If we want something we have never had before then we need to do something that we have never done before.
We need to come to a place where we understand that God is leading us on and that he is taking us from one degree of glory to another – one level of understanding to another.
We are not on some haphazard trip where ever our heart desires to take us, as a church we are not just stumbling from one set of teachings to the next. We are on a journey and God is the leader.
We are not the same as we were this time last year. We have grown both spiritually and in numbers. New friendships have developed, callings come into blossom, gifts developed understandings enlightened etc.
It is time to come to a place where we believe and know that it is God who is doing this work. We don’t have the power to change lives, ignite and enable callings, produce healing whether it be physical or any other kind. God is building his church, the Holy Spirit is revealing Christ as our hope and his glory – we are being led by Him.
I would like to expand on this a bit first by way of introduction – the fact that God has called us and that He is leading us on.
The fact that church and His glorious bride is His idea and has been since before the foundation of the world! We are not just meeting here hearing message after message, Sunday after Sunday because this is what we think will be good for us.
God the Father has captured our hearts, forgiven our sin and is using what we see all around us to reveal to each one of us both individually and corporately that this is His ultimate plan – THIS IS IT!!!!
We have been called by Him for this purpose – we are His greatest delight – this will bring Him the most glory, joy and honour.
LET’S GET THIS THING RIGHT! LET’S MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND! LET’S PAY ATTENTION!
It comes as no surprise when a Mike Hanchett from another part of the world with no connection to us whatsoever comes in a shares on the VERY thing we have been dealing with – the very passage of scripture that we believe is key for us right now.
Exodus 33 – presence and glory!
This was not rehearsed or manipulated to coincide and fit together – God has been taking us, speaking to us in His time and by His Spirit. This is not about us or Mike – but God.
The Tent of Meeting Found in Exodus 33 : 7 – 10
We read this passage but don’t often think about what is actually happening here.
Exodus 12:37 says that the children of Israel journeyed for Rameses to Succoth, about 600 000 men on foot (beside women and children). Many believe it was possible that there up to 2 million Israelites doing this journey.
Why am I mentioning this?
Think about it 2 million people! If we were to take that amount of people and walk them 10 abreast we would create a line 242 kilometres long!
That’s 50 kms short of Port Elizabeth.
Think about the logistics and the unity it took to mobilise all these people to be ready and waiting – watching at their own tents until Moses went in and then going in to their own tents themselves.
They had somehow caught the vision and understood the importance of what this meant to them as a nation.
They were unified in preparing for this that was taking place corporately and God was meeting them as a result!
A couple of other things to mention while we are talking about the Tent of meeting or The Tabernacle as it came to be known later. They were watching their leaders and doing what they were doing.
Remember this is the same group of people who a little while earlier were insisting on a golden calf to worship so it is not as if they were perfect and flawless.
But and this is an important BUT, They had turned back to God once again and He met them, re-established His covenant with them and was giving them instruction again to move them on from that place.
Another thing that is noteworthy is the commitment they showed to the building of the Tabernacle. The Tent of Meeting that Moses made way and eventually became the Tabernacle. What is amazing about this is the fact that the Israelites had been so gripped by the relevance of this meeting place with God that they gave so much to the building of it that Moses had to ask them to stop.
Exodus 36: 5
“The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
This tent or tabernacle was massive – it was double the size of the warehouse at least and it took their time effort and resources to erect, maintain and move it. They had come to an understanding of the importance of having God dwell in their midst and were supplying more than what was required to make this happen.
WOW – my prayer is that we lead you in such a way – is that we all come to an understanding that the Lord has called us to this life and that we bring and participate at such a level that we are bringing more than enough to accomplish the task at hand.
Mike mentioned last week and we can say it again now – It is not about you!
The Lord really spoke to me this week so clearly on this statement.
What he showed me is that it is not only about not showing off but also about not showing up!
Walking into the supernatural puts on a show and this is Glory of God show – it is not for man to take this glory BUT it is going to take all of us to show up for us to walk into the call of God for us as a body.
As the power of God starts to flow through us we need to keep in mind that this is not about me but if we are not present, the power of God has no place to manifest at all.
Don’t show off but do show up!
God is speaking to us – he is leading us – He has a plan for us that only we can fulfil and only we can walk into. It is both a personal call to each one of us at this time and in this place and it is also a call to us a local church as living stones that are being built into a holy temple for Him to dwell in.
We are not here by mistake – we are not on autopilot because we think we should be in Cape Town, Johannesburg or the United States of America.
God has called us to live in this place in this time for His glory and as part of His plan. We are called. We are gifted. We are chosen for just such a time as this.
Think about the simple yet beautiful progression that we have been on in the last few months. You see we don’t have to throw everything that came before out because now we are being moved and mobilised. It is because of what has gone before that we feel called to move on from this place.
God showed us Identity by Revelation and this brought with it the knowledge of His continual presence in us and our complete acceptance as sons and daughters.
From this we were led into an understanding of our Authority that comes from being called the children of God.
Now we are being taken from this place to step out and walk in that which He has called us to walk (a walk of faith).
This position has brought with it a level of faith in Him and trust in our calling that enables us to step over our fear barriers and into a realm that we are not able to walk in by the strength of the natural man.
As a church and as individuals we are being taken to a place where we understand and know that we have been called the Sons and Daughters of the most high God.
Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.!!! John 1:13.
Some of us have more of a grip on this than others but the time has come that those of us who sense this faith rising up within us need to stand and walk.
Every man and woman of God that walked into greatness, knew that they had been called of God and as a result discovered their own destiny and stepped into it most of the time against all the odds. Joseph, Daniel, David, Moses, Esther, Ruth – the list goes on and on.
They knew that they were called and believed that God was empowering them and as a result of this walked into destiny taking others with them. And this brings me to my last point – TAKING OTHERS WITH THEM.
I have mentioned the importance of the unity that we see in the Israelites journey but would like to read a few passages that relate the importance of everybody in the context of today right here in this meeting.
After that we are going to worship and then give the Holy Spirit time to move in and through us.
The word speaks of us in 1 Peter 2:5 as living stones that are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood…
We are spoken of in verse 9 as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that we may proclaim (or declare) the praises of Him who has called us…”
2 Corinthians 2:9 onwards reads … and we know it so well.
No eye has seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him but God has revealed them to us by his Holy Spirit…
Then we normally stop there but listen to this a little while further on….
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we also speak….
We are called to declare … we are called to speak … we are called to walk…
1 Corinthians 14:26
“ How is it then brethren? (he goes on to tell us how it is)
…… when you come together, EVERY one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation (whether this be of a dream or a tongue) Let all things be done to edify….
a little bit further on Paul says the following…
“For you may ALL prophesy one by one, that all may learn (which implies both teaching and imperfection) and ALL may be comforted.
The heart intent is that all men speak that which he has heard from God to edification, and exhortation and comfort.
Proverbs speaks of a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Wow – I want to speak apples of gold in pictures of silver over someone this morning. I want this for myself and my family and I want this for us as a body. My heart is full of expectancy and it is for today – for now in this meeting and for all of us.
We have just heard that this is to happen whenever we come together which is right here and right now.
As we let this word wash over us let us trust the Lord to speak to us and let us ask for the boldness to step out and over our fear so that we can minister life to another this morning by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
