Guys, we're continuing in our series this evening entitled Law and Order. And we are tonight looking at Leviticus chapter 11 through 15. And if you happen to look on Instagram on the BBYM page, we have posted your devos for the week, meaning something for you to read so that you will be reading along with what we're preaching, where we're going, and you'll have opportunity or giving yourself even further opportunity for God to speak to you during your day, during your circumstances in a way that I most certainly can't. So, please take advantage of that. I know, man, I'm with you. There's things that are pulling at you for your time, and yet, it's about what is most important. You're not just going to fall into spending time with God in His Word. You're going to take time, okay? You know, we say often, I just don't have time. No, we haven't taken time. We haven't made time. Because anything else that we do, we've made time for it. Okay? We've made it fit. And we all have 24 hours in a day. The President of the United States does. And we certainly can make it a priority. Again, I apologize for my voice. That's beside the point. Hey, can you imagine living in this country during a time when a rapid disease breaks out and infects and in time basically contributes to the loss of life to maybe the extent of one to two-thirds of the population of our country? Can you imagine? We are so fascinated with apocalyptic type movies and shows and end of the world and you know the zombies and you know all that stuff people just you know go crazy over it and there's something about that you know the threat that kind of you know it does something to us. And there is. The Bible speaks about end times and about things that will happen, you know, towards the end of days. And many people are questioning right now whether this is the time. That's not my point tonight, but there was in the 14th century, there was something that happened. Many of you guys probably heard about it in school. If you like history, you paid attention. If not, you slept and you wiped the slobber off your desk. And you came to later. Hunter's like, yeah, that was me. something called the bubonic plague and this happened in the 14th century in Europe and it literally killed 75 million people over a course of 300 years 75 million people it literally took the lives of, you know, scholars, historians disagree, you know, agree to disagree, potentially up to one-third to two-thirds of the population. It didn't just affect a country, it affected the entire continent, okay? And it was contracted. Fleas and rats were carrying the disease. Okay? And I cannot imagine living in a time when there was that type of loss of life due to a disease that happened to be carried through something as small and simple as fleas and rats. It's pretty devastating. And you'll see where this is going here in a moment, but I want you to check out chapter 11 of Leviticus. We're going to read the first eight verses, and I want you to follow me. You can grab a Bible next to you. You can see it on the screen. We're going to read this together and see what God has for us tonight. It says this in verse 1, and the Lord spoke Okay, important to note. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, speak to the people of Israel saying, these are the living things that you may eat along all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts of the hoof is cloven footed and chews the cud among the animals you may eat. Nevertheless, we're like, what in the world is going on here? Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud among the animals you may eat." Verse 4, "'Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these.' Don't eat the camel. Why? Because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof. It is unclean to you. Don't eat the rock badger because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof. It is unclean to you. And the hare, a.k.a. rabbit, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the pig, How many of you guys have eaten any of these things yet? Okay, all right, I got you. Because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud and is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh and you shall not even touch their carcasses for they are unclean to you. God, what in the world are you saying? Okay, you read a passage like this and I've heard it said and I'm, you know, looking at this going, you know, this in a way is like, whoa, has nothing to do with my life, right? And really when you read the Bible, okay, this, your attitude based on what you just heard can maybe be a signal or a pointer to your attitude about the Word of God, okay? If you just read that and went, Man, this is the most boring thing in the world. Okay, or maybe you're like that's interesting Okay, weird, but interesting or maybe God, how can this show me Jesus? How in the world can I connect the dots from this to Jesus and live my life in light of what God has done here, okay? Well, we're not there yet. So, we need to know what's going on. When we say, God, what in the world are you saying here, we need to know what God is has done and what's leading up to this. So, I will recap once again. God chose an unsuspecting and unlikely group of people called Israel. You familiar? Because they're still in Israel to this day. They're just a little podunk people. We can relate to that, okay? Little teeny town, you know, really don't amount to anything. As far as that's concerned, and that's kind of God's track record, He