1 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,480 I'm sure, like me, you've grown up with an understanding that 2 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,920 when you're going to visit someone important, you get dressed 3 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:19,200 up. 4 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,720 Many of us here remember a time when people travelled on an 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,080 airplane, even for their holidays, and men would wear a suit 6 00:00:26,230 --> 00:00:28,710 suit and ladies would wear dresses. 7 00:00:29,270 --> 00:00:33,830 That was the standard of air travel back 30, 40, 50 years ago. 8 00:00:34,470 --> 00:00:37,430 And of course, within the context of the church, go back 35 9 00:00:37,430 --> 00:00:41,190 to 40 years, and children got a new outfit for Children's Day every 10 00:00:41,190 --> 00:00:44,750 year, and that was the fanciest thing you would wear for 11 00:00:44,750 --> 00:00:45,830 that following year. 12 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:48,550 The adult equivalent would be a wedding. 13 00:00:48,790 --> 00:00:53,320 A new suit or dress would be bought, and those were the good clothes 14 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,480 that would then be worn to church or other special occasions. 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,760 And I remember it being told to me in early days that the example 16 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:03,680 would always be given. 17 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,920 Well, if you were going to visit the Queen of England, you dress 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:06,680 in your finest. 19 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,440 And so whenever a friend of ours who's a Church of Scotland minister, 20 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,480 was invited to spend a weekend with the Queen at Balmoral, as happens 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,480 every summer and still today to the King as the minister for the 22 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,460 weekend, we found something very different. 23 00:01:22,580 --> 00:01:27,260 That when you want to spend personal time with the Queen of Scotland, 24 00:01:27,260 --> 00:01:32,820 as she would be in Balmoral, you were told not to bring fancy 25 00:01:32,820 --> 00:01:33,380 clothes. 26 00:01:34,740 --> 00:01:37,780 She would take you out, our friend told us, in a Land Rover, 27 00:01:38,340 --> 00:01:45,550 and you simply had to wear boots, jeans and a polo shirt, because 28 00:01:45,550 --> 00:01:50,110 she would be racing along the roads of Balmoral and you never knew 29 00:01:50,110 --> 00:01:52,990 where she would stop and what you'd have to do when you'd get out. 30 00:01:54,910 --> 00:01:59,670 The only requirement for dress was whenever the minister would be 31 00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:03,310 conducting worship at Crathy Kirk on the Sunday morning. 32 00:02:04,430 --> 00:02:09,070 So to spend time with the Queen of Scotland as she would have 33 00:02:09,070 --> 00:02:12,119 been then, you didn't have to dress up. 34 00:02:12,999 --> 00:02:16,439 You simply came as you were and she received you. 35 00:02:17,879 --> 00:02:21,239 Now, we do live in different times, and perhaps the amount of 36 00:02:21,239 --> 00:02:24,839 money available for the fancy clothes that I mentioned just a moment 37 00:02:24,839 --> 00:02:27,519 ago was limited 35 or 40 years. 38 00:02:27,519 --> 00:02:30,759 And the fact that a lot of our clothing is now comparatively cheaper 39 00:02:30,759 --> 00:02:35,479 than a few decades ago means that we can now have more and more 40 00:02:35,479 --> 00:02:37,730 clothes and thunder fancier clothes than we did. 41 00:02:38,210 --> 00:02:41,970 But we understand that we need really two sets of clothes. 42 00:02:42,210 --> 00:02:46,050 We need clothes for everyday life, for work and everything else, 43 00:02:46,290 --> 00:02:50,050 and we need clothes for those occasions where we need to look smarter. 44 00:02:50,770 --> 00:02:54,690 We understand a sense of occasion that requires us to wear 45 00:02:54,690 --> 00:02:58,370 clothes that we ordinarily wouldn't wear day to day. 46 00:02:58,850 --> 00:03:02,650 Now, Exodus 19 isn't about wearing clothes, nor is it about 47 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:06,050 the argument about what clothes to wear and when. 48 00:03:06,930 --> 00:03:11,090 But what it is about is a sense of occasion. 49 00:03:11,890 --> 00:03:17,810 And the people of Israel need to step up or rise to that occasion. 