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 Sermon > Theme Words of Life |
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Title |
2017 Prayer Title(3) - Beautiful Sanctuary |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Psalm 37:6 |
Date |
2016-12-25 |
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Passage
[Psalm 37:6]
"He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday."
[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today is the last Sunday of this year, and we'll have the General Assembly after this evening service. There were many incidents in the world in this year. But you believers lived in the grace of God while riding on the flow of spirit. Let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who has given us rest and blessings in the Lord for all 52 weeks of this year.
In this message, I'd like to talk about 'Beautiful Sanctuary', the 3rd prayer title for the New Year. We've been praying about the construction of the sanctuary since the beginning. It's a great and important duty which requires a lot of preparation. I ask you in the name of the Lord that you will remember the meaning of the Grand Sanctuary once again and store up for one year the aroma of prayers that is pleasing in God's sight.
[Main] Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Now, I will briefly explain the history of the Temple in Israel to understand the meaning of the Grand Sanctuary. The Temple represents the presence of God. God the Creator exists anywhere and everywhere, and He does not dwell in a house built by men. It's just that if a person who is acknowledged by God offers the Temple, God will put His name and glory there and recognize it as God's house.
The first Temple was the Tabernacle during the time of the Exodus, about 3,500 years ago. God let the people first build the tabernacle on their way to Canaan. The tabernacle was a moving temple made as a tent that held the Ark of Covenant that contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments.
The tabernacle was at the center of the camp of the people, and inside the tabernacle was the ark of covenant that had the Ten Commandments. What does this mean? It means God will be in the Temple and be with the people only when they keep the commandments of God as His people. When Moses and the people offered the tabernacle, God let the pillar of clouds and fire rise above it. Wherever the people set their camp, the pillar of clouds covered the sun in the day and the pillar of fire gave light and warmth in the night. Through this, the sons of Israel could live in the wilderness for 40 years, experiencing God who was with them.
Only 500 years after they finished life in wilderness and settled down in Canaan could they build a Temple that was a proper building. King David, who was after God's heart, and his son Solomon prepared the construction. They gave all kinds of gold and precious stones for the building. Here, they put the Ark of Covenant in the Holy of Holies. When Solomon offered the Temple, the place was filled with the cloud of glory, and God sent fire directly from heaven to accept the sacrifices.
This Temple, which was accepted by God, became known all over the world. God promised that not just Israel but anyone who comes to this Temple with faith could receive His grace.
But the problem is this precious temple was destroyed. It's because the sons of Israel forsook God. Because they violated the Law and committed sins, God left their midst as well. I said that the Temple is a symbol of God's presence. God left them due to their sins, and eventually the Temple was also destroyed.
When the Southern Kingdom of Judah was destroyed in 586 BC, the Temple of Solomon was destroyed. Then the Ark of Covenant and the tablets of Moses' Ten Commandments also turned up missing. The people who were taken as captives regretted their sins and evil. They asked for forgiveness of God and prayed they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The Jews thought, "If we rebuild the Temple and serve God well, God will be with us again. He will give us back the glory of King David's time."
After 70 years God heard their prayers. The Jews returned to Jerusalem, and the temple was rebuilt. We call this Zerubbabel's Temple to differentiate it from Solomon's Temple. It is also called 'the second temple' to be distinguished from the first one. It was also later called Herod's Temple because it was beautifully renovated by Herod. The temple that remained in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus is this second temple.
But the problem is this temple was also destroyed. Those people who came back from the captivity built the temple again, but after some time they became corrupt again. The piled evil upon evil, and then they even killed Jesus, the Son of God, on the cross. As a result, the Roman army destroyed the temple completely, and left only a part of the western wall standing. This wall still remains in Jerusalem, which is called the 'Wailing Wall'.
Even today, the Jews pray there hoping that the temple would be built again. They hope to build the third temple and shine the glory of God who is with the Jews all over the world.
Dear brothers and sisters,
God's temple will certainly be rebuilt. But this temple will not be built in Jerusalem. Where then? It is being built in your hearts. Ephesians 2:20-22 says, "…having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."
After the Lord took the cross, one of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, came into the believers who are saved. We have become the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. So, the first step in completing the temple is for the believers to cultivate a sincere heart and perfect faith. They have to recover the image of God and attain to the full measure of the Christ.
There is one more thing to remember. Ephesians 2:21 says, "in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord," Each one is being completed as the temple, and each building must be connected together. Namely, the complete temple of the Holy Spirit is finished when the believers are united in the Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Now, does that mean visible building of the temple is no longer necessary? It's not. God had a plan to build a visible temple and receive glory at this end time just like at the time of Solomon. That is why He commanded us to build the Grand Sanctuary.
The Grand Sanctuary is a symbol that represents the dignity and glory of the living God. Also, it symbolizes He has fulfilled the goal of human cultivation, because there are His true children who have the image of God and are worthy to build the Grand Sanctuary. The outward design will be glorious, but the aroma of heart of those who are worshipping God in it will be much more beautiful. This is the truly beautiful temple.
And God has been working for the construction of this sanctuary without rest for the past 34 years. He gave us the flow of whole spirit to fill up the number of those on the rock, and in spirit and whole spirit, and He made a united system of those who trust and love the shepherd.
Today's reading passage Psalm 37:6 says, "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday." Judgment is carried out according to the fairness of God and the rules of the spiritual realm. One of the principles is that you reap what you sow. Sometimes, this rule of justice seems it is being fulfilled slowly, but it will never be annulled. It will be certainly fulfilled in the end and will reveal to the whole world that God is alive.
We've been praying with faith and sowing for this sanctuary for the past 34 years. And we will continue to do so without changing. Because God of justice is certainly living, the seed of faith that we've sown will have to be revealed as the actual building of Canaan Sanctuary and the Grand Sanctuary. Each one's sowing will also be paid back as blessings within the justice.
Now, let us check ourselves once again. How earnestly have we prayed with all our heart, longing for the sanctuary? How much temple of heart have we been accomplishing, longing for holiness? How much have we been helping and praying for those souls around us so they could be on the flow of spirit together? How much have we trusted and loved the shepherd and tried to become united with each other? All your hard work that you expended wishing only the Father's glory will be revealed, will be paid back handsomely by the Father.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters,
I explained about the 1st and the 2nd temple, and there is one more temple in the Bible. It's a temple that Ezekiel saw in a vision. God showed a temple that would be built in the future, and water flowed out from the threshold of it. It became like a river, and it flowed into the sea. Wherever this river reached, many living things thrived, many fish lived, and the sea would also become fresh. Many kinds of fruits were borne constantly on the river banks, and the leaves of the trees became like medicinal herbs.
But Ezekiel 47:11 says, "But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt." The water of life flowed through the world and revived everything, and yet there was a part that remained dead. This prophecy of Ezekiel reminds us of the Grand Sanctuary.
The spiritual famine will become increasingly serious, but the holiness gospel and the power of re-creation going out from the Grand Sanctuary will revive numerous souls just like the water of life. But not everyone can be saved. Flesh and spirit, and black and white will certainly be distinguished. Even though the water of life is flowing, swamps and marshes will not take the water in. In the same way, those who are on the flow of flesh will just go their own ways.
But we will strive to do the best until the end. We will do the will of the Father and let as many souls as possible accept the Lord. And along with construction of the Grand Sanctuary, all other plans for our church such as national and world evangelism and sanctification of churches will be accomplished as well.
Now, as we face this New Year, we look forward to the glory of 2017 being full of hope. I hope you will cultivate the temple of the heart more diligently in the coming year. I hope all the workers, departments and mission groups will become united centering the shepherd and store up earnest prayers for building the sanctuary. In so doing, may all of you accomplish the Grand sanctuary and dwell in great glory when we see the Lord who is coming again, I pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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