The Tabernacle Sermons

The ascension marked the end of Jesus’ personal ministry and the beginning of the Great Commission. But most Christians are sadly ignorant of this defining moment.

The Tabernacle is a group of imperfect people desiring to be changed by the love & grace of a perfect God. We gather on Sundays to worship Jesus, then scatter to our communities as missionaries throughout the week.

Some people believe the Bible is a collection of stories, morals and life lessons to make them into better people. Instead it’s an epic drama with one single plot line about one single hero.

If the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a myth or an idle tale, then Christianity is a waste of time. But if you really believe Jesus rose from the dead then everything changes.

Jesus died a slow death on the cross. He suffered unrelenting agony and utter humiliation to atone for our sin, pain, and bear our shame. Jesus did so that we could be forgiven.

Jesus was despised, rejected and abused by those he came to save. He willingly took upon himself the punishment they deserved, and then faced the crucible of suffering alone.

The difficulty of being imperfect people in an imperfect world pressures us to give up or give in. Jesus agreed that life is hard, but encouraged us with the fact that he has overcome the world.

Jesus fed people. They didn’t crucify him for that. Jesus healed people. They didn’t crucify him for that either. Jesus cared for widows, orphans, the poor, the marginalized, the outcast, and the abused but they didn’t kill him for that. Why did they kill Jesus? Because of his preaching, because he kept saying things like I am God, you’re a sinner, I'm here to save you, repent. Because Jesus preac...

Packing up, closing accounts and staring skyward is not how to prepare for Jesus’ return. What preparing yourself does look like was explained in the second half of Jesus’ sermon.

The topic of the second coming of Jesus tends to get Christians really worked up or somewhat embarrassed. But Jesus was very clear and had much to say about it.

The Tabernacle is a group of imperfect people desiring to be changed by the love & grace of a perfect God. We gather on Sundays to worship Jesus, then scatter to our communities as missionaries throughout the week.

Some sins are committed openly and some are masked behind a respectable facade. Neither one deserves forgiveness, but God’s lavish love and grace have nothing to do with deserving.

Religious leaders invited Jesus to try and discredit him. Instead the Son of God schooled them, exposed their pride, and taught them the requirement for all those who hope to see heaven.

Too often we as Christians find ourselves being short-sighted. We focus on the immediate and lack an eternal perspective. We allow fear and anxiety to drive our lives, when Christ is calling us to a fuller life.

Religious people believe that transformation happens from the outside-in, by following the rules and managing sin. But real change happens from the inside-out, and that heart work can only be done by the Holy Spirit.

The reality of following Jesus is found in the everyday and sometimes mundane moments of life. Many people miss that by chasing the experience of God rather than the person of Jesus Himself.

Everyone puts their faith in something. And at some point every honest person struggles with doubt. So what does it mean when your faith is in God but doubts still creep in? Does doubt negate faith, or mean you're not a Christian?

Jesus addresses three very personal issues that are often at the heart of our sin and frustration and gives instruction on how we can begin and sustain change in our daily lives. The three issues are love, judging others, and fruit (or deeds). His solution is to listen AND do, starting at the beginning of our faith and adding to it as we mature.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost and enlist His people into that mission. But we have built-in forgetters, are sometimes ruled by fear and doubt, and need to be reminded that every Christian has a job to do.

Reducing faith in God to a religious transaction is a great temptation. The formula of religion says if I do A, God will do B, and misses the point that God desires a reciprocal relationship that transforms.

The key to a relationship with God and real spiritual growth is very simple but not easy. Our human tendency to complicate things because of our sinful nature gets in the way.

Mary is not in control of what’s happening. Though a child is a joy to a mother, this situation has a very real possibility of Mary being shamed, exiled and left helpless. The angel Gabriel gives Mary the news, and her response is exactly the type of faith we long for.

Being lost in life is one of the worst feelings in the world. Being lost and not knowing you are lost is tragic. In Luke’s Gospel we see that the way home for the lost is only found in Jesus.

David was a shepherd, soldier, musician, outlaw, king, and poet. He was also an adulterer, murderer, and not so good husband and father. How was he a man after God’s own heart?

The result of faith in God is to trust Him. But when things are difficult, hard to understand, or out of our control, trusting God isn’t easy. The great danger of not trusting God is a spiritual plague that ravages lives.