Cultivating a Heart of Worship

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

The tabernacle of Moses is an EARTHLY SHADOW of HEAVENLY SUBSTANCE

A shadow has no strength, but it represents something that does have strength.

Bottom line is that tabernacles are all about access.

Some of us might be thinking…Jesus made a way for us to access God, right?? You’re right! He did!

The way to God has always been the cross. Even the way God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle and lay out the Israelites in tribes points to Jesus…CROSS PICTURE

Hebrews 4:16 (NASB95)

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We must understand that while there is permission through Christ to enter into the presence of God, He still has a process by which we prepare our hearts and minds that gives me the ability to enter in to God’s presence today.

The Tabernacle of Moses teaches us ways we can cultivate a heart of worship to live in the manifest presence of God today.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

TRUTH/APPLICATION

Psalm 27:4 (NLT)

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

If I want to live in the presence of the Lord, I must live a lifestyle of Biblical praise and worship. There’s a way outlined for me to do that. We see it modeled in the tabernacle of Moses.

1. THE GATE – GRATITUDE (2 min)

The first place you would come to before you get to the outer courtyard.

John 10:9 (NLT)

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

…you can’t even think about entering the presence of God without a relationship with Jesus. (IF THIS IS YOU…SALVATION IS HERE TODAY)

In modern terms…JESUS is the GATE, and the password is THANK YOU.

Psalm 100:4 (The Message)

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle of GRATITUDE.

2. THE ALTAR – SACRIFICE (3 min)

The first step in was a step of sacrifice. Sacrifice for sin (animals vs Jesus)

But worship must still include sacrifice. Worship is measured in surrender and demonstrated in sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

The altar was always about burning up flesh, and as we come to worship, we still need to do the same. The altar is where we submit our pride, our selfishness, etc. and allow God to burn it away with His holy fire.

· Where we know we have fleshly tendencies…we lay them down on the altar.

· Where we don’t know we ask God to reveal (Psalm 139:23-24)

We must deny the old self (Matthew 16), put off the old self (Ephesians 4), and put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8)...(the mind set on flesh is DEATH and is HOSTILE toward God….Rom 8)

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle of surrender and sacrifice.

3. THE LAVER – SANCTIFICATION (5 min)

· Like a big bronze birdbath.

· It was made of polished bronze mirrors-gave a reflection when the priests bent down to wash.

The bronze laver of the tabernacle represents the Ministry of the Word of God

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14)

Sanctified and cleansed through the washing with the water of the Word (Eph 5:26)

Word of God is like a mirror (James 1:23)

We read the Word and allow it to read us.

The Bible shows us what God really looks like and also what we really look like

The more I fall in love with God’s Word…and the more I behold him…the more I become like him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

It’s the process of sanctification

· setting ourselves apart as devoted to His ways.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle centered in God’s word.

TRANSITION FROM OUTER COURTS TO INNER HOLY PLACE (2 MIN)

Outer courts are all about my salvation and my sanctification

My learning to have an attitude of gratitude

My learning to life a life of sacrifice and submission to Lordship of Christ

The Holy Place was designed for ministry to the Lord.

The Holy Place was restricted to priests…but YOU ARE A PRIEST

4. TABLE OF SHOWBREAD – COMMUNION & INTIMACY (3 min)

This table held the elements of communion, bread and wine, and had 12 loaves—one for each tribe of Israel.

This was translated literally “Bread of presence” or “bread of face.”

This is about being face to face with God.

It is about communion with God.

It is about intimacy with God.

Communion– about remembering what Jesus did for us…His body broken and His blood shed for us.

As often as you do this…implies regularity

It’s a PROCLAMATION of REDEMPTION

It’s a DECLARATION of DEPENDENCE

John 6:53 – eat My body and drink My blood or you will have no life.

Derived from koinonia – fellowship… experiencing LIFE TOGETHER WITH JESUS.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle of communion and intimacy with God.

5. LAMPSTAND – ACTIVITY OF HOLY SPIRIT (4 min)

What we think of as a Menorah...hammered from solid gold. At the top of each “branch” was a bowl, or lamp, filled with oil.

Oil is a symbol in Scripture of the Holy Spirit.

Fire is another Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit.

This is about having the PASSION to burn for Him by the power of His Spirit.

We bear the fruits of the Spirit and walk in the gifts of the Spirit

He empowers us to live both in His character (indwelling) and His power (empowering).

If you’ve never been baptized in the Holy Spirit, receive HGP today.

If you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit…Keep the oil level up (lamp)

Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

…keep on continually be being filled by the Holy Spirit.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living an HGP lifestyle.

6. ALTAR OF INCENSE – PRAYER AND INTERCESSION (3 min)

Psalm 141:2 (NLT)

Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Intercession is a form of worship, but like incense, it only rises when there is a fire lit under it.

Prayer rises when it burns. Worship rises when it burns. Let’s let our hearts burn for Jesus!

James 5:16b TPT

…tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!

Intercession is about hearing God’s heart...letting Him breathe into us as we breathe out and call forth what He’s saying.

If my prayers aren’t moving my heart… how can I expect them to move the heart of God?

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily.

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle of passionate prayer and intercession.

7. Ark of the Covenant – MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD (3 min)

God’s manifest presence is different from His omnipresence. It has degrees. It has weight.

The Hebrew word for “glory” is kabad—the heaviness or weightiness of God’s splendor.

The ark of the covenant represents God’s glory in the earth, and Biblical worship sets up His throne in our hearts.

The veil that separated us has been torn—ripped in two, as if to say, “access granted.”

Hebrews 10:19–22 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

We have been made worthy to come in to God’s presence...to experience His glory...and to be empowered to go out from this place and carry that glory wherever we go.

I must cultivate my heart to live in God’s presence daily

I cultivate my heart by living a lifestyle that prioritizes presence of God.

LANDING (2 min)

The priority of our lives should be the manifest presence of God.

Everything we need has been provided by Jesus:

Jesus is the Gate (John 10:9)

Jesus is the Sacrifice (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:1-18)

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1) and Water of Life (John 4:14)

Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

Jesus sent His Spirit to dwell in us and upon us (John 14:15-21; Acts 1:8)

Jesus is our Intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)

Jesus tore the veil to provide access to God’s presence (Matthew 27:51: Hebrews 10: 19-22)

But I have the responsibility to live my life in such a way to allow His presence to be evident in my life today. Eternity is not in question once you’ve come to Jesus…

But living in and experiencing the manifest presence of God daily now here on earth is determined by my willingness to cultivate my heart and allow His Spirit into my everyday life.

I can carry only the amount of God’s glory that I’m willing to provide the right environment to support it’s weight.