Amen. All right. Well, we're there in Ezekiel chapter 42. And we are working our way through
the book of Ezekiel. We're almost done with it. And if you remember, we are in this last
section of Ezekiel, the most controversial section of Ezekiel, the most probably difficult
section of Ezekiel, and in some ways probably the most difficult section of the entire Bible.
You could make an argument that the chapters that we're in, chapters 40-48, they're definitely
some of the most difficult chapters in the Bible and they may be the most difficult chapters
in the Bible. And we're kind of making our way through them over the next several weeks.
And if you remember, these chapters have to do with Ezekiel's temple. And there's a lot
of confusion and debate in regards to Ezekiel's temple because it's such a unique description
of a temple. And if you remember what we have been doing, what I told you we'd do starting
in chapter 40 and we are now in chapter 42, we're going to continue, is we're taking each
one of these chapters, and I don't usually do this, but it's just these chapters so unique.
We're taking each one of these chapters and we are just taking a certain format to be
able to walk through and teach and understand these chapters. And it's a three-step process.
The first step is just to give you the basic outline of the chapter. And if you're taking
notes, I encourage you to write that outline down. So you can just have an outline of the
chapter itself and what it's talking about. Then the second step, we deal with the theories
of Ezekiel's temple. Now, if you remember, there were four major theories in regards
to this temple. The first one, because nobody knows what this temple is or what this temple
is talking about or where this temple was fulfilled or will be fulfilled and a lot of
questions and debate. So there are four major theories in regards to try to answer that
question. The first one is that this temple is simply symbolic and not to be taken literally.
We actually talked about that last week and kind of dismantled that and I showed you why
I don't take that position and why it's not really a strong position to take. The second
theory is that this temple that Ezekiel is describing for us was fulfilled through Zerubbabel's
temple or Ezra's temple, the temple that was built after the captivity. Remember, when
they went into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon's temple. When they came
out of captivity, Ezra, Zerubbabel and the captives came back and they built a temple.
So some people take the idea or the theory, they answer the question by saying, well,
Ezekiel is prophesying about that temple. The third theory is that this is the millennial
reign temple. And then the fourth theory is that this is a temple that exists after
the millennial reign in the eternal state. So we're taking one theory a week and kind
of talking about it, dismantling it. Just so you know, I don't believe any of those.
I don't take any of those. I'm not saying that people who believe that are bad people
and some people have I think their heart in the right place and they're trying to answer
some difficult chapters. But we're going to go through and I'll explain why I don't necessarily
agree with those theories. And then on the week following, I'll give you my thoughts
and my theories in regards to Ezekiel's temple. So tonight we're going to deal with this question,
was Ezekiel's temple fulfilled with Zerubbabel's temple? Was Ezekiel's temple a prophecy that
was fulfilled with the temple that was built after the captivity? Now let's just go ahead
and start with the basic outline. We'll try to do this as quickly as we can. And if you're
there in Ezekiel chapter 42, in fact, if you're taking notes, you can write this down. And
I'll just give you a quick outline. You can write, you know, letter A, rooms for the priest.
And number one, upper and lower chambers. And this is covered in verses one through
nine. So verses one through nine basically just explains to us that there are rooms for
the different priests. And it explains to us that they are upper and lower chambers.
If you remember we saw last week and we'll see it again in this chapter, that this temple
has three different stories to it. And these chambers are divided by these stories. So
Ezekiel 42 in verse one, the Bible says this, then he brought me forth into the utter court,
the way toward the north, and he brought me into the lower chamber. I'm sorry, it says
the chamber there, but he's referring to the lower chamber. That was in my notes I wrote
the word lower. The chamber there that was over against a separate place and which was
before the building toward the north. Before the length of 100 cubits was the north door
and the breadth was 50 cubits. Over against the 20 cubits which were for the inner court
and over against the pavement which was for the utter court. The gallery against gallery,
notice what it says there at the end of verse three, in three stories. So we're told again
that this is a three story building. Notice verse four, before the chambers was a walk
of 10 cubits breadth inward a way of one cubit and their doors toward the north. Now the
upper chambers, so remember in verse one it said the chambers and that's the lower chambers,
that's the lower level. Then you have the upper chambers were shorter for the galleries
were higher than these, then the lower and then the middle most of the building for they
were in three stories. So notice the chambers are divided into the upper chambers and then
you've got the lower and then you've got the middle most. So he's just telling you
that there are three stories. Verse six, for they were in three stories but had not pillars
as the pillars of the court. Therefore, the building was strained more than the lowest
in the middle most for the ground. And the wall was without over against the chambers
toward the utter court on the fore part of the chambers, the length thereof was 50 cubits
for the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was 50 cubits and low before
the temple were in 100 cubits. From under these chambers was the entry on the east side
as one goeth into them from the utter court. So in verses one through nine we have the
upper and lower chambers described and different stories described. Then in verses 10 to 12
he describes the access to these chambers. Notice, and we won't read all of this but
look at verse 11. It says, and the way before them, we read the entire chapter before the
sermon started, but it says, and the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers
which were toward the north as long as they and as bright as they and all their, notice
it says, goings out were both according to their fashions and according to their doors.
