The Hight Priest Garments - As His Thoughts Are, So Are Yours [8 March 2009, 1st svc]

The Hight Priest Garments – As His Thoughts Are, So Are Yours

8 March 2009 [1^st svc, CD was I believe of the 2^nd svc]

Preached by Ps Joseph Prince

As noted by Yeo Choon Meng Terence

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Picture of High Priest of Israel. 6 Nov 2008, Temple Institute.

1 MARCH 2009

Editor: I did not do notes of the 1 March 2009 sermon as this sermon was preached by a guest speaker.

COMMON PEOPLE

The common people heard Jesus gladly. That is what we as Christians must endeavor to emulate. Our main task is not to convince the theologically brilliant but whose hearts are cold. Our main task is to give bread to a lost and dying world.

We must “walk in wisdom to those who are outside … (Colossians 4:5)” especially to those in Singapore who do not understand the spiritual phenomenon of the recent Miracle Seed Sunday in February but want to believe that there was some  psychology behind it.

The pulpit is not to declare the futility of man’s efforts. That is self-evident in the 10 commandments and man’s inability to keep them. In fact at the end of the chapter where the 10 commandments were narrated, God says:

Exo 20:24        An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

Exo 20:25        And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Exo 20:26        Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

As far as man is concerned, there is no hope in his self-efforts (“thou shalt not build it of hewn stone … neither shalt thou go up by steps…”) but in Christ, there is found, invincible love. Jesus Christ, the most powerful being in the universe has the kindest heart towards you. He is almighty but He also has loving-kindness. We can trust God because (Rom 8:32) “…He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

END SELF-OCCUPATION

God wants us to be occupied with Christ. If not, we become self-occupied. Self-occupation may lead us to fall sick physically or mentally.

Feeling proud about something materially is still self-occupation. We must find our full identity in Christ. For instance, what happens if you are not CEO one day?

The devil, in his capacity as accuser of the brethren, will from to time, shoot thoughts into your mind using the personal pronoun “I …” and thereby make you feel like a hypocrite” Christian, you are not responsible for such thoughts.  So what is the remedy when you have such thoughts or if these thoughts were truly originated by you? The remedy is to keep listening to the Word.

THE TRAGEDY OF SOLOMON

King Solomon said in Ecc 2:10  ”… whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them ..” yet for all his wealth, Solomon had an empty heart and felt that everything was “…vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecc 1:14)

Why was this so? He too had a problem with self-occupation.

How to get rid of “I’?

The key to freedom is not to target to rid one of “self” but to stay so occupied with someone so lovely that we forget “self”. That person is Jesus.

Humility is all of Christ, none of self.

Christ-IAN means: Everything of Christ, and without Christ, I Am Nothing!

GRACE IS THE ADORABLE PERSON OF JESUS AND NOT A MERE TOPIC

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

We also can say sickness has no dominion over us because we are under grace!

ABRAHAM’S COVENANT OF GRACE WITH THE LORD

ISRAEL came out of Egypt purely by the Blood of the Lamb. It was all by the Grace of the Lord (Exo 19:4 “… bare you on eagles’ wings). At this time, the Children of Israel were idolators and sinners. Up to the point where the Law was given at Mt Sinai, every complaint by the Israelites brought about a fresh and new revelation of Grace from the Lord. No one died! Why? The Children of Israel were still under the covenant that the Lord and made with their forefather Abraham — a covenant of Grace!

Exo 19:3   And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

Exo 19:4    Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

Exo 19:5    Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:

WHAT is this voice? It is the refrain “Let my people go …” which God told Pharoah to do. In other words, the voice is the voice of GRACE!

Exo 19:6    And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Exo 19:7    And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

Exo 19:8    And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

In the Hebrew grammatical structure, the Israelites said that “… all that the LORD says, I CAN do…” and this was said even BEFORE they heard the requirements of the law! This is very presumptious!

Immediately we can see in Exo 19:9 that God changes his tone in dealing with Israel. The people had exchanged covenants. No longer was it the covenant of Grace but now the Law!

Exo 19:9    And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

Exo 19:10    And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

Exo 19:11    And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

Exo 19:12    And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

Exo 19:13    There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether [it be] beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

THOSE who combine Law and Grace rob Grace of his heavenly aroma, etc and rob the Law of the majesty of its inflexible justice. So don’t mix the the two! Stay under Grace alone!

Grace causes you to fulfill the Law because Grace gives you so much love that you end up fulflling the Law!

THE REASON WHY LAW CANNOT MAKE ANYBODY HOLY

Rom 7:4    Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Rom 7:5    For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Rom 7:6    But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.

Rom 7:7    What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom 7:8    But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead.

Rom 7:9    For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Rom 7:10   And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death.

Rom 7:11    For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

Rom 7:12    Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Exposition of Romans 7

Rom 7:4 tells us that we are dead to the Law by the body of Christ. It is dangerous if we are dead to Law but not married to another. Thank God! We are married to Christ!

Rom 7:4 also tells us that our union with Christ bears fruits to God. Formerly, our union with the Law (Rom 7:5) bears forth death fruit.

Preach Jesus, and you end up forgiving and giving.

Preach Jesus, and you end up falling in love with you spouse and you don’t commit adultery.

Rom 7:6 refers to the “oldness of the letter” which is a clear reference to the 10 commandments.

Rom 7:7 tells us that the Law is like a mirror, it shows forth our shortcomings. Rom 7:7 also recites “…Thou shalt not covet…” thus we know that this is a clear indication that this is the 10 commandments and not the ceremonial law.

If you are still fatigued after sleep, possibly, it is because you are Law and self-occupied.

TEACHING YOUR CHILD

Say to your child “Jesus Boy” — speak in terms of identity in Christ. Lead your child into identifying himself in Christ. That is the way to teach morals to him.

The smart father leads his child into saying “no” and does not force this upon the child.

Of course whilst the child is very young, it is the father who lays down the rules and says “no” to the child.

WOMAN AT THE WELL AND JESUS

John 4:4    And he must needs go through Samaria.

Jesus went out of His way. He took the long route to go through Samaria to reach Galilee. Jesus could have used the shorter coastal route. Jesus did this simply because He wanted to meet and minister to that one Samaritan woman by the well. Every single soul is unique and precious to Jesus. Recall also how Jesus traversed the Galilee just to reach  the country of the Gadarenes to free the demonised man.

Samaritan woman was at the well at the hot noontime to draw water because she had a dubious background.  Yet Jesus was sitting by the well especially to have that encounter with her.

In the end, the woman left the water-pot and went into the town and told the people about Jesus. She forgot her water-pot because Jesus had given inside her “a well of water springing up into everlasting life”

The Samaritan woman met her 7th man — Jesus.  She now (John 4:29) said “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? ” She was no longer pre-occupied with self. She had a new vision — Jesus! Jesus now filled her consciousness and transformed her into an evangelist.

John 4:39-43    And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard [him] ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

LONGEST OFFICE OCCUPIED BY JEUS IS THAT OF HIGH PRIEST – OVER 2000 YEARS

Rev 1:5    And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Rev 1:6    And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

To have a High Priest (Strong’s 1419: gadowl  – Great; Strong’s 3548: kohen – Priest), there must be priests as well — Believers in Christ — Us!

Jesus is God (Rev 1:5) and has thoroughly washed us from all our sins.

In the Old Testament, Israel highly prioritised the high priest. They give the high priest the best in everything because they knew that as he is before God, so goes the nation.

FOR MEN TO GOD

Heb 5:1    For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

High Priest (Heb 5:1) “for men … to God” whereas for Apostle / Prophet — it is from representing God to man.

1 John 4:17    Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

1 John 4:18    There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Where is Jesus our High Priest today? Exalted at the father’s right hand! We are in Him ! Amen !

Notice in 1 John 4:18, our perfect love – Jesus – casts out fear. Likewise, this perfect love casts out the devil.

That is why the opposite of, or the remedy to FEAR is LOVE not courage.

The question to ask is whether Jesus (our High Priest) is accepted before the Father, not whether I am accepted before the Father. If we still continue to ask whether we are accepted by Father, this is being introspective and remaining in self-occupation.

It is Jesus that brings glory, delight, power and acceptance to the cross. It is not the cross that brings these attributes to Jesus. Many people have died on crosses. It is only Jesus’ death on the cross that was transformational !

For mortal men, it is the the title that ‘makes’ the man. In Jesus’ case, it is He that makes the title glorious.

The Aaronic priesthood was ordinary but when Jesus touched the priesthood, it became eternal.

Study Jesus because as He is, so is your identity.

2 Cor 3:18    But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The way to transformation is to behold glory of the Lord via listening to preaching from preachers, etc.

Sometimes, it is tempting to not rely on the Holy Spirit for transformation but follow the other religions where the ‘short-cut’ of teaching the Law is used to ensure morals.

Recall the miracle of the lady in New Creation Church who upon being told that there was a lump in her breast, confessed that as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Jesus, certainly, had no lump in his breast, and the miracle manifested shortly after in the lady. She was cancer-free.

Side note. The wife needs a man who can say no. He is not exercising Godly headship if as a man, he kow-tows, obeys and pleases his wife all the time.

As we get absorbed in the teaching of the High Priest, we are delivered from self, because as He is, so are we!

TWO PLACES WHERE NAMES OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL ARE ENGRAVED

When words are are engraved, they cannot be blotted out. This gives us security.

The names are engraved on the:

(1) shoulder [Exo 28:9 and Exo 28:12]; and
(2) breast plate [Exo 28:21],

of the High Priest.

The breast, where the heart is, represents love.

The shoulder represents strength.

The shoulder of Jesus Christ our High Priest who upholds the universe also upholds the weakest member of the congregation.

The names engraved on the breastplate means that our names are forever in His Love and heart. We are upheld by His love and heart, and strength (shoulders).

HOLINESS TO THE LORD

Exo 28:36    And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and grave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD [Editor: YHWH].

Exo 28:37    And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

Exo 28:38    And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

Exo 28:36 tells us that the thoughts  of Jesus Christ are ALWAYS HOLY.

All our worship is contaminated. Just because we do charity does not mean we are really doing charity. That is why Exo 28:38 is so important as it informs us of the function of Jesus Christ. He bears our iniquity always on upon his forehead so that we may be accepted before God.

Every sin begins with a thought. That is why Jesus Christ was crucified in the place of the skull – Golgotha (Matt 27:33).

It is not a sin to be tempted until you make the thought your own!

THE WORSE KIND OF LEPROSY IS THAT OF THE HEAD

Lev 13:42    And if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white sore, it [is] leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead.

Lev 13:43    Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed [if] the swelling of the sore [is] reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,

Lev 13:44    he is a leprous man. He [is] unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his sore [is] on his head.

Lev 13:45    “Now the leper on whom the sore [is], his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

Lev 13:46    He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He [is] unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling [shall be] outside the camp

In the Hebrew, this is the only place where tame tame [Strong's 2930, 2931] is repeated twice – in relation to leprosy – in the same sentence in Lev 13:46, thus giving the sense of utterly unclean. We can extrapolate from this passage that the worse sins originate from the mind.

Many times we stop worshipping because we have unclean thoughts such as “you are a sinner and you are a lousy Christian”.

To be shocked that you have unclean thoughts — is also PRIDE!

The moment you have evil thoughts, stop being outraged of yourself. Bring yourself back to Jesus — As Jesus is, so His thoughts are holy, so am I !

Most sins we have committed in outward action began as thoughts.

Most of the time such sins are committed because we have no where to turn to address such thoughts.

Example: “I have such good times with the LORD yet why do bad things happen, maybe I did have a secret bad thought about Him”

Those who are fiery preachers who preach “your sin will find you out” — don’t realise that the strength of sin is the law! That is why so may legalistic preachers are struggling in their personal lives. Do not be surprised that these preachers have secret sins like homosexuality, etc.

PETER AND JESUS

As long as Peter had his eyes on Jesus, he was above the storm-tossed waters. We too in these times of economic-storm tossed waters must keep our eyes on Jesus and we shall walk above the waters.

Then Peter turned his eyes on the storm! He then began to sink. Think about it — even if there were no storm, in the natural, we cannot walk on water.

Unbelief in Jesus is thus silly.

Israel also proves that Unbelief is stupid. They said to Moses (Exo 14:11) “…Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? “

If God had wanted Israel to perish, he could have left them in Egypt or buried them in the Red Sea.

Childlike Faith is the most logical.

Simply trust in Jesus who has all the power. God never said, you asked too much. In fact, He always says “O ye of little faith” implying why did we take so little from Him.

The moment you have bad thoughts, remind yourself, as Jesus is, so are we in this world.  Jesus has good holy thoughts always!

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: THE ABOVE NOTES WERE DRAFTED BY, DEVELOPED, COMPILED AND ORGANISED BY YEO CHOON MENG TERENCE IN HIS PERSONAL CAPACITY ON 29 MARCH 2009 AND ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS ARE HIS ALONE. THE ABOVE NOTES ARE NOT REPRESENTATIONS OF, ATTRIBUTABLE TO OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH NEW CREATION CHURCH OR JOSEPH PRINCE MINISTRIES.

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