Raiders of the Lost Ark [Part 2]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright.

Solomon's Temple overrun as Jerusalem is sacked, and they destroyed that holy temple, and then who knows what with the ark, stole it away to some treasure trove of Nebuchadnezzar, never to be seen again. These people who had lost everything, who didn't know which way to turn, and these people who would go about saying to one another, oh, if we could just have the temple, oh, if we could just go back home, oh, if we just had the ark of the covenant again. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Brint, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, Remade, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program today, I sure want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It could be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries. So as you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer.

Don't miss it. Contact us at pastoralan.org. That's pastoralan.org, or call 877-544-4860. We're going to be more on all this later in the program, but right now let's dig in and get started with today's teaching.

Here is Alan Wright. Psalm 139 will tell you, where could I go to flee from His presence? If I were to rise on the wings of the dawn and travel to the uttermost parts of the sea, still you are with me.

If I were to make my bed in Sheol, how are they? I understood God's everywhere, but they also understood what makes sense to us, that there is a way that you can know that God is with you because of His promise to be with you and because of His nature and because of all that He's imparted to you. But there's something that is very different about being with Him in a way that is palpable, that is manifest. So my sweet mother who's gone to heaven this week and has a real sense in which she'll always be with me, in a real sense, right? Because when people have loved you the way she's loved me, when people have done for you what she's done for me and blessed me the way she's blessed me, that doesn't go away. In God's sweet irony, we buried her on the day that I was born and that's beautiful because she gave me life. That's what my daughter Abby calls her mother. She'll write her life giver.

How are you doing today? It's good to pause and remember you're not here except for somebody else gave you that life. So for me to be able to stand by her grave on the day that I remember that she brought me in this world and I celebrate her going to the next, you can't say that in that sense she's ever gone from me because she not only brought me in the world and gave me life, but she's the one who led me to new life. It's through her, all three of the boys, we all came to Christ because of her.

That doesn't go away, does it? So in a very real sense, you could say she's always with me and she will be. But in another sense, by God's grace, Ann and I were able to be there when she had taken this sudden turn for the worse and get there in time early Tuesday so that we could be holding her hand.

Very sweet. God's been very good to me in that way. He's been very good to me. I've asked Him for that.

I asked Him for that. And she was like a beautiful light on a dimmer switch that just was slowly, just softly. And there's a moment, you know, if you've ever been in that holy moment before, there's a moment where someone is with you on this earth and then in a breath they're not.

Oh, she's forever with me. But in terms of her, me holding her hand, she holding mine and knowing her heartbeat and feeling her breath, that ended. Because there also is a thing that we know, and this is why we grieve, her palpable presence, her manifest presence, her presence that I can touch, that I can feel, that I can experience.

That loss is what I'm grieving this week. And what the people of God knew about the Ark of the Covenant was that their priest, their high priest on Yom Kippur, was going behind that veil. And those moments that he was back there on behalf of all of them, that he wasn't experiencing the theoretical presence of the Lord, he wasn't experiencing God in the way that we all experience him because his majesty is in the heavens and his principles of truth abide with us. It was not theoretical. It was personal. It was intimate. It was manifest. It was up close.

It was experiential. It was the very breathing, heart beating presence of the living Yahweh. That's what they had in the ark. Between those cherubim wings and the shadow of their glorious outstretched pinions in the mist of incense, God spoke in whispers and shouts.

And he met with man. The ark is about the purity of God like no other purity. It is about the presence of God. And what they also knew about the ark and why they treasured it so is it represented the peace of God with people.

The peace of God. What has happened in the ark of the covenant is astonishing in itself that God, who is supreme in every place at all times, immense and infinite, would come and meet in a confined space. As Paul had said in Philippians 2 of Christ himself, though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. What I'm saying is that what God did every Yom Kippur, taking his great immensity and humbling himself to meet with man in time and space, foreshadows our Savior. Such is the love of God who did not want to remain distant from his people, though they were idolatrous.

Remember the context we spoke of. God says, my heart feels like a husband whose wife has been unfaithful night after night. And yet the heart of God says, and yet I'm not going to stay angry, and I'm going to forgive you, and I want to be near to you, so I'm making it possible.

So what would happen on Yom Kippur is the priest would come and he would minister the forgiving, atoning work of God on behalf of the people receiving it as he sprinkled blood on that mercy seat. Because that's what has happened. We talk about peace all the time as if it is like the absence of conflict. No, peace is much deeper than that.

That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Maybe you're like many Christians in America today. You're stunned by how fast a nation's culture has turned away from God. The values of our country have changed. Suddenly most people don't go to church or have a biblical worldview.

It can make you feel like an alien in your own culture. There's a lot to learn from Daniel when he was exiled to the pagan land of Babylon. Through our special offer this month, you can learn to live under the favor of God in an alien culture the way Daniel did. When you give before the end of the month, we'll send you Pastor Alan's audio series, Daniel, a Favored Foreigner.

You may feel like a stranger in this world, but as God showed favor to Daniel in his foreign land, God's grace is upon you as well. Your donation will not only help you navigate through these troubling times, but it will also help someone else. Thanks for your partnership with Alan Wright Ministries. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. His teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. Peace is actually the reconciliation that is only possible when there is authentic forgiveness. This is true in any relationship, is it not?

Any married person can tell you this. If one has offended the other, and I've done it more than I'd like to have, and you find yourself in that proverbial doghouse, and you find yourself experiencing that cold sheet of ice that's between the two of you, you know what I'm talking about. Well, y'all are all saints.

Y'all never experienced it, but I have. And you wonder, how are we going to have peace? Well, the temptation and what we've tried to do is what can I do to make it up to you? And I'm not saying you shouldn't try to make it up sometimes, right? Make some amends.

You need to. But let's just be honest. There's no peace in the relationship until the offended party forgives. And only in that healing is there peace. This is what the priest did. Leviticus chapter 16, verse 14. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side. In the front of the mercy seat, he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

You remember from our study of Revelation that seven is the perfect number of completion. And then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring his blood inside. Take an innocent animal and slay it who didn't deserve to die and bring that blood, you see, in as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of the meeting which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness. So they loved the ark because it was the purity of God and it reminded them that they were set apart under God. And they loved that ark because it was the meeting place of God and man, the very presence of God. But they loved that ark because it was the place where God enabled peace with his people, forgiveness of their sins, atonement, at least for another year their sins are covered and God would not abandon them. Peace is possible only at that ark.

Of course they loved it. And then it should be mentioned finally that everyone knew that this ark represented the power and glory of God. The people understood that because the ark was the presence of God, that the purity of the most high of God, that it had a great impact.

Not that it was itself in any way magical, not that it was in itself as a piece of furniture or something that had its own inherent mystical power, but associated with it was the very power of God. So we read it Numbers 10 35, whenever the ark set out, Moses said, arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered and let those who hate you flee before you. They'd carry that ark with them. They carried it when they stepped into the Jordan River and they put their foot in and then the waters parted as they had the ark. And they carried that ark on its poles around Jericho's thick walls for seven days in a row. And then on the seventh day, they walked around seven times carrying the ark. All the soldiers of Jericho are looking down at this strange golden chest with golden cherubim.

When they shouted, the walls came down. There was a reputation that developed about the ark of the covenant. The enemies of God feared it because God allowed His power to be manifest at the ark. The purity of God and the presence of God and the peace of God and the power of God were all symbolized in this holy artifact, the ark of the covenant. And they loved that ark.

And that's why it's so astounding that Jeremiah would say what he said. Maybe you remember when David became king, more than anything, what he wanted was to get that ark back. 2 Samuel 6 12 told King David the Lord had blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him because the ark of God. So some guy named Obed-Edom had been keeping the ark of the covenant at his house and he's getting rich and staying healthy and living long. And David finally, after all the years of persecution and running for his life, he finally is coming into Jerusalem to take his throne.

And the first thing he wants to do is bring in the ark. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with rejoicing. He had sent 30,000 people to go get it.

Sent 30,000 soldiers to go bring it in. Hallelujah. And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the Lord with all his might. So every six steps they'd stop and have another worship service as they're bringing the ark back into Jerusalem. And they brought, verse 15, all the house of Israel, brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the Lord. David was a shepherd after God's own heart.

