With A Whole Heart They Offered Freely

Intro:

Good morning.

I’ve been looking forward to our lectureship for some time now (a few other comments).

My topic for this morning is “With a Whole Heart They Offered Freely to the Lord.”

That phrase is found in 1 Chronicles 29:9. (ESV) (We will spend a bulk of our time in that chapter this morning).

1 Chronicles 29:9 ESV

Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

The NKJV says, “With a LOYAL heart they had offered WILLINGLY to the Lord.”

The KJV says, “With PERFECT heart they offered willingly to the Lord.”

Our overall lectureship theme is “Matters of the Heart” (volume two).

We’re talking about various matters of spiritual importance that come down to whether or not we have a good and honest heart.

What more could be a determiner of where our heart is than an examination of … our giving!

Someone has wisely said in the long ago, “You show me a man and what he does with his pocketbook, and you’ll show me the thing(s) that he loves most!”

It’s 100% absolutely true.

So with that in mind, let’s look at this idea “with a whole heart they offered freely to the Lord.”

Background Setting up This Chapter:

There’s quite a bit of background that we want to look at briefly before we actually get to 1 Chronicles 29.

And to do that, we need to go all the way back to 2 Samuel chapter 7.

What we’re going to see here is that David enters a period of prosperity and peace for a time, and he gets to thinking about his palace, and how he wants to build something better for God (from the tabernacle tent to a temple), and God is going to end up telling him that David isn’t going to get to build a temple, but his son Solomon will, and David can help prepare the way for that.

(Read 2 Sam. 7:1-17 quickly).

Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 28, and Solomon is instructed to make preparations to built the temple (Read 1 Chr. 28:1-9 very quickly!). *(Note verse 9 and connect it to 29:9!)*

Well, you can keep reading here in chapter 28 for more background information, but the gist of it is that it’s about to be time for Solomon to build the first temple, and that’s going to take OFFERINGS.

Incidentally, David himself gives HUGE amounts of gold and silver and other precious items if you read the rest of chapter 28.

And he tells Solomon in verse 20 - “Be STRONG and of GOOD COURAGE (a common theme in the Bible), and DO it! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God — my God — will be with you!”

(Get to work building the temple!)

Well, not only would the gold and silver and other things given by David be needed, but the people are going to need to give as well as this temple for the Lord is built. (Can you think of any parallels to the New Testament? You should!)

So let’s read …

1 Chronicles 29:

(Read through quickly and comment on underlined/notes in the Bible).

V. 3 - “I have set my affection on the house of my God” — He wanted what was best for it!

He sought it first and foremost!

Matt. 6:33 come to mind?

Don’t miss this as a TYPE of how God and His church should be first and foremost in our mind!

“Over and above” — Wouldn’t it be great if we all gave OVER AND ABOVE to the Lord?!

“My own special treasure of gold and silver” - Matt. 6:19-21

Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

V. 4 - These are huge amounts of gold — A talent was a large amount in itself!

These are 3000 talents of gold!

Not just any gold, but the gold of OPHIR (believed to be located somewhere in modern-day India, and of particularly fine quality.

V. 6 - These officers over the work also “OFFERED WILLINGLY” - We need to be thinking parallels to the N.T. 2 Cor. 9:7, which we will cover in a moment.

V. 9 - No stinginess with these folks whatsoever!

Rather, it says they REJOICED to give these things!

“For they had offered WILLINGLY, because with a LOYAL HEART (with a WHOLE heart, ESV) they had offered WILLINGLY to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly!”

This is our example for giving today - Rom. 15:4 - The things which were written beforetime were written for our learning!

Notice now, quickly …

A New Testament Parallel:

2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 — As much as I’d like to read the entirety of these two chapters, for sake of time let me just show you some of the highlights!

Paul is using the example of the churches of Macedonia to teach the Corinthians a lesson on Christian giving …

8:1 - In this context of these two chapters, when Paul uses the words “the grace” or “this grace,” he’s talking about gracious, liberal, abundant, sacrificial … GIVING.

8:2 - “great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.”

8:3 - “Beyond their ability!” (They really couldn’t afford to be giving what they were giving, but they did so anyway!) Why? Because they were “freely willing!”

8:4 - Notice also they were URGENT about it — They didn’t take the attitude of “I’ll get around to it,” or “Well, if I see a need then I’ll give THEN!” (No!)

8:5 - This is the key to the whole thing!

It goes right in line with our main text - “With a WHOLE HEART they offered freely to the Lord!”

Paul gives the bottom line reason why some people do that: “They first gave THEMSELVES to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God!”

You show me a Christian that has TRULY given HIMSELF to the Lord, and you’ll show me a Christian who has no problem giving a truly sacrificial, acceptable amount to the Lord!

You can keep reading chapter 8 - You’ll read that giving proves “THE SINCERITY OF YOUR LOVE” (verse 8).

You can read about how CHRIST was rich, but for YOUR SAKES He became poor when He came down to live as a man (verse 9)!

But let me move on to chapter 9!

And let’s quickly read through verses 5-15 (Read quickly and comment on the underlined items).

Now, tell me it doesn’t really matter how much you give?! (It matters a lot!)

It separates the serious Christian from the casual Christian with the attitude of “What’s in it for me?!”

So, with all that said …

What is the Application?

The application is in the form of a question — “What kind of giving is appropriate to me?” (To you)

The Bible was very specific in the O.T. that both tithes (10%) and offerings were required.

The Book of Malachi said that the people were guilty of ROBBING GOD of tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8).

The word “tithe” appears only 2 times in the N.T. and the word “tithes” appears 5 times, and in studying through those occurences it appears that the N.T. references are always looking back at O.T. practice …

I realize that technically-speaking you don’t see tithing commanded in the N.T. …

But I still think we need to ask ourselves, “CAN A MAN ROB GOD TODAY?”

Again, that question is asked in Malachi 3:8 — Certainly, men were robbing God in their giving.

Can men do it today?

And of course the answer has to be, “Yes.”

So “What kind of giving is appropriate for me? For you?”

Well, I have to look at what I make, and determine it from that right?

Here’s what I make — Here’s what I can give as I PLAN/budget my giving each week/each month - “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside (lay by in store), storing up as he may prosper” (1 Cor. 16:2).

What is an appropriate, sacrificial amount based on how much you have prospered financially? (You and God know the details!)

Key word being — Sacrificial!

God expects sacrificial giving.

In the O.T. , David was offered a threshingfloor to perform a sacrifice on — The owner of the threshingfloor named Araunah said he could have it for free! (2 Sam. 24:24)

But you know what David told him?

He said, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

David understood that in order for our giving to be pleasing to God, it has to COST us something!

It has to be SACRIFICIAL.

And so a question you can ask regarding your giving which I think will be a good start as you examine yourself on that is this — “What am I sacrificing with the dollar amount that I give each Lord’s Day?”

And be honest with yourself!

Are you sacrificing something that you would hardly miss with the amount you give?

Or could you put something that’s pretty big with the dollar amount and say, “You know, I COULD have this or that if I withheld my giving, BUT …

… But I love my Lord too much to be so selfish!

I want to be with God in heaven one day — THAT’S where my treasure is laid up!

And so, you know what? I don’t mind sacrificing that to be with HIM one day! (Whatever that thing is!)

In fact, not only do I not MIND going without that so that I can give properly, but I’m GLAD to do it!

2 Cor. 9:7

2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

1 Chr. 29:9

1 Chronicles 29:9 ESV

Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Thank you!