chooses the unlikely, okay? He chooses those who, you know, don't have it all going on. Well, He chooses this group of people to be his people and in so doing that choice brings about his action Okay, when he chooses a group of people to show his love towards them He definitely takes that check to the bank and cashes it. How does he do that? he brings them out of a a native or a nation of Egypt where they were Abused, taken advantage of. He rescues them from slavery. He rescues them from death. He leads them through the wilderness. And big picture, we're not there yet, into a promised land. He has promised them a place. Even bigger than that, this is the people that God has chosen to bring about His Son, Jesus, ultimately into this world. That's the big picture. God still is doing that very thing. He is rescuing people from slavery. He is saving them from death. He is leading them through the wilderness of life with all the challenges, setbacks, confusion, and rough patches that comes with life. We could call it a wilderness, if you will. He also is bringing us to a promised land. Ultimately, big picture, there will be a new heavens and a new earth where we will live in His company, in His pleasure forever. And forever is a really long time. And so we have these questions that I think tonight can be answered to some extent. And they're questions like this, can I really, really approach God with confidence? Can I come into God's presence and feel good about it? Do I, must I fear the presence of God? We ask questions like, can, is it possible for me to actually be like God? Can I be like God? Can I be transformed to resemble God in any form or fashion? Is there a better way to live? Is there a better way to live than the way I'm living right now? Questions that all of us answer from time to time. Questions like, does my lifestyle matter? Does it matter the way I live? Or can I, because of what God does, because of God's love, I can live however I flippin' want to, right? I can do whatever I want because God loves me so much, he just forgives. He just forgives and forgives and forgives, and so whatever I wanna do is, you know, there are no guardrails, there is nothing off limits, questions that we may have. Then there's these thoughts, well, I'm good enough. Okay? I'm good enough because I compare myself to somebody over here. My life is definitely nothing like that, so God, you definitely, you know, we're good. We're good. Right, God? We're good because I'm not doing that. And then there's the other end of the spectrum is I can't be good enough. There is no way that I can be good enough for God. And so where's the balance there? Where do we find, is there a moderate place? Is there somewhere in the middle? All questions that we don't have time to answer tonight, but we certainly can get a preview of what God wants for some of those unanswered questions that we might have tonight. So we just read something that I understand you're like, what in the world? I can't eat pig, I can't eat rabbit, I can't eat You know, camel, I never really wanted to eat camel, but pig, man, I love me a good, you know, pulled pork barbecue sandwich. Uh-huh, yeah, I'm all about it. Definitely, Oktoberfest, if big guys barbecues down there, I'm hitting that up. good thing is this is the Old Testament there are certainly things that apply to us today but this is not one of those things when you read the New Testament you see the fulfillment as Jesus has come that these things these eating requirements don't directly apply to God's people in this age and the way that God is involving himself in our lives so God is leading these people through the desert Okay, I mentioned that last week, I mentioned that again tonight. Can you imagine being led through a desert? Any of you guys ever been to a desert? Okay. Ramiro, Larissa, a couple of you. Is it hot? Is it dry? Okay. Most likely you had an air conditioner. Most likely you had the comfort that these people did not have and they're being led through the desert. They're thirsty. They're starving. I can't even wrap my mind around that. Days upon days walking through this desert. The heat is unbearable. And I'm only guessing that they would eat just about anything. They'd eat their foot, if need be. They'll drink just about anything. They're much like kids who don't know any better, right? I mean, I'm guessing you've seen kids, you know, who they take their pacifier out and they let the dog lick it and they put it back in their mouth. Okay, I heard a story about a kid who was in line with their mom and they just kept crying and whining about, I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty. Mom said, wait until we get home, I don't have anything right now, we're almost out of here. I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty. Next thing she knows, she turns her head for just a minute to pay for said items. Baby goes around, the cashier comes back out with a cup, who knows where it came from, and is sucking on a straw. And they're like, oh no. Cashier's embarrassed, like, that was my drink. I don't know. But kids do the darndest things, we know that. And in a real way, the people of God, you and me today even, we're like kids, man. God's the Father, and we're like kids who do stupid, crazy things. And I'm guessing that God, in this time, bringing these people through this time, He's speaking on purpose, for a purpose. And these laws about eating particular foods, and we read continually, not just about this chapter, but 12, 13, 14, 15, these laws protect from disease. I mentioned a disease that covers the country and destroys and murders, in a way, multiple people. These laws protect from diseases that can come from things like unclean food. As you later read, childbirth, things that can harm you as a result, skin diseases we read about, bodily fluids that you come into contact with that are harmful, mildew, fungus, things like that. But even bigger than protecting them physically, God is teaching them. As we read in verse 44 and 45, I want you to turn there. God is teaching these people, and you and me can take advantage of this, because he's teaching us the same thing, how to be holy. How to be holy. Verse 45, 44 rather. For I am the Lord your God. Therefore, he didn't say that, but here's the launch pad. I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy. You shall not Defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. Verse 45, again, a reminder, for I am the Lord. What did I do? I brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall, therefore, because of what I have done, be holy for I am holy. The bigger thing that's happening here is God is teaching them and us how to be holy What is holy? It's to be unique, it's to be distinct, it's to be set apart, it's to be uncommon. And God has called his people, these people, you and me, if we name the name of Jesus, he has called us to be uncommon. He has called us to be unique, to be distinct, to be different. And all the people, all the bystanders, all the other nations would see that these people belong to God. They have the favor of God. They have been rescued from God. It's not because they're good. It's not because of what they've done. It's because of what God chose to do in their lives. And they are the vessels of His grace and His mercy. And so how can I be holy? How can you be holy? Jesus says, listen to me. The way to holiness. How can you be holy? Listen to me. Obey me. And what does Jesus say? He says, follow me. He says, obey my commandments. If you love me, you will obey me. He says, make disciples. He says, love one another. He says, fear not. He says things like, cast your cares on me. Obey me. So the disease of sin will bring a far greater destruction than any of these other things, eating unclean food, touching bodily fluids that are unclean, involving yourself in things that he has stated clearly that he wants to be at arm's reach. Do not do this for your own protection. And really guys, if we talk about holiness, which is, okay, you guys probably don't talk about this much, and I don't either because it's misunderstood, but let's set the record straight. We talk about holiness, we've got to talk about sin. And sin is seen in behavior, no question about it. But really, sin is not as much a behavior, it's really the fruit of a root problem. So if you look at your sin in your life, you can track it as it's a fruit back to the root. The root is the problem, the fruit is the sin. So more or less, The root of your sin is your view of God. How do you view God? The way that you sin, we all sin differently. We tend to like to call people out on their sins because they're worse than ours, right? But we all sin differently. And it tracks back to your view of God. How do you view God? What do you treasure most? That's what contributes to your sin. Somebody said this. A pastor said this. What is sin? His response was this. Hear this. This is what sin is. Because I think there's a misunderstanding of what sin is. Is sin what you do? Sure, but it's bigger than that. It's more than that. He says this, it's the glory of God, not honored. It's the holiness of God, not reverence. It's the greatness of God, not admired. It's the power of God, not praised. It's the truth of God. not sought. It's the wisdom of God, not esteemed. It's the beauty of God, not treasured. It's the goodness of God, not savored. It's the faithfulness of God, not trusted. It's the commandments of God, not obeyed. It's the justice of God, not respected. It's the wrath of God, not feared. And it's the grace of God, not cherished. It's the presence of God, not prized. It's the person of God, not loved. That is sin. Boil it down. Your sin is not so much what you do, it is the root, rather the fruit of the root problem, and that's that you don't love the person of God. So rather than dealing with the symptom of the problem, we need to go back and address the heart, as did these people. looking to their heart. Will they do these things even in spite of the fact that they seem strange or, you know, in their context even? I talked about the plague. In 1666 there was something called the Great Fire of London that took place. It wiped out nearly 70,000 out of 80,000 homes. It was believed to be the end of the bubonic plague. The fire was so hot it incinerated everything on the outskirts. It was that hot that everything in the outskirts burnt to the ground as well. It took a greater death to beat. It took a greater death by fire to stop the death of the disease that took place during the bubonic plague. It took a greater death to beat, to outwin the death of disease. Think about Jesus. Think about the greater death that had to take place for our sin to be defeated. Think about Jesus for a moment and taking on the sins of all mankind. Think about your sin. Think about how God satisfies His holy judgment on all people. By treating his son like a rapist. By treating his son like a murderer. By treating his son like a terrorist, like a thief. Or maybe the more simple sins