Well, I'm very glad to have the opportunity
of coming here to visit you, brothers and
sisters.
What I would like to share with you,
dear brothers and sisters, this time is very
fundamental, but hopefully very practical.
And it is on this matter of the
believer's life and ministry, as illustrated in the
Tabernacle.
I suppose you're all familiar with the Tabernacle
in the Old Testament.
And to me, I feel the Tabernacle is
one of the best illustrations
you'll find in the Word of God.
Its application is so broad that you can
use it for many, many different purposes.
Now, basically, of course, we know the Tabernacle
speaks of the Lord Jesus.
And then, it speaks of the Church.
But we would like to use it this
time to speak of the believer's life and
ministry.
Now you know the Tabernacle is divided into
three parts.
The Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the
Holiest of All.
The Outer Court speaks of purification.
This is the first initial stage of a
believer's life and ministry.
And the Holy Place speaks of enlightenment or
transformation.
The second stage in our life and ministry.
And finally, the Holiest of All speaks of
union.
Our union with Christ in God, which is
the ultimate.
Now, of course, we know in spiritual experience,
you just cannot compartmentalize anything.
In other words, when people are experiencing purification,
they may at the same time have some
experience about enlightenment and even of union.
But, as you look back into your own
life, I believe you will discover that there
is a time when one stage seems to
be more prominent than the other stages.
Maybe in the first stage you'll find purification
is the dominating factor in your Christian life
and ministry.
But that doesn't mean that you know nothing
about enlightenment or you are not being transformed
at all.
Nor does it mean that you do not
know anything about union with Christ in God.
You do.
But predominantly at that stage of your Christian
life, purification is the factor.
And then as you grow on with the
Lord, you'll find you enter more into this
matter of enlightenment or transforming.
Of course, you still need purification.
But at that stage, it seems that enlightenment
is the theme of the time.
And then if you grow still further on,
you'll discover that union with Christ in God
is what your life and ministry really are.
So, God willing, we would like to use
three sessions to speak on the three stages
of the believer's life and ministry.
And tonight to begin with, we will begin
with the first stage.
Now, of course, you know, when you study
the Word of God, you'll find that in
God's revelation of the tabernacle and in the
making of the tabernacle, actually it begins with
the holiest of all.
It begins with the ark and the mercy
seat upon it.
Then it comes down to the table of
showbread and the golden lampstand.
And then it goes down to the brazen
altar and then go back to the golden
altar of incense and the brazen laver.
In other words, in God's revelation and in
the making of the tabernacle, it begins with
the holiest of all.
And it comes down to the altar court
because this is according to God's purpose.
But in experience or in our entering into
the tabernacle, you'll find the order is just
reversed.
You enter into the altar court first and
then by the grace of God, you enter
into the holy place and finally you end
up in the holiest of all.
Now, since this time our emphasis is more
on the practical experiential side of a believer's
life and ministry, so we will begin with
the altar court and by the grace of
God, hopefully we'll end up in the holiest
of all.
Now in the altar court, you'll find there
is at the entrance of the altar court,
the brazen altar.
Now our God is a righteous God, but
we are unrighteous.
We are lawless.
And there is no fellowship between righteousness and
lawlessness.
Our God is a holy God.
He dwells in impenetrable light, but we are
sinful.
We live in darkness.
And there is no participation between light and
darkness.
Our God is living, full of life, real
life, eternal life, but we were dead in
sins and transgressions.
And there is no agreement between life and
death.
In other words, there is no way for
us to approach God.
But thank God for his provision.
When a child of Israel going into the
tabernacle, as he enters into the entrance, there
stands before him a huge piece of furniture.
It is the altar, the brazen altar, or
the altar of burnt offering.
Now this altar is so big.
It is five cubits in length, five cubits
in width, and three cubits in height.
It stands right at the entrance of the
tabernacle.
You cannot miss it.
You are not able to bypass it.
It is there.
Why?
Because the way to God is by the
altar of burnt offering.
Now of course, in New Testament terms, the
altar of burnt offering speaks of the cross
of our Lord Jesus.
The cross of our Lord Jesus stands at
the very entrance of our approach to God.
In other words, there is no way for
us to approach God except through the cross.
You cannot bypass it.
The cross is the very fundamental of our
believer's life.
Without the cross, we cannot draw near to
God.
But with the cross, we are able to
draw near to God.
Now of course we know on the cross,
our Lord Jesus died on the cross.
His blood was shed for the remission of
our sins.
His life was given that we may receive
eternal life.
It is on the cross that we have
reconciliation with God.
It is by the cross that we become
children of God.
So you find that everything that pertains to
our Christian life is based upon the cross
of our Lord Jesus.
I would like to read to you something
written by Brother T.
Austin Sparks.
In his book called, The Centrality and the
Universality of the Cross.
Now probably that is the first big book
he ever wrote.
And in that book he says this, We
venture to say that there is not a
thing in all the word of God relative
to the eternal purpose of God which is
not governed by the cross of the Lord
Jesus.
In the smallest matter of practical everyday life,
the cross is to have its place.
And from commonplace things, the application is to
be made to ever widening circles.
You never get outside of the range of
the cross.
And then in one of the chapters in
that book, it is called, The Cross and
the So Great Salvation.
Now our brother, he tries to explain to
us different terms.
And all these different terms in So Great
Salvation are related to the cross of our
Lord Jesus.
Substitution, all that I was, Christ was made
on the cross for me.
All that I was, I was full of
sins, I was corrupted, I was rebellious, I
was dead.
All that I was, Christ was made on
the cross for me.
All that I was not that God required,
Christ is unto me in resurrection.
This very briefly is substitution.
I think that is very clear.
The second word, representation.
In substitution, Christ died for us.
In representation, Christ died as us.
The cross represents the zero of the all
creation in all its aspects, nature and abilities.
And the beginning, all anew, as by resurrection
from the dead.
That is representation.
And the third word is redemption.
Man is redeemed unto God, and upon the
redeemed man, Satan no longer has any claim.
He has been the slave of sin and
of Satan, but he has been redeemed by
Christ.
And a new liberty consisted in his being
the slave of Christ.
Now that is redemption.
Justification.
Justification sets forth a standing of position to
which the believer is brought.
Substitution sees the same question dealt with.
Representation sees the old creation removed and the
new brought in.
Redemption sees the link with Satan and his
kingdom destroyed.
When all these three things have been affected,
then we have the answer to the question,
how can man be just with God?
Reconciliation.
The justified are reconciled.
We are brought into the blessed fellowship of
a new life and a new spirit.
Regeneration.
By regeneration, something is present which was not
there before.
A life from God, which only the born
again possesses.
An indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is
not true of any others.
This spirit of life in Christ Jesus has
in it all the potentialities of a new
creation in every part.
There is a new consciousness, a new capacity,
a new sense of relationship, a new direction,
a new standard, a new vocation.
Sonship.
Sonship is inherent in birth.
In the New Testament sense, sonship is the
realization of the possibilities of birth.
It is growth to maturity.
It is a matter that so much of
that, not so much of that from which
we are saved, as of that unto which
we are saved.
Sanctification.
A setting apart or being set apart unto
God.
Sanctification or consecration is fundamentally a matter of
separation.
Sanctification is therefore the working of the cross
in us to make good the nullification of
that estranged nature and to bring in ever
increasing fullness what Christ is as that altogether
other.
Glorification is the spontaneous issue of the working
in us of that divine life, the incorruptible
life.
Now you find that all these terms that
probably we have heard before.
All these various aspects of so great salvation
are all based upon the cross.
In other words, it is all the outcome,
the result, the consequence of the cross of
our Lord Jesus.
It is by the blood of the cross
that our sins are forgiven.
It is by the death of the cross
that our old man was removed.
It is by the water that is the
life that is released from the cross that
we receive eternal life.
It is by the cross that we are
delivered from the power of darkness and are
being translated into the kingdom of the Son
of God's love.
So brothers and sisters, we find that the
cross of the Lord Jesus stands at the
very entrance of our approach.
We cannot bypass it.
It is only by it and through it
that we are able to come to God.
And I do believe, brothers and sisters, that
we are all familiar with this, so we
will not stay long.
But then after you pass through the cross,
you find the next furniture in the outer
court is the laver of copper.
Now brothers and sisters, let us remember this.
It is said in Revelation chapter one, verse
five, that Christ so loved us.
He has loved us and washed us from
our sins.
And He has made us a kingdom of
priests.
And it began in Revelation chapter five, we
are told, that He has redeemed us, He
has bought us with His precious blood, out
of every nation, every tribe and every people.
And He has made us kings and priests.
So in other words, you find the cross
of our Lord Jesus, through the cross of
our Lord Jesus, not only our sins are
being forgiven, are washed clean, but it is
by the cross of the Lord Jesus that
we are made kings and priests.
Now oftentimes we know, when we believe in
the cross of our Lord Jesus, we know
that our sins are forgiven.
But do we know that not only our
sins are forgiven, but by the cross of
our Lord Jesus, we are actually made priests
unto God.
And as priests, we are to serve God.
We are not only saved, we are saved
to serve.
And this is where the brazen labor comes
in.
You know, the brazen labor, which is full
of water, it is for the cleansing of
the priests.
Before they serve, either at the brazen altar,
or they serve in the holy place, before
they serve, they have to wash their hands
and feet.
Otherwise, death will come upon them.
Brothers and sisters, do we know that we
are priests?
The universal priesthood of believers is a very
important teaching in the Word of God.
In 1 Peter 2, verse 5, it is
said, As we come to the Lord, we
are as living stones, being built up together
into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.
To offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
So we are not only living stones, being
built up together to be that spiritual house,
but at the same time, we are the
holy priesthood that serves in that house.
Every believer is a priest through the cross
of our Lord Jesus.
You become a priest not because anybody has
ordained you.
You become a priest because the cross has
made you a priest.
Every believer is a priest.
And because we are priests, our occupation is
to serve God.
No matter what our vocation may be, our
vocation is serving God.
You know, you may be a teacher, you
may be a housewife, you may be an
office worker, or you may be whatever you
may be.
This is your vocation.
Your real vocation is serving God because you
are a priest by new birth.
You are born into the priestly family and
you are supposed to serve God.
In whatever capacity you may be, you are
to serve God.
But to serve God is a very solemn
thing.
Why?
Because our God is a living God.
Our God is a holy God.
To serve Him we have to be living
and we have to be holy.
And if we try to serve God, not
living really, and not holy, the result is
death.
Not only it will mean spiritual death to
us who serve, but it will bring death
to those whom we serve.
Therefore it is of tremendous importance that the
priests, before they serve, each time, not just
once, but each time they serve, whether they
go out to the altar to offer sacrifices,
to help people to offer sacrifices, or they
enter into the holy place to minister unto
the Lord.
Every time they serve, they have to wash
their hands and their feet.
And that is what the brazen altar stands
for.
You know, brothers and sisters, we are not
only purified by the blood, we are also
cleansed by the water.
Our sins are washed by the blood.
Water cannot wash our sins away.
Revelation 1 says, He has washed us in
His blood.
And then in Revelation chapter 7 you'll find
a multitude of people, they are clothed with
white robes.
And the reason why their robes are white
is because they have been washed with the
blood.
So brothers and sisters, whenever there is sin,
it is the blood that washes us clean,
not the water.
But there is an aspect of the cleansing
of the water with the word.
It is not really for sins, it is
for defilement.
Now this water in the brazen altar is
not baptism.
You know, baptism emerged in water.
In Titus chapter 3 it says, by the
mercy of God, we have received the regeneration
of water, of baptism.
And the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
But in that particular verse, the regeneration of
baptism, of washing, the word regeneration is not
the same word as is used to speak
of new birth.
Why?
That particular word in the Greek simply means
a new position, a new position.
And this is what water baptism really is.
You see, when we were baptized in water,
the water does not wash our sins away.
You may go into the water a hundred
times, but your sins will not be washed
away.
Your sins are washed away by the blood
of the Lord Jesus, not by water.
But then why do we enter into the
water to be baptized?
Because it is the answer of our conscience.
In other words, we have been washed with
the blood.
Now we are redeemed.
We are being purchased.
We do not belong to the world anymore.
We belong to the Lord Jesus.
And because of this, we confess it, we
act it out by faith, that we are
now entering into a new position.
When we enter into the water, we were
the old creation, and we were under the
water, the old creation was not only dead
but buried, and when we come out of
the water, now we are a new creation,
we are in Christ Jesus.
So baptism announces a new position.
From now on we do not belong to
the world, we belong to Christ.
Just like the children of Israel.
They were saved from death by the blood
of the Lamb, the Paschal Lamb.
But after they were saved by the blood
of the Paschal Lamb, they had to cross
the Red Sea.
Why?
Because by crossing the Red Sea, they were
delivered from Egypt, from Pharaoh.
They belonged to Moses.
So brothers and sisters, this is what water
baptism really means.
It does not wash all things away.
You had your things washed away already, but
now by the water you testify that you
are being brought into a new position.
You are now in Christ Jesus.
And if you have been washed once, that's
all you need.
You do not need to be washed again.
You remember our Lord Jesus when He tries
to wash His disciples' feet?
Peter said, not only my feet, but my
whole body.
The Lord Jesus said, oh no, you don't
need it.
You have been washed all over once, so
that's all you need, is washing your feet.
If you go to Hebrews chapter 10, you
find that we have boldness to enter into
the holiest of all, to the very throne
of grace.
Why?
Because of the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Because He has opened a new and living
way for us.
That is, by through His flesh.
And He is now being our heart priest.
So let us approach having our conscience washed,
our heart washed from a wicked conscience, and
having our body purified by water.
So here you'll find our conscience being washed
with the blood, and our body purified by
the water.
That speaks of baptism.
The water baptism.
Our whole body being washed.
And we are all clean.
So brothers and sisters, we have believed in
the Lord Jesus.
We have been baptized.
Our whole body has been washed.
We are clean.
We do not need to go back and
be baptized and baptized and baptized again.
Once is enough.
One baptism.
We need to have our hands and feet
washed, every time we come to serve God.
Now you remember on that night, when our
Lord Jesus was having His last feast with
His own, as a matter of fact, this
was the only time that our Lord recorded
in the Gospel.
You know, our Lord Jesus, after He came
out to preach three years or so, actually
He had passed through several Passover, at least
three.
But this was the only time that He
acted as the head of His own family.
In other words, He provided the feast.
He was the head of the family.
So He gathered His disciples together, and during
the feast you find our Lord Jesus got
up.
He took off His garment, girded Himself with
a towel, put water, poured water in a
basin, and He started to wash His disciples'
feet.
Why did He wash His disciples' feet?
Peter said, no, no, you cannot wash my
feet.
And the Lord said, if you don't allow
Me to wash your feet, then you have
no part with Me.
And Peter wanted to have so much part
with the Lord Jesus, he wanted his whole
body to be washed.
But the Lord said, it's not necessary.
Just your feet.
Now why is it so?
Why is it the hands are not mentioned
there?
You know, in the old days, you do
not have paved streets.
It's all dirt streets.
And you do not wear shoes.
You wear sandals.
So when you come from outside, no doubt
your feet will be covered with dirt and
dust.
And therefore whenever you enter into a house
to have a feast, usually you find the
host or the hostess will have a slave
girl at the door with the water, washing
the guest's feet.
So that when they recline and eat, they
feel comfortable.
Otherwise, you know, when your feet are covered
with dirt, you don't feel comfortable, you cannot
enjoy the feast.
So that was the custom in those days.
But strangely speaking, you know, at that feast,
the Lord provided the feast.
And actually, He had someone provided for Him,
you know.
And strangely, everything was there.
The basin was there, the water was there,
but the slave girl was not there.
I think it must be by prearrangement.
The Lord must have prearranged it.
It's not the negligence of the host, of
the house.
You know, because the Lord wants to say
something, wants to teach something to His disciples.
You know, why must the feet be washed?
Feet represents our walk.
As we walk through the world, even though
we may not sin, but after you have
walked through the world, after you have contacted
the world for a whole day, when you
come back home, somehow you feel your spirit
is not that alert as it was in
the morning.
When you go out in the morning, you
have a time with the Lord, you are
refreshing your spirit, but after a whole day
in touch with the world, even if you
have not sinned, somehow you find your spirit
is dull, slow, as if it is covered
with something.
Your spirit needs to be refreshed.
The defilement of the world unconsciously, unknowingly has
attached to your spirit.
And that's the reason why you need to
be washed.
And when you are washed, then your fellowship
is renewed, refreshed with the Lord.
So that's why the Lord said, if you
are not washed, you have no part with
Me.
No part with Me.
Our feet need to be washed.
Now in that sense, in John chapter 13,
it is just a matter of fellowship.
A feast, a table, it speaks of communion.
And that's the reason why the hands are
not mentioned.
Now what are the hands?
The hands represent work.
We walk with our feet, we work with
our hands.
In other words, when a priest is to
serve God, you find that his walk with
God is as important as his work for
God.
Lots of people think that if we have
our hands clean, that's all that matters.
But the Lord said, no, you need to
have your hands, and both your hands and
your feet washed.
If you are not walking spiritually clean with
the Lord, if your fellowship, communion with the
Lord is not uninterrupted, is not pure and
clean, even if your hands are clean, God
will not accept your service.
He wants your relationship with Him in the
right way, before He will allow you to
touch His work.
And that's the reason why you'll find the
priests have to wash their hands and their
feet.
Now of course you know, in the outer
court there is no floor.
The floor is the sand, is the dirt.
So that's another reason why they have to
wash their feet.
Dear brothers and sisters, the world is dirty.
God has not reformed the world and paved
it with gold yet.
It is still the dirt.
That's the reason why we as Christians, as
we live in the world, though we are
not of the world, but we still live
in the world, and in contact with the
world, unconsciously we pick up something from the
world.
Somehow the spirit of the world, somehow the
fashion of the world, somehow the pleasure of
the world, somehow the lust of the world,
somehow that which is of the world attaches
on us.
Even if we have not fallen into sin
yet, but we have become dull, dim, darkened,
unrefreshed, how can we serve God in that
way?
Our fellowship with the Lord is not that
intimate, that clear, and if our spirit is
not in that situation, there is no way
to serve God.
No matter what you do with your hands,
you cannot serve God.
Basically our relationship with the Lord is so
important.
So we have to have our feet washed.
But not only with our feet washed, we
have to have our hands washed too, because
we are now serving unclean hands, defiled
hands.
Not defiled by the world, but defiled by
the flesh.
You know in the Bible, the flesh is
considered as defiled.
That is the reason why a priest or
a Nazarite cannot touch a dead body.
When a Nazarite touches a dead body, then
he has got all over again, because he
is defiled, his head is defiled.
So flesh, remember, flesh, our flesh, not just
others' flesh, but your flesh too.
Whatever is of the natural man, whatever is
of the old creation, whatever is myself, the
flesh, anything that is of the flesh defiles.
We cannot use our natural talent to serve
God.
Now lots of people think, if before you
were saved you are an executive in a
big corporation, after you are saved, my, you
are the best material to be an elder
in the church.
Because if you know how to govern a
corporation, surely you know how to govern a
church.
But no, that is unclean hands.
Now it does not mean God does not
need your talent.
Even your talent was given by God, because
God created you.
He gave you your talent.
But the question is, that has to go
through death and resurrection.
Because if it hasn't gone through death and
resurrection, you are using it.
Outwardly you are using it to serve God,
actually you are using it to glorify yourself.
But after it has gone through death and
resurrection, then God is able to use it
for His.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, you will find anything
that is of the flesh, that is of
ourselves, our cleverness, our experience, our talents, our
energy, whatever that is ourselves, that is what
we have before we believe in the Lord
Jesus.
Whatever is not given from Him, whatever is
not of the old creation, whatever is not
of Christ, but it is of me.
Brothers and sisters, all these have to go
through death and resurrection before God can ever
use them.
Otherwise, many today are serving God with unclean
hands.
They do not realize that their hands need
to be washed.
If the hands are not washed, it will
bring death instead of life.
And that is the reason why you find
the priests, every time they begin to serve,
they have to wash.
Wash your feet, wash your hands.
So their relationship with the Lord is right
and they are serving God not in their
strength, but in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
Not of themselves, but of the Lord.
Then you will find their service will be
accepted.
It is very interesting.
You notice that all the furnitures in the
altar court are either made of copper or
brass, or overlaid with copper.
The altar of burnt offering is overlaid with
copper.
It is built with acacia wood and overlaid
with copper.
But the brazen altar is made purely of
copper.
Now why copper?
Because copper in the scripture speaks of divine
righteousness, dealing with man's responsibility.
In other words, copper in the scripture speaks
of the judicial judgment of God.
It speaks of judgment.
God demands righteousness of man.
And that is the reason why you will
find in the altar court all the furnitures
are of copper, are overlaid with copper.
Because it speaks of judgment.
Judgment for purification.
Judgment to meet the righteousness of God.
But strangely you will find the copper that
is used for the brazen labor is a
special kind of copper.
If you read Exodus chapter 38, it says
the copper, verse 8, the copper that is
used to build the brazen altar comes from
the mirrors of the women who assemble themselves
at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
You know in the old days you do
not have glass.
Today we use glass as mirrors.
But in the old days mirrors are made
of copper, of brass.
You know you shine it so it will
reflect you.
And of course the woman loves mirror, right?
But here you will find these women, they
assembled at the entrance of the tent of
meeting.
And they give these mirrors up.
And Moses used these mirrors to make the
brazen labor.
Now brothers and sisters, I think this is
tremendous.
These women, why did they assemble at the
gate of the tent of meeting?
In other words you will find these women
were devoted.
You know in the Old Testament, now this
is not inequality.
This is just God's order.
In the Old Testament you will find that
the priests, they were all men.
They were all men, the priests.
Now you may think, well, if God only
used men to be priests, then where were
the women?
In other words, the women had nothing to
do in the matter of God's service.
Just like one sister, once he said, he
said, you brothers seem to be doing everything.
And what is left for us sisters in
the kitchen?
Not so, not so.
Even though officially you will find that in
the Old Testament only the men were made
priests.
But unofficially you will find there were women
who gathered at the gate of the tent
of meeting waiting to serve.
Whatever it may be, they are ready for
it.
They gave themselves to the Lord with such
devotion that they do not need the mirrors
anymore.
In other words, they give up their vanity.
In order to glorify God.
Now what a devotion that is.
And brothers and sisters, let me encourage you
sisters.
The sisters have a tremendous ministry here.
Why?
Because this mirror, these mirrors are made into
the brazen labor.
And what does it mean?
It means that every time a priest is
to serve, he has to approach the brazen
labor.
Now as he approaches the brazen labor, that
brazen labor reflects and reveals to him his
dirty feet and unclean hands.
In other words, he is measured.
He is judged by the devotion of these
ladies.
Now isn't that a tremendous ministry of the
sisters?
You sisters, God will use you to judge
the brothers.
God will use your devotion to make these
brothers feel that their hands are not clean
and their feet are not clean.
They need to be washed.
Brings conviction to the priests.
Isn't that one?
And thank God, after their dirty hands and
dirty feet are revealed, exposed, there is provision,
the water.
So they wash their hands and their feet.
And now they are ready to serve.
What is this water?
It brings us to first, it brings us
to Ephesians chapter 5.
In Ephesians chapter 5 we are told that
Christ so loved the church, that he gave
himself, he sanctifies it, washing it
with the water by the word, that he
may make his church a glorious church without
spot or wrinkle or any other sort, that
he may present her to himself holy and
without blemish.
Here you will find our Lord Jesus, he
loved the church.
He gave himself, not only to bring the
church into being, but to sanctify it, to
set it apart, to separate it by the
washing of the water with the word.
Water with the word.
Now, you cannot here say the water is
the word, because it is the water with
the word.
So the water must be something different from
the word.
Now of course the word of God cleanses
us, that's true.
But here you will find the water cleanses.
And the water here is not the word.
It is connected with the word, but it
is not the word.
Therefore we need to ask what is this
water?
And then again you go back in John's
writing.
In the gospel of John you find when
our Lord Jesus was crucified, all his disciples
left, but John was the only one at
the foot of the mountain.
When the soldier came to make sure that
those that were crucified were dead, they broke
the legs of the two robbers, because the
robbers were strong.
They were not dead yet.
So they broke their legs to speed up
the death process.
But when the soldier came to the Lord
Jesus, they saw he was already dead.
To make sure he was really dead, one
soldier thrust his spear through the side of
our Lord Jesus.
It reaches and out of it draws out
water.
And John said, I saw it and I
witnessed to it that this is true.
Now why does John make such an emphatic
statement?
And then in 1 John chapter 5, again
he said, There are three that bear witness.
The blood, the water and the spirit.
Now what is the water then?
The water here speaks of it.
You remember your Psalm 22?
That he pour forth his life.
In other words, here you will find out
of his side, that is out of his
broken heart, comes out blood and water.
Blood for the remission of sins.
Water to give life.
So water here speaks of life.
Now brothers and sisters, here you will find
it is the life of our Lord Jesus
within us that washes us daily so that
we may be fit to serve.
Often times you will find the word of
God will come to you.
Not just Logos, but Rhema.
In other words, you will find the word
of God comes to you personally and comes
to you in such a living way.
And as the word of God comes to
you, it judges you.
It exposes you.
It reveals you like the brazen otter.
It reveals what you are.
And then you will find the life of
the Lord Jesus within you.
Sanctifies you.
Brings you to anew.
It is the water that cleanses.
The life of the Lord Jesus in you
continually cleanses you with the living word.
And when these two begin to work in
your life, you are cleansed.
You are washed from defilement so that you
are fit to serve.
So brothers and sisters, you will find in
this first stage of our believer's life, actually
the main emphasis is on purification.
How can we be pure from our sins?
How can we be pure from all defilements?
That we may not only be saved, but
we may be able to serve as priests.
Now this is the life part.
Now we would like to briefly enter into
the ministry part.
As we mentioned before, we are saved to
serve.
When God sent Moses to Pharaoh, saying, let
my people go.
Now why?
Why go?
That they may be free?
And they may do whatever they want to
do?
No.
Let my people go, that they may serve
me.
In other words, when they were slaves, they
had to serve Pharaoh.
They had no time nor energy.
They could not serve God.
God needs free people to serve Him.
So God said, let my people go.
They have to be free so that they
can serve me.
So brothers and sisters, let us remember, we
are free.
Not that you can do anything you like
now, but we are free that you are
able to serve God.
So there is a ministry for everyone.
Brothers and sisters, everyone who is saved is
generally speaking a minister unto God.
We are saved.
Now how do we serve?
Where do we serve?
You find that the very altar that saves
is the altar they serve.
Here you find the cross has saved us.
And now we serve at the cross.
So the apostle Paul said, We do not
preach ourselves.
We preach Jesus Christ.
I am determined to know nothing among you
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
In other words, the cross that saves us
is the very message that we preach to
the world.
We preach the cross of Christ.
We preach the Christ of the cross.
You know on that brazen altar they offered
sacrifices.
Sing offering.
What is sing offering?
Sing offering is a type of Christ as
our sing offering.
In other words, He offered Himself in our
stead.
He who knows no sin is made sin
for us that we may become the righteousness
of God.
God has made the just to die for
the unjust.
Christ, our sing offering.
That is what we preach.
We preach to the world that Christ is
the sing offering.
He died for our sins.
Therefore, our sing offering.
On the altar you offer trespass offering.
Now, what is trespass offering?
Trespass offering simply means that in your daily
life you have done something wrong.
Against God, against man.
And therefore, this has to be atoned.
And Christ is our trespass offering.
Not only once for all our sins were
forgiven, but even in our daily life whenever
the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.
If we confess, God is faithful and righteous
to forgive our sins and to cleanse us
from all our unrighteousness.
Because we have an advocate with God.
Jesus the righteous.
Not only for the world, but for us
particularly.
So brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus is
not only our sing offering, He is our
trespass offering.
Daily we are in the good of the
advocacy of His blood.
And this is what we preach.
We tell people that Christ Jesus is able
to save to the uttermost.
He is our trespass offering.
And our Lord Jesus is also the peace
offering.
He is our peace.
He make peace between us and God.
Reconcile us to God.
Restore that harmony with God.
And He make peace among us.
That we are no longer an enmity against
each other, but we are one.
Whether Jews or Gentiles, He has brought us
into one at peace with one another.
And this is how we experience.
And this is what we preach.
We tell people that Christ is peace.
He is the peace offering.
You can have peace with God, you can
have peace with your brothers and sisters.
Because the peace offering you find that not
only the offerer eat, the priest eat, the
Levites eat, and everybody share.
Peace offering.
Christ is the meal offering, the oblation.
It speaks of the life of the Lord
Jesus.
His life on earth is so pure, like
fine flour.
And filled full of oil, the Holy Spirit.
This is the kind of life that God
has offered to us.
We have received Him as our life.
Christ is our life.
And this is what we preach.
We minister to people that Christ is our
life.
And here you find Christ is the burn
offering.
The burn offering is a whole offering.
It is a voluntary offering.
The whole offering is burned and consumed into
ashes to be the food of God, to
be God's pleasure.
And this is Christ.
His devotedness to the Father.
And in union with Christ, we are to
offer ourselves also as a whole offering to
God.
Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus is in
union with Christ in this utter devotedness to
the Lord.
Now brothers and sisters, this is our ministry.
This is what we preach.
The altar, the cross of the Lord Jesus.
And then of course we know that the
priest not only serves at the altar, but
the priest will enter into the holy place
and serve.
Now we will leave that for tomorrow, God
willing.
So dear brothers and sisters, how we do
praise and thank God that He has made
every provision for us.
He wants us to come to Him.
He wants us to accept the cross.
And He wants us to be washed that
we may serve Him.
So may the Lord help us.
Shall we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that these are
very elementary.
And yet we do feel that these are
so important.
We do pray that Thy Holy Spirit will
bring back to our mind that which Thou
has revealed to us before.
That it will become living and fresh as
if we have first seen it.
We pray that all these will become very
real and living in our daily lives.
We do praise and thank Thee for saving
us.
We thank Thee for the cross of our
Lord Jesus.
We thank Thee for the life that cleanses
continuously.
That enable us to serve Thee as priests.
O our Father, we pray that we may
not be those who neglect our duty.
But we may be those who are not
only saved, but those who serve according to
Thy will.
And unto Thy pleasure.
We ask in the name of our Lord
Jesus.
Amen.