Amen. All right, well we're there in Ezekiel chapter number 44 and we've been
making our way through the book of Ezekiel and I appreciate your
faithfulness to the house of God and just kind of been taking one chapter a
week and it's now the 44th week in the book of Ezekiel and we're almost done
and if you remember what we've been doing is we've been looking at these
theories because the last eight chapters of Ezekiel have to do with the Ezekiel's
temple and it's very controversial section because a lot of people have a
lot of different thoughts and over the last three weeks, this being the fourth
week, we've been looking at the different theories for Ezekiel's temple and I'm
gonna explain to you why I don't believe those those theories. You remember the
first theory was that the temple is symbolic not to be taken literally and I
explained to you that in chapter 41 why I don't believe that. Then we talked
about the theory that this is Ezrel or Zerubbabel's temple that they built after
the captivity, after the Babylonian captivity in chapter 42. I explained to
you why I don't believe that and then we talked about last week whether or not
this was the temple in the eternal state after the millennial reign and last
time we were together in Ezekiel I explained to you why I don't believe
that. So this week what I'm going to do is I'm going to answer the question is
Ezekiel's temple the temple of the millennial reign and and the reason I
saved this one for last is because this is probably the most popular theory of
all of all especially among Baptists is that the temple we're reading about is
the temple during the millennial reign. Now I told you I was gonna go through
four weeks, four theories, dismantle them or explain to you why we don't believe
those and then I was going to give you my theory but Brother Stuckey's preaching
next week so I'll just let him deal with that. No I'm just kidding.
After Brother Stuckey gets them preaching then I'll explain to you my
theory so you have to wait on that but if you remember we've been going through
I've been giving you a basic outline and then I've been giving you the theories
then a practical application. I'd like to move quickly through the outline tonight
because of the fact that there are actually several applications in this
chapter that I like us to focus on so if you're taking notes you can write these
down and we'll just start by giving you a quick outline of the chapter. The
chapter is basically divided into into three major sections and if the the
first one if you want to write maybe a number one or a letter a would be the
East Gate and the Prince and in verses one and two we see that the that the
East Gate is shut. If you remember from last week the glory of the Lord came
back to the temple and it came in through the East Gate Ezekiel 44 verse 1
notice what the Bible says then he brought me back the way of the gate of
the outward sanctuary which looked toward the east and it was shut then
said the Lord unto me the gate shall be shut it shall not be open then no man
shall enter in by it why is it shut because the Lord the God of Israel have
entered in by it therefore it shall be shut. Then in verse 3 we learn about the
privilege of the Prince and we've talked about this before in Ezekiel so I'm not
going to spend time on it some people have different theories about this
Prince and people think it's the Lord Jesus Christ some people think it's King
David I think they're both going to be in an end times prophecy but here in
verse 3 it says it is for the prince the prince he shall sit in it to eat bread
before the Lord he shall enter in by the way of the porch of that gate and shall
go out by the way of the same so we see this section about the East Gate and the
Prince then we see the second section of this book so if you'd like to write a
number 2 or a B and we see those who are admitted into the temple so in verse 4
we see the glory of the Lord again filling the temple it says then brought
him the way of the North Gate before the house and I looked and behold the glory
the Lord built the house of the Lord and I fell upon my face in verse 5 he's
told to mark well you'll notice there it says mark well concerning all the
ordinances he says again at the end of the verse mark well then in verses 6
through 9 he talks about those who are excluded from the temple I'm not going
to read all the verses we just read it a few minutes ago but notice verse 6 he
says thou shalt say to the rebellious even to the house of Israel and then
notice verse 7 in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers notice verse
8 and you have not kept the charge notice verse 9 thus ate the Lord God no
stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into
my sanctuary so he's explaining to them those that are excluded from the temple
and then we have the third section of this chapter which is the laws and the
priests so in in verses 10 through 14 we see the Levites who went astray notice
verse 10 and the Levites that are gone away far from me when Israel went to
stray which went to stray away from me after their idols they shall even bear
their iniquity look at verse 13 and they shall not come near unto me to do the
office of the priests unto me nor to come near to any of my holy things in
the most holy place but they shall bear their shame so there are some priests
who are not allowed to come in and do the work that they used to do before
these are the Levitical priests and they are allowed to help if you notice verse
14 but I will make them keepers of the charge of the house for all the service
thereof and for all that shall be done therein so notice these Levitical
priests have been they've been demoted where they're not allowed to do what
they've normally done there's another reason why but we don't you know we
haven't seen that happen we never saw that happen in the Old Testament or
anything like that notice verse 15 but the priest the
Levites so there's only certain priests that are allowed to keep the charge and
it's the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children
of Israel went astray from me they shall come near to me to minister unto me they
shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat in the blood saith the Lord God
and they shall enter into my sanctuary and they shall come near to my table to
minister unto me and they shall keep my charge so sons of Zadok they're allowed
to keep the charge then in verses 17 through 19 we get clothing standards for
the priests notice verse 17 it says and it shall come to pass that when they
enter in at the gates of the inner court they shall be clothed with linen
garments and no wool shall come upon them notice verse 18 and they shall have
linen bonnets upon their heads and they shall have linen breeches upon their
loins notice verse 19 and when they go forth into the outer court even into the
outer court of the people they shall put off their garments wherein they
minister so in verses 17 through 19 we've got the priest clothing standards
in verse 20 we've got the priest hair standard it's like these guys are going
into the military you know they're being told what to put on how to cut their
hair notice verse 20 neither shall they shave their heads nor suffer their locks
to grow long they shall only pull their heads then in verse 5 we're told about
the priest and the wine verse 21 neither shall any priest drink wine when they
enter into the inner court that's of course talking about alcohol and then in
verse 20 we're told again we're told about the priest and his wife notice or
who he is allowed to marry verse 22 neither shall they take of their wives
a widow nor her that is put away but they shall take maidens of the seeds of
the house of Israel or a widow that had a priest before so they were only
allowed they weren't allowed to marry someone that had already been married
and this doesn't apply to to New Testament Christianity obviously if
someone's spouse dies and they're a widow they're allowed to marry somebody
else obviously gods against divorce period but they these priests were not
allowed to marry just any widow if they were going to marry a widow it had to be
a widow that was already married to a priest and otherwise they were supposed
to only marry a maiden which is the biblical word for a virgin a woman that
had not been with a man then in verses 23 and 24 he talks about the work of the
priest notice verse 23 and they shall teach my people the difference between
the holy and profane and cause them to desert discern between the unclean and
and in controversy they shall stand in judgment and they shall judge it
according to my judgments and they shall keep my laws and my statutes and all my
assemblies and they shall hollow my Sabbath sent in verses 25 to 27 he talks
about the defilement of the priest he says in verse 25 and they shall come at
no dead person there is an exception there for father for mother for son for
daughter or brother or sister in verse 26 it says and after he is cleansed they
shall reckon unto him seven days and last part of verse 27 it says he shall
offer his sin offering say it the Lord God then in verses 28 to 31 we have the
inheritance and the provision of the priest because if you remember the
priest did not get an inheritance like the rest of the people they did not get
land allocated to them so God explains this in chapter in verses 28 to 31
notice and it shall be unto them for an inheritance I am their inheritance and
you shall give them no possession in Israel I am their possession verse 29
they shall eat the meat offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering
and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs and the first of the
firstfruits of all things and every oblation of all of every sort of your
oblation shall be the priest he shall also give unto the priest the first of
your dough that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house so he
explains the fact that they were not to receive land that they were supposed to
live off the tides to live off the sacrifices of the people so that's a
real basic outline there that you get through the the book here or the chapter
of Ezekiel 44 so let's jump into the theory because like I said I've got
several applications that I'd like to make for you tonight but let's get into
the theory so the theory is this is Ezekiel's temple is Ezekiel's temple the
temple of the millennial reign now it's kind of this kind of not not not hard to
debunk or not hard to understand the first thing you need to get is this
we've seen it if you've been paying attention throughout all of the chapters
of Ezekiel's temple I'll highlight it for you in this chapter but it's been in
every single one chapter 40 excuse me not every single one but it's been in
most of them chapters 40 through 43 and it is this that Ezekiel's temple has
animal sacrifices so if you take the position that Ezekiel's temple is the
temple of the millennial reign then you also have to take the position that
during the millennial reign there will be animal sacrifices because in Ezekiel's
temple there are animal sacrifices let's look at it look at Ezekiel 44 and verse
number 7 Ezekiel 44 7 and in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers
uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my
sanctuary to polluted even my house notice what he says when you offer my
bread the fat and the blood so notice they were offering these priests the
the their Levites but they're of the line of Zadok they're offering bread and
they're offering fat and they're offering blood notice verse 8 and ye
shall and ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things but if that keepers of
my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves notice verse 11 yet they
shall be ministers in my sanctuary having charge at the gates of the house
and ministering to the house they shall notice what it says slay the burnt
offerings and sacrifice for the people and they shall stand before them to
minister unto them so it's very clear that they are killing animals they're
slaying they're having burnt offerings they're having sacrifices look at verse
15 look at the last part of verse 15 they shall stand before me to offer unto
me the fat and the blood saith the Lord God look at verse 24 and in controversy
they shall stand in judgment and they shall judge and according to my judgment
and they shall keep my laws and my statutes and all my assemblies and they
shall hollow my Sabbath so they're not only performing animal sacrifices but
they're also keeping the Sabbath day whatever is happening here in Ezekiel's
temple they're sacrificing animals they're keeping the Sabbath notice verse
27 and in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary into the inner court to
minister in the sanctuary he shall offer his sin offering saith the Lord God so
notice they're offering a sin offering look at verse 29 they shall eat the meat
offering and the sin offering and the trespassed offering and every dedicated
thing in Israel shall be there so it's very clear in this chapter that they are
sacrificing animals they are having their holy bread they are keeping the
Sabbath day so if you believe if you take the position which many people do
that Ezekiel's temple is the temple of the millennial reign then you have to
take with that the fact that you believe that during the millennial reign of
Christ this is after the tribulation after the rapture after the battle
Armageddon we're living we're back in our glorified bodies the Lord Jesus
Christ is ruling and reigning on this earth for a thousand years and we're
reigning with him and then you have to believe that during that time there
would be animal sacrifices now some people would ask well what's the big
deal about that why couldn't there be animal sacrifices well go to the book of
Hebrews with me Hebrews chapter number 7 Hebrews chapter number 7 and if you
start at the end there in the book of Revelation and you head backwards you'll
have the book of Jude 3rd 2nd 1st John 2nd 1st Peter and Hebrew James and
Hebrews Hebrews chapter number Hebrews chapter number 7 to start and you say
well what's the problem with having you know having animal sacrifices during the
millennial reign here's the problem the problem with having animal sacrifices
during the millennial reign is that the Bible in the New Testament under the New
Covenant is extremely clear that the animal sacrifices have been done away
with all right now there's many passages we could look at to prove that I'll just
show you a couple real quickly Hebrews chapter 7 look at verse 12 notice what
the Bible says for the priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a
change also of the law so the Bible is clear that the law there has been a
change in the law from the Old Testament to the New Testament from the Old
Covenant to the New Covenant there has been a change now I want you to notice
what it doesn't say it doesn't say that the law has been done away with it
doesn't say that the law it doesn't exist anymore but the Bible does tell us
that there's been a change in the law why has there been a change in law
because there's a change in the priesthood the priesthood has changed
and because the priests have changed there is of necessity a change also of
the law now you're there in Hebrew 7 go to Hebrews chapter number 9 Hebrews
chapter number 9 and look at verse number 9 Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 9
I preached a lot of sermons about this in the past I don't want to spend too
much time on it but in Hebrews 9 9 the Bible says this which was a figure for
the time then present now if you read the context and you can do that in your
own time if you'd like he's referring to that Old Testament covenant the law he
says that it was a figure it was a shadow and the idea there is that it was
not the thing but it was the image of the thing you understand what I'm saying
if you look at somebody's shadow if I if we were outside and the Sun was
hitting me and you could see my shadow I don't know if can you see my shadow back
here if you saw my shadow on the wall you know what that shadow is not me but
it is a figure of me it it looks like me it's it's meant to resemble me but it's
not me and this is what Paul I believe is writing the book of Hebrews and
that's up for debate as well I think it's Paul but whoever's writing the book
of Hebrews under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost is letting us know that that
Old Testament law those sacrifices all those things that they did the mean
offerings and the sin offerings and transfer those offerings those were a
figure notice verse 9 for the time then present in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as
pertaining to the conscience now let me just stop here for a minute and say this
the same people that will tell you that the temple of the millennial reign has
animal sacrifices in it they're called dispensational is they'll tell you that
the animal sacrifices are making a comeback in the millennial reign they'll
say yet right now during the church age there's no animal sacrifices but during
the millennial reign there'll be sacrifices and dispensational is will
teach that those are the same people that will tell you that back in the Old
Testament people used to do sacrifices in order to obtain salvation that they
were saved by works in the Old Testament that they had to keep the law that they
had to do the sacrifices but notice verse 9 tells us that those sacrifices
could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience
look salvation has never been of works it's never been by keeping sacrifices
it's never been by keeping religious acts those things that they did back
then were symbolic they were a figure they were a shadow of better things to
come notice verse 10 which stood talking about the sacrifices only so people say
oh the the law has been done away with well here's the problem with that Jesus
said that he came to fulfill the law and and the problem with that thinking is
that Jesus didn't destroy the law if anything he upped the ante on the law he
said you have heard that he had been said and then he made it better he made
it stronger he made it a more strict law notice Hebrews 9 10 because he just told
us there was a change in the law of necessity because of the priesthood
being changed there was a change in the law you say okay well what changed well
he's gonna tell us verse 10 which stood only these are the only things that
changed in the law which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and
cardinal ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation you say
what changed from the Old Testament law to the New Testament law what changed
that we don't longer have to follow or observe today meets drinks divers
washings cardinal ordinances that was imposed on them until the time of
Reformation you understand that that's all that changed so today you got the
liberals are saying oh no you're not under the law you're under grace look
they were under grace back in the Old Testament if they were saved no the
Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord so those are our no the
law doesn't apply look did you know that in the New Testament it's still a sin to
commit adultery it's still a sin to bear false witness it's still a sin to the
moral laws still apply you say what changed from old to New Testament the
ceremonial laws the things that had nothing to do with morality they were
just figures they were symbolism of things to come you say what are they
