Some Assembly Required

Some Assembly Required

Some of the most frightening words in the English language for me are “Some assembly required.” Those who know me well know that I am not very handy when it comes to fixing things or putting things together using those things called “tools.” I have always said when it came to those kinds of skills my dad taught me how to hold the ladder, hold the flashlight and pass the screwdriver. When Judy and I first got married she was the one doing the fix-it jobs around the house such as soldering our leaky pipes. Maybe you can identify with me. You buy something and when it finally arrives you now have to put it together and that makes you break out into a sweat. There are bags of screws, a pile of unrecognizable parts and a multi-page, wordless and indecipherable instruction manual. The task seems daunting, but you bought the item for a reason and now you have to bite the bullet and put it together. And then when you finally get it together, if you are like me, you wonder why there are still pieces in the bag that you didn’t use.

Moses and the Israelites were also given instructions to put something together and there was going to be, “some assembly required.” They had received intricate instructions from God for constructing the Tabernacle, but unlike a poorly written manual, God’s instructions were perfect and complete. He gave detailed blueprints for the curtains, frames, vessels, and every detail necessary to build His house. Each component, from the ark to the curtain, was vital to the overall purpose of their Holy God being able to come and dwell in their midst. Moses and the Israelites could not simply “wing it.” One wrong part or a single missing piece could compromise the entire structure. Their obedience was a sign of their trust in that following God’s plan, no matter how tedious or complex it seemed, was the only way to achieve the intended result. The promised outcome—the presence of God—was only possible through careful, step-by-step obedience, not by taking shortcuts

We have seen Moses and the Israelites follow God’s commands and instructions to the letter for building the different parts of the tabernacle and its furnishings. God has already twice repeated these instructions in meticulous detail to Moses. And in our scripture this morning, the parts of the tabernacle will again be repeated but there will also be some new instructions given. In Exodus 40:1-16, the Lord himself directs what was to be done and how. In repeating this list, God is telling Moses to “listen up”, because this will be the final walk-through before he will actually “raise up” God’s house. We may think that this repetition serves no purpose, but it does serve to reinforce the importance of the divine pattern and emphasize the structure's central role in Israelite worship.

Just as there will be “some assembly required” as Moses “raises up” God’s house, in order to build our spiritual “houses”, both individually and corporately, there will also be “some assembly required.” It doesn’t just happen on its own. We must “listen up” and be obedient to the Holy Spirit, doing God’s work in our lives and in the life of our church in accordance to His will. This work includes being in God’s Word, being in prayer, properly worshipping the Lord, being in fellowship with our fellow believers, serving each other, our community and the world and sharing the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus. We must continually be obedient to this work and do it with excellence so that we can “raise up” a church with Christ as the cornerstone where the presence of the living God dwells. That brings us to our big idea this morning, that God desires His people to “listen up” and to “raise up.”

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the freedom to be in your house this morning. We thank you for the privilege of reading and studying your Word. Thank you, Lord, that we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth. We worship you, today, because you are the only one who has the words of eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are three points this morning. The first point is, Our Ordered Life, found in Exodus 40:1-8. The final countdown has started as God again goes over the different parts of the tabernacle and how they are to be set up. He tells Moses he is to assemble the parts of the tabernacle in a specific order and on a specific day. This is what God’s Word says in Exodus 40:1-2, “Then the Lord said to Moses: “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.” In verse 1 we see the phrase “Then the Lord said to Moses.” This is the first time since Exodus 31:1 that the Lord has said these exact words to Him. That was when God told Moses he had chosen Bezalel and Oholiab to oversee the work of the tabernacle. These words introduce a new command in preparation for what lies ahead. Moses is to stop and “listen up” for what is coming next.

Since Exodus 31:1, we have seen the people “raising up” and worshipping the golden calf. Now that they have repented and have been obedient to the Lord, they are finally ready to “raise up” God’s House where they will worship the one true and living God. In verse 2 we see that Moses is to assemble the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the “first day of the first month.” Back in Exodus 12:2, God reordered their calendar based on their deliverance and redemption. The month of their deliverance from slavery became the new first month of their calendar year. In Exodus 13:4 we learn that this month is called Aviv, and it is on the first day of Aviv that Moses is to erect the tabernacle. This means the work will be done on what is essentially their New Years Day.

After telling Moses how he is to set up the tabernacle, the “tent of meeting” and telling him when he is to set it up, God now tells Moses the order in which he is to assemble and place all the parts inside and outside of the tabernacle. We see this in Exodus 40:3-8. This is what God’s Word says, “Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.”

Moses needed to again “listen up” because God had a specific order in which He wanted the tabernacle assembled. Everything had to be done just right because it was to be heaven on earth, the place where God would dwell among His people. It needed to be assembled in the exact order and at the exact time, according to God’s will. And notice this assembly will take place from the inside out starting with the ark. God also wants our lives to be ordered according to His will. His instructions regarding the tabernacle apply to us today because our bodies are tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Our church is also called a Temple of God. Ephesians 2:19-22 says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Our lives are to be ordered according to God’s will and when they are, he gives us peace. Psalm 29:11 says, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” And as we live our lives, we are not to be anxious about anything, but we are to bring our requests to God and as Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And the life of our church is also to be ordered according to His will and when it is He brings peace to our congregation. 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” And 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”

So, do you have disorder in your life? Disorder can come from a number of things. It can come from unconfessed sin, pride and fear which disrupts our relationship with God. It can also come from spiritual warfare or from a lack of spiritual disciplines in our lives such as reading and studying God’s Word and being in daily prayer. First, we need to make sure that we are at peace with God, confessing our sins before Him. Second, we can cultivate peace through the Holy Spirit within us by living out spiritual disciplines. Third, we should be seeking order and peace with others, inside and outside of the church. That brings us to our first next step which is I will seek peace with God, cultivate peace through the Holy Spirit within me and seek order and peace with others.

That brings us to our second point, Our Holy Body, found in Exodus 40:9-11. This is what God’s Word says, “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.” After revealing how and when to assemble the tabernacle, God directed Moses how he was to anoint it and everything in it with the special anointing oil. This was to consecrate it and all its furnishings making it holy and set apart for God’s use. Notice that Moses is to anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings in the same order He was to set them up, from the inside out. The anointing oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and so the anointing of the tabernacle symbolizes our bodies being anointed, filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to be holy as God is holy because He wants us to be set apart for His use, individually and corporately. We are to present our bodies as “living and holy sacrifices” because of what He has done for us on the cross. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” When we see God’s love and mercy for us, our reasonable response should be to worship Him, living holy lives and giving Him all we have and all that we are.

What is a test of living holy lives before the Lord? Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” If we are serious about being holy, we will not allow the world to conform us to itself but will continually be renewing our minds with the things of God. Another test that we are living is found in Matthew 7:17-18 which says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” A proof of our holiness and being filled with and living by the Holy Spirit, is that our lives will produce good fruit such as the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” All this pertains to our church as well. The Holy Spirit should control everything we say and do at Idaville Church.

So, are you keeping your body, God’s tabernacle, holy by being a “living sacrifice” for Jesus? Are all the fruits of the Spirit visible in your life? If not, pray for God to reveal those areas of your life where you are not acting in obedience to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help you to develop all the fruits of the Spirit. Are you doing your part to keep our church, the Temple of God, holy? It may be easy to live out the fruits of the Spirit at home but are they visible as you do the Lord’s work here at Idaville Church and in our surrounding community? Pray for the Lord through His Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to develop the weaker “fruits” in your life. Next, are you living in such a holy way that unbelievers are attracted to Jesus or is your life pushing them away from Him? Would a non-believing friend look at your life and say that you are separated from unholy influences and unholy talk? Or have the sinful and evil things of the world around you corrupted your walk with God? If so, repent and let Jesus wash you clean and continue to use you for His service. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That brings us to our third point, Our Service Anointed, found in Exodus 40:12-16. This is what God’s Word says, “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.” After showing Moses how he was to anoint the tabernacle and everything inside and outside of it, God commands Moses to anoint the priests who would serve Him in the tabernacle. He was to bring Aaron and his sons to the bronze laver that sat between the entrance to the “tent of meeting” and the bronze altar. He was then to wash them with water from the laver, signifying their acceptability, once for all time, to be God’s priests. This water was also to be used to cleanse the priests before they offered sacrifices to God or went into the tent to serve the Lord there. After the initial washing it would be symbolic of cleansing the priests from their daily sins, so they would be considered holy to continue serving the Lord. Moses was also to dress, anoint and consecrate Aaron in his sacred garments and his sons in their tunics so they could serve Him as priests.