like your hateful attitude today, or your selfishness, or your pride, or your arrogance, or your laziness. The words that you've spoken that you can't take back, can't reel in. Your half-hearted commitment, you're not giving it your best at what God's called you to. The truth is, that's not very popular, and I even hate to say something like that, because how dare we even say something, attribute something to our God, who is so good and so great, but yet He took upon the sin of mankind. You, me, everyone. So it's the real deal that God treated Him as if He did all of those things. He took upon Himself the weight of your sin and mine. The person you think the world's worst about, He took upon their sin. Had them on His mind at the cross. So if you've not been rescued tonight, if you sit in this seat tonight, you've not been rescued, there is no way that you can be holy and be like the rescuer. There is no way. It does not happen apart from meeting Jesus. You can't whip it up. You can't be good enough. You can't conjure it up. It's not good enough to come to church. It's not good enough to play the part. It's not good enough to bow your head when I ask you to. It's not good enough to listen to everything that's being said. And if you're in here and you don't give a rip about any of this, you're not too bad either. If you totally ignore everything that's being said, you're not too bad either. God wants you. And Jesus is the source of power. He is the motivation. He is the goal. He is the destination. He is where we want to take you. He is where I want to be. He is where I want to go. He is where I want to stay. And I love what Paul says in 2 Corinthians, and he connects the dots for us. He connects the dots for me, anyway, in 2 Corinthians 6, and I'll wrap it up with this. He says this, what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. He's talking to you and me. This is our context. As God said, I'll make my dwelling among them, and I'll walk among them, and I'll be their God, and they shall be my people. therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them says the Lord and touch no unclean thing then I will welcome you and I'll be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters to me says the Lord Almighty he's quoting Old Testament there then in verse 1 of chapter 7 he says this since we have these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God Hear this, if you don't hear anything. We don't live holy lives to get God's love. We don't live holy lives to get God's love. We live holy lives because we've got God's love. You don't do it to earn it, you do it because it's been earned for you. You live unique, you live set apart, you live a life in obedience to God no matter what everybody else is doing and what they're saying because of what He's done for you. Out of His love for you, that's the motivation. And when I hear about teenagers doing drugs, having sex, cussing like a sailor, suicidal doing crazy things I mean nothing surprises me anymore okay you can't bring anything to my ears that's gonna surprise me try me okay why do people why do you do these things if you're in here in this room why have you had those thoughts why do you feel the way you do it's because you don't know God's love for you All of those things, the drugs, the sex, outside of marriage because sex is a great thing, the cussing, the anger, the depression, it's a symptom. It's a symptom of the root problem. God is for you. If he's for you, who can be against you, he says. So just like these people, they had God's protection. He wants to protect you, and He puts things in your life. And I want you to close your eyes, I want you to bow your heads, and I want you to think as I just bring these things to our attention. God's protection of you, of your past, of your present, and of your future. Maybe that protection has come in helping you to avoid a relationship gone wrong, maybe with a boyfriend or a girlfriend, because that matters who you date. because they may become your mate long term. Protecting you. He wants to protect you from what goes in your body. It's not condemnation, it's not saying, hey, don't do drugs, that's stupid. It's, yeah, it's stupid, but it also causes you to walk away from the God you love. It takes you away from the God who loves you. He protects you. He doesn't want you to be good. He has been good for you. And in turn, as He lives His life through you, you will be good. How do you defile your body, your spirit? What comes to mind when you think garbage in and garbage out? Will you take the time to pray and ask God to help you turn from that, whatever that is, and turn to Jesus today? He wants to cleanse your heart. He wants to cleanse your mind, your spirit. He wants you, he wants other people, he wants your life to speak loudly of what God has done. Are you looking to anything else besides Jesus to be clean, to be acceptable to God? Because you can't look any further than Jesus. And if you're unsaved, now's the time to give up trying to be clean, trying to be good, trying to accomplish what has already been done for you. You simply need to receive it. God, I pray for these students. I have two or three minutes to just kind of meander off to our groups and say, I love you. I pray that what they've heard tonight, what we've heard tonight, what I've heard tonight, God, we will put into practice. that ultimately we will not, again, try to live good lives to get your love. But because we've got your love, we can be good. In Jesus' name, amen.