The One Gate

Intro

This week we start a brand new series that I have been praying about, and thinking about since February. I want to tell you about when I got the idea because I think many of you can relate. I started a read through the Bible in a year plan in January. I have read through the Bible before but never in a year with a plan. Part of the reason I had never done a plan like that. to be honest is I did not want to spend the first part of the year reading through the last part of Exodus, leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy right in a row.

If you have ever read those books you know they get very technical, they have lots of laws that the Jews had to follow. they are what many would look at and call the “boring books”. and as someone who connects through stories like Im sure many of you do as well its hard for me everyday to read lists of laws instead of an advancing narrative.

But this time when I read these books it was different. I saw pictures of God and his goodness all throughout these books. and one day I was sitting in my office early in the morning. I had my coffee ready and I opened God’s word and I came to one of the passages that I was not looking forward to. It was God’s instructions on how to build the tabernacle and the elements that go in the tabernacle.

I have no need, desire, or capability to build a tabernacle. So I struggled to see how this applied to me. Why do I need the blueprints for something I will never build. But I as i read I came to realize what I believe God wants all of us to realize through this series. Which is the blueprint for the tabernacle helps us better understand all that Jesus has done for us to secure our redemption. Through learning about the blueprints for the tabernacle we are going to see that it wasn’t just a blueprint for tent. It was the blueprint of our redemption.

Every week we are going to look closer at an element of the tabernacle add it to our blueprint and see how it foreshadows what Jesus would do through his life death and resurrection. By looking at the tabernacle throughout this series the goal is we come out of this series 7 weeks from now. With a deeper understanding, adoration and appreciation for what Jesus did to secure our redemption.

Exodus 27:14–16 CSB

make hangings 22½ feet long for one side of the gate, including their three posts and their three bases. And make hangings 22½ feet long for the other side, including their three posts and their three bases. The gate of the courtyard is to have a 30-foot screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts and their four bases.

This is not the type of passage that is normally read on Sunday morning. It’s the type you would normally skim over. But we believe what Paul said in 2 Timothy. All Scripture is God breathed and is useful. So how is learning about how to build this gate that has long been destroyed useful for us today.

First we got to understand the purpose of the tabernacle.

Exodus 25:8 CSB

“They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.

God gave them these blueprints so they could build a sanctuary. So he could dwell with them.

We have a God who wants to dwell with us. the significance of that cannot be overstated. Think about how many people that you know would you want to live with? I love you guys but I don’t know how many of you I’d want to move into my house. Im sure you probably don’t want me to move into your house either. and If you knew every single thing about me Im sure the number of you who would want me to live with you would go down.

If Alysa had known how my collection of watercups constantly accumulates on my night stand and how I tend to take off my socks and forget to put them away she might not have wanted to live with me either.

There is a God who knows everything about you. Every bad thing you’ve ever done, every addiction, every mistake, every you have not come through for someone. and he still wants to dwell with you.

1. God Dwells with the Redeemed.

God chose to make his dwelling place in a tent in the desert. The God who created the universe who can go anywhere do anything chose to rest his presence in a tent with the Isrealites. He chose them. He knew how they would build a golden calf and worship it over him. he knew they would choose an earthly king over him. He knew that they would turn to idol after idol despite his goodness. And he still chose to dwell with them. not because they were so good but because he is so good.

But in order to dwell with them. They had to be redeemed. since we fell in the garden of eden we have all needed to be redeemed.

The word redeemed means to buy back something that was lost or stolen. God’s purpose in the tabernacle was simple and stunning — he wanted to live among those he had bought back.

since the garden of all creation has been lost. but since the garden God has made a plan to buy us back. it is a plan that we see played out when God killed two animals to cover Adam and Eve. the plain was laid out in the blueprint of the tabernacle and the plan is made complete through Jesus.

Those of you all who know me know I like diet mountain dew. Probably a little too much. on every bottle of mountain dew or bottle of soda there is a price on there. its not the purchase price it is the price of redemption. there are certain places you can take the bottle and they will pay you that amount of money to buy it back. To redeem it.

You and I look at used up bottle of mountain do or coke and say who would want that. coke and pepsi have uses to repurpose it.

I dont know about you but I have certainly felt like a used up bottle. empty, worthless, struggling with feelings of who would want me.

I think there are some people who need to hear this today. God wants you. He wanted the Isrealites knowing their flaws. and he wants you knowing your flaws. He wants to dwell with you. with your water cups left everywhere and dirty socks left all over the house. he wants to dwell with you. and he is willing to pay the price for your redemption. to buy you back. Even though that price wasn’t just a few cents. the price for redemption has always since the garden of eden been blood.

and to secure your redemption forever the price was the blood of his own son. as the only way to secure our redemption. Just like this gate was the only way into the tabernacle to the presence of God. Jesus is our only way.

John 14:6 CSB

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2. Jesus is Redemption’s Only Door

There was one way into the tabernacle into the presence of God so they could secure redemption.

For us today there is one way into the presence of God so that we can be redeemed.

We live in a society that promises a lot of different ways to salvation. Be a good person. Be kind to people. Accept everyone. Do what makes you happy. Don’t hate. go to church, be generous. vote this way.

To think that through any of those things is enough to secure our redemption is to cheepen the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. If you believe that being a good person is enough then you are trying to get around the gate. If you believe simply going to church and having head knowledge about Jesus is enough to secure redemption then you are trying to jump over the gate.

Because here’s the thing everything that we could do to secure our redemption apart from Jesus is just that. things we do. if you are relying on being good enough you are relying on you. if you are relying on your church attendance you are relying on you. If you are relying on your generosity you are relying on you.

The question I have for you today is why would you rely on you to try and secure something you cant secure on your own. When God has already paid the price for your redemption. and he paid it on the cross.

There is only one gate, one way, one truth, and one life.

I want to make this as clear and plain as I can cause the world will try to twist it. Jesus is not a truth. Jesus is not a way, he is not a life.

Jesus is The truth, Jesus is The way, Jesus is the life.

Jesus is not a blueprint of redemption Jesus is the only blueprint of redemption.

you cannot move forward to receive redemption until you believe that.

If that upsets you can get mad at me all you want but I am simply giving you the words of Jesus. He said he was the only way. and in the garden when faced with the weight of the death he was about to endure he double checked with God and said if there was any other way lets do that way.

But there was no other way and the son of God chose to die for you so that your redemption could be secured and God could dwell with you.

your favorite politician is not the only way Jesus is, your favorite podcast host is not the only way Jesus is, your favorite internet pastor is not the only way Jesus is, I am not the way Jesus is, You are not the only way Jesus is.

People view that as exclusive and even hateful. I view it as comforting. That my redemption is not dependant on any person or myself, but it has already been bought with the blood of lamb. Don’t cobble together self-help, religion, or performance to access God — turn to the Gate himself today.

But there is a reality here that we have to wrestle with. if Jesus is the only way. What about the people who are following all the other ways.

John 10:1–10 CSB

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Jesus again makes it clear he is the gate. he also says that anyone who tries to climb in some other way is a thief and a liar. The gate is open for all and yet people try everything they can to not go through it.

If Jesus is the only way to eternal salvation that means everyone else following every other way is heading towards eternal damnation.

3.Every Other Way is Dead End.

That is not popular. Our world interprets that as hate. But heres the thing if you go to the doctor and he tells you, you have terminal cancer. but theres good news there is one treatment that is guarenteed to heal you and best of all its free. Are you going to be upset at the doctor because he doesn’t present you with more options or let you take a medicine. that he knows isnt going to work.

Are you going to go home and say that doctor is so close minded. What a hateful doctor for not letting me use the medicine I want. No you would imeadiately say yes lets go with the treatment that is definetly going to work. Thank you so much.

Christianity is inclusive in that everyone is welcome at the table. The gate is open for all. but it is exclusive in that we believe there is one way that leads to life. and that is redemption through the blood of Jesus.

Every other religion, every other ideology, every other movement ultimately leads to death.

The world will say that is hateful. I say that is love that there was no way and God made a way and made it available to us all.

I am so thankful that there is a cure. and it doesn’t depend on me it depends on our good shepherd who laid down his life to secure for us the only way. who has always been the blueprint of our redemption. even a gate we see a sign of whats to come.

Exodus 27:16 CSB

The gate of the courtyard is to have a 30-foot screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts and their four bases.

God didn’t pick those three colors they had good funshway or they were in style. Those three colors of the only gate of the tabernacle where the Jews could experience temporary redemption point to Jesus as the only gate where all of us can receive permanant redemption.

The blue represents his as deity that he is fully God, the scarlet his blood that was shed as our sacrifice, and purple his kingly authority.

Even in these verses in the “boring” section of the Bible. We see Jesus all over it.

We see a God who wants to dwell with me and with you even knowing every single time we would fail him and let him down. and he wants to dwell with you so bad that in order to make it possible when there was no way he made a way. Through his son Jesus. Who is fully God, full of kingly authority, and who still chose to shed his blood for you in the ultimate sacrafice. So that you wouldn’t just have access to tylonal to numb your pain without fixing whats really wrong. but so you would have a gate to go through to experience full and complete healing. and be bought back by the God you walked away from.

thats the story of the Gospel and we are going to see it played out in the blueprint of the tabernacle over the next few weeks. but more importantly my prayer is you would see it played out in your life.

A simple question for you to consider as we close. which way are you following? are you relying on yourself or are you relying on Jesus? are you following someone else or are you following Jesus.

Jesus is not a way, hes not a truth and he is not a life,

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Do your words and your actions say you believe that this morning?

Are you finally ready to say Jesus I believe you are the way. God redeem me. buy me back through the blood of Jesus.