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Under the Law, God got very detailed and even seemingly picky about how man would serve Him and exactly how man would approach Him. Before Moses and Mt. Sinai, before there ever was a Passover or Manna falling from heaven, God had gradually revealed His plan of salvation to mankind over a large period of time. To Adam and Eve the commandment was simply to obey one commandment: don't eat the fruit. Because of their sin, then Abel and Cain had to also bring a sin sacrifice with blood, for only innocent shed blood would cover sin. For Noah, God outlined which animals were clean and unclean, and also required submission to man's authority. For Abraham, God required that he separate himself from an evil world and walk and live differently. While Faith was required in each time period, how they implemented that faith was growing more and more detailed.

Then when God gave Moses the Law, He gave 613 commandments of exact detail which had to be obeyed. The Law detailed such things as the proper way to get rid of mildew in your home, how and when to plant and harvest and when to give the land rest. Certain festivals where required and the many ways to offer sacrifices and offering unto God. I will confess, I am fascinated by the Law but only because I realize that Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled every line! The Work of Calvary far surpasses just the Passover, but the church that was bought and paid for that day on Golgotha was meant to exactly fulfill in a spiritual way, the Law that was laid out 1,656 years before.

On closer examination, what seemed to be pickiness on God's part, suddenly becomes divine direction and revelation. For example, the reason that God chose to give exact plans for a temple or tabernacle, and why the God of glory chose to dwell in that temple of cloth and wood, becomes revelatory when we realize that Paul said now our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost! That is the temple was just a foreshadowing of how the God of glory wanted to dwell in a temple made with flesh and bones! When I realize how important that it was for priests to fulfill certain roles and meet certain criteria, it becomes very personal when I read the scripture where Peter says to the church "ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood." Just as the priests were set apart to serve God and were completely dedicated to His work and word, so must you and I the current priests of the most High God, be willing to separate ourselves and dedicate our lives and purpose of living to God and His Word. Even the law that forbade them from partaking of Ostriches becomes powerful when we turn to Job and learn the lesson of the Ostrich, and realize that God never intended for man to act like an Ostrich and that is why she was created.

Jesus gave us quite an insight into the meanings of the temple. In it was a candlestick that provided light for the priests to go about their duties. Jesus said

Just as the priest did not have to go about serving God in the dark but had the candlelight to see clearly by, so does God not desire His children to serve Him blindly so Jesus Christ came and illuminated the world to the truth of God's Love and Purpose! And yet, even though He has come, so many people are trying to serve God idly, not allowing the light of the world, to shine and give them direction and a clarity of purpose, I am glad that I have found the light of the world!

In the temple there was a table of bread which was there anytime the priests got hungry in their duties. When Jesus was tempted of Satan in the Wilderness, he quoted: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That bread was representational of the Word of God, and when we are starving spiritually, the Word of God is sitting there free to be partaken of and enough to bring strength and power and guidance to our situation! It is the bread of hope, or mercy, of deliverance, but how many people in our world are staying bound by their sins and circumstances and the Bread of Life is sitting there on their coffee table?! How many people are full up on the junk food of the Worldly Media of this world, and push away the wholesome food of God? Like the Bread in the temple, the word of God only helps when it is consumed and digested, just sitting beside it will not get it's spiritual nutrition in your life. Pick it up, consume it, allow it to bring life and deliverance, it's the Bread of Life!

There was one other piece of furniture in the Holy Place where the priests ministered. It was the altar of incense. It was before the vail which meant it was before God's presence. Incense was offered up day and night before the presence of God. The High Priest could not go beyond the veil into the presence of God without taking incense with Him to cover the smell of sinful flesh. The first thing that a priest did every morning was to come and place fresh incense burning before God. The last thing that the priest did before going home at night was to change the incense and ensure that enough was there to burn throughout the night until He could return in the morning and make sure it was burning. So it is with our praise and prayers. The first thing that we should do in the mornings is to offer up praise and prayer to our wonderful God. We should make sure that the attitude of prayer and praise continues throughout the day! Before we lay down at night we should make sure that the attitude of prayer and praise is still permeating our life! Oh, if I as a Christian could ever grasp that God desires the CONTINUAL incense of an attitude of prayer and praise! Yes it takes some effort, but if we would make an effort and priority to begin our day with prayer and praise, then to continue the duties of the day in such a spirit would not be so difficult! It's hard to get offended or livid if you are in a spirit of thanksgiving and prayer. It's hard NOT to be spiritually sensitive to the needs of others if you are in such an attitude of incense. If you're going to get and stay HOT, then why don't you get fired up about staying in an attitude of prayer and praise. Let's make it a priority in our life, let's continually offer the perpetual incense to God in our lives, and as the fragrant aroma of our submissive spirit begins to flow from us, it will truly cover the smell of sinful flesh that is so prevalent in our world!

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My point in all of this, is if we can clearly see the lessons of the light, bread, and incense in the temple, then what is the lesson of the vessels which held these things?! You see, when God gave the plans for the children of Israel to make all of these things, He also commanded that they make vessels hold the candle, vessels such as plates and bowls from which to serve the bread, and vessels to mix the incense and hold the burning coals upon which the crushed incense was poured. The light, bread, and incense was not suspended in mid air and was not by itself, it took a VESSEL made specially by God to present those things for the service of God! Jesus said:

One vessel which could have been used to cover the bread and protect it from decay is no good if placed upon the candle. The candle must be placed upon a properly prepared vessel such as a candlestick that has been formed for such a purpose so that the light can shine forth clearly!

In our text, we find Paul charges the young minister Timothy about his personal walk with God and beliefs and states:

Who is to be the vessels? WE ARE!! We are the vessels which God desires to use! Jesus is the light, but how will men see the light unless the light is placed in a vessel for all to see clearly?! And that vessel is to be us! The Word of God is the Bread of Life but unless it is properly served in a vessel, how will the world partake of it?! Jesus is still walking in flesh and blood in the world today but it is through us! We are the vessels of God, we are the body of Christ, if the world does not receive the Word of God through us, then how will they receive it?! If the world does not see us being the vessels from which the incense of prayer and praise is flowing out of, then where will they see it? Don't fall into the snare of Satan which makes you think that how you live in this earthen vessel only affects you and no one else! If the world cannot see us as a willing vessel of Jesus Christ and His Spirit and Word, then how else will they see Him? They won't, we must be, we are chosen to be, we should be willing vessels of what God wants to do in this world!

This should ignite someone today to the realization that nothing is more important in my life than my role as a vessel of God! My personal dreams, agendas, desires, and actions must all take a back seat to my being a vessel of Almighty God! The reason that God will not let you be and stay in the same state. The reason that God continually sends storms, is that He has plans for you. He has a purpose for you. He desires to make you a vessel of honor, a proud carrier of truth in every way. A holy beacon of hope in a sinful, unholy world, and so be a vessel of honor in the service of the Lord!

Paul told Timothy that there are many different types of vessels in a large household. They can be made of many different things, but the ones that are important and are used are the ones of honor. Paul then goes on to warn Timothy to not to become a vessel of dishonor, but to strive to be one of honor, one that the owner can be proud of to show.

Even today, God uses Christians at different levels. Every branch of calling and anointing to an individual is unique and each of us are different in personalities and scope of outreach. But though we may have differences in call, we all must be driven by one purpose, one goal, and one ambition: I must be trying with everything in me to be a vessel of honor, and not one of dishonor! If God wants to use me as a prayer warrior as a carrier of sacred incense, then I need to be the best prayer vessel that I can become. If God wants to mold me and create me into a plate from which the Bread of Life can be served through Bible Studies or sermons, then I need to be a vessel of honor of which the great householder, Jesus Christ, is not ashamed.

That is why every Christian goes through a breaking process, to create a vessel of honor for our Lord. In our other text, I read you but one of the many verses that dealt with the everyday use of vessels in the service of the Lord. In every case, the vessel had to continually be checked, washed, and scrubbed. It is also interesting to note that without exception, if an earthen vessel was used, then it had to be broken and remolded before being used again. I wonder how many times as the priest broke the clay pot after his ritual that he thought, "I wonder why God requires this?" Not realizing that he was laying a precedence that one day God would use earthen vessels of men which were formed from the dust of the ground and that would need to be continually broken and reshaped in order to be fit for service. You see, the reason that god allows storms in your life, the reason that is seems that you are continually upon the potter's wheel, the reason that it always seems that there is something that God would like you to change, is that He has one purpose in mind; one goal for you: He wants you to become a vessel of honor in His kingdom and in order for you to be a vessel of honor, then you must be broken and reformed in His image!

And even when reformed and broken, we must allow ourselves to continually be washed and cleansed by the blood and Word of God. If I were to present to you a beautiful plate of the finest quality and present you the best steak in the world prepared for you by the finest chef in the world. And if I were to bring such serving upon you, and yet there was upon the plate the residue of former meals. The old meals served upon that plate were still evident and the former foods were crusted and moldy. Then despite the quality of the china, and the quality of the food and it's preparation, you would still be repulsed, and push it back saying "I don't want this!" Why not? It has the finest steak prepared by the master chef? It is the finest china? "No, I'm not going to eat that..." Why not? Because the filth of the vessel, undermines the finest food and the finest of preparation.

Can I tell you that we have the finest food in the world here in this church! We have the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. We have the apostolic power and the moving of the Spirit in a mighty way, and it is powerful to come and eat at the master's table and partake of the Spiritual meals that the Master Chef, Jesus Christ, has prepared for His children. We shouldn't be selfish, we should invite others to come partake of the great meal that God has set before us, after all the same God which provided manna for the millions of Israelites in the wilderness will surely not run out of food. No doubt when Peter knelt by the fire on the shore that day and partook of the baked fish and bread that Jesus had cooked that he was eating of the finest cuisine in the world. Peter was hungry for fish, that was why he had fished all night long. And the Master Chef had waiting for him exactly what he needed. If people would simply partake of the blessed meal of His word, wouldn't it be exactly what they need? But we can have the finest food in the world, cooked and prepared by the finest chef in the world, and if the VESSELS in which it is to be served is dirty and corrupt, people will still turn away! "Peter do you love me?" "Lord you know I do" "No, Peter do you really love me?" "Lord you know I love you..." "Then Peter?" "Yes, Lord?" "FEED MY SHEEP." But what do you mean Lord? Peter, get such a love for people and their souls that you are willing to change your filthy habits, your sinful ways, your unforgiving attitude, and your way of living. Get so caught up with being a clean, willing vessel, Peter, that you are willing to give up tradition, family, and even your own life for me! No one here will argue that the highest expression of love that was ever displayed was when Jesus was willing to give His very life for others! You see, Jesus knew that Peter needed to learn a lesson that we also need to hear: You cannot love Jesus without loving the lost people in this world! If we don't love God enough to be willing to live a holy life, separated unto God, and go through some breaking and cleansing in order to be a vessel of honor, so that others might be reached, then we really don't love God like we say we do. If the ultimate expression of love was to give one's life for someone else, then have we really loved the world, until we are willing to change our lifestyles and attitudes so that they can see Jesus through us?

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Paul knew what it was like to be a willing vessel of God and yet be one of dishonor. Before He had come to God Paul was so convinced of his message, that he was willing to even get letters from the chief priests to pursue these "Christians" so that he could kill them and persecute them! Paul was very sincere, but sincerely wrong. You probably know the story well. How that Paul and a group of men began a long journey to Damascus to which many of the Christians had fled for their lives. It was Paul's intentions to bring them back to Jerusalem where he could behead or otherwise execute them. Men, Women, and even children, Paul didn't care, because He was a sold out vessel of what he believed, a vessel of dishonor! But Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus that day. Paul had an experience of brokeness. He was knocked down, blinded by light, and then had to realize that the Jehovah God whom He called Lord was actually Jesus Christ! Can you imagine how Paul felt that day? Blinded so that he could not see. The people around him think that he's gone crazy. Paul has discovered that the rebel whose people that he wanted to kill is actually the God of the universe and all of sudden the reason for going to Damascus seems insignificant. The weight of the realization of what he has been doing falls upon him, and Paul realizes that he deserves to die for what he has done...

But God didn't kill him. Despite being responsible for the deaths and beating of many Apostolic Christians, despite the fact that he was a member of the very group that had crucified Jesus, despite the fact that he had been consenting to the stoning of the great evangelist Stephen, Jesus didn't kill him. There was a man in Damascus who had began his day by being a vessel of honor and offering prayer and praise unto God. This willing vessel was Ananias and God spoke to him and instructed him to go to a certain place and pray for Paul. Now what would have happened if Ananias was struggling with unrepented sin that week? What would have happened if Ananias had been too busy to pray that morning? What would have happened if Ananias wouldn't have been a willing vessel? Your day to day walk does matter!

Did you catch what God told Ananias? Paul is a "chosen vessel unto me." What? "Lord, you mean this man who by his own description was the chiefest of sinners?" "yes, he's a chosen vessel to me." But, Lord how can this vessel of dishonor become a chosen vessel for you? Look what God told Ananias next:

Why would Paul have to suffer some things? Why would he be beat and throne into a Roman jail? Why would his life be continually threatened? Why would he be repeatedly and wrongly thrown into prison? Because that was the process of breaking of the earthen vessel by which God was taking a vessel of dishonor and making into a vessel of honor! God took the chiefest of sinners and turned him into a vessel presenting Jesus before kings and emperors! Why did Paul write, "I die daily"? He realized that Jesus was taking a vessel of dishonor and made it into a vessel of honor! Listen to the following words of Paul:

These words are made much more meaningful when you realize that they were penned from a dark, dungeon cell before the date of his execution. Paul was looking backward at his past, taking in his present circumstances, and looking to the future. But when he realized at what a change in his life, Jesus Christ had made, he said to live is Christ! I am nothing on my own, but everything is because Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. To die is gain, because I will ever be with Him! In fact, Paul goes on to write that "I am in a dilema" He almost hoped that they did kill him, so much so was his love and dedication to Christ!

If you were to pen these words with your life, what would be placed there? Try it. Write the words in your mind this morning and put what is the most important thing in your life in the blank. "For to me to live is _________" To someone chasing riches, it might be "for me to live is MONEY." What is the focus of your living? What do you spend the most time planning and caring for? Things? Then perhaps your pen would write "For to me to live is POSSESSIONS." What keeps you from living for God like you should? "For to me to live is FAMILY." What is real living in your mind? "For to me to live is to PARTY." Whatever the case may be, now go on and finish the sentence. "But to die is _______." In each of the cases above the answer will be "but to die is LOSS" I can't take money with me. If were to die, then I would lose it. LOSS. I can't take my possessions or family with me, so if for me to live is to have things, then for me to die is to lose those things. I can't finish the sentence if for me to live is drugs and alcohol, because if I die, then I would lose all of that!

But when you can honestly say to live is Christ!!!!! That your reason for living is loving Christ and sharing Christ and serving Christ and obeying Christ! When your purpose is to be a willing vessel of honor presenting Jesus to the world at whatever the cost, then you can fill in the blank as Paul did "For to me to live is Christ." And only when you fill your living with Christ, can you truly answer the blank of death. "but to die is GAIN." Why? because I have filled my life with Christ! Paul could make that statement because he was willing to become a vessel of honor unto the Lord!