Last week, the Israelites stood at the edge of the Red Sea. This week, we fast-forward to the end of Exodus. They’ve crossed through on dry ground. They’ve arrived at Mount Sinai. Moses has received the Ten Commandments. And God gives instructions for something new — something they’ve never seen before.
A tabernacle.
A portable sanctuary.
In Exodus 25:8–9, the Lord says:
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”
God didn’t just rescue His people from Egypt. He desired to dwell with them.
That’s the heart of the tabernacle.
A Sanctuary That Moves
The tabernacle wasn’t a permanent stone building. It was portable. When the cloud lifted, they moved. When the cloud stayed, they stayed.
Everyone had a role. Some carried poles. Some carried curtains. Some carried sacred objects. It required the whole body working together.
And here’s the question that shaped this message:
What if all sanctuaries were portable?
What if the presence of God wasn’t confined to a building?
What if wherever we went… the sanctuary went?
Relationship Before Religion
More than proximity, the Lord desired relationship with His people. At Sinai, God gave the Ten Commandments — not merely as rules, but as the foundation for this relationship.
The first four focus vertically:
- No other gods.
- No idols.
- Don’t misuse God’s name.
- Remember the Sabbath.
The next six focus horizontally:
- Honor parents.
- Do not murder.
- Do not commit adultery.
- Do not steal.
- Do not bear false witness.
- Do not covet.
But here’s what we know.
We’ve broken them.
Our inability to uphold the commandments reveals our need for grace. God’s love is not based on our performance but on His character.
Grace says: I love you because you are mine.
Turning “Thou Shalt Not” Into “Thou Shalt”
Here’s a powerful insight:
For every explicit “thou shalt not,” there is an implicit “thou shalt.”
- Do not covet → Be generous.
- Do not steal → Honor what belongs to others.
- Do not bear false witness → Speak truth.
- Do not murder → Value life.
What if instead of focusing on what we avoid, we focused on what we embody?
Not just avoiding sin.
But actively reflecting God’s character.
The Most Important Feature
The most important feature of the tabernacle wasn’t the furniture.
Not the gold.
Not the candlesticks.
Not the altar.
The most important feature was the Person who filled it.
The Spirit of God.
We could strip away pews, instruments, technology — even walls — and if God is present, that is enough.
The Closing Thought
Here it is. The photograph moment.
What if our bodies are the new tabernacle?
If the tabernacle is where God dwells…
And if the Spirit of God dwells in us…
Then we are completely portable sanctuaries.
Not just a place to go.
But a calling to manifest God’s presence wherever we go.
What if every conversation carried His compassion?
What if every workplace interaction carried His integrity?
What if every room we entered felt hope rising instead of draining?
What if every sanctuary was portable?
Amen.
Sermon video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jPP-vWy4xw
[Blog post created by Sunday Message Repurposing Assistant from original sermon content preached by Rev. Kent F. Jackson on February 8, 2026.]
Sermon Series NOTE: The Story by Max Lucado ch. 5 “New Commandments and a New Covenant”
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