Hymns of the Church (Part XI) – You Are A Living Sanctuary

Sermon Title: Hymns of the Church – You Are A Living Sanctuary

Good News Statement: God invites us to be a living sanctuary for Him

Summary: We are a living sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true, with thanksgiving in our heart

Preached: Sunday, November 23^rd, 2025, at Dogwood Prairie & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 – Today’s Scripture reading comes from the Book of Second Thessalonians, Chapter One, Verses Five thru Ten. Paul is writing to the people about the Christ’s return but in a way that reminds us that God is with us in our battles. May the hearing, reading, and understanding of the word add a blessing to your life.

 

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

 

⁵ This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. ⁶ For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you ⁷ and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in a fiery flame, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction[1]:

For almost two thousand years, Christians have used music as a way to worship. In the Bible the Apostle Paul writes: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” In the Book of Psalm we read these words, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 98:4 and Psalm 100:1). For the past two thousand years, music has been used across denominational boundaries, beliefs, religious practices, and traditions as a means to embrace and celebrate the lessons of scripture. Needless to say, music has become an essential practice of one’s faith.

Hymns originated in ancient cultures and evolved through Jewish, Greek, and Roman practices, eventually becoming systematic in early Christianity with Latin chants. The roots of hymns can be traced to ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and India. The word “hymn” comes from the Greek word “hymnos” which means “a song of praise”. Originally, hymns were written to honor various gods of varying traditions. The first recorded hymn, found in Exodus 15, is the Song of Moses in the Old Testament, celebrating the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea. Later on, in the same chapter, Miriam, Moses’ sister, encourages those around with tambourine in hand to “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…” (Exodus 15:21).

Hymnody—the singing or composition of hymns—has evolved and changed since that first hymn in the Old Testament as well as over the centuries and has been affected by new thinking and developing religious beliefs. For example, throughout the history of the church, whenever there has been renewal, a revival or restoration, new songs of worship have appeared. During the Middle Ages hymnody developed in the form of Gregorian chant or ‘plainsong’. It was sung in Latin and most often by monastic choirs. But in the 16th Century, church goers were given much greater access to hymns as a result of the invention of the printing press and the influential German theologian, Martin Luther, who began encouraging people to sing together in congregations. As one resource noted, “Martin Luther in the 16th Century revolutionized Christian hymnody by encouraging congregations to sing hymns in their own languages (vernacular) rather than just Latin, a movement that spread widely with the invention of the printing press.”[2]

In England the non-conformist minister Isaac Watts (1674-1748) began a transformation of congregational singing. Watts believed strongly that hymns should express the religious feelings of the people and he became a prolific writer, creating hundreds of new hymns—such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World.” Watts has been described as “the liberator of English hymnody” as his hymns moved people away from simply singing Old Testament psalms to inspiring people to sing from the heart with great faith and understanding.

In the same time period, another significant movement affected the hymns of the church: the Methodist movement, led by John Wesley. Wesley and especially his brother Charles used simple rhythms and sing-able melodies to help congregational singing. It has been noted that Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns during his lifetime from 1707-1788, and most of the hymns that he wrote were written to accompany specific sermons by John Wesley to convey a particular theological message. Some of Charles Wesley’s 6,000 hymns are still sung today in churches around the world: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and “ Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and probably his two most famous hymns are “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Hark! The Harold Angels Sing.”

Then in the late 19th Century a new style of hymnody known as “gospel” emerged. These songs were usually characterized by a strong lead vocal and exciting harmonies, and were a great influence on later contemporary worship worldwide. Then in twentieth and twenty-first centuries we have seen an explosion of new hymn writers and approaches. Old texts have been refreshed by new tunes. African American spirituals, especially those during the slave era, are now found in hymnals and churches around the world, and lots more contemporary hymns have sprung up. In the non-traditional church movement there has been a move away from the previous style of congregational singing to worship led by one singer or a worship band. Instrumentation has become more popular and musical styles have become much freer. The church today is richer than ever in musical resources and continues to bring congregations together through song.

It is clear, that throughout history—from Old Testament times to Gregorian Chants to Luther’s reformation to the thousands of hymns composed by Charles Wesley to spirituals to gospels and finally to contemporary music—hymns have been an essential building block of and for the church. But the question that we will be exploring is not necessarily about the history of hymns but of what hymns has the church found to be foundational all these years: “What hymns have shaped the church of yesterday for today?”

 

Body:

The year was 2015. Specifically, it was the summer of 2015. I just finished my first year of college at Augustans College in Rock Island, Illinois; and the busy summer work life was quickly approaching, and let me tell you, I was ready to make some money. I don’t know if you know this or not…but college isn’t cheap![3] So making money was the only thing on my mind for the summer of 2015. But something else happened over the summer of 2015 that became for more valuable than money.

One of my good childhood friends talked me into attending a youth retreat—hosted by Teens Encounter Christ or TEC, a Catholic program—that would take place in June over the span of four days. “Four Days?” I thought. “Can’t they do everything in one day? I don’t want to miss four days of work, especially since summer vacation is already limited to just a few weeks out of the year.” She told me how impactful and meaningful it was; and how it was exactly what she needed in her life. She couldn’t tell me everything, of course; but what she did tell me did sound rather enticing and rewarding. However, I wasn’t completely sold. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe attending wouldn’t be that bad. I could make up the days I missed at work over a few weekends and still get to experience something new.

I thought about it. I prayed about it. I talked to my friend about it. I realized that every time a thought about it, talked about it, or prayed about it, a common theme would surface. I found myself repeating the words, “I feel as if I am going through the motions. I’m going through the motions of what it means to follow Christ.” Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t give up on Jesus, I didn’t ignore Jesus, I didn’t stop believing in Jesus; I just simply hit a wall: I believed but there was no substance to my belief. I was simply going through the motions.

I accepted the invite to attend this Catholic Youth Retreat as a Protestant Methodist with an open mind. I really didn’t know what to expect. When I got there, I had to turn in my car keys and my cell phone. There were no clocks on the walls. The windows were all covered with black-out curtains. We stayed in cleared out classrooms. Essentially, we were oblivious to the outside world. Over the span of those four days, we learned about Jesus through scripture, stories, and powerful testimonies. We created prayer cards and read letters sent to us from family and friends. We ate together every day. But what has stuck with me, ten years later, are two songs that we sang on our last night there. The first one went like this: “Jesus, Jesus, can I tell you how I feel? You have given me your spirit. I love you so.” This song was a reminder that we can tell Jesus anything, even how we feel because he loves us and because of his spirit that lives within us. The second song that we learned went like this. “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary: pure and holy, tried and true; with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”

“A living sanctuary…” I left the retreat reciting those words, wondering exactly what they meant. What does it mean to be a “living sanctuary”? What is a sanctuary? The first song I learned is not too common; but the second one is actually known by my many people and even sung in churches on occasion as a prayer hymn or as a response to a prayer.  We hear those words, but what do they mean?

The last hymn we examine, much like last week, is probably not a hymn that has shaped the church nor is it as popular as the other hymns we have looked at, but it is a hymn that reminds those who read or hear its words that to be a follower of Jesus, to be the church of Christ, we must be a “living sanctuary” that doesn’t just go through the motions but seeks to be prepared to do what Jesus is calling us to do. The hymn we look at today is titled “Sanctuary”; and the question before us is “What does it mean to be a ‘living sanctuary’?”

 

Movement One: A review of Where We Have Been…

Before we get to the proposed question, I want to take few minutes to remind us where we have been the last ten weeks. The first hymn we examined was “Amazing Grace.” Written almost two and a half centuries ago in 1772, the words for the beloved song were borne from the heart, mind, and experiences of the Englishman John Newton, who was a slave trader but found the grace of God after becoming ill while on a sea voyage transporting slaves. As Newton noted, “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed.”[4] What we learned from this hymn is that God’s grace is so amazing that is has the power to save us.

The second hymn we looked at was “How Great Thou Art.” Carl Boberg, a leading evangelist, is credited with writing this hymn. [5]From this hymn, we asked ourselves, “How great is God?” God is far greater that we can understand. God is so great that He does deserve our praises. God is so great that He is merciful. God is so great that He is powerful. God is so great that He is eternal. God is so great that He is kind. And God is so great that He can change your life. God is so great that He’s got the whole world in His hands which means that He has you in His hands. God is so great!

The third hymn we thought about was “It Is Well with My Soul.” Back in the 1800’s there was a successful lawyer and businessman named Horatio Spafford. He and his wife, Anna, had five children and it seemed that all was well with his life. But then, in 1871, his young son died of pneumonia. And in that same year, much of his business was destroyed in the great Chicago fire. A few years later, while his wife and daughters were traveling to Europe, the ship they were on collided with another ship and quickly sank—226 of the 313 passengers drowned, including Spafford’s four daughters. His wife Anna was rescued and sent a telegram to her husband. The telegram simply stated, “Saved, alone.”[6] With everything going on around us, having a soul that is well seems impossible, but nothing is impossible with God. The hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” is a testament to the powerful peace of God that flows like a river in all situations of life. Even when things don’t seem well, God can make them well if you believe.

The fourth hymn we discussed was “Count Your Blessings,” written by Johnson Oatman Jr. True to its intent; its message is simple and clear: the best way to fight discouragement is to look for the blessings of life.[7] Every day, whether you realize it or not, you are blessed. You are blessed because God has chosen you; you are blessed because God has claimed you; you are blessed because God has forgiven you; you are blessed because God has given you all the wisdom you need to face each day; you are blessed because God’s Will is alive and active within you; you are blessed because God has promised you an inheritance; and you are blessed because the Spirit of Christ abides within you. You are blessed!

The fifth hymn we examined was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus?” was composed by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819–1886) in 1855. Scriven’s life was full of tragedy.[8] To be called a friend is more than having a title. It means that you are doing what Jesus would do. Being there for others no matter what, and finding within your heart to love them at all times, even when it is difficult to do so. To be a friend is both a choice and something that chooses you. To be a friend is more than asking when I can be friend and instead asking how I can be a friend. Everyone needs a friend of some sort: a person they can lean and count on. That friend is Jesus, that friend is someone you love.

The sixth hymn we looked at was “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” God’s mighty fortress is our invite to remain still, give praise, and know that sometimes change is needed to move past what is fighting against us. In the words of a famous children’s song, “My God is so big! So strong and so mighty.
There’s nothing my God cannot do.” How mighty is God’s fortress? It’s mighty enough to remind us that there is nothing He cannot do as he changes us and loves us. God’s mighty fortress is what starts a reformation within us.

The seventh hymn we considered was “Revive Us Again.” In 1863, the Scottish medical doctor William P. Mackey wrote a hymn that was, like most hymns, based on a personal story or testament. “Revive Us Again” is a prayer for revival. Mackey prayed for everyone to experience God in a personal and powerful way. Mackey prayed for a revival, a revival that would bring people back to life. Do you want God to revive you? Do you want to feel alive again? Do you want to be revived to become alive?

The eighth hymn we looked at was “Blessed Assurance.”[9] Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Blessed Assurance” is a proclamation that Jesus is mine, that we are heirs of Christ’s salvation, and that we are washed in His blood. And the best part is that no one can take away that story. I hope that in thinking about the story that God has given you, you have the faith to say, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long…” You have a story to live out. You have a story to tell. And we have a story to continue through Jesus Christ.

The ninth hymn we focused on was “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” In 1932, Thomas A Dorsey, while performing in St. Louis, received a telegram that read “Your wife just died.” When he back to his little Chicago apartment, he found out that before his wife passed away, she gave birth to a baby boy, who also passed away.[10] From this grief and sorrow, Doresy wrote the hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” In times of grief and sorrow and pain, it’s okay to grasp onto the hand of the Lord because he is never going to let go.

Lastly, the tenth hymn we reflected on was “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” In 1861, Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist, took that tune of “John Brown’s Body”  and applied it to a poem she wrote after traveling to Washington D.C., where she met with Abraham Lincoln at the White House during the Civil War. It was initially meant to be used as a recruitment song. When our young nation—not even a century old—was at its darkest hour, Howe gave the people hope, a truth, that no matter what may conspire, God—and all that God represents—will still march on.[11] God marched on preparing us for the Second Coming of Christ. In our own battles, we are encouraged to keep marching on and to know that God is marching on with us.

We have barely scratched the surface of hymns that have shaped the church. However, the hymns that we have examined so far all feed into what it means to be a “living sanctuary.” What it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ today and tomorrow. But, did you know that you are a “living sanctuary”?

 

Movement Two: Sanctuary…Behind the Lyrics…

“Sanctuary” was written and composed by both John W. Thompson, who little is known about, and Randy Scruggs, who was the eldest son of the legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs. Randy had his first recording at the age of thirteen. His prolific career as a country singer, music producer, songwriter, and guitarist dates back to 1970 with the release of All the Way Home, a collaboration with his brother Gary. The hymn “Sanctuary” was copyrighted in 1982 by Whole Armor/Full Armor.[12] The song seeks to encourage us to be sanctified in our lives and service to the Lord as we live out, in action, what Jesus is calling us to do. This hymn provides us with what is needed to be a living sanctuary.

Let’s take a few moments to examine this hymn. I want to begin with the lesser known verses of this hymn. Stanza two says that to be a sanctuary we must seek unity: “Lord, teach your children to stop the fighting, Start uniting all as one. Let’s get together, loving forever, Sanctuary for you.” On several occasions, specifically in Paul’s epistles (letters), we hear the theme of unity over and over and over again. Even during the formation of the early Church, Luke highlights how Peter proclaimed a message of what God calls clean we must not call profane (Acts 10:15), suggesting a lack of judgment on our end and more unity on God’s end since it is stated that God’s acceptance and grace extends to everyone. Paul noted in Galatians 5:15, “If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Christians should stop seeking to devour one another—proving rank and authority over each other—and spend more time “being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Two chapters earlier, Paul wrote, “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). In the hymn “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” we hear these words, “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand; and we will work with each other, we will work side by side; and all praise to the Spirit who makes us one.” Ultimately, to be a sanctuary, we must, as Paul notes, “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

A sanctuary is where people gather—people of different backgrounds, different ideas, different opinions, different interests, different ways of living, different stories, different pasts, different testimonies, different battles and fears, different hopes, different dreams, and different paths—come together in unity to worship and praise the Lord, the one who sees everyone as equal. You don’t have to complete a survey, or complete a check list, or fill out a financial pledge card when you walk through our doors. You are invited to come as you are and to experience, even if it’s just for a moment, a sense of unity and a sense of belonging. A sanctuary is a living place of unity.

The third stanza says that to be a sanctuary we must be refined by the Savior: “You were the one Lord, who sent the Savior, Heart and soul, Lord, for our land; it is you, Lord, who knows our weakness, you refine us with your own hand.” To refine something means to remove impurities or unwanted elements from a substance. For example, crude oil is refined into gasoline, diesel, and other fuels through a process of fractional distillation and thermal cracking. When it comes to metals, certain metals, like copper and zinc, are refined by using an electric current. Raw sugar is refined through a process that removes impurities to make it whiter and less grainy.

From a religious perspective, refining means to purify and strengthen people through trials. This spiritual refining process is a way God cleanses believers of sin, strengthens their faith, and prepares them for a deeper relationship with Him. The process is often depicted as difficult, but it is considered a form of loving correction that results in a purer, more valuable character. Malachi 3:3 states, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver”.  Zechariah 13:9 notes, “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.” Psalm 66:10 proclaims, “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver is refined.” And 1 Peter 1:6-7 asserts, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.” I bet you have done some “refining” in your own life: trying to master a habit, a certain skill, a certain trade, a certain interest. None of us were born perfect which means we have all had to do some refining to get us where we are today—figure out what works and doesn’t work. We all have had to let things go. We all have had to do something new. We all have had to take a leap of faith. We all have had to overcome trails and challenges, embrace setbacks, receive harsh and constructive criticism, and are put in our place in order to get us where we are today. The act and process of refining is part of nature, part of how we live our life, and part of who we are, and it is needed in order to help us live. God is the refiner wanting to help us remove our impurities and sins so that we can become pure and whole. God wants to refine you, but do you want to be refined?

A sanctuary is where you allow God to refine you, to let the blood of the lamb wash away your sins, to surrender all at the foot of the cross, and to release yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s sanctuary is living because it is constantly refining you and the church. A sanctuary is where people seek to be refined and made new in preparation for carrying out the works of the Lord.

While doing some research online, I found another stanza of this hymn which says that to be a sanctuary we must be filled with the Holy Spirit: “Lead me on, Lord, from temptation; purify me from within. Fill my heart with Your Holy Spirit; Take away all my sin.” Every Sunday, we pray together, “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). Through these words we are asking that the Lord purify our spirit in ways that obeys the truth, the way, and the life of Jesus Christ. First Peter 1:22 notes, “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.” From our purification, we not only become better obeyers of the truth, but we become better at loving one accepting one another from the heart. As Jesus stated in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” A heart that is filled with love seeks to be led by the Lord, away from temptation and sin, and toward being made new in the presence of Jesus Christ.

A sanctuary is where love is felt and expressed. It’s where love is genuine, kind, and true. It’s where love doesn’t boast but seeks forgiveness. It’s where love conquers temptations and removes sins. It’s where love is seen through the smiles and laughter of those around. It’s where a heart becomes filled with hope and grace. A living sanctuary is living because the love of Christ keeps its heart beating for generations to come.

Now, for stanza one. This particular stanza is probably the most popular stanza of the hymn, and it says that to be a sanctuary, we must be pure and holy: “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary Pure and holy, tried and true; with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living Sanctuary for you.” We have discussed a lot about what could be a sanctuary, but what actually is a sanctuary? According to several references, the word sanctuary means “a place of refuge or safety; a nature reserve.” In terms of being a holy place or place of safety and protection, a sanctuary can refer to a sacred building like a church or temple, or a specific place or space within a church or temple that is reserved for a deity or where Christ dwells. Paul wrote to the people of Ephesus, “and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). According to stanza one, to be a sanctuary, it must be something that guides us to be pure. First Timothy 5:22 notes, “Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.” And when we strive to be pure—pure in heart, pure in mind, doing no harm, doing good, loving the Lord with all our heart, mind, body, and soul while loving our neighbor as we love ourselves—we become a vessel of thanksgiving. Colossians 2:7 points out, “….built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

If you really look at it, stanza one begins a prayer. In this prayer, we are asking for ways to prepare us to be a sanctuary. As John the Baptist was called to prepare the way of the Lord, we are called to prepare to be a sanctuary—a dwelling place for the Lord. In order to do that, we must seek to become pure and holy meaning that we must seek forgiveness of our sins and we must find ways to be holy—to be set apart to do the work of Christ. Additionally, we must want to become tried-and-true which means to prove that something works well, and what works well is believing in Jesus Christ; and if we believe in Jesus Christ, then we will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). And then, we must be willing to give thanks, or as Paul noted in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we must give thanks in all circumstances. With Thanksgiving a few days away, in addition to giving God thanks for the blessings He has given you, be thankful that He wants to use you to become a living sanctuary that exemplifies His amazing grace, His greatness, His ability to make your soul well, His strength to get you through your battles, and His love that abides with you always. God is inviting you to become a living sanctuary, but what does that truly mean in your life today?

 

Movement Three: Become a Living Sanctuary…

As I highlighted earlier, to become a living sanctuary it means that we strive to live in unity, that we want to be refined by the works of God, that we want our heart to be filled with love nurtured by the Holy Spirit, and that we want to do what we can today to prepare ourselves to be a sanctuary where Christ dwells. A living sanctuary is more than a place and space that people gather: it is where an individual experiences the presence of Christ in their life. It’s where the presence of Christ makes them feel alive again.

If you think about it, a sanctuary is not confined to a single building, a single location on a map, a space defined by an address, or even a land-marker. One’s sanctuary can be the space we are in today; your vehicle can be your sanctuary; your place of work can be your sanctuary; sitting in a tractor can be your sanctuary; walking through the recently harvested fields can be your sanctuary; driving through the country can be your sanctuary; being in the same room as your spouse, children, family, and friends can be your sanctuary; your workshop can be your sanctuary; where you work on crafts or refine your hobby can be your sanctuary, and the list could go on. At times my sanctuary is sitting behind my drumset, tuning out the world, and using the gift that God has given me. Your sanctuary is where you allow yourself to experience the presence of Christ.

Jesus reminds us of this in John 4: 21-24 when he converses with the Samaritan Woman at the well. Jesus said, “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Now worship wouldn’t be tied to a specific place. Rather, an encounter with God could occur anywhere one worshiped in spirit and truth. Indeed, the worship of God can occur anywhere.

When the Israelites received instructions regarding the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus 25-36, God made it clear that the Tabernacle—with its tables, golden lampstand, altar, linens of blue, purple, and scarlet, and the Ark of the Covenant—would have to be torn down and rebuilt every time they moved. The Tabernacle moved. The Tabernacle moved because God was on the move. And God was on the move because the people were on the move. Wherever God was is where the people gathered together and worshipped in spirit and truth. When Paul and the Apostles were forming the early Church, they met people where they were and they worshipped with them there. They just didn’t preach in synagogues, but preached outside the city walls, in empty fields, in dry lands, and along weathered and fresh roads. Their sanctuary was wherever the people were because that is where God needed them to be. When John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, began preaching, he had a circuit—traveling from town to town, sharing the message of Jesus Christ. His sanctuary was a movement of and for and with the people.

My point is, is that throughout the scriptures and throughout history God’s sanctuary is not a single place: it is wherever the people need Him the most. Let me say that again: God’s sanctuary is not a single place: it is wherever the people need Him the most, it is where He dwells in their heart. To be a living sanctuary means to be active in God’s word, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and to not only worship or pray on Sunday mornings in a building we call the church. A living sanctuary is out there and in your heart. In this place and space, I prepare you to be a sanctuary so that you can be a living sanctuary out in the world that desperately needs to know Jesus.

 

Conclusion:

After leaving the Youth Retreat with that song stuck in my head, I realized that I really did need to attend. I was at the point in my life where I simply saw the “sanctuary” as a single place and space that was only alive when the lights turned on Sunday mornings. I was simply going through the motions. I wasn’t living out the motions. Have you ever felt like that before? You’re going through the motions but you don’t feel alive: there is no meaning behind what you are doing.

Today, I invite you to think about those moments and I encourage you to give those moments to God so that you can become a living sanctuary where the presence of Christ is with you always helping you live out his plan and purpose in your life. And church, we need to do the same. We can’t be a living sanctuary if we are stuck in one place. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ—living and carrying out his mission on earth. As a living sanctuary we are called to express unity, be refined today for those that sit in our pews today and tomorrow, be filled with the love of Christ as we tend to the needs of those who attend and those who don’t, and we need to constantly be willing to be prepared—whatever it looks like—to be sanctuary.

What does it mean to be a living sanctuary? It means to be active; it means to know that wherever you go, God is with you; and it means that the presence of Christ is not just here; it is in your heart and out there. How are you going to be a living sanctuary today and throughout your life? Are you willing to make the promise that you will be a living sanctuary for Christ?

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and holy, tried and true;

With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living Sanctuary for You.

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, prepare us to be a sanctuary that is pure, holy, and tried-and-true, with thanksgiving in our heart. O Lord, we want to be a living sanctuary for you. In your precious and holy name, we pray. Amen.

 

Benediction:

Church, we are called to be a living sanctuary today and always. This week, allow yourself to experience the presence of Christ in our own “sanctuary” so that you can be refined by his love. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth seeking ways to be a living sanctuary. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4vMxs6kctQgkwkvgQbJTXDk/a-brief-history-of-hymns

[3] Between the books, class materials, eating at the cafeteria, room and board, paying for gas, and then taking out loans to pay for tuition, my bank account wasn’t always the healthiest.

[4] Newton was a wretch, a sinner, but was saved by grace. Newton was lost but was found by grace. Newton was blind but with Christ in his life could see by grace. Newton experienced many dangers, toils, and snares but lived through them and didn’t give up because of grace.

[5] His inspiration is said to have come one day when he was caught in a thunderstorm on the southeastern coast of Sweden. The violence of the storm followed by the return of the sun and the singing of birds left him falling to his knees in awe.

[6] Spafford took the next available liner to be with his wife, and as his ship passed near where his daughters had died he was overcome with grief. But on that voyage, he penned the words to now famous hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

[7] Every day we are blessed in some way because God is in our life. You may not feel blessed, but you are. You may not talk about being blessed, but God is talking for you.

[8] C. Michael Hawn,” History of Hymns: ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’” United Methodist Discipleship, published February 2021. Accessed Tuesday, October 7, 2025. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus   Following the accidental drowning of his Irish fiancée on the evening before their wedding, he moved to Woodstock, Canada West (now Ontario) in 1844, where he led a Plymouth Brethren fellowship and taught. A few years later, tragedy struck again when his second fiancée, Eliza Catherine Roach, died in 1860 of an illness shortly before their wedding.

[9] “Blessed Assurance,” written by Fanny Crosby, who was born on March 24, 1820, in the village of Brewster, about 50 miles north of New York City. At six weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. Because of this illness, Crosby became blind. But, the blindness didn’t stop her. She did what she could do in love for her Savior. She wrote poems, many of which became hymns. In fact, she wrote some 8,000 hymns in her lifetime, and has been called the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers.”

[10] Dorsey wrote, “I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart.”

[11] As soldiers fought day and night, night and day, God marched on. As soldiers battled hunger, exhaustion, defeat, and uncertainty, God marched on. As cities were left in ruins and up in flames, God marched on. As hope was lost to the “grapes of wrath,” God marched on. In moments that “will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated on December 7, 1941, God marched on.

[12] Some hymnals have three stanzas while others have a double tune and only two stanzas, the first consisting of stanzas 1 and 2, and the second of stanza 3 with a repeat of stanza 1.