Verse 12, and according to the door, the chambers that were toward the south was a door. So
he's just describing the doors, the access to these chambers. In verses 13 through 14
he describes the holy chambers to the north and south. Notice verse 13, then said he unto
me the north chambers and the south chambers which are before the separate place, they
be holy chambers. So notice he's saying these are separated places where the priests that
approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy thing, there shall they lay the most
holy things, and the meat offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering for
the place is holy. And then let me say this, between verses one through 14 you've got the
rooms for the priests, you've got the upper and lower chambers, the access to the chambers,
the holy chambers on the north side and on the south side. And then if you want to write
a big B or number two or however you're outlining it, you've got the outer dimensions of the
new temple. Now this is actually important and I want you to pay attention because we're
going to come back to this later on in the sermon. But first we get the measure of each
side. So he's been giving us all these, you know, if you've been with us for the last
several chapters, all these dimensions and these measurements in this room and that room
and this door and that door and this gate and that gate. But now he's going to give
us the measurements of the entire, what people would refer to as the complex or the temple
complex. He's going to look at the outer wall and just tell us how big is this temple, how
big is this facility. Notice verse 15. Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner
house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east and measured
it round about. So notice he's going through the entire, encircling the entire temple,
measuring it, verse 16. He measured the east side with a measuring reed, 500 reeds. He's
measured the east side, 500 reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the
north side, 500 reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the south side,
500 reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side and measured 500 reeds
with the measuring reed. So he measures the east, the north, the south, the west, and
it's 500 reeds. So this temple is 500 reeds squared as far as the size of it is concerned.
Look at verse 20. He just makes that clear again. He measured it by the four sides. It
had a wall round about. He says, look, it has a wall round about the entire complex,
500 reeds long and 500 reeds broad to make a separation between the sanctuary and the
profane place. So in verses 15 through 19, we have the measure of each side. And then
in verse 20, he tells us the purpose of the wall, which is to make a separation between
the sanctuary and the profane place. So that's just a real quick outline for you, for the
chapter there. And we're going to come back and look at these measurements in a second.
But let's go ahead and just get into the theory for tonight, which is this. Was Ezekiel's
temple fulfilled with Zerubbabel's temple? Because people will say, well, look, this
is a temple Ezekiel is prophesying and it's fulfilled. And again, the people who believe
this or will teach this, I think their heart's in the right place because they're looking
at this and they're saying, look, this can't be in the New Testament because you've got
priests and you've got sacrifices and you've got things that just don't coincide with the
New Testament. But this isn't something that has already happened. It's not something that
happened before. So they'll say, well, there's one more temple that's built before the Old
Testament closes out. It's Zerubbabel's temple. It's Ezra's temple. So this must be the prophecy
of that temple. Now, I'll give you my reasons as to why I don't believe that or why I don't
take that stand. And it's pretty straightforward. And the people who believe this, they understand
what I'm about to show you, but don't just say, well, you know, it is what it is. But
here's what you need to understand. The major characteristic of Ezekiel's temple, the one
we're studying right now, the one that he spends chapters 40 through 48 explaining,
the major characteristic of Ezekiel's temple is how massive and impressive it is. When
you read these chapters, what you are reading about is a massive building, a massive complex,
an impressive complex. That is, if you talk about, you know, what is the major characteristic
as you read these chapters and you actually look at the measurements and you actually study them
out, you look at it, what do you walk away thinking about Ezekiel's temple? And here's
what you walk away thinking. You walk away thinking, this is a massive building. This
is a massive complex. And it is a very impressive complex. Let me prove it to you. All right,
you're there. Let's talk about the size of Ezekiel's temple. And we've got to talk about
it in two different ways. So I'll give it to you in the normal way and then the special way. The
first is just the normal measurements that we're given. Now, you're there in Ezekiel 42. Go back
to Ezekiel 41 just for a second and look at verse number 8. Because if you remember, we just read
in verse 20 that this entire complex, the wall runabout is 500 reeds long and 500 reeds rock. So
it's this building, this complex is 500 reeds squared. Now, what is a reed? Well, Ezekiel 41
and verse 8 tells us, the Bible says this, I saw also the height of the house runabout,
the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed. All right, so he's telling us,
he's giving us a different measurement of something else. But he tells us that it's a
full reed and then he tells us what is a full reed. He says a full reed of six great cubits.
So here we are told that a reed is six cubits. So if we want to know what a reed is, then we
know what a cubit is. Now, normally when you read about a cubit in the Bible, and I've been
telling you this every week because it's just something that comes up in every chapter, but
when you talk about a cubit in the Bible, you're talking about the measurement that goes from your
elbow to the top of your hand. That's what they would consider a cubit. And it eventually got
standardized to about what we would call 18 inches or a foot and a half. So in the Bible,
when you read about a cubit, about a building being a cubit or, you know, however many cubits high or
however many cubits long, you're talking about 18 inches. So when we're talking about six cubits,
a reed being six cubits, we're talking about a reed is about nine feet is what you're referring
to. One reed in our measurement and our way of thinking would be about nine feet long. So here's
the thing. If you've got a building that's 500 reeds squared, you're talking about a building,
that would mean if we take the 18 inches as a cubit, which is that's what it is throughout
the entire Bible, six cubits equal a reed, we're talking about a building that's 4,500 feet squared.
Now, that's a massive building. That's a big building. And that's not quite a mile, but that's
very close to a mile. 4,500 square feet is about 80% of a mile. So we're talking about a building,
we're talking about a temple complex that's almost one mile squared. That's the size of
the building that we are looking at that Ezekiel is touring, that Ezekiel is writing about. So
when you look at that, you realize, look, if you walked up to a temple and it was a mile or close
to a mile squared, you know when you walk away thinking, that's a massive building. That's a
massive complex. That's a massive area. But it gets worse as far as the sizes. Because if you
remember, and I've been talking to you about this over the last couple of weeks, is that in Ezekiel
40, throughout the entire Bible, a cubit is about 18 inches. But in Ezekiel 40 through 48, we find
that this temple is actually measured by a special cubit, what's known as the gray cubit,
and it's only found here in the book of Ezekiel. Let me show it to you in case you don't remember.
If you can go back to Ezekiel 40, look at verse number 5. Ezekiel 40 in verse 5. Notice what the
Bible says. Ezekiel 40 in verse 5 says this, And behold a wall on the outside of the house
round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits. So we just read that, right?
So one measuring reed is six cubits, and a cubit is generally accepted to be about 18 inches or a
foot and a half long by a cubit. But notice this cubit, the cubit of this building, is six cubits.
So this reed is six cubits long by the cubit and in handbreadths. So here we're told that this
temple used a special cubit that was the normal 18 inches, but then they added a handbreadth to
that 18 inches, and generally speaking a handbreadth is about four inches. So the cubit that's used for
this temple is actually a 22 inch cubit as opposed to an 18 inch cubit. So what we would normally read
in Solomon's temple or different temples that it was so many cubits high or so many cubits long,
and we would know that that's about 18 inches per cubit. With this temple, we've got to realize
that this is a bigger cubit. It's a greater cubit. In fact, we saw it last week, and I didn't put it
in my notes here, I don't think, but we saw it last week that it was actually called the great
cubit. And let me see if I can find that real quick. I thought I put that in my notes, but let
me see if I can find it. Yeah, go to Ezekiel 41 and verse 8. Ezekiel 41 and verse 8. Notice what
it says. Ezekiel 41 says, I saw also the height of the house run about, the foundation of the side
chamber were a full read of six, notice what it says, great cubits. So it's not just a normal cubit,
this is a great cubit. You say, why is it a great cubit? Because it's a cubit, a normal cubit,
and a handbreadth. So look, you say four inches on a cubit is not really that big of a difference,
but when you talk about the fact that a read is six cubits, and this building is 500 reads
squared, that's going to make a difference. In fact, that'll take us from, what was the number
I gave you, 4,500 feet squared to 5,500 feet squared. If we take the great cubit, the cubit
plus the handbreadth, and use that, you know, 22 inches times six cubits for one read times 500
reads. Now we're talking about a building that is 5,500 foot squared. And what that means is
that this is actually, if you use that measurement and you take that position that that's what that
cubit is referring to, that this temple complex is actually larger than a mile, a mile squared.
