Everyone's Welcome
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Intro:
13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me:
14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’
Tonight, the title of my message of [Everyone’s Welcome].
A sixteenth birthday is a monumental day for every teenager. It denotes freedom, independence, opportunity all wrapped up a piece of plastic called a driver’s license.
I still remember mine. Mom and Dad both celebrated in their own way.She commemorated the milestone in my life with a party, a walk down memory lane of her favorite child, a cake, and a present, it wasn’t a car.
Dad celebrated his way, “Happy Birthday, you are sixteen now!” I puffed out my chest in pride, just waiting what wisdom my dad had to impart.
He explained, “Now that your sixteen, it’s time… to get a job.” You need to have one within the week!
I turned sixteen on June 13, on June 20, I walked into JCPenney to apply. They hired me. And I learned something about the marketing nature of retail.
JCPenney was in the midst of a big shift in their slogan. A lot of time and money went into changing their slogan from It’s All Inside, to Everyday Matters.
We had to use that phrase over and over, because for them, that slogan would help business. JCPenney was not alone in this though, we are all victims of marketing.
Millions of dollars has been spent to try to keep people coming back to the same business. Let me prove my point:
Just Do It
Maybe she’s born with it, maybe its Maybelline
Where’s the Beef?
Betcha Can’t Eat Just One
Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There
What’s In Your Wallet?
Companies, especially when they are struggling to stay relevant.
For some reason, when I read our text, I thought about this. I find it interesting that in the Early Church,
they did not have strategic marketing campaigns,
they did not have advertisement
they did not have social media ads
they did not have what most of us think we need
But somehow, they were able to turn the then-known world upside down through the power of the Holy Spirit.
With that being said, IF there was a slogan for the Early Church, I think it could be “Everyone’s Welcome.”
I mean, that is what Peter prophesied on the Day of Pentecost—God will pour out His Spirit on His Sons and Daughters!
The truth holds today— who is thankful that God will accept ANYONE, for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!
We know that, by Scripture and by experience. But in our text in Acts 15, the Church was at a crossroads. By this point, God was saving both Jew and Gentile. Both Jew and Gentiles were being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
But there were some who begged the question, are the Gentiles really welcome? And if they are can they come as they are do they need to conform to our customs and keep the Law of Moses?
That might seem trivial to us, but as I look around the room, I see a BUNCH of St. Francis/Washington/Iron/Jefferson County Gentiles!
And if I missed your county, you are one too! This decision affects our lives thousands of years later.
I want us to notice what they did. They did not gather a market research team to decide what do in the future. They did not try out different vision statements or slogans. They did not need to speculate what the future would hold, because God already had a plan.
They met in Jerusalem to discuss the matter:
Peter stands and reminds them what happened at the home of Cornelius when he and his entire family got saved and filled with the Spirit.
Barnabas and Paul spoke about the miracles and wonders God worked through the Gentiles.
Their point, Everyone’s Welcome.
But they still needed clarity. So James, the brother of Jesus and the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem reminds them of the Old Testament prophecy of Amos!
In that prophecy, God promised that He would RETURN and REBUILD the TABERNACLE OF DAVID.
Of all the Old Testament prophecies, why did James pick Amos and why did he reference the tabernacle of David?
I want to explain this tonight and by the end of this message, I believe God will not only settle in our hearts, but He will let us see by experience that EVERYONE’S WELCOME to:
receive salvation
experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit
speak in tongues
enjoy divine healing
encounter the presence and glory of God!
If God promised to rebuild the Tabernacle of David, we need to notice what was involved in building the Tabernacle the first time. I have three points, [It Was a Time of Decision], [It Was a Time of Dedication], and [It Was a Time of Demonstration].
1. It Was a Time of Decision
1. It Was a Time of Decision
1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.
1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.
When David became king over Israel, his first major decision was to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant. He issued a royal proclamation:
3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.”
Why was he adamant about retrieving the Ark?
The Ark was more than symbolic furniture—it housed the very presence and glory of God.
God gave Moses specific instruction on how to build the Ark. Everywhere Israel went, they took the Ark with them.
They carried the Ark into the Jordan river when they entered the Promised Land
They carried the Ark around the walls of Jericho before they fell down flat
They carried the Ark into battle
Wherever the Ark was, the presence of God worked on behalf of the nation.
But by the time of David became king, the Ark had been in the wrong place for far too long. It all started more than forty years before David was king.
The final judge of Israel, Eli, allowed the nation to backslide. His son’s rebelled against the Lord.
11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Once the Ark was captured, everything for God’s people unravelled. Life grew worse and they got farther from God. It was not long after the Ark was gone that the people began to cry out for a king.
The other nations had a king, so they wanted one. God permitted Saul to become King, but his leadership proved indecisive and nonspiritual.
In fact, there is only one reference to the Ark during the reign of Saul. He made the decision to attempt to lead without the presence and the help of God.
But when David became king, he declared, WE NEED THE ARK OF GOD in its rightful place. He knew If Israel had any hope of survival, it would only happen when and IF they made the decision prioritize the presence of God.
While David was wise in deciding to retrieve the Ark, he was unwise in choosing not to consult anyone on HOW to move the Ark.
God left specific instructions on how to transport the Ark. Instead of doing it God’s way, they placed the Ark on a cart and started moving.
The oxen that pulled the Ark stumbled, a man reached out to steady the ark and died. David was distraught, the people were discouraged, and they determined to leave the Ark alone for a while.
When the Tabernacle of David first came about, it was a time of decision, and then...
2. It Was a Time of Dedication
2. It Was a Time of Dedication
9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”
10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
After Uh-Zah (Uzzah) reached out his hand to steady the Ark and died, David decided they needed to leave the Ark alone. But where would they store the Ark while they looked for ways to get it to Jerusalem safely?
They needed to find someone who was dedicated to the Lord.
They needed to place the Ark in the home of someone who was righteous and holy.
They settled on a man by the name of Obed-Edom.
I have often wondered how that was for Obed-Edom. Mistreating the ark cost someone their lives and he was about to set it in his home.
I imagine he had a serious discussion with his family. Kid’s this Ark houses God’s presence. We cannot take it for granted. We cannot misuse the Ark. It is holy and we need to treat it as such.
He would have carefully selected a place of prominence for the Ark as he felt honored that God would allow His presence to rest in his home.
He was dedicated to God and was willing to host the presence of God in his home!
What would life be like today if MORE people would host the presence of God in their homes? Here is what happened to Obed-Edom.
2 Samuel 6:11
Then something began to happen, everything in his home started to get blessed.
His marriage was blessed
His children were blessed
His finances were blessed
His business was blessed
His crops were blessed
His cattle were blessed
The favor of God hovered over his house.
No doubt the neighbors wondered, what is different about Obed-Edom, everything he has is blessed.
Perhaps it became a topic of discussion for the family. Why is everything going so great all of a sudden?
Obed-Edom knew why— he was dedicated to the plan and purposes of God.
David made the right decision to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant and Obed-Edom was right in dedicating his life and home to hosting God’s presence.
When the Tabernacle of David first came about, it was a time of decision, it was a time of dedication, and...
3. It Was a Time of Demonstration
3. It Was a Time of Demonstration
12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.
13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.
14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
When David heard of God’s blessings on Obed-Edom, he decided it was time to get back to the original plan. David was stirred in his heart to renew his focus.
After three months, he consulted with the Lord and God gave him the strategy.
Perhaps all this time he was {preparing}, {repenting} and {seeking the Lord} for the proper plan of action. In preparation for the Ark to come to Jerusalem, he set up a tent.
He then announced that only the Levites were permitted to carry the Ark. Finally, he called all of Israel and informed them that they were going to get the Ark, but this time it was going to be moved the proper way.
The Levites were to sanctify themselves. The word sanctify, means to cleanse and set themselves apart for this purpose. Uzza was not set apart or commissioned by God to do move the Ark, the Levites were.
David demonstrated his sincere desire for God’s presence, by acknowledging his past mistake. When it was time to move the Ark from Obed-Edom’s home, Naturally, there was great caution this time around.
There may have been anxiety about going back and getting the Ark. If I would have been any of the Levites that had to carry the Ark, I would have made sure I had repented before God.
Think of this with me: David and those with him go to the home of Obed-Edom. The {Levites are cleansed} and ready and the {musicians are with David}.
1 Chronicles 15:24, “… the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God…”
24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah, doorkeepers for the ark.
The {1priests blew the trumpets},
the {2Levites reached down the pick up the Ark}
and {3they began the walk back the Jerusalem}.
But after six paces they stopped and made a sacrifice.
One pace is about 2.5 feet, so six paces is 15 feet. It is estimated that the journey from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem was 5-10 miles. Let’s take he conservative estimate and say that it was 5 miles.
Imagine every 15 feet stopping for the whole five-mile journey. That would mean there were 1,760 stops from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem.
Let’s think about this,
{1they pick up the Ark},
they {2walk fifteen feet}
and then they {3make a sacrifice}.
It says that then David danced before the Lord with all of his might.
(Illustrate) My imagination would be like this, they walk fifteen feet and David breathes a sigh of relief, thank God no one has died. Let’s make a sacrifice to the Lord.
Then they go another 6 paces (fifteen feet) and now, David is feeling a lot better, joy begins to fill his soul. Perhaps by now he is clapping his hand?
Then they go another 6 paces (fifteen feet) and now David is probably lifting his hands. Now they know the journey to Jerusalem is even more joyful. With every 6 paces (fifteen feet) they are that much closer to placing the Ark back where they need to be!
They are that much closer to being in God’s presence at home! They are that much closer to being in the center of God’s will!
David did not plan to start dancing and praising the Lord, but with each set closer to home, God began to demonstrate His presence and power.
David began to spontaneously praise the Lord and before long all of Israel joined in on the spontaneity of the moment.
When David arrived in Jerusalem, by this point, everyone was dancing, shouting, and rejoicing. There was a public demonstration of God’s presence.
17 So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
THEN David placed the Ark under the tent, the Tabernacle of David.
Close:
I just shared one of my favorite accounts from the life of David.
But I want to get back to my original question, WHY, when the Early Church in Acts, thousands of years after David did James reference the Tabernacle of David?
They needed Godly wisdom and direction to determine who was allowed to join the Church.
Who was allowed to experience God’s saving grace, empowering Spirit, and consistent presence?
At first glance, James’s words in Acts might be a passage that we quickly skip over, but it deserves some attention.
OF ALL the prophecies of the Old Testament, James explained that in these last days, God is rebuilding and restoring the tabernacle of David.
Why the Tabernacle of David?
Why not the tabernacle of Moses, the Temple of Solomon, or the Temple of Zerubabbel?
In all of the Tabernacles and Temples of the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant rested behind a veil that kept people away from the presence and glory of God.
That is, every tabernacle or temple except ONE— the Tabernacle of David. In fact, David’s tabernacle was simply a tent and under the tent was the Ark of the Covenant.
That meant that people had ACCESS to experience the presence and glory of God. The Ark became a prominent fixture in Israel and it rested under the TABERNACLE of DAVID where anyone could experience the glory of God.
That was not the case in the Tabernacle of Moses where people were separated in fear of the Ar.
That was not the case in the Temple where the Ark set behind a 12 inch thick veil that separated people from the Ark.
So David’s Tabernacle is significant for it is a prophetic statement of the ultimate plan of God.
For what happened the moment Jesus breathed His last breath and declared, IT IS FINISHED?
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
The veil that separated people from God’s presence was removed, JUST AS IT WAS IN THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID. God was letting us in on the promise of experiencing HIM on a personal level.
The day was over where people had to go through priests, for Jesus became our high priest.
There was no longer a need for sacrifices, because Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for the remission of sin.
And sadly, there were some in the Early Church who wanted to keep some people out. But God had a plan. If it was summarized in a slogan it would be this— EVERYONE’S WELCOME.
That is how it was at David’s Tabernacle and that is how it is now.
And as I prayed about this service, I felt drawn in my spirit to Acts 15. I know it is not the most popular passage out of Acts, but it holds great significance.
Because God promised that He would rebuild the Tabernacle of David so that the REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD EVEN THE GENTILES.
So what does this mean, is there still a temple?
Not one built by humans...
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Now, WE ARE TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Indeed God is restoring the tabernacle of David and He is doing RIGHT HERE IN AND THROUGH US.
And His word for each of us is simply this:
Everyone is welcome to experience Jesus.
Everyone is welcome to receive His grace
Everyone is welcome to walk in His power
Everyone is welcome to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
Everyone is welcome to speak in tongues
Everyone is welcome to flow in the gifts of the Spirit
Everyone is welcome to receive healing
Everyone is welcome to become free in Christ
Everyone is welcome to be transformed into the same image from glory to glory
Everyone is welcome to sing
Everyone is welcome to praise
Everyone is welcome to clap their hands
Everyone is welcome to raise their hands
Everyone is welcome to lift their voice in worship
Everyone is welcome to dance
Everyone is welcome to shout
Everyone is welcome to become even more undignified than this
For when God looks at us, He does pay attention to our background, what we have, or what we do not have. He simply invites and welcomes WHOEVER will call on Him.
And I cannot fully explain WHY God laid THIS message on my heart for tonight. I have preached on the Tabernacle of David many times, but not like this.
But I believe God is rebuilding and restoring the tabernacle of David here at Harvest.
For this is a church filled with people from leadership down who cry out:
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
And there are thousands of people who travel up and down Highway 67 by the Family Fun Centre and on Highway 32 by THIS CHURCH who need to hear EVERYONE’S WELCOME.
And I believe that the same Spirit that flowed from the Ark through the streets of Jerusalem and out from the Tabernacle
and the same Spirit that came into the Upper Room and moved on James to bring clarity to an obscure Old Testament prophecy
is here tonight to declare—EVERYONE’S WELCOME!
So let’s welcome HIM with our worship and watch as HE welcomes US to go into a new place in Him!
For He is inviting us to go to a NEW PLACE IN HIM!