CELEBRATION 1 Chronicles 29:1-22 11/16/03

God Has Always Desired For His People To Worship And Celebrate Together.

Hebrews 10:24-25 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. In the God commanded the people of Israel to set aside the Sabbath day as a holy convocation. (assembling together) Lev 23:1-3 In Lev 23:4-44, God commanded them to set aside an addition seven times a year for special feasts where they were to come together for celebration and worship. All of the men were required to travel to three times a year for national worship services and celebrations. In fact God instructed that any person who didn’t show up for the annual Day of Atonement or the Feast of Passover was to be cut off from the nation of Israel. (Lev 23:29; Num 9:13) Probably the most amazing thing is that God instructed the people of Israel to set aside 10% of their annual income solely to be used for religious feasting and celebration. A second tithe each year so that they could celebrate and worship Him in a big way. Deuteronomy 14:22-26 "You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. 23 "You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 "If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 26 "You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. Can you imagine setting aside 10% of your annual income to be used solely for times of religious feasting and celebration? Someone might say, “Isn’t it wrong to waste money to spend it on such unspiritual things as prime rib and roast lamb?” Shouldn’t the money have been spent on missions or given to the poor? Shouldn’t that money have been given to build the ? Yet this is what God wanted and commanded. God instructed His people to spend 10% of their money for special times of religious feasting and celebration. (rejoicing) We see a number of additional times in the OT where Israel came together to celebrate and worship. One is when King calls all Israel together to give them his final instructions and turn over the throne to his son . David and the people used this occasion to contribute their offerings for the building of the temple and to celebrate and worship. (Not so different from what we did last night.) 1. David’s Speech 1 Chronicles 29:1-5 1 The temple is not for man, but for the Lord God. • Not for their recognition and glory • Not for their comfort or pleasure • But as an expression of their worship to God. • They were giving to build a place for the on going worship of God. 2 2 With all my ability • It was sacrificial • He gave all he could possibly give 3 In my delight in the house of my God • It was grudgingly or under compulsion. 4-5a David gave over and above what he had already provided. • 22:14 David had already given: ♦ 100,000 talents gold = 3,750 tons (7.5 mil lbs.; 120 mil oz.) ♦ 1,000,000 talents of silver = 37, 500 tons (75 mil lbs.; 1.2 bil. oz) • 29:4 David gives an additonal: ♦ 3000 talents of gold = 11.5 tons (23,000lbs.) ♦ 7000 talents of silver = 262 ton (524,000 lbs.) 5b David challenges the people to consecrate themselves to the Lord. 2. The People’s Offering 1 Chronicles 29:6-9 6-8 offered willingly • 187.5 tons of gold; 375 tons of silver; 675 tons of brass; 3750 tons of iron • Undefined number of precious stones (jewels) ♦ The Illinois Society of Architects calculated the cost of Solomon’s temple to be $87 billion. (Newspaper article in 1 Kings notebook) ◊ This was sacrificial giving. ◊ This was giving that affected their living. 9 rejoiced

3 • They rejoiced because they had offered so willingly to the Lord ♦ with a whole heart. • David rejoiced at their response to God. 3. David’s Prayer 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 10 God is to be blessed (praised) • He is our perfect Heavenly Father • He is our Father forever and ever 11 God is the possessor and ruler of all that exists • greatness- immensity and magnitude • power- strength, might ♦ The power of the stars, or an earthquake, or a hurricane • glory- beauty and splendor, or fame and renown ♦ The beauty of a sunset or mountain scene ♦ The fame and renown due someone who outclasses all the rest. • victory- The winner, the one who lasts, the ultimate determiner; the one who controls the final outcome • majesty- awe-inspiring, regal • dominion- control, sovereignty, rulership • It all belongs to God, we are but temporary stewards. 12 All we have and are comes from God and belongs to God. • Nothing we have is self generated ♦ riches ♦ honor- recognition, respect

4 ♦ power- influence and control ♦ might -strength ♦ to make great- promote, lift-up to places of authority and recognition. ♦ strengthen- to enable, sustain, or encourage ◊ Tan # 1870, 1871, 1875 • Our gifts and abilities, Our opportunities, Our financial resources all come from God • God is the one who promotes and demotes. ♦ William Beebe: Theodore Roosevelt and I used to play a little game together. After an evening of talk, we would go out on the lawn and search the skies until we found the faint spot of light-mist beyond the lower left-hand corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. Then one or the other of us would recite: "That is the Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It consists of one billion suns, each larger than our sun." Then Roosevelt would grin and say: "Now I think we are small enough! Let's go to bed." 13 The only appropriate response is praise and thanksgiving 14-16 All we have came from God • Who are we to be so blessed? • It is only grace that we are able to give to Him what we give. ♦ All that we are able to give to God came from Him in the first place. ◊ Like kids buying Christmas presents out of the allowance money provided by their parents.

5 • The same is true for us as a church as we remember where from where we have come and God’s faithfulness. 17 It is the heart that God tests and cares about • God puts us in situations and give us choices to make in order to test or hearts. • He will ultimate reward things done from a right heart. 18-19 David asks God to keep their hearts pure. 4. Congregational Worship 1 Chronicles 29:20-21 blessed- praised bowed low- sign of humility did homage- bowed in reverence and respect • an act of submission and worship sacrifices and offerings • Giving 5. Congregational Celebration 1 Chronicles 29:22a They ate and drank before the Lord with great gladness God has always desired for His people to worship and celebrate together.

God desires for His people to be united.

There is no place in God’s plan for spiritual Lone Rangers. We need one another. 1 Corinthians 12 Satan’s bait is to get Christians to take up an offense. He desires for us to work together and worship together.

I praise God for what we have seen in the stewardship campaign. How does a person become a part of the family of God? John 1:12; 6:37

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