Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10245 - The Glory and Presence of the Lord - Exodus 36-40
Transcript
- 0:03Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
- 0:07Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
- 0:11To learn more about the many resources available through a
- 0:13Bounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
- 0:17visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
- 0:22Calvary Church app. Now.
- 0:24Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
- 0:28Amen. Open your Bibles to Exodus
- 0:30chapter 36, Exodus chapter 36, and we hope to close out our
- 0:38study in Exodus today. The title is The Glory and the
- 0:41Presence of the Lord, and it's been a glorious time studying
- 0:46the character and the nature of God in His loving deliverance of
- 0:51the nation of Israel. Our study in Exodus has grown
- 0:54our hope in a faithful God and how strong it's been as our
- 0:58faith has grown and our hope has grown.
- 1:01What he did for them, He can do for us.
- 1:04He can hear our cries and answer our prayers and deliver us from
- 1:07the most difficult situations. He does know our pain and He
- 1:12does have those in our lives that will help us along the way
- 1:16and lead us. Jesus has delivered us from the
- 1:19pain and the penalty and soon from the presence of of sin in
- 1:24our lives. He is our deliverer and we
- 1:27learned that, didn't we? Exodus is a book of deliverance.
- 1:31In it we see the power of God delivering the children of
- 1:34Israel from the bondage of Egypt through his deliverer Moses, who
- 1:39becomes a type and a picture of the great deliverer Jesus
- 1:43Christ. And we follow along how God can
- 1:45use a man, how God fulfills prophecy.
- 1:49Remember Jesus, He taught us in John 14-6 that he alone, he said
- 1:54I am the way, the truth and the life.
- 1:56And no one comes to the Father except through me.
- 2:00And there is no other way to be delivered from your sin except
- 2:04through Jesus. There's no other way to get to
- 2:07heaven except through Jesus. There's no other way for your
- 2:10eyes to be open to spiritual things, your ears to be open to
- 2:14the voice of God, your heart made new.
- 2:18But through him, he is a singular deliverer, and He has
- 2:23come to deliver us. Jesus says that I am that Exodus
- 2:28as we've learned he's the mercy seat, the we've learned that
- 2:32that real fancy theological word, He is our propitiation for
- 2:37our sins. He is our atoning sacrifice.
- 2:41He has paid the full amount, the full penalty for our sin.
- 2:47And that is the theme of Exodus. And I wonder in your own
- 2:52testimonies if this applies to you.
- 2:54How many of you during our time in Exodus were delivered from
- 2:58something God set you free, your eyes were open, new faith was
- 3:03given. I would love to hear it.
- 3:05You should e-mail me or share with us as a team.
- 3:07We'll talk about it in our pastors meeting of what God has
- 3:10done in working deliverance in your life by simply studying the
- 3:14Bible and believing God and watching him work, which is what
- 3:19the children Israel did. Not only is the book of Exodus a
- 3:22book of deliverance, it's also a book of Providence.
- 3:26Providence, the sovereignty of God.
- 3:28And I am so grateful that our God is sovereign, that he is in
- 3:33control. Sovereignty is one of those
- 3:35difficult theological truths about God as he's revealed his
- 3:39character and nature. Here's how it works.
- 3:41I know a lot of people argue about it and there's a big
- 3:43issues about it, but I want to set those aside for a second and
- 3:46talk about a real life issue with the sovereignty of God.
- 3:49It usually goes this way. If my life is the way I want it,
- 3:53I love the sovereignty of God. But if I'm facing difficulty,
- 3:57hardship, all kinds of challenges in my life, I'm not
- 4:01so happy about the sovereignty of God.
- 4:03You may even want to begin to change your circumstances and to
- 4:09get out from under them or to run away from them.
- 4:12And that mindset, although it may even be valid, who wants to
- 4:16go through trials and who wants to experience pain?
- 4:18None of us. And maybe even a real good
- 4:21reason not to want to endure this difficulty or not to even
- 4:25want it in your life. But it spills over into a
- 4:30doubting that God knows what He's doing with your life, that
- 4:34He is in control. I'm learning through the good
- 4:38and the bad to be grateful for the sovereignty of God, to trust
- 4:42Him with my life, to come back to that basic principle that God
- 4:46knows what He's doing. He knew and loved me, knew what
- 4:49He was doing with my life and loved me even when I was in
- 4:51rebellion toward Him. Resistant.
- 4:55Nothing happens outside of God's view, outside of His purposes.
- 5:00Satan will so often attack us trying to get our eyes off of
- 5:04God and off of His strength, and off of His sovereignty and off
- 5:09of His Providence. The word Providence comes from 2
- 5:11words pro and video. Literally it means to see in
- 5:16advance. God can see in advance He sees
- 5:19events before they happen so that he can weave things
- 5:22together in his powers and his purposes.
- 5:25The saw a true view of the sovereignty of God will
- 5:28inevitably lead you to Romans chapter 8 verse 28 where you say
- 5:33with confidence, even in the midst of pain and we know that
- 5:38God is working with that all things work together for the
- 5:41good for those who love him those who are called according
- 5:44to his purpose or a real life example of that in the life of
- 5:48Joseph so that he comes to the end of his life after everything
- 5:52was done to him and all the hurt that he experienced and all the
- 5:54lies all the false accusations, all the imprisonments,
- 5:58everything Joseph faced at the end of his life.
- 6:01He's looks at his brothers and you know what what you meant for
- 6:04me. You meant evil against me.
- 6:06We know it, you know it, I know it, we all know it but you know
- 6:11the story doesn't end with your intent on evil upon me.
- 6:15I'm paraphrasing here Genesis chapter 50 verse 20.
- 6:21He says you know you meant evil for me, but God, he meant it for
- 6:24good so that he could work out things as it is this day that I
- 6:28could save you. It's not amazing you did all
- 6:31this to me, but you know what God was doing he was saving the
- 6:34nation and here we are. You don't need a fear here we
- 6:38are reunited and we all trust God together.
- 6:44Not only is Exodus a book of deliverance and we're reviewing
- 6:48a little bit in our hopes to finish today, not only is it a
- 6:51book of Providence, but it's also, we learned a book of
- 6:54sacrifice, Exodus. It's a book of sacrifice.
- 6:58We see throughout Exodus as Genesis chapter 12, or excuse
- 7:02me, of Exodus chapter 12, unveils for us the Passover, the
- 7:06lamb sacrifice for the people to atone for their sins, to cover
- 7:11their sins every year. Not only is Exodus a book of
- 7:15sacrifice, but it's also a book of worship, a very amazing
- 7:20dramatic book of worship, chapter after chapter after
- 7:24chapter dedicated to the building of the Tabernacle and
- 7:28the articles of worship. And how beautiful it was going
- 7:31to be, how expensive and costly it was going to be.
- 7:34How it would be beautiful to the eye, how it would touch the
- 7:37heart, how even the priest would have such beautiful clothing as
- 7:41they would come. And on their chest they would
- 7:43have the stone of the children of the tribes of the nation of
- 7:46Israel. Why?
- 7:47So that they could carry in a very beautiful way, a very
- 7:50obvious way, the people on their hearts on behalf of God.
- 7:56And it would be something that you would see, and it would be
- 8:00something that you would smell, and it would be something that
- 8:03you would participate in. And it would be something that
- 8:06would be grand and beautiful as a message to the nation's.
- 8:11This is the one true God. This is what worship should be.
- 8:17God has given more time to the Tabernacle than He gave to
- 8:23creation itself in the Bible. In the Bible, more time is spent
- 8:28on His worship of Him than the great acts of creation is.
- 8:33It's very important to Him. God is interested in our right
- 8:38worship of Him. And finally, Exodus is a book of
- 8:43obedience, the 10 Commandments, chapter 20.
- 8:47Then in chapter 21 through 24 he gives a set of social laws
- 8:52defining for the nation, how they're to govern one another
- 8:56and what their society should look like.
- 8:58These laws in the book of Exodus have been the basis for the most
- 9:02most of the common laws throughout civilization God has
- 9:06ordained. With that in mind, let's survey
- 9:11the final chapters of Exodus as much of it is repetition.
- 9:15Verse 1, chapter 36 And Bezel Liel and a holy AB And every
- 9:22gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding
- 9:26to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the
- 9:29sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.
- 9:34And Moses called Bezel Liel and a holy AB and every gifted
- 9:38artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom.
- 9:42Everyone whose heart was stirred to come and do the work.
- 9:47And they received from Moses all the offering which the children
- 9:49of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making of
- 9:52the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to
- 9:55him free will offerings every morning.
- 9:59We emphasize in our study last time, free will, free will.
- 10:03God is after the heart. Those of us that are willing, if
- 10:06you weren't here, please pick up the study that it goes together
- 10:09really well with today. Verse 4 and all the Craftsman
- 10:13who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came each from the
- 10:16work he was doing and they spoke to Moses saying the people bring
- 10:20much more than enough for the service of the work of the Lord,
- 10:24the work which the Lord commanded us to do and check
- 10:27this out. I mean, this is just amazing.
- 10:29You have to let verse 6 say what it says and let it hit really
- 10:33strong. OK, be ready for this.
- 10:35So they're build, they're they're coming together, they're
- 10:37taking, they're collecting everything that was told to
- 10:39bring everybody's bringing it free will offerings.
- 10:42Verse 6 Moses gave a command and they caused it to be proclaimed
- 10:46throughout the camp saying let neither man nor woman do any
- 10:49more work for the offering of the sanctuary.
- 10:51And the people were restrained from bringing for the material
- 10:56that they had was sufficient for all the work to be done.
- 11:00Indeed, too much. That's what happens when God's
- 11:06got your heart. That's what happens.
- 11:09You don't get this through manipulation, and you don't get
- 11:11this through guilt. You don't get this through heavy
- 11:14handedness. But when the Lord touches your
- 11:16heart, you can just write a banner.
- 11:18If you like to write in your Bibles, you can over these few
- 11:20verses. When God touches your heart, you
- 11:23become generous, so much so that God says stop, stop giving now.
- 11:30I have to stand before you today and after 25 years and never
- 11:34have I said that to our church. You have brought more than
- 11:40enough. Although the giving of this
- 11:43church has been very, very gracious, I can't say along the
- 11:48way that we have had projects that we have said stop no
- 11:53longer. You don't need to give any
- 11:54longer. It's already complete.
- 11:56One of them was the radio. The radio.
- 11:58We had half of the radio money saved.
- 12:00We took a loan on the other half, $3.1 million is what Grace
- 12:05FM cost us 15 years ago. We had just moved into the
- 12:08building and we're just like, oh, and this big thing was
- 12:11dropped into our lap and through a series of miraculous things,
- 12:15we had enough. And then we took a loan and
- 12:17within one, and then we told the church, we told, hey, we got to
- 12:20pay this off, this off. The radio's going to be a really
- 12:23effective, we could pay this off.
- 12:24Let's just pay this off. We still got to pay the bills.
- 12:26We got the mortgage, we got the we still have everything, all
- 12:29the outreach, all the missionaries.
- 12:30We don't want anybody to suffer. So this is something special.
- 12:33This is something special. And you know what this church
- 12:36did? Many of you were a part of this
- 12:37church back then. You know what you did within one
- 12:40year, that radio station was paid off one year this church
- 12:45and we could say no more, don't need to give.
- 12:47You don't need to give. That project is sealed.
- 12:50And then it became, well, there's ongoing costs and
- 12:52different things. And so is the radio.
- 12:54We always ask, but the Holy Spirit with, I mean, that was
- 12:58one time where we got really close, but here's what happens
- 13:01in our church. We have some project and we have
- 13:04something in this precious church every year when we were
- 13:07smaller, when we're larger, it doesn't matter.
- 13:09Every single time God put something in our lap, He always
- 13:11stirred the hearts of the people of the church.
- 13:13Always, always. I wish you were here for all
- 13:15those wild days in the beginning, but guess what?
- 13:18You're here for these wild days and whatever has.
- 13:20So here's what happens. Here's the pattern.
- 13:22That's what you need to be ready for.
- 13:24Whenever God put something on her heart, we step into it by
- 13:26faith He provides. And then guess what?
- 13:28He put something else on our heart and you go, well here's a
- 13:31new thing and here's a new thing and and we just I just met.
- 13:35I don't have time to explain it because we are 7 verses into
- 13:40this chapter, but I got to share.
- 13:42I just met. I just met with a young man.
- 13:45I actually met with two young men.
- 13:46Just kind of one of those things that run a mission organization
- 13:50and God's doing something really special with them.
- 13:52And we're just going to be praying about how God might be
- 13:55able to expand what we're doing on the mission field and expand
- 13:59what God. And then I just sent, now that I
- 14:01see Kevin over here now with Kevin, I also just got an e-mail
- 14:05just came in yesterday or maybe today, I'm not sure because
- 14:08Wednesdays are one of those days, but just got an e-mail of
- 14:11another radio broker and said, I want you to check out this
- 14:13station. It might be the right fit for
- 14:15you for down South. And so it's just step after step
- 14:18after step after step. But here's the thing, when God
- 14:22touches your heart, you become generous and you know what
- 14:26generosity is in your life and what it's not.
- 14:30That doesn't have to be measured by me telling you a certain
- 14:32number or you know, this percentage or when you're
- 14:35generous, you don't count like that.
- 14:39You don't even look at the resources you have.
- 14:42You just know they belong to the Lord and you just, he'll take
- 14:44care of it. You'll do this, you'll step into
- 14:46that. I want to be a part of that.
- 14:47No, I don't think God wants me to be a part of that.
- 14:49And it's just a, a beautiful thing.
- 14:51And then you might even have the same thing in your own life.
- 14:53You know, I've been giving you giving, giving.
- 14:55And then no, it's stopped. And then I'm going to move off
- 14:57over here. I'm going to give.
- 14:58And then Moses stands before the people.
- 15:00And enough. What a celebration.
- 15:01That must have been enough. We got it all.
- 15:04Don't need any more. Take it back home.
- 15:06Yeah, but we want to give. No, we don't need any more.
- 15:08Next time, save it. For next time there'll be
- 15:10another one. And the Lord will take care of
- 15:12it. And these guys are a good model
- 15:15for us in ministry. They were generous.
- 15:18And then these guys, Bezel and a holy AB.
- 15:20Another just men that were gifted.
- 15:23And they use their gifts. But notice their gifts were
- 15:26spiritual, not just physical. Their gifts were spiritual and
- 15:29not just physical. So let me just touch real
- 15:31quickly on 4 areas of life in your life that you can see your
- 15:36practical side of your life touched by the Holy Spirit.
- 15:39Things that you can measure like what will make you a more
- 15:42effective using your gifts and talents and your practical
- 15:45gifts. You know, whatever you're good
- 15:46at, computer programming, plumbing, whatever, whatever
- 15:49you're good at driving, it doesn't matter.
- 15:51Taking care of the kids, all of their life's experiences can be
- 15:55touched by the Holy Spirit. Here are 4 things to look in
- 15:58your own life that will make you more effective.
- 16:00Number one, are you a spiritual person?
- 16:03And what I mean by that is are you born again?
- 16:05Not just I, I'm a spiritual person.
- 16:07I kind of live in the spiritual space, you know, no, no, no.
- 16:09Are you born again? Do you have a real relationship
- 16:13with Jesus Christ And do you have a walk with the Lord?
- 16:16You come back with us this weekend.
- 16:17We're going to learn in, in Galatians.
- 16:19One part of the walk with you have with the Lord is to walk in
- 16:23the Spirit. Now you're unable to walk in the
- 16:25Spirit if you don't have a walk with the Lord.
- 16:27Do you have a walk with the Lord?
- 16:29So you could say I'm a believer. Like, I mean, are you really
- 16:31walking with the Lord #1 are you spiritual?
- 16:33Number 2? Are you faithful?
- 16:36Are you faithful? Can you be relied upon?
- 16:39You can just look at your own life.
- 16:41Are you a person of your word? Is your yes, yes, and faithful?
- 16:45Think of the word, are you faithful?
- 16:47Let's flip it around. Are you full of faith, trusting
- 16:51the Lord, Faithful, you're reliable, you can be counted on,
- 16:55but you trust God, your name, your reputation is a man, is a
- 16:58woman that is faithful and full of faith #3 are you teachable?
- 17:04Many people stumble here. Many people stumble here.
- 17:08And here's here's how to measure your teachable, whether you're
- 17:11teachable or not. Can you take correction?
- 17:14Can you take correction? Are you defensive?
- 17:17You always have an answer. Can you learn?
- 17:20Are you full of pride and resistance and rebellion now
- 17:25there there is much to be said about our younger generation and
- 17:27this and that. Just set that aside for a
- 17:29second. We want that zeal and we love
- 17:32the zeal of the young people. You know who really deals with
- 17:34pride? Older people like me, like you,
- 17:39where you've got a few miles under your belt, you've got a
- 17:42few years of walking with the Lord and you think you don't
- 17:45have anything to be taught and it just stops, stunts your
- 17:48growth. We're always learning something,
- 17:50you know, there's always, if we approach every situation where
- 17:53I'm going to learn something, it's a very exciting thing.
- 17:56It's like God's going to show me something.
- 17:58You're going to show me something, we're going to learn
- 18:00it together. But you have to be teachable or
- 18:02you won't be usable. You got that tweet that or X
- 18:06that, whatever you do now, you won't be usable if you can't be
- 18:10teachable. And these are self-evident,
- 18:14although some people can reveal it to you if you need to.
- 18:16And #4 and just looking at using your practical gifts for the
- 18:20Kingdom, are you available? Because you can be born again
- 18:23and you can be faithful and you can be teachable, but if you're
- 18:25never available, then you won't be used.
- 18:29Like, oh, I got all these qualities, but this is key.
- 18:31All these wonderful attributes can't be used if you don't show
- 18:34up. You got to show up.
- 18:37You got to be there. Be available to the Lord.
- 18:40There are people who have wonderful God-given spiritual
- 18:43Holy Spirit, imparted ability, imparted abilities, but they're
- 18:47never available. You just not around when you
- 18:50need them. And here's a reminder for us.
- 18:53These men were available and they rushed to the beginning and
- 18:57then they're given that instruction.
- 18:58Hey, no more, don't give any more.
- 19:01We got enough. Let's get this thing built.
- 19:04Now the rest of the chapter almost to the end is very
- 19:06repetitious and you will see, and we'll go through some of the
- 19:10repetitions. We won't read every verse
- 19:11because we have in earlier studies, but in verses chapter
- 19:1636, verses 8 through 19 is a repeating of the curtains.
- 19:20The curtains, each layer spoke each layer, all of the different
- 19:24garment, all of the different fabrics that were being used for
- 19:26the curtains spoke of Jesus Christ.
- 19:29And you go back and get the previous studies.
- 19:31Verses 20 through 34 speak of the boards.
- 19:35Remember the boards. They speak of our need for one
- 19:37another, how we stand together, how we lock together.
- 19:41One of our principles here in this church, one of our culture
- 19:44statements is that we lock Shields, that we're strong
- 19:47together. Now, of course, that's Speaking
- 19:49of being in unity and fighting the good fight, but it also
- 19:51speaks of being locked together like the boards.
- 19:54And we learn that the boards connect us and fellowship
- 19:58holding us up in the Lord, that we need each other.
- 20:02Verses 35 through 38 speak of the veils.
- 20:06The veils would be the covering coming in and out.
- 20:09One way in. Jesus says there's only one way
- 20:11in. And Jesus, he says he's the way
- 20:14in. There's You can't go 5 different
- 20:17ways into the Tabernacle. There was only one way in.
- 20:19He's the door and the way. Chapter 37 Verses one through 9,
- 20:24the Ark of the Covenant is repeated.
- 20:27The ark with the mercy seat overlooking, Speaking of Jesus,
- 20:30our mercy seat where we run today for our help in time of
- 20:35need. The Tabernacle pointing by faith
- 20:39of this old covenant community of a coming Messiah and Savior.
- 20:44Each time they see these beautiful colours, they'd smell
- 20:48the sacrifices. They'd remember the Ark of the
- 20:50Covenant overlaid in gold with the mercy seat would be Speaking
- 20:54of the quality of Jesus the Messiah to come.
- 20:58Verses 10 through 16 was the table of showbread that had 12
- 21:02loaves there reminding the priest of the people of whom he
- 21:07was serving. One loaf for every tribe.
- 21:09But even more, the loaves reminded us of what the bread of
- 21:13life, Jesus giving us our sustenance by faith.
- 21:18Verses 17 through 24, the golden lampstand.
- 21:22What did Jesus say? I am the light of the world.
- 21:26And this would be what lit the inside of the Tabernacle.
- 21:31And and of course, verses 25 through 29, the altar of incense
- 21:35and the holy anointing oil. Oh, that we would be people of
- 21:39prayer and consecration, people that would lean upon the Holy
- 21:44Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit.
- 21:47It's not by might, not by our own power, but what by the
- 21:50Spirit of God? It's his power and His strength.
- 21:54How's that for a chapter verse? Chapter 38, Verses one through
- 21:597. The altar and the burnt
- 22:00offerings. The first thing you would see
- 22:03when you walk into the outer court was this altar of burnt
- 22:06offerings. Each time you would see this,
- 22:08you'd be reminded that the only way to approach God was through
- 22:12the sacrifice of an innocent animal.
- 22:15You would see the blood. There is a very bloody scene.
- 22:19Each time you would be reminded of the price that must be paid
- 22:26for our sins. The bronze altar was made by the
- 22:30offering of the women in their polished brass mirrors and the
- 22:35New Testament, not the women, are reminded, and I think
- 22:39applicationally for men as well, that don't let your beauty just
- 22:44be outward, but inward. Let the beauty that you carry in
- 22:50life and the handsomeness men that you carry in life be
- 22:53inward, not just outward. And isn't the world so opposite?
- 22:59It's so upside down. It's so fake and so phony.
- 23:04It's not even real. The longer we go in the world,
- 23:08in the culture we're living in right now, there's so many
- 23:10things. We're not even going to be able
- 23:12to tell the difference between what's real and what's not real.
- 23:16It's already happening, and as you navigate in here as a pastor
- 23:20and as a brother, as a dad, as a grandfather, let me give you
- 23:24some advice. You go into the world where
- 23:26you're not going to be able to tell what's right or wrong.
- 23:28You need a paper Bible because this is right all the time.
- 23:33You need something that's printed, not connected to the
- 23:36Internet. The battery won't wear out, and
- 23:39it's yours. It's highlighted, it's circled,
- 23:42it's starred. You got little dates here when
- 23:45the Lord spoke to you. You have everything that you
- 23:47need with this book, This book, not this book, this is my book,
- 23:51but your book. This book here has 30 years of
- 23:55mileage on it, 30 years of notes, 30 years of hey, this is
- 24:00where I turn to, this is what I look to.
- 24:03It's never let me down. It always tells me the truth and
- 24:06it always reminds me of a God who loves me.
- 24:10And you need this in a world where you can't tell the
- 24:12difference between right and wrong, where you get confused on
- 24:16YouTube and you get confused on TikTok and you get confused with
- 24:22some of the images put out by AI and some of the things that are
- 24:25there. It's just the world we're in.
- 24:27We're not going to change it. This is the world we're in.
- 24:29You have to embrace it. This is our world.
- 24:31This is what God, we are a born. We were born the moment we were
- 24:35born to be alive in this time. This is the time.
- 24:39And it does no good to complain about it.
- 24:42It does no good to go, oh, you know, I wish we lived back in
- 24:45the black and white times, you know, Like what?
- 24:47Like you didn't think there was sin back then or their own
- 24:50issues. You know, sin has been with us
- 24:51since the garden and so you know, we may want other times.
- 24:55I get it. This is this is real
- 24:56challenging. But if you get caught up in all
- 24:58the challenges I've been, this has been a theme, hasn't it?
- 25:01You've heard this over and over again.
- 25:03You get caught up on all the challenges, you're going to
- 25:05forget why God has you alive today and God has you alive to
- 25:10reach people with the gospel and to love them in Jesus name.
- 25:15That's something that AI and computers could never do like
- 25:18you could do. Can you imagine the the power?
- 25:21You can send somebody by e-mail and you can send a text message
- 25:25and you can WhatsApp someone and you can send Adm.
- 25:28You can do a lot of tools to reach out.
- 25:30But isn't it different when you're looking someone in the
- 25:32eye and you hand them a card and you say come to church with me?
- 25:35Isn't it different? It's different.
- 25:36I'm telling you right now, it's different whether you agree with
- 25:39me or not, you or not. You should test it and you'll
- 25:41come back. Oh, yeah, you're right, pastor.
- 25:43It's different because you're right there.
- 25:46You're connected with them. This is what God made you for
- 25:50people to people, there's only two things that are eternal.
- 25:53You know, two things going from here to heaven, people and the
- 25:56word of God, the souls of men and the word of God.
- 26:00That's what's could take. That's what we get to take into
- 26:02eternity. That's it.
- 26:04But man, isn't it great? We get to invest our lives in
- 26:08the Word of God and people. And so just start loving people,
- 26:11start inviting people, start praying for people.
- 26:13How do you approach a stranger or how do you approach someone
- 26:16in an awkward situation? By the way, these situations
- 26:19with people, they're only, they're awkward until they're
- 26:21not. It won't be awkward forever.
- 26:24You get a couple under your belt and go, oh, I like this.
- 26:27I like connecting you. This is amazing.
- 26:28This is great. I like being rejected.
- 26:30Lord yes, planted a seed. I planted a seed and you walk
- 26:35away rejoicing. But here let me give you the
- 26:37question that most likely will open the door for you.
- 26:41You ready? You can jot it down, but you
- 26:42don't need to. You'll remember it.
- 26:44Here's the question. Is there anything that I can
- 26:47pray for you about that simple, you can any kind of variations.
- 26:52Try to stay away from a yes or no.
- 26:54How can I pray for you is a better way.
- 26:56How can I pray for you? If you ask, that's a more
- 26:58open-ended, but you know in the conversation, how to approach
- 27:01it, depending on how the conversation, you see somebody
- 27:04sitting there and they're crying, you have permission to
- 27:06go and approach them. You have permission.
- 27:09You don't need to ask anybody. You can go and be safe.
- 27:11Of course, be wise, but you have permission.
- 27:13You see somebody crying, Hey, you know what?
- 27:16I just want you to know there's a God in heaven that loves you
- 27:19and he sent me to you right now. How can I pray for you and 99%,
- 27:25I mean, it's not an exact percentage, right?
- 27:27But 99% of people are going to go, yeah, pray for me.
- 27:30This just happened. I just got this news.
- 27:33I don't know what's going to happen.
- 27:35I I just wanted to be alone right now, but at the same time,
- 27:39I didn't want to be alone. And I'm so glad you're here.
- 27:41You'd be amazed the response as you get back if you just do it.
- 27:44Just take the step of faith. Weren't you just praying
- 27:46earlier? Today's steps of faith.
- 27:48You were praying for yourself. You thought you were praying for
- 27:51someone else, but you're actually praying for yourself.
- 27:53Lord, give me faith. I want to step into people's
- 27:55life. There's a whole world to be
- 27:57saved. Can you imagine what would
- 27:59happen if just double the amount of our church got saved in
- 28:02Aurora? What that would change in our
- 28:03city? What if triple the amount and
- 28:06we're not even a very big church?
- 28:08Let's say triple the amount of our church.
- 28:09Would that change the city? Yes or no, it would it would
- 28:12change the neighborhood, it would change the street, it
- 28:15would change the workplace and we get to be a part of it.
- 28:18But the enemy gets us off on things.
- 28:20We got all get distracted and we get upset and we want to do our
- 28:23own like just keep your eyes on the Lord, Keep your eyes on the
- 28:27Lord. Let these times in church remind
- 28:30you of his faithfulness, remind you so much in God's economy is
- 28:35and you see it with the Tabernacle, don't you?
- 28:36It's symbolic, but it's also beautiful.
- 28:40God wanted things to be beautiful.
- 28:42He wanted things done with excellence.
- 28:45He, he wanted to be worshipped with the best.
- 28:48Now, not necessarily the best that you don't have, but the
- 28:51best that you have. Bring what you have to the Lord.
- 28:55Bring your best to Him. Bring your best attitude.
- 28:59Bring your best heart. Bring the best that you have.
- 29:02Just come as you are and watch the Lord work in your heart.
- 29:07Notice in chapter 38 in verse 8 this was the bronze Laver.
- 29:11This is where the regular washings would take place of the
- 29:15priest. Then verses 9 through 20 was the
- 29:18outer court of the Tabernacle. On that self-explanatory.
- 29:22Verses 21 through 31 was the summary and the accounting of
- 29:26everything that came in and with all the stuff coming in and
- 29:30being given, Moses keeps an inventory keeping everyone
- 29:35accountable because all of this stuff that was brought to the
- 29:40Lord belongs to the Lord and He deserves our best, even our best
- 29:48accounting. I know it might seem menial and
- 29:51tedious, but it's not. When things belong to the Lord,
- 29:56these are his. It belongs to Him.
- 30:00And so they kept count. Chapter 39, verses one through
- 30:0531 were the different pieces of clothing.
- 30:08The priests were different than all the people.
- 30:11They had special clothes that set them apart, but the clothes
- 30:14didn't make the man. The man was made to wear the
- 30:18clothes. Just putting on priestly
- 30:21garments did not make you a priest.
- 30:23It's the same today. Just saying you're a Christian
- 30:26pretending you're a Christian, play acting you're doesn't make
- 30:28you a Christian. You must be born again.
- 30:31Only priests could wear the priestly clothing and it to be
- 30:35accurate. You can't you, you can't pretend
- 30:40you, you can't put off. I mean, you can.
- 30:42Obviously that's sinful to put off an air, to put on a face, to
- 30:47present yourself as one thing, you know, to put on holy clothes
- 30:51or to put on righteous clothes, or to put on.
- 30:54Jesus even gave that parable. It's like, hey, where are your
- 30:57garments at? We don't have any.
- 30:59Well, you know what? You can't come in because you
- 31:02got to have the garments that are given to you.
- 31:04You can't just put them on. They have to be given to you,
- 31:06the righteousness of Christ. But you can put on a face and
- 31:10you could put on airs, but what Jesus calls them, he calls that
- 31:14hypocrisy. Don't think that if you just put
- 31:17on the outward that that's what makes you.
- 31:19It's the other way around. God makes you and then he
- 31:23clothes you. I love it.
- 31:25You got to take off the the clothes of the old man and put
- 31:28on the new man. The Bible says in chapter 39,
- 31:31verse 32 through 43 was the final inspection of Moses.
- 31:37He looked it over. Notice in verse 32.
- 31:40Thus all the work of the Tabernacle of the tent of
- 31:43Meeting was finished. Verse 32 And the children of
- 31:46Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
- 31:50So they did, and they brought the Tabernacle to Moses.
- 31:53The tent, all its furnishings, class boards, bars, pillars, its
- 31:57sockets, the coverings of ranskins dyed red, the covering
- 32:01of badger skins, they're bringing all of these things.
- 32:04It says in verse 42, according to all that the Lord had
- 32:07commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.
- 32:11Then Moses looked over all the work and indeed they had done
- 32:15it. Mark that you want that to be
- 32:17the testimony of your life. Indeed you did it.
- 32:21Isn't that the a different definition of hearing Jesus say
- 32:26well done, good and faithful servant and here's what it
- 32:29sounds like. You did it, they did it.
- 32:32They brought all the resources, all the ingredients, they bought
- 32:35everything. They brought more than enough.
- 32:38Then they obeyed and put it all together.
- 32:40They bring it to Moses. He looks over it as that
- 32:43representative of God and there it is.
- 32:45The Bible says they did it and at just like the Lord commanded
- 32:49verse 43, just so, they had done it and Moses blessed them.
- 32:53Here's the principle that you've heard me say many, many times,
- 32:57God blesses obedience. That's the blessing here.
- 33:03God blesses obedience. He does not bless disobedience.
- 33:10And so here's how that works. You may have areas of your life
- 33:13where you're disobedient, where you're cutting corners, you
- 33:17might be hypocritical. You, you know, the things of the
- 33:19flesh that we really need to reckon the old man dead and deal
- 33:22with. But you're not in that space
- 33:24right now. You're just doing your own
- 33:26thing. Kind of made away.
- 33:27You made an excuse. You got a reason.
- 33:29You're right there. And then I say, well, God bless
- 33:32his obedience. He doesn't bless disobedience.
- 33:34I go, no, no, pastor, I'm I'm living blessings right now.
- 33:38I'm living blessings. And I got this little corner.
- 33:40You're not going to tell me that, but you're in your mind,
- 33:42you're processing right now. It's like, well, I don't know if
- 33:44that's so true. I mean, I see it here in Moses,
- 33:46but but I don't have everything And I'm purposely, I mean, we're
- 33:49talking purposeful stuff here, not accidental stuff, not
- 33:53stumbling. And you know, you're driving.
- 33:55You didn't mean to cuss and somebody cut you off and you
- 33:57cuss. Like I don't mean I don't mean
- 33:58that. I mean stuff you know about
- 34:00stuff you've been planning, plus stuff that you're in right now
- 34:03and you just got, you're so convinced in your mind, but
- 34:06you're self deceived. You go, well, I'm experiencing
- 34:08blessings. I still got this.
- 34:10I just got a raise. Let me explain what's happening
- 34:12to you. Ready.
- 34:13God is blessing you in spite of your disobedience, not because
- 34:19of it. He's blessing you because he
- 34:21loves you. He loves you as a child.
- 34:24You've been adopted into his family, the goodness of God.
- 34:28Paul would ask you, don't you know that the goodness of God
- 34:32leads to more disobedience? No, no, no, no, it does in the
- 34:37flesh. The Bible says, don't you know
- 34:40Paul asked the question to the Romans, Don't you understand
- 34:42that the goodness of God leads to what?
- 34:43Repentance. So you're experiencing blessing.
- 34:47But don't, don't think that God's blessing your sin.
- 34:51Don't think that God's blessing your compromise.
- 34:57Don't think that God's blessing that area of your life where
- 35:00right now God's brought it to the surface.
- 35:01Just from a little study where we just summarized all these
- 35:04verses. And look, here you are hearing
- 35:06from the Lord. Why?
- 35:08Because he loves you and he cares for you.
- 35:12There's a principle that we'll never get out from under.
- 35:14Not one of us. No one in the world will ever
- 35:17get out from under this. What you sow is what you reap.
- 35:23If you sow to the flesh, we're going to reap corruption.
- 35:27What if we sow to the Spirit, we'll reap everlasting life.
- 35:31Moses blesses the people and what a joy it was to experience
- 35:35it. Because they were obedient.
- 35:37They're not always obedient, are they?
- 35:39They're not always. They don't.
- 35:41It's not like they they have this perfect resume.
- 35:46But I'm sure if we had a chance to interview them, I'm sure if
- 35:49we had a chance to talk to them personally, they would say, but
- 35:51I love the Lord, what I'm doing I don't want to do and what I'm
- 35:56doing I don't want to do and what I don't want to do I do.
- 36:00So like what Paul said in Romans Chapter 7, who will deliver me
- 36:04from this body of death? And then what?
- 36:07The deliverance comes from where God, I thank God, I thank God
- 36:12that he sent Jesus Christ. That's where the deliverance
- 36:15comes. So in chapter 40, they set up
- 36:17the Tabernacle. Verses one through 33, they get
- 36:21it all set up and it's a beautiful sight.
- 36:26It's been about a year now since they've left Egypt on the
- 36:29anniversary of their redemption. The Tabernacle was set up, it
- 36:34says. Then the Lord spoke verse one,
- 36:36on the first day of the first month, you shall set up the
- 36:38Tabernacle of the 10th of meeting.
- 36:41Put in it the ark of the testimony.
- 36:43Partition off the ark with the veil.
- 36:45Bring the table, anoint the altar or the anoint.
- 36:48Verse 10, the altar, you know the anointing oil.
- 36:51Verse 9, There's a whole process that they're following.
- 36:55It says let's just read through it.
- 36:57Verse 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things
- 37:00that are beset in order on it. You shall bring in the lampstand
- 37:04and it's light its lamps. Verse 5, You should also set the
- 37:07altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony,
- 37:11and put up the screen for the door of the Tabernacle.
- 37:14You shall set the altar of the Burnt Offering before the door
- 37:17of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall set the
- 37:20labor between the Tabernacle of Meeting and the altar and put
- 37:23water on it. In it.
- 37:25You shall set up the court all around and hang up the screen at
- 37:28the court gate. Take the anointing oil and
- 37:31anoint the Tabernacle and all that's in it, and you shall
- 37:33hollow it and all its utensils. It shall be holy.
- 37:37You shall anoint the altar of the Burnt Offering and its
- 37:39utensils and sanctify the altar. The altar shall be most holy.
- 37:44You shall anoint the labor and its base and sanctify it.
- 37:47You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the
- 37:49Tabernacle of Meaning and wash them with water.
- 37:53You should put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and
- 37:56sanctify him, that he may minister to me as priest.
- 38:00You shall bring verse 14 his sons and clothe them with
- 38:03tunics. You shall anoint them as you
- 38:05anointed their Father, that they may minister to me as priests,
- 38:09for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood
- 38:13throughout their generations. Thus Moses did according to all
- 38:16that the Lord commanded him. So he did, and it came to pass
- 38:20in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the
- 38:23month, that the Tabernacle was raised up.
- 38:26So Moses raised up the Tabernacle, fastened its
- 38:29sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its
- 38:33pillars. He spread out the tent over the
- 38:35Tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the
- 38:39Lord had commanded Moses. He took the testimony and put it
- 38:43in the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark,
- 38:46put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and he brought the ark into
- 38:49the Tabernacle, hung up the veil, the covering partitioned
- 38:52off the ark of the testimony as the Lord had commanded Moses.
- 38:57Verse 22. He put the table in the
- 38:59Tabernacle of meaning on the north side of the Tabernacle,
- 39:02outside the veil, and he set the bread in order upon it before
- 39:06the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
- 39:08He put the lamp stand in the Tabernacle of meaning across
- 39:11from the table on the South side of the Tabernacle, and he lit
- 39:14the lamps before the Lord as the Lord commanded Moses.
- 39:18He put the gold altar in the Tabernacle of meaning in front
- 39:21of the veil, and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had
- 39:25commanded Moses. He hung up the screen at the
- 39:28door of the Tabernacle, and he put the altar of the burnt
- 39:31offering before the door of the Tabernacle of the 10 a meeting,
- 39:35and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering,
- 39:38as the Lord had commanded Moses. He set the labor between the
- 39:42Tabernacle of meeting and the altar and put water there for
- 39:45washing. And Moses, Aaron, and his sons
- 39:47washed their hands and their feet with water from it when
- 39:51they went into the Tabernacle of meeting.
- 39:53And when they came near the altar, they washed as the Lord
- 39:57had commanded Moses. And he raised up the court all
- 40:00around the Tabernacle in the altar, and hung up the screen of
- 40:03the court gate. So Moses finished the work about
- 40:08a year now since they came out of Egypt.
- 40:11And I love how God keeps his calendar.
- 40:14His years are measured by spiritual accomplishments.
- 40:17They began their year in the month of redemption.
- 40:20It was their spiritual birthday. That, that's why I like to
- 40:24celebrate my spiritual birthday. It was such a dramatic change
- 40:28for me. I, I believe my spiritual
- 40:29birthday is more important than my physical birthday, although
- 40:32that's important because I wouldn't have a spiritual
- 40:34birthday if I didn't have a physical one.
- 40:35But my spiritual birthday means more to me than my physical
- 40:38birth. That's why when I asked how old
- 40:41I am, I have two numbers. I have a natural birth.
- 40:44It's on my birth certificate, but I also have a spiritual
- 40:47birth. And so now I'm getting kind of
- 40:49old. I'm in my 30s, I've been saved
- 40:53now 34 years in the Lord and it's such a glorious thing to be
- 40:58saved, to have my life anointed with the oil of God, to see God
- 41:03take something and make beauty from ashes to receive me.
- 41:07How by His grace, what did I do to deserve about to reach out to
- 41:13me? What did I do exactly for God to
- 41:16pinpoint me and invite me and adopt me?
- 41:19I I have that testimony. I look at my own physical
- 41:22adoption. I was adopted by my parents.
- 41:24What did I possibly do to earn adoption with all those kids in
- 41:28the nursery? Well, however they did it.
- 41:29I I, you know, I had poopy pants and I I cried a lot.
- 41:33What was there to what was there?
- 41:35And I wasn't a good looking baby either.
- 41:36So I got nothing working for me, nothing at all.
- 41:40But I didn't. What did I do to earn my parents
- 41:42favor or what? What could I possibly do What?
- 41:46What trick could I? What could I had nothing to
- 41:48offer. They chose me by their own will,
- 41:52their own choice, even as God did.
- 41:55And they chose me with love, my parent, my physical, but they
- 41:59chose me with love. And they didn't even know me
- 42:01yet. And they loved me as their own.
- 42:04They had no idea. And yet God, in all his
- 42:06knowledge, He knows everything about you, past, present and
- 42:09future. He loves you and he sent Jesus
- 42:13for you. It's just a beautiful thing to
- 42:15think of the faithfulness of God in our lives.
- 42:19Who are we? What have we done exactly?
- 42:23Who are we but sons and daughters of God who loves us?
- 42:28And because of God's love and faithfulness, there is hope for
- 42:32you today, and there is hope for me.
- 42:35Whatever I haven't going on in my life and whatever challenge
- 42:38there may be and whatever besetting sin you might be
- 42:41dealing with, God loves you. And He has given you the power,
- 42:46believer to overcome every sin. He's put value upon your life.
- 42:51He has given you more value than you could possibly ever have.
- 42:55There is a light, you know, as a baby lying down, having nothing
- 42:58to offer him. For many of us, we get saved
- 43:01later in life and we go, oh man, not only do I have nothing to
- 43:04offer him, but I've literally ruined the life that God gave me
- 43:07physically. I've ruined it.
- 43:08Not only did I ruin my life, but I ruined Marie's life and I
- 43:12ruined my son's life and her mom and my parents like I was just a
- 43:16walking destruction. And God says that's that's
- 43:20right, I can fix that. I could take care of that.
- 43:23You just, you got to come to me though.
- 43:26And along the way, he told me a few things that were personal to
- 43:28me. You got to stop drinking.
- 43:31That, that, that that can't happen in the Kingdom.
- 43:34You can't be getting drunk, Ed. That's your big problem.
- 43:38OK, Lord, I'll stop drinking. Is that it?
- 43:41Oh, no. Sit down, son.
- 43:45Sit down. And it's now here, 30 years
- 43:47later, he's still working. And isn't it true for you?
- 43:51It may not have been alcohol or drugs or whatever, but God says
- 43:53to you, I I would love you. You're part of a family.
- 43:55But this ain't going to work going forward.
- 43:58You're not going to be be able to punch holes in the wall like
- 44:00that. You can't lie anymore.
- 44:02That's not the Kingdom living. You can't be abusive.
- 44:06You, you can't, you can't be deceptive.
- 44:08You know, whatever, whatever it might be, that doesn't work for
- 44:10the Kingdom. You look at it.
- 44:10Oh, I can't believe it. God told me.
- 44:12No, no, no, God's not telling you like like heavy-handed.
- 44:14He's like, no, I want you. I want the best for you and this
- 44:17is the best for you because you could say today, Oh, God never
- 44:20told me not to. I don't need to get drunk
- 44:22anymore what he did in his word, but he never told me that.
- 44:24And that's probably because you don't have a problem with it.
- 44:28And so he's like, well, I don't have that problem.
- 44:30I but you got other problems. And I love that God, he keeps
- 44:34time by his work in your life. He keeps time in the festivals
- 44:39and, and even within the church. When we celebrate the birth of
- 44:42Christ, when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, when we
- 44:45celebrate our spiritual birthdays, we're like, yes, this
- 44:50is the work. Moses finished the work.
- 44:52What a great day this must have been.
- 44:54We often read of men in the Bible finishing the work.
- 44:58Aren't you glad Noah finished the work?
- 45:00I am. Otherwise catastrophe would have
- 45:02overtaken the sinful world. I'm glad that Nehemiah finished
- 45:07the work. I'm grateful he gives us a
- 45:09pattern even though the task before him was far beyond his
- 45:12ability. Nehemiah finished the gospel
- 45:15writers. I'm grateful they finished the
- 45:17work that they put to pen and they put to paper this the true
- 45:21story, the life story of Jesus Christ and him crucified and
- 45:25rose again. Often times God would inspire
- 45:30the Bible writers to write down it is finished.
- 45:34I have finished. I finished my race.
- 45:37Paul says. The heritage of those believers
- 45:39who have gone before us, following Jesus himself, is that
- 45:43they finished. They all ran all the way to the
- 45:46finish line. Hebrews Chapter 11 by faith, by
- 45:49faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, 30 plus times
- 45:53by faith. That's how they finish and
- 45:56that's how you and I'll finish. Trusting the Lord, not meriting
- 46:01his favor, not entitlement, just like coming to God, like what
- 46:05you owe me, God coming to your church what you owe me.
- 46:08You don't ever want to talk to God about what He owes you or
- 46:12what you deserve. Jesus shows you what you
- 46:16deserved. We don't want what we deserve.
- 46:19We don't want to come. This world has made us so
- 46:21entitled and we have to die to that part of our flesh.
- 46:25It's so fleshly. It's just the opposite.
- 46:29What have you done for me lately?
- 46:30People will say, but it's not where you want to live.
- 46:33What have you done for me lately?
- 46:35You just like, look at all you've done for me, Lord.
- 46:39That's the place to live. So he finishes then, verse 34,
- 46:44the cloud covered the Tabernacle of meaning in the glory of the
- 46:48Lord filled the Tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter
- 46:52the Tabernacle of meaning because the cloud rested above
- 46:54it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
- 46:58And when the cloud was taken up from the above the Tabernacle,
- 47:02the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys.
- 47:05But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey
- 47:08till the day that it was taken up.
- 47:10For the cloud of the Lord was above the Tabernacle by day and
- 47:13the fire over it by night in the sight of all the House of Israel
- 47:17throughout all their journeys. That's the end of Exodus right
- 47:22there. We made it to the last period,
- 47:26but how did we make it? God was training them to look to
- 47:30him. That's this.
- 47:32Now. This is how they will live.
- 47:35Look to him. Don't you move unless God's
- 47:37moving. Don't you move unless God's
- 47:39moving. Don't you move unless God's
- 47:41moving. God didn't give them agenda.
- 47:44Yeah. You couldn't wake up in the
- 47:45morning and go. I think I'm, I think I saw the
- 47:47cloud move a little bit. I mean, I feel like the Lord
- 47:49just spoke to me. The cloud moved in a little bit
- 47:51and everybody's looking like, bro, it didn't move at all.
- 47:54You just need to sit down, calm down.
- 47:57We'll know when God moves. It'll be clear.
- 48:00And I think about even just on a small scale and you guys get the
- 48:04the first taste of it. But I just think of it, you
- 48:06know, on the small scale where the stage is being changed and
- 48:09all the worship is like, you know, this isn't a replication
- 48:12of the glory of God. The glory of God doesn't reside
- 48:16in lights or in haze or, or even in the men and women that lead
- 48:19us in worship. But I'll tell you what's
- 48:21happening. You and I, we are learning to
- 48:24come in such a place that's been solely dedicated cater to God
- 48:28where we as a church have done our best to put our best foot
- 48:30forward. And what you are learning to do
- 48:33is look to the Lord here. You're learning to look to the
- 48:36Lord in song. You're learning to look to the
- 48:39Lord in fellowship. You're learning to look to the
- 48:41Lord in communion. You're learning to look to the
- 48:44Lord in breaking a bread and you're doing it in such a way
- 48:48where God says, man, I am so pleased with you.
- 48:52Sing your hearts out, raise your hands, learn the songs, and
- 48:57worship me. Even if you need to make a
- 48:59joyful noise to the Lord, do it, Do it, do it.
- 49:05And then when you learn how to follow the Lord, when he moves,
- 49:08you'll move. When he stays, you stay.
- 49:12When he goes to the left, where, where are you going?
- 49:14I hope? I mean, these guys are going to
- 49:16the left. You guys don't know where you're
- 49:18going. If he moves to the right, where
- 49:20are you going to the right? If he moves fast, you're moving
- 49:24fast, but you know God will never he, He will never do that
- 49:28to you. Try to run away from you and
- 49:30make you catch up. You'll be at just the right
- 49:32pace. He'll lead you just perfectly.
- 49:35You'll be, you might have a different pace than someone
- 49:37else, but God's so faithful, He'll take care of you.
- 49:40Some of you slowing down, his slows down, some of you speeding
- 49:43up. It's time to speed up.
- 49:44But God is faithful and they finish the work.
- 49:47God didn't give them an agenda, didn't give them a five year
- 49:49plan. They were able just to keep
- 49:51their eyes on the cloud, on the fire.
- 49:53When it moved, they were to move, and this was the nation.
- 49:56Two and a half million people camped around the Tabernacle.
- 50:00God's going to be the center of the nation, that little tent.
- 50:04They must depend upon God, not the governments of man, not the
- 50:08leadership of men. God had delivered His people,
- 50:11walking them from Egypt, from this place of dedication and
- 50:15worship. And Moses will lead best when
- 50:18Moses points to the Lord, because God did give leadership
- 50:22and leadership's important, but leadership will do best when
- 50:25they point you to the Lord. You may not always like it.
- 50:29You may not always like the direction a leader gives or the
- 50:32word that you give, but any leader that points you to the
- 50:35Lord, stay close to that one. Pray for him because there's
- 50:40always pressure for us as leaders not to point you to the
- 50:43Lord because it's too hard sometimes.
- 50:46It's like, oh, if I tell you this, you're going to get mad at
- 50:48me. Well, I mean, you're just going
- 50:49to have to learn. A lot of people are going to be
- 50:51mad, but God won't be mad. A lot of people might be upset,
- 50:56but God is not upset. When you tell someone the truth,
- 50:58God is well pleased, says that I live in him.
- 51:02That's the truth. That's the truth from Him.
- 51:06And so God delivered his people waking, walking them out of
- 51:10Egypt to this place of dedication.
- 51:12His work is done. It's just the beginning though.
- 51:14Much like your life, you get discouraged at how many mistakes
- 51:17you make, get downcast at the pains and sorrows of sin.
- 51:22You feel yourself distant from fellowship, maybe even a little
- 51:25discouraged and depressed because of circumstances in your
- 51:27life. But like this nation, you need
- 51:30to get your eyes off yourself and get your eyes back on the
- 51:33Lord. Look for Him to move.
- 51:36You can move forward and limp, and you can move forward with
- 51:40crisis and difficulty. You can move forward when God
- 51:44wants you to move forward, and you can rest when God wants you
- 51:46to rest. Watch the Lord work in your life
- 51:50and follow Him and let the pattern of your life be as God
- 51:53commanded as God commanded you. Finish the work that God
- 51:57ordained, not your work. Don't ever call your work God's
- 52:01work. It's his.
- 52:04They built the Tabernacle exactly as He wanted.
- 52:09Because it's an exact beautiful picture of Jesus Christ to come.
- 52:14Lord, thank you for this book and getting through a longer
- 52:16night. Lord, we thank you for the
- 52:18truths. So much more could be said, I'm
- 52:20sure, but you give us what we need, like mana.
- 52:23Just like the mana. We get enough for a day, and you
- 52:27want to give so much more and you have so much, but it's just
- 52:29enough for a day. So we receive it.
- 52:33We thank you for the pattern up and down, left and right, but
- 52:37how it ended and the end is just the beginning of something else.
- 52:44Give us this heart of evangelism.
- 52:46Lord, give us this heart to care for our neighbor, give us this
- 52:49heart to invite people to church, to love on them, to
- 52:52serve them, to bless them, to tell them how much you love
- 52:56them, to not be ashamed of the gospel because it's the power of
- 52:59God unto salvation for all who believe.
- 53:03And just stir up your church, Lord, even this remnant, you
- 53:06know our midweek remnant, our midweek remnant on the radio,
- 53:09our midweek remnant on YouTube. This stir us up.
- 53:12Lord, you don't need a lot. I mean, we want the whole church
- 53:15like for sure, but you don't need a lot to do a lot.
- 53:20You can do amazing things with just one person.
- 53:23How about 10? How about 100?
- 53:24How about 500? How about 5000?
- 53:26We're open, Lord, but just tonight, just you can do a lot
- 53:29through a little. And we look to you to do a lot.
- 53:33And I pray for those listening to me right now.
- 53:35I pray God, everyone that hears my voice, if today's the day
- 53:40that you have ordained that they give their life to you, they
- 53:44surrender their life for the forgiveness of their sins, that
- 53:47they would do that. If you're in the room right now
- 53:49and you need to give your life to Jesus and receive the
- 53:52forgiveness of your sins, would you stand to your feet?
- 53:54I want to pray with you that today is the day.
- 53:57Right now in this moment, God has been speaking to you.
- 54:02And I know it's a little obscure passage, but all the whole time
- 54:05you've been thinking and hearing about the love of God in your
- 54:08life. And I want you to know it's
- 54:09real, that God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to change
- 54:14your life, to forgive you of sin.
- 54:15I mean, there's so much to teach you, but today you just need to
- 54:18know you must be born again. Is there anyone here that would
- 54:22say, I want to be born again, I want to follow Christ.
- 54:26I want to give you that chance. And I know there are.
- 54:31It's just, are you willing to come?
- 54:34I know you're here. I know you're out on the radio.
- 54:36I know you're downstairs. I know, I know that.
- 54:39I know that God is always sending His word to the men and
- 54:43women that need it. I know that you're battling and
- 54:49fighting. I know that it's hard for you to
- 54:51believe God loves you. I know that you're thinking
- 54:55about and measuring and count like you're trying to figure out
- 54:57what it's going to cost you. Maybe thinking about what people
- 55:01might say. It's all normal.
- 55:05That's not unusual because there's a battle like we know
- 55:09from the Bible that there's like a battle for your life right
- 55:11now. That's how important this moment
- 55:14is. So before we sing a final song,
- 55:19you go go get your kiddos. Anyone here downstairs online?
- 55:26The Holy Spirit's calling? He's with us, anyone else,
- 55:48anyone at all. The Lord is so good to us.
- 55:52So for the sake of anyone listening right now, just so you
- 55:54can ask God to forgive you, you can say God forgive me of my
- 55:57sins. I choose to follow you because
- 56:03of the blood that you shed on my behalf.
- 56:07Help me to turn away from my sin and thank you for allowing me to
- 56:11be a part of your family and father.
- 56:15Anyone that calls upon your name, I pray for them right now.
- 56:18I pray that their lives would change and that you would have
- 56:21your way with us. Pour out your spirit on us as a
- 56:24church Lord. We need it but we want it.
- 56:27Pour out your spirit God in Jesus name, Amen.
- 56:32We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study
- 56:35delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
- 56:38prayer. Call us at 87730 grace that's
- 56:43877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
- 56:49integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
- 56:53online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
- 56:58Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
- 57:01this week.