New Series at Refreshed! "Give Him No Rest"

I am blessed to be able to lead our Refreshed Sunday Night study here at CCWhittier. We just finished going through the book of Isaiah! It was the first time I had ever taught through this book, and man it was awesome! I was so encouraged and challenged by it, mostly challenged!

As we got to the end of Isaiah, I was floored by a few scriptures in chapter 62. I have been a Christian since I was 4, born and raised in the church and for my entire life taught the scriptures and the promises of God. But, in all my years I had never, to my remembrance, run across it, written out like it is here. I had always known this and believed it with all my heart it to be true.
Isaiah 62.6-7 "I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and "GIVE HIM NO REST" till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." 
God is telling us here to give Him no rest! What an amazing scripture to hold on too!
So, this verse is going to be the topic for our next series at Refreshed! Starting March 18 - April 29th, each Sunday at 6pm we will be going over a different aspect in our lives on how we should "Give Him No Rest". It's going to be amazing! I would like to invite you all out for this series! Stay tuned for update videos on our Refreshed Facebook page.

God's Design for Worship pt4

Leviticus 4 - The Sin Offering pt1

Sin = To miss the mark, unintentional sin

This is referring to a sin of ignorance, or unintentional sin. If we look at it like shooting an arrow at a target; I can try my very best to "hit" the mark(Perfection), or the "bulls eye" yet still miss the mark or "sin", I did everything right, yet still fell short of my goal, unintentionally. I can lay blame to the wind, my bow, my stance, or whatever excuse I can think of as to why I missed the mark, yet the reality is, I still missed the mark, I have fallen short. It's this "missing the mark" or sin that has separated us from the Father, whether it's unintentional or intentional(Trespass). 
This offering is, unlike the first three, mandatory, it had to be done! The Burnt, Grain, Peace Offerings are all voluntarily done, from a joyful heart that is completely given over to Christ.
This chapter describes five different people:
1. A person(vs1)
2. The anointed priest(vs3) 
3. The whole congregation(vs13) 
4. A ruler(vs22) 
5. The common people(vs27) 
What this shows me is that there is NOONE outside the realm of sin! It has infected everyone, from the priests to the common people, we are all guilty, we have all missed the mark! Romans teaches us that all have sinned, all fall short, none seeks after God...
Now, there are three things that I see that need to happen BEFORE we hear, "It shall be forgiven him"(vs20,26,35)
1. Sin coming to knowledge(vs14,23,28) - Before forgiveness can happen we need to know that we have missed the mark. If I don't realize that I missed the mark than I don't know my need for a Savior.
2. Blood(vs5,6,7,16,17,18,25,30,34) - The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 9:22, "...and without shedding of blood there is no remission."
3. Taking the sacrifice outside the city(vs12,21)
Of course, all these things show us a larger picture, a future drawing, of what Jesus did for us. Hebrews 13:11-12 says, "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate."
It's all about Jesus...He is our mandatory offering for sin, once and for all! When we come to the realization that we need Jesus' sacrifice, (His blood, His body outside the city on the cross) to cleans away our sin, it is then and only then can we hear, "It shall been forgiven you." The only way to the Father...JESUS!

God's Design for Worship pt3

Levitucus 3 - The Peace Offering or The Fellowship Sacrifice

This offering seems to be an offering of fellowship or communion with God, an expression of thanks for this fellowship, as well as a request to continue in fellowship. It’s much like The Burnt Offering...He would lay his hand on the head of the animal(symbolically transferring his sin to the animal(vs2)), the sacrifice was to be without blemish(of course, showing us a future picture of Christ and His perfect sinless life and sacrifice(vs1))...Except part of the offering is given back to the offerer, it was not completely consumed(vs17, 7:31-34). This offering is such a beautiful thing! To know that we can have fellowship with the Creator of the universe, to understand that He desires to commune with us, that through this sacrifice we can enter into a close, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus...it’s indescribable! 