50 00:03:18,530 --> 00:03:21,290 And so the opening verses helpfully remind us of where the 51 00:03:21,290 --> 00:03:22,610 children of Israel are. 52 00:03:23,570 --> 00:03:27,570 It's been three months since they left Egypt and they entered 53 00:03:27,570 --> 00:03:28,850 the desert of Sinai. 54 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:32,900 They now camp in front of Mount Sinai, a mountain that they 55 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:35,340 cannot ignore because of its size. 56 00:03:36,300 --> 00:03:41,780 And they're also here being far enough away from Egypt so they 57 00:03:41,780 --> 00:03:45,580 actually can take time to catch their breath and to rest. 58 00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:49,980 I don't think many of us realize this, that chapter 19 of 59 00:03:49,980 --> 00:03:55,230 Exodus begins at one year account of their time at Sinai and 60 00:03:55,230 --> 00:03:56,470 throughout the rest of this book. 61 00:03:56,470 --> 00:04:02,390 And as far as numbers chapter 10, they are here at the mountain 62 00:04:02,390 --> 00:04:03,030 of God. 63 00:04:03,270 --> 00:04:05,270 This is unusual for the Old Testament. 64 00:04:05,430 --> 00:04:09,590 The Old Testament does not cover the period of a year, not just 65 00:04:09,590 --> 00:04:12,430 in so many chapters, but in quite literally, effectively two 66 00:04:12,430 --> 00:04:13,430 books of the Bible. 67 00:04:14,710 --> 00:04:18,710 And so the 52 weeks that they spend at Mount Sinai are important 68 00:04:18,870 --> 00:04:21,789 ones because it's going to be here that they are for formed as 69 00:04:21,789 --> 00:04:25,629 a people and as a nation, community of God. 70 00:04:26,749 --> 00:04:30,189 And this chapter presents two things to the people. 71 00:04:30,669 --> 00:04:34,909 The first, between verses three to eight, present the people 72 00:04:35,149 --> 00:04:36,429 the Lord's invitation. 73 00:04:37,149 --> 00:04:40,269 The second thing then presented to the people in the rest 74 00:04:40,269 --> 00:04:44,029 of the chapter is the Lord's requirement of holiness. 75 00:04:45,149 --> 00:04:49,100 And so we begin with the first half, which is the Lord's invitation. 76 00:04:51,420 --> 00:04:55,180 Moses is called up to meet with God. 77 00:04:55,900 --> 00:04:58,300 He's to transcend the mountain. 78 00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:06,100 And we've seen this before, that he goes before God on behalf 79 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:09,020 of the people to bring them back a message. 80 00:05:10,140 --> 00:05:13,340 And they're first to remember what God has done for them. 81 00:05:14,230 --> 00:05:18,870 Verse 4 reminds them of what they have experienced, what they've 82 00:05:18,870 --> 00:05:21,830 seen as God rescued them from Egypt. 83 00:05:22,630 --> 00:05:26,550 Here it's described to us as having God carrying them on eagle's 84 00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:26,830 wings. 85 00:05:26,830 --> 00:05:29,430 And this is a phrase that will be used again in the Old Testament 86 00:05:29,510 --> 00:05:34,830 and communicates that they have come swiftly and safely to the 87 00:05:34,830 --> 00:05:36,710 Lord's presence at Sinai. 88 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:41,540 Well, the invitation that the Lord wants to give his people comes 89 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:42,940 in verse five. 90 00:05:42,940 --> 00:05:46,580 And I don't think this is making its way to the screen, so 91 00:05:46,580 --> 00:05:49,300 you'll just have to follow along if you have your Bible there. 92 00:05:50,180 --> 00:05:55,380 So verse 5 says, now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, 93 00:05:55,700 --> 00:06:00,180 then out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession. 94 00:06:01,140 --> 00:06:06,580 The Lord is inviting them to be this wonderful phrase, his treasured 95 00:06:06,660 --> 00:06:08,020 possession, possession. 96 00:06:08,580 --> 00:06:11,460 God invites them into a covenant relationship. 97 00:06:11,940 --> 00:06:17,380 And in that he describes their obligations as well as his obligations, 98 00:06:18,180 --> 00:06:20,740 the people are already in a relationship with him. 99 00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:24,340 And that goes back as far as the covenant with Abraham. 100 00:06:24,980 --> 00:06:29,180 So what God is presenting here by way of what we call the Sinai 101 00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:33,060 covenant does not replace what was given to Abraham, but it now 102 00:06:33,060 --> 00:06:37,480 applies to the Israelites, a nation, not just to one person and 103 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,160 their family, but now to the whole nation. 104 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,240 And so God has already redeemed them from slavery and from 105 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,720 evil, and they did nothing of themselves to do this. 106 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:54,080 So this covenant is like a king who rescues a helpless people 107 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,200 and invites them to become his loyal subjects, with all the responsibilities 108 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,000 and benefits that such an invitation gives them. 109 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,400 The people will need to listen to the king. 110 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,320 That's what's here at the start of verse five. 111 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:16,120 But the king himself guarantees his ongoing care for them 112 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:18,040 at the end of the verse. 113 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,160 And the Lord makes it clear that this is an invitation for the 114 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,280 children of Israel, only this is not far and wide. 115 00:07:27,130 --> 00:07:28,410 This is just for them. 116 00:07:28,810 --> 00:07:31,770 Because he goes on to say at the end of verse five and into verse 117 00:07:31,770 --> 00:07:36,330 six, although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom 118 00:07:36,330 --> 00:07:38,970 of priests and a holy nation. 119 00:07:40,010 --> 00:07:44,090 These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. 120 00:07:45,130 --> 00:07:50,330 Now we get the sense in this verse that the Lord has looked across 121 00:07:50,570 --> 00:07:55,040 the earth and found no other people group with him whom he could 122 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:56,360 establish his covenants. 123 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:03,040 And they accept, and they will be a nation who worships him, as 124 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,520 they know his great love of salvation towards them. 125 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,200 And it's later on in Scripture, in Deuteronomy, chapter 126 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,160 seven, that we get a greater understanding of what all of this 127 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,160 means, because we are told In Deuteronomy, chapter 7 and verses 128 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:24,050 7 to 8, the Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you 129 00:08:24,050 --> 00:08:28,250 because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were 130 00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:30,290 the fewest of all peoples. 131 00:08:31,010 --> 00:08:35,530 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore 132 00:08:35,530 --> 00:08:40,050 to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand 133 00:08:40,450 --> 00:08:46,060 and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the parents of Pharaoh, 134 00:08:46,060 --> 00:08:47,420 king of Egypt. 135 00:08:49,180 --> 00:08:55,500 It is truly amazing that through his great love, the Lord 136 00:08:55,500 --> 00:09:00,780 remains with his rebellious people because of his love for them 137 00:09:01,340 --> 00:09:04,140 and his promise to their forefathers. 138 00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:09,020 And it is into this invitation that they must respond. 139 00:09:10,380 --> 00:09:14,780 And as Moses goes back down the mountain to the children of Israel, 140 00:09:15,020 --> 00:09:18,820 they agree positively and they commit themselves to the Lord. 141 00:09:18,820 --> 00:09:23,620 And they affirm in verse eight, we will do everything the 142 00:09:23,620 --> 00:09:24,860 Lord has said. 143 00:09:25,580 --> 00:09:26,780 This is their affirmation. 144 00:09:26,780 --> 00:09:28,380 Whatever God says, we will do. 145 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,020 We understand what this covenant is. 146 00:09:31,100 --> 00:09:33,500 We understand our obligation to Him. 147 00:09:33,660 --> 00:09:35,980 But we know his great promises to us. 148 00:09:36,780 --> 00:09:40,050 And so Moses brought their answer back to the Lord. 149 00:09:40,050 --> 00:09:45,090 Now this is what we would hope and expect them to do after everything 150 00:09:45,090 --> 00:09:46,690 the Lord has done for them. 151 00:09:47,090 --> 00:09:50,250 He has provided a way of salvation for them and he invites 152 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:51,970 them to love him in return. 153 00:09:53,010 --> 00:09:57,450 And it's a wonderful invitation, and it's such an invitation 154 00:09:57,450 --> 00:09:59,330 that still exists today. 