sermon: Wilderness Wanderings (Part Two)


John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)
Given 15-Apr-20; Sermon #1539-AM; 78 minutes

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Comparing the spiritual trek to God's kingdom by His people to the physical trek of the children of Israel in the Sinai, there are three factors: (1.) God required the ancients to walk physically, while His people walk spiritually; (2.) God required the ancient Israelites, as well as His people today, to maintain relationships during their trek; (3.) God required the ancients, as well has His people today, to discipline themselves to stop sinning. Satan's world provided the environment of the children of Israel, just as it does to God's children today. Like ancient Israel, God's people feel bewildered about the direction of God's leadership; some, feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty, even desiring to return to the sinful world. In many ways, the spiritual journey of God's people is more difficult than the physical one of the ancient Israelites, requiring as it does more resources to navigate. The established churches have no clue about God's plan and hence whirl in doctrinal chaos. God's called-out ones have a reliable roadmap, consisting of the Bible. After their unique, personal calling (John 6:44), God looks for His people to lovingly submit to His way of life as He prepares them to be priests. Just as the ancient Israelites ate manna, so God's people consume the spiritual food of God's word, realizing that God's Spirit enables them to understand spiritual matters. God exercises those He calls so they will become holy and blameless. As Christ learned by what He suffered, His people learn through their suffering.



Now the release from Egypt and the journey to the promised land was part of the first stage of the recreation of the Israelite people, those who were in slavery in Egypt. And so the actual beginning of that recreation took place in Egypt as the Israelites were learning to believe in the God of Moses power in his destruction of Egypt's power to hold them as slaves for their uses. Now, if there is anything of overall significance in that previous sermon, it is that Christ doesn't do it all for us. And the Israelites response to God's invitation to join with Christ required three basic things right off the bat. One was they had to walk to the promised land. I do not see us walking to the Kingdom of God, but it was part of their responsibility. Number two, they had to deal with community and family relationships while they were walking that we share in some of that as well because though we aren't walking, we are nonetheless moving about in our lives, in our calling and three, they had to discipline themselves to sacrifice themselves in obedience, to stop sinning generally. Now, that's something we share along with them though. They may not have not known it as a spiritual principle. We do. And as we are traveling through our way to the promised land, we have something to keep us doing while we are going. However, Christ is with us the entire way and he makes sure that we are tested as to our loyal obedience. He must do this so that we will fit into the responsibility to conform to what God is creating of us. Now, that position which we do not know yet, that position we will be given a challenging, will be challenging, satisfying and productive. In order for this to be attained through our lives. Once converted, they are our lives are to be totally tied to when and where the invisible God is leading. So the question for us is will we have the faith to allow him to do? So? We just heard a, a sermonette on that. We must always remember that God is creator not us. The most we can do is give ourselves over to Him for him to produce his product of us. Now, when we left off last week, we saw that the Israelites after two years of walking with God to the promised land, the Israelites met a challenge of greater magnitude than they ever expected. And now they were so fearful, they were ready to give up and return back to Egypt. Were they going to spend two years to go back there. I kind of doubt it. They probably would have run back, but God kept them from doing that. So if we are following the analogy closely, we should understand that when God made that unexpected turn, right at the beginning of their pilgrimage, it should signal us that he has far more creation in mind in mind than merely taking us to the kingdom of God. While we are not slaves in the same manner as the Israelites, we all have been slaves spiritually to some degree, God took 40 years to get them in the land. And during that time, and almost an entire generation, except for a few people were buried in the soils of the wilderness. That's a tragic statistic. The Israelite lives during their pilgrimage were every bit as stressful as theirs were in Egypt. But in a somewhat different way and for a different purpose by far than had life been in Egypt, they needed a great deal of guidance. Is there anything in you that might, you might feel that you do not need to be changed? No. And so do we because like the Israelites, almost all our upbringing and our training has been within Satan's realm. Our journey to the promise to our promise land began with our calling. And at that time, how much experience had we had in governing, governing ourselves. God's way. We have much to learn to apply as we move on to now. Being free means the added responsibility of making choices relative to one's life within a way of life. One has never really lived before. Peaceful meal, perhaps, but never as an entire way of life. The Israelites succeeded into the promised land but brethren, it was not an easy walk in the park. 40 years of