EXODUS - God With Us - Exodus 25:1-9

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I'm reading for today's from Exodus chapter 25 verses 1 to 9 in your

Exodus 25:1–9

church bibles that's page 83. Exodus chapter 25 verses 1 to 9. The Lord said

Exodus 25:1–9

to Moses, tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the

offering from me, from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the

offerings you are to receive from them. Gold, silver and bronze, blue, purple and

scarlet yarn and fine linen. Goat hair, ram skins dyed red and another type of

durable leather. Acacia wood, olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing

oil and for the fragrant incense and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted

on the ephod and breast piece. Then let them make a sanctuary for me and I will

dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the

pattern I will show you. This is the word of the Lord. Welcome my name is Chris.

I'm on the staff team here. Let's let's pray as we come to God's word. Heavenly

Father, awesome and mighty God, as we come to your word prepare our hearts to

hear you speaking. We pray that you would plant your word deep inside us. Help us

with all the distractions and worries that we come with today. To listen and

obey you, our Heavenly Father. Make Jesus known to us through the Holy Spirit

as we open your word together. In your son's precious name we pray. Amen.

Now do you sometimes look around and just think what I'm doing with life is

second best? Or you look at other people and think they've got it better than you.

You come to church here and you look around and go is this it? On this journey

in life do you sometimes think Christian journey? The world's got it

better. I'll do a bit of that and then I'll do my Christian walk as well on the

side. Well if you think like that these verses are for you. Let's have a look at

them. Coming up is one of God's biggest visual aids. A 3D immersive sermon

experience is at least going to be attempted this afternoon. Visual aids

coming from God himself. So story so far. It's series two, episode two of Exodus

and as all good series go we need a brief recap. So God rescued the Israelites

from Egypt promising He'd take them to the promised land. He made it possible

for them to cross the Red Sea. They walked for three months to get to Mount

Sinai. They kept grumbling. God kept providing manna, quail, water from a rock.

They got to Mount Sinai and worshiped God there. Remember they worshipped Him

before they got to the promised land. Worshipping whilst waiting. www. We've had

the Ten Commandments and the Law. Now we come to today's passage. They're still

living in tents in the desert at the foot of Mount Sinai. They are not at the

promised land yet. Moses has just gone up the mountain for the fifth time to meet

with Chawai. What is he going to come back with this time? So he comes back

down the mountain and Moses has a long list of meticulous building instructions.

The detailed instructions, if you open up your, you'll do well in this sermon to

keep your Bible open. Detailed instructions start at chapter 25 verse 10.

Got the ark, Aesir wood, two and a half cubits long. You jump, you've got the table of

verse 23, Aesir wood, cubits overlaying it, cubits of this, cubits of that, gold.

Lampstand made of flower cups, buds, blossoms, various aspects, gold, various

dimensions, carries on. Got a tabernacle, a chapter that will come to that in time.

Then first chapter 27, burnt offering area, the courtyard, how big that is,

details of the oil on the lampstand. That's three chapters of meticulous

details. Don't worry if you think that's all over, there's more. Chapter 35, more

details about how that goes and some people to build it. 36, 37, 38, who did

what and what aspects were required. Then 39 and chapter 40, you've

got some more. Nine chapters of detailed building instructions and who did what.

Now I hear you ask what's all this about and is Chris going to cover nine

chapters of detailed building instructions. I mean we didn't bring food,

never mind a refreshment break, we're gonna need an interval or two if we go

that sort of side. Or did Matt and Ralph hear about my DIY skills. You know when

you talk about people building a shelf or a cabinet or something and it falls

over straight away, I'd see that as a good thing. It was standing for a period

of time if it fell. So were they just trying to stretch my practical skills?

Well no to all of those I think you'd be pleased to know. Before we look at the

meaning of these things we'd have really good the picture and dimensions, colour

and materials and that's why we're sat in a slightly different orientation today.

We have got ourselves into a picture of the tabernacle and thank you very much.

