Music...
00:00:01.36\00:00:25.22
Welcome to the
Series that we've entitled:
00:00:25.25\00:00:28.09
The Sanctuary,
Salvation and our Savior
00:00:28.12\00:00:30.86
and I'm so glad that
you joined us in our study
00:00:30.93\00:00:33.56
of the
relevancy of the Sanctuary
00:00:33.60\00:00:35.86
pertaining to our
Christian experience
00:00:35.90\00:00:37.57
and also, following Jesus
in His work from the cross
00:00:37.60\00:00:40.94
to the heavenly
sanctuary as our High Priest.
00:00:40.97\00:00:44.01
As we begin, I want
to turn our attention
00:00:44.04\00:00:47.08
to this artist depiction...
00:00:47.11\00:00:49.11
this artist
portrait of a gentleman
00:00:49.14\00:00:51.78
by the name of Henry Martyn...
00:00:51.81\00:00:53.45
Henry Martyn was
a Cambridge scholar.
00:00:53.48\00:00:55.48
He was a genius...
00:00:55.52\00:00:56.85
he had warts covering
his face and his hands
00:00:56.89\00:00:59.75
and the story goes
00:00:59.79\00:01:01.12
that he would stay
outside of the cricket games
00:01:01.16\00:01:03.26
to watch at a distance
00:01:03.29\00:01:04.63
because he was so
ashamed of his appearance.
00:01:04.66\00:01:08.10
Henry Martyn was a
genius, he had a brilliant mind
00:01:08.13\00:01:12.23
and there was a name...
a lady by the name of Lydia
00:01:12.27\00:01:16.30
who fell in love
with Henry Martyn
00:01:16.34\00:01:19.07
because of the mind that he had
and the gentleman that he was
00:01:19.11\00:01:23.04
and one day, Henry Martyn
was sitting in a church service
00:01:23.08\00:01:26.95
and he heard about India
and the need that was there
00:01:26.98\00:01:30.52
for the people that
were living in India
00:01:30.55\00:01:32.89
to be reached with
the gospel of Jesus Christ
00:01:32.92\00:01:36.32
and in that church meeting,
00:01:36.39\00:01:38.96
Henry Martyn heard the voice
of God speaking to his heart...
00:01:38.99\00:01:42.73
to be a missionary to India
00:01:42.76\00:01:44.73
and so, he was so excited in his
heart... he accepted the call
00:01:44.77\00:01:47.94
to India and then he
hurriedly went to Lydia
00:01:47.97\00:01:51.27
and said,
"Lydia, let's get married
00:01:51.31\00:01:54.54
and go to India. "
00:01:54.61\00:01:56.08
Lydia sighed and said that if
there is one place in the world
00:01:56.11\00:01:59.55
that I never want
to go... it is India.
00:01:59.61\00:02:02.78
Henry said, "Lydia,
how can you say that?"
00:02:02.82\00:02:05.95
She turned to him and said,
00:02:06.02\00:02:08.72
"I'm sorry but
that's the way I feel... "
00:02:08.79\00:02:10.83
and Henry
Martyn... as you can imagine
00:02:10.86\00:02:13.50
went back to his
room with a heavy heart
00:02:13.53\00:02:16.97
and here was the
decision that he had to make,
00:02:17.00\00:02:19.17
"Would it be Lydia
or would it be India?"
00:02:19.20\00:02:22.37
Would it be Lydia or India?
00:02:22.40\00:02:24.47
And finally he realized,
00:02:24.51\00:02:25.87
it wasn't between
Lydia and India...
00:02:25.94\00:02:28.11
it was between Lydia and God.
00:02:28.14\00:02:31.31
He knelt down by
his bed and said,
00:02:31.35\00:02:33.58
"Lord, I surrender all...
I give you everything... "
00:02:33.62\00:02:37.75
he made the decision to
leave Lydia and go to India.
00:02:37.79\00:02:41.89
One of his associates...
Cambridge scholar, said,
00:02:41.92\00:02:46.19
"Henry, you have the
whole world at your feet,
00:02:46.23\00:02:50.47
don't throw it away
by going to India. "
00:02:50.50\00:02:54.07
Henry Martyn turned to
this Cambridge scholar and said,
00:02:54.10\00:02:57.11
"Which world are
you speaking of Sir?"
