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."
C. Luke 14:26, 33 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple... So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple.
D. The true follower of Christ will weigh his worldly attachments against the demands of the cross and he will enter into the race knowing that it will cost him everything he has for the sake of Christ and he will pay the price!
E. Two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant, joined a party that was traveling around the world. In Korea one day, they saw, in a field by the side of the road, a boy pulling a rude plow, while an old man held the plow handles and directed it. The lawyer was amused, and took a snap shot of the scene. "That’s a curious picture! I suppose they are very poor," he said to the missionary, who was interpreter and guide to the party. "Yes," was the reply. "That is the family of Chi Noui. When the church was being built they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money; so they sold their only ox and gave their money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves." The lawyer and the business man by his side were silent for some moments. Then the business man said, "That must have been a real sacrifice." "They did not call it that," said the missionary. "They thought that it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell." – The Evangelical
III. Give Willingly and Wholeheartedly (give freely from the heart)
A. 1 Chronicles 29:5b-9 And who then is willing (will volunteer) to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD? Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
B. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 But I say this, He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Each one, as he purposes in his heart, let him give; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.
C. Three ways of giving are: 1. You have to (law), 2. You ought to (obligation), 3. You want to (grace) - Waldo Weaning
D. Proper motives are essential in Christian service. The Lord is more concerned with why we give than with how much we give, with why we serve than what we accomplish. We must have a right heart attitude. Therefore we should never serve or give in order to receive the praise of others, but because we love God and desire to see His name honored and glorified.
E. Matthew 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."
F. God’s free giving to us should motivate and guide our giving of time, talent, and treasure to His service.
G. Once upon a time there was a fire in a small town. The fire brigade rushed to the scene, but the firemen were unable to get through to the burning building. The problem was the crowd of people who had gathered not to watch but to help put out the fire. They all knew the fire chief well - their children had climbed over his fire engines during excursions to the fire station, and the friendliness of the fire chief was legendary. So when a fire broke out the people rushed out to help their beloved fire chief. Unfortunately the townsfolk were seeking to extinguish this raging inferno with water pistols! They’d all stand there, from time to time squirting their pistol into the fire while making casual conversation. The fire chief couldn’t contain himself. He started screaming at the townsfolk. "What do you think you’re doing? What on earth do you think you’re going to achieve with those water pistols?!" The people realized the urgency of the situation. How they wanted to help the fire chief. So they started squirting more. "Come on" they encouraged each other; "We can all do better, can’t we?" Squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt... Exasperated the fire chief yells again. "Get out of here. You’re achieving nothing except hindering us from doing what needs to be done. We need firemen who are ready to give everything they’ve got to put out this fire, people willing even to lay their lives on the line. This is not the place for token contributions" Discipleship to Christ means much more than token levels of support to the church and God’s mission in the world. It calls for wholehearted and total life commitment. (Source: Story retold from Kierkegaard.)
IV. Give Generously (give without reservation realizing what you have is God’s already)
A. 1 Chronicles 29:14, 16 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of you, and of your own have we given thee… O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name comes of your hand, and is all your own.
B. Charles Spurgeon was saved on January 6, 1850, and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of consecration: O great and unsearchable God, who knows my heart, and tries all my ways; with a humble dependence upon the support of Thy Holy Spirit, I yield up myself to Thee; as Thy own reasonable sacrifice, I return to Thee Thine own. I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Thine; whilst I am on earth, I would serve Thee; and may I enjoy Thee and praise Thee for ever! Amen.
C. 2 Corinthians 9:6 But I say this, He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
D. When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will never lack God’s supply. – J. Hudson Taylor
V. Give Continually (don’t stop giving)
A. 1 Chronicles 29:18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart unto you:
B. May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.” Andrew Murray
C. There are some Christians take the “been there, done that” attitude. They rest on their laurels and retire from Christian service. “I’ve done my time. My work is done. It’s time for others to work now.”
D. Can you imagine if at some point in your life God would look at you and say “been there, done that”. “I’ve done my time my work is over. You’re on your own!” God would never do that to us but that is exactly what we do to Him!
E. We are in a covenant relationship with Christ. Anything less than a 100% radical commitment to Christ is no commitment at all.
F. "A black church in Kansas City has as its slogan: WAKE UP, SING UP, PREACH UP, PRAY UP AND PAY UP - BUT NEVER GIVE UP OR LET UP OR BACK UP OR SHUT UP UNTIL THE CAUSE OF CHRIST IN THIS CHURCH AND IN THIS WORLD IS BUILT UP." -Evangelistic Illustration
CONCLUSION: Do you see the importance of service in the House of God and the Body of Christ? As David said what you are being called to do is not for man, but for the Lord God Almighty! How will you give to serve the Lord? Will you freely give Him your best? Will you give your all, including yourself? Romans 12:1 declares I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
