A Gospel Centered Temple
Notes
Transcript
Handout
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Introduction
Introduction
Great to be in church today
We are continuing in our Gospel Story series to go through the Bible and see the gospel from Genesis to Revelation.
Today we are in 1 Kings 8.
As you turn there let me talk to you for a minute.
Have you all seen what’s happening in the housing market?
What about lumber costs? Crazy how the prices have skyrocketed.
An article on CNBC said the lumber costs have increased home building costs by $36k.
Talking with our contractor for our platform remodel he said people are holding off on projects or reducing them to compensate for the price increase.
Take into consideration the costs to build a home. Not just monetarily speaking but also the time, coordination, the inevitable setbacks (most likely weather in CT), and anything else you can think of.
Once that house is built and you stand in front of it, what do you do? Admire it from the front “Wow, this is beautiful. It’s exactly what we wanted.” Maybe praise God for it, that would make sense, because all good gifts come from Him.
Maybe your nitpicky like me and you see that spot on the new porch that wasn’t cleaned up by the contractor.
But what happens after that? Do you go… “Well, that was fun…let’s go somewhere else”?
Maybe…you know what, nevermind…let’s go back to our old place.
No. You open the door and enjoy it. You spend time in it. You make it an intregal part of your life.
In our text today we are going to see King Solomon, King David’s son, at that moment the temple was built. He is there in awe of what has been established and then in this prayer he praises God.
It’s in this prayer that I believe we see the effects of the Gospel in our lives upon trusting in Jesus.
Remember, the temple was the place that God’s Spirit resided.
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
When the glory of the Lord filled the temple, Solomon and the nation of Israel worshipped.
Now, the modern day temple or house of God is not a building but a people.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
When we are saved there understandings that should be gained. There are some heart changes that should be made. Today we will examine three of those as we go through our text.
Read with me these first few words of the prayer.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, There is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
PRAY
Notice the first understanding that is gained is
I. Understanding to Revere God
I. Understanding to Revere God
The first step to salvation is not faith. Now, don’t stone me…hear me out.
Before we can choose to believe in Jesus we must first see our need for Jesus. We must first identify ourselves as sinners.
When we see ourselves as sinners as compared to a perfect and Holy Go, there is nothing but reverence for Him.
His Holiness is a non communicable (non transferable) trait of God’s
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Reverence is a deep respect for someone. Here in these first few words of his prayer, Solomon worships God and reveres Him as the one true God.
There is none like Him.
In the middle of a polytheistic (many gods) religious region of the world, this monotheistic (one god) believe people group not only came to be but also survived and thrived a continuous onslaught on their culture and way of life.
There is no other God’s, He is the creator of the universe, and you can argue with me the unbelievable facets of creation and I will argue with you about the illogical fallacies found throughout the theory of evolution. But what you can’t deny, is the numerous things that have been proven correct and accurate in scripture but multiple scientific disciplines.
https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/moon/moon-dust-and-the-age-of-the-solar-system/
In your digital worship guide, you will find a link to an article about an argument for creationism from moon dust. It’s a great article of you have trouble sleeping as it is from a peer reviewed journal OR if you have someone from the academic community you are witnessing to.
Kids, take it to school and share with your teachers. Remember, there are arguments against creationism…what we have to understand is that a faith in God and a faith in nothing is still faith. Which do you believe?
When we choose to believe in God and His Word we gain an understanding of what it means to revere Him.
Solomon praised Him for his promise to David in v.24. The one that was made about the Davidic line lasting forever, ultimately referencing Christ’s reign for eternity.
We have an eternal promise from the Lord as well.
The promise of eternal Salvation. As the temple served as a reminder to the Israelites of God in their life so does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God reminds us of our eternal salvation that is never lost.
If you can’t find yourself respecting the desires of the one who made it possible for you to live eternally in paradise and give you an amazing relationship with the God of the Universe, I’d say you have a heart problem that needs to be humbled.
When we Revere and respect God we will have a new recognition of who He is to us.
II. A Recognition of who God is to you
II. A Recognition of who God is to you
Solomon adores God for who He is in those first verses and revers Him as the One true God, Creator of the universe, and the one who keeps His gracious covenant.
In verse 27 Solomon switches from Adoration and reverence to a recognition of Who God is to Him and the nation of Israel.
He is an uncontainable God.
Here is this magnificent temple that took 7 years to build with no expense spared to be the “dwelling place” of God with His people and now Solomon is saying it won’t contain Him?
Then what was the point?
First, God is Omnipresent, able to be all places at all times. He exists outside of the restraints of time and space.
Second, God can choose to allow Himself to exist however He wants and wherever He wants as long as it does not go against His Character.
The tabernacle, the precursor to the temple, was built so that
8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
It was not made for God though. The tabernacle and the temple were built for man. So that they would have a place to look to and go to, to be close to God and know that God was with them.
We have already established that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, the residing place of God on Earth.
Does that mean we look to ourselves? No, God forbid.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
We look to the one that is in us after our salvation. We look to His Word to guide us.
But you will only do that if you revere Him and know who He is to you.
Have you asked yourself that question lately? Who is God to me?
