Read more in this series: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12
As temples of the Holy Spirit, we exist to glorify God while we welcome visitors into His presence. Every choice in our lives should conform to this purpose.
In this series we are exploring what it means to be temples of the Holy Spirit. We’re looking at the nine types of people who visit temples so that we can understand their motivation. If we understand what drives them, we will better understand how to help them on their journey towards the Lord.
The Layout of the Temple
As we begin to discuss the visitors to the temple, let’s take a brief moment to talk about the layout of the temple itself.
After God freed the Israelites from Egypt, He led them to Mount Sinai, where He gave them plans to construct the Tabernacle. That design became the pattern used to build the temples in Jerusalem. Today, we follow that same spiritual pattern. As we grow in relationship with God, we pass through the gates, then the altar, then the laver, then the Holy Place, until finally we arrive at the Holy of Holies.
Each step represents an important milestone in our relationship with the Lord, and we’ll talk about each one as we guide visitors through them. But the decision to grow in relationship with the Lord doesn’t actually start in the temple. It starts outside, past the camp, in the wilderness.
It’s there in the barren wasteland that we find our first visitor to the temple: a poor, desperate soul, walking in circles.
The Lost
Matthew 5:3 ESV - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Far past the temple gates, wandering helplessly in a barren wasteland, is the Lost.
On the surface, the Lost might appear to be poor, or he might look rich. He might be a fool, or he might be well educated. He could be of any class, color, or creed. Lost souls come in many varieties, but they all have something in common: they lack direction and purpose.
The Lost may not seem directionless at first. Maybe he is working hard to build a business empire. Maybe he is a famous influencer. Maybe he attends a prestigious university. Maybe he is simply looking forward to retirement so he can relax on a beach or go fishing.
Those things can all be rewarding in their own way, but wealth, fame, position, power, and pleasure don’t offer answers. They all come up short and leave us unfulfilled. The Lost’s response to this is usually to chase variety or to double down on what they already have, thinking if they just had more, it would do the trick.
But it never does.
How many of us have degrees we don’t use? How many of us have clothes we don’t wear? How much food do we throw away because we didn’t like the taste? How often do we change homes, or jobs, or romantic partners, simply because we find them unfulfilling? How bad are we at knowing what will truly make us happy?
We’re lost! When are we going to admit that we’ve been wandering in circles? We’ve passed by the same landmarks of failure, despair, and emptiness over and over again, and we’re getting nowhere.
Who can show us the way?
John 14:6 ESV - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We who are believers can help the lost person. We know the way to the kingdom of heaven. We can point them in the direction of something greater than the meaningless toil they’re lost in.
We just have to embrace compassion.
Matthew 9:36 ESV - When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Compassion leads to evangelism. When we have compassion for the lost, it becomes natural to tell them about Jesus. It becomes natural to demonstrate His love through our actions. It becomes natural to tell others about how we, too, were lost, but now we are found in Him.
It’s easy to point the way. Speak with conviction and truth, just as if you were giving someone directions to the nearest restaurant or gas station.
Have compassion. Point the way.
“It seems like you’re looking for a change, like maybe the things you thought would make you happy are coming up short. I used to feel the exact same way until someone pointed me in the right direction.
“Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Everything I tried to do before Him left me empty and alone. When I found Jesus, I found purpose. He took my sin from me and made me into a new person.
“If you want a way out of the despair you’re trapped in, aim for the cross and walk straight towards it. It’s not far. Just keep walking towards Jesus and don’t look back, and soon you’ll find the answers you are looking for.”