Open Hands

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I am bad at math. And not charmingly bad. Not “I just need a calculator” bad. I mean genuinely — foundationally bad in a way that has followed me my entire life and shows absolutely no signs of improving.

If you said I had to do long division like my life depended on it, you might as well go ahead and start planning my funeral.

So you can imagine what it feels like getting the check at a restaurant. Because now it’s not just math — it’s math — plus a full moral and ethical crisis that I have to resolve in real-time — in public — with people watching.

How much do I tip?

How was the service?

Was the food bad? If so — is it the server’s fault? The kitchen’s fault? Was it because God doesn’t love me anymore?

I’ve got to do math I’m not equipped to do on a question I’m not emotionally prepared to answer all in the span of like 30 seconds.

And it used to just be at restaurants. And I’d made my peace with restaurants.

But now tipping culture is out of control. It’s taken over everything. Now I’m standing at a counter in a check-out line — and the person turns around — grabs the thing off the shelf — and hands me the thing — and that’s it! That’s the whole transaction! At least — that’s what I think… until they flip the little iPad around and say “It’s just gonna ask you a quick question.”

We both know the question. They know I know the question. And yet — here we are — acting like it’s gonna ask me my favorite color. Like no — I’m not tipping you because you handed me a muffin!

And the tip percentages just keep getting more and more out of control!

But of course — I panic. And I hit the first number that pops up. And that’s how they get you! I don’t even know what I tipped — I just needed it to be over so I could stop sweating and the room would stop spinning.

And yet — as I think about that — I realize something that maybe you’ve realized in your own life too: that’s not generosity… that’s just conflict avoidance with a receipt!

There’s a difference between open hands — and hands that just got startled into letting go.

We

And I don’t think I’m alone in that. Most of us want to be generous people. We just also want to be comfortable — secure people. So we give when it’s easy — when it’s convenient — when it doesn’t cost us anything we’ll actually miss.

And here’s the thing — that’s not really generosity. That’s just spending money we didn’t care about anyway.

Now — before we go any farther — I do need to acknowledge something. Some of you are here this morning because somebody invited you — or maybe you’re just checking out the church for the first time.

…And now you’re here and you realize we’re talking about money. It’s like every person’s fear when they invite somebody to church.

But here’s what I want you to know — you’re not here by accident. And I think by the time we’re done — you might actually be glad it was this Sunday. Because what we’re talking today isn’t really about money.

It’s about what you’re holding — and what happens when you finally open your hands.

See here’s what I’ve learned time and time again:

“OPEN HANDS DON’T GIVE” GRAPHIC

Open hands don’t give less — they receive more.

God

Turn with me to 1 Chronicles — Chapter 29. If you’re new to the Bible — 1 Chronicles is roughly in the middle of the Old Testament — right after 1 and 2 Kings.

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While you’re finding it — I need to give you about 30 seconds of context here so we understand what’s going on.

King David is at the end of his life. He’s been the king of Israel for decades. And there was one thing he wanted more than anything else — one legacy project that mattered to him more than all of his victories and everything he’d built. He wanted to build a temple for God.

And God told him no.

Not because David had done something wrong in wanting it — but because God said, “That’s not your assignment. That’s your son’s. Solomon will build it.”

And David accepted that — but instead of stepping back — he stepped forward.

He spent his final years gathering materials: gold — and silver… bronze and iron and timber and stone — in massive amounts — for a project he would never see completed. He would never get credit for it. He simply did it because it mattered to God.

And then he stood before the entire nation of Israel and invited them to join him.

What follows in the next few verses isn’t a fundraising speech. It’s the theology of generosity. It’s David teaching an entire nation — and us — what giving is actually about at its core.

So take a look with me — at 1 Chronicles Chapter 29 — verses 10 through 17:

1 Chronicles 29:10–17 CSB

10 Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. 15 For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to you.

Exposition

There are three things this morning that I want us to see together in this passage. And they map directly to the three things God is calling every one of us to hold with open hands.

OPEN HANDS WITH OUR TIME GRAPHIC

The first — is open hands with our time. And the first thing that strikes me about this passage is how David begins.

Look at Verse 10 again:

1 Chronicles 29:10 CSB

10 Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.

David is situating everything that’s about to happen inside the biggest possible frame. He’s saying, “before we talk about what we’re giving — let’s establish who God is.” He was here long before we arrived — and He’ll be here long after we’re gone. And everything we talk about here belongs inside that reality.

