Sermon Notes & Videos
2022-02-11 | Exodus 27-30 | River Rocks
What is it about river rocks? You’ve all held one in your hand. They are shiny and smooth, no ragged edges, nothing sharp or offensive to soft skin. But, not every rock in a river is a river rock. They all can be, but there is one thing that separates river rocks from rocks in a river. That’s time! You see, for a rough and jagged stone to be transformed into a smooth and shinny rock, it needs to sit in the river continuously, for a very long time.
It’s like the life of a faithful disciple. You can’t just dip your toe in the water and pray the rushing river will transform your whole life, or even your small appendage. All you get when you test the water is a wet toe. But jump in, submerge your whole body, and most importantly, stay there, and your whole being will transform! You’ll go from rough and ragged, and not so nice to touch, to smooth and shinny and gentle on the skin.
That is why God emphasizes the idea of a continuous fire. Light the lamp, and keep supplying it with pure oil. Ignite the incense and keep feeding the flames—forever! Don’t ever let the light go out; don’t ever stop the fragrance of incense from going up. It’s a perpetual burn, not a toe in the water.
2022-02-04 | Exodus 25-27 | Torn Curtains
There is nothing new under the sun. It happened before and it will happen again. But that is not a fatalistic position, rather one of optimism and expectancy. You see, there was once a restriction to enter the Holiest of Holy Places, but there was also a way in! What was in that Most Holy Place? In the natural, it was called the “ark of the Testimony.” And what acted as the great barrier? A massive veil, a fifteen-foot high, fifteen-foot wide, four-inch-thick curtain. And at the time of Christ, the curtain was twice as large. What was sealed behind that veil? Man’s deepest connection with God.
Yes, what was hidden behind the curtain, just waiting to be revealed, was His testimony, which was ultimately symbolic of your testimony. Consider this a portrayal of your heart toward God, or your potential intimacy with Yahweh. There was a thick veil between you and a deep authentic connection with your Creator. In heart terms, we might even call it a hard heart or scar tissue.
For entry behind the veil, to access the full testimony and every blessing and promise from Yahweh, that veil must be torn. Much like scar tissue needs to be broken to reveal the soft, renewed tissue below, your heart must be rent in an act of circumcision to uncover the soft and pliable home in which God can dwell.
Once your heart beats with the life of God, your testimony will be available for all to see. Moses erected a veil to separate the testimony from the people. Y’shua dismantled that veil to expose the light of life hidden within. Your privilege is to enter beyond the veil with Christ, and to let the light of your heart shine before men as a testimony that glorifies God. What not to do: don’t stitch the torn veil; don’t seal off the testimony; don’t cover up what God has done; don’t return to your old ways; don’t hide your light under a basket!
2022-01-28 | Exodus 21-24 | Watching Paint Dry
What’s taking so long? Are we there yet? When are we going? How much longer? Is it almost done? I can’t wait until we get there. I wish this day would end already! I just can’t wait any longer. Sound familiar?
You are certain what God has promised you; it’s clear He has spoken to you and directed you. You even have a gazillion confirmations from friends and strangers and songs and scriptures and billboards and unexplained coincidences and twelve random overheard conversations. There is simply no doubt about what God’s saying, what He’s promised. And then… tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. It’s like time has stood still! What happened?
Ah, the predictable, immeasurable, unknowable, inevitable delay between God’s promise and its fruition… tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock… We don’t like it. No, it’s more visceral than that. We hate it; we abhor it; we despise it! But, the alternative is certainly worse. Step in where you don’t belong, at the wrong time, and you are bound to get eaten by wild beasts.
The pattern is clear, so, hop on board the moving sidewalk that at times seems to trail slightly behind a snail. Is it any wonder why patience grows on both the love tree and the fruit of the Spirit tree? It’s slow-moving for sure, little by little, and you might say from glory to glory. Oh, and one more thing. It may seem slow, but strap in any way and enjoy the ride, because, with God, even slow-moving vehicles are outrageously thrilling and require you to fasten your
seat belts!
