Michigan Camp Meeting 2019: As a Witness, Matthew 24:14

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior

David Shin

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior - Part 1: Back to the Father’s House

Father in heaven, we thank You for this opportunity that we have to be a part of this holy convocation, to spend time reflecting on You and Your Word.

Father in heaven, You know that my feet are made of clay, and we ask that the Holy Spirit would apply specifically the truths necessary to each and every heart this morning.

Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers, for we ask these things in the precious name of Jesus.

Today, we begin a five-part series of messages that we've entitled, The Sanctuary, Salvation, and Our Savior.

This is actually a 13-part series that I've done, but I've redacted it for the timeframes that we have.

And for the next 5 mornings, including today, we'll be taking a journey through the sanctuary and examining the relevancy of the sanctuary to the plan of salvation and our personal lives.

And I want to begin by looking at Psalm 27, verse 4.

David says, "'One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.'" If you had 1 request that you could make of God, 1 thing you could ask of Him, what would you ask Him for?

New car, new house, healing, restoration?

And here David says, look, if I had 1 request that I could make of God, 1 supplication, 1 thing that I could say, Lord, I want this entity, he said, I would ask to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." David says, I want to live in your house, not just for a day, not just for a year, but for the rest of my life.

Now, I can think of individuals that I would not even want to spend 1 night in their home.

It's not just because of the structure of their home, but it's because of the person that resides in the home.

And here David says, I want to live in your house all the days of my life." And he goes and says, I want to do something there, and the first thing that he wants to do in God's house is to behold the beauty of God.

He is aesthetically beautiful, and it emanates from an internal beauty of character.

God is beautiful, so God's house is a house of beauty.

And David says, the first thing I want to do is behold the beauty of God.

The other thing that David says he wants to do in God's house is to inquire in His temple.

This word inquiry here implies a seeking after truth, an intellectual discourse.

So David says, I want to live in your house, I want to behold the beauty of God, and I also want to seek after truth.

So God's house is a place of beauty and truth, what does God's house look like?

We're given some reference points for God's house, Revelation 11, verse 19, Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple." So, here we have a scene in the book of Revelation, the temple of God, God's house, a picture of the Ark of the Covenant is seen in God's house in the temple.

And for those that don't believe in the sanctuary in heaven, here is a clear passage that says the temple of God was opened in heaven.

And here's an article of furniture that is witnessed in God's house.

The Ark of the Covenant, Revelation chapter 4 verse 5, indicates another article of furniture that is seen in God's house, and from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.

7 lamps of fire were burning before the throne." So here's another article of furniture in God's house.

It is the lamps of fire, the menorah, that is burning in God's house, in His temple.

And then we have another article of furniture described in Revelation chapter 8, verse 3, "'He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the altar, which was before the throne." So here in God's house, we have 3 articles of furniture that are described in the book of Revelation.

You have the Ark of the Covenant, you have the menorah, and you have the altar of incense as well.

In Exodus chapter 25 verse 8, the Bible says that Moses was instructed to give a miniature replica of God's house.

Here it is in Exodus chapter 25, verse 8, Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

There are some individuals that believe that the sanctuary was invented at Mount Sinai when God gave the blueprint to Moses.

Moses came down from Mount Sinai and came down with 2 things.

1 of them was the 10 Commandments etched in stone.

The other thing that he came down with in his mind was the model of the sanctuary in exact dimensions, and God said to Moses that this is a replica of the original.

This was to be according to the pattern of God's house in heaven.

So when we look at the earthly tabernacle, it is in miniature scale of God's house, God's temple that preexisted Sinai and was God's throne from the eternal ages.

In Hebrews chapter 8, verses 1 through 5, we have the clearest reference that indicates that after Jesus went to heaven, He assumed the role from being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and took on a new role as high priest.

Here it is in Hebrews chapter 8 verses 1 through 5.

Now the main point of the things that we are saying is this.

We do have such a high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this 1 also to have something to offer.

They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven.

This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle, see to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Couple observations, This is a direct quote to Exodus chapter 25, verse 8 and 9.

And here Paul establishes that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he went into the real sanctuary that the mosaic sanctuary was a replica of, and he assumed the role as high priest.

This is a foundational passage for Seventh-day Adventists, and it seems like in every generation, the sanctuary motif, the sanctuary framework, comes under question.

1979, 1980, we had Desmond Ford who said that the sanctuary idea, the heavenly sanctuary, was an illusion.

He called it heavenly geography, that the sanctuary in heaven did not exist, and after he left the church, one-third of the Adventist ministers in Australia walked out of the church with him.

So you can see that this idea of the sanctuary is central to Adventist theology, and if we do not have a solid foundation for the understanding of specifically the heavenly sanctuary.

So I hope that through this journey that we can find many hooks on which to hang our faith because this is a biblical concept of the heavenly sanctuary and it is very explicit, especially in the book of Hebrews.

And here in Hebrews chapter 8 verses 1 through 5, the Bible says there is a sanctuary in heaven, post-cross, Jesus went there as a high priest to minister on our behalf.

Now on the screen I have a bird's-eye view of the Mosaic Sanctuary and this is a model of what Moses was given on Mount Sinai.

There's 3 different compartments to the sanctuary.

You have the courtyard, then you have the holy place, and you have the most holy place.

The courtyard has 2 articles of furniture, the altar burnt offering and the laver.

The holy place has 3 articles of furniture, the table of showbread, the lampstand, and the altar of incense.

And then the holy place has the Ark of the Covenant.

And notice that we just read in the book of Revelation that John saw the Ark of the Covenant in heaven.

He also saw the lampstand and the altar of incense." So, this is a replica of the original in heaven.

Now, the question arises, did the sanctuary pre-exist Sinai?

Was the sanctuary there or was it invented when God gave it to Moses?" And we have some implications in Scripture that seem to indicate that the sanctuary did preexist Sinai.

And here's the first 1 In Ezekiel chapter 28 verse 14, you were the anointed cherub who covers, I established you, you were on the holy mountain of God.

And notice that the Bible says that you were the cherub who covers.

Lucifer was of all the created beings given the privilege of knowing God more than anyone else.

He stood in the very Shekinah glory of God, and you can see that his position was to cover the Shekinah glory at the throne room of God.

And this replica of the throne room is there in the sanctuary at the Ark of the Covenant.

There are 2 cherubims, 2 cherubs that cover the Shekinah glory, and Lucifer was 1 of those cherubs.

And notice this reference is talking about eternity past, prior to Sinai.

The throne room of God had this replica that was replicated in the Ark of the Covenant, which seems to give an indication that the sanctuary preexisted Sinai, the throne room of God with the cherubim that were present there.

In Isaiah chapter 14, verse 13, the other reference to Lucifer indicates that Lucifer's goal was to sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly.

This word assembly here indicates that it was a place where God's creation and the angels would gather together, And scholars believe that the sanctuary, God's house, prior to sin, was a place of doxology.

It was a place that the eternal, illimitable God would sit on His throne, and the created beings of the universe would come together to worship and praise God.

Also, the Bible seems to indicate that God's house, His throne, was the place that was the command center of the universe.

It was the place where God resided as well as carried out His operational center for the sovereignty of His throne.

And 1 theologian said that the sanctuary prior to sin was a place of doxology as well as the command center of the universe, it was the place where God resided, much like the White House is today.

The White House is the residence of the President of the United States, but it's also the command Center for the President of the United States as well.

So prior to sin, the sanctuary was the command center of the universe as well as the place of doxology.

And here in Isaiah chapter 14 verse 13, he says, I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly.

And here in Ezekiel chapter 28, verse 13, the Bible says, the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes, referring to Lucifer.

And these instruments were also used in the sanctuary as well.

So the sanctuary was the command center of the universe prior to sin.

It was the place of doxology, that the heavenly intelligences would come together and worship God.

And after sin, the command center of the universe, God's house, took on the additional responsibilities of the plan of salvation.

In other words, the plan of salvation is so essential, so central to the work of God that God did not position it in an office somewhere.

He said, I'm going to bring this into my house, into His throne room.

So God's house, His temple, became also the command center for the plan of salvation as well.

Going back to Psalm 27, we said that David, The cry of his heart was, if I could have 1 request, 1 wish, I want to live in God's house all the days of my life to inquire in His temple, to see His beauty.

And the other thing that David said at the apex of Psalm 27, which is verse 8, this is the other thing that we are to do in God's house, and it's the quotation of what God said to David as he made his request to live in God's house.

He said, "'When you said, Seek my face, my heart said to you, Your face, Lord, I will seek.'" So The primary motif, the primary goal of the sanctuary is to do what?

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior - Part 3: Sanctified in the Holy Place

Father in heaven we thank you for this opportunity on this holy convocation to come apart from the cares of this life and to Worship you in spirit and in truth We pray that you'd bless us as we reflect on the sanctuary and its relevancy to our day-to-day lives You Father in heaven, you know that my feet are made of clay.

I need your help, and I pray that the Holy Spirit would take my humanity, my weakness and my frailty, and take these words.

May you apply them to every heart as we reflect on you and your word.

Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers for we ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

On the screen I have a photograph of a young boy.

His testimonial was posted at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He was born 5 pounds 7 ounces, and immediately after he was born there were complications surrounding his birth and he had to go to the NICU.

Soon thereafter they continued to have challenges with his birth weight back and forth to the hospital and finally by the age of 3 he was diagnosed with the failure to thrive.

Failure to thrive is medical terminology simply stating that a child fails to grow and gain weight, and they took him to the hospital.

He was immediately admitted, and they had to insert a feeding tube into this child.

And through providential workings, much prayer, and the medical staff, he was able to get surgery to help him swallow his food better, and by the grace of God, he's a healthy boy today.

And I want you to notice what was posted on the website in regards to this child.

She says, we are so happy to watch our growing, thriving little boy running and playing just like any other four-year-old.

It's 1 thing to be born, and it's another thing to grow after birth.

So much of the focus surrounding a pregnancy is on birth, and rightfully so.

But after birth, in order for the child to be a healthy child, there must be growth, development after birth.

And today we are talking about the holy place experience and specifically what we call sanctification.

And the easiest way to describe sanctification is by comparing it with justification.

On the left hand, justification, and the right hand column I have sanctification.

I want to read through this so we can compare them.

Now, we in our Greek paradigm of analysis, we like to separate things, but it's not easy to separate between birth and growth, if you understand.

But this is just for our own analysis to help us to differentiate between the 2.

Justification on the left-hand side, birth, becoming alive.

That's what takes place in the courtyard.

You become alive, the new birth, the newborn baby in Christ.

Sanctification is growth, thriving, alive.

Justification as we described yesterday is covering.

Declaration, sanctification is transformation.

Sanctification has to do with our character.

Sanctification is our fitness for heaven.

Justification is the imputed righteousness of Christ, and sanctification is the imparted righteousness of Christ.

Now, when you look at the history of theology, you will notice that there tends to be a pendulum that swings back and forth between 2 extremes.

And when we look at this pendulum, it's important for us to recognize that in our Christian experience, there is the tendency to react and go from 1 pendulum swing to another.

I've noticed that children that sometimes grow up in very conservative homes end up being more liberal, and then children that grow up in more liberal homes grow up to be more conservative.

Now, this is not always the case, but we tend to react from 1 pendulum swing to another.

And this is true in regards to justification and sanctification.

There has, in the history of Christian theology, been this pendulum swing between justification and sanctification, and 1 person comes and emphasizes 1 to the negation of the other and vice versa.

But I want you to notice the words of Jesus in John chapter 8 and verse 11, the words to the woman that was caught in adultery.

He said to her, "'Neither do I condemn you.

Go and sin no more.'" Here we have encapsulated in a very brief sentence where Jesus says, neither do I condemn you.

So Jesus brings these 2 together, pardon and power, as important aspects of the gospel, just as being born and growing after birth growth is important as well.

Justification is pardon from sin, and sanctification is power over sin.

And I want to read this quotation from Ellen White in the book Education, page 36.

She says, "'Another lesson the tabernacle, through its service of sacrifice, was to teach, the lesson of pardon of sin and, and I put that in caps for emphasis, and power through the Savior for obedience unto life." Notice what she says here.

She says that the tabernacle, the sanctuary, shows us that it's the lesson of the pardon for sin and power through the Savior for an obedient life.

The sanctuary brings together the courtyard experience and the holy place experience.

Now if you go to someone that is a drug addict And you tell them, I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is that you are forgiven, you have a clean record, and all of your drug addiction and drug use from the past, you stand before God as though you have never sinned.

The bad news is that you're going to be a drug addict for the rest of your life.

That would be an incomplete gospel, and I'm so glad that God not only gives us power, but He gives us pardon as well.

He not only gives us pardon, but He gives us power as well.

Now, on the screen I have a pendulum, and when you study the history of Christian theology, you will notice that there tends to be a reactive element when theologians come and emphasize 1 aspect of the gospel to the negation or categorical rejection of another aspect of the gospel.

And what happens typically is 1 theologian emphasizes 1 point, and then there's another theologian that reacts to that and goes to the other extreme.

