Stewarding Gifts to the Glory of God
Notes
Transcript
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.’ ”
20 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence. 21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. 22 Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the Lord’s contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. 25 All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. 26 All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece; 28 and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29 The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord. 30 Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 “And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; 32 to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34 “He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 “He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.
Introduction
What is required or expected of a faithful steward? We’re probably familiar with the idea of stewardship, but the title “Steward” is maybe a bit archaic. It might make you think of a time of Lords and Ladies or Kings and Queens who entrust their estate to someone of high character and good reputation to take care of and prosper their estate. It’s a very biblical role as well. Jesus speaks of faithful stewards and wicked stewards in a number of his parables, and I’d like us to recognize a couple of the biblical principles of stewardship here in the text today.
If you were here with us in chapter 31 we’ve already witnessed the giving of gifts to these skilled craftsman who are about to build the tabernacle. You might say we’re at the point now where all the materials are there. All the labor is there, and it’s time to get to work. It’s time to steward what we’ve been given, but before we get to work I want to recognize two facets of stewardship present here in the text. Fundamental to stewardship is recognizing we are a steward which means recognizing whatever I’ve been given isn’t mine. Stewards don’t get to do whatever they want with what’s been given to them because ultimately they’re not the master. They don’t have ownership of what they’ve been given. So what does that recognition look like? What does it look like to admit, “This isn’t ultimately mine.” Well it looks like giving. We’ll see Israel called to give back what the Lord has blessed them with for the building of the tabernacle. In that giving is a recognition, “All this belongs to the Lord.” “What do I have that I have not been given.” As we go we’ll look at what the opposite might look like. Jesus in His ministry describes those who deny their role of stewardship and actually try to keep for themselves what they’ve been given. In so doing they’ll kill the master’s son.
Stewardship doesn’t stop there however there’s actually work to be done. You might say the people have devoted their possessions and blessings to the Lord to be used for His tabernacle, but someone needs to actually assemble the tabernacle, build the house, with the gifts of skill God has given the people. Stewardship extends beyond giving to include living. I would argue stewardship is giving and living that is to work and labor and serve with the skills and gifts God has given to actually build up the house of God. Jesus speaks of another steward. A man given a single talent. This man knew that talent belonged to the master, he devoted it to him, but he buried it. He didn’t actually live out the calling that the master had given him, to be prosperous and advance what he’d been given. He kept it, he devoted it to the master and gave what was rightfully his to him in the end, but he didn’t live in accord with his position as a steward.
As we look at Israel’s stewardship of the gifts they’ve been given this morning in giving and living faithfully with the gifts they’ve been given I’d like us to consider what our call to stewardship looks like. What does it look like for us to give and live to the building up of the body of Christ, the temple of God.
We build God’s house by stewarding God’s gifts in giving and living our lives to the good of the church and the glory of God.
We build God’s house by stewarding God’s gifts in giving and living our lives to the good of the church and the glory of God.
The provision for kingdom work
The call to kingdom work
The response of kingdom workers
The Provision for Kingdom Work
The Provision for Kingdom Work
We’ve been looking at this pattern through much of the book of Exodus, and it’s important to see it here as well. Before God calls His people to action He reminds them of the gracious provision they have from the LORD. In this case it’s the Sabbath. Last week we saw God remind them of the great works of deliverance he was going to perform for them and then he called them to exclusive worship. Before God called them to holy living in the Ten Commandments he reminded them of His gracious deliverance of them from Egypt, and it’s more than just a gracious gesture. It’s absolutely necessary.
It’s just two verses here, but the Sabbath is an essential reminder to all the people of Israel of where their provision comes from. After all there is no stewardship if there’s nothing to steward.
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.”
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This may be only two verses, but like everything else from chapter 34 to the end of the book, we’re summarizing what God has already said. We might look at these two verses and rightly understand the prohibition. No work! God’s really serious about no work. Not even cooking. Not even the most basic of daily functions like turning on the stove, but if we see this as a summary of all God has said regarding the Sabbath previously it shapes how the people are to go about this work of stewardship.
Let’s do a little review in the context of Stewardship.
For the people of Israel the Sabbath should be a reminder of the Manna in the wilderness. God was going to provide for their material needs 6 days of the week with a double portion on the 6th day. The emphasis in that call to the observe the Sabbath was simple. God will provide enough for you today. More specifically, God Himself is enough for you today. None of the manna was to be kept overnight unless it was the 6th day. On the 7th day - on the Sabbath - they would all cease from their work and recognize together, “God gave us exactly what we needed yesterday. God was faithful!” No one is lacking. The Sabbath is a reminder that God is with us today and God will provide tomorrow! How does this equip the steward.
Israel’s about to receive a call to give of their blessings and prosperity for the building of the tabernacle. They’re going to be called to steward their possessions to the glory of God. The assurance that God will be with them and for them giving them all they need tomorrow, frees the steward to give of their best today. In reality they haven’t surrendered their best because God Himself is going to be with them tomorrow. He is the greatest blessing and the source of all their goodness.
The Sabbath frees the steward to give of themselves
The Sabbath reminds the steward of their duty to others.
If you turn back to chapter 23 God provides another purpose for the Sabbath. You might remember.
12 “Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.
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Maybe some of you have had this experience working on a project of some kind. Have you ever had the weekend feel different depending upon how your work week went? Some weekends just feel better because you can look back on the week and see tangible progress. Look at how far we’ve come! The rest and relaxation that may come with a weekend feels a bit like a reward because the progress is so evident.
You might imagine a similar scenario with the tabernacle as the workers and craftsman come to the Sabbath day. They come to the end the week with that question, “How did we do this week?” The Sabbath itself with it’s God-given purpose calls Israel to ask a different question, “How is my neighbor doing?” even, “How is my ox doing?” Stewardship includes productivity and progress, but it necessarily includes people. The contrast here of course is Pharoah. Pharaoh likely looked back on the week prior and saw an extraordinary amount work done with an entire nation laboring for him, but the productivity was at the expense of Israel. He never stopped to consider “How is my neighbor doing?” He was only concerned with productivity.
The Sabbath reminds Israel that their stewardship will be productive, but it will not be to the harm or detriment of the people.
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God has one more reference to the Sabbath preceeding this one and that too informs Israel’s stewardship here.
Right after God calls Bezalel, the tabernacle is in view, he reminds them to observe the Sabbath with an explicit reason.
13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
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The Sabbath frees the steward to give of themselves
it reminds the steward of their duty to others.
it reminds the steward that their work isn’t what sets them apart.
Faithful stewardship very often bears fruit, and growth, and even observable success, but that success and that productivity isn’t going to be what makes Israel special. When a stranger comes into the camp of Israel and ask, “What makes you so special?” “What makes you different from every other nation?” There might be a temptation for the people of Israel to point to that fine piece of craftsmanship at the center of the camp. “Look at how we stewarded the resources we had coming out of Egypt.” "Look at what we built.” You can see the pride Israel has in their temple in years to come.
20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
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They would reject their Savior and Sanctifier in defense of the temple they held so dear.
In the end the fruit and productivity that comes from faithful stewardship is no replacement for God Himself. If Israel is going to be a people set apart from the rest of the nations it’s going to be because God is among them.
In the end the Sabbath reminds Israel of all that they’ve been given from God, and should they forget any one of those things, the work and stewardship they will be called to perform will begin to breakdown.
If they forget that God has promised to provide for their fundamental needs, stewardship becomes a means of securing our own future and trying to keep just a little for ourselves at the end.
If they forget the community they’ve been given to care for one another, this work of stewardship will fail to serve the good of the community and actually prove to be costly to the community.
If they forget the presence of God among them is what makes them holy, they’ll fail to use this work of stewardship to the glory of God.
In a very short conclusion, the Sabbath reminds Israel- reminds us- that our work of building up the house of God isn’t about us or for us. The heart of a steward is assured of their well-being because God has secured it, and devoted to the good of their neighbor and the glory of God.
Let’s see that here in the call God gives to Israel, For us we can recognize in this a call to kingdom work.
The Call to Kingdom Work
The Call to Kingdom Work
The emphasis I’d like to make here is on verses 5 and 10. Following each is a list of the materials used for the tabernacle, and all the elements of the tabernacle respectively. We’ve gone through many of those already, so I’d like to focus on those two verses this morning.
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,
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Put very simply there is a call to give.
10 ‘Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the Lord has commanded:
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Again, put very simply: It’s a call to live and work with the gifts and skills the Lord has provided to build up the house of God.
Let’s put this in perspective to start. Let’s say you’re an ordinary Israelite. Before you walked out of Egypt God told you to knock on your neighbor’s door and ask for their silver and gold and clothing, so you did. Sure enough your neighbors gave you their finest jewelry and clothing as you left Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea. Now those few pieces of gold and silver and fine clothing (those pieces that you didn’t contribute to the golden calf like your neighbors did) are the most valuable things you own, and here comes Moses. “Come and give of your best and finest for the building of the tabernacle” It’s not a tax mind you. It’s a voluntary contribution, “whoever is of a willing heart” Moses says, but it’s nevertheless a costly gift. That gold jewelry may have become a sense of security for your well-being in the promised land.
There’s a simple truth here that runs through all of Scripture. When God calls His people to kingdom work he asks for their best and He asks for their heart. Why? because God is deserving of our best and God wants the whole of us: He wants our love and devotion expressed in our hearts, soul, mind and strength.
Let’s think about our kingdom work for a moment. What has God called us to? We’re not building tents of porpoise skins, acacia wood, and gold laden mercy seats. We haven’t even been called to build church buildings.
How does Jesus characterize the kingdom work his disciples are going to be called to steward?
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
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37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
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19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, ....
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The kingdom of God is the people. The dwelling place of God is people, His church. The temple of the Holy Spirit is people. Therein we shouldn’t be surprised if the call to work and stewardship as God’s people is to evangelize, build up, disciple, teach, encourage, and admonish people.
Knowing what the temple looks like, knowing what the kingdom looks like helps us understand the material we are called to give.
Gold is required for a golden lampstand.
Skins are required for a tent.
Wood is required for poles and pillars.
but people are required to build up people.
Notice the material God provides to build up his church in Ephesians.
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
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God gave Israel gold, acacia wood, and porpoise skins to Israel on their way out of slavery so they could build the house of God.
God gave the church, apostles, evangelists, and pastors - people - on their way out of slavery to sin so they could build up the house of God, the body of Christ - people.
If we are to respond to the call of God to build up His house, our contribution isn’t simply the material wealth we’ve been given. We give ourselves!
Jesus doesn’t go around declaring the coming kingdom and ask for money or gold or silver. He says, “Follow me.” He goes as far as saying, “Go give your money to the poor, and follow me.” He’s asking people to deny themselves, pick up their cross daily and follow him.
In the economy of the kingdom of Christ, the material we’re called to steward is ourselves. And just as a reminder, the nature of this sacrificial gift is much the same. It’s a gift from a willing heart. It’s not a tax. I fear that sometimes we ignore the changed heart of the redeemed and turn the call of the cross into a toll that we reluctantly pay on the road into the kingdom. It’s not that at all. Both the tabernacle and the church is built by those offering willing sacrifices. Different materials, but willing sacrifices all the same.
We’ll look at the response in a moment but for now let’s understand simply that God’s call to us to give is found in the call of Christ, “Follow me.”
The call doesn’t stop there though. The call to work and stewardship is comprised in giving and living. The people give of their best: gold, silver, and bronze, but the house actually needs building.
(vs. 10) “let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the LORD has commanded.”
If you want to look ahead later you can see the cost of the tabernacle, a summary of the materials that went into building it at the end of chapter 38. It’s a pretty impressive sum. There’s maybe even reason to rejoice and celebrate for the sacrifice that Israel has made toward the tabernacle, but the work has yet to begin. This is really where stewardship begins. The call of God is to build up and advance what has been entrusted to us - that goes in contrast to those who would devote something to the LORD, but let it lie buried in the ground until the Master comes looking for it.
So, what does that call look like for us as the church?
Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry there are few who were willing to answer the call: “Follow me.” Few were willing to give up their earthly blessings, and give of themselves entirely to walk in the footsteps of Christ, but those who did were called to steward the gifts they’d been given, to give themselves to the work before them and we’ve seen it already.
The work of evangelism. The work of being fishers of men.
The work of the harvest. Planting the seeds of the gospel among the nations, cultivating that growth, and preparing the church for Christ’s return when he will gather his church.
“Go therefore and make disciples”
Preachers preaching
Teachers teaching
Evangelists evangelizing
Pastors shepherding
all this so that the church might be built up, equipped and in the end all the saints, the whole house, would participate in the work of ministry.
I’m sure I’ve said it before but,
not everyone is a pastor but every saint, every Christian is a minister
Not everyone is a teacher but every disciple is a disciple maker.
We all as disciples of Christ have been called to the work of stewardship giving ourselves to the building up of the body of Christ with the gifts we’ve been given.
That’s easy to say, “Go make disciples!”, but what does that calling actually mean?
I’d like to give just 3 steps that are implicit to this call no matter what season of life we’re in, but especially for those who are just beginning that work of stewardship.
Become an apprentice
Consider the tools you’ve been given.
Take inventory.
Making disciples begins with being a disciple. Be a learner. Follow someone who’s willing to teach you. Be a Barnabas. Be a Timothy. Find a Paul who’s willing to help you grow into a disciple maker.
Making disciples considers what gifts we have so we can put them to good use. What’s in your tool belt? Ask someone who knows you well what they think your gifts are. Ask someone who’s seen you serve in the church, “Where do you think I’m most effective?”
Then take inventory. Essential to our stewardship as Christians is looking around at the people God has put in our lives. That means knowing the people around us. If we’re going to be building up the church we need to know the church. Knowing the need and the opportunity that is before us is fundamental to faithful stewardship.
At this point we have a call to stewardship: Giving and living for the building of the the house of God.
How do we respond?
Let’s look to Israel’s response.
The Response of Kingdom Workers
The Response of Kingdom Workers
21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.
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You can read on there in verses 22 through 24 the substance of the people’s contribution. It’s their very best, just as God has requested: The finest jewelry and finest materials. Not one piece was given under compulsion. Their hearts were in it. Their heart’s stirred, their spirit moved them to give. Here God sets Himself apart from the likes of Pharaoh. God will be Lord and Master of Israel, they will serve Him, yet God seeks the delight of His people in their service and giving of themselves. In truth it’s what we were made for! This is not an unnatural response. Unnatural perhaps for our sin nature, but we were made for God. We were made to enjoy Him, delight in Him, and find satisfaction in serving Him.
When Jesus calls His disciples and He says, “Follow me.” How do they respond? They leave everything, they drop their nets, they even leave their Father behind. Matthew left all his profits behind as a tax collector. The call to follow even the call to pick up our cross, is not intended to be met with the response of slaves, “I guess if I have to...” The call to follow Christ, to die to ourselves, that too is a response in which we answer willingly, gladly even.
Consider Paul for a moment. See how he describes the condition of his heart.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
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Who in their right mind would be well content with giving of themselves day after day like that? Who wants to be weak? Who wants to be insulted? Who wants to endure persecution, distresses, and difficulty?
Remember it was the Sabbath that freed them to give of their best. It reminded them of how faithful God is to provide, the needs of their fellow man, and the glory of God which sanctifies His people.
It’s our Sabbath rest: The person and work of Jesus Christ that grants us a very similar reminder. Consider the great salvation we’ve received in Him and the assurance that their is nothing that can separate us from His love. He’s given us the church. We’ve been given the presence of the Holy Spirit sealing us as His Holy bride until that great day of His return.
When we see Jesus Christ - our Sabbath rest - clearly we’re free to join John the Baptist in saying,
30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.
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When we see Christ clearly, the call to discipleship as costly and sacrificial as it is becomes a momentary light affliction for the eternal weight of glory that we know that awaits us. Jesus knew full well he was calling His disciples to persecution, he called them blessed from the very start for the persecution they would endure, and yet he’s able to say
“My yoke is easy, my burden light.”
If we are to begin that work of faithful stewardship in giving ourselves in response to the call of Christ, we need to rest in the sufficiency and promises of Christ. We need to trust Him from the heart that our glory and blessing and well-being is secure in Him! Apart from that assurance we can fall back into that compelled stewardship that starts to look like slavery, “I guess if I have to...” or even beyond that giving nothing of ourselves thinking it’s left to us to secure our own future. The rich young ruler for example. Unable to give up what he treasured, because he failed to see all that Christ offered if he would follow Him.
If you’re here this morning and you have yet to follow Christ because you recognize the cost that comes with following him, know that there is no greater treasure in all the world than knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It’s worth selling everything to obtain. There is no earthly treasure or worldly good that can surpass God Himself in the presence of the Holy Spirit among us. That invitation remains to this day! He says, “Follow me.” When we give ourselves to Him in repentance and faith, when we devote ourselves to the building up of His kingdom and not our own, there is a joy and contentment there that the world will never know. The joy of watching brothers and sisters in Christ grow into the image of Christ and attain real fruitfulness and maturity in the Spirit. The joy of knowing God is glorified in our labor and this work we do is the only thing that will last in the end. The people we gather with and labor with every Sunday that’s what’s going to last. We together will one day see the fruits of our labor in heaven when we worship Him face to face in His presence. Why not start today? Might we answer that call to follow Him.