meat drinks divers washings cardinal ordinances everything that had to do
with something being ceremonial they would kill an animal they would have a
special washing they would put on special clothing they would do a special
ritual he says those things were imposed on them until the time of
Reformation you see that in verse 10 now you say well what's the time of
Reformation is that when Martin Luther you know nailed his 99 thoughts about
the Pope or whatever no that's man that's man's Reformation the Reformation
that the Bible because what does it mean to reform something it means that you're
gonna fix it means that you're gonna make it better so he says look the law
had a problem that those sacrifices could not make anybody pure they
couldn't save anybody so those meat offerings those symbolisms those figures
those shadows they were imposed on them until the time of Reformation you say
well what was when did the fort when did the law get reformed verse 11 but Christ
being come when Jesus came he reformed the law he didn't get rid of the law he
reformed it he got rid of a part of it what part the ceremonial part of it
everything having to do with the Levitical priesthood it's done it's gone
there's no more Levitical priests there's no more meat offerings there's
no cardinal ordinances there's no Sabbath day all those things were done
away when Jesus came and and and please understand this only those things were
done away everything else still applies but Christ being common high priest of
good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle because look
Moses did most have a tabernacle yes did Solomon have a tabernacle yes did the
rubable have a tabernacle yes but you know what Jesus he brought in a New
Testament and it was a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands
that is to say not of this building remember we learned about it last week
that during the eternal state the tabernacle of God will come down but
it'll be God himself it won't be a building notice verse 12 neither by the
blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place having obtained that's what it says eternal redemption for us see all
of those sacrifices I preached to the book of Leviticus I don't remember two
years ago or something we took one week every Wednesday night took one chapter
of Leviticus and we went through all those sacrifice remember we learned
every single one of those sacrifices pictured Christ in some way those were
all a figure of things to come because Jesus all that pictured was that when
Jesus died in the tabernacle in heaven and the Holy of Holies in heaven in the
mercy seat in heaven Jesus our high priest did not walk in he did not walk
in with with blood of goats and calves he blotted he walked in with his own
blood and and he purchased us and he gave us eternal I love that term eternal
redemption you say why is it why is it called eternal because it's eternal
security he said I'm secured through the blood of Christ say well your well yours
well your salvation ever expire will the blood of Christ ever expire eternal
redemption for us verse 13 for the blood of bulls and of goats and the
ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctified to the peering out of
the foot of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through
the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God and it's clear look we could
go to a lot of passages about this but it's very clear it's very clear in the
Bible that when Jesus came the sacrifices were done in fact the Bible
tells us that Christ who is our Passover because here's what so the dispensational
so say the sacrifices are making a comeback and in the millennial reign
we're back to work salvation they've got to keep the sacrifices well that goes
against what the book of Hebrews and what the entire New Testament teaches
but then some people will say this and again I don't think these are bad people
I don't think they're bad people I you know I think they're they're good people
they're Baptist people they're saved they just don't understand Ezekiel and
they're trying to make it work and then some people will say this they'll say
well the ceremony they'll say the the temple Ezekiel's temple is gonna take
place during the millennial reign and there will be sacrifices but they'll say
all those sacrifices will only be ceremonial they won't be for salvation
and they'll say and look this sounds good but don't you you got to think
through these things when you're studying the Bible and your thing you
got to think through this they'll say it they'll be ceremonial and they'll say
it's just like our New Testament version of the Lord's Supper or our New Testament
version of baptism and here's the thing our New Testament version of the Lord's
Supper and our New Testament version of baptism those are called ordinances you
know why they're called ordinances because an ordinance is something that
was commanded to do that was not moral it was just symbolic that's why in the
Old Testament if you study it out all of those laws that have to do with the
meats with the sacrifices with the washing they're called ordinances and in
the Bible tells us that Jesus nailed the ordinances on the tree why because he
didn't get rid of the law he just got rid of the ceremonial aspect of the law
well guess what baptism is an ordinance the Lord's Supper is an ordinance
because it pictures it symbolizes baptism isn't salvation but it pictures
salvation when somebody's standing there at the water and the water crosses their
body and they go down into the water and they come up out of the water that is a
picture of the death burial and resurrection Lord Jesus Christ back to
the Lord's Supper is a picture of salvation when we break the bread we are
symbolizing the broken body of our Savior it wasn't even the bread of life
when we pour the juice when we pour the cup we symbolize the shedding of his
blood those things are symbolic those things can't save you those things will
never save you so they'll say well that's how the sacrifices they're
they're not gonna be for salvation anymore they're just gonna be ceremonial
okay here's the problem with that sacrifices have always been ceremonial
they we just read it they've never been for salvation they've never been
something you did to get saved they've always been symbolic they in fact the
Lord's Supper is just the New Testament continuation of the Passover now think
about this though why did there have to be a change in the Passover to make it
because is our Lord's Supper just like the Passover in the Old Testament no why
did there have to be a change because when Jesus came there was a reformation
of the law so what changed think about it the Passover they had the blood
pictured on the doorpost they had the unleavened bread and then they had the
lamb what do we do in the Lord's Supper we have the cup that pictures the blood
we've got the bread the unleavened bread and what's missing the lamb you say why
because the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is our Passover see here's the
problem with saying that the sacrifices are coming back is that that would be
sacrilegious that would be idolatry to put a lamb for us to sacrifice the lamb
because Jesus fulfilled that Jesus is our Passover so here's the point that
I'm making there's no way there's no way that there are sacrifices that
sacrifice are coming back in the millennial reign so what do I do with
Ezekiel 40 through 48 if it's not the millennial reign if it's not the eternal
state if it's not Jerusalem temple if it's not these things well you come back
a couple weeks from now I'll give you my thoughts on that but the point is this
it's not the millennial reign temple because the Bible is clear that the
sacrifices are done the Sabbath days are done people say oh like yeah you I
go to church on the Sabbath day well you you need to read the Bible because those
days those things are done it's gotten there's no there's no keeping of those
ceremonial ordinances all right so let me let me end tonight by just giving you
some practical applications from this chapter there's a lot of practical
applications in this chapter so let me let me give some of those to you quickly
go back to Ezekiel 44 and let me see where to start I kind of I kind of
changed my outline just real quickly I want to make sure that I do this in
order so here's the first here here's the first application I'd like you to
look at if you go to Ezekiel 44 and look at verse number where was it verse
number 17 the first application is this and I want to deal with this because it
doesn't come up in Scripture a lot so whenever it does come up in Scripture I
always want to make sure that I touch on it Ezekiel 44 17 remember when I gave
you that outline verses 17 through 19 it talked about the priests and their
clothing when verse 17 the Bible says this and it shall come to pass that when
they enter in at the gates of the inner court they shall be clothed with linen
garments and no wool shall come upon them whilst they minister in the gates
of the inner court and within notice verse 18 and they shall have linen
bonnets now what they bonnet a bonnet is a hat so they're supposed to have hats
upon their head and they shall have linen breeches you see that word
breeches b-r-e-e-c-h-e-s that is just an older spelling of the modern word
britches which means pants they shall have linen britches or breeches upon
their loins and they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes
sweat so I want you I just want you to notice cuz look Ezekiel Ezekiel lived
you know 600 700 years before Christ we're now 2,000 plus years after Christ
you know well over 2,500 years maybe close to 3,000 years ago Ezekiel wrote
about the fact that the men were wearing linen breeches they were wearing pants
and and here's the point that I want to make throughout history men have worn
pants today when you study the Bible or not say the Bible goodnight when you
don't study the Bible and you study books written by individuals and they
got pictures they always have Jesus in a dress they always have the Apostles in
a dress they always have the the Bible characters they're always wearing this
dress they'll say oh back in those days you know they didn't wear pants well not
according to Ezekiel he says that the priests wore linen breeches oh well you
know it wasn't invented back then look it's putting on a pair of pants that
complicated I mean think about it if they if they could figure out shirts
they could probably figure out pants and the Bible is very clear that they wore
pants the priests wore pants I go to Deuteronomy 22 Deuteronomy 22 and and
like I said this doesn't come up a lot so when it comes up I want I want to
deal with it the Bible is very clear Old and New Testament I'll show it to you in
the New Testament as well that God created male and female and he expects
them to look different to be different now look when I started very Baptist
Church nine years ago there was already a trend of Baptists who were no longer
preaching this doctrine that men should wear pants and that women should not
wear pants that they should wear skirts and dresses let's look at it Deuteronomy
22 look at verse 5 Deuteronomy 22 5 notice what the Bible says the woman
shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man according to this verse there
is something that pertains to a man that a woman should not wear neither
shall a man put on a woman's garment according to this verse there's a
garment that belongs to women that men should not put on for all that do so our
abomination unto the Lord thy God and I want you to notice that word abomination
because it's funny to me how all these Baptists they want to preach about and
as they should I shouldn't say all these Baptist because many of them aren't
preaching it anymore but you know there was a day when Baptists were preaching
against the sodomites the homos there's an abomination but you know what cross
dressings and abominations of God too and God says look there is a certain
type of clothing that men should wear that women should not there's a certain
type of clothing that women should wear that men should not so now we already
read in Ezekiel that the guys were wearing linen breeches and look
throughout history women have worn dresses and skirts men have worn pants
whenever you see a society where the men were wearing dresses you had a bunch of
pedophile sodomite psychopath reprobates all right throughout a
history men wore pants and look the Bible is clear the woman shall not wear
that which pertaineth unto a man neither shall a man put on a woman's garment for
all that do so abomination Lord our God and look a hundred years ago or eighty
years ago or whenever it was you know people used to in society women wore
skirts and dresses men wore pants and then we had this movement come in where
women stopped wearing skirts only and they began to put on pants as well and
look people say well you know it just says that there's a certain clothing for
men and a certain clothing for women so pants you know there's certain types of
pants that are for women that that men don't wear okay here's the problem with
that the only thing that makes a woman's pair of pants different than a man's
pair of pants you know and again this was ten years ago because even this is
changing now too is that a woman's pair of pants was tied on her body that was
it men wore pants that were baggy you know that weren't you know just hugging
their body and and women did it so look is that modest is that is that what God
God wants you to just be wearing clothing that just shows every aspect of
your body ladies so look the Bible is clear and here's what happened women
started wearing pants and at first it was this kind of I can't believe this
but then it became normal and what are we seeing today men are wearing dresses
men are wearing skirts and you know what over the last several years it was just
kind of like and now it's just becoming normal and look if we're gonna fight
against all the perversion and sodomites transgender and pedophiles and all those
things it starts right here with men looking a certain way women looking a
different way and God says men should wear pants and women and ladies should
wear dresses but if that's not it also I want you to notice that he mentions
their hair go back to Ezekiel Ezekiel 44 and look at verse number 20
Ezekiel 44 in verse 20 notice what he says neither shall they shave their
heads nor suffer their locks to grow long he says he's telling the priests
and you say what was he telling them he's telling I don't want you to be
dressing in extremes I don't want you shaving your head necessarily but I
don't want you growing your hair your locks long either he says they shall
only pull their heads what what does that mean it just means to have a
haircut that's short but it's not shaven and and it's it's short enough to where
it's not long now does the Bible teach this in the New Testament let's let's
look at it go to 1st Corinthians 14 1st Corinthians 14 and look at verse number
11 1st Corinthians 14 and verse number 11 I'm sorry not 1st Corinthians 14 good
night for 1st Corinthians 11 verse 14 I'm dyslexic sorry 1st Corinthians 11 in
verse 14 notice what he says does not even nature itself teach you that if a
man have long hair it is a shame unto him look the Bible says it is a shame
for a man to have long hair oh that's that's in the Old Testament I'm pretty
sure first Corinthians is the New Testament but if any man knows what he
says verse 15 but if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her for her hair
is given her for a covering look here's what God said God said women put dresses
on skirts on men put on a pair of pants men cut your hair short women have your
hair long I want you guys to look different I made you the way I made you
and I don't want you to blur the line between the sexes and that's exactly
what's happened in our society today you've gotten got you know both male and
female are wearing pants both male and female are wearing skinny pants both
male and female have kind of long hair kind of short hair they're looking
exactly the same this is what God does not want God wants and look I realize
our society is crazy but at least within Christianity we should you know look like
men and and ladies look like ladies and you know what if you've got ladies if
you've got a pair of pants back home you know you need to study this out in the
Bible I've given you some verses you know make this your conviction and then
go home and throw those pants away it's an abomination is what the Bible says
God is not pleased with it I'll keep your place there in 1st Corinthians
because we're gonna come right back to it but go back to the book of Ezekiel
let me give you another application book of Ezekiel and go to verse number not
not 928 Ezekiel 28 I want to show you something it's just another application
here in Ezekiel 44 and verse 28 the Bible says this and it shall be unto
them for an inheritance I am their inheritance when we talk about the
Levitical priests and he shall give them no possession in Israel I am their
possession they shall eat the meat offering and the sin offering and the
trespass offering now look what he's teaching us here is how the Old
Testament priests got paid because these guys are working in a temple all day
long they're like butchers they're they're they're they're killing these
animals they're sacrificing them they're they're grilling them all right a family
friend a advertisement right here you know be like the Old Testament priests
grill a cow all right or something they're they're grilling these animals
they're having these burnt sacrifice or working you say well how do they eat
because they're not obviously why they're doing this they're not out
working their field they don't even own a field because there was no possession
given unto them God said I am their possession so how do they live verse 29
they shall eat the meat offering and the sin offering and the trespass
offering and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be there so when the people
brought their offerings to the temple and they gave their sacrifice unto Lord
yeah they would kill that animal they would take the blood they would sprinkle
it they would do whatever they had to do but when it was all said and done when
they're sitting there cooking that meat and they would eat that they would live
off of the sacrifices notice verse 30 and the first of all the first fruit
what's the first fruit that's a tie because this was an agricultural society
they would go out and they would bring in the first the first fruit the first
10% that came off that wheat field or off that vineyard or whatever they
would give that to the Lord well what would they do just put that in a storage
somewhere till it went bad and they throw it away no the priest that's how
they got paid and the first of all the first fruits of all things and every
oblation of all every sword of your oblations shall be the priest you shall
also give unto the priest the first of your dough that he may cause notice that
he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house you say how did they live
here's how they lived people tithes and then they lived off that tithe and then
God tells the people if you tithe I'll bless you all right this is found
throughout the Old Testament go to Malachi Malachi chapter number three
last last book in the Old Testament should be fairly easy to find Malachi
