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[0:00] May we begin our worship of God by singing to him and sing Psalms 30. Sing Psalms 30 on page 34 of the Blue Book.

[0:16] Sing Psalms, Psalm 30. We'll sing from the beginning of that psalm. O Lord, I will exalt your name, for you have rescued me.

[0:28] You did not let my foes rejoice and gloat triumphantly. Lord God, in need I cried to you, and you restored my health.

[0:39] O Lord, you brought me from the grave and saved my soul from death. You holy ones, sing to the Lord. Sing out with joyful voice. When you recall his holy name, then praise him and rejoice.

[0:54] His anger but a moment lasts. Lifelong his favour stays. Though tears may last throughout the night, joy comes with morning rays.

[1:06] I never shall be moved, I said, in my prosperity. You made my mountain firm and strong when you, Lord, favoured me. May we lift our voices to God and praise, singing these verses.

[1:20] O Lord, I will exalt your name. O Lord, I will exalt your name. O Lord, I will exalt your name.

[1:33] For you have rescued me. JOHN 2- Cour Courts, build my foes rejoice and gloat triumphantly.

[1:54] For God did me die, I cried to you, and you restored my health.

[2:10] O Lord, you brought me from the grave, and saved my soul from death.

[2:25] You only want to sing to the Lord, sing and with joyful voice.

[2:40] When you re-hold this holy name, then praise him and rejoice.

[2:55] Till anger felt amoled last, like all his paper stays.

[3:11] Though tears may last throughout the night, joy comes with morning's rays.

[3:27] I never shall be moved, I said, in my prosperity.

[3:42] You made my mountain firm and strong, when you more favoured me.

[4:00] I'd ask if you could turn with me together to the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 33. And we'll join in prayer afterwards.

[4:13] Exodus chapter 33. And I want to just read a short passage from verse Mark 3.

[4:29] And in the morning service we were asked, if we were honest with ourselves, and looked at our hearts, the question was put to us, which one of our hearts does not need changed?

[4:46] And what I want us to look at tonight is, look at the people of Israel, and look at the heart they had in building the first tabernacle.

[4:57] And in order to really grasp what heart they had, we need to look back and look at the stages to their own preparation.

[5:10] They were people who were far from perfect, they were people who were far from perfect, as we know, and they were ones who so easily built the golden calf. They were people that angered Moses, and they angered God.

[5:24] And there were people that said to them, you have sinned a great sin. So with that in mind, let us read from verse 3.

[5:39] And I want you to do so to note God's reaction to their sin, and their own reaction to their sin. This is the Lord's word to Moses.

[5:52] Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.

[6:08] When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, say to the people of Israel, you are a stiff-necked people.

[6:25] If for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.

[6:38] Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onwards. Now Moses used to take the tent, and put it outside the camp, far off from the camp.

[6:53] And he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone out into the tent.

[7:16] When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend, and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.

[7:37] Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

[7:55] Amen. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray.

[8:06] Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we ask that you, we would have stilled hearts as we come before you this evening.

[8:19] Lord, we have people who when we look at the children of Israel find so many similarities. And when we look at our heart, we know the deceit that is in it and how prone we are to wander from your ways and your word.

[8:36] And Lord, may we confess these things tonight. May we be like the people who would stand at the door of their tent and know the sin that we had sinned, a great sin, and call upon the one that would go for us.

[8:54] In our case, it is Christ. Lord, we ask that you would be the one to go for us and that you would be the one that would intercede for us before God because we cannot approach God ourselves.

[9:13] We are filthy and staked. We are full of sin. But in the light of Christ, we can approach you, God, because he has taken that sin away from us.

[9:29] And it is only through him that we can receive life in the true sense of the word and to know life. And so, Lord, we draw near to you.

[9:43] May each of us in our hearts meditate upon you and forget what lies in our own lives, what is within the tent of our lives, but cast our eyes to you, O God.

