Well, good morning, brothers and sisters. It’s glorious, isn’t it? It’s going to be even more glorious tomorrow when the temperature drops another ten degrees.
Let’s begin with a word of prayer this morning.
Lord, we come before Your throne. Lord, we have to say thank You for this table that You’ve given to us, to come in remembrance of Thee, Lord—remembering that shed blood, that broken body on our behalf; Lord, Your laying down of Your life.
Lord, I pray that it will always be fresh in our hearts and never become a dull thing to us. And Lord, we come to Thee today. Lord, just on my heart, share this thought, and I pray, Lord, that You will grant that through the power of the Holy Spirit, I may be able to express something of Your heart and Your passion for what I have to share.
I ask Your blessing upon us, Lord, that You open our ears to hear and our eyes to see Your glory. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Normally, I don’t speak of a title for the message, but I have one this morning. It’s called “Something for Himself.”
Actually, let me share a little background to that. A number of months ago now, before the conference, I shared on God’s desire to dwell in the midst of His people. And I shared on Bethany, God’s place of rest.
I actually shared similar thoughts at the WCC, the West Coast Christian Conference, out there. And while I was gone, there was a sharing time here—the once-a-month sharing time. So, when I got back, I listened to that sharing time.
I was particularly touched by a testimony, and I want to paraphrase the thing that really touched my heart at that time. It’s a paraphrase, not exact words:
God is doing something for Himself.
God is doing something for Himself—something He greatly desires. It’s for Him, not for us, but it includes us. It’s for Him, not us, but it includes us. It’s for Him, but He includes us.
Actually, it encouraged my spirit on what I’d been sharing. I’m going to do something I’ve probably never done before, and that is to re-share a message from what I shared three months ago, but with a little different perspective.
So, you will hear some of what I shared before, but there will be some things new, and it will be from a little bit different perspective. It is on my heart that we would see the magnificent thing that God is doing for Himself, the glory that will be expressed from what God is doing for Himself, and how we are included in that—how God includes us in that out of His great love for us.
I desire that we might have a fresh appreciation of what God has shown us, for some of us, over forty years ago—something that sometimes you lose the preciousness of, just like this table. You can come and take this table, and after many times you may lose the preciousness of the table. We don’t want to do that.
So, we want to be reminded this morning. I pray the Lord will remind us of how precious this something is that He has on His heart for Himself, and that we might joyfully enter into this thing that He is doing and has included us in.
May our eyes be opened this morning. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Only the Holy Spirit can really bring that freshness and that life into what is shared. I pray that that might happen this morning.
Actually, God is very clear in His Word on what He is doing for Himself and how we’re involved in it. In Ephesians 3:11, He refers to His great work—this thing that He is doing for Himself—as His eternal purpose.
And in Ephesians 1:9, He shares that with us. He says that in the fullness of time, He is to sum up all things in Christ. All things will be summed up in Christ. It’s all about Christ, this thing that God is doing.
It is God’s great desire to express all the fullness that is in His Son, Jesus Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ, and God desires to express that.
God’s heart is so passionate for His Son. I said, “Lord, can You somehow touch that in my own heart—this passion You have for Your Son—that we might, too, enter into that passion that You have for Your Son?”
You know, when our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized—which foreshadowed His death on Calvary’s cross and His resurrection—the clouds just burst open. God could not hold back. He said, “This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It’s His heart. His Son Jesus is His heart—Christ.
Again, on the Mount of Transfiguration, you may remember that Moses was there, and they were talking with one another. Peter just burst out with this little fleshly thought. He said, “Hey, let’s make a tabernacle for all three here.”
Once again, God breaks through, and He says, “Wait a minute. This is My Son. Hear ye Him.” The focus was on His Son, Jesus Christ.
Again, at the last Passover, as our Lord was among the crowds—you know, when they were shouting, “Hosanna in the highest”—our Lord began to share with them that He was going to die and go to the cross of Calvary.
While He was there, He prayed to the Father. He said, “Father, glorify Thy name.” And once again, God breaks through heaven, and He says, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again,” speaking of His Son’s death on the cross.
So, we just need to be aware that everything God has created, everything that God has done, including you and me, has a purpose in it. And it is for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amazing—God’s passion for His Son.
God had a great purpose for man. Man was going to be a vessel, in some way, that He was going to use to express all the fullness of the Godhead, and to have a bride for His Son, a helpmate. It was a great purpose.
Man was created in the image of God and after His likeness for this very purpose—the only part of the creation in the image and likeness of God Himself.
We know that when He thought of man, He had something in mind. When He thought of man and humanity that He was going to create, brothers and sisters, He had a pattern already there. That pattern was the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ was going to come on this earth as a perfect Man, perfect humanity. And that was His pattern for man. That’s why it says we were made after His image and in His likeness: Christ.
Can you see where God is headed in creating you and me? Something marvelous, something for Himself.
But unfortunately, we know the story. We know that Satan had rebelled and had come and had basically almost destroyed this earth. But in Genesis, we see this renewal that goes about, and in that renewal, He takes the dust of the earth and creates the man that He is after.
But we know, unfortunately, Adam fell in the garden under the guile of the enemy, Satan. Adam fell. Adam sinned.
But brothers and sisters, something happened when Adam sinned that affected all of God’s creation—all of the universe. All that God was after was affected by this one act of disobedience. It was more than an act. It actually changed the nature of Adam.
Adam was now a sinner, and all who would follow him, including you and I, are born in sin. We are sinners at birth. We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin, first of all, because we’re born that way. We’re born sinners.
We’re self-centered. We are selfish. If you don’t believe that, look at your little children. Now, we’re no different than our children; we just know how to cover it up a little better. Maybe sometimes we don’t know how to cover it up. But basically, we realize that that’s what we have become.
Not only was there great damage done in mankind, but all of creation came under that and was affected by it. Now there was death in creation. Death had entered in.
It says that all of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, that it might be released from this death. And we know that God, praise the Lord, had a Lamb already prepared for man’s sin to undo what man did in his disobedience.
That is the Lamb of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He already had that in His plan—to redeem man, to redeem this earth.
And in judgment, He does it. You know, in the last day, it says there will be a fire. The judgment will come, and then we will have a new heaven and a new earth.
Also, we know that the Lord Jesus Christ took your and my judgment upon Him at Calvary’s cross. God judged us at Calvary in His Son, Jesus Christ. He took our place in judgment, and God’s wrath fell upon Him.
Therefore, we, by believing and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior, are set free from the wrath of God, from the judgment. Thank the Lord.
Judgment has cleared up everything and has made available eternal life to us. Now, the earth will be redeemed, and so will mankind.
In fact, it says in Romans 8:29, whom He foreknew—speaking of you and me who are sitting here today—He has ordained to be conformed to the image of His Son. In other words, He is going to bring us into what He had planned in the beginning.
He is doing something marvelous for Himself, and He’s including us in that. But He had to redeem us, and He had to conform us into that image of Christ.
Now, in saying that, I’m not talking about conforming us to His deity. We never will—we’ll never become God in that sense. But His perfect humanity—that is what we’re coming into: the perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The great work that He is doing for Himself is to manifest all the glory that is in His Son, Jesus Christ. That is what pleases Him. That’s what pleased Him at the baptism: “This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Now, how are we involved in all of this—God having something for Himself? Because God needed a vessel, not only to contain the fullness of Christ, but to be able to express it. Not only to contain it, but to be able to express it.
In Ephesians 1:22, we find God’s provision and how He meets this need. Speaking of Christ, He says:
God has put all things under His feet,
and has given Him to be head over all things to the church,
which is His body,
the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.
Now, a lot of times our conception of the church is that it is just an organization. It’s just meetings. That is absolutely not true.
Brothers and sisters, this is to be the vessel to contain the fullness of Him—speaking of Christ—who fills all in all. Now, that is quite a purpose that God has for His church.
Now, in Revelation 21, we see the completed and perfect vessel, the church. It has come into its maturity. And what do you see? Well, let me read what we see.
This is the vessel God needed:
I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
This is eternity future, brothers and sisters. The holy city—that is the vessel God is after. That is something that is going to please Him. It’s for Him.
As you read through this city, you begin to realize that it is a full expression of Jesus Christ.
What you see first, it says, is the holy city adorned as a bride for the Son. This speaks of the church, of which you and I are a part, being in complete union with Christ.
Complete union of life—eternal life. He has given you eternal life. It is His life, and that is union life. That’s the only life that can be in union with our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is union in life, union in purpose, union of will, and union of heart. It’s a complete union—total harmony between the church and our Lord Jesus Christ; total harmony between all the members of the church. Amazing.
Complete union, and praise the Lord, His life and no self-life. What an amazing thing that we see here in this bride.
Not only that, but we see what God has longed for. He has longed for this bride for His Son. But you know, I was taken back a little bit in verse 3.
As the city is coming down out of heaven, we see an announcement made. Now, an announcement is made in order to get your attention. He is gaining the attention of all heaven and earth here.
It is similar to some of these events where dignitaries are invited, and when they begin to enter the room, they announce the name of the dignitary. They make this great announcement.
Well, here we see an announcement in heaven made. As the city is coming down, there is a great declaration made. It kind of indicates how important this is to God Himself.
He has an announcement made by a strong angel:
The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.
That’s the announcement. God didn’t want anybody to miss this announcement: “The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.”
I hope you get a sense—this is the hard part—for you to get a real sense of how important this is to God, how much pleasure this brings to God, to be able to make this announcement.
This thing that He had in mind from eternity past has now come to pass in time. He shares His excitement, and He says, “I don’t want anybody to miss this.”
So He brings our attention through this announcement to this city. He says of this city, “The tabernacle of God is with men.” A tabernacle is a place of dwelling, brothers and sisters.
He says, “This is where I will dwell in the midst of men.” All through eternity future, God will have His dwelling place—this great tabernacle, which the church is to become. This is what pleases Him.
This city is perfectly suited for a dwelling place for God. You know, God ain’t just going to dwell anywhere. He has to have a suitable place.
Now, I know when I go places, I like to have a suitable place to sleep at night. A lot of you people love to camp, but I tell you, a tent is not suitable for me. It just isn’t.
When I was twelve years old, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. But now I have to say, when I go somewhere, I want lights, electricity, refrigeration, air conditioning, and a comfortable bed.
A perfectly suitable dwelling place for God. And why? Why is this so suitable? Because, brothers and sisters, in this dwelling place everything speaks of Christ.
The foundation of this city is garnished with stones. They are precious stones. They show forth the beauty of Christ.
The gates of the city—you might remember those twelve gates—they are made of pearl, one singular pearl on each gate. Pearl speaks of the beauty of Christ that has come out of His sufferings at Calvary’s cross.
Can you think of anything that is more beautiful than to look at our Lord Jesus Christ and see those scars in His hands and the wound in His side? Brothers and sisters, that’s beauty. That shows forth the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The light of the city—it says very plainly—is Christ. He is the light.
The river of life is for the thirsty. A man cannot live without water very long. It provides life to the whole city, to the whole creation, to the whole whatever is out there in the new eternity. It’s the water of life. It is Christ.
There is a tree of life for sustenance. The tree of life—Christ is the tree of life. It says there are twelve fruits. My wife will love that; she’s a fruit lover.
I think most of my brothers and sisters that are Chinese are really into fruit—at least that’s been my experience. Unfortunately, Americans are into red meat. But fruit—twelve fruits. It says, “for the healing of the nations.” Amazing. I don’t understand that totally, but it’s there in the Word. It’s Christ.
The living stones, brothers and sisters—you and I—the living stones have been built together into this magnificent city. It is the church in all of its fullness and glory. It’s for Him, and we’re included. Praise the Lord.
In Ephesians 2:20-22, it says:
Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner stone;
in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord;
in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
You know, God is serious about this tabernacle, this habitation, His church. The Word of God says, “Him who destroys My house, him will I destroy.” He is very serious about His habitation, His house.
In Revelation 22:3, it says that the throne of God and the Lamb are in the midst. That’s Their dwelling. Thank the Lord, He has the place He has desired all His life.
Brothers and sisters, only the Holy Spirit can do this. But what is on my heart this morning is that we can get a taste of God’s passion for something for Himself—something that He is after; a passion for this tabernacle that He is after, for this temple that He is after, for the church that He is after.
