Do You Want to Move In?

The Tenant Agreement

If you have ever moved in to a new place then you know that moving in has requirements. Just because you like the way a house or an apartment looks doesn’t mean you can just move in. There are typically credit requirements, income requirements, and for all the dog and cat lovers there may even be a pet deposit. You current financial habits, past credit history and future expectations have a lot to do with where you end up living.

As I opened this text I found the message version very profound.

Verse 1 especially, “God who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on the guest list?

As we all desire to make heaven our home, we must remember that access comes with conditions. As much as grace and mercy play a part in our salvation and eternity, obedience plays a major role as well. From an Old Testament construct, God could only be encountered in certrain designated holy places and these places had restricted access. Two words in verse one denote the fact that access can be moved by the temporary nature of these opening verse in this text. Abide or to sojourn as a guest, or protege. It makes no sense to be here and no learn anything during your stay. The life of a Christian is a choice to align yourself with a lifestyle that matches the owner of this place. To dwell in this text albiet nomadic because the world is not our home but it is a group of persons that have a lifestyle of living that is similar and submissive to the will of God.

What Are the Requirements

He who walks uprightly.

Works righteouness

Speaks the truth in his heart

Doesn’t backbite

Not evil to his neighbor

Not a nuiscance to those they call friends.

Honors and fears the Lord

Keeps your work even if it cost you.

Makes an honest living

Despises the despicable things of the world.

During the period of Moses and David the temple was where God made his presence known to the people. We know that in this place David pitched a tent but because of the blood on his hands God forbid him from building a temple and pushed the responsibility into the hands of Solomon. Understand that no one is free from the consequences of God, but even if God doesn’t allow us to do it, we still have a responsibility to help the next generation further the mission of God.

You have two paths to choose from today. You can walk down the path of righteousness or the path of the wicked. God depicts the wise as blameless. God is not calling for us to be without sin, He’s asking us to be free from sin and not shackled by it.

Proverbs 11:3 “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.”

Blamelessness is the essence of what you are led by. What’s leading your decision making this moment. Are you guided by integrity or selfish gain.

Our acceptance from God has a lot to do with how we treat our neighbors. Regardless of where people or from or what they look like, God’s creation deserves to be treated with respect and kindness! Exodus 20:16 ““You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

A persons ethnicity, a persons gender, a persons race should never determine how we treat one another. You can’t say you love God and hate someone because of their physical make-up.

On the other hand, understand that everyone is not going to accept you. But do not let the acceptance of others push you to believe that you are less that! God has wonderfully made us all!

In the presence of God is where we should all long to dwell and fellowship. David yearned to be like priest who had constant access to holy things. Undestand that when we have access and don’t use the access we have no one to blame but ourselves. Listen, we are not the gatekeepers of the church, truth be told none of us qualify, but thankfully the grace of God has put us in a glorious position to worship Him despite our past.

Psalm 27:4-5 “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. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”

Today you have open access through Christ Jesus, Jesus is our advocate.

Hebrews 10:19-25 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Because of what Jesus has done let us hold fast to our confession! Because of what Jesus did it should motivate me to want to be around the saints, it should motivate good works, undestanding that assembling of ourselves together should stir up some love!

We desire more love in our communities lets assemble together! That’s where the ideas of love and service come from!

We typically say people shouldn’t miss church, but often times we truly don’t understand why we should assemble in the first place. I assemble because Jesus died so we could come together, I treat folks right because my heart has been sprinkled from an evil conscience and my I’ve been washed with the pure water of God. Love gets stirred up when I enter His presence with the right mindset! Love gets stirred up when I serve from a place of humility and not prideful gain. Love gets stirred when it doesn’t matter what song is sang, I know that it’s a blessing just to be in the presence of the Lord. We come together to praise the Lord and exhort one another! Time is fragile, life is short! Don’t waste time being hateful, spend time loving folks, spend time encouraging folks, spend time serving one another.

Get Your Mind Right Before You Enter

We prepare for so many things! Prepare your mind for worship! Prepare your heart for worship. It’s all about the righteousness of Jesus, but get your mind right before you enter the house of worship.

Pre-game

Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Examine your walk, your works, and your words. Also take inventory of your relationships. Our walk takes into consideration how we keep our word, how we use our money, every facet of our life determines how we deepen our relationship with God.

Do you want to move in? If so, meet the requirements!