the
fruit and the, and the what else

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00:16:49,640 –> 00:16:52,000
have we got there and the birds
and the grapes.

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00:16:52,440 –> 00:16:55,640
I did a list.
I came up with over 50 different

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00:16:55,800 –> 00:17:00,000
natural items that Jesus saw in
a heavenly context.

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00:17:00,640 –> 00:17:02,280
That’s the way he walked around
the world.

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00:17:02,920 –> 00:17:06,200
And this delightful little
picture here is kudos to Chechi

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00:17:06,200 –> 00:17:08,520
Petit.
I said, here are all the things

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00:17:08,680 –> 00:17:12,640
that Jesus actually saw in the
world and was able to connect to

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00:17:12,640 –> 00:17:14,079
heaven.
Draw me a picture.

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00:17:14,319 –> 00:17:17,280
And what an abundant,
delightful, bright picture he

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00:17:17,280 –> 00:17:19,160
drew because that’s the world he
lived in.

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00:17:20,119 –> 00:17:23,160
Imagine if we could walk around
that making those connections.

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00:17:24,000 –> 00:17:26,240
And they’re not just metaphors
and they’re not just visual

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00:17:26,240 –> 00:17:29,320
aids.
He could see that that tree and

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00:17:29,320 –> 00:17:33,080
its meaning went all the way up
to the highest spiritual meaning

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00:17:33,160 –> 00:17:36,000
and connection to God, that it
is good.

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And he confused them as a
result, often when he was

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walking around, you know, he
would say things that confused

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his his disciples.
You know, he would say, take

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00:17:45,440 –> 00:17:47,560
heed and beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees.

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And they reasoned among
themselves, Is it because we

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00:17:49,800 –> 00:17:53,280
have taken no bread?
You know, because he was just

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00:17:53,280 –> 00:17:55,720
seeing that connection.
It, it, it wasn’t even something

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00:17:55,720 –> 00:17:58,000
separated for him.
That’s the way he viewed the

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00:17:58,000 –> 00:17:59,880
world.
He said to them, destroy this

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00:17:59,880 –> 00:18:02,080
temple and in three days I will
raise it up again.

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00:18:02,080 –> 00:18:04,360
They said, what?
How’s he going to raise up this

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00:18:04,360 –> 00:18:07,360
temple that took all these years
for for Herod and the guys to

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00:18:07,360 –> 00:18:08,640
build?
No, he was Speaking of the

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00:18:08,640 –> 00:18:11,200
temple of his body.
So he was at another level all

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00:18:11,200 –> 00:18:13,960
the time.
And so that’s why we find Jesus

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00:18:14,200 –> 00:18:20,120
even engaging, speaking to the
water and to the wind and to the

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00:18:20,120 –> 00:18:24,320
trees and being able to to
understand that they were a

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00:18:24,320 –> 00:18:26,960
connection to heaven at all
times.

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00:18:27,200 –> 00:18:30,880
So it’s an encouragement for us
when we go out into nature,

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00:18:30,880 –> 00:18:33,520
which I’m also hoping you will
do a lot of that.

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00:18:33,560 –> 00:18:37,280
You’re always looking for those
activation opportunities, those

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00:18:37,280 –> 00:18:39,920
moments for heaven and earth to
connect.

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00:18:41,640 –> 00:18:45,400
So that brings us then, as I
said, to this topic of worship.

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00:18:46,360 –> 00:18:49,480
And you know, it’s something we
we talk a lot about because

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00:18:49,480 –> 00:18:53,320
that’s what we tend to do.
We come to worship God, we

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00:18:53,320 –> 00:18:56,560
worship collectively, and we
worship privately.

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00:18:56,840 –> 00:18:59,880
So what do I mean by worship?
There could be many, many

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00:18:59,880 –> 00:19:02,920
definitions of worship, but for
the sake of this particular

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00:19:03,040 –> 00:19:08,000
discussion, I want to say that
worship is the time that we take

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00:19:08,000 –> 00:19:11,560
out of our everyday life,
whether it be in private or

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00:19:11,560 –> 00:19:15,200
together in public, in
community, to specifically

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00:19:15,360 –> 00:19:20,200
dedicate to focusing on our
Father and the Lord Jesus

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00:19:20,200 –> 00:19:22,560
Christ.
So that’s, that’s what it is.

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00:19:22,560 –> 00:19:26,160
That’s the definition of worship
that’s distinguished from what

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00:19:26,160 –> 00:19:28,160
we’re doing every single part of
our our day.

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00:19:28,160 –> 00:19:31,200
Now before someone comes and
tells me this, because it’s very

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00:19:31,200 –> 00:19:34,640
true, we can be meeting God and
we should be looking for God in

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00:19:34,640 –> 00:19:38,360
every part of our life, but we
know it’s important still to set

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00:19:38,360 –> 00:19:41,640
it aside times of worship.
So hopefully in your personal

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00:19:41,640 –> 00:19:45,640
life you’ve set routines and
times where you know you can

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00:19:45,640 –> 00:19:49,080
worship, whether it be a time to
pray, a time to read and

369
00:19:49,080 –> 00:19:52,560
consider God’s word, a time to
meditate, and that’s private

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00:19:52,560 –> 00:19:54,840
worship.
And then you also have time when

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00:19:54,840 –> 00:19:57,960
you gather together with your
ecclesia Sunday morning, you

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00:19:57,960 –> 00:20:01,000
dedicate an hour and a half and
you are there to worship.

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00:20:01,960 –> 00:20:05,840
So what’s going on when we
actually come to worship?

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00:20:06,400 –> 00:20:11,680
What is the purpose of worship?
Well, it’s interesting because

375
00:20:12,000 –> 00:20:15,960
you know, when I have given some
talks on on this particular

376
00:20:15,960 –> 00:20:21,840
topic, obviously the emphasis on
maybe being more active in the

377
00:20:21,840 –> 00:20:26,000
use of symbols and the emphasis
on the earth and the pragmatic

378
00:20:26,000 –> 00:20:28,680
and concrete touching, people
get a bit concerned and they

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00:20:28,680 –> 00:20:30,520
say, well, you know, we’ve got
to be very careful.

380
00:20:30,520 –> 00:20:33,960
Yeah, because one thing’s for
sure, like we’re not saved by

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00:20:33,960 –> 00:20:37,960
anything we do and by any
physical object or symbol.

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00:20:38,680 –> 00:20:41,080
And that’s a very important
principle to get right straight

383
00:20:41,080 –> 00:20:43,080
away.
So I want to, I want to get that

384
00:20:43,080 –> 00:20:45,320
right because I think it’s
important when we think about

385
00:20:45,320 –> 00:20:49,320
worship, because I think the
practice of worship and how we

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00:20:49,320 –> 00:20:52,920
participate in worship is really
important, but I don’t think

387
00:20:52,920 –> 00:20:56,800
it’s important to save us.
So let’s deal with that.

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00:20:56,960 –> 00:20:59,160
But I’m going to go fast because
I’m sure you don’t need me to

389
00:20:59,160 –> 00:21:01,880
tell you this.
Ephesians 2, verse eight.

390
00:21:02,040 –> 00:21:04,920
For by grace you have been saved
through faith and that not of

391
00:21:04,920 –> 00:21:06,480
yourselves.
It is the gift of God.

392
00:21:06,760 –> 00:21:09,680
I told you that 17 years ago and
many people have told you that

393
00:21:09,920 –> 00:21:14,240
there is nothing any one of us
can do that will save us.

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00:21:14,640 –> 00:21:17,240
Nothing.
So that needs to be clear.

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00:21:17,680 –> 00:21:21,800
And that is only through the
gift of God, the grace of God

396
00:21:21,800 –> 00:21:25,000
provided by the atoning
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus

397
00:21:25,000 –> 00:21:27,680
Christ and His work and our life
that’s done.

398
00:21:27,880 –> 00:21:30,760
We are saved.
We are saved.

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00:21:31,360 –> 00:21:35,320
And here’s the thing, and John
alluded it to this in the Romans

400
00:21:35,320 –> 00:21:38,680
6 passage.
The question is, how do we

401
00:21:38,680 –> 00:21:42,040
respond to that?
What is our response?

402
00:21:42,240 –> 00:21:45,880
So it’s this idea that there is
a ladder that has been laid

403
00:21:45,880 –> 00:21:47,560
down.
It was not there before.

404
00:21:47,760 –> 00:21:50,440
We couldn’t move from the bottom
of the mountain to the top.

405
00:21:51,040 –> 00:21:55,120
But the way has been opened.
Your sin is no longer an

406
00:21:55,120 –> 00:21:57,240
impediment.
You have been saved.

407
00:21:57,240 –> 00:22:01,760
What will you do now?
Will you sit back and say, well

408
00:22:01,760 –> 00:22:05,280
that’s great, that’s done, I’ll
move on to something else now?

409
00:22:05,280 –> 00:22:08,720
Or will you say I want to rush
up to the top of the mountain?

410
00:22:09,560 –> 00:22:14,000
I want to move forward with love
in response to this gift that

411
00:22:14,000 –> 00:22:16,560
I’ve received.
I want to develop the most

412
00:22:16,560 –> 00:22:20,320
beautiful and loving
relationship that I can with my

413
00:22:20,320 –> 00:22:23,280
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
because there’s nothing in the

414
00:22:23,280 –> 00:22:26,360
way.
The only thing that’s left in

415
00:22:26,360 –> 00:22:30,000
the way is myself.
And I want to get up to the top

416
00:22:30,000 –> 00:22:33,440
of the mountain.
I want to join earth and heaven

417
00:22:33,600 –> 00:22:37,040
as fast as I can.
And I put it to you.

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00:22:37,880 –> 00:22:41,920
That is the purpose of worship.
You know, we may come to worship

419
00:22:41,920 –> 00:22:45,360
and in, in, in the process of
worship, we give thanks to God.

420
00:22:45,360 –> 00:22:48,960
We sing praises.
We, we, we, we, we worship his

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00:22:48,960 –> 00:22:50,200
name.
We give all to him.

422
00:22:50,200 –> 00:22:52,480
We glorify him.
And these are all important

423
00:22:52,480 –> 00:22:55,840
parts of worship.
We learn lessons from the Bible

424
00:22:55,840 –> 00:22:58,400
in worship, but why do we do all
of that?

425
00:22:59,120 –> 00:23:01,360
What what?
What are all of those components

426
00:23:01,360 –> 00:23:06,800
building towards the deepening
of our relationship with our

427
00:23:06,800 –> 00:23:10,520
Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ, which is what faith is.

428
00:23:10,920 –> 00:23:14,640
That’s why the word that still
appears in Ephesians 2 is faith.

429
00:23:16,520 –> 00:23:20,400
We come to any worship session
with the objective that when we

430
00:23:20,400 –> 00:23:25,800
leave, in some way we have
deepened our relationship with

431
00:23:25,800 –> 00:23:29,560
the living Father and his Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.

432
00:23:29,840 –> 00:23:33,640
That is the main purpose of why
we gather together.

433
00:23:33,640 –> 00:23:36,560
And so I think it’s quite
important to understand that.

434
00:23:36,560 –> 00:23:42,080
And The thing is this, you know,
we are, we are saved together.

435
00:23:43,400 –> 00:23:46,160
It’s it’s a concept that I, I, I
think we’d be influenced by

436
00:23:46,160 –> 00:23:49,800
actually as a community, because
a lot of mainstream Christianity

437
00:23:50,040 –> 00:23:53,560
focuses on personal salvation.
Our salvation is not guaranteed

438
00:23:53,560 –> 00:23:55,520
to us as individuals.
The salvation.

439
00:23:55,800 –> 00:23:57,840
No, no, we’re saved because we
belong.

440
00:23:58,080 –> 00:24:00,880
You know, this Galatians 3, we
are at the seed of Abraham.

441
00:24:00,880 –> 00:24:04,000
That’s why we say, and in fact
that principle patterns was

442
00:24:04,080 –> 00:24:05,480
throughout the whole Old
Testament.

443
00:24:06,000 –> 00:24:08,360
You were saved because you were
part of the nation of Israel.

444
00:24:08,560 –> 00:24:11,360
You got out of the promise, out
of Egypt because you together

445
00:24:11,360 –> 00:24:14,200
we’re all participating in the
Passover meal and you all came

446
00:24:14,200 –> 00:24:16,200
out together.
You got through the Red Sea, you

447
00:24:16,200 –> 00:24:18,840
were all taken together, you
came to the promised land.

448
00:24:18,840 –> 00:24:20,440
You all crossed over the Jordan
together.

449
00:24:20,800 –> 00:24:26,280
We are saved because we belong.
It is a collective thing.

450
00:24:26,840 –> 00:24:31,360
But here’s the thing, we have to
continue to belong.

451
00:24:32,360 –> 00:24:39,400
Jesus says this in John.
Jesus said remain in me as I

452
00:24:39,400 –> 00:24:42,800
also remain in you.
No bronze can bear fruit by

453
00:24:42,800 –> 00:24:44,680
itself.
It must remain in the vine.

454
00:24:44,880 –> 00:24:48,520
Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me.

455
00:24:49,360 –> 00:24:51,760
So here’s here’s here’s what’s
happening.

456
00:24:52,680 –> 00:24:57,200
The way has been opened.
Salvation is for us as a part of

457
00:24:57,200 –> 00:25:01,720
the Commonwealth of Israel, but
we have to remain connected to

458
00:25:01,720 –> 00:25:03,680
Jesus.
And how do we do that?

459
00:25:04,440 –> 00:25:09,320
We grow the deepest possible
roots that we can into His root.

460
00:25:09,960 –> 00:25:14,280
We bind ourselves with them as
deeply as possible so that we

461
00:25:14,280 –> 00:25:17,760
cannot and will not be broken
off, because that’s the only

462
00:25:17,760 –> 00:25:19,720
way.
Then ultimately, there is a

463
00:25:19,720 –> 00:25:23,440
connection between the practice
of our worship and the practice

464
00:25:23,440 –> 00:25:25,440
of our everyday living and
salvation.

465
00:25:26,000 –> 00:25:29,640
Because if we don’t belong to
Him, we will not be a part of

466
00:25:29,640 –> 00:25:32,320
those who are saved at the time
of the end.

467
00:25:33,080 –> 00:25:37,360
In Romans 8, where where Paul is
is coming to that crescendo when

468
00:25:37,360 –> 00:25:41,520
he talks about the, the, the
absolute strength of that

469
00:25:41,520 –> 00:25:46,400
connection between the Father
and us through the love of Jesus

470
00:25:46,400 –> 00:25:49,280
Christ.
He says I am persuaded that

471
00:25:49,280 –> 00:25:52,280
neither death nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor

472
00:25:52,280 –> 00:25:55,280
powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor heart nor

473
00:25:55,280 –> 00:26:00,320
depth, nor any other created
thing shall be able to separate

474
00:26:00,320 –> 00:26:03,000
us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

475
00:26:03,000 –> 00:26:06,920
In other words, he says, you
know that that that relationship

476
00:26:06,920 –> 00:26:10,360
you seek for that bonding with
Jesus, that’s going to make sure

477
00:26:10,360 –> 00:26:13,320
you’re a part of his community
that are saved.

478
00:26:13,800 –> 00:26:17,480
You don’t need to be concerned
because nothing out there in

479
00:26:17,480 –> 00:26:21,200
that world can separate you.
Not not principalities, not

480
00:26:21,200 –> 00:26:27,520
powers, not even death.
But He does leave out one

481
00:26:27,720 –> 00:26:31,520
important potential, and that’s
ourselves.

482
00:26:32,680 –> 00:26:34,120
That’s what’s missing from
Romans 8.

483
00:26:34,120 –> 00:26:39,040
And that’s why we are always to
be focused on rushing as close

484
00:26:39,040 –> 00:26:42,520
as we can to Him on the
motivation of love to get close

485
00:26:42,520 –> 00:26:44,520
to our God.
And that’s what I believe

486
00:26:44,640 –> 00:26:47,320
worship is all about.
And when we come to the

487
00:26:47,320 –> 00:26:50,320
framework for worship, which I
believe is beautifully given to

488
00:26:50,320 –> 00:26:54,680
us both in pattern and also
lessons of symbol in the

489
00:26:54,680 –> 00:26:58,480
Tabernacle, we are told in
Hebrew eight, it was a copy of

490
00:26:58,480 –> 00:27:01,360
the divine pattern.
So, so by looking at this

491
00:27:01,360 –> 00:27:04,840
Tabernacle, we can maybe see
what are some of the practices

492
00:27:05,120 –> 00:27:07,880
that could help us to deepen
that relationship.

493
00:27:07,880 –> 00:27:10,400
Every time we come to worship
together on a Sunday morning,

494
00:27:10,640 –> 00:27:13,200
what what kind of things might
we be thinking about?

495
00:27:13,200 –> 00:27:17,280
What kind of process, what kind
of symbols might help us in

496
00:27:17,280 –> 00:27:20,720
developing that relationship?
When we’re privately

497
00:27:20,720 –> 00:27:23,840
worshipping, when we decide just
to kneel on our on our knees

498
00:27:23,840 –> 00:27:27,880
next to our bed, What what kind
of mindset, what pattern have we

499
00:27:27,880 –> 00:27:30,280
been taught that would be the
way of worship?

500
00:27:31,040 –> 00:27:34,200
Now we know that the Tabernacle
was always associated with

501
00:27:34,200 –> 00:27:35,480
worship.
Psalm 132.

502
00:27:35,720 –> 00:27:39,800
Let us go into his Tabernacle.
Let us worship at his footstool.

503
00:27:40,920 –> 00:27:43,800
Jeremiah says, stand in the gate
of the Lord’s house and proclaim

504
00:27:43,800 –> 00:27:45,880
there the word.
Hear the word of the Lord, all

505
00:27:45,880 –> 00:27:49,400
of you of Judah who end in at
his gates to worship the Lord.

506
00:27:49,680 –> 00:27:52,440
So let’s just take the rest of
the time we have remaining to

507
00:27:52,440 –> 00:27:57,400
think about worship in the, the,
the, the template of the

508
00:27:57,400 –> 00:27:58,880
Tabernacle.
And I want to try and show you

509
00:27:58,880 –> 00:28:02,440
that there’s a beautiful little
template that’s easy to remember

510
00:28:02,440 –> 00:28:06,960
that’s associated with worship
from the Tabernacle now.

511
00:28:08,280 –> 00:28:11,680
Oh, before I do that, this is
just a stunning verse, stunning

512
00:28:11,680 –> 00:28:15,240
passage to emphasize the purpose
of worship.

513
00:28:15,240 –> 00:28:19,160
It says but God, Ephesians 2
verse four, who is rich in

514
00:28:19,160 –> 00:28:21,160
mercy, right?
We’ve been saved.

515
00:28:21,160 –> 00:28:24,240
He’s given us his grace because
of his great love which he has

516
00:28:24,240 –> 00:28:29,560
loved us even when we were dead
in trespasses, made us alive

517
00:28:29,560 –> 00:28:31,240
together with Christ.
Present tense.

518
00:28:31,400 –> 00:28:34,600
By grace you have been saved.
In case you didn’t get it, look

519
00:28:34,600 –> 00:28:39,080
at what the response is and
raised us up together and made

520
00:28:39,080 –> 00:28:41,800
us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus.

521
00:28:42,160 –> 00:28:46,120
Having cleared the way we are
raised to a new life.

522
00:28:46,120 –> 00:28:48,160
We are a new creation.
What are we going to do?

523
00:28:48,880 –> 00:28:52,440
Does the new one who is raised
just fall backwards or does he

524
00:28:52,440 –> 00:28:56,040
rush up to heavenly places?
We’re trying to move towards the

525
00:28:56,040 –> 00:28:59,320
connection to heaven and that’s,
that’s what I believe Ephesians

526
00:28:59,320 –> 00:29:03,840
2 is beautifully summarizing.
So that that idea is what is

527
00:29:03,840 –> 00:29:07,720
summarized in the pattern of
worship that is repeated

528
00:29:07,720 –> 00:29:10,800
throughout the Word of God.
I’m giving you 3 little tips of

529
00:29:10,800 –> 00:29:13,680
it, but many of you will know
the same pattern is there in

530
00:29:13,680 –> 00:29:16,000
Revelation where John goes
through the door of heaven.

