July 12 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. Exodus 27:16 The door into the outer courtyard was made of the same fabric as the veil and as the door into the Tabernacle itself. Whether one is talking about the door into the courtyard (the place of salvation), the door into the Holy Place (the place of service), or the door into the Holy of Holies (the place of worship), it’s all the same door. It’s all through Jesus. You see, just as the Tabernacle was comprised of three sections - the outer courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies - I believe there are three stages of our lives in Christ. There are those who are inside the courtyard. They’re in Christ, part of the Kingdom. They realize Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain for their sins. They receive His salvation; they embrace His grace. But there are others who say, “Because God has been so good to me, I want to serve Him.” So they go into the Holy Place and serve the showbread, which speaks of the Word of God. They teach Sunday school, lead family devotions, or share the Word with someone at work. They see the golden lampstand and desire to let their light shine through good works (Matthew 5:16), by helping in the nursery, visiting shut-ins, and serving those in need. They smell the incense burning and are reminded that it speaks of intercession. So they pray consistently for the lost and for their brothers and sisters, for their families and their countries. Yet there are still others who, like the high priest himself, enter into the Holy of Holies in order to simply spend time in the Lord’s presence, to consider His character, ponder His nature, give Him praise, express their love, and bring Him pleasure. All too often, we don’t understand this. We think if we could lead worship, preach a sermon, or be a missionary, we’d be amazing. But those things don’t hold a candle to the highest level, to coming into the presence of the Lord and worshiping Him intimately. And here’s the irony: the highest form of ministry, the most satisfying aspect of ministry is available to every single person right now. Jesus went to the home of His close friends in Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus is not mentioned in the Luke 10 account. He was outside, in the outer courtyard, if you will. He was a friend of the Lord to be sure. But he was outside. Martha was in the kitchen, or the Holy Place, as it were, serving. She was baking bread, doing good works, and even praying, “Lord, tell my sister to get in here and help me!” Mary, however, was sitting at the feet of Jesus. She was in the Holy of Holies. And, of her, Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the better part” (see Luke 10:42). Nothing compares to being in the Holy of Holies, to being in the Lord’s presence. It’s the highest calling, the most important aspect of ministry. And it’s available to every one of us.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:24:17 +0000