Introduction

Greetings, everyone. Let's delve into the twenty-fifth chapter of Exodus. The theme of this chapter is: Build the Sanctuary for God according to the pattern He showed, so that He may dwell among us. Why is the theme so lengthy? Because it cannot be shortened. To build a sanctuary for God according to the pattern He showed, so that He may dwell among you – this statement has a profound impact on us. If we build a sanctuary and God does not dwell among us, what are we doing? I find it quite perplexing. To build a sanctuary for God, it must be according to the pattern He showed, so that He may dwell among us. Let's set aside the sanctuary for now and focus on the outcome.

Later, when Moses built according to the pattern God showed, what happened? The glory of God filled the sanctuary! This event had a profound impact on me during the process of building the church! Why is it that the presence of God is not seen in the church? This is a very serious and pointed topic. The most common situation I see in churches is that God does not dwell in them. You might say there are no miracles, but occasionally a few pop up. You might say there are miracles, but they don't quite seem like it. The prayers of Christians that go unanswered, as we say colloquially, come by the trainload; or, in more sophisticated terms, by the container-load. The containers are overflowing, and the presence of God is not seen, nor are God's answers.

When I saw this situation, I was quite surprised. The conclusion I reached was: People have not built the church according to the pattern God showed. If people do not build according to the pattern God showed, how can God dwell among them? This is a very typical example. Later, during the process of building the church, this statement had a profound impact on me! Although people say this and that, and there were many grievances, building a church must be about building a church where God dwells! If you make this person happy and that person happy, but not God, what am I doing? Later, it didn't matter who was unhappy, as long as God was pleased, I didn't care who was unhappy.

They were all gossiping about me behind my back, saying that no one could change me, that no one could stop me from doing what I wanted to do, and that I would definitely accomplish what I set out to do! I heard all these things they were saying about me. I am determined to build a church where God dwells! Not only did this statement have a profound impact on me, but another thing also had a very profound impact. Later, I discovered that David and Solomon built the temple for God with the same goal in mind. Moses built the tabernacle for God, dismantling and reassembling it. Later, Solomon built the temple for God in Jerusalem, which is now the Temple Mount, according to the pattern God revealed, which God drew out for David with His own finger. Later, the temple that Solomon built for God was filled with the glory of God.

I long for my brothers and sisters to have the same conviction as I do. Building a church without the presence of God is a tragedy! If you think it doesn't matter how the church is built, if you think it doesn't matter how the temple is built, if you think it doesn't matter how the tabernacle that Moses built is built; the only thing that matters is that the church is built according to the pattern God showed! Let me give you a few examples: Once, a young brother came to me and asked when the church would hold elections. I said that our church doesn't have such a thing as elections; pastors are not elected. Why? Because there is no such thing as elections in the Bible. If there were elections, Moses would have been voted out long ago.

I don't know where the concept of elections came from, but it's definitely not from God. Many people are influenced by this concept. I ask you, did Jesus participate in politics? No. Jesus did not overthrow the Roman Empire either. Jesus paid taxes as required and did not start an uprising like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. We must implement things according to God's revelation. To build a temple for God, to build a sanctuary for God, must be according to the pattern God showed, so that He may dwell among us. This statement must be deeply engraved on our hearts! Some people ask me what to do if we get it wrong? God will take care of it if we get it wrong; you don't need to worry about it. But many people still can't understand; if you can't understand, just read the Bible slowly.

If you can't understand the Bible, you can read Buddhist scriptures or something like that. Some people say, "How can you say that?" You don't have to read Buddhist scriptures; you can read something by Kazuo Inamori or something else. Do you all understand what I'm saying? What I'm saying is that we must do things according to God's instructions, not just do whatever we want. It's good to make a Micah, build one yourself, and build it however you want. After you build it, you can sacrifice however you want. The problem is that God does not dwell among them. I also find it quite perplexing that they did something that was completely ineffective, and all it did was corrupt. You can ponder this slowly. Many Christians believe in this pain and that pain, and they still don't change even when they're in pain! Can they change if they're not in pain?

