The first session of Journey to Holiness opens with a single sentence from Scripture, spoken first to Israel in the wilderness and repeated to the Church by the apostle Peter: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:15–16).
It is a call before it is a command. And a call always has a Caller.
The Caller
Isaiah saw Him, high and lifted up, and heard the seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). John heard the same song around the throne in Revelation 4:8. The holiness we are called to is His — and so the first response is not a resolution but a prayer: open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
“Holiness is happiness in the bud, and happiness is holiness at the full.”— Thomas Brooks, 1662
The greatest need
The key idea of the session is simple. The greatest need of the human heart is to be in the presence of the Lord. And God has provided the way, in a pattern He showed to Moses:
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”— Exodus 25:8–9
The pattern
The Tabernacle has three parts, and each corresponds to a part of us:
- The Outer Court — our body. Here relationship is restored.
- The Holy Place — our soul. Here fellowship is rebuilt.
- The Holy of Holies — our spirit. Here worship is redefined.
The way the furniture of the Tabernacle is arranged shows two things: how to enter the Lord's presence, and how to worship the Holy One of Israel. The book of Exodus as a whole moves towards this — from chapters 1–18, through 19–24, to the Tabernacle in chapters 25–40.
Come — and go
The session ends with an invitation to come, and a commission to go. Three questions are left with every participant:
- What was the most meaningful song for me?
- What was the most important lesson for me?
- What is one action step I will take?
The message outline for this session is sent personally to everyone who registers for the seminar, so that you can prepare before you come.