Sermon: Why Do People Follow the Lord – 1 Chron 29 (8/16/26)
Introduction
Scripture
Turn in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29.
Opening
I like asking the question, "Why?"
When children are young, maybe three or four, they often go through that stage where almost every answer is followed by another question:
"Why?"
It can wear a parent out.
But I think children may be on to something.
We can learn an awful lot by asking why.
And we should ask why more often...
We should ask why about our own lives.
When I confess a sin, I should ask, "Why did I do something I knew was wrong?"
And when we do something courageous or faithful or selfless, it is worth asking the same question.
Why did I do that?
What moved me?
We can learn something by asking that question about other people.
Why are some people faithful to the Lord and to church?
Why does someone forgive when it would be easier to hold a grudge?
We can learn something by asking that question of the Lord...
Why do you say this activity is sin when it is pleasurable?
Why do you instruct us to pray when you know everything?
And Scripture teaches us that God is deeply concerned not only with what we do, but with WHY we do it.
Hebrews 4.12 | For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (CSB)
So today I want us to ask one very specific "why" question:
Why do people give?
Many people give to the Lord through FBC every week...
Many people give sacrificially...
Many give when they have other needs...
Many people have been giving faithfully for years or decades...
And giving is strange because from a strictly worldly perspective...
It may be unhelpful so far as building wealth or saving toward retirement...
It may be unhelpful in the pursuit to always get more and better stuff...
You work for money.
You could spend it on yourself.
You could save it for yourself.
You could use it to make your own life more comfortable or secure.
And instead, you willingly give a significant portion of it away.
So WHY DO PEOPLE GIVE?
I think that question gives us a window into something much bigger than money.
Because the motivations that lead us to give are many of the same motivations that should lead us to also...
Serve
Worship
Obey
Sacrifice
Forgive
Pray
And live for the Lord.
Giving gives us a very concrete way to examine the motivations of the Christian life.
It can expose things in us like...
Greed
Fear
Distrust
Selfishness
Misplaced security
But it can also reveal and cultivate obedience, gratitude, faith, love, contentment, generosity, and a desire for the glory of God.
So this morning, I want to talk about giving.
But I hope you will see very quickly that this is about much more than giving.
I want us to ask what should move the heart of a Christian.
And we are going to explore that question by asking:
Why do God's people give?
Scripture
So if we want to understand why God’s people give, 1 Chronicles 29 is a wonderful place to look, because this chapter does more than tell us what they gave.
It lets us see what was happening in their hearts.
Background and Context
This is near the very end of David’s reign and life.
King David really wanted to build the first temple...
1 Chronicles 22.7 | “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, (CSB)
1 Chronicles 28.2 | Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build, (CSB)
But God said NO.
David's son, Solomon, would build the temple.
But David's role will be to prepare for the building of the temple.
And that is what makes 1 Chronicles 29 so remarkable.
David is about to give lavishly to something he deeply wanted to do himself but would never personally complete.
The fact that this is not unfolding just the way he wanted it to will not dampen his spirits or his commitment to support the project!
Then he calls the leaders of Israel to give.
And afterward, he prays.
And in that prayer, David tells us why they gave.
Text
1 Chronicles 29.1 | Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon—God has chosen him alone—is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the building will not be built for a human but for the Lord God. (CSB)
God has chosen him...
God puts us in certain places at certain times among certain people to accomplish his purposes...
I shared with the college students last week at their college retreat...
Just as much as God has prepared and called me to be pastor of FBC Nac...
God has prepared and called you to be an ambassador on the SFA campus this year...
To have the friends you will have...
To enroll in your classes...
To be in particular situations...
God has put you in this church in this community at this time, for his eternal purposes.
Perspective...
Sometimes I take a quiet walk across our church property/campus...
I wonder about the past...
That is healthy for me because I tend to just live in the present.
I wonder who built these old buildings...
Who paid for all of this?
What did they sacrifice to do this?
What did they say "no" to to be able to say "yes" to this?
That was their time.
And I thank the Lord for them.
Now, this is my time, our time...
Not built for a human but for the Lord God...
The greatness of ministry is not ultimately measured by the size of the project but by the one for whom we are doing it.
1 Chronicles 29.2 | So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, stones for mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble. (CSB)
To the best of my ability...
We don't all give or do or lead or serve the same way...
That is ok.
The question is not how much...
The question is who we did it for...
And the question is did we do it according to our ability...
Did we offer our best?
I've made provision...
Generosity is not opposed to careful planning.
David combines an open hand with extraordinary preparation.
Strong affection creates concrete preparation.
1 Chronicles 29.3 | Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house: (CSB)
Because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures...
What motivated David to give?
He DELIGHTED in seeing God honored in the new temple.
Another way of asking the question...
Was it hard for David to give?
Read it again...
