The Temple Within: Jesus, King Above All Kings

Devotional

Day 1: The King Above All Kings and His Temple

Israel’s story shows how much hinges on worship: when leaders honored the Lord at the temple, the people flourished; when they turned to other altars, everything unraveled. The temple stood as the center of their life with God—a visible sign that the Lord’s presence, promises, and forgiveness were among them. Yet their longing for a faithful king pointed beyond David and Solomon to One who would reign forever with perfect righteousness. Jesus fulfills that hope, and His rule re-centers our hearts around true worship. Today, ask the Lord to recentre your life, not around a place or a performance, but around His presence. Let your week begin with the simple prayer, “Be the center,” and watch how He gathers your scattered heart back to Himself [28:47].

2 Chronicles 7:14–16
If those who carry my name bow low, pray, seek my face, and turn from crooked paths, I will listen from heaven, wipe away their sins, and restore their land. My eyes will be open here; my ears will attend to the prayers offered in this place. I chose and set apart this house so my name would dwell there; my gaze and my heart are fixed here for all time.

Reflection: Where have you built “other altars” in your week—places of misplaced trust or attention—and what specific step will you take to re-center your schedule around God’s presence?

Day 2: Why the Temple Mattered—and What Changed

The temple once stood as the assurance that God was with His people, the place of sacrifice, forgiveness, prayer, and unity. But in Jesus, the Lamb of God, the once-for-all sacrifice has been made, cleansing not just past wrongs but breaking sin’s power. When He died, the temple curtain tore, declaring that access to God is no longer confined to a place or a priesthood. Now the Holy One meets you anywhere and anytime, through Christ who intercedes for you. God is not caged by bricks and curtains; He is on the move—and He has come near to you today [42:51].

Matthew 27:51
At that very moment, the inner curtain of the temple split from top to bottom, showing that the barrier was removed by God, not by human hands.

Reflection: In what specific setting this week (home, commute, workplace) will you practice simple, honest prayer to live as someone who has full access to God?

Day 3: You Are The Temple Where God Lives

Through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you; the dwelling place of God is no longer stone but your very life. You were bought at a great price, cleansed and made holy, so that your body and your habits become a living sanctuary. The Spirit empowers and guides, grows good fruit, and makes your ordinary moments places of worship. This truth dignifies your decisions and your daily rhythms—what you do with your time, your words, and your body matters to God. Today, welcome Him to every room of your life and ask Him to be at home in you [44:20].

1 Corinthians 6:19–20
Don’t you realize that your body is a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit, a gift from God living within you? You do not belong to yourself—you were paid for with a costly price—so honor God with your whole life.

Reflection: What is one “room” of your inner life you’ve kept private (a habit, fear, or plan), and what concrete way will you open that space to the Spirit this week?

Day 4: Worship In Spirit And Truth, Everywhere, Always

Jesus said worship would no longer be tied to a mountain or to Jerusalem but would flow from hearts aligned with the Spirit and grounded in truth. Because Christ stands at the Father’s right hand for you, prayer is welcome in kitchens and classrooms, in quiet sighs and joyful songs. Churches gather not so we can perform, but so the good news can meet weary people again and again. As you go, your life becomes a portable sanctuary where praise and obedience rise throughout the day. Let your worship be woven into the ordinary, not reserved for a special place or hour [39:15].

John 4:21–24
The time is arriving—and has already begun—when true worshipers won’t be limited by location. The Father seeks people who worship by the breath of His Spirit and by the reality of His truth, for God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in Spirit and in truth.

Reflection: Name one ordinary place you’ll turn into a sanctuary this week (a specific room or daily route), and what simple practice—song, Scripture, or silent prayer—will you offer there?

Day 5: Carried No More—Christ Lives In You

God has not only come to be with you; He has come to live in you. By His Spirit, He is building us together on Christ the cornerstone, making a living temple out of ordinary people. This indwelling presence unites us, reshapes our desires, and sends us into the world bearing forgiveness and grace. In this season of gifts, receive again the greatest gift: the King above all kings making His home in your heart and among His people. Go as His temple—mobile, joyful, grounded in His mercy—and let your life echo His nearness to a weary world [50:46].

Ephesians 2:19–22
You are no longer outsiders; you belong with God’s people and are part of His household. Built on the foundation laid by apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the key stone, the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy dwelling. In Him, you too are being built into a place where God lives by His Spirit.

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to become an outpost of His presence this week (a specific relationship or setting), and what one small act will you take to embody His nearness there?

Sermon Summary

We walked through 2 Chronicles 6–7 and watched Solomon dedicate the temple David longed to build. The glory of the Lord filled that house so powerfully the priests couldn’t even enter. God promised His eyes and His heart would be there, that prayers would be heard there, that sins would be forgiven there, and that the nation would be healed as they humbled themselves and returned to Him. The temple centralized Israel’s life—politically, spiritually, and relationally—because it wasn’t only a symbol of God’s presence; it was where God pledged to dwell with His people.

But there’s a holy shift after Jesus. Every reason the temple mattered finds its fulfillment in Him. The sacrifices were repeated and could only cover the past; Jesus, the Lamb of God, offered Himself once for all to remove sin. The curtain was torn at His death, and heaven’s access is now open. That means worship, prayer, cleansing, and forgiveness are not tied to a place or a priesthood. In Christ, we have direct access to the Father, and our prayers, offered in His name, are heard in the very throne room of God.

So where does God dwell now? Not in stones made by human hands, but in people redeemed by the blood of Jesus. By the Spirit, our bodies have become temples. The King and the temple still belong together—only now the King makes His home in us. This is why we gather in church buildings—not to perform sacrifices, but to hear the gospel again and again, to be strengthened as one body, and to be sent into the world. Worship is no longer about Jerusalem or a mountain; it’s about Spirit and truth, because the Spirit has been poured out into our hearts.

As we come to Christmas, don’t settle for “God with us” as a sentiment. In Christ, God is in us. He didn’t come merely to carry us through hard stretches; He came to dwell within, to cleanse, reshape, and unite us into a living temple with Jesus as the cornerstone. That’s peace. That’s access. That’s a new life. The King above all kings has made you His temple.

Key Takeaways

1. The temple signaled God’s nearness. The temple stood as God’s pledged presence among His people—His eyes, ears, and heart turned toward them. It unified the nation around prayer, worship, and forgiveness. It taught Israel that nearness to God is not an idea but a place of encounter. And it revealed that God desires to dwell with, not just oversee, His people. [32:57]
2. Jesus ends sacrifice with final blood. Animal blood could only cover the past; it could not erase guilt or change the heart. Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice does what repeated offerings never could—remove sin’s record and power. The cross is not a new ritual; it is the end of ritual atonement and the beginning of a cleansed people. Faith receives what His blood has finished. [36:58]
3. The torn curtain changes access. When the curtain split, access didn’t just open to God on our terms; God moved toward us on His terms. He is “on the loose,” free to lay claim to our schedules, desires, and loyalties. Prayer is now a throne-room privilege, not a temple appointment. Grace grants intimacy—and responsibility—to live before God’s immediate presence. [42:51]
4. You are now God’s dwelling. By the Spirit, your body is a temple; holiness is no longer a location but a life. Indwelling means transformation: God is not a consultant but a resident, renovating motives and habits from the inside out. The church becomes a living temple, joined together in Christ the cornerstone. Your ordinary moments become sacred spaces of His presence. [44:20]
5. Worship anywhere, in Spirit and truth. With the Spirit within and Christ as truth, worship leaves geography behind and enters a life of presence and obedience. Our singing and our serving, our silence and our speaking, become offerings. The question is not “where” but “how”—with hearts aligned to reality as God names it. Spirit-led truth-telling is the new altar fire. [46:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:11] - Opening prayer and Route 66 series
[28:47] - Kings and temple themes in Chronicles
[32:57] - God’s presence fills and defines the temple
[35:28] - Why Christians don’t travel to sacrifice
[36:20] - The temple matters—no and yes
[36:58] - Jesus, the once-for-all sacrifice
[39:15] - Direct access: prayer through Christ
[40:45] - Why the church gathers today
[42:51] - Curtain torn: God “on the loose”
[44:20] - Your body is the Holy Spirit’s temple
[46:53] - Worship in Spirit and truth
[47:24] - Not just with us—in us
[50:46] - God does not live in stone
[51:41] - Closing prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- 2 Chronicles 6–7

Observation questions

In 2 Chronicles 7:1–3, what visible signs showed that God’s presence filled the temple, and what was the priests’ response?
In 2 Chronicles 7:14–16, what four actions are God’s people called to take, and what four promises does God make in response?
List the main roles the temple played for Israel (worship, sacrifice, prayer, national unity). How were these roles described as “central” to Israel’s life? [32:57]
What specific changes were described when the curtain in the temple was torn, and what did that mean for access to God? [42:51]

Interpretation questions

If God’s “eyes,” “ears,” and “heart” were set on the temple (2 Chronicles 7:15–16), what does that tell a person about God’s desire to be near rather than distant?
If Jesus’ sacrifice is “once for all,” how should that reshape a person’s view of guilt, forgiveness, and the need to “make up for” sin? [36:58]
If the curtain’s tearing means God is “on the loose,” how should that change expectations about who starts the conversation—us seeking God, or God seeking us? [42:51]
If a believer’s body is now a temple of the Holy Spirit, in what ways does holiness move from being a place someone goes to being a life someone lives? [44:20]

Application questions

Direct access: If prayer now reaches “the very throne room of God,” where and when will you lean into that access this week—car, lunch break, bedtime? What helps you pray “in Jesus’ name” with confidence? [39:15]
God on the loose: Where do you feel most protective of your schedule or desires? What might it look like to welcome God’s “access to you whenever He wants” in that area? [42:51]
Living temple: Name one daily routine (commute, dishes, email) you will treat as “sacred space” because the Spirit lives in you. What simple practice will mark it as worship? [44:20]
Finished work: Is there a past sin you still treat as if it needs more payment? How will you practice resting in Jesus’ “once-for-all” sacrifice this week—confession, thanksgiving, or telling a trusted friend? [36:58]
Gathered church: When you come on Sundays, do you come to “perform” or to receive the gospel again? What one change (praying before service, inviting someone, staying to encourage someone) will help you receive and share grace? [40:45]
Spirit and truth: Where is God asking for truth-shaped obedience right now—finances, relationships, hidden habits? What is one concrete step you can take in the next 48 hours? [46:53]
Not just “with us,” but “in us”: As Christmas approaches, how will you personally welcome Christ’s indwelling—setting aside 10 minutes daily, surrendering a fear, reconciling with someone, or beginning a simple Advent reading? [48:49]

Sermon Clips

church the king and the temple just as they were bound together in 1 Kings and 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are still bound together in you and me and that's why this Christmas and every day we can pray and worship in spirit and in truth knowing that he is with us and we are with him and he hears us and knows us and loves us and will never let us go [00:50:55] (42 seconds) #WorshipInSpiritAndTruth