Sermon: Believers’ Response to the Bigness of God
Bible Passage: 1 Chronicles 29:10-20
I. David’s view of the LORD God:
1. The LORD is great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over sky and earth (verse 11a)
2. Kingdom that David was ruling belonged to God (29:11)
3. God is the source of wealth and honor (29:12, 14)
4. One’s view of God has a direct impact on his/her stewardship (cf. verse 10-11)
5. David’s generous giving points to his view of God and his love for Him (cf. verses 2-3)
II. David’s view of himself
1. “who am I?” “what is my people”
2. Resident alien and nomad (29:14)
3. It is God who has changed their status from nomads to a nation of people
III. David’s view of wealth
1. God is the source of wealth (29:12)
2. God owns all that belong to David and nation Israel (29:16)
3. Therefore, giving is not a favor he and his people extended to God
a. But it is an acknowledgement of His ownership over everything
b. And His gracious sanction to enjoy them
IV. David’s teaching about giving
1. All wealth belongs to and come from God—thereby, men cannot in any real sense give materially to him (29:14)
2. Not only do men NOT possess anything independently of God, but they have NO natural right to do so—because they are strangers and sojourners (29:15)
3. The use of the terms “strangers” and “sojourners” emphasizes the lack of entitlement to the wealth that he and his possessed
V. Giving is motivated by the “bigness” of God to make Him “big”
1. “As far as I was able” (verse 2)
2. “Because of the devotion that I have towards the house of God, I give all that I have” (verse 3)
3. David and the people of Israel gave freely (verse 6—this underlines giving outside of legal stipulations, not legalistic giving
4. The people rejoiced because they gave willingly with a whole heart (verse 9)
VI. For David and his people, building the Temple for the LORD was a joyful, willing teamwork
VII. When they gave willingly, they reflected God—particularly when they gave and rejoiced (cf. verse 20)
VIII. Unlike the building David initiated and Solomon built, no human being can build God’s church
1. With the power of the Holy Spirit, Stephen announces it in Acts 7:47-48 that God does not dwell in houses made by human hands
2. Jesus is building His Church as He says, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18)
3. Jesus is personally involved in this building work through his apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors (Eph 4:10-16), and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12)
4. With Jesus as the chief corner stone, God dwells in the Church through the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:21-22; cf. 1 Cor 3:16)—a Trinitarian passage
5. Paul teaches that God’s work is done with gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor 3:12) and NOT with wood, hay, and straw
IX. God continues to build His Church
1. Every believer who is redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit has a role in the building up of the Church
2. It is a willing teamwork with God
3. Participation with God in this work is motivated by His “bigness”
4. Everyone needs to build with gold, silver, and precious stones—no wood, hay, straw, and apathy
Take Away:
Join with the Triune God in His ongoing work at our local church
