Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10244 - Are You Willing - Exodus 35

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#10244 - Are You Willing - Exodus 35 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through a
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Bounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles.
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Exodus chapter 35. We're ambitious today, trying to
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cover 2 chapters as we come to the end of Exodus.
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A lot of it's repetition, some of it is not, but we're going to
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start in Exodus 35. And I've been taught at our
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Bible study. Being available with a willing
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heart. Being available with a willing
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heart. As we've studied the life of
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Moses, after all that he's seen and all that he's experienced up
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to this point, he still wanted more.
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He wanted more of the Lord. He wanted to see the face of
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God. He wanted to press in on behalf
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of the people. He wanted more, and it's my
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heart and desire that you want more of what God has for you,
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but not just something from God, but someone that we want more.
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And that's the heart of a growing Christian, the desire
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for more. I want more growth.
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I want more strength, I want more vision, I want more
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obedience. I want all that God has for me.
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I want all that God has for my family, for my marriage, for my
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kids, for my grandchild, for all that God has.
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I want more. I want more for you.
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When I pray for the life of our church, I see the the pressing
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needs in our church and I see the overwhelming growth and I
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see the things that are coming in our life of our church that
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some of you didn't experience when we first moved in so many
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years ago. God has said, I want to do it
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again and it's time to press in, not to be afraid, not to try to
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control, but to ask God for all that he wants.
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We open up the year. Do you remember the theme, the
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theme of this year? So what we opened up with the
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the theme was take it all. God says, here's the land.
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Go in and take it, take it all. Everything that I've given you,
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I want you to experience it all that I promised for you.
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I want you to enjoy. I want more of you, Lord, more
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of all that you have. Not his stuff, but him, not his
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gifts, but him. You remember back in Exodus
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chapter 33, Moses was there and pick up.
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If you want to just turn back a couple pages in verse 22 it says
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and so it shall be. While my glory passes by, I will
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put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with
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my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand
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and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.
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And there was that moment where Moses was able to enjoy the
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glory of God. He get it.
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He got a glimpse of God passing by.
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He says, stand in this place, this cleft of the rock and I'm
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going to pass by you. And I put a new hunger.
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I believe in Moses heart for the glory that was available to him,
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the same glory that he saw on the mount of Transfiguration.
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He got to see Jesus and all of his glory.
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And he says, I want more. And he experiences that
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afterglow and he hears the instructions of God being
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repeated to him. And then at the end of chapter
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34, Moses comes down from the mountain and his face shone, and
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they had to cover it up. It caused a holy fear to come
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upon the people. It was so glorious.
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They needed to veil his face, covering him.
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Moses was full of the glory of God.
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It was noticeable. I want you to keep that in mind.
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And now as we pick up in verse 35 says then, or excuse me,
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verse 1 of chapter 35, verse one.
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Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of
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Israel together and said to them, These are the words which
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the Lord has commanded you to do.
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Work shall be done for six days, but the 7th day shall be a holy
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day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord.
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Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
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You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on
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the Sabbath day. Here are the words of the Lord,
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Keep the Sabbath. If you violate this, you're
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going to die. And how true that is.
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If we're not taking time to enjoy the presence of God, if
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we're not resting at least the one day a week seeking him,
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seeking his rest, we die. Oh, today it's not physically as
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it was in the Old covenant, but we die in so many different
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ways. We begin to shrivel up.
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None of us were designed or built to work 7 days or 8 days
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or 10 days without meaningful rest.
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But not just physical rest. There is a principle.
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There is a principle. Work 6 days and rest physically
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but also to learn spiritually. It's to the weary and to the
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heavy laden. Jesus invites you come to me and
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I will give you rest, that deep rest in your soul.
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He wouldn't invite us unless we needed it.
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In those seasons where we neglected and so many today, I'm
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finding or discovering how wonderful it is to be used by
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the Lord to press into the things of God, but also to learn
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the rhythms that are needed to rest and work, rest and serve.
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But if I if I'm only giving out and I'm not getting refueled or
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recharged, then I'm going to dry up.
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I'm going to find myself tired and weary and heavy laden.
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The Sabbath for them, a very important day.
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But again, by the time Jesus comes on the scene, they had
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completely changed it into a religious ritual that needed to
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be kept and checked and checked off the list.
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But God's heart was to honor him and hallow him and not forget
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him. Notice now pick up in verse 4.
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So Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of
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Israel, saying, this is the thing which the Lord commanded,
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saying, take from from among you an offering of the Lord.
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And I love this phrase. Again, mark it when you see it.
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Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering
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to the Lord. Gold, silver, bronze, blue,
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purple, scarlet yarn, fine linen thread, goat's hair, ram skins,
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dyed red, badger skins, Acacia, wood, oil for the light, spices
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for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
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Onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and in the
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breastplate. Verse 10.
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All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the
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Lord has commanded. The Tabernacle, its tent, its
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covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars,
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its sockets. The ark in its poles with the
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mercy seat and the veil of the covering.
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The table, its poles, all its utensils.
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In the showbread. Also the lampstand for the
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light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light.
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The incense alter, its poles, the anointing oil, sweet
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incense. The screen for the door at the
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entrance of the Tabernacle. Verse 16.
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The altar of the burnt offering, with its bronze grating, its
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poles, all its utensils, and the labour and its base.
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The hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, the
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screens for the gate of the court, the pigs of the
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Tabernacle, the pigs for the court and their cords.
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The garments of ministry for the ministering in the holy place,
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the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his
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sons to minister as priests, and to all the congregation of the
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children of Israel, departed from the presence of Moses.
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And then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone
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whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord's offering
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for the work of the Tabernacle of meeting, for all its service.
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For the holy garments they came, both men and women, as many as
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had a what church willing heart brought.
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Earrings and nose rings and rings and necklaces and jewelry
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of gold. That is every man who offered an
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offering of gold to the Lord and every man with whom was found
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blue, purple and scarf, harlot, fine linen, goat's hair,
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Redskins of Rams, badger skins, they brought them.
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I love verse 5. I love this theme, so important
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for us to be in tune with the Holy Spirit.
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What is God looking for but a willing heart?
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That's what he's looking for. There's two now 2 summaries that
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Moses brings for now, the building of the Tabernacle and
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the fence around it and all the worship utensils and clothing.
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Two things, giving and working. Those two things, giving and
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working, those that were skilled were going to work.
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God gave them the skills for this particular purpose, but
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also those to the broader camp. Those who have a willing heart
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now must give. They must give to help for the
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building of the Tabernacle. These are the ones I want you to
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bring an offering. I want you to be willing.
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Is it in your heart to give to the work of the Lord?
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Is it in? That's a question for us.
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We have to ask it. Am I willing to participate in
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the work of the Lord through the giving?
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Listen, this is what he's asking.
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Am I willing to participate in the work of the Lord in giving a
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portion of what he has given to me?
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I mean, because after all, when we look at our lives, exactly
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how much has the Lord given us? All, all of it.
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He's given us the mind, He's given us the education, He's
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given us the training, the job, everything we have has been
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given to us by the Lord. Now that's enough.
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It can be an offensive thing to hear if you are hard worker or
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if you're very well educated or you pulled a double today and
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you're just rolling into church. They go, who is this guy telling
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me I don't work? I know you work, but I want you
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to remember your willingness to work, your skill.
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Everything you have is from the Lord.
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There isn't anything that we have that hasn't come from Him
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first. What he's looking for in our
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lives is willingness. You can jot it down in First
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Chronicles chapter 29, verse 9. Then the people rejoiced, for
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they had offered willingly because with a loyal heart they
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had offered willingly to the Lord.
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And King David also rejoiced greatly that giving with a
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willingness, Paul would later say in Corinthians, not to give
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grudgingly, not to give grudgingly.
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He talked about in his teaching their giving within the tithes
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and the giving within the church.
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But there's a broader application that we would learn
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to give not grudgingly. There's a lot of reasons why men
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and women don't desire to give today.
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I think that there is this clasping on with fear and maybe,
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you know, just a tenacity to hold on to what you have.
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And your hands are always closed.
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And when your hands are always closed, filled with something,
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it it doesn't open and provide the opportunity for God to fill
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your empty hands, to fill your empty hands.
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Perhaps you. Secondly, you don't give because
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you've been burned. And that that's hard when you've
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been burned, when you've been taken advantage of or you passed
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through a church that taught you wrong and only saw you for your
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money and only saw you for some self enrichment.
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I'm sorry you were lied to. That's not true.
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God doesn't need your money. You can say Amen to that.
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God doesn't need your money. And some preachers are up here
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like like begging their churches like God is broke.
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Oh, I don't believe it. God is God's not broke.
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We might be broke. God's not broke.
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He owns a cow on 1000 hills. He can provide for all of our
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needs according to his riches, our riches in Christ Jesus.
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He's not broke. But giving is a tool that God
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uses not to raise money. God uses giving to raise
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disciples because you can measure and I can measure my
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heart by my heart to give or not.
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I can know. I can see in my own life as I've
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seen different seasons where I've become cynical or I've had
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different things going on in my mind where my heart wasn't so
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willing and I would just do the bare minimum.
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I'll just do the bare minimum in my giving.
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And I'm certain that the Lord was pleased with that.
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But I knew in my own heart that there was something God was
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working out and He wanted to work it out through money and
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through time or through some extra phone call or some extra
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thing that's going to press upon my life.
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I know that there are those that might teach you no, no, give,
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Give generously. And if you don't have the money
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to give, put it on your Visa and put it on your MasterCard.
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You need to give. Sow your seeds of faith.
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Give your best faith offering. Look, look, look, don't listen
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to them. That's all nonsense.
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Here's the measure of your giving.
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You ready? Just ask God for a willing heart
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and he'll take care of that. Just ask for a willing.
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Just say, Lord, you know my heart toward giving you.
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You know this is an issue for me.
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You know the struggle I'm having.
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You know the bills that are, you know all about me, Lord.
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But this is an area I need you to touch in my life.
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I need to be willing. I need you to build in me faith
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and leadership once again, or faith in a ministry, or I just
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need you, God to move upon my heart.
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Because it's almost as if God saying here to the to the
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Israelites through Moses, but also to us in the 21st century
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when it comes to willingness. If God is saying everyone that's
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willing bring your offering, then he's also saying the
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opposite, isn't he? If you're not willing, keep it,
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don't bring it. I don't want it from you.
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If it's not willing, like if you don't want to give, then don't
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give. And I'd apply that right here in
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this church, everyone listening, you don't want to give, then
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don't give. That's between you and the Lord.
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You want to suffer the consequences of disobedience,
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That's between you and the Lord. You want to wrestle with God
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your whole life over money, That's between you and the Lord.
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But if I mean, because there's always needs in this church, you
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know that there's always needs. There's always big steps of
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faith. There's always there's always
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something that the Lord's calling this church corporately
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to do as a as a large group, but also individually.
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And you know what every single time, 25 years, God provides
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every single time, more than enough, more than enough, more
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than enough to be generous to help other churches of church
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more than enough. We as a church family, we follow
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what we believe the Bible, we pour into missions, we pour into
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outreach. We, we help, we, we step into as
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a church family because we believe what God says in Second
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Corinthians Chapter 9, that God loves a cheerful giver.
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He loves that he loves a cheerful giver.
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It's something where you enjoy this sweetness with God.
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And then that same passage in the new Living Translation, he
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also writes don't give reluctantly in response to
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pressure. That's the NLTI like that.
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Don't give grudgingly, but in the Lt. don't give because of
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pressure. Give out of a willing heart of
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what God and that's why he set it up for us to give of the
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firstfruits. Every time we notice increase in
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our life, we give God the glory for it.
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Every time we see God take it, we give God the glory for it.
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Every time we have something when we had nothing, we give God
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the glory through it because we have willing hearts.
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When I give cheerfully, the joy of the Lord wells up within me.
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I enjoy hearing and seeing all the fruit of what God is doing.
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When I I give, This is our church family.
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I've shared this with you many times as our church family.
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So I've grown up for the last 25 years when my kids have grown
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up. So we give to our church.
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So when I hear a testimony, I'm like, yeah, Amen.
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That's something not only as a pastor that I believe God was
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doing, but also as a believer, I'm just like, yeah, Amen.
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When I hear a testimony, I say, yes, that's our church.
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That's what God is doing through the life of the ministry here.
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When I see a need met or I see a picture or so, whatever it may
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be, I'm like, yes, Lord, that's what I want to partner with
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that. That's the ministry that just as
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Ed the believer, I want to partner with, I want to obey you
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and then enjoy the blessings. I want to enjoy all that you're
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doing. I want to see it.
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And it's like, yes, Lord, I'm a, I'm a small part of it in a
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large church like this. I'm just a small part as a
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giver. We're all just small parts.
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But isn't it amazing what God can do when he puts a lot of
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small parts together? It's unbelievable what God can
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do through the power of the church for the nation here.
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What God is asking this nation that just came out of Egypt, You
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know, there's all kinds of different estimations on the
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money part, but it's over a billion dollars.
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He's asking. It's a conservative estimate of
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all that he's asking. It's a billion dollars worth of
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goods, if not billions, millions from this little nation that
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came out of Egypt after years of slavery.
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And that's a big offering. But God was enabled to to
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strengthen these former slaves to give and to give generously.
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I love this notice in verse 20 it says and the congregation of
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the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
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So the the command from God was given and then everyone left.
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They heard the invitation to give and then they left.
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They departed. Why?
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I want you to see that there's not any pressure being put on
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them here. Moses isn't guilting them isn't
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saying you can't leave until or as I've seen I've seen a lot a
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lot of this in in churches will though have people at the doors.
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You can't leave until we get this offering.
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They count the offering up on the stage.
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It's not enough. You need to give more that
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that's not that's not God, that that's men ripping people off in
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the name of God and God will deal with them.
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And even today, if you have ever given under pressure and you've
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ever given with, you know, because you were genuinely
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worshipping God, sincere and you believe the guy or the gal for a
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while and you're like, man, you start beating yourself up and
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just listen. Just trust the Lord with it and
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move forward. Don't regret, don't look back,
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just learn from it. And now you can come alongside
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someone else. And hey, look, this is what the
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Bible says. I know what they're saying, but
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this is what the Bible says. And every dollar you give, I, I
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mean, I have to say this too, for knowing this goes on on the
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radio. I have to say this too.
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It's very important. If you've ever fallen for sowing
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the seeds and, and you've ever given, it's like, well, you're
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going to get a thousandfold or a hundredfold.
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You do have a responsibility for that.
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You know that, right? You need to repent of your
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greed. That's a greedy thing to do.
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I think I want to give a church so I can get a hundredfold back.
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That's that's not a willing heart.
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That's a greedy heart. And there is an element where
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you need to take responsibility and say no, no, God, I don't
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want a greedy heart. I want a willing heart.
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I'm not looking for anything in return.
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Why would I look for anything in return, Lord?
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Because you've given her all to me.
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I'm not looking for you to, to have this now.
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God, you know my needs. You know my desire.
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You know I have this bill or you know I have to.
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I have this with my son. You know I'm a single mom, a
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single dad. You know my needs, Lord.
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But I don't want to come to you greedy.
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I want to come to you humble. I want to come to you asking and
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seeking and knocking because that's what you told me to do.
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I don't want to fall prey to in a weak, vulnerable moment,
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somebody's lie that if I sow some type of seed, then I'll get
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a hundredfold increase. Who knows what God wants to do
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in your life financially? I don't, I don't know, but I do
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know this. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ
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for you. He has given us his best and he
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ate. The Bible says he's never seen
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the righteous baked bread. There's always going to be
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enough daily bread, daily help, and I love this.
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There's no pressure. Just go and pray about it.
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Just go and seek God. This is what he says.
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That's what Moses comes on. This is what he says.
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Now you guys go and they don't move ahead emotionally or by
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need, but prayerfully so. Pick up Now in verse 21, what
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really pick up where we left off in verse, let's say 23 Every man
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with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet, fine linen,
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goats hair, Redskins of Rams and badger skins, they brought them.
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Everyone who offered an offering of silver, bronze brought the
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Lord's offering. And everyone who with whom was
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found Acacia wood or any work of silver's, they brought it.
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And the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their
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hands and brought what they had spun blue and purple and scarlet
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and fine linen. And all the women whose hearts
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stirred with wisdom, spun yarn of goat's hair.
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The rulers brought ox Onyx stones and stones to be set in
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the ephod, and then the breastplate, spices and oil for
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the light, and the anointing oil and sweet incense.
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Verse 29. The children of Israel brought
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what a free will offering to the Lord.
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Why? Because a free will offering is
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brought from a willing heart. They brought a free will
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offering to the Lord all the men and women whose hearts were
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willing to bring material of all kinds of work which the Lord by
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the hand of Moses had commanded to be done.
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Can you imagine the guy that didn't bring something just for
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a moment, The guy that goes, you know, I'm going to keep my
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Ramskin. It looks good in my garage and I
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just want to keep it up there. I don't think God has enough
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Rams. Can you imagine when the
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Tabernacle was built and the offerings were made and the
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smoke was rising and the high priest went in once a year?
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There was something lost in him that he couldn't enjoy because
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he always went home to his garage and it was right up there
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in his garage. Now, I don't know if they had
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garages or not, but wherever he hit it, it was just always
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there. He didn't bring it in, Might
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have even changed his mind along the way.
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And Moses said we don't need it now.
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God's provided we don't need it. You can keep it.
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You wanted to keep it. Just keep it.
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We don't need it. And it always reminds me when
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we're announcing something here, when we do from time to time of
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what God has done. We have an event here.
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Maybe we're hosting police officers or you know, some
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testimony on the radio or something, which is some, some
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testimony out of the life of this little church family.
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If if you're not a willing giver, you're not a giver, you,
23:52
you, I don't know how you can be joyful about it.
23:55
I mean, it's joyful for the body of Christ, for sure.
23:58
It's joyful that God's doing something.
24:00
But then you lose the joy of actually being a part of it.
24:03
You lose the joy of being in it. Say, Hey, look what what we did.
24:08
Thank you so much. You showed up, you gave above
24:10
and beyond. And then you're sitting there
24:12
and going, no, I didn't give anything.
24:14
I kept it. I went to in and out and you
24:19
know, you were just asking 15 bucks.
24:21
Well, that's what an in and out is these days.
24:22
I just went to in and out and and that that was the choice
24:25
that you made. But the Lord wants you to
24:29
participate. He wants you to give a little
24:32
bit of your selfishness away. He wants you not only with your
24:35
money. That's an easy, this money
24:37
giving money is like a slam dunk.
24:38
It's like, it's like a layup. It's so easy.
24:41
It's not it takes really no effort whatsoever.
