Eastside Baptist Church, Winfield, Alabama

“Be Holy as I Am Holy” (Ch. 18); “In God’s Courtroom” (Ch. 19); “A Tumultuous Interlude” (Ch. 20)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
 
“Be Holy as I Am Holy” (Chapter 18)
Everything about God is Holy.
Isaiah 6:3 NIV3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
God’s holiness is expanding and drawing us in to be holy as he is holy.
Leviticus 19:2 NIV2“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
The way of holiness is obedience.
Obedience, however, is a means to an end.
Obedience serves the purpose of our communion with him.
Think of “progressive sanctification” as “progressive nearness.”
Sin separates, but holiness draws us close.
“Sin separates, even after we are made holy. When we turn from sin, we turn back to the light and life, and we experience fellowship with a clear conscience.” - Edward Welch
1 Peter 2:9 NIV9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
2 Peter 1:4 NIV4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
“Somehow, through his Spirit, we actually become ‘partakers of the divine nature,’ which is very close. Progressive nearness makes this growth and change increasingly beautiful, satisfying, and attractive.” - Edward Welch
“In God’s Courtroom” (Chapter 19)
We are consecrated by God and made holy.
Then we grow in holiness.
But our sins and imperfections remain with us. We are always dirty.
How do we serve as priests before a holy God if we are imperfect and dirty?
Israel’s Priests
They too were imperfect, but they served in God’s house.
They were ceremonially cleansed and declared officially clean.
“No priest ever rested in his own perfections. He rested in God’s mercy and the confidence that the one who invites less-than-clean people to live with him is the one who figures out how that will happen.” - Edward Welch
Zechariah’s Vision
Zechariah 3:1–4 NIV1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
“But the judge reveals that he is not only a judge. He is also the advocate who comes to our defense. Even more, he is our advocate-defender-sacrifice-beautifier who will take upon himself the burden of qualifying his people to be with him.” - Edward Welch
“All eyes are on Jesus. He does all this himself. We witness his work... For his namesake, not because of our inherent worth or capacity, he forgives and cleanses us.” - Edward Welch
Zechariah 3:5 NIV5Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
Exodus 28:36 NIV36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.
“In this vision the character of the Lord is on fuller display. He is not torn between loving people and consuming them in his anger. Instead, he has determined that we be with him, and he is always inclined to wash and forgive those who turn to him. Following Zechariah’s lead, we are emboldened to come near.” - Edward Welch
“Yet we are witnessing something even deeper. This beautifying means that we begin to look more and more like God himself as we are being refashioned into his image. Communion is best when we share a likeness. We are becoming truly human, remade in the image of our Father and Creator.” - Edward Welch
“A Tumultuous Interlude” (Chapter 20)
“The fortunes of the priests and the temple were bound together. As one went, so went the other.” - Edward Welch
Problems began as soon as the Temple was completed by Solomon:
Solomon spent more time and expense on his own house than he did on the Lord’s.
Solomon had a foreigner oversee the work, and this foreigner was paid with Israelite cities.
Solomon forced Hebrews into labor, which sounds peculiarly like the old Egyptian overlords.
Solomon took liberties with furniture dimensions and materials, which bent the tabernacle toward the pagan temples of that day.
“If you look closely, the story tends toward entropy. God’s presence is less intense, less concentrated. The glory and presence of the Lord rested on the new temple (1 Kings 8:10–11; 2 Chron. 7:1–3), but idol worship, tacitly approved by Solomon, was followed by civil war and a divided kingdom.” - Edward Welch
Propensity for idolatry
Tolerance of corruption and injustice
Eventual destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
“When the Babylonians entered the Most Holy Place, there was no cloud of the presence, and the presence of God would not inhabit the Jerusalem temple again.” - Edward Welch
Permission to rebuild by Cyrus
Initial success then opposition
Apathy and selfishness left the 2nd temple unfinished for 10 years.
Haggai and Zechariah moved the people to finish the temple.
Jerusalem and its temple were under foreign rule for many generations to come.
Fought over by empires to the north and south.
Blasphemed and contaminated by Antiochus Epiphanes (168 BC).
Judah Maccabee recaptured Jerusalem for the Hebrews and reconsecrated the temple (164 BC), remembered at Hanukkah.
Greek and Roman influence turned the high priesthood into a political position and polluted its purpose.
Herod the Great arose out of this tumultuous history.
Master builder
Beautified and expanded the temple
Priests and Levites rotated through the temple duties, and the nations gathered there.
Yet, within there was spiritual decay, and its Most Holy Place was empty.
Also ordered the death of infant sons to protect his throne from Jesus, the coming Messiah.
Setup for the New Testament period:
Synagogues appeared.
Priests were spiritually unreliable.
Priests were more interested in maintaining Jewish identity than discerning sin and being a light to the world.
“In all this, there was reason for hope. The Lord still made appearances in his sanctuary (Luke 1:11)—he was never dependent on the presence of the ark… If we notice anything in this history, we see that the Lord is accustomed to entering into very messy situations in which he is uninvited but still faithful to his promises.” - Edward Welch

"Teach Us to Pray" (Luke 11:1-13)

"Teach Us to Pray" (Luke 11:1-13)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, October 25, 2020Luke 11:1-13
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come.3 Give us each day our daily bread.4 Forgive us our sins,    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Main Idea: Prayer is an essential part of the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
 
1. When we pray we are speaking to our father God.
 
2. When we pray, we begin by honoring the greatness of God.
 
3. When we pray, we need to be in harmony with the priorities and plans of God.
 
4. When we pray, we express our dependence on God.
 
Matthew 6:33 NIV
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
5. When we pray we ought to confess our sins before God.
 
