Extraordinary Home

Good morning, everyone.

My name is James.

Nice to see you all today.

If I was to ask you to picture home in your mind,

what would you imagine?

Do that for me.

What does home look like?

Is it noisy people around a dinner table?

Is it time talking over food and talking over tea and coffee?

Is it the warm embrace of a loved one?

Is it being with the people you know and love,

who know and love you and you know and love them?

Is it being in the place where you feel comforted and supported and cared for?

Now, this might be a really loving picture for some of us.

This might be something that happens quite often

that we actually need to be more thankful to God for.

But for others, that kind of picture of home

is almost impossible to achieve.

A family might be overseas or in another state

and with COVID and lockdowns,

to see family is incredibly difficult.

Maybe we've lost family members

or maybe we have broken relationship with our family.

This picture of home might actually be just cold

and lonely and difficult.

You may long for home because you've moved around so much

that you just don't know where home is.

Maybe you live far away from your family

and long to live near them.

You may long for family that you'd want to be near.

Because some people live with a longing for a home

in which they feel safe and loved.

We all have a longing for home inside of us.

To be known and loved, to have deep relationships.

And we can do a lot of things to try and get that image

or to keep that image safe.

Each of us have a longing for home inside of us.

And this is only found

when we get to the home that we were made for.

We are in a series at the moment,

going through the book of Exodus,

called Ordinary People, Extraordinary God.

And we've seen so far in this series

that God has taken a people,

taken them out of Egypt,

saved them out of Egypt with plagues,

with a miracle at the Red Sea,

parting the sea so they could get through it.

He's taken the people to Mount Sinai.

God has made a covenant,

a long-lasting relationship with his people.

He's given them laws,

and now God is going to make a home with these people.

The challenge for us will be today

is to think about where our home is.

Because God offers us his home,

a place of love and safety and comfort.

And the question will be,

will we journey to that home?

So as we get into Exodus 25

and a couple of chapters after that,

let me pray for us.

Heavenly Father,

as we look at this picture of home today,

help us to long for the home

you are preparing for us, Lord.

Amen.

Let's see two points today.

First of all, we're going to see the map

that points to home,

and then how we journey to this home.

You can be following along in the St. Paul's app.

Let me encourage you to be taking notes there on paper.

Write them on your hand and up your arm if you need to.

First of all, Exodus 25 from verse 8.

Then have them make a sanctuary for me,

and I will dwell among them.

Now, this is actually quite amazing.

The God of the universe,

the God who is everywhere,

knows everything,

knows the beat of every single heart,

who made the smallest ant

and made one of my favorite creatures,

the giant sea squid.

This wonderful God

is going to make his home

with a group of people.

And this is reminiscent of a marriage relationship.

In the last couple of weeks,

we've seen God take his people to Mount Sinai

and make a covenant with them,

make a relationship,

just like a marriage.

And now he's moving in with them.

He's going to be with them wherever they are.

And God instructs them to build this tent,

a tabernacle,

so he can travel with them.

This is the first flat pack,

IKEA-style building.

It's designed to be set up,

packed down,

set up as they move around.

And to understand this fully,

we need to go back to the Garden of Eden.

In the Garden of Eden,

God placed man and woman in the garden,

in the first home.

It was a place of provision and safety and rest,

a place where God was with them in their home

and they were known and loved.

But the humans,

we rejected this home and got exiled.

And now as we see that the tabernacle get built,

it is like a map showing the way back to that home.

And so it's full of pictures and images and Easter eggs

pointing back to the Garden of Eden,

leading us to the home.

And so God lists,

we'll go through a couple of these

to show it how it points back

and then points forward.

Firstly,

there's a list of precious stones

that are required

for the building of the tabernacle.

And the list starts with gold

and ends in onyx.

It's very similar in Genesis

with the description of the earth.

It had good gold

and it had onyx.

In chapter 25,

verse 31 to 39,

it describes the construction of the lampstand.

It has buds and blossoms.

This lampstand was designed to look like a tree.

It's an echo of the tree of life

that was found in the Garden of Eden.

