Building for God’s Presence

As we embark on our One Thirty Five Giving Campaign at Coastal Church to finance the renovation of our Church building in New Westminster, I want to draw your attention to an incident in the history of God’s people that carries powerful lessons for us today.

After the Exodus from Egypt, God commissioned Moses to build a Tabernacle in the wilderness a place where His presence would dwell among His people, a place of worship and unity. This Tabernacle was the forerunner to Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, and both foreshadowed a greater reality: the day when God, by His Holy Spirit, would dwell within His people.

Volumes have been written about this remarkable part of Israel’s history, but in this message, I want to focus on how the Tabernacle was built, how God’s people responded, and what this means for us at Coastal Church today.

1. God’s Commission Comes with Specific Instruction

First, notice that the building of the Tabernacle began with a clear commission from God. He gave Moses very specific instructions on how it was to be built. This was not an idea conceived in Moses’ mind – it originated in the heart of God.
Likewise, we live today under another divine commission; the one Jesus gave before ascending to His Father:

“Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father           and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

Did you notice how specific Jesus was? He didn’t say “make converts,” but “make disciples.” That’s a big difference.  Making disciples means walking with people, helping them grow in faith, character, and obedience. It’s why we run Alpha at multiple locations and why at every weekend service, we include an opportunity for new people to say “Yes to Jesus.” But that’s only the beginning.  From there, we have ministries like Life Groups, Freedom Sessions, INSTE, School of Missions, Family Life Ministry, and Eden, among others. Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw people’s needs — and now, we are His hands and feet, continuing His mission in our city.

In his book “Four Cups:  God’s Timeless Promises for a Life of Fulfillment,” Chris Hodges unpacks one verse of Scripture that says so much about God’s plan for His people in Moses’ day and now.  In Exodus 6:6 when God is speaking to the Israelites, who at this time were still captives in Israel, He was telling them that He was about to set them free from captivity, and at this time, instituted the Passover Celebration.  Before leading them out of Egypt however, God spoke these words to them:

“Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage.’”

Exodus 6:6 NASB

You may not catch it at first, but verse 6 tells us two things that God had in store for the Israelites, and still has for His people today. The first component involved God “saving them” by bringing them out of Egypt, but the second component involved God saying, “Now I have to take Egypt out of you.”  The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 430 years, so for generations, knew nothing but bondage.

God’s plan to carry out this recovery mission was to have His presence among this community of broken people.  We often get critical of the Israelites for spending 40 years wandering around the wilderness, but that’s how long it took them to get set free of their bondage so they were ready to possess their Promised Land. That’s what the work of the church is about today, and a glimpse into what Jesus was saying in the Great Commission. The Church is God’s answer for a broken world, and we are His presence to see people saved and set free.

2. God’s People Partnered Generously in His Plan

In response to God’s commission, Moses appealed to the people to partner with him in the work. This wasn’t a one-man job; it was a shared calling that required the collective generosity of God’s people.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried with them gold and possessions given freely by the Egyptians. God had already provided everything they would need for the task ahead!

So when Moses called on them to give toward the building of the Tabernacle, they responded joyfully and abundantly.

This has been the story down through church history – God’s people responding to the needs around them and giving sacrificially to see people saved.  We looked at Barnabas recently, a man who sold land and gave every penny of the proceeds to see the Gospel go forth.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul, writing to the Corinthians tells them what the Greek Christians from the churches in Macedonia had done, giving sacrificially to see the work of the Gospel spread.

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT

We all know the incredible impact the Apostle Paul had in spreading the gospel, but here, he clearly states it was never a one-man show, rather it was with the sacrificial giving of many. The Macedonian believers were going through difficult times personally, but they gave above and beyond, in fact, “begged Paul for the privilege of sharing.”

We too have an opportunity to give to help the spreading of the gospel. Over and over again I’ve seen the people of Coastal Church respond to an appeal to give, to support the work of God, not only in Vancouver, but around the world.

Similar to Coastal Church and the renovation of the New Westminster building, a space where God’s presence will continue to change lives for generations to come, we need to be people that will be mission-minded and partner generously with God as He wants to use Coastal Church to H.E.L.P. make New Westminster a better place. Let’s be participating members of God’s plan for the New Westminster building with our finances for “God is pleased when we do not neglect to do good and to share what we have.” (Hebrews 13:16).

3. The People Gave Until There Was More Than Enough

One of the most beautiful moments in this story is when Moses had to tell the people to stop giving because they had brought more than enough.

Imagine the joy in the camp that day, the sound of celebration, the unity, the shared excitement of knowing they were part of something God was doing but in an exceedingly abundant kind of way because they had to be restrained from contributing more. Let’s be a team that will give beyond what we’ve been asked to give.

Just as the Israelites partnered with God to build a dwelling place for His presence, we too are called to build a place where lives are transformed, families restored, and disciples made.

Let’s give with joy.
Let’s give with faith.
Let’s give until there’s more than enough.

Together, we can build something that will glorify God and bless our city for years to come.