It's bigger than a mile squared. It's actually about 4% longer each side than a mile. You say,
why are you bringing all this up and why are you saying this? Here's why I'm saying this.
The overwhelming major characteristic of Ezekiel's temple is its massive size and how impressive it
is. This building, the entire area is, you know, either way, whatever measurement you decide to go
with, you're talking about an area that's about a mile squared, close to either a little less or
a little more than a mile squared. Now, keep your place there in Ezekiel and go to the book of Ezra,
Ezra chapter 3. If you open your Bible just right in the center, you're more than likely
following the book of Psalms. And if you just head backwards, you have Job, and then you have Esther,
you have Nehemiah, and you have Ezra. So if you start in Psalms and head back, you have Job,
Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra. And go to Ezra chapter 3. You say, okay, well, could it be
that Ezekiel's temple is a prophecy of the temple that's going to be rebuilt, Zerubbabel's temple,
and Ezra's temple? Well, as I've showed you, and hopefully I didn't bore you to death with all that,
but as I've showed you, the overwhelming characteristic of Ezekiel's temple is that
it's a massive building. And we can just guess that it's about a mile. The entire complex,
the wall around the complex, is about a mile squared. Now, here's what you need to understand.
The major characteristic of Ezra's temple, Zerubbabel's temple, the temple that was rebuilt
coming back from the captivity, the major characteristic that you find for this temple
in the Bible is actually how small and unimpressive it was. So when you read about this temple,
the second temple that was built after the captivity, what you read about in Scripture
is that it was smaller even than Solomon's temple. It was less impressive than Solomon's temple.
That's a major characteristic of it, that it was smaller and less impressive. Let me prove it to
you. Are you there in Ezra chapter 3? Look at verse number 10. Ezra chapter 3 and verse number
10. Notice what the Bible says. And when the builders, now they're building the second temple,
they've came back from the captivity, they've came back from seven years of captivity,
this is when Nehemiah comes back and rebuilds the wall, Ezra comes back, Zerubbabel, Joshua,
all those guys come back, and they're going to rebuild the temple. Notice what it says.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, this is the second temple,
because Solomon's temple has been destroyed, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets
and the Levites, the son of Asaph with symbols, to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David,
king of Israel. So they bring everything back, just how David had it set up with the other
temple and before the captivity. Verse 11. And they sang together by course in praising and
giving thanks unto the Lord, because he is good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And
all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation
of the house of the Lord was laid. So they haven't even built the building yet.
All they've done is they've laid the foundation. And all of the people, keep in mind, they've now
been, they've been in captivity for 70 years. This happens, you know, several years or whatever,
however long it takes to get this thing going after that captivity. Many of the people who
are actually living in Israel at this time were, they never saw the first temple. They never saw
Solomon's temple. In fact, most of these people were born in captivity. They were born after
Solomon's temple had been destroyed. They've heard of Solomon's temple. They've heard those stories.
They've been told those things, but they never saw it for themselves. They come back into the land
and they're laying the foundation for a new temple. And look, very excited, and they should
be. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praise the Lord, because the foundation
of the house of the Lord was laid. Notice verse 12. But many, so notice, we're going to talk about
a different group now. Many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, notice what
it says, who were ancient men. So everybody's excited about this temple. They're all praising
the Lord and they're glad. But then the Bible tells us in verse 12, that there's a group of
old men, their priests, their Levites, their chief of the fathers, who were ancient men. That's what
it means. It means they were old men. Notice what it says, that had seen the first house,
meaning they'd seen Solomon's temple, when the foundation of this house was laid before their
eyes. Notice what it says that they did. They wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud
for joy so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of
weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout and the noise was heard afar off.
