Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord. This is the word of the Lord, and I'll most certainly add His abundant blessing to the reading of His Holy Truth, and let's go again before the Lord in prayer. Our most blessed and gracious Father in God, in Jesus' name, and for His sake, we thank you, Lord, for the portion that is set before us. We ask you, Father, to be glorified as we worship you from the word today. May Christ be exalted, not only from the scriptures, but may be exalted in our hearts. For in him and through his exaltation is the best worship, really the only worship, Lord, that you receive unto a people whom he has saved. We love you, Lord, and thank you, and ask you, Father, to give us insights from your Word, and may we glean these precious truths, that they may be nourishment to our souls and vitality to our hearts. In Jesus' name and for his sake we do pray. Amen. Now you see, you'll notice the progression that we've had as we walk through each week, and only going back to 1 Chronicles 17, David wants to build the Lord a house for him to dwell in, basically a house for people to worship by. And as he wants to do this, God tells him, no, I'm going to build you a house, David. And we find out in this chapter that he was the reason why. He tells it to his son Solomon. I'm a man of blood. I'm a man of war. And that's just as Jesus, though he was setting the materials, the raw materials for his church through his disciples, through those apostles that he called unto himself, 12 of them or 11 of them, and one was a devil, and then that place was filled. Those were the raw materials of the church he would build. But the church would not be built until he was crucified, risen, and ascended into heaven. And so you see, David is a type of Christ as he goes to war upon the cross and shedding much blood, Christ's precious blood, as it were, as Christ fulfills that shed blood. when He hung upon Calvary's tree. But Solomon now, whereas peace comes to you. Remember that in Jesus' resurrection in chapter 20, two times He says in that one week, on that first day of the week, He comes to His disciples and says, Peace, be with you. Shalom lechem, He says to them. And then later, a week later when Thomas is with them, He gives them the same greeting. Peace, be with you. Shalom lechem. He tells, he gives them that peace. That's the peace that he promised. He says, I'm going to give you peace. I'm going to give you joy. And so Solomon, whose name was Shlomo, as we read in the text that, and as we've been since chapter 17, marking that God named him Solomon, Shlomo, meaning peaceful. And then David followed suit that when Solomon was born, he says, your name is Solomon, because God gave you that name. And we see this in chapter 22. We see the progression of God saying he's gonna build David a house, and then David doesn't rest on his laurels. In chapter 18, he still goes to war because he's a warrior king. And we see that in our lives that though, Christ has saved us by his grace that we don't rest upon our laurels. We go out and we put ourselves into the battle, spiritual warfare. We are people of prayer. We're people of God's word so that we're armed with the truth of the gospel of peace upon our feet and the truth of Christ around our ways and Christ's righteousness that's placed on our account, we have that as a breastplate. And the salvation that he gives us, we place upon our head. And we see this in this warfare in chapter 18. We see also the wickedness against David, that we have enemies now, that whereas when we were in Satan's camp before we were saved, we weren't a problem to Satan. But now that Christ has saved us and we're We are soldiers, good soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ, as 2 Timothy 2 tells us. And so therefore, we have wickedness brewing up by the enemy against us, shame that he wants to bring to us. And that the giants that are in the land that we see in chapter 20 still come up, but, In chapter 20, also we're reminded of the forgiveness because David, in committing that sin with Bathsheba, is erased from chapter 20. It is gone. It's not even mentioned. And so a good part, a good chunk of 2 Samuel is just eliminated from about 2 Samuel 11, verse 2, and all the way to about end of chapter 23, with a few exceptions. Basically, all that and the calamity and the sin that he committed is just gone from 1 Chronicles 20. But then, We get a lesson because David was a little puffed up in his own pride. He's king of Israel. I'm going to number the people forgetting that the battles were won by the Lord. Forgetting that when he went to fight Goliath of Gath, as a young 17, 18, 19 year old young man, that he went by faith, gathered five smooth stones, because he was going to take on all five of those giants. But he kills the champion because he said the battle is the Lord's and he forgot that. He numbers Israel and he brought shame upon himself and upon Israel. And as Israel enjoyed the king that they had, the Lord even brought judgment there. 70,000 died. And we saw that reflection in the arrogance of David in 1 Chronicles chapter 21. This week we see in chapter 22 the wonderful counsel of David. Now having recovered, having repented, having which is what we do, because repentance, it reminds, last week's reminded us that repentance isn't a been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Repentance is an ongoing thing. So even after all those years in David's life, he had an opportunity to repent. He sinned against the Lord. And once we repent, we're restored again to that place in the Lord Jesus. And so, We stand upon his word. Wonderful counsel comes forth from our lips, just as it did with David. Wonderful counsel comes forth from our lips so that it may fall upon the ears of the next generation. And we can say, don't make the mistakes and sins and don't commit the sins that I've committed. Certainly you may repent of those, but take a lesson from me that as a father, as a grandfather, we say to our children, and grow up in the grace and admonition of the Lord. And so in chapter 22, from a historical standpoint, remember that we see types of Christ here, we see types of Adam and his fall in the scriptures, but we also have application for our lives. but it is an historical record. We have history here. This actually happened. And so when David gives the council, we find in verses one through five provisions for building God's house. And I love, even though for the sake of the young people, and because I find it's from Hebrew, it's not a bad translation, the English standard version. I sometimes miss my old King James Version because as I'm following along with my King James Bible and Brother Wyatt was reading it. In verse 5, the provisions that were in David's heart to bring the material so Solomon can build this house of the Lord in that place where he had purchased it from Ornan, the Jebusite. from chapter 21, it was exceeding magnifical. I love that. Exceeding, like the 1611 guys, when they were translating the King James Version, they said, you know, magnificent just isn't gonna happen. Not for the house of the Lord. It's gonna be exceeding magnifical. And you know, even if you don't know what magnifical is, because I don't, I know it's more than magnificent. It's exceeding magnifical. And so there we got that in verse five. And so the provisions, I'm bringing provisions to my son. Now he brings forth the prophetic charge to his son Solomon in verses six to 16. And that's where he tells them, I didn't name you Jehovah Elohim, Jehovah God named you. You are the man of peace that is going to build this house where all nations will see." And Solomon's temple became, in the ancient period, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And so he gives him this charge, tells him the reason why he can't, because blood was shed. And so we see gospel pictures there, because as I mentioned earlier, the blood of Christ. And then finally in 17 through 19, which is where we're gonna take the one text, where we'll apply it to our lives today, the powerful command to Israel's leaders. And he gives them this command, certainly, as men that are saved. However, there may be men in the ranks that weren't saved, and so it will still apply. And that's where we will take the blessing and application from our text into parts for sanctification's sake, for you who were saved, for me, this message is for me as well, but for you who were saved, this is an encouragement for you to be holy. And this is what the charge is in verse 19. But also for salvation's sake, and this will be when we shift into this, for those of you who may not be saved, especially you young people, parents, this will be the opportunity for you to pray for your children that aren't saved when this portion of the message is coming forth from the very same text, because it's applicable as well. Now on Wednesday, This past Wednesday we were in Psalm 127 in our devotionals. Psalm 127 verses one and two. Verse one begins, remember the inscriptions are scripture in my Hebrew Bible. It says a song of ascents for Solomon or of Solomon or a song of degrees for Solomon in the old King James Version. So either Solomon wrote it or David wrote it, or David said it and Solomon wrote it, but we know that it's by the Holy Spirit and it is Scripture. And verse 1 continues, unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. In vain. It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives his beloved sleep. And that will certainly apply as well, and we'll talk about that as we go through this message for sanctification's sake. For those of you who are saved, I want to read it again, verse 19 of chapter 22. It says, now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. And if you have the old King James Version, it says, set your heart and soul now, or set your heart and your soul. to the things of the Lord God. And interestingly, the word that's used for soul, the Hebrew nephesh, it's actually more accurate as we use the word, but mine's not a bad translation either. And in fact, the English Standard Version has them in the right order. because in my Hebrew Bible it says mind and heart instead of heart and soul, and for good reason. And I might even touch upon that as we go along. But now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house built for the name of the Lord. Last Wednesday, as we looked at Psalm 127, it says, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that buildeth it, in the old King James Version. And we recognize this. Christ's church is built by Christ, for Christ. This is Christ's church. He's the head of his church, and we're members thereof. Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18 tells us that. Upon this rock shall I build my church. And you could quibble about Peter and the rock, Petra and Petros. You can quibble about that in Greek if you will. However, we know that Jesus said specifically, I will build my church. Why will he build his church? Because he, it's his church. It's his church. But we take ownership in it. So you're not out of line by saying my church. And in fact, you should. This is my church because this is my inheritance. This is my possession because Christ purchased it for me. This is my blessing. And so we take ownership in it. But getting into the first words, the first important words, it says seek the Lord your God. Brother John, you know, I'm already saved. Why is it telling me to seek? Well, if you look at verse 18, it tells you, is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? David's acknowledging that too. Christ has saved you. And Jesus promised in Hebrews 13 and verse five, the second part of it, he says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And so he is with us. But that doesn't mean that we should stop seeking Him. And in fact, the Hebrew word for this, and I provided it there for you, the Hebrew word for this is derash. The Hebrew word for seek here is drash. And it's more than just seeking. It means to tread. It means to frequent. It means to follow and to follow along. It's a pursuit. In other words, tread the path that Jesus has tread, following him in the very same way that he walked, as much as a sinner saved by grace is able. And in the New Testament we're told, and I provided it as a reference for you in Hebrews 11 and verse six, it says, and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Or in the old King James Version, diligently seek him. Well, we're already saved. And that was the point of the writer to the Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem. They wanted to still go into temple worship. But he said, you must continue to seek the Lord. That wasn't written as a statement to unbelievers. It was written as a statement to believers. And if there were unbelievers that were hearing this read to them, it should stimulate them to seek even more. But I get ahead of myself. You see in Psalm 127, verse 1, where it says, unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain. Who build it? And unless the Lord is the watchman over the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. But it doesn't say that we shouldn't watch and that we It doesn't say that we shouldn't build. We take part in it. While Christ builds His church, it does not keep us from activity. Though Jesus is the watchman who protects it, it does not keep us from watching. Because there's wicked stuff out there. We don't even just watch over ourselves if we're parents or grandparents. We watch over our young ones. so that they don't get into that trouble that's there. And so we must pursue, we must seek, we are active in this, as recipients of this kaban. Mr. Spurgeon in 1886 preached this in a sermon and he said this as a quote, brethren, nobody is good by accident. No man ever became holy by chance. There must be a resolve, a desire, a panting, a pining after obedience to God, or else we shall never have it. Set your heart then to seek the Lord your God." End quote. That's a great quote from Mr. Spurgeon. Speaks beyond his years, having died in 1892. So he says, set your heart. But David said, set your mind and heart, which I believe that Mr. Spurgeon did address the mind and he addressed the heart, he addressed the soul. But the mind and heart, or as it says in the King James Version, your heart and your mind. And that's actually accurate. It's actually, it should be your, or your heart and your soul. It should say your soul. It says, It says, nefeshchem, and then it says, u'levavchem, or v'levavchem, your soul and your heart, it says in Hebrew. So the mind, which is nefesh, it's, we know that from, that when God breathed into Adam the breath of life into his nostrils, when we get the details of it, because, you know, he was created on the sixth day and we got a little blurb in Genesis chapter one, but in Genesis chapter two, God gives details of the creation event for the sixth day. He creates Adam from the dust of the ground and then breathes into his nostrils the breath of life, the ruach, the spirit of life. And he became a living soul, a chai nefesh. Nefesh is what he became, a living soul. And nefesh, as a word which is translated mind, M-I-N-D, in the English Standard Version, it means breathing, life, vitality, mortality, mind, intellect. It contains in nefesh the capacity for reason. And again, quoting Mr. Spurgeon, he says, quote, your soul has in it, among other things, an intellect, end quote. And so we encounter this in our activity, that as we seek the Lord and we seek Him with our mind, the Holy of Holies of the Jews, the Shema. Shema means here, Shema Yisrael, Yehovah Eloheinu, Yehovah Echad. Deuteronomy 6, verse 4 says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. with all your soul and all your, in Hebrew, modecha, not all your modecha, but all your moed. It says, v'kol modecha, with all your everything, with all your veriness is actually literally what it says. And we see this in the Hebrew thinking mind, we see this as my strength, but also my behavior summed up in my heart and soul. The Jewish thinking, as far as for the scriptures, gets that. In the New Testament, when it was quoted, the Lord Jesus was being tested by a lawyer that came in Luke chapter 10, and the lawyer says, good master, what do I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, well, what's the great commandment of the law? How do you read the scriptures? And the lawyer says to him in Luke chapter 10 and verse 27, he says, well, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. He says, well, you've done pretty good. Because that sums up in Matthew chapter 22, the Lord Jesus said, he uses the same thing. He used Deuteronomy chapter six and Leviticus chapter 19. Love the Lord your God with all your everything, heart, soul, mine and mine, and your neighbor as yourself. And then in Mark chapter 12, Jesus said the same thing. Combining those two, the whole law and prophets hang upon these two things. And so from that, we get the words in Greek. The word for soul is translated psuche, which you have in the little bracket there on your handout. Psuche, which is where we get, not saki from Japan, Psyche is where we get the words psychology and psychiatry, the psyche or the Latin id, the self. And it sums up as far as the mind or the nefesh in Hebrew, the soul, it sums up the same things. Those same things in Greek mean the same things in Hebrew with just different words. The meanings are the same. But when he says, you shall love with all your, Heart, the cardia, that has, which we haven't got to yet, it has the same meanings as heart in Hebrew, levav. But he adds this word, he adds a word mind in Greek because it's the word, dionoya, dionoya, and I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right, dionoya. Sister grew up speaking Greek, so maybe you can correct me later on. But in the mind for the Greek, it meant disposition, the behavior of character. But in Hebrew, it doesn't have to have a separate word because it's contained in nephesh, with the soul, and also part of it is contained in heart, which we'll get to in a minute. John MacArthur says, quote, the use of the various terms does not distinguish among human faculties, but underscores the completeness of the kind of love commanded, end quote. That may be true. And so I thought for you who had the MacArthur Study Bible, I think it's in that MacArthur Study Bible where he makes that quote concerning Luke chapter 10. But while the Greek mind separates this, the biblical Hebrew does not, because the Greek mind, which has included the aspects of the heart as well, as far as the character of a person. See, it's already included. The Hebrew word for heart is levav. And I hope I'm not losing some of you, and maybe some of the young people I am. But it's the seed of our understanding, which also contains our feelings and emotions. And this is why I like how the English Standard Version has mind and heart. Our minds are renewed by the word, and then our feelings come afterwards. Levav, the heart in Hebrew, contains passion and compassion of heart, which is the same as the Greek word kardia, as far as the definitions for it, is my little understanding of the Greek. But the Hebrew heart also contains your disposition or habitual character. Because Proverbs 23, verse seven in the Old King James Version says, for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. And also Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33 says this, for this is the covenant, speaking of regeneration of soul, when God saves an individual, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yehovah. I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. So to the Hebrew thinking mind, the heart contains the things of your character as well, which means that if that's your behavior, that's how you act. And so if God commands, then you act upon what he has commanded. So the combination of just soul and heart or mind and heart are a combination that not only gets you to think, not only gets you passionate about what God is bringing you to, but it also is that which contains the transforming truth of your behavior, so that you can act upon God's commands, to be obedient to him, basically. And so, with that, it's already part of the Hebrew makeup whereas in Greek they like to separate things and say look this is what this is and this is what this is and now having that there I have a greater definition because I've added a word and there's nothing wrong with that because the Greek actually in the New Testament explains much of what is kind of hidden in the Old Testament so you don't have to learn Hebrew You could leave it to, you know, faulty speakers of Hebrew that spit all over everything because we use those letters chet and chaf. But also the text tells us that it's not just making a decision off of your mind and being passionate about it in your feelings with your heart. Look what it says in the second part of verse 19. Arise! Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary. Even though it's implied with mind and heart, because that's what your behavior is, you're seeking after the Lord. So that must stimulate activity. God is emphatic about it. So through his prophet David, he says, arise, get going, do it, kum, he says in Hebrew. and then get going. That's what arise, mecum means. Get up and get going. Don't sit still. And so he amplifies that. Not only that, but in the sentence itself, seek the Lord with your mind and heart, arise and get going with it, but he says set, have it set, established, firmly established, but interestingly, He uses a word here, natan, which is Nathan's name, the prophet. He uses the word natan, which means literally to give. And when we think of that word natan, to give, the first thing that comes to mind for me is John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave. He didn't just love the world and say, well, yeah, what am I gonna do now? Adam sinned. No, He was active about it. He set His heart upon bringing us a Savior to give. He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Faithfulness is giving your mind and heart to Christ because you are His. Faithfulness is giving your heart and mind to Christ, to set your heart and mind on Christ because you're His, to give Him yourself. 1 Corinthians 6 19-20 tells us that. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? that's within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body. In other words, that Jesus Christ died for you, and so you give Him yourself. I didn't write it as a reference for you, but Romans chapter 12 and verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God. which is your reasonable worship, or which, I combined two versions there, but you know what I'm getting at here. Also in Psalm chapter 127 and verse two, where it says, It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for He gives to His beloved sleep. See, if we give things over, if we give our hearts over unto Christ and give our minds over unto Christ, established in Him, then we won't be anxious for a lot of stuff. That our labor is not, I'm worried that it's not gonna get done and oh, okay, so I'll get up early and I forget to pray. I get up early and I go right to work and I forget to read my scriptures. And I get going so much that because I don't have a watch on and... It's Alaska and the sun hasn't set that I stay up. I miss time with my family. I miss time with the Lord and it's time to go to bed. And I get so bound up in anxiety and worry and fret. But God says, don't do that. You know, get up early, work hard, but do it in the Lord and you'll find rest for your soul. that he's the one that builds. Refer, as Brother Mike said on Wednesday, refer back to verse one, unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. It's his work, and we get to take part in it. So when we have that perspective on it, it's a blessing. And this is what, here, let me give you this truth for a Christian life. See, I don't have a lot of ulcers to worry about. I don't have any. Because I paid a man who offered me to take all my worries, all my problems, all my concerns, and all my frets for a billion dollars a year. Billion dollars a year. And he said, well, wait a minute, Pastor. You probably make, what, $20,000 a year outside of your housing allowance. How can you afford a billion dollars a year? I said, well, that's his problem. I don't have to worry about it. Let him worry about it. But see. The man who takes your sins and the man who takes your life and holds it in his nail pierced hand is the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's far beyond a billion dollars what he has taken for us in our place. Far beyond that. My illustration was a poor illustration at best, but it conveys the same kind of thing. Jesus gave us a priceless gift and he purchased your life through his death upon the cross. And so now when we take Give Him our cares. Give Him those temptations and sins, and we take Him to the cross. Take Him to Him. It's a foregone conclusion. And in fact, in Leviticus chapter 16, during the Day of Atonement, Aaron, he has two goats, and one of them he sacrificed unto the Lord. It's called Lehovah. And then another goat he has is called Lezazel. And lazazel is what we call the scapegoat. And Aaron, it says in verse 21 of Leviticus 16, it says, and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgressions, as he holds his hands upon the goat, all their sins, and he shall put them, that's the term right there, natan, He shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. There's someone that takes this goat and takes it out. And so all the sins that he takes by placing his hands upon the goat, it's symbolic of those sins that walk away. And that's what we do with the Lord Jesus. But we do that with all our anxieties, our threats, our worries, our concerns. And we give them and lay them on Jesus. When do we do that, Brother John? How do I seek after the Lord? When is this going to happen? Well, now. That's what the verse word says. Here, now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise. Now. It's the Hebrew word atah. Hebrew word atah, it means at this moment. It means that on your calendar, now means you're not limited by your calendar. It doesn't matter. Now is any date that is on your calendar. You're not limited by your clock or your phone. Because the clock, no matter where the second hand is, like it is up there, now is now. Not then. Now, that's every single moment, moment by moment, as we had sung earlier. Psalm 144 in verse four, that was from our reading yesterday in Robert Murray and Shane's reading plan, it says, man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow. James says it a different way, but I'll get to James in a minute. Man is like a breath, It uses the Hebrew word Havel. It means, or Havel, it can be pronounced either way. It means the same thing. Vanity, as in Ecclesiastes chapter one. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. Vanity, vanity, says the preacher, all is vanity. Vanity, a breath, it's fleeting. It's here today and gone tomorrow. And man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow. And that tells us that now is important. Ephesians chapter five and verse 16 says that we should be making the best use of the time or redeeming the time because the days are evil. Making the best use of our time. That's what redeeming the time in you old King James Version folks, what it means. So, to sum that up, seek the Lord. Seek the Lord with all your mind and heart, or all your heart and soul. Set your heart upon the Lord to give those things, those cares, to the Lord. Give those sins again as you continue to sin. Repentance again. Repentance is not a one-time, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt thing. It's the continual repentance. It's the grace that we've been given that we can continue to repent and give them over to the Lord Jesus Christ. So seek and set your mind and heart upon Christ and do it now. But for salvation's sake, again, parents, this is where if you have unsaved children or grandchildren, this is where you might want to be praying for them that they hear what the Lord wants them to hear. Seek. Young people, if you don't know or if there's anyone here that doesn't know the Lord, seek the Lord. It says in Isaiah 45 verse 22, turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth. Or it says Luke, look, actually in the old King James version, either word is good, turn to me or look. What does it take you to look? What does it cost you to look? And it says all the ends of the earth. That means no one, is cast out for turning or looking, that it's available to anyone who would turn to Him. All the ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other, he says. Jesus, furthermore, when he was on the planet before he went to the cross, he says in John 14, verse six, I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me. But he is the exclusive way to the Father. He's the exclusive way to heaven because heaven is the presence of Christ, not just a better place. Presence is Christ himself. So pursue Christ. Tread earnestly the path Christ has already laid out for you by going to the cross. As far as for your heart and mind, Maybe some things of this message you hadn't understood because Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9 says, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? The English Standard Version says that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it? And in fact, from the Hebrew, it more literally says that the heart is deceitful, and a treacherous deceit at that. The heart is deceitful. Apart from being transformed by the gospel of Christ, the heart is treacherously deceitful and incurably sick. You can't do anything to change it. The Lord Jesus must do that. And as far as for the mind, If you have trouble getting a grasp of it in your mind, it says in Romans 1 verse 28, it says, and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. And it says reprobate mind in the old King James Version, but it's debased. It's an unholy mind. And that's what's keeping you as well. And Isaiah 64 verse 6 says, we will all become like one who is unclean in all our righteous deeds. The best of what we do are polluted garments, filthy rags. We cannot save ourselves. You know, going to church, Baptism, being baptized, taking communion, Bible reading, prayer, even saying you believe, none of that will save you. Now we should be doing those things, but none of those things will save you. Only Jesus will save you. Because here's the truth from our text here. Well, not exactly in our text. But we read all through the Old Testament and also in the New Testament and Hebrews in particular that Jesus Christ was crucified outside the temple. Now the temple was built and all these sacrifices are being brought in and Jesus is supposed to fill them, but he's sacrificed on Mount Calvary outside the temple mount. Why is that? Because it shows us that even in our best efforts, when we bring those foreshadows of what Christ is fulfilling, the sacrifices and the blood and all that stuff in the Temple Mount, Christ was crucified outside, meaning that You can only be saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ outside of yourselves, outside of what you have done. It was all done in, by, and through the Lord Jesus Christ when he suffered at Golgotha. That's why he was crucified outside the camp. This is why the Old Testament prophets are talking about the sacrifice that is outside, the bull that was outside. Why is it not on the temple? Whereas we read over and over again in Chronicles that this is the place, even verse one, which should actually be attached to, verse one of chapter 22 should really be attached to the end of 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Whereas the angel of the Lord was standing upon that mount of the threshing floor of Ornan, and David says, this is the house of the Lord. He said, then David said, here shall be the house of the Lord God, and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel. Christ was sacrificed away from the temple and the temple sacrifices foreshadowed Christ's sacrifice because the gospel truth is that you and I cannot live the righteous life that is intended to live with a holy God. The best at what we do must be cast away and it is by faith in Christ who lived the perfect life alone and gave the perfect sacrifice and by his sacrifice we trust in him. He suffered God's wrath for the sins that we have committed, the debt that we owe and cannot possibly pay. And therefore we set, we give and arise, putting all you have done on the head of Christ as it was in Leviticus as the high priest set his hands upon the head of the scapegoat, that Christ is your scapegoat and that you may have liberty from your sins and you may have freedom in Christ to have Christ and all the blessings that come from Christ and in Christ. And when should you do that? Do it now. And if you don't do it now, do it as soon as you can. But I say do it now, because you might not be guaranteed tomorrow. You might go walk out of these doors and wildly get what was going on earlier. Who got bit today? Was that you, Tom? Bit by a rabid dog. So he bit himself, is what he said. You might get bit by a rabid dog and fall over, get hit by one of these truck drivers with a boat behind them, and you're gone. Because Psalm 146 verses three and four, which we'll read tomorrow in our McShane reading plan, put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. You can't trust in anyone else but the Lord Jesus Christ, because they don't have salvation for you, because they don't have salvation for themselves. They must also trust in Christ. And verse 4 says that when His breath departs, He returns to the earth on that very day. His plans perish. But that applies to you and me too. That as soon as, this is a different kind of breath, it's not Havel, it's Ruach, the spirit. And when the spirit goes forth from us when we die, that's it. Any plans that we had are done. The only plan that will remain is the plan of God's redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only plan that will remain, because that's the only plan that is eternal. James does say it like this. What is your life? It is a vapor that appeareth for a little while and vanisheth away. Do it now. You're not guaranteed tomorrow. You're not guaranteed your next breath. You're not guaranteed. It means you're not promised. Nick, you're not promised that you're going to be able to take even the next breath. So if you haven't received the Lord Jesus Christ, receive him now and say yes to him and my heart set upon him. That's what guarantee means. And since you have no guarantee, Ron Hamilton had a testimony of what it was because we don't see things so clearly. He wrote this hymn called, and we're going to sing it in a minute, Rejoice in the Lord. I could not see through the shadows ahead, so I looked at the cross of my Savior instead. I bowed to the will of the Master that day. Then peace came and tears fled away. I know that's just a short testimony of a man who could not see things quite clearly before the Lord Jesus opened up. the sunshine of the Son of Righteousness to Him. Let's pray. Our most blessed and gracious Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name and for His sake, we thank you, Lord, for the Word that is before us, for the salvation that we have received in Christ, and for the encouragement, as David encouraged the elders, may the Lord Jesus encourage us to seek Him, to set our hearts and minds upon Him, and to do it now, in the eternal now, every single moment of every single day until he comes. In Jesus' name and for his sake we do pray, amen.