with what we have here, the volume is amplified compared to that. But it's like that all over, everywhere we go. We rarely come across a place that just really sings out and enjoys the singing, and whether you can sing or can't sing. Like me, I'm not a singer, but I can notice when folks do sing well, as far as singing out. and uh... enjoy doing that and it always is refreshing and a blessing no doubt about it but exodus chapter number thirty five i want you to look in about verse number thirty verse number thirty appreciate brother shannon stepping in and filling in for me and and uh... brother joseph came out and visit us out there in philadelphia as well and uh... we just like said had a good week saying some lives transformed Seeing God work on some hearts and was really good. I shared with y'all they had a noonday service which went pretty good. You don't see that in a lot of places where they have a noonday service, but they're close enough right there on the outskirts of town. Y'all probably have seen this church when you go to Philadelphia. If you're coming from DeKalb, Right when you get into Philadelphia, the city, on the right-hand side, there's a big church with a big parking lot. It's kind of got a round sanctuary with a steeple there. And you go a little bit further and you have the mess of the church. And then the road splits, and you're on that one way. But it's right there on the right. So what they do is have a noonday service. And they had a team of workers that worked the kitchen all week, morning and evening services. And they would have their plates ready and have them sitting out on the table. And they would have somewhere around 70 folks that would come for the noonday service. They'd get their plate, go sit down. The pastor would ask the blessings right at 12 o'clock. And about 12, 15, he would stand up and say, well, as y'all continue to eat and fellowship, Brother Nick's going to come and preach. And I preached about a quarter to one. And they would be out of there no later than 10 to 1. They'd get back to work at 1 o'clock. So it worked out good for them. They had something. They got a lunch and got to preach the word. And they got to fellowship with one another. And it was good attendance, even in the pouring down rain, because it rained a few times. Y'all know we had a lot of rain. It rained hard, too. and uh... but it it was good and uh... the evening services went really well and uh... we just like thank you all for praying uh... force as we get fellowship with this church but exodus chapter thirty five i know we just a little ahead but it's actually connected with what we've already read in chapter thirty one i want to focus in on verse thirty for a moment and uh... verse thirty through verse thirty five and look at this idea we we've talked about this before i just wanted to revisit this thought process around god unknowing uh... for specific work or specific tasks ministry that he has given us in the kingdom for we see it in these passages how many of you ever heard this term before the law of first mention that is a term that that bible students use a law of first mention in the idea that it's the first time that it is introduced to us are mentioned in the scriptures when you come across the thought process or word or idea And when you take the word of God, Genesis and Exodus, we're at the very beginning of the Older Testament, this is the first time we find in the word of God that it mentions someone being filled with the Spirit of God. Being filled with the Spirit of God. So we call that the Law of First Mention. And it gives us a setting in this passage. And when you say somebody is filled with the Spirit of God, you can say they are filled with the life of God. Because that's the idea. The Spirit speaks of the breath, the life of God Himself. And He filled these men for a purpose. Anytime God fills anyone it's always for a purpose. It's not it's not just to fill them It's to fill them for a specific purpose and it tells us what this purpose is And I think we can learn a few things from it verse 30 says and Moses said to the children of Israel see The Lord has called by name. How would you say that name? Bezalel Bezael the son of Uriah the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah and he has filled him with the spirit or the life of God and he's filled him in wisdom and in understanding and knowledge in all manner of workmanship to design artistic works to work in gold and silver and bronze in cutting jewels for settings and carving wood and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. And he has put in his heart the ability to teach in him and Aholiab the son of Ahishamac of the tribe of Dan and he has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker in blue, purple and scarlet thread and fine linen and of the weaver. and those who do every work and those who design artistic works. Father, we thank you. We thank you for this day that we have to rejoice in, knowing that it's a day that you have made and we want to be glad that it was framed of your spoken word. We want to rejoice that we have been miraculously saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. We want to rejoice in your grace today, knowing that you have initiated, you have led, and you have called us out, and you have redeemed us and given us a work to do. And I'm thankful for passages that you've given us like this today that we can be encouraged by, that we can see that you do set people apart for specific things and that you fill them with yourself to do a work that would bring glory to you and blessings unto your people. So we give you the praise and we ask you to help us and I pray that you would not just teach us these things but that you would impart that grace and life and thought process to each one of us that we too would continually recognize what you set us apart for to build your church. For it's in Jesus' name, amen. He started out this thought process, if you go back and look at Exodus 31, God comes to Moses and He speaks to him in chapter 31 and verse 1. Notice how He says, and now what we have in chapter 35 is Moses introducing this thought to the nation. but God came to him first and he spoke in verse number one of chapter thirty-one then the Lord spoke to Moses saying see or behold you need to see this in faith I have called by name Baziel the son of Uri the son of Hur the tribe of Judah and I have filled him with the spirit of God and wisdom and an understanding and knowledge and all manner of workmanship for this purpose to design artistic works to work in gold and silver and bronze and in cutting jewels for settings and in carving wood and to work in all manner of workmanship and I indeed I have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Hishamach of the tribe of Dan and I have put wisdom in the heart of all the gifted artisans that they may make all that I have commanded you. Now as I read that, there's a few things that just stands out to me. Number one, we see that this was the purpose of God in choosing this particular man and a holy ab, and all the other men that were gifted to work with their hands, that had a skill that was just above the average, and that they were good at what they did. And God had chosen them not only had he chosen them but he had filled them with the ability the wisdom and the understanding and the knowledge and he put it in their heart not only to be able to do these things but they had an ability to teach other people how to do these things they were gifted supernaturally to do a common work but have supernatural results in it because God chose them and God had filled them with something that was outside of themselves. But He's done this before they ever knew it. That's what stands out to me. It's not until God called and revealed these things through Moses that they were able to recognize in their lives that this was the result of God. I can do this. I enjoy doing this. I take great delight in doing this. I love to do this. And I can help other people know how to do this. I didn't know it was because God filled me. with disability I thought I was just born with disability to be able to do these things but this is a supernatural work of God for the supernatural purpose of God that his people would be benefited and God would be glorified and it was all in harmony with what God had already commanded I mean we've talked about this before God never does a thing without a command God always speaks a word of life before life is imparted. A command always precedes everything that God does. Why? Because it's in the command of God is where our authority and power is from to do the work of God. That's what authorizes us to do what we do. Now what God is doing, He's cluing in Moses that not only did I choose these men, I've also called them and feel them and and i have blessed them and i have a point at this part gained it to be so and they can operate within my authority to do it And now we go look over in chapter 35, Moses is not only letting them know, but he's letting the whole congregation know who these men are. And this is the purpose of God. That's why it says, even I, I indeed, this is my will. This is what I've chosen to do. You don't need to fight against this. I have chosen these men to do this. And they are the ones who are anointed by my spirit to fulfill this ministry in the kingdom. You see, God anoints, man, you could write this down because I think it will help you. God anoints us for something specific, a specific purpose. Everybody in the body of Christ has an anointing upon their life for something specific, for something specific, a purpose. We may struggle at times knowing what that is, and we may not even, I think, like basil and uh... a holy ad bait bait they didn't probably know initially that that's what they're and i want to know my life was until god clued to me that's what he did and there's times and i'm thankful for that that god doesn't own us for a purpose and then he comes to us and he he reaffirms that i'm a show you how this process works god anoints us for specific purpose so that he can approve us for specific work or specific service, we can say that. He anoints us for something specific, that means he's equipped us, he's enabled us, he's filled us, he's given us wisdom, that is knowing what to do, how to do it, that's the skill side. He's given us understanding of why it works the way it works. he's given us knowledge to be able to perceive and see things and learn even more deeply and take it deeper in what we know how to do already and then he puts his ability within us to be able to teach or point out to other people the word teach means to point out to others how we do what we do and why we do what we do and how it works so that they can see what you can see and you know not everybody can see what you can see there's some things for an example that that brother shannon can do that i can't do and i can't really see it but he's got something in him that he can see it it's clear to him as things that keep can do it jody can do in and tommy can do it how they can do that that i i he can point it out to me and he's a good teacher and i can learn little things but i still can't see the way tommy sees it or danielle sees it in being a a gifted teacher uses a gift a service gift to serve people, to be able to teach and teach young men and young women. Not everybody can do that. Not everybody would want to do that. Not everybody enjoys doing that. But you see, when God puts something in you, He anoints you for something. It's something specific and whatever it is, it's always to serve people and it's always to bring glory to Him. It's always that. And all of us have an anointing upon our life for something specific. So that he can approve us in that service. Because if we don't have an approval, quote unquote, that anointing to do a thing, we're operating outside of something God's designed us to do. you see other people that didn't have this feeling, this ability, this wisdom and understanding and knowledge, these skills they couldn't join in with these people in building this tabernacle because they wasn't anointed to do that God prepared a certain group of people to accomplish that purpose and he would continue to raise up people to fulfill that purpose But just anybody who says, well, look, I like what you do and I want to do it, but they can't do it, says I'm going to join in with you, all they wind up doing is getting in the way. Are you with me? They just get in the way. And before you know it, they're doing something they don't have an anointing to do. And when you don't have an anointing to do it, you're not approved to do it. God didn't authorize it. And then you're getting outside of the will of God and you're fighting against what God's designed. You see, God anoints us for something specific, a purpose, to approve us for a particular service, so that He can accept what we offer back to Him. That He can accept what we offer to Him. God just doesn't accept anything we do. we need to recognize that amen that's important for us to recognize just because we do something and just because we do it in the name of the Lord doesn't mean it has an acceptance before the Lord if God's grace and that's part of the anointing it's in the realm of covering of his grace if it's not of grace if it's not of God he didn't command it he didn't authorize it he doesn't approve it he ain't going to accept it Go to Malachi. Let me illustrate it for an example. Malachi. Let's read a little bit how the priest got outside of their anointing and started doing. Malachi is that last Old Testament book. Chapter 1. They got outside of the anointing, and they were doing things in His name, but God didn't accept what they were doing. And let's look at it. Verse 7, let's just start there. Well, let's read verse 6. We can't pass that up. Verse 6 says, A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. if then i am the father where is my honor and if i am a master where is my reverence says the lord of hosts to you priest who despise or when i think of the word despise in my day in our day when i think about that i think of something that has the idea that that i just hate i don't i don't want to fool with it i despise you you know what i'm talking about how many you like doing taxes I mean you despise doing fooling with taxes. Right? Well, we're not talking about that idea. It has the idea more of, it results in that. It speaks more of the idea of just taking something lightly. I never feel like somebody takes you lightly. They really don't respect you. They just kind of brush you off and take you lightly, and it gets to you. You don't want it to, but it does. You recognize it. They just mistreat you, take you lightly. They don't really take you as being someone significant in their life. This is the idea. God says, the priest, you're taking me lightly. I'm not the principal priority of your life and what I've set you apart to do, you're taking that lightly. You're not fulfilling that. As a result, it's going to affect what we do in our service, right? He goes on to say in verse number 7, you offered defiled food on mine altar. That's outside of the anointing. They don't have that authority to do that. But say, in what way have we defiled you by saying the table of the Lord is contemptible? It's not really a serious thing to make a priority. We can just kind of do anything. And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is that not evil? Is that good for nothing? Offer it then to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably, says the Lord of hosts? Imagine if you offered the governor of Mississippi roadkill. What do you think he would think about that? I mean, he wants you to put out the spread for him when he comes, right? And wouldn't you do that? I mean, that's kind of how politics works, doesn't it? I mean, if you want the favor of the governor, you better favor the governor. If you want something out of him, you want his honor and respect, you need to teach him, or you need to treat him honorably and respectfully, and you wouldn't want to offer him roadkill. Matter of fact, you would offer him the best you got, right? Even if you had to pull out your pocketbook, or you had to go to the bank and borrow money, you'd do whatever you can to put it on for somebody who you thought deserved it. Well, if you don't think highly of the governor, you're not gonna go out your way to try to serve him well, right? Well, God is saying, that's how you're treating me. You don't think too highly of me, and therefore, you're not serving me in such a way that it's sacrificial for you. You're operating in an area that I haven't commanded or I haven't authorized for you to operate in, and as a result thereof, notice what he says in verse number nine. But now entreat God's favor that he may be gracious to us while this is being done by your hands. Listen to what he says. Will he accept you favorably, says the Lord of Hosts? Who is there even among you who would shut the door so that you would not kindle fire on mine altar? I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of Hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hands. You see, when God does not accept us, He does not accept what we offer to Him. That is so important for us to recognize. That if I am offering things unto the Lord that God did not anoint me to do, to serve, to work, God's not going to accept it of me. It's going to be unacceptable to Him because that's not what He designed me for. That's not why I'm his disciple. That's not what he decreed for me to do, and therefore he doesn't accept. So here we go. What did I say? An anointing is for something specific, right? Something purposeful. so that God can approve us in that service and He then accepts our work, what we offer to Him. And as a result, you know what God does when He accepts it? He affirms it with His presence upon it, with His favor upon it, with His blessing upon it. That's why it's so important to understand what God has anointed us for, so that I can be involved, that I can be in it, working in that area, doing those things, because I want God's affirmation upon my life. I want His presence, I want His witness upon me, that He can use me, and I can delight in Him using me for His purpose. That's what he did with Baziel and Holiel. These were men for whom God filled with His presence. He approved them in the work that they were doing, the service. What they offered to Him, He accepted as His because He initiated it. he was involved in it and he affirmed it with his presence and everybody around them was blessed by them and what they were able to do. Let me show you what I mean by when God doesn't accept. I'll take that a little bit further. Go to Deuteronomy 32. We looked at this this morning and it goes right along with our reading in Exodus. It's talking about the exact same time frame and things. Deuteronomy 32 Deuteronomy 32 look in verse number 19 this is in reference you remember how the children of Israel when Moses was up on the mountain receiving the commandments from the Lord and God was speaking to him and what did the children of Israel do when they saw that they thought Moses was tearing his return and wasn't coming they decided to do something they said Aaron you need to do something you need to take the lead and they put pressure on Aaron and Aaron said okay everybody give me your gold and they gave him the gold and they threw it in the fire and Aaron melted it down and he crafted this gold image and he saw that it had potential and everybody would jump on board and they threw a feast and built an altar and everybody started celebrating and remember what God told Moses get down out of this mountain and leave me alone for my fury is burning like a ball and pot of water and I'm going to destroy these people and start all over with you and Moses said no Lord don't do that if you do that the Egyptians are going to see it differently and they're not going to see that you was angry and disciplined in your people and you overthrew them they're going to think that you didn't have the power to deliver them and they're going to discredit your name well this is all what this is talking about in Deuteronomy but notice verse 20 I said 19 but I'm just going to read verse 20 and he said I will hide my face from them and I will see what their end will be for they are a perverse generation twisted, wicked, corrupted children in whom is no what? Now where does faith come from? Hearing from anybody? Now some people have faith that they've heard from somebody but their faith has no value to it right because where they heard it from has no no eternal redemptive measures in it but faith that has value that is eternal first comes from the initiator and who is that that's right if God didn't initiate it and speak it we don't have no authority to operate in it and he goes on to watch what they've done verse 21 they have provoked me to jealousy by what is not that's right by what is not God by that which is not of God is not of God God is saying they are involved in things I did not initiate I didn't involve them in that. I didn't get involved with them in that. I didn't initiate it. I'm not behind it. They don't have authority to do that. And therefore, what they're doing, even though they're holding a feast in my name, I don't accept it. Because they don't have an anointing to do that. They're operating outside of their anointing upon their life, upon my command. Basically, in essence, this is what this is saying. God says if it's not of my grace, it's not of me. And if it's not of me, it provokes me to jealousy. I don't value it. I don't appreciate it. Amen? So let me run these by you real quick before we go eat. We may look at it a little bit more tonight, but I'm gonna give you some things. Go back to Exodus 35, and you can write these down. They will help you. I think we picked this up out of these passages. There's seven, and I'm not gonna belabor on them. I'm just gonna give them to you that you will be able to see these as they unfold and in this progress. Think I've given them to you before, but it never hurts to throw it out there again. Number one, people that have an anointing upon their life, you can say, number one, they gifted with the ability to see and fulfill a specific purpose. Baziel had a gift. He was filled with the life of God. He could see. He had knowledge and he had wisdom. He knew what to do next. And it wasn't just something natural in him. It was something supernatural that God gave him that ability. They're gifted to see. Number two, y'all got that one? Number two, they find joy in the complete process. whatever god's gifted you in to accomplish for his service and his glory whatever field he's gifted you in no matter if it's working with with uh... uh... cows or if it's working with students or if it's working with machinery if it's working in a plant whatever it is if it's overseeing and administrating people all those things are service related and service gifts and God gives us an ability to use that and it's always to bring glory to him and benefit other people when he's anointed us for something It's always to help build his body, to build his church, to encourage people. But you find joy in the complete process. I wouldn't find joy in what Pam does, what she's gifted in. Some of you wouldn't find joy in that, but she does, right? She finds joy in that. I wouldn't find joy in some of the administrative work that Karen does, or being a teacher like, a professor like Janet and Danielle, or whatever it may be. There's some things that we don't find joy in. And if I had to do it, I could do it, but it'd be like pulling teeth. I'd rather go to the dentist and let him work on me and have a tooth pulled and do some of the things that y'all do that y'all find joy in. And there's some of the things that I have to do that'd be like pulling teeth for you. You wouldn't want to do it. But I can find joy in the whole process. Why? Because God's filled me to do what he's set me apart to do. I can find joy in it all there's some things that Tommy you do that you like to do that that that I watched all my life be done and and I didn't want to learn how to do it because I didn't want to do it it just wasn't in me you know what I mean that that's just where I was but I watched a daddy who found delight and joy in it and and watch other men who find joy in it but God had me set apart for something else to do something else and and and that's okay right i don't minimize you don't we all don't minimize what other people find delight and joy in doing matter of fact we we we ought to we ought to find joy in watching them do what they do because they do it so well amen and they're good at what they can do they see things other people can't see pick up on things other people can't pick up on And they delight in doing it, and they find joy in it. Number three, that's it. They delight it to be available and usable for that. They don't mind getting up before daylight and feeding up. Somebody else, that would be, boy, they would drag and fight. Brother Shannon, you couldn't be a farmer, could you? You couldn't work cows like Lucas and Bill, huh? You might as well just shoot you and get you out your misery right now, right? It's not what you made to do. And that's good, that's okay. What we wanna do is encourage folks to do what they're, you talk about that lady that Stephanie mentioned, four kids fixing to get another one. And somebody, we would look at that and think, there ain't no way on God's green earth that would be me. At all. No, uh-uh. by far but somebody like that that has a service gift that sees children and understands how they can bless them and teach them and pull them out of other environments that they've been around to sow into them and love on them and care for them and nurture them man what a great ministry amen people wouldn't want to do what Debra does But Deborah enjoys doing it, finds great delight in doing it. Amen? You see, when God anoints us, we're delighted to make ourselves available to do that which He's anointed us for. Number four, you give your life in service to God. You do what you do for His glory. You give your life in service to Him. Number five, Your labor flows easily. It's easy for you. Why? God's enabled you to do that. Yes, there's challenges in it, no doubt, but you can do it. You can see it. Just now, I can't see some of those grades that you can see and run that equipment like. I can't see it. Just not in me to see. You know what I mean? Couple of these fellas in here like yourself, y'all can see things that I can't see and able to do it. And you've been around people that helped you and taught you and you can teach other people how to do it. Number six, you would rather do this type of work than any other. You'd rather do this than any other. Some of us are still trying to figure out what these things are in our life. We know what we like to do, and we might not be able to do it, but we find ways to exercise that gift in other ways. For example, there are some people that are doing some jobs or working in an environment that they don't really necessarily like. but you put them in an environment that they really thrive in, and it may not be something that they're employed by, but boy, it just flows off of them. They'll labor to exhaustion to do it, and you would rather do that than anything else. Now, for some of us, we're doing exactly that, and that's the means by way God provides for us. For other people, they're not doing that. and we understand we go through seasons of life in that setting sometimes we can do that which we would rather do than anything else and then sometimes we're not doing that but we'll find ways to exercise that gift when we want to glorify the Lord it may be on a smaller scale than it is a bigger scale number seven we inspire others to walk in their anointing you inspire others People are intrigued how you can do what you do, how you see what you see, how you work the way you work. And you inspire others, you're able to teach and inspire others to fulfill what God has called them to do. Some people would want to be able to teach the Bible, would love to be able to teach the Bible, but don't have an anointing on their life to be a Bible teacher. But they may have that gift of mercy where they love serving somebody and helping people in desperate needs and blessing people. And that person that teaches the Bible inspires them to fulfill what they have a longing to do, and to minister to people, amen? It's just, it's the way God made us. for his glory. Now the key is I need to be in fellowship with the Lord, I need to recognize some things about me that I like to do, enjoy to do, have fun doing, delight in doing, inspire others when I do it, it's not hard for me to do, it's easy for me, it just flows, it just comes and it's a blessing to other people around me. When I see that I've got to recognize God's equipped me to do that. That's His anointing upon my life. Now I need to cultivate that. And I need to use it for His glory and bless other people. Amen? And what happens? The people of God grow together. And as they grow together with His presence upon them, they march together and God accomplishes great things through their life when everybody's walking in what they have fun doing and enjoy doing. Amen. He's anointed us for something and it's something unique and specific for his purpose. What a delight. Amen. Amen. Father, we thank you today and bless you and give you glory and praise. We ask that you help each one of us. Thank you for this testimony in the word and the truth, and I pray that you would draw us nigh to you, and that we would just rejoice in your presence, and that you would use us, one, to touch lives, to glorify your name, to build your kingdom, and to edify your church. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.