Giving So Much They Had To Be Restrained
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Giving So Much They Had To Be Restrained
Foundation Scriptures: Exodus 36 verses 1 - 7
Bezalel
and Aholiab and every wisehearted man in whom the Lord has put wisdom
and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the
sanctuary shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded. 2
And Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every able and wisehearted man
in whose mind the Lord had put wisdom and ability, everyone whose heart
stirred him up to come to do the work; 3 And they received from Moses
all the freewill offerings which the Israelites had brought for doing
the work of the sanctuary, to prepare it for service. And they
continued to bring him freewill offerings every morning. 4 And all the
wise and able men who were doing the work on the sanctuary came, every
man from the work he was doing, 5 And they said to Moses, The people
bring much more than enough for doing the work which the Lord commanded
to do. 6 So Moses commanded and it was proclaimed in all the camp, Let
no man or woman do anything more for the sanctuary offering. So the
people were restrained from bringing, 7 For the stuff they had was
sufficient to do all the work and more. Exodus 36:1-7 AMP
1.
People were stirred to come and give their best and those who were wise
and skilled in their work were stirred to sow to the Lord by working
with their hands to build the tabernacle.
a. They were stirred so much so that they brought the Lord free will offerings every morning and every night.
b. The people brought, and brought, and brought—so much that they needed to be restrained.
c. There was sufficient all around. There was enough for the tabernacle and the people still had much left over.
2.
God asked only for those who were willing and generous to bring stuff
for the sanctuary. Can you imagine their excitement; can you imagine
their joy? There was no hesitation; no regrets; no doubts; no second
thoughts. They came to the Lord with willing and generous hearts and
with a continual flow of offerings.
a. They gave every day—in the morning and in the night.
b.
When enough had been given for the sanctuary, they had to be restrained
from bringing anything else. Most people have to be begged to
give—these people were begged to stop!
c. Sufficient means:
enough for a particular purpose. Verse 7 says that the STUFF they had
was sufficient for ALL the work—not just sufficient, but more than
enough—to make whatever was needed.
N. B. What a day that
will be when we see God's people willingly and generously bringing to
the Lord, so much, that they need to be restrained.
Pastor Adonica's Thoughts:
If
anyone would want to stop the building of the Kingdom of God or His
sanctuary, it would be the devil. The devil always tries to ply us with
fear about parting with what we have and to supply us plenty of reasons
why not to give to God's work. He knows that money gives power on earth
and he does not want the church to have the power to expand or extend
God's Kingdom on earth. Don't be fooled by him; don't play into his
hands. What we must do is move in the opposite spirit. We must confront
our fears and see God's call to give for what it is: an opportunity, to
bless God, bless the work of God and to receive a great blessing in
return. It is not merely your action of giving that matters, but your
attitude in giving. Stepping out in faith to give generously and
willingly breaks a spirit of poverty and poverty-mindedness off your
life.
Pastor Rodney's Thoughts:
Putting God first place in
our life means that we give His House and His Kingdom top priority. Can
you imagine a day, in the 21st century, when God's people would take
His Kingdom and His purpose and make it theirs? Malachi says that each
man runs to his own house—eager to build it—and to his own plans. But
God says, "seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness and all
these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). We started
building our first house back in 1993, and moved in 1994. When the
foundation was laid, I stood on it and lifted up my hands, thanking the
Lord for our house, when I heard the Lord say, "Son you have built
my house for the past 14 years and now I am going to build yours!" God
so blessed us with that house and provided everything we needed for the
house including all the furniture. It was exceedingly above all that we
could have done on our own. When God builds something, He does it well!
Prayer and Confession:
Father,
I put your house first; I make your priorities my priorities. I am a
willing and generous giver. I pray that I come to the place where I am
so blessed that I am able to give so much that I have to be restrained
in my giving because it is more than enough for what needs to be done
to build God's Kingdom. Thank you, Lord, for all your abundant
blessings bestowed on me!
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the