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Learning How to Pray

120311PM COP-02 Pathway

Learning How to Pray: the tabernacle portrays the Pathway of Prayer that God left for us to follow

John 1:14

Learning How to Pray

There is an amazing promise for another facet of what we each have in Christ found in the Gospel by John 1:14. Please open there with me.

 

We are looking at prayer. Prayer is the means and method God has chosen to transform us, and to use us to transform others. The more we understand prayer, the more we change into Christ-likeness; and the more we can impact those around us by prayer.

Now as I read this verse, follow along in your Bibles:

 

The tabernacle, which God instructed Moses to construct, is a powerful lesson to guide us in our pursuit of deepening our fellowship with the Lord.

Entering the presence of God

This is a journey into the presence of God. We enter God’s presence by way of His Tabernacle, God’s tent of Meeting. As we examine this incredible structure, we will see how every point of the God’s Tabernacle points to Jesus.

 

The first and primary lesson we learned about the Tabernacle was where God placed it. In the center of the Camp, with smoke slowly rising from the altar and with the Twelve Tribes in an ordered arrangement around it around. Looking intently we would note a long, black, unattractive tent of porpoise skins.

But when we traveled through the loud, smelling and busy camp and made it to the Tabernacle we would find a much different sight. When we came inside, we would find ourselves surrounded by shining gold: looking up to the curtained roof, we see the wings of the cherubim woven in; blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen.  The light of the golden candlestick would softly shine and reveal all the beauty within.

So it is with Christ Himself.  The natural man, beholding Him, sees no beauty that he should desire Him.  But to those who know the Lord Jesus Christ, His beauty satisfies their souls.

The Tabernacle teaches us so much about the wonders of our Matchless God. Here are just a few of the lessons about the Lord.

 

The Tabernacle is God’s Portrait of Christ “tenting” John 1:14 among us

 

  1. The Tabernacle: Jesus wants to meet with me. God wants us LIVING IN His Presence.

 

  1. The Brazen Altar: Jesus paid for me. God wants us APPROACHING HIS HOLINESS (The Doctrine of Justification):

 

  1. The Laver of Brass: Jesus washes me. God wants us CLEANSING OUR SINS (The Doctrine of Sanctification)

 

  1. The Golden Lampstand: Jesus leads me! God wants us WALKING IN HIS LIGHT (The Doctrine of Illumination)

 

  1. The Table of Showbread: Jesus feeds me! God wants us NOURISHED BY OUR SAVIOR(The Doctrine of Satisfaction)

 

  1. The Altar Of Incense (30:1-10, 34-38): Jesus listens to me! God wants us PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT (The Doctrine of Intercession)

 

  1. The Veil Which Was Rent: Jesus opens the way for me! God wants us ENTERING HIS PRESENCE WITH BOLDNESS

 

  1. The Ark of the Covenant: Jesus keeps his promises to me! TRUSTING HIS PROMISES(The Doctrine of )

 

  1. The Mercy Seat: Jesus intercedes for me! RESTING IN HIS SACRIFICE (The Doctrine of Propitiation)

 

 

Now, for our lesson on entering the Presence of God, I call these –

Seven keys to the heart of god

 

  1. God desires to meet with us.

 

Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. Exodus 29:42-43 “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you.43 “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.

 

Now He meets us in Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

 

  1. God desires to reveal himself to us.

 

Exodus 29:46 “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

 

Now HE REVEALS himself in Jesus John 14:7-9 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

 

  1. God desires to dwell with us.

Exodus 25:8 “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

 

Exodus 29:45-46  “I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.46 “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

 

Now He dwells in us through Jesus Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

 

  1. God desires to speak with us.

 

Exodus 29:42  “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you.

 

Leviticus 1:1Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying,

 

Now He speaks to us through the word of Jesus John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

John 8:43 “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 47 “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

 

Hebrews 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 

  1. God desires to accept us. Leviticus 1:4 ‘Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

 

Now he accepts us in Jesus. Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

 

  1. God desires to forgive us. Leviticus 4:20 ‘And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 26 ‘And he shall burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of the peace offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. 31 ‘He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. 35 ‘He shall remove all its fat, as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering. Then the priest shall burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

 

Now he forgives us through the sacrifice of Jesus. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

 

  1. God desires to receive worship from us. Exodus 23:15 “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); Exodus 28:38 “So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

 

Now he receives our worship in Jesus. Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

 


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