[10:03] You are the one that can save us from our sins. You are the one that would consume us otherwise. Lord, may these things be a reality to us.

[10:17] May we know the sin that is harbored within our hearts. And that may we know of the freedom that can be found in Christ Jesus.

[10:30] So, Lord, we pray that your spirit would be with us, guiding our minds and thoughts as we come to your word and ponder over it. We pray that we would be free from distraction.

[10:45] And, Lord, we ask that you would be with all efforts that are made this evening in sharing the gospel message. May it go with power throughout our land. May it not return unto you void.

[10:58] May you water these seeds that are sown with faithfulness week after week. May they take root and grow within the hearts of the believer, the hearts of your people.

[11:14] Lord, we do not know where the spirit comes or where it should go. And in many ways, your ways are mysterious to us. We do not understand you.

[11:26] And sometimes we are prone to understand things ourselves and in our own ways. Keep us from doing this, O Lord.

[11:38] But let us be guided by your word. Let us be people that are faithful to your word. And every day, and even in the difficulties of these things, that when the world and the things of the world press upon us, that we would not put the simple reading and praying to you behind us.

[12:03] Let that be a priority to us as we devote ourselves to you morning and evening. As we find guidance from you morning and evening and that we have and give you thanks as we do so.

[12:19] We pray this week a week of thanks that many people would see what has been done for them and that they realise that the things that have been given to them are not of themselves.

[12:36] And that many who do not know of a God in heaven or do not believe in a God of heaven, we pray that in your mysterious ways and in their misunderstanding of how and where they would return their thanks to for all that they have and every breath that they are given.

[12:56] Lord, give them understanding that it is all from your hand and that they may seek to reason their lives in the light of God.

[13:08] Lord, we pray this evening for all people that are gathered here in person and online and we pray that you would meet us at the point of our need.

[13:19] We are people of varied circumstances and situations but Lord, you are one that knows the hairs on our heads and you are the one that knows how to direct us in the best of ways.

[13:33] You are the greatest comforter of broken hearts and so Lord, we pray that we would commit each other in prayer to you.

[13:46] Let us be mindful of one another, having a concern for one another, that we would bear one another burdens and that we would work with one another for the building of your name and your kingdom.

[13:59] Change our hearts, O Lord. We pray for our nation. We pray for those who are in leadership over us, that you would work in their lives equally.

[14:11] Lord, let us not be afraid of asking big things from your hand, that you would do mighty works amongst our people in Scotland. Lord, we pray with confidence in your name and in your name only.

[14:28] And it is in your name only that we have any confidence. It is of no confidence of our own. when we look at ourselves, we feel so weak to be able to do the things that is asked of us.

[14:42] But Lord, let us be people of faith, relying upon you to be our strength and our guide, even when things are so uncertain and the way before us is clouded and kept from us.

[14:57] Let us walk in faith, even if it be through the valley of the shadow of darkness, it is always through that you will take us.

[15:09] You will not leave us nor forsake us. And it is not in any valley you leave us. You take us upon great mountains to Mount Zion where your glory will descend and where you will welcome the faithful believers in your name.

[15:33] As good as a faithful service. Lord, what a wonder it is and what a mystery it is when we consider the glorious nature of heaven and what it means for us.

[15:47] We struggle to comprehend it. But Lord, enable us to understand it in measure, that we may see the beauty, that we our eyes shall behold, and the things that we shall gaze upon.

[16:05] Lord, it is such wondrous and so sweet a taste to our hearts. Let us not forget the inheritance that has been set aside for us.

[16:18] But it is all through Christ and all through his redeeming power and of his blood, shed at the cross of Calvary for our sins, that he may redeem his people.

[16:35] What wondrous love he showed to those who are in need, and we are who are in need, and there are still many in need. So may the compassion of Christ Jesus rest in our hearts as we go out into the world in the week ahead.

[16:49] may you reside in our hearts. May our hearts be a hearts where you may dwell, and our hearts be changed for you and your cause.

[17:04] May all these things be, we ask and bring to you in your name. Be with us, we ask.

[17:15] Open our minds to understand your word, guide our thoughts, and fill us with your power, and your spirit, and your nourishment.

[17:27] All these things, in the name of Christ we ask. Amen. If I could ask you to turn to Exodus chapter 35 now.

[17:43] Exodus chapter 35, and we read this chapter. this is where the people of Israel begin to build the tabernacle, and the order that has been given to them from Moses.

[18:02] So as we read through this passage, take note of the heart that the people now have. Let us read God's word. Exodus 35.

[18:15] verse 36, Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel, and said to them, these are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. For six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord.

[18:35] Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day. Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, this is the thing that the Lord has commanded.

[18:51] Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution, gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purples, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, goats hair, tanned rammed skins, and goat skins, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and of the fragrant incense, and onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod, and for the breastpiece.

[19:28] Let every skillful craftman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded. The tabernacle, its tents, its covering, its hoots, and its frames, its bars, its pillars, its bases, the ark with its poles, the mushy seat, and the veil of the screen, the table with its poles, and all its utensils, and the bread of the presents, the lampstand also, for the light with its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil for the light, and the altar for incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, and the door of the tabernacle, the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, and its poles, and all its utensils, the basin, and its stand, the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen of the gate of the court, the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords, the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments of

[20:37] Aaron, the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests. Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses, and they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution, to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.

[21:06] So they came, both men and women, all who were of a willing heart, brought brooches and earrings, and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord, and everyone who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns, or fine linen or goat's hair, or tanned ram skins, or goat skins, brought them.

[21:36] Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze, brought it as the Lord's contribution, and everyone who possessed Asia wood, of any use in the use in the work, brought it, and every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

[22:02] All the people whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goat's hair, and the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set for the ephod and the breast piece, and the spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, all the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a free will offering to the Lord.

[22:34] Then Moses said to the people of Israel, see the Lord has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, and he has filled them with the spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood for work in every skilled craft, and he has inspired them to teach both him and Holiab, the son of Achimach, of the tribe of Dan.

[23:16] He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple scarlet yarns and fine twine linen, or by a weaver, by any sort of workman or skill designer.

[23:34] Bezalel and Oliab, and every craftsman in whom the Lord had put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.

[23:52] May the reading of God's word be a blessing to each of us. May we continue in praise by singing in Psalm 30 again of the Sing Psalms.

[24:04] Following on from where we left off, Sing Psalms, Psalm 30. Midway through verse Mark 7.

[24:15] Psalm 30.

[24:45] Turned my wailing into dance. No longer was I sad. My sack was gone. You gave me clothes of joy and I was glad. Therefore my heart will sing to you and never cease to praise.

[24:59] To your great name, O Lord my God, I will give thanks always. Let us stand together and sing to God's praise. But when you hid your face from me, my heart was terrified.

[25:12] but when you hid your face from me, my heart was terrified.

[25:30] To you, O Lord, I got the loud, for mercy, Lord, I cry.

[25:46] What thing will my discussion be, if I descend to death, will just proclaim your faithfulness or praise you with this prayer.

[26:18] And till last I cry, O Lord my God, and listen to my plea.

[26:34] Come to my aid, in my distress, have mercy, Lord, on me.

[26:51] You turn my way in to dance, no longer was I sad, my sack of God, you gave me hope of joy, and I was glad.

[27:23] But for my heart will sing to you, and never cease to praise, to you bring near, O Lord, my God, I will give thanks always.

[27:54] we could turn back to the passage we read together in Exodus 35. I didn't give a text for my sermon tonight in the notices, but it would be verse 29.

[28:13] All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them, to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a free will offering to the Lord.

[28:30] The psalm that we sung there sort of echoes the sentiment of what we'll be looking at people that says there, but when you hid your face from me, my heart was terrified.

[28:45] That's almost what we see at the beginning with these people. And we looked at chapter 33. the thought of God not being with them put terror in their heart.

[28:57] But now we see them as people with totally different hearts. And they are ones that could say, therefore my heart will sing to you and never cease to praise to you your great name, O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you always.

[29:16] I want us to look at the heart that the people had in chapter 35. Look at the change that has happened in these people. They put a wholehearted devotion to God when not so long ago their hearts were elsewhere in making their own gods of gold.

[29:38] What a change. And we could focus on so many points in this passage, but really what I want to do is have an overview of this congregation of people as it were, Israel.

[29:53] And what they had become and what can we learn from where they came and what God did with them. And in doing that we'll learn about the character of God also.

[30:07] Now if you had to decide or if you had decided to build yourself a new home you would not just go ahead and do whatever you felt like. You wouldn't just make it up as you would go along using what you would find as you went.

[30:23] To do it effectively you would need to have a plan. You would need to work out what you wanted to begin with. You would need to work out what materials you would require.

[30:34] You would need to arrange men capable of the work. and you would need to adhere to certain requirements and certain laws. And when the plans are all done the right time comes when you can start building.

[30:54] And this is in a sense what we have here in the passage. The plans have been given to Moses. When Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the commandments of God and all these plans God had for the tabernacle the people at the base thought Moses had died and they started doing it their own way and making their own gods.

[31:28] God had given various laws on that mountain and God had said to Moses that he wanted them to build them a home basically on earth.

[31:39] He said to Moses let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst. And isn't it so strange that God said this while the hearts of the people were in such so distracted in so many different ways.

[32:03] And they were beginning to form this other gods. and it's a reminder to us that you know we are the people and we do not know God's ways nor understand how God's works.

[32:21] But we are called to be faithful. So the plans are there. Moses had the plans and the people had gone off course.

[32:35] And I suppose what we have here in chapter 35 is Moses delivering these plans to the people. You could maybe compare it to a contractor being handed plans to form this new building.

[32:51] Moses stands in front of the people, the congregation of Israel and saying this is what the Lord has commanded. Relaying all the information he had received on Mount Sinai.

[33:05] And the commands there come down to verse 19 in the passage. And then from verse 20 in the passage, that is the people then going forth to work.

[33:16] You can see it clearly there in the congregation of the people of Israel in verse 20, departed from the presence of Moses. They got their instructions and they obeyed that instruction.

[33:29] So in looking at these people, I want us to look at the hearts of them and beginning with the heart of reverence they had to this God.

[33:45] And what is the first thing that God commands them to do in this passage? Regarding this tabernacle, you may think, well, in verse 4, Moses said to the congregation of Israel, this is the thing that the Lord has commanded.

[34:04] But it is not from verse 4 where the command and directions and his plans come from. It's from verse 1. Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, these are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do.

[34:23] For six days work shall be done and on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

[34:36] You shall kindle no fire in your dwelling places on the Sabbath day. The first thing in their instruction was to keep the Sabbath day.

[34:50] This was the most important thing that God commanded them to do. A day where you can rest and it would be solemn rest because it is a day that is holy to the Lord.

[35:03] This was also emphasized when Moses was up the mountain receiving all these instructions and plans. God emphasized this to Moses that the people would remember the Sabbath day and so Moses delivers this instruction to them.

[35:20] And you think well would the children of Israel, would they not have kept the Sabbath day anyway? Why does this need to be hammered home to the people in relation to the tabernacle?

[35:34] Why has this been emphasized so much? Well, when you think about it, it's quite simple really. Why did God say this?

[35:47] God's telling them to make this new building for him. And I believe, as we may see in our own hearts, what we would do is we would reason that, you know, Sabbath keeping is difficult.

[36:04] We all must admit that. And there are so many distractions that come to us, to take us away from private devotions, it is hard to keep the Sabbath.

