Givers in the Hands of a Loving God
1 Chron. 21:18-25
Jan. 29, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A
B David was feeling pretty full of himself in later years & called for a census so he could brag about the size of the nation he ruled.
1 Nobody told him to so the census (the enemy)
a God brought judgment on David & allowed him to choose 3 ways he was to be judged.
aa 3 years of famine, 3 months destroyed by enemies, or 3 days of judgment by the angel of God.
bb David chose the latter (70,000 people died)
b And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 1 Chron 21:15 (NASB)
c David was deeply grieved over how his sin had affected the congregation/nation of Israel & as he prayed we pick up our text.
2 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD. 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people." 23 Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all." 24 But 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, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing." 25 So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. 1 Chron 21:18-25 (NASB)
a Both men in our text were givers who pleased God with their giving (ETS)
b Believers can exercise giving that truly pleases God (ESS)
3 I hope you’ll examine your giving in light of the giving of the two men in our text. (OBJ)
a What does your offering cost you? (PQ)
TS Let’s look at the giving habits of the two men in our text.
I The first person whose giving habits we’ll examine is David.
A David was arguably the wealthiest & most powerful world leader of his time (Bill Gates or king of Saudia Arabia).
1 As the king of Israel, everything in the nation was subject to him (land, goods, people, animals, everything belonged to the king).
a David’s sinful past had put his entire kingdom/nation in harm’s way.
aa David said to God, "Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." 1 Chron 21:17 (NASB) David made a confession of his sin, but didn’t stop at confession.
bb Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The altar was repentance. Things would be different.
b The land the altar was built on was in his kingdom (subject to him).
aa Ornan was offering the land to King David gratis, but David gave one of the greatest principles in the Scripture in our text. But 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, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing."
bb David understood that God takes no pleasure in the man/woman who only gives what does not involve sacrifice.
cc David refused to give God something which cost him nothing. Why? No sacrifice
2 David paid approximately $135,000 for this area of land (top dollar)
a God accepted David’s gift
b Nation was restored
B Some of us can identify with David’s life situation.
1 God has blessed some of us with more resources/treasure than others.
a Nice home, car, insurance, little money in the bank, pension, (not Bill Gates, but not Bill the beggar, either)
b As wealthy as David was, he never would have went cheap with God.
aa Our offerings are our sacrifice (sacrifices cost)
bb And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; 4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." Luke 21:1-4 (NASB)
cc God requires His followers to totally surrender their lives (little or much)
2 (IL) Pray to have less money story (SC)
TS: As wealthy as David was, he saw the importance of giving to God sacrificially.
II The second person whose giving habits we’ll examine is Ornan.
A I think in some regards, Ornan’s giving was greater than David’s.
1 When David approached Ornan about getting the materials for the altar, Ornan was more than gracious as a giver.
a Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all." Take oxen, wood, wheat...I will give it all
b Ornan was a blue-collar (farmer) guy like many of us (family to feed, bills to pay, mortgage, kids to raise)
2 What fueled Ornan’s attitude on giving?
a Guess where the angel of the Lord was about to strike?
b Ornan & his family were spared, saved.
c Great sense of thankfulness, appreciation for being saved.
B How happy, grateful are you that Jesus saved you?
1 The wrath of God was aimed right at you when the mercy of the cross stepped in.
a We deserved judgment, condemnation, separation, death...HELL
b While we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for our sins.
2 Jesus’ offering His life for mine is reason enough for me to give.
a How much more of a reason do we need?
b (IL) The inability we have to pay back Jesus
Conclusion
A Both men in our text were givers who pleased God with their giving (ETS) Believers can exercise giving that truly pleases God (ESS)
1 We’ve looked at the giving habits of two men in our text:
a David
b Ornan
2 I hope you’ll examine your giving in light of the giving of the two men in our text. (OBJ)
a Sacrifice (costs either something or nothing)
b Purpose (saved or disobedient)
3 God blessed both men because of their offering.
a David’s nation was spared & entered into a time of even greater prosperity.
aa Jesus came from the lineage of David, Messiah entered through the gate of Israel.
bb Ornan’s sacrifice is still being blessed.
• Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 Chron 3:1 (NASB) The temple was built on Ornan’s threshing floor (to this day). Then you have the reference 1 Chron, 21 3:1. What is that??
• When Christ returns, He’ll sit on His throne in Jerusalem, at the temple...guess whose floor it was? Ornan’s..."I give it all."
• The blessings have eternal significance.
b Not preaching "name it & claim it"
aa I’m not telling you God’s going to fill your bank account, I’m saying you’ll be rewarded.
bb We may not know the reward this side of eternity, but we will realize it for eternity.
• Every person who was saved due to your support of missionaries.
• HGHF, donuts, SS, Whitetail
c "I don’t have much, Preacher."
aa Is it a sacrifice that cost you nothing?
bb Givers in the hands of a living/loving God
B What does your offering cost you? (PQ)
1 Closing illustration
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