Learning the Pattern for Worship

Exodus 25:1–9 NASB95

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. 3 “This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, 4 blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 5 rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, 6 oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9 “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.

Exodus 31 NASB95

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 “And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, 8 the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, 10 the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood; 11 the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.” 12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 ‘Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 ‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16 ‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17 “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.” 18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

INTRO: What comes to mind when you hear “worship”? Maybe you think about music or prayer. Maybe, when you think about worship, you think about an emotional experience- if you’re a guy you might think worship is a bit unmanly.

However, Scripture shows us a picture of worship that might look different than you imagine. Before we get into the passage, we need to do a few things. First we need to define worship. Simply put, Worship is the right, fitting response of moral beings (humans and angels) to God as revealed in Scripture.

One challenge is we don’t know how to best worship. Is it through song? Through church services? And to this, I just want to say that our lives are intended to bring glory to God in all we do- whether we eat, drink or whatever because we live in light of the revelation of God. So yes, everything we do - our lives should be worshipful… But, we must note that worship must be intentional. We’ll come back to that.

The second thing we must do is understand our own design. God has created us as image-bearers. We are made in His image and were given the task to rule over the earth in accordance with His design. And we like participating in things that make sense and give purpose, don’t we? When we worship in ambiguous or vague sense- maybe leaning into the emotional elements or following feelings, then we are left uncertain about the whole experience. Was it worship or was it just a cool song?

In our being, we are invited into worship that extends beyond songs and words. And God has given a pattern in the OT that we can explore and learn how to transform our worship into a more faithful and meaningful expression of our response to our God.

One tenet of worship is that we must acknowledge from our text is that worship is a sacrifice and investment. Chapter 25 begins with the call to raise a contribution of valuable assets that would be used to build this tabernacle where God would receive worship. God is intentional- if Israel were to truly worship God, it would cost them something.

But, on the other hand, all that they were asked to give through this contribution, God provided through the Egyptians as Israel left. We saw this is Ex. 12:35-36

Exodus 12:35–36 NASB95

35 Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

The psalmist declares that all we have comes from God- and thus even when we sacrifice and invest, it is from the riches that God has so generously given us.

As get ready to examine the pattern for worship that God laid out for Israel, I want you to ponder this: Is your worship what God requires?

Take your bulletin and open to the inside flap where you’ll find your sermon guide. Use this to follow along as we learn together. The message is titled, Learning the Pattern for Worship. Are you ready to be intentional about worship? Let’s dive in.

The first element of this pattern for worship is:

Worship is Centered on God (25:8-9)

(READ v. 8)

God instructed the Israelites to build a sanctuary, which is a set-apart place specifically for worship; not to be used for common things, but for worship of God alone. Every article- from the ark to the curtains - was patterned after what God showed Moses, no doubt a tabernacle in heaven.

Now, we can understand this by understanding the NT book of Hebrews which explains that there was a tabernacle in heaven not made with human hands, that Christ entered in to offer his blood as a sacrifice for our redemption. I don’t want to get too distracted with this, but I do want to emphasize that the tabernacle in heaven was constructed before Israel and in anticipation of the ONLY worthy sacrifice, Christ.

God was working out this plan of redemption long ago and through Israel’s experience, we get to understand the worthiness of Jesus. He’s the reason we gather here each week. He’s the reason we go on mission. He’s the reason we witness and pray and read our bibles. He is to be at the very center of our lives.

What we can gather as we read through the instructions is that the Israelites were to build this tabernacle so that at the very center of their camp, and the very center of the structure is the Holy of holies where God’s presence would be manifest. He is the focus and center of worship.

Notice the end of v. 8- ‘… that I may dwell among them’ - the phrase literally means “be enthroned among them” - This is like a coronation- Everything - the ark, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the curtains, the veil, the altar, the court, the priests garments, the priests, the sacrifices, the incense, the anointing oil- ALL OF IT was centered on God.

Is God a part of your life or is He the CENTER. Something that is part of your life only touches certain things. But if it’s the center, everything is touched and affected by it. Look, coming to church does not make God the center, it makes Him a part of your week. If there is any area- family, home, work, vacation, sports, etc. where your first responsibility and thought is not God, then He is not the center!

And worship is what helps keep us centered on Him. He is the focus of worship; not preference, not style, not preachers or the singers… It’s to God be the glory!

Whatever we do, if we are eating, we are eating to the glory and worship of God Almighty whom all blessings flow. If we are singing, we sing to God for He gave us a voice and a song! If we are working, praying, learning, serving, resting, etc., ever bit of it is as unto the Lord.

The Israelites were God’s people now, but they had a lot of Egypt in them… they were sinners and their worship was all kinds of perverse. So God taught them - gave them a pattern to demonstrate that He is the center- no other gods or objects of worship. The priests would be reminders of God’s presence among the people. The sacrifices would be reminders of their dependency upon God for grace and mercy. The tabernacle would be a sign that all of life is to be centered upon the God who is enthroned among the people.

Sometimes in the Christian world, we start to buy into the ideas that the church is optional or extra credit. If we believe in God, then we feel like that’s all we need. The problem with that is that there are going to be a whole lot of people who believe in God, but will hear those dreadful words from Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 NASB95

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Is God at the center of your life?

Worship is centered on God, and when we worship according to His pattern, we are on our way to putting God at the center of our life as well.

Worship is Cultivated in Service (31:1-11)

(READ 31:1-11)

God called by name men who He then filled with His Holy Spirit so that they could serve Him by building the elements of worship. Remember, the Israelites were slaves. They had only one known skill- making bricks.

But they were called to create a sanctuary for the One true God. We might say it this way, God gifted ordinary men with skill and understanding so that they could create a place and elements to enable the people at large to come near and worship God properly.

Earlier, I mentioned our design - God created us in His image and gave us a command to take dominion, a creative and purposeful endeavor. When we leverage our gifts in ways that enable worship, we are both worshiping and being fulfilled.

ILL: Let me speak candidly for a minute. And I won’t speak for every man here, but I’ll speak for me. I like doing things that have meaning. I mean, I like building things, fixing things. I like mowing the grass because I can see that I did something. And for a long time, I had a hard time finding value in doing things like reading the bible or teaching a SS class. I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to serve on the welcome team at church or sing in the choir…

Even when I surrendered to go to Bible College, I didn’t want to teach or preach. But God has given me His holy Spirit and a desire to serve Him. He has and continues to grow me in the ability to teach and understand His Word. And what I want to say to you this morning is that when you allow God to move you into a role of serving for the sake of His glory, He will fulfill you and grow you!

Look again at v. 6 - You see, God has given you a skill to be used to make what He has commanded you to make! Some of you, God wants building the VBS set and remodeling the children’s wing. Some of you, God wants to spruce up the outside of the church so that the community can see that we value the opportunities to gather here. Some, God wants you to use your skills to make people feel welcome, to lead small groups, or become a mentor to a new believer. Some of you, God has given you the skill of administration and you can help organize our teams and structures…

If God has given you His Holy Spirit, then He has given you gifts to use for service in His church. And when you use them, it will cultivate in you a heart of worship and will fulfill you in ways that you never thought possible.

Worship is centered on God and cultivated in service. Finally,

Worship is Conducted in Rhythm (31:12-18)

(READ)

There are lots of questions about the Sabbath today. Is it a moral law? Do we keep the Sabbath as God commanded the Israelites.

The answer is that God gave the Sabbath for our benefit- and like we looked a couple weeks ago, we must understand the heart of the law. Sabbath was a day of rest and worship unto the Lord. When Jesus came, He fulfilled the whole of the law, which means that we are free from trying to earn our own righteousness.

The heart of the Sabbath is that we are, each week, being intentional about the worship of God in such a way that everything else must wait. It’s intended to draw us near in trust and in gratitude. For Israel, they were slaves who knew no such thing as a Sabbath. God was giving them a new rhythm of life, patterned after His creation rhythm.

Now, in the NT, Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath when Pharisees confronted him about His disciples picking grain to eat on the Sabbath. Jesus healed on the Sabbath as well. And the writer of Hebrews taught that Jesus is our Sabbath rest. This fulfillment of the Sabbath affirms that our rest from the labors of the law has been fulfilled in Christ. “Jesus Paid it All”. It would be blaspheme to say that we absolutely must keep the Sabbath as commanded if Jesus is our Sabbath- that’s like saying we are still under the Law though Jesus came to deliver us from it.

But the pattern given is still good. The rhythm of rest and worship patterned through the Sabbath teaches us that we need constant reminders of God’s grace- who we are and what we are called to be about.

ILL: Do you know what a habit is? (No, not what nuns wear!) A habit is a pattern of life- it might be a habit of biting your nails, snacking while you drive, or going to sleep with the tv on. But habits are not all bad- a habit of reading the bible, prayer, helping neighbors, sharing your faith, and yes coming to church are good habits that lead to growth.

And through this rhythm, we are refreshed by God, encouraged by one another, and spurred along in our Christian walk of growth and obedience.

What we learn from the Sabbath as a pattern is that we need to regularly check our priorities. This was serious for Israel - if you didn’t keep the Sabbath, you were executed. It was that important because if they will tolerate a rejection of worship by any one person, it would poison the whole group.

For you and I, we need to prioritize God - We must ensure that God is prioritized over making more money and even over those weekend getaways. Now, again, don’t mis-hear me. I don’t think a weekend away is bad all the time- I just think that when we are more willing to sacrifice worship than work, we might be worshiping work and not Jesus.

Conclusion:

As we’ve walked through Exodus 25–31, we’ve seen that worship is not vague or emotional fluff. It’s intentional. It's patterned. It’s rooted in who God is and how He has revealed Himself.

God gave Israel a pattern for worship—not because He needed a tent, or gold, or skilled labor—but because they needed to learn what it meant to live with God at the center. That pattern pointed forward to Jesus, the true and final priest, the true and final sacrifice- present with His people for eternity.

So let me ask you again: Is your worship what God requires? Is it centered on Him—or just convenient for you? Are you using your gifts in service—or sitting on the sidelines? Do you have a rhythm of worship and rest—or are you chasing everything else and giving God the leftovers?

Church, worship is not just what happens in here for an hour a week—it’s the way we live before a holy God every day. But what happens in here can train your heart for what happens out there. It can remind you of your true center. It can align your work and your rest with the God who made you and saved you.

Let’s learn the pattern of worship—not just to imitate Israel, but to know Jesus more deeply. Let’s give God our best, not our scraps. Let’s offer our gifts, not just our intentions. Let’s rest in Him, not just run ourselves dry.

And let’s do it together—because worship isn’t just personal; it’s communal. The tabernacle was for the people. The church is for the people. God dwells with us. So let’s respond with wholehearted, intentional, life-shaping worship.

Let’s make Him the center. Let’s worship like it matters. Let’s follow the pattern.

[PRAY]

Discuss: Is God a part of your life or the center of your life? What’s the difference?

Discuss: What is one way you could serve in your church or community that would contribute to the worship and growth of others

Discuss: What does your current rhythm of life communicate about your priorities? Is regular worship a part of your life’s rhythm

Reflect: Based on this message, what is one area of your worship life that God is calling you to grow in?