531
00:29:16,280 –> 00:29:20,480
But, but obviously we’ve spoken
about the connection, which now

532
00:29:20,480 –> 00:29:22,920
represents linking heaven and
earth together of Jacob’s

533
00:29:22,920 –> 00:29:25,120
ladder.
But I want you to focus for a

534
00:29:25,120 –> 00:29:26,960
moment on the idea of the
mountain.

535
00:29:27,080 –> 00:29:30,040
I’ve really suggested to you
that the physical shape of the

536
00:29:30,040 –> 00:29:34,000
mountain is a beautiful symbol
of this idea of heaven and earth

537
00:29:34,000 –> 00:29:38,320
and the way that they connect.
But actually this played itself

538
00:29:38,320 –> 00:29:41,920
at, as we know when the children
of Israel came through the Red

539
00:29:41,920 –> 00:29:45,000
Sea and God wanted to make
covenant with him.

540
00:29:45,240 –> 00:29:48,120
When God said, look, this is
definitely happening.

541
00:29:48,560 –> 00:29:52,960
We are going to one day meet in
the ultimate macrocosm of the

542
00:29:52,960 –> 00:29:55,200
plan that I put in place in
Genesis one verse one.

543
00:29:55,600 –> 00:29:59,480
And guess where it was?
It was in the same place where

544
00:29:59,480 –> 00:30:03,840
Moses had seen the burning Bush.
And now he’s back with everyone

545
00:30:04,560 –> 00:30:07,960
because God saves collectively
and he’s got the whole nation

546
00:30:08,520 –> 00:30:10,920
and and and and they are called
to come together.

547
00:30:10,920 –> 00:30:13,840
And before they come together,
before they even got close to

548
00:30:13,840 –> 00:30:16,120
the mountain, Moses goes to
them.

549
00:30:16,120 –> 00:30:18,840
And this is the first, first
part of worship you need to

550
00:30:18,840 –> 00:30:21,760
remember.
And he says, get ready, prepare.

551
00:30:22,520 –> 00:30:24,640
We are going to Mount Sinai to
worship.

552
00:30:25,080 –> 00:30:28,720
So the first principle of
worship in the way of worship is

553
00:30:28,800 –> 00:30:32,720
preparation.
If you want to have an effective

554
00:30:33,120 –> 00:30:36,360
journey from earth to heaven, be
prepared.

555
00:30:36,360 –> 00:30:39,560
And I’m going to leave you to
think about this in terms of

556
00:30:39,560 –> 00:30:42,720
your coming to a Sunday morning
and how much preparation you put

557
00:30:42,720 –> 00:30:46,480
in and what you might do.
But that’s true in that example

558
00:30:46,480 –> 00:30:49,400
and many, many other examples we
have when we go to worship.

559
00:30:49,560 –> 00:30:52,440
Are we prepared?
Secondly, and of course, that

560
00:30:52,440 –> 00:30:55,360
links to intentionality.
Secondly, once they had

561
00:30:55,360 –> 00:30:58,600
prepared, they came, all of them
to the foot of the mountain.

562
00:30:59,240 –> 00:31:02,520
And I haven’t been at at
Johnny’s talks, but my wife

563
00:31:02,520 –> 00:31:05,240
gives me some snippets and she
says he spoke about that

564
00:31:05,240 –> 00:31:07,040
mountain being on fire like a
burning Bush.

565
00:31:07,240 –> 00:31:09,480
And absolutely there was no
doubt.

566
00:31:09,560 –> 00:31:12,320
Remember we said one of the
etymologies of heaven is the

567
00:31:12,320 –> 00:31:14,880
place of fire and water.
So they come and they see this

568
00:31:14,880 –> 00:31:17,320
mountain on fire.
Because one of the reasons

569
00:31:17,320 –> 00:31:21,040
that’s happening is because God
will start with saying we need

570
00:31:21,040 –> 00:31:22,920
to understand the difference
between heaven and earth.

571
00:31:23,280 –> 00:31:26,080
We need to get perspective here,
all right?

572
00:31:26,280 –> 00:31:29,240
This is the infinite Creator,
and we are the dust of the

573
00:31:29,240 –> 00:31:31,760
earth.
And so they see that, they see

574
00:31:31,760 –> 00:31:34,120
that fire and they see that
mountain and they hear the

575
00:31:34,120 –> 00:31:37,160
Thunder and they say, no, no,
no, no, we’ll just stay here at

576
00:31:37,160 –> 00:31:40,680
the bottom of the mountain.
And so you have the 1st all of

577
00:31:40,680 –> 00:31:42,840
the nation are at the bottom of
the mountain.

578
00:31:43,880 –> 00:31:47,000
And then what happens is God
says, well, you know, I need to

579
00:31:47,000 –> 00:31:49,960
meet you.
So why don’t you get about 70

580
00:31:49,960 –> 00:31:52,760
elders and get them together and
come up further.

581
00:31:53,320 –> 00:31:56,240
And so Moses then gets them and
I’m, I’m, I’m just for the sake

582
00:31:56,240 –> 00:31:59,080
of time, you, you, you will, you
will believe me that it says

583
00:31:59,080 –> 00:32:00,880
this.
So the first parts in Exodus 19,

584
00:32:00,880 –> 00:32:03,760
if you are taking notes, verses
17 to 23.

585
00:32:04,440 –> 00:32:08,960
And then the second part is in
Exodus 24, nine to 11, Moses,

586
00:32:09,360 –> 00:32:13,640
Aaron, Naidab and Abayu and the
70 hours and they go up a bit

587
00:32:13,640 –> 00:32:15,400
further.
And you know what?

588
00:32:15,400 –> 00:32:17,160
They have the most incredible
vision.

589
00:32:18,040 –> 00:32:22,080
They, they actually see this,
this, this, this sapphire stone

590
00:32:22,480 –> 00:32:24,600
and, and they see this, this
kind of throne.

591
00:32:24,600 –> 00:32:27,320
It’s very similar vision to, to
the one that John sees.

592
00:32:28,200 –> 00:32:31,200
And they eat and they drink with
God.

593
00:32:32,480 –> 00:32:35,760
He provides for them because
that we were talking about in in

594
00:32:35,760 –> 00:32:40,640
John’s session hospitality.
He hosts them for a meal on the

595
00:32:40,640 –> 00:32:44,440
slopes of Mount Sinai, but it’s
not done yet.

596
00:32:45,200 –> 00:32:48,920
Moses then says to God then says
to Moses, now you, I want you to

597
00:32:48,920 –> 00:32:52,680
come up to the top.
And Moses goes all the way to

598
00:32:52,680 –> 00:32:55,960
the top of the mountain.
And then God has for him the

599
00:32:55,960 –> 00:32:59,160
Word, the word that is now
contained in the 10

600
00:32:59,160 –> 00:33:02,480
commandments, which becomes a
symbol of the covenant of the

601
00:33:02,480 –> 00:33:06,040
joining of heaven and earth.
And he says, here is where we

602
00:33:06,040 –> 00:33:09,160
will meet.
Now you don’t need me to tell

603
00:33:09,160 –> 00:33:11,240
you this because you are well
taught in the Scripture.

604
00:33:11,360 –> 00:33:15,080
That is the pattern upon which
the Tabernacle was now built.

605
00:33:15,840 –> 00:33:17,920
They couldn’t move a mountain
around, so they took the

606
00:33:17,920 –> 00:33:22,080
mountain and they squashed it.
And that is the pattern of the

607
00:33:22,080 –> 00:33:24,800
Tabernacle.
So outside of the Tabernacle,

608
00:33:25,000 –> 00:33:27,920
well, there was everybody.
In fact, outside of the

609
00:33:27,920 –> 00:33:31,200
Tabernacle there are clean and
unclean people, everybody going

610
00:33:31,200 –> 00:33:34,680
about doing their business.
But then some people realized

611
00:33:34,880 –> 00:33:37,640
that they wanted to connect with
heaven and what would they do?

612
00:33:37,640 –> 00:33:40,200
Would they just arrive and walk
into the courtyard on someday?

613
00:33:40,200 –> 00:33:42,880
No, they would say, I’m going to
go tomorrow to the Tabernacle.

614
00:33:42,880 –> 00:33:44,440
I’m going to go in two or three
days time.

615
00:33:44,600 –> 00:33:48,040
And they prepared.
There were a number of things

616
00:33:48,040 –> 00:33:49,400
that you needed to do to
prepare.

617
00:33:49,600 –> 00:33:52,560
You should think of abstaining
from certain activities.

618
00:33:53,040 –> 00:33:56,320
You should think of fasting.
You should think of preparing

619
00:33:56,320 –> 00:33:59,160
and offering.
You should wash and you should

620
00:33:59,160 –> 00:34:02,320
put on some different clothing.
You make of that, of what you

621
00:34:02,320 –> 00:34:05,200
will, But you should do that.
You should be intentional about

622
00:34:05,200 –> 00:34:08,719
the fact that tomorrow, in two
days time, you’re going to try

623
00:34:08,880 –> 00:34:11,360
and meet God.
You’re trying to move up the

624
00:34:11,360 –> 00:34:14,199
mountain.
And so when you were ready and

625
00:34:14,199 –> 00:34:16,920
you had prepared, you then came
into the outer court.

626
00:34:17,320 –> 00:34:19,400
And what did you discover when
you walked through the outer

627
00:34:19,400 –> 00:34:20,840
court?
Well, I’ve got this most

628
00:34:20,840 –> 00:34:25,159
beautiful picture story that I’d
written, which is part of the

629
00:34:25,159 –> 00:34:28,840
pot we cut out which, which
tries to describe that journey

630
00:34:29,080 –> 00:34:31,239
because it’s a sensory journey
that they went through.

