Seize The Moment! Series

“SEIZE THE MOMENT!” 1 Chronicles 29

FBCF – 10/20/24

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Sermon about sacrifice – Anyone ever been to Mt. Rushmore? 4 faces – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, & Teddy Roosevelt. TR most known for the “Rough Riders.” When everyone else was reluctant to take San Juan Hill in Spanish-American War, TR took charge. Seized the moment, charged up the hill leading his men & sealed his place in American leadership & his place on Mt. Rushmore.

When you look at biblical characters, King David certainly rises to the top as another pivotal person in human history – a man of passion, of victory, of defeat, whose life reminds us of the powerful influence of leadership & sacrifice. At a crucial moment in the history of God’s people, David seized the moment, stepped forward, & made a significant gift that led many others to do the same.

Some folks are timid & hesitant, who wait for just the right moment before taking the step of faith. Everything must be just right for them. Every question must be answered. Circumstances must be perfect. If everything is OK, then & only then will these folks move forward.

Then there are folks who recognize significant moments, windows of opportunity, those “once in a lifetime moments.” Don’t wait for perfection. They know & understand that it takes faith to step forward & they do it!

FBCF is facing such “once in a lifetime” moment. God is working in our lives, in our church, & in our community! It’s an important moment in the life of our church as each of us is being challenged step out in faith for the growth of the K’dom work that FBCF is called to do in this community & in our world. Let’s look at this text & see how God moved in David’s life & how it applies to us today.

APPLICATION: At the strategic moment, God’s people seize the moment & step out in faith-filled sacrifice.

1 Chronicles 29 (p. 356) – 3 statements of sacrifice:

SACRIFICE BEGINS WITH A VISION – We must have a vision for God’s work. After King David had conquered his enemies & brought peace & prosperity to God’s people, his mind turned to building the house of God.

- Heb word for “David” suggests someone who seethes or boils w/ passion. There was nothing half-hearted about this man! He was a man after God’s own heart & passionately desired to obey God & experience His work in his life. He desperately desired for the people to experience all that God had for them to experience.

God had told David that he could not actually build the temple b/c he was a man of war (28:2-3). His son, Solomon, would actually see that the temple was built.

- Even though he would not see temple built, still had the vision to make provision for the house of God. What happened in God’s house passionately mattered to David!

v. 1 – David’s motive was pure. If the temple had been a monument to David & his accomplishments, or to the nation of Israel, the motive would have been impure & unworthy. But the motive was pure. The sacrifice was made not “for man but for the Lord God.”

What about our motive for this sanctuary? Our motive must not be to honor an individual or a group of people. Our motive must not be to make a statement about our church culturally, socially, or economically.

The only right & true motive for our sacrificial giving must be to honor & glorify God & God alone! – NOT “Look @ us” but “Look @ GOD!”

- We will give sacrificially so that the name of God will be lifted up, the love of God will be shown & shared, the Word of God will be taught & preached, & by God’s GRACE, the church of God will be built.

- When the sounds of this church FAMILY worshiping the Lord Jesus echoes inside the walls of a sanctuary; when the sounds of joyful fellowship among the people of God is heard inside the foyer of a sanctuary; when the sound of the Gospel being shared w/ someone inside a sanctuary; when the sounds of the truths of the Word of God being taught in Life Groups; when the sounds of children & youth & adults of all ages & families gathering to lift up the name of Jesus; when the sounds of the church rejoicing together raises the roof off a sanctuary; it will be b/c of our vision to honor & exalt God & God alone!

Look at how David stepped out in faith. First, he made regular, planned gifts to the vision – v. 2 – But he took another step. He went above & beyond w/ a very personal, additional gift – v. 3