The 7 Churches of Revelation | A Sermon on Revelation 1:9-20

Introduction
I’m really excited to kick off a brand-new message series with you today.  We’re diving into the Seven Churches of Revelation.  These 7 churches were real communities of believers. Jesus had specific words for each of them. And here’s the powerful part:
He’s still walking among His churches today, just like He was back then.
He holds us in His hand. He sees everything.
And He still speaks with wisdom we need for our lives today.

In this series, we’ll read the seven letters Jesus sent to His people nearly 2,000 years ago.  We’ll listen closely to what those letters say to us as a church called to shine in the 21^st century.  Before we dive in, let me clear up a few things that will help us read Revelation the way it was meant to be read:

First, it’s Revelation, not Revelations. There is no “S” on the end of Revelation. One vision. One message. One incredible unveiling of Jesus Christ. 

Second, this book wasn’t written as some distant, cryptic code about the end times.  It was written to encourage real Christians in the first century who were facing real persecution. Yes, it has layers of meaning that stretch across time and eternity, but it was first and foremost to help first century persecuted Christians.  And they needed real, immediate help—not a book focused on things that would happen thousands of years in the future.  That being said, Revelation can speak to us too, but only if we understand how it spoke to Christians in the first century.

Third, Revelation is full of vivid, powerful symbols. So don’t get stuck trying to picture dragons, beasts, and lampstands as literal things. Instead, look for what they represent. The meaning behind the image is where the real power lies.  OK, let’s dive right in.

Revelation 1:9-20
⁹ I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.^[a] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. ¹¹ It said, “Write in a book^[b] everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹² When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.^[c] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.^[d]

¹⁹ “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.^[e] 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels^[f] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The Author
First of all, who wrote the book? Who received the revelation? It was John. This is a specific John—he is one of the twelve disciples. He is the one who wrote the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and here he is receiving the Revelation of Jesus Christ. John is known as the beloved disciple. He was very close to Jesus while Jesus walked upon the earth. He was in the inner circle along with his brother James and Peter, the leader of the disciples. He was there and saw Jesus being transfigured, with Moses and Elijah appearing beside Him. He was there when Jesus was crucified on the cross. Jesus said, 'This is my mother,' and in a cryptic way, He entrusted the care of His mother to John.

John is also a brother to those to whom he is writing. He’s a brother because he’s a Christian, but also because he has shared in their suffering. He is giving them a word from the Lord to help them through their persecution, but he’s not doing it as someone who has lived a comfortable, cozy life. John has faced troubles and tribulations. He has seen people he loved tortured and killed. He himself is currently in exile on the prison island of Patmos simply because he has testified that Jesus Christ is alive and that He is the Messiah and the Son of God.

As John shares this revelation with the seven churches, he is able to say, 'I know what you're going through—I'm going through it too. I'm a brother.' He received this revelation on the Lord’s Day, which is significant. It shows that Christians in New Testament times were worshiping on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Most early Christians were Jewish and traditionally worshiped on the Sabbath (Saturday), but they began to worship on Sunday because it was the day Jesus rose from the grave. It became the Christian tradition to gather on the Lord’s Day to worship.

The 7 Churches
John is told to write this down and send it to the seven churches. These are real churches that were located in what is today modern-day Turkey. They were not the only churches at the time—there were also churches in Jerusalem, Rome, and Alexandria—but these seven were chosen to receive this revelation.

The seven churches named are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

It’s important to understand that in New Testament times, when they said 'church,' they weren’t talking about a building. They were talking about the gathering of believers. Today, when we say 'church,' we usually think of the building—'I’m going to church this morning'—meaning a location like Pleasant Grove Methodist or Grove Level Baptist.

But literally, 'church' means the gathering of the believers. Each city would have a gathering of believers. They might not have had a church building like we have today. They might have gathered in homes, or even in secret. Still, you would say that is the church in Jerusalem, or the church in Ephesus—it’s all the believers living in that city.

