Pastor Matt's Podcasts

In this episode, we review the renewal of the covenant and will examine three of the four foundational pillars of a covenant/constitution.  What are these three essential pillars and how are they also to be found in our own United States Constitution?  This explains some of these aspects.

In God's abundant grace and mercy, He forgave Israel their sin of idolatry; however, there were still consequences.  God still wouldn't abide with them in camp.  In addition, although He would still allow them to go into the promised land, He had a very stern warning, they were not to commit idolatry with the gods of the pagan occupants of the land.  

This is a stern warning to us.  Before we say we would never do this, consider the State of Washington recognizing two Muslim holidays.  This is an official act. Christians are to be discipling the nations, instead, in the name of tolerance, we are being discipled by ungodly religions.

The story of Lazarus is well known; however, what isn't as well known is the purpose of the death of Lazarus.  Jesus had a specific purpose for his death and his resurrection, but the Jews had a very different purpose for his death.  This difference is still with us today, we see it at almost every funeral.

When Moses didn't know how God would bring them into the Promised Land without His presence, Moses asked God to show him His ways.  After God explained His ways, it was still confusing, so Moses asked God to show him His glory.  All of this amounted to the same thing, God said to Moses to follow the Angel (Preincarnate Jesus).  In the New Testament, Jesus said the same thing, "Follow Me."

The modern concept of revival is not the biblical approach to revival and revivals of the past.  This section of scripture reveals how God humiliates His people in order to turn them to repentance and prayer.  It is a move of God to turn from their wicked ways that promotes true, godly revival.

Moses was the mediator of the covenant.  His goal was to help Israel to the Promised Land.  He interceded for Israel when they created the gold calf to worship, but he was not able to give his own life for the lives of these idolaters.  He didn't have a sinless life, like Jesus.  

We too are called to be covenant mediators, but we are not called to be the savior to anyone else.  There is only one Savior, and He died once, for all.

Aaron catered to the demands of the people, settingup a democracy in effect.  The people demanded he create an idol for them when Moses took too long getting the commandments of God from Sinai.  However, when Moses came down, he took moral authority, had the moral courage to demand that the idol be destroyed.  We need men of moral courage, who speak with moral authority in the name of God today, rather than the Aaron's of the church, who compromise and create idol worship.

When Moses gets the tablets of the covenant, this should be an exciting time for Israel; however, when Moses delays coming down and because the children of Israel are a stiff-necked people, they demand Aaron make for them a god that they could worship.  They couldn't wait for God's word, God's instructions, it was taking longer than what they thought, so they created their own idol.

We have God's word right now, His Word, the Bible.  Far too many people think that it takes to long to read, understand and apply, so they go off and make an idol for themselves, and worship it as their own creation.  We can learn a lot from the lessons of Israel, this one in particular today.

In this sermon, we explore the biblical understanding of taxes, Holy Spirit inspired work, and of the Sabbath rest.  God defines, directs and controls each of these areas.  If we give them over to the State, we not only put the State before God, but we are enslaved to it.

The garments of the high priest speaks volumes of the work of Jesus Christ.