The word “sanctuary” in the Hebrew language is a derivation on the word “holy.” This should not come as a surprise really. The tabernacle, or sanctuary, is a holy place. In it is contained the Holy of Holies. It is holy ground in the holy land. It is where the holy people of Israel go to meet the Holy One of Israel. Holiness is everywhere in the Old Testament! So as we continue thinking about what it means to live into our value of sanctuary, we must consider what it means to live into holiness. That is our task today. Let’s dig in!

Continuing our series on “Sanctuary,” today we dig down deep into the building of the tabernacle. From our text for today, Exodus 25 and continuing into the last chapters of the book of Exodus, we find clear and explicit instructions for the building of the tabernacle. We find these instructions not just once but twice. It is clear that this building is of utmost importance. It is the very dwelling place of God. The creation of this sanctuary space requires intentionality, artistry, and labor. It requires listening and obeying the will of God. And, not to be missed, it requires the willing hearts of the people of God who must offer their contributions to this sanctuary space.

We continue to think about the sanctuaries of Scripture. The places where heaven and earth come together. Where God and humanity commune. And where rest and refuge happens. In the Exodus 3 passage for today, we find that it is God reaching out to his people through the person Moses as God desires this kind of sanctuary. He desires that Israel, who is in bondage in Egypt, not only be freed from it, but that they find their way to a land that promises God’s very presence and peace. God was, and is, and will always be in the business of sanctuary building.

In our Scripture reading today from Revelation, we find a large group gathered around the throne of God in heaven worshiping. Heaven is the domain of God, and because of this, heaven should be understood as the sanctuary of all sanctuaries—the place where God is most fully present. To find that worship goes hand-in-hand with sanctuary comes as an important revelation. Today we continue our sanctuary series with a sermon titled, “Made to Worship.” It is my contention that we are designed for worship, but worship means far more than we often think. Let’s dive in.

We will spend the coming weeks drilling deep down into what it means for our church to value sanctuary. In Scripture a sanctuary is a place where one meets God. The tabernacle and the temple are examples of sanctuaries where Israel experienced the presence of God. However, sanctuary is more than a place. In the New Testament, it is a person—Jesus Christ. Jesus is the new temple in whom the full presence of God dwells. And yet there’s still more! Paul doesn’t stop there. He says that you and I are temples too! That God dwells in us and others can find God when they're with us. There’s a lot to unpack here, which is why we will take some time with this topic. Today we will start at the bookends of the Bible, Eden and The New Jerusalem, two places where God and humanity live together in perfect peace.

The theme of the image of God found throughout Scripture has tremendous theological significance. It should inform the way we think about both God and humanity. Page 1 of the Bible tells us that humans are made in God’s image, and this is good news for us! Furthermore, when Paul says that Christ is the “image of the invisible God,” he is saying something both similar to and different from what is stated in Genesis. As we explore Christ as the image-bearer of God, we are simultaneously exploring our own identity and meaning in this world. All of this should point us back to the eternal God who created all things and through whom all things find their true meaning. Let’s dive in!

This Sunday we continue our ongoing series entitled Jesus Is _____. Perhaps one of the most significant themes in Scripture is that of salvation. “Salvation by grace through faith” is a bedrock component to most protestant teachings about the person and work of Jesus. To get at its significance, we must answer a few questions. What are we saved from? And for what are we saved? How does the Old Testament speak of salvation? And how does Jesus tie together the promises of salvation in the Old Testament to the promises in the New Testament? We will tackle these and many more questions in this week’s sermon: Jesus is the Savior.

As we continue to think about the person and work of Jesus, we turn to one of the most important titles given to him. Together we confess that Jesus is the Son of God. As with the titles we have explored in previous weeks—Lord, Christ, Risen One—we find that there is a lot to unpack. There are lots of assumptions about what the Son of God means. There is hidden significance that we never knew was there. And so today we examine just what it means to call Jesus the Son of God.

We are now in the third week of Eastertide, and we continue our study of the person and work of Jesus. It’s possible that you mentally tripped over “the” in the title of today’s sermon, “Jesus is the Christ.” Christ is not originally a name, and certainly not a last name for Jesus, but a title. Like “the CEO” or “the janitor” or “the principal.” It implies a job description and tells us much about his actions, goals, and the work he was sent to accomplish. Perhaps you’ve not given it much thought, but today we dig into what it means for Jesus to be “the Christ.” Let’s go!

The phrase, “Jesus is Lord,” is most likely the oldest Christian creed ever used. Long before the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed, people would say, “Jesus is Lord,” as a short-hand faith statement. It was often used at the moment of baptism as one is dying to the world and being raised with Christ. It is a declaration of service to Jesus. You are willingly becoming a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. And while all of this might, from the outside, look overly serious or inhibiting to one’s freedom, for those of us who confess Jesus as Lord, we know it is actually filled with joy unspeakable, and it is the most freeing thing a person can do.

It is Easter and new life is around every corner! Quite literally. The trees with their blossoms and buds tells us that life will not be stopped. The daffodils have broken through the soil and are singing the first song of spring. But just the first. There are more songs yet to be sung. Each flower, in its turn, joins the symphony of life that has been unleashed upon the world in this season. And as the chorus grows, the power of God’s life-giving Spirit grows increasingly loud. Can you hear it? … But we do not gather today because of a season of the year. We gather because we remember a day that forever changed history. A day in which Christ was risen, death was defeated, life won out, and you and I were invited into the banquet of eternal life.

As Jesus turns the corner on his journey to Jerusalem, he meets a blind man begging for help on the outskirts of Jericho. But is he begging, or is he seeking, and is there a difference? Is he blind, or is he one of the few that can see Jesus clearly? There is, no doubt, a deep irony at play in this encounter. How the blind beggar knows he can trust Jesus, we do not know. Why he trusts Jesus, we do not know. But that he has faith is plain to see in his insistence, and his shouting, and his passionate pursuit of Jesus. Jesus tells him that it is his faith that saves him. He is not, however, the only one changed by this encounter. The whole town ends up praising God, their faith in the Almighty renewed.

In these weeks leading up to Palm Sunday, I want to turn our attention to the Gospel of Luke as it leads us into Holy Week, specifically Luke 18. What is Jesus teaching during this time? Where is his heart set before entering the city of Jerusalem one last time? Today his heart is set on the children that are all around him. He welcomes them. He embraces them. And he even says that if we do not receive the Kingdom of God as a child does, we will not enter it. There is a lot to unpack in this short scene. Let’s get going!

Today we conclude our series on Philippians 4:8 which finishes with two words: Excellent and Praiseworthy. Today we dive headlong into what it means to do things with excellence. This is what Paul is calling us to - not to mediocrity or even to what is good but to that which is great, that which is excellent and praiseworthy. And though we may be praised for the excellence produced through us, our hearts must always return that praise to God, the giver of all good gifts, the one deserving all praise and glory and honor.

As we continue to think about our thought life, based upon Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 4:8, we tackle two today: whatever is lovely and whatever is commendable. If you were to stop someone on the street and ask them about the Bible, he or she might argue that what it promotes is either prudish or primitive and that it stifles fun or is just plain boring. But today’s advice, from Paul, is quite the opposite. Paul encourages us to think upon the beautiful things of life, that which is lovely, friendly, enjoyable, and just maybe even “fun.” This is something we could all use a little more of in our lives today. Let’s jump in!