9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.  10 David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.  In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  13 Now, 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?  Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.  15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers.  Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.  16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.  17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.  All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.  And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.  18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
- 1 Chronicles 29:9-18, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today is the second of two designated Stewardship Emphasis Sundays. On the basis of God’s Word found in 1 Peter, last week Pastor Pagels encouraged us to "serve the Lord with gladness."  For those of us familiar with the three "T’s" of Stewardship (or perhaps better, "Christian management"), his message dealt with using our time and talents for the glory of God.

Today, on the basis of the text in front of us, we would like to talk about managing the third "T" – our personal treasure, or wealth – in a way that brings glory to God…

I have a personal friend and colleague in the ministry who once began a stewardship sermon by stating:  "Today we’re going to talk about money." Immediately after saying this he put a scared look on his face and ducked under the pulpit as if expecting his congregation to throw things at him.  After staying there a couple of seconds he peeked over the pulpit, asked if it was safe to come out… and then resumed his preaching.

What he was implying in a rather dramatic fashion, of course, is that people – even Christians – don’t like to talk about money, and that "money" sermons are more to be endured than to be embraced.

I do not intend to try to imitate my colleague with theatrics.  But we are going to talk about money.  And we’re going to see just what kind of good things can happen through and for God’s people when we bring this area, like every other area of our lives, under the guidance and will of God.

Someone who had a good handle on the whole subject of financial stewardship was the man who is central to our text for today, King David.  At the time of this event he was coming to the end of his days, so we have the benefit of his years of wisdom.  Let’s turn to this portion of Scripture now, which we might entitle:

Let me set the background for our text.  Those of us who grew up going to Sunday School or had the privilege of attending a Lutheran elementary school where Bible history was a part of the daily routine are familiar with that Old Testament nation of God’s chosen people that we call the Israelites. I would venture to guess, however, that many of us don’t remember them in a particularly positive light.  They were the ones, for example, who worshipped the Golden Calf so quickly after God had miraculously delivered them out of Egypt.  They were the ones who whined so much about how God was mistreating them on the way to the Promised Land that He banished them to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  They were the ones to whom God kept sending prophets warning them to repent, straighten up and flight right otherwise great judgment would befall them… and they rarely listened.  We tend to think of great individual heroes of faith in the Old Testament (Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Daniel, etc.), but as a corporate body of believers, the Israelites seem to be defined more by their spiritual failings than their faith.

But it wasn’t always that way.  They did have their shining moments when they exemplified everything that is right about a healthy relationship with God.  Our text is one of those times.  It takes place at the end of great King David’s reign.  His days are numbered, and he knows it.  What he really wanted to do in the twilight of his career was build a magnificent temple for the Lord.  But the Lord told him that privilege would not be his. That honor would go to his son, Solomon.  However, God did give David permission to gather all the materials and finances necessary for what would eventually become one of the great architectural wonders of the ancient world…

So David goes about the gathering.  He starts with himself, dedicating a lifetime of accumulated wealth for the building of this temple.  He wasn’t interested in constructing a pyramid or a sphinx to his glory like his counterparts in Egypt, and he wasn’t interested in trying to take it with him to the grave so no one else could have it.  He understood that his wealth could serve a high and noble purpose, so he gives it to the Lord.

David’s actions of devotion and faith did not go unnoticed.  His leaders follow suit, giving generously of their personal wealth.  And that didn’t go unnoticed either.  Here’s where we pick up our text:  "The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.  David the king also rejoiced greatly."  Everybody gave willingly – and all of a sudden they had everything they needed.

As a result of this our text tells us "David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly…"  And he offers up a heartfelt and at times very personal prayer, which contains some significant insights on the believer’s life of stewardship…

The first of which is this:  Proper stewardship begins with recognition of where all our stuff comes from in the first place. Listen again to portions of his prayer: "Praise to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours…  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things… Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand… O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you…

It comes through pretty loud and clear, doesn’t it?  David understood and recognized that God is the owner of all things… and so must we.