2022-01-21 | Exodus 18-20 | Cancellation Policy
If more people could recognize how many things in our everyday lives were copied from the Holy Scriptures, less people would resist the truth about the one and only God. For instance, think about the seven-day week. The whole world agrees to it, organizes everything around it, and is willing to run their personal lives and businesses by it, and yet they fail to recognize it comes directly from the Bible. Even the most staunch evolutionists, who abhor the idea of creation, blindly and comically submit to a seven-day week. It’s really hysterical when you think about it.
This is true in other areas as well. Take the legal world, for instance. It copies concepts straight from the Bible. For example, in contract law, you must have a valid offer and acceptance. All parties involved must have the capacity, legal standing, and soundness of mind to enter the agreement. And what will be exchanged between parties must be deemed fair and equitable in advance. In addition, many types of contracts include a three-day cooling-off period, so those entering the agreement have a way to back out of their commitment without recourse after they’ve had adequate time to consider all the obligations and ramifications that would be included in their commitment. Can you believe it? You have three days to make sure you have entered an agreement you are willing to keep? Why three days? Where have we seen that before? Oh, right here at Mount Sinai.
First, God reminds the people what He has done for them to bring them to this place and that they are His chosen, so it’s well established that they have the mental capacity and legal standing to enter an agreement with Him. They had a legal offer on the table; had already agreed it was beneficial and had already accepted. That should have been enough to seal the deal! But instead, God says, “Go tell the people to get ready, because on the third day I am coming down to ratify our agreement!” And, after you’ve had three days to consider all the ramifications, if you still say yes, then there is no backing out!
To simplify, there are two sides to every agreement. God’s side is locked-in and guaranteed from the start, but you have three days to really think about what you are committing to, and if you want to opt-out during that period—fine. But, if you don’t, then the contract is set in stone, and you will be held accountable for your side of the bargain.
2022-01-14 | Exodus 13-17 | A Heart OF & FOR Worship
“Wonderful, Merciful, Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend, who would have thought that Lamb could rescue the souls of Man?” I remember those lyrics as if yesterday was the first time I heard them. I recall having a conversation with an older gentleman the day before I went to Church for the first time, the day those words would inject life into my dry bones.
I did not know what to expect, but one thing was clear in my mind; I was not leaving Church without having an encounter with God. When the worship began, I was confused. Having come from a Catholic background, this was completely different. I had no experience with a style of worship that invited this level of participation. Singing along with the music did something to me that day. I was awestruck by the lyrics; they pierced my heart! The words brought tears to my eyes. “Wonderful, Merciful, Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend, who would have thought that Lamb could rescue the souls of Man?” Teardrops ran down my face as the weight lifted, as if a ton of bricks were removed from my chest.
My journey as a Believer began that day, and that song still resonates with me. Worship is not what you might think, and many people reduce it to singing in a Church Sanctuary. To limit worship to an event performed once or twice a week at Church, is to short change yourself of a much more vibrant walk with Yahweh.
Having a proper understanding of what constitutes true Worship is paramount to every Believer. The best description of Worship I’ve ever found is from William Temple. “ Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose—all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.”
“Wonderful, Merciful, Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend, who would have thought that Lamb could rescue the souls of Man?” That is what happened to me that day and that is what has continued ever since!
2022–01-07 | Exodus 10-13 | Tea Bags or Trash Bags
In everyday life we have items we use for both pleasure and out of necessity. One such item I find pleasure in is tea. I wasn’t always a tea drinker and neither do I consider myself a tea connoisseur if there is such a thing. Various teas have differing and interesting spices; they taste and smell great and can be consumed hot or cold for many reasons beyond taste and aroma, many of which are holistic and medicinal. A common way to prepare tea is to use Tea Bags submerged in hot water. Have you heard it said that Christians are like teabags?
Some things we all use out of necessity are Trash bags. We need not explain much regarding trash bags. Their purpose is pretty obvious and cannot be overlooked. Try running your household without using them and let me know how that works for you.
I’d like to say that Christians can either be like “TeaBags” or “Trashbags”. I’m almost sure saying this in an introduction will not be popular, but it has its purpose. It should help spark something inside of you to pay close attention. Which do you think Yahweh would rather use? Which would you choose to be if you had a choice? Oh, and by the way—you have a choice!