1. Giving is for the LORD (verse 1).
2. Giving is for everybody (verses 2-8).
3. Giving should be willingly (verses 5, 6, 9).
4. Giving is an opportunity for joy (verse 9).
5. Giving is an opportunity for worship (verses 9-13).
6. Giving is a privilege (verses 14-17).
7. Giving is for the future (verses 18-19).
One of the Proverbs that you all need to know comes in Proverbs 16:9: "The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." This is how all of us must live. We must plan the course of our lives. Without direction in life, you are lost. But, in your planning, you must be sensitive to the changes that the LORD brings into our path.
This week, I had every intention of continuing on in the book of Ruth. But, a call that I received Friday morning changed my plans. Or, in terms of Proverbs 16:9, "the LORD has directed my steps differently than I had planned." This is because I have an update for you regarding our search for a building. The time is right to communicate some more details regarding the building, and to give you a Biblical perspective of our next steps as a church. I have been waiting for several weeks to deliver this sermon. The time is right.
First, some background. As most of you know, we have been considering the purchase of church building. Particularly, our focus has been upon Grace Reformed Baptist Church's building. It is on Alpine, just south of Harlem Rd. We originally brought this church building to your attention seven weeks ago, on August 22nd. At that time, we sought feedback regarding the idea of moving to a more permanent location. Your feedback was very positive, and I heard only one objection during this time. It was from a child, who came up to me after the service and looked me in the eye and said, "Mr. Brandon. Let's never leave this place. I love it here." But, other than that, the overwhelming consensus of all of you has been that a permanent building would be helpful and desirable for us. Nobody told us, "I want to stay here, because I think that the setup is a great ministry for me."
So, two weeks later, on September 5th, we gave you a plan of moving
forward with any potential purchase of this building. We gave you three steps.
1. We need to establish a firm price for the purchase of the building and
property.
2. The congregation needs to get in the building (and on the property) to see it and to
evaluate it.
3. Sufficient funds need to be given by the congregation to actually make the
purchase.
We said at that time that we would authorize Phil Guske "to deal with the realtors involved to seek a contract with the current owners." Our aim was that Phil would "negotiate a specific price, pending approval of the church." Since that time, we have given several updates (which were really no updates at all), saying, ...
"Not much to report on the building front. Phil Guske is still negotiating a price that Grace Reformed Baptist Church would accept in possibly purchasing their building. If something is accepted, we'll let you know and schedule a date where we might look at the building. It may be that Grace Reformed chooses to place their church building on the open market trying to obtain a better price. May we all be content to trust the Lord's leading. Please pray for this process."
As I have talked with Phil during this time, I really didn't know how things would turn out. There were times when I thought we would go forward and get a price. There were other times when I was really doubtful that we would ever be in that building.
In fact, on Thursday evening, Phil left a message on my answering machine, saying, "Steve, I just spoke with the realtor. Give me a call." I got home too late to give him a return call. So, I went to bed and told Yvonne. Well, that either means that Grace Reformed Baptist Church took our offer. Or, it means that they denied our offer and will be looking for another buyer. I had no idea and was entirely content either way.
Well, to make a long story short, Grace Reformed Baptist Church has agreed to sell the building to us for $400,000. We haven't signed the contract yet. There are still a few details to work out, which Phil hopes to finish this week. But, it's close enough that we bring it to your attention this morning. The completion of the deal will still be contingent upon our approval. But, we have a price for us as a congregation to consider. I believe that this is a fair price. I believe that this is a good price for the property. That means that our next step is to give all of you an opportunity to be in the building and to be on the property to look at it and to evaluate it. We want your feedback.
Until this point, there have been about 7 of us who have seen the building inside (except for those of you who have been in the building over the years for various church reasons). We need more eyes to look at the place. So, we hope to schedule a time for this. Phil has asked about next Sunday after church. We haven't yet heard back from them as to whether or not this will work. We will keep you informed.
