Pastor Dean Siley
Over the past 2 weeks we have been looking at Exodus 25-31 and this section of Scripture of “Building God’s Dwelling.” The overall heart these chapters is pointing to the fact that God wanted to dwell with His people. He wants to be with them and enjoy them. In these 7 chapters, God has been specifying to Moses exactly how the tabernacle was to be built: from the manufacturing of the curtains, to the construction of the ark of the covenant, to the sewing of the priestly garments, to the recipe for the anointing oil. Two weeks ago, Pastor Joe talked about the instructions to the Priests and their role in the mobile Tabernacle. Last week Pastor Duncan talked about the actual mobile Tabernacle and it’s structure and the contents inside. He also shared a way that we can pray to have the presence of God in our lives. Today in chapter 31:1-11 we are going to look at God’s instructions to Moses on people who are going to build and craft this mobile Tabernacle.
Read Exodus 31:1-11.
God has a desire to dwell among His people. He wants to be with us for us to enjoy Him and for Him to enjoy us.
To be able to understand and experience true joy, first understand that God…..
- Desires to be with His People
Read Exodus 25:8. There is no better place to be! We want to be in the very presence of God.
Read Psalm 16:11. David also goes on to say His flesh dwells secure when he is with the Lord.
Our Mission Statement is Inviting people to new life in Christ. We want to invite people into a life where you are known by God, and you can know God. A God who wants to call you child and friend.
Read Ephesians 2:8-10. God wants to dwell with His people, He wants to be with us.
Read Matthew 6:10. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
To be able to understand and experience true joy, first understand that God…..
- Desires to be with His People
- Has given his people the skills to accomplish his will.
God expects the church to do much: there’s a world to save, the hungry to feed, the bereaved to comfort, the sick to help, and the discouraged to lift up. Within the body of believers right here is every single skill we need to accomplish the work God has given us.
Read Exodus 31:1-6. Moses was surely wondering how he would get all of this accomplished. However, God had a perfect plan. He had called Bezalel by name. Moses didn’t have to go and start asking for volunteers, but God specified precisely who would accomplish this task.
God himself has ability, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship. God put all these qualities in people in different amounts, for all humans bear God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). As God stirs up different qualities in Christians today, I believe he is stirring within them different aspects of the divine image. God never expects one person to do everything. After the creation of the man, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). God then created the woman. In the New Testament church, God gives different gifts to different people so that the church can function as a cohesive whole. You have received a gift from God, but you need to explore your heart and soul to discover what your gift is in you.
God intended the Israelites to have a tabernacle. God would dwell among the people at the tabernacle in a special way. The people would worship at the tabernacle. The people would sacrifice at the tabernacle. It was vital, therefore, that the tabernacle be constructed; God raised up people to use their skills to construct the tent. God raising them up to construct the tabernacle demonstrates: “God has given his people the needed skills to accomplish his will.” In this church, God has raised up an ability in you to assist this body in doing the Lord’s work. God didn’t just raise up people in the wilderness with skills for his glory; he has done so in the church, too. Your gift, too, is intended to build up the church. Let’s think about how you can use your gift to bless this church. Do something! Do what you love and enjoy God while you do it! Do something you’re good at! And when you do it – do it for God’s glory.
To be able to understand and experience true joy, first understand that God…..
- Desires to be with His People
- Has given his people the skills to accomplish his will.
- Is glorified in our Kingdom work, and we find joy.
Some of you have felt this. When you’re doing something at work that you’re good at, you feel something strange, almost supernatural. You may not have known how to put it into words, but it is God’s glory in and through you. There’s an old movie from the early 80s, Chariots of Fire, about a real Christian Olympic runner (he also did missions work in China). He had something that He loved and that He was tremendously gifted at. In the movie, he’s quoted as saying “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”
When we do what God made us for, we get the privilege of enjoying Him and His good gifts. How are you serving your Creator by serving His church?
