Building Together: Our Offering
Pastor Steve Valdez
5/27/18
This week, Harvest’s youth pastor Steve shared a message with us about the important place that every single member of the church has in the effort to “build the tabernacle.” That is, that the task of contributing to the church has been given to all, not simply the rich or ultra-talented.
Let’s take a look at a passage in Exodus and see if we can apply to our modern-day situation.
Read
Exodus 25:1-9
Go Deeper
1.Steve split the list of needs for the tabernacle into three different groups. Let’s figure out modern day equivalents to each one:
Excess wealth – “Gold, silver, and bronze:”
Specific Talents – “blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and…durable leather:”
Time and Energy – “acacia wood; olive oil; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; onyx stones and other gems:”
2.How would the Israelites feel about building this tabernacle, know that this would be the place that God would be physically dwelling among them (vs. 8)?
Apply
1.In what way are you contributing to the building up of the church?
2.Would you say that one of the groups mentioned above is more important than the others? Why or why not?
3.Today, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit is within us, not in an ark, such as the Israelites had. How does that change our approach to what it means to “build up the tabernacle?”
Pray
Ask God for opportunities to “build up the tabernacle;” ways to contribute the church that seek to spread its influence and give God and His followers further opportunities to help the community. If you aren’t contributing to the construction of God’s Kingdom, ask for help identifying how you can start approaching the church as an opportunity to serve, not just to be served.