You say, what's going on here? What's happening? And go to the book of Haggai and I'll show you
another passage while I explain this one. Go to Haggai chapter two. If you start at the end of the
Old Testament, you've got Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai, Haggai chapter two. You say, what's
happening here? You've got the old men weeping. Here's why they were weeping. They were happy
that they were rebuilding a new temple. But they had seen the old temple. They'd seen the glory of
the old temple. They'd seen the size of the old temple. And when they saw this new temple,
they were just kind of sad because it wasn't measuring up. It wasn't as big. It wasn't as
glamorous. Zerubbabel's temple, Ezra's temple, was a lot smaller in scale, was a lot smaller in
extravagance and in how it looked. So here's what's interesting. You know, Ezekiel's temple
is larger than Solomon's temple. It's more extravagant than Solomon's temple. Zerubbabel's
temple is smaller than Solomon's temple. And then people say, well, this is a prophecy of
Zerubbabel's temple. No, we're talking about two different temples because the temple that
Ezekiel's looking at and touring is not. The ancient man wouldn't have seen it and been weeping
about how unimpressive it was. And let me just show you from another passage the same thing,
Haggai chapter two, look at verse three. Notice what the Bible says. Who is left among you that
saw this house and her first glory? Okay, so we're talking about the temple. Remember,
Haggai is a prophet that God uses to motivate the people to get back to building the temple
because there's a time there where they start to build it and they stopped and Haggai is being
used of God to bring them back. But now that this temple is going to get built, here's what
the Bible says. Who is left among you that saw this house and her first glory? You say,
who saw this house? Who saw this temple in their first glory? Talk about Solomon's temple. And how
do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? So notice what it
says. It says, you people, because remember you've got the old ancient man and they're just kind of
like, this isn't impressive. This isn't great. You should have seen the old temple. And here
God's speaking to them and Haggai is being used to God to speak to them. And he's talking to the
people who saw the house in her first glory. And he said, look, is it not in your eyes in comparison
of it as nothing? He's saying, I know that when you compare the new temple, the second temple,
with the first temple, when you compare the two, this temple, it's like it's nothing. Look at verse
four. Yet now be strong. This is the Lord encouraging Zerubbabel. Be strong, O Zerubbabel,
saith the Lord. And be strong, O Joshua, the son of Josedek, the high priest. And be strong,
all you people of the land, saith the Lord. And work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.
So notice, even though this generation wasn't able to accomplish what Solomon was accomplishing,
God was still in it. God was with them. And you had the old man saying, well, this temple is
nothing in comparison to the first temple. But here's what's interesting, is that Haggai actually
gives a prophecy where he says that the latter temple will be more impressive than the old temple
talking about Zerubbabel's temple. Look at verse nine. He says, the glory of this latter house.
Talking about Zerubbabel's temple, talking about Ezra's temple, that was smaller in scale,
that was less impressive. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former. So God
says, I know that this building is not as impressive as the old building. I know that
this building is not as impressive as what it used to be. But honestly, the glory of this house
is going to be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts. And this place will I give peace,
saith the Lord of hosts. Let me just go ahead and give you the answer as to what it is that
Haggai is talking about. And go back to Ezekiel 42, if you would. You say, well,
how is it that Zerubbabel's temple ended up being greater in glory
than Solomon's temple? Because if you remember Solomon's temple, not only was it
magnificent, not only was it ginormous, not only was it impressive and powerful,
but when they dedicated it. If you remember, they put a thousand bowls as burnt offerings,
and they had a choir, and they had this great service and worshiping of the Lord. And if you
remember, the Lord answered with fire, and fire fell down from heaven and showed that God's hand
was in that place. And then the Bible says that the glory of the Lord filled Solomon's temple.
We're going to see that also with Ezekiel's temple. But when Zerubbabel and Ezra rebuilt
their temple, none of that happened. There was no big fanfare, and there was no fire that came from
heaven from the Lord. Yet Haggai said that the glory of this latter house shall be greater than
the former. You say, well, how was that fulfilled? And here's how it was fulfilled. Because that
temple that Zerubbabel built, though it was smaller in scale, though it was not as impressive
in its elegance, was the temple that was there when the Lord Jesus Christ walked on His earth.
When you read the stories of Jesus walking into the temple, when He was brought to the temple,
and all those sacrifices were done at His showing, when He sits there, and they ask Him at the temple,
and He talks about, you see these stones, there will one not be left upon another,
all those things, that was the temple that Jesus was ministered in and ministered in and was there.
So even though it wasn't as big and as nice and as magnificent as Solomon's temple,
it had a greater glory because it had the privilege of having the Lord Jesus Christ
walk through it, walk in it, be part of it. And look, that ought to show you something
that God doesn't care about buildings. You know, today people, they think like,
they'll look at a church like ours and they'll say, oh, you guys live, you guys have your church
in a storefront, you're next to the methadone clinic, you know, you're in front of the welfare
office, you're just in the ghetto. You know what's impressive about this place is not the building?
It's that the Lord Jesus Christ is in it. It's that God works through us and God works in us
and God is involved. And you know, I'd rather meet at a building next to the methadone clinic
and have a ministry that is pleasing to the Lord than to have some big massive building
somewhere with thousands of people and God's not anywhere near it. And God has nothing to do with
it. And it's just a rock concert and it's just, you know, a strange fire. And we'll talk about that
on Sunday night when we talk about Nadab and Abihu. But go back to Ezekiel chapter 42. Let me give you,
I mean, I already gave you a practical application. I guess that one was for free. Let me give you the
practical application because remember we're doing a three-step process. We're giving you the outline
and I'm giving you a theory and I'm leaving you with one practical application
at the end. But again, I hope it makes sense. You know, you say, Pastor, could it be that this temple
is Zerugo's temple? You know, if you want to believe that, that's fine. But the only problem,
the reason that I choose not to subscribe to that theory is because the overwhelming characteristic
of Ezekiel's temple is its majesty and its massiveness. And the overwhelming characteristic
of Zerugo's temple is how small it was and how unimpressive it was. So it doesn't seem to me
like these are the same temple or like this is a prophecy of that temple. Let me give you one
real quick application and we'll finish up for tonight. Look at Ezekiel 42 and verse 20.
The Bible says this. He measured it by the four sides. It had a wall roundabout. So notice this
temple has a wall all around it, 500 reeds long and 500 reeds broad. We've talked about that.
To make a separation, he said, I put a wall there to separate. So what are you going to separate,
God? He said the sanctuary, because you remember the temple is also called a sanctuary
where the sacrifices are done, where the holy objects are and where all those things. He said,
I put a wall to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place. He's talking
about outside on this side of the wall, everything's common, everything's profane.
On the inside of the wall, in the sanctuary, everything's holy, everything's set apart.
And I just want you to notice that throughout the entire Bible, it is not just the New Testament
teaching, throughout the entire Bible, God is interested in the doctrine of separation.
He's interested in making sure that his people and those that worship him, worship him in a way
that is separated from the world. Let me show it to you in another passage. Go to Ezekiel 22.
Look at verse 26. And look, this is why. This is why we have a church the way we do. And honestly,
we have a very successful ministry here at Verity Baptist Church, and we should not compare
ourselves among ourselves. That's not wise. But as far as ministries are concerned, as far as
attendances and soul winners and things like that, the Lord has blessed us. But we're definitely not
a mega church. And you say, well, why couldn't you be? Why couldn't we be? Well, look, honestly,
the main reason why this church doesn't have a thousand people here on Sunday morning is because
of the fact that we believe in the doctrine of separation. So when we believe in being separated
from the world and coming out from among them and be separate, say the Lord is what the Bible says,
to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind,
when we believe that God has called us to be set apart, that God has called us to live a holy
life that's pleasing to him, well, that's going to limit a lot of things that we allow into this
church. See, here's the truth. The truth is this, that if I quit preaching about separation,
then the sermons would become a lot more positive. And in fact, I can continue preaching
probably everything I believe as long as I don't preach on separation, because separation
is what offends people when we say, no, we're not going to your party where alcohol is going
to be served. No, we're not going to your wedding or your quinceañera or your whatever,
where there's going to be worldly music. No, we're not going to, you know, when we live like that
and we preach like that and we say those things, no, we're not going to hang out with your sodomite
cousin or your sodomite uncle. When we live that way, that's what offends everyone. If we quit
just teaching separation and taught everything else in the Bible but separation, the sermons
would get a lot nicer. And if we didn't believe in separation, you know what we could do? We could
get rid of these old hymns. We could get some music that's a little more worldly, that's a
little more enticing, that's a little more... Because look, you know what the world likes?
The world wants the church to just become the world plus Jesus. That's why you got these
churches out there, they've got Christian hip hop. What is that? You know, God has called us
to live a separated life. And look, what's interesting is that this has been a common
theme with God throughout the entire Bible, not just the New Testament, Old Testament as well.
Ezekiel 22, look at verse 26. Notice what the Bible says.