24:44
It has to come from the heart to put an offering to write a
24:47
check, to set up online giving so easy.
24:50
It's so easy to give. But what about those of you that
24:53
are super talented, Like you can just do stuff, You can spin yarn
24:58
like these ladies, it was super important.
25:01
They were very talented. Or you can build things, or you
25:04
can fix things, or you can figure things out or you can
25:09
troubleshoot. Are you really good with
25:11
computers? Or you think of all the gifts
25:13
and talents that are just in this room right now, just on a
25:17
midweek Bible study, just a midweek service.
25:21
And the question has to be, are you generous with that or does
25:25
it always have to be for a buck? That's the only time you this
25:29
only if you can do it for a buck.
25:32
When God says no, I want you to be generous here and I want you
25:34
to be because you're the body of Christ.
25:35
You represent me on the earth. I want you to use some of that.
25:39
I want you. And we were going to learn this
25:41
in Ephesians, aren't we? We're going to learn this that
25:43
he says he talks about those who stole not to steal any longer
25:47
and what to work with their hands not only for themselves
25:51
but also for others. And some of you just gifted in
25:58
so many ways, but you don't have a willing heart to share that
26:03
gift. You're not you don't have a
26:05
willing heart to give Just when the Lord prompts you, just when
26:10
you sense that this is something I just got.
26:11
I'm just going to eat this one. I'm just going to, I'm going to
26:13
give this one, I'm going to do above and beyond whatever it may
26:16
be to be able to say like for example, I'll give you an
26:20
example how we live this out. And by the way, we will not get
26:23
through two chapters, just so you know, because it's super
26:27
important as a church here. If you need help from a pastor,
26:31
you call the church here. Even if you don't come to church
26:33
here, you need help from a pastor.
26:36
One of the discussions we will not have with you is what it
26:40
costs. There's no need to have a
26:42
discussion. You want to know why it costs
26:45
nothing? It costs nothing.
26:48
All that's really required is that you get here and we have an
26:51
open appointment. That's it.
26:53
Just at some time. We're pastors here.
26:55
There's pastors here seven days a week at this church, seven
26:59
days a week there'll be a pastor here.
27:01
If everything is going well on vacations hit and all that
27:04
there. There are men and women here
27:06
seven days a week to minister to the needs of the community.
27:11
And there's there's no charge. You'll hear sometimes somebody
27:14
goes, well, how much is it? And it breaks my heart that we
27:18
even they would call a church and have to ask that question.
27:20
We mean, how much is it? The price has already been paid.
27:24
The Lord's already taken care of it that we're not professionals
27:29
here. We'll never be professionals.
27:31
We're just men, women love the Lord.
27:34
Hopefully we'll be able to point you to the Lord.
27:37
We'll be able to get your eyes back on the Lord because
27:39
ultimately, what can we do anyway, but just encourage you
27:43
and open the Word of God to you and remind you how good He is
27:46
and how faithful He is and how there's hope.
27:48
And if you'll get your eyes right back on the Lord, he'll
27:51
start to strengthen you and help you.
27:53
And you'll get through this hard moment, this hard season.
27:56
And even if you don't get through this hard season, God
27:59
will be there on the other side of the hard season.
28:01
That's what we have to offer you.
28:02
And there is never, ever a charge for that because the
28:07
Lord's already paid the price. You don't need to worry about
28:11
that. God is provided and as you look
28:16
at the willingness of of your heart, you'll see that God will
28:18
use you. Now you guys own businesses and
28:21
stuff. God's not advocating, neither am
28:22
I that that you just now turn everything to free and you don't
28:26
have a business anymore. That that's not God.
28:28
He doesn't say that in the Scriptures.
28:29
That's not what we're talking about here because you can talk
28:32
yourself out of willingness by exaggerating what the Bible
28:36
says. And you know, I could never do
28:37
that. Well, even if something God
28:39
calls you to do that you can never do, What does the Bible
28:42
say? That what's impossible with man
28:43
is what possible with God. And he can do.
28:47
If it's the impossible, he can do it and he'll provide it.
28:49
And you have a testimony, but generally what God is saying is
28:52
would you just that God would gather us together today through
28:55
the life of Moses, the children of Israel that's on this multi
28:59
$1,000,000 project just coming out of Egypt.
29:01
They have nothing. They've been slaves for hundreds
29:03
of years. And God says, I want to show you
29:06
what I can do with someone that has nothing.
29:09
And it started when they left, right?
29:11
Then they, they took all the stuff from Egypt, but then they
29:14
were tested on it, weren't they? Because as soon as they got out
29:16
of Egypt, they got all this stuff, the gold and everything.
29:18
And who knows how they got it out or how they took it.
29:20
It's, it must, it was a lot for God to ask for this.