chapter excuse me I'm saying all the wrong numbers tonight Malachi chapter 2
look at verse 14 no Malachi 3 what am I what is wrong with me good night where
am I not verse 14 3 10 all right no that's what I want 3 10 good night yeah
3 10 it splits up in my page here that's why I'm missing Malachi 3 10 look what
he says bring you all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in
mine house and prove me now here with saith the Lord of hosts if I will not
open you the windows of heaven no here's the blessing that he's talking about and
Ezekiel remember Ezekiel he said the blessing to rest in thine house so
here's the blessing he says if I will not open you the windows of heaven and
pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it here's
part of the blessing I will rebuke the devourer for your sake and he shall not
destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall your vine caster fruit
before the time in the field saith the Lord of hosts and all nations shall call
you blessed for ye shall be a delights of land saith Lord of hosts so notice in
Malachi we're told that there's a blessing for the tithe in Ezekiel we're
told that there's a blessing in the tithe he says that I will cause the
blessing of the to rest in thine house and you say what's the purpose of type
well one of the purpose of type is that there might be food in mine house that's
what he said look at verse 10 again bring you all the tithes into the
storehouse that there may be meat in mine house all right we ordered 20 large
pizzas on Sunday night and had cake and ice cream and had time for a fellowship
you say oh that was nice you say how did we pay for that what tithe people gave
so that there might be meat in in the house of God that you know that's how we
do all our activities around here that's how we you know you like all the food
that we have you like the doughnuts you like all the free activities all the
homeschool activities how's that paid it's paid through people giving their
type go back to 1st Corinthians I'm not sure if you kept your place there 1st
Corinthians chapter 9 and and here's why I'm bringing it up because people today
they'll say well the tides done away with that was under the Old Testament
now wait a minute we just read that the only things that were done away in the
Old Testament were the cardinal ordinances right the meats the
sacrifices those things you say well what about tithing well what tithing was
they'll say oh that was done away with the Mosaic law here's the problem that
you've got people tithing before the Mosaic law is given you've got Abraham
and Jacob tithing to the Lord tithing to Melchizedek now here's what's interesting
because we just read in Ezekiel how did the priest get paid in the Old Testament
they got paid through tithing is the priesthood done yes it's done away with
but notice that the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 9 uses that priesthood
that's been done away as an example of how New Testament spiritual leaders
pastors evangelists deacons should get paid notice what he says in verse 9 and
you know some of you people get weird about these things like pastor you're
preaching about tithing and you get paid to the tithing is that weird look if I
don't preach about it who's gonna preach about it if I don't teach this to you
who's gonna teach it to you look at verse 9 for it is written in the law of
Moses the law has been done away well apparently Paul didn't get the news
flash because he's writing a New Testament book and he's about to quote
the Old Testament law for his written law of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the
mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn he says look there's this
principle in the Old Testament that if an ox is working you don't muzzle his
mouth so that he can't here's what he's saying if someone's working you should
feed them if someone's working you should take care of their physical needs
now you say is he talking about oxes I don't have an ox well look at verse 9
does God take care for oxen he says look now that's not about ox I mean it's a
good idea to not muzzle that your ox your physical ox what is working the
field but he said God is teaching as a principle that if someone works they
should get paid look at verse 10 or sayeth he it because he's not saying about
the ox does God take care for oxen no verse 10 or say it all together for our
sakes for our sakes so what does he say for our sakes he says for our sakes
that you should not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn he
says for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that notice what he
says ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be a
partake of this if somebody's working there should be a hope there there
should be something they're looking forward to that they're going to get
paid for what for what they work look at verse 11 if we have sown unto you
spiritual things if you and here's what he's saying and this is what I'm saying
to you if you came to Verity Baptist Church and we've sown unto you
spiritual things we've taught you the Bible it's helped you in your life your
parenting is better your marriage is better your financial state is better
you're you know because here's what we believe we believe that when you learn
the Bible and you study the Bible and you apply the Bible your life gets
better the Bible makes your life better the Bible says that Jesus came not that
they might have life but that they might have life more abundantly now look if
all you want is life you'll get you can get born again and have life but God
says there's more to it than that I want you to live the abundant the victorious
Christian life that's why you get plugged into church that's why you show
up for Wednesday night Bible study that's why you show up for Sunday
mornings Sunday night why so that's a man of God can study the Word of God can
preach the Word of God and help you apply it to your life so your life gets
better here's what Paul says notice notice verse 11 if we have sown unto
you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things
here's what he's saying if we've helped you spiritually is it that big of a deal
that we're reaping carnally say pastor you're preaching about this because the
offerings are low no the offerings aren't low everything's fine all right
you say why are you preaching about this because it's in the con it's in the
chapter all right and every once in a while it's good to be reminded about
these things and here's what I've learned if I just deal with it on a