6. When we pray we need to ask for spiritual protection.
 
7. When we pray, we are invited to come boldly to the throne of God.
 
Hebrews 4:16 NIV
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
8. When we pray we must trust the goodness of God.
 

“Priests at Work” (Chapter 17)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
“Priests at Work” (Chapter 17)
Priests came before Kings and Prophets.
Manifold Duties of the Priests
Priests at Work
Sanctified
Sacrifices
Holy Days
Blessings
Sanctified
Set Apart for the Ministry of the Priesthood
Provision from the Offerings of the People
“What the people gave to the Lord, the Lord shared with the priests and the Levites.” - Edward Welch
No Inheritance other than the Lord
Numbers 18:20 NIV
20The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.
“When you get the Lord, you get everything else thrown in.” - Edward Welch
Luke 12:32 ESV
32“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Set apart by Ordination or Consecration
Cleansing
Investiture
Anointing
Sacrifices
Sin Offering
Burnt Offering
Ordination Offering
Food Offering
Meal at the entrance of the tabernacle
“The ordination service was for the male offspring of Aaron, but we know where the story is going. All God’s people were soon to be included in this ordination process. The details of the service look different for us because all these sacrifices have been condensed into the work of Jesus. But the rhythm of life for the Aaronic priesthood continues to be the rhythm of our lives.” - Edward Welch
The priests were:
Cleansed from sin
Devoted to the Lord
Thankful for the Lord’s provision
Blessed by his fellowship and care
Sacrifices
Division of duties
Priests who oversaw the sacrificial system
Daily burnt offering - continual pleasing aroma to the Lord for the entire night. Even while the people slept, the Lord was actively making a way for his presence to remain in the camp.
Daily morning and afternoon services
People came to the priests to offer various sacrifices.“To make an animal sacrifice, the worshiper laid hands on the animal and killed it near the entrance of the tabernacle. Everything was up close, participatory, and personal.” - Edward Welch
8 different kinds of sacrifices
Burnt offering - including burnt, sin, and guilty offerings. These involved the blood of animals and were for forgiveness of sin and purification and for expressions of devotion to God.
Peace offering - including cereal, drink, grain, vow, freewill, and wave offerings. These involved an expression of personal devotion and perhaps reconciliation and fellowship with the Lord.
“All of this created a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and it was God’s plan for meeting with his people (Ex. 29:42–43). Did the sacrifices earn God’s favor? No, they were in recognition of what God had done and would do, and they were effective because of his mercy. And the daily rhythm was gradually inculcated into the hearts of the priests and the people.” - Edward Welch
The people were:
Cleansed from sin
Devoted to the Lord
Thankful for the Lord’s provision
Blessed by his fellowship and care
Holy Days
Common days and Holy days
Holy days in cycles of seven
Sabbath every seventh day of the week
Day of Atonement in the seventh month
Year for releasing debts is the seventh or sabbatical year.
The Year of Jubilee is after the forty-ninth year, or seven times seven.
Feasts and Festivals
First festival - Passover and Week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits
Second festival - Seven weeks and a day later was the Feast of Weeks, later also known as Pentecost.
Third festival - Seventh month was sanctified at the beginning with the Feast of Trumpets in preparation for the Day of Atonement 10 days later. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month was the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles, lasting a week.
All of these were marked by special sacrifices, rest, and particular remembrances.
Sabbath
Creation Week - the Sabbath is designated as Holy.“On the Sabbath God rested, and he invites us to rest with him. This is not so much that everyone takes a nap on the Sabbath. The point is that we don’t have to work, so we have time to meet with the Lord—and he meets with us. The point is shalom or peace, not sleep.” - Edward Welch
A Sabbath for Slaves“With the Sabbath, God essentially proclaimed that his people were not slaves but a royal priesthood.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath - an expression of trust in and dependence upon the Lord
Manna - trust God to provide for the 7th day.“This meant that they were to trust in the Lord’s care for them more than in the work of their hands. Trust is essential to a relationship.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath at harvest time - trust God to provide even with a day’s worth of harvesting lost.“The Sabbath was a good test for the soul. Trust does not come naturally; self-interest does. The Sabbath was an opportunity to say that all things come from the Lord.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath - distinguished God’s people from their neighbors.
Jesus reclaims the Sabbath from legalistic burdens.
Matthew 11:28 NIV
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
“In the Gospels, “on the Sabbath” is a marker that something important is about to happen. Jesus had come close, life was breaking in, heaven was piercing earth, and death was being pushed aside. Withered hands were being healed. Disciples were being fed. The Sabbath was a time for blessing, not burdens.” - Edward Welch
The first day of the week - in remembrance of the Lord’s resurrection - became set apart for worship and rest.
“The Sabbath reminds us that rest and peace can only be found in the Lord of the Sabbath.” - Edward Welch
The Day of Atonement
Sabbath dominated the weekly calendar
The Day of Atonement dominated the yearly calendar.
It was the only day when the curtain to the Most Holy Place was lifted for one representative of the people.
Holiest of Holy Days - marked by fasting rather than feasting
Bull and Ram - offered as a sin offering and burnt offering for the High Priest and his family
Two Goats - for the people as a whole - one for a sin offering and one for a “scapegoat.”
Leviticus 16:30 NIV
30because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.
“So many spiritual realities were crammed into this day. Sin was purged by a substitute acceptable to the Lord, blood was sprinkled to bring life to people who had been polluted, and the wandering goat took sins “as far as the east is from the west” as a way to illustrate how far God removes his people from their sins (Ps. 103:12). God was making a way to get closer. To use Genesis language, a new Adam could go past the cherubim that guarded the presence of God. The Day of Atonement assured the people that intimacy with the Lord was still the plan, but it would happen gradually.” - Edward Welch
“As we bring these holy days into the present, what is most obvious is that our sins are our deepest and most profound problem. Our struggles with money, broken relationships, and poor health will be over when we see Jesus, but our sins have eternal implications unless they are sprinkled with the cleansing blood of the Lamb.” - Edward Welch
“All modern-day priests, therefore, should be able to identify personal sins. We could put this more strongly: to be fully human is to know our sins, to know that the sacrifice of Jesus has taken our sins away from the presence of God, and to do battle against ongoing temptations.” - Edward Welch
Blessing
“The priestly story is that of God reclaiming us, bringing us close, and blessing us. The Lord is not under compulsion to show us this kindness. He blesses us because it is his nature. He is inclined to bless, he has made a way to deal with sin so he can bless, and we certainly need his blessing.” - Edward Welch
Bless - to show favor
Blessed - to experience the happiness and joy of such favor
“When God speaks words over his creation, his creative power is put to work. Life appears. This happens with the earth, the sky, the seas, and with us. Blessing is God’s procreative power being brought to our lives. It is necessary for us if we are to live as he intends.” - Edward Welch
John 10:10 ESV
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
As those who have been blessed, God invites us to speak his blessing on others.Numbers 6:22–27 NIV
22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
“The Lord bless you and keep you.” - He is close enough to shade you from the sun, always awake, and protecting your very life (Ps. 121).
“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” - The lampstand is in view as well as the light that is characteristic of his presence. The blessing is that you would know his rescue when you are overwhelmed.Psalm 80:3 NIV
3Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
“The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” - The Lord tells you that he sees and hears you. The face of the Father is toward his children. By his gentle care he will make things right and give deep and lasting peace.
We have been called to bless others in the name of Jesus. This is a premiere feature of our priestly calling.