This anointing of the priesthood of Aaron would be passed down through each subsequent generation after him. This did not mean that Aaron’s priesthood would be eternal. The Hebrew word means “to the vanishing point” and so whenever God would send Jesus Christ and the old covenant would pass away so would the Aaronic priesthood and of course, Jesus Christ is now our High Priest and will be forever. As believers, we are part of God’s royal priesthood and so we are also to serve the Lord as His anointed priests. In order to produce good fruit and be productive in serving the Lord, we need to abide in Him. John 15:5-6 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” So in order to serve the Lord as his royal priesthood productively we must abide in Him. Which means we must be continually washed by the water which is God’s Word, we must be in daily prayer, and we must be obedient to all God’s commands and instructions.

While the anointing of the tabernacle speaks to the importance of keeping our mind and actions pure, our anointing as priests speaks to our willingness to be set apart and serve God as a co-builder of His Church. As a holy priesthood we are co-builders in building God’s temple,which is here at Idaville Church. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be built with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” This is Jesus’ Great Commission given to every believer and every church. We are to be disciples of Jesus Christ who are Pursuing, Growing and Multiplying Disciples. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, are you abiding in the Vine? Are you committed to being in God’s Word and in daily prayer? Are you daily confessing your sins and committed to being holy before the Lord? Are you responding to God’s calling to serve Him individually as priests and corporately as part of Idaville Church? Are you living on a mission for the Lord? We must start individually. I must say, “it starts with me”, and each of us must say “it starts with me” as well if we ever want our church to be what God wants it to be. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 to Peter, “and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” We are to be on mission for the Lord, being obedient to His commands and working for Him with excellence, and if God builds our church, we can do amazing things here and the gates of Hades can’t stop it.

I want to conclude with this humorous illustration: One Christmas, there were parents who had a great idea for their children's special Christmas gift. They had ordered a kit from a catalog to make a treehouse. Late on Christmas Eve, as the mother and father began to assemble the pieces, they discovered to their dismay that while they had received the plans for a treehouse, they had been sent the materials for a sailboat. A few weeks later, in response to their letter of complaint to the company, they received this reply: ‘While we regret the inconvenience this mistake must have caused you, it is nothing compared to that of the man who is out on a lake somewhere trying to sail your treehouse.’” Sometimes there’s way too much assembly required: the pieces might be there, but they’re for the wrong thing, or the directions don’t make sense, or when you are done there are parts left over. This was not the case for Moses. God’s blueprints for His holy house where He would dwell among His people was perfect. By repetition He reinforced the commands and instructions he gave Moses. All Moses had to do was “listen up” and God would give him everything he needed to perfectly “raise up” the tabernacle. The same is true for us today. Everything we need to continually “raise up” our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit is found in God’s perfect Word. All we need to do is “listen up” and by repetition abide in His Word. As we obey His commands and instructions they will also be reinforced in us and by extension reinforced in our church as we “raise up” the temple of God, here at Idaville Church (Big Idea).

That brings us to our last next step which is I will “listen up” to God’s Word, abiding in Him and being obedient in “raising up” His holy temple, here at Idaville Church.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and as the ushers come to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Lord God, you are a good God, a loving God and a Sovereign God. And we worship you for your Holy Word and the truths found in it. We pray that by your Holy Spirit, we would seek peace with you as we daily confess our sins before you. And that we would cultivate peace within as we grow spiritually on a daily basis. And help us to seek order and peace with all those around us. And Lord as we live this life you have given us, let us be willing to “listen up” to your Word, abiding in you and being obedient to “raising up” your holy temple, here at Idaville Church. In Jesus’ name. Amen