Clothed With The Spirit

Leviticus 8.10-13, 30

The men who were with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus came back to the Eleven and told them what had happened. While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them... Luke 24.36
Luke 24.45-49 I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

It is amazing that after all they went through to make the clothing for the High Priest and the other priests, Aaron and his sons, the expense, the craftsmen, the embroiders, the blue,purple and scarlet yarn, the weavers, the gold woven in that oil was poured upon Aaron's head and that it ran down on his beard, down upon the collar of his robes and that Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and his sons garments. (Psalm 133, Leviticus 8)

Oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit- anointing, power, light
It served as a constant reminder that the work of the priests were a spiritual work.
It showed God's ownership of them and His mark upon the work He does through man.

We are told in I Peter 2.9 But you are a chosen people, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.

Aaron and his son's garments being stained with the anointing oil foreshadowed Jesus' words for us to be clothed with power from on High.

Paul's admonition to the Ephesians (5.18) Be filled with the Spirit(=be filled and keep on being filled). The story of the friend at midnight interrupting sleep (Luke 11), Jesus interrupting the travel plans of His Disciples, spontaneous prayer meetings taking place in Acts 4 we see being filled with the Spirit, being clothed with power from on High is all important. Why?!

1. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Work.
It was imperative that before Aaron and his sons began the work of God in the tabernacle that they be ordained and anointed with the special anointing oil, symbolic of God's Spirit.

Jesus was leaving the disciples to witness and work for Him but He knew that they could not do it without the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2.1-4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit ENABLED them.
Acts 4.29-31 Enable= supply, furnish necessary things, a gift, to endue, to cause to come forth
The early church knew they needed the enabling of the Spirit to carry out the work of God.
We need it today! nothing can substitute for His enabling.
His Spirit gives power Acts 1.8 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
power to witness, to do His work, to do the works God has prepared in advance for you to do.
His Spirit gives encouragement- Romans 15.5
His Spirit gives comfort- John 14
His Spirit gives endurance Romans 15.5

2. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Will.
To pray what Jesus prayed (Matthew 26.42) we need the power of God's Spirit.
Not my will but Thine be done.
He taught us to pray to the Father the same way, "May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In Luke where the LORD's prayer is recorded Jesus gives a parable about the Holy Spirit, human will and prayer.

c.10 Leviticus Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons self will in worship, not God's will, was self destructive.
God's will is for us to be His witnesses- we need the infilling of His Spirit.
God's will for us is to live a holy life. We need the Spirit's power.
Wherever God wants us to be, to go or to do we need the power of His Spirit.

3. We need the Holy Spirit today as we read His Word.
Come Holy Spirit. He is the promise of the Father, the gift of God.
God Spirit- power= dunamis. God's Word is living and active- in order for us to understand it so we might obey it we need the Spirit Who breathed it Believers are to be baptized with Him. We need to keep on being filled.

Come Holy Spirit!

The Flock Under His Care

Leviticus 1.1-13



There is a marked difference between a flock and a herd, between sheep and cattle and other live stock (like oxen).


Cattle are driven. Sheep must be led. Sheep are made to follow.



In Luke 12.32 Jesus said, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."


In Psalm 95.6-7


Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock under His care.


The men of God, the leaders of Israel: Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David were shepherds when God called them. Our LORD Jesus is that Great Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13.20)

In Psalm 77.20 You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.



There have been a few books which I have read the past 50 years which I reread from time to time. One of them is a simple book entitled, The Minister As Shepherd. Delivered as lectures a hundred years ago by a pastor from the city, Charles E. Jefferson, there are timeless truths for the Christian Ministry in it pages. Throughout the New Testament the image of a pastor is that of a shepherd and his flock. The people of God are a flock under the care of the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, under Him there are overseers of the flock.

Sheep are interesting animals. They are much like human beings in their behavior.
We are told about the relationship between the LORD and us in the 23rd Psalm.

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing.

I shall not want.

1. Christ Fulfills All the Needs in Our Lives.

Philippians 4.19 And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

The difference between a flock and a herd is amazing.

Sheep require the care of a shepherd.

David wrote is Psalm 23.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

A sheep will not lie down unless:

*They are free from all fear.

*They are free from friction with other sheep.

