THEY'RE COMING TO THE NEW JERUSALEM, THE SUPER-CITY OF REFUGE -- PREPARE THEE A WAY

December 29, 2002 am




Deuteronomy 19:1-6  When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;  (2)  Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.  (3)  Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.  (4)  And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;  (5)  As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:  (6)  Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Numbers 35:13-15  And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.  (14)  Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.  (15)  These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

Isaiah 62:1-2  For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  (2)  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Isaiah 62:10-12  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.  (11)  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.  (12)  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.



I have a message today regarding our congregation and some concepts we are told by God's Word to maintain and ever keep in mind, and live by.

A true church is a city of refuge.




6 Cities of refuge were placed in the land of Israel for manslayers, people who slew a person by accident, without intent to murder.

3 on the side of Jordan that was in the land of Canaan, and 3 on the other side that is outside Canaan.

Manslaughter is different from murder.
An avenger of blood would pursue the person, to avenge the death of the one slain.

And we read THOU SHALT PREPARE THEE A WAY.
It was absolutely vital for the WAY to the city to be carefully maintained.
When a person was a fugitive after a murder, imagine the terror in his heart.
Israel had to make every effort possible to ensure that they prepared a WAY to the city of refuge.

Listen to the sort of words used in Isaiah alluding to people's need for a clear path to safety from the avenger.

Isaiah 57:13-15  When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;  (14)  And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.  (15)  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 62:1-2  For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  (2)  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Isaiah 62:10-12  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.  (11)  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.  (12)  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

JERUSALEM was meant to be a place where righteousness goes forth as brightness.
New Jerusalem SHINES with glory.

Revelation 21:10-11  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  (11)  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

The street is GOLD.

Revelation 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

There are no stumblingblocks in it.
The avenger is the devil.
On the way TO the city of refuge, every stone of stumbling had to be removed.

These places of refuge were on both sides of the Jordan River.
The cities were for BOTH STRANGERS and ISRAELITES.
Church, everyone of us were born manslayers.
But the cities of refuge were for MANSLAYERS.
So we all found HOPE in coming to Jesus for refuge.

Now, notice that Isaiah 62 speaks of the roads being cleared for the fugitives.
And this marvelously agrees with the New Testament.
Revelation 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

We know that the BRIDE OF CHRIST is the CHURCH.
Revelation 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:9-10  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  (10)  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Even Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Hebrews 12 comes right out and says this:

Hebrews 12:22-23  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,

And because Hebrews goes on to say....

Hebrews 12:27-28  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:

...people are going to come to us and we shall be called SOUGHT OUT, A CITY NOT FORSAKEN, because they will see that the CHURCH of Jesus Christ is the REFUGE for their souls.

THE CHURCH IS THE CITY OF REFUGE.

And we have to prepare a WAY to the refuge people can find in God's Church, the City of Refuge called the NEW JERUSALEM.
Once the fugitive arrived at the city of refuge, the avenger could not enter and slay the man.
PREPARE THEE A WAY.

Church, we have to keep the way clear for fugitives to find refuge in Jesus.

People on the other side of JORDAN need a SAFE WAY where they are not offended and quit on the Lord.

And there are some things that God's people have been known to do, that were actually stumblingstones to such fugitives.
Oh, we have to be so careful that there is a way clear of stumblingstones.

When fugitives are on the run, stumblingstones are going to occur.
And there are souls on THIS SIDE OF JORDAN who have only been saved long enough to be called regular members, and yet are weak and need protection.

I've heard horror stories that pastors spend sleepless nights over, about a church member scolding a person who has not yet spent a year in the church.
Exodus 21:22-25  If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.  (23)  And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,  (24)  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  (25)  Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

When folks come to church we don't need a fashion analysis group who stares with disgust on their faces.

Prepare Thee a Way!!!

People are barely able to make their way to the altars, such a new experience, but break through enough to do so, because they sincerely believe the pastor's words in the altar call about coming up to repent of their sins and seek His Spirit...
Prepare thee a way.

1 Corinthians 14:23  If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

1 Corinthians 14:18-20  I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:  (19)  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.  (20)  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Prepare thee a way.

The one who causes a miscarriage of the unborn, causing the unborn to die, is guilty of murder.
I have seen weaker believers slip a little in their holy lifestyles, who were badgered and sneered at by someone trying to nicely spank the person with an attitude in their words.
I recall years ago visiting a man..
The tendency of the youth and others who sit behind everyone, chatting and talking throughout the song service and preaching can be a great stumblingblock to so many who are seeking refuge that are on their way to salvation.

Matthew 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Not getting involved in the kingdom of God in active work in the church, and hindering others from coming in to refuge as well.

We have to take into consideration a person's background and struggles and the shoes they walked in, and ensure we make a way for them to the city!
And not only that, to ensure the fugitive stay in the city and not leave and be thrust through with the dagger of an avenger.

2 Samuel 3:27  And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

In school I could not bring myself to even laugh in mockery at a person who happened to say something quite stupid, causing others to laugh.
They are coming, church.
Nothing that harms can get in this City!

Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22:14-15  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

A person might attend church services regularly, but that does not mean they are in the CITY.
Matthew 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

It's the WORLD that offends, people.
Matthew 13:24-25  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  (25)  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

1 John 3:7-8  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  (8)  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:14-15  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.  (15)  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:18-19  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  (19)  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

Shine, City!

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