The Peace Offering, given from a life that is completely consumed...brought before God in complete surrender and humility...brings you and I to a place where we can develop a long lasting relationship with the Father, who the Bible claims IS our peace...”For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” Ephesians 2:14. 

There is a close fellowship with God that most people think is an impossibility...”He is to big” or “He is to busy” or maybe YOU are the one that is too busy or distracted...God is waiting, watching everything you do wanting nothing more than for you to stop and say, “God, let’s spend some time together.” When you get into God’s Word(Bible), He speaks to you, when you pray, you are speaking back to Him and that is the relationship He desires...that is The Peace Offering...giving to God and Him giving back to us...Fellowship...

Take the time, He is willing and waiting for you...

God's Design for Worship pt2

Leviticus 2 - The Grain Offering or The Meal Offering

Referring to our Humble Service.

We need to ask the question, “From where do the materials come to make the cakes or bread that was offered to the Lord?” The grain was harvested and prepared(by hand), then ground into flour(by hand), the olives picked and pressed(by hand), then mixed together and cooked(by hand). 

This offering was considered to be an offering of the poor, because they could not afford to purchase an animal to sacrifice, or at least it was eventually thought of as such. Yet, in verse 3 it says, “It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire.” 

God is not concerned with grand displays of sacrifice, He is not impressed with large offerings, nor is He swayed by anyone who has given much! Verse 11 tells us not to add any leaven or honey, why? These two will add to an offering that does not need it. Leaven obviously makes the bread rise and honey adds a sweet flavor, but we are not to add to the sacrifice that God has required! To many of us try and add to what God has asked, to make ourselves look/taste better, so to speak, in the eyes of others. But He desires the humble offering from a humble servant who is given over in complete surrender. 
However, there is one spice that we are required to add...that is salt. ”You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking(vs13)...” Everyone who has ever baked fresh bread knows that bread does not taste very good without salt, it’s an important ingredient and is something the Lord tells us to not forget! Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, we are to bring flavor to this world...we are to bring a curing agent to this world...and we are to bring a medicinal remedy to this dying world! Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” 
A poor mans offering, yet when done in humility it is the “MOST” holy to God! Remember, it’s not about what WE can add...But it’s all about what the Lord has already done! So worship Him in humility...worship Him seasoned with salt...that is God’s design for worship...This is true worship...from a life that has been completely consumed by His holy fire...

God's Design for Worship pt1

God gave His people instructions on how He desired to be worshipped. Leviticus gives us 5 offerings God had ordained and gave to his people so they could properly worship Him.

Part one is Leviticus 1 - The Burnt Offering or The Consecration Offering -

Consecration means - Dedication to God's Service

This offering was completely consumed (vs9) there was to be nothing left or returned to the person offering it, and it's no coincidence this is the first of the 5 offerings; God's desire is for us to be completely consumed by Him, leaving nothing in return for us, leaving nothing left over but a sacrifice of completeness. Without this COMPLETE offering the other sacrifices mean nothing!

This sacrifice was also to be without blemish (vs3), which speaks of a sacrifice given from a pure heart with pure motives of worship. Not self-seeking or with self-righteousness but out of a heart to please God. And given out of his own free will (vs3), again not given over with a selfish motive or out of obligation or guilt, but because it's what God wants from us...to love Him from our heart with our whole heart.

One last interesting thing in this chapter...verse 6 says the sacrifice is to be skinned...If you think about the skin of an animal, it's tough, it's protection, it's thick, and before it was offered to the Lord it was removed. In the same way sin can be a thick, tough, skin around our hearts, and before this sacrifice is consumed by the fire and becomes a sweet aroma to the Lord (vs13,17) it needs to be removed.

God desires true worshippers to come to Him and sit at His feet, complete sacrifices which are wholly given to Him, from pure motives and from a free will that has had the skin torn, ripped, or peeled from them so they can become the sweet aroma He longs for.

Romans 12:1-2 - And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy - the kind He can accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you.

Don't hold anything back...give everything to the Lord...be a sweet aroma to Him...thats His desire.