regular basis then I don't have to preach that hey guys you know they're
closing they're gonna close down the building if you guys don't start well
you know we got rid of you know the the donuts are cut in fourths now and you
know there there will not there will be only a quarter of a donut till the
offerings go up look I'm glad that our church is generous I'm glad that we've
had the finances to literally I mean this church literally supports a church
in Manila it's supported a church in Vancouver it's supported a church in
Boise it's right now supporting a church in Fresno I'm thankful for the
generosity of the of God's people but you know one of reasons we've been able
to do this because you've had a pastor that has taught you about what God
expects and God expects you to tie notice verse 11 if we have sown unto
you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap unto your carnal things
verse 12 if others be partaker of this power over you are not we rather
nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things as we should
hinder the gospel of Christ do ye not know here's what I want you to notice
verse 13 say well how should the pastor get paid how should the church staff get
paid you know this church staff works they work hard there's a lot that gets
like oh how should they get paid well notice verse 13 do ye not know that they
which ministered about holy things talk about the Old Testament priests do you
not know that they which ministered about holy things live of the things of
the temple didn't we just read that how did the Old Testament priests live
people gave to the temple and they lived off of what was given do you not know
that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple
and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar those who are
waiting or working at the altar sacrificing those animals they partake
of that they eat of that they give it to their wife they give it to their children
that's how they live notice what he says verse 14 don't miss these words even so
what does that mean in the same way in this in what way the same way at the
old is what he's saying the same way at the Old Testament priests got paid how
did he get paid people tied to the temple they lived off of that the food
was there for everybody they had you know big days and special days they had
great celebrations but the the priests ate off that as well notice the 14 even
so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live up
the gospel what does that mean he's saying the Old Testament priests have
done but here's what he's saying the New Testament spiritual leadership of
pastors and deacons and evangelists and those that work for the church and that
work in the spiritual realm that even so have the Lord ordained that they
would preach the gospel should live of the gospel and here's what that means
that the pastor should get paid the same way that the priests got paid through
the tithe so don't tell me the tithe has been done away with the tithe show me a
verse of Bible where Jesus said the tides done it's gone because I can show
you tons of verses where he says the Sabbath is gone the the the you know the
the oblations and the special clothing and the washings those things are gone
and here's the thing the Levitical priesthood is gone and those sacrifice
are gone but Paul tells us even though that's gone the New Testament spiritual
leadership gets paid they eat the same way so we learn this application from
Ezekiel that you should tithe and and by the way pastors should tithe you know
those I'm I'm positive because I check it but I you know people that work on
our staff they tithe and and if they don't tithe then we have a talk with
them you say oh they tithe even though they live off the tithe yeah you know
they need to be faithful with their giving and things like that as as well
okay I'm running out of time let me give you one last real quick application and
then we'll be done and and I'm just giving this to you because it all goes
together and it's this that in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament
salvation has always been the same and not only we proved that from Hebrews
earlier but let's just prove it real quickly from Ezekiel Ezekiel 44 verse 7
in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers here's who they were
not allowed to bring into the sanctuary uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised
in flesh notice verse 9 thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in heart
nor uncircumcised in flesh people say oh well in the Old Testament they got saved
by keeping the law getting circumcised in the flesh in the New Testament it's a
circumcision of the heart Romans 2 28 and 29 you have to turn I'll just read it
for you the Bible says for he is not a Jew which is one outwardly meaning in
his flesh neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is
a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart and in
the spirit not in the letter whose praise not a man but of God so here's
what this message also say they'll say the circumcision of the of the heart
that's a spiritual thing in New Testament but we just read in Ezekiel
that they were supposed to be uncircumcised in their heart and in
their flesh and again the point is this salvation has always been salvation has
always been a heart matter it's not been about the outward works it's not been
about keeping the law those things are done away circumcisions done away with
because that was a ceremonial thing that was done to symbolize the reproach of
Egypt and the reproach of the world being taken off of them the Sabbath
days those things are done away but salvation has always been by believing
on the Lord Jesus Christ by calling upon the Lord in faith for salvation let's go
ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer how many father thank you Lord
for your word I think for this chapter Lord and there's a lot there and there's
even other things that we just just skipped and what I pray that you bless
it and help us to learn it Lord and several things here that we don't hit a
lot we don't talk a lot about tithing but but we when it comes up we should
talk about it and we don't talk a lot about clothing standards but when it
comes up we want to talk about it and thank you Lord that even in Ezekiel 44
there's just so many practical things that apply not only to them in Ezekiel's
time but to us today we love you in the matchless name of Jesus Christ we pray
amen