The Holy Sprit Story | A Pentecost Sermon on Acts 2:1-8

Introduction
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Last Sunday was Ascension Sunday. Today is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost literally means “fiftieth” in Greek. That’s where the name comes from. It is the 50th day after Passover. If you're Jewish, you would reckon it from the Passover. For Christians, it is the 50th day after Easter. So we reckon it from Easter. Easter and Passover fall in the same time, but it is the 50th day.

Timeline:
Easter Sunday—you know Jesus rose from the grave—and He appeared to His disciples. Then, over the course of 40 days, Jesus appeared many different times in many different ways to many different people. We have looked at several of the stories of the resurrection over the last several weeks since Easter. For 40 days, Jesus appeared in resurrected form to people. Then He ascended into Heaven, and 10 days after He ascended into Heaven was Pentecost Sunday—the Pentecost Sunday that we are remembering today.

What is Pentecost?
What is Pentecost? It was originally the Jewish holiday that celebrated the giving of the Law of Moses to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. Remember that? Way back in Exodus, as the Israelites—slaves—left from Egypt, they were wandering through the desert and went up to the mountain, Mount Sinai. Moses went up on top of the mountain, and like it shows in the movie with Charlton Heston, God gave them the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, right? He brought the Law down—it was the Ten Commandments, but it was also all the Law that is in the book of Moses, or the books of Moses—so that the people of Israel would know how to live as God’s people.

Every year, the Israelites wanted to remember that special moment, and they celebrated Pentecost with a feast 50 days after the Passover. Now it’s important to keep that purpose of Pentecost in your mind. What was the purpose? To remember that God gave the Israelites—what? The Law. Okay, good.

It is also known as the Feast of Weeks, because they saw it as a week of weeks. A week of weeks—how many days are in a week? Seven. So they thought, well, let’s say seven weeks of seven days. Here’s a little math—you didn’t know you were going to do math when you came to church today! Seven times seven is what? Forty-nine. Very good. You know your times tables still, even after all these years. Seven times seven is 49. Then, after the 49 days—the week of weeks has been observed—on the 50th day you have the Pentecost feast. And what does Pentecost mean? Fiftieth, right! So on the 50th day, they celebrate it.

So we’re going to read the story of what happened to the disciples on the celebration of Pentecost—50 days after the Passover, 50 days after Jesus rose from the grave. It comes from

Acts 2:1-8
¹ On the day of Pentecost^[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. ² Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. ³ Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. ⁴ And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,^[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

⁵ At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. ⁶ When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

⁷ They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, ⁸ and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!

A Moment Rich with Symbolism – God Wrote His Law on Christian’s Hearts
Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks or the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, celebrated the day that God gave Moses the Law in order for them to live as God's people. To represent God to the whole world, they had to know how to live. So God gave them all of these different rules and regulations and ceremonial laws so that they would stand out among the nations as holy and different from everyone else, so that they could show the world who God was. They celebrated that every year.

But of course, if we’ve ever read much of the Bible or known many Bible stories, we know the problem was that the Israelites were constantly not following God’s Law, right? And it could be because they forgot the Law. There were many times that they forgot the Law. There are a couple different times I read in the Scriptures where it says they discovered the book of the Law—it was hidden. It was kind of like the Bibles that we sometimes stick on a shelf and don’t ever read and forget about.

They forgot about it, and then they found it, and they would read it and say, “Oh my goodness, we’ve not been doing these things.” Sometimes it was because they forgot. Sometimes it was because they were rebellious people and they didn’t want to do what God told them to do. They wanted to do things their own way. Anybody ever felt like that? We all do from time to time.

So, in the Scriptures it was often looked forward to—it was a vision and prophesied—that one day there was going to be a change. For instance, in Jeremiah 31:33, the prophet Jeremiah prophesied:

“This is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”

This is talking about a future time that’s coming when the Law is not going to be written on stone tablets like we see in the movie The Ten Commandments, and it's not even necessarily going to be written in a book like we have in our Bibles. It’s going to be written on our hearts and put in our minds.

Jeremiah says this is the way it’s going to be in the new covenant: “I’m going to put my law in their hearts and in their minds.” So, on the day of Pentecost, as they are celebrating the giving of the Law, something amazing happens. God sends the Holy Spirit—His own Holy Spirit—to come and dwell in believers’ hearts. So the Law of God is now inside those who believe in Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him.

That can mean a lot of different things, but one thing it means is this: now it’s not just that we have to go to a book to see what God has said. God Himself is living inside us. We have Him right there with us all the time—everywhere you go, everything you do, no matter what time of day it is—God is inside you.

And the Holy Spirit is telling you, “Look, you know you ought not be doing that.” You feel it. There’s a conscience inside you that’s saying, “Oh, I shouldn’t do that.” If you’re listening, it will guide you.

Another thing that it’s saying is that the Law of God is not just something written externally that you follow because you’re supposed to be obedient. Now, it’s something that’s in your heart. It’s something that you actually want to do. As you recognize how much God has loved you and what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross, when you begin to really feel that in your heart—know that in your heart—it’s not just that you are obeying the rules because you’re supposed to. Now you are obeying the rules because you want to honor God. You want to show Him that you love Him. You want to do what makes Him happy. So you actually now begin to have your heart transformed into something that’s not rebellious but wants to be obedient. As the Holy Spirit writes the Word on your heart, it begins to change.

This all happened at Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts, as they were remembering the first time God gave them the Law. It’s a moment that is rich with symbolism.

A Moment Rich with Symbolism – Christian’s Became God’s Temple
First of all, we see how Christians became the new temple—the new tabernacle. Think about this. In the story, it tells us that there was the sound of what? A mighty rushing wind. The word that it uses—the Greek word—is pneuma. The Hebrew word is ruach. It means—it’s hard to translate it into English directly—but it basically means the Spirit/Breath of God.

We see this throughout the Scriptures. Go all the way back to the beginning of your Bible, Genesis 1:2. In Greek, it says pneuma. In Hebrew, it says ruach. It is the Spirit/Breath of God that is hovering over the waters at creation. And then what happens? God speaks. And when you speak, what happens? Your breath comes through your vocal cords and makes sound. The Spirit/Breath of God speaks and says, “Let there be light. Let there be stars in the sky and a moon and a sun. Let there be land and let there be water.” So the Spirit speaks, and these things come into existence.

Then, in the second chapter of Genesis, God forms Adam from the dust of the ground, and then it says that He breathed into his nostrils and brought him to life. The Spirit/Breath of God comes into Adam and brings him to life.

Another example is the story in Ezekiel 37—a wonderful story. Ezekiel the prophet is walking along—maybe he's on a hike—and he comes across a valley that is filled with dry bones. Imagine that. Have you ever been walking in the woods and seen some old bones on the ground? Like an old deer that died or a squirrel or something, and the bones have been there and rotted away. But he sees a whole valley full of bones, and these are not animal bones. These are the bones of an army that was slaughtered and left in the field, and now it’s just dried, bleached bones.

And God says to Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” Ezekiel’s smart—he’s not going to say. He just simply says, “Well, You’re God. You’re the one that knows.” And God tells Ezekiel, “Speak the Spirit/Breath into the bones and they will come alive.” And he speaks, and the bones stand up, and flesh comes back on the bones, and they become living people once again.

And God says to Ezekiel, “This is what I’m telling you. This is a vision. You spoke the message as He commanded you, and breath came into the bodies, and they all came to life as a great army.” Then God said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel.”

So as the Spirit of God comes along to these dead, dry bones, He says, “This is what My people are like. They’re like dead, dry bones with no life in them.” At that time, the tribes of Israel had been scattered and dispersed. There was no hope to bring them back together. And God says, “But I am going to bring My people Israel back together with the Spirit/Breath of God.”

Now, at Pentecost, the Spirit/Breath of God dwells inside every follower of Jesus Christ. And this is represented in the Scripture we read today by tongues of fire that come to rest upon the heads of every Christian that’s gathered there in the room with the disciples.

This also is rich with meaning, looking back through the Old Testament. You go back to the time when the Israelites were going through the desert and they had a tabernacle tent where they would worship God. It says that by day, a pillar of cloud would rest on the tabernacle. And at night, the pillar of cloud would glow red with fire, representing the presence of God that was dwelling in the tabernacle.

It says whenever the cloud or the pillar of fire would move off of the tabernacle, that was the sign to the Israelites: it’s time to move. God is moving. So they would pack up the tabernacle tent and they would hit the road, and they would follow God wherever He was leading them.

That was what happened in the Old Testament. But here, in Pentecost in the New Testament, the pillar of fire is now resting over—what? Is it resting over a tent? No. It’s resting over the people who believe in Jesus Christ and are following Him.

The tabernacle was a portable temple where God dwelt among His people. But in the New Testament, we are the tent. We’re the tabernacle. Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ—because of Pentecost, Christians have become the new temple of God. We are the people of God. We are those dry bones that were out in the field, dead and lifeless, but we have been brought back to life to fulfill the purposes that God gave His people.

The Believers Spoke
Acts 2:4 says, “Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

Now, a lot has been said about speaking in tongues. Of course, we often look to our Pentecostal brothers and sisters because they like to speak in tongues in their services. And if you’ve ever heard it, it can be either an amazing, awesome thing—or a really freaky thing if you’re not used to it.

But I want to point out that in this instance in Acts 2, they are not speaking gibberish. They’re not speaking some unknown language or even an angelic language. These were real languages that people spoke on earth—the languages of all the different ethnic groups that were gathered in Jerusalem at that time from around the world.

If you read farther down in the chapter, it tells you about the different nations represented—Parthians, Medes, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and more. These Galileans, who didn’t know how to speak those languages, were suddenly, supernaturally enabled to talk in them—languages they had never learned before.

Why? It was to fulfill God’s original intent for Israel. The original purpose for God’s people was to be a light to the Gentiles—to represent God to the whole world—to help the whole world come to know God and follow Him.

We can see that purpose spelled out throughout the Old Testament. God always intended for Israel to be a witness to the nations—a beacon of light pointing the world to the one true God. This calling is fulfilled and expanded in Jesus and in the Church’s mission to make disciples of all nations.

They Spoke First
And I want you to notice something else important, too. The believers started speaking in tongues before there was anybody there to hear them. They were all Galileans in the room, and all of a sudden, they started talking in other languages—each one speaking a different language.

They started speaking in tongues in verse 4, but the outsiders didn’t come to hear them until verse 6. There was nobody else there—it was all believers, all disciples. Everyone else was outside doing their own thing.

Why did they come running? It says, “When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”

So imagine all the people milling around. It’s like if we’re here gathered in the church building, and there are people out there going to Ace Hardware, trying to beat the Baptists to lunch. All of a sudden, they hear something happening inside our church—a mighty rushing wind—and a bunch of people start talking. They can't quite make it out, but they know something amazing is happening. And they come running to see, “What are those disciples doing? What’s going on in there?”

When they get there, that’s when they hear the believers speaking in their own languages.

The Spirit gave them the gift to speak in other languages. The believers responded to the Spirit. They obeyed. And the noise drew the crowd.

There’s a quote I love, attributed to John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. He said something like this: “If you will light the church on fire with the Holy Spirit, the whole world will come to watch it burn.”

Have you ever seen a house catch on fire? If you see something like that—a car on fire, a house on fire—everybody comes to see it. It’s usually a bad thing, a destructive thing. But fire can be a good thing too.

When the church is filled with Holy Spirit fire—when we catch fire with the Spirit and we start doing the amazing things God calls us to do—people want to see it. They start coming to see why.

Why is that important for us today?

We don’t need to wait for the crowds to show up. We don’t need to wait for more children to come. We don’t need to wait for something else to happen.

The Holy Spirit of God—who created the stars in heaven, the mountains around us, and filled the oceans with water—lives inside us and enables us to worship and witness boldly.

So let the Spirit speak through you. Don’t wait for something else. Go ahead and be obedient. Be filled with the Spirit’s power. Use the gifts that He gives you. Worship boldly. Witness boldly. Live for Jesus boldly.

Live out loud. Speak the truth. And it will draw the crowd that needs to come and hear it.

We often want to wait for the “right time,” but Pentecost calls us to be the spark—the spark that gets things started. The Holy Spirit works through bold obedience before the results are visible.

Conclusion: Be the Spark
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost changed everything. God no longer dwells in a temple made by human hands. He dwells in His people.

His people—the Church—now includes all nations, not just Israel. And His law is no longer just carved in stone but is written on our hearts.

But don’t miss what happened first: the believers didn’t wait for the crowds to gather before they spoke. They simply obeyed. They opened their mouths. They spoke as the Spirit gave them the ability.

And then the crowds came running.

So I ask you: what would happen if you did the same?

What if we worshiped boldly—even if we looked around and noticed some people were missing?

What if we served generously—even before we knew exactly what was needed or how it would all work out?

What if we shared the gospel—even if we weren’t sure anyone was listening?

But we decided we would live the way Christ called us to live. And we would speak out and be bold.

The fire falls before people respond.

So don’t wait.

Don’t hold back.

Be the spark that ignites those around you.

Live out loud.

Speak the truth.

And watch how the Spirit draws people—people who need to hear the good news, who need to be part of the love that God has for us, who need to find the reconciliation with God and with one another that comes through Jesus Christ.

The Ascension Story | A Sermon on Acts 1:6-11

Introduction
For six Sundays since Easter, we’ve been exploring powerful stories of the risen Jesus—appearing to His followers, proving He was alive, and changing lives forever.

We serve a risen Savior. Death could not defeat Him!  Today, we turn to the final moment Jesus appeared to His disciples before ascending into heaven.  It’s a pivotal scene—a farewell, a promise, and a mission—all in one.  Our Scripture comes from Acts 1:6–11.

Acts 1:6-11
⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

The Disciples Question
The question the disciples asked amounts to this: “Lord, when are You going to fix everything?”

It’s such a revealing question. After all they’d seen—Jesus’ teachings, His death, and His resurrection—the disciples were still holding onto their old expectations.  They were still hoping Jesus would throw off Roman rule and restore Israel’s independence.  In other words, “Is now the time You’re going to fix everything for us?”

We can relate to that, can’t we? We often want God to step in and take care of everything—
to fix our problems, change our circumstances, and do it now.

The disciples weren’t wrong to hope, but their vision was far too small.
They wanted national restoration. Jesus was about to launch a global mission.
They were focused on their country. Jesus was thinking of every tribe, tongue, and nation.
They wanted comfort and control. Jesus offered power and purpose.

How often do our prayers sound like their question?  “Lord, when will You finally fix this situation?”
“When will You restore my idea of how things should be?”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke our questions, but He gently lifts our eyes to something far greater than we can imagine.

Jesus’ Response
Jesus doesn’t answer the disciples the way they expect.  He doesn’t give them a timeline.  He doesn’t lay out a political plan. He tells them two key things:

First, “It’s not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set.” In other words—“You don’t need to know the schedule. That’s the Father’s business.”  How often do we want God to give us the when and how?  But Jesus shifts their focus from timing to trusting.

Second, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”  This is the true gift—not power to take control, but power to share the Good News.

And here comes the surprising part.  Jesus said:  
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  This is bigger than national renewal. It’s a worldwide revolution of grace and truth.

And let me ask you—have you ever thought about this?
If the disciples had clung to their small vision—if they had kept the Gospel only for Israel—you wouldn’t be sitting here today.  There would be no Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.  No Christian faith in America.  No Bible on your nightstand.  And more importantly—no forgiveness of your sins, no hope beyond the grave, no peace that passes understanding.  Every blessing you know in Christ is possible because those first followers let go of their narrow view and embraced God’s global mission.

In His response, Jesus is also saying:  “Don’t wait around for Me to do the work you’ve been called to do.  I’m sending you.  But I’m also equipping you—with Holy Spirit power—to fulfill your purpose.”

It’s not a small story about Israel anymore.  It’s God’s mission for the world.  And the Disciples—and everyone who calls Jesus Lord—is part of the mission. 
And that means you.

The Ascension
On the Christian calendar, today is known as Ascension Sunday—the day we remember that Jesus ascended back into heaven.  But that raises a question: Why did He leave? Why not just stay on earth?

First, because He belongs on Heaven’s throne.  After conquering sin and death, Jesus takes His rightful place as King—not just of Israel, but of all creation.

Second, Jesus left for our good. In John 16:7, Jesus said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go, the Advocate [the Holy Spirit] will not come to you.”  You see, Jesus’ resurrected body is still a physical body.  Glorious and perfect, yes—but still bound by time and space like ours like all physical bodies.  That means Jesus, in bodily form, could only be in one place at one time.

But the Holy Spirit is not limited that way. The Spirit can be with me in the hospital room, with you in the middle of a stressful workday, with a mother protecting her children in Gaza, with a world leader making a critical decision, and with a high school student taking their final exams—all at the same time.

The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Jesus available everywhere, to everyone who trusts Him.
So yes—it was good that Jesus ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne so we could receive the Holy Spirit.

Finally, by ascending, Jesus passed the baton to us.  If He had stayed on earth, we might still be sitting around waiting for Him to do the work.  But instead, He gave that work to us.  We are now His hands and feet in the world.

The Promised Return
I wonder how long the disciples stood there, mouths open, eyes on the sky.  After seeing such an incredible thing, I probably would have stood there a long time.  I think that’s why two angels appeared—to snap the disciples out of their wonder.  They asked, “Why are you staring into heaven?”

In other words—don’t just stand there!  Jesus has gone, but now you’ve got a mission.  There’s work to be done, lives to be changed, Good News to share. Get going!

But the angels also offered reassurance:  “This same Jesus who saw going up to heaven will come back in the same way you saw Him go.”  So don’t lose heart.  Jesus reigns.  The Spirit empowers.  And one day, our King will return.  But until then—let’s get to work.

Holy Communion
But before we go out to serve, let us pause to remember and be empowered.  At the table of Holy Communion, we remember His sacrifice, we receive His grace, and we are nourished by His presence.  The Risen, Ascended Christ is still with us through the Holy Spirit. Come to the table, not because you have it all together, but because Jesus invites you—to be forgiven, to be filled, and to be sent.

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 Tabernacle | A Sermon on Hebrews 9:1-14

Introduction
The blog is the second in a series about Holy Ground, to better appreciate dwelling in the holy presence of God leading up to a rededicate our church as Holy Ground on August 25^th.  Today, one word is the focus of everything we will talk about:  Tabernacle.  

In Exodus, God told Moses to go to Pharoah and tell him to let God's people go.  The Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  However, God delivered them through a series of ten plagues that brought Pharaoh to his knees.  So God led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.  God appeared as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  And God instructed Moses to build a Tabernacle--a big tent complex, worship center--to serve as God's dwelling on earth.  Whenever the pillar of smoke/fire moved, the Israelites moved.  Whenever the pillar stopped, the Israelites erected the Tabernacle and God's presence would enter and rest inside it.

A passage from the New Testament describes the ancient Tabernacle, connects it to Christ, and explains it's significance for us today.

Hebrews 9:1-14
¹ That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. ² There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. ³ Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. ⁴ In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now.

⁶ When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. ⁷ But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.

⁹ This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. ¹⁰ For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

¹¹ So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. ¹² With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

¹³ Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. ¹⁴ Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Symbols of the Tabernacle
Hebrews describes how the Tabernacle looked (see also the image to the left).  It was a tent designed to be put up, used, taken back down, and moved to a new locations where God led the Israelites.  Whenever the pillar of smoke/fire representing the presence of God stopped, the Israelites stopped.  They erected the Tabernacle and God's glory enter it and made it Holy Ground.  The tent was just physical material, however beautiful and elaborate.  It was God's presence that made it holy.

The Tabernacle had an outer courtyard where priests and Levites would receive ritually pure worshippers who were making a sacrifice.  No one else could enter.  Sacrifices were placed on the Brazen Altar in the courtyard.  There was also a laver for washing.  (With all the sloughtered sacrifices, they certainly needed a large pool for washing.)  Inside the tabernacle were two room--the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place--where only priests could enter.  

The Holy Place was where the priests would perform the daily rituals of lighting the Golden Lampstand, which represented the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden.  They would also make a daily bread offering on the Table of Showbread.  

The second room, the Most Holy Place, was off limits to everyone.  It house the Ark of the Covenant.  The only person who could enter the ost Holy Place (also called the Holy of Holies), was the High Priest.  And he could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement.  On that day, the High Priest would enter to sprinkle blood on the Ark, first to atone for his own sins, the again to atone for the community's sins.  

The High Priest enter the Most Holy Place with fear and trembling.  It was highly dangerous to be in the holy presence of God.  He wore a robe with bells on the fringe and a rope tied around his ankle.  As long as the other priests could hear the bells jingling while he was in the Most Holy Place, they knew he was still alive and moving.  But if the bells stopped, they could pull the priest out by the rope tied around his ankle.  Now how would you feel going into such a dangerous situation?

The Ark of the Covenant was thought to be God's Throne (or footstool) on earth.  It was where the presence of God rested when the pillar of smoke/fire came entered the Tabernacle.  Two golden cherubim--spiritual beings (like angels)-- sat atop the Ark, symbolically guarding God’s throne.  The first time we see cherubim in the Bible is when God stationed two cherubim at the gate of the Garden of Eden after God exiled Adam and Eve for their sin.  Again, we see the echo's of the Garden of Eden story.

A curtain (or veil) separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  It was a barrier to keep people from stumbling into God’s presence. Why? It's not to protect God and it's not because God is angry and wants to hurt people.  It's because sinful people cannot survive the holy presence of a perfect God.  Our God is an all consuming fire; His glory would consume our sin and us with it.

“Why Does This Matter?”
Hebrews 9:9 tells us what all this has to do with Christians today.  It says, “This is an illustration pointing to the present time…”  The Old Testament system illustrates how God ultimately saves us through Jesus Christ.

In fact, we see the word ""Tabernacle" in a very familiar verse we often read at Christmastime.  John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  The word translated as Dwelling is the Greek word Skenoo, which means to Tabernacle.  Jesus, the Son of God, "tabernacled" among us.  Just as God’s glory dwelled in the Tabernacle in the OT, God’s glory dwelled in Jesus among us on Earth—God in the flesh.  But there’s more.

A Perfect Tabernacle in Heaven
Hebrews 9:11 – “So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.”

This  description of the Old Testament Tabernacle is a picture of a glorious, heavenly dwelling of God.  And Jesus entered that Tabernacle as our High Priest and offered His own life to atone for us.  Hebrews 9:12, “With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.”

How did Jesus do this?  Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  He shed His blood for us.  The physical things we see on earth are a reflection of the spiritual things happening in the Heavenly realm.  Always remember, we only see things from a earthly perspective.  But, what we see is quite often an echo of the spiritual work of God in the spiritual realm.

Your Sin & God’s Forgiveness
Your sin – your mistakes and your disobedience – separates you from God.  It corrupts your life, messes everything up, and even distorts the world around us.  It is why world is out of whack.  It is why there is disease, disorder, hate, suffering, and death.  Not just your sin, but the sin of the whole world.  But your sin is a big part of the problem.
The world we live in is broke.  We are broke.  I’m broke.  Your broke.  But Jesus came to fix it.  

The Old Testament Tabernacle illustrates how Jesus fixies it all.  He serves as our High Priest to intercede for us to God.  Jesus lays down His own life as the sacrifice for our sins.  He is the Lamb of God.  His blood washes away our sins forever.  When we decide to turn away from our sin, we accept the free gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ.  God saves us! 

What Happens When God Saves Us?
When God saves us, first of all, our sins are completely washed away. We become holy as God is holy.

Second, there is no longer anything to separate us from God.  We don't have to be like the High Priest in the Old Testament who feared they would dies in God's presence.  No, Hebrews 4:16 says we can "boldly to the throne of grace" because there is no longer any in us.  Christ already atoned for it.

Third, God sends His Holy Spirit to “Tabernacle” inside us.  Just as God's Holy Spirit enterend the Old Testament Tabernacle, and just as God' Holy Spirit descended on Jesus when He was baptized in the Jordan River, God's Holy Spirit comes to reside inside us as His New Testament Tabernacle.  Do you remember the story of Pentecost from Acts chapter 2?  Jesus told His followers to wait in Jerusalem until He sent the Holy Spirit.  So they were all meeting in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came during the Feast of Pentecost.  There was the sound of a mighty rushing wind.  And then what appeared as tongues (or pillars) of fire rested atop each believers head!  Do you see the Old Testament image of the Tabernacle being fulfilled?  We are the New Tabernacle!

Fourth, God sees Jesus in us.  We don't have to be afraid.  God no longer sees our sins and mistakes.  He see Jesus in us.  And God says to us what He said to His son at Jesus' baptism:  "Behold, this is my beloved Son!"  If you repent of your sin and follow Jesus as your Savior and Lord, God sees Jesus in you.  That is why when Jesus was crucified, it specifically says the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51)--from the top, meaning it was torn by God and not by human hands.

Fifth, God sends us on a mission.  Tabernacles are meant to be on the move!  They were portable houses of God.  We too are meant to be active and mobile.  Jesus said, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey all my commands."  (See Mathew 28:19-20)

Finally, God begins to actually heal us.  It's not just a visual trick that God sees no sin in us.  When His Holy Spirit comes to live in you, the Spirit gets to work cleaning you up from the inside out.  God's holiness starts to take over your life.  His glory starts to shine forth in you.  How glorius!

Invitation
I want to invite you to respond to what God has said to you in this message today.  If you've never done so, why don't you choose to follow Jesus today.  He will save you.  He will liberate you from sin and death and grant you eternal life.  Humble yourself and come to Him today through Jesus Christ.  Pray and ask God to forgive your sins.  Commit to follow Jesus as Lord.  Then you will receive the Holy Spirit and start to serve as God's Tabernacle on earth.

Have you been baptized?  Perhaps God is calling you to be baptized.  Talk to me or to your pastor, and we can perform this powerful and important sacrament for you to be baptized, in obedience to Jesus command and as a way to receive the grace of God in your life.

There may be some reading this who feel God is calling you to ministry.  Right now, the harvest is plentiful.  There are many churches who need pastors, children's ministers, music leaders, youth leaders, volunteers of all sorts.  God is calling many to serve, but they are afraid.  Is God calling you?  Why don't you answer?  Answer the call today.  Talk to your pastor about it; or talk to me.

Perhaps there are some among you who need to join a church.  Christians need to be part of a faith community.  If you are not already a member of a church, find one to join today.  If you are in my area and looking, I invite you to join my church.  You will be loved and you will find a place to serve.  Talk to me.