How Shall We Give To The Lord?

HOW SHALL WE GIVE TO THE LORD?

1 CHRONICLES 29:1-20

INTRODUCTION: David’s heart desire was to build a house for the Lord. But because David was a warrior who had shed blood God would not allow him to build the temple. Instead David’s son, Solomon would have that privilege. Although David would not build the temple, David realized the importance of building God’s house. In 1 Chronicles 29:1 David says, the temple will not be for man, but for the Lord God. In other words the Lord’s House is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us and for us to meet with, worship and serve God. In light of the importance of the house of God and the Body of Christ, we can gain insight and instruction from David as he provides an example of how we should give our time, talent and treasure to the Lord.

I. Give Optimally (give your best)

A. 1 Chronicles 29:1-2 …The task is great, for the temple will not be for man, but for the Lord God. So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold [articles], silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, [stones for] mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble.

B. Too many fail to give the best. Instead they choose to give God seconds.

C. Malachi 1:6-8 A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My fear? says Jehovah of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. And you say, in what way have we despised Your name? You offer defiled bread upon My altar; and you say, In what way have we defiled You? In your saying, the table of Jehovah, it is a thing to be despised. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Bring it now to your governor. Will he accept you, or lift up your face, says Jehovah of Hosts?

D. We show contempt for God by accepting mediocrity in our Christian lives. Do we think that we can get away with second best? Do we think that God will be happy if we simply go through the motions, saying our prayers or trying to be good people? Are we quite content to stay "fairly committed Christians" and let other people worry about being wholehearted? Or do we think it’s OK to just nod at God once a week, coming to Church but giving no thought to Jesus for the rest of the week?

E. Luke 12:48 ...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required...

F. The more that one has, the more one is expected to do; and the greater that one’s gifts are, the more useful one ought to be.

G. “If a man does his best, what else is there?” - General George S. Patton

H. Nobody who has ever given God his best has ever regretted it.

I. Hear ye the Master’s call, “Give Me thy best!” For, be it great or small, that is His test. Do then the best you can, not for reward, not for the praise of men, but for the Lord. Every work for Jesus will be blest, But He asks from everyone his best.

Our talents may be few, these may be small, But unto Him is due our best, our all. – S.C. Kirk (Public Domain)

II. Give Personally (give what you have)

A. 1 Chronicles 29:3-5 Moreover, because I have set my affection (desire) to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good (my personal treasures), of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, Even three thousand talents (100 tons) of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents (250 tons) of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?

B. 1 Chronicles 21:24 Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing."