Ray Bentley

Let's open our Bibles to the Book of Numbers, chapters eight through 12, and look at the exciting title of the message today. Where it all went wrong. Everything up until now, actually, you know, we're going to go. I'm going to highlight eight through 12, but I'm going to pull some scriptures out of that section. But this is the section of scriptures we're going to be going through.

so chapter eight, we're going to start with a good part of the story. They're journeying in the wilderness. And when they journey, they they need to bring with them the furniture that is in the tabernacle, because it's a earthly replica Marvel shadow of the real throne of God in heaven. So it starts by talking about the menorah.

It's a blessing. Your identity, spiritual, a body. He's got it all there for us. Now what's interesting is so I encourage you to do that today. Come clean, come honest, get help and walk in the holiness of God. Notice at the end of his ministry, Jesus declared himself a Nazarite when he said in Matthew 26 verse 29, but I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom.

And walking in the closeness with the Lord begins to release the glory that already dwells within and lets the river begin to flow. As you confess, you have washed in the blood and grow, mature in Christ. Amen. So let me just close with John 17 verse 26. Let's read this. And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it, that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.

We're going to highlight some things from chapters four, five, and six. I won't be able to read, you know, dive into every detail, but I'm going to give you some of the highlights. Kind of the 30,000ft view. Okay. Chapter four, beginning in verse one, says, then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, take a census of the sons of Kossuth from among the children of Levi by their families, by their fathers house, from 30 years old and above, even the 50 years old, all who entered the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting where they would meet with God.

The second lesson the wilderness teaches that God is in the midst of us. If you could have a if you were to look down, let's say, from a God's eye view or from a drone's view of Israel, God said, okay, three tribes. So God's in the middle. And then three tribes camp to the north, three to the south, three to the east, three to the west.

It's called The Book of Numbers, and it's all about being in the wilderness. You guys excited? You ready? I'm going to paint a picture for you. In this sermon this morning. And we're going to be painting a picture on the imagination. God uses the imagination. It's a place where the things that are invisible, God speaks to us, that we can then imaginatively realize.

I want you to take a census. And and really, what God is building is an army. And so numbers. Why did God spend so much time? This is going to be in the Word of God, read by people for thousands of years, and people that are not alive anymore that we don't know. Why would God include their names?

And wives, respect, submit, listen to honor and reverence your husbands, even as the church, as the bride does Christ. And then Ephesians 521 puts that into this context, submitting one to another, and the fear of the Lord and Jesus teaching true love is not being the boss and having somebody do what you want. But the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is what the servant of all.

And there's Jesus alive, with the nail prints in his hands. And and yet he is resurrected and he doesn't understand, and he's trying to apologize. And Jesus says, Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Oh, okay, then feed my sheep. Then he asks him again the second time. Peter, do you love me?

So when we come now to Ephesians chapter six, beginning in verse five, we come to an interesting passage beginning in verse five. Paul says, now bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will, doing service as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

How would you prepare a meal and serve the meal? If Jesus were going to eat it? You know, as a pastor now, there it is. And you like it. I don't know, you know.

Ephesians 6

Jesus says. Yeah, just like that. Only just the opposite. Today, from the writings of a bond servant in Ephesians. Pastor Ray brings us a good look at humility and servanthood. Let's open our Bibles to Ephesians chapter six. Okay, Paul, we've been in a section where the rubber meets the road. It's a very practical section. After beginning with all these beautiful truths of who we are and our identity in Christ and our eternal future as being accepted in the beloved.

The Bible does not condone slavery. It acknowledges slavery that it was there and part of the world then. And unfortunately, even this so modern 21st century in parts of the world, it is still with us today. So what? What about the gospel? What about Christianity? What about slavery? And what do we do with this passage where Paul says, bond servants be obedient to those who are your masters?