Who is God to you? Is He your Sunday morning check in the box? Is He your go to when things go bad? Is He your every morning requirement to get through your day? Is He the one who punishes you when you do bad?
OR
Is He your Heavenly father? Is He your Comforter? Is He your Savior? Is He your Lord? Is He the one you live for?
Solomon goes on to call out to God to hear his prayer and the prayer of his people so that no matter what circumstances they may face, God would be there for them.
He even petitions the Lord for the foreigner that would come into the land and call on God to be heard so the all the peoples of the earth may know his name.
He crys out for the Lord to be with them in droughts, in famines, in battles, when sin has been commited against a brother, when the nation turns from Him.
Solomon realized what we need to realize this morning.
He realized God wasn’t just a check in the box made when they came to the temple. He knew God for who He was and wanted Him to be that in His life and in the life of his nation.
God is everything. Now, that sounds great…but is He? Is God your everything?
It sounds very spiritual to say…but what does it mean to have God be your everything? What does it look like?
Willingness
29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Willing to follow, willing to obey. We are not forced to serve the Lord. We don’t lose control of our free will once we are saved. We are privileged to be apart of His service. We won’t see that until we revere God for who He is and decide who He is going to be in our lives.
It’s then we see the “sacrifice” we are called to make is not a sacrifice, it is an investment into eternity and truly provides us a better blessing than if we hadn’t “sacrificed” in the first place.
The Israelites were willing to follow for a time and then would stray. It’s during the times that the nation followed the Lord they saw revival in their lives and when they were unwilling to follow Him, they saw destruction.
What else?
Faithfulness
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Being willing and then being faithful. A purposeful, daily encounter with the Lord. What that looks like to you may be different than others, but you need it.
In marriage your spouse would think something is up if you didn’t talk to them for a whole day. Your relationship would be hindered.
Then what if you went a whole week? You didn’t compliment them, thank them, ask about their day, joke with them…what would your relationship look like now?
Being faithful to seeking after the Lord, no matter the circumstances, is important to making God your everything.
That’s it. If your willing to follow God and faithful in your relationship with Him, I believe you will find making God your everything isn’t as hard or terrible as you might think.
Ever read
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
If we believe this, that God thinks good thoughts towards us, why do we find ourselves surprised when He comes through and makes a way as we are being faithfully obedient to Him.
Just this last week I had someone in my office talking about difficulties that they have faced and are facing in life. Then that person, in the midst of some awful circumstances, had a smile on their face and told of how God was blessing them through their trials.
How He was providing for them in some of those “God ways” that when you live by faith come to understand more and more.
Now, was it because of how great this person is? No. It’s because of how great He is. His love, His mercy, His grace, and compassion towards us is indescribable for the child of God who has experienced it.
Truly, all those who have trusted in Jesus have experienced it through their salvation. However, there are material ways in which God can provide and immaterial ways that He answers prayers that are blessings of being His children.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
When we Revere God for who He is and decide Who He is to us based upon His Word, we should have no other response than to be a living sacrifice like the ones brought to this newly completed temple.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This Temple brought great pride to the nation of Israel. It was a monument to their God and exactly to the specifications the Lord had given.
They had the presence of God at the temple, they revered Him for who He was and what he had done, and they decided who He would be, which made them realize what I want you to decide today
III. The reason you now live for
III. The reason you now live for
Solomon finishes his prayer and then turns to the people.
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
The final two verses call upon the people of Israel to do what we are all called to do
Know God, Love God, obey God, and make Him known.
That will most likely require a change in your life. Knowing God takes a commitment to learning about Him at more than just a Sunday mornign service.
Love God means rising above pride and pettiness to love others and see them as He sees them.
Obeying God requires yielding to the Holy Spirit who will guide you away from fleshly responses.
Making Him known means being purposeful and intentional about A. how you live your life and B. the relationships you have in your life.
Each relationship we have should be about pointing them to Jesus. Even in your home. How are you helping your spouse be closer to Jesus?
What about the guys at work? The women at the office?
Teenagers and children, what about your friends?
I watched a video from 2012 this last week made by Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller.
He is an outspoken Atheist and in this video talks about a person coming up to him and giving him a bible.
In this video he talks about the gentlemen and makes mention of how he approaches him and the respect Penn had for him.
Why did Penn respect this Christian? In the video Penn says “I know there is no God” yet he speaks highly of this man who approached him and gave him a bible...
Because Penn said “I don’t respect someone to not proselytize. If you believe there is a God and there is a heaven and there is a hell, and if they don’t beleive what you believe they will exist eternally in damnation....how much do you have to hate someone not to proselytize.” I’d say evangelize over proseltyze but you get the point.
If you sit here this morning…or stand here as I speak to myself…and believe that Jesus Christ is the only hope for Heaven. If we Revere God with the love, adoration, and respect He deserves, believe He is our Savior and decide who he is to us based upon the Bible, then the only response we have is to live in such a way, love in such a way, and speak in such a way that we point others to Him.
What is a Gospel Centered Temple in the 21st Century? It’s a Christian that is sold out to the Lord and living in such a way that they are pointing others to Him because they Revere Him, Because they Recognize who He is, and because they know the Reason they live for.
Is that you today?
Time of Response
Time of Response