00:02:57.17\00:03:00.64
He went to India
and later to Persia...
00:03:00.68\00:03:04.18
he was dragged
across the desert in chains
00:03:04.21\00:03:07.68
and died at the age of 31... 31.
00:03:07.75\00:03:13.15
Many people would say,
"What a waste of a life... "
00:03:13.19\00:03:16.83
but you know what he
left the world before he died?
00:03:16.86\00:03:20.50
He left the
translation of the New Testament
00:03:20.53\00:03:23.90
in three different languages.
00:03:23.93\00:03:26.67
When we look at
individuals like Henry Martyn,
00:03:26.70\00:03:30.24
we marvel at their
dedication and sacrifice
00:03:30.31\00:03:33.21
as though this is
something that is abnormal
00:03:33.24\00:03:35.58
for the Christian life,
00:03:35.61\00:03:37.05
here we are in the 21st century,
00:03:37.08\00:03:38.58
I live in the
United States of America,
00:03:38.61\00:03:41.05
I'm proud to be American,
00:03:41.08\00:03:42.42
but I live a
relatively comfortable life
00:03:42.45\00:03:46.12
and here I am in my
comfortable existence
00:03:46.15\00:03:49.92
in Middle Class America,
00:03:49.96\00:03:51.79
part of Middle Class America
00:03:51.83\00:03:53.60
and read stories
like Henry Martyn
00:03:53.63\00:03:55.76
and I feel rebuked because
00:03:55.80\00:03:59.47
I sense that we as a
Christian community...
00:03:59.50\00:04:03.04
as a community of faith...
00:04:03.07\00:04:04.41
have come so far from
the radical discipleship
00:04:04.44\00:04:07.91
and dedication that is our
response to the love of God.
00:04:07.94\00:04:11.91
I read a book not too
long ago, that's entitled,
00:04:11.98\00:04:14.48
"The Forgotten
Ways" by Alan Hirsch
00:04:14.52\00:04:16.52
and I quote from this book
00:04:16.55\00:04:18.55
because here is an
evangelical scholar
00:04:18.59\00:04:21.62
that does a
penetrating self-analysis
00:04:21.66\00:04:24.63
of American Christianity
00:04:24.69\00:04:27.53
in comparison with
first-century Christianity
00:04:27.56\00:04:30.03
and I quote, "I
came to the conclusion
00:04:30.07\00:04:32.27
that there must be something
about Middle Class culture
00:04:32.33\00:04:38.24
that seems to run contrary
to authentic gospel values
00:04:38.27\00:04:40.88
and this is not to make a
statement about Middle Class
00:04:40.91\00:04:43.04
per se,
00:04:43.08\00:04:44.41
I myself am from a
very Middle Class family,
00:04:44.45\00:04:47.08
but rather to isolate some
of the values and assumptions
00:04:47.12\00:04:51.45
that seem to just come
along as part of the deal.
00:04:51.49\00:04:55.32
We need to be especially
aware of cultural values
00:04:55.36\00:04:59.19
that we take for granted
00:04:59.23\00:05:01.43
because we
cannot easily see them.
00:05:01.46\00:05:04.10
I noted earlier
that much of this goes
00:05:04.13\00:05:06.80
by the name of 'Middle Class'
00:05:06.84\00:05:08.57
involves a preoccupation
with safety and security
00:05:08.60\00:05:13.21
developed mostly in
pursuit of what seems to be
00:05:13.24\00:05:16.28
the best for our children.
00:05:16.31\00:05:18.08
This focus is understandable
00:05:18.11\00:05:19.85
as long as it does
not become obsessive
00:05:19.88\00:05:22.62
but when these
impulses of middle-class culture
00:05:22.65\00:05:26.22
fuse with consumerism
as they most often do,
00:05:26.25\00:05:29.76
we can add the obsession
with comfort and convenience
00:05:29.79\00:05:34.16
to the list, this
is not a good mix.
00:05:34.20\00:05:38.43
At least as far as
the Lordship of Jesus,
00:05:38.50\00:05:42.00
discipleship, the gospel,
00:05:42.04\00:05:44.64
and missional
movements are concerned. "
00:05:44.67\00:05:47.84
What Alan Hirsch is
bringing out is this idea
00:05:47.88\00:05:51.45
that if we're not careful,
00:05:51.48\00:05:53.01
we can allow
culture and cultural values
00:05:53.05\00:05:56.82
to fuse with Christianity
so that we naturally assume
00:05:56.85\00:06:01.56
that these cultural
entities are Christian
00:06:01.59\00:06:05.06
and we live in a culture
today in middle-class America
00:06:05.09\00:06:09.36
where there is the
tendency to become consumed
00:06:09.40\00:06:14.50
with security and
convenience and consumerism
00:06:14.54\00:06:19.04
and when that becomes
our ultimate obsession,
00:06:19.07\00:06:24.45
we can be set back in
our Christian development
00:06:24.48\00:06:29.82
and our walk with Jesus Christ
00:06:29.85\00:06:31.49
because there are times
in the Christian experience
00:06:31.52\00:06:34.36
when God calls us to do
things that are not comfortable.
00:06:34.39\00:06:38.66
When God calls us to do
things that are not convenient,
00:06:38.69\00:06:42.73
and when God calls
us to give up everything
00:06:42.76\00:06:46.33
that we have to follow Him.
00:06:46.40\00:06:48.24
Now I want to make
very clear here that...
00:06:48.27\00:06:50.91
that forsaking
everything and following Jesus
00:06:50.94\00:06:53.51
is not meritorious,
00:06:53.54\00:06:54.88
we are saved by
faith by Christ alone,
00:06:54.91\00:06:56.75
but in response to that love,
00:06:56.78\00:06:59.68
Christ is calling us
to radical discipleship...
00:06:59.71\00:07:03.52
radical response
to the love of God
00:07:03.55\00:07:05.99
and here is Jesus
in the first century
00:07:06.02\00:07:08.49
saying in Luke
chapter 14 verse 33,
00:07:08.52\00:07:10.93
"In the same way, those
of you who do not give up
00:07:10.96\00:07:16.26
everything you may have
cannot be my disciples. "
00:07:16.30\00:07:21.57
Jesus here, in
the first century,
00:07:21.60\00:07:23.81
is making a radical
appeal for discipleship,
00:07:23.84\00:07:26.54
again this is not
meritorious, in other words,
00:07:26.57\00:07:28.34
Jesus is not saying
that you give up everything
00:07:28.38\00:07:30.15
in order to "pay"
for your salvation,
00:07:30.18\00:07:32.71
but what Jesus is saying...
00:07:32.75\00:07:34.42
in order to be a
follower of Jesus,
00:07:34.45\00:07:37.09
you follow the
Lamb wherever He goes
00:07:37.12\00:07:39.72
and the Lamb is going where?
00:07:39.75\00:07:42.62
The Lamb is
going to the sacrifice,
00:07:42.66\00:07:45.59
the Lamb is going on a
sacrificial path in journey
00:07:45.66\00:07:49.90
and Jesus is saying, "Look,
if you are a follower of me,
00:07:49.93\00:07:53.70
you will cherish sacrifice...
00:07:53.74\00:07:56.60
you will follow in the footsteps
of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:07:56.67\00:08:00.21
and my fear is,
in the 21st century,
00:08:00.24\00:08:03.65
so far removed from
the radical discipleship
00:08:03.68\00:08:07.15
that Jesus called
His disciples to be,
00:08:07.18\00:08:11.05
perhaps, we have
imbibed cultural values
00:08:11.09\00:08:14.89
that we have not been
discriminatingly analyzing
00:08:14.92\00:08:19.13
before inculcating
into our Christian ethos
00:08:19.16\00:08:23.37
in our Christian community.
00:08:23.40\00:08:24.83
What Alan Hirsch is bringing out
00:08:24.87\00:08:27.14
is that American
Middle Class values...
00:08:27.17\00:08:30.51
if consumerism...
00:08:30.54\00:08:32.44
and the obsession
with comfort and security
00:08:32.47\00:08:36.14
becomes our number one goal,
00:08:36.18\00:08:37.78
it impedes in
our discipleship...
00:08:37.81\00:08:40.68
in our following of Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord of our life.
00:08:40.72\00:08:47.12
Now, we've been going
through the sanctuary,
00:08:47.16\00:08:49.52
and here is a bird's eye
view of the sanctuary pattern
00:08:49.56\00:08:54.66
that was given by God to Moses
00:08:54.73\00:08:57.10
and we noted that God's
plan is to bring us back...
00:08:57.13\00:09:00.44
here in the Most Holy Place,
the Ark of the Covenant...
00:09:00.47\00:09:03.74
Adam and Eve had
an Edenic perfection
00:09:03.77\00:09:06.91
in terms of every aspect,
00:09:06.94\00:09:08.68
especially in their
relationship with God,
00:09:08.71\00:09:10.38
they were able to have a
face-to-face communion with God
00:09:10.45\00:09:13.31
but because of sin,
00:09:13.38\00:09:14.98
Adam and Eve were
taken outside of the gate.
00:09:15.02\00:09:18.12
The entire human race
is outside of the gate
00:09:18.15\00:09:21.22
and God's plan of
restoration is to bring us back,
00:09:21.26\00:09:24.63
He wants to bring us
into the Courtyard...
00:09:24.66\00:09:26.73
into the Holy Place...
00:09:26.76\00:09:28.76
and into the Most Holy Place
00:09:28.80\00:09:31.50
and the focus
of our study today,
00:09:31.53\00:09:34.30
is the Altar of Burnt Offering.
00:09:34.34\00:09:37.04
The first article of
furniture that you come to
00:09:37.07\00:09:40.44
in the sanctuary...
00:09:40.48\00:09:41.88
and as we noted in a
previous presentation,
00:09:41.91\00:09:44.75
this is where you
come and accept Jesus
00:09:44.78\00:09:47.55
as Savior of your life.
00:09:47.58\00:09:49.08
You respond to the love of God
00:09:49.12\00:09:51.69
and you say, "Lord, I want to
accept you as Savior of my life"
00:09:51.72\00:09:54.52
and when we are
touched by the love of God...
00:09:54.59\00:09:58.39
there is a response
that we give to God's love.
00:09:58.43\00:10:02.03
Now, the Altar of Burnt Offering
00:10:02.06\00:10:04.17
was a place where
sacrifices took place.
00:10:04.20\00:10:07.47
It was the first article of
furniture that you came to...
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.61
it was a brazen altar
there in the Courtyard...
00:10:10.64\00:10:14.71
this represented the cross...
the place where Jesus died...
00:10:14.74\00:10:18.55
Jesus came and
died as the Lamb of God
00:10:18.58\00:10:21.78
who takes away
the sins of the world.
00:10:21.82\00:10:24.99
Now, there's another
sacrifice that took place
00:10:25.02\00:10:28.29
on the brazen altar
00:10:28.32\00:10:29.66
and this was
different than the sin offering
00:10:29.69\00:10:32.66
or the trespass offering.
00:10:32.69\00:10:34.20
This particular offering took
place in Leviticus chapter 1
00:10:34.23\00:10:38.43
now, if you're like
me and you've attempted
00:10:38.47\00:10:40.80
to read through the Bible
00:10:40.84\00:10:42.80
and the
privilege of being a pastor
00:10:42.87\00:10:44.97
is that you get
paid to be spiritual...
00:10:45.01\00:10:47.08
and paid to read your Bible
00:10:47.11\00:10:48.44
and I've read the
Bible multiple times
00:10:48.48\00:10:49.94
but I remember the first time
I attempted to read the Bible,
00:10:49.98\00:10:52.31
I was getting through Genesis
and Exodus and it was great...
00:10:52.35\00:10:54.62
then you get to
Leviticus and it's like,
00:10:54.65\00:10:56.69
"Oh man! what in the
world is going on here?"
00:10:56.72\00:10:58.72
All these
sacrifices and rituals!
00:10:58.75\00:11:00.39
In Leviticus chapter 1,
00:11:00.42\00:11:02.39
we have the first
sacrifice that is mentioned
00:11:02.42\00:11:06.09
and it is on the
Altar of Burnt Offering...
00:11:06.13\00:11:09.66
I want to read about it
here in Leviticus chapter 1
00:11:09.70\00:11:11.43
verses 8 and 9,
00:11:11.47\00:11:12.80
"Then the priest, Aaron's
sons, shall lay the parts,
00:11:12.83\00:11:15.84
the head... the fat,
00:11:15.87\00:11:17.21
in order on the wood that
is on the fire upon the altar:
00:11:17.24\00:11:20.31
But he shall wash its entrails
and its legs with water:
00:11:20.34\00:11:23.51
and the priest shall
burn all on the altar,
00:11:23.55\00:11:27.45
as a burnt offering,
an offering made by fire,
00:11:27.48\00:11:31.35
a sweet aroma to the LORD."
00:11:31.39\00:11:34.39
Notice that in
Leviticus chapter 1,
00:11:34.42\00:11:36.83
in this particular sacrifice,
00:11:36.86\00:11:38.79
it was unique than all the
other sacrifices before it,
00:11:38.83\00:11:41.96
they would take this
animal into the sanctuary...
00:11:42.00\00:11:45.50
and the Bible is very
clear that the entire animal
00:11:45.53\00:11:49.00
was to be burned on the altar.
00:11:49.04\00:11:51.67
In all of the other sacrifices,
the priest would get a portion
00:11:51.71\00:11:55.64
or the sinner
would get a portion
00:11:55.68\00:11:57.08
depending on the
type of sacrifice
00:11:57.11\00:11:58.45
that the sinner
brought into the sanctuary,
00:11:58.48\00:12:00.22
but in this
particular sacrifice,
00:12:00.25\00:12:02.32
the entire animal was
consumed on the altar.
00:12:02.35\00:12:06.69
Now, this burnt offering
00:12:06.72\00:12:08.99
was the most ancient type
of offering that was offered,
00:12:09.02\00:12:12.49
it goes all the way
back to the book of Genesis
00:12:12.53\00:12:15.43
in which Noah and the patriarchs
00:12:15.46\00:12:17.93
would offer
burnt offerings to God
00:12:17.97\00:12:20.00
and this was the
nature of the burnt offering.
00:12:20.04\00:12:22.77
Every part of the animal
was consumed on the altar.
00:12:22.80\00:12:27.38
Now, if you're like me,
00:12:27.41\00:12:29.11
my natural
response to this offering
00:12:29.14\00:12:32.21
is... "What a waste!
00:12:32.28\00:12:34.52
You take a perfectly good animal
00:12:34.58\00:12:36.99
and the priest doesn't
even get to get a portion of it,
00:12:37.02\00:12:40.09
the entire animal is
burnt on the altar... "
00:12:40.12\00:12:43.73
but you look at God's response
to this type of offering,
00:12:43.76\00:12:49.20
the last phrase of
Leviticus chapter 1 verse 9,
00:12:49.23\00:12:51.90
"An offering made by fire,
a sweet aroma to the LORD."
00:12:51.93\00:12:57.21
In other words,
00:12:57.24\00:12:58.77
God's response to this
particular type of offering
00:12:58.81\00:13:02.24
in which the entire animal
was burned on the altar...
00:13:02.28\00:13:05.68
God didn't think,
"Oh, what a waste!"
00:13:05.71\00:13:08.62
God actually
thought, "That is sweet...
00:13:08.65\00:13:11.45
that's the best thing
that could be offered. "
00:13:11.49\00:13:14.79
He says, "It is a
sweet aroma to the Lord. "
00:13:14.82\00:13:18.46
Now, this offering
symbolized our surrender...
00:13:18.49\00:13:22.10
and notice how
much is surrendered,
00:13:22.13\00:13:24.27
all...
00:13:24.30\00:13:26.23
and God says... when
we surrender all to Him,
00:13:26.27\00:13:29.34
he says, "that is sweet. "
00:13:29.37\00:13:31.27
Because that is the love
response of every Christian
00:13:31.34\00:13:34.61
that has been touched by
the love of Jesus Christ.
00:13:34.64\00:13:38.78
You want to say, "Lord,
all to Jesus I surrender. "
00:13:38.81\00:13:42.55
We'll take a short
break and when we come back,
00:13:42.58\00:13:46.25
we'll continue in
this fascinating study
00:13:46.29\00:13:49.19
of the Altar of Burnt Offering
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.06
in which the sacrifice
was consumed on the altar
00:13:51.09\00:13:54.76
a symbol of
total surrender to God.
00:13:54.80\00:13:57.83