Exodus: Gifting and Calling
Exodus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 8 viewsGod gifts and calls. All have been gifted, all are called, but what holds us back from offering?
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Yesterday, Michelle asked me what I wanted to do for Father’s day. She went through the whole list. Crabs? BBQ? Go out? Do anything?
I didn’t know. Before you think it’s because of my great humility; don’t. I love getting gifts as much as anyone else. I love to be told I Love you dad as much as any other dad. I love to have my kids around and not be arguing as much as anyone else. But in the moment I wasn’t sure how to celebrate Father’s day with my kids.
Today is another sort of Father’s day…Sunday. A day when we get together and worship God, our heavenly father. We do what we do here on Sunday without even thinking about it much because we have always been doing it this way. In fact, today we decide what church to go to, most often because the style of worship. Whether it’s liturgical or contemporary; modern or traditional; high church or low church; choir or praise band.
Bu the reality is, there are problems with every style of worship…
The traditional people can get caught up in worshipping their traditions…and the modern folks can get caught up in the experience of worship.
The liturgical folks can get caught in the legalistic about the words where the contemporary can get caught up in their personal expressions.
Both Choirs and Praise bands create a “concert” effect to our worship where we sit back to be entertained instead of being involved in corporate worship.
Yest we find ourselves making choices based on what we like…what we think is best...as though it is all about us. But this is HIS father’s day…it’s all about him.
The reality is, God gets to decide how we are worship him…and that is very important to Him.
God gets to decide how we are to worship him, and it is very important to him.
God gets to decide how we are to worship him, and it is very important to him.
Tabernacle #1 subject in the Bible.
While it is very important how we worship God, we still have a part to play. But first we must realize that.
God has a plan
God has a plan
Fighters say everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face.
Builders have a plan until the first hole is dug.
Because we can’t see what we can’t see, we can’t control what we can’t control.
But God is different. He has a plan and he knows how it will work out.
Being a holy nation
Kingdom of priests
Priest represents God to others
So Holiness was a way to live into who they were created to be.
They were his people and he was their God
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.
Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
It was God’s dwelling place…that’s what tabernacle means
This makes God’s plan to tabernacle with his people a very big deal.
He wants the people to share in his plan.
Has a plan for Israelites....
Do you think God has a plan still? Do you think things are so bad, that he’s just going to have to come on back…or do you think God’s still doing something?
IF you think God's still up to something, stick around...
if you think God just needs to come on back, then maybe you are in the wrong place.
We believe that God is at work and that God has a plan and God provides the resources for his plan.
He does it in a very unique way though; he gifts us.
God gifts us for His plan
God gifts us for His plan
Israelites knew they were gifted…they carried it out with them.
Remember...
But they also knew they were gifted with Abilities and experience that made them uniquely SHAPED.
…why, because it’s part of HIS PLAN. The Israelites were part of the plan. The plan is about God, but it’s not all about God. His plan involves His love for us and His desire to be in relationship.
In Followers Made groups we are looking at how God has SHAPED us for ministry.
SHAPE SLIDE
SHAPE SLIDE
In fact just this week we read about how God shapes us for others through the the way he gifts us spiritually.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
But spiritual gifts are just part of our SHAPE.
We may feel a little like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole....and we might be
Suicide…thinking something is wrong…what’s wrong is not realizing that God wants to use your unique experience to reach others.
meaning - significance in life isn’t something we can create…I believe it is something we discover…It comes knowing we are created ON PURPOSE. God don’t make no junk. Everything God makes is made so on purpose for a purpose.
“You are a gifted child of God. Since you are also given an outlet for your gift, you are a minister too. For every gift he bestows, the Spirit has planned a sphere of service. Thus, no child should have an inferiority complex. Rather, awareness that he is a gifted child with an area of ministry should meet every child of God’s psychological need to feel wanted and to posses a sense of worth.” Leslie Flynn
Oh, but what about disease who seeks healing, what about the homosexual who feels they are in the wrong skin, what about the addicted who can’t see a way out?
I start with the premise that God didn’t make a mistake. We are the way we are in order to be used uniquely for God's glory. Does that mean that I’m OK? That living out of my natural desires is what I am supposed to do? NO. Sometimes it is in my overcoming my natural desire through a radical transformation of God that I find my purpose.
God calls the gifted
God calls the gifted
Just like the Israelites, God calls his people out.
He called them out of Egypt. This was certainly an act of grace. He called them out before they were his.
This is one of those acts of what we know as prevenient grace.
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
It’s not the only thing…he gave them abilities, riches…why? Because he wanted to bless them as his chosen ones. That's how God works in us.
Before we know him, he is gifting us with stuff…with experiences…with passions…with wealth…with wisdom. All to move us towards him.
And then once we are his, he calls us.
He calls us to bring our gifts…all of us to His use as an act of worship.
When he calls us, we have a choice.
The gifted have a choice
The gifted have a choice
“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
God called those who’s hearts were willing to INVEST in his plan. Often times we look at what God calls us to generosity as what it is going to cost us. Let’s think about this for a moment.
All we have, we have because of God. If every thing is His, whether we give it or keep it, it’s still God’s. But when we hold back what God calls us to invest in His Plan....we think we are saving…but in reality we are robbing ourselves of being a part of His work.
Jesus talked about this.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
I wanted to succeed…wanted to BMOB…Jesus called me to give that up in order to work for him.
I could have said no. I believe it was up to me. But we felt, I felt compelled to say yes.
Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!
While some partner in His plan, all benefit from His presence
While some partner in His plan, all benefit from His presence
Place for pilgrims to deposit our gifts for eternal purpose
Egypt behind - Promised Land ahead…Tabernacle between for pilgrim people on the way…everything here is temporary. It’s very important, but it is temporary
“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.
In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.
How good is God that he allows all to benefit from the labors of a few...
What’s our response? To be defensive....or to celebrate God’s generosity?