Sermon Summary


Download this sermon (right click and save)

In All Manner of Workmanship
(Ex31:1-11; Rm12:3-13)

God is the Lord of grace (Ps86:15; He4:16).
Grace comes from Him and
To those who know His grace and want to do His work He adds on gifts (Ex36:1-2).

While grace means the gift of God that He gives equally to all (Eph2:8),
Gifts are different for individuals in intelligence, talents, wisdom, knowledge, duties etc (Rm12:6).

Faith is knowing His grace and yearning for gifts and
The life of this faith is according to the gifts received from God producing a masterpiece, that is,
building God’s house.

During the creation God blessed men with wisdom and brilliance (Ge1:28) and
Thus mankind has made incredible progress in developing culture and civilization over history.

After Adam’s sin, however, all men became slaves to the devil (2Pe2:19) and
The devil seized the talents that men received from God, degrading them to tools of wickedness,
Such as musical instruments used to lead to corruption and debauchery,
As well as all types of lethal weapons (Ge4:21-22).

After the flood, directly challenging God’s word to scatter over the earth (Ge9:1, 11:2-9)
Men developed bricks and tar for mortar and
Attempted to build a city with a tower to reach to the heavens.

Even though they saw God’s miraculous works and left Egypt
The Israelites became corrupted and made gold earrings into an idol cast in the shape of a calf,
Fashioning it with a tool (Ex32:15-20).

To remind them that He is the God who led them out of Egypt
God instructed them to build the visible sanctuary (Ex29:44-46).
He chose and called individuals by name to build it and filled them with the Spirit of God,
With wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, in all manner of workmanship (Ex31:1-11).

Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” and
Angered the Jews who conspired to kill Him (Mt26:61-67) for
It was designed by God and famous skilled craftsmen were called to build it (1KI7:13-50) and
So it was the most beautiful and elaborate building.
However, through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21),
Yeshua would build not in Jehovah name but the Father’s name (Jn5:43),
Not a part of this creation by humans hands but a greater and more perfect tabernacle (He9:10),
Not by wisdom through angels but by the fullness of deity (Col2:9)
For He is the Word that became flesh (Jn1:1, 14).

As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) With His flesh in which all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form completed the temple
that is incomparably the most beautiful and the firmest where He would serve the
Father forever (Col2:9; He9:11-14);
2) Condemned the devil who deceived men and stole their abilities (Jn10:8; 1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood gave the grace of His redemption (Eph1:7).

He resurrected and ascended to the throne of grace (He4:12), giving
Grace to those who believe Him to build a dwelling place in heaven (Jn14:2-3; 1Co3:10-11).

The Holy Spirit lets those called by grace (Gal1:15) know what they have received (1Co2:12):
1) The grace of the forgiveness of sin by His blood (Eph2:8);
2)The gifts they received
a. Innate gifts — intelligence, talents, physical fitness etc;
b. Acquired gifts — education, training, occupation, workplace, materials etc; and
3) The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Co12:4-11).

He lets them fully mobilize these gifts and
Do the work of building the house of God on earth, the church (Rm12:1-8; 1Co15:10; 1Ti3:15).

The Christian is he who
Discovered the talents that lie within him and therefore
Whatever he lacks, he cries out in prayer and seeks to receive gifts (Mt25:29).
Whatever he does, he does it with responsibility and dedication
In all manner of workmanship and
Ultimately he produces a masterpiece.

O Lord,
What an honor it is that
You called such a clumsy, insufficient person like me
To do Your work…all this is grace!
Let us all discover what lie within us and
Whether it is worship, testimony or the church
In all manner of workmanship let us produce a masterpiece! Amen.