Have you ever been camping out and had to get up in the morning to stir up the coals of a fire from the evening before in order to get some warmth? Can you picture the white ash on top that hides the glow of some embers still burning underneath as you stir the coals? Do you remember blowing on the coals and feeding them a few small sticks or dried out pine needles in order to get a flame to spring back to life? Breathing life into an old, worn-out relationship, or even one that has just been untended for a while is much like this. It sure is much easier to get that fire going with hot coals already in place than to start over from scratch!
Hopefully four weeks into the “Love Dare” you have recognized that this book is not a cure-all for marriage relationships. In fact, no such thing exists. However, the value of this book is in guiding people to think intentionally about, and actively do things that bless their marriage partner. Some of the “dares” have been very easy; others, not so easy. Some of the “dares” have been spot-on concerning an area relevant to your marriage; others, maybe not so much. The point is that you are developing habits of thinking about your marriage and doing something to rekindle the fire in your relationship on a daily basis. You are stirring up the coals each morning instead of waiting for them burn out completely.
God provides an illustration of this through His prophet, Ezekiel, as he has a vision of a valley full of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. The bones represent the “whole house of Israel” according to V. 11. This nation, who was in a bond of covenant with the One true God (a marriage bond), has somehow allowed that relationship to dry up and the life be taken out of them. The feeling is that their “hope has perished” (V. 11)! (Can any of you relate to this feeling?) Interestingly, God asks Ezekiel in V. 3, “Son of man, can these bones live?” and the prophet answers, “O LORD God, You know.” God does know, and will demonstrate His power to put things back in order and breathe life in these bones, but submission is required!
The solution to bringing life back to these old, dry bones is for them to “hear the word of the LORD” (V. 4), and for Him to “put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life” (V. 14). No words of wisdom or special incantation from Ezekiel would ever bring those old bones back to life. No power from within the bones, themselves, would bring them back to vitality! The solution is found in the word of God and His Spirit dwelling within them. The same is true in dealing with our marriages today!!!
You can try to build the foundation of your marriage upon a lot of things, but the one true way of success is to look to the word of God for the direction and guidance to put order back to a relationship that has fallen apart. Ezekiel writes, “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone” (V. 7). Again, let me emphasize! What Ezekiel was told to “prophesy” over the bones was for them to “HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD” (V. 4)! God used this to put things back in order. God then put His Spirit within them and they came to life!
He can, and will, do the same thing with your marriage! Daily let His word speak order to your relationship and allow his Spirit to bring life to your bond and see if the embers being stirred don’t produce a flame that keeps you both warm! I DARE YOU!!!
-Scott
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Whoever Hears These Words of Mine . . .
Just suppose I was having some serious issues in my walk with God. Imagine I felt like God was far, far away, and really didn’t understand what I was going through. Not only do I have doubts about Him and His love for me, but I even have doubts about how lovable I am. Why would He care about me in the first place? Suppose my talking to Him felt like I was talking to a wall, and that my prayers never went any higher than the ceiling. Opening up to Him was awkward and difficult because I do not like to be vulnerable, or am afraid what I say “can and will be used against me in a court of law”. I am miserable with Him . . . and . . . I know I would be miserable without Him! What a horrible way to go through life!!! How did I ever get to this point of things being such a colossal mess? (This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to husband and wife.)
Now suppose someone was to come along and say they knew how to help me with these problems. They understood my fears and struggles and could show me a way to navigate through the minefield of relationship. They even pointed out to me models from God’s word of how I should “Receive—Leave—Cleave—Weave” based upon what we learn about the first man and woman; or build from Covenant to Grace to Empowerment to Intimacy as God does with the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. They explain how God is described from the very start of the Bible story as One who can take a universe of chaos and mess and speak order into it, turning it into something “good”! What a huge help that would be, right?
I remember my mom telling me when I was a child, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Sage wisdom every child needs to hear as they are growing up, right? Jesus made the same basic statement another way when He said, “Therefore, whoever hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock . . . . And whoever hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand” (Matthew 7:24, 26).
Wise . . .
Foolish . . .
They are not determined by whether they had a chance to hear the words of Jesus, or not. They are determined by whether they chose to listen and put them into practice. In fact, neither is promised by listening to the words of Jesus, or even putting them into practice, that they would escape having to face the storms that come with living in this world. What they were promised is that they would stand through them—IF THEY ACTED UPON THEM!!!
The Love Dare . . . Dynamic Marriage . . . Marriage Mentors . . . Celebrate/Recovery . . . A Sermon Series on God’s design for marriage . . . Premarital and Marriage Counseling . . . Libraries of books & videos on marriage & issues that come up within a marriage . . . . Do you get the idea that at Garden Ridge we are concerned about helping people build healthy marriages and enjoy the fullness of what God designed?
None of it matters if you refuse to drink! When the storms come and it feels like your house is crumbling in on top of you, can you honestly say it happened in spite of hearing the teachings of God and acting upon them? None of these resources will work magic in a relationship where one or both of the individuals refuse to change.
The truth is . . . God supplies a GREAT plan for marriage.
The issue is . . . Will you humbly submit to it and change to fit His design?
So, to make use of a few clichés, “The ball is in your court.” “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” “Whoever hears these words of Mine . . . .” What will you do now?
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Now suppose someone was to come along and say they knew how to help me with these problems. They understood my fears and struggles and could show me a way to navigate through the minefield of relationship. They even pointed out to me models from God’s word of how I should “Receive—Leave—Cleave—Weave” based upon what we learn about the first man and woman; or build from Covenant to Grace to Empowerment to Intimacy as God does with the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. They explain how God is described from the very start of the Bible story as One who can take a universe of chaos and mess and speak order into it, turning it into something “good”! What a huge help that would be, right?
I remember my mom telling me when I was a child, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Sage wisdom every child needs to hear as they are growing up, right? Jesus made the same basic statement another way when He said, “Therefore, whoever hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock . . . . And whoever hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand” (Matthew 7:24, 26).
Wise . . .
Foolish . . .
They are not determined by whether they had a chance to hear the words of Jesus, or not. They are determined by whether they chose to listen and put them into practice. In fact, neither is promised by listening to the words of Jesus, or even putting them into practice, that they would escape having to face the storms that come with living in this world. What they were promised is that they would stand through them—IF THEY ACTED UPON THEM!!!
The Love Dare . . . Dynamic Marriage . . . Marriage Mentors . . . Celebrate/Recovery . . . A Sermon Series on God’s design for marriage . . . Premarital and Marriage Counseling . . . Libraries of books & videos on marriage & issues that come up within a marriage . . . . Do you get the idea that at Garden Ridge we are concerned about helping people build healthy marriages and enjoy the fullness of what God designed?
None of it matters if you refuse to drink! When the storms come and it feels like your house is crumbling in on top of you, can you honestly say it happened in spite of hearing the teachings of God and acting upon them? None of these resources will work magic in a relationship where one or both of the individuals refuse to change.
The truth is . . . God supplies a GREAT plan for marriage.
The issue is . . . Will you humbly submit to it and change to fit His design?
So, to make use of a few clichés, “The ball is in your court.” “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” “Whoever hears these words of Mine . . . .” What will you do now?
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Art of Receiving
Last week we began looking at the creation of the first man and woman and how their relationship was based upon being made in God’s image. God’s relational nature (being 3 in 1) is the model of what He created in the bond of husband & wife. Add to that the beauty of being made as side-by-side companions (fashioned from a rib) and you have a beautiful picture of God’s intention and design for marriage. However, once you are married, then what? How do you build the intimacy God created your marriage bond to have and sustain a deep, abiding love through the rigors of everyday life?
The first step we saw in God’s plan is to RECEIVE our spouse as the gift of God they are and the artwork He has created them to be. Realizing their attributes that complement our own and rejoicing in how those differences make us better bring about unity and mutual respect that increases intimacy. Obviously, fighting against these differences and trying to change one another to fit our ways of thinking will hinder growing together. Just think about how many arguments or times of frustration with one another could be avoided if we learned to practice healthy receiving of one another!
A great illustration of how this works is found in I Samuel 25 where David encounters a man named Nabal and later his wife, Abigail. David and the band of renegades he has accumulated have been running from Saul and have spent some time hiding in the vicinity of where Nabal’s flocks have been sheared. At a time of celebrating the end of shearing, David has his men approach Nabal and ask for some food for his men as a sign of appreciation for the protection they have provided. How are they received? Nabal rebukes them and disrespects them. There is no appreciation in Nabal. He is stingy with the provisions God has blessed him with. He gets focused upon himself. All this leads to an escalation of great intensity. (Here comes the argument!)
David, feeling disrespected, vows to bring destruction upon Nabal and his household. (Amazing how a lack of RECEIVING can bring about such passionate feelings in a person!) At this point, Abigail enters the story. Having been told the way her husband rebuffed David and his men, she acts quickly. She prepares a feast of food for David and his men and goes out to meet him. She falls at his feet and asks him to accept her gift and to let God take care of Nabal, rather than taking matters into his own hands. She receives him with humility and respect and it turns David’s anger into praise for her and for the Lord who he says sent her to him to stop him from bloodshed. (Amazing how the act of RECEIVING someone with respect can shut down the anger that has built up within them!)
So, how did you do this past week with RECEIVING your marriage partner? How is your Love Dare going this week? Are you striving to develop better habits in the way you relate to that precious gift of a spouse God has blessed you with? James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (1:22). In other words, put these things to practice and don’t just wink or nod at sermons that tell you about what to do to help you in your marital walk. You may be amazed at how this one basic action brings about such powerful results!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
The first step we saw in God’s plan is to RECEIVE our spouse as the gift of God they are and the artwork He has created them to be. Realizing their attributes that complement our own and rejoicing in how those differences make us better bring about unity and mutual respect that increases intimacy. Obviously, fighting against these differences and trying to change one another to fit our ways of thinking will hinder growing together. Just think about how many arguments or times of frustration with one another could be avoided if we learned to practice healthy receiving of one another!
A great illustration of how this works is found in I Samuel 25 where David encounters a man named Nabal and later his wife, Abigail. David and the band of renegades he has accumulated have been running from Saul and have spent some time hiding in the vicinity of where Nabal’s flocks have been sheared. At a time of celebrating the end of shearing, David has his men approach Nabal and ask for some food for his men as a sign of appreciation for the protection they have provided. How are they received? Nabal rebukes them and disrespects them. There is no appreciation in Nabal. He is stingy with the provisions God has blessed him with. He gets focused upon himself. All this leads to an escalation of great intensity. (Here comes the argument!)
David, feeling disrespected, vows to bring destruction upon Nabal and his household. (Amazing how a lack of RECEIVING can bring about such passionate feelings in a person!) At this point, Abigail enters the story. Having been told the way her husband rebuffed David and his men, she acts quickly. She prepares a feast of food for David and his men and goes out to meet him. She falls at his feet and asks him to accept her gift and to let God take care of Nabal, rather than taking matters into his own hands. She receives him with humility and respect and it turns David’s anger into praise for her and for the Lord who he says sent her to him to stop him from bloodshed. (Amazing how the act of RECEIVING someone with respect can shut down the anger that has built up within them!)
So, how did you do this past week with RECEIVING your marriage partner? How is your Love Dare going this week? Are you striving to develop better habits in the way you relate to that precious gift of a spouse God has blessed you with? James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (1:22). In other words, put these things to practice and don’t just wink or nod at sermons that tell you about what to do to help you in your marital walk. You may be amazed at how this one basic action brings about such powerful results!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Love Dare
What an incredible sight to behold! Over 400 people gathered together in our auditorium to watch “Fireproof” and to then be challenged to work on a 40-day program called “The Love Dare”. It was wonderful to see so many visitors and church family members come to take advantage of a tool to hopefully bless their marriages. It is my prayer that God will work in the families of this church and our community to bring about loving relationships that produce fulfillment for each one involved.
This morning we begin looking at what God sets out in His word for husband/wife relationships. I am hoping to shed light on the practical teaching He provides in order to show the beauty and value of entrusting ourselves to His plan for marriage. Our creator knows the way He wired us and the challenges that come with being different, yet corresponding to one another, thus He provides some timely and powerful teaching on how to work together to build unity, intimacy, and a relationship founded upon the characteristics of love and respect. Over the next six weeks, in conjuncture with The Love Dare, I will be preaching on passages such as Genesis 2; Ephesians 5; and I Peter 3 to show the wealth of material God has provided for training and guiding husbands and wives so they function as a team, where each is respected and built up in the ways of the LORD.
These sermons will be challenging. I plan to come across unrelenting when proclaiming this material. It is not my intention to make suggestions that might work if you half-heartedly try them. The level of commitment God calls us to have is much greater than that! I will be demonstrating His plan for marriage and calling for each individual to evaluate their own heart and relationship. I will be striving to bring about change where things are outside of God’s design so that marriage fulfillment will reach the height God has designed it to have. I know these are lofty goals, but why set the bar low? God certainly didn’t!
At times you may wonder if I have a camera and am spying on what is going on within the walls of your home. (At least, I hope it comes across this way!) Because God’s teachings and the implications of what they mean are THAT practical and relevant to the situations we face in our world today. I certainly am praying for His truth to come across alive and active and relevant to your particular situations or circumstances.
We live during a time where there are vast resources available for marriage enrichment. I have read several books that I would highly recommend couples take time to read. However, the absolute greatest resource is found in the pages of Scripture, and that will be my focus over the next six weeks! May God capture your heart and your imagination for what you can build in your marriage as we consider the beauty of His plan! May you be filled with the energy and clarity of thought to fulfill your Love Dare with passion and determination! And, may you experience the fullness in your marriage bond that God has created it to bring!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
This morning we begin looking at what God sets out in His word for husband/wife relationships. I am hoping to shed light on the practical teaching He provides in order to show the beauty and value of entrusting ourselves to His plan for marriage. Our creator knows the way He wired us and the challenges that come with being different, yet corresponding to one another, thus He provides some timely and powerful teaching on how to work together to build unity, intimacy, and a relationship founded upon the characteristics of love and respect. Over the next six weeks, in conjuncture with The Love Dare, I will be preaching on passages such as Genesis 2; Ephesians 5; and I Peter 3 to show the wealth of material God has provided for training and guiding husbands and wives so they function as a team, where each is respected and built up in the ways of the LORD.
These sermons will be challenging. I plan to come across unrelenting when proclaiming this material. It is not my intention to make suggestions that might work if you half-heartedly try them. The level of commitment God calls us to have is much greater than that! I will be demonstrating His plan for marriage and calling for each individual to evaluate their own heart and relationship. I will be striving to bring about change where things are outside of God’s design so that marriage fulfillment will reach the height God has designed it to have. I know these are lofty goals, but why set the bar low? God certainly didn’t!
At times you may wonder if I have a camera and am spying on what is going on within the walls of your home. (At least, I hope it comes across this way!) Because God’s teachings and the implications of what they mean are THAT practical and relevant to the situations we face in our world today. I certainly am praying for His truth to come across alive and active and relevant to your particular situations or circumstances.
We live during a time where there are vast resources available for marriage enrichment. I have read several books that I would highly recommend couples take time to read. However, the absolute greatest resource is found in the pages of Scripture, and that will be my focus over the next six weeks! May God capture your heart and your imagination for what you can build in your marriage as we consider the beauty of His plan! May you be filled with the energy and clarity of thought to fulfill your Love Dare with passion and determination! And, may you experience the fullness in your marriage bond that God has created it to bring!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 13
The Altar of Incense—The Prayers of the Saints
Do you know what is near and dear to God’s heart? Hearing from His children!
The Tabernacle (as we have seen thus far) gives us image after image of what Jesus has done for us in order to provide the means to an intimate relationship with God. He is the one way into God’s presence (like the entry of the Tabernacle courtyard). He is the sacrifice offered before God in order to atone for our sins and help us have peace with God (like the Altar of Burnt Offerings). He is the means to be cleansed so we can enter into the presence of God (like the Laver). He is the Light of the World providing victory over darkness and lighting our way to the presence of God (like the Golden Lamp Stand). He is the Bread of Life—God’s provision for our souls and the means to have table fellowship with God (like the Table of Showbread). God’s design for the Tabernacle was meant to point forward to the person and ministry of the Savior we all need so we can dwell in the presence of God and live life to the fullest!
There was one more piece of furniture you encounter before entering into the very presence of God—The Altar of Incense. This was a square altar made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which the priests were to keep a special blend of incense burning continually before the LORD (See Exodus 30:1-10). Once a year Aaron was to purify the altar by placing on its horns some blood from the atoning sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 30:10).
Can you see the beautiful picture this presents?
David writes in Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be fixed as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” We find in Revelation 8:3-4 a golden altar before the throne of God (His very presence) and the angel of God added incense to the prayers of all the saints to offer before God. The golden censer mentioned was a tool used to transport burning coals in order to burn the incense. This is the very same activity the priests would have to do each morning and evening in the Tabernacle. In other words, the incense represented the prayers of God’s people! What was closest to the very presence of God was the sweet-smelling prayers of His people! Unfortunately, there was a veil separating this altar from the presence of God in the Tabernacle, but Jesus would see that removed through the work He came to the earth to accomplish!
Jesus’ work was also foretold through the use of the altar of incense. You see, basically there were two altars—one indoors and one outdoors. The outdoor altar was brass and represents what Jesus did on the earth—offering an atoning sacrifice. We see a picture of Jesus in humiliation. However, the indoor altar was gold and represents what Jesus does in the presence of God—interceding for us so God is pleased with the aroma of our lives. It is a picture of Jesus in exultation! The fire for burning the incense on the golden altar came from the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12-13). The point is that true prayer must be based on the work of Jesus on the cross! This is powerfully illustrated on the Day of Atonement when blood from the sacrifice for the nation of Israel was spread on the horns of the Altar of Incense. To be the fragrance God desires in His presence, we need the blood of Jesus spread on our lives!
Next week we will talk about what this means in our everyday living.
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Do you know what is near and dear to God’s heart? Hearing from His children!
The Tabernacle (as we have seen thus far) gives us image after image of what Jesus has done for us in order to provide the means to an intimate relationship with God. He is the one way into God’s presence (like the entry of the Tabernacle courtyard). He is the sacrifice offered before God in order to atone for our sins and help us have peace with God (like the Altar of Burnt Offerings). He is the means to be cleansed so we can enter into the presence of God (like the Laver). He is the Light of the World providing victory over darkness and lighting our way to the presence of God (like the Golden Lamp Stand). He is the Bread of Life—God’s provision for our souls and the means to have table fellowship with God (like the Table of Showbread). God’s design for the Tabernacle was meant to point forward to the person and ministry of the Savior we all need so we can dwell in the presence of God and live life to the fullest!
There was one more piece of furniture you encounter before entering into the very presence of God—The Altar of Incense. This was a square altar made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which the priests were to keep a special blend of incense burning continually before the LORD (See Exodus 30:1-10). Once a year Aaron was to purify the altar by placing on its horns some blood from the atoning sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 30:10).
Can you see the beautiful picture this presents?
David writes in Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be fixed as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” We find in Revelation 8:3-4 a golden altar before the throne of God (His very presence) and the angel of God added incense to the prayers of all the saints to offer before God. The golden censer mentioned was a tool used to transport burning coals in order to burn the incense. This is the very same activity the priests would have to do each morning and evening in the Tabernacle. In other words, the incense represented the prayers of God’s people! What was closest to the very presence of God was the sweet-smelling prayers of His people! Unfortunately, there was a veil separating this altar from the presence of God in the Tabernacle, but Jesus would see that removed through the work He came to the earth to accomplish!
Jesus’ work was also foretold through the use of the altar of incense. You see, basically there were two altars—one indoors and one outdoors. The outdoor altar was brass and represents what Jesus did on the earth—offering an atoning sacrifice. We see a picture of Jesus in humiliation. However, the indoor altar was gold and represents what Jesus does in the presence of God—interceding for us so God is pleased with the aroma of our lives. It is a picture of Jesus in exultation! The fire for burning the incense on the golden altar came from the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12-13). The point is that true prayer must be based on the work of Jesus on the cross! This is powerfully illustrated on the Day of Atonement when blood from the sacrifice for the nation of Israel was spread on the horns of the Altar of Incense. To be the fragrance God desires in His presence, we need the blood of Jesus spread on our lives!
Next week we will talk about what this means in our everyday living.
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 12
The Table of Showbread (Part 2)—He Invites Us Into His Banquet Table
“I owe, I owe . . . so, off to work I go!”
What are you working for? What are you trying to accumulate? Money can buy you a house, but not a home; money can buy you an education, but not wisdom; money can buy you a bed, but not restful sleep; money can buy you influence, but not respect; it can buy you medicine, but not health.
Do you take time to reflect upon what you are chasing after and whether it is worth it? Are you caught up in the rat race for more things and don’t even have time to enjoy the things for which you still owe money? Jesus calls us to work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). Are we thinking about this as we chase after the shiny things the world holds out in front of us? When it is all said and done, what will be said about you, and what will you have done?
The Table of Showbread was a reminder of God’s provision of the things we really need. Not just our physical needs, but something much more meaningful! This bread placed upon the Table of Showbread was called the “Bread of Presence”, or more literally, the “Bread of Face”—GOD’S FACE! The Table of Showbread represents eating in the presence of God—TABLE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE! He invites us in to His banquet table and His banner over us is love! The point in the Tabernacle was the same as what Jesus later taught in John 6:27. Are you making your decisions based upon the things that bring you deeper into the presence of God, so you can sit down with Him and enjoy table fellowship? Or, are you chasing after things that distract you from this type of intimacy with God?
Jesus was very consistent in what He taught us about this. When the devil tempted Him to turn stones to bread after He had been fasting for 40 days, Jesus made it clear, “It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). The devil was trying to find a way to disrupt the intimacy and fellowship Jesus enjoyed with the Father, much like he did to Adam & Eve in the Garden. However, this time he was unsuccessful. Jesus also had this to say to His disciples when they tried to get Him to eat after His encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria, “I have food to eat that you do not know about. . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:32-34). Jesus never let His physical appetite take precedence over His spiritual appetite. His decisions in the flesh were based upon what would help Him stay in the presence of God—feasting at His banquet table!
Have you considered what it is you are working for and why you feel these things are necessary? Are you striving after things that move you closer to the presence of God, or further away from Him? Let the Table of Showbread remind you that God will take care of the things you really need, and His “bread” is meant to draw you nearer to Him so you can have table fellowship. If this is not what you are experiencing, will you see what He is calling you to experience and make the changes necessary in your quest?
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
“I owe, I owe . . . so, off to work I go!”
What are you working for? What are you trying to accumulate? Money can buy you a house, but not a home; money can buy you an education, but not wisdom; money can buy you a bed, but not restful sleep; money can buy you influence, but not respect; it can buy you medicine, but not health.
Do you take time to reflect upon what you are chasing after and whether it is worth it? Are you caught up in the rat race for more things and don’t even have time to enjoy the things for which you still owe money? Jesus calls us to work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). Are we thinking about this as we chase after the shiny things the world holds out in front of us? When it is all said and done, what will be said about you, and what will you have done?
The Table of Showbread was a reminder of God’s provision of the things we really need. Not just our physical needs, but something much more meaningful! This bread placed upon the Table of Showbread was called the “Bread of Presence”, or more literally, the “Bread of Face”—GOD’S FACE! The Table of Showbread represents eating in the presence of God—TABLE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE! He invites us in to His banquet table and His banner over us is love! The point in the Tabernacle was the same as what Jesus later taught in John 6:27. Are you making your decisions based upon the things that bring you deeper into the presence of God, so you can sit down with Him and enjoy table fellowship? Or, are you chasing after things that distract you from this type of intimacy with God?
Jesus was very consistent in what He taught us about this. When the devil tempted Him to turn stones to bread after He had been fasting for 40 days, Jesus made it clear, “It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). The devil was trying to find a way to disrupt the intimacy and fellowship Jesus enjoyed with the Father, much like he did to Adam & Eve in the Garden. However, this time he was unsuccessful. Jesus also had this to say to His disciples when they tried to get Him to eat after His encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria, “I have food to eat that you do not know about. . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:32-34). Jesus never let His physical appetite take precedence over His spiritual appetite. His decisions in the flesh were based upon what would help Him stay in the presence of God—feasting at His banquet table!
Have you considered what it is you are working for and why you feel these things are necessary? Are you striving after things that move you closer to the presence of God, or further away from Him? Let the Table of Showbread remind you that God will take care of the things you really need, and His “bread” is meant to draw you nearer to Him so you can have table fellowship. If this is not what you are experiencing, will you see what He is calling you to experience and make the changes necessary in your quest?