155 00:10:00,210 --> 00:10:05,050 Only the salvation God brought about to redeem people is not rescue 156 00:10:05,050 --> 00:10:08,690 from Egypt and passage through the mighty waters of the Red Sea. 157 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,640 The invitation is to come to him because he has given us his one 158 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:19,280 and only Son, so that we can know true salvation for all eternity. 159 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,840 Let's remind ourselves of what this gospel truth is as we read it 160 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,040 in John chapter 3 and verse 16. 161 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:34,240 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 162 00:10:34,810 --> 00:10:41,610 that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal 163 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:42,250 life. 164 00:10:44,250 --> 00:10:47,210 Now, we're very familiar with this verse. 165 00:10:47,850 --> 00:10:51,810 We see this verse up and down the country on the back of buses, 166 00:10:51,810 --> 00:10:56,130 and as I've told you before, even the country rural roads of South 167 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:59,170 Armagh where it was cut into a hedge. 168 00:10:59,170 --> 00:11:00,970 Just the reference, John 3. 169 00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:08,300 And so just as God spoke of his love and he demonstrated it to 170 00:11:08,300 --> 00:11:12,700 the children of Egypt or the children of Israel at Sinai, so today 171 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:16,620 we have his love demonstrated to us in Jesus Christ. 172 00:11:17,420 --> 00:11:23,180 And the invitation is to have Christ only as our Savior. 173 00:11:25,180 --> 00:11:27,660 And with this comes responsibilities, but it also comes 174 00:11:27,660 --> 00:11:28,460 with benefits. 175 00:11:29,380 --> 00:11:34,180 To receive the invitation of Christ is to know him only as Savior. 176 00:11:35,060 --> 00:11:40,180 This means that we don't trust in our own merits or in our own intelligence. 177 00:11:40,820 --> 00:11:44,580 It means we don't go after the pleasures of this world that only 178 00:11:44,659 --> 00:11:47,460 want to pull us away from the salvation of God. 179 00:11:48,260 --> 00:11:52,020 And when we do respond positively to the invitation of Christ, 180 00:11:52,660 --> 00:11:59,370 then we are guaranteed eternal life, his presence in heaven forever. 181 00:12:00,490 --> 00:12:04,730 And there's no other way to be sure of a heavenly home. 182 00:12:05,130 --> 00:12:07,770 It is only through Christ. 183 00:12:10,330 --> 00:12:14,330 The last Sunday in June in many ways marks the end of a year 184 00:12:14,330 --> 00:12:16,330 of ministry and a year of teaching. 185 00:12:16,330 --> 00:12:19,570 And today we will pause our studies in Exodus that we began in 186 00:12:19,570 --> 00:12:22,970 September and we'll probably pick them up in a few years time. 187 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,560 But as we've gone through this book of the Old Testament each week 188 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:32,520 we have heard how great God is to his people and how he rescues 189 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,520 and how he saves them. 190 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:40,200 And the challenge has gone out from this pulpit to respond likewise. 191 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:46,720 And no passage so far in this book is as clear to this call to 192 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,080 respond to Christ as this one. 193 00:12:51,650 --> 00:12:54,770 So why not respond to this today? 194 00:12:55,810 --> 00:13:01,050 It's what Jesus invites us to do in Matthew 11:28, come to me. 195 00:13:01,050 --> 00:13:06,250 Jesus says, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give 196 00:13:06,250 --> 00:13:07,010 you rest. 197 00:13:07,410 --> 00:13:11,010 In other words, Jesus says, I will give you eternal rest. 198 00:13:11,090 --> 00:13:12,770 I will give you salvation. 199 00:13:13,570 --> 00:13:17,600 Just as he did to the children of Israel at Sinai. 200 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:19,840 So he still offers. 201 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:28,080 Today we're invited to come to know Jesus and to know his salvation. 202 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,760 So why not respond to him today? 203 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:36,240 What's your excuse? 204 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:38,400 What's your reason? 205 00:13:41,290 --> 00:13:43,890 Because I can guarantee whatever answer you would give if 206 00:13:43,890 --> 00:13:45,050 it was in the negative. 