Worship Center

Even though I am in the advanced stages of chronological enrichment, I can remember when home used to be wherever my parents lived. It didn’t matter where I was, when I talked of home it was their house. My parents didn’t move around much. While I was growing up, we lived in three houses. The interesting thing is that each one of them was home. Even after I got married, when we talked about going to visit my parents, it was a trip “home.” It wasn’t until we had children ourselves that we began to talk of our place as home. I guess the old saying is true – Home is where the heart is.

Hebrews 8
¹Here is the main point: Our High Priest sat down in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. ²There he ministers in the sacred tent, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.

All of the Old Testament patriarchs worshiped God. In Genesis 4:26, scripture tells us that, “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” (KJV) In many cultures, names provide a word picture of the person being referenced. As we know, God has many names, each referencing a different part of His character. This passage in Genesis tells us that early in man’s history, he began to understand who God was, which is the first stage of true worship. Once they reached this realization, they were able to worship Him for all He truly is.

One thing that stands out about Old Testament worship, before and after the building of the temple at Jerusalem, is that the place of worship moved with the people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the other leaders in early times worshiped wherever God led them. They didn’t stop and build an elaborate temple every time they needed to praise and worship the Lord! They just stopped and let it happen. Afterward they might pile up some rocks to commemorate the occasion, but the worship was spontaneous. The specifications God gave for the original Tabernacle was for a tent. Even after the Temple in Jerusalem was built, the people worshiped where they were – even in captivity. Jerusalem was a place to gather as a people and offer sacrifices according to the law.

This passage describes to us the incredible access to worship that we have as the body of Christ. Before Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, the High Priest had to enter the Most Holy Place over and over to present the sacrifices for the people. Now, our High Priest has taken His sacrifice into the presence of the Father and stayed with it. There is no need for additional blood because His is sufficient for the redemption of all mankind. He ministers in the true sanctuary – the one built by God Himself.

Once again, this sanctuary is described as a tent. Even though it is in the glory of the heavenly places, the Bible says it is a tent, “which the Lord pitched.” (KJV) In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul asks the question, “¹⁶Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” God has chosen to “tabernacle” or dwell within us – His people – here on this earth. It doesn’t matter where we are located as a body or as individuals, He lives in us. Our meeting place with God is within us. Consequently, it doesn’t matter if we are in a car, or in a school building, or in an office – we can and must commune with God. Israel recognized this fact right after God changed his name from Jacob. “Jacob called the place Bethel--"house of God"--because God had spoken to him there.” (Genesis 35:15) If we are sensitive to the voice of God in our lives, we will be worshiping in our tabernacle wherever we might be.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!