This week we are joined by Duncan Polson.

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In this episode we are joined by the Rev. Lynne Ellis.

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'Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ (2 Samuel 7:16, NIV)

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)

This sermon moves quickly from Moses and the giving of the law to the people in the Promised Land asking for a king… Saul, who looked like the ideal king but failed to trust and obey God, with David, the overlooked shepherd whose heart remained turned toward the Lord. The passage points ultimately to Jesus, the true Shepherd-King who sees us completely, enters our struggle, and gives himself to rescue his people.

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The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38, NIV)

This sermon centres on Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement where the high Priest entered God’s holy presence in the Holly Place of the temple to make a substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of the people.  It then moves to celebrating Christ’s perfect sacrifice that opens the way into God’s presence again.

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So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12, NIV)

This sermon centers on Exodus 32 and the danger of self-directed worship: God’s people can be sincere, religious, and wrong when they take worship into their own hands. Though we are all in danger of falling into this trap, we can be thankful for Christ our Mediator, who meets our idolatry with mercy and leads us into reverent, joyful worship.

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"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
 
 In this episode, Rev. Lynne Ellis focuses on the value of ensuring our hearts are right with God.

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So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)

This week we continue our discussion on Vision and the tabernacle.  We see that God did not ask Moses to build the tabernacle alone. He stirred the hearts of the people and distributed among them the gifts, skills, resources, and leadership needed to accomplish the work together. In the same way, Open Gate is called to become a community in which every person is equipped to worship, serve, welcome, disciple, and shine the light of Christ into the Westshore.

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They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. (Exodus 36:3. NIV)

I will be sharing a brief reflection on God's instructions for the tabernacle and then relating it to Open Gate Church making use of our worship space/building for an indefinite amount of time as I share the vision and direction and plans for the church in the upcoming year. The tabernacle was both holy and temporary: Israel had not yet reached its permanent home, but God still called the people to prepare a beautiful place for his presence and to contribute their gifts to its construction. In the same way, Open Gate may not know how long it will remain in its present building, but as we abide in Christ, steward what God has entrusted to us, and serve together, this can still be a deeply fruitful season.

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Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’  (Exodus 19:5-6, NIV)

This sermon focuses on God giving Israel his law after rescuing them from slavery. The law is not a way to earn salvation, but a gracious gift that gives God’s people identity, forms them in holiness, teaches them true freedom, and points forward to Jesus, who fulfills the covenant and brings us back to God by his blood.

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