207 00:13:46,250 --> 00:13:51,050 You know as well as I know it's no excuse or reason at all. 208 00:13:53,130 --> 00:13:58,410 In your mind, it's only convenience to stay the way you are 209 00:13:59,290 --> 00:14:03,530 rather than accept the truth that is presented to us in Scripture. 210 00:14:04,970 --> 00:14:11,050 You see, to respond to Jesus means that we must be intentional 211 00:14:11,450 --> 00:14:12,330 about living. 212 00:14:12,410 --> 00:14:20,410 For him to respond to Jesus means we place him above everything 213 00:14:20,570 --> 00:14:25,610 else in our lives so that we can be sure of his great salvation. 214 00:14:25,690 --> 00:14:28,810 And there will be much about this in the chapters to come. 215 00:14:29,290 --> 00:14:33,250 But in chapter 19, we get our first understanding of what it means 216 00:14:33,250 --> 00:14:37,290 to be his people and what is his requirements of holiness. 217 00:14:37,690 --> 00:14:39,170 And this takes us into the second. 218 00:14:39,170 --> 00:14:42,690 So as much as there is an invitation to come to Jesus to respond 219 00:14:42,690 --> 00:14:46,410 to him today, and by the way, no excuse not to is ever good enough. 220 00:14:47,930 --> 00:14:50,570 So we have to know what is his requirement of us. 221 00:14:52,410 --> 00:14:56,330 His invitation of salvation is what he gives to us, but what is 222 00:14:56,410 --> 00:14:57,770 our responsibility? 223 00:14:58,410 --> 00:15:00,970 And so with the time that we have left, we're quickly going to 224 00:15:00,970 --> 00:15:05,520 look what we're told with the people's positive response. 225 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,840 Moses returns to the Lord and is told that the Lord is coming or 226 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:11,480 is going to come down the mountain. 227 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,080 Now, this will mean that certain procedures will have to be 228 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,400 followed, because the truth that we must know is that God is 229 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:27,410 holy and God is pure, and no human, because of their sin, can 230 00:15:27,410 --> 00:15:33,330 look upon him or touch him, or be in his presence as he truly is. 231 00:15:34,610 --> 00:15:38,130 So the first thing we're told in verse nine is that he will come 232 00:15:38,130 --> 00:15:39,650 in a dense cloud. 233 00:15:40,930 --> 00:15:45,050 It was amazing how quickly the other day the sea fog just rolled 234 00:15:45,050 --> 00:15:48,210 in from what was sunny weather till we could barely see anything 235 00:15:48,210 --> 00:15:50,450 in front of us on Friday afternoon and evening. 236 00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:53,090 And then, of course, as quickly as it came, it disappeared. 237 00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:56,820 But imagine that cloud coming down and imagine it being thicker 238 00:15:56,820 --> 00:16:00,700 so that you can't see, because the Lord will come in a way in the 239 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:05,060 dense cloud that will protect Moses and the people so that they 240 00:16:05,060 --> 00:16:08,020 can't look upon him, because they cannot look upon him and live. 241 00:16:08,660 --> 00:16:10,740 And from the cloud will come A voice. 242 00:16:11,380 --> 00:16:14,620 And this voice is important because the Lord said to Moses in 243 00:16:14,620 --> 00:16:19,060 verse nine, I'm going to come down to you in a dense cloud so that 244 00:16:19,430 --> 00:16:23,590 the people will hear me speaking with you and will always 245 00:16:23,830 --> 00:16:25,350 put their trust in you. 246 00:16:26,630 --> 00:16:29,910 So there's going to be an active display here of who the Lord 247 00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:32,950 has chosen to be his representative to the people. 248 00:16:33,270 --> 00:16:36,950 And the people are not to question it, because the people will 249 00:16:36,950 --> 00:16:40,870 hear the Lord speak to Moses and know that they are to follow 250 00:16:40,950 --> 00:16:44,510 what he says, because what he has given comes straight from the 251 00:16:44,510 --> 00:16:44,870 Lord. 252 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,000 And here's what Moses is told in verse 10. 253 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:54,000 The people are to prepare themselves for this moment, and this 254 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:55,960 comes in the word of consecration. 255 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:57,760 They are to consecrate themselves. 256 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,920 They're to cleanse themselves of ritual impurity. 257 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,280 Now, God's laws describes three basic states. 258 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,840 Impurity, purity, and holiness. 