Journey of Worship
At TBRNCL Worship, we believe that it is our responsibility to approach worship with a reverent posture of the heart, seeking an encounter with God. There are various ways to do this, but we hold that the principles established in the Old Testament, particularly when God gave Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle at Mount Sinai, provide a helpful model for preparing ourselves to experience a deeper revelation of God. Even though we are now fulfilled in Christ, the principles of worship given to Moses still hold significance for us as we enter into worship today.
As the worship expression of Trinity Fellowship Church, our services and songs are thoughtfully crafted after this pattern given to Moses by God. This pattern represents a journey, where each stop has its own significance. We start at the outer gates of the courtyard and gradually make our way towards the manifest personal presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Although this journey often takes place in corporate worship through our weekly services, it can also be used to structure your personal time with the Lord.
The Tabernacle of Moses
Exodus 40:34
“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”
In the book of Exodus, the tabernacle is described as a portable temple that the Israelites carried with them and set up wherever they went. It was a special tent that housed the presence of God.
The tabernacle served as a roadmap, providing access to God's presence. It was a replica of the throne room in heaven, and God was very particular about its construction. He gave clear instructions about every detail, from the materials to be used to the exact placement of the posts.
We apply this blueprint in all of our worship leader training, song selection for services, order of service, and language used to discuss church services. We believe that the Tabernacle of Moses holds a powerful blueprint that God wants us to use in our churches, houses of worship, and daily lives.
The Gate
Psalm 100:4
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
John 10:9
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."
John 14:6
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 10:9
“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.”
The gate of the Tabernacle faced east, illuminated by the rising sun. It was the only entrance and exit to the Tabernacle, with three doorways inside and the widest at the gate. This represents the incredible picture of grace and salvation offered as a gift to all humanity.
The gate is where we focus our attention and affection on God, offering high praise and thanksgiving for all He has done in our lives. I encourage everyone to begin their prayers by thanking God for the blessings they have received, such as their job, family, financial stability, and other things. It's amazing to see what happens when we start to count our blessings and express our gratitude to God.
We often start our prayers by asking for things we need or where we need God's help, but when we begin by giving God the glory He deserves and thanking Him for all He has done for us, it changes our perspective. It reminds the enemy of his many losses and stirs our faith for all that God has in store for us.
The Brazen Altar
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
John 10:17
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
There is only one way to approach the altar, and that is through our sacrifice. Christ's death is the only means by which we can access the Father. This stop reminds us of the cross and all that it signifies. Here, we reflect on the finished work of the cross. Our entry into His presence is only possible because of what He accomplished, not our own efforts.
This stop is connected to the previous one at the gate. The Bible mentions a sacrifice of praise, which costs us something. It may require us to give up our pride, our appearance, our poise, or our control. In Exodus, they offered the best of their flocks for sacrifice on the altar. That is how significant this is. Our God deserves our best.
After thanking Him for the cross, we lay down our lives on the altar. Our lives are the most expensive thing we possess. Jesus is deserving of nothing but everything. In this place, we offer our plans, dreams, visions, and persona as a gift on the altar. He is worth more than anything we have.
The Laver
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
Acts 2:38
“Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
1 John 1:8-9
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
The laver was a large polished bronze bowl filled with water, so reflective that it was often called mirrored bronze. Its purpose was to enable the priest, after sacrificing an animal, to clean up while going through the tabernacle.
The priest would look into the water and see his reflection to check if anything was on his face, hands or feet. Then, he would use the water in the bowl to clean himself before entering the Holy Place. This was a moment of preparation, as the weight of the Holy Place required introspection and examination.
At this point, we need to be open and vulnerable. We invite the Lord to reveal to us what we may not see. "Lord, I invite you to search me and show me anything that needs to change. It could be an attitude, a habit, an idol, etc."
Think of the altar and laver as two halves of a whole. Together they help us achieve a spirit and posture of humility and surrender. The tone of this stop is critical. It is not a place of guilt, shame, or condemnation. Rather, it is a time for self-examination and reflection. Everything that needs to be condemned is left on the altar to burn up.
The Holy Place
Hebrews 9:11-12
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
John 6:53-56
“Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.”
John 15:26-27
“I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. And you will tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.’”
The Holy Place was the room preceding the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle of Moses. It contained three pieces of furniture designed according to the blueprints given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. This room was entered through the second of three doorways in the tabernacle, and it was the priest's duty to care for all three pieces of furniture.
The Table of Showbread symbolized God's provision for his people. Psalm 16:5 says, "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot." In John 6:56, it says, "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." The Lord invites us to dine with him. By communing with the Father, we renew our minds and become more like him and less like ourselves.
The Menorah was the only source of light in this room, representing the Holy Spirit and the revelation his presence brings. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." The priest's responsibility was to tend to the oil in the cups of the Menorah, and we too have an active role to play in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. If the priest failed to tend to the oil, the flames would go out.
The Altar of Incense represents a constant prayer life that is offered to the Father every day. It also represents Jesus contending on our behalf before the Father as our intercessor. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." And 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to "Pray without ceasing."
This is a journey in which God asks, "What do you need?" What is significant about this question is the journey that led up to it. Often, when we pray, we begin with our needs and problems, fears, and insecurities. But the beauty of this journey is that the previous stops shift our perspective, and our requests change from "I need this" to "I need you."
The Holy of Holies
Matthew 27:50
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart.
Hebrews 4:15
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”
The death of Christ on the cross tore the veil that separated us from the presence of God. This veil was ripped from top to bottom, symbolizing how heaven reached down to earth to accomplish what we never could. Now, we have unrestricted access to the presence of God, and we are priest-kings who can enter the Holy of Holies at any time.
The Holy of Holies contains the ark of the covenant, which houses a piece of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the Ten Commandments. On top of the ark is the mercy seat, where the priest would pour a blood offering once a year as a sacrifice for the people of Israel. Christ's death and his blood provide mercy and cleansing for his sons and daughters. We cannot attain mercy or righteousness on our own, but only through his finished work on the cross. The death of Christ is intricately connected to each item inside the ark in the most brilliant ways.
The Manna | John 6:48-51
“I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
The 10 Commandments | Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
The Staff | Matthew 3:17
“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