29:24
And it was already tested when they got to the Red Sea.
29:26
It's like 01 of the options. Could they could have thrown it
29:30
away so there's light and load. Like, what do we have this stuff
29:34
for? But God told them to do it and
29:36
they stood there and waited for God to come through and He did.
29:41
And they went right on the over the Red Sea on dry ground.
29:45
And now He brought it about as at this day that God can say,
29:49
OK, I want you guys to give out of a willing heart.
29:52
And God has gathered us tonight just so we could lay our hearts
29:56
before him. And we can see and be honest if
30:00
our hearts are being stirred toward giving, that our hearts
30:03
would be stirred towards serving, hearts would be stirred
30:07
toward continually keeping His church fresh on the earth today.
30:12
And that's our instruction to the leadership here.
30:14
Pray that God would stir hearts. Don't manipulate.
30:18
Don't get caught in the emotions.
30:21
Don't use people, serve people. That's the true Church of Jesus
30:26
Christ. Mark chapter 10 verse 45 says
30:30
God did. Jesus came not to be served, but
30:34
to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.
30:40
He didn't come so that he he would be served.
30:43
He came to serve us and we're to follow in his footsteps and in
30:48
our fellowship. There are always needs, and God
30:50
meets them through prayer, through the faithful giving of
30:54
willing hearts, and it's amazing to be a part of all that.
30:57
God is doing amazing stuff to think back as we have been for
31:02
the last year as we celebrate 25 years.
31:05
I get very nostalgic as I start thinking back and even hearing
31:08
Nathaniel and thinking of those trips to South Africa and that
31:11
season and I'm even thinking back to Dave as you think of
31:14
Dave Gordon and Dave raising up JJ and all the minute.
31:18
We've only had two missions pastors in the life of our
31:21
church and they're both super dynamic, committed men always
31:25
stirring up and I just think man, that's what God has done in
31:28
my life. But I want you to think that God
31:30
could take and speak to this guy in Southern California and says,
31:34
I want your life and I want your wife's life and I want your kids
31:39
life. And I want you to trust me so
31:41
much that wherever I tell you to go, that's what I want you to
31:45
do. No questions.
31:47
No, of course I had a few questions along the way and I
31:51
even went to a few wrong places along the way.
31:54
And yet God would lift a family. Just five people lift the family
31:59
in one place, plot them in another place, and then
32:03
collectively I'll use that little family and multiply my
32:07
church. Jesus says, in an area that
32:10
multiplies and multiplies, and you know, you have the same
32:13
testimony. It's not mine, it's yours.
32:16
You think what God's doing with you, and you think how God has
32:19
captured your heart. And you think about what's
32:22
happening and what he wants. And you go, well, I don't, I
32:25
don't really see it. Yeah, it takes some time to see
32:27
what God's doing. You got to be patient.
32:29
Wait on the Lord. God doesn't don't want you just
32:32
to wait. He wants you to wait on the
32:35
Lord. He doesn't want you just kind of
32:37
sitting around going maybe something's going to happen and
32:39
he wants to press in reading and praying every day, waiting for
32:43
God to act, having your strength built up and then over and over
32:47
again. Do you see the the repeating of
32:50
the verb They brought, they brought, they brought, they
32:53
brought, they brought. That must have been amazing.
32:55
Just over and over they brought They brought men brought women,
32:59
Women brought. In verse 27, the rulers brought
33:02
in verse 29. Check this out.
33:05
It says in verse 29, the children of Israel brought a
33:09
free will offering to the Lord all the men and women whose
33:12
hearts were willing to bring material of all kinds of work
33:16
which the Lord by the hand of Moses had commanded to be done.
33:21
They all brought the men and women whose hearts were stirred.
33:25
Even as we see that happening within ministries here, we see
33:28
that happening in the this little corner in southeast
33:32
Aurora. God's continuing this, this work
33:36
of moving his gospel forward, building what God wants to do in
33:43
a community. It blows me away to be a part
33:46
of. And the longer you're a part of
33:48
this church, this particular church, or any fruitful church
33:51
in town, the longer you're a part of a fruitful church, the
33:56
more temptation you have to take it for granted.
33:59
So you're here a few weeks and, and you're seeing responses to
34:03
the gospel. You're seeing actually more
34:05
responses of the gospel, especially second service than
34:08
we've seen in years. Because God's never used me that
34:10
way. It's always one here, 0 here -5
34:13
that was a hard service over here, you know, So I could just,
34:17
I'm just not that evangelist. I never have been.
34:19
And I, I may not be, I don't know.
34:21
I'm going to do the work of evangelist, though.
34:23
But you, you know, you, you, you know what's going to happen
34:27
because it's your church, right? Bible study, invitation,
34:30
response, prayer. Yeah.
34:33
And then, you know, what's for dinner and what's for lunch,
34:35
what's for breakfast? And, you know, that's just
34:37
happens. Yeah.
34:38
It doesn't happen in every church, you know, it doesn't
34:42
happen everywhere. It happens in places where God
34:47
trusts the church with them. It happens in places where God
34:51
is moving, is taking and leading people here, you know, we give
34:55
out cards and we think, oh, you know, it's the card.
34:57
It's not the card, it's the Lord.
35:01
And we might do a little invite and post something on social
35:04
media and it's great and we will, but it's not social media,
35:07
it's the Lord. He's the one that moves on
35:09
hearts. He's the one that leads.
35:11
He's the one that saves. He's the one that convicts.
35:14
He's the one that says, I, I've been passing by that big, that
35:17
big building forever. I didn't even know it was a
35:19
church. So they put church up on the
35:21
sign. Remember we changed the name not
35:24
too long ago and said, oh, what happened?
35:25
You changed the name. Just trust us.
35:27
People don't know where at church.
35:29
That's it. And say, oh, you know, oh, Ed,
35:32
you, you change the name and you put your name in it.
35:35
Oh, no. What kind of church?
35:36
Yeah. Because people hear the radio
35:37
and you know how they search the second number one search or the
35:41
second search on Google for this church?
35:43
You know what it is, Ed Taylor? That's all there's looking for,
35:48
the church. That's all they're looking for,
35:50
the church. And now they can find because
35:53
there's a sign and there's a nice bright sign on the corner,
35:55
and there's just saying, come on in.
35:58
We got the guy over at 711 looking across the street, and
36:01
he says, hey, you know what that sign says?
36:05
They can help people that are addicted.
36:06
You know what he does? He says, you know, I'm addicted.
36:09
I think I'll walk across the street and I'll walk into that
36:12
church. All of this is the collective
36:15
work of the Holy Spirit through you and through me, and it blows
36:18
me away so that when you read this, you go, Oh yeah, Oh yeah,
36:22
yeah, brought, brought all these things just constantly over and
36:26
over. And then verse 30, as we close,
36:28
Moses said to the children of Israel, see, the Lord has called
36:31
by name bezels Liel. This is the ones with all the
36:34
talents, the son of your eye, the son of her, the tribe of
36:38
Judah filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and
36:42
understanding and in knowledge of all manner.
36:45
Stop there for a second. Look at me.
36:47
Stop there and come up back. It sounds like this guy's going
36:50
to be a pastor, doesn't it? He's filled with all this wisdom
36:53
and knowledge. It sounds like this guy just got
36:55
out of seminary and he's well trained and he's ready to go for
36:59
it. He's the next priest.
37:01
But it doesn't say that, does it?
37:02
Because you read ahead before I stopped you.
37:04
In all manner of workmanship, his skills were all spiritual
37:12
skills that were lived out physically.
37:19
And because the name of our the beloved brother Avant has come
37:25
up again. I just think of the career of
37:28
our beloved Avant was in a big brown box truck driving around
37:35
Denver carefully not throwing, I was going to say tossing back.
37:40
He wasn't tossing them. Carefully delivering boxes up
37:44
and down the buildings there in DTC.
37:49
Always careful to meet the person, talk to the person.
37:53
Because like this brother, our brother was filled with the
37:57
Spirit of God and wisdom and understanding and knowledge and
38:00
all manner of drivership, I guess is what you would say.
38:05
That's what the Lord called him to do.
38:07
And he was faithful. So whatever God has you in life,
38:10
wherever he's put you, that came from the Lord.
38:14
That's where he wants you. That's the best place for you.
38:18
You're right where you need to be.
38:20
Yeah. But Dad, you don't understand
38:21
this, this dead end job. I had a dead end job for many
38:26
years. I thought it was a consequence
38:29
of all my sins. I really did, especially after I
38:32
got saved. I mean, before I got saved, I
38:34
thought it was just because I was a horrible person and doing
38:37
so many bad things. This is my the rest of my life.
38:40
And when I got saved, I'm thinking it's the consequences
38:43
of sin. And all the while God was using
38:45
that little dead end job to train me for ministry because I
38:49
was in ministry. I remember the first time I
38:52
worked in this little closet answering phones and dispatching
38:56
ambulances and there's only two of us that fit in that room.
38:59
I remember the first time I LED that sister, that young lady
39:02
that worked with me in that office and when I LED her to the
39:05
Lord and I still see her on Instagram, she's still walking
39:08
with the Lord. She's got a family and grandkids
39:11
and, and the Lord, was that what I might see as a dead end job?
39:15
God says that's exactly where I want you to learn how to work
39:18
there. I want you to learn how.
39:19
I just want you to be. Just look to me, Ed and I wonder
39:24
how many are hearing that tonight with with your name that
39:28
whatever it may be, perhaps whatever stirring up discomfort,
39:32
the Lord has you there and he's training you and he's using you.
39:37
It says this man was designing artistic works, verse 32 working
39:41
in gold, silver and bronze, cutting jewels in setting and
39:45
carving wood into work. All manner of artistic
39:47
workmanship. And he has put in his heart the
39:51
ability to teach and in him and in Haliab, the son of Ahasamak,
39:57
the tribe of Dan, he has filled them with skill to do all manner
40:02
of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker
40:06
in blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, and the Weaver and those
40:10
who every work who design artistic works.
40:14
So Church asked the Lord for a willing heart tonight.
40:18
Ask him. Be open and available, and we'll
40:21
get to the next chapter next time.
40:23
So Father, thank you for your word.
40:24
And I know that a man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his
40:29
steps. And so thank you for slowing us
40:31
down in this chapter and just speaking to us about wanting
40:35
more, but not more of things, but more of you that we might
40:40
have willing hearts that we might press into our city that
40:44
that we might press into what you've called us to, that that
40:47
we would be the church. God, we spent all those years
40:50
learning in Acts, be the church, be the church.
40:52
And, and so many are Lord. So thank you, thank you, thank
40:56
you, thank you for the testimony of believer after believer
40:59
impacting our community. Thank you for the testimony of
41:03
Nathaniel and his parents, Lord, and the family and the home that
41:06
he was raised in and the step of faith because he heard an
41:09
invitation to a trip. So OK, let's do it.
41:14
And I thank you for the men that we've been able to serve with
41:16
through the years and the men and women we get to serve with
41:19
right now. Multiply, Lord.
41:21
Sort out the motives even among the room right now that you
41:25
would sort out, even those motives that aren't really
41:27
wanting to please you or just wanting a name for themselves.
41:31
Or just sort it all out, Lord, so that they can really can get
41:34
to the root of their desire to use all that you've given them
41:37
for your glory and your Kingdom that God, it would, the gospel
41:41
would not stop with us, but it would continue on and we
41:46
wouldn't take it for granted. The miraculous work that you
41:49
have done and started, what you have started in our lives, you
41:52
are faithful to complete it. And so today, if you're here and
41:57
you've never given your life to Jesus Christ, I want you to do
42:00
that right now. Today is the day God has already
42:03
been speaking to you. It's a work of God, that's what.
42:06
It's not a pastor or charisma or personality or lights or new
42:11
screens. None of that.
42:13
Those are all just mechanisms to deliver a message to you.
42:16
And that is God loves you and he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die
42:21
for you. So today, if that's you, you say
42:23
I need my sins forgiven. I want to follow Jesus.
42:26
Just stand to your feet. I want to pray with you before
42:28
we leave that today would be the day and now would be the time so
42:34
that you would have the confidence in knowing that when
42:38
you die you will go to heaven and that you will live a life
42:45
today that honors your Creator. And you could finally, you can
42:52
finally receive the forgiveness of your sins that will take such
42:58
a weight off of your shoulders, give such purpose to your life
43:02
both now and for eternity. God bless you in the back.
43:06
Who else would say that's me? Today is the day, now is the
43:10
time. Right now the Holy Spirit is
43:17
speaking to you downstairs perhaps, or out on the radio
43:24
online, wherever you may be. The Lord is speaking to you and
43:29
we don't want to rush through. We want you to confess your sins
43:34
before God today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
43:52
for you that responded. We're so happy for you.
43:54
I want to help you. What the Bible says.
43:57
The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord
43:59
Jesus, and you believe in your heart that God raised him from
44:02
the dead, you'll be saved. And so that confession is kind
44:07
of something you do with your mouth.
44:09
Talk to God. You can say something like this.
44:13
Say God, forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died for me,
44:23
and I believe he rose again from the dead, and I choose to follow
44:28
you. Help me to repent and to give my
44:36
whole life to you, all of it. The things that are known and
44:45
the things that are unknown. And Father, I pray for those
44:52
that would turn to you today. Perhaps even some like in their
44:56
own hearts, like stirring up a recommitment or a welling up of
45:02
things that you're showing them in the study tonight.
45:05
That whole thing about willing hearts, I mean, it's so, so
45:09
powerful. Would you pour out your spirit
45:13
upon them, Lord? And this precious sister here, a
45:17
new daughter of the king, a new sister, you know, in the family
45:21
of God. We welcome her and we're so
45:24
excited that she would obey you. And that light, that life
45:29
changes on the way, because it's already begun inside of her.
45:33
So bless those that call upon your name tonight in Jesus name,
45:37
Amen. We pray that you've been
45:40
encouraged by this Bible study, delivered live from the
45:42
sanctuary of Calvary Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
45:48
Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
45:55
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
46:00
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
46:05
Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
46:07
this week.