259 00:17:11,050 --> 00:17:14,250 Impurity, purity, and holiness. 260 00:17:14,890 --> 00:17:18,890 And most importantly, ritual impurity is never to come into contact 261 00:17:19,050 --> 00:17:20,810 with ritual holiness. 262 00:17:21,770 --> 00:17:24,650 And since the Lord is the ultimate expression of holiness, 263 00:17:24,890 --> 00:17:29,930 those coming before him must cleanse themselves of ritual impurity. 264 00:17:30,890 --> 00:17:34,010 So to use a modern example would be a doctor does not walk into 265 00:17:34,010 --> 00:17:38,330 an operating room unless he or she has disinfected themselves and 266 00:17:38,330 --> 00:17:40,900 is wearing all the appropriate clothing to. 267 00:17:41,050 --> 00:17:44,890 To conduct that operation or procedure in a sterile environment 268 00:17:45,050 --> 00:17:47,850 so that infection does not take over the body. 269 00:17:48,730 --> 00:17:53,850 So Moses is to consecrate the people likewise by having them go 270 00:17:53,850 --> 00:17:57,690 through typical activities for cleansing and for avoiding ritual 271 00:17:57,690 --> 00:17:58,330 impurity. 272 00:17:59,290 --> 00:18:02,970 So letting time pass, we're told it's going to be in three days. 273 00:18:03,690 --> 00:18:07,050 They're to wash their clothes, a natural symbol of cleansing. 274 00:18:07,660 --> 00:18:11,100 They're to avoid sexual contact, since those kind of relations 275 00:18:11,180 --> 00:18:13,100 would result in ritual impurity. 276 00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:16,380 And it shouldn't be difficult for the Israelites to realize that 277 00:18:16,380 --> 00:18:20,340 if the Lord requires their ritual purity, how much more does 278 00:18:20,340 --> 00:18:23,740 he likewise require their moral purity? 279 00:18:24,540 --> 00:18:27,620 And so, as the people responded positively to the Lord's 280 00:18:27,620 --> 00:18:32,860 gracious covenant invitation, so they dutifully follow his requirements. 281 00:18:33,690 --> 00:18:37,370 And on the morning of the third day, the Lord makes his presence 282 00:18:37,370 --> 00:18:38,330 known on the mountain. 283 00:18:39,130 --> 00:18:43,850 The people go so far, and no more, to the foot of the mountain, 284 00:18:45,050 --> 00:18:46,090 and they wait. 285 00:18:47,450 --> 00:18:50,850 Verses 20 and 22 give us a repeat of the instructions that have 286 00:18:50,850 --> 00:18:51,690 already been given. 287 00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:55,170 And the people aren't to force their way through to see God as if 288 00:18:55,170 --> 00:18:55,690 they could. 289 00:18:56,570 --> 00:18:58,330 This is not a spectacle for them. 290 00:18:58,330 --> 00:19:00,850 This is the presence of God coming near. 291 00:19:01,330 --> 00:19:03,410 And a word is spoken about the priests. 292 00:19:03,890 --> 00:19:06,850 They mustn't think, because of their position, that they have more 293 00:19:06,850 --> 00:19:09,010 access to God than other people. 294 00:19:09,570 --> 00:19:13,330 And so they are warned not to make a move beyond what God has said, 295 00:19:13,650 --> 00:19:15,970 thinking that their position would allow them to. 296 00:19:16,530 --> 00:19:21,370 And so the stage is now set for Moses and Aaron to receive from 297 00:19:21,370 --> 00:19:25,850 God his commandments for the people as he establishes them as 298 00:19:25,850 --> 00:19:29,270 a nation and directs them how they are to worship Him. 299 00:19:29,990 --> 00:19:32,910 If you have your Bible open, just cast your eye down and you will 300 00:19:32,910 --> 00:19:36,950 see that in chapter 20 of Exodus, we come to the Ten Commandments. 301 00:19:37,270 --> 00:19:40,790 And that's where we'll pick this up in a year or two's time. 302 00:19:43,350 --> 00:19:45,830 Now we're reading requirements from God. 303 00:19:46,790 --> 00:19:49,350 They've come from him, they haven't come from man. 304 00:19:49,350 --> 00:19:52,870 And as we read them and what he says to the people here at Sinai, 305 00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:55,830 we might perceive them to be a little over the top. 306 00:19:57,340 --> 00:20:02,740 But there's a key principle here for those who profess Christ 307 00:20:02,740 --> 00:20:06,140 as Savior, who want to have a relationship with the Lord that these 308 00:20:06,140 --> 00:20:08,060 children of Israel are invited to have. 309 00:20:08,060 --> 00:20:11,100 But now that we can have through the same invitation, but 310 00:20:11,100 --> 00:20:11,740 through Christ. 311 00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:14,940 The truth is, God is holy. 312 00:20:15,660 --> 00:20:19,820 And so as such, his people must approach him properly. 313 00:20:20,620 --> 00:20:23,900 That's why Peter says what he does in First Peter, chapter one 314 00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:27,890 and verses 15 and 16, quoting truths from passages in Leviticus 315 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:34,080 and from Exodus, Peter says, but just as he who called you is 316 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,680 holy, so be holy in all you do. 317 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:42,280 For it is written, be holy because I am holy. 318 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:48,400 Now, it is very easy to say we are Christians, but we treat it as 319 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,920 a label without having much meaning. 320 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:56,760 We use it because it's convenient and it's seen as an acceptable 321 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:57,640 thing to say. 322 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,120 But there are responsibilities to being his people. 323 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,800 There are responsibilities to being Christians. 324 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,320 You can't just say you're a Christian and then not live by his 325 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:10,920 standard. 326 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:12,280 R.C. 327 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:17,000 Sproul writes in his book the Holiness of God. 328 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:22,650 This is a fantastic phrase, that sin is cosmic treason. 329 00:21:26,170 --> 00:21:28,970 Sin is cosmic treason. 330 00:21:30,170 --> 00:21:33,250 Now, we know there's a day coming up in July, I think it's the 331 00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:36,529 fourth of July, that the Americans like to call American Independence 332 00:21:36,529 --> 00:21:36,890 Day. 333 00:21:37,370 --> 00:21:40,730 For those of us on this island, we like to call it Treason 334 00:21:40,730 --> 00:21:44,210 Day, because that's the day they threw the tea into the sea and 335 00:21:44,210 --> 00:21:46,330 it made it undrinkable even for Americans. 336 00:21:48,860 --> 00:21:51,740 So we on these British Isles know what treason is when countries 337 00:21:52,060 --> 00:21:54,380 reject the rule of the British Crown. 338 00:21:55,660 --> 00:22:00,700 But how much more is sin cosmic treason? 339 00:22:01,340 --> 00:22:08,380 Against God, defying him, rebelling against him, thinking we 340 00:22:08,460 --> 00:22:09,260 know better? 341 00:22:09,260 --> 00:22:13,100 And we often treat sin lightly because we measure it against ourselves 342 00:22:13,820 --> 00:22:15,820 or against the standards of the world. 343 00:22:16,940 --> 00:22:21,420 But holiness means measuring ourselves against God. 344 00:22:22,460 --> 00:22:28,140 Every act of disobedience is not merely breaking a rule, but rebelling 345 00:22:28,140 --> 00:22:32,540 against the King who has called us to be his people. 346 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:39,180 If this is how you're living, then the question in reality is if 347 00:22:39,180 --> 00:22:40,940 you are truly saved. 348 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,920 Because the Lord requires us to be holy as he is holy, and to 349 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,880 live holy as God is holy requires separating ourselves from 350 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,760 those sinful passions that characterized our lives before we 351 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:55,840 came to know Christ. 352 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,960 It means distancing ourselves from the lifestyle that used to dominate 353 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:01,760 our existence. 354 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:07,360 It means cutting ourselves off from whatever will desensitize us 355 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:13,730 to sin or blur our spiritual vision or stir up our sinful nature. 356 00:23:14,770 --> 00:23:20,610 If we claim the name of Christ on our lives, then we must live as 357 00:23:20,690 --> 00:23:21,490 he did. 358 00:23:22,530 --> 00:23:25,570 We will not be perfect, certainly not. 359 00:23:25,970 --> 00:23:28,210 And we will fall into sin. 360 00:23:29,090 --> 00:23:34,170 But God's grace is enough if we are sincere in our desire to live 361 00:23:34,170 --> 00:23:35,950 for him each day. 362 00:23:37,390 --> 00:23:42,550 The invitation of the Lord and His requirement for holy living is 363 00:23:42,550 --> 00:23:48,270 demonstration of his goodness to us and a guarantee for us of eternal 364 00:23:48,270 --> 00:23:48,590 life. 365 00:23:50,350 --> 00:23:56,670 And our appropriate response is to follow him, just as the disciples 366 00:23:56,670 --> 00:24:00,350 did and every follower of Jesus has done ever since. 367 00:24:01,340 --> 00:24:05,780 And you know, maybe we like the idea of the invitation, but in 368 00:24:05,780 --> 00:24:09,060 reality we find it hard to live holy lives because the devil 369 00:24:09,060 --> 00:24:12,220 keeps presenting temptation upon temptation upon us. 370 00:24:13,020 --> 00:24:17,180 Well, know this day that the Lord is enough for you. 371 00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:23,220 Look to him alone, hide his word in your heart, and take comfort 372 00:24:23,220 --> 00:24:26,460 in how he instructs and teaches you each day. 373 00:24:27,290 --> 00:24:31,890 Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 that we all need 374 00:24:31,890 --> 00:24:36,650 to know this, that Christ is all we need for this day. 375 00:24:37,050 --> 00:24:42,330 As he quotes Jesus as he says it said to him, my grace is sufficient 376 00:24:42,330 --> 00:24:46,250 for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 377 00:24:47,450 --> 00:24:49,850 So why not respond this day to Jesus? 378 00:24:50,170 --> 00:24:52,970 Why not come to him with his gracious invitation? 379 00:24:53,590 --> 00:24:55,190 And maybe you think you can't do it. 380 00:24:55,190 --> 00:24:56,270 Maybe you think it's too much. 381 00:24:56,270 --> 00:24:57,710 Maybe you think the sin is too heavy. 382 00:24:57,710 --> 00:25:00,150 And if you're a believer, maybe you think that sin at the moment 383 00:25:00,150 --> 00:25:01,670 is weighty upon you. 384 00:25:02,870 --> 00:25:07,790 Well, trust the words of Jesus that His grace and his grace alone 385 00:25:07,790 --> 00:25:09,190 is sufficient for you. 386 00:25:10,070 --> 00:25:16,230 For it is his power that is made perfect in our weaknesses when 387 00:25:16,230 --> 00:25:17,110 we look to Him. 388 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,440 The Lord's invitation is to come to Jesus. 389 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,960 And the Lord's requirement of us is holiness. 390 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:30,280 Not that we will ever be truly holy or perfect, but that indeed 391 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,600 we will know we are truly saved for his glory and his glory 392 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:34,320 alone. 393 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,280 And that we will enjoy all of the benefits and the guarantees that 394 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:44,480 this new covenant through the blood of Jesus gives us as we look 395 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:45,280 ever to Christ. 396 00:25:46,330 --> 00:25:53,010 So May you fix your eyes on him and none other this day and respond 397 00:25:53,010 --> 00:25:57,210 to him in a way that is appropriate so that you will live 398 00:25:57,210 --> 00:25:58,170 for him truly. 399 00:25:58,650 --> 00:25:59,450 Let's pray. 400 00:26:00,490 --> 00:26:02,650 Our Father, God, this day we thank you. 401 00:26:03,690 --> 00:26:06,130 We thank you for your goodness to us in your word. 402 00:26:06,130 --> 00:26:07,930 We thank you for what it teaches us. 403 00:26:08,170 --> 00:26:10,170 We thank you for how it challenges us. 404 00:26:10,730 --> 00:26:13,890 And so we ask that you would forgive us for whenever we have allowed 405 00:26:13,890 --> 00:26:18,190 other things to distract us, to take us away from what is right 406 00:26:18,190 --> 00:26:22,990 and what is the most important living relationship with Jesus Christ. 407 00:26:23,950 --> 00:26:28,150 So, Father, today may we respond well to the invitation, but 408 00:26:28,150 --> 00:26:32,030 maybe also respond well to your requirement of holiness to us. 409 00:26:33,070 --> 00:26:33,670 Thank you. 410 00:26:33,670 --> 00:26:37,470 That we don't do it in our own strength, but that as we look to 411 00:26:37,470 --> 00:26:40,590 Christ, so it is his strength that carries us through. 412 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,400 So for our weary and burdened souls, souls that are heavy with 413 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:51,240 guilt and regret, souls that are questioning if this salvation 414 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,000 is really worth it. 415 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,760 Father, convince us and convict us through your word and 416 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,080 by your Holy Spirit, that indeed life with Christ is better 417 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,560 than anything we can know. 418 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:09,470 So may we come onto Christ this day and know him truly as our 419 00:27:09,470 --> 00:27:09,990 Savior. 420 00:27:10,070 --> 00:27:11,830 And it's in his name we pray. 421 00:27:12,470 --> 00:27:13,110 Amen.