631
00:34:31,239 –> 00:34:35,600
But anyway, you get into this
courtyard and all of the people

632
00:34:35,600 –> 00:34:38,679
could go into the courtyard.
It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s the whole

633
00:34:38,679 –> 00:34:40,080
nation.
It’s the people at the bottom of

634
00:34:40,080 –> 00:34:42,360
the mountain.
And of course there’s fire.

635
00:34:42,480 –> 00:34:43,960
You know, when you walked
through the Tabernacle, it’s

636
00:34:43,960 –> 00:34:46,360
quite confronting.
As you walked in, there was the

637
00:34:46,360 –> 00:34:49,520
altar of bird offering bronze
and the sun would have been

638
00:34:49,520 –> 00:34:51,080
shining on it would have like
you would have needed

639
00:34:51,080 –> 00:34:52,440
sunglasses.
You wouldn’t have had in those

640
00:34:52,440 –> 00:34:54,360
days.
And the fire of the, of the

641
00:34:54,360 –> 00:34:57,440
altar was going smoke.
It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s in your

642
00:34:57,440 –> 00:34:59,560
face.
It’s, it’s this idea, first of

643
00:34:59,560 –> 00:35:02,800
all, that that this is the God
who is to be awed.

644
00:35:03,920 –> 00:35:06,560
He is the God that we praise as
infinite.

645
00:35:07,720 –> 00:35:10,920
But in the same way we’re being
taught, it’s the place of

646
00:35:10,920 –> 00:35:14,880
offering, it’s the place of
sacrifice, it’s the place of

647
00:35:14,880 –> 00:35:19,320
humility, it’s the place where
we empty ourselves so that we

648
00:35:19,320 –> 00:35:22,240
can be redeemed.
And the redemption is actually

649
00:35:22,240 –> 00:35:25,280
happening in that out of court
chart for everybody.

650
00:35:26,920 –> 00:35:31,320
And then of course, once you had
been through the altar of burnt

651
00:35:31,320 –> 00:35:34,320
offering where you have the
refining of the fire, and

652
00:35:34,320 –> 00:35:37,400
through the Laver where you have
the purification of the water,

653
00:35:37,880 –> 00:35:42,400
echoes, fire, water refining,
both happening in the outer

654
00:35:42,400 –> 00:35:45,440
court, you now have the
opportunity to move into the

655
00:35:45,440 –> 00:35:49,520
holy place.
So we’ve gone from prepared to

656
00:35:49,600 –> 00:35:53,480
offering and humility.
Second part of worship, empty

657
00:35:53,480 –> 00:35:56,600
yourself.
Make yourself ready to receive

658
00:35:57,000 –> 00:36:00,000
into the holy place.
What’s going on in the holy

659
00:36:00,000 –> 00:36:01,560
place?
Well, what happened on the

660
00:36:01,560 –> 00:36:05,000
slopes of the mountain?
Less people, less people.

661
00:36:05,920 –> 00:36:07,520
And they’ve been provided for by
God.

662
00:36:08,600 –> 00:36:11,240
He’s he’s got the lamp
flickering away.

663
00:36:11,600 –> 00:36:14,840
He’s got the table ready.
Dinner is ready.

664
00:36:15,160 –> 00:36:19,160
Let’s eat and drink together.
Let me provide for you.

665
00:36:19,560 –> 00:36:22,720
It’s the place of provision.
It’s the place, the next phase

666
00:36:22,720 –> 00:36:26,520
of worship, where we, having
emptied ourselves, can receive,

667
00:36:27,400 –> 00:36:33,680
we can receive him in.
And then finally, finally, you

668
00:36:33,680 –> 00:36:40,240
move from the holy place to the
holy of holies, through the veil

669
00:36:40,760 –> 00:36:46,600
into this incredibly intimate
space where meeting takes place,

670
00:36:47,120 –> 00:36:50,960
where this this experience that
is beyond words, where the

671
00:36:50,960 –> 00:36:57,000
relationship is unbreakable, is
forged, where heaven and earth

672
00:36:57,520 –> 00:37:00,400
are meeting in their strongest
possible form.

673
00:37:00,800 –> 00:37:04,520
And it is an ascension up the
mountain is exactly what we’re

674
00:37:04,520 –> 00:37:08,600
having demonstrated for us so
beautifully in the Tabernacle.

675
00:37:08,600 –> 00:37:11,440
And I know with you knowing all
of your symbols and your

676
00:37:11,440 –> 00:37:14,560
Tabernacles, your mind should be
racing off at all the way the

677
00:37:14,560 –> 00:37:16,880
rest of the detail of the
symbols, we’re just establishing

678
00:37:17,080 –> 00:37:21,520
the essential central pattern.
But the curiosity of all the the

679
00:37:21,560 –> 00:37:25,320
added extras are there as they
were drawing the worshiper in.

680
00:37:25,440 –> 00:37:28,040
Have you noticed something?
And I think this is really

681
00:37:28,040 –> 00:37:33,240
important that that on this
journey for worship, we know

682
00:37:33,240 –> 00:37:36,000
that the one lesson that’s been
taught is that everybody could

683
00:37:36,000 –> 00:37:38,360
be in the courtyard.
Less people could be in the holy

684
00:37:38,360 –> 00:37:40,120
place.
Only the half priest could be in

685
00:37:40,120 –> 00:37:41,640
the holy of holies one day a
year.

686
00:37:42,440 –> 00:37:45,120
And we know that the first
lesson of that, obviously is the

687
00:37:45,120 –> 00:37:47,880
fact that Jesus has opened it
all.

688
00:37:48,240 –> 00:37:50,520
He’s opened the way.
I just love the idea that the

689
00:37:50,520 –> 00:37:53,880
1st, the 1st curtains open, the
second curtains open and he’s

690
00:37:53,880 –> 00:37:56,960
torn from top to bottom, top to
bottom, the bail.

691
00:37:57,040 –> 00:38:00,640
And that’s what Hebrew says.
It says we, we brothers and

692
00:38:00,640 –> 00:38:04,000
sisters, have confidence to
enter the holy place by the

693
00:38:04,000 –> 00:38:07,760
blood of Christ, by the new and
living way that he opened for us

694
00:38:07,760 –> 00:38:09,520
through the curtain, that is
through his flesh.

695
00:38:09,520 –> 00:38:11,640
We can just go rushing all the
way in.

696
00:38:12,160 –> 00:38:14,200
But here’s the thing.
So, so, so that’s what’s

697
00:38:14,200 –> 00:38:16,000
happened.
We don’t have the limitations of

698
00:38:16,160 –> 00:38:19,320
everybody, the priests and just
the the high priest.

699
00:38:19,320 –> 00:38:22,040
But you know, that pattern was
also teaching this.

700
00:38:23,440 –> 00:38:26,640
Salvation is something, as I’ve
said, that is collective

701
00:38:27,680 –> 00:38:31,240
relationship with God.
Faith is individual.

702
00:38:32,360 –> 00:38:36,240
Let me say that again.
Salvation is something that is

703
00:38:36,240 –> 00:38:39,080
collective.
We are saved by being a seed of

704
00:38:39,080 –> 00:38:41,720
Abraham, a member of the
Commonwealth of Israel.

705
00:38:42,800 –> 00:38:45,080
Faith and relationship are
personal.

706
00:38:45,960 –> 00:38:51,080
Our journey to the Holy of
Holies ends up being you and

707
00:38:51,080 –> 00:38:55,360
your God, you and your Father,
you and the Lord Jesus Christ.

708
00:38:56,160 –> 00:39:01,680
Worship ultimately is personal.
The practice of worship, the

709
00:39:01,680 –> 00:39:05,080
symbols that you might find
useful, they’re about you and

710
00:39:05,080 –> 00:39:07,760
they’re about what will be
useful for you to grow and

711
00:39:07,760 –> 00:39:11,120
develop your relationship.
And that’s a very important

712
00:39:11,400 –> 00:39:15,120
lesson that’s been taught to us
in the framework of the spaces

713
00:39:15,320 –> 00:39:18,000
of the Tabernacle.
So there it is, I’m afraid.

714
00:39:18,000 –> 00:39:19,920
It’s written from right to left.
We say.

715
00:39:19,920 –> 00:39:21,720
Why do the Hebrews write from
right to left?

716
00:39:21,920 –> 00:39:26,240
Well, because their worship was
oriented, as we know, from east

717
00:39:26,240 –> 00:39:27,240
to West.
Why was that?

718
00:39:27,240 –> 00:39:30,320
Well, we heaven and earth
people, now we know the sun

719
00:39:30,320 –> 00:39:34,200
rising first in the east and
moving through to the West, the

720
00:39:34,200 –> 00:39:36,920
1st heaven and earth kissing to
the latter heaven and earth

721
00:39:36,920 –> 00:39:38,520
kissing.
And so as you go into the

722
00:39:38,520 –> 00:39:41,920
Tabernacle, that sun is lighting
your way at your back the whole

723
00:39:41,920 –> 00:39:47,880
way as you move from east to
West, prepare, offer, empty,

724
00:39:48,040 –> 00:39:53,360
refine, receive meat.
You might want to think about

725
00:39:53,360 –> 00:39:55,240
that framework and be
intentional.

726
00:39:55,640 –> 00:39:58,760
When you go on a Sunday morning
and you go through whatever it

727
00:39:58,760 –> 00:40:01,760
is your particularly at cliches
routine is.

728
00:40:01,840 –> 00:40:03,920
And maybe you might want to look
at that routine and where you

729
00:40:03,920 –> 00:40:07,760
got it from and see whether in
fact it has this pattern, this

730
00:40:07,760 –> 00:40:11,360
essential pattern as it’s
called, not that.

731
00:40:11,680 –> 00:40:14,320
Doing it right will save you.
You see, we don’t have to have

732
00:40:14,320 –> 00:40:16,760
that discussion.
Not that having any specific

733
00:40:16,760 –> 00:40:22,080
symbol will save you, but that
it will enhance your ability to

734
00:40:22,080 –> 00:40:25,600
develop relationship with the
Father and the Lord Jesus

735
00:40:25,600 –> 00:40:28,640
Christ.
And that is where I think we’ll

736
00:40:28,640 –> 00:40:29,800
end it for today.