To follow up on my previous post, I want to explore more fully the tabernacle and how it applies to our walk, the church, and the Sunday morning meeting.
As part of Old Covenant daily worship, there were two types of sacrifices: the sacrifice of animals on the altar of burnt sacrifices, and the offering of incense on the altar of incense. The burnt sacrifices occurred just inside the gate. The gate symbolizes our confession of Christ. Once inside the gate, we confess our sins on the altar of burnt sacrifices.
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:11-14)
Just beyond the altar of Burnt Sacrifice was the Laver. This is where the ceremonial washings took place. Today we'd say that is done as part of a water baptism. Once beyond the Laver, there was a tent which was divided into two parts: the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. The Holy Place contained the Altar of Incense. This is where as we enter into worship, we offer up praise to Him on the altar of incense. THe Table of ShewBread and the Seven-branched Candlestick was located here as well. The Altar of Incense was located in front of the veil. Here we see in the Holy Place, we walk in the Light, Jesus being the light of the world and the light unto our feet; and Jesus being the Bread of Life. But the veil was rented so we could enter in. As we are washed, sanctified, and filled with His spirit, and then the incense of our prayers are burning on the altar of worship in Spirit and Truth, it is then that we can enter in.
Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. Leviticus 9:22-24
Fire came down from heaven! We say that we want to see fire, or that we want to be on fire, or whatever, but if we all could corporately follow this pattern, the fire would fall just as it did for Moses and the Israelites! Now that is a meeting!!! This should be the goal for the meeting - for the fire to fall from heaven - to enter into God's presense beyond the veil! This is what John experienced in patmos - what the prophets of old longed and yearned for but couldn't enter in. We have that access, if we're willing to press in. But note here, fire fell because they followed the instruction of the Law in which God had given them - that's the tall order for us - we must press in and live by the Spirit.
Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said:
" 'Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.' "
Aaron remained silent. (Leviticus 10:1-3)
Here we see what happens when man tries to do it by his own way. By our natural reasonings, we try to enter in through soulish stirrings or entertainment, only to miss out on what God truly desires. Spiritually a part of us dies if we do it enough - if we habitually sin, and disobedience is a sin, we'll miss His voice of correcting, and we'll enter into death.
I believe the Lord is returning us to simpler things. We've become too rigid in our traditions and too "adult-like" in our thinking and reasoning. If we truly walk in the light, confess our sins one to another, break bread and seek His face continually through prayer and worship, then the fire will go before us just as Joel prophesied about the army coming in that great and dreadful day. Let's return to His house being the House of Prayer and Worship in Spirit and Truth!
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Changes in the Church
There has been much talk of "the meeting," what Sunday morning should look like, and how the church should operate. Many of us look at the book of Acts as what the church needs to return to in order to be effective once again. Although I would agree with that statement, I also believe there is much more. Many of us know that changes are coming to the church, but I really believe "church" is going to look nothing even remotely like what we're doing now. Those changes are already starting:
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17)
Just as in the days when Jesus came the first time, I believe He is begining to "turn the tables" in the church:
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" (Mark 11:15-17)
If prayer is to be what His house is to represent - are we succeeding at this? Are we moving in this? Would anyone call His house a house of prayer at this time? We have quite a bit of work to do! So we see that is part of the ingredients to the meeting - prayer!
And He found in the temple those who sold cattle, sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!" (John 2:14-17)
It is interesting to note what they were selling in that day. Seems as though we are repeating exactly what the church in that day did. We come to church, basically to consume a "service" of worship songs and a teaching. To passify ourselves and our consciences, we put a little money in the offering plate. In essence, we are "paying our dues" to be a member of the club (the sheep), and using that money in order to "buy" us peace (dove). Now the cattle symbolism is a little trickier. In order to get a handle on what "the meeting" should look like, we should go back to Levitical laws to see what they had to do under the old covenant in order to come into His presence - after all, that should be the point of the meeting - experiencing an encounter with the Living God!
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. (Hebrews 9:13)
The cattle were sacrificed and placed as a burnt offering for atonement of sin - purification and sanctification. That is the third thing we are "buying" and "consuming" as part of the "service" on Sunday morning. We need to move beyond the religious experience and into an experience with Jesus because, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption" which He did for us to be with Him. Another facet of this, too, is as "members" of the club, we have demoted ourselves to merely paying spectators of the "show" put on by the priests and pastors - we don't truly believe we can and should move in ministries of our own.
This is all about to change.
I will be following up with an exploration of the Tabernacle and how it relates to "the meeting" for todays church.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17)
Just as in the days when Jesus came the first time, I believe He is begining to "turn the tables" in the church:
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" (Mark 11:15-17)
If prayer is to be what His house is to represent - are we succeeding at this? Are we moving in this? Would anyone call His house a house of prayer at this time? We have quite a bit of work to do! So we see that is part of the ingredients to the meeting - prayer!
And He found in the temple those who sold cattle, sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!" (John 2:14-17)
It is interesting to note what they were selling in that day. Seems as though we are repeating exactly what the church in that day did. We come to church, basically to consume a "service" of worship songs and a teaching. To passify ourselves and our consciences, we put a little money in the offering plate. In essence, we are "paying our dues" to be a member of the club (the sheep), and using that money in order to "buy" us peace (dove). Now the cattle symbolism is a little trickier. In order to get a handle on what "the meeting" should look like, we should go back to Levitical laws to see what they had to do under the old covenant in order to come into His presence - after all, that should be the point of the meeting - experiencing an encounter with the Living God!
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. (Hebrews 9:13)
The cattle were sacrificed and placed as a burnt offering for atonement of sin - purification and sanctification. That is the third thing we are "buying" and "consuming" as part of the "service" on Sunday morning. We need to move beyond the religious experience and into an experience with Jesus because, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption" which He did for us to be with Him. Another facet of this, too, is as "members" of the club, we have demoted ourselves to merely paying spectators of the "show" put on by the priests and pastors - we don't truly believe we can and should move in ministries of our own.
This is all about to change.
I will be following up with an exploration of the Tabernacle and how it relates to "the meeting" for todays church.
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