This sermon emphasizes the importance of God's presence in our lives, highlighting the need for humility, truth, and righteousness. It discusses the consequences of breaking God's commandments and the blessings of obedience, urging listeners to seek God's tabernacle in their homes and hearts. The speaker challenges the audience to overcome pride, embrace brokenness, and carry God's peace and victory to others, emphasizing the transformative power of the cross and the humility exemplified by Jesus.

You know, it's always very helpful to remember from whence God has lifted us. You know, people imagine that climbing the economic ladder is the height of achievement. Now, when we come to the Word of God, there are certain benchmarks which we must pay heed to. If you would please turn to Psalm 43 and let us read the first three verses. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Now, this is the great King David praying, O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man, for thou art the God of my strength. Why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out your light and your truth, and let them lead me. Let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacle. Send out your light and your truth. You know, friends, welcoming light. I don't know how much you'll love the gloom of Michigan. You see, we have some very sunless days here, and long seasons of such days put people into the blues. They seem to be all getting a short fuse. You know, they can't be happy, disgruntled, and so on. But light is something which kind of stimulates us. Light. You can't behave as you like when you have God's light around you. Send your light. Light in our tabernacles. I do not know how many unhappy family gatherings have just taken place. Somehow happiness is something which people don't bring with them to the table. When food is on the table, there's somebody grumbling about something. Or somebody saying some unhelpful comment which puts everybody out of humor. You know, coming to our tabernacles. Just imagine if you never had light in your house, what kind of house would that be? You know, as one man said to me, my wife gets so fearful, she runs from room to room. I have a nice house, but she is so tormented, she runs from room to room. Well, send your light and your truth. You know, when we don't know the truth about ourselves, then we enter into a realm of much miscalculation. You know, people don't want to know the truth about themselves. Folks, how can I correct myself? Tell me, how can I be a better man? If I don't want truth. If I say, oh, I want to be comfortable, I want to be happy. But I don't want truth. Tell me, what kind of paradise is that? But a fool's paradise. That's all. Living in a fool's paradise. You know, we thought money is going to make us happy. Now, show me any man who is happy because of his money. I want to see. I haven't seen such people. But show me one man, somewhere, who is happy, contented, rejoicing because of his money. Not one. After all, today we might almost call on the nation, a nation of grumblers. Something to grumble about. Something to blame somebody about. Nobody seems to say, well, if all of us gave our taxes correctly, then we won't be in such an economic soup. If all of us had the work ethic and produced quality goods. And we did not have the greed we have. Then, this nation would be in a better financial position. Or at least it would be out of the woods. Nobody wants to acknowledge that. The truth. The truth is resented. You know, when the succeeding generations are in the red already. When the unborn children are in the red already. What do they inherit? They inherit a big debt? Is that all that we pass on to them? Oh yes, indeed, that is more than an economic debt. It is a moral debt. It's a spiritual debt. It is a horrible debt. Instead of giving them a reservoir of blessing. With all the churches we have. And all the preachers we have. With all the supposed Christians we have. If we can produce a reservoir of spiritual understanding. And truth. And blessing. We are defaulting, aren't we? Very badly. Let's not talk about others. Let's talk about ourselves. You know, in the word of God. 118th Psalm. And the 15th verse says. The voice of rejoicing and salvation. Is in the tabernacles of the righteous. The voice of rejoicing and salvation. Is in the tabernacles of the righteous. Now, joy seems to be missing. There are a lot of things cluttering the place. You know, somebody said to me today. I have missed the sales. Well, well. I do trust some of you also have been fortunate enough. To miss the sales. But, you know. To miss the sales. Seems like a tragic thing. Okay. But, all this abundance of material wealth or things. Does it fill our homes with rejoicing? No. But, let me tell you this. I told that same family. That mentioned the missing of the sales of today. I told that same family. You know, my wife and I have been married for 50 years. That is provided the Lord extends our life by a month or so. 50 years we have had no fight. No argument about money. Nothing of the sort. Now, to me that is wealth. The peace. The love. There is rejoicing and salvation. In the tabernacles of the righteous. That is wealth. You know. It made me very sad. To hear somebody say. At the table. Since my childhood. I have never sat at a table like this. It made me very sad. But, that is the story. Of many people in this country. They don't have joy. Daddy is not there. Our mother is not there. And, mother is asking you to call a stranger daddy. And, you know he is not your daddy. And, your daddy is asking you to ask. To call a strange woman mummy. And, you know she is not your mummy. What an imposition. Of an unbearable burden. Because of lust. And, lovelessness and truth. What an imposition. No nation can thrive under such a burden. And, the present experiment. In western civilization. To produce a tabernacle full of things. Glittering, glamorous things. Devoid of salvation. And, peace. And, love. Is nothing but a very tragic experiment. In futility. It's a futile experiment. Now, when we talk about the tabernacles of God. Let us turn to Exodus chapter 40. You know, when God wanted a tabernacle to be reared up. And, gave Moses some of the specifications. Exodus 40 please. And, if you look at 34 and 35. You know it was a very simple structure really. And, the people who were, you know. Leaving the slavery of 430 years. 430 years. I feel there is no slavery. Like the slavery of harboring. Or, espousing untruth. There is no slavery worse than that. But, physical slavery. And, these people were given ten commandments. And, those ten commandments. Embodies so much truth. Which is really the undergirding of our justice. Of all the systems of true justice. As someone said. There cannot be the concept. That all men are born equal. Without the ten commandments. You can't have that. And, today there are those who don't have the ten commandments. Who can't see people as their equals. They can't. With all their education. They can't see others as their equals. All men are born equal. The creator. You see that it is embodied. In the early constitution. Of the United States. But, of course it took. As it was pointed out. Almost a hundred years before. That could be implemented. But, you see here. We see. When the tabernacle was set up. Thirty-fourth verse. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation. And, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. We are so taken up with the embellishments. The trimmings and the trappings. The externals. We are so caught up with that. But, what is the essence? The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And, Moses. The next verse says. Moses was not able to enter. Into the tent of the congregation. Because. The cloud of the glory. Abode upon that tent. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. So, there you are. We may have a beautiful place of worship. This, that and the other. But. Is the glory of the Lord there? Is the reality of the Lord there? If that is not there. It's all an empty show. Now, as far as I am concerned. I don't want to engage. In a theatrical. But. I notice. That religion is a tradition. Religion is a convention. Religion is a. Way of life. Which is devoid of God. For the most part. I am shocked. At this. You know. In Afghanistan. Which has been a lawless nation. For. I mean a tribal. A set of tribes. Consisting of a set of tribes. And warlords. Down their history. They have just been. A people who oppressed. One another. Or killed one another. Or any stranger. That dared to enter their land. And now. In a space of 10 years. It may take a decade. It seems. To get the corruption away. My. What an undertaking. To remove corruption. In spite of all the religious. Fanaticism. Can you imagine that? On the one hand. Religious fanaticism. On the other hand. The whole land full of. Corruption. And even people at the ministerial level. Just wanting to be unaccountable. What do you expect? And that. Is a religious country. Okay. But. When we come to the tabernacles of God. It is the Lord. The righteousness of Jesus. At the center. Now when you take away that righteousness. And mix it up with the kind of politics. That we have mixed it up with. I think it is a very unfortunate thing. That. The present president. Had so much of his cooling. In the politics. Of Chicago. And all the freewheeling and dealing. I tell you my dear friends. Such an atmosphere. Either creates. A fighter. For the truth. Or a person. Who says. Okay let's bend over backwards to please. As many people as possible. That's all. But. When the Lord. And the righteousness of Jesus is there. There will be. Also a conflict. A heavy conflict. And you will first experience that conflict in your own heart. Because of the idolatry of the heart. You will say. Oh I didn't know myself. I didn't know. Where I was. Really coming from. You know folks. The truth is. Recognizing the perversion. The deep perversion. Of the human heart. That's only possible at the cross of Jesus. Otherwise. This is all a nice moral talk. Nice kind of stuff. There's no truth at all in it. But. When we come to the word of God. It makes a spiritual. Warrior out of you. You stand for the truth. Well if you have to give a million dollars as tax. You say okay I owe this to the government. I'm going to pay this to the government. I think there are too many people around. Today. Who are tax thieves. Too many people. Now friends. So when we see that the glory of the Lord is the essence. And the 38th verse please. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day. And fire was on it by night. In the sight of all the house of Israel. So the presence of God. The evidence of the presence of God. Was there. You know. When you come combat. Untruth. And oppression. It gets you into a. Big battle. No. When. When William Benthic. The Viceroy. Of India. Outlawed. The ancient. Custom. Of. Sati. That is. A widow being burned. On the funeral. Fire. Along. With her husband. You see. When he outlawed it. Then. It came into force. One. Prince. Wrote to one of the rulers. One of the governors. Sir. My mother. Should be. Burnt. On the funeral pyre. Of my dad. I feel religiously. And conscientiously. Bound to do it. Now. William Carey. Had noted. Six thousand. Such deaths. Of the burning. Of the widows. In a very short period. In Bengal. Alone. And the governor. Or the resident. Said. To this prince. Or this nobleman. If your. If your conscience. Obliges you. To burn. Your mother. Along with the body. Of your dead. Dad. Immediately after. You have lighted the fire. My conscience. Obliges me. To arrest you. And hang you. For murder. For murder. It was pure murder. And. What a hue. And cry there was. From. Some of the pundits. Against that. Basic law. What a hue. And cry. So. When you obey the truth. When you fight. For righteousness. It is going to get you into. Conflict. With many. Does that mean. That truth will fail. No. Truth can never fail. So friends. Righteousness. In our. Dwellings. You know. If you turn to Leviticus. The third book. Of the Bible. The 26th chapter. You will find. In the. 11th and 12th verses. These. Words. I will set. My tabernacle. Among you. And my soul shall not. Abhor you. I will walk. Among you. No my dear friends. This idea. Of making God. A distant person. Just a. Figurative person. Is not. What we are. Taught. In the scriptures. See. Once in a way. Go to a retreat. And draw. A little close to God. And then. For the rest of the time. You