Eden as a Temple
Becoming Whole • Sermon • Submitted
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Becoming Whole
Becoming Whole
I am investing time in looking at where we have been the last 12 years and what God has planned for us in the next 10 years. To shape the next 10, I am immersing myself in what God’s desire is for us.
I am reading books from practitioners who are doing or have done the things we are striving to do here in our community. I am in the process of learning.
In this process, I am seeking to line everything up with the Word of God. It is my desire that we are obedient to His word. I don’t want us to pursue anything for any reason. I want us to pursue the Word of God and His desire for our lives.
This has caused me to ask lots of questions and seek answers. One of the questions that has surfaced for me is
What is the goal in poverty alleviation?
We will use the word poverty to those who lack material things. Is our goal for those who lack in material possessions to ensure they have more material possessions, is the goal to see that they have an equal amount of things that I have, is the goal that they live like I live?
This is so complex. Poverty alleviation in itself is really complex.
I watch as often poverty alleviation is centered in getting those in poverty to live like middle or upper class. It can be easy to assume that living in these classes is the goal of poverty alleviation.
Upon a further look into this idea, I see that people in upper and middle class can be just as miserable or more miserable than those who are in poverty.
So here we are striving to make those in a lower class than us look like us but us is broken just like those we are trying to solve.
So then what is the goal?
Cameron did an excellent job last week with the make up of who we are.
(Show Image)Naturalism
(“Adapted from Brian Fikkert and Russell Mask, From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty through Church-Centered Microfinance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 83.”)
He explored Naturalism: believing the body and this earth is all there is and there is nothing more than what we have on this earth.
Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463
He explored Naturalism: believing the body and this earth is all there is and there is nothing more than what we have on this earth.
“humans take the place of God. Indeed, humans are viewed as the masters of the universe, creatures who use their superior intelligence to create technological advances that master the material world. Creatures replace the Creator.”
The center of this belief becomes the individual. (“Adapted from Brian Fikkert and Russell Mask, From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty through Church-Centered Microfinance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 83.”)
Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463(Show Image)Gnosticism
(Show Image)Gnosticism
(“Adapted from Brian Fikkert and Russell Mask, From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty through Church-Centered Microfinance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 83.”)
We also looked at Gnosticism: the belief that we are just Spirit beings and we don’t live in this world. We are stuck here on earth and we just are waiting till we go to Heaven.
Naturalism leads us to believe that our goals in poverty alleviation are to solve the material problems of the poor and help them overcome the material struggles of this world. This belief also centers on the individual and training the individual to overcome their own problems.
Gnosticism in poverty alleviation says who cares about their current material position we just need to focus on the Spiritual. We just need to save their souls and let them be.
Cameron established the make up of every human.
(Show image)Mind, affections, will, and body
Every human is made up of these and scripture helps us to understand these.
We are talking about becoming whole. So how does our mind, affections, will and body relate to God and this life we are in.
How does The physical life and the spiritual life come together?
Ultimately what is the goal for every human rich, poor, broke, middle class, democrat or republican, chiefs, cowboys, titans, Eagles or Bengals fan?
In the book Becoming Whole this image is presented as the goal
(show image) Spokes on a Wheel God at the top
How are we as in our mind, affections, will, and body relate to God, Self, Creation, and others?
Again we keep seeking to discover how we were designed and believing that if we function according to how we were designed to function we will be as God originally intended for us to be.
The Temple Theme Throughout Scripture
The Temple Theme Throughout Scripture
The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle
1 The Lord spoke to Moses:
2 “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone who is willing to give.
3 This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
4 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair;
5 ram skins dyed red and manatee skins; acacia wood;
6 oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
7 and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.
8 “They are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them.
9 You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.
10 “They are to make an ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
11 Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it.
12 Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side.
13 Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.
15 The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it.
16 Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark.
17 Make a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.
18 Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat.
20 The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat.
21 Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark.
22 I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
23 “You are to construct a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding all around it.
25 Make a three-inch frame all around it and make a gold molding for it all around its frame.
26 Make four gold rings for it, and attach the rings to the four corners at its four legs.
27 The rings should be next to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table.
28 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table can be carried by them.
29 You are also to make its plates and cups, as well as its pitchers and bowls for pouring drink offerings. Make them out of pure gold.
30 Put the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
31 “You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its calyxes and petals.
32 Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side.
33 There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand.
34 There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its calyxes and petals.
35 For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a calyx must be under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it.
36 Their calyxes and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.
37 “Make seven lamps on it. Its lamps are to be set up so they illuminate the area in front of it.
38 Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold.
39 The lampstand with all these utensils is to be made from 75 pounds of pure gold.
40 Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain.
God delivers his people out of Egypt and God instructs his chosen people to construct a lavishly decorated tent that becomes God’s dwelling place in the midst of his people.
The primary purpose of the tabernacle was where God was dwelling among his people.
8 “They are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:
The tabernacle was to be a place of divine revelation.
22 I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
Exodus 25:
Notice how the tabernacle was to be built. It was to be build with gold and other precious stones
29 Then overlay the planks with gold, and make their rings of gold as the holders for the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
30 You are to set up the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you have been shown on the mountain.
31 “You are to make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen with a design of cherubim worked into it.
32 Hang it on four gold-plated posts of acacia wood that have gold hooks and that stand on four silver bases.
33 Hang the veil under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony there behind the veil, so the veil will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place.
Here he is speaking of the most holy place and that is the Holy of holies.
What was present in the Holy of holies?
God himself was there in the Holy of holies
Notice some other similarities of Cherubim designed in to the curtain.
34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
When the construction of this mobile tabernacle was complete, the Glory of God filled it.
This was a Holy place due to God’s presence being there, so the pries guarded it so that unclean things would not enter.
4 They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.
5 “You are to guard the sanctuary and the altar so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again.
6 Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the Lord to work at the tent of meeting.
7 But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the veil, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”
Exodus 40:34
Solomon’s Temple
Solomon’s Temple
21 Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hung gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlaid it with gold.
22 So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altar that belongs to the inner sanctuary.
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim 15 feet high out of olive wood.
1 Kings 6:21
Also present in this temple was the Holy of holies.
After it was completed
10 When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Lord’s temple,
11 and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
1 Kings 8:
Jesus’s Body
Jesus’s Body
14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1
The greek word for residence among us means he tabernacled among us.
the Word “means that the Word pitched his tabernacle, or lived in his tent, amongst us.”
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.”
The curtain of the temple was torn in two
51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27:51
1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.
2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, once purified, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
3 But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, as He was coming into the world, He said: You did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me.
6 You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “See— it is written about Me in the volume of the scroll— I have come to do Your will, God!”
8 After He says above, You did not want or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law ),
9 He then says, See, I have come to do Your will. He takes away the first to establish the second.
10 By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.
11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins.
12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.
13 He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after He says:
16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws on their hearts and write them on their minds,
17 He adds: I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh ),
21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works,
25 not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
The Church
The Church
We see the cooperate gathering of believers as God’s dwelling place but scripture goes even deeper on a more personal level
19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
Brian Rosner and Roy Ciampa helpfully explain this verse. They write: “Here Paul applies the corporate imagery to the individual believer, with particular reference to the body.”[16] Thus, one may make an astounding conclusion: the bodies of individual believers are temples of God. Further, the indwelled believers are priests who are, like the Old Testament priests, to guard the temple—the church and individual bodies of believers—from sin.
From the Old to the New Testament, a major progression of God’s presence is evident. Rather than dwelling with his people in a sanctuary, by his Spirit, God now dwells in his people.[17] Köstenberger helpfully summarizes: “In OT times, God dwelt among his people, first in the tabernacle…then in the temple. In the NT era, believers themselves are the temple of the living God….”[18] The new covenant people of God, which consists both of the Jew and Gentile, are now God’s temple.[19]
https://godandthegospel.com/articles/eden-as-temple-and-template-part-i-god-and-the-gospel
The New Jerusalem
The New Jerusalem
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.
2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:1-2
Notice what is there
18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.
Revelation 21:18
Look God’s dwelling place
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 21:
22 I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary.
22 I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
25 Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there.
26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
27 Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1 Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations,
3 and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him.
4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
5 Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 21:22-22:
The Garden as a Temple
The Garden as a Temple
Similarities
God’s Presence
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
2. Priests as Guards
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
work it and keep it can be serve and guard
24 He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
3. The placement of Cherubim
24 He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
4. East Facing Entrance
5. Garden like atmosphere
18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
29 He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings—cherubim, palm trees and flower blossoms—in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.
1 Kings 6:29
6. Gold
11 The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 Gold from that land is pure; bdellium and onyx are also there.
7. Flowing River
10 A river went out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers.
11 The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 Gold from that land is pure; bdellium and onyx are also there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon, which flows through the entire land of Cush.
14 The name of the third river is the Tigris, which runs east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Genesis 2:10-14