Where does God live?

Good Morning Church!

Hope you had a great Christmas!

How many of you had to travel???

We went from Atlas to Garmin (turn by turn) to Google Maps (Pictures)

Its better right? Its Easier to access a destination.

We are going to take a trip this morning…

Where we going???

Our destination is the dwelling place of the Lord…

Using this ultimate map (the bible)…

GET YOUR BIBLES OUT!!! (Imperative) EXODUS 40/HEBREWS 9/1 Peter 2

The bible is the ultimate Atlas…tracking the movement of God and showing us exactly where to find Him!!

We are going to see the 3 places we have found the Lord dwelling with His people in His word…

Every trip has a starting point…lets look at where we started…

The whole book of Exodus in 1 snap shot:

1) Israel enslaved in Egypt, crying out to the Lord

2) A child is born…Moses…The one who God will use to deliver

3) God approaches Moses in the wilderness…tells Him His name (I AM)…and His plan to deliver His people from bondage

4) God tells Moses, I DESIRE TO DWELL AMONGST MY PEOPLE

5) Delivers them from slavery…Red Sea…Brings them to Mt Sinai…Now there is 2 problems

6) Holy God cant dwell amongst sinful people, covenant (obedience, sacrifice)

7) He needs a house to dwell in (the place where the covenant will be upheld= The Tabernacle)

Thats where we pick up today…Gods command to build the tabernacle…The first stop on our trip this morning…

THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE LORD: THE TABERNACLE (Exodus 40)

God commands the tabernacle to be built….and the people respond in obedience

Exodus 39:42–43 READ

Leviticus 26:3 ““If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,”

Leviticus 26:11–12 “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”

Exodus 40 the people have built the tent they have moved everything in ( the table, lamp, incense, the ark)

READ 40:34-38

Mans obedience led to God’s presence

NOTE: Moses still cant enter!!!

Man still separated from the Glory of God (Still cant see Him face to face)

Thats where mankind sits throughout the entire old testament…

BUT as we continue down the road…Everything changes with the birth of a child…

As Jesus Christ is born…He becomes…

THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE LORD: THE CHRIST (Hebrews 9)

God comes down in flesh to dwell with His people!!!

John 1:14–17 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

He is Immanuel!! God amongst us!!!

Flip to Hebrews 9…this is where we will actually see the turn by turns of this map…

How we got from Exodus 40 to John 1…

READ Hebrews 9:1-7 and 11-12

The people could not get face to face ( only high priest once a year past the curtain)

His body is the curtain ripped

Hebrews 10:19–20 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,”

LOOK AT THIS!!!

MOSES ASKS GOD IN EXODUS 32…”I WANT TO SEE YOU GOD”

GOD SAYS YOU CANT SEE MY GLORY THUS YOU WILL DIE!

BUT JESUS!!!

Matthew 17:1–3 “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

Before…Mans obedience led to God’s presence

NOW…God’s faithfulness led to God’s presence

JESUS IS THE WAY!!!

HE IS THE VEHICLE THAT GETS YOU TO THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION!!!!

Jesus ascends into heaven…I go to prepare a place for you…

I will be with you always

WHERE DOES HE DWELL???

THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE LORD: THE CHURCH (1 Peter 2)

1 Peter 2:4-5 READ

WHER DOES GOD LIVE???

INSIDE EVERY BELIEVER…

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

ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS!

Thats what we have to see here…birds eye view of map…where we started until now…

BIG IDEA: (Because of Jesus) The fulfillment of God’s presence is no longer dependent upon our obedience but only on His finished work on the cross.

PRAISE GOD!!! AMEN!! (a sinful idolatrous people have been blessed with the honor of becoming the dwelling place of a holy God)

So what now?

1 Peter 2:9 READ

BE THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD!!!!

PROCLAIM HIM!

HOW??? WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF BEING THE CHURCH

When the world looks at The Rock…See not just a church…SEE JESUS!!!

Upcoming sermons in 2025 (all about how to walk like the church God wants us to be)

LEAN IN!!! WHATS STOPPING YOU??? (testimony, serving, bearing, SG)

PRAY!!!