Jan 3.10 Sermon

Being back in Seattle, one thing I was looking forward to was sitting in the pew at Bethany listening to Pastor Richard teach, singing worship songs, communion, serving in the nursery...

Today I felt like the sermon was specifically directed to me...not an unusual feeling. :) The title of the Sermon was "Finding our way to Meaningful Worship." Worship being intimacy with God. He took the example of the Tabernacle found in Exodus 25-30 to describe worship, contrasting the Old Testament and New Testament approach towards intimacy with God. It is the question I was asking in my last post on salvation as life, How does one become a disciple of Christ? How do we get to the point where we are so near Christ that he moves in and through us in our day-to-day actions. It was encouraging and affirming to listen to a sermon with the same focus. I hope that the series continues to focus on the life of discipleship.

Tabernacle - The place where God resides in the OT, the place where you meet God in worship. However, with the death and resurrection of Christ we can worship God directly...the tabernacle is no longer necessary, God is approachable through Christ.

• Door - only one way to approach God's glory, must enter through to worship God in the Tabernacle. John 10:9, 14:6 - Christ is the door, He is the one and only way to the Father. Intersting point made...sometimes people walk through the door, unknowing it is Christ that allows their access to God...Abraham, Moses, etc.


• Altar of Burnt Offering - approach God through the death of another, a sacrifice on your behalf because God is infinitely loving and just. Christ's death negates the need for animal sacrifice. God giving his Son for us is infinite love. Christ's death is infinite justice. We don't serve God to gain acceptance...we are loved and accepted because of Christ's sacrifice.


• Laver - washing of hands = confession. Without confession we hide sin which leads to frustration and stagnation in the Christian life. Must confess before entering the holy place.


• Bread - 12 loaves for the priests, but in the New Testament all can feast on the bread of Christ. Appropriation...He is what we cannot be...in order for us to represent his heart.
  
• Lampstand - only light in the room. Eph. 5:1-6 moving from darkness to light so that we may shine the light of Christ...an ongoing transformation.


• Incense altar - offering to God. 2 Cor 2:18 Paul's life is an aroma to God, among men. Live life as an offering to God...people will see the character of Christ in you.
  

What is hindering me from intimacy with God? failure to accept his love just as I am, failure to confess, failure to seek Christ in my weakness, failure to serve as light in a dark world? Again...the hope is to seek Christ in order to be likened to him and share his character with the rest of the world.

Some pictures from my morning run in Packwood...