*They are free from torment of flies and parasites.

*They are free from hunger.

Jesus sets us absolutely free!

2. The LORD Restores Our Souls.

Psalm 23.3 He restores my soul. He is our shepherd. He is our Father in Heaven.

Psalm 103.13-14 As a Father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.

Our Father in Heaven loves us deeply. His love is higher then the heavens (Psalm 108.4)

The word "formed" means pottery. We carry the treasure of salvation in an earthen vessel.

Jeremiah 18.4-5 the pot that he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping as it seemed best to him. Can I not do with you as the potter does to the clay? declares the LORD.

3. The LORD Jesus Anoints Us With His Spirit.

Psalm 23.5 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

I John 2.20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

Last week we spoke of Pentecost (Acts 2). In Acts 4.31 there was another infilling of the Holy Spirit to continue to serve the LORD.

Ephesians 5.18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. In Acts 2 they accused the apostles of being drunk on too much wine. There are some similarities of being drunk and being filled with the Spirit:

*Truth comes out when you are filled with the Spirit (speaking it in love).

*Fear is dispelled when you are filled with the Spirit.

*Generosity abounds when a person is filled with the Spirit.

*The is a boldness that comes from being filled with the Spirit (What they were praying for in Acts 4.

He fills us with His Spirit, power from on high, to do His will, to live for Him.

You are the flock under His care. He loves you. He wants you to know these truths

and experience them this week.

Becoming Strong In The Faith

II Thessalonians 2.13-17

Today is the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). It is the birthday of the church. In Leviticus 23.15-22 Moses wrote down the instructions concerning this feast. 50 days after the Sabbath of Passover this was to be celebrated. It was a festival of joy which gave thanks to the LORD for the blessing of the harvest, particularly the first fruits of the wheat harvest.

The Day of Pentecost after Jesus died , rose again and ascended into heaven, was God's appointed time to pour out the gift the Father promised.

The Spirit was poured out. Peter preaches a message to the Jews there in Jerusalem for the feast- Jews from every nation under heaven- from Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Italy, Africa- they all heard the apostles declaring the wonders of God in the languages of the countries where they were from. Within a few chapters persecution (c.4-8) broke out against the church. The church also experienced some internal problems. They sought to solve these problems with the help of God's Spirit.

One who led the persecution was a head strong Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. After surrendering to Christ himself and spending some alone time with the LORD he went out and started churches all over the world. In Acts 17.1-9 we read of the beginnings this church we have been studying recently. The church at Thessalonica like the church at Jerusalem had its challenges but through Paul's letters it was giving instructions on becoming strong in the faith, even in the midst of false teachers and rumors circulating about Christ's Return.

To become strong in the faith you must

1. Stand Firm
Building your life upon the Rock, the Solid Rock Christ Jesus.
Standing firm has to do with where your feet are, what we basing our lives on.
Standing firm is to persevere, persist and to be steady
Ephesians 6.13-15 The Full Armor of God
Stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand
v.14 stand firm then
v.15 with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
If you read this passage carefully this soldier is not moving- He is standing.
I Corinthians 15.58a Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm,- Let nothing move you. First thing (and it is continuous) to becoming strong in the faith is to stand firm.
Right along side this is...

2. Hold Fast
We stand with our legs and feet and we hold with our arms and hands.
What does the man of God hold in his hand? Ephesians 6.17 the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Be powerful in the Word, master the Word (try to it is a life long work), lay your hands on it and hide it ion your hearts and you will become strong in the faith.
Keep God's Word carefully and faithfully.
Jude 3 Contend for the faith
Titus 1.9 Hold firmly to the trustworthy message
I Timothy 1.19 Holding on to the faith
3.9 They must keep hold to the deep truths of the faith

3. Take Encouragement From the Holy Spirit
call near, stirring address, comfort- listen to those promptings- Respond to those stirrings
Strengthen= make stable, place firmly

Becoming strong in the faith is not difficult to understand. God is there to help us in the living out of this truth. Let's keep our eyes fixed upon Him.

Holding Onto Hope

II Thessalonians 1.3-12

This church had literally lost its Blessed Hope- v.7 When the LORD Jesus is revealed from heaven or as it is put in Revelation 1.2 The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The same Greek word is used in both places. It is where get our English word apocalypse, which means "an unveiling, disclosure of truth visible to all, an appearance or manifestation."

They thought that the day of the LORD had already come (2.2)

Among other things that will take place when the LORD Jesus is revealed from heaven there will be:
1. Punishment for those who do not know God and do not obey the the gospel v.8
What a horrible time (endless) for unbelievers and the disobedient.
Jesus spoke of this Matthew 7.23 I never knew you. shut out- everlasting destruction.
2. He will be glorified in His Holy People and marveled at.
Wonder and admiration. He will be the leading one! We will see loved ones and be with them forever, however Christ will be the center. Just speaking to one of my Sunday School teachers I had as a kid in Bellmore. She is now retired. Her mom is in her 90's, looking forward to joining her dad in heaven. She will one day. One of the coolest things about being a pastor is that all the dear souls who knew Jesus that I did funerals for will be there! But as an old gospel song goes Jesus will outside them all.

It was important for those church to have its hope restored. The church in America needs to have renewed hope in Christ's Coming.

Thoughts about Christ's Return effect many things - one thing is our prayers. We pray for healing in each other's bodies and that is right. We are told in
James 5.16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The first thing we should tend to is the spiritual eternal things. The healing of the body, as wonderful as it is, is a temporal thing. Everyone healed by the LORD before 1900 is now with Him!

Here are things we are to continually pray for (spiritual things since Century One the church has prayed for). Let's keep praying for people to be healed but move our prayers up a notch to this level:

1. That Our God May Count You Worthy of His Calling- v.11
Pray that we will all fit into His plan for our lives and we will live that plan out.
I Thessalonians 4.3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified.
I Peter 1.15 Just as He Who called you is holy so be holy in all you do.
Our call is to be holy. May God count us worthy of His calling.
Romans 12.1-3 Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pray for people to obey the LORD, for His church to fulfill its call to be a Holy Nation (I Peter 2.9)
Pray for the church in light of Christ's Return II Peter 3.11-14

2. By His Power May He Fulfill Every Good Purpose in You - v.11b
Ephesians 2.10 For we are God's workmanship (Poema=work of art), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Psalm 139.16 All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
These good works are every act prompted by your faith. It is wonderful to serve the LORD- to be His messenger, His courier, His envoy, His servant and to know because people prayed and cared about your soul- like my parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday School teachers, my congregation you are doing His will.
Pray for one another. The LORD's Prayer is about His kingdom coming to this earth.

Finally pray:
3. That the Name of Jesus May Be Glorified in You and you in Him. -v.12
It is the LORD Jesus Christ you are serving. All for Him. May His name be glorified in His church. I get concerned because so often we hear less of Him and more about everything else in the church! We need to aim the glory to Him.

Hold onto Hope Through Prayer- Praying for things Eternal.

The Hope of Salvation

I Thessalonians 5.6-11

Hebrews 2.3-4 How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation which was first announced by the LORD, was confirmed by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

What a great salvation! We could not earn it or achieve it. It is a gift offered by God. It is received by faith. It is freedom from the penalty and power of sin dominating us. It is offered to everyone:Uganda, South America, China, the Middle East. To the four corners of the earth. He saves to the uttermost.

It is a great salvation because of Who gave it to us and the price that was paid. Christ gave Himself up and laid down His life for us.

This great salvation, such a great salvation, is both a present possession and a future hops. It will mean the redemption/ freedom from all the effects of sin. It is life eternal in the Kingdom of God.

The Hope of Salvation- joyful and confident expectation of being with the LORD forever; no fear from anger and the wrath of God coming to punish us for our sins. Being safe at home with Jesus one day, soon.

Because of this great salvation...

1. We have Hope in this life. Psalm 27.13-14

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living... Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Of course not all is bliss. We face tests, trials, difficulties. We have things come into our lives that at the time make no sense. We face pain. Tears come and try to dim our eyes.

But over all these things and through all these things there is such good that comes from the LORD. My Nana used to write in her letters, "He daily loadeth us with His blessings." Psalm 16.6

I believe the ability to see them comes with salvation and increases with our maturing in the LORD and that is a wonderful gift from God.

With all that is wrong in this world...

