he Steps of the Righteous
Henry Ford said, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
Since our last service, I learned of 4 of us who are faced with certain obstacles that are seemingly giant-sized – Some, even to the point of questioning whether God truly called them into his service. This dear friends is a common trick of the devil. As we ascend higher into the presence of God; we must realize the enemy of our soul will spare no expense to stop you.
My desire here is for you to get the bigger picture as to clearly see that this is a battle tactic of the devil. There has been a bigger scheme laid out be him & that fruitless effort is to overthrow God’s throne! It’s all about the throne! you & I just so happen to be in the devil’s way – the closer we get to God – the more we crowd out the enemy, so of course the road is rough, and narrow. May this sermon bring you encouragement as you lift high the name of Jesus, holding up His banner of love over all you do!
THE ENEMY’S PLAN --READ TEXT: ISAIAH14:12-17
Today we will understand why this is, & what Jesus has prepared for you. Remember John 14:2
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This is not only in our heavenly destination; He who calls us to have faith in Christ also has a place for you in His calling – here on earth.
Listen to His promise to Israel - Exodus 23:20
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
ON EARTH as it is in HEAVEN!
Today, for the sake of illustration, let’s look at our calling in Christ like it was for ancient Israel to ascend to the temple of the most high God.
According to the Jeremiah Study Bible =
When Israel moved into the Promised Land, keeping the feasts became more complicated since the nation was spread out geographically—the movable Tabernacle was replaced by the permanent Temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, three times each year the Jews had to journey to Jerusalem to "keep the feasts." Because Jerusalem was located on a mountain, the phrase "up to Jerusalem" became common (it occurs 28 times in Scripture). Therefore, "ascending to Jerusalem" was part of the life of every Jew (Acts 2:5 ff.)
A set of 15 psalms is curiously labeled a "song of ascents" (Psalm 120-134). The traditional view has long been that these were psalms designated by the Levites to be sung or recited by Jewish pilgrims as they "ascended" to Jerusalem three times each year for the feasts. Others have suggested that "ascents" refers to the stairs leading up to the temple—these songs would have been sung in connection with temple worship services. (They could have been used for both.)
Several phrases from the Ascension Psalms suggest pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills" (Psalm 121:1); "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us to [to] the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1); "Unto You, I lift up my eyes" (Psalm 123:1).
In 1968 the very ancient steps to the south entry to the Temple of God were unearthed, in the original form!
The Southern Steps are sometimes called the Teaching Steps because it is thought that Christ would have taught on these very steps in front of the gates to the Temple. At the top of the Southern Steps, at the far east of the stairway, stands a triple gate—today closed with stones.
This gate, called the Huldah Gate, served as a primary entrance into a subterranean tunnel that ascended into the Temple Courts.
Christ taught of many things including the truth about Himself as the Messiah and the kingdom of God. Paul says in I Corinthians that Christ is the wisdom of God. Christ alone is the foreordained way of salvation and reconciliation to God. So while there may be much worldly wisdom in the words of Christ, do not forget that Christ Himself is the only true wisdom.
Listen to this report from The Ranch.org -
When Neil Armstrong visited Israel in 1994, he asked his host if there was a place where Jesus would have walked—without a doubt—2,000 years ago. His host, Archaeologist Meir Ben Dov and the excavator of the Temple Mount and southern walls in Jerusalem, answered that the southern steps were, for sure, the steps that Jesus would have used when He walked up to the Temple.
Mr. Armstrong bent down and kissed the ground, saying that this was an even more exciting moment for him than walking on the moon. If you were to go to Israel today and wanted to walk where you knew Jesus would have walked, you would go to the southern steps.
Jesus’ teaching in the temple offers sound consolation – I condensed Christ’s teachings Matthew’s inspired writings in chapters 21-23
After throwing out the moneychangers (those attempting to commercialize the temple.) priority one was to rid the temple of wrongdoing & establish prayer:
21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Prayer is established as primary.
Healing was next in order- 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
As Christ ministered in the temple, the opposition immediately went to work – attempting to stop the works of God. 15-16 The chief priests and scribes were “sore displeased.”
Even with Christ we find the opposition on-the-scene to devour the word & works of God. In the proceeding verses the religious leaders challenged Christ’s authority. Jesus associated their verbal confrontations to a mass murder of the prophets of God who have gone on for centuries before. Jesus saw that there was nothing new to the works of the enemy – his motive has always been to destroy the word of God. Jesus held his ground throughout His teaching in the temple.
FULL CIRCLE TO THE JEW IS A COMPLEATION OF INSTRUCTION!
The kingdom of heaven – the beginning of Christ’s teaching starts at this most important focus!
Our Calling:
22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
OPPOSITION>
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
Jesus thrust himself into right authority as He reminded them of the scriptures where God said - 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
THE COMMANDMENT OF CHRIST & THE NEW TESTAMENT -
22:37 Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
His teachings in Chapter 23 = He offers God as Father, Master, & Servant (v.9-11).
Jesus taught on our offerings & how much greater is the altar than the Gold. V.17
He concluded that the temple is then greater than the altar & that heaven is greater than the temple & the Greatest of all is God on His throne! Here we have come “full circle” in a complete teaching by Christ.
To the believer in Christ, opposition & obstacles are inevitable – remember that Jesus says, in John 14, “Where I am, there ye may be also.” Psalm 91 declares, “I will be with you in trouble, satisfy you with long life, & show you my salvation.” God’s salvation has a name & His name is Jesus
