Coomera Baptist Church

Since the fall, people have had a wrong picture of what God is like. Some people think that God would never want to meet with them. Others think that Godshouldmeet with, but on their terms. Well, through the tabernacle, God was coming to dwell with His people, but we see that their relationship with Him would be on Gods terms. The tabernacle structure once again shows us the importance of Gods holiness and how Jesus, the true tabernacle, and true veil is our way to access relationship with God.

As we continue on our tour through the tabernacle, this week we are asking what are the lessons of the lampstand? Why is it in the form of a tree? Why are there 7 lamps? Why is it aiming its light in front, on the bread of presence? In what way is this a copy and shadow of heavenly things and fulfilled in the Lord Jesus? Our world is a dark place and so too are our souls apart from the light of Christ.

There is nothing greater to the reality of heaven than the fact that God is there. Which means there is no greater joy for the Christian in being in heaven, than that we get to enjoy unbroken fellowship with the God who is there. It's not a surprise that within the tabernacle we find a table for food, a table for the bread of presence. Eating with God in the house of God, is something we get to foretaste now in the Lord's Supper, and something we will enjoy at the marriage supper of the lamb.

The tabernacle was a picture of heaven and an echo of Eden. Its precise construction would communicate the holiness, beauty and glory of God. In the most holy place was the ark of the covenant and mercy seat. Here Gods mercy meets the ache of Eden through sacrifice and speech.

What would you give to be near the God who hasgiven you so much? We see God tell Moses to take up a contribution for the building of the tabernacle. This offering was to be freely given, motivated by grace, and anyone could participate. Since God has moved towards us in Christ, we want our hearts to be moved towards Him and join in His building project of the holy Church.

The assurance of faith is both precious and possible for all the children of God, yet many do not have it or experience it. Why is that? This week we look at seven obstacles and enemies of assurance and their remedies.

Of all the grounds of assurance the role of good works is most tricky because were only dealing with people still in progress, whose faith fluctuates, and whose obedience is only ever imperfect. But 1 John 5: 1-5 is written to help those who believe in Jesus to know that they have eternal life. John helps us to understand that real faith expresses itself in a love characterised by obedience. But the victory that overcomes the world is not our love or obedience, it's our faith. It's only those who have received Jesus with the empty hands of faith and been given his righteousness and perfection that overcome the world.

This week we consider the assurance that comes through the witness of the Holy Spirit. This is assurance that is not primarily logical and gained by deduction through the mind. This is a sweet assurance that comes from an inner, subjective, experientialcertainty that I am loved by God. It is when the love of God is poured into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). It is when the Spirit testifies with our spirit we are children of God, and so we cry "Abba Father" (Rom. 8:15-16). Have you tasted this? Have you been transformed by it?

Assurance must be cultivated for it to grow and flourish in our souls. The primary grounds upon which this happens is the promises of God to us in Christ Jesus. We don't first of all look to ourselves, and our subjective senses, but firstly to Christ and what he has done for us. In him we find objective certainty from a God who never lies. This week we look at both the author of our promises and what the promises are that deliver assurance to us.

This is the beginning of our series "Blessed Assurance". The hope is to walk through the doctrine of assurance, not merely to increase our intellectual understanding but our experience of its reality. Assurance asks whether you believe that you believe. Not just if Jesus saves, but do you believe he has saved you? In this first sermon we see the biblical teaching that assurance is both possible and very precious.