It's a great pleasure to be here when we've got the baptisms of Greg and

Mercy and you've also helped with the visual aids. So you notice that we don't

have a central aisle, we've got a central section. That is measured out so for the

guys up there from here all the way over to here that's the width of the

tabernacle. Up here in the courtyard where I am would have been the bronze

altar. Where the baptismal pool is where you'd have to wash to get clean before

going into the tabernacle was the bronze wash basin. Then where the blue tile

polling starts just in front of row one here is where the tabernacle would have

started and we've gone all the way down there. Now we have had a slight

measurement issue. We can't go back far enough for the Holy of Holies so we sort

of transported the Holy of Holies upwards. It would have been flat.

So you guys up there you're actually in the Holy of Holies but only if you're

inside there. So if you're in the first four chairs on that side yeah you're

just outside. I know you're trying to get in but that side and then over on this

side if you're in the next four there we go you're up there six rows up.

That's the size that it would have been for you. Around about where

Chloe is wearing a nice gold top would have been the gold lampstand. Well done.

Yeah okay and around about where Donna is would have been the gold table of

bread. Lovely so it's just over there. Now where would the altar have been?

We couldn't have quite we measured it out and it's actually accurate. Back table

of tech is where the altar would have been. Then if we port ourselves up

upstairs round out the back over there if you give us a wave Remy yeah you're

about where the Ark of the Covenant would have been roughly speaking. Yeah

dimensions wise that's how big it is but it's got a height to it so if you're

downstairs if you look around at the balcony you see there's two metal rails

the middle rail is the height that the tabernacle would have been so in this

section up there if you're at the top we tried to measure this as well it's to

the top of the white post on the frontier so all the way back there if

you're actually on the first row that's the sort of size that we are talking

about. The whole structure had pillars going all around it all the way around

this section would have been 48 different pillars the height that I've

just said all covered in gold the base was silver 64 posts round the courtyard

and five pillars at the court I'll come to the court in a moment five pillars at the

front in gold all the way along where the music team are not quite three

meters tall are you but that sort of size of things visually this is a

representation quite accurate representation of what it would have

looked like all of the elements inside would have been covered in gold the

total weight of gold is about 130 kilos that's about 6.5 million pounds worth of

gold in today's money there's also 400 kilograms of silver and 300 kilograms of

bronze the 65 meters of curtain going around here that are embroidered in blue

and gold it would have looked beautiful it would have been a five senses

experience for the Israelites outside there's the courtyard it's 250 meters

of blue curtains it's the actual width was 75 feet so where you're having tea

and coffee that end is would be one side and sort of through the next door and

through the wall would be the other and then it's double the length we couldn't

possibly quite get the measuring tape out that far I remember there's no

Amazon delivery service for all of this to come through where would the

materials have come from well Exodus chapter 25 35 to 36 tells us Moses is

Exodus 25 · chapter mention

instructed these lights to ask the Egyptians for gold silver and clothing

and the Lord made the Egyptians favorable to the request so they plundered

them they had them this material with them but also remember there's no dialer

trade available all the work needs to be done by them so this is what's produced

from the nine chapters of detail God's people doing God's work as a community

together following his plan following him as they journey to the promised land

and as we're sat here in the sort of picture of the tabernacle we should

remember the tabernacle like the Garden of Eden is where God dwells and various

details of the tabernacle suggest it's a mini Eden these parallels include the

east-facing entrance with the cherubim on the curtains into the Holy of Holies

but these cherubim can now be passed the gold the onyx the tree of life as

depicted by the gold lampstand or the tree of knowledge as the law in the Ark

of the Covenant this God dwelling in the tabernacle was a step towards the

restoration of paradise which is completed in the new heaven and new earth

access to God dwelling with his people has been resumed by God looking at the

tabernacle it was beautiful imagine it around you it would have been amazing

God's creation plan and design is amazing just use your imagination for a

moment and sit yourself in it if you're on the sides imagine looking at it what

would it have been like

now look around us here and I ask you is this second best I don't mean the

building I mean God's people God is building his church God's plan and

design for his church is that we God's people grow in grace together it's a

community project and it is beautiful not to just look at and observe but to

experience and enjoy if you look around today on this Sunday and any given Sunday

