Exodus 28 : 1-29 Gems on the Heart of Jesus TPC 7

VERSES 1-5

Intro: Here we have an interesting section on the priesthood

Aaron and his sons were SET APART by God for the ministry

A) That is how God’s work is done

"Set apart Saul and Barnabas for the work I have for them"

B) NOTICE TWO THINGS about their calling

1st we see what is to be the PRIORITY of ministry

VERSE 1 - that he may minister to me as priest's

AGAIN VERSE 3 - that he may minister to me

C)These robes were given to Aaron that he might minister to the Lord

1)That is the PRIORITY of every minister for anyone desiring to serve God

D)The PRIORITY is NEVER to people first/ The priority isn’t the program or the need – but the Priority of ministry is always – first TWO JESUS

  1. Acts 13 – Elders – ministered to the Lord – in prayer / worship and it was there that the Lord spoke –Separate Paul & Barney

E) It wasn’t when they were ministering for the Lord – that He spoke –

 

Guys we need to realize that there is a difference in ministering to the Lord vs. ministering for the Lord

A)Both are important – but Ministering TO the Lord must precede / ministering for the Lord

B) You were created/ redeemed primarily for Fellowship & Intimacy w/ Jesus – to worship Him in spirit & truth – draw near to Him

  1. Live in Communion fellowship – that is what it means to minister to the Lord

    2. C) And out of that intimacy / out of that relationship / will flow the direction the Power / the Motivation to minister for the Lord

  2. It will be a response to who He is & what He has done

Easy to forget about ministering to the Lord - Start to experience Joy satisfaction in what we are doing for Him / how we are being used

A)Instead of in who He is !!!! ( First went to Oregon)

B) OUR priority to minister unto the Lord?- Such a man/woman who makes it their priority to minister praise & adoration to the Lord

1) will find that their life overflows to the human side of their ministry

C) The most effective minister is that person whose primary ministry is NOT to man but to God

  1. So first we see the PRIORITY OF Ministry Team

 

2ND - UNITY of ministry

A)The passage is speaking about Aaron & His Sons/ yet they are referred to in a singular fashion –v. 1 that he may minister to me

B) Is God lacking good grammar? Shouldn’t it be that THEY … to me ?

  1. See The Lord saw the priestly office as One ministry / One team Aaron the High Priest & his sons the other Priest – Many – yet One

C) Jesus is our Great High Priest – Yet He has opened the door for us to minister w/ Him as fellow Priest / Peter ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

  1. Because we are Linked to Jesus – we have been given the opportunity to minister along side of him / We are ONE ministry

D) Jesus looks at us & sees us – as One – One body having many functions

1) One body – many parts / different functions We are NOT competing

E)We must CEASE competing and find our UNIQUE calling and see ourselves as LINKED in ONE ministry

EVERY person in the Body has their place and function / the thing that is needed is to find your place and rest in it & flourish in it

A)Now there is always that tendency to be critical of another part of the body or to desire to have some one else’s role

B) Paul – addressed this is 1 Cor. 12 Can the eye say to the hand I have no need of you .

C) Lets say your big toe – said tired cramped up in these shoes – I want to climb higher – exposure – climbs up knee – awkward

  1. hurt when kneeling

D) Don’t like this either – STOMACH – weird – embarrassed go to the beach –

  1. Higher still – Forehead – that is where I want to be!!! (It looks UGLY)

E) Hey that big toe – has a place on the foot – provide stability for the whole body – stay there & do your Job!!!!

  1. Many members – One body

Do Your part don’t strive to be or do more than what God is calling you to do

A)The Bible declares in 2 Tim. 2;24 The servant of the Lord must not Strive

B)When I am striving in ministry – I know that is not where I am supposed to be ( Striving to make things happen)

  1. My back ground – sports strive to excel – strive to make the team / strive to be an All-star

C) Ministry doors opened up

1) Priest were to wear LINEN not wool – Ezk. 44 – No sweat

D) So realize God has placed me in the Body – purpose & a Ministry Team

1) Let it come & fulfill my part

So we see this idea that is embedded into the very Language of the passage in dealing w/ the Priest – Priority & the Unity – v. 5-7

5"They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked 7It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue purple,& scarlet thread,& fine woven linen.

A)So the High priest wore an EPHOD WHAT in the world is an ephod?-

  1. The closest way to describe it to you is that it is like a vest - NOT a vest

that buttons in front

B) But more Like the vests that men wear while working on the highways/ Like scrimmage vests that football players wear

C)It was tied together at the shoulders/ It was OPEN on the sides

FASTENED on the bottom by a SACHE – CLOTH BELT (V.9-29)

 

In the high priests garments we gain much understanding into the HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRY of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

A)The EPHOD is symbolic of AUTHORITY

B) The HIGH PRIEST was the ONLY one in the priesthood that could wear the EPHOD

  1. So the EPHOD on the High Priest speaks of Jesus Christ... The Man of AUTHORITY

C) Authority that is marked by 3 things 1st SERVANT

  1. The SACHE WAS what they would gird themselves w/!( servant )

D) Jesus to his disciples who were arguing about authority – who would be the greatest – the one who was the servant of all

  1. Demonstrated it by girding himself to wash the ……feet

E) Jesus has authority in our lives because – He became the suffering servant in order to bring us to the Father

The Under rowers – Get others to the destination

A)The True minister is one who is an under rower – seeks to get others to Jesus !!!!

B) People are not there for you to carry out your calling – but you are there to help them fulfill theirs

  1. So first it is an Authority that is marked by Service

2nd it is an Authority that is marked by love –

A)Onyx stones on the shoulders / bearing the names of the tribes

And Gems on the Breastplate – also bearing the names

B) The people were on His shoulders & on his heart

  1. Jesus our great high Priest – is the Burden bearer

C)Jesus Christ, our Great High priest, has authority NOT because He demands it, but because He has earned it... He CARES for us

D) IF you are in a place of authority..... work/home/fellowship

IF you have to DEMAND authority, THEN you DON’T have it

1) If you have to DEMAND respect, THEN you DON’T have it

E)Jesus has our respect by virtue of the fact that He BARES our burdens

Jesus said: Come unto Me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest

 

NOTE: Wives will submit to their husbands if they see that you CARE for them

A)Your children will respect and respond to you if they know that you CARE for them

B)True saying People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care

C)NOTICE: The names of the 12 tribes were NOT just WRITTEN on these stones They were ENGRAVED on them

  1. Your name is ENGRAVED on the shoulders of YOUR great high priest, Jesus Christ

    2. This idea of being ENGRAVED is seen in Isaiah Isa. 49:15-16

    "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.

    16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands;

    D) He bore us on His shoulders when He climbed the hill at Calvary carrying that Cross –

    Jesus still carries us on His shoulders – as Our High Priest – He lives to make intercession for us – Bearing our burdens on His shoulders

    A)And as our shepherd there are times that he carries us

    B) When a lamb wanders off a lot, the shepherd will out of CARE for that lamb break all 4 of it’s legs

    C) He will then set them and for the next few weeks carry that lamb on his shoulders

    1)During that time the lamb becomes so attached to the shepherd that it doesn’t want to go far from him after it can walk

    D)IF you are feeling a lot of pain, perhaps Jesus is saying: I love you,but you’re wandering from me so I want to carry you on my shoulders for a while

     

     

    NOTICE ALSO: Not only am I found on the shoulders of Jesus, I am found in the heart of Jesus VERSE 29

    29"So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually.

    A)On this Breast plate were these Gems – gems that represented the people 12 gems to represent the 12 tribes ( There on the heart of the High priest)

    B)Jesus is a man of authority also because of His COMPASSION

    He not only CARES for me But I am CONTINUALLY on His heart

    C)I am a gem to Him ( His workmanship)

    1) A gem has to FOUND.... You were found

  2. A gem has to be cut.... You are being cut

  3. A gem has to be polished.... You are being polished

5) A Gem receives it’s color by water – water in a river flowing thru different sections picking up different deposits

  1. When that water passes over that Crystal – the deposits in the water are transferred to the crystal – that is how their color is formed

E) Water in scripture is a Unique picture of the word of God – we become more colorful & Gem like as we allow the water of the word to flow over us

1) And get into us !!!!

6) A gem is only seen as valuable when it is exposed to the light...... The only time that we are seen as gems is when we are walking in His light

Jesus sees us as Gems / that is how we need to see each other

A)NOTE: Although the Gems were all different they were equally on the heart of the High Priest -Each of these gems had equal value before God –

B) God loves you as much as Billy G. / Chuck Smith

  1. Knows you best & Loves you most !!!!!!

C) Wise is the person / Rich / Deep is the person who can look at anyone in this Sanct. Tonight & say –You are a Gem & Mean it

Here is a Challenge for us – take the time to figure out why God values a person – why they are a Gem to Him ( find those Gem like Qualities)

A)Instead of writing some body off because of a personality conflict – seek to discover & see the Gem like qualities in that person

B) See the Colors that they have & the ways in which they reflect Jesus

  1. That is what the wise person/ Deep / Rich person – Why they are on Jesus our High Priest heart

C) Howard – Nothing in common – Long Hair Short / Musicians Sports

  1. So come to Appreciate that Brother

I see those Gem like Qualities in Him

The more that we do that as a Church family seeing each other as Gems on the heart of Jesus & seeking to discover those Gem like qualities

A)The more this fellowship is going to be known as a Center of rich love

A Group of people who really love each other

B) Jesus views the Brothers & sisters around us as Gems / as a Jewel – will we see the Gemness in them

  1. If we keep this in mind that those Bros & sisters around us are over His heart we will be less likely to cut them down

C)Amy Date- last night – ( talk a couple of weeks ago w/ my two oldest to appreciate their differences )

  1. What like about Aaron – Funny godly sensitive patient

D) So Blessed my Heart - So Blesses the Lord’s heart when we see each other the way that He does

Jesus has authority because He is a servant / He carries us on His shoulders / He cares for us & bears our Burdens / We are on His heart