God's Presence with His People

Go ahead and be seated.

Would you turn with me to Exodus chapter 25?

Exodus 25 · chapter mention

That's page 65 in the Pew Bible.

Exodus chapter 25.

Exodus 25 · chapter mention

As we've been journeying through the book of Exodus this year,

we've seen that it roughly falls into three sections, if you'll remember.

First, in the opening chapters, we've seen that God is a God who saves.

In Exodus, God powerfully rescues His people from slavery in Egypt.

Those are all the famous bits in the beginning of the book.

Second, we've seen that God is a God who speaks.

At Mount Sinai, after the Exodus from Egypt,

God reveals Himself to His people in words,

making a covenant relationship with them,

instructing them in His ways and His laws.

God speaks.

And today, we come to the third and the last section of the book.

In chapters 25 through to the end, chapter 40,

we see that God is a God who not only saves and speaks,

but who dwells in the midst of His people.

And of the remaining 16 chapters in the book,

13 of them are taken up with descriptions of the place,

of the structure where God will do just that.

And that structure is what we call the tabernacle.

So let's pick up the story in chapter 25, verse 1,

and we're going to read through verse 9 to get us started this morning.

Chapter 25, verses 1 through 9.

Let me read this for us.

The Lord said to Moses,

Speak to the people of Israel,

that they take from me a contribution.

From every man whose heart moves him,

you shall receive the contribution from me.

And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them,

gold, silver, and bronze,

blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen,

goat's hair,

tanned ram skins, goat skins,

acacia wood,

oil for the lamps,

spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,

onyx stones and stones for setting,

for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

And let them make me a sanctuary,

that I may dwell in their midst.

Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle

and of all its furniture,

so you shall make it.

And for the next seven chapters,

seven chapters,

God shows Moses the plans for how to build this tabernacle,

which is literally just the word for tent in Hebrew.

This tent where God will dwell in the midst of his people.

If you look in your bulletin,

there's an illustration of what the plans might have looked like.

Now I say might have looked like,

because we're not exactly sure of all the sort of finer details

of how the sort of little pieces might have gone together.

How exactly did they hang those curtains

or spread the goat skins over top of the tent?

We don't know exactly for sure,

but this is a pretty good sketch of the main details that we can tell.

If you're interested in a more detailed representation,

we have some of these handouts in the back

that kind of fold out.

You know things are getting serious in your Bible study

when you've got a chart this big, right?

Look at that.

There they are.

Go get them.

Also, you know,

if you have a good study Bible,

like the ESV study Bible or the NIV study Bible,

it will also have some really good illustrations

of what the tabernacle might have looked like.

We have some ESV study Bibles downstairs on the bookstall.

If you're interested in picking one of those up,

I would highly recommend it.

But now, okay,

with that overall picture in your mind,

there you see it there,

that sort of portable worship site

that was the tabernacle that God told them to build.

With that overall picture in mind,

come back to the text of Exodus.

And I want to just skim really quickly

through chapters 21 through 30,

25 through 31,

skim really quickly through those chapters with me,

looking at the ESV section headings in bold.

And what you'll notice is that the plans

that God gives to Moses move roughly from the inside out.

It starts with the ark in the innermost part of the tabernacle,

the most holy place,

the holy of holies.

And then we come to the table for bread

and the golden lamp stand,

which would be not in the most holy place,

but in what's called the holy place,

in that first room of the tent or tabernacle proper.

Then you'll see that there's a description of the tabernacle,

the tent itself,

and how to put it all together.

Then in chapter 27,

we're out into the courtyard at the bronze altar.

Then there comes the court wall

that hangs around the perimeter of the whole area.

And with that set up,

in chapters 28 and 29,

there's a description of the priests,

what their clothes should look like as they ministered,

and the ceremonies for consecrating them to the priesthood.

Pastor Matt will actually cover those two chapters

on the priesthood next week.

