Exodus 27:1-21

God created us to worship Him.  Worship is the central purpose of our lives and should be the driving force behind all that we do.  The tabernacle was built to be a place for worshiping the Lord.  It was to occupy the central place in the camp of Israel and was to serve as a constant reminder to the people of their job to worship Him.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SACRIFICE: The tabernacle was essentially a center for worship and sacrifice.  Making sacrifice for sin was a vital part of the purpose of the tabernacle.  God was clear that there was to be an altar for the purpose of offering sacrifices for the sins of the people.  We do not make sacrifices today as a part of our worship because Christ has paid the price for sin and has made a complete payment for our sin in His blood.  Since His sacrifice was perfect and complete, there is no need for further or additional sacrifices of animals that were only a prefiguring of what Christ would do.  For that reason Christ is to be the focal point of our worship.  He died in our place and all who trust in Him are eternally forgiven.  Now our worship is to be in gratitude for His sacrifice and by offering our bodies as living sacrifices offered in service of the kingdom of God.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE: The tabernacle had a large court yard in which people were called together to worship the Lord.  God desires that we actively participate in corporate worship.  We are created as relational beings in the image of God.  He desires that we join with one another for the purpose of worship.  We minister in the lives of one another and spur one another on in our worship of Him as we gather together.  God has called us to serve one another and to serve with one another in our worship before Him.  God does not mean for us to live our lives or to worship Him alone, but to recognize our dependence upon the body of Christ and lift our voices together in our praise and worship of Him.

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