11-10-2015

 Good Morning All!!

       2 Chronicles 35:3; “And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.”

    This is it; this is the last time that we know about the Ark of the Covenant.  The “he” is King Josiah, a king who tried to return Judah to a faithful existence.  He destroyed many idols and re-established the Passover and ordered the Ark to be put in the house that Solomon built (the Temple).  This would have been about 642 BC.  About forty years later Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem and raids the Temple.  Ten years later he comes back and finishes the job and destroys the Temple.  So what happened to the Ark?  There are many theories some fanciful (think Raiders of the Lost Ark) to borderline crazy (it’s in Ireland).  No matter your thought, biblically, we don’t know but it is gone.

    Which leads us to the question, what was behind the curtain in the Temple?  The curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy place which corresponds to our sanctuary.  So when the Temple curtain tore in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51) what happened?  What did it mean?

    Probably two things.  First, there was nothing separating man from coming to God.  The sacrifice of Jesus is perfect and completely sufficient to allow us to come directly to God in prayer, praise and worship.  Yet there is a second meaning here.  When the curtain tore and the people saw what was behind the curtain, it would probably have been an empty room.  The holiest place in their temple was an empty room.  All their sacrifices, all their tithing, all of their ceremonial washings were done to pay homage to an empty room.  It shows us that all the proper “churchy” actions can be very hollow if we are only going through the motions.

    To the people who think that going to church makes them a Christian or that speaking the language of the church makes them a Christian or that writing a check once in a while makes them a Christian; they are worshipping an empty room.  Doing the right thing does not make you a Christian.  Believing the right thing makes you a Christian.  Simply going through the motions leaves us hollow, leaves us with an empty room.

    Trusting in God’s promise of salvation given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus is what makes you a Christian.  Having Jesus change your heart so that your true desire is to serve him; that is what it means to worship Him in Spirit and truth.  The Word of God in the hearts of men changes lives!

Father of all mercy, lead me to real worship.  Lead me to leave the empty room of actions without faith.  Stir my heart to trust only in you.  Stir my heart to trust your Word as truth.  Guide me to proclaim your mercy to all.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret