Sermon Tone Analysis

*A Worshipping People *

                  

A. Fear, shame and sin are common to humanity, yet there is a solution.

The dialogue was subtle, but then so often, so too, our hidden lives.

A man has an affair.

Exposed, caught, shame!

And then, apparently forgiveness and reconciliation.

Life is good.

A friend to partner with and confess to.

Someone to carry the burden, see him through.

And now, years later, the ghosts aren’t dead.

He sees her face and wonders yet what might have been . . .

.

Pig?

Fool?

Some may say so.

Some may say, he’ll do it again.

Can’t trust a man like that ever again.

Was the hurt real?

Oh yes.

So maybe it’s a good thing that he lives with some left over shame.

That will keep him on the straight and narrow, won’t it?

Will it?

Let’s be honest, what tempts us once can tempt us again.

I have a friend who smoked a lot of pot when he was younger.

He’s given it up.

Intoxication is problematic.

He believes Ephesians 4 is true and helpful for his life and quality of life.

For himself, his wife and children.

Every time he catches a whiff, he’s tempted.

So maybe a bit of fear is a good thing.

There are many things people do that are harmful and destructive besides cheating on a spouse.

Many things.

What’s yours?

No don’t say it out loud.

Let’s face it many sins, in the short term are attractive.

A thrill here, a sensual moment there.

The stuff of this world, food, drink, sexuality, finances are good.

Overindulgence, misuse and abuse turns the goodness into chains.

So many of us live in an uneasy tension.

Just like Jared.

But friends fear is not a good thing.

Living in fear and non-restorative shame or guilt does not liberate or maintenance good behavior.

So, if you’ve come here today with the lingering guilt of un-confessed sin.

Or if you’ve come with nagging fear that God is not who he says he is.

If you fear that forgiveness is conditional, then God has a story for you.

And the theme is summed up in one word: exodus.

Today is our last day with this Old Testament book.

I’m going to miss it.

Exodus is the freedom story that is still being played out.

Our world is still touched by sin.

Women and men still bruise and break their marriage vows; men and women still over consume drugs and alcohol; poverty strikes millions; AIDS claims thousands per day; in the western world disease stays comfortably ahead of cure.

No one is left untouched.

Prisoners still require rescue; Fear, shame, guilt or pride continue to imprison and alienate.

We live in a world deeply marked by pain.

We feel it in our bones, do we feel it with our eyes and ears?

And into that God speaks a word: exodus, rescue, hope.

As we saw the first 15 chapters were devoted to telling how God saw, heard and remembered his people to act.

He calls them his son and brings them out of Egyptian slavers with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

There is no God like God and his freedom call cannot be quieted.

God is calling a people.

Then we saw in chapters 16-24, that in giving the law, God gives gifts of identity and compassion.

Good law improves the condition of people.

Whether someone believes in God or not, the effects of his law improve their lives.

Laws about life, and security and trust.

These chapters taught us that life with God is a pilgrimage.

God is forming a people.

And finally, today we’ll glance through exodus 25-40 and here we will see the final stage of God’s project in the Book.

It’s not the ultimate end of God’s project with humanity, but it is the completion of the story line, that get’s repeated in Jesus’ time and is still being played out today.

In this stage, God is forming his people through worship.

In all three stages God is primary, the mover, creator, caller and guide.

And God is not done yet.

The exodus story concludes with worship.

Because the biblical antidote to fear and shame is worship.

Worship recognizes our realities and pushes us beyond them to hold onto hope instead of fear; freedom instead of guilt.

God honoring, God centered worship does this.

Let’s explore today’s text.

B.

God frees then forms a people through worship.

Turn if you like to Exodus 24, we’ll read verses 1-11.

Moses and the people are in the wilderness; they are aware of God’s presence.

In chapter 13 we read that a pillar of fire and cloud accompanied them.

A visible manifestation of God.

Now, Moses is to go and meet with God to worship.

Exodus 24.1-11

Three elements are involved: God, the people and a meal.

But as we read, it was risky to get too close to God.

God is holy, a consuming fire and people need protection at this time lest they be consumed.

So God gives Moses a plan for a meeting place.

It’s called a Tabernacle: a tent of meeting.

God designs it, and it’s beautiful.

Woven tapestries, gold foil over intricate carvings, precious metals and stones.

And the purpose is that this place of beauty would remind people of the beauty of the earth.

The new creation to come.

The tent sat in the center toward the back of a second structure called the courtyard.

And in order for God to meet with the people and for the people to benefit, there was separation.

The people were invited into the courtyard but only the priests could meet with God in the tent.

The balance of chapters 25-31 tell us about the different furnishings in the tent and courtyard.

Then there is a pause.

The people decide that worshipping God in God’s way wasn’t as attractive as worshipping God their way.

Terrible result.

Whenever people decide for themselves how to worship God, they ultimately worship that which isn’t God.