Understanding Your Assignment

Service Notes

Such a joy to have Sam and Deborah Rotman with us today.

Tonight our concerts starts at 5 pm

Reading Introduction

Brief review of last week.

Certain Event at Uncertain Time

Waiting for the master’s return. Luke 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

We will pick up in Luke, after Mother’s Day

Desire to go to this passage

Testimony of Sam Rotman speaks to more than the fact “I wish I had not stopped taking piano lessons from Mrs. Finnel when I was 15”

As we await the masters return we all need to not just ‘Understand the Assignment” but “Understand your assignment”

There is great joy in finding and following through with you assignment in life.

Sometimes it will be found in part on a piano bench, behind a pulpit, or on a picture on the wall but there is so many options and opportunities between each of those areas of service.

Today we look at a man who “Understood his Assignment”; Bezaleel

God is not satisfied with simply saying how the tabernacle ought to be built; He is concerned that the right chosen craftsman will be appointed to the work.

God is not just building a tabernacle but He is creating a people for His great name sake!

Exodus 35:30–36:3 (KJV 1900)

Exodus 35:30–36:2 (KJV 1900)

30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.

2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

Pastoral Prayer

This is the day the Lord has made, we rejoice and we are glad in it.

We rejoice in that God is making a people for His great namesake

We desire that every member would find the joy of knowing they have a place in the work He has given us as a church

Sermon Introduction

A theology of the work

In Exodus chapters 26-30, God gave Moses very detailed instructions about how to make the tabernacle

its furnishings

the priests’ garments

all the instruments used in worship.

God was very clear and made sure Moses “understood the assignment”

Moses already had an impossibly huge job.

He was lead prophet, head-of-state, foreign minister, chief justice, supreme military commander, lead biblical counselor, and more for a nation of two million discontented nomads, who all depended on his guidance for their daily sustenance and safety.

Now God was saddling him with a bunch of exacting “you shall make” projects. 105 times God said unto Moses.

Exodus 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

We had 12-13 chapters of these type of details.

We can only imagine the relief and excitement that Exodus 31:1-2 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

Here’s the encouragement: when God calls us to do something, he provides all the necessary direction, ability, and resources to accomplish it.

Today we 5 premises I would like to defend.

Five truths about the work of the Lord every member of the church needs to know, love, and follow.

The work of the Lord begins as a work in the heart of a believer.

The Spirit will enable us to do the work for which we have been called.

We were designed with the work in mind, and it will require all of us to complete it.

When God places a work in our hands, He will place a desire to teach in our hearts.

Together, in the work of the Lord, we demonstrate the wisdom of God.

1. The work of the Lord begins as a work in the heart of a believer.

Example of Bezaleel and his family

Obituary: 1. A Judahite, of Hezron’s family in Caleb’s house, Uri’s son, Hur’s grandson; gifted by God as a skilled craftsman in wood, metal and precious stones, and placed in charge of the making of the tabernacle; he also taught other workers.

Exodus 35:30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

Bezaleel means “in the shadow of God”

To be in the shadow of someone you have to be closed to someone. Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

We do not know anything about Uri but we do his grandpa. Remember Hur? Aaron and Hur helped hold the hands up of Moses.

Service in the shadows has become a family tradition by now. Makes me love we don’t know what Uri did.

The work must be done by the willing

Exodus 35:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

Exodus 35:20–21 KJV 1900

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

There is going to be no on-the-spot coercion, “Okay, empty your pockets now.”

“Leave your wallet in the car. This pastor is know for love offerings”

A calling answered by the heart

Exodus 35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

God did not speak audibly. He spoke louder than that.

God was stirring the in hearts, by the Spirit

Not just one man and one vocation.

Everyone. Exodus 35:24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.

Skilled women. Exodus 35:25 “25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

Even the rulers of the day Exodus 35:27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

Contrast to the forced offering of Aaron to make an idol.

Exodus 32:1-2 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

Our God, unlike the gods of this world, does not just demand actions and things from us but He cares about us. He desires our willing hearts for service to Him.

This is true of God still today. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

side-note: Doesn’t mean that if your heart isn’t right you should walk out of the nursery right now. Just means not only are we thankful for nursery workers, God is please with their cheerful gift to Him.

2. The Spirit will enable us to do the work for which we have been called.

Exodus 35:31-33 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

God supernaturally enabled Bezalel to do the work of building the Tabernacle.

God saw this work as just as spiritual, and just as dependent on the Holy Spirit’s power, as the work Moses and Aaron did.

The Spirit enables Bezeleel and all his servants

1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

God does not call the equipped but equips the called

Filled with the Spirit gives

wisdom

understanding/discretion

knowledge/perception

workmanship/ability

Internal enabling

Exodus 35:31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

We can not fulfill our calling in life without His filling

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Alcohol causes an inhibition to do what you would not do without its influence.

God is working and through this man.

Transition: God does not only work in our lives but works in the lives of others for which we are interdependent to do the work.

3. We were all designed with the work in mind and it will require all of us working together to complete it.

Moved on the hearts of those who would provide the resources.

Exodus 36:6–7 (KJV 1900)

6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

Ever considered..

The desert had no Pier One Imports

The desert had no LinkedIn or place to place for outsiders to post resumes

They had what they had and it was more than enough!

They got their resources from the spoil of Egypt. The Gospel took from the things of the world and redeemed them for the Lord.

As a church it is important we know the ministries God would have for us.

It is why we pray Psalm 90:16-17 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory unto their children. 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

It is why on May 11th we will take a day of prayer and fasting for the Chile ministry. Following example of early church when seeking direction.

This also shows that Moses and the planners of the work knew how much was enough.

They job was organized and planned to the extent that they understood what they needed, and when they had more than enough.

When God’s people are asked to give to something, they should expect that it be well organized, planned, and managed.

We can believe that nothing any of us does of any value or we can believe everything for the Lord is eternal value, but we cannot separate our work from one another.

Romans 12:4–6 (KJV 1900)

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

“Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry. It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”  ― A.W. Tozer

Example: Ben and Stephen work together. Where? Everywhere.

Do all for the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

God did not ask for 168 hours of my life and only 4-5 of yours. As he did not die for more of me then He died for you.

Our unbelieving number can never be on the clock. They cannot bring glory to God until the Gospel transforms them.

God takes from Egypt to build the tabernacle but it first must be fully, willingly given to Him.

Shema in the doorways

The Shema refers to a couple lines from the book of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”

4. When God places a work in our hands, He will place a desire to teach in our hearts.

1 Peter 4:10 (KJV 1900)

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

God did not fill you for a feeling but for a purpose.! - Wayne Cofield

God placed a work in his hands.

31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

to devise curious works,

to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them,

and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

Work was based upon a pattern given by God.

Exodus 26:30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

Does God have a pattern in the world for fathers, mothers, employees, employers. Those who are willing to be led by the Spirit will build the world for the next generation that God desires for them

God placed a desire in his heart to teach.

34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

When we understand the work is of the Lord and is of eternal significance we will have a desire to include others. Not just because of the size of the task but because of the amount of joy that comes from serving. it is more than enough for me!

Do not think you have nothing to teach.

Can you be an example of a willing heart?

Have you been given abilities that you use day-to-day?

Can you follow a pattern?

Then there is always a place for you!

5. Together, in the work of the Lord, we demonstrate the wisdom of God.

Puzzle Object Lesson

HAND OUT PUZZLE PIECES (may not be wisdom - 167 pieces)

Going to ask all of you to look at your puzzle piece (no 2 are the same)

Doesn’t do much to demonstrate the picture individually

Exodus 36:5–7 (KJV 1900)

5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.

6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

1 Corinthians 12:18–22 KJV 1900

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

1 Peter 4:10 KJV 1900

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Ephesians 4:11–13 KJV 1900

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Do not isolate yourself to find your place.

Going to ask you pray that you will “understand your assignment”

What you know about the pattern - teach others.

What you don’t yet know - find someone to teach you.

We find out place in the church by drawing closer to one another and working together

All of you are needed

If you don’t bring back your puzzle piece I am going to have an odd piece of art in my office

Together, in the work of the Lord, we demonstrate the wisdom of God.

“God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. And God gave other people talents that benefit you.” - Ken Boa

Everything about the Tabernacle pointed to the finished work of Christ.

The East Gate

The Brazen Altar

The Bronze Basin

The Golden Lampstand

Table for Showbread

The Altar of Incense

The Veil

Everything about us as a church should do the same

Ephesians 3:10 (KJV 1900)

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Not by me. Not by you. But by us.

God's wisdom is seen: The wisdom of God is primarily the wisdom it took to devise a plan of redemption as great as this: a plan to unite and glorify Jew and Gentile, contrary to all human expectation.

Conclusion

Best description for these servants was “wise hearted”

Exodus 36:2 (KJV 1900)

2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

What is the wisdom God has placed in our hearts today?

The work of the Lord begins as a work in the heart of a believer.

The Spirit will enable us to do the work for which we have been called.

We were designed with the work in mind, and it will require all of us to complete it.

When God places a work in our hands, He will place a desire to teach in our hearts.

Together, in the work of the Lord, we demonstrate the wisdom of God.