What Do You Bring To The House Of GOD

well the Lord is good I I want to um just kind of uh spring into action tonight and to we're talking a lot about the Tabernacle and Sunday was uh was the beginning of of some things that we'll be talking about and uh Sunday was something that I really feel feel in my heart uh that we we need to have that that secret place for the Lord we've got to have a place for him in our life because everything we do um has to come from that place of visiting with God everything everything and so tonight we're going to continue along that same vein but I want to talk

to you I know we're we're bringing things to the house of the Lord and we know through the Tabernacle there was there was a lot of things that people brought to that place um Pastor even mentioned in some of the teachings last month about all of the different artifacts that had to be brought in order for this to be possible and and uh just through Reading and studying from where I started Sunday we're just going to kind of go with that um I I was still there in Exodus couldn't but just to back up and and kind of uh look at this a little closer but in the

book of Exodus the 35th chapter we know that from Sunday we talked about how that there was a turning a change going on with Israel and God was beginning to deal with them and now Moses in chapter 35 Moses is now hearing from God and he is stting to to deliver messages to the people and Moses says this in chapter 35:4 Moses said to the whole Congregation of Israel and I am still reading from NIV so excuse me for that but I think it's very it it kind of helps me to keep on track here um but Moses talks to the congregation and he tells them he says this is

the Commandment of the Lord for he has told me to tell you to give offerings bring offerings to the house of God notice the words that he uses everyone who is willing talks about having that willingness and that's what we're going to be kind of focusing on in on is our willingness to bring those offerings to the house of God um and and as he did that he gave them a list there was a list and and from all of the things that we do with the Tabernacle the things that we have here displayed Pastor you did a great job I have to say there was a lot of uh hard sweat

Blood and Tears go into that but as we look at that and we look at all of the different colors and all of the different um there's gold there there is and I'm sure that's not real gold but uh there's gold and there's silver Moses goes on in that same chapter and he tells them specifics he tells them that you're to bring an offering of of gold silver brass and he goes through all of the fine Linens that was to be brought the colors that needed to be represented so all of these things was given to the children of Israel when this l this was given to the children

of Israel the scripture says in verse 20 that the people they digress they came away from and they withdrew themselves as the NIV says they withdrew themselves from from Moses and they went back to their tents when they go back to their tents they are left to think through everything that they have I I want you to think about how how many of you like G God sales I know you like her I said we pass each other in in thrift shops a lot but but you like to you like to shop around you like you like those and and that's not what we're talking about here but I I

know the thrill that you get from that Moses is telling the children of Israel that he wants you to have a willing heart a willing heart to give to the kingdom of God to give to the Tabernacle bring something you know the first very first question and I kind of put this in here because I want you to uh to write in your notebooks but uh very first question a lot of people would bring up is how much should I give that would be a question right the truth be told that should never be one of the questions you ask it should never be asked how much I bring because

if you will look the scripture even says there in that 20th and 21st verse says those that were moved in their hearts there was something that started stirring in them they went home they realized that they had things they had values valuable things things that they had brought in brought in from Egypt I mean there was things that they had accumulated and they were valuable and they begin to think through all of the things Moses left this in their hands to say this is what I want you to do I want you if you have a willing heart if you've got that in your

spirit let God begin to talk to you about what you bring about what you're going to give him and then the scripture says that all of a sudden these people started pulling things together they started bringing brass silver gold and the things that they had in their I you know it it it was It was kind of one of those things that when I got to looking through this and reading about this you know there was no outside trading going on this was the children of Israel out in the middle of a desert the scripture even talks about and if you'll back up just a little

bit uh verse 10 it says that all who has skill those that knew how to do things those were going to be the people that built the place of God they were the ones that was going to put their hands to work in this beautiful place so he asked for the material God has commanded you to bring materials he's commanded what those things were to be he gives you a list and then he says and then who has a skill who who has the ability to do these things you know we we see this even transition into the New Testament Jesus would go through and he would he would uh he

would call disciples what was the reason for calling those different disciples is because they had abilities they had SK feels that he needed for the kingdom of God for for things to progress and and as as these people begin to search their homes for the things that they have and what they have what is it that I can give to God there's no outside trading there's no nothing on the outside that I look at to try make this all work no this is all within the the confines of of the church we like it when people come in from the outside and and drop a special offering

but the truth is we are invested here can you imagine with me and I I just really like looking at this thing if you ever catch me over in that corner I just I just imagine things but can you imagine with me that that when the people of God would come to worship this was something that their hands had been involved in this was something that they had invested in so if you invest in something it's valuable to you right I like the idea that when I walk into the church and and and I look around if there's a piece of and Pastor I'm going to do this for you there's

a piece of bubble gum wrapper laying there what do you do why because it's like it's the church it it is something you wouldn't let that stay in your house would you unless you got a bunch of grandkids but you would you would pick that up you would and and there would be things that I can just imagine that they would go to uh Moses Aaron or some of those guys that were there along the side of of of Moses and they would say is there anything that I can do I I I noticed that the the leather is starting to discolor scripture even says that the skilled it says

in verse 25 even skilled women it wasn't when you it didn't say just the men there was things that women could do there was things that men could do there is those things that you could bring your children along beside you and teach them I I uh I grew up with uh a group of people and uh just I'll just leave it at that but I grew up with a group of people that lived right close to me in my hometown and uh became good friends with that group of people and and these people were very tight-knit their their culture was very close um they believed in God they

believed in helping each other and I literally uh passed one day and I knew that they were doing this and they were they were building a building and I think it was one of it was one of the barns that was just not too far from where I was raised they were building this barn and I saw all of these trucks and and they all of them drove it most back then it was all white trucks and didn't have a radio in it but but they' had these trucks up there and they were all backed up and I looked out and there was their women as well and and the women were out there

and they had tables out and that evening and we went back by there my dad and I had been out for something we went back by there the building was completed the people were still around there but the building was up and and became friends with some of them and and they were very they loved each other and they looked they looked after each other and I I thought to myself you know I I'm sure that's probably how it was in the wilderness I'm sure that's probably the way it was is is they looked over and saw that so and so was in need and guess what happens you

see there there is there is a the very first scripture here talks about a willing heart having a heart that is willing Whatever It Is God whatever it is that I need to be doing so if you were writing this down number one would be the Willing heart God wants us to have a willing heart he wants us to have the heart that is that is open to to whatever God what is what is it that God is speaking to you it could be your skills it could be your labor it could be your abilities it could be uh um a a number that God even gives you I believe that too because some

sometimes sometimes God knows what more about you than you know about yourself know there's been a few times in our life that that God understood I didn't know why but I do it and God blessed the second thing that I want you to realize is that is God is intentional and he wants you to be to give intentional he wants you to give out of that that wholeness of heart but he he goes and he goes to verse verse 20 and this is the one we we mentioned just a few moments ago he said in the whole congregation they they withdrew themselves from Moses and they everyone

went back and willfully went back to their homes and begin to think through the things that they had be begin to think through what was there and what they what they were able to give and and and they intentionally they intentionally put things together Not only was there they intentional but they were creative they the scripture talks about all of the things that they were to pull together all of the Linens and all of the colors and and I don't know about you but there's some pretty creative people we've got those in our church it's just it's amazing what

they can do cake decorators and and all of that stuff and making it look really neat around here sister Lauren whenever it's seasonal time and all the decorating those those things are important to God being creative with those things and that's what we bring to the house of God as we bring our creativity I'm sure that Moses when he was given the plan he had some he had some uh some I don't think they handed him a a blueprint he had to be the skill that was in in in all of this you know one man can't can't do all of that he can't and so he has the Sam guy

that knows all of the numbers I mean that's what he had he had those people that were in his life that was able to figure out what that needed to look like those Craftsmen that were there in that place the men and the women that were were creative they had to know how things were supposed to look but all of this came from the abundance of the heart there had to be something in the heart I mentioned to you just a little bit ago about the about the group of people that I was raised around the same group of people would take at a point in each each person's

life would take them aside and would give them the opportunity to be able to walk away from what they taught they gave them the opportunity because they wanted to make sure you see you're either going to be in love with something or you're going to not but he gave them the option and they would go before uh if they had questions about the outside world let's just say that they had questions about the what was out there then come and ask and we would try to answer those things but if they were dissatisfied they gave them that option to walk away and I remember

talking to one of the guys that had had left but there was it was like a grace period there was there was a time that they would give them to what they call it Sam yeah and and they gave it to them to walk walk the path that they thought they might want to walk and I remember talking to him because we we talked I mean uh us apostolics we was about as close as we could get to them and so he I guess they felt like that he was good for him to be around us although we had to cut our music off um but he liked he liked Motors and he like trucks and so we we talked

and got to know each other quite a bit and uh he told us about his experience he says I you know he said I wasn't two days out he said I was ready to go back because he realized that what he he had been raised in he said it was in my heart he said I couldn't walk away from it and I I I wanted to bring that to your attention because there's a lot of things that you know we we talk about uh the days of old and we talk about the things that had taken place and we talk about those things but the truth is is if if a person really loves God if they really love

him with all their hearts they're going to stay within what guidelines God gives them they're going to stay within those things that God this is I do this out of my heart this is a part of who I am in verse or chapter 36 of Exodus verse three we find that Moses he has taken a and put together a system here Moses has taken this and now what we have is there is offerings that come in and they are coming in and as they're coming in they're being put in place Moses has created a system that that no they don't have a warehouse fool there's there's not a warehouse

but as the things that come into the come into the sanctuary as the things come in the people are grabbing them the skill workers are grabbing them and they're putting their hands to work and these things are being created they're putting this all into place because there is a free will offering there is that continual offering that comes in Daily it is a daily giving to the Lord you know there's there's a lot of times that you know that there's questions that arise as people say well how how frequent how do you feel how is it that you feel how is it that

you feel when God begins to deal with you about something do you continue to give continue you to give I think it's very very likely that in that day and time that there was a lot of things that was was brought and prayed over I I just that just I just feel that that's probably some of those things that they did is they brought it and said God we give this to you we give this to you for your kingdom For Your Glory and we give it all to you and God begins to bless God begins to bless them they open their hearts saying God would you bless once again would

you bless my family would you bless those around me I uh in Romans the the 12th chapter Romans the 12th chapter in verse one want somebody to read that for us would you read that Romans 12 verse one the scripture tells us that we present our our bodies right as what living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto him God begins to he he begins to deal with them about the things that they have now I I want to run this parallel he deals with them in uh verse 22 of of uh chapter 35 he deals with them on the things that they have they would bring their and in the

NIV the gold that they had in jewelry the the bracelets the earrings all of the things that they would bring they would bring these things to the house of God for it to be a part of what the house of God will be made into now we find in the New Testaments that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto him we are to present ourselves just as in the Old Testament time where they would bring all of their silver and their gold and all of those things we bring ourselves to God and say God willingly I br bring myself to you I bring

myself and I become what that sacrifice I sacrifice the things that I have the things that I do I sacrifice them unto the Lord God here I am I don't have anything we talked about how that we was we was to take and be have a have a willing heart God I have a willing heart I I I I I don't know what else to do give God everything give him everything how many of today when you look at the things that you have in your life the even the values that you have in your life that those things are not there just because you made it happen I I was reminded as as uh you

know we all have heard about the California fires and the things out there and we're we're looking at all of all of these people and as the as their their goods and their love their livelihoods get burned up right there I listen to some of those that talk and and and some of them will tell you that that's just stuff yeah there was some valuable things there but I'm still alive sometimes I get the feeling that God likes to reset us he he likes for us to be reset every once in a while and let let us know that you know you wouldn't be where you are unless it

