TEXT: Ex.31:1-11
TITLE: Uniquely You
INTRO:
1. Psalm 33:15a
a. “You are unique. Even though you share many things in common with other people, you are essentially one of a kind. No one else has been given exactly the same makeup as God has given you. Your face, your fingerprints, your voice, and your genetic makeup are matched by no one else’s. Likewise, God has handcrafted you with your personality, your unique set of talents and motivations, and your special “bent” in life.” (from Urbana.org)
b. That means one thing – you have a unique purpose in life.
c. My brothers, while growing up, made me believe my unique purpose in life was to irritate them.
2. According to our text, God gave Bezalel the ability to work with gold, silver, stone and other material.
a. God had placed in this man some unique abilities, and now God was planning to use these talents that He placed in Bezalel for His glory.
b. God wants to use your uniqueness for His glory.
3. It’s an interesting progression how God gets to the point of a command in our lives.
a. He doesn’t go around commanding everybody; He has a unique way he prepares each one of us.
4. Let’s follow that progression tonight and see where God leads us.
I. God Calls Us (v.2)
A. Bezalel was called by name.
1. God knew who he wanted.
2. It’s not hard for God to pick who He wants for a specific task, He already knows who he wants – He prepared them.
a. Not like in grade school – hoping we would get picked for a team.
b. God picked Bezalel because He prepared Bezalel – so He called the man He wanted by Name – “Bezalel, step forward, I have a job for you.”
B. God has called you by name.
1. You are unique to Him because He has prepared you for a specific task.
2. You’re not on the sideline waiting to be picked; if you’re a Christian God has already called you.
3. Do you know you’re calling? God has promised to reveal it if you will ask, seek, and knock.
II. God Appoints Us (v.6)
A. In our text the next thing that happens after Gods call of Bezalel He appoints others to work with him.
1. We all need help.
2. For the sake of discussion, let’s look at this point as the next step that God takes in each of us.
3. For instance, for God to appoint Oholiab, Oholiab had to first be called by God.
a. Before the apostles were appointed as apostles they first had to be called.
b. Oholiab had to first answer the call before he could be appointed to help.
B. Before God can appoint you, you must first answer the call. When you do, He’ll appoint you to a task.
C. Like Oholiab was appointed for a specific task, so you have been appointed
III. God Puts Skills in Us (v.6.b)
A. The placement for this next point can be debated, what’s important is that God is the one who gives us a skill.
1. Does God call us before He gives us a skill – doesn’t matter, God gives the skill.
2. Does God appoint us before He gives us a skill - doesn’t matter, God gives the skill.
B. You are so unique to God that He has given you a specific skill to fulfill the call in your life.
IV. God Commands Us (v.6c)
A. Whenever it is that God puts the skills in us is debatable but the command always comes at the end.
1. God doesn’t command us to do something if He hasn’t first, called us; second, appointed us; and thirdly, put the skill in us.
B. Keith Green wrote a song entitled, God Commands Us to Go.
1. That is so true, He has command us to go into this world that has lost its way, and share His Good News with them.
2. God has uniquely made you for “such a time as this.”
3. No one else has your abilities and talents combined with your personality and standing in life to the job God has called you to do.