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 11
The Table of Showbread—God’s Daily Provision
Do you know what you need? God does!
Jesus offers bread—He instructs His disciples to pray for daily bread (Matthew 6:11) and teaches that He is the bread of life, from which, if they eat, they will never hunger again (John 6:35). But, how many of us are satisfied with just bread? We want what the world is telling us we can have—a four-course dinner! We want to feast upon all the desires of our eyes and our appetites. However, God has been calling us to a more disciplined diet for a reason.
Within the Tabernacle there was an article of furniture called the Table of Showbread. This was a table made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which 12 loaves of unleavened bread were placed before God. This bread was kept continually in place, even when Israel traveled, as a way of remembering God as their provider, and was replaced with fresh loaves each Sabbath. Rabbinic teaching claims that the priests ate the old bread while frankincense was burned as a way of expressing worship and gratitude to God for His provision. The table and the bread upon it was a continual reminder that God was Israel’s source of PROVISION! It is to Him they must place their trust!
Are you concerned about whether God will take care of you? It is interesting to consider the discipline God consistently calls people to develop when He asks them to walk with Him. Abraham was challenged to leave everything he would normally use to provide for himself—country, relatives, and father’s house— in order to travel to a land God would show him. He was to leave his inheritance and the support he would receive from those who knew him best (physically speaking). What God wanted him to learn was to trust in the provision of his true Father!
When Israel left Egypt, God instructed them to plunder them, which they did. They walked out of Egypt with an incredible amount of riches (consider the materials used to make the Tabernacle—and the fact that a group of slaves possessed all of this). However, God did not want them to depend upon their own means and led them to the wilderness where they were forced to trust in His daily provision to survive. He is the source of PROVISION we are meant to trust.
The same thing happened when Jesus started calling disciples to Himself. The first disciples were fishermen who, upon being told to follow Him, left their nets and their families (Matthew 4:18-22). The very same thing Abraham did (leaving family and means of support), Peter, Andrew, James and John did to follow Jesus. They each realized God is their PROVIDER of daily bread.
Do you know what you need? God does!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Do you know what you need? God does!
Jesus offers bread—He instructs His disciples to pray for daily bread (Matthew 6:11) and teaches that He is the bread of life, from which, if they eat, they will never hunger again (John 6:35). But, how many of us are satisfied with just bread? We want what the world is telling us we can have—a four-course dinner! We want to feast upon all the desires of our eyes and our appetites. However, God has been calling us to a more disciplined diet for a reason.
Within the Tabernacle there was an article of furniture called the Table of Showbread. This was a table made of acacia wood and covered with gold upon which 12 loaves of unleavened bread were placed before God. This bread was kept continually in place, even when Israel traveled, as a way of remembering God as their provider, and was replaced with fresh loaves each Sabbath. Rabbinic teaching claims that the priests ate the old bread while frankincense was burned as a way of expressing worship and gratitude to God for His provision. The table and the bread upon it was a continual reminder that God was Israel’s source of PROVISION! It is to Him they must place their trust!
Are you concerned about whether God will take care of you? It is interesting to consider the discipline God consistently calls people to develop when He asks them to walk with Him. Abraham was challenged to leave everything he would normally use to provide for himself—country, relatives, and father’s house— in order to travel to a land God would show him. He was to leave his inheritance and the support he would receive from those who knew him best (physically speaking). What God wanted him to learn was to trust in the provision of his true Father!
When Israel left Egypt, God instructed them to plunder them, which they did. They walked out of Egypt with an incredible amount of riches (consider the materials used to make the Tabernacle—and the fact that a group of slaves possessed all of this). However, God did not want them to depend upon their own means and led them to the wilderness where they were forced to trust in His daily provision to survive. He is the source of PROVISION we are meant to trust.
The same thing happened when Jesus started calling disciples to Himself. The first disciples were fishermen who, upon being told to follow Him, left their nets and their families (Matthew 4:18-22). The very same thing Abraham did (leaving family and means of support), Peter, Andrew, James and John did to follow Jesus. They each realized God is their PROVIDER of daily bread.
Do you know what you need? God does!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
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