had been for me we see that the children of Israel basically did the same thing previous to these scriptures we find where the children of Israel had had been dabbling in and and idol worship and the things that was not of God the things that would have been evil in the sight of God and then we see them creeping their way along and Moses given intercession before God for what they had done and now we see the reset I mean it's interesting to us and I don't know what that time span would look like but you go go from Idol worshiping and building your own Idols

to now God begins to deal with them because of prayer that went forth and the things that was happening and the and the uh the model that Moses was setting before them of praying and seeking God and then they go from there all the way to saying God I give you everything they open up their tents they open up everything that got and they start pouring it out start bringing it why because they understood God you're God and I'm not they understood that God you've got this and I don't I think it was put very very clear to us a few weeks ago when brother ellingworth

was here and uh brother ellingworth talked about the two spectrums that we have to find oursel in the middle he was talking about how that we could become we we can become so so guilty and then we can become so arrogant that we've got to find ourselves here saying God I can't make it without you I'm nothing without you but I know with you I'm everything I'm everything whenever you're in my life God does not put you in a place that he's going to leave you there he he won't he will not he he asks for us to have a willing heart why is it that the heart is so

important to God the scripture tells us that out of the out of the heart is what the issues of life come from there those things that God wants intentions that that you may have in your heart God gives you he gives you a word and he tells you this is what I want you to do just as he spoke to these children of Israel he speaks to us today and says what is it you ask the question what is it God that you want me to do what is it that I need to be doing for your kingdom and we bring those things to him because a willing heart says God this is what I have the

reason that I bring on this level to you tonight is because uh we next few weeks we'll be talking a lot more about sacrifice and about things that that that relate to what we're talking about even tonight but but I want us to understand that everything starts with the heart everything starts with the heart if your heart is not in it yeah we appreciate apprciate it but it's not going any further than there God help my heart to be close to you help me to have a Praying Spirit we talked about that Sunday and God help my heart to be willing to whatever the request

is that you have asked of me God asks the question what do you have what is it that you have what is it that you find that is so valuable about life the more that we live the more we realize that and we see that Among Us life is just a vapor it's here for a short time and then it's gone what are we what are we investing in what is it that we are investing in are we investing in time talent and and and those things that we can give to God God are we investing in those things that that could go toward the kingdom of God could not help but think about some

of the some of the things that we're getting ready to do here at Cornerstone and as we progress to that um I don't know there's a little bit bit of ancients I'm getting ancient about those things ancient I'm getting antiy over those things because I know that God's getting ready to do some things in our life he's getting ready to show us some things we've got we've got a building that I know that God has prepared and he's got it all he he knows how all this is going to work and uh I have uh I've sketched some things out in my head and pastor's rubbed his

head and sketched some things out in his head and and I'm thinking to myself now how is this going to work but I do know this if a group of people would pray as the scripture said seek his face he's you're going to hear from Heaven you're going to hear from heaven and when God gives us what we need for the hour then we're what we're looking at is financial side of it God's going to have it and it's going to be right there it's going to be right there I know that why because we have been given example after example of how God uses his own people made the

comment at the very beginning that there was no outside sources here nothing outside you know you you you would think that that you know you could trade something along the way but everything came from these people right here all of these people now this one may not be able to he may not be able to paint a good wall but do over here does but this one here he can put some Sheetrock up God help him you you you understand what I'm talking about is is there's things that we have the ability to do and then there may be a car salesman in here or some type of salesman

that is able to kind of work out a deal and say hey let's let's put this together and let's do this and and and and make this happen this is all about the kingdom this is all about what God has provided and what he has in plan you know this would have never happened if these people had not listened I mean they tried that already didn't they they tried that they tried not listening and where did it get them had to wander a little more but it come there comes a point when you finally say Okay God I get it okay and God begins to work on the heart of man and

when he starts working on the heart of man things change you you start seeing doors that open up you start seeing things that happens in your life and God you say God I don't see how that's going to come together for me but I'm going to make I'm gonna make the effort and all of a sudden it starts coming together all of those things start being fitly join together that is called the church and it's called the body of Christ not everybody can do do the head side of things thank God we've got people that can do that not everybody can be the arms and the legs