you will see service for God happening around you people putting themselves out

welcome team coming early they perhaps that person wanted to be doing

something different today but they joyfully welcoming people the sound desk

at the back here really early to get everything done so you can hear the

songs and the sermon willingly serving the hospitality team the kids team the

top steam many other team coming together the person sat quietly on their own

wasn't sure whether they could be able to cope with coming in today but they

did the person who notices this and later speaks to them and comforts them

all the godly encourager this is all God's grace at work it is beautiful it

is to be experienced and enjoyed it is even more beautiful than gold and blue

curtains it's more valuable than six and a half million pounds of gold this is

because this beauty lasts it is eternal kingdom building beauty looking with

eternal gospel eyes listening with gospel ears you will notice God building

his church here in Central Hall it is truly beautiful because it is God's

creation and God's plan God dwells in us so come back to the Israelites in the

desert why why would God come up with a tabernacle chapter 25 verse 8 tells us

why make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among you notice that is God's

idea he came up with it he even gave Moses a visual plan I know if that's the

first ever PowerPoint or something that was up on the screen but Moses saw what

it was supposed to look like let's just pause for a moment and take it in God

says make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among you God the holy all-powerful

God God who said to the Israelites if you touch this mountain you will die

because you are not holy and I am holy this same God says to the people I will

dwell with you God chooses the grumbling forgetful unclean sinful dust-covered

tired nothing particularly special about them Israelites call those with his

people and wants to live amongst them the God who made the whole earth who

mankind rejected this God wants to live with his people in a tent I mean it took

nine chapters to describe the tent but it's still a tent he's got a whole of

heaven and earth to reside in and he chooses to be in a tent in a desert with

the people who keep forgetting him remember this is true for us today God's

people are now those who are Christians who trust that Jesus died on the cross

and rose again to rescue us from our sins God chooses the grumbling forgetful

unclean sin dust-covered nothing particularly special about us

Christians calls them his people and wants to live amongst us this same is

true of God this side of the cross God moves towards us God chooses he wants to

be with us like in Exodus chapter 6 verse 7 where he promises Israelites I

Exodus 6:7

will take you to be my people and I will be your God they did nothing to make it

happen God did it all we do nothing to save us Jesus does it all all you need

be saved is to trust in your heart and say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

and you will be saved we heard those testimonies from Greg and Mercy earlier

God came from heaven to earth in a tent the Israelites God came in heaven to

earth in a baby in a manger for anyone who will hear his call to come and

follow him this amazing just pause drink that in God wants to be with you live

with you dwell with you he is coming towards you with open arms saying come

to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you true eternal

rest you may feel or be ignored isolated or alone or even shunned by people or

maybe you're new here new to church or just looking in a city can be a lonely

place lots of people but no meaningful relationships maybe you feel that you're

too bad and the things you've done I mean you could never be loved by God this

passage turns all that on its head and tells us that God God the maker of all

things God gods of love who knows all things sees all things he knows what you

have or have not done this God wants to dwell with you let me say that again God

wants to dwell with you that's amazing that's something to rejoice in we had

the moment didn't we when Greg and mercy were baptized we're like yeah that's

the feeling we should be having here he stands at your door and knocks all you

need do is open the door and welcome him in the picture of the tabernacle is God's

plan to dwell with his people this dwelling plan was already mind-blowing

is taken further through Jesus Jesus referred to the new temple or tabernacle

John chapter 2 verse 19 when talking about himself he said destroy this

John 2:19

temple and I will raise it again in three days he's referring to himself

dying and being raised in three days days John chapter 1 verse 14 says the

John 1:14

word became flesh and made his dwelling among us in the original it's the word

became flesh and tabernacled amongst his people the picture of the tabernacle is

God dwelling with his people in the Gospels the tabernacles moved from a

tent to Jesus as that is where God was dwelling amongst his people the dwelling

plan is taken even further through Jesus death on the cross resurrection and

ascension into heaven now we have no Jesus tabernacles gone tent and temple

long gone where's God gonna be dwelling with his people is he still interested

well 1 Corinthians 3 16 to 17 do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple

and that God's spirit lives in you by the Holy Spirit residing in God's people

God dwells in Christians through his Holy Spirit so we are where God dwells

with his people we are now the tabernacle God's people are God's holy

dwelling place we Christians are now where God dwells there's both singular

and plural in this the you in 1 Corinthians is plural God's people are

God's dwelling place this means that church is more than special to God not

only is church the body of Christ on earth it is the dwelling place of God on

earth the tabernacle was and is a place of worship a place of giving God praise

and acknowledging that he alone is worthy this is why we go to church on a

Sunday and as Guthrie said when the saints of God meet on Sundays they like

the Israelites before them are worshiping God in holy time and space it

is holy time because it's a day set apart from the rest of the week it is

holy space as we gather together in a geographical space dedicated to the

worship of God the building itself does not matter it is the gathered people of

God that does there is something holy about Christians physically meeting

together at an appointed time and place each week I ask you is your view of

church too low do you sometimes think church is second-best if at times you

personally don't feel like coming here on a Sunday perhaps you're choosing

between an offer of a weekend trip or a great day trip somewhere are you feeling

really tired and need to save yourself for the week ahead I know there are

times when it's impossible to come but there are other times when it's a choice

remember this when you choose coming to church is not about programs meeting

people singing or even hearing a sermon it's where heaven and earth meet God's

people meeting together to worship God in time and place Sunday is a divinely

appointed foretaste of eternity where all time and space will be completely

and tangibly under God's rule we go to church not to look good or to be noticed

but because it shapes us into the people of God for that we need everyone present

non left behind you may not feel like coming but as a body of Christ we need

you here and you need God's people to help shape you going to church is also

a testimony to the chaotic world around us worshiping together collectively one

day in seven is a sign to the world a sign that there is something other

something higher than the private universe as people create for themselves

we bear visible tangible witness that God's order is not the order of the

world we demonstrate that we follow different rules God's rules and in doing

so God is glorified just as the tabernacle was a real 3d we've seen the

dimensions of visible picture of God's dwelling with his people both visible

and shaping his people it was also visible to the whole world meeting

together in time and place does the same now we are like a tent in the desert but

a tent that people can see and touch and come into a tent where God's people meet

with God that is open and accessible to those that don't yet know God to not

come and join with God's people on Sunday should be a little moment of pain

you're missing out on God's plan we're missing out on part of his body God is

building his church his people joining together is both claiming and proclaiming

his kingdom on earth God has designed that the full experience of him and the

Christian life is doesn't by his people meeting together there's something

divinely special about God's people gathering on Sunday so come be here

experience God through his people now to the singular and a bit shorter the Holy

Spirit dwells in each individual believer having seen the beauty of a

tabernacle where God chooses to dwell with his people where God dwells is a

holy place when we remember that our bodies are God's temple it puts sinning

into a different perspective Paul effectively 1 Corinthians 6 says why do

you keep on sinning how can you possibly think of doing this don't you know that

God himself resides in you some things are unthinkable in God's house well we

are God's house so some things should be unthinkable for us knowing that God

dwells in you in the singular and that God dwells in us the gathered people

that changes things early we looked at the dimensions of the tabernacle didn't

we but here we see that we are the tabernacle so I have the nine chapters

of all the building instructions why not just say God wants to dwell with these

people it built him a tent they obeyed him and there it was is the meticulous

detail second-best well we see the ideas gods as God's creation design but the

meticulous detail tells us about God's character God is meticulous he has

attention to detail his creation is beautiful he brings order out of chaos

now I think that's really really comforting I think it's a really good

job that God is meticulous and detailed I'm one person in 7.9 billion people on

the world and I want God to guide and transform me into more into Christ good

job he can do detail otherwise we would all be lost in the crowd good job he

brings order out of chaos as he's making his people who are all sinners and

chaotic into something beautiful and ordered as we become more like Christ

the picture of Eden is back in view a beautiful dwelling place where God and

mankind dwell together the picture is of a new creation here we have a foretaste

of the forever new creation that God has in store the new heaven and the new earth

where we dwell with him forever all because Jesus has done everything for us

all because God wants to dwell with us his people there's another important

detail to notice if you look down chapter 25 verse 2 tell the Israelites to

bring me an offering you are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose

heart prompts them to give God wants a heart response from his people willingly

his people follow him willingly it cost them if you look at the next verses it

cost them gold silver bronze blue purple scarlet yarn fine linen the list goes on

it's real cost to real people it's personal security that they are giving

up the values that they had are their financial security their rainy day money

or pension pot remember they're in the desert there's no income from outside of

themselves following God's commands cost them their financial security and they

willingly gave it to him are you willing to do the same I'm not saying give

everything you have away what we should have is the attitude of everything is

the Lord's he gives it to us and we should see it as his our security should

be in him not our stuff we've just had three sermons on money so listen to

those if you want more on this yet there is something more personal than the

financial security that they gave up they gave their identity to God these

valuables show that they are free and not slaves in Europe in Egypt free God

who freed them the gold necklace on them on the neck the silver candlestick the

bronze bowl all depicting their freedom now God is calling these freed people to

be his people to belong to him in their security and their identity Christian

you your identity and personality belong to God just think carefully we weren't

created individually we're all different this is where we have the Bible teaching

of one body and many parts but how often do you hear I am a extrovert

introvert or my personality is and then insert something which then ends up

explaining why the person must do X Y or Z to fulfill their identity coming back

to the Bible each different part is playing its part for a whole the

difference is good it is however for a common God ordained purpose building

his kingdom however dentists often given an excuse for doing something that's

actually selfish rather than building God's kingdom maybe it's best to do an

explanation maybe you see your identity as a fun person always going off and do

something spontaneous maybe it's an exciting trip to the lakes on a glorious

sunny Sunday do you follow your self-defined identity and jump at the

exciting chance would you follow God's ordained plan of meeting with other

Christians on a Sunday remembering that God wants you to willingly come to

church you're God's child that is now your identity God wants your heart he

wants you to be building his kingdom together with in community with his

people back to the Israelites they also worked hard and used their individual

and remember God given skills gifts talents for the Lord's work as a

community we have seen how big and complicated some of the aspects of the

tabernacle were this was a massive community project shoulder-to-shoulder

they willingly gave their money their time their skills their identities to

God and to each other we like the Israelites know that God is after our

hearts so we willingly give to him what he's already given to us all that we

have skills money talent finance are all from God that is use them for his

kingdom is living your life for Jesus costly what do you think that living

for Jesus is second best living for Jesus may cost you your secure job your

family home your church of many years your network of people that know you you

may have to work hard to get to know a new place and a new culture to live in

you may get lost around the new city you may play football and rupture your

Achilles tendon you may be further from your in-laws who are getting older and

one of them have a cardiac arrest on your first day as pastor it may cost you

your identity as the decision-maker the expert the problem solver the influence

in worldly terms may go all this is costly in your security and identity I

know this well because all the things I've just described are from my last

year since joining this church however I testify to you today that God dwelling

with me and me being willing to obey God is worth far more than what I've given

up first remember eternal kingdom building choices are treasures in heaven

forever and that can never be second best in the last year God has worked on

my heart the Lord has removed the idol of our old family home even though I

didn't realize it was an idol before he removed it the Lord has shown me more

what he means in my identity of being in Christ by taking away secondary

identities like being consultant psychiatrist and the salary that goes

with that he is humbling me helping me to be more servant-hearted because I'm a

pastor in training I have the privilege of digging deeper into God's Word during

my work hours to prepare for sermons Bible studies and equip chaps which is

a privilege and a joy remember anything we give up is far less than we have

received continue to receive and will receive in Jesus he drew close to us he

gave up all of heaven he came to earth he died on the cross he rose again

because he wanted to dwell in us his church and in us individually through

his Holy Spirit God the maker of all things the Almighty wants to draw near

to you he wants to dwell in us his church here that's not second best we may

still be worshipping whilst waiting as we're not in the promised land yet but

to gather together here as City Church in person each Sunday to claim and

proclaim his rule on our lives and like a tent in the Manchester desert visibly

proclaim God's kingdom to the world to those do not yet know him whatever God

has gifted you whatever talents he has given you do them for him do them here

in the place he has called you to do them with his people here at City Church

now that is the best thing that you can be doing doing what God has called you

to do in the place he's called you to do it with his people placed he has placed

around you whether that's looking after children trying to find a job going to

school working for a company trying to recover from illness being a student

retired whatever it is there is nothing second best about this in fact there is

nothing at all better that you could be doing with your life now let us together

and willingly serve and worship the God who wants to dwell with us I was going

to pray father we are amazed that you would want to dwell with us but we thank

you that you want to dwell with us we marvel at that and Lord help us as you

transform us into your body to bring you the glory in Jesus name amen