Cultivating a Heart of Worship
Kirby Dunn
September 15, 2021

Tabernacle of Moses

…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.” —Hebrews 8:5 NASB

  • The tabernacle of Moses is an EARTHLY SHADOW of HEAVENLY SUBSTANCE
    • A shadow has no substance or strength, but it represents something that does have substance and strength.
    • Tabernacles are all about access.

Tabernacle of Moses points to Jesus and the Cross

IMG_FFCCA3B7A49A-1.jpeg
(LAYOUT OF TRIBES OF ISRAEL - Picture from book, How to Worship a King, by Zach Neese)

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

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. —Hebrews 4:16 NASB

  • 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 us the ability to enter in to God’s presence today.

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

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. —Psalm 27:4 NLT

  • 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

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. —John 10:9 NLT

  • JESUS is the GATE, and the password is THANK YOU

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. —Psalm 100:4 MSG

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

Jesus is our sacrifice (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:1-18)

Worship is measured in surrender and demonstrated in sacrifice.

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. —Romans 12:1 NLT

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).

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

This for us today represents the Ministry of the Word of God.

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

We are cleansed and sanctified by the washing of water with the Word (Ephesians 5:26)

The Word of God is like a mirror. (James 1:22-25)

  • The Bible shows us what God really looks like.
  • The Bible also shows us 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.

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. —2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

It’s the process of sanctification.

  • Setting ourselves apart as devoted to His ways and purposes.

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. —Romans 12:2 NLT

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.

4. TABLE OF SHOWBREAD – COMMUNION & INTIMACY

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 (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 and Luke 22:19)
  • It’s a PROCLAMATION of REDEMPTION (see 1 Corinthians 11:26)
  • It’s a DECLARATION of DEPENDENCE

…unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. —John 6:53

Listen to the words that I’m speaking. They are spirit, and they are life. —John 6:63

Derived from greek word koinonia (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

  • 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 & INTIMACY WITH GOD.

5. LAMPSTAND – ACTIVITY OF HOLY SPIRIT

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 (Holy Ghost Power) today.

If you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit…Keep the oil in the lamp.

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, —Ephesians 5:18 NLT

…Literally, keep on continually being filled with the Holy Spirit. Keep oil in your lamp as fuel for the fire.

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

Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering. —Psalm 141:2 NLT

  • 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!

…tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer! —James 5:16b TPT

Intercession is about hearing God’s heart. We let Him breathe his words into us, and we breathe out and call forth what He’s saying.

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

I cultivate my heart by living a LIFESTYLE OF PASSIONATE PRAYER & INTERCESSION.

7. Ark of the Covenant – MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD

God’s manifest presence is different from His omnipresence. It has degrees or levels. 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, which means we have access to the manifest presence of God.

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. —Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT

Through Jesus, we have been made worthy to come in to God’s presence. We are able to experience His glory here on this earth, and to be empowered to carry His 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 THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

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

Everything we need has been provided by Jesus.

Jesus:

  • He is the Gate (John 10:9)
  • He is the Sacrifice (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:1-18)
  • He is the Word of God (John 1:1) & Water of Life (John 4:14)
  • He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
  • He sent His Spirit to dwell in us and upon us (John 14:15-21; Acts 1:8)
  • He is our Intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)
  • He tore the veil to provide access to God’s presence (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:19-22)

Jesus did His part. I have the responsibility to live my life in such a way to allow His presence to be evident in my life today.

Living in and experiencing the manifest presence of God daily here on earth is determined by my willingness to cultivate my heart and allow His Spirit in to 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.

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

I cultivate my heart through the lifestyle I live:
1. A lifestyle of GRATITUDE
2. A lifestyle of SURRENDER, and SACRIFICE
3. A lifestyle CENTERED IN THE WORD OF GOD
4. A lifestyle of COMMUNION & INTIMACY WITH GOD
5. A lifestyle FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
6. A lifestyle of PASSIONATE PRAYER & INTERCESSION
7. A lifestyle the PRIORITIZES THE PRESENCE OF GOD