"Stop and Listen!" (Luke 10:38-42)

"Stop and Listen!" (Luke 10:38-42)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, October 18, 2020
Luke 10:38–42 (NIV)
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
 
Main Idea: It is impossible to faithfully serve Jesus Christ without devoting time to listening to the Word of Christ.

“Job Descriptions” (Chapter 16)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Job Descriptions” (Chapter 16)
 
Heart of the Priestly Job Description
Fellowship with the Lord
Enjoying his hospitality and protection
Living in his house
“May we never think that dour obedience is the essence of life in Christ. Lavish meals, satisfaction, peace, and pleasure are the lot of God’s priests. It could be no other way when we are invited to live at the junction of heaven and earth.” - Edward Welch
Duties of the Early Priests
Care for the weak, orphaned, widows, and poor
Prayer and encouragement in preparation for battle
“These early descriptions of the priestly mission were always pointing toward something more and someone more. The mission converges on Jesus, the true high priest, and from him our job description explodes with new meaning.” - Edward Welch
We still care for the weak, but we realize that we too are poor and needy.
We continue to prepare for battle, but now our battle is against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Three Aspects of the Priests’ Job Description
Fill the earth with wise, discerning royal priests.
Care for the peace and purity of the believing community.
Reflect the Lord.
Fill the Earth with Wise, Discerning Royal Priests
The original creation mandate
Genesis 1:28 NIV28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The updated new creation mandate
Matthew 28:19–20 NIV19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
“The job of subduing the earth continues unabated from the original commission. We are stewards of earth. But the souls of humanity have become our primary stewardship.” - Edward Welch
1 Samuel 12:23 NIV23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
“Priests call children, neighbors, and the world to draw near to Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Care for the Peace and Purity of the Believing Community
“The job of priests is to protect and keep God’s house.” - Edward Welch
Adam and Eve’s failure to protect the Garden of Eden
The Israelite Priests failure to protect the community of Israel
Jesus Christ the Great High Priest
The church, a royal priesthood under Christ
Imperfect but Sanctified
Seek unity not division
Seek justice not favoritism
Seek righteousness not wickedness
Seek love not selfishness
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NIV16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
 
Reflect the Lord
Moses reflected the greatness and holiness of the Lord after having been in his presence.
Exodus 34:29–30 NIV29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
“Moses represented the people and was invited to draw near. When he drew near, he took on a characteristic of the one he beheld… As God is light, so Moses reflected that light.” - Edward Welch

"Who Is My Neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-37)

"Who Is My Neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-37)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, October 11, 2020
 
Luke 10:25–37 NIV
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
John 13:34–35 NIV
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 John 4:20 NIV
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
1 John 4:7–8 NIV
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 3:17–18 NIV
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Luke 6:27 NIV
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Luke 6:32–36 NIV
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Main Idea: A disciple of Jesus Christ will perform acts of love and kindness for other people, no matter who they are.
Luke 10:25–28 NIV
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Daniel 12:2–3 NIV
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Luke 10:27–28 NIV
27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Luke 10:29–37 NIV
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Main Idea: A disciple of Jesus Christ will perform acts of love and kindness for other people, no matter who they are.
1 John 3:17–18 NIV
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

