Forward to Zion: Ohio Hometown Camp Meeting 2014: Accountability

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Forward to Zion

Stevie Stennis

One Way

In and to do something in our very core, amen.

Before I start in opening up God's word, let's just bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for this opportunity again to speak before your people.

As I do open up God's Word, I pray that you will be lifted up so that men and women, boys and girls, will have a life renewing and change.

The announcement, or should I say the bulletin, indicates that today's topic is 1 way, titled 1 way.

And I'll kind of give you indication why I suggest it such a title, 1 way, as we proceed.

You know I started driving probably at the age of, started driving early but probably got my license you know when I was a teenager and I recall when I'm when I'm driving you always have to look for the signs.

And if you don't pay attention to the signs, you can find yourself in a world of trouble.

And so there are signs that you see out there, you know, right turn ahead.

Signs that you see on the freeway, you know, you're going to exit here.

As you're driving down the street, you'll see signs that says it's okay to make a u-turn right here.

Further, you'll see signs that says you're coming to a place where you're going to need to yield.

Let me bring this up a little bit further.

There are signs that give us indication as to what we ought to do.

And then there's this sign that it's always in black and white, and it's a sign that says 1 way.

So this morning I just want to speak to you about the topic 1 way.

It's a way that God has given to us and when God speaks in this regard, he is speaking as a matter of fact, there's no gray area, there's 1 way.

When I look at the desire of ages page 23.

The desire of ages page 23 is talking about the sanctuary.

And it says, he abode in the sanctuary in the midst of his people.

Through all their weary wandering in the desert, the symbol of his presence was with them.

So Christ set up his tabernacle in the midst of the tents of men that he may dwell amongst us and make us familiar with his divine character and his life.

The sanctuary is an important message that God's people should be able to look at and understand it's the way of salvation.

God provided only 1 way into the court as we look at the tabernacle.

The tabernacle as the children of Israel were traveling for their years of wandering.

And when we look at this tabernacle in Exodus chapter 27 and verse 16 and 17, And I'm going to give probably a lot of texts.

And so if you want to write them down, you can.

And I will read that in your hearing as we're considering the topic 1 way.

The Bible lets us know Exodus 27, 16 and 17.

And for the gate on the court shall be an hanging of 20 cubits of blue and of purple and scarlet and fine twine and fine twine linen, wroth with needlework, and their pillows shall be 4 and their sockets 4.

All the pillars round about the court shall be felted with silver, their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass." And so we have a description here that in the tabernacle, the Bible is talking about there is an entrance and this entrance was on the east side of the tabernacle.

And in order to get inside of the tabernacle, there was only 1 way to get there.

And the Bible describes that veil that you should enter.

When we look at this 1 way, the tabernacle is trying to get a picture over to us that there's only 1 way to the heart of God.

There's only 1 way of salvation, and that 1 way is through this veil, and this veil is represented none other than by Jesus Christ.

When we look at some of the Scriptures that give us further clarity on this, I turn to the book of John, and if you have your Bibles, you can turn there with me, John chapter 10, and looking at verses 7 through 9.

John chapter 10, verses 7 through 9, if you want to jot this down on your pads, you can do so as well.

John chapter 10, verses 7 through 9, as we consider coming that 1 way and through the door, that 1 entrance into the tabernacle, representing coming through through Jesus.

The Bible lets us know John chapter 10, verses 7 through 9.

Then said Jesus unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that enter came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.

And then turning over to John chapter 14 and verse 6, as we look at this 1 way coming in by Jesus for salvation, John chapter 14 and verse 6.

The Bible lets us know here, Jesus said unto him, I am the way.

And he's talking to, as we know, to Thomas.

Jesus says that I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And then turning over to the book of Acts, we see further description of coming in by this door.

And we're gonna look at verses 10 through 12.

Acts chapter 4, verses 10 through 12, and this is what the scripture says, Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

This is the stone which was set at Nod of you builders, which is to become the head of the corner.

Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby ye must be saved." Coming into that tabernacle through that 1 entrance, there was no way that, there was not a back door, there was not a side door, there's no shortcut, there's no going under the veil, You got to come through, through Jesus.

There are different philosophies of life, seeking salvation, but it can't work.

There are different mindsets that people have in order to find salvation, but it cannot work.

There is only 1 way, it's only black and white, there is no gray area here, You must come in by Christ Jesus.

And he wants to wrath a good work within our souls.

And then when we look at Exodus chapter 25 and verse 8, as it talks about the sanctuary, Exodus 25 and verse 8, as God was speaking to Moses, he says, and let them build me a sanctuary that I may dwell amongst us.

And so God wanted to be close to his people, Not a God that was far off and a creator that had flung everything into creation.

And as some people in philosophy say that, you know, he made this world and then what God did is he just stepped away and he allowed the course of the world to do on its own without his intervention.

But we see a God who is wanting to be close to his people.

And so the command was given that I want there to be a sanctuary so that I can be amongst you.

I want to be in the very midst of the people that I have created and ordering their lives, if they should allow me to be able to do so in their lives.

The sanctuary was at the center of the dwelling place and all of the doings of the people.

And the way we know this is when you turn to the book of Numbers chapter 2 in the Old Testament, Numbers chapter 2, when we look at Numbers chapter 2, It's a long chapter and what it is describing here is that God wants in his direction to the children of Israel would be, I want you to build your neighborhood, your tents, all around the sanctuary.

And he told them exactly how he wanted that to happen and for the sanctuary to be at the heart of it to be at the core of it.

And so when you look at Leviticus chapter, I'm sorry not Leviticus, Numbers chapter 2, you see that it was incorporated by the 12 tribes of Israel.

We have the tribes that are listed there.

The tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Judah and their tents around the sanctuary, the tribes of Zebulun, the tribe of Simeon, the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, the tribe of Manasseh, the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Dan, the tribe of Naphtali.

There they were situated around this sanctuary, this portable place that God wanted to dwell amongst his people.

And with the 12 tribes they all had their different characteristics and the 12 tribes as Numbers chapter 2 says that they had their banners that were set up.

And if you look at Numbers chapter 2, the Bible gives a description of the number of people in those tribes.

I mean, this was a plentiful group of people.

And once again, at its center was the tabernacle and God's dwelling amongst his people.

And what God asked us to do is as we are in our different places and in our different zones to to incorporate him at the center.

So we have an example of the presence of God.

You know, when God is in your presence, then there's something that happens or should happen.

When we look at Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse 14, and I'll turn there with you, Deuteronomy 23 and verse 14.

Deuteronomy 23 and verse 14, the Bible says, for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee.

Therefore shall thy camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

The Bible gives us a description of the tabernacle that is spoken about here in the Old Testament, that God wanted to walk amongst his people.

And as God walks amongst his people, he wants his people to be of a clean heart, of a clean spirit.

It's kind of like as a kid when I was growing up I remember that I needed to act right because obviously my mother told me that I needed to act right but sometimes when I wasn't in her presence and I was at school then and I can act like I wanted and sometimes that wasn't always the proper thing I was sent to the office and the principal engaged me at the office but I can remember a lot of times my mother had her rules and rules are good, rules are there for a purpose.

And so when I was at home and mama was there, I was a good boy because my mother was walking back and forth.

God is walking amongst us in this camp and so there are things that I need to be conscious about as I am working and working out the order of my life.

Knowing that God is very present with me, there are certain things that I'm not gonna do.

One Way

Transcript

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

The Book of Romans

Unexplainable Ways

36m

God's Love Stories (Noon Meetings)

6. From Sikhism Hinduism to Seeking Him

1h 42m

We Believe

We Believe - Who is God? Part 1

52m

Janice Watson: W.O.W - Women of the Word Weekend

The Spit In Our Eyes

41m

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Sanctuary

The House God Built

57m

Restoration 2023

Jesus’ Answer to Evil and Suffering

1h 31m

Myths and Legends

57m

Burying the Canoe

56m

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Sanctuary

01 The House That God Built

1h 3m

Plenary

For Such a Time as This

1h

Plenary

The One Thing Jesus Can’t Give You

55m

The Life Work

41m

Sound Doctrine