This sermon explores what it means to be the dwelling place of God's presence — that through Jesus' once-and-for-all sacrifice, we are now the ark of the covenant, the most holy place where God lives. Sammy-Jo traces the journey from the physical ark in 2 Samuel 6 through Hebrews 9 and 10 to the present reality: there is nothing left to sacrifice, nothing in the way, and God is already closer than we think.
In the first section, Sammy-Jo opens with the story of the Ark of the Covenant from 2 Samuel 6 — a large wooden box covered in gold, with statues of angels on top, containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff, and a jar of manna. Most importantly, the presence of God lived in the ark. In the temple, as you moved from the outer to the inner rooms, it got more and more strict — until you reached the Most Holy Place, where the ark sat, and only one priest was allowed to enter once a year, with a rope tied around his leg in case he died in the presence of God. Yet the ark had been left at someone's house for 20 to 70 years because Israel was scared and had forgotten its significance. Sammy-Jo draws the parallel: all the religious activity in the temple kept happening — sacrifices, rituals — but the actual thing it was all for, God, wasn't there. The point of being a Christian is to be with God, to know Him and be known by Him, to love Him and be loved by Him. All the other stuff is surface stuff. David recognised this and said, "We need Him at the center of everything we're doing."
In the second section, Sammy-Jo turns to what Jesus has done about the presence of God. The Israelites had to make continual animal sacrifices to be clean enough to be near God — a bull and a fattened calf every six steps as the ark was carried back. But Hebrews 10 makes clear that those sacrifices were only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the wonderful blessings to come. They never made hearts perfect; they just reminded people of their sins year after year. Jesus understood that God didn't want us to keep offering things that didn't actually make us pure, so He said, "Put a body on me so I can offer it as a sacrifice instead." He entered the holiest sanctuary in heaven once and forever, not with the blood of animals, but with His own sacred blood — and made our salvation secure forever. That means we are right with God, underlined, full stop, forever. There is no more sacrifice to make. Sammy-Jo is honest about how we still live as though we think we have to sacrifice to be near Him — if we try harder, understand the Bible better, are more like that other person, then maybe we'll be closer to God. But if we keep thinking we have to try harder or make more of a sacrifice, we're saying His blood isn't enough. Sammy-Jo shares a personal moment of breakthrough — sitting on the sofa at home, reading Hebrews 9 and 10, and suddenly understanding for the first time that she is close to God. Not trying to get there. Already there. Because of the blood of Jesus. She was lying on the kitchen floor crying when John came home from work, and all she could say was, "Jesus has made a way." She also shares how the next week at a prayer meeting, she caught herself believing the lie that her friend was hearing from God more because she'd prayed more that week — and the Holy Spirit gently reminded her that hearing from God isn't dependent on us. It depends on what lie we're believing. The truth is He has made a way. He is close. All we have to do is turn our attention towards Him.
In the third section, Sammy-Jo lands the sermon with the reality that we are now the ark. If God used to live in the ark, in the Most Holy Place, where does He live on the earth now? In us. We are the ark. We are the Most Holy Place. We might not feel like it, but this is the truth — He lives inside of us, and we don't have to go looking for Him or try to get Him to come down. He's already here. All we have to do is turn our attention towards Him, and He's there. Sammy-Jo draws on Hebrews 10:19 — we are welcomed to come into the Most Holy Sanctuary boldly and without hesitation, not because of anything we've done, but because Jesus' body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him. There is nothing — really nothing — that can keep us at a distance from Him. Even if we've done a really bad sin, whatever we've done, Jesus' blood can cover it. The devil is the accuser who will remind us of what we did last week, how we spoke to someone, or how we were in the wrong mood with our kid that morning — but we are sinful, and that's exactly why the blood of Jesus is here. We say, "I'm really sorry, I receive your covering again," and there is nothing that separates us from God. Sammy-Jo describes what this intimacy looks like in practice — sitting with Jesus in Bethany in her Holy Spirit imagination, holding His hand, asking Him questions and hearing Him answer, asking how she can love Him and being led to oil His hair as an act of worship and comfort, something that was normal and loving in the time Jesus walked the earth. And then suddenly the scene shifted — Jesus wasn't just in Bethany, He was right there in the room, and everyone was singing straight to Him. Behold Him. He's right here. We are the Ark of the Covenant. We can be as close to Him as we want to be. There is nothing in the way. And that's why communion matters so much — He is a holy God, and by right we should die in His presence. But because of Jesus, we are covered in His blood, and we can come right close without fear.
Central Message:
The whole point of everything is to be with God — to know Him and be known by Him. The Ark of the Covenant was where God's presence lived, and the temple ritual existed to get near Him. But Jesus came and offered Himself as the once-and-for-all sacrifice, entering the holiest sanctuary with His own blood, so that we are right with God forever. There is no more sacrifice to make. If we think we have to try harder, be better, or earn our way closer to Him, we're saying His blood isn't enough. The truth is He has made the way. We are now the ark. We are the Most Holy Place. God lives inside of us, and all we have to do is turn our attention towards Him.
Key Encouragement:
You don't have to try to get close to God — you already are. Not because of anything you've done, but because of the blood of Jesus. There is nothing — really nothing — that can keep you at a distance from Him. Whatever you've done, however you've been, Jesus' blood can cover it. The devil will accuse you and remind you of your failures, but that's exactly why the blood of Jesus is here. You don't have to go looking for Him or try to get Him to come down. He's already here, living inside of you. All you have to do is turn your attention towards Him.
Reflective Question:
Take a moment to consider: are you living as though you still need to earn your closeness to God — trying harder, being better, making sacrifices to be good enough? What would change in your daily experience if you truly believed that Jesus' blood is enough and there is nothing in the way? And if God lives inside of you right now, how might that change the way you turn your attention towards Him today?
