She Speaks Every Day—Do You Understand Her?
May 14, 2017
Proverbs 31:10-31 Revelations 4:6-11
Did your mom ever try to tell you something about life that kept you from making some bad choices? Did your mom ever tell you that life is not easy and that life is not fair. Did your mom ever tell you, somebody is paying the bills for you to live?
Did your mom ever tell you things that helped to prepare you for the future? Did you mom ever tell you something that you ignored because you thought you knew better? Did your mom ever ask you, “Do you understand what I’m saying too you?
When we talk about certain items in our society we often refer to them as a she. Church buildings are almost always given the feminine pronoun of she.
There are two New Life At Calvary’s here in Cleveland. One of them moves all over the city and the other one barely moves at all. The one that is in constant motion, is you as the body of Christ. Where ever you go, you take the church with you. The other New Life At Calvary is this great building that we have inherited from our brothers and sisters who lived during the eighteen hundreds.
This sanctuary is like a mother to us. We come to it to be nurtured, we come to it to be comforted, we come to it be encouraged, we come to it in times of joy and we come to it in times of grief. The sanctuary belongs to all of us. Like a mother with many kids, this sanctuary has enough to offer all of us.
Here’s a picture of a woman that was born around 1896. (SLIDE Great Grandmother) It’s the only known picture left of her in this world. To many people it’s just another unnamed black woman. Even if many of the younger generation in my family saw it, they would say “oh, okay” and move on. But this woman has had a course in changing the direction of some of your lives, because she is my great grandmother, Nancy Fowler.
If she had of not given birth to my grandmother, then all the influence I have had on some of your lives would vanish. When I look at this picture, I see a flood or memories and a lot of emotions and a strong sense of letting me know where I came from. My grandmother is still speaking to me through this picture even though she died in 1967, some fifty years ago. My cousins in the generations that have followed, who did not know her, are unable to hear her because they don’t know her history.
We may look around the sanctuary and say, “oh that’s a beautiful place” and move on with the next item. But I want us to know, this place has biblical history and if we listen to her, she speaks of that history.
Spiritually speaking, if a generation is 20 years, we are about six generations from those who built this sanctuary. Meaning we are their great, great, great, great, great, spiritual grandchildren. Much of the messages they were trying to pass on to us has been forgotten even though it is plain sight in front of us.
Our sanctuary is filled with messages from the scriptures to educate us, to warn us, to encourage us, to challenge us and to cause us to remember the greatness of our God as any good woman would do.
Some of you may have thought our New Testament Reading somewhat strange today. You may recall there were four living beasts whose job it was to worship God 24/7 reminding all creation that God is holy, that God has always been and always will be, and that God is worthy to be praised. These creatures cry out that you were created by God and without God you would be nothing. The four living creatures had the faces of an lion, ox, a man and an eagle. (Slide 2—4 Animals)
The gospel of Matthew is referred to as a lion to demonstrate the royalty of Jesus as the King. There is nothing in our lives that Jesus cannot handle. As King, Jesus sets the rules by which we are to live our lives.
The gospel of Mark is referred to as the ox because Jesus is portrayed as a servant who bears our burdens and carries our pains.
The Gospel of Luke is referred to with the face of a person because Jesus presents himself as the Son of Man. Jesus accepts those who have been rejected by society. We find him reaching out to the prostitutes, the lepers, and the left outs with the message his arms are open to them as well.
The Gospel of John presents Jesus as an eagle, demonstrating Jesus is the Son of God. John lets us know from the very first chapter that Jesus is divine and that Jesus is God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word Was With God, and The Word was God.
Our Mother, New Life At Calvary boldly reminds us to never forget, we are called to worship God with our lives 24/7 and we are to remember that Jesus is what we need for him to be in every setting of our lives. They have placed the lion, the man, the ox and the eagle around our sanctuary to speak to us.
One of the most important symbols in Christianity is the circle. The circle reminds us that God has no beginning and no end. The circle reminds us that eternity is real. You cannot look around this building without seeing circles in it in every direction.
(Slide 3 six Circles)
We have six circles on each side of the sanctuary to remind us, God’s faithfulness endures forever, God’s mercy is everlasting , God’s love never ends, God’s righteousness is always before us, God’s grace keeps on flowing, and God’s forgiveness is beyond comprehension. What do you need from God today, the circles remind us that God has an endless supply of it.
(Slide 4 two Circles)
We have two circles with a specific message in the circle. One circle has the Greek symbols Alpha and Omega in side of it. This is to keep before us Jesus’ words in Revelation, “I Am the Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End. In other words, he was there before the problem came into our lives and he will be there when it’s over with and everywhere in between.
The second circle lets us know that Christ is at the center of the grace and blessings God has for our lives. It is called the Chi Ro cross because the Chi and Rho are the first two greek letters in the word for Christ. We have the endless blessings of God when Christ is at the center.
The Circle is also a symbol of protection around you to keep harmful things out . ( slide 5 Circle & Door) No matter which door we leave out of the sanctuary, there is a circle in some form including the main door itself to remind us that God’s protection is with us as we prepare to enter back into the world. As you go out.
One of the most important numbers in the Bible is the number 7. The seventh day is the day of rest. The children of Israel marched around Jericho seven days, Naaman was to wash seven times to be cured of Leprosy, Elijah prayed 7 times before the rain started to fall. Jesus told us to forgive each not 7 times but seventy times seven. God is referred to as having 7 spirits.
The book of Revelations addresses the 7 churches. There are 7 last plagues coming on the earth. Jesus held 7 stars in his hands. The lampstand that was to be in the tabernacle was to be able to hold seven candles.(Slide 6 seven windows) We have seven small glass stained windows to represent the lampstand that was to be in the tabernacle and to remind us of the number 7. 7 represents the completeness of God.
The other important number in the bible is the number 3. Our God, the Trinity is 3 in one, Jonah was in the fish 3 days and 3 nights, 3 times a year all men were to appear before God at 3 festivals, Daniel prayed 3 times a day, Peter denies Jesus 3 times, Jesus restored Peter 3 times, Paul prays for the thorn in his flesh 3 times, Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd day. (Slide 7 4 Large Stain Windows)
Our large stain glass window are grouped together in threes to remind us of the importance of this number and the events associated with it.
Just like a mother warns her children of dangers in the future our church warns us. In the bible in the book of Revelations, we are told there will be four angels who hold back the wrath of God on the earth until God’s seal is put upon the forehead of the servants of God. They have the power to harm the land and the sea. This seal keeps God’s servants from enduring the same judgment as those who refuse to serve God.
(Slide 8 4 angels) These four angels looking down upon the earth show us that God’ wrath is being held in place by the mercy of God, but that one day, God’s judgment is going to happen and we need to be prepared for that day. We should not put it off until its too late.
God is an artist and God valued artistry in the building of the tabernacle and in the building of the temple. When wood was used in building the tabernacle in the wilderness, God always had people who could skillfully carve images of gourds, flowers, pomegranates, and leaves into the wood work. (Slide 9 wood carvings)
God specifically told Moses to go and get Bezalel and Oholiab because he had filled them with his spirit to make artistic designs in gold, silver, bronze, stones and wood. Later when Solomon built the temple, they also looked for people who were skilled in carving the woodwork. Those who built this sanctuary wanted to remind us of the gifts and God places in artists, carpenters, and painters.
Your calling from God is just as valuable in the body of Christ as is becoming a pastor or preacher. (Slide 10 art work) When we look at the detail given in this arch which tells us to offer our very best to God. We can see some of the same flowers and pomegranates that God ordered to be put into the wood when God was faithful to Israel for 40 years while they were in the desert. This part of the art of the wood reminds us that God is faithful even when we are wandering around in the wilderness.
Jesus told us, I am the vine and you are the branches apart from me you can do nothing. That message is embedded in the artwork of our communion table.(Slide 11 communion artwork) At first glance, you might think there a lot of individual plants, but if you look closely you will find there is one vine that connects them all together all round the table. The message is that when we come to the Lord’s table, we are to be one with each other and one with Christ.
(Slide 11 Communion Table)
Our communion table is large to remind us that Jesus had an actual dinner with his disciples that last night and that they were seated all around the table. Jesus let them know that he was going to be killed for them. Each time we look at this table, we are being told, it cost God something for you to be able to sit and worship. It cost the life of his son Jesus Christ.
If you do not understand the price that God paid to be able to welcome you into the family of God, you will be able to love God in the way God intended for you to love him. Communion is God’s way of saying this is personal between you and me. Nobody can get us right to sit at the Lord’s table but ourselves. In order to get the most out of praise and worship, we first must go through the communion table.
Jesus said, “if anyone wants to follow me, let them pick up their cross and follow me.” A cross was something you picked up in order to die to yourself.” Jesus said, the only way for you to really live is to say no to yourself and yes to the will of God. There are over 167 crosses in this sanctuary carved in the wood, in the ceiling, or standing by themselves. The cross that speaks clearest on coming to know God are the three crosses that have steps on each side of them. (Slide 12)
Those steps are letting us know, the closer we get to the cross the higher we are going to rise. Those steps are there to encourage us to move closer to Jesus. There are no barriers at the foot of the cross or on the steps which means, we are determining how close we get to Jesus. We all start out on the same level of being sinners in need of God’s grace. Some of us have all kinds of excuses for why we can’t climb to the next level. But it doesn’t change the reality that the cross is still there. Jesus is still challenging us to let things go and come closer.
You see its not enough to just make a decision to accept Christ and go on our merry way. The scriptures tell us that our adversary the devil goes about as roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Jesus warned us that there would be wolves in our midst trying to pretend that they were sheep. Our sanctuary warns us that even in the church that would be battles and temptations that we must fight and resist. (Slide 13)
There are six beasts in the rafters if you look at them quickly, you might think they were faces of angels like the others but they are not. But our sanctuary gives the message, greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (Slide 14) There may be six beasts in the sanctuary, but there are at least 44 angels carved throughout the sanctuary to let you know that God is still in control.
Finally the way our sanctuary speaks to us is through our stained glass window, the angel of the resurrection. (Insert Slide 15) It invites us to come and see that you will not find the body of Jesus in here. Instead you will see the power of the resurrection through lives that have been transformed. You will see the power of Christ putting lives back together again. You will see those who have had all kinds of chains broken from their lives.
As we leave the angel gives us the same message as He gave the mothers and the women at the tomb on Easter Sunday, “quickly go and tell the world that Jesus is risen just as he said”. We ought to be able to tell the world, that we know Jesus is alive because He’s working in me. All around us our mother sanctuary is proclaiming some part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the glory of God. Our sister and brothers from the 19th sanctuary designed this place so that all of us could know the truth and be saved. This sanctuary is still speaking a 135 years later. Are you listening to what she is saying?
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick
May 14, 2017
Prov. 31:10-31 Rev. 4:6-11
A. Did Your Mom Ever Tell You
• New Life At Calvary
• Movable & Immovable
• Mother Sanctuary
B. Black Woman 1896
• Impacted Your Life
• Nancy Fowler
• Importance Of History
C. New Life At Calvary
• Saints Before Us
• 6 Generations
• Preaching The Message
D. Four Living Creatures
• Lion—Matthew--King
• Ox-- Mark---Servant
• Man—Luke—Son Of Man
• Eagle—John—Son Of God
E. Christianity & The Circle
• No Beginning End
• Eternal
• 6 Circles-Faithfulness, Mercy, Love, Righteousness, Grace, Forgiveness
• Protection
F. The Number 7
• 7 Days
• 7 Washings
• 7 Plagues
• 7 Candles
• 7 Stars
G. The Number 3
• Trinity
• 3 Denials
• 3 Restores
• 3 Prayers
• 3rd Day Resurrection
H. The Four Angels
• Restraining God’s Wrath
• Get Ready Now
I. God Is An Artist
• Designing Tabernacle
• Carved Images
• God’s With Us In The Wilderness
J. Jesus I Am The Vine
• We Are One
• Price Of Communion
• The Price Of The Cross
• Come To The Cross
H. The Enemy Is Present
• Beware Of The Enemy
• The 6 Beasts
• God Is Prepared 44
I. The Angel Of The Resurrection
• Come And See
• Go And Tell
J. Don’t Forget & Do Listen
