1 00:00:01,290 --> 00:00:05,675 Our God truly is an awesome God. 2 00:00:05,776 --> 00:00:07,978 He is the one that created the world. 3 00:00:07,978 --> 00:00:11,843 He is the one that gives us the opportunity to be saved. 4 00:00:11,843 --> 00:00:16,528 He is the one that is sustaining the world at this very moment. 5 00:00:16,809 --> 00:00:17,690 Now, 6 00:00:17,726 --> 00:00:23,509 Many today say that that God changed his personality between the Old Testament and the New Testament. 7 00:00:23,509 --> 00:00:29,533 They say during the Old Testament this was a God of wrath, this was a God of raw justice with no mercy. 8 00:00:29,533 --> 00:00:35,376 But then under the New Testament he is a God of light, a God of peace, a God who wants nothing but unity. 9 00:00:35,857 --> 00:00:38,278 Rather, this is nothing but false. 10 00:00:38,580 --> 00:00:43,295 Our God is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 11 00:00:43,296 --> 00:00:51,385 Hebrews 13 verse 8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and not just tomorrow, forever. 12 00:00:51,790 --> 00:00:56,030 And also not only is God the same, we want Him to be the same God. 13 00:00:56,250 --> 00:00:58,950 Exodus 34 describes who God is. 14 00:00:58,950 --> 00:01:01,430 Exodus 34, that's a part of the Old Testament. 15 00:01:01,430 --> 00:01:08,369 And it says that God is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness, mercy. 16 00:01:09,410 --> 00:01:19,855 forgiving iniquity and transgression, will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity upon the father's children unto the third and fourth generation. 17 00:01:19,855 --> 00:01:28,329 This is a God who is merciful and then just." And that is how He described Himself in the Old Testament and that is who we want Him to be today. 18 00:01:28,329 --> 00:01:31,020 This is not a God who has changed His personality. 19 00:01:31,020 --> 00:01:35,883 Now, He is the same Lord, but He has changed His law. 20 00:01:35,883 --> 00:01:39,137 They were under the schoolmaster that brought us unto this 21 00:01:39,137 --> 00:01:52,757 new law, Colossians 2, 14, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross, when Christ 22 00:01:52,757 --> 00:01:56,897 was dying, when he was nailed to that tree. 23 00:01:57,539 --> 00:02:01,421 He was setting in place a new law that He was giving to us. 24 00:02:01,421 --> 00:02:04,403 John 14, 6, He is the author of our new way. 25 00:02:04,403 --> 00:02:07,885 He is the way, the truth, and the life. 26 00:02:07,885 --> 00:02:12,847 Hebrews chapter 12, He is the author and finisher of our faith. 27 00:02:13,228 --> 00:02:15,269 Our God is the same God. 28 00:02:15,269 --> 00:02:17,610 He has just given us a new law. 29 00:02:17,710 --> 00:02:19,731 Now, God... 30 00:02:20,386 --> 00:02:24,708 has given us lessons in the Old Testament that still apply to us today. 31 00:02:24,708 --> 00:02:27,669 Those things were written a four time for our learning. 32 00:02:27,669 --> 00:02:37,834 We can look to Hebrews and see so many parallels of the things God set in place for them when it came to their worship, when it came to their laws, and how it was a type for what 33 00:02:37,834 --> 00:02:41,026 was going to take place later under the new law. 34 00:02:41,026 --> 00:02:50,420 Let's look at three specific points in how God interacts with man and how those were the same today as they were under the Old Testament. 35 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:54,201 God just had a different avenue of doing them. 36 00:02:54,381 --> 00:02:57,862 First, God leads those who follow Him. 37 00:02:57,862 --> 00:03:01,243 If you will, turn to Exodus 13. 38 00:03:01,243 --> 00:03:03,323 Exodus chapter 13. 39 00:03:03,323 --> 00:03:08,845 This Lord and God is one who wants to be your God, and He wants you to follow Him. 40 00:03:08,845 --> 00:03:12,005 But for you to follow someone, you need to know where they're going. 41 00:03:12,005 --> 00:03:14,386 You need to know where He wants you to go. 42 00:03:14,868 --> 00:03:30,505 Exodus 13, 22 and 23, 21 and 22, and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day 43 00:03:30,505 --> 00:03:31,406 and night. 44 00:03:31,406 --> 00:03:38,469 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. 45 00:03:38,609 --> 00:03:44,762 When the Israelites were in the wilderness, when they wandered there for about 40 years, God was leading them 46 00:03:44,762 --> 00:03:48,876 this pillar of fire, He was leading them with this pillar of a cloud. 47 00:03:48,876 --> 00:03:52,179 He was making sure they knew where they needed to go. 48 00:03:52,180 --> 00:03:57,145 When that pillar of fire or that pillar of cloud stayed in one place, the Israelites stayed there. 49 00:03:57,145 --> 00:04:02,110 When it went on the move, they knew it was time to pack up their tents and get moving. 50 00:04:02,110 --> 00:04:04,852 The Lord was letting them know where they needed to go. 51 00:04:04,852 --> 00:04:06,854 m 52 00:04:06,976 --> 00:04:20,652 Nehemiah 9-12, moreover thou lettest them in the day by a cloudy pillar and in the night by a pillar of fire to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 53 00:04:20,652 --> 00:04:21,883 Again, the same point. 54 00:04:21,883 --> 00:04:24,714 God was showing them the way they were to go. 55 00:04:24,714 --> 00:04:29,256 But while He did this, He was also showing them that His presence was there. 56 00:04:29,256 --> 00:04:36,880 This pillar of fire, this pillar of cloud would stay above the tabernacle and it would show the people the Lord is within the camp. 57 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,180 And this was something that they certainly wanted. 58 00:04:40,180 --> 00:04:44,919 When the Lord said that He would not be with them, they cried and they trembled. 59 00:04:44,919 --> 00:04:46,480 We want the Lord to be with us. 60 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,260 We want Him to be in our presence. 61 00:04:48,260 --> 00:04:50,560 There won't be a pillar of cloud above us. 62 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,160 There won't be a pillar of fire at night. 63 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,100 But we have His Word and His light. 64 00:04:56,180 --> 00:05:01,000 In our lives, the Lord gives us the light of His Word to lead us. 65 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,660 Psalm 119, 105. 66 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:06,720 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. 67 00:05:06,752 --> 00:05:09,692 light unto my path. 68 00:05:10,016 --> 00:05:11,767 Think about that pillar of fire. 69 00:05:11,767 --> 00:05:16,609 That was illumination, that was light, and the source of it was fire. 70 00:05:16,609 --> 00:05:19,810 Think about a lamp in Psalm 119, 105. 71 00:05:19,810 --> 00:05:22,751 They didn't have lanterns from Academy. 72 00:05:22,751 --> 00:05:26,012 They didn't go get Magellan products before they went camping. 73 00:05:26,012 --> 00:05:28,174 They used fire. 74 00:05:28,174 --> 00:05:29,604 That was what their lamps were. 75 00:05:29,604 --> 00:05:32,616 That was what God used to guide them. 76 00:05:32,616 --> 00:05:38,458 Whenever they thought about this lamp, they were thinking about having a light, a fire, like a candle. 77 00:05:38,986 --> 00:05:42,028 God's Word is our pillar of fire. 78 00:05:42,028 --> 00:05:45,191 It is our lamp that leads us in the way we are to go. 79 00:05:45,191 --> 00:05:48,253 It tells us when to stop, when we're not to go any further. 80 00:05:48,253 --> 00:05:51,715 It tells us when to go and do what we need to do. 81 00:05:52,055 --> 00:05:55,057 We are to speak as the oracles of God. 82 00:05:55,057 --> 00:06:00,981 Many great men of the past would paraphrase it speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where this Bible is silent. 83 00:06:01,182 --> 00:06:07,106 We need to go back to God's Word which says speak as the oracles of God. 84 00:06:07,702 --> 00:06:09,307 We are to stop where he stops. 85 00:06:09,307 --> 00:06:11,073 We are to go where he goes. 86 00:06:11,073 --> 00:06:14,260 We are to follow his lamp and his light. 87 00:06:14,922 --> 00:06:22,124 Now, the Lord's light not only shows us the way we are to go, it reminds us that He is with us. 88 00:06:22,124 --> 00:06:28,946 The Word, which is the lamp and light of God for us in our lives today, reminds us that He is with us. 89 00:06:28,946 --> 00:06:36,948 Hebrews 13, 5 and 6, Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have. 90 00:06:36,948 --> 00:06:41,669 For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 91 00:06:41,809 --> 00:06:44,290 This word literally translated 92 00:06:44,564 --> 00:06:47,417 is I will never leave you down and out. 93 00:06:47,418 --> 00:06:50,002 Our God is always going to be with us. 94 00:06:50,002 --> 00:06:51,844 He is not going to forsake us. 95 00:06:51,844 --> 00:06:54,086 His presence will be with us. 96 00:06:55,209 --> 00:06:56,249 One man... 97 00:06:56,332 --> 00:06:59,605 to Abraham Lincoln said, well I hope God is on our side. 98 00:06:59,605 --> 00:07:03,970 Abraham Lincoln said, no, I hope that we are on God's side. 99 00:07:03,970 --> 00:07:12,938 As long as we stay in God's way, as long as we stay on God's path, He is not going to leave us, He is not going to forsake us. 100 00:07:13,199 --> 00:07:15,981 There's a story of an old man and wife. 101 00:07:15,981 --> 00:07:16,652 uh 102 00:07:16,652 --> 00:07:19,226 From the story, seems like they had a bench seat truck. 103 00:07:19,226 --> 00:07:23,431 And as time moved forward, they grew further apart in where they'd sit. 104 00:07:23,431 --> 00:07:27,015 And one day the wife said, you know, we've grown further apart these years. 105 00:07:27,356 --> 00:07:29,077 Husband asked who moved. 106 00:07:29,248 --> 00:07:30,349 He was in the same spot. 107 00:07:30,349 --> 00:07:32,939 He was in the driver's seat, but she had moved away. 108 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,101 God is not capable of moving further away from us. 109 00:07:36,101 --> 00:07:38,722 We can move away from him. 110 00:07:38,823 --> 00:07:42,604 We are to stay in his way, stay close to him. 111 00:07:42,604 --> 00:07:43,715 He will never leave us. 112 00:07:43,715 --> 00:07:45,266 He will not forsake us. 113 00:07:45,266 --> 00:07:47,627 And his light reminds us of that. 114 00:07:47,627 --> 00:07:53,369 And more than anything else, his light reminds us that he wants us to be in his presence one day. 115 00:07:53,369 --> 00:07:59,182 John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. 116 00:07:59,182 --> 00:08:04,115 whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 117 00:08:04,115 --> 00:08:14,062 The Lord loved you and me enough to come to this earth and die so that we can be in His presence." Looking at Hebrews 12, we mentioned it earlier with Christ being the author and 118 00:08:14,062 --> 00:08:15,623 finisher of our faith. 119 00:08:15,623 --> 00:08:24,589 Hebrews 12, 2, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. 120 00:08:24,589 --> 00:08:27,851 He had a joy, and that joy had two different aspects. 121 00:08:27,851 --> 00:08:29,072 He was going to have that 122 00:08:29,072 --> 00:08:36,352 He wouldn't be suffering the shame of the cross, but he would also have what is described in John 3, 16. 123 00:08:36,352 --> 00:08:39,592 He would have us with him for eternity. 124 00:08:39,852 --> 00:08:43,392 God's light reminds us that he is with us here on this earth. 125 00:08:43,392 --> 00:08:48,852 God's light reminds us that he wants us to be with him one day. 126 00:08:49,912 --> 00:08:50,486 Now... 127 00:08:50,486 --> 00:08:57,650 His ultimate goal is for us to be with Him, but for us to be with Him, to be in His presence, we must follow His Word. 128 00:08:57,650 --> 00:09:04,554 The Lord in the Old Testament and in the New approves those who obey Him. 129 00:09:04,935 --> 00:09:09,317 Turn to Leviticus chapter 9, and we'll stay there for a little while. 130 00:09:09,577 --> 00:09:11,372 Leviticus 9. 131 00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:19,954 God in Leviticus 1-10 had been describing to the Israelites how they were supposed to worship Him. 132 00:09:19,954 --> 00:09:24,617 Exodus was about much of how they were to live for God, how they were going to be a nation for God. 133 00:09:24,617 --> 00:09:28,759 This is about their religious service to that same Lord. 134 00:09:28,839 --> 00:09:31,501 And it is coming to a high point. 135 00:09:31,501 --> 00:09:34,456 Leviticus 9 verse 4. 136 00:09:34,570 --> 00:09:40,535 and also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord in a meat offering mingled with oil. 137 00:09:40,535 --> 00:09:47,500 For today the Lord will appear unto you." These were things they were going to offer and it was for something special. 138 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:50,181 The Lord would appear to them. 139 00:09:50,688 --> 00:09:59,265 Verse 6, and Moses said, this is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do, and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you. 140 00:09:59,265 --> 00:10:01,907 Something special is about to take place. 141 00:10:01,907 --> 00:10:07,171 God is going to, as we showed earlier, show his presence in the camp. 142 00:10:07,452 --> 00:10:10,880 Now when he does this, verse 22. 143 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:19,654 And Aaron lifted his hand toward the people and blessed them, and came down from the offering of the sin offering and the burnt offering and peace offerings. 144 00:10:19,654 --> 00:10:25,837 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people. 145 00:10:25,837 --> 00:10:30,279 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 146 00:10:30,279 --> 00:10:40,834 And there came a fire from before the Lord and consumed the altar, the burnt offering, and the fact which when all the people saw, they shouted and fell on their 147 00:10:40,834 --> 00:10:41,847 faces. 148 00:10:43,882 --> 00:10:44,973 is an amazing scene. 149 00:10:44,973 --> 00:10:48,424 Imagine offering a burnt offering to the Lord. 150 00:10:48,424 --> 00:10:57,768 And it doesn't just get consumed by fire bit by bit, it is consumed in an instant by His power, showing the fact that He accepts your offering. 151 00:10:57,889 --> 00:10:59,729 That is what the Lord wanted. 152 00:10:59,729 --> 00:11:05,392 He wanted to approve what they were giving, so long as what they gave was according to His Word. 153 00:11:05,392 --> 00:11:07,533 They followed God's commandments. 154 00:11:07,533 --> 00:11:11,615 Remember this showed the burnt offering, the sin offering, the peace offerings. 155 00:11:11,615 --> 00:11:13,776 We don't have time to go into all of these, but the 156 00:11:13,776 --> 00:11:18,697 Lord was incredibly specific, showing that He had a way for them to live. 157 00:11:18,697 --> 00:11:26,359 If there is anything that we take from the book of Leviticus, it is the fact that God has a specific way and that the details matter. 158 00:11:26,359 --> 00:11:29,159 Now, no, we are not to turn to the right hand or to the left. 159 00:11:29,159 --> 00:11:30,920 We don't go into liberalism. 160 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,720 We don't go into being ultra-conservative. 161 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:35,420 We stay on the path. 162 00:11:35,420 --> 00:11:39,581 We stay in God's way, not adding to or taking away from. 163 00:11:39,581 --> 00:11:42,482 And Leviticus shows that time and time again. 164 00:11:42,912 --> 00:11:51,346 Now, the Lord will not come down and devour any offering we give Him today with fire, but He will accept a life lived in His service. 165 00:11:51,346 --> 00:11:57,049 We serve the same Lord, but under a different law, as we said earlier. 166 00:11:57,049 --> 00:12:01,171 John 14, 6, Christ says, ìI am the way, the truth, and the life. 167 00:12:01,171 --> 00:12:08,644 No man cometh to the Father, but by me.î When Christ was on this earth living His ministry, He was living under the old law. 168 00:12:08,644 --> 00:12:11,855 He was living under those old paths. 169 00:12:12,856 --> 00:12:18,727 play something that would apply to you and to me and for all others that would come later. 170 00:12:18,727 --> 00:12:20,349 That new way. 171 00:12:21,312 --> 00:12:24,684 He shows us that we are now His dwelling place. 172 00:12:24,684 --> 00:12:29,226 We live under this new law and we are now God's people. 173 00:12:29,226 --> 00:12:34,488 Remember the Israelites, Moses and Aaron were going to go into the tabernacle. 174 00:12:34,488 --> 00:12:36,269 God has a new dwelling place. 175 00:12:36,269 --> 00:12:41,851 His dwelling place then was the tabernacle and then the temple, but now we are the temple of God. 176 00:12:51,226 --> 00:12:53,958 him shall God destroy, the temple of God is holy. 177 00:12:53,958 --> 00:12:56,460 Which temple ye are? 178 00:12:56,460 --> 00:13:01,443 Now, Corinthians is in the context of looking at sin and how we are the temple of God. 179 00:13:01,443 --> 00:13:04,125 We are not to live in ways that are unholy. 180 00:13:04,125 --> 00:13:08,247 The point still stands that we are now God's dwelling place. 181 00:13:08,247 --> 00:13:12,330 We are now His tabernacle, His temple. 182 00:13:12,330 --> 00:13:15,893 Ephesians 2, 19 and 22. 183 00:13:15,893 --> 00:13:21,186 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and 184 00:13:21,186 --> 00:13:32,864 of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed 185 00:13:32,864 --> 00:13:39,448 together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." There is a foundation to this temple. 186 00:13:39,448 --> 00:13:42,210 We mentioned Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. 187 00:13:42,210 --> 00:13:45,092 And He left His apostles to give us His word. 188 00:13:45,092 --> 00:13:46,953 That is the foundation. 189 00:13:46,953 --> 00:13:51,156 And it has been built upon not with new words, not with new doctrine, but with the 190 00:13:51,156 --> 00:13:56,460 of God's people, leading to His church growing greater and greater. 191 00:13:56,460 --> 00:13:59,402 This is the Lord's dwelling place. 192 00:13:59,402 --> 00:14:02,383 We are the Lord's dwelling place. 193 00:14:03,124 --> 00:14:07,907 Now, we've looked at how He approves those who serve Him. 194 00:14:08,407 --> 00:14:16,712 We are now His dwelling place, and He gives examples of how He desires for us to worship and serve Him today. 195 00:14:17,593 --> 00:14:18,734 We are 196 00:14:18,734 --> 00:14:21,714 Ephesians 5 19 to sing to God. 197 00:14:21,714 --> 00:14:28,754 Speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. 198 00:14:28,754 --> 00:14:32,514 Remember Leviticus 1 through 10 is showing how they were to worship God. 199 00:14:32,514 --> 00:14:34,734 We worship the same God today. 200 00:14:34,734 --> 00:14:37,714 He is just specified a different means of doing it. 201 00:14:37,714 --> 00:14:43,894 He tells us to sing, to offer the fruit of our lips in praise to Him. 202 00:14:44,434 --> 00:14:47,034 Also, 1 Timothy 2 8, 203 00:14:47,222 --> 00:14:50,045 God would have us pray in worship. 204 00:14:50,045 --> 00:14:56,869 Paul says, will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. 205 00:14:57,198 --> 00:15:09,398 Now, 1 Corinthians 11, 16-24, And when he had given thanks, this is about the communion of God, he break it and said, take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you, this dew 206 00:15:09,398 --> 00:15:11,038 in remembrance of me. 207 00:15:11,038 --> 00:15:12,898 We did this this morning. 208 00:15:12,898 --> 00:15:16,698 We took of the communion, we took of the bread of Christ. 209 00:15:16,698 --> 00:15:27,652 Verse 25, and after the same manner also, he took the cup when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new test in my blood, this dew as oft as ye drink it in remembrance 210 00:15:27,913 --> 00:15:28,953 of me. 211 00:15:29,133 --> 00:15:32,075 We serve the same God but under a different law. 212 00:15:32,075 --> 00:15:39,600 And we could go further and further looking at the commandments God has given us and how we are to worship him today. 213 00:15:40,361 --> 00:15:41,822 We are to preach his word. 214 00:15:41,822 --> 00:15:44,363 We are to give to him. 215 00:15:44,363 --> 00:15:47,705 The Lord has commanded us and shown us how to serve. 216 00:15:47,786 --> 00:15:48,646 Now, 217 00:15:48,790 --> 00:15:52,541 The Lord wants to lead you as he led the Israelites. 218 00:15:52,541 --> 00:15:56,432 The Lord wants to accept you as he did the Israelites. 219 00:15:56,492 --> 00:16:03,754 But if we fail to serve God, the Lord will judge us as he did those that were among the Israelites. 220 00:16:03,874 --> 00:16:07,095 Looking back at Leviticus 9, it was a glorious scene. 221 00:16:07,095 --> 00:16:10,136 The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 222 00:16:10,276 --> 00:16:13,757 The Lord devoured this offering that was before. 223 00:16:13,957 --> 00:16:16,298 But look at what happens in the next chapter. 224 00:16:17,610 --> 00:16:29,784 In Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he 225 00:16:29,784 --> 00:16:31,825 commanded them not. 226 00:16:32,022 --> 00:16:44,450 If we had time to look back through Leviticus, the Lord repeated this phrase, Moses repeated this phrase as the Lord commanded Moses in his writings over and over again, 227 00:16:44,450 --> 00:16:48,472 showing that the commandments that they were following were directly from the Lord. 228 00:16:48,552 --> 00:16:58,362 But now we have a contrast at the end of these passages showing how they were to worship, which the Lord commanded them not. 229 00:16:58,414 --> 00:17:05,034 verse 2, there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 230 00:17:05,034 --> 00:17:16,854 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh to me, and before all the people I will be glorified. 231 00:17:16,854 --> 00:17:19,234 And Aaron held his peace. 232 00:17:19,574 --> 00:17:22,540 the Lord had just described how they were to be worshiped. 233 00:17:22,540 --> 00:17:29,413 And then when Nadab and Abihu violated how God said they were to worship, they were punished. 234 00:17:29,986 --> 00:17:40,752 The Lord showed his approval in the fire that devoured the offering, but then the Lord showed his justice in the fire that devoured Nadab in Abihu. 235 00:17:40,752 --> 00:17:43,853 The Lord's commandments matter. 236 00:17:43,933 --> 00:17:49,756 When we do not follow God's commandments, when we do not follow his way, that is dishonoring God. 237 00:17:49,756 --> 00:17:52,906 Look at how the Lord responds in verse 3. 238 00:17:52,970 --> 00:17:59,237 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh to me. 239 00:17:59,237 --> 00:18:02,861 When we do not follow God's command, we are not sanctifying him. 240 00:18:03,456 --> 00:18:12,540 and then that come nigh to me and before all the people I will be glorified." When we stray from God's commandments, when we decide we're going to make our own paths, we're 241 00:18:12,540 --> 00:18:20,714 going to follow our own Burger King religion doing our own way right away, we are not following God's way and He is not glorified. 242 00:18:20,714 --> 00:18:28,478 The Lord's commandments matter and they will always matter yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 243 00:18:28,478 --> 00:18:33,450 No matter what man comes and establishes a new congregation or a new church under His own name, 244 00:18:33,450 --> 00:18:37,684 rather than Christ's name, the Lord's commandments are what matter. 245 00:18:38,245 --> 00:18:43,750 He devoured them with fire, and this was a sorrowful thing. 246 00:18:43,914 --> 00:18:54,658 Aaron was not going to even be able to mourn his own sons because the Lord was showing them that this punishment was not going to bring the spotlight on Aaron and on his sorrow. 247 00:18:54,658 --> 00:19:00,249 This punishment was going to be for the purpose of showing how important it was to serve God. 248 00:19:00,249 --> 00:19:07,521 And therefore, Aaron was not allowed to bring attention upon himself by mourning the way he would want to mourn. 249 00:19:07,962 --> 00:19:08,822 Now, 250 00:19:09,378 --> 00:19:14,400 The Lord will not come down and devour an offering that we make to him with fire. 251 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:19,483 Neither will the Lord come down and devour us with fire today if we stray from his commandments. 252 00:19:19,483 --> 00:19:25,966 But there is something scary that is waiting for those that do stray from his commandments. 253 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:36,617 Now, before looking into that, there are several reasons for straying from God's commandments, and this is seen throughout Scripture. 254 00:19:36,618 --> 00:19:40,421 The very first time worship was not followed correctly. 255 00:19:40,421 --> 00:19:45,626 Genesis chapter 4, Cain and Abel offer their sacrifices. 256 00:19:45,626 --> 00:19:49,970 Abel's offering is accepted, but Cain's is rejected. 257 00:19:49,970 --> 00:19:51,351 Why is that? 258 00:19:54,752 --> 00:20:02,425 Hebrews chapter 11 describes why Cain's offering was accepted, why Abel's offering was accepted. 