As Unto the Lord
Reading: Exodus 35:30-36:7
and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts Exodus 35:31
I. Holy Work
A. Do something for God
1. But we’re not interested in creating the world’s largest church staff!
a. Doing something for God means more than doing “Kingdom” work.
b. If we were all church staff, where would we get our homes, food, fuel, the chairs we’re now sitting on?
2. There is more than one kind of calling.
a. I struggled long and hard about my calling, it’s not fair if you’re ho-hum.
b. There are career callings, but also, temporary ones (student, temp job).
c. We use terms like sacred and secular callings, but the Bible doesn’t!
3. What/How will you work for God and His people?
a. Listen to what God is doing/has done in your life (gifts, experience, opportunities)
b. Listen to your heart: How do you want to serve.
c. Pray.
B. Live the Great Commands at Work
1. Do it as you would if God were your boss.
a. Even if your boss acts as if he is god!
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Col. 3:23-24 (NIV)
2. Work as an place for Love
a. For those who benefit from my work
b. Love for those with whom I work
3. Work provides for those in need
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Eph. 4:28 (NIV)
a. ‘Doing something useful’ something that will serve people.
b. Our wage gives us an opportunity to serve others too!
C. The fruit of doing God’s work is Holy too
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV)
1. If God provides the work and the ability to do it, then what is done is His too!
a. If your employer gives you tools and raw material, whose chair is it?
b. If God gives you the ability to grow corn, whose corn is it?
2. Even indirect benefits (like money) are His.
a. If God gives you a job, abilities, etc. to produce wealth, whose is it?
b. Yet God asks you to give only a tenth.
A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)
II. God Provides
A. God Gives us work
1. Everyone has a calling from God
a. Everyone is on this planet for a reason
b. In the big and little ways we come to terms with that, we find rest.
2. God gives us what we need to do to follow His calling, when He’s calling us to do it.
a. Bezalel and Oholiab weren’t just told to do something.
b. God gave them abilities and resources.
c. The same is true for you.
3. The work you now have is God’s call
a. Unless you are openly rebelling against God’s call and running to Ninevah!
b. Rest from your work and do what God is calling you to do.
c. It might not be what you would have chosen, if you had your first choice.
B. God Equips us for His work
1. God does not call unless He also equips
a. One way of finding God’s call is to look at the resources He gives.
b. Though, sometimes we do not have because we do not ask.
2. God empowered Bezalel and Oholiab with His Spirit so they could do manual labor.
a. Not theology, or prayer, or prophecy.
b. Metalwork, masonry, embroidery and all kinds of craftsmanship (v.35).
c. Did you ever ask for the power of the spirit to build a cabinet, or wire a house, or fix the plumbing? Why not?
C. God Blesses our service
1. When we are doing God’s will in God’s way God blesses our work.
a. Because it’s His work we do.
b. God wants us to succeed when it’s His work we do
c. One way to find God’s call is to look for what God is blessing.
2. We are blessed too, by doing God’s work
a. As we are empowered by God to do His work, we are changed by Him.
b. Sometimes God wants to work on us and the blessing then is growth.
III. More than enough!
A. Doing God’s work Inspires others
1. All the skilled people joined together to do the work God called them to do. (36:2)
a. ‘Willing’ God wants a willing heart, even more than productive hands.
b. ‘The LORD had given ability’ to many more than just these two.
c. They came to do God’s work.
2. The Israelites brought so much that Moses had to tell them to stop!
a. Even those who weren’t skilled wanted to help by giving what they could.
b. They gave so much the workers went on strike! (36:4-5)
B. God provides Abundantly for His work
1. They had more than enough for the work.
a. They couldn’t just run to Home Depot!
b. God provided for His work directly from His people.
2. The people gave because they wanted to share in God’s work.
Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering. . .(Deut. 35: 4-5a)
a. They shared over abundantly because they wanted to.
b. When we are faithful to our calling, we inspire others to be faithful to theirs.
The Bottom Line:
| God has a Calling for all of us. Be faithful to Your calling, confident that God will Provide. |
Hymn: Take My Life and Let it Be v.1