Speaker: Deacon Youpri Ardiantoro
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 8: 11-13
8:11 Then the Pharisees came outand began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
8:12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."
8:13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
According to the arrangement of Tabernakel, Mark 6-8refers to The Table of Showbread.
The Table of Showbreadis a table made of shittim wood overlaid with gold. There are twelve loaves of breadon it that are arranged in two rows, six in a row.
The breadis God's Word written in the Biblethat consists of sixty six books.
That is the true Word.
The tablerefers to the table of man's heart or human life that is filled with the Word.
How can the table of our heart contain the Word of God or the bread? It must be overlaid with gold.
The contents of the table of man's heart are as follows.
The two things will fill the table of man's heart that is not overlaid with gold.
The table must be overlaid with gold or godly characteristic, namely obedience, so that it can be filled with the Word.
The Table of Showbread refers to the fellowship with the Word. Our heart is filled with the Word.
In Mark 8: 11-13, the Pharisees are not filled with the Word. The fact found in it is insisting the physical sign or miracle.
The Phariseesrefer to the house of Israel or the servants and sons of God whose purpose of the following to the Lord is only physical things.
What is the attitude of Jesustoward the sons and servants of God like that?
Why does the Lord not give?
Matthew 16: 1-4
16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.
16:2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red';
16:3 "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generationseeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to itexcept the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
The people keep on not believing in Jesus although there are many physical miracles.
What is the right purpose of our following to the Lord?
It is all about spiritual things or signs, not the physical ones. Therefore, God shows these things.
God blesses you.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 8: 11-13
8:11 Then the Pharisees came outand began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
8:12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."
8:13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
According to the arrangement of Tabernakel, Mark 6-8refers to The Table of Showbread.
The Table of Showbreadis a table made of shittim wood overlaid with gold. There are twelve loaves of breadon it that are arranged in two rows, six in a row.
The breadis God's Word written in the Biblethat consists of sixty six books.
That is the true Word.
The tablerefers to the table of man's heart or human life that is filled with the Word.
How can the table of our heart contain the Word of God or the bread? It must be overlaid with gold.
The contents of the table of man's heart are as follows.
- In John 2, the table or heart of man is only filled with vomit and money.
Thus, the heart of man is filled with bad, unclean, and evil things. Consequently, the deeds and saying are not good. - The table or heart is also filled with money. It means the lust of money.
The two things will fill the table of man's heart that is not overlaid with gold.
The table must be overlaid with gold or godly characteristic, namely obedience, so that it can be filled with the Word.
The Table of Showbread refers to the fellowship with the Word. Our heart is filled with the Word.
In Mark 8: 11-13, the Pharisees are not filled with the Word. The fact found in it is insisting the physical sign or miracle.
The Phariseesrefer to the house of Israel or the servants and sons of God whose purpose of the following to the Lord is only physical things.
What is the attitude of Jesustoward the sons and servants of God like that?
- He sighed.
Mark 8: 12
8:12 But He sigheddeeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be givento this generation."
In such condition, the people must be in heavy burden, sorrow, grief, tears, and so on. - 'no sign shall be given' = the Lord does not give anything to them.
Why does the Lord not give?
Matthew 16: 1-4
16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.
16:2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red';
16:3 "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generationseeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to itexcept the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
- Giving to them will make them keep on sinning.
- So that our life does not go astray.
Matthew 24: 4
24:24 "For false christsand false prophets will rise and show great signsand wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
The false christs and prophets will show the physical sign or miracle. The sons of God who serve and minister to Him only to look for physical things MUSTbe conquered by falseness, false prophets and christs. Consequently, they perish forever. - The physical things are not the measure of belief.
John 12: 37
12:37 But although He had done so many signsbefore them, they did not believe in Him,
The people keep on not believing in Jesus although there are many physical miracles.
What is the right purpose of our following to the Lord?
It is all about spiritual things or signs, not the physical ones. Therefore, God shows these things.
- The first spiritual miraculous sign, namely the sign of Jonah the prophet.
He was in the belly of fish in the bottom of the sea for three days and vomited on the third day. It means the sign of death and resurrection.
1 Peter 2: 24
2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
We follow Jesus until we have the sign of death and resurrection.
It means we die to sin, repent, and live in righteousness. This is a miraculous sign. - Afterwards, we must be shepherded.
1 Peter 2: 25
2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Proverbs 12: 26
12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Some people cannot be shepherded well. Why? Because they have not become the right people yet. They keep on sinning, so they cannot endure the sanctification in the shepherding.
On the contrary, it will not be difficult for the people who have repented and lived in righteousness to get the right shepherding pen.
Without the shepherding, we will go astray as the lost sheep. The pastor who is not shepherded will also go astray.
How is the right shepherding?
We are shepherded to the true teaching Wordas a branch that dwells in the true Vine.
Thus, the right shepherding does not rely on family, tribe, or anything, but the true teaching Word.
The shepherding pen is in the Holy Place, where there are three kinds of equipment, namely Golden Candlestick, Table of Showbread, and Golden Altar of Incense.
Acts 2: 41-42
2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
We must be baptized of water first (verse 41) to result in new life or righteousness, and then we can be shepherded (verse 42) through the perseverance in doing three main services to Godas follows.- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in the fellowship or General Service.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in apostles' doctrine and the breaking of bread or Bible Study Service with Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in prayers or Prayer Service.
2:46 So continuing dailywith one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
What miraculous sign do we get in the shepherding?
We learn from Moses, whose lifetime can be divided into three parts, forty years each. We will learn the first and second part as follows.
Acts 7: 22-23
7:22 "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
7:23 "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
THE FIRST FORTY YEARS
Moses was educated with the wisdom of Egyptians until he became a ruler with his deeds and saying. He was able and great. Then, he tried to serve. He faced two people with seeing the tribe because the one was Israel and another was Egyptian. It means there was hatred. There will be no life renewal in the service that is without the shepherding.
THE SECOND FORTY YEARS
Moses was in Midian to get the experience in shepherding.
The comparison beforeand afterMoses was shepherded can be shown as follows.
Exodus 4: 10, 13
4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."
4:13 But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send."
Before he was shepherded, he had been the ruler with his speech. After he was shepherded, he could say "O my Lord, I am not eloquent".
It means that his hard heartchanged to be as follows.- Humble heart, namely feeling powerless or unable although actually there is ability.
- Meek heart.
Numbers 12: 2-3, 13
12:2 So they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it.
12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
12:13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "Please heal her, O God, I pray!"
Such heart can forgive.
Miriam and Aaron had spoken something against Moses but he was meek in heart to pray for her. - Strong heart and good courage or the firm heart.
Exodus 32: 26-27
32:26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on the LORD's side -- come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
32:27 And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'
The proof is Moses had to be firm facing the house of Israel worshiping golden calf although he had to face the brothers, neighbors, friends, and so on.
How is the firmness in the shepherding?
Amos 3: 12
3:12 Thus says the LORD: "As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria--In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!
The false teachings of the golden calf are like a lion. It likes eating the earand leg.
THE EAR.
If the ear has been bitten by the false teachings, one cannot hearthe true teachings. Without the strong heart and good courage, one will be lost forever.
Being unable to hear, one cannot be obedient for sure.
THE LEG.
It refers to the conviction.
If the ear hears the false teachings, the conviction will be destroyedsoon although someone is powerful and great.
For example, Solomon was greatwhen he was young with his sword and great wisdom to solve the problem in marriage. Neverheless, he let his ears hear the false teachings from his wives when he was old. He was not firm, consequently, he followed them.
Evealso heard the voice of the serpent and then her conviction was moved until she fell and lost her leg.
- Moses saw the bush that was burning with fire, but it was not consumed.
Exodus 3: 1-5
3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
3:2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
3:3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
3:4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
The bush refers to blood and flesh human (wood) or the cursed one.
'the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed', there are two meanings of the fire as follows.- Flesh and blood human is burnt by the fire of the Word, Holy Spirit, and God's love, but not consumed.
- The fire refers to the fiery trial or temptation.
The third miraculous spiritual sign is we can see the flesh and blood human is burnt by the fiery trial, but not consumed.
How can it happen?
2 Corinthians 4: 3-4, 7-11
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
4:7 But we have this treasurein earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
'this treasure' = the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ that is filled to the clay pot of human's life.
The flesh and blood human who has been filled with the true teaching Wordor the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ will be like the table with twelve loaves.
Then, we can see the miraculous sign, namely the flesh and blood human is burnt with fire, but not consumed.
For example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
Daniel 3: 22-27
3:22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king."
3:25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
3:27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
The fire was heated seven times. The man who lifted them died, but they could be alive and walk in the midst of the fire because there was the fourth ('the form of the fourth is like the Son of God'), namely the spirit of glory(1 Peter 4: 12-14).
Being filled with the Word, we will be able to face the suffering in the flesh without any sinand there will be the spirit of glory accompanying us.
One of the functions of the spirit of glory is to make impossible things possiblelike what has happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
THE MIRACULOUS SIGNwe must have is the life renewaluntil we are the same as Jesus.
Moses saw the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed and he took off his sandals ('Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.').
The life renewal is like taking off the sandals as a newborn baby.
What is the life renewal like a newborn baby?- Laying aside five sins.
1 Peter 2: 1
2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice(1), all deceit(2), hypocrisy(3), envy(4), and all evil speaking(5),- Malice.
- Deceit, including lie, slander, and gossip.
We must say right word, "yes" if yes, and "no" if no, more than that comes from the evil one. - Hypocrisy or pretense.
- Envy = hatred without any cause or the peak of hatred.
- Evil speaking.
- Desiring the pure and spiritual milk of the Word.
1 Peter 2: 2
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
Such milk comes from a mother or pastor or the shepherding Word guiding our life.
Walking alone, a sheep will go astray. On the contrary, we will go forward if the shepherding Word guides us, until someday we can be on the mountain of the Lord like Moses on Horeb Mount. If we always long for the shepherding Word, it will guide us to the mountain of the Lord, namely a city on the mountain or New Jerusalem.
The book of Revelation only lasts for seven years. The seven years can be divided into two parts as follows.- The first three and a half years.
- The second three and a half years.
Have the two years been started?
No one knows. Therefore, we must experience the miraculous sign from now on. We must have the life renewal in all aspects of our life.|
The results of having life renewal like Moses, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego are as follows.- Being in the embrace of God since we are in the womb up to our old age.
Isaiah 46: 3-4
46:3 "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:
46:4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
It means as follows.- God bears all of our heavy burdens.
- God is responsible for our lifein the preservation, holiness, salvation, and perfection.
- Being exalted in time of need.
Daniel 3: 30
3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Negoin the province of Babylon.
Physically, we are exalted.
Spiritually, we are lifted up to the glorious clouds.
God blesses you.