We've gathered in your name today.
We've come here from all over the country,
from other places around the world.
We didn't come to hear a man, any
man or group of men.
We came, Lord Jesus, with ears open and
hearts open.
We came here, Lord, because we wanted to
hear the Word of the Lord that would
speak to our hearts, that would touch us.
Now, Lord, I pray that you come upon
me now.
Lord Jesus, make me a vessel.
Let there be unction.
Let there be the anointing of the Holy
Spirit.
Lord, you put this message so deeply into
my heart.
It's been made a part of my very
spiritual life.
Let it become a part of the spiritual
life of everyone in this place this morning.
God, we give you this day.
We invite you, Holy Spirit, to come now.
Give us hearing ears.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Folks, ask him to come.
He said to come to those there.
Lord, we ask you for the Holy Spirit
this morning.
Lift your hands and just invite them, Holy
Spirit, come.
Give me a word.
Give us a word, Lord.
God, change us.
Let the Spirit of God.
Lord, without your Spirit, we don't have a
meeting.
Lord, this is just another gathering without you.
Holy Spirit, come, fill the house.
We invite you.
You said wherever you're invited, you will come.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Now, mightily upon us we pray in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
The fourth tabernacle is the ultimate purpose of
the cross of Jesus Christ.
The fourth tabernacle is the reason he came,
the reason he died, the reason he was
crucified and raised again.
The ultimate purpose of the cross of Jesus
Christ.
After this service this morning, if anyone asks
you what is the purpose of the cross,
you can tell them it's the fourth tabernacle.
I would explain what that means.
Tabernacle merely means a residence, a place, a
home.
In the Scripture context, it's where God lives.
It's where God abides.
It's the place of his presence here on
earth.
Now, in the Garden of Eden, there was
no such place.
God came down in the evening part of
the day, and he would talk and commune
with Adam and Eve, but he had no
permanent dwelling place here.
There was no tabernacle among men.
There was no tabernacle in the time of
Noah.
There was no place where God could say,
this is where I live.
No man could say, this is where I
live.
God speaks to Noah about things to come
and tells him to prepare an ark.
There is no evidence in the Bible that
he spoke again to Noah until the end
of the 120 years.
There's nothing there.
Perhaps he did, but he did not come.
There's no thought that he came down and
fellowshiped with Noah.
Noah, being moved by fear, the Scripture said,
prepared the ark.
You talk about faith.
If he had not been hearing from God
during that time, what a step of faith
to walk 120 years on one word from
God.
But there was no tabernacle then.
Abraham had an altar.
He built an altar there.
He communed with God.
God came down and communed with him.
But there was no tabernacle.
There was no place where God could say,
this is where I live on earth among
men.
The same with Jacob.
He had a place called Bethel.
He said, surely God is in this place.
But it was a one-time visit.
This was not his dwelling place.
This is where Jacob thought it would be,
but this was not the dwelling place of
the Most High God.
Jacob was visited by God, but all he
knew was the appearance of God on occasions.
The first tabernacle was raised up by Moses.
The Scripture says, let them make a sanctuary
for me, that I may dwell among them.
There I will meet with thee.
I'll commune with you between or above the
mercy seat.
The first tabernacle was designed by God himself.
Moses had no input.
When the plan was completed, there was nothing
that Moses could say, that's something I suggested.
That's something that was in my heart.
This was my idea.
There were no ideas of men.
It was designed by God.
No man had any input on this tabernacle.
Now this was not something so beautiful to
look at, especially if you looked at it
from the distance or from the air.
What you would have seen was a box
-like room covered with badger skins, an oblong
room covered with badger skins, and walled in
a courtyard.
It was nothing of beauty.
There was nothing unusual about this, but the
thing that made it different was that this
is where God came down.
There was a cloud over it by day,
and there was a fire, a pillar by
night, and that was the presence of God.
And there was a holy of holies there.
God said, I will dwell among you.
I'll meet you.
He was in one place.
You had to go to the wilderness.
You had to go to that place.
It was a signed place where God dwelt
among men.
This was the first tabernacle.
And Moses did as the Lord commanded.
All through the construction of this, you'll read,
as the Lord commanded.
As the Lord commanded.
God's presence was manifested there.
That tabernacle existed for 480 some years, and
then it was done away with.
It came to the heart of David much
later to build God a house.
But because he was a man of war,
his son was chosen to build that house.
David said, Is it not time that there
should be in Jerusalem, this chosen city, a
palace for the Most High God?
And David spent his lifetime, his later lifetime,
putting together the building, the materials for the
construction of this temple.
David said, The Lord may be to understand
in writing by His own hand upon me,
even all the works of this pattern.
David received the architectural plan from the Holy
Spirit.
And again there was nothing in this tabernacle
or in this temple that David said, This
is my idea.
This is what I suggested to God.
You see, anything that God inhabits, any place
that He inhabits, it's of His own making.
And God only blesses that which He invents,
so to speak, that He brings forth.
He can only bless messages that are born
in prayer.
He can only bless that that is not
borrowed from some other person.
He can only bless that which is made
real.
Even though you got the idea for somebody
else, it has to be something that is
born in your spirit, and you preach it
out of the working of the Holy Spirit.
And you can't go out of the pulpit
and say, That's my idea.
That's something I invented.
This was all God's doing.
Now, this was a gorgeous temple.
It was covered, everything was covered in gold.
You know, I've heard people say, Boy, when
we get to heaven, everything's gonna be gold.
We're gonna walk on streets of gold.
I prefer grass.
Now, folks, there are streets of gold.
But we have, we don't have, our concept
of gold is this kind that we spend
that glistens.
But you see, God has something crystal clear,
far beyond any kind of gold that our
minds can conceive.
It was covered with gold.
Everything was covered with gold.
Ornate.
But that's not what made it special.
It was special because God chose, in the
Holy of Holies to come down, and when
it was dedicated, His Spirit was so powerful
and so strong, they couldn't even stand to
minister, because God was there.
God was there.
When the priest came out of the holy
place, the cloud filled the house of the
Lord, so that the priest could not stand
to minister because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord had filled the house.
And Solomon said, I've surely built you a
house, Lord, to dwell in, a settled place
for thee to abide in forever.
Now that's a statement made by a man
who believed that the temple that he built
was going to last forever, that even today
we would be taking an American airline or
some airline and flying to Jerusalem and walking
through this temple.
That temple lasted 500 years and was destroyed.
That was the second temple.
I bring you now to the third temple.
The third temple was the body of Jesus
Christ on earth.
He was the third temple.
The scripture says, in Him dwelt the fullness
of the Godhead bodily.
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us.
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us.
Dwelt here in Greek is tabernacled.
The Word tabernacled among us.
Jesus knew He was the temple of God
among men.
He knew clearly that, and He said if
you destroy this temple in three days, I'll
raise it up.
This was the temple.
His body was the temple of the Holy
Ghost.
He said, you destroy it because a body
the Lord has prepared for me.
For 33 years, this was the resting place
of the presence of Almighty God.
He dwelt among us.
The tabernacle was here.
He was the tabernacle.
But you see, all three of these tabernacles,
as marvelously as they were, as God ordained
and as instrumented by God Himself through the
Spirit of the Living Lord, you had to
go to this place.
Even the second temple, you had to go
to Jerusalem.
If you were Gentile, you couldn't even go
into that temple except an outer court.
If you were in Europe, if you were
in Asia, you had to take a tour.
You had to take a trip if you're
going to meet God.
Remember the woman at the Samaritan well said,
we've been told that God lives in Jerusalem.
We're Gentiles and they tell us, you Jews
tell us that God's in Jerusalem.
God is there.
The Bible said Jesus manifested His glory and
His disciples believed on Him.
He manifested His glory.
The glory of God was in Christ.
He was the third temple.
What do you see as the essence of
the cross of Jesus, the purpose of the
cross?
He died to save us from sin.
The Bible said He was wounded for our
transgressions.
He's bruised for our iniquities.
Yes.
Thank God for the blood.
That is the essence of our faith.
That is a part of our very Christianhood,
so to speak.
Thank God for the healing of His stripes.
Thank God for righteousness by faith.
Thank God for all the benefits that we've
been preaching about the cross, but there is
more, much more.
Some of us never get beyond forgiveness.
Some of us never get beyond healing.
We don't know the full depths of the
cross of Jesus Christ and what happened at
the cross of Jesus Christ.
He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities, and we
must never stop glorying in those aspects of
the cross.
But the cross of Jesus Christ was where
the fourth tabernacle was raised up.
The fourth tabernacle is the body of Jesus
Christ here on earth now.
The church of Jesus Christ, born again, cleansed
by the blood.
This body now, my body, your body, is
now the fourth tabernacle.
This is the tabernacle of God in the
last days before Jesus comes.
We are the tabernacle of God.
Know you not that your body is the
temple, the dwelling place of God.
The wilderness was confined to one place, that
tabernacle.
Solomon's tabernacle was located in one place.
You had to go there.
And even Christ, you had to go to
Israel, you had to go to Judah.
If you were in Asia, you would they
say, where is the tabernacle?
Where is God's dwelling?
