Jesus' Baptism | A Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17

Introduction
Today, we continue our journey through the beginning parts of the Gospel of Matthew.  Last Sunday, we were introduced to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.  He was called the Baptist because he preached repentance and baptized those who repented—turned away from their sin.

John came to prepare the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of the world.  Today, Jesus comes to be baptized by John.  Let’s read the story.

Matthew 3:13-17
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,^[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”

Introducing Jesus
This is the first time in Matthew that we meet Jesus as an adult.  The earlier chapters show Jesus as a baby.  But now Jesus comes down from Galilee to be baptized by John and he is probably 30 years old (according to Luke 3:23).

John preached about repentance—that everyone needed to turn away from their sins and turn to God because the God’s Kingdom was at hand. When they repented, John baptized them as a sign.  But Jesus doesn’t need to repent.  1 Peter 2:22 tells us Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”  Jesus did not need to repent.  And so, John is taken aback.  He says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

John recognized Jesus was special.  Of all the people who ever lived, Jesus is the only one who never sinned.  Think about that.  Everyone you have ever known has sinned.  And you know yourself; and you know you have sinned.  Even if it was only a small sin, you sinned.  You have been angry at someone in your heart. Or you have lusted in your heart.  Or you have been jealous or coveted what you neighbor had.  Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glorious standard of God.”  Everyone has sinned in one way or another.  But not Jesus.  Jesus was absolutely perfect and Holy, just as God is perfect and holy.  Yet Jesus was baptized for other reasons.

Jesus was Baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”
In Matthew 3:15, Jesus says He is to be baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”  What does that mean?  Jesus’ baptism was part of God’s plan and symbolized His obedience to God and His identification with humanity.  Though Jesus was sinless, He was baptized to fully identify with us—the people He came to save. His baptism symbolized taking our sin and dying in our place.

Jesus was Baptized To Mark the Beginning of His Ministry
Baptism is a sacred ceremony that marks the beginning of a spiritual journey.  For Jesus, baptism served as the launching point for His public ministry.  Immediately after His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the Father declared from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17). This was a clear affirmation of Jesus’ divine identity and mission.  And it was the starting point for His ministry.

Jesus was Baptized To Set an Example for Us
Jesus’ baptism was an example for us to follow. We are baptized when we start following Jesus.  At the end of His ministry, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize others (Mt. 28:19-20), signifying a commitment to God and new life in Jesus and their beginning of a new life.

Lessons for Us Today
Jesus' baptism matters to us today because it shows His humility and His willingness to identify with sinners, even though He was sinless. We often struggle with pride.

We don’t want people looking down on us or to feel like people are judging us.  We may even avoid coming to the altar to pray in church just because we wonder, “What will people think?”  Jesus’ humility to be baptized right alongside all the other sinners of His day—even though Jesus was innocent without any sin in his life—should be an example to us.  Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.  Just be obedient to God.  Listen to His voice and obey.

Jesus’ baptism also marks the beginning of His public ministry and sets an example for us.  How do you officially mark the beginning of your faith journey?  It is through baptism.

Some are baptized as infants, a sign that they are part of God’s family from the very beginning.  What a beautiful and sacred thing to seek God’s grace to raise our children in the Christian faith.  But even children who are born into a Christian family that promises to raise them in the faith must confirm their faith for themselves when they are old enough to make their own decisions.  In the Christian church, we call this ceremony “confirmation”, because the person who was baptized as an infant “confirms” they have decided for themselves to follow Jesus as Lord.  And those who were not baptized as infants and decide to follow Jesus as adults, begin their discipleship with the sacrament of baptism.  Baptism is the beginning for us, just as it was for Jesus. 

For us, baptism is a symbol of repentance, cleansing, and a new life in Christ.  It is an outward sign of something real God does inside us.  Jesus didn’t need to repent, but He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15), showing us the importance of obedience to God. His baptism also foreshadows His death and resurrection, reminding us that through Him, we too can be made new.  Ultimately, Jesus' baptism points us to our own need for salvation and a relationship with God. It’s a call to follow Him, turn from sin, and live as citizens of His Kingdom. 