2. We have Hope because of the LORD. v.8

Both here and in Ephesians 6 we are told that in our armor, salvation is the helmet. Here is it called the Hope of Salvation. It is in our minds, our thinking that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy as we mature.

We ought to think about our salvation often- one way we ensure will not ignore or neglect it. Build yourself up in the faith so when the enemy works you can go on the offensive with the sword of the Spirit.

As your mind is filled with Hope (with Christ) and your hope is firmed up, your faith is strengthened. The sanctified mind filled with the knowledge of the LORD results in Hope in the LORD. There are seemingly hopeless situations like in Ezekiel 37. verse 3 "Son of man, can these bones live?" "O Sovereign LORD, You alone know."

Much of what we hope to accomplish in the Grief Group will be to give hope. Christ is our Hope. Pray that it will be so!

The Hope of Salvation...

3. Our Ultimate Hope

This culminates at our death and at fully His Return.

It is our Blessed Hope- Titus 2.11-14

Wait= expect the fulfillment of His Promises

Hope= joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation centered in Christ Our LORD.

He is the God of Hope.

Romans 15.1-3

Being Ready For Christ's Return

I Thessalonians 4.1-18

Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13.32) One things that all date setters have in common- they have all been wrong. The fact that they set a date shows their Biblical ignorance.

There is much written in the Word of God concerning Christ's Return. The resounding message is Be Ready! You don't know when that time will come (Mark 13.33) therefore Be on guard! Be alert! (Mark 13.33) Therefore keep watch because you do not know when... (Mark 13.35)

The main subject of Paul's letters to the church at Thessalonica was the Return of Jesus Christ. Being ready is paramount. We are told how here in this morning's scripture.

1. Keep Obeying Christ's Teachings vs.1-2
Jude 3 Contend for the faith that was once entrusted to the saints
We must never feel we are beyond Christ's teachings. Like Being part of the church is optional, like we have heard enough and we don't need to hear the old stories again and again. Like we are all set and ready for heaven. On the contrary we are in a spiritual battle. The enemy knows his time is short. The words here in verse one are "more and more". The Christian Life is an ever growing dynamic of obedience coming from our lives. There are going to be people who thought they were going to heaven in the end that the LORD is going to tell, "Depart from Me I never knew you."

More and more...
Where there is reluctance or hesitation there is to be immediate obedience.
Where there is a feeling of obligation there is to be a motive of love.

Christ is the Supreme Authority in our lives. He is the LORD and Master..
One of the benefits of reading God's Word continually is that it ensures we will (John 15.4) abide in Him. His commands us to love Him supremely and to love our neighbor as our self.
John 15.10 If you obey My commands, you remain in My love.
Obedience to Christ ensures that I will not fear that day of His Return but rather welcome it.

2. Keep yourself from becoming polluted by the world. vs.3-8
James 1.27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Thessalonica, like many other cities in the Roman Empire, were very wicked. Main Streets were full of temples built to the Greek gods. Much of the ritual in these temples involved sinful practices and loose morals.
God calls His people to sexual purity. Paul writes to the Church at Ephesus (Ephesians 5.3) But among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality. I cannot describe to you the damage this sin does. The ramifications are extensive. I have seen it destroy marriages, families and people. Most who fall into it do not realize the fire they are playing with.
Proverbs 6.26b-32 The adulteress preys upon your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?... so is he who sleeps with another man's wife... a man who commits adultery lacks judgment, whoever does so destroys himself."

There are other things you can be polluted by the with:
1. Greed
2. Idolatry
3. Hatred
4. Jealousy-envy
5. Selfish ambition
6. drunkenness
7. Any breakdown in human relationships
Flee all of this!

How can I be ready for Christ's Return?

3. Keep loving each other deeply. vs.9-12
It is an example to the other churches -v.10
It is a witness to outsiders- v.12
It covers a multitude of sins I Peter 4.7-8 ex/gossip
It is the greatest. It is the sign of being filled with the Spirit of God and being a follower of Jesus Christ.

4. Here's how Christ's Return Will Happen vs.13-18
v.17 Then Jesus' prayer will be answered in John 17.24 Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am...
v.18 Comfort for our departed loved ones, the living believers- the place of our reunion will be in the sky and on into heaven forever!

Be Ready! He is Coming Soon!

The Power of God's Work

I Thessalonians 2.1-6

in spite of strong opposition

God's Work goes on today. It is unstoppable. God keeps on working even in spite of strong opposition. Those 160 plus Chinese brothers and sisters of ours who were arrested in Beijing last month for worshiping like we are this morning paved the way for the gospel to forth. Persecute the church and you'll ensure the strengthening of it.

The church at Thessalonica was known for standing firm in the face of opposition and persecution. The power of God's Spirit gave them strength to stand. God does keep on working in spite of all kinds of strong opposition.

1. In Spite of Human Resistance
Whether it is the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, the Chinese Police in 2011 or the efforts the enemy today here the power of God's Spirit works to ensure that His people are strengthened and His work continues.
The cross of Christ and the cause of Christ have always had its enemies. Paul the apostle wrote to the Philippians For as I have often told you before and now again say even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Philippians 3.18
Jesus and Paul both referred to play actors or hypocrites- false faces. They will be among the church until Jesus comes again and some of them are very good. In spite of them the work of God continues.

We live in times of great social shifts. Stan Toler is in the process of writing a book to step fathers entitled You Don't Have To Call Me Dad, because of all the blended families today.

2. In Spite of Changing Times
With all the changes we are facing technology is at the center. Dr. Richard Swenson's book Margin talks about the need for boundaries in this 21st century America we live in. He is a medical doctor and tells how so many in his profession go to Third World Countries with Doctors With Borders or their church's mission groups and then do not want to return to the United States where the vast array of problems from malpractice insurance to all kinds of regulations are placed upon them. He speaks of the pain of progress. With all the technology that was supposed to make our life simpler it has extended our boundaries thus creating needs for margins.

The clock itself has become bigger- or has it? We go 24-7 in one form or another. We can set the DVR to record programs while we sleep. E-mail and text messages come to us when we are doing something else. Our voice mail answers for us when we are not there. The libraries of the world are now at our finger tips and just a click of the mouse away. However there is only so much time in a day so people today are exhausted and drained. Words like meltdown and crashing and breakdown and stressing out have become a part of vocabulary, and can happen to us if we do not make some margins. Who do you think was the most sought after person that ever lived? The Beatles? Einstein? Perhaps Albert Schweitzer? No it was Jesus (and still is). Look at him when He was here on earth. We see Him in they mountains to pray, on the Sea of Galilee with the 12, and pulling them away from the multitudes. We see Jesus getting up early but it is to pray.

God does not change. He is timeless! Psalm 90.4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

Culture changes. We can hardly keep up with it today. The rules keep on changing yet God's law is written on stone. The Ten Commandments stand. The Word of God stands. Psalm 145.13 The LORD is faithful to all His Promises.

In a time of shifting values where there is great confusion, in spite of its strong opposition to it , God's Word stands firm and His Work, the work of His Spirit continues.

With all this change has come greater choices. His work powerfully continues.

3. In Spite of the Vast Array of Choices We Face.
In 1960 there were 5,000 items in the average grocery store in our country. By 1990 that number had climbed to 15,000 and today there is much more.

This Day, the LORD's Day used to be called the Christian Sabbath, then it was the LORD's Day, then it became Sunday and then the weekend and now it is the busiest shopping day by far. Activities in neighborhoods ceased out of respect for God. We need this time here this morning but that is just the beginning. We need a day, one out of seven where we rest our bodies and minds.

The technology today can steal time away from the LORD. The rapid fire pace and availability of entertainment can replace Him. If you are just reading this blog and are not going to church please read Hebrews 10.25.
Be an overcomer.

4. In Spite of Ourselves God Keeps on Working
I've been reminded this week that sometimes when I don't see something my faith is not operating 100%. God works in spite of of me sometimes. But I want that to be the exception not the rule! I want Him to work through me! I want to partner with the Holy Spirit. Our aim should be to be people of faith and to cooperate with Him.

5. In Spite of the Arch Enemy of the Church the Power of God's Work is Greater.
We are told I Peter 5.8-9 Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist Him Standing firm in the faith.
I think Satan gets far more credit today by people attributing things to him. Resist him!

In spite of what ever strong opposition comes the power of God's Work goes forward!

Lead On O King Eternal