And then in chapters 30 and 31,

the plans are concluded.

The altar of incense is described there.

Now, even though that would be located in the holy place,

the first room of the tabernacle,

it's described right after the priest

because one of the priest's main jobs

was to keep the incense burning on that altar.

Then we have some more details

about the collection of the tabernacle,

the bronze basin where the priest would wash,

the special oil and incense that they used.

And finally, God tells them

that he's actually gonna raise some people up

to perform the skilled work

for building such an elaborate structure.

So there are sort of the plans that God lays out.

Now, rather than go into minute detail for each component

and preach like a 13-part series on the tabernacle,

speculating what exactly those seven lights

really meant on the lampstand,

I wanna do something else this morning.

I wanna try to take us on an overview tour

of the tabernacle and try to get the big picture.

God gives Moses these detailed plans

for how it's supposed to be built.

He actually charges Moses multiple times in this section

to build it exactly as he's been shown.

But what do we learn as we study these plans?

Clearly, it's important.

The book of Exodus gives a lot of space to describing it,

but what are we to make of it?

What's the significance?

And what I wanna do on this overview tour,

I wanna take this overview tour

in roughly the order that it's presented to us

here in Exodus, starting in the very center,

starting in the inner room of the tabernacle,

the Holy of Holies, and then moving out from there.

And when we do that, here's what we're gonna see.

We're gonna see that the tabernacle

is more than just a portable worship center

for nomadic people.

The tabernacle was actually a sign,

a physical, material illustration

of God's redemption.

In fact, if we can get the big idea of the tabernacle,

we'll really see the story,

the whole story of the Bible.

And therefore, we'll see the true story of the world

and the most important story for our lives.

So we're gonna take this tour in three steps

according to the three sections of the tabernacle

as they're roughly laid out for us

in Exodus 25 through 31.

We'll begin in the most holy place,

move out,

and then out to the courtyard in the third step.

So first, step inside with me.

Come into the most holy place.

And there, in a room where the dimensions

were a perfect cube,

when you read the description,

as wide and long and the same height,

you'll see what's called the Ark of the Covenant

or the Ark of the Testimony.

And it's essentially a rectangular box

covered in gold.

And it's called the Ark of the Testimony

or Ark of the Covenant

because inside were going to be kept

the two copies of the law

that God himself would write out

with his own finger

on tablets of stone.

And on top of the Ark

is a cover called the Mercy Seat

with two cherubim,

two awesome heavenly beings

sculpted on top

with their wings extended out

and their faces down in reverence.

And they're facing down in reverence

because this is the place,

this is the very spot

where the Creator,

the Lord Almighty,

will show up

in the midst of his people.

Look at verse 22 of chapter 25

at the end of the description of the Ark.

Verse 22 says,

There I will meet with you.

And from above the Mercy Seat,

from between the two cherubim

that are in the Ark of the Testimony,

I will speak with you

about all that I will give you

in commandment for the people of Israel.

So you see,

the most holy place,

this inner part of the tabernacle,

is meant to represent

the very throne room

of God the King.

In chapter 26,

we learn that

stitched into the curtains

that make the walls

would be more representations

of cherubim,

of mighty angelic beings,

as if to say

that here

is heaven,

the dwelling of God,

touching down on earth.

Now God himself,

of course,

could not be represented

by an image.

There was no statue

in there of God,

of the Lord.

But we're told

that his presence

would fill that place.

And the Ark

would be like his footstool

with the law at his feet

and the angels

bowing in worship

beneath him.

Friends,

imagine a point

on earth

where the infinite

touches down

to the finite.

Where God,

at long last,

shows up on earth

and right in the midst

of his people

in order to be known

and in order to be worshipped

and adored as king

so that creatures

might at long last

know their creator.

Did you know

that that's how

Jesus described

eternal life?

In John 17,

3,

Jesus says,

and this is eternal life,

to know you,

the only true God

and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent.

and can't you feel

the awe

of this most holy place?

The reverence

of standing

in God's presence,

the wonder of it,

the way it was constructed,

some of the scholars

speculate

that if you were

to step in,

it would have just been

blazing with gold.

I think many people

outside the church

are hungry

for awe

and for wonder

and for reverence,

for something bigger

and more substantial

than ourselves,

for something transcendent.

And unfortunately,

we're looking for that

in mere substitutes

for the real thing.

We're trying to find awe,

we're trying to find wonder

in created things

when really it's our creator

that we were made for.

We were made

to be in awe of God

and we put so much weight

onto created things,

weight that they cannot bear

and then when they break,

we wonder why we're

so disappointed.

We wonder why we become

so jaded

and so cynical.

But the tabernacle

was the place

where God came down

to reclaim his creation,

to set up his throne,

and to be known

and loved

in awe

by his people again.

But our tour continues.

From the Ark of the Covenant

and the inner room,

the most holy place,

we move out

into the sort of next room,

the outer room

of the tabernacle

called

just the holy place.

And here in this first room

where the priests

would come regularly,

you see three pieces

of golden furniture.

On the south side

of the room,

there's a lamp stand

with seven arms

and seven lights.

And on the north side

of the room,

there's a table set

with twelve loaves of bread

and two stacks.

And then in front of the veil

that divides that holy place

from the most holy place

facing west,

smoke is rising

from the altar

of incense,

filling the room

with a sweet,

rich smell.

Now notice

the basic symbolism

of these three pieces.

It's pretty straightforward,

actually.

In the lamp stand,

we have God's light

shining forth onto us.

And at the altar of incense,

we have represented

the prayers of the people

going up to God.

Again and again in Scripture,

incense is sort of

a representation of prayer,

of our communion up with God.

And at the table of bread,

of course,

we have a meal of fellowship.

So in this room,

we have what?

We have the communion,

the intimacy

of God with his people.

Have you ever come home

after someone has

baked bread in the oven?

Unless you're severely

gluten intolerant,

that's like really good news,

right?

That sweet smell

hits your nose,

that kind of yeasty,

sweet smell,

and there's a warmth

about it.

Or maybe you've come home

and there's a candle burning.

Hopefully it was your roommate

or your spouse

or something who lit it

and it wasn't you

who sort of left it burning

all day while you were at work.

But it's giving off

that deep,

rich fragrance

that sort of hits you

when you walk in.

And maybe those scents

and those experiences

remind you

of home

and of fellowship

and of relationship

and of love.

And you see,

that's what's happening

in the holy place

of the tabernacle.

The bread is laid out

and the incense is burning

and the lights are on.

And all of it speaks

of fellowship,

of communion,

of intimacy

with God.

Look with me

at Exodus chapter 29,

Exodus 29:45

verse 45.

A couple chapters ahead,

this verse is actually found

at the end of the description

of the priest's ordination,

but it's sort of

a summary verse

of this tabernacle section

in many ways.

You know,

if you want to ask the question,

why did God redeem

his people from Egypt?

Why did he display

his power

and part the Red Sea

and free his people?

At the end of Exodus 29,

God gives one answer to that.

He's describing

what will happen

at the tabernacle

in verse 45.

He says,

I will dwell

among the people of Israel

and will be their God

and they shall know

that I am the Lord

their God

who brought them

out of the land of Egypt

that I might dwell

among them.

I am the Lord

their God.

In other words,

God says,

I brought them

out of the land

of Egypt

so that I might dwell

among them.

what a stunning truth.

One of the great ends

of redemption

is God dwelling

in our midst.

God desires to be known

by his people

and not just known,

God desires to live

right in the middle of them,

to be identified with them

and to be their God.

You know,

if we are a culture

that's hungry for awe,

I think we're a people

that are starved

for real intimacy,

to be known

and to be loved.

And here,

the creator

of all things

seen and unseen

is saying

to his people,

I'll set a table

for you.

