Learning to Refocus

Exodus 35:1–19 NASB95

1 Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 “You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day.” 4 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, 5 ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze, 6 and blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goats’ hair, 7 and rams’ skins dyed red, and porpoise skins, and acacia wood, 8 and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 10 ‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain of the screen; 13 the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light and its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; 19 the woven garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’ ”

INTRO: We might be living in the most chaotic time in recent memory. Our calendars are packed, our phones are always buzzing, and our minds rarely rest. I know people whose lives are so busy that even good things—family, church, hobbies—start to feel like a burden. Honestly, I’ve been there myself. I take on too much, and before long I’m wondering why I haven’t caught up with old friends or taken time to simply rest. I end up exhausted, distracted, and feeling like I’ve accomplished very little of what actually matters.

Maybe that describes you. Maybe there was a time when you lived with clarity and purpose—but now you’re spread thin. You thought doing more would lead to more fulfillment, but instead it’s left you burnt out. You know something needs to change, but you’re not sure how. You tell yourself, “It’s just a season,” but deep down, you know it’s more than that. You’re longing for rhythm, meaning, and peace—but you don’t know where to start.

You’re not alone. The people of Israel were in a similar place. After being delivered from slavery and encountering God at Mount Sinai, they lost their focus. In their impatience and fear, they turned to idols—a golden calf, a false substitute for God. When Moses came down the mountain and confronted their sin, it was clear: something had to change. They couldn’t go on living distracted and divided. They needed to refocus—and God, in His mercy, gave them that opportunity.

In Exodus 35, as Moses returns with the commandments and God’s renewed covenant, he doesn’t scold them into shape. He doesn’t shake his fists. Instead, he offers them a gracious, divine invitation—a three-part call to realign their lives with God’s heart.

That’s the call we’ll hear today- and It’s not just for ancient Israel, it’s for us. So let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us hear God’s voice clearly, and learn to refocus our lives as His people.

The message is titled, “Learning to Refocus.” I encourage you to take out your bulletin and use your sermon guide to follow along.

The first part of Moses’ call to refocus is:

A Call to Worship (1-3)

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The first thing Moses tells Israel is that God has called them to a day of rest and worship. 6 days, they would be busy - earning wages, tending to the business of life. But the Sabbath was a day of rest. For Israel, this was a drastic change of pace. “Don’t even light a fire in your house” (3)

But it was necessary. You see, Israel was being called to put their eyes on God.

No to-do lists

No chores

No catching up or getting ahead

No earning extra income

The most important aspect of life is our relationship with God. We can do nothing more vital than to regularly and intentionally fix our eyes upon the Lord.

Listen, we, like Israel, are a people called to be set apart- to look and act different from the world. So, while the world rushes along in busyness, you and I are called to PAUSE and fix our hope and our worship on Christ. This isn’t just about attending a church service, it’s about reordering our lives.

For Israel, Saturday, the seventh day, was a holy day. The NT church, in response to Jesus’ resurrection began to observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day for worship and rest. Ultimately, the principle is that we are not to be consumed with the worldly pulls on our lives. It ought not be so normal that Christians are so busy that we cannot regularly be a part of the church.

It ought not be that Christians are so spread thin that we cannot just enjoy the day with those we love.

Friends, we can rest knowing that the most valuable thing we can do is to glorify the name of Jesus. He is our Sabbath- He is our complete righteousness. He is our adequacy and our worth.

In the NT book of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that they should not be so consumed with work, even though that work was to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. Matthew 6:33 “33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

What is currently crowding out your worship? What would it look like to reorder just one part of your week around God’s presence?

What if we let go of the cell phones and constant demands upon us and decided not to join in with the busyness of the world for one day a week?

Sure, there are consequences… but if we know what truly matters, and we choose that, how much sweeter will our life be?

This is a tough call. After all, it’s counter culture. But that’s kinda the point. If we are going to refocus our lives, we are going to have to prioritize our worship.

Worship reorients our hearts—but it must be followed by movement. That leads us to the next call:

A Call to Action (4-10)

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Specifically, Israel is called to contribute their valuables - gold, silver, fine linen, etc. as well as their talents in order to glorify God through the construction of the tabernacle. This call to Israel is similar to what we saw earlier in chapter 25. In chapter 25, God spoke to Moses. Here, Moses is speaking to the people.

So, this call is a call of physical action. The people could not simply nod in agreement on this, they would have to dig down into their piggy banks to invest in this work. Those who were gifted to build were called to leverage their gifts to make all that God had commanded.

This is important. You see, sometimes devotion follows action, not the other way around. For example: Before my wife and I started dating, I knew that she was pretty and smart, but I wasn’t devoted to her. No, I had to act- I had to invest time and money to cultivate a relationship with her. Over time, my actions went from obligation to devotion.

As God’s people, Israel knew that God was mighty and holy, but knowledge of God and devotion to God are two very different things. That focus of their lives needed to be cultivated in their actions so that their lives would reflect the set-apartness that they observed through the Sabbath.

That’s true for us as Christians as well. We can prioritize worship on Sunday, but if our lives do not consist of actions that build up God’s kingdom, we might be religious yet not be devoted. We can talk about God and call ourselves devout or faithful, but friends God has called His church to ACTION!

ILL: I met a man not too long ago. He talked a lot about God… maybe it was because he knew I am a pastor. But as he talked and talked it became evident to me that this man knew some things about God, but He did not know God. I asked him if he knew the Gospel- his blank expression told me the answer before he admitted that he did not. And I got to share with him the Gospel of Jesus- that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and that no amount of religiosity would accomplish what Christ offers. And I prayed with him and for him - that he would RESPOND in ACTION - repenting and believing in the Name above all names.

Folks, as Jesus builds his church, He does not call us simply to attend something or to acknowledge something. He calls us to ACT- to deny ourselves and FOLLOW HIM DAILY!

That means to invest our lives- our assets, our accomplishments, our gifts, and all for the sake of His Kingdom!

You know, it’s no wonder Americans are so anxious these days- full of stress and confused about what is good and true. We need to turn our focus to our Creator. We need to turn our eyes upon Jesus- It’s a call to worship and a call to action.

Finally, as we look to v. 11-19, in order to refocus on God, we must heed:

A Call to Vision (11-19)

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These verses simply list out the elements of the tabernacle. But more than that, what we see here is a picture of how God prescribed the nation of Israel to commune with Him.

Once again, I want you to imagine being in the Israelites’ shoes. They have seen mighty wonders of God- smoke, fire, earthquakes… Moses gave them the 3rd degree, smashing tablets, making them drink the ground up remains of the idol they created.

Now, how on earth can these people approach and commune with God?

How could they know Him?

How could they grow in faith and holiness?

God gave them a picture- a sort of map that would allow their sins to be atoned for and would allow for them to receive God’s mercy. Through the elements of the tabernacle, they could offer praise and prayers to God. They could be made aware of His presence with them- that the God who is sovereign over all creation would bless them!!

The vision that the people were called to was a picture of a better future than they currently had- one where they would live as God’s people with purpose and with confidence because this is a prescription from God himself!!

Proverbs 29:18 NASB95

18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.

Today, as God’s church, we too are called to a vision. Jesus is the greater tabernacle—God with us, torn for us, and now our access into God’s presence (John 1:14, Hebrews 10:19-22). The vision of Revelation is only possible because of the reality of the cross. It’s a picture we see throughout the book of Revelation. In Rev. 7:9-10

Revelation 7:9–10 NASB95

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Revelation 21:1–8 NASB95

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Folks, God has shown us a vision of His eternal church. Can you see it? Can you picture yourself in the unveiled presence of God? Can you envision standing before him with no sin, no shame- belonging because of the righteousness of Christ given to us? Can you picture looking around and seeing the ones whom you love enjoying the rest of Christ? Can you see those from all nations, tongues, and tribes?

How will we grasp hold of this vision? How will others know how to commune with God? Only if we take the commission of Christ to His church seriously.

Matthew 28:18–20 “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

Church, like Moses calling on Israel, I am pleading with you to refocus your life upon Christ.

I am calling you to worship Him - to value and prioritize the time with His church each week. Rest in Him and worship together

I am calling you to action - to intentionally give of yourself for God’s purposes. To invest in the Kingdom- financially, physically, and personally.

And I am calling you to Christ’s vision. He came to save the world, not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to repent and enjoy His Kingdom.

He is our rest. He is our call. He is our vision. Let’s refocus—on Jesus.

[PRAY]

Discuss: How can you and your family better prioritize worship—both personally and as part of your church community?

Discuss: What’s one next step you can take this week to serve God with your time, finances, or talents?

Discuss: How does having a clear vision of God’s promises change the way we live today?