What is God's cosmic mission, and what part do his people play in it? Like soldiers on the battlefield, Christians must comprehend their commander's intent. Our mission is to fill the earth with God's glory until the entire earth becomes a resting place for God. In this series, we're returning to the garden to re-discover God's deepest longing for his people.
God's Plan All Along
Speakers
Tonderai Bassoppo-Moyo
Associate Pastor
Notes
First Time Guest? Let us know!
Eden = Kingdom
In a Kingdom: King, territory, and ownership
In Eden: Gardener, garden, and ownership
Eden is a representation of God’s Kingdom on earth
THE HISTORY OF EXPANSION
Sin came in around Eden as Adam failed to be faithful.
Man lost the ability to understand Eden and, subsequently, the ability to carry out the mandate.
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:8-9 (KJV)
The Tabernacle was there to teach the people how God was to be approached.
Sin came in around the Tabernacle as the Israelites failed to be faithful.
“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.”
2 Chronicles 6:32-33 (NLT)
The Temple was there to expand access to God.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:
“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestorsfor ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
“‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 7:1-11 (NIV)
When the focus shifts to the gifts or tools the Creator gives us, we sever our connection to experience Eden - like falling in love with a garden tool.
THE CASE FOR CHRIST
If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.
Hebrews 8:7 (NLT)
“However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’
Acts 7:48-50 (NIV)
Jesus is the fulfillment and fullness of the Tabernacle approach and Temple expansion.
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Mark 11:11-24 (NIV)
Christ proved the old systems of the Temple were not producing fruit.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NIV)
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 (ESV)
“Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:31-36; 44 (NIV)
Kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our God.
He is coming to wipe out other Kingdoms physically, but also the kingdoms in our hearts.
God is a God who takes up territory.
That we might be housed in Jesus Christ - living in Him, moving in Him, and having our being in Him: for He is the way, the truth, and the life.
The Tabernacle was symbolic, corresponding to Christ as entrance to God…
THE WAY - entry into the courtyard
THE TRUTH - entry into the Holy Place
THE LIFE - entry into the Most Holy Place
Jesus fulfills all Temple functions.
OUR RESPONSE
Now that I have Jesus in my life and heart, how do I continue to fill the earth?
1 - Repent
Adam failed: at being faithful
The Israelites failed: at being faithful
Israel failed: at being faithful
We are gonna fail: at being faithful
Where we can succeed: living in repentance
Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 3:2 (AMP)
2 - Worship
Worship is Kingship expressed.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27 (BSB)
Religion = Thresia - reverence or worship
3 - Wage War
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
How do I access this new temple?
Boldly approach the throne
Come in the name of Jesus - because of Hebrews 9.