Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

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