Standing proud before the veil in Moses’ Tabernacle was the Altar of Incense. For the Old Testament Priests, this altar was an image of continual and fervent prayer to God. Just as the fragrant incense ascended up towards where God is, so do our prayers. Today, this imagery symbolizes Christ interceding for us before the presence of the Father. Not only that, however, it is also a picture of the fragrant aroma that we, as followers of Jesus, carry as He sends us out in the world to preach the gospel of His kingdom and make disciples of Him. What does God “smell" like, and do you carry His aroma so that others around you may benefit from it?

Small Group Sermon Guide

Put yourself in the shoes of an Old Testament Levitical High Priest. The day is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It's the day all of Israel makes the necessary sacrifices and festivities to ponder about and receive forgiveness from God, who has rescued you from slavery and is promising you a land to call your own. Upon donning yourself with your priestly garments, you approach the gates of the Tabernacle with the animals that you must sacrifice on the altar. The blood shed is finished and you make your way to the laver to wash yourself of the stains. With fear and trembling, you then turn toward the tent of meeting. You take a deep breath as everyone behind you watches you stand before its entrance. You step in…

Small Group Sermon Guide

After the priests sacrificed animals on the altar in the outer courtyard of the Tabernacle, they’d move on to the Laver. This was where washing happened, symbolizing cleansing, purification, and reflection. These ideas aren't just ancient rituals—they continue into the New Testament and are meaningful today. They point to what Jesus has done and is still doing through His Holy Spirit to make us clean and pure like He is. Just as the priests couldn’t skip washing at the Laver before worshiping God, we shouldn’t overlook chances to purify our hearts. This helps us worship God genuinely and wholeheartedly. By doing so, we align ourselves with Christ's purity and holiness.

Small Group Sermon Guide