Let's pray.
Gracious God, we ask for you to pour out your spirit amongst us now as we look at your word again,
and particularly a passage which just displays your greatness.
Who are we, O Lord, that we could give so generously?
Father, I pray that you would search our hearts that we might give with honest intent,
that we might desire your glory, that we might see all things come from you.
And who are we to do this? And we ask it for your sake. Amen.
Since the St. Paul's Vision 2020 was launched a few weeks ago, I've had time to go over the plans.
You've had time to discuss them amongst yourselves or with the leaders and to pray about them and to consider your commitment to them.
And, of course, what we launched a few weeks ago is not the final word on what's going to happen here.
Obviously, in the next 11 years, there's an awful lot of work to be done,
and it's certainly impossible to sit this side of 11 years and to work out all the details,
particularly all the fine operational details of every ministry for the next 11 years.
Those things will happen.
That will be discussed as we go along and work out what we need to do and is where God's leading us.
But for now, we have the big picture.
We have the big picture.
We have the key elements of why we exist, what we value as a church,
what we hope to achieve under God, him giving us the strength and the mercy to do it.
What we hope is that it will pull us together as a church to work in a common goal,
to head in a common direction for God's glory.
And the question which is before us, the one that I left you with on Vision Sunday,
is will you commit yourself to what the Lord has laid before us as his people?
More importantly than the question of will you commit yourself to Vision 2020,
is will you commit yourself fully to the Lord in this place?
Will you commit yourself fully to the Lord in this place?
On Vision Sunday, we looked at the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke,
and the call of Jesus there was for us to make decisions now in view of eternity.
And in particular, the call was for us to build up treasures in heaven
and to use our money now and to put it behind ministry.
It is the one thing that you will buy which will actually be an internal investment.
I've also mentioned a number of points that for Christians,
money is not purely a financial issue.
It is a spiritual issue.
And so what we are doing here today on Commitment Sunday
is not fundraising, it is faith-raising.
That's the deal.
That's what we're working with here.
It's fundraising, not fundraising.
Faith-raising, not fundraising.
It's been a long day.
1 Chronicles is primarily about David,
primarily about his reign.
It's about David's reign as king and the building up to the construction of the temple.
And you see David, even though he made a bunch of mistakes in 1 Chronicles,
you see him come to the fore at the end of this book.
The temple is crucial for the people of God.
It is the permanent structure where God will permanently dwell with his people.
It is a recapturing, if you like, of the Garden of Eden
where people and God walked together
and were in peace and harmony and rest with each other.
And so it would be the place where God would rule the world.
It would be the centre of the world.
It was the symbol of God's unending state of rest and peace with his people.
A permanent dwelling where God would permanently dwell amongst his people.
It was crucial for the nation of Israel for this to happen.
David had already been told that he wasn't to build the temple
and so what he does in his retirement years
is he gets ready for his successor and his son Solomon.
Verses 1-9 describe the facts for us on a human level.
There is an incredible generosity in Israel
for the collection to pay for the building of the temple in Jerusalem.
David led the way by giving of the official treasury,
the stuff that he had the checkbook for,
the official treasury of Israel.
He gave significantly out of that
but he also gave significantly out of his personal resources.
And these personal resources were highly valued
or in actual fact these resources in the original language
they were the treasures of the king.
It's what the king treasured.
They were highly valued by the king.
They were treasured by the king
because they were kept in reserve for the king
as an insurance policy
against any unforeseen political misfortunes
or natural calamities.
So if he needed to buy an army
to beat up someone who was against him,
he's got his own money to put into it
as his own personal security.
So what happens here is that David leads the people
by giving of the goods
that were stored up for his own personal security.
The amounts are there.
100 tons of gold, 240 tons of silver
but the amounts actually don't matter.
The amounts don't actually matter.
What matters is he led the people
in giving up of his personal security.
And the Bible leads me consistently to conclude
that the extent to which we are prepared
to risk our material well-being
is a measure of the seriousness
in which we take our discipleship.
That is why, friends,
this is a faith-raising issue for St Paul's.
That's why David challenges the people,
now,
who is willing to consecrate himself today
to the Lord?
This whole thing in raising money for the temple
is purely about that.
David calls the whole assembly together
and says to them,
will you freely offer yourselves to God?
The issue is not the amassing of glittering jewels
or precious metals
but the pouring of themselves as God's people
into the building of the temple
as a symbol of the wholehearted worship
that will soon take place in that temple.
What David is calling for here
is very similar to what Paul says
to the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians.
Again, in the context of giving,
he says,
they did not do as we expected
but they gave themselves first to the Lord.
They consecrated themselves to the Lord
and then to us
in keeping with his will.
That's just what David says
a thousand years earlier or more.
Give yourselves to the Lord.
It's what I've been looking at
as we've been travelling with Jesus
on this road to Jerusalem.
What does it mean for Jesus to be our king?
And he says,
give yourselves to the Lord.
Give yourselves to this king
who will consecrate themselves this day to Jesus.
And the response was overwhelming.
The fathers, the princes, the commanders,
the overseers gave gold and silver
and brass and iron.
Everyone who had precious stones
gave them to Jehiel,
the Wendy J of David's court.
Those are the facts on the human level.
There was an enormous generosity.
The money came in.
There was enough to build the temple.
How do you account for that?
Was David a charismatic leader?
Were they just fearful of David?
How do you account for this?
David, at one level,
David is not the least afraid of saying
that the people did the giving.
He stresses their wills
were profoundly involved in the giving.
Verse 9,
The people rejoiced at the willing response
of their leaders
for they had given freely
and wholeheartedly to the Lord.
They were not coerced.
They made choices.
This is what anyone can see
on a human level.
But what matters on this day
is not what the eye can see.
What matters is the great,
invisible reality of God
on this day.
And to help us to see that,
what the writer of Chronicles does
is he sort of pulls apart the curtains
on David's prayer.
David prays in such a way
that he pulls apart the curtains
to see what is really happening
when the people of God
give so generously.
Back then
and here today.
What really happened
was that God revealed himself
to his people.
So get this.
The giving of money
for the house of God
was the work of God
to reveal God
so that the people of God
would stand in awe of God.
That's what's going on.
I'll say it again
given the confused, glazed looks
that you all have.
The giving of money
for the house of God
was the work of God
to reveal God
so that the people of God
would stand in awe of God.
That is what's revealed
in David's prayer.
That is what David sees
and this is what he says
he sees is happening
on this day.
Of course this is invisible.
No camera could pick up God.
No reporter could stick a microphone
and ask him what's going on
on this day.
Technically there are no signs
and wonders.
There are no miracles
but David says
what has happened here today
is all of God.
And he mentions at least
11 things about God.
11 attributes of God
which are being revealed
in this enormous generosity
in 1 Chronicles 29.
Number one
yours oh Lord
is the greatness.
That is God is great.
He is expansive.
He is larger than any reality
in this universe.
Number two
yours oh Lord
is the greatness
and the power.
God is powerful.
All power belongs to God.
He is not only big
and expansive.
He is also strong.
He is stronger
than any atomic power
any hydrogen bomb
any natural forces
like hurricanes
or ocean tides
or an exploding stars.
He is not only great
in size
but he can move
that greatness
to accomplish
everything that he
wills to accomplish.
He is very powerful.
Number three
yours oh Lord
is the greatness
and the power
and the glory
and the splendor.
God is glorious.
In other words
his greatness
and his power
come together
to beauty.
Not ugliness.
It's beauty
when God's greatness
and power
come together.
When we see God
for who he is
our hearts
our souls
respond
with a tremendous
satisfaction
because we were made
to behold glory
and splendor.
We were made
to exalt
in infinite beauty.
God is the source
and the essence
of all great
and powerful beauty
all glory
and splendor.
Number four
yours oh Lord
is the greatness
and the power
and the glory
and the splendor
and the majesty.
He is majestic.
This means that
he has all the marks
of royalty
or kingliness.
When he rides by
you take off
your hat
and you salute.
You don't slouch.
You don't swagger.
You don't joke.
You don't jest.
You stand in awe
and you tremble
with joy
before this God.
You tremble
with joy
that you have been
granted to see him
and not die.
He is majestic.
Yours oh Lord
is the greatness
and the power
and the glory
and the majesty
and the splendor
for everything
in heaven
and on earth
is yours.
God owns the world
and he owns
everything in it.
He owns your home.
He owns your car.
He owns your television.
He owns your blender.
He owns your mind.
He owns your emotions.
He owns your will.
He owns your very life.
Everything
is his.
He owns your life.
He gave it freely
as a trust
and he may take it
whenever he chooses
all of it
or any of it
and he would have done you
no wrong.
We are only trustees
of life
and thought
and possessions.
possessions.
We are only trustees
of life
and thought
and possessions.
Just dwell on that
for a little while
and that will blow your mind
inside out
and upside down.
We need to ponder that
more than we do.
Number six,
yours,
oh Lord,
is the kingdom.
In other words,
he not only has
the splendor of royalty,
he has the authority
of royalty.
He actually rules
as king over the world.
He has dominion,
ruling authority
as king over all.
His kingly decrees
hold sway
over all.
Number seven,
yours,
oh Lord,
is the kingdom.
You are exalted
as head over all.
God is the head
over all things.
That is,
he is the leader
and he is the final authority
over all things.
God is not incidental
or accidental
over all.
He chooses
to be head
over all.
He exalts himself
as head
over all.
His position
in the universe
is a position
he chooses
to keep.
His reputation
as head
over all
is something
that he wills
and desires
to be known
to the ends
of the earth.
Number eight,
wealth and honour
come from you.
Not only does God
own all things,
rule all things,
exalt himself
as head
over all things,
he also is
the source
of all things,
the source
of all riches
and honour
that come
to any man,
woman or child.
On a merely
human standpoint,
we look
and we go,
my riches
and honour
come because
of my inheritance,
because of some
good willing
and dealing
on the stock market,
some shrewd
real estate dealings,
I've saved
some money,
I've worked
really hard,
I've lived
an honourable
life,
but David
says riches
come from God,
all honour,
any title
that you have,
any possessions
that you have,
all comes
from God.
That is the
invisible work
of God
in and under
and behind
all of our
daily work.
Number nine,
and linked with this,
in your hands
are strength
and power
to exalt
and give
strength to all.
The new thing
here is that
all human
greatness
and all
human strength
are the work
of God's
invisible hand.
It's all
of God.
The ability
that I had
to even comprehend
what 1 Chronicles
29
was doing
and to put it
into some
form of a sermon
was the work
of God
in my brain
and in my heart.
God's point
in all of this,
in this great
generosity in Israel
is to show
that it is
his hand
that lies
behind it
and makes it
great.
Number ten,
after pausing
in verse 13
to burst
with thanks
and praise
for all of
this stuff,
David goes
on with more
about this
great God
who has
been at work
in his whole
affair of giving
and he says
this about
this great
God,
he is
merciful.
God helps
us to do
what we do
not deserve
help to do.
Verse 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.
In other
words,
God has
enabled us
to give
like this
is what
David is
saying.
Even though
we don't
deserve the
help that
God has
given to
give like
this.
Who are
we to be
helped to
give like
this?
St. Paul's
Chatswood
is a
fellowship
of
graciously
saved
sinners.
As
verse 15,
the second
answer
verse 15
says,
there is
no hope
for people
like us
outside of
God's
mercy to
us in
the Lord
Jesus.
No hope
whatsoever.
Nevertheless,
God acts
for us in
mercy and
behold we
give because
he has acted
towards us
in mercy.
And so
the 11th
tribute to
God in
this matter
of giving
is that
God is
sovereignly
merciful and
he helps
us give
even though
we don't
deserve
that help.
And so
just over
10 days
ago,
I told
you last
week,
staff and
parish council
got together
and they
pledged
$5,200 a
week for
2010.
And
following on
from the
words of
David,
who are
the staff
of St.
Paul's
Chatswood?
Who are
the parish
council of
St.
Paul's
Chatswood
that they
could give
$5,200 a
week for
next year?
We are
utterly
undeserving.
Yet from
his hand
we have
given to
him only
what came
from him
because he
is a
merciful God.
Number
11,
finally,
jumping down
to verse
18,
we see that
God's
enabling in
this matter
is not
simply that
he gives
the funds
but that
he gives
the willingness
to give.
This
takes us
back to
where we
started.
Remember
what we
said about
the people,
the people
did the
giving.
David even
stresses the
significant
aspect of
their will
in that
they were
profoundly
involved in
the giving.
Verse 9
it says,
the people
rejoiced
the willing
response of
their leaders
for they
had given
freely and
wholeheartedly
to the
Lord.
That is,
the people
of Israel
made choices.
Human
choices,
real
choices,
joyful
choices.
That is
what you
can see.
That is
what all
the people
can see.
It is
obvious for
us to
see that
but that
is not
all that
David saw.
What David
saw and he
makes known
to us in
the petition
in verses
18 to
19,
O Lord,
God of
our fathers
Abraham,
Isaac and
Israel,
keep this
desire in
their hearts
of your
people forever
and keep
their hearts
loyal to
you.
And give
my son
Solomon the
wholehearted
devotion to
keep your
commands,
requirements and
decrees and
to do
everything to
build this
palatial structure
for which I
have provided.
See what he's
saying there?
Where is
Solomon going
to get a
heart to
keep the
commands of
God?
From God.
David
prayed in
verse 19,
give my
son Solomon
the
wholehearted
devotion to
keep your
commands and
requirements and
decrees.
Friends,
we ought to
be praying for
that.
We ought to
be praying
that prayer.
Give it to
us,
Lord,
the wholehearted
devotion to
keep your
commands,
your
requirements and
decrees that
we might
generously give.
And so that's
what he says.
What about
these people
here?
What about
those who
had already
given so
generously?
Those who
says he,
verse 9,
had given
freely and
wholeheartedly.
What does
David pray for
them?
Verse 18,
O Lord,
keep this
desire in
their hearts
of your
people forever
and keep
their hearts
loyal to
you.
This is not
the end of
the matter.
We ought to
be growing
more and
more in
this matter.
When a
sinner directs
his heart
towards God,
God has
done that.
Apart from
God, our
hearts will
go in every
direction.
But God,
apart from
God, our
hearts will
go after
everything
apart from
God.
We will
treasure
anything else
in this
world apart
from God.
That is
what is so
crucial for
us as a
church to
have treasure
Jesus at
the centre
of our
mission
statement.
We ought
to be
treasuring
him more
than
anything
else.
And may
God give
us the
hearts to
pursue
treasuring
Jesus more
than anything
else.
Apart from
God, we
do not
give
willingly and
joyfully to
the cause
of God.
That is
why David
prays.
A prayer
that is
asking God
to do
what man
cannot do.
We cannot
direct our
hearts to
God or
give
willingly to
God unless
God directs
our hearts
to himself
and causes
us to
give
willingly.
I'm
kind of
hoping by
now that
you've
picked that
up from
me in
my
preaching.
As we've
looked
particularly
at Luke's
gospel and
the travel
narrative of
what it means
to walk
with Jesus
on this
road to
Jerusalem,
I've been
asking you
give it up
for the
king.
we live
to treasure
Jesus.
And so
now on
Commitment
Sunday,
now is
the time
for you to
consecrate
yourself to
the Lord.
If you
haven't already
do it,
to consecrate
yourself to
the Lord.
I do hope
that you
have considered
and prayed
and come
prepared with
your pledge
cards.
I do hope
that you've
done that,
you've worked
hard on that.
I believe
that your
leaders have
done that.
When parish
council and
staff met
together about
10 days ago,
we went
through this
process.
We looked
at this
passage.
And I
believe that
this passage
is calling
me as the
point leader
of this
church to
lead as
King David
did.
And so
at parish
council meeting
with the
staff and
parish council
there about
10 days ago,
I publicly
declared to
them what
the contribution
of Natalie
and I
would be,
what our
contribution
would be in
2010.
I will be
the only
one publicly
to do so
and the
moment I
enjoy doing
it, I
will stop
doing it.
Up until
recently, we
have been
giving $500 a
month.
But as we've
walked with
Jesus to
Jerusalem, we
have been
rethinking our
contribution.
And so I
said to parish
council that we
would be
contributing $600
a month in
2010, but I
asked them to
pray for us
that we might
reach $700 by
the end of
the year.
We have
since revised
that and it's
now $650 a
month.
We're starting
that right now,
$650 a month.
And so I'm
praying that, I'm
asking you to
pray for us that
we might reach
$750 by the
end of the
year, given
that my target
was so short.
And that is
specifically to
the ministry of
St Paul's
Chatswood.
That is to
our weekly
offertory here
for the
ministry of
St Paul's
Chatswood.
Our mission
giving and
our giving to
the poor will
be over and
above that.
And like the
target that I
want to set for
everyone here,
we are aiming
for dollar for
dollar.
I then called
the staff and
the parish
council to
follow suit.
And they
did.
$5,200 a
week was
pledged for
2010.
$2,300 was
raised for the
external project
and over
6,000 for
the internal
project.
They have
significantly
knocked those
figures off
already.
Your leaders
have led.
It was a
wonderful response
and I
rejoiced
greatly.
And I
now call
St Paul's
Chatswood
today to
follow your
leaders.
In a
moment we
are taking
up a
collection.
I'm hoping
that you've
come prepared
with your
pledge cards
if you
haven't.
I believe
Geoff's got
some.
There's
some at
the back.
But the
big question
I want to
leave you
with is
who here
today will
consecrate
themselves to
the Lord
in this
place in
Paul's
Chatswood.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Gracious
God,
merciful God,
all power
and authority
and glory
are yours.
You rule
over all
that is.
You own
everything in
this world.
You own
our lives,
our possessions.
Oh Lord,
we don't
recognise that
enough.
We thank you
for the life
that we have.
We thank you
for the strength
and the honour
that you have
given us to be
able to gather,
to work,
to save,
to earn.
Lord,
we sit here
today,
we reflect
even on what
the leaders
of this church
have done,
the staff,
the parish
council.
And as
David said
before Israel,
who is
Steve
Jeffrey?
Who are
the staff
of St.
Paul's
Chatswood?
Who are
the parish
council of
St.
Paul's
Chatswood?
Who are
the people
of St.
Paul's
Chatswood
that we
should
give so
generously
as this?
We only
give what
you have
already
given to
us.
And so
Lord,
rescue us
from hypocrisy.
Rescue us
Lord,
from anything
that would
want to
turn it
back on
ourselves.
May we
rejoice in
you and
your goodness
to us.
May we
do it
with honest
intent.
And we
ask it
for your
glory.
Amen.