Bezalel: The Builder | Ps. Keith Pittman

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you for joining us.

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Would you help me welcome our online community as well as those who are joining us on the podcast and well as um just watching it online?

We're so glad that you guys are with us today.

We're really excited about um the series that we've been in, talking about being behind the scenes.

But before we we jump into that, I want to take a moment to also celebrate uh an amazing thing today, and that is today is my beautiful wife's birthday.

Come on, many, many stand up and wave to the people, give the people what they want.

So we did this in the first service, but I think that it's appropriate to embarrass her again.

So all together, let us sing uh uh uh let's sing happy birthday.

Wanna count a three?

One, two, three, happy birthday, two happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Megan.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy, happy birthday.

We love you, we love you, we love you.

Um, we're so so thankful for um you.

Um, I know that that I am, I truly am grateful that um we talk about behind the scenes.

That would definitely be you, in a sense of me being able to walk in this calling, us walking in it together.

I shared with her early every substantial milestone in my life.

She not only was there with me, but she was the encouraging force behind it.

So I genuinely thank you for everything.

Next to my mother, no one has got me here more than you.

Thank you.

I love you.

All right, let's let's get into it.

Gentlemen, take notes.

That's how you get points for later.

Okay, we're gonna get into God's word.

We're gonna get into God's word.

That's what we're gonna do uh now.

We've been in a series behind the scenes, and in this series, the goal has really been uh to do two things.

One, uh to look at maybe some lesser-known characters and and how God has used them to contribute to the greater whole.

But but also for us to look at how God is often moving behind the scenes.

All of us know how much we love reading scripture and we see those beautiful stories that that we preach from, that we highlight, that we're encouraged by these big monumental moments.

But there's often things that God is doing behind the scenes that we don't talk about as much.

Things that kind of set up those big miracles that we can often overlook.

And so, what this series is meant to do is to right size our spiritual expectations.

While we're believing God for the miracle and the blind eyes to open and the dead to rise, all those powerful things, but there's often activity behind the scenes that we can find ourselves in in moments, but God is also saying are just equally as valuable.

As we enter into our text, if you have your Bible, you can join me in Exodus chapter 31, um, Exodus 31.

Exodus 31 · chapter mention

And and as we're leading into this, I want to frame up um today's passage.

Ultimately, the children of Israel have just been liberated from Egypt.

They were there for 400 years in oppressive bondage.

God uses Moses to kind of intercede, go before Pharaoh on his behalf, and ultimately it leads them to a place of freedom.

But then as we find them moving out of Egypt, they go into the wilderness, and then we see something significant that God does with the people of Israel.

He says to them, I want to dwell amongst my people.

Dwell with my people.

The translation is literally tabernacle.

I want to set a space for me to be amongst my people.

This is significant because for the children of Israel, and in fact, for all the religious systems back then, there was no concept of them having interaction in a corporate setting with their God.

God was actually setting a new precedence.

At the time, gods were considered to be these distant deities that didn't engage.

You had to offer all these sacrifices for a momentarily experience.

But God's saying, No, I want to create a space where we can have unbroken fellowship dwelling amongst my people.

And the beautiful thing is he creates this blueprint, this idea, he then shows Moses how he's going to use him and the people around him to create such a space.

That space was ultimately called the tabernacle.

When you read Exodus 25 all the way up into Exodus 31, you see the descriptions of all of the elements that are in the tabernacle.

It's very specific.

But as we enter into chapter 31, we now begin to see, now that we have the detailed plans, how are we actually going to pull this off?

And this is where we see the story of our character come alive.

Starting at verse number one, Exodus 31, it says this the Lord also spoke to Moses.

Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Ur, of the tribe of Judah.

I have filled him with God's spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, to carve wood for every craft.

I have also selected a Holiab of Amosk of the tribe of Dan to be with him, to put wisdom in the heart of every skilled artesian in the work that will make that I will have command you to do.