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and God the Father affirmed Him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).  This moment reveals the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all present together.  But it can reveal something else too.  It reveals how God see us when we walk with Christ. 

There are several Scriptures that teach when we are in Christ, God sees Jesus in us. For example:
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The mystery of the Christian faith is that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ.  When God looks at us, He doesn’t see the dark and shameful deeds of our past.  Instead, He sees Christ in us.  And the affirmation the Father spoke of Jesus, He speaks over us:  “This is my beloved Son [or daughter], with whom I am well pleased.” 

Now, if you’ve ever had your earthly father or mother affirm their love and admiration for you, it is a tremendous blessing.  But now imagine the Father of the whole universe affirming His love for you.  Wow!  What a blessing!

If you are a Christian—meaning, you have repented of your sin and decided to follow Jesus—God looks at you and affirms you just as He affirmed Jesus:  “This is my beloved Son (or daughter), with whom I am well pleased.”  Take a moment to imagine God the Father saying these words to you right now…  If you follow Jesus, this is how God sees you.

There may be some reading this message who have not yet decided to follow Jesus.  Maybe you don’t believe because something about the story is really hard to believe: that God could overlook your sins, or that God would become a man and die for us, or that Jesus could rise from the dead.  I understand that it is remarkable and hard to believe.  I can't prove the Good News about Jesus to you the way a scientist can prove gravity, but I'm not asking you to believe blindly.  There is plenty of evidence for a Divine Creator God and for the Love of God reaching out to us.  And there is plenty of evidence for the real difference faith in Jesus makes in a person's life and the hope.  Being a Christian requires a leap of faith.  It's not blind faith, because we have evidence that we can trust God, but we need faith to leap across what we can see and know to full trust in God.  But it is so worth it.  I encourage you to take that leap.

Maybe you are afraid, but I pray you will be bold and courageous.  Maybe you are too proud and don't want to admit your mistakes.  But don't let pride deter you from something so important.  Turn to Jesus today and be saved.

The saddest and most dangerous reason some people don't follow Jesus is because they don't care.  They are just fine with living their life however they want.  They don't care about God or even if there is a God.  They don't care about what will happen once they die.  They just want to live their life however they please and don't care what God or anyone else thinks.  I pray that God's message through Jesus and John the Baptist will shake those who don't care to the core.  I pray that God will send whatever trials or tribulations necessary to wake people up so they do care. 

John and Jesus preached the same message. They said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  God has extended an offer of grace and mercy.  He will forgive your sin.  He will give you a new and perfect heart—one that is full of love for God and your fellow man.  And He will welcome you into His Kingdom if you will accept Jesus as Lord.  And He will look at you too and say with genuine love:  “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”

But if the Kingdom comes before you repent and you are found still to be in rebellion, then there will weeping and gnashing of teeth and eternal punishment.  Jesus and John both said there would be hell to pay for anyone who doesn't repent of their sins and enter into the Kingdom of God.  For only those who accept Christ as Lord can dwell in the eternal Kingdom of God where there is eternal love, and joy, and peace, and life.  For all others, their will be eternal punishment. 

The choice is yours.

The Apostle's Creed - Articles 4, 7, 9, and 11

Introduction
This past Sunday, my church held a unique service different from our typical Sunday service.  This service was based on the 12 articles of the Apostles' Creed.  The Apostles' Creed is a short statement of core Christian beliefs that has been used by the Church since ancient times. It summarizes foundational doctrines about God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life. The Creed is called the Apostles' Creed because it is traditionally believed to reflect the teachings of the apostles, though it was not directly written by them. It serves as a unifying confession of faith for Christians across denominations, guiding worship and teaching while connecting believers to the historic Church.

The service included scripture and 12 hymns associated with each article of the creed.  You can watch the full service here.  In this blog, I want to share the short sermonettes I gave for articles, 4, 7, 9, and 11.  

Article Four – “…He descended to the dead.”
I think most people in our congregation are familiar with the statements from the Apostles’ Creed that say: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.”  But the last statement may be unfamiliar.  “He descended to the dead.”

The confusion stems from the fact this statement about Christ “descending to the dead” or “descending to hell” is included in the traditional forms of the Apostles’ Creed but not the ecumenical form many congregations have used.  The ecumenical version was used in many congregations (like ours) for the last century, but the traditional Apostles’ Creed has been used for most of the Christian Church’s history for 2000 years.  Some creeds, including the oldest creeds that were used in the 2^nd and 3^rd century, did not include the phrase “He descended to the dead.”  But the overwhelming majority of Christians through the centuries included the phrase “He descended to the dead (or hell)” as they recited the Apostles’ Creed.   Well?  Did Christ descend to the dead or not?

1 Peter 3:18-20 in the Bible says of Jesus: "He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built."  The “imprisoned spirits” were people who died before the time of Christ.

Ephesians 4:9 says, "What does 'He ascended' mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions?"  Where else could Jesus have descended but hell (or the place of the dead)?

There is an understanding in Scripture (and among early Christians) that Jesus descended to the place of the dead (Hell or Sheol) and shared the Gospel with those who died before He came so they too would have an opportunity to repent and believe and be saved.  Think of all the heroes of the Old Testament era like Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David.  These people never had a chance to hear Jesus’ message of salvation.  They died before He came.  But God, in His infinite mercy and ultimate justice, would not leave anyone out of His plan to save the world—even if they lived and died before Jesus’ time on earth.  So, Jesus descended to the place of the dead (AKA Sheol or Hades or Hell) and preached the Good News.  And anyone who believed and accepted God’s grace was saved.

The points we can take away are these:  First, God is just – God would never condemn someone without them having a fair chance to be saved. Second, though Christ was God, He was also human and really did experience everything it means to be a human—including death and the reality of what can happen to sinners who face judgment in hell.

Article Seven – “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (see Acts 1:9-11)
This really is an important statement to affirm.  Christ was clear.  He said He would come again.  The angels were clear.  Christ will come again.  The Bible is clear.  Christ will come again.  It has been nearly 2,000 years since Christ ascended into Heaven.  After so long, some might think Christ will not return as promised.  But we affirm He will.

And Jesus said no one knows when the second coming will happen, but that He will return “like a thief in the night” and catch many by surprise.  So, we should always be ready and live as if His return is imminent. 

You will see Jesus face-to-face in your lifetime.  Either He will return for the whole world al at once in the second coming or He will return for you individually when you die.  And when He comes, what will He find when He evaluates your life?  Will He say of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”  Or will He say, “Away from me, you have lived a wicked life and never repented and turned to me as Lord.”

Remember, none of us knows how long we have—whether it is years or days, or moments.  Therefore, repent and turn to the Lord now for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Article Nine – “I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints.” (see Colosians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, & Hebrews 12:1)

I get more questions about this one statement in the Apostles Creed than any other.  I get it. 
It was the same question I raised when I first attended a Methodist Church as a boy and recited The Apostles Creed.
I thought we were Methodist.  Why do we say we believe in the “catholic Church”?

The word catholic means universal. We do not profess to believe in the “Roman Catholic Church” (which is only one denomination of the WHOLE Christian Church). No, we believe in a universal Church that transcends denominational lines and includes every person around the world who follows Jesus Christ as Lord. This universal (or Catholic) church includes Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, people who attend non-denominational churches, and people from every other Christian denomination.  It even includes Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians if they truly follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.  This is the universal (or catholic) Church.  And I believe in the holy, catholic church.

The second part of article nine is important too and related: “I believe in… the communion of saints.”  The communion of saints is the community of all believers—both living and dead—who follow Christ.  The communion of saints includes you and me (if we are truly Christian) as well as all the Christians who lived over the last 2000 years and are now living with Jesus in heaven.  Even though we cannot see those saints in Heaven, we join with them in praising God every time we worship.  They care about us and cheer us on as we seek to live for God in this life (Hebrews 12:1).

Article Eleven – “I Believe In The Resurrection of the body."  (See Job 19:25-27 & Romans 8:11)
That seems straightforward enough, but I think we don’t fully consider what it means.  The idea of Heaven is common in popular religion in America.  Even those who do not attend church may believe the idea that when a person dies, their spirit will go up to heaven.  But Christians boldly proclaim, “I believe in the ressurection of the body.”  Of the body…  The teaching of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and therefore the belief of the Christian Church, is that our physical bodies will be resurrected.  We will not be disembodied spirits floating around in heaven.  No.  We will live forever with Jesus with a perfected, healed, physical body.  God created Adam and Eve as physical creatures with perfect bodies and we will ultimately have our broken, sinful bodies healed and restored to perfection. 

Jesus is our example.  He was born as a baby and lived on earth in a physical body.  He died after His physical body was crucified on a cross.  And then He rose from the grave on the third day.  He was not a spirit or a ghost.  He ate breakfast with His disciples.  He told Thomas to touch His physical hands and feel the actual nail scars.  If Christ rose to eternal life in a physical body, so too will we.  So, we believe in the ressurection of the body.”

The Full Apostles’ Creed
Now that we have examine the meaning of these articles of the traditional Apostles’ Creed, read the whole creed as one and contemplate the meaning in these historic words. What new insight do you find in them?

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried. 

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father,

He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Closing
Today, we have examined 4 articles of the Apostles' Creed, affirming the foundational truths of the Christian faith. We have declared our belief in God the Father, the Creator of all; in Jesus Christ, the Savior who conquered sin and death; in the Holy Spirit, who empowers and guides us; and in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the ressurection of the body, and life everlasting.

As we leave, let us carry these truths in our hearts and live them out in our lives. May the faith we have affirmed today shape our actions, inspire our worship, and deepen our love for God and one another.

Remember, this Creed is not just words we recite—it is the foundation upon which we build our whole life.  It guides us to live boldly for Christ, trusting in His promises and sharing His love with a world in need.

Now, as you go, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever.  Amen.

 

The Davidic Covenant | A Sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Introduction
One of the things I love about Dalton is being able to look east and see Fort Mountain pointing toward the sky.  You can clearly see it even though it’s 20 miles away.  Driving there takes about 30 minutes because there’s a lot of twists and turns on the way.  Though you can clearly see the mountain peak, there’s a lot you can’t see between us and the mountain.

That’s the way God’s story in the Bible is too.  There are mountain peak moments that are easy to see, but then there’s a lot of twists and turns in between.  The five covenants of God we’ve been studying highlight the mountain peaks of Scripture.

I challenge you to memorize these five covenants.  In the beginning of the story, Adam and Eve disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit, which caused them to fall out of relationship with God.  And the fall inflicted deep and deadly spiritual wounds upon them and all creation, corrupting the nature of everything that God started as perfect.  But God didn't give up on us.  Over the course of thousands of years, God set about rescuing humanity and creation from sin.  The five covenants are the main steps of that process.  Starting with Noah, God sent a flood to wash away the world and start over.  Then, God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to the promised land where God would multiply his discendents into a great nation and make Abraham a blessing to all the world.  Then, in the Mosaic covenant, God gave His rules for living to a chosen people to the Israeltes so they would serve as God's representatives so the whole world would know Him.  Today, we will learn about the Davidic Covenant. and next week we will study the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel 7:1-2
¹ When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, ² the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

What is David talking about here?  You may remember that when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt they became nomads wandering in the dessert, God chose to live in a tent too.  He instructed the Israelites to build Him a sacred tent called the Tabernacle where they could meet God and worship Him.  But by David's time, the people lived in cities with houses.  But God still lived in a tent.  So David thought, "That's not right.  God needs a house."

But something else may have been going on too.  David was worried about his legacy.  And when he looked around at the kings of the surrounding territories--Egypt and Mesopotamia--these royal families built great monuments and temples.  David was trying to secure his legacy by doing the same thing.  S David says, "I will build my God a temple too."

2 Samuel 7:3-17
³ Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

⁵ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? ⁶ I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. ⁷ Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

⁸ “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ¹⁰ And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹¹ starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹² For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. ¹⁵ But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. ¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

¹⁷ So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

What’s Really Going On?
Just on the surface of things, this is already a fascinating Word from the Lord.  David wants to build God a house.  That’s no small thing!  How do you build a “house” for the infinite, almighty God of the universe.  Issaiah 66:1 says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  Where is the house you will build for me?”  God doesn’t need a house.  But we often want a house where we can put Him and keep Him and meet with Him (and maybe then walk away and keep somethings separate from Him for a little while).

God Humbles David
On the surface, God humbles David.  God reminds David of his humble beginnings as a shepherd. God took David from the fields and appointed him as the leader of His people.  David’s royal position is not of his own making but a result of God’s divine choice and guidance. Every one of David’s victories is a testament to God’s power.  God grounds David in humility, teaching him to rely on God rather than his own abilities or ambitions, and reinforcing that God is the true architect of Israel’s future.  (Don’t we all need to be reminded to be humble from time to time—to remember that our success—or failure—isn’t totally up to us.  Success comes for the faithful from God and God should receive the glory.)

God Establishes David’s Dynasty
But though this rebuke, God also establishes David’s dynasty.  God is gracious and, through some ironic wordplay, God basically says, “You’re not going to build me a house.  No, I’m going to build you a house!”  When David said house, he meant a temple but when God said house he meant would build David’s dynasty.

Verses 11-13 say, “[I] will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹² For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name.”  And we know that is exactly what happened, just as God said.  David’s heir, Solomon, was the one who would build God’s Temple in Jerusalem.  But’s that’s just what’s happening on the surface.  Something deeper is also happening.

God Promises the Messiah
God is not just talking about David’s literal son Solomon here.  God is also talking about a “son” who will come from David’s royal lineage—the Messiah.  In verse 14, God says, “I will be his father, and he will be my son.”  Who is God’s son?  Jesus!

And in verse 13, God said, “And I will secure his royal throne forever.”  Who rules on the throne forever?  Jesus!

So on the surface, God is telling David that his son, Solomon, will build God’s Temple—which he did.  But on a deeper level, God is telling David (and everyone), another man will come out of David’s royal line whose Kingdom will last forever who will build God’s eternal Temple.  Jesus referred to this in the New Testament when His detractors demanded a sign and He said:  “Tear down this Temple and in three days I will rebuild it.  They thought He mean the physical Temple in Jerusalem and that he was crazy because the Temple took decades to build.  But Jesus was talking about His body.  And remember, that’s what happened:  they tore down Jesus’ body (the True Temple) and in three days, God raised it again. 

Will God Be Faithful?
This is quite a covenant promise!  Now, it is one thing to make a promise.  It is quite another to see it through.  Will God keep His covenant promise?  Let’s look at the history to see.

Things start out well.  David remains on the throne until his death from old age.  His son Solomon ascends to the throne, has a long peaceful and prosperous rule and also died of old age.  (Always a good thing for a king to die of old age and not after a rebellion or a enemy attack).  And, Solomon builds God’s Temple in Jerusalem.  Then, after Solomon, Israel has a civil war, but despite lots of struggles, a descendent of David’s royal line remains on the throne in Jerusalem (the southern Kingdom) for four centuries until the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem & the Temple in 586 BC and they dragged the Jews into exile.

“But, I thought God said David’s royal line would last forever.”  Yes.  That is God’s promise.  According to the Word of God, the Bible, the royal line of David did not end after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.  Through the miraculous power of God, the line of David’s royal descendants
survived the exile of the Jews in Babylon and continued through the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments right down until Jesus was born. Jesus, the Messiah, was born of the virgin Mary, who was the last descendent of King David.  Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was also a descendent of David.  And fulfilling God’s covenant promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:14 when God said, “I will be his father, and he will be my son”, Jesus is the Son of God, conceived through the Holy Spirit.

That’s Quite a Story. Is it True?
That’s quite a story.  But is it true? [pause]
Well, that’s what you have to decide.  That is where faith comes in.  Do you believe it or not?

Some do not believe it.  Some think this is all just a myth, too incredible to be true.  Carl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the people.”  In other words, Christianity is just a drug we use to dull the pain of suffering in an injustice world.  But I say, look at the transformative power of genuine faith in Christ. Rather than being a drug to dull the pain, Christianity addresses the root causes of human suffering—sin, brokenness, and alienation from God—and it offers hope, purpose, and redemption.

Looking back over the last 2,000 years since Christ was born, died on the cross, and rose again, we see the power of faith in His Eternal Kingdom.  It inspired Christians from Polycarp in 2^nd century Smyrna to Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 1945 Nazi Germany to Martin Luther King, Jr in 1968 America to live by faith and stand up against tyranny and injustice and work to bring God’s Kingdom on Earth.  Against all odds, they stood up for truth and justice, grace and redemption, and they won!  Even in death, they won!  And faith in Christ has helped countless others boldly face the struggles like loneliness, the death of loved ones, illnesses like cancer and addiction, all in hopes of Christ’s eternal Kingdom to come.  And people who should be defeated and destroyed are victoriously renewed against all odds.  So yes!  I believe!

But, each person must decide.  Is it true?  Has God been faithful? 
Did He fulfill His covenant with David in Jesus?  Is Christ the Messiah? 
Is Jesus really Lord of all?  Is He really worthy of all the glory we give Him?

I believe it’s true.  It’s changed my life and is changing my life. 
I know I will spend eternity with God in the Kingdom of God forever.
I know I will see my friends and loved ones who died in Christ.
I know all that is wrong in our world will be made right.  We are already working on it.
And I know that those who reject Lord Jesus will spend eternity separated from God,
for only those who accept Him as Lord can enter into the Kingdom of God.

But that’s my faith.  What is yours?
Won’t you put your faith in Jesus today?  I pray you will.

The Glory of the Temple | A Sermon on 1 Kings 6

Introduction
Last week, we learned about the Tabernacle—the place the ancient Hebrews worshiped God.  Since the Hebrew slaves who left Egypt lived in tents as they wandered through the wilderness, God chose to live in a tent too.  He Instructed the Israelites to build the Tabernacle Tent.  The Israelites worshipped God in the Tabernacle for 480 years.

However, after the Israelites established their kingdom in Israel and were all living in homes, God instructed King Solomon to build a house of worship, the Temple, in Jerusalem.  Today, I hope to express to you the glory of Solomon’s Temple, not to exalt the Temple, but to show how the glory of the Temple exalts the glory and holiness of God.  I want us to remember that the God we worship is the same holy and glorious God.  And I want us to reflect on how we honor God in our own worship space here at Pleasant Grove.

Have you ever had construction work done in your home or where you work?  A few years ago, we had a waterline break in our kitchen while we were out of town for Thanksgiving weekend.  We returned to a home in need of serious repair.  Our homeowner's insurance covered most of the cost.  However, it took several months to renovate all the damage.  In the meantime, our normally quite home was inundated with the sounds of dehumidifiers, hammers, drills, and all kinds of construction.  It was a very noisy affair.

You might imagine the construction of God’s Temple in Jerusalem was a noisy affair too.  But the Israelites revered God so much they even took care to build His Temple in a holy manner.  1 Kings 6:7 says, “The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.”  This gives us a sense of how sacred the ancient Israelites treated the building of God’s Temple.

The Temple
Based on 1 Kings 6:1-10. it took 7 years for Solomon to build the Temple for the Lord.  The inner proportions were 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high—about the size of a modern basketball court and as tall as a 9 story building.  It featured an entry room across the front, narrow recessed windows, and a three-story complex of rooms along the sides and rear.  The structure was built with finished stones and cedar beams and planks were used for the ceiling.

1 Kings 6:11-13
¹¹ Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: ¹² “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David.  ¹³ I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

The Interior
Based on 1 Kings 6:14-38, the interior of Solomon's Temple was a magnificent testament to divine glory and unparalleled expense, akin to a multi-billion-dollar construction today.  23 tons of gold were used in the Temple, (a cube of solid gold 4.5’x4.5’x4.5’), worth about $63 million.  The Temple was entirely paneled with the finest cedar wood, symbolizing life and vitality, while the floors were made of high-quality cypress, equivalent to using premium hardwood flooring throughout.  The Most Holy Place, a perfect cube 30 feet in each dimension, was overlaid with solid gold—comparable to millions of dollars in gold leaf—emphasizing the pure holiness of God’s presence.  The walls were adorned with intricate carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, all gilded with gold, evoking the lush imagery of the Garden of Eden, where God’s presence first dwelled in harmony with creation.  Inside the sanctuary, massive cherubim, each 15 feet tall with wings spanning 15 feet across, were covered in gold, reminiscent of the cherubim guarding Eden.  The lavish use of gold and symbols from the Garden of Eden underscored not only the Temple’s sacredness but also its role as a new Eden, a place where heaven and earth converged in divine splendor.  And of course, the Ark of the Covenant, gilded in gold and symbolizing the throne of God on earth, now resided in the Holy of Holies in the inner Temple.

The Holiness of God
The extravagance and detailed craftsmanship of the Temple furnishings reflect the holiness and majesty of God, who is worthy of the highest honor and reverence.  This is beautifully echoed in 1 Chronicles 29:11, where King David declares, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours."  The gold, precious stones, and intricate designs of the Temple were not merely for show; they were physical expressions of worship, meant to honor a God who is infinitely glorious.  Just as the Temple was adorned with the finest materials, so too are we called to offer our best—whether in our actions, our worship, or our devotion—recognizing that God is deserving of all we can give and more.  Is the way you worship God really your best? 

Dedication and Worship
The effort and resources dedicated to building and adorning the Temple demonstrate the importance of worshiping God with our best, symbolizing our deep respect and adoration for Him.  This principle is reflected in Malachi 1:8, where God reproves the Israelites for offering blemished sacrifices, asking, "When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?  When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong?  Try offering them to your governor!  Would he be pleased with you?  Would he accept you?"  Just as the Israelites were called to offer their best to God in their sacrifices, the lavish care and resources poured into the Temple’s construction highlight that worship should be marked by excellence and reverence.  Our offerings to God—whether in time, resources, or devotion—should reflect the highest honor, as they symbolize our profound respect and love for Him.  Are you really giving God your best?

Christian Believers Are Now God's Temple
Transitioning to the New Testament, passages like 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 Peter 2:4-5 emphasize that believers are now the temple of God, housing His Spirit and called to live holy lives.  In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul writes, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple."  Similarly, 1 Peter 2:4-5 calls believers "living stones" being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  These passages reveal the profound truth that, as the New Testament Temple, our lives must reflect the holiness and purity worthy of God's indwelling presence, with our actions and character being offerings of worship to Him.  Is the way you live for God really your best?

Worshipping God with a Shoestring Budget
The extravagant way the ancient Israelites built their Temple and then worshipped God convicts me, because I don’t feel like we honor God that way today.  We don’t really give God our best.
This is something that’s really convicted me lately. 
Today, we worship God on shoestring budget.

Let me tell you something about the way I grew up and how it molded my personality.  I grew up poor.  We didn’t have much and had to make do with what we had.  After my father left my mom alone to raise 4 kids on her own, things got even tighter.  There was a time my mom sent me into our backyard with an ax to chop up old furniture to use for firewood to heat our home, because that’s all the heat we had that winter.  And if something broke—like my bicycle—I would scrabble together parts from other old bikes that were laying around just to fix mine.  I knew my mom couldn’t but me a new bike or even buy parts to fix my broken bike.  So, all my upbringing, I learned to make do with what I had.  I learned to do things as cheap as possible and operate on a shoestring budget and to do all the work myself.

And that has served me well as a pastor in our world, because churches in our modern world always struggle to be fully and properly funded.  Churches don’t have what they really need.  So, for example, when the TV display unit hanging high up on our sanctuary wall stopped working back in 2017, we didn’t pay someone to come install a new one.  No, instead, I rented a scissor lift, and I borrowed a trailer from Tom Sosebee to go pick it up.  Then I enlisted my 18-year-old son, Gavin, to help me install a new TV.  By doing it all ourselves, we probably saved a few hundred bucks.  But I’ll be honest, it scared the crap out of me.  After finishing the job, TW said, “Chris, why didn’t you just pay someone to do it?”  To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind.  This is the church.  We don’t have money to just “pay someone” to do stuff.  We always have to figure out what’s the absolute cheapest way we can do something.  At least that’s the way I’ve always thought about it.  And I suspect that’s the way most people in the church think about it.  And it effects everything about the way we do ministry.

When it comes to the staff of our church, we always say, “We can’t pay our staff what they’re worth, only what we can afford.”  That's just the reality of our situation with the budget we have.  And so we ask our staff to work for less than what they deserve to be paid.  And I’ve come to believe it’s a sin what we are doing.  Because it’s a lie.  We can afford to pay our staff a proper wage, but it would require everyone in our church to change and be fully committed to worship God with our very best, give God our very best, and live for God with our very best.

A Call to Honor God with Our Very Best
Brothers and sisters, we've walked through the history of the Temple, understanding the immense effort, resources, and reverence that went into its construction.  The ancient Israelites spared no expense, offering their very best to God because they understood that God is worthy of nothing less.  The Temple wasn't just a building; it was a symbol of their deep devotion, a reflection of their understanding that worshiping God required the utmost excellence and reverence.

But here’s the question we need to ask ourselves: Are we offering our very best to God today?

It’s easy to fall into the mindset that we must operate on a shoestring budget, that we must scrimp and save and do things as cheaply as possible.  But when we do that, we risk losing sight of something crucial: that our God is not a God of the leftovers.  He is a God of glory, majesty, and holiness, deserving of the highest honor.

In Malachi 1:8, God challenges the Israelites, saying, "When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?  When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong?”  This scripture hits home for us today.  Are we giving God the blind and the lame of our resources, our time, and our talents, or are we giving Him our very best?

Our church, this house of worship, is not just a building.  It’s the place where we come together as a community to honor God, to worship Him, to be in His presence.  It’s a reflection of our devotion, our love, and our respect for Him.  And if we truly believe that God is as holy and glorious as we say He is, then our actions, our service, and our giving should reflect that belief.

So, I challenge you to change today:  Let’s change our attitude about how we support the work of the church.  Let’s stop thinking of it in terms of what we can afford or what’s the cheapest way to get by.  Instead, let’s start thinking about what honors God the most.  Let’s commit to offering our very best in every aspect of our lives—our time, our talents, our resources.

Imagine what could happen if each of us gave God our best.  Imagine how our church could thrive, how our ministry could expand, how we could reach more people for Christ if we all committed to worshiping God with excellence.  It’s not just about money; it’s about the attitude of our hearts.  It’s about recognizing that everything we have comes from God and that He is worthy of our best.  Let’s honor God the way the ancient Israelites did—with reverence, with excellence, and with our very best.

Invitation
As we move toward rededicating our church as Holy Ground on August 25th, let this be a time of personal rededication as well.  Reflect on how you can give God your best—whether it's through your service, your giving, or your devotion.  If you’ve been holding back, now is the time to fully commit.  If you’ve been giving out of convenience rather than sacrifice, now is the time to change that.  Let’s pray together, asking God to help us honor Him with all that we are and all that we have.  And if you feel led to take a step of faith—whether it’s committing your life to Christ, dedicating your talents to His service, or simply choosing to live more fully for Him, I invite you to pray to God about it today and then talk to someone:  a pastor, a spiritual advisor, or a trust Christian friend.