Fren-03 Lelieu Le Plus Saint (The Holiest Place) — Art Katz

Fren-03 Lelieu Le Plus Saint (The Holiest Place) — Art Katz

We ask of you great grace tonight, that we might hear your voice, that you would express to us your heart, even through the dust that your servant is, and through every problem of communication and language, to drop a plumb line from heaven, a standard, right into our deepest heart, our inmost being.

We thank you that we could ask such things of you, knowing that to whom much is given, much is required. But we have already established that issue with you last time, that we desire to go all the way.

And therefore we need your deepest counsel, a living word, granted tonight.

We'll give you the praise and the glory and every acknowledgement.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Now I need someone who is a good reader to read the text and save your voice. Very clear and concise. French. Who is that one?

This lady here? The book of Exodus, chapter 25, from the first verse to the 22nd verse.

It's a long statement, but we need to hear it all.

It's a long statement, but we need to hear it all. The Eternal spoke to Moses and said, Speak to the children of Israel, that they may bring me an offering. You will receive it for me from every man who will do it with a good heart.

This is what you will receive from them as an offering, gold, silver, and herring, blue-tinted, purple-tinted, linseed-tinted, linseed-tinted, purple-tinted, linseed-tinted, red-tinted, dolphin-tinted, acacia-tinted, chandelier-tinted, ointment-tinted, perfume-tinted, onyx-tinted, sanctuary-tinted, acacia-tinted, acacia-tinted, acacia-tinted, acacia-tinted, propitiatory, propitiatory,.

You will put the propitiatory on the ark, and you will put in the ark the testimony that I will give you. This is the ark that I will meet with you. From the top of the propitiatory, between the two cherubim placed on the ark of the testimony, I will give you all my orders for the children of Israel.

The Holiness of the Tabernacle’s Pattern

Trust that we recognize how holy this text is. We are not approaching it as antiquarians who are interested in the antique things. That we have that kind of curiosity.

Oh, how interesting. Is that the way that it was made? If that's our mentality,.

We will lose it all. We will miss everything.

This is not only a statement to Moses and to the children of Israel.

It's God's word to his people in every generation. And especially to the last. This is an enduring and eternal prescription of God. It's an unvarying pattern.

And God will not accept another. Do you understand how privileged we are? It's as if the Lord has lifted the veil.

That we can glimpse and look right into the holiest place of all. It's like God revealing his heart. This is what I am in myself. In the very quick essence of my being. And there's hardly a way that I can express it to you.

So I have to speak in terms of gold and pieces and things fashioned and formed. This was the tabernacle in the pattern that was given on the mount to Moses. He wasn't 40 days in the cloud of smoke on the top of that mount in idleness.

It was such a communion of God with man and heaven with earth that the mountain of that revelation was wreathed in smoke.

That if so much as an animal dared come up on it in that holy time, it was to be stoned to death. Only Moses, the great apostolic figure, the master builder,.

The one who would lead the people from bondage to ultimate freedom,.

From Egypt to the land of promise, only he could come up onto the mount and be there and receive this revelation which is recorded for us.

It's holy, holy, holy.

God's tabernacle according to the pattern given on the mount.

In every exquisite detail, so charged with... so charged with ultimate meaning. We don't dare miss anything of it. See to it, he said, that you make it according to the pattern. Let's not see to it, just make it according to the pattern.

And the pattern of the tabernacle subsequently became essentially the pattern of the temple. These are earthly equivalents of heavenly things.

And neither the tabernacle nor the temple yet remain on the earth today.

But the thing of which they are, the pattern and the type, remains today in heaven. It remains, it still is.

It's eternal. And it is our headquarters. It is the very throne of God. The place of his presence.

Out of which his word yet comes to his people. So this defies words and speaking. We need to approach this with great reverence. So we know that the tabernacle of God had essentially three divisions, three courts.

An outer court. An inner court. And yet one more inner than that. The holy place. And the holy of the holies. Or the holiest place of all. He says, there I will meet with you. In one place only. In the place that God himself has prescribed.

At the mercy seat. At the mercy seat. And it's that that we want to concentrate upon tonight. You know that in the outward court, it was open to the sky. And there the natural light of day was sufficient for the purposes that were transacted there.

