Would you bow with me in prayer? Father, we do thank you that we have this great privilege to gather in your name. What a kind gift you have given us in Christ. A gift that we're only beginning to understand and fathom. Continue that work, Lord. Would you open our eyes to the truth? Might we know your glory more and more? Might you speak to us this Lord's Day? Might you open my lips to speak truth and love clearly? Might it be effective because of your work in hearts? Would you open up our hearts and minds to your truth? Would your Holy Spirit attend all these things that we might commune with you, that we would not just engage in a distant academic activity this morning, but that we would engage with you. That we'd learn more of who you are. That we'd remember the great truths of the gospel. And that you yourself would enrich our lives by your very presence and power. That we'd go out of here emboldened to speak the truth and love to those around us. To live for your glory. Our lives are yours. Make them more so this Lord's Day. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I heard an interesting statistic this week. I think it was this week. I couldn't put my hands on where I'd heard it, but there was some poll recently that discovered, apparently, since I didn't get to check my facts, got to be fair, apparently discovered that in our schools today, that our children, compared to other children, other advanced nations, are doing more poorly. They're not number one in anything, but the same poll found that they were number one in something, not academically, but they were number one in something. So academically, math, reading, all that, they're not number one, but our American kids are number one in self-confidence. Isn't that interesting? If it's true. It's certainly believable. Given the climate in our culture, I mean, it would not be a surprise when we preach to our kids day in, day out, you can be anything you want to be, you can do anything you want to do, that they believe you eventually. Especially since we are all prone as sinners, not just Americans, But as human beings, as sinners, we are all prone to believe our own lies. We are prone to believe our own cleverly devised myths. And that's what they are. I mean, who in their right mind would think that I could be a ballerina? Right? Just physics, right? It's not going to work. Right? So, it's fine as a slogan. You can be anything you want to be. I never really wanted to be a ballerina, but just so you don't get worried there. But it's not true. It's not. But we are confident that it's true, and so confident that we feel like we don't have to work at it. It's a dangerous trend, isn't it? I don't have the tools, I haven't worked hard to get the tools, but I could do it if I really wanted to. Certainly speaks of a lot of things in my life. Well, I could do that if I really wanted to. I just don't really want it. But I'm surely confident that I could. At any rate, we tend to scoff at the real truth, the truth about Christ. All that seems like abstract, religious mumbo-jumbo. People going, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I have to endure the sermon part of the Sunday mornings, but we're buying into whatever spirit of the day we happen to be living in. We buy into it. We believe those things. This is not new. The Apostle Peter warned the church that in these last days, and by last days he means from the first coming of Jesus Christ to the last coming, to the final return of Jesus Christ, in these last days that we would have scoffers to deal with. Look at 2 Peter 3 in my notes. I have included the sermon outline and 2 Peter 3, 3-5 is printed there. Knowing this, first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, where is the promise of his coming? For ever since The fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlooked this fact that the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of the water and through the water by the word of God. And that by means of these, the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word, the heavens and earth that now existed are stored up for fire. being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. Now, it is tempting to just land on this passage and preach this sermon out of this passage. There are plenty of myths in our culture that attack these ideas. By goodness, we don't even assume there's a creator anymore, which is absolute folly. But we deliberately forget the evidence. This world was deluged once, a sign of judgment, God's wrath upon us, saved by one righteous man. Interestingly enough and his family got saved because of him one righteous man Saved on the ark Don't bother me with the facts of Sedimentary layer all over the planet with fossils in it that would be caused by floods. Don't bother me with the facts We know there isn't such a thing We believe our own myths and we scoff at God thinking well We know that's a myth We presume. So this second coming, this judgment you keep speaking about as Christians, where's that? Everything continues on the same as it always has. Conveniently discarding the evidence that's really there. Now one of the reasons I think that we avoid a knowledge of our Creator, and the implications that come with that, is because a knowledge of our Creator as sinners is terrifying. I mean, who wants to think about how I owe God? As soon as I think about how I owe God, that every breath I take is upheld by the power of His mighty word, as it says about Jesus in Hebrews chapter 1, every cell in my body is upheld by the power of the word of Jesus. Every star is held in the sky by the power of His word. I owe God. Every creature owes God. But as soon as I go down that line of thought, then I know I'm in trouble. And that's disturbing. I certainly don't want to look at a passage like Peter just wrote up there and say, well, just like the flood, fire's in store for you guys. I don't want to think about that. I want to go along ignorant and self-confident. That's what I want to do. I just keep on in my ignorance and in my blissful ignorance I can be self-confident. I can take care of me. I'm okay. I can do anything I want to be. I can be anything I want to be. I can do anything I want to do and achieve anything I want to achieve. Don't bother me with the facts. I'd like to live there. In fact, if you start bringing up facts to me that disturb me, I'll accuse you of being mean-spirited and unkind. And you're messing with my happiness. That's a God-given right. My happiness. These are some of the myths that we buy into in our culture. There are others, but these are the ones we're familiar with. The thing about it is when you actually have the veil taken off your eyes and you see the truth about God and His glory, it is terrifying. That was the consistent record of the Scriptures. Jacob, you remember Jacob, the grandson of Abraham? He had an experience, he was wrestling with God, he didn't realize it, and when he realized it he said, I have seen God face to face and yet my life has been delivered. He's amazed! How did I survive that encounter? Or Moses, when he's summarizing God speaking to Israel in Deuteronomy 5, he says, Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still lives. Can you stand it? Because who has ever heard such a thing? The assumption is, if you hear God's voice, it's going to be God's voice of judgment, because after all, we all know we deserve it. And so how can I hear God's voice without hearing God's judgment? How can I hear God's voice and live? You're probably familiar with Isaiah, I don't have this listed in my notes, but when he saw the throne room glory of God, he said, I'm undone! A man of unclean lips. But Gideon, you might not be as familiar with. You remember Gideon, he was one of the judges. It was after Israel got to the promised land, but before they had kings. He was one of those reluctant judges. He says, you know, I'm weak, I can't do this. But then Gideon perceived that this man speaking to him was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God, for now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face. And you know he's in dismay because it's God's answer. Look at how God answers him in verse 23. But the Lord said to him, Peace be to you. Do not fear. You shall not die. So clearly he was saying this in dismay. I'm dead. And the Lord assures him, we will not die. See, the closer you get to God and His holiness, the more obvious it is that you deserve judgment. See, we've been studying the tabernacle, so all this introduction is to remind us of the truth that Israel would have experienced in the wilderness when they built this tabernacle. We're going to consider some of the construction of the tent itself. That's what a tabernacle is. It's a portable dwelling place for God. It is God's tent. It's a big, glorious tent. An immense tent, as we'll see even just by the dimensions of the curtains and such that they had to carry around when they traveled. But nonetheless, it's a tent. It's a portable dwelling. And he wanted them to build it so that he could be with them. But being with them, and his desire to be with his people, also accented the separation they had with him. Let's look in Exodus 26. Now, I don't have this printed in my notes. It's a long section, and I just wanted to skim through it. I'm not going to read all of it. But we're going to cover all of chapter 26 today, so we're going to cruise on through this. Exodus 26, in the black hardcover pew bibles you can find on page 84 and page 57 of the softcover pew bibles. So, Exodus 26. Alright. Look at verse 1. What we have here is a description of the items needed to be used to construct the actual tent itself. There was an outer courtyard, and then there was the inner tent that was the tabernacle proper, broken into two rooms by a curtain that we'll get to. This is what's being described here, verse 1. Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains. Note the number. And I'm pointing out specific details because even while we won't exhaust this text, it was given to us and to Israel to teach us about God. So we note the details to say, after we get the big picture, we say, what are you trying to teach us about you God? So note the details of this ten curtains in this innermost layer here. 10 curtains of fine twined linen, very expensive linen, and blue and purple and scarlet yarns. To dye these yarns was very expensive, slow processes, very wealthy material to use, okay? Blue and purple and scarlet yarns, you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. Cherubim are angelic beings that guard God's glorious presence. But that's a tongue twister for you. The cherubim were those that were guarding God's presence back in Eden, you remember, when they were kicked out of Eden. Cherubim were put there with a flaming sword to guard God's holy presence. They were to be woven, embroidered into this fine twined linen. So, 10 curtains, fine twined linen, purple scarlet, blue yarns, cherubim. Verse 2. The length of each curtain shall be 28 cubits. How many cubits? 28. Okay, just note that. And the breadth of each curtain, four cubits. And they should all be the same size. Now as it moves on, it describes that these curtains, each one their same size, 28 in length, should be joined together into two big groups. So you have one big curtain and another big curtain. Five curtains put into one curtain, five curtains over here put into one curtain. at the edge of each of those curtains, 50 lukes and 50 clasps to put them together when you put the tent up. Okay? The clasps are described in verse 6. You shall make 50 clasps of gold and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps so that the tabernacle may be a single whole. So it's one big piece of fabric. You don't need to actually visualize this. I'm giving you the details you need for this morning. You didn't know the basic dimensions, you didn't know that there were golden clasps that were used to put this together. Most precious metal, gold used. Okay? Look at verse 7 though, we have another set of curtains described to us. You shall also make curtains of goat's hair. Alright? A rough, coarse curtain it would be, from goat's hair. This was to go outside the innermost curtain, okay? So, curtains of goat's hair for a tent over the tabernacle. Eleven curtains! Wait a minute, how many of the others were you supposed to make? Ten! And now we've got eleven. Okay? So, eleven curtains shall you make. The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits. How many was it before? Twenty-eight. Now it's thirty. Two more cubits in each curtain. And one extra whole curtain. Okay? The breadth of each curtain was four, that was the same. They also were to be put together with moops and clasps. Let's look down to verse 11. You shall make fifty clasps of... I can't even say that word, clasps... of bronze. So notice now, you're moving out from God's glorious presence into another layer, and as you move out, you use less precious materials. Goat's hair and bronze. Bronze was what they used in the courtyard, the bases for the courtyard curtains, and the altar was made out of bronze, the bronze altar, and the laver that held the water, the basin that held the water, was bronze. So this is symbolizing that you're moving away from God's presence out into the common, the world. Get closer, more precious materials used, get away, less precious materials used. So you see the picture. Now, if you skip down to verse 14, in one verse they just sum up that they make two more layers to this tent. And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned ramskins. Now, that word tanned, in some translations, says ramskins dyed red. Because it's a pretty old, obscure Hebrew word, and they're not sure. It doesn't really matter to us if it's red or not, or whether it's tanned ramskins. Ramskins. They're clear, it's ram skins. And a covering of goat skins on top. Now, you probably have several different translations there if you're looking at different from the ESV. Because porpoises have been suggested, dolphins have been suggested, and some sort of water dwelling. For our purposes, we don't care. It's skins. Two layers of animal skins. Four layers all together. They don't give the dimensions, and the best guess of scholars is that since they don't list them, it's probably like the goat hair covering one. It's probably similar to that. That's the best guess. Now, for starters, just to get you thinking along the right lines, what would it suggest to you about God when his tent had four layers to it? A beautiful layer on the inside, and then a coarse goat hair layer, and then two layers of animal skins. That all of which, those outer layers, especially the goat's hair one, which is explicit, are much bigger than the inner one. At the very least, you say, it would totally cover the inner curtain, wouldn't it? And I think that's the point. That it was to be overlapping so that it would totally cover what was inside. So what does that suggest to us? Even while God is dwelling in their midst, he's in a tent in their midst, it still highlights, actually, their separation, doesn't it? This is highlighted even further when we look at the next section. In verse 15, it talks about upright frames. Now, I'm not going to read this in detail. Basically... I