Date: 5th August 2015
Series name: A Walk Through Exodus
Sermon # in series: 20
Sermon Title: Willing Givers
Bible Reference: Exodus 35:20 – 36:7
A disclaimer from Pastor Stuart
My role in the church here is to feed and care for God’s people the best I can. Key to that, in my opinion is teaching and
preaching from the Bible; but that is not all a pastor has to do! In fact after the emails, staff admin, hospital visits, community
visits, leadership meetings, etc, etc, there sometimes seems to be little time for sermon prep! Years ago I used to agonise over
trying to come up with two, often three, totally original sermons each week. But I’ve found that, for me at least, that is
impossibility. I’ve learned to be grateful for and to use the gifts God gives to help me – not only the Holy Spirit, but other Bible
teachers and preachers.
Over the years I’ve discovered that if something teaches, inspires and excites me it’s likely to do the same for those I speak to.
So I admit that sometimes I find myself depending heavily on other people’s ideas, at least to ‘prime the pump’ and therefore I
claim originality for very little in these sermons. If you look hard enough and wide enough you’ll probably find who I’ve been
reading and learning from! I never knowingly plagiarise, but if you find I have, then I apologise. It must have been that what
was said was just too good not to use!
I am particularly indebted to the likes of John Piper, Sam Storms, Wayne Grudem, John Ortberg & Rick Warren. The Lord
regularly uses them to get my spiritual pulse racing. I’m also indebted to many who kindly make their sermons available on
the likes of sermoncentral.com and preachingtoday.com. Others who help me include ‘The Doctor’ (Martyn Lloyd-Jones), C.H
Spurgeon and any of the Puritans.
These sermons are not made available because I think they’re good but in the hope and with the prayer that they may be used
by the Holy Spirit to bless others as they have blessed our own church here in Ipswich, UK.
Unless otherwise specified, all scriptures are taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible
Society. Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Limited.
This material is copyright ©2011 Whitton Baptist Church and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales License
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Willing Givers – Exodus 35:20–36:7
Two more studies in Exodus – we’ll start a new series in September.
Last week I mentioned the difference between Ch25-31 and ch35f. The former is
instructions, the latter is obedience to those instructions. This section is about worship, it’s
about connecting with God, God living, abiding with his people. and that makes it hugely
relevant for us – because this, isn’t it? Our great desire and aim in life and for our church
here. Worship of God, the glory and glorifying God is the heart and centre of what we are
about. It’s worth saying again and again that church is not about primarily about making
us feel better, supporting each other, helping each other, etc. Those are important but are
by-products of the main goal – which is lifting high and glorifying our great God. We are
here for you – not you are here for us! We are here for you to use to glorify yourself.
This whole section is about the building of the tabernacle – the tent where God was to
meet with his people, the place where his people met with him. And the emphasis, the
focus I think, in these verses before us in Ch 35 is on the way they went about it. It is
striking that after the almost catastrophic rebellion with the golden calf, where they
decided that rather than wait for God and Moses they’d get on with things their own way,
that here we have a people who are so obviously were happy, generous, willing and
committed to see this place built.
This was a work of getting ready for coming into their midst of the Lord, the one they had
rejected but who they, for now at least, wanted and respected more than any other. This
was his home on earth, the place where he would settle with them and they were happy
and keen to be involved and nothing was too much trouble.
And why? Well, we’re not told, but remember the context, remember what the
people have just been through. They have been the recipients of repeated acts of
grace and mercy from the Lord. They’d been called, rescued, covenanted with; they’ve
sinned hideously but have again been shown mercy and grace by God who instead of
rejecting them simply remakes the covenant and continues his plan with them and
promises to be with them and to bless them. No wonder they act as they – who wouldn’t?
What else could they do? What else was appropriate?
So with that introduction let’s have a look at the particulars: The passage really
breaks down nicely into three sections, each introduced by the word ‘Then’
 Exodus 35:20, “Then all the congregation…. ” and we see the willingness of the people
 Exodus 35:30, “Then Moses…. ” and we see how God provides the skills necessary.
 Exodus 36:2, “Then Moses…. ” and we see the generosity of the people
1.
The people were willing to give to God. 35:20-29
What we have in these verses is a picture of a people united in willing participation in the
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work. Starts in v20 with everyone ‘the whole Israelite community’ leaving Moses having
heard the instructions. Then in v21 we have ‘everyone who was willing and whose heart
moved him came and brought and offering’. Could split hairs and say that that’s’ not
everyone returning but only those who wanted to – but when you read the rest of the
chapter you can just sense that there is a near universal involvement in this.
So everyone was involved in this - v22, “All whose heart moved them;” v24, “Everyone
who could make his contribution;” v25, “All the skilled women;” v26, “All the women
whose heart stirred;” v27, “The rulers.” The emphasis here is not only on the willingness
but also on the range of the people who got involved. People from every walk of life: the
rich, the poor, the rulers and women who were experts in spinning yarn; all people,
everyone in between bringing different kinds of gifts were moved of themselves.
All without being ordered to give or some great motivational speech. Quite different,
interestingly, to when Aaron made the golden calf, where he commanded the people to
give, Ex 32:2!draw your own conclusions about that! It’s always a sign that something is
wrong if people have to be cajoled and ordered to give.
But what were they giving for? Giving towards the building and ministry of the place
where God would meet with his people. You know, we too are working towards the
building of a place for God to live. Not a building of bricks and mortar, but his spiritual
temple, his church, his people. Bible is very clear about this - we are now the tabernacle
of God, the dwelling place of God on earth. To the gathered church (not simply
individuals) 1 Cor 3:16-17. ‘Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and
that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy
that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.’ Eph 2:21. In
him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord ‘
and a different context but Matthew 18:20 says ‘For where two or three gather in my
name, there am I with them.”
Clear teaching here that there is something special about the gathered people of God.
We’re not made to be alone, it is together we are the temple, it is together where God
dwells and meets with us. This is why church gatherings are important and meeting with
others. Our faith is never meant to be a private thing; people say to me ‘It’s no one elses
business what I do or believe?’, ‘It doesn’t really make a difference to others if I’m around
church or not’. Well, in one sense that’s true. But in another it cuts across what the Lord
says here in his word. The very thing of a building is that every part matters. Every
person matters. Our little group of about 100 people here in Whitton is a small part of that
dwelling place, but we’re a dwelling place no less!
So the question we ask ourselves – how does our enthusiasm and giving of ourselves to
the dwelling place cp with those in Moses day? What does it say about our love for the
Lord or otherwise? Probably speaking to converted, but possible for keenness and
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enthusiasm to wane and church to become little more than duty or responsibility. Those
are good things, but if that’s all we have then we’re missing something! So a passage like
this is a useful check, measuring point to us.
2.
God gives gifts to His people help them serve him – 35:30-36:1
Bezelel and Oholiab were God’s gifts to his people. They were gifted and anointed by
God to not only do the work but also to teach the people how to do the work themselves –
35:34. These were hugely skilled people, gifted by God for the good of the whole. Not
that they got to chose what to do – they had to follow God’s designs for God’s tent!
Eph 4:11-13 (Rd) says that God gives gifts to the church – not to do the work but to
teach and equip others to do the work of service. A well meaning person recently said
they thought I might need help to do the work in the church, and offered to help me!
Lovely sentiment and I know what the person meant – but what’s wrong with that
statement? Answer - It’s not my church and it’s not for me or anyone person to do the
work – it’s us! I’m happy to get my hands dirty with bogs and basins but my number 1
role is to equip you, to support you, to help you all as we do the work of the ministry
together! People often ask me to pray for situations and I’m always happy to do that. But
recently someone was well shocked when I said that actually their prayers were as
effective as mine!! It had just not occurred to them!
So God has gifted me – but equally important is that God has gifted you with both natural
and supernatural gifts and abilities to enable you to be involved in building the temple
here. Lets willingly, gladly use them for his and each others good in the building of his
temple.
3.
God’s people were so generous they had to be told to stop! 36:4-7
Wow, can you imagine that! Members meeting Chris/Simon have to stand up and say
‘Guys, we have to stop the offerings, we’ve just got too much’. But that’s what happened
here – and why? Because the people gave so much in their desire and keenness to see the
dwelling place of God build and the presence of God come.
And you know – that’s what our motivation should be too! A desire for the Lord, for his
glory and for everything necessary for it to happen. And what prompts us should be the
same as prompted the I’s – God’s love, grace forgiveness, etc for us. Not an obligation or
guilt driven thing, but an act of appreciation, an act of worship – giving to him what he is
worth.
We’re not really talking about money here, but ourselves – our attention, our time, our
effort, our abilities. Not for me or anyone else to say what money a person should give
(NT says it’s according to God’s blessing and our circumstances) – the people here in
Exodus gave voluntarily, it was a free will offering. Truth is that chances are that what we
give of our time, energy, effort, gifts actually reflects our love for the Lord. Fair chance
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that stingy, minimal giving (when we could give more) probably reflects the state of our
heart and love for the Lord and his presence.
Prayer
Sing: When I survey & I will offer up my life