When you came into that open court, there was the place of the washing and the altar of sacrifice. And many priests busily working with making the sacrifice and the fire and so on. And it represents for us the initial place of our life in God.

The water of the word and of washing and the blood of atonement. It's the place of initial conversion or salvation. But it's not the final place. It's not the ultimate place. But the majority of Christians today are yet in that place.

And have not gone forever. They're content with initial basic salvation.

They're in the sanctuary of God.

In the sanctuary of God. But they're not in the deepest place of that sanctuary. There's yet a second place in which to enter. Through a veil. And that place is no longer open to the natural light. The light in that place comes from a seven-branched candlestick.

The menorah of God. It's a deeper seeing. And there's the showbread on the table.

And an altar of incense. And this corresponds to, I suppose, what we could call the charismatic dimension. The altar of incense is the altar of prayers.

Which comes from basic salvation to the place of worship in the spirit. We see now by a much more profound light. And we're seeing beyond the issues of salvation.

The kingdom of God. The body of Christ. Relationship.

Discipleship. The various things that constitute our present understanding of vocabulary. It's a wonderful place. And many of us remain there. It's so enjoyable. And the light is so much more productive.

But there's yet a deeper place. Where the very heart of God is. And there, there's no light at all. Either natural or artificial.

There's only one light.

It's the ultimate light. It's the light of God's burning presence.

The Shekhinah. The Shekhinah glory of God. He says, there I will meet with you. And only one man is permitted there. Once in the year. The high priest. You notice that as you pass through the tabernacle of God, there's less and less human activity.

In the outward court, many priests bustling about with sacrifice and so on. In the inner court, yeah, so fewer priests, but to bring the showbread, to put the oil in the lamp. To keep the altar of incense.

That required a daily ministration. But in the holiest place of all. Only once a year. Only one. The high priest. In behalf of all Israel. Who had to come in by the blood. And God forbid that that blood should not be acceptable to God.

God would kill the priest. In Leviticus chapter 16. Verse 2. The Lord said to Moses, tell Aaron your brother not to come at simply any time into the holy place inside the veil. Before the mercy seat which is on the ark.

Lest he die. For I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

2 .2 .16 .2. The Lord said to Moses, tell Aaron your brother not to come at simply any time into the holy place inside the veil. Before the mercy seat which is on the ark. Lest he die. For I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

It's good to be reminded of this. We're not speaking of any light thing.

And there's a terrible paradox here.

Entering the Holy Place Through Christ

There's no way that you can succeed in the calling that God has given you. To be his ultimate witness in this locality, in this nation.

As the community of true believers.

Without the communication that comes from him in this place. Nothing less than this will suffice. And yet it is so holy that God will kill you. He will kill those who come improperly. And yet in the book of Hebrews it says that Jesus entered into this place.

Not by the blood of calves and lambs. But by his own blood. Once. And for all. Elsewhere in the book of Hebrews it says that we come into this place to find help in time of need.

We're even enjoined to come boldly. Into the place of grace.

That we might find help in time of need.

You are going to need that help.

For your need is going to be more intense and profound than any other.

Because you have committed yourselves to God for ultimate things.

So please believe that I'm not speaking poetically tonight. But this is the most vital provision for you.

And the question is, do you have the faith to enter? Have you come to that place to believe?

That though only the high priest was admitted in times past, once in the year. You yourselves can come freely. At any time.

To find help in time of need. At the throne of grace. At the mercy seat. In the holiest place of all.

Not by any virtue that you have. That any of us can have. But because Jesus came by his own blood. Having rent the veil. Once and for all. It would be hard for me to speculate how many Christians there are in the world who have the faith equal to that coming.

To that entering. But faith comes by hearing.

And hearing by the word of God.

And my hope is that if you have not the faith before tonight. You will have the faith because of tonight.

Because of the very word that came.

Gives you faith to believe that very thing.

That you might enter boldly.

And find help. And help doesn't mean some kind of slapdash, band-aid, momentary first aid. It's to receive the very counsel of God. His wisdom. His express word. For your explicit and critical need. Because you have not been there before.

The Mercy Seat as the Place of Intimate Communion

So the heart of the text tonight is verse 22. There I will meet with you. Not in any other place. There. And from above the mercy seat. And from between the two cherubim that are upon it. Verse 22. And keep your finger in that place.

You're going to come back to it. I'm reading the Amplified English Bible. It says there I will speak intimately with you. The King James says there I will have communion with you.

This is beyond charismatic understanding.

This is not what we can get from hearing men on tapes.

We can learn about the body of Christ and the kingdom of God. God's purposes. This is a deeper word. A very life-giving word.

For those of us who will need it acutely. Acutely.

But only in His presence. In the place of intimate communion. And where is that place? Above the mercy seat. And between the wings of the cherubim.

Why there? Why does He dwell there? Why is that the locus of God? And that's what we need to understand. That's the heart of the matter. And where we need to come. And this is where I need great grace from God.

God describes to us the mercy seat. Where He dwells. It is the most exquisite piece of furniture in the whole tabernacle of God. Man could not have conceived of it. It is contrary to what is of man. It is a statement of God's heart itself.

And it's made of gold. Pure gold.

Within and without. What a statement that is in itself. Give me the right word.

What a proclamation.

Thank you. What does that say to us? Within and without.

Pure gold. The Lord is not satisfied with the mere outward appearance. The mere spiritual show. This must be of Him. That's what gold is. The statement and the symbol of deity. Through and through. Within and without.

Is the very basic requirement for the building of this piece of furniture. The ark of God that contains the law of God. And even the wood poles that went through the rings to support it were made of wood completely covered in gold.

It was all gold. God would not allow wood to be exposed. But He allowed wood to be employed. That's us. We are the wood. The human thing. Because that's the majesty of God.

That's the glory of God. That He permits the human thing into His very holiest presence. But not in its own nakedness. But covered in gold.

And that's a process. And it's not an easy process. It's something which is hammered out. Beatenly. Beaten out. Hammered. Are we willing for that? To be beat very thin. Out of one piece of gold. And to have our humanity covered with this deity.

It's a mystery beyond all speaking.

So I'm not trying to be clever tonight. And use some esoteric text. And show you some cunning interpretation.

This is the heart of the matter. Absolutely fundamental. To the true faith. And call of God.

The Ark, the Law, and the Blood of Jesus

So picture the Ark of God. This box. Covered with gold within and without. And He says, in it you will place the testimony that I will give you. And He said, in it you will place the testimony that I will give you.

The Ten Commandments. The righteous requirement of God. That goes in. But what goes over. Is something also made of gold. From one piece. Called the Mercy Seat. And it is upon that seat. That the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled.

It's the place where justice and mercy meet. The righteous requirement of God. Which He will never ignore. He's not going to be some soft sentimental sap. And look the other way.

And let us get away with murder. Because He understands. That may be a charismatic mentality. But it's not the divine mentality.

God's righteous requirement will never be forsaken. But praise God, that's not the whole of the matter.

But praise God, that's not the whole of the matter.

Exactly where His righteous requirement is. There in that very place.

And even over it. Is the place of mercy. Where the blood is sprinkled. And that blood is Jesus.

The most precious blood. In the holiest place of all. Which fulfills God's eternal requirement. God the Father so reveres that blood. So esteems that blood. That on the basis of that blood. He permits you to enter.

If you have received the blood of Jesus. To cover your naked humanity. And that we ourselves are called to be a royal priesthood. And to have frequent access. As often as we will. In that place. For above that.

Ark of God. And that mercy seat. And between the wings of those two angels. He says there I will meet with you. Above. And between. I'm getting. Holy ghost chill. And I want to walk so carefully. Word by word in this.

What is God saying to us. About this mercy seat where he will meet with us. Intimately.

In communion. It's between two cherubim. Who it says in verse twenty. Shall stretch forth their wings. And the wings touch each other.

They cover the mercy seat with their wings. And they are facing each other. And it says their faces shall look one to another. And it says toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. How can that be?

That they should look at one another. And in the very next breath God says. Toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And that's the heart of the matter. So look at one another.

In the place of mercy. And the place of righteous requirement. All at the same time. It's a remarkable kind of looking. For which the world has not prepared us. Because how many of you even know. That when you turn your eyes away.

If I look intently into you.

Yet that's what God is wanting. Face to face. And we have missed it historically. And the very architecture of our church betrays it. Very comfortable pews. By which we can hide in our little religious seclusion.

And look at the back of each other's heads.

And never be required to turn around. And face each other.

Face to face. Little wonder that the apostle Paul speaks later on in his epistle. Of moving from glory to glory. As beholding in each other's faces the glory of God. Even as by the spirit of God. One translation says even as by the Lord who is the spirit.

Who is the spirit. You need to know how dear this is to God. You'll never move from glory to glory. Except by beholding each other's face. Face to face. These two cherubim were required to look at each other.

Reconciliation Between Opposites

And I want to suggest tonight. That though they are both angels. They are different.

Contrary. Opposite. For example. The Jewish angel and the Gentile angel. The prophet and the teacher.

The Jew and the Gentile. Male and female. French and German.

Face to face. For the first time. That's where I'll meet with you. When you'll come to that on earth. As I have it eternally in the heaven. In that place. There I will meet with you. That's where my heart is.

But that's exactly where you've missed it.

That's where you've turned away. That's where you've refused to see. You don't want to look. It's too painful. Too demanding. The tension. The conflict. The contradiction.

Of opposites. That's where I am. It's not an accident. That the first apostolic sending described in the scriptures. Takes place in chapter 13 of the book of Acts. You don't have to turn to it now. Don't turn to it now.

It says now they were at Antioch. Certain prophets and teachers.

Certain? Certain prophets and teachers.

And among them were Barnabas and Saul.

The man from Cyrene. A Mediterranean island. And one called Niger.

N-I-G-E-R. Which is always the statement of a black man from Africa. And one is called Menaen. Who was probably a Gentile. Of a Roman kind. What a cosmopolitan church Antioch was. What diversity. In its members.

Contrary to what the church of Jerusalem was. Which was all Jewish. And I love it.

It was the first church. And was greatly blessed of God. But it was not the place of apostolic sending. The genius of God.

And what he is about. Is the ministry of reconciliation. The bringing together of opposites. Not by some kind of cheap ecumenism.

Not by some kind of cheap ecumenism. Some diktat.

Some political issue of men. But that which is beaten out. Hammered. Out of gold. Are we willing for that? For the issues that need to be hammered out. Everything that is in us. That is human and natural.

Shrinks from exactly that thing. We want to be with people like ourselves. Who speak our language. Share our vision. Who are like us. But God is not content with that. He brings the irritant. The contradictory thing.

The opposite thing. And he says look face to face.

Don't turn away from the issues of righteousness and truth. Because they've got to kiss. With mercy. In that place. And all glory will break through. I was very interested to hear from Peter. A statement about a long standing problem in Switzerland.

Here I was in my naivety complimenting the Swiss. Unlike the Canadians. In their two cultures and languages of French and English. They are each other's thoughts. Threatening even the political stability of Canada.

Because of that national ethnic cultural pride. So I said to Dick how wonderful about Switzerland. They have three cultures and languages. And look how beautifully they get along. Outwardly. Superficially.

Technically. But the glory of God has not come in Switzerland. Dear dear children. Paul says we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

But the principalities and powers of the air.

The rulers of this world's darkness.

Which even tonight.

Broods over Neuchatel. And all Switzerland.

And all nations. Uncontested. They've had no obligation to be moved out of their orbit.

From which place they exploit and manipulate and dominate the world.

And from this place they exploit and manipulate and dominate society.

There's only one thing that can displace them. The church.

But what kind of church? A church of a particular kind.

Who has risen above and contradicts what the powers of the air represent.

Who has risen above and contradicts what the powers of the air represent.

The powers of the air have been the incitement and the provocation of every great war that has torn this continent. National rivalry. National pride. Superiority. Cultural excellence. Which needs to be demonstrated on the battlefield.

To the destruction of entire generations. And almost every civilization itself. Nations have been manipulated and jerked from the powers of the air. And the churches have gone along with it.

Rather than contradicting that filthy wisdom. By which the powers have manipulated entire nations. Do you know what it is that will liberate men to really consider the gospel for the first time?

When the power of darkness is broken over nations and over cities. By the very presence of a people. Who themselves are no longer victim of that wisdom. Who themselves are no longer victim of that wisdom.

They have risen above fear. Above manipulation. Above ambition.

Above lust. Above pride. National pride. Cultural pride. But how shall they come to that place? By beating it out. By hammering it out. Out of gold.

Blow by blow. Face to face. And yet at the same time look to the place of mercy.

And the righteous requirement of God. It's not going to be a false unity.

With three kisses in the French style.

But a true kiss. Where righteousness and mercy meet.

Mercy and Truth Meeting in Psalm 85

That's what it says in the 85th Psalm. Verse 8 through the end of the chapter. Psalm 85. Verse 8 begins. I will listen to what God the Lord will say. I will complete that. To the end.

God is waiting for something. Not just to bless the church. But to bless the Earth.

To bless the land. That's what verse 9 says. Tabernacle and abide in our land is glory. C 'est ce que dit le verset 9. His glory may tabernacle and dwell in the land.

Pour que sa gloire devienne tabernacle et habite sur la terre. But what's the condition? Mais quelle est la condition?

What is he waiting for? De qu 'est-ce qu 'il attend? Where mercy and truth are met together.

Là où la miséricorde et la vérité se rencontrent.

Where righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Où là où la justice et la paix se sont embrassées.

Not a little cordial. Peck on the cheek.

Pas un simple petit bisou sur la joue.

But ultimate intimacy.

Mais une intimité totale.

Contrary and contradictory things.

Des choses contraires, contradictoires.

The severe requirements of righteousness.

L 'exigence sévère de la justice. And truth. Et la vérité. Meeting together with mercy. Qui se rencontrent dans la miséricorde. There in that place. Là dans cet endroit. The glory of God is released. C 'est là où la gloire de Dieu est libérée.

Which is the place where he is. Et c 'est ça aussi l 'endroit où il se trouve. And where he will meet with us. Et là où il nous rencontre encore. And give us. Et il nous donnera. All that we need. Tout ce dont nous avons besoin.

In requirements. Dans l 'exigence. To speak commandments. De parler ses commandements. Unto the children of Israel. Aux enfants d 'Israël. All things which I will give. Tout ce que je donnerai. You're going to need all these things.

Et vous allez avoir besoin de toutes ces choses. As well as the commandments. Aussi bien que les commandements. And the authority. Et de l 'autorité. To speak them. Pour les exprimer. Pour les parler.

And that word of speaking will be an event. Parce que le fait de parler ces choses sera un événement. And it will bring something into the land. Et ça va apporter quelque chose dans le pays.

By those who have obtained it in that one place.

Par ceux qui sont venus à cet endroit-là. There I will meet with you. Et c 'est là que je vous rencontrerai. Only there.

Et seulement là. Above. Au-dessus. And between. Entre deux. In that place of ultimate tension. Et de contradiction. Et de contradiction. Of opposites. D 'opposites. There and only there. Là et seulement là.

Will I meet with you. C 'est là que je vous rencontrerai. But what cowards we are.

Mais qu 'est-ce que nous sommes comme troupeaux. How many of us have fled from exactly that place. Combien d 'entre nous ont fui de cet endroit-là.

The Church’s Scandal of Avoiding Tension

The divorces in the body of Christ are a scandal.

Le divorce à l 'intérieur du corps du Christ est un scandale. Because we can't take the tension. Parce qu 'on ne supporte pas cette tension. We can't get along. Nous n 'arrivons pas à nous. We are no longer compatible.

Nous ne sommes plus compatibles. He doesn't understand me. Il ne me comprend pas. Or he's contrary. Ou bien il m 'est contraire. Or she is. Ou alors elle est. And that's enough reason. Oui, ça suffit comme raison.

Pour quitter. Isn't that why we change churches? C 'est pas la raison pour laquelle nous changeons d 'église? We can't stand the tension. Nous ne pouvons pas supporter la tension.

Of contradiction and opposition. De contradiction et d 'opposition. And yet that's the heart of where that is. Et pourtant c 'est là que se trouve le coeur. And the very place where he says he'll meet with us.

Et c 'est cet endroit-là où il dit qu 'il nous rencontrera. And give us all that we need. Et qu 'il nous donnera aussi tout ce dont nous avons besoin. In that place.

À cet endroit. I call this the epicenter of God. Rappelle ça l 'épicentre de Dieu. We must come to it. Et nous devons y venir. In the ingredients that are inherent in our situation.

Avec les ingrédients qui sont inhérents à notre situation.

And as God himself will give them. Et comme Dieu les donnera. In Acts 13. Dans Acte 13. In that church of such diverse national and ethnic members.

Dans cette église qui contenait des hommes si divers. Now there was in the church of Antioch.

Now there was in the church of Antioch.

Mais ce n 'était pas l 'église d 'Antioch. Certain prophets and teachers. Ah, il y avait dans l 'église d 'Antioch des prophètes et des enseignants.

Not only were they different and contradictory in their racial and ethnic makeup.

Ils n 'étaient pas seulement différents dans leur ethnie et dans leur race. Their cultural origins. De leur origine culturelle. Jew and gentile.

Des Juifs et des Gentils. Black and white. Des Noirs et des Blancs. But they were also prophets and teachers.

Mais il y avait même là des prophètes et des enseignants.

The two most contradictory callings in God.

Les deux appels les plus contradictoires dans Antioch. Yet both given by God. Mais pourtant ils sont les deux donnés par Dieu. Just like the two cherubim. De la même manière que les deux cherubins. God always gives it in twos.

Dieu donne toujours par deux. Male and female. Homme et femme. Jew and gentile. Juif et gentil. You think that's a picnic? Vous pensez que ça c 'est un pique-nique? Try and live with one for over 20 years.

Essayer de vivre avec un pendant plus d 'un ou deux ans. Even as a believer. Même en tant que croyant. Talk to my wife about that.

Je vais parler à ma femme à propos de ça. I didn't know what a Jew was. Elle ne savait pas ce qu 'était un Juif. Really? Réellement. Until I lived with a Gentile. Je ne savais pas ce qu 'était un Juif avant que j 'ai vécu avec un Gentile.

My God, what a different mentality. Quelle mentalité différente.

What a way of viewing things. La manière de voir les choses. I'm the man of the tent and the altar.

Je suis l 'homme de la tente et de l 'autel. I'm ready to pick up and go. Je suis prêt à partir. Like my father Abraham. Comme mon père Abraham.

But my wife has a different mentality. Ma femme a une mentalité différente. She likes to collect things. Elle aime collectionner les choses. Bric-à-brac and antiques and put things on walls.

Bric-à-brac, des antiquités, mettre des choses sur les murs. She likes the permanence. Elle aime ce qui est permanent. The security. La sécurité. The visible, enduring things. Ce qui est visible, ce qui est dur.

Which to me means nothing. Et ce qui pour moi ne signifie rien. And the very thing that delights me. La chose qui me réjouit. Paralyzes her with fear. Ça la paralyse de crainte. For her it's very insecurity.

Pour elle c 'est totalement insécurité. Où est-ce qu 'on va? Qu 'est-ce qu 'on va faire? Pour moi c 'est insécurité. Pour moi c 'est un être complètement égal. Je le suivrai dans le pays. Mais je ne peux pas y aller.

Il y a une femme là.

Est-ce que vous voyez le génie de Dieu?

Et qu 'est-ce que c 'est un prophète et un visionnaire? Le prophète c 'est un visionnaire. Il voit le grand but de Dieu. Il a peu de patience avec l 'enseignant. Et qui a ligne après ligne, précepte après précepte.

Et qui dit, où est-ce que tu vois ça dans la parole? Voilà ce que dit le prophète. Je sais, c 'est dans mon esprit, c 'est une révélation. Et pourtant il y avait à l 'église d 'Antioche des prophètes et des enseignants.

Des hommes d 'ethnies et de races différentes. Et lorsqu 'ils rendaient un culte au Seigneur, qu 'ils jeunaient, le Saint-Esprit dit, il n 'a pas dit un comité d 'évangélisation,.