The Curtain In The Temple
Please stand as we read our newest memory Scripture together …
2 Timothy 4:3-4
“The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
And our memory refresher verse(s) for today is(are) …
1 Peter 3:15
“In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Please open your Bibles to Mark 15:33-39
Last week we talked about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and what it means for us who have devoted our lives to serving and following the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I say, “those of us who have devoted our lives to serving and following the Lord Jesus Christ” I am not talking about just pastors but about everyone who is what the Bible defines as being a Christian.
Someone who is “in Christ”, someone who is a “slave of Christ”, someone who has been “crucified with Christ and no longer lives but Christ lives in them.”
That is what a Christian is.
The Lord does not do the “casual dating” type of relationship.
You are either all in or not in at all.
When Jesus died on the cross there was something monumental that happened at the very same time. Something that only gets a small mention but its implications for us are enormous. Something that actually happened at another location.
This event is mentioned in three places; in Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45.
Does anyone know what that event was?
The temple had two sacred chambers and only priests of the line of Aaron were allowed to enter these chambers.
There was a heavy curtain 60 feet wide and 40 feet high that separated these two chambers.
The first chamber was called the Holy Place where the daily incense offerings were brought before the Lord. This is the place where Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was met by the angel Gabriel and told that Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, would have a child and who he would be.
The second, innermost chamber was behind the curtain. This chamber was called the Holy of Holies or The Most Holy Place and only the High priest could enter that area one day each year for the atonement of the sins of all of Israel.
With that in mind let’s look at: Mark 15:33-39
May God bless the reading of His Word … (Prayer for help …)
At the time of Jesus’ death the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom.
What is the significance of this?
The Most Holy Place was where the High Priest would offer incense and sacrifices for the sins of the entire nation of Israel once each year during the Passover festival.
At the time of Moses the very presence of the LORD could actually be seen above the Atonement Cover of the Ark of the Covenant which was located in the Most Holy Place. And the LORD, Himself would actually speak to Moses from that location.
That is why it was called the Most Holy Place, because the presence of God Himself was there!
But, now, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, Christ has made a way for us to enter into the presence of God Himself.
Now, we know that the LORD did speak to various people throughout the Bible but the sacrifice of atonement for sin was only accomplished during the Passover Festival by the High Priest when he would enter the Most Holy Place with the prescribed sacrifices.
But, since Christ, the perfect sacrifice for our sin has been made, there is no longer a need for a priest to offer sacrifices of atonement for us.
We, ourselves, can enter the presence of the Lord.
So, the curtain the prevented us from entering the very presence of God has been parted for us. We can enter the presence of the Lord!
What does it take to enter through that door?
To enter the presence of the Lord a person must be pure in heart
Psalm 24:3-5
“Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.”
In Psalm 51:9-11 King David prays,
“Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Psalm 73:1 says,
“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”
And Jesus, Himself says in Matthew 5:8.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
To enter the presence of the Lord a person must have a pure heart.
This is not something that has changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
Jesus didn’t come and say, “Listen up, I’m changing everything around!”
The Lord God has always, always, always been open to those with a pure heart.
This does not mean that we must be perfectly sinless although that should be our desire, but it means that our intentions must be pure and entirely devoted to the Lord God Almighty.
What does a pure heart look like?
Wesley’s Covenant Prayer provides a good test for what a pure, devoted heart looks like. Let’s test our hearts to see if we have a pure devoted heart.
I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Put me to what You will, place me with whom You will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for You or laid aside by You.
Exalted for You or brought low for You.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
You are mine, and I am Yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
How does this prayer start out?
- I am no longer my own, but Yours.
- What does that look like?
When I was a teen I bought a bass guitar from a High School friend of mine. He had used it for playing the popular songs of the day; songs that glorified sinful, ungodly activities and attitudes. Once I bought it, it was mine and I started using it to play Christian music.
The guitar was no longer his; it was mine. But, you might say, we are not like a guitar. A guitar is an inanimate object and has no will of its own.
Exactly! And, when we say, “I am no longer my own, but Yours, Lord”, we are handing total and complete ownership of our life over to Jesus!
This sentence that says, “I AM NO LONGER MY OWN, BUT YOURS” is the overarching, thesis statement for this entire prayer.
What this little eight word sentence says will be exploded in the statements which follow.
IF THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE IN YOUR LIFE, it will lead you to naturally fulfill the rest of the prayer.
This one eight word statement, IF IT IS TRUE IN YOUR LIFE, will open the path to the Most Holy Place, into the very presence of God.
This statement is epic in its importance.
God is NOT the God of cheap grace.
Jesus did not allow Himself to get slapped a few times for our sins and then say, “OK, that’s enough!” No, Jesus gave His life! Complete commitment. That was the plan of salvation!
Is God’s plan anything less?
Do you want to know what God’s plan is for your life?
This is it, are you ready? And, it’s all dependent on conforming with the statement, “I am no longer my own, but Yours!”
Here is God’s plan for your life
- Complete availability to God
- Complete obedience to God
- And a life completely driven by an overwhelming passion for God
God’s plan for your life and for my life is to not only enter into His presence but to live in His presence! Let’s examine this prayer a little bit more.
“I am no longer my own, but Yours!”
The next statement says, “Put me to what You will.”
In other words, put me to doing what You want me to do.
Just look at the Pharisee Saul who ended up becoming the Apostle Paul. From his own testimony it seems that before he was saved the all consuming goal of his life was to be the greatest Pharisee who ever lived!
Instead, he meets the Risen Christ and ends up becoming a willing slave of Jesus and out of obedience to the Lord he ends up making himself, “… a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” 1 Corinthians 9:19b
Paul entered into Christ and lived the rest of his life in the presence of the Lord!
What if the Lord calls you to slop pigs the rest of your life? There is nothing sinful or shameful about slopping pigs unless that is what the Lord has called you to do and you refuse to do it.
If He has called you to slop pigs and you are saying NO then you cannot truthfully say, “I am no longer my own, but Yours, Lord.”
And if that happens the Most Holy Presence of the Lord is shut to you because you are living in rebellion to the Lord. You have taken yourself out of His presence by your own willful disobedience! The Lord has not closed the door, you have!
Let’s look at a few more of these, OK? Let’s just pick a couple …
Now, remember that all of these fall under the overarching commitment to the Lord of, “I am no longer my own, but Yours.”
What about this one, “put me to suffering”.
- Oh, man! That’s a tough one! Put me to suffering? Really? Suffering?
- Am I really raising my hand and saying, “let me suffer for You, Lord, if it is Your will?”
- Man, I hate pain! I hate back pain. I hate tooth pain. I hate torn muscles that go into spasm! I hate it!
- Yes, I hate it, but, am I willing to endure it for the sake of Christ?
- You see, we kind of glide through this prayer like it is some easy thing.
What about these two, “Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing.”? What about them?
- Full in what way? Empty in what way?
- Full bank accounts or empty bank accounts
- Full of material possessions or having only the necessities required to remain alive?
- Full of health or full of suffering for years like Annabelle did?
- Do I need to know the answers to those questions before I commit?
Are we willing to lay it all on the line for Jesus?
Can we say, “I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal, Lord?”
Many, many people who claim to be Christians in America live entirely for themselves and pray that the Lord will bless their lives.
Their lives take on the character of, “This is MY life and I want You to bless all of my decisions even though I refuse to ask for Your guidance and would not heed Your guidance even if I had it. Oh, and by the way, God, I go to church when there is nothing else to do and I throw a few bucks in the offering plate and I say the Lord’s prayer a few times a week but I really don’t have time for that Bible reading and church every Sunday and daily prayer, and really, should I give up my great vacations in order to give tithes and offerings and to be in Your house on Sunday? I mean, really, God. So, just bless me ‘cause I’m worth it and You should be glad You’ve got me!”
Now, I know that these are two extremes of the spectrum of being a Christian, but, only one of them is truly being a Christian.
Only one of these will ever know the presence of God in their lives and quite possibly in eternity.
A. W. Tozer:
“Millions call themselves by His name, it is true, and pay some token homage to Him, but a simple test will show how little He is really honored among them. Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who or what is ABOVE, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. However the man may protest, the proof is in the choice he makes day after day throughout his life.”
Elizabeth Elliot:
“Holiness has never been the driving force of the majority. It is, however, mandatory for anyone who wants to enter the kingdom.”
Charles Spurgeon:
“I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him.”
Leonard Ravenhill:
“Is the world crucified to you? Or does it fascinate you?”
The curtain into the Holy Presence of God has been opened by the death of Jesus on the cross. It is open for anyone who will die to self and become alive in Christ.
Have you entered into the presence of Jesus?
Are you living in the presence of Jesus daily?
Or, are you at this very time looking in from the outside?
No matter where you stand with Jesus we are called to relentless pursuit of knowing Him more, of serving Him better, of becoming Christ-like in the very fabric of our lives.
Closing comments and prayer.