After the building is opened up for all of you to see it, we will be seeking feedback from all of you. First of all, we will be seeking feedback regarding the building itself. Perhaps there will be some questions that come to mind. Perhaps you will see something that concerns you. Perhaps there is some red flag that should stop the purchase. Second, we will be seeking to know how much you are willing to give towards the project. Currently, we have a little over $260,000 in the church growth fund. If we are going to purchase the building, we need another $140,000.
Now, we could also deplete the general fund to complete the purchase, which is hovering around $35,000. But, I'm not sure that this is the wisest thing to do. It's wise to live with a buffer in the event that something needs repair. There may be a few things that should be changed even before we move in. So, we are looking for $140,000 to purchase the building. That is, in one-time gifts that are over and above your regular weekly giving.
This question has been lingering in our minds for seven weeks now. When we originally presented this building as a possibility to all of you, we made it clear to all of you that we weren't able to purchase the building with our existing funds and that we would be asking you at some point for what you can give. I know that many of you have been thinking about what you can give to such a project. I have talked with some of you about it. Today, we are not asking you to make any sorts of financial commitments. We won't do that until after you have an opportunity to see the building.
But, this morning, I want to give us all a Biblical perspective toward giving to a project such as this. So, I invite you to open your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29. Next week, my hope is to get back to Ruth, and then eventually back to Hebrews.
Anyway, this morning in 1 Chronicles 29, we see David near the end of his life gathering funds to build the temple. David has had this day upon his heart for a long time. Back in chapter 17 of 1 Chronicles, he considered building a temple for the Lord. He said to Nathan, his companion and trusted counselor, "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under curtains" (1 Chr. 17:1). It seemed like a great plan. In David's day, the people of Israel were worshiping God in a tent, that is, "under curtains" (1 Chr. 17:1). This had been taking place for 400 years. David looked around and saw that he was dwelling in a wooden structure. Why not give the same for God's dwelling? It sounded very reasonable. Even Nathan told David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you" (1 Chron. 17:2).
However, God had other plans. He said, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in. ... Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you." With these words, God was talking about the Davidic kingdom (1 Chr. 17:4, 10), which would be much better than any building that would ever be built. So David understood well that he wasn't going to be able to build a house for the LORD. However Solomon, his son, would build a house for the LORD. David's role was to gather the funds, so that Solomon would be able to use them to build a temple for the LORD.
So, we come to chapter 29, just as the congregation is in the midst of raising funds for building the temple. In some regards, this is right where we are as a church. We are on the edge of gathering funds for a church building. My message is entitled, "Giving for the Temple." There are many things in this passage that will help us as we consider "Giving for a church building."
My plan this morning is simple. First, I want to read through the whole text, putting it in your mind. Then, I want to walk through it again, making comments along the way pertaining to our situation at Rock Valley Bible Church.
1 Chronicles 29:1-22
Then King David said to the entire assembly, "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the LORD God. Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance. Moreover, in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple, namely, 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings; of gold for the things of gold and of silver for the things of silver, that is, for all the work done by the craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?"Then the rulers of the fathers' households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king's work, offered willingly; and for the service for the house of God they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver, and 18,000 talents of brass, and 100,000 talents of iron. Whoever possessed precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly. So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and (S)to build the temple, for which I have made provision."
Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king. On the next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. So they ate and drank that day before the LORD with great gladness.
My first point is this.
1. Giving is
for the LORD (verse 1).
Look back again in verse 1.
1 Chronicles 29:1
Then King David said to the entire assembly, "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the LORD God.
What a great reminder for all of us. Yes, the purchase of a building will help us. Yes, the purchase of a building will be beneficial for us. But, bottom line is that a building is "for the LORD God." Ultimately, it's for His glory. It's a tool that we can use for God to receive glory. In many ways, we stand right now in a good point to see with perspective. Having been without a church building for so long, we can see clearly the ways in which a permanent building will help us in glorifying the Lord.
Equipping ministries will be easier to take place. Midweek meetings can take place at any time. Sunday night services are easy. Small groups can meet at the building. We can have concerts and speakers come in easily. I have thought a long time about having Bible conferences. But, without a building, it's much more difficult. A building can be a central hub for fellowship. But, beyond equipping ministries, a church building can easily be used for outreach as well.
A building will help to advertize for us. We will have opportunities to canvas the neighborhoods surrounding the church, inviting others to come and join us. We are right down the street. You can walk to church. We can show love to the community by opening up the building to be used by others. Blood drives at the building. A Polling place for elections. We could allow various groups to use the building (Cub Scouts, after-school tutoring programs, ...) We could make the field available to little-league teams who want to use it. We can build a giant play area for moms in the community to come and bring their kids for exercise while having Gospel literature available. I know that people come to churches, seeking help.
Let's move on to my second point.
2.
Giving is for everybody (verses 2-8).
1 Chronicles 29:2-8
"Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance. Moreover, in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy temple, namely, 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings; of gold for the things of gold and of silver for the things of silver, that is, for all the work done by the craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?"Then the rulers of the fathers' households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king's work, offered willingly; and for the service for the house of God they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver, and 18,000 talents of brass, and 100,000 talents of iron. Whoever possessed precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
In verse 2, we see David beginning his speech by mentioning how he, himself, had given to the work of building the temple. He provided gold. He provided silver. He provided bronze, iron, wood, and precious stones toward the building effort. In verse 4, David actually tells the people how much he gave: 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of refined silver. It's difficult to know exactly how much this is. In the margin of the NIV bible, we read of their estimate: 110 tons of gold and 260 tons of silver. Even if the exact amount was a tenth of this estimate, that is still a lot of gold. I doubt that this was all from David's personal wealth. It may have come from the royal treasury. It may have come as a governmental contribution.
But, I do believe that a portion of it came from his own wealth, which shows that David gave sacrificially to this project. It was greatly upon his heart. So, he was ready to contribute much towards the completion of the project. The principle that applies to us here is that the leader ought to be the first one giving to the effort. He ought to give sacrificially.
Now, I'm not going to tell you how much Yvonne and I are ready and willing to give toward the project that confronts us today (as David did). But, let me just say that we have determined to give sacrificially from what we have. And we trust that others will follow.
In verse 5, David asks, "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?" In other words, "Who else is willing to give toward the building of the temple?" This is the question that I have for all of you this morning: "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?" "Who then is willing to give to the purchase of a church building?"
Apparently, there were many who were willing to give. We read in verse 6 that "the rulers of the fathers' households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king's work, offered willingly." In verse 7, we see the totals of how much the people gave. 5,000 talents of gold. 10,000 talents of silver 18,000 talents of brass 100,000 talents of iron. In other words, they out-gave king David. When you look down at verse 8, you see how pervasive the giving was. "Whoever possessed precious stoned gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the Gersonite.
My call this morning is to all of you to give. Men, women, and children. In the course of your life, there will only be a few times when you will be able to be involved in something like this. What a potential blessing it is to many of you.
And so, I encourage all of you to be a part of this. Children, I would especially encourage you to be a part of this. I know that you don't have much. But neither did the widow, who gave her two mites. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live one" (Mark, 12:43-44). It may just be that the children will out-give the adults. Certainly, not in total dollars, but in God's eyes, they may be the biggest givers in this project.
Now, you need to know from my standpoint, that it's not so much that I'm reaching to get every last penny out of us, so that we can reach our goal of $140,000. In fact, I have little doubt in my mind that we will be able to raise this amount. But, from my standpoint, I so much want for all of you to know the joy of giving. I want for all of you to be involved in some way, to the best of your ability. For some of you, I know that now is a difficult time for many of you. Some of you are unemployed. Others are facing some family situations now that put your finances in great stress. Others of you have been underemployed and are still trying to catch up. Others have taken on some recent financial burdens, which makes giving at this time a difficult thing. That's OK. God knows fully of your circumstances. It may be that what you can give above your regular giving is small. But, I would encourage you to give something small. My heart is this: I want you to have a part in this.
But, with anything that you give, I encourage you to give
willingly. This is my third point.
3. Giving should be
willingly (verses 5, 6, 9).
Look at David's question at the end of verse 5, "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?" Do you notice the word, "willing?" David isn't trying to force the people or pressure them to give out of compulsion. David isn't laying some great guilt trip upon them if they don't give. Nor is he trying to manipulate them to give in any way at all. Rather, he's simply asking a question: "Who is willing to give?" With the question comes a call to give. And this is my question to you as well, "Who is willing to give?"
I'm not seeking to manipulate in any way. I'm just asking you if you are willing to give toward this project. In so doing, I'm calling you to consider giving to this project.
Those in David's day were willing to give. Verse 6, "Then the rulers of the fathers' households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers over the king's work, offered willingly." They "offered willingly." God has always desired for his people to give willingly.
This is the case, now in the days since Christ. 2 Cor. 9:7 says, "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And so, as you think about what you plan to give toward this project, I encourage you to give willingly. Give because you want to. Give because you love the Lord and want to serve Him in this way. Realize this: if you give out of compulsion, God takes no delight in your offerings.
You say, "How can I give willingly." Look down in verse 9: "Then people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart." Look at how they knew that they offered it willingly. "for, ... because, ... they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart." In other words, there were no internal wrestlings about their giving. There were no doubts, "Should we give? Or not? I don't know." There was none of this. Rather, it was, "Yes, this is what I want to give. And they gave!" Such is the result of a willing giver.
And look at what this resulted in. It resulted in joy. Verse 9,
"Then people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their
offering to the LORD with a whole
heart." This is my 4th point.
4. Giving is an opportunity
for joy (verse 9).
This is one of the fundamental realities of this life. Do you want to be happy? Then give. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). In other words, it's the giver who gets more than the receiver. This seems backwards, but it's the way that God has made our lives to be. Giving people are happy people. Giving people are joyful people.
Hudson Taylor said it this way, "The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become" (taken from The Treasure Principle, p. 21). Proverbs 22:9 says it this way, "He who is generous will be blessed." This is a blessing that comes to our lives when we give - whether it's giving of your finances to the church, whether it's giving of your finances to a needy family, whether it's giving of your time to serve others, whether it's giving of your resources to meet a need. "He who is generous will be blessed" (Prov. 22:9).
This project that we have set before you is an opportunity for you is a bit bigger than most of the opportunities that we have in life to give. Thus, it's an opportunity for you to have great joy. "God loves a cheerful giver." God will give joy to those who give generously. I just love the prospect that this project has to give us joy at Rock Valley Bible Church. Notice how the joy spread in David's day. It was among the people. It was in the king.
Verse 9 begins with these words, "Then the people rejoiced." Verse 9 ends with these words, "and King David also rejoiced greatly." May this take place at Rock Valley Bible Church because of our giving.
Let's move on. My fifth point, ...
5.
Giving is an opportunity for worship (verses 10-13).
When the giving was done, David responded in worship. Consider the God-ward feel of these words, ...
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
These are words of unbounding praise in God's greatness. Few verses in all of the Bible pile the attributes of God's greatness so densely. But, such wonder and praise to God arose from the reality of what people gave to building the temple.
Consider what David said in verses 10, 11 and 12. God is our father forever and ever. God has the greatness. God has the power. God has the glory God has the victory. God has the majesty. God has the dominion. God is exalted over all. God has the riches. God has the honor. God rules over all. God makes great whom He wants. God strengthens whom He desires. This is worship! Worship is identifying ways in which God is unlike us. It is acknowledging that He has all the power.
With these things in view, what can be done? Verse 13 is the only plausible response, "Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name." In verse 20, we see what took place after David prayed. Pure worship.
1 Chronicles 29:20-22
Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the LORD and to the king. On the next day they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. So they ate and drank that day before the LORD with great gladness. ...
And as we think about Rock Valley Bible Church giving toward the purchase of a building, my hope is that we use this as an opportunity for unbounding, David-like worship to the LORD, in awe of what He has done through us. May this project increase our worship to the LORD.
I love the way in which David then puts us in our place. Showing us
that ...
6. Giving is a privilege (verses
14-17).
1 Chronicles 29:14-17
"But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.
Picture the scene. David is before tons and tons and tons of gold that is going to be used to build a temple for the LORD. And as he looks over the wealth that the people has given, he doesn't say, "Look at how mighty and powerful we are." He doesn't say (like Nebuchadnezzar would say), "Is this not [the great temple of the LORD, which I myself have built ... by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty" (Dan. 4:30). No, none of that. Rather, David is greatly humbled. He says, "who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this?" (verse 14). "Who are we, that we can give so much to build the temple?"
Now, for us at Rock Valley Bible Church, the scope our project is very different. We aren't looking to amass tons and tons of gold. There was only one temple. Our project may not be big in comparison with the size of the temple project. But, nevertheless, our perspective ought to be the same. We ought to say, "who [are we] ... that we should be able to offer as generously as this?" (verse 14). There are few churches in the world that would be able to raise $400,000 from a group the size as ours is. And we ought to be amazed at God's goodness, even allowing us to be a part of such a project.
Think about those in Nepal. Such a project is totally beyond their wildest dreams. But, God has given the blessing to us, to be able to bring such a dream into reality. My hope is that we would realize just how much of a privilege that it is for us to be able to give in this way. David's perspective is exactly right. Everything comes from God. What we have to give, really came from him in the first place. For us to be in a position to give this sort of money at all comes from the hand of the Lord.
Paul says it well in 1 Corinthians 4:7, "What do you have that you did not receive?" The only reason why we are in a position to give is because God has given to us in the first place. May no arrogance come from our hearts in these things. May we acknowledge that we are sojourners on this earth (verse 15), that our days are like a shadow (verse 15), that our gifts to God come from God (verse 16).
God takes delight in us when we see Him as the source of all things. Oh, Rock Valley Bible Church, let us realize that ours is a position of privilege. We can give, only because God has first blessed us. Let that sink in. We can give, only because God has first blessed.
OK, ... let's move to our final point this
morning.
7. Giving is for the future (verses
18-19).
In verses 18 and 19, David directs His prayer toward the future of the people of Israel.
1 Chronicles 29:18-19
"O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision."
As we think about the project that is before us, we need to realize that it's for the future. Yes, the building is for us. Yes, the building will benefit us. But, in reality, it's for future generations. It's for others to come and use. We aren't seeking to purchase a building merely for us and for our benefit. We are seeking to purchase a building for others to come and experience God. We are seeking to use a building to reach out and serve the community and help others find God. And thus, David's prayer in verse 18, "preserve this forever, ... and direct their heart to You."
One of the reasons for my message this morning is for us to direct our hearts to the LORD in our perspective of everything. And as I think about the future prospects of owning a building to use for ministry, this is my plea, "God direct our hearts to You!"
There may be disappointments along the way. In verse 19, we read David's prayer for his son: "give to my son Solomon a perfect heart." As you know, Solomon went astray. As a result, so went Israel. As a result, so the temple came into disrepair. Eventually, the temple was destroyed and its riches were carried off to Babylon. Many times throughout the history of the church, church buildings have been built, only to be misused in the future. In fact, so many churches have turned liberal that one man said that we shouldn't build any more church buildings, because the liberals are only going to come in and take over anyway. Churches have used the resources of the church for their own means.
We can't protect from that. Even David and the temple weren't protected from that. However, we can seek the Lord and pray with David, ...
1 Chronicles 29:18
... preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You;
Such is my prayer this morning, and it is a good prayer for you to pray.
So, as you think about what you may be able to give toward this project. I encourage you to keep this passage in mind. We have seen that Giving is for the LORD (verse 1); Giving is for everybody (verses 2-8); Giving should be willingly (verses 5, 6, 9); Giving is an opportunity for joy (verse 9); Giving is an opportunity for worship (verses 9-13); Giving is a privilege (verses 14-17); and Giving is for the future (verses 18-19).
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
October 10, 2010 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.