And he wanted God's purity and presence and power and peace. That's how important the ark of the covenant was. And Jeremiah was saying to the people who were under the thumb of Babylon, he was saying to people who were mourning the loss of everything that they knew dear, people who would be exiled, people who would experience the ultimate tragedy in their minds that the temple, the temple, the meeting place of God and man would be destroyed. Solomon's temple overrun as Jerusalem is sacked and they destroyed that holy temple. And then who knows what with the ark, stole it away to some treasure trove of Nebuchadnezzar, never to be seen again. These people who had lost everything, who didn't know which way to turn and these people who would go about saying to one another, oh, if we could just have the temple, oh, if we could just go back home, oh, if we just had the ark of the covenant again. And the Lord gives Jeremiah this word, speak to the people, the time is coming in which you won't even mention it. The time is coming in which people will speak of it no more and it will not be remade. Wow. You see how shocking it is. Do not despair. He is saying the secret is not in the ark, something better is coming.

There's a time in which nobody will be saying, oh, if we could just have it. And I like to think of Pentecost day when the believers were gathered in Jerusalem and suddenly like a mighty roaring wind, the Holy Spirit began rushing upon every believer and they were dancing and falling and laughing and trembling under tongues of fire. And the young and the old began to prophesy in the power of the Holy Spirit. And people were speaking out the good news in languages that they did not know. And they were so full of the Holy Spirit that others that were watching thought they were drunk.

They were hardly able to stand up under the glorious presence of God. And I think of what all they might have been saying on that day. I think that you do what drunk people do. You hug people.

You laugh with people. And you say, can you even believe this is happening? And you say, oh, isn't this good? Oh, isn't the presence of God good?

Isn't this wonderful? Jesus is here just like he promised. Oh, we are experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.

What God's going to do from this time forward is just amazing. Oh, look at that person. They were just healed.

Oh, look over there. John's prophesying. I never imagined that day. Look at this. That person who has been lying and now suddenly they would be saying all kinds of things on Pentecost Day. But let me tell you one thing they weren't saying. Nobody was saying, if only we had that ark.

Why? Because the purity and presence and peace and power of God had come, not just for a high priest behind a veil, but for every single person. So that's why I would say Jesus is the true raider of the lost ark because he came, we don't need the ark anymore. He is more ark than the ark could ever be. He is your purity. You've become his righteousness. He is your peace. There's one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, who has made our peace. And we have peace in him, peace that passes all understanding, forgiveness with God. He is the very presence of God. The word became flesh and his Spirit dwells within you.

He is the power, the very Spirit of Jesus, the dunamis of God, the resurrection power of God is with you. So that's why, other than a movie, we don't talk about the ark anymore. And that's the gospel. Alan Wright, today's Good News message, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It's from our series, Remade. And stick with us, Pastor Alan is back here in the studio sharing a parting Good News thought for the day for you in just a moment. Maybe you're like many Christians in America today. You're stunned by how fast a nation's culture has turned away from God. The values of our country have changed. Suddenly, most people don't go to church or have a biblical worldview.

It can make you feel like an alien in your own culture. There's a lot to learn from Daniel when he was exiled to the pagan land of Babylon. Through our special offer this month, you can learn to live under the favor of God in an alien culture the way Daniel did. When you give before the end of the month, we'll send you Pastor Alan's audio series, Daniel, A Favored Foreigner.

You may feel like a stranger in this world, but as God showed favor to Daniel in his foreign land, God's grace is upon you as well. Your donation will not only help you navigate through these troubling times, but it will also help someone else. Thanks for your partnership with Alan Wright Ministries. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Back here in the studio sharing Pastor Alan's parting Good News thought for the day and the overwhelmingly good news that he is with us wherever we are. But can you imagine if we still had to deal with the ark today with all of our technology advances? We'd probably mess that up some.

We probably would. And there would be fights over the ark still. And so the Old Testament is full of what the New Testament calls shadows and types. So what was God doing? God was in the landscape of real history.

He was progressively revealing his redemptive plan, progressively revealing himself. So we learned a lot from that ark that symbolized the peace and the power and the presence of God. But we don't talk about that ark anymore other than Indiana Jones. We don't talk about that ark because the new has come. And every single believer, every listener under the sound of my voice right now, you have something better than the ark of the covenant. You have the very power and presence of God in you, the indwelling presence of Christ himself.

So that makes Jesus really ultimately your raider of the lost ark. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at PastorAlan.org or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. If you only caught part of today's teaching, not only can you listen again online, but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free. Find out more about these and other resources at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries.