#1541. ABOVE THE ARK I WILL MEET WITH YOU (30/6/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our series: I Will Dwell Among Them. 

Today, we reflect on the truth:

The Tabernacle teaches us to expect, and teaches us how to seek, God’s holy presence. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

1. God was with them

The great meaning of the Tabernacle is that God wants to come and dwell among His people. Regarding the Ark, we read:

The Tabernacle was a picture of the gospel - through the grace of God, by the blood of a substitute, God would dwell among sinful people. 

2. They were God’s holy people

The Ark of the Covenant symbolised God's throne and presence among His people, reminding Israel that He ruled over them, dwelt with them, and provided atonement for their sins. It spoke of them being God’s holy people - a people with the living God at the heart of their community. 

3. God is holy

The ark represented the presence of God with the people, more than this, it was the place where God actually dwelt among His people in a special way - to approach the ark was to approach God. 

They were told to ‘“Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold moulding around it.”’ (Exodus 25:11). The gold speaks of God’s glory and holiness. He is to be treasured and revered. 

4. They were to travel with God 

The Tabernacle reveals God’s design for man - He can only be what he’s designed to be, and find true satisfaction, as they have God at the centre of their lives and ambitions. 

Having made the rings and poles to carry the ark, they were told: ‘“The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.”’ (Exodus 25:15) This speaks of two things:

Firstly, the poles meant that that no-one need touch the ark and so revere God as holy. 

Secondly, this meant they were always ready to move and carry the ark as God’s presence led them. 

Response

Today, I simply want us to see that the tabernacle, and the Ark teach us to expect, and teaches us how to seek, God’s holy presence. 

Every day, let’s purposefully invite God to be present with us and to lead us. The ark foreshadowed the day that we live in - through Christ, God is present with and in us. 

May our response be like that of Moses, who, after Israel sinned against God by making and worshipping a golden calf, He prayed for the nation and prayed that God’s presence would go with them on their journey: 

Too many Christians are aware of the idea of God’s presence being with them but are not that bothered about it! May we be like Moses, may we learn from the Tabernacle, God wants to be at the heart of our lives and churches. 

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:

Community Group Study

(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week, so we’ll be focussing on this during our time together. 

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

3. Study and pray together

(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week)

On Sunday, we continued our I WILL DWELL AMONG THEM series, reflecting on the significance of the Ark at the heart of God's Tabernacle. This week, as our Community Groups focus on our mission together, we'll remember that our calling is not simply to invite people to church, but to bring them into the holy presence of God, made available to us through Jesus Christ.

What is SIV? 

SIV stands for Serve, Invest and inVite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’.  We can effectively bring people to Jesus by: 

• 'Serving' them - Demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; 

• 'Investing' - Investing in the ‘people of peace’ those whom we feel the Spirit is leading us. 

• 'Inviting' - Inviting them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel. 

In your groups: 

• Share stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Think about practical next steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Pray together:

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• Pray for our Alpha ministry and Phil Mash who heads up this team 

• Pray for our mission in Roehampton - that He would lead us in reaching that community with the gospel. 

• General prayer: how do people want prayer at this time?