And that matters — because David gave something before he ever gave a dollar. He gave years. He spent the final chapter of his life building something he would never see finished — for a God he trusted completely.

This is what open hands with our time actually looks like. Not just giving time when it’s convenient — but investing in things whose fruit you may never personally hold. Serving in a ministry where you don’t see the results. Showing up week after week to build something that will outlast all of us.

Here’s the thing about time that we don’t like to admit: it’s the one resource we can’t get back. We can develop more skills. But we can’t manufacture more time. Trust me — I’ve looked into it. Which means how we spend it is the most honest thing about us.

And David knew his days were numbered. He said in Verse 15:

1 Chronicles 29:15 CSB

15 Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

And here’s the thing — the reason we can release our time with open hands instead of gripping it in fear is because of what Jesus did with His. He didn’t cling to eternity. He stepped into time — for us — and walked all the way to the Cross so that the shadow of our days could be anchored to something that doesn’t fade. Because He rose — our time isn’t wasted when we give it away. It’s invested in something eternal.

OPEN HANDS WITH OUR TALENT GRAPHIC

The second thing God is calling us to — is open hands with our talent. Look again at Verse 14 with me — this is the Verse the entire message orbits:

1 Chronicles 29:14 CSB

14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand.

Take a second and feel the weight of that. This is David — the greatest King in Israel’s history. A man of extraordinary military skill — a poetic genius — a guy with an amazing political vision. And he says, “I can’t take credit for any of it. It came from Your hand, God.”

This isn’t false humility — it’s theology. David understood something that we desperately need to recover: that the capacity to give is a gift itself. The skill in our hands — the ability in our minds — the gifts that make us effective at what we do — we didn’t generate those. Those were given to us.

Which means that every talent we have — is on loan from God.

See — the church was never designed to be held together by a pastor — or a staff. It’s designed to be a body that is held together by people who have said, “What I have isn’t mine to keep.”

Our volunteers who run sound and media on Sunday morning who could be doing something much more fun.

The people who show up early to prepare coffee — and cookies — and communion every week.

The person who teaches in Kids Pointe multiple Sundays a month when their gifts and talents could fill a much bigger room.

And I want to be clear — I see all of you. I love you. And I appreciate you. And I can’t do any of your jobs. Ever.

That is having open hands with talent. Not performing for a larger audience — but releasing what God gave you — back into what God cares about.

We don’t serve the church because we have time left over. We serve because we’ve been given something that was never meant to stop with just us.

Jesus is the picture of that. The most gifted person who ever lived used every bit of it — not for Himself — but poured it all out for us — all the way to the Cross. And He calls us to do the same.

OPEN HANDS WITH OUR TREASURE GRAPHIC

The third thing we’re called to do is have open hands with our treasure. Look at Verse 17 again:

1 Chronicles 29:17 CSB

17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to you.

God tests the heart.

Not the amount. Not the percentage. Not whether you hit a certain threshold or cleared a certain benchmark. But — the heart.

David uses two words to describe the offering that just happened: willingly and joyfully.

In the original Hebrew — the word willingly carries the idea of a freewill offering — something given not because it’s required — but because the giver wanted to. And joyfully describes the posture behind the giving: delight — not duty.

And that cuts right to the core of the problem most of us have with money, right? Because if we’re honest — most of us don’t give joyfully. We give carefully. Strategically. After we’ve ran the numbers and made sure we’re comfortable with what’s left. We give from the surplus — not from the trust.

But giving from the heart settles the question of who’s actually in charge of our security.

And listen — I know whenever the church talks about money people start to get uncomfortable. I’m sure you’ve heard it too — “The church only wants your money.”

Let me settle that right. Yes — the church wants your money. We have ministries — and missions — and the lights here don’t just stay on through magic. We have to pay Center Point. And y’all know that’s expensive.

And here the thing, friends — Wal-Mart also wants your money. We know that. And yet — I still see y’all there — in the toilet paper aisle.

Here’s the honest question this passage puts in front of all of us: Is my giving an act of trust — or an act of transaction? Am I giving because I believe God is faithful — or am I giving the amount that I calculated wont’ actually change my life?

Because God doesn’t need our money. He can do all the things He wants to do with or without us. But what he’s after is something much more significant than the balance in our bank accounts. He’s after our hearts — and our treasure — Jesus says — is the most honest indicator of where our heart actually is.