When God made the world in Genesis,

he repeats a phrase,

there's a repeated phrase,

comes up seven times.

God said,

let there be light

or let there be something.

It's repeated seven times.

And now here in Exodus,

there's another phrase

repeated seven times.

The Lord said to Moses,

build this.

It's the same imagery.

The building of the tabernacle

is like the building

of our first home

in the Garden of Eden.

And the biggest,

the most important part of this

is that this is where God would dwell.

God was there in the Garden of Eden.

God is going to make his home

here in the tabernacle.

This tabernacle is built

with rings and poles

so it could be carried around

and moved with Israel

and then rebuilt

and packed down.

So,

this tabernacle

is a new home

for God with his people.

It points back to

humanity's first home,

but it also gives us

a road map

to our final home.

And there's

some pieces of furniture

that we're going to see here.

The first three

point

to what makes this

a really great home.

So,

have a look with me.

We're going to have a look

at furniture.

I'm not sure if you've,

you know,

come to church thinking,

I really need to spend some time

thinking about furniture.

That's,

that's what we've got here

in Exodus 25

and it actually gives us

a wonderful picture of home.

So,

let's have a look at this.

First,

we see the ark

in chapter 25

where we see

that we live under God's reign.

From verse 10,

have them make an ark

of acacia wood

two and a half cubits long,

a cubit and a half wide

and a cubit and a half high.

Overlay it with gold,

pure gold,

both inside and out

and make a gold

moulding around it.

The picture of this ark here,

I don't know if you've seen

Indiana Jones

and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

recently,

I know I have.

The picture of the ark here

is,

it has the same size

and dimensions

as an ancient king's

footstool.

What would happen is,

ancient kings

would have their throne,

they would have their throne

and they would go

and sit on their throne

when they were

bringing judgments.

You know,

it was the day

for court cases

to come before them,

the king would make judgments

on the world

and so they would have a throne

and in front of the throne

they would have a footstool.

Okay?

So the footstool

and the throne

go together

as the place of judgment

and the picture of the ark here

is that it is

that very footstool.

Israel doesn't have

a human king.

Israel has a theocracy,

a God king

and God is in the heavens,

seated in the heavens

and here

with the people

is his footstool.

Sitting in the heavens

his feet are on the earth

and this is where he rules.

God put something

in his footstool.

Verse 16.

Then put in the ark

the tablets of the covenant law

which I will give you.

God is going to rule his people

through the Ten Commandments

and that symbolizes

the entire law.

The ark is the place

that God will rule

over his people.

At the Garden of Eden

that was when Adam and Eve

chose to reject God

and get exiled

from their home

but here

God is going to rule

directly over his people

again.

And so the picture

at this point is

it's a golden

empty box

that's going to have

the tablets in it.

I love the amount of gold

that gets used here.

It's just a wonderful

amount of gold

showing how valuable

each of these pieces are

because it points back

to the awesome God

that we have.

But we've got

a golden box

and God also describes

the cover

that's made for it.

It's called

an atonement cover.

It's the lid

that goes on the box

on top of the stone tablets.

Now this piece of furniture

just like the rest

has really rich

symbolic imagery.

It's not just a lid.

It's not just a box

needs a lid.

What kind of hinge

does it have?

It's not that kind of thing.

It's really significant

that the stone tablets

that have the law

that they are being covered

because the penalty

of breaking the law

is death.

The penalty

that comes from

disobeying God

is being covered.

It is if

the phrase in English

it is if

God is

covering the cost

of his people's sin.

And so at the seat

of his power

where his footstool

is on earth

God is going to

rule over his people

and bring justice

but also

with the atonement cover

he brings

mercy.

Even at this stage

God's people need

their sins

covered over.

Not covered up

but covered over.

And God is indicating

that there is going

to be someone

who will cover

the cost

of the people's sin.

That's the first

piece of furniture

for us.

The second piece

of furniture

is a table

where there will be food

because home

is where we eat

food with God.

I can't think

of a person's house

that I've ever been into

that didn't have

a dining table.

I think if I came

into every one

of your houses

I would find

a dining table.

