What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Revelations 1?
"To the one who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
As He said to His church in the first covenant, which pointed to Jesus as the second covenant,
" ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and I brought you to me. And
now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you
will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine, but you, you will belong to me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’" Exodus 19
God is nothing if not consistent. He never changes. There is no God of the Old Testament and another God of the New Testament. He is the same from everlasting to everlasting. And so are we His church. A kingdom of priests. A kingdom which testifies to Him by our every word and deed. A kingdom which mitigates the relationship between Him and the earth at large.
This is not license for individualism. There are no lone wolves in the flock of Christ the good shepherd. It is an invitation to bear each other's burdens, to hear each other's confessions, to lead each other back to the altar, the cross, the sacrifice, our Savior Jesus Christ, our great high priest. To bring each other into the very presence of God the Father. To wash each other's feet in the Word. To love one another as He has loved us. To celebrate and rejoice in what He has done, is doing and will do, together!
Until that blessed day when all the world and heavens are again a single temple filled with His worship and Spirit once again, we are the visible kingdom come.
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Friday, March 24, 2017
What is the church? Sacrificed for.
What is the church? And what shall we liken it to on the mountain in Genesis 22?
"And they came to the place that God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar atop the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are one who fears God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh will provide,”"
God is God. He is Holy. Part of what that means is anyone who does not treat him as such deserves to die. Abraham deserved to die for his sins. The concept and practice of sacrificing an animal in our own place goes back to Genesis 3 when God gives animal skin coverings to Adam and Eve. Our naked shame is covered by the blood of something which did not rebel against God; did not doubt Him; an innocent caught in the thicket of our sin. We see it again in chapter four with Cain and Abel. We see it again in the animals Noah brings on the ark and sacrifices as soon as they are safe on land again. And we will see it all through the Bible, right up to the coming of the True Lamb of God. All of this points ahead. God knew what He was going to do from the beginning.
"And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain." Revelations 13
Just as God knew what Abraham and Isaac were going to find on the mountain. Here God is giving Abe and the angels and us a much clearer picture of Jesus than even a fuzzy little lamb! Here God is letting Abraham, the father of nations, act in God's own place! For God knows what He is going to do: sacrifice His own Son! This test wasn't to show God what was in Abe's heart, He already knew. Abe's name is written in a book God has on his coffee table. A book of people whom Jesus has chosen to die for. Chosen to die in place of. Chosen to provide for. It is to show us what is in God's heart.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6
The church are those who have received the gift God has provided.
"And they came to the place that God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar atop the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are one who fears God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh will provide,”"
God is God. He is Holy. Part of what that means is anyone who does not treat him as such deserves to die. Abraham deserved to die for his sins. The concept and practice of sacrificing an animal in our own place goes back to Genesis 3 when God gives animal skin coverings to Adam and Eve. Our naked shame is covered by the blood of something which did not rebel against God; did not doubt Him; an innocent caught in the thicket of our sin. We see it again in chapter four with Cain and Abel. We see it again in the animals Noah brings on the ark and sacrifices as soon as they are safe on land again. And we will see it all through the Bible, right up to the coming of the True Lamb of God. All of this points ahead. God knew what He was going to do from the beginning.
"And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain." Revelations 13
Just as God knew what Abraham and Isaac were going to find on the mountain. Here God is giving Abe and the angels and us a much clearer picture of Jesus than even a fuzzy little lamb! Here God is letting Abraham, the father of nations, act in God's own place! For God knows what He is going to do: sacrifice His own Son! This test wasn't to show God what was in Abe's heart, He already knew. Abe's name is written in a book God has on his coffee table. A book of people whom Jesus has chosen to die for. Chosen to die in place of. Chosen to provide for. It is to show us what is in God's heart.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6
The church are those who have received the gift God has provided.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
What is the church? Condemned...
What is the church? And what can we liken it to as we continue with Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22?
"And Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went together."
Isaac is a dead man walking. He just doesn't know it yet. Maybe being in his teens and no dummy, he begins to suspect, yet he walks on. Abraham has known for days. Yet he walks on. And here's the very simple point i've tried to make before and will try again today, the church is not inherently free from sin or its penalty: death.
"They are corrupt.
They do abominable deeds.
There is none who does good.
Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind
to see whether there is one who has insight,
one who cares about God.
All have gone astray;
they are altogether corrupt.
There is not one who does good;
there is not even one." Psalm 14
"Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned." Romans 5
There is nothing lovely in these people who have come to be known as the church in and of themselves! They are sinners. They are thieves and whores and liars and murderers when they are called, every last one of them. The church are dead men walking...
but they are also prophetic. "And Abraham said, “God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”
"And Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went together."
Isaac is a dead man walking. He just doesn't know it yet. Maybe being in his teens and no dummy, he begins to suspect, yet he walks on. Abraham has known for days. Yet he walks on. And here's the very simple point i've tried to make before and will try again today, the church is not inherently free from sin or its penalty: death.
"They are corrupt.
They do abominable deeds.
There is none who does good.
Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind
to see whether there is one who has insight,
one who cares about God.
All have gone astray;
they are altogether corrupt.
There is not one who does good;
there is not even one." Psalm 14
"Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned." Romans 5
There is nothing lovely in these people who have come to be known as the church in and of themselves! They are sinners. They are thieves and whores and liars and murderers when they are called, every last one of them. The church are dead men walking...
but they are also prophetic. "And Abraham said, “God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”
Monday, March 20, 2017
What is the church? Asked to suffer.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 22?
"And he said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where I will tell you.”"
Does God, who gave you everything you have, including you, have the right to ask for it back? Thank God, you say, that He doesn't test all of us in this way anymore! But does He? Many parents have had to wrestle with the question, "Is God good?" or "Is God trustworthy?" after the loss of a child? After something terrible has happened to their child? God is all powerful. Things we disdain to even put a price on matter to God. Buy one, get one-sparrows matter to him and not one dies but by his permission. Not one hair from your head falls without his noticing and approving the loss. You think He didn't know a child would die? Didn't ordain it? Didn't bring it about? The God who brought the universe into being and maintains it by His mere word? Please.
So if it's not a question of authority or power then it comes down to Eve's question. Is God good? Is God good in this? Job asked it. Anyone who suffers has to ask it. If God asks you to do something hard, to give up something crucial, something treasured, something we think we can't live without, our lives, to follow him somewhere painful, will you obey then? If so, why? i sense we'll be camped out here for a few days but for today...
The church are those who hear the voice of God and obey it, because they know Him and trust Him.
"Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10
"And he said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where I will tell you.”"
Does God, who gave you everything you have, including you, have the right to ask for it back? Thank God, you say, that He doesn't test all of us in this way anymore! But does He? Many parents have had to wrestle with the question, "Is God good?" or "Is God trustworthy?" after the loss of a child? After something terrible has happened to their child? God is all powerful. Things we disdain to even put a price on matter to God. Buy one, get one-sparrows matter to him and not one dies but by his permission. Not one hair from your head falls without his noticing and approving the loss. You think He didn't know a child would die? Didn't ordain it? Didn't bring it about? The God who brought the universe into being and maintains it by His mere word? Please.
So if it's not a question of authority or power then it comes down to Eve's question. Is God good? Is God good in this? Job asked it. Anyone who suffers has to ask it. If God asks you to do something hard, to give up something crucial, something treasured, something we think we can't live without, our lives, to follow him somewhere painful, will you obey then? If so, why? i sense we'll be camped out here for a few days but for today...
The church are those who hear the voice of God and obey it, because they know Him and trust Him.
"Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10
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