1 Chronicles 29.3 | Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house:(CSB)
In a sense, it was NOT hard for David to give because his heart was motivated by a desire to see the Lord worshipped in a greater way.
Delight does not necessarily make giving painless.
Delight makes sacrifice willing.
1 Chronicles 29.4 | 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings, (CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.5 | the gold for the gold work and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?” (CSB)
Notice that David asks a question...
What does he ask?
Not: Who will give some money?
He asks, "Who will consecrate himself to the Lord?"
Consecrate means to...
Separate
Dedicate...
This was not merely a financial transaction...
This was about honoring and following the Lord.
1 Chronicles 29.6 | Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. (CSB)
David gave and his delight and sacrifice were contagious...
It inspired others to give.
How did these others give?
Willingly!
1 Chronicles 29.7 | For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron. (CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.8 | Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. (CSB)
Can you hear the enthusiasm in their generosity?
1 Chronicles 29.9 | Then the people rejoiced because of their leaders’ willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord wholeheartedly. King David also rejoiced greatly. (CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.10 | 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. (CSB)
That is significant.
After what would have been an incredible fundraising success, David does not congratulate himself on his leadership or applaud Israel's wealth.
The proper conclusion to successful giving is not, "Look what we accomplished," but "Look what God has done."
Biblical generosity begins with God and ends with God.
1 Chronicles 29.11 | 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. (CSB)
Lord's Prayer
Do you know that phrase we often add to the end of the Lord's Prayer when we recite it?
"For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
There is a long history for those words, but they come from here, from this very verse!
I think this verse gives us some real insight into how David understood his possessions...
For everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you...
That is the key to a right understanding of our possessions and resources.
When I talk with people about giving...
Some are so generous and enthusiastic about finding more ways to give and support.
For some, I can tell giving is so hard for them...
They are struggling internally...
They are fighting in their hearts...
What causes the difference?
It is just what we see here with David...
When we finally understand and embrace the fact that everything belongs to the Lord...
Then we are able to let go...
A few years ago, in the middle of a sermon, I asked if anyone would give me a thousand dollars to buy a new recliner I had my eye on...
Immediately someone stood up and gave me $1000 in cash.
I went on preaching like nothing was out of the ordinary.
And I watched the puzzled looks of disbelief on everyone's faces...
Then I stopped and let everyone in on the secret...
I turned to the person who had just given me the $1000...
I asked, "Was it hard for you to give me that money?"
No.
I asked, "Why?"
Because it wasn't my money.
You had given me the $1,000 before the service started and just asked me to give it back when you asked for it.
Do you get it?
One key to generosity is recognizing it isn't ours anyway.
Everything belongs to the Lord.
He has just given it to me for a while to hold for him.
1 Chronicles 29.12 | 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. (CSB)
He doubles down on God's ownership here...
Before anything ever passes through my hand as a gift, it first came from God's hand as grace.
1 Chronicles 29.13 | Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.(CSB)
David's giving was motivated by his gratitude!
Wait until you see how he expresses his gratitude in the next verse...
1 Chronicles 29.14 | 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. (CSB)
David essentially said...
The amazing thing is NOT that we gave so much...
The amazing thing is that God had blessed us so that we could give!
1 Chronicles 29.15 | 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. (CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.16 | 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. (CSB)
Do you see a theme in David's words?
1 Chronicles 29.17 | 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. (CSB)
David asserts something that we know is true...
David says his willingness and generosity match the condition of his heart, and vice versa.
Jesus said the same thing...
Matthew 6.21 | For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.18 | Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. (CSB)
David knows that this moment of joyful generosity can fade.
So he prays:
“Lord, preserve this disposition in them.”
Right motivation is not merely something we manufacture.
It is something we ask God to preserve in our hearts.
Motivations for Faithful Giving
Some of these are more important than others...
There is never just one reason.
We give (serve, love, forgive, live godly lives) for a combination of reasons.
But all of these reasons are biblical.
And all should inspire us to greater commitment.
I'm going to give you thirteen motivations for giving in thirteen minutes...
I. To Honor the Lord
Perhaps the greatest motivation for generous giving is so that God might be honored.
Proverbs 3.9 | Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest. (CSB)
How does giving honor the Lord?
It honors God in your own life and family by elevating God's place in your life.
The things that are most important to me are the things I spend the most money on.
“Lord, you matter more to me than what I could buy with this money.”
It honors God because of the abundance of gifts.
Just as God was honored by the great gifts given for the temple in the verses we read...
It honors God because it demonstrates and displays our love and delight in the Lord.
Mary of Bethany
That is what Mary expressed when she poured extravagantly expensive perfume on Jesus.
John 12.3 | Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (CSB)
Other people saw waste.
She saw someone worthy of extravagant honor.
We give because the Lord is worthy.
II. To Obey the Lord
If the number one reason to give is to honor the Lord because he is worthy...
Then the second most important reason to give is simple obedience.
The Bible repeatedly commands God's children to sacrifice and give regularly.
1 Corinthians 16.2 | On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come. (CSB)
Here we see...
The command to give...
The command to give regularly...
The command to give proportionally...
Tithing...
The command to give without being pressured...
Malachi 3.10a | Bring the full tenth into the storehouse.... (CSB)
2 Corinthians 8.7 | Now as you excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this act of grace. (CSB)
III. To Express Gratitude
This motivation is simple yet powerful.
Out of a heart of gratitude and delight, we should respond with a desire to give!
2 Corinthians 9.12 | For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (CSB)
We just heard David say it...
1 Chronicles 29.13 | Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.(CSB)
1 Chronicles 29.14 | 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. (CSB)
GOSPEL
IV. To Practice Faithful Stewardship
We saw this in our text...
We give because what we have belongs to the Lord anyway, and we are only stewards or managers of those resources.
Here is how David said it...
1 Chronicles 29.14 | 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. (CSB)
That is the fundamental Christian understanding of money:
I own nothing ultimately.
God owns it.
I manage it for him.
So giving isn't really giving God some of my money.
It is faithfully using his money.
We give because everything we have already belongs to him.
V. To Learn to Trust More
How can you have stronger faith?
How can you trust the Lord more?
Trust grows stronger much like a muscle grows stronger.
You have to stretch it and strain it and test it...
When we give sacrificially, it forces us to trust the Lord.
That trust builds greater trust.
Here is how Jesus explained it...
Luke 12.31 | “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. (CSB)
Luke 12.32 | Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.(CSB)
Luke 12.33 | Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (CSB)
Give in a way that requires you to trust the Lord to take care of you, and your trust will grow.
"Lord, I trust you more than I trust this money."
VI. To Cultivate Contentment
For many of us, the problem is not that we do not have enough money...
The greater problem is that we do not have enough contentment.
Hebrews 13.5 | Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. (CSB)
Giving trains my heart to say:
“I don't have to have everything I could afford.”
“More is not what makes me happy.”
“God has given me enough.”
Every time I willingly give away something I could have spent on myself, I weaken the grip of materialism.
Giving teaches the heart to say, “Enough.”
VII. To Grow Spiritually
Matthew 6.21 | For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (CSB)
VIII. To Experience God's Blessing
We have to be careful here because it would not be biblical to see giving as transactional...
I give money so God will give me more money in return...
But at the same time, we must not ignore what the Bible clearly teaches...
The Bible teaches us that God honors those who give sacrificially and faithfully.
Malachi 3.10 | Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. (CSB)
Luke 6.38 | Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (CSB)
2 Corinthians 9.6 | The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. (CSB)
IX. To Love People
God takes your gifts and uses them to make a real difference in the lives of real people.
2 Corinthians 8.8 | I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. (CSB)
Paul says generosity actually tests the genuineness of our love.
It is easy to say, “I care.”
Giving costs us something.
We live in a world that is falling apart...
But the Lord is creating a safe place here...
Marriages are being strengthened...
Children are being saved...
Students are being pointed toward good paths...
People are overcoming debilitating sins...
People are being loved, fed, protected...
And on and on...
When you give, that is an act of love!
When we give, love moves from something we feel to something we do.
X. To Advance the Gospel
Tenth, we give because we want to advance the gospel.
Not every Christian can go everywhere the gospel needs to go.
But every Christian can help send those who do.
3 John 8 | Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can be coworkers with the truth. (CSB)
I love that phrase:
“Coworkers with the truth.”
When you give to support missionaries, ministries, church plants, evangelism, and gospel work...
You are participating in that ministry.
You are helping send the gospel somewhere you may never personally go.
We give because we want the gospel to go farther than we can go ourselves.
XI. To Be Salt and Light
Matthew 5.13 | “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (CSB)
Matthew 5.14 | “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. (CSB)
XII. To Teach Our Children
We looked at Psalm 78 last week...
Psalm 78.4 | We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed. (CSB)
XIII. To Leave a Legacy
Finally, we give because we want to leave a legacy that lasts.
1 Timothy 6.18 | Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, (CSB)
1 Timothy 6.19 | storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life. (CSB)
Every dollar we spend on ourselves is temporary.
The house will belong to someone else.
The car will wear out.
The things we buy will eventually disappear.
But what we invest in God's work can keep bearing fruit long after we are gone.
We give because we want our lives to keep making a difference after our lives are over.
Conclusion
Our big question throughout this sermon has been "why?"
Why...
Why do people give?
Why do people serve, love, forgive, obey...
That is a question of motivation.
One of the most important decisions we make in life is choosing our ultimate motivations.
Once you decide what will motivate you in life...
The rest of life begins to fall into place...
Matthew 6.33 | But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (CSB)
What motivates you?
Paul could answer that question in four words:
Philippians 1.21 | For me, to live is Christ... (CSB)