it. That's a long time. Does that give you some kind of an idea of how for most of us we need 40 years too to get straightened out. Turn with me to Deuteronomy the 29th chapter. And we are going to begin verse one and go through verse four. These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. Now, Moses called all Israel and said to them. You have seen all the that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land, which and the great trials which your eyes have seen the signs and those great wonders. And verse four is the one I really want here. And yet the Lord has not given you you Israelites a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to this very day. It is interesting that God withheld some measure of the gifts from them that he has given to us and therefore we can be merciful in our judgment of them. He withheld some of their understanding that I believe because of their lack of cooperation with him. And Moses, there is far less excuse for us because we already have his Holy Spirit. Now, I do not want us to be unreasonably hard in our judgment of them. I do not believe that those who died in the way lost their opportunity for salvation. We are commanded to live our life by faith. We are commanded to live our life by faith. And therefore we must learn to trust his judgment. Now, they never made the proper connections because they allowed their then present difficulties motivated by their carnality to overshadow any little trust they had in God's purposes and actions. And the result was the wilderness became strewn with their bones from Cyan to Canon as they died as a result of their bad judgments, an entire generation died and was buried in the wilderness before they crossed the border of the promised land. Now, let's set the stage for our journey through our wilderness before we leave. That's not wrong before we leave our wilderness brethren. Our journey through our wilderness is made with us, converted, though not walking. And that is a major advantage that they did not have. Now, in order to illustrate the confused state of American Christianity that we've lived in the fi I concluded the first sermon with the figures from a recent poll taken to determine a measure of the world view of American evangelical Christians. Now remember the evangelicals are considered the most dedicated of Christians. That poll revealed that only 6%. That's one out of 16 evangelical Christians revealed a Christian world view to the poll takers. Now, the poll consisted of giving answers to 50 fairly detailed questions on present world events. The answers were then evaluated by biblical scholars as to these people whose poll was being taken of their biblical quality. That is were the answers of biblical quality. It was very disheartening. Only 6% actually gave answers from a biblical point of view. These people even the brightest and the best in terms of their interest in the word of God are not thinking from a biblical point of view. The poll takers were satisfied that their testing revealed that God and the Bible was not the reason for much of their thinking about what's happening on planet Earth. Now, I'm going to return to where I was just just about to emphasize one specific point in my previous sermon. Now, it is something that should have been sought throughout the entirety of the Israelites journey. It should be one of ours for them though. It was not instead at the point where they are now in their journey that is in our first year that they are in the second year, they uttered the cry let us return to Egypt. Now, do you recall the illustration I gave using the 10 Commandments movie scene. In which day the Dathan character asked a question of a small group of people as they were making final preparations to leave Egypt, he asked, where are we going? And nobody answered him. And it makes me wonder whether DeMille or another person purposely left that in the script because many Israelites gave Moses a great deal of difficulty during that journey. Now here is a scene from yet another movie, you might be able to recall the Alice in Wonderland story by author Lewis Carroll. Many today seem to think of it as a children's story about Zany characters dwelling in an underground fantasy land. Alice fell into by accident. The story's intent was far deeper than that. Mr Carroll wrote it as a political satire describing what he interpreted as the Mad Cap political scene in England at the time at that time in his life. At one point in Alice's journey while attempting to find her way home. She has a conversation with Cheshire Puss. I listen to Mister Carroll's dialogue as he wrote it. Cheshire put Puss said Alice, would you please tell me which way I should go to get there or here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to said the cat. I do not care much where said Alice. Then it doesn't matter much which way you go said the cat. As long as I get some place, Alice interpose as an explanation. Oh, you're sure to do that. Said the cat, if you only walk long enough, I'll turn with me, with me to Matthew the sixth chapter because that to me fairly closely parallels what the Israelites were doing in the wilderness. Very many of them walked without clear purpose and without a clear commitment and they walked long enough to die in the wilderness. Now, here in Matthew, the sixth chapter and in verses 19 through 21 Matthew six and verses 19 through 21. Now, here is Jesus advice. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where Moth and Rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither Moth nor Rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there. Will your heart be? Also? I think that you can see from Alice in the story that she had really no definable purpose and therefore no real commitment to achieving anything but was immediately ahead. And that's pretty much the way the Israelites were going through the wilderness. They knew the name of the place that they were going to, but they really did not know very much about it except there was some connection there without a doubt to the covenant that God made with Abraham. But this fits this idea of where your treasure is there. Will your heart be, be also, it's very plain that a very large number of the Israelites walking on their way to the promised land really did not know anything about the promised land. It was an objective, but it was not something that they treasured enough to give them commitment about following God's servant, Moses through the wilderness. And this is exactly what is charged to us here in the book of Hebrews in chapter two. And in verse 24 and I know that in my Bible study, well, I spent a good deal of time on this. I'm not going to go through it a great deal just enough to read it so that you get the point. Therefore, this is Hebrews two and verses one through four. Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard. Lest we drift away. There, it is right there for if the words spoken through angels prove steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed by us to us by those who heard Him. God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders and with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will. That section teaches us that if we do not value what we have been given by God highly enough, we will drift away from this treasure that we have been given. And so we have, this is something that we have to supply in our thinking. And we do this by studying into looking into believing and obeying God as we go along this period of time that we are in right now. So the question for us here today is if this were your conversation with the cat, where will you be at? Journey's end? A whole generation died two years into the walk into the journey. And all they had to do was to follow Moses as he followed the cloud and the fire. And instead they argued with him. Well, I think that in many, many ways that the journey that we are making is a lot more difficult than the Israelites. Now this we must ask because today's Christian religious scene here in America gives one the definite impression that God doesn't have a plan beyond only attempting to save us American Christianity, which we have been reared within around and about American Christianity is in doctrinal, doctrinal chaos that began right from the beginning of this nation, doctrinally everybody was and is free to choose as they see fit. Is there no singular purpose beyond getting saved. Evangelicals, keep shouting that America began as a Christian nation. It did not everybody was free to go in whatever direction they wanted to. It was written right into the constitution that we would not have one religion. And So it began though, with a sincerely religious nation, but everybody was free to choose from a battery of doctrinal teachings somewhat different from each other. But the reality is God has both a singular multifaceted purpose and a plan. And it is vitally important that we know who we are and where we are and how we are to get to the goal that God desires and why we go through these challenging exercises on the way there, wouldn't it be helpful if we had a road map so that we could be better prepared to meet the challenges of each trial along the pilgrimage. Well, God has supplied such a document in one sense, it is the entire Bible, but more specifically, it is the first five books of the Bible. And so we are not without guidance. We do not really have an excuse. We have the gifts that God gave us after we were called. And so we have God's spirit and actually God through Moses blazed a pretty, fairly clear trail that contains the basic events and some significance of those events to us as we travel along the way to the Kingdom of God. Back to the book of Matthew in chapter two, Matthew, the second chapter and verses one and 15, I read verse one just to show you the central figure here. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Al Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem jumped on to verse 15 and was there that is Joseph Mary and the babe Jesus and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying out of Egypt, I called my son. So not only did our ancient forebearers have to come out of Egypt. So did Jesus. So this is where the journey begins. It begins with Christ and it begins with our location in spiritual Egypt, regardless of where we literally are on earth. I'll note the parallels as you can see, the prophecy here is applied to Jesus. But yeah, Hosea one, you can write that scripture done. That scripture clearly applies to the nation of Israel called from Egypt. But brethren, it also applies to us because Egypt is the type of this world and the church is called from the world. Now, let's go back into the Old Testament again in Exodus or Exodus 24. Now, here I'm making a little bit of a jog because I want you to be absolutely certain that you have the right goal in mind regarding our trip through our wilderness, Exodus two and in verse 24. So God heard the, heard their groanings. That's the Israelites in Egypt in their slavery. So God heard their groanings and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob and God looked upon the children of Israel and God acknowledged them chapter three. And in verse seven, chapter three, and in verse seven, and the Lord said, I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their task. Masters for, I know their sorrows. Now let's go back all the way in the New Testament to the book of Romans in chapter nine, chapter nine. And in verse 15, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then now here comes the important part for you and me. So then it is not of Him who wills nor of Him who runs but of God who shows mercy. Our calling by God is an act of mercy on his part. For the scripture says to the Pharaoh for this very purpose. I have raised you up that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth. Therefore, he has he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills. He hardens God withheld blessings from the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. Verse 19, you will say to me, then why does he still find fault for who has resisted his will? Verse 20? But indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God will the thing formed? Say to Him who formed it? Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor. And what if God wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, you and me, which he has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom he has called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. And as he says, also in Hosea, I will call them my people who are not my people and her beloved who was not beloved and it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people there. They shall be called the sons of the living God. So I wrote the, I read these because I want you to see in the light of how things are going here in the United States of America. God is shown in complete control of his purpose and plan. And this nation did not begin as a Christian nation, as a religious nation. It indeed was and many of the doctrines that those people worship through and by were nonetheless good, good things, but they were not Christian peoples. They chose their own religions and they did pretty good choice in making those choices. But what we need to know is God initiates our calling far different from the Israelites because of his faithfulness to his covenant, containing his promises to Abraham God's calling has little or nothing to do with what we can offer him from what we've already accomplished. Now, let's even more fully understand that unlike the Israelites, he called out of Egypt, our calling contains major differences from them. Now we are traveling, but it's in our mind, it's not over a piece of land at this time. Now let's go to the book of Ephesians and I am giving this because I wanted you to see how blessed we are in that God chose us of His own volition to be a part of this walk that we are taking. So in Ephesians chapter one, and we are going to begin in verse three, Ephesians one and in verse three, bless be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places just as he chose us in Him, he chose us. It's reaffirming what we just read back there in the book of Romans, just as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Verse nine, having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself. Dropped on to verse 11 in him. Also, we have attained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him, who works all things according to the counsel of his will that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. Ok. Here is one major difference. Israel came out the whole group at one exit. The major difference is he has called us individually and personally, that's a lot of attention from the God of heaven. Focus the attention I want him or her. Not that other person over there, not the whole group. I want that person. Now, Jesus amplifies this in John 6 44 where he says that no one can come to him unless the Father calls that person, that individual. Now, no one comes to Christ except the Father draws him. Here's a second difference. Now, now let's fully understand though that though he calls us individually, he has respect unto his purpose, not our works or talents. What does a slave have to offer to God's purpose, technical skills, craftsmanship. Well, thank you. But God has already demonstrated in the creation. He doesn't lack anything of those qualities. There is our own bodies, there is our own brain and mind. What do we have to offer him? I'll tell you what it is that we obey him. That's pretty big. So he created the universe without our aid. Let's not get a big hit at all that somehow or another that God called us because we were wonderful individuals. Ok. These two gifts along with a good understanding of them are essential to having the right foundation in our relationship with God or the relationship will not work. We are bestowed with the greatest gifts and unconverted person can be given. God gives grace to the humble, but he resists the pie pride. Now, why does he resist the proud? Because they resisted him just like Satan did so the pro resist him and he resists them back, brother. We are so insignificant and so puny by compared to God to the very creator. And yet we are so proud of that pre even as it is making wrong choices and evaluations again and again, I'll tell you what God wants. What God wants from his children is loving submission to his way of life that will prepare us for the kingdom of God. He wants us to have this for our good and the good of God's purpose. Now God's rescue of his people is set, is is for a set time and each person is in its or her, his or her right time. And it is hard, so hard for us to learn that God knows exactly what He is doing. This is what we have to develop within us. Let's go to first Corinthians, you know the very things that we are going through which are difficult to find in the scriptures and to see proof for them. But this is what tripped Israel up time and time again. Ok. In first Corinthians six and verses nine through 11, verse nine, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Now, do not be