Order In The House Pt 2
Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 07:24PM Ex 25:22. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
God has a set place for the Ark
Ex 26:-33. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.
The Third Thing
Prov 22:20-21
Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, 21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?
“Excellent things” = The Third Thing (superlative, i.e. good, better, best)
- • Tabernacle’s Outer Court, Holy Place, Holy of Holies
- • Way, Truth, Life
- • Faith, Hope, Love
- • Thanksgiving, Praise, Worship
- • 30, 60, 100-fold
- • Fruit, More Fruit, Much Fruit
- • Walk, Run, Mount Up
- • 1st, 2nd, 3rd Heaven
- • Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles
- • Father, Son, Holy Ghost
- • Death, Burial, Resurrection
- • Body, Soul, Spirit
- • Christ with you, Christ in you, You in Christ
- • Gifts, Administration, Operations
- • Yesterday, Today, Forever
God is in The Third Dimension
How do we get into the Third Dimension?
Doing things in the right order
When we don’t do things in order, we can only get so far
David’s attempt to move the Ark
Somebody got killed
2 Sam 6:3-8
Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.
Do away with the Old Ox System
The Ark is carried on the shoulders of the Priest and Levites
1 Chron 15:11-15
And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order."
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
Isa 9:6. The government shall be upon his shoulder.
We get an image of the plurality of ministry
The order was set for the House
2 Chron 8:14-16
And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.
16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.
- · Levites = Deacons & Ministers
- · Priest = Elders
The pattern for the care of the sanctuary and facility
1 Chron 6:48, “The Levites were appointed to every kind of service of the tabernacle of the house of God,”
Num 1:50-51, “You shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up.”
The Levites ministered in the natural things, while the Priest ministered in spiritual things
Acts 6:1-7**
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
These leaders are identified as Deacons, which is from the Biblical word diakonis, meaning “in the dust laboring” and translated “servant.
First, Deacons are also to minister to the house of worship, to ensure that conditions are favorable for a meaningful corporate worship experience. This includes ensuring that things are in order for services, special services, communion, baptisms, conferences, meetings, trainings, etc.
In this capacity, Deacons are to also be diligent to be hospitable to all who enter in.
Secondly, Deacons are to minister to the physical needs of the membership. They received this task in the early church when the Apostles designated special persons to address material needs so they could remain focused on spiritual needs (Acts 6). They are to seek to know the physical needs of the members, and to serve the church in relieving and encouraging all who are in such need. This includes ministering to the body in practical ways, such as operating in Care Ministry, administering the Benevolence fund, and developing programs of assistance.
Thirdly, Deacons are ministers of compassion and mercy, being sensitive to issues of inequity, injustice and selfishness. They are to demonstrate the care of Jesus Christ, even outside the church
Qualifications of a Deacon are high, and set forth in the scripture
1 Tim 3:8-13
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Scripture makes it clear that ministering as a deacon is a rewarding and honorable calling in the church: Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. (NIV)