A CHURCH THAT PRACTICES PRESENCE
Text: Ex 40:16, 17, 33, 34
16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of month, that the tabernacle was reared up.
33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
1. The Desire For God’s Presence
God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle Why? Because God wants to
The promise at the heart of all the covenant promises is, “I will really be with you.”
- This is why they were to build the tabernacle; so that the covenant promise could find fulfillment in their midst. God would have a place to live among His people.
2. The Reality Of God’s Presence
- God’s presence is not something to be trifled with. He is glorious.
- Moses is deliberately left on the outside looking in.
God may be near, but he’s not cozy. To enter God’s presence, a
In the OT, the glory of God tabernacled (dwelt) in the Tabernacle.
- In the NT, the glory of God tabernacled in the person of Jesus. (cf. Jn 1:14)
Because of Jesus and His finished work on the cross, we can have access to God and have God’s glory tabernacle within us.
The question: “Can we come into Your presence?” has finally been answered.
The God who dwells in our midst is now the God of open access—not once a year by the High Priest, but every moment of every day for the rest of your life, for everyone who belongs to Jesus.
It gets even better. Fifty days after the resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the church, empowered her, and began to indwell believers personally.
In Christ, we not only have access to and atonement with God, and can see the glory of God; but we have the very presence of God living in us.
The reality is God’s presence is with us permanently. He dwells among us and indwells us. But, do we practice enjoying His presence? Do we enter His presence?
3. The Practice Of God’s Presence
In Ex 40 there are three things we see that foreshadow ways we can practice the presence of God.
1) Obey God (Ex. 40:33; cf. Ex 39:42)
2)
3) Follow God (Ex 40:36)
- Following the Lord is similar to obeying Him, but the distinction is also worth noting. We obey His commands so as to
- We follow His guidance so as to
- Following the Lord is similar to obeying Him, but the distinction is also worth noting. We obey His commands so as to