I think we do.  At least intellectually.  But I think it’s one of those Bible truths which, functionally, we struggle with.  Because it’s one of those Bible truths which God’s people have always struggled with.  Centuries before our text took place another great hero of faith, Moses, had this to say to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land:  "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you… You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’  But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…"

What’s Moses telling us here?  He’s warning us against seeing ourselves as owners, rather than managers.  He’s zeroing in on the tendency to see ourselves, rather than God’s grace, as the cause for what we have.  And when we see ourselves as the cause, we tend to become a little possessive because, after all, it’s my house, my money, I earned it, etc.

David sure didn’t see things that way in our text.  His first insight for us, once again:  Stewardship begins with recognition of where all our stuff comes from in the first place.

Recognition then leads to response. That’s the second insight we can glean from our text.  King David and his people responded to the goodness and grace of God by generously giving back to God a portion of what He had first given to them.  David could very well have composed the well known stewardship hymn with which we’ll close our service today:  "We give thee but thine own, whatever the gift may be, all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee."

Let us note that when King David and his people responded to God with their generosity, they did not see it as simply providing for a need (the Temple), but something deeper.  This was a way in which they could honor God.  "Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things… Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."

Why do you think God asks us to give back to Him?  Is it because He needs the money?  Is it because as the Cosmic CEO of the Communion of Saints He needs to provide for the bottom line?  Is it because He is demanding by nature?  No to all of the above.  Everything is his to begin with, remember? 

Then why?  Giving to God is one of the opportunities He gives us to honor Him during the time we have on earth.  David and his people understood that.  David and his people responded to that.  And, this is the third insight, David and his people derived great joy from this.

One of the joys that come to us through practicing Christian stewardship is the simple contentment it brings to our hearts knowing that we are following our Lord’s will.  Jesus lived, died and rose again so we might live forever.  Until He takes us to heaven He promises to be with us and strengthen us throughout the ups and downs of our earthly journey.  He asks that while on this planet (and note that in our text King David comments on the brevity of our lives by saying, "Our days on earth are like a shadow") we live for Him.  He asks that we manage our lives with Him at the center.  And He promises to bless us as we do that.  Pretty good deal, wouldn’t you say?

To live for Jesus, therefore, brings us joy.  To honor Him with our gifts also brings us joy.  Giving to God, whether in time, talents or treasures, will not be considered a burden or an intrusion into our lives when we focus on what He has done for us…

I’m reminded of the story told about a young man from the Far East who became a Christian.  Humanly speaking, coming to Christ cost him a lot.  He lost his job.  His parents considered him a disgrace to the family and cut off all contact with him.  His friends abandoned him.  As this became known in the small Christian church he had become a part of, the members began to commiserate with him.  They told him how sorry they were.  They sympathized with him because of what he had to go through.  There were lots of sad looks and shaking heads…

Throughout all this, the new Christian looked puzzled, and, after a while, he spoke.  He thanked his fellow believers for their sentiments.  Then this new Christian asked a question.  Instead of asking whether he could bear his burdens, he wondered why nobody asked him if he could bear all the joy he felt in knowing Jesus Christ.  The burdens are great, he conceded, but the joys are far greater…

I believe we sometimes think of stewardship in that way – in terms of giving things up.  But this man gave nothing up.  He gained.  King David and his people don’t appear to be a real downcast lot in our text.  Rather there seems to be a lot of joy and rejoicing that is going on…

It’s the joy of knowing their gifts made a difference.  It’s the joy of knowing that in some small way they were honoring God.  It’s the joy of confidence in knowing that they couldn’t possibly outgive the God who richly and daily provided for them – and most importantly, provided them with the forgiveness of sins and eternal life…

Insight number three from our text.  Stewardship begins with recognition, blossoms into response, and is undergirded with joy…

Let’s end this morning as we began – by listening to the words of our text.  We’ll close with the final thoughts of David’s prayer:  "O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for you in building a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.  I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.  All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.  And now I see with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.  O Lord, God our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you."

May God grant us loyal hearts which recognize, respond and rejoice in the meaning of true Christian stewardship.  Amen.