[36:18] And I believe what the people would have done is, as we would have reasoned within our hearts, is that they too would have reasoned that this is the work of God to build this tabernacle.

[36:31] This is for him. This is with his glory will dwell. Well, this is where we will worship God. Surely it is okay to do his work on his day.

[36:47] It kind of makes sense in our head. It is, you may hear people say, it is part of my worship to God to do things that they do.

[36:59] And they would say, it is part of our worship to God to build this building, that we have been commanded to build by God. But God said, no, do not do any work, physical work, in this manner on this day.

[37:13] There are six days for this. And it says that anyone who would light a fire would be put to death. Such is the severity of breaking this commandment and how serious it was in the eyes of God.

[37:30] But now, in lighting a fire, it's not, I can't see God saying, in order to light, you must not light a fire.

[37:44] We think of a fire as to give us warmth, and to be an aid to us, and to meet our provisional needs, and physical needs.

[37:56] I can't see it being that light that it has been mentioned. But these were people who were called to build. And so, there's a lot of forging of metals having to be done here.

[38:10] But God is saying, do not light a fire to carry that work on. They shall be put to death. It's solemn this day, the Sabbath.

[38:27] God is telling them to keep it. It is for your spiritual good. It is for your spiritual edification to come and give your minds to God, and to have an intent separation from the things that are unnecessary.

[38:53] You know, we need to be careful of the Sabbath day. God showed his love for the Sabbath day and how he wished us to keep it.

[39:08] We must be careful that we keep it. And not to do work that is for our convenience, in order to give us more time through the week.

[39:19] It is not a day which we should be distracted by doing other things. it is not a day where we should be doing our own business on that day.

[39:31] And maybe even if these things are in relation to the church, we are to honour God on that day and to worship God on that day and to be spiritually edified on that day.

[39:47] what the passage here says, God is saying to the people, do not build my church physically in a way that is not necessary on the Sabbath day.

[40:05] And note the heart of the people. Nobody opposed this command to keep the Sabbath day. And I didn't see any record when I went through this of any member disregarding this command or not honouring this command.

[40:22] Why? Such was their heart for the God that did not consume them. John 14 says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

[40:37] That was the heart of the people. They had a heart to obey, but they also had a heart to give in this passage. We can see at verse 4 there, they were commanded to give.

[40:53] This is the thing that the Lord has commanded, take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution.

[41:05] There was a material giving in all that they gave. It was a required giving. gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet, yarns, fine twine, linen, which is hard.

[41:24] It's hard for us to put a value on these things in our light. Gold, silver, bronze, yes, and everything else is hard for us to value at what cost it was to them.

[41:35] But they were people in the wilderness, and anything like this I imagine would have been of great cost to them. Precious items. And you can see anything that they had been given from the land of Egypt would have been their inheritance when they came into this new land, to secure their future well-being when they came to Canaan.

[42:04] But they didn't hold on to it with their hearts. they responded by going and getting these things.

[42:15] The response comes in verse 20. They departed from the presence of Moses after he had been given them their instructions. And they came everyone whose heart stirred them and everyone whose spirit moved them and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting and for its service and for the holy garments.

[42:37] they brought what was asked of them, all who were of a willing heart. And it says that everyone brought gold to God in verse 22.

[42:51] At the latter part of verse 22, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord, everyone gave of the most valuable thing that they had for the building that God had commanded them to build.

[43:07] they brought so much and they were so willing to give of their material possessions. Why? Because their heart was not embroiled in these possessions.

[43:19] Their heart was not holding to these things of the world. Their heart was holding on to God. And all that they had possessed in a sense was only held in their hands.

[43:33] hands. And they were so ready to give them away when God asked them to put their hands to work. The section from verse 20 down to verse 29, the word brought is in there eight times of all the things described and a further once where it mentions bring.

[43:54] they brought an abundant quantity of all these things so valuable. And it wasn't that they brought leftovers.