In so getting a taste, we will not be satisfied until God is satisfied. In our hearts, we will become committed to what God is committed to, to what Christ is committed to.
You know, in John 2:17, the Lord Jesus says:
The zeal for My Father’s house consumes Me.
That is the passion of our Lord Jesus for this house. And not only that, but Ephesians 5:25 is very clear. It says:
Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it.
Now, thank the Lord, Christ loved us and gave Himself for each one of us. But here it says He loved the church.
Do you see where your real value comes in? In satisfying the Lord.
How much we need that personal union life and expression with our Lord Jesus Christ. Out of that union life, the stone begins to be shaped and purified and polished into what God is after.
But its real value is when it is fitted in with the other stones to become the house of God.
Now, Christ is committed—fully committed, even to the giving of His life—for God to have what satisfies Him.
My question for myself, for you and me, is: Are we committed to what God is committed to, to what Christ has committed to? Is it an active, living part of our life?
I’d like just to take a moment to reconsider God’s desire for a dwelling place. That’s what I shared on before. I’d like to share a Scripture once again in view of God having something for Himself: Exodus 25:2, and then verses 8 and 9.
The Lord is speaking to Moses. He says:
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering:
of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering.
Then verses 8 and 9:
And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
You see, on His heart: a tabernacle. When they left Egypt, brothers and sisters, they went to Mount Sinai. That’s the first place they really encamped for a while.
We know that Moses went up on the mountain and he spoke with God. We know about how he came down and the people were in rebellion, and God dealt with that through judgment.
After all of that, He shares His heart through Moses to the people: “I want you to willingly bring an offering, that you might build a tabernacle, that I might dwell in the midst of you.”
“I need a suitable place to dwell in your midst. I need the tabernacle, a sanctuary where I can dwell and be satisfied to dwell in your midst.”
Now, let me ask you something. When Moses went up on the mountain, what did he receive? What did God give him?
He gave him the Ten Commandments, didn’t He? I think that’s the answer most people give. I’ve already hinted enough for you to know there’s another answer.
But He did. He gave him the Ten Commandments. But have you ever wondered why it took forty days to get those Ten Commandments? That’s four days per commandment. Was He just really trying to emphasize every commandment with Moses?
Well, brothers and sisters, in those forty days Moses had a tremendous task before him. I don’t know whether God just recorded it all in Moses’ mind and heart, or whether he did it on some kind of parchment.
But in those forty days, God gave Moses the exact pattern for this tabernacle He wanted to make. Everything had to be exact.
He gave very specific details, didn’t He? As you read, everything was specific. Even the measurements of the ark, for instance—everything was specific: all the measurements, the colors of things, the way they were to be built, the materials they were to be built of.
It all had to be specific. Moses was not allowed any liberty to build it any other way.
In other words, God didn’t just say, “I have this concept in My mind, Moses. It’s this tabernacle where I’m going to dwell, and I want it to be something that I’ll be pleased with. Now, Moses, I want you to come up with it and figure it out.”
No. I mean, that’s what we use architects for, right? We go to them, we give them our concepts, and they start drawing things. Then it comes out and we look at it, and we either say, “Yeah, that’s good.”
Well, God didn’t do that. When it came to the tabernacle, every dimension, every color, every utensil was made of a certain material, and it had to be exactly as God made it.
In fact, in Exodus 25:9, it says:
According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
In Hebrews 8:5, it is very clear. It says Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle:
See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount.
That’s verification that Moses received the pattern up on those forty days on the mount. Everything had to be exact—no deviations, no artistic liberty was given. That’s why it took forty days.
Brothers and sisters, we know Moses recorded those first five books of the Bible. Forty-six chapters are devoted to the tabernacle, the instruments in the tabernacle, the furnishings, the priestly clothing, the service in the temple, and all the feasts associated with the tabernacle.
Thirteen chapters are in the book of Exodus, eighteen chapters in the book of Leviticus, thirteen in the book of Numbers, and two in the book of Deuteronomy.
Everything spoke of Christ. Let me give you a few examples. I’m going to have to move along.
