4 Month Theme: Immerse - yourself into the spiritual realm of life and grow!
Show Handout and highlight:
This series is designed to encourage you to grow in your spiritual dimension of life. We should be as Christians viewing things from the realm of the spirit. This realm is very different than the lens you look through in your normal everyday life. We have a handout called “Immerse” which gives you suggested readings, suggested music to listen too (Great Albums - I listened to them this week), suggested Scriptures to read and questions to answer and ponder on various topics related to our series “Dive In.” We have included in this handout a month long reading plan of Scripture verses which we encourage you to read before the next message. We are gently nudging you to answer the questions each week before the next message. We have given you these recommended readings and listening material to help you better understand and apply the content of the message. We have also included a - outline and some outline notes on U-verse for you to follow along with during the message.
Series 1: Dive In
Thesis: Our new series for the church is “Dive in!” I feel the Lord is challenging us as a church to dive in deeper into the spiritual dimension of our life. We need to go deeper in our relationship with Jesus. We need to go deeper in our commitment level for the Kingdom of Heaven. We live in a world which has two views or two perspectives. One is spiritual the other is fleshly. One is a Biblical world view the other a secular world view of things.
Application: So our point with the theme “Diving In” is to compel you to leave this one dimensional world and dive into another world which is rooted in the spiritual dimension of life. Yes, it’s there and it surrounds you everyday - you just may not see it because you are not looking for it- but if you choose to dive in – to immerse yourself in it just like divers do in the ocean then it will appear. Why “Dive In”? Because you will see a whole new world filled with: unusual life, color, amazement, beauty and things you are not use to seeing in this normal everyday world we live in. So come along with us as we dedicate ourselves to spiritual growth for the next 4 months. Dive in with us as we seek to see things in the spiritual world we have never seen before!
It’s an open invitation from us and the Lord -- Are you willing to make this covenant with Jesus – are you willing to make this commitment – are you willing to dedicate yourself to this spiritual task? Are you willing to take the plunge, to go all in, to take a risk, to take that leap of faith?
T.S. - Divers are dedicated to their sport, they train and get certified to dive, then they have to actually jump into the water world – it’s a total commitment you cannot keep half of your body in and half out if you really want to see and experience the sea world. You have to go in and go down deeper into the water and then this amazing world opens up before your eyes.
Sermon 1: Dedicate
Thesis: As Christians we should have dedicated our life to the Lord Jesus. To dedicate ourselves means to give ourselves 100 percent to the Lord and to the work of the Kingdom of Heaven. To be dedicated means you are all in to that which you have committed too. To dedicate ourselves means we are willing to open our hearts up and to allow the Holy Spirit to come dwell in our hearts like God dwelled in the Temple of Solomon.
Introduction:
As a staff we felt it was important to start this spiritual growth journey off with a commitment to the Lord. It’s the idea of dedicating our ministries, our lives and our gifts for God’s use in the Kingdom of Heaven. We recognize that we can do nothing without the help and the anointing of the Lord. He is the one that opens up the spiritual world to us. We must have His intervention in this whole process –of diving in- we must have His presence showing up to teach us and guide us through this wonderful world.
Dedicate means to devote your time and your effort to a particular task or purpose. For us over the next 4 months it will be to go deeper in our spiritual knowledge of God, to go deeper in our relationship with God, to go deeper with our spiritual gifts and to explore the world of the spirit. To see things we have never seen before and to experience things we never experienced before.
History reveals many people who have dedicated themselves to many different causes:
Atheism: Voltaire the famous atheist was dedicated to promoting atheism in his day.
Chuck Smith from his radio program “The Word for Today” shared the story of Voltaire’s death and his nurse response to his death – she said, “He died screaming more light, more light.” The Nurse said she would never assist a person who was an atheist in his death again because it was so horrible to watch him slip into eternal torment.
Removal of Bible reading from School:
Madalyn Murray O'Hair (April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American atheist activist. She was the founder of the organization American Atheists and served as its president from 1963 to 1986. One of her sons, Jon Garth Murray, was the president of the organization from 1986 to 1995, while she remained de facto president during these nine years. She is best known for the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending official Bible-reading in American public schools in 1963. This came one year after the Supreme Court prohibited officially sponsored prayer in schools in Engel v. Vitale. O'Hair later founded American Atheists and became so controversial that in 1964 Life magazine referred to her as "the most hated woman in America" In 1995 she was kidnapped, murdered, and her body mutilated, along with her son Jon Murray and granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair, by former American Atheist office manager David Roland Waters. Her other son is a minister today promoting the importance of knowing God’s Word.
The legalization of Abortion:
In 1969, a pregnant 21-year-old woman, named Norma McCorvey, using the infamous pseudonym “Jane Roe,” was part of the Supreme Court case that would have forced the state of Texas to allow her to get an abortion. When Jane Roe was interviewed by the New York Times in 1994, she continued to be a pro-choice advocate who had worked in clinics and whose partner of several decades was Connie Gonzalez, an “immigrant worker,” But Jane Roe has changed. Not two years after that New York Times interview (which followed the publication of her first book), McCorvey announced her conversion to Christianity, saying that her relationship with Gonzalez had actually been platonic for several years, and that she was no longer pro-choice but pro-life.
People throughout history have dedicated themselves to various causes – they have made a commitment and devoted their effort, their money, their resources, their energy, and their time to causes that capture their heart. But sadly for many they have discovered that it was for the wrong cause. For some of them they have discovered it was a meaningless devotion or dedication which had no eternal value. The apostle Paul – the great apostle of the Bible - discovered that he was devoting and dedicating his life to the wrong cause “The persecution of the Christian Church” he discovered was actually fighting against the Lord who he thought he was representing. When Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road his eyes were open and he saw another world. He then switched sides.
When we speak of dedicating something the most famous dedication in the Bible is when Solomon dedicates the Temple to God.
We find this story and historical point in time in 2 Chronicles 6-7:
2 Chronicles 6
1Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;
2I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”
3While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.
4Then he said: “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said,
5‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be the leader over my people Israel.
6But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’
7“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
8But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart.
9Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’
10“The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
11There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel.”
12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.
13Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
14He said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
15You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
16“Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.’
17And now, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.
18“But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
19Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.
20May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.
21Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
22“When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple,
23then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence.
24“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and confess your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple,
25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their fathers.
26“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,
27then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
28“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,
29and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of his afflictions and pains, and spreading out his hands toward this temple—
30then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of men),
31so that they will fear you and walk in your ways all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.
32“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple,
33then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
34“When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name,
35then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
36“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near;
37and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’;
38and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name;
39then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you.
40“Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
41 “Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness.
42 O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant.”
2 Chronicles 7
1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it.
3When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”
4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
5And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God.
6The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD’S musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
7Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.
8So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.
9On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more.
10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.
11When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace,
12the LORD appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
16I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
17“As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws,
18I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.’
19“But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them,
20then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
21And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
22People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”
Our text if you read it highlights or prompts the following questions.
Questions to ponder from the handout:
1. What does it mean to dedicate something to the Lord?
a. It means to give something to God for His use and for His purpose. It is committing this item to God! As they did this newly built temple!
i. Baby Dedications follow this line of thinking!
1. Christian families dedicate their children to God – they do this by following the example of Hannah who did it with Samuel in the OT. Abraham and Sarah did it with Isaac. Mary and Joseph even did it with Jesus!
2. So we dedicate our children to God to be used by Him and to be blessed by Him. So that his name may appear through the deeds of their lives. So that they bear the mark of His name.
2. You may be thinking: What are things you can dedicate to the Lord?
a. Your Life is the most important thing you can dedicate to the Lord.
b. Your heart and mind which for me is a daily exercise or spiritual discipline is another.
c. Your marriage
d. Your finances
e. Your precious time
f. Your church – now there is a thought!
g. Your school or even education
h. Your country – reference Uganda in the 2000. Fiji Islands did it also!
i. Your house
j. Your business
k. Your car or truck – I also think your boat!
l. Your children and family
m. A book you may have written or some other writing
n. A special game you play in
o. Other things – really just about anything can be dedicated to God?
i. Can you think of something you should dedicate to the Lord?
Outline of Sermon from our Scripture Text: The act of dedication.
I. The Temple of Solomon was dedicated as a place for God to dwell with His people and to bear His name (2 Chronicles 6:1-11)
a. The act of dedication by Solomon was all about asking God’s literal presence to live with His people. To them this would be a sign to all the other nations of the reality of who is the true God. It would show that He is the one leading and protecting His people the Israelites.
b. The idea of the Temple originated in the heart of David – Solomon’s father and it took many years for it to become a reality.
i. David gathered the material to build it most likely over 20 plus years.
ii. He wanted to build it but God said his son would build it not him.
iii. Solomon eventually built the temple-it took 7 years and over 30,000 workers – it became one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.
iv. This scripture text is where it is finally completed and is dedicated to the Lord.
1. God promised it to David but it took time for it to come to pass – but God kept His word.
c. The city of Jerusalem was the chosen city by God for this house of His – His literal dwelling place on earth – a place that would bear His name – Jerusalem became a central city of the world because of this place. That is why it is still a hot spot in the world today because this is the chosen city of God according to Scripture – it was the only place on the earth that God allowed a man to build a temple to house His presence.
i. It says in our text that His eyes and His heart are always on and in the Temple.
1. It was near and dear to God’s heart!
2. Note: Solomon knew God could not be contained in the Temple because Heaven could not contain the glory of God.
3. But it was a sign of love from David and Solomon and the Israelite people to God. God responded with love by coming down and dwelling with the Israelites in this temple in the Holy of Holies.
a. He dwelled their
4. It was sign of something greater to come when Jesus would come as God in the flesh to redeem and save the world through his sacrifice.
d. In the Temple within the Holy of Holies rested the Ark of the Covenant:
i. In the Ark was the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments written by God
1. The staff of Aaron
2. A jar of manna
3. First Torah Scroll written by Moses
ii. It represented the presence of God and had led the Israelites to many victories in battle.
iii. All the Israelites knew that the presence of God always brought power!
1. The Bible is clear where God’s presence shows up there is power, there is freedom, there is life, there is healing and always awe.
T.S. – Solomon worked 7 years to build the Temple that David his father wanted to build for God. It took a lot of money, time and effort. It took years of accumulating the material which David did and a lot of skilled craftsman to build. David and Solomon were committed – dedicated to this task! When it was completed Solomon wrote a prayer of dedication to God for the Temple!
II. Solomon’s prayer of Dedication: 2 Chronicles 6:12-42
a. It starts off giving honor, respect and reverence to God
i. No God like you!
ii. Your love is amazing!
iii. You are so steady and so consistent!
iv. You have been faithful!
b. Solomon takes a Reality Check in this moment of prayer.
i. He realizes how this is a crazy idea that God the Creator of the Universe could actually dwell with men in this temple!
ii. Why? Because to think that God the Creator of the world was willing to come and dwell in this Temple and in this city was unbelievable. But it would come to pass because God wanted to show His people how much He loved them.
c. Solomon acknowledges the sinful condition of the people!
i. He talks of sin
ii. He talks of the imminent – that they will all sin
iii. He prayers for forgiveness and restoration from God
iv. He prayers to God would teach them and help them to stay on track spiritually.
d. He recognizes the incredible ability of God to know people’s hearts.
i. The omni - dimension of God
1. He knows all things!
2. He is everywhere!
3. He is all powerful!
4. He sees all things!
ii. He tells how they all need to fear Him and to follow Him -- especially because they are asking Him to dwell with them in the Temple.
iii. This Temple would bear the name of God and therefore the people needed to respect that and honor that.
iv. If not Solomon expected God would do judge the people of Israel to get their attention.
e. Solomon asks God to hear this prayer of dedication.
i. He also prayers that God would accept their prayers
ii. Their sacrifices.
iii. It’s important in a prayer of dedication that you ask God to listen and respond to the heart of the people.
1. We need to ask for God’s intervention in our religious practices, ministries, in our sacrifices and with our prayers.
f. If we recap Solomon’s prayer of dedication it may challenge you to think about something you may want to dedicate to the Lord: Anything come to mind?
i. My challenge for you is to grow spiritually! Maybe the first step in this process of spiritual growth for you is to write a prayer of dedication to the Lord.
1. Is there something inside of you prompting you to give this item to the Lord?
ii. Remember you prayer of dedication should have these elements in it:
1. It should start with a holy respect and awe for God.
2. It should be written in the spirit of humility.
3. It should acknowledge God’s power and His omniscience.
4. It should admit we are all sinners.
5. It should state why the subject is being dedicated – the purpose – purpose should be to honor or represent the name of The Lord.
6. It should ask God to hear this prayer of dedication and then we should expect a response from the Lord.
T.S. – Today we are going to dedicate our ministries to the Lord for the next educational year. We feel it is imperative to give these endeavors for the Kingdom to God for His blessing and for His presence to be with them.
Dedication of Ministries of Christian Hills Church:
The Dedication of Christian Hills School.
These will come up one line on the slide at a time:
Call up teachers to dedicate the school year to God and to ask God’s presence to show up in the school.
Highlight school numbers 194 to date praying for 200.
Have Larry call up teachers by name.
Have congregation extend their hand to teachers and staff and pray.
Have them remain standing as we call up leaders from the other ministries of Christian Hills Church.
The Dedication of the other ministries of CHC:
Call up Thrive students and highlight Ekklesia kickoff tonight with Brian, Ashley and Vernon (call up). Highlight how many signed up for bus and took cards showing interest.
Call up Oasis leaders - Dan and Kelly
Call up Kid-tricity ministry which includes Awana’s.
Call up Moy for U-turn youth ministry
Call up Kathy and John for women and men’s ministry leaders.
Seniors Ministry Larry and Cherly Beadle
Life Groups and the various leaders and groups see the handout.
Highlight Music ministry and tech ministry which includes streaming of services – Beth, Scott, Terry
The Prayer Ministries of CHC which include Hearts A Blaze and that service which kicks off tonight at 5pm and goes to 6pm.
Prayer of Dedication:
Lord we recognize that you are the Creator of the universe and you are all powerful. We know Lord it is you who gives us wisdom and enables us with the ability to impact people’s lives. We need your wisdom Lord to use knowledge rightly and correctly so to make a difference for eternity and in the lives of the people represented in the ministries of Christian Hills Church. We know that we are all sinners saved by your grace. We know that you are a forgiving God who has chosen to pay the price for our sin through Jesus Christ. Lord please send your Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us as we seek to bring in your harvest. Enable us, empower us to do your will and to be on your agenda for our church and the ministries here before you this morning. Give our leaders, our teachers the wisdom they need to lead. Help them to honor your name in their respective ministries and be representatives who uplift your mighty name. Lord hear the prayers of each of us as we strive to do your work. Lord we work for the soul reason to bring you glory and praise and to uplift your mighty name. Lord may this school year and educational year bring spiritual growth to each of us. May our relationships with you go deeper and may our sensitivity to the spiritual realm increases in each of our ministries. May we see things spiritually we have never seen before. Lord come down and be with each leader as they lead this year. Let them feel your presence and hear you direction as they lead. Lord we want to Love you and love the people like we love ourselves. Help us to be the church you have called us to be. A place that is prayer focused, spirit empowered, worship driven, biblically relevant, multiethnic, mission minded all for the purpose of experiencing you on a daily basis. Lord hear our prayer!
Have everyone be seated:
T.S. – Let’s dive back into our Text from 2 Chronicles and specifically look at 7:1-10:
1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it.
3When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”
4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
5And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God.
6The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD’S musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
7Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.
8So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.
9On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more.
10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.
III. What happened after the dedication of the Temple? (2 Chronicles 7:1-10)
a. The presence of God came down --- in the form of fire, it consumed the sacrifices on the altar.
i. What does the fire represent:
1. Presence of God
a. Like in the burning bush with Moses!
