Riverbend Church

Exodus: The Lord Moves

In this message, Andrew teaches from Exodus 40, showing how the completion of the tabernacle fulfills God’s promise to dwell among His people, echoing the creation account and foreshadowing the New Covenant. Israel’s obedience in constructing the tabernacle “just as the Lord commanded” creates sacred space for God’s glory to fill, marking a moment of restored relationship after covenant-breaking idolatry. This dwelling is not about a physical tent alone but anticipates the greater reality in Christ, where God’s presence moves from the tabernacle into His people through the Holy Spirit. The message contrasts the fleeting satisfaction of self-made “heavens on earth” with the lasting joy of hosting God’s presence, calling believers to trust His vision, obey His commands, and prepare themselves as living temples. Revival comes not through chasing personal fulfillment but by faithfully receiving the gift of salvation, participating in the New Covenant, and practicing rhythms of prayer, worship, and confession so that God’s Kingdom is embodied in daily life.

Exodus: At Home with God

In this message, Katy teaches from Exodus 38–39, emphasizing how God’s longing to dwell with His people takes shape through the detailed, communal construction of the tabernacle. Rather than arbitrary instructions, every element—especially the bronze altar and basin—reflects God's mercy, justice, and desire for restored relationship. The altar symbolizes forgiveness through substitutionary atonement, while the basin represents cleansing from the lingering effects of sin. Together, they point forward to Jesus, who offers a permanent and personal reconciliation, not just dwelling among His people but within them by the Holy Spirit. The message invites listeners to re-frame obedience and generosity as relational responses to God’s faithfulness, embracing forgiveness with joy and living as sacred spaces for God’s presence—anticipating the day He dwells fully with His people in a new heaven and earth.

Exodus: For Glory & Beauty (part 2)

In this message, Nic teaches from Exodus 35–36, exploring how God’s presence, purpose, and beauty intersect with everyday work and community life. As Israel begins constructing the tabernacle, the emphasis shifts from detailed instructions to willing participation, showing that sacred work must be done in God’s way and rhythm—beginning with rest and Sabbath. The Spirit empowers not just priests, but artisans like Bezalel, illustrating that all vocations—whether creative, manual, or managerial—can reflect God’s beauty and serve His kingdom. Every skill, resource, and act of obedience becomes part of a larger invitation to build God’s dwelling together. The message calls listeners to reimagine their vocation as a Spirit-filled expression of worship, participate in the shared mission of the Church, and pursue God's presence as the guiding force behind everything they do.

Exodus: Show Me Your Glory

In this message, Andrew teaches from Exodus 33–34, highlighting the “Character Creed” as God's self-revelation in the wake of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Despite the people’s idolatry and covenant betrayal, God remains committed to His desire to dwell with them, even as He wrestles with the tension between justice and mercy. Through Moses’ bold intercession—“If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us”—God renews His vows to His people and declares His name: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love and faithfulness. These words are not abstract traits but actions lived out through history, and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus—the visible glory of God and the embodiment of this Creed. The message invites listeners to reject idols, receive the grace of Jesus, and cultivate lives marked by faithful trust, bold prayer, and a hunger for God's presence—not settling for blessings without intimacy, but becoming living temples where God’s glory dwells.

Exodus: Breaking the Covenant (by Jose Zayas)

In this message, Jose Zayas teaches from Exodus 32, where the people of Israel turn from God to worship a golden calf, revealing how quickly hearts can drift from trust to idolatry. Though God had just invited them into covenant relationship, their impatience leads to a distorted version of worship shaped by fear and self-reliance. In response, God’s anger burns, but through Moses’ bold intercession, we see that mercy and judgment are held together in God’s character. This moment becomes a mirror for our own hearts—exposing where we’ve reshaped God into our own image or failed to trust Him fully. Yet even in failure, the message is one of grace: God remains willing to forgive, restore, and lead His people, calling them back into faithful partnership through repentance and renewal.

Jose serves as the Lead Pastor of 26 West Church in Portland, Oregon and speaks at festivals and conferences across the country.

Exodus: For Glory & Beauty

In this message, Andrew teaches from Exodus 28–31, revealing that God’s detailed instructions for the tabernacle and priestly garments are not arbitrary demands but an expression of His desire to dwell with His people in beauty and holiness. The garments of the high priest symbolize the sacred role of hosting God’s presence and mediating between heaven and earth, pointing forward to Jesus—the true and perfect High Priest—who tears the veil, bears our sin, and clothes us in His righteousness. God's dwelling is no longer confined to a tent; through Christ, His people have become the new tabernacle. This message calls believers to embrace their identity as a royal priesthood, consecrated not by performance but by grace, and to live as hosts of God’s presence—interceding, worshiping, and embodying His glory in the world. Revival readiness begins with this priestly calling: to trust God's wisdom, practice His ways, and prepare our lives as sacred space for His presence to dwell.

Exodus: Dwelling Place of God

In this message, Andrew explores Exodus 25–27, revealing how God’s detailed instructions for the tabernacle reflect His desire to dwell intimately among His people. The tabernacle was more than a tent; it was a portable Eden, a sacred space where heaven and earth touched, designed not only for God’s glory but for the transformation of His people. Each element, from the Ark of the Covenant to the lampstand, pointed to God’s invitation for communion, beauty, and daily faithfulness. Andrew draws a line from this ancient dwelling place to Jesus, the true atonement cover, who makes relationship with God fully accessible. The call now is for God’s people to consecrate their whole lives—not just religious spaces—as dwelling places for His presence. Holiness isn’t about legalism but about becoming the kind of people who can host God’s glory, preparing both individually and as a community to reflect His love and advance His kingdom in a world desperate for redemption.

Exodus: The Mountain Top

In this message, Michael teaches from Exodus 24, presenting the covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai as God’s invitation for His people to step into deeper relationship with Him. The chapter paints a picture of ascending the mountain into God’s holy presence—the fullness of joy—but making that ascent requires obedience. This obedience isn’t about earning God’s love; it’s about moving into alignment with His goodness, shedding the sin and destructive patterns that don’t belong in His kingdom. Just as Israel said “yes” to the covenant, followers of Jesus are invited to ongoing, daily obedience, trusting that God’s commands flow from His heart of love. Communion with God is not just something we wait for after death—it’s available now through Jesus, who shepherds us into healing, freedom, and life.

Pentecost Sunday 2025

Exodus: The Heart of the Law

In this message, Nic teaches from Exodus 19–23, framing the giving of the law as part of a love story between God and His people, not a list of arbitrary rules. After Yahweh rescues Israel from slavery, He invites them into covenant partnership, preparing them—like in pre-marital counseling—for the vows to come. The law reveals God’s character: compassionate, just, faithful, and deeply relational. Instructions about worship, sabbath, and even servitude are rooted in dignity and care, calling Israel to live differently than the world they came from. These commands are not about earning God’s love but responding to it through relational obedience. God meets His people where they are and leads them toward a life that reflects His heart. This same invitation extends to us—not just to be rescued, but to be transformed, daily, into people who walk in faithfulness and rightly represent the One who calls us His own.