Matt Chandler - Generous Hearts and Hands

Well, it’s good to see you. Go ahead and grab your Bibles if you will. We’re going to be in Exodus chapter 35. We’re going to read a chunk of that, and then we’re going to go over and look at just a few verses in chapter 36. It’s really hard for me to believe that after this weekend, we only have three weekends left in the book of Exodus, which we started in late August. Other than four weeks in January, we’ve just consistently made our way through this book, and part of me is kind of sad that it’s almost over. It has been an incredible series; at least I’ve enjoyed it—maybe you haven’t, but I’ve enjoyed preaching it.

So really, the emphasis I want to make is to take a moment up front to pull back a bit and remind us of where we are in the narrative, where we are in the story. At this point, we’re looking at how God has saved Israel out of slavery. He has pulled His people out of oppression, not just for nothing but to make them a distinct people so that the Nations might know Him. God is pulling His people out of slavery, oppression, sin, and death, and then He’s going to form them so that the Nations will look upon them and know that He is God.

What God is doing is shaping, forming, and making a people for Himself. Throughout the spring, we’ve been discussing how the presence and power of God in our lives distinctly mark us among those who are far from Him. I love how Jesus talks about those who aren’t Christians; He uses the term «lost.» That word is really beautiful—it means they’ve lost their way, and Christ has come to save them from that lostness.

So, what God is doing in the household of faith, in a covenant community of faith like what we are here at The Village Church, is that He is distinctively marking a people who reveal His goodness, grace, compassion, and mercy to the world. That is what we’ve been examining really through winter into spring—God doing this among us.

Now, we’re going to look again at another distinctive mark of what it means to be the people of God in our gathering today. And I’m just going to say it so you can breathe out—nobody needs to panic. We’re going to talk about generosity. I’m not passing a plate, and we don’t have any plans or big needs for billions of dollars. The text is dictating that we talk about generosity, so we’re going to discuss it the way the Bible presents it.

I’ll give you my outline before we start reading. I know some of you type A folks need this, right? So let me help you. We’re going to talk about the motive of generosity, which is one of the things that makes us distinct from worldly generosity. It’s not just Christians who are generous; you know that, right? You don’t have to be a Christian to be generous. In fact, there are some full-on pagan folks who are really generous with their money and resources. But what makes us a distinct people is the motive of our generosity.

Then we’ll look at the metric of our generosity and ultimately the method of our generosity. You like that? That’s alliteration; that rarely happens around here! That was for you; I love you.

Let’s look at Exodus 35, starting in verse 4. Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, «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: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarns; and fine twined linen; goat’s hair; tanned ram skins and goat skins; acacia wood; oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars and its bases; the ark with its poles; the mercy seat and the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils and the bread of the presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense with its poles and its anointing oil and the fragrant incense; and the screen for the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering with its grading of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; the hangings for the court, its pillars and its bases; and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place; the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons for their service as priests.» Then all the congregation of the…