2. Purity of God
a. This also happened when they dedicated the tabernacle back in Moses day.
b. Leviticus told them never to let the fire go out on the altar.
i. God started the fire on the altar and consumed their sacrifice to bring forgiveness for sin and purity to the people.
ii. But they were to keep the fire burning by keeping it clean and feed so it would not go out..
3. Power of God
a. The Israelites were led through the desert for 40 years by the pillar of fire at night and a cloud by day.
i. When it moved they moved!
b. We see the scenario with Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel at the altar were fire came down and consumed it to reveal to the people who had the power and who served the true God.
ii. The presence was so tangible people saw it and they could not stand in the presence of God.
1. Hear this people of God when God shows up and literally dwells somewhere you cannot stand in His presence.
a. Moses could not even look on God on Mt. Sinai he could only get a glimpse as he passed by the mountain.
iii. His Shekinah Glory filled the temple and hovered over the temple is another word for His glory.
1. The Shekinah in the New Testament is commonly equated to the presence or indwelling of the Spirit of the Lord (generally referred to as the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Christ) in the believer, drawing parallels to the presence of God in Solomon's Temple. In contradistinction with the Old Testament where the Holy of Holies signified the presence of God, from the New Testament onwards, it is the Holy Spirit that reminds us of God's abiding presence and he can and will live in you according to the teaching of Paul and Jesus. Furthermore, in the same manner that the Shekinah is linked to prophecy in Judaism, so it is in Christianity: For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.—2 Peter 1:21 ASV
2. Have you experienced the presence of the Lord? You can! He wants you to experience His presence!
b. What was the response of the people of God?
i. They knelt down before the presence of God.
1. They dropped to their knees with awe and reverence for God in their presence.
ii. They worshipped God
1. They did this with songs.
2. They did this with prayers of thanks to God.
3. They blew trumpets to God so all could hear them honoring Him.
4. They brought more offerings to the altars to give to God because His presence dwelled in the Temple.
a. It says the offerings overflowed the altar!
5. They were all standing or kneeling!
a. No one was sitting it sounds like to me-who could just sit in the presence of God?
6. They did this for 7 days then Solomon dismissed them to go home!
a. They went home with joy, excitement and glad hearts!
b. Why for the good things God had done!
c. His presence was with His people!
i. Thought: Jesus came so you and I can experience the presence of God not just in a place but actually in our heart – have you had that experience!
c. Then the Lord appears to Solomon to verify and respond to his prayer of dedication, to the fully built temple and to their actions of worship and reverence to Him. (7:11-22).
i. God lets him know his prayer is answered.
ii. God warns him of breaking covenant.
iii. God promised to prosper them and not harm them if they repent for sin.
iv. God promises them a hope and a future.
v. God promises to dwell with them!
1. For you and I as a Christian the Bible tells us He actually comes and lives in our hearts! If you repent of your sin and ask Him to be the Lord of your life!
a. How bad do you want to experience the presence of the Lord!
So we heard how they responded to God’s presence at the dedication of the Temple.
So we prayed as a staff and we feel we want to take a little time today to worship God (like they did), to give prayers of thanks to God, to sing Him worship songs of praise, to play instruments for Him, and yes even to give offerings to Him and His work: This offering could be financial maybe for a certain ministry of the church. If so there is a table down front that you can place an offering in. You could also drop it in one of the boxes by the exits. Or you could give online at www.christianhills.org. It could be you want to give God your heart and mind. It could be your life! You may want to come to the altar and bow before him or bow at your seats. You may want to stand and sing and raise your arms. What offering is God asking you to give to Him today?
My challenge for you is to engage in the presence of God in this moment of worship. The Bible reminds us in the New Testament that where two or more are gathered in the name of the Lord He is there.
Let’s worship the Lord together! Turn it over to Pastor Beth.
Closing:
Let’s take the spiritual challenge over the next 4 months and Dive In to a new world and see things we have never seen before!
