FAITH Worship (7/21/24): "Mount of the Sermon" (Series: Mountains)
July 21, 2024 • Pastor Tim Byer
The Mount of the Sermon connects back and fulfills the words from Mount Sinai. God is building in both covenants a kingdom of priests to be the light of the world. This time He is starting with an internal heart change. His people are affected internally which results in external effects. Or, put another way, Christians get infected by the Gospel of Jesus and it produces within us a desire for a new ethic of life ... to be like Jesus.
Mount Carmel is the showdown between everything real and fake—The God versus all the gods. Our daily life is not much different. We have a Carmel decision each time we get out of bed. How long will we waver in knowing that the gods have no power except for the power we give them?
On Mount Sinai, Moses receives the law. God gives instructions for a nation of slaves to become a nation of priests. More than anything, it gave guidance on a life lived with and for the God of the universe. He had rescued them, and now He leads them. The Law given on that mountain shows the people how to live, but also how they won't be able to live. It tills the ground for the cross of Jesus for those of us who see ourselves in the mirror for who we truly are: lawbreakers.
Mount Moriah started it all. It started the nation that is Israel. It started the foreshadowing of Jesus. On that mountain, a father nearly sacrificed his son. But, it wasn't meant to be. Not for another 1500 years that is ... when a new Father and a new Son take their place. The parallels are striking.
