Forward to Zion: Ohio Hometown Camp Meeting 2014: Accountability

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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. For this we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

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. You'll see the yield sign. I see what's happening.

Let me bring this up a little bit further. We'll stop making that noise. There are signs that give us indication as to what we ought to do. Stop sign. 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. Exodus chapter 27, verses 16 through 17. 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. I am the door. 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.

Acts chapter 4, Acts chapter 4. 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. And verse 12 is a significant verse.

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.

And folks, they were plentiful. 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. God wants to dwell with us too. We all have our different temperaments.

We all have our different walks of life. 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 the rules of the household apply. And so when I was at home and mama was there, I was a good boy because my mother was walking back and forth. This was her place. 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.

Why? Because God is watching me. There are certain things that I'm not gonna do. Why? Because God is concerned that I have right actions.

Now, the only way that I'm going to be able to incorporate the right actions is I must have Jesus on the inside of me for that to work. It's not this ritualistic thing. I'm only gonna be good because God is watching over me. No, no, no. But he is in the camp and because we love Jesus so much and we welcome him into the camp, we want to show forth because we have a relationship with Jesus Christ that we're doing all that he has asked us to do.

And those things that he has warned us to not do and to walk therein that we won't go there because we have a relationship with him we love him so much and he loves us he is our heavenly Father. I'm so grateful for him. How about you? And as we look at the tabernacle that God had given to his people. And we see some of the furniture or some of the symbols that are represented on the inside, God further gives us a description as to where he wants to take us as his people, making sure that we have an open heart to to receive him and to accept him into our lives.

You know I kind of think now of a story that I heard some years ago when I was a kid. And it's a story about a kid who was homeless and obviously having no roof over his head, he had to do what he needed to do in order to make money so that he could buy a provision of food and what have you. And so he had a little paper run. He was a paper boy. And back in those days, you would get your bundle of newspaper early in the morning and you would try to catch people on their way to work.

And then sometimes after work was over you would try to catch people and you would circulate the newspaper and he would make his little coins as he would sell his newspaper and people knew him because he was in a certain place on the corner all the time selling his newspaper and it was in the wintertime as he was trying to make his sales so that he could purchase his allotment of food and he wasn't doing too good on this cold winter night. And there was a concerned citizen that came by and he purchased a newspaper from the kid. Knowing that the child was homeless, he gave the child a little note and he wrote something on the little note and he told the child, listen, if you need to be taken care of, Here's something that I've written down on this little note. Here's an address, go to this address and you tell the person who answers the door what is on the piece of paper. And so the kid decided that he was going to do this and he followed to the address and he found the address and when he looked at the place, it was a beautiful big home.

Wow, it looked really nice. And so he took his little legs and he walked up the steps and he rang the doorbell, not knowing who would come to the door. Sure enough someone showed up at the door. It was a lady of the house with a big smile on her face and she said to the little boy that she had not ever seen before, yes son may I help you? And he unfolded his paper and he read what was on the paper.

He simply said, John 3, 16. Because that's what the guy told him who gave him the little slip of paper, just say John 3, 16. So he said John 3, 16. And the lady of the house says, oh, wonderful. She opened up the door.

And the little boy walked into her home. Oh, it felt so warm in the house. He had not been in an enclosed environment like that for a long time. And a little boy said to himself, wow, this John 3 16 sure does make a little coal boy warm. And he had arrived just at the right time because he smelled food.

And he looked over to his right, and there was a table that was set. It was dinner time. And the lady of the house pulled the chair for the little boy, and he seated himself. Oh boy, he looked around and there was so much to eat. And he just filled his little belly with the array of food that was on the table until he could eat no more.

And then the little boy said, wow, this John 3, 16, sure does fill the belly of a hungry boy. And about that time, the lady of the house told the little boy, Let's get up and I'll take you on to the rest to the bathroom and I have prepared for you a bath." And she took the little boy to the bathroom and there was a bath that was drawn for him. Wow! And so he took his dirty clothes off and the lady of the house had provided for him a brand new set of clothes, fresh clothes. And he jumped into the bathtub.

And you know how little kids are in a bathtub. Oh, he swam around, Dunking himself, submerging himself. He had not taken a bath for a long time. And there was a bubble bath there. The bubbles all around and he played around until he was clean, squeaky clean.

And he said to himself, wow, this John 3 16 sure does clean a dirty boy and provide for him a new set of clothes and when he was done in his bathing the lady of the house took him now to a room and she said, this is your room. What? And there was a bed and it was late and she says, you're welcome to it. And a little boy jumped in the bed and now he was sleeping on an actual mattress with sheets and a cover and a pillow. He did not have to sleep on his cardboard box in an alley and lay his head on a rock for his pillow and cover himself with his newspapers.

But he was in a real feather bed and it was so comfortable as he was getting ready to fall asleep, he says, wow, this John 3 16 sure does make a tired boy comfortable and provides for him rest that he needs in his weary time. Not knowing even what that John 3, 16 said, and we know today for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You know what God wants to do for us as we walk through the entrance of the sanctuary. The 1 way, that sign that is black and white, there's no gray area that God is pointing us through. We got to come through Jesus for salvation.

That 1 way, And when we go through the doors into the tabernacle, that which we see is the altar where sacrifice is being made. And upon that altar, obviously Jesus gave his life for me and for you. And we can say as this little boy, wow, this John 3, 16, it sure does make a cold soul warm what Jesus has done for us. Wow, this John 3, 16, as we come into God's presence, it feeds us with the bread of life. We find that as well in the sanctuary.

While this John 3 16 that God has given to all of us, everybody, every nation, every people, all of the tribes, wow, this John 3, 16 sure does clean us up from the filth of sin. And wow, this John 3, 16 provides for me a new garment. Instead of my righteousness, which is like filthy rags, God places upon me his righteousness." And wow, this John 3, 16, the sacrifice of the Lamb, the sacrifice of God's only Son, Jesus Christ. What it does for us is when we lay down our lives, he gives us the rest and assurance to know that Jesus is ours and that 1 day he's coming back to take us home and he has a place prepared for us. Amen.

He promises. Yes, he does. John 14, verses 1 through 3, where he says, let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. For in my house are many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'm going to come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also." I want to be with Jesus, how about you? There's 1 way, just 1 way that God has prepared for his people. If it is your desire to go through Jesus and have Him as your source, your life.

Just stand to your feet in expression, yes Jesus I want to go this 1 way and it's 1 way through you. I want you to be a part of my life. I want you to be in my very being. I just want to pray for you at this time. Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for my brothers and my sisters who are here today and we're asking that we would look to no other philosophies that are out there, no other mindsets as we seek salvation, but that we might come through you so that you can make transformation within our very core.

And Lord, as we realize that you are walking in the camp of our personal neighborhoods, we pray that we will live rightly for you. There are persons here, there are people here Lord who are professionals and perhaps working their 9 a.m. Until 5 p.m. Jobs and Lord we want to be held accountable as other people look at us to see how we are carrying forth in our different businesses or services that we provide. Help us dear God to be earnest and honest and diligent in our workings wherever we are.

Help us Lord, not to take advantage of the individuals that are providing for us a source of revenue. We pray Heavenly Father that as we do this, we would do this because we realize that we are in a relationship with you and that we love you so much and that we want to make you proud as our heavenly Father. For this, I pray for your people in Jesus' name, amen. This media was brought to you by AudioVerse, a website dedicated to spreading God's Word through free sermon audio and much more. If you would like to know more about AudioVerse, or if you

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