The tent of meeting, the ark of testimony, the mercy seat that sits on top of it, and all of the other furnishings in the tent, the table with the utensils, the pure gold lampstand with the utensils, the altar of incense, the altar for burnt offering with all of the utensils, the basin with the stands, the specially woven garments, both the holy garments and the priesthood, for the garments of his son to serve as priests, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense in the frame in the sanctuary, they must all make them according to all that I have commanded you.

That's a very detailed list.

But each of those elements were so, so significant in the construction of the tabernacle.

The beautiful thing is that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the tabernacle when we look at all the elements of it, but we could see that it were very detailed plans, and these are a bunch of people who just come out of bondage.

Where did they get the skills to do these things?

How how did God select them to do it?

But God had very detailed plans, but he had also chosen some people to execute exactly what he wanted to see them do.

Today I want to spend a few moments highlighting this concept of the tabernacle and looking specifically at Bezalel, this unknown man, but God had entrusted him and gifted him to be the credible builder.

So if you're taking notes, and I hope that you are, I just simply want you to write down Bezalel.

He was an incredible builder.

Let's pray and let's see how God is inviting us into this moment today.

Lord, we thank you so much for your presence.

We don't take it lightly that every opportunity we get a chance to come and gather in your name, that there is an incredible moment where you can be glorified in and through us.

Lord, I just pray over the next few moments that as we recognize that there is a busy world that's probably waiting for us, there's text messages and phone calls and things that are always asking for our attention.

But Lord, we fix our attention on you.

Holy Spirit, I pray that you hover, but not just hover, begin to breathe and move in all of us.

We invite you to have your way in here.

That you open up our eyes, that we can see you, that you open up our ears, that we can hear you, and that you open up our hearts, that we can receive the transformational, incorruptible seed of the Word of God that could bring about radical transformation.

It's in Jesus' name that we pray.

Amen.

And amen.

You know, one of the things that I have really grown to appreciate about living in Orlando is that Orlando is a place of all the different locations that we've lived that people travel to.

So that means that we get a chance to see family and friends without us necessarily having to pay for plane tickets.

They come to us now, and it's a beautiful thing.

And so whenever we have family and friends that come into town, we do our best to try to make space to catch a lunch with them or spend time with them because it's it's a beautiful moment.

And so about a month and a half, we had one of those moments where our cousins had come into town.

And when what I love when I get a chance to catch up with people is just to have like thought-provoking conversations.

And that's exactly what took place.

I was having a conversation with my cousin Frank, and we were talking about what does it mean to be called?

The conversation kind of got there because we were looking at the profession and the timeline of events and how I got to where I was and the things that God was kind of leading him to do now, and looking at the job landscape.

And so we begin to talk a lot about fulfillment and the roles that our jobs play in us feeling fulfilled, and what about our calling and purpose, and and all of these things just become like this one big gumbo pot with all of these different things, and and we're having a conversation about man, but what does it really, really mean to be called?

Because if we're honest, it's a word that if we look at the vocabulary, we understand what it means, but what does it mean?

What does it really mean?

We use it in a Christian context all the time.

I'm called to do this, I'm called to pastor a church, but but what if I don't know what my calling is?

What if I know what my calling is and and I'm not operating in my calling?

Or or or what if the thing that I'm doing is not even remotely connected to what I ultimately feel that I'm called to do?

How do we recognize it?

And if I could be honest, over the past 20 plus years of being in ministry, that is probably the most consistent thing that I find myself talking with people about.

What am I called to do?

What what is what is my purpose?

How do I find fulfillment?

This job that I have, it doesn't give me any meaning.

It doesn't make me feel like I'm connected to anything.

Is my job just a job?

And and what does that all look like?

And while I wish I had a simple answer, I really don't.

Because I feel like it's very nuanced.

It's very nuanced and it's very it's very complex.

I I can recognize that in my own life that there are moments when I know that God was ultimately calling me to do some things.

And then I also recognize there were moments where things that I thought were insignificant were actually preparing me for the thing that God was calling me to do next.

And so it's just that moment of trying our best to be faithful to where we are, because I'm a firm believer that God is the one who orders our steps.

