Sunday Service – 21-Sept-2014

I want to thank God for his sermon today, we focused on “Ark of the covenant”.  We dwelt in great detail about the spiritual significance of the Ark and the Covenant. Here are some of the points that I have covered:

SCRIPTURE PORTION:
Exod 25:10-22 “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”

1) Purpose of ark

• To hold the covenant of God
• To hold the scriptures of God
• To hold the Aaron’s rod
• To hold the manna
• It is the place where “Mercy Seat” is placed as the lid
• Place where God will be seated
• It is the place cherubim’s to kneel and bow with wings stretching and touching each other
• It should be carried where the God’s people go
• It is the place where God meets the people

2) Construction of Ark

• It is 2 ½ cubit length, 2 cubit width (3 3/4 feet x 2 1/4 feet)
• It should be made with acacia wood
• It should be overlaid with gold on it
• There should be four rings attached to the legs
• Two poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold to carry the ark
• There poles should not be taken out from the ark any time
• Your should put the ark of testimony in it
• Build a Mercy Seat to cover the ark it should be is 2 ½ cubit length, 2 cubit width (3 3/4 feet x 2 1/4 feet)
• Two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat
• They should be on each side and there wings stretched touching each other and they should be one piece
• Cherubim should be facing each other but bowing down

3) Spiritual Significance of the Ark

• It is a ark of testimony (Ex 25:22)
• It is Holy Ark
• It should be carried where ever the God’s people go
• It hold the covenant, which is the Word of God
• John 1:5 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
• John 1:14 – 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.
• Psalm 119:11 – I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
• Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Sunday Service 14-Sept-2014

God gave me oppurtunity to speak on the “THE VEIL” in the temple of God. Few weeks back we started the series on the “INSIDE THE TEMPLE OF GOD”. We were looking into all the elements inside the temple and its spiritual significance.

Scripture portion:

Exod 26:31-34 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, upon foursockets of silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy.”

This topic we will dwell in details about the VEIL.

• Construction of Veil
• What is the use of Veil
• Jesus and Veil

1) CONSTRUCTION OF VEIL:

• Veil should be made of blue and purple and scarlet material and with fine twisted linen
• It shall be made with cherubim
• It should be the work of a skillful workman.
• You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also being of gold, on four sockets of silver.
• You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil;
• and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies

2) PURPOSE OF VEIL:

• Veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies
• Separate the SIN and HOLINESS
• It was not the object of the Veil to give access to God; for it was that which prevented it.
• One should not go beyond the Veil unless your SINs are atoned for
• Only on the the day of atonement High Priest can enter and sprinkle the blood on the Veil and on the ark of the covenant
• The blood on the Veil changed the throne of God from a throne of judgment to a throne of grace.

3) GOD TEARS THE VEIL:

“Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). God tears  the VEIL with his hand and all the SINs of the world has been atonned for. Jesus paid it all and we don’t owe anything.

• Letting the Sinner reach God and letting anyone enter the Holy Place.
• We can see the Glory of God
• There is no mediator between the God and his people

4) JESUS AND THE VEIL:

• JESUS DEATH TEARS: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20)
• GOD WANTS JESUS TO DIED: Isaiah 53:10, “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand”
• Jesus Christ is our all-sufficient propitiation. It was His blood on the Mercy Seat that turned away the wrath of God, and opened the way into the presence of God for all men who will believe on Him
• RECONCILIATION: “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:21-22)