Her priests have violated by law and have profaned mine holy things. Ezekiel 22, 26.
They have put... You say, well, where did the priest mess up? The priests are the spiritual
leadership of the nation of Israel. You say, how did they mess up so badly? Look, today,
the spiritual leaders are messing up in the same way that the spiritual leaders were messing up
back then. You say, what are they doing? They have not put difference between holy and profane.
Neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes
from my Sabbath. I am profane among them. And here's what he says. He says, look,
they have not made a difference between what is holy and what is not holy,
what is acceptable and what's not acceptable. He says, the priest, look, it's my job as the
spiritual leader of this church to stand up and to make sure you understand the difference
between the holy and the unholy, that you understand what God wants for you and what
God desires for you and what God does not want for you and what God does not desire for you.
And notice what he says at the end of this verse. It's very interesting to me. He says,
and I am profane among them. God says, because they have failed to teach and practice separation,
I, God says, I've actually become profane. And you know that's exactly what is happening to God
at the fun center, rock and roll church down the street. God becomes profane when we turn God into
a rock concert, when we turn God into a casino, when we turn God into a nightclub. And that's
what these places look like. That's what these places feel like. You say, well, why would they
do that? Because the world loves darkness rather than light. You say, there's lots of people at the
nightclubs. There's lots of people at the casinos. There's lots of people at the rock concerts.
So we want those people to come into church and not have to change anything. Let's just make
church feel like the place that they like to hang out anyway. But then what do you have? You have
a thousand people in an auditorium and none of them love the Lord. Most of them aren't even
saved. None of them are pleasing to God. And God has become profane. Because look, God said, hey,
I am holy. He said, be holy for I am holy. God says, if you're going to approach me,
if you're going to worship me, if you're going to come to me, I'm not going to come to your level.
You're going to have to come to my level. He says, come out from among them and be you separate,
say the Lord. But you know what Christians today do? They say, no, let's put God in the nightclub.
Let's put God in the rock concert. And he says, I am profaned among them. And this is throughout
the whole Bible. Let me just show you some Old Testament passages, Leviticus chapter 10,
if you will go there, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. I'll just show you a few from Leviticus and we'll
finish up. All throughout the Bible, Old Testament, New Testament, Millennial reign,
whatever area you want to research or study in, you'll find that God has always been
interested and put a primary emphasis on the doctrine of separation. Leviticus 10,
look at verse 10, and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and
clean. Notice verse 11, and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which
the Lord has spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. See, if you teach the whole counsel of God,
you'll teach separation because there are certain things that are not acceptable to God.
But today, I mean, you go out sowing with us, knock on these doors. People literally drunk,
drug addicts, fornicating, just think, and they think there's, it's not like they're struggling
with drunkenness and they're trying to get right. No, they think, my life is pleasing to the Lord.
And it's like, who told you that? It's like, my priest. And God is profaned among them. Leviticus
11, look at verse 47, the last place I'll have you look at. Leviticus 11, 47. To make a difference
between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that they may be eaten and the beast
they may not be eaten. And here's what's interesting, is that even in this temple,
with all its majesty and power, even in this temple, we're going to read later on in these
chapters, there's a river that flows out of this temple, it heals the nations, and it doesn't.
Even in this great temple, God builds a wall around it to make a separation between the
sanctuary and the appropriate place because God has always been interested in his people.
When they approach him, when they worship him, that they would do it with clean hands,
that they would come out from the world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world.
We are pilgrims on a journey through this world, but this world is not your home and this world is
not my home. And God has always been interested in us coming out from among the world to worship
him. So, when you look at the worldly churches out there, with their nice buildings and their
big facilities, hey, don't worry about that. God isn't interested in that.
In fact, even when the temples were his, God said, hey, this less impressive temple will have
the last laugh because this is the temple that Jesus is going to walk in. Jesus is going to be
presented in. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former. And you know,
the truth of the matter is that when we walk with the Lord, when we walk with Jesus, when we attempt
to please Jesus, the glory of this latter house will be greater than the latter.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father and Lord, thank you for your
word. Thank you for the Bible. Thank you for the fact that there's always an application
that can be made. There's always a lesson that can be learned. And Lord, I pray that you would
just help us as we continue to study through the book of Ezekiel and just try to dismantle
these chapters. They're so difficult and so hard to kind of dig through sometimes. And
what I just pray you'd help us to learn them, help us to realize that all scripture truly is profitable.