Sunday Morning June 21, 2009
Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: “Moving With God (Exodus)” [#24]
DO I FIT?
Exodus 35:30-36:7
Introduction:
Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in? You want to fit, but you just can’t. Many people don’t get involved in ministry because they can’t figure out their role. They don’t preach, teach, sing, play an instrument, etc… Since they can’t figure out what to do, they just don’t do anything.
The Church is called the Body of Christ and every Christian is a part of the Body. If you are part of the Body and don’t do your part, it may not get done. If you are messed up, the body is messed up. We affect one another.
So how do you fit? What are you supposed to be doing? What has God called you to? Understand, whatever God calls you to, He has equipped you to do it.
Exodus 35:30-36:1
It is vitally important for us to figure out where we fit, how we fit, and how to exercise those gifts and talents that God has given us. How do I know what I should be doing? What’s God’s plan for me?
You know you are a fit because…
1. God chooses you for that task. God is the One Who decides what gifts and talents we have. God decided what your talents and gifts were going to be and He knows when to let you know. We call God letting us know the plan “the call”. When God chooses you and calls you to that task, He will always give you a place to fulfill that task.
You know you are a fit because…
2. God fills you with His Spirit and the ability and knowledge of what to do. How is it that some people seem to be naturally good with their hands? Bezalel and Oholiab were naturally good with their hands and it is simply because God gave them that “natural ability”. Not everyone gets the same gifts and talents, (that’s obvious if you look at some of my handy work).
You know you are a fit because…
3. God gives you satisfaction when you are fulfilling your purpose. You simply will enjoy using those gifts and talents in which God has given you.
Exodus 36:2
Once God calls you to a task in which you are to use the gifts and talents that He has given you, then you have some choices to make.
When God calls, you must…
1. Commit.
God is not going to make you do it. You get a choice. You are going to have to decide if you are willing. I love how verse 2 says it.
Exodus 36:2 (NIV)
“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.”
You ought to underline the phrase, “Who was willing to come and do the work.” By the way, it doesn’t say, “Those who were willing to come and watch”, or “Those who were willing to come and complain”; it says, “Those who were willing to come and do the work.”
When God calls, you must…
2. Cut-out distractions.
So often we don’t get the task done because we keep getting pulled off the task. These men dedicated all of their time to this task. We need to focus on what we have committed to. We can’t worry about what everyone else is doing, we can’t begin to compete against one another, etc…
When God calls, you must…
3. Cooperate with others.
There were many talented men involved in this work. Bezalel and Oholiab could have never finished it on their own. That’s not because they weren’t talented enough; but because it was bigger than just 2 people. Bezalel and Oholiab spent a lot of their time teaching, directing, and critiquing the work of the others.
This could have easily become a problem. Men’s pride could have got involved and they could had decided that those guys weren’t going to tell them how to do that which they already knew how to do. They could have become free agents and did it their way; which would have resulted in the color schemes being wrong, the designs being wrong, things not fitting together properly, etc…
When God calls, you must…
4. Trust God for provision.
How in the world were they going to be able to afford this type of project?
Exodus 35:4-9
So, the people were to give an offering. Please notice that this offering was a free-will offering. They didn’t have to give anything. If they didn’t give, that was fine.
Exodus 36:3-5
The people kept giving everyday to the point that the workers had to stop working and go tell Moses that they had more than enough supplies to finish the task. What happens next is “mind-boggling” to most pastors and people that deal with Church finances.
Exodus 36:6-7
Moses orders the people to stop giving. What? Stop giving? See, when God’s purpose is being fulfilled; the resources will be overflowing. That doesn’t mean that the bank account may have millions; but it means that God will supply the needs.
Conclusion:
God will not call us to a task that He won’t prepare us for. He will give us the people with the talents and gifts needed. He will give us the resources that are needed. Everything that we need to fulfill His purpose, He has taken care of.
What’s your part? Hear the call; act upon the call; and trust God to fulfill the call through His power and strength.