Let's sit and eat

and my light

will go forth

and your prayers

will come up

and I'll be with you.

Amen.

Can you imagine

what your life

would be like

if you really had

that sort of intimacy

with God?

That sort of communion

with God?

Wouldn't your disappointments

in this life

be a lot less devastating?

You know,

because even if

some good thing

kept slipping

out of your grasp,

the career

or the family

or the reputation

that you long for,

even if those things

kept on being

a perpetual disappointment

for you,

you could still

have confidence

that the greatest

good,

God himself,

was yours

now

and forever.

And not having

or getting

or accomplishing

those things,

whatever they are,

that could never

crush you

because you

have something better

by far,

intimacy,

fellowship

with God.

And on the flip side,

wouldn't your triumphs

and your successes

in this life

be so much less prone

to make you proud?

Isn't it easy

when things are going

our way in life

to sort of elevate

ourselves,

to compare ourselves

to others?

I've got it together

so much more

than that schmuck

over there.

And yet,

if God

were your greatest good,

if you walked

in a rich communion

with him,

wouldn't that

keep you

from puffing

yourself up

in those prideful

ways?

Because then you

know that what

really matters

isn't who's winning

or losing

according to some

worldly standard.

What really matters

is knowing God.

It's really only

intimacy with him,

a rich fellowship

with God,

walking in his ways,

pleasing him,

bringing others along

to do the same.

That's what matters.

Man,

if you really

knew the kind

of intimacy

with God

that the tabernacle

is talking about,

that's the only thing

that will protect you

spiritually

from your disappointments

and your achievements.

It will keep you

from an overly

devastated self

on the one hand

and an overly

elevated self

on the other.

And the holy place

of the tabernacle,

the bread on the table,

the light on the lampstand,

the altar burning.

Speaking of just that,

of intimacy with God.

But there's one more place

we have to visit

on our tour.

There's one more section

that we have to see.

God's plans

for the tabernacle

include not just

the tabernacle proper

with those two rooms,

the most holy place

and the holy place.

there's also

the courtyard.

Now imagine

stepping out

through that curtain door

out of the tent,

out of the holy place

into the courtyard.

The sun

hits your eyes,

the dust

is rising up

from the ground

and the first thing

you probably see

is this large

bronze basin

of water

on a stand

and there are

a bunch of men

standing around it

washing their hands

in the water

and as you get closer

you realize

that they're

washing off

not just the dirt

and sand

of living

in the desert wilderness

but they're washing

off blood

and the water

is starting to turn

a pale red

and then beyond

the bronze basin

you lift up your eyes

and you see

what really is

the main feature

of the courtyard

right in the center

the bronze altar

and heat

is rising up

from the altar

as the fire

is stoked beneath

and you know how

when heat rises up

in the summertime

it sort of

makes your vision

sort of shimmer

a little bit

so you can see

the sort of blurry

rise above it

and the smoke

is going up

but this time

the smell

is not of that

sweet incense

of the altar

inside the tent

the smell

is of animal sacrifice

which smells

of blood

and of roasted meat

and of course

that would all be

a bit disorienting

at first

wouldn't it

stepping out

from that sort of

pristine calm

of the holy place

out into this

flurry of activity

in the courtyard

as the priests

are handling

the sacrifices

and tending

to their tasks

and always returning

to wash their hands

and sometimes

even their feet

in that basin

and you think

where have I come

how is this part

of the worship

of God

but then standing

there in the courtyard

you kind of turn around

and you notice

something you haven't

yet noticed

on our little tour

that as the smoke

of the sacrifices

go up

you turn back

to the tent

and you look

and now you see

for the first time

the tent

and what you see

now

are the barriers

first

there's that

curtain door

that you just

walk through

that's separating

the courtyard

from the holy place

and then you remember

now beyond that

there's a thick veil

separating the holy place

from the most holy place

and then you begin

to realize

that the promise

of the tabernacle

the promise

of God dwelling

in our midst

the promise

of having such

nearness to God

and awe

and intimacy

the promise

of the tabernacle

is matched

by the problem

of the tabernacle

yes God is near

that's the promise

but the problem is

you can't go in

the way is blocked

the curtains are drawn

and the veil is closed

and friends

isn't that a lot

like our experience

sometimes

that the thing

we long for

the thing

we reach out for

is awe

and intimacy

with God

and it always

seems to elude

our grasp

and as you stand

there staring

at those barriers

you start

to realize

something

you start

to put the pieces

together

that inside

those curtains

God is on the throne

inside those curtains

God is king

and in there

with him

there exists

a relationship

of awe

and intimacy

and that reminds

you of something

it reminds you

of how this story

began

that there once

was a place

where God was king

and where God

dwelled in the midst

of his people

and where those

first humans

had fellowship

with God

and awe

and intimacy

but in that

garden

place

in that garden

sanctuary

our first parents

rejected God

as king

and as a result

they were driven

from God's presence

and symbolically

at the gate

to the garden

of Eden

do you remember

what God put there

God placed

the cherubim

those mighty

angelic beings

and a flaming sword

to guard the entrance

and then things

start to click

because there

hanging on every

curtain

of the tabernacle

are those same

cherubim

embroidered

telling the same

story

that our fellowship

with God

has been lost

and the only way

in

is under the sword

of judgment

you see friends

the tabernacle

isn't just a portable

worship site

it's not like

an inflatable stadium

for a mega church

that you can just

take with you

on tour

the tabernacle

is a theater

and it's retelling

the most important

story

that we could

ever learn

and that we

always forget

and in that theater

in that drama

is the promise

that God

is going to

come down

and reclaim

his creation

and that the project

that God began

in creation

that God began

in Eden

in the garden

would not be

wrecked forever

that heaven

would come to earth

that God

will be king

and that his people

will know him again

in awe and intimacy

and that the advance

of God's glory

and creation

will continue

and yet the tabernacle

also shows us

that the ultimate

provision

for this renewal

has not yet come

because the barriers

remain

and the path

from the garden

to glory

is still

obscure

but there you stand

in the courtyard

and though the way

is obscure

the clues are there

aren't they

there at the altar

at that thing

that immediately

seems so strange

to our sensibilities

there at the bronze altar

are the sacrifices

and God is showing

his people

that he will

provide a way

and even in the most

holy place itself

even deep

in the center

of the heart

of the all-filled

middle of the tabernacle

there's another sign

on the ark itself

there rests

what the ESV calls

the mercy seat

or the cover

that between

the holy God

enthroned above

the cherubim

and the law

of the covenant

underneath his feet

that exposes

our sin

that between

the holy God

and his holy law

there stands

a covering

a covering

that once a year

will be sprinkled

by the high priest

with the blood

of sacrifice

on what would be called

the day of atonement

a promise

that when God

comes down

to dwell

with his people

the first thing

he would see

is not his law

which we had broken

but the first thing

he would see

is the saving blood

of an atoning sacrifice

that pays the penalty

we deserve

and turns away

the wrath

that we had incurred

there it is

a picture

of the way forward

and that picture

grinds on

the drama

and the theater

continues

day after day

and week

after week

and month

after month

and year

after year

for literally

over a thousand

years

imagine

being part

of a theater group

where you played

the same show

every morning

and every night

for fifteen

hundred

years

friends

this is how much

God cares

to communicate

to us

the profound

message

of the tabernacle

but it never

stopped

and when

would it stop

and what's

the answer

what's the thing

that's going

to get us in

because we keep

sprinkling this

blood

and yet

the barriers

still remain

in the opening

of John's

gospel

John begins

with creation

and he says

in the beginning

was the word

and the word

was with God

and the word

was God

very reminiscent

of the opening

chapters of

Genesis 1

isn't it

that God

creates all

things

and who is

there at

creation

but the Lord

Jesus

the Son of God

the second

person of the

Trinity

and then

wonder of wonders

in the opening

of John's

gospel

he says

that same

eternal

word

came down

became flesh

and dwelt

among us

and that word

dwelt

doesn't just

mean that

Jesus

came

and lived

in our

midst

that word

dwelt

that John

uses

is the same

word for

tabernacle

the word

became flesh

and tabernacled

among us

and John

is saying

that the promise

of Exodus

the promise

of the tabernacle

that God

would live

in our midst

and that God

would make

a way

has finally

come

that what

the tabernacle

merely anticipated

Jesus

has accomplished

in him

God truly

dwelt

in the midst

of his people

and through

his death

on the cross

a sacrifice

was made

that atones

for all

of our sin

once and for all

a sacrifice

so complete

so sufficient

that when he

died

the veil

of the temple

was torn

in two

opening

the way

to the most

holy place

and what

was accomplished

once and for all

in Christ

we see in the rest

of the New Testament

is now

being applied

by the Holy Spirit

you see

all in intimacy

with God

is made possible

finally

through Jesus Christ

when we

confess

that we are

separated from God

by our sin

and we trust

that Jesus

has made the

sacrifice

for our sins

when he died

on the cross

and when we

trust in Jesus

God gives us

new spiritual

life

he indwells us

by his Holy Spirit

earlier in the service

Matt prayed

just this prayer

reminding us

that all those

who are in Christ

Jesus

are now

the walking

temples

and tabernacles

of the living God

the dwelling place

of God

is no longer

in a physical

structure

somewhere

in the Middle East

but it's the people

of God

the church

indwelt

by the Holy Spirit

Paul says

to the church

in Ephesians 2.22

that in Christ

you're being

built together

into a dwelling

place for God

by the Spirit

the tabernacle

points ahead

to Christ

Christ

has poured

out his Spirit

but there's

one more chapter

actually

in this story

and it's

the chapter

yet to come

when one day

the dwelling place

of God

will be with

his people

in fullness

when Christ

returns

and brings

about a new

heavens

and a new

earth

when the

redemption

that he

accomplished

and that the

Spirit applies

that when that

redemption

is finally

consummated

and brought

to bear

and the glory

of God

covers the earth

like the waters

cover the sea

and then on

that day

there'll be

no temple

and no tabernacle

because we'll

see God

face to face

and we will

dwell

and we will

reign with

him forever

in a world

where there is

no sin

and no guilt

and no shame

and that project

that God began

in the Garden

of Eden

of his glory

subsuming

all of creation

finally reaches

its fulfillment

because Jesus

our King

has taken us

there

so where does

this tour

leave us

we've traveled

from inside

out

and then in

Christ

from outside

back in again

through the veil

but how should

we apply

these things

two ways

I think

at least

first a word

about awe

and intimacy

friends

if the people

of Israel

were meant

to have a

relationship

with God

fueled by

awe

and intimacy

with him

because

of the

tabernacle

and because

of the provision

of the

sacrificial system

how much

more

ought we

