Sermon Tone Analysis

That you may believe … and have life

John #6

John 1:14

 

Isaiah 11:1 (NIV)/ /

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

/Isaiah 7:14-15 (NIV)/

/14 //Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.

/

 

 

1.

Tabernacled Among Us

 

What Was It?

 

  A.

Dwelling Place of God

    1.

Tent of Meeting, outside the camp, where Moses spoke with God for the people Ex 33 - spoke with God face to face

    2.

Then God gave Moses instructions for building The Tabernacle according to a pattern, that is a heavenly pattern.

Through the Tabernacle he would no Longer meet ONLY with Moses but The Tabernacle would become The Dwelling place of God with the Israelites.

    3.

It consisted of

      a- a set of 10 linen curtains draped over a frame 45 feet x 15 feet x 15 feet high.

This was the tabernacle

      b- a "tent" draped over that with 11 curtains of goat hair

      c- over that a covering of red dyed rams' skins

      d- then a 4th covering made of the smooth skins of either a porpoise or seal type animal called a dugong.

e- The Tabernacle had only 2 rooms inside, The Holy Place, 30x15x15 and the Holy of Holies, 15x15x15 containing the Ark of the Covenant

      f- There was a courtyard around the Tabernacle where sacrifices were made

    4.

The Tabernacle was now in the Middle of the Camp NOT on the outside, God was dwelling with his People

 

IT was Also

  B.

God's Stamp of Approval

    1.

I love you and desire a more intimate relationship with you

    2.

You are MY unique people

 

It was Also

  C.

God's Choice

    1.

"/I have chosen you/" - 23 times in the OT God says "I have chosen you"

    2.

In John 15:16 /You did not choose me, I have chosen you/ and in verse 19, /I have chosen you/.

-- So, The Tabernacle was a quite a meager house to be the dwelling place of God - a Frame, a covering of linens and animal skins and So Christ was according to scripture - "nothing that we should take notice of him" - his earthly house~/dwelling was NOT worthy of him and had no hint to it's power and purpose

The Tabernacle was NOT Moses' idea but God's

Man would not have brought God to them like he did in Christ in Bethlehem

Ex 33 tells us that anyone inquiring of the Lord could go to the Tent of Meeting

 

So Jesus is the Way, The Truth and The Life no one comes to the Father except through him

In the Tabernacle the Lord spoke face to face with man

So the Word became flesh and dwelt face to face with man

 

  D.

It was also God's Provision for relationship with and forgiveness for his people

 

    1.

I want to add something here about God's provision in Christ for us that I see in the Tabernacle.

    2.

I've already told you that the Tabernacle had four coverings

      a.

the Tabernacle - Linen, blue, purple, and scarlet thread

      b.

the Tent - black goatshair

      c.

3rd Covering - Ram's skin dyed Red

      d.

Outer Covering - Dugong - a sea cow i.e. a porpoise, or species of seal

 

    3.

Linen made from Flaxseed … was a  symbol of purity and righteousness.

It was woven and dyed with Blue, Purple, and Scarlet.

a.

Blue was a color worn by priests.

b.

Purple was a color worn by Kings, and

      c.

Scarlet is a color worn by the Rich and by the Warrior.

~* Jesus Christ came and tabernacled among us our High Priest, Our King, Our Wealthy Warrior and our righteousness.

4.

Goats' hair, Not just any goats' hair but black goats' hair.

a.

In Leviticus 16 there is instruction regarding the "scapegoat" … have you heard that term before?

Do you know what it means?

/"Sure, Pastor, it means some innocent guy who gets stuck with the consequences for the actions of somebody else" /

Well, you are partly right.

Where do you think that comes from? 

      b.

After the High Priest had offered the sacrifice for the sins, he selected a live goat and takes it by the head and sprinkles blood from the sacrifice on the head of the goat.

He confesses the sins of his people over the goat and sends the goat out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people on his innocent head away from the people.

c.

Jesus, Tabernacled among us to be our scapegoat to carry the effect of our sins away.

    5.

After the covering of fine pure linen, and the covering of black goatskins, is the covering of ram's skin dyed red.

Do I have to explain this one?

a.

Abraham had been told to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

He was told to take him to the top of the mountain and put him to the knife.

He made the altar, he laid his son down, he tied him down and raised his knife and the Lord stopped his hand and directed him to notice the bush beside him.

There in the thicket, the thorn bush, was a RAM, caught in its branches.

And the ram then became the sacrifice.

The Ram's blood was shed in place of Isaac.

b.

Jesus Christ came and tabernacled among us to be the sacrifice for us, our scapegoat, and righteousness

And

    6.

the Outer Covering is a bit strange, it's made some species of seal.

That says a couple of things to me. 

      a.

One … where did they come up with THAT?

They are in the middle of the desert and they've got to come up this SMOOTH material made from a sea animal's skin.

And   

    b.

I think of an Old Man named Nicodemus and Jesus said "you must be born again" … you must be NEW, you must be transformed into a soft smooth new born creation.

HOW?

How do we come up with a sea cow?  How can we be a new creation, fresh smooth, clean, Holy …

      c.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, left Heaven and came to earth and Tabernacled among us that in the middle of the desert we can be made new, anyone that is in Christ is a New Creation, yes in the middle of the desert, in Christ we are born again, we are smooth as a newborn baby, or a seal for that matter, forgiven because of the Sacrifice of our Ram, Christ Jesus, our sins taken away from us by our scapegoat and now we stand in the Righteousness of Christ because of Royal, Priestly, Warrior Jesus Christ who tabernacled among us.

Well, that's a great lesson, Pastor, but I guarantee you … someone is thinking … “what's the point …?”

 

Two questions we need to ask in conclusion