and that not everybody can do that but thank God there's others that can God help us to give out of the abundance of our heart begin to work on us God as we as we go forth and all of the things have been put into place I really think that this is one of those things and we'll see we'll see a lot more of this here in the near future but there'll be those lists that are put together we'll start putting lists together and start saying okay this is what we need this this this and this children of Israel's already given us that that idea of what what to do this

is what needs to come together and God will give you the list you go home you Ponder the list and see what God will do I'm thinking about all the things that how did you get those value valuable things there I mean but God provided they had it it was there oh you know what I think I've got one of those in my closet somewhere well God will Pro he'll provide a way he'll make a way when there seems to be no way we had our business meeting was it last Wednesday Pastor shared with us the pondering that was going on the things that we're having to try and put

together shared with us those things just as and I I I I don't want this to be a commercial only okay but you you know where we are I think we're in the same the same boat as what we see the children of Israel and they begin to look at the list and just look through it say God what is it that I need to be doing it would be nothing for one of us and so easy for one of us to just come across something whatever that may be and God say just just go go talk to them and see I've I've seen that in my own life I know that some of you have seen that in your own life

that God would lay somebody on your heart to talk to and all of a sudden that turns into a blessing that is able to bless the church God knows what Cornerstone needs God knows what we need here and he knows what we're capable of doing you may not but God knows what you're capable of that our hearts may be moved God move our hearts let's pray together would you do that with me in the name of Jesus God that you move us Lord Jesus move us Lord in the way that you would have us to go the things that you would have us to do Lord Jesus God that you move us with

your compassion help my heart God help me Lord Jesus Jesus to be able to think of those things that are far way out that way out outweigh everything that I could ever think of God help us Lord to see those things we have seen this time and time again through your word God that you have provided for the children of Israel you have given them food you've given them Mana that came from Heaven God you gave those things to them Lord Jesus and God I know that you're working on our behalf Lord Jesus I know that you're working on our behalf here at Cornerstone in

the name of Jesus in the name of the Lord hallelujah hallelujah there's so many things that we can learn from what's taking place right there so many things that we can learn from that God help me help my heart Heart Lord I I still this week have been pondering Sunday's message and how that how that God's wanting a place inside of us he's wanting us to have a place for him and just as he wants us to have a place for him we can do that for the kingdom of God here at Cornerstone is God help us to grow this how you would have it not like we think of it but

how is it that you see this structure how is it that you see us doing this God help us help us to do this for your kingdom I hope that somehow just just from the onset of this and this study that we're going to be going through I hope that something today has stirred inside of you that you can you can get a grip on this that God is God has a plan God has a plan from the very beginning he had a plan for Chattanooga he had a plan how many you believe that he he's got a plan and I I don't want it to be just a pep talk I want you to realize that this is something

that God is doing it's something God is doing not us because there's so many times we try to put our hands on it and try to get accolades for it I'm sorry it's not going to work I I will I I have heard time and time again uh over the years earlier Years brother tww Barnes was you know he he was known how many you know who tww bnes was he he was known for a lot of healing Ministries and a lot of man of Faith he was a man of faith and uh I'll never forget him making the statement he says I uh we started our tent revivals and they made him a bunch of signs

up and it said tww Barnes Healing Ministry he said and as soon as he saw that sign God spoke to him and says y'all hope y'all have a good time that was what God spoke to his heart he said I had to tear tear those signs down because this is not about us this is not about us the kingdom of God is Not About Us us it's about us making what those people were looking for they were looking for a promised land so the tent all of that that went away one day every bit of it goes away what we've got right here every bit of it goes away at some point but we've got to

invest invest invest because I want my children to know I want I want those around me to know I want my community to know that this is for the kingdom of God Hallelujah would you stand with us again would you lift your hands with us right now in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus God we thank you thank you for your goodness and your mercy God you're so good to us hallelujah hallelujah it's all for your kingdom and For Your Glory in Jesus name Hallelujah