Building Campaign

Reading:

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Introduction:

Re-Cap chapter 33-34.

Chapter 33 was when God removed Himself from among the Israelites to near them.

He was no longer among them because of Israel’s sin; but He gave them mercy and remained available.

Connection:

We can relate to this point in the sense that when we choose sin we ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice and it seems as the Lord is far from us; but we can be encouraged by knowing He never leaves us especially since we are the temple for the Lord’s presence.

Chapter 34 was where God presents a new opportunity through a renewal of the covenant between them and God.

He would keep the promise to bring them into the promised land.

To accomplish this all the nations that occupied that land, he would need to drive out.

He will cleanse the land from idols and the perversions of proper worship for the Israelites to worship Yahweh as He commanded.

Connection:

The Lord pursues those He loves; even though we mess it up all the time, He makes it possible for us to continue reflecting His glory in our lives as a lantern in a dark world.

Transition:

The Lord gave Moses the instructions for the Tabernacle and He also provided for them the building of it.

There was only one requirement:

Obedience by Faith.

Which is where we find ourselves here in Chapter 35.

Moses begins the public building campaign.

Did you know back

On February 24, 1879, a public meeting was held at the Bad Axe School House to draw up a constitution for the First Baptist Society of Bad Axe. Two ladies and three men signed constitution papers. They were Eva C. Donaldson, Mary Cole, George W. Hilton, Robert Philp, and James Cline. Robert Philp donated the lot where the original First Baptist Church was built in 1879. Great faith and vision were evidenced, for the records indicate that there were only nine members at that time.

Fire happened; but they continued pursuing a place to gather.

In 1961 a desirable site of 2 ½ acres, located on Outer Drive, was purchased. Ground was broken in May of 1965 and the first service in our current building was held on November 28, 1965. The total cost of the finished building, furnishings, and site exceeded $150,000. This cost was completely paid by June of 1975.

The building campaign started from a desire and a need to have a place to gather together.

The building campaign for the Israelites was from a necessity to obey the Lord so He could be present among them.

They were starting their building process and needed to have a starting point.

Moses in Chapter 35 brought the whole assembly together to relay the starting point.

He began with a:

Reminder of the Sabbath (1-3)

Exodus 35:1–3 ESV

1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Moses didn’t get in front of the almost 3 million Israelites and tell them what He thought.

He spoke to them and told them what God Commanded, God didn’t request or suggest it.

It was a Command!

When did He command this?

Back at the moment when Moses relayed the covenant that God was making with the people and the people unanimously accepted the covenant and said they would do and keep and honor every word.

Exodus 24:3–4 ESV

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Israelites as a whole said: Yes, and accepted the terms God put forth.

Moses consecrated the covenant between God and Israel with the blood of a sacrifice.

Exodus 24:6–8 ESV

6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

A covenant requires obedience.

Keep the law!

Obedience has a beginning:

The keeping of the Sabbath upholds the covenant.

Visible weekly proof that the people of Israel kept the legal obligation, through which came their protection and blessings.

In a certain sense Israel’s formal starting point for keeping Yahweh’s covenant was the keeping of the Sabbath.

They worshipped God by faith in obeying the Sabbath!

Connection:

God brought all Israel together to hear how to worship Him by faith.

We gather together because we have faith and is one aspect to our worship.

It is done corporately; together!

Satan has a problem with this, and wants to separate people from gathering together.

He is doing his job as church attendance has declined in recent years.

This shouldn’t surprise us, we were told this would happen.

1 Timothy 4:1 ESV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

Hebrews challenges us to not allow Satan to separate us from the body of Christ.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The gathering together of Israel leaves a model for us to follow.

Worship is done collectively, and when we gather we show we believe that truth.

Moses’ gathering Israel together was for more than a reminder, it was to sanctify the 7th day, and only the 7th day to the Lord.

It would’ve brought excitement and anticipation as they began the process for the Lord’s presence and availability.

How awesome it must have been for the Israelites as they began building the long awaited Tabernacle.

Moses built up the excitement and instructed them to:

Gather Materials (4-29)

Moses makes the thesis statement in verses 4-5 for that explains all verses 4-29.

Exodus 35:4–5 ESV

4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

He highlights that the building project is happening now!

The materials must be gathered (Donated) by all the people to achieve it.

How would you go about raising funds or gathering materials for a church build?

There are programs you could follow.

Let’s look at a few.

Illustration:

We would need to raise funds.

There are a lot of different ways to raise the funds.

Some strategies are:

online fundraising

pledge campaigns

A general building fund

“Run” for the cause

Video campaigns

We could attempt to engage the community of believers on the project:

Workshops and classes

Visual progress - (Thermometer)

Involve the youth

There are many different strategies and ways to maintain excitement.

Bottom line: It would take a while for the whole process from start to finish.

What about Moses here to accomplish the building of the Tabernacle?

God already prefaced the building and materials before this moment right here.

God had already placed an expectation on Israel for obedience.

Exodus 25:1–9 ESV

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The contribution was already pre-empted by the Lord to Moses; but did you hear the main point to these statements from chapter 35 and 25?

Why would people contribute?

Chapter 25 states that the contribution would come from those who’s heart’s moved them.

Chapter 35 states that it would come from those with a generous heart.

Either statement shows who would give and why they would give.

Their hearts moved them to do it.

What makes this point significant?

Illustration:

Let’s say you see a little girl with a lemonade stand and you ask them why she is selling lemonade.

She says: “I’m trying to make money to help my friend get wig made of real hair because they have cancer and had to shave hers off.”

How much are you giving to that little child?

Why would you give any at all?

Do you know her friend or are you so moved because of the care from that little girl for her friend?

You see—-We understand the “movement” of our heart for others; but put it in context here for Israel.

Thee only God claimed them as His people, He powerfully freed them from 430 years of slavery, brought them through the desert and fed them, gave them drink, kept their enemies at bay...

He is asking them to be so moved towards Him that He wants to dwell among them in a tent.

Provide the materials for that to happen!

What would you be willing to do if God told you He would live near you and be accessible?

We would do anything...

For the hearts of the people of Israel to be moved to contribute, I don’t think would’ve been a difficult thing.

What were they to contribute?

Exodus 35:5–9 ESV

5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

The materials for the furniture, coverings, and clothes for the priests.

That isn’t all He asked for as a contribution.

He asked that some contribute their abilities.

Exodus 35:10 ESV

10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded:

You can read all that the people were skilled in making.

All the pieces of furniture, coverings, and the priests garments.

Connection:

God isn’t asking any less of you and I.

He asks that we offer from our abundance, and He is asks that we offer our gifts and talents to His service as well.

Point:

We can either be faithful stewards or we can be selfish consumers!

Do you remember why Israel had all these possessions?

Because God had them plunder the Egyptians as they left!

They were given stewardship of these possessions, much like we are given possessions and called to be stewards.

We can see everything that we have as our possessions or we can view them as blessings from God and ready for His service.

We can be faithful stewards or selfish consumers.

This includes the natural talents and the gifts we are given to build up the body of Christ and reach the Lost by using those gifts and talents.

He allows us to choose based on our hearts desire.

Which brings a point to the table:

Do our hearts line up with the heart of the Lord or are they for our own desires?

This should cause us to evaluate what direction your heart is pointed.

The Lord only asks for a willing heart.

The heart of service for Him.

Moses calls out into the people a name for the overseer of the construction project.

Moses provides a:

Public Call of Bezalel (30-35)

Exodus 35:30–35 ESV

30 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And He has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

God called the man Bezalel to lead the construction of all furniture, building, foundation, and each part as it goes together.

He gave him ability, and wisdom for this.

How many others does it say had this gifting?

How did he know how to do these thing?

I believe that those whom God calls He equips.

Connection:

Each and every one of us present here today and watching online.

God has called to do something amazing for Him.

All too often we show our lack of faith by saying: “I’m scared and I’ve never done anything like that before”

We miss our calling because we have a difficult time seeing how it can be done or it is way outside of our comfort zone.

Do you think anyone in Israel thought without a doubt that once they began walking into the water of the red sea it was going to split and be dry ground to walk through?

Do you think that Moses had any doubts going back to Egypt to lead the people to the promised land?

Everyone has doubts for what God calls them to because it is further beyond what we believe were capable of.

It’s difficult to move forward towards what He has asked us to do.

Point:

This is why it’s called faith!

A belief in God and walking forward because we trust Him.

That He will provide, protect, and equip us for what He has called us to.

At the moment of salvation God publicly called your name, chose you out of the crowd for His special purpose.

Don’t be afraid; believe and walk forward by faith trusting He will provide and equip you as you obey!

Conclusion:

The big announcement to Israel was exciting because they are moving forward with the tabernacle and very soon God’s presence will be among them and He will be accessible to all.

To us we gather and collectively worship our Lord and it is exciting what He is doing through us.

Moses stated the need for all the materials to finish the tabernacle and that posed a choice to all Israel:

“They could be faithful stewards or selfish consumers.”

Everything we have is given to us from God and when we view it that way, we recognize that being a steward of someone else's things doesn’t give us a right of possession.

Don’t be a selfish consumer, use all that you have been given for the Lord.

You who God calls, He also Equips.

It takes faith because you trust Him and the follow through reveals obedience.

The building campaign isn’t always a physical building; but He is always building our lives.

Be excited of what He is doing in your heart.

Respond by walking forward by faith and do what He has called you to.

-Pray!