deceived, neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomite, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor will inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you, but you were washed but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God time, let's drop down to, oh, oh, that's, that's good enough for right there. Now, let's go to the reason I use that scripture is because I want us to see that what He wants us to do is overcome sin. There is nothing we are going to be accomplishing in the traveling that we do there like Israel did in building the Tabernacle and so forth. But nonetheless, we do have something to do. And that's what I began the first sermon by and that is sin. No, Romans two and in verse two through four, again, this is just another lifting. I think we will just skip that. That's just a list listing of judgments that God made on mankind in general, because of their failure to believe that he even exists. So the judgments that Paul speaks here in Romans two in these verses are, those are the are of those who practice the things listed in chapter one. And just ahead of what we read in Chap first Corinthians six, but it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. And as we are showing signs that we not only believe, truly believe but that he is, that is the exists, but are also beginning to truly submit to him. And so he offers us a deal. It's a covenant. And this is very important. This is a very important third step because the outlines of His purpose are becoming more specific back to the book of Exodus once again, this time in chapter 19, Exodus 19 and verses five and six. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people. For all the earth is mine. Just understand that this is listenedThis is listed for you and I to read just as surely that was as it was given to those under the Old Covenant. And you shall be to me, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. And these are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. Now, this deal that God offers us this covenant, it has conditions tied to it and it tends to show some of its future potential. Now, those making the agreement are set apart to obey and progressively become a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. And when this proposal stage is reached, our walk to the kingdom has barely begun. The specific purpose of the experiences in the wilderness are small portions of preparations to fully become what he reveals in his proposalAnd it is good to understand that the Israelites had good intentions, but they were not truly committed because of their lack of faith. So things went awry from time to time. Now we are here in the Old Testament. Let's go to the Deuteronomy chapter four and verses four through nine, Deuteronomy four and versus four through nine, here is a responsibility but you who held fast to the Lord, your God are alive today every one of you. Now, this is written 38 years after that section we began in but you who held fast to the Lord, your God are alive today. Every one of you almost seems as though nobody died in the last 38 years, at least of that group. Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them. For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statues and say surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people for what great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us. For whatever reason we may call upon Him. And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all the law which I set before you this day, only take heed to yourselves and diligently keep yourselves lest you forget the things your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life and teach them to your children and grandchildren. They are right on the border of the promised land. And Moses clearly states a single overriding purpose of the wilderness wanderings. And that is brethren, the development of the relationship. That is what we are to do now. And we develop that relationship by keeping God's word, by keeping in contact with God by believing the things that He says and following through what he commands for us to do. Let's keep going though. Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter eight and verses two and three. Now, remember the 40 years is in its last month before Israel finally does go into the land. And so these are final words before crossing the Jordan and go on verse two of chapter eight. And you shall remember that the Lord, your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you to test you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments. Again, I remind you this is what I why I started off at the beginning talking about sin. And so he humbled, you allowed you to hunger and fed you with Manna, which you did not know they had no experience with it with it. Nor did your fathers know that he might make, you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord dropped on to verse 14. He admonishes them when your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage and all these people who are in the room here with me today, you have been brought out as it were of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage because your sins have been taken away. Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water. Who brought water for you out of the flinty uh rock who fed you in the wilderness with Manna, which your fathers did not know that He might humble you and he might test you to do you good in the end. And then you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth and you shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant, which he, which he swore to your father's as it is to this day. Ok. God specifically cares that we understand that we know that He has been with us all the way. I mean, in our wilderness journey, there is no time that he is unaware of what is going on in our life. He also declares that there are times he directly is involved in bringing tests upon us to humble us so that we quit resisting him for our good. And he wants to see that we know that He is with us, providing for us. So that we know and know that we know that we do not live by bread alone, that we truly know that He is our life is what he is saying. He also states He is with us and to do good in the end. Now, God knows that we have selective memories. We are not to get it into our heads that we alone are responsible for our physical and our spiritual prosperity. And if God did not do what he does, we'd still be in spiritual Egypt and wouldn't be prepared for his kingdom. So the purpose of God's involvement in our life is to help us become rid of the of our former life as a slave. To Satan. But even with his involvement, it requires commitment, discipline, sacrifice and patient, hard work on our part. And these are the very nature are by their very nature, invariably produce some measure of suffering. Let's go back to, to verse three, once again and read that verse 83. He reminds us what he does. He and the son. So we humbled you allowed you to hunger fed you with Manna, which you did not which did not know, nor did your father's know that he might make you to know those who he has called. That man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Are we making our journey through our wilderness? Increasing the amount of God's word that is in our minds every day of abundant life and eternal life are produced from total commitment to a way of life in which God is involved. The commitment prepares us for God's greater purpose. And that is called it places in the Bible, the latter end, this relationship with him is going to make human nature very uncomfortable. It will fight back. It's good for us to remember that even his son went through a great deal of painful difficulty. And if he did it, did it to him, allowed him to go through it though. He never sinned. Doesn't he have any right? Doesn't he have any incentive on our part? To really give us a good hard spanking once in a while. I am sure he does that. We're going to go to a couple of scriptures that we use this the end of sermonette, but we are going to go back to Hebrews 11, Hebrews 11 verses 32 through 35. And what more shall we say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon of, of Samson and Jep also of David and Samuel. And the prophets who through faith subdued Kingdoms worked righteousness, obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of the of fire escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight. The armies of the alien women received their dead, raised to life. Again, others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection dropped on to verse 39. And all these those people named, having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promises, the promise for God having provided something better for us that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Now, God frequently shows through the lives of some of those people who are named in that chapter that the long term rewards of submitting to Him are greater than anything that the world has to offer. And that along the way, because of what He is providing, we can also live life with a wonderful sense of well being because he is a part of it. Now, let's follow a parallel more directly in the New Testament again in the book of Ephesians. And I'm going to read some of those verses that I read before. In fact, I'm not to, you can just write them down. Ephesians 13 through five and nine through 11. Ephesians 13 through five and nine through 11. But we are going to tie what Paul says here in verse 31 through three where he says bless, be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. We're going to tie that a little bit later into something. Jesus said a little bit earlier in John, the third chapter in John, the third chapter and verses nine through 11, Nicodemus answered and said to him, how can these things be? And Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher of Israel? And do not know these things most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not receive our witness. If I have told you of earthly things and you do not believe. How will I, how will you believe? If I tell you heavenly things, earthly things represent things that can be clearly grasped by man's carnal nature, heavenly things represent those things in which God's spirit and conversion are required to be grasped. Now, I gave you three points that support the relationship with God that he is building through our wilderness. But here is 1/4 1, we are to understand that it is not a matter of whom the object of God's predestination by grace are. It's not a matter of whom it is, whether they are Israelite or gentile, rich or poor. But what they are destined to might be very important. But we do not know specifically yet what that is. The predestination is done with a view as being united as sons directly in his family. That one is pretty obvious it is done with the object in view that we are both, we become both holy and blameless. Now holy indicates both separation from others and difference from other. The separation partly occurs simply because one is different from others. In short, the Christian is separated from others in the world because he is visibly different in purpose, in conduct and in attitude, the term translated blameless was used during sacrificing. And here is how before an animal was sacrificed, it was thoroughly inspected by a priest to ascertain whether it was worthy to sacrifice to God only the best was worried was worthy a sacrifice to God must not be second best. The standard is perfection for what He desires or what God desires. Wow. Now, I do not know whether you caught that because I did not explain it very well. But what I'm saying is that those of us who were chosen by God, by his input and his opening our mind to his truth. And he wants to see that he chose correctly. Boy, that, that, that puts a, a load on somebody if, if we fear God, that puts a load because He wants us to be both holy and blameless because we are to be living sacrifices and a sacrifice was not allowed to have a flaw in it. Do you begin to see, begin to feel what kind of righteous level that we are to have? We are to be approaching Jesus Christ in the quality of our right righteousness. And that's what all the trials are for because only the best was worthy to be a sacrifice to God. No, Ephesians one. And in verse nine, the word sacrifice or the mystery mystery of God's will is covered in that verse. Now, mystery in Greek is not merely something hard to understand. Rather, it is something that indeed uh that indeed covered was concealed, but is now revealed. However, not everybody, only those who chose, who were chosen to grasp what the mystery is, were given the solution to the mystery. No, this is to me an awesome Revelation. This is taking place as we make our through our, our wilderness. I think first that this epistle has written to a Greek, a gentile congregation. The mystery in this epistle is that God opened salvation to the Gentiles for a specific purpose that is named in the, in the book of Ephesians in chapter two. So in Ephesians two, I want you to turn there. Ephesians two and verses 11 through 18. Now remember this was written to a gentile congregation verse 11. Therefore, remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called circumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands. That at that time, you are without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, as part of the Ephesian congregation, they have had these things that I just named to you revealed to them. But now in Christ Jesus, they are in Christ, God called them. You who are once far off, that is far off from God have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation. Both that word there refers to Israelite and gentile in one congregation has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh, the enmity, the enmity between the two, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances. So as to create in himself, one new man from the two, thus making peace and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body, that is one congregation or one church through the cross, thereby putting to death, the enmity and he came and preached peace to you and were a far off and to those who were near for through Him, we both have access to the Father, the mystery of God's will that is named there in Ephesians two is how he through Jesus Christ is going to end the constant warfare and disunity that has infected all of the races and nations of people. since Cain killed Abel, the mystery is how God is going to create worldwide unity under himself, under his son and his use of the resurrected church. Now a word, a word of warning here, if we cannot humble ourselves in this one little congregation and learn how to love each other. How will we ever fit into God's family in the kingdom? This is a big deal and it is taking a great deal of time, centuries upon centuries to bring the church and God's children that has already forming, it has taken a great deal of time, but step by step, God's awesome purpose and his plan to accomplish it is coming to pass. And our walking as it were through this to the, to the kingdom of God is playing a major role of it in within it. Now, I want to go to Isaiah, OK. In chapter 11, we are just going to touch on this verse 48, just a bit Isaiah the 11th chapter and verse 13, this is a prophecy. It has not come to pass yet, but in verse 13, and it shall come to pass in that day, that day that we are reading about in Ephesians. The second chapter, it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to cover the remnant of his people who are left. He's going to gather people from Assyria and Egypt from Paros and Kush and Elam and Shin from Heath and the islands of the sea. And he will set up a banner for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth and also the envy of Ephraim, the 10 northern tribes shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. Now, this verse just barely touches on the same theme, but it will suffice for the time being that we have think for a moment how divorce, a separation seemingly dominates social relationships in our time. And then add to that the relationships among nations much the same as individual families. But understand this that because the divisions and the relationships in this world are so great much of the individual preparations for God's Kingdom as we are making, our journey involves resolving the prejudices, the hatreds, the envies of one against another in the church much of our overcoming in the wilderness is a matter of overcoming feelings. Now, let me take you back the I Peter. It is a world that is ready to fight its aims at the drop of a hat. Why do you think there is so much on the internet about the Coronavirus and, and the pandemic? And of course, the way the Americans are being treated by their own government and all of the suspicion and the fear that there is that somehow or another we are being taken advantage of. There really is not any pandemic. What do we know? For sure? We are distrustful of those who are giving the news and yet our lives are being whipped around by it. It's happening right before our eyes and our ears. It's because everybody is so suspicious. It's because everybody is so much on guard to protect themselves from hatred. Now in I Peter two and in verse five, let's go to verse four because the sentence begins there coming to him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. You also, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Drop down to verse nine, we are being told here a little bit about what we are going to be doing in the world. Tomorrow. We're going to be a kingdom of priests and we are going to be teaching people how to resolve the difficulties between one another. But nine, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who were once not a people but are now the people of God who have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy and beloved. I beg you as so Jonas and pilgrims. So he called those people pilgrims. You think I did not have any biblical basis for this? I did. That's exactly what we are. Even though we are not walking into the Kingdom of God, we are nonetheless doing traveling the kind though that has to do with this book, beloved. I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, having your conduct, honorable, overcoming sin among the Gentiles that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation. So Peter, if you go through his entire epistle, he is dealing the characteristics of the responsibilities of the New Testament Church. It begins while we are on our walk to the Kingdom of God, but it's going to carry right on into the Kingdom of God where we are going to help people settle the difficulties that they have with God and with each other, recall how closely this parallels God's intention for Israel under the Old Covenant, this signals to us that what we are going through and we will continue to go through is in principle very similar to what they went through. Now, we've spent our entire life walking by sight, but we may have to change virtually every aspect of our life, life, especially attitudes toward God and other people and ourselves to conform to the way of God. We cannot of God, we cannot see but those whose word we must trust. Well, I've used the word walk very frequently, walk suggests movement. It is the single most frequent movement. Virtually, everybody on earth performs in going through the daily activities. Our movement is not from country to country that our movement is in the mind, from activity to activity involving spiritual, moral and ethical thought and decision making. Now c site in this context here, I Peter represents living and making decisions based on things discernible to the spirit in man. That doesn't mean God's Holy Spirit, but it is discernible to the spirit in man. Now, faith in this context represents trust while living and making decisions based upon the insights given by God spirit into the reality of the eternal truth of God's word. Not to the Christian. Christ is present in our life, not to our sight, but to our faith. And therefore he, the Christian disciplines himself to live his life as though God is right beside him. But the reality is he is much closer than that through God's word and His belief in God's word and the effect of living by faith, his behavior, whose constant aim is to please Christ. This is what we are to accomplish on the way through our particular walk to the Kingdom of God. And because of faith, we know we face Christ judgment and must give a kind of ourselves as to whether we have lived by faith or by sight. Now, let's add just very briefly one other factor that sets the parameters of our conduct even more sharply. And this is the sufferings of Christ. Now, why should we do this? Because an understanding of whom he was and why he did those things builds an appreciation in us and turns in turns incentive to our efforts to please Him. And so I Peter again, this time in chapter one and in verse 10 of the salvation of this prophets, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully and prophesized of the grace that should come to you. In chapter two, let's go into chapter two and verse 19 where it says for this is commendable. If because of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfullyAnd that's in verse 19 and then 20. For what credit is it? If when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently. But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God for to this. You were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. Verse 22 who committed no sin nor was the seat found in his mouth? Who when he was reviled did not revile and return and when he suffered, he did not threaten but committed himself to him. Who judges rightly, I am going through this so that we see that even as Jesus Christ suffered during his walk on earth, we have to suffer during our walk on earth. And our walk on earth may stretch out two. Who knows how many years that will take for us to get through. I think I kind of do. I've been walking this way since 1959 and I know that there are others who have been walking longer than I have and I'm getting tired. It's an age thing, but I haven't worn out yet on God. But we always have to understand that Jesus Christ though he was without sin, he suffered. So if he went through it to carry out his purpose in God's purpose, then we who have been pointed out, chosen by God, granted repentance by God, given God's spirit and other gifts to go along. Why aren't we willing to face up to the trials that we are still having to go through? It's our responsibility to do that if we are going to continue the relationship with God. Because always remember that he set aside this walk to his kingdom for the very reason he set it aside for the Israelites. And that was to develop the relationship while we had the time.

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