Rev. Dustin ParkerThe Builder
Who is this King of Glory?
The One who Builds
2 Samuel 7:11-16
† IMMAN-YHWH †
As the Holy Spirits tabernacles among us, even as Christ came and dwelt among us, may we realize that God will build for us a house far more incredible than anything we could build for Him. A home of filled with the blessed gifts of love, peace, mercy, and Him!
It is Time to Build the Church!
(spend more time at the altar – before starting this one!)
My friends, it is time. We have come a long way to get to this point over the last forty years – and it is time.
It is time to build the sanctuary, the place of worship, the church here at Concordia.
Not in five years, or ten. Now.
Hear me again. It is time to build here… the place where God will meet His people, and they will meet Him - some for the very first time -
It is time to build the church. His church.
(pause)
A couple of things though,
I am not saying it is time to build a building out there on the corner. Nor am I saying it is our money, our sweat and our tears that will build this Sanctuary, this church that is our Lord’s.
None the less – it is time… to build His church…
If there is a lesson that we can learn from David and Nathan’s experience this morning, it is that the King of Glory is the master Builder…
David’s Lesson
When I was in Bible College, and even as a young pastor, David’s attitude resonated with me. It is hard to daily contemplate on what God has given us, to daily spend time in His word, and not wonder why you are so blessed.
There is a desire to do something great – to build God a kingdom that is worthy of His glory, a church that resounds with His praises. I can imagine it being even more…challenging for David. He looks out the window of His palace, a place that cost millions by today’s standards, and see’s the goat skin, ragged walls of the tabernacle. His outhouse is nicer than the tattered and patched curtains that make up the walls, in which the Holy place, and the Holy of Holy place contain the ark of the covenant.
Is it thanks that drives him to want something more.. glorious, more magnificent for the God whom David knows has given him all he has? Is that thanks tinged with some guilt – after all – God has given him so much, and he doesn’t honor God all that often.
David wants to build God a house – a temple – but the word used in Hebrew is specific to a palace, a temple – a place wherein the throne of the King was established. A place to reign and rule over all the King of Kings surveys. Something glorious – over the top even – a palace that leaves people in awe as much as the One who would sit on the throne. A place that loudly proclaims God’s glory as everyone passes by…
That is the kind of place David would build God….a yasab,– a place where God would be enthroned – even as God built for David.
Yet God already has a throne, God already has the place where His glory resounds 24/7/365. He already reigns and rules over all creation! There is nothing David could dream up, nothing that David could plan, nothing He could hire architects and raise funds for, that could even begin to compare with the glory of God’s throne in heaven
During Advent and Lent – we often end up with a guilt complex. We look at all God has done for us, in the incarnation, at the cross, in removing our sin, our shame and the fear of death, and we compare how little time we do that which He asks. We realize that we don’t spend time in prayer, or studying His word, His letter revealing Himself to us. we don’t love our neighbors, heck sometimes we don’t love our relatives! We don’t take good enough care of those who don’t have anything or enough. We spend to much time doing what pleases us, or protecting those things we’ve worked hard for.
As we realize He doesn’t care about those sins, that He died to free us from their burdens of guilt and shame…. My gosh, isn’t there something we can do for Him? A way we can show that He does rule and reign? Can’t we build Him something to return all He has given us?
What could be more of a testimony of our thanks and praise to God, than to finally build the church on the corner? A glorious, beautiful place.
Simple – to let Him build his dwelling place, His sanctuary here.. for unless He builds it, it is done in vain.
God’s preferred dwelling place
As God asks David through Nathan to slow down and stop, there is a message that doesn’t quite make it into English.
God doesn’t want a throne on earth, a palace to reign in – that’s not how He worked in the days of old! Look at the words He gives Nathan, and note how many times the words “people” and or “Israel” or a pronoun in their place is used. (8) How many?
He talks of His bringing them from Egypt, of moving with them, of those He appoints to care for them – of the place they will be established and built up. When God is talking about a dwelling place, he doesn’t use the same words David used, He doesn’t talk about palaces and thrones, of a majestic temple – and Solomon will get this – as He dedicates a house to prayer, noting that it is not a yasab made by human hands as a place where God’s reigns.
It’s about God tabernacling, a word we could translate as camping, a temporary residence on a journey home – that God is interested in – that’s what He is building. It is about His presence with His people! His dwelling with them whether it is in the capital of Israel, or in tents in the deserts of Sinai, or in the frozen mud of a Bethlehem stable, or here in Cerritos.
That iss what David overlooked – the purpose of the tabernacle – it was where God’s people were! It was at a place they could gather with Him, and realize His presence for them – there. In a time where they needed to get used to peace – they needed even more to know He wouldn’t change, He would sustain them. Because sometimes, when life gets easy… we forget He is there.
The memory of the Tabernacle – the fact that God is always there for them and is here now is what they needed to know – it is what we need to know!
He is here – dwelling with us as he has since Pr. Mazemke was seeing God gather His people here in the days when we met across the street. The peace we know here is because He is here, because He is providing for us, as He did at Sinai, and in the Wilderness, and in David’s time.
These walls – these paraments – these things – they are great – I love this facility, but because it serves a purpose – it is a place God meets us – His family, and feeds us and cares for us and pours out His mercy on us. You see, we don’t just get tent from the word tabernacle, we get something more precious – sanctuary…. The holy place, the ground where God meets and guards His people.
The house built forever..
Jack is its newest member here.. but so is Noah, and Noah and Nicki and Jonah and Oliver and Marilyn and Bob!
So sing of His steadfast Love, His faithfulness!
It is here that God builds a sanctuary that will last forever, here it is that He comes and builds His tabernacle – the place He gathers His people to!
We saw that in the joyous baby that last week answered “YES” to the questions that led to God cleansing Jack and marking and sealing Jack as one of God’s children. The same thing we have born witness to in Noah and Noah and Nate and Nicki and Oliver and Marilyn and Esther’s life.
I love the psalm that was assigned to this morning’s service – how appropriate! Here it from another translation:
1 Your love, GOD, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. 2 I'll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
Psalm 89:1-2 (MSG)
It is a challenge to realize that we cannot “pay back” or “honor” God enough. That we cannot build a sanctuary big enough, or beautiful enough, to render Him the honor and praise He deserves… for that is where He does dwell. Psalm 22;3
You are Holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel
Praises He hears, for He has built us into His sanctuary, His temple, His place wherein we are called and established and will dwell eternally in His peace. Praises the world hears, for as we realize how great His presence is, the peace and joy and love that surrounds us, we tell it to the world… and they respond, and His sanctuary grows.
So let God build His church, and may all to it, knowing that they will find His glory, His love, His mercy and peace….
Even as we have. AMEN?
The One who Builds
2 Samuel 7:11-16
† IMMAN-YHWH †
As the Holy Spirits tabernacles among us, even as Christ came and dwelt among us, may we realize that God will build for us a house far more incredible than anything we could build for Him. A home of filled with the blessed gifts of love, peace, mercy, and Him!
It is Time to Build the Church!
(spend more time at the altar – before starting this one!)
My friends, it is time. We have come a long way to get to this point over the last forty years – and it is time.
It is time to build the sanctuary, the place of worship, the church here at Concordia.
Not in five years, or ten. Now.
Hear me again. It is time to build here… the place where God will meet His people, and they will meet Him - some for the very first time -
It is time to build the church. His church.
(pause)
A couple of things though,
I am not saying it is time to build a building out there on the corner. Nor am I saying it is our money, our sweat and our tears that will build this Sanctuary, this church that is our Lord’s.
None the less – it is time… to build His church…
If there is a lesson that we can learn from David and Nathan’s experience this morning, it is that the King of Glory is the master Builder…
David’s Lesson
When I was in Bible College, and even as a young pastor, David’s attitude resonated with me. It is hard to daily contemplate on what God has given us, to daily spend time in His word, and not wonder why you are so blessed.
There is a desire to do something great – to build God a kingdom that is worthy of His glory, a church that resounds with His praises. I can imagine it being even more…challenging for David. He looks out the window of His palace, a place that cost millions by today’s standards, and see’s the goat skin, ragged walls of the tabernacle. His outhouse is nicer than the tattered and patched curtains that make up the walls, in which the Holy place, and the Holy of Holy place contain the ark of the covenant.
Is it thanks that drives him to want something more.. glorious, more magnificent for the God whom David knows has given him all he has? Is that thanks tinged with some guilt – after all – God has given him so much, and he doesn’t honor God all that often.
David wants to build God a house – a temple – but the word used in Hebrew is specific to a palace, a temple – a place wherein the throne of the King was established. A place to reign and rule over all the King of Kings surveys. Something glorious – over the top even – a palace that leaves people in awe as much as the One who would sit on the throne. A place that loudly proclaims God’s glory as everyone passes by…
That is the kind of place David would build God….a yasab,– a place where God would be enthroned – even as God built for David.
Yet God already has a throne, God already has the place where His glory resounds 24/7/365. He already reigns and rules over all creation! There is nothing David could dream up, nothing that David could plan, nothing He could hire architects and raise funds for, that could even begin to compare with the glory of God’s throne in heaven
During Advent and Lent – we often end up with a guilt complex. We look at all God has done for us, in the incarnation, at the cross, in removing our sin, our shame and the fear of death, and we compare how little time we do that which He asks. We realize that we don’t spend time in prayer, or studying His word, His letter revealing Himself to us. we don’t love our neighbors, heck sometimes we don’t love our relatives! We don’t take good enough care of those who don’t have anything or enough. We spend to much time doing what pleases us, or protecting those things we’ve worked hard for.
As we realize He doesn’t care about those sins, that He died to free us from their burdens of guilt and shame…. My gosh, isn’t there something we can do for Him? A way we can show that He does rule and reign? Can’t we build Him something to return all He has given us?
What could be more of a testimony of our thanks and praise to God, than to finally build the church on the corner? A glorious, beautiful place.
Simple – to let Him build his dwelling place, His sanctuary here.. for unless He builds it, it is done in vain.
God’s preferred dwelling place
As God asks David through Nathan to slow down and stop, there is a message that doesn’t quite make it into English.
God doesn’t want a throne on earth, a palace to reign in – that’s not how He worked in the days of old! Look at the words He gives Nathan, and note how many times the words “people” and or “Israel” or a pronoun in their place is used. (8) How many?
He talks of His bringing them from Egypt, of moving with them, of those He appoints to care for them – of the place they will be established and built up. When God is talking about a dwelling place, he doesn’t use the same words David used, He doesn’t talk about palaces and thrones, of a majestic temple – and Solomon will get this – as He dedicates a house to prayer, noting that it is not a yasab made by human hands as a place where God’s reigns.
It’s about God tabernacling, a word we could translate as camping, a temporary residence on a journey home – that God is interested in – that’s what He is building. It is about His presence with His people! His dwelling with them whether it is in the capital of Israel, or in tents in the deserts of Sinai, or in the frozen mud of a Bethlehem stable, or here in Cerritos.
That iss what David overlooked – the purpose of the tabernacle – it was where God’s people were! It was at a place they could gather with Him, and realize His presence for them – there. In a time where they needed to get used to peace – they needed even more to know He wouldn’t change, He would sustain them. Because sometimes, when life gets easy… we forget He is there.
The memory of the Tabernacle – the fact that God is always there for them and is here now is what they needed to know – it is what we need to know!
He is here – dwelling with us as he has since Pr. Mazemke was seeing God gather His people here in the days when we met across the street. The peace we know here is because He is here, because He is providing for us, as He did at Sinai, and in the Wilderness, and in David’s time.
These walls – these paraments – these things – they are great – I love this facility, but because it serves a purpose – it is a place God meets us – His family, and feeds us and cares for us and pours out His mercy on us. You see, we don’t just get tent from the word tabernacle, we get something more precious – sanctuary…. The holy place, the ground where God meets and guards His people.
The house built forever..
Jack is its newest member here.. but so is Noah, and Noah and Nicki and Jonah and Oliver and Marilyn and Bob!
So sing of His steadfast Love, His faithfulness!
It is here that God builds a sanctuary that will last forever, here it is that He comes and builds His tabernacle – the place He gathers His people to!
We saw that in the joyous baby that last week answered “YES” to the questions that led to God cleansing Jack and marking and sealing Jack as one of God’s children. The same thing we have born witness to in Noah and Noah and Nate and Nicki and Oliver and Marilyn and Esther’s life.
I love the psalm that was assigned to this morning’s service – how appropriate! Here it from another translation:
1 Your love, GOD, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. 2 I'll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
Psalm 89:1-2 (MSG)
It is a challenge to realize that we cannot “pay back” or “honor” God enough. That we cannot build a sanctuary big enough, or beautiful enough, to render Him the honor and praise He deserves… for that is where He does dwell. Psalm 22;3
You are Holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel
Praises He hears, for He has built us into His sanctuary, His temple, His place wherein we are called and established and will dwell eternally in His peace. Praises the world hears, for as we realize how great His presence is, the peace and joy and love that surrounds us, we tell it to the world… and they respond, and His sanctuary grows.
So let God build His church, and may all to it, knowing that they will find His glory, His love, His mercy and peace….
Even as we have. AMEN?
