Sacred Spaces

Preparing for Presence

Message Handout


Exodus 25:8–9 (NLT) — 8 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 9 You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. 

Exodus 29:44–46 (NLT) — 44 Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God.

The Tabernacle

  1. God wants to be with people.
    1. Seen with Adam in the garden.
    2. Seen in Jesus - The word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us - John 1:14 
    3. He wants relationship, friendship, and closeness.
  2. God wants to be in the center of our lives.
  3. God wants to have leadership in our lives.
  4. How to respond to this reality:
    1. Psalm 122:1 (ESV) — 1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
    2. Psalm 122:1 (NLT) — 1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
    3. Psalm 63:1–3 (NLT) — 1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
    4. Psalm 84:1 (NLT) — 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
    5. James 4:8 (ESV) — 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 
    6. The Tabernacle - God wants to be close.

The Bronze Altar

  1. The Outer Court:
    1. Temporal things
    2. Carnality
    3. The start of our journey to God
  2. A LARGE ALTAR! 
    1. Repentance 
    2. Claim Jesus as your sacrifice.
    3. Surrender your life to him.
  3. Start this year at the cross
  4. The Bronze Altar - The cross must come first.

The Bronze Laver

  1. Exodus 38:8 (NLT) — 8 Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
  2. Three things from the mirror
    1. Purity prepares us for His presence.
      1. Exodus 30:17–21 (NLT) — 17 Then the LORD said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. 19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. 20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD—or they will die! 21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”
    2. We are to examine our hearts and our lives.
      1. James 1:25 (NLT) — 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
      2. Look into the mirror of the word this year! 
    3. The mirror is:
      1. His Word
      2. His Spirit
      3. His Presence
    4. The Bronze Laver - Holiness prepares us for His presence.



Sacred Spaces

Journey with us through the book of Exodus as we look at the tabernacle of Moses. By understanding how God wanted to meet with his people in this time, we ourselves can move deeper into His presence today.

3 Part Series

All the files in the included packages below have been stripped of dates and church branding. Feel free to adjust, change, or tweak as needed. Include your own church logo or swap out the photos.

Full package also available on Dropbox.

Assets & Files

Part 1: Preparing for Presence

Exodus 25: Understand the steps that bring us into right standing with God.

Part 2: Our Priestly Duties

Discover the responsibilities we have as priests in God’s tabernacle.

Part 3: Unprecedented Access

Through Jesus, God welcomes us to his throne. 

Bethany Church

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