• A Thanks Offering

  Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008 (message contributor)

    (rate this sermon illustration)

   | 6,674 views

  Scripture:  1 Chronicles 29:16

  Tags:  Thanksgiving Holiday

  Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Thanks Offering

1 Chronicles 29:16, "O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you."

Christians are the temple that God cares about today, for 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 17 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

The Lord has given Christians their Spiritual gifts, talents and all the resources they need to be a temple of worship. This temple expresses to all who see their lives that they are children of God sold out to the cause of Christ and enjoying the abundant life promised by Him.

Everything Christians have is given to them from God, it is freely given and therefore they should be bound in their hearts to use it for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bishop Patrick said it well; "We ought to acknowledge God in all spiritual things, referring every good thought, good purpose, and good work to His grace, from who we receive it."

There are four things that the Holy Spirit of God wants to give Christians not only revelation of but illumination that causes them to say yes this is true, this is why I am what I am.

One: God's Saving Grace, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8)

Two: Heaven, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20)

Three: Plan to Prosper Them, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Four: Working in Them, "...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

Do you live a life of Thanksgiving?