[44:08] It wasn't what they could spare. It was a great costly devotion that they brought for God. Their material giving was actually so great that in chapter 36, Moses had to tell them to stop giving.

[44:29] We have enough to build this tabernacle. Imagine if a church leader told us that, well, we've got enough money.

[44:43] You can stop giving now. Imagine if we were giving so much that that was the case. I can't imagine it. But all of the gave materially there's more.

[44:59] They gave of themselves. You may have tried to organise an event or tried to organise various whatever it is, clubs or meetings or anything like that.

[45:17] And the problem is not always lack of material things. Quite often you receive the material things easier than you receive the willingness of the people.

[45:30] It's often a lack of workers we suffer from. Whatever project it is you're trying to outwork, the real test comes when people are asked to give of their time and themselves.

[45:45] do it. And that is a test of priority and often a test that we fail at when we are asked to do things in the church or when God asks us himself to do things for him.

[46:02] And there may be nothing more evident of the heart that we have for God than what we give to him. Not just materially, but of ourselves.

[46:17] Because the value we place on God will reflect the value of our giving. And all that the people give in the passage, it made the work easy.

[46:31] And the leaders would have been glad to see how much the people had brought. And you can see the devotion of the people almost jumping out of the page at us.

[46:43] And see how much they gave and the stirring of their hearts to the work that God had commanded them to do. They gave abundantly and willing at great cost to themselves.

[46:57] Such was their hearts. 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

[47:18] So there were people that obeyed God and had reverence for God's command. There were people that gave to the cause of God.

[47:32] But who were the people that had this heart? Who were they? when you think of the people it's funny that God would ask people that are so sinful to build his dwelling place.

[47:55] People that he would consume if he was in their presence because of their sin. People that he called stiff-necked. Yet it is through these men that God has always worked.

[48:13] It is often the way he chooses to work, through people and through certain men. This is the way he operates. E.M. Bounds in one of his books says that the Bible reveals the necessity of men and his dependence upon them as a channel through which to exhort his power upon the world.

[48:41] God is always, in the book he also says, God is always looking for better men. God is always looking for better men.

[48:55] Who of the men and women contributed in the passage? Who had this heart? It seemed everyone. All did. and it makes specific descriptions about these people.

[49:12] The people in general, they were stirred in heart. They were moved in spirit. All who were of a willing heart. People whose heart moved them.

[49:28] But verse 29 clarifies it. You know, you might doubt that maybe not all the people were moved in heart or spirit. But verse 29 says, all the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved among them to bring for the work of the Lord, commanded by the Moses to be done, brought it as a free will offering to the Lord.

[49:52] It would seem that it was actually everyone that brought, everyone that had this heart. heart. And throughout this passage, this heart is seen in all different types of people, with all different types of skills, and employs a variety of different trades.

[50:13] People that would craft wood, people that would forge metal, people that would mould, people that would make yarns and dye, fabrics, cords, make oil, make fragrance.

[50:25] there would have been enough people for each task. And here we have in effect a whole congregation of God's differing people, called together in one mind for one purpose, and maybe this is a rare thing to happen, but a blessing when it does.

[50:49] And what potential we have in Stornoway. When you look at each other here, and the skill sets that we have, that God has given to us, what can we do for God?

[51:07] If we have this heart that is stirred and moved to obey his commands, to do his will, to give of what we can, what would God do with us, his people?

[51:23] And maybe you struggle to identify any sort of work that you can do for God, but pray about it. Maybe try something that takes your interest, or maybe try things that don't take your interest.

[51:37] God may surprise you. Help anybody that is in need, because in his church he can be sure that he has a work for you, and he has a work that is suited to you, and it is a work that will be for his glory.

[51:58] So may our hearts be a heart that is stirred to work for the glory of God. And note also in the passage that it is not a few people that are mentioned.

[52:15] It is not a few people that do the work, or do everything. it is a complete congregational effort to do the work of God.

[52:26] But of all the people that are here, and the generalizations that we make of the whole congregation, there are people also that are specifically named.

[52:42] And you'll see that in verse 30 and 34. Then Moses said to the people of Israel, see the Lord has called by name, Bezalel, the son of Uriah.

[52:56] And in 34, both him and Oliab, the son of Achimish, he has filled them with the skill to do every sort of work.

[53:09] These two men, named by God, to carry out his work. And I wonder who these men were. You know, who were these men in their character?

[53:22] Would they have been confident craftsmen? Would they have been boastful craftsmen? I can't see it. I can't even see it that they would have been people that Israel would have picked out of all the men.

[53:38] And the only reason I'm saying that is because God had to name them. God named these men. God had to make it clear who these men were to be to lead the people.

[53:51] Maybe there were people that didn't want the job specifically, but when God asks you by name, what can you say? And you can note again that there is no opposition from anyone to these men being appointed.

[54:08] There seems to be a unified recognition in the church to these people. These were craftsmen that the others were willing to be under and willing to be led by.

[54:25] Not men who commended themselves, but men who were commended by God. 2 Corinthians verse 10. But these men were not sure why they were picked by God.

[54:39] but we are told that they were filled with the Spirit of God. And they were people that were inspired to teach in verse 34.

[54:52] And you know, this is the people we need to lead us. To lead our churches. People who are set apart by God and equipped by the filling of the Spirit in their lives.

[55:07] people who are ready to work. People who God has inspired to teach. People who are relatable to all others.

[55:20] And people who the other, who the majority are willing to support. God. But in everything that these men were called to do, it is overshadowed by the words, to do what the Lord has commanded.

[55:45] These men were to do in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded in verse 1 of chapter 36. It wasn't by their methods, it wasn't by their ways, it wasn't by what they thought was best, it was a reliance upon God and his directing hand in their work.

[56:09] Such was their heart, such was their heart to listen to God and to be devoted to them. But in closing, these people, we look at them, and it is an admirable example, maybe, of what a church should be like.

[56:27] obeying God, keeping the Sabbath, willing to give, willing to help, supporting one another, being directed by God and the people who are over them.

[56:46] What, where did this come from? Where did this zeal come from in them, in this example that we have here? And can we have this same zeal to work for God in such a way?

[57:03] And that's why I read what I read in chapter 33, to understand where the people had this zeal and where this came from. God, you can recall that the children of Israel at the Mount Sinai, they camped at the base, and Moses ascended to meet with God.

[57:25] But it took so long that the people thought that he had died, and they fell into the serious sin of creating this God, the golden calf.

[57:35] But Moses hadn't died. Moses was one that came down when he did and showed them the sin that they had.

[57:48] You have sinned a great sin. And what we read from in chapter 33, the anger of God was so clear. He says that I would not go with you lest I consume you.

[58:00] Their sin was so grievous in the sight of God, that they were called a stuff-nick people, but they understood this. They understood their sin.

[58:12] It says they mourned over, they grieved over their sins in their hearts. They needed to restore God's favour, otherwise he would consume them.

[58:25] And when their representative Moses went to this tent to meet with God, they would stand outside their tents, watching this man, with all reverence and fear, not knowing what God would do, but they bowed and worshipped.

[58:46] They bowed and worshipped, realising their need of forgiveness of their sins. I believe this is why they had a godly heart, to do this work.

[59:01] Beginning with the grief of their sin, in making this other god, and not relying or trusting in God, the Lord God.

[59:14] It was through this spirit of conviction, and holy reverence, and holy fear that drew them to seek God, and yet he was a god so gracious that he would not consume them.

[59:26] He was a god who had mercy on them. They were people who stripped themselves of their treasures. They saw that none of these things did them any good.

[59:38] Their hearts were disengaged from the treasures of this world, and they put them aside in order that their heart would seek God. They would sit at the door of their tent and prepare themselves to meet with God.

[60:00] And the amazing thing is that God still wanted to dwell with them. People that were so stiff-naised, and can we be like these people?

[60:12] Can we have our hearts renewed and changed to be the example that is set here in chapter 35? We have sinned. We know, we confess that our hearts need changed.

[60:26] And we should be consumed and would be consumed in the presence of God if we were to meet with him before our sins. Because in our sin we have no chance.

[60:39] When we meet with God, and there are many lives, as maybe our lives were, that stirred the anger of God by making our own golden calves and our own idols, and doing things our way, I can have my God, and I have my own idea of what salvation looked like.

[61:02] And maybe you did this before you were converted, and there are men still doing this out there. Why do they do it? Because Christ is dead to them.

[61:14] Christ is dead to them, just like the people thought Moses had died. They sought after other things and other gods, that Jesus is not dead. And we know that Jesus is not dead.

[61:27] He has come down that mountain to meet with us, and he reveals to us the sins and foolishness of our hearts before God, the foolishness of our ways and the state of our sin before an almighty God.

[61:46] You cannot do it. We cannot do it our way. Jesus comes down and says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[62:01] So when we see our need and we sit, a good place for us to be is sitting at the door of our tents with our eyes upon God, worshipping him, confessing our sins, asking for our forgiveness, that Jesus will go on our behalf, as our representative, and that we place all our trust in this Christ.

[62:30] He has washed away our sins, and it is only through this man that we can meet with God. And you know what?

[62:42] God is pleased to dwell with us. God builds within our hearts a dwelling place where he will rest amongst his people.

[62:53] But he gives us a command to go and build my kingdom. Do we have a heart to obey the command that has been left to us?

[63:08] Has our heart realised that we have not been consumed by God, but that we should have been. And it is all because of Christ and his death on the cross and his justifying of sin before God, the sins of our hearts, and he has washed us clean in the blood of the Lamb that we have confidence and know that God dwells within us.

[63:39] May we be people that are stirred in heart to obey his commands, to give of ourselves so willingly and freely, to be people that work with one another and to be people that realise that it is all through Christ, and it is all through that man that has saved us.

[64:09] That we would see that we have done nothing to deserve it. We have done nothing to deserve the dwelling place of God to be amongst us.

[64:22] As the people of Israel did not deserve God to dwell in their midst, we did not deserve that God would dwell in our hearts.

[64:32] but he does through Christ. And that is what changes our hearts. It changes our hearts and thanks for all that he has done for us and we hold loosely to the things of the world.

[64:52] What is our heart in it? Do we have a heart that was like the people of Israel that built the dwelling place of God? May these thoughts be blessed to us tonight.

[65:08] Can we sing in Psalm 27 of the Scottish Psalter? Psalm 27 of the Scottish Psalter. will sing from verse verse 4b.

[65:48] Halfway through verse 4 that I the beauty of the Lord behold me and admire and that I in his holy place may reverently inquire down to end of verse mark 6.

[66:03] Therefore unto us tabernacle I'll sacrifice us bring of joyfulness I'll sing ye I to God will praise us sing. Heirs stand together and lift our hearts and praise to God that I the beauty of the Lord behold me and admire and the beauty of the Lord behold me and admire and the dying is holy place spirit and the and while for he in his family young shall behind the evil days and secret of his tent behind and on our home be raised on the green at this present time my head shall lift it be me above all those that are my foot and ground encompass me the poor and to rich town and build and sacrifices free of joy fullness and sing yea to

[68:22]  God will praise us me close with prayer our heavenly father we pray that you would be one that would be at work in our hearts as we come and sit at our tent and confession of all that we are in the depths of our hearts but we look to one that has gone before us the Lord Jesus Christ may he be one that continues to intercede for us and one that we would trust in and that the spirit would be at work in our hearts convicting us of these things may we know God through this and may you be one that rests upon us in the days ahead of us be with us we pray all these things we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen