LIFE is not a Game - Excellence
LIFE is not a Game
Law of Love
- Love God
- Love Others
Law of Integrity
- Image vs. Integrity
Law of Faith
- Who do you trust?
- Do you trust God
- Do you trust yourself
Law of Excellence
- Doing me best because God has given His best
In vacation Bible school, kids prayed at dismissal time: “I will do the best I can with what I have where I am for Jesus' sake today.” If this is what excellence means, I can live with it. —C. David Gable in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2.
This morning I want to look at an equation for excellence.
Equation - 2+2 = 4
This equation doesn’t have anything to do with Arithmetic – it has to do with Attitude.
A willing spirit + empowered by the Spirit = Excellence
We are going to see this equation in operation as we look to Exodus chapter 35. Moses had already received the directions for building the tabernacle: the place where God would dwell among his people.
I. Willing spirit
Exo 35:1 Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do:
Exo 35:2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.
Exo 35:3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day."
Exo 35:4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded:
Willingness begins with Obedience.
- God reminds them of the importance of their work
- But to him the Sabbath was more important.
- Here they were going to build the Tabernacle. – The dwelling place of God
- And yet he commanded them to rest and worship on the Sabbath
Willingness involves Worship
- Worship helps keep God in perspective
- Who He is
- What He has done
- What He is doing
- What He is going to do
- The Sabbath was a reminder to them of the importance of their relationship to God
Willingness involves Sacrifice
Exo 35:5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze;
- In order to build the tabernacle they were going to have to give.
- Here is where we see the first of the mentions of willingness
- God only wants the willing
- He doesn’t need the offering – He is not struggling – He is not without –
- Giving shows the proper spirit
- We believe in God
- We believe He is faithful
- We believe His work is important
- We believe He will take care of us
Exo 35:21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.
(Exo 35:22 NIV) All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.
(Exo 35:29 NIV) All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
Willingness involves Skill
Exo 36:2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.
· Each of us has been given certain abilities
- These abilities come from God
- They are a gift to you
- They are a gift to other people
- They are a gift to the church
· The question is not if we have skill
· It is are we willing to use it.
· These men Bezalel and Oholiab were men especially gifted by God
· But they also had a willingness to Serve
Here is the good news – we don’t have to do it alone
The second part of the equation is…
II. Empowered by the Spirit
Willingness + Empowerment = Excellence
Exo 35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
Exo 35:31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--
Exo 35:32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,
Exo 35:33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship.
Exo 35:34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.
Exo 35:35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers--all of them master craftsmen and designers.
It is not just preachers and teachers that are filled with the Spirit.
But God wants to fill all of us with His Spirit.
So the gifts he has given us go to another level – Anointing
o We operate on a supernatural level
o Sunday School teachers – with answers that are not their own
o Craftsmen with creation beyond their own imagination
o Prayer line workers – with words not their own
o Businessmen/women with wisdom that is not their own
Who will God fill with his spirit?
- Those who are willing
God will take a willing spirit – empower it with the Holy Spirit – we will accomplish more than we ever thought = excellence.
We strive for excellence = because God is Great!
- I want my preaching to be Great – because God is Great!
- I want our Sunday School teachers to be Great – because God is Great!
- I want our Ushers to be Great – because God is Great!
- I want our Greeters to be Great – because God is Great!
- I want our Children’s church workers to be great – Because God is Great!
- I want our Nursery workers to be great – Because God is Great!
- I want our Deacons to be great – Because God is Great!
- I want our Office Staff to be great – Because God is Great!
- I want all who serve to be great – Because God is Great!
- I want our church to be great – Because God is Great!
Not Excellence by comparison
I can't think of anything I do but what somebody I know does it better. Joe is more disciplined to exercise, Bob plays better golf, Hymman is more organized, Powell sings better, G.L. tells funnier stories, and everyone on our block keeps up his front yard better. And those are just the local comparisons.
Television puts excellence in every living room, so we see national or world best. Pity the local preacher whose flock stacks his sermons against the nation's finest communicators. Or the hometown soprano who feels she must compete with the extraordinarily gifted and trained television singers.
If excellence comes by comparison, by excelling among my peers, I quit. Ordinary is my ceiling. —C. David Gable in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2.
Excellence is doing my best because God has given his Best.
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
We were in a hopeless situation.
Separated from God without hope of reconciliation
There was nothing we could do about it
He did something about –
He gave his best – He sent His own Son – to take our place.
It was when I realized that God knew me and loved me – I said yes.
I am willing - I will go – I will do
Are you willing to serve, to give, to work,
Are you willing to give your best because he gave his best
That is a life of Excellence
Willing spirit + empowered by the Holy Spirit = Excellence