3/27/2011 Genesis to the Maps

  Today Pastor Stan talked about the importance of understanding the entire Bible. Often Christians will disregard the Old Testament believing it to be irrelevant and out dated.  "We live under grace, that is the law and it does not apply to us."  This is an interesting theory since the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews13:8

  I find this fascinating because, if Jesus Christ is the same as he has always been and if He is the Son of God then why would we disregard several thousand years of historical records showing us how God interacts with man.
  The simple point here is that Jesus Christ has always been, He is God, and therefore was the one who breathed life into Adam and Eve, He parted the Red Sea and dropped mana from heaven.  He is also the one who instructed the Israelis to build the Ark of the Covenant and how to carry it.  This is where we picked up the story in Exodus chapter 25:

And they shall make an ark of acacia wood...(v10)

And you shall make poles of acacia wood...(v13)

You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.(v14)

The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.(v15)

  They were given specific instructions on how to build the Ark and how to carry it.  For many years the Ark had been held by the Philistines, neighbors and enemies of the Nation of Israel.  God sent David to retrieve it in 2Samuel chapter 6:

Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.(v1)

And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God...(v2)

So they set the ark of God on a new cart,...and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart(v3)

...Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.(v6)

Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.(v7)

  David got very angry at this point and wondered why he had bothered to even go get the Ark. He refused to allow it to enter his Capital City.  Why did God strike this loyal servant dead? Obedience. God told the people of Israel how the Ark was to be transported Exodus and David put it on a cart.  God is not impressed with partial obedience.  He wants our hole selves our hole hearts and our entire beings.  David later brought the Ark into the City of David and through a party to celebrate.
  The lesson here is simple and timeless, Christ died so we could have eternal life. There is nothing we can do to earn God's love or His forgiveness.  What God does expect from us after we have received this gift of eternal life is our love and obedience. We love Him because He first loved us and we obey because we are grateful for what He has done.
   In conclusion, Pastor Devin started the morning giving us his
"Formula for Success"
1) Speak the Word,
2) Meditate on the Word and
3) Live the Word
Just remember, to be successful this formula must include the entire Bible, Genesis to the maps.

God Bless
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