The ark itself—we all, most of us here, know that the ark represents Christ Himself, the very person of Christ. It was made of acacia wood, or shittim wood, which is in the acacia family.
They say they call this ironwood. It’s almost indestructible. It represents the perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It was overlaid with gold. Gold speaks in the Bible of the nature of God. So, we have this gold overlaying wood. In other words, we have the Son of God and the Son of Man represented here—Christ in His deity as well as His perfect humanity.
The dimensions of the ark were two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. Two and a half cubits is five units. One and a half cubits is three units. Five in the Word of God represents grace; three represents Trinity.
So, what do you have? We see the grace of God—the grace of God expressed in this ark. He is full of grace and truth. We see Christ.
What’s inside the ark? Stone tablets—the Ten Commandments, God’s measurement, God’s standard. Well, brothers and sisters, we know today that God’s standard is Jesus Christ Himself. That is the standard. What a standard. But it speaks of Christ.
There is a pot of manna, and that’s pretty clear. It was the manna given in the desert, the bread of life, which we have been sharing on out of the book of John. He is the bread of life, isn’t He?
Aaron’s rod that budded was put in there, and that speaks of resurrection life—life out of death. Surely that speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ. He even said, “I am the resurrection, and the life.”
The mercy seat—praise the Lord, there is a mercy seat there. If Christ is our standard, we certainly need the mercy seat.
The mercy seat was a plate of solid gold setting on top of the ark. It was beaten gold, speaking of the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. It speaks of mercy—mercy to man, God’s mercy to man in Jesus Christ.
The cherubim were also beaten gold. They were mounted one on each side, each end of the mercy seat. Actually, I am told—and I’m not sure—they weren’t two separate items stuck on. They were all beaten out as one work.
It’s amazing how they were able to do that. God is all I can say. But anyway, the cherubim—we know they are guardians of holiness. Who is holy but Christ? Who is holy but Christ?
The veil between the Holy of Holies—men couldn’t enter through it, only the high priest once a year. Brothers and sisters, Hebrews 10:20 makes it very clear what that veil represents.
It says:
We have come in by a new and living way through the veil of Christ, which is His flesh.
It represents the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ—that flesh that was ripped and torn at Calvary, that we might enter in. We now have access to the Holy of Holies, to God Himself, to the Father, because of the rent body of our Lord Jesus Christ—His flesh.
We know it was made of linen. Linen speaks of righteousness. Christ is God’s righteousness. Christ is our righteousness. It is that imputed righteousness.
Why can you come before God and stand before God today? Because when He looks at you and me, He doesn’t see us in the flesh. He sees us in Christ, and Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us.
That’s an amazing thing, brothers and sisters. We’ve learned it as doctrine for so many years, we probably don’t appreciate what it means to have Christ’s righteousness. But it is an amazing thing. You see, we see the righteousness of Christ.
There is a golden lampstand, and we know what the golden lampstand represents: the church, which comes out of Calvary’s cross, the work of the cross, and Pentecost. It’s Christ. That whole thing is Christ. The light on the candlestick, of course, is Christ—the light of life.
The altar of incense—there are prayers. But brothers and sisters, the prayers that count for God are the prayers of the High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The brazen altar outside, in the outer court where all the sacrifices were made—that’s very obvious. Brass stands for judgment. It is through this judgment on our Lord Jesus Christ that we have been saved.
The brazen altar speaks of Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. The golden laver, the water in it—they had to wash, but it was made of brass. It speaks that judgment clarifies everything. Judgment ends everything that isn’t Christ.
The anointing oil was put on everything in the tabernacle. It is the Holy Spirit. I’ve got to move along.
The materials in the tabernacle: gold speaks of deity and the nature of God; silver, the atonement; brass, judgment; wood, the humanity of Christ; fine linen, the righteousness of Christ.
The colors were: blue means heavenly; purple, royalty; scarlet, the blood of Christ.
The boards that the tabernacle was made out of were all joined together by rods. They were unified together by these rods. It is interesting about these boards. It is, of course, wood—it’s humanity, it’s us.
But they were ten cubits long. Ten speaks of responsibility. We have a responsibility before God.
Garments for the priests, the sin offering, the burnt offering, the Passover, the unleavened bread, the Feast of Tabernacles—all speak of Christ.