259 00:20:02,425 --> 00:20:11,529 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. 260 00:20:11,769 --> 00:20:17,312 God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 261 00:20:17,312 --> 00:20:22,754 He offered this offering that was accepted by faith. 262 00:20:23,370 --> 00:20:28,820 Now, that means this faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 263 00:20:28,820 --> 00:20:30,803 Faith is based on evidence. 264 00:20:30,803 --> 00:20:33,117 What does it mean to offer something based on faith? 265 00:20:33,117 --> 00:20:36,532 Does that just mean He knew that God existed? 266 00:20:37,134 --> 00:20:39,794 Cain and Abel had full assurance that God existed. 267 00:20:39,794 --> 00:20:43,794 They weren't dealing with the theory of evolution or any other atheistic doctrine. 268 00:20:43,794 --> 00:20:45,234 They knew that this was the Lord. 269 00:20:45,234 --> 00:20:47,194 This faith was something different. 270 00:20:47,194 --> 00:20:52,114 This faith was based on the instruction that they were going to receive from the Lord. 271 00:20:52,114 --> 00:20:58,314 Romans 10, 17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 272 00:20:58,314 --> 00:21:07,574 The faith that is going to follow God and follow the system of faith God has laid in place for us today is the faith that He has given, that He has commanded. 273 00:21:08,209 --> 00:21:14,892 There was a specific way to offer, or a specific thing to offer, the details of which we are not told, but Cain and Abel were. 274 00:21:14,892 --> 00:21:18,273 They were told how to offer to God. 275 00:21:18,594 --> 00:21:21,936 Abel did it the right way, and Cain did it the wrong way. 276 00:21:21,936 --> 00:21:26,958 And then his sacrifice was not accepted. 277 00:21:27,628 --> 00:21:33,641 we can decide not to follow God because of a lack of faith and that is what happened to Cain. 278 00:21:33,641 --> 00:21:40,638 There is another man who tried to offer something to God who was not proper and that was King Uzziah of Judah. 279 00:21:40,638 --> 00:21:43,678 2 Chronicles chapter 26. 280 00:21:43,717 --> 00:21:53,830 2 Chronicles 26, King Uzziah was a king of Judah and he was a king that for a while was righteous but there would come a time where he would become haughty. 281 00:21:53,830 --> 00:21:57,092 This is another reason people stray from God's way. 282 00:21:57,552 --> 00:22:00,494 This was a lack of faith in what God says. 283 00:22:00,494 --> 00:22:02,855 The second is because of pride. 284 00:22:02,976 --> 00:22:07,058 Second Chronicles 26, 16. 285 00:22:07,058 --> 00:22:11,481 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction. 286 00:22:11,481 --> 00:22:19,487 For he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 287 00:22:19,487 --> 00:22:25,711 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him four-score priests of the Lord that were valiant men. 288 00:22:25,711 --> 00:22:27,492 This was something that needed to be stopped. 289 00:22:27,492 --> 00:22:29,375 something not according to God's way. 290 00:22:29,375 --> 00:22:40,650 Verse 18, and they withstood Uzziah and said unto him, it pertaineth not unto thee Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests, the sons of Aaron. 291 00:22:40,842 --> 00:22:43,484 that are consecrated to burn incense. 292 00:22:43,484 --> 00:22:53,251 Go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord." What Uzziah was doing was not going to be something that honored him, 293 00:22:53,251 --> 00:22:55,822 something that honored the Lord, something that would be accepted. 294 00:22:55,822 --> 00:22:57,773 It was to stop immediately. 295 00:22:58,314 --> 00:23:01,598 Isaiah does not respond according to God's word. 296 00:23:01,598 --> 00:23:06,544 Verse 19, then Isaiah was wroth and had a censer in his hand to burn incense. 297 00:23:06,544 --> 00:23:17,597 And while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord from beside the incense altar. 298 00:23:17,994 --> 00:23:26,741 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out thence. 299 00:23:26,741 --> 00:23:32,125 Yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had submitted him. 300 00:23:33,056 --> 00:23:41,610 And Isaiah was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several separate house, being a leper. 301 00:23:41,610 --> 00:23:45,092 For he was cut off from the house of the Lord. 302 00:23:45,092 --> 00:23:50,294 And Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. 303 00:23:50,294 --> 00:23:52,435 This is a man who became prideful. 304 00:23:52,435 --> 00:23:56,977 This is a man who went to burn this incense that he was not authorized to do. 305 00:23:57,377 --> 00:24:03,030 The lineage from Judah, from David, were to be the king's, and then the lineage from Aaron, 306 00:24:03,030 --> 00:24:04,941 were to be the priests. 307 00:24:04,941 --> 00:24:13,747 Now, today we are both apart, we are priests that are under the priest king Christ today, but it was not so under the old law. 308 00:24:13,747 --> 00:24:20,692 There were those separate departments of how they were to serve God and how authority was to take place. 309 00:24:20,692 --> 00:24:26,226 And Isaiah wanted to try to weld them together too early and do it for the wrong reasons. 310 00:24:26,226 --> 00:24:28,997 He wanted to go and offer incense himself. 311 00:24:28,997 --> 00:24:31,038 And what were the consequences? 312 00:24:31,199 --> 00:24:33,120 He had that leprous spot. 313 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:38,904 He was now unclean and it says that he was cut off from the house of the Lord. 314 00:24:38,984 --> 00:24:49,591 Now this man was not executed for what he did, but he was banished and now he will be remembered through all of time not as a great man, but as the one who tried to offer 315 00:24:49,591 --> 00:24:53,134 incense in God's house against God's law. 316 00:24:53,134 --> 00:24:59,377 This was not something that was going to help him, it would only hurt because he wanted to change what the Lord said. 317 00:24:59,398 --> 00:25:02,810 Cain offered out of a lack of faith, looking at these 318 00:25:02,810 --> 00:25:06,924 reasons for rejecting what God says to worship Him our own way. 319 00:25:06,925 --> 00:25:11,831 Uzziah did it out of pride, and those consequences were overwhelming. 320 00:25:11,831 --> 00:25:18,217 They were going to result in him being alone for the rest of his life, not having the authority he once had. 321 00:25:18,958 --> 00:25:25,958 But now, let's look back at Nadab and Abihu at the reason they likely worshiped God the wrong way. 322 00:25:25,958 --> 00:25:28,638 Again, we don't know exactly what they did wrong. 323 00:25:28,638 --> 00:25:31,818 We don't know exactly why this fire was strange. 324 00:25:31,818 --> 00:25:33,898 Perhaps it was from the wrong place. 325 00:25:34,058 --> 00:25:37,398 Perhaps it was the wrong mixture of incense. 326 00:25:37,658 --> 00:25:43,918 Whatever it was, God gives them a command in Leviticus 10, 8 through 11. 327 00:25:45,216 --> 00:25:57,912 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine, nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. 328 00:25:57,912 --> 00:26:02,494 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 329 00:26:03,744 --> 00:26:11,438 Scripture does not explicitly say in Nadab and Abihu drank alcohol and went before the Lord to offer strange fire. 330 00:26:11,438 --> 00:26:22,843 But immediately after Nadab and Abihu did offer strange fire was when God made the ordinance that the priests were not to drink wine nor strong drink when coming before the 331 00:26:22,843 --> 00:26:23,423 Lord. 332 00:26:23,423 --> 00:26:25,484 They were to know what they were doing. 333 00:26:25,484 --> 00:26:30,266 We are to be sober, be vigilant in this present age. 334 00:26:30,467 --> 00:26:33,658 And they were to be sober and be vigilant when they were going to 335 00:26:33,658 --> 00:26:35,309 go serve God. 336 00:26:35,309 --> 00:26:44,375 What they did might have not even been something that they did purposefully, but they did it because they were under the influence of what was making it where they could not serve 337 00:26:44,375 --> 00:26:45,756 God properly. 338 00:26:46,857 --> 00:26:50,458 Many want to justify alcohol. 339 00:26:50,699 --> 00:26:54,922 They want to say this is something right, this is something good, this is something okay. 340 00:26:55,594 --> 00:27:06,819 Here it shows the danger of it and the fact that this alcohol changed their decisions and they did something, this alcohol likely changed their decisions to do something that was 341 00:27:06,819 --> 00:27:10,801 against God's will and it resulted in them being burned with fire. 342 00:27:10,801 --> 00:27:15,043 Many say, I'm not hurting anybody, this isn't going to do any harm. 343 00:27:15,043 --> 00:27:17,925 Look at the harm it did to Nadab and Abihu. 344 00:27:17,925 --> 00:27:25,488 Think about the harm it does to so many today when they go and imbibe in that which is only going to hurt the mind. 345 00:27:25,488 --> 00:27:28,528 going to take away the ability to make decisions. 346 00:27:28,528 --> 00:27:33,908 This kept them from worshipping God properly and it will keep us from serving God properly. 347 00:27:34,088 --> 00:27:40,408 This is not the only passage that shows that this is a bad idea, a sinful idea. 348 00:27:40,728 --> 00:27:47,068 1 Peter 2, 5, ye also as lively stones are built up. 349 00:27:47,108 --> 00:27:49,628 This is the wrong verse, I apologize. 350 00:27:50,776 --> 00:28:01,155 Proverbs 20 verse 1, wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 351 00:28:01,576 --> 00:28:13,365 Isaiah 5:11 woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink and continue until night, until wine inflame them. 352 00:28:14,412 --> 00:28:26,267 Habakkuk 2: 15, woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that putteth thy bottle to him, and maketh him drunk also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness. 353 00:28:26,428 --> 00:28:30,450 Wine is something evil, something that is used for ill intent. 354 00:28:30,450 --> 00:28:32,430 Now, there are ways to use it properly. 355 00:28:32,430 --> 00:28:36,392 Paul would tell Timothy he was to take a little wine for his stomach's sake. 356 00:28:36,392 --> 00:28:40,514 It can even be argued if that was alcoholic or non-alcoholic wine. 357 00:28:40,514 --> 00:28:43,295 Even if it was alcoholic, it was medicinal. 358 00:28:44,336 --> 00:28:47,878 The scripture shows time and time again the dangers of alcohol. 359 00:28:47,878 --> 00:28:54,840 It shows illicit uses of alcohol that still take place today, more than we want to admit. 360 00:28:54,841 --> 00:28:56,161 It shows that danger. 361 00:28:56,161 --> 00:28:58,682 It will keep them from worshipping God the right way. 362 00:28:58,682 --> 00:29:02,284 It will keep us from worshipping and serving God the right way today. 363 00:29:02,284 --> 00:29:06,906 There are doctrines that say we are to take wine and use it in the Lord's Supper. 364 00:29:07,532 --> 00:29:10,823 The priests in the Old Testament were told not to drink wine or strong drink. 365 00:29:10,823 --> 00:29:12,724 We are told not to do that today. 366 00:29:12,724 --> 00:29:16,285 And that doctrine wants to say, listen, this is a part of what we supposed to do. 367 00:29:16,285 --> 00:29:18,385 That is against God's way. 368 00:29:19,166 --> 00:29:24,808 Those who take that doctrine will not be burnt with fire on this world. 369 00:29:24,808 --> 00:29:29,249 But there is something waiting for those who will not change to follow God's way. 370 00:29:29,929 --> 00:29:31,910 The Lord is specific. 371 00:29:31,968 --> 00:29:40,405 And no matter what motive, no matter what reason is behind worshipping God the wrong way, the wrong way is the wrong way. 372 00:29:40,405 --> 00:29:43,427 We've looked at Cain, the one who offered out of a lack of faith. 373 00:29:43,427 --> 00:29:46,970 Uzziah, who offered incense out of pride or tried to. 374 00:29:46,970 --> 00:29:53,875 Nadab and Abihu, who likely offered out of a negligent act because they were drunk with wine. 375 00:29:55,017 --> 00:29:56,818 God has a new law. 376 00:29:57,228 --> 00:30:04,682 We've looked at all these people who followed God the wrong way and the fact that these people were punished for what they did. 377 00:30:04,682 --> 00:30:12,985 We serve the exact same God that they were trying or at least acted like they were serving, but we just serve Him under a new law. 378 00:30:13,045 --> 00:30:20,289 We might not be offering fire to the Lord, not offering incense, but do we offer that which the Lord commands today? 379 00:30:20,289 --> 00:30:23,770 John 14, 15, if you love me, keep my commandments. 380 00:30:23,770 --> 00:30:25,871 The Lord doesn't want us offering goats. 381 00:30:25,871 --> 00:30:27,222 He doesn't want us offering 382 00:30:27,222 --> 00:30:31,264 bullocks, whatever it is, He does not want us offering those kinds of things. 383 00:30:31,264 --> 00:30:32,505 He wants our lives. 384 00:30:32,505 --> 00:30:35,436 He wants our obedience. 385 00:30:36,717 --> 00:30:44,400 We may think we are giving to the Lord, but are we giving of our own desires rather than what He commands? 386 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:56,006 Matthew 9, 13, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees after they are asking questions and they don't like that it looks like Christ is eating with publicans and sinners. 387 00:30:56,448 --> 00:30:58,659 Matthew 9 on 12 and 13. 388 00:30:58,659 --> 00:31:04,742 But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, The aid that behold, need not a physician, but they that are sick. 389 00:31:04,742 --> 00:31:07,583 But go ye and learn what that meaneth. 390 00:31:07,583 --> 00:31:10,184 I will have mercy and not sacrifice. 391 00:31:10,184 --> 00:31:13,906 For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 392 00:31:13,906 --> 00:31:20,089 The Pharisees were one who throughout their time in scripture wanted to show a self-righteous doctrine. 393 00:31:20,089 --> 00:31:26,732 They were those who were willing to lose things that God said were supposed to be a part of our lives. 394 00:31:26,832 --> 00:31:33,794 but they were willing to bind extra things on themselves and on others to make them feel righteous. 395 00:31:34,154 --> 00:31:37,615 These were people who were not serving God the right way. 396 00:31:37,856 --> 00:31:40,056 These were supposed to be the teachers of the law. 397 00:31:40,056 --> 00:31:43,117 But Christ says, ye and learn what this meaneth. 398 00:31:43,117 --> 00:31:46,138 He tells the teachers, go back to school. 399 00:31:46,786 --> 00:31:57,869 when we do not follow God's way, when we follow those who are supposed to be leaders who are not doing God's will, we are following those who Christ would tell to go back to 400 00:31:57,869 --> 00:32:00,770 school, to go and learn what this meaneth. 401 00:32:00,770 --> 00:32:04,912 He would also describe the Pharisees as the blind that leadeth the blind. 402 00:32:04,912 --> 00:32:12,854 Worship according to leadership, even worship according to leadership that is not leading God's way is still wrong. 403 00:32:14,048 --> 00:32:21,658 It is something that is going to result in being rejected by God because we have rejected Him. 404 00:32:22,860 --> 00:32:32,097 Looking at these verses, John 4 24, God is the Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. 405 00:32:32,097 --> 00:32:42,064 We are to worship God in a way that is sincere, in a way that is according to how He has told us to do it, not just out of some inner sincerity. 406 00:32:42,064 --> 00:32:50,009 Sincerity without God's Word until it leads to God's Word is not going to get anyone anywhere. 407 00:32:51,254 --> 00:33:02,520 Romans 12, 1 and 2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your 408 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:03,460 reasonable service. 409 00:33:03,460 --> 00:33:06,682 Again, God wants the service of our lives. 410 00:33:06,682 --> 00:33:08,593 This is the Lord that we get to serve. 411 00:33:08,593 --> 00:33:10,604 This is the Lord we get to worship. 412 00:33:10,604 --> 00:33:14,305 And He has told us exactly what He desires. 413 00:33:15,180 --> 00:33:20,572 we may act like we are praising the Lord above, but are we simply trying to exalt ourselves? 414 00:33:20,633 --> 00:33:26,936 There are those who try to serve God, they look like their leaders, but they are leading people away from God. 415 00:33:26,936 --> 00:33:31,477 There are those who live their lives not wanting to do it according to God's service. 416 00:33:31,798 --> 00:33:37,120 And there are those who act like they are praising the Lord, but doing it out of self exaltation. 417 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,682 Looking back at Uzziah, he wanted to do it because his pride was lifted up. 418 00:33:41,782 --> 00:33:44,164 And there are many more who did the same thing. 419 00:33:44,164 --> 00:33:45,344 We could look at Diopsh 420 00:33:45,344 --> 00:33:50,589 in the New Testament who wanted to destroy the church and he did it because he wanted the preeminence. 421 00:33:50,589 --> 00:33:54,132 There are those who want to destroy the worship and service to the Lord. 422 00:33:54,553 --> 00:33:59,558 Reject those who God accepts and accept those who God rejects because they want to be God. 423 00:33:59,558 --> 00:34:01,760 That is not what we can follow. 424 00:34:01,860 --> 00:34:07,645 Remember, our theme, our title today is same God, different law. 425 00:34:07,980 --> 00:34:10,751 We serve God who has one law today. 426 00:34:10,751 --> 00:34:17,215 And no matter what man tries to come and change it for whatever motive, that is not the way to live. 427 00:34:17,215 --> 00:34:19,655 God's way is the only one. 428 00:34:20,636 --> 00:34:30,141 Though God would have all men to be saved, remember all of these that were punished for what they did. 429 00:34:30,141 --> 00:34:32,502 God would have all men to be saved. 430 00:34:32,750 --> 00:34:35,210 but there are those who will not follow God's way. 431 00:34:35,210 --> 00:34:41,570 And an eternity of fire awaits those who continue to reject God until the end. 432 00:34:41,570 --> 00:34:46,370 As we have seen, God has used fire repeatedly in punishing. 433 00:34:46,370 --> 00:34:56,950 He did it with Nadab and Abihu, and there were certain crimes that were so grievous under the old law that God commanded that those who did them were to be burned with fire. 434 00:34:56,950 --> 00:35:01,730 Leviticus 20, 14 and Leviticus 21, verse 9. 435 00:35:03,947 --> 00:35:09,552 Moving forward, remember Genesis chapter three. 436 00:35:10,353 --> 00:35:20,301 After the very first sin, God cast man out of the garden, but he didn't just cast man out of the garden, he set in place something that would keep them out. 437 00:35:21,452 --> 00:35:28,725 Genesis 3, 24, God set a flaming sword in the garden that would go every which way. 438 00:35:28,725 --> 00:35:36,889 Now this was not a sword by which Adam and Eve had to feel, but it was something that was warning them, you are not coming back here. 439 00:35:36,889 --> 00:35:42,412 After the very first sin, fire was used to show the severity of what they did. 440 00:35:42,412 --> 00:35:47,254 This is not something that is strange to God's way, strange to God's personality. 441 00:35:47,254 --> 00:35:50,295 It is something He has used from the beginning. 442 00:35:51,446 --> 00:35:52,696 against Sodom. 443 00:35:52,696 --> 00:36:01,618 Genesis 19 shows the wickedness of the people of Sodom who wanted to go and violate the people, the angels that had come to Lot. 444 00:36:01,618 --> 00:36:05,529 And that city was going to be burned with fire and brimstone. 445 00:36:05,529 --> 00:36:09,760 Again, fire is not outside of God's way of punishing. 446 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:17,562 And now he sets the command in place where some criminals are to be burned with fire as we described just earlier. 447 00:36:17,962 --> 00:36:28,057 Now, God does not have commands like that in place for us today on this earth, but as we have mentioned time and time again, He will use fire as punishment against those who are 448 00:36:28,057 --> 00:36:29,767 estranged from His presence. 449 00:36:29,767 --> 00:36:32,489 God does not send any person to hell. 450 00:36:32,489 --> 00:36:36,730 God just lets people choose if they do not want to be in His presence. 451 00:36:36,971 --> 00:36:39,522 Mark 9, 44. 452 00:36:39,772 --> 00:36:44,774 Christ describes the tortures of what is to come for those who reject His way. 453 00:36:46,476 --> 00:36:52,329 He says to cut off your hand if it offend you, cut out your eye if it keeps you out of heaven. 454 00:36:52,329 --> 00:36:57,691 Now these things being metaphorical for cut the things out of your life that are going to keep you outside of heaven. 455 00:36:57,691 --> 00:37:07,786 Not literally cut off your hand, not literally cut out your eye, but be willing to get rid of anything for the kingdom of heaven's sake so that you do not end up in this place. 456 00:37:07,786 --> 00:37:11,658 Verse 43, and if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. 457 00:37:11,658 --> 00:37:16,470 It is better to enter into life main than having two hands to go into hell 458 00:37:16,470 --> 00:37:26,969 into the fire that shall not be quenched, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Those exact words are repeated two more times. 459 00:37:26,969 --> 00:37:37,148 Verse 45 and 46, they would be cast into hell into the fire that shall not be quenched, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 460 00:37:37,148 --> 00:37:41,461 And the same words appear again, where the fire is not quenched. 461 00:37:42,296 --> 00:37:49,124 Verse 49, For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be seasoned with salt. 462 00:37:49,622 --> 00:37:51,763 Hell is something that Christ taught. 463 00:37:51,763 --> 00:37:54,484 He taught it more than any other person in scripture. 464 00:37:54,484 --> 00:38:02,628 It is real and it is something that though God would not have it for anyone, it is waiting for those who will not accept His way. 465 00:38:02,628 --> 00:38:12,453 God punished with fire throughout the time before the Christian age and He will punish with fire after the end of all ages. 466 00:38:12,453 --> 00:38:17,475 It is something serious, something awaiting those who do not serve God properly. 467 00:38:17,575 --> 00:38:19,656 Now the Lord does not want you to 468 00:38:19,656 --> 00:38:20,556 there. 469 00:38:21,817 --> 00:38:23,628 The Lord wants you to be with him. 470 00:38:23,628 --> 00:38:28,621 As we mentioned before, God would have all men come to the knowledge of the truth. 471 00:38:28,621 --> 00:38:32,822 Follow God's way and repent. 472 00:38:33,363 --> 00:38:40,726 We looked at all of these things under the old law, where God was willing to accept the Israelites if they were going to follow him the right way. 473 00:38:40,726 --> 00:38:43,648 He wanted to lead them, they just had to follow his light. 474 00:38:43,648 --> 00:38:47,690 But there would be rejection if they did not follow God's way. 475 00:38:48,152 --> 00:38:50,625 but God wants us to be with Him. 476 00:38:51,127 --> 00:38:53,310 He wants you to obey His gospel. 477 00:38:53,310 --> 00:39:00,701 He wants you to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and follow that new way of life. 478 00:39:01,614 --> 00:39:06,554 Acts 2 also shows that they lived in God's way after they were baptized. 479 00:39:06,554 --> 00:39:08,234 They were breaking bread from house to house. 480 00:39:08,234 --> 00:39:09,694 They were having fellowship with one another. 481 00:39:09,694 --> 00:39:12,054 They were living as Christians. 482 00:39:12,214 --> 00:39:17,514 God has a way for us to live, and He wants us to walk in His light. 483 00:39:17,514 --> 00:39:29,314 1 John 1, 7-9, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, in the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. 484 00:39:29,314 --> 00:39:31,614 God wants us to walk in His light. 485 00:39:31,614 --> 00:39:35,940 The Israelites had a pillar of fire they could follow, but we have something better. 486 00:39:36,108 --> 00:39:39,490 this right here shows us how we can follow our Lord. 487 00:39:39,490 --> 00:39:42,301 And all we need to do is look at the words it says. 488 00:39:42,301 --> 00:39:43,381 It is simple. 489 00:39:43,381 --> 00:39:46,323 It is able to be understood. 490 00:39:46,323 --> 00:39:53,086 And all we have to do is walk in God's light, walk in God's way, living how He has prescribed for man. 491 00:39:53,146 --> 00:40:03,181 If you have not been baptized into Christ after hearing the Gospel, believing it and obeying it, repenting of your sins and confessing that Christ is Lord, now is an 492 00:40:03,181 --> 00:40:04,431 opportunity. 493 00:40:04,471 --> 00:40:06,072 If you have done 494 00:40:06,072 --> 00:40:13,982 that but have strayed from God's way, you can walk in the light as He is in the light, you can confess your sins and come back to Him. 495 00:40:13,982 --> 00:40:20,269 If you have need of the forgiveness of God, will you come forward today as we stand and as we sing?