So when we talk about these seven churches, we’re talking about seven different communities of Christians—not buildings, but people—whom Jesus was addressing through John’s revelation.

7 Lampstands
There are a lot of symbols in this passage we’ve read, so let’s go through some of them. The first is the seven lampstands. Jesus tells us in the passage that these represent the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

It’s fitting that they are represented as lampstands because they are meant to shine God’s light into a dark world. This has always been the purpose of God’s people. Even in the Old Testament, God said that the Jewish people were to be a light to the nations—a light to the Gentiles living in darkness.

In the New Testament, we see that the Church now fulfills that role. The Church is represented as candles or lampstands burning brightly for Christ, because that is the purpose of the Church. And that is the number one thing we need to receive from this today: if we are part of the Church, what is our purpose? It is to shine the light of Christ.

We sometimes get this wrong. We think the Church is where we come primarily to get fed, to get a blessing, or maybe to celebrate a tradition we love, or even to be entertained by good music or a good message. But those things, while meaningful, are not the purpose of the Church. The purpose of the Church is to shine for Jesus Christ.

Just like it was in the first century, it is for us today as well.

Son of Man
In the passage, it says that the one like the Son of Man is walking among the churches, among the lampstands. Who is this 'Son of Man' figure? It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. From Daniel 7:13, we learn that the Messiah—Jesus, the glorified and risen Christ—is given authority by God and referred to as the Son of Man.

As we read through the description of this figure, it becomes clear that this is Jesus. He is wearing a long robe and a golden sash—garments that resemble those of a high priest and a king. Jesus is both. He is our great High Priest who intercedes for us, and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Often when we picture Jesus, we think of the baby born in a manger, or the suffering Savior hanging on the cross. But in this vision, we see the glorified Lord—radiant, powerful, and full of majesty. There is nothing weak or broken about this Jesus. He wears the robe and the golden sash as our reigning Lord.

His hair is white, not from age or weakness, but as a symbol of divine wisdom and purity. His face shines like the sun—radiant with overwhelming holiness. His eyes are like flames of fire, meaning He sees into the very soul of a person. He knows the true condition of your heart, your family, your church, and your community.

His feet are like polished bronze—strong, stable, and unshakable. His voice sounds like rushing waters—majestic and authoritative. And from His mouth comes a sharp double-edged sword—not literally, but as a symbol of the power of His words. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Jesus' words pierce deeply. He speaks to the seven churches—and He speaks to us, too. To the discouraged, the distracted, the faithful, the weary, and the wandering: Jesus speaks. We don’t need to guess what He wants. We can hear it clearly in His Word, especially in the letters we’ll be studying throughout this series.

7 Stars
There is also this image: the Son of Man—Jesus Christ—is holding seven stars in His hand. The passage tells us these are the angels of the seven churches. Now, this can be a little misunderstood. What does that mean?

The word translated as 'angels' can mean heavenly beings, but it also means 'messengers.' In the New Testament world, there was an idea that each church had an angel who watched over it. That’s one interpretation. But there’s another, more practical interpretation too. The early church often saw pastors, bishops, or church leaders as the messengers of God to the churches—God’s representatives delivering His Word.

When Jesus holds these stars in His hand, it’s a powerful image. He’s holding the leaders. He’s protecting them. He’s sustaining them. And that matters especially because this letter was written to people facing intense persecution. Guess who faced the most danger? The leaders. Because leaders are the ones who step out front. They’re the ones who get noticed. And when the authorities wanted to punish someone, they went for the leaders.

So this image says something powerful: Jesus sees the leaders. He holds them in His hand. He cares for them.

I can tell you, as one of your pastors—I need your prayers. Being a messenger isn’t always easy. But it’s comforting to know that Jesus holds me in His hand. And not just me—He holds all of us. Because we’re all called to be His witnesses. We are His people, and He is walking among us.

Closing Meditation
Revelation was shared to help persecuted Christians in the first century looks past their immediate experience.  It called believers to recognize God was at work behind the scenes and that His eternal Kingdom was breaking into our world despite the awful things they were seeing the evil kingdoms of the world perpetrate.

As we close, I want to invite you to close your eyes and try to imagine what God is really doing behind the scenes in our own lives.  So, close your eyes…

… and begin to imagine this room—our church sanctuary—as it really is right now.
Not just filled with people… but filled with lampstands.
One for every believer. One for every family. One for our church.

Each lampstand is glowing because God has given it His own light to shine…
And now, look—Jesus is here…  The risen Lord. The Son of Man.
His robe flows with heavenly majesty… His sash gleams with golden light.
His eyes burn with compassion and truth. His face shines like the sun.  And He is walking…

Jesus is here.  He is not pacing in anger… not rushing by…
But gently, purposefully, walking among us, His lampstands.

He pauses beside you.  He sees you.  He knows your name.
He sees the burdens you’ve been carrying…
He sees the faith no one else noticed…
He sees the doubt you've tried to hide…

He knows your weariness.
He knows your prayers.
He knows your joy.
He knows your sin.

And still… He lays His hand on your shoulder…  and says to you,

“Don’t be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One.
I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever.  I died for you, because I love you.
I rose for you, so you can live forever with me. 
And now I reign forever, and my Kingdom lives in you.”

Stay with Jesus in this moment.
Let Him speak.
Let Him comfort.
Let Him correct.
Let Him restore.

Now, in a moment, we’ll open our eyes…
but may we not forget what we’ve seen.
Because Jesus is still walking among His churches.
And He’s walking among us.

Amen.

 

Jesus' First Disciples | A Sermon on Matthew 4:18-22

The First Disciples – Introduction
Today, we continue our study of the first few chapters of the Gospel of Matthew.  Here’s a quick outline of what we’ve studied so far in Matthew:
Chapters 1-2: Jesus’ Birth & Escape to Egypt
Chapter 3: Jesus & John the Baptist
Chapter 4: Jesus’ Ministry Begins

Today, we read the story of Jesus calling the first disciples.

Matthew 4:18-22
¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

²¹ A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. ²² They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

Along the Shores of the Sea of Galilee
In Jesus’ time, the Sea of Galilee was a bustling center of life, work, and trade in northern Israel. The large freshwater lake was a vital hub for fishing, with towns like Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Tiberias lining its shores.  It’s about 33 miles to walk all the way around the lake, which would take several days of hard walking.  But one could use a boat to cross the 8-mile-wide lake in about 3 hours. 

It was along the shores of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus would do the majority of His ministry.  And it was along these shores that Jesus called His first Disciples.  First, He found two brothers, Peter and Andrew, who fished for a living.  “Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

“And they left their nets at once and followed him.”
Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets to follow Jesus.  Leaving their nets means they left behind their careers and livelihoods.  Fishing wasn’t a fun weekend hobby for them—this was how they put bread on the table so their families could survive.  Jesus asked them to walk away from their nets and come follow Him.  And they did.

I want to point out that Peter and Andrew (and James and John) probably already knew Jesus (or knew of Him).  Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which is only about a day’s journey from Capernaum.  And before He began His ministry, Jesus was a carpenter (actually a better translation is craftsman or construction worker).  And Jesus likely worked in Capernaum and probably knew the fishermen.  At the very least, they knew something about the rising fame of this new teacher.

Peter and Andrew answered the call to leave their fishing careers to follow Jesus.  James and John not only left behind their careers, they left their father’s family fishing business.  The fact they were mending the nets on their father’s boat seems to indicate Zebedee’s fishing business was a whole enterprise—not just a small business.  And they left it all behind to follow Jesus.

Jesus Doesn’t Need Our Help. We Need to Help Jesus
Now I want you to think about something.  This seems like a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice.  Jesus was asking a lot.  Leave behind your career, your ability to make a living, to provide food for you and your family and keep a roof over your head.  Leave your father to take care of his fishing business all by himself.

 And here, Jesus is supposed to be the Messiah, the Chosen One who will save the world.  Even more, the Bible tells us Jesus is the son of God.  That He is God. He was there when the universe was created.  Nothing was created except through Him. He gave life to everything.  He is the Light of the world!

But if Jesus is so great and so powerful, why did He want people to help Him save the world? 

Jesus didn’t need people to help Him.  But we need to participate in the salvation of the world in order to be saved ourselves.  Helping Jesus is part of our salvation. Jesus doesn’t need our help, but we need to help Jesus. Somehow, through helping Jesus, we find healing and restoration for our soul.

There’s a powerful principle in Alcoholics Anonymous that speaks directly to our life of faith: helping others is essential to healing. In AA, those who find freedom from addiction are taught that one of the best ways to stay sober is to help someone else on the same journey. It’s not just a good deed—it’s part of their own recovery.

In the same way, as followers of Jesus, we are not just saved from sin so we can sit back and enjoy the blessings. We are saved to serve. Our healing deepens when we help others find their healing in Christ. We grow stronger in our walk when we walk alongside someone else. Jesus doesn’t need our help in a cosmic sense—He’s the Lord of all. But in His mercy, He invites us to be part of His work in the world.

Helping others isn’t a bonus part of Christianity—it’s part of our transformation. When we serve, give, pray for, and walk with others, we’re reminded of what Jesus did for us. We live out our faith. And in that, we recover more fully from the grip of sin and step more deeply into the life of the Kingdom.

What “Nets” Do You Need to Leave Behind?
So Jesus comes and He calls each of us:  “Come follow me…” He chooses us before we choose Him.  And He chooses all of us.  No matter what you’ve done.  No matter who you are. You are never too good or too bad or too broken for Jesus to choose you. Jesus chose you to be His follower, His disciple, to fish for people.  But that leaves two questions for you:  Will you choose Him?  And What nets do you need to leave behind?

Some of the "nets" we may need to leave behind to follow Jesus aren't made of rope—they're the things that entangle our hearts. It could be the comfort of routine, the pursuit of success, unhealthy relationships, guilt from the past, or even our own pride and self-sufficiency. Like the disciples who dropped their fishing nets to follow Jesus, we’re called to let go of whatever keeps us from fully trusting Him. Leaving those nets behind can be scary, but it’s the first step toward a life of greater purpose, peace, and freedom in Christ.

Closing Ceremony – Leave Your Nets
When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, He didn’t just give them advice—He gave them a choice: Leave your nets and follow Me. Those nets weren’t bad in themselves, but they were holding them back from the life Jesus had for them.

Today, I want to invite you to do something simple, but powerful. Ask yourself:
What net is God calling me to leave behind?
Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s a habit, a distraction, or something good that’s just taken first place in your life instead of Jesus.

Write it down on a piece of paper—just between you and God—and when you’re ready, come forward and leave it at the altar as you kneel for a time of prayer.  Let that act be your way of saying, ‘Jesus, I’m ready to follow You more faithfully.’"

Addendum
I realized after preaching this sermon, I probably should have shared more supporting evidence about why I think Peter, Andrew, James, and John may have already known Jesus before He asked them to follow Him.  For example, in John’s Gospel (1:35–42), Andrew was with John the Baptist when Jesus passed by and John said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…” Later in the Gospel of John, Andrew went and told his brother Peter about Jesus.

Luke 5 also gives more context to the calling of Peter. Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and asks him to put out a little from shore. That kind of request suggests some kind of prior relationship—most people wouldn’t let a stranger just borrow their boat. Plus, Peter calls Him “Master,” a term of respect for a known rabbi or spiritual teacher.

Add to that the closeness of Nazareth to towns along the Sea of Galilee and the nature of small, tight-knit Jewish communities of the time—it seems likely they at least knew of Jesus beforehand. It’s not certain, of course, but I think it’s a fair conclusion to consider.

Standing on Holy Ground | A Sermon on 1 Kings 8:27-30

Introduction
Today, we begin a new series about the Holy Temple.  But don’t think this is just a series of lectures about some ancient ruins of a long, lost temple.  What the Bible says about the Temple is highly relevant to your life today.  The New Testament teaches that Christians are the “Temple of God”, that each one of us is a “living stone” in God’s spiritual temple.  I want us to understand the full ramifications of what this means for how we are to live every day.  So for the next 4 weeks, we will explore the Biblical concept of Holy Ground.  And we will end on August 25^th a special rededication service for our “Holy Ground” here at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.

Our Scripture today is 1 Kings 8:27-30.  This passage is part of King Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the first Temple he built in Jerusalem in 957 BC.  Solomon asks an important question.

1 Kings 8:27-30
²⁷ “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! ²⁸ Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. ²⁹ May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. ³⁰ May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

Will God really live on earth?
In his prayer, King Solomon asks a wise question:  Will God really live on earth?  For thousands of years, human beings across the globe have worshiped in sacred places.  There is archaeological evidence of sacred rituals in caves as far back as 100,000 years.  The oldest evidence of a temple is Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey that dates back to approximately 9600 BC—that’s 11,000 years ago.  Obviously, people have always felt the need to worship God in special places—whether natural or manmade.

Christians believe God is omnipresent – meaning God is everywhere.  If I go to church, God is there.  But God is also with me when I go on my morning walk.  And God is with me when I lay down to sleep.  And God is with me when I go on vacation.  Psalm 139:7 – “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”  If we believe in an almighty, all-powerful God, we also understand God can be everywhere.  So why go to the trouble to build and worship God in a temple, or a church, or even in special place we deem “Holy Ground”?

People sense a deep need to worship a Higher Power.  Christians call this higher power God.  But we also inherently seem to understand, something troubles and separates us from God.  Isaiah 52:2 reveals, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.”  Sin separates us from God who is Holy and Sinless.  This was not always so.  Originally, God dwelled in perfect Holy Communion with humanity.

Heaven and Earth and Holy Ground
In the beginning, God made heaven where God and His angels dwell, and God created earth where animals and humans live.  Then God made the Garden of Eden where God and humanity abide together in perfect harmony.  

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned and broke their relationship with God through disobedience.  Their sin separated them from God.  And all creation suffered from this “great fall” that corrupted everything.  Romans 8:20 says, “all creation was subjected to God’s curse.”

It’s not so much that God can’t be around us because we’re filled with so much disgusting sin
(as guilt and shame ridden people often think of it).  God has always loved us unconditionally and desired a relationship with us aven after we sinned.  The problem is:  we cannot abide the holy presence of God.  Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”  God’s holiness is like a beautiful light emanating from a brilliant and holy fire.  Our sin is an impurity that would burn up in the presence of God’s absolute holiness; we could not survive it.  So God’s act of separating from us is actually an act of merciful grace.  

Yet God has never stopped loving us.  And God always wants to be with us.  And God started working from the very first moment we sinned to save and reconcile with us, but it’s a very difficult and expensive to rescue us.  It’s a plan thousands years in the making and cost the death of God’s very own Son—Jesus Christ.  And so, from the very beginning, God has made special places to be in His holy presence.

Holy Ground
In Genesis, we see God is primarily working through individuals and individual families.  Therefore, worship is primarily done by individuals or their families and private altars.  In Genesis 6, God told Noah to build an Ark to save his family and a remnant of the animals from a great flood.  Afterward, Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible.  As God painted a rainbow across the sky, Noah worshipped God on holy ground.  

In Genesis 12, God appeared to Abraham and blessed Him at Shechem, promising to make His descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.  So Abram built an alter and worshipped God and they cut a covenant together.

In Genesis 22, we find the disturbing story where God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, the miraculous child of promise on holy Mount Moriah.  Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain as Abraham mournfully seeks to obey God in this terrible request.  It is hard to understand, but  this story foreshadows God's plan of salvation for humanity.  Mount Moriah is the same hill as Mount Calvary.  God cries out and tells Abraham not to sacrifice his son.  God provides a ram to take Isaac's place.  2,000 years later, Jesus--the Son of God--carries the wooden cross up Mount Calvary and is crucified upon it to atone for the sins of the world.

In Genesis 28, we find Isaac's son Jacob sleeping on another piece of holy ground in a place he names Bethel, which means “House of God”, because there he dreamed he saw a ladder upon which angels where ascending and descending from heaven to earth.

In Exodus, God broadens His focus from individuals/families to a whole nation—the Israelites.  In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells him to take off his sandles because he is standing on holy ground.  God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh in Egypt and let God's people (the Israelites) go free from slavery.  

Then in Exodus 20, Moses climbs up holy Mount Sanai where God gives him the 10 Commandments and the Law for His people.  This is how God's holy people are to live.  God's people became a nation.  They were slaves, but God rescued them from Egypt.  

As the Israelites wander through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land, they dwelled in tents Since His people lived in tents, the Holy, omnipotent God who dwells in the glory of heaven humbled Himself and came down and lived in a tent alongside His people.

The Tabernacle

In Exodus 25, God gives instructions to build a Tabernacle, Israel’s first worship center.  That's how bad God wants to be with us, despite our stubborn, sinful, rebellious nature.  For 440 years, the Israelites worship the Holy and Living God, Yahweh, in the Tabernacle, an elaborate tent complex designed to mimic the Garden of Eden, the intersection of Heaven and Earth.  Here are some of the ways the Tabernacle was designed to mirror the Garden of Eden:

• The Menorah Lampstand in the Tabernacle looks like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.
• There are pomegranates embroidered on the priestly garments to represent the fruit of the garden.
• There are cherubim guarding the Holy Place in the Tabernacle that houses the Ark of the Covenant (the footstool of God); these represent the cherubim guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.
• The holy presence of God is with His people in the Tabernacle as He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

The purpose of the Tabernacle was to make space for holy ground where people could once again dwell in the presence of God.  And all the elaborate rituals of the Old Testament Law where meant to make it possible for sinful humanity to come into the presence of their holy God as much as possible.  

The Israelites worshiped God in the Tabernacle for 440 years until they settled down in Israel.  And finally, after most Israelites were dwelling in houses and not tents and the king of Israel lived in a palace, God finally told King Solomon to build a Temple--a permanent structure, not a tent.  The pattern for the Temple was much the same as the Tabernacle—mimicking God's original plan to dwell with people in the Garden of Eden.

Then and Now
Despite God being beyond physical containment, He chose to make His presence known to the Israelites in the Tabernacle and then the Temple.  These worship centers served as the focal points for prayer, worship, and the experience of God's presence.  The temple was a physical reminder of God's covenant with Israel and His promise to dwell among His people.  The temple was a place to seek God's mercy and forgiveness and healing. 

Of course, God is not confined to a specific building, no matter how sacred and glorious it was.  God is still everywhere.  But the ancient temple in Jerusalem was the communal place where the ancient people of God (Israel) gathered to worship together.

Together
And that's a key word for us to take away today:  together.  God’s people are meant to worship God together.  Of course, we can and should worship God every day in our own personal ways and in our own personal spaces.  However, our worship is always incomplete if we do not join together with other believers as a community.

Conclusion
There is much to unpack as we examine the history and purpose of the Temple.  I'm going to share more over the next few weeks.  I hope you will stay tuned as we examine a number of important ideas and themes connected to the Temple.  Stay tuned!