Well, howdy. Well, glad to have everybody here today with us. I wanted to talk a little bit about
what it is to find a sanctuary, a place that we see as being safe. Now, in talking a little bit about a sanctuary,
we've been looking through the book of Hebrews for several weeks now, and we're understanding a bit more about how it is
that God was communicating to the people, but what was it that God was truly doing among His people in all of those contexts?
Now, what I want to ask you, though, is where would you consider to be your safe space? Where is a place that you feel is somewhere
that you can be and always feel at peace and at rest? Maybe it might be your home, maybe it might be your car,
because maybe there are screaming kids in your home, it might even be a local coffee house because your car may not even be safe enough,
or maybe your church, we would hope, would be also a place that you would find as a place of peace, calm and rest.
I have decided that my safe space is Ireland, the country, the whole country, that is definitely my safe space.
So, I have decided I am going to declare it to be my emotional support country. So, I'm going to try and visit it every month,
the whole place is carpeted in green, Dublin, and Giant's Causeway, and going over to Cliffsoma here, all of it, definitely, but you know how emotional support animals
are able to fly for free with you, so therefore I think I should be able to fly to Ireland every month because it is my emotional support country.
But for whatever reason, Continental Airlines hasn't quite seen it the same way, I think this is, I'm going to try to get the ACLU involved,
I will figure it out, okay, because this is for my mental health. But you see, the thing is that we are always looking for a place that we feel is ours,
something where we can really be ourselves, where we can find calm and a chance to step away from things, but have you noticed how often it is that our safe space,
we oftentimes think of it as it needs to be a place where we are alone. How often is it that we are wanting to make sure that the place that we can go by ourselves is our safe space,
why? Because it can be so difficult trying to be around people that you feel always accept you.
Are the people, is the place where you're going to be some place where you feel that you are always accepted?
How often is it that I will see people joke, make jokes online about, hey, I was invited to a party, I found a reason not to go,
oh, fuf, or oh man, people wanted to go out dancing, I was able to get out of it, oh man, that was a close call.
Because so often it is that when people are getting together, they don't always feel like they can be comfortable in their own skin.
How often do we feel that we can be in a place but even more than the place, the people that are there, and whether or not we feel safe when we're there with them,
that we can truly be ourselves. See, imagine that you are going to a place that you may go regularly, and this might be your work,
or maybe a school, or maybe some community group that you regularly at, but imagine that deep down inside, you're always on edge,
because you're always wondering when that acceptance will come to an end.
When you're going to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and something means that while everything was good, you go from a friend to an enemy.
There are so many times whenever we might be afraid of that, even with the people in our own lives.
The times whenever we wonder if friends are really friends, the people that we can actually open up to,
or whether we're worried that if we tell them what's truly going on, that all of a sudden we get rejected.
Times whenever we even wrestle with that, even with the people that we're related to.
How many people are we wondering about that we have Thanksgiving coming up, and we're making a list of all the things we don't talk about?
We can talk about, no, not sports, never mind. We can talk about, you know, our country, no, let's not talk about that.
We can talk about the weather, we live in Houston, it's terrible.
Okay, what can we actually talk about? Is the food any good? We can just hope.
But how often is it that whenever we truly express ourselves, are we in a community that we feel we're safe with?
And is that even true, even within our own church?
In our passage, we're looking at the tabernacle.
See, the tabernacle was the place with the presence of God.
But something to remember about this tent of meeting is that the place of God did not always mean that it was safe.
God's presence is there, yes. But did that mean it was safe?
How many places, how many spots throughout our passage did we realize that the priest would go to the tabernacle,
and that there was always this fear that it was never going to be enough?
See, they could be in the front section of the tabernacle and everything would be okay.
Like the candles put out the bread, make sure you have the incense so everything smells great.
But every year, someone was going to go into that back room where the Holy of Holies was sitting.
And there was always this sense, is this person going to come back out alive?
Even to the point where they'd have to tie a rope around the person's ankle with bells on it.
Because if they ever heard those bells stop ringing, they knew something was wrong,
that something with the sacrifice had been done wrong, that something with the ceremony was wrong,
and they'd have to pull them out.
This really a place where people would feel safe.
And that's one of the things about this, is that oftentimes we struggle with the fear and the feeling
of whether or not being in the presence of God is actually safe.
Is this actually a place that we want to go because we can actually open up and come to God and say,
God, this is who I am. This is what I'm struggling with.
This is what I am afraid to face.
And do we actually feel that this is a place we can do that?
But you see, that's the thing about having the perfect sacrifice, is that it keeps saying in Hebrews
that time and time again, that the sacrifice would need to be made, but no longer.
Because Jesus is now the perfect sacrifice.
But are we allowing this to be the safe space?
How often is it that we as people will oftentimes look to hurt people the most
at the moment when they realize that they're not like us?
MLK had said that Sunday morning was the most segregated time in America in any given week.
Because how regularly is it that we're only going to a place where we think that people are like us
and we can feel that we can open up because nobody's any different?
See, the presence of God, it's always good, but is it always safe?
That's not because of God in his work, because God wants to be with us.
And God has made a place that is safe for us because of giving his son to die for us
and forgiving us of all our sins, not just the ones that we committed up to this point,
all the ones hereafter.
But are we honest about it?
Are we willing to be that safe space?
Because it's not just where is your safe space.
It's also the question of who is your safe space?
Are we a place where people are able to be open and honest and to share the things that they're truly going through?
Or are people waiting for the moment when they lose their place because they didn't say the right thing,
the right time, the right way?
Is it that we are continually looking for the people who are going to affirm what we want to hear from them?
But are we in a place where people are able to express where they actually are and what they're actually seeing?
See, that's one of the things about this place is that it's not supposed to just be a safe space for the people who are like us,
but rather it's supposed to be a place that is open and safe because we're forgiven by God.
Now, does that mean that we then just stop growing or changing?
That we acknowledge that, well, this is a safe space.
So whatever it is that you think we're seeing or believe, that's it.
You're here, nothing will ever change.
Definitely not.
Because that's the thing about it is that God is the one who is meant to change us and to transform us
and that we become who we're meant to be because of who he is.
But do we actually think that it's a place that is safe to be while we do that?
Because true friendship is about becoming better through that relationship while knowing that you're safe while you do so.
See, that's the thing about it is that oftentimes the church has gotten so caught up in,
have you done enough to somehow prove to God that you are different and that you've somehow shown that you've changed enough
that he can love you and accept you and say, OK, yes, that person there, they're really a Christian.
Because if you think that that's where you're supposed to be, then either you're never going to feel safe in God's presence
because you're never there or you're lying to yourself in telling you that you are.
That's the thing about God's presence is a reason why we also acknowledge that it isn't safe is because we're supposed to die to the old
and become the new. But it's supposed to be safe because we also know that there is eternal life for us.
See, that's the thing about this is that we're supposed to be safe while we're here,
but also safe enough to be honest and ready to grow.
Because that's the thing is that we're supposed to grow with other believers.
We're not supposed to be here thinking that we've got it all figured out.
And boy, I'm really glad that the pastor said something today that showed me I'm on the right track.
Phew, I was a little bit worried for a minute there.
OK, good. He's preaching about all those other people.
Good. Check that one off of the list.
We're supposed to grow with other believers because of who God is, not because of who we are.
And that's the thing about this is that oftentimes we come here to worship
and we make sure that we go through all the trappings and everything that we're meant to do.
And man, we are afraid if anything looks a little bit different in our worship service because,
oof, man, that was my spirituality.
And man, if it didn't look exactly like what I was looking for.
And yet somehow, then week after week, we don't ever change.
We come in and we do what we feel we're supposed to do.
And then that week we are still just as angry at the same people as we were.
We're still excluding the same people we were before.
We're still ignoring the same things we were supposed to look at in our own lives.
But the life in Christ, it's more than just this hour.
It's meant to be about the life that we live alongside each other,
but not just so that we gather together, have dinner, and be able to just enjoy the camaraderie.
I mean, believe me, I've had y'all's food. It's delicious. That would be great.
Oh, my goodness, that cherry's jubilee is still haunting my dreams.
Oof, okay. They don't have that in Ireland, but still.
But if that was all that there is to it, is that really the point?
Are we really here just to make sure we've put in our time?
Or are we willing to admit that as a community, we're meant to challenge each other.
Not to fight each other, not as in I'm going to make sure you know that I hate what you stand for
and that you understand I really don't want anything to do with you.
You're only allowed in here because I can't change it.
But it's also not man. I'm really glad that you seem really nice and everything in your life seems pretty.
Let's have dinner and then go back to our life.
It's supposed to be that I care enough about you that I want to know that you're growing.
And I need to know that you're expecting the same from me.
That we know that we're in a place where we're supposed to be challenged to good works.
That we're supposed to be able to say this is a place where we're welcome and a place where we're meant to grow.
That's why it is that we talk so much about small groups and community service
and being able to look for ways to share your faith.
And these are the things.
How easy it would be just to sit in that office and write the sermon and come here on Sunday morning
and make everything look good and then go back and just make sure that everybody feels comfortable and safe.
But then what would even be the point in the first place?
Because in reality, is that really why you're here?
Are you really here in the presence of God because you want a club that just makes you feel like you've got it all together?
Or is the point of being here because you want to know Jesus and how he changes your life?
And that is a challenge to each of you.
Are you a safe space?
Are you somebody who is not only willing to make it a place for others,
but also that you're willing to acknowledge that you need it for yourself?
Are you somebody who is not jumping at the opportunity to try to fix the people that are around you
because, oh boy, I heard you say something that really riles up my feathers,
so let me make sure that I tell you why it is that everything about you needs to be changed?
Or is it somebody who is willing to say, I hear you, I understand, let's pray together?
I hear you, I may not understand, but I still love you in Christ Jesus and let's still pray together.
Or more than that, are you willing to be the one to face things too?
To be willing to say, I know that I have things that I need to deal with,
and if I don't know that, then I really need to be a little more honest.
Because as we grow in faith, the point is to be safe, but safe while we're being challenged.
To be safe in a space where we know that we're not supposed to see everybody who's just like us.
We're supposed to be in a place where we're willing to say that I don't have it all together.
And we noticed the times whenever people react the hardest is when someone realizes that they have something they have to face.
But wouldn't it be wonderful if this were the place that they could do that?
Because at the end of the day, we can appear everything that we think we're supposed to look like in the presence of God.
But the true point about the Word of God is that it actually changes our hearts and actually changes our minds.
We're supposed to be different because of Christ.
So if you haven't had the time to be challenged yourself in what you think and what you believe,
and if you haven't had the chance to create a place safe enough that others would hear as well,
then it means there's something that we need to change because it says that God will forget our sins.
But notice it says because he will be changing our hearts.
Because we are fully capable of going right back out there and doing all the same things that we did before.
But in Christ Jesus is to change us so that we don't want to be that anymore.
So wherever you may be in your life is that if this has not been a place that has been safe for you,
then help us fix that. Help us make it that.
But if it's also a place that you haven't felt has been challenged, we need to change that too.
So may we as the people of God, when we confess our sins and we confess our faith,
may we be willing to do that in a community that is safe and a place where we become safe for others as well,
in a world that keeps making that very, very difficult.
Thanks be to God.