Perhaps you’re here this morning and you gave your life to the LORD many years ago, but you recognize, I don’t know that my heart is always in it. If we’re honest that’s probably a lot of us a little more often than we’d like. Sometimes the costs of this life of discipleship can cloud out the hope we have in Christ. Let’s remember that this work of giving ourselves is a corporate activity. Paul gave all he had for the good of the church and glory of God, but he was not without those who would mourn with him, comfort him, and sustain him in that sacrifice. Don’t be afraid to share that burden with someone who can minister to your heart. We never move on from being in need of the ministry of the saints.
Let’s bring this over the finish line.
The response of God’s people is more than giving resulting in a magnificent pile of gold and silver. There’s work to be done!
At this point in our text right there around vs. 25 we expect the mention of Bezalel and Oholiab, these are the skilled workers who God has given an explicit calling and gifting to do the work, but no. The first mention, the first to put their skills to work in the building of the temple are the women who’ve been spinning for years and years.
25 All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. 26 All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair.
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Just because these women don’t have the giftings of Bezalel and Oholiab: knowledge in all craftsmanship - doesn’t mean they can’t be stewards of the gifts they have given. So many times throughout Scripture it is the women with humble means who begin that faithful work of stewardship and serve as an example to all the rest.
Jesus pointed to the poor widow giving two copper coins to explain to His disciples what real generosity was.
It was the woman who anointed Jesus’ head with costly perfume that proved to be the example of stewardship to the rest as those around complained of her waste.
It was Mary Magdalene who was given the privilege of declaring the risen Christ to the disciples. She was no prophet, apostle, pastor, or preacher, but it was entrusted to her to share the good news that the apostles might begin their work of stewardship.
No matter how much we’ve been entrusted, no matter what giftings we’ve been given, we all have an instrumental role to play in the building up of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is built up and held together by so many little works of service that go unseen, but they’re nevertheless essential to the work the Spirit seeks to do in His church.
It may be as simple as being a friend to someone who doesn’t have much company in this season of life.
Maybe make a point to bear a burden with someone this week. Go around the room with people you know already and ask them how they’re doing. Let them share that burden with you and give them a word of encouragement.
Maybe make a point to share a joy with someone this week. Go around the room, attend a small group, find reason to see God’s provision in someone else’s life and rejoice with them in it.
Maybe it’s having a cup of coffee or lunch with someone in the church you don’t know very well.
For all of us who’ve answered the call and given our lives to Christ, the ongoing stewardship in living for Christ often looks like giving ourselves to one another. Bringing people into fellowship and building them up in that fellowship. It’s plain and ordinary stewardship, but it’s essential to the building up of the church.
We close our passage by looking to the more extraordinary stewardship entrusted to Bezalel and Oholiab. One simple point I’d like to make here from the text. Amidst all their extraordinary giftings and responsibilities God put it on their hearts to teach.
See there in verse 34 amidst all the giftings of master craftsmen, God put it on their heart to teach.
Even here in the building of the tabernacle God is putting it on the heart of gifted men to make disciples. The work of stewardship is more than giving ourselves to the LORD it’s living for Him, and in living for Him we need be teaching others how to live for Him. Doing the work of ministry and teaching others to do the work of ministry are not mutually exclusive. They are not in conflict with each other.
I need to remind myself that at times when my boys want to help me with something, and I need to ask myself what is really more important? That the job gets done quickly or that I be teaching my boys how to be stewards as well. And sometimes it’s a little scary to watch toddlers help with the dishes.
For all of us here this morning, but particularly for those who’ve been entrusted with more: more life walking with the Lord, positions of leadership, authority, that includes just being a dad … perhaps a particular gifting. Might we be found faithful in our stewardship by raising up faithful stewards: The next generation of those who will gladly give their lives to kingdom of Christ serving Him and His church with all that the Lord has entrusted them. That’s the goal. We’ve already talked about the first steps of making disciples that is to be a disciple - become an apprentice. Perhaps the latter steps to making disciples is “Find an apprentice.” Find someone who can follow your example in the work that the Lord has called you to steward. Invest real time and energy into their lives. Let them share those burdens and joys with you then in that fellowship ask them to join you in that work of stewardship. That’s what the building up of the body of Christ looks like, and it’s in that work of stewardship - making disciples - that we glorify our Father in heaven.
Let’s Pray
Prayer of Devotion
FBC New Paris - Reggie Osborne