In Matthew 6:21 Jesus said:

Matthew 6:21 CSB

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Open hands with our treasure is a weekly act of saying: my trust is in God — not what I accumulate.

You

So this week — I encourage all of us to think about three things:

Our time is first. Is there an area of this church — or this community — where God has been nudging you to show up — and you’ve been negotiating with that nudge for a while now? Not a vague sense that you should do something “someday” — but a specific thing. A ministry. Or a role. A “yes” you’ve been sitting on. See — David didn’t give time in the abstract. He gave years to something specific — for a God he trusted with the outcome. If that’s you — the nudge you’ve been ignoring is probably the answer.

Then there’s our talent. And this one’s a little uncomfortable. So let me ask very directly — is there something God has specifically wired you to do that you’re doing and using everywhere except for here? In your career — or in your hobbies — for yourself — but not for the church? Not what God actually cares about?

Because a church full of people using what God gave them for what God cares about — that’s not a program. That’s a movement. And it starts with one person deciding their gift wasn’t meant to stop with them.

And then there’s our treasure. And I want to talk about this one plainly because I think we can handle it.

If you are a member or a regular attender of this church — and you’re not regularly giving — I want to invite you to start this week.

Not next month. Not when things settle down. But this week. Start somewhere — even if it’s small. Because the discipline of open hands isn’t build in one grand gesture — it’s built in a thousand small decisions to trust God with what He already gave you.

And if you’re already giving — I want to ask you whether it costs you anything. Not whether the number is large. But whether it requires trust. There’s a difference between giving from your surplus and giving from your faith — and only you know which one you’re actually doing.

The question David’s prayer puts in front of all of us is simple: Do I actually believe that what I have comes from God’s hand — or do I just say that?

Because if we believe it — really believe it — open hands aren’t a sacrifice. They’re just the only response that makes sense.

If that’s you — if you’re ready to take the next step in serving — or giving — just know — we’ve made it really easy for you.

Scan that QR Code. Click the button that says “Serve Opportunities” — or click the one that says “Give”. Make a commitment to use what God has given you to make an eternal impact.

We

Because this isn’t just about individual decisions. It’s about what we become together.

And in doing that — I want you to imagine what this church looks like — not someday — not in theory — but this time just a year from now — if every person in this room took one step toward open hands in each of these three areas.

Think about the people sitting around you right now. We have people in this room who are gifted administrators — gifted communicators — gifted with their hands — gifted with kids — gifted with finances. We have people who are creative and people who are organized — and people who are both! Which — by the way — doesn’t feel fair — but God didn’t ask me.

We have people who have margin in their schedule that they’ve been protecting for themselves. People who have skills the church desperately needs and are currently sitting on the sideline. People who have the financial capacity to fund things that could genuinely change lives — and maybe have never been asked to consider that.

What happens when all that gets released?

Well — the ministries that are barely surviving get to thrive. The people in this community who are one relationship away from walking through that door get invited by somebody who’s actually showing up. The things God has been trying to do in and through this church — that have been waiting on open hands — finally get to move.

That’s not a fantasy. It’s just what the church looks like when it’s working. And it doesn’t start with a program — or a campaign — or even a ten-year plan. It starts with you — and one decision — made honestly before God — about what you’re holding and whether you’re willing to go.

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And the reason open hands are even possible — the reason any of us can hold time and talent and treasure loosely — is because of what someone else did with His.

Jesus had every right to hold tightly to everything. He was the one person in human history for whom the word “mine” was actually accurate. All of it was His. And He opened His hands completely. He released the glory of Heaven. He released His comfort. He released His rights. He went all the way to a Cross — arms stretched wide open — and absorbed every consequence of every closed-fisted, self-protective decision you and I have ever made.

He didn’t give from His surplus — He gave from His everything.

And three days later He rose — and because He rose — the story doesn’t end at the Cross. It ends with an open tomb and an open invitation. An invitation to stop gripping what was never really yours to begin with — and to receive something you could’ve never manufactured on your own.

If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus — today is the day. He’s alive — the invitation is real — and you don’t have to have anything figured out first. You just have to open your hands.

King David never got to see the temple completed — but when his son Solomon did — the presence of God filled it. And the faithfulness of one man with open hands became the foundation an entire nation stood on.

We don’t always get to see the whole picture from where we’re standing. None of us do. But we do get to decide right now whether our hands are open or closed. And that decision — has a way of becoming somebody else’s foundation.

Open hands don’t give less. They receive more.

Prayer

Communion