do your own thing. No. That's not it. My tabernacle. Will be among you. I'll dwell with you. I will walk. Among you. You see. That's true religion. God. With us. Emmanuel. That's why we talk. About Jesus. Not God. Who is undefinable. Who is somewhere. In space. But. The God. Who walks with us. The God. Who talks to us. You see. That should be our tag. That should be our dwelling place. Words of unfaith. I don't like. Words of unfaith. You see. My whole life. Has consisted. Of. A series of battles. So that. I know. Battles have to be faced. When an advance. Has got to be made. Anywhere. In any realm. When truth has to be. Proclaimed. And the borders of China. Or Tibet. Or. Pakistan. There is going to be conflict. Or Burma. Within Burma. There's going to be conflict. But. Greater is he. Our savior tells us. The word of God. Tells us. That God strengthens us. For the battle. By being with us. You see folks. Now. That consciousness. Should come to every one of you. God with us. The Lord is with me. I am dwelling. In his presence. His tabernacle. Is with me. That consciousness. Whatever. The battle. And however fierce. It is. So. The 13th verse. I want you to notice. I am the Lord. That brought you out. Out of the land of Egypt. That you should not be their bond men. I have broken the bands of your yoke. And made you go upright. Look at that. I have made you go upright. We can't stoop. We can't bend. God makes us to be upright. Alright. If it may cost prison. So be it. If it costs more. So be it. But. God has brought us out of bondage. So that we might bring others out of bondage. You know. When people don't have that kind of outlook. After listening to me for years. I blame myself. I say what am I doing? I am not producing Christians. I am producing a bunch of prosperous people. Who know how to make a little money. But not those that count in the battle for the truth. That you should be upright. That you should not be bond men anymore. My dear friends. So. In the 15th and 16th verses. If you shall despise my statutes. Or if your soul abhor my judgments. So that you will not do all my commandments. But that you break my covenant. It's a covenant. It's a promise. I also will do this unto you. I will even appoint over you terror. Consumption. You see we are told all the time isn't it? That we are engaged in a war upon terror. War upon terror. Here the bible says I appoint over you terror. Consumption. You know just withering away. You know the number of banks that have been collapsing lately. How terrible. Can you imagine people losing all their savings. Their pensions. The tragedy of it. And the kind of diseases. You know we heard of the bird flu. And now it's the swine flu. And I don't know when they're going to talk about the cat flu or the dog flu. Or some other flu. But you know folks when you have to go through an airport and first of all they want to make sure you're not bringing one of these horrible sicknesses with you. And so you see a bunch of people screaming you right away. What is this? Sick world. A world which is sick. In spite of all our advanced medicine. But God says when you break my commandments you will have all these things. They just come upon you. I understand that syphilis is on the increase. One of those old diseases. Along with 26 other sexually transmitted diseases. What a world. What a sick world. A dangerous world. Why? Breaking the, when you break my commandments these things will come upon you. Burning fevers that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And ye shall sow your seed in vain. They that hate you shall reign over you. And you shall flee when none pursue it. My dear friends, at such a time as this God wants us not only to overcome in our personal lives, our families. But we have got to take this victory. This peace. This overcoming spirit to others. You know people who are just weeping over themselves. Or weeping for this and weeping for that. They just don't make the grade today. They are just dead wood. They count for nothing. They may be religious fanatics or whatever, but they don't count for anything. But dear friends, here is the secret. When you go to the cross of Jesus that's where something happens. A deep brokenness comes into you. You see where the seat of the trouble is. Pride. You know if you have been able to deal with pride and overcome that ego and that pride in you then people make some remark. Okay. They spat in the face of Jesus. Why should they not spit in my face? What does it matter? Why can't I be humble? My dear friends, that light comes to you at the cross. Sinless but condemned with the worst kind of public execution and not complaining about it. Father, forgive them. That spirit. It's a different spirit, you see. It's not there in us. Don't let us pretend that a little education in a college or university gives us that kind of spirit. No, it doesn't. Somebody riles you a little, insults you a little, how cross you get. That pride which is so native to your nature is turned up. But at the cross that is broken. And then you begin to walk humbly with your God when you humble yourself. Let us pray. Let us tell God that our own little tabernacles, our little families should become different places where pride is not flaunted and proud words hurled at one another. O gracious Savior, is it indeed possible that holy God, a loving Savior, can have his abode with us? O my Father, you have told us that you will walk with us. Your tabernacle will be amongst us. Do it, Lord, do it. We can't go out and say, Hey, I'm the greatest, I'm the latest. No. We are a faltering, failing people. We need to humble ourselves. We've done so little for the nation and the nations at large. We've done so little. And Father, can it be that we can't be truly humble? Won't some of that humbleness that took you to the cross be given to us also? Can't we be humble to acknowledge wherever we have been remiss, where we have missed the mark? O please come to us and give us that deep brokenness of spirit. And we want the tabernacle of God amongst us. We don't want to merely sing of it or talk of it. We want it to be real. God with us. God dwelling in us and making us to love. Not ourselves, but those around us. So help us, we pray in Jesus almighty name. Amen.