And if God orders our steps, there's nothing wasted as long as grace is involved.

So that means that everywhere I am, it's an opportunity for God to develop me and to strengthen me for what I am ultimately called to do.

So so if I could put it simply, what does it mean to be called?

To be called means to be set apart for a kingdom purpose.

I believe what mean what it means to be called is taking that spot where the things that God has gifted me to do are being used in a way that connects to the kingdom.

It's taking moments and things that are in my heart and using it in things that connect to God's heart.

Being called is recognizing all of these things can happen at the same time.

When I look at my own story of when I was a young boy and just having a burden who loved to read and how God had given me the gift of communication, I didn't know what that meant when I was simply working on creating graphics and websites, but but God was saying just be faithful to that.

When I started doing trainings at my job, I didn't understand why I was standing in front of hundreds and thousands of people doing trainings, but but God was saying just be faithful with that.

When when Megan and I got radically saved, and God said, I have a I have a ministry that I'm calling you to do.

And your first responsibility is to steward your response, is to steward your marriage, and then through that I'm gonna bless everything that you touch.

I didn't know what that looked like, but I just knew I needed to be faithful to that.

Then I was asked to serve with the youth.

I'm like, I don't know anything about serving youth.

I don't even know if I like youth.

I'm kidding.

Of course I do.

Of course I do.

Anyway, so so but I'll I'll be faithful with that.

And then they were like, hey, we're having we're having prayer and in a service.

Would you mind coming up and praying?

Well, I know how to pray, I know how to communicate, I don't feel like I'm necessarily called to pray, but I'll be faithful with that.

It's interesting how every time I was invited to do something, I wrestled with it.

Sometimes it didn't feel comfortable, and sometimes I didn't have peace with it.

Which brings me to my next thought.

We have to stop thinking that peace is the evidence of God nudging us.

Because the reality is when we're stepping into our calling, sometimes we don't feel peace about it because it requires something of us that we don't want to give up.

So there are moments when I find that I'm wrestling with things.

I'm saying to myself, why am I wrestling with this?

Is this something that's going to glorify God?

Because I can assure you that if it's something that glorified God, that's not the devil leading me to do it.

Y'all better talk to me in this church.

What I'm saying is the idea of understanding our calling, it's complex, but what it is is a series of yeses to the things that God is inviting you to do, not recognizing that each yes may lead you into another opportunity, which leads you into another room that may lead you into another place of development, where ultimately you're doing the thing that God called you to do, and I believe you come to that beautiful intersection of where your gifts, your talents, and your passions can intersect, and that's the beautiful place where our calling has an opportunity to blossom.

But it's a it's a very long road.

It requires patience, it requires preparation, and it requires focus.

What I believe my assignment is here today is to just simply level the playing field and tell you that every single one of us has a calling.

Maybe there's parts of your life that you're ashamed of, but you're called as well.

Maybe, maybe someone has told you that because of mistakes that you've made, that you are disqualified.

But to that I say, let's look at the word of God, and I recognize that God doesn't call the qualified, but he does qualify those who are called.

That maybe it is in our places of flaws, that's in our places of shortcomings, that God will use that to be the place where our testimony can draw, that God can even use a broken, flawed person like me for him to be glorified through.

We all have a calling that is on our lives, and while our callings may not be the same, somebody may be just called to steward their family and to invest the word of God into them, and there's a blessing that comes with them.

There may be some who are called into the marketplace where he wants you to be a beacon of hope and light in a corrupt world, and there's a calling and there's anointing that goes with that.

But wherever God calls you to be, do it faithfully.

Do it with focus, do it with integrity, do it with character, and do it recognizing the anointing is on your life.

Every single one of us has a calling.

And I realize that for many of us, we may be looking at the work that we're doing every single day, and we see no correlation between what I'm doing with this and the thing that God has placed on my heart to do.

But I want to show you in the Bible about a man that we could probably pull a little bit of that parallel from.

Maybe you've heard of this young shepherd boy named David.

And the Bible tells us that David was a simple shepherd boy.

He was the youngest of all of his father's sons.

He seemed fairly significant, insignificant in the scope of his family.

So he was sent out to do the task that his brothers had graduated from, which was caring for the sheep, often at night, isolated from the rest of the family.

But it's interesting that the Bible tells us that it was in when he was in these isolated places that he would begin to write poetry to God that we now know as the Psalms that we sing, glorifying God right now.

God was preparing him to be a worshiper, even when he was in isolation, not knowing that we would be singing his songs thousands of years later.

In addition to that, while he was out there, he had to learn how to protect his father's sheep.

So while he was out there, he had to learn how to get really, really good with using a slingshot.

And as he began to get really good with using a slingshot, he would often fend off any predators that were trying to take the shepherds' sheep from them.

But the beautiful thing is, he was all in development, not knowing that one day that he would be standing in the presence of a giant named Goliath and the skills that he had been honing when he didn't know there was any meaning to it, that God was going to use that to set the people of God free.

Don't ever despise where God has you.

Maybe he's developing you to do something that is so significant for the kingdom.

For such a time as this, all of us have a calling, all of us have a grace on our life, all of us have a kingdom assignment that is uniquely given to us that we have to step into with boldness.

So, what do we do when we recognize that God has his hand on my life?

That he's inviting me to simply be a person who's an ambassador of him, no matter where I am at, in my family, at my job, in my school, in my community, that my calling is simply to represent God in a way that draws people closer to him.

So, what do we do when I recognize this?

I got three simple thoughts that I believe that we can look at from Bezalel that can hopefully encourage us as we grapple and embrace the reality of knowing that we are called.

And because we are called, there are things that God provides for us and things we need to come to grips with.

Here's the first thing I want you to write now is that we are gifted.

And secondly, our gifts are given by God.

That each of us have gifts, and those gifts are God given.

A gift is simply means something that we didn't have to work for, it means something that we didn't have to earn.

The Bible tells us with Bezalel that he was filled with the Spirit of God, and he was provided with wisdom and understanding and the ability and every craft that was necessary to construct the tabernacle, this space that was going to bring glory to God.

Bezalel was chosen and set apart because he has some gifts that God had given him.

So the question becomes what part do I play in my gifts?

If God has given me a gift and I didn't have to work for it, what do I do with it?

Because I can't just let it sit idle.

To that, let me let me give us this illustration that I think we can all probably resonate with.

As many of you guys probably know by now, I'm I'm an avid sports fan.

I love all types of sports, um, particularly God's team, the Philadelphia Eagles, where we recognize that we are blessed because of the grace, and we would mount up wings like eagles, and those who will walk they shall not faint.

I'm just telling you what the Bible says.

It's beautiful.

So I'm I'm an avid sports fan, and as a sports fan, I recognize there are moments where I kind of play the what if game.

Like, man, I wonder what would have happened, like, man, if I was a professional athlete.

But you know what?

I didn't hit the genetic lottery.

I I love basketball.

I'm 5'8.

Where are my short kings at?

Come on, somebody with me.

Richard, you get it.

And and here's what I want you to know, Richard, because me and you, we're we're in the same boat.

I know that sometimes we're like looking at people and they say like the average height and a healthy, like I even have data now that says, like, hey, if a man is at least six foot, that he's gonna make more money, there's a lot more things that go with it.

We're it's it's it's working against us right now, Richard.

But let me tell you something.

Studies also show that Jesus was about 5'6 to 5'8.

So I'm the same height as my Lord.

So y'all six-foot dudes?

You got Goliath.

I digress.

Okay, but but but watch this, watch this.

You you have some instances where you see that some people are just blessed with the genetic lottery.

Look at look at somebody like a LeBron James, six foot eight, six foot nine, 250 pounds, incredibly athletic.

So he was just given something that most of us don't have, but watch this.

He didn't just show up and all of a sudden he's an all-star.

He didn't just show up.

Even though he was gifted with these things, he had to work his gifts.

He had to show up and put in practice.

He had to he had to develop these gifts so that the God-given things that he has, he was also working on it, so it became a skill and a talent.

I think many of us have gifts that are sitting on the inside of us, but they're sitting dormant and we're wondering why we're on the sidelines and we're not starting off as a as a star player.

But maybe what God is saying that I need you to begin to work the gift that I've already given you.

You have a gift, you are anointed, you are blessed, but I need you to begin to do some work with it so that I can breathe on it and do something so significant with it.

When we look at Bezalel, the Bible tells us that this man had gifts, and what we recognize with him is that there's this beautiful dynamic of when did the gifts become a gift and when was it a talent.

Because historically speaking, for Bezalel, he came out of Egypt.

At that time, the Israelites were in slavery, and while they were in slavery, their primary job was to create these temples and storehouses for Pharaoh.

So while he was in bondage, while they were in bondage, they were developing a skill set that God would later use for his glory.

Somebody didn't catch that?

That an environment that they did not want to be in was the exact environment that God used to cultivate something that was on the inside of him that will be used later for his glory.

You were talking about how much you hate your job, but what if God is developing the gift of patience on the inside of you so that you can use it so that when you are a spouse, that you're not blasting out at your family members?

What if God is inviting you to be a light in the midst of a dark environment because maybe your kingdom assignment at that job is to show people that God loves them and they will only see it through the way that you conduct yourself?

What I'm telling you is some environments have the ability to create and activate the most powerful gifts on the inside of us, but we gotta work with it.

Somebody said you gotta work it.

There are moments that we have to work it.

The Bible tells us in James chapter 1, verse 17.

James 1:17

That every good and perfect gift comes from above.

And what we recognize is there's those moments where God gives us these gifts that are activated through varying circumstances, and then he breathes on them.

He animates them with his power, he animates them with his presence.

And that's when my gift turns into an anointing.

Now the thing that I'm gifted to do and I'm skilled to do, I'm anointed to do.

And when there's an anointing and there's a gift and there's an assignment, there's a grace that goes with us.

And when we're stepping and walking in our grace, it has the ability to shift the atmosphere.

I remember before I got into full-time ministry that God had given me an appointment, an assignment to work in the school system.

And everywhere I went, I just tried my best to let my light so shine.

But every time I went into an environment doing my best to pray when I didn't, when things didn't make sense, to to press through when things got overly difficult, that God was using me.

And I remember someone coming to me and saying, I recognize there's something unique about the way that you process disappointment than everybody else.

I tell you, it's not me because I got a short fuse.

I can go zero to a hundred real quick.

But it's because of the living God that's on the inside of me that says you have a kingdom assignment.

Don't mess up your testimony.

You have a responsibility to live a life that is drawing people to me.

We're all on assignment, we're all just passing through, and we have to make sure that we're stewarding our gifts well.

Can we get a good amen to that?

Here's the second thing I want you to write down.

I do want to go into some time of prayer, so I'm going to move quickly through this next two thoughts.

The second thing is this we have to steward our gifts with excellence.

God has given us all a gift, but we have to steward it with excellence.

I can tell you, as a as a father, as a grandfather, very few things bring me as much joy as when you're able to do things for your family.

We all know those moments when you when you when you invest in your family, you you buy a gift for them.

But I also recognize how hard I work for my money, and I realize the expense that my family has.

Anybody got some expensive kids in this house?

Somebody say amen.

So watch this.

When I buy something for them, I want them to take care of it.

Right?

I'm giving you this gift.

I just want you to take care of it.

I just want to make sure that it's not on the floor.

I want to make sure it doesn't get broken because it's precious.

It's a free thing that I've given you.

All I'm asking you to do is take care of it with excellence.

How much more when we recognize that God has given us so many precious and beautiful gifts?

He gives us the gift of our family, maybe the gift of our home, maybe the gift of other things.

He's saying, I need you to steward the gift with excellence.

Because excellence is the fingerprint of God.

We serve a God who's incredibly excellent.

When we look at Bezalel, he was given the instructions of constructing the tabernacle with significant detail.

I mean, significant detail.

When you read how detailed it is, like, there are moments when I read passages of the Bible, I'm like, God, seriously?

Don't tell, don't y'all leave me out here hanging.

Don't act like I'm the only one that, like, look.

I'll stop this service right now.

Like, I'll get in a prophetic experience.

I know you were just questioning God yesterday.

Okay, listen.

We all have seen those things where we look into passages of scripture and God is literally telling Bezalel the color of the thread that he wants on a curtain.

That seems like overkill to me.

That seems exhaustive.

And I can imagine in a modern context, especially with some of our millennials, um, y'all know what I'm talking about.

Those that's like God doesn't have to be.

Why does it gotta be gold?

White's so much more convenient, it's readily available.

Like, do you realize that if we have to make this gold, we have to take all the yarn, we have to set it and dye, let it dry, and then we have to begin to stitch everything together.

That seems exhaustive, God, when we can just do it the way that's more convenient.

But God is a God of excellence.

And maybe there's a possibility that he has a vision that we don't have.

And maybe there's a possibility that he's gonna use something in a way that we don't recognize it.

So even in the moments when he had to dye the curtains purple in the extensive work he had to go through, but the color purple represented royalty, that the gold represented with represented perseverance, so that every time the priest went into the room, they understood that I'm entering into a royal environment and setting the pace for my expectations to encounter the living God.

Everything that God did was so meticulous, it was managed with excellence.

Which means that wherever God gives us our kingdom assignment, we need to steward it with excellence.

That means that okay, God has given me the assignment of being a husband and a father, and as flawed as I am, I have to steward it with excellence.

That even if I'm working at a job, God has ordered my steps, I'm at this job, so guess what?

I need to work here in excellence.

Excellence looks like showing up on time.

Sometimes excellence looks like showing up on time, having a good attitude, being thankful for the thing that you prayed for.

Because I can recognize there have been times in my own life that I asked God to give me jobs, and when I was there, I complained about the very thing that God gave me.

And then I'm asking God to give me something else when I didn't steward what he gave me with excellence.

The Bible tells us that God gives us these things and we have to steward it with excellence.

This is why I love the story of Daniel.

Because I've heard and I've often said to myself, you just don't understand my job, my boss is awful, they don't believe in God.

In fact, I feel like they attack me because I'm a Christian.

We felt that before.

They're trying to make me work on Sundays, and we feel that.

But the Bible tells us about Daniel is that Daniel literally was working for a pagan king in the pagan environment, doing a pagan job, functioning as a pagan for his course of work.

And the Bible says that he did it with such excellence that he still got a promotion.

Because it said that an excellent spirit was on him.

He wasn't saying, well, this is against my values.

No, I'm going to do the thing that God has called me to do in the place that he called me to do it, and I'm going to do it with excellence.

So even when he had haters, they couldn't deny the fact that there was excellence in his life.

So I submit to you that even if you're working in a godless environment, that maybe if we just showed up and did things with excellence, it would be an opportunity to glorify God and we can still get a promotion.

Because I want you to know that promotion comes from above and not from the east or to the west.

Then with God is for you, then nothing can stand against you.

Wherever you are, God has sent you there and He can bless you.

But we have a part to play, and that is making sure that we steward our opportunities with excellence.

The Bible is filled with passages that talks about the importance of being excellent.

Colossians 3 23 comes to mind and says that whatever you do, do it from your heart and do it as if you're doing unto the Lord and not unto people.

That means that when I'm at work, when no one is looking, I'm working as unto the Lord.

Even when I feel like the boss doesn't appreciate it, I'm doing it as unto the Lord.

Why?

Because I'm a kingdom citizen, and as a kingdom citizen, I represent God everywhere that I go, and one of the characteristics of God is excellence.

We are people who function with excellence.

Excellence simply means going above and beyond.

That means doing the absolute best that you can do with what you have.

It means leaning and trusting in God, but recognizing that excellence is also an expression of worship.

Bezalel showed us excellence because he didn't cut corners, he didn't take shortcuts, he wasn't trying to find the quickest way to get there.

He said, I'm going to be excellent because that is my assignment.

Here's a third and final thing I want to share with us, and then we're going to wrap up with just a moment of prayer.

And that is this our gifts serve a divine purpose.

That every single one of our gifts that they serve a divine purpose.

For Bethlehem, he constructed this beautiful tabernacle, but it was so much more than a building project.

He created an environment that now the people of God could center their lives around it and have an experience with the living God.

It was so much more than the work he was doing, but it served a greater purpose.

That everything he did was bigger than the moment that he was in.

It was always bigger.

Wherever you are, it serves a greater purpose.

That your life is a living testimony.

The Bible tells us to let our light so shine that people will see our good work and glorify our Father that is in heaven.

Maybe right now your kingdom assignment, it seems very mundane, but maybe there's a person there that God is trying to reach with a gospel message, and your life is an example of what it looks like to just serve with excellence, to serve diligently.

And maybe it will create a moment where people will look at you and say, There's something different about you.

What is it?

How do you have joy when we have so much instability?

How do you have peace when we're unsure of the economy?

How are you walking with such conviction when there's so many unknowns?

I assure you, it's not because I have figured out some secret sauce or that I'm medicated.

It's because I have a relationship.

Well, some of us are, but if it's because medicine's good if you need it.

Take what you need.

Okay.

But it's that moment of recognizing that it's because I have a relationship with God and I understand that He's ordered my steps, and because He's ordered my steps, He anointed me and blessed me, and I have a kingdom assignment here that I need to fulfill.

It's always for something so much bigger.

Maybe you're here and you recognize that there's some things that are on the inside of you, maybe you don't even know what's on the inside of you, and you're wondering, how do I express it?

The church is a part of that.

It could be an activation point, but it's not the only thing that we can use in order for us to step into our God-giving calling with our gifts.

But when I do look around our church, because that is my context, I am blown away at the people that I see simply stewarding their gifts and the unseen things that have significant impact.

This week was a very challenging week for our staff in a sense of we had an unexpected snafu.

Our main board that we use to facilitate services that's connected to all the sound that allows us to do online, all of the variable, all the behind-the-scenes thing, it got there was a leak and it got rained on.

The board was completely shut down.

So now we're thinking, okay, how do we respond in this moment?

Are we gonna be able to have service as usual?

We're we're stressing out and we're trying to figure out the solution.

And when I say we, I mean Vinny.

Vinny was stressing out.

Um that brother was stressed, but but we were with him.

But he but he he had brought the board and he he had taken the board completely apart.

He tried to let it dry out.

And I remember when he brought it into the office and we were all watching him plug it in with our fingers crossed, hoping that it was gonna work.

And he plugged it in, and guess what, y'all?

It didn't work.

Y'all thought it was gonna be a miracle story.

We're gonna get there in a minute.

We're gonna get there.

So now we're trying to figure out what we're gonna do.

Do we do we go and buy another board?

How much is that?

Oh, it's$30,000.

Okay, but we're not getting another board.

What are we gonna do?

Well, we we may have to do church service different, we may not be able to stream it.

Okay, we're we're gonna have to do what we can do.

God's not surprised that we're here.

Let's figure out how we can do it with excellence.

Vinny said, let me let me try one more thing.

So he communicated with one of our team members, Dom.

And and now they're they're working circuitry and doing all these crazy things that I don't even know if they're legal with the board, but they're doing it using their natural gifts, but there's an anointing on them now.

They they brought the board back here and they they reconfigure the room to try to protect our equipment.

And then we get a text message as a staff where Vinny is hallelujah, the board is completely fixed.

Dom used his gifts, Vinny used his gifts, we rearranged the room.

We didn't want to be here on a Friday, but but this is what God required us to do.

We said yes to the kingdom assignment, and then God breathed on it, and what we thought was gonna cost us a substantial setback, what we thought was gonna cost us thousands upon dollars, it just required people to use their gifts and say yes, and God breathes on it, and he does something that then creates the miracle.

That's when we can clap our hands.

It may look different for all of us, but the work that they did, it served a greater purpose because people got saved last service.

People are getting saved today, people are watching online, it serves a greater purpose.

We may never know what that sacrifice may mean to someone else.

We may never know that when you wake up in the morning and you help set up our services, that the impact that it's making and that we'll be a celebration in heaven as a result of it.

The church is not the only place to serve, but it can certainly be a launching place.

So maybe there's some gifts on the inside of you.

Maybe you've been sitting idle long enough.

Maybe you don't know what you're called to do, but I believe that God wants to activate some of us today.

With every head bowed and with every eye closed, I want to lead us to a quick moment of prayer and invitation.

If you're in here with us today and maybe you've pondered the question that I processed with Frank earlier, what am I called to do?

What is my calling?

What are my gifts?

What do I do with my gifts?

Maybe you're in here and you're and you're wrestling with it.

Maybe you're not operating in it, maybe you don't know what it is.

Where you fall, I want to pray for you.

So on account of three, if you just want to simply know, Keith, I want my gifts to be activated.

I want to function in my calling.

If that's you on account of three, would you boldly lift your hands up?

One, two, three.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Hands up everywhere.

Amen.

Here's what I want us to do.

I want us all to stand on our feet.

And then what I also want is for the people who lifted your hands up to come boldly meet me at this altar.

And I saw y'all.

Don't try to hide them now.

I seen you.

I seen you.

Step on up here.

And I just want to enter us into a moment of prayer to identify and activate our gifts.

We're gonna go into worship and we're gonna wrap up and get you guys out of here.

But but come on down, come on down.

Let's let's make some room at the altar as you're coming down.

I believe that God has a unique calling for all of us.

And and if you're here with us and maybe you're operating in your gift, I am blessed.

I would even say privileged that I get a chance that my job is connected to my calling, is connected to my gifts and my passions.

Some of us don't have that.

Sometimes a job is just a job, but it doesn't mean that you don't have an assignment while you're there.

But wherever you find yourself, come on down to this altar.

I'm gonna pray that God makes it clear what your assignment is and that your gifts are activated in it and that you can begin to operate.

Lord, I thank you so much.

If you're at this altar, just lift your hands up and receive this.

If you're in the seats, extend the hand.

Lord, we thank you.

We thank you that you are the giver of all of our gifts.

We know that you also give us kingdom assignments, and there are times the thing that we're doing doesn't seem like it's connected to the thing that we're called to do.

But Father, nothing is wasted when you are ordering our steps.

So, Father, I pray over every precious person, those who boldly stepped up to this altar, the meeting place with you.

It is not my prayer, it is not my voice, but it is your spirit that is hovering and moving over every single one of them.

Even now, God, there are things that are coming to mind for them that is reminding them of a burden that's on their heart, of a problem that maybe they uniquely recognize, that you're asking them to be a part of a solution to.

Lord, I activate them now in the name of Jesus.

In the same way that Bezalel received the spirit of God that gave him wisdom and understanding.

Father, I pray that you open up their eyes and allow them to recognize what their kingdom assignment is.

I also pray, Father, that you allow them to recognize what their God-given gifts are and how they can steward them in a way that brings you glory.

Lord, I pray for favor at work because an excellent spirit is on them.

Father, I pray that there's no condemnation for those who are afraid to step out in boldness because maybe shame has been on their shoulders.

I command for every chain to be broken off of them and for them to walk in boldness of the fullness of their calling in the name of Jesus.

Father, I activate prophets, I activate evangelists, I activate pastors and those who are anointed to do the kingdom work.

Father, I pray in the name of Jesus for freedom, for boldness, and for gifts to come to the surface so that they can be explored people who are doing what you've called them to do.

The world needs their voice, the world needs their anointing, and I pray, Father, that at this altar, that even now, God, you're bringing things to mind, you're bringing burdens to life, and that you're healing, you're restoring, and you're giving them kingdom of silence, putting them step into it.

So, Father, I declare in the name of Jesus for gifts to come alive, anointing to come alive, vision to come alive, calling to come alive in Jesus' name.

Let's worship together, church.

Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting.

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