Now, what do we call something when you emphasize 1 aspect to the negation of the other.

For instance, when you look at law and grace, when you look at the pendulum, If you reject law to the affirmation of grace, you have an incomplete gospel, and the same goes the other way.

When you look at the history of theology, you look at this tension between what we call transcendence and eminence.

You just have to look at the universe to recognize that.

God, in some respect, even in eternity, will always be a mystery, but also God is close to us.

And we need to hold these 2 in a tension.

On the screen, I have another slide in regards to the nature of Christ, and you have 2 tensions that are there.

You have 1 that is the human nature of Christ, and you have the divinity of Christ.

If you affirm the humanness of Jesus and reject the divinity of Jesus, you have heresy.

There are theologians, there have been theologians that have come along and said that Jesus was human and nothing else.

There are other theologians that have reacted to that and said that Jesus is divine, but He's not human.

Docetism, Gnosticism, and other heresies that crept in in the early Christian centuries.

So when you look at the divinity and the humanity of Jesus, we need to recognize that it's not either or, it's both and.

The same is in regards to faith and reason, and by application in regards to today's topic, in regards to justification and sanctification, we need to look at it like the divinity and the humanity of Christ.

In the 1700s, the 16th century I should say, Copernicus discovered that the Sun was the center of our solar system.

This was known as the Copernican Revolution and that the planets orbited the Sun.

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior - Part 4: Glorified in the Most Holy Place

Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity that we have to come apart from the cares of this life this week, this holy convocation at Michigan Camp Meeting to worship you, to study, to reflect on your word, to fellowship together.

Now, as we pause for a few moments to reflect on the sanctuary, specifically the Most Holy Place experience.

May your Holy Spirit guide our thoughts this morning, speak to our hearts, for we ask these things in the precious name of Jesus.

On the screen I have a photograph of Jack LaLanne.

He is a health enthusiast, a nutritionist.

At the age of 42 he set the world record for push-ups by doing over 1, 000 in 23 minutes.

And then to celebrate his 60th birthday at the age of 60, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf, a distance of 2.4 kilometers.

He wore handcuffs and towed a 1, 000 pound boat.

And then at the age of 70, he swam a 1.5 mile section of Long Beach Harbor while towing 70 people in 70 boats while handcuffed and shackled.

This is a picture of Jack LaLanne at the age of 90.

And this individual is a person that seems to defy the aging process with good nutrition and good health and exercise.

But even Jack LaLanne could not defy death and deterioration.

You can offset these attributes that seem to pull at us like gravity, but death is a surety.

And Jacqueline passed away not too long ago.

When you look at The lifespan of individuals in the book of Genesis, you almost are incredulous at the longevity of life.

You can see that Adam lived 930 years, The longest living individual, of course, Methuselah, 969 years.

And I calculated if Methuselah were to die this year, 2019, he would have been born in the year 1050.

And at the time of the Reformation, he would have been merely middle-aged in his 400s.

Imagine how many doctoral degrees you can get.

He's the only individual that's recorded that lived over 900 years after the flood.

Of course, he began his life before the flood.

He didn't begin having children until around 500, according to the book of Genesis.

Now, you'll notice according to this graph that immediately after the flood that there is a precipitous decline in the longevity of life.

Goes 600, and then you see that Abraham lives 175, Isaac lives 180, and Jacob lives 147, which is still long, but relative to 969, it's quite a bit more shorter.

And then by the time you get to David, David's life is relatively close to ours.

Now the average American lifespan is 77, 78 and if you're an Adventist tack on 7 to 10 years in addition to that.

But life is short and there was an immediate physiological change in man after the fall.

It affected human nature emotionally, obviously spiritually, mentally, but physically as well.

You know, we were never meant to be this short, and I always say when I get to heaven I'll be tall.

But there was a result of sin that affected our physiology, and when we look at the sanctuary, we noted in our earlier presentations On Tuesday we talked about the courtyard experience, and then on Wednesday we talked about the holy place experience.

Today I want to focus on the most holy place and the Ark of the Covenant.

And when you look at this bird's eye view of the Mosaic Sanctuary, you can see that there's an implied movement.

God wants to bring us from outside of the courtyard into the holy place, into the most holy place, and there is a movement that is implied.

From outside the sanctuary into the courtyard, into the holy place, and into the most holy place.

And the last phase of this transformation is called glorification.

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Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior - Part 2: Justified in the Courtyard

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