"The People Who Gave Too Much"

Pastor Laura Guy

June 7, 2009

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We heard about the first "strange story" of our new summer sermon series. Pastor Laura admitted that this first story was a little bit tongue-in-cheek. It happens in the book of Exodus, after God has led the people out of slavery, through the wilderness, feeding them and caring for them. God then directs the people to build a tabernacle, a place for God's presence to dwell with the people. He asks everyone with a willing heart to give to the building of the tabernacle.
We read Exodus 36:3-7 and saw how the people gave offerings every morning. The craftsmen told Moses that the people were bringing too much! Moses ordered the people to stop giving. He restrained them from giving any more. Now that's a strange story!
We thought about what it means to be restrained. Criminals who want to escape have to be restrained. Young lovers who are forbidden to see each other have to be restrained. What kind of people would have to be restrained from giving more?
We recognized that the people giving in the story saw their gifts go directly into building something beautiful. The gifts we give don't have such direct results. We don't see the beauty God is building in the lives of people who come to Living Water, but it is there. Baptisms are a visible sign of the work God is doing.
We also realized that the people in the story had an amazing deliverance story. God had literally set them free, fed them, cared for them, guided them. They could give their offerings, their presents, to God so freely because they remembered what God had done for them. We, too, can be cheerful givers and give presents to God when we remember how God has delivered us.
We heard Dave Ramsey talk about how we are created in God's image, and God is a giver. God gave His most precious gift, His son Jesus, for us. We are created to be givers, too.
We prayed that God would work on our hearts, making us cheerful givers that might even some day have to be restrained from giving more.
We celebrated God's most gracious gift at the table.