Sermon: “The tinkling of the bells!”(Topical)
Text: Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Hebrews 4: 14-15
PRAYER
One of the things that fascinate me so about the human experience, is the need for acceptance. In our everyday life’s we have this overwhelming urge to be approved by the people we come in contact with.
In school we must do our best in academics or we would be looked upon with unfavorable eyes, both from our peers and professors.
At the work place we must act with the utmost dignity and respect, or our fellow workers and employers would cast a cloud of division from among us.
In our homes we must keep a spirit of unity and happiness so everyone approves of your ability to govern your home well; (i.e. the bills, the food on the table, the clothes, the unity among family, etc.)
Even in the house of God, we must govern ourselves accordingly in the presence of the saints, or we might find righteous indignation, division, and separation among the brethren.
In our everyday lives we seek after approval from people. We long for someone to let us know that they are our friends and they have our best interests at heart. We have a list of things that we do to win someone’s love and compassion.
1. We buy them presents.
2. We give them money “out of the blue”.
3. We take them around when they need to travel.
4. We give out Holiday cards.
5. We cook for them.
6. We baby-sit the children.
7. We clean for them.
8. We call them just to see how their doing.
And the list goes on and on of the multitude of good deeds we do to win someone’s approval. I’m sure many of you sitting here today can think of the many things you do to stay on the good side of your boss.
Many of you have a list of things you do to stay in good graces with your Pastor.
You have a list of things you do to make sure your fellow Elders, Deacons, Church officers, and members are happy.
Even when it comes to family members, we do our best to make sure the family stays together and loves one another. The saying goes that blood is thicker than water. The things we do to fit in to our own families.
Now when we take all these things into account, we have done our best to be approved of the people, and have built ourselves a good reputation, we begin to use this status to our advantage. We begin to think of all the people on our “good” list and distinguish whose button’s we can push to get ahead of the game of Life.
Now, there are many things we do in order to get the things we want from people.
1. In some cases we bribe our way into getting what we want.
2. In some cases we use our power of influence to get our way.
3. In other cases we use politics to get our way.
4. In some cases we use the dirt we have on someone to get our way. For those of you who may not know what that means, it means blackmail.
5. In other cases we use other people to get our way. That means we use a scapegoat or a pawn.
And the list goes on and on of the sometimes, backstabbing, backbiting, conniving, and mudslinging things we do to get ahead in life.
But this morning I want us to centralize our thoughts on the one thing that I feel is a good thing that we do, at times, in order to get what we want. I want us to consider the one act that we do in order to feel accepted and important in the circles we keep, so as to get ahead with the plans in our lives.
Let us tarry awhile at the act of NAME DROPPING!
Most, if not all of us, know what this is. We are acquainted with someone who may have a little influence or clout, and we drop there name in order to get what we need.
1. We use this persons name to get that JOB we want.
2. We use that name to get into the top schools we want.
3. We use their name to receive a service we would not normally get on our own merits.
4. We use their name to get stuff on discount or sometimes free, what we normally would have to pay full price.
5. We use their name to get that promotion on the job.
6. We use their name to get into concerts and program’s that U KNOW you should be paying for.
The list goes on of the hundreds of times we NAME DROP in order that we might get ahead in life. I want you to think of some times you dropped someone’s name to get a service for yourself or for someone else.
One of most profound events of the Bible dealing with NAME DROPPING is the account of Moses at the burning bush, and the subsequent events thereafter. We find here in Exodus 3:11-15 that Moses is perplexed at the grave responsibility given him to go and free the people of Israel. Exodus 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who [am] I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them?
3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations.
Here we find Moses getting ready to go before the House of Pharaoh, and demand that he let the children of God go.
You can imagine the laughter and ridicule that was heard as Moses entered the Palace with his brother Aaron, telling (not asking) that all the slaves be let go immediately.
Can you see the look on Pharaoh’s face as his brother, the former Prince of Egypt:
1. the one he played with and jumped of palace walls with,
2. the one he got in trouble with over childish behaviors
3. the one who was nurses by the same mother
4. the one who built the city for Ramses I.
5. the one who sat at the very same table for 40 years and ate of the Pharaoh’s best spread.
6. the one who found out his ancestry was of a Hebrew mother
7. the one who killed an Egyptian soldier, gave up all his status and wealth, and who was expelled from Egypt, with springs of water and shade at daytime, to the desert with minimal water, if any at all, scorpions, the blistering hot sunshine, and bone chilling nights.
Here it is now he stands before Pharaoh demanding that the people of God be let free from their bondage.
Pharaoh stares down the palace room to the advisors standing by, and the onlookers as they begin to laugh and snicker at such an outlandish request. Most of the people there are acquainted with Moses. Anytime Moses lifted a finger, I would imagine that most of them beckoned to his every command. I can imagine Pharaoh leaning forward on his throne, then telling Moses of the power he once had, reminding him of the authority that was once his, letting him know about the times he would make a decision, or lift his scepter all in the name of his father, Ramses I.
Now Pharaoh quiets the room so everyone can here the response to his next question.
“Moses, now that you have no authority in this land, now that you do not hold the scepter of the Prince of Egypt, by what authority do you come before me?”
Moses does not hesitate in answering Pharaoh’s question, “I AM, THAT I AM; has sent me to tell you to let my people go.”
You all know the rest of the story, after a few small frogs, a few locusts, a small amount of gnats, a little red blood in the river, and the darkening of the sun, a little fire and hail here and there, and the loss of the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh let the people go.
The same power and authority that Moses used to DROP that I AM, THAT I AM on Pharaoh, is the same power and authority you have today to DROP some I AM,THAT I AM’s on some things in your life.
1. You might be facing some financial problems with the bills, and getting out of debt…you DROP that I AM,THAT I AM on it and watch God make a way out of no way.
2. You might be facing some marriage and relationship problems in your life, but you DROP I AM, THAT I AM on that situation, and watch God mingle some love into that thing.
3. You might be going through some sickness upon yourself or your family, and the doctors have given up, the medication is to expensive, and the bill is outrageous, but you DROP an I AM, THAT I AM on that problem, and watch God’s miracle working POWER heal you from these things.
4. You might be facing some guilt and shame in your life over some past sins, back in the day behaviors, skeletons in your closet, former lifestyle problems that you just can’t get rid of, but you put one of those I AM, THAT I AM’s on it, and watch God’s forgiving power cover the multitude of sins in your life.
5. You might have some personal burdens weighing you down, burdens so heavy they’re a little to hard to bare, but you put an I AM, THAT I AM on those burdens, and watch God lift those burdens off your back and carry the load for you.
What a joy to know we can cast all our cares upon the Lord for He cares for us.
FINALLE:
One of the joys I have about the love of God towards His people is the provision that was made on Calvary, through His Son Jesus.
Returning now to our text for this morning, I am so glad we have a High Priest in the Temple in Heaven interceding on my behalf continually. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren [clothing his divinity with humanity], that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Heb. 2: 17, 18
The Pen of Inspiration declares in “The Faith we Live By.” Pg. 205
He stands to mediate for you. He is the great High Priest who is pleading in your behalf; and you are to come and present your case to the Father through Jesus Christ. Thus you can find access to God; and though you sin, your case is not hopeless. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. {FLB 205.3}
Christ is your Redeemer; He will take no advantage of your humiliating confessions. If you have sin of a private character, confess it to Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man. {FLB 205.4}
He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, . . . claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power. {FLB 205.5}
The work of Christ in the sanctuary above, presenting His own blood each moment before the mercy seat, as He makes intercession for us, should have its full impression upon the heart, that we may realize the worth of each moment. Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for us; but one moment carelessly spent can never be recovered. {FLB 205.6}
You see my friends, Mrs. White says that as she was shown in vision, the end times…she heard the tinkling of the bells. This she heard as Jesus was leaving the Temple to come down to earth and save His people. The bells I’m talking about goes back to Exodus the 28th Chapter, giving us a description of the garment worn by the priests as they ministered for the people in the Most Holy Place of the Temple. On the hem of their garments were placed BELLS that would sound as the priest moved about making intersession for the people. If the bells continued to sound the people would rejoice for the priest had not been struck down, due to his own sins. The same is true for Jesus our Great High Priest who wears His priestly garments and there is the Tinkling of the Bells in Heaven.
As Jesus is there in the Temple you can hear the tinkling of the bells. He is moving about interceding on our behalf. As our prayers go up as sweet incense, He hears all of prayers of the saints and presents them before God.
He DROPS His name before God on our behalf.
We fall short in our everyday lives, and He DROPS His name for us.
We lie, cheat, and steal, and He DROPS His name for us.
We gossip and talk dirty about or neighbors, and He DROPS His name for us.
We need to thank Jesus Christ, for the tinkling of the bells.
Now that we know of the intersession of Christ on our behalf, I want to give you 3 brief things u can do to assure your victory over Sin and Temptation, Trials and Battles, Strife and Worry in your life.
1. You must pray. No incense can rise to Jesus on your behalf unless you pray. You must pray without ceasing. You must pray in the morning, pray at the midday, pray in the night, and pray at the midnight hour. God answers prayers.
2. You must wait for an answer. Often times we try to rush Jesus into giving us what we want, right now. The Bible says wait on the Lord. We must stand still and wait on Him. Let Jesus bless us on His own time, for he knows what’s best for us.
3. Last, we must have Faith. We must trust in God and know that He will do what He said He will do. Faith means accepting God’s answer regardless of our desires. His answer may be not now. It may be not you, or His answer can be just plain NO! We want a yes God all the time. God does say No! And we must learn to have Faith in His answer.
But I’m glad to say, that one day the bells will stop ringing! If I might use my Holy Ghost power imagination:
Jesus is there interceding on our behalf, and we here on earth are going through Jacob’s Trouble. The prayers are rising higher still higher until they reach the Temple. Then in a moment, The Father rises from His throne. You see only the Father knows when it is finished. An angel sees the Father rise and rushes to the Temple to see Jesus. This angel’s mission is to tell Jesus, His Father is on His way to see Him. Jesus knows He has a short time to continue to lift up the prayers and beg for mercy on our behalf. The Father summons for his chariot. As he makes his way to the Holy of Holies place, He can hear the Tinkling of the Bells as His Son continues to work. The Fathers chariot comes to a halt right at the entrance of the Temple. As God the Father entered the Temple, the foundation was shaken, and the smoke of His presence filled the temple. As Jesus reviews the last name, He looks over his shoulder and His Father has passed through the veils and made His way to His Son’s side. “Jesus,” he says; “It Is Finished!”
Jesus then stepped out from between man and God, and a dark cloud covers the earth as the veils were poured out upon the earth. Jesus calls for an angel to bring his Battle Garments, cuz its time for WAR! He summons for His finest horse. He asks for a golden hanger so that He might hang His priestly garments up in the heavenly closet, and put on his Kingly Robe. Upon His head is a crown with in a crown. He is clad with a Robe whiter than the whitest white! As the horse is drawn to a stop, Jesus steps up on his Stallion, and as the robe settles upon His thigh it splits open to reveal the inscription: “King of kings, and Lord of lords!” As he sets off, the throng of angels join in a heavenly song, “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain and rose again forevermore. Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever" Amen
As Jesus rides high upon His horse, thousands upon thousands and ten-thousands of His angels follow behind. Gabriel is close by, right behind Jesus, as he is chosen to sound the trump of God. As the Jesus and the Hosts of the Army of God move out of the gates of Heaven, they pass by Pluto and swing around Neptune. They press on towards Uranus and Saturn. They move by Jupiter and Mars swiftly. They can see Venus and Mercury in the distance, but Earth is their destination. Jesus stops the entire assembly of angels! This is Gabriel’s time now! He’s been waiting for this moment for a long, long, long, long, long time. Jesus shouts with a loud cry, “Gabriel my friend, sound the Trumpet!” And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean…
And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev. 19:11-16
I can imagine the angels singing that old Negro spiritual, “RIDE ON KING JESUS, NO MAN CANNOT HINDER THEE!” On that Great Getting-up morning! I just came on by here this morning to let you know that I’m so glad for the tinkling of the bells!
I’m so glad that when I’m down and out there is the tinkling of the bells!
I’m so glad that when I’m broke and got no money, there’s the tinkling of the bells!
When the rents due, there’s the tinkling of the bells!
The bills are piled up, there’s the tinkling of the bells!
When I’m sick and tired of this old world, there’s the tinkling of the bells!
When my Jesus steps out of that Temple to come and take us home, there’s the tinkling of the bells!
THANK GOD FOR JESUS, AND THANK JESUS FOR THE TINKLING OF THE BELLS!
