I walked into the building mid-morning on a Thursday. The front door was left open for me and I made my way inside. It was quiet and still. Few lights were on, the main areas and halls were shrouded in darkness. I needed something from the classroom in which my small group met and I made the walk I walked every Sunday morning. I could not help but notice the difference. The electricity that is in the air on Sundays, strangely absent. The smiles, the hugs, the love, all replaced with silence, emptiness and void. A building made for church was in this moment, just that, a simple structure of brick, wood and glass.
We see a very interesting passage this morning in 1 Kings chapter 8. The dedication of the new temple of God in Jerusalem. Before this new building, God was amongst His people in a simple but highly portable tent. David in his great love and devotion to God pledged to build Him a real house and today we see the dedication of that very temple completed by David’s son, Solomon. The temple would have been something to behold. The finest stone, cedar and cypress all fit perfectly to plan. Two massive pillars welcomed in worshippers and within the inner court gold and silver sparkled. It was truly a place that would honor God and His presence. But at the dedication we see an act that transforms the building. You see, a house of God is just a house...without God.
“Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord's covenant from Zion, the City of David.” "The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.” “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.” 1 Kings 8:1,10-11
In a powerful moment we see a powerful transformation. What was a structure of wood and stone became a house of God. Why? Because God moved in. Now be sure and understand that we’re in the Old Testament and the presence of God was much different back then than it is today. God did not live in the Ark of the Covenant like some contained Genie. This is just how He chose to reveal Himself to HIs people. Because of the gift of the Holy Spirit we can have the very Spirit of God living within us, something believers back then could not enjoy unless God specifically gifted it to them. But we see here the Spirit of God inhabit the new temple. His Spirit is seen as a cloud all throughout the OT, here it was so thick that the priests could no longer operate. This is not indicative that somehow the smoke was bad, but that the Holy Spirit of God drives out and removes all sin from His righteous presence.
So the idea is that a house can be transformed by the very presence of God into a house of God. A regular old building can experience this same miraculous transformation when God is brought into the structure. And folks, this has never been truer…even today. You see, as I walked those empty halls, void of believers in Christ, I could feel it. The Spirit of God was not living in the walls of that building, it lives in the hearts of my brothers and sisters in Christ that I encountered every Sunday morning. You see, as we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are gifted with one of the single biggest miracles ever, the very Holy Spirit of God. Instead of a sinful heart that is adrift, we now have a heart firmly anchored by the Holy Spirit of God. And as we travel, the Spirit of God goes with us.
As you come to a house that is inhabited by God, that place is different. Much different. You can feel it, see it, and recognize it. It is a gift from God for a believer in God to recognize His presence. And as that cloud filled the house of the Lord, Solomon could see it. And he delivered a prayer of dedication that we will briefly analyze today. For within Solomon’s speech, he outlines what is means to come into the very presence of God. He mentions what it entails to encounter and deal with God while in His presence.
1) Admit and address who you really are.
“If they sin against you – for there is no one who does not sin” 1 Kings 8:46a.
“..each knowing the affliction of his own heart..” 1 Kings 8:32a
When you come into the very presence of God you must know who you are and who He is. He is perfect, righteous and Holy. And you are a sinner. Your heart has an affliction. Solomon does not say if they are sinners, he says if they have sinned. You see every person that has ever been born after Adam is a sinner. A liar, a cheat, an adulterer. Selfish, egotistical, and prideful. When you come into the very presence of God, your sin will be apparent. Just as the Holy Smoke of His presence drove out the sinning hearts of the priests, being in the presence of God should make you intensely aware of your sin before Him. And as you’re made aware of you sin, you have to do something about it.
2) Confess your sin before God.
“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart) 1 Kings 8:37-39
When you mess up you hurt people. When you sin you hurt God, yourself and others. And when you hurt people you should make things right, that is, apologize, ask forgiveness, and earnestly seek healing. Sin is no different. When you sin against God you must go to Him, apologize, ask forgiveness and then repent from that sin to seek healing. When you come into the presence of the Lord you must deal with your sin if you wish to truly experience great depth of worship unto Him. Unconfessed sin in the presence of the Lord will result in a rebuke until that sin is addressed, dealt with, and resolved.
3) Pray to God for healing.
“And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in Heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear forgive.” 1 Kings:29b, 30
“..if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray..” 1 Kings 8:33b
“..if they pray..” 1 Kings 8:35b
“..whatever prayer whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel” 1 Kings 8:38a
Folks, God hears the prayers of His people. Prayer to God is mentioned 8 times in this chapter. When you come into the presence of God, a heart in great need will cry out to Him for His goodness, righteousness, and strength. But know that a clean heart is a heart that is ready to petition God. You cannot expect to win the victory in this dark world on your own today. Only in the power of the Lord can you expect to relish in the victory over the evil one. As you are in the presence of God, cry out to Him and He is faithful to hear.
4) God’s presence in His house is for everyone.
“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.” 1 Kings 8:41-43
God has created every single person that has ever existed. He knows them and every single detail about them. And He loves them all in equal abundance. That means He desires for them all to know of the saving power of His Son Jesus Christ. His presence seeks that all people should come to Him, accept His Son, admit and confess their sins and worship Him and seek Him with a clean heart. That is one of the main reasons that churches exist. To reach the foreigner, the gentile, and the unbeliever.
Folks, today I pray that as you go to your place of worship this week, that you encounter the very presence of God there. That as fellow believers in Jesus Christ fill that place, that the very Spirit of God will flood the building. And as that invisible cloud fills that place, that you deal with God. That you will recognize who He is and who you are. Get rid of all the burdensome sin in your life, admit it to Him and shed its burdens. As you move beyond your sin, you can now present a clean heart before Him. And as you do, your heart can cry out to Him for what He is. You creator, your Father, your Savior. He and He alone knows what you are struggling with and He and He alone possesses the power to help you. And folks as you are dealing with God, be on the lookout for foreigners in your midst. There will be many around you that do not know of the saving power of the blood of Jesus. It is your job to welcome them and help them walk the journey of Salvation that you have previously walked.
Praise God for His presence, seek it at all costs.
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