Do you see the immensity of Christ in God’s heart? Just Christ. That’s why the tabernacle so suited God. That’s where He wanted to dwell in the midst of His people. It was Christ. Oh, Christ.
In fact, in Numbers 9:15-16, the tent is called the tent of testimony. That’s why it is called the tent of testimony: it was a testimony of Christ Himself. That’s where God desired to dwell.
I think it’s interesting, as we read in Exodus 25:2, that God wanted everyone to participate. I mentioned that He has something in mind for Himself, but He includes us.
He wanted everybody to participate. He wanted everybody to make an offering. But He would only accept the offering if it was from a willing heart.
He did not want anything in the tabernacle—any materials, anything that was done—to be from an unwilling heart. Everything about that tabernacle had to come out of an offering of a willing heart.
In other words, brothers and sisters, a willing heart is what God is seeking from us—a willing heart to satisfy Him, to please Him, that He might have a place to dwell in the midst of His people.
Then we know from Numbers 9:15 that on the day it was erected, the cloud covered the tabernacle. By day it was a cloud, and at night it had the appearance of fire. It was Christ’s presence. It was God’s presence in the midst of His people.
We go on to the temple. Boy, I’m running out of time. Remember David. Let’s get right on to David and the temple.
David had in his heart to build a temple. Brothers and sisters, when he finally became king, the first thing he did was to take Jerusalem.
Once he took Jerusalem, he built a tent for the ark, and then he went and got the ark. We know that story. But the point is, that was on David’s heart: to build a temple.
Now, the tabernacle represents the church on earth, but the temple represents the heavenly one—the heavenly temple, the permanent temple.
The temple was going to be even more glorious. It was still Christ. How could it be more glorious? But it was. Do you see? The vision has expanded now. It has gone from a tabernacle to a temple, a permanent place.
David had such a heart for the Lord. We know that. He’s the one that wrote that twenty-third Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd.”
Psalm 132:4-5—David’s heart was:
I will not give sleep to mine eyes,
or slumber to mine eyelids,
until I find out a place for the Lord,
a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
And in verse 14, we have the Lord’s response:
This is My rest for ever:
here will I dwell;
for I have desired it.
The Lord’s desire. You see why David was called a man after God’s own heart. Pretty obvious.
God had something that He was doing for Himself, and David saw it. David responded. David saw that all the materials were collected for the building of the temple.
We know that Solomon, his son, was the one who actually saw through the building of the temple, but David made all the preparations.
Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cross to collect all the materials. The Holy Spirit is building that temple today.
He’s doing something for Himself, and He wants us to be a part of it. I’m going to stop here, John. A willing part—remember that.
God is doing something for Himself, but He includes us. But for us to be included, He desires a willing heart, a willing offering.
Here’s the bottom line: if we want God to have what He is after, we have got to be a freewill offering. We—me, you and I—we have to be the freewill offering.
I think we find a lot of times we have other thoughts in mind for our life. The Lord understands that. But He’s doing something for Himself, and amazingly, He wants to include us.
He could have done it all without us, except He needed some living stones—which we’ll get into next time—to have what He really wanted: humanity after the pattern of Christ, to become the living stones of which He would build the permanent house for God, the spiritual house for God.
Often, we talk of the church as being the spiritual house. It is. But somehow we relegate that to something mystical that all of a sudden is going to appear in Revelation 21, coming down out of heaven.
No, it’s being worked out today on earth with a freewill offering of living stones.
Well, let’s just end there for today, and we will continue next time.
Lord, I just thank You, Lord Jesus, that You’re making us a part of this great thing You’re doing.
Lord Jesus, You have this something for Yourself that You’re doing. Please Your Son—a place for You, a bride for Your Son. Lord, it’s amazing, the great purpose that You’ve given for the church.
Lord, I pray that we can just get a glimpse of how exciting this is to You, how thrilling this is to You, how precious this is to You, how much it is a part of Your heart to have this—how You desire to dwell among men in a suitable place for Thyself.
Lord, we ask that You really bless. We want, Lord, to be revived in what we’ve seen, the revelation that You’ve given to us. We want to see that revelation expanded into its fullness.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.