Would this be correct?

Does anybody

not have a dining table?

You don't have

a dining table?

You don't have

a dining table?

It's too small?

Okay.

My heart breaks

for you.

We'll get you

in a milk crate

and a tiny

dining table.

So what does this

say about our houses?

You know

I don't want to

pick on one person

in particular.

Maybe it says

I don't want

to have fellowship.

I know of

no I'm not saying

that about you at all.

A minister I used

to work with

he had five kids

large family

that had a large

dining table.

They got rid of that.

I actually have

that dining table now

and they got a new

dining table

so they could have

lots of people

at their house

because they wanted

to feast with people.

They wanted to

open their home.

They wanted to do

food with other people

because that is what

home so often is.

Home and dining table

are so central

to family

and it's true

of God's home here.

A table is made

verse 23

make a table

of acacia wood

two cubits long

a cubit wide

and a cubit

and a half high

and on this table

a meal gets served.

Verse 30

put the bread

of the presence

on this table

to be before me

at all times.

Now the bread

isn't here

because God gets hungry.

God doesn't need it.

In Leviticus

we are told

that the bread

of the presence

was 12 loaves

of bread.

Two rows of six.

12 being a very

symbolic number

for Israel

because there was

12 tribes.

So this is a picture

of all of the people

of Israel

being able to eat

food with God.

In God's home

where he rules

where he shows

justice and mercy

he's also got food

for his people.

He has a home

a family for them.

It's a wonderful picture

of a meal

in the presence

of God

because this

this is the point

of knowing Jesus.

This is the point

of Christianity.

We don't become

Christians just

to not go to hell

or just to

live forever.

The joy

of being a Christian

is that we get

invited to the

best table

in town.

We get to

share a meal

with God himself.

It's what we long

for.

The third piece

of furniture

here is a lampstand.

It was designed

to look like

the tree of life

but it also

provides light.

It's this really

warm,

lovely image

that it's a

brightly lit,

warm,

welcoming home

to have a meal

with God.

It is a lamp.

It's a place

of light

and life.

Once this

tabernacle

is built,

the table,

the lampstand,

to be in it.

God's home

is open

for mercy

at the ark

and for fellowship

with him,

with the table,

with the light.

It's a wonderful

picture

of home.

And these pieces

of furniture

which might just

look like really

expensive pieces

of furniture

but they are

actually all

signposts

to our home.

They reflect

where our home

was in the garden

and they show

us the way

back

because they

all point

to Jesus.

John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1,

the word

became flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

Jesus came

and dwelt

with us.

Dwelt

is the same

word as

tabernacle.

So John

literally says

Jesus came

and tabernacled.

Jesus came

camping

with us.

He is our

home

and he

is the

way

home.

God

made

his home

among us

in the

person of

Jesus

so he

could bring

us home.

If the

ark is

where God

reached down

and touched

the earth,

Jesus is

the full

embodiment

of that.

The ark

was the

place that

we come

under God's

rule.

Jesus

is the

true ark

because he

is the

place,

he is the

king who

rules right

now.

Jesus

is the

atonement

cover over

the stone

tablets.

He is

that cover

because in

his death

he says

to us,

I will

cover your

sin.

Jesus

is the

true bread.

He said

in John

6 that

I am

the bread

of life.

Whoever

comes to

me will

never be

hungry.

He is

the bread

who we

celebrate

in the

Lord's

Supper

that we

get to

come into

God's

presence

because of

Jesus.

He is

the true

lamp.

Jesus

again said

in John

8,

I am

the light

of the

world.

He is

the light

so we

can see

the path

forward.

We can

see our

way to

God

because

Jesus

has opened

our eyes.

We all

have a

longing for

home and

that is

met for

us in

Jesus.

He is

our true

home.

Every

longing we

have for

home is

met in

him.

All

these

sign

posts of

the

furniture

and the

tabernacle

are pointing

to

Jesus.

One

of the

early

church

fathers,

Augustine,

said,

our hearts

are restless

until they

find their

rest in

him.

This

picture is

of the

tabernacle.

It's a

picture of

home.

