SAFE FROM DESTRUCTION BY A CHANGED HEART

When Moses met God on Mount Horeb, where Mount Sinai was, Moses' face was changed and began to shine with the glory of God.

• But the people could not stand to gaze upon such glory, so Moses put a veil on his face hide the glory for as long as he spoke to the people, until he returned to speak to God.
• The apostle Paul makes reference to this event and says the entire picture of Moses' veiled face represents the sort of covenant Israel was given at that time.
• Just as Moses' face shining with God's glory was veiled from the people, the people under that covenant could never see the GOAL of the covenant.
• And that covenant did not include great plainness of speech as our's does now.
• But when we look to Jesus there is no veil to prevent us from seeing God's glory.

And just as Moses face was changed when he saw God's glory, Jesus' face was changed, and Moses was there as witness.

Mat 17:1-3    And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,  (2)  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.  (3)  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

But Jesus did not veil his face.

• He left it unveiled after HIS FACE CHANGED.
• Both Moses' face and Jesus' face changed.
• But only Jesus' face was left unveiled.

This was the day The Father glorified the Son...

Mat 17:5    While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Peter referred to this event and said we are involved in it.

• As Paul said we behold his glory and are changed into the same image, Peter said we let His light shine on us until the Day star arises in OUR hearts.

2Pe 1:16-19    For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  (17)  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  (18)  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.  (19)  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

So whereas Moses' face was changed to shine, and was veiled so they people could not see it, Christ's face was changed to shine and He shines on us and in turn we SHINE AS WELL!

The sequence stopped at Moses in the old covenant.

• But the new covenant has the sequence continue and not stop before we see Jesus' face and shine as well!
• WE CHANGE INTO HIS IMAGE.

Moses went into Egypt as a child threatened by death by the leader, and grew up to the age of 40 when he then left into the wilderness.

• 40 more years pass when Moses returns to lead Israel out of Egypt to Mount Sinai to give them what is now called the old Covenant.

Jesus was threatened by death as a child and went into Egypt as well.

Mat 2:13-14    And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  (14)  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

And Jesus went into the wilderness.

Mat 4:1-2    Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  (2)  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

He faced the devil for forty days and returned to Israel preaching the KINGDOM OF GOD.

Mat 4:25-5:1    And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.  (5:1)  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And as Moses gave ten commandments, Jesus gives 9 beattitudes.

Mat 5:1-12    And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:  (2)  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,  (3)  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (4)  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  (5)  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  (6)  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  (7)  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  (8)  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  (9)  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  (10)  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (11)  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  (12)  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Jesus did not say THOU SHALT NOT.

• He said BLESSED ARE THE.
• We spoke about this before.
• There is a vast difference between THOU SHALT NOT, and BLESSED ARE THE.
• One tells you to not do something with the obvious intention of making you a certain type of person -- good-living.
• But the other simply speaks about certain types of people.
• It does not tell them to not do things in order to be these people, but simply speaks of a blessing to people who simply ARE a certain kind of people.
• This is the entire difference between the Old Testament and the New.

The reason Jesus spoke on a mountain about PEOPLE WHO ARE a certain kind of people, is because ON THE NEW COVENANT MOUNTAIN, JESUS FACE IS SHINING UNVEILED, AND WE BEHOLD IT AND ARE CHANGED TO BECOME LIKE HIM.

On this mountain, you obey words that AFFECT YOUR HEART.

• Moses' words dealt with outward activities, but Jesus' words deal with THE HEART.

We still hear and OBEY, but we OBEY things from the heart!

Mat 7:24    Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

His very truths CHANGE Us if our HEARTS are towards Him.

2Co 3:14-17    But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  (15)  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  (16)  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  (17)  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Jesus' words speak blessing to people whose HEARTS are in a certain state of being.

• WE ARE CHANGED INTO HIS IMAGE.

This is why Jesus then says:

Mat 5:13-17    Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  (14)  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15)  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  (17)  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

He refers to law, because the scene is so similar to when Moses gave law.

• His words, however, do not violate law, or disagree with law, but fulfil law.

Rom 8:3-4    For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  (4)  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

That is what Jesus meant by fulfilling Law.

The one whom we hear shines upon His with a face full of God's glory.

• The messenger of the Old Testament veiled his face when he spoke to them.

Deu 18:15-19    The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;  (16)  According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.  (17)  And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.  (18)  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.  (19)  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Even Moses told Israel to HEAR JESUS when He comes.

• Peter had to be told to hear Jesus.

Mat 17:5    While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

This reference to ensuring we hear Jesus also was said earlier when speaking of the house on the rock.

Mat 16:17-18    And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  (18)  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus hinted at the thought of becoming more like Him when He spoke of DENYING OURSELVES.

Mat 16:24-26    Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  (25)  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  (26)  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

And then he speaks about Jerusalem's destruction.

Mat 16:27-28    For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.  (28)  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

You either become like Him or be destroyed.

• Notice that hearing Him and being built a house on the Rock, changed into His image, is associated with His coming of destruction.
• People will be rewarded.
• Either carry on due to standing on the rock, or being destroyed because of standing on sand.

Everytime this picture of Jesus on the rock with the church is mentioned, there is mentioned a group  who rejected Him and is destroyed.

Mal 4:1-6    For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.  (2)  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.  (3)  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.  (4)  Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.  (5)  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  (6)  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

All of that occurred in AD70 when Rome burned Jerusalem to the ground.

Hebrews contrasts the mountain where Israel received law, compared to the mountain where we receive the NEW COVENANT.

Heb 12:18-29    For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,  (19)  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:  (20)  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:  (21)  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)  (22)  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (24)  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.  (25)  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:  (26)  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.  (27)  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  (28)  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  (29)  For our God is a consuming fire.

This was first prophesied in Haggai 2.

Hag 2:5-9    According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.  (6)  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;  (7)  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.  (8)  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.  (9)  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

He is speaking of LAW versus GRACE.

• Old Testament versus New.
• Haggai even referred to the covenant given to Israel when they left Egypt.

Hag 1:2-4    Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built.  (3)  Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,  (4)  Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

Hag 1:8    Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

Hag 1:14    And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

Hag 2:2-4    Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,  (3)  Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?  (4)  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

A HOUSE/TEMPLE ON THE ROCK!

Haggai even speaks of corruption and the destruction from God to come upon it, while there is a house that is more glorious than Solomon's.

Isa 51:16    And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

The heavens and earth shaken, with a new heaven and earth speak of an old covenant people removed and a new covenant people instead.

Isa 51:9-10    Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?  (10)  Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

Rahab is Egypt, followed by words speaking of Exodus' journey across the Red Sea.

• But they come to ZION and not SINAI.
• A NEW MOUNTAIN AND NEW COVENANT.

YOU MUST TURN YOUR HEART TO JESUS AND BE CHANGED!

• Without a change you are nothing.
• The people called Him LORD, LORD.
• They even did wonderful works in His name.
• BUT A WORK HAD NOT BEEN DONE IN THEIR HEARTS.

Mat 7:21-23    Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Co 13:1-3    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  (3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

CHARITY comes from a HEART THAT IS CHANGED TO LOVE.

When we read about being changed into his image from glory to glory, it speaks of Moses' glory not shining on the people.

• But the glory of the New Testament shines from Jesus face onto our's.

2Co 3:7-11    But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:  (8)  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?  (9)  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  (10)  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.  (11)  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

John 17:22    And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Jesus spoke of leaving them before this:

John 16:16    A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

Just as in Matthew 17 and 2 Peter 1.

He speaks of the next generations because this church is intended to continue on as Jesus started it with Him present, Himself.

• Moses left people, and so did Elijah.
• But they had men to carry on their ministries.
• For the first time Jesus spoke of leaving them, and about the cross in Matt 16.

He has not left, if we are made into His image!

• We know He is in us, but His physical presence is apart from us.
• However, if we are changed into His Image, what glory His BODY, the CHURCH, shines forth!

Matt 5  (3)  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (4)  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  (5)  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  (6)  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  (7)  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  (8)  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  (9)  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  (10)  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (11)  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.