Fresh Manna 2021

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Strong Tower Radio

Through the Sanctuary by Sean Brizendine

Sean Brizendine

01 Through the Sanctuary

♪ Fresh manna fell to the ground as a gift from God while the Israelites were in the wilderness.

It was fresh from the ovens of heaven, baked by the Master Baker himself.

How the Israelites must have anticipated the taste and smell of each morning's delivery.

Just like the Israelites, you too can taste and smell fresh manna.

Today you'll be listening to Pastor Sean Grisendein, pastor of the Oaton Seventh-day Adventist Church and Assistant Pastor of the Bessemer and Greenland Seventh-day Adventist Churches.

It's a blessing to be gathered here for worship on this beautiful Sabbath morning, and I just invite you to kneel with me as we open in prayer.

Ask for the Holy Spirit to teach us as we begin a journey.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your infinite love that you revealed to us through Christ.

And we're grateful for the opportunity we have to delve into your word and to see the plan of salvation so clearly through the sanctuary where Jesus is lifted up.

And I pray that as he is lifted up that you would hide me behind his cross, that your atoning blood will cleanse us from our sins, and that our hearts and minds will be prepared to partake also of the communion service this Sabbath.

May your spirit be our teacher and guide now in Jesus name, amen.

I had the opportunity to be in multiple states, Idaho, Georgia, California, and Oregon, and I was traveling with a full-scale model of the Mosaic Sanctuary with a ministry called Messiah's Mansion.

I remember it very distinctly because I had actually been trained to give full-scale tours, about an hour and 15 minutes each tour, and walk people through the different pieces of furniture and how they all revealed Jesus.

And so we're having the opportunity starting this Sabbath to begin a journey, a series called Through the Sanctuary.

We're going to be focusing in on the first part, and that is the gate.

And I think about how All the different pieces of furniture, all that was used and composed in this structure was to point us to Christ, the Lamb of God.

And if we understand the sanctuary, it's going to help us to understand the times in which we're living and the present truth for our time.

I remember when I was at the session that was being held in Atlanta, Georgia, they had 2 full-scale models of the Mosaic Sanctuary right across from, at the time, the General Conference session.

So I got to meet people from around the world that were coming to take 1 of these tours.

And we were actually passing out, when I say we, those who are helping with this ministry were passing out little bookmarks that had this quote on it as to why is the sanctuary important?

What does this relate to, you know, even like the communion service?

And you'll see this more clearly in this statement.

This is from the book Early Writings, page 63, paragraph 2 that says, But such subjects as the sanctuary, in connection with the 2, 300 days, the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, are perfectly calculated to explain the past Advent movement and show what our present position is, establish the faith of the doubting, and give certainty to the glorious future.

These I have frequently seen were the principal subjects on which the messengers should dwell.

In other words, this is important for us to focus in on, and it seems fitting for us to turn to Daniel chapter 8 verse 14, which is that great Advent hope text of the culmination of the 2, 300 days, because as it relates to the Old Testament sanctuary and Jesus as our sacrifice, which the communion service is to commemorate Christ as our sacrifice, but it's much more meaningful when you realize that His sacrifice was only beginning, what He would continue to do in heaven for us.

Daniel chapter 8, we're looking at verse 14.

Daniel 8 verse 14 in the scripture tells us, and he said unto me, unto 2, 300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Now, I have to realize some of the context of this.

As the years 1843 and 1844 were rolling on and the Millerite movement, the Advent movement was really getting steam, there were a lot of people, thousands and thousands of people throughout North America and there are other places in the world that were heralding this soon coming of Jesus.

They were longing for the coming of Jesus.

And they genuinely believe that this cleansing, spoken of in Daniel 8 14, was the cleansing of the earth when Jesus would return.

You can imagine the disappointment when Jesus did not return on October 22, 1844.

The dates are right, but the event was kind of off.

Similar to what happened to the disciples when they expected Jesus to be coronated king and he died on the cross.

The disappointment was just the emotions, the pain, the suffering, and yet God had actually prophesied that this was going to happen.

Along those lines, I'd like to also bring in as we're laying the foundation for our series here, a quote from the book Great Controversy, page 423, paragraph 1.

It says, the subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844.

It opened a view, a complete system of truth connected and harmonious paragraph 1, and it says, movement and revealing present duty as it brought to light the position and work of his people.

As the disciples of Jesus, after the terrible night of their anguish and disappointment, were glad when they saw the Lord, so did those now rejoice who had looked in faith for a second coming.

They had expected him to appear in glory to give reward to his servants.

As their hopes were disappointed, they had lost sight of Jesus and with Mariet the sepulcher they cried, they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him.

Now in the Holy of Holies they again beheld Him, their compassionate High Priest, soon to appear as their King and Deliverer.

Light from the sanctuary illumined the past, the present, and the future.

They knew that God had led them by His unerring providence.

Though like the first disciples, they themselves had failed to understand the message which they bore, yet it had been in every respect correct.

In proclaiming it, they had fulfilled the purpose of God, and their labor had not been in vain in the Lord.

Begotten again unto a lively hope, they rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Now, as we contemplate this, why is this significant as we think about the sanctuary?

Well for 1, many people when they talk about the sanctuary, they read it in the book of Exodus, which we'll be looking at, they are probably like, well that was for the Israelites, but what relevance does it have for us?

It's very relevant, and the better you understand it, the better you're prepared to not only embrace all that Christ is to you, but understand what he's doing for us now.

Notice in that quote that I just read from the Great Controversy that the sanctuary was the key.

It's interesting because if you're trying to get into a door and you don't have the right key, you're gonna try and try again and you'll seem to always be shut out.

And I would have to be very honest, if you look at the larger Christian world, there are many people that long for Jesus to return but they don't really know why he's not here yet.

They're not really clear on some of the key prophecies, but in light of the sanctuary, all this begins to be very clear.

We see that there is a specific reason as to what Jesus is doing now for us.

He's blotting out the record of sins while he prepares the people to live holy lives through the time of trouble such as never was.

So we have the privilege to not only see the meaning of this but its relevance to our lives today.

So we're beginning a journey and that journey begins with entering into his gates with praise and thanksgiving.

In Psalm 100 we begin in verse 4 we notice that Jesus through his psalmist was inviting us to enter and approach God in praise.

And it's a fitting way to start our journey.

Psalm 100 in verse 4, The invitation is given, enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.

Now from the very beginning when Adam and Eve were in the very presence of God, if you look at the way the Eden experience was for them, That garden was their sanctuary.

But as soon as sin intercepted that communion, because we go to Isaiah 59 verse 2, why do we need this sanctuary?

Why is God given this plan for restoration?

Well, Isaiah 59 2 is very clear as to what has come between us and God.

And the sanctuary is God's divine remedy for the sin issue centered in the experience of Christ.

Isaiah 59, verse 2, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear." God wants to hear us, God wants to be with us, but if he was to manifest his full glory to us even right now, we could not bear it.

So in mercy to us, he veils himself and he chose to do that through the sanctuary that there would be a way for us to be restored to communion with God.

That first gospel promise in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 was a promise of supernatural power to be able to hate sin which is not natural to us.

Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 and we'll notice that through the sanctuary, the experience of those who would approach God in this way would begin to realize sin is really bad.

So Genesis 3 15, God wants to implant a supernatural power in us through the grace of God that we're able to overcome the sins that separate us from Him.

Genesis 3 15, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed.

It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Now this is foreshadowing the great conflict that would culminate at the cross of Christ, which is saying about that, lead me to Calvary, and really the whole plan of salvation, while it's unfolded in the sanctuary, it would not be possible if Jesus had not died for us on the cross.

As we partake of the Passover by faith, and of course the Passover was discontinued and therefore is continued now in the communion service, as we think about the symbols and the emblems and how it pointed to Christ, if it weren't for this promise to be able to put enmity in our hearts against sin, there would be no point.

Because naturally we're inclined towards our selfish ways and God says, but I know that selfishness isn't the currency of happiness in the universe.

Selflessness is what really brings joy and I want you to see that your selfish ways cause death.

Every time a sinner would come to that very entrance and learn to praise God and as he approached the priest and he brought that lamb and it was sacrificed, he would realize, yes I can praise God that he's willing to make a way for me, but also he was brought with this realizing sense that sin is expensive.

Sin causes death and it causes pain and realizing that that lamb pointed to Jesus would cause a realization of the power of God to be able to change the heart.

Because the sanctuary message, if it doesn't reach our hearts, we're missing the experience.

God wants us not to know just about what's going to happen, but to know Him.

To know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

So on that thought of how God wants to work in our lives, we see in Exodus 25, 8, that in order for this enmity, this hatred against sin to actually be a reality in us, where we would love God and hate sin, which is not natural, we would need to have a clearly outlaid plan.

Originally, Adam, after he'd sinned, brought a lamb and a sacrifice and we see that throughout the experience of even Abraham when he brought his son Isaac, which was pointing forward to Jesus, the son of God, and then a ram was given to spare his son, that yes, there were simple sacrifices that pointed forward, but God knew that after the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for so long, that their minds had become darkened.

02 At Calvary’s Altar

The blessing to be here to worship God in his sanctuary, and we're continuing our journey through the sanctuary in our series.

Before we do that, let us kneel for prayer and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to be our teacher.

Dear Heavenly Father, it's a privilege to come into your house and worship and to have our hearts overflowing with gratitude as we learned a few weeks back about entering into your gates at Thanksgiving.

We praise you Lord that you provided a plan at such an expensive cost to yourself in giving your son to die for us that we could be saved.

We thank you for the beautiful lessons through the sanctuary that revealed Jesus to us and I pray that you would hide me behind his cross and that Jesus will be lifted up and that your Holy Spirit will speak to us personally and individually that you would be our teacher here today on your Sabbath.

How many of you have ever tried to go on a long trip with a GPS?

You need, usually, good directions if you're gonna get where you're going.

You know, I can imagine if someone gave you a GPS though, and you said, wow, that's really cool, and you never used it, that the person who gave it to you would think you're not really making use of this device that's really supposed to help you get to where you need to go.

And I think in a very real way, Christ has actually given us a GPS system.

And there might be some that look at the features on their GPS, they're like, oh I like the cool buttons, or I like the colors.

You know, and some people read the Bible and they're like, wow, that's a nice promise or that's cool.

But if they're not really seeing the way God intended it to be read and the way it maps out the plan of salvation, in a sense they're missing how to use it appropriately to get them to the final destination, and that's heaven.

And so we learned a couple weeks back about how the sanctuary is the key that unlocks the mystery of the great disappointment that happened in 1844 and that understanding what Christ is doing now for us in heaven is so essential for us to have victorious Christian lives before Jesus returns.

And so, in John chapter 14, verse 6, probably a well-known text, I invite you to turn there, we see that Jesus makes this statement to us in regard to salvation through himself.

But what you may not have known is that he's pulling from an Old Testament text in regard to the sanctuary.

Often we will appreciate more out of texts we're very familiar with when we see them in the light of the plan of salvation in the sanctuary.

John 14 verse 6, the Bible tells us, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

How many times have you read this text and thought, this just means I need to accept Jesus?

Well that's true, but the more you understand what Jesus is offering you, and then better that you understand the way he's offering this to you, the clearer your experience with God gets and the easier it gets to follow Jesus.

In fact, God intended that we would know Him so well that we would hate sinning to the point where it's like we don't want to do that anymore because we would rather be with Jesus.

So first, He's promised that He's the way and we're going to learn about that.

We're still continuing our journey in the courtyard of the sanctuary.

And then the truth, which is actually there within the holy place where you find the table of showbread, the seven-branched candlestick, the altar of incense.

And then the very life of God dwelt in the Most Holy place.

And the only way to experience this is through Jesus.

Notice here Jesus building on this concept.

Christ was not originating a new truth, he was actually building on the foundation that was already laid through the Apostles and Prophets, which pointed to him.

The Scripture tells us, Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary.

So the way, we see as Jesus said that He's the way, then it should follow that the truth and the life part would continue through the sanctuary and we'll see that.

So His sacrifice was intended to take us somewhere by faith, just like a well-used GPS.

If you understand how He's laid out the plan of salvation, and you know how it's personally applying into your spiritual life, you can have victory.

Jesus did not intend for us to have mediocre, meaningless, pointless lives, but meaning-filled lives in which we know that we're fulfilling God's specific purpose for our lives and our existence.

A quote that has brought me a lot of encouragement and I found it first in a book that actually speaks about the sanctuary.

Anyway, he was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, preacher, years ago, but he wrote a book called Ransom and Reunion.

I first got my hands on this book years ago, and there's a quote in there from the Signs of the Times, April 22, 1903, paragraph 5, and this is what it says.

It says, we were brought into existence because we were needed.

And so as surely as he had a purpose for Jesus, he has a purpose for your existence.

And so as Jesus became the sacrifice, he said, but now I'm making a way to be able to repopulate heaven with beings that have experienced the power of my character transforming them, and they've walked the steps that Christ has laid out for us.

And when we have this experience, we have something right to the point to tell about how God has been leading us and why we are Seventh-day Adventist Christians, if we truly are.

Now, some people have gotten into a lot of questions about the sanctuary, and I'm gonna speak quite personally here why I'm very passionate about the sanctuary, because I believe it was this specific point of truth that probably led my parents out of the Seventh-Diamond Church.

I know that there was a lot of theological controversy in the 1970s with a man by the name of Desmond Ford who really challenged the underlying need for there being a sanctuary in heaven.

But if we read the Bible as it reads, there is a sanctuary in heaven.

If you try to reinterpret theology to fit your experience, you'll end up getting into all kinds of different winds of doctrine.

And why this touches me at a point in my heart is that I have found more strength, encouragement, and joy knowing the truth as it is in Jesus through the sanctuary than I ever found before I understood this.

I mean I can tell you my before Seventh-day Adventist days and my after Seventh-day Adventist days.

I was a professing Christian growing up from the age of 5.

I had all kinds of questions, things didn't really make sense to me, I was terrorized by the thought of burning in hell for eternity.

I mean all these ideas don't fit when you look at the sanctuary.

Because clearly, there's an end even in the sanctuary service to the instigator of evil, that Azazel goat.

It finally is out in the wilderness, it dies.

It's not going to just perpetuate and perpetuate.

So I'm very passionate about this because I've experienced a lot of healing and encouragement and strength and victory through it.

And my prayer is that you will allow it to personally become a part of your very character and life and thoughts and in most desires.

So Christ's sacrifice, and I think we rightly should magnify what Christ has done for us on Calvary, but I think we often are tempted to miss the fact that that wasn't an end in and of itself.

Much of theology among Christians today focuses on the cross and it's kind of like why isn't Jesus here yet?

But if you understand what he's doing now it really makes sense.

I'm going to quote from the book Great Controversy page 489 paragraph 1 that says, the intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was his death upon the cross.

By his death he began that work which after his resurrection he ascended to complete in heaven.

We must by faith enter within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered.

There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected.

There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption.

The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven.

The sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God.

Jesus has opened the way to the Father's throne and through his mediation the sincere desire of all who come to him in faith may be presented before God." So in other words, if a person does not understand the rest of the GPS system, so to speak, and doesn't keep following, they almost get stuck at the cross.

I was stuck in a cyclical, okay, I was trapped in this sin cycle, Lord forgive me, and then I do it again.

And literally, that is a very defeating and discouraging cycle to be in.

But God intended that we would so see his character clearly revealed at every aspect in the sanctuary service that when we know God as it is our privilege to know him, our life will become a life of continual obedience.

To the point where sin becomes hateful to us and you would rather obey God than sin against Him.

And so I'm just to be very honest, if you have very strong desires to sin against God and rebel against Him, that is like the engine light coming on in your car and saying, pull over and pray.

Pull over and get to know God's character, because I think we often try to deal with the sin struggles like, I just have to grit my teeth and try harder.

But the real answer is understanding God's character.

If you know who God really is, why would you choose to destroy yourself?

03 At the Laver

It's a blessing to gather here to worship the Lord as we continue through the sanctuary.

Our series has been journeying together through the sanctuary and I'm thankful that we can continue that journey.

And I'd like us to begin with a word of prayer if you're able to kneel with me and then I'll share a song that fits with the message.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before your throne of grace to receive mercy and help in time of need, and we praise you for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We know, Lord, that we are undeserving of it, we did not earn it, but you have promised through Jesus to pour him upon us, that you would teach us and guide us into all truth.

I pray that you would hide me behind the cross of Christ that Jesus will be lifted up that we would experience forgiveness of our sins, transformation of character, and renewing and washing and cleansing.

Thank you Lord for the open invitation you give to our hearts today.

To sing is as much an act of worship as is prayer, and so I am going to share a special song that really fits with the entire series that we're journeying together, and this song is called To Your Sanctuary.

Some of you may be familiar with Hymn 21 in the Seventh-day Adventist hymnal, Saint Dino is the melody, immortal, invisible, God-only wise.

And so I've prayerfully taken that melody and composed a song to it that journeys through the aspects of the sanctuary.

And in some ways it'll reveal a little bit where we've come from, because we started our series at the entrance to the sanctuary, the gates, praising God as we enter into his presence is a fitting way to approach God.

The more you start praising God, the more your problems start looking pretty small, that God can do anything.

And then we come to the altar of sacrifice, where we confess our need of forgiveness and cleansing, representing how Jesus has died as our perfect sacrifice.

And today we have the privilege of looking at the significance of the labor and the washing and cleansing.

So to your sanctuary, I'll sing it and pray that you'll be blessed so this is part of that message in song.

To your sanctuary, through the gates of praise.

Thanksgiving we carry and our hands we raise to the bleeding victim.

Now all our eyes turn, our sin laid upon Him, for Jesus we yearn.

We come to approach You in Your holiness, confessing before You our deep sinfulness.

The way of salvation you made very plain, From your congregation you cleanse every stain.

On that brazen altar, All those lambs once died, By faith we won't falter In the crucified.

Your cleansing by water, the laver make sure, by your Holy Spirit, make our whole lives pure.

Now within the Holy, our faith is assured.

Your message of truth comes as bread from your word.

The Candlestick lightens our path evermore.

Your spirit guides us to what you have in store.

The incense of prayer now draws us up to you.

Your spirit guides us how to live fully true.

Mid conflict and trial, we cast all our cares on 1 without guile who numbers our hairs.

By faith we go onward through the second veil, To Jesus our High Priest, who never will fail.

We humble our souls in true fasting today, and rest from our own works as you are the way.

Now cleanse your high dwelling this atonement day.

Your character shall stand good and right all way.

With your intercession our cleansing shall come.

Lord, finish the story and soon take us home.

Christ desires that we would not just journey through the sanctuary in a spiritual experience here, but 1 that leads us finally home.

And that's the whole intent of the sanctuary.

It is God's plan to get us over our sin problem and into His very presence.

Series

Through the Sanctuary by Sean Brizendine

02 At Calvary’s Altar

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

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05 The Table of Shewbread

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My Father and I

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Effective and Fervent

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I Wish to See Jesus

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Matthew: Behold Your King

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Enoch: The Biggest Through Hike

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03 At the Laver

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Fear is Bad and Good

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When Jesus Meets Your Greatest Fear

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Seeking the Lost

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