We only have one way to live, which is to be with God and walk with God. If you have your own ideas and ways of doing things, you can go and make your own Micah or do whatever you want; I won't stop you. As for me, I will build the church according to the word of God, and I long to see the presence of God. You might think that there is no presence of God in this place. Why? Because your illnesses and problems have not been resolved. But this does not affect my determination to build a church where God dwells.

Freewill Offering

A freewill offering is the most important thing. Building a church must be done by a group of people who willingly offer. I don't want offerings that are given grudgingly. The Bible says:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastplate. (Exodus 25:1-7)

These are all good things: gold, silver, and so on! A freewill offering is the most important thing. Have you all seen this kind of thing before? Back when we still had a physical church, someone once brought all their old clothes from home to the church, saying they wanted to donate them. I said, "I don't want them!" I told him that there was a junk collector over there, and he could give the things he didn't want to the junk collector. Don't bring junk to the church. Another person brought a pot from home that had peeling paint and asked if I wanted it. Not only would God not want this kind of pot, but I wouldn't want it either, and even the poorest person in our church wouldn't want it. There are also some people who willingly donate old blankets, old sheets, torn clothes, and old refrigerators with stains. This is not building a sanctuary; it's opening a waste recycling station.

Once, when I got home, it was almost dawn. I saw a junk collector downstairs who usually collected old refrigerators, old color TVs, and things like that. I had never seen anyone take a brand-new TV to a junk collector. They always took old things to the junk collector. So the people who donate these junk items to the church are quite bold. Do you all know why I am blessed? Because the thing I like to do most is to give. You all think I'm trying to trick you. The presence of God is what I value most, and a freewill offering is always the most important thought in my heart. When I was poor and destitute, someone asked me to believe in the Lord, and after believing in the Lord, they asked me to give. When it came time to give, I struggled a lot.

Later, I figured it out. In my current state, if I wanted to find a job on my own, even if I liked the job, the job might not like me; even if I liked the company, the company might not like me. Then I started to rely on God and give willingly. My giving was not a tenth of what was left after taxes and provident fund were deducted. My giving was more than ten percent of everything before taxes were deducted. That is a freewill offering. Giving after taxes are deducted is not a freewill offering. I started believing in the Lord with someone else. When I gave, I gave willingly. I would give more than a hundred and ten percent. The other person gave five percent. In a little over a year, my salary increased by a large margin, but the person who gave five percent was out of a job.

Some people live by money, and some people live by God. The smartest decision I ever made in my life was to give. I also struggled because I didn't know what would happen. The old man gave me a lesson and said, "Young brother, you must know that giving is not a loss." Although he said it wasn't a loss, I was still uneasy at the time! Do you ask if I'm still uneasy now? I'm not uneasy now. I give very actively. Later, some people don't give, and they want me to persuade them. I won't go! I said, "Don't ever let me persuade others to give, and don't ever follow behind others asking for offerings." All of our services are free. If you are a person with a Mingding Destiny who is willing to build God's glorious church with us, then giving is definitely not for the church, but for yourself.

Someone asked me if he only had one sheep at home, should he give it to God or keep it to have lambs? I told him that if you only have one sheep left, when will this cursed life end for you? Jacob went to his uncle Laban's house with only a staff in his hand. This staff was all the property he had because his brother Esau wanted to kill him, and he didn't bring any property with him. More than twenty years later, when he came out of his uncle's house, his property had increased many times over and could no longer be compared to that staff. So we must give willingly and never give our unwanted junk to God. Isn't that enough to be cursed?

One pastor told me that many Chinese people were following them to believe in the Lord. I said, "That's great." Then I asked him how many people in the church gave offerings. He said that only two people gave offerings. Then I said, "There are hundreds of people in the church, why do only two people give offerings? Are the others here to cause trouble?" If only two people give offerings, I might not even want that kind of offering. Is your heart really willing to give? Is your heart willing to have God dwell among us? If you don't have this heart, then don't do this work. A freewill offering is very important. Don't give junk.

Some people, when they give, just take some money out of their pockets and throw it into the offering box, as if they are giving a tip. This is not a freewill offering. I saw a Christian give an offering in a very interesting way. He took out a hundred-yuan bill and exchanged it with me for ten ten-yuan bills. After exchanging the money, he put twenty yuan into the offering box himself. When I give an offering, I'm different from him. I prepare the money in advance. Do you think I will also take the prepared money and exchange it with others for small change? I won't. My giving is definitely a freewill offering because our God is faithful.

The Covenant with God is the Foundation

“Have them make a chest of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this chest; they are not to be removed. Then put in the chest the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. (Exodus 25:10-16)

There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. (Exodus 25:21)

God will give a tablet of the covenant law, and the words on it are engraved by God's finger. What is engraved on it? The Ten Commandments. They are written on two tablets of stone and then placed in the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant and the tablets of the covenant law are very important objects that have the presence of God when building the sanctuary. If you pay close attention, you will find that pure gold is also used when building it. What is pure gold? We Chinese used to like to use 18k or 21k gold, but now we use 999 gold. 999 gold is pure gold, and 18k gold has a gold content of about seventy-five percent.

Pure gold is pure gold, and even the poles made of acacia wood for carrying the Ark of the Covenant must be covered with pure gold. In other words, our God is very precious, and this Ark of the Covenant is very precious. Never bring junk to God, thinking that pure gold is too expensive and replacing it with copper. If it were you, what would happen if you wore a copper ring? Wouldn't it be embarrassing? Copper rings are fake, real gold and silver are real.

In the watch market before, many people sold fake Rolex watches, and the watches they sold were so realistic that you couldn't tell the difference between real and fake. In those days, I was very poor and had never seen the world. When I was buying a watch, the seller secretly took a watch out of the counter and showed it to me. When I saw it, I thought it was very beautiful, and I didn't know that it was a fake Rolex. I just thought it was very cheap, so I bought it. When people are poor, they are not honorable, and even if they wear a real Rolex, others will think they are wearing a fake Rolex. If you wear a fake Rolex, others will think it is even more of a fake. Why? Because people are not honorable, so you must be honorable.

Later, when I wore it out, people asked me what kind of watch I was wearing. I said it looked pretty good, so I bought it. As a result, people said that my watch was a fake Rolex. After hearing this, my face turned red and white, and I was very embarrassed. When people are not honorable, if they carry a fake bag, people will talk about them, so it is better to carry an ordinary bag. I carry whatever kind of bag I can afford. So from that time on, I knew that the word "honorable" is very important. What is your attitude towards God? If your attitude is problematic, and you wear a fake Rolex when you meet with God, that will be troublesome. Even if you wear a real Rolex, God may not meet with you. If you carefully observe and follow God's words, with God's covenant as the foundation, God will definitely meet with you there.

If you do not have God's covenant as the foundation, I do not want you to give offerings to the church. Because God will not meet with you, God does not want to see you, and I do not want to see you, so you can do whatever you want! But it doesn't matter, you can come in little by little. Because in the process of pursuing God's truth, there is an outer court, a sanctuary, and a most holy place. It doesn't matter if you come in little by little. But if you come in and don't get serious with God, then you are not honorable at all. So what is the foundation of honor? The foundation of honor is to keep God's covenant before God. If you keep God's covenant, God will definitely be with you.

God's Grace is Above the Foundation

Cherubim are angels with wings. It is said that cherubim are very important angels before God. Grace comes from the spiritual world. We are able to become rich not because we are smart and hardworking, although being smart and hardworking is also important. But many people are smart and hardworking, but they are very poor because they do not have God's blessing in the spiritual world. Some people interpret the cherubim's wings covering the mercy seat as covering up sins. In fact, it is that we are on God's foundation, we keep God's covenant, and then we cover up our transgressions. If we cover up our transgressions, we will receive God's grace, and the blessings that God bestows on us, the devil will have no right to take away.

Why are people poor? It is because they do not receive God's grace, and God's blessings are stolen by demons, so people will have bad luck. Cherubim are angels, and we all have angels to serve us. Angels serve us on the foundation of this covenant, we will definitely receive God's grace, and we will definitely see God meet with us there. God meets with us, to what extent should we be honorable? God will give us all the benefits of the covenant, so the Bible says that our benefits are not outside of God.

Some people do not believe in the words of the Bible. If you do not believe, then do not read it, because you will not understand it even if you read it. The church is not built solely on carefully observing and following God's words, but also on freewill offerings. Why? Because all the grace we are to receive is in God. Our benefits are not outside of God, so this logical system is consistent. If the entire logical system is not consistent, it is better to read some books on "Business Management," "Human Resources Management," "Financial Management," "Investment and Financial Planning," and "Career Planning." I am very good at career planning, but what problems can this solve? If you believe in career planning, then you should study career planning, and I can also teach you. But I believe that God is a God who gives grace, and my benefits are not outside of God.

Wine and Bread

"You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. You shall make for it four rings of gold and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. The rings shall be close to the frame as holders for the poles to carry the table. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. And you shall make the plates for it, and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings. Of pure gold shall you make them. And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly." (Exodus 25:23-30)

Wine and bread represent the Holy Communion, where we partake of the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. In Scripture, these are the wine and vessels for libations, and the bread of the Presence placed on the table. It is vital to have God's presence in the church, which is our unified relationship with Jesus Christ. We are in Jesus Christ, and Christ Jesus is in us; this is unity, this is the church.

Do not turn the eating of bread and drinking of wine into a religious ritual like the Old Testament circumcision. In the New Covenant, we must not interpret things literally, lest we fall into religious formalism. Whether it is circumcision, the blessing of the cup, or the blessing of the bread to sanctify it into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our eating and drinking is to commemorate His death and to be united with God. Notice that the cup, the vessel, and the table are all made of acacia wood and trimmed with pure gold – they are highly esteemed! Thus, honor permeates the building of the sanctuary. We must build the sanctuary according to the pattern God showed us, so that He may dwell among us. This is a matter of utmost honor!

The Golden Lampstand

"You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these utensils. And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain." (Exodus 25:37-40)

The lamp represents the Spirit. To build God's church, we must have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is symbolized by the lamp, and the lamp and lampstand represent a vital component of the church – the Spirit of God. As I expound on Exodus, I often touch on aspects of the New Covenant. Before Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, He said, "I will send the Holy Spirit whom I will send." The lamp represents the Holy Spirit; people must have oil within them, and oil is the Holy Spirit. Perhaps my interpretation is not entirely accurate, as Scripture does not explicitly state this, but it is my understanding. I think of the ten virgins, some with oil in their lamps and some without. People must always be prepared with oil. Do not wait until Jesus returns to buy oil at the last minute; this oil cannot be bought, it must be prepared. Thus, the human spirit and the Spirit of God are closely linked to the lamp.

The priest's responsibility is to constantly tend the lamp, to ensure it does not go out. If I were to design this lampstand, I would make it better than the one in Exodus. I would use a plastic tube connected to a large oil tank, so I could sleep soundly without worrying about the lamp going out. With lamp bowls, you have to add oil frequently, which disturbs your sleep. If we replace God's instructions with scientific technology, God's presence will be lost. Why did God arrange the lamp in this way? Because many priests are lazy.

Why make it so troublesome? Why not have a larger lampstand? Building a church with God's presence is indeed troublesome. If I am not mistaken, oil must be added to the lamp every two hours, keeping the priests busy, so they are not too idle. Of course, this is my speculation, not explicitly stated in Scripture. Many pastors are lazy; if there is any resemblance, it is purely coincidental. I am not criticizing anyone; please do not take it personally.

Once, I tried to reach a pastor multiple times, but he did not answer or return my calls. I was puzzled. What was he doing? On the sixth attempt, the call finally connected, and I was pleased, only to hear the sounds of a child being soothed. It turned out the phone was in his pocket and accidentally answered. This pastor had a good job, getting paid to look after his child at home, saving on childcare expenses. I thought, if I am calling, what if someone he is shepherding has an emergency and cannot reach him? How can he minister? He cannot.

On another occasion, I invited a pastor for a meal, valuing our relationship, but he was always unavailable. Later, he explained that his children were on holiday, and he had to look after them, or his wife would make trouble. I understood his situation; if he cannot manage his household, how can he manage the church? I used to be a member under a pastor, and his brother told me that being a pastor was the best job in the world. Surprised, I said, "Yes, serving God is a good thing." He replied, "No, because pastors only work two hours a week." My heart sank. God, I am grateful You created this lampstand, so the priests tending it in the Old Testament could not be lazy. Now I understand.

Later, I encountered various kinds of pastors. A brother's father was a pastor in a village. During harvest season, he would suspend all gatherings. Initially, I thought it would be for a month, but he told me it was for two months. I was shocked. What kind of behavior is this? Whether in urban or rural churches, if they operate this way, they will squander even the best of God's presence. God's presence is so precious, but they not only fail to cultivate it, they ruin it. Without God's presence, is this not a tragedy? Do you know the rules of our church? Whether it is the first or fifteenth of the month, whether it is Valentine's Day or any other holiday, we must always seek God's presence. God's presence is infinitely good, so we must carefully craft these items, building the church according to the pattern God has shown us in heaven.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, it is alright if you do not share my commitment. But you must know this: you have received God's grace in this place not because of your own abilities, but because there were people before you who laid down their lives for God. Following God's instructions, no matter how troublesome or difficult, is building God's church according to His word, for God's church must be built on the rock.

If you come here and receive the grace you seek, but you do not want to be like us, you are free to go wherever you wish. I assure you, I will not curse you behind your back. I say this to reassure you that we do not lack people like you. Another reason is that if too many such people come, the church will become corrupt and lose God's presence. A church that once had God's presence loses it through your actions, and the church's culture changes. If you do not have time, go about your business; we do not need you to merely sit in the church. If you think harvesting crops is important, then go to a village church where you can focus on harvesting. You do not need to do any work, and the church does not need you to listen to sermons.

Our church is a place of sacrifice, because the sacrifice is worthwhile. We must honor our God with a most honorable attitude. If you are in a certain ministry, you will find that the ministry leader expects you to complete the bi-weekly assignments on time, regardless of whether you are harvesting crops or have children. These bi-weekly assignments are actually grace! If you cannot complete them, it is unjustifiable. Perhaps you will say you have children, and I can only say: then take good care of your children! This is also God's good will. These words may offend some, but I am also giving you grace.

As for me and my fellow brothers and sisters, whether in season or out of season, we will serve God in this way. Even when it is not opportune, we will still put God first. This is our choice. In the end, we will care for our children, cook meals, do housework, and not neglect anything. Some may say I do not understand, but I do. You will gradually figure it out and implement what you have learned.

God's presence is not something we can replace by staying home to care for children or cook meals. I look down on those who do not build God's church according to His word, because they do not treasure God. God does not treasure them either, and He treats them as rubbish. If God treats them as rubbish, I will treat them as rubbish too. What I just described is not an isolated phenomenon, but a widespread one.

Once, a colleague told me he had never seen an Evangelical. He has followed me in faith for so many years and has never seen one. Evangelicals know that the Bible is the word of God, yet they do not treat God as God. Is this not terrifying? I encourage everyone listening to my sermons to take things seriously. If you turn back to God and emulate Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Moses, and Joshua, we can run together. God will give you time, and you can gradually change.

What does it mean to have no time? If something is not important, you will not have time for it. If it is important, you will always find time. Why do you have no time? Because you always push God aside, how can you have time? Your time is cursed. If I do not speak strongly, will people wake up? That is why I often speak harshly. Our God is not to be trifled with, and truly, many problems can be resolved. Do not just pay lip service. For example, in some ministries, your district leader kindly assigns you to a ministry, but you do not respond to messages from the ministry leader. Later, the ministry leader asks me what to do, and I say, "Kick them out. This is not a place to slack off."

It is not that they have no time; they have time to play mahjong, fool around, and chat idly, but they do not have time to draw near to God. Some people are very skilled at turning foolish talk into idle chatter, never repeating themselves in an hour. They know everything about flying creatures, land animals, and sea creatures, but they do not know the presence of God. They are in a terrible state, yet they are still playing games with God. I am giving you opportunities, but are you giving yourself opportunities? The most important thing in our lives is to build God's glorious temple, to have God's presence. Many problems will be solved, not only current problems but also future problems. This is our mindset.

May God bless you all!