TURN, AND SEE GOD'S GLORY IN A MIRROR

Ministered May  25, 2003 pm
Mike Blume

2 Corinthians 3:5-18  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;  (6)  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  (7)  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.  (12)  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  (13)  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:  (14)  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.  (18)  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  (4)  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  (5)  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.  (6)  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In this chapter, Paul contrasts, as he does so many times, the Old testament ministry with the New Testament ministry.

• He proposes an allegory, or representation of that difference to get a point across.
• Moses, who represents the minister of the Old Testament, saw God's glory, absorbed it into his own face, and had to have his face veiled due to the brightness which the Israelites could not take.
• But Jesus' face is open and visible to the New Testament adherent.
• And His face shines with a glory that Paul said represents the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
• And even Paul, who was a New Testament minister, used PLAINNESS OF SPEECH as he ministered.
• He was not veiled as Moses was.
• Just as Jesus, Paul had glory to minister to us as an Apostle.

OLD TESTAMENT is Moses' face veiled.

NEW TESTAMENT is Jesus face UNVEILED!

 (12)  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  (13)  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 

So the LIGHT that shone on Moses' face that caused Israel to veil his face, represents the TRUTHS and KNOWLEDGE that Moses received, that he could not really give to the Israelites.

But the LIGHT that shines from Jesus' face, is the knowledge of the glory of God.

• And we CAN receive it.
• And by the way, its a much more glorious light than what Moses had.
• Moses' glory on his face would fade away.
• Jesus glory, representing the New Testament, will never fade away.

 (11)  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 

Both Moses and Jesus' face shone.

Exodus 34:33-35  And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.  (34)  But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.  (35)  And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

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.

It is interesting to note that Moses was there that night with Jesus, when Jesus' face shone.

• Moses never saw the face of God back in Exodus.
• Just the hinder parts of the glory, causing him to shine.
• But Moses' saw God's face this night!

But the all-important note in this is how we first see that glory.

(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. 

THE HEART TURNS TO JESUS.

Our HEART is very vital in all of this.

• Unless you put your heart into it, you will not know what we are speaking about.

So, get the picture.

• Your HEART TURNS to Jesus and you see a glory shine from Him.
• This is figurative talk describing the experience of BELIEVING AND LOVING Jesus, which causes you to become the recipient of something that is absolutely divine!

(18)  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.


We are changed into that same glory!

We read how in all actuality, and physically speaking, Moses TURNED to see God's glory.

Exodus 3:2-4  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  (3)  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  (4)  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Notice that a BUSH had the glory of God in it.

• Branches and a vine, in a form, on fire with God's glory.

Similarly John saw Jesus' glory.

Rev 1:10-13  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,  (11)  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.  (12)  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  (13)  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

John TURNED to see something afire as well.

• And being turned he saw God's glory again!
• Jesus' face shone like the sun.

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

These candlesticks represent something.

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

THE CHURCHES!

Paul tells us to TURN to see the glory of God in Jesus' face.

And unlike all the followers of the Mosaic Law, we can see into His face and are changed into the same image.

Now, if His face is shining in glory, and we can look into that glory and be changed into the same image, then it is telling us that HIS GLORY IS RECEIVED BY US, and WE SHINE!

And this is precisely what Jesus Christ said Himself in prayer in John 17.

John 17:22-24  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  (23)  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.  (24)  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

We receive HIS GLORY.

• And it is for a distinct purpose.
• It is so that we MAY BECOME ONE WITH HIM.
• IT JOINS US TO HIMSELF.
• IT MAKES US PART OF HIMSELF.
• The phrase, "I in them and them in me" simply refers to a complete mixture to such an extent that we are indistinguishable.
• Fully mixed together.
• Absolutely one.

John TURNS and sees Jesus in 7 candlesticks.

• You must understand that this was a picture of the candelabra, or menorah, inside of which Jesus appeared.
• Branches came from the sides of the shaft.

And the same phrase "I in them and them in me," indicating UNITY, is noted in JOhn 15.

John 15:1-5  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  (4)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

So Jesus describes Himself as a vine with the christian as His branches.

• And he uses the terms from John 17 that indicate UNITY and total MINGLING in speaking of giving us His glory!
• John turns and sees Jesus in midst of 7 churches as though they are BRANCHES coming out from Him.
• He is the vine!
• THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE CHURCHES IN UNITY WITH JESUS!

He is in them and they are in Him!

• And he is shining with light in his face.
• BUT THE CHURCHES ARE SHINING ALSO like candlesticks!
• That is because Jesus said He is the light of the world, and so is the church!
• At one point he said he was the light of the world.
• At another point He said "Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."

When we become one with Jesus it is because our HEARTS TURNED TO HIM, and we beheld His glory.

• And we were changed into His same image.

Do you recall when you first turned your heart to Jesus?

TURNING is a very important part of the entire Gospel truth!

• It's where everything begins!
• It may come together for you a little more to realize that the term TURN has the same meaning as the word REPENT!

The first thing a believer needs to do after hearing the Gospel, in order to be saved is to REPENT!

TURN in your HEART from the world.

• And turn your HEART to Jesus.
• If your heart still loves the world and you have not fallen in love with Jesus to truly want to live for Him, then you will not have what it takes to serve Him anyway.
• BUT MAKE A CLEAN BREAK AND TURN TO HIM!
• REPENT!

And when we turn, something wonderful happens.

What is similar in both Moses' and John's experiences when they turned?

• What is similar about where they saw God's glory once they turned?
• THEY SAW IT IN A BURNING BUSH/TREE.
• John's tree was afire, also, because it was a candlestick, shaped like a tree, burning.
  

Everytime a tree is indicated in the Scriptures, it should remind us of the greatest event and blessing that ever came to occur in this old world.

• The day my Jesus died for me, on the tree, the cross of Calvary.

No, Jesus was not on a tree hanging in crucifixion when John turned to see Him!

• But the note of the cross is the first place we turn to when we turn our hearts to Him and first see His glory.

And get the picture!

• Paul said we TURN our hearts to Jesus and see His glory and we are changed into the same image.
• The FIRST sight you need to see in order to be saved, is CHrist's death on the cross.
• YOUR HEART TURNS TO HIM ON THE TREE.
• So similar to Moses' and John's eyes turned to see the glory in a bush or tree, lighting and shining forth!
• And the way you turn into the same image is actually what saves you!

The truth of the cross is that Jesus answered the curse thrown upon all humanity saying THE SOUL THAT SINNETH IT SHALL DIE.

• In fact, Galatians even responds to the cruse given under law that demanded death to the disobedient, by saying...

Gal 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Gal 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

We were doomed, because we sinned.

• But Jesus became a curse for us, in our places.
• He died the death we each deserved.
• And the way this saves us, is by TURNING OUR HEARTS TOWARDS THAT TRUTH, and God does something special!
• Something divine happens!
• WE ARE CHANGED INTO THE SAME IMAGE!
• IN OTHER WORDS, THAT DEATH OF JESUS BECOMES OUR DEATH THAT WE HAD TO PAY ONE DAY DUE TO SIN.
• This takes the penalty and places it in the category of PAID IN FULL!
• PAID IN FULL BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
• We are released from any inkling of doom, because Jesus paid our debt!

The glory of God's truth is in Jesus' face, and we turn and see Him in a tree!

• What a glory is in that cross!
• Paul said in Gal 6:14 he would only glory in one thing -- the cross of Jesus Christ!
• And we are changed into that same image.

You see, its through the work of the cross that we become one with Him!

Rom 6:3-4  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  (4)  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Notice how Paul taught we unite to HIm at the point of His death.

• And that is so we can WALK in the newness of life AS HE DID!
• This is UNITY TO CHRIST!

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

He did not die alone!

• I died with HIM!

I was like a thief that died by His side!

• We all were!
• Only he died for us all. but like the impenitent thief, some refuse to accept him, when they could claim His as their own!
• But they refuse, and they are lost forever.

And since we first unite to Him by baptism into HIS DEATH, that is why TURNING, or REPENTING, is noted before baptism.

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

You TURN and see Him on the glorious tree of the old rugged cross.

• And you are changed into that same image, CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, so that you are BAPTIZED to indicate your union in His death and burial!
• And His very own Holy Spirit enters you and YOU SHINE!

REPENT.. TURN!

TURN YOUR HEART!

Jesus indicated that after we turn to Him and become united to HIm, we must maintain that union.

John 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

You see, you unite to Him and are changed into His image by first turning your heart to Him.

• That changes you into His image and you receive His glory.
• By the way, this does not violate the words that He will not give his glory to another, because we receive His glory by becoming ONE WITH HIM.
• So he still has it, only we are joined to Him with it, also, now.
• And we CONTINUE TO LOOK TO HIM.

Hebrews 12:1-2  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  (2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And that means KEEP YOUR HEART STAYED UPON HIM!

Do not turn your heart away from Him!

Notice He said this concerning our union to HIm as BRANCHES on a VINE.

And that is the reason that the first church, represented by the candlesticks in Rev 1, is addressed as follows:

Rev 2:1-2  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;  (2)  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Rev 2:4-5  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  (5)  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

He tells a candlestick church to REPENT!

• TURN!!!!
• They left their first LOVE!
• Your heart LOVES.
• And since these people left their firstlove, their HEARTS were turned away from Jesus.
• And although they continued religious activities, we must recall Jesus words, that say WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.
• Its all nothing, if its not in love for Him!
• Without love, even the supernatural gifts of the Spirit are nothing more than sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.

We turn our HEARTS to Him.

And when our hearts are turned to Him, what can separate us from THAT LOVE OF GOD anyway?

People lose out and allow discouragement to cause them to quit on Jesus, because their hearts left Him.

• People simply would not backslide from Jesus, no matter what people do, if their hearts are on Jesus!

John 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

We are where he is in the sense that we are UNITED TO HIM!

The disciples were standing right there when He prayed this.

• But He meant together IN UNITY!

I am crucified with Christ!

Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

The world is crucified to me and I to it.

• That means Satan has no victory over me.
• I am crucified to the world of which he is said by Paul to be it's god.
• That means my past is crucified from me.
• I have a new lease on life.
• LIFE?
• ETERNAL LIFE!!!!

You talk about the tree of life!!!

• We have a tree of life from the Genesis.
• And a Tree of life in Revelation!
• Jesus is the life, so it makes perfect sense to see Him in a tree-shaped candlestick with churches as branches!

What a blessing!

We have what Adam lost in the Garden!

We are now where God intended us to be from the beginning!

We actually became dead with Christ

Colossians 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

WE BE DEAD!

And this is how the book CALLED THE REVELATION OF JESUS BEGINS!

Jesus FACE unveiled!

Why?

• So we can become part of Him, changed into His image, one with Him!

This is the cleansing of His word!!!

John 15:2-3  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

The word SPOKEN TO US, is God's Word.

2 Corinthians 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

2 Corinthians 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

Its the KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN JESUS' FACE.

And Paul gloried in the cross!

We share the testimony of Jesus Christ!

And its like turning and looking in a mirror (a "glass"), because when John turned and saw Jesus, he saw Jesus in the midst of branches speaking of the churches.

• John is in the church!
• And the mirror shows that John saw himself!
• We see ourselves dying with Jesus on the cross.
• He is us on that cross!
• It is a mirror!