Teamwork Required to Build God’s House
Teamwork to build structure
Teamwork to build our inner witness
Teamwork to build our outer witness
DBF Sunday Sermon, 2/16/03
In my bi-Vocational occupation I am required to work in the Legal Justice System of the State of Alaska. This in no way can compare to the system that God gave to Israel but in some ways are similar.
Many components work together in this system to deliver what is the Justice System of our state.
There or Judges with the court, Attorney’s for the state and defense, Probation Officers appointed to bring about what the courts order, Law Enforcement agencies that investigate violations of state laws, Legislators that work to make laws that will provide for our safety and protection, and the people that are governed by these laws and come into court when in violation of laws or as jurors to facilitate the proper implementation of what man now deems as justice.
Any failure of any of the part of this system result in a failure of the entire system for the party affected. Teamwork is required to make it effective, just as God requires this of us.
If my child is violated, the law enforcement officers investigate and build a case, the prosecutor for the state verifies the evidence and if warranted petitions for a violation of state law, the court determines whether Probable Cause exists to believe the one charged is the one who has committed the crime. Attorney’s are appointed and if all parties told the truth as required by one’s word, then we might have a pretty good system for man.
Yet, the problem is not a new one but an age old problem, which God describes as “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
When faced with earthly consequences, people lie to avoid them. I thank God that no matter what any earthly court may err in, God will righteously judge all men.
Let’s look today at the way God brought man together to work for a common system of setting up HIS Tabernacle with man.
Likewise if our churches and even our own lives are to grow in Christ we must learn to work in harmony to bring about God’s “good and perfect” will, God started to show us this through the work required in bringing together HIS house with us in Exodus 26:15-37, let’s walk with Israel to gain further understanding today.
Teamwork to build structure
Exodus 26:15-30 (KJV)
And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. [16] Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. [17] Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. [18] And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. [19] And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. [20] And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: [21] And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. [22] And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. [23] And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. [24] And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. [25] And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
[26] And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, [27] And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. [28] And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. [29] And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. [30] And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
And thou shalt make…God starts by commanding you will build the structure of my house and goes on to describe the reinforced structure of HIS initial earthly dwelling place with man.
Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the tabernacle, which were to bear up the curtains.
These had tenons which fell into the mortices that were made for them in silver bases. There were 40 for the south and north walls and 6 for the back wall with two extra’s for the back corner.
The boards were coupled together with gold rings at top and bottom, and kept firm with bars that run through golden staples in every board.
Thus every thing in the tabernacle was very splendid, agreeable to that infant state of the church, when such things were proper to possess the minds of the worshippers with a reverence of the divine glory.
In allusion to this, the new Jerusalem is said to be of pure gold, Rev 21:18.
Rev. 21:18 (KJV)
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
But the builders of the gospel church said, Silver and gold have we none; and yet the glory of their building far exceeded that of the tabernacle.
Acts 3:3-6 (KJV)
Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. [4] And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. [5] And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. [6] Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
How is the structure in your framework today?
How do we stand, when persecution and the trials of life come our way?
Exodus 14:13 (KJV)
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
2 Chron. 20:17 (KJV)
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
Romans 5:2 (KJV)
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 14:4 (KJV)
Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
You see, just as the frame for the tabernacle was dictated and made at the command of God, we likewise who seek HIS face daily in HIS Holy word, prayer, church, fellowship and the circumstance HE opens for us shall stand firm in God, HE is our frame and structure.
Teamwork to build our inner witness
Exodus 26:31-35 (KJV)
And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: [32] And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
[33] And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. [34] And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. [35] And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made…God next commands the requirement for the inner veil of the Holy Place.
Everything within and without the Tabernacle required teamwork to assemble, disassemble, and re-assemble.
Just as Israel would be shown the way of the Tabernacle required teamwork so does our new testament writers in telling us that the Church is like the body, many parts that need to work together to the benefit of the whole.
1 Cor. 12:12-27 (KJV)
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [14] For the body is not one member, but many. [15] If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? [16] And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? [17] If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? [18] But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. [19] And if they were all one member, where were the body? [20] But now are they many members, yet but one body. [21] And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. [22] Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: [23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. [24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: [25] That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. [26] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. [27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Thou shalt make a veil—úëøô parocheth, from êøô parach, to break or
rend; the inner veil of the tabernacle or temple.
Do you break from the sinful things of this world?
Just as the breaking point or veil separated the world from the “Most Holy Place”, you also should separate yourself from the sinfulness of the world.
If indeed Jesus Christ has come into your heart, you are indeed a temple being built up daily as a willing offering to God.
Can it be said of you today that you represent this kind of offering with your life?
How to we get to the point where our life is an inner witness to God?
1 Cor. 3:1-2 (KJV)
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. [2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1 Peter 2:1-6 (KJV)
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, [2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: [3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. [4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, [5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. [6] Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
To move to the point that our lives are an inner witness, we must be desirous of the sincere milk of the Word of God. Can this be said of you today?
This is what is required if our lives are to be and bear the inner witness of Jesus Christ in it.
Our brothers and sisters within the church lead bible studies and groups to strengthen each other in the word, exhorting one another to the things of Christ. We must be in Christian fellowship to avail ourselves to these resources.
Teamwork to build our outer witness
Exodus 26:36-37 (KJV)
And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. [37] And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework…God again starts by commanding the work, material and workmanship of this portion of HIS overall tabernacle.
From the solemn and very particular charge, Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount, it appears plainly that God showed Moses a model of the tabernacle and all its furniture; and to receive instructions relative to this was one part of his employment while on the mount forty days with God.
As God designed that this building, and all that belonged to it, should be patterns or representations of the truly good things to come, it was indispensably necessary that Moses should receive a model and specification of the whole, so that he might direct the different artists in their constructing the work.
1. We may observe that the whole tabernacle and its furniture resembled a house and its furniture.
2. That this tabernacle was the house of God, not merely for the performance of HIS worship, but for HIS residence.
3. That God had promised to dwell among this people, and this was the initial habitation that HE appointed for HIS glory.
4. That the tabernacle, as well as the temple, was a type of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. See John 1:14, and John 2:19, 21.
John 1:14 (KJV)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 2:19 (KJV)
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
John 2:21 (KJV)
But he spake of the temple of his body.
5. That as the glory of God was manifested between the cherubim, above the mercy-seat, in this tabernacle, so God was in Christ, and in HIM dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
6. As in the tabernacle were found bread, light, etc., probably all these were emblematical of the ample provision made in Christ for the direction, support, and salvation of the soul of man. Of these, and many other things in the law and the prophets, we shall know more when mortality is swallowed up of life.
We should be able to stand firm in knowing that God designed the temple to provide us with a foreshadow of Christ. This should be evident to everyone we meet, greet and exhort to greater and greater light with Christ.
Can this be said of you today?
It can only be so if we have been “Born again.”
Of course to come to this place of rebirth where we are able to walk in the manner in which God calls us too, we are first required to call upon the only name by which we may be saved.
Our bibles tell us that we must call upon the name of “Jesus Christ” as our Lord and Savior. It is through HIM that we are able to come into the presence of our God and King and begin to build ourselves as a worthy temple for HIM.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we ask you to consider it wisely today. If you desire to do so please come forward or ask someone to pray the “Sinners Prayer” with you.
The tabernacle and its contents were a heavy burden for Israel to carry, most of this nation that will build this Tabernacle will be dead in 40 years.
What of you, you are not guaranteed tomorrow or even tonight. Don’t put off for tomorrow what God would have you do today.
If you would like to insure that you will go to heaven we ask that you come forward now.
As we have studied this morning—God is building HIS dwelling place with man and pointing to a time in which the cornerstone of HIS dwelling place will be in man. I pray this is the case in your life today.
Closing prayer.