You had to go where Jesus was.
Jesus ministered to a small group.
He ministered in a small area.
Jesus set an example for any man or
woman of God.
He drew a small circle and He did
everything inside that circle.
He said, I am called for a specific
purpose.
When someone outside that circle, two men said,
help us settle our inheritance.
Jesus said that's not my work another that's
not in my circle folks I learned a
long time ago, and I'm 73 and every
pastor should learn it You let the Holy
Ghost draw you a circle and you stay
in that circle and don't get out and
get tied up in something Outside that circle
and stay focused on ministering to Christ stay
focused on what God's called you to do
If God's called to be a preacher don't
try to be a politician if he's called
you to a certain work Don't get out
of that circle.
I stay in a very small circle Yes,
I don't believe that well I do Jesus
was a Tabernacle confined to one place He
could be intimate with only a small group
at a time But as the hour of
crucifixion approached Jesus prayed now father Glorify thou
me now with your own self with the
glory which I had with you before the
world was Jesus I'm not saying let me
finish the work and get out of here.
I've had enough of this That's not what
Jesus was saying at all Jesus said I
want the glory that I had before you
and that glory.
What is it?
It's the glory of all my presence Once
again, he said I want to be everywhere
at one time.
I want to raise up the fourth tabernacle
I know I'm the foundation you said I'm
the chosen Foundation stone and I'm going to
build my church and when Jesus said it's
finished what he said the foundation is Low
has been laid now.
I can build my church.
It's finished.
It's ready.
The foundation is done The foundation is ready
now I can build Few weeks ago in
New York City.
They brought in a 20-ton Rock big
rock of granite laid it where 9-eleven
was where the towers fell and They had
a ceremony with the governor and the mayor
and thousands of people and laid this 20
-ton piece of granite as the Foundation stone
of new buildings that are going to be
built bigger and higher than please don't clap
at this Because in the way, there's there's
a spiritual tragedy involved it's called pride We
will build bigger we will build better rather
than national repentance We'll show the world will
build it bigger and we dare anybody to
touch this I Love America, and I thank
God and I love ministering in New York
City But the pride and the arrogance is
beyond comprehension but my point is as soon
as the foundation stone is low the building
can go up and that He anticipated coming
back to abide in believers The foundation stone
a tested stone a costly stone now firmly
planted Jesus said to the woman at the
well Jacobs.
Well woman Believe me the hour is coming
when you shall neither in this mountain nor
in Jerusalem.
Worship the Father But the hour cometh and
now is When the true worshippers shall worship
the Father and Spirit and truth The Father
is seeking such to worship him God has
a spirit and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth You
understand the moment Jesus breathed his last breath
The fourth tabernacle was born So that now
when Jesus is resurrected and Takes the blood
into the Holy of Holies Not the blood
of bulls or goats, but his own blood
He went into the Holy of Holies and
made atonement for sins of the world and
reconciled the world to himself and said now
I can come and abide in Anyone who
believes in me all who turn to me
that is where I will live Father Son
and Holy Ghost and what a truth that
God the Father God the Son God the
Holy Ghost Abides in this I am the
temple.
You are the temple.
We are the fourth tabernacle of the Holy
Ghost The cross of Jesus Christ is more
than just freedom from sin More than just
getting heaven when we die The cross made
it possible for the Lord to rend The
curtain and come out of the holy place
and come and break the curtain break down
all the opposition break through all pride and
Everything that sin had raised and break through
the veil of our minds.
There were two veils He had to break
and he broke through and now he is
enthroned in our hearts and now we don't
have to come like Esther and Tearfully fearfully
wait that he holds out a scepter because
he lives here and abides I can go
boldly I'm seated with Christ in a heavenly
place this body Jesus said if any man
loved me, he will keep my words My
father will love him and we will come
unto him.
And what will we do?
We will make our abode We will have
our living place.
We will abide Paul Spoke of our earthly
house of this tabernacle this earthly house is
his tabernacle a building of God a house
not made with hands eternally in the heavens
For we in this tabernacle or this house
do groan being burdened Yes, it's a house
of flesh But it has been purchased by
the blood of Jesus Christ Christ is a
son over his own house Whose house are
we if we hold fast the confidence and
rejoicing the hope to the end?
you see when we were born we were
born with an Adam nature and Satan made
a jump claim on the deed of this
house He made a jump claim.
It was not his but he jumped the
claim because of an Adam nature a tendency
to sin It's so because we had this
tendencies of sin and we had this this
This ease of yielding to his temptation.
He said this is my house.
He claimed this house He claimed this body
saying this body is mine Adam sold it
to me Now Adam didn't sell it to
but he had a false jump claim and
he said this is my house.
I claim it but Jesus Christ Let me
illustrate it this is a true story one
of our neighbors CEO top leader of a
corporation Started drinking and became an alcoholic And
we became an alcoholic he lost his wife
and Lost his job lost his career and
I I talked to this man.
I ministered to him and He would sit
all day in his house and drink He
he so loved this house He said everything
in that house is from my design it
it reflects all of Myself I put my
house into this and it was the pride
and joy of his life.
There's this house of his That he couldn't
he had no income and he couldn't pay
the mortgage And so the house was put
up by the mortgage company for sale Well,
he tried to sell it to first and
I don't know whether he sold first the
mortgage company sold it But he would sit
there all day and they were cases of
vodka and all kinds of whiskey The man
first thing you get up in the morning
start drinking drinking all day long House was
morbid The house was just a place of
fear and alcoholism But the house was put
up for sale and it was sold But
this man said I don't care whether it's
been sold or not.
It's my house and I'm not moving.
So he locked all the doors and locked
all the windows.
He had a good supply of alcohol And
he said I'm not leaving here because this
house is reflection of who I am I'm
not moving Now someone else bought the house
Paid off the mortgage and got a new
deed and registered in the court They had
this house that they were ready to move
in but the man said I'm not leaving.
I'm staying here And that's exactly what the
devil says.
This is my house I'm not gonna leave.
I'm staying here.
I don't care what the law says I
don't care what God says.
I don't care what the judge says this
reflects my being.
This is who I am I live here.
This is my house But you see there's
such a thing as a sheriff.
That's the Holy Ghost and the sheriff comes
knocking on the door and says sir This
house is no longer yours The debt has
been paid The mortgage has been paid.
There's a new owner Now I'm commanding you
to get out of this house And I'm
giving you five minutes or I'm going to
lock you up and I'm going to drag
you out of here and
this man is literally dragged out and He's
yelling.
I'll be back But you see as far
as the law is concerned he's dead on
This issue because of this deed has already
been recorded in the highest court He's dead
That's what the law says he's dead folks
the devil is dead concerning your house For
time enough.
He's dead.
He's gone There's no more judgment against
you.
There's no judgment.
It's gone.
It's settled the deed has been paid You
say yeah, but there's some broken windows, but
we've got the Holy Ghost repairer there We
have got the best repairer in the world
Are you saving brother David?
I'm so hounded by the enemy.
I'm being harassed on all sides Well, that's
what this man did he got in his
car and drove up and down the streets.
I'll be back That's my house He went
to the bars drinking boasting.
He said I'll be back.
That's still my house Let him make all
the noise he wants let him drive back
and forth let him harass all he want
you're safe You're safe You've
been bought with a price Therefore even the
devil's outside yelling screaming and harassing may be
throwing a rock in the window God will
repair it therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit which are gods Because
I have spoiled principalities and powers and I
made a show of them openly I've triumphed
over them So you rejoice you are safe
You don't need to fear the threats of
the enemy What would it be to God
Said hold fast your confidence remain firm To
the end don't fear his threats or his
power or his authority because he has none
God has removed all the judgment.
No folks so many Christians live in despair
and they don't even Comprehend or appropriate the
glory and the victory of the cross You
get it in your heart and your mind
now that you're the tabernacle And folks sometimes
I wonder why we're saying Oh Holy Spirit,
please come down run the evidence come down
well folks He's here.
He is here.
He abides And if he abides he talks
to me I Can't I can't believe a
Holy Ghost would live in me and then
take up residence some little corner of my
heart in some back Room and say when
you need me come and knock on the
door.
No, this is a tabernacle church So this
is a house and he lives with me.
He speaks to me.
He talks to me.
He guides me He leads me and he
does the same with you I'm almost finished,
but I want to tell you something.
I Was in In England and Buckingham or
Windsor Castle Past Windsor Castle and there's a
big pole Empty pole there on top of
the castle.
I asked somebody What's that?
And he said well if you hear a
few days Watson You'll see on certain days
of flag-raising and they said what's that
mean he said means the Kings in residence
The King is there and when he's gone
they lower the flag The Bible said when
enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit
of the Lord raises up a standard against
him What's what does it say?
What does it say the King is in
residence the King lives here the flag?
God said I'll raise up a stand.
I'll raise up a flag against him Folks
I Want you to stand to your feet.
I King is in residence.
The Lord is in residence and let's just
praise him.
Let's just praise him and worship him Lord
Jesus you are King you abide you are
here living in us orchestra choir Lord you
are here.
The King is in residence The King is
in residence The banner of the Lord