learned a new word in this section, though. The, uh... What is it there? The, uh... Here we go. Tenons. Tenons. I didn't know what a tenon was because I'm not a woodworker. Any woodworkers out there know what a tenon is? It's a wood joint, okay? Well, they were to make planks that stood upright, and they would have two pegs or jutting out pieces of wood that would slide into a slot. You know, if you were making a table, you'd make one of those and slide into the other piece of wood. But in this case, they would slide into two silver bases. All the bases would be made out of silver, and each plank would have two bases and have a slot in it so you could slide the tenons into the slot. And then they would take poles, five of them on each side, and the poles would go across the boards this way, laterally, to keep the boards more secure. Everything, the poles and the boards, were all to be overlaid with gold. And this would be on three sides. You'd have 30 cubits in length on one side, 10 cubits in the back, then 30 cubits on the other side, with only one opening. If you try to get into this tent without using the door, You'd have to go through four layers of fabric and then beat your way through these gold-covered planks. There's no access except through the door. And the door, it had two doors. There was one in the middle of the tent that separated the holy place from the most holy place. The Holy of Holies, it's called, the inner place where God's throne was. So it broke it into a ten by ten by ten room. And that was called the veil. It was to be made out of the same material as that inner curtain. Fine twine linen, the expensive dyed yarns were to embroider, and it's explicit in the veil, they're to put cherubim on that veil as well, guarding God's holy presence. And then the screen that stood at the edge of the tent between the courtyard and the inside of the tent was called the screen. It was also made out of fine twine linen and to be embroidered, although it's not explicit what's to be embroidered in it. Presumably more cherubim, but we don't know. This doesn't say so. Okay? So, all of this suggests God's with us, but we're still separate. God's with us, but we're still separate. And this is not just my own fanciful idea. We actually have authoritative interpretation of this found in Hebrews chapter 9. I have that included in your notes. And Brother Al read this just a few minutes earlier. In verse 6 we pick it up. These preparations, now the preparations in view here are the setting up of the tabernacle and the furniture being placed in its appropriate places. These preparations. The setting up of the tabernacle preparations. So these preparations, having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties. But into the second, only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this, the Holy Spirit indicates... Isn't that an interesting use of the Holy Spirit? He's saying, by these regulations that God gave us, right? Well, God told Israel that they had to build this tabernacle this way, and that the priests had to perform these duties this way, and they had to offer these sacrifices this way. So God told us this. So, now he's summarizing all that by saying, by this the Holy Spirit indicates. Why does he say it that way? Because it's God's word to us. The triune God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. One God, three persons. Mind-boggling, but a reality. So he's just emphasizing that this is God's word to us by saying the scriptures indicated, but he didn't say scriptures, he said that this the Holy Spirit indicates. Okay, that's what he's after. So by this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened. As long as the first section is still standing, and now I think he has the whole tabernacle tent in view. Still standing which is symbolic for the present age. That's a little confusing to us because from our perspective Well, the tabernacle time was the past age But remember he's writing this right at the crossroads The age is switching in his generation Right, so he's speaking to his Jewish brethren this age that we've been in right this age but as long as this age continues which some people that he's probably talking to you want us to continue and But this age has to end. This is his point. So he's talking about this age towards past age. We know he's talking about the past age when you go to the second part of the verse, in verse 8, or verse 9, which is symbolic for the present age. According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper. Clearly he has the past age in view from our perspective. So he's talking about the time of the tabernacle. symbolically, of course, because the tabernacle hasn't been around for a long time, even when he was writing. He had a temple, right? But it's representative of the age before Christ, where they had to offer sacrifices. And so he's using this as an illustration for them. Okay? The point is that as long as this still stands, these sacrifices and this temple pattern still stands, then the way, the real way, into God's holy presence is not yet opened. It's closed off. The closer you get to the tabernacle, or the temple for that matter, if you lived in Israel at this time in the tabernacle where the temple was still up, if you got as close as you could get as a Gentile, it would be clear to you that you could not approach. What would happen if you tried? You would be put to death immediately. What does that say? It says, very simply, the way is closed. The way is closed. You cannot come. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Don't go. You can't go. It's shut off. The way is not opened. And it's a temporary way, showing that it's closed, because these sacrifices could never clear the conscience. The author goes on to explain that the very repetition of them shows that it can't really cleanse the sin from a person. If the sin was cleansed, why do you have to keep performing the sacrifices every year? But you do, because they don't. You follow me? You have to keep doing the sacrifices because they don't really cleanse you. What is going on with all of that? What is going on is that it's preparing the way for Jesus. There is a salvation, God is saying to Israel, there's a salvation that is so much better than saving you from Egypt. There's a salvation for us that's so much better than any salvation from any human enemy. And without it, no one gets in. And by definition, That's hell. See, the tabernacle is meant to be a picture of heaven. If you can't get into heaven, where are you? Jesus is the only thing that stands between us and hell. What the Bible could well describe as eternal death. Why all this rigmarole when it didn't actually accomplish the deeds? Well, I think it highlighted their separation. It highlighted their need for a savior, for one. But also, with all this role of the priests going into the first section, and the high priest going in once a year to the second section after offering sacrifices, all of this has another purpose, not only to say that you need that to happen, but also to show you how it's going to happen. Now, I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. And on April 19th every year, we have what's called a reenactment early in the morning. And the Redcoats, the British troops come marching into Lexington early in the morning. The few little, I always thought kind of pitiful looking crew of Lexingtonians, but bold because they had hardly any men to speak of, stood in their way and says, pass or we'll fire upon you. And that's where the American Revolution started. and they re-enact that every year. Why do they do that? Well, they do it the same reason we do anything like that, because it's a striking moment in history that we want to remember, and we want to honor. We want to remember it, and we want to honor it. Well, God does one better than that. He has a pre-enactment. There is a way into God's presence, and this is what it's going to look like. But when my anointed servant comes, he's going to do the real thing. And he's not going to do it in just a copy of heaven, he's going to do it in heaven. Listen to what he says back in Hebrews 9, verses 11 through 15. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, what is he talking about? This perfect tent. He's talking about the real tent, the real heaven. Verse 12, He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of His own blood. Thus securing an eternal redemption. Don't miss that word. Don't skip over it. Redemption means to purchase back. So by his blood, he purchased us back. An eternal purchasing back. An eternal purchasing back. How else are we going to pay for our sins eternally? In hell, brothers and sisters, eternally. Or we receive the good gift of an eternal redemption. A price that's paid that's big enough to pay what we need to eternally. Verse 13, for if the blood of goats and bulls and of sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, those are all things commanded in the old covenant. If these sanctify for the purification of the flesh, so that the priest could actually enter, right? If he didn't do it, he'd go in instead. If he did it, he goes in and he's spared. So if this cleansed him in a fleshly sense, verse 14, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience, our inner man? Make us really clean. They'll purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. We were created to serve the living God, we all rebelled against serving the living God, but God's work for us in Jesus Christ cleanses our conscience to return us to serving God! Really! Verse 15. Therefore He is a mediator of a new covenant. so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance since a death has occurred that redeems them. There's that word redeem again, purchases back them from the transgression committed under the first covenant. Do you see that we're saved from God's wrath? So we're actually saved from God. Because as rebellious sinners, we righteously deserve, rightly deserve wrath. But that's the glory of the gospel. Another paid our debt. A debt has occurred to pay what we owe. And pay it eternally. I wish I had time to track on through Hebrews chapter 9 and chapter 10. God preparing the way so now we can enter boldly into his presence. Wonderful, wonderful text. But I'm going to wrap up this morning with a few thoughts. We have been saved from God's vengeance. Let's look at 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 7-10. I have there my notes. This judgment day that we opened with is coming, and in Christ we avoid it. But notice the contrast. Those who are saved through Christ react one way at his return, and those who are not will be facing a very different reality. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his might. When he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed because our testimony to you was believed. This weak testimony, feel it, apparently weak testimony of ours that we have been entrusted with, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can have your sins forgiven, you can now enter into God's holy presence, relying upon the work of Jesus Christ, repenting, that means to turn and submit to the rule of Jesus in your life. This can be ours. All of this is what matters most. This should be our obsession. This should be what we think about. This is the truth, with a capital T. This is what needs to be on our lips to our children. This is what needs to be on our lips to one another. This is what needs to be on our lips to our friends and those who don't know God. This is the truth. This is urgent, in a way that nothing else is. This highlights it. The end highlights it. In the end, those who were scoffers, like, ah, that's abstract, religious, mumbo-jumbo, gobbledygook, will be terrified upon the return of our Lord. They will have to face the vengeance of the living God. Well, that is sobering and terrifying. Notice how it's described to us as being on the outside. I'm being the outside. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. But we will be on the inside. We get to see the glory of his presence and the wonder of his might and go glory. That's truth of the capital T. That's what really matters. So why aren't we more preoccupied with God's truth? Because, I mean, I'm just like you. I'm not looking down my nose at anyone here. We get preoccupied with everything else. Everything else seems to be pressing in upon us, crushing us, distracting us, enticing us. But everything else seems more important. We're barely squeaking enough time to get our Bibles out. Or we go to church and we start watching our clock because we want to go to lunch. And you know what? I'm not, again, looking down my nose at you. I'm the pastor, I've thought that way. You know? We do that. We are easily distracted by lesser things. We don't need to hide from the sin of ours. We don't. Don't be afraid of it. I'm not here to put a guilt trip on you. I'm here to expound the glories of the gospel. There is a way back into God's glory, and it's not by my own effort. It's not by your own effort. It's by a humble recognition of our sinfulness before a holy God, and a reliance upon the work of another on our behalf, Jesus our Savior. We don't have to be afraid of anything. We need to humbly walk with our God. And yes, that will result in a sincere effort to grow and to change. And His Holy Spirit will empower us to change. And that will be glorious. Every step out of sin into glory will be wonderful. But that's not where my foundation lies. That's not what I'm counting on. That points at the truth that I'm attached to the real tree. The tree of life. I have real life-giving sap in me, bearing real fruit. I still got some dead twigs on me. So do you. So, let's urge one another on to Christ-likeness. Let us remind each other of the truth, the central truth. It is agony to me when we assume the gospel. Never get to the point like, well, pastor, I already know that. Well then, know it again. And again. Breathe it in deep every day. It is your life. There is nothing more central, more urgent, more pressing than to know the gospel and to know it more and more deeply. We get to know the living God by knowing the gospel until he returns. Then we'll see him face to face. Now we see him in the words of the scriptures, which, by the way, all conspire to point us to Jesus. Again, the contrast between the myths that we usually live in and the truth is mentioned here in 2 Peter 1 by the Apostle Peter. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's it. I mean, everything else is a cleverly devised myth. But let's go on. But we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. What are you talking about, Peter? Verse 17. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and a voice was born to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." When did God say that in Jesus' public ministry? The Mount of Transfiguration. That's right. That's right. When Jesus went up on the mountain with three of his disciples, and the glory cloud of God came down, reminds you of Mount Sinai, and of God intentionally revealing himself in a similar way, I think. The glory cloud of God came down and he spoke these words out of the cloud about his son. Peter's saying, I was one of those guys. I was on the mountain. I saw it, I heard it. I testified to it. Now what's interesting, he says that, but then he says something really interesting. Verse 18, we ourselves heard this very voice born from heaven for we were with him on the holy mountain. Verse 19, and we have something more sure. Don't you wish you could have been Peter? I'm like, if I was Peter, then I got to hear the voice in my own ears. But he says, we have something even more sure than that. What does he say? The prophetic word. What is he summarizing with that little phrase? The prophetic word. The word of the prophets? The Bible, friends! Right? This is the scriptures. God spoke through prophets. We have the Bible. Peter thought that that was more sure than his own first-hand witness hearing with his own ears the voice out of that cloud. That's interesting. To which you will do well to pay attention. He's talking to... Who is he talking to? I think Timothy. I can't remember, so don't quote me on that. To which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp. shining in a dark place. No, it's not Timothy, it's for the Ephesian Christians. Ah, it came back to me. Alright, so, but pay attention to this as a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. That's wonderful. Pay attention to the scriptures. It's a lamp, and it shows you the path until you see the truth about what we've been describing here. And he describes this metaphorically as the sun rises. The sun comes up. The morning star comes up. You have bright, abundant light. You get it. You're in. The Word of God is like a lamp that leads you to that moment of, aha, this is all true. I behold the glory of the living God. Word of God does that for us. The scriptures do that for us. Verse 20, knowing this, first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Because all these words we have in the Bible are God's words. God's words. And God's words leads us to God. As we find out who Jesus is and what He has done for us. So let's not get caught up with the mockers. Let's not put our trust in cleverly devised myths. And the world is replete with them. I just opened with one common one. You can be all you want to be. That's a myth. That is not reality. And I'm not suggesting we go about trying to discourage everybody. But I want people to know the truth. We are dependent creatures. Dependent on the One who made us. Let's stand on God's witness. And think about this for a moment. The whole Bible conspires to point us to Jesus. I started with the instructions about how to make a glorious tent for God among his people. And I ended up with Jesus. I think that's the intended trajectory. And I don't think I'm forcing this upon it. There are more little cues I could have drawn out of this imagery. This is what we had time for this morning. All of God's word points us at Jesus. So, if you think about it, what does God talk about all the time? When you consider the words of God, the ones that we have, what does he spend all his time talking about? Jesus. Because Jesus is the exact representation of His glory. He is the complete radiance of God's glory. He is the one that explains God thoroughly. The center of His glory is right there on Jesus. I want us to think like that. I want us to encourage one another, to pray for one another, to think like that. That we are obsessed with Jesus. That we don't want anybody to bump us off the topic of the gospel. You never get to somebody and you get talking about something and they're not into the conversation, but you bring up something they're interested in and all of a sudden they're all... That should be the gospel for us. When we have an opportunity to talk about Jesus, oh yeah, let's talk about that. Let's think that over, let's kick that around. We were mentioning in Sunday School class that one of the things we struggle about sharing our faith with unbelievers is we think about, we are preoccupied with trying to get them to talk about God. Well, I think we should start by getting ourselves to talk about God. Even among ourselves. And there's only one way to do it. Get preoccupied with God. Get on your knees and say, I don't know what the pastor is talking about, my love is cold right now. Well, then you cry out to God until you see him. You follow that lamp of the scriptures, you ask for the Holy Spirit, and you wait on God to pour out the knowledge of his glory upon you through his scriptures. There is nothing to compare than to knowing God. Knowing God is the most important thing, the most urgent thing, the most wonderful thing, the most joyous thing. And if you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, find out! Cry out to Him! Ask! Because it's wondrous! Glorious! It's truth with a capital T. Let's pray. O Lord, save us from our obsession with the trivial. By Your grace, by the power of Your Spirit and Your Word working together, would You move us in this direction. Would you create in us a pure heart that loves your truth, that is hungry for your word, that has a zeal to know you, and longs for your return to see you face to face. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.