today

have

that awe

and intimacy

who live

in light

of Christ's

coming

and Christ's

sacrifice

and Christ's

resurrection

often our

devotional life

will grow

cold

for a season

often our

prayers

will hit

a time

when they

become forced

our worship

will be cold

our Bible

reading

and our

spiritual

conversation

with friends

will feel

rote

and we

can start

to wonder

in those

moments

what's the

way back

how do I

recapture

that awe

and intimacy

with God

again

and what the

biblical story

of the

tabernacle

is saying

to us

is that

the root

in

the way

to draw

near

is not

through

more works

that you

provide

but through

the path

that Jesus

has blazed

so the

path

to awe

and intimacy

the way

to draw

near

is by

turning from

those sins

and those

attitudes

that may

have been

drawing us

away

yes

but ultimately

by placing

our confidence

in him

and his

finished work

on the cross

again

real

awe

and intimacy

with God

come only

through a

renewed

taking hold

of Christ

by faith

and it's

the ministry

of the Holy

Spirit

to show us

the beauty

of the cross

and the beauty

of Christ

in fresh ways

as we engage

with one another

in his word

so that it flows

forth in that

kind of reverence

and nearness

to God

second a word

about mission

the tabernacle

stood at the

center of the

Israelite camp

and you know

their main job

in many ways

as a people

was to worship

God in the way

he told them to

and in that way

to be a light

to the nations

around them

but friends

what we know

now living

in light

of Christ's

coming

is that

what was

localized

in the

Old Testament

at the

tabernacle

and then

in the

temple

has now

been

globalized

by Christ

and the

Holy Spirit

the covenant

presence

of God

friends

is now

no longer

located in

one spot

in the

tabernacle

or the

temple

now

the covenant

presence

of God

the reign

of God

is present

wherever the

church

meets

in the

name

of Jesus

God

still

desires

to dwell

in the

midst

of his

people

God

is still

the

God

who

saves

who

speaks

who

dwells

in our

midst

but the

walls

have been

broken

down

and the

presence

of God

has gone

viral

if you

will

now

it's

everywhere

and the

church

is at

the

forefront

of God's

kingdom

advance

in the

world

that now

we don't

need to

travel to

a place

somewhere far

away to get

near to God

now we need to

find the people

of God

gathered around

the word of God

where the spirit

of God dwells

in places

as far

flung

as New Haven

Connecticut

at the

corner of

State and

Grove

in this

old building

that keeps

costing us

money

here

the

presence

of God

delights

to dwell

such that

when we

gather

on Sunday

we don't

have to

ask God

to come

down

we don't

have to

beg

God

to show

up

God's

already

here

friends

beckoning

us

calling

us

to come

and meet

with him

and not

just between

these four

walls

but wherever

Christians

gather

in his

name

and believer

wherever you

go

in the name

of Christ

because the

Holy Spirit

dwells in

you

and as

you go

out

into your

work

or into

your

family

or into

your

neighborhood

the

presence

of God

is going

with you

sort of

like a

seed

sort of

like

leaven

that gets

mixed

in

someone

very wise

once used

that

illustration

it was

Jesus

he said

this is

what the

kingdom

of God

is like

it's

seed

it's

leaven

and it

goes

so you

see friends

our tour

of the

tabernacle

as we've

sort of

gone out

and gone

in

it's

got to

go back

out

again

we have

to leave

even the

courtyard

in this

tour

and we've

got to

go out

into the

camp

and then

we've

got to

go out

into the

wilderness

and then

we have

to go

out

to the

ends

of the

earth

because

of what

Jesus

has done

and the

news

that we

have

to bring

brothers

and

sisters

the news

that we

have to

bring

the

presence

that we

bring

friends

and our

neighbors

and our

colleagues

it's

good

news

that a

relationship

with God

can be

had

that because

of the

grace of

Christ

he's opened

the veil

separating

us

from our

deepest

longing

from God

himself

that death

has been

conquered

that our

sins

have been

forgiven

and that

we will

dwell

with God

forever

starting

right now

right here

and that

the way

is open

for anyone

and for

all who

believe

so come

on in

come

in

where God

dwells in the

midst of his

people

let's pray

father our

prayer this

morning

is that by

your spirit

you would

give us

the faith

to believe

help us

to see

in Christ

that the

way

into an

intimate

relationship

with you

full of

all

and full

of nearness

has been

opened

and help

us to go

forth

this morning

and this

week

in the

joy

of that

nearness

taking

with us

by your

holy spirit

the news

that the

way has

been opened

and we

humans

might dwell

with God

again

because he

has come

to dwell

with us

in Jesus

Christ our

Lord we

pray

amen