God's Word Leads to Worship (Pt. 2)

Intro

We don’t build churches like we used to

Share about missions trip to Hermosillo, MX and seeing the cathedral there *show picture*

Now we tend to build churches in big boxes with lots of space for kids to run around and adults to drink coffee...

What strikes me is not just the immensity or beauty of the building, but what it is supposed to represent: God’s glory

Cathedrals are designed to physically remind people of the holiness and majesty of God

In ancient Israel, the Temple played a similar role

It would have been the largest building in Jerusalem; the most expensive; the hub of social and religious activity, etc.

And yet, the Temple took everything one step further: It wasn’t designed to remind the people of God, it was designed as God’s literal throne room on earth: A place where He was present

Read Ezra 3:8-13 and pray

The Temple is About God’s Presence

With the altar finished, worship could commence; but the work was far from done: The Temple needed to be rebuilt

This was the focus of the group of people who returned (as decreed by King Cyrus of Persia)

After they finished the altar and offered sacrifices again, the people recognized “the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid” (Ezra 3:6).

So they set to work: gathered stone masons and carpenters, brought cedar trees from Lebanon, rolled up their sleeves and begain to rebuild the Temple

As I alluded to, the reason the temple was such a high priority was that it was the place of God’s presence

God’s desire has always been to be with His people, and we see this pattern throughout Scripture:

Walk in garden -> promise to Abraham -> pillar of cloud and fire -> tabernacle -> temple

The temple itself was designed to show and remind of God’s presence

Gradient of holiness

Show pictures of a sunset and then Falcons jersey, followed by the Temple

bronze -> silver -> gold

Courtyards -> holy place -> holy of holies

Holy of holies = God’s throne room on earth

Ark of the covenant = mercy seat

Separated by a thick veil; only high priest could enter once a year to offer atonement for the sins of the people (tied rope around his ankle)

When Solomon’s temple was completed, the same cloud of God’s presence filled the temple (just as it had the tabernacle)

Cf. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3.

God literally moved into his house; I’m here!

This is the exact situation that the Israelites in Ezra are trying to recapture

They lay the foundation of the temple, then celebrate in the same way as Solomon’s time:

Re-read Ezra 3:11 “And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”

And they shout for joy! God is with us! He can move back into His home, just as we hope to move into our homes… it is all about God’s presence

Some of the people shout for joy, but others weep

Could be tears of joy

Could be the sadness of recognizing that this temple is not the same as Solomon’s (in beauty or splendor)

They also lost the ark… the mercy seat… would this affect God’s presence with them?

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the True Temple

When we read the entire Word of God, we find that Jesus redefines God’s presence with His people

At birth = Immanuel; God with us

At death = veil torn; through Jesus, all can enter God’s throne room

At resurrection = Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s true temple

Cf. Ephesians 2:19-22.

The Bible teaches that all true worship and every experience of God’s presence is based on Jesus

Show picture of a cornerstone

Cornerstone = solid foundation

Just as it was critical for the Israelites to build the foundation of the temple, it is critical that Jesus is the foundation of our worship

Foundations are important!

Cf. Matthew 7:24-27.

Share the story of Flippy the tent

Christ alone is fully God and fully man; able to bridge the gap and usher us into God’s presence

He alone is able to help us weather the storms in our life

Cornerstone = alignment

When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, He builds us into God’s true temple together

Re-read Ephesians 2:22 “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

This means that our faith and our worship is designed to be lived out together

Faith is personal; not private

TOGETHER we as believers are the temple of God (presence and worship)

Jesus is not just our foundation, but our alignment, holding us truly together

Talk about Callahan’s old Buick; we can see this happen in the church

Jesus gives us a firm foundation and proper alignment; this is how we can live out our lives together as believers

Conclusion

As we learned this morning, God’s Word is leading us to worship

It helps us choose proper priorities (first things first)

It reveals who God is and how we can worship him accurately

Put together with this evening, we learned that worship is tied to God’s presence

Just as the temple was God with His people, our faith in Jesus now creates a new spiritual temple of worship… you and I!

Jesus is our cornerstone; holding us up and holding us together

Pray