But it

is not

home.

It was a

map.

It's a

map and a

promise to

a home.

So our

second point

is that

we need

to journey

to this

home.

Because

unfortunately

we are

blocked

from enjoying

home with

God because

of our

sin.

And this

is built

into the

furniture of

the tabernacle

as well.

From

chapter 26,

go and have

a look at

chapter 26

of Exodus

with me.

Verse 31.

At first

glance we

could think

this sounds

lovely.

Purples and

blue, royal

colours, cherubim,

angels.

This is a

delightful image

for God's

tabernacle.

But we of

course need to

remind ourselves

this is another

one of those

Easter egg

images that

takes us

back to

Genesis.

In the

exile, when

God exiled

us from

our home,

when he

kicked us

out of

the garden

of Eden,

he put a

cherubim

blocking the

way back

into the

garden with

a flaming

sword flashing

back and

forth so we

couldn't get

back in.

Here again,

God has

placed a

cherubim so

that we

can't enter

in.

The cherubim

is still

blocking the

way back

to God.

Not only

that, the

last piece

of furniture

we'll look

at today

also points

this out.

It's an

altar, described

in chapter

27 from

verse 1.

Build an

altar of

acacia wood,

three cubits

high.

It's to be

square, five

cubits long

and five

cubits wide.

This is the

largest of the

pieces of

furniture so

far.

The altar

is here

because it's

the solution

to getting

back home.

The altar

is where

the sacrifices

were placed.

It's where

the way back

to God

is now

because of

the blood

of a

sacrifice.

There is

so much

imagery

represented

here in

this picture

of God's

home.

God's home

starts with

a courtyard

and as

a Jewish

person would

come in

they would

have

encountered

the altar

first.

It dominated

the way

back home.

It blocks

the way

into God's

presence.

It blocks

it not just

physically,

not as a

large piece

of furniture

but symbolically.

We deserve

to die

for our

sins.

I deserve

to be excluded

from God's

presence because

I continue to

rebel against

him and reject

him.

But a

sacrifice.

An animal

on that

altar is

placed and

it dies.

And this

would have

happened

hundreds upon

hundreds of

times.

But they

are just

pointers to

God's

solution to

our sin.

Ali is

going to put

an image on

the screen

in a moment.

It's from

the classic

tale A

Christmas

Carol by

Charles

Dickens.

There we

go.

Of a

grumpy

old man

Scrooge

who's

visited

by three

different

ghosts

to

reconsider

his

life's

actions.

And there's

this one

point in

the story

where he's

on the

outside

and he's

looking in

to this

family celebration.

It's warm,

there's joy,

you can imagine

a family meal

in this kind

of way,

but Scrooge

is on the

outside because

of his life's

decisions.

This picture

is us

without

Jesus.

Standing on

the outside

of the

tabernacle

with this

wonderful

picture of

family and

home with

God.

The meal is

laid out,

there is

bright lights,

but we are

stuck on the

outside of

home with

God.

The altar

blocking the

way,

requiring

blood.

The curtain

preventing us

with relationship

with God,

stuck just

outside of

it,

so close

and yet

so far.

Thanks,

Allie.

Jesus would

change this.

On the

night before

Jesus died,

he said in

John 14,

my father's

house has

many rooms.

If that were

not so,

would I have

told you that

I'm going

there to

prepare a

place for

you?

Jesus was

going to

get home

ready for

us.

Jesus is

the sacrifice

on that

altar,

the sacrifice

to end

all

sacrifices.

And when

he's dying

on the

cross,

listen to

what happens

from Matthew

27.

When Jesus

had cried

out again

in a loud

voice,

he gave

up his

spirit.

At that

moment,

the curtain

of the

temple was

torn in

two from

top to

bottom.

As Jesus

died,

the furniture

of the

tabernacle,

now the

temple in

this situation,

the furniture

is radically

changed.

God,

Jesus in

his death

throws to

one side

the altar.

He has

dealt with

that the

curtain is

torn open

and we

can now

get access

to God.

Home with

God is

now open.

If you

are far

from God,

longing for

him,

come home to

him today.

The light is

on,

God is

there,

the meal is

laid out.

God calls

us to come

home,

to fellowship

with him,

to eat with

him.

And if

you feel

far from

him,

don't let

the feelings

shout louder

than what

hangs above

the home.

It says,

welcome

home.

The

furniture,

the way

the tabernacle

was built

points to

our true

home with

God.

We all

have a

longing for

home inside

of us.

Even when

we are home,

surrounded by

people,

we can still

feel homesick.

homesick.

Why are we

still homesick?

Why can we

be longing

for something

when we have

everything?

What about

if I was to

chase the

ideal dream,

I'm going to

chase the

house,

and the

husband or

the wife,

and the

pet,

and the

children,

and the

fireplace,

and I've

got everything.

Why do I

still feel

like something

is missing?

There's still

a longing for

something else.

God has

placed a

longing for

home inside

all of us,

and that's

only satisfied

in our

heavenly home.

The

tabernacle

points to

it.

Jesus would

rip the

doors off

their hinges

so we

could get

into this

home.

Don't risk

chasing

anything else

this side

of that

home,

because this

side of

heaven,

we can't

be home.

We are

foreigners

in a distant

land,

all of us.

And so

when we

lift our

eyes to

our true

home in

heaven,

and long

for home,

we grow in

faith,

we grow in

trust with

God,

each step

of the way

when we

realise that

what we have

now is just

temporary,

what we'll

have with

God will be

permanent

forever.

I heard a

story about

Americans

living overseas,

and at

Thanksgiving time,

one of the

largest of

their celebrations,

they would

come together

and cook

the bird

that was

closest to

a turkey

to celebrate.

Now,

I don't

really understand

this,

I've never

had a turkey

that was

any good.

I had some

North Americans

this morning

say,

well,

you've never

had it

cooked right,

we'll cook

it right

for you.

Look,

I'll try

it.

Maybe that

sense of

home is

finding a

particular type

of food from

the region

where you

grew up in.

My

grandmother

used to cook

Yorkshire

puddings

with a

Sunday

roast

with gravy

and there's

just something

about that

meal that

calls to

home.

So I

love it

when my

wife makes

it,

it's

wonderful.

The reality

is that

for us,

we are

not home,

we are

exiles,

we are

foreigners

here.

And God

came camping,

he came

tabernacling

with us,

temporarily

pointing us

to home.

He camped

with us,

he was with

us in the

tabernacle,

he was

with us

in Jesus

and he

is calling

us home

because this

is not

our home.

This is

not final.

This is

just temporary

and we can

easily get

distracted

thinking that

the temporary

is the

permanent

but it

is not.

This is

just temporary.

Far better

to live

knowing

that what

we have

right now

is just

for a

season

but we

are expats,

we are

foreigners

waiting

to go

home.

And that's

what we

do when

we gather.

We celebrate

the God

that is

calling us

home.

We celebrate

that we

are not

home yet.

So let me

encourage you,

sign up

to have a

meal with

people next

week.

That we can

celebrate

with people

that God

is calling

us to

a home.

We can

do that

just like

the Americans

do with

Thanksgiving

but a far

better meal

because it's

anything other

than turkey.

Sign up

to be

in a

community

group,

to be

journeying

with brothers

and sisters

every week,

reminding

ourselves that

we are not

home here.

We are

together,

exiles in a

foreign land,

waiting until

we get home.

Let me pray

for us.

Heavenly

Father,

I thank you

that you

have come

and dwelt

with us,

first of all

in the

garden,

then in

the

tabernacle.

Lord,

thank you

so much

that you

were with

us when

Jesus came

and dwelt

with us.

Father,

I thank you

so much

that Jesus

has now

gone to

be with

you,

to rip

those doors

off the

hinges so

that we

can be

with you,

so that we

can enter

into your

presence,

that we

can have

home with

you.

Lord,

lift our

eyes to

that home.

Help us

to long

for that

home and

not for

the temporary

things of

this world,

Lord.

Pray this

in your

son's

name of

your

glory.

Amen.

Isn't it

wonderful we

have a