Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.
If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.
Thank you for joining us today.
We are going into number seven.
I know John did numbers eight.
The chapters kind of were going around.
And so he had already gotten ready for chapter eight.
So anyway, I'm doing chapter seven.
It's out of order.
It is the longest chapter in Numbers.
We got almost 90 verses.
I believe it's 89.
So we're going to spend at least 89 minutes going through this.
It's going to be quick.
Honestly, I think around 75 of the verses are repeating the same thing in a chunk over
and over again, which says some really cool things about God that we'll talk about in
a moment.
Anyway, so when this happens, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers is overlapping a lot.
So you go through Exodus, and then you hit Leviticus, and it talks about things
like the law and all.
And it's actually happening while some of the chapters in Exodus are happening.
And then you hit Numbers, and it does more of the law.
And that's overlapping from some of the chapters in Leviticus are happening.
So this chapter about the people bringing their gifts to God is actually at the
consecration and the beginning of the priestly ministry.
So if you remember, like, chapters 8, 9, and 10 of Leviticus, this happens right then
that the people give the gifts and the ministry begins.
And chapter 10 in Leviticus is when, I believe, Nadab and Abihu get devoured by the
fire of God.
If you guys remember that chapter, it was crazy because they brought profane fire in
on, like, Inauguration day of the temple.
It was crazy.
And, you know, a lot of scholars believe they were drunk.
They made a fire that God didn't say to make.
It was like their own little fire.
And then they possibly even went into the holy of holies.
Drunk, bringing their own fire however they wanted.
So there's a lot there and a lot for why God judged so harshly and quickly
because he wanted to protect his people from such an early desecration of what
he was going to do.
So there's some overlap there.
So here the people are going to be giving gifts.
So NIV says gifts.
New King James, a lot of other versions says offerings.
If you think about it, offerings are like a big umbrella and gifts are in there,
right?
It's something you bring to God.
So, but it's special.
It's like a free will.
It's not like God saying bring this to me, like a sin offering because you
sinned.
It's like they are bringing all these articles because they love God and
they're thankful and they want it to be used for him and the priestly
ministry.
So if anyone remembers like back in elementary school, like you know a square
can be a rectangle but a rectangle can't be a square, right?
Because a rectangle is four sides with 90 degree angles.
So you can make a rectangle a square.
But whoa, now I'm getting confused guys.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
So a gift is an offering but not all offerings are gifts.
I'm going to confuse you even more.
But gifts matter, right?
What you give, how you give it, all of that really matters.
Like I've had some bad gifts in my life.
Not from Maria.
She's actually great at giving gifts.
But if you had some wedding gifts that were obviously re-gifted,
anybody have any of those?
I had this one couple.
They're both doctors and they re-gifted this little cheese tray thing
and the box was like taped with Scotch tape.
I'm like, you could have afforded a gift card.
I mean, do I need a cheese, this weird cheese thing?
Maria, I gave an embarrassing gift to Maria on her first birthday
that we were married.
Not her first birthday.
The first birthday we were married.
And I kind of like, I got not confused.
I just got distracted, didn't buy stuff.
It was like the day before.
I'm like, I got to get something for her.
What am I thinking?
And like I remember she liked this board game.
I got her a board game for her birthday and then as a joke,
this was back in Fidget Spinners were funny.
Like everyone had them.
I bought her a Fidget Spinner as a joke.
And I kid you not, like I gave her like a bunch of just random things
I just bought on Amazon.
And she like literally teared up.
She's like, you just forgot.
I'm like, I know, I'm so sorry.
So like what you give, the effort that goes into it, it all matters.
Another one, my friend.
You can get a cheap gift for some, or an inexpensive gift to someone
that's very valuable because it has a lot of thought behind it.
So like, you know, I've written songs from Maria.
That took me nothing other than time and effort.
And the songs I have written may have been some of her favorite gifts for me.
So I'm not spending money anymore.
No, I'm kidding.
But, yeah.
I'm like, you like the free stuff, right?
No, but so gifts matter to us, but they matter to God too.
And, you know, we know in 2 Corinthians, which we'll read momentarily,
that God loves a joyful giver and also a gift that means something, right?
Like Cain and Abel, Abel gave of the first fruits of the flock
and it says Cain gave some of his, of the fruits and vegetables that he grew.
It was just some of them, probably like the worst stuff he had
because he wanted to keep the best for himself.
And God said, like, why are you doing this?
And he essentially says, like, if you do good, don't you know you'll be approved?
So he knew Cain's heart wasn't to worship him.
It was actually just to like get away with giving the least amount
and the worst thing possible so he could check it off his box.
But Abel gave the best of what he had, right?
So God cares about what we bring to him, right?
Our time, our resources, money, energy, our skills,
the praise of our lips, right?
Like actually worshipping him and ultimately a life lived for him
and we can actually bless him with the gifts that we bring to him.
So let's jump in and read Numbers 7, 1 through 11.
Now it came to pass when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle
that he anointed it and consecrated it in all its furnishings
and the altar and all its utensils.
So he anointed them and consecrated them.
Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses,
who were the leaders of the tribes and over those who were numbered,
made an offering.
And they brought their offerings before the Lord.
Six covered carts, 12 oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders
and for each one an ox and they presented them before the tabernacle.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying,
accept these from them that they may be used in doing the work
of the tabernacle of meeting and you shall give them to the Levites,
to every man according to his service.
So Moses took the carts and the oxen, gave them to the Levites,
two carts, four oxen he gave to Gershon according to the service,
four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Morari
according to their service and under the authority of Ithamar,
the son of Aaron the priest.
But to the sons of Kohath he gave none because theirs was the service
of the holy things which they carried on their shoulders.
Now the leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar
when it was anointed.
So the leaders offered their offering before the altar.
For the Lord said to Moses, they shall offer their offering
one leader each day for the dedication of the altar.
So they bring these oxen and carts and then next you'll see each leader
of the people of the twelve tribes will bring the identical offering
over and over again which, let's read that too.
So verse 13, his offering was one silver platter,
the weight of which was 130 shekels,
one silver bowl of 70 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary,
both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering,
one gold pan of 10 shekels full of incense,
one young bull, ram, male lamb, burnt offering,
kid of the goats, sin offering and sacrifice of the peace offering.
So there's a lot of things here.
There's gold, there's silver, there's animals, there's all this stuff.
And it goes on for the next 80 verses saying the same exact thing
that was brought to God from each tribe.
So there's something that is really important to gather from this.
There's two offerings and the first is the carts and the oxen
which is a joint giving, right?
The two tribes give one cart with two oxen.
So that right there shows this kind of you're doing this together, right?
It's not one person's trying to out give
or one person wants to be recognized as I'm the person who gave it.
You're giving it together and it's one thing, right?
It's like each person gives an oxen and one cart.
You're not saying, oh, like I gave the wheels, those are more valuable,
like do you see that optional third row in the back, that upgrade cost me more?
It's just a wagon which is very valuable back then, but they're doing it together.
And so like that right there, nobody gets recognition.
It's a joint venture to say I want to give to the ministry of God
for this to be used to actually transport the tabernacle.
These carts were used to take the tabernacle through the wilderness
and set it up, the very presence of God.
And then we see, like I said, the next 80 or 78 verses say the same exact thing.
Now, wouldn't you think like God could just summarize this?
So the 12 tribes brought these things, the end, right?
But they go through every single one.
And again, they gave the same thing and that's humble, right?
I'm not trying to give more for recognition or to be more approved of by God.
We all give the same thing.
And in our lives, like we all give our life to Jesus when we come to Him, right?
We all are the same before the cross, right?
We all desperately need a Savior.
And yes, there are rewards and gifts and all these things that flow
from a life that is more surrendered than less surrendered.
But in the end, we are all giving, should be giving the same gift to God.
And God sees it. God cares.
First, He went through 80 verses on papyrus and ink, which is expensive,
but to show that each person's name that gave mattered, right?
God sees what you give. God cares about what you give.
And He knows and appreciates and is blessed by the things that you give to God.
And that's why I believe He showed every tribe and every name giving
instead of just summing it all up.
And think about it, like we would want our name in there, right?
Like when you go to a graduation, I think I went to graduation with like 500 people.
We're there for hours and you're just waiting and you're like,
they say each person's name graduating with this, right?
But God is the same way, like He wants you to know that He sees you
and He sees what you're giving to Him and He is blessed by it.
And I believe that's why He shared all these names and tribes.
And all of this is for a common purpose, right?
To be used for the ministry.
The carts, the gold pans, the silver, the, you know,
all this stuff is to be used for the ministry.
And, you know, that's exactly what we're called to do.
Like we're called to give our money, our time, our resources.
Like we are called to give it to God for a common goal and a common purpose,
which is the Kingdom of God and to see His Kingdom come on earth, right?
Like this church wouldn't be here if people didn't give, right?
There would be no service on Sunday
unless people followed what the Lord was saying
and gave of their time to study the Word,
gave of their time to sing,
and even just coming to give an offering of your time because God's worth it, right?
Like you don't have to be doing something,
but just to be here on a Sunday is,
it does so much for you, but it also blesses God, right?
And it sends a message to people.
Like, when I'm at church every Sunday,
unless for some reason I'm out of town,
like I never just feel too tired to go to church
because I love God.
I want Him to know that I love Him
and He is worth my time and my morning to be here.
And also it sends a message to my kids.
Like going to church is not just a flipping thing.
Like God isn't just something that's not a big deal.
Like He's everything.
So being at church is important,
even if you're not serving, you know?
And so I think about how this is actually blessing God,
that they are bringing it for a common purpose,
they are bringing it in humility,
and they are bringing it together.
The whole nation is bringing these gifts to Him,
and I believe it blesses Him greatly.
But I was thinking, you know,
where did these gifts even come from?
Because they were slaves, they were poor,
and they were in the wilderness, right?
So where did they get all this gold,
all these animals?
Where did they get, you know, all this?
And in Exodus we see, I actually don't have it up,
but it was, so on their way out,
and this is something God said was going to happen,
but on their way out, Egypt said,
please just get out of here.
Take all this.
They gave them like treasures piled up.
So the actual gifts they were giving God
was from His deliverance and provision and favor
that they even received it.
They came out of slavery.
We're going to a promised land that He prepared for them,
and on the way out they got rich
because God's favor was on them
that He put in the minds of the Egyptians.
Give this away to get them out, right?
Even though they were on their way out anyway,
it was God's favor and blessing
that they even had all of this to begin with.
And, you know, it's just a cycle with giving, right?
He gives us everything.
Like everything we have is from Him, right?
Like our very breath, right?
We see how in the Garden of Eden,
breath was breathed into the lungs of Adam,
and now this life that God has put in mankind has continued.
Like our very life belongs to Him,
and everything that we have, I mean, health.
Everything with my dad going on right now,
you know, it just makes me think about
how even being healthy and being alive
is such a gift from God.
And as He gives us things,
like we see in this chapter,
like He desires us to give back to Him.
We can never outgive Him.
We can never give too much
because He's already given everything.
And this giving back isn't just in the Old Testament, right?
We see tons of examples constantly in the Bible.
We see the church of Acts.
Everybody is giving to God,
selling land, property, homes, all this stuff,
and giving to the church and the body of Christ.
And why?
Because they are part of a body now, a family of God.
So their heart and what they want to do
is to give to Him and see the body blessed.
It's because God gave them salvation,
and now they are giving of what they have back to God.
The woman, when she anoints Jesus' feet with oil, right?
He says in Luke 7,
therefore I tell you,
her many sins have been forgiven
as her great love has shown.
She gave expensive oil,
and she made herself, you know,
embarrassed, and she didn't care
by crying on His feet,
even though she was a woman of great sin, it says.
And she didn't care about what people thought.
She praised Him, she worshiped Him,
and she gave something so valuable to Him
because her many sins were forgiven.
Jesus gave forgiveness.
And then Abraham, you know, we see Melchizedek,
he gives a tenth of everything he has to Melchizedek.
Why?
Because God just gave him a victory over all these kings, right?
It was in Genesis, I don't have the reference up,
but Lot was captured by all these kings,
and Sodom had lost all of its wealth,
and then it was a supernatural victory
that somehow Abraham pulled it off
with his few people he had.
He killed, like, four whole nations
and brought Lot back,
and then he gives back to a tenth of everything,
to Melchizedek,
and then gives all of the wealth
that he acquired back to Sodom
because he didn't want them to say
that they made him rich.
God is making him rich.
So we see God always initially gives,
and we give back to Him, right?
And so as we give, we're not just giving
to keep the lights on in the church
or to keep a service running
or make sure everyone's comfortable,
even though that's a great thing.
Like, we want to have a nice church.
We want to be able to do things,
but really it's an act of worship
and love to give back to God
who's already given us so much
because we know that, like,
we have nothing apart from Him, right?
We aren't entitled to be blessed by God.
We don't deserve it.
We were actually enemies of God,
and He died for us,
and in Romans 8 we see,
He did not spare His own Son,
but He gave Him up for us all.
How will He not also, along with Him,
graciously give us all things?
He's given us everything.
So we have things tangibly
that we can give Him, right?
And I don't know.
It's just, it's a blessing to Him,
but it's also a blessing to us
to be able to give to God.
And I see even before the gift,
like we talked about,
of life in the Garden of Eden,
we see in Revelation that there's
a far greater gift that took place
even before the world was created,
and in Revelation 13 it says,
it talks about the book of life of the Lamb
who was slain from the foundation of the world.
So before the world was even created,
God already had the plan of redemption for you.
He was not actually physically slain yet
because Jesus was only slain once.
The Bible makes that super clear.
He only tasted death once for us.
But we see that even before we were created,
He knew everything we were going to do,
and He knew that we were going to walk away from Him,
and He decided before He created mankind
that He was going to die for them.
That is incredible.
Like, the cross was not a backup plan
or something that He realized,
begrudgingly, now He has to do.
Before He even made you, He knew.
The moment we say, let there be light,
and the moment we get this thing rolling,
that means I have to die.
And I believe the Trinity was there,
and they said, let's do it.
That is sacrificial, incredible love
that He would go through with that.
But that's the love of Christ,
that's the love of Jesus,
who gave Himself for us,
the judge of the world,
taking the sentence that we deserve.
So God gives us things that are just
so simple and insignificant.
When you think about it, right?
Like, skills, talents, time, money,
like assets, our car, our house,
these things that can feel like
such a big deal when we're in this life,
and then when we go to heaven,
we don't have any of them.
We don't even need them.
And all He's saying is,
hey, just trust me
and worship me with the stuff you have, right?
Like, that is what He's calling us to do.
So even, you know, our assets,
like, I love life groups.
People open up their homes to have gatherings
to talk about and to worship Jesus.
And we see how people are using their cars
to go pick up people and bring them to church.
People are tithing, giving money
so that ministry can take place in Lansdale.
And talent skills, so you have, you know,
so many people serving in so many amazing areas
in front of and behind the scenes,
because God has given them skills and gifts,
even if you don't feel super passionate about it, right?
That is still a skill and a gift
and a need that pleases God,
whether, you know, you're on a computer
or you're parking cards
or you're singing a song or teaching the Word,
whatever it is, it blesses Him.
Like, the stuff we read about that they gave,
like, it's just a little bowl.
It's a silver bowl and a little plate.
But it's such a blessing to God
and is used for ministry to bring people to salvation.
So I also think about another simple gift
was the feeding of the 5,000,
that little boy giving a little bit of bread and fish,
and it fed 5,000 people with, I believe,
it was 12 baskets left over
and is now an infamous story that's told
around the world every single week forever
until Jesus comes back.
And we'll still probably be asking Jesus about it in heaven.
How did that work, you know?
And it was just a little boy with some bread and fish
saying, yeah, here you go.
Here's my lunch.
And it fed, like, 5,000 people
and is still talked about, you know?
And so the insignificant things that we have
can do immeasurable, significant,
and profound things for the Kingdom of God.
I mean, you think about when you hand out water
or sandwiches and food for homeless ministry stuff
or you take a moment to pray with someone
or even this past year I went to First Friday
and just walked around and talked with people.
And now there's a couple that our members of our church
have been baptized, are in life groups,
are growing so much in their faith
just because people were there and sharing and talking
and just telling them about Jesus
and showing them the love of God.
And what does that do?
People are walking with Jesus now.
That's amazing.
It's insignificant to give up 45 minutes on a Friday night
and yet now people are walking into heaven for eternity, right?
So your life significantly matters more than you'd ever know.
And that is the ultimate offering we can bring God.
The ultimate gift is our life.
In Romans 12-1 it says,
therefore I urge you brothers and sisters
in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
This is your true and proper worship.
The true worship is to live for Him.
That everything we have is ultimately His
and we can pray God, just use it for your glory.
Use it for your ministry.
And I love that it says proper worship.
It's like almost understood.
Yeah, if God died for you, raised you up in Christ
and filled you with His Holy Spirit
and you have 80 years, 60 years, 20 years, five years left,
why wouldn't you just live it entirely for Him?
Like we have eternity to look forward to
and He's given us breath in our lungs and resources and time
to bring people into the Kingdom and to bless Him.
And I find that giving to God is actually very freeing, right?
Like to give of money frees you from the control of money over you.
To give of your time frees you from the need
to have to control all the time slots in your day
and thinking that your day is running you.
Now you're actually in control of your day.
When you think about your assets, like the things you have,
it's easy to become very meticulous and controlling.
Like, oh, my house has to be perfect.
My car can't get dirty.
You know, these little things.
And then you let people drive in there with you.
Then maybe get it messy or all these people come over
and a bunch of kids trash your house
while you're trying to like talk about the Bible.
But you don't care anymore.
Like obviously you care a little bit, right?
But you realize that this is a tool
and an asset for the Kingdom
and it's not controlling you anymore.
It's actually being used by you for God.
There's one other thing I wanted to say.
Oh, yeah.
And I think a perfect example of this
is the parable of the sower.
Let's turn there.
I love this.
Luke 8 verse 11 when Jesus explains the parable.
What was it?
Oh, yeah.
No, you're good.
Yeah, we can pray right now.
I have like five minutes left,
so I hope the last five minutes are good.
Yeah, Lord, we just pray in Jesus' name
that you would bless these last few minutes.
I pray that everything that we've said so far,
that you said, Lord, and we receive God,
I pray it would bless us, Lord,
and I pray that your voice and your word
would be spoken, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.
Verse 8, I mean 11.
Now the parable is this.
The seed is the word of God.
Those by the wayside are the ones who hear,
then the devil comes and takes away
the word out of their hearts,
lest they should believe and be saved.
But the ones on the rock are those
who, when they hear, receive the word with joy,
and these have no root,
who believe for a while
and in time of temptation fall away.
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those
when they have heard, go out and are choked
with cares, riches, pleasures of life
and bring no fruit to maturity.
But the ones that fell on the good ground
are those who, having heard the word
with a noble and good heart,
keep it and bear fruit with patience.
We see the power of the cares of this life.
The riches and the pleasures of life
can actually choke out the gospel
in a person's heart.
And that's why giving is so powerful.
Because even as Christians, we want to bear more fruit.
I'm not afraid of my salvation going away
or me losing it.
I'm not afraid of my salvation being choked out.
But there are many things God wants to do through us.
There are so many works that He has planned
for us to walk into that can be choked out.
The works that God has planned for you
aren't a given that they're going to happen through you.
Right?
And there's things that can choke it out.
And that's why I believe there's so much
that God wants to do,
and the cares of this life can choke it out.
But as we give, as we realize
our life's not about ourself, it's about Him.
And we think of others and bless people
with whatever we have,
we actually are set free from those cares,
like the thicket it talks about,
that chokes out the fruit
that is going to grow in our hearts.
And God knows all this,
and that's why He calls us
to give and to be sacrificial
and to live a life as a living sacrifice.
So the thicket and thorns can be chopped down by God
and the fruit and everything in us
can be watered and grow to maturity.
So this is so funny.
I was looking for a bookmark
for this next verse,
and this was right at my foot.
This is a section about money and giving,
which is so funny.
I think this is the only physical bill
I have in my house that's on the ground.
So if we're talking about giving,
we really can't skip over this passage.
2 Corinthians 9-6.
And this is about money,
but it also says a lot about God's heart
and how giving works.
So 2 Corinthians 9,
starting in verse 6.
But this I say,
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.
He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
That's a verse right there, right?
That has some weight to it.
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.
He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Lord, we want to sow bountifully, God.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,
not grudging or out of necessity,
for God loves.
He loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,
not just resources, not just money,
but in all things having sufficiency.
That is a soul and a heart that is filled by God.
Always having all sufficiency in all things
may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written,
he has dispersed abroad,
he has given to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever.
Now may he who supplies seed to the sower
and bread for food,
we see he gives us things to give away,
but he also knows we need things to live.
He is not saying give every single thing away
and your family is going to be destitute and struggling.
He is saying he is actually given a specific seed to sow
and specific bread for food.
He is going to supply and multiply the seed you have sown
and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
While you are enriched in everything for all liberality,
which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
So this giving of whatever it is causes thanksgiving to God.
For the administration of the service
not only supplies the needs of the saints,
but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God.
Again, it supplies needs physically,
but spiritually it causes many people to thank God.
And while through the proof of the ministry,
they glorify God for the obedience of your confession
to the gospel of Christ
and for your liberal sharing with them and all men.
And by their prayer for you who long for you
because of the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
It ends there with thanks be to him for his indescribable gift.
The whole thing is built on his gift of salvation,
of the indwelling Holy Spirit,
of salvation, of his kingdom come and his will be done.
That is the gift.
Whenever it talks about the gift,
it is the Holy Spirit living inside of you
and everything that flows from there.
So there's so much in there.
I would honestly read over that in your own time
and just pray about it.
I know I want to more
because it says so much about God's heart with giving.
Like don't be begrudging with him.
Don't be stingy with God.
He actually says like if you give generously,
I'm going to give generously.
If you're so sparingly, you're going to read sparingly.
He says that.
And he's going to give you everything you need
and he's going to help you abound in every good work
by the power of the Holy Spirit
because he is the one who truly gave the indescribable gift.
So I have some questions for the small group time.
It is which we have up there.
So real simple, share a time that God has been generous with you.
Then how are you using
or want to use your God-given talents,
skills, gifts or resources for him?
And what needs around you is God calling you to meet.
Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church
as we praise God and discuss his word.
Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings
at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.
Be blessed and have a great day!