“In God’s House” (Ch. 14) & "Priests Clothed" (Ch. 15)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
“In God’s House” (Chapter 14)
Exodus 25:8–9 NIV
8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
“God’s Home(s)”
• Eden: life and communion
• Mt. Sinai: sacrifices, meals, communion, & promises
• Tabernacle
• Most detail provided in Scripture of any of God’s dwelling places
• Based on a heavenly pattern
• God’s people lived in tents, and he would dwell in a tent in the midst of them.
God’s “home consisted of a tent, surrounded by a courtyard, which was surrounded by the people of Israel, and beyond them was the world that needed the God of Israel.” - Edward Welch
Pictures of God’s Character
• The tabernacle’s design and composition revealed much about God’s character:
• Royalty
• Fine white linen, purples, blues, and reds, gold, silver, and bronze
• Righteousness
• Bronze Altar - people need to be forgiven and cleansed before going into God’s house.
• Purity
• Laver - the necessity for washing/cleansing
• Light and Life
• Golden lampstand shaped to remind of the tree of life in Eden
• Provider
• Table of the bread of presence - God’s care for Israel.
• Divine hospitality
• Grace and Beauty
• Altar of Incense - the sweet smelling aroma rising to the heavens represented the prayers of God’s people brought into the presence of God.
• Holiness and Glory
• Most Holy Place and Ark of the Covenant - God’s throne in God’s throne room
• Only allowed access once a year by the High Priest
• God’s glorious presence came to dwell among his people.
“The tabernacle was a visual representation of God’s world along with specific instruction on how his people were to come near. Each detail was intended to prepare humanity to recognize Jesus when he came and gathered all these details into himself.” - Edward Welch
“Priests Clothed” (Chapter 15)
For Glory and for Beauty
Exodus 28:1–2 NIV
1 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.
• God clothes us to make us beautiful and glorious to stand in his presence.
“God has designed our clothes, and they will make us quite presentable.” - Edward Welch
Characteristics of the Priestly Clothing
• Special - Consecrated
• Costly
• Ornate
• Holy - made of same linen and yarns of the tabernacle itself, gold plate on turban: “holy to the Lord”
“...image bearers—human beings—were the ones intended to represent God most accurately. The tabernacle, indeed, reflected his glory, but walking, living tabernacles were always the plan. The priestly coverings pointed to the Spirit-filled tabernacles that were to come, when we would all be made holy in Jesus Christ.” - Edward Welch
• Representative - names of the 12 tribes engraved on stones on the shoulder pieces and on the jewels of the breastplate.
“The high priest carried the people everywhere, even into the Most Holy Place.” - Edward Welch
• Wisdom - Urim and Thummim represented wise judgment in consultation with the Lord’s will.
“The image of God in humanity was being restored. The discernment and wisdom lost at Eden were available because God was with his people.” - Edward Welch
• Royal - Turban with royal, crown-like overtones
“When you take a step back, it becomes clear: the priestly garment mimicked the tabernacle... The priest was a living version of the tabernacle. The priest and tabernacle both imaged God.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 84:10 NIV
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
“The priests were blessed to be attendants at God’s residence, but their presence there pointed to a much greater reality: his presence with his people would be so intimate that he would actually reside within them.” - Edward Welch
“We look ahead and see that we are, both singularly and corporately, living tabernacles, and a tabernacle is where God resides with his people.” - Edward Welch
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
“The Father over us, Jesus with us, and the Spirit in us—all this intimacy is now in view in the priestly story.” - Edward Welch

"Jesus' Missionaries" (Luke 10:1-24)

"Jesus' Missionaries" (Luke 10:1-24)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, October 4, 2020
 
Luke 10:1-24, NIV
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
We Have Been Given a Privileged Mission (vv. 1-20).
We Have Been Given a Blessed Salvation by God’s Grace (vv. 20-24).
Matthew 16:15-17, NIV
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
John 14:6 NIV
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
 
Main Idea: We have been given a blessed salvation and a privileged mission by God’s grace.

"Holy" (Ch. 12) & "A Meal with God" (Ch. 13)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Holy” (Chapter 12)
 
Set Apart
“Holy” found everywhere in conjunction with priests of God.
Holy days, places, objects, and people
Set apart by the Lord and for the Lord
God’s Classification System
 
Leviticus 10:10 NIV
10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Holy
Common
Clean
Unclean
 
An Orderly Universe
Separated light from darkness
Separated water from water to form the sky
Separated water from land
A Holy Nation
Separated types of seed in fields
Separated kinds of fabric from garments
Separated clean and unclean foods
“These unusual expressions of distinctions and order were a bridge to the deeper order in which God’s people were to belong to him and separate themselves from sin. Sin is an alien kind that should not mix with those created in God’s image.” - Edward Welch
“Death, too, sin’s constant companion, is alien to the God of life, so we are not surprised that priestly laws contained taboos against anything that had ties to death.” - Edward Welch
The Clean and Unclean
Clean - welcomed and could draw near
Free to worship at the temple gates and enter the courtyard
Included in the community
Unclean - unwelcome and remain far away
The unclean were farther from God and closer in proximity to death.
Excluded from the community
“The unclean person’s only hope was that God would do something to redeem him or her from uncleanness, and he did. The entire sacrificial system was intended to point the way from death toward the life giver himself. The unclean were purified or cleansed.” - Edward Welch
The Holy
Near to God
Set apart from the rest of creation
Honorable because the Lord brings them near to himself
From Unclean to Holy
Since the Fall, God is reclaiming the unclean and making them clean and holy.
Consecration, Sanctification
Sacrifice was the way to cleanse and make holy.
 “The purpose of humanity is to be brought near to God as a holy people.” - Edward Welch
Left to ourselves, we are unclean.
Sin and death (sin’s colleague) are our problem.
God has made a way for forgiveness of sins through sacrifice.
His mission is to draw us close to himself and give life.
He takes the unclean and makes them clean.
He takes the clean and makes them holy.
“A Meal with God” (Chapter 13)
“You know that God has accepted you when he invites you to a meal.” - Edward Welch
Exodus 24:9–11 NIV
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
 
One Way, His Way
It is by grace that we draw near to God.
It is by God’s word and command that we draw near his way.
Divine Hospitality
The feet of God - a partial view of God’s presence
A covenantal meal, prepared by God
​“‘Come, live under my protection, enjoy a meal with me; it is my honor to treat you; let’s talk.’ That’s the gist of the Lord’s Table. It gets to the heart of priestly privileges and pleasures, and it is a recurring event where heaven and earth meet.” - Edward Welch
First of Many Meals
Priests shared a meal from the sacrifices presented to the Lord.
People who brought a peace offering shared in a meal with the Lord from that offering.
Those who remained faithful to the Lord received an invitation to a soul-satisfying and free banquet (Isa. 55:1–6).
Jesus himself gathered the most unlikely and unworthy to eat with him.
Mt. Sinai, the Tabernacle, and the Lord’s Presence
Mt. Sinai was like a vertical tabernacle.
The people were at the base in the outer courtyard - they saw the cloud of God’s glory.
The elders were invited farther up into the inner courtyard - they saw the Lord’s “feet.”
Moses was invited up to the summit to the Most Holy Place - He would later see God’s “back.”
What about Us?
We have the coming of Jesus who revealed the Father to us.
But there is even more to come.
1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 

"True Discipleship" (Luke 9:51-62)

"True Discipleship" (Luke 9:51-62)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, September 27, 2020
Luke 9:51-62, NIV
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
 
Luke 4:18–19 NIV
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
 
Luke 6:27–28 NIV
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
 
A disciple of Jesus Christ is one that follows the example of Jesus by showing mercy.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is fully committed to him no matter the cost.
 
Main Idea: A true disciple is one who shows mercy and one who is totally committed to Jesus Christ no matter the cost.

"Moses" (Ch. 10) and "A Nation of Priests" (Ch. 11)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Moses” (Chapter 10)
 
From Jacob to Levi
Jacob’s son Levi would be the father of the priestly line in Israel.
Transition from Father/Patriarch priests to Levite priests
A Levite Had a Son
 
Exodus 2:1–2 NIV
1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
“This couple would have a priestly son, and he would stand in the gap between heaven and earth. He would receive words from the Lord to give to the people, and he would hear the pleas of the people to give to the Lord. In Moses, humanity’s true identity would become more vivid than in anyone before Jesus.” - Ed Welch
1. Meeting God in a bush.
 
Exodus 3:1–5 NIV
1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
A moveable Most Holy Place - wherever God is, there is holy ground.
A fire that does not consume - awe and nearness.
Removed sandals - cleansing in the presence of the holy
A conversation - a back and forth dialogue between the Lord and Moses.
“This is an image-bearing priest on grand display. We alone are like God in such a way that he speaks to us, we listen, we speak to him, and he listens—back and forth. This is what can happen when God comes close, and it was a distinctive feature of Moses’s life.” - Edward Welch
2. Meeting God on a mountain.
Heaven and earth meet at Sinai.
A vision of heaven
Exodus 24:10 NIV
10and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.
With God on the summit - the Most Holy Place
Exodus 24:16 NIV
16and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.
Moses - a new Adam walking and talking with God on the seventh day.
A shining face - drawing near to the Lord is transformational.
Exodus 34:30 NIV
30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
​
3. Meeting God in a small tent.
The Lord descends and came to Moses at the tent of meeting.
Face to face
Exodus 33:11 NIV
11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
 
Moses’ Priestly Role
Established altars and made sacrifices and burnt offerings
Guarded and kept the temple mountain to protect the people
Made a stand for God’s holiness (Ex. 32:21)
Led people into war (Ex. 17:8)
Taught and applied the words of the Lord to the people (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 33:10)
Preeminently, it was his nearness to God that identified him as a priest unto the Lord.
“Levites worked in the tabernacle courts, but they couldn’t get as near to the Most Holy Place as the priests who descended from Aaron. Moses and Aaron came from Levi, but Moses did not come from Aaron. Since Moses clearly came close to the Lord—closer than any Aaronic priest—he is a small reminder that non-credentialed people like us might also be able to come near to God, and he might come near to us.” - Edward Welch
“A Nation of Priests” (Chapter 11)
 
Exodus 19:5–6 NIV
5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
 
Priests among a Nation of Priests
Priestly line was demarcated and specific
Levi
Aaron
“Priests represented the people, and the high priest actually wore symbols of the people on his vestments, but the people in general were not priests... But we have reason to think that the line of priests was going to expand.” - Edward Welch
Priests outside the Line of Aaron
Moses
Samuel
1 Samuel 16:2 NIV
2But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
King David’s sons
2 Samuel 8:18 NIV
18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
Family-father priests (Passover, Ex. 12:1-11)
“It wasn’t the temple or Levi that defined the priesthood. The key was holiness, and holiness—an essential condition for priests in which they were chosen by God, set apart for him and cleansed—was going to be available to everyone (Lev. 19:2; 20:7–8).” - Edward Welch
“The people as priests came first. The Levitical priesthood did not replace the people as priests. It simply offered a more concentrated version of priestly life that would eventually be redistributed to all the people.” - Edward Welch
“This means that you are a treasured possession. Out of all creation, God determined that those whose allegiance is to him are of great worth, and when you have a treasured possession, you keep it close and never let it go.” - Edward Welch
“You are among a kingdom of priests. Men, women, and children wear the priestly garments. As per the original calling, you go out and serve as priests to the nations that are presently far off.” - Edward Welch
“You are brought into a holy nation. You are not holy because you are pure in yourself or closer to perfection than your neighbor. Only God makes us holy. Humility and thanks, therefore, are the natural response of all priests.” - Edward Welch
Leviticus 26:11–12 NIV
11I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
 
Isaiah 61:6 NIV
6And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

"Dependence and Humility" (Luke 9:37-50)

"Dependence and Humility" (Luke 9:37-50)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday AM, September 20, 2020Luke 9:37-50, NIV37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Everything that we have and can do comes from God’s gracious hand.
There is no room for spiritual pride.
Philippians 2:5-11, NIV
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing    by taking the very nature of a servant,    being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man,    he humbled himself    by becoming obedient to death—        even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place    and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,    to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:3-4, NIV
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Main Idea: Because everything that we have and are able to do comes from God’s gracious hand, there is no room for spiritual pride.

"Sanctuaries & Ladders" (Ch. 8) & "Jacob" (Ch. 9)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
Part 2: Israel
 
“Sanctuaries & Ladders” (Chapter 8)
 
When God Comes Close
Altars - where heaven came to earth
God’s voice and heavenly visions - when God speaks, he is present.
Blessings and promises
When he blesses us, we will, in turn, pass that blessing to others, and a prized priestly job is to pronounce blessings. - Edward Welch
Holy
people, places, special days, and objects that God has brought close to himself
Priests
Job - one of our priestly ancestors
Job 1:5 NIV5When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
Abraham
Genesis 12:8 NIV8From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Melchizedek
As God’s priest Melchizedek shared in the status of God himself, which means that he was Jesus. - Edward Welch
Was Melchizedek Jesus?
Melchizedek described with names, locations, etc. suggest he was a normal man.
Melchizedek, king of Salem parallel with king of Sodom in Gen. 14, who met Abram simultaneously (Wenham, Hamilton).
Hebrews 5-7 understands him to be a “type” of Christ, but not Christ himself. Melchizedek’s priesthood becomes a paradigm for the priesthood of Christ.
Both Jewish interpretation and early church interpretation understood Melchizedek to be a historical figure.
It has been suggested that he is the pre-incarnate Messiah. However, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews teaches against such an identification (see Heb. 7:3–4). - John Currid
Jacob
Genesis 28:12–13 NIV12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.
Genesis 28:16–17 NIV16When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Genesis 28:18–19 NIV18Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
It was only a stone or two, but that’s how temples get started. This temple was the house of God, and from it was a ladder that traversed into heaven itself. - Edward Welch
When the veil of heaven is pulled back for a moment, as it was with the ladder, we see that much is happening. And God is resolute—he was making a way for his royal priests to be with him. He is never far. - Edward Welch
“Jacob” (Chapter 9)
...Priests are the ones brought close to God, and Jacob was very close. - Edward Welch
Genesis 32:24–30 NIV24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Meeting God a Second Time
Jacob was alone, and it was dark.
Facing danger
Would he and his family survive his meeting with Esau?
God met him.
God responds to our fears.
God assures his people of his presence.
God emptied himself of strength.
The “man” who wrestled with Jacob was most likely a Christophany - a preincarnate appearance of Christ.
This event gives us a glimpse of the incarnation in which Christ humbled himself and took on the weakness of humanity.
God revealed his strength gently.
God and his strength were revealed with he “touched” Jacob’s hip.
...Those who know God accurately know that he is inclined to be near, and to be near is to bless. - Edward Welch
God blessed him.
A new name
No longer “deceiver”
Now “prevailer with God”
Priests typically were models of decorum when they came near to the Lord. There were, however, especially desperate times during which they learned that they could not make life work through their own cunning. At those times desperation emboldened them. Like the impudent midnight caller who kept asking a neighbor for bread until he finally got out of bed and gave him bread (Luke 11:5–8), we have the option of holding on to the Lord even tighter as we remember his power and love. There is more than one way to be near and receive the blessing he promises. - Edward Welch

"The Glorified Messiah" (Luke 9:28-36)

"The Glorified Messiah" (Luke 9:28-36)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, September 13, 2020
Luke 9:28-36, NIV
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
2 Peter 1:16-18
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Main Idea: The Suffering Messiah will one day come again as the Glorified Messiah.

"Discernment Lost" (Ch. 6) & "Living outside the Most Holy Place" (Ch. 7)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Discernment Lost” (Chapter 6)
 
Genesis 3:22 NIV
22And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
 
Humanity Downgraded
Humanity suffered a loss of status after the Fall.
The created order was inverted: serpent -> woman -> man.
Like God, Knowing Good & Evil?
How did Adam & Eve become “like God”?
How did Adam & Eve “know good & evil”?
An experiential knowledge vs. a theoretical knowledge?
Did “know good & evil” before the Fall but then lost it?
Self-gained knowledge sought by human autonomy rather than by submission to divine revelation.
Knowledge by Revelation or by Autonomy?
Seeking our own knowledge and wisdom makes us “like God” in one sense in terms of our own autonomy and self-determination, but it makes us less “like God” in every other sense.
Disregarding God’s revelation actually makes us less “like God” and makes us “less human.”
In order to be full-functioning priests we need a steely, moral discernment. To lose it is to become less noble and honorable. It is to become less human. - Edward Welch
Yet the Lord has determined that nothing will interfere with his priestly call on our lives, so he will do it. He will set us on a course of wisdom and discernment that will culminate in the Spirit of wisdom being poured out on all of us. That wisdom and discernment will be essential for our closeness to God, which is our destiny. - Edward Welch
Deuteronomy 4:5–6 NIV
5See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
 
1 Kings 3:9–10 NIV
9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
 
Isaiah 5:20 NIV
20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
 
Jeremiah 4:22 NIV
22“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
 
Jeremiah 31:33 NIV
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
 
Hebrews 5:14 NIV
14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to dis
Obedience to Christ is not a burden to bear. Instead it points the way to being truly human—an unfettered conscience, an unhindered nearness to him, and the pleasure of his hospitality and protection. - Edward Welch
“Life outside the Most Holy Place” (Chapter 7)
 
The March of Death
Physical Death
Spiritual Death
Breach in relationship with God
Breach in relationship with one another
Blind to personal wrongdoing
Magnifying the wrongs of others
Genesis 3:11–13 NIV
11And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
 
Point and Accuse
Excusing ourselves and passing blame is our default setting.
Proverbs 14:12 NIV
12There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Pointing and accusing is our means of covering up our own sins.
The accusations start flying when we want to cover up certain behaviors. So when you blame, consider what you are trying to hide. - Edward Welch
Nakedness and Shame
Rebellion brought guilt, which brought shame, which revealed our nakedness.
God clothed Adam and Eve.
Covering of Atonement
Reminder of Atonement
Among our many spiritual disabilities is that we so quickly forget reality. As a way to jostle a dull memory, the Lord clothed humanity with animal skins. For the ancient Hebrew the message was clear: if you follow an animal, you will look like an animal; if you forsake the path of life, you will wear death… Being draped with a dead animal was no reason for boasting. It was a statement of spiritual need. - Edward Welch
Inside Out
Humanity’s search for independence and autonomy only brought separation.
Adam’s original role was to work and protect the garden (Gen. 2:15).
Now the Garden would be protected from Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24).
Genesis 3:24 NIV
24After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
 
In Our Place
A substitute could stand in our place.
The blood of an animal for the blood of humanity
This became a key insight for God’s priests: God will, in fact, accept substitutes in our place. - Edward Welch
An imperfect system: an animal cannot truly stand in the place of a human being
Grounded in the mercy of God
Farther from God’s Presence
Self-justification, others’ condemnation
Jealousy, envy, hatred, and murder
Blame is a form of judgment: “I am right; you are wrong.” It is a kind of curse: “May you be damned [rather than me].” We want the best for ourselves and punishment to fall on another. Murder was inevitable. - Edward Welch
Cain ventured farther and farther from Eden, farther from the presence of God.
Humanity was farther from God’s inner room. Yet nothing had changed. God created us to be a priesthood and to live at the meeting place of heaven and earth, and he would do it. - Edward Welch

"The Cost of Discipleship" (Luke 9:18-27)

"The Cost of Discipleship" (Luke 9:18-27)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, September 6, 2020
Luke 9:18-27 (NIV)
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is the Anointed One of God.
Jesus is the Anointed One of God who came to die as a sacrifice for sin.
Because Jesus is the anointed one of God who came to die as a sacrifice for sin, he deserves the highest loyalty and sacrifice from his disciples.

“Discern Right from Wrong” (Chapter 4) & “An Intruder” (Chapter 5)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Discern Right from Wrong” (Chapter 4)
 
Two Trees, Two Paths
 
Genesis 2:17 NIV17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
To be fully human, which means to be close to the Lord, we must know that there are two paths.
The path that is with God and to God is life and honor. It says yes with his yes and no with his no.
The path that leads away from God can feel like pleasure for a moment, but it goes headlong into death. It says yes to his no and no to his yes.
“Moral Discernment… is a premiere feature of our humanity… Obedience, knowing right from wrong are… essential for a fruitful and good life to those who are replicas of the heavenly God on earth.” - Ed Welch
Moral Discernment, True Humanity
Image of God, Imitating God
Essential to All Relationships
Human Relationships
Divine-Human Relationship
To be human—God’s priest—is to discern what is best and what is deadly.
To be human is to act on that discernment and obey. This demands confidence in what God says and the humility to place his words above our own understanding and our own desires. It demands faithful love.
To be human is to teach and encourage others in their discernment.
“An Intruder” (Chapter 5)
 
Keeping Watch
The world has been filled with danger from the beginning.
“Everyday life was not intended for our relaxation and entertainment.” - Ed Welch
A part of Adam’s role to keep and care for the garden was to protect it from danger.
In the Garden, Satan (as the serpent) encountered a spiritually drowsy and unprepared humanity.
Genesis 3:1 NIV1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
 
Satan’s Schemes
God is not good. (Creating doubt)
Genesis 3:2–3 NIV2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
Sin is not bad. (Creating desire)
Genesis 3:4–5 NIV4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
 
Genesis 3:6 NIV6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
“The serpent’s goal is for humanity to be remade in his image and imitate him. His twofold strategy remains his most prominent and effective weapon. Every failed spiritual test can be traced to our tacit agreement with him and these two lies. 'Go ahead,' he says, 'you will like it; rest in your own understanding. Look at the evidence. God is not that good, sin is not that bad. To put it bluntly, God is not good; sin is good.'” - Ed Welch
You are lost. (Creating despair)
“When we follow him into disobedience, Satan will add one final strategy: 'You are now irredeemably bad, and God could never forgive or love you.' … Shame replaces communion and fellowship, and everything is injected with hopelessness. We are fooled into thinking that we can never regain what’s been lost.” - Ed Welch
“Before priests could protect the holiness of the garden temple, they first had to learn to protect their own hearts.” - Ed Welch
Application of Chapters 4-5
Drawing near to God as his holy priests requires moral discernment, trusting in and obeying God’s commands.
Drawing near to God as his holy priests requires guarding our hearts against Satan’s schemes.

“A Wilderness Banquet” (Luke 9:10-17)

“A Wilderness Banquet” (Luke 9:10-17)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday AM, August 30, 2020
 
Luke 9:10–17 NIV
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
 
1. A Great Need (verse 12)
 
2. The Disciples’ Inability to Provide (verse 13)
 
2 Kings 4:42–44 NIV42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said. 43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ” 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
 
3. Jesus’ Ability to Provide (verses 14-16)
 
4. An Even Greater Provision (verse 17)
 
Main Idea: Jesus, the Son of God, is completely sufficient for every need, and his power is most displayed through our weakness.

“In God’s Image” (Chapter 2) and “Not Yet Dressed” (Chapter 3)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“In God’s Image” (Chapter 2)
 
Genesis 1:26 NIV
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
 
We are created in God’s own image.
To bear his image is to be like him and have the capacity to grow in a relationship with him.
All creation is made to reflect God’s glory, but we are like him in every way a finite creature can be like him.
Not Just Pharaoh
In the Egyptian religion, Pharaoh was an “image” of the gods. Everyone else was a servant or slave to Pharaoh as the representative of the gods.
In biblical theology, all human beings were created to be “images” of God, each designed to relate to their Creator God.
Genesis 5:3 NIV
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
 
Images of the Father
As a child reflects the likeness of the parent, so we reflect the likeness of our Creator God. We are his offspring.
We experience a likeness or kinship to God that uniquely qualifies us for a relationship with him.
“We can represent him to the world, we can participate in his purposes, and we can imitate him. Of all creation, we share the closest kinship with God, so we alone can know him and be known by him in the most intimate of ways.”
We alone have the capacity to live in God and he in us.
Psalm 8:5 NIV
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
We are priests, the very offspring of God, who share in his likeness.
Our Priestly Mission
With Eden as the epicenter, we were sent out to tame the untamed world. We were called to claim it for the Lord, work it, and keep it. There was much to do.
Our mission was to imitate him and represent him on earth.
“Be Fruitful”
In reproducing image bearers of God, we were called to expand the boundaries of Eden to the ends of the earth - to fill the earth with the glory of the Lord.
The New Testament image is disciple-making: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations...” (Matt. 28:19).
“Not Yet Dressed” (Chapter 3)
 
“Naked and Not Ashamed”
God always intended to dress us.
The announcement that Adam and Eve were “naked and not ashamed” points to the need for clothing that would come with maturity.
Royal Robes
When kings ascend to their thrones, they were majestic garments.
When priests were installed they were invested with royal robes.
With new status comes new clothes.
Humanity’s task was to grow in wisdom, and with wisdom would come investiture and robes of righteousness.
Beauty and Glory
Beauty is a part of the priestly package. If we are close to God, it can be no other way.
As humanity matured into its mission, their role would be manifested in adorned beauty.
Isaiah 61:10 NIV
10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The path toward this beautification was straightforward:
Genesis 2:17 NIV
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
This was the path toward beauty, honor, and communion with God. Do this and truly live.
​“The path man chose veered from this path, but the beautification project continued nonetheless because it did not rely on man’s obedience and best efforts but solely on God’s pursuit.”

"On Mission" (Luke 9:1-9)

"On Mission" (Luke 9:1-9)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, August 23, 2020
 
Luke 9:1–9 NIV
       1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.        7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
 
1. Jesus commissions his disciples for the mission (verses 1–2).
 
Luke 9:1–2 NIV
1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
His commission involved special authority.
His commission involved a specific message and mission.
2. Jesus instructs his disciples about the mission (verses 3–5).
 
Luke 9:3–5 NIV
3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
 
Luke 22:35–36 NIV
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
 
3. The disciples obeyed Jesus’ commission (verse 6).
 
Luke 9:6 NIV
6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
 
Main